We experience what is believed.
I've been lurking around for some time, but I now feel that I have to contribute some ideas. I love knives, and I trap, fish and hunt. I spend quite a bit of time away from the city and grid electricity. I consider that I have quite a bit in common with many of the folks at this forum.
Sometimes it is easy to feel that we are victims of circumstances beyond our control....in a world gone mad. I have felt like that myself, and I see evidence in posts on the web that others feel like this too. It appears that there are greedy individuals in high places that manipulate things for their own benefit without caring much at all for others' health, freedom and happiness. Big businessmen, politicans, pharmecutical and oil companies seem to have a lot of power.
If you haven't watched the movie "What the Bleep do We Know?"...I can heartily recommend that you do. I don't agree with every little detail in this film, but there are some extremely thought-provoking ideas contained in it.
Two things from the movie are worth mentioning here. One is the work of a Japanese man who has photographed the structure of water when certain thoughts are being held in mind about the water. When hateful thoughts were applied, the picture was disjointed and ugly. When loving thoughts were applied, the structure was symmetrical and beautiful. I understand that this work is fairly well documented elsewhere.
Another example from the film concerns an exercise performed in the USA where thousands of volunteers spent a period meditating in a certain area. During this time, violent crime in the area dropped by 25%.
These examples add weight to the idea that everything is connected...and that consciousness is shared.... at least to a certain extent.
There is much more to life than the five ordinary senses might tell us.
Many of us may have had experiences involving intuition or 'sixth sense' that might seem strange or 'supernatural' or 'miraculous'. Many indigenous people living simple lives seem to have embraced certain miraculous things as part of their normal existence. These things can be wonderful, but they may only be a hint of what is possible (or maybe a hint of what really is going on).
So what am I getting at here? I'm saying that it appears that we experience what is believed. Thus it is important to watch what we think and believe.
For people who relate to Christian teachings, there are passages in the Bible that give us some clues of how to approach life in this regard.
In Mark, Jesus is quoted as saying: "...whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith"
St Paul is quoted in 2 Corinthians: " For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:
4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;
5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;"
So here are two strong hints regarding the power of thought and belief. It is a pity that our churches don't work with these ideas more and drop a bit of the beauracracy and ritualism. (To me this is one aspect of the difference between spirituality and religion). The 'miraculous' healing work done by the Bible characters (and others in history and today) provides strong hints that there is more to life than can be physically seen.
What I am getting at is that there is reason for hope. I believe that as we change our thinking/beliefs our experience can change. But I am talking about genuinely believing/feeling here....not just a mere attempt to practice a smattering of 'positive thinking'.
These things can be proved in our own experience. I've seen all sorts of things that support the idea that there is more going on than we might imagine. I (and people I know about) have experienced healing through prayer. Intuition has provided answers. All sorts of wonderful 'coincidences' have occurred.
It can be useful to consider what you've been thinking/believing when certain things happen. It is also interesting to consider the experiences and attitudes of other people who achieve or suffer in a certain way.
All sorts of claims are made, but I believe the things I have been discussing can be proved in our own lives. Scientific proof if you like. And it is wonderfully interesting to live life with all this in mind.
One terriffic thing that has become apparent to me is that Love is the ultimate power. I'm not talking about sex or passion for material objects like knives .... I'm talking about something that I am only just beginning to get a glimpse of.... the Source of all good. What a wonderful thing/power to align yourself with.
There are places on the web that I visit for a bit of inspiration from time to time. One has an old book on line by James Allen called "As a Man Thinketh"
http://www.conures.net/allen/allen.html
Spirituality.com is published by the church founded by Mary Baker Eddy. I have read and been inspired by the writings of this great American woman. Her major book is "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures". Students of the religion she started, Christian Science, have a great record of spiritual healing. Other religions practice spiritual healing, but I feel that Eddy's writing makes the process more logical.... and I prefer this scientific approach over the 'mystical' angle.
Brief articles appear on Spirituality.com that outline how some people have overcome difficulty through what can be described as 'scientific prayer'.
http://www.spirituality.com/
Anyway... I've finally presented my thoughts after hanging about silently for quite some time.
- Banndi
"There is no way to peace.... peace IS the way" - Ghandi.
I've been lurking around for some time, but I now feel that I have to contribute some ideas. I love knives, and I trap, fish and hunt. I spend quite a bit of time away from the city and grid electricity. I consider that I have quite a bit in common with many of the folks at this forum.
Sometimes it is easy to feel that we are victims of circumstances beyond our control....in a world gone mad. I have felt like that myself, and I see evidence in posts on the web that others feel like this too. It appears that there are greedy individuals in high places that manipulate things for their own benefit without caring much at all for others' health, freedom and happiness. Big businessmen, politicans, pharmecutical and oil companies seem to have a lot of power.
If you haven't watched the movie "What the Bleep do We Know?"...I can heartily recommend that you do. I don't agree with every little detail in this film, but there are some extremely thought-provoking ideas contained in it.
Two things from the movie are worth mentioning here. One is the work of a Japanese man who has photographed the structure of water when certain thoughts are being held in mind about the water. When hateful thoughts were applied, the picture was disjointed and ugly. When loving thoughts were applied, the structure was symmetrical and beautiful. I understand that this work is fairly well documented elsewhere.
Another example from the film concerns an exercise performed in the USA where thousands of volunteers spent a period meditating in a certain area. During this time, violent crime in the area dropped by 25%.
These examples add weight to the idea that everything is connected...and that consciousness is shared.... at least to a certain extent.
There is much more to life than the five ordinary senses might tell us.
Many of us may have had experiences involving intuition or 'sixth sense' that might seem strange or 'supernatural' or 'miraculous'. Many indigenous people living simple lives seem to have embraced certain miraculous things as part of their normal existence. These things can be wonderful, but they may only be a hint of what is possible (or maybe a hint of what really is going on).
So what am I getting at here? I'm saying that it appears that we experience what is believed. Thus it is important to watch what we think and believe.
For people who relate to Christian teachings, there are passages in the Bible that give us some clues of how to approach life in this regard.
In Mark, Jesus is quoted as saying: "...whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith"
St Paul is quoted in 2 Corinthians: " For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:
4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;
5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;"
So here are two strong hints regarding the power of thought and belief. It is a pity that our churches don't work with these ideas more and drop a bit of the beauracracy and ritualism. (To me this is one aspect of the difference between spirituality and religion). The 'miraculous' healing work done by the Bible characters (and others in history and today) provides strong hints that there is more to life than can be physically seen.
What I am getting at is that there is reason for hope. I believe that as we change our thinking/beliefs our experience can change. But I am talking about genuinely believing/feeling here....not just a mere attempt to practice a smattering of 'positive thinking'.
These things can be proved in our own experience. I've seen all sorts of things that support the idea that there is more going on than we might imagine. I (and people I know about) have experienced healing through prayer. Intuition has provided answers. All sorts of wonderful 'coincidences' have occurred.
It can be useful to consider what you've been thinking/believing when certain things happen. It is also interesting to consider the experiences and attitudes of other people who achieve or suffer in a certain way.
All sorts of claims are made, but I believe the things I have been discussing can be proved in our own lives. Scientific proof if you like. And it is wonderfully interesting to live life with all this in mind.
One terriffic thing that has become apparent to me is that Love is the ultimate power. I'm not talking about sex or passion for material objects like knives .... I'm talking about something that I am only just beginning to get a glimpse of.... the Source of all good. What a wonderful thing/power to align yourself with.
There are places on the web that I visit for a bit of inspiration from time to time. One has an old book on line by James Allen called "As a Man Thinketh"
http://www.conures.net/allen/allen.html
Spirituality.com is published by the church founded by Mary Baker Eddy. I have read and been inspired by the writings of this great American woman. Her major book is "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures". Students of the religion she started, Christian Science, have a great record of spiritual healing. Other religions practice spiritual healing, but I feel that Eddy's writing makes the process more logical.... and I prefer this scientific approach over the 'mystical' angle.
Brief articles appear on Spirituality.com that outline how some people have overcome difficulty through what can be described as 'scientific prayer'.
http://www.spirituality.com/
Anyway... I've finally presented my thoughts after hanging about silently for quite some time.
- Banndi
"There is no way to peace.... peace IS the way" - Ghandi.
