Hi everyone,

I'm a newbie to the Conversation Board (been on for less than a day), but I've read as much as I can on various topics that caught my eye. I haven't had much experience on anything related to the Afterlife or any OBEs or anything my mother would deem "supernatural", but of late, I have been having these urges to find out more about myself as well as what is out there beyond this physical world.

For the past month, a friend, who had attended a few retreats at the Robert Monroe Institute, has been lending me books written by Bruce Moen, and I've devoured the first three and am on the fourth book. Now, I'm trying to search online for anything related to the Afterlife, but I'm feeling a little overwhelmed by all the information.

My question to you is, where should I start? What should I be doing to further my education? My friend has been teaching me some meditation techniques, and I'm eager to learn more.

Thanks for all your help!


**lomein-the-dish**

Hello Lomein, and welcome:

The more you search, the more you'll find that there is contradictory information.  Some people speak of what they've experienced, some mix the little they've experienced with all kinds of information they've read, and some just flat out lie and make things up, for whatever reason. Sometimes because they intentionally want to mislead people.

It is probably best to keep things simple, and try to get over limiting ideas and grow in love as much as you can. If you do so your life here in the World will be better, and you'll move on to a nice place when it is your time to move on to the World of spirit.

You'll probably do best if you pray for help, and rely on your own experience more than what everybody else has to say.  Lots of people play the role of expert without being one.  Become your own expert. You might not be able to figure everything out, but this is okay. You'll find much time beyond your earthly life to figure things out.  I figure most of us get some things wrong while we are here. Many nice surprises await us.

I've found some surprises while here in the physical.  For example, I had doubts that Christ has a lot to do with things, because I'm not good at concluding things according to what books have to say. Fortunately,  things reached the point where I realized that I didn't know what Christ is about, became open to find out, and had some experiences and received some messages which showed me that he is a key part of divine reality, and is there to help us.  I don't mean in a fundamentalist way. In a way I have yet to come to fully understand.

I'm also a fan of Bruce Moen's books, some people might find this contradictory to believing in Christ. However, besides having experiences and receiving messages about Christ, I've also had experiences and have received message which told me that in some way the disk/I-there/oversoul/higher self thing Bruce speaks of is true. I haven't figured out all of the details.

Hi lomein the dish,

HAHAHA funny name.... :)

Begin by believing that anything is possible. Don't ever stop believing it, okay?

love, blink :)

Hi ltd,
you may read around here for some time, but sooner or later it's the best you try something where you can experience something, rather than only think about it. So, meditation is a good thing, and Bruce's fifth book is a do-it-yourself one, with much advice for simple meditation techniques, imagination exercises and self exploration, as well as afterlife exploration. You might consider to participate in TMI's Gateway Voyage, if you can afford it.

Spooky

Hi there!  Cool friend you got there, lending you Bruce's books.  Anyone we might know here on the board?   ;)

I would suggest that since you are here now read the links at the top of this website and get to know more about what Bruce teaches.  

There's a lot of information here on the board that people share too.  If you find you like the way someone talks, you can click on their name and pull up other posts they've written and that can lead you to other topics that might pique your interest.  Pretty much every topic you can think of gets covered here!  The pages here go back pretty far.  There's a lot to read.

Also, since you said you've read Bruce's first 4 books, did you know he has a 5th one as well?  The Afterlife Knowledge Guidebook.  It's a must, especially if you've read the other books.

The main page of this site at the bottom has forums to discuss his books which will also be helpful to you.  

That's just to get you started, since you're here on Bruce site.  Otherwise just feel free to share your experiences or ask questions.  

You said you felt overwhelmed.  Was that from reading Bruce's books?  Please share your feelings or questions.  

:)

Hi Lome. I had a similar urge to the spiritual hit me back in the mid 90s out of nowhere, and it's transformed my life. It started out as an all consuming urge to read everything I could get my hands on. I quickly gravitated to Zen and Tibetan Buddhism as sources of highly developed practical expertise and a very sophisticated understanding of both what we and the reality we inhabit is.

It's remarkable the way something can click out of the blue like that.

I think you are on to a good source with Bruce and Robert Monroe's stuff. Also the latter's Hemi Sync sound system can help deepen meditation in certain directions.

I'd agree as Spooky has said that it's not about intellectual thought though - it's about personal transformation through self work and experience. Meditation is central as the route into this, with understanding growing in parallel as your mind eases and opens and your seeing evolves.

Many Buddhist groups (e.g. Shambhala) offer meditation training to quite a high degree of capability in a more or less secular context at little or no cost with no requirement to go Buddhist.

Welcome aboard...

welcome LoMein, nice pic!  click on Resources, and free articles at the top of this Home page. Bruce has a list of books reccommended also in those resource pages Vicky mentioned. Some of that stuff I read over it's so good.

I share you enthusiasm to learn stuff. love, alysia

Hi and Welcome Lomein.

 I like all of Bruce's books, Robert Monroe's latter two books, and Rosiland McKnight's two books.

 But, practice, practice, practice is probably the most important thing.  

It's like anything in life, the more you practice it, the better you tend to get.   You start to form a constructive habit.  

Bruce's last, 5th book is pretty good in that respect.  

 For me personally, my guidance has oft communicated a greater need for consistency in meditation/prayer practice.   I'm not totally there yet, but have been entering into the silence more and more, and it definitely does help i've noticed.  

Dear Everyone,

Thank you so much for all of your help and encouragement!

I have ordered 4 more books to read (most of which came from Bruce's list), and I am almost finished with Bruce's fourth book. I feel like my brain is about to explode with all the information, but at the same time, I am super excited about what I'm learning.

I do have a question about Bruce's fifth book: being a newbie, would it be jumping ahead of myself to get and read his fifth book? Also, should I buy the book and the CD set or just the book?

Thanks so much.

Hi Lomein-
Welcome to the forum - hope that you find it as useful and informative as I have.

I don't think that you'll overload your brain with Book 5. Once you have the underlying ideas and are getting into meditation, all the rest is fairly easy. The basic thing is to get involved, get your hands (or whatever spirits use) into the works and see how it all feels.

Enjoy!
dave

lomein-the-dish wrote on Jan 14^th, 2008 at 6:30pm:

Dear Everyone, Thank you so much for all of your help and encouragement! I have ordered 4 more books to read (most of which came from Bruce's list), and I am almost finished with Bruce's fourth book. I feel like my brain is about to explode with all the information, but at the same time, I am super excited about what I'm learning. I do have a question about Bruce's fifth book: being a newbie, would it be jumping ahead of myself to get and read his fifth book? Also, should I buy the book and the CD set or just the book? Thanks so much.

Hi lomein,
As to your question. Do what you 'want' to do.
There is no right or wrong.
I am a n00b myself and I read books out of order all the time.
I still need to read Bruce's 2nd book adn I am on the 4th right now.

Just have fun.  Don't fret the small stuff...

and if you want Lomein, come over to the book forum here, we have a thread on each book we can discuss details over there. its not like we always have the answer you are looking for but sometimes we can share an idea we got and compare notes over there and easier to stay on topic too.
if your brain is exploding..lol, might be a good sign you are about ready to either:

1) clean up the explosion or:
2) Find out who and what you are! or:
both.

at any rate, glad you shared with us what you are doing. love, alysia