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I often listen to internet radio all day at work, and I find that I'm pretty good at "guessing" what song will come on next.  As one song ends, sometimes I just get this other song in my head, and voila!  It starts playing!

Wow!

I'm not sure what to make of that experience except that in my experience, birds often represent spirits.  I associate birds with my fiance's spirit, with the Holy Spirit, and with divinities and wise men/women from mythology.  I think it could have been a guide, or an aspect of your own spirit.  Or it could have been a symbol for something else.

Just curious, what did the bird look like?  Was the 2nd bird exactly like the first?  I have the image of a raven, because that's the symbol of both wisdom and foreboding (at least in the Euro-American tradition).  It could represent hard-to-accept wisdom, hard-earned wisdom, or wisdom gained through harshness, difficulty, or tragedy.  Or it could represent a metaphorical death--a major transition.  

I do think the book was calling you--rather literally perhaps!

I have yet to experience the false awakenings thing... it sounds very frustrating!

Wow, that's awesome!  It would be funny if those guys are somewhere telling their kids or grandkids about the ghost lady who popped into their office one day and claimed to be a dreamer from the future.

I'm not sure if it's actually possible... and I'm sure this has been mentioned elsewhere on the forums--whether people in the physical can see and interact with projectors.  I guess they would think us ghosts, wouldn't they?

Or... I wonder if this couldn't have been some sort of F3 scenario, since it was so solid and all.  Why departed spirits would want to go on working in their office and thinking it's still 1983 is beyond me, personally, but if they were really attached to that life for some reason, I guess they could keep it going if they wanted.

In any case, what a fun experience! :mrgreen:  Thanks for sharing!

Scary, yes, but oh so true.  I've had my share of run-ins with that type.  They used to man their posts in front of all the bars and dance clubs, especially those that drew "alternative" crowds.  And they used to scream at us like that!  Ugh, it just about makes your ears bleed, doesn't it?

Cool!  Sounds like a good start!

I've also have "half-phased" experiences where I'm vaguely aware of being, or partially being, in a different Focus, but I'm not really immersed in what's going on.

Although I have to say, for me, it's hardest to stay immersed in F1!  I'm always wandering off, mentally.  I daydream a lot!

Anyway, I hope you get to have a fully immersed F3 experience, if you haven't already.  It's really a wonderful place!  Good luck!

Really, what is there to say?  That whole notion is vile and abhorrent and the #1 reason I wrote Islam off in high school.  Yeah, I really believe that's the word of God.    I've always wondered what that means to Muslim women.  By the sound of it, they don't get to experience Heaven.

Nay, I always seem to get the best of both worlds... the men in my life respect me and treat me as a lady, but also like it when I am not-so-ladylike.  I think it puts them at ease.  And I can generally get away with behaving any way I please. :mrgreen:

Jen,

I wish I could be there, sounds awesome!  I love your music!  :hearts:

Have a great show!

Knightlight: I can't wait to go back, either! :mrgreen:

I really like the method you used this time too, about trying to find yourself in the other focuses.  I've thought about that a bit--if I understand the phasing model correctly, we do exist at the different focuses simultaneously, don't we?  It's really just a matter of where our attention is fixated.  When I think about it that way, the whole enterprise seems a bit simpler.  

I'm generally pretty good at fixing my attention in places other than good ol' F1 (for better or worse!).  I just need to go... a bit... further!

[my own truth]

Holding up a paper cup of ocean water saying "This and this alone is the ocean" is rational.

Well, I think this just about says it all.  What about the ocean water on the other side of the world?  Or miles beneath the surface in regions no human has ever visited?  If the ocean is so unfathomable, don't you think God is infinitely more so?  I believe in God as I've experienced Him, and while I do happen to be a practicing Catholic because it upholds and verifies my experience of God more than other denominations or religions do, my experience of God is my own truth, and no one will ever convince me it's false.  Nor do I remotely care to try to win others over to my personal truth, because that would just be arrogant and narrow-minded.

That is why I invite every person on this forum to the religion of Al-Islaam, in hope that maybe someone will be guided by God to it, and be able to live their lives in peace and submission to Him, free from any doubt or speculation.

If the Koran itself didn't make a Muslim of me (and yes, I did give it a chance), neither you nor anyone else will, either.  I already live my life in peace and submission to God, free from doubt and speculation--if I didn't I probably wouldn't be here right now.  No religion, culture, philosophy, or nation has a monopoly on that.  If you love Islam and your fellow Muslims so much, why don't you concern yourself more with them, and less with us?  Why not try to change the hearts of terrorists and dictators, and provide relief to the innocent people who have been oppressed, murdered, and tortured by them in their own homelands, rather than try to interfere with perfectly decent, intelligent, and peaceful people who are just minding their own business in their own Web forums?

Well actually I guess this question is also for those that focus on a religious sect like christianity, muslim, islam, etc. What happens if I don't follow God?

Dear Kailaurius, one of the most important distinctions anyone can make is that between following religion and following God.  Religion doesn't always lead one to knowledge of God.  And not everyone who seeks (and finds) knowledge of God adheres to a religion.  There are lots of people out there who disagree with this, of course, but there are also plenty of us who disagree with them.  The disagreements themselves are a good indicator of how imperfect religion as a whole is.  It goes back to my analogy of definining the ocean by a cupful of water... lots of people like to do that with God, and they create entire religions around it.  The religions are really just about the cup of water, not the whole ocean.  And I assure you that lots of religious people understand this!  I hope that helps!  

[solidity]

Awesome experiences!  :bouncy:

Ah... F3!   :hearts:  I've been wanting to make it back there myself!

I agree with what you all have said about the people acting independently, with minds of their own.  But for me, in addition, F3 just has this incredible solidity to it.  It's hard to describe, but it really feels somehow more solid than the physical world!  And much more vivid and sharp!

It's so nice... not least of all because my loved ones are there, and so very alive. :hearts:

Good luck to you -- may we all have great experiences to share soon! :mrgreen:

[experiences]

Abraham et al.,

I find it strange that all religions attest to the infinite nature of God, and yet so many religious followers insist that there is only one "right" definition of God.

It's like holding up a paper cup of ocean water and saying, "This and this alone is the ocean."  Or pointing a telescope at one small segment of the sky and saying "This and and this alone is the sky."  When you think about it that way, isn't it pretty ridiculous?

Who God is or isn't, or even whether God is or isn't, is just as much a matter of experience as anything else.  I have personal experience with God, and I also have a personal religious preference that is congruent with my experience of God--notice I didn't say my experience of God is congruent with my religion.  Science, metaphysics, and spirituality are also congruent with my experience of God (and everything else).

If that's not true for you, then that's not true for you.  But to me, it's as true as anything can be.  And there is no place for judgment on either of our parts.  It's really that simple.  And that's the great thing about sharing experiences with people... it builds bridges rather than walls.  No one has the same religious/spiritual experiences I do, and yet we often have very similar experiences (such as with astral projection).  

The balance of diversity and commonality among people is one of the greatest testaments to the infinite nature of the Creator.  If you can't accept and appreciate that, then I can't help but wonder how much you can have really experienced the Creator.  If you allow yourself to experience other people, and to respect their experiences, you might just arrive at a greater understanding of everything.

OK, enough of the :soapbox:

Hi TVOS and all,

DOH!  I forgot to look up those passages!  :poh:  These last few days haven't been some of my brightest. *sigh*  But I'll try to give you something tonight if it's not too late...

I can tell you that the Ezekiel passage FrostyRose gave was one of them though.  About the noise of the Lord rumbling.

I think that would be great fun!!!  Do adults do the guising thing?  Here, only younger children go trick-or-treating.  In some places I've lived, teens and adults aren't allowed to even be out on the streets, unless they're accompanying children, because of the fear of mischief and crime!  That should be the first sign that something is very wrong... *sigh*

Oh, I can't wait to hear about the interview!

Actually, I was reading a book--I think it was by William Buhlman--where he gives passages in the Bible that could be referring to OBE.  For example, some of the prophets, as well as John of Revelations, describe hearing thunder, or wind, or great trumpets, and feeling the earth shake at the beginnings of their visions/prophecies.  Buhlman suggested that this might have been the astral noises and vibrations that occur at the beginning of an OBE.  I'll have to try to find the book and double-check it.  I think he gives chapters and verses, so I'll also double-check my Bible.

Personally, I think it's very probable that all visions, hearing God, and other profound religious experiences could be linked with AP.  And I also think BVP hit the nail on the head, about what Jesus and all those other great religious leaders taught about each of us finding God within.

Unfortunately, so many Christians take the Bible at face value, without delving into the deep spiritual meanings.  But in my experience, priests know their scripture better than most.  So I think that basing your discussion on the Bible will be very effective, and most likely very educational!

I'll try to contribute some verses that might be helpful!

Thanks for sharing, Gandalf!  I love to learn about Celtic culture!  I'm part Irish (Co. Roscommon) and Scottish (clan Campbell) myself! :mrgreen:

I agree it's injust to give the Irish all the credit... people (or at least Americans) tend to forget that Celts were an immense group of people all over Europe.

Anyway, I think I might try to make a turnip lantern next year! :mrgreen:  I generally just use plain candles, or else make little tin can lanterns.  

I love bonfires!  When I went to university in New Orleans, they always had bonfires around Halloween and Christmas--it was always so festive!  Being that there were tons of Irish immigrants there, I guess the tradition might have been started by them... I'll have to read up on that.  Anyway, it's such a cool experience, and very unique in America.

[although...]

Thanks for posting these stories.

I'm so glad for the GWS veterans... it's the very least anyone could do for them to acknowledge their health problems and provide them some relief.

As for the Catholic bishops' statements about the Bible, I'm not at all surprised.  I've never known Catholics to take the Bible literally.  I certainly was taught from childhood not to, and I've never understood people who do.  I think this is more about the Church leaders taking an official, public stand against Christian Fundamentalists, rather than preaching to their own... although... the Church leaders often don't seem to be very in touch with their own, so who knows?  But in any case, it is good news!

If this statement had been made by fundamentalists... that would have knocked my socks off!  Heh, I bet that won't happen in our lifetime!

Ancient people were complete dumbasses. they believed any and EVERYTHING. we have scientists now.

Science is by no means a modern phenomenon.  It's just as much a belief system as anything, and like all belief systems, it changes over time.  Yesterday's science is today's folklore, superstition, magic, and mysticism... and yet it has paved the way for all subsequent sciences.  Why should we think that today's science won't go the same way?  If anything, today's science constantly makes us aware of how much we don't, and probably can't understand using science as we know it.  I think that's probably a major reason most of us are here.  Personally I think science and mysticism are going to merge again, and when that happens, we'll find an immense wellspring of knowledge at our disposal.

And mythology shouldn't be sneered at either---I hope no one thought I was writing off Leyla's experience by discussing it in mythological terms.  I believe mythology and its archetypes are the Universal Language and Universal Memory.  Don't tell me it's just coincidence that throughout space and time, there are so many common mythological traditions.  Or that quite a lot of modern "sci-fi" and "fantasy" bears resemblance to ancient mythology?  Personally, I do alot of mythography myself--all my writing is heavily mythographical.  Connecting to, relating to, and self-expressing mythology is extremely powerful and ought not be a thing of the past.  Yeah, my writing would be considered fantasy, but it's much more than that to me.

The psychology of symbolism and mythology suggest their great import for human nature and the mind.  Perhaps we should try to push it into genetics and other "real" sciences.  Like I said, that's beyond me (for now, anyway)... but that doesn't mean it's beyond everyone.

Well, back in the day, such explanations were the only explanations, even for the most natural phenomena--and I do believe that one day, all of these phenomena will be found to be perfectly natural, just like diseases.  But the earlier explanations were that people were inhuman or half-human, or humans who were possessed by demons, or people who practiced witchcraft, etc.

Today, some people still consider "occult" practices to be of demonic origin or influence.  But just as we now understand that disease is caused by bacteria, viruses, cancerous cells, and the like, I think that one day, we'll understand what brings about AP and all these other currently mysterious practices.

Just food for thought.

Ah, the warm scent of conspiracy theory on a cold Autumn night!

A flu pandemic (bird or otherwise) is par for the course, if you ask me.  I've already come down with a flu, as have a great many people I know locally.  Nothing fatal (I think), but I believe a pandemic is a plausible outcome.  If the powers-that-be can be blamed for anything, its that the vaccines are in short supply AGAIN.

Along with the 20+ hurricanes this year, the insane climate, and who knows what else worldwide... I think we're heading into another 14th century.  It wasn't conspiracy back then, and it's not this time, either.   It's just nature, and the death rate trying to keep up with the birth rate.  We don't need human agents to do this kind of work... I'm sure the shadow rulers are putting their energies elsewhere.

greatoutdoors & moogle_assassin (love your name, btw!),  I know soooo many people who are born between Oct. 30 and Nov. 2!  It's weird!

Being a practicing Christian, it gets on my nerves that people (in general, not just here) are so quick to judge me and lump me together with all Christians or so-called "Christians."  More often than not, it is these so-called "Christians" that give me a hard time for being Catholic.  And I despise it when people like the anti-Halloween crowd can't just mind their own damn business and think they have the right and responsibility to police others.  So... I can usually empathize with people who have had bad experiences, and have less-than-charitable opinions of Christianity--nonetheless I don't let them give me any excrement either!

I find that in many metaphysics forums (again, not just here), people have a big problem with religion on the whole.  And they have a right to that opinion, of course.  But they also shouldn't judge others.  For me, religion and metaphysics fit together just fine, just as religion and science do.  

Truly, Astral Pulse is by far the most respectful and tolerant community I've ever visited. :mrgreen:

I also see lines alot when I'm noticing.  Usually, they look like the lines on barcodes: parallel, but of varying thickness, you know?  I'll see them vertically, then they'll fade and reappear horizontally.  Generally in faint, varying colors.  And like Stookie, it generally happens on the way to very vivid images.  I'm not sure why it is, but it's interesting that we all have similar experiences.

Leyla,

Sorry, I was off-target... that's what happens when I think too much. :poh:  I was thinking pure, old-fashioned mythology, but you're speaking of something beyond me.  I've never considered a genetic relationship between humans and angels, nor the part about angels creating humans to be slave labor... but that's just my admittedly limited knowledge.

I have a question: who exactly were "they"--the ones who responded to your act?  And how did you know who they were?

No, I've just been bogged down in mundane things.  But I'm fine.  Thanks for concern.

[one day]

It's great to share our astral projection experiences, but I think it would be great to know some non-AP-related facts about everyone.  So... post 5 things about yourself that we (probably) don't know!  I'll start!

1.  I have 2 cats: Sabrina (grey tabby/white) and Sheena (black/white).

2.  I drive a Honda Civic Hybrid, which I only have to put gas in once a month! :mrgreen:  Buying it has turned out to be the smartest choice I've made in a while!

3.  Until just a few years ago, I was heavily into the Goth scene--you know, black clothes, black hair, pale face, lots of lace and velvet, silver jewelry, and butt-kicking boots. I don't look the part much these days, but I still love the music!

4.  I am well-known for my love of really hard, really foul-tasting liquor!  Especially Chartreuse liqueur.  You know the color chartreuse?  It's named after the liquor.  It's made by French monks from over 100 Alpine herbs.  It's popularly referred to as the Green Fire, and makes you feel like you're glowing in the dark! :mrgreen:

5.  I'm a writer, and have several novel-projects in the works... one day... one day I shall finish them and get published and be world famous!  

Tell me, where is the proof that astral projection is  a real phenomena? ... how many of you are befooling yourselves, and how many of you are actually having a real experience? In other words, where is your proof?

Well... My proof that my astral experiences are real is just the same as my proof that anything at any moment in time is real... I see them, feel them, hear them, interact physically with them, react emotionally and intellectually to them, remember them, cherish them, and learn from them.  They leave an indelible mark on me, and take up a permanent residences in my heart and mind.  Dreams, hallucinations, and imaginings don't retain such powerful presences in me (though they might in some).