Canadian Content - Faith Discussion http://forums.canadiancontent.net en Sun, 18 May 2008 04:20:02 GMT vBulletin 60 http://forums.canadiancontent.net/images/styles/cancon/misc/rss.jpg Canadian Content - Faith Discussion http://forums.canadiancontent.net <![CDATA[Generation "I"—every person is unique]]> http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=73832 Sat, 17 May 2008 16:41:30 GMT In our generation—generation "I"—every person is unique. But the true art is knowing how to be unique

Back in the eighties, Douglas Coupland popularized the term “Generation X,” referring to the new generation. This quickly became a hot topic, and a pop culture formed around the notion, seeking to decipher the unique qualities of the new generation. Going beyond mere curiosity, interest in the new generation was fueled by giant corporations that endeavored to find the right marketing strategy for millions of Generation X youngsters.
Today, we present “Generation I”—a generation that is typically concerned with one thing—itself!
iPod, iTunes, iPhone, iLife, iPhoto, iDVD, iWeb and iMovie all demonstrate that known Inc. has figured out the “I” trend of our generation, and more importantly, the way to market products to a generation that lives and breathes “I.” Known Inc. hit the nail on the head by putting the consumer’s “I” at the center of its marketing strategy.
Taking a longer view, it’s easy to see that iPod and other “i-Gadgets” are but examples of a much more comprehensive process that’s taking place today. People are becoming obsessed with themselves, as evidenced by the huge popularity of daily reality shows. And the "I" trend doesn’t just dictate strategies for the mass media and giant corporations; it also appears in every other realm of life.
Why is this happening? Where does such an intense feeling of uniqueness, characteristic of our generation, come from? And is there a way for us to use it as a springboard for positive change?
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All the changes are only in the perceivers. B.Ashlag
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http://www.kabbalah.info/ ]]> Philosophy Discussion katnut http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=73832 Is there a space http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=73819 Fri, 16 May 2008 20:55:12 GMT Is there space? There is no way you can experience space. It is thought that creates it. Anything you say about space has no meaning. There is no way... Is there space? There is no way you can experience space. It is thought that creates it. Anything you say about space has no meaning. There is no way you can experience space at all. You can say there is no thought, there is no space, there is no matter, and there is no time. First, you create thought, then thought creates space, and then time is necessary to cover the distance, to experience the space, to capture it, and do something with it. So, then time comes in. But there is no time . The only time that is there is arbitrary. It is 11 p.m. here and 11 a.m. the next morning somewhere else. We are 12 hours behind. If you travel to or from Ottawa to China, you miss one day or you gain one day. ]]> Philosophy Discussion china http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=73819 Experiencing life/death. http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=73799 Fri, 16 May 2008 05:55:21 GMT There is no death. You are never born. You are not born at all. I am not trying to mystify. Because life has no beginning, it has no end. Has it a... There is no death. You are never born. You are not born at all. I am not trying to mystify. Because life has no beginning, it has no end. Has it a beginning, has it an end? What creates the beginning is your thought. Why are you concerned about death? There is no such as death at all. Your birth and your death can never become part of that experiencing structure. If you want to experience death, you are not going to be there. Somebody else will be there. It will be somebody else's misery. ]]> Philosophy Discussion china http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=73799 To be yourself . http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=73795 Fri, 16 May 2008 05:01:52 GMT To be yourself is the easiest thing. But you don't want to be in your state. You'd rather be somebody else, imitate the life of somebody else. That's your problem. To be yourself doesn't need any time at all. But you talk of timelessness, which is a mockery. To be yourself, do you need time? To be a good man, to be a marvelously religious man, to be in a state of peace, to be in a state bliss, naturally you need time. That will always be tomorrow. When tomorrow arrives, you say, "All right, day after tomorrow." That is time. I am not talking about metaphysical time and timeless. There is no such thing as the timeless. ]]> Philosophy Discussion china http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=73795 Searching for meaning . http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=73792 Fri, 16 May 2008 03:33:41 GMT Your life appears to have absolutely no meaning so you go searching for a meaning, you search for a goal. As long as you are searching for a goal,... Your life appears to have absolutely no meaning so you go searching for a meaning, you search for a goal. As long as you are searching for a goal, and as long as you are searching for meaning you will remain wandering around restlessly. 'There must after all be something meaningful to do, something with more content, something more interesting than what I'm doing now', you tell yourself. And the only thing you can do is to change yourself, hmm? But in reality there is no possibility of changing. Do you thoroughly realize that ? The only change takes place in your thought structure, you begin to think differently and therefore to experience and feel things differently. Basically however everything remains exactly as it was. You can change your clothes and only wear the most 'fashionable' clothing just to be 'in', but inside you are still the same. Wanting to understand is only useful for changing small things in yourself. There is nothing you can do to change the past. ]]> Philosophy Discussion china http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=73792 Reality of the world. http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=73753 Wed, 14 May 2008 22:41:28 GMT All our problems have arisen because of our acceptance that it is possible for us to understand the reality of the world, or the reality of our... All our problems have arisen because of our acceptance that it is possible for us to understand the reality of the world, or the reality of our existence. What I am saying is that you have no way of experiencing anything that you do not know. So anything that you experience through the help of your knowledge is fruitless. It is a lost battle. ]]> Philosophy Discussion china http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=73753 Looking for ENLIGHMENT? http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=73725 Wed, 14 May 2008 13:06:19 GMT People are looking for enlightenment. You say you are not, but it is the same. Whether you want a new car or simple peace of mind, it is still a... People are looking for enlightenment. You say you are not, but it is the same. Whether you want a new car or simple peace of mind, it is still a painful search. The secular leaders tell you one way, the holy men another way. It makes no difference: as long as you are searching for peace of mind, you will have a tormented mind. If you try not to search, or if you continue to search, you will remain the same. You have to stop. You don't stop searching because such an act would be the end of you.You are lost in a jungle, and you have no way of finding your way out. Night is fast approaching, the wild animals are there, including the cobras, and still you are lost. What do you do in such a situation? You just stop. You don't move.... ]]> Philosophy Discussion china http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=73725 A prayer. http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=73724 Wed, 14 May 2008 10:15:06 GMT Many people pray - in all faiths and in all cultures. Even people with no faith sometimes find themselves drawn to reach out some spiritual reality... Many people pray - in all faiths and in all cultures. Even people with no faith sometimes find themselves drawn to reach out some spiritual reality bigger than themselves. This can happen from a sense of gratitude and wonder or in times of despair and trouble.Do you view prayer as a hunger for meaning and spirtuality and to find greater meaning and fulfillment in your live? ]]> Faith Discussion china http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=73724 Memories - a constant companion. http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=73657 Sun, 11 May 2008 13:42:58 GMT The curse of a perfect memory
The 'woman who can't forget' talks about her life

Ms. Price can remember what happened every day since 1980 and most days since 1974. She will tell you if someone famous died, or if there was an earthquake, an election or another major news event.
She especially remembers what she was doing at any given moment.

In her newly released memoir, The Woman Who Can't Forget, Ms. Price describes her remarkable faculty, explaining that while she can summon her memories at will, some flash through her mind all day long.

"It is like breathing or dreaming. I can't control it," she says. "It is as though I'm actually living through them again."

Imagine reliving every fight you ever had with a parent or a close friend, every insult that rankled, every devastating, sad and humiliating moment of your life. Imagine never truly leaving your toddler and teenage years behind.

 "It is hard to grow up," Ms. Price says, "when you are always walking beside yourself."

At 34, after years of anxiety over how her memories were holding her back, Ms. Price finally decided to look for answers about what was going on in her brain.
Her case offered an unprecedented opportunity to learn more about how the rest of us store, retrieve and manage a lifetime of memories, a process scientists don't understand.

Full story here. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servl...l_gam_mostview
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What a remarkable story!! Read especially the book excerpt: A gift, at long last, out of the childhood traumas on page 4.

I, too, have traumatic memories from my childhood, and I'm sure my children in turn have theirs.

If nothing else, this story raises awareness that we all should tread a little softer! ]]> Philosophy Discussion dancing-loon http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=73657 I found my soul mate! http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=73655 Sun, 11 May 2008 06:03:41 GMT **This is a unique *_personality_*** test. There are only 4 questions but the results are very interesting. I was kind of shocked by what some... This is a unique personality test.

There are only 4 questions but the results are very interesting.

I was kind of shocked by what some of my answers meant.

Be honest and honor what pops into your mind when the questions present themselves.

Just click on the following:

http://memoriter.net/flash/test.html
--------------------------------------------
Unbelievable!! I found my soul mate! Too bad we can't get married!:-(
 ]]> Spirituality and Philosophy dancing-loon http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=73655 The mistake of the prophet http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=73638 Fri, 09 May 2008 22:39:31 GMT *The mistake of the prophet* The prophet is a human being just like other people, but he is inspired, and it is revealed to him that God is One....
The mistake of the prophet


The prophet is a human being just like other people, but he is inspired, and it is revealed to him that God is One.

The apostle receives the revelation from God Himself, and from angels sent to him by God.

There are angels that go before and behind him to protect him from the suggestion of Satan and the devils, so that these devils cannot mix their suggestions with the revelation of God. The angels will also watch over him concerning his duty of conveying the message.

He is vulnerable to commit mistakes, but such mistakes will only take place by the leave of God: i.e. God permits it to prove to people that the prophet is only a human being like them.

Such mistakes are usually trivial, not part of disbelief and major sins, but mostly they are minor sins, like some improper behavior.

The apostle will not go on insisting on his sin, but will immediately repent and ask God's forgiveness and will refrain from the disobedience. He will not be like Satan who insisted on his disobedience and rebelled against the command of God.

The apostle is an example to all people concerning his conduct, acts and words.

These prophets and apostles of God are the best of mankind, concerning their kind hearts, good conduct, God-fearing and avoiding the sins and disobedience.

The apostle is protected from being killed in order to convey his message perfectly.

Is there any infallibility of the prophet and apostle:
When the apostle is about to do some deed that is unacceptable, the angels will inspire him that such act is not good and improper, so he will be aware of that and desist from such doing.

When there is some danger, the angels will tell him by inspiration, so that he will be aware and cautious to get rid of that dangerous situation.

Lies against the prophets in the Torah of Ezra (included in the Old Testament):

There are, in the Torah of Ezra, many lies concerning the prophets of God, that they committed things that ordinary men will be blamed if they commit such acts and sins, like:
  • Prophet Abraham gave his wife Sara to Pharaoh as his sister.
Another Lie: About Abraham
  • Prophet Lot drank wine and committed adultery with both his daughters.
The Second Lie: About Prophet Lot
  • Prophet Aaron made the calf idol for his people, and invited them to serve the calf idols that he made of gold.
The First Lie: About Prophet Aaron
  • Prophet Solomon had 1000 women: wives and concubines.
The Third Lie: About Solomon

The danger of such lies is that people will be encouraged to commit sins; because they will say: these were the prophets and apostles and they did so and so, then how about us and we are only ordinary people.

Some of the mistakes of the prophets:

The mistake of Adam:
God commanded him that he should not approach the spiky raspberry tree, but he disobeyed, listened to the suggestions of Satan and approached the spiky tree of the raspberry; its spikes tore his dress and his shame was uncovered. Then he repented and asked God's forgiveness. Then God chose and guided him.

The mistake of Noah:
He asked God to save his grandson Canaan, then he repented and asked God's forgiveness, after God had threatened him, not to ask forgiveness for the disbeliever ad the associater.

The mistake of Abraham:
He asked God to show him how He will resurrect the dead in order that he will be certain in belief. Although this may not be considered a sin.

The mistake of Moses:
He listened to the fools among his people, who insisted that they should see God with their eyes. Then he repented and asked God to revive the seventy men who went with him to the Mount Hor, after being thunder-stricken.

The mistake of Prophet David:
He desired for the woman of Uriah the Hethite, who was a general in the army; so he sent him in a dangerous campaign, then when this Uriah was killed, and after the required period of the woman proved not pregnant, Prophet David married her.
Then he repented for his act of sending Uriah in this campaign, and asked God's forgiveness, and God forgave him that.

The mistake of Prophet Solomon:
One of his women, who had been an idolatress: her people worshipped an idol; she designed a trick, where she brought her idol and put it on his throne; so when he came at morning and found the idol on his throne, he was about to prostrate himself to the idol, but an angel said to him: "What are you doing, Solomon? This is only a trick designed by your wife." So he became alert, and broke up that idol.

The mistake of Prophet Elijah:
When he killed the 300 false prophets of the idol Baalim, he should better have in addition killed King Ahab and his wife Jezabil; but he did not do that, which lead this Jezabil to try to take revenge against him, and he ran away to the mountains.

The mistake of Prophet Jonah:
He was afraid of the people of Nineveh, so he disobeyed the command of God, and embarked on a ship that was going to Tershish, and then a whale engulfed him. Then when he saw himself in the darkness of the inside of the whale, the darkness of the sea and the darkness of the night; he then supplicated his Lord, who ordered the whale to spit him on the shore, then he went to Nineveh and carried out his duty.

The mistake of Prophet Jesus:
This may not be considered a mistake: he listened to the suggestion of his disciples who demanded that a dining table with food from heaven be sent down for them, so he asked God for that, then God said He will send it down, but anyone of them who disbelieves afterward, will be chastised with the most severe chastisement than all other people. Therefore, the disciples then refrained from their request.

The mistake of Prophet Mohammed:
There was one of the Quraish tribesmen, that was about to convert, then the apostle sent to him a blind man to invite him to the Islam, but did not go by himself to invite that one, who was unwilling to comply to the blind.
This is in the Quran 80: 1- 13

عَبَسَ وَتَوَلَّى .أَن جَاءهُ الْأَعْمَى . وَمَا يُدْرِيكَ لَعَلَّهُ يَزَّكَّى . أَوْ يَذَّكَّرُ فَتَنفَعَهُ الذِّكْرَى . أَمَّا مَنِ اسْتَغْنَى . فَأَنتَ لَهُ تَصَدَّى . وَمَا عَلَيْكَ أَلَّا يَزَّكَّى . وَأَمَّا مَن جَاءكَ يَسْعَى . وَهُوَ يَخْشَى . فَأَنتَ عَنْهُ تَلَهَّى . كَلَّا إِنَّهَا تَذْكِرَةٌ . فَمَن شَاء ذَكَرَهُ . فِي صُحُفٍ مُّكَرَّمَةٍ

The explanation:
(One [of the Quraish men] scowled [at the blind man] and turned in aversion [away from believing.]

When a blind man [: Abdullah, the son of Ummi Maktuom] came [inviting] him [to believe.]

But you [Mohammed] know not that [if you yourself go to invite him to believe] he will [convert and] become purified [from the unbelief and the association!]

Or yet he may receive admonition [of the Quran] and the admonition will profit him!

But as for him who has forgone [the Quran],

To him you [Mohammed] attend [in order to rehearse to him some of the revelations of the Quran.]

Yet it is not [imposed] on you [to punish him] if he does not cleanse himself [from the association.]

Whereas he who has come to you, walking with determination [and converted.]
[Then that man came and converted.]

The while he fears [God's punishment in case he keeps up on his association.]

To him you [Mohammed] pay no heed.

By no means [: you should not do that: to insist on the one proud over the Quran, and neglect the one worthy of the admonition]; for the [Quran] is indeed an admonition.

Then any who likes [to have admonition], let him receive the admonition [of the Quran revelations.]

[These admonitions and revelations are with Us, in heaven, written] in books held [by angels, prophets and their followers, greatly held] in honor.)

eanassir
http://universeandquran.site.io
http://man-after-death.site.io
]]> Spirituality and Philosophy eanassir http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=73638 where is Love http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=73581 Thu, 08 May 2008 11:54:35 GMT Image: http://www.jkrishnamurti.org/images/px_trans.gif In the space which thought creates around itself there is no love. This space divides man... In the space which thought creates around itself there is no love. This space divides man from man, and in it is all the becoming, the battle of life, the agony and fear. Meditation is the ending of this space, the ending of the me. Then relationship has quite a different meaning, for in that space which is not made by thought, the other does not exist, for you do not exist. Meditation then is not the pursuit of some vision, however sanctified by tradition. Rather it is the endless space where thought cannot enter. To us, the little space made by thought around itself, which is the me, is extremely important, for this is all the mind knows, identifying itself with everything that is in that space. And the fear of not being is born in that space. But in meditation, when this is understood, the mind can enter into a dimension of space where action is inaction. We do not know what love is, for in the space made by thought around itself as the me, love is the conflict of the me and the not-me. This conflict, this torture, is not love. Thought is the very denial of love, and it cannot enter into that space where the me is not. In that space is the benediction which man seeks and cannot find. He seeks it within the frontiers of thought, and thought destroys the ecstasy of this benediction. ]]> Philosophy Discussion china http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=73581 Complaining about humanity http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=73575 Wed, 07 May 2008 18:41:17 GMT I've been reading a lot on a few forums as of late, and a resounding message underlying many people's exasperated posts is one of anger, loathing, frustration, and disrespect toward humanity in general. Post filled with complaints and ranting, and in the end the declaration that humanity sucks.

And I can get being frustrated. I can get being upset by the atrocities and horrors that exist. But, reading many of these styles of posts, I can't help but think to myself that anyone sitting around ranting regularly about how much humanity sucks, has graduated to being a massive part of the problem. ]]> Spirituality and Philosophy karrie http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=73575 Unitarian Universalism http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=73547 Wed, 07 May 2008 02:45:51 GMT Just learned about the existence of the Unitarian Universalist religion. This ''religion'' is about ''a free and responsible search for truth and meaning''

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unitarian_Universalism

Could this be the example of a good religion?

(I'm asking this question to those who believe humanity should do without religion) ]]> Faith Discussion s_lone http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=73547 Question things. http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=73523 Tue, 06 May 2008 10:32:40 GMT As long as you ask questions you are breaking through, but the moment you begin to accept, you are psychologically dead. So right through life don't accept a thing, but inquire, investigate. Then you will find that your mind is something really extraordinary, it has no end, and to such a mind there is no death. ]]> Philosophy Discussion china http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=73523 Death to emotions . http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=73505 Mon, 05 May 2008 15:58:41 GMT What do we mean by emotion? Is it a sensation, a reaction, a response of the senses? Hate, devotion, the feeling of love or sympathy for another -... What do we mean by emotion? Is it a sensation, a reaction, a response of the senses? Hate, devotion, the feeling of love or sympathy for another - they are all emotions. Some, like love and sympathy, we call positive, while others, like hate, we call negative and want to get rid of. Is love the opposite of hate? And is love an emotion, a sensation, a feeling that is stretched out through memory? ...So, what do we mean by love? Surely, love is not memory. That is very difficult for us to understand because for most of us, love is memory. When you say that you love your wife or your husband, what do you mean by that? Do you love that which gives you pleasure? Do you love that with which you have identified yourself and which you recognize as belonging to you? These are facts; I am not inventing anything.It is the image, the symbol of "my wife" or "my husband" that we love, or think we love, not the living individual. I don't know my wife or my husband at all; and I can never know that person as long as knowing means recognition. For recognition is based on memory - memory of pleasure and pain, memory of the things I have lived for, agonized over, the things I possess and to which I am attached. How can I love when there is fear, sorrow, loneliness, the shadow of despair? How can an ambitious man love? And we are all very ambitious, however honorably.So, reallyto find out what love is, we must die to the past, to all our emotions, the good and the bad - die effortlessly, as we would to a poisonous thing because we understand it. ]]> Philosophy Discussion china http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=73505 Bullying http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=73484 Mon, 05 May 2008 00:44:53 GMT *Bullying* by Alexandra Galvis As I make my way to school each day To see the girls who break my soul I wish I could tell the bullies in my... Bullying
by Alexandra Galvis

As I make my way to school each day
To see the girls who break my soul
I wish I could tell the bullies in my school
Can you be kind and not so cruel?
And it starts and lasts all day
I cannot stand it, go away
Just close your eyes and you will see
All the memories that you have engraved in me
I think to myself
There is no pain, there is no fear
So dry away that silent tear
It's not that easy you must know
I'm not a project of anybody
I'm not your pity either for you to be my friend
Give me a chance so you can see
There is nothing strange about me
That you have not let them see
I ask myself will this ever end?
I just feel empty time to time inside me
Sooner or later I'll break down and cry
Let the darkness fill the room
I can't get out of it, I can't resume
I feel so alone like a single red rose,
So alone like a story that's never been told
I feel so alone like a sparrow in the sky
Like a bird who cannot fly
I am lucky to have a family like mine
Who understand me and feel pride
Otherwise my world would be dark
With every unpleasant memories
That is left inside me.
Never allow anyone to bring you down
On your mind make these feelings
Make you stronger and put your head up high
Never keep it silent
There is nothing to feel ashamed of
Only to those that join in all that harm.
As I get up in the morning
To prepare myself for school
My body and my mind
Start to get scared and
My life felt very dark inside
I couldn't take it any longer
As I started to share my pain with my mum
I didn't know how to explain to her
It all came out with tears and a broken heart
She couldn't comprehend as I hid it for a while
I showed her every day I was a happy child
Nobody will understand that bullying can make such harm
I ask myself everyday what wrong have I done
Why bullies don't take a day in my shoes
To feel the unpleasantness to feel unwanted
To understand how much damage they have done
When you feel scared and abused inside
If you ever feel you've been bullied
Never feel guilty and keep it shut
Just remember it's not your fault
There are always jealous cowards in this world. ]]> Spirituality and Philosophy dancing-loon http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=73484 To be alone . http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=73367 Wed, 30 Apr 2008 21:46:00 GMT I do not know if you have ever been lonely; when you suddenly realize that you have no relationship with anybody-not an intellectual realization but... I do not know if you have ever been lonely; when you suddenly realize that you have no relationship with anybody-not an intellectual realization but a factual realization...and you are completely isolated. Every form of thought and emotion is blocked; you cannot turn anywhere; there is nobody to turn to; the gods, the angels, have all gone beyond the clouds and, as the clouds vanish they have also vanished; you are completely lonely-I will not use the word alone.Alone hasquiet a different meaning; alone has beauty. To be alone means something entirely different. And you must be alone. When man frees himself from the social structure of greed, envy, ambition, arrogance, achievement, status-then he frees himself from those, then he is completely alone. That is quite a different thing. Then there is great beauty, the feeling of great energy. ]]> Philosophy Discussion china http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=73367 Rev. Wright http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=73311 Mon, 28 Apr 2008 21:05:31 GMT Did anyone else watch Rev. Wright's speech on CNN last night, I did, and I'm glad, as
I have listened to all the trashing of this man over the last few weeks, and his speech
last night awakened me to how wise and intelligent he is, much different than the little
sound bite they have played over and over which makes him look like a mad man. ]]> Philosophy Discussion talloola http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=73311 <![CDATA[I "died" in Jerusalem in 1276]]> http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=73284 Sun, 27 Apr 2008 16:59:04 GMT Does reincarnation exist? The chances are that if you are a Christian (especially a Catholic), a Muslim or a Jew then you won't believe in it, but if you are a Hindu or a Buddhist then you will.

But there seems to be a lot of evidence for reincarnation and the Daily Mail's Danny Penman was hypnotically regressed - and discovered that he was a monk who burned to death in Jerusalem in 1276....

'I died in Jerusalem in 1276', says doctor who underwent hypnosis to reveal a former life

By DANNY PENMAN
25th April 2008
Daily Mail





The last time I 'died' was in Jerusalem in 1276. Pope Gregory X's Crusade against Islam had collapsed and the city's Christians would soon be abandoned to their fate.

My final hours were filled with fear. I was besieged in a beautiful vaulted church along with 100 knights. Smoky candlelight glinted off their armour. Some knights were praying, others resting.

As dawn broke, they readied themselves for the final conflict with an implacable foe. Even the most devout were terrified. All knew that only a handful would survive the coming day.

I watched their preparations for battle. The sharpening of swords and lances. The reinforcing of shields and armour.

But most of all, I prepared for my own death. As a monk in a city of Muslims, my chances of surviving the coming assault were slim. Soon after the knights left the church, I retreated to a small side-chapel to pray. I was desperate for forgiveness.

I had travelled from a monastery in Kent to the Holy Land so that I could kill Muslims.

Although I still hated Islam, I found it hard to love my own side. The decadence and corruption of the Crusaders had sickened me. I wanted to be left alone to live in peace, but it was too late.

With no knights left to protect me, the rampaging enemy had set fire to the chapel. I watched as the flames roared up the sides of the building.

Soon I too was on fire and burning like a Roman candle. I didn't feel any pain - I knew I was going to die and that my Lord would make it swift.

Out of the blackness I could see a burning white light. A calm voice asked me what I had learned from my life and whether there was any knowledge I wished to carry to the next.

It was the voice of David Wells - a past-life regression therapist who had put me in a trance and guided me to my 'past incarnation'.

To many, the idea of reincarnation will seem like bunkum. But strange as it may seem, it is garnering a surprising degree of respectable scientific support.

Today, London hosts an international conference on the subject in memory of the late Dr Ian Stevenson, an American scientist who spent decades studying the phenomenon.

Dr Stevenson amassed an astonishing amount of evidence for reincarnation. He tracked down more than 3,000 children who claimed to have experienced a 'previous life'.

Many were able to give precise details, such as their former names and the manner of their deaths. They could even recall the names of friends and family, many of whom Dr Stevenson was able to track down through birth records. Others knew intimate details known only to the deceased's family.

Such findings have led respected academics to startling conclusions. 'Reincarnation is the most likely explanation for the strongest cases,' says Dr Jim Tucker, medical director of the Child and Family Psychiatric Clinic at the University of Virginia in the U.S.

'The evidence points to a "carry over" of memories and emotions from one life to another.

That could be termed reincarnation.'

Reincarnation is highly controversial - not just among scientists, but between different religions too. Broadly speaking, Christians, Muslims and Jews do not believe in it, while Hindus and Buddhists do.

To most in the West, it is still seen as little more than the product of a far-fetched imagination. But given the growing interest of the scientific community, I decided to investigate whether there could be more to it.

I volunteered to undergo what's known as 'past-life regression therapy'. Practitioners of this discipline claim we have all lived before and that we can be taught to remember our former incarnations.

It sounded utterly preposterous. Yet I must admit to a certain uneasiness, also. What if I were to remember that I had been a murderer or a rapist in a former life? Or, Heaven forbid, one of Hitler or Stalin's henchmen?

Whatever the truth behind it, past-life regression is not without risks. The psychological shock of 'recovering a memory' from a former life can overwhelm some. Others feel guilty about misdeeds 'they' perpetrated.

I took comfort from the fact that David Wells, one of Britain's most experienced practitioners and author of Past, Present And Future: What Your Past Lives Tell You About Yourself, had agreed to be my guide.

I was led into a darkened room and coaxed into relaxing on a big, soft chair surrounded by burning incense and scented candles.

David asked me to imagine myself floating above my house. I mentally drifted off into space and turned back to face our beautiful planet.

Slowly the Earth appeared to stop turning and began to reverse direction. This symbolised flying backwards through time.

In my hypnotic state, I pictured myself returning to Earth at the time of my former life - just in time to re-live my death in that church in 13th-century Jerusalem.

My regression experience was perplexing, to say the least. I felt as if I were living in two worlds at once. I was aware of my current life, but the world of Jerusalem in 1276 was equally real.

I could feel the clothes I was wearing and the sandals on my feet. I saw my surroundings in vivid detail, right down to the moonlight streaming through church windows and the fear etched on the knights' faces.

It felt more powerful and spontaneous than a memory, more realistic than a dream, but not as solid as the waking world.

As I stayed in my trance, David started asking me questions about my past life, and things became even stranger. It felt as if someone else was replying.

The answers I gave were so spontaneous and specific that it certainly didn't feel like I was dreaming them up on the spot, or trawling through memories of films set during the Crusades.

Was I merely describing scenes from my imagination or from facts I had gleaned during my real life?

Professor Chris French, a psychologist at Goldsmiths, University of London, thinks it was a combination of the two. He is deeply sceptical about past-life encounters, and says: 'Often people who undergo hypnotic regression conjure up false memories. It's not a magical key for unlocking hidden memories.

'There's mountains of experimental data which shows that people produce a story for themselves based on their own beliefs and expectations. People come out with a Hollywood version of historical events, such as life in Roman Britain or medieval Europe.'

Even so, the evidence for reincarnation remains tantalising. Dr Stevenson's team at the University of Virginia documented possible cases of reincarnation involving children over a 40-year period.

They focused on children because they thought their stories were less likely to have been contaminated with false memories.

Most of the team's evidence was gathered in the Middle East and Asia, where a belief in reincarnation is generally accepted.

One case was of a Lebanese girl who could accurately recall the names of 25 people from a previous life. She also knew the precise relationship between the individuals.

Intriguingly, researchers believe children can have birthmarks or deformities at the site of the injury that killed them in a former life. The case of Semih Tutusmus from Turkey is typical.

Semih was born with a serious deformity in his right ear which, from the age of two, he claimed resulted from being shot by a man called Isa Dirbekil. Semih gave his name from his former life as Selim Fesli. He also gave the names of his wife and six children.

At the age of four, Semih made his way to a neighbouring village and found the house he had lived in during his past life, and introduced himself to ' his' family. When he saw Isa - the man who he claimed had shot him - he threw stones at him. A short while later, Isa confessed to the shooting (he claimed it was an accident) and was jailed for two years.

Even more astonishing is the case of Jenny Cockell, 55, who lives near Northampton.

Jenny was a toddler when she began recalling a past life.

Visions of a village in Victorian Ireland repeatedly flashed into her mind. As she grew older, the details became more vivid, and by the time she was an adult, she became convinced that she'd lived in the village between 1898 and the early 1930s, that she had seven children, and had died giving birth to an eighth.


The village of Malahide in County Dublin. Jenny Cockell from Northamptonshire says she lived in this village in a previous life during the reign of Queen Victoria

During regression therapy, she was able to draw maps of her home village. She marked shops, main roads, a station and the cottage she had lived in. After studying a map of Ireland, she felt drawn to the village of Malahide in County Dublin.



In the early 1990s, Jenny visited Malahide and followed a trail of clues that led to the discovery of her 'former identity' - Mary Sutton, a farm labourer's wife.

She learned that upon Mary's death, her eight children had been given to orphanages across Ireland. This prompted Jenny to embark on an odyssey to track 'her' lost children.

Sonny Sutton, her eldest 'son', was the first of the children traced.

'I didn't know what to think,' said Sonny, of their meeting. 'We were all Catholics, and Catholics don't believe in reincarnation. But when she got out of the car I could see my Mother in her. There was a bond between us from the beginning.'

JENNY, to dispel the inevitable doubts about her story, took the step of contacting Dr Stevenson before she approached Sonny. A BBC researcher, Gitti Coats, also interviewed Jenny and Sonny before they met each other so that any evidence would be uncontaminated.

'The two sets of memories tied together very well,' Gitti reported. 'Nearly everything tallied.'

After meeting Sonny, Jenny focused her efforts on tracking down her 'daughter', Elizabeth, whom she died giving birth to in her former life. After months of looking, she was traced to the Dublin Mountains.

Elizabeth, brought up by an aunt and uncle, was totally unaware of being adopted until Jenny told her.

She had more doubts about reincarnation than her brother, but later accepted a priest's explanation that her mother was working through Jenny to reunite the family. Elizabeth subsequently embraced Jenny as part of the family.

'I can't see her as our mother,' she said. 'But I do think my dead mother is causing her to have these dreams. Some people might say she's making these things up, but she's proved they're real. Sonny told me she knows things nobody else knows.'

So do cases such as that of Jenny Cockell and the children identified by Dr Stevenson provide proof of reincarnation? As far as some scientists are concerned, they just might - but there are several other equally odd explanations.

Some believe that Jenny and those like her may possess a psychic ability known as 'super-psi', which allows them to reach back in time to access other people's memories. In other words, they are not recalling their own former life.

Others believe there is a more disturbing possibility: that Jenny is possessed by the spirit of Mary.

Dr Peter Fenwick, a neuropsychiatrist at King's College, University of London, says: 'The phenomenon seems real but its origins are open to interpretation. We simply do not understand it yet.'

From my own experience of regression therapy, all I can say is that my 'former life' - and death - felt eerily real.

I do not claim to know for sure that I was once a monk at the time of the Crusaders. But, equally, I cannot believe the 'memories' I described in such detail were pure fabrication.

dailymail.co.uk ]]> Spirituality and Philosophy Blackleaf http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=73284 Truth comes in a flash . http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=73275 Sun, 27 Apr 2008 14:50:07 GMT Truth or understanding comes in a flash, and that flash has no continuity; it is not within the field of time. Do see this for yourself.... Truth or understanding comes in a flash, and that flash has no continuity; it is not within the field of time. Do see this for yourself. Understanding is fresh, instantaneous; it is not the continuity of something that has been. What has been cannot bring you understanding. As long as one is seeking a continuity - wanting permanency in relationship, in love, longing to find peace everlasting, and all the rest of it - one is pursuing something which is within the field of time and therefore does not belong to the timeless. Your thought as always . ]]> Philosophy Discussion china http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=73275 Feeling disconnected http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=73257 Sat, 26 Apr 2008 08:55:17 GMT Is it just me or is anyone else feeling disconnected lately?

I have been feeling disconnection for a number of years even though I'm being more spiritually aware but as the years grow on me, it's hard to feel excited about a lot of things.

I'm feeling computerized, all logged into cyberspace and making connections online but feeling at the end of the day, all this is leading me nowhere.

I go out with friends and at times, there's a nice laugh or two and then the rest of the time, I feel dull. Muted, almost.

BORED with the Net, Bored with friends offline, bored with my filmaking, bored with my scriptwriting, my job, my country, my photography...just at one Bored Central Station and feeling disconnected.

I wonder if it's because I'm too drawn into my cyberspace world and being logged in all the time through work, play.

Even my attention span is short. I do nothing but work, work, work, sleep, sleep, work, sleep, work, sleep.

Drive car, work, sleep, computer, work, sleep, bleah....like who cares?:-| ]]> Spirituality and Philosophy jellyfarm http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=73257 Exodus—the Worldwide, 21st Century Version http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=73175 Wed, 23 Apr 2008 18:32:28 GMT **The dramatic story of the exodus from Egypt is much more than a milestone on the Hebrew calendar. According to Kabbalah, it describes the... The dramatic story of the exodus from Egypt is much more than a milestone on the Hebrew calendar. According to Kabbalah, it describes the liberation from egoism, and the whole of humanity is about to experience it

All the worlds (this world included) are states that reside within us. We will find them nowhere outside us. In other words, it is not we who are inside the worlds, but the worlds that are inside us. Outside us there is only the Creator, the Upper Light.
People in our world are convinced that they are inside some kind of existence, a reality that was created before we came inside it. But this is an illusion. There is nothing outside us but the Light of the Creator. That Light affects our senses in such a way that we feel it as solid, liquid, or gas, as vegetative or as animate. Everything we can imagine and can see around us is built inside our own senses, making us feel as though everything exists outside us. But the truth is that there is nothing outside, only the Creator.
This world is the lowest point that a Kabbalist attains. It is the total opposite of the Creator and is termed, “the exile in Egypt.” The natural power that works on us in this state, the power of our egoistic nature, doesn’t allow us to advance anywhere except to care for ourselves. This is called “the state of Pharaoh.”
Our egoism doesn’t let us feel the sublime and perfect state. It is egoism, man’s inner and vicious force called “Pharaoh,” that the Torah speaks of at length, whereas the force that frees one of that state is called “Moses.” Pharaoh, Moses and everything that is written about the exodus describe spiritual states and emotions.
Our current state is the lowest possible. It is a state of absolute slumber and even unconsciousness. We have no sensation whatsoever of who or where we are. It is even a lower state than “this world,” since defining our state as “this world” implies that we are already aware that there is another world. It is so low that in it, we cannot feel any spirituality.
The Torah is not a historic epic, though there is a correlation between the text and human history. But this is only because the construction of the worlds is based on the same principle: everything that happens in one spiritual world is reflected in its adjacent lower world, down to our own.
Everything that humankind will have to go through during its ascent through the worlds must be felt by each and every individual in each of the worlds, especially our own.
The exodus from Egypt—the exodus from egoism—still awaits us all. And in the 21st century, we are closer than ever before to making this transition—from egoism to a humanity of bestowal and love. Once we begin this transition, we’ll start experiencing our connection to the spiritual, eternal level of reality, which is only felt when we detach from our egos, or "come out of Egypt." The wisdom of Kabbalah explains that just by starting to think in this direction, we hasten our course of development and save ourselves a lot of suffering, since our thoughts become similar to the inclusive plan of Creation. ]]> Philosophy Discussion katnut http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=73175 <![CDATA[Small fire can become a blaze>]]> http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=73171 Wed, 23 Apr 2008 13:20:06 GMT Every day we see or read of appalling things happening in the world as the result of violence in man. You may say, ‘I can’t do anything about it’,... Every day we see or read of appalling things happening in the world as the result of violence in man. You may say, ‘I can’t do anything about it’, or, ‘How can I influence the world?’ I think you can tremendously influence the world if in yourself you are not violent, if you lead actually every day a peaceful life – a life which is not competitive, ambitious, envious – a life which does not create enmity. Small fires can become a blaze. We have reduced the world to its present state of chaos by our self-centred activity, by our prejudices, our hatreds, our nationalism, and when we say we cannot do anything about it, we are accepting disorder in ourselves as inevitable. We have splintered the world into fragments and if we ourselves are broken, fragmented, our relationship with the world will also be broken. But if, when we act, we act totally, then our relationship with the world undergoes a tremendous revolution. ]]> Philosophy Discussion china http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=73171 Self-expresion http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=73090 Sun, 20 Apr 2008 10:00:58 GMT What do we mean by expression, and what are we expressing? I know there is an idea that one must express oneself; and self-expression has become... What do we mean by expression, and what are we expressing? I know there is an idea that one must express oneself; and self-expression has become extraordinarily important. But what are we expressing, some capacities? If you are a painter you express yourself on a canvas, and the owner of the gallery exploits you. Or if you have certain capacity with a pen, you write a book. What are we expressing? - the same old patterns of yesterday: that is all we have; routine in different ways - so what is the need to express? I am not saying one should not, or one should - but what is implied in self-expression; what is implied when one uses the word "self-expression"? ]]> Philosophy Discussion china http://forums.canadiancontent.net/showthread.php?t=73090