Hi MJ,

I understand.  Yet any who read your posts would know that you were not selfish.  Your spirit comes through with love, even as you told about your past. 

M

The form, type, housing, medium of the experience, be it daily life, mundane or extraordinary, within the family of origin, in intimate relationship, with friend, with peers, professional/workplace, neighbourly, societal/social, connected or seemingly disconnected with others, in health or ill-health, mental, emotional, physical, meditative, visionary, intuitive, in dream/s, in body or OOB and degree/type of consciousness, is all beside the point. It is the content of the experience and the lessons learned from it that is relevant.

What are life's experiences saying/teaching to you? to your soul?    

heisenberg69 wrote on Jan 19^th, 2012 at 7:18pm:


Hi D,

I'm not trying to make them understand anything and I've stopped trying to be "good enough" to be accepted. Although I would never admit this anywhere else (I wouldn't lie about it, but I certainly wouldn't openly talk about it) I've had too many experiences in which it defies all logic that I survived. Thus, the question for me is "Why would I survive X if it wasn't meant to teach me something?" That's where I'm stuck. I can't figure it out.

No, I haven't read that book but I will look it up. Thanks for mentioning it.

Thank you,
mj

I should add something here about the notion of "life lessons," because it contains a premise that I find to be tricky at best - --that we "choose" to experience adversities because overcoming them will teach us something and make us stronger. 

While on the surface this idea seems logical and straight forward enough, it contains a deep fallacy that in my mind binds the individual to the wheel of karma instead of freeing them.  You see, in it is the notion that we must reincarnate again and again to "get it right," and that we choose to experience a certain earthly hardship scenario in order to grow spiritually.

My explorations have shown that we choose our thoughts and our reality shapes alongside them.  There is little evidence that from the time we are babies our life path is pre-chosen; only potentials and core desires which manifest along our present. 

The notion that suffering is usually good/noble is one of the most misguided and cruelest notions that we perpetuate on each other in terms of teaching.  Take the concept of money.  We are told that "money is the root of all evil."  Many such sayings exist.  We also are told that living in poverty is noble and spiritually cleansing.  Now in the sense that becoming attached to material things leads us away from the path of love, that is correct.  But money itself neither is good or bad.  It is our thoughts and actions; why we acquire the money and what we do with it that matters. 

Hence, if someone welcomes money into their life and incorporates it to use for their highest good, contributes to charity/society, helps others - for that person they have overcome the common notion that "money is the root of all evil."  It is not.

The same is true for the idea of a pre-destined life and adversity. Adverse situations may be attracted to you by a secret fear or thought.  In this way, the soul comes into its own. Our deepest convictions manifest in our lives including our deepest loves and that which we dread (if we believe it will inevitably happen).  When we learn that we can choose our thought and conviction in deep meditation, we attract to our lives that which we deliberately direct, for the most part, and are masters of our own vessels.

I wouldn't pretend to analyze the adversities of another.  That is best left to any individual.  And another key component is that random energies change our fate in the earth plane.  The tsunami that wiped out 200,000 people was random energy.  These people did not, I am sure "agree" before they were born, to incarnate and die this way.  That sort of thought is rubbish.  Random energies either by natural disaster or created by other people can throw our lives off in unexpected ways.  We recover quickly if we master our thoughts and actions in the aftermath. 

Sorry to get on the soapbox here.  I guess what I'm saying is: if a person believes in predestination and that you must learn from overcoming adversity, they are buying into the karmic scheme, essentially binding themselves to the ol' karmic wheel, and then watching it turn, without any control of their fate.  "It was meant to be," they nod - but if only they knew!  The choice and divinity behind it all was dormant within themselves the whole time.

Matthew

All of life's conditions, unpleasant and pleasant, carry their lessons, their opportunities for learning and growth. 

MJD,

You misunderstand my post.  I am not sure why.  The belief that thought can guide and shape your life does NOT account for the energies and thoughts of others.  If a monstrous father threw alcohol on a child as you described, the child did not bring that on by thought.  The child was, unfortunately a victim of the energies and bad thoughts of another.  This is what I meant by random or unforseen energies.

The victim is not to blame in terms of thought in these instances.  Unfortunately, if the thoughts and actions of others are dark, they create much suffering.

However, it is up to us where to go from there.  I have seen in my own situation that some on Linn's forum know of, and I will go into more detail with if asked, that deep thought and meditation can change probabilities in the world, even when things seem at their worst.  It does work.  As Bardo said, it is just hard to be mindful of it.

So in essence, I think it misguided to look for a reason for all suffering - that we asked for it before birth, or that we must go through it.  I do not believe that you brought your bad life circumstances upon yourself - more that a person is exposed to the energies of others at times with bad outcomes.

I do believe that we have the ability to change our circumstances going forward however.  I have done it for myself and seen others.  There are numerous recorded accounts of this happening.  Just as you can cite injustices done against those who were innocent, I can cite numerous miraculous improvements in people who managed to harness their creative power after being a victim.

So please don't misunderstand my post.   My main point was that suffering is not pre-planned in most instances (as some reincarnationists believe) and is not required for all of us.  I have seen the power of thought coupled with conviction to heal  - it is real.

Bardo, one of my favorite quotes from James Allen was:

"Men are anxious to improve their circumstances, but are unwilling to improve themselves, they therefore remain bound."


Matthew

yeah ... life can get like that.  

(whisper) Just between you and me - I wouldn't spend too much time looking for a spirit guide. Finding our own soul is more fulfilling than finding a spirit guide.

Knowing your luck you'd probably find an abusive spirit guide anyway.

But we all have souls.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EY39fkmqKBM

I'm pleased you had a laugh, mjd. I make myself laugh regularly. Its good thereapy, a useful tool for cracking unpleasant emotions and moods. I find there's usually something funny going on, I just have to make the effort to see it. Sometimes its nothing in particular but I have a laugh at it anyway.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFJSp0XeGUU

That red headed kid is funny isn't he. He does seem to take himself a little too seriously though. Maybe he should take on some of this lady's advice.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sXS4ywdR9k&feature=results_main&playnext=1&list=...

So you're gonna have a crack at connecting with your higherself hey?  From what I observe there are all sorts of methods of contacting one's higherself being taught on the web and in books, some old and most new. I hope it goes well.   

Like the thread says, be open minded, or rather, clear minded.  

Oh, and warm hearted too.