yes, good topic and very ON TOPIC I might add!
well before we get started Mairlyn reminded me of how I felt when I first came here 2001. so I'll share a little. frankly I was looking for a home base, as I'd just been kicked off ACIM forum. long story. sometimes getting kicked out of places is really a good thing! haha!
I read Monroe before reading Bruce and had a spontaneous retrieval experience back in the 80's. I had mostly forgotten all about it. it had had a profound effect on me at the time though, to think about spiritual paths. also it was because Monroe wrote his book that I'd had that first retrieval under my belt.
so as I was saying I'd been flogged by the ACIM administrator, and he's supposed to be a forgiving person. ok. I think I was just surfing the internet and TMI has a website. I think I ended up there browsing and that's how I found AKC.
not thru yet. still hadn't read his books but was in for a treat. I was roped in by the story of Curiosity, as coming directly from ACIM, I was lacking that kind of explanation, which satisfied me and made sense, like we are all one kind of sense. ACIM only reprograms the mind to get that sucker more open and searching. It then ends up with "God will take the final step." so there I was hanging out in the universe wondering what the final step was. actually, I don't even care what the final step is anymore...lol...but part of that final step was to wind up here. so then I almost fell out of my chair that Bruce had ACIM listed as one of the books recommended reading, and if he had not have listed the book, I might have been tempted to seek out another ACIM forum as I was deeply entrenched only in this path. I saw TMI and ACIM did not have to necessarily be two different paths.
so then I started reading the posts here and the discussion was about retrievals which jogged my memory of that 80's retrieval. I soon started devouring Bruce's books, which was like a delightful walk in the park for me, as if you've ever studied ACIM where u are constantly reprogramming yourself, you'd know what I mean. his books were understandable, honest, he wasn't hyping anything, he just told his story and as a writer I try to keep his style in mind for my book. as well, he talks of belief systems the same as ACIM.
so, trying to be brief..
I asked Bruce about my retrieval. he gave some advice that I could return to the scene and get my own answers that way and sure enough as I returned to the scene I suddenly began to understand what retrievals are, and how we are each other's saviors when we do this, in PUL, and are able to understand that forgiving is very important part of a spiritual journey.
if Bruce had not handed out a response to me at all, I probably would have started surfing for another home; it was the idea that he cared enough to respond to us, that inspired me to stay here and see if I could add my energy here as well. and here we all are, still trucking along...lol.....I just wanted to say, I am going back into the music field and may not be here as much as I would be otherwise. but its not because I don't care about this place. I do. each person seems like they came straight out of heaven to me.