I really like this post. For one thing it mirrors some of my own experience. I was raisned and baptised Southern Baptist. Matter of fact I had a cold and when I came up my head was clear (true story but I don't want to get into the theological implications of that here) I went to a Pentacostal type church with my grandmother and I had the same feelings about the concept of God and the Christians as "sports fans" watching the poor sinners burn while praising the lord.
But, the really different part of my journey was the way in which I found my way out of fundi religion. I read and I mean I read. I also prayed. I still remember the time waaay back when I went off by myself and prayed "God, I don't know if your there and I don't know what truth is but please help me to find truth." Wow, did I start to wake up. I started to really look at what the bible was saying. I found the courage to actually voice my disagreement with the church and the bible on issues that I had always taken in guilt before. But, it's kind of funny. Some folks come to this stage and become just as atheistic and zealous in their atheism as they were in their religion. Some folks go into new age make it up as you go along. Some people just simply go to their pastor and get a pat on the head and a slap on the wrist and continue on with their journey and push their doubts down deep. But, I went though a little of all of that and none of it stuck. I don't hate the church and I don't think all religion is evil. I don't think the bible is a book of fairy tales and I don't think it's "The" word of God. I have found that what Christians and others call phropecy is not so much a "prediction" of world events but an inner comfort and light. Otherwise it becomes another way for religion to keep people down. Anyway, just my two cents worth.
Wow, that was a great post. Looks like we walked similar paths out of it.
My moment of clarity came Sophomore year of High School in theology class. Sister Regina's talking
about Revelation. She says " And by the day of judgement, all will have heard the word of God."
I ask her "Sister Regina. African guy's been living in a cave his whole life. Doesn't know anything
about the Christian God. He hears a commotion outside, so he goes out to take a look. There's the four
horsemen galloping across the sky, armageddon is in full swing. God appears before African Dude and
says "I am the Lord your God. I know you never got the Bible, or heard the sermons. But it's the end
of the world, and you've got sixty seconds to accept me as your Lord and savior, or you fry for eternity.
So what's it gonna be?"
"Does that sound fair Sister?" I asked. Man, If looks could kill I wouldn't be typing this right now LOL
She says firmly "And all shall hear the word of God". I say "yeah Sister, but.." " AND ALL SHALL HEAR THE
WORD OF GOD!!!" she screams at me. Everybody in the class goes quiet for a minute. In my head I'm
thinking " OK, this is BS. I don't know exactly why it's BS, but I'm going to find out". And I did.
I found out the true history of the Church, the Bible, and other texts. What the original point of all of it was,
and how it was corrupted. It makes for very interesting reading.
With that said, organized religion helps a number of people in various ways. As long as people actually
abide by what's at the heart of the New Testament (God in the Old Testament was a psychotic Nut LOL),
Qur'an, etc., it'll actually make them better people in the long run. As a Esoteric Tibetan Buddhist Rinpoche
once said to me " truth is truth, I don't care what book it's in."
The various documents that make up the Bible are written on three levels, mostly in initiatory code that
explains various scientific, physiological, and psychological processes. This was done intentionally in various
sacred texts to hide things from laypeople, and booby trap other things for initiates who "aren't ready".
More info can be found here:
The Hebraic tongue restored : and the true meaning of the Hebrew words re-established and proved by their radical analysis : Fabre d'Olivet, Antoine, 1767-1825 : Free Download Streaming : Internet Archive
(Free PDF)
Page 518 on give a translation of the Books of Moses that most people have never heard. Closer to
Quantum mechanics mixed with Eastern Philosophy / Cosmology.
The current state of organized religion shows what can happen when people get a crappy translation of a
document.
Most prophecy just takes advantage of the cyclical nature of things. When you know the time schedules for
things, it's easy for anyone to predict what's going to happen next in general, if not in detail.
For more info check these out:
http://www.cyclesresearchinstitute.org/cycles-research/general-dewey.shtml
Amazon.com: Cycles: The Science Of Prediction (9781164495345): Edward R. Dewey, Edwin F. Dakin: Books
Again, great post! Thanks.
---------- Post added at 04:53 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:59 PM ----------
I agree with all of your points, and I know for a fact that it can get bizarre. Murphy's law really does apply to the 'paranormal', I'd rather call it 'odd stuff'.
I am involved in a group/organization that practices 'ritual magic', for right about 11 years now. Thank 'God'(?) I was interested into Freudian/Jungian theories before, but...
There are indeed things that worry me a lot. I can't and won't get into detail, and it is nothing you haven't heard before somewhere. I still have witnessed the sheer power of concentrated believe (it sounds cheesy, I know, true non the less) of only a handful of people doing things that boggles the mind. I'm grateful for witnessing that. Our minds are way more capable then most people tend to realize.
I also like to have fun, I drink, I smoke.
Just so this doesn't sound too 'preacher'-like or something.
I'm not a native English speaker.
I am still seeking answers myself here, as everyone should, consider me still worried though. '2012' as a date is of course laughable, but it has by now manifested itself into even non-interested minds.
Great Post, and thank you.
You're welcome. Looks like we're walking similar paths as they say.
Jung definitely rocks it. Freud... not so much LOL. His student Wilhelm Reich took it further than he
willing to go.
And if you get a chance, check out K.I. Platonov:
Amazon.com: The Word As a Physiological and Therapeutic Factor: The Theory and Practice of Psychotherapy According to I. P. Pavlov (9781410205506): K. I. Platonov: Books
Gregory L. Little actually wrote some great books discussing Jung's Psychoid Archtypes in Paranormal events:
Amazon.com: The Archetype Experience: Resolving the Ufo Mystery and the Riddle of Biblical Prophecy Using C.G. Jungs Concept of Synchronicity (9780935834239): Gregory L. Littled: Books
Amazon.com: People of the Web: What Indian Mounds, Ancient Rituals, and Stone Circles Tell Us About Modern UFO Abductions, Apparitions, and the Near Death Experience (9780940829022): Gregory L. Little: Books
Amazon.com: Grand Illusions: The Spectral Reality Underlying Sexual Ufo Abductions, Crashed Saucers, Afterlife Experiences, Sacred Ancietn Ritual Sites, Other Enigmas (9780940829107): Gregory L. Little: Books
As far as I'm concerned, these books are right up there with Vallee, Keel, Imbrogono, & O'Brien
As he strongly states in the last book, I wouldn't do the experiments he outlines. If it works for you, you turn on what he calls "The Archtype Machine". And once you hit that switch (jeez, I sound like a damn Kate Bush song lol), as we both know, there's no turning that puppy back off.
I've been involved with a similar organization for 15 years now. And you're right. When you combine the powers of the mind and the imagination, and know how to consistently focus it, it's a very potent mix. But don't worry. Worry's a chronic state of fear. It'll mess your organs up over time, not to mention jacking up your ritual work. When you feel that coming on, do what I do. Put on a comedy. Laugh it away. Works every time.
I don't agree with everything he says, but Lon Milo DuQuette had it when he said"It's all in your head. You just don't know how big your head is."
We're supposed to enjoy life. That's why the entity that created this party put it all together. To enjoy itself. What exactly do you do when you have forever?
Have fun, but in moderation. Like I always say to my friends "As long as you're not hurting anyone, including yourself, and it doesn't involve kids or corpses, live. Because at the end of it all, we all get to find out if we lived correctly. To paraphrase Clint Eastwood in Unforgiven, "we all got that one coming".
As my Sifu said to me, 2012 is just the beginning of a 20 year cycle where a bunch of crazy stuff goes down. Asian people know it, as do Hindus, Native Americans, Traditional African societies, and now some Westerners.
The best you can do is to create positive thought forms that affect the world around you for the better. Because all kinds of impersonal things are going to happen. Earthquakes, coronal mass ejections, etc. Nothing personal.
Just live your life to the best of your ability. That's all any of us can do. Peace.