When I told my 80-year-old grandpa that I astral project by accident, he didn't really believe in the spirit world at the time. When I told him that he himself has a starry/glittery-looking astral body, that stands up dreaming (literally) while his physical body is asleep, you should have seen the look on his face --- the least thing he would except to hear from me (he says that I'm the most down-to-earth and sane person he knows) would be something like that. He sat speechless and stared into my eyes with a serious/raised eyebrows look when I talked about astral projection to him at his house. He then really started believing in the spirit world after our long talk about astral projection. Infact, he accepts the spirit world as a reality now, just like the birds outside. He said that I literally take all the fear out of death and dying.

Once, when I was talking to my dad about me astral projecting by accident, he said he could "feel" a surge of energy go through near his hands where his wrists are at -- like some unseen spiritual force was doing it (I guess he really does get this feeling somehow). My dad isn't superstitious or dumb, neither. He says he supposedly gets that energy sensation in his wrists whenever I talk about the spirit world or the Astral plane to him.

I once got in trouble in high school for writing on the bathroom walls (I was once a gang member). I got sent to the principals office by security, and I had to talk to a gang discipline officer at the high school in his own medium-sized office, about how gangs are bad, etc. Somehow, after all the anti-gang stuff, for two hours, we started talking about the spirit world, and he had the same surprised look as my grandpa did. He didn't think I'd believe in God. He said most kids at the high school are a little off or dumb -- but not me. He said I'm the most intelligent, sane and down-to-earth guy there, and kept pulling me out of classes weeks later to keep talking to me about my life, life in general, and the spirit world. He said that talking to me is ten times more powerful and a thousand times more worthwhile then all the parasitic school teachers' and students combined.

It's true.

Hey RyanParis (your current picture is radical dude -
no not the babes fool the other one!)

Yo when you project into the 'astral' world are you in sleep or meditation mode? or are you fully conscious that is, is it happening simultaneously while you are awake and doing normal stuff?

Well, kinda normal stuff ... knowing you .. sort of ..

Just a personal opinion here:

A video clip of a woman being punched is not appropriate on this site.  How is such a thing "entertaining" to anyone?  We should all consider what we assume is amusing.  What does it say about our culture?

love, blink

hI Ryan i went to the spiritualist church last night .My father came through to the medium and he said quiet a few things which the medium got right.But he also told me and deanna not to lose faith in god because he never had any faith when he was onn the physical world but now now he is in the spirit world he has a lot of faith in god . The medium was right because that was how dad was when he was alive . He did not beleive  ,he does now and i also agree with blink about that picture. God bless juditha

wrote on Mar 27^th, 2006 at 1:48pm:

Just a personal opinion here: A video clip of a woman being punched is not appropriate on this site.  How is such a thing "entertaining" to anyone?  We should all consider what we assume is amusing.  What does it say about our culture? love, blink

I'm entertained.  I think that's Chuck Norris and it's a clip from Walker Texas Ranger.  If that's the case, she probably is a bad guy and deserves to be punched.  A very funny show.  

If that's not right.  I dunno if I'm entertained or not.

Hey bud,

I agree with you that tv shows are often entertaining, and I recognize this fellow in the picture.  However, I still believe it might be somewhat inappropriate here.  

I personally find the proliferation of pictures and logos distracting me from the content of the posts here so I just thought I would make the observation.

love, blink

wrote on Mar 27^th, 2006 at 5:19pm:

Hey bud, I agree with you that tv shows are often entertaining, and I recognize this fellow in the picture.  However, I still believe it might be somewhat inappropriate here.   I personally find the proliferation of pictures and logos distracting me from the content of the posts here so I just thought I would make the observation. love, blink

Fair enough.  I admit I didn't get all the way thru the post before I got distracted onto the clip!  I guess the individual poster must determine if they mind overshadowing their own post with their signature pics and clips.  Also, the poster risks the various interpretations conveying meaning not intended.  Interesting point you make.

Chuck Norris = legend  :D

But even though i admire Norris, i can totally understand why some female members of this board will be offended

tbh Chuck has sod all to do with the top[ic of afterlife knowledge, so Ryan mate they do have a point

Yes that picture is awful, bad, distressing, inappropriate, unnecessary, horrifying trash.

Unless you are sending a sublime message that you are either a) a women abuser b) you are being abused c) you dont like woman d) you are an anti-abuse activist ...  i'd hate to think its just for the fun of it - that aint fun.

tell us ... im worried!

my picture is of Orion - it does look better bigger - lol.  Any objections though and i'll consider removing it.  Personally, i enjoy the graphics here it gives a sense of identity and colour.

wrote on Mar 28^th, 2006 at 12:04pm:

Yes that picture is awful, bad, distressing, inappropriate, unnecessary, horrifying trailer park trash. i hope my picture isnt offensive - its of Orion - it does look better bigger - lol.  Any objections though and i'll consider removing it.  Personally, i enjoy the graphics here it gives a sense of identity and colour. But not RyanParis's ... awful, bad, distressing, inappropriate .....

The only reason people are distracted by this is that it involves a female.  Because she's flailing about, it's assumed she's helpless and weak.  Because Chuck wacks her one (a backfist punch, I believe - very effective in close quarters), it triggers a gut reaction that he's in the wrong.

Some co-workers and I stopped to help a woman getting kicked by a guy on the street once.  He cooperated, stopped, and waited for police.  Turns out he was beating her up because she snuck up behind him and hit him over the head with a baseball bat.  Most people don't deserve to get beat up, but some people embrace a violent life, and they get what they give.  Karma of some sort?  I dunno, but females aren't weak, and I doubt RP's graphic would get nearly as much scrutiny if Chuck clobbered some dude.  And bear in mind people, it's a TV show - it might be an inappropriate distraction here, but it ain't real.  

Violence is violence and it has no place here on this forum.

Actually, Bud, I do think I would be just as distracted by a video of a man hitting a man.  It really doesn't make any difference for me.  It is the graphic visual image which is distracting and not really relevant to any post here.  

Certainly it could be argued that such an image represents only a point in a range of expression here, and that there are conversations here which can take a negative spin sometimes, and I myself have participated in those at times without being conscious and aware.  

Perhaps it is simply helpful to be conscious and aware, and that is one of the gifts we receive here.

love, blink

wrote on Mar 27^th, 2006 at 1:48pm:

Just a personal opinion here: A video clip of a woman being punched is not appropriate on this site.

Quote:

It really doesn't make any difference for me.

I misunderstood your original post, or perhaps it does make a difference.  To make your indifference clear in the future, I suggest substituting a gender neutral term for "woman."  However, the average American person takes greater offense at hitting a woman versus a man.  (myself included, even though I don't think women are weak)

I think the important thing, Bud, is that the issue is violence in any form, not who the perpetrator is, as Mairlyn has stated.  

We can all get sidetracked by nuances of meaning but it is obvious that you and everyone else knows what has been observed here.  I would not change my original statement.  If it was a child being punched I would say "child" and if it was a man being punched I would say "man" because, after all, we are all human beings.  

Why is it important to know who the villain is when violence appears in our world?  There is no villain...there is only the bad dream from which we as a species need to AWAKEN.

love, blink

RyanParis,
Your last few posts just blow me away--thanks so much for sharing those! You've had some amazing spiritual experiences. And now to hear that your dad, grandfather, and even a guidance counsellor have shared your insights is even better. Thanks, RP, you made my day!
bets

wrote on Mar 28^th, 2006 at 1:51pm:

I think the important thing, Bud, is that the issue is violence in any form, not who the perpetrator is, as Mairlyn has stated.   We can all get sidetracked by nuances of meaning but it is obvious that you and everyone else knows what has been observed here.  I would not change my original statement.  If it was a child being punched I would say "child" and if it was a man being punched I would say "man" because, after all, we are all human beings.   Why is it important to know who the villain is when violence appears in our world?  There is no villain...there is only the bad dream from which we as a species need to AWAKEN. love, blink

nonetheless, I laugh every time I see that clip.  Of course, I enjoy slapstick, and that's basically what this is.  I suppose cartoons and the three stooges are violent too, but I really enjoy that sort of thing.  Anybody see the movie "Dodgeball?"  I never imagined seeing a guy get hit with a wrench could be so amusing.  The outakes on that movie are hilarious.  How about that Tom Hanks movie "Ladykillers?"  Something about a large black woman slapping the crap out of a young guy whilst scolding him is just inherently funny to me.  Again, the outtakes on that scene were too much.

As for real violence, the notion that growing consciousness takes us away from our natural tendency toward violence is a given.  That's why we have so many weak victims able to raise more weak children all the while building morals that protect them.  Overall it's progress, but along the way greater consciousness in a weak, inherently violent species leaves it vulnerable to more effect from less potent physical threats.  Where is this going?  The same way all other complex, large brained species went... the way of the dino. (imho)  But that's not all bad either, because we can certainly inhabit another species as we inhabit this one.  Maybe slapstick won't be funny to our next set of shells?  hmmmm, hard to imagine.

I do see your point, Bud! :)

We may indeed go the way of the dinos...and what we may next inhabit may have to be an entirely different planet because this one will take so long to recover from the rather huge footprints WE are laying down here.

But all's well that ends well isn't it?....   b :)  

Anyway, didn't mean to hijack this thread, but it's been real!

Bud, did you know that most women do not like the 3 Stooges and men love them.

But then I can't watch Animal Planet where the SPCA is picking up abused and tortured animals. I love Animal Planet but have to turn away when this comes on.

I won't watch violent movies anymore. They serve no purpose for me. BTW, the only thing I don't care for about Chuck Norris is his singing. LOL

Love, Mairlyn  ;D

wrote on Mar 28^th, 2006 at 4:05pm:

Anyway, didn't mean to hijack this thread, but it's been real!

right on blink!  I enjoyed it and glad we strayed off a bit.  Have a nice day  :)

wrote on Mar 28^th, 2006 at 4:12pm:

Bud, did you know that most women do not like the 3 Stooges and men love them. But then I can't watch Animal Planet where the SPCA is picking up abused and tortured animals. I love Animal Planet but have to turn away when this comes on. I won't watch violent movies anymore. They serve no purpose for me. BTW, the only I don't care for about Chuck Norris is his singing. LOL Love, Mairlyn  ;D

Chuck sings?  oh my gosh, I can't imagine that's very pleasant!

Abusing and torturing animals is very evil in my book.  Poor animals are innocent like children.  I don't like it when they suffer either.  I suppose it wouldn't solve anything, but my first inclination is to commit some similar violence on the perpetrators.

I didn't know that about the stooges?!  Of course, I'm a guy, and oblivious to many things like that.  Now that I think about it, my wife never showed any interest in them at all.  makes sense.  I rather enjoy violent movies, but psychotic violence and war movies sometimes get to me and I bail.  I watched Rob Zombie's first major movie The Devil's Rejects, and I gotta say I was ashamed to be a human.  I like Rob, but he's a little too good at capturing our dark side.  

Quote:

I suppose it wouldn't solve anything, but my first inclination is to commit some similar violence on the perpetrators.

There goes the revenge again. When will we ever learn ???

Love, Mairlyn  :'(

wrote on Mar 28^th, 2006 at 4:55pm:

There goes the revenge again. When will we ever learn ??? Love, Mairlyn  :'(

Learning involves getting past "first inclinations," not denying they exist or surpressing them.  I'm fully aware of my animal nature, which includes the need for exacting revenge on those who deserve it.

Let me bore you with another story.  When I was a senior in high school, a very dear friend of mine and our family who was 57 at the time was beaten to death with a claw hammer.  We knew who did it, it was not a mystery.  His son in law.  I was 18.  I grabbed my hunting rifle and headed for my pickup with the notion that I would shoot that piece of crap down and deal with the consequences later.  I got to the truck, sat in it for a while and came to my senses and went back inside.  Son in law did 6 years for manslaughter.  Big deal.  If I could have 100% gotten away with it, I probably would have driven to his house, but probably still wouldn't have shot him.  I don't know.  I've forgiven a lot of people for a lot of things, but not him - he's nothing to me, and I don't waste my time dealing with 'nothings'.  I won't argue that revenge is a good thing, it's not.  But it's a natural, instinctual reaction that can't be unlearned in a lifetime imho.  You may not have it, but I do.  What I choose to do about it is all I can control, not the initial response of wanting it badly.

Hi people,
sometimes I have the idea if considering past lifes and progressing, isn't it possible that former victims should learn to stand up and get tougher, to not make it too easy for people who tend to abuse people in any form; isn't it, we shouldn't invite people by our passivity to rule us? I just thought it's maybe both sides have to learn, the perpetrator and the victim.
Spooky