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Death tried to pull me out


Hello
I came across your website whilst trying to find some information about an experience I had a few years ago.

I was on an intense workshop, one night whilst relaxing in bed - I was awake and just lying next to my husband who was reading, the bed side light was on. When suddenly I experienced only what I can describe as ‘death’ trying to pull me out, it was intensely frightening and real, I just very calmly said to myself I am not going, I have to be here with my husband and child, and with that the feeling pasted. However I was so scared that I couldn’t speak until the next day.

I have not managed to find anything about this experience, I have no religious up bringing and have nothing to relate this experience too.

Can anyone shed some light on it?  (My teacher at the workshop said it was someone testing me out but I never felt that this was it)

Warm regards
Laura

 

Dear Laura,
Your experience sounds like a message from your soul, more of a jolt I suppose. Our soul continues to try to get our attention, it wants to be recognized and integrated into our life. Our ego tries to deny it and dismiss it because it doesn't want to lose control and fears annihilation by the soul. But the soul just wants to be part of our life and get us on our spiritual path. It tries in gentle ways to get our attention, to wake us up to our spiritual nature. If we don't get the message, it moves to minor inconveniences yet we stay in denial. Each lesson is a bit stronger until finally something jolts us awake. If it takes a scare like you experienced, it's worth it if it starts you on your spiritual quest to understand your Self and God. Finding my web site was a clue to where to get started. You'll find a lot of links and books to start you on your journey to higher consciousness. Bless you on your journey.
Peace & Joy!
Diane

Dear Diane
Thank you so much for your reply. It is the BEST explanation I have had (people have suggested it was a ‘test’ or an entity that has attached but I never felt this to be the right thing)
Your reply has helped me very much.
Thank you again.
Much love
Laura

 

 

My life changed profoundly


I thought I'd share some of what I've learned with you in return. This gets rather lengthy, but I won't be upset if you don't read it all. I'll also point out that I know how busy your schedule is so don't feel as if you owe me any sort of response to this.

Let me start of by saying that I had an experience much like yours when I was 16 (I'm 33 now). I was goofing off down by the Mississippi and fell in between a couple barges and was immediately pulled under by an undertow. The only thing I remember about the oob portion of it was someone asking me who I was looking for and, when I apparently didn't respond fast enough, telling me to get back to work - at which point I broke through the surface back in my body. I remember thinking "how rude!".

I never saw the city, though I knew it was there. The moment I found myself over the river, I felt I had complete knowledge of everything (including the fact that I shouldn't have been there). My life changed profoundly from that moment over the course of the next year or so. I went from punk rocker (mohawk, chains, spikes, the works) dead set against any form of authority who had dropped out of school (my issues with authority) to clean cut, hard working. I actually got a job (something unheard of for me then) and, once I turned 17, went into the Air Force - despite having dropped out of school. I had done so well on their pre-assessment test that they gave me a GED and a huge book from which I was told I could pick any job I wanted.

Perhaps that really isn't the beginning of the story though. My brother died when I was 7 and that night came to see me before he "left". So I guess from that point I've always known there was more to the story than just what you can see. You wouldn't believe the number of psychologists who tried to tell me that there was no way he could have been there. To this day I know better - he was there just as plainly as... well, just as plainly as anything else in my room.

The story doesn't stop there either. Even now, every time I go to sleep, I leave this body. It's just a fact. I believe everyone does this and the only reason you don't remember it is because those memories don't exist in your physical brain - which is the majority of what people rely on for knowledge. When you're not in your body, you have to "write" those experiences to your brain in order for you to remember them when you are in your body. I should also point out that every time I do leave this body, all of that knowledge instantly returns to me. I've actually learned 3 different scripting languages within a few days each, each culminating in a dream that's centered around the given language, and I suspect (though can't prove) that this has something to do with that. Further, the code that I write is far more efficient and cleanly written than 95% of all of the code I look at and I've actually had clients come to me because of this. All that said, the most important thing is to remember to remember.

I should point out that I'm a RedHat Certified Engineer and Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer as well as an IBM Domino developer - a combination that very few people on the planet can claim. I tend to think of this body in these terms - wherein a user (your true self) is simply operating a piece of equipment (a body - which I refer to as threads [more on this later]). Amazingly, the human brain, from what I can tell, operates very like a very advanced computer system, which I believe is why I do so well in my work. That in mind, this may get get technical at points, but I'll try to keep all of that to a minimum.

I've also quite often woken up and started going about my daily business only to find some minutes later that I wasn't... myself. As in, I've actually possessed others (not on purpose!). When I say "woken up", I mean come to lucidity - the person may or may not have been actually sleeping when I come to. Sometimes I gain lucidity in the middle of a sentence. These are the hard experiences to forget - and most of them would be better forgotten as there's usually some sort of crisis that needs to be dealt with. Through this, I can't begin to count how many times I've experienced death (which instantly puts me back in my own body).

I can also feel others around me, here in this plain of existence. For example, I generally work in the basement of a 3 story office building overnight with my radio blaring and I can tell you (usually) when someone else is in the building. I also always know exactly where my finance is as well as usually what she's doing whenever I think of her. When she goes to sleep, I swear she's right here with me. Sometimes I can even hear her voice as if she were standing right next to me. I believe we truly are one, as you'll see further down.

Let me say that when all this first started happening, I knew for a fact that I was just pure nuts. Now, I'm comfortable with that - we can't all be sane, after all. Whether or not this is actually the case doesn't even matter to me because this is the world I live in, and so the one I must negotiate - whether it's all "in my head" or not. Reality is simply a series of thoughts anyway.

In all of this, I've learned that we, as souls, are timeless. Not just that we don't die, or that time stops when we're not in our bodies. Rather that we can move through time just as easily as moving left or right. Of course, when not in this body, I apparently have a completely different agenda though as there are some places and times I'd really like to see that I haven't yet (that I can remember). But I do know for a fact that I've been in both earlier and later times than now ö and know for a fact that I was really there. Deja-vu's are very common for me, so common that I actually play little mental games when experiencing them ö they don't even surprise me any more. It's my belief that when you experience a deja-vu, it's because you didn't do it right the first time, unless it's one of those cases where you're just goofing off or trying to prove something to yourself.

I've come to the conclusion that each of us is here more than once at any given time, which is why I call these bodies ãthreadsä. A good example of this outlook would be to look at how a web server operates (this is where it gets sort of technical ö I'll be nice): A web server starts by starting up a listener (called a daemon) which listens for incoming requests. When a request comes in, the daemon process starts another listener to take its place and handles the request. Each of these handlers becomes it's own process and is called a thread because it's only a piece of the whole program. If you kill the web server, all of the threads die, but you can kill a thread without affecting the program itself ö which is what is meant when someone says that Apache (apache.org) is a multi-threaded server ö because it can handle more than one request at a time.

This is what I see when I look at people. It's as if I already know everyone and it's just a question of when they are rather than who they are when meeting new people as when they are dictates what they're doing here ö and their entire personality, if that makes sense.

We are indeed all here for a single overall purpose ö that of being company for the creator of everything (yes, there is indeed one). Though these may simply be my own beliefs, they are based on my experiences. The whole story goes like this:

In the beginning, there was God and nothing else. Call Him what you want: God, The Creator, The Supreme Being, whatever ö we get the idea and God is only 3 letters. God existed for eons before any of us ever came into the picture spending his time creating this, that and the other thing. All of this quickly became quite boring and, to make a long story short, God decided to create some company for himself. After all, what fun is it to make stuff if there's nobody to share it with? The reality of it is that He was completely alone for eons. If you can imagine that, you'll quickly realize what a horror that would be. The worst punishment we could ever endure is that of being left in a void for a few millenia (ãgo to your roomä on a more serious level). But then, you knew all this already, didn't you. Moving on...

We were indeed created in His image. However, most people seem to think that God has two arms and two legs, breaths oxygen and requires food to survive. The truth is that God's image is that of the soul. In order for us to be proper company for Him, we have to not only know what he knows, but understand it. We are imbued with his knowledge to begin with, but without the experiences to enable us to relate that knowledge properly, the knowledge itself does us little good. It's sort of like the difference between reading how to set the fuel rack on a 6-71 Detroit Diesel engine and actually picking up a wrench and doing it. The book will leave out little things like watch that you don't bash your knuckles against the head bolts when they break free suddenly and the like, but after you scrape your hands up a couple times, you get the idea (I was actually an Aerospace Ground Equipment Mechanic (AGE) in the USAF ö very little to do with computers if you can believe that).

There is not one, single, universal consciousness (don't get mad, remember - I'm crazy). Rather, there are a few of us, each with our own super-consciousness. Granted though, this is enough to make you think it's comprised of everything indeed. Also, God does not make these bodies, we do (usually).

On the whole question of religion: All of them are wrong, but most people need to believe that there's a Hell in order to behave. Some of us will behave anyway and so don't need the fear of eternal damnation in order to function properly. I'm not certain why we aren't simply told the truth of everything from the outset ö perhaps we're not ready for that either.

For all I've seen and learned, there's nothing I could possibly say to prove any of this to you or anyone else. You'll either know it to be the truth or you won't. At any rate, I feel I've done my part here and can now move on to the next thing (which is always what it's about ö getting to the next thing).

All of this is what I know to be true. Each of us know different things to be true and, quite obviously we can't all be correct. Take it as it is and do what you will with it. If you got this far (yeah, I'm not sure how all this is going to help you, but there you have it.

Peace,
yzxix

 

 

Thanks for sharing that... enjoyed reading it. Talk about crazy, read my book at your leisure... Sitting in the Lotus Blossom.
Peace & Joy!
Diane

 

 

 

Why we always think we're right
Essay by Paul Von Ward (11/11/05)

On Veterans' Day, as a Vietnam-era vet, I always ponder why Johnson and Nixon believed they were right to issue orders that killed and maimed so many of my brothers and sisters, and the sons and daughters of other nations. Today, why does George Bush think he's right, while most everyone thinks he's wrong? Why do Benedict, Sistani, and Robertson believe they speak for the same God?

And, why do I believe I have a right to challenge their interpretation of reality?

Humans appear to have a psychological need to deceive themselves. We pretend to have answers about the most fundamental issues - the nature of reality - where there are only unanswered questions. We depend on delusions.
*****
David Brooks, in his August 11, 2005 New York Times op-ed piece, wrote "while global economies are converging, cultures are diverging, and widening cultural differences are leading us into [an unprecedented] period of conflict, inequality and segmentation". In my writing, I have called this deteriorating situation an "increasing fragmentation of species consciousness", where self-segregating cultures become even more isolated and use modern media technologies to further circumscribe their own members' minds.

Obvious examples are the virulent religious antagonisms fueling 21st century terrorism and the equally powerful, although presently less violent, divergences in America and other societies. Wealthy elites and sectarian cults have gone beyond traditional class barriers to separate themselves from the "unwashed" and "unsaved". They build fortress neighborhoods and use divisive social policies to insure they aren't "contaminated" by those who are different. In an ironic twist of the democratic principles of free enterprise and private property, Domino Pizza's founder is constructing an entire city in Florida where university, businesses, and homes are reserved only for conservative Catholics.

Some psychologists are on the forefront of research into the existential basis of this phenomenon. Something more than superficial lifestyle choices are at work here. The human species appears to be engaged in a profound "re-tribalization" process, at a time when the weapons for defending one's culture and territory far exceed the destructive power of rocks and clubs. The inability of such a fragmented species to reach consensus may threaten its very survival.

At a recent meeting of psychologists in California, several presenters gave talks that either explicitly or implicitly dealt with the role of worldviews with regard to individual development or societal trends. While no one attempted to give a "one-serves-all" definition of worldview, a number of participants talked about the need for a better understanding of the role of personal worldviews in shaping human emotional and behavioral responses to issues or events.

The notion of something that might be studied and/or used in education, therapy, and even broader social interventions under the rubric worldview is sort of like the U.S. Supreme Court's definition of pornography: "You know it when you see it". A still nebulous definition notwithstanding, attempting to look at worldviews may be crucial in confronting the profound breakdown of comity now threatening modern society. In their most fundamental form, different worldviews explain why we must answer "No" to the second question below:

Aren't you curious why we don't agree on certain issues? If two people have the same facts about an issue, then - if they both are logical - would they not draw the same conclusions?

These questions were raised by a doctrinaire writer with whom I had an e-mail exchange on the causes and possible remedies for terrorism. Despite an external reality that a Martian observer might see, when two humans discuss an issue, they are likely to do so through two different - even mutually exclusive - a priori sets of assumptions or beliefs about the nature of reality and the human place in it. For all perceptual, emotional, and behavioral purposes, they live in two different realities. With such species dissociation, different groups are psychologically unable to draw compatible conclusions from the same fact.

The worldview is an element of consciousness, and imposes a personal order on the data perceived by physical and subtle senses. Such a mechanism is essential to human functioning. Without this core set of assumptions, the psyche would break up from the centrifugal forces of conflicting beliefs.

Worldviews deal with the most basic questions in life. What is the design and purpose of nature? Why do things work as they do? One's worldview serves as his or her “lens” for interpreting self, others, and external events. It asserts answers like the following to the most fundamental of questions:

Yahweh created me. Mind rules. God/Allah decides all. Nature is neutral. Allah/God is just. The universe is an accident.

Because worldview assumptions derive from history and cultural practices, they are mutable through experience or new learning. We can change these worldviews through a rational transformation of specific beliefs. Sometimes such transformations can also be stimulated by powerful subjective experiences. In either case the person considers and tests alternatives (based on new inner or external evidence) to his or her ingrained worldview. However, such change is not easy and requires several steps of conscious reevaluation and change, (See relevant articles in AHP Perspective).

The first step is the most simple, yet the most difficult: Recognition that my perception of reality is based on assumptions that may be true or may not be true. If this first step does not stir up strong emotional reactions in the individual, it is likely that one is not yet dealing with worldviews as defined in this article. An intellectual discussion of worldviews that does not touch on the deeper and most strongly held beliefs remains a superficial exercise.

When I cannot find evidence that one who does not share my worldview will agree that it tends to support my assumption, I must conclude that I am taking it on faith. It is this “taking on faith of one’s own or one’s group’s assumptions” as the absolute truth that leads to fragmentation of societal consciousness.

In the context of religious and spiritual worldviews, the United States of America is in effect a "polytheistic" society. Let me explain. An individual is not usually polytheistic, i.e., "worships more than one god". Any social unit can call itself polytheistic and provide for the worship of different gods. However, the American society does not do that. Most people assume everyone worships the same god, just under different guises. However, a comprehensive analysis of worldviews would, I believe, reveal that this nation is actually "polytheistic". All people do not believe in or worship the same ineffable origins of our universe. They worship their own worldview's assumptions about it.

Thus, where the definitions of their god are mutually incompatible, groups actually believe and behave in a "polytheistic" way. Although they may use the same word - God, their definitions are so widely different that they, for all practical purposes, live under and worship different gods. To the extent groups believe their concept of “god,” by whatever name, and their “god’s word" (as interpreted by them) is The Truth, they set themselves apart from all others with no less certainty than Babylonians who worshipped Ba'al and Hebrews who worshipped Yahweh 3,000 years ago. No wonder the Quran, from the newest of the large supernatural religions, describes polytheism as a path to Hell.

Because each group's assumptions are taken on faith, based on a priest/rabbi/imam’s inspirations (likely to be infinite in number), over time the diverging worldviews result in deeper fragmentation of human consciousness. Resulting divergent religions (caused by worldviews that shape the way people actually experience life) always increase the potential for political and physical conflicts.

However, to understand the depth and complexity, and the threat to human survival, of the current maelstrom of worldviews that socially and politically rend today's world, we must look deeper than the traditional labels (the names groups use for their alleged divine beings and give to their unique religions). Such an analysis is necessary to understand how to cope with members of any group that would impose their theocratic views on the policies of governments.
Given their deist perspective (belief in an unnamed creator or supreme power, but not in the anthropomorphic god of 18th-century religions) and actions, it appears that America's Founders Fathers had an intuitive understanding of the competition for power that could arise among competing religious worldviews. They recognized that some groups in a "polytheistic society" (my term) with fundamentally different concepts of reality would attempt to impose their assumptions on others through the political process. They foresaw a struggle to impose laws that would regulate what should be private matters in each religion. Thus, they established secular U. S. institutions with constitutional barriers to prevent one religion imposing its worldview on the rest.

This problem is not limited to religious worldviews. Scientific theories and philosophical schools are also based on assumptions and beliefs founded on partial evidence, always subject to revision based on experience. When groups holding them also consider their worldviews as The Truth, and dismiss other ways of knowing, they are in effect worshipping their own divergent “realities.” Until we find a way to transcend the hardened worldviews that now divide the species, we will not be able to "put Humpty Dumpty (the fragmentation of human consciousness) back together again". To help pierce the defensive shields of superficial labels and symbols described here, we must look honestly at the non-self-evident assumptions that underly conflicting worldviews. The first and essential step requires each of us to admit to which of our own worldview assumptions are based on faith, a faith that we cannot expect some one else to accept just because we believe it. The second step requires a recognition that when it comes to blind faith, anyone's sight is as good as another's.

[Paul Von Ward, a psychologist and interdisciplinary cosomologist, is the author of Gods, Genes, & Consciousness and Our Solarian Legacy: Multidimensional Humans in a Self-Learning Universe. He may be contacted via email at paul@vonward.com. His website is www.vonward.com.]

 

Looking for a sign of God's plan for me

Dear Diane,

I found your site today, somehow. I've just finished reading My Descent into Death, by Howard Storm, and have been reading about NDE's on the web. Howard's book has changed my life. I began praying yesterday that God would reveal to me what His will for me in this life is, if I am not already doing it! I have a feeling that I am supposed to be working with children, in some way and have thought that for years, but have found no real insight as to how. Well, I prayed that I would be shown, either a book, or by some means, that I would know for sure that it was a sign to me of God's plan for me.  

Then, today I came to your site after searching for forums tha deal with NDE's. I saw Paul's email to you about exactly the same thing! He too said he asked for a sign. And I too am an IT professional, just as Paul is. It was just too coincidental, I think.

So now I am wondering if something to do with counseling, psychology and children is what I am supposed to be doing. I thought for a while I was supposed to go into early childhood ed, but somehow that just didn't seem to fit.

I think part of it may be working with children in the church, but maybe not all of it.

I will say, one day, I woke up with this thought "I want to be a spirit that comes and guides children who have just died." This feeling is SO STRONG, that I KNOW that is something I want to do on the other side, but what do I do in the meantime? I am waiting to find out and asking God to lead me.

Judy

Dear Judy,
I'd say the next step would be to go to my Spiritual Lesson and read the information there. You may want to read my book, Through the Tunnel: A Traveler's Guide to Spiritual Rebirth. In the meantime, you could become a guide on this side to help children who are making their transition. Let me know your thoughts.
Peace & Joy!
Diane

Thank you Diane, for responding. I've read some of the information on the site already... but will go back and read more.  I am scared that I would not be strong enough to deal with the emotional issues, espcially with children, yet, I know that I would not be asked by God to do anything that he is not willing to give me the strength for.

I read your NDE account; that is remarkable. I have been reading so many, and thinking, surely all of these people can't be LYING. It has to be real. Of course, the skeptic part of our brains, the logical part that only knows how to take in and categorize what we know of our existence on the earth, rebels against this information.

So forgive me, but I have to just ask. Is it true? I just want to hear someone who has experienced it tell me straight out, that it is true. You are 100% sure that you did not just imagine it all while you were under the water? You really 100% believe that this all happened to you and you aren't making any of it up. (why would you... I know...)

Have you read Howard Storm's book My Descent Into Death? It is powerful too and as I said, it changed my whole perspective on life and death.  

I am now more comfortable with the fact that two of my children are not sure they are Christians, although they are spiritual... and are studying other religions. I can now say to them, LOVE is what is important. Love God, love others, love yourself, and that is what is important. I realize that Jesus really IS our best friend, our savior, and is there for ALL people, not just Christians. He is there for everyone... and comes to everyone whether they call themselves Christian or not.

I realize that my vision of God, as an all-powerful, awesome, creative, loving, forgiving, just, eternal spirit is true... words just don't adequately describe God.  

Thank you again for replying to me. I will read more of the information.. and if I have questions, I hope I can send you a quick email and you can answer as you have time.

Judy

Dear Judy,
Before you could begin to work with any dying person, I'd recommend you become a proficient meditator (could take years of regular practice). You'll gain the strength you need to work with strong emotional issues, you'll learn the art of detachment (empathy not sympathy), you'll learn to allow God, the Spirit, energy, what ever you want to call it, work through you... it's not you but that energy flowing through you that helps/heals/comforts others... it's a learning process but you have to prepare yourself (mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually) before you can be of any help to others. While you're working on yourself, you can start by volunteering at a hospital or assisted living facility, gradually work up to being with children, first sick children then dying children... if it's not for you, you'll discover that... you'll gravitate toward your calling... get out of your own way and let you spirit guide you through mediation... asking simply what will you have me do?

Did it really happen like I wrote? Straight out, it's true. I was always a water person... swimming (high school state champion), boating, water skiing, SCUBA diving, fishing, kayaking, canoing, surfing... no fear at all of the water... and I had a number of serious incidents where I might have died. In each case, what I remember during the incidents was fighting to get back to the surface, my lungs about to burst, sure I was going to die. In this particular incident, I have no conscious memory of what happened to my body under the water after I brreathed in the water... only of suddenly being above the river looking down then visiting another strange but similar dimension then suddenly popping out of the water down river. I'm extremely skeptical too, which may be why is was easy for me to bury it after people made me feel like a nut case for talking about it at the time. It was only when I heard other people, 15 years later, talk about their strange experiences that I decided to tell mine... and since then I've been trying to figure it out. I don't claim to have all the answers... what I write is what I've come to believe through all of my life experiences and offer it as grist for the mill for others seeking answers to life's deeper questions. I think people need to come to their own conclusions rather than be told what to believe.

Yes, I've read Howard Storm's book, My Descent into Death (read my review) and thought it gave a wonderful message of hope to people who are afraid of death. There are many good books out there and I hope you'll keep reading. There is also serious research going on trying to find answers to age old questions. The International Association of Near Death Studies has a wonderful newsletter filled with stories from NDErs, research projects, book reviews. etc. that you may find helpful.

I'm happy you've opened your mind to a greater understanding of God and realize that love is all that matters. Know too that our children are on their own personal journeys and will find their own answers in their own time. Bless you on your spiritual journey, do keep me posted.
Peace & Joy!
Diane

Diane,

Bless you. What a nice surprise to find that you had actually taken the time to write me back, I know you are a busy person and you don't even know me! Thank you.

I just had a wonderful conversation with my ex-husband today (the father of two of my children), and realized that he and I are now really not far apart at all on our spiritual paths. It was very rewarding to have this conversation with him. I realize now that I can love his soul (and probably have many many lifetimes!) while not being romantically linked to him in this life anymore. We have a very deep history, very full of love, synchronicity, pain, and heartbreak, and now, a sense of deep peace between us at finding ourselves friends on a very deep level, watching our children grow (those we have together and those we have with our current spouses). I don't think I could have come to this level of healing and love without the awakening I've had recently... and reading your account of what happened to you was a small part of my awakening, so I am very grateful to you and all the others I've read about.

Speaking of awakenings, I'm reading Sidhartha (Herman Hess) right now and it is a wonderful book!

One more thing. You said this .... "I think people need to come to their own conclusions rather than be told what to believe."

I believe that I just made that same statement, almost verbatim, about 2 hours ago to my ex-husband, and then came home to find your email message.... 

Blessings to you,

Judy

Judy,
These coincidences, actually synchronicities, are messages from Spirit to show you that you're on the right path. Do read The Celestine Prophesy/The Tenth Insight series and Conversations with God series.
Peace & Joy!
Diane

Diane,

I had the Celestine Prophesy books a couple of years ago and read them, a lot of synchronicities were happening to me then. But for some reason, I got off the path and thought that I could not be a Christian and believe in these things also, so I threw all of my "new age" books out, and put myself into Christian fundamentalism. I spent a couple of years learning about being a Christian again. Now, recently, I have found that my awakening does not mean that I cannot believe in the Divinity of Christ, or that I cannot call myself a Christian and try to follow the path of Jesus Christ. I have the vision of myself being a pendulum, swinging way to one side, then way to the other, then back, then back, and now, finding my own place in the middle.

Dear Judy,
It's good you've been able to keep an open mind. The pendulum is a good metaphor. New information may shake our foundation, but if it does, it means the foundation was shaky to begin with and we should examine that but not throw the baby out with the bath water.

Something interesting I learned recently is that it depends on which of the 4 Gospels you believe as to which kind of Christian you are. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John gave us slightly different versions of Jesus' life and death, John being the only one to proclaim accepting Jesus as Savior is the only way to Heaven. Another interesting one, which makes a lot of sense to me, is that Mary Magdalene was, if not Jesus' wife, his most beloved apostle. He told her things he didn't tell the other apostles (revealed to them by Mary after his death) and they were jealous, especially because she was a woman, so they dismissed her teachings and went off to teach their own (incomplete) versions. Then Pope Gregory, 6th Century-ish, decided Mary Magdalene was too popular with people so he declared she was the prostitute Mary mentioned previously in the text, but that's twisting the story. He also took out most references to reincarnation, wanted people to focus on being good in this life. How about... Jesus didn't die on the cross... he had a near death experience? After he revived, rolled back the stone, and appeared to the disciples (he appeared to Mary Magdalene first) and displayed his physical wounds for them to touch, he went off with Mary to live a quiet life and let the legend of his resurrection live on.

Just because someone calls themself a Christian doesn't mean they believe the exact same thing as another Christian. There's a wide range of beliefs within Christianity, including Mystic Christianity, which says that we are all capable to becoming like Jesus. We all have the abilities he demonstrated and more, and should strive to develop them but first one must develop Christ-Consciousness (to prevent abuse of power... the fear of early Christian leaders). Mainstream Christianity sees that as the work of the devil and insist on the literal translation of the Bible. Islam is even stricter requiring memorization and constant repetition of the Koran to keep all other thoughts out of peoples' heads and maintain strict adherence to dogma. It's more about keeping people in line than saving their souls. The problem is that we are spiritual beings having human being experiences and they can't keep that from us any longer.

I see one's belief system as an evolving process and encourage people to step outside the box to examine whether their experience matches what they've been taught. Beyond that I see Humanity's consciousness evolving (one person at a time) toward a greater understanding of the Universe, God, All That Is. Religion has kept us in a box for too long and now people are breaking out and exploring consciousness on their own. Very interesting times!
Peace & Joy!
Diane

 

How do I stay positive?

Greetings,

Thank you for taking the time to read this email; I know you‚re busy with this site, so I‚ll keep it short and get right into it.

I,m a relatively recent student to this type of thought (2 years, perhaps?), and am becoming aware of the power of thought and how each person essentially creates their own reality.

The reason I write is that I do not know what to do when I am unsuccessful in this endeavor of having positive thoughts create positive changes.

I am relatively young and have almost completed an advanced degree. This degree will be my career and profession, and it is something that I have wanted since I was very young. In the past few years, however, I have had surprisingly negative reactions from many people that I interact with. For example, when interviewing for jobs, I find a surprising level of dislike from those I meet. In academic/professional contests (real world simulations, I suppose you could say), I find myself judged much more harshly than others when it comes to criticism and scorecards. I ask people I trust about this, asking what I might be doing wrong, but I am always told that I perform very well. In almost every other area of my life I would consider myself fortunate, but because this is my future, I am starting to get seriously worried.

I originally thought this could be selective memory, a biased perception, or maybe the old me‚ would have labeled it bad luck‚. But the incidents are piling up so rapidly that any sort of statistical coincidence would be impossible. It‚s not that people don‚t like me, either. I just see a sort of unsettled feeling in those I interact with where something is at stake. 

So I suppose my question is twofold: First, what am I doing here that is causing this undesirable energy to come from me? Second, when things start going very poorly, how does one keep their spirits high and maintain that positive outlook?

I suppose I just don‚t know where to start looking for these answers, and for this I appeal to your wisdom.

Thanks again for listening,

Jason

 

Dear Jason,
I admire you for wanting to improve yourself. If we don't acknowledge there's a problem, how can we fix it? You can think of this as a control issue you need to deal with (and accept that we can't control other people with our thoughts). Go to my Spiritual Lessons, read the description (withholding judgment) and try working the exercise. If you have trouble understanding how to apply it to your situation, let me know and I'll walk you through it.

In answer to your first question, when you apply the above mentioned exercise, you will see in the other person what it is you are doing that you need to change to get the positive reactions you desire. It appears to me to have to do with you being judgmental of others which may be expressed subconsciously through body language, innuendos, attitudes, tone of voice, use of language. You can change this by being more open and interested in others than in what's at stake.

To your second question... we learn by making mistakes so every moment, good or bad, is teaching you something you need to learn along your way. When things aren't going so well, you need to switch your focus, problem-solve, try new things, communicate with people who have answers. It's all in your attitude. If it's fun, challenging, exciting, has ups and downs, it's all part of it. If you have a vision for your future, you have goals, you have a plan, you work the plan. You run into a dead end, you find another road. You ruin into an obstacle, you figure out another way over it, around it, through it, under it. Allow it all to evolve. Persistance, perseverence and patience are important. Getting angry, depressed, pessimistic are a huge waste of imagination. It helps to have a core group to bounce ideas off when things aren't good to get the creative juices flowing and generate new ideas. You're on a journey and have no idea where you'll end up or what you'll go through to get there... so why not enjoy it?

Peace & Joy!
Diane


Head falls while meditating


Hi:
My name is Michael and I have been meditating for over 6 months now. I have noticed with time, that my head will drop from what seems to be a spiritual frozeness. When my head fall, it is like I am frozen and have to raise my head again and my teeth or bottom jaw begin to chew or grind. It is really uncomfortable, while hearing buzzing or chirping sounds. I noticed that my dreams have become more clear, vivid and sharp. The spiritual weight is to heaving and it is like pressure or the weight or God consciousness is holding my head down or making it heavy, although I am not sleep but have to force to raise my head to come out of the sleep like trance. What could this be?

Thank You
Michael

Dear Michael,
It sounds like you're falling asleep when your head drops which then wakes you up. Just go right back to meditating. Your mind-body is adjusting to the meditative state, seeking balance. You may need some chakra balancing work (Go to Spiritual Lessons: Meditation). There is a fine line between meditating and sleeping, and what comes with practice is the ability to maintain a certain level of consciousness between alpha and theta waves. The chewing and grinding, the buzzing
and chirping sounds, twitches, tics and other bodily movements, are all part of the process... just observe, don't dwell or give your power away to anything that arises in your experience, don't pay attention long enough to question what or why, just let it all drift by like leaves on a flowing river. You can analyze later if you want to, not while you are meditating.
Peace & Joy!
Diane

 

 

The twists and turns of one's spiritual path

Hi Diane,
I discovered your website today! 

As a young child and into my early twenties I contemplated suicide. As a child, it was very much on a back burner, never to be talked about with anyone. But as a 19 year old, it grew into a full blown suicidal depression and I sought help. After years of crying and talking about it with everyone I knew, I finally came to a place where I swallowed pills.

While I was in the hospital emergency ward and waiting possible medical intervention, I had a spiritual awakening. I never believed much in God, but here in the hospital I was told from an "inner" place that there was no death...that we are spiritual beings in bodies here to learn something. If I took my life now, I would have a much more difficult recovery than if I stayed to work out my problem.

From that time forth I never considered suicide, yet 30 years later I am still trying to work out my problem. I am thinking you may have something worthwhile for me to integrate.

The problem is thus:

Whether it is a genetic or environmental cause, I am one who blocks my feelings. Essentially my mother wasn't there for me emotionally. She was a "good" mother according to her, but to me she didn't understand the full responsibility of the job. She fed me and clothed me and praised my good grades, but I couldn't communicate to her that something very deep was wrong with me. I couldn't tell her that I didn't feel connected, that I was alone in the world and deeply saddened and fearful. On the outside I acted happy all the time. I didn't know children were supposed to feel love ( only adults were supposed to) until I was a teenager. I have 3 children and while I behave much more responsibly than my mother ever did, I express my love mostly in my actions and hardly feel it in my heart.

I was in psychotherapy straight from age 19 until the late nineties. I tried every alternative approach as well. I meditated for 3 years religiously and after a point with nothing having changed, I called it a waste of time.

Nowadays, I am working a job that is enabling me to make a decent amount of money. With my daughter in graduate school and my son about to start college, my time and energy is best spent putting my nose to the grindstone helping them through. This lifestyle is also providing a perfect opportunity to run away from myself. I have no time or energy left in the day when the evening meal is completed to do any spiritual exercises.

I know in my heart, one day, that I will be provided with an opportunity to go to work again on my spiritual development even though in the 30 years that I WAS trying I could not effect my emotional block. But for now, don't suggest I do any spiritual or therapeutic work....I won't.

In therapy I learned there was a strong "resistance" within myself and that I am my own worst enemy. I am the one who is blocking my feelings and it is I who ultimately will need to release the old grief of not having a mother there for me. I can't seem to accomplish that and continue to hold on to my pain deep down while refocusing my conscious mind on my work. Even though I know in my intellect that I am a spark of the divine, deep down I feel like a worthless soul. 

Dear B,
I got past it myself by accepting that my parents did the best they knew at the time and started accepting responsibility for my self as an adult. They didn't understand me... but then I was beyond their understanding. Poor things didn't know what hit them when I came along, how could I continue to blame them? Besides blaming them only kept me from being all I could be and I wouldn't let that happen.

Part of the spiritual process is to know thy self... uncover your shadow side and discover who you really are, become your authentic self, live your life authentically. What they did or didn't do doesn't matter anymore. What matters is what you're doing right now. The strength your mother gave you is to be able to overcome adversity. Look at you... you've got a good job, you're putting your children through college... a single parent? (been there, know how hard that is)... what a role model for your children... Yahoo for you! So much is positive in your life, you need to pay more attention to that. Your spiritual exercise at this point is simply to thank God at the end of the day that you made it through. The joy is in the journey, this just happens to be where you are right now.
Peace & Joy!
Diane

 

 

What makes people think that they are somehow exempt?


While the topic of whether or not there is an 'afterlife' is all very interesting, I cannot help but wonder if this is nothing more than a case of wishful thinking on the part of those who cannot accept the inevitability of life's end. It also raises the question of whether such an outcome ('life' after death) is even desirable. Maybe it's just me, but I find the notion of 'eternal life' to be an abhorrent one, and by the way, what is the ultimate objective to all of this endless evolution of 'the soul' (whatever that is)? 'Perfection'? 'Oneness'? Does anyone know, and if not why not? Nothing in nature is half-eternal, and by this I mean that there is nothing in nature that has a beginning but no ending, so my question is this: what makes people think that they are somehow exempt from this rule?

Dear Peter,
It's certainly a question pondered by many.

Personally I was quite comfortable not believing in an after life. My younger sister was killed when I was 10. I was convinced dead was dead. I wasn't religious, didn't go to church, and was at least agnostic. But then this strange experience happened to me and it was so real, so amazing, so wondrous, so unexplainable, so loving that it profoundly changed me. I tried unsuccessfully to explain what happened but I couldn't find the words. Everyone acted like I was crazy, babbling nonsense. So I denied it and repressed it for years. Had it been a dream or wishful thinking, it never would have come back and demanded expression. Why would I put myself out there if it hadn't happened? I returned to life with a mission to open others to the light that there is more to life than we've been led to believe... this was not where my life was going before this happened to me. I'm not trying to force my perspective on anyone, just share what happened to me and let them draw their own conclusions... but I gotta tell you, I see a lot of miserable people out there in the world who think they have all the answers while I love my life. I live this calm, peaceful, serene, happy, joyful life filled with love and beauty, fully aware that while I may die at any moment, my life continues to evolve in other dimensions of a Universe that is so vast that eternity is not long enough. What we "do" as spiritual beings is beyond human understanding but I promise you, it's not boring (Possibility: As spiritual beings, we are creators of the physical universe). We are so far removed from anything resembling the physical dimension at this point that "life" as a human being is inconceivable just as "a being filled with the Love of God" is beyond human comprehension. We are energy, we are light, we only exist as human beings when we pass through the physical dimension... for a moment. We are not human beings... we are spiritual beings having human being experiences... we are in the world but not of it. "People" aren't exempt, only spiritual beings are eternal.

Bless you on your spiritual path.
Peace & Joy!
Diane

 

Dear Diane,
When I wrote my little letter in your guestbook I didn't really expect that I would receive a response from anyone to what I had discussed within it, but this is really a pleasant surprise - thank you :). You may perhaps have deduced from my comments that I am far too cynical, and a little too demanding in the level of proof I require before accepting something as a reality. The truth of the matter is that I am not really as closed-minded as that letter may suggest, and
after having looked over it again I'm kind of embarrassed by it. Of all the phenomena which could be, for want of a better term, classed as 'New Age' (I hope that term does not offend you - I myself can't stand it), the research results and/or evidence that has been gathered thus far regarding NDE's actually indicates that there is, in fact, much more to life than merely this present physical existence of ours.This is a topic which should be discussed openly, without any fear of ridicule or derision on the part of self-proclaimed sceptics, who have their own ulterior motives for silencing debate on this, and many other, issues. I hope that my letter has had more of a positive impact than a negative one to this overall debate.


Once again, thank you for responding to my message and, of course, for telling me, a complete stranger, about the life-altering experience you had.

God bless, all the best, and bye....
Peter

 

 

I'm so lost

I just discovered your website today, and I want to thank you for what you are doing. I am 3 years into my true spritual path, and I have more questions everyday. I am in a very foggy period right now with my direction. I feel as if I am in limbo. I can't seem to budge, and things have been this way for 6 months. I have sought the assistance of others, but no one has been able to help. Unfortunately, there are few truly spiritually advanced people with which I can find. I have been having an experience much like yours with the Catholic Church. I have found that I have not been drawn to organized religion so much as to the library and every self help, spritual guidance, NDE, or meditation book that I can get my hands on. I think my husband thinks I'm going crazy or in some mid-life crisis. I prefer mid-life awakening. I do pay attention to synchronicities in my life. The only thing that I am having trouble with now is that the current synchronicity is that I have not been able to sucessfully get help from others. There is an acquaintance of mine that is psychic, but she has been unavailable due to personal problems. I sought another. She just wants me to pay her lots of money to burn candles and take her word for that. I have taken weekend sabbaticals to find myself thrown into helping others instead of myself. How emotionally vampirical! I'm so lost. I'm losing faith in my ability to find my own answers. I feel paralyzed. Can you help?

Randi

 

Dear Randi,
Oh, dear... you probably think I confirmed what you are saying because it's taken me some time to respond and you assumed I'm just another who won't help you. I apologize, I don't get to answer email as often as I might like. And that also points out one of the lessons you are learning... patience. If you are expecting instant gratification, you haven't learned anything the past 3 years. You only have what is happening in this moment which is where you attention should be. If someone doesn't respond, that's a message from your soul telling you not to go in that direction... move on, don't dwell in negative energy. There are many teachers out there, you need to find the ones who respond to you and dismiss the rest as not your path. It's part of your learning to discern using your own intuition. You get a feeling... bad feeling, don't go there... good or neutral, check it out. Everything is energy, including you.

A spiritual path is a personal quest for the Holy Grail. No one else can really help you, other than to give you information to consider, but it is you who makes the journey, slays the dragons, finds the treasure, and returns a hero. What all this rejection by others in the physical world is teaching you is that the answers are to be found within yourself. You can read all the books, listen to all the teachers, practice all the practices, but in the end the answers will be found in the Silence of your mind when you expand your consciousness and touch the face of God. Try my Lotus Meditation, read it yourself into a tape recorder and listen to it in meditation, imagine that you are the lotus blossom.

Also note that a spiritual path is a evolving process that goes on for the rest of your life, but it has it's stops and starts, ups and downs. One may read voraciously for months or years then stop reading altogether. This is a time of assimilation. Your subconscious needs time to process all the information that has been ingested. During this time not much progress takes place and after a time you will feel stuck, paralyzed as you say, and want to press on. It's time to put into practice what you have learned, do something with the information, allow your creativity to awaken. Something will happen to spur you on to a new quest for understanding and take you in another direction where you will want to learn everything you can, then again will come a time of assimilation, then stagnation, and so on and so on. People often get off their path during stressful times or stagnant times, stay off for years, then come back. Whatever your path is is what your path will be. Wherever you are is where you're supposed to be at this moment... what you have to do is be aware and seek the meaning. You'd benefit from reading Sitting in the Lotus Blossom, my book which is available online as an eBook. I've just added some Self-Help tools on my Counseling page that you might find enlightening.

Keep in mind that whatever aggravates you the most, is a teacher for you to learn more about yourself. You can't change what you don't acknowledge, so be very honest with yourself and you'll make more progress.
Peace & Joy!
Diane

 

Active Kundalini

Greetings,

Firstly, heartfelt THANK YOU for your sharing of wisdom, your site is very inspirational, motivational & enlightening!

Personally, I agree with you, awakening, appears to be all about an infinitely unfolding process.

A process that does not necessarily mean, peace forever more within the illusionary earthly reality! it appears that awakening enlightens one to Be-come authentic expressions of who they really are, through self awareness & reflect that in the world rather than necessarily be-coming a conditioned robotic part of it!

I also have a query, in regard to a influx of what appears to be energy/universal consciousness that I sense is pouring into my crown charka, down my face. It is almost like a fire hose is held above my head. This happens always when meditating, often when sharing when another who may be discovering more about what makes them tick & usually when retiring to bed of an evening, as I lay down to go to sleep the same feeling floods the top of my head.

Maybe you could shed some light on this for me.

I have had several (what is perceived) as "spiritual" experiences over the past 15 years, however over the past two to three years I feel I have been stagnant, as though I am at an impasse, or I am just not getting it! I could go as far as to feel I may be in a process of surrendering! if I would allow myself to pass through it!

Anyway, please accept A Heartfelt Thank you for your inspirational site! it is encouraging to connect with one who is walking their talk as a living example of truth/god in action! expressing it-self in physical form!

namaste
Diane

 

Dear Diane,
I'm grateful you visited my site and benefited from the information you found.

Because of what you wrote, I did a reading on you which confirmed my first thoughts that your kundalini energy is active. Go to my Spiritual Lessons and read over all the information on that page. Chose whatever methods you find peaceful and harmonious and start practicing. I suggest you record and listen to my Lotus Meditation several times a week. You need to get that energy under control using meditation and your creativity (find a new, exciting way to express yourself in the world).

The reading says what's going on in your life is about a healing of your spirit over a frustration carried over from past lives. It concerns judgement, you were unfairly judged. What you are going through is a self-imposed initiation, no one else can help you, but you do have the ability to rise above it... even though the odds are against your beliefs (don't let their judgements hold you down in this life). What you need are courage and harmony in your life, and to expand your creativity. It means you have to overcome your shadow side and fears, and to become more organized. You will do this by believing your spiritual strength comes from contact with the God force within you and eventually you'll act this out in the world. As a result you will come to an understanding of "as it is above, so it is below," and you will have peace of mind. You are a deeply spiritual person with strong psychic gifts oriented to the light.

Let go... allow yourself to pass through it.
Peace & Joy!
Diane

Heartfelt "Thankyou" Diane., much appreciated!
Love & Light!
namaste
Diane

 


Who are the Lightworkers?

Hi Dianne. I found your site last night, and have been persuing articles, and testimonials as i can. Like many, i am in a spiritual search. I started, with some night classes in a local college, and have had two physic readings, and a past life regression with a practioner, and in traing shaman in Arizona I was told, that i am a way shower, bringer of light, and am trying to find out more about this. I haven't found much yet in print. I don't know if this is rare, or i just haven't found the right source. I saw mention of it, in a book, about the reincarnation of Edward Casey, but that is the only thing i've seen so far. Any help you could give, would be appreciated. I thank you, for your time, in helping people like myself, and for your very informative site. I will be here, for quite sometime, and will persue your books, as i can. Again many thanks.

Warm regards, and God bless you. ..... Doug

Dear Doug,
There are many words for the same concept. I know of many Lightworkers through the internet... it can mean anyone working to open others to the idea that we come from light and return to the light, that "God" loves us all and wants us to succeed. What your path should be is to find out how you can best express that in the world. How can you serve God and the Planet by becoming the best version of yourself you can be? What are your interests, talents, abilities, resources that would help you be of service to others. If you don't know, you need to find out who you are and what your purpose is in this life as part of your spiritual journey. You'll find some tools to help you with self-discovery on my counseling page under "Self-Help."
Peace & Joy!
Diane

 

 

I'm one of those pretentious, cut-throat, social climbers and it's leaving me empty

Diane
Thank you for responding. It was an unanticipated, yet appreciated surprise. I can only imagine the number of emails you receive, so when I received your acknowledgement of my email, it only confirmed my faith in you and your committment to your message. That said, let me forewarn you that you may regret your "simple thank you email" as I have many questions that I need to unload and few people I trust that can shed light on, yet alone take time out of the pretentious, cut-throat, social climbing environment I come from. You see I'm one of those pretentious, cut-throat, social climbers and it's leaving me empty. I know in my heart of hearts that we are here for a purpose and growth. I know my soul is trying to graduate me to the next level, but I'm not always very cooperative. I know you understand what I'm unloading, any non bullshit advice you can pass on? Thinking about past regression hypnosis therapy... yes? I'm a little nervous to embark on the journey. I'm trying to be truly cognizant of signs. Is that a good start? 
Could use your wisdom and advice if you can afford the time to give it.

Dear Diane,
You've already learned how to look in the mirror to learn what you need to learn about yourself. Go to my Spiritual Lesson Know ThySelf and continue using that technique to grow. Personal development comes first... if you don't have a solid foundation to build on, the building will collapse. Just follow your nose and you'll know what to do next. Envision your goal, and keep it and God in the forefront of your thoughts. Remember that thoughts are things... you're excited to embark on this journey, not nervous... same feeling, different thought, different attitude. Noticing synchronicities increases one's awareness... it's a good place to start, but it eventually becomes second nature. Just get out of your own way and open yourself to the guidance of your soul. God wants you to succeed.

I've recently added some self-help tools on my counseling page. You might want to check them out.
Peace & Joy!
Diane

 

An Ecstatic Compulsion to Transform the World

In my own development, what has replaced the excitement of experiencing new insights and ideas is the powerful urge to actually create a new context—a new cultural context, an enlightened culture. It's the creative component in relationship to awakening itself that is so compelling, so interesting, and so fascinating. Most significantly, it's the nondifference between the enlightened perspective, directly seen, known, and felt, and the arising of a spontaneous compulsion to create, to make manifest that which is being seen. Ultimately one becomes more compelled by what actually happens as a result of awakening than by the awakening itself. The ecstatic compulsion to transform the world becomes the focus of one's attention instead of merely one's own personal development or personal liberation.

Andrew Cohen
What Is Enlightenment? magazine

Dear Andrew,

I'm so glad to hear you say that. We get to a point on the path beyond awakening where we think, so now what? If we've realized, when we just let go, our creativity flows... we begin to realize that we are manifesting what we've been thinking (duh... thoughts are things!). Sometimes I feel I'm manifesting the reality of the world as my consciousness expands and, you're right, there is an ecstatic compulsion to it... seems about 10 years after I come up with a way to transform the world, it's hitting the mainstream consciousness (stress management, mind-body-spirit concepts, personal development, spiritual growth, transformation of consciousness, conscious dying, bridging the gap between Science and Religion, the evolution of consciousness...

I feel I've been moving toward an even greater transformation of consciousness over the last couple of years as I've been letting go of my need to help so many on an individual basis and freeing myself of the details of maintaining a web site. My creativity is moving me in another direction to awaken the unconscious masses. Not sure how it's going to play out but I always enjoy the journey.

Bless you for your work. I always look forward to reading your quotes.
Peace & Joy!
Diane

Why is it so difficult?

Diane
why do you feel it is so difficult to get in touch with our eternal soul and even more difficult to get in touch with our infinite spirit? I am a seeker but still attached to my physical body and physical life. I believe that I have lived many lives before and find it frustrating that I am so serious about this life. also you have a wonderful website and your words are most comforting for those of us that fear disease and death.
bill

Dear Bill,
In the grand scheme of things, there is a reason things are the way they are. As we grow and experience life, we come to understand what was previously incomprehensible to us. We have aha! moments of instant clarity about concepts that have eluded us (for lifetimes). We begin to see the bigger picture, the whole, as our perspective broadens. We couldn't see the picture when we were in the frame. The more our mind dwells in the higher realms of thought, listening to the Silence, the closer we come to God-Consciousness... the less we are concerned with the physical world and its attractions. Unless one becomes a monk in a far off monastery and spends most of their time in meditation, it becomes a more gradual process of letting go of physical concerns and increasing time spent in the spiritual realms. Your life will follow what your mind dwells on so plan your future with your present thoughts.

The present life is the important life, we should be serious about it. Live it well and the rest will take care of itself.
Peace & Joy!
Diane

 

Material vs. Spiritual

Daine,
I have been on a spiritual path for about 10 years now. I am constantly thinking of God and how to serve him in a loving, compassionate way. I got married in 1998 and have a wonderful 2 year old son. My wife, unfortunately, has no spiritual inclination whatsoever and is interested only in materialistic pursuits. She also wants to have another child. She is originally from India. She has stated that she will take my child and move to India unless I become more worldly, materialistic, and agree to have another child. I don't see the purpose of having another child when 2 individuals cannot get along. Also, should I give up all spiritual pursuits in an attempt to save the marriage? Please advise.
Thank You

Dear Rajukar,
It depends on what your spiritual path is, perhaps you need to define that first. I don't think you have to give up one thing to have the other unless you are thinking of becoming a monk. It sounds like you need some marriage counseling, but I realize everyone isn't open to that. Did you and your wife talk about these things before you got married? Of course not, no one ever talks about the important things. Have you married into another culture, another religion? Did you do some research into what that might mean to your relationship? Or did you think that love is all we need? If she was raised to find a husband who will give her children and support her while she shops, you're in big trouble. Tell her to get a job if she wants to buy more things than you can afford. Is it even possible for her to take your child to India or is that an empty threat? Are you away in the Navy and don't really know what's going on back home, like who's influencing her thinking? Is your spiritual path adding to or taking away from your marriage? If it is your true path, it should give you the answers you need to save your marriage. There are many, many questions to ask and I don't know enough to give you any advice other than that you two really need to sit down and get to know each other's deepest thoughts and desires.

Peace & Joy!
Diane

 

Evolving Consciousness

I was raised in the Roman Catholic tradition, educated in Catholic schools including two years in a monastic environment exploring whether the religious life was my calling. When it was determined for me that this was not the path I was to take, I was left with an empty feeling that success and happiness would forever be denied me because I had denied God a priest. Eventually, I moved beyond that (even though it remained in the back of my mind into my later adult years) and married and raised a family. Always the devout Catholic, I attended Mass, regularly - confession, regularly and suffered all of the guilt complexes, regularly, that is expected of a good Catholic except for the fact that I eventually divorced.

About 15 years ago, while attending Mass during the Easter season, I was listening to the reading about the betrayal of Jesus in the Garden by Judas and a thought began to run through my mind asking: "why would a loving God send a soul into the world, knowing in advance that he was going to hell"? Soon, I heard a voice asking the question: "do you really think I did that"? - my answer was "no" - next, the voice said to me: "well, I didn't and you need to discover why".

Thus began a journey that took me into just about everything I could find that dealt with alternative understandings of our relationship with God. First I read "Conversations with God" by Neale Donald Walsch - then, I listened to all of the tapes and CD's which he put out. Then, I began studying the history of Christianity and books on NDE's, Past Life Regression, Reiki, meditation and Hypnotherapy - it reached a point where books were literally flying off shelves into my hands as I walked through bookstores in search of more knowledge.

Finally, I have come to the understanding that what we believe in and call "god" is nothing more than a title we have given to a concept that we cannot grasp within our limited reality. I know that we are pure energy and it is to energy that we will return at the end of this incarnation. I know that there is no "heaven" and there is no "hell" outside of that which we create in our own minds. I know that people are "good" or "evil" only so long as that serves them, not because of some mythical "satan".

What this has brought me to is the understanding that the Christian foundation on which our Western society is built is based on a mistaken belief that those who follow that belief system are the chosen ones of "god" and we have the right, if not the obligation, to enforce that belief there is no public forum for those of us whose desire it is to stand up and say "our's is not a better way, our's is just another way".

Namaste,

Frank

Dear Frank,
I was with you until the last paragraph then got a little confused. I think you are saying that among Christians, some believe their way is the only way, while others believe theirs is one of many ways? In which case, it's not that there isn't a forum, those folks just aren't as outspoken as the former. They're too busy doing their work in more subtle ways by being loving towards everyone, by quietly doing good works. There is an evolving consciousness raising more people above the exclusivity and self-righteous judgements of previous belief systems... it sounds like you are part of the paradigm shift.
Bless you on your spiritual journey.
Peace & Joy!
Diane

What does the Lord think?

Do you believe in Jesus? I see no mention of Him. I see articles about the "paranormal", "reincarnation", etc. Where does Jesus fit in? It's His eternal kingdom. If you do not believe in Him, where did you really go when you had your near death experience? All of this Karma stuff is "new age". Do you know what the Lord thinks of all of it?

Dear JoAnn,
Thank you for visiting my web site and expressing your opinion. If your beliefs sustain you then you are on the right path for you. Bless you on your spiritual journey.
Peace & Joy!
Diane

 

Things that puzzle me

Hi Diane,

How often do you recommend meditation. I have read what you have to say on your site. In my case do you have any personalized tips?

What do you think about Jesus Christ? I understand from your writings, I think, that you believe there is some truth in all of the World's religions. In the case of Christianity, do you believe Jesus did walk the Earth and was the Son of God? I'm just interested to hear your ideas.

In the case of mentally retarded people, is the soul teaching them something by being born with this defect. Or maybe this question illustrates more about what I'm looking for. In the case of a person with alzheimer's disease. Where is the soul at this point? Is it totally detached from the body. These are things that puzzle me.

People who enjoy being violent against people. For example, I recently watched a show about a person who would kidnap children and break their bones because he liked to see people in pain. What are they teaching themselves and what are the victims learning? Things like this really bother me and it's hard for me to just accept it and make sense of it.

Thank you for all you do.

Brandon

 


Dear Brandon,
I recommend meditating twice a day for about 40 minutes, especially in the beginning, for the most benefit... however, I realize most people can't do that so all I can say is as often as you can. If you want it to become second nature, so to speak, doing it over and over will accomplish that. If you think about Buddhist monks, they start at an early age but don't become enlightened masters until old age so it depends on what you want to accomplish by meditating. In your case, I suggest you do it more often until you get to the point that you're able to slip into a meditative space just by closing your eyes and taking a deep breath. You'll have conditioned your behavior by this point and you can do it less frequently and still get the benefits. You'll notice fear coming up sooner and be able to immediately evoke the meditative state before it manifests in anxiety. If you want to work on fear issues, you may want to meditate more so you can go deeper into your psyche but if it works to control your fear, you may find once or twice a week sufficient. If you're going through a particularly stressful time, you may want to increase frequency. Just adjust to what's comfortable for you.

Ah, Jesus.... who was he? It's just speculation on my part but I tend to believe that he was a real historical person... but the Son of God? I don't believe the biblical version because I don't believe God works that way... that God interacts with human beings in that way. One thing I have noticed is that everyone on a spiritual path goes through a phase where they think they are Jesus Christ, reincarnated. And there is at least one Jesus Christ in every mental institution. So either through the realization of the greater self or delusion, human beings sometimes think they are sent by God to save the world. We are capable of having visions, NDE's or other types of spiritual experiences that open up a connection to a higher reality but how the individual interprets that and what they do with that, is a personal thing. In the case of Jesus, and given the time frame (human life during that time), the whole scenario is believable... people needed hope and he offered it. But I think the real story became the source of an exaggerated myth that was eventually written down and became a dogma to lead people to higher consciousness. People seem to need rules and order and threats to be good. I had a client tell me that if he didn't have the threat of eternal damnation hanging over his head, he'd feel free to rape and pillage... so maybe there is a need to perpetuate the myth to maintain control. I just don't feel we're born evil and have to be whipped into shape. I think Christ-Consciousness is an achievable state and that Jesus is a good role model but that belief in Christianity, the Bible or Jesus as the Son of God or being "born-again," is not a necessity. We all get to go to Heaven... it's a natural next step in our spiritual growth.

I'd say any disability is a learning experience for the soul... having to do with giving/receiving love. It's also a lesson for the parents and caregivers. The same with diseases of old age. The soul only detaches from the body at death so something is going on at the soul level when the physical/mental body is surpressed. You could say with Alzheimer's that all the work is going on at the soul level but there is a need for it to be done while still attached to it's physical body... could be the person has been in denial all their life and is facing their demons in a more acceptable way than meeting them when the person crosses over. Death is a purification process, an expansion of consciousness, an opportunity for a soul to make a quantum leap in consciousness so the better prepared we are, the more karma we're released before death, the higher we go after leaving the physical body.

Violence against others... simply it's a learning process. The horror we experience or perpetrate is a way of teaching us right from wrong. If you think about the things early man did to others (human sacrifices, head hunting, canabalism) and how far we're come in understanding compassion and love in the modern world, it begins to make some sense. Everyone is somewhere on their spiritual path and when you realize that, it's hard to judge others because we don't know where they are or what their soul is working on with this lifetime. We may be a victim in one life, a perpetrator in another, then a judge or a jailer or a doctor in other lives... giving us the experiences from every angle so that eventually we come to appreciate the value of human life and unconditional love. It's a difficult concept, certainly something to meditate on and ask for understanding. The lesson for you may be how to love and forgive people who do horrible things. Jesus was able to forgive the lowest of humanity, how can we not also?
Peace & Joy!
Diane

 

Fear of eternal punishment

Diane ... Thanks for responding ... I there was a bit of a lag time between my message and your response, so I had forgotten all about your NDE site: I went back and briefly re-read ... may I say that I admire your post NDE "spirit" ... having survived drowning, gone through a divorce and on to complete degrees and hold a career --- great job.

I also noticed a policy about visitors to your site --- to not force their spiritual/religous dogma on others: thats a good idea. Being a Westerner and now in my fifties, I find that the old "Fundamentalist" dogma of my youth is still around (externally and internally) --- on a Veterans board recently, a virtual friend and apparently fundamentalist Chrisitian raised the old burn in hell for eternity if you don't accept and profess Jesus as .... you know. I got scared because I'm a little more open to things like Buddhism and Reincarnation ... etc ... but oh the fear when cornered with "eternal punishment for not believing and proclaiming Christ" .... Some "stuff" is hard to shake ... I could not possibly be open up and communicate at a real level ... could not share ... admit to ... how can I say, experimentations, or .... gut level feelings.

Rob

Dear Rob,
Think about the times... 2,000 years ago people were wandering around the desert, living in caves or mud huts... life was pretty miserable without much hope, what kind of future did they have to look forward to?... there was no law, people were running amuck, murdering, raping, pillaging, etc. What better way to get these people under control than to threaten them with eternal damnation if they didn't behave? You tell them they are sinners and if they don't do this and that, they are condemned. That's pretty powerful. Given the mentality of the people of the time, they were easily coerced by giving them hope that if they do behave and believe what they are told, they will be saved from this terrible punishment.

When I get email from Muslims, they tell me I'm condemned for not believing in the Koran... my, my, my, all these angry gods!!

You feel it in your heart that this can't be so. Christianity is all about love... and then they come up with eternal damnation? Your beliefs are between you and your God and don't have to be discussed or argued with anyone else... listening to others is good, considering other ideas is reasonable but keep your own counsel. I'm not talking about wishful thinking, but well thought out concepts that make sense to you, that comfort you, that give you strength and sustain you in times of trouble, that make you feel closer to God. Keep seeking and you will find your truth... wish others only love and that they find their highest good in their own time and their own way.
Peace & Joy!
Diane

 

Were you born again?

Had you experienced being born again (of the Christian faith) prior to your experience?? Was there any reference to God or Jesus during your experience?

Dexter

Dear Dexter,
No to both questions.

Does that mean I've judged being a born again Christian or believing in God or Jesus to be wrong. No, It means there's more to it than people have been led to believe. We are all somewhere along the path of understanding God, the Universe, All That Is. What one believes is simply where they are along their spiritual path but there is always more... God is infinite. The human mind may never fathom All That Is so whatever your mind can conceive, is what you believe and that's where you are on your path. There is however a danger that we become self-righteous about our beliefs and insist others believe as we do or there's something wrong with them or they're going to hell if they're not born again or they don't believe the Bible or the Koran or whatever book their religion promotes as their gospel. God is unlimited love, that's what I experienced during my NDE, and all God asks of us is to love each other unconditionally. What religion we practice while here is irrelevant as long as we express love in everything we do and say.

Bless you on your spiritual path.
Peace & Joy!
Diane

 

Are you a Christian?

Hi Diane

I am curious about you becoming an ordained minister. I am suprized that you don't seem to hold any loyalty to the teachings of the bible or the purpose of Jesus death and resurrection, and of course what he said about no one comes to God but through him.

I have read many many NDEs and it just seem to me that too many simply discount or dismiss Jesus. You can just live any kind of life and it will all be good in the end? I am sure you can tell I am a Christian. I also know Jesus said with God all things are possible and I think that way to this extent, that I wouldn't put myself in Gods position and say who will or will not go to heaven.

However, I sure won't take a chance and say there is any other way to get to God but through Jesus. If that makes sence?

I have several friends that I would be overjoyed if they became Christians but they refuse to look past their own intelligence. They just seem bent on not going along with any conformity to one or any religion.

I just keep praying that Jesus will draw them to him. Are you a Christian? I do see that you are doing wonderful things for the sick and dying and that is great.

Thank you for your time.

Ed

Dear Ed,
You are surprised because you are stuck in a belief system that doesn't allow you to question what you have been told is the truth... just like Muslims are stuck in their Koran and the Jews in the Torah. What was revealed to me was the same as what was revealed to those in Biblical times who had near death and other spiritual experiences, we just interpret it according to what we know and the times in which we live. I understand the Bible, the Koran, etc. from a different perspective than people who just read the books and try to glean an understanding of that which is nearly impossible to comprehend. Now when I read the Bible, I don't see it through a glass darkly, I have full understanding and I'm no longer bound by mere words. The Bible isn't wrong, it describes everything perfectly, it's the human mind that distorts the truth.

The "way" that Jesus showed us is that there is no death. That we survive death and our life goes on in other dimensions. We will be together again with our loved ones as we journey through eternity. The way is through love because God is love and only love. God doesn't judge us, we are the judge of ourselves (during our life review) and we know when we've acted without love. Without love we have to continue living human incarnations until we learn how to express God's unconditional love in all things we do and say, no matter what circumstances we find ourselves in. Once we learn this, and this is what Jesus taught, we go home to our Father... we don't have to come back here, we continue our spiritual journey in higher dimensions as our soul continues to learn about expressing love throughout the universe. By following Jesus's example, we evolve into higher consciousness on this plane and more so when we cross over. One doesn't have to become a born again Christian to accomplish this... the truth is it doesn't matter what religion one practices or whether one believes in any particular religion... it's all about love and how we live our lives. A person who hates, harms others, takes from others, and so on is still a soul somewhere along his spiritual path and will have many incarnations to work things through until he finally gets that love is the answer. It usually takes a spiritual awakening to turn this person around any sooner (and a good many NDErs were bad people who were turned around completely by their experience which accelerates their spiritual growth).

Your friends who don't conform to any religion are on their own spiritual path and will find the light in their own time, in their own way. The best you can do is pray for them in your own way, but without the expectation they find it the way you did, and set an example for them by the way you live your life. If they are to get the lesson in this life, their soul will make sure they get a wake up call if they're procrastinating (often an illness, a financial loss, a divorce, the death of a loved one or a NDE is sufficient to make someone question everything they ever believed and start them seeking in other directions). Something I do whenever I'm in a crowd of people, whether in line at the grocery store or driving on the highway, is to say (to myself so people don't think I'm a crazy old lady) God Bless You to every one I pass. I can't fix everyone's problems but I can bring a little light into their lives whether they're aware or not... I know God is... and pray they find their highest good in their lives.

I'm not a Christian, I don't belong to any religion or go to any church or accept any dogma. Jesus is my role model, I love God and am here to serve as I am called to do. I do volunteer work, I help people deal with death and dying, I share my knowledge to help people who are lost, confused, afraid, filled with angst and anger, on the verge of suicide. I do everything with love, that is my purpose for being. I am at peace and I give my peace to others. This is my ministry.

As long as you're comfortable in your beliefs and they serve you well, you are where you're supposed to be... just don't think everyone needs to believe what you believe. Humanity is evolving in consciousness and as this happens everything else will change. Christ Consciousness is coming into being, God Consciousness is moving up fast. Peace will come to the planet.

Bless you on your spiritual path.
Peace & Joy!
Diane

Hi Diane,


Thank you for your reply, it is pretty informative and honest. I have noticed almost all the NDEs I have read seem to be thoughts and things the people having the NDEs have thought and believed while they were alive. That seems to be a common theme. I also wondered what you thought about the White Throne Judgment as told in the book of Revelation?

It just seems Jesus death and resurrection wasn't worth much if everyone gets to have another try at life until they get it right. As I said before I would never say who goes to heaven or hell but I think Jesus died and rose for more of a reason than to let us know when we die there is another place to live forever, another plain of existence.

I can tell from your thorough and honest reply that you are well educated and you really believe in what you say. Love also is a common thread among NDEs. I admit I struggle with the thought that the traditional Jewish believers may not be in heaven because they refuse to believe in Jesus and the things he did and said. I have known some "good" people of the Jewish faith. "That" is why I would not go around making accusations.

Good is quite a controversial term though, since Jesus said if we break one of the commandments we might as well have broke them all. And no human is sinless. It's also weird that even though king David sinned the many ways he did, he was still a man after God's own heart. I do question the teachings of my faith, and I know that the times in which we live and also the time in which the bible was put together dictates questionable ideas.

One of my friends said the bible in infallible and I told him about the KJV of the bible, That it took more than 100 men more than 7 years to put it together under the reign of a Christian king. So that is something that could be argued about in my opinion. Arguing in not good so I try not to do it. Have you read any books like "the case for Christ" and the case for Faith" and if so what do you think about them?

I have the books but have not been in the mood for reading since I bought them. I have a bit of a bi-polar problem. I do think what you do for people with your time is wonderful. There are many good people in this world and that is a conflict because of the things Jesus said, like "if you're not for me, you are against me". I do know no man of any religion ever did the works to prove who he was like Jesus. All other guru's and teachers and men/women of vision and inspiration cannot come close to the one that died for all humanity.

To wrap it up I wonder what you think, is there a heaven and hell and a judge who will decide where we go after death. I thought you believe in reincarnation by the way you explained about getting chance after chance till we get it right. Is that correct?  Were you a Christian before you had that incredible experience? 

I am only trying to grow too. I just have a solid believe of the words and works of Jesus as you can tell :) So please don't think me arrogant or close minded. If this world were full of more people like you it would definitely be a better world. You also said this world will come to know or find peace. Do you think this will happen before Jesus returns to this planet, by the awakening of mankind's minds and consciousness. Do you think Jesus will return like the book of revelations tells us?

I thank you for your insight and patients and thoughts, and your love for your fellow man/woman :)
God Bless You Diane!

Ed

Dear Ed,
In a sense it's true that we get what we believe during the first stages of crossing over and that may be a softening effect to make the complete transition easier... and NDErs can only report about the first stages. In my case, at the time of my NDE, I had given up on religion years before and didn't believe any of it so I had no expectations and what I experienced was beyond anything I might have imagined possible.

What Jesus' death and resurrection was worth depends on how you interpret the story. Consider for a moment, just hypothetically, that Jesus didn't die, but had a near death experience, came back and showed his disciples that he was still alive then went off to live out his life in solitude and prayer because even he didn't know how to explain what happened to him. Those left created the story as we see it written in the Bible today to give hope to the people of the time who were desperate for a light at the end of the tunnel.

Whatever actually happened, I believe that Jesus was trying to demonstrate that no matter how much suffering we experience on Earth, we don't cease to exist after death... that we are spiritual beings having human being experiences as part of our spiritual path and most of us need to live many lifetimes as human beings (some more than others) in order to understand fully the meaning of unconditional love and to become unconditional love. It has nothing to do with what religion we believe in. Each lifetime we need to strive to become the best version of ourselves we can be... we learn through our experiences, our relationships, what we do with our lives... but there is more. We are not static beings, we are evolving... evolving in consciousness... becoming aware that we are spiritual beings having human experiences... no longer living our lives for ourselves but to honor God. This is what Jesus tried to teach us 2,000 years ago and most people still don't get it. When we get that and live that, we are done with reincarnating on Earth and move on to higher spiritual development... there's more, much more... that's what we do eternally... that's how vast God is. To me, Jesus tried to explain all this but the message has become distorted to fit church dogma.

It's a good thing to question your faith, it doesn't mean you have to give up your faith; in fact, it might make your faith stronger. Believe what makes sense to you, what comforts you, what gives you strength. Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater, but don't just believe something because someone says it must be this or that. You are the judge of yourself, in this life and the next, and it will be your intentions and whether you lived up to your beliefs that you will scrutinize. Whatever wrong beliefs you had will become immediately apparent once you cross over and it will be more like "oh, that's what that meant or how that works" not "off to Hell for Eternity, you wretched sinner!" No, I don't believe in any kind of Judgement Day or some review board that passes a sentence. I don't believe the good sit around praising God and the bad are admonished to hellfire for eternity. In fact, I believe the whole book of Revelation is utter nonsense. Makes me wonder what those guys were smoking when they wrote it. We are the judge of ourselves, meaning our soul who sent us to Earth as a human being does a life review for the personality when it returns... only the love we expressed in our lifetime is accepted by the soul, the rest is integrated into lessons as the soul prepares to release another personality into human form. Like a child develops into an adult, a soul also matures and becomes more Christ-like. It's not the return of Jesus we should be waiting for, it's something that happens within the self... it is the raising of human consciousness to Christ Consciousness... and beyond to God Consciousness... which will bring peace to the planet. That doesn't necessarily mean one must become a Christian, born again or otherwise. It's not the religion but the attitude. Those who evolve to Christ Consciousness become more loving, compassionate, tolerant, unprejudiced, nondiscriminatory and less materialistic by their very nature and express this attitude in their work, in their lives, in everything they do... and it is contagious. This is in process now... if instead of looking at all the conflicts and terrorism around the world, look at all the good that is being done for others, all the philanthropists and humanitarians, the Green Movement and environmentalists, all trying to make the world a better place. Christ is at work in each of us, we just have to get out of our own way and let the light shine through.

No, I haven't read the books you mentioned. When you get around to reading them, you can let me know about them. Keep seeking...
Peace & Joy!
Diane

These things really exist?

Hello Mam,
Well I am Sabarni. Well I was searching google to read about the after death experiences and I went through your article and was very much surprised after going through it .After seeing that u have your email id and you are a psychologist i just can't hold myself and started writing you this mail. I don't know whether you will reply me or not but it was really astonishing to hear that u had this kind of experience. Though i didn't have any nor i have belief in all these things but i really find it interesting. These things really exist? With whom you discussed rather who asked you to choose among the two options. Don't think that i am cracking joke or i am hurting your emotion. I stay in India. But after going through your article I am so impressed that i am writing you this mail. If possible do answer me. Take care and have a nice day. Hope everything is fine now. Regards

 

Dear Sabarni,
If you've spent any time searching the web about near death experiences (and you'll find a lot of resources on my site), you know that it is happening to millions of people around the world so there must be something to it... and more to life and the after life than what people generally have been led to believe. Assuming you might be Buddhist or Hindu, I can understand why the idea of an after life surprises you, but just consider the possibility. Keep searching with an open mind and you'll reach your own conclusions.

Who was the being who gave me a choice about whether to return? I knew then exactly who it was and it was no surprise... i knew it was someone I had always known, who is always with me, who knows all about me, who loves me unconditionally... but now I can only say it was either my soul or my guardian angel or my soul mate, I'm not sure... but it wasn't God or Jesus or any other figure described by religions.

You might find some of the philosophy I've written on my web site (Lessons Beyond the Veil) interesting to consider within the context of your current religious beliefs. Read my books, "Through the Tunnel" and "Sitting in the Lotus Blossom," to understand how karma and reincarnation are practical tools for the evolution of consciousness and spiritual growth. I hope you will continue seeking greater wisdom and sharing it with others.
Peace & Joy!
Diane

 

Sikh gurus saw the light


beautiful! thank u for making such a wonderful, eye opening website. i can totally relate to u! sikhism teaches me, and tells me everything u have experienced..the sikh gurus saw the light as u did..infact-they came from the source to spread the message of truth! its refreshing and awe inspiring to have contact with such gifted people who have been blessed to see the light. may god bless u! lots of love, harjot singh (gurus servant)

Dear Harjot,
I get a lot of email from sikhs who relate to my perspective, but also from people of other faiths. Mine is a universal message that seems to touch a lot of different people. Bless you on your spiritual path.
Peace & Joy!
Diane

 


Knowledge has changed my life

hey diane,

just read your nde story on the nderf website and had to check out your
personal site. i have been fascinated by the near death phenomenon for years and knowledge of it has truly changed my life especially my attitude and fear of death. i have not personnally hadan experience, but i truly believe what people say when i read their accounts. i would love to
join or contact a group or forum here in my city of nde or obe'rs and
speak to them more intimately on their experiences and their attitudes and views of life. 

i am also an artist and photographer. i have been so frustrated with life and
what struggles i have encountered concerning my job here and having to leave my two sons in another state to find work. they really need their real father for guidance, but i also have to survive and make a life for myself to support them.

your experience is a wonderful one and you are so fortunate to have
experienced it and most of all to come back and share it with the rest of us. you are someone whom i would love to meet someday and learn more of your experience. i will look for your book and hopefully you will find that there are many of us out here starving for knowledge of what you have learned and look forward to my own experience beyond.

thank you diane.

respectfully,
rob

Dear Rob,
Thank you for writing. I'm so pleased to hear this kind of information has been helpful to you on own spiritual path. Try contacting the International Assn. of Near-Death Studies for information about groups in your area.

Sorry to hear about your job challenges and hope things turn around for you soon so you can be more involved in your children's lives. I just know from looking back on my life that all those challenges I had brought me to where I am today and I wouldn't change that. The meaning involves our spiritual path, not what our human selves go through in the process. Become the observer of your life and it will make more sense.

I'm grateful to be able to share my experience and not just give hope to others, but to help them see it for themselves. Bless you on your path.
Peace & Joy!
Diane

 

Obsessed with the impermanence of life


A good friend of mine recently died. I have since been obsessed with the impermenance of life, and eveything. I want to believe there Is something after death, but account of this from NDEs are so varied I don't know what to believe. What is our purpose here? Is there a way to find out before death? How can I confirm that there will be a conciousness after death. Death scares me, no-it terrfies me, and since my friend's death, I find myself seeing death all around me, in trees, in the river outside my house, looming over ther heads of everyone I see. (I don't really see it, rather the thought passes through that it is there.) How do I deal with this? knowing that the grim spectre of death is upon me and everyone else? I'm 25, I shouldn't be thinking these things, but I do. Maybe it's obsessive. I don't know, I just know it's not the best feeling... but ummm, GREAT SITE! There, that is my comment. Keep up the good work. Daniel

Dear Daniel,
Consider that you are on your spiritual path. The death of someone close to us forces us to look at issues we generally don't want to think about. We begin to question what we thought before and embark on a quest to find answers that make sense to us and bring us peace of mind. This is where you are on your spiritual path right now.

The path is dynamic so consider that you are moving forward just by putting your questions into words. Now you go through a period of learning, reading everything you can get your hands on, asking others about their views, thinking about other people's thinking, and meditating on it all. Allow all these new ideas and thoughts and questions to swim around in your mind and allow a new perspective on the world to emerge that feels right to you. This will happen over time. You will be watching your self unfold and in that you will find your purpose and the meaning of your life. You will find some helpful tools for your spiritual path by reading through my web site and visiting recommended links, but the real work is done within yourself. You will come to know there is no death and nothing to fear through your own experiences which will confirm what you already know, you just don't know yet that you know it.

Expect these periods of questioning everything you believed to be true to occur many times over your lifetime, for there is always more. When you use these periods for personal and spiritual growth, you will accomplish much in this lifetime for your soul growth. When you realize you are a soul with a body, not a body with a soul, you have made a giant leap into higher consciousness thinking.
Peace & Joy!
Diane

 

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints

I have spent the last two hours thoroughly loving your site. I read each of the articles you typed (including the one you lost the last part of!), and reread a couple. They are RIGHT on the money to where my spirit is today. Seriously growing and seeking. Something brought me to you, and I'm very glad.

However, I was surprised that you included prayers by Bill Clinton, who few people admire as a religious person, but failed to offer even a mention of Joseph Smith, a christian who lived in the 1800's and many believe was a prophet. More than one religion, the biggest one, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. (LDS)

Much recorded history deals with his devine inspiration, and detractors who became converts when in his presence. Many believed he was ordained by God. Many believe it's nuts to think that God stopped communicating with all humans on Earth, just because someone arbitrarily decided to publish accounts of prophets experiences in the Bible. That is not logical that God would talk to prophets for generations, but then cease talking once the Bible was printed!

Anyway, I tell you this because I've been a devout Episcopalian for years, and have spent the last seven months in a quest to progress personally, and have been compelled to do much reading, including that of Joseph Smith. He believed that we first were spirits, and then came to Earth, got a body, and then went back up as our spirit. After reading your site, I would think you would be curious about the Latter Day Saints (LDS) as I am.
 
If you really get into reading more about the "beyond the veil" and the LDS church's beliefs, write me, and I'll get you what I've been readings. Basically, they believe as you progress in your spirituality, the veil gets thinner. Cool, hm?

Dear David/Laura,
I'm grateful you came across my site and found some information to ponder. I've read extensively about all religions and I actually take time to talk to the LDS folks who come to my door ... they usually don't come back more than once or twice because I challenge them to look even deeper into what they say they believe. I've often been told that my writings reflect many LDS beliefs but, as often, other belief systems as well. It seems there are many universal truths that permeate all theological thought.

The only place I could find prayers by Bill Clinton that you mentioned is among one of many on a page I linked to called Famous Prayers... it's not my page. I'm happy to consider books and links others suggest to me, which simply means no one has suggested any LDS sites to me. But also, somewhere on my site, I believe I say that I don't include mainstream religions because there are so many and really all one has to do is search for them by name. Actually my site has nothing to do with religion and I'm personally not a fan of any organized religion or dogma, although I'm familiar with the teachings of all of them. My purpose here is to provide information from a near death perspective (without being dogmatic) for people who want to re-examine their own belief systems... not to tell people what to believe or how to think or what's right or wrong, but to help those human beings now involved in the evolution of consciousness broaden their conceptualization processes... to expand their world view, their understanding of how the UNIVERSE/GOD works and what it means to human beings on planet Earth.

I wish you love on your spiritual path.
Peace & Joy!
Diane

 

How long between incarnations?

Does the soul take a new body in one year? Does it take ten years? How long does one live upon the subtler planes before reappearing on the earth plane?

There is no definite period of time in this matter. In main, two factors decide this issue, viz., the nature of the individual Karma and the last impression before death. It may vary from hundreds of years to a few months even. Those that work out some of their Karmas in other planes in subtler regions take a considerable time before entering a fresh body. The interval is very long, for a year of the earth period passes off as a single day on the celestial plane. There is an instance cited where, seeing the amazement and admiration of foreign tourists at the imposing ruins of certain ancient monuments, a saint present in the vicinity remarked that some of those people had fashioned those monuments centuries ago.

A very sensual individual with strong craving or one with intense attachment sometimes is reborn quickly. Also in cases where life is cut short by a violent death or a sudden unexpected accident, the Jiva resumes the thread very soon. Usually, in such cases of immediate rebirth, the Jiva often remembers many of the events of its previous life. It recognizes its former relatives and friends and identifies its old home and familiar objects. This sometimes leads to very queer developments. There are some instances where a murdered person, being reborn, has declared the manner of his death and revealed the identity of the killer in the recent past.

But such cases of immediate rebirth are not common. Generally, for an average individual, the interval between death and rebirth happens to be a considerable period measured in terms of earth time. Persons who have done much good Karma spend a great deal of time on the Daivic plane before being born again. Great souls, spiritually advanced persons, wait for a long time before reincarnating.

Dear M P Bhattathiry,
I concur with what you write and will gladly post it in Seekers Open Forum. Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with others.
Peace & Joy!
Diane

How should we deal with society's criminals?

Dear Diane,

I searched but did not see the answer to this question on your site: How should we deal with society's criminals?

I guess it's a multi-part question:
- How should I react if I catch someone stealing my car? What if he's threatening my family's life instead? I understand that there are some things worth fighting for, but I don't know where to draw the line.
- What should society be doing to deal with people that have broken our laws? It probably not our role (as Men) to "teach them a lesson", but what about doling out punishment? Where do we draw the line of acceptable punishment?

This all started as a discussion among friends regarding "vigilantism", the concept of which doesn't sound right, but it's hard to say what the answer is. I think answers to the questions above would probably explain the issue pretty well for me.

Thanks in advance!

Sincerely,
Séverin Beauvais

 

Dear Severin,
Rather than try to answer your questions as if i knew the answers, let me help you open your mind to other possibilities so you can make a more informed argument.

One thing to keep in mind is that how we react to situations, events, circumstances, other people, relates to the lessons we have become human to learn... we either dissolve karma or reap more with our thoughts, behaviors, and the actions we choose in response to external stressors. When the adrenaline rises within us in response to a perceived threat, we are faced with a choice between fight or flight. The problem with that adrenalin rush is that it clouds one's thinking at a time when one needs their wits about them. Learning to keep that energy under control so one can think clearly, act calmly, and make more rational decisions will go along way toward diffusing situations and not perpetuating the violence. If we stop and think before reacting instinctively, we can probably come up with a better way to handle a situation.

We have free will, we can make any choice we want, but we either dissolve karma or create more for ourselves by our choices. There are consequences for every action and as human beings we are here to learn about letting go of material things, forgiving others, controlling our emotions, tolerance, compassion, the meaning of brotherly love and the Golden Rule. We find ourselves in situations that will test us and teach us to see all sides so that we gain empathy and understanding, and come to recognize that we are all here to teach each other and learn from each other so we all have the best lives possible.

I don't want to get into a whole discussion about reincarnation because there's plenty on my web site that you can read if you're interested, but having things taken from us, threats to our person, to our family, losses of possessions and people we love, are all results of lessons we failed to learn in past lives. If we are a victim in this life, we may have been a predator in a previous life, etc. We're given a chance to get it right in this present life if we handled in badly previously. If we do, we take a big step in our spiritual growth. If we don't, we may be faced with the same dilemma in this life or a future life until we do.

The issue of society and what are we going to do with the criminals and what is acceptable punishment is on a whole different level... maybe a debate at the United Nations about the level of acceptable punishment for the world... the problem is there are no universal taboos, no one thing that everybody agrees is wrong or unacceptable... customs, laws, traditions, beliefs, symbols, all dictate what's acceptable in some branch of society... for us all to come together and agree seems impossible. Fortunately there is a great leveler... when we cross over there is no escape from the harm we have done to others on this side nor is there any need for revenge. Even those who escape justice in the physical world will meet their worst fears on the other side while those who lived their lives filled with hatred and the desire for revenge will realize they also wasted their lives.

This is an issue that needs to be worked on at the primary level. If we adults become models for respect, love and understanding between our family and friends, the children around us will become adults who will be able to work things out in ways that will benefit all of humankind. These kinds of people won't need laws and punishments because they won't do anything to harm another living being... maybe in another thousand years!
Peace & Joy!
Diane

I discovered something I already knew wisdom

Hi Dianne,

All I have is words here. I pray you feel these.

Since I almost died in Feb., I have discovered something that I already knew but took for granted.

All of matter comes from and is held together by spirit consciousness. I knew this. I accepted that all is consciousness everywhere. However, before I died, I did not know that the levels or dimensions of thought were regulated by atomic vibration and that it is the vibratory level that we are responsive to that confirms our state of being. A low vibratory level corresponds to dis-ease and is maintained by the failure to recognize and discontinue malificient, low vibratory behaviorisms. High vibratory levels are dis-ease free and are maintained by our ability to recognize and maintain beneficient natural process of spiritual education and the education of others.

Thank you for this site. This site will always benefit people.

David

Dear David,
Thank you for your email. You're right... we already know everything, we just don't know we know it until the light bulb goes on and it suddenly dawns on us, of course, we knew it all along! That it takes a near death experience to wake us up shows how deep asleep human beings have fallen.

Bless you on your spiritual journey.
Peace & Joy!
Diane

 

Spirituality and Psychology

Hello Mrs. Goble,

My name is Linh. I have been interested in learning more about what happens when we die. I have read many NDE's during my net surfing - all so fascinating. What was interesting about your story was the fact that you became a counselor. I am currently pursuing a career as a MFT.

I would love to integrate this aspect in my sessions, but I feel a lot of my clients are closed minded. Are you selective in helping clients spiritually? Thank you for responding!

Love, Linh

Dear Linh,

Thank you for writing about your interest in incorporating spirituality into your practice. You can position yourself as a psycho-spiritual counselor and attract those kinds of clients or you can introduce it at your discretion. I often say to a client, let's look at this from another perspective, and introduce some applicable concepts. You get a feel for who might be receptive and who is not. There is a lot of information on my site to help you develop yourself spiritually. When you do that, it becomes part of who you are and will be part of everything you do.

Peace & Joy!

Diane

No one is chosen<-->we are all chosen

i was interested to read various parts of your web site, though i feel i need to state i do not agree with them all. firstly, you say it is easier to say no one is chosen. allow me to say we are all chosen. we are all chosen because we are all from god. you cannot speak of september 11 as being evil as, quite simply, there is no evil. god is not all good and the devil is not all bad. for so long we have had this idea of good energy being one side and evil energy being the other - it isnt that way. there is only one energy and this energy is pure energy; it goes straight down the middle and this is god; this is the light. as humans we can manipulate or create from this energy - but we can never escape it because it's who we are - we are the light. we came from it, and we return to it. i saw the events of september 11 and it saddened me, but - without sounding offensive - where is the evil? the people who did it claim to do it for the power of god. therefore, how can someone doing the work of god not love this god as you and I? you say we should not murder, cause pain, suffering but what of those who do? The rain falls from the heavens, and it rains on them too. like i said, the soul always returns to the light, always returns home; we all do.

 

It would be very strange if anyone agreed with everything I write and I wouldn't want that... I won't tell anyone what to think, my hope is that I get people to open their minds and question everything... it is a journey that has no end... no one ever has all the answers.

You got what I was trying to say, that no one because they belong to a certain religion or believe a certain doctrine is chosen... it's not a matter of God choosing certain people or a religious group, we all come from God and return to God. As you wrote, we are all chosen.

As to the good vs evil debate, I don't believe there is a Satan as described in religious texts. God is only love/pure energy... it is in the physical dimension that we assume a duality... everything has an opposite. One of the reasons religions evolved was to control human desires. Think about the way people lived in those early times... there was no law, no morals, no concern for the other. If Human Civilization was to flourish, something had to be done. I once had a client tell me that if not for his religion, he would feel free to murder, rape and pillage according to his whims... only fear of God's wrath keeps him from running amuck. It's a mind control thing. It's also takes responsibility away from individuals for their behavior. It is my belief that when one understands that God is only love and becomes their authentic self, they will express God's love in the world, and evil thoughts or deeds will not occur to them. But we are coming from a long history of evil done to others by selfish, angry, greedy, egotistical, power-grabbers so it is easy to see why people think evil exists in the world and continues to do barbarous things to other human beings... not to mention animals, plants, the sea, the forests, the air. The planet. And I don't think it will change until enough people become aware that we are light, we are all One with All That Is. It is good that you are one of the light workers. bless you on your spiritual path.

Peace & Joy!

Diane

 

Projection makes Perception

Projection makes perception. The world you see is what you gave it, nothing more than that. But though it is no more than that, it is not less. Therefore, to you it is important. It is the witness to your state of mind, the outside picture of an inward condition. As a man thinketh, so does he perceive. Therefore, seek not to change the world, but choose to change your mind about the world. Perception is a result and not a cause. And that is why order of difficulty in miracles is meaningless. Everything looked upon with vision is healed and holy. Nothing perceived without it means anything. And where there is no meaning there is chaos. Damnation is your judgment on yourself, and this you will project upon the world. See it as damned, and all you will see is what you did to hurt the Son of God. If you behold disaster and catastrophe, you tried to crucify him. If you see holiness and hope, you joined the will of God to set him free. There is no choice that lies between these two descisions. And you will see the witness to the choice you made, and learn from this to recognize which one you chose. The world you see but shows you how much joy you have allowed yourself to see in you, and to accept as yours. And, if this is its meaning, then the power to give it joy must lie within you. --A Course in Miracles, p. 455

Don't you believe the mind can play tricks on us?

After having read your story I find that such an educated person would beleive their own experience. Don't you beleive the mind can play tricks on us? The mind is capable of incredible things. For instance: After my twin baby girls died I had a dream that I was taken by the hand and led to the outer limits of heavens gates. There on a balcony stood my babies, no longer babies, but two beautiful grown girls. They waved to me to let me know they were OK. Now, after 15 years I have come to the conclusion that my mind had to see them one last time before I could let go and this was the way it manifested. If you really believe your story, what have you done to 'help others' or 'educate' them with the knowledge you were given? And what was that knowledge? Do you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ? Why is he not mentioned in your story if you do?

Debbie

Dear Debbie,

Hmm-m-m-m... that's what this web site is all about, helping others... perhaps you didn't read enough of it to realize that. It may not be what you want to hear but you are doing the right thing, question everything, don't believe everything you see or hear... continue seeking the Light and the truth will come to you.

Peace & Joy!

Diane

 

I can't imagine that the soul could live forever

Dear Diane,

You are lucky because you are free from the fear of death totally. But I am still confused and could not believe it. What you have described is quite like the theory on life and death in Buddhism, instead of Christianity. I can't imagine that the "soul" could live forever. I mean, there must be an end of it. If a soul could just exist on and on and on... then what will happen in the end? But anyway, I have to admit that you have given me hope and relief, thank you!

George

 

Dear George,

I'm grateful you found my site. My hope is that it opens people's minds and gets them to thinking about their beliefs. The differences between religions is in the interpretation, they are all talking about the same thing but using different words. Did you read the page in the Lessons about Infinity and the Powers of Ten? If you can grasp that, it makes sense that spirit lives on because there is no end, only constant beginnings. The Ultimate Reality is full of surprises! I wish you well on your spiritual path.

Peace & Joy!

Diane

The Spiritual Path

Diane,

I've gotten to a point in life where I'm just emotionally and spiritually exhausted. I feel trapped because I don't want to play this game (life) anymore, but I know that I can't quit, it's not allowed. I sometimes dream that it would be better just not to exist at all. This has manifested itself physically too, I'm always sick, not in good general health. I understand the concept of our souls choosing to go through pain in life, but it seems like I must not have been in my right mind when I chose this life or just didn't understand what I was getting into. I find myself getting mad at my own soul for making this choice (if that makes any sense). I see the pain in others in the world, I sympathize with them and I wonder why we have to all go through this. Why did God create us only to have us suffer? I've been seeking answers for a long time... I've tried prayer, reading the Bible, reading spiritual books, reading NDE accounts, introspection, meditation, etc. What if you look for the answers within, but there's nothing there? I just don't get it. I'm tired and I want to go Home. Don't worry, I'm not going to do anything drastic, like I said, I know that's not allowed. Sorry to throw this at you, but I'm hoping you have some wisdom or advice that will click.

Steve

Steve didn't respond to my suggestion, but I want to give a general response for others who might be having the same dilemma.

People don't realize that when they get on a spiritual path, their life doesn't suddeny change to become peaceful and serene. And that it's not a straight path... it's filled with pitfalls and traps. Many choose to get on the path, but few will stay on it because it's just too much work and it's too damn hard! It's much easier to dismiss it and go back to the "normal" way. People want a quick fix and it just isn't there. Anyone who thinks they have all the answers is mistaken, there is always more to be learned.

How many people have you seen on the national news who were thought by some to be "saints," only to fall into temptation and become the center of a huge scandal... usually involving sex, money or power. How about those priests who molested young children in the name of God? This is the classic battle between good and evil that goes on in the mind of man, and it is only by balancing body, mind and spirit that we can overcome the temptaions of the physical world. The only way to do that is to learn to become centered within your own being. It is here you find GOD. But in order to do that you have to also learn to moderate your being in the physical world. Eveything you are attracted to offers you an opportunity to learn something you came here to learn. The problem isn't that we explore the physical world, it's that we stay stuck in it and don't work through it, don't use it as a learning tool. We get caught up in our human drama as if that is all there is, and we wonder why our lives are so boring and meaningless. Just as Steve, we wonder why there is so much pain and suffering because that is how we see our lives.

Pain and suffering is an emotional reaction to an event or circumstance. Sometimes it is rational, but often it is irrational, which leads us into fears of all kinds. By learning meditation, you learn how to become centered within and to control your emotional reactions. You are able to listen to the Silence, where we experience the Love of God and a connection with our Higher Self or Soul. We become oservers of life where we continue to participate but with a knowingness that all is in Divine Order and we are in the flow of the energy that surrounds us. We are aware and know that no harm can come to us because we walk with God in our hearts. Trying to meditate isn't going to get you there... it takes practice, practice, practice. Being Aware means being totally in the now so that you immediately recognize every experience for the lesson that comes to you for your personal and spiritual growth. Instead of expressing immediate anger, with the same lightning speed, your mind looks at the big picture and you immediately choose a positive reaction that turns the incident into a learning experience. This doesn't happen over night.

All the reading and studying and spiritual work one is doing is just part of the path to get you to the point that you are at peace in your body and mind. Steve, for example, is suffering the ill affects of his negative thinking. Thoughts are things and they manifest in the physical world. You are where you are today because of the thoughts you've held in your mind from the past and your future will be what you are thinking today... so mind your thoughts! The body is also part of this process. Cellualr memory holds all the negative things that have happened during our lives and cause toxins to build up in the body. Part of spiritual work is cleasning the body of these toxins... and we often feel sick when this is happening. If you think of it as cleasing rather than a sickness, you will influence your immune system to do what needs to be done to restore harmony. When your kundalini energy is activated, you will go through all kinds of phsyical symptoms of unknown causes which is why learning about this energy and the chakras is important. If you don't know what's happening or why, you're going to attribute it to the wrong cause and create more problems.

A spiritual path is a life long process... enjoy the journey for there is no end to it... at no point will we know it all (did you read my lesson on Infinity?) though there will be times when we think we do (the "I am Jesus, reincarnated" syndrone). It goes in stages, and each stage consists of studying, learning, stagnation, integration, and growth. Something triggers a person to start looking into things no one talks about... the trigger is often a tragedy or crisis that starts one searching for answers to questions they never thought to ask before or always wanted to but didn't know who to ask. Religions aren't satisfying people's need to know about this other side. So they begin reading religious books, and books about religion and spirituality, watching things on television that attempt to explain extra-ordinary occurences, asking other people what they think, searching the internet for sites with esoteric information and reading about other people's other-worldly experiences. The task in this phase is to learn as much as you can about as many new and different things as you can. The next is to allow your subconscious mind to filter through it all, discard the nonsense and file interesting information where it can be analyzed over time. There is a period of stagnation while this is happeniing below the level of conscious awareness and it is during this time, the person might feel he or she isn't getting anywhere and it isn't worth all the effort he or she enthusiastically put into it. This is where Steve is... exhausted and disillusioned. Many people throw in the towel at this point. But for others, after a while things begin to click and they achieve a new level of understanding, greater discernment, and a new desire to seek for higher truth, and the process begins again with a period of intense studying... over and over and over.

Religions want you to follow their teachings, but are too stuck in dogma to discuss information that doesn't fit within their boundaries. There are a lot of self-proclaimed gurus out there who try to convince you to follow their teachings, but a lot of them fall into the "I am Buddha, reincarnated" syndrone and one has to be be really good at discernment to know who will be helpful and who will manipulate you into some weird cult. I learned to get the information I needed and let go... move on to the next guru. There are also a lot of self-help gurus who have written books and teach seminars and I recommend you check them out. A huge part of a spiritual path is self-development... know thyself! Use the information that resonates with you, discard the rest. When you reach the point that you refuse to pay for information you already know, you'll know you've made a huge growth step and are ready to move on to deeper work.

 

Existential Angst in Islam

Dear Diane,

I am having a nightmare in my life right now as far as spirituality and religion is concerned. Can you please help me? Please let me tell you in detail.

I belong to the religion of Islam and just last year I started to think about religion and spirituality seriously and tried to conform my life to the orthodox teachings and started thinking about the concept of God and life in general as religion teaches.That started it all.

I lost my mind in rituals and couldn't at all find any peace. The concept of God became that of a deity who is ready and wishing to throw everybody in hell. I don't know if I misunderstood things but I think the image that the 3 biggest religions paint of God is very strange, i.e Islam, Christianity and Judaism. I became VERY afraid of this kind of God and eventually became an agnostic. (I don't know if I should call myself that. I believe that there is a super power behind it all but beyond that I cannot figure out what's true and what's not. Besides I just cannot swallow the concept of God who is so harsh yet loving and merciful.)

But the fear remains. It has affected my life completely. I am terrified 24 hours. My concept of God has become of one who ACTUALLY wants to torment us (well at least me) and will do it at any cost. Well what else could I understand from a concept of God who has predestined souls for hell and paradise. A God who tells believers to kill the unbelievers. I must say that there might be alternate interpretations that will be put forward by modern orthodox Christians and Muslims for such teachings but looking at it all from an unbiased perspective, I think my deducations are very correct.

You know there are clear proofs in all holy books that my mind says they'e of human origin but I have so much gone out of my mind and have so much fear from this angry deity that instead of deciding that as these passages clearly seem like scientific & moral errors then this orthodox stuff can't be true, I think that that's what God has written so our minds can have a hard time believing it and then He would somehow prove that it was not a scientific error and then send us to hell for unbelief.

I can't concentrate at all on anything. I feel I'm destined to burn for eternity in hell. Right now I'm very close to going crazy or committing suicide. Just last night I was walking through the road and I had a sudden urge that some vehicle should hit me and kill me.

To help myself, I just want to know surely and very badly what is it all about. Who is God, who created the world, why and who are we and what are we supposed to do in life, what's gonna happen after death. I VERY BADLY NEED TO KNOW plus I want to be 100% sure that what I will realize is gonna be truth and nothing else.

I have read about meditation and stuff on your and other sites and this new age concept that we're spiritual beings and seeds of God etc. but obviously with my condition, I can only think that this is one more trap that has been set to get people to hell. How in such situation am I ever gonna succeed in meditation (For example, it is said that we must first believe that we are spiritual beings (God) and then we'll have realization. on that my mind says that since we'll believe it first, that's what we'll realize in the end and obviously it won't be the truth.) WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN TO ME?? FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE HELP ME...

Pls reply me as I feel I'm going down the spiral very quickly. Urgent reply awaited xxxx

 

Dear xxxx,

What you're experiencing is called existential angst (you'll find several emails about this in Seekers Open Forum, more in my eBook Sitting in the Lotus Blossom). It's a period of questioning who we are, why we are here, who/what is God, what is the meaning of life, etc. and every thinking person will come to a point where everything they use to believe becomes meaningless in the face of the reality of their lives and they realize there must be something more, something they forgot to tell us. It becomes a time of experimentation where we try on different religions and philosophies and try to make sense of it all. So the first thing is, calm down, get over feeling this is something affecting just you and don't be afraid of the uncertainty. We all go through this whether we are black, white, yellow, Muslim, Christian, Jew, American, Middle Eastern, Asian-- all of us, you are not alone. It's just that most people don't talk about it and suffer silently thinking God has singled them out for this punishment. In the end, you will come up with your own truth... what makes the most sense to you, what brings you comfort, what sustains you throughout your life, what brings you closer to God. Life is school, we are here to learn, this is just another learning experience... but only when you can look back on it years from now will you see just how valuable it was to have gone through it. This is the true Jihad.

I agree with you about the incongruity of the major religions with regards to God... how can a loving God be vengeful and violent as well? That's what led to my questioning religion even as a child. I found my answer during my near death experience and through my study of religion and philosophy throughout recorded history. I found that God is not a Being who rules the planet Earth, sits in judgment and interferes in the affairs of men, decides who gets to live on what piece of land, chooses certain people, nor predestines their fate. God is only and expresses only Unconditional Love.

Religions are man's attempt to explain the way the world works (as well as to temper men's passions). Early humans saw the sun come up and ran away in fear. They watched the sun disappear and their world turn dark, and they didn't know if it would ever be light again. An eclipse told them an angry, powerful being wanted to snuff them out. They explained what they didn't understand by making up stories to explain the unknown. Some sacrificed virgins to appease the volcano gods, some ate their enemies to gain their strength, some built giant monuments to worship a variety of gods. Every tribe had it's own belief system and its own set of gods until a pharaoh proclaimed there was only one God. So now each religion which believes in only one God/Jehovah/Allah, claims their God is the One. And, of course, we have Jesus and Mohammed, Buddha and Aga Khan, and any number of proclaimed prophets of God to discern among. Not to mention that the Scientists of the world have it all under their microscopes trying to debunk any possibility that we are anything more than an accident and when we die, that's the end of us. It's a lot to try to comprehend or make any sense out of it all.

It is my conclusion that who/what GOD is, is still a work in progress. We still don't know for sure so the best we can do is continue to seek for a higher truth than religions have been able to provide so far. The only way I know to integrate it all and come up with sound conclusions is to learn as much as you can about the history of thought so you know what's already been considered then consider it yourself from the perspective of your own experiences in life. Memorizing prayers, constantly reading only one book, praying five times a day is a conditioning process, a form of mind control... but we were given the gift of free will which gives every human being a mind capable of thinking for him/herself. Throw out what doesn't fit and file the rest away as you get more information, then repeat the process. This is always a process, there is no end, no time when you've got all the answers, although there will come times when you are convinced you do (remember I said that and stop yourself before you do!!). This is the battle that goes on within the self, which leads to either despair or higher consciousness... the battle between Good and Evil, the Soul and the Devil. One begins to evolve by changing the way they live their lives, the way they relate to others, the ways they express themselves and resolve differences... the Golden Rule is the only rule. The more light you give out, the more you get back. This is the spiritual path we are here on this planet at this time to make... finding our way back home through the muck and the mire of life on the physical plane is the challenge of a spiritual being having a human being experience. God does not demand that we believe anything or else... God has no Ego, God is only Unconditional Love. There's no punishment if we don't make it in this lifetime and we get to come back for many more semesters... it is a journey we travel because we are evolving souls on our path back to God. If God wanted anything of us, it is that we become who we truly are, spiritual beings having a human being experiences. If we do accomplish that in our lifetime, it will be because we have truly come to know God in our hearts and express God's Unconditional Love in everything we do and say-- not whether we believed in some religion or prophet or performed some ritual or carried some book every where we went. It is our own persistent seeking that leads us to the Light.

You don't have to believe the concept first, just accept the possibility and think about how your life would be different if it were so. It means we are all that, we are all in torment trying to figure it out, that bonds us to each other in a different way than normal human relationships that have to do with sex, power, greed, control. It is the common quest of Humanity... as it now splits us apart, that energy can be transformed to bring us together. As each one of us learns to express only unconditional love in our own lives, we pass it on to others, and they to many more. That is what the Peace Movement is all about. As we overcome the torment in our own minds, we will learn also to overcome the torment in the world around us and one day we will bring peace to this planet and an end to human suffering.

Meditation is merely an efficient tool for connecting with your higher consciousness. It is a Buddhist belief that God can be heard in the Silence between our thoughts. Prayer is talking to God, meditation is listening to God. The trick is to shut up that mind that keeps jumping from thought to thought without need for rest long enough for God to get a word in. When you have gathered all this information in your head, meditation helps to sort it out and synthesize it so in your normal waking states you are more clear in your thinking, more objective, you see things from a higher perspective. It is not a magical, mystical thing. It's just a different way of thinking about thinking. You gain a sense of peace and at oneness with God and a sureness that what you believe is true for you. You learn to sort out the negative thoughts and focus on the positive messages that uplift your spirit and bring you peace of mind.

You may come up with a very different truth from mine but that doesn't make either of us right or wrong... it's just how we see the way the universe works and new information always changes that. Become the observer of what's happening in your life, instead of looking at things that happen to you, see them as lessons you need to learn for your own personal and spiritual growth. It is your choice whether to learn each lesson and how quickly. If you stay stuck in a unpleasant situation for too long, it is because you aren't getting the message, you're stuck in denile. Going within during meditation helps you see situations from a higher, more objective perspective and will help you learn to deal with them more effectively.

You are young yet, most people don't go through this angst until their 30's or 40's, perhaps it's because of where you live that you're forced to question your mortality so young... a lot of what I wrote might not make sense to you now, but it may bring you some sudden realizations in years to come. God bless you on your spiritual path, you are in my prayers.

Peace & Joy!

Diane

 

There is nothing in the universe worth this kind of pain

I read your story with great interest, and was particularly intrigued by these passages:

My life changed immediately and drastically after that day in the river and I went through some very tough times, including a divorce, custody battles, trying to find a job after not working for almost ten years, being single again, depression and suicidal thoughts.

My question to you is this: Why would any soul want to endure these troubles? My life has been VERY good but even with my life I KNOW without doubt that if given the choice in the next life, I will NEVER return to this form again. I simply do not like it. It is not worth the trouble.

You were THERE...(the other side) how can you look on these troubles and feel like this is worth anything? I do not understand how the pain and suffering of this life can possibly be worth anything. And remember again, I have had a very good life by any standard you care to use. Is existence something we must endure? If so, I would much rather not exist, physically or spiritually, at all. It is better to not exist than to be thrust into a never ending cycle of grief, depression, and pain. I would love an explanation, if you have one. I KNOW without doubt there is a life beyond that which we all are now forced to endure. I do not seek death, but when it comes I will welcome it and will be sure to never, ever return to this existance, even if it means staying on the lowest of low plains on the other side. There is nothing in the universe worth this kind of pain.

Ken

 

Dear Ken,

I don't know how much of my web site, besides my NDE story, or my books you have read, but after you read all I have written there and visited many of the links I've gone to the trouble of finding for people like you experiencing existential angst, get back to me and rephrase your question. We are all some where along our spiritual path. You are where you are and I am where I am, and we both have far to go. Namaste.

Peace & Joy!

Diane

Diane,

Thank you so much for the reply. it is very nice of you to take the time to respond. I have basically gone over most of your site and am extremely familiar with the contents, not only from your perspective, but also from the perspective of others who share our belief in a "life after life". (To quote Raymond Moody..whom I have spoken with on several occasions)

Let me tell you a bit about me. I am currently the (occupation and location deleted). I have been involved in (industry deleted) since 1977 and am at the very TOP of my career right now. I was the (former occupation and location deleted) for a number of years, and worked as an (previous occupation and location deleted). All of this is to show you what I meant by "my life is VERY good.." It really is very good, I am one of a handful of people in the (industry deleted) these days who actually makes a very good living, but there is a HUGE hole here, and I'm at a loss to explain it. I have a wonderful wife to whom I have been married for 26 years and two of the most magnificent boys you'll ever meet. I am so blessed! And yet still I feel that something is missing, someting is amis, something is just not right.

I am a firm believer in the survival of the soul, spirit, whatever you want to call it, after the body dies. I also firmly believe that we come back again, and again, and again. I have been told MANY times by psychics and those who seem sensitive to this kind of thing that I am a very old soul. I've gone through life trying to help as many people as possible in every way possible. You could actually say I am kind to a fault, because that very kindness I try to show to all I encounter has on more than one occasion led to great pain and suffering in my life and my career. I'm certainly not saying that I am perfect! I am FAR from that, and I know my faults, but for the most part I lead a blessed, some might even say a charmed life. Perhaps I am too greedy, but I still wonder why I ever came back.

This is why I ask the question: Why must we endure one trial after another? I've spoken with my sister, who shares my beliefs, and she tells me all will be clear in the next life and that once there I will understand. This is a very easy answer to give, but it really offers nothing in the way of hope. (I'd really like to know that my soul will be the final decison maker as to whether I have to come back to this or not! My human senses tell me I do not want to and will not come back... )

As I mentioned in my earlier note to you, it appears to me as though life and reincarnation is an exercise in futility. I know I'm supposed to learn various lessons from each life, and I accept that, but what I don't understand is why each life must be so filled with pain. Yes, my life has been good, but it has also been filled with pain. I gave you the highlights of life, well, actually my career, which is not my life at all. I am extremely successful in my career, but feel deep pain because I know I have not fulfilled my life's mission, whatever that is.

Ever since I was a very young person I felt as though I had a mission in life, and now years later, I know that mission has not been fullfilled. The problem is, I don't know what that task happens to be! Look at my life, it is GREAT but still it is filled with pain and sorrow outside of my career. Why should a soul subject itself to such an existance? If, in fact, the other side is as wonderful as you and MANY others have described, why would ANY soul return to this level? I just don't understand because it is not logical.

After much thought on this subject, I reached the conclusion that there is no answer, nor will there ever be an answer, which is why I hope and pray that I will not have to return to this level ever again. It all seems so completly useless. We come here with a job, but we are not allowed to know what that job is! It's like telling someone to pick up a bit of trash, but not telling them what particular piece of garbage you want them to take care of! I sit here looking around wondering just what in the heck it was I was supposed to do. I know there is a job.... but I just don't know what it is or was. I sometimes wonder if I haven't already done the task... just as often I wonder if I will ever complete the task. I KNOW it is there to be accomplished, but I don't know what it is.

Why can't we remember our past lives? Why can't we come into this life knowing full well why we came and what we must do? I know you can not answer these questions, but some soul, at some time, is going to give me the answer. Until then, I guess I am doomed to continue with this existance until I can progress to the other side. As I said before, I do not seek death, and I will avoid it at all costs, but I do not fear death at all. When it lays claim to this body I know I will at last be free to learn what this life is all about.

I thank you so very, very much for taking time to respond to my note. Yours is obviously a very kind soul and one who has found a purpose on this plain. You are very fortunate indeed, despite the troubles you outlined on your web page. I know that I too share a wealth of good fortune... I don't know why it is so, but I do know that it is true. Be good and think about this. I realize there are many questions posed that can not be answered, but perhpas you can offer some insight into these matters. Maybe you have a piece of the puzzle that has eluded me for many, many years.

Thanks again....

Ken

 

Dear Ken,

I hear your angst and can relate to the problem. I may have experienced a flash of complete understanding of how it all works during my experience, but lost that immediately upon return. It's taken me nearly this long to come to a place of accepting that I don't have to have all the answers and to be content with knowing that when I cross over, I will remember. One ability I returned with is to be able to see the big picture, that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. People ask me if I'm psychic but I don't even see it that way, it's more like common sense to me, like putting pieces of a puzzle together. I just see them fall into place quickly. I also don't get distracted by the emotions as most people do so I see things more clearly. I see the reasons for dipping in and out of matter are part of a spiritual process (for details about this, read a chapter in my book "Sitting in the Lotus Blossom" called Spiritual Involution/Physical Evolution) that is perhaps only really understood by the Ultimate Light and the Spirit from which souls evolved. Even the soul may be confused because it seems we can know about the level below us but not the level above. As human beings we can just barely grasp the concept of soul. As soul we can barely understand Spirit. This is why the whole concept of God is a stretch for humans. When you look back on the history of religious and spiritual beliefs, it's all been a process of trying to understand God, including how we got here and why we are here, not to mention figuring out what our purpose in life might be. Spiritual experiences give us some insight into the forces at work, at least a knowing that there is something more to be considered. What that is becomes a search for meaning which can lead to an opening or awakening, a moment of clarity when the pieces suddenly fall into place and one begins to see the whole. One has to step outside the frame to see the picture.

The feeling that something is missing in life may be considered a nudge from our soul to start searching for it. It can happen at any age but seems to increase in our 30s to 40s, or maybe by then we start to finally listen to that still, small voice inside. If we have learned to listen to our inner guidance, we are more likely to pick up clues to what we are blindly seeking. Strange that the answers are in the Silence of our minds, when it is only us and the Ultimate Light. We learn that nothing else matters. Not any power or position or wealth, nor awards or recognitions. That may matter to us as human beings, but not to us as souls. When we accept we are here to learn our soul lessons, we lose interest in the pursuit of material things and turn to a more spiritual path to fill that nagging empty feeling. Don't get me wrong, I'm not talking about renouncing the world or worldly things, it's where the emphasis is. When we're doing our soul's work, there is no empty feeling, nothing is missing, we're cooking on all burners instead of just one. In a case like yours, your soul may have wanted you to get into a position where you can do the most good. You have earned a blessed life through previous lives but your soul job is not to be a successful (occupation deleted). You have a voice that is heard and you can make a difference in the world by using that power. It may not be directly through your (profession deleted), but other work you do because of who you are. Obviously being kind to others isn't your mission, it's more like a lesson in dropping your expectations that they must also be kind to you. They may not be as far along on their spiritual path as you and have their own lessons to learn. Your spiritual mission involves what you do, is not separate from it. It might be charitable work or could involve making contact with people and getting to the truth about what's going on even on a one to one basis. This kind of work spreads outward and touches the lives of many people who you will never even meet. When you are fulfilling your soul's purpose, there is no angst, no emptiness, no pride, no self-importance... only gratitude for being privileged to serve Humanity and the Planet. You have also brought two souls into the world who have much to learn from you and to teach the world themselves. That in itself is a mission.

You asked why a soul would choose to come back when there is so much suffering and pain in the world. The problem is looking at it from the human perspective. If you were looking down on the earth from space, it would look beautiful, calm, serene. It's only when you land that you see the muck and the mire. So are there levels of mind from wallowing in self-pity to feeling compassion for others, but never having experienced pain, how can we know compassion? Never having suffered, how can we put the needs of others above ourselves? Or for that matter, never having killed, how do we know it is wrong to kill? Soul comes to earth as Human Being to experience pain and suffering to understand the meaning of unconditional love... without experience, there is no learning. It's like understanding something intellectually but not being able to integrate it into your life. That's why it takes many lifetimes for a soul to progress on it's spiritual path ( to return to Spirit and Spirit returns to God)-- it needs to experience every possible emotion, circumstance, and way of being to learn to be as unconditionally loving as God.

It's my understanding that the Godhead projected Spirit into some other dimension of All That Is to learn all there is. In turn Spirit projected Soul into another dimension for the same reason. In the process the physical world was created/evolved because Soul needed to learn through experience and this involution/evolution or reincarnation is the ongoing process of Soul development. I always like the analogy of the Stars War movie where V-ger was sent out into the universe to gather knowledge, to return with it and become one with its Creator. Human Being is attending Earth University to learn everything it can and return with it to Soul. Did I mention there are tests? If you knew all the answers ahead of time, you wouldn't learn anything. We seem to grow the most through pain and suffering. It could be called a perfecting process, refining, purifying, becoming the image of God. We can work with that process or we can be rebels, do it our own way. God is infinitely patient, our souls, I think, not so much. They slap us around every once in a while to get us back on our spiritual path by throwing our lives into chaos. Sometimes we listen, sometimes the hole we dig keeps getting deeper because of our stubborn free will. A lot of what we see as pain and suffering is because we won't stop to listen to our inner guidance. Hello! This is something to learn from, not get all caught up in... wake up!

Detachment means we become the observer and see the big picture, discernment means we see the best of all possible paths to take. When we get out of our own way, and exercise non-judgement and compassion, things flow much more smoothly. We frequently create our own problems and then try to make everyone think we are the victims. Most people live unconsciously, even robot-like. They're not aware of what's going on or are in denial. Everyone was so shocked by 911. I wondered what took Osama so long. I hoped it turned out to be the shock the world needed to wake up, but no, it's only gotten worse. Soul work is not being angry, seeking revenge, walking around in shock, crying over the losses and pain or causing others to suffer, those are our human emotions controlling us. This is the age of forgiveness and that's where we need to start. To get over the past, learn from the mistakes we all made, build bridges and mend fences, help pull each other up by the bootstraps, rebuild the ruins, feed the starving, cure disease, with respect and human dignity. That is Humanity on it's Spiritual Path. And that's why souls want to come back again and again, to make this world a better place where all life exists in harmony, peace, joy and all those other good things. We can still get to be movie stars or politicians or businesses people or rock stars, and be rich and famous, but with a spiritual connection that bonds us as One with All That Is, instead of strictly materialistic pursuits and selfish agendas that keep us at war with each other and within ourselves.

We are both Human and Divine... all of us, not merely one religion or one nation or one color... we are all One with the Ultimate Light. And until all people see that vision, souls will want to return to make it happen. The earth is a temporary home for souls, some day it will be dead or gone. That could be tomorrow or a gazillion years from now, so now is all we have to make it work. As my soul path is trying to wake people up by freeing them from fear of death, your soul path must involve the position and voice with whatever passion you have to wake people up in your own way.

Think back to when you were that very young person who felt he had a mission in life, what were your interests at that time? If something particular comes to mind, think of it as a message from your soul as to how to combine that with what you are doing now to get on with your mission. This mission is not to make a million dollars or become a more powerful person, it is the expression of God's love through you as a gift to Humanity. Whether you help one person hear the truth or a million is not as important to your soul growth as that you do it at all. The object is not to complete the task but to enjoy the journey.

Peace & Joy!

Diane

 

Dear Diane,

Thank you, thank you, thank you so much for the LONG response you offered to my last message. The fact that you would take what must have been at LEAST 30 minutes (Note from Diane: try over 2 hours!) with such a thought filled response speaks volumes about you and your dedication to helping others. I have MUCH to say in response to your message, as it has opened my eyes to many, many things. I can not do it justice right now as I have guests coming over for dinner tonight, but I will respond, in kind, to your wonderful message of hope.

You have brought me back to many of the feelings and thoughts I have held for most of my life with your detailed response. I want to address each issue one by one and I will do so later tonight. I could not, however, leave you sitting there wondering how your message was received. Trust me, it was exactly what I needed to hear and I have much to say in response, so bear with me. Later tonight I will sit down and devote some much needed time to responding to your message. In the meantime, know that your message was received "loud and clear" and that you have me thinking about many things I have thoughtlessly let fall to the side in the past year or two.

I can not thank you enough for the encouraging words you wrote, nor can I begin to show just how much those words mean to me right now! MUCH more to come in my full response, Okay?

Be good...

Ken

 

Dear Diane,

I must first apologize for taking so long to respond, in full, to your last message. You know the story..busy, busy, busy... etc. etc. etc. The fact is I'm just catching my breath now and wanted to make sure I had some real time to spend with the response after you took the time to send such a thought-filled letter.

I guess the first thing I wanted to say was in my own defense. I must have left you with the wrong impression about being nice to people. I try to make that a habit, and I think most of my friends will tell you as much. I never, ever expected anything in return, but on one very nasty occasion someone I thought was a good friend turned on me in a way that could have ruined my career. As it was her attempt to sacrifice me to the (industry deleted) Gods almost worked and set me back MANY years in my planning for the future. The fact is I still have not fully recovered. This is the only person who has really taken what I perceived to be my generosity and used it to nearly wipe me out! It's a long story, but suffice it to say I treated this woman like a queen and did everything I could to help her in every way, which made the deception on her part hurt all the more... I loved her like a sister and was rewarded with deceit and a blatant attempt to ruin my career. I found out later this was all because she resented that I earned more money than she. I don't know how she found this out but that really doesn't matter. To this day this woman whom I admired so much is still talking as though I were the son of Satan himself, which is really sad in a huge way because everyone she talks to about me (including her boss) knows better.

It was a tough pill to swallow, but one I have managed to ingest over the years. The main point is that I never really expect anyone to respond in kind, but I also don't expect them to lash out at me the way she did. I like to help wherever possible, and I take great pride in being able to say to my potential employers that they would find that any of my previous employers would hire me back in a minute. I have my faults, to be sure, but I am a nice person and have always tried to treat people the way I would like to be treated. (maybe this reveals more to me than you can imagine! I just read over this paragraph and realized that in one sentence I say I never expect anything in return, but in the very next talk about being about to almost boast about my ability to get along with others! SHeesh... I need to look into this! It would seem that I DO expect rewards in return, even if they are only boasting rights!)

How terrible it must have been for you to have had the answers we all seem to seek in this life, only to have that knowledge snuffed from your memory when you returned! I read that part of your message with more than a little sorrow, not for you, but for the human condition. It is so sad that we must experience new things without the benefit of all that knowledge we surely gained in previous lives and in the spiritual world! It all seems like such a shame and, again, such a waste of time!

I must confess that there are times where I am districted by my emotions, and admire you for your ability not to let such trivial things (in the grand scheme) get in the way of your mission. You wrote of the soul being confused, and I can certainly identify with that.

I have already mentioned to you that I have not doubt that my life has been blessed, but still my soul is terribly confused about this existence, leading me to wonder out loud, as I have with you, whether there is any point to it all. Your explanation that the soul can know about the level below, but not the level above makes a great deal of sense. I guess it's another way of saying we are allowed to know only that which we experience.

I have, for ALL of my life firmly believed and understood that pain exists so that we can know joy. Without one, there can not be the other. We can not know the thrill of being on the highest high if we have not also experience the lowest low. You mentioned as much to me in your note and it sounded a familiar chord. I have offered the same "wisdom" to friends over the years. Without sorrow there can be no joy, and similarly without hate there can be no love. The extremes make us understand, so, as much as we may not like them, we must endure the worst of the worst so that we can understand and appreciate the best of the best.

I don't like it, but its makes a lot of sense, and your note served to remind me of the very lecture I have offered to people many, many times. You have taken this concept much further and much deeper that I ever dared: you equate our knowledge of these things to the soul's attempt to grasp the concept of the spirit. I have tended to use soul and spirit interchangeably, but you make it clear that the two are different and unique.

I gave up trying to understand God years ago, but I do accept the existence of this supreme being, or supreme spirit, if you will. I also believe there are many spirits (soul in my mind) on a much higher plain than I, and also believe that these spirits help us through our daily lives. (and through our spiritual lives, after we pass over) I have had MANY spiritual encounters that convince me this is so. Some were just passing encounters, but others were very powerful, including one I want to relate to you now because it happened just a few weeks ago.

At the risk of boring you please bear with me as I tell this story. I think it offers a great hope to all. There is a friend of mine at work who was diagnosed with terminal colon cancer. he and I talked at length about life after life and about the spiritual world. I often would tell him, "Dan, you will be very surprised when you die, because you will find you are not dead!" I spoke with him about my beliefs in the continuation of the soul, or spirit and encouraged him to read the book "We Don't Die" which I'm sure you read. I even joked with him at times telling him that he should give me a sign if he preceded me in death, and that I, in turn, would give him a sign that I was still around in the event that I should precede him.

Now, in my house is a very wonderful and very old cocker spaniel. We've had her since she was a puppy. She is now 14 years old and the love of the family. She has always been a wonderful pet. She never barks, she doesn't bite, and with very few exceptions, she is full of nothing but love. about 3 weeks ago I came home and was upstairs in my room when she began barking like crazy. I shouted down to my oldest son to let her out. He responded saying she had been barking like that all night and everytime he let her out she'd just go outside, sniff around a bit, and then come back in without doing anything. I was puzzled because, as I said, she never barks. I didn't give it much more thought though. Just a few minutes later I was in the bathroom standing at the sink. Our bath has two sinks in it. Mine is right by the door, and the one my wife uses in down a ways from that. Quite often while I'm at my sink she'll walk in behind me, place her hand on my left shoulder to push me forward a bit (because I block the door when at my sink) and then walk into the room. I was standing at the sink and felt my wife's hand on my shoulder, I moved forward and felt her walk behind me. I mean I could feel the breeze as she passed, and even the ruffle of her clothes as she brushed up against me. I turned to say something but she was not there! I then looked out in the room, and still, she was not there. I remember thinking to myself "There is someone in this room with me.." but I did not say anything to my wife, fearing that perhaps her father had died (he has a heart condition) It troubled me for a while but I thought nothing further of it. My dog did not bark the rest of the night. The next day, when Iarrived at work I was greeted by a memo in my mail box: Dan had died the night before. I knew in an instant that Dan had been to my house the night before, telling me, in the only way he knew how, that I was right, and that he was still alive! I just KNOW that Dan was there! And it confirmed to me for the umpteenth time the fact that we survive the physical death.

I got off the track for a moment, but thought you would enjoy that story. Now back to your note...

I was encouraged again by your explanation that the feeling that something is missing in life is a nudge from our soul to start searching for it, and I have redoubled my efforts in that respect. I am now 45 (soon to be 46) and you are right about age adding to the urgency we feel to complete that mission. I have been able for years to dismiss much of what happens in this life by saying "It really doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things" but here lately I have found myself trapped by earthly things which seems to force out the realization that what I achieve here really means nothing to my soul. As you said, I have not renounced the world or earthly things, but they just don't seem as important as they did just a few weeks ago. The trappings are nice, but they will not follow me from this level to the next.

I have never thought my sole job was to be a (occupation deleted). In fact I have always felt it was to try to help people in whatever way possible. I still feel that. The vast majority of people I encounter respond to kindness with kindness. I know you stated that being kind to others is not my mission, but I kind of believe that it is a large part of that mission because it is what I have always done. There must be much more to the mission, and I will work to discover what it is, but I am sure I have strayed from the path because of the angst and emptiness I feel at times, especially over the last year or so. As you surmised, I also feel a sense of worthlessness at times.

Why the soul comes back? I just don't know, and that will take some time for me to understand, or to at least accept. I do believe that I have been here many, many times in the past and maybe that belief ads to my feeling of helplessness and despair. I'll have to take a long, hard look down on the earth when this mission is complete. I know that all will be revealed, but I get back to the point that it seems such a shame that when we return, all that was revealed is again hidden from our understanding. I have always accepted that this reincarnation is part of the development of the soul, and I hope that the soul is allowed to take a rest from time to time.

Your explanation of the patience of God, and the impatience of our souls, was wonderful! yes, I DO rebel at times. Heck. you have a couple of notes from me that clearly show signs of rebellion. Your latest letter, however, went a long way toward reminding me of what is really important, and for that I am very thankful. I must work on my discernment so that I too, can see the best possible path to take without all the human problems getting in the way. I must also try to get out of the mind set that I have become a victim of some grand scheme run by sprits who have no clue as to the trials and tribulations that accompany this existence.

I am going to work on the many things you told me, including thinking back to the times I knew I had a mission in life. I do reflect back on those times frequently. I'll have to focus more on what I believe that mission to be, because I am certainly not aware of what I felt at the time. As far as I remember, I have never known what that mission would be, except to say that I knew it was something very important.

I will work on it, and I will try to understand.

I will also remain very thankful that our paths crossed. You were right when you wrote on your website about the fact that there are not accidents. I was led to the site for a reason, and thanks to your kindness and patience I understand that reason much better today that I thought possible.

Thank you again.. you are a very kind soul indeed...

Ken

Dear Ken,

I chuckled about that the same thing in your first letter which is why I said being kind isn't your mission. Funny how reading what we write often reveals the problem we don't want to see. Most of us are in denial about our own responsibility in a situation and refuse to look at it from other sides. There is a technique called mirroring that can be very helpful in understanding how we reflect what we see in others. Essentially accepting that Wow! yes, sometimes I am like that or do those things that upset me so much when others do it to me... but it is not who I am and I can choose to change that behavior in myself or at least recognize it the next time it comes up and change my reaction to it. Staying in denial forces us to carry around baggage that doesn't even belong to us.

I can relate in some ways to the situation you described. I started out with a career in (industry deleted) so I understand the business. And I was a pioneer of the feminist movement with deep resentment over the fact that men made more money than I did for the same work just because they were men. Women had to work twice as hard to get half the recognition, etc. I was pretty angry about job discrimination, sexual harassment, being patronized, and all of that. I was fired from one job for getting pregnant. No one would hire me after I got divorced because I hadn't done anything (except raise 3 children, run a household, etc). for 10 years. I quit a job because my boss wouldn't give me a promotion (even though I had been doing my job and that position at the same time while the job was vacant) because he said he wouldn't give the job to a woman because women are too emotional. I quit another job after I found out there was a pool among the sales force of 45 men about who was going to nail me. I could tell you stories! But I wasn't a back stabber or into lawsuits. I moved on. That's when I went back to college to get degreed so I'd never have to put up with that again. Boy, was I wrong. The more things change, the more they stay the same. So I can understand her resentment of you, but her way of dealing with it sucked. You weren't the problem, management was. So you need to figure out what are the lessons you learned from this. It's a very strong lesson because it cut so deep and you've been carrying around this baggage for 7 years now. It's not going to go away until you figure it out. And it wouldn't surprise me if there haven't been similar subsequent incidents that relate to this. If we don't get it the first time, the soul will keep providing us with opportunities to learn it in other situations. Recognizing you need to look into this is just the first step. This is where you need to start doing some deep inner work. The emptiness you feel is your soul nudging you to look inward for the answers. This search brings meaning.

I'm not saddened by the loss of knowledge upon my return for I've gained it back and so much more by having to find it again. Anyone who has it all and not had to work for it, is pretty much a pain in the butt anyway. It's the same with money. I was born blessed with a happy childhood, a loving mother, a father who made a fortune... never wanted for anything, had all the advantages. But then one day it all changed, my parents got divorced, the money was gone. Was it painful? Yes. Do I regret it? No way. I learned so much from that. Money, position, power, material things mean nothing to me. Now I live very simply, up in the mountains surrounded by nature... have no money (had to file bankruptcy this year), very few things, never been able to afford to buy a home and don't have any need to. Nothing I've lost here has any meaning compared to what I've gained by letting go of all the baggage I carried around for many years. I have no regrets, no emptiness, no sadness, no loneliness, and I consider my life very blessed. All that other stuff were just lessons along my path... so I'm not just speaking as if I'm some guru. I pretty much went through hell to get to where I am now and am really grateful to my soul for giving me another opportunity to learn and grow spiritually.

I enjoyed your story about your friend who came to say good-bye. It's good you are open-minded and were able to experience his presence, and that you have the awareness that life has a continuity to it. You are way ahead of other people who are going through this existential angst and feel that God is dead too. It sounds like you are beginning to answer you own questions and are well on your way along your spiritual path. I wish you all the best, knowing that there will be ups and downs, two steps back for every step forward, and times when you will just want to forget the whole thing. Be persistent, have faith in your beliefs, and the light will shine through. Bless you on your spiritual journey.

Peace & Joy!

Diane

 

Struggles along the spiritual path

Diane,

Your website is wonderful; the steps you have described here truly resonate with the events and feelings I have been experiencing over the last several months. I know you may not have time to answer, but I thought I would give it a try.

Over the last several months I have been in therapy, voraciously reading books about relationships and personal growth, attending meditation workshops, and practicing kundalini yoga. I feel like I am training for a spiritual marathon--which I know can only help--but it does not seem to be shedding any light on the issue that has precipitated a real crisis for me, making it difficult to get through my daily life.

I have been in a relationship for over ten years with a wonderful man who truly loves me. He is a wonderful person. I have never felt real chemistry with him, but I do feel a deep human love, shared values, a compassion, comfort and compatibility that is very real. Several times I have felt pulled by others with whom I connected deeply, but I have always returned, mostly because of an intense physical pain I feel (a crushing sensation in my heart) when I imagine being disconnected from him, when I feel his pain and his love. Last summer I think I fell in love with somebody else, someone with whom I saw a clear future, full of growth, and even though the logistics were impossible, and yet I still feel the love from my first partner and pain so excruciating that it paralyzes me. When these moments hit I literally cannot speak, can't think, it doubles me over, I can't move; it feels like my heart is literally being crushed in a vice. I also feel a prickly sensation in my lower back, which creeps up my spine at times. Only warm hands on my back make it go away. I think there are clearly issues with my second and fourth chakras.

I am convinced that this pain is trying to teach me something, that this primary relationship of mine is about a life lesson--karma that I think I brought with me--but I don't know how to understand what it is. I have been journaling, meditating, analyzing--the whole gamut. Lately I think the kundalini is starting to exaggerate the pain in my second and fourth chakras. Nothing in my childhood or background seems to be relevant or helpful for the analysis. The therapy is good, but I think I need some spiritual guidance to get at the real issue, the real lesson I am supposed to learn. What is it that I am supposed to let go of? What is this weight that I feel so physically? I know that until I can identify what it is and do what I need to do, this pain will plague me for years, and perhaps lifetimes. What do you suggest I do? How can I find the answer?

Thank you,

K

 

Dear K,

Most people don't realize when they embark on a spiritual path that it doesn't go in a straight line. There are a lot of ups and downs, starts and stops, 2 steps back for every step forward. One goes through a period of intense learning then reaches a plateau. This is a time for integration, doing less externally, more internally. This is especially true for kundalini. Let it be for a while. Meditate more, analyze less. Look back over your journal. Look for patterns to emerge from the chaos. Let go of your need to find the answers. Gradually you will come to another time of intense learning and go through the same process, and so on.

With chakras, work on one level until it's cleared. You may be trying to do too much at once. You can't clear the fourth until you clear the second which may be the whole cause of your confusion. You need to go into that pain as deeply as you can. You don't have to consciously know the root cause but you do have to feel it and express it in some way (screaming, writing, drawing, creative visualization, etc) in order to realize you survived it and since you survived it, it no longer has any power over you. It is part of you but it is not who you are (identification and disidentification). Ask yourself, what are the strengths I gained by overcoming this fear? Talk to the fear and put it in proper perspective. Then allow some time to integrate that before you move on to the next chakra.

Peace & Joy!

Diane

Know Thy Self

Diane,

thank you for your website. It's the most interesting to date and is very helpful. I'm trying to get over this coworker who is arrogant and talks down to people including me. So, I read your "Know Thyself" and realized the arrogance is what I hate in myself and sometimes do this to the ones I love, like my kids. So I'm real conscious of it now and try not to do it. This morning at work, when Fred was asking alot of questions about a mistake at work, I told him "What does it concern you for?" And then I said" You're just a peon trainer during 1st shift." He said, We'll see who gets written up the next time I see you training someone on 3rd shift." So- I wanted to be mean, I was tired of him acting like a supervisor and talking bad about everyone around him, including me, especially me. The supervisor did ask me to train whether I was certified or not. Any word would be good, thank you again for your website,

Dan

 

Dear Dan,

I'm grateful you found my web site and tried this technique, however, it only works for oneself. Unfortunately we can't change other people's behaviors, only our own. By changing our own behavior, other people are forced to change their reaction to us. You took Fred's questions about the mistake personally instead of accepting that he has a problem relating to people and you don't have to buy into it. You could deflect his reaction by thanking him for pointing that out, telling him you'd look into it, and walking away. Humor is always a good way to throw people off too. Or you can turn it back on the other person-- where were you when it happened or why didn't you catch it? Your reaction was to escalate, which just made him mad, then feels he has to retaliate. You also might talk to your supervisor and ask him or her to make it clear about who is responsible for training. By acting in a loving way toward people who aren't acting very loving, it makes them stop and question themselves (though perhaps not at the moment), but the most important thing is how you react to them. When you can see yourself in others and have accepted that in yourself, you can accept that this is where they are at this time and (without being patronizing) bless them on their path to wholeness. Keep working at it, it just takes practice, practice, practice.

Peace & Joy!

Diane

Dear Diane,

I went back to your website, it said I better work toward warding off human taste such as lust, I have gotten better as I've gotten older, but it still causes me pain. You mentioned it during a person's life review, and it said I'd reincarnate right away if I wanted to be part of the thought forms of a sexual scene. Do I really need to give this up entirely? I've been thinking of changing, giving up on my identity, part of that is smoking, and try more focus on helping others. But Dianne, got to admit, I still want to experience money, I'm trying to decide on a training school. Anyway, when you talk of the clear Light, none of this matters does it- as long as you want to help others, right? Please answer, I cant afford your counseling I'm sure, thanks,

Dan

 

Dear Dan,

Don't take words so literally. God is only Love. A God of Love wouldn't want us to not enjoy exploring our human bodies, it's the addiction to sex that drains our energy and creativity, and keeps us from the Light. In the Bardo someone addicted to sex, would experience sexual scenes-- temptations to keep him from going to the Light. One is faced again with the choice to overcome the addiction by turning to the Light or giving in to the temptation, getting caught up in an endless loop of reincarnations. The same thing with money-- it's not money, it's the addiction to having money and things which often leads to greed, avarice, cruelty, etc., which keeps one from the Light. The key is moderation in all things. Balance. Harmony. Peace of mind. Compassion for others. I suggest you read my eBook, Sitting in the Lotus Blossom, it may clarify some things for you.

Peace & Joy!

Diane

Does God love gay people?

Dear Diane

I am an 18 year old gay male. I just wanted to say thank you so much for sharing all your experiences and knowledge with the world. You see, you were responsible for partly saving my life. I have been very depressed recently and I hate to say it, I actually begun to feel resentful. I don't want to sound insane but about 2 months ago I came across a website which said that Jesus Christ hated gay people and so did his spirit and I felt like 'What is the point of living anymore?' I tried to change but I began to feel like I was living a lie and I thought 'Hey, this can't be right'. After reading your near death experience it seems so true that God loves everyone and that has been my gut feeling forever and I now have learnt to trust your gut feeling.

I wanted to say also that I bought your e-book today 'Through the tunnel' and already I have read 22 pages at work this morning.

Please could you answer a few questions that I have on my mind and I am desperate to hear your responses.

1. Do you beleive that God loves gay people?

2. Are dreams messages from the spirit world?

3. How come sometimes when you ask for a sign from a spirit/deceases relative, the specific sign doesn't happen (sorry if I seem ignorant).

I don't know if you are interested in hearing this but just in casc you are I thought that I would tell you about what happened to me 3 weeks ago. I prayed to God that I could experience an OBE like I have read about on a website. I beleive prayer is so powerful as 3 days later it came true. I was in a dream but then all the details in the dream started to turn weird, like peoples faces just turned to green bright light then before I knew it I was out of my body, and I though 'Wow, this feels familar'. I felt scared though and at the time I wanted to go back in my body, then I just sensed that my nan was therre although I could'nt see her. I saw myself in my bed and though 'I look small'. I tried to fly out the window but i couldn't and all I managed to do was fly above the stereo. I tried 2 times to get in my body but I couldn't, I then got really scared and just thought 'Jesus, I am scared' and then I was back in my body. Well, feel free if you want to use thsi experience for your site. If not I would be very grateful if you could reply to my e-mail!

Love 'n' Light

Steven

PS - I hope that you are blessed in the future forever as you deserve it for making so many people happy! I am off to read more of your book now.

Have a great day!!

Dear Steven,

If you've finished the book, you know the answer to your first question. God's love is unconditional and doesn't discriminate for any reason. Those who think God chooses certain people and condemns others don't understand unconditional love. God would be very small if it were any other way.

As for dreams, not necessarily, but they can be messages from the spirit world. Mostly they are messages from our own soul trying to help us figure out our way through the maze of life. There may also be messages from our past lives to help us understand this life better. If one keeps a journal of dreams and spiritual experiences, when we look back, we may see patterns or threads that seem to fit together and give us a better perspective on the meaning and purpose of our life.

Sometimes we get an answer but we miss it, sometimes the answers are very subtle and come when we least expect them. You may be being too specific and they may be limited in their ability to break through the veil. And then some people are more sensitive and pick up signs from the other sidebeter than others.

You had an interesting OBE but if you want to learn to control these kinds of experiences, you need to spend more time in meditation knowing that you can always get back to your body because you attached by the Silver Cord, and that nothing bad can happen to you. When you experience something frightening, know that it isn't real and can't hurt you. The thing to do is turn and face it and ask what it wants from you, it may be something you've been in denial about, are fearful of, or are running from. Become the observer, be non-judgmental, don't label the experience good or bad... you're having this experience to learn something your soul needs you to learn. Bless you on your spiritual path and I hope Through the Tunnel gave you some further insight. It might also be helpful for you to read my other book, Sitting in the Lotus Blossom, as well as the spiritual lessons on my web site.

Peace & Joy!

Diane

Dear Diana,

I just wanted to say thank you very much for your reply and I really appreciate it. Yes, I have finished your book and it is so brilliant and interesting! I will order your other book as well now through e-books! Thank you for being so wonderful!

Love,

Steve

Random or Ordered Universe? and other questions

Diane,

I had written to you a couple of years back after a friend died in an auto accident and you were a great help to me. I was asking you about NDE's and I was depressed because I had read about the explanations on how scientists believed NDE's are all manufactured by the brain in the frontal lobe. You explained to me your beliefs and were a great help to me. (I still have your reply saved!) Unfortunately I lost a friend on Sept 11 and once again I'm trying to get my faith back. Sometimes it's easier to believe in a random universe where random things happen rather than an ordered universe. After all why would anyone choose to die (even on a soul level) such horrific painful deaths? It is said we "choose" are time of passing but accidents happen...what makes that racoon that got run over in the street any different than a human accident? Did he choose that precise moment to die? Why are our random events any different thatn those in the animal kingdom? I'm sorry to ramble but I needed to get this off my chest...you helped me once before and I need you again. I know you don't have all the answers but you've come a lot closer than most of us. If you can't reply I understand..in that case thank you for listening.

One of the things that depressed me was reading about Susan Blackmore...she's (what else) a scientist and she said that "NDE's are like a movie that is programmed to play in the brain during death...the experiences are real and seem real...only they happen in the brain not outside of it." I was curious as to what you thought of this statement. Having never had an NDE I don't know how real it seems. Thanks Diane! Keep up the good work!

Mark

 

Dear Mark,

Thank you for your email. Very sorry to hear you lost a friend on 9-11. I happened to be retyping a book (Sitting in the Lotus Blossom) I wrote in 1989 on that day to had it on the computer and came across a quote that I highlighted... it might help you understand--

In the case of numbers of people dying in a single event, they may be members of a group soul who came together to fulfill a single purpose, perhaps to teach Humanity a lesson...

My interpretation is that all those who died that day chose, before they were born, to participate in an event that would change the course of human history. I wouldn't think specifically that they chose to die on a plane that crashed into a building or to be in the building at the time, but that they would willingly sacrifice their lives sometime during their lifetime to wake people up and raise human consciousness. I think those who died will be remembered that way in history... our heros. I also don't think there is an exact date and time for us to die, rather a window which could be contingent on fulfilling karmic issues.

As for Susan Blackmore, if you read her book Dying to Live, she actually concludes that it can't be proven one way or the other. I used to have a critique of her book on my resources page but just looked and couldn't find it... maybe the link went down and I removed it. I think if it were a programmed "movie," all descriptions of it would be the same. While there are similarities to the core experience, every story is different in a more personal way. Also if it were programmed everyone would have an NDE at sometime in their life (few get through life without an accident or illness that isn't near fatal). I just read about a 13 year study done in the Netherlands with cardiac patients and only 18% reported NDEs-- of those 12% (1 in 8) reported a core experience. They ruled out anoxia, fear of death and drugs administered during resuscitation. We have to forgive Science-- it wants concrete measurable answers that can be replicated in a lab setting. The good news is that there is a lot of dialog between Science and Spirit these days and they are becoming more accepting of each other's theories. You'll find some interesting sites on my links page under Bridging the Gap.

Peace & Joy!

Diane

Dear Diane,

Thank you so much for yout reply, it made me feel a little better. I have a couple more questions and then I'll leave you alone :) Why do you think it is that only a few people have NDE's? Is it just a lucky few? And there are so many varieties of NDE. An aunt of mine thought she had an NDE during surgery but she never got farther than an OBE...and she said she wasn't that aware. She was in that in-between trancelike state....not awake yet not asleep. Was yours like that or was more real? And why would some people have crystal clear NDE's and others not sure if it was a dream or not? Also I was wondering if you ever had a lucid dream and if so, what's the difference between that and an NDE? I promise that's it for the questions! If there really is something after this life I hope they have a lot of patience because I have many more questions! Thanks again, Diane.

Mark

 

Dear Mark,

My experience was very real to me, nothing fuzzy or dreamlike or unreal about it and all NDErs I've talked to say the same. An OBE is the first stage of an NDE and may not go any further or may, but the person doesn't remember anymore. This isn't a scientifically provable answer but more of a mystical observation... soul is patient while waiting for recognition from its human self but sometimes the mission soul sent human being to accomplish is too important to wait... so if human self hasn't gotten the previous messages from soul, soul could seize the opportunity of an accident, illness, traumatic event or emotional breakdown of the human being to, in a sense, recall the consciousness to the higher planes and set it on the right course. In my case, I felt my NDE was something of a mid-course correction to get me off my material path and onto a spiritual path. That may not be true for all human beings who have near fatal accidents, etc. and there is no mystical experience or other world memory. Some people have an experience but shut it out of their consciousness out of fear, only to have it resurface years later when they are more able to deal with it. It may also have to do with the level of consciousness, younger souls are still struggling with learning to function in a human body in a human society and the NDE would be too much for them.

Yes, I've had lucid dreams... it's like the difference between watching a travel video about Hawaii and going there... just not the same. I was doing some reading today on this site about lucid dreaming and thought this article might be interesting to you - www.sawka.com/spiritwatch/near.htm Don't be hesitant about asking questions... that's how we learn. The more information you get to consider, the more of the picture you will have. Now that doesn't mean you should only ask me, ask many people and consider the different answers to find your truth. That's being on a spiritual path.

Peace & Joy!

Diane

Diane,

Thank you for the links you sent me....it was very interesting reading! All I can say is I'm getting there. I do feel hopeful that loved ones continue in a place of happiness and love. I really hope so. I was also wondering about painful deaths. My mother has a friend who just died from lung cancer..but not before it had spread to his bones. Diane, this man died an agonizing death, he was in so much pain that he was ripping the clothes off his body, pulling tubes out, etc. And I'm sure he is only one of many. It sounds like a cliched question but, why? Why would God create a universe where so much physical pain is possible? Not only for him but imagine the pain of his family. I've said it before and I'll say it again...if there is something after this life they have a lot of questions to answer :) I hope they are patient because I have many. Another question I have is in reference to your book....is it still available? You have an outline of your experience on your site but I would like to read more about it. I'm curious if the book goes into even more detail of your expereince than you already have on your site. As always...thank you in advance for answering my many questions.

Thanks.

Mark

 

Dear Mark,

I think that's why Jesus had to suffer so much to show us that no matter how hard it gets, God is with us. Perhaps if we could focus on that instead of the pain, it would be more bearable. That's what I teach in my book and if one practices it, as he approaches death, he will move past the pain into Pure Love. But I can't say how one person will react or even how I would react with such a painful process. It's certainly a test. It may well have karmic implications, who knows what we may have done in past lives that we are working through in this life. And we also don't know what was going on in the mind of your mother's friend-- he may have decided he didn't want to be kept alive anymore and no one would help him, as is often the case when someone rips their tubes out. It seems to me if a person is terminal and in constant pain, they should be allowed to die pain free and peacefully.

Why would God create a universe where so much physical pain is possible? That would take me way too long to even begin to explain, but the fact is that we bring most of it on ourselves. We have free will and, like babies learning to walk, we're still learning how to use it. Most people think it's a license to do anything they want and they indulge their lower energy desires, create more karma, lead self-destructive lifestyles, destroy their environment, etc. and then wonder why this or that happens to them. We have to look into ourselves if we want the world to change.

My book is still available, it's available online now too, but it's what I learned about the process of conscious dying during my NDE. I don't have any more details written about my experience because that isn't as important as what I learned from it... and what I learned from it is what I wrote in my two books and what I write about on my web site. There are a lot of NDErs who go into more detail about their experiences than I do. There aren't many stories posted on my site but there are many links to other sites that post stories. Reading a variety of them would be helpful to you.

Peace & Joy!

Diane

Diane,

Also..one more thing I forgot to ask. The article about the lucid dreams was very interesting but it seemed there were some similarities between lucid dreams and NDE's. I was wondering what you thought of it. Are lucid dreams really a form of OBE's? Just curious.

Mark

 

Dear Mark,

It's more a case of when they occur. NDEs are unexpected and in a life threatening situation, lucid dreams are something one decides to have and practices, although they can also occur during sleep as when one wakes up while dreaming and continues to observe the dream. They are not necessarily OBEs but can be, NDEs always are.

Peace & Joy!

Diane

Life as light

Hi Diane,

I totally agree with you on reincarnation. I have some thoughts about infinity that I would like to share with you. First, you are right when you say that man, here on earth, has "created God" to fit into mans image of what God should look like instead of the other way around. God has created a physical universe. What is the soul? What leaves the body upon clinical death? What was it in you that rose above the river and saw the wonders of a new dimension? You spoke of faster vibrations and more brilliant color. There are theories that there may be as many as 12 or more dimensions or planes to the universe. All very physical and created by our Creator. Was it elecrical energy that left your body that somehow retains thought and memory?What I call the soul. How fast does it go. Does it go as fast as light? I do believe that nothing travels as fast as light. Einstein proved that the faster we travel, the slower time moves. If we were to have two identical time pieces and place one on a rocket ship traveling around the earth at 17,000 mPH and one on your wrist, we know that the time piece moving around the earth would come back indicating a loss of time.Also if the timepiece were to be worn by an astronaut that astronaut would be physically younger than his counterpart on earth. Imagine that you are on a moving train going as fast as light and you are looking at the countryside whizzing by. It would be a blur but you would notice movement. Now imagine that you are on that same train and an identical train moving at the same speed moves along side. You would see the people inside and it would seem that you were standing still. I have experienced that on a subway train many times in NYC. So, you are moving as fast as light(2) you also dont see movement(3) if nothing does go faster than light than your watch would stop moving-Hence No time which equals infinity=everlasting=HEAVEN So you see HEAVEN is simply just the absence of time because of the speed in which your energy flows. You would be able to hold a bolt of light in your hand as if it were an olive branch. Hope to hear from you soon and God Bless.

Pat

Dear Pat,

To ask, what is soul? is to ask for a physical description but there isn't one. The best I can say is that the soul is energy/light... it could be a quark or a neutrino, or it could be a massive black hole... it may have no shape or size. I wasn't aware of having or not having a "body" during my experience, it was more like "I" was the See-er, the Knower, the Experiencer. I believe there are many dimensions to the Universe and know that I didn't get to experience being in all of them... wherever I went though, it was more fluid than here but nevertheless, appeared very similar, i.e. buildings, roads, grass, trees, animals, people. I imagine in the higher dimensions we continue to be less dense but there is still a perception of physical experience. In terms of the speed of light and vibration, i could compare dimensions to the conditions different temperatures create for hydrogen and oxygen molecules. When 1 H combines with 2 Os in a certain temperature range, a water droplet forms. If it falls in the range below freezing, it becomes an ice crystal; above boiling, steam. The same 3 molecules exist in different forms and their life experience is different in each-- densely packed with other water molecules as ice, floating freely with others as water, drifting so far apart that they have no boundaries as steam. And there is gravity-- as water and as ice, the molecules are subject to gravity; as steam they are not-- just as we are subject to gravity while on earth but not in less dense dimensions. And just as when we're on earth, we don't experience the earth spinning around on its axis or around the sun or around the Galaxy, nor the Galaxy speeding away from the Big Bang, we don't experience traveling at the speed of light while in higher dimensions. I see the tunnel effect as traveling between dimensions-- for me it was hard to tell whether I was moving rapidly toward the light or was it the light that was speeding past me, like the moving train example. But once I reached the light, the perception of movement ceased and it was similar to being in body on earth, except without gravity and time. So I agree with your theory and honor your commitment to understanding the incomprehensible. Bless you on your spiritual path.

Peace & Joy!

Diane

I am the way, the truth and the...?

Hi Diane,

In your definitions in the book, under 'Saviour' you quote the new testament verse as 'I am the Way, the Truth, and the Light...' I have never seen it written as the light, it is always 'the life.' What version of the bible did this come from?. The reason for my query is that 6 years ago, during a meditation, Jesus appeared to me and said 'I am the way, the truth and the light. Ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened.' I then had a vision of a place of infinite light, wherein there was love, peace and joy. I won't go into all of the details except to say that I was atheist beforehand, or I thought I was, and it has had a profound impact on my life. Incidentally I had started meditating as moral support for my husband who had started it when he was diagnosed with terminal cancer. I have looked in many versions of the Bible and never seen 'light'. Do you know what or why the difference. I feel that it is somehow significant. Today, for the first time, after accidentally happening on a Christian website and being prompted by something I read there, I began praying, inviting Jesus into my life. Then I got your email. It would be quite spooky if it wasn't for the fact that I am getting used to such things. I would really appreciate some 'enlightenment' on the light/life question if you are able to offer any. I read parts of the book and it looks fantastic. Have ordered it from Amazon.

Love and thanks,

Gloria

 

Dear Gloria,

Thank you for your email. You know what? I don't know where I got it from. It could have been from the Aquarian Gospel or from Astara (www.astara.org), or it could have just come to me that way as I was writing the book. As it is with much of my writing, I don't know where some of it comes from... and as you are learning, there are no accidents.

If you read enough about translations, there are always arguments about whether a word means this or that. That whole statement is questionable as to what it means. Christians will say it means that only by accepting Jesus as your Savior, will you get to Heaven, Paradise, Promised Land. Personally, I believe Jesus meant that by following his example of living morally, ethically, with love and compassion, helping others, loving God as the Source of our Being, is the way that will lead us to the truth and light. I think people put too much emphasis on Jesus, the person, and I don't think that's what he intended.

I wish you well on your spiritual path.

Peace & Joy!

Diane

Hi Diane,

Thank you so much for your email and again synchronistic. You have articulated my own thoughts much better than I have been able to myself, especially the following (That whole statement is questionable as to what it means. Christians will say it means that only by accepting Jesus as your Savior, will you get to Heaven, Paradise, Promised Land. Personally, I believe Jesus meant that by following his example of living morally, ethically, with love and compassion, helping others, loving God as the Source of our Being, is the way that will lead us to the truth and light. I think people put too much emphasis on Jesus, the person, and I don't think that's what he intended).It has been very helpful. I tried the Astara site but it is unavailable, will check later.

with love and thanks,

gloria

 

Hi Gloria,

Was just reading an article on SpiritWeb (site no longer available) and came across someone else using light instead of life-- and thought of your question. It says Jesus was right when he said, "I am the Truth, the Light and the Way." The article is describing the 12 Dimensions and says "The Tenth Dimension "is" the Living Truth. It is also the Light that which is in everything. Finally, it is the Way home, back to the Creator." The Tenth dimension is Christ-Consciousness from which Jesus was projected. Goes back to my point, the emphasis shouldn't be on Jesus, the Man, but the Christ-Consciousness of Jesus.

Peace & Joy!

Diane

Hi Diana,

You are surely an angel. Thank you so much for the link and for thinking of me. The first thing I read about God made me recall an hypnosis session in which I saw God and in trying to describe what I saw to my therapist, all I could say was "God is everything you can think of and lots that you can't think of.' It seemed such a childish, inadequate description but here I found validation for it. I found the rest of the article very interesting, although a bit mind boggling too and is further validation (as if I needed it) that I am being guided. By the way I have joined Astara, but have yet to receive any material. I am looking forward to it.

Bless you,

Gloria

Science or Metaphysical claptrap?

Hi Diane -

Interesting story, but as a scientist & scholar, surely you must be seeking physiological explanations for NDE (e.g., release of powerful hallucinogens), rather than attributing them to metaphysical claptrap.

Dan

Dear Dan,

Yes, I have sought out all possible physiological explanations for NDE and have reached the conclusion that the metaphysical claptrap hypothesis has the greater probability of being true. Bless you on your spiritual path.

Peace & Joy!

Diane

 

Good morning -

I'm interested in what leads you to your conclusion. Sounds to me like there may be some preconceptions in your thinking. Be well and enjoy the day.

Dan

Dear Dan,

For those who have had a NDE, no proof is required. For skeptics, no proof is enough. I simply offer people something to think about along their search for meaning and purpose in life and death. I don't ask them to take what I write as THE TRUTH but to learn to think for themselves and find their own truth within. I have studied brain physiology, psychology and mind altering drugs with an open, objective mind to find another explanation... and found none. And I had no idea about metaphysical claptrap until 16 years after my experience and 5 years after I graduated from the university. I just know what I experienced and it was real. I leave it up to others to prove me wrong.

Peace & Joy!

Diane

Follow up

Diane, your website is very interesting and mind-intriguing. I haven't ever had an NDE yet, but I have talked to others in my family, as well as friends who recall having a NDE or something like it.

In response to Dan: I have also though of this as a possible reason for the NDE feelings. However, when you sit back and try to analyze everything, you find out that no stretch of scientific knowledge can feasibly explain such extenuating situations. My only thoughts on the overall NDE and spiritual involvement is that these things are on a different level than we can humanly comprehend. It is something much greater and more powerful than science can prove. Obviously, these spiritual beings require no physical brain or circulatory system to operate. They operate on a different type of energy, something we can only dream of comprehending. There will always be people who will refute the issue of NDE's and spiritual encounters, but these people have to be given a chance, because most individuals would not bring it to the attention of others if it wasn't a life changing event for them in the first place. However, you may be correct too. It could be related to a release of endorphins, etc. then again, look at the people who are pronounced dead and have no heartbeat. Suddenly, they come back to life. That is something to be amazed by. Think about it.

Matthew

 

I always felt like something was missing

Hello Diane,

My name is conrad and I have been reading your website with fascination, hope and many emotions. I am trying to understand why life is happening the way it happens. I come from a good family, had a good education, have had good jobs yet I always felt like something was missing, I felt unhappy, resentful, fearful and full of self-doubt with no apparent reason.

Ever since I was little (i remember from year seven and ever since) I was doing the wrong things, saying the wrong things and reacting the wrong way. To loud when I needed to be quiet, not reacting when I should have. I never felt like I was able to relay my message and my emotions to the people around me. I started to resent my parents, teachers, church and family. I love them, but I'm not able to feel it or show it... like something is holding me back. Just the same goes all the relationships, be it personal or business. I know I'm thinking the right words, I'm seeing myself taking the correct steps but it is always inside of me, I can picture it so clearly in my mind, but I can never get to express it in the outside world. Or when I do it, it mostly looks awkward and feels wrong, exaggerated or misplaced.

To the point it is driving me a bit crazy here. Conversations are like time bombs that can make me go off, loud noises makes my heart jump, every change in tonation of a voice makes me suspicious and fearful of an outburst, like danger can come from every direction at any time. I am not exaggerating, this is how intense it has been feeling the last few months. But not all the time. Most of the day I am calm, able to work, 'normal'.

I feel like getting mad, unhappy and angry. Inside. I never hurted anybody (except unintentionally emotionally by my actions), never unleash it fysically... I just keep on feeling angry, sad, fearful... and I cannot figure out why that is.

I've been trying to find the answer for more than a decade now. I've been observing myself, keeping notes of feelings, meditating, reading about it without any conclusion. I have read Edgar Cayce, Osho, Dannion Brinkley, Betty Eady and many more writers of similar material. I understand all of it, I can feel most of it, I believe in the possibility of all this but I'm not feeling any change inside of me. The feelings are still there.

I tried pushing it away by to excessive use of alcohol, work ,tv, food, parties, travel, you name it... the list goes on and on... yet the feeling is still there. I am not religious in any traditional way, yet I am convinced about the existence of a Higher Source, I believe in the World Beyond altho these concepts are fairly new to me. Only a few years ago I started accepting the possibility of a Higher Realm.

My only explanation for my situation is something that happened when I was very little or something that happened in a previous life time. I want to find out my family story. I need to know. I want to find out what I am supposed to do and why I am feeling the way I feel.

I was hoping that a regression session would shine some light on the situation since I have never had 'insights' or help from a higher source indicating the direction I should go.

All I wanted to know is: does any of this makes sense to you and do you know a way I can find out? I desperately want to know.

With Love,

conrad

 

 

Dear Conrad,

You've just described a person who is on their path to Self-Realization. You just happen to be stuck in the Angst that comes from trying to evolve beyond the collective. It sounds like you are on the right track, just keep doing it and all will be revealed to you. You know many things intellectually, which is just a first step. Next you have to integrate the information, both the good and the bad, which mostly takes time. When you look back (that's the value of journaling), it will gradually become more clear and eventually you will be entirely present in the now and see it unfolding around you. It is a process. Once you realize that you are a spiritual being having a human experience, instead of the other way around, you are half way there.

You have always had help from a Higher Source, you just haven't been paying attention. The answers are within. You don't have to be religious to experience guidance from your Soul, maybe just more likely to attribute coincidences to spiritual guidance. There is no separation except in our minds. You have a body, but you are not your body. You have an intellect, emotions, but that is not who you are. You are in this world, but not of it. Meditate and listen to the Silence, in time you will feel it, you will become it.

As for your particular situation, first explore your own childhood. You're likely to find that as a child, you experienced mixed messages from your parents. You never knew what kind of reaction you were going to get from them and probably became a people-pleaser trying not to make Mom or Dad mad. This often comes from parental alcohol/drug abuse and sets up a whole family dynamic to keep the secret. You may need to go through some counseling to see your childhood for what it was and bond with the frightened child within. Behaviors you developed to cope with the situation protected you as a child, but as an adult, do not serve you well. With therapy you can learn to put this in perspective and integrate it to become whole again. A good Transpersonal Psychologist could help you with this.

There are a few things you mentioned that may apply to a past-life situation, but I would work with this life first. Anything that's left, may be uncovered later during regression. In considering past lives, think about the things you react strongly to. These may be things that you did to others in a previous incarnation and now you are experiencing the other side. If you can think of all this as a learning process for your Soul's growth, trying to figure out what your Soul is trying to teach you with these lessons, it makes it a little easier to go through them.

Let me know how you're doing as you progress.

Peace & Joy!

Diane

Do It Anyway

--Mother Theresa

A Message from Dalai Lama

  1. Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
  2. When you lose don't lose the lesson.
  3. Follow the three Rs: Respect for self, Respect for others and Responsibility for all your actions.
  4. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.
  5. Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.
  6. Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.
  7. When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
  8. Spend some time alone every day.
  9. Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values.
  10. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
  11. Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you'll be able to enjoy it a second time.
  12. A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.
  13. In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don't bring up the past.
  14. Share your knowledge. It's a way to achieve immortality.
  15. Be gentle with the earth.
  16. Once a year, go someplace you've never been before.
  17. Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.
  18. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.
  19. Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon. I also know that dreams really do come true and you have my Best Wishes and my best efforts in those.

 

The Breath of God...

"Life's a little thing!" Robert Browning once wrote. But a little thing can mean a life. Even two lives. How well I remember two years ago in downtown Denver, my friend Scott, and I saw something tiny and insignificant change the world, but no one else even seemed to notice.

It was one of those beautiful Denver days, crystal clear, no humidity, not a cloud in the sky. We decided to walk the ten blocks to an outdoor restaurant rather than take the shuttle bus that runs up and down the Sixteenth Street Mall. The restaurant, in the shape of a baseball diamond, was called The Blake Street Baseball Club. The tables were set appropriately on the grass infield. Many colorful pennants and flags hung limply overhead. As we sat outside, the sun continued to beat down on us, and it became increasingly hot. There wasn't a hint of a breeze, and heat radiated up from the tabletop. Nothing moved, except the waiters, of course. And even they didn't move very fast.

After lunch Scott and I started to walk back up the mall. We both noticed a mother holding her daughter by the hand while reading a greeting card. It was immediately apparent to us that she was so engrossed in the card that she did not notice a shuttle bus moving toward her at a good clip.

The mother and daughter were one step away from disaster when Scott started to yell. He hadn't even gotten a word out when a breeze blew the card out of her hand and over her shoulder. She spun around and grabbed at the card, nearly knocking her daughter over. By the time she picked up the card from the ground and turned back around to cross the street, the shuttle bus had whizzed by her. She never even knew what almost happened.

To this day, two things continue to perplex me about this event. Where did that one spurt of wind come from to blow the card out of that young mother's hand? There had not been a whisper of wind at lunch or during our long walk back up the mall. Secondly, if Scott had been able to get his words out, the young mother might have looked up at us as they continued to walk into the bus. It was the wind that made her turn back to the card-- in the one direction that saved her life and that of her daughter. The passing bus did not create the wind. On the contrary, the wind came from the opposite direction.

I have no doubt it was a breath from God protecting them both. But the awesomeness of this miracle is that she never knew. As we continued back to work, I wondered how God often acts in our lives without our being aware. The difference between life and death can very well be a little thing.

Thanks to Stephanie. Her comment: Miracles often blow unseen through our lives

 

 

Instructions for Life

1. Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.

2. Memorize your favorite poem.

3. Don't believe all you hear, spend all you have, or sleep all you want.

4. When you say, "I love you," mean it.

5. When you say, "I'm sorry," look the person in the eye.

6. Be engaged at least six months before you get married.

7 Believe in love at first sight.

8 Never laugh at anyone's dreams. People who don't have dreams don't have much.

9. Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it's the only way to live life completely.

10. In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling.

11. Don't judge people by their relatives.

12. Talk slowly but think quickly.

13. When someone asks you a question you don't want to answer, smile and ask, "Why do you want to know?"

14. Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.

15. Call your Mom.

16. Say "bless you" when you hear someone sneeze.

17. When you lose, don't lose the lesson.

18. Remember the three R's: Respect for self; Respect for others; Responsibility for all your actions.

19. Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.

20. When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.

21. Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice.

22. Marry a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older, their conversational skills will be as important as any other.

23. Spend some time alone.

24. Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values.

25. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.

26. Read more books and watch less TV.

27. Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you'll get to enjoy it a second time.

28. Trust in God but lock your car.

29. A loving atmosphere in your home is so important. Do all you can to create a tranquil harmonious home.

30. In disagreements with loved ones, deal with the current situation. Don't bring up the past.

31. Read between the lines.

32. Share your knowledge. It's a way to achieve immortality.

33. Be gentle with the earth.

34. Pray. There's immeasurable power in it.

35. Never interrupt when you are being flattered.

36. Mind your own business.

37. Don't trust a man/woman who doesn't close his/her eyes when you kiss.

38. Once a year, go someplace you've never been before.

39. If you make a lot of money, put it to use helping others while you are living. That is wealth's greatest satisfaction.

40. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a stroke of luck.

41. Learn the rules then break some.

42. Remember that the best relationship is one where your love for each other is greater than your need for each other.

43. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.

44. Remember that your character is your destiny.

45. Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon.

--Anonymous

NOTE: Feel free to copy this and send on to others.

Haunting dreams

Hello Diane,

I just found your web site since I just woke up this morning and am gratified to find it. I have been crying a cry of recognition reading the feelings and experiences of your other Emailers. I awoke this morning from a dream about my mother. One of many that I frequently have. My mother passed away 10 years ago in 1989 and we were very close. She was my best friend and I would always come to her and share my hopes and dreams and I loved her so much that I could not imagine losing her. I believe in reincarnation because to me it makes the most sense. But even though I know I am to take this life seriously, my soul feels very lost.

In the dreams there are variations, but the general theme is the same. I am looking for my mother's address and discover that I had forgotten where she lived and that I hadn't been paying attention to her and hadn't visited her in a very long time and had neglected her. I will go in to see her, and she will look very sad and resigned. Last night I had a dream I was watching a movie in a place I was unfamiliar with (everything is unfamiliar in my dreams for the past many years) and on the screen popped up a message that a phone call was coming in and the name was my mother's. I went to this big information desk where they had phones and spoke with my mother and I don't remember the conversation clearly, but the sense I get is that "why is it that you never come to see me?"

This is theme that keeps coming up again and again. I am always searching for something in my dreams since I am always traveling. But is it possible my mother is also searching for me?

I am always making references to my mother to my wife who I married in 1984 who also knew her and loved her and she really understands how much I miss her. I am very lucky to have my wife who is my soul mate. I know that we are very familiar with each other on the soul level.

There was a period before my mother became sick that I was very caught up in my own life, trying to move on and create my own destiny. I felt that I never gave my mom back the patient listening and attention when she needed me that I gave her. I wonder if I am just feeling a sense of guilt over the last years of our relationship but I don't think so. (I am also very over analytical). The quality of the dreams is very unfamiliar and other worldly.

Any thoughts you have on this would be so appreciated. I had heard of dream visitations in many readings. If this is indeed my mother visiting me, what is she prompting me to do? How can I respond and make her understand that I love her? I know I could probably recognize her memory more in my waking life by hanging up her pictures, etc.

Thanks so much for giving me the opportunity to finally address these "haunting" dreams.

Michael

 

Dear Michael,

Thank you for your interesting letter. First, don't interpret dreams literally. It sounds like a message to you about something you're neglecting now and your mother is trying to help you understand, but it isn't about your relationship with her. She wants you not to feel guilty, she forgives you and wants you to forgive yourself. She knows how much you love her. Mother symbolizes nurturing and home and family so I would look there first. For example, your wife may be having feelings of inadequacy at measuring up to your mother if you keep comparing her or bringing up how your mother did things. If so, she needs more reassurance from you of her place in your heart. It is also possible that there is something in yourself that you are neglecting and needs more attention. If what I've said doesn't strike a cord and if you don't know the answer right now, start making a list of all the possibilities, considering all your relationships, even to the most absurd, about what your mother in particular might be trying to tell you concerning neglect, then edit the list into degrees of possibilities to further analyze. You can tell when you are on the right track when the dream changes.

I found it contradictory that you don't have any of her pictures up. Perhaps a good idea would be to put up one picture, someplace you pass every day, so you can say hi when you walk by just to keep in touch.

Peace & Joy!

Diane

Dear Diane,

Thank you for responding to my letter. I am taking your suggestions to heart and am going to work on these things. I hope to connect with you ar a later date. I appreciate the time you took to answer my concerns.

Sincerely,

Michael

Can we crossover during meditation?

Hi, I have just lately gotten interested in the NDE. I think this is almost unbelievable, but I am slightly narrow minded. I don't want to be, but I think most people are raised that way. Your story is great. I would like to know what you think about people saying they can crossover through meditation and things of that nature. Do you think this is possible?

Thank you.

Dear Jason,

I think our institutions, as well as the good intentions of our parents, serve to narrow our minds. No, son, you're imaginary friend isn't real. Those angels you see, you don't really see them. No, grandma's dead, she doesn't come into your room at night and read stories to you. etc., etc. By the time we're seven years old, we've been sufficiently convinced the physical world is reality and anything else is skeptical. Then we get into school and get a left-brained dominant education and become so scientifically sophisticated that we wouldn't recognize the light if it slapped us in the face. Finding our spirituality is a process of remembering who we really are.

Meditation is like a bridge which allows the Soul-mind to emerge from the blockages created to protect the Ego, which fears annihilation. The more one practices, the deeper one goes, and there's no telling how far one can go. Prayer is talking to God, meditation is listening to God. God is found in the Silence. Yes, we can leave our bodies because we are not our bodies. We are in this world, but not of it. Nor do we ever die, we just leave our bodies behind and continue our real lives. Many people play with different techniques and, I'm afraid, say they can do things that they can't because their Ego seeks gratification, but, we can do all the things that Jesus did... and more, as he is said to have told us.

I wish you well on your spiritual journey.

Peace & Joy!

Diane

 

I'm at a crossroads

I saw your page and found it very interesting. I have been going through a lot of problems lately and have considered not allowing my life here to continue. I am addicted to gambling and alcohol and that along with the troubles they bring have almost destroyed my marriage and left me in terrible financial trouble. I have considered how my wife and 2 children might be better off without me. I have never found the work I truly need to do. I am a writer of sorts but have always felt nobody wanted to hear what I had to say. Lately however, I have considered writing again, if only to put it on a page on the Internet. Sorry to burden you with all this, yet I felt with your background you might perhaps have an idea or two. I am truly at a crossroad here and need to make a decision soon.

Thanks

Dear Friend,

Consider that you decided before you came into this lifetime to experience addictions that you would have to overcome before you could express your true self. Most people with this challenge eventually experience "the dark night of the soul" during which they may either give in to their addictions and give up their chance to blossom, often committing suicide, or they hit bottom and decide to rise above it. The problem with suicide is that you waste the opportunity of a lifetime and have to wait for rebirth to try again, often with harder lessons to learn-- or this life could be the harder one because you gave up before. In other words, we have to keep doing it until we get it right.

From your letter, it sounds like you have no self-esteem. You need to get into counseling to unravel that knot and realize that you are worthy of everything the Universe has to offer, no matter what happened to you as a child. Since you are able to admit to your addictions, it's a good time to get in to AA and GA to get you priorities in order. You need to learn to turn your life over to a Higher Power because obviously you are not in control, you only think you are (it's an Ego thing).

On the metaphysical side, realize that you have a body, but you are not your body; you have emotions, but you are not your emotions; you are in this world but not of it. You are a great and powerful spiritual being having a human experience full of challenges and obstacles, every one of which is a lesson you need to learn on your Soul path-- don't let them defeat you, learn from them.

Learn mediation to become centered and to get in touch with your inner being (or yoga, tai chi, martial arts, which ever you resonate with). And write! Start with a journal just for self-understanding. As you reread it a year from now, you will see patterns emerge that will give you answers you just can't see now (you can't see the picture when you're in the frame). When you come out the other side, what you write, other people will want to hear because plenty of people are going through the same thing and need to know what you will find out about the strength gained from overcoming addictions.

I wish you well on your path. Keep in touch.

Peace & Joy!

Diane

What did I experience?

Maybe you can help me figure out exactly what happened to me while being prepped for surgery. I was given a drug to help me relax during an outpatient surgery. My heart began to race and I told my husband I was going to try a little bio feed back to calm my heart down. I have always been ultra sensitive to medications. Next thing I knew I went to the other side. According to my husband I was lying there eyes wide open unresponsive, lifeless. My heart rhythm very unstable. I was in another dimension. I had access to my past present and future. An entity spoke to me using telepathy. However, I don't remember a tunnel or a light. It was very shadowy yet very pleasant. Time felt like a different perception. Every question I asked was about every secret of life was answered. I felt like the dimension I was in was more real than the one I left. The entity told me I had to go back because I had a mission. He told me I was looking really silly right then to every one in the room, but that I would be O.K. (He or she, I couldn't tell, had a very wonderful sense of humor) They said everything was as it should be. I felt very safe and comforted. As I came back to consciousness I realized that I was in the middle of a Seizure. Shortly after I stablized. The doctor decided to proceed with the surgery. I was given a general anesthesia but during the surgery I became some sort of Medium. I could look at the people around me and feel what they had felt on their deepest conscious level. I could feel that one of the men operating had lost someone they loved and I told him so. An entity was trying to convey that everything was O.K. on the other side. I told him so. He had to excuse himself from the operation to pull him self together because he had lost his wife a few years earlier. I don't know if I had a near death experience or if the drug gave me some sort of ability to cross the veil. I'm confused. My husband believes me but feels I'm a bit obsessed with the whole thing. Got any answers?

Dear Friend,

There are many, many different kinds of experiences being reported and no one has put them all together yet to figure out what's going on. But something happens that allows consciousness to expand beyond the physical realm and into the spiritual so that we have a conscious experience of it. You had an out-of-body experience (OOBE) which is the initial experience of the NDE, but that's as far as you went. It was no less real or profound or life changing. Small wonder you're obsessed with it! You can call it an NDE or an OOBE or a spiritual experience, it's up to you. I would channel that energy into developing your psychic abilities, otherwise they will disappear over time. A good book for background is the Encyclopedic Psychic Dictionary by June Bletzer. You're likely to change your focus into the healing arts and may be surprised how your life will change.

Peace & Joy!

Diane

 

 

I guess I demand proof

Dear Diane,

I guess I am what you would call a spiritual seeker. But what would you tell a scientist about the experience of dying? A scientist who has never had any experiences which one would call "spiritual," but believes that first and foremost we are physical beings. Perhaps what you experienced was possible only because you were not clincially dead, because here you are, and your experience was a result of your consciousness. There is no proof that anything exists beyond consciousness. I'm not a scientist but try to think like one. I guess I demand proof, but hope that we do survive physical death. How can I become a more spiritual person, without giving up my critical thinking capabilities? Do you think this is possible? Your entire life was transformed by your experience, so I understand why you believe. What concerns me most is the clear light of truth. Any advice?

Thank you in advance for taking the time to reply.

Very Sincercerly,

Erika

Dear Erika,

I'm also scientific minded and analytical, I don't accept anything without proof, but I can't deny what I experienced. I'm not sure I would believe, however, if I hadn't. Before my experience, I didn't believe anything religions taught, but during my experience, it all made perfect sense to me how people interpreted these things the way they did. I guess my main thought before was that there has to be more than this, otherwise life is meaningless, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. Now I look at Nature and I see the answers every where I look. Everything is in process, continually renewing and evolving. Everything is energy in one form or another. I got into studying subatomic particle theory and could see that Science was close to proving the existence of God. No matter how far into the atom we go, there is still more. Conversely, no matter how far into outer space we go, there is still more. As it is above, so it is below. Infinity is more infinite than we can imagine. Light is both particle and wave, material and spiritual, depending on its vibration. The more dense, the more material; the less dense, the more ethereal. Energy cannot be destroyed, only transformed. It is all relative to the observer, said Einstein. So I can take my experience and compare it to scientific knowledge and declare they are the same, and it all makes perfect sense to me. So I'm not just some wacko who had a weird experience and is trying to make everyone believe me. I've really picked this apart with my critical thinking and, frankly, I can't find anything to disprove it. So don't throw out your own critical thinking, keep searching, become discerning, seek your inner wisdom, the answers will come when you are ready to receive the truth.

Peace & Joy!

Diane

 

I need to know...

Dear Diane,

I lost my sister 3 months ago to a terrible infection, Sepsis. My sister had been sick for so long diabetes, a stroke , heart attack , kidney failure and then a bowel obstruction that she needed an operation for and then got the infection, I can't seem to get her suffering out of my mind. She told me she was going to die and I said no your not and she asked me to promise her and I told her I couldn't. She suffered so much at the end I know she didn't want to go but I had to make the decision on not to resuscitate and she died alone while I was at work, the last words I said to my sister the night before were I Love You and she said that she loved me too, I wish I had one more minute to say all the things I should have said when she was here . I know that if there was a way for her to talk to me she would so you see I'm having a hard time believing she's ok now and I need to know . My sister was 10 years older than me but always a child trusting in people and usually getting hurt, she didn't deserve all the pain she had in life,and I need to know that she's OK and that we will see each other again.

Thank you for listening to me.

Gail

 

 

Dear Gail,

I'm sorry your sister had to go through so much but the truth is, we don't know what our Soul decided to experience before coming into this world, only that there was a reason, something it needed to learn through this experience of life. And though it is hard for us to imagine that any good could come out of it, it was what her Soul needed. As soon as your sister left her body, she realized the whys and what fors and was filled with love and compassion which she will always carry with her. That the two of you had such a strong bond is a very positive thing for both of you, both for her future and for yours. For you, there is further work to do on this plane while she has much to do where she is. It is important to honor your sister's life by doing something positive for others in her memory-- the what will come to you when you are ready.

Say what you wanted to say to your sister now, she can hear you. It is as difficult for them to contact us and it is for us to notice when they do. Don't have expectations of how contact may occur as it is often so subtle that we dismiss it. It could be a favorite song playing over and over in your head, the smell of her perfume or her favorite food, a crooked picture on the wall, a book left open to a certain page, a gentle breeze where there should be none, you being guided to a certain place she liked to go to. Just know that she is fine, healthy and whole, and getting on with her life, and wishes the same for you.

What is sad to me is that people are afraid of death so they don't talk about it, as if not talking about it will prevent it. Instead we could say all the things that we want to say and have closure before the person goes if we were aware this was a natural part of life and that we will see each other again. This is what I have put forth in my book, Through the Tunnel, which I hope you will read. I think you will find it comforting to know what happened as she died and that she wasn't alone.

Peace & Joy!

Diane

 

I have no direction

My name is Billie, years ago I had a NDE that has changed my life forever. After my NDE I have been on this "wait" mode. Like I am suppose to do something but it hasnt yet happened. After my NDE I have had prophetic dreams but they really dont tell me much or should I say that I didnt really understand them & I know that I have a special friend looking over me from the other side that has helped me through some low points in my life. I have been recently diagnosed with Hepatitis C. That in itself has changed my life & I find myself alone with no direction but in "wait" mode. I have a hard time getting my act together now. Am I at the end of my life? I dont feel like I have accomplished my goal whatever it is! I do know that life after death is a beautiful space that I didnt want to leave but I dont want to leave this life until I complete my goal, but what is it. I am poor with no direction. Can you help????

Billie

Dear Billie,

I spent many years in confusion after my NDE. Seven years after, I went back to college but wasn't aware of why I was doing it. It just felt right. Five years later, after graduation, I still didn't know what I was supposed to do. I'd say it wasn't until 20 years after my NDE that I began to get some clarity. But when I look back, I can see what I couldn't see while it was happening and realize I was on a path all along. You can't see the picture when you're in the frame. Just keep doing whatever interests you, even this disease may offer some clues, find out everything you can, follow every lead, sooner or later it will hit you and you will realize that everything that has happened has been leading you to this point. Follow you heart.

Peace & Joy!

Diane

 

 

Help Ease My Mind

Hello Diane....I really don't know how to begine this letter.....but here goes..

For some years now,,,,,since I was 16 I have had severe pains in my chest...I have been to the emergency room numerous times over the years and have been to one doctor after another....They could never tell me with any clarity what was wrong with me...Though I have not "died" , I have had several unexpainable experiences...I remember beiing in the emergency room and feeling like I was leaving my body....All I can really remember of the experience is seeing dazzling colors....painted over my normal vision...Its was quite unnerving to say the least. In the last year, i have been trying to identify with a higher power....going to chruch, praying.....seeking guidance..trying to prepare myself for what is to come soon for me...I have known since I was young that I would not live long here. I don't know why I knew that....ingraved in me I guess....I feel as though I am fighting simply for understanding....I guess it would help me to talk to someone who knows.....what I am going through....could you help...

Dear Anthony,

There are a number of possibilities, including something from a past life surfacing in which you were, perhaps, crushed to death. You may also be experiencing kundalini energy rising and higher consciousness experiences with which you are not familiar. I can help answer some of your questions and direct you to areas to study more so you are more in control. Talk to me...

Peace & Joy!

Diane

 

I must say that I am glad that you responded, but I am curious to know.......of your own experience...Perhaps that is the best medicine for me....I guess I feel as though something is terribly wrong within me...I have waited on God...to maybe speak to me....make this easy for me somehow...make sense... I fear for my soul...fear God....but feel like my voice is encased in glass.....I have looked for direction most of my life...seeking something hidden within......reading words in the bible...wanting so much to believe...You see faith is lost to me..oft...If I could believe with all of my heart, than everything else would be so simple..even death..

When I was 14 or so, I had an experience that made me.....at least feel a prescence, a divine spark if you will. I was riding my bicycle across a street here in town..Trying to impress some kid I was with...Acting as though I was invincible I strode out into traffic just feel away from a semi-truck...Suddenly one of my pedals just broke off and I was sent crashing to the ground....I was tangled up in my bicycle..I couldn't move, then I saw the wheels...it seemed like inches away......then time stopped...Though I could still see, everything moved at a snails pace, the wheel incked along and I felt as though I was already dead...I felt no fear, only the knowledge that I was living the last moment....it seemed I was somehow prepared for this...Just then I felt hands upon me and a quick tug...pulling me away from the wheel...The semi skidded by, screaching..slamming on his brakes...He actually verved into the opposite side of the road...Finally he came to rest...I jumped up and ran across the street...thanking my frined who had been with me for saving my life...."I didn't do it", he said....He had never moved...yet I had been pulled free....by whom, and for what? Years later, I look upon that moment... that moment....a burning eddifice cast about the waters of the mind...Why? I have had other experiences....dying slowly as I am.. I just lust for reason for my being here..

Tell me your story...Diane...help ease my mind...

 

Dear Anthony,

Let me get this straight, an angel pulled you away from the wheels of a truck and you still have trouble believing? What is it you think you're suppose to be believing in. You see, we all have "weird" experiences but we dismiss them because it isn't popular, acceptable (religion) or talked about by "normal" people, but that doesn't make them not real. Trust your intuition about what is true and believe in that, not what others tell you you should believe.

It is your Soul urging you to look within yourself that asks these questions. Prayer is talking to God, meditation is listening to God. When you stop the ramblings of your conscious mind and listen only to the Silence, God is speaking to you. Not in words, but in a subtle way that will manifest in your life. But you have to learn to pay attention to subtle clues and synchronicities or you will miss them and your ego will lead you astray. It's the ego that thinks we are separate and alone-- and doesn't believe in angels.

The most important concept to "get" is that there is no separation of us from God, we are all one. The dichotomy is that from one come many. I liken it to holding a prism up to the light and seeing all the colors shine through the other side. The light is one (God) and we are all the colors. The only thing that keeps us from understanding is our belief that we are separate, that is an erroneous assumption. We have a body but we are not that body... we have emotions but we are not our emotions... we have an intellect but we are not our intellect... we are in the world but not of it. We are spiritual beings having human experiences, not the reverse which is what most people think. We take on human form to experience the physical world, to learn about it, to enjoy it, to experience emotions, to have relationships, to express love to others, and to return to our Soul with greater understanding about love. Your Soul purpose is to be the best YOU you can be, the grandest version of the greatest vision you have of yourself. Discover your talents, explore your interests, figure out what it is that brings you the most joy-- and do it, the best you can. That is all there is.

Peace & Joy!

Diane

Science/Religion/Spirituality Debate

 Every now and then someone engages me in a philosophical/theological debate by email. This time I thought I'd let other visitors join in on it. After reading the following dialogue, please email your comments and I will include them.

 

Dear Diane,

Very interesting NDE account... (I happen to be a librarian!)

Lately, I've gotten back in touch with examining how modern Physics actually supports the NDE. (I experienced a NDE about eight years ago.) A common thread in NDE stories is how one seems to experience "no time" as we do here on Earth, and this is consistent with the multi-dimensional models presented in relativity and quantum mechanics. Einstein's theory of relativity shows that our concepts of space and time do not agree with actual reality. Our three-dimensional space and our one-dimensional time are actually two aspects of a four-dimensional reality referred to as "space-time." The existence of "space-time" has been verified through years of experiments, and is proven via mathematics.

There is a very good paper on the Internet that discusses the multi-dimensional model of the universe called Revolution in Common Sense or Quantum Metaphysics by Joachim E. Wolf (site no longer available). I don't know this author but find his discussion to be consistent with what I've been taught by a friend who is a Physicist. Given your "experience," I thought you might find this interesting. I find it to be "mind-blowing!"

The one core belief that I do not share with you is our need to reincarnate in order to "become perfect" and return to God. Prior to my NDE, while in college and after, I thought that reincarnation made sense because I felt an affinity with the notion of "learning lessons" and so forth. However, since my NDE over the years, I've come to believe that our own reincarnation would be futile.

Let me preface this discussion by quoting a passage from Revolution in Common Sense... The author draws a very profound conclusion from the multi-dimensional model: There are two types of causality - temporal causation and holistic causation. Temporal causation is what we perceive given our limited (human) three-dimensional sense of reality, and is confined to space and time. Specifically, if certain conditions exist and certain events occur at some time, then these cause another set of conditions and events at a later time. On the other hand, holistic causation occurs between the higher dimension (soul) and its lower dimension components (self). All selves (persons) influence their common soul, and the soul influences all its selves (persons) simultaneously, regardless of where they happen to appear in time and space (remember, four-dimensional "space-time" here!). Thus, the author reasonably concludes that no temporal causation exists between reincarnations, unless they meet in physical life. Karma, as is generally thought to be, is misleading. Karma actually refers to the "force of creation, wherefrom all things have their life..." To interpret Karma as "fate" reflects our lower-dimensional conceptualization rather than reality. I conclude that Karma is actually God and not fate.

That said, I no longer believe that we have to "reincarnate" in order to achieve salvation or return to God. It is reasonable to think that no reincarnation by ourself, no matter how many times done, could ever result in perfection of oneself because the mere fact of "reentering" this limited, imperfect world means acquiring imperfection! Only God, who possesses an infinite-dimensional (perfect) nature, could "reincarnate" Himself (I believe through Jesus Christ, His Son) and establish the perfect pattern for a human life lived. Having done that, God offers this gift of salvation (no need to reincarnate) to those who believe and accept.

In other words, reincarnation by us is futile. God (knew) knows this and (gave) gives us a solution, Jesus, as our Savior. John 14:6, being Sacred Scripture from the (Christian) Bible, doesn't reference just ANY teacher or savior. It is a direct reference to Jesus as being "the Way, the Truth, and the Light..."

Mind you, this is faith and not something that anyone can prove! That's what faith is about - trust. The closest "proof" for the existence of a higher being, I believe, is modern Physics' multi-dimensional model with all of its many, many mathematical equations telling us that there is something beyond our comprehension! To me, God is infinite-dimensional: omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient.

Thank you for reading my email. After browsing your website, I just felt led to share my thoughts with you.

Peace be with you --

K

 

Dear K,

I certainly agree that Science and Spirituality have come close to describing the same thing, each from their own perspective. And I see reincarnation as an integral component. Perhaps because I differ some on some of your concepts.

Karma is essentially energy in action governed by physical laws in the physical dimension only (e.g., for every action there is a reaction). It's neutral. It's when the energy is encased in a human being that we think of things like, fate is directing us, though that's not really true. And there are many kinds of karma just to confound the issue-- karma we bring with us, karma we create while here, accumulated karma, group karma, species karma, country karma, ethnic karma, and so on. All of it is energy (atoms) bouncing off each other at the subatomic level. We think of it as our lives. On the spiritual level, we don't accumulate new karma though we do burn off bad karma during rebirth. The Soul absorbs the learning gained during its last human experience in its quest to learn all there is about ALL THAT IS, but there is always more to learn, and the only way to learn about being in the physical world is to reincarnate as a physical being. Reincarnation isn't a punishment because we created bad karma and have to pay for it. And it's not Diane Goble or K who reincarnates, it is the Soul which projected them projecting another human being, this time as Joe Blow or Chin Li or Maria Sanchez or Chaka Zulu, in another time, another place, to continue learning about giving and receiving unconditional love. Call it a perfecting process of the Soul or the creation of the perfect atom, it's an ongoing, never-ending, continuous process of evolution and involution, and it's definitely not a straight line!

God is everything you said, and everything you did not say, all that is and all that is not. Not a being, that is a lesser god, certainly higher than Zeus or Ra, but still not GOD, ALL THAT IS. That's pretty incomprehensible to most human minds and I'm not about to try to explain it further. But certainly not someone we can blame for what goes wrong with our lives or our planet, or of any imaginable form we could capture on paper. The process of becoming, on the Soul level, is also beyond human conceptualization. I can say striving for perfection in reference to reincarnation, but that doesn't begin to capture the meaning of it on the Soul level. I just can't find other words to describe what is actually going on even though I can still see it, so I'll leave it at that.

As for God's gift of Salvation through Jesus Christ, the gift is that if a human being follows the example of Jesus throughout it's human lifetime, it will return to its Soul the lessons of unconditional love its Soul needs to learn so it doesn't need to reincarnate in the physical dimension anymore. It can, if it wants to, for a special mission, but it is free to move on to higher spiritual realms and higher learning. At the subatomic level, the atom has raised its frequency and now vibrates at a higher rate which brings it closer to the Light.

Jesus also told us that we can do all that he could do and more. I believe that the veil between dimensions is an illusion that can be penetrated (by raising the frequency of our vibration while we're in body) and that we can shift between dimensions at will. I believe this "science" will eventually lead us to greater healing of the human body and greater appreciation for the opportunity to experience lifetimes in human bodies.

Peace & Joy!

Diane

 

Hi Diane,

I would like to forward to you some thoughts from an Internet friend of mine who shares our interest in Science and Religion. As you'll find, I did share your comments with him. He is a Christian, and to me, his comments should inspire one towards further study of the Scriptures to discover their true meaning...

Regards,

K

 

Hi N,

This is an intriguing email I received that you might find interesting. I emailed Diane back, saying that I couldn't agree with her "explanation" on Salvation through Christ because it reduces Christ to merely a "teacher" instead of Saviour, thereby negating the essential truth of Christianity.

To me, it is reasonable to view achieving "perfection" via reincarnation as impossible or at least highly unlikely. I guess those who believe in reincarnation (as most world religions proclaim) just cannot accept God's gift through His Son.

In Christ,

K

 

Hi K:

Here's some off-the-cuff reaction to some of Diane's e-mail. Feel free to forward it or whatever, if you find it helpful.

~ N

Diane wrote:

God is everything you said, and everything you did not say, all that is and all that is not. Not a being, that is a lesser god, certainly higher than Zeus or Ra, but still not GOD, ALL THAT IS.

Response:

That appears to be a nonsense statement. If one is attempting to define God in a Pantheistic manner as being "all that is", implying total ontological identity between Creator and His Creation, that's one "truth claim", but to say in the same breath that God is both:

(A) All that is

and

(Non-A) All that is not

is fallacious and absurd in that it is a violation of the rule of logic known as the Law of Non-Contradiction, which states:

"Something cannot be (A) and (Non-A) at the same time and in tha same relationship."

The key to clear ideas, clear definitions and clear communication of them is rational thought, logical definition of terms, and consistent application of those definitions.

Diane continued:

That's pretty incomprehensible to most human minds and I'm not about to try to explain it further. But certainly not someone we can blame for what goes wrong with our lives or our planet, or of any imaginable form we could capture on paper.

No rancor intended, but that's pretty incomprehensible to any human mind because it is nonsense, and the reason one would be loathe to try to explain it further is that it would be an impossible task. The temptation to lapse into absurdity in an effort to "express the inexpressible' or to demonstrate the ineffability of God can be explained psychologically as well as spiritually. The human heart is wicked, sinful, alienated from a righteous and Holy God. Rather than face such an ugly truth, yet knowing intuitively that there is something more to reality than "meets the eye", we search diligently for comfort by embracing the belief that there is Something superhuman, but it's anything BUT personal, and is certainly nothing or No-One to whom I am morally responsible. Of course there's No-One watching us live our sinful, selfish lives and keeping score. That is unbearable.

Diane continued:

As for God's gift of Salvation through Jesus Christ, the gift is that if a human being follows the example of Jesus throughout it's human lifetime, it will return to its Soul the lessons of unconditional love its Soul needs to learn so it doesn't need to reincarnate in the physical dimension anymore.

Response:

Our source of the specifics of Jesus' teachings, the scriptures, tell a very different story. I would be interested to know with what authority or justification the story has been so misinterpreted, This is equivalent to me claiming that Abraham Lincoln said, "You ain't nothin' but a hound dog, barkin' all the time." or "She Loves you , Yeah, Yeah, Yeah." and attempting to construct a new political platform based on the mystery contained therein. I can only suggest that the Bible be examined and the message in it be digested and considered.

Diane continued:

At the subatomic level, the atom has raised its frequency and now vibrates at a higher rate which brings it closer to the Light. Jesus also told us that we can do all that he could do and more. I believe that the veil between dimensions is an illusion that can be penetrated (by raising the frequency of our vibration) and that we can shift between dimensions at will. I believe this "science" will eventually lead us to greater healing of the human body and greater appreciation for the opportunity to experience lifetimes in human bodies.

Response:

Rather than misquote the Saviour and make unfounded claims for theoretical physics, there exist two sciences that are better applied to the subject at hand: One is Exegesis, the science of explanation and critical analysis of literary texts. The other is Hermenutics, the science of interpretation. In considering cultural and historical contexts, literary style, type and uses of language (analogical, univocal, literal, figurative, etc.) the application of both of these sciences will bring the "seeker" at least to a point of being confronted with the actual content of the biblical documents and present an opportunity for a reasoned response to their truth claims.

This is too important a subject to fool around with speculation, wishful thinking and flights of fancy. It has Ultimate significance for each of us. We have the opportunity to discover God through the revelation He has given us; I pray we don't blow it.

Regardless of what Abe Lincoln may have said, you're more than just a hound dog. Use your head.

~ N

Follow-up from Adam:

Hi Diane:

Sound to me like "N's" ego is still blocking his/her soul from the self realization that the issue here isn't whether he/she can disprove you based on their scientific writing prowress, but that GOD IS LOVE, and that maybe Jesus dying to save our sins 2000 years ago was a CHOICE given to us when we DO physically die. Come with me, or if you feel the need, continue learning from the physical world. Haven't they been reading? Denial, closed-mindedness, and taking the Bible literally aren't probably too high on the list of higher concerns.

That's exactly what I loathe about people who act like they want to care but in all reality don't (although I am trying not to get angry because I realize no one is perfect). I've been a confused Christian for 31 years and within a week of reading from your website I feel a newfound joy in wanting to understand the soul's purpose, journey, etc.in a positive way. My brother is dealing with depression and everyone's quick to put him on medication and treat him like something's wrong with the chemical's in his brain, and that he needs some institiutional "help" instead of maybe a different outlook on life from a different viewpoint (or all viewpoints). I hope my views, albeit don't exactly follow the Bible in a literal sense anymore, might open his mind to a more positive outlook on his souls journey.

By the way, that was good Diane : )

 

Dear Adam,

Thank you for contributing to the debate.

It takes a leap from both the Bible and the laboratory to see life as a soul journey rather than a human drama. I've learned to be patient with those who are stuck in their old thinking. We are all somewhere on our path and, as we grow, we learn to have empathy for those who don't even realize they are on a spiritual path... because we were there once. I'm grateful your mind was opened by reading my site and hope you have success with giving your brother a more positive outlook to consider. There is great strength in depression. Consider it as a battle within the mind between the ego and the soul. The ego thinks the soul wants to take over and annhilate it so fights against the light by doing negative things. The soul only seeks to be recognized, not to kill the ego, but to work together for the well-being of the human being. The meaning of turning over our Will to God or a Higher Power is to be guided by our soul, not our ego (what "I" wants). Depression is a symptom of our soul trying to get our attention, we win the battle by paying attention to our soul and therein lies the strength we gain. Perhaps that will help you with your brother.

Peace & Joy!

Diane

 

Spiritual Confusion

Dear Diane,

Have been reading your web page with interest. Looks like you get a lot of questions!

Guess what? I have two more for you to field.

I have some spiritual confusion which virtually no one I know has the background to help me with. I am hoping you may be able to shed some light. Since 1976 I have been doing zen meditation on a daily basis, with the exception of a year or so in 1990. At that time I had a deeply personal experience of salvation through the grace of Christ. Since then I have been in LOVE with the bible. But I notice I love it in a way that is different from many other Christians. I think the whole book was written to show the enormity of God's love for us, which, strictly speaking cannot be expressed in ANY written words. The best words can do is the idea of grace, which is that God's wonderful love and mercy are there for us ALL the time - all we have to do is realize it! This love is so deep and intense it makes our tiny, self-centered efforts at achievement almost ludicrous, except insofar as we learn something from them. Where I run into problems with other Christians is that they often treat the bible as a kind of fortress which must be defended at all costs from assaults - there is a kind of fearful, narrow attitude, which I find difficult to relate to because God radiates so much love. Or, they cut this living book to shreds with scholarly analyses, which just feels dead and insensitive to the throbbing life the book radiates.

Also, I keep meditating because I am so drawn to it. When I run into Buddhists, they are puzzled by my love for the bible. When I run into Christians, they are puzzled by my love of meditation, which some of them disqualify as "new age," etc. Any thoughts or suggestions?

Thanks and best wishes! I appreciate your willingness to respond to people about your experience and what you have learned.

Scott

 

Dear Scott,

I only put up a few of the more frequently asked questions I get, but its only the tip of the ice berg. Sometimes I'm so inundated with email I'm weeks behind in answering. I only see one question in your letter so if I missed the second one, let me know.

I'll answer by referring to the development of human cognition. As a child develops physically, there are also mental milestones, such as a baby at around six months realizes when something disappears, it is not gone forever. Before that, if one puts a cloth over a toy, the baby loses interest, but after, it will try to remove the cloth to find the toy. So it is that around the age of 12, the ability to reason normally kicks in and the child begins to think things through and ask questions rather than accept what it is told. And there is the theory of moral development, most people never get above the law and order stage to realize universal principals. So developmentally, some adults are stuck at levels that don't allow them to transcend the literal, black and white, right and wrong thinking more appropriate to childhood. I have many email arguments, especial with Christians, who take the Bible literally, and are unable to open their minds. It usually takes some catastrophe in their lives to get them to question what they've been told not to question. Behavioral theory would say that it's their conditioned responses that keep them stuck. This also keeps them from learning to meditate which, as you know, has the ability to expand awareness beyond the physical plane. They've been taught this is the devil's work or whatever so they are afraid. Fear (of this vengeful, conditional god they've conjured up) keeps a lot of people in the dark too. So you've transcended the physical plane and realized the truth that God is simply unconditional love, but everyone isn't there yet and, like God, we must have infinite patience, for everyone is on their own path toward enlightenment, at their own speed. Loving them, rather than trying to enlighten them, is the best thing we can do for them. One thing I've noticed with many Buddhists is that they develop an attitude of superiority, thinking they are enlightened and others are lost. Sounds a lot like, if you don't repent, you will go to hell. Transpersonal psychology has an interesting answer-- when you finally get through the gate the illusion) and look back, you realize there is no difference, no separation, no gate, and there never was. We have to go back through the gate and continue our human lives with the realization that we are all one with God and each other. We are all some aspect of One constantly changing, evolving omnipresent consciousness coming to know ItSelf.

My personal observation during my NDE was that all religions are the same, they just use different words, that none of them go far enough in teaching the truth. Truth has been withheld from the masses and replaced with fear in order to control them. When I read the Bible before my NDE, I was just reading words, but when reading it after, I understood fully-- and realized the difficulty the writers had in finding words to describe the ineffable (as I did in trying to describe my experience). What was it Jesus said about teaching in parables to the people and saving the truth for his disciples? In the book I wrote, Through the Tunnel, I did my best to step down my language to reach the greatest numbers of those seeking to raise the Consciousness of Humanity by changing themselves to living in peace and harmony with all Life-- which is the whole idea of the Bible. Though everyone who reads the Bible, doesn't "get it." I think we have to reach a certain level of awareness before that could actually happen. And as you said the written word doesn't produce understanding, that's where meditation comes in, to help us synthesize the words on a higher level. Linguists will tell you there are levels of understanding language, which always makes me think of the Riddle of the Sphinx (what creature walks with four legs in the morning, two legs in the afternoon, and three legs in the evening?) which can only be understood at the meta-level. So depending on one's level of understanding, one will interpret the written word accordingly.

Peace & Joy!

Diane

Dear Diane,

Your response put into words a gut feeling I have had for a long time. Thank you!

It seems to be very difficult for us to shed our identifications with our self-egos, our families, our nations, our religions and so forth to see we are all one living, radiant heart. It is as though we are going around wearing uniforms of different kinds without being aware of it. When one of our "teams" gets put down, we're ready to fight, conquer, all the "primitive" stuff.

I, too, have had the feeling that the biblical authors, especially of the New Testament, were struggling to put the inexpressible into words. They did a pretty good job, but even so...

I also have the feeling that if we don't grow beyond the tribal stage and start really caring for each other, trouble will be looming.

Thanks again and best wishes!

Scott

 

An Open Letter from God

Paul Harvey, American radio's premier commentator, read this on his Noon News, Saturday, May 16, 1998. The response was overwhelming. Harvey's Chicago office was inundated by phone calls, mail and faxes. Here's the text:

An Open Letter from God:

My dear children, and believe Me, that is all of you, I consider Myself a pretty patient guy. I mean, look at the Grand Canyon. It took millions of years to get it right. And about evolution? Boy, nothing is slower than designing that whole Darwinian thing to take place cell by cell and gene by gene.

And I have been patient through your fashions, your civilizations, wars and schemes, and the countless ways that you take Me for granted until you get yourselves into big trouble again and again.

I want to let you know about some of the things that started ticking Me off. First of all, your religious rivalries are driving Me up a wall. Enough already!

Let's get one thing straight. These are your religions, not Mine. I'm the whole enchilada. I'm beyond 'em all.

Every one of your religions claims that there's only one of Me, which, by the way, is absolutely true, but in the very next breath each religion claims that it's My favorite one. And each claims its bible was written personally by Me, and that all of the other bibles are man-made. Oh, Me. How do I ever begin to put a stop to such complicated nonsense?

All right, listen up now. I am your Father and Mother, and I don't play favorites among My children.

Also, I hate to break it to you, but I don't write. My longhand is awful, and I've always been more of a doer anyway. So ALL of your books, including those bibles, were written by men and women. They were inspired men and women, they were remarkable people, but they also made mistakes here and there. And I made sure of that, so that you would never trust a written word rather than your own living heart.

You see, one human being to Me -- even a bum on the street -- is worth more than all of the holy books in the world. That's just the kind of a guy I am.

My spirit is not an historical thing. It's alive right now, right now, as fresh as your next breath. Holy books and religious rites are sacred and powerful, but they are not more so than the least of you. They were only meant to steer you in the right direction, not to keep you arguing with each other, and certainly not to keep you from trusting your own personal connection with Me.

Which brings Me to My next point about your nonsense. You act like I need you and your religions to stick up for Me or win souls for My sake. Please, don't do Me any favors. I can stand quite well on My own, thank you. I don't need you to defend Me, I don't need constant credit. I just want you to be good to each other.

And another thing. I don't get all worked up over money or politics, so stop dragging My name into your dramas. For example, I swear to Me that I never threatened Oral Roberts. I never rode in any of Rajneesh's Rolls Royces and I never told Pat Robertson to run for president, and I have never had a conversation with Jim Bakker, Jerry Falwell or Jimmy Swaggart.

Of course, one day, I certainly intend to.

Now the thing is, I want you to stop thinking of religion as some sort of a loyalty pledge to Me. The true purpose of religion is so that YOU can become more aware of ME, not the other way around. Believe Me, I know you already. I know what's in each of your hearts, and I love you anyway with no strings attached. So, lighten up and enjoy Me. That's what religion's best for.

What you seem to forget is how mysterious I am. You look at the petty differences in your scriptures and you say, "Well, if this is the truth, then that can't be." But instead of trying to figure out My paradoxes and unfathomable nature -- which, by the way, you never will -- why not opener hearts to the simple, common threads of every religion? You know what I'm talking about. Play nice with each other. Love and respect everyone. Be kind. Even when life is scary or confusing, take courage and be of good cheer, for I'm always with you.

And learn how to be quiet, so that you can hear My still, small voice. I don't like to shout. Leave the world a better place by living your life with dignity and gracefulness, for you are My own child. Hold back nothing from life, for the parts of you that can die surely will, and the parts that can't, won't. So don't worry, be happy. (I stole that last line from Bobby McFerrin, but Who gave it to him in the first place?)

Simple stuff now. Why do you keep making it so complicated? It's like you're always looking for an excuse to be upset. And I am very tired of being your main excuse. Do you think whether you call Me God, or Yahweh, or Jehovah, Allah, Wakatonka, Brahma, Father, Mother, even the Void of Nirvana? Do you think I care which of My Special Children you feel closest to -- Jesus, Mary, Buddha, Krishna, Mohammed or any of the others? You can call Me and My Special Ones any names you choose, if only you will go about My business of loving one another as I love you. How can you keep neglecting something so simple?

No, I am not telling you to abandon your religions. Enjoy your religions, honor them, learn from them, just as you should enjoy, honor, and learn from your parents. But do you walk around telling everyone that your parents are better than theirs? Your religion, like your parents, may always have the most special place in your heart. I don't mind that at all. And I don't want you to combine all of the great traditions into One big mess. Each religion is unique for a reason. Each has a unique style so that people can find the best path for themselves. But My Special Children -- the ones that your religions revolve around -- all live in the same place in My heart, and they get along perfectly, I assure you.

The clergy must stop creating a myth of sibling rivalry where there is none. My blessed children of Earth, the world has grown too small for your pervasive religious bigotries and confusion. The whole planet is now connected by air travel, satellite dishes, telephones, fax machines, rock concerts, diseases and mutual needs and concerns. Get with the program!

If you really want to help me celebrate the birthday of My Son Jesus, then commit yourselves to figuring out how to feed your hungry and clothe your naked, and protect your abused and shelter your poor. And just as important, make your own everyday life a shining example of kindness and good humor. I've given you all the resources you need, if only you abandon your fear of each other and begin living, and loving and laughing together.

Now, I am not really ticked off. Not really. I just wanted to grab your attention because I hate to see you suffer. But I gave you free will, so what can I do now other than try to influence you through reason, persuasion, and a little old-fashioned guilt and manipulation?

After all, you know I am the original Jewish Mother. I just want you to be happy, and I'll sit in the dark. I really am with you always.

Always.

Trust in Me.

Your One and Only,

God

 

Understanding the Metaphysical POV

Dear Diane,

I am not quite sure what has made me start writing this message to you. I read the story about your near-death experience, and it was fascinating. I guess what made me write is that I am 38 and in the process of a very ugly divorce, trying to put my life together - supporting myself against all odds, raising my kids etc. When I am not too busy just trying to get through the day, I sometimes try to understand this process from a metaphysical point of view. Maybe you could help me shed some light on the matter. If you don't have the time, then hey, just wrote to say hello.

Ruth

 

Dear Ruth,

When the student is ready, the teacher appears!

Well, having gone through the same thing myself, I can look back and see that I needed to learn to let go of people and things that weren't important and to focus on what is really important, to come to an understanding of how we need to trust in the process and not get caught up in the drama. I learned that I'm no good to anyone else when I don't take care of myself and that everything will turn out all right if I just get out of my own way. It's hard to see the picture when you're in the frame, but once some time passes and you can look back on it, you'll have a better perspective. The secret is to become the observer of your life so that, eventually, you see what is happening immediately, understand the lesson it is trying to teach you, and get on with your higher purpose without getting bogged down in the details. Some women stay in terrible marriages until one of them finally kills the other. How smart is that? The struggle you're going through now will result in the biggest growth spurt of your life as you evolve toward higher consciousness.

Starting a journal is a good idea to help you sort out your feelings, define your strengths and weaknesses, figure out who Ruth is. Reading back on it, months and years later, can help you put things into perspective, more so than trusting your memory. Meditation is a good tool, also yoga, tai chi and the like, to help you stay focused and centered and on your spiritual path. Stay in the now, the past is gone and the future isn't here yet. Now is where you plant the seeds for the future (with your thoughts).

Peace & Joy!

Diane

 

Dear Diane,

I guess there are lots of things that I know intellectually, and I need to somehow know them on an emotional level. The things you write seem very right, and they are not new to me, the question is how the hell to do them!! One of my problems is how to deal with my husband, who has declared world war 3 when I am a pacifict. I thought that there would be social pressure applied upon my husband - that someone would say 'hey you can't do that' hey she has rights too' and basically no one stood up and said anything. My husband was on the verge of physical abuse, and it became clear to me that no one (but myself) would lift a finger to help or save me, so I did something, which was pick up and leave with the kids. Doing something - anything - seems to be the answer, but I am feeling so hurt that people have simply not rallied round to help. Everyone seems to think my husband is a great guy. Why has my mean and nasty husband attracted to himself a lot more help and sympathy from certain quarters, how do I deal with these feelings of rejection, and how do I fight him without sinking to his level and losing my own convictions. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Ruth

 

Dear Ruth,

Ah, yes, that is the question-- how to do it! One of the lessons we come to learn is how to be involved yet remain detached. I still have trouble with that with my family occasionally, but I'm quicker than I use to be to remember that I have emotions, but I am not my emotions, and ask myself what is this situation trying to teach me rather than reacting immediately using my old behaviors and getting caught up in the emotional drama (the soap operas we call our lives).

One way to do this is to look at the situation from a past life perspective. Imagine for a moment that you were the husband and he was the wife-- in a previous life. You victimized her. Everyone came to your rescue and left her swinging in the wind. How does it feel to be the one in control? The one who has manipulated everybody else into turning against the victim? If you then had the same selfish thoughts he has now, you can see why your Soul created this situation for you-- to learn the difference-- to understand the dichotomy. If you can feel how it is to be on both sides, you are learning that neither role is beneficial to happiness (by emotionally experiencing two opposites) and that you have to change yourself (you can't change anyone else) so you make better choices in the future.

You do this through forgiveness work. Instead of acting without thinking, you immediately go within and ask yourself whether the action you would normally take has served your happiness and brought you peace in the past. If the situation keeps escalating, you are repeating ineffective behavior-- you're either in denial or fear. You have to rise above yourself and observe the interactions dispassionately to see the roles people play in the drama. Accepting responsibility for oneself means admitting our own part in the drama-- accepting that this is who I am and accepting that they have a right to be themselves (you don't have to like the behavior). You have to be able to forgive yourself first for being a victimizer/abuser/controller, then him for being the same. We are all One. We are all each other. There really is no separation except in our human perception. We see ourselves in each other. We are mirrors for each other. Love is the God with which we are One, which holds us together, .When you can forgive and send him loving thoughts (so that he will also see the light), people will begin to realize who the injured party is-- they can tell from the energy you radiate. As long as you continue to upset yourself about what he did to you, he is in control. When you can accept that this is also part of you, and forgive yourself, you transmute the energy into love. When you let go of any expectations for the outcome, realizing that you are in a learning situation from which you will grow into the best version of the best vision you have for yourself, and think more about what you want the future to be, you will find the anger, resentment, etc. begin to fall away and you'll have more courage to stand up to him without fear and be the better person. You fight him with love-- and perhaps an assertiveness training class!

As for other people, we find out who our true friends are when we go through something like this-- which is a good thing to know. Other people will think what they think no matter what you do or don't do, so it's ridiculous to try to be anyone but yourself. This is the time in your life to define who you are, what you stand for (and don't), and to take control of your life. No one has the right to treat you that way and you had every right to protect your children and yourself. Women used to think they had to put up with that shit, but no more. You can choose not to be a victim anymore and you can learn from the experience so you don't end up in the same kind of relationship again-- been there, done that! I'm outta here. You will attract more loving people to yourself and find the support you need.

A reading suggestion is "Seventy Times Seven: The Power of Forgiveness" by Johann Arnold.

Peace & Joy!

Diane

 

Dear Diane,

First of all, thank you for your long and detailed answer. Although I have been on the internet for a few years now, it never ceases to amaze me that somewhere, very, very far away, someone is actually sitting by a PC and writing to me :). Cool! By the way, I'm way over here living in Israel, kind of a weird place on this planet. I am trying to take your words and apply them on a very specific level to what I know from my life...

One way to do this is to look at the situation from a past life perspective. Imagine for a moment that you were the husband and he was the wife-- in a previous life. You victimized her. Everyone came to your rescue and left her swinging in the wind. How does it feel to be the one in control? The one who has manipulated everybody else into turning against the victim? If you then had the same selfish thoughts he has now, you can see why your Soul created this situation for you-- to learn the difference-- to understand the dichotomy. If you can see how it feels to be on both sides, you are learning that neither role is beneficial to happiness (by emotionally experiencing two opposites) and that you have to change yourself (you can't change anyone else) so you make better choices in the future.

Okay. That's quite a handful. I accept reincarnation as a given, so I don't have a problem with what you wrote. However, I can accept on an intellectual level, that I may have behaved the way my husband is behaving now. I think it remains on an intellectual level Sometimes I look at an animal (I love animals) and think that I may have once been a bird-rat-dog-grasshopper etc. I can't really feel, though, what life as a grasshopper might be like. My thoughts are really jumbled, but I want to say 2 things.

1. I generally spend a lot of time thinking about how my actions affect others. That is, I think I am a very considerate person. In my marriage, I spent so much time considering my husband's needs, that it seems that he got used to the idea that he does not have to consider my needs at all. To understand the dichotomy, I have to understand HIS side (not accept it, but understand it), but I have possibly been too understanding and by being that way, I have relinquished my power. On one hand it seems time to stick up for my needs and rights and worry less about him, and the other hand there are karmic implications of understanding both side. Oy!

2. Forgot what #2 was. I told you my thoughts were jumbled.

You do this through forgiveness work. Instead of acting without thinking, you immediately go within and ask yourself whether the action you would normally take has served your happiness and brought you peace in the past. If the situation keeps escalating, you are repeating ineffective behavior-- you're either in denial or fear.

Okay. Again, it seems that I am being asked to regress. What I have done in the past was extremely ineffective. My husband did things against me, I didn't fight back. I was 'above it all' and waited for him to calm down (he hadn't been the abusive husband he became when I asked him for divorce). Turns out, it got wrest and worse until I was forced to take action. If I take enough action, I will be sucked down to his level of nasty deeds, which I don't want. It is a fine line that I am treading.

You have to rise above yourself and observe the interactions dispassionately to see the roles people play in the drama. Accepting responsibility for oneself means admitting our own part in the drama-- accepting that this is who I am and accepting that they have a right to be themselves (you don't have to like the behavior). You have to be able to forgive yourself first for being a victimizer/abuser/controller, then him for being the same. We are all One.

I can say it, but I don't really feel it.

We are all each other. There really is no separation except in our human perception. We see ourselves in each other. We are mirrors for each other. Love is the God with which we are One, which holds us together, .When you can forgive and send him loving thoughts (so that he will also see the light), people will begin to realize who the injured party is-- they can tell from the energy you radiate. As long as you continue to upset yourself about what he did to you, he is in control. When you can accept that this is also part of you, and forgive yourself, you transmute the energy into love. When you let go of any expectations for the outcome, realizing that you are in a learning situation from which you will grow into the best version of the best vision you have for yourself, and think more about what you want the future to be, you will find the anger, resentment, etc. begin to fall away and you'll have more courage to stand up to him without fear and be the better person. You fight him with love-- and perhaps an assertiveness training class! When you change the way you normally react to his behavior, it forces him to change his behavior.

As for other people, we find out who our true friends are when we go through something like this-- which is a good thing to know. Other people will think what they think no matter what you do or don't do, so it's ridiculous to try to be anyone but yourself. This is the time in your life to define who you are, what you stand for (and don't), and to take control of your life. No one has the right to treat you that way and you had every right to protect your children and yourself. Women used to think they had to put up with that shit, but no more. You can choose not to be a victim anymore and you can learn from the experience so you don't end up in the same kind of relationship again-- been there, done that! I'm outta here.You will attract more loving people to yourself and find the support you need.

So right. Your last letter, when you said you had to give up some people and make new friends, together with what some other people have said made me go a long way to letting go of old attachments, and realizing that I have already made quite a few new ones.

Thanks. Take good care.

Ruth

 

Dear Ruth,

Empathy is the ability to feel what another person is feeling without getting caught up in the emotions. Intellectualizing can help us understand, but to feel, we have to be able to walk in the other's shoes and then step out of them. When we can accept that we have this or that emotion, but that is not who we are, we dis-identify from it. If you can accept that in some way you are also the victimizer, that this is part of you but not who you are, you can let go of it-- and the need for it (your husband) to be in your life will disappear-- as will your husband.

I noticed an article in a magazine recently that explains it on a more practical level: "If you have been wronged, allow only a few minutes to feel sorry for yourself and then take charge of the situation. Spending too much time licking your wounds places the responsibility for the situation-- and its resolution-- outside yourself. Even if you did not create the situation, resolve to figure out how it came about...what you did to contribute to it...and what it will take to transform the current negative reality--or at least make sure the same thing does not happen in the future."

You sound like the typical woman who gives up her identity by trying to become the person she thinks her husband wants her to be to make him happy. The truth is if you're not happy with yourself, which you can't be when you give up your self, you're not going to make anyone else happy and no one else can make you happy. You have to work on yourself now, become the person you are inside, regardless of how other people react to that, and some may not like it. They'll want you to stay in the role they've assigned you to-- to not make waves. Well, make waves. Don't be so darn considerate! Become the person you were meant to be. Reclaim your power. Stand up for your rights. Fight back. I don't mean become like your husband or sink to his level. I mean rise above it by letting go of the need for revenge. Be your own person.

You said you lived in Israel which means there are probably cultural issues to consider. Men are the head of the household, what they say goes, they are always right, women should stick by their husbands no matter what, it's OK for a man to hit a woman to keep her in line, etc., etc. If so, you're breaking the mold and you will find an attitude from those who live by the rules. Tell them you found out the earth isn't flat and there's a whole universe of new possibilities out there! You'll find a lot of women who wish they had your courage.

Peace & Joy!

Diane

 

Is God a Moral Absolutist?

Dear Robert,

Thank you so much for putting up such an informative web site (no longer available).

I pretty much agree with your observations, but I wanted to make an observation about Observation #15 ("All human life is holy and reverend. Therefore, all forms of abortion, euthanasia, murder and suicide are totally, absolutely, and inalterably wrong. "). There really is no right or wrong with God. As we become observers of our own behavior, it is up to us to realize what works for us (all of us) and it becomes obvious to highly evolved beings that killing another being doesn't work for us so we don't do it. But for those who are not evolved enough to realize that and go ahead and do it, it is a learning experience, and none of us knows where the other is on his or her spiritual path. In the case of abortion, for example, it may be that the child's soul chose to be aborted as a learning experience. The truth is that there is no death, simply a change of form, so suicide and euthanasia are an exercise of free will. That's not to say that there aren't consequences for the evolving soul, but it is neither right nor wrong.
Peace & Joy!

Diane

 

Diane,

Thank you so much for looking at my site and your decision to add a link to your resources page. I am honored. It is exciting how the internet has allowed many people to share spirituality in such a positive and uplifting manner.

I also took into consideration your comments on my observation #15. This only shows that it is possible for intelligent, spiritually minded people to disagree. I do regard morality as absolute. God is not condemning of people, and allows us to judge ourselves, as we become ready to do so honestly. (Sort of like the old adage, "Condemn the sin, not the sinner.") But as we become more spiritually mature, our behavior comes closer to conforming to His morality, which in the end, is the only standard of right and wrong. And it may be that those who are not ready for His standards, His light, are the ones who linger within a hellish existence until they do become ready. (Such as the people described by Angie Fenimore.) And as far as abortion, the very thought of it terrifies and sickens me. I believe that abortion is coarsening and weakening our society and tearing its moral fabric. This weakening of our society worries me about the future of America. I don't believe that America can ever achieve the full greatness for which it was intended, until it abolishes abortion, and returns to God.

Robert

 

Dear Robert.

I hear what you're saying, but I also hear that it's your personal opinion. That's what gets in the way of truth. I think abortion is terrible too, that a woman should even have to consider it is even worse. But God is not a moral absolutist, God simply observes, knowing that sooner or later we will all come around to a higher sense of being where things like abortion and murder will not exist. We're just not there yet.

Namaste,

Diane

 

Diane,

I hope not to come across too strongly, but it is not simply my personal opinion that right is right and wrong is wrong. It's a fact. You are advocating a confused system of amorality. We will come around to a higher sense of being? What is that, but a better understanding of absolute morality?

If we lose the knowledge of right and wrong, and can no longer judge because each individual is simply on their own spiritual path, we are lost. Can I not say that the nazis were wrong to murder Jews? The Jews came to this earth knowing they would be persecuted and murdered? Therefore, I will sit back on my contented, false spirituality and do nothing? Can I not say that the U.S. was right to go to war and kill nazis to stop their evil? A child comes into this world knowing that he will be murdered in the womb? Therefore, I will sit back on my contented, false spirituality and do nothing?

The philosophy of amorality is confused and directionless. It offers society nothing, but a route to destruction. Until you come to a better understanding of truth and morality, I have to question your spirituality. We came to this earth to learn firsthand why good is good and evil is evil. Evil exists. It is real. And it is not to be excused with false, new age spirituality.

Robert

 

Dear Robert,

Just look at the world around you, there are no absolutes in the physical world, everything is always changing, always in process, from the micro to the macro. Even God is in process. What is right in one instance may be wrong in another. What is wrong in one nation, is accepted in another. Many things we once believed to be absolute truth, we later realize never were (e.g., the Earth is the center of the universe, the world is flat, etc.). There are certainly ideals we can strive for, the way we want our community or country or society to be, but no one can say what is right and what is wrong, for fact. We can certainly have preferences toward what we consider to be in the best interests of society and we can make laws to clarify our preferences, but just because we have made a law doesn't make it right. At least in the U.S. , it's mostly a majority opinion, but in some countries its an arbitrary decision imposed on a people-- in either case, it is neither right or wrong. It's a value judgment. Human beings who have developed a higher consciousness are incapable of doing anything against another living thing. I don't mean physically incapable, I mean it just isn't in their nature to do harm. Not because God dictates an absolute morality, but because they have realized what they do to others, they also do to themselves, and they just wouldn't do it anymore. They don't make judgments about rightness or wrongness, they act with compassion in all circumstances and do their best to set an example for living in the light-- without hatred, bitterness, resentment, jealousy, anger, envy, self-righteousness, etc. But before one can achieve this higher level of consciousness, before we can know good, we have to experience its opposite, which is why we come back to experience many lifetimes and often choose what could be considered a negative situation (e.g., to murder/to be murdered, to have an abortion/to be aborted), to increase our understanding of who we really are and become a fully evolved being, both Human and Divine. We see live, every day on the TV, the atrocities committed by man against man over who or what is right. We don't have to go back into history to realize that we are capable of great inhumanity and self-destructive behaviors, but if we didn't know that about ourselves we wouldn't know there was a better way of being and living together on this planet. We couldn't develop compassion without experiencing the evil that men do. If we didn't live some lifetimes as an evil person, we couldn't live other lifetimes as a saint. As humans, we live in a world of opposites, dualities, but, in truth, we are all One, there really is no separation from our Soul, from God. We don't die even if we are murdered or aborted, the present body may die, but we don't die. As Souls, we are on a spiritual quest to become the grandest version of the greatest vision we hold of ourselves, we must not just know everything, we must experience it, to realize our highest good. Higher consciousness is infiltrating society throughout the world in these days, certainly helped by us NDErs, who are able to convey to others that we are in this world, but not of it; that we have a body, but we are not our body; and that there is no death, only a change in environment. People are waking up and realizing they've been living unconsciously, it is the first step to opening consciousness to a higher standard of being where atrocities against each other and our environment will cease simply because they don't work for us anymore.

 

So, Robert, it's not efficacious to judge those who don't hold your views, but to be an example to others in how you live your life and by being the best you you can be, which is much more effective in the long run.

Namaste,

Diane

 

Diane, when you describe a state of higher consciousness in which we live without hatred, bitterness, etc., you are describing a state of morality, as opposed to immorality. You've got this hangup about using the terms "right" and "wrong". But it is when one realizes that certain behaviors are morally right because they are in accord with God's love, and other behaviors are morally wrong because they bring harm to innocent people, that a person has reached a state of high spirituality.

Your arguments against using the terms right and wrong, and against accepting the truth of absolute morality, are unconvincing. Because like I said, the state of higher consciousness you describe is a state of high morality. So when you argue against the existence of morality, you are being inconsistent. I may be coming across fairly strong, but it is important to be logical. Everything must be put to the test of logic. The state of higher consciousness you describe is logical because it is consistent with the love of God, the teachings of the NDE, and practical experience. (practical experience: i.e. evil hurts people. It hurts us when we are the victims. Therefore, evil is morally wrong. And, yes, I agree that evil serves a purpose. Without evil-that which is wrong-, we would not truly know and appreciate the good-that which is right.) But your idea that there is no right and wrong undermines the position of higher consciousness. Why should I ever reject evil if it is not wrong? I should reject evil because it hurts people? If it hurts people, then it is wrong.

The idea that there is no right or wrong does not come from the NDE. That idea is part of the pop liberal 60s culture existing on a lot of college campuses and 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. I am not interested in such illogical thinking. I am interested in a life of morality.

Robert

 

Dear Robert,

I feel we've gotten way off course here and are just arguing semantics now. My original point was not about human morals, but that God does not hold us to an absolute morality. Here are a couple of quotes from "Conversations With God-Book 3" that make my point:

"I do not advocate, or fail to advocate, anything. I am not "for" or "against" anything. The human race keeps trying to make me a "for" or "against" kind of God, and I am not that. I merely observe what is so. I simply watch you create you own systems of right and wrong, for and against, and I look to see whether your current ideas about that serve you, given what you say you choose and desire as a species, and as individuals."

and

"You're not saying here that, because nothing can happen to the human soul against its will, it's okay to kill people, are You? You're not condoning abortion, or giving us a 'way out' on this issue, are You?

I am neither condoning nor condemning abortion, any more than I condone or condemn war. The people of every country think I condone the war they are fighting, and condemn the war that their opponent is fighting. The people of every nation believe they have "God on their side." Every cause assumes the same thing. Indeed, every person feels the same thing-- or at least hopes it is true whenever any decision or choice is made. And do you know why all creatures believe God is on their side? Because I am. And all creatures have an intuitive knowing of this. This is just another way of saying 'Your will for you is My will for you.' And that is just another way of saying I have given you all free will. There is no free will if to exercise it in certain way produces punishment. That makes a mockery of free will and renders it counterfeit. So with regard to abortion or war, buying that car or marrying that person, having sex or not having sex, 'doing your duty' or not 'doing your duty,' there is no such thing as right and wrong, and I have no preference in the matter. You are all in the process of defining yourselves. Every act is an act of self-definition. If you are pleased with how you have created yourself, if it serves you, you will continue doing so in that way. If you are not, you will stop. This is called evolution. The process is slow because, as you evolve, you keep changing your ideas about what really serves you; you keep changing your concepts of 'pleasure.' Remember what I said earlier. You can tell how highly a person or society has evolved by what that being or society calls 'pleasure.' And I will add here, by what it declares to serve it. If it serves you to go to war and kill other beings, you will do so. If it serves you to terminate a pregnancy, you will do so. The only thing that changes as you evolve is your idea of what serves you. And that is based on what you think you are trying to do. If you are trying to get to Seattle, it will not serve you to head toward San Jose. It is not 'morally wrong' to go to San Jose-- it simply doesn't serve you. The question of what you are trying to do, then, becomes a question of prime importance. Not just in your life in general, but in every moment of your life specifically. Because it is in the moments of life that a life itself is created. When you are preparing to have your abortion, therefore, or when you are preparing to smoke that cigarette, or when you are preparing to fry and eat that animal, and when you are preparing to cut that man off in traffic-- whether the matter is large or small, whether the choice is major or minor, there is only one question to consider: Is this Who I Really Am? Is this who I now choose to be? And understand this: No matter is inconsequential. There is a consequence to everything. The consequence is who and what you are. You are in the act of defining your Self right now. That is your answer to the abortion question. That is your answer to the war question. That is you answer to the smoking question and the meat-eating question and to every question about behavior you've ever had. Every act is an act of self-definition. Everything you think, say and do declares, 'This is Who I Am.'"

Therefore if God does not condemn us based on an absolute morality, neither should we, but seek to understand and change ourselves to become more loving.

But you may continue to condemn as much as you like because, apparently, that is Who You Are, until you realize it no longer serves you. I hope you will take the opportunity to visit my web site before any further discussion.

Peace & Joy!

Diane

 

I really don't want to continue going back and forth. I do agree, however, that God does not condemn people. I insist on that in my website. But at the same time, there is a moral standard which originates with God. This moral standard is true and absolute. We must aim for it if we are to grow. If we fall short, we will learn from our shortcomings. (And that is really the only way to learn.) And then, with God's help, forgiven of our sin, we'll pick ourselves up and aim for that standard again. As far as Neal Donald Walsch, I would respect him more if he would say these are my ideas as I understand God, and not pretend to speak for God.

God bless,

Robert

 

OK, thanks for the interesting discussion, which I hope others will also learn from.

Peace & Joy!

Diane

 

You Saved My Life

I received this story below, and thought I'd pass it along...it really got to me. --Stephanie

Mark was walking home from school one day when he noticed the boy ahead of him had tripped and dropped all of the books he was carrying, along with two sweaters, a baseball bat, a glove and a small tape recorder.

Mark knelt down and helped the boy pick up the scattered articles. Since they were going the same way, he helped to carry part of the  burden.

As they walked Mark discovered the boy's name was Bill, that he loved video games, baseball and history, and that he was having lots of trouble with his other subjects and that he had just broken up with his girlfriend. They arrived at Bill's home first and Mark was invited in for a Coke and to watch some television. The afternoon passed pleasantly with a few laughs and some shared small talk, then Mark went home.

They continued to see each other around school, had lunch together, once or twice. Then both graduated from junior high school. They ended up in the same high school where they had brief contacts over the years. Finally the long awaited senior year came and three weeks before graduation, Bill asked Mark if they could talk.

Bill reminded him of that day, years ago, when they had first met. "Did you ever wonder why I was carrying so many things home that day?" asked Bill. "You see, I cleaned out my locker because I didn't want to leave a  mess for anyone else. I had stored away some of my mothers sleeping pills and I was going home to commit suicide. But after we spent some time together talking and laughing, I realized that if I had killed  myself, I would have missed that time and so many others that might follow.

So you see, Mark, when you picked up those books that day, you did a lot more, you saved my life.

When you do something nice for someone, you may not realize how important that little bit of kindness was until you make your transition and experience your life review.

 

Kundalini Awakening

Dearest Diane,

Having browsed through your site, I sincerely would appreciate, if you could perform a past life regression for me or whatever necessary, advice and etc.

My name is Yeek and I'm writing from Singapore. I just want to be sure whether is it common for anyone else, whom during the awakening of kundalini, will have to undergo various kind of life crisis. The question is how is it going to take? And how can it be solved?

I have read through related books, ranging from Gopi Krishna and etc, others include grounding methods and its applications, with exceptional shaktipat, of which I do not really quite understand its process. Would certainly appreciate if you could advice further.

A brief outline of what I have gone through and as follows:

For years, though my meditation practices had not been regular or rather daily, recently strange phenomenon do occurred in me. In the physical aspect, things like involuntary bodily movement, such as trembling, shaking and regular twitching happen every now as and when. The irresistible urge to bend backward, and to lie down was also imminent.

Internal bodily effects such as bodily heartiness and warmness, especially at the bottom of my spinal back was very much felt most of the time. Feeling immensely happy, grateful or totally desperate, lonely and fearful were also found prominent. External factors were Irregular sleeping pattern, eating habits, and occasional intense sexual arousal. Lost of memory and being very forgetful is another area, noticed sometime ago.

Life crisis itself, I am on the verge of loosing all my possession, things like my automobile, my saving, being unemployed, and very likely being sued by the bank for bankruptcy. I have longed for spirituality, and talking about compassionate, ethic and integrity, radiating of loving kindness, helping the unfortunate has always being my priority. Now that I'm hit by crisis, I'm really at lost. Imagine almost or at least ten years of living under extreme difficult situations and relations. Having to loose wealth, going into isolation, deliberately creating resentments against oneself and etc. Just simply not gaining, but loosing and loosing. Things like not growing, but shrinking and shrinking. Not being successful, but below average, to at most normal.

I can really feel it myself, I do not know about others, it's definitely humiliating and highly painful to me. As such, I would like to know whether if there is anyone else, perhaps compassionate people like you yourself, who can perform past life regression or someone else I can gain instructions from, an experienced kundalini guru to enlighten me, or someone else who could offer me Shaktipat to awaken the evolutionary energy, so as to enable at least to provide me with some fruitful solutions, so as to solve my problems, especially the financial aspect once and for all. Incidentally, it is also my understanding that great Gurus can remove someone's samsaras permanently, for example, such as someone else with a complete understands of the universal laws.

Anyway, I am really interested in reaching the awakening state, and If anyone can help me out, please do email me, I would really appreciate it.

Love faithfully yours.

Yeek

Om Mani Padme Hom

 

Dear Yeek,

Sorry, my sessions are one-on-one using hypnosis. I don't know what your chances are of locating a hypnotherapist in Singapore, but using regression sessions as a learning experience to teach self-discovery rather than as a means to end, will accelerate your journey. There are also psychics/mediums you may or may not be helpful, just be careful, they may also lead you astray. There are, however, ways to learn to discern past life information for yourself by paying attention to your interests, talents, abilities, pursuits, what makes you happy and feel at peace, etc. until you see patterns emerge and fall into place. Then, using self-hypnosis/meditation, create a peaceful learning environment in your mind and practice allowing your subconscious mind to release information that will be helpful to your spiritual path, which is what a hypnotherapist guide would do. Just keep a journal, write everything down, pay attention to coincidences. Plan on this process to take years, over time you will become a witness to your evolutionary path through time and space, in body and out of body. The importance of past life information is to help us understand our reason for being in body at this time in these circumstances, what lessons we are here to learn, to free us from past karma so we can accelerate our spiritual growth in the present.

Awakening Kundalini assures that you will go through crisis after crisis, physical and mental, in your relationships, your career, your lifestyle, your body, your belief system, everything you ever thought was true will be topsy-turvy. It will be solved when you realize who you really are. Awakening Kundalini is a transformational process leading to Self-Realization and like any birth it can be painful. It is the experience of the death of the ego (and all its desires and attachments) and the birthing of a new consciousness and a new reality. When you become detached from the outcomes and the observer of the experiences, you achieve greater understanding rather than getting caught up in the emotions of the loss which keeps you stuck in the drama. When you know that you have a body but you are not that body, that you have emotions but you are not those emotions, that you have an intellect but you are not that intellect, that you have things but you are not defined by those things, that you have an ego but you are not who you think you are, it will be because you know that it is all one, that there never was any separation from God only the belief that we are separate-- God-Realization.

I've heard it said that some gurus can help one through this process, but as far as I know it requires complete devotion to the guru and I prefer the path of self-responsibility. So you can search out a guru if you prefer or find your own path through this. Transformation requires energy-- a spark to ignite the flame that purifies the consciousness and clears the way for higher consciousness. Working with Kundalini certainly does that and is one path, but any spiritual path will be painful, purifying consciousness is painful. Letting go is painful. You can't go around it, you have to go through it and as you go through it, you will come to realize that whatever happens it is a learning experience. If it takes having nothing to get you to realize that you don't need things to make you happy nor to define who you are, then this is how you have chosen on a higher level to experience it. When you can be happy with nothing, you will have everything. It is the ego that experiences the pain, the humiliation, the fear of annihilation, but the ego must die to the Soul to achieve peace. Just observe the process until you realize that no matter what happens, you are still the observer learning as your human being goes through physical experiences. It is the struggle with your ego that keeps you apparently stuck and continuing to lose ground. Some people never let go and suffer all their lives. Some people give in and lose hope, and live in despair crying "why me?". Some people finally realize this can't be real and chose another reality-- one where there is only peace, where time has no meaning, where everything flows in harmony. Like a drop of water returning to the ocean, becoming one with its source, storms may brew on the surface, but beneath it all there is calm.

You already have all the answers inside yourself, you just don't know it.

Om Mani Padme Hum

Peace & Joy!

Diane

 

 

Dearest Diane Goble,

Thank you very much for your sound advice, I do sincerely appreciate it. Sorry for having to trouble you, having taken away your precious time. Once again, from the bottom of my heart, I would like to say thank a lots, and may you continue to radiate your expounded knowledge to those who truely deserve it. Good-bye, and have a pleasant day.

Sincerely Yours,

Yeek

Om Mani Padme Hom

 

I Have Lost My Faith in God

I just lost my mother about a month and a half back. She had hepatitis E and went into a coma and never recovered. This has affected my whole life especially my religion. Being a roman catholic, I have lost my faith in God and have no regard for him. I am looking for answers about life after death and not just some religious humbug but facts.

Could you email me the addresses of some sites where I could know what happens to people after death.

Thank you.

Judy

 

Dear Judy,

I'm sorry for your loss, but your mother did not die, only her body died. Our bodies are just temporary houses for our Soul which lives on in other realms. I know how hard it is because we never get to be with the person again, it's as if they were snatched away from us, but they can still come to us even though we don't realize it because we are limited by our human senses. If you are aware and paying attention, you may feel your mother's presence or she may give you some subtle clue (her perfume, cooking odor, you feel a shiver up your spine or goose bumps, her favorite song gets stuck in your head, and the like). It is not easy for them either but they try to comfort us. She can hear your prayers for her. She is well and whole and happy and getting on with her life in the higher levels of existence where there is still work to be done and things to learn, and she will be there to greet you when it is your time to return home.

It's really a shame that religion doesn't prepare people properly for death, which is simply a transition from one form of life to the next. It's not a terrible thing, it's a beautiful and joyous graduation, but it is certainly devastating to those left behind when they have no idea where their loved one has gone. I was a Catholic too, and looked into many religions in my youth, but really found none of them answered my questions. It wasn't until I had my NDE that I realized that all religions are alike, they just use deferent words and rituals to explain what is unexplainable. And I realized they all fell short in their explanations. Religion is as political as politics. Church leaders tell what little they think lay people can understand and keep the truth among themselves (for control). Even the Bible which made no sense to me before my NDE became perfectly clear afterwards. I realized the difficulty in trying to translate the experience of GOD so others could grasp it. One thing I can tell you for sure is that there is no God sitting on a throne in a place called Heaven who judges and punishes us because we are all sinners. That's hogwash! How better to control people than to make them fear such an awesome power? It causes people to think, like you, that God took your mother away or God caused the tornado or the war or the plague or whatever. Absolutely false. It is not God's Will that controls us because this God is as made up by humans as Zeus or Ra or Quetzalcoatl to explain what cannot be explained.

We are the creators of our own destiny. By "we" I do not mean you, Judy, or me, Diane. I mean the Soul which manifested us to explore the physical dimension of ALL THAT IS, which is GOD. GOD is not a being as we think of a being, with form and substance. GOD is everything and nothing, what is and what is not, boundless, limitless, eternal, masculine/feminine. The Milky Way Galaxy in which our little planet resides may be a mere cell in the body of GOD (if GOD had a body). The physical universe with it's Galaxies and Suns and Planets is not all that is, it is merely one of many dimensions of ALL THAT IS. The Spirits that come forth from the Godhead have one purpose, to return with complete knowledge and understanding of LOVE (GOD) at all levels. To accomplish this, they project Souls into the lower dimensions to explore and they in turn manifest as human beings to learn about the physical world. Before we are born, our Soul decides what it wants to learn during this sojourn on earth and (about) how long it will stay, and all that the human being will need to accomplish this, including the Free Will to do anything we please with our lives. I say "about" how long because from my NDE and many others, if we depart too early, we are told it isn't our time so I have concluded that when someone does die and not come back, it is within their time frame-- unexpected by us on earth, but not by the Soul. When you understand reincarnation, you realize that there is a reason for everything, including how and when we die. It is not a punishment, as religions have tried to scare us with, but part of a learning process, and although we don't understand it here, as soon as we make our transition, it becomes very clear. It is also highly likely that you and your mother are part of a Soul Group which travels together through incarnations and that you will have more lifetimes together. Next time you may be the mother and she the daughter or father and son or sister and brother but you will always be learning from each other. It is your Soul essence that continues and integrates each personality it manifests.

That is a brief explanation. If you really want to study, I suggest Astara's Degree Lessons because they are easy to comprehend, non-denominational, and don't require anything of students. You may also find some web sites and books of interest on my Death & Dying Links and Books pages. My book, Through the Tunnel, explains what happens during the initial stages of transition and after death.

Peace & Joy!

Diane

 

Why Does God...?

Dear Diane;

I just would like to say that even though the skeptics seem to have an answer for everything that seems decent and holy, it seems nice to know that death is not the end of existence. Sometimes I think that life would be so meaningless if , in fact, death was the end of our existence. I read about the experience of the bright light being "GOD" or the creator but yet sometimes I think if that light was our creator , the creator of all things, then why does such a wondrous being allow suffering of little innocent children to take place. Why does our creator take loved ones away from us suddenly sometimes. If we were 100 percent positive of life everlasting it would not be so bad but are we guaranteed that? If you could email me or write me I would be very happy. I am a retired police Lieutenant. I have a Master of Science in education: Guidance and counseling, and have counseled the bereaved. Thank you.

Patrick

 

Dear Patrick,

It's the concept that God is a Being who has control over us that causes the confusion. In an effort to make "God" comprehensible, we attribute human qualities, we make God in our image. Even the story of Jesus as the Son of God is an attempt to make God more understandable to us because the true concept of God as Totality is so much more than we can even begin to imagine. Plus it's easier to put the responsibility on God for everything from floods to plagues to starving children than to take responsibility ourselves. Just as Zeus and his gang of gods on Mt.Olympus became myth so will the Christian model become a myth of the past. Beliefs have changed as Science has advanced our views. Now that we know that the earth isn't flat nor the center of the universe, nor is even our solar system or the Milky Way Galaxy the center of the universe, we have to expand our concept of "God" to include all that is known and all that is unknown. An understanding of sub-atomic particles shows us that there is more beyond nothing than can be conceived-- and all of this is "GOD." It tell us that our entire Galaxy is like an atom in Totality. With this knowledge, how can one continue to believe, say, in the Christian concept of God, which makes God responsible for what happens to human beings?

The emerging concept implies that we are each, as Dannion Brinkley says, great and powerful spiritual beings sent forth from the Godhead to explore the mulitdimensions of Totality. In the course of our lives, we project Souls into lower dimensions who then project as physical beings into the physical dimension to explore that level of reality. The lives we live as human beings are but a flash in our whole lives which are eternal. Our Souls choose to learn certain things from each human lifetime and some of the hardest lessons have to do with compassion, non-judgment, violence, suffering and humility. These things that make no sense to us at the human level, are obvious at the Soul level. Now if religion taught us from early on that we are here to learn and to help each other learn, instead of telling us we must bear the suffering and just have faith, we would learn faster to take responsibility and change what we can.

I believe there is a spiritual revolution taking place that will change the way we live as human beings and part of that is the knowing that only our bodies die while WE live on in other realms and return to the phsycial world many times during our process of spiritual growth.

Peace & Joy!

Diane

 

Self-Judgment

I have such a hard time not doubting there is a god. It's like I am on the fence. I am sick of all the physical tension I have, not being able to accept myself without judgment, thinking other people are judging me and validating myself on what I THINK other people may feel about me. I know I am not talking about death but I had to poor my heart out to someone. I want to know without a doubt there is a god but my negative feelings and judgments about myself distract me. I am searching the net for truth because I don't know if I can know truth on my own because of all the negativity within, judgment and not accepting self. I have felt something like electricity within, is that god?

Could you please respond to this letter with an honest heart?

Thanks

 

Dear Brutal,

An appropriate name for yourself!? This type of attitude usually comes from childhood, from parents and other care givers who constantly criticize. Then the child internalizes it and uses it against him/herself as an adult. An important thing to realize as we mature is that defenses we developed to protect our (child) self no longer serve us as adults, in fact are harmful. Part of growing up is to realize that we are not what other people say we are and to become the best version of our grandest vision of our selves. It sounds like you are projecting these judgments other people made about you onto others which amplifies them back to you. Sort of an endless loop. You need to find a way to break the loop-- by doing something different. Change your email name to something that reflects what you want to become for starters. Write some affirmations, such as I am perfect just as I am, I give the same unconditional love to others as I want them to give me, I am the best me I can be, etc., write them on post-it notes and stick them around your house, car, office, in books, anywhere you will see them frequently and say them to yourself often. This works on the subconscious level. You didn't say how old you are so I can't be more specific but change things you do to reflect God's love coming through you, in your relationships, how you do your job, your attitude toward school, how you drive your car, how you treat the environment, the kinds of activities you participate in. We can't change anyone else, the only one we can change is ourselves.

On an intellectual level, it really doesn't matter what other people think of you. I said, it REALLY doesn't matter what other people think of you. God loves you just as you are, unconditionally, and makes no judgments. God has infinite patience with us human beings, knows that we are doing the best we can, and is there to help when we open our hearts. Your Soul is your guide through this world, knows your deepest thoughts, desires, fears, feelings, and still loves you-- without judgment. When we get out of our preoccupation with our life's dramas and turn to our Soul path, we are freed from the negativity connected with them. We are spiritual beings having human experiences, we have a body but we are not this body, we are in this world but not of it. Just let go and become who you really are-- a child of God who loves, and is loved, unconditionally.

That electricity you feel-- could well be your Soul trying to get your attention so you will recognize your true self as a loving being who reflects God's love for you.

Peace & Joy!

Diane

 

Will there ever be peace on this planet?

Dear Diane,

It seems like there's no end to wars. Everybody seems to see everyone else as the enemy. Will there ever be peace on this planet? Maybe Earth is better off without us?

Alice

 

Dear Alice,

Humanity has only one real enemy against which every nation and individual should be raging-- and that is the forces of Nature. Our changing environment is really the only thing that has the potential to destroy all life that we have no control over. In the past, Religion eased our minds by proclaiming a divine power promised not to wipe us out again, but increasing evidence left by earthquakes, volcanoes, fires, floods, tornadoes, cyclones and hurricanes, implies not that "God" is angry at us but that this is a continuous planetary process. And it will continue, regardless of what we believe or who wins a war or what color we are or whether we are "right.". All our petty differences concerning religion, ethnicity, politics, power, territory, race, sex and money are irrelevant at ground zero of a natural disaster. It should not be only then that we come together. We waste our lives fighting amongst ourselves when every human being is needed to make this planet safe to live on. People experience hopelessness when they feel they have no control over their lives. It leads them to act out in bizarre ways, often destroying other human beings they consider different. No one sees the Big Picture-- we are all in this together!

Humanity now has the technology, the planet has the resources, God is on the side of Humanity surviving-- all we need is the courage to put aside our differences-- indeed, use them to our advantage, and focus our collective ingenuity on learning to protect ourselves from the forces of Nature by becoming part of the process. From physics and meteorology to building materials and structures that withstand earth changes, water, wind and fire to pharmaceuticals and chemicals to protect against biological and insect invasions, to protective clothing, emergency and safety equipment, and disaster preparedness to rescue and survival equipment and services. If we are ever going to prosper from a peacetime economy, we need to get out of the business of war and our collective denial, and create jobs that benefit Humanity, not try to destroy it.

There are so many better ways to spend our time, energy, labor, money and natural resources, and to use our amazing minds, than waging war against the other. We have the technology and the abilities to make this planet a better place where everyone feels wanted, needed and that their home is going to be there tomorrow and the next day and the next. All we need is a change in consciousness and the will to do it.

I challenge individuals, groups, organizations, nations, and empires to put the past behind us and meet the challenges Nature has put before us-- taking the next step on the evolutionary ladder by uniting for the common purpose of preserving life on this planet.

Peace & Joy!

Diane

I Just Wonder Sometimes... Why?

Dear Diane,

My name is Jack . I don't know exactly how I happened upon your page, but I have just read your account.

I thank you for your writing. I'm going to try to be brief and to the point, because I have a sense that you are someone to whom I need not explain the emotions experienced in what I am about to tell you.

I have been a single custodial Dad since 1990. I have also been Musical Director for my synagogue for fifteen years.

Three years ago, two of my three children - my son B... (17) and my firstborn daughter S... (14) - were murdered by a drunk driver.

There are no words. By the grace of God, I still have my beautiful daughter M..., who is eleven, here with me.

I have struggled long and hard to come back. It is surely because of prayer, my many friends in my congregation and my personal friends, that I have a life. I am a composer of contemporary spiritual music, and people tell me every month at services that my music helps bring them back to a relationship with God.

But lately I have been struggling, Diane. I know about the patterns of grief, and frankly, this one is a bitch. The comfort of denial is gone, and I really realize that I am not going to see my babies again on this level. I have gone to therapy, I belong to a 12-Step group for overeating which has been a real blessing, and my friends and co-workers tell me that I am a miracle.

I'm not sure why I'm writing this to you, Diane. I guess because, having to other family besides my child, there just aren't a lot of people who really can confirm for me that this separation from my kids is really only temporary. I go on each day for my child's sake, and on the belief that I must have the faith and courage to believe that God has a purpose for me, and that when it is through, I will see the kids again.

Again, I don't know why I'm writing to you - a stranger who I've never met. I guess because yesterday, riding in the kind of van in which my kids were killed for the first time since the accident, I felt as if I were in their coffin - and I truly felt somewhat suicidal - first time in a long time.

I know that I could never take my own life - I could never do that to M.... She is a healthy, happy, communicative child who is flourishing primarily because of my determination to get her to a therapist (which I did) and because of our love and communication and faith in God.

I just wonder sometimes - between you and me, my unknown friend - why God lets us go through some of these things. I know no one has a perfect life, believe me. But.....

Well, thanks for reading, and congratulations on your following through in your determination to fulfill your purpose.

Jack

 

Dear Jack,

Our Souls guide us in very subtle ways to the answers we seek, even when we're not paying attention! A spiritual quest is a leap into the unknown, but it is the only life worth living-- the most painful, but the most joyful.

We are spiritual beings having human experiences, learning about existence in the physical dimension and expressing God's Love through relationships with other Souls' human beings. The bodies in which we (Souls) experience each lifetime on Earth are temporary forms, the relationships we have with others while on Earth are temporary bonds. The Essence of who we are, a unique spiritual being, is eternal and never dies, and on the etheric levels we recognize each other's essence. We "see" our loved ones as we remember them when we first cross over, but once we get on with our lives in other realms, there is no need to retain an image of that form. The children who are your daughters and son in this life may have been your mother, husband and Uncle Joe in a previous life, or you may not have been related by blood but by circumstances in another. We tend to repeat lives often, but not always, with the same group of Souls. We may plan together to come back in certain relationships or geographical proximity to accomplish some goal or experience a certain relationship. We continue to have relationships in between physical lives in etheric (non-physical) dimensions to further our learning as Souls in our spiritual path.

None of the above is meant to dismiss the tremendous grief you must feel at losing your children nor the anger you must feel at having them taken from you so suddenly, but there is a message from your Soul in this for you and for Megan, which may take you the rest of your life to get or you may not get it until you leave your body (at which point it will make sense). It is not God who lets us go through these terrible ordeals, it is our Soul trying to get us to wake up and realize who we really are and that there is no death and no separation (that there is, is the illusion). There is something about what has happened to you and your family that holds the key to understanding why it did. Perhaps it is in your reaching out to your children that the music comes to stir the Souls of those who hear your music. Without the depth of your pain and grief, the music would not have come through as it does. That is your communication link with your children, they're helping you from the other side. It is not God who has a purpose for you, it is your Soul who perhaps wanted in this (your) life to express God's love and healing power to others through music. Perhaps the Souls of your children agreed to come along to show you the heights of joy and the deepest pain so that your music would touch the hearts of others who are suffering. M... remained with you to give you a reason to live and continue composing. On the other side, it is all very clear-- here it seems so cruel and heartless. It is our human emotions that confound us.

Listen to the silence between your thoughts and you will touch your Soul and open your consciousness to God. In those spaces, you will find...

Peace & Joy!

Diane

 

Lessons in Forgiveness

Hello!

I read your story on your homepage and was quite fascinated. I have always been intrigued with the afterlife and have often wondered if there really *is* one and if I will ever see those loved ones that have died---like my father. He past away over 3 years ago and at the time we were not on speaking terms--some family squabble that never should have happened... He left this world without me by his side. I didn't get a chance to apologize or tell him that I loved him. I have lived with this guilt and pain and even though a lot of people tell me that he has forgiven me as he is in a place of love, *I* cannot forgive myself. He did not deserve this from me. He was the best father in the world.

I am currently trying to write an inspirational fiction novel in which the heroine goes through much turmoil and inner pain, ends up having a car accident where she goes into a coma, nde and where angels bring her to her father in Heaven, then to meet with God. I have organized most of the outline but am having trouble actually getting down to "writing" my story. I guess I'm trying to let go of the past and my guilt through this story--as it's obvious that the heroine is a fictional me...

It always inspires me so much to read about nde's and the afterlife. I am a Catholic and even though I do not attend church every Sunday, I do believe in God, a higher presence, a being of light, Jesus, and I am also open to other religious views.

This pain about not being able to make peace with my father before he died really eats at my soul. And I honestly don't know if I'll ever be able to let go, or even to complete my novel.

I have always wished of having an nde, but never have. I admire your dedication and devotion to helping others with their fear and questions about death. I just wish I could turn back time to hug my dad again and tell him how much I love him...

Thank you so much for sharing your experiences on the net and through your novel.

My warmest regards,

Carole

Dear Carole,

There are a couple of good books I've read lately that you might want to read to help you work through this. One is "Talking to Heaven" by James Van Praagh, the other "Hello from Heaven" by Bill and Judy Guggenheim. Van Praagh is, I think, an excellent medium (also John Edwards, George Anderson, Sylvia Browne) whom I have seen many times on TV and the Guggenheims have collected stories from people about after-death communication. Not only may you find cases similar to yours but you may become more attuned to receiving a message from your father to bring you peace of mind. Also writing your story will be a good catharsis.

These lessons you are learning about forgiveness are important to your spiritual growth. If you cannot forgive yourself, you cannot love yourself, and if you cannot love yourself, you cannot love others. Was it your arrogance or pride or selfishness that cut you off from him before he died? If so, or whatever it was, that is what you have to work on changing. Once you realize that self-destructive behavior caused you not to be loving, you can begin to dissolve that energy and with it will come forgiveness for yourself. Your dad has already forgiven you and will rejoice when you have forgiven yourself.

Peace & Joy!

Diane

 

Existential Angst!!

My Dear Ms. Goble:

I find your web-site very interesting and hope that the Open Forum Newsletter for "Seekers", of which I count myself as one, will help assuage the angst I have experienced wrestling with many metaphysical questions that have haunted me since coming to know that life does not end at death. I was a total skeptic until I came to read those books about the reknown medium, George Anderson, and contacted, what I consider, "credible" persons written about in the book, having them confirm for me that the incidents written about, dealing with their own cases, were true and accurate. They confirmed as much and ever since have been unable ot deny that there is really something going on beyond our physical world. However, that opened up a whole "can of worms" trying to figure-out just what this is all about! It seems so pointless and cruel to me.........there is untold suffering and bloodshed in this world (and no doubt on an infinite number worlds in the vast universe). This is certainly not the "work" of an "enlightened, all powerful being", is it? And why? Why go through all of this to begin with? Isn't it just better to never have existed at all than to suffer under such a maniacal and sadistic regime? Sweet oblivion is far preferable, in my book, than to endure all of the sufferings that one must endure---for what? Your forum offers some "explanations" that I have yet to delve into in depth, having only skimmed them briefly. Although they seem to offer some "rational explanations" as to the how, why, what for of the cycle of birth, life, death, and rebirth and the reasons the world is the way it is, my "skeptical self" can not help but wonder just who passed all of this marvelous, detailed, knowledge to you? And why is it that other metaphysicians never quite agree on all of the details? Some claim that karmic predestine dominates our existence, giving lie to your contention that we have true "free-will". They claim that all that happens to us has been planned-out by some master manipulator (they may call God, or whatever) and the movies of our lives are already "in the can", or several versions thereof. How does one reconcile these differing view-points? And as much as I want to believe that a beautiful place awaits us at death, there is the rather uncomfortable (and growing) body of NDErs who have "come out of the closet" and told of horrific experiences during their own NDE. No doubt these are well underreported for obvious reasons. No one wants to admit to having seen that what awaits them at the end of the mortal coil is not paradise, but rather a real hell. How do you explain that? Although I realize that your knowledge is limited to what you personally experienced, you must allow that dying, for many, is not going to be a very pleasant experience, is it? I, for one, although I do not dismiss those who have had "bad" NDE experiences, hope that all will be well for me when it is my time to "cross-over". I have endeavored to correct my life path to that end. I am not perfect. The physical being is subject to too may "bad" influences, and reaching anything approaching a state of spiritual "perfection" while in the flesh is near impossible. The body is a great impediment to that end, and as far as I am concerned, those who stumble and fail, sometimes horribly, should never be held totally "responsible" for their actions while in the flesh, as all incentives, usually, are geared for all of the opposite things that might "smooth the way" for you into the next phase of existence. Even the religious seem geared to the exercise of power and suppressing those who do not agree with them--------i.e. the Roman Catholic Church. Rigid orthodoxy replaces compassion and common sense. Dogma takes precedence.....people mean little or nothing to these perverted religions. How can an all wise and powerful God allow these quacks to operate so freely? I would think that God would go to great pains to subvert these quacks and charlatans.........but no....they go on their merry way destroying, plundering, butchering.....all in the name of God. How quaint! Putting fear into mankind instead of love, forbearance, and forgiveness, and thus hobbling mankind's true spiritual growth. In any event, I did not mean to get going thus....and I deeply apologize. I do not mean to question your own integrity as to the source of your knowledge, but quacks and charlatans have dominated the world of metaphysics since the dawn of time, although your take on it seems to be more sensible than most I have read. Thanks for your time and patience. I naturally do not expect a point by point reply to this rambling commentary. Just wanted to make some observations of my own and use you as a "sounding board", given your "expertise".

Sincerely yours,

John

 

Dear John,

Your letter came to me in a most circuitous manner-- it seems to have come from amazon.com to New Vision Bookshop to me attached to their newsletter. Who can explain this amazing electronic universe!!

I certainly understand that you have these questions, eventually you will realize as I did that the more you know, the more you know you don't know, and finally that you don't know anything at all. That is why Socrates was considered in his time to be the wisest man in Greece. He was the only person who knew he didn't know anything at all! With that in mind, I will provide you with some food for thought-- after which you will only have more questions! If you want concrete answers-- there are none. It is for you to discern the truth for yourself.

If you meditate, and you should if you are ever going to make any sense of it all, consider the lotus blossom. In the darkest, dingiest part of the swamp, a seed falls through the water and embeds itself in the mud below. In that slimy world filled with gross-looking, vicious, hungry creatures, the seed germinates and begins to grow. It rises up through the muck and the mire, only to break free and find itself in the darkest water which is also filled with horrible creatures and slimy things. Undaunted, it continues to climb upwards, reaching ever upwards toward something unknown but longed for. Finally one day, it breaks the surface and spreads itself out on the top of the water as a lily pad. Then one day a beam of sunshine peeks through the trees and touches it, and it sends forth a beautiful white blossom which opens in all its splendor to reflect the beauty within, to honor the Source of its being.

This is a metaphor for a Soul's journey to earth and back to its home. The point of life is to rise above the muck and the mire and reflect God's Love for us to others so that they may also open themselves to Love. We live in a world of opposites and it is up to each of us to resolve these dichotomies for ourselves and find a balance between being human and being divine, for we are both-- we just don't know it. Once we realize it, through spiritual seeking, we intrinsically live by God's Law (the Golden Rule). We already know everything, we just don't know that we know until we hear it or read it and then we realize we already knew it. Humanity has been undergoing a process of becoming Whole, individually and collectively, since we first came to earth. The Hundredth Monkey Theory is analogous to Humanity reaching the critical mass point where peace and love will overcome hatred and evil, which will gradually give way, changing the course of human history. You can call it the Awakening or the Second Coming or whatever. As much horror as there is still in the world, we have come a long way from the barbarous ages of the past and many more beings are involved in bringing peace and harmony to the planet than ever before. On another level, if we didn't experience hate, we wouldn't come to know love. We have to have something to compare it to in order to resolve the dichotomy. These are the lessons (karma) we are learning to rise above, both in a single lifetime and over many incarnations.

Using the Biblical analogy of Adam and Eve, God sent us here and gave us everything we needed, but we wanted to know more. If we had been content to just dwell in paradise so to speak, we would still be unconscious, unaware and ignorant-- dancing among the daisies, plucking fruit from trees, without a care in the world. But our path, because Eve ate the apple (tasted knowledge), became one of learning the difference between good and evil through experiencing it. To help us, God gave us the free will to do anything we darn well pleased and turned us loose. All that horror we see going on in the world is free will at work. God didn't put fear into mankind, man put fear of God into mankind. Our destiny is to overcome the attractive temptations of the physical world; to enjoy them on a sprirtual level, not to lust after them. Our free will allows us to make choices-- needless to say, we have made some bad ones, which doesn't make us bad, it just means it will take us longer to achieve our destiny. When we come to understand that all we really have to do is love God and each other, we'll make better choices. In this new paradise, we will not be mindless puppets but fully aware beings who are both human and divine. For this to happen, we have to overcome our black and white, either/or thinking and realize that the universe has many colors just as when light shines through a prism and reveals all the colors of the rainbow.

You asked about "hell" and hellish NDE's. In my Father's house there are many mansions-- there are many levels of existence and we go to the level which matches our state of mind at the time of our transition. Those who are stuck in the muck and mire here, will also be there. It is not a judgment and a punishment, it is merely the level of our thoughts and as long as we remain in that negative state we will remain at that level. At the Soul level, there is no hiding behind a mask as we are able to do here. Your Soul is showing and nothing can be hidden, including that we can rise above it, by turning to the light. I think very few people are inherently evil, but many are misguided and will turn to the light when they realize the consequences of their negative mind set. In essence, there is no "hell," there is only negative thinking (keeping in mind that thoughts are things). An All-Loving God is also All-Forgiving. God is infinitely patient with her children and gives us every chance, including many lifetimes, to see the light. When we die, no matter how we have lived our lives, the first thing that comes to us is the light. Those who turn away from it (free will continues) are then shown the errors in their thinking through a life review, which includes seeing how they impacted others. Those who have no remorse for their evil thoughts are then given the opportunity to experience them being done to themselves until they realize they were wrong and turn to the light. This is what negative NDErs report as hellish experiences. God does not expect us to be perfect, whatever that may mean, only that we express love for ourselves, for others and to all life, by which we express gratitude to God for life.

I agree with what you say about organized religions, look at anyone who has achieved power to see how hard it is to not let it go to their head, think they have all the answers, feel like they are "chosen," want to be in control, etc. It's another temptation we have to overcome. One of the stages along a spiritual path is to think we must be Jesus Christ incarnated, but one who continues to seek and not stay stuck with that thought, will move past it and realize we are all just seekers on our path. If you look back into the history of religions, you'll find that they all started with the best of intentions. It is the human weakness for power, the need to be right, that led them astray. One of my realizations during my NDE was that all religions are saying the same thing, they just use different words to describe what is really indescribable. Words fail us all when we attempt to explain a sunset, a flower, love-- much less God. I don't think it matters which religion we follow or if we follow one, as long as we express God's Love in the world.

From whence comes my knowledge, I know not. I just read a letter like yours and start answering. Often I don't even realize what I've written until I reread it, but as long as it's filled with love, I assume my Soul and my spiritual teachers are guiding me.

Peace & Joy!

Diane

 

Dear Diane:

Just a brief comment on the existence of "free-will"; if we truly had free will, as you and other metaphysicians maintain, how is it that souls reincarnating choose particular "situations" or bodies to reincarnate into to, to learn more "life lessons"? If they have foreknowledge of the future, then there can be no free will as we define it in this dimension, for it is already written how that life and death is going to turn out.

Add to that, the fact that precognition is purported to be a "real" psychic phenomenon. If that is true, then it is obvious that there is a contradiction between the future already being "written" and the existence of true "free will". In our realm, one can not have your cake and eat it too. You either have free will or you do not. The existence and acquisition of knowledge of future events gives lie to the existence of true "free will". At best, free will is only an illusion fostered by those who might wish to inculcate guilt into hapless entities trapped inside this macabre existence, to get them to "behave themselves". I am not advocating the abandonment of the concept of personal responsibility or good works or love and charity......however, you and other metaphysicians can not brush aside this paradox without a solid explanation or hypothesis as to how "free will" fits into a future that is already "in the can". How can you deny that the future is already written.............your own observations allude to it.

And the existence of true precognition, if true, definitely "proves" that we are merely actors in a too often barbaric drama that is being staged----by who? God? For what purpose? His entertainment? Is this the eternal, on-going soap opera for God and his "associates"? It would seem so. There is really no point in this existence other than to be puppets on a string for a rather diabolical entity, known as God. These are hard questions that you and your fellow metaphysicians can not gloss over. There are true paradoxes that need addressing. And if you can not come up with a good enough explanation for the same, we must conclude that you and your fellow metaphysicians are either full of hooey or don't really know what they are talking about. You are merely offering hypothesis that may or may not make any sense. Anyone who places spiritual beings into physical bodies, in this dimension, with no knowledge of the same to go along with it, and then lay "traps" for these hapless souls as they wend their way through life's minefield, is the lowest of low tricks, in my book. A great deal of suffering and pain could be avoided by simply dispensing with this physical existence. It is truly barbaric and horrible for countless billions the universe over. How do you square the concept of your good and loving God with that, eh? Thanks for your attention.

John

 

Dear John,

My, my, we are experiencing existential angst aren't we! Since I just answered some of this in your first letter, I'll keep this one short. I don't believe everything is pre-determined. I believe we live in a Universe of infinite possibilites so why couldn't there be many possible, or even all possible, futures-- based on our free will choices? Overtime we come to a fork in the road, we make a choice, then another and another, which eliminates some possibilities and makes others more probable. Our "destiny" is determined by how we use our free will in relationship to the available information.

Being a traveler who likes to get in her car and go, I've found having an ultimate destination, say driving 2500 miles from Tampa, Florida to Los Angeles, California or vice versa, is more adventuresome and fun when I just keep heading west or east, stopping when and where I feel moved to, than when I go to AAA and get a Trip-pak, set a timetable, plot my driving time/miles per day, and make motel reservations in advance.

A Soul (God has nothing to do with this) decides what lessons it wants to learn through having a human experience and sets some parameters (chooses the parents who will be its first teachers, the environment in which to grow up, the physical attributes and limitations to help it learn, and the like), but gives its human manifestation the free will to choose which path to take. Depending on our Soul's phase of development, it chooses whatever conditions have the greatest learning potential. We decide how we will react to our circumstances. The human being may follow its Soul path or it may follow the path of its Ego, either way it will return something valuable to the Soul. Even knowledge of what it's like to live totally for oneself is a valuable lesson for Soul growth. We are both masters of our fate and prisoners of our destiny, just as I may end up in Los Angeles after leaving Tampa, but I may choose to take a detour to enjoy a sunset at the Grand Canyon on the way instead of taking I-10 straight across the country.

Peace & Joy!

Diane

 

My Dear Diane:

Your faith in God is touching...........I for one can not believe that a cognizant, all powerful entity (i.e., God) really and truly exists, and also have some kind of regard for us. How could that be? How many murders is this God to allow (especially by those who claim to represent him) to further his rather diabolical ends. So...........we were "condemned" to this existence by Eve eating the fruit of the "tree of knowledge", eh? How utterly despicable for God to do that to us because Eve wanted to have knowledge............ you can't seriously believe that old myth, can you? Perhaps there may be an entity posing as such, but it is simply too illogical and arbitrary and preposterous to believe in the brands of God currently offered for sale----------even yours. If God is the one who has put all of us in this "trick-bag" then he should be roundly condemned for what he/it really is---a heartless manipulator who would stop at nothing to do-------- what? What is the real purpose of all this? It is doing us little good and I for one would prefer sweet oblivion to this endless round of reincarnation (if, in fact, that is what is going on). Who in their right mind would want to come back to this awful place? I'll readily admit, my life is not all that bad.....I've had my problems, none too serious, but compared to the average human who has lived on the earth over the millenias I've had it real cushy...........but that is the exception. The lot of man on this earth, over the ages, has been dismal, to say the least, and the lives led were, for the most part, nasty, brutish, and short. If this God you postulate on really wants us to become more "spiritually perfected" how can it be that the physical body is chosen as the "vehicle" to do that? It is utter cruelty to put hapless creatures into such a position. If God were a human on earth he should be prosecuted for child abuse (or worse), and well deserved it would be, too! You can not seriously believe, that as long as we are in these physical bodies, that all we need to do is "love one another".............that is a noble sentiment, but rather naive given the nature of man. The physical body has basic needs that must be met before any hope "loving one another" or living in peace among all nations or amongst ourselves is even remotely possible. But even if all those needs were met, and then some, it is no guarantee of harmony-----------man's greed will not allow it.............his jealousy of what the "other fellow" has (real or imagined) will make short work of any such harmony. Although mankind has certainly made some progress over the past 2,000 years or so, it is unclear where it is all leading us. It is unlikely that we will even be able to come close to sustaining the earth's human and animal populations in the coming century, much less the coming millennium. The fuse on the population time bomb is almost burned all the way down and we have almost reached the limits of our current technology, regardless of how amazing that technology may seem here in the modern Western world. The real future lies in the Third World.............and the outlook there is none too good, is it? If they can not make significant strides in curbing their populations and the wanton destruction of their environments, then we are probably all doomed. They lag dangerously too far behind us in many, many regards. Anyway, I have enjoyed our little correspondence.............thanks again for your replies. Ciao!

John

 

Dear John,

I agree with you that it's hard to believe in a God as you describe it. I had trouble with that myself and the answer I got during my experience is a different, much broader concept of God. The Cosmic Intelligence that created the physical universe is not a being in any sense that we can even begin to imagine. God is simply All That Is and All That Is Not-- and has nothing to do with the ridiculous lives we humans lead nor the natural disasters that occur on this planet. It's we humans that have a need to design a god-in-box to explain the unknown and who made All That Is into a humanoid being that threatens and punishes human beings to control them. That "God" is the Zeus on Mt. Olympus of an earlier belief system. God hasn't changed but our understanding of God has. Just as we once believed the earth was flat or that the earth was the center of the universe and a Zeus hurling lightning bolts made sense, we've had to expand our concepts as science has discovered there are billions and billions of galaxies in an infinite universe where order arises out of chaos.

And no, I don't believe that old myth (Adam and Eve) actually happened, but I think it's a good allegory about the birth of human consciousness. On a deeper level, it explains how humans came to exist on earth and why we don't remember that we existed before or why we would chose to come here again and again.

You are taking things too literally, you need to go deeper to discover the truth you are seeking. Everything is a clue to greater mystery, merely pieces of the puzzle, which you will gradually be able to see more clearly if you continue seeking. Nothing is as it appears to our limited physical senses. Meditation, concentrating on the silence between thoughts, is the key to greater understanding and finding your own Truth.

And, yes, I seriously believe, that as long as we are in these physical bodies, all we need to do is "love one another." If one person can do it, everyone can do it. What if... everyone did??

Bless you on your path.

Peace & Joy!

Diane

Corneas Taken Without Consent

I found out my daughter's corneas were taken without our knowing about it. Since we found out I wake up dreaming that my daughter is in her casket and she opens her eyes and there is nothing there but two black holes. And I wonder how my daughter will see in Heaven. This has me so upset, I can't get it out of my mind. Please help me.

Marianne

 

Dear Marianne,

We leave the limitations of the physical senses behind when we leave our bodies. In spiritual realms, we have no eye(ball)s, we see with our whole being, all around us, in every direction, far beyond what our physical eyes can project onto our visual cortex. It is incredible that anyone's body parts would be taken without consent, but it has no effect on the spiritual being. Your daughter is whole and at peace and is there to comfort you in your grief.

When we die, the physical body, as Elizabeth Kubler-Ross says, is like an old coat that we take off when we put on our spiritual gown which reflects our highest good. It is a misunderstanding of religious teachings that our present physical form has any relationship in appearance to our spiritual form. In the spiritual world, whatever you call it, we are all perfect.

Open yourself to the love your child's Soul brings to you from the other side of life, embrace her essence and let her lead you through this valley to your highest good.

Peace & Joy!

Diane

 

Dear Diane,

You're right about religion, I'm a Christian, but the whole thing about being reunited with our bodies never quite fit right for me. When I read your email, it was like a light bulb went off in my head. It's like I always knew that but was afraid to think it because it's not what I was brought up to believe. I'm so grateful to you for opening my eyes. I haven't had that dream for several days and I feel some of my sorrow has lifted. Thank you for being there.

In gratitude,

Marianne

 

Is the Bible the Only Truth?

I'm not sure if this is the email address of the person who's story I just read about the rafting trip. But if this is, you said that you'd read every spiritual and religious book you could get your hands on. Have you tried reading the Bible(God's word)? That is the only truth that you'll find.

God Bless. Roger

 

This is, and thank you for taking the time to write. Yes, I have read the Bible, many times, and I refer to it frequently. I didn't ask for this experience, I see it as a gift from God, and I can no more not tell people about it than I can any other fascinating trip I might have taken. I'm not telling people what to believe, only offering it as food for thought. I suggest you read I Corinthians 13:12-13 to put what I say in perspective. I speak only of the love of God and Christ and the importance of expressing love in our lives, which is how I have lived my life since my experience. Before my NDE, I could only experience God dimly through the church and the Bible, but then I came face to face with God and I understood fully even as I have been fully understood. The Bible took on a whole new meaning when I read it after my experience. I feel I have a responsibility, even a mission, to convey that message to those experiencing spiritual angst.

God is much larger than we've been led to imagine; more forgiving, even more loving, and not at all judgmental-- certainly not so narrow-minded as to insist we believe only a certain way or only one book, even if it were the Word of God. And we are much more than human beings living a single, short, suffering lifetime only to be condemned to burn for eternity in hell because we're not good enough. How could a loving God be that small? We are powerful, loving, spiritual beings, who come and go through human forms (temporary) to experience the wonder and beauty of the physical world to enhance our spiritual (eternal) lives on our path back to the Godhead. I hope you move beyond the fears implanted by dogmatic religion and expand your mind to include a broader concept of an ALL-LOVING GOD who welcomes us ALL each time we return home (Luke15). For further study, here are some Bible verses for you to reread concerning reincarnation (most references to reincarnation have been edited out over the years by those who thought we would be distracted if we thought we had more than one chance to get it right): Matthew 3:1-3, 11:7-15, 16:13-20, 17:1-13, Luke 1:8-17, John 9:1-3.

May God bless you on your spiritual journey.

Peace & Joy!

Diane

 

Response from Bridgit--

Hello Diane and God bless!  I briefly read your response to Roger and am interested in knowing if you have read any of the mystical writings of such Catholic authors/saints as St. John of the cross, St. Teresa of Avila, St. John Bosco or Julian of Norwich?  I must say that nowhere in the Bible does it say it is the only source of Truth.  Also, I had read a biography of St. Thomas of Aquinas, whose writings and life changed the course of the Medieval Church, that near the end of his life he had a Vision so strong that he put down his pen and never wrote another thing.  When asked why, he responded to the effect that "...everything that he had written was only so much straw."  Makes me think that no matter what we think we know, the Ultimate Reality is going to be so much greater than we think. I have never experienced a NDE and I think I would be frightened too, but I think God sends to us throughout our life, visions/dream/experiences that lead us to Him most of tend to ignore these urges though.  Please excuse my ignorance, I have just fell into your web page, but you did have an NDE right?  I am writing a report for my World Religions class on Nde's and how they are experienced by different cultures and religions and that is how I fell into your page.  Anyway God Bless! 

Bridgit

This poem is an old favorite of mine which I keep in mind during theological discussions.

The Blind Men and the Elephant

What is the Meaning of Life?

From Astara's Book Of Life: The Degree Lessons were writen to enlighten members of the teachings of the Masters, comfort those who feared or were confused about the afterlife, and even stir the reader's imagination about the Otherside. Although each Lesson contains vital information and insight that will help you on your spiritual path, the following Lesson excerpt explains why you came to Earth...

"Never forget that this what you came to Earth to meet: the struggle, the challenges. Remember that when you were on the inner planes you thought frequently of the thrill of returning to an embodiment so that you might once again face the challenges, possibilities, struggles and opportunities only the earth world offers.

"Try then to understnd the importance of the moment, regradless whether you are experiencing failure, disappointments or joy in attainments. Remember that it is the struggle itself that strengthens the soul, not the effect of the struggle, whether failure or success.

"Learn to live every moment of earth life to its fullest, while your inner mind prepares for the long stay on the unseen after departing Earth. Try to understnd that most of your frustration and the causes of your anxiety are really trivial in a sense. You came to Earth to strengthen your spiritual muscles against the resistance of matter. Think of the inner joy realized by the champion swimmer who battles the density of the water. Of what joy would winning be if the swimmer experienced no resistance?

"You have come to Earth to win a battle. Your opponent is matter. You are here to learn how to mold matter, lest it conquer you. You are here to learn how to mold matter mentally. Winning a battle against matter requires a valiant will power. But win it you will.

"You have not come to Earth to struggle against other people. Your real opponnents are conditions. When you fight others, no one really wins, for what is gained by being the victor in a physical or emotional battle? But when one comes to grips with conditions, one builds an inner strength and power. The strength with which you won a physical combat soon vanishes, but the inner strength with which you win against conditions, only grows stronger." -- Third Degree, Lesson 19, page 21-22.

From Sharon Sarles of the Virtual Ethical Society

 

From Diane Goble: "The Meaning of Life is to become fully-realized Beings, both Human and Divine, who are able to exist, simultaneously, in all dimensions of God's Universe. We become human to learn about the physical world and we return to our spiritual lives with enhanced knowledge about our Self, relationships with other beings, the laws of the multi-dimensional universe, infinite creative possibilities, and expressing God's Love throughout the Universe. Our Human Being is given the free will to live its own life while it exists in the physical world, including the choice to recognize itself as part of a greater whole or indulge itself in physical pleasures and temptations according to its desires. As individualised human beings, we can pursue our own selfish/egoic goals or turn to a spiritual path to honor our Soul's purpose, which ultimately is to realize God. It takes many human incarnations before our Soul reaches it's next level of higher consciousness and has no more need or desire for another human being experience. A now greater consciousness moves closer to God-Consciousness but the Spiritual development continues in higher dimensions of the Universe/All That Is-- as the soul seeks knowledge and greater understanding in different forms of existence. Consciousness came into being through human beings but it was there all the time learning how to experience the physical dimension, with human beings they succeeded. Human Beings help their Souls experience love from the physical perspective. Souls continue to strive for Unity with the Divine."

 

From my favorite teacher, Socrates: To Know Thyself!

 

From Anonymous - "the purpose of life is to realize God, to self actualize as human beings in this birth"

 

From Fred Alan Wolf, author of The Spiritual Universe, the words to The Galaxy Song, lyrics by Eric Idle, music by Eric Idle and John Du Prez, from the movie Monty Python's The Meaning Of Life.:

Whenever life gets you down Mrs. Brown, and things seem hard or tough and people are stupid, obnoxious, or daft and you feel that you've had quite enough. . .

Just, . . .re. .member that you're standing on a planet that's evolving and revolving at nine hundred miles an hour. It's orbiting at ninety miles a second, so it's reckoned, a sun that is the source of all our power.

The sun and you and me and all the stars that we can see are moving at a million miles a day,in an outer spiral arm, at forty thousand miles an hour, of the galaxy we call the milky way.

Our galaxy itself contains a hundred billion stars; it's a hundred thousand lightyears side to side. It bulges in the middle, six thousand lightyears thick, but out by us it's just three thousand lightyears wide.

We're thirty thousand lightyears from galactic central point; we go 'round every two hundred million years. And our galaxy is only one of millions of billions in this amazing and expanding universe.

The universe itself just keeps on expanding and expanding in all of the directions it can whiz. As fast as it can go, the speed of light you know, (twelve million miles a minute and that's the fastest speed there is).

So remember when you're feeling very small and insecure, how amazingly unlikely is your birth, and pray that there's intelligent life somewhere up in space because there's bugger-all down here on earth.

 

From Matthew Mason - One Man's Views on Life

From Calvin Patrick - "Life is a gift from God. We were with him in the beginning and will return to him at the end of this physical life. While we are here we have much work to do for him and ourselves. The key to all work is"love." It matters not what the work is, be it social work, psychology, chemistry, biology or what have you, as long as we work in love and help others then we are fulfilling a divine purpose. The divine calling is on all who come here to live. I also believe that we chose to come here, and agreed with God as to what our purpose in this life would be. We just forgot once we were embodied, (the value of the flesh). This life is a learning experience in love."

The Meaning of Life: Spiritual Insights and Practical Advice On the Big Questions We All Ask by Tom Gregory

From Mark - To the questioning person, the ancient Greeks, philosophers, wise men, poets, kings, intellects and storytellers have all tried to present the true meaning of life in a concise and understanding manner but most have failed to convince the reader of their message. Novelist Ernest Hemingway, who we mistakenly thought was living the high life said, "I live in a vacuum that is as lonely as a radio tube when the batteries are dead and there is no current to plug into."

Thousands of people worldwide commit suicide every year as a result of depression and loneliness. Clinical depression is a medical condition but for many people depression and anxiety is brought on by lack of direction in life. Many people just have no idea where they are going and most don't even know why they exist. The Western world is competing in one big rat race that is racing towards a finish line that nobody can see or reach. The world is made of winners and losers. The rich live in comfort and the poor live in desperation. The rich, the good-looking and healthy are invited to all the cocktail parties but the poor, the ill and the less-fortunate in appearance sit at home alone.

We live in a cruel world but it should never have been like this.

No Meaning of Life essay can have any substance to it without focusing wholly on God - as He IS Life. God and Humanity all starts in the Book of Genesis one of the greatest pieces of literature of all time.

Adam and Eve lived in perfect harmony with themselves, each other and in fellowship with God. Sin, sickness, illness, depression, misery, boredom, waste, greed, hatred, filth and unhappiness were unknown to them. God in His infinite wisdom realised that Adam and Eve needed the gift of choice but such a gift was to be given at a great cost. The choice to follow himself or herself or God. Unfortunately they chose to follow themselves. Thus entered sin and death into the world. Adam and Eve produced and the children ventured out into the world spiritually dead since the Fall. God, now having given man the gift of choice decided that He would invite mankind back into fellowship with Him. By deciding to follow themselves and not God, Adam and Eve brought the penalty of spiritual death upon themselves. This curse now had to be broken but only God could break that as He had placed the death penalty on mankind in the first place. God realised that all humanity should WANT to foll ow Him - not HAVE to follow Him. In order for humanity to seek God from the heart, God realised that there was no sense in casting a blanket "magic spell" on mankind by making mankind follow Him as an order as that would get us all back to square one where we saw Adam and Eve before they were offered the gift of choice. God knew that if we wanted a true relationship with Him we would have to earn the privilege by seeking Him in earnest. God then had to decide where in all the length of humanity the perfect time or opportunity to present the rescue package would be most appropriate. God had to produce a rescue package that could be both looked forward to and be gratefully looked back on, so He decided to present the rescue package in 4 BC. The Old Testament faithful were apparently saved "on credit" as it were, until they could be perfected through Christ. (See last couple verses of Hebrews 11.) Jesus is the Lamb for all peoples (see Rev 5 and 7). Anyone who comes into God' s "house" comes in through Jesus, no matter when they lived. We have to remember that Jesus is not only the Lamb, He is the Door (John 10) and He is the Word (John 1). The Word is the Door. The Old Testament came in (into God's elect) through the Word of God, which they believed in and did and persevered by. (Hebrews 11 is all about those who persevered in knowing the Word of God and doing it).

Now think of Passover, the picture of Jesus...Jesus is the Door, but He's also the Lamb, and the Lamb's blood is on the Door. Interestingly, if you read the Passover story, first the people came into the house, then the lamb was killed, then the blood put on the door. Think of Moses and Abraham as having come into the house, but the Lamb wasn't slain for a long time. (Time, however, is not an issue with God.) Jesus was the Lamb for their sins and ours. All those that lived up until this point were kept in check by prophets and messengers so that nobody could claim they didn't know they were sinning - right from Babel, Sodom and Gomorrah and through. The first promise concerning Jesus can be found as early as in Genesis: "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed (Christ); He (Christ) shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His (Christ) heel" (Genesis 3:15). God saw that He wanted to save man from the clutch of satan so He had a p lan arranged right from the day that Adam and Eve sinned. God knew that He would have to send His Son the Messiah to save man from spiritual death. So God plotted and planned to herd His chosen people (the Jews from which His Lamb would be produced) from a place near modern-day Iraq to Jerusalem where the conditions would be just right to have Jesus captured and crucified. Jesus Christ was to be another Adam. Adam was sinless but fell to sin and remained spiritually dead because he was not a Holy God. Jesus was born sinless of the Virgin Mary as it was God's plan to one day have Jesus die to the sins He took from us and to rise again because He (Jesus) is part Holy God. A Holy God cannot die an eternal spiritual death so in that sense the Holy Jesus man-God took our sins and died but rose again - thus breaking the curse of eternal death.

We live in a fallen world but there is a chance for you to find happiness in God. But there is only one way to find God and that is through His sacrificial Lamb-- Jesus Christ. Jesus is our mediator. We approach God directly, but only because of the presence of Jesus Christ who is our representative and advocate. Our sin declares us guilty and unworthy to approach God. But Jesus is present to declare us redeemed and our penalty paid.

The Meaning of Life is simple: LOVE. Follow Jesus Christ and you will be blessed with love and joy. Love and Joy IS God - which IS life. Jesus died and rose so that the poor, the ill and the less-fortunate in appearance can be happy-- happy just like Adam and Eve before the Fall.

There is NO other answer to the Meaning of Life-- follow this message and you will live forever in joy.

 

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© 1996-2005 Diane Goble