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Am I the only person who has never in their lives had a McPuke? Err, sorry, McDonalds.

I've never had one either. Where I grew up (on the Isle of Man), they didn't open a branch until several years ago, by which time I was already a veggie. Always thought I was the only person who'd never had that particular 'pleasure'!  

The feral cat problem is caused mainly by ignorant owners who fail to have their pets neutered. It's unfortunate about the birds, but cats are natural hunters and should not be made to suffer for human stupidity.  (And they're not the only animals who prey on birds & small mammals either.) I agree that neutering is the best solution for boh cats (in the longer term) birds too - not killing.
I don't think the hunters are genuinely concerned about birds or other wildlife (they're hunters after all, not animal lovers). This is just another pretext to justify their bloodlust IMO.

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/797408228?ltl=1110468947#sigs


http://www.dontshootthecat.com/

Pity they won't pass a law forcing these sadistic redneck hunters  to shoot each other!  

Yes, as I understand it, the astral & etheric bodies etc are perfect - no physical defects. So I guess an implant wouldn't have an effect once out of the body.  And with other energy work I probably could work around it like you say. Will keep all that in mind when I decide - thanks

Does anyone have any experience with titanium dental implants? My dentist has recommended one to replace a missing molar, but I'm concerned about it's possible effects on my energy work. Would it be worse to have metal in the head than elsewhere in the body?

Vvid 1012, mactombs - your replies are encouraging - I can tolerate it if it might be helpful for OBE! I was under the impression that the root chakra is the main power source, but I don't know much about the chakra system yet, so might be wrong there. But I do vaguely remember that the first OBE book I ever read years ago mentioned  focusing on the solar plexus & exiting that way. Others I've read since seem to focus on the crown and/or third eye, but maybe it's different for different people? I have the Monroe books, so I'll dig those out & see what he has to say too. Anyhow, I'll stick with it - I'm happy that I can feel my energy movments so clearly, despite the unpleasant nature of the some of the sensations. LAst night it didn't start until after 50 min & was a bit milder, and not so distracting. I also felt a kind of slight rocking sensation in my head area.

Reality - by 'solar plexus', I mean in the area between my navel & the bottom of my ribs.
Regarding my emotions - I've been feeling generally happy over the last few weeks for various reasons (not that I was unhappy before). Maybe my meditation is being affected by that. It's both annoying & exciting, but hopefully just a phase that I'll move beyond, or at least learn to control.

For the past few weeks I have been meditating most nights with various binaural recordings. I am working on having conscious OBEs, and although I'm new to regular meditation, I find that these help me to induce the trance state easily. I have mainly been using Boxed Nirvana (which I downloaded from this site), and the Insight CD by Awakened Minds.

I'm very happy with both of them, but have recently been experiencing a very annoying sensation in my solar plexus area, like surges of energy. This usually happens about 30-40 minutes in, although last night it only took about 10. Sometimes it is stronger than others, and sometimes it moves into the rest of my body, although not as intensely. It feels almost ticklish, and it is almost impossible to keep still when it happens. Needless to say, it usually spoils my trance state!  
(As an aside, I've had the same feeling in the past at the dentist when he is drilling, as I mentioned in a post in the healing forum.)

Does anyone know what this might be, and how to deal with it? I have tried visualising the energy moving up to my higher chakras, so it is more evenly distributed. this works sometimes in reducing the unpleasant feeling, but it often comes back again in a fresh surge a few minutes later.

thanks

I have been eating a high raw diet (70-90%+) for about 8-9 years. I also have done various periods on 100% raw, with the longest consecutive period lasting just over a year. I was also a vegan for 6 years, although I now sometimes include soft boiled organic egg yolks & unpasteurised cheese, after suffering prolonged  health problems & intense cravings.

Unfortunately, like Frank I find it difficult to give book & site recommendations. This is because all of those I have come across so far (a lot) are, IMO flawed to some extent in terms of the advice they give. There is a huge amount of conflicting information out there as to the most appropriate way to eat (vegan/non vegan, high/low fat, high/low fruit, whether to include sprouts/juices/nuts/vegetables/very sweet fruits/salt/supplements/superfoods etc etc). My own approach (after years of reading & trying various plans) is just to listen to my body & try to give it what it wants on a day to day basis, & to take all 'expert' advicee with a large pinch of salt (there are many self-proclaimed 'experts' & 'educators' in the raw food arena, many of whom have zero credentials or long term experience with the diet they are promoting - so beware!)

Some sites & books I like are listed below. I don't necessarily agree with all of what they have to say, and many contradict each other, but unfortunately that's how it is.

www.mercola.com - a great general alternative health site. Doesn't promote an all raw diet, or veganism, but one of the best health sites out there IMO.

www.rawplus.com - great forum & open minded approach to those who aren't all raw, or vegan

http://www.rawfoods.com/ - vegan, promotes all raw,
good source of general info & links to other vegan raw sites. Very active forum, but strictly vegan

http://www.rawfood.com/ - good mail order source for the US

www.fresh-network.com - UK mail order etc

www.beyondveg.com - warns of some of the problems some people have encountered as raw vegans. Good to be aware of this stuff, although many do well as vegans.

There are loads of others too - try following the links on the above sites, or doing a search on Google. Most sites are vegan - if you want to eat animal foods, try looking for raw paleodiet,  or something similar

Books

I like Gabriel Cousens books, even though he is a hard core vegan. 'Conscious Eatiing' is especially good, but be aware that the chapter on B12 is out of date & misleading, & he has published an update on his Tree of Life site (sorry no link)

I also like Leslie Kenton's books. Her latest 'The  Powerhouse Diet' advocates high raw, but not vegan. The principles could be adapted to a vegan diet however. Paul Nison has also published 3 books of interviews with long term raw fooders, which are very interesting, as they cover a range of diets.  Again, I don't have time to list all the good (& bad) raw books I've read, but if you follow the links on the above sites, you should come across more info on the major raw writers.

But in the end, I'd say your body is your best guide, and its needs will most likely change over time ( I for example, will happily return to being vegan if my body leads me in that direction again). No one type of raw diet works perfectly for everyone, despite what some of the more extreme advocates of particular raw food plans like to say!

And BTW - take it slowly! Trying to go all raw overnight usually leads to disaster. Give your body & mind as long as it takes to make a comfortable change. And remember that diet is only one component of good health, albeit an important one.

Thanks everyone for the replies. It'll take some time for me to gain clarity on this one, but there's much food for thought here  

I don't follow any particular path that holds this idea to be true, and I don't believe in it dogmatically, but it does make sense to me on many levels. However, if it is true, why would a soul wishing to incarnate choose parents who don't want children?

I once found myself 4 weeks pregnant (confirmed by a test) as the result of contraceptive failure. I am very determined that I never want children & was unhappy about the situation. I was willing to have an abortion, but since there was a few days wait beforehand,  I decided to use the time to see if I could deal with the situation myself. So I visualised my period starting,  used emmenagogue herbs, and sent a loving but firm message to the spirit (if it was there) that it was not welcome & should find more appropriate parents. A  few days later I had a spontaneous miscarriage.  (BTW it's not my intention  to offend anyone who disagrees with abortion, or to enter into a debate on ethics here!)

Prior to this experience I hadn't really questioned the idea that we choose our parents, but now I wonder why a soul wishing to incarnate would put itself through such an experience? Surely it must realise it wouldn't be wanted? Or do souls not enter the body until later on in the pregnancy?

 nothing would make me pass on the anaesthetic, much as I dislike taking medications.   I hadn't considered using NEW as a replacement for painkillers, & certainly not at my present level of development.  I've always been intrigued by the reports on the use of hypnosis in anaesthesia too, but although I love the idea, I wouldn't trust  my mind not to sabotage things in some way!

The filling issue is just annoying, with all the conflicting info. It makes sense that it's not a good idea to have one of the most poisonous substances known in your mouth, but having said that I have no symptoms of mercury toxicity, so I'm not in a hurry (especially in view of my recent experiences with the drill  ). I've read reports of people (usually on healing diets, or fasting) whose fillings just fall out & the cavities heal themselves naturally. I wish mine would do that, but knowing my teeth, I'm not holding my breath!

Thanks Stephen. I haven't been practising NEW for long, so I'm not sure if it'll work as effectively for me yet, but I'll give it a try.
I was planning to have all my old amalgams removed & replaced with composites next  year, but the thought of enduring hours more of that horrid feeling was putting me off. It's nice to know there's potentially  a way around it

Thanks Stephen - that's a great site!

I haven't read all the info yet, but just from the chart I can see that the teeth I was having filled correspond to the stomach & small intestine, which was where I felt agitated. It will be interesting to see if I get similar  reactions in other body parts when the corresponding teeth are filled on my next visit.

Telos, I'm glad you have resolved this dilemma.
Merry Xmas to you too

I apparently "stole the show," away from the other performers. It was a wide selection of musical acts from various other plays, and there were many leading roles. I had only a few minutes of time as the main actor in the Guys and Dolls scene, and I felt it was really "me" so I gave it my all. The response from the crowd was rather astounding. ..... I would be lying if I said that I did not intentionally attract all this attention -> I put all of my spiritual energy into it, like I did many other things at the time. I know it sounds silly and boastful, but I felt bad for being so good.

Do you have any similar experiences? Do you think my feeling bad was justified?

Telos

I don't think your feeling bad about yourself was justified.  In school I also had the experience of gaining positive attention for my musical compositions & performances, often at the expense of the work of others. While I didn't take any pleasure in their relative lack of success, neither did I see it as reason to feel bad about myself. I see artistic work as something which may have merit in itself, independently of the person who produces it. The artist is, in my view, both expressing their self in the work, and also acting as a conduit for something greater, - as a kind of co-creator. I believe great art has an elevating effect on those who witness it, and that we have gifts to use, to make the world a better place. (sorry if this sounds pompous!) In works/performances of true brilliance, people will  very often pick up on both of these aspects & respond very positively, like your audience at the play. They might not know what it was about your performance that set you apart, but it was a real quality, one which stood out all the more sharply in comparison to the relative mediocrity of the others. And it was related to your effort to 'give your all'. Maybe you tapped into something beyond your self in your performance, & your friends didn't. Why should you feel bad about making a sincere effort to do your best, to entertain people & enjoy yourself too? And why should you feel bad that  your classmates either didn't bother, or didn't succeed in their attempts to do the same?

If they truly cared about performing, they'd put aside their jealousy & be inspired instead. But if they chose not to, that truly isn't your problem.  Maybe they're where they need to be right now, on their own path. But this world is awash with mediocrity, and by hiding your light under a bushel, you'd be depriving others of the chance to become inspired & elevate themselves. It's not the same as being arrogant - you can express your gifts to their fullest potential, be rewarded for them, and still be a good person. And even if you make yourself nothing, there will still be those who react negatively! So why even try?

http://www.stuartwilde.com/Articles/SW_articles_armor_geton.htm

No idea how true his writings are, but I like reading them!

I have been trying it with 2 moles since Thursday - one with blue ink & the other with black (I was surprised at how difficult it can be to draw the diagrams accurately!) One is very small, and looks more like a freckle, but it is raised slightly, so I assumes it's a mole. I am using the black ink on that one, & it has faded from dark brown to a medium brown colour. There is no change in the other one as yet, but it's only been 4 days. This is quite exciting!

I am currently in the middle of several dental appointments for fillings.    I have had 2 visits already, & when he was drilling, I experienced a very strange & unpleasant feeling in my solar plexus area. It's difficult to describe, but felt a bit like very intense 'butterflies' mixed with a sensation of pressure building from within. It was very difficult not to move about or make some noise, & took all of my self control to stay in the chair. It subsided after the drilling stopped.

Does anyone know what this might be, or how to avoid/control it next time?

BTW - I want to be clear that it wasn't the reslt of simple nerves - I'm not afraid of the dentist, and have no problem with the stuff going on in my mouth, and I'm not a nervous person generally. It's also never happened before this series of visits.  

There's another thread on it here http://www.astralpulse.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=13135&start=0

I vote for 50-50 blue & black mix.

Tyciol - there's a basic description of the technique in this thread http://www.astralpulse.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=1626&start=0

but for more detailed info I recommend reading chapter 13 of RB's 'Practical Psychic Self-Defense'.

Sarah- it's not you; too many people were trying to connect at once. It's a phpBB problem.

I had acne as a teenager, & took accutane when I was 18. I dried out my oily skin, but didn't get rid of most of the pimples. And my skin went back to how it was before when I stopped taking it, and didn't begin to clear properly until I was about 23. I think it was due to a combination of just growing out of it (apparently most severe cases tend to clear in the early-mid 20s), and also  improving my diet (that was a factor, as I still get breakouts now if I eat more than a  bit of junk food, although not to the same extent as before).
But I wouldn't touch accutane or other drugs now. Accutane has a ridiculously long list of potential side effects - nose bleeds are the least worrying of them!

Some acne scars will fade naturally over time - it might be worth waiting a few years after the spots clear, to see which scars don't fade, or you could end up having unnecessary work done. I never had the deep pitted scars (which are more problematic to remove), but I did have a lot of smooth red ones, which have all faded now (about 6 years later). There is a site called www.acne.org, which has a message board - maybe there is more info on scar treatment there? Also, topical  products containing silicon (such as Silicol Skin) are good for general scarring, so I guess they might help with  acne scars too.

I think psych0naut means the Don Juan in Carlos Castaneda's books. I remember reading about that technique too, although I'm not sure which book it was in. But aren't his books meant to be a hoax? Although the info in  them could still be valid...

Tayesin

Surely if others react in an emotional way, they're responsible for their reaction & any discomfort it causes to them? I don't see why you need to apologise!

From a purely selfish perspective, I hope you don't restrict your future posts too much - I enjoy your posts, & have found much of what you've had to say very helpful.

It depends on what you want to achieve. Many people fast for 2-3 weeks or sometimes even more, and experience dramatic improvements in their health. Some experience problems, particularly if they lack skilled supervision, or conduct the fast wrongly, or break it with the wrong foods. But long fasts have been known to reverse so called 'terminal' illnesses where conventional treatment has failed.

But for the average person who lacks fasting experience & knowledge, who isn't chronically ill, and just wants to do a bit of light detox, or who has lost their appetite because they've got the flu or whatever, then yes, up to 3 days should be the maximum. (And BTW black tea's not the best choice, due to the caffeine content - water, fresh juices & maybe herb teas are better.)