Even if you are not a football fan, you have probably read or heard news stories about NFL players being arrested for an assortment of reasons including animal abuse, spousal abuse, armed robbery and even murder. Most of us shake our heads and wonder how a young person given the opportunity to make the type of money that an NFL player commands can be so stupid. Others wonder why the NFL condones such behavior by allowing these players to continue their careers in the NFL.
Baltimore Raven's linebacker Rolando McClain recently retired from the NFL, after three seasons, at the age of twenty-four. McClain decided to walk away from his NFL career and re-enroll at the University of Alabama because he was concerned about his self-destructive behavior and feared he might eventually do harm to another human being.
McClain told ESPN Magazine that he had dark thoughts. “I felt like Aaron Hernandez,” the former linebacker said in the article. “Like I just wanted to kill somebody.” According to ESPN, McClain felt overwhelmed by the stresses of the NFL. He was angry as well. He told reporters that his friends and relatives asked him for money and that he spent over $600,000 on them after signing his rookie contract.
McClain's life has not been an easy one. He was born July 14, 1989 in Decatur, Alabama. He grew up in the projects in Decatur. At age 15, he had to get a retraining order against his mother, Tonya Malone, after she beat him and threatened him with a knife. She was later arrested after threatening his entire high school which resulted in a lock down. She was later diagnosed as bi-polar. Although McClain's father was awarded custody of Roland, he ended up living with several different families during his high school years.
McClain signed a $40 million dollar contract with the Oakland Raiders in July 2010. He was released from the Raiders in April 2013 and then signed by the Baltimore Ravens before deciding to retire from football in May 2013. During his stint in the NFL, McClain was arrested several times. He was arrested December 1, 2011 for third degree assault, menacing, reckless endangerment and discharging a firearm inside city limits, all misdemeanors, and for a shooting incident the night before. He was found guilty on all counts. He was arrested again on November 18, 2012 with charges being dropped after the victim agreed to a financial settlement. He was arrested a third time on January 8, 2013 after Decatur police pulled him over for a window tint violation and e gave the police a false name. He was arrested once again on April 21, 2013 for disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.
McClain has apparently done some soul searching as he decided to walk away from a $700,00 contract with up to $400,000 in incentives after realizing he is full of anger and walking a self-destructive path. He told ESPN, "I felt like Aaron Hernandez, like I just wanted to kill somebody."
McClain should be applauded for his decision. How many young men, or people for that matter, possess the self-awareness needed to realize they are headed down the wrong path? How many are strong enough to walk away from that kind of money and the life style it can buy?
Watch this video on espn http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/9882568/nfl-former-oakland-raiders-alabama-linebacker-rolando-mcclain-self-imposed-exile
What the World Needs is a Little Empathy & Compassion
Empathy is the capacity to recognize, or feel, the emotions that another person or being is experiencing. Compassion is an emotion that we feel in response to the pain and suffering of another being. A little bit of empathy is needed in order to experience compassion.
In an article titled "Empathy & Compassion," Betty W. Phillips, Ph.D., Psychology writes "In the last few years you may have noticed the increase in warfare, divisiveness, unbridled profit seeking and budget cutting on the backs of the poor, sick or elderly, all examples of lack of empathy and compassion. Quality of life and happiness indices are falling rapidly in the USA, more rapidly than in other countries. Yes, they are related."
In a well researched article titled "The Compassionate Instinct," Dacher Keltner discusses the collective beliefs that humans are selfish, greed is good, altruism is an illusion, cooperation is for suckers, competition is natural, war is inevitable and the bad in human nature is stronger than the good. Keltner points out that such beliefs have been perpetuated from the time of Plato, who "compared the human soul to a chariot: the intellect is the driver and the emotions are the horses. Life is a continual struggle to keep the emotions under control.," to the present day.
Keltner writes, "Even compassion, the concern we feel for another being’s welfare, has been treated with downright derision. Kant saw it as a weak and misguided sentiment: “Such benevolence is called soft-heartedness and should not occur at all among human beings,” he said of compassion. Many question whether true compassion exists at all—or whether it is inherently motivated by self-interest."
Keltner then goes on to discuss recent findings and studies that indicate that these old and outdated beliefs have no basis in reality. "These studies support a view of the emotions as rational, functional, and adaptive—a view which has its origins in Darwin’s Expression of Emotion in Man and Animals. Compassion and benevolence, this research suggests, are an evolved part of human nature, rooted in our brain and biology, and ready to be cultivated for the greater good."
Keltner then provides the reader with a good amount of information supporting the idea that "compassion is deeply rooted in our brains, our bodies, and in the most basic ways we communicate."
If this is the case, then why do so many people people seem to lack empathy and compassion ? Why the wars, the greed and the divisiveness? Although we are born as empathetic and compassionate beings, our beliefs are conditioned by our environment, culture, society and parents. If we are to make the world a better place, we have to collectively work on changing our collective beliefs and value systems. We have to learn to cultivate and develop the empathy and compassion that resides within us. We have to start with ourselves and then those around us.
Kymatica - A Documentary
Kymatica is a documentary about human and universal consciousness produced by Ben Stewart, Kymatica was voted best scientific documentary in the 2009 New York Film Festival. It is an hour and a half long and worth the time it takes to watch. Kymatica explores the metaphysical aspects of reality from creation to the boundaries on our freedom imposed upon us by our own collective beliefs.
"Evolution is a term to define only one organism and that's the self. The self is the universe, the self is the alpha and omega, god, and infinity, and that's the only thing that evolves because we are all part of the self. Nothing goes through an evolutionary process alone or without direct benefit to the whole. So when you begin to think that there's this controlling elite, this controlling hand behind the curtains leading the planet to destruction..."
The Media History Digital Library
The Media History Digital Library is a non-profit initiative dedicated to digitizing collections of classic media periodicals in the public domain for full public access. Here you will find a wealth of reading material and information on the histories of cinema, broadcasting and sound. The collections include technical journals, fan magazines and everything in between. There are literally scans of hundreds of thousands of magazine pages from thousands of magazine issues from 1904 to 1963.
Collections
Hollywood Studio Systems Collection 1914-1948
Fan Magazine Collection 1911-1963
Early Cinema Collection 1903-1928
Yearbook Collection 1916-1964
Broadcasting Collection 1896-1964
Non-Theatrical Film Collection 1918-1973
Technical Journals Collection 1924-1954
Government & Law Collection 1912-1995
Global Cinema Collection 1904-1957
Each collection consists of dozens of different publications. Anyone interested in the history of film, broadcast and/or sound should visit this site. Make sure you have a lot of time on your hands!
Piracy in the Digital Age
Like music, movies and software, digital books have a piracy problem. E-books are being uploaded to file-sharing sites, torrents and what have you. When downloaded, someone may or may not make a profit, but if there is an exchange of money, the author of the book does not get his or get fair share. While a lot of people who download digital files know that the book publisher, music company, software publisher, etc, lose revenue via illegal downloads and file sharing, most don't care as they see these entities as big evil greedy corporations that make too much money to begin with. Others think that the "little guy" shouldn't have to pay for digital content and that only big companies should (those who trade illegal copies of Adobe Photoshop believe this is the way it should be).
Most people probably have at least a few pirated files on their hard drive. Even those of us who generally purchase our software, music, books and movies, have likely accepted copies of such content from well meaning friends who like to share. While sharing a few files with friends does not seem to be such a big deal, and may even help the artist by introducing their work to new fans who will then purchase more of their work, file sharing has become a big business and just about every piece of digital content published is now available for "free" on pirate sites. (Note - if you aren't required to pay a fee to become a member of such sites, you are likely downloading files containing malware).
If you enjoy books, movies, music, etc, then think twice about where you get your digital content from. When artists are not paid, many of them give it up and we all lose out. As reported in The Trichordist, "Not everyone aspires to work a day job, make music as a hobby and allow internet corporations to profit from their labor, illegally." This is basically what is happening. The artists, writers, etc are not making a dime from their work while others are profiting big time. (Read "How Musicians are (not) Making Money and Who is..." for detailed information.
In Digital Trends, Jeffrey Van Camp reports that the Dutch have found a solution for pirated e-books. This is not the type of solution I think most people want to see implemented. According to Van Camp, "Legally purchasing an ebook may soon make you responsible for anything that happens to it. Thanks to a new digital distribution agreement publishers are making with ebook platforms, all ebooks may soon come with a digital watermark that’s specifically linked to a person’s account, so if a copy of that book somehow ends up on a pirating or torrent website, they know who to blame. So yes, even if you don’t pirate a copyrighted book yourself, if something you buy somehow ends up being given away to others, you could be punished.
Read more: http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/ebook-piracy-safer-than-purchase/#ixzz2cEdAA1kk
Follow us: @digitaltrends on Twitter | digitaltrendsftw on Facebook
Not good, is it? The best way to avoid extreme solutions such as this is to purchase your digital content from legitimate sites and stay away from pirate sites. I know everyone likes their digital content to be free, but take a few minutes and put yourself in the creator's shoes. How would you feel if all your hard work benefited everyone but yourself? How would you feel if you favorite band, writer, actor etc called it quits as he or she had to get a day job and no longer had time to create works for you to enjoy? Think about it that way rather than thinking its all corporate greed and therefore you are entitled to have it all for free.
Most people probably have at least a few pirated files on their hard drive. Even those of us who generally purchase our software, music, books and movies, have likely accepted copies of such content from well meaning friends who like to share. While sharing a few files with friends does not seem to be such a big deal, and may even help the artist by introducing their work to new fans who will then purchase more of their work, file sharing has become a big business and just about every piece of digital content published is now available for "free" on pirate sites. (Note - if you aren't required to pay a fee to become a member of such sites, you are likely downloading files containing malware).
If you enjoy books, movies, music, etc, then think twice about where you get your digital content from. When artists are not paid, many of them give it up and we all lose out. As reported in The Trichordist, "Not everyone aspires to work a day job, make music as a hobby and allow internet corporations to profit from their labor, illegally." This is basically what is happening. The artists, writers, etc are not making a dime from their work while others are profiting big time. (Read "How Musicians are (not) Making Money and Who is..." for detailed information.
In Digital Trends, Jeffrey Van Camp reports that the Dutch have found a solution for pirated e-books. This is not the type of solution I think most people want to see implemented. According to Van Camp, "Legally purchasing an ebook may soon make you responsible for anything that happens to it. Thanks to a new digital distribution agreement publishers are making with ebook platforms, all ebooks may soon come with a digital watermark that’s specifically linked to a person’s account, so if a copy of that book somehow ends up on a pirating or torrent website, they know who to blame. So yes, even if you don’t pirate a copyrighted book yourself, if something you buy somehow ends up being given away to others, you could be punished.
Read more: http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/ebook-piracy-safer-than-purchase/#ixzz2cEdAA1kk
Follow us: @digitaltrends on Twitter | digitaltrendsftw on Facebook
Loving Lemons - Edgar Cayce
Over half of the medical readings that Edgar Cayce gave in his lifetime cite poor elimination as the root cause of disease and illness. In order to remain healthy, human cells need to eliminate toxins and waste products as well as take in nutrients. One of the easiest ways to help the body eliminate toxins and waste, according to Cayce, is to drink a cup of hot water with fresh squeezed lemon juice in the morning before eating any food. A simple cup of hot lemon water helps the body eliminate toxins thrown off during sleep. In addition, Cayce recommended doing some deep breathing exercises to eliminate toxins in the lungs. These two simple morning activities can add years to one's life.
In addition to drinking lemon water to help the body eliminate toxins, Cayce sometimes recommended fresh lemon juice in order to improve circulation and assimilation as well as elimination. In reference to using lemon juice as a therapy, Cayce advised the following:
"Immediately on arising [in the morning] roll a lemon and cut in two. Eat a portion of it - without salt - half of it - all the juice from same - then walk just as far as possible, AWAY FROM THE HOUSE - not so far that the body is not sure of making it back, see? When the body has returned, sprinkle salt on the other half of lemon and eat it. Then drink ALL the water POSSIBLE following same. Not before, but AFTER the last half is eaten. Then sit down, or lie down, and rest until the body feels entirely relaxed before the first meal is taken. Add only that. We will find this acid, combining with that as is created in system and as is being eliminated from system, will reduce not only the pulsation as caused from the reaction to the heart's forces, but will assist in CLEANSING system of the poisons from same." (4999-2)
I find that drinking hot lemon water in the morning is refreshing and makes you feel clean inside. I also found that after drinking hot lemon water in the morning I have little or no desire for coffee or cigarettes. As a matter of fact, lemon water is a great aid for quitting cigarettes. After drinking lemon water, you lose the desire to smoke as your mouth feels fresh and clean and the taste of cigarettes just seems so unappealing. If you want to quit, drink a little lemon water every time you start getting a crave. It just may work for you too!
An updated version of this article can be found at Ancient Wisdom
In addition to drinking lemon water to help the body eliminate toxins, Cayce sometimes recommended fresh lemon juice in order to improve circulation and assimilation as well as elimination. In reference to using lemon juice as a therapy, Cayce advised the following:
"Immediately on arising [in the morning] roll a lemon and cut in two. Eat a portion of it - without salt - half of it - all the juice from same - then walk just as far as possible, AWAY FROM THE HOUSE - not so far that the body is not sure of making it back, see? When the body has returned, sprinkle salt on the other half of lemon and eat it. Then drink ALL the water POSSIBLE following same. Not before, but AFTER the last half is eaten. Then sit down, or lie down, and rest until the body feels entirely relaxed before the first meal is taken. Add only that. We will find this acid, combining with that as is created in system and as is being eliminated from system, will reduce not only the pulsation as caused from the reaction to the heart's forces, but will assist in CLEANSING system of the poisons from same." (4999-2)
I find that drinking hot lemon water in the morning is refreshing and makes you feel clean inside. I also found that after drinking hot lemon water in the morning I have little or no desire for coffee or cigarettes. As a matter of fact, lemon water is a great aid for quitting cigarettes. After drinking lemon water, you lose the desire to smoke as your mouth feels fresh and clean and the taste of cigarettes just seems so unappealing. If you want to quit, drink a little lemon water every time you start getting a crave. It just may work for you too!
An updated version of this article can be found at Ancient Wisdom
The Ghost Inside My Child
The Ghost Inside My Child is a new series on the Biography Channel. The show is about children who remember their most recent past life. These children were people who died violently in their most recent past life and quickly reincarnated. According to the show's webpage, "The Ghost Inside My Child shares stories that are often inexplicable and confounding. These young children are having very real memories and very real experiences…that belong to someone else."
This is the type of show that makes me wish I had cable! Video clips are available. The first episode is about a boy named Cade whose past life memories make his mother, Molly Curnutte, think he was killed during 9/11. The video clips show one of his drawings which is a plane heading for two tall buildings looking very much like the towers.
With any luck, these episodes will be available to view on-line someday.
Reincarnation and Biology - an interesting article about children who remember past lives.
The Ghost Inside My Child Facebook Page
Update: Full Episodes Available for Viewing
This is the type of show that makes me wish I had cable! Video clips are available. The first episode is about a boy named Cade whose past life memories make his mother, Molly Curnutte, think he was killed during 9/11. The video clips show one of his drawings which is a plane heading for two tall buildings looking very much like the towers.
With any luck, these episodes will be available to view on-line someday.
Reincarnation and Biology - an interesting article about children who remember past lives.
The Ghost Inside My Child Facebook Page
Update: Full Episodes Available for Viewing
Government Permission Required When Reincarnating
This is a little old, but I love it. A few years back the Chinese banned Tibetan Monks from reincarnating without government permission. In addition, they specifically banned the Dalai Lama from reincarnating. Eventually they had a change of heart and ordered the Dalai Lama to reincarnate in Tibet. This all sounds like a page out of Saturday Night Live but its not! This is serious stuff!
Pain
Much of your pain is self-chosen.
It is the bitter potion by which
the physician within you heals your sick self.
Therefore trust the physician, and drink
his remedy in silence and tranquility:
For his hand, though heavy and hard,
is guided by the tender hand of the Unseen.
-Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet
Amazonia: Healing With Sacred Planets
Amazonia: Healing With Sacred Plants is a documentary by Alberto Villoldo, a Cuban-born psychologist, anthropologist and author who has devoted 25 years of his life to studying the shamatic healing practices of Amazon and Inca shamans.
Villoldo started his career in a brain laboratory in San Francisco where he and others were studying the development of psychosomatic disease. According to Villoldo, "One day I realized that I had been looking out of the wrong end of the microscope, becoming caught in the minutiae of neurons and brain chemistry, and missing the larger picture of the mind. I decided to leave my lab and traveled to the Amazon, to work and study with medicine men who had no MRI’s and brain scans, only the power of the mind and local herbs to heal their patients."
High up in the Andes mountains, Villoldo discovered a group of healers who specialized in treating illness before it manifested in the physical body. They achieved this by working on a person's Luminous Energy Field rather than the physical body.
Villoldo eventually returned to The United States and founded The Four Winds. The Four Winds Light Body School offers students extensive professional training in energy medicine based on the 50,000-year-old wisdom teachings of the ancient Americas. The school's goal is to teach people how to become modern day shamans who "learn to live in balance, and share their skills to be of deepest service and make a difference in the world."
Villoldo learned a great deal about energy medicine and healing with sacred plants in the Amazon. He has authored several books on the subjects and produced the beautiful and informative documentary, Amazonia: Healing With Sacred Plants.
Another fascinating video related to this subject is Peru: Hell and Back which is a National Geographic Adventure exclusive.
Villoldo started his career in a brain laboratory in San Francisco where he and others were studying the development of psychosomatic disease. According to Villoldo, "One day I realized that I had been looking out of the wrong end of the microscope, becoming caught in the minutiae of neurons and brain chemistry, and missing the larger picture of the mind. I decided to leave my lab and traveled to the Amazon, to work and study with medicine men who had no MRI’s and brain scans, only the power of the mind and local herbs to heal their patients."
High up in the Andes mountains, Villoldo discovered a group of healers who specialized in treating illness before it manifested in the physical body. They achieved this by working on a person's Luminous Energy Field rather than the physical body.
Villoldo eventually returned to The United States and founded The Four Winds. The Four Winds Light Body School offers students extensive professional training in energy medicine based on the 50,000-year-old wisdom teachings of the ancient Americas. The school's goal is to teach people how to become modern day shamans who "learn to live in balance, and share their skills to be of deepest service and make a difference in the world."
Villoldo learned a great deal about energy medicine and healing with sacred plants in the Amazon. He has authored several books on the subjects and produced the beautiful and informative documentary, Amazonia: Healing With Sacred Plants.
Another fascinating video related to this subject is Peru: Hell and Back which is a National Geographic Adventure exclusive.
Books by Albert Villoldo:
Healing States: A Journey Into the World of Spiritual Healing and Shamanism
Dance of the Four Winds: Secrets of the Inca Medicine Wheel
Island of the Sun: Mastering the Inca Medicine Wheel
Shaman, Healer, Sage: How to Heal Yourself and Others with the Energy Medicine of the Americas
Mending The Past & Healing The Future With Soul Retrieval
Yoga, Power, and Spirit: Patanjali the Shaman
The Four Insights: Wisdom, Power, and Grace of the Earthkeepers
Courageous Dreaming: How Shamans Dream the World into Being
Power Up Your Brain: The Neuroscience of Enlightenment
Seth Speaks
Seth Speaks was one of the most important and interesting books I read in my life. This book simply resonated with me. Prior to its publication, I was reading every Edgar Cayce book I could get my hands on. Cayce's work also resonated with me, but Jane Robert's Seth books were easier to read as the syntax was more modern and less convoluted. I purchased this book more than once. I would read it over and over and when it somehow disappeared, I would buy another copy.Seth was a non-physical personality who spoke through Jane Roberts. In other words, Jane Roberts channeled Seth. Seth spoke about topics I was interested in: the power of belief, life after death, karma, reincarnation, God, the nature of reality, so on and so forth. I can't remember anything that Seth said that did not resonate with my own beliefs. I think I was attracted to the Seth series of books as they validated my own thoughts and ideas.
I read one Seth book after another, but Seth Speaks was my favorite. I also enjoyed The Education of Oversoul 7 which is a novel and the first book of a trilogy. The Oversoul 7 Trilogy is a work of fiction in which Roberts attempts to demonstrate the concepts she channeled in story form.
***
"The human personality has no limitations except those which it accepts. There are no limits to its development or growth, if it will accept no limits. There are no boundaries to the self except those boundaries which the self arbitrarily creates and perpetuates." - Seth
***
Book List
Seth Speaks: The Eternal Validity of the Soul
The Nature of Personal Reality: A Seth Book
The "Unknown" Reality, Volumes I & II
The Nature of the Psyche: Its Human Expression
The Individual and the Nature of Mass Events: A Seth Book
Dreams, "Evolution," and Value Fulfillment, Volumes I & II
The Magical Approach
Nebuchadnezzar II and Saddam
I have an interest in reincarnation so I often browse the internet reading reincarnation case studies. Today I stumbled upon an article reporting that Saddam Hussein sincerely believed that he was the reincarnation of Nebuchadnezzar II. Normally I would have bypassed this as I have little interest in Saddam Hussein and know next to nothing about Nebuchadnezzar II.
Years ago I bought one of Dick Sutphen's astral projection hypnosis tapes. Every time I listened to it, I fell asleep. There was one time, however, when Sutphen commanded me to wake back up, that I was left with a vision of a man in a white robe and I heard the name "Nebuchadnezzar." Was the man in the robe Nebuchadnezzar? Who knows. I told a friend, who told a friend, who said he was some guy in the Bible. I looked in the Bible and found this name in the Book of Daniel. That was the extent of my research.
Reading that Saddam Hussein believed he was a reincarnation of Nebuchadnezzar II brought memories of this experience back into my consciousness and peaked my interest a bit.
Nebuchadnezzar II was "the greatest king of ancient Babylon" according to the Ancient History Encyclopedia. He ruled Babylon from 634 BCE to 562 BCE. Babylon become the most powerful city state in the region under this warrior king. In the Bible he is said to be portrayed as an enemy of God.
Like many ancient kings, it seems that Nebuchadnezzar was bent on conquest and attaining power. What is more interesting, at least to me, is that he hoped to make the city of Babylon one of the wonders of the world. Today, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon are one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
According to the Ancient History Encyclopedia, Surviving an apparent seven-year bout with insanity (the cause of which is still not known today) Nebuchadnezzar II created a city which was not only wonderous to behold but also a center for the arts and intellectual pursuits. Women enjoyed equal rights with men under Nebuchadnezzar’s rule (though, certainly, not completely equal in status nor opportunity by any modern-day standard) schools and temples were plentiful and literacy, mathematics and craftsmanship flourished along with a tolerance of, and interest in, other gods of other faiths. The great king died, as he had hoped, in the magnificent city he had built, an old man."
Back to Saddam. According to investigative mythologist William Henry, Saddam believed himself to be the literal reincarnation of Nebuchadnezzar II. "It is well known that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein has connected himself with Nebuchadnezzar, spending over $500 million during the 1980's on the reconstruction and the re-establishment of ancient Babylon, the capitol of Nebuchadnezzar. Over sixty million bricks have been made to place in the walls of Babylon, each engraved with the inscription 'To King Nebuchadnezzar in the reign of Saddam Hussein.'" - William Henry.
Was Saddam once Nebuchadnezzar or was he delusional? I don't know.
Years ago I bought one of Dick Sutphen's astral projection hypnosis tapes. Every time I listened to it, I fell asleep. There was one time, however, when Sutphen commanded me to wake back up, that I was left with a vision of a man in a white robe and I heard the name "Nebuchadnezzar." Was the man in the robe Nebuchadnezzar? Who knows. I told a friend, who told a friend, who said he was some guy in the Bible. I looked in the Bible and found this name in the Book of Daniel. That was the extent of my research.
Reading that Saddam Hussein believed he was a reincarnation of Nebuchadnezzar II brought memories of this experience back into my consciousness and peaked my interest a bit.
Nebuchadnezzar II was "the greatest king of ancient Babylon" according to the Ancient History Encyclopedia. He ruled Babylon from 634 BCE to 562 BCE. Babylon become the most powerful city state in the region under this warrior king. In the Bible he is said to be portrayed as an enemy of God.
Like many ancient kings, it seems that Nebuchadnezzar was bent on conquest and attaining power. What is more interesting, at least to me, is that he hoped to make the city of Babylon one of the wonders of the world. Today, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon are one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
According to the Ancient History Encyclopedia, Surviving an apparent seven-year bout with insanity (the cause of which is still not known today) Nebuchadnezzar II created a city which was not only wonderous to behold but also a center for the arts and intellectual pursuits. Women enjoyed equal rights with men under Nebuchadnezzar’s rule (though, certainly, not completely equal in status nor opportunity by any modern-day standard) schools and temples were plentiful and literacy, mathematics and craftsmanship flourished along with a tolerance of, and interest in, other gods of other faiths. The great king died, as he had hoped, in the magnificent city he had built, an old man."
Back to Saddam. According to investigative mythologist William Henry, Saddam believed himself to be the literal reincarnation of Nebuchadnezzar II. "It is well known that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein has connected himself with Nebuchadnezzar, spending over $500 million during the 1980's on the reconstruction and the re-establishment of ancient Babylon, the capitol of Nebuchadnezzar. Over sixty million bricks have been made to place in the walls of Babylon, each engraved with the inscription 'To King Nebuchadnezzar in the reign of Saddam Hussein.'" - William Henry.
Was Saddam once Nebuchadnezzar or was he delusional? I don't know.
Dolphins Respond to Their Names
The BBC reports that scientists have evidence that dolphins call each other by name. This name is a unique whistle. When one dolphin sounds a particular whistle, the dolphin whose whistle, or name, it is responds. Dolphins only respond to their own whistle and not that of other dolphins.
Marine biologists Dr. Stephanie King and Dr Vincent Janik, of the University of St Andrews, conducted sound playback experiments with bottlenose dolphins on the east coast of Scotland and found that each dolphin only reacted when hearing a computer version of its own unique whistle, but not to other whistles played to it. They concluded that these whistles function as names.
According to DR. Janik, "Our results present the first case of naming in mammals, providing a clear parallel between dolphin and human communication. In experimental work, parrots are also good at learning novel sounds and using them to label objects. Some parrots may also use these skills in their own communication. Thus, both dolphins and parrots present interesting avenues of research for understanding labelling or naming in the animal kingdom.”
Although this research is interesting, its not really surprising. What I'd like to know is how each dolphin is assigned a particular whistle. By its mother?
Reading about this study reminded me of one of my favorite movies - The Day of the Dolphin - a science fiction thriller from the 70s.
"A brilliant and driven scientist, Jake Terrell, and his young and beautiful wife, Maggie, train dolphins to communicate with humans. This is done by teaching the dolphins to speak English in dolphin-like voices. Two of his dolphins, Alpha ("Fa") and Beta ("Bea"), are stolen by officials of the shadowy Franklin Foundation headed by Harold DeMilo, the supportive backer of the Terrells' research. After the dolphins are kidnapped, an investigation by an undercover government agent for hire, Curtis Mahoney, reveals that the Institute is planning to further train the dolphins to carry out a political assassination by having them place a limpet mine on the hull of the yacht of the President of the United States." - Wikipedia
BBC Article
Research Abstract
University of St Andrews News
The Day of the Dolphin on YouTube
Marine biologists Dr. Stephanie King and Dr Vincent Janik, of the University of St Andrews, conducted sound playback experiments with bottlenose dolphins on the east coast of Scotland and found that each dolphin only reacted when hearing a computer version of its own unique whistle, but not to other whistles played to it. They concluded that these whistles function as names.
According to DR. Janik, "Our results present the first case of naming in mammals, providing a clear parallel between dolphin and human communication. In experimental work, parrots are also good at learning novel sounds and using them to label objects. Some parrots may also use these skills in their own communication. Thus, both dolphins and parrots present interesting avenues of research for understanding labelling or naming in the animal kingdom.”
Although this research is interesting, its not really surprising. What I'd like to know is how each dolphin is assigned a particular whistle. By its mother?
Reading about this study reminded me of one of my favorite movies - The Day of the Dolphin - a science fiction thriller from the 70s.
"A brilliant and driven scientist, Jake Terrell, and his young and beautiful wife, Maggie, train dolphins to communicate with humans. This is done by teaching the dolphins to speak English in dolphin-like voices. Two of his dolphins, Alpha ("Fa") and Beta ("Bea"), are stolen by officials of the shadowy Franklin Foundation headed by Harold DeMilo, the supportive backer of the Terrells' research. After the dolphins are kidnapped, an investigation by an undercover government agent for hire, Curtis Mahoney, reveals that the Institute is planning to further train the dolphins to carry out a political assassination by having them place a limpet mine on the hull of the yacht of the President of the United States." - Wikipedia
BBC Article
Research Abstract
University of St Andrews News
The Day of the Dolphin on YouTube
A Memo for CEE
I've never been one for reading poetry, though I've written some. Patti Smith, Jim Morrison and Dylan are about it for me. Then Warren decided it was time to go and passed on. About the same time a package of poetry arrived in the mailbox - Warren's mailbox.
I looked it over and read the letter. Hmmmm. I saw more like this on the bookshelf behind Warren's desk. Yes. Let me look. Bingo. More letters and poetry by CEE.
I was attracted to it. I told the others that we have to find out who this CEE is and let him or her know that Warren moved on. Everyone said, "I'll do it."
I scoured the internet trying to find an email address for CEE. No luck. I had left the envelop and poetry with Warren's heir. There was a return address. I did not have it, but I knew it existed. If I had it, I would have mailed a letter.
Six months later, another envelop with a book of poems arrived in the mail. It was addressed to "The Mysterious M" c/o Warren. Reading the letter I realized that CEE had received a letter from Warren's heir, "The Mysterious M." I asked her about it and she said she wrote to him one night in March. She informed him of Warren's passing. She said, "I think I wrote 'To Whom it May Concern...'"
Reading the letter, I learned that CEE scoured the internet looking for an obituary or something to confirm the sad news. He wanted to know more, like when? Cee, it was New Year's Eve. Warren never showed up to the party. The next day "The Mysterious M" went to his house as he was not answering the phone. And, ok, you know....
"The Mysterious M" and Warren were very close. She was distraught. That is why it took her almost three months to contact you. She never got to the part about doing an obituary. That is how Warren evaded the internet.
"The Mysterious M" will write to you again. She has your letter and the book you sent. You are right, she is not that other woman with a name beginning with "M" - the one whose handwriting you compared hers to. You never met this "Mysterious M." And I assure you, I am not she. She does not do the internet and doesn't bother with computers, cell phones and such.
I enjoyed Onderdonkey. It inspired me to find where we put your older works and re-read them this rainy night.
Anyone interested?
Poet Hound: Still Life Is A Human by CEE
Poetry by CEE
Bless Capt Warren Stickey!!!
I looked it over and read the letter. Hmmmm. I saw more like this on the bookshelf behind Warren's desk. Yes. Let me look. Bingo. More letters and poetry by CEE.
I was attracted to it. I told the others that we have to find out who this CEE is and let him or her know that Warren moved on. Everyone said, "I'll do it."
I scoured the internet trying to find an email address for CEE. No luck. I had left the envelop and poetry with Warren's heir. There was a return address. I did not have it, but I knew it existed. If I had it, I would have mailed a letter.
Six months later, another envelop with a book of poems arrived in the mail. It was addressed to "The Mysterious M" c/o Warren. Reading the letter I realized that CEE had received a letter from Warren's heir, "The Mysterious M." I asked her about it and she said she wrote to him one night in March. She informed him of Warren's passing. She said, "I think I wrote 'To Whom it May Concern...'"
Reading the letter, I learned that CEE scoured the internet looking for an obituary or something to confirm the sad news. He wanted to know more, like when? Cee, it was New Year's Eve. Warren never showed up to the party. The next day "The Mysterious M" went to his house as he was not answering the phone. And, ok, you know....
"The Mysterious M" and Warren were very close. She was distraught. That is why it took her almost three months to contact you. She never got to the part about doing an obituary. That is how Warren evaded the internet.
"The Mysterious M" will write to you again. She has your letter and the book you sent. You are right, she is not that other woman with a name beginning with "M" - the one whose handwriting you compared hers to. You never met this "Mysterious M." And I assure you, I am not she. She does not do the internet and doesn't bother with computers, cell phones and such.
I enjoyed Onderdonkey. It inspired me to find where we put your older works and re-read them this rainy night.
Anyone interested?
Poet Hound: Still Life Is A Human by CEE
Poetry by CEE
Bless Capt Warren Stickey!!!
Karma or the Secret of the Mirror Universe
Karma Or the Secret of the Mirror Universe
By Jonathan Parker, Ph.D.
The mirror universe is perhaps the most important and profound understanding you can have about life, because it affects literally every experience you have. It takes everything you try to externalize and says there is nothing external. When you finally realize that the universe is a perfect mirror, reflecting back to you precisely and exactly what you have been holding in consciousness at the deepest levels, your life will change.
The Cosmic Mirror
Most people experience the majority of their thoughts and feelings in response to what they are experiencing in their life. For instance, there are bills to pay, meetings to attend, problems to solve and some things not going the way one would want. When those are the kinds of things that occupy a person's mind rather than being focused on what that person does want, the universe reflects back to that person what they projected with their thoughts and feelings at both a conscious and subconscious level.
What turns out to be your mirrors are your friends, relatives, family, work, talents, situations, possessions, capabilities, opportunities, and everything else in your life. If you want to know what you believe, simply look at your life-It is a perfect reflection of what beliefs you hold at a very deep level.
Here Comes Karma
Everyone has heard the proverb, "You reap what you sow, but most people apply this to circumstances that usually have a negative consequence, like, "He wasted his life on gambling and alcohol and now he is reaping what he sowed." But it has a far broader meaning than people know or want to admit. It is so broad, as a matter of fact, that if people really thought about it they might find the implications frightening, and yet, on the other hand, it is also a key to unlocking everything you could ever want.
In a nutshell here is the key to life, the universe is a perfect mirror reflecting back to you precisely and exactly what you have been holding at the deepest levels of your consciousness. That sounds so simple, but I don't think most people ever think about it, or live their lives as if it were true. The very nature of the universe is that it has to give you what you ask for. This is why people of all faiths praying to God by different names still works. If a call goes out with faith, belief, and knowing that there is a God who will answer, the sincerity, belief and conviction of the intention causes the universe to respond. This is the way everything has been set up. It is the perfect system of justice.
So the reason people often don't have or get what they consciously want is because they have counter programs running deeply within them that put out the opposite intention into the universe. The forces of our feelings and beliefs from the past create the currents that orchestrate circumstances in our life today. This is essentially one of the ways karma works. Whatever we have energized in the past will manifest in our present and future unless we do something to change it.
A Key to Mindfulness & Change
When you finally realize that the universe is a perfect mirror, reflecting back to you precisely and exactly what you have been holding in consciousness at the deepest levels, your life will change. For one thing if you really pursue what this means you will do a deep soul searching, and begin to see how you have created your reality and how to create other realities.
Being aware of the mirror universe also causes you to become much more mindful through the day because you will find you are in the process of creation all the time. This is perhaps the most important and profound understanding you can have about life, because it affects literally every experience you have.
This understanding reduces everything down to a very basic process that is phenomenal. If something in your life is not working you don't have to waste your time looking outside of yourself for the cause, because it isn't there. You just look inside and even if you don't know what the cause is, as long as you get in touch with the feeling it creates you can clear the cause. This is most profound in it's simplicity.
The Problem
Here's the first part of the problem. No one likes admitting they are the cause of their own miserable circumstances, so outside causes are always found, or sometimes a person will say we are all responsible for what happened. This is not exactly true. You are totally and completely the source of everything that you experience. I don't say that to make you feel badly; quite the contrary. I say that so you will realize that since you are the sole source of your life experience you can create your life the way you want it. Can you see who there is tremendous power in this knowledge?
The place to start is by acknowledging that the first part of the problem with accepting the idea of the mirror universe is that you don't want to believe it.
A True Story
Let me tell you a true story as just one example. A person was having all sorts of trouble with her car. The first problem was that the battery kept going dead and the car was taken into the shop several times but they couldn't find the problem. Sometimes the battery would go dead and sometimes it wouldn't. The second problem with this car was that it would stall on occasion. Again, the shop could not find the source of the problem. The third problem was that the ignition would screech when the car was started. This all happened over a period of several weeks and numerous trips to the shop to have the car looked at. None of the problems were able to be resolved.
This person being a conscious person decided to sit down and do some introspection to find out what was being reflected to them through their car troubles. What she discovered was that all 3 car problems related to personal struggles she was going through, and she concluded that her soul, God, or nature was trying to get a message through to her in the most vivid manner possible.
She realized that what was happening on the outside was a reflection of what was happening inside of her. Here is how she analyzed the situation:
1. The battery died before its time. The battery was only 2 years old. She realized she hadn't charged her goals with enough energy within herself to succeed.
2. The engine would turn over and then stall or die. In her personal life she couldn't get past the first spark of inspiration to make her ideas get going.
3. The engine would screech when the ignition was attempted. She interpreted this as the engine expressing its outrage toward her because a part of it's own make-up was in need of repair and she was screaming her outrage at needing her own internal repair.
Now, I know you can say she was creating a myth or story that was all in her imagination, and while that may be true it was still having a real effect on her life.
So she looked at her situations through the model of her life being a mirror of her own consciousness and that enabled her to address her questions, issues and doubts. As a result she was able to get clear and get things moving in her life.
Once she realized there were parallels between what she was experiencing inwardly that were manifesting through problems with her car, when she took the car back to the mechanic and he was able to fix the car and it then ran perfectly.
The universe has all possibilities waiting to manifest, and it supports you in creating whatever you empower to create through your inner beliefs and intentions. Consider...while one person is making excuses why something hasn't worked for them, someone else is busy making a success of it with very nearly the same tools and circumstances.
The Second Problem with The Mirror Universe Model
Why do things seem to work for some and not others? The answer lies in the second part of the problem associated with the Mirror Universe model, and that is that the source or cause of circumstances is usually not immediately obvious. In fact, the origin of the pattern can date back many years or even lifetimes.
The beliefs you hold are so intrinsically held in your consciousness and in particular the unconscious areas of your mind, that you believe you had nothing to say about how you got where you are and what the circumstances are. You think you are a victim of circumstances, or that you were just dealt a bad hand, or destiny didn't shine on you, or you have bad luck, or you weren't born at the right time, in the right place, or with the right parents. Right? Haven't you thought about some of those things?
Well, if you haven't thought about those things, think about them now. How did you get where you are? Was it all blind chance? No. The answer lies in realizing you live in a mirror universe. The mirror universe is perhaps the most important and profound understanding you can have about life, because it affects literally every experience you have. It takes everything you try to externalize and says there is nothing external.
Now, don't get down on yourself about this. I know it would be easy to think you screwed up somewhere and don't even remember when or how. Don't go in that direction because the mirror-universe awareness is actually very, very good news because it means that you can change your life. Rather than blaming yourself or anyone else, you can use the many tools for transformation that are available and you go into the very cells of consciousness that have formed your life experiences and shift or release the patterns.
The mirror universe is the perfect system of justice. When anyone makes a willful choice they set in motion the forces for the universe to reflect back to them precisely what they have willed and projected. The manifestation may not be immediate but it will manifest. This reduces everything down to a very basic process that is phenomenal. If something in your life is not the way you want it, look inside and clear the patterns that aren't working and establish the patterns to create what you want.
How to Work the Mirror Universe in Your Favor
You may say, "I believe I should be healthy, wealthy, and wise, but my life doesn't reflect it." If you think about it you would have to admit that you don't have a clue how your arrived at where you are. You can't really explain why you exist, and why all the things that have happened in your life have happened the way they have. It all truly seems to emerge from some mysterious place you don't know much about.
Everything emerges from thoughts, words, actions, beliefs and feelings we have energized in the past. We live in a field of potentiality that creates and forms itself according to our deepest thoughts and patterns we have set in motion. And yet there is no will or consciousness other than your own making decisions for you. It is totally your will, beliefs, intentions and desires that impel creation and therefore your experiences.
Although, thinking of what your life can be is a good start, you must have the idea and vision of where you want to go if you ever expect to get there. If you don't have that focus then rather than being self-determined you will be subject to the patterns of your past or the whims of others.
You can either make a determination for love and harmony, or one of discord and pain. It is only when you start to awaken to deeper truths than what the 5 senses tell you that you realize how you arrived at where you find yourself today.
Everything you think and do everyday is feeding into the stories which you are scripting and then live by. The stories you tell yourself today are the scripts that will manifest tomorrow. When you understand how this works it will definitely give you a motivation to make you more mindful about what you think, say and do.
The trick is finding out what you are doing that is creating what you don't want and discovering what you can do to create what you do want. Start by becoming quiet and still and take your attention away from what you don't want, and place your attention on what you wish to experience. Once you decide what you want believe you can have it, believe you deserve it, believe it's possible for you and believe it is manifesting in your life now.
When the voice, vision and belief on the inside become more profound and clear than the opinions on the outside, then you have mastered your life.
For more information visit my website. See below.
Jonathan Parker is the founder and director of Quantum Quests International. For over 30 years he has been a counselor, workshop facilitator and author of one of the largest self-development libraries in the world. It is his voice you will hear on all the programs we offer.
Jonathan has university degrees in Education, Chemistry, Theology, Counseling Psychology, and Human Behavior & Development, but his life-long relentless quest for unraveling the many questions and mysteries of life also led him on a broad journey into comparative religion, quantum physics, clinical psychology, Huna, Theosophy, botany, astronomy, Sufism, nutrition, music, hypnosis, psychic phenomena, NLP, energy medicine, meditation, and metaphysics.
His website is http://www.QuantumQuests.com where you will find audio and video programs, blogs, articles and many programs.
His work has earned him a high standing with many companies, clinics, schools, universities, prisons, and health professionals who regularly use his programs. Olympic athletes, doctors, judges, and the clergy of many denominations and faiths have also used his programs. To date people in more than 75 countries around the world have benefited from his programs.
Jonathan Parker has been ahead of his time with many innovative applications of accelerated learning and personal transformation techniques. His wide spectrum of programs tap the deepest reservoir of human capabilities and inspire success in achieving the highest of human potentials. His programs have touched the lives of millions lifting them to achieve their dreams of vibrant health, winning performances, and reaching the heights of the human spirit!
You are invited to join Jonathan at an upcoming class or retreat, or for private spiritual consultations via phone. Jonathan utilizes rare intuitive gifts to assist you with mental and emotional clearing, energy healing, soul integration, self-realization and meditation.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jonathan_Parker,_Ph.D.
http://EzineArticles.com/?Karma-Or-the-Secret-of-the-Mirror-Universe&id=1895109
By Jonathan Parker, Ph.D.
The mirror universe is perhaps the most important and profound understanding you can have about life, because it affects literally every experience you have. It takes everything you try to externalize and says there is nothing external. When you finally realize that the universe is a perfect mirror, reflecting back to you precisely and exactly what you have been holding in consciousness at the deepest levels, your life will change.
The Cosmic Mirror
Most people experience the majority of their thoughts and feelings in response to what they are experiencing in their life. For instance, there are bills to pay, meetings to attend, problems to solve and some things not going the way one would want. When those are the kinds of things that occupy a person's mind rather than being focused on what that person does want, the universe reflects back to that person what they projected with their thoughts and feelings at both a conscious and subconscious level.
What turns out to be your mirrors are your friends, relatives, family, work, talents, situations, possessions, capabilities, opportunities, and everything else in your life. If you want to know what you believe, simply look at your life-It is a perfect reflection of what beliefs you hold at a very deep level.
Here Comes Karma
Everyone has heard the proverb, "You reap what you sow, but most people apply this to circumstances that usually have a negative consequence, like, "He wasted his life on gambling and alcohol and now he is reaping what he sowed." But it has a far broader meaning than people know or want to admit. It is so broad, as a matter of fact, that if people really thought about it they might find the implications frightening, and yet, on the other hand, it is also a key to unlocking everything you could ever want.
In a nutshell here is the key to life, the universe is a perfect mirror reflecting back to you precisely and exactly what you have been holding at the deepest levels of your consciousness. That sounds so simple, but I don't think most people ever think about it, or live their lives as if it were true. The very nature of the universe is that it has to give you what you ask for. This is why people of all faiths praying to God by different names still works. If a call goes out with faith, belief, and knowing that there is a God who will answer, the sincerity, belief and conviction of the intention causes the universe to respond. This is the way everything has been set up. It is the perfect system of justice.
So the reason people often don't have or get what they consciously want is because they have counter programs running deeply within them that put out the opposite intention into the universe. The forces of our feelings and beliefs from the past create the currents that orchestrate circumstances in our life today. This is essentially one of the ways karma works. Whatever we have energized in the past will manifest in our present and future unless we do something to change it.
A Key to Mindfulness & Change
When you finally realize that the universe is a perfect mirror, reflecting back to you precisely and exactly what you have been holding in consciousness at the deepest levels, your life will change. For one thing if you really pursue what this means you will do a deep soul searching, and begin to see how you have created your reality and how to create other realities.
Being aware of the mirror universe also causes you to become much more mindful through the day because you will find you are in the process of creation all the time. This is perhaps the most important and profound understanding you can have about life, because it affects literally every experience you have.
This understanding reduces everything down to a very basic process that is phenomenal. If something in your life is not working you don't have to waste your time looking outside of yourself for the cause, because it isn't there. You just look inside and even if you don't know what the cause is, as long as you get in touch with the feeling it creates you can clear the cause. This is most profound in it's simplicity.
The Problem
Here's the first part of the problem. No one likes admitting they are the cause of their own miserable circumstances, so outside causes are always found, or sometimes a person will say we are all responsible for what happened. This is not exactly true. You are totally and completely the source of everything that you experience. I don't say that to make you feel badly; quite the contrary. I say that so you will realize that since you are the sole source of your life experience you can create your life the way you want it. Can you see who there is tremendous power in this knowledge?
The place to start is by acknowledging that the first part of the problem with accepting the idea of the mirror universe is that you don't want to believe it.
A True Story
Let me tell you a true story as just one example. A person was having all sorts of trouble with her car. The first problem was that the battery kept going dead and the car was taken into the shop several times but they couldn't find the problem. Sometimes the battery would go dead and sometimes it wouldn't. The second problem with this car was that it would stall on occasion. Again, the shop could not find the source of the problem. The third problem was that the ignition would screech when the car was started. This all happened over a period of several weeks and numerous trips to the shop to have the car looked at. None of the problems were able to be resolved.
This person being a conscious person decided to sit down and do some introspection to find out what was being reflected to them through their car troubles. What she discovered was that all 3 car problems related to personal struggles she was going through, and she concluded that her soul, God, or nature was trying to get a message through to her in the most vivid manner possible.
She realized that what was happening on the outside was a reflection of what was happening inside of her. Here is how she analyzed the situation:
1. The battery died before its time. The battery was only 2 years old. She realized she hadn't charged her goals with enough energy within herself to succeed.
2. The engine would turn over and then stall or die. In her personal life she couldn't get past the first spark of inspiration to make her ideas get going.
3. The engine would screech when the ignition was attempted. She interpreted this as the engine expressing its outrage toward her because a part of it's own make-up was in need of repair and she was screaming her outrage at needing her own internal repair.
Now, I know you can say she was creating a myth or story that was all in her imagination, and while that may be true it was still having a real effect on her life.
So she looked at her situations through the model of her life being a mirror of her own consciousness and that enabled her to address her questions, issues and doubts. As a result she was able to get clear and get things moving in her life.
Once she realized there were parallels between what she was experiencing inwardly that were manifesting through problems with her car, when she took the car back to the mechanic and he was able to fix the car and it then ran perfectly.
The universe has all possibilities waiting to manifest, and it supports you in creating whatever you empower to create through your inner beliefs and intentions. Consider...while one person is making excuses why something hasn't worked for them, someone else is busy making a success of it with very nearly the same tools and circumstances.
The Second Problem with The Mirror Universe Model
Why do things seem to work for some and not others? The answer lies in the second part of the problem associated with the Mirror Universe model, and that is that the source or cause of circumstances is usually not immediately obvious. In fact, the origin of the pattern can date back many years or even lifetimes.
The beliefs you hold are so intrinsically held in your consciousness and in particular the unconscious areas of your mind, that you believe you had nothing to say about how you got where you are and what the circumstances are. You think you are a victim of circumstances, or that you were just dealt a bad hand, or destiny didn't shine on you, or you have bad luck, or you weren't born at the right time, in the right place, or with the right parents. Right? Haven't you thought about some of those things?
Well, if you haven't thought about those things, think about them now. How did you get where you are? Was it all blind chance? No. The answer lies in realizing you live in a mirror universe. The mirror universe is perhaps the most important and profound understanding you can have about life, because it affects literally every experience you have. It takes everything you try to externalize and says there is nothing external.
Now, don't get down on yourself about this. I know it would be easy to think you screwed up somewhere and don't even remember when or how. Don't go in that direction because the mirror-universe awareness is actually very, very good news because it means that you can change your life. Rather than blaming yourself or anyone else, you can use the many tools for transformation that are available and you go into the very cells of consciousness that have formed your life experiences and shift or release the patterns.
The mirror universe is the perfect system of justice. When anyone makes a willful choice they set in motion the forces for the universe to reflect back to them precisely what they have willed and projected. The manifestation may not be immediate but it will manifest. This reduces everything down to a very basic process that is phenomenal. If something in your life is not the way you want it, look inside and clear the patterns that aren't working and establish the patterns to create what you want.
How to Work the Mirror Universe in Your Favor
You may say, "I believe I should be healthy, wealthy, and wise, but my life doesn't reflect it." If you think about it you would have to admit that you don't have a clue how your arrived at where you are. You can't really explain why you exist, and why all the things that have happened in your life have happened the way they have. It all truly seems to emerge from some mysterious place you don't know much about.
Everything emerges from thoughts, words, actions, beliefs and feelings we have energized in the past. We live in a field of potentiality that creates and forms itself according to our deepest thoughts and patterns we have set in motion. And yet there is no will or consciousness other than your own making decisions for you. It is totally your will, beliefs, intentions and desires that impel creation and therefore your experiences.
Although, thinking of what your life can be is a good start, you must have the idea and vision of where you want to go if you ever expect to get there. If you don't have that focus then rather than being self-determined you will be subject to the patterns of your past or the whims of others.
You can either make a determination for love and harmony, or one of discord and pain. It is only when you start to awaken to deeper truths than what the 5 senses tell you that you realize how you arrived at where you find yourself today.
Everything you think and do everyday is feeding into the stories which you are scripting and then live by. The stories you tell yourself today are the scripts that will manifest tomorrow. When you understand how this works it will definitely give you a motivation to make you more mindful about what you think, say and do.
The trick is finding out what you are doing that is creating what you don't want and discovering what you can do to create what you do want. Start by becoming quiet and still and take your attention away from what you don't want, and place your attention on what you wish to experience. Once you decide what you want believe you can have it, believe you deserve it, believe it's possible for you and believe it is manifesting in your life now.
When the voice, vision and belief on the inside become more profound and clear than the opinions on the outside, then you have mastered your life.
For more information visit my website. See below.
Jonathan Parker is the founder and director of Quantum Quests International. For over 30 years he has been a counselor, workshop facilitator and author of one of the largest self-development libraries in the world. It is his voice you will hear on all the programs we offer.
Jonathan has university degrees in Education, Chemistry, Theology, Counseling Psychology, and Human Behavior & Development, but his life-long relentless quest for unraveling the many questions and mysteries of life also led him on a broad journey into comparative religion, quantum physics, clinical psychology, Huna, Theosophy, botany, astronomy, Sufism, nutrition, music, hypnosis, psychic phenomena, NLP, energy medicine, meditation, and metaphysics.
His website is http://www.QuantumQuests.com where you will find audio and video programs, blogs, articles and many programs.
His work has earned him a high standing with many companies, clinics, schools, universities, prisons, and health professionals who regularly use his programs. Olympic athletes, doctors, judges, and the clergy of many denominations and faiths have also used his programs. To date people in more than 75 countries around the world have benefited from his programs.
Jonathan Parker has been ahead of his time with many innovative applications of accelerated learning and personal transformation techniques. His wide spectrum of programs tap the deepest reservoir of human capabilities and inspire success in achieving the highest of human potentials. His programs have touched the lives of millions lifting them to achieve their dreams of vibrant health, winning performances, and reaching the heights of the human spirit!
You are invited to join Jonathan at an upcoming class or retreat, or for private spiritual consultations via phone. Jonathan utilizes rare intuitive gifts to assist you with mental and emotional clearing, energy healing, soul integration, self-realization and meditation.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jonathan_Parker,_Ph.D.
http://EzineArticles.com/?Karma-Or-the-Secret-of-the-Mirror-Universe&id=1895109
Relationships From the Karmic Perspective - To Be or Not to Be
Relationships From the Karmic Perspective - To Be Or Not to Be
By Marilyn Muir
Where to begin? Karma is such a vast subject and there are literally hundreds of thousands of interpretations of what it is and how it affects us. I do not have the space to wax philosophical in this article, My aim is to describe the astrological concepts to relationships. In its simplest terms, the eastern concept of karma is what is called the Law of Cause and Effect in western society. To me life is not a series of random and unconnected moments; life is more like a continuum, with each experience following in a natural sequence. Or... we can be a confused human trying to figure out their experiences. I have managed to experience both awareness and lack of awareness over my lifetime. I am sure you have as well.
Whatever you participate in or set in motion through your personal actions will have natural results that definitely belong to you even when you do not wish to own them. You may take direct action, refuse to participate, attempt to ignore, and the list continues, All these possibilities and more set something in motion which belongs exclusively to you whether you know it or not. Life does not require that you be conscious or accepting, it just needs you to be available. Know now that the common sequence is initiation, process and results, consciously or unconsciously, now or in another lifetime, so that you may not connect the results to the cause every time. Think of life as a circle that is actually a sine-wave in experience. At times you are on top of that curve and at times you are on the bottom. Eastern philosophy sees mankind on the wheel of life, doomed to repeat experiences at the same level until enlightenment removes him from the wheel. Western philosophy is not comfortable with pure fate so free will must enter the picture. We have a few popular phrases that illustrate this concept.
� For every action, there is an opposite but equal reaction.
� That which you sow, so shall you reap.
� What goes around, comes around.
� Sometimes you get the bear; sometimes the bear gets you.
Karma is a description of the process of experience. Somehow we set experience in motion and those experiences produce results. Sometimes the response comes quickly. At other times, long passages of time obscure the cause from the effect and we become puzzled and occasionally feel victimized.
Enter another person (and you were having so much fun by yourself). You have your karma and they have their karma and you have both decided to share, hopefully 50/50 or at least fairly, but usually with some surprises. You have not figured out your own karma and now you have two karmas to work through, your own and a virtual stranger's karma. Good luck. How do we look at karma in a relationship? What are the signposts? Even if you know what the signposts are, will you understand what they mean? Are both of you awake and aware enough to make this a positive experience?
Enter Astrology On a rudimentary level we can look to the nodal connections between charts to determine if any past life connections are in play. In western astrology if the connection is tied directly to the south node that indicates a link from the past. If the connection is most directly to the north node that indicates a link to the future. Did you realize that eastern astrology has quite different definitions for Rahu and Ketu (the nodes)? Since the nodes are paired, there will naturally be aspects to both nodes so choose the strongest aspect to start but do look at the potential of both positions. The south node represents karmic relationships that are rooted in the past, the reaping part of the life cycle. The north node represents your new direction or the developing or sowing of new karma. It is quite valuable to know whether you are drawn to a person because of your largely unconscious past associations or that you do have experiences to share in a now-to-future framework.
Not all relationships are comfortable and that is true of those with karmic overtones. For that you must look to the stress aspects to your nodes. Sometimes you meet a person and instant dislike arises, irrational but potent and that can interfere with relationship forming or can serve as a warning. Sometimes you meet a person that you feel like you have known forever even though you just met. Look to the benefic aspects. Should you encounter a person whose nodes are the exact reverse of yours, you can yell "Bingo!" This shows you have been tied together in the past and that you also have experience to do together in this present to future timeframe. Perhaps it is unfinished work, perhaps it is contemporary work, but the past from one chart should support the other as you move forward in experience.
To me the most difficult thing that humans do is to relate successfully. The underlying concept is that you take any two people, put them in a room, lock the door and demand that they relate successfully every moment, 24/7 until death do them part. That is not remotely realistic. We should learn from each other and hopefully grow and evolve within any relationship. If we are not part of each other's growth there is no real reason to stay in an unsuccessful relationship. It is not your "karma" to stay with a bad, no-growth-possible situation. Karma can be misunderstood to mean just that. You should both be growing or you should change experience. If for whatever reason you must stay together, attempt to put it on a positive footing for both your sakes. You are here to grow and become, not to stagnate and devolve. That is both your responsibility and your choice. Do not blame karma!
Next astrologically you would look to the synastry between the charts. Place the two wheels side by side and look at the connections overall. Remember one will be the receiver and one will be the activator in each pairing. Once you have worked your way through that pairing, reverse the charts and do the same procedure for the second person. Having one as activator while the other receives keeps the reading clear and simple, but it is just one half of the sine-wave. Using the same information reverse the activator and the receiver. That will illustrate the other half of the relating sine-wave. Once you have the general conditions between the participants, look specifically to the outer planets to determine success, failure and potential karma, the difference between benefic or malefic synastry aspects.
� Saturn can bring about responsibility, structure, duration and tenacity or it can bring roadblocks, imprisonment and depression. Choose wisely.
� Uranus can bring charisma, magic, excitement but may not stick around long enough to enjoy it. Uranus will not accept boundaries, rules, or unrelenting commitment. If you can stay loose and just enjoy the ride, without demanding what Uranus cannot and will not deliver, the relationship may continue.
� Pluto can bring about psychological depth to any relationship on many levels but it can also bring turmoil, power and control issues, manipulation, obcession. Pick your poison.
� Ah... now comes Neptune. Here comes imagination, creativity, inspiration, sympatico, spirituality and all those lovely descriptions of unconditional love. But since every front has a back we must look at the other side of Neptune to see the parts we do not want to know about such as deceit, illusion, delusion, and disillusion.
In a long ago workshop, astrologer Carol Rushman taught that the true spiritual partnership between two people is illustrated by solid and positive Venus/Neptune connections between the charts. These are the people who are so in tune that they know what each other is thinking, can finish each other's sentences, can take a long drive without talking and still be comfortable with one another. That is the true magic, when two souls are in harmony that transcends physical limitations. That sounds to me like it would be the perfect opportunity to work on that shared karma that is formed when two people enter into a relationship.
How do you get the best out of a relationship while working on the karmic patterns between the two of you? Talk about it, plan for it, work the plan, create non-judgmental and benign signals to work through the off moments that enter every life. Encourage each other, support each other, commit to both your personal growths in every way possible, respect, honor and promote the common good and the good of each individual. That is a tall order, but if you are committed to working through the karma and maintaining a good relationship, you can do it. Yes you can!
Marilyn Muir, author, "Presidents of Hope and Change: Bringing Hope to our Future by Reaching into our Astrological Past." How astrology predicts our nation's future by reaching into our past.
Jefferson, Lincoln, Kennedy, Obama... The Lineage of Hope
Using the influential and interwoven cycles of Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, Uranus and Pluto to predict issues and trends up to 2012 and even beyond to 2025, Ms Muir leaves us with the clear message of hope as she depicts the future of President Obama at the helm of the USA ship of state.
Read the first 36 pages (PDF) including the charts of all four Presidents - you'll get hooked! http://www.marilynmuir.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Marilyn_Muir
http://EzineArticles.com/?Relationships-From-the-Karmic-Perspective---To-Be-Or-Not-to-Be&id=4866367
By Marilyn Muir
Where to begin? Karma is such a vast subject and there are literally hundreds of thousands of interpretations of what it is and how it affects us. I do not have the space to wax philosophical in this article, My aim is to describe the astrological concepts to relationships. In its simplest terms, the eastern concept of karma is what is called the Law of Cause and Effect in western society. To me life is not a series of random and unconnected moments; life is more like a continuum, with each experience following in a natural sequence. Or... we can be a confused human trying to figure out their experiences. I have managed to experience both awareness and lack of awareness over my lifetime. I am sure you have as well.
Whatever you participate in or set in motion through your personal actions will have natural results that definitely belong to you even when you do not wish to own them. You may take direct action, refuse to participate, attempt to ignore, and the list continues, All these possibilities and more set something in motion which belongs exclusively to you whether you know it or not. Life does not require that you be conscious or accepting, it just needs you to be available. Know now that the common sequence is initiation, process and results, consciously or unconsciously, now or in another lifetime, so that you may not connect the results to the cause every time. Think of life as a circle that is actually a sine-wave in experience. At times you are on top of that curve and at times you are on the bottom. Eastern philosophy sees mankind on the wheel of life, doomed to repeat experiences at the same level until enlightenment removes him from the wheel. Western philosophy is not comfortable with pure fate so free will must enter the picture. We have a few popular phrases that illustrate this concept.
� For every action, there is an opposite but equal reaction.
� That which you sow, so shall you reap.
� What goes around, comes around.
� Sometimes you get the bear; sometimes the bear gets you.
Karma is a description of the process of experience. Somehow we set experience in motion and those experiences produce results. Sometimes the response comes quickly. At other times, long passages of time obscure the cause from the effect and we become puzzled and occasionally feel victimized.
Enter another person (and you were having so much fun by yourself). You have your karma and they have their karma and you have both decided to share, hopefully 50/50 or at least fairly, but usually with some surprises. You have not figured out your own karma and now you have two karmas to work through, your own and a virtual stranger's karma. Good luck. How do we look at karma in a relationship? What are the signposts? Even if you know what the signposts are, will you understand what they mean? Are both of you awake and aware enough to make this a positive experience?
Enter Astrology On a rudimentary level we can look to the nodal connections between charts to determine if any past life connections are in play. In western astrology if the connection is tied directly to the south node that indicates a link from the past. If the connection is most directly to the north node that indicates a link to the future. Did you realize that eastern astrology has quite different definitions for Rahu and Ketu (the nodes)? Since the nodes are paired, there will naturally be aspects to both nodes so choose the strongest aspect to start but do look at the potential of both positions. The south node represents karmic relationships that are rooted in the past, the reaping part of the life cycle. The north node represents your new direction or the developing or sowing of new karma. It is quite valuable to know whether you are drawn to a person because of your largely unconscious past associations or that you do have experiences to share in a now-to-future framework.
Not all relationships are comfortable and that is true of those with karmic overtones. For that you must look to the stress aspects to your nodes. Sometimes you meet a person and instant dislike arises, irrational but potent and that can interfere with relationship forming or can serve as a warning. Sometimes you meet a person that you feel like you have known forever even though you just met. Look to the benefic aspects. Should you encounter a person whose nodes are the exact reverse of yours, you can yell "Bingo!" This shows you have been tied together in the past and that you also have experience to do together in this present to future timeframe. Perhaps it is unfinished work, perhaps it is contemporary work, but the past from one chart should support the other as you move forward in experience.
To me the most difficult thing that humans do is to relate successfully. The underlying concept is that you take any two people, put them in a room, lock the door and demand that they relate successfully every moment, 24/7 until death do them part. That is not remotely realistic. We should learn from each other and hopefully grow and evolve within any relationship. If we are not part of each other's growth there is no real reason to stay in an unsuccessful relationship. It is not your "karma" to stay with a bad, no-growth-possible situation. Karma can be misunderstood to mean just that. You should both be growing or you should change experience. If for whatever reason you must stay together, attempt to put it on a positive footing for both your sakes. You are here to grow and become, not to stagnate and devolve. That is both your responsibility and your choice. Do not blame karma!
Next astrologically you would look to the synastry between the charts. Place the two wheels side by side and look at the connections overall. Remember one will be the receiver and one will be the activator in each pairing. Once you have worked your way through that pairing, reverse the charts and do the same procedure for the second person. Having one as activator while the other receives keeps the reading clear and simple, but it is just one half of the sine-wave. Using the same information reverse the activator and the receiver. That will illustrate the other half of the relating sine-wave. Once you have the general conditions between the participants, look specifically to the outer planets to determine success, failure and potential karma, the difference between benefic or malefic synastry aspects.
� Saturn can bring about responsibility, structure, duration and tenacity or it can bring roadblocks, imprisonment and depression. Choose wisely.
� Uranus can bring charisma, magic, excitement but may not stick around long enough to enjoy it. Uranus will not accept boundaries, rules, or unrelenting commitment. If you can stay loose and just enjoy the ride, without demanding what Uranus cannot and will not deliver, the relationship may continue.
� Pluto can bring about psychological depth to any relationship on many levels but it can also bring turmoil, power and control issues, manipulation, obcession. Pick your poison.
� Ah... now comes Neptune. Here comes imagination, creativity, inspiration, sympatico, spirituality and all those lovely descriptions of unconditional love. But since every front has a back we must look at the other side of Neptune to see the parts we do not want to know about such as deceit, illusion, delusion, and disillusion.
In a long ago workshop, astrologer Carol Rushman taught that the true spiritual partnership between two people is illustrated by solid and positive Venus/Neptune connections between the charts. These are the people who are so in tune that they know what each other is thinking, can finish each other's sentences, can take a long drive without talking and still be comfortable with one another. That is the true magic, when two souls are in harmony that transcends physical limitations. That sounds to me like it would be the perfect opportunity to work on that shared karma that is formed when two people enter into a relationship.
How do you get the best out of a relationship while working on the karmic patterns between the two of you? Talk about it, plan for it, work the plan, create non-judgmental and benign signals to work through the off moments that enter every life. Encourage each other, support each other, commit to both your personal growths in every way possible, respect, honor and promote the common good and the good of each individual. That is a tall order, but if you are committed to working through the karma and maintaining a good relationship, you can do it. Yes you can!
Marilyn Muir, author, "Presidents of Hope and Change: Bringing Hope to our Future by Reaching into our Astrological Past." How astrology predicts our nation's future by reaching into our past.
Jefferson, Lincoln, Kennedy, Obama... The Lineage of Hope
Using the influential and interwoven cycles of Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, Uranus and Pluto to predict issues and trends up to 2012 and even beyond to 2025, Ms Muir leaves us with the clear message of hope as she depicts the future of President Obama at the helm of the USA ship of state.
Read the first 36 pages (PDF) including the charts of all four Presidents - you'll get hooked! http://www.marilynmuir.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Marilyn_Muir
http://EzineArticles.com/?Relationships-From-the-Karmic-Perspective---To-Be-Or-Not-to-Be&id=4866367
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