Laurie Mcdonald asked:


“Namaste”: a Hindu greeting, translated literally it means, “The divine in me greets the divine in you,” or, “The spirit in me meets the same spirit in you.” This greeting recognizes the equality and sacredness of all living things. The Lakota Sioux have a prayer that states, “Mitkuye Oyasin,” literally translated it means, “All my relations,” it states that we share a common kinship with all living things, in the hoop of life. The Maya also have a saying, “In Lakech,” translated, this means, “I am another yourself.” So all living things are connected, related, but what connects us to each other? In the Christian Bible, John 14:20, quotes Jesus Christ as saying, “I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.” God is in all of us. The Chinese believe that there are 5 realms of energy that manifest in energy and physical matter. Metal, plant, animal, humanity, and the divine. Metal has the lowest energetic vibration, the divine the highest. Each realm has a progressively higher vibration, each are connected to each other. Each drawing energy from the realm before.

So all living things are connected by energy, running through them, and sustaining them. Modern science confirms this when we look through a microscope at an atom. An atom is made up of molecules that are in constant motion, with energy in between the molecules. This is the energy we see in nuclear weapons when we split an atom. What does this really mean to us as human beings? We know that our Creator gave us all the ability to think and create, and free will, but how far can we go with this ability? The Toltecs believe that all of our conscious reality is a dream, a collective dream that all humans contribute to. They believe that humanity dreams while awake, thus creating their own reality. Modern quantum physics also states that we create our reality with our thoughts.

A Japanese scientist named Masaro Emoto ran some experiments in which he proved that words and intentions have a profound effect on water. Positive words and thoughts had a positive effect on the water, negative words and thoughts had a profoundly negative effect, almost making it sick! Dr. Emoto proved that our words, thoughts, and intentions have an effect on physical reality. The Toltec shamans taught that we should be careful with our Word, because it has power. It can heal or harm. John 1:1 in the Christian Bible says “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God!” The Word was God! This is our power to create. In the Christian Bible there is a story about Peter, one of the disciples of Jesus. Matthew 14:25-31 says, “And in the fourth watch of the night, he came to them, walking upon the sea. When the disciples saw him, walking upon the sea, they cried out in fear, saying, it is a ghost! But Jesus spoke, saying, do not be afraid, it is I. Then Peter said, Lord if it is you, command me to come to you on the water. Jesus said come. And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on water, toward Jesus! Then Peter saw the wind, and the waves, and he began to be afraid, and began to sink beneath the water. He cried out, Lord, save me! Then Jesus put forth his hand, and took hold of Peter, and pulled him out of the water. He said, oh you of little faith, why did you doubt?” Now he was not asking Peter if he doubted God, or Jesus, he was asking Peter why he doubted himself! It is fairly obvious from the story that Peter believed in Jesus, and his ability to save him. Peter doubted himself! Think about modern times, and your own life. How many times have you not gone for something that you dream about because you doubt yourself? Peter was just an ordinary person, like you or me. He was a fisherman by trade. Yet he walked on water for a few steps, until he doubted himself! This is the power we all have! But we must believe in ourselves, and our ability to control our reality. Matthew 17:20 in the Bible quotes Jesus as saying, “For truly I say unto you. If you have faith as only a mustard seed, and you say to a mountain, move from here to there, it shall move. Nothing shall be impossible to you!”

This puts a whole new meaning on the idea of creating our own reality! We really can take control of our own lives! We don’t have to live with the things in our lives that make us unhappy! But it also brings a new responsibility. We must take responsibility for our actions, more so than ever, when we realize the power that our very words have. The other lesson that this teaches us is that others only have power over us if we allow them to. What you believe is. Others cannot harm you if you refuse to believe in their power to harm you. Harsh words cannot harm, if you do not give them power. Constant self criticism, and negative beliefs about yourself, can do great harm, to yourself, and to your ability to believe in yourself. This causes you to doubt yourself, and then you cannot use your creative ability to bring yourself a reality that you want. This can also cause physical illnesses, as modern medicine has seen. Stress causes physical illness. This is a known fact. So my message to all of you is, be kind to yourself. Learn to love yourself, don’t believe all of those negative things that others may have said to you, or that you imagine they are thinking. What you imagine is far harsher than what others are actually thinking. Changing this is a process. It will not be easy, but it must be changed, if you are to have the life that you truly want. It is a process worth going through. You will have to be patient, because it is not going to happen right away. You have an entire lifetime of building up all of the negative beliefs you have about yourself. You are going to have to change your entire way of thinking! So if you stumble, and slip back into your old way of thinking, and you will, many times, try again. Don’t get angry or harsh with yourself, be patient, tell yourself that you don’t have to live that way anymore, that you want a new life. Eventually you will change. Remember, the only person that you can change is yourself! Others must grow at their own pace, and we must allow them to…

Rev. Laurie McDonald RN/CHPN

www.lamplight-group.com / http://www.myspace.com/lamplightgroup



Fiona

Raven Smith asked:


Often one of the biggest obstacles to getting into (and staying in) Spiritual Integrity is our conscious mind. Our mind has been trained to think in a particular manner. It assigns meaning to everything and analyzes incoming data to match the assignments it makes. This constant analysis does not leave room for intuitive insights, spontaneous actions, or appreciation of the mysteries of life.

In addition, the mind has been trained to judge everything: good or bad, right or wrong. This black and white thinking makes it difficult to deal with a fundamental fact of life: everything changes, and nothing stays the same over time.

The ultimate expression of Spiritual Integrity is being able to choose in each moment what will open us the most to the Divine. To do so we must be totally present, not filtering based on the past or holding expectations for the future. Being present is not a job for our habituated and dogmatic mind. Thus we must tap other states of consciousness to find our integrity, and then make decisions and act from these states.

Integrity in the Dreamtime

For thousands of years, shamans, mystics, and holy seekers from every culture have relied on their dreams as a source of inspired information about the meaning and direction of life. The dreaming state is beyond the conscious mind; it taps the depths of our selves and our connection to Spirit without the filters of time and space imposed by the conscious mind.

Brain wave research has shown that when we are dreaming our brain functions express a different frequency of energy called alpha waves (beta waves are our normal conscious awake frequency). In an alpha state different information is available to the mind and different associations can be made that bypass the habitual reactions of the conscious mind. At still slower and deeper levels of consciousness we find theta waves, the frequency of deep sleep or meditation where even subconscious patterning is released into stillness and Spirit.

By deliberately attending to these deeper states of consciousness we can put forth questions we have about integrity, Spirit, or life direction and receive guidance that is more powerful than what we access with our conscious minds.

Dreaming Practices

1. Kirtan

The Hindu tradition has a practice called Kirtan that involves singing songs to different aspects of the gods and goddesses. Bring this practice into your dreaming by singing throughout the night, staying soft and open, and deepening your connection to Spirit through the singing and music.

Stay up as late as you can, chanting softly and continuously. As you tire, the chanting takes a greater effect, altering your consciousness to be more in alignment with and connected to Spirit. Stay open to any information or vision about your life that comes to you. When you go sleep at the end of the practice, continue the chant in your mind and into the dream space. Carefully note any dreams that arise during the night.

2. Mitote

The Toltec tradition of don Miguel Ruiz has a dreaming practice called the Mitote that involves chanting and sleep disruption to access these deeper states. The sequence of activity is as follows:

o Set up an Altar

Set up an altar with objects that remind you of the questions you have and the types of feelings that you want to feel as you move through your life. Light a candle on it that will burn throughout the night. Meditate in front of the altar, setting your intent to get the answers you need to move more into your integrity.

o Chant

Chant or sing a slow song for half an hour, allowing yourself to be totally absorbed in the chant and the candle flame, letting all questions go and experiencing whatever arises without judgment. Then for a few minutes journal any impressions you had during the chanting.

o Sleep, Wake, and Remember

Go to sleep for a couple of hours. As you fall asleep hold an image in your mind that represents the question for which you are seeking guidance. When you wake up write down any dreams you remember. Don’t analyze them; just write enough that you can remember them later.

Repeat the cycle of sleeping for two hours and waking to note your dreams until sunrise. Then sleep without any purpose or intent until you need to wake up.

The information and experiences generated by this practice can give you deep insights into your life and what needs to change to bring you more into integrity with it.

3. Dream Seeding and Dream Bridging

Dream Seeding

o Spend 30 minutes meditating or contemplating the questions you have and quieting your mind until all that exists is the desire to get guidance from Spirit.

o Then do something unrelated for 30 minutes: read, watch TV, take a walk, etc.

o Go to sleep with a journal ready to record any dreams you have during the night.

o Any time you wake up, during the night or morning, immediately write down what you recall about your dreams, even if it is just a color, person or scene.

Dream Bridging

Build and strengthen your connection to the dreamtime by honoring the information you receive with action. Read through everything you wrote about your dreams and pick something you can act on during your day, today. For example

o If you dreamed about a person, contact them and tell them your dream. If that is uncomfortable, talk with them about any topic, listening carefully to what they say and honoring it as a response from Spirit to whatever issues questions you started with.

o If a color appeared as significant in a dream, dress in that color, buy something of that color, eat food that color, or do something else to bring that color into your waking existence.

o If you dreamed of a place, look it up on the Internet, call someone you know there, or put a picture of it on your altar.

By consciously bringing elements of your dream into your waking world you honor the information and connection to the dream. The dreams become an important part of your life, and the information begins to flow freely between all your states of consciousness, bringing you closer to the flow of life around you.

Working with dreams is a powerful way to get beyond the filters of the rational mind. It allows for a fresh perspective on obstacles and problems in our lives, and gives us an opportunity to connect directly to Spirit without the analysis that usually accompanies our waking state and often distorts the information we get from the Divine.



Oliver

Saleem Rana asked:


They are out there. They may either be your boss, college professor, business partner, landlord, or even your own spouse, children, siblings or parents. Anyone can be a difficult person to someone else.

You may not admit it, but at one time or another all of us have been difficult people to other people.

It is vital to see if you are in a situation with a difficult person or if you yourself are beginning to be one. The first solution to any problem is recognizing the problem.

Most times, difficult people do not realize they are difficult. They do not see that they are demanding too much from other people. They think their attitude is just normal. Likewise, some of their victims may not see that they are dealing with difficult people.

It is vital that at this early point, we grasp the fact that avoiding difficult people does not solve the problem in question. As earlier mentioned, these people are everywhere. There is no privacy they cannot invade.

Ironically, the more successful you get the more difficult people you have to meet and cope with. Coping with difficult people might even be considered an essential skill to getting and staying successful in your life.

If you enjoy sailing in the sea you have to get used to its moods. The key is not to stay out of it but to learn to sail smoothly through thick and thin.

Likewise, it is learning how to deal with a difficult person that gives you smooth sailing amid a storm.

Once you master this, difficult people will start liking you.

So what makes a difficult person difficult?

Everyone out there is fighting a life battle of some kind. The battles may be fierce or mild. Different people have different stress tolerance. When people reach a state of high confusion and overwhelm, they become difficult. They, then, unconsciously project their frustration on you.

As a psychologist, my business is actually in dealing with difficult people, trying to make them less difficult. Once people become aware of their own inner pain, they begin to see how they bludgeon others with it, often unconsciously. Their lives are falling apart because they are critical, judgmental, and hostile to themselves and other people. Everything I do in a session is designed for only one purpose: to make them self-aware.

Given this opportunity to see other people more deeply, I have found the best way to stay objective enough to help them is to follow the advice of Don Miguel Ruiz, a brilliant Toltec philosopher.

He said that everyone is living in their own dream, their own version of reality. You have to understand that everything they are saying about you is only a projection from that state of unawareness. In fact, they do not see you at all, only their interpretation of what someone like you means to them. Thus, he advised, do not take things personally.

If you base your values and your meanings on someone else’s point of view, you have merely traded in your own uniqueness and become imprisoned in their dream. You are letting them define you. No one can truly understand you for they do not know you well enough to do it.

Once you really get this perspective, you can allow yourself the freedom to see them as upset about something that has nothing to do with you but over something that is bothering them. They are experiencing something about you that does not even exist in your reality.

Often, too, they do not even use the same words in the same way you do. Let me give you a simple example of the often invisible linguistic barrier that arises between people. Yesterday, I was having a discussion with someone about the subject of consciousness. She argued that it had no value for her. This was puzzling to me because what I was witnessing was a being that was animated because of consciousness. After some investigation, I finally understood that she had narrowed the word down to mean “figuring things out.” Thus, while I was defining the word as “sentience, life-force, and awareness,” she was defining it as “limited, circuitous thinking.”

Thus, even when two people are discussing what appears to be the same topic, they are actually talking about two completely different things. Each in their own minds is convinced that they are correct because each is viewing something that is perfectly aligned with their own precepts and vision.

The best way to cope with difficult people is to not take what they have to say personally.

If this does not make sense to you, consider the following. 

Difficult people are difficult because: 

(a) They project their inner pain on you; and you just happen to be at the wrong place at the wrong time.

(b) They do not even experience you as you are; but only interpret you a certain way because of their limited experience of you.

(c) They do not even see you as you are; but are only caught up in a dream state of what someone like you stirs up in them.

(d) They do not even hear the words you say; but are only interpreting the meaning of your words according to their own hidden definition.

Thus, when you really look at it deeply, it is not wise to take things personally. Once you remain free of getting stuck in their view of you, then you can intuitively understand how to cope with the situation.



Juniper

Raven Smith asked:


When we first start out on the path to awakening our true self, most if not all of our energy is tied up in false beliefs that limit our perception of the world and who we really are. To break free from the trap of our beliefs takes awareness, knowledge and energy, all things that we initially don’t have. What most of us fail to realize is that we are standing on an almost infinite source of energy and knowledge that is always available and willing to help us: the earth.

Ancient shamanic-based societies, such as the Toltec of Mexico and the Incas of Peru, knew this very well. Living close to the land enabled them to learn and draw energy from the earth to expand their perception and remove the beliefs that kept them trapped in the limited perspectives of mind.

The master teachers of these lineages found energy lines that lie in the earth and places where this energy pours forth in great quantities. They built temples and places of learning on these spots, and through working with specific intents, molded the energy to help people learn about and undo the beliefs and attitudes that kept them from realizing their divine nature.

These places of learning, or power spots, are still available to us today. All it takes is openness and a sincere desire to work with the earth in order to activate the energies of these spots to transform our lives. Generations of people did their personal work in these places and tuned them to help with specific issues. The knowledge and keys to unlocking the energy have been stored in these areas and are easily accessible to someone with the right intent.

The biggest obstacle to connecting with the earth is our linear Western mindset that believes something needs to be fully understood before it is valid. When we drop below the mind and allow our bodies and energy fields to naturally connect with the earth, when we in essence give up the mind’s need to control what is happening, and then open ourselves with humbleness and gratitude to the Mother Earth, the insight and energy of these power places are available to us.

This knowledge, insight, and pure power available for transformation are amazing. Many people experience dramatic shifts in their lives following a power journey, a voyage to a power spot to work on personal growth. Stuck patterns of behavior and untenable life situations suddenly have the freedom to move. It is not that the transitions are necessarily easy, but there is excitement, flow, and momentum that were not tapped before.

On one power journey to Peru with the Toltec Center of Creative Intent, I experienced another astounding result of connecting with the earth in power places. We took a group of people to the beautiful country of Peru to experience and work with the energy of sacred sites, while also doing personal and group process to let go of limiting beliefs. While doing ceremony in a cave at the base of a mountain at Machu Picchu, I had an intense vision and a visceral knowing of how the work I was doing was impacting other people and the earth itself.

We often hear from great spiritual teachers that the best way to help humanity is to free ourselves, because problems in the outside world are a reflection of our internal strife; thus the most effective way to fix them is to work on our own connection with the divine. I experienced a deep energetic understanding of this truth.

With my awareness expanded from working with this sacred spot, I saw and I felt that in completely letting go of my need to understand (my personal issue at that time), the vibrational rate of my entire energy field shifted. I saw that much of who we are is based in energy, and how this energy responds to other energies around it. My new vibration had an impact on everyone and everything around me, as if everything contains a tuning fork that resonates to the combined field of other tuning forks around it. The channel of energy running through the earth at that point amplified and carried this vibration to other places on and around the same energy line I was working on. As it hit intersections with other energy lines across the earth, that vibration was carried across the planet, impacting the earth and everyone in the vicinity of the power lines.

Did my energy shift create world peace on the planet? No, the changes that happened outside of myself were small, and smaller as the vibration was carried away from my physical location, yet the shift absolutely did have a tangible impact.

As we continued through Peru, I witnessed this new understanding at play: how someone’s personal insight, experience, or shift in energy would resonate through the group, how when working at power spots I would feel people’s change in vibration resonate across my energy field, and how I could track the energy vibrations spreading across the land through lines of energy running through the place.



I also saw how when a group of people works together, the energy of the group shifts. One person’s growth is reflected back to them, amplified by passing through the group. In a power spot, not only is there more energy for a person to work with, but the energy of the place changes when people do their work, and the shift is reflected back to each person even more powerfully.

These perceptions deepened my understanding of the broader context of what it means to be on a spiritual path, and how working on ourselves in community and as children of this planet can give new meaning to becoming enlightened.



I would like to ask you to dream with me for a moment on the impact it could have on the conflicts of this planet if you and thousands of other people were to use the energy and knowledge available from the earth to heal your own wounding and inner conflicts. Imagine how this work would transmit itself through the energy lines of the planet, changing the vibrations of scarcity and aggression into those of acceptance and peace.

I have great gratitude for the blessings the earth has given me, and for those guides who have led and taught me to grow beyond the confines of my limiting beliefs and embrace my connection with Mother Earth.



Douglas