Summerland Revisited

[Aims]

An epiphany experience can happen out of a blue as it happened to Paul on his way to Damascus. Once again, he was chosen to have this experience where he was shown higher realities and he turned his life around immediately.

Other than an epiphany moment, it is a personal choice, an effort, and strife based on desire to get to some spiritual realms. One really has to work on raising one's vibes to be able to reach to the higher vibs' realms. Otherwise, the everyday mundane reality and ego detract one from the spiritual course, and causes one to loose one's focus and become lost in trivialities and in other musings, and at times even in unproductive practices. If one does not have a clear focus where one is going, where one wants to end, there is really very little chance ever getting there. It really takes an open mind to realize this.

[Summerlander]

Aims,

You seem to favour religious spiritual views and use rhetorical Biblical stories in an attempt to reinforce their validity.  I can vouch for the fact that you can also have so-called epiphanies and other profound experiences on psychedelic drugs.  Why?  Because I have tried them.  Such experiences will change the lives of some...but not others.

Empirically, it is reasoned that two different individuals will react differently to the same or similar experiences.  Some are more inclined to mystical views than others.

If we experience this world in all its glory, then we should make the most of it and there is no right way of going about it apart from the one that you believe is right.  We all have different goals and interests.  We all have different goals and interests.  Just because a huge crowd is saying that one view is the right one and that the absolute truth has been found does not make it so.  Do you know what Albert Einestein said after being laughed at by his fellow scientists for the ideas that he expressed?

"He who joyfully marches in rank and file has already earned my contempt.  He has been given a large brain by mistake, since for him the spinal cord would suffice."

Recently, I was ousted by a group of people who have very good ideas and have a different perspective to mine on things.  I was a stubborn fool who clashed with certain members of that group.  The group has really taken to a trilogy book that holds a theory of everything which was authored by a remarkable man.  Reflecting on what happened I realised that I am not really against them.  I am simply refraining from limiting myself with belief-traps or at least trying to (even though the aforementioned book - the last in the series - encourages open-mindedness...which I like).

Being open-minded towards one idea does not mean being open-minded as a whole.  You can be open-minded about one thing but close your mind to the rest...the other potential avenues.  Do see what I'm getting at?  The pursuit of truth, knowledge, wisdom and enlightenment has to come from within.  It cannot be told or shown...it has to be discovered.  There are a myriad ways to get there.  Remember...making fire by friction was stumbled upon, not shown... perhaps it was inevitable!

Another thing I'd like to state.  Two members of that group were debating about the way I had been handled.  They both agreed that showing love to someone who is, in their eyes, somewhat lost, is the best way.  But both had a different idea of what "showing love" meant on that occasion.  That was interesting to observe.  They are humans like me who have different ideas about one particular thing and both have different views as to how one should act (the right way) in one particular situation.

I wish I could have remained there to learn more but my tenacity (perhaps stubbornness is a better word) and ignorance got in the way.  We have to be open-minded about other ways, not just one, Aims.  I think this is what Ryan was referring to about you.  Don't make the same mistake that I did.  We are all uncertain and searching for the truth in the end.  Here's another valuable quote:

The pursuit of truth will set you free; even if you never catch up to it." - Clarence Darrow

[Aims]

People's writings reveal a lot about them. How knowledgeable are they about facts, how much are they either within themselves and their Egos, or connected to the Source, how smug or earnest, how preoccupied with spiritual advancement, whether they are progressing at all or are stuck at the same vibs as half a year or a year ago, and that regardless whether they might have been "refining"  the mental construct of their practices (which process might have fooled them into believing they are progressing). This non-progression is often not obvious to those writing, since they always have some new experiences, some new amusing stories about themselves and hints to offer to others, and are "progressing" with interpretations of what they do, yet their writings cry out to those perceptible enough: where are you going with all of that, why are you not gaining in any spiritual standing? Why are you still exactly the same as before?

Then all one can say is: What a pity, what a waste!

[Summerlander]

People's writings reveal a lot about them.

This is certainly true.

[Xanth]

People's writings reveal a lot about them. How knowledgeable are they about facts, how much are they either within themselves and their Egos, or connected to the Source, how smug or earnest, how preoccupied with spiritual advancement, whether they are progressing at all or are stuck at the same vibs as half a year or a year ago, and that regardless whether they might have been "refining"  the mental construct of their practices (which process might have fooled them into believing they are progressing). This non-progression is often not obvious to those writing, since they always have some new experiences, some new amusing stories about themselves and hints to offer to others, and are "progressing" with interpretations of what they do, yet their writings cry out to those perceptible enough: where are you going with all of that, why are you not gaining in any spiritual standing? Why are you still exactly the same as before?

Then all one can say is: What a pity, what a waste!

My question to you then is... who are YOU to judge someone else's "spiritual standing"?

[Aims]

One can often get more in terms of spirituality when simply stepping out and communing with nature and smelling and loving roses, admiring all God's creation - at least one gets away from oneself and one's Ego - than from spending a lot of time and effort on self-involved and self-centering practices that only deal with virtual, non-real, but self-indulged and self-induced imagery. Perhaps as an artist one can really get caught in "creating" this virtual imagery in 3 D, and be smitten by it, and be caught and lost in it, but artistic creation in itself is no means to advance spiritually.

According to both Christianity and old eastern teachings, the spiritual path is narrow. The writings in Eastern traditions I read called it razor-blade thin.  In contrast, the OBE, or Astral Projection, seems to be a wide-open door where everything goes.

As to how we judge or not judge:

"By their fruits you will know them".  Matthew 7:20

The imagery of being stuck in the walls or wishing for a neighbour's wife's wet dream speak out loud and clear all by itself.  

[Summerlander]

According to both Christianity and old eastern teachings, the spiritual path is narrow. The writings in Eastern traditions I read called it razor-blade thin.  In contrast, the OBE, or Astral Projection, seems to be a wide-open door where everything goes.

Perhaps you need to do less reading and more self-discovering.  Not everything you read is true.  Also, material such as the one you reference can be and has been interpreted in a number of conflicting ways.

[Xanth]

Perhaps you need to do less reading and more self-discovering.  Not everything you read is true.  Also, material such as the one you reference can be and has been interpreted in a number of conflicting ways.

Well put.

[Aims]

How about doing an experiment - at least once, but more times would be better - of something different. Just before attempting an OBE or an Astral Projection, ask that this time you wish to be guided in this experience by an advanced being – spirit with very high vibs, somebody who has holiness about him, a spirit with holy vibes. Ask this spirit to protect you and guide you and show what you need to see and understand at this point of your spiritual journey. Your request should be an earnest and sincere one, and not like a joke. Do this with an open mind without having any pre-ideas of the result.

Summerlander had an excellent opportunity to talk to the person who greeted him at the entry to the Summerland, yet he passed him without a word.

[Summerlander]

My friend, if you had seen the vibrant colours of that world, even you would pass the being without saying anything.  Those colours were like a magnet.  I wanted to be near them as soon as possible.  Also, even if I had the chance to talk to the being, at the time I was still a novice and was overwhelmed.  I wouldn't even know what to say to it at that particular moment.  Sometimes the unknown can paralyse you or leave you speechless, so, until you experience something like this my friend, I ask you to refrain from judgement.

As for requesting a guide...well...I think it's obvious what my response will be to that.  The mind will give you exactly that.

[Aims]

So if your mind, as you believe, gave you such a gorgeous experience, it should be repeatable. Just think about it, and certainly "The mind will give you exactly that". So how come, though you were longing for Summerland your mind never gave you exactly that?

There are worlds and realities beyond our everyday reality or our psychic inner realities. Those spiritual worlds do exist, we do not just make them up in our imagination. And it looks like the mind does not repeatedly produce them even when there is a longing for it. So maybe the guidance of the spirit that is of holy nature could be of help. Ask for purifying your vibes so you would be better attuned to higher, holy vibes.

[Orion-]

So if your mind, as you believe, gave you such a gorgeous experience, it should be repeatable. Just think about it, and certainly "The mind will give you exactly that". So how come, though you were longing for Summerland your mind never gave you exactly that?

There are worlds and realities beyond our everyday reality or our psychic inner realities. Those spiritual worlds do exist, we do not just make them up in our imagination. And it looks like the mind does not repeatedly produce them even when there is a longing for it. So maybe the guidance of the spirit that is of holy nature could be of help. Ask for purifying your vibes so you would be better attuned to higher, holy vibes.

They are not really beyond us. We can go there if we learn enough, but I think you're right, it's not just imaginations of the mind.

Calling higher vibrations holy is silly. Why isn't everything holy? Our body focuses our consciousness inside of it, and projecting means becoming aware of something else. Matter is just what "happens" when vibrations are low. That doesn't mean we're low, unholy creatures!

[Aims]

If we were holy creatures, we would not have been in this physical world of relatively low vibrations. I simply used the word holy to denote the high vibrations and realities, where frankly, non of us in this physical world is vibrating.

Going back to the Sourse presupposes vibrating in higher and higher vibrations.

[Xanth]

Calling higher vibrations holy is silly.

They're Metaphors. 

It's just how he chooses to describe certain aspects to make them understandable to himself.
We all do it.  We all have our own metaphors for what we experience.  It's important to be able to recognize other people's metaphors and compare them to your own.  And if you can't find what matches yours, then ask them to describe it better.