The Five Spiritual Powers

The Five Spiritual Powers ...Sarah Doering
IMS Dharma Talk / Three Month Retreat / October 1999
www.Dharma.org

[Sarah Doering has had a long association with the Insight Meditation Society and with the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies. On both boards for many years, she has been a devoted practitioner of insight meditation, and has been teaching at IMS for the past several years. Sarah is currently one of the resident teachers at the newly opened Forest Refuge.]


For forty-five years after his enlightenment, the Buddha wandered about northern India teaching. He spoke publicly as many as ten thousand times. But he was not teaching in order to argue philosophical theories. He was teaching for one purpose only: to bring to an end all the suffering which he saw around him.


The assumption underlying all his teaching is that we don’t have to be the way we are—that all the sorrow and pain and grief and fear that we all know is not necessary. It can be eliminated. New ways of being can be cultivated. He taught so that we may know not suffering, but happiness and peace. These teachings are trainings for a spiritual way of life. This means a way that is real and true, and beneficial for all beings, both now and in times to come.


Tonight I want to speak about five qualities of heart and mind which are known as the “five spiritual powers.” They’ve been called “five priceless jewels,” because when they’re well developed, the mind resists domination by the dark forces of greed and hate and delusion. When the mind is no longer bound by those energies, then understanding and love have no limits. These five powers are also called the “controlling faculties.” When they’re strong and balanced, they control the mind, and generate the power which leads to liberation. The five are faith, effort, mindfulness, concentration and wisdom.


When I first heard this list, I was puzzled. I come from a Christian background. Faith seemed, of course, exactly right to be there. Wisdom, too, belonged on the list. But the others—effort and mindfulness and concentration—sounded very clinical and psychological and dry. Where, I wondered, was love? I did not in any way understand then that the cultivation of these five factors leads directly to love. They’re all necessary. They all work together and interweave very closely.


Faith—which here means trust and confidence in the Dharma—inspires an outpouring of energy. When energy is strong, then the effort to be alert and pay attention is easy. Mindfulness prospers and becomes more and more continuous. The stronger the continuity of mindfulness, the more focused and steady the mind. Concentration grows. As concentration deepens, in the stillness of an attentive mind, wisdom emerges. It’s the wisdom of emptiness, whose only expression is love.


FAITH


The first of the five faculties, faith, actually is a rather suspect word today. The most conspicuous examples of faith are in the various extremes of religious fundamentalism, where faith is often a coercive force, a force which is used to control insiders so that they’ll stay within the confines of the faith. It’s also a force that’s sometimes imposed upon outsiders in order to encourage them to believe. But faith in the sense that I want to speak of tonight has nothing to do with force. It has nothing to do with conventional belief. It’s an innocence of conviction, an open heart that is not afraid to trust, and so can move beyond the known. It senses the possibility of transcendence—that what seems to be, isn’t all there is. It senses that there’s some profound human possibility to be realized, even though it’s not immediately apparent.


Such faith is born in experience. It can’t be given. It arises spontaneously, out of seeing and knowing for oneself. From it flow devotion and gratitude and commitment. It’s a natural self-giving. It stems from knowing the problematic nature of life, from realizing that human existence is very imperfect. Because of this one is sensitive to what else might be, to some other way of being. Faith may arise from hearing the Buddha’s words that say there’s a cause for suffering, a cause that can be removed so that suffering comes to an end. It may arise from seeing someone whose presence, whose manner or words, are so compelling, that they suggest possibilities not at all understood. It may come from reading something that suddenly reveals a meaning that speaks to the heart. It may dawn through music or art or, as happened to me, from a glimpse of something seen in nature.


Each of us has our own story, which brought us here tonight. No one here is without faith. You came in response to an attraction to some wordless possibility—some possibility of discovery, of change, that’s implicit in these long weeks of silence. Faith is critical for a spiritual journey, for it’s through faith that we move from the known to the unknown. Without faith, not much is possible in any endeavor. If there’s no end goal which we particularly value, or if we lack faith in our own strength and ability to get to it, we tend to stay in a rut. We don’t go much of anywhere.


When faith first dawns, the mind is filled with brightness and love and devotion. But faith that’s new is vulnerable. If it meets a skeptic who doubts, and has many views and opinions, faith wants to run away and hide. At least I did, in those years. Because the source of faith is outside ourselves, we’re very dependent on its not changing in any way at all. But gradually faith is internalized. We see for ourselves that the teaching works. We discover that we can sit with physical pain and not be overwhelmed. We begin to taste the happiness of a concentrated mind. Faith deepens, and gives the courage to go beyond our former limits. We begin to allow ourselves to feel more of what we’re feeling. So much of what we feel, we close off, because we fear the pain will be too much to bear. But faith that’s been tested in the crucible of experience comes to know that even in the midst of suffering, there is calm.


When we meet difficulties, faith gives the courage to go on. It’s important to note, however, that faith is very different from hope. Hope is for a specific outcome. Hope is associated with expectation and desire. If hope is disappointed, sadness and fear or anger are the result. Faith is different. It’s trust in the ongoing process. It’s confidence that we can handle whatever comes—for in faith, we can. It’s knowing that each step we take is an unfolding of our life’s journey, even if we don’t know at all where we’re going.


Faith in the truth of the Dharma, by its very nature, implies faith that we have the ability to realize that truth. The whole movement of deepening faith is inward, toward more and more trust in ourselves, more and more trust in the understanding and the love within our own hearts and our own minds. Faith has a very great influence upon consciousness. That’s why it’s the first of these spiritual powers. It removes the shadows of doubt that are so debilitating. It gives a clarity to the mind, which is energizing


EFFORT


Energy, or effort, is the second spiritual power. These two words are linked, but they’re not quite the same. Energy comes first, and effort channels it, and puts it to use. Nothing happens without effort in any kind of endeavor, but especially, perhaps, in spiritual practice. This practice isn’t easy. The instructions are simple, but carrying them out isn’t simple. To be with the breath, feeling it, knowing it, and not identifying with it; to be with an emotion, a mind-state, feeling it, knowing, not identifying; to be with sensations, thoughts, the whole spectrum of experience, seeing it clearly and dispassionately—such work is not child’s play. A lot of energy is expended here just to get out of the pull of habit, the kind of gravitational pull of the mind that would get us and keep us in the grooves of habit that have been worn over years of time. The mind is used to wandering, just erratically wandering from one thing to the next, keeping itself busy with planning and hoping and fantasizing, fearing, complaining, judging. It doesn’t even know that anything might lie outside of its own limited scope.


Right effort is the effort to be mindful, and to bring the mind back when it wanders, so it knows what is happening right now. To do this is really a very delicate balancing act. On the one hand, hard work is needed, in the attempt to keep paying attention. On the other hand, there’s nothing to do, because awareness is already present. It’s just that we’ve been distracted. Right effort is not striving. Striving leads to clinging. It reinforces the sense of self, and can be very painful. Right effort isn’t trying to get anything, for there’s nothing to get. It’s not trying to penetrate something and go deeper and deeper. Rather, it’s the effort to listen with greater sensitivity. It’s a soft receptivity. Just total surrender, receiving and welcoming whatever is here.


When effort is balanced, without any strain, there’s no sense of, “I should do this.” Rather, there’s just a willingness to do. Out of that willingness there comes a more and more constant flow of energy. This quality of energy is bold and courageous. A Pali word describes it as “the state of the heroic ones.” It gives patience and perseverance in the face of difficulty. If pain arises, the heat of the energy burns away fear, and makes it possible to do what ordinarily is very difficult to do—to go right to the center of the pain.


There are many levels of effort. Like the gears of a car, one level leads to the next. But the key to them all is being willing to start fresh, to start all over again. At the beginning of each day, at the beginning of each sitting, at the beginning of each breath—to bring back the wandering mind and start fresh. As we become more skilled, effort becomes smoother and steadier, and mindfulness grows.


MINDFULNESS


Mindfulness is the third of the spiritual powers. It’s the one factor of mind of which we can never have too much. Mindfulness is the observing power of the mind, the active aspect of awareness. Mindfulness means not forgetting to pay attention, not forgetting to be aware of whatever is happening within us, around us, from moment to moment to moment. It’s a very subtle process.


When first we notice something, there is a fleeting moment of pure awareness, before the thinking mind jumps in. It’s a moment that’s nonverbal, pre-verbal. It has in it no thought. It’s a moment of seeing with very great clarity and no thought. The thing noticed is not yet separated out, but is simply part of the whole flow of the process of life. Perception then fixates on the thing, puts boundaries around it and labels it. Then the thinking mind jumps in, and the mind is back in its everyday mode.


Under ordinary circumstances, that first pristine moment of awareness is very brief, and it goes unnoticed. What this practice of mindfulness does is to prolong the moments of pre-verbal knowing. The effect of doing that, over time, is profound. It’s a kind of deep knowing which changes the way that we understand the world.


When mindfulness is present, it’s like an empty mirror. It sees whatever appears before it with no distortion. Mindfulness has no likes and no dislikes. There is no passion or prejudice to color what is seen. It knows things in the round, as it were—in their totality, just as they are.


The question, of course, is, “How can we come to such clarity?” “Interest” is the answer. Get interested in what’s going on. Krishnamurti once said that the way to watch thoughts is the way that you would watch a lizard crawling on the ceiling of a room. This seemed to me a very odd recommendation when first I heard it. I had no connection with it at all, until a few years later. Then I found myself on the island of Antigua, in the Caribbean. I had just arrived. It was late at night and I was half-asleep, but too tired to go to bed. Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed something moving on the wall. Attention woke up. It was galvanized. Now, what was moving was a lizard. It was a big one, maybe between nine and ten inches long from the tip of its tail to its nose. It was a dull, mottled brown. Nothing remarkable; it looked very ordinary. I sat, attention just riveted, as it climbed the wall, slowly crawled across the ceiling, down the other side, and then slithered out an open window.


The intensity of that brief little moment was so great that I can see every detail in my mind’s eye right now. Interest was amazingly total. Awareness was complete. There wasn’t a thought, an emotion, to disturb what was seen. All that was there was the seeing of each movement of this little creature from the moment it appeared to the moment it disappeared. Krishnamurti’s words came back into my mind then, and I knew exactly what he had meant. Interest makes the difference. When interest is there, awareness is total, and it’s effortless.


Now, the breath may not have the same compelling quality as seeing a lizard crawling on the ceiling, but the more careful attention we pay to it, the more we get into the habit of paying attention. Interest grows. Careful attention in itself creates interest, for it brings us close to experience—increasingly close, so that we see the texture, the detail, the remarkable wonder of experience. In the doing there comes a brightness and a vividness to things.


Emily Dickinson knew this quality well. She lived a very quiet life, saw few people, and spent most of her time alone in her room. Yet she was so attentive, and saw with such sensitivity and precision, that she could only sum up her experience in this way: “To live is so startling, there’s little time for anything else.”


Close attention opens the heart. When there is interest, real interest, there’s no judgment. Whatever appears is welcome. Acceptance is unconditional. Awareness has a benevolent quality, a friendly quality, about it, which leads to bodhicitta. This welcoming acceptance allows whatever comes to reveal itself in its fullness. Ultimately, mindfulness opens into the realm of the sacred. To speak of knowing things as they are, as they really are—what is that but spiritual talk?


CONCENTRATION


Faith… effort…mindfulness…The fourth spiritual faculty is concentration. Concentration arises naturally out of the effort to be mindful. It gives the power which makes mindfulness so effective. Concentration is often defined as “one-pointed attention.” In the context of insight meditation, it is steady, one-pointed attention upon a succession of changing objects. Concentration keeps attention pinned down upon whatever object mindfulness is noticing. As mindfulness moves from, say, the breath to a sound, concentration moves with it, and again keeps attention focused and steady. In each case it lasts for just a moment, because the mind moves so quickly. But it begins again in the next moment, with the same intensity. This so-called “momentary concentration” provides the power for the work of our practice.


The key to developing concentration is one word: effort. It’s the effort to pay close attention, to keep coming back. Usually the energies of the mind are scattered in a thousand different directions. The mind is all over the place, and its energy is simply frittered away in random thoughts and desires, hopes, fears, feelings. All the huge potential power that it has is wasted. But as the effort to be mindful becomes more consistent, these scattered energies come together and converge around a single point, and the mind becomes focused, like a lens. If parallel rays of light fall upon a piece of paper, they won’t do much more than warm the paper. But if the same amount of light is focused through a lens, the paper will burst into flame. In the same way, concentration focuses the energy of the mind, and gives it the power to cut through surface appearance.


As concentration deepens, the mind becomes calm and centered. It’s less reactive. It comes into greater emotional balance. We can more easily let go and let things be. The mind has a spaciousness which gives room for pain and anger and fear all to arise and pass, without our being broken by them, or needing to act them out.


Concentration is very powerful, but it’s only a tool. Despite its astonishing power, it cannot of itself lead to wisdom. When it’s balanced with mindfulness, the two together cut through conventional reality, and understanding unfolds by itself.


WISDOM


Wisdom is the last of the spiritual qualities. It is ongoing inspiration for the work of the other four, and also their fulfillment. Wisdom is not knowledge. It cannot be learned from books, for it is intuitive understanding that arises from close observation of experience. It is insight into reality, into the nature of things as they are.


One aspect of wisdom is seeing the omnipresence of anicca—impermanence. Wisdom knows that nothing in this conditioned realm will last. It knows that everything that arises passes away. It knows that change occurs at every level from the cosmic to the microscopic. A star, a civilization, a tree, a thought—each arises, evolves through time, disintegrates and disappears. Timetables differ of course, for every phenomenon and event. And change can be so rapid—or so slow—that it is not ordinarily seen at all. But the trajectory is always the same. Whatever is, will be was.


We may think we know this truth, and perhaps we do. But is it living wisdom? For each of us, the mark of impermanence reveals itself most intimately in our inescapable mortality. We all are going to die. However unwelcome that thought may be, death is at the end of every life. You and I are no exception. Everything that is born will die. But because we do not live our lives from this place of understanding, we suffer.


There is a constant clash between the nature of existence and our desires. In a world of radical change, we want permanence and security and enduring happiness, and they cannot be found. We live in an imaginary world, and grasp and cling to the way things used to be, or how we want them to be, and find it hard to accept the way they actually are. The result is dukkha—suffering, all the dissatisfactions and sorrows of the human heart. Dukkha is the second truth, which wisdom more and more deeply comes to know.


But the deepest lesson that wisdom has to teach is the fact of anattà—the fact that nothing is inherently substantial and real. We think that we are separate, solid entities, and struggle to protect and satisfy and gratify our precious sense of self, not understanding that at the closest level of examination, no permanent, unchanging self is ever to be found. The constituents of mind and body are, in fact, in constant flux. Body, sensations, thoughts, emotions, arise and disappear, arise and disappear, moment by moment by moment. Keen observation reveals that mind and body are an ever changing process, a moving energy field. There is no permanent being behind phenomena to whom it all is happening. There is no one here to suffer. A Sri Lankan monk summed this fact up very simply: “No self. No problem.” Yet this truth is baffling, and eludes us until the mind is purified.


The doors of perception are gradually cleansed as the spiritual powers gather strength. Mindfulness sees ever more deeply, and greed, hate and delusion diminish. Our endless likes and dislikes thin out and fall away. The confusion that clouds perception begins to dissolve. We glimpse the interweaving laws of impermanence, suffering and selflessness, and the knowledge is transforming. The way that we understand ourselves and live our lives begins to change.


We don’t hold on so much, and make fewer demands upon existence. We begin to relax, and ease more into the flow of things. We can delight in the good things of life when they are present, and accept change without protest when they end. The heart opens wider as it learns there is nothing to lose…


The sense of self lessens. We become less selfish, less self centered. As mindfulness reveals our dukkha and we experience its pain, we begin to feel the suffering of others. Boundaries disappear, and we turn to the needs of others as if they were our own. Gradually the delicate art of loving without possessing becomes apparent—the art of how to care, yet not to care. There is a growing sense of similarity, of oneness, of communion with all—which more and more means that the only possible response is concern and care for all.


Wisdom is very hard won. It comes from facing our own suffering and learning the profound lessons that suffering has to teach. The lessons are all about letting go. Not holding on to desire, but letting it go. Wherever we hold, the sense of self is present together with suffering. When we let go, self vanishes and suffering dissolves into lightness, ease and peace.


It is in the deep understanding of suffering that compassion comes to full bloom. For when the heart/mind no longer holds to anything, it is fully open. There is no self-centeredness and so, no separation. No I, no you. Love then is boundless, and ceaselessly responsive.

What is an ion bracelet?

What is an ion bracelet?

The ion bracelet is a balance bracelet that contains mineral ionizers. The Tourmaline Bracelet, for example, is a processed combination of silicone rubber, titanium, tourmaline (a silicate mineral http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tourmaline), and ceramic. The Tourmaline Bracelet closely resembles the Rayma bracelet. The only difference between the two is that the Rayma bracelet simply contains “special metals” which contain alternate types of mineral alloys. However, despite their differences in composition, these bracelets, along with almost all other ion bracelets, work on the exact same principles. These bracelets (along with necklaces, rice cookers, washing machines…) are primarily a product of Japan and are one of the numerous products associated with using “minus-ions.”


What does an ion bracelet do?

The purpose of the ion bracelet is to reduce pain and restore bodily energy. Golfers, for example, may use a bracelet to help relieve stresses in their wrists, which enables improvement of their golf swing.

How is the ion bracelet supposed to work?

The bracelet uses yin-yang therapy and what is known as the “autoinduction principle.” According to bracelet advertisers, the yin-yang ideal works by giving off specific alternating electrical currents (like your wrist). The currents are composed through different interactions between positive and negative ions.

Positive and negative ions are found everywhere—from the air, to the ground, and in our bodies. In salts, such as common table salt, sodium chloride (NaCl), the molecules are connected with ionic bonds. Once the bond is broken, (may it be through water, wind, or some other outside force) the salt forms a cation and anion. Cations are positively charged and anions are negatively charged ions. These different types of ions circulate all throughout our bodies and serve as everything from the constituents of our pH level, to chemical signals for proteins. (Tocci & Viehland, 1996)

According to advertisers, through the autoinduction principle, the bracelet absorbs the static electricity given off by the body in order to seek balance between these ions. Pain is caused by an imbalance when organs or tissues lose some of their energy. As energy is given off, it may fall within the bracelet’s range of frequency; then bracelet will give off an opposite form of energy. This process returns the organ’s or tissue’s energy to its original state, thus negating the pain.
http://healthpsych.psy.vanderbilt.edu/TourmalineResearch.htm

Miracle in Lebanon

These are the pictures of Guilda Ayoub, a 16-year-old girl from 'Imar' village situated near Zgharta, North Lebanon .

Guilda watched the film of 'Passion of the Christ ' on Good Friday on 06/04/2007, and before she went to sleep she was telling her mum that she doesn't believe that Jesus has passed through all that pain.

That night she dreamt of having a cross on her hand but the next day she woke up, did not have anything on her hand.
She went to school and as she was telling her friend about it, she felt something pulling her hand backwards and putting it on the wall behind her.

Her hand was stuck on the wall and no one could take it off.. After a while when she took off her hand,
a cross was printed on her hand with a wound in the middle as if there was a nail taken out of her.

Blood tests were done for her and the blood that was coming out of her hand has no blood group.
Also there was oil on her hand..

Saint Charbel has talked to her many times and he was giving her messages.
One of the messages was about Lebanon but he asked her not to say it until he tells her..
She still has pain in her hand and it is still bleeding from time to time.

Love Testing

Love Testing

CHARM BRACELETS

CHARM BRACELETS


Beginning in the early years of the 20th century and extending until around 1960, it was a mark of middle-class properity that young girls be given a charm bracelet before they reached puberty and that at every holiday or anniversay, a new charm be added to the assemblage, often by the doting relative who had supplied the original bracelet. One suspects that jewelers were behind the craze, but in fact, the demand for charms is ancient; only this method of marketing them is relatively recent. Not all the charms on these bracelets were lucky emblems -- equally common were hobby-related and school-related charms. In fact, the multiplicity of charms available, and the mundanity of many of them -- a telephone, a car, a cheerleader's megaphone, a windmill -- served to devalue the word "charm" in the English language, so that today one may be misunderstood if one refers to "charms" when one means "amulets."

The 20th century American charm bracelet at left features a variety of lucky charms in a bright mix of brass, copper, sterling silver, and gold-plated metal.

This bracelet is typical of the kind of jewelry worn by adolescent girls in the 1950s and 1960s, collected charm by charm while travelling through the tourist traps, flea markets, jewelry stores, and yard sales of the heartland. It is, in fact, my very own charm bracelet! There are 13 charms on it, demonstating the use of "unlucky" 13 as reversed bad luck. Clockwise from the top, they are:

a silver heart engraved with initials: love for the named individual
a brass heart pierced by an arrow: smitten romantic love
a silver horseshoe: attraction or "drawing" luck
a gold wishbone set with a pearl: wishes come true
a silver horseshoe on which is placed a wishbone, a four-leaf clover, a horseshoe and the words "Good Luck": good luck
a gold and green enamelled four-leaf clover: luck
a silver money bag with a $ sign: wealth
a copper horseshoe on which is placed a four-leaf clover: good luck
a brass heart padlock: faithful love
a silver spread of playing cards: gambling luck
a gold double horseshoe set with an artificial diamond: money luck
a brass money bag marked 1000: wealth
a silver horseshoe: attraction or "drawing" luck
Other popular 20th century charms not depicted on this page but often found on European and American charm bracelets include:

a swastika: luck (pre-Hitlerian, of course)
twin hearts pierced by a single arrow: reciprocated love
an Amanita muscaria mushroom: luck
a chimney sweep or his ladder and brush: luck
a so-called "Lucky Buddha": luck
a black cat: gambling luck
Unrelated to European and American charm bracelets -- but probably made to meet Occidental rather than Oriental tastes -- are the so-called Chinese charm bracelets made with glass beads, jade carvings, and metal amulets strung on black cord and tied around the wrist.

http://www.luckymojo.com/charmbracelets.html

Make-Believe, Play-Acting and the Law of Attraction

Make-Believe, Play-Acting and the Law of Attraction
By Frederick Dodson

Reality Creation is the Art of matching your energy-field (your thoughts, emotions and actions) with the energy-field of the Reality you wish to Create. You thereby attract what focus on, into your life. So if you wanted to attract money, you'd assume the energy-field of already being rich. If you wanted to attract health you'd practice already seeing yourself as healthy. If you wanted to find your ideal partner, you'd practice feeling like you are already in a relationship. You can only attract experiences into your life that you radiate. You cannot experience anything you don't believe or feel. When you have a certain "feeling", that means energy is radiating out of your body, mind and being, attracting whatever matches that feeling. Every reality you wish to have, has a certain "feeling". Find out what it feels like to already have what you want, and it's yours!

Creating Reality takes some effort and practice because its the opposite of what the world teaches...namely that experiences create what you believe and feel. In Reality Creation you learn that what you feel and believe creates what you experience. So learning this skill requires plenty of reading books on it, plenty of visualizing, plenty of mental releasing of negative programming and plenty of prioritization. You prioritize what is important to you and you disregard what is not. Energy flows where your attention goes. To practice Reality Creation you train your will - or you get a coach who will support you with pointers and reminders.

Nowadays there is a lot of sneaky marketing going on, telling you you can "have it all" within only a few hours if ONLY you buy a certain product IMMEDIATELY. Such marketers will make up fake Testimonials about someone becoming a Millionaire within 10 Minutes of buying the product or curing cancer within one day of signing up for a subscription. While miracles do happen and it is exciting, fun and even sometimes effective to believe in rapid results, such marketing in the new-age, law-of-attraction, "the secret", "manifesting" and "goal-achievement" market does more damage than good. Why? Because secretly and inwardly most people don't actually believe they can achieve those results that quickly. And the best advertisement or hard-selling propaganda can't change that - only YOU can. So all of this "get rich quick!!!! Sign up now!!!!" hype is mostly to get people to give the seller money. Someone using those kind of tactics is often not truly interested in the well-being of the Customer (there are exceptions though - I've met some goodhearted people who use these strategies).

Reality Creation is not something for an instant and quick-fix but a lifestyle, a philosophy of a lifetime, something you can cultivate and get better at over years. The "quick fix" crowd is usually the crowd driven by a needy Ego that will most likely not achieve, not create, not reach. Why? Because neediness attracts more neediness. Feeling non-needy and at peace attracts prosperity.

Most readers of this will be familiar with "Visualization" as widely taught as a method of Reality Creation and commercialized in movies such as "What the Bleep" and "The Secret". Interestingly, despite Millions of people now being familiar with the Art of Visualizing ones preferred realities many don't use it consistently. Why? Because they haven't practiced their will. They were promised a quick fix. And maybe that quick fix happened and then they rested on their laurels or that quick fix didn't happen and they gave up. In any case, as of the year 2010 you still don't have very many people actually training their Imagination.

And yet, in this article I'd like to go one step further than Visualization I'd like to introduce a new word:

Physicalization!

This is the same thing as Visualization except that you actually act out and demonstrate what you would normally only be imagining. This intensified act quickens the manifestation of your goals and dreams. Other words for Physicalization are.

Acting-it-Out
Acting-As-If
Make-Believe-Acting
Pretend-Acting
Charades
Pantomime
Acting-with-Expectation (of something coming true)
Preparing for something (in the trust it will come true)

So in applying Reality Creation to get Rich would you...

a) Read a Book on how to get Rich
b) Read a Book by someone who is Rich
c) Read a Book on how to Invest your Money
d) Read a Book unrelated to Money...?

This is a Reality Creation Quiz. Answer it before reading on.

Answer a) is the most incorrect of all answers. If you were already rich and play-acting being a Millionaire, you would not read a book on how to get Rich. You already are! Answer b) is a little better than a because you can learn more from someone who is rich than from someone just writing about being rich. Answer c) is even better because if you already are rich you might be reading books on what to do with all your money! And answer d) is the best because if you were really rich above and beyond your wildest Imagination you may not care about money itself anymore but delve into other subjects (that subject already being taken care of). Of course some love money for moneys sake, but that's rare.

If you want to Physicalize a Partner for yourself, you would perhaps lay the table, put on candlelight and prepare for your love to join you every evening. And one day he or she will be sitting there. Sometimes it takes only a few days, sometimes it takes many years. But it does eventually come true...always!

If you want to Physicalize become a movie-actor, you'd have to hang around where movie actors hang-around. Where do they hang-around. You don't know? Then find out! I love it when people state a certain goal but don't actually want to enter the energy-field that contains the fulfillment of that goal. Being in New York, London or Los Angeles may be a good idea if you want to be an actor in Movie Productions.

If you want to Physicalize good health because you are having issues with, let's say, your back and you are saying "I did not sign up for Yoga because I have issues with my back", then maybe you should sign up for Yoga - thereby demonstrating your belief in betterment.

I am not recommending you take risks with your health though - never overwhelm your threshold of believability. But you get the point.

If you want to Physicalize that you can afford to go on vacation although today it does not look as if you could go on vacation, then start preparing for it. Get out your vacation clothes and pack them. Look for flights in the Internet. Look at pictures from your Destination. Tell people you are going to travel (unless these are people that will say "But you don't have the money to travel" - in that case, keep your goal a secret). Behaving in this way, the means to travel will come to you. It's metaphysical law. If you were looking for something to rely on in life, you can always rely on attractor-fields bringing back the precise overall result of the energy you put out!

Frederick Dodson is the author of books, audios and videos on success, spirituality and metaphysics. He is the creator of Reality Creation Coaching at http://www.oceanofsilence.com and the creator of free and buyable Audio-Coachings and Audio-Meditations at http://www.realitycreation.org

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Frederick_Dodson

Power of Thought: Growing Energy Balls

Power of Thought: Growing Energy Balls
By Julia Melges-Jablonski




Most of the time, we take a longer and more involved "route" to fulfillment than we need to, because we tend to focus on working toward our goals through physical action rather than manifesting them through inner vision. When we employ the law of attraction and focus our full attention on what we desire, we fuel the creation of what we want in our lives. The more we focus on a particular goal, the stronger its potential becomes. Through repeated thought or focus, we actually create a thought form that becomes self-sustaining.



When I first began an Internet-based spiritual counseling practice, I created an "energy ball" to draw traffic and business. I had discovered this idea in a small old metaphysical pamphlet. I no longer recall the author or even the title, but I do remember that it worked!



First, define your goal. I had a very clear goal of a certain number in terms of daily traffic to my site, and a certain number of readings ordered. Of course, your goal can be "true love," more free time, achieving astral projection, etc.; just define it in as much detail as possible. It's also essential that you believe your dream is possible. If you don't, aim a little lower until that higher goal no longer feels out of your reach.



Once you have a clear goal, set aside about a half an hour for the exercise. You'll want to be able to sit quietly, uninterrupted. Make sure you're comfortable and in a positive state of mind. If you're having a bad day or have been through emotional upset, wait until another day. The more confident and positive your state of mind, the more effective you'll be. You might even read self-help books or success stories just prior to beginning the exercise to get into the ideal state of mind.



When you're ready, sit quietly with your eyes closed and your palms face up in your lap. Visualize the infinite creative energy of the Universe swirling around you, like a gentle whirlpool moving all around your body. This energy is everywhere at all times, you're simply going to channel it toward your aim. Imagine tendrils of energy forming that begin to swirl into a ball just above your upturned hands.



Watch and feel the energy growing stronger. It's vibrant, radiant colors, like brilliant gems. Red, blue, and green swirl together, forming a beautiful sphere of moving energy. Imagine this energy growing stronger, more powerful and more cohesive. Try to feel the energy pulsing just above your palms.



This ball of energy is going to fuel the manifestation of your desire. It will remain alive and powerful and growing, just like a plant will grow naturally whether you're there to visualize it doing so or not. Just as the sun and earth fuel the growth of a plant, so will the Universe fuel the growth of this ball of energy, which will be channeling creative power to the fulfillment of your aim no matter where you are or what you're doing.



As you hold your ball of energy, clearly visualize your goal coming true. Hold a mental image of success, and also imagine as deeply as possible how it will feel to attain it. Imagine what you might say or hear, what you might do or where you might be. Try to make this visualization as "real" as possible. The more powerfully you can imagine success, the better.



Visualize a chord of energy moving from your ball of energy into this thought form of success. The ball of energy is never depleted, for it is fueled by an infinite supply, much as the energy in a wall socket is never depleted. Your ball of energy is plugged in and will continue to fuel your vision.



Now choose a "home" for your energy ball. Again, it's a bit like choosing a spot for a plant. You want an out of the way corner where it can grow in peace, where it won't get in your way, and you won't disturb it in your daily life. A corner of the ceiling works nicely. Stand up and "pick up" your ball of energy, and "put it" in its home.



Affirm to yourself that what you desire is already in the process of manifesting, and "thank" your ball of energy for bringing you what you desire. Assume that this will work, and visualize yourself in wonder and pleasure over how such a simple exercise could create such great results, and how a half an hour spent in conscious manifesting can change your whole life.



Walk away with faith that your energy ball will keep "growing" and fueling your success.

Astral Journey and the Astral Body

Astral Journey: Astral Journey and the Astral Body
By www.indiadivine.org

Astral Journey and the Astral Body

You first separate yourself from the body; then you identify yourself with the mind, and then you function on the mental plane, with this fine body just as you do on this physical plane. Through concentration, you rise above the body-consciousness; through meditation, you rise above mind; and finally through Samadhi, you realize your spiritual nature. These are three important exercises of Antaranga Sadhana in the achievements of Kaivalya, the final beautitude.



You can, by mere willing alone, travel to any place you like with the astral body and there materialize by drawing the necessary elements either from Ahankara or the universal storehouse, the ocean of Tanmatras. The process is very, very simple to occultists and Yogis who know the rationale, the detailed technique of the various operations.



Thought reading and thought-transference too can be quite easily performed by those who can function with the astral body. Concentrated mental rays can penetrate opaque walls, just as X-rays pass through the opaque body. This is one of the Siddhis (mystical perfections). Siddhis are not the goal of life. Do not entangle yourself in these Siddhis which mar your further spiritual progress. Shun them entirely. Continue your Sadhana and stop not till you reach the goal.

Courtesy India Divine, for more articles, please visit www.indiadivine.org

Characteristics of a Liberated Soul

Characteristics of a Liberated Soul

Humility

A liberated soul knows that he is not the doer. He knows and feels that he is a mere instrument for the higher power. It is this awareness that enables him to be a channel for divine light. A liberated soul does not deal with his own individual will and individual freedom; he seeks only to be a channel for the Divine Will.


This humility is only possible when a person has subdued his ego. When our ego is predominant we feel that we are the doer. But, if we transcend the dominance of the ego, we learn true humility. This state of consciousness gives does not give us a sense of superiority, but oneness with others. Because of his sense of identification with others a liberated soul will never feel better than others.

Equanimity

A liberated soul has made a permanent connection with his inner reality, the Universal Source. He sees through the ephemeral nature of the outer world; he knows that what happens in the outer world does not affect the real in us - our soul. Thus, whatever may befall a liberated soul on the outer plane, nothing affects his inner poise and inner peace. At the same time, a liberated soul is not bound by any outer rules; some spiritual Master's may display outer emotions for various reasons. Yet, even if they display anger outwardly, inwardly they retain a perfect inner peace. Their show of anger may merely be an outer emotion necessary for the well being of others.


No Fear of Death.

Sri Sarada Devi said that we can always tell the difference between a spiritual person and an ordinary person.

"The difference between a spiritual man and an ordinary man is very simple. Easily you can know the difference between the two. An ordinary man cries and sheds bitter tears when death approaches him; whereas a spiritual man, if he is really spiritual, he will laugh and laugh when death approaches him, for to him death is fun, nothing else" [3]

Purity

A liberated soul is the embodiment of his own inner realization. If we have a little receptivity, we will feel in the spiritual Master a sense of peace, purity and inner joy. Outwardly the liberated soul may be ugly. But, if we look into their eyes, we will definitely see that they have attained a consciousness far beyond the ordinary. The liberated soul may say or do nothing; but, just being in their presence may give an inexplicable and unexpected sense of inner peace and well being.



By: Tejvan Pettinger,

Inner Peace is a Choice.

Inner Peace is a Choice.

It is our own thoughts that will either bring us peace or restlessness. If our mind is clear of useless, undivine thoughts, we can experience inner peace in abundance. When we lose our inner peace it is because of our own thoughts. It is tempting to blame our problems on the world and other people. However, a man of inner peace will not allow the outer world to disturb his inner mind. If we maintain equanimity and detachment to events of the world, inner peace will remain a permanent feature of our mind.


Inner Peace is to be experienced Here and Now.

It is a mistake to feel inner peace will be achieved in the future, when circumstances are more favourable. Inner peace can only be felt in the present moment. If we live only in the here and now, we will not worry about the future, or speculate on the past. If we live only for the present moment we can learn to understand the immediacy of inner peace.

Inner peace and Oneness are inseparable.

If we live in the critical mind and are constantly judging others, we will never experience real inner peace. When we judge others we try to assert our superiority over others, but this can never bring inner peace. When we are flooded with inner peace, we feel others are an extended part of our reality; the imperfection of others actually seem our own imperfections, just in another body.

Inner Peace is in the heart not the Mind.

To find inner peace in the mind, is difficult. The nature of the mind is to think, analyse and create problems. The nature of the heart is oneness, love and joy. If we can bring to the fore the qualities of the heart, we will find peace. It is also in the heart, that our Soul resides. The Soul is the divine part of our being, and is inundated with peace.

Inner Peace is to be experienced Here and Now.

It is a mistake to feel inner peace will be achieved in the future, when circumstances are more favourable. Inner peace can only be felt in the present moment. If we live only in the here and now, we will not worry about the future, or speculate on the past. If we live only for the present moment we can learn to understand the immediacy of inner peace.


Inner peace and Oneness are inseparable.

If we live in the critical mind and are constantly judging others, we will never experience real inner peace. When we judge others we try to assert our superiority over others, but this can never bring inner peace. When we are flooded with inner peace, we feel others are an extended part of our reality; the imperfection of others actually seem our own imperfections, just in another body.


Inner Peace is in the heart not the Mind.

To find inner peace in the mind, is difficult. The nature of the mind is to think, analyse and create problems. The nature of the heart is oneness, love and joy. If we can bring to the fore the qualities of the heart, we will find peace. It is also in the heart, that our Soul resides. The Soul is the divine part of our being, and is inundated with peace.

Peace does not Require an Escape from the world.

Inner peace does not require us to live in an himalayan cave. Inner peace can be experienced in the hustle and bustle of the world. What is important is the state of our mind, not the outer circumstances.

Do not think of what you do not have;

Do not think of what you do not have;
Instead, appreciate what you have and can still have.

Do not think of things lost;
Instead, value what you still have and may yet find.

Do not cry over spilled milk;
Instead, rejoice in what was left.

Do not think of what you are not;
Instead, be humble with what you are and can still become.

Do not think of what others say you are;
Instead, concern yourself with what you affirm to be.

Do not think of the hours and days past;
Instead, look eagerly to times that are yet to come.

Do not think of what you failed to do;
Instead, think of those that you were able to do and can still best do.

Do not think of mistakes committed;
Instead, count the things you did right.

Do not think much of the pain you have caused;
Instead, plan for ways to make amends.

Do not think of the sufferings you now bear;
Instead, look to the comfort when relief draws near.

Do not consume yourself with thoughts of what could have been;
Instead, marvel at what has become and will become.

Do not be anxious to attain greater happiness;
Instead, content yourself with the little things which bring you bliss.

Do not aspire to fill your cup at once;
Instead, have the patience to do it little by little.

And if by chance you fail, do not fret over the empty part on top;
Instead, celebrate the space filled up.

Do not condemn nature when it is at its worst;
Instead, think of the times when it was at its best.

Do not blame luck for things you miss;
Instead, learn from things in which you have been remiss.

Nor should you curse luck or others for life's misfortunes;
Instead, accept them as part of life

ugly doll peace ...

ugly doll peace

POSITIVESayings

POSITIVE SAYINGS

At the center of your being you have the answer; You know who you are and you know what you want. - Lao Tzu

Believe it is possible to solve your problem. Tremendous things happen to the believer. So believe the answer will come. It will. - Norman Vincent Peale

There is no such thing as no chance - Henry Ford

Every day may not be good, but there's something good in every day. - Author Unknown

Whatever the mind of man can conceive, it can achieve. - Author Unknown

If you don't like something change it; if you can't change it, change the way you think about it. - Mary Engelbreit

Just because you're miserable doesn't mean you can't enjoy your life. - Annette Goodheart

Make your optimism come true. - Author Unknown

The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes. - William James

The Titanic was sinking

The Titanic was sinking, and there weren't enough lifeboats.
So the captain had to persuade male passengers to jump into the icy waters to make room for women and children.
To the British he said. "You must act like gentlemen." They jumped.
To the Americans he said, "You can be heroes." They complied.
To the Germans he said, "It's the rule." They obeyed.
To the Japanese he said," It's the consensus." They obliged.
Then came the Singaporean and they just weren't budging until he came up with the appeal: "Free life jackets for those who jumped."

LifeLESSON

Time

SunMOON

Gay Hate Crime Faces & Stories

Gay Hate Crime Faces & Stories
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mw9zJq0QGl0

Communication is the key.

Communication is the key.

This is a true story which has touched many readers.

As it is quite a long story, reserve it (if you haven't got the time) and read it only when you are in a more relaxed mood.



In either case, do make it a point to savour everyline until the end.

This is for all the single, married, divorced, widowed individuals, who take life for granted.



Please, read this story until the end. It is such an eye opener.

You never Know........ .!



Just two years after our marriage, hubby brought up the idea of asking Mother to move from the rural hometown and spend her remaining years with us.



Hubby's father passed away while he was still very young. Mother endured much hardship and struggled all on her own to provide for him, see him through to a university degree.



You could say that she suffered a great deal and did everything you could expect of a woman to bring hubby to where he is today.



I immediately agreed and started packing the spare room, which has a balcony facing the South to let her enjoy the sunshine and plant greenery.



Hubby stood in the bright room, and suddenly just picked me up and started spinning round and round.



As I begged him to put me down, he said: "Lets go fetch mother." Hubby is tall and big sized and I love to test on his chest and enjoy the feeling that he could pick me up at any moment put the tiny me into his pockets.



Whenever we have an argument and both refuses to back down, he would pick me up and spin me over his head continuously until I surrender and beg for mercy.



I became addicted to this kind of panic-joy feeling.



Mother brought along her countryside habits and lifestyle with her.



For example; I am so used to buying flowers to decorate the living room, she could not stand it and would comment:



"I do not know how you young people spend your money, why do you buy flowers for?



You also can't eat flowers!" I smiled and said: "Mum, with flowers in the house, our mood will also become better."



Mother continues to grumble away, and hubby smiled: "Mum, this is a city-people' s habit; slowly you will get use to it."



Mother stopped saying anything. But every time thereafter, whenever came home with flowers, she would ask me how much it costs.



I told her and she would shake her head and express displeasure.



Sometimes, when I come home with lots of shopping bags, she would ask each and every item how much they cost, I would tell her honestly and she would get even more upset about it.



Hubby playfully pinched my nose and said: "You little fool, just don't tell her the full price of everything would solve it."



There begins the friction to our otherwise happy lifestyle.



Mother hates it most when hubby wakes up early to prepare the breakfast.



In your view, how could the man of the house cook for the wife?



At the breakfast table, mother facial expression is always like the dark clouds before a thunderstorm and I would pretend not to notice.



She would use her chopsticks and make a lot of noise with it as her silent protest.



As I am a dance teacher in the Children's Palace and am exhausted from along day of dancing around, I do not wish to give up the luxury of that additional few minutes in the comfort of my bed and hence I turned a deaf ear to all the protest mother makes.



From time to time, mother would help out with some housework, but soon her help created additional

work for me.



For example: she would keep all kinds of plastic bags accumulating them so that she sell them later on, and resulted in our house being filled with all the trash bags; she would scrimp on dish washing detergent when helping to wash the dishes and so as not to hurt her feelings, I would quietly wash them again.



One day, late at night, mother saw me quietly washing the dishes, and "Bam" she slams her bedroom door and cried very loudly in her room.



Hubby was placed in a difficult position, and after that, he did not speak to me for that entire night.



I pretended to be a spoilt child, tried acting cute, but he totally ignored me....



I got mad and asked him: "What did I do wrong?" Hubby stared at me and said: "Can't you just give in to her once?



We couldn't possibly die eating from a bowl however unclean it is, right?"



After that incident, for a long period of time, mother did not speak to me and you can feel that there is a very awkward feeling hanging in the house.



During that period of cold war, hubby was caught in dilemma as to who to please.



In order to stop her son from having to prepare breakfast, mother took on the "all important" task of preparing breakfast without any prompting.



At the breakfast table, mother would look at hubby happily eating his breakfast and cast that reprimanding stare at me for having failed to perform my duty as a wife.



To avoid the embarrassing breakfast situation, I resorted to buying my own breakfast on my way to work.



That night, while in bed, hubby was a little upset and asked me:



"LD, is it because you think that mum's cooking is not clean that's why you chose not to eat at home?"



He then turned his back on me and left me alone in tears as feeling of unfairness overwhelmed me.



After some time, hubby sighed: "LD, just for me, can you have breakfast at home?"



I am left with no choice but to return to the breakfast table.



The next morning, I was having porridge prepared by mother and I felt a sudden churn in my stomach and everything inside seem to be rushing up my throat.



I tried to suppress the urge to throw up but I could not.



I threw down the bowl, rushed into the washroom, and vomited everything out..



Just as I was catching my breath, I saw mother crying and grumbling very loudly in her dialect, hubby was standing at the washroom doorway staring at me with fire burning in his eyes..



I opened my mouth but no words came out of it, I really did not mean it.



We had our very first big fight that day; mother took a look at us, then stood up and slowly made her way out of the house.



Hubby gave me a final stare in the eye and followed mother down the stairs.



For three days, hubby did not return home, not even a phone call.



I was so furious, since mother arrived; I had been trying my best and putting up with her, what else do you want me to do?



For no reason, I keep having the feeling to throw up and I simply have not appetite for food, coupled with all the events happening at home, I was at then low point in my life..



Finally, a colleague said: "LD, you look terri ble; you should go and see a doctor."



The doctor confirmed that I am pregnant.



Now it became clear to me why I threw up that fateful morning, a sense of sadness floated through that otherwise happy news.



Why didn't hubby, and mother who had been through this before, thought of the possibility of this being the reason that day?



At the hospital entrance, I saw my hubby standing there.



It had only been three days, but he looked haggard. I had wanted to turn and leave, but one look at him and my heart soften, I couldn't resist and called out to him.



He followed my voice and finally found me but he pretended that he doesn't know me; he has that disgusted look in his eyes that cut right through my heart.



I told myself not to look at him anymore, and hail a cab.



At that moment, I have such a strong urge inside me to shout to my hubby: "Darling, I am having your baby!" and have him lift me up and spin me around in circ les of joy.



What I wanted didn't happen and as I sat in the cab, my tears started rolling down.



Why? Why our love couldn't even withstand the test of one fight?



Back home, I lay on the bed thinking about my hubby, and the disgusted look in his eyes.



I cried and wet the corner of the blanket.



That night, sound of the drawers opening woke me up.



I switched on the lights and I saw hubby with tears rolling down his face.



He was removing the money. I stared at him in silence; he ignored me, took the bank deposit book and some money and left the house.



Maybe he really intends to leave me for good.



What a rational man, so clear-cut in love and money matters.



I gave a few dried laugh and tears starting streaming down again.



The next day, I did not go to work. I wanted to clear this out and have a good talk with hubby.



I reached his office and his secretary gave me a weird

look and said:



"Mr. Tan's mother had a traffic accident and is now in the hospital."



I stood there in shock.



I rushed to the hospital and by the time I found hubby, mother had already passed away.



Hubby did not look at me, his face was expression les s.



I looked at mother's pale white and thin face and I couldn't control the tears in my eyes.



My god, how could this happen?



Throughout the funeral, hubby did not say a single word to me, with only the occasional disgusted stare at me.



I only managed to find out brief facts about the accident from other people.



That day, after mother left the house, she walked in dazed toward the bus stop, apparently intending to go back to her old house back in the countryside.



As hubby ran after her, she tried to walk faster and as she tried to cross the street, a public bus came and hit her...



I finally understood how much hubby must hate me, if I had not thrown up that morning, if we had not quarreled, if....



In his heart, I am indirectly the killer of his mother.



Hubby moved into mother's room and came home every night with a strong liquor smell on him.



And me, I am buried under the guilt and self-pity and could hardly breathe.



I wanted to explain to him, tell him that we are going to have our baby soon, but each time, I saw the dead look in his eyes, all the words I have at the brink of my mouth just fell back in.



I had rather he hit me real hard or give me a big and thorough scolding though none of these events happening had been my fault at all.



Many days of suffocating silence went by and as the days went by, hubby came home later and later.



The deadlock between us continues, we were living together like strangers who don't know each other.



I am like the dead knot in his heart.



One day, I passed by a western restaurant, looking into the glass window, I saw hubby and a girl sitting facing each other and he very lightly brushed her hair for her, I understood what it meant.



After recovering from that moment of shock, I entered the restaurant, stood in front of my hubby and stared hard at him, not a tear in my eyes.



I have nothing to say to him, and there is no need to say anything.



The girl looked at me, looks at hubby, stands up and wanted to go, hubby stretched out his hand and stopped her.



He stared back at me,challenging me.



I can only hear my slow heart beat, beating, one by one as if at the brink of death.



I eventually backed down, if I had stood that any longer, I will collapse together with the baby inside me.



That night, he did not come home; he had chosen to use that as a way to indicate to me: Following mother's death so did our love for each other.



He did not come home anymore after that.



Sometimes, when I returned home from work, I can tell that the cupboard had been touched - he had returned to take some of his stuff.



I no longer wish to call him; the initial desire to explain everything to him vanished.



I lived alone; I go for my medical checkups alone, my heart breaks again and again every time I see a guy carefully helping his wife through the physical examination.



My office colleagues hinted to me to consider aborting the baby, I told them No, I will not..



I insisted on having to this baby, perhaps it is my way of repaying mother for causing her death.



One day, I came home and I saw hubby sitting in the living room.



The whole house was filled with cigarette smoke.



On the coffee table, there was this piece of paper.



I know what it is all about without even looking at it.



In the two months plus of living alone, I have gradually learned to find peace within myself.



I looked at him, removed my hat and said: "You wait a while, I will sign."



He looked at me, mixed feelings in his eyes, just like mine.



As I hang up my coat, I keep repeating to myself "You cannot cry, you cannot cry...." my eyes hurt terri bly, but I refused to let tears come out from there.



After I hung up my coat, hubby's eyes stared fixed at my bulging tummy. I smiled, walked over to the coffee table and pulled the paper towards me.



Without even looking at what it says, I signed my name on it and pushed the paper to him. "LD, are you pregnant?"



Since mother's accident, this is the first time he spoke to me. I could not control my tears any further and they fell like raindrops.



I said: "Yes, but its ok, you can leave now."



He did not go.



In the dark, we sat, facing each other.



Hubby slowly moved over me, his tears wet the blanket.



In my heart, everything seems so far away, so far that even if I sprint, I could never reach them.



I cannot remember how many times he repeated "sorry" to me.



I had originally thought that I would forgive him, but now I can't.



In the western restaurant, in front of that girl, that cold look in his eyes, I will never forget, ever.



We have drawn such deep scars in each other's heart.



For me, it's unintentional; for him, totally intentional.



I had been waiting for this moment of reconciliation, but I realized now, what had gone past is gone forever and could not repeated.



Other than the thought of the baby inside me that would bring some warmth to my heart, I am totally cold towards him, I no longer eat anything he buys for me, I don't take any presents from him and I stopped talking to him.



From the moment I signed on that piece of paper, marriage and love had vanished from my heart.



Sometimes, hubby will try to come into the bedroom, but when he walks in, I will walk out to the living room.



He had no choice but to sleep in mother's room.



At night, from his room, I can hear light sounds of groaning, I kept quiet.



This used to be his trick; last time, whenever I ignore him, he would fake illness and I will surrender and find out what is wrong with him, he would then grab me and laugh.



He has forgotten that last time I cared for him and am concerned because there was love, but now, what is there between us?



Hubby's groaning came on and off continuing but I continuously ignored him.



Almost everyday, he would buy something for the baby, infant products, children products and books that kids like to read.



Bags and bags of it stacked inside his room till it is full.



I know he is trying to use this to reach out to me, but I am no longer moved by his actions.



He has no choice but to lock himself in his room and I can hear his typing away on his computer keyboard, maybe he is now addicted to web surfing but none of that matters to me anymore.



It was sometime towards the end of Spring in the following year, one late night, I screamed because of a sudden stomach pain, hubby came rushing into the room, its like he did not change and sleep, and had been waiting for this moment.



He carried me and ran down the stairs, stopped a car, holding my hand very tightly and kept wiping the sweat off my brow, throughout the journey to the hospital.



Once we reached the hospital, he carried me and hurried into the delivery suite.



Lying on the back of his skinny but warmth body, a thought crossed my mind:



In my lifetime, who else would love me as much as he did?



He held the delivery suite door opened and watch me go in; his warm eyes caused me to manage a smile at him despite my contraction pain.



Coming out of the delivery room, hubby looked at our son and me, eyes tear with joy and he kept smiling.



I reached out and touched his hand.. Hubby looked at me, smiling and then he slowly collapsed onto the floor.



I cried out for him in pain... He smiled, but without opening that tired eyes of his...



I had thought that I would never shed any tear for him, but the truth is, I have never felt a deeper pain cutting through my body at that moment.



Doctor said that by the time hubby discovered he had liver cancer, it was already in terminal stage and it was a miracle that he managed to last this long.



I asked the doctor when he first discovered he had cancer. Doctor said about 5 months ago and consoled me saying:



"Prepare for his funeral."



I disregarded the nurse's objection and rushed home, I went into his room and checked his computer, and a suffocating pain hits me.



Hubby's cancer was discovered 5 months ago, his groaning was real, and



I had thought that... the computer showed over 200 thousand words he wrote for our son:



"Son, just for you, I have persisted, to be able to take a look at you before I fall, is my biggest wish now...



I know that in your life, you will have many happiness and maybe some setbacks, if only I can accompany you throughout that journey, how nice would it be..



But daddy now no longer has that chance.



Daddy has written inside here all the possible difficulties and problems you may encounter during your lifetime, when you meet with these problems, you can refer to daddy's suggestion.. ..



Son, after writing these 200 thousand words, I feel as if I have accompanied you through life journey.



To be honest, daddy is very happy.



Do love your mother, she has suffered, she is the one who loves you most and also the one who loves me most...



" From play school to primary school, to secondary, university, to work and even in dealing with questions of love, everything big and small was written there.



Hubby has also written a letter for me:
"My dear, to marry you is my biggest happiness, forgive me for the pain I have caused you, forgive me for not telling you my illness, because I want to see you be in a joyful mood waiting for the arrival of our baby....



My dear, if you cried, it means that you have forgiven me and I would smile, thank you for loving me...



These presents, I'm afraid I cannot give them to our son personally, could you help me to give some of them to him every year, the dates on what to give when are all written on the packaging... "



Going back to the hospital, hubby is still in coma.



I brought our son over and place him beside him.



I said: "Open your eyes and smile, I want our son to remember being in the warmth of your arms..."



He struggled to open his eyes and managed a weak smile.



Our son still in his arms was happily waving his tiny hands in the air. I press the button on the camera and the sound of the shutter rang through the air as tears slowly rolled down my face.....



A fatal misunderstanding and the person who loves me the most in this world is gone forever...



"Cruel misunderstandings one after another disrupted the blissful footsteps to our family.



Our original intend of having Mother enjoy some quiet and peaceful moments in her remaining years with us went terri bly wrong as destiny's secret is finally revealed at a price, every thing became too late."...... ..



This is a true story.

we are all water creature

What Is Kundalini Energy?

What Is Kundalini Energy?

What is Kundalini Energy?

In order to understand something of the nature of Kundalini enrgy, it is necessary first to understand something of the paradigm or world-view which supports this rather unusual and profound phenomenon. The following ideas have been taken from both ancient Hindu philosophy and the writings of Gopi Krishna.

Western scientific thought, despite the discoveries of physics in the last 100 years, is rooted in the idea that what we perceive with our senses is 'real' and external to us and that our consciousness or subjective experience is simply an epi-phenomenon, or consequence, of the chemical activity of the brain.

The esoteric systems of India, on the other hand, view consciousness as the ultimate or paramount reality. This supreme reality, or Brahman as it is called, is said to be beyond the capacity of our limited human mind to perceive directly, as it is infinite, formless, timeless, and has no physical attributes by which we can comprehend it directly. Our individual awareness is said to be like a drop in this infinite ocean and the physical world that we perceive as external to us is held to be a projection of this individual drop of awareness.

This constitutes a complete reversal of the western, scientific, world-view. The reason that we do not experience reality in this way, at our current level of perception, is due to the limitations placed on our consciousness by the brain and nervous system of our body, through which it functions. The goal of evolution, or at least the next step to which we are evolving, would be the enhancement of our perceptive faculties to the point where this new world-picture is a day-to-day reality.

Since our world view, physical existence, and mental process are rooted in dualism, i.e. good/bad; up/down; male/female; hot/cold, positive/negative, etc., our minds are more comfortable conceptualizing this ultimate reality in dualistic terms. They have been defined by Hindu philosophical thought as Supreme Consciousness and an Infinite Creative Energy, or Shiva and Shakti.

From this Shakti, at one level, the physical universe, consisting of matter and the four known forces, is manifested. At another level, it manifests as prana, or the animating principle which gives life to all sentient things. This animating principle, referred to at this level as Kundalini, is most evident in the process of conception, development of the embryo, and birth where, after this process is complete and a new individual is born, it is said to go into a quiescent or dormant state at the base of the spine where it maintains the basic life processes of the body.

As the microcosm is a reflection of the macrocosm, so the universal principles of Shiva and Shakti are present in the human body. Shiva is held to be the conscious principle centered in the head, while Shakti (referred to as Kundalini energy) lies in a quiescent state at the base of the spine.

As a consequence of our lifestyle, spiritual practices, heredity, and other factors, Kundalini can become reactivated and the same processes which built our body in the womb now begin to function again, but in a different manner. They now work to refashion the brain, organs, and nervous system so that a more elevated form of consciousness is possible. The ultimate, although rarely attained, goal of Kundalini is to permanently transform our being so that a new perceptive faculty emerges by which we can experience reality directly as consciousness. In most cases, however, the individual eventually becomes more creative, psychically sensitive, aware of who they are, and better adjusted to their environment, with an enhanced faith in the Divine.

The effects of this activity are many and varied and can extend to all aspects of our being--physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. They can range from being barely noticeable to totally overwhelming. They can vary widely in duration and ultimate effect from individual to individual as a great many factors are involved. To someone who is not familiar with what is happening and why, these processes can be quite disturbing and even terrifying. Attempts to obtain guidance and support from medical and health care professionals and religious institutions are often found to be frustrating and even counter-productive, due to the general lack of good information on this subject.

But it must always be kept in mind that the process is a natural one, as much a part of our being as conception and birth, and although it may sometimes be difficult, it is attempting to bring about change of a very positive nature in us to advance the level of our evolution both as individuals and as a species.

Authors Details: Kundalini Energy - Institute for Consciousness Research

26 Principals of Life

Spiritual Guidance - 26 Principals of Life

1.All Are Related: There is a Native American saying, which translates roughly to "All are Related". Everything in the universe is part of The Great Spirit, from a rock, to a plant, to a fish, to a human. The spirit flows between and within us all, and is the building block of everything. Since we are all part of the same whole, we should treat the rest of the whole as if it is part of us, i.e. with compassion and love. We are all part of the Great Spirit, just like all the different leaves on a tree are still part of the tree.

2.The Energy Flow: The universe is composed of energy. This energy flows between everything, us and within us all. When we have internal blocks, the energy fails to flow correctly, causing illness, lethargy and other symptoms. This energy can be directed consciously, we can see it, and feel it. How we feel affects our energy levels; negativity drains energy, positivity creates energy.

3.We Are Beings of Both Spirit and Flesh: We are spirits, but at the same time, we are creatures of the flesh. We inhabit both worlds simultaneously, even though we are often unaware of it. We should not shun the flesh for spirit or vice versa. Both are equally important. We have to walk with one foot in each of these worlds, and pay them both attention. Neglecting either world causes distress in the other.

4.No One Entity is Superior to Another: No one being or creature is any better or greater than another. We are all the same. We are all on different paths and have different levels of understanding, but that does not make any one of us better than another. Humans are not masters of nature, nor the animals and plants. They are our companions, and co-inhabitants of this planet. We are not superior to them, nor do we own them. We should treat them all with respect.

5.Belief Creates: How we perceive the universe is shaped by our beliefs. If we believe we are in a hurry, then everyone else appears to be going slow. Through belief and positive thought, we can create virtually anything. We should believe in our abilities and ourselves, and we will succeed. We can combine the power of belief with that of visualisation to bring anything into reality.

6.Intuition: Inside of us, a voice speaks and guides us. It is our intuition. We can choose to ignore it or to listen to it. Once we are in tune with our intuition and start to listen to it, we will be guided and will find that we can achieve more than we thought possible. We will begin to realise that the Great Spirit works through us - often in mysterious ways, but always to our benefit - in the long term.

7.The Higher Purpose: Everything that happens is for a reason and for the greater good. We have to learn to look at events in our lives from more than just the normal human perspective. We must see them from the perspective of the Great Spirit and to look at what good will come from these events. This is the old maxim of "is the glass half full or half empty". We can look at events badly, half empty, and our reaction will be worse. However, should we look at events better, i.e. half full, then we are more positive, which means our energy is higher, and our reaction will be better.

8.There are No Ordinary Moments: The past only exists in our memory. The future only exists as our expectation. The only time that really exists is NOW. It is a precious moment and we should treat every single moment as special and live it to the full. By being in the present, we have presence. To live in the now the conscious mind should be quiet and you must focus totally on what you are doing, not what you are going to be doing next week, or what you are going to have for lunch.

9.There are No Limits: The only limits we have are those we place upon ourselves, or others place upon us. To this end, we should avoid being put in a pigeonhole and labelled by others. If someone views a dog as being vicious, then it is more likely to be vicious. We should hold no expectations of others, and let them be themselves, just as we should be ourselves.

10.Action not Reaction: If we are tickled, our reaction is to laugh. We should be at a state where we do not react in a situation, but act. Reaction is unconscious, whereas Action is conscious. We should not let past influences affect our actions, e.g. if we were once bitten by a dog, when we next meet a dog, we should not let the past bite affect how we act towards it. There are times to act, as well as times to be still. By living in the present and having control of the conscious mind, we can better direct our action.

11.Positivity Rules: Negative thoughts attract negative events and drain our energy. Positive thoughts attract positive events and increase our energy. To this end, we should look at our thoughts and the events which happen to us in a positive light, realising negative thoughts for what they are and releasing them.

12.Posture, Pose & Breathing: Energy flows through the body, as it flows through all things. If the posture and pose are bad, the energy can not flow cleanly and causes blockages, which manifest as pain or illness. We breathe in energy from the world around us. Therefore, our breaths should be deep and full, coming from the bottom of the belly, and not the chest. This enables us to maximise our energy. Deep breathing helps relax us. When we are stressed, angry or afraid our breathing changes and becomes shallow and faster. By consciously controlling our breathing and keeping it deep and even, we can release the stress, anger or fear, enabling us to act consciously in the situation.

13.Everything in Balance: The universe exists in a state of balance, as should we. We can do anything we wish, but should always do it to moderation, never to excess. Should we do things to excess, then they can become addictive, which drains energy and may become negative. Being balanced allows us to act better in situations. If we are sat on the fence, so to speak, we can jump off either way should we desire to.

14.Intent is Action: You can intend to do anything, and your intent is important. However, unless the intent is followed with action, then the intent is nothing. As an example. I may intend to get fit, but spend all my time sat in front of the TV eating pizza and drinking cola. I have my intention, but my actions do not confirm or create the intention. Therefore, if you intend something, do it, don't just talk about it. Action turns knowledge into wisdom.

15.Freedom of Choice: We all have free will, and can choose to do anything we wish. There is no situation where we do not have choice. It may appear that we do not, but there are always options, if we have the courage and strength to take them. We just have to have the courage of conviction to make the decisions.

16.Change Happens: Change is continuous and is always happening around us. We can not actually perceive change, but can see the end result of it. Change is not a bad thing nor is it to be feared. Through change we can grow and go forwards.

17.Taking Responsibility: Our actions cause a reaction - it is a law of nature. We have to be aware of our actions and take responsibility for them and for the consequences of them. It is no good doing something and then saying you did not mean to do it. Had you not meant to do it, you would not have done it. By taking responsibility for our actions, so we can take back our power and freedom to choose. We have to accept that no one will live for us, and that sometimes our actions will cause others, or ourselves, a measure of discomfort. Remember though, that discomfort is one way of helping us grow and to show us where changes need to be made.

18.One Step at a Time: To get to any goal, break it down into a number of small steps. If you have many small successes, then this will lead to a big success. If you aim for a big success straight off, you may fail. Remember that a journey towards any destination starts with a single step, and then a second and a third, and as many as required until you reach that destination. Remember to reward and praise yourself for your successes, however small they are. By acknowledging them, you increase your power and will to succeed, strengthening your belief in yourself.

19.Judgement: We have no right to judge another for their words, thoughts or deeds. They have the freedom of choice to do as they please and act as they wish, just as we do. We are in no position to judge anyone, as we are imperfect ourselves. It is easily done, for example, you see a big man with tattoo's, a skinhead and wearing leather, and the automatic assumption is that he is trouble. He may be a florist for all we know. This colours our judgement of people and changes how we act towards them. By having no preconceptions of other people, we can interact better with them, and perhaps make a new friend.

20.Integrity: Integrity is all about how we act when no one is looking. We must live to our own standards and should not judge others by them. This is about living in line with our highest vision despite urges to the contrary.

21.Air Your Doubts: By airing your doubts, fears, and worries, by looking at them and seeing them for what they are, so you can conquer them and rid yourself of them forever. By refusing to confront them, so they gain power over you, and become even more deeply rooted. After you realise what they are - release them.

22.Failure: It is very rare for us to fail. We only ever choose to stop trying. That is us exercising our free will. We can stop trying any time we wish, but those that succeed never stop until they get to their goal. Success often does not come easy, and does require work and effort from us. You will find that most 'overnight successes' have been working hard for that success for many years. Failure is not something to be feared or worried about, because we can never fail! Everything we do, no matter whether we view it as a success or failure is a valuable lesson for us to learn. By looking at a perceived failure as a valuable lesson, it no longer feels as bad. The only true failure is not learning the lessons our mistakes teach us.

23.The Ongoing Journey: Our journey of exploration through life never, ever stops. The destination is not the reward or the goal. The journey to the destination is the goal itself.

24.Don't Mind: If we take an objective view of our mind, then we can see that lots of thoughts drift through it, many of which we are unaware of. A sad, angry or fearful thought may drift up from the sub-conscious and change how we feel for no apparent reason. We must take control of the mind through tools such as meditation, and become aware of these thoughts and realise them for what they are. Then, we can let them go and stay relaxed and centred. By consciously focussing on our breathing, and keeping it deep and even, we can help to release these negative thoughts.

25.Emotions: Emotions come and go. They flow through us all the time, often without us even realising. Many of us do not express our emotions because we feel we have to "Be manly" or "Be responsible" or "Be cool". When we feel the negative emotions, we can feel our bodies tense. If we do not express these emotions when we feel them, the tension is stored within our bodies. Having emotions is not to be feared and should be celebrated. When you feel an emotion - express it! If you are happy - smile and laugh, if you are sad cry. Expressing your emotions releases the tension they give, and helps you live more fully in the here and now. Once you have expressed an emotion, it is gone and will not return with the same force for that situation. If we refuse to express them and store the emotions up, then, like damming a fast river, eventually the water level will rise too high if we do not provide it with an outlet.

26.Play: As children, we play exuberantly. We have fun, enjoy ourselves and have lots of energy. Then something happens, we grow up, and we no longer play believing that adults have to be adult and they don't play. Playing is one of our greatest sources of pleasure. It takes many forms, from sport to games to laughing and joking with friends. Playing increases our energy and makes us more positive. It makes those around us more positive and generally lifts the spirits of all involved. There are times to be serious, yes, but there are times to play too, and that is what we must not forget.

Authors Details: Spiritual Guidance - 26 Principals of Life -
Jason Johns

A friend

Spiritual Freedom

Spiritual Freedom
1: Life does not work through indecision. Indecision promotes blocks, confusion and stress. Make a decision and allow life to find movement through you. Trust yourself.

2: The 3 C's of life are Courage, Capacity and Commitment. It takes Courage and a commitment to make many of life's decisions, and capacity to follow them through. The 3 C's of a successful relationship are Caring, Consideration and Communication. Communication opens the door between us, consideration allows us to pass through it and our ability to care for each other unites us.

3: Truth is not truth out of timing- yet it remains truth. We are the timing to recognize truth.

4: The mind recoils from the unknown, so we seek to make everything known, and, thus sage. Imagination is the key to the unknown- positive, uplifting imagination.

5: For as long as we search for Our God Self, we deny that we are it. Loving your self reveals your truth.

6: Becoming free is not changing yourself into someone you think you should be. Becoming free is falling in love with who you are- right now.

7: Imagine a room of pitch dark and a room of bright light connected by a door. When you open the door what happens? Light floods into the dark room, illuminating it. Live accordingly, think thoughts of light.

8: F.E.A.R- False Evidence Appearing Real

9: Anything of the past that is unresolved is unresolved now. Living NOW resolves the past.

10: Life flows from the inside out, never the reverse. Understand this and you cease to be a victim.

11: Love responds- fear reacts. Love connects- fear separates. Love uplifts- fear deflates. Love creates- fear destroys.

12: There is no such thing as a mistake- only experience. There is no such thing as failure- only people's condemnation. There is no such thing as success- only people's approval. Let life live through you.

13: Do not get caught up in modifying your life, allow life to change YOU. Modification is a superficial exterior veneer, change is an inner shift in consciousness.

14: Pain is a measure of your resistance to change.

15: Decide whether you want to be an onlooker of life or a participant. This is the birthplace of choice.

16: You hear with your ears- but you listen with your mind. You look with your eyes- but you see from the heart.

17: Consciousness is not contained in your body- you are the consciousness that contains the body. Consciousness draws to itself form through which to express

18: Your mind cannot exist in the moment. You cannot think your way into the moment, you can only think your way out of it. This indicates that your mind/intellect cannot set you free. Only your consciousness is aware of NOW. True freedom is a state of consciousness.

19: We each live in our own universe, a universe of our making. It is designed to support our beliefs and our focus. Our thoughts are our focus, so observe your thoughts, focus on your blessings, and trust. This is how you become a participant.

20: Practise seeing all life around you as an aspect of yourself. In this way you shatter the illusion of separation.

21: Your mind does now know the difference between what you do want or what you don't want, it only knows what you focus on. Many people focus on what they don't have, what they are incapable of doing and their sicknesses.

22: If you focus on what you do have, it increases. If you focus on what you don't have, you will have even less. If you focus on your capabilities, they grow, if you focus on your health, it improves.

23: Your mind does not know the difference between a powerfully imagined reality and a physical happening reality. Why? Because there is no difference.

24: You only have a problem if you believe you have a problem.

25: Live these principles and you will be practising reality. Practise reality until you overcome the illusion. It is only an illusion that you are not free, now!

Authors Details: Unknown Author

Dr Phil's 10 Life Laws

Dr Phil's 10 Life Laws

http://www.spiritual.com.au/articles/stories/10laws_drphil.htm
Dr. Phil McGraw's 10 Life Laws
Life Law #1: You either get it, or you don't.
Strategy: Become one of those who gets it.

Life Law #2: You create your own experience.
Strategy: Ackowledge and accept accountability for your life.

Life Law #3: People do what works.
Strategy: Identify the payoffs that drive your behavior and that of others.

Life Law #4: You cannot change what you do not acknowledge.
Strategy: Get real with yourself about life and everybody in it.

Life Law #5: Life rewards Action.
Strategy: Make careful decisions and then pull the trigger.

Life Law #6: There is no reality; only perception.
Strategy: Identify the filters through which you view the world.

Life Law #7: Life is managed; it is not cured.
Strategy: Learn to take charge of your life.

Life Law #8: We teach people how to treat us.
Strategy: Own, rather than compain about, how people treat you.

Life Law #9: There is power in forgiveness.
Strategy: Open your eyes to what anger and resentment are doing to you.

Life Law #10: You have to name it before you can claim it.
Strategy: Get clear about what you want and take your turn.

Ghosts: What Are They?

Ghosts: What Are They?

Do you believe in ghosts? The many thousands of reports from all over the world leave little doubt that haunting experiences are quite real. But what causes them and why?

You've seen them depicted in movies, read stories of their unnerving activities and have seen television shows and documentaries sensationalizing them. You have probably seen rare photos of them and have likely heard of first-hand ghostly encounters from friends and relatives. I receive dozens of reports from readers every month. Perhaps you have even seen a ghost yourself.

But what are ghosts? I'll give you the answer straight out: No one knows for certain.

There are, however, many theories to explain the thousands upon thousands of documented experiences that people around the world have had since the beginning of recorded history. Ghosts and hauntings seem to be a relatively common part of the human experience. And there appear to be several types of ghosts or hauntings, and more than one theory may be needed to explain them all.

Dead people
The traditional view of ghosts is that they are the spirits of dead people that for some reason are "stuck" between this plane of existence and the next, often as a result of some tragedy or trauma. Many ghost hunters and psychics believe that such earth-bound spirits don't know they are dead. Veteran ghost hunter Hans Holzer says, "A ghost is a human being who has passed out of the physical body, usually in a traumatic state and is not aware usually of his true condition. We are all spirits encased in a physical body. At the time of passing, our spirit body continues into the next dimension. A ghost, on the other hand, due to trauma, is stuck in our physical world and needs to be released to go on."

Ghosts exist in a kind of limbo in which they haunt the scenes of their deaths or locations that were pleasant to them in life. Very often, these types of ghosts are able to interact with the living. They are, on some level, aware of the living and react to being seen on the occasions that they materialize. Some psychics claim to be able to communicate with them. And when they do, they often try to help these spirits to understand that they are dead and to move on to the next stage of their existence.

Residual Hauntings or Recordings
Some ghosts appear to be mere recordings on the environment in which they once existed. A civil war soldier is seen on repeated occasions staring out a window at a house where he once stood guard. A dead child's laughter is heard echoing in a hallway where she often played. There are even cases of ghost cars and trains that can still be heard and sometimes seen, even though they are long gone. These types of ghosts do not interact with or seem to be aware of the living. Their appearance and actions are always the same. They are like spirit-level recordings - residual energies - that replay over and over again.

"A traumatic moment in time leaves an indelible impression on the building or area," says Strange Nation in "What Is a Ghost?," "replaying itself for eternity. This could be anything from a 'glimpse of the past' - a recreation of some traumatic or emotion-laden event - to footsteps up and down a hallway."

What causes these recordings to be made and how and why they are played back is a mystery. "How and why past events are recorded and replayed repetitiously is not understood," writes Lauren Forcella. "Whatever the actual mechanism, it apparently possesses longevity as the encore performances of a haunting can continue for decades or longer. Generally, the haunting is a fragment or portion of an actual event."

Messengers
These kinds of ghosts may be the most common. These spirits usually appear shortly after their deaths to people close to them. They are aware of their deaths and can interact with the living. They most often bring messages of comfort to their loved ones, to say that they are well and happy, and not to grieve for them. These ghosts appear briefly and usually only once. It is as if they intentionally return with their messages for the express purpose of helping the living cope with their loss.

"This category commonly involves one-time visits to someone with whom the apparition has close emotional ties," says Lauren Forcella at Paranormal Investigations, who calls these ghosts "crisis apparitions." "Though the encounter usually seems to be a type of farewell, sometimes important and useful information is relayed to the 'viewer.' Though dying is the most common crisis, other life-threatening situations can also trigger apparitional visits."

Poltergeists
This type of haunting is the most feared by people because it has the greatest ability to affect our physical world. Poltergeists are blamed for unexplained noises, such as wall-banging, rapping, footsteps and even music. They take our possessions and hide them, only to return them later. They turn on faucets, slam doors, turn lights on and off, and flush toilets. They throw things across rooms. They have been known to pull on people's clothing or hair. The malevolent ones even slap and scratch the living. It is because of these sometimes "mean-spirited" manifestations that poltergeists are considered by some investigators to be demonic in nature.

Other investigators, however, believe that poltergeist activity is not caused by ghosts at all, but by certain living people under stress. "During a poltergeist experience," writes Lauren Forcella, "the agent, in an attempt to relieve emotional stress, unknowingly causes the physical disturbances using mental forces. The mental mechanism that allows the poltergeist agent to unconsciously cause these physical disturbances is called psychokinesis."

Projections
The skeptics' point of view - if they are willing to admit there is anything to haunting experiences at all - is that they are all in our minds, or are products of our own minds. Ghosts, they say, are psychological phenomena: we see them because we expect to or want to see them. A grieving widow sees her dead husband because she needs to; she needs the comfort of knowing that he is alright and happy in the next world. Her mind produces the experience to help itself cope with the stress of the loss. Since we know so little about the power and capacity of our own minds, it's possible that they can even produce physical manifestations, such as apparitions and noises - projections that even others may be able to see and hear. But they are not "real" in any sense, say the skeptics, just the conjurings of powerful imaginations.

Are there such things as ghosts? The phenomena of ghosts and hauntings are very real experiences. It is their true cause and nature that is the ongoing mystery.


http://paranormal.about.com/library/weekly/aa082701a.htm

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