Messages

Parmenion is right.  If you are afraid that you'll get addicted, then don't do it.  It's not worth it.

I have a couple ex-friends that couldn't stop taking ecstacy after we all did it together that one time because they thought that was the only time they felt good about themselves and life, and then they would come down from the high and be depressed, and would want to do more to feel "normal".  [V]  It's sad.  I tried to get one of them help (my ex-best friend) and he has hated me ever since...

[YANG STYLE TAI CHI CHUAN]

I was looking at //www.flowinghands.com a little more, and I am pretty impressed with the instructor.  He has written and posted articles about the styles he teaches on the website that are very descriptive and informative.  Lots of thought went into them, and I think they seem like a good reflection of how and what he teaches.  I am really looking forward to checking this place out sometime next week.  Still having trouble deciding on a style tho...

I think I have narrowed it down to Kung Fu or Tai Chi.  Whichever one I choose, I will most likely do Qigong and/or Taoism as well on the side. He teaches Yang style Tai Chi, and his own Kung Fu style that he created.  Is that bad (that he created his own)??  Here is some info taken straight from the website about what he teaches:

YANG STYLE TAI CHI CHUAN
Tai Chi Qigong
Balanced Tai Chi Form
Traditional Yang Style Curriculum

-Form
-Push-hands
-Saber
-Straight Sword

FLOWING HANDS KUNG FU
Flowing Hands Kung Fu is an amalgam of:

-Shaolin Kung Fu
-Kempo
-Southern Praying Mantis
-Yang Style Tai Chi
-Chinese Wrestling
-Brazilian Groundfighting

MEDITATION
Many approaches are instructed at the MBS Academy:

-Taoist
-Buddhist
-Traditional Chinese Sitting Brocades
-Visualization
-Specialized Breathing
-Zhang Chang Standing Meditation
-Diamond Body
-many more

QIGONG

-Tai Chi Qigong
-Standing Brocades
-Animal Frolics
-Microcosmic Circulation
-Absorbing Qigong
-Cleansing Qigong
-Opening Body Qigong
-many more

Do any of you have an opinion on his "Flowing Hands" style of Kung Fu?  I'm so undecided...
Kung Fu or Tai Chi, Kung Fu or Tai Chi... []  

"Ep"

I know what you mean Ender.  Though I never really went to church, my family isn't very religious at all.  But I can connect with you in that I question why I'm at college as well.  You learn everything you need to know about your career while you're on the job.  90% of the stuff you learn in college becomes practically useless afterwards.  The only reason you should finish college is because no one will hire you without a degree, even if your skills are better than anyone else they have. [xx(]

Sometimes I question why I'm where I am.  I would love to move to some remote location in the woods and live peacefully, atleast for a few years.  I feel like I cannot develop my spiritual side with so many people and distractions all around me.  And then I sit and think if that spiritual side of me is important or not.  Is it important enough to put my life on pause for a couple years?  What will people think if I told them that I'm leaving for a couple years so I can do that?  They're gonna think I'm nuts!  That I joined some cult and they'll never see me again, which is so far from the truth.  It's like I'm being pulled from both sides, but I feel I have an obligation to stay where I am.  What would the consequences be if I don't ever develop and/or mature that other side of me?  Will it be delaying my higher self's ultimate goal/journey?  I don't know!  I think part of the "meaning of life" is to learn, enjoy, and love, and that there is a higher-self that has it's own journey to go through, and that I'm just a part of that journey.  In the end I always seem to decide to stay where I am, and that maybe later in life I will be presented with the opportunity to go elsewhere.  (but what if I don't?  lol, too much to think and worry about...) []

"Ep"

Hehe, that is pretty funny.   It would be even funnier if that cloud happened to be some entity thinking it would try to scare you and stuff, and you just laughed at it.  Think how humiliated that entity would be!  LOL []
"Ep"

Where to start...

First of all I start by saying that I have done ecstacy twice, and have smoked a good amount of weed since I was a sophomore in H.S.
Friends of mine have done shrooms and LSD (acid), and have told me all about them.

Now, onto the subject at hand...

I myself, am glad that I took the ecstacy.  If I had to do it all over again, I would have only taken it once though.  The second time was lousy, I think because it had become so popular and mainstream, that the pill was less ecstacy and more other crap.  Anyways I don't want to sit here and promote anything, but I don't want to discourage anyone if they want to try something once.

Now to the spiritual side of it...

I can probably say that first time I took ecstacy was one of the best days of my life so far... (which isn't that long, I'm only 22)
I did it with a bunch of friends, and one of the first things we all did was give each other big hugs and tell each other that we love them.  (sounds corny, I know) It was the feeling of unconditional love for EVERYTHING for a good 4-6 hours.  We went outside on a bright sunny day and I thought I was halfway to heaven.  I just sat and thought about life.  How beautiful life really is, and how the life we live in can be so miserable sometimes.  I then laid down in the grass and thought more about life.  I don't really want to go anymore into it, because it's kind of personal.  Plus, we all have our OWN thoughts on life and why we're here.. no need to try to influence my ideas on you.

I was glad I did it, because it opened a bunch of doorways in my life I never really realized were even there!  I think my new-found interest in my spiritual and energy side of me stemmed from that day 4 years or so ago.  

Weed alone doesn't help when it comes to anything spiritual, atleast for me, because I'm never really alone (always with friends) and I'm too busy amusing myself with the smallest things.  But once I was on another drug (don't want to say what, it's kinda embarrassing, but it can be found over-the-counter in a pharmacy) and smoked some weed as well and I laid down feeling pretty good and listened to some relaxing music, and I almost projected (but I didn't know it at the time) It was a classic tunnel trip in the 3D blackness.  I doubt I will ever do that again though, because I started vomitting a couple hours later.  I would rather get there again on my own without and outside help... sober.  

I know so far my experiences have seemed good, and that I am almost more promoting it than discouraging it, BUT...
I have read COUNTLESS times in my study of OBEs that drugs may help you achieve one, but most likely it will be a negative experience, and it only take one negative experience to ruin your view on OBE and maybe your life!  Even Robert Bruce states this in Astral Dynamics.  Basically, the drugs help you project, but there was no energy raising or meditation or deep physicaly relaxation to raise your vibrations to a higher level (what we usually want to do when we project) so you end up projecting to a very low astral plane... filled with all the types of negs you hear about.  Not good.  That's why from now on I would rather do my projecting on my own.  

In the end, to summarize this long post, I would say this:

If you want to try something once, to see what it's like, go ahead, but research it ALOT before you do.  I did with ecstacy for a couple months before taking it.  Use the drug to open your mind and doorways in your life you might not have known were there, but I wouldn't recommend using ANY drug to try projecting with.

(EDIT: www.erowid.org is a good site to reseach)

Phew!  Time for a nap!  []

Good luck,
"Ep"

Yes I believe childrean ARE very "spiritually talented" because there has been nothing in their lives so far to tell them otherwise, so they do what comes NATURAL.  It's almost sad to think that children could be playing with good astral entities (imaginary friends), and as society we tell them that kind of behavior is unacceptable after a certain age.  I've read in a lot of places that young children often are able to see relative's spirits.  Almost makes me wish I was a young kid again... maybe I could have my first full OBE then!  Hehe []

Thanks for sharing that Child of the Forest. []

A guy I worked told me his nickname for CNN: Communist News Network... He's more into politics than anyone I know.  He's very intelligent and daily writes into news stations or calls them and expresses his opinions.  
Anyways, when it comes to biased news, I'd say Fox News is the worst.  CNN is pretty high up there too.  
I found recently that a good place to look for news is PBS (www.pbs.org)

It's sad how even the news stations are using "mind tricks" to influence us.  As if the government wasn't doing enough of it already...

I think the meaning of life is to learn, enjoy, and love, with the overall goal of becoming more spiritual.  I think it's part of the human race evolution.  It's almost scary to think that WE might be the next step in evolution.  I think eventually Man will become aware of his/her energy bodies and that astral travel might be a daily occurance in the generations to come.  That would be nice to know, wouldn't it? [^]

Well you become comfortable with what you're familiar with.  If you're introduced to something foreign, you don't know much about it and are less likely to take intrest in it.  Now you may "learn" to like it, but it'll most likely take time.  I don't think it comes from birth, but rather experience.  Like foreign languages... everyone knows their own real well, but learning others (espcially at older ages) can be tough.  I don't think it's easy to know your language because you were born with the knowledge or whatever, but you grew up listening to it everyday of your life and picked up on it.  I don't know where I'm going with this cause it's after midnight and I've had a long day, soo.... I'm just gonna say I agree with you.  LOL.  []

I don't think just because a song gets stuck in your head and is hard to get out that it means music or that song is negative.  Everyone gets songs stuck in their head.  It's merely you're sub-concious picking up a tune it thinks it catchy (usually for the beat) and keeps repeating it over and over.  Sure it can get annoying, especially if it is a song that you don't care for, but music in general, I BELIEVE, is a positive force.  The time I came closest to projecting (was in 3d blackness, but didn't know it at the time) I was listening to music (Pink Floyd to be exact).  If you constantly get a song stuck in your head while trying to meditate or project, try putting on your own music that you know you can relax to and concentrate on that instead.

"Ep"

Hey.

I've been trying to do some research when I have time on styles and schools in my area.  Tonight I came across this school.  I hadn't seen it advertised anywhere else I looked.  It looks pretty promising.  It's only like 10-15 min away from me.  I know it's hard to judge a school without going there and checking it out (which I plan on doing someday soon) but what do you guys think about it?

http://www.flowinghands.com/mbs.frames.htm

It offers the 3 types on styles most of you mentioned to look into:
Tai Chi
Qigong
Kung Fu
It also offers Taoism.

I still don't know which style to choose... he explains them all on the website, but I feel like I'm reading a foreign language when reading it.  Are there simpler ways to describing them?

Thanks

"Ep"

Hey Ender, that sounds nice.  When you have it all setup, be sure to send me an invitation to visit!  Hehe [][]

Good news...
His surgery this morning went very well, and he's doing good.  My mom says he's not really awake from all the anestheisa (sp?) but by tonight he'll be more aware.  He'll then be in the hospital until Tuesday as they monitor him and make sure nothing happens, as well as start giving him physical therapy.  I'm about to leave for the hospital in a couple minutes.  Thanks Child of the Forest for the help!  

"Ep"

James S, you're right about Chernobyl.  I was thinking of a different plant the Russians messed up on.

I'd also like to point out that it's not the large towers that matter.  A lot of people think the tower(s) are the core, or that if the towers are blown up, there will be a meltdown.  The towers are just cooling towers.  Blowing them up won't do much except force the plant to close down until they're fixed.  

Just DON'T WORRY.  It's not worth it, and it's way too unlikely.
Anyways, I feel like we got waaay off subject too, and I apologize since I was the catalyst for the shifting of subjects. OOPS![]

Well Parmenion, I think I have some "good" news for you...
I worked at Exelon, which has the largest number of nuclear power plants in the USA if not the world.  While working there I was able to go on a trip to a nuclear power plant in my area.  We learned ALL about it, and even got to go into the "core" (the room that the rods are in water) and I can say reassure you that an attack on a nuclear power plant that causes a meltdown is very unlikely.  First of all, access to plants (atleast in US, and I assume in Europe too, as both hold high saftey standards) on the ground is very tough.  Not just anyone can get close to a plant.  Once you get near the plant, there are about 3 or 4 fences around the perimeter with some of the ugliest barbed-wire I've seen.  Once inside all the perimeter fences, the only way you can actually get INSIDE a plant is to have a special ID card.  The only way we got to go in as a tour is because we had to give our names and social security numbers a week in advance so they could do background checks on all of us.  So on foot, it is impossible to get inside.  
Now let's go from the perspective of a suicide truck bombing or something similar.  Even if a truck could get by all the many gates required to get in, AND successfuly rammed the vehicle into the plant, the core would still be safe.  You would be amazed how many feet of solid concrete protects the actual core.  I forget the actual number but it is amazing.  A direct hit would still not do anything.
That leaves an air attack.  First of all it would be very unlikely the UK would allow an enemy plane to get anywhere near the plant, but even if one did, the bombs would still have to penetrate that concrete, which I don't see happening, unless some of the strongest bombs known are used in multiple numbers.  
I would also like to say that here in the U.S., routine SEAL TEAM operations take place just in case someone DID manage to get by all the security (inside job or whatever).

Basically, don't worry about the power plant near you.  The only reason chernobyl (sp?) happened was because the Russians didn't give 2 diarrhea about safety and basically had the core exposed, only an ALUMINUM shed protecting it... [V] Not good.  But Europe and the U.S. are not that careless.

True... BUT

It is Bush's fault we have gotten this far in the first place.  There was no need for that massive buildup of forces 2 or 3 weeks ago.  With such a buildup of forces, it's almost impossible NOT to go to war, and I believe that's why Bush did it.  Of course Washington says that the Gulf War never ended and has been fought still over the past 10 years.  

I would still like to think that the original ideas the American founding fathers had for this country still are worth something and that WE, the people, can stop Bush if we want to... afterall, he is supposed to be representing US and OUR ideas.  

But I will admit that is pretty much fantasy idea at this time.  [V]

I agree with you PW in that right now it's just a matter of time...

[Feb. 18, 2003, 2:50pm ESTPRES. BUSH NOT SWAYED BY ANTI-WAR PROTESTSPresident Bush said Tuesday he would not allow the weekend's protests against a possible war in Iraq change U.S. policy toward the government of Saddam Hussein.]

And stuff like this really pisses me off about Bush...

=======================================

Feb. 18, 2003, 2:50pm EST
PRES. BUSH NOT SWAYED BY ANTI-WAR PROTESTS

President Bush said Tuesday he would not allow the weekend's protests against a possible war in Iraq change U.S. policy toward the government of Saddam Hussein.



http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/iraq_02-18-03.html

=======================================

I wouldn't lose an second of sleep if he was impeached, in fact, I'd probably sleep better!  And have my first successful OBE because of it! []

Yes they are unfortunately powerful.  I hope and pray that I will never see one be used in my lifetime.
I also believe the USA is pretty hypocritical when it asks for everyone else to disarm when it has the largest stockpile of these weapons than anyone else in the world. [V]

I'm not much of a conspiracy theorist myself, but I've read in a couple places that a nuclear war is no longer possible, even if Bush decides to push the button because the sun has turned from a hydrogen sun to a helium sun which makes all the bombs duds.  This would be nice if true, but it is prob something someone made up.

Yeah I think a lot of people misinterpret the 2012 "prophecy"  If it is true, it doesn't mean the end as in death, but the end of the current WAY of life (in a good way).  Basically it will be when Earth acends to the 5th dimension and all sorts of information that supposedly has been hidden from us will be revealed.  Ex: 45 books from the Bible, entire sections from the Declaration of Independence...
Also supposedly the Sun is changing from Hydrogen to Helium which will make nuclear weapons duds and Xenon gas will start forming in our atmosphere which will supposedly give us back a lot of our abilities we once had.

It would be nice... but who knows if it's all true.  Guess we just live life to fullest till then, and then we'll see what happens!

Could this have been it?

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&ncid=578&e=3&cid=578&u=/nm/20030218/ts_nm/korea_fire_dc

It happened today (Tues) but maybe it was a precognitive thing. [?]

Squeek, you actually dream every night, you just never remember them... =)  I used to have the same problem, but lately I've been able to remember more.

Well I don't believe in Hell, or heaven in the sense that most people think of it, but there has been several theories posted what the 3d blackness is.  Most theories are something like it's just a place to access other places in the astral.  Sort of like a air port or something, although all you have to do is place your intent on where you want to go and you will go there.

Thanks alot for the replies so far!  It seems I definitely have to do a lot of researching before deciding... both on the types and what types I have available to me.  I'm pretty young (22) so even the types that take decades to master are fine.

EnderWiggin (nice name btw, Ender's Game might be my fav book I've ever read) could you maybe ask your instructor if he has/knows any instructor friends or aquiantances (sp?) in my area?  

Kakkarot, I wouldn't know where to start if I tried to create my own!! []