Saturday, June 25, 2011

Spiritual Progress -- Let your Heart be your Judge

QUESTION:

        “I sit at my computer and listen to your interviews on YouTube.  Thank God for YouTube!  I am struggling with spiritual issues:  particularly with my religious family and ‘friends.’  They claim to be Christians but refuse to help in any way if I ask. . . which I did several years ago after losing everything, going bankrupt.  They had (and still have) plenty of money and turned their backs on me. . . recently did it again. . . then buying expensive homes by the river, etc.  They hate me because I don’t like their religious view.  I simply don’t buy it.  But I also question whether I am spiritually progressing. . . where I stand and what will happen to me when I die.  What these Christians do eats away at me and I know that somehow I have to forgive them.  But they don’t seem to question themselves.  They say that they ‘aren’t perfect - just forgiven.’  UGGHHH.  They don’t question their motives, nor do they worry about what will happen to them, as I do.

        “I have problems with anger over this utter hypocrisy.  If we do, in fact, wind up in realms with ‘like-minded people/souls,’ then maybe there is some cosmic justice.  There’s nothing worse than hurting others and then asking God for forgiveness ad nauseum.

        “Any recommendations of which book I should read?  I know you have written many books.  Oh, I want to add one last comment.  Christianity has a twisted view/version of forgiveness.  By that I mean, people who claim to be Christians can and do things that they know are wrong, things they know will hurt others and then get forgiveness.  At the same time, they will condemn those whom they feel aren’t Christians for doing the same.  They have this arrogant smugness about them and don’t seem to worry about their fate.  This is ONE of the reasons that I have developed this utter contempt for religion.  Yet, at the same time, there are things about Buddhism that resonate with me.  At least Buddhists hold people accountable.  From what I have understood about the life review is that it is all-encompassing; nothing is hidden; not even those deeds you thought you were ‘off the hook’ for.  You come face to face with it.  That is my humble understanding.  I do believe in Jesus and try to live by his teachings.  I seldom see any Christians doing that.”....Linda

ANSWER:

        Sounds to me, Linda, like you are ready for “
Science of Mind” by Ernest Holmes.  Back in the late 1800s and early 1900s, Ernest took the best of all religions, philosophies, and traditions, put them together in a practical, organized way, and came up with what he called “Science of Mind.”  He believed that the core teachings around the world all taught the same thing and they did so in what he recognized as a “scientific” manner, that is to say, in accordance with Universal Laws.  A church developed around his work, formerly called the United Church of Religious Science - now called the United Centers of Spiritual Living.  They have a lively website (google any of the names I have given you to find it).  You can take their first year class online, or, at least by mail if there is not a study group or church in your area.  Their magazine “Science of Mind” is a monthly, digest-sized, and absolutely wonderful to read.  My husband and I subscribe to it and we read from it daily.  I took that first year class soon after I died, at a small church in Boise, Idaho, where I lived at the time.  Wisest move I ever made.  I wrote about this several issues ago in the free newsletter I publish (now archived).  If you’re not signed up yet for that newsletter, access www.pmhatwater.com, scroll over to the newsletter section, and sign up.

        In a nutshell, realize first and foremost that everyone is here on earth to learn, express, grow through, or enjoy what presents itself to us.  Picture earth as a giant school.  Some people are attending first grade; some are in high school; some are doing graduate work; some are here on recess or to enjoy time out.  You cannot compare yourself with anyone else, because you do not know at what grade level they are or what they are working through or participating in.  We are not challenged to like each other; we are challenged to love each other.  To be certain there are some people, no matter how treated, are virtually impossible to even be around.  And I am myself one who tussles with this.  Still, I bless these people and honor them for they are just as much a child of God as I am.  In my family of origin, I am the odd one out.  The rest tolerate me, well, most of them do.  Others I ‘m not so sure about.  The same with my husband’s family.  Actually, we are both the odd ones out.  We are not wealthy like the others and we do not flaunt what we have.  We make no demands and love and honor freely.  Most of them look the other way when around us; some are profoundly embarrassed to have us in the family.  This can hurt if allowed.  We choose not to engage in this type of thinking and feeling.  Serves no purpose.  Going to a family member to ask for help, seldom helps anyone.  So why bother.  I respect myself too much to be a target for ill-will.  I doubt the day will ever come, for instance, when my work will be recognized and appreciated for what it is.  I am often attacked professionally and demeaned by others who simply disagree.  Since my protocol for research is different, that makes me suspect, even though my findings, thus far, have held up in clinical trials.

        Spiritual progress?  How can you judge that?  How could I?  My judge is my heart.  If I feel I have done my best, been my best, and filled each day with smiles, how then could anyone consider me a failure?  How could I?  Spiritual progress is something you feel when you are authentically you, and remain true to the breath that breathes you.  If you are in league with people who demean you, move out and find another group.  Families are not really what you are born with.  They are what we recognize in each other when open to those who smile back.  Extended families (what we co-create with others) are often more loving and supportive than original families.  Look around you.  Find other groups of people and experiment, attend meetings, engage in discussions.  One of the fastest moving trends today are Church Homes.  That’s right.  People who band together and start their own church, and take turns deciding which home the service will be in and on what day.  They share worship, study, and ritual.  Why not start a Church Home yourself?  Do not belabor what you have lost.  Rejoice in who you are and what you are becoming!

        Blessings, PMH

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Tuesday, June 07, 2011

An "Oh, I get it" Moment

COMMENTS FROM GARY


This is not a question, per se, but an interesting comment from a man becoming more spiritually aware. I’d like to share his letter with you.


“I’ve been reading stories on your website and it compelled me to write to you. Although I have not had an NDE, I did have an experience of enlightenment in November of 2007. The reason I am writing to you is that my experience has left me with very similar results that the stories, as those who have experienced NDEs, reveal.


“I was sitting in front of my computer one morning, thinking of life and what is really going on. Suddenly, I had an “Oh, I get it” moment. I understood the life cycle, how we got here, why we are here, what happens to us when we die, dreams, etc. I understood that all living things are here for the same reason. I could see the root of what drives us. After about two weeks of this rolling through my mind, I felt I had to start writing about it. I knew that it was the only way I could progress past the same whirlwind of thoughts that were going through my mind. As I was writing I was realizing that, I am not a writer, and how difficult it was to explain what I knew. Keeping it in coherent order was a challenge. The experience changed my life in much the same way as those that have had an NDE. Most notably, a lack of desire for material possessions, money and success, and an enhancement to help others. Although the quest for money was never much of a priority in my life, I gained a feeling that there would always be enough to survive.


“I noticed the explanation of life as a river, on a (your?) website. I had the same thoughts as I was trying to figure out how to explain my new understanding of life. I have been astounded to find the same analogies that I have come up with over the past two and a half years. I never thought that I would find anyone that thought the way I did. I didn’t get it from books or church. It just came to me. Now, I am beginning to find that there are others that have similar results, although they don’t seem to explain it the same. It’s been challenging, but rewarding in many ways. Rejection of my understanding seems to be the norm. I have had better results through application than explanation.


“I have spent much of my life thinking about this. Reading, wondering, thinking, observing. I realized at an early age, that all of the clues are right in front of us. I was raised in a Christian environment, going to Church and Sunday School regularly. I never really understood much of it. There seemed to be something to it, since so many believe in it. I read the Bible, from cover to cover, around the year 2000. I had no preconceived idea, other than to read every word and see what unfolded. I came away with a bit of a different understanding of it than what I had been taught. In my quest to understand life, I had been exposed to Buddhism, chanting, astral projection, and even looked into numerology, astrology, and quite a variety of other things that left me with as many questions as answers. It all gelled that morning. The outcome was quite different than what I had observed, but my new knowledge is indisputable in my mind. I have been finding corroborating evidence ever since.


One of the things that came to me was the purpose of dreams. I have come to the conclusion that there are three states of mind. Awake (awareness in the physical), dormant sleep (lack of awareness), and dreams (awareness outside of the physical). The purpose of dreams is to allow for the understanding that our souls are separate from our bodies, although fully integrated. That there is awareness outside of the physical experience. The level of awareness is diminished from the out-of-body experience and NDE. The vividness of the latter two is enhanced. Just before my father died, he expressed some very vivid dreams. I viewed them as out-of-body experiences in preparation for his passing. The doctors passed it off as hallucination. He also experienced things when he was awake. The doctors classify it as “sun downer syndrome.” It seems to be related to some of the things that people experience after their NDE. I will stop here.”....Gary


A NOTE ON GARY’S COMMENTS


We all wonder about life and how things work, at times. Some of us go through a “peak experience” when suddenly the puzzle pieces fall together - maybe because of a revelation or with a new understanding. Spiritual experiences, those revelatory moments that catch us off-guard, are rich with insight and meaningful upliftment. Sometimes “a special light” illuminates what was once invisible to us. Almost every adult who truly made a difference for the better in this world, had an illumination like this as a child. The near-death phenomenon feeds this desire in us to know more, to glimpse behind the visible world and see what else is there. I thank Gary for sharing with me. Near-death states touch into every aspect of life and its living. They challenge or inspire us in ways little else does. People were dead - no breath, no heartbeat, no brain wave or cortical activity - and now they’re back. . . and they have a story to tell. And we need to listen.


It is my hope that you will read my newest and last book about my research of the near-death phenomenon: Near-Death Experiences: The Rest of The Story (Hampton Roads; Charlottesville, VA, 2011). There are many voices who speak through my findings. Don’t skip over or underestimate them. This is not “same old.” Slowly but surely I introduce new material until Chapter 16 when the whole book changes. It changes because our view of near-death experiences needs to change. The near-death experience is not some kind of anomaly; rather, it is part of the larger genre of transformations of consciousness. People like Gary touch into that higher reality. They take a step into light and are forever changed. Read about threshold experiences and the science of fluid dynamics in the book (this explains so much). Read about the real truth behind spiritual experiences - the biological imperative that they are. Read about the new Christology, what Christ Consciousness really is.


Spirituality is an important and necessary part of life. For those of you who discover that through stories about near-death episodes and the work people like me have done, thank you for opening your mind - to the awareness of your own soul. Blessings, PMH

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