Tidbits of trivia

A random collection of semi-coherent thoughts for Sunday reading.

R. Craig Hogan sent me a copy of his new book Your Eternal Self. It's a compendium of evidence for life after death, and looks well worth reading (even if he does include a certain British "materialization medium" among those he considers rigorously tested) ...

Rod McKenzie emailed me to recommend signing an anti-whaling petition. I'm not much into petitions, but for those who are, here's the link. Warning for those at work: the site plays music ...

The new Indiana Jones movie actually looks pretty good. And the John Williams theme music still soars ...

The campaign to eliminate plastic bags is apparently based on an amateurish journalistic blunder ...

Google Books includes a preview of Jenny Wade's excellent (but challenging) Changes of Mind, for those who are interested ...

The new Amazon Video Unbox service is pretty cool. You can buy a TV show or movie and download it to your PC or portable device. Rentals are available too. High-speed connection required ...

Spiritualist Chatroom, which has been hacked at least twice in the past, is now offline again. More hackery? Or just a technical snafu? I don't know, but the site has been down for at least three days ...

Rolling Stone tells the sad, bizarre story of how Britney Spears lost her mind. With most celebrities, "losing one's mind" would be a purely figurative expression ...

George Clooney is cool. Here's how he responds to a Web site calling him "gay, gay, gay": "No, I'm gay, gay. The third gay – that was pushing it." Heh.

That's all for now. 

Comments

[william]

Wow! Jenny Wade’s book is my kind of book at least the first paragraph is. In the first paragraph she states the concept of the emerging paradigm as it relates to the evolution of individual consciousness utilizing post Newtonian ideas.

To psychologists in the west it is an emerging paradigm but with the Hindu’s this is a very old paradigm.

Wonder if she has considered rebirth and its impact on our individual consciousness?

[Vicki]

Hello MP...
Thought I would update you on the SCR (Spiritualist Chatroom).

You're right - it went down sometime last Wed/Thurs and the site Admin hasn't been able to access it since. The owner is moving and is currently unavailable, so we can't get to the server and don't know whether the problem is hacking or technical.

Interesting coincidence though that VZ has been "sanitizing" his site since the SCR went down isn't it?

Perhaps he thinks we've all gone away?

No such luck. A new SCR has risen like the proverbial phoenix and can be found at http://spiritualistchatroom.forumotion.com/index.htm

For those who would like to follow the story , several of the VZ/DT threads were saved and have been reposted there. :)

cheers.

[lynnbiphoto83]

It's ok if you are not a gay. But it's not so bad if you are a gay. What what those LGBT at http://www.bimingle.com about themselves. They all feel proud of who they are. It should not be a shame.

[John]

I believe I've said on this blog before that I'm gay. I don't see why it matters so much at all.

[Kevin]

Michael: thanks for the Google Books link to Jenny Wade's book. After reading a few sample pages, I accelerated to Amazon and 1-Clicked a copy in my direction. Wade's introductory quotation from Nobel winner George Wald about the necessity of Mind to pre-exist physical reality is EXACTLY part of the mental meal I've been feasting on of late. More meat required.(Note to Art:holograms included)

Mr. Hogan's book also sounds interesting, though it could produce some credibility conflicts if he employs examples like DT as proof of his contentions.

The story of Ms. Spears mental deteriorization would serve as an excellent cautionary example to those who need the cautioning, but I fear they will only use it to sate their need for voyeuristic thrills while they continue to fantasize about their insecurity-driven desire for "stardom". Too sad to read.

[Michael Prescott]

To clarify: I just thought Clooney's riposte to the Web site that called him "gay, gay, gay" was funny. He didn't get upset or defensive; he just made a joke out of it. I think that's cool. Some of his other comments in the linked article are also pretty funny.

Thanks to Vicki for the update on SCR.

[Hope Rivers]

I thought the George Clooney thing was funny too Michael, it's his sense of humour which is just a reflection of him, not a reference to anybody else's opinions.

Lynn, I think all people are equal and loveable whatever their sexuality, don't see the point of the Bi sexual singles dating site your promoting through this post, I think people can find those things easy enough on the internet if thats what they are looking for.

But I guess you've made the task easier, so with that said is anyone signing up??? :-)

I'm happy with my sexuality too, it's great isnt it when you know what makes you happy, anyway it's firmly fixed on the male species so wont be needing the site, but who knows about everyone else here ;-)

[Katie]

Just because we live on doesn't mean we don't need to take care of this earth. Whether or not plastic bags kill 100,000 marine animals a year is not critical - plastic bags don't biodegrade and billions of them accumulating in the environment is obviously not a good thing. We are lazy, selfish and wasteful to use them.

[Tim]

Man, we're going to have to invent a new word to replace "pathetic" to describe the Rolling Stone piece on Britney. Saddest of all this that everyone knew this sort of thing was coming; it's an old, old story. The world's full of users, and if you let them, they'll use you up, dump the body and latch on to someone else.

Sad. I hope the young woman gets her s*&t together, but I'm not holding my breath.

[Hope Rivers]

I kinda enjoyed reading that Britney piece more for the writer's inventiveness and creative wit. I'm pretty sure a lot of it is bloated gossip.

[Leo MacDonald]

I have always been an horror movie fan so no indiana jones for me. True it seems more than ever before celebrities are going insane.

[Hope Rivers]

Celebrities have the extra pressure of paparazzi and having their every movement traced and reported with all the lies mixed in the pot, it would be difficult to endure this kind of treatment.

BTW Heather Locklear's psychiatrist called 911 for suicide watch, one wonders if this is the next trend. It appears she was fine.

[Barbara]

That Indiana Jones movie's release date is my dog's birthday. I might have to take that as a sign. :) It's been ages since I've seen a movie in the theater.

Re the plastic bags, I think ecological science is about as reliable as nutritional science (eggs are good for you, eggs are bad for you, eggs are good for you in moderation), and when you get sloppy journalism mixed in, well ... I think it's just best to educate ourselves as well as we can and to leave as reasonably small a footprint as we can, and try not to sweat the rest. There are just too many of us, apparently, for this little finite planet.

I think I'll skip the Britney Spears article. Reading about her makes me feel as if I'm losing my mind. I think the biggest problem with fame is that once you have it, and if you have very public problems, then your worst problem is that you're too famous. Vicious circle.

[Wendy]

Ooh, the Jenny Wade book sounds right up my alley. Thanks, MP!

I am soooooo over all the Britney drama. Her Spirit/Higher Self is struggling hard to get her attention, for her to get it together and change, baby, change, grow and evolve beyond the drama of the poor-poor-pitiful-me ego and dualism.

George Clooney is just too, too, too funny, funny, funny and cool, cool, cool! Beneath the clown who is comfortable making fun of himself, now there's a very wise and secure soul. :D

[Barry]

Discussion of Hollywood movie stars completely trivializes us all.

"There are just too many of us, apparently, for this little finite planet." Now thats more like it Barbara. You ain't seen nothing yet.
Monthly World population figures projection:

01/01/08 6,641,114,623
02/01/08 6,647,658,287
03/01/08 6,653,779,780
04/01/08 6,660,323,443
05/01/08 6,666,656,022
06/01/08 6,673,199,685
07/01/08 6,679,532,264

[Art]

I believe I've said on this blog before that I'm gay. I don't see why it matters so much at all. - John
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Gender and sexual orientation are just another kind of duality and separation to imprint on the soul what it means and how it feels to be separate, unique, individuals. Just another kind of label htat we wear. No different than Religion, politics, language, dialect, race, color, height & weight, wealth, I.Q., education, looks, etc. etc etc., which when added all together identify us as separate, unique, individuals. Teaching the soul what it means to be separate.

[Michael Prescott]

>Discussion of Hollywood movie stars completely trivializes us all.

Is that a bad thing?

[william]

>Discussion of Hollywood movie stars completely trivializes us all.
“Is that a bad thing? “

I think we might want to ask ourselves what is the meaning of our fascination with Hollywood stars especially their problems that many endure in life. I suspect there is more to our curiosity than meets the eye.

As far as being trivialized I suspect another paradox here. I suspect our ego perceives itself as very trivial and often compensates in destructive life choices. We may perceive ourselves as indeed very trivial when we look at our place/size in the universe but we are that that is in what I suspect is a magnificent unfoldment of vitality and intelligence beyond our comprehension.

Of course this political year in America that intelligence is suspect.

This magnificent unfoldment that many call chaos may very well be perfection in action. Stating all of this is due to chance or luck from my point of view is the ultimate in intellectual ignorance and I suspect with a large dose of arrogance.

[Barry]

William -- “This magnificent unfoldment that many call chaos may very well be perfection in action.”

So then William, everything is the opposite of what it seems, is it? Consider this –

A race of EPBs (Extremely Powerful Beings) holds us in a Matrix-style or Star-trek style thrall for their entertainment. When we have an NDE or die, we are transported to a different holoreality, where we are allowed to meet ‘dead loved ones’ and ‘ascended masters’, whilst being stimulated by simulated love. Then they transport us back down, because they have a particular taste for gritty reality. Most of all they enjoy fooling us. Buddha saw through all this and dreamed of self-annihilation. He thought that if he refused to play ball, they’d delete him from the program. Fat chance. He’s down here now as George Clooney. And Joan of Arc is Britney Spears.

To misquote Sherlock Holmes, “If that seems improbable, it must be the truth”.

[John]

Barry, that was a very bad misrepresentation of Holmes' quote. Paraphrased more accurately:

"When everything else is removed, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth."

What you said is completely different.

[Barry]

John,
For your punishment, you must re-read my post, then finish this story --

"Once upon a time there was a man who deliberately misquoted Sherlock Holmes to make a point..."

[John]

Oh, I know you misquoted him, but it's still a rather dishonest thing to invoke one of the greater fictional geniuses in order to try to bolster your opinion.

[Hope Rivers]

Barry says,

"A race of EPBs (Extremely Powerful Beings) holds us in a Matrix-style or Star-trek style thrall for their entertainment. When we have an NDE or die, we are transported to a different holoreality, where we are allowed to meet ‘dead loved ones’ and ‘ascended masters’, whilst being stimulated by simulated love. Then they transport us back down, because they have a particular taste for gritty reality. Most of all they enjoy fooling us. Buddha saw through all this and dreamed of self-annihilation. He thought that if he refused to play ball, they’d delete him from the program. Fat chance. He’s down here now as George Clooney. And Joan of Arc is Britney Spears."

Well never say never!.

Yes this leans on paranoia as some would put it but there are many people out there who may agree with you here too accept they the name of this "EPB" is Lucifer, or more widely known as Satan with his race of beings called "Devils and Demons"

Having had an NDE myself you can't help but explore all these ideas, it pays to stay open to truth and not shoot something down so quickly, cos as I said earlier, never say never.

My personal opinion on the matter, well I'll sit on the fence a bit longer.

[Hope Rivers]

Just an extra note, the reincarnation aspect of Barry's theory is obviously Eastern influenced and not Christian but it was a nice blend from a skeptic as yourself Barry.

But again Barry Never say Never, it's your creation after all.

[william]

“Just an extra note, the reincarnation aspect of Barry's theory is obviously Eastern influenced and not Christian”

Maybe, maybe not. There were many Christians that believed in reincarnation but when Rome took over the church a belief in reincarnation was a death sentence. We souls are such slow learners that I suspect that it takes many incarnations on this earth plane before we are able to move on to other dimensions for more advanced learning.

But I agree with your point not the Christianity that is taught today, as we know it.

I find most people including myself very adverse to the thought of reincarnation. Although I do have some “desires” I would like to try to accomplish in another incarnation. I suspect those desires bring us back and back and back; well you get the point.

Several of my desires are personal but one being developing light and/or variation therapy for healing. I believe that noninvasive light and vibration therapy is the healing of the future. Just saw something on CNN today about using sound waves to heal.

One of the mysteries for me at this time is why those on the other side know so little about reincarnation. Have several theories why this is so but it would take up too much space to explain them.

[Michael H]

To Williams point, I seem to recall that the church didn't officially come down against reincarnation until the 6th century. I think several of the Gnostic sects accepted reincarnation as well.

In reading Barry's post, I guess I'd have to say that I agree with part of what he seems to be pointing to. It sure appears to me that truth is lost once someone chooses to define it. Having said that though, I'll also say that there is an absolute truth that all of the faiths are pointing to. Many conflicts in the world come about because the followers of faiths mistake an interpretation of truth for Truth itself.

If Barry's point was to be watchful about what one believes in order to discover absolute truth, then I would agree with him. But if he is saying that creation is accidental meaningless chaos, then I don't. I line up with William's conjecture of camouflaged perfection myself.

And that would just mean that Barry and I are in the position alluded to in Wade's book. We're both looking at the same things from a different perspective. As we all are.

[Barry]

"We're both looking at the same things from a different perspective."
I venture to suggest, Michael H, that there is a qualitative difference between EPBs and Ascended Masters, as there is between free souls and slaves, the sewer and the mountain stream. No getting away from it. Sorry.

[John]

Well, we don't even have any evidence that the "EPBs" even exist.

[Hope Rivers]

If evil exists on this planet why couldn't it exist elsewhere John.

[Barry]

Yes, Hope, I claim EPBs exist by virtue of the Ontological Argument (it is possible to conceive of them and in an infinite universe, they must exist because reality is greater than fiction). But you could call them EPAs, John, if you prefer (Extremely Powerful Aliens).

But to be serious: at what point are we deceived-- by our senses (William) or by our myths (Heaven).

Hope, sitting on the fence indefinitely is not an option. Eventually, to live is to choose (something) and to trust (something). That involves (the dreaded word) *judgment*.

[Ross W]

Barry is just being facetious. His first post was anti-trivia, but it is possible to choose to be interested in both the worthy and the trivial, for light relief. Judgement on any subject is not an either-or, it is based on the different circumstances or states of mind which we all experience.

[Barry]

Ross W –
Trivial things are a distraction from important things. You could easily spend too much of your time on them.

In a world at risk, we have to choose what’s right, or what is right will be overwhelmed. Choosing to say all alternatives are possible or equal is choosing to be powerless. It is choosing to ignore the danger of evil. Evil relies on the perceived powerlessness of those who are not evil to advance its cause. It is the route to the chaos that William perceived. To hope that chaos is 'camouflaged perfection' is despair. It is saying, “I am powerless. I cannot choose to align myself with what is Right. There is no clear Right that I can ally myself to. Anything goes. Evil wins. SNAFU!”

[Ross W]

Strong words, Barry. Time to put your cards on the table. What is your particular definition of right?
Worldwide implementation of the Golden Rule on pain of death?

[Michael H]

"In a world at risk, we have to choose what’s right, or what is right will be overwhelmed."

Who chooses what's 'right', Barry? And what is the solution for those who choose something other than what you believe is right? Does your sense of what's 'right' provide you with the right to impose it on others?

It goes to your earlier point. We are always deceived by our senses and our myths. The perfection cannot be glimpsed from within the chaos. Suggesting that a state of perfection exists is not despair, though believing such a state is beyond our comprehension may be.

In any case, the solutions to perceived chaos in the perfection can only come about from a sense of hope. Hope arises from a higher level of consciousness. A shift in consciousness can occur only on the level of the individual. And only upon an individual experiencing a shift in their own consciousness, will they be in a position to help another individual do the same.

Those at the highest level will then 'embody the light', in the terminology of the Western faiths, and be able, to paraphrase Lao-Tzu, to 'teach without doing a thing'. Instead of suggesting what is right, they will simply be what is Right.

The question more need to ask isn't about what others should be. Rather, it is, "Who do I want to be?"

[Hope Rivers]

Barry says Anything goes. Evil wins. SNAFU!”

What on earth is SNAFU?, did you just sneeze or something or is this cyber lingo? either way it's an interesting expression I haven't come across before down under.

Fear is an ugly force lets not give it any more power than it deserves.

Michaels last comment "who do I want to be" should be something everyone should meditate on.

[william]

Who do I want to be? A beneficial presence in the world.

Easy to state: very very difficult to do.

Must be open to god's will not our will or maybe our will becomes god's will. Must be like a funnel and let god’s will (spirit) flow through us. This is the journey of the soul.

It has taken me a long time with tons of research to suggest that what we perceive as chaos might be perfection in action to develop our souls to pure awareness.

[william]

Hope not too far off topic but we are talking about the evolution of the soul. Of course maybe all topics are about the evolution of the soul.

“I have many times seen what are called manifestations of spirit-return that I could not explain, but all of these failed utterly to convince me of the communication of disembodies spirits.” Clarence Darrow (the myth of the soul article) http://www.positiveatheism.org/hist/darrow0.htm

A quote from the famous Clarence Darrow on the myth of the soul. Found article interesting and very logical but especially interesting was the part that he found mediums that could do physical manifestations but yet was still convinced that the soul is a myth.

My point is that these manifestations still were not enough to alter this view or even question his view on life after death. Even the famous brilliant mind of Clarence Darrow allowed beliefs to overwhelm his rational mind.

These phenomena from mediums that he called “unexplainable” did not cause him to even question his absolute certainty that there is no soul. Oh the power of paradigms.

[Jimbo]

Hi Hope

As someone from your part (Perth) SNAFU is well used down umder

Situation Normal All F** Up

Long time reader of MP Blog, first post ever on any blog

Love the mix of comments

[Hope Rivers]

Jimbo I'm not a cyber junkie up on all the terms.

[John]

SNAFU is a military term, but I still don't think you're familiar with that setting so it's just nitpicking. :)

[Hope Rivers]

Thanks John for the extra details. It really does still sound like a sneeze.

SNAAAFUUUUU! - Bless you!

[Hope Rivers]

George Clooney is cool. Here's how he responds to a Web site calling him "gay, gay, gay": "No, I'm gay, gay. The third gay – that was pushing it."

Here's whats ahead for the commitment phobic Clooney;

He is heading toward fatherhood and marriage, his bachelor days are over.