I recommend taking a look at the channeling of Paul Selig.  He channels a group of entities who I believe claim to be in Christ Consciousness.  Check out his interview with Lilou first for a bit of an introduction in the link I provided below.  I am interested to hear your opinions.  I am probably going to attend one of his events in the near future, as they are usually relatively close to home. 

http://www.paulselig.com/videos/

I'm at work so I can't listen to his videos now. I checked out his site and read some of the words he said comes from the channeling. One thing I noticed is that it suggested that people do affirmations in the form of "I am the word." Now affirmations might help out when it comes to doing something like having an OBE, but I don't believe they will work when trying to grow spiritually.

I don't mean that we can't think positive, but thinking positive and affirming our way to Christ consciousness is quite a different thing.

One way in which people try to brainwash people is by getting them to repeat phrases such as, perhaps, "I am the word." If you can get people to re-read basically the same thing over and over again, and get them to repeat affirmations, they might end up brainwashing themselves to believe that they are what they assert, even though they don't actually abide at such a consciousness level.

If Jesus was here today I do not believe he would have people repeat affirmations such as "I am the word."

I'm not certain, but I believe I ran into Paul Selig on another forum a while back. At the time he was saying that his channelings are on the same wavelength as ACIM. Feeling as I do about ACIM, I questioned what he is about, and he spoke towards me in abrassive way.

When I look at his photo, I can't say I get a good feeling.

I think people need to be very careful. There are unfriendly beings that don't want this World to progress, and they'll do what they have to in order to mislead people. They are smart enough to realize that if they say enough nice sounding things, they will be able to lure people in. And they'll do so with an approach that can have a negative effect such as brainwashing people.

Some people might say that I'm saying what I say because I am influenced by fear. This isn't true at all.  One doesn't need to be afraid in order to use one's discrimination. In fact, I believe it is safe to say that some people don't acknowledge how often unfriendly beings deceive people because they are afraid to become aware of how much they do so.

I can understand people becoming excited about a possible valuable source of information, but since we aren't dependent on outward sources in order to grow spiritually, we don't need to become attached to them.

To me, the point of affirmations, when done correctly, is to consciously reprogram the subconscious mind.  To say that one cannot grow spiritually through the reprogramming of one's subconscious mind when this aspect of self is misaligned with the higher vibrations of the greatest good shows a misunderstanding of the subconscious mind and its relation with the conscious self, as the subconscious largely influences one's conscious thoughts and behaviors.  It also negates the tremendous growth that has been experienced by countless people, myself included, through this means.  Affirmations and intent are in fact one of the most effective ways to achieve spiritual growth, as they facilitate the thoughts patterns and actions necessary to grow.  When one's subconscious self is aligned with the conscious self, and the conscious self is aligned with the higher self, then there is nothing to hold back the evolution of one's consciousness into the higher vibrations of PUL.

Dude:

When it comes to the positive energy people experience, the same used to happen with the guru I used to see. Yet, almost all of the people who used to see that guru have left him and now understand that he is a fraud.

You might check out this book:

http://www.amazon.com/Enlightenment-Blues-Years-American-Guru/dp/0972635718

Andre Van Der Braak also experienced bliss while with his guru Andrew Cohen and so did Andrew Cohen's other followers. Eventually he found out how insidious Andrew is.

The two examples I provided are just two of many examples. Below are several reasons why a person might experience positive energy while associated with a fraudulent source:

1. His own expectation of having a positive experience causes him to open up to having one.

2. The other people who attend a meeting tune into a good place and he feels their vibration.

3. People direct devotional feelings towards a guru or channeled being (or a person who pretends to channel a being) and this devotional energy accumulates around a guru or channeler. This accumulation of energy is felt.

4. The guru, channeled being, or fake channeler is a person or being who gets off on being treated in an adoring way, and this causes this being or person to experience more happiness than usual when he is treated in such a way. Please don't underestimate how many guru types have gotten off by being treated in an adoring and worshipful way.

5. Energy can exist in different ways and it is possible that a deceptive being, either through a guru or a channeler, sends energy to people that feels ecstatic, but it isn't actually love. If a person experiences love for a reason such as feeling devotion towards a guru, and mixes this feeling with the ecstatic energy that is channeled, he might become confused.

6. Some sources say that there are unfriendly beings that are able to activate the parts of our brains that cause chemicals to be released that cause us to experience bliss. I've experienced bliss that felt quite good, but it wasn't love.

Regarding affirmations, regardless of the fact of how some people might've used them in a positive way, the fact of the matter is that many people have used affirmation-based practices to brainwash others. When you can get a person involved in a dogmatic practice where he repeats phrases such as "I am word," you can gain some control of his mind.

My feeling is that if a teacher places too much emphasis on affirmations, either he does so because he is confused about their merit, or he is using them to control others. I would say that there is a fine line between affirmations and thinking positive, but perhaps the line isn't fine.

Going by what I read, Paul's got things set up so a definite path is in place.  People are referred to as emissaries of "I am word."

I'm in contact with beings that I believe represent the light. They have encouraged me to share what I've learned. But not in a way where I get people to follow some dogmatic path. How many times does a soul need to get involved with institutionalized spirituality before it decides to find its own way?

Dude:

I have to admit that I've read a limited amount of Paul's material. But after a while, if a person allows himself to, he can develop the radar which enables him to quickly get an idea of what a source is about. Certain things become dead give aways.

I believe it would be out of character for beings of love and light to have people take part in affirmations such as the below. I suppose each of needs to decide what will work for us.

“I am Word through my body. Word I am Word.

I am Word through my vibration. Word I am Word.

I am Word through my knowing of myself as Word.

I Am Word through all that I see before me, and I am knowing myself in love.

I am Word though this intention. Word I am Word.”

P.S. There are misleading beings who are clever enough to find a way to help people just enough so they believe they are involved with something worthwhile. The same is true with the guru I used to be involved with. The key is, what are the total results of being involved with a source?

I bet you there are fundamentalist Christians who can tell you how their form of Christianity changed their lives for the better. But what are the total results?

Dude:

Any source of information can use words such as God, oneness, love and word.

You might ask yourself why the word "word" is being used in the way it is used by Paul, rather than language that has already been used. Sometimes new terminology is a sign that a source is trying to get people caught up in its way of thinking.

The guru I used to see used words such as love frequently, but love wasn't the motive for his being a guru.

Regarding how much of Paul's channeled material I read, how much of a book written by a fundamentalist Christian would you have to read before you know what that person is about?  Either you can see the signs or you can't.

Frank DeMarco does not channel, but he does converse with entities in the nonphysical.  Those conversations have been posted on his blog, I Of My Own Knowledge, and in books including "Chasing Smallwood", "The Sphere and the Hologram" and "The Cosmic Internet".  If you want to learn how it all works without any proselytizing, brainwashing or other questionable tactics, I encourage you to read Frank.

Olinerum:

Regarding what you perceive, we perceive differently.

olinerum wrote on Nov 12^th, 2011 at 12:17pm: