Tuesday, June 27, 2006

David's and your spiritual journey

David's Spiritual Journey
This is the journey that David has taken he empowers and enables people that work with him to successfully travel the same journey.

David has taken the long hard journey to become an effective healer and teacher. He has reached deeply into the centre of his inner being and taken full responsibility for his calling as a healer of the spirit. He is someone who has fully walked this journey of transformation and has chosen to become a healer and helper to those in need.
Next, he has learned to clear his mind of it's inner dialogue and mental garbage replacing the dogma of his culture with the knowledge and wisdom from the collective unconscious which is within us all.

He had to resolve all negative aspects of his personal history in order that his past would not interfere with life in the present. This he has done to insure that no negative elements of his own psyche be transferred to his clients.

He then faced his own death in order to accept it's finality within the eternity of the Universe around him. By separating from his culture and it's value systems he has learned to see and understand the universality of the human spirit and it's sacred laws.
Finally he has controlled the dream and found a new vision and purpose:- Rebirth as a renewed person with new reasons for being and interacting within the world.
These are some of the area's that will need addressing during the course of your Spiritual growth.

David is aware that there are many belief structures and organizations that purport to train people in the ancient craft or assist them to make the journey. Unfortunately very few if any are able to deliver causing anguish, ill health and great disappointment. Either that or they spend many years of pointless study in what they have been told is real, only to realise that they have been lead up the garden path.

Part of David's inner gift is the depth of understanding that he has in the spiritual crafts. David is not about destroying the knowledge that you have gained or about giving you another belief structure, but giving you new insight into what is happening when using these skills. Creating a greater spiritual connection which will enable you to develop the craft as a healer or medium with greater safety and understanding. This will lead you to have a greater ability to help people that cross your path in a state of distress. David sees this happening more and more as they only appear to be interested in 'bums on seats'. Guiding and giving assistance in your spiritual journey forms the corner stone of David's work.

Vist David's Resource Library holding some 2500 + pages on things of spiritual and general interest

Friday, June 02, 2006

The disciple & sex

An aspirant to discipleship has in sex a real problem with which to contend. Self-indulgence and the control of the human being by any part of his organism are always inevitably wrong. When a man's entire mind is occupied with the thought of women, or vice versa; when he lives mainly to satisfy an animal craving; when he finds himself unable to resist the lure of his polar opposite, then he is a victim of and is controlled by the lowest part of his nature, the animal.

But when man recognizes his physical functions as a divine heritage, and his equipment as having been given him for the good of the group and to be rightly used for the benefit of the human family, then we shall see a new motivating impulse underlying human conduct where sex is concerned. We shall see the elimination of promiscuity, with its attendant evil, disease.
We shall see the solution of the problem of too many children and, incidentally, easement of the economic problem. Through right control of the sex function and its relegation to the purpose for which it exists (the carrying onward of the human family and the providing of bodies whereby souls call gain experience) then right use will be made of sex. Then, passion, Lust, self-gratification, disease, and over-population will die out in the world. Matter will no longer be prostituted to selfish desire, and the relation between the sexes will be governed by understanding of divine purpose and skill-in-action.

Two points of view are equally wrong: in the one case we have practices taught which lead eventually to sexual orgies. These have been dignified by the name of sex magic, and in the sexual orgasm, deliberately induced, a man is led to believe that the physical sex act is his highest point of spiritual opportunity and that, at such a moment, he can touch, if he will, the kingdom of Heaven.

The other attitude, which makes marriage and all expression of the sex life a sin for a disciple and which says that a man cannot be pure in the truly spiritual aspect if he marries and raises a family, is as devastatingly dangerous.
There is no state of consciousness and no condition of life in which it is impossible for a man to function as a son of God.

If it is not possible for a man to live the life of discipleship and the life of initiation and, with due self-control and understanding, live a normal, balanced sex life; then there is a department of human expression in which divinity is helpless, and this I refuse to recognize.
There is no department of life, no field of expression, no meeting of obligation, no use of the physical apparatus, in which the soul cannot fulfil the part of the dominating factor and all things be done truly to the glory of God. But the soul must control, and not the lower nature.
People forget that some of the greatest of the world initiates married; that the Buddha married and had a son, and must have been an initiate of high degree when he entered into the married state. They forget that Moses, David the Psalmist, and many of the outstanding figures in the world of mysticism in both hemispheres, were married and raised families.

Disciples belong to all races, both in the occident and in the orient, and the attitude of different races towards sex is widely diversified. Standards of conduct differ. The legality or the illegality of relations varies. Different epochs and different civilizations have seen relationships that were legal at one time, and illegal at another. Some races are monogamous and some races are polygamous. In some civilizations the woman is regarded as the dominant factor, and in others the man. Down the ages sex perverts, homosexuals, true and spurious, have been with us, and today is probably no worse than 5,000 years ago, except that everything is now dragged out into the light, which is good.

Everybody talks about the problem; and the rising generation are asking in no uncertain tones:
"What about sex? What is right and what is wrong?" How can they be expected to deal with a question which has been discussed, seemingly in the most futile manner, down the ages?
Here it is pertinent to note that Minos, King of Crete, who owned the sacred bull also possessed the maze in which the Minotaur lived, and the maze has ever been the symbol of the great illusion. The word "maze" comes from an old English word, meaning to bewilder, to confuse, to puzzle.

The island of Crete with its maze and its bull is an outstanding symbol of the great illusion. It was separated from the mainland, and illusion and bewilderment are characteristics of the separated self, but not of the soul on its own plane, where group realities and universal truths constitute its kingdom.

The bull, to Hercules, typified animal desire, and the many aspects of desire in the world of form which, in their totality, constitute the great illusion. The disciple, like Hercules, is a separated unit, divided from the mainland, the symbol of the group, by the world of illusion and the maze in which he lives. The bull of desire has to be caught and mastered and chased from one point to another in the life of the separated self, until the time comes when the aspirant can do what Hercules succeeded in doing: ride the bull.

To ride an animal, in the ancient myths, signifies control. The bull is not slaughtered, it is ridden and guided, and under the mastery of the man. There are potencies and faculties hidden in the human being that, when developed and unfolded, may bring new powers to bear upon this problem. But, in the meantime, what shall the aspirant do?

Certain suggestions may be made:
1. Ride, control and master the bull and let the aspirant remember that the bull has to be ridden across the waters to the mainland; which means that the solution of the whole sex problem will come when the disciple subordinates his separated personal island self to group purpose and endeavor, and begins to rule his life by the question, "What is best for the group with which I am associated?" It is by doing this that the bull is ridden to the mainland.

2. Use common sense. The ancient meaning of the word "common sense" was that there was a sense which synthesized and unified the five senses and so constituted a "common sense", literally, the mind. Let the aspirant use his mind, and through the medium of intelligent perception, guide and control the bull of desire. If common sense is used, certain dangers will be avoided.

There is a danger in the method of many aspirants in inhibiting or shutting off all sex expression. Physiologically they may succeed, but the experience of psychologists and teachers is that where inhibition and a drastic suppression is imposed upon the organism, the result is some form of nervous or mental complex. Many physically clean people have unclean minds. Many who would scorn the practise of any of the sex perversions and who hold that marriage is not for the disciple, have mental apparatuses which will not bear investigation. Their minds and their interpretations of other people's actions are so salacious and their capacity to think evil so great, that, dangerous as this may sound, one feels that it would be better for them to be ridden by the bull of desire than to continue their present practice of substituting mental indulgence for outer sin.

A clean mind and a pure heart, a rightly organized and rightly used physical body, conformity to the laws of the land in which his destiny is cast, utter consideration for the welfare of those with whom he is associated, and a life of loving service: these constitute the ideals of the aspirant.

3. A right understanding, of the meaning, of celibacy. The word means "single" and the meaning usually given to the word is, to refrain from the marriage relation.
Many young men and women, driven by spiritual desire and under the influence of the thought-form of the church during the Middle Ages, with its many monasteries and convents, believe that for them the celibate state is essential and right, and are puzzled when they find that complexes result. But may it not be that the true celibacy has been expressed for us in the words of Christ, when he said,

"If thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light"?
May it not be that true celibacy is the refusal of the soul any longer to identify itself with the form? May not the real marriage relation, of which the physical plane relation is but the symbol, be that of the union of the soul and the form, the positive spirit aspect and the negative mother-matter? Let the soul be single in its purpose and freed from the thralldom of matter, and then right action and a right point of view will inevitably be the characteristics of the physical plane life.

Let the soul ride the form, controlling and mastering it, and then it will surely know its right obligations. It will recognize the relation that it should hold to other human beings, whether its destiny is to be that of husband or wife, father or mother, brother or sister, friend or companion.
Through right use of the form and right understanding of purpose, through right orientation to reality and right use of spiritual energy, the soul will act as the controlling factor and the whole body will be full of light.

Through control, through the use of common sense, by a right understanding of celibacy, and by identification with group purpose, the disciple will arrive at liberation from the control of sex. He will succeed in following the example of Hercules and will ride the bull of desire over to the mainland where, in the Temple of God, he will hand it over into the care of the Cyclops who were early initiates, having the single eye about which we have been speaking, the eye of Shiva, the Bull's eye in the constellation Taurus.

For Hercules himself was not only the disciple, but he was, in his lower nature, the bull, and in his higher nature the Cyclops. When the bull of desire has been handed over to the Cyclops, to the initiate with the single eye, which is himself, the soul, the three divine aspects, will begin to manifest: Brontes, Steropes and Arges will guard the sacred bull, and Hercules, the disciple, will no longer have any responsibility.

Brontes is the symbol of the first aspect of God, the Father who spoke and is the creative sound.
Steropes means lightning, or light, and is the second aspect, the soul.
Arges means whirling activity, the third aspect of divinity, expressing itself in the intense activity of physical plane life.

These divine aspects constitute the controlling factor and once they have gained possession of the sacred bull, the problem of Hercules is solved.
The solving of the sexual problem will release the minds of men from an inhibition and an undue concern, and so produce a mental freedom which will admit of the inflow of new ideas and concepts. We shall discover that vice and virtue have no real reference to ability and inability to conform to man-made laws, but to man's attitude to himself and to his social relation with God and his fellowmen.

Virtue is the manifestation in man of the spirit of cooperation with his brothers, necessitating unselfishness, understanding and complete self-forgetfulness. Vice is the negation of this attitude. These two words signify in reality simply perfection and imperfection, conformity to a divine standard of brotherhood or a failure to achieve that standard.
Standards are shifting things and change with man's growth towards divinity. They vary also according to man's destiny as it is affected by his time and age, his nature and surroundings. They alter also according to the point of evolutionary development. The standard for attainment is not today what it was one thousand years ago, nor a thousand years hence will it be what it is today.

The Rays and the Kingdoms in Nature Yet all periods of the world's history have not been as critical as today, for - apart from the great cyclic opportunity to which I have earlier referred - we have in humanity itself a unique attainment. For the first time in racial history, we have the expression of a true human being, of man as he essentially is.
We have the personality, integrated and functioning as a unit, and we have the mind and the emotional nature fused and blended, on the one hand with the physical body, and on the other with the soul. Also, the shift of emphasis is today away from the physical life to the mental life, and in an increasing number of cases to the spiritual life. There is therefore little real cause for depression, if what I have here noted is true.

There is today, on a wide scale, a true "lifting up of the heart unto the Lord," and a steady turning of the eyes towards the world of spiritual values. Hence the present upheaval. Apart from the coming in of the new age, apart therefore from the inflow of the Christ spirit, with its transforming power and regenerating force, and apart from the cyclic return of the seventh ray energies, we have mankind in a condition where the response to the deeper spiritual energies and to the new opportunities is, for the first time, adequate and synthetic. Hence the increasing problem. Hence the great day of opportunity. Hence the wonder of the dawn which can be seen brightening in the east.

I should like here to approach the problem of sex from another angle and point out that it is a basic symbol. A symbol, as we well know, is an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual reality. What is this inward reality?

First of all, the reality of relationship. It is a relationship existing between the basic pairs of opposites, - Father-Mother, spirit-matter; between positive and negative; between life and form, and between the great dualities which - when brought together in the cosmic sense - produce the manifested son of God, the cosmic Christ, the conscious sentient universe.
Of this relation the Gospel story is a dramatic symbol, and the historical Christ is the guarantee of its truth and reality. Christ guarantees for us the reality of the inner significance and the true spiritual basis of all that is and ever shall be. Out of the relation of light and dark that which is invisible emerges into visibility, and we can see and know. Christ, as the light of the world, revealed that reality.

Out of the darkness of time God spoke, and the Fatherhood of Deity was revealed.The drama of creation and the story of revelation are depicted for us, if we could but see truly and interpret our facts with spiritual exactitude, in the relation of the two sexes and in the fact of their intercourse with each other. When this relation is no longer purely physical but is a union of the two separated halves on all three planes, - physical, emotional and mental - then we shall see the solution of the sex problem and the restitution of the marriage relation to its intended position in the Mind of God.

Today it is the marriage of two physical bodies. Sometimes it is the marriage also of the emotional natures of the two people concerned. Rarely indeed is it a marriage of minds as well. Sometimes it is the union of the physical body of one party, with the physical body of the other party left cold and uninterested and uninvolved, but with the emotional body attracted and participating. Sometimes the mental body is involved with the physical body, and the emotional nature left out.

Seldom, very seldom, do we find the coordinated, cooperating fusion of all the three parts of the personality concerned in both parties to the union. When this is indeed found, then you have a true union, a real marriage, and a blending of the two in one.
It is here that some of the schools of esoteric teaching have gone sadly astray. The false idea has crept into their presentation of truth that marriage of this kind is essential for spiritual liberation and that without it the soul remains in prison. They teach that through the marriage act, at-one-ment with the soul is brought about, and that there is no spiritual deliverance without this marriage. At-one-ment with the soul is an individual interior experience, resulting in an expansion of consciousness, so that the individual and specific becomes at-one with the general and universal. Behind the erroneous interpretation, however, lies truth.Where this true marriage and these ideal sexual relations on all three planes are found, the right conditions exist in which souls can be provided with the needed forms in which to incarnate. Sons of God can find forms in which to manifest on earth.

According to the scope of the marriage contact (if so unusual a form of words can be used in this connection), so will be the type of human being attracted into incarnation. Where the parents are purely physical and emotional, so will be the nature of the child. Thus is the general average determined. Today we have a world of men which is rapidly reaching a high stage of development. We have therefore a dissatisfaction with the present views on marriage, preparatory to the enunciation of certain hidden principles which will eventually govern the relations between the sexes, and provide, as a consequence, the opportunity to men and women to furnish, through the creative act, the needed bodies for disciples and initiates.

Under the symbol of sex, you have also the reality of love itself expressing itself. Love in reality connotes a relation, but the word "love" (like the word "sex") is used with little thought and with no attention to its true meaning. Basically, love and sex are one and the same thing, for both express the meaning of the Law of Attraction. Love is sex, and sex is love, for in those two words the relation, the interplay and the union between God and His universe, between man and God, between a man and his own soul, and between men and women are equally depicted.
The motive and the relation are emphasized. But the impelling result of that relation is creation and the manifestation of form through which divinity can express itself and come to be. Spirit and matter met together, and the manifested universe came into being. Love is ever productive, and the Law of Attraction is fruitful in results.

Man and God came together under the same great Law, and the Christ was born, - the guarantee of the divinity of humanity and the demonstration of the fact. Individual man and his soul are also attempting to come together, and when that event is consummated the Christ is born in the cave of the heart, and Christ is seen in the daily life with increasing power. Man therefore dies daily in order that Christ may be seen in all His glory. Of all these wonders, sex is the symbol.

For much more information about spiritual healing,alternative,complimentary medicine,health and Spirituality visit http://www.spiritual-healing.co.uk Spiritual Healer and Teacher.See for your self.

Wednesday, May 31, 2006

The Seven Principles of Infinite Being


1. Infinite Being is All That Is. Nothing exists outside of it.
The universe exists within the consciousness of Infinite Being. The physical world exists within the consciousness of Infinite Being. We exist within the consciousness of Infinite Being.

2. We are Infinite Being

Creation is holographic in nature. For example, the oak tree produces an acorn and yet the life-form of a complete oak tree is contained within the acorn. If a picture hologram is divided into two, both parts will retain the complete original picture.

While you are a part of the consciousness of Infinite Being, you are also Infinite Being itself. All that Infinite Being is, you are.

3. Destiny exists due to your pre-planning the themes of your life

At a soul level, you pre-plan each physical life before you enter it, choosing the themes that you wish to explore in that particular life. Your life’s themes are largely preset by your choice of parents, the time and place of your birth and the environment of your childhood. Many issues related to life’s themes unfold automatically from this initial setting. This pre-planning gives rise to the occurrence of related, meaningful events in life and the impression that destiny exists.

4. Free will enables you to explore your true potential

Free will can be used to any degree that you choose. The most productive use of free will is to explore your true potential within the themes of your life, thus gaining the greatest possible experience from your life plan.


5. Life reflects what you project

Reflectance is a property of the universe. Life reflects your beliefs, emotions and actions. The stronger these are, the more apparent it becomes that life is a mirror of what you project. Every time you change the way you view life, the universe, like a mirror, reflects your new view of reality.

6. Abundance is natural

Natural abundance comes from “getting into the flow,” by doing work that brings a sense of inner excitement. The phrase “Follow your inner joy” is actually the key to abundance. Once you follow your excitement and find yourself doing work that you love, then synchronicity begins to flow. Synchronicity is the universe’s way of telling you that you’re on the right track. It is a flow of events where everything clicks into place to support your efforts. It brings you opportunities, people, events and circumstances exactly when and where they need to be. When life flows naturally, the natural abundance of the universe follows automatically.

7. Love is the only reality

Unconditional, holistic love is the answer to all of life’s challenges. You are here on Earth to learn how to love yourself and others, and to accept yourself and others unconditionally and completely. As every person has a unique set of beliefs best suited to their individual needs, this includes a respect for the personal beliefs of others.

Unconditional love and acceptance can be developed by the use of affirmations. The more often an inner truth is repeated, the more it becomes integrated with your outer personality. The most powerful of all affirmations is “I am Infinite Being” because it encompasses all qualities and all possibilities.


The Infinite Being meditation uses the statement “I am Infinite Being,” both as a focus for the attention and as an affirmation to naturally enhance the quality of life.

For much more information about spiritual healing, alternative, complimentary medicine, health and Spirituality visit www.spiritual-healing.co.uk David Wells Spiritual Healer and Teacher.See for your self.

The Antahkarana "rainbow bridge" between the lower and higher self


A discussion of the "rainbow bridge" built by the man/woman in incarnation between the lower and higher self as part of personal spiritual evolution.
The science of the Antahkarana is probably the most important science of the coming time but this talk will not claim to cover the whole subject of the Antahkarana or the science of its use.

This is a science which is, as yet, unknown to humanity but it will be the coming science of mind of the New Age, the science of building the bridge between lower and higher man, and also a number of other bridges: between the members of the human race as a whole; between one Centre - Humanity - and another, Hierarchy; between Hierarchy and Shamballa; between Humanity, through Hierarchy, and Shamballa; and between this planet and other planets, this solar system and other solar systems. All these bridges and connections are the result of the correct use of the science of the Antahkarana, which will be the major educational field for humanity in this coming age.

The best way to study the Antahkarana is to read the Alice Bailey Teachings, in particular the book Education in the New Age, and further references in The Rays and Initiations. You will not get from this talk, or from the Alice Bailey Teachings, the technique of the science of the Antahkarana. That is something which, as far as humanity as a whole is concerned, lies well in the future. It is a gradual process of enlightenment for humanity, but it will become the major science - the science of evolving as a race and making the inner connections (which of course already exist but which have to be consciously built by the man or woman in incarnation), to weave the thread of return to the source from which we have originally come.

It is really the science of the Path of Return. For long ages, the soul on its own plane looks down at its reflection, the man or woman on the physical plane, and sees no way to interfere with its development. There is very little the soul can do except create a body, give it its various physical, astral and mental make-up, and leave it to get on with the job of evolution. Eventually, there comes a life - a series of lives in fact - in which the soul sees that its reflection, the man or woman, is beginning to respond to the influence of the energy which connects the soul to its reflection, and the process of 'ensouling' begins.

"The Antahkarana" is, above all, the thread of consciousness. It is the result of the interaction of the life with the form, with substance, with matter; that produces something entirely different. We call it "consciousness". We can also call it "the Christ Principle". It is the process of evolution itself.

Each individual is really threefold: the Monad, or spark of God, the impersonal Self which reflects itself on the soul plane as the individualized human soul or ego. The soul, again, reflects itself on the dense physical plane as the man or woman in incarnation. That is the 'way down', the process by which spirit involves itself in its polar opposite, substance. When the spirit, or life, aspect and the matter aspect come together, a third, the consciousness aspect, is born.

Those who study anthropology, the history of evolution on the physical plane - the evolution of forms - know that in the beginning there were great oceans, teaming with life, nothing on the land, and then gradually some of the more evolved animals - fish, reptiles of all kinds - came on to the land and became the early reptiles and mammals. Gradually, there evolved a prohuman type which eventually became early, animal man, separating itself from the animal kingdom. With the germ of mind - which could become the nucleus of a mental body - at last formed, the human race began.

This is denied by Christian fundamentalists and other orthodox religious groups who deny the reality of Darwin's theory of evolution, but esotericists accept it as a more-or-less accurate account of the growth of the form, the evolution of form, on this planet. We are not concerned with that; we are concerned, as human beings evolving back to our source, with the evolution not of form - which has come more or less to perfection (though there are some minor adjustments and improvements still to be made) but rather with the evolution of consciousness.

The evolution of consciousness is the basis of how we become aware of ourselves and our environment, and create together the evolution of the human race. Gradually, there evolved a prohuman type which eventually became early, animal man, separating itself from the animal kingdom The descent from Monad to soul and from soul to personality has to be re-enacted in reverse order.

The threefold man - physical, astral and mental - has to find his way back by a process of at-one-ment, first with the soul and then, through the spiritual triad - the reflection of the Monad - with the Monad itself: the threefold monadic Being.

That return journey, or the process by which that return journey is made, is through the creation, the gradual evolvement and building, of the Antahkarana. This is a conscious process and only occurs in stages. As the process downward has been slow, over millions of years, so the process back can be a long, drawn-out process, and for the vast majority of humanity so it is. We are in the second of a threefold solar system. In other words, this solar system is the second embodiment or manifestation of the great Heavenly Man we call the Solar Logos Who has a Plan for the evolution of all the forms in the solar system.

The first solar system expressed through matter, substance, the quality of active intelligence. It was concerned mainly with the intelligent creation of forms. We are in the second of this threefold expression in which the soul quality - the love or consciousness aspect - of the Logos is in process of being expressed. The Solar Antahkarana is being built by the Solar Logos and by all the forms, whether they know it or not, who have evolved from the first solar system and are now creating the bridge between that system and this one, and, eventually, between this system and the next.

The next solar system will be concerned with the Will aspect, the Monadic aspect, of the Solar Logos. When the correct bridge between these three expressions is built, the Solar Antahkarana is in place. This will lead to the culmination of the Plan of our Solar Logos in its threefold expression. Each solar system creates a body of expression at a higher level than the one before. The first - that to do with form, with substance - is, of course, preparatory to the expression of the soul. It is the soul, in all forms, which incarnates. By descending into form, the soul - actually the Monad, the spirit aspect, through the soul - begins a process of redemption of the soul in form.

It begins to spiritualize substance; the underlying purpose of our incarnational experience is, precisely, to spiritualize the substance of this particular solar system. When we have taken the substance - the forms created in the previous solar system - and energized it with the energy of the soul, the consciousness aspect, in this solar system, we will raise it, redeem it, heighten its vibration and bring it up to the level at which the Will, the Purpose aspect of God (in terms of our Solar Logos), can be expressed.

In this present solar system God is Love, Love is the aspect of the soul, Will of the Atmic level of being. In the next solar system God will be Will and Purpose. We are, all of us, as microcosms, evolving in precisely the same way as the macrocosm, our Solar Logos, through its threefold expression, works out its Plan of evolution in every kingdom and in every planet. In coming into incarnation, therefore, we are doing something quite extraordinary, something far greater than we as individual human beings possibly realize. But as soon as we do realize the interconnectedness of the microcosm with the macrocosm it deepens our sense of purpose - the sense of reality - in life, and it is also a stimulus to concentrate more, and to build a direct line of ascent between this low-level (for that is what it is) expression of Deity and bring it into line with the underlying purpose of Deity for its perfectionment.

The energy of each solar system is raised and becomes the basis for the new system, just as in our incarnational experience every incarnation creates an expression through the vehicles up to a certain vibration. That vibration is held exactly at the point we have reached when we die. There are three 'permanent atoms' around which the new bodies, physical, astral and mental, are formed. These permanent atoms vibrate at exactly the frequency reached in that particular life, and we can understand, therefore, how the vibrational rate reached is the degree to which we have perfected, or spiritualized, matter.

The soul infuses the matter of the three bodies with its energy and in this way salvages, redeems that matter. It raises their vibration onto an ever-higher level until the point is reached when the soul is reflecting itself, without resistance, directly, through the personality. That is how we become divine. We do so by raising the vibrational rate of the substance of these three bodies to a point where the Divine Man, the soul on its own plane, can reflect itself relatively purely through its reflection, the man or woman on the physical plane. That is the evolutionary, the return process; the technique of it is the science of the Antahkarana.

Sutratma

There are two major threads which connect the Monad, through the soul, with the man or woman in incarnation. One the Sutratma, the thread of life, is anchored in the heart. It comes directly from the Monad, reflected through the soul, and is fixed in the heart centre at the right-hand side of the body. It is reflected through that etheric centre to the physical heart and into the bloodstream, which, as you know, is the purifying stream which carries the energy of life to every part of the body. While the lifeblood is pumped correctly through the body and is kept free of poisons, the physical body displays all its ability and accuracy of movement and expression. So, too, the connecting body, the astral-emotional body and the mental body are dependent on the life thread, the Sutratma, for their existence and correct function.

There is another thread, called, indeed, the Antahkarana. This thread in anchored in the centre of the head, and through these two threads the threefold expression - Monad, soul and physical-plane man or woman - live their lives. These two threads inform all of these and, in a downward flow, bridge the gaps between, first, Monad and soul, and secondly between soul and its reflection, the man or woman on the physical plane. Eventually, a third thread is built by the man or woman him/herself through the interaction of soul energy, and eventually, monadic energy, through the physical apparatus: the thread of creativity.

These three threads wound together eventually produce the bridge between the three levels of existence. The future science of the Antahkarana will concern itself with this, the path of return. This will be the New Age education. Individuals will be recognized for what they are, souls in incarnation; their point in evolution and ray structure will be ascertained and known; through this science the gaps between the various levels of our being will be bridged. This is only possible now that the human race has reached the present state and, of course, because of the return to the everyday world of the only people in the world who actually know this science: the Masters.

Since the Masters are returning this will become an exoteric science. All children, from the earliest age up until 28, will eventually go through this process of education in the science of Life - the science of building the return channel, or pathway. I would like here to show the inner unity of method and approach of certain terms.

The antahkarana is the bridge built - first out of mental matter and later out of light - by the evolving aspirant, disciple and initiate, in turn. Until a certain time, the connection between the man or woman and the soul plane is developed by the control of 'mentation', the energy of the mental body. It brings the mental body under control and the thought-patterns create a bridge.

The Antahkarana is, therefore, in the first place, a bridge connecting the lower man, the lower mind, with the soul, and then the lower mind, through the soul, with the higher mind which is the lowest aspect of the Spiritual Triad. This is Atma, Buddhi and Manas - the reflection on the soul plane of the threefold Monad, or spark of God.

Path of Return

There are different terms for this and I would like to bring all of these together to show the unity and interconnectedness of these different methods of expressing what is essentially the one process, the return journey: the Path of Return. The mystic thinks of the Path as the Path to God. He thinks of it generally in terms of his religious or mystical feelings and experiences, his mystical religious beliefs, doctrines, and dogma, his various spiritual practices, the various rituals -- all of these to the mystical and devotional type constitute a way of approaching God through belief, a linking in consciousness between the individual man's belief structure (whether that be Christian, Hindu, Buddhist, or whatever) and that which lies back of all creation.

The religious person sees that as the Path of Return -- and of course that is perfectly true, it is. But not everybody is religious, and the Path of Return, to the esotericist, is a path which, literally, is made by the disciple himself. The disciple makes the Path by becoming the Path. It is not something which is already laid down and is whispered into your ear. It is not like that at all. It is the evolutionary process itself. It is that same process which brought the fishes out of the sea onto dry land, from which they evolved into, first, reptiles and then mammals and then the huge variety of animals and eventually, at the peak of that development of form, the human kingdom. Above the human kingdom is the Kingdom of Souls, the kingdom whose nature is consciousness.

The plane of consciousness is the plane on which the Masters have hitherto worked exclusively. The Path of Return is the Path by which the consciousness of what is and what might be gradually becomes known to the seeker, the evolving individual. In other words, as you seek, as you aspire, you create before you - as DK says: the "spider creates out of his own being the silken thread" - so, in exactly the same way, the aspirant, the disciple and the initiate are creating before them the Path of Return, the Path which is not yet laid down.

It is the path of a growing awareness of what constitutes his/her relationship to the whole. It is a means by which we grasp deeper and deeper realizations and experiences of our connectedness to the whole, to the Macrocosm. This is done by a growing expansion of consciousness. These expansions of consciousness are marked off on our planet by the five planetary initiations. For the adept there are also four Cosmic initiations. Above these, and on throughout Cosmos, are initiation after initiation upon initiation - on and on eternally, throughout the whole of galactic space.

All of that is a process by which, through the building of the Antahkarana, our individual relationship to that totality gradually dawns on us.

The Monad reflects itself in the soul as the Spiritual Triad: spiritual Will, spiritual Love-Wisdom and spiritual Intelligence, and these are again reflected in the physical being by the soul.

The process by which this takes place is the Antahkarana. Most people thinking about the Antahkarana, because of the nature of the language used, inevitably imagine a bridge. That bridge is built in, first, mental substance and then light, and so they visualize a physical bridge. An artist has to do so, of course; one cannot paint a picture without a form. The artist has to create out of his creative imagination a form which will symbolize a process, but the form is not the process, it is simply a means of expressing the idea of the process.

Anyone who does Transmission Meditation knows about alignment. When that alignment is perfect, symbolically speaking there is a column of light above the head of the meditators. In that light there are three threads, strands, of energy. That is the form, but it is not the Antahkarana. We must realize that the form and the idea of a bridge, the idea of a column of light, the idea of some actual form in substance, is only a way of stating something else. What we are really talking about is awareness. Awareness, in a sense, is a vague, generalized way of talking about the process of return. We return through a gradual expansion of conscious awareness, through the conscious building of the Antahkarana.

This is created firstly in mental matter, between the personality and the soul, and then by the initiate - who has already contacted and come into a close at-one-ment with the soul - in light, between the soul and the Monad, the highest aspect of our threefold being. Then the connectedness eventually is direct between the Monad - the divine being, identical with God, the reflection of our Planetary Logos - and the man or woman on the physical plane.

By this process our Planetary Logos works out His Plan of evolution through the human kingdom, and of course in the same way the Solar Logos is working out His greater and vaster Plan through all beings on all planets in this, the second, solar system. This process will be completed in the third solar system, in which the Monadic aspect - the Will, the Purpose, the essential Love of God - will come to its final expression and fulfilment.

Each of us, right now, is engaged in creating the Antahkarana.

Another term for the Antahkarana, besides the bridge of light, is Self-realization, which is what Maitreya calls it: "I have come to teach the art of Self-realization," He said. The art of Self-realization is the science of the Antahkarana: they are one and the same.

Maitreya has said that the simplest, most direct path is to practise three things:

Honesty of mind; sincerity of spirit, and detachment.

These three bring about Self-realization, and they do so by enabling the man or woman to create the Antahkarana. For the vast majority of people in the world this is a process which goes on, up till a certain time, quite unconsciously. Most unevolved individuals are connected only by the Sutratma, the life thread, coming from the Monad through the soul and anchored in the heart. Average humanity are connected also by the thread of consciousness, the Antahkarana, and as the person evolves through the building of the first stage of the Antahkarana - that between the lower man and the soul - the energies of the soul become available to him or her.

"The Antahkarana is not simply a column of light but threads of awareness spreading outwards from the individual into every sphere of his environment. These threads of awareness multiply endlessly, until in the Master, they make for omniscience: nothing can happen anywhere of which He is unaware." Then the creative process begins. This stimulates the mind and the creative imagination, and a life of creativity and of service ensues. Creativity and service are one and the same; service is the life of the soul creatively expressed on the physical plane. This, then, dominates more and more in the life of the individual, and so we get the creation of culture.

It is not by accident that the culture of any nation is created by the disciples and the initiates of that nation; they are the ones who have already built the first stage of the connecting link, the bridge, between themselves and their soul. The initiate, having achieved an integration of the three lower vehicles, physical, astral and mental - that is, having brought them to a point of synchronous vibration, takes the third initiation; the soul, henceforward, controls and dominates its vehicle, which is now negative in relation to the purpose of the soul. The divine man or woman displays his or her divinity on the physical plane in a life of service and creativity. The third-degree and the fourth-degree initiate is usually in incarnation for only one or two lives, depending on astrological factors. But having taken thousands of lives to the first initiation, and perhaps five or six to the second, the third is taken very quickly, and the fourth very quickly after that, probably in the next life. Therefore, by the time a person has reached the state of true creativity, is more or less soul-infused and expressing the purpose of the soul, he or she does not have long in which to do this; only three or four lives at the most.

Then, as a Master, the whole of this existence is dedicated to the service of the Plan. Of course, the more one evolves the more one knows. The more one knows, the greater the responsibility of service, and the greater the opportunity for service. The Masters can serve because They know. Our service is limited, not only because of lack of desire or energy, but because we do not know enough; we can serve in a rather limited way because our consciousness is limited. The more conscious one is, or the higher the level of consciousness, the greater the number of threads of consciousness extending outwards to the world, the greater awareness there will be of the nature of reality.

These are the Antahkarana, which is not simply a column of light but threads of awareness spreading outwards from the individual into every sphere of his environment. These threads of awareness multiply endlessly, until, in the Master, they make for omniscience: nothing can happen anywhere of which He is unaware. In this way we reveal the mind of God, become instruments in the furthering of the Plan held in the mind of God. That, really, is the basis of initiation. When you know consciously, through the building of the Antahkarana, how to link the different levels of expression - Monadic with soul, soul with the physical (on the downward path) - when you know this science because you have done it, and done it consciously, when you are a Master, you can use this science to create the Mayavirupa, the self-created body.

The Mayavirupa reverses the process of the Antahkarana. It is the result of the ability to create a body because you know the connecting links between the form. A God-realized Master experiences Himself as God in this physical body. For us that physical body is the closest, most important, aspect, whereas for the Master it is only a transitory aspect of the whole. From His God-realized state, the Master can go backwards down the bridge, the Antahkarana, can repeat the process and bring together, therefore, matter of the mental, the astral-emotional and the etheric physical plane, and precipitate His consciousness into that. That is the secret behind the creation of the Mayavirupa.

The new world religion, when developed, is really the creation of the 'racial' Antahkarana. Maitreya has said the He has not come to build a new religion, to create followers, and so on. This is true. Nevertheless there will be what we have to call, for want of another name, a new world 'religion', but it will be the science of which I am speaking. The new world religion will be a conscious approach by the human race to the Creator, that which stands back of creation -- which, of course, is also ourselves, the essential part of ourselves as the Monad. This will be done through the creation of the racial, group, Antahkarana.

The growing experience of aspirants and disciples of working in groups is a preparatory step towards this great racial grouping, to the creation of the 'world' Antahkarana. Eventually the Antahkarana links not only peoples, but planets and solar systems. This is the essential nature of Being throughout Cosmos. All that is higher reflects itself through a lower vehicle. This threefold expression is to be found throughout Cosmos. At our human level, we experience it consciously, because, as souls, we are the "Sons of Mind". Through the expression of the soul, the consciousness aspect, that awareness takes place by which the racial Antahkarana can be built. As a Being, as a race, as one big grouping of all peoples, all religions, all types and points of evolution, there will be eventually a conscious approach to Deity, especially at the three spiritual festivals in April, May and June and also at the nine other full-moons.

This will constitute "the new world religion", or the technique of the new world religion, in which invocation will replace the present process of worship. We can see therefore that it will be a very scientific religion -- it will be very difficult to distinguish between what we call science, religion and education. This is also the education of the New Age. Children will be trained in the creation of the Antahkarana. The science of the Antahkarana will be taught - in so far as it can be taught, because it is an experiential thing - to those ready to receive the tuition. Of course, that does not mean all children, but for those more advanced aspirants, for those who are preparing for initiation, this will become the norm.

No initiation is possible for anyone without the building of the Antahkarana. Indeed, it is precisely the building of the Antahkarana, the link between the lower man and the soul, which makes initiation possible. Eventually, the link between the integrated lower man and the soul makes possible the higher initiations in which the at-one-ment is with the Spiritual Triad, and, through that, with the Monad. Then the process is complete; the Godlike man, the God-realized or Self-realized man, has achieved: he is a Master.

The Antahkarana is not only the bridge between the different fragments of ourselves, it is the bridge between the worlds: planetary, systemic, and galactic. The key to the formation of the Mayavirupa is found in the right comprehension of the creation of the Antahkarana. It is important to remember that as these bridges are built the vitalizing process goes on. It is not simply a question of building a bridge; it is through that bridge that the stimulus from the higher levels takes place.

Three major sciences will dominate in the New Age: the science of the Antahkarana, the science of meditation and the science of service. The science of service utilizes the creativity which is achieved through the building of the Antahkarana, and the science of meditation, of course, is a preliminary process leading to, and essential to, the creation of the Antahkarana through its science. So the science of the Antahkarana is very broad indeed, including that of meditation and of service. The vitalizing agency is, first of all, the soul. The soul opens up on the personality level the Knowledge petals in the crown chakra and vitalizes them; this stimulates the thought processes and galvanizes the man or woman to further creation of the bridge, the Antahkarana, between itself and the soul. Soul at-one-ment gradually takes place, and when this has gone a certain distance initiation leads to the opening of the Love petals, and eventually, as a man or woman approaches the third initiation and that is taken, the opening up of the inner three petals which enclose the "jewel", the "jewel in the heart of the lotus", which is the Will aspect.

The Monad reflects more and more in the man or woman on the physical plane, dominating, therefore, the life of that individual. In this process, what was simply emotional aspiration gradually transforms itself into the Monadic will: the purpose of the life is known. This leads to lives of true value on the physical plane, no time is wasted, the individual knows his or her purpose in life and gets on with it without the wastage of time and wrong thought, wrong action, and delays which occur lower down the line. He discovers the value, uses and purposes of the creative imagination. This is all that remains to him eventually of the intensely active astral life lived for so many lives. The astral body becomes a mechanism of transformation - desire transformed into aspiration, aspiration into a growing and expressive intuitive faculty. The intuitive faculty emerges when true soul contact is achieved, when the bridge between the personality and the soul is of such a constancy and intensity that what was simply emotional aspiration is transformed into a direct linking with the higher aspect of which it is a reflection, the Buddhic aspect of the Spiritual Triad.

Our astral-emotional body, in terms of evolutionary purpose, is meant to be, and eventually becomes, simply a still, reflecting vehicle for Buddhi. Buddhi is true intuition. It is essentially, group consciousness; intuition is another name for group consciousness. It is the Buddhic, the Love-Wisdom, aspect of the Spiritual Triad. Buddhi eventually reflects itself directly through the astral mechanism as intuition: we know, because we know, because we know. There is no thinking about it; it is a direct, spontaneous response to Buddhi, using the purified astral nature as the medium for that intuitive response. The Antahkarana produces this, inevitably.

There is a relationship between the science of the Antahkarana and Transmission Meditation. Transmission Meditation is a fusion of two Yogas: Karma Yoga, the Yoga of Service, and Laya Yoga, the Yoga of the Chakras, the energies.

Essentially, the Antahkarana is concerned with the force centres, the chakras, because it is through the scientific, manipulation of the energies in the chakras, the correct stimulation of these chakras, that the Antahkarana is built. One can say that the science of the Antahkarana is the science of the chakras. The sciences of the future - of the Antahkarana, of meditation, and of service - are linked. One leads to the other: correct meditation leads to the building of the Antahkarana; correct building of the Antahkarana leads to the life of service - correct service, directed by soul purpose.

The knowledge and creativity of the soul is consciously put at the disposal of the individual who scientifically builds the Antahkarana. Transmission Meditation is a fusion of two Yogas: Karma Yoga, the Yoga of Service, and Laya Yoga, the Yoga of the Chakras, the energies Since Transmission Meditation is a fusion of Karma Yoga and Laya Yoga, what the Masters are actually doing in the Transmission Groups around the world is creating a group Antahkarana. It is being done for us. The average time of real alignment, and therefore of correct transmitting, in any hour is about three-and-a-half to four minutes.

It is only because Transmission Meditation is so potent, so scientific, that it is valuable to do even these three-and-a-half minutes. Because of its extraordinary potency, because of the pure, scientific nature of Transmission Meditation, these three-and-a-half to four minutes have an extraordinary value for the world and an extraordinary value for the people doing it. We are gradually having the Antahkarana built for us - it is a gift. The Masters are serving us, spoon-feeding us.

The Antahkarana is being created at an extraordinary rate; so much so that, if people are around the 1.5 mark - between the first and second initiation - and in reasonable health and youth, it is perfectly possible to take the second initiation in this life; not because of any particular effort being made, either in building the Antahkarana or in service to the world, but simply by sitting enough times in Transmission Meditation, keeping the attention at the Ajna centre, for the Masters to help create this channel of light between the different aspects of our being.

This is an extraordinary thing that is happening in the Transmission Groups, and it is one of the major reasons why people in these groups make such extraordinary advancement. Those who have been transmitting for the last 10 years, say, are far more advanced than they could possibly have been. They may not realize it, but the Masters do; They measure and register it, and They know those who are ready, in this incarnation, to take the second initiation (most people doing Transmission Meditation have taken the first). This is only possible because of the exigencies of the time which at the same time presents to the aspirant and the disciple an opportunity for service through Transmission Meditation. It cannot be overemphasized how valuable this is proving. What is being built in the connecting thread, the channel between the different aspects of oneself, is a Path of Return to the Source, the Monad. We are the Monad, which reflects through the soul as the physical-plane personality. We are on the Path of Return, redeeming the matter of our various bodies, physical, astral and mental.

That redeemed, spiritualized, matter produces, in the next solar system, matter of a higher rate of vibration. And so the evolution of the body of the Planetary Logos proceeds; we are all involved in that individually and for the planet, for the solar system. That is why we are here. As one grows and evolves one deepens one's consciousness of that reality. The Macrocosm, as we begin to intuit its nature, to experience it through conscious awareness, tells us that that is the reality, and, more and more, we lose the sense of the separate self. It is said: Lose yourself in service.

The process by which we do this is the building of the bridge. It results in the creativity of service: creativity is service, service is creativity. It is the nature of the soul in the three worlds to express itself in some form of creative service, and as we do this we lose sense of the separate self. We deepen our experience of the Macrocosm and realize that that and ourselves are one. That is the growing experience of the man or woman who builds the Bridge, who creates that unity with the soul. Then the soul becomes in a singular life a reality. Beyond all controversy, all gainsaying, we know that we are the soul. It is not simply a theoretical or intellectual idea, we know it as part of our being, and we know eventually that the soul itself is a light within an even greater light, a fire within an even greater fire. That fire has consciousness -- that is the nature of the soul, and the person making contact with the soul eventually realizes that it is a fire within a greater consuming fire, which is Deity itself. It says in the Bible: "God is a consuming fire". That is the reality.

The soul is a great, fiery vortex of forces which are reflected on the lower planes as the man or woman in incarnation. That is what we are: a reflection of these fiery forces, and the bridge that we build -- the Antahkarana -- back to the soul and eventually back to the Monad is the path by which these forces become available to us. They stimulate the mind, the intuition and the creative will, and our life as initiates, knowing initiates, in the process of life, takes place. "It is the nature of the soul in the three worlds to express itself in some form of creative service, and as we do this we lose sense of the separate self."


For much more information about spiritual healing,alternative,complimentary medicine,health and Spirituality visit David Wells Spiritual Healer and see for your self.

Wednesday, May 24, 2006

The Masters

A report on the Masters of Wisdom, people who have by our standards, fully perfected Themselves.

Esoterically an adept is not a Master of Wisdom until He has achieved the fifth initiation or, in other words, until He has entered the spiritual plane and His consciousness embraces the fifth or spiritual kingdom.

The Masters are members of that group of 'Illumined Minds' which is guided by love and understanding, and by deep compassion and inclusiveness towards humanity. They are striving towards a comprehension and translation of the Divine Purpose, and are illumined by knowledge of the Plan; they are also characterized by a readiness to sacrifice their own immediate spiritual progress if thereby they can assist humanity in its upward struggle.
In comparison with earth-bound human beings, who are still far behind on the evolutionary path, the Masters have attained a relatively high state of development. But, as with all else in nature, their status is only relative in comparison with those already higher up the ladder, their own position remains humble, and vast expansions of consciousness still lie ahead of them on the Path of Higher Evolution, which will eventually take them beyond planetary and solar spheres into cosmic consciousness.

On hierarchical levels there is naturally no oral communication, as the Masters do not avail themselves of physical organs. All communication on spiritual planes is telepathic. To a lesser extent this also applies to selected senior disciples on the physical plane, although effective intercourse is often limited by a lack of sensitivity on the part of aspirants.
One of the major functions of the Masters is to convey the principles of the Plan to their less evolved brothers. The usual technique employed for this purpose is impression. So far the Masters have not taught from public platforms, but have mainly worked on intuitive and mental levels, by telepathically impressing ideas on the minds of their disciples. However, as more of these Masters make their appearance among men, and recognition of their powers and wisdom grows, it is possible that use will also be made of oral teachings, when they might avail themselves of radio and television facilities. Although the Masters have reached a stage of spiritual development far beyond that of man and, comparatively speaking, have achieved perfection, they should none the less not be considered infallible as they, at their own level, are also engaged in the never ending process of evolution.

Purposes of Service
Those occasional Masters who for purposes of service are temporarily functioning in a physical body do not avail themselves of an emotional body, since they have complete conscious control over their feelings and emotions. For them the astral plane no longer exists, nor are they subject to any form of illusion or glamour. They are therefore completely liberated from material influences and reactions, as well as from every form of bewilderment to which the ordinary man is subject. This gives them the freedom to enter the centre of pure love, the heart of God, and from that centre to spread the spirit of love and goodwill throughout mankind.
The sphere of service of many of the Masters does not concern humanity at all, as these entities are often fully occupied with the application of the Will of God in other extensive fields in the lower kingdoms.

Body of Manifestation
Thus far the Masters have normally functioned in etheric bodies on subjective levels. Should a Master, however, require a mechanism for contact with His disciples or the world of men, He can avail Himself of any type of physical appearance which may suit His particular requirements and circumstances. He can use or 'overshadow' an existing physical body, in which case such a body would no longer remain subject to astral and emotional limitations, or the mental restrictions of an ineffective brain. These He would be able to by-pass at will. Usually, however, 'a body of expression or manifestation' is instantaneously created by His spiritual Will, and according to His special needs. As a rule this assumed body will resemble the human form which the adept occupied during His last initiation, although He is perfectly free to adopt any form which may suit His purpose.

Whatever type of body of expression the Master may assume, this will not encumber Him with a 'personality' to curb His activities or consciousness. He retains His divine nature, and the exterior through which He works is merely a created image and the product of His focused Will and creative imagination, and this may, when demanded by circumstances, also be instantly discarded, or as far as the human observer is concerned it may just fade away and disappear into nothingness. The body that He creates will therefore be of pure substance and radiant light. It will be a perfect body, even though to outward appearances, and for the purposes of the Master, it might display a deformed exterior, perhaps even covered by the rags of a beggar. Such a body is therefore not the product of the deva-builders, as these are only summoned by desire which, being an aspect of the astral body, no longer plays any role in the life of the Master.

David Wells Spiritual healing Alternative & Complimentary Medicine http://www.spiritual-healing.co.uk/ and http://www.thewellsclinic.co.uk/

Tuesday, May 23, 2006

Walking Your Way To Better Health

It is an accepted fact that exercise is an important part of any successful weight loss plan. Every muscle you have can burn calories, so the more you work them, the more calories you burn. So, don't just depend on dieting alone. Move that body and do some exercises to achieve that weight and that body you have always dreamed about.

Walking is great exercise to lose weight. Moreover, it does not require any expertise or equipment and you can do it free anytime you feel like it. However, to be beneficial, you should do it regularly.Make walking a daily habit or at least 3 to 5 times a week depending on your schedule.

Before you start walking, do some warm up stretching exercises. Stretch only as far as you feel comfortable so as not to pull any muscles. Start with a modest goal, like 15 to 20 minutes at a leisurely pace. Gradually extend the duration and the speed. Walk up one or two gentle slopes. Your walk should be comprised of three segments: warm-up, exercise pace and cool-down.

Walk your chin up and your shoulders held slightly back.

Te heel of your foot should touch the ground first. Roll your weight forward.

Swing your arms as you walk.
To avoid stiff or sore muscles or joints, start gradually. Over several weeks, begin walking faster, going further and walking for longer periods of time.

Walk on soft ground whenever possible.

Quench yourself, drink 8 to 10 ounces of water for every 20 to 30 minutes of the activity.

The more you walk, the better you will feel. Plus, walking also uses more calories; thus, burning more fats. Its benefits include giving you more energy, making you feel good, helping you to relax, reducing stress, helping you sleep better, helping control your appetite and increasing the number of calories your body uses.

To lose weight, it's more important to walk for time than speed. Walking at a moderate pace yields longer workouts with less soreness leading to more miles and more calories spent on a regular basis.

About the Author: Jim O'Neill gives you tons of valuable information on the subjects of weight loss, fitness, and nutrition to make it easy for you to live a healthy lifestyle. Sign up now for his free 7 part mini e-course at: http://www.mrgymfitness.com/minicourse.php

Spiritual Healing alternative and complementary medicine www.spiritual-healing.co.uk

Source: www.isnare.com

Sunday, November 27, 2005

Spiritual Healing as the Energy Side of Einstein's Equation

Daniel J. Benor, MD examines the possible overlaps between spiritual healing and quantum physics.

"If you conduct a study and the data doesn't agree with your theory, the scientist throws away the theory. The quack, on the other hand, throws away the data." -- David Bresler
I am a medically trained physician specializing in psychiatry, practicing psychotherapy combined with spiritual healing. I speak from the perspective of more than a dozen years of research in spiritual healing (commonly termed psi , mental, faith, shamanistic, bioenergetic, subtle energy, vibrational, psychic, divine, unconventional or paranormal healing). First, let me define what I mean by spiritual healing and add a few words about the obvious confusion in terminology, a clear indication that there has been confusion in considering these phenomena. Spiritual healing is the intentional influence of one or more people upon one or more living systems without utilizing known physical means of intervention. It is commonly practiced in two major ways:

1. With a laying-on of hands -- the hands lightly touching or held near to the body, often combined with visualizations;

2. With meditation, prayer or other focused intent, again often combined with visualizations. The two are often used simultaneously. I shall use the term healing to mean spiritual healing, not to be confused with physiological process of healing. Lawrence LeShan pioneered the investigation of healing, and laid the groundwork for scientific approaches to the study of healing. He points out that a common denominator amongst healers is the visualization of the healer being "one with" the healee and with the "All." His book, The Medium, the Mystic and the Physicist is highly recommended for a discussion of the second type of healing. Dolores Krieger pioneered the application of laying-on of hands healing, and her books on Therapeutic Touch are also highly recommended. My own books, Healing Research, Volumes I - IV consider these matters through the eyes of research.

I mention all of these because healing is, above all, an individual and subjective phenomenon. It is from the realms of experience we label noetic or ineffable. This means that we can know aspects of healing through inner awarenesses that are clearly perceptible but very difficult to describe in words. This is especially true in Western society, where our language is heavily biased towards the material aspects of experience. From that vantage point, we are led to believe that whatever is not perceivable by the outer senses and measurable with mechanical, electromagnetic or particle physics instruments is considered "non"sense or "im"material. For these reasons, one must consider the observations of multiple researchers in order to arrive at a rough consensus of what healing might be.

In our materialistic and reductionistic Western world we are taught that reality is "objective". We are led to believe that there is a constancy to the world and that it is consistently measurable by reliable scientific instruments. I will address these beliefs from clinical and research perspectives. My personal introduction to healing illustrates the difficulties a Western person can experience in learning about healing. As a medically trained doctor with a Batchelor's degree in psychology and specialty training in psychiatry, plus research experience, I was most skeptical about healing. I had years of study, omnivores reading and clinical experience in how people can innocently and unconsciously misguide themselves into believing nearly anything - about themselves and each other.

When Walter, a new-found friend, asked my opinion about healing in 1980, I told him in no uncertain terms: "I am convinced that healing can be no more than suggestion, placebo or other self-healing effects, defensive denial of unwanted illnesses, wishful thinking, and sometimes even deliberate charlatinism." Walter challenged me, "Have you ever personally observed a healer?" I had to admit I had never bothered to study something so obviously attributable to self deception. Somewhat reluctantly, I accepted his invitation to observe Ethel Lombardi, a Reiki healing Master. This challenge changed my life. Ethel brought about a physical change in a young man that was impossible according to all my medical and psychological understanding of how the body functions.

A lump under his nipple started out measuring 1 x 2 centimeters, was rubbery-firm (like an eraser), was more fixed than one would like to see in any lump (suggesting it might be invasive), and was quite tender. Ethel treated him with a laying-on of hands, placing her hands over the chakras -- the energy centers on the midline of the body. After only half an hour, during which time the young man sobbed heavily -- without explaining what he was experiencing (that bothered me as a psychiatrist!) -- the lesion had changed. It had shrunk by a centimeter, was soft, freely mobile and not tender. Fortunately, another physician was there with me and we agreed on our palpation of the lesion before and after the healing. Otherwise I am certain I would have let what we call retrocognitive dissonance convince me that I must have mismeasured or misremembered my perceptions - in order to explain away something that contradicted my expectations and understandings of what can happen with a lump under a young man's nipple in half an hour.

Tremendously impressed with Ethel's healing, I went to the literature to see what research had been published. This was the start of a collection of 155 controlled studies of healing that is now published in my book. These include studies of humans, other animals, plants, bacteria, yeasts, cells in laboratory culture, enzymes and more. Some of the studies were with touch healing, some with hands held near the studied organisms, and some were done from distances of several meters to several miles. More than half of these studies demonstrate significant effects. There can be little doubt that healing is a clinically potent intervention in a variety of living organisms and laboratory systems. Let us examine one of the 155 controlled studies in humans. Distant healing produced significant effects in patients with cardiac problems. Randolph Byrd, M.D. arranged for prayer healing to be sent to 192 patients on a coronary care unit, while another 201 patients served as controls. This was done with a double-blind design, where neither the patients nor the treating or evaluating physicians knew which patients were sent the healing and which were not.

The patients were randomly assigned to either of these groups, and no significant differences were noted between the groups on many variables. Highly significant effects were found in the treated group, in which there were lower incidences of intubation/ ventilation, use of antibiotics, cardiopulmonary arrest, congestive heart failure, pneumonia, and the use of diuretics. The study was published in the respected, conventional Southern Medical Journal in 1988. On the basis of this evidence from the many significant studies, and in view of the absence of negative side effects of healing, I believe that if healing were a medicine it would be on the market.
Is there a theory to explain healing? If it is true that in distant healing one person may influence another without known physical energies, and even from a distance, we have to change our theories and views about the world. Because this is strange within conventional understandings of the world, the evidence is generally ignored. It is easier to do this than to reassess our basic beliefs about the world. Albert Einstein pointed out, earlier in this century, that matter and energy are interchangeable.

Quantum physics has amply confirmed his theory. Conventional, Newtonian medicine continues to address the body primarily as matter. Healers have been saying for a long time that they are addressing the energy body when they do healings. Healers report that several interpenetrating, subtle energy fields surround the physical body. They claim that the physical body is an expression of the states of these energy fields, each of which is distinctly related to an aspect of being (physical, emotional, mental and spiritual). The fields are said to be hierarchically organized. The emotional and mental fields can therefore also influence the physical body. These subtle energy fields extend to various distances from the physical body. Though only a few sensitive people are able to perceive these subtle energies as visual halos or auras of color around the bodies of living organisms and inanimate objects, many people can sense them with their hands. One has only to hold one's hand's near each other and then move them slowly apart and back together to sense these. About 90 percent of doctors and nurses I have instructed in workshops on healing are able to perceive these, and 25-75 percent of general audiences can do so as well. (The lower percents are among academics and others who have difficulties in letting go of thinking about what they are doing in order simply to do it or be with it and let their bodies experience these energies.)

The human body is a very sensitive instrument for the perception of subtle energies. This presents problems of "noise" in perceiving and interpreting human reports. There is also a wide variability in healers' subjective experiences of perceiving and directing energies. Most people who are gifted with healing are not academically or research oriented. These problems have contributed to the difficulties of science in accepting reports of healers. We can see that energy medicine and allopathic approaches simply represent the two sides of Einstein's equation, E = mc2. I am fascinated as a psychiatrist and healer to read about the psychological and social processes of paradigm shifts, as scientists assimilated the new concepts of quantum physics. It took several decades of research before these observations, which run counter to our ordinary experiences of the world, were accepted. A similar process is apparent with psi healing.
Why is it so hard for conventional medicine and science to accept healing as a valid and potent treatment? Modern science has gone through a similar process with quantum physics. Some of the observations of modern physics, which relate to the energy side of the equation, are counter-intuitive to conventional physics, and to "everyday, common sense." In conventional physics and medicine, linear interactions are the rule. (Note another prejudicial term.) We deal with measurable forces which produce measurable effects in material objects or chemicals. In quantum physics, it has been shown that non-local effects may occur.

An electron may be understood both as a particle and as a wave function. Single electrons may bilocate when passing through two slits. Time may flow backwards as well as forwards. The universe is so intricately interwoven that every element in it is ultimately influenced by every other element. An event may be considered as both occurring and not occurring -- until an observer intervenes and determines which is the case. In other words, the observer cannot be separated from the system which is being observed. Much has been made of the similarities between modern physics and psi phenomena in excellent books, such as Fritjof Capra's The Tao Physics, so I shall not belabor these. It took several decades for scientists to accept these counter-intuitive observations of modern physics. The same is happening with healing. There may be greater difficulty with the acceptance of healing, however, as this involves a shift in world views with far more personal consequences than the abstract and highly theoretical shifts with quantum physics. Many people find it threatening to learn that another person might influence them through thoughts or intentions.

Rather than examine and deal with their discomforts, they prefer to reject the threatening concepts and to distance themselves from those who propose them. This is analogous to the ancient method of killing the messenger who bears bad news. People who advocate a belief in healing may be discredited and may suffer various discriminations against them.
England is a world leader in integrating spiritual healing with conventional medicine In the mid 1970s British healers formed a healing organization which lobbied to allow healers to treat patients in National Health Service hospitals. With one governmental (not medical) decision, 1,500 hospitals were opened to healers. In the early 1980s, the major healing organizations joined in a Confederation which standardized a code of conduct. The code of conduct was approved by the Royal Colleges of Medicine, Surgery, Nursing and Midwifery. Since 1988, the Doctor-Healer Network has provided a forum for doctors, nurses and other conventional health care professionals to meet with healers, other complementary therapists and clergy to explore how healing can be integrated with conventional medical care.

There are DHN regional groups in various cities in England: London; Yorkshire; Lancaster; Bath/Bristol and others. There are General Practitioners who have healers working in their surgeries, and some of the healers are paid under the NHS. Many more doctors are referring patients to healers at the healers' treatment rooms. Some doctors are developing their own healing gifts. Doctors can obtain Postgraduate Education Allowance credits for learning to develop their healing gifts. Two hospital pain centers, three hospital cancer centers, a rheumatology ward and a cardiac rehabilitation center have healers working there regularly. The Doctor-Healer Network Newsletter shares the experiences of healers and doctors between DHN groups and with interested subscribers around the world. How has this been possible? Clearly, the National Health Service, with its centralized, governmental management facilitated this process. England is also a country where eccentricities are cultivated, so that an interest in healing may be more tolerated than in the States.

How do doctors change their beliefs about healing? The research data is crucial to doctors in considering whether they would have anything to do with healing. However, the research alone will not bring about changes. In addition to convincing people at an intellectual level, they must be introduced to healing experientially. One would think that the observation of clinical changes in patients as a result of healing might be convincing, but it usually is not. Most doctors ignore such occurrences or dismiss them as either misdiagnosis or "spontaneous remissions" (which is a convenient vehicle for admitting ignorance while not having to re-examine one's theories). On an individual basis, it is very difficult to change the view of health care professionals.

Each individual is afraid of peer censure, which can be brutally vicious. Doctors, nurses and researchers may imperil their professional advancement, research grants and their jobs by advocating something which their peers or supervisors do not accept. (In many ways this is akin to the treatments received by heretics who espoused beliefs which differed from those of their religious compatriots. This has led some to suggest that scientism is the religion of the Western world.) I do not criticize people who are slow to assimilate new observations and theories. It took me two years after observing Ethel's healing before I was ready to explore the development of my own healing gifts, and several years more before I integrated spiritual healing into my practice of psychotherapy.

Getting doctors and nurses together in groups helps them to deal with these concerns. When one doctor lets on that he's seen a good response in a patient from healing, and a second allows that someone in his own family responded well to healing, the ice is broken. Each empowers the others to speak up. Gradually, with several meetings over a number of months, the process of healers rubbing elbows with health care professionals leads to greater mutual understanding and to cross referrals of patients. On broader fronts there are further approaches which can be fruitful. Osteopaths lobbied successfully to obtain recognition for their treatments, with almost no research evidence to support their claims or explanations for treatments. Their principal selling point with the medical and governmental authorities is that they have professional standards of conduct and peer regulation. Lobbying is a legitimate way to alter the status of healing and other complementary therapies.
The public is learning to appreciate healing and other complementary therapies much more quickly than the health care professionals One of my favorite cartoons is of a patient standing before the receptionist's desk, asking: "Does the doctor hug?" The public, voting with their dollars, are bringing about greater acceptance of complementary therapies in the US. David Eisenberg, M.D. published a study in the New England Journal of Medicine in January, 1993, which showed that almost as many dollars were spent in 1990 on complementary therapies as on conventional medical care. It was not long after that numbers of medical schools, including Harvard, introduced courses for medical students on complementary therapies. In England, money also speaks.

A General Practitioner in Devon published a study showing that the healer working in his practice saved money by halving the visits of patients with chronic problems and reduced their medication bills. This has been a popular item in the news media. The safety of healing is also impressive, as measured by malpractice insurance costs. Healers pay under £4 annually for roughly the same coverage which doctors pay over £1000. Much of the foregoing related to the material world with which we are familiar. Perhaps even more important is the opening to spirituality which occurs with involvement with healing.
Healing opens us to our spirituality Spirituality is an awareness which has atrophied in our society. Western culture is something of an aberration when compared to the majority of other cultures, where the spiritual dimensions are experienced and conceptualized as normal parts of existence -- not paranormal, mystical, or to be rejected. Again we must clarify our terminology. When I speak of the spiritual I intend to address those realms or dimensions where awareness can visit, where time future and time past are all in the now, and where form and space are purely mental constructs. In these dimensions our spirits continue their existence and development between physical lives. There is research evidence for this from a wide range of psi phenomena, including: Remote viewing (sometimes called traveling clairvoyance); out-of-body, near-death and deathbed vision experiences; apparitions (ghosts); channeling and other mediumistic phenomena; and reincarnation research. The research evidence from these diverse fields is, overall, consistent and produces a coherent picture. We haven't the time to review this in detail, but it is summarized in Volume III of Healing Research. From the vantage of the spiritual dimensions, our existence within the material realms of earth is an exploration, or digression, into the very densest levels of energy.

The material body is like a garment taken up by the spirit in order to explore particular lessons for the advancement of the soul. In our lessons we are repeatedly present us with choices regarding relationships, attitudes and actions. If we make poor decisions, we may not graduate into the next levels of existence, but might have to repeat the class with other teachers. If we do graduate and leave physical existence, we might choose an elective tutorial, sticking around in our spirit bodies in order to help those still struggling in the physical classrooms. At some point, we move on to further personal spiritual development in universities which we cannot even begin to comprehend from the vantage of our earthly existence and awareness......Home of David Wells spiritual healer and teacher of spiritual healing.

Presented originally as Spiritual healing as the energy side of E = mc2, Lecture at the 5th Mind/Brain Symposium of the Scientific and Medical Network, Institute of Psychiatry, London, October 1994.

Saturday, November 26, 2005

The Types of Dreams


Examining recurring dreams, nightmares, precognitive dreams and mutual dreams.

Recurring dreams

1. Because these dreams are presented to us more than once, we might assume that they are expressing an important message. We can look specifically for recurrences in our dream journal.

2. Themes often recur during the same sleep-period. When we are interpreting dreams from the same sleep-period, we can look for recurring themes; after interpreting one of the dreams, we can consider whether the same subject was examined in the others. This might aid us in the interpretation of those other dreams.

3. Recurring dreams are not necessarily identical. We might have dreams which contain a similar plot, characters, action, or feelings -- but the series might also differ in any of those elements (and we could even experience the same dream from the viewpoint of a different character). An important issue might be repeated verbatim, but it is more likely to be viewed with different symbolism, characters, plots, topics, and so on. This creates alternative perspectives from which the unconscious mind can study the topic.

4. Recurring dreams indicate an inability to find resolution. When the same dream occurs more than once, the unconscious mind is probably trying again to achieve a settlement following a previous unsuccessful attempt -- or it is presenting the same material to the conscious mind because we failed to follow through on that information during our wakeful life (perhaps because of inadequate recall or interpretation). If the psychological dilemma is alleviating but is not yet satisfied, we might see a change in the symbolism (i.e., "symbol evolution"); for example, the three-headed monster might now have only two heads!

5. We can create recurring dreams. If we are unable to interpret a dream, we can incubate a repetition of it; the dream might appear again, perhaps with symbolism which is easier to understand. And if we are in a lucid dream, we can create a scenario which is similar to the original dream; the plot is likely to go in a different direction, but we are still likely to gain insight into the original.

6. We can do "active imagination" with a recurring character. If a character continues to reappear, active imagination (as described in this book) might answer our questions about its presence. In a sense, this is a further recurrence of the dream, because we are creating that state during wakefulness. Several of my apparently unrelated dreams featured a teenaged boy, whom I "interviewed" with active imagination. He said, "I keep recurring [in your dreams] because I want you to know I'm here."

Nightmares
1. What is a nightmare? They are dreams which are characterized by their upsetting emotional quality; the emotion might be fear, anger, anxiety, grief, guilt, or another. Nightmares commonly occur to pre-adolescent children; these dreams become less common as the individuals gain a feeling of competence in dealing with the wakeful world.

2. What is a night terror? A night terror is a frightening event in which a sleeping child is likely to scream, thrash about, and perhaps stare with open but unfocused eyes. Night terrors are not nightmares nor even dreams; they occur during non-REM sleep in the first REM cycle. The non-REM portion of that cycle is deeper than usual, usually because of fever, medication, or exhaustion (due to daytime exertion or previous sleeplessness). Night terrors are a normal phenomenon for young children.

3. Nightmares have value. They are as useful as non-nightmare dreams. If we examine them calmly (without being repelled by their intensity), we can learn from any related interpretation or dreamwork. Even if we do not work with them, they can accomplish resolutions within the dreamworld; for example, women who have nightmares about their pregnancy have an easier delivery, and people who have nightmares about a trauma recover from it more quickly. (For some authors, nightmares have provided another benefit -- by supplying inspiration for such works as Frankenstein and Dracula.)

4. Nightmares have a reason to be outrageous. They shock us and distress us so that we will remember them, and we will think about them during wakefulness. Placid dreams can be ignored; nightmares demand that we notice them.

5. Nightmares represent a part of us. Similar to non-nightmare dreams, these experiences are symbolic of our psychological world. The "villainous" characters might represent an emotional conflict, or something which we fear, or a "shadow" aspect which we have restrained and despised in ourselves, or an element from the processing of a trauma (as in Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome following a car accident or a violent attack).

6. We can use dreamwork for nightmares. Refer to the chapter on dreamwork; the same techniques which are used for non-nightmares can be applied to nightmares. "Active imagination" is particularly useful, because it lets us converse with the character who has disturbed us.

7. We can incubate our responses to nightmare characters. The incubation can be a request to meet a monster from a previous dream, and to remember to ask, "Who are you, and why are you here?" Or we can incubate a particular response to a nightmare; the response might be to confront the monster rather than to run away. We might also incubate a happier ending to the nightmare; this ending would include a resolution to the conflict rather than the destruction of the creature (since it is a part of us). If we incubate a lucidity "trigger" (e.g.,"When I feel fear, I will become aware that I am dreaming"), we can manage the rest of the nightmare consciously.

8. Seek professional help for profoundly disturbing nightmares. Although dreamwork (and the nightmares themselves) can reconcile some of the problems, we might have nightmares which are so disturbing that we need to talk about them with a psychiatrist.

Dreams regarding physical health(This information is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical care.)

1. Through dreams, we can boost our physical health in many ways: we can receive guidance toward a health-promoting lifestyle (and warnings against destructive habits), diagnose illness and injury, maintain our emotional vigor during physical crises, get recommendations for treatments, and learn about our progress toward recovery. We might even receive the healing itself during a dream.

2. We can receive advice during a dream. Dream researcher William C. Dement was a smoker until he experienced a disturbing dream in which he underwent medical tests which indicated that he had lung cancer. After that dream, he quit smoking. When he returned to the habit two years later, another dream convinced him to stop again. A different person was told (by dream doctors) to apply heat to an aching back muscle; when this remedy was used during wakefulness, it was effective.

3. We can receive a diagnosis through a dream. Hippocrates and Aristotle said that dreams can reveal our illnesses, and ancient Chinese doctors would refer to a chapter on the diagnostic capabilities of these "prodromic" dreams in their text, The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine. Medical information can come to us in dreams even before we exhibit symptoms, because the body and mind are aware of disturbances which might be too subtle to be detected by a medical exam or our wakeful awareness; this data allows us to seek early treatment, with clues about the nature of the ailment (e.g., the type of disorder, its location on the body, its severity, and its cause). Doctors and other medical professionals can assist in this process, by asking about our dreams and becoming familiar with the symbolism which might reveal a problem. Because dreams generally have an emotional component, we also discover our feelings about the affliction.

4. The symbols of infirmity. There are no standard symbols for physical distress; any symbol could represent either a physiological or emotional condition (or a problem in a relationship or another aspect of life), so we need to study the symbol more carefully -- its context and its emotional associations. Although we develop our own symbols, some people find that the human body is frequently represented by a car or house or machine, or by the dream-person's body itself; thus, for instance, if the car is malfunctioning, or involved in an collision, this might be an indication that the body is experiencing trouble. Illness might also be depicted by such symbols as warfare, rotten meat, afflicted plants or animals, unpleasant bodily sensations (hot, chilling, or painful), or an unusual depiction or usage of a body part. The symbols could be as blatant as a doctor, a hospital, or an ailing person (or a literal replay of an accident which caused the ailment). Symbols can indicate the severity of the problem: a harsher affliction might be indicated by images which are more turbulent and emotional. They might also indicate a reaction to therapy or medication. However, the medication might create another problem: some drugs disrupt REM sleep, so we will experience no dreams during this period.

5. Dreams of death. As stated previously, any dream can be interpreted on a physiological or emotional (or other) level; a dream of death might refer to the "death" of a component of our life -- for example, the end of a relationship (or perhaps the destruction of a tumor). Many people, during periods of physical health, have experienced dreams with possible symbols of death (corpses, graves, funerals, leaving on a trip, etc.) -- but the people lived to tell about them. But researchers have discovered that these "death dreams" tend to become more frequent when life is endangered; people who have these dreams might be more likely to worsen or even die -- but other people who have the dreams recover. (Some of the most seriously ill patients report no dreams at all; perhaps this is partially due to medication which is inadvertently suppressing REM.) If you have a dream which contains images of death, don't assume that your life will end soon (even if you are ailing); the dream is a speculation on a possibility, and it might not refer to physical health at all.

6. Dreams of healing. After the crisis has passed, we will notice a change in our dream symbolism. The nightmares will diminish, and a new series of dreams will give us hope, with images of healthy people and animals and plants, buildings being constructed, a well-tuned car -- or "to see the sun, moon, heavens and stars clear and bright" (in the words of Hippocrates).

7. Healing during dreams. Dreams can be more than reflections of our physical condition; they also present an opportunity to improve it. The chapter on dream incubation describes the healing temples of Aesculapius, in which participants would receive cures; we can incubate our own requests for medical help and advice. In modern times, dreamers have received health information (and healings) from images of angels, doctors, Jesus, or other individuals; certain Native American tribes honored dreams in which remedies were suggested by an animal such as a snake. And in lucid dreams, people have improved their health by invoking those healers or by directing a visible healing energy toward the part of their dream body which corresponds to the afflicted part of their physical body.

8. Dreamwork for physical health. During this time, dreamwork can help us to manage the emotions and stress generated by the crisis. Refer to the chapter on dreamwork.

Precognitive dreams
A precognitive dream is one which shows us the future with information which is not ordinarily available.

1. Some supposedly "precognitive dreams" are not precognitive. A dream is not "precognitive" if it causes a self-fulfilling prophesy (in which we act in such a way as to make the dreamed events occur later during wakefulness). Nor is it precognitive if the data was obtainable by inference (i.e., a logical extension of current trends or karmic antecedents). Carl Jung said (in Dreams), "The occurrence of prospective dreams cannot be denied. It would be wrong to call them prophetic, because at bottom they are no more prophetic and a medical diagnosis or a weather forecast."

2. Some supposedly "precognitive dreams" are mere speculation. During dreams, we enact scenarios which might happen -- as when an ill person dreams about death but then recovers. Some of these scenarios are part of the decision-making and problem-solving and rehearsal processes; we are testing "what-if" hypotheses in a safe, mocked-up situation. If one of the scenarios (among many) comes to pass during wakefulness, it is a coincidence rather than a precognitive dream.

3. Look for precognitive dreams in your journal. Review your dreams (and their interpretations) for situations which later happened. The precognition might take the form of a circumstance (such as an encounter with a former acquaintance whom we recently dreamed about) or an emotion (such as the fear which we felt when we dreamed and when we were mugged a few days after a dream). To discover a correlation between a precognitive dream and a wakeful occurrence, we might need to review the dreams from the previous months or years; that much time might elapse. These correlations will be easier to find if our dream journal contains a brief summary of each day's wakeful incidents and feelings. We might not recognize precognitive dreams when they occur, but they can become apparent afterward when we can discern their relationship to our wakeful life.

4. Incubate precognitive dreams. Rather than looking for random precognitive dreams, we can incubate a request for knowledge of the future -- generally or specifically (e.g., information about our career). We can also incubate dreams about events which are certain to occur. For example, incubate a dream about a party which is planned for next weekend. A dream about "a party" would not be precognitive in itself, but the dream might contain precognitive elements: people's attire, conversations, and so on.

5. Be careful in your interpretation of precognitive dreams. Their symbolism might be misinterpreted, as in the dream of Xerxes (which is described later); a personal conflict was apparently misunderstood to be a prophesy of a forthcoming battle. A few days ago, I had a "death dream"; I drove my car around a long, circular road at a cemetery, and when I came to the point at which I had begun driving, I felt a sense of completion and no reason to continue. If this book is completed, I can assume that the dream was not prophetic of my immediate demise; the "death" might have referred to the end of a phase of my life, or the conclusion of a project.

6. We might experience a dream about the past. This is called a postcognitive dream, in which we receive data which was not known at the time of the wakeful incident. Postcognition might reveal information about this lifetime or a previous life.

7. We can seek precognition during lucid dreams. If we are lucid, we can seek precognition; if we mock up the scenario of a future event, we will see details which can be confirmed later when the event occurs. (We can alter this dream while it is happening, to create a more-favorable outcome; this might influence the outcome which transpires during the wakeful event.) We can ask the dreamscape (or a character) for information about the future in general, or about a specific future occurrence which we anticipate.

8. Precognitive dreams have happened to many famous people. Some of those dreams have significantly changed the course of the world. In certain cases, the dreamer was inspired by a dream to take an action which changed civilizations; these might be viewed as self-fulfilling prophesies rather than true prophetic dreams.
The dream of Pharaoh Thutmes IV. Around 1450 B.C., a young man had a dream in which the god Hormakhu said, "The kingdom shall be given to thee." Later, the man became Pharaoh Thutmes IV (also spelled Thutmos). The tale of this dream was engraved between the paws of the Sphinx.

The dream of Xerxes. The Persian leader Xerxes dreamed that he was being castigated for not pursuing his plans to invade Greece. Xerxes, assuming that the dream prophesied a victory, led the attack in 480 B.C. but then lost the war. Because a similar dream was experienced by an uncle with whom Xerxes had experienced conflicts, it might have referred to interpersonal battles between those two people rather than military campaigns.

The dream of Alexander the Great. Alexander the Great was another soldier who was driven by a dream. In the dream, he saw a satyr (a woodland god) which he chased and caught. When Alexander divided the word satyr into "sa" and "Tyros," he discerned a prophesy that "Tyre is yours." This dream stimulated him to escalate the war, which he won.
The dream of Hannibal. Hannibal -- who is best known for crossing the Alps with an entourage of soldiers and elephants -- dreamed of a serpent which demolished all that it encountered; a dream character told him to obey this guidance. On the next day, Hannibal began his attack of Rome.

The dreams of Julius Caesar. When Julius Caesar was a mere general (in rebellion against Rome), he was encouraged to continue his fight by a dream in which his mother appeared; he interpreted this to be Rome (the "Mother City"). After becoming Emperor, his assassination was prophesied in his series of identical dreams on the night before he was killed. His wife, Calpurnia, apparently had similar dreams; Shakespeare wrote, "Thrice hath Calpurnia in her sleep cried out, "Help, ho! they murder Caesar!"

The dreams of Genghis Khan. Genghis Khan was another leader who was inspired by his dreams. In one of those dreams, he was told that he would lead the Mongols; the second dream directed him to start a military campaign which would enlarge his empire.
The dream of Columbus. Columbus -- in a refreshing change from these stories of warfare -- dreamed of the message, "God will give thee the keys of the ocean." The dream roused him to pursue his scheme for a voyage westward.

The dream of Napoleon. Napoleon ignored a prophetic dream which occurred on the night before his defeat at Waterloo. The dream depicted two cats which were scurrying between two armies; his cat was killed. If he had heeded the dream and prevented the battle, Europe would have a different political landscape today.
The dream of Abraham Lincoln. Abraham Lincoln dreamed that he was in the White House, where he discovered mourners and a corpse wrapped in funeral garments. He asked a guard, "Who is dead?" The response: "The President. He was killed by an assassin." The dream occurred less than two weeks before Lincoln was shot.

The dream of Adolph Hitler. Adolph Hitler was inspired by a nightmare (perhaps appropriately). When he was a corporal during World War I, he dreamed vividly that he and the other soldiers in the trench were engulfed by dirt and molten metal. He awoke, and left the trench to calm himself. While he walked, the previously peaceful scene was disrupted by incoming artillery fire. He returned to the bunker and discovered that it had been hit, killing everyone. This dream helped to convince Hitler that he had a "divine calling" to rule the world.

Mutual dreams
In most dreams, we assume that the characters are creations of our mind; they have no identity of their own. But in mutual dreams, a character does exist independently.

1. What is a mutual dream? It is a phenomenon in which two people experience a dream together. The dream might have comparable elements (such as the same setting or activity) or they might be identical in virtually every aspect. A mutual dream is also called a "reciprocal dream" or "shared dream" -- or reve a deux by the French.

2. Mutual dreams imply an objective dreamscape. We generally believe that dreams occur within an individual's mind, in a fabricated dreamscape, but mutual dreams apparently happen in an actual "location" in a different world where the two dreamers can meet. In a non-mutual dream, we might encounter other evidence of this self-existing dreamscape -- thought-forms and other creations which have been left behind by other dreamers.

3. Mutual dreaming is an extension of a natural tendency. That tendency is to dream about someone who has stimulated or annoyed us during wakefulness. During our dreams, we generate scenarios in which to confront images of that person, in an attempt to resolve the issue. In many of those cases, the other person is similarly aroused, so he or she is likely to be dreaming about us. Mutual dreams take this tendency one step farther; instead of dreaming separately about one another, we dream together. However, when we dream about someone, the dream is usually not a mutual dream; the other character is merely a mind-creation rather than the dream-body of the person.

4. We can incubate a mutual dream. During wakefulness, we can talk to the person to agree on a dreamscape scenario which we would like to experience together. Then we incubate that dreamscape and an image of the other person. Some people have reported success in this technique; the achievement was verified when they met during wakefulness and discovered that their dreams had indeed occurred in an identical location and that the activities in both people's dreams were similar. This article was taken from the book Dreams with James Harvey Stout.......Home of David Wells spiritual healer and teacher of spiritual healing.

How to Remember Your Dreams

Awaken directly from a dream. A dream is recalled most easily if we awaken during it or immediately after it ends. If more than a few minutes lapse at the end of a dream, we risk oneirolysis (the forgetting of the dream) -- but if we awaken too soon before the dream stops, we might miss an important part of it. The following techniques can help us synchronize our awakening with the dream:

1. We can simply affirm that we will awaken when each dream ends (or when each important dream ends -- so that we might awaken only once per night, instead of several times per night). We tell ourselves, "I will awaken at the end of every important dream tonight"; along with this self-talk statement, we add an appropriate "energy tone" (e.g., anticipation, confidence, joy, etc.), and a "directed imagination" image of ourselves awakening at the end of a dream. The mechanism by which this programming works is the same one which allows us to specify a time to awaken ourselves naturally (e.g., 6 a.m.) or to awaken when we hear a specific sound (such as our baby's whimpering, but not the noise of traffic outside).

2. We can synchronize our alarm clock with the 90-minute cycle of sleep periods. As explained later, the mind experiences a recurring 90-minute cycle during our sleep; most of our dreams occur near the end of each cycle. Therefore, we are most likely to awaken from a dream if we set our alarm clock to awaken us after we have been sleeping for any multiple of 90 minutes: 1.5 hours, 3 hours, 4.5 hours, 6 hours, and 7.5 hours. For example, if we fall asleep at 11 p.m., the times would be 12:30, 2:00, 3:30, 5:00, and 6:30. We probably won't want to be awakened this many times, so we might set the alarm for 6:30 a.m. only. If this timing isn't exactly right for us, we can experiment by setting the alarm ahead (or backward) slightly until we synchronize our awakening with the end of that cycle.

3. We can ask a friend or family member to awaken us when we exhibit REM (rapid-eye movements, which occur when we are dreaming); the eye movements can be seen beneath our closed eyelids. The person can come into our bedroom at intervals, rather than sitting next to us during the whole time. He or she might let the REM continue for a while before the awakening, to let us experience more of the dream.

4. We can use a device such as The Lucidity Institute's "NovaDreamer." This device looks like a black mask which covers the eyes; it can detect REM, so we can use it to awaken ourselves from a dream via the device's flashing lights or a loud sound.

5. We can allow ourselves to awaken naturally from dreams. Why do we awaken at any particular moment -- instead of several minutes sooner or several minutes later? Usually, we awaken when a dream is ending. Sometimes I feel that my mind has awakened me intentionally so that I would remember a dream.

Techniques for dream recall
1. We awaken gently -- or not. Some people remember their dreams more easily if they awaken gently; other people remember their dreams more easily if they awaken abruptly.
A gentle awakening. We linger in a state which is "dreamy," drowsy, and "half-awake." We remain in the right-hemisphere mode (which is the primary mode in which non-lucid dreams occur) by indulging in feelings of pleasure, playfulness, and placid emotions like contentment. A gentle awakening is easiest when we do not use a loud alarm clock; instead, we can use an alarm clock which has a quieter alarm (or soothing music),or we can ask our bed-mate to awaken us softly.
An abrupt awakening. Some people achieve better recall if they awaken abruptly; their memories don't have time to fade while they attain wakefulness.

2. We lie still -- or not.
When we awaken, we keep our eyes closed, and we do not move (and we have told our bed-mate, in advance, not to touch us or to turn on the bedroom light). Abrupt movements might shatter the fragile memories of our dream.
Some people have said that we can recall dreams more easily if we are in bodily position in which the dreams occurred. Therefore, our first attempt at recall is performed in the position in which we awakened. If we do not remember any dreams in this position, we slowly move to any other positions in which we might have slept (and dreamed), and we try to remember dreams there. (We can't know which positions we had on that particular night, but we can go to any positions in which we have previously awakened.)

3. We think about our dreams before we think about any other topic, e.g., our plans for the day, or the radio's music, or our bed-mate's conversation. If we are distracted by these other thoughts, the memories of the dream are likely to fade before we can retain them.

4. We are patient. Stay physically relaxed and psychologically calm while you allow the dream memories to drift back to you; don't be forceful, insistent, or frustrated. Accept the fact that the memories have not yet come to you; perhaps last night's dreams were for our unconscious mind's private purposes and they don't need to be brought to our conscious attention. But be serenely hopeful and expectant. Disregard any thoughts about other subjects, and keep your mind clear for the return of the memories. Give the memories some time to emerge -- perhaps several minutes. If you still have no recollections, get out of bed and go on to your daily affairs, but still remain optimistic that you will have recall. During the day, the dream memory might come to us spontaneously, or it might be triggered by an event; for example, when we go out to our car, we might remember a dream in which we were driving. In your dream journal, record the dream and the daytime event which provoked the recall; that event might help you to understand the dream.

5. We examine our thoughts and feelings. What were you thinking or feeling as you awoke? What thoughts and feelings flow back to you if you drift into delicate free-association (on both the thought and feeling level)? If we maintain the residual mood we experienced when awakening, and we allow it to amplify, the images and the dream itself which were associated with the mood might come to us. This is similar to a daytime phenomenon: when we are in a depressed temperament, we automatically generate thoughts and memories which match that depression. Now we are encouraging the dream temperament to coax dream memories.

6. We draw a picture -- allowing the forms to be sketched without a specific plan -- and then see whether the creation is related to one of our dreams.

7. We visualize ourselves turning on a television set to see our dreams. Or we make another visualization in which we are opening a curtain, or walking into a room, where you can view your dreams.

8. We make a ritual which we suggest will cause us to remember our dreams. One person has programmed himself to remember dreams when he drinks a glass of water after awakening.

9. We visualize ourselves remembering a dream; this might induce actual recall.

10. We consider the possibility that the dream was on any topic which we have incubated within the past few weeks; an incubation might take that long to appear in a dream.

11. We can give up. Sometimes any effort at all will prevent a dream from coming back to us, as if the dream is teasing us with our desire to grasp it and defying whatever technique we are using for recall. When we surrender, and say, "I don't know how to remember dreams; it's up to you to make yourself known," the dream will reveal itself.

12. We can start with fragments. We might be able to remember only a dream fragment -- one scene, or a person, a comment, a vague feeling, or another single item. Dream recall can be developed from that fragment; this is explained later. But if you cannot elicit the remainder of the dream, be satisfied with this piece; an individual image it can be used in interpretation or dreamwork. And perhaps that one element is all that we needed to remember; the essence of the dream might be contained within it.

13. We match the feelings of the dream. If you still have no memories, take an approach which is more analytical (without fully activating the left hemisphere). Try to match the residual "dream feeling" or fragment with your current daytime concerns and acquaintances: Could the dream have involved our spouse? (Does the leftover sensation correspond to anything that we feel toward him or her?) Was this a frightening dream? Did we fly (or do another activity which occurs frequently in our dreams)? Perform this "matching" by visualizing (or invoking the related feeling of) other people, recent moods (such as our anxiety about our new job), and events (e.g., a recent vacation). When we find a "match," we will feel a sense of recognition.

14. We can remember the dream in reverse order. When we awaken, the easiest scene to remember is usually the one which happened just before the awakening. Use the images and feelings from that scene to backtrack through the dream in reverse; the plot, feelings, and thoughts in that final scene might imply whatever happened previously. Do this through a combination of logic ("What prior event might have resulted in the situation and conversation which I recall from this stage of the dream?") and feeling ("What might have caused the feelings which I had at this point in the dream?"). This technique is effective with dreams which have ongoing plots; dreams which have bizarre scene changes don't follow a rational progression in the plot, so we would have more difficulty in backtracking through them. (Sometimes, however, we can backtrack into an entirely unrelated dream with this method.) Even a well-plotted dream might come back in non-chronological order; those fragments can be pieced together when we are finished with the recall. And if the first fragment is apparently from the middle of a dream, use this system to go forward and backward to remember the previous and latter parts.

15. We need to record our dream immediately. Even after recall, a dream memory fades quickly, so we must write it in our journal. As we start writing, more of the memory will come to us -- and if we have no memory of it at all, sometimes the act of picking up the journal and a pen is enough to encourage the memory to appear.

16. We can try to recall other dreams from that night. Although we have many dreams during the night -- one or more in each REM period -- they might carry the same theme because the unconscious mind is viewing the subject from different perspectives. After recalling one dream, use the feelings of that dream to search for another dream which expressed the same feelings.

17. We can use daytime activities for dream recall.
Be motivated to recall your dreams. We remember more dreams if we have a reason to do so; the unconscious mind responds to our desire by bringing dreams to our attention. During the daytime, think about your objectives: to incubate a solution to problems, or to generate ideas for artistic creations, or to perform a dream experiment, or to receive interpretable messages from the unconscious mind -- or simply to increase the ability to recall. Develop goals which are meaningful and stimulating.
Appreciate your dreams. Feel respect and gratitude for every dream and fragment which you remember; don't consider any dreams to be unimportant or meaningless. We might show this appreciation by attempting a full recall of each dream, and recording it in our journal (even if we remembered only a fragment), and doing any appropriate dreamwork and interpretation with it -- and not resenting the loss of time required to do these activities. (However, if this effort is consuming too much time, we might compromise by journalizing only the dreams which seem to be particularly important.) When we do this, we strengthen the channel from the unconscious mind. We cannot demand dream recall; we earn its favor -- by being receptive and thankful for whatever dreams are passed to our conscious mind.

Affirm your desire to remember your dreams. Throughout the day, whenever you think about your dreams, say to yourself, "I will remember my dreams; I enjoy remembering them." (Adapt this phrase to one which suits you, and include a word like "enjoy," to add some feeling to your statement.) Repeat this thought while preparing for bed. We might write the statement one or more times in our journal or on another piece of paper. Every day, leave a hint on your pillow: a note ("Recall your dreams"), or your journal, or an object which reminds you of your dreams (e.g., a drawing which was based on a dream vision); you will see this before you go to bed. While falling asleep, repeat your phrase, "I will remember my dreams; I enjoy remembering them," and visualize yourself awakening in the morning with recall.

Create a supportive environment. Our society does not encourage dream recall; if we tell a dream to someone, the response is likely to be boredom or amusement. As in any other behavior, if we are not rewarded, we tend to stop doing it -- and dream recall is no different. But we can create this reward system by associating with people who encourage us to remember and study our dreams: a dream discussion group or class, our current therapist (or a different one, if this one doesn't value dreams), and new friends who have this interest. We can also make dream-sharing a part of our family life; see the chapter on sharing dreams.

When we talk about our dreams, we are encouraging the unconscious processes which make us aware of dreams; our other benefit is that we often remember more while telling someone else than we did while recalling the dream originally. However, we must be careful to select confidantes who respect dreams on their own terms; some people (and therapists) are interested only in dreams of a certain type -- "spiritual," archetypal, or another genre -- and they will react disheartening to any other dreams. We have that same responsibility of honoring whatever kinds of dreams are told to us by another person; we need to show enthusiasm and reassurance, to assist in his or her efforts to recall and enjoy those dreams. If we can't find people to support us in this endeavor, we can still support ourselves; this type of foundation is strong and more reliable than whatever we get from other people.

Be willing to look at whatever your dreams are revealing. Freud said that when people fail to remember dreams, the reason is that they are simply too afraid or repulsed to acknowledge the content; we might be concerned that our dreams would reveal something which is unflattering, unruly, frightening, or otherwise disturbing. (We probably dodge unpleasant challenges during wakefulness, too, in the same way that we overlook our dreams.) We can counteract those feelings by adopting an attitude of self-acceptance; we all have a few monsters within us, but acknowledgment and understanding will turn those monsters literally into friends in the dreamworld (as explained in the chapter on lucid nightmares).

Another way to remain unruffled by the "monsters" is to generate a perspective of exploration, daring, innocent curiosity, and a desire to know more about ourselves. Knowledge -- even of a fire-breathing dragon which represents a nasty part of ourselves -- can't hurt us. (However, if we find our dreams upsetting, we might want to share them with a therapist.) These dreams are given to us benevolently and privately for our education; when we accept them without shame, we can work with them to reconcile the conflicts which created the unpleasant images.
Create daytime moods and attitudes which enhance dream recall. We will remember more dreams if we are attentive to our daytime feelings and moods; this inner awareness during the day carries over into a perception of dreams during the night. (If our emotions include worry, guilt, and anxiety, we are more likely to remember dreams -- probably because we sleep more lightly -- although no one is encouraged to develop those states for the purpose of recall.) Let your wakeful mind be one of imaginativeness, alertness, interest, adventure, innovation, and challenge; these mental activities can boost dream recall.

Incubate a memorable dream. Certain types of dreams are easier to remember; those dreams are emotional, dramatic, thrilling, nightmarish (threatening), weird, vivid to the senses, or related to a current concern. If we incubate one of those types of dreams, we are more likely to recall it. We can also do an incubation in which we ask for a replay of a former dream so that we can remember more of it; we would either verbally request for a repeat or we'd incubate a fragment (e.g., a person, a scene) from the former dream.

Sleep more. Throughout the night, our REM periods become longer; the first one is only a few minutes, but after several hours of sleep, the period might be sustained for as long as one hour. If we allow ourselves to sleep later, we increase the probability of awakening from a dream (because a higher proportion of our time is spent in REM at that later time), and this longer dream will have more elements which could facilitate recall (such as a bizarre event). Also, after a lengthy sleep, our mind will be sharper when we awaken, so it will be more effective in remembering dreams than if were still tired.

Develop your skills in lucid dreaming. When we have more lucid dreams, we experience more recall simply because lucid dreams are easier to remember than the non-lucid variety. And as we develop lucidity skills, we enhance our general calibration to the dreamworld, so we will recall more non-lucid dreams, especially if they occur later in the same night; on a few occasions, I have had a lucid dream which was followed by a non-lucid dream, and I remembered both very clearly, noting that the ensuing non-lucid dream was exceptionally colorful and easy to recall. During a lucid dream, we can ask for further details about a previous non-lucid dream; we might also be able to replay that previous dream (although certain components will probably be different when the dream is restated).

Meditate. Some people recall their dreams better if they meditate during the daytime.
Try hypnosis or autohypnosis. Both of these techniques have aided people in recalling dreams.
Take vitamins. The B vitamins have improved recall in some cases; some people use only vitamin B6. One of my friends recommends a 50 mg B-complex vitamin and three lecithin capsules at bedtime. (To help your body to metabolize the B vitamins, ingest some vitamin C also.)
Use visualization. Dream recall is easier for people who have developed this skill.
Don't use chemicals. Sleeping pills, pain pills, alcohol, and other drugs interfere with our ability to recall dreams.

Drink wheatgrass juice. It can cause vivid dreams and easier recall, according to some people have used it. (I tried wheatgrass tablets from a health-food store, but the only effect was that I awoke frequently with the feeling that my dreams had been more intense, though I could not remember them; I stopped the experiment because of my allergy to the wheatgrass.) You will probably have to grow your own wheatgrass, using techniques that are explained in The Wheatgrass Book by Ann Wigmore; she does not mention wheatgrass's effect on dreams.
Practice recall every day. Recall is a habit to be reinforced, and a skill to be developed. When this skill is matured, we will remember more dreams, and more details within those dreams.
Accept the dry spells.

Dream recall might be subject to many influences: our physical health, wakeful emotional state, degree of wakeful mental activity (due to school examinations or learning a new job), dietary changes, the phase of the moon, or a natural rhythm in which we have periods when recall is simply more difficult. For three months, I had no recall; perhaps it was because I felt overwhelmed by my new job, or maybe it was caused by my insistence on a particular incubation (which I now admit was contrary to my values). In any case, recall resumed after my job settled down and I gave up the incubation. The job stress was unavoidable, and the insistence was a lesson to me, although I don't know which factor was more responsible for the dry spell. You, too, might find "lessons" -- reasons why you are experiencing no recall.

Don't demand total recall. When dream recall doesn't occur, one reason might be the fact that the some dreams cannot be grasped by the conscious mind; those dreams are too alien to our wakeful world, and perhaps too subtle or archetypal or "mystical" to be translated into symbols and memories which are apprehendable to the conscious mind. Another possible reason for non-recall is the unconscious mind's decision not to reveal certain dreams to the conscious mind. We are fortunate that the unconscious mind doesn't trouble us with all of its processing; just as it maintains our heartbeat regardless of our awareness of it, the unconscious mind performs dream-activities which we don't need to perceive. Although many dreams seem to be messages from the unconscious to the conscious, some dreams might be for the unconscious mind's own use.

After all, even animals have REM (and they probably dream), but they are not likely to do interpretations or dreamwork; dreams perform their processing without conscious participation, and it is the human ego's inflated self-importance which tells us that a dream is worthless unless it is analyzed (although the analysis can be valuable in some cases). During the attempted recall of one dream, I confronted my unconscious mind's prerogative: "I backtracked through the dream as far as I could go; I reached a part that I couldn't access. I became aware of a 'thought' that 'someone' had left there: 'We're through; he can see the rest of it.' It was as if the first part of the dream had been held in 'closed session' and wasn't meant to be released to my conscious awareness."

We can keep a dream journal
1. The journal is useful in many ways. When we write in a journal, we honor our dreams; this attentiveness alone often results in better recall. Also, with this ongoing record, we see recurring themes and the variety and evolution of symbols; this information aids in interpretation and dreamwork. We increase our familiarity with our dreams and their common elements, so we are more likely to recognize them in subsequent dreams and hence become lucid.

2. The journal might require a substantial amount of time. The best journal is comprehensive, with every detail of every dream. But we might need to compromise if the journal is too time-consuming. Some people record only dreams which seem to be particularly "significant" or emotion-laden or vivid. Even Sigmund Freud was troubled by the amount of time demanded by a journal; he wrote in one for 14 years and then threw it away, saying, "The stuff simply enveloped me as the sand does the Phoenix."

3. Buy a notebook for this purpose. We show respect for our dreams by buying a notebook specially for this purpose. We can use any type of notebook; if we get the loose-leaf variety, we can add pages in case we want to add further interpretations or dreamwork to a particular dream. (If we use a notebook in which additional pages can't be added, we might simply leave some blank space at the end of each dream.) "Subject dividers" help us to divide the entries by month, for easier reference. Some companies sell workbooks to be used as dream journals.

4. We can computerize our entries. There might be a database software package specifically designed for dream-journal entries. In any case, we can make our own, using a home computer and database software such as FileMaker, Excel, or Microsoft Works. Rather than typing the text of our dream into this database, we will create fields for the date, title, and key words. These "key words" will be the important elements of the dream: actions (swimming, flying, sex, etc.), characters (father, dog, etc.), emotions (anger, fear, etc.), objects (house, gun, etc.), locations (home, job site, etc.), and other features which we might want to examine later. After creating this database, we can "search" for recurring symbols; for example, if we search on the word "car," we will get a list of every dream in which we saw a car. (This will be useful for understanding the ways in which our unconscious mind uses that symbol.) In the database, we can also categorize a dream as lucid, incubated, precognitive, etc. And we can record any related dreamwork, wakeful experiences, or other data which is important.

5. We can tape-record our dreams. This might be easier than a notebook; we don't have to turn on a light and write anything. We simply speak into the tape recorder; we don't even need to turn on the machine if it is sound-activated. However, some people find that their recordings are inaudible mumblings (because of the drowsy condition from which they were spoken). Even if the record is audible, we must spend time transcribing the tape. Also, this method is unsuitable for someone who sleeps with someone else; the speaking will awaken that other person.

6. Record wakeful events and issues. When we read the journal later, we can interpret and appreciate the dreams more fully if we remember the wakeful issues which were important to us at that time. Before bedtime, write a brief note about the day's events and emotional concerns; those matters might appear during a dream. Also write any incubations or planned lucid-dream activities.

7. Keep the journal next to your bed. We should be able to reach the journal without getting out of bed, and without needing to shift the position from which we awoke (if possible). There should also be easy access to a light and a few pens (in case one of them stops working). If these items are convenient, we are more likely to expend the effort to write in the journal.

8. We can use a small light when writing in our journal. This could be a lamp next to the bed, or a flashlight, or the type of lamp which clamps onto a book, or a combination pen/light which is both a writing implement and a small pen; the latter can be bought in stationery stores, or it can be made by taping a pen and tiny flashlight together.

9. We can write our dreams in the dark. This might be necessary if we have a bed-partner who would be disturbed by a light, or if we recall dreams better with our eyes closed. We can write without seeing the paper if we use our fingers to guide us along a straight line and to find the edges of the paper.Record the dream immediately after awakening. This memory will vanish if we don't record it very soon. For each dream, write the date. Also give the dream a title which expresses the most-important aspect; this will help us to find the dream later in our journal (e.g., "The Two-Headed Dog" rather than simply June 5, 1994). Write the dream in the present tense (e.g., "I go" instead of "I went"), to give the plot more of an active, emotional quality.

10. We might write only a synopsis. If we awaken with dream recall, but we want to return to sleep, we might record just a brief summary: the main characters, the primary action, the setting, and the feelings. Later, when our sleep is finished, we can add the details so we have a complete record of the dream.

11. Record a dream fragment, if that is all that you have. We might remember the rest of the dream later. Or we might simply use this fragment for dreamwork or an interpretation. The fragment could be as brief as a single feeling, image, or action.

12. Record all aspects of a dream. This includes settings, characters, emotions and moods, actions and reactions, colors, conversations (verbatim, if possible), and other details. Any of these elements might be the key to interpretation or dreamwork. Also note the emotions which you felt when you awoke and when you wrote the dream into your journal.

13. Don't interpret while you write. This might distract us from the recall. However, if a symbol's meaning becomes clear to us as we write the dream, we could make a brief note about it; we will do the interpretation later.

14. We can make entries in various forms. In addition to writing the text of the dream, we can make other types of entries which explain the dream. Some people add artwork, including drawings (with black or colored pencils), collages, or diagrams. (Refer to the chapter on dreamwork.)

15. Read your journal. If we review the entries regularly, we see recurring symbols, changes in types of dreams (e.g., perhaps a reduction in the frequency of nightmares), and other factors which help us to understand ourselves and subsequent dreams.This article was taken from the book Dreams with James Harvey Stout.....Home of David Wells spiritual healer and teacher of spiritual healing.

The Dream World

Dream Analysis
It is useful to look a little bit closer at our dreams and to analyze them. They contain unconscious happenings which compensate the conscious ego. Dreams give us clarification on non-personal motives, situations, our shortcomings, and so on, of which we are not, or only vaguely, aware of in everyday life.

When analyzing one’s dreams, one obtains a healthy self-criticism, the first step necessary for a purposeful psychological development. Dreams tell us precisely what is wrong and what needs to be done to correct it. By acting correspondingly, one becomes more conscious of oneself. The consciousness grows from its restricted and personal, sensitive ego-world to a new horizon.

The origin of conscious actions, with all their shortcomings and advantages, is in the unconscious of man. One of the ways the world of the unconscious expresses itself is by dreams. By means of symbols and events it tries to communicate with our consciousness. All too often one does not attach any importance to dreams and one does not make any effort to recall them. They contain complete information of our entire being and by listening to this dream world, man can gain access to a wonderful world that is as real as what we call our conscious reality. It is a world in which we are rooted. From this dream world we get the food for our inner growth, although we do not recognize it. He who closes himself of to this world is just floating around on the ocean. But he who listens and understands the language of the birds, the winds and the waves, knows where he can go unhindered. So it is with dreams. He who knows their language, knows how to repair mistakes, and thus lead a better life.

Carl Gustav Jung wrote in his ‘Ubergang’ that the dream is as "a small hidden door to the most deep hidden and secret corners of the psyche, an entrance to the cosmic night, which was the psyche before there was any trace of an ‘ego’-consciousness: and what will remain the psyche, no matter how far our ‘ego’-consciousness might stretch itself… All consciousness acts to divide, but in our dreams we take the form of a more universal, true and eternal man who wanders through the darkness of the primal night. There he is still the whole man, and this wholeness is in him, not distinguishable from nature and devoid of any ego-consciousness. From this all unifying depth the dream arises; no matter how childish, grotesque or immoral the dream might be."

The Importance of Dreams in Antiquity
In the entire history of man, and with all cultures, dreams have always been important. Dreams were a means for the gods to contact man. But demons and evil spirits also entered the dreams of man. Shamans and magicians always paid close attention to dreams as they could contain the fate of the entire tribe.

In ancient Egypt temples were dedicated to dream work. Their priests were known as ‘Masters of the Secret Things’. The explanation of dreams was a kind of commerce. Archeologists have uncovered a sign with the text: "I explain dreams with the mandate of the gods. Much luck. The present dream interpreter is from Crete."

In those temples, dreams were induced with the intent of making a diagnoses or to treat a disease. Close to the temple of Hathor in Egypt are the ruins of a sanitarium where the goddess caused amazing healings. In the building was a four headed statue of her from which water streamed into the gallery.

In the second century BC there were some 320 known dream temples in Greece and in other Mediterranean countries. These temples were dedicated to Asculepios, the god of healing. The dream incubation ceremonies in the temple of Aesculapios were complicated. From the participants it was demanded that they first abstained from certain foods like wine, flesh and beans, and also from sex. Then they had to undergo a ritual cleansing with cold water. Then the candidates had to bring offerings to the god and participate in gatherings dedicated to the amazing healing that would take place. At night there were ceremonies by the light of torches, with prayers devoted to Aesculapios. Then the patients went to sleep in special rooms amidst harmless yellow snakes. The next day many of the participants talked about Aeasculapios visiting them at night telling them what medicines to take or what changes in their life they had to undertake. In some instances some people were healed during the night.

In all mythologies one can find the mention of dreams. Usually a god appears in the dream of a hero to warn him of impending danger or to take him out of his troubles.

The Bible also has reports of dreams. In the gospel of Matthew an angel appears in a dream to Joseph to announce the birth of Jesus. In the Old Testament, the best known dream is the one of Jacob at Bethel, better known as the Ladder of Jacob (Gen.28: 10-22).

The Meaning of the Dream
The first breakthrough in the meaning of dreams was given by Freud. He discovered that dreams were reflections of developments in the unconscious part of the personality. By interpreting his own dreams, Freud uncovered memories from his childhood. Memories which caused thoughts and feelings in him which he would not have expected the existence of in his own mind. Among this was a dark and clearly sexual and infantile desire for his mother, and an ambivalent attitude towards his father. Freud brought up the idea that sharp, pointed objects in dreams symbolize the penis, while round, dome or ball forms represent the female genitalia. He discovered that neuroses are psychological expressions of a deep repressed, unbearable memory. The organism wants to balance itself, and thus the unconscious tries to bring the problems to light in dreams in order to make the dreamer aware that he has to do something about it.

According to Freud dreams are the result of five special workings:

Condensation: numerous problems can be condensed into one dream. One dream can be about many issues.

Disguise: the dream usually works with symbols and unrecognizable shapes to mask painful feelings. Many people can not stand their own negative feelings.

Representation: abstractions are represented by specific dream images. For example, driving a car means how one is living his own life. Sometimes abstractions are shown literally. For example, a dream about being in prison can represent the feeling about being locked up or being restricted in his freedom.

Symbols: a symbol can have more than one meaning, depending on the person and his background. What does it mean to you?

Secondary manipulation: after waking up and remembering the dream some changes happen: parts of the dream are not remembered because it is being censured by the unconscious; certain content is being omitted intentionally; certain content is being added.

Freud and his followers considered the dream as an expression of mostly secret sexual desires. Carl Gustav Jung, who once was a student of Freud, did not agree. Jung said that the dream in essence is spiritual and contains all known and unknown regions of the human mind. By dreaming, we try to discover the reason for our existence, and the dream is a new way of exploring all unresolved problems from the past and makes a link to the future. Because dreams are the product of the individual mind, Jung believed that we would better understand the spiritual process of man, and thus become better and more whole individuals.

Jung discovered that one dream is often the interpretation of another dream, as if the unconscious is trying to find a way to make itself understandable. Therefore a dream by itself can not be entirely understood. One needs to study a series of dreams for repeating content or the lack of certain content.

Jung believed that very dream is a unique product of an individual person, and thus he discarded every mechanical interpretation. A mechanical interpretation would only be useful with universal symbols or archetypes. In contrast to Freud, not all things are represented by symbols. Some things can be interpreted by their mere appearance.

Jung believed that the unconscious gets its material not only from repressed experiences but also from universal archaic structures in the brain, and also from racial and genetic ‘memories’.

The unconscious tries to balance the personality by the compensating effects of dreams. Dreams are useful because they represent, among other things, repressed parts of our personality, but they tell us not what we desire, but what we need to become a whole human being. For example, a dominant person will dream about being submissive.

The dream can also be the manifestation of everything that has been discarded and forgotten by the conscious mind. Thus the dream tries to bring attention to those parts of the psyche which have been neglected by everyday consciousness.

Jung also believed that the individual takes part in a ‘collective unconscious’, that is, an unconscious that contains all universal experiences of our ancestors in the form of primal images (=archetypes). By being a part of this collective unconscious, every man contains within himself every great thought, feeling and impulse mankind has ever generated, but also every shameful and awful deed. This is the source of the meaning of existence and the fundamental issues and experiences typical for mankind: love, birth, life, death, courage, beauty, evil, religious inspiration and the conflicts inherent to his development and growth.

From this collective unconscious arise dreams which are experienced as being very real and meaningful; dreams which are strikingly clear, beautiful, or sometimes even fearful. Such dreams can bear meaning or a message for a group of people, as with religious prophetic dreams or visions, or they can apply only to the individual, accompanied by radical changes.

Just as our bodies still bear the signs of our water living animal ancestors from prehistoric times, our mind contains the primal material of fantasy. Those primal images are archetypes, visible in religions, religious rites, myths, fairy-tales, dreams, and nightmares.

When interpreting a dream, Jung would ask his patient to first give his own associations in regards to the dream symbols. When, in the process, the patient would hit a dead end, Jung would ask him to give a description of the symbol, asking him to explain it as he would to somebody who did not know the symbol.

In short we can say that there are the following types of dreams:

Compensating: for example, when we are not good to a person, in our dream we would be treat them better.

Conflicts: arise in dreams that have roots in hidden conflicts in our personality that normally we would never discover.

Hidden wishes: things we would like but that we would not admit to ourselves that we want to have them.

Precognitive dreams: it doesn’t have to be world disasters, ordinary events in our own personal life might be predicted in dreams, sometimes in symbolic forms.

Warnings: the psyche can sense danger in the immediate future, and give a warning in dreams.

Precognitive Dreams
During sleep we are able to come into contact with that what is present in potential but what has not yet manifested. The result is a precognitive dream. Man has always recognized these dreams and precognitive dreams have always been highly regarded. In antiquity, many rulers had one or more dream interpreter in his service who could explain the content of the royal dreams.

One the most typical examples of precognitive dreams is the one of the tinker John Chapman, in the 15th century, who lived in the English village of Swaffham. He dreamt that he had to go to London and that he would meet a stranger on the London Bridge, who would tell him about a great treasure. John followed the advice and went to London. At the appointed bridge he indeed met a man, who told John that he had had a strange dream. In this dream he had seen how a merchant from Swaffham was digging in his backyard and found a clay pot filled with gold coins. Chapman went back, started digging and found a fortune. A part of the money was used to help with the building of the church of Peter and Paul. His story was memorialized in the woodwork of the choir-stalls and in the glass windows.

Many precognitive dreams are about murders or accidents. The murder of archduke Frans Ferdinand at Sarajevo in 1914, leading to WWI, had been seen beforehand in a dream of the teacher of the archduke, bishop Josef Lanyi.

The disaster of the Titanic had been predicted by many people because of their dreams.

Just before the battle of Waterloo, Napoleon dreamt of a number of figures representing his past victories, and one figure in chains, representing his coming defeat.

President Abraham Lincoln dreamt that he would be murdered.

When Adolph Hitler was still a corporal in 1917, he was sleeping in a trench and dreamt that he was under a mass of earth and molten iron, and blood was flowing from his chest. Upon awakening he was so restless that he jumped up and ran in between the two trenches of the opposing sides, upon which the trench he had just left was immediately hit and destroyed. From that day on he believed that he had been assigned a special task in life and would be a powerful leader.

Precognitive dreams do not always predict important or world events, more often it is about everyday events.

Nightmares
Nightmares do not respect young or old. Anyone who has tried to comfort a child that has had a nightmare and is still in the spell of it, knows that a nightmare can be a cruel experience for the child.

The nightmare does not discriminate in time or culture. She plagues both primitive and civilized people. She happens to the healthy and the sick, to both sane and insane people. One might think that a nightmare is an obvious experience for prehistoric man, living in a world of fear and unknown energies. But the nightmare equally visits modern man who is self-assured in a predictable environment of technology. The nightmare will continue to visit our children in the future. The nightmare is universal experience.

Although it is said that the nightmare contains fears and frustrations of one’s early life, it probably also contains anxieties and problems of the entire human race. Thus it can also arise from the depths of the collective unconscious.

When people still personified human energies and qualities they considered the nightmare as a being, usually a female spirit, or a monster who would attack people at night, giving them a choking and gasping sensation. The nightmare was believed to be a kind of disease caused by demons.

Where does the word nightmare come from? The English word for evil spirit or incubus is mare, a word that comes from the Sanskrit mara, meaning ‘crusher’. The French word for nightmare, cauchemar, also contains the root mare, while ‘caucher’ means to trample. At some time in history people started to confuse mare or merrie, which meant a female horse, with the other meaning of mare of an evil spirit. Maybe a further complication happened because of the existence of a Teutonic goddess Mara who would changed herself in a white merrie to visit a sleeping man at night.

The nightmare as a horse was not the only one with sexual intentions. The incubus and his female counterpart, the succubus, were considered to be demons whose prime occupation was to have sexual affairs with human partners. Sometimes these uninvited guests had a blinding beauty, sometimes they were very ugly. Despite their appearance, they were always irresistible. They were blamed for involuntary erections, wet dreams, masturbation and sexual dreams and thoughts, especially with young girls (I guess boys did not have them??) and holy hermits.

Whether spirit or personified bodily energies, despite of the taboos, the experience had a strong influence on certain people. Priests wrote that some girls who had come to ask them for spiritual advise had described them in detail who the incubus had entertained them, and they were not always willing to depart from their demonic lover. As one priest writes: "I became convinced that despite her denials, she had encouraged the demon. She even knew beforehand when he would come, because her genitalia would become stimulated… and instead of taking refuge to prayer, she would run to her room and throw herself on the bed."

Today psychologists considers the nightmare as the struggle to integrate the inner and outer world by which the psyche digs up past repressed memories and impulses. Thus a nightmare refers to the existence of a hidden stress situation. If this problem is being resolved and integrated into the personality, spiritual development will continue unhindered. If one takes the wrong attitude towards his nightmares, and the nightmares continue, one runs the risk of becoming neurotic or psychotic.

When nightmares are about monsters, bogeyman, vampires, or dark caves and underworldly experiences, then the content of the nightmare comes from the primal epochs of human existence. These symbols refer to dark emotions, lust, power, cruelty, guilt and punishment. By projecting the emotions onto ‘bloodthirsty’ animals or awful looking figures, the psyche tries to symbolize its repressed contents.

Psychologists warn parents that exaggeration in expressing their disapproval of ordinary activities, and imposing a too strict code of conduct onto a child, will not only create nightmares, but also neuroses. From early childhood on we have been indoctrinated with a strong consciousness of good and evil, around which our sense of self worth has centered. It is no wonder that the nightmare appears in that stage of life, childhood, when we are most vulnerable.

As the nightmare also appears with very young children, psychologists now think that not only emotional disturbances cause these bad dreams, but that there must be some strong instinctive forces in the unconscious associated with inner conflicts, causing disturbing dreams. Although it is generally accepted that the nightmare is present with five year old children, there are examples that three year old children have them too.

Five year old children have difficulties telling their nightmares. They tend to confuse reality with fantasy. They will often be afraid to fall asleep again. In his nightmare usually ferocious animals will be encountered, like wolves and bears, although these animals can also appear benevolent in other dreams. Weird and bad people, with strange appearances also appear. Usually they pursue the little dreamer. Other fearful experiences can involve water and fire.

Past five and a half years of age dreams start to change and they are less fearful, probably because the child is more capable of telling about his dreams. Fearful animals are still there, but now the child is also talking about the ‘things’ in bed. In such circumstances it is better that the parent asks the child about it. Who wants to go to their parents in the middle of the night, in total darkness, after just having escaped from the jaws of the nightmare?

By six, the number of nightmares diminish, but still contain fearful animals, fire, storms, war; but now ghosts and skeletons also appear. For Freudians it might be meaningful that girls of this age dream of evil men entering their bedroom. Sometimes the child dreams of the mother leaving or being hurt.

At seven years of age a nightmare might still resonate after awakening but the child will recognize it as just a dream. In this stage the child dreams of being pursued and not being able to escape, or of being paralyzed. The first dreams of flying, swimming, falling and walking in the air appear. The child will also dream ‘shameful’ acts of everyday life, like wetting his pants. Now, burglars, supernatural images, and themes from movies begin to manifest.

Between nine and ten the nightmare can be manifold, with a grotesque and threatening character. The child can dream of being pursued, kidnapped, wounded or killed. The victims in his dreams can also be people he loves or hates. The child can also be afraid of dying during its sleep. It will also learn to avoid fearful movies or books before going to sleep.

The nightmares of older children resemble those of adults, and are reflections of anxieties in relation to school, exams, or a possible future.

The Senoi is a tribe in the mountainous woods of Malaysia that pays a lot of attention to dreams. They believe that the fearful content of dreams point to aggressive characteristics of the dreamer, characteristics that might be harmful for both the dreamer and for the other members of the tribe. One of the most important lessons the Senoi children learn is to never run away from danger in a dream, it doesn’t matter if that danger is in the form of a veracious animal, an evil figure or an amorphous threat. Only by facing the danger, one can master it. If the dreamer keeps on running away, the nightmare will continue to haunt him, ever more fearful. When a child has a nightmare, it is told that next time, he has to stay and fight back, while he can also call his dream friends for help. All dream friends that refuse to help have to be considered enemies and need to be conquered. If necessary, the enemy has to be killed. By doing this the psychological energy in the person, represented by the enemy or the danger, is being transformed and liberated. If possible the conquered enemy must give the dreamer a present: a poem, a song, a drawing, the solution to a problem and so on, something that has a practical value in daily life. The value of the present is then evaluated by the entire tribe.

Lucid Dreams
Lucid dreams are dreams in which the dreamer is fully conscious of the fact that that he is dreaming. Experiences in lucid dreams are particularly vivid. Colors, sounds, tastes, smells, warmth, cold, pain, everything looks completely real. The thinking processes of the lucid dreamer, however, are less realistic than in everyday life, but one can remember the intentions one had in relation to a lucid dream. The memory of the dreamer is less accurate in relation to the specific details of his life that often appear distorted in the lucid dream.

Emotions in a lucid dream are similar to the ones in daily life, ranging from a neutral observing of the lucid state to the exalted feelings of freedom and excitement.

In a lucid dream, one needs to be ever vigilant to stay lucid, as one can easily slip back again in a normal dream state. One has to stay in control and not get to excited, and wake up, or get distracted and slip into normal dreaming.

In dreams we sometimes become aware of certain things that do not follow the laws of nature or are too abnormal to be true, that we become half conscious of the dreaming state, but then continue dreaming again. Even when we realize that we are dreaming, this is not a guarantee for a lucid dream. To get a fully lucid dream, one needs to train oneself. As Don Juan tells Carlos Castaneda: "You have to start with something very simple. Tonight you have to look at your hands". Later on Don Juan said: " You do not have to look at your hands. As I have said before, you can choose whatever you want. But choose one particular thing and find that in your dreams." When going to sleep it is good to repeat the intention over and over again.

Dream Symbols
Here are some themes with their archetypal content. Remember that the meaning of the dream ultimately depends on the symbolism used by that dreamer himself.
Bird: an image of the soul, that part of man that is free.

Climbing: encouragement to persevere and solve a problem.

Crossing a river: a fundamental change of attitude.

Death: fundamentally, death is a transformation; the wish to be born again; to start over clean. Old things are dying, new things are being born. An urge to make a change in life.

Exams: fear of failure; fear of being tested.

Exhibitionism: a need to find psychological balance.

Falling: as an archetype falling represents primal fear. It can also be an experience from early childhood; or it can symbolize loosing self-worth; or a moral depression; or falling back to an earlier situation.

Flying: freedom and the escaping the common and worldly life.

House: a house is usually the self. The rooms can be different aspects of the personality. The basement is the unconscious or the lower energies in the personality; the attic is the higher part of the self.

Missing a bus, train, ship or airplane connection: the fear of missing a change; or a sign that the dreamer has to change his attitude if he wants to make progress.

Sexual dreams: Erotic dreams are not always expressions of sexual desires. They can point to problems with the partner, or they liberate certain inhibitions in our contact with other people. Sexual dreams can mirror the fear of the loss of something, or point to a falling apart of something. Incest dreams (with young dreamers), for example, can tell that it is time to leave the house, and to prove that they can be independent.

Snake: from a traditional point the snake can mean evil things, or conflicts between instincts and conscious choices. The snake as an archetype is about transformation and a big change in one’s life, especially when a snake has bitten.
Spider: the psychic world which is not easily accessible to the conscious. In the east Maya, the veil of illusion, is called the spinner.

Stairs: as stairs are used to go from one level to another, they symbolize the passing from one phase of life to another.

Teeth, losing: growing up.

Water: can be prenatal memories of floating in the amniotic fluid, the desire to go back to this state of protection, or the desire to be born again. Water also relates to the unconscious. Clear water is like clear life energy. Water often symbolizes emotions that one is going through.
Tips for Dream Work
When you have changed the pattern in your dreams you will notice that your behavior in daily life has changed too. When, having conquered your dream enemies, you are not running away from dangers, you will also face and solve your problems in life and you will be able to handle aggressive people.

Give dreams the recognition they deserve. By taking them seriously they will provide you with a valuable amount of information about yourself and your development. Dreams give you instructions on how to balance yourself and create a better life.

Remembering dreams demands practice. We all have many dreams each night, you just have to learn to remember them. The best way is to program yourself when you go asleep. Keep on repeating that you will remember your dreams in detail on awakening. Have pen and paper ready to write them down.

Try to integrate dreams in your daily life, especially on the artistic level. Draw, paint, sculpt, or dance your dreams.

The most positive situation in a dream is getting a present from a dream figure. If possible ask the dream figure a beautiful or useful present.

Always face danger in your dreams, whatever form it takes, and conquer it. The death of a dream enemy liberates a repressed energy and turns it into a positive energy.

Try to find pleasure and enjoyment, and happiness in your dreams, this is equally liberating.

Do not feel ashamed when you have an incestuous or indecent love experience in your dreams, as this is a part of yourself that is asking to be integrated. It is not associated with actual incest or indecency, or a desire for it.

When falling or flying, try to steer yourself into interesting places. Often these dreams become lucid, so it becomes easier to direct yourself. Try to take something nice from the place you visited. (Oh, do I wish I could bring all those crystals and tarot decks into the real world!)

Try to get as many dream friends as possible, accept their help and be thankful. Also ask them for a present, or to be your guide.

When you dream about food, share it with the other dream figures.

Utilize the power of positive thinking. A defeat does not have to be negative. It is a lesson to change the course of action the next time. It all depends on the value you give it....Home of David wells spiritual healer and teacher of spiritual healing.

What Is Buddhism?

An introduction to Buddhism. What is Buddhism, who was the Buddha and what are His Teachings?

For more than 2,500 years, the religion we know today as Buddhism has been the primary inspiration behind many successful civilizations, the source of great cultural achievements and a lasting and meaningful guide to the very purpose of life for millions of people. Today, large numbers of men and women from diverse backgrounds throughout our world are following the Teachings of the Buddha. So who was the Buddha and what are His Teachings?

The Buddha
The man who was to become the Buddha was born Siddhattha Gotama around 2,600 years ago as a Prince of a small territory near what is now the Indian-Nepalese border. Though he was raised in splendid comfort, enjoying aristocratic status, no amount of material pleasure could satisify the enquiring and philosophic nature of the young man. At the age of 29 he left palace and family to search for a deeper meaning in the secluded forests and remote mountains of North-East India. He studied under the wisest religious teachers and philosophers of his time, learning all they had to offer, but he found it was not enough. He then struggled alone with the path of self- mortification, taking that practice to the extremes of asceticism, but still to no avail.

Then, at the age of 35, on the full moon night of May, he sat beneath the branches of what is now known as the Bodhi Tree, in a secluded grove by the banks of the river Neranjara, and developed his mind in deep but luminous, tranquil meditation. Using the extraordinary clarity of such a mind with its sharp penetrative power generated by states of deep inner stillness, he turned his attention to investigate upon the hidden meanings of mind, universe and life. Thus he gained the supreme Enlightenment experience and from that time on he was known as the Buddha. His Enlightenment consisted of the most profound and all-embracing insight into the nature of mind and all phenomena.

This Enlightenment was not a revelation from some divine being, but a discovery made by Himself and based on the deepest level of meditation and the clearest experience of the mind. It meant that He was no longer subject to craving, ill-will and delusion but was free from their shackles, having attained the complete ending of all forms of inner suffering and acquired unshakeable peace.

The Teachings of the Buddha
Having realized the goal of Perfect Enlightenment, the Buddha spent the next 45 years teaching a Path which, when diligently followed, will take anyone regardless of race, class or gender to that same Perfect Enlightenment. The Teachings about this Path are called the Dhamma, literally meaning "the nature of all things" or "the truth underlying existence".

It is beyond the scope of this article to present a thorough description of all of these Teachings but the following 7 topics will give you an overview of what the Buddha taught:

1. The way of Inquiry
The Buddha warned strongly against blind faith and encouraged the way of truthful inquiry. In one of His best known sermons, the Kalama Sutta, the Buddha pointed out the danger in fashioning one's beliefs merely on the following grounds: on hearsay, on tradition, because many others say it is so, on the authority of ancient scriptures, on the word of a supernatural being, or out of trust in one's teachers, elders, or priests. Instead one maintains an open mind and thoroughly investigates one's own experience of life. When one sees for oneself that a particular view agrees with both experience and reason, and leads to the happiness of one and all, then one should accept that view and live up to it!

This principle, of course, applies to the Buddha's own Teachings. They should be considered and inquired into using the clarity of mind born of meditation. Only when one sees these Teachings for oneself in the experience of insight, do these Teachings become one's Truth and give blissful liberation.

The traveller on the way of inquiry needs the practice of tolerance. Tolerance does not mean that one embraces every idea or view but means one doesn't get angry at what one can't accept.
Further along the journey, what one once disagreed with might later be seen to be true. So in the spirit of tolerant inquiry, here are some more of the basic Teachings as the Buddha gave them.

2. The Four Noble Truths
The main Teaching of the Buddha focuses not on philosophical speculations about a Creator God or the origin of the universe, nor on a heaven world ever after. The Teaching, instead, is centred on the down-to- earth reality of human suffering and the urgent need to find lasting relief from all forms of discontent. The Buddha gave the simile of a man shot by a poison-tipped arrow who, before he would call a doctor to treat him, demanded to know first who shot the arrow and where the arrow was made and of what and by whom and when and where ... this foolish man would surely die before his questions could be well answered. In the same way, the Buddha said, the urgent need of our existence is to find lasting relief from recurrent suffering which robs us of happiness and leaves us in strife.

Philosophical speculations are of secondary importance and, anyway, they are best left until after one has well trained the mind in meditation to the stage where one has the ability to examine the matter clearly and find the Truth for oneself.

Thus, the central Teaching of the Buddha, around which all other teachings revolve is the Four Noble Truths :

1. That all forms of being, human and otherwise, are afflicted with suffering.
2. That the cause of this suffering is Craving, born of the illusion of a soul.
3. That this suffering has a lasting end in the Experience of Enlightenment (Nibbana) which is the complete letting go of the illusion of soul and all consequent desire and aversion.
4. That this peaceful and blissful Enlightenment is achieved through a gradual training, a Path which is called the Middle Way or the Eightfold Path.

It would be mistaken to label this Teaching as 'pessimistic' on the grounds that it begins by centring on suffering. Rather, Buddhism is 'realistic' in that it unflinchingly faces up to the truth of life's many sufferings and it is 'optimistic' in that it shows a final end of the problem of suffering - Nibbana , Enlightenment in this very life! Those who have achieved this ultimate peace are the inspiring examples who demonstrate once and for all that Buddhism is far from pessimistic, but it is a Path to true Happiness .

3. The Middle Way or Eightfold Path
The Way to end all suffering is called the Middle Way because it avoids the two extremes of sensual indulgence and self-mortification. Only when the body is in reasonable comfort but not over-indulged has the mind the clarity and strength to meditate deeply and discover the Truth. This Middle Way consists of the diligent cultivation of Virtue, Meditation and Wisdom, which is explained in more detail as the Noble Eightfold Path .

1. Right Understanding
2. Right Thought
3. Right Speech
4. Right Action
5. Right Livelihood
6. Right Effort
7. Right Mindfulness
8. Right Concentration

Right Speech, Action and Livelihood constitute the training in Virtue or Morality. For a practising Buddhist it consists of maintaining the five Buddhist Precepts, which are to refrain from:

1. Deliberately causing the death of any living being;
2. Intentionally taking for one's own the property of another;
3. Sexual misconduct, in particular adultery;
4. Lying and breaking promises;
5. Drinking alcohol or taking stupefying drugs which lead to lack of mindfulness.
Right Effort, Mindfulness and Concentration refer to the practice of Meditation, which purifies the mind through the experience of blissful states of inner stillness and empowers the mind to penetrate the meaning of life through profound moments of insight.
Right Understanding and Thought are the manifestation of Buddha-Wisdom which ends all suffering, transforms the personality and produces unshakeable serenity and tireless compassion.

According to the Buddha, without perfecting the practice of Virtue it is impossible to perfect Meditation, and without perfecting Meditation it is impossible to arrive at Enlightenment Wisdom. Thus the Buddhist Path is a Gradual Path, a Middle Way consisting of Virtue, Meditation and Wisdom as explained in the Noble Eightfold Path leading to happiness and liberation.

4. Kamma
Kamma means 'action'. The Law of Kamma means that there are inescapable results of our actions. There are deeds of body, speech or mind that lead to others' harm, one's own harm, or to the harm of both. Such deeds are called bad (or 'unwholesome') kamma. They are usually motivated by greed, hatred or delusion. Because they bring painful results, they should not be done.

There are also deeds of body, speech or mind that lead to others' well being, one's own well being, or to the well being of both. Such deeds are called good (or 'wholesome') kamma. They are usually motivated by generosity, compassion or wisdom. Because they bring happy results, they should be done as often as possible.

Thus much of what one experiences is the result of one's own previous kamma. When misfortune occurs, instead of blaming someone else, one can look for any fault in one's own past conduct. If a fault is found, the experience of its consequences will make one more careful in the future. When happiness occurs, instead of taking it for granted, one can look to see if it is the result of good kamma. If so, the experience of its pleasant results will encourage more good kamma in the future.

The Buddha pointed out that no being whatsoever, divine or otherwise, has any power to stop the consequences of good and bad kamma. The fact that one reaps just what one sows gives to the Buddhist a greater incentive to avoid all forms of bad kamma while doing as much good kamma as possible.

Though one cannot escape the results of bad kamma, one can lessen their effect. A spoon of salt mixed in a glass of pure water makes the whole very salty, whereas the same spoon of salt mixed in a freshwater lake hardly changes the taste of the water. Similarly, the result of a bad kamma in a person habitually doing only a small amount of good kamma is painful indeed, whereas the result of the same bad kamma in a person habitually doing a great deal of good kamma is only mildly felt.

This natural Law of Kamma becomes the force behind, and reason for, the practice of morality and compassion in our society.

5. Rebirth
The Buddha remembered clearly many of His past lives. Even today, many Buddhist monks, nuns and others also remember their past lives. Such a strong memory is a result of deep meditation. For those who remember their past life, Rebirth is an established fact which puts this life in a meaningful perspective.

The Law of Kamma can only be understood in the framework of many lifetimes, because it sometimes takes this long for Kamma to bear its fruit. Thus Kamma and Rebirth offer a plausible explanation to the obvious inequalities of birth; why some are born into great wealth whereas others are born into pathetic poverty; why some children enter this world healthy and full-limbed whereas others enter deformed and diseased... The fruits of bad Kamma are not regarded as a punishment for evil deeds but as lessons from which to learn, for example, how much better to learn about the need for generosity than to be reborn among the poor!
Rebirth takes place not only within this human realm. The Buddha pointed out that the realm of human beings is but one among many.

There are many separate heavenly realms and grim lower realms, too, realms of the animals and realms of the ghosts. Not only can human beings go to any of these realms in the next life, but we can come from any of these realms into our present life. This explains a common objection against Rebirth that argues "How can there be Rebirth when there are 10 times as many people alive today than there were 50 years ago?" The answer is that people alive today have come from many different realms.

Understanding that we can come and go between these different realms, gives us more respect and compassion for the beings in these realms. It is unlikely, for example, that one would exploit animals when one has seen the link of Rebirth that connects them with us.

6. No Creator God
The Buddha pointed out that no God or priest nor any other kind of being has the power to interfere in the working out of someone else's Kamma. Buddhism, therefore, teaches the individual to take full responsibility for themselves. For example, if you want to be wealthy then be trustworthy, diligent and frugal, or if you want to live in a heaven realm then always be kind to others. There is no God to ask favours from, or to put it another way, there is no corruption possible in the workings of Kamma.

Do Buddhists believe that a Supreme Being created the universe? Buddhists would first ask which universe do you mean? This present universe, from the moment of the 'big bang' up to now, is but one among countless millions in Buddhist cosmology. The Buddha gave an estimate of the age of a single universe-cycle of around 37,000 million years which is quite plausible when compared to modern astrophysics. After one universe- cycle ends another begins, again and again, according to impersonal law. A Creator God is redundant in this scheme.

No being is a Supreme Saviour, according to the Buddha, because whether God, human, animal or whatever, all are subject to the Law of Kamma. Even the Buddha had no power to save. He could only point out the Truth so that the wise could see it for themselves. Everyone must take responsibility for their own future well being, and it is dangerous to give that responsibility to another.

7. The Illusion of Soul
The Buddha taught that there is no soul, no essential and permanent core to a living being. Instead, that which we call a 'living being', human or other, can be seen to be but a temporary coming together of many activities and parts - when complete it is called a 'living being', but after the parts separate and the activities cease it is not called a 'living being' anymore. Like an advanced computer assembled of many parts and activities, only when it is complete and performs coherent tasks is it called a 'computer', but after the parts are disconnected and the activities cease it is no longer called a 'computer'. No essential permanent core can be found which we can truly call 'the computer', just so, no essential permanent core can be found which we can call 'the soul'.

Yet Rebirth still occurs without a soul. Consider this simile: on a Buddhist shrine one candle, burnt low, is about to expire. A monk takes a new candle and lights it from the old. The old candle dies, the new candle burns bright. What went across from the old candle to the new? There was a causal link but no thing went across! In the same way, there was a causal link between your previous life and your present life, but no soul has gone across.

Indeed, the illusion of a soul is said by the Buddha to be the root cause of all human suffering. The illusion of 'soul' manifests as the 'Ego'. The natural unstoppable function of the Ego is to control. Big Egos want to control the world, average Egos try to control their immediate surroundings of home, family and workplace, and almost all Egos strive to control what they take to be their own body and mind. Such control manifests as desire and aversion, it results in a lack of both inner peace and outer harmony. It is this Ego that seeks to acquire possessions, manipulate others and exploit the environment. Its aim is its own happiness but it invariably produces suffering. It craves for satisfaction but it experiences discontent. Such deep- rooted suffering cannot come to an end until one sees, through deep and powerful meditation, that the idea 'me and mine' is no more than a mirage.

These seven topics are a sample of what the Buddha taught. Now, to complete this brief sketch of Buddhism, let's look at how these Teachings are practised today.

Types of Buddhism
One could say that there is only one type of Buddhism and that is the huge collection of Teachings that were spoken by the Buddha. The original Teachings are found in the 'Pali Canon', the ancient scripture of Theravada Buddhism, which is widely accepted as the oldest reliable record of the Buddha's words. Theravada Buddhism is the dominant religion in Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand, Cambodia and Laos.

Between 100 to 200 years after the passing away of the Buddha, the Sangha (the monastic community) split over the political question of 'Who runs the Sangha?' A controversy over some monastic rules was decided by a committee of Arahats (fully Enlightened monks or nuns) against the views of the majority of monks. The disgruntled majority resented what they saw as the excessive influence of the small number of Arahats in monastery affairs. From then on, over a period of several decades, the disaffected majority partially succeeded in lowering the exalted status of the Arahat and raising in its place the ideal of the Bodhisattva (an unenlightened being training to be a Buddha). Previously unknown scriptures, supposedly spoken by the Buddha and hidden in the dragon world, then appeared giving a philosophical justification for the superiority of the Bodhisattva over the allegedly 'selfish' Arahat.

This group of monks and nuns were first known as the 'Maha Sangha', meaning 'the great (part) of the monastic community'. Later, after impressive development, they called themselves the ' Mahayana ', the 'Greater Vehicle' while quite disparagingly calling the older Theravada 'Hinayana', the 'Inferior Vehicle'. Mahayana still retains most of the original teachings of the Buddha (in the Chinese scriptures these are known as the 'Agama' and in the Tibetan version as the 'Kangyur') but these core teachings were mostly overwhelmed by layers of expansive interpretations and wholly new ideas.

The Mahayana of China, still vibrant in Taiwan, reflects an earlier phase of this development, the Mahayana of Vietnam, Korea and Japan (mostly Zen) is a later development, and the Mahayana of Tibet and Mongolia is a much later development still.
Buddhism's relevance to the world todayToday, Buddhism continues to gain ever wider acceptance in many lands far beyond its original home. Here in Australia, many Australians through their own careful choice are adopting Buddhism's peaceful, compassionate and responsible ways.

The Buddhist Teaching of the Law of Kamma offers our society a just and incorruptible foundation and reason for the practice of a moral life. It is easy to see how a wider embracing of the Law of Kamma would lead any country towards a stronger, more caring and virtuous society.

The Teaching of Rebirth places this present short lifetime of ours in a broader perspective, giving more meaning to the vital events of birth and death. The understanding of Rebirth removes so much of the tragedy and grief surrounding death and turns one's attention to the quality of a lifetime, rather than its mere length.
From the very beginning, the practice of meditation has been at the very heart of the Buddhist Way. Today, meditation grows increasingly popular as the proven benefits to both mental and physical well being become more widely known. When stress is shown to be such a major cause of human suffering, the quieting practice of meditation becomes ever more valued.

Today's world is too small and vulnerable to live angry and alone, thus the need for tolerance, love and compassion is so very important. These qualities of mind, essential for happiness are formally developed in Buddhist meditation and then diligently put into practice in everyday life.
Forgiveness and gentle tolerance, harmlessness and peaceful compassion are well known trademarks of Buddhism, they are given freely and broadly to all kinds of beings, including animals of course, and also, most importantly, to oneself. There is no place for dwelling in guilt or self-hatred in Buddhism, not even a place for feeling guilty about feeling guilty!

Teachings and practices such as these are what bring about qualities of gentle kindness and unshakeable serenity, identified with the Buddhist religion for 25 centuries and sorely needed in today's world. In all its long history, no war has ever been fought in the name of Buddhism. It is this peace and this tolerance, growing out of a profound yet reasonable philosophy, which makes Buddhism so vitally relevant to today's world.....Home of David Wells spiritual healer and teacher of spiritual healing.

Spirits, Angels, Origins & Relationships


here are an enormous variety of spirits: with good and bad and all the range between. Humans have associated with many of these, knowingly and unknowingly, since the dawn of humankind. This is reflected in language to a certain extent. Many old sayings and clichés indicate knowledge of spirit/human interactions.

For example: I'm not myself today; I don't know what came over me; he's in low spirits; you're in high spirits; I don't know what possessed me; the children have the devil in them today; go to hell; it was heaven sent; you're an angel; you're a devil; I'm in heaven; she's in seventh heaven; the wind howled like a banshee; something spooked him; he played like a man possessed; someone just walked over my grave; et cetera.

And words like God; Heaven, Hell, Hades, Purgatory, Limbo, black magic; Voodoo; The Devil; The Big Kuhuna; black Sabbath; Witchcraft, Spell; Succubus, Incubus, Poltergeist, Sylph, Salamander, Undine, gnome, Vampire, Werewolf, Haunting, Evil Spirit, Imp, Gargoyle, Harpy, Mischievous Spirit, Demon, Pixie, Fairy, Elf, Troll, Dragon, Satan, Angel, Archangel; Karma, Universal Law, Astral, Maya, Avatar, Nature Spirit, Elemental, Spirit Guide, Spirit Channel; Guardian Angel, Higher-Self; et cetera.

All the above and many more like them indicate widespread ancient beliefs in nonphysical beings and spiritual forces. These words are all in common use today. Either there is some real meaning, history and worth behind these words and phrases, or mankind has one hell of an imagination.

The Nature of Good & Evil
What exactly is good and evil? We are all instinctively supposed to know the difference. The majority of us have innate senses of right and wrong, something we call conscience. Conscience stems from social programming, but is also something more subtle and intangible; varying in strength from person to person. But whether or not one listens to ones conscience or not is another matter. One might ask why evil exists at all and what purpose it serves. Its easy to imagine that in a perfect world evil would not exist. But what would the world would be like without evil, and more importantly, the adversity that springs from it? Could human society still function and evolve? What would become of our race if we did not have evil and adversity to push and fight against?

Good and evil are the opposing forces in what could be called the chaos of ever-changing evolutionary mutation. These forces provide the movement that shapes humanity, on both individual and group levels. Like the opposing poles of a magnet, positive and negative, neither good nor evil could exist without the other. Each is grounded, made real and given purpose by the existence of the other. If these forces are balanced, evolutionary change is free to move and experiment and harmony reigns supreme. But if the balance tilts too far one way or the other, chaos is overcome by dogmatic stagnation. And stagnation is fatal to human existence and evolution, physical and spiritual.

As there are good spirits, so there are bad spirits. Each group influences and shapes mankind, on group and individual levels. Good people struggle against bad people, good spirits against bad spirits. And in the midst of this struggle both change, growing stronger and wiser. Progress, growth and change are achieved on all sides. But there would be no growth or change without the underlying struggle between good and evil.

Good and evil are often a matter of perspective. Good people sometimes find they have to do seemingly evil things to bring about good results; where ends justify means. Sometimes, during the struggle between good and evil, bad people are shown the error of their ways. And through forced realizations, they often become good people themselves. Both good and bad struggle and sacrifice together. And through this struggle, lessons are learned, realizations forced and gifted on all sides. The end result is always change and growth, for better or worse. But only time and hindsight show true results. But so far, nature has done a reasonably good job of evolving the universe and all it contains, both physically and spiritually.

Karma & Universal Law
Karma is the accumulated influential force generated by all past acts of consciousness, both positive and negative; the sum of good and bad deeds. Through karma, a spirit obtains the real life experiences it requires to progress spiritually; through hard-life experience, via multiple bio-incarnations in the physical dimension. Karma can also be related to what the Christian Bible refers to as Sin.

Karma enables a spirit to maintain a healthy spiritual balance, life after life. This promotes spiritual growth and balance, while helping to avoid the possibility of soul corruption; which is to become totally evil. Karma is not reward and punishment. Karma promotes spiritual evolution through a process of enforced spiritual balance, and the upwards struggle this always entails.
For every act of consciousness performed, an equal and opposite reaction is generated within the currents of universal law. All actions are eventually inflicted back upon their perpetrators, as per Karmic Law, in both the short and long term. This is aptly expressed by the popular sayings: "What goes around comes around" and "As ye sow, so shall ye reap."

Karma and Universal Law are indivisible aspects of the one subtle mechanism. Universal law works through the incredibly complex set of attractions, repulsions and conditional influences that are preset within every conscious being. Like may attract like, but only as preset and allowed by Karma. Karmic law adjusts how universal law works through all individuals, and through groups of connected individuals. Universal law can best be described as the working mechanism of karma, the magnetic force that applies the preset attractions and repulsions of karma to life experience in real time.

Karma and Universal Law have two main aspects, active and passive. Their active elements have more-noticeable affects on ones life, as its influences are more active and immediate in the short term. Passive or residual elements represent the underlying theme of ones life. These are long term conditional influences, possibly involving karma accumulated through many lifetimes.
The active aspects of Karma and Universal Law are more strongly affected by psychic attacks and the presence of negs in and around ones life. The way to counter these effects is to actively apply the principles of Right Living, Right Thinking and Right Action. These are all active actions that have immediate effects on life, as life is being lived.

The forces of Karma and Universal Law, and how they affect individuals, can be reduced to the concept of luck. Luck also has active and passive elements. Passive good luck means one will be generally lucky in life, meaning life will usually work out well for one in the long term. Active good luck means one will have moments of extreme luckiness, or winning streaks, where everything one touches turns to gold.

Both active and passive luck forces have reverse sides, commonly called bad luck. The presence of negs in and around ones life will tend to promote bad luck and suppress good luck.
I have often heard it said that karma should never be interfered with, and that when misfortune strikes, people should be left to work out their karma alone. This is frequently quoted to me as the reason not to interfere, or as the reason why nothing can be done, when people suffer psychic attacks and/or possessions. I think what they really mean to say is, when all they know has failed to help, by default, this failure is blamed upon that person's own karma.

But it could be said that we interfere with karma all the time and think nothing of it. We have road rules to improve safety and stop accidents. We have lifeguards at beaches to rescue people. We have police and courts to enforce our laws and protect the innocent. We have doctors to treat injury and disease. All of these can be said to interfere with the natural way of things, with karma. But all these things are taken into account by Karmic Law, as are all acts of consciousness.

If people really believed in karma to that extent, they would neither seek nor offer medical help, because disease and injury are instruments of karma. If thieves are stealing their property they would neither stop the thieves nor call the police. After all, its only living karma in action.
Its easy to blame things on Karma, be it fortune or misfortune. Its also foolhardy, verging on the ridiculous, to take belief in karma to extremes like the above. But this is not to say that karma does not exist. Karma is a very real and influential spiritual force. But ones belief in karma should be tempered with commonsense and reason.

Karma and universal law are subtle influential currents, linking and affecting the actions and interactions of all life forms. Karma could aptly be called the underlying weave in the divine tapestry of life. It could also be called the unifying field, the holographic carrier wave, through which all life is interconnected. Every action within this unifying energy field creates a ripple, a wave. This flows out and eventually flows back upon its source as a counter-wave, an equal and opposite reaction to the original wave.

Its clear that karma and universal law work through everything and everyone, be they man or beast, inorganic being or bacteria. If a child is drowning, that child's life might be saved or not as the case might be. Karma and universal law are involved in the causative factors behind the accident, yes, but they may also provide the means to rescue. Through the process of action and reaction the cosmic drama plays on. Lessons are learned and wisdom gained, experience after experience, life after life. Regardless of outcomes good or bad, changes and realizations are gifted all around. Friendships are made and broken. Love flares, waxes, wanes and dies. Hope is lost but endlessly renewed. And above all, life goes on regardless.

Another karmic analogy involves a hungry Tiger. Like all wild animals, the Tiger lives and works closely with universal law. It uses its innate predator skills to hunt and feed itself and its cubs. Universal law obliges and presents it with an unprotected child. The tiger takes a child and feeds its family. Now this may sound like a bad thing, but good and bad do not come into this karmic equation. The child was left unprotected and was available. Universal law, or in this case the law of the jungle (nature red in tooth and claw --Kipling) provided the hungry Tiger and cubs with a much-needed meal.

Universal law does not differentiate between humans and animals on that level of existence, concerning The Law Of The Jungle. God loves and cares equally for all His creations, be they Tiger cub or human child. Us modern humans like to think we are special, that we are above such raw brutality. But that goes against all the laws of nature.
The results of any real-life drama are always complex; countless wheels within wheels. In the above case, the child's spirit passes on from this world and the Tiger and cubs are fed. The cubs live where they might otherwise have died; to grow and perhaps mate and breed and kill again. The lives of the child's family are altered forever. Guilt, blame and grief change everyone concerned. Reactions occur that would never happen under any other circumstance. Friendships are made and broken, lessons are learned, hard life realizations and changes are gifted all around.

Any cosmic drama unfolds into a many splendored pattern, no matter how insignificant it might seem on the surface. Threads are woven and unpicked continually in the great tapestry of life. The end results caused by small changes can be massive and widespread changes, for better or worse in all directions. These changes affect both the present and the future; countless wheels within wheels within cosmic wheels.

When the theory of karma and universal law are applied to psychic attack and neg. influence, even to possession, it becomes clear one is looking at an enormously complex equation. Negs attack, torment, injure and influence people for their own foul purposes. But like the Tiger, what attracts negs in the first place? Is it karma, chance, circumstance or destiny? Is it universal law working through the preset attractions and repulsions of Karma? When people come under attacks it can be said life is testing them sorely. Lifestyles, beliefs, aspirations, expectations and personal choices have everything to do with it. Dark clouds of unseen terror may enter peoples lives. But in the overcomes, silver linings are always eventually revealed.

How people affect those around them depends greatly on what choices they make, and upon what actions they take to meet life's challenges; large and small. By fighting against neg. attacks and influences, people are given opportunities to change and grow. Whether changes are positive or negative depends upon individual reactions, choices, strengths and weaknesses. The words of the great thinker, Nietzsche, "Pain that does not kill us makes us stronger" are entirely apt here.
Many people with high spiritual ideals and desires have come to me complaining about bad Karma and the seeming unfairness of life, asking what can be done to ease it. Often they stagger under life's burdens and suffer greatly. Life is undoubtedly testing them sorely. Many rile against God for inflicting such pressure, instead of just giving them the spiritual gifts and truths they crave and have often worked so hard for.

Being good and striving hard for spiritual development is often not enough. Strength and spiritual maturity are required to accomplish great things in life. And these things always have a steep price tag. If ones hearts desire is to do great spiritual works, then one needs great spiritual strength and maturity. If these are not preexisting, life has many ways to teach what is necessary to realize ones goals. Hard life lessons are usually involved and many fall by the wayside.

For example, if one aspires to a spiritual level where one is capable of healing the sick, or casting out bad spirits, or seeing into the future, one must understand that these are not easy things to learn and do. All require great strength of character and spirit. If one does not have these, one could not withstand the negative spiritual forces the realization and use of these abilities would invoke. Taking this into account, one must either rethink ones goals and expectations or be prepared for it when life provides the necessary. The lessons involved may entail great suffering, physically, emotionally and spiritually. If this is accepted, and the lessons weathered stoically and good-naturedly, they will be of far shorter duration than they might otherwise be. This is sage advice to all who aspire to great spiritual attainment.

What all the above means in relation to good and evil spiritual forces, is that both are necessary parts of Karma and Universal Law. Both good and bad spirits have their place in the grand design. All play their parts in promoting necessary (Karmic?) life-path changes. Good spirits apply forces and pressures representing positive karma, while bad spirits apply forces and pressures representing negative karma. Short term results may be adversity, struggle and suffering through change. But long term results are spiritual strength, maturity and progression.
In the case of the Tiger, one could easily say evil spirits influenced the family into leaving the child unprotected, and in leading the Tiger there. It could also be said that good spirits (the child's guardian angel?) failed. Its common for people to blame God for their misfortunes when they have no one else to blame. But is life really this simple?

Karma and universal law are not governed by what humans want or would like to believe. At best we struggle to understand what we now see through a glass but darkly. We see only the surface of karma and universal law in action. We do not understand their complex depths and inner mysteries. But we do know enough to recognize and give names to actions of these forces. While awesomely complex, once again, they can be reduced to the simple concept of luck.
While karmic influences, attractions and repulsions are preset within all individuals at birth, the laws of choice and chance are ever present. These allow change through the action of free will. Actions of free will affect luck. By living under the opposing influences of good and bad luck (good and bad karma) spiritual balance can be attained. And if right thinking, right effort and right action are applied to ones life, Karmic burdens can be greatly eased.

If one could rise above life and see an overview of these awesome forces in action, the most noticeable thing would have to be the constant flux and change. To a casual glance it might appear to be a chaotic maelstrom without rhyme or reason. But if one watches close enough for long enough, patterns emerge like solar flares, showing myriad possibilities for spiritual growth and attainment.

Nonphysical Relationships
The Christian church is a prime example of widespread belief in the supernatural. All church beliefs are centered around supernatural phenomena, and interactions between humans and spiritual beings. For example: the miracles of Moses, i.e., the burning bush; parting the waters of a sea. The miracles of Jesus: walking on water; healing the sick; raising the dead; turning water into wine; surviving death. The Holy Bible is full of references to supernatural phenomena, and of meaningful interactions between human and spiritual beings.

While many people sincerely believe in all of the above, some only pay lip service to religion today. Many call themselves Christians, but are unbaptized and never attend services, pray or worship in a church. They choose to believe in the forces of good, but while refusing to believe in the existence of evil. Belief in God, for some people today, really has no more substance than Father Christmas holds for most adults. They scoff at supernatural phenomena and at the existence of evil spirits.

These informal, modern religious beliefs are highly selective. Unfortunately, this selectivity extends to much of the New Age spiritualist movement. Heaven is believed in, but Hell and Purgatory have been intellectualized out of existence. God and His angels are believed in. But Satan and his demons are downplayed as misguided earthbound spirits, of no real substance or consequence. These one-sided beliefs make people feel better about life, knowing they can never go to Hell or be afflicted by demons.

Even the concept of Sin has been watered down. To many modern people it simply means: as long as no one gets hurt its OK to do just about anything. And with a totally loving and forgiving God to answer to at life's end, one is assured of forgiveness and absolution for ones Sins, no matter what one does during ones life.
Many years ago, widespread education sparked a decline in traditional church beliefs. The masses became too intelligent and scientifically-minded to accept what the old church had to offer. People drifted away and eventually created more informal versions of traditional beliefs. These better suited modern thought, expectations, conscience, fears and insecurities. Concepts like The Devil, Demons, Hell, Evil spirits, Purgatory and Sin were quickly discarded or watered down.

Modern pseudo Christian beliefs provide psychological life and afterlife security for many. But they provide little protection against negs. The existence of negs is widely disbelieved in. And its hard to defend oneself against something one does not believe in. Its also hard to get advice and help concerning neg. related problems, when ones peers do not believe in the possibility of such problems.
But modern people are not to blame for this. They are merely trying to stay sane in a rapidly-changing and evolving world. I think the blame rests squarely with the early church for not evolving along with the modern world. Somehow all the faith and old knowledge got left behind; lost in a past where church beliefs were once cornerstones of daily life. On a brighter note, I see churches everywhere rapidly modernizing and evolving, trying valiantly to catch up with the rest of the world.

The subjects of witchcraft and demonology are generally frowned on in much of the modern Western world. But in many other parts of the world, witches, demons and evil spirits are widely acknowledged. A couple of hundred years ago this was also acknowledge in the West. Our Western ancestors believed in these things far more strongly than most people do today. The infamous Witch Hunts of The Inquisition were a direct result of widespread belief in supernatural relationships.

To really understand the history of witchcraft and demonology, one has to do a lot of reading. The world's great libraries contain an enormous number of volumes on these subjects, with many original texts and first-hand accounts dating back hundreds of years.
Modern New Age channeling used to be called Spirit Mediumship. There are many forms of mediumship, i.e., psychic sensing, visual clairvoyance, clairaudience, automatic writing and trance-type spirit communications. This last usually involves channels putting themselves into the trance state, and allowing spirits to overshadow and communicate through them. This is much like a temporary form of benevolent possession.

But trance mediumship (channeling) is always inherently risky. No matter how people phrase invitations (invocations) for this, permission can be obtusely or even accidentally given for any available spirit to enter and control them. Whether or not a good or bad spirit takes up an offer seems more a matter of luck than anything. However, I neither decry nor recommend any type of channeling or spirit communication. It's all a matter of personal taste and judgment really.
Some people may disagree with my thoughts on trance mediumship. People often believe they are safe because they specifically state during the invocation that only good spirits of such and such a type are allowed. But who or what moderates spirit beings, good or bad, on what they can and cannot do? People may say prayers of protection and visualize angels and barriers surrounding them, but they are still at risk. Bad spirits rarely read the fine print of prayers and will often disguise themselves as good spirits.

It can be very difficult to tell good spirits from bad in a trance mediumship situation. Many bad spirits do not have tangible atmospheres of evil that sensitives might detect, as they are shielded by their mediums. My best advise is to treat all spirits as one would treat any stranger one might meet on the street. Trust should be earned by good deeds and never given by default.
'Test your spirits' is sage advice from the Holy Bible. Questioning spirits will often reveal their true intentions. Most bad or false good spirits will frequently backtrack and contradict themselves, if intelligently questioned. The ability to say prayers and passages of sacred text is no test at all. Evil spirits have been known to quote the Holy Bible slicker than any minister.
One rarely hears of the mishaps that occur to people while experimenting with or trying to learn trance mediumship. Most are swept under the carpet and/or blamed on bad karma. I have helped many people in this situation. Most people go into denial when supernatural things go wrong. This is especially so if their model of reality does not allow for the machinations of evil spirits.

For any individual or group pursuing spirit contact and phenomena, the most basic protection advised would be a running-water perimeter barrier. I would also suggest everyone walk over the running-water perimeter before entering the protected area within. This will effectively keep out most free roaming negs, but will not protect against negs that are already resident inside group members. (Such a barrier is easily made with a 5 gallon plastic keg, a small aquarium submersible pump and some oxygen tubing).

Some types of channeling and mediumship involve spirits overshadowing people and causing psychic abilities to manifest through them. This is caused by direct spirit manipulation of the human bioenergy body. Through this spirits may for example cause people to become clairvoyant (seeing visions) or clairaudient (hearing spirit voices) or to gain healing ability.
Spirit caused abilities must be preexisting in the person they are being caused in. Therefore, they can be developed and used by that person without spirit intervention, should that person care to undertake the necessary training.

Early in the twentieth century, heavier forms of what was called 'physical' mediumship were more common. These involved the production of ectoplasm, which was often used to cloak or partially cover spirit figures so they could be seen and heard by the average person; called materialization (covering full body) or transfiguration (covering face only). Other types of physical mediumship involve causing voices to be heard by all in a room (direct voice) and various types of levitation of objects, i.e., levitating a trumpet through which spirit voices could be heard. Often, public materialization demonstrations were given to audiences of thousands.
If one studies physical mediumship, its clear similarities exist between good spirit phenomena and bad spirit phenomena. For example, the power good spirits use to levitate physical objects is much the same as that used by poltergeists. The production of voices and ectoplasm by good spirits is similar to bad spirits causing frightening apparitions and scary voices. And the knocks and taps of an early type of spirit communication (called Table Tapping) is obviously related to the knocks and taps commonly heard during psychic attacks and hauntings.

Good spirits will sometimes perform healings, and/or cause healing abilities to manifest in channels. Some form of spirit overshadowing is often involved. The healing abilities of good spirits is also a type of spirit phenomena, i.e., bioenergy body manipulation of healers and patients by spirits to cause healing. I believe this power is often misused, or reversed, by bad spirits to cause illness and disease in much the same way. Sudden health problems are often caused by bad spirits during psychic attacks. Long term health problems can also be associated with long term neg. attachments.

Many years ago, I recognized the above phenomena happening to me. This always occurred during meditation or pre-sleep, a few times a year on average. I would often see this happening with real-time astral sight (seeing into the astral through closed eyelids). I would see slender gray humanoid figures (usually two or three) enter my room. I would see the shapes of their hands moving over my face and body. I used to think, "oh how lovely, spirits are giving me healing". But one day I realized that whenever this happened I would always get sick a few days later.

Once I stopped allowing these spirit hands to interfere with me, my health improved significantly. First, I tried ordering these beings to go away, but they simply ignored me. Now I stop whatever I am doing and leave the room whenever I see them or their hands near me. I am not sure what type of beings these are, but they are vaguely humanoid, about six feet tall, slender with slightly overlarge heads. When seen with real time astral sight, they seem to be wearing long, pale robes, and to be composed of a dense, light-gray smoke. These often seem to be mistaken as Extra Terrestrial beings by some people. I do not sense an evil presence with these beings, but they can definitely have a negative affect on ones health.

Angels
While much has been written about angels over the years, little is understood about them. Some people believe that angels are everywhere, running around helping people all over the place. Some believe angels are willing to communicate with us on a daily basis, much like some spirits do through channels. While its a lovely thought, I think too many spirits are classed as angels these days.

Angels and archangels are exalted spirit beings of a very high order. They are not like normal good spirits, but belong to the hierarchical spiritual structure above us. There are many levels and ranks of angels, with archangels outranking all other angels.
In essence, angels are the messengers and servants of God. They keep to themselves, have their own agendas and will only rarely interact directly with humans. When an angel appears its a visitation by an exalted messenger of God. There are always good reasons for angelic visitations. But the message may not be apparent at the time its received. Often angels will appear and seem to communicate nothing. But the visitation itself is the message. If one has been visited by angels, one has been handed a personal message from God. Angels will never just appear to say hello and catch up on idle chit-chat.

Angels have awesome powers. When angels visit they will either make themselves clearly visible to the naked eye, or make themselves clearly heard as a real voice, or both. The clarity of an angelic manifestations and communication is a good rule-of-thumb way of discerning whether angels are involved or not. If there is any doubt as to whether or not an angel is involved, then its usually not an angel but some other type of spirit being instead.

Angels have few limitations. They can travel to and manifest clearly in any dimension, including the physical dimension, with ease. Recipients do not need psychic abilities in order to see and hear angelic visitors. Their power overcomes all such human limitations.
The only limitations angels have are moral and ethical. Like most high level good spirits, they will seldom interfere with humanity. They will occasionally bring messages of hope to people in need. Even more rarely will they intervene. This does happen, but its rare. If angels do help directly, its because the person they are helping has a special destiny to fulfill. Most angelic visitations and interventions are once-in-a-lifetime occurrences.

I have sighted angels several times during high-level OBE's, and have been visited by them three times while I have been fully awake.
Everything angels do, every gesture and nuance, has symbolic meaning.
Angels do not regulate the behavior of lower spirit beings (negs) and will rarely intervene. Angels exist at higher vibrational/dimensional levels than bad spirits. One might think this is why they cannot intervene, but its not that simple. I have heard many people state this as the reason for noninterference, but angels have the power to operate in any dimensional level, high or low. They can also manifest in the physical dimension, appearing to the naked eye of non-sensitive people. They do not interfere unbidden because they are ethically bound not to.
Angels are not an exalted police force. They are messengers of God. They have awesome powers but will seldom intervene in human affairs. This may sound cruel to some people, thinking there are exalted spiritual beings capable of saving people from suffering and death. But this would take destiny out of the hands of humankind. It would grossly interfere with karma and universal law and freedom of choice.

It all comes down to a matter of perspective. If God wanted to ensure our safety from harm, He would not have created the physical dimension and placed us within it in the first place; not to mention countless incarnations here. If there is purpose to physical life, then there is purpose in living it; warts and all. And living life often involves making mistakes and suffering in order to learn life's many lessons.

Pain and suffering are great teachers. Having the freedom to suffer and learn from our own mistakes is really the only way to go. Anything else would weaken us as an evolving race of spiritual beings and cast us into mindless bondage of moderated spiritual servitude. We would become bleating, complaining sheep, forever putting our hands up and demanding angels fix what we do not like about life on Earth. But if there is anything we do not like about life, its up to us to make the sacrifices and changes that will fix it. This is spiritual freedom in the physical dimension, like it or not, wars and all.

For all the above, angels and spiritual beings will occasionally intervene unbidden under special circumstances. They will also sometimes intervene if approached in the right way. Many people use rituals and prayers and invocations to solicit the help of angels. This is best thought of as being part of the mysterious equation of life down here in the physical dimension.
In my experience, effort and faith are required to attract divine angelic attention. The old saying "God helps those who help themselves" is very true. But while great effort and faith can attract divine attention, it will not necessarily result in angelic intervention. Some of life's lessons have to be learned the hard way or they will not be learned at all.

The View From Below
In my experience, apart from spirit masters, angels, archangels, deities and other exalted beings of the spiritual hierarchy above, there are a wide variety of spirit beings, both good and bad. Between lowly demons and more advanced spiritual beings, there are a vast number of very average spirit being types. Most are neither good nor bad, but somewhere in between.
It would be an overwhelming undertaking to attempt to categorize the whole range of spirit being types. In essence, to do this in full would be like attempting an underwater survey of all of the worlds marine life forms. More to the point, it would be like studying the waves and ripples of the surface from under water, and by so doing attempting to understand the nature of atmospheric phenomena above. While observation and logic would provide some answers, this angle of perception, the view from below, would not allow any realistic understanding of air pressure and wind movement. Down here in the physical dimension, similar problems with the angle of our perception makes studying other dimensions and their inhabitants extraordinarily difficult.

Most people today greatly oversimplify the structure and nature of the spiritual universe. While a simple model is useful, it should be realized that its only a model. If taken too far it can cloud the truth with dogmatic beliefs. I suspect the whole truth is vastly more complex than anyone imagines.

We see only a small part of the vast spiritual tapestry of which we are all a part. In trying to make everything fit into our models of spiritual understanding, we often drive square pegs through round holes. By so doing our pet models become even more distorted than they once were. This can generate widespread confusion that provides few worthwhile answers. However, I do not pretend to have all the answers; far from it. As I am fond of saying, the further one gets away from the physical dimension, the more abstract and complex everything all too soon becomes.....Home of David Wells spiritual healer and teacher of spiritual healing.

Elementary Theosophy: The Meaning of Death

What then is death according to theosophy? It is not at all the horror that the world has made it. It is the passing of the soul into its own nature, for rest. In life it has permitted itself to become, as it were, of the nature of the body. If it has had joys, it has had pains that far outweigh, pains of body and pains of mind. It needs rest from all these and from struggle. Though it came from the Divine and is divine, in the case of the great majority it has never yet recognized that. It goes to the temporary rest and sleep of death with all its purer earth memories clustering around it. And of these it fashions its unclouded and beautiful dream. The divine law shows itself at its tenderest to the dead.

But the sleep does not come at once. After the eyes have closed for the last time, after pulse and breath have stopped, life lingers long. And in those first hours, while the brain is yielding up its stores, and the soul is watching every detail of the now closed life pass again before it, there should be silence and peace in the death chamber. Loving thought -- yes, that helps. But passionately expressed and selfish grief is felt by the soul as a disturbance, hindering its work. For as memory is unpicked to its last fiber, the soul is learning, noting in the clear light where it failed, where it sinned, where it achieved victory in the hard life-battle with the thronging lower impulses. Not till this is done, till the wheat has been garnered, is that life really over. But at last there is the change.

A sleep begins whose dreams are unclouded by anything evil, anything painful. The soul is no longer conjoined with the source of evil; it rests in the pure divine light.
That is why death is in nature's program that the soul may rest and progress. And whilst it rests it is out of touch, mercifully, with life on earth. It can neither be reached by word or thought. Nor can it break its rest to communicate with those on earth.

Nevertheless there is one line of communication both ways. The pure current of love from those on earth does reach it, touches and enters the dream and makes it more living. And in return its love for those it left behind touches them, strengthens them in the battle of life, helps them in their highest efforts for right, purifies them. Except for this current, which is deeper than thought, deeper than word, there is no communication possible. How otherwise could the soul rest?

But the rest is over at last; the divine light has given new energy for another life. The dream fades; the soul is drawn again to earth to take up its work. It comes once more among those with whom in other lives it has been associated. We pass from birth to birth, resuming old ties, making new ones, suffering, rejoicing, and through all growing. This great human family is ever getting closer and closer. As a man will find some old acquaintance unexpectedly in passing through some foreign city, so, it may be, there is already hardly a spot on earth where any one of us could incarnate and not find some he had known in other lives.

There are many hates still to wear out between man and man; every one of us has much to overcome in our own nature. But we move. We can see that life will not always be as now. Sometime there will be comradeship universal and all men will have awakened to their divinity. They will feel in their hearts the constant presence of that Light to which they have given so many names, to which they have ascribed such diverse qualities, which sometimes they have figured as but a man, a personality drawn large; sometimes as a blind force, sometimes, alas! as an avenging fiend.

It will be the more really a presence to them, the more really an ever active inspiration, the more they understand that in its fullness it is beyond human imagining and description. They will be content to worship at the point where thought ceases, from that worship gaining perception of the reason and goal of human life. From it came man's soul; to it returns that soul, yet never more to lose in it the individuality that is the thread of each man's series of existences. Once a living soul, always a living soul. Once we were omniscient because we were parts of its omniscience. It called us forth, to win each for himself omniscience. Yet the very word omniscience, for us, is forever relative. When we have learned one nature, which is its robe, and tasted to the full the beauty of that kn owledge , another and higher and richer will be ready before our eyes.

Unhappiness and pain were no part of the program. We made them; unbrotherhood of each to each made them. It is only we that can end them. When man has learned to turn to his fellow man with friendliness and compassion, with the will to give instead of to take, unhappiness is ended. And when he has learned himself, unwisdom and darkness are ended.....Home of David Wells spiritual healer and teacher of spiritual healing.

Friday, November 25, 2005

WHAT IS SPIRITUALITY?

Defining spirituality is a tall order. However it is a question that I am asked so frequently, that I have elected to join the ranks of thousands of authors, teachers, psychologists, sociologists, theologians, counselors and scientists the world over, in an attempt to define spirituality. Despite the fact that many of the existing texts and teachings on the subject are written and conducted by exceptionally attuned and wise teachers, one needs to acknowledge too that they can, at best, only share their knowledge, their wisdom, their experiences, their discoveries and their truths. Through no failings of their own, none of them have the capacity to teach spirituality.

I believe that the reason for this is simply that spirituality is neither quantifiable nor containable, and experiential rather than conceptual, which in essence renders it learnable, but unteachable.
In broad terms, my belief is that true spirituality comes from within. I believe that Source energy, Universal energy, life force and God energy are one and the same. It is pure, positive, invigorating, effervescent and joyful energy that flows in abundance to anybody who is open to it. For me, spirituality is about learning to open all channels to flow this energy maximally at all times, and in so doing, blending with it, becoming one with it, and living it.

Examined in finer detail, spirituality in my experience encompasses the following:
It is a creative experience of inner exploration.
It is about becoming reacquainted and realigning oneself with Source energy.
It is about communing and blending with the eternal and higher part of one's being, which is, and always will be, spirit.
It is about acquiring wisdom through experience.
It is about flowing and utilising Source energy to create the world one desires.
It is about taking responsibility for one's choices and their consequences.
It is about liberating oneself from limiting beliefs.
It is about expanding one's horizons and raising one's awareness.
It is about being sovereign; and accessing, utilising and relying one's own guidance.
It is about and finding one's own truths and being true to oneself.
It is about moving beyond the personality and becoming conscious of who one truly is.
It is about embodying and expressing the inherently joyful, loving, prosperous and abundant energy of one's spiritual being.
It is about turning adversities into blessings.
It is about loving self enough to be of value to all.
It is about having the courage to confront that which one is not.
It is about abandoning judgment and promoting unity at all levels.

And it is about recognising and valuing one's inextricable connection to the whole.
Spirituality is a never-ending journey, and one that unquestionably requires courage, dedication and commitment. While it is not necessarily an easy journey, it is often in the face of adversity that one's soul makes its greatest evolutionary strides, and the wisdom and experience gained along the way is irreplaceable. It is a journey where worlds open up at every turn, where one begins to comprehend the vastness and infinite nature of the whole, and one which provides sure access to the powerful and uplifting nature of Source energy. It is a joyful journey where one blends with the Universe in an excitingly endless loop of exhilaration and stimulation. And I believe it is the key to true liberation......Home of David Wells spiritual healer and teacher of spiritual healing.

Thursday, November 24, 2005

The third eye and ancient myths

Going back to the ancient myths we have all heard of the one-eyed Cyclops. We have seen through artists drawings or through visual arts that the single eye is located in the lower center of the forehead, approximately stationed between the two eyes location and just slightly above. Over the years this term has been given very little attention as to its over all importance in one's life.
In a sense it has been relegated to a mythical theory based on very little factual argument! Well I am not here to try to explain the old myths and their theories, I simply want to address the reality of the third eye and that it is a power that each of us have once we begin to learn the secrets of its function.In trying to simplify the technique in using this gift, we first need to understand what it is. We all understand that each of us have two eyes. Now some may not have them in working order but the human was given two eyes to see with. However when one peers through these lenses they find that they see in single vision. Even when one looks through eyeglasses or binoculars you are still seeing in singular vision, yet you are looking through two eye lenses at the same time.

However when we do this we do not see double.The eyes take the spectrum of colors and blend them together as one. It is as if you were looking out of one eye instead of two. It is very strange how are eyes seems to function. The pair of eyes functions as a single telescope lens. If you took your right hand and formed a small circle with your hand, and held your hand directly in the center of your two eyes about five inches away. You will be using both eyes to see through one circular opening, one lens. Now if you close only your right eye it will appear as if nothing changes, the circle being formed by your hand will still seem to be in the center. It is as if you did not need both eyes to view through this circle.

However if you close your left eye afterwards something occurs. Your hand appears to have moved slightly to the left. It is very interesting how the brain detects light and how both eyes are used to create a synthesis. Yet when you begin to vary between the use of the eyes things begin to change.You have to ask yourself why is it that you could close your right eye with your circle formed directly in the middle and nothing changes, yet when you close your left eye after you closed your right eye, your sight then changes the way the object is viewed. Yet if you started by closing your left eye first then your right eye would make the change. It all comes down to focus.

The reason the two eyes become one is because of the focus.Even though you are peering through two portals you are still seeing as if you were looking through one. The two eyes worked together to pin point the focus in the center. If you were to try another experiment try using a credit card or something similar such as a drivers license. Place this card standing upright in the center of your two eyes. Now do your best not to look at the card, attempt to look through the card. When you do this it will appear as if you are seeing right through the card as if it was invisible. Again your forward vision will still be singular as long as you are not trying to look at the card. Yet you would think the card would divide your vision into two segments, yet both eyes are still able to react as if you are seeing through one eye even though there is this large object centered between your eyes.Now move this card slowly out about 2-3 inches from your face while still peering through it; it will still seem as if you are looking right through the card in the center.

If your eyes stay focused on the object that you are looking at beyond the card, it will remain whole even though you are partially blocking your vision. The principle behind this experiment is to show you how your two eyes react as one eye. And that one eye is in the center of your vision. Meaning the eyes are neither right or left they are centered. This is to reveal the truth of the Third eye. The third eye is centered vision!Now what you have been doing is a physical experiment to see how vision works in its simplest manner. You are only using your two physical eyes, however the way the brain gathers the light and synthesizes it, it reacts as if you are looking through the middle of your forehead and not through two different portals. Why is this important? The physical body and brain was designed to enable our consciousness to function properly.

The eyes are truly the windows to the soul!The mystery behind the third eye is to understand that our physical ability to see is not brought about by human biological eyes, but is brought about by consciousness, energy. The eyes are designed to enable us to gather information while living within these containers. However the process of assimilating this information is brought about by our consciousness.The assimilation is centered! Our consciousness then in truth is our eyes. Without it we would be basically inept and without knowledge. We would be more like zombies unable to discern what is coming through. Yet on the physical level it appears as if our biological eyes are the only tools to see with! This is the error in our thinking! Now let us begin to break this down. Our consciousness is not physical, it is a spiritual energy, a power beyond the flesh and blood.

Our consciousness is what brings awareness unto us. It is our true ability to see! Our consciousness abides within this human tabernacle as if one was playing a virtual reality game and they placed a certain headgear upon them so that they could interact within the game. The headgear gives its own images through the varied light spectrum. However it is still our consciousness that enables us to see what is really going on. We are still using our mind's consciousness to play the virtual reality game. The game itself does not change the real you, it only gives you another awareness through a different mode of imaging.This is precisely what is occurring while we exist within these human temples. The real you and me the one that is truly the conscious aspect of our true selves are the ones that gather the info while in these bodies.

The real you and me have a true vision, a single vision, but it is able to see all things everywhere. Why, because it is conscious awareness! When the real us abide within these physical containers we are using the apparatus that we are wearing to perform the same duties we could normally do without any of this. Simply what I am trying to say is we all have the ability to see without our human eyes. We can all see through our conscious eyes, the Mystical Third Eye. True consciousness is aware of everything at all times. It can see everywhere! If you were living in the United States, your true consciousness can see Europe from where you are at present, even though the human eyes cannot.

If you were to stop using the human eyes and began to transfer back to your conscious third eye, you would be able to see as clear as if you were there, people and places and things hundreds or thousands of miles away. Your third eye has the ability to also see into the past and the future. This was represented by the ancient myth of the all-seeing-eye of the Cyclops. As I have said many times, myths are there to reveal ancient knowledge that has been lost. They are only termed Myths by an unlearned people.Now that you are beginning to understand the Third Eye I would bet you would love to turn your EYE back on?

That is exactly what has occurred. While living within these matter bodies we have forgotten the hidden secrets of our divine ancestry. Because of this we have literally turned our third eye off. We are not using it like we should or could! Turning the third eye back on is very simple, but it takes will and effort and most of all belief! If what I am saying may seem very farfetched then chances are slim that you will be able to turn it back on. Remember that it is truly consciousness that sees not eyes that see nor the brain. To begin this practice you must quiet the mind and become peaceful in spirit. You need to shut off the daily grind and activity that permeates our lives. To do this takes practice.

To begin I will lay out a formula that can work if you use it properly. Don't ask me why this particular formula works better than others do because I do not yet know why. But it works best for me and reading other authors it seems to work the best for them also. When you have the opportunity you need to pick a day that will fit your schedule so that you will be able to perform this. I am not guaranteeing any instant success in the beginning, however with practice you will be amazed by what you will learn and what you are able to do with your third eye, the eye of consciousness. Set aside a time when you go to bed in the evening to wake up much earlier than you usually do. I recommend between 5-7 in the mourning. Now all this depends on your work schedule and other events, as well as you may work a graveyard shift. If this be the case then just shift the hours accordingly.

Here is what you need to do. Wake up several hours before you normally do. The earlier in the morning the better as long as it is not before 4:00 AM, now this is my feeling others may feel different.Get up and do something, read, work on the computer. Do not turn on all the lights. Keep yourself in a state of sleepiness. You need to stay awake for at least 1-2 hours. Example, if you got up at 5:00AM and normally do not awaken until 8:00AM, then simply stay awake until about 6:30-7:00. I would recommend that you read something pertaining to this subject, however that is not necessary but it is effective.At this point you should be very tired. What I want you to do is go back to bed in a quiet spot maybe you will need to lie on the couch so that you do not bother your mate or wake them up. While lying down you need to begin to repeat to yourself quietly these simple statements.

I AM USING MY THIRD EYE!
I HAVE ALWAYS HAD THIS POWER WITHIN ME!
THIS IS MY POWER AND MY GIFT!I AM USING THE POWER OF THE THIRD EYE!

Continue to repeat this while you are lying flat on your back silently in your mind. When you say, "I have always had this power within me, believe it with all your mind, heart and soul! Continue to do this until you notice that you are beginning to fall asleep. Then begins the fun stuff!!! None of this should take more than 15 minutes as long as you are sufficiently tired. Now is when you want to use the power of the third eye. Try something simple at first. Let's say you want to see a friend that lives in another state or country. Begin to visualize yourself with your friend. Visualize the surroundings they are in.

Feel the air! Taste the air! Feel that you are there with every fiber of your being.Then turn over on your right shoulder with your head lying on your arm with your arm extended out close your eyes and keep thinking while you begin to fall asleep. Now I do not want to spook you here, you might immediately experience a dramatic event. Some may have some wonderful experiences others may not experience anything. Do not be shocked by whatever may occur, just keep calm. If you begin to see things in the center area of your forehead then just go with it. You might even feel as if you are physically somewhere else. Well you may be, but you also may be somewhere else in the astral plane or out of body too. Or simply you just might begin to see images within the center area of your vision.

You might even fall asleep when something does occur and then when you wake up you will be aware that something very different happened. Just keep practicing with this and you will begin to really see! I am not going to try to lead you into a certain belief of what may happen or not, I want each person to experience their own third eye the best way they can. Each person can and will experience some powerful things. I would then ask all of you to go and rent the movie, "Somewhere in Time" with Jane Seymour and Christopher Reeves.This is an excellent movie about time travel. In this movie Reeves uses the Third Eye to transport into another time period. What he did really does work and with a lot less effort.

I know I have traveled in different place as well as back in time using this method. In conclusion for those that do not want to step out and try this fearing the unknown then start simple. Just find a quiet place and close your eyes. Begin to vision as if you were looking directly through your third eye about the middle of your forehead slightly above your two eyes.Just keep looking within. You may be stunned to find out that you will see things. Yes even moving images of people or places and also in brilliant colors. Just keep working on it and you might amaze yourself to the power of the third eye! Even within the Nag Hammadi it was stated I believe when Jesus was speaking to Thomas he asked him to close his eyes and then tell him what he sees. Have fun with this and learn once again the art of using the third eye, our real conscious awareness!......Home of David Wells spiritual healer and teacher of spiritual healing

Saturday, October 29, 2005

The Rules for Being Human

When you were born, you didn't come with an owner's manual; these guidelines make life work better.

1. You will receive a body. You may like it or hate it, but it's the only thing you are sure to keep for the rest of your life.
2. You will learn lessons. You are enrolled in a full-time informal school called "Life on Planet Earth". Every person or incident is the Universal Teacher.
3. There are no mistakes, only lessons. Growth is a process of experimentation. "Failures" are as much a part of the process as "success."
4. A lesson is repeated until learned. It is presented to you in various forms until you learn it: then you can go on to the next lesson.
5. If you don't learn easy lessons, they get harder. External problems are a precise reflection of your internal state. When you clear inner obstructions, your outside world changes. Pain is how the universe gets your attention.
6. You will know you've learned a lesson when your actions change. Wisdom is practice. A little of something is better than a lot of nothing.
7. "There" is no better than "here". When your "there" becomes a "here" you will simply obtain another "there" that again looks better than "here."
8. Others are only mirrors of you. You cannot love or hate something about another unless it reflects something you love or hate in yourself.
9. Your life is up to you. Life provides the canvas; you do the painting. Take charge of your life, or someone else will.
10. You always get what you want. Your subconscious rightfully determines what energies, experiences, and people you attract; therefore, the only foolproof way to know what you want is to see what you have. There are no victims, only students.
11. There is no right or wrong, but there are consequences. Moralizing doesn't help. Judgments only hold the patterns in place. Just do your best.
12. Your answers lie inside you. Children need guidance from others; as we mature, we trust our hearts, where the Laws of Spirit are written. You know more than you have heard or read or been told. All you need to do is to look, listen, and trust.
13. You will forget all this.
14. You can remember any time you wish......Home of David Wells spiritual healer and teacher of spiritual healing

100 ways to be Happy

How to be happy

1. Never put yourself last.
2. When you extend a helping hand to one person, be careful not to kick someone else in the teeth.
3. Always own a pair of old, faded jeans.
4. Count your blessings every day.
5. Acknowledge your successes along with your downfalls.
6. Burn the candle that has been in storage for the last two years.
7. Strive for progress, not perfection.
8. Remember, the voice telling you that you cannot do something is always lying.
9. At least once a day sit and do nothing.
10. Don't close your heart so tightly against life's pain that you shut out life's blessings.
11. Celebrate all your birthdays no matter how old you get.
12. Examine your life for limitations and ask yourself why you put them there.
13. Plant a tree, pull weeds, or get your hands dirty.
14. Diminish your wants instead of increasing your needs.
15. Cry when you feel like it.
16. Rejoice in other people's triumphs.
17. Don't wait for someone else to laugh or express joy.
18. Forgive yourself for any mistake you make, no matter how big or small.
19. Keep good company.
20. Never take a pill for a pain you need to feel.
21. Use your enthusiasm to put yourself in forward gear and give yourself a spark to move ahead.
22. Look in the eyes of the ones you love when you are talking to them.
23. Remember that one is a whole number.
24. Walk in a summer rain shower without an umbrella.
25. Do a kind deed for someone else.
26. Keep your eyes and ears open to get the messages you need from people and events in your daily life.
27. Be patient.
28. Eat something green.
29. Change what you can and leave the rest alone.
30. Walk hand and hand with truth.
31. Make laughter and joy a greater part of your life than anger and grief.
32. Embrace solitude instead of running from it.
33. Be zealous, not jealous.
34. Forgive anyone you've been holding a grudge against.
35. Slow down and enjoy the present.
36. Walk in others' shoes before judging them.
37. Send yourself a kind message.
38. Remind yourself that the company you keep is a reflection of what you think of yourself.
39. Go on a picnic.
40. Accept your fears, no matter how crazy they seem.
41. Don't let other people's opinions shape who you are.
42. Say a prayer.
43. Never attribute your accomplishments to luck or chance.
44. Know when to say no.
45. Look at the positive side of negative situation.
46. Remember that you are a spiritual being in a physical body.
47. Avoid seeking out other people for constant approval, because it make them the master and you the slave.
48. Go fly a kite.
49. Avoid fads and bandwagons.
50. Accept the things you cannot change.
51. Look inside instead of outside yourself for answers to life's problems.
52. Remember that all feelings are okay.
53. Shield yourself from bad influences.
54. Stand up for what you believe in.
55. Respect the wishes of others when they say no.
56. Seize every moment and live it fully.
57. Give away or sell anything you haven't used in the past five years.
58. Never downgrade yourself.
59. Take responsibility for what you think, feel, and do.
60. Pamper yourself.
61. Never say or do anything abusive to a child.
62. Let yourself be God powered instead of flying solo.
63. Volunteer to help someone in need.
64. Refrain from overindulging in food, drink, and work
65. Finish unfinished business.
66. Be spontaneous.
67. Find a constructive outlet for your anger.
68. Think about abundance instead of lack, because whatever you think about expands.
69. Think of yourself as a survivor, not a victim.
70. Cuddle an animal.
71. Be open to life.
72. See success as something you already have, not something you must attain.
73. Experience the splendor and awe of a sunset.
74. When you score a base hit, don't wish it were a home run.
75. Learn to be in the present moment.
76. Instead of believing in miracles, depend on them.
77. Take a child to the circus.
78. Change your attitude and your whole life will change.
79. Never turn your power over to another person.
80. When your heart is at odds with your head, follow your heart.
81. Always remember that the past is gone forever and the future never comes.
82. Live your life according to what is right for you.
83. Acknowledge your imperfections.
84. Plant a tree and watch it grow.
85. See "friend" instead of "enemy" on the face of strangers.
86. Watch an army of ants build their houses and cities and carry food ten times their weight.
87. Believe in something bigger than yourself.
88. Let the playful child within you come out.
89. Make haste slowly.
90. Work through your problems step by step and one day at a time.
91. Accept compliments from others so you can see the truth about yourself.
92. Sit on the lawn without worrying about grass stains.
93. Don't condemn yourself for your imperfections.
94. Do a humility check periodically by loving the truth about yourself.
95. Tell someone you appreciate them.
96. Never live your life according to what is right for someone else.
97. Talk less and listen more.
98. Admit your wrongdoing and forgive yourself for it.
99. Thrive on inner peace instead of on crises.
100. Affirm all the good things about yourself.

Eight Gifts You Can Afford

Enjoy this spiritual story

THE GIFT OF LISTENING But you must REALLY listen. No interrupting, no daydreaming, no planning your response. Just listening.

THE GIFT OF AFFECTION Be generous with appropriate hugs, kisses, pats on the back and handholds. Let these small actions demonstrate the love you have for family and friends.

THE GIFT OF LAUGHTER Clip cartoons. Share articles and funny stories. Your gift will say, "I love to laugh with you".

THE GIFT OF A WRITTEN NOTE It can be a simple "Thanks for the help" note or a full sonnet. A brief, handwritten note may be remembered for a lifetime, and may even change a life.

THE GIFT OF A COMPLIMENT A simple and sincere, "You look great in red", "You did a super job" or "That was a wonderful meal" can make someone's day.

THE GIFT OF A FAVOR Every day, go out of your way to do something kind.

THE GIFT OF SOLITUDE There are times when we want nothing better than to be left alone. Be sensitive to those times and give the gift of solitude to others.

THE GIFT OF A CHEERFUL DISPOSITION The easiest way to feel good is to make other feel good.

Wednesday, October 26, 2005

Spiritual Freedom

Becoming Free A Reminder of the Principles of Life

1: Life does not work through indecision. Indecision promotes blocks, confusion and stress. Make a decision and allow life to find movement through you. Trust yourself.
2: The 3 C's of life are Courage, Capacity and Commitment. It takes Courage and a commitment to make many of life's decisions, and capacity to follow them through. The 3 C's of a successful relationship are Caring, Consideration and Communication. Communication opens the door between us, consideration allows us to pass through it and our ability to care for each other unites us.
3: Truth is not truth out of timing- yet it remains truth. We are the timing to recognize truth.
4: The mind recoils from the unknown, so we seek to make everything known, and, thus sage. Imagination is the key to the unknown- positive, uplifting imagination.
5: For as long as we search for Our God Self, we deny that we are it. Loving your self reveals your truth.
6: Becoming free is not changing yourself into someone you think you should be. Becoming free is falling in love with who you are- right now.
7: Imagine a room of pitch dark and a room of bright light connected by a door. When you open the door what happens? Light floods into the dark room, illuminating it. Live accordingly, think thoughts of light.
8: F.E.A.R- False Evidence Appearing Real
9: Anything of the past that is unresolved is unresolved now. Living NOW resolves the past.
10: Life flows from the inside out, never the reverse. Understand this and you cease to be a victim.
11: Love responds- fear reacts. Love connects- fear separates. Love uplifts- fear deflates. Love creates- fear destroys.
12: There is no such thing as a mistake- only experience. There is no such thing as failure- only people's condemnation. There is no such thing as success- only people's approval. Let life live through you.
13: Do not get caught up in modifying your life, allow life to change YOU. Modification is a superficial exterior veneer, change is an inner shift in consciousness.
14: Pain is a measure of your resistance to change.
15: Decide whether you want to be an onlooker of life or a participant. This is the birthplace of choice.
16: You hear with your ears- but you listen with your mind. You look with your eyes- but you see from the heart.
17: Consciousness is not contained in your body- you are the consciousness that contains the body. Consciousness draws to itself form through which to express
18: Your mind cannot exist in the moment. You cannot think your way into the moment, you can only think your way out of it. This indicates that your mind/intellect cannot set you free. Only your consciousness is aware of NOW. True freedom is a state of consciousness.
19: We each live in our own universe, a universe of our making. It is designed to support our beliefs and our focus. Our thoughts are our focus, so observe your thoughts, focus on your blessings, and trust. This is how you become a participant.
20: Practise seeing all life around you as an aspect of yourself. In this way you shatter the illusion of separation.
21: Your mind does now know the difference between what you do want or what you don't want, it only knows what you focus on. Many people focus on what they don't have, what they are incapable of doing and their sicknesses.
22: If you focus on what you do have, it increases. If you focus on what you don't have, you will have even less. If you focus on your capabilities, they grow, if you focus on your health, it improves.
23: Your mind does not know the difference between a powerfully imagined reality and a physical happening reality. Why? Because there is no difference.
24: You only have a problem if you believe you have a problem.
25: Live these principles and you will be practising reality. Practise reality until you overcome the illusion. It is only an illusion that you are not free, now!

Monday, October 24, 2005

Blue Ribbon

A Blue Ribbon to make a Difference

A teacher in New York decided to honor each of her seniors in high school by telling them the difference they each made.

She called each student to the front of the class, one at a time. First she told each of them how they had made a difference to her and the class. Then she presented each of them with a blue ribbon imprinted with gold letters which read, "Who I Am Makes a Difference."
Afterwards the teacher decided to do a class project to see what kind of impact recognition would have on a community. She gave each of the students three more ribbons and instructed them to go out and spread this acknowledgment ceremony. Then they were to follow up on the results, see who honored whom and report back to the class in about a week.

One of the boys in the class went to a junior executive in a nearby company and honored him for helping him with his career planning. He gave him a blue ribbon and put it on his shirt. Then he gave him two extra ribbons and said, "We're doing a class project on recognition, and we'd like you to go out, find somebody to honor, give them a blue ribbon, then give them the extra blue ribbon so they can acknowledge a third person to keep this acknowledgment ceremony going. Then please report back to me and tell me what happened."

Later that day the junior executive went in to see his boss, who had been noted, by the way, as being kind of a grouchy fellow. He sat his boss down and he told him that he deeply admired him for being a creative genius. The boss seemed very surprised. The junior executive asked him if he would accept the gift of the blue ribbon and would he give him permission to put it on him. His surprised boss said, "Well, sure." The junior executive took the blue ribbon and placed it right on his boss's jacket above his heart. As he gave him the last extra ribbon, he said, "Would you do me a favor? Would you take this extra ribbon and pass it on by honoring somebody else? The young boy who first gave me the ribbons is doing a project in school and we want to keep this recognition ceremony going and find out how it affects people."

That night the boss came home to his 14-year-old son and sat him down. He said, "The most incredible thing happened to me today. I was in my office and one of the junior executives came in and told me he admired me and gave me a blue ribbon for being a creative genius. Imagine. He thinks I'm a creative genius. Then he put this blue ribbon that says 'Who I Am Makes A Difference'" on my jacket above my heart. He gave me an extra ribbon and asked me to find somebody else to honor. As I was driving home tonight, I started thinking about whom I would honor with this ribbon and I thought about you. I want to honor you.

My days are really hectic and when I come home I don't pay a lot of attention to you. Sometimes I scream at you for not getting good enough grades in school and for your bedroom being a mess, but somehow tonight, I just wanted to sit here and, well, just let you know that you do make a difference to me. Besides your mother, you are the most important person in my life. You're a great kid and I love you!"

The startled boy started to sob and sob, and he couldn't stop crying. His whole body shook. He looked up at his father and said through his tears, "I have been contemplating suicide, Dad, because I didn't think you loved me. Now I know you care."

The boss went back to work a changed man. He was no longer a grouch but made sure to let all his employees know that they made a difference. The junior executive helped several other young people with career planning and never forgot to let them know that they made a difference in his life. The young boy and his classmates learned a valuable lesson.

Who you are DOES make a difference.

Attitude

A story about positive attitude

Jerry is the kind of guy you love to hate. He is always in a good mood and always has something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, "If I were any better, I would be twins!"
He was a unique manager because he had several waiters who had followed him around from restaurant to restaurant. The reason the waiters followed Jerry was because of his attitude. He was a natural motivator. If an employee was having a bad day, Jerry was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation.

Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up to Jerry and asked him, I don't get it! You can't be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?" Jerry replied, "Each morning I wake up and say to myself, Jerry, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or you can choose to be in a bad mood. I choose to be in a good mood. Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or I can choose to learn from it.

I choose to learn from it. Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life.
"Yeah, right, it's not that easy," I protested. "Yes it is," Jerry said. "Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people will affect your mood. You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: It's your choice how you live life."

I reflected on what Jerry said. Soon thereafter, I left the restaurant industry to start my own business. We lost touch, but I often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it. Several years later, I heard that Jerry did something you are never supposed to do in the restaurant business...he left the back door open one morning and was held up at gun point by three armed robbers. While trying to open the safe, his hand, shaking from nervousness, slipped off the combination. The robbers panicked and shot him. Luckily, Jerry was found relatively quickly and rushed to the local trauma center. After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, Jerry was released from the hospital with fragments of the bullets still in his body.

I saw Jerry about six months after the accident. When I asked him how he was, he replied, "If I were any better, I'd be twins. Wanna see my scars?" I declined to see his wounds, but did ask him what had gone through his mind as the robbery took place. "The first thing that went through my mind was that I should have locked the back door," Jerry replied. "Then, as I lay on the floor, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live or I could choose to die. I chose to live."

"Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?" I asked. Jerry continued, "...the paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the ER and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read 'he's a dead man.' I knew I needed to take action." "What did you do?" I asked. "Well, there was a big burly nurse shouting questions at me," said Jerry. "She asked if I was allergic to anything. 'Yes' I replied. The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled, 'BULLETS!'

Over their laughter, I told them, 'I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead'." Jerry lived thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude. I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully.

Attitude, after all, is everything.

Saturday, October 22, 2005

My painful knee

Hi there , I am a friend of Davids . I came down to see David today and for some unknown reason, slipped in the street. My knee was really sore and throbbing and David took away the pain with his hand. The swelling went down and the bruise has come out. The shock has been dissipated. After this experience, I can fully recommend Davids ability to help you.

Gill

Thursday, October 20, 2005

Healing Hands Can Help Recovery

David can influence the state of contentment and level of well being that the physical body enjoys by the laying of his hands. As a method of healing its primary function is to give aid and support to the body. Here are three areas that might give assistance and insight into how David may be able to help you. If your questions are not answered, then send an e-mail.

Stress: the build up of stress from issues of lifestyle of emotional upset either current or of a deeper nature can result in physical discomfort and may lead to illness. Although hands on does not solve the underlying issue, it gives strength to the body and aid in recovery, creating relief, comfort and support.After an operation or recovering from an injury, the body goes into overdrive dedicating large amounts of energy to the task.

David, by using his hands is able to deliver additional energy to aid in the process, this energy is commonly known as chi, but it is being given at much greater levels than one can produce on ones own. If this is repeated a number of times as a course of treatments, it results in a faster recovery, e.g. This would be of benefit for people that use their body for their profession.

Pain relief: Pain caused by emotions or a physical condition, create great distress slowing down the speed of recovery, apart from the discomfort experienced at the time.

David being able to remove this affect enables a more relaxed state to be experienced during recovery. Although physical pain is completely different to pain being derived from an emotion, the pain can be very similar crippling in its nature and need not be endured. It may be that you will experience a combination of what is above while you are going through your physical recovery, the assistance of a David will always be of benefit at this time.

Wednesday, October 19, 2005

David and Spiritual Healing

David is a professional Healer. As a Spiritual Healer he works with physical, spiritual and emotional difficulties.Healers have been around almost as long as human beings have been on this planet and as we have begun to understand more about medicine, microbiology, psychology and surgery.

As a result many people have focused so much on technology they have come to believe Spiritual Healing has no longer a use full place in modern society to make people well.Indeed many people have come to believe that Healing as a profession is no more than some weird new age mumbo-jumbo. At the start of the 21st century the reality is very different.Healers are now being invited into hospitals by the health service.

Doctors still provide placebos, often with considerable beneficial effect and in the only major research performed since the Second World War in both Europe and America to determine which adopted mythologies were most effective in psychology and counseling, the results showed that the method adopted was not the determining factor but whether the psychologist or councilor was a Healer. In this world of genetic engineering, keyhole surgery and new drugs we Healers are very much alive and well.Healing throughout the ages has often been associated with the priesthood following a particular religion of that culture. In many ways, if priests were able to heal today, this would reinforce the dependency that people have on the priesthood and power structure of that culture.

Probably if priests of a particular religion were not able to heal, then on many occasions the population would seek a new religion. Even in the case of Jesus, he demonstrated he could heal and so as a result, Christianity today is the most successful religion in the world.In early times the priesthood would have learned that certain substances such as plants had a beneficial effect in controlling diseases and these substances were given to patients and their formula guarded as a secret. This again would give them power and control over the community.Only as little as a few years ago, for instance, western medicine discovered that certain Native American nations had been successful in treating bowel cancer. They had been able to do this by using the extract from a tree found on the Californian coast. This drug is now used throughout the world today.

In many more cases Healers have achieved successful results without the use of any effective treatment other than they are Healers.So the question is, how on earth does healing really work? Firstly one has to take into account the incidental role of counseling and the art of caring.Surgeries are very busy places these days, the average interview time only being three minutes. Perhaps just having the time to listen can have in its own right a very beneficial effect.There is no doubt that ones emotional state of mind has a huge effect upon our physical well-being. If one is very highly stressed or overwhelmed with emotional conflicts, the immune system collapses and people find their pain and discomfort thresholds much lower.

As a result sickness can prevail. It is a truism that happy people feel much better and have more energy with which to enjoy their life to the full and pay less attention to the negative aspects of their life.Those conducting research into the healing phenomena also point to the placebo effect. In other words if a client wishes to get well and believes that the healer can make him well, quite often he will become well. Heath is so often a state of mind and it is well recognised by specialists in the treatment of cancer that a person's state of mind in dealing with this illness will have enormous effects upon the eventual outcome. I have no doubt that these two factors play an important role in the work of a successful healer.The United States conducted experiments for 25 years into remote viewing and telepathy. During this time, some remarkable results were achieved but sufficiently reliable to use in strategic situations.

Much research has been done into ESP, telepathy and of course healing. The research shows significant gifts in these areas and these gifts really exist. Science however is often very uncomfortable with these findings because up till now, a kind of force or such like has not been found that can account for the phenomenon.
Such phenomenon although recognized to exist are therefore usually pensioned off into obscure journals of parapsychology and will probably remain there until scientists are able to understand, identify and quantify what is happening.For his own part, the more answers he finds, as to why he can heal people, the more questions he discovers. He just gets on with the job of helping people feel better and ultimately get well.

So if we take out all the mumbo-jumbo away, what are we left with? The human organism operates by electro-chemical reactions. In fact, the level of measurable activity is quite high. He believes that around us all, we create a small electro-magnetic field, which in some way or other can be detected by people and is commonly known as the aura.There are workers who state that they can detect auras. Others, have taken special photographs using the Kiryllian method, which show such fields in a spectacular way.

Many of us are able to detect atmospheres. Perhaps we are only sensing magnetic, or electrical disturbances created where a high level of emotion has been exhibited. How often has one walked into a room and been aware that its occupants had been rowing, or sharing deep grief? Our emotions are very powerful, so it makes sense to me, that if emotions have been released, we may be aware of their after-effects due to a change in the energies generated by people. Likewise, I believe that if a person is suffering from physical ailment, they may well be generating abnormal fields around themselves and it is this that a healer is able to sense.

In all probability, we all have the ability to sense these things, but most people choose to ignore them. Some might state that they felt something wrong 'in their waters' or had a gut feeling. I think that healers just have spent more time learning to sense these fields and to listen and try to understand them. I am sure that most of you would sense that something was wrong if you were alongside some one who was deeply emotional and upset.
In order to do this, a healer has to transcend themselves into a slightly different state of consciousness. Lets face it, no one is going to feel very sensitive if they have just t spent the last few hours taking the engine out of a car.

It is the ability to be able to reach a sensitive 'altered state of consciousness' that makes an effective healer. In this condition, he or she is able to understand much more clearly that which is troubling the client.In order to create positive change in the client, it is also necessary that the client move into a slightly altered state too. This enables the healer and client to share this altered state and inter-react between each other. This inter-reaction is what I believe to be the basis of real healing.

The client is creating an electromagnetic field which is the result of illness or strong emotional catharsis. As the healer, by creating a stronger field of different and better kind, it is possible to re-align the client into a more beneficial state.By bio-feedback, the client is therefore often more able to change the illness and begin to heal. Biofeedback is he believes, the essential ingredient to healing. If a better energy field surrounds the client, even for a short time, their body senses that they are well and can begin to react to this in a positive way.

It is possible that healing is only successful with physical illness when there is a psycho-somatic component. However, it may be the case that psychology plays its role in physical illness much more frequently than we think.Steiner believed that most physical ailments arose from peoples own state of mind. Probably, this is taking it a bit to far, as we now know that our own genes may very often leave us with a propensity to develop certain ailments.Close interaction with the client does change the way they are. This is a truism we may all be aware of, for instance, you will probably have all experienced a time when a very upset or anxious person has been made to feel better, just because you were calm yourself.

Humans tend to naturally reflect the emotional state of the person they are close to. Healing is an extension of this phenomenon and if properly developed can be very powerful indeed.One might wonder why a healer is able to change the client's electro-magnetic field rather than the other way round. For the most part, it is the simple expression of the balance of power in the situation.

Some healers have found themselves in bad trouble after working with a client. This is due to a phenomenon termed 'counter-transference'. Here the healer has started to work without first making sure that he or she has no emotional difficulties. In other words they are bringing 'baggage' to the session. Part of the task of learning to be a healer is to go through a long period of personal therapy to ensure that he or she has no emotional difficulties.

Sadly this particular part of becoming a Spiritual Healer is not always attended to by all Spiritual Healing teaching organisations. It appears they are only interested in 'bums on seats', which is one of the reasons why Healers in the western world can become sick or have difficulties with their lives since taking on healing.

Have a safe journey DAVID WELLS.