RECONCILING THE MATERIAL WITH THE SPIRITUAL 
UNIVERSAL PRINCIPLES 

In the next series of blogs I plan to talk about those spiritual principles that are slowly coming into the main stream and are being validated especially by research, positive psychology and neuroscience. Meditation is already one of those but it was not so long ago that it was felt to be a bit weird in the West. Now even the U.S. army is using mindfulness meditation to help Veterans with PTSD. When I began to practice yoga in the 80's most of my colleagues thought I had lost it but now you almost cannot walk down a street in California without seeing someone with a yoga mat. Granted this is Asana yoga only one of the eight limbs of the discipline.
Even when it comes to some of the more esoteric spiritual phenomena such as kundalini, samadhi, the search for the Higher Self, shamanism or distant healing rather than giving credit to their origins modern researchers tend to make them more official and believable by inventing their own titles for phenomena that have been with us since the beginning of humanity such as; 
physiological arousal, cathartic conversion experience, coherence, superfluidity, congruence, medical intuitive, distant influence on biological systems etc.
We are returning to what we once knew with a certain arrogance in the "discovery."

Sadly with the sophistication of technology, the power of social media and the hypnosis of compelling material "stuff" it is becoming more challenging to stay on the path to spirit. There are now an ever increasing number of technological "golden calves" to distract us from truth. Many of these are useful - many are just  sexy or money making gimmicks which make us lazier. Most alarming is that our very impressionable youth are burying themselves in smart phones and violent video games rather going out to play or exploring nature's wonders. 
Jung said that the search for the higher Self is at the core of all human motivation whether we realize it or believe it or not. 
The Zohar says that when we are born we are shown the first light that occurred when the earth was born and from that time we are all impelled knowingly or not to go back to that light and to the embrace of our Creator. Maybe this is the same light and feeling of overwhelming love that folks who have had a Near Death Experience witness. It is so compelling that they do not want to come back and are coerced into doing so to complete work not yet complete. 
There are many things that get in the way of our "becoming"  or spiritual evolution.




At the end of the day its simple though difficult - attend to needs rather than wants and keep it simple so as not to distract ! 
Our ego reflects our persona which is a hazard; how we look, the car we drive, where we live, our certificates on the wall of our office, our Facebook post etc. In other words fame. 
Lao Tzu said; 
"... care about what others think and you will always be their prisoner."
 And the Ancestors affirm;

We are here to enjoy our sentient bodies but to enjoy them responsibly. The Ancestors say that we will be accountable for any physical pleasures that we are legitimately entitled to partake that we did not enjoy 

as long as they do not interfere with our karma. 

(i.e. following our destiny, help heal the planet, do no harm, subordinate the ego to the higher Self and to love or at least treat others as we ourselves would want to be loved or treated.)

 Apart from these rules which have consequences, we are here to be in joy of the creation and of ourselves.

The Ancestors

The glue that holds all of this together is spiritual practice, without which we would be lost. Just as we ourselves are all unique it behooves us to find a practice that works for our unique and special Selves. The Ancestors teach;

"There are many holy prayers and paths to transformation, you are to find the one made and meant for you."

That practice can almost be anything that is done for its own sake (not to perform, perfect or look good,) that is regular, enjoyable and sustainable. For the busy Western mind it can be more than just one thing, yoga and walking on the beach, meditation and playing ones guitar or drumming. 

It is of no use to us to follow the path of some "guru" when it does nothing to enhance our own vibration. Even if something works for a while, when it stops being useful its time to move on no matter how enlightened the teacher. One needs to be careful of teachers who insist theirs' is the only or the best way, even if it is for them and for many of their students. Krishnamurti advised strongly about avoiding the guru complex and finding one's own way. In other words to find ...

A guide from the side rather than a sage on a stage.

Also...

Many books are filled with self invented spiritual principles and untruths about profound spiritual encounters that never happened.

These next blogs will be about some of those techniques - ancient and modern -that refine our vibration and make us better human beings. Anything that aligns our chakras and our energy channels, nadis or meridians is commendable. The Ancestors are very much in favor of sensory, active forms of meditations - think of a Gospel church and Africans who say we pray by singing and dancing. There is a Chassidic saying that with song one can open the gates of heaven and...

“Joy is the infallible sign of the presence of God.”  de Chardin

Joy and gratitude are powerful form of practice. Think of the ecstatic Sufi poets. 

In future blogs we will also talk about:

 The hero/ine's journey 

Positive psychology 

 Research on gratitude

How our subconscious sabotages our progress and how to counter it with imagination 

These are universals we can all relate to and that work. They also interconnect and augment one another.

An effective spiritual life and practice should help enhance the following:

Make us more forgiving and compassionate with an increased capacity to love.

Lead to a greater ability to trust and surrender.

Help us avert complacency and encourage us to embark on more hero/ine journeys.

Bring us into alignment with our true Selves our destiny and congruence.

Bring more gratitude, meaning to our lives and equanimity.

Align our energy bodies in such a way that we have greater access to the "Field," our guides, dreams and non local information.

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THE COSMIC MYSTERY, THE FIELD & THE PARANORMAL

Faith and Kundalini can work miracles and when we fine tune our energy body and align our chakras the Ancestors affirm that...

 

We have confined ourselves to laws that we have created with our limited understandings of the 1% world that we think we know about.

They also stress that; 

"The measure of your faith is the only limit to realizing God's potential for you."

Faith and Kundalini together can miraculously induce spontaneous remission of "incurable" diseases that have defied the best that modern medicine has to offer. This is equivalent to seeing water run uphill - it should not happen! 

Both are difficult to access and attain. Faith has to come from within, as for those more than 60 cases of remission documented by the Vatican Medical Commission that occurred at Lourdes. There have been many more in other power places or from empowered healers beyond Lourdes. A common ingredient in these cases was faith and  

an inner knowing that all would be well 

and also often energy moving in the body or other paranormal experiences.

The Vatican Medical Commission probably did not know what Kundalini was but they described Kundalini like experiences in those having spontaneous remission: 

Heat (e.g. a burning fire in the chest) 

Vibrational or electrical, tingling like sensations traveling in the body especially up the spine

Peak or oneness experiences and those of transcendence

Being transported beyond oneself, O.B.E.'s and shamanic states

 Feelings of intense love, empathy or compassion

 Connecting with spirit guides or ancestors (and sometimes being told they would be well.) 

These which are similar and transcultural include ...

The large body occurs when someone has an O.B.E. (short for out of body experience) and looks down at the body which looks elongated or huge. Therianthropes are images of shapes shifting seen in ancient rock art. These are common in indigenous, nature bound peoples.

Entheogens (mind altering plants used in sacred ceremony) are another way of accessing the Field and the paranormal. This is a description of one woman's experience with Ayahuasca, the vision vine of the Amazon, facilitated by a shaman in a healing ritual. She had a spontaneous remission of her breast cancer.

Maslow's Peak experiences are similar. He (and others) have described these as occurring during childbirth, with orgasm, music, dance, drumming, body awareness, solitude, spiritual practice, uncovering a scientific discovery and in nature.

The yogis describe this as Unity Consciousness or the Oneness experience when 
Knower, Known and Process of Knowing 
fuse into one thing. Their ultimate expression of Kundalini occurs in Samadhi.

A "mini-samadhi" is more common than one might think for instance; 

You (the Knower,) the sunset you are watching (the Known) and Process of you Knowing the sunset fuse into one and for a brief moment in time you are in bliss.

There are other manifestations including; psychosis with a florid and overwhelming Kundalini (Lee Sanella the psychiatrist wrote a book on it,) magical powers such as control of fire, shamanic initiation and shaktipat where the teacher can impart Kundalini to the student (The Bushmen may shoot invisible arrows of Num into an initiate having trouble breaking through to it in the trance dance.)

There are also paranormal experiences that do not necessarily involve the flow of Kundalini like energy but are usually associated with grace or vibrational alignment of the chakras and energy channels and the opening up of the Third Eye. Grace is often associated with a state of faith.

Daat, not a true "sephira" is situated just below Keter, the Crown, on the Tree of Life.

Synchronicity occurs when an outer event coincides with an inner one such as a thought e.g. you are thinking of someone you havnt thought of in years and then the phone rings and its her on the line.
Superfluidity or being in the "Zone;" when skillful actions seem to just flow almost almost uncontrollably of their own accord (common in supreme athletes.)
Coherence or the Maharishi effect. The Maharishi university stated that when a certain number of people were meditating in an area the crime rate dropped. 
Distant healing and prayers for healing and peace work - the more the number of participants involved the more the effect. Group meditations are often more powerful than when one is on their own.
Remote viewing (and remote diagnosis)
Precognition
Telepathy 
Clairvoyance/audience/sentience 
Telekinesis or psychokinesis
Dreams - the Zohar says; "dreams are the unripe fruit of prophesy"
Trance-channeling and connecting with spirit guides

Essentially these phenomena help us in our search for 

Becoming, 

a term the Ancestors prefer to enlightenment or Self realization (since it is a journey with no arriving or end point.) They are magical and Self-affirming but not essential. 

A slow gradual change in knowing and vibrational alignment is a way of climbing up "the mountain" slowly with strong intention. We never really bag the peak! Sometimes it helps, however, to get a glimpse of the view of what may be one of a myriad of aspects of the peak with one of these experiences. Otherwise one may need to look back several years to see how far one has come otherwise the changes can be almost intangible. This can help us to actualize our progress more strongly.

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THE "FIELD" THE PARANORMAL &
THE COSMIC MYSTERY

(Apologies for the episodic change in the font size in last weeks blog - no matter how much I tried to correct it - it would just revert to small.) 
The paranormal is just the normal that has not yet been explained.
When one visits some indigenous cultures and their shamans we often believe that they have magic we cannot explain. When they witness some of our technologies they believe we are the wizards.

They are the masters of the spirit world and we hold the mysteries to science. Both are valid and should compliment each other.

As Augustine of Hippo said; "

Miracles happen not in opposition to nature but in opposition to what we know about nature."

Quantum physics is taking us beyond Newton - (which has served us well) - and is often puzzling or even contradictory. The Observer Effect tells us that when we observe a particle it changes its behavior?

We have come to rely on objective science - data and in medicine, double blind controlled studies which are limited. Eastern tradition and indigenous wisdom, however, also rely on subjective science - seeing is believing and experiencing subjectively also holds truth e.g. altered states of consciousness which often allow access to "non local" or if you prefer quantum information.

One cannot talk about the cosmic mystery without indulging in the "para"-normal. We are going where our usual language can no longer explain what is happening.

THE "FIELD"

Rumi said; "Out there beyond ideas of right doing and wrong doing, there is a Field, I will meet you there..."

And the Bhagavad Gita;

"Whatever being comes to be, be it motionless or moving derives its being from Field and Knower of the Field."

The Knower of the Field is the Great Spirit and the Field is value neutral, democratic and like the Internet light and dark must have free reign. Free will determines in which direction we choose to travel there.

The Field is mostly unknowable but can be accessed with a variety of meditative techniques. Spirt guides can help give us information not localized in space and time by downloading day time intuitions, scripting our dreams and even "visiting" us in dreams. This  requires that we "ask to receive" since the cosmos is governed by free will. Many Africans cannot understand why we are so detached from our ancestors, pay them no heed and do no rituals on their behalf. My sangoma mentor would say;  "the trouble with you folks in the West is that you do not connect to your ancestors - you are unsupported in life, like papers blowing in the wind." Remembering them ritually, having a dream journal and an altar can help. By allowing them to help us we "lift them up" (in Zulu - "pagamisa") and they can do service through our free will from the other side. This improves their karmic imprint before they need to reincarnate. We help them with gratitude, forgiveness and love. 

Accessing the Field and its wisdom is simple but extremely difficult. These are the basics: 

Have a dedicated, enjoyable, regular, sustainable spiritual practice which is done for its own sake. To the extent that one is capable of nurturing Kundalini and this life force, spirit or prana the challenge will be easier. This feminine energy located at the base of the spine is universal and well known to Southern African tribal peoples as a serpent that resides in the lower belly which is key to spiritual power. The Zulus call it Umbilini, the San Bushmen - Num. They move it by singing, chanting, dancing and drumming.

Subordinate ego (small self,) monkey mind, shadow and tricksters to the higher Self, the inclination to do good, spacious mind and our spirit guides. This requires knowledge of ancient wisdom as well as a dedicated spiritual practice.

 Open the heart, to love, forgiveness and compassion (as in namaste - I see the Divine in you) and love everyone no matter what we think of them or even if we do not even like them. This is no easy challenge.

Pay attention to dreams which can give access to non local realities and the paranormal. The Zohar teaches that dreams can be the fruits of prophesy.

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Immerse in nature and its sacred spaces and places.

Entheogens or sacred mind altering plants used in ritual are another way but one needs to be wary of who helps you navigate, site, set and setting and how well the sacred space is protected from spirit intruders. These plants can help open the door to alternative realities but although they are not addicting we have to be wary of relying on them. At the end of the day it should give way to inner techniques of which there are many. We have to find the practice that is best suited for our own unique predisposition.

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MORE ON THE COSMIC MYSTERY 
&
CONSCIOUSNESS

The Garden of Eden is the most popular universal archetype of consciousness. However, it is not meant to be a dissertation on evolution or the quantum physics of the Big Bang. The bible left that information to future scholars and never refuted that there was more to come. The bible says we were made in the Creator's image which means we all have the potential to be a microcosmic version of the Divine. Out of our historical reservoir came brilliant minds and the miracle of science, because we are a micro-holographic representation of the power of Divine imagination. We should hope that the knowledge gleaned will improve and not destroy the planet. 
This brings us back to choice and the Garden of Eden experience which is living itself out today in the play of light and dark often highlighted in some of the most popular movies such as Star Wars as well as Caine killing his brother Abel. 

However brilliant we may become we will never be able to make Something out of Nothing, as did the Creator. 

Consciousness, which science does not discuss, is complicated and involves karma, the unrelenting wheel of samsara or reincarnation and as mentioned in a previous blog; 
the power of Free will balanced between our 
Good and 
Evil inclination. 
It also has to do with the triad of; 

Spacious mind (our higher notions,) 

Narrow or our primitive, survival, Monkey mind 

and Ego. 

This triad is always in flux together with our inclination to good or to do evil (our shadow side.) To the extent we subordinate our Shadow, Monkey mind and Ego to our Good inclination and Spacious mind and not the reverse we recognize the principles of  ancient wisdom. Our spirit guides are there to help us, the tricksters to sabotage us. This template was laid down In the Beginning in Genesis where we given domain over the other Beings, to do good and not evil and to perfect the Great Spirit's creation within our microcosmic existence made in the image of the Divine. We are here to co-create with the Divine.

Many do not believe in these consciousness concepts and more than ever the drive is towards irresponsible or responsible hedonism and live for today for tomorrow we die. Dawkins, who believes that anyone who believes in a Creator suffers from delusion is a protagonist for responsible hedonism based on Darwin's theory which also speaks to the advantage of evolutionary social responsibility. Dawkins and most scientists are living in a 1% world disbelieving in many of the credible mysteries around us that science cannot prove. They thrive on information and knowledge which on their own can be spiritually bereft and incomplete without understanding, wisdom and inner knowing. The paranormal is just the normal that we cannot explain. 

Moreover, this attitude falls far short of consciousness, ancient wisdom and the Ancestors' teaching; 

"if the law does not serve love, do not serve the law!"

The law often has little to do with love and morality. This kind of limiting attitude impoverishes lives and disallows us any appreciation of the magic around us. In order to see magic and the miraculous we first have to believe it exists.

     

The Ancestors also tell us;

to take the truth from whence it comes 

and we know that not everything around us can be proven.

Also that

when you no longer need to be right that the purity of your soul will shine through.

Buddhists say they are the ultimate hedonists because Buddhism holds the key to happiness and some control over the four rivers of suffering; uncontrolled, birth, sickness, aging and death. 

Any seeker on a meaningful path towards spiritual perfection is the bird eating of the "fruit" while the skeptic look on.

We know especially from Quantum physics that our scientific knowledge is sadly deficient and we are having to live more and more within the truths of paradox - that the opposite can also be true. 

Heisenberg's Uncertainty principle states that; 

"the more precisely the position of some particle is determined (now know to be a wave and not a particle) the less precisely its momentum can be known."

This very much sounds to my non physicist mind like; the more you know the less you know.

The observer effect is also confounding to Newtonian concepts and

... "that measurements of certain particle systems cannot be made without changing and affecting something in the system. There is no separation between the observer and the observed - they are part of the same system."

We are leaving Newtonian physics behind and now appreciating that we are living in a quantum universe full of paradoxes and secrets.

This interaction does not diminish with distance (the observer can be in a place remote from the experiment for the same observer effect to occur.) 

It can act as fast as the speed of light.

It links up locations without crossing space (experiments done on remote viewing at Stanford were controlled by sealing the observer in a lead lined chamber where no electromagnetic or ultrasound or anything else could enter to account for the observer's descriptions of the remote venue.)

Action at a distance is real and not localized in space and time.

If we extrapolate from this microcosm to our macrocosm

We are all one though not the same.

There is magic and miracles all around us, both the magic of the ordinary and the extraordinary. We just have have to be able to see them through a broader vision unconfined by the limitations of science. The essence of this is having a sense of awe and mystery. Dawkins book, The God Delusion, discounts anything that science cannot explain which leads to a loss of the miraculous around us.

Neurosurgeon Eben Alexander, like most neuroscientists, always believed that the Near Death Experience was just a chemical expression of a hallucinating brain starved of oxygen. After having his own N.D.E. he is now an avid believer in a Creator, an after-life and spirit guides (in his book Proof of Heaven.) - as are those who have had an N.D.E. 

A good psychic or shaman can give one "quantum" information not localized in space and time by channelling it from the "Field" or the spirit world. In the reading ...

"Not localized in space" tells us that he or she can be in one place and you even in another country and the information channelled will still be the same as if they were sitting in front of you. 

Not localized in time may be telling of something that happened in the past or even is going to happen in the immediate future that is being revealed and is real.

The laws we have imposed on the natural world are limited and we inhibit ourselves by being confined to them. We are learning that D.N.A. and the brain are plastic whereas before they were thought to be cut in stone. Meditation can lengthen telomeres in the D.N.A. More than 60 cases of incurable diseases that defied the best Western medicine had to offer had spontaneous remissions when visiting Lourdes, (all documented by the Vatican Medical Commission.)

Our bodies are not solid at all but mostly empty space surrounded by orbiting vibrating micro particles.

Olgar Worrall, who was not a quantum physicist but a spiritual healer, understood this.

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