Healing & Loathing in San Diego.

[Bex]

Last summer (of 2004) I spent three months, which is my entire break from college classes, in San Diego, California.  While there, I surfed the waves every day, while taking measures to keep my skin from burning, and ate the most healthy food (and well-balanced meals) of my life.

But some things stood out for me.

Now, some things you must understand is that I am only recently very ... um, religion-bound.  And not even now do I call myself anything, but I practise Buddhism.  I have 'been' Wiccan, Satanist, and Athiest before.  I've been through many paranormal encounters and experience what people tell me is "lucid dreaming" almost every other night.  And that, I believe, might just mean I am a very light sleeper.  I have recorded nearly every dream since the age of 10 (in journals) and I have flown in every dream I can remember -- which is more than you think, I'm sure.

But one thing I did not believe in was auras.  And one day, after surfing, a friend I was with said I was glowing.  I took it as a silly compliment and we giggled, but then she said I was GLOWING.  I stared at her for a moment and blamed it on the sea weed.  She forgot it and we went on.  I went back to the place I was staying at and showered then went out that night.  With a different group of friends, mind you, one of the people THEY were with said I had a green ring around my enter body -- with white over my face and hands.  I asked her if she was Wiccan and she CRACKED out laughing, saying she was Christian.  I thought THAT was odd.

Nothing happened for another month, then while I was out with the first friend (the one that said I was "glowing") we were stopped in the street by a very old lady.  She was sweet, and complimented me on my necklace -- I don't remember what she was talking about next, but we got into a discussion on health, and the lady took my hands and told me I would not only gain further power to heal myself but was already on the way to it.  I remembered the two incidents about "glowing" and "green outline" from before and the woman just said, "That's right."  Then she walked off.  I actually BLEW it all off as her being an insane homeless person.

Does anyone have anything to say?  I mean, could I have a "healing aura"?  Do individuals have different colours?  I've seen photographers that specialise in capturing auras on film, but they're too expensive for me to just try without first knowing the basics:  how do they do it?  why?  and how do you know when you're just being scammed?

I'm sorry that I talk so much, but this has been bothering me more lately than it did when it all happened.


[edit::]

I don't know how important this is, but I forgot to mention that I have been battling a genetic disease since around the age I started recording my dreams.  I have something called ulcerative colitis, and it is carried by all the women on my father's side.  My grandmother, who I was closest to (of all my family) died from it.  One of my greatest fears is following her in that way -- after all, everyone says I am just like her -- but that lady gave me some hope.  I'm not asking for healing from any of you -- just advice on what this may have been.  It is very important to me.

Thank you.

[You]

Sure, why not? You obviously have a very positive persona about yourself, use it to bring joy to everyone, even those you don't like or who don't want it.

Focus more on the results though, what you do, not what you think or others think you can do, in convincing yourself, though those are good things to use to motivate yourself at first, replace them with BLISSFUL CERTAINTY!

By the way, dig the red hair and the satanic/wiccan/atheist history with current Buddhist practice, I'm a bit similar myself (excepting the wiccan and the hair)

One question to end this with: why does your title include 'and Loathing'? What is it you loathe?

[Bex]

Well, I'm not too fond of my illness, but I mainly just got done reading a great book by a great man:  Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson.  There was a movie about it a while back -- with Johnny Depp?  It's not for everyone, but for someone like me if really touched some bases (and even scared me a little).

And thanks for the compliments, tho' that is art and not actually me.  I look very similar, tho' I have eyes and my hair is black with purple streaks.  Same length, and hey, it does look something like me -- I really hadn't noticed.  I feel it describes me, tho', as I am an Aries -- very flamey.

Um, tho' not flamey, persay.  Heh.  I have a boyfriend and I am a girl.

You gave me some good advice, thanks.  I'm still a little unclear tho'.  What's the "sure, why not?" answering?  And by having a similar background as me, do you mean you are Buddhist now?

[You]

No, but I do occasionally stop by a Buddhist temple nearby. Before the snow melted they made a snow-Buddha, it was wicked.

I'm a Taurus, but right on the line close to an Ares :p I am surprised that your icon isn't a self portrait... eh well... yet another potential cartoon girl gone to waste...

The mental techniques in Buddhism are great, I just don't like the deification of Buddha some sects sometimes engage in, as well as the whole getting rid of the ego and forsaking material goods part. I like my materials, though I understand the benefit in going without them sometimes to learn some stability.

[Bex]

Tell ya' what -- tomorrow, when I'm not completely drunk with lack of sleep -- I'll make a self-portrait icon.  And to waste, nothing!  I am THE anime chick.  Or so my friends say.  I look more like, um, Kikyou from Inu-Yasha?  Another good Rumiko Takahashi anime.  I used to have red hair, like my icon, but it's AWFULLY hard to keep up with, unless natural.  And I am sad to say I have never seen a girl-type Ranma that's natural.