Hi, guys,

I have investigated Walcsh further and found to my interest that what triggered his dialogues with god was a profound nde like OBE. It really resonated with me as authentic. I just by convenient coincident, came across a book in my private library, “Hot Chocolate for the Mystical Soul” by Arielle Ford. Donald Walsh gives the account of his initiation into mystical commune with god in this book, under the title “Nothing Matters” by Neale Donald Walsch. This small book of short true stories of mystical experience gives accounts of experiences from people of all walks of life and contains just the kind of beautiful subject matter that fascinates us all on this forum.

alan

Since the ball is in play again. Sorry if it felt like we were trying to beat you into a corner R - it's in truth not about winners and losers. I was trying to communicate the idea that in reality teachers and sources are surely spread along a continuum from the truly bogus to the presumably perfect - if that exists in this world. And that we need to keep this in mind in how we approach, and how we relate to them.

To try to go through life sorting them into two boxes - either fakes or genuines - reflects a human tendency that most indulge unknowingly. But it's a terribly coarse means of making sense of a complex situation, is not very practical or realistic, and can do a lot of harm to self as well as to others.

Which is why I was cautious about Walsch being written off as a fake. No doubt he makes errors, I doubt he's the Messiah or the basis for a new religion, but regardless of the source there's lots that's wise and loving in there too.

This tendency to broad brush categorisations can also betray a highly egotistical approach or an ideologue - somebody with an agenda - out to convince his/her  audience of what they have already decided. In the words of Robert Pirsig in Lila 'ideologues usually talk in terms of sweeping generalities'. Basically because they are not open to real debate, and don't want their premise subjected to detailed discussion or analysis.

But any truth/reality (even the sort of relative truth/reality we deal with most of the time)  is multidimensional and consequently far more granular than that....

Hi Everyone,
glad the topic Neale Donald Walsch is up to par for a while. I`d like to add my two cents worth with an experience.

This just happened not too long ago for me okay.

Round about October last year I had come to find out that NDW was coming to Hamburg germany - to one of the Premiers of his movie. Well Nanner geared up and was all ready to go.

Since the theater in which it was playing was not "one of the big ones" around, not like Cinemax or such, but rather a sort of hick town cinema, I felt very confident to get tickets. WRONG ANSWER! I called every where, tried to get tickets via ebay if need be - NOTTA!

Well, take a look at my picture on the left. That little Miss Smileyface "puckered!" I mean I was soooo dishearted. So I went into the Net looking for the CD - well, nope - not there either.  I ended up listening to all the YOU Tube info of NDW as sort of a bandaid for my longing.

My friends tried to swiftly help me, but they ALL ended up with problems of some sort..lol... One guys PC even crashed directly while trying to burn a copy for me. I was starting to thingy up my eyebrow in amazement and eventually felt like I was not suppose to watch this movie! I gave up and simply puckered.

Not but a month later, I ended up having to go to the unemployment office and out of the blues, the lady behind the desk, whom doesnt know me from a hole in a wall, looks at me and says the following quoted words: "Hey, did you know that Conversations with God is going to play in your town tomarrow evening at 5 oclock"? Folks can you possibly imagine "what facial expression I had on my face?. It was a cross between a donkey and a mouse! (I mean come on...she couldnt have known how much I wanted to see that movie!!!)

Well as the story takes its end, I ended up going the next day - and I took a friend with me - AND TO TOP IT ALL OFF - "We were THE ONLY ONES in that theater that day...lol... I had CWG all to myself really and I cried, I cried like a itzy bitty baby, when I had realised that GOD is in the everything and nothing, yet we take exactly everything and the nothing for granted.

The movie done WONDERS for the person whom I took with me, as if it was suppose to be exactly that way - he since has really done some serious thinking.

The moral of the story:
YOU "CANT" HAVE WHAT YOU "WANT"!

Watch the movie, but read the book!

Love all of you,
Nanner

Nanner hi there, did you mean You Can't, or you Can have what you want?

wasn't sure if this is a typo...

hi guys, was looking over this entire thread this morn for the overview. its a good thread, its like we're accomplishing something together that we couldn't singly. glad you're back Nanner, you're like part of the furniture around here now, I missed you!
Thanks Alan for starting this thread to. Alan seems to have some inspiration for starting thought that I don't so I appreciate that.

just to notice the interconnections...Ian is back and talking something else besides Buddism, I'm back talking something besides ACIM..we are doing ok I figure if we notice our commonalities and accept our faults as we can move past them quickly it seems.

Justin thanks. I did need the reminder, that not everybody loves me, or loves what literature I love. Discerning con artists I think comes from experience. Let's not assume we can discern early in life. Experience getting is necessary, to ascertain intentions behind propaganda or truth, or partial truth or glitter.
its a journey, hey, not complaining, would have done the same thing based on the information I had at the time.
There is inner guidance, sometimes we speak of this as outside our selves, such as nonphysical guides and helpers. for this kind of thinking, first you'd have to come to the conclusion by experience of course: of one or two philosophies:
1) God has everything in control or he doesn't.
either you're pregnant, or you're not. Cant be a little bit pregnant.
2) It is a benevolent universe operating or it is a malicious universe operating.
In the same way we make this choice to be creating of the benevolence or the maliciousness. (with others help, such as spiritual growth and logical experiences)

you can't serve two masters here. You chose one or the other. Simply put and this is the last of it I will let myself comment on, ACIM was my choice to help me decide which master I would serve and accept any flack might come my way to declare it so because I have made my choice.

So in the end I am not divided in opinion as to what to do or say in life because I have help in those decisions whether to speak up or be quiet. Being quiet never served me well early on, so I do speak up and hope for the best. If I'm in disagreement with someone over an opinion on any material or a point, its not the end of the world or that I must find agreement mentally with you all, because I come here and I can observe what was going on yesterday has changed today simply because I spoke up.
and the other person spoke up of course, without disagreement and honest participation we would probably be living on islands and fortresses throwing spears at each other.

I suppose R, that you might have thought in terms of this or that material is absolutely wrong for the whole world as it is wrong for you.
just flat statements were made concerning ACIM, no further explanations, just this is the way it is and thats final.

You could instead elaborate why this is the way it is, rather than short, kryptic, remarks implying that the matter is not at rest and like arnold Swartzeneger, you'll be back.

that is what I took exception to. I already expressed my opinions about ACIM and so you know ACIM is my path. naturally I will defend it. it is me. I am it. However, it is more important to forget the book. ACIM says to forget it. it says to live it.

so I did and I proved it was the truth, but only to myself of course as I cannot share that much or give to another these teachings I experienced.
I would like people to be aware here that people have feelings, and we hurt each other unintentionally when we get stubborn about something, because we want others to agree with us, then the hurt passes around, its like catching or something.
we don't need to do that, if we just elaborate more on why we don't agree with something, at the same time don't forget to mention what DID work for you and elaborate on that.
you can state opinion with this is my opinion.
that way you don't rouse the hurt and rejection. then we know, oh, it's just an opinion. we can be destructive to one another, at the same time, let's be constructive also, to mention the positive, the good, we can create it that way.

so I don't push the Course, I have other means to express it, besides here. but I'll tell you this much, if my house was burning down and I had a million dollars cash under my mattress, and I only could save one thing in my house, I'd grab ACIM automatically.

what I meant to say about the benevolent universe: it operates behind the illusions, but we are the ones to break thru the illusions to see it.

love, alysia

Nanner wrote on Jan 21^st, 2008 at 1:15pm: