Did you have a Spiritual Awakening?

I was interested in an experiment I observed, where people were given a strong suggestion--people who were in a very scary situation--and one intentionally lied and said he felt a cold presence. All but one of the seven people said they did, too. They weren't lying--some were visibly afraid and convinced by the suggestion.

Religion is the strongest suggestion in our society.

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snood wrote:

My cat just told me its high time for a change in heart...

Your cat gets high???

Mine does too...but she has to do it with the catnip Nancy and I grow in the garden.

My stash is my stash.

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Explains a lot. Cool

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My cat used to get high, until he had a spiritual awakening. Now he just muses on the nature of reality, and licks himself....

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Intrepid wrote:

Explains a lot.

Could explain everything!

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Lash wrote:

I was interested in an experiment I observed, where people were given a strong suggestion--people who were in a very scary situation--and one intentionally lied and said he felt a cold presence. All but one of the seven people said they did, too. They weren't lying--some were visibly afraid and convinced by the suggestion.

Religion is the strongest suggestion in our society.

Here we go again . . . AMEN ! ! !

(heeheeheeheeheeheeheeheeheehee . . . i just love doin' that . . . )

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snood wrote:

My cat used to get high, until he had a spiritual awakening. Now he just muses on the nature of reality, and licks himself....

Well...we're sorta back on topic with the "spiritual awakening" comment here...so...

...I have something to add on topic, and I want to be sure I say it in a way that is not misunderstood.

There is something going on in my life right now (I will not get into any details at all)...that has caused me to at least consider the possibility of a "previous existence or previous lifetime" memory being involved.

The "circumstance" to which I refer would be much easier for me to "understand' if it were the result of "memory of a previous existence"...and the fact that I have at least allowed the possibility of "previous existence memory" to enter into considerations when contemplating the situation...has surprised me mightily.

Mightily!!!!

It is also quite possible that the "circumstance" is the result of a hidden memory from earlier in my (present) lifetime modifying itself to fit a specific set of new conditions.

And of course, it may be that I have simply taken leave of my senses or grown senileboth of which, I'm sure some of you will be happy to learn, are high on the list of my considerations of the issue.

I don't know which of these possibilities is "the reason"or if it is something outside the references within my present considerations.

I have suspicions that I will never really get closer to an explanation that I am right now...which, unfortunately, is very far from anything even resembling an explanation. (That disappoints me, by the way.)

I don't mean to drag out or extend the mystery part of this post...but any hope of actually ruling in or out any of the possibilities requires things to happen that seem very, very, very, very, very remote right now.

But since this is a thread devoted to experiences of this sort...I decided at least to mention it...even if in this "in passing" fashion.

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Wow, Frank Apisa - I'm de-speechified again.

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snood wrote:

Wow, Frank Apisa - I'm de-speechified again.

I'm de-speechified myself, Snood. Major league!

But is guess having occasional odd things happen are a part of the fun of life. I know I'm gonna treat this particular "odd thing" that way.

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Frank Apisa wrote:

It is also quite possible that the "circumstance" is the result of a hidden memory from earlier in my (present) lifetime modifying itself to fit a specific set of new conditions.

I vote for this one. But I'm agnostic about it Smile

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rosborne979 wrote:

Frank Apisa wrote:
It is also quite possible that the "circumstance" is the result of a hidden memory from earlier in my (present) lifetime modifying itself to fit a specific set of new conditions.

I vote for this one. But I'm agnostic about it

That is my favorite also, Ros...and I have tried to allow my unconscious self as much room as possible to come up with an appropriate scenario and reveal it to me consciously.

I've had a couple of nibbles...but no real bites.

I enjoy consciousness and awareness expansion exercises (normally refer to them as processes)...and I have not given up on hopes that they will eventually produce results in this thing.

But it is significant...actually, very significant...that I have considered that other thing as a possible element...and actually, a favored element.

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Frank Apisa wrote:

rosborne979 wrote:
Frank Apisa wrote:
It is also quite possible that the "circumstance" is the result of a hidden memory from earlier in my (present) lifetime modifying itself to fit a specific set of new conditions.

I vote for this one. But I'm agnostic about it

That is my favorite also, Ros...and I have tried to allow my unconscious self as much room as possible to come up with an appropriate scenario and reveal it to me consciously.

I would need to know the details in order to weigh the probabilities for you.

However, assuming we work from a naturalistic perspective, I have to tell you that it's far more likely that your mind is playing tricks on you, that it is that you are channeling previous lives through the "ether" (sorry).

Like most people, I have experienced "DejaVu" on occasion. Most times the cause remains a mystery, but sometimes I realize what is triggering it, and it is almost always some similarity of situation which I have experienced before but in a slightly different way. Something about what you described reminded me of this. Although, again, I would need more details to help unravel it for you.

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I've mentioned this somewhere before--I had a couple of DejaVu experiences--but with two of them, I knew the words someone was going to say next-- I don't know how that can be explained.

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Frank Apisa:

Quote:

But it is significant...actually, very significant...that I have considered that other thing as a possible element...and actually, a favored element.

It is the source of my reaction of incredulousness. From some of the exchanges we've had in the past, to me the willingness of yours to consider this perspective is noteworthy.

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Setanta wrote:

coluber2001 wrote:
Animals do not live in a field of time as we do. They are unable to conceive of a self and are unaware of the future of that self. Were they aware of time they would immediately go insane or at least neurotic because of the danger they are constantly in. When your dog or cat comes in the house it often greets you, but when it leaves it doesn't say goodbye becasue it can't conceive of a future.

As far as the mumbo-jumbo of the meaning of eternity, this is pretty basic stuff, kindergarten stuff actually. Men of the cloth, priests, clergymen, etc, are functionaries of the church; they don't neccessaily have any spiritual understanding at all. And that goes all the way up to the pope. They are true believers and their security depends on following the dictates and dogmas of their respective religions.

That is some of the most garbled mish-mash i've ever read. If you don't agree with me, just say so. It is rather hilarious, though, to see you re-assert your assertions as though no cogent objection had been raised against them.

As for "men of the cloth," although one might cynically assert that some, even many, even most of them are themselves cynical, and don't believe the horsie poop they peddle, it it too much of a stretch to assert that none of them do, or that they are any less qualified to address the topic of "spirituality" than is anyone else.

You would be more honest just to articulate your objections to hierarchical priesthoods than to attempt such a lame set of unfounded contentions.

I don't believe in a supernatural, so what I have to work with is accessible to one degree or another. People who subscribe to a dogma of a supernatural are true believers; they have faith that someone is an authority on the unknowable. Most people in our culture either believe in the supernatural or don't and leave it at that. I'm saying that people have the ability to transcend the duality of their thinking, of their intellect. Animals can't transcend that duality because they are continually in that state of non-duality called eternity.

People can transcend the duality, appreciate it, return to their normal field of time consciousness, and apply that experience to that every day consciousness. So, we must live in a field of time in the first place to transcend it; in other words we must have a certain level of intellect to feel that sense of self traveling in time, illusion or not. Most animals do not have a sense of a self traveling in time.

Spirituality is not the gaining of something; it is the loss of something, at least tenporarily, that sense of a self in time separate from nature. Many religions beflieve in a center of being, as real self or ego or even a hommuculus that survives the body. I don't believe that, and I think that it is an illusion caused by the intellect. The intellect is a great blessing, but it can also be a terrible curse.

Religious belief in isolated societies is of benefit, but in a world that becomse smaller and smaller religious conflicts are bound to arise, and they have. The idea that I'm right and you're wrong doesn't suffice; it only leads to war.

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Spiritual Awakenings
I had a spiritual awakening through a near death experience. It left no room for doubt. Before I was agnostic. Thousands of people have their near death experiences posted in sites on the Internet. This is a good place to look at the subject of spiritual awakening.

There was a near death conference in France last month attended by 1500 scientists, researchers, and experiencers on the subject. I have not doubt that near death experiences prove we will live after death.

We live in exciting times and new information about life comes from many directions: science, religion, spirituality, and our own intuitions. Have fun with life and learn from it.

Love
Lekatt

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Re: Spiritual Awakenings

Lekatt wrote:

I had a spiritual awakening through a near death experience. It left no room for doubt. Before I was agnostic.

I think you traded down.

Quote:

Thousands of people have their near death experiences posted in sites on the Internet. This is a good place to look at the subject of spiritual awakening.

There was a near death conference in France last month attended by 1500 scientists, researchers, and experiencers on the subject. I have not doubt that near death experiences prove we will live after death.

The only thing "near death experiences" will prove...

...is that humans often have remembrances of things that occurred in their minds while unconscious. And maybe not even that.

No anecdotal rendition, whether of a near death experience or alien abduction, will ever PROVE anything.

Quote:

We live in exciting times and new information about life comes from many directions: science, religion, spirituality, and our own intuitions. Have fun with life and learn from it.

We do indeed...and it does indeed.

I intend to have as much fun as possible.

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I too find the evidence provided by near death experiences underwhelming. It is hardly surprising that our minds, which are capable of deceiving us under normal circumstances, might pull out all the stops when the situation is dire. I suspect, however, that if I ever actually have a near death experience, it might be more difficult to let go of the comfort it would provide than the idea it was all in my head.

Oddly enough, many people come out of the experience as stronger Christians, even though the form the experience often takes -welcomes from friends and relatives who have already "crossed over"- directly contradicts the Biblical account of the afterlife. Uncle Marty is supposed to lie a-mouldering in the grave, until the trumpet sounds for all of us.

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Bah! Humbug!!

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Greyfan wrote:

I too find the evidence provided by near death experiences underwhelming. It is hardly surprising that our minds, which are capable of deceiving us under normal circumstances, might pull out all the stops when the situation is dire. I suspect, however, that if I ever actually have a near death experience, it might be more difficult to let go of the comfort it would provide than the idea it was all in my head.

Oddly enough, many people come out of the experience as stronger Christians, even though the form the experience often takes -welcomes from friends and relatives who have already "crossed over"- directly contradicts the Biblical account of the afterlife. Uncle Marty is supposed to lie a-mouldering in the grave, until the trumpet sounds for all of us.

Interesting coincidence. I had an Uncle Marty who died just two months ago.

Just want to be sure I didn't get understood wrong in my comments here.

"Near death experiences" may be exactly what SOME people who experience them think they are...actual contact with an afterlife.

Some people have the experience and consider it nothing more than a dream while unconscious.

I don't know which it is...and it appears others don't either.

It is my OPINION that no NDE will ever prove anything about any afterlife...or absence of afterlife. Anecdotal stuff normally cannot PROVE anything...(in fact, I do not know of anything that has sever been proven by anecdotal commentary)...and all NDE can ever be is anecdotal.

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Did you have a Spiritual Awakening?

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