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Just wanted to post that I am  currently reading Ken Wilber's novel (Shambhala, 2002 'Boomeritis: A novel that will set you free'....

For anyone interested in Wilber's work but doesn't want to plough through his stuff (which I personally find exceptionally interesting) then this tongue in cheek novel if for you. It explains his 'theory of everything' through parody.

Raunchy in places. Well worth a read - and not just for baby boomers []

If anyone is interested in reading  more of Ken Wilber's 'integral psychology' stuff online,please go to

http://wilber.shambhala.com
His artcle on 'The Decontruction of the World Trade Centre is excellent but you mayneed to familiarize yourself with some of his work first - by looking at other articles on the site.

I hope you enjoy it.
Love
Shirley


PS.: I guess any  ideas of copying Robert's radio broadcast is a gross infringement of copyright - is there a legitimate way we who have not heard it to hear it?

Dear Adrian,

Your idea of another kind of forum is an interesting one. However the voting options provided I am sure will not reflect the views of the poll accurately since you have asked us to reply within such a limited format. For instance I would like to vote in a particular way but not for any of the reasons you suggest. It would be most inaccurate if I voted and you assumed the reason was the ones you have clustered together with the three answers.
'Yes', 'No' and 'don't know' would be preferable voting options IMHO,  than assuming the reasons for the answers would be so simplistic and uniform. Alternatively, a space for 'reason for decision' would give you an insight into why people find it a good or bad idea - thereby getting  the more honest feedback you need to measure true feelings and recieve alternative suggestions - and you would also have an accurate statistic of those in favour, not in favour and those who wish to abstain.

Hi,

An interesting question on which we can only speculate...  The Dalai Lama said that the purpose of life was to be happy. However, this begs the question as to what then can make us truly happy ....

However a guy called Mihaly Chicksentmihaly (and I could be incorrect with that spelling but a google search will probably correct you!) is a psychologist who has psent his career not studying psycho-pathologies of the mind - as is usual with psychologists - but he has spent three decades looking at whatthe nature of  happiness is. Abraham Maslow said something to the effect that unless we realize our full potential then he promises us that we shall never be fully  happy. This was the kind of conclusion that Chicksentmihaly arrived at also. He found that those that lost themselves in a creative process or who worked on their own potential, found a quality of fulfilment that cannot be obtained through indulgence or any other means... he speaks of states of bliss as 'being in the flow' the 'atonement' that is considered highly spiritual but can be gotten from athletes (called 'ebing in the zone'), musicians,  artisits and anyone with true creative endeavour - who looses themselves in the activity and becomes one with the activity (the walker and the path are one). This is the atonement that can be arrived at through spiritual disciplines also. But the spiritual is around us all the time and not exclusive to meditation or religious endeavour. A life of service can be deeply and spiritually fulfilling. If we consider the religious idea of doing to others what we would have them do to ourselves. Or the idea of 'it is in giving that we receive' we can find the same clues to happiness.

Just one idea about it . In a sense all altruistic acts lead to giving to oneself.

Dear Kristen, Please can you give me Linda's full name,town and time when diagnosis was given and if the brain tumour was a secondary or primary site. If you haven't these details don't worry but they would just help me focus on her better when I meditat.

I think it is a lovely gesture of yours to ask for prayer for her and I will certainly include her in mine.

With love,
Shirley

Hi, Just like to post my slant on this.

I am a newbie - I have looked theoretically at Consciousness for some time but only once, just once, managed to astral travel. And I blew it because when I realized I was travelling I felt this supreme elation and thought, 'What shall I do now?' and the immediate response was 'have sex!'. This is strange as I have never endeavoured to astral travel for this reason - but then here we go - on a journey and the basic instincts throw themselves up.... as soon as I thought that I was aware of dark and laviscious entities around me. It may have been because of poor astral sight that I saw these beings as dark and laviscious but nevertheless the energy from these beings was frightening to me - just as I would feel if I was being cornered in a dark alley with a frightening stranger on the earth plane - and I pulled myself away and woke myself up. So all I can say is if you can avoid the basic instincts the less likely you are to end up in a lower plane of existence. I have not experienced another astral projection since - much to my regret. The experience itself was sponaneous and so easy I found myself smiling in the bed as I was travelling at high speed on another plane of existence. Now I just get too happy to rexax deeply enough to leave my body. Please don't be frightened by it but I do recommend that you pursue higher levels because it is nicer up in the higher realms, I am convinced of that.

Sorry to put a downer on you eager to experience sex on the astral but being at the mercy of a predator is not comfortable. Of course not everyone experiences it this way ...

I have only just read this thread and am delighted others remember Lobsang Rampa's books. It was over twenty years ago that I read a number of his books and much of the details in his books are now lost to me.However, they entranced me and I came across them quite by chance and quite mysteriously. There is a semi-realism to his work reminiscent to me of some of Castenadas' books and Ouspensky's 'In Search of the Miraculous' (in which we describes his years with Gurdjieff). Highly subjective and speculative pieces of work and very helpful to those looking for alternatives views on living. All of them I feel are special books that live in some expanded reality. I just cannot explain them at all and yet feel that there are truths and realizations and I do not consider them fictional. Personally, I loved Rampa's books but can appreciate why someone may be dismissive about them. Not me however .

Hey Nick,

Will do

Love
Shirley

Dear Adrian,

Just want to thank you for providing us with such an excellent link. I am delighted that you have brought this site  to the attention of those of us on Astral Pulse to like his work.

I feel that Silver Birch's teaching are  quite pure and even though they were channelled a long time ago, I feel they  still have much relevance.  

So thank you, thank you ...

Shirley

Hi Virtual Musician

I think James is right in describing your phenomenon as a kind of  pre-REM condition. Also, I think Robert Bruce explains it as a sort of untrained pre-clairvoyant condition relating to third eye activity. (I hope I have explained that correctly Robert). When my mother was alive she would have these images a great deal when she was 'daydreaming' ie., when her attention wandered when she was washing up for instance. She told me once that it was often like watching a TV screen - but often the events ended up unhappily. This is, I as I understand it, third eye activity. The best way to learn to control this is following Robert's methods in his Astral Dynamics book and taking up, if you can and are willing, some regular formal discipline of meditation. Even if the meditation is lying down and 'watching' your breathing.

These phenomenon are not things to fear - they are are the beginnings of psychic gifts. But they can be worrying if we don't understand them. However it is safer to pursue spiritual disciplines to balance psychic acitivty and grow in a way that you can handle these things ethically Psychic gifts can become  by-products  of spiritual development and this is by far the safest way around to develop psychic abilities. Sometimes however psychic awareness pushes the door open to  our spiritual life... there is no real 'correct' order in growth and development, we are all so beautifully unique.

I hope this helps.

Warm wishes,
Shirley

Hey everyone ,

... Also, as Robert states, colours have auras too - so I am quite sure that the shadow could have an aura. I don't know how you will know if it is an aura of the colour or an aura of the shadow though. And yes, objects do have auras, I have seen them and tested myself with a friend who sees auras of inanimate objects. We saw the same things. Again, how does one know one is not seeing the auras of the colours..?. I guess the only way is to learn the auras of the colours (Roberta has it somewhere on this sight I feel sure) and check out the colour you are seeing. This is why is is easier to see someone's aura where there skin is bare. In normal circumstances this would be around their head, neck or hands

Anyway, don't undermine what you saw. Celebrate and look out for it again. Over time you will have what you saw probably confirmed by another 'sightin'.. For some reason you may find it easier to see auras on shadows...or it may be your way in to learning how to see auras. We all start somewhere,often quite uniquely.

I find it hard to see the aura of my hands but on occasion I have seen my hand aura very clearly  in water. Once, when I was trying to heal my daughter's dying goldfish, I saw the aura of my hands in the water - a clear turquoise... it may have been the goldfish's aura but then I have seen it on my hands in water since. This is the only way to check these things out.

Now someone may say you can't see one's own aura in water - but then I have - so there you go

As long as you stay open and honest  with yourself, follow your own intuition.

Dear Qui-Gon Jinn

Sorry I've not had time to check into this site as regularly as I would like ...

Thanks for your confirmation about auric colours. Your response that yours is a 'shimmery green' (sounds nice!) reminds me that when conversing with a friend who also sees auras (it is wonderful to stumble across 'like-sighted' people ) she reckons I see more colours and that she sees more textures. When you wrote that  your aura is a 'shimmery green'  this reminded me of this. I seem to be able to see more nuances in colour than she does, she would probably notice the 'shimmering' more than me.

I agree with you absolutely about the 'aliveness' of colour. It makes me smile how we have to make up our own vocabulary in this area because there isn't  really  an acknowledged 'speak' for many of the things we notice are there? I call them 'organic' - they change and move depending on the different thoughts - apart from one's 'main' vibrational  colour. At least this is what happens to me. Also it makes sense that our view of what we see would be coloured by our subjectivity since we know at a quantum level that this is what happens to 'consciouness' - that what we find is affected by our intentionality or outcome: thatt our objective view of reality is affected by ourselves - there is no separation. So I guess we all have a varied perception of auric sight (or any other phenomenon for that matter).

Do you find it easier to see auras when the background is white or black. I do. In fact all the walls in my house are white for this very reason. I also find I see them better in the evening when I am more relaxed - although sometimes I am surprised if someone I am working with just comes into the room and their strong aura is just unmistakable. I cannot switch it on and off very easily. As seeing auras required a sort of relaxed focus I find it a little self-defeating 'trying to see' aura. It works sometimes but not often. This must make it very difficult for anyone learning to see auras.  I was lucky, my auric sight came unannounced. How about you?

Interesting also the menton that some people feel or sense auras. Before I saw them I would, as a child, speak about people's 'atmosphere' ... it's the same stuff...

I am interested in the different auric abilities very much. Also especially in how one interpretes them. I find book interpretations to be far too simplistic as there are as many shades of a colour as there are people (and this changes too). I find I just get a feeling about what certain colours mean and over time this is borne out and confirmed. However I am still sometimes seeing 'new' colours.

Don't you find it easiest to see the aura of teachers by a 'White Board' or a 'Black Board' - I certainly do.  I would recommend that is where 'newbies' should practice...   (Makes less interesting lectures much more interesting too)

Hi Everyone,

I have just read this thread with great interest. I have seen auras on and off for a long time. I say this because seeing auras seems to depend on me the subject as well as the object I am seeing. If I am very preoccupied with busy issues in my life, I seem much less able to see auras unless this are very pronounced. I had assumed that one could not see auras in mirros and therefore never looked for them for years. However several years ago someone showed me a piece of material that was the colour of my basic colour - and it was a  turquoise (my main vibratonal colour) - and  the colour I see around my twin sister. Shortly after this time I was meditating on my bed where I have large mirror wardrobes. I do not usually meditate in this room but on this occasion I did. Et voila!! I saw my turquoise aura... I have since seen less desirable colours in my aura such as blotches of browny red and some really nice colours which all seem to be related to my mental auric state - and I might add which clears up or seems to on meditating [] ... so whatever the scientific stuff is about mirrors and not being able to see auras in them I can only say that  I KNOW you can see auras in a mirror because I have seen my own aura sometimes in the mirror. (This I know because I don't lie to myself).. and it came as a surprise to me that I should be able to do so. I am sorry if this has upset any scientific applecart - but there you go !!

Love and best wishes,
Shirley

Thanks for this wonderful racontre... I do actually remember when Robert first posted this - but since then I have had my first conscious OBE abnd it echoes all sorts or 'unremembered' memories of childhood....

A beautiful encounter.
Thank you for this.

Wow DjMidgetman   what a great question!!
http://www.astralpulse.com/forums/images/icon_Smile_cool.gif" border=0>
I hope as many people as possible will contribute to this because I have found when teaching that when I ask a question, everyone's response is relevant and contributes to a really holistic and wholesome reply ...

What is meditation? What is trance?  I do hope Robert will look in and help us out because I am quite sure he will be able to give a really direct and practical answer. However, since he is up to his eyes, contributions from us all mayhave to suffice - and  provide a convoluted definition....

I think meditation, trance and hynosis et al. are all altered states of awareness and everyone has different capacities, that can be improved with discipline as well as natural aptitude, to be able to access these altered states of awareness. Even so they are, I believe, pretty uniquely subjective  - ie., each individual will experience these uniquely each time they exercise any of these practices. Deeper 'altered states' are what I would call trance - although light trance is a description of the least deep on the 'trance spectrum'.  In many ways they overlap and are considered synonymous - in some circumstances -  since they are all 'altered states' - and depth - within some definitions - are possibly their only difference.

Neuroscientifically speaking,  there will in the future possibly be a more accurate  and objective definition between these states since research with the MRI  (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) on long-term meditators (those who have meditated for thrity years or more) in laboratory conditions show that not only do parts of the brain 'switch off' during medititation - but also other areas 'light up'.  This is fascinating and may provide a purer, objective definition in time. At the moment we are reliant on totally subjective feedback. Both objective and subjective definitions are relevant however - depending on the integrity of those who define.

So you see, I can't tell you the difference - but just wanted to point out that things are not always so 'black and white' - however much we would like them to be.  Oe way of defining may be by defining the 'outcome' or intention' . When  there is  an outcome or intention - as with hypnosis - then the mind isn't experiencing pure 'beingness' - but using the state of stillness to do something. Deep trance states  may possibly also access 'beingness' in other states of reality from what we deem to be our normal 'state of reality' (whatever that means) -  that is in addition to an altered state of awareness.....I s anyone following this   ?


Neurologically, one can expect (possibly)  the latter two states (hynosis and deep trance) to display more activity on an MRI machine than pure meditative states. However at a deep level, this heightened state of awareness or 'beingness' is possibly considered 'deep trance' by many....

This is a great question - I hope someone can offer you a simpler answer...:-)The more I delve,  the less I realize I know...
Sorry to confuse you but I think that it is important to realize that sometimes there are many considerations ... however, as I mentioned before, I am sure Robert could cut through the flack ...


With love,
Shirley

Hi Servo,

I am not sure how you are positioned with your legs on the bed as you are propped up with pillows. Are your legs extendedout or bent and drawn in?

Why not try sitting on a low wooden chair? In this position it, if you sit on your 'sitting bones' (the bones you will feel easily when sitting on a low wooden chair!) then your spine can lengthen easily and you have no need to sit cross legged or in any other difficult position. The body should find relative comfort in this position. If you are 'holding' yourself in this position, then you may be too stiff or rigid and will feel stiff and uncomfortable relatively quickly. Moving gently (and only slightly)  forward from the hips with the head leading and allowing your body to 'breathe' with the breath  will help you keep free and not rigid...

This is quite hard to describe. However, I am an Alexander teacher so if you have any questions please ask and I  shall endeavour to reply. I am not always able to check in but I shall do my best to answer you if I can and as soon as I can.

By the way, 45 minutes is pretty cool... Ken Wilbe aka Supreme (Integral Psychologist) by the way, meditates lying down on his back on his bed these days. After years of sitting up daily from (I think) 3am to 5am - he now lies down. The 'semi- supine' position is best for this as the spine is at its longest, ie., lying down with the knees drawn up to the ceiling with the feet on the floor/bed.

Warm wishes,
Shirley

Hi Kristen,

Thanks for all your post too - past and present -  thanks for that connection

Yes of course it was Terri! I remembered she was blonde, Australian and Aquarian - it was just her name that eluded me ..
So you've been around some time too - nice place to hang out isn't it?

Yes, what you said about the field (beyond the ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing) coming to us. ABOLUTELY!! It's in that 'metaplace' we can find and learn about the All (and Isness)..

Love,
Shirley

Hi Everyone,

Just wanted to say how much I have enjoyed this thread. The posts have been so well-written and interesting. Thanks

The bottom line has to be that we are all 'right' (Judgemental?)

If good and evil sit on either end of a spectrum - and if (as I believe) what is all-encompassing can have no opposites, then we are all sitting nicely somewhere along this - and since we are all connected and yet separate, then all that has been said is relevant. This is of course overly simplified and two-dimensional. Forgive .

This may sound like a semantic argument now, but I do think that because we have choices in life all the time, the more conscious (aware) we become, then the  more discerning or discriminating we become (with ourselves). What others do (unless they are very young and then we need to be careful with issues of control) is not our responsability.  But this is also difficult when we look at 11th September for instance. However our primary responsability has to be to ourselves and 'let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me'. I tell you,  I need a few lifetimes to get to embody this one...

I think we humans like to create meaning in our lives - it's part of being conscious of being conscious... Also, we want to protect those that we love - we are discerning as an animal would be in a situation of danger. It is one thing 'living and letting  live' and another to not be discerning..We require to be both in a variety of context-related situations - able to respond in  the present (becoming reponsible).  We have the choice  and we chose, for instance,  to protect those we love. As we grow in consciousness we may want to do this to a wider and wider circle of people - which may be why spiritual leaders and those in the field of metaphysics often lead such difficult lives - because the balance of helping others and helping themselves becomes blurred.  (again it is much more complex but one could never answer any question if it wasn't simplified).  When I heard the Dalai Lama speak a few years ago I can hear his words 'It doesn't matter' to complex questions. And in his presence it all made such sense... to be here and now (that glib cliche!) is really all there is.  In the present we don't need to separate and differentiate. It is not that no opposites exist - but we can learn  to understand them as being inherently connected. In doing the 'wrong' thing we learn the lessons we needed -  and destruction and deconstruction  is required  before new things can evolve - it is the cycle of life - it  is  the paradox of being human in all its wonderful complex colours.. We are all connected and yet separate.  

I think, I am beginning to travel up my own rear end so I'd better stop...

Someone quoted this some time ago on the forum (I am sorry I have forgotten your name!) but it is one of my favourite quotes by Jelaluddin Rumi:

'Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing there's a field. I'll meet you there'

Hi Everyone,

I read with interest your various takes on 'splarkly vision'... I don't see this anymore - at least not like I did as a child. As a child, at night in my bed I would see blotches of primary colours of stars and moons come pouring into the window and disintegrating into the darkness of the room if my mum left a little window open. I was six at the time (I remember my age because of the house we lived in then). My twin sister would sleep soundly but asked me to waken her when they came into the room again. One night I did and she saw them but just when straight to sleep again - she liked her sleep! So were they objectively 'out there'? I think so. I think subtle things are everywhere if we can learn to increase our perceptions and awareness. However our intentions/perceptions  seem to affect outcome also - so it is not so straightforward - which is why we all experience reality so completely differently. But isn't opening our perceptions ans awareness essential in understanding what it's All about?

Over time - and I cannot remember when exactly but long ago - these shapes turned into colours around people. I began to 'see' people's 'atmosphers' (as I called it as a child). The same textures and the colours increased from purely primary colours to subtle varieties of colour which is what allows me to understand the nature of what I am seeing. Unfortunately I cannot do this at will. I need a plain background and a certain relaxed focus. However I delight in this gift when I can see other auras.

I am no expert but I just wanted to say that I do think these colours that you are seeing have a relevance to 'clear seeing' ... and help us to realize that there is more to life than what ordinarily 'meets the eye'

Warmest wishes,
Shirley

DEar Focus15,

I think that all the repsonses t you query are great and way  beyond my contribution.

On the occasionals when I am privileged to see the aura,  I see it as it is there and then -  and within my own cabilities.So my understanding of percieving the aura is two-fold: one the spiritual or perceptual development of the seer and the psychic development of the person being seen- the 'see-ee' (?!!) - or the observer and the observed. 'Scuse my speak - I am not used to this!

Anything one sees at that moment (in my understanding) is not known what will be fleeting or what will be permanent - although I tend to get a sense of what I am seeing and a sense of the  'immediate mood' and a sense of the 'long term psychic frame'
(again scuse speak, I lack the vocabulary). By the background psychic frame I mean I usually see a prevalent colour - which seems to relate to a basic chakra level. Much of the stuff 'in front'of this colour (for want of better words) seems to relate to the immediate mood or mind frame of the person I am looking at. As it is immediate energy, it seems to have a moving or organic component and shifts and changes constantly...

Basically what I am trying to state is that those books that state basic colours with interpretations tend to over simplify it somewhat but may feel the need to do this in order to provide some basic structure or framework on which to build. Also, I believe the subjecive nature of perception itself means that we all percieve the aura somewhat differently. Having said that, I have checked my 'auric sight' with two other people and the similarities seem remarkably similar -  if not identical.

I guess from this you can say that in answer to your original question that I do not know - but I do know that it is not so straight forward as this and is multi-complex in nature - depending on the subjective abilities of both the observer and 'the observed'...

I know this will not clarify things for you - sorry! I don't think the realiity of this is so clear-cut - there being a number of variables.

warmest wishes,
Shirley

Hey Bismart

Someone who knows you well is pointing you in a great direction. Please, please read your Christmas books  - and consider yourself fortunate to have such insightful friends...and I hope you enjoy.

Integral Studies (that Wilber is pertaining too) is only what the term (w)holistic is all about - 'cept wilber is putting his professional integrity, money and everything on the line to state it fully.

However  I am self-confessedly biased towards both  Ken Wilber and Robert (Bruce) ...

Sx

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Hey Inguma !!

Thanks - you are a STAR!!!! Heard THE radio broadcast by hyperlinking - thanks so, so much.  Hope everyone gets to hear Robert's great broadcast with Art Bell. Enjoyed it so much. All because of you!! It's so good of you to go to so much trouble to do this - thank you. Hope everyone gets to hear it. You have made it easy and accessible to everyone. Bless !!

Love
Shirley

Hi Tom,

As Robert Bruce mentions, Integral Philosophy or Integral Psychology is mainly based on Ken Wilber's synthesized overview. Ken wilber believes that Art, Science and Morality - after a long period of individuation -  should now be integrated. He speaks of them as Beauty,Truth and Goodness. His ideas are a voluminous synthsis of perennial philosophy and just about every other major thought throughout the centuries and believes that development of mankind needs to progress within us (as 'I' and We') and without us ('it' and 'its') ie., intentional, cultural, behavioural and social). For a wonderful overview of his work I would recommend 'The Collected Works of Ken Wilber volume four' or a copy of one of his latest books 'Integral Psychology' which is available in paperback (shambhala, Boston, USA.).

An academic of his calibre who also has a life and a wonderful sense of humour - makes him quite a remarkable guy....

I hope you manage to get hold of some of his stuff and enjoy the journey ...
Love
Shirley

Hey Fastwalke

I can tell you have familiarized yourself with more than just a little of Wilber's stuff - and yes I agree - he is The man  on Integral Psych... (I think he gave his jeep to Marcie by the way - have you not read 'One Taste?!!)...

If you really want to start at the beginning then it is best to beginning with 'A Brief Theory of Everything' - his first book - written when wilber was 23. Then Theory of Everything - one of his latest books - sort of fills in the three decade leap...

I am looking forward to some real space to immerse myself once more into his work again. as you write - this is for the deep-waders - and makes such wonderful (vison-logical) sense...

As Robert Bruce has mentioned www.enlightenment.com is also a good site...

Wilber's interviews on the Shambhala site also gives a wonderful insight into his quick wit. And if you wonder if this intellectual giant has a heart, then please, please read 'Grace and Grit'...

I am hoping that one day,  Robert Bruce will provide us with some similar interviews on his website and, indeed, like Wilber,  put some on a CD for us all to enjoy in a different modality to purely reading about his work.


Wilber's integration of DonBeck's coloured memes is also excellent and his 'Deconstruction of the World Trade Centre' explains each colours reaction to it really, really well...

When I read about wilber's emphasis on the Good, the True and the Beautiful (Moral, Science and Art) - I think of a cheap, paperback novel I read many years ago called Sayonara (spelling!) - anyone read it? About intelligent Japanese courtesans ... rather lovely