As I read more about SETI, I read of a worldwide community of scientists listening with radio ears tuned to the Universe. Listening, they hear the faint cry of - nothing.
We have listened for fifty years. We have sent our own radio waves out into the interstellar void. The universe has responded only with silence. Only once has anything been heard - the Wow signal in the 1970s. It never repeated and to this day it is a mystery - a conflicting and ambiguous signal from a mysterious universe.
To me, sometimes this is a metaphor. As I try to forge ahead in my endeavors as a healer, researcher, etc., I find that the signals I send out to the universe are often unanswered. Which direction am I to go? The affirmations and intentions I send out - my signals to the Universe - seem to go unanswered.
We live by the calendar, we die by the calendar. In the last few weeks, as I have been trying to schedule talks, booths at trade shows, networking events, etc., I have found one obnoxious problem always crops up. Many of the events I want to attend seem to occur at the exact same time. Now, for better or for worse, the local chapter has elected me to be state chairman of Minnesota MUFON. It still needs to be confirmed by national before I am Minnesota state director, but for the moment, I am probably state director elect. And as I have begun to take the reins of Minnesota MUFON I find that the monthly meetings - which I now get to chair - fall exactly on top of most of the trade shows I need to attend for my business - things I need to do to attract new clients. We live by the calendar, we die by the calendar.
At the same time, as I do advertizing, networking, speaking, etc., I wonder - what is the response of the Universe to this new entry into the world of freelance healers? Does it care? Do the powers that be simply laugh at this latest pretender? When I put out my affirmations to the Universe, doing the 'law-of-attraction thing', are those words simply hitting a wall of silence? Or is there something else going on there - something I don't even begin to understand?
Occasionally things seem to go great. New clients book, people line up in e-space to buy my books or MP3s. Then it ends. Somebody cancels, somebody's check bounces. Encouraging and discouraging results mix to form a conflicted message - what is the Universe trying to tell me? What is the answer?
More than one seer has told me that the biggest lesson is to not get hung up on outcomes. Presently, people tell me (nearly unanimously) that I'm doing the right things. Yet I continually wish the results would occur faster. Lord give me patience - Now!!!
Ultimately, I am told that only intentions count. We can't control outcomes, only our own actions. Yet I often wonder, am I doing the right things? Is there something else/more/different I should be doing? The divine powers - the universal God that I ask to guide me - is amazingly and frustratingly silent on that question. Sometimes God looks like a god of blind alleys, blank walls and dead ends. Sometimes God is merely a wall of silence. But most of all, God is a god of mystery, with ways far beyond what we can understand.
All we can control are the signals we send out - we have no control, and perhaps little understanding of the signals we get back. We can pray, meditate, put out affirmations, 7th Path recognitions, etc. - ultimately God does what God will. The result can be a lot of random-looking, confusing noise from the world around us. We send out our own signals and get back - nothing.
Analogous to SETI researchers all around the world, I look for signs that something is out there - that I am searching in the right place. Yet what I see is mystery. There must be something out there but the answer is cryptic. There must be a vast realm full of possibilities, yet the Universe sends me silence.
Why? Instead of plenty, why do we get only silent, mysterious, conflicting signals from the Universe? There must be something going on that we don't understand. Perhaps, but if so, only God knows.
Friday, March 30, 2012
Monday, March 26, 2012
Managing fear - set aside the burden and become free
As I have grown ever more experienced in fear management using hypnosis, I have found some fascinating little tidbits - interesting ways to manage, reduce, or release the burden of fear. Here are some of those little tidbits to help you or someone you know release the burden.
Some time ago, I was returning home to Minneapolis, Minnesota from a conference in Denver. I had just gotten through security. I was putting my shoes back on after having passed through the metal detector, putting my luggage back together, etc. This included my satchel which (not by accident) had a National Guild of Hypnotists logo prominently visible. Suddenly, amid the flow of people, a woman stopped me with an "excuse me, sir - could you hypnotize me?"
She had a frightened look on her face. I asked her how I could help her. She answered that she was afraid of flying. She had never been on an airplane before and wanted to know if I could help her get over her fear.
I asked her if she had ever been hypnotized before. She hadn't. She knew about it, though and had always been interested in it. I asked her if she had ever daydreamed, gotten lost in a good book or movie, lost herself in something she was doing, etc. Her answer was a resounding yes, so I invited her to sit comfortably (as much as possible in an airport waiting area) and close her eyes. She went immediately into a light trance, enough to do some useful NLP work. I asked her to recall a few times in her life when she felt strong, confident, in control of her world. She easily slipped into some positive scenarios. As she experienced the emotion of each, I invited her to touch a finger to her thumb - anchoring a tiny reminder of these moments.
I then asked her to imagine walking down the jetway, hand in hand with her husband, (who was sitting right next to her with us in the airport). She tensed up for a moment until I again asked her to touch her finger to her thumb. Instantly this reminded her of her previous positive moment. She relaxed, a smile crossing her face as in her mind, they were walking happily down the corridor to board their plane. I counted her out of trance with a few reinforcing suggestions and they were on their way. I never saw them again so I have no idea what happened after that. All I know is that in an instant, she had gone from abject terror to the happy anticipation of traveling on vacation with her husband.
This wasn't the first, nor was it the last time someone would approach me to ask for help. Airports are particularly stressful places and often bring out the worst in personal fears. But there are plenty of other times and places that bring out our fear, as well. There is a truly endless list of them in our environment. Fear of heights, public speaking, water, snakes, the dark - these are just a few that come to mind.
To some degree, fear can have a healthy role in our lives. It keeps us out of danger. It protects us from saber toothed tigers, heavy traffic and crooked financiers. It helps us avoid falling off cliffs or drowning in fast-moving water. Yet when fear goes beyond its useful role, it becomes a burden. It can limit the daily activities of life, preventing us from enjoying the many things our world has to offer.
What is fear? It is a negative emotion, an avoidance reaction to an event in the future. The event has not actually happened, at least not yet. It is merely anticipated based on what the brain has learned about similar events in the past - learning that may not be the correct one for the present day (I haven't seen too many saber-toothed tigers, recently).
Frequently, events in the distant past, even in early childhood, can create the initial thought pattern, the beginnings of the subconscious programming that will later turn into a fear response. A number of clients have described fear of certain types of people, ethnic groups, work situations, social situations, etc. This might happen when deep within their subconscious, the present situation reminds them of a time when something negative happened to them in the past - perhaps even before they had begun to remember. Several female clients have described being unable to date, or even associate with men due to an event such as childhood abuse, which happened to them early in life. Far beyond healthy caution, the reaction had become crippling, preventing interaction with males in nearly any situation.
Another experience, occurring to a friend of mine, occurred when she was on a train in Europe. Suddenly, out of the blue, her heart began to race. She felt short of breath, etc. - the beginnings of a full-blown panic attack. On returning home, she quickly made an appointment for hypnotherapy. It turned out that sometime around age two or three, she had been left waiting (for only a few minutes) at day care. To a young child, a few minutes can be indistinguishable from 'forever' and for just a moment, she had been 'abandoned.' Even though Mom showed up a few minutes later, deep in her subconscious the seed had been planted - to emerge years later as she sat alone on a train several thousand miles away from home.
There are as many ways to deal with fear as there are forms of fear, itself. One can simply try to understand the source of the fear and rely on the rational mind to reason through the underlying problem. Or one can dig deeper, unearthing the complexities of the deep subconscious.
Confrontation - getting back in the saddle
While rock climbing about twenty years ago, I took quite a fall, being caught up by the rope after about twenty feet of 'air time.' Needless to say, the event scared the willies out of me. Yet at the same time, the other climbers I was with urged me to get right back on the rock - and it was good I did. I was able to get back on the rock and keep climbing, pursing climbing as a hobby for many years after that.
The expression, 'getting back in the saddle,' is a powerful reminder of the usefulness of confronting the source(s) of fear. Getting back on the horse and riding once again can prevent the experience from fixing the fear response into your brain's neural circuitry. Getting back on the rock helped me get over my fear response after my 'air time.' Similarly, we can ease fears of the dark by turning the light on - there really is no monster in the dark. Reason, logic and renewed success can all help dispel the fear, preventing it from becoming ingrained in the psyche.
Relaxation
Sometimes, when confrontation is not possible, it may be possible to ride out the fear response - the immediate panicky experience - in the moment, using techniques such as meditation, deep relaxation breathing, etc. During graduate school, as I prepared for exams, I sometimes found this helpful. In the short time just before an exam, I found it helpful to take deep breaths, holding my chest steady while breathing with my diaphram. I found this relaxing, allowing a moment's respite from the stress of the upcoming test.
Other techniques, such as focusing on a wiggling a fingertip or toe, counting backwards from one thousand, or reciting a prayer, can also be helpful. Anything that provides concentration and relaxation in the moment can prove to be a useful tool to help the mind and body relax.
Desensitization using NLP
For many fear responses, it may be too late to get back in the saddle and there is no opportunity for relaxation. The source of the fear may be something that occurred years before. Yet in many cases, it is possible to reduce the level of the response through limited exposure, along with the assurance that one is still safe.
A few years ago, I learned a particularly interesting NLP (neuro linguistic psychology) technique from a senior member of the National Guild of Hypnotists - something I have found useful with clients again and again. The person experiencing the fear is invited to imagine he/she is observing the event on a movie screen while sitting safely in a theater. While being assured of his/her own safety, the person can watch the movie, always remaining safe from the fear. In the most extreme cases, when the fear being addressed is particularly severe, the person can even imagine watching his/herself watch the movie screen - a double dissociation from the feared scenario.
Gradually, we can replay the movie, more closely associating to the picture until it is no longer scary. In this way, the person can associate - or move closer - to the whatever has frightened them, while still assured that they are still safe and secure. After multiple passes through this pattern, it is often possible to effectively turn off the fear response.
Hypnotic regression and release
In many cases, the disproportionate fear response may be associated with an event early in life. Many clients have seen me for help with fear issues surrounding such events, buried deep within the subconscious. One of the most successful ways I have found to reduce the fear is through hypnotic regression.
As in the NLP procedure above, we first create the assurance of present safety. The client is in the here-and-now. No harm can come to them. We then recall positive events in the past, where they have felt safe, secure and in control, anchoring the positive memories to reminders such as touching a finger and thumb together.
Once we have established their core of strength and safety we then return to the circumstance(s) where the fear is present, briefly re-experiencing the fear scenario and emotion. We can then return via hypnotic regression through earlier similar experiences, back to original event, the source of the fear deep within the subconscious mind. The original event, what hypnotists call the Initial Sensitizing Event (or ISE) is usually something that occurred early in life, the nucleus of the fear-related thought complex in subconscious.
During hypnotic regression, the event is often seen through the eyes of a little child. We can assure this 'inner child' that it is safe, re-invoking the previously established memories of strength and safety. We can then re-visit the initial childhood scenario with imagery of confidence and safety, seeing that the fear is no longer needed. This helps to resolve the core issues within the subconscious that gave rise to the present day fear response.
Once we have resolved the fear complex deep within the subconscious, we then revisit the present day scenario, re-experiencing it with the newly discovered resolution, safety and security. I have frequently seen clients return to recent fear episodes, such as that train in Europe - this time without the fear.
In this article, we have seen a number of ways to reduce or release the burden of fear. How can we use these in the immediate term to free us - even temporarily - from fear.
=========================
Some time ago, I was returning home to Minneapolis, Minnesota from a conference in Denver. I had just gotten through security. I was putting my shoes back on after having passed through the metal detector, putting my luggage back together, etc. This included my satchel which (not by accident) had a National Guild of Hypnotists logo prominently visible. Suddenly, amid the flow of people, a woman stopped me with an "excuse me, sir - could you hypnotize me?"
She had a frightened look on her face. I asked her how I could help her. She answered that she was afraid of flying. She had never been on an airplane before and wanted to know if I could help her get over her fear.
I asked her if she had ever been hypnotized before. She hadn't. She knew about it, though and had always been interested in it. I asked her if she had ever daydreamed, gotten lost in a good book or movie, lost herself in something she was doing, etc. Her answer was a resounding yes, so I invited her to sit comfortably (as much as possible in an airport waiting area) and close her eyes. She went immediately into a light trance, enough to do some useful NLP work. I asked her to recall a few times in her life when she felt strong, confident, in control of her world. She easily slipped into some positive scenarios. As she experienced the emotion of each, I invited her to touch a finger to her thumb - anchoring a tiny reminder of these moments.
I then asked her to imagine walking down the jetway, hand in hand with her husband, (who was sitting right next to her with us in the airport). She tensed up for a moment until I again asked her to touch her finger to her thumb. Instantly this reminded her of her previous positive moment. She relaxed, a smile crossing her face as in her mind, they were walking happily down the corridor to board their plane. I counted her out of trance with a few reinforcing suggestions and they were on their way. I never saw them again so I have no idea what happened after that. All I know is that in an instant, she had gone from abject terror to the happy anticipation of traveling on vacation with her husband.
This wasn't the first, nor was it the last time someone would approach me to ask for help. Airports are particularly stressful places and often bring out the worst in personal fears. But there are plenty of other times and places that bring out our fear, as well. There is a truly endless list of them in our environment. Fear of heights, public speaking, water, snakes, the dark - these are just a few that come to mind.
To some degree, fear can have a healthy role in our lives. It keeps us out of danger. It protects us from saber toothed tigers, heavy traffic and crooked financiers. It helps us avoid falling off cliffs or drowning in fast-moving water. Yet when fear goes beyond its useful role, it becomes a burden. It can limit the daily activities of life, preventing us from enjoying the many things our world has to offer.
What is fear? It is a negative emotion, an avoidance reaction to an event in the future. The event has not actually happened, at least not yet. It is merely anticipated based on what the brain has learned about similar events in the past - learning that may not be the correct one for the present day (I haven't seen too many saber-toothed tigers, recently).
Frequently, events in the distant past, even in early childhood, can create the initial thought pattern, the beginnings of the subconscious programming that will later turn into a fear response. A number of clients have described fear of certain types of people, ethnic groups, work situations, social situations, etc. This might happen when deep within their subconscious, the present situation reminds them of a time when something negative happened to them in the past - perhaps even before they had begun to remember. Several female clients have described being unable to date, or even associate with men due to an event such as childhood abuse, which happened to them early in life. Far beyond healthy caution, the reaction had become crippling, preventing interaction with males in nearly any situation.
Another experience, occurring to a friend of mine, occurred when she was on a train in Europe. Suddenly, out of the blue, her heart began to race. She felt short of breath, etc. - the beginnings of a full-blown panic attack. On returning home, she quickly made an appointment for hypnotherapy. It turned out that sometime around age two or three, she had been left waiting (for only a few minutes) at day care. To a young child, a few minutes can be indistinguishable from 'forever' and for just a moment, she had been 'abandoned.' Even though Mom showed up a few minutes later, deep in her subconscious the seed had been planted - to emerge years later as she sat alone on a train several thousand miles away from home.
There are as many ways to deal with fear as there are forms of fear, itself. One can simply try to understand the source of the fear and rely on the rational mind to reason through the underlying problem. Or one can dig deeper, unearthing the complexities of the deep subconscious.
Confrontation - getting back in the saddle
While rock climbing about twenty years ago, I took quite a fall, being caught up by the rope after about twenty feet of 'air time.' Needless to say, the event scared the willies out of me. Yet at the same time, the other climbers I was with urged me to get right back on the rock - and it was good I did. I was able to get back on the rock and keep climbing, pursing climbing as a hobby for many years after that.
The expression, 'getting back in the saddle,' is a powerful reminder of the usefulness of confronting the source(s) of fear. Getting back on the horse and riding once again can prevent the experience from fixing the fear response into your brain's neural circuitry. Getting back on the rock helped me get over my fear response after my 'air time.' Similarly, we can ease fears of the dark by turning the light on - there really is no monster in the dark. Reason, logic and renewed success can all help dispel the fear, preventing it from becoming ingrained in the psyche.
Relaxation
Sometimes, when confrontation is not possible, it may be possible to ride out the fear response - the immediate panicky experience - in the moment, using techniques such as meditation, deep relaxation breathing, etc. During graduate school, as I prepared for exams, I sometimes found this helpful. In the short time just before an exam, I found it helpful to take deep breaths, holding my chest steady while breathing with my diaphram. I found this relaxing, allowing a moment's respite from the stress of the upcoming test.
Other techniques, such as focusing on a wiggling a fingertip or toe, counting backwards from one thousand, or reciting a prayer, can also be helpful. Anything that provides concentration and relaxation in the moment can prove to be a useful tool to help the mind and body relax.
Desensitization using NLP
For many fear responses, it may be too late to get back in the saddle and there is no opportunity for relaxation. The source of the fear may be something that occurred years before. Yet in many cases, it is possible to reduce the level of the response through limited exposure, along with the assurance that one is still safe.
A few years ago, I learned a particularly interesting NLP (neuro linguistic psychology) technique from a senior member of the National Guild of Hypnotists - something I have found useful with clients again and again. The person experiencing the fear is invited to imagine he/she is observing the event on a movie screen while sitting safely in a theater. While being assured of his/her own safety, the person can watch the movie, always remaining safe from the fear. In the most extreme cases, when the fear being addressed is particularly severe, the person can even imagine watching his/herself watch the movie screen - a double dissociation from the feared scenario.
Gradually, we can replay the movie, more closely associating to the picture until it is no longer scary. In this way, the person can associate - or move closer - to the whatever has frightened them, while still assured that they are still safe and secure. After multiple passes through this pattern, it is often possible to effectively turn off the fear response.
Hypnotic regression and release
In many cases, the disproportionate fear response may be associated with an event early in life. Many clients have seen me for help with fear issues surrounding such events, buried deep within the subconscious. One of the most successful ways I have found to reduce the fear is through hypnotic regression.
As in the NLP procedure above, we first create the assurance of present safety. The client is in the here-and-now. No harm can come to them. We then recall positive events in the past, where they have felt safe, secure and in control, anchoring the positive memories to reminders such as touching a finger and thumb together.
Once we have established their core of strength and safety we then return to the circumstance(s) where the fear is present, briefly re-experiencing the fear scenario and emotion. We can then return via hypnotic regression through earlier similar experiences, back to original event, the source of the fear deep within the subconscious mind. The original event, what hypnotists call the Initial Sensitizing Event (or ISE) is usually something that occurred early in life, the nucleus of the fear-related thought complex in subconscious.
During hypnotic regression, the event is often seen through the eyes of a little child. We can assure this 'inner child' that it is safe, re-invoking the previously established memories of strength and safety. We can then re-visit the initial childhood scenario with imagery of confidence and safety, seeing that the fear is no longer needed. This helps to resolve the core issues within the subconscious that gave rise to the present day fear response.
Once we have resolved the fear complex deep within the subconscious, we then revisit the present day scenario, re-experiencing it with the newly discovered resolution, safety and security. I have frequently seen clients return to recent fear episodes, such as that train in Europe - this time without the fear.
In this article, we have seen a number of ways to reduce or release the burden of fear. How can we use these in the immediate term to free us - even temporarily - from fear.
- Head on confrontation - As we saw above, we can examine the source of the fear in a new light. We can turn on the light to confirm there really is no monster in the closet.
- Relaxation/Meditation - using the techniques such as concentration, relaxation breathing or other means we discussed earlier in this article, we can unwind the stresses of the day. Such immediate tools can be a tremendous help and we can further extend these to techniques such as mindfulness meditation, progressive relaxation, etc.
- Self Hypnosis - regular use of guided imagery, stress management, etc. can further guide you toward resolution. I suggest self-hypnosis recordings such as The Path to Confidence, or Strengthen you Aura, both available in the Hypnosis Store as tools to help build confidence in the face of challenge.
- In the longer term, it can be helpful to return to the cause of the fear, resolve the core issue and throw off the burden once and for all. Hypnotic regression, guided imagery and desensitization can help you release the burden of fear.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Chopping wood and carrying water - Late night thoughts on Spiritual Awakening
In the last few weeks, I have found numerous synchronistic references to the question - what will life be like once 'the happening' happens? Specifically, as we progress through 2012, what will we see?
A lot of different new age schools of thought - some with quite a bit of credibility (in my view) - indicate that we are right on the cusp of radical change. These include climate change, some type of mass psychic or spiritual awakening, and a tipping point to some form of social or economic change. Most seem to converge on the idea that by the end of this year, some major change will have occurred - or at least begun in earnest. Yet each person I ask tells me a somewhat different viewpoint on just what those changes are.
In the process of writing my novel series, Children of the Stars, I have been asking this very question. What will we see when...? In the series, I plan to follow a fictional set of characters, the Michelson family, a family line of close encounter experiencers who are key figures in the unfolding awakening. As I move into the next book in the series, the main character is Maggie, the daughter of Kip and Susan, the two main characters in The Fifth Key, the book I am now trying to get published.
This all takes place in the present day (e.g. in the 2012 milieu), against a backdrop of both world crisis and mass human conscious awakening. So one of my big endeavors, as I write this series, is to develop an understanding of what life will be like in, say, 2013 or 2014. Will life be pretty much like it is now - pre-12/21/2012? Or will there be some fundamental shift in the way we live our very lives? Will we still go to work each day, at the same job we had a day/week/month/year ago? Will the quarterly sales report be due for the management briefing? Will you still have to pay your Visa bill?
Last night, at a meeting of the Minnesota Theosophical society, the speaker addressed many of these same questions. He looked at 'What If' scenarios - what if there were no war?, what if we all followed our intuition?, etc... His view, though ambiguous, was that as this year progresses, we will see significant changes, both in the aggregate field consciousness and in current events.
The speaker either said or implied (I don't remember which) that there would be a parting of the ways between those who choose to remain in the 3D world, and those who choose to ascend. It wasn't clear what that meant, but I imagined a scenario something like a rapture, in which reality splits and the population bifurcates into their corresponding separate realities.
A lot of what he said, including this, bounced off of my discernment filter. Simply put, I would be very surprised if anything 'supernatural' like that happened. Yet after some of the things I have heard over the last few years, I wouldn't entirely rule anything out.
My own guess is that the changes will be considerably more subtle. Like the beginning of the Christian era, the age of Pisces, or whatever you want to call it, the changes were tiny at first. The Christina era began with the empty tomb - the entire world changed at that instant, yet only three people in the world knew it, the two Marys and a sleepy Roman guard. My bet is that in the current shift, this change has already occurred and that change is now steamrolling. Just like the empty tomb, some event has already occurred (or will occur on 12/21) that gets the ball rolling. The rest is 'history,' so to speak. Yet my bet is that most will see nothing unusual.
There is a Buddhist saying, "before enlightenment we chop wood and carry water. After enlightenment, we chop wood and carry water." I take this to mean that any kind of awakening really won't change much of anything in our daily lives - at least not immediately.
So what will we see on 12/22/2012? My guess is, probably about the same as we saw on 12/21/2012. Yet at the same time, perhaps some switch will have flipped in the aggregate field consciousness. Perhaps there might be a rash of synchronicities, psychic events, paranormal or anomaly encounters, perhaps some mass UFO sightings, etc. Yet, the course of current events, the flow of history, will probably continue about as it did the day before (though as we have seen recently, that flow may be pretty tumultuous).
We will probably have a continually escalating level of crisis - political, economic, environmental.
Yet I would bet that the average person will wake up on 12/22 (a Saturday, I think), wondering how they are going to get their Christmas shopping done, thinking about what happened the day before at work, taking their kids to hockey practice and ballet, and tuning in to some sporting event on the radio or TV. Most will have little or no immediate sense of any change in the aggregate field consciousness or the overall flow of history. Life will go on.
Each of us, regardless of our spiritual state, tradition, faith, etc., will probably continue doing the twenty first century equivalent of chopping wood and carrying water.
A lot of different new age schools of thought - some with quite a bit of credibility (in my view) - indicate that we are right on the cusp of radical change. These include climate change, some type of mass psychic or spiritual awakening, and a tipping point to some form of social or economic change. Most seem to converge on the idea that by the end of this year, some major change will have occurred - or at least begun in earnest. Yet each person I ask tells me a somewhat different viewpoint on just what those changes are.
In the process of writing my novel series, Children of the Stars, I have been asking this very question. What will we see when...? In the series, I plan to follow a fictional set of characters, the Michelson family, a family line of close encounter experiencers who are key figures in the unfolding awakening. As I move into the next book in the series, the main character is Maggie, the daughter of Kip and Susan, the two main characters in The Fifth Key, the book I am now trying to get published.
This all takes place in the present day (e.g. in the 2012 milieu), against a backdrop of both world crisis and mass human conscious awakening. So one of my big endeavors, as I write this series, is to develop an understanding of what life will be like in, say, 2013 or 2014. Will life be pretty much like it is now - pre-12/21/2012? Or will there be some fundamental shift in the way we live our very lives? Will we still go to work each day, at the same job we had a day/week/month/year ago? Will the quarterly sales report be due for the management briefing? Will you still have to pay your Visa bill?
Last night, at a meeting of the Minnesota Theosophical society, the speaker addressed many of these same questions. He looked at 'What If' scenarios - what if there were no war?, what if we all followed our intuition?, etc... His view, though ambiguous, was that as this year progresses, we will see significant changes, both in the aggregate field consciousness and in current events.
The speaker either said or implied (I don't remember which) that there would be a parting of the ways between those who choose to remain in the 3D world, and those who choose to ascend. It wasn't clear what that meant, but I imagined a scenario something like a rapture, in which reality splits and the population bifurcates into their corresponding separate realities.
A lot of what he said, including this, bounced off of my discernment filter. Simply put, I would be very surprised if anything 'supernatural' like that happened. Yet after some of the things I have heard over the last few years, I wouldn't entirely rule anything out.
My own guess is that the changes will be considerably more subtle. Like the beginning of the Christian era, the age of Pisces, or whatever you want to call it, the changes were tiny at first. The Christina era began with the empty tomb - the entire world changed at that instant, yet only three people in the world knew it, the two Marys and a sleepy Roman guard. My bet is that in the current shift, this change has already occurred and that change is now steamrolling. Just like the empty tomb, some event has already occurred (or will occur on 12/21) that gets the ball rolling. The rest is 'history,' so to speak. Yet my bet is that most will see nothing unusual.
There is a Buddhist saying, "before enlightenment we chop wood and carry water. After enlightenment, we chop wood and carry water." I take this to mean that any kind of awakening really won't change much of anything in our daily lives - at least not immediately.
So what will we see on 12/22/2012? My guess is, probably about the same as we saw on 12/21/2012. Yet at the same time, perhaps some switch will have flipped in the aggregate field consciousness. Perhaps there might be a rash of synchronicities, psychic events, paranormal or anomaly encounters, perhaps some mass UFO sightings, etc. Yet, the course of current events, the flow of history, will probably continue about as it did the day before (though as we have seen recently, that flow may be pretty tumultuous).
We will probably have a continually escalating level of crisis - political, economic, environmental.
Yet I would bet that the average person will wake up on 12/22 (a Saturday, I think), wondering how they are going to get their Christmas shopping done, thinking about what happened the day before at work, taking their kids to hockey practice and ballet, and tuning in to some sporting event on the radio or TV. Most will have little or no immediate sense of any change in the aggregate field consciousness or the overall flow of history. Life will go on.
Each of us, regardless of our spiritual state, tradition, faith, etc., will probably continue doing the twenty first century equivalent of chopping wood and carrying water.
Saturday, February 25, 2012
The Shadow Effect - a film commentary
Early last week, I attended a showing at the local chapter of the Minnesota Theosophical Society of the film, The Shadow Effect. This movie discusses at length, the idea in Jungian psychology that each of us had a dark side as well as a lighter side. In my view, it did an excellent job of portraying this unpleasant side of each of us, as well as the need to embrace it, rather than suppress it.
The shadow, the dark side, the side that each of us wants to keep hidden, is where the evil in each one of us lurks. It is the stream of thoughts we don't want to admit we have. It is the desire for revenge, the simmering anger, the regret, the various dark thoughts that dog each of us. It is always present, yet in our society it is never embraced.
In the movie, Deepak Chopra, Debbie Ford and many others describe how the shadow is simply the other side of the coin, the other end of the teeter totter, etc. It is an inevitable consequence of light shining on our lives - that part where less (or no) light falls. Each of us has some dark corner, some part of our lives where little light falls. Maybe it is an event in the past - a trauma or conflict that haunts us to this day, simmering anger at the boss in a former job, etc. Maybe it is a regret - an old romance that never worked out, a failed class in college, etc. There is an endless number of shadows, plenty to go around for each of us.
In our culture, we try to hide the dark side of our personalities as if they were dirty laundry. We keep them suppressed, holding them under the surface. Yet, like trying to hold a beach ball under water, it takes energy to keep the darkness hidden. Eventually the ball gets away, surfacing. We see corresponding outbursts of anger, jealousy, greed, rage, depression, all of the darkness that mars our social fabric. How can we prevent this breakthrough negativity?
How can we address the rage that simmers beneath, out of sight. According to Deepak Chopra, Debbie Ford, etc., the effort to suppress negativity merely makes it stronger. Called the law of polarity, it is the idea that when an influence is suppressed, it grows in energy. That which you oppose, you give energy to. Thus, the best way to resolve an element of darkness in life is to somehow embrace it, to forgive, resolve or otherwise heal the pain behind whatever that influence may be.
The movie further claims that most of the evil in the world can be traced to this same dark side, suppressed on a social level. An example might be the politician who crusades for family values, the sanctity of marriage, etc., but who turns out to have a mistress or number of gay lovers. Another example is the Catholic church, vehemently opposing homosexuality, abortion, contraception, etc., yet at the same time, rocked by scandals involving pedophilia among its own clergy. Again, the dark side lurking within the human subconscious grows stronger, the more it is suppressed - that which we oppose, we energize.
There are further extreme examples of damage done when the dark side runs amok, the ultimate case being that of Hitler, the poster child for the dark side. Yet the movie claims that each of us has a little of this within us. Nearly everyone of us cheats on our diet, sneaks an extra glance at a sexual image or a provocatively attractive body, perhaps even while with spouse and family. It is an inevitable part of the human condition. Only by embracing it can we resolve this paradox of evil showing up when we consciously want only to embrace the positive.
One person pointed out that the movie doesn't say much about how to actually embrace this shadow side, only that this embrace is necessary - the what, but not the how. So in itself, the film was probably insufficient - it raised more questions than it answered. Yet at the same time, isn't this the mark of a good piece of literature? To promote further search, growth and discovery?
To me, The Shadow Effect did a great job of inspiring further inquiry, further learning, further digging into the many opportunities for resolution, growth and healing. It didn't do much to answer those questions, but it did provide an impetus to ask them and to actively seek their answers. Personally, it helped me to shine the light a little bit deeper into my own shadows, a little more illumination of the dark side in each of us - what it called The Shadow Effect.
The shadow, the dark side, the side that each of us wants to keep hidden, is where the evil in each one of us lurks. It is the stream of thoughts we don't want to admit we have. It is the desire for revenge, the simmering anger, the regret, the various dark thoughts that dog each of us. It is always present, yet in our society it is never embraced.
In the movie, Deepak Chopra, Debbie Ford and many others describe how the shadow is simply the other side of the coin, the other end of the teeter totter, etc. It is an inevitable consequence of light shining on our lives - that part where less (or no) light falls. Each of us has some dark corner, some part of our lives where little light falls. Maybe it is an event in the past - a trauma or conflict that haunts us to this day, simmering anger at the boss in a former job, etc. Maybe it is a regret - an old romance that never worked out, a failed class in college, etc. There is an endless number of shadows, plenty to go around for each of us.
In our culture, we try to hide the dark side of our personalities as if they were dirty laundry. We keep them suppressed, holding them under the surface. Yet, like trying to hold a beach ball under water, it takes energy to keep the darkness hidden. Eventually the ball gets away, surfacing. We see corresponding outbursts of anger, jealousy, greed, rage, depression, all of the darkness that mars our social fabric. How can we prevent this breakthrough negativity?
How can we address the rage that simmers beneath, out of sight. According to Deepak Chopra, Debbie Ford, etc., the effort to suppress negativity merely makes it stronger. Called the law of polarity, it is the idea that when an influence is suppressed, it grows in energy. That which you oppose, you give energy to. Thus, the best way to resolve an element of darkness in life is to somehow embrace it, to forgive, resolve or otherwise heal the pain behind whatever that influence may be.
The movie further claims that most of the evil in the world can be traced to this same dark side, suppressed on a social level. An example might be the politician who crusades for family values, the sanctity of marriage, etc., but who turns out to have a mistress or number of gay lovers. Another example is the Catholic church, vehemently opposing homosexuality, abortion, contraception, etc., yet at the same time, rocked by scandals involving pedophilia among its own clergy. Again, the dark side lurking within the human subconscious grows stronger, the more it is suppressed - that which we oppose, we energize.
There are further extreme examples of damage done when the dark side runs amok, the ultimate case being that of Hitler, the poster child for the dark side. Yet the movie claims that each of us has a little of this within us. Nearly everyone of us cheats on our diet, sneaks an extra glance at a sexual image or a provocatively attractive body, perhaps even while with spouse and family. It is an inevitable part of the human condition. Only by embracing it can we resolve this paradox of evil showing up when we consciously want only to embrace the positive.
One person pointed out that the movie doesn't say much about how to actually embrace this shadow side, only that this embrace is necessary - the what, but not the how. So in itself, the film was probably insufficient - it raised more questions than it answered. Yet at the same time, isn't this the mark of a good piece of literature? To promote further search, growth and discovery?
To me, The Shadow Effect did a great job of inspiring further inquiry, further learning, further digging into the many opportunities for resolution, growth and healing. It didn't do much to answer those questions, but it did provide an impetus to ask them and to actively seek their answers. Personally, it helped me to shine the light a little bit deeper into my own shadows, a little more illumination of the dark side in each of us - what it called The Shadow Effect.
Friday, February 24, 2012
The Tipping Point
(CL Note: This is a draft of my CE4 Corner article for March/April of 2012)
In recent weeks, now that I am day-job-free, I have continued to delve deeper into activities such as UFO/CE4 research and hypnosis/hypnotherapy. I have found myself attending a quite a few meetings of spiritual-oriented organizations as well as studying meditation in more depth. Perhaps corresponding to our progression toward the end of the calendar year 2012, I have found a common theme among many of these activities, the idea that we are approaching a threshold.
There is a deepening sense of change, accelerating as it reaches a critical mass. The idea is that the more people deepen their psychic and spiritual growth, the more they affect the overall environment around them. At some point in the process, a critical point is reached and the effect becomes self-perpetuating within society as a whole. In systems theory, this is known as the tipping point.
Last month, I began studying Transcendental Meditation. I had flirted with this movement for many years, reading about it, attending a few workshops, etc. Ultimately, I found that other methods were just as effective and their instruction much more affordable. Yet now, I have found that TM has again become quite attractive so I am again studying that tradition, methodology, etc.
One of the teachings in TM is that the effect of meditation on humanity is additive. The more people meditate, the more positive effect it has on the world. Just as I had heard in other schools of new age thought, TM teaches that there is a threshold, a tipping point at which a level of emergence will begin to occur. In the TM teachings, they claim that if one percent of the population meditates regularly, the effect will reach that tipping point.
The study of non-linear mathematics and chaos theory deals with complex, chaotic systems such as chemical reactions, societies, economies, political cultures, world climate, etc. It describes how a system behaves in response to a stress or influence. In politics, a new movement may occur, such as the Occupy movement. In economics, interest rates vary. In the world climate, there is the ominous and ever present greenhouse effect, now reaching (or surpassing) critical levels.
In each case, there often appears to be a key point in the system. When an influence or stress on the system is less than that point, the system's response is limited. It absorbs, resists or responds in a very limited way. A glass of water gets only slightly warmer when heated. The ocean absorbs moderate amounts of carbon dioxide, small changes in interest rates have only limited effect on the economy. Even within a chemical or nuclear reaction, a small adjustment to the inputs has only limited effect on the results.
At some point, however, as the stress or change factor increases, the system begins to reach a critical point. Some element within the system reaches a point of no return. The same glass of water suddenly begins to boil. Climate change reaches a level where greenhouse gas concentrations shoot upward uncontrollably. Interest or default rates drive an economy to collapse (as occurred in 1980 with interest rates and 2008 with defaults). A chemical reaction suddenly takes off and a fire or explosion occurs. These are all examples of the the phenomenon in non-linear systems theory known as the tipping point.
Several recent studies in social theory have found that once a threshold of about ten percent of the population strongly adopts a belief, the belief will take on a life of its own and become a majority view. A recent article in Discovery News describes several studies in which about ten percent of the population strongly hold a particular view sway the majority to their viewpoint. A paper in Physical Review Letters (Phys Rev E), one of the premier journals in physics, describes the mathematics behind this ten-percent tipping point.
Going even further, according to the TM organization, one percent of the population practicing meditation (presumably TM) will produce an aggregate effect on the population overall, decreased crime, etc. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the founder of TM, claimed that if one percent of the people on Earth were to do so, there would be an end to war. They call this (of course) the Maharishi Effect. More recently, they have claimed that, if the square root of that number practices an advanced form of TM, the TM Sidhi program, there will be a deep calming effect on society. Thus, if about 8400 (the square root of 1 percent of 7 billion) people worldwide, practiced advanced TM, this effect would occur.
Whether or not you believe this claim, it offers some very interesting parallels with numbers emerging from close encounter research. In Chapter 9 of The Cosmic Bridge, I explore the idea of psychic and spiritual emergence as one of the side effects of close encounters, where the experiencer finds him/herself becoming more psychics, more deeply spiritual, and more connected with others having similar abilities. Barbara Marx Hubbard describes this idea in detail in her book, Conscious Evolution, where she develops the idea of a social tipping point or state change. When enough people develop an interconnected psychic awareness, the emergence will reach a critical mass and the awakening phenomenon will take on a life of its own, manifesting in overall humanity.
The article, Close Encounters, There May be More than You Think on www.craigrlang.com, discusses the estimate that roughly one percent of the population has had close encounter experiences. In the 1991 Roper Poll (unfortunately, the original poll is no longer posted on-line.) one percent (some analysts say two percent or more) of the population met four of the five criteria to be considered an experiencer. Most of these criteria involve psychic or paranormal events in the life of the experiencer.
Could the two effects be related? Could the Maharishi effect and the emergence effect of close encounters be related phenomena? If genuine, could they stem from the same mathematics, as described by Barbara Marx Hubbard? If so, then why would only one percent be required in the Maharishi effect, whereas in social theory, a critical mass of ten percent of the population is required? Furthermore, how can only a miniscule percent of the population, about eight thousand out of 7 Billion, force a critical change? Perhaps the effect is compounded, a small percentage of a distinct sub-population eventually tipping that segment, which in turn causes the overall population to reach the critical point.
In recent conversations comparing notes with other close encounter researchers, many of us have noted that the phenomenon seems to be steadily expanding in scope. David Jacobs claims that it is expanding geometrically through family lines. My own gut feel is that the expansion is much slower, but definitely present - perhaps expanding to between two and five percent of the population. If this psychic emergence effect is genuine, then is there a critical point in which a sufficient number being affected will bring about a tipping point within humanity at large?
Could the phenomenon actually be attempting to affect ten percent of the population? When I ask sighting witnesses whether they have had any additional sightings or experiences - UFO sightings, psychic events or other unusual occurrences in their lives, a majority state that they have had at least some psychic experience ability. If the percentage of people having had UFO sightings is representative of the population as a whole, then perhaps a growing percentage of the population is indeed being affected by this emergence phenomenon (an admittedly seat-of-the-pants observation).
Much remains to be validated about these claims. Yet if true, they suggest that the close encounter phenomenon might have a very definite goal - bringing some form of psychic or spiritual awakening to a critical mass of the population. An intriguing experiment would be to organize a new survey of experiences, equivalent to the 1991 Roper poll, to see if the numbers of experiencers has changed in the last twenty years. This could be an interesting test of the hypothesis that the UFO/CE4 phenomenon is somehow involved with this emergence effect.
Is the phenomenon, and its apparent corresponding emergence effects, growing in a deliberate way toward a critical point in society? And is this similar to the so-called Maharishi effect? These questions can only be answered with further research and investigation. Meanwhile, we find the number of experiencers growing, perhaps reaching and exceeding that all-important point in our society called the tipping point.
In recent weeks, now that I am day-job-free, I have continued to delve deeper into activities such as UFO/CE4 research and hypnosis/hypnotherapy. I have found myself attending a quite a few meetings of spiritual-oriented organizations as well as studying meditation in more depth. Perhaps corresponding to our progression toward the end of the calendar year 2012, I have found a common theme among many of these activities, the idea that we are approaching a threshold.
There is a deepening sense of change, accelerating as it reaches a critical mass. The idea is that the more people deepen their psychic and spiritual growth, the more they affect the overall environment around them. At some point in the process, a critical point is reached and the effect becomes self-perpetuating within society as a whole. In systems theory, this is known as the tipping point.
Last month, I began studying Transcendental Meditation. I had flirted with this movement for many years, reading about it, attending a few workshops, etc. Ultimately, I found that other methods were just as effective and their instruction much more affordable. Yet now, I have found that TM has again become quite attractive so I am again studying that tradition, methodology, etc.
One of the teachings in TM is that the effect of meditation on humanity is additive. The more people meditate, the more positive effect it has on the world. Just as I had heard in other schools of new age thought, TM teaches that there is a threshold, a tipping point at which a level of emergence will begin to occur. In the TM teachings, they claim that if one percent of the population meditates regularly, the effect will reach that tipping point.
The study of non-linear mathematics and chaos theory deals with complex, chaotic systems such as chemical reactions, societies, economies, political cultures, world climate, etc. It describes how a system behaves in response to a stress or influence. In politics, a new movement may occur, such as the Occupy movement. In economics, interest rates vary. In the world climate, there is the ominous and ever present greenhouse effect, now reaching (or surpassing) critical levels.
In each case, there often appears to be a key point in the system. When an influence or stress on the system is less than that point, the system's response is limited. It absorbs, resists or responds in a very limited way. A glass of water gets only slightly warmer when heated. The ocean absorbs moderate amounts of carbon dioxide, small changes in interest rates have only limited effect on the economy. Even within a chemical or nuclear reaction, a small adjustment to the inputs has only limited effect on the results.
At some point, however, as the stress or change factor increases, the system begins to reach a critical point. Some element within the system reaches a point of no return. The same glass of water suddenly begins to boil. Climate change reaches a level where greenhouse gas concentrations shoot upward uncontrollably. Interest or default rates drive an economy to collapse (as occurred in 1980 with interest rates and 2008 with defaults). A chemical reaction suddenly takes off and a fire or explosion occurs. These are all examples of the the phenomenon in non-linear systems theory known as the tipping point.
Several recent studies in social theory have found that once a threshold of about ten percent of the population strongly adopts a belief, the belief will take on a life of its own and become a majority view. A recent article in Discovery News describes several studies in which about ten percent of the population strongly hold a particular view sway the majority to their viewpoint. A paper in Physical Review Letters (Phys Rev E), one of the premier journals in physics, describes the mathematics behind this ten-percent tipping point.
Going even further, according to the TM organization, one percent of the population practicing meditation (presumably TM) will produce an aggregate effect on the population overall, decreased crime, etc. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the founder of TM, claimed that if one percent of the people on Earth were to do so, there would be an end to war. They call this (of course) the Maharishi Effect. More recently, they have claimed that, if the square root of that number practices an advanced form of TM, the TM Sidhi program, there will be a deep calming effect on society. Thus, if about 8400 (the square root of 1 percent of 7 billion) people worldwide, practiced advanced TM, this effect would occur.
Whether or not you believe this claim, it offers some very interesting parallels with numbers emerging from close encounter research. In Chapter 9 of The Cosmic Bridge, I explore the idea of psychic and spiritual emergence as one of the side effects of close encounters, where the experiencer finds him/herself becoming more psychics, more deeply spiritual, and more connected with others having similar abilities. Barbara Marx Hubbard describes this idea in detail in her book, Conscious Evolution, where she develops the idea of a social tipping point or state change. When enough people develop an interconnected psychic awareness, the emergence will reach a critical mass and the awakening phenomenon will take on a life of its own, manifesting in overall humanity.
The article, Close Encounters, There May be More than You Think on www.craigrlang.com, discusses the estimate that roughly one percent of the population has had close encounter experiences. In the 1991 Roper Poll (unfortunately, the original poll is no longer posted on-line.) one percent (some analysts say two percent or more) of the population met four of the five criteria to be considered an experiencer. Most of these criteria involve psychic or paranormal events in the life of the experiencer.
Could the two effects be related? Could the Maharishi effect and the emergence effect of close encounters be related phenomena? If genuine, could they stem from the same mathematics, as described by Barbara Marx Hubbard? If so, then why would only one percent be required in the Maharishi effect, whereas in social theory, a critical mass of ten percent of the population is required? Furthermore, how can only a miniscule percent of the population, about eight thousand out of 7 Billion, force a critical change? Perhaps the effect is compounded, a small percentage of a distinct sub-population eventually tipping that segment, which in turn causes the overall population to reach the critical point.
In recent conversations comparing notes with other close encounter researchers, many of us have noted that the phenomenon seems to be steadily expanding in scope. David Jacobs claims that it is expanding geometrically through family lines. My own gut feel is that the expansion is much slower, but definitely present - perhaps expanding to between two and five percent of the population. If this psychic emergence effect is genuine, then is there a critical point in which a sufficient number being affected will bring about a tipping point within humanity at large?
Could the phenomenon actually be attempting to affect ten percent of the population? When I ask sighting witnesses whether they have had any additional sightings or experiences - UFO sightings, psychic events or other unusual occurrences in their lives, a majority state that they have had at least some psychic experience ability. If the percentage of people having had UFO sightings is representative of the population as a whole, then perhaps a growing percentage of the population is indeed being affected by this emergence phenomenon (an admittedly seat-of-the-pants observation).
Much remains to be validated about these claims. Yet if true, they suggest that the close encounter phenomenon might have a very definite goal - bringing some form of psychic or spiritual awakening to a critical mass of the population. An intriguing experiment would be to organize a new survey of experiences, equivalent to the 1991 Roper poll, to see if the numbers of experiencers has changed in the last twenty years. This could be an interesting test of the hypothesis that the UFO/CE4 phenomenon is somehow involved with this emergence effect.
Is the phenomenon, and its apparent corresponding emergence effects, growing in a deliberate way toward a critical point in society? And is this similar to the so-called Maharishi effect? These questions can only be answered with further research and investigation. Meanwhile, we find the number of experiencers growing, perhaps reaching and exceeding that all-important point in our society called the tipping point.
Saturday, February 11, 2012
A new morning
Sat up wayyyy to late last night, watching the Ancient Aliens marathon on History International channel (now called H2). I'm not sure if I just wasn't tired, or if my mind was busy working on something. But for some reason, I just could not get myself to go to bed.
Then I got a (probably) crank phone call - well after Midnight (see my last post). That didn't help. So I sat up, intrigued as I watched the show describe a couple of archaeological mysteries I hadn't known of before. It was about 2AM when I finally planked out and needless to say, I wasn't exactly bright eyed and bushy tailed this morning when my two pups woke me up, needing to go outside.
It's a beautiful morning outside. Clear, crisp, not a cloud in the sky, a day that seems to expand one's horizons. And as I sit here plinking away on my laptop, somehow my world view is just a bit bigger, cheerier than it was last night.
They say there are four emotional stages as one deals with a life transition - denial/bargaining, depression, anger and acceptance. Transition can include loss, death, or some other change. In my case, that change is moving from a steady job in a cubicle in corporate America, to freelance work. None of the transitions effects have hit me all that hard, yet at times late at night I find myself sitting up wondering that the heck I am doing?
Another analogy I've heard is that it is like the difference between being a house pet and being a wild animal. Well, now, I guess I'm in the wilderness, and at times, it can be a bit insecure out here...
This week, I bought some advertising on YellowPages.com, and on Facebook. I added some more downloads to my storefront. I did several other things to promote my business. I've done most of the easy stuff and now, at least to some degree, I need to wait for the Universe to do its part. And the feeling I have had in the mean time - now what...?
Another little piece of metaphysical wisdom I've heard - you can't control outcomes. Only intentions. Indeed, this is the case. All I can do at this point is cast my bread upon the waters - and keep casting - advertising, speaking, networking - and hopefully, the Universe will do its part.
Meanwhile, as I'm promoting and waiting, I find a myriad of other things that need to get done - and nearly all involve staring at my laptop. Few if any get me out from within the walls of my home/studio. I look forward to just about any excuse to get out, meet somebody, talk with people, socialize. Especially today, when the state MUFON chapter meets and I look forward to, seeing a few people in the UFO world I haven't talked with for a while.
Anticipation - A nice day. It's pretty outside, the start of sunny, crisp day in late winter, not yet spring. After a late night, it's a new morning.
Then I got a (probably) crank phone call - well after Midnight (see my last post). That didn't help. So I sat up, intrigued as I watched the show describe a couple of archaeological mysteries I hadn't known of before. It was about 2AM when I finally planked out and needless to say, I wasn't exactly bright eyed and bushy tailed this morning when my two pups woke me up, needing to go outside.
It's a beautiful morning outside. Clear, crisp, not a cloud in the sky, a day that seems to expand one's horizons. And as I sit here plinking away on my laptop, somehow my world view is just a bit bigger, cheerier than it was last night.
They say there are four emotional stages as one deals with a life transition - denial/bargaining, depression, anger and acceptance. Transition can include loss, death, or some other change. In my case, that change is moving from a steady job in a cubicle in corporate America, to freelance work. None of the transitions effects have hit me all that hard, yet at times late at night I find myself sitting up wondering that the heck I am doing?
Another analogy I've heard is that it is like the difference between being a house pet and being a wild animal. Well, now, I guess I'm in the wilderness, and at times, it can be a bit insecure out here...
This week, I bought some advertising on YellowPages.com, and on Facebook. I added some more downloads to my storefront. I did several other things to promote my business. I've done most of the easy stuff and now, at least to some degree, I need to wait for the Universe to do its part. And the feeling I have had in the mean time - now what...?
Another little piece of metaphysical wisdom I've heard - you can't control outcomes. Only intentions. Indeed, this is the case. All I can do at this point is cast my bread upon the waters - and keep casting - advertising, speaking, networking - and hopefully, the Universe will do its part.
Meanwhile, as I'm promoting and waiting, I find a myriad of other things that need to get done - and nearly all involve staring at my laptop. Few if any get me out from within the walls of my home/studio. I look forward to just about any excuse to get out, meet somebody, talk with people, socialize. Especially today, when the state MUFON chapter meets and I look forward to, seeing a few people in the UFO world I haven't talked with for a while.
Anticipation - A nice day. It's pretty outside, the start of sunny, crisp day in late winter, not yet spring. After a late night, it's a new morning.
Another late night call
I was sitting in my living room, watching Ancient Aliens on the History channel. It was about half-past Midnight when my cell phone rang. Looking at the caller ID on my cell phone, it read "blocked". Nevertheless, for better or for worse, I answered it.
The woman on the other end sounded frantic. I asked her what had happened and she told me, she had just been abducted. She was driving home from somewhere when she rounded a bend. There they were. She recounted to me several other details which sounded a lot like many classic abduction accounts.
It was one of those late night judgement calls. Had this woman just had a frightening abduction experience, or was she a late night prankster giving me BS? This sounded a lot like a number of other calls I've gotten, all in the middle of the night and all from young adults. It was not too dissimilar to the guy who called me when the aliens landed in front of him in the parking lot (see last month's CE4 corner), I didn't know what to think. This time, I suspected she was pulling my leg and I was in no mood to have my leg pulled - it was stretched enough already.
I asked her a few questions, my mind scrambling to find the right things to ask to learn details, provide assistance and remain empathetic, while at the same time, checking the story for consistency. Scramble, scramble, I asked her to continue with her account - she did...
I asked her to back up and tell me again what had happened. She started to recount her story once more, how she had been on the road and there they were. I asked her what happened next. She described how she had been taken aboard and had had salsa, chips and dip (it was Velveeta, but the aliens were OK with that). What was going on here?
I was quite at a loss as to what to ask or say next. I told her that this didn't make sense to me. Clearly this person needed to talk to a local investigator. I said that, not sure what to make of this. She got angry and asked me if I had ever been on board a ship - no I hadn't.
She spouted a few obscenities and said I was a doubter, just like all the others. And at that point, she was right - I was.
Yet what if she was telling me the truth? Was this a mental health issue? Was this a late night prank? I really didn't know. But if she came off to others in the same way she had just done to me, I have no doubt that she had encountered a wall of skepticism. Calling in the middle of the night, then blowing up at the person they are talking to when their account contained a rather bizarre logical inconsistency - yeah, I was skeptical.
I thanked her for her time and hung up the phone, hearing one final obscenity as I hit the disconnect button. Did I do the right thing? I try to give the caller the benefit of the doubt. But this time, my intuition told me that the person was - well, I'm not sure what. Was it the right thing to do? I will never know....
The woman on the other end sounded frantic. I asked her what had happened and she told me, she had just been abducted. She was driving home from somewhere when she rounded a bend. There they were. She recounted to me several other details which sounded a lot like many classic abduction accounts.
It was one of those late night judgement calls. Had this woman just had a frightening abduction experience, or was she a late night prankster giving me BS? This sounded a lot like a number of other calls I've gotten, all in the middle of the night and all from young adults. It was not too dissimilar to the guy who called me when the aliens landed in front of him in the parking lot (see last month's CE4 corner), I didn't know what to think. This time, I suspected she was pulling my leg and I was in no mood to have my leg pulled - it was stretched enough already.
I asked her a few questions, my mind scrambling to find the right things to ask to learn details, provide assistance and remain empathetic, while at the same time, checking the story for consistency. Scramble, scramble, I asked her to continue with her account - she did...
I asked her to back up and tell me again what had happened. She started to recount her story once more, how she had been on the road and there they were. I asked her what happened next. She described how she had been taken aboard and had had salsa, chips and dip (it was Velveeta, but the aliens were OK with that). What was going on here?
I was quite at a loss as to what to ask or say next. I told her that this didn't make sense to me. Clearly this person needed to talk to a local investigator. I said that, not sure what to make of this. She got angry and asked me if I had ever been on board a ship - no I hadn't.
She spouted a few obscenities and said I was a doubter, just like all the others. And at that point, she was right - I was.
Yet what if she was telling me the truth? Was this a mental health issue? Was this a late night prank? I really didn't know. But if she came off to others in the same way she had just done to me, I have no doubt that she had encountered a wall of skepticism. Calling in the middle of the night, then blowing up at the person they are talking to when their account contained a rather bizarre logical inconsistency - yeah, I was skeptical.
I thanked her for her time and hung up the phone, hearing one final obscenity as I hit the disconnect button. Did I do the right thing? I try to give the caller the benefit of the doubt. But this time, my intuition told me that the person was - well, I'm not sure what. Was it the right thing to do? I will never know....
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