Btw, somewhat related to this, i have wondered if Bob Monroe was the direct reincarnation of Ashaneen? 

  I have also wondered if Bruce Moen is the direct reincarnation of Talo?

My first thought after reading this was what the practical use of such speculation is and in what way it serves to promote spiritual growth, which in my opinion, is the purification of the mind.  Actually, my thought was that it has little to no practical use and only serves to clutter the mind.  My initial statement is more of a suggestion as to what to ask oneself when directing one's thoughts along the lines presented in this thread.  I am also open to the possibility that it does serve a beneficial purpose that I am not aware of.

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  To answer your "questions", which i didn't quote:  Probably this thread doesn't have much value as far as relating directly to spiritual growth.

   I find as a consciousness connected to a human body, it's mighty hard to devote every single thought, feeling, etc. to that which directly fosters/facilitates spiritual growth or attunement. 

For some examples: i like to eat cashew milk ice cream at times.  Probably not the best thing to put into the body. But, i like it, and as long as it's in moderation, i don't see the problem.  If i ate it everyday, it would likely become a problem.

I like to sing.  Does singing directly foster/facilitate spiritual growth?  Probably not. But i like/enjoy it.

So, while i'm doing time here so to speak as a human (something i volunteered for and was asked to do, and didn't need to do), i got a lot of it and can't focus on spiritual growth and attunement 24/7, and so occasionally talk about things which objectively speaking, probably aren't that important in the grand scheme, or which don't directly facilitate spiritual growth or attunement of self or others.

   There is a spectrum of consciousness that exists.  It goes from pure Love, which is of the Source, and goes all the way to 0 Love, which if reached, a consciousness can destroy itself. 

   Somewhere in-between, in the middle of the extremes is a relatively "neutral" area, which neither contributes to spiritual growth/attunement directly, but neither to stuckness/stagnation and/or regression.  It is neither positive, nor negative.

  The trick is, to make a majority of choices that go as close towards the pure Love end of the spectrum (positive), and to make as little choices that go closer to the 0 end of the spectrum of extreme selfishness, fear, ego, etc and severe lack of Love (negative). 

  Basically creating habits of choice. 

  Occasionally dipping into the relatively neutral area of the spectrum, by focus or choices, doesn't strongly affect this overall process, unless one spends most of their focus and attention and choices there and/or has too much focus/habit in the negative also. 

What that means practically, well i can still enjoy eating that cashew milk ice cream on occasion, still sing, still write about subjects or people that i find interesting, and it's probably going to be "ok" and not much effect my growth one way or the other. Because most of my life/self is and has long been devoted to the more positive end of the spectrum.

   Sometimes when people get over involved in certain eastern or new age belief systems and philosophies, they become a little extremist, and they start to overly think and live in overly polarized focus of ego vs Love, forgetting that life and consciousness exists on a very wide spectrum of same, and that while we are connected to a human body in such a cycle as we are--it's probably not possible to be only pure Love all the time.   

    For, even in the man Yeshua, there was a difference of experience, attunement, and expression pre Resurrection (connected to a human body) and post Resurrection (and not connected to a human body), and he was born with an unusual body, a very balanced and innately fast vibratory body that many both human and non human had worked towards facilitating.

   So, one might ask you, how much does self try to live that quote of yours i put at the beginning of my post? 

I just recently saw the movie "The Nun's Story," starring Audrey Hepburn.  The movie is based on a true story. Some of the things the nuns did was a good example of trying to be spiritual rather than being spiritual. Eventually Audrey's character left the nunnery because she believed she could be more spiritual if she listened to her own conscience and common sense rather than do what the other nuns told her to do.

Some of the things Lao Tzu said are cool, but since "he" chatted about spiritual things I suppose it is okay for others to do so, even if he said "those who know do not speak; those who speak do not know."

Chances are that he wasn't opposed to speaking about things such as Astrology and past lives. If he was opposed in such a way to some degree he probably had a concept about being spiritual. It is important to remember context. Justin wasn't speaking about the nature of the Tao below. Just some of the things that take place "within" it. Is there anything else? Eastern teachings sometimes miss this point. Rather than finding out about things such as Soul development and how the Universe works, they'll label that which manifests as Samsara or Maya and claim that a wise man won't waste his time with figuring out how things work.

The Tao Te Ching isn't the only book with Lao Tzu's words, also the Hua Hu Ching. I like this later book more than the Tao Te Ching. Within it he speaks of being in contact with spirit beings. I can't say that  I agree with everything it says. Here is a link where a PDF file can be found.

https://www.google.com/#q=lao+tzu+hua+hu+ching+pdf   

P.S. Even though I mentioned Lao Tzu, I understand that the good Doctor was supportive.

Regarding knowing about the afterlife, I believe it is good to know that it exists. As far as the details, this concerns me more because I'm concerned about what others have to go through, rather than how it applies to my self.

I can't say that I'm interested in hanging out in the various astral realms.  I'm interested in rejoining Source. Even now, I try to do that as best as I can. Perhaps I should qualify "as best as I can." Sometimes I hold onto things more than I need to.

Regarding Ego, well, that word means different things to different people.  Perhaps one way to speak of it, that which makes us seem separate from Source and others. I don't believe that the wisdom we acquire as we grow is separate.

Say a guy has a fantasy to become a Rock Star, becomes one, and becomes heavily identified with this persona. Eventually he'll find out that true fulfillment can't be found in such way. Only a way that is more formless, not body-based and spiritual will work.  When he lets go of such a false identity and the attachments that go with it, he doesn't have to let go of the wisdom that such transcendence includes.  Such wisdom will be an essential part of his being.

When it comes to thinking about Disks and such, to some degree I believe this is better than trying to not think about anything. It is okay for a person to use his mind when he tries to figure things out, as long as he understands how far such an approach will go.

I've found that one thing a person needs to do is work out various aspects of self. Having a Higher Self perspective can help one do so.  If one goes too far with not seeing how his being is organized, this might interfere with his ability to find out what parts of his self need to be taken care of.

People who claim to be enlightened but don't know about their higher selves, aren't as enlightened as they claim.  Even if such a person has a vast experiences of formless being, this doesn't mean that he can forget about what lies between his body-based self and Source level of being.

Going by my experience and what makes sense to me, before a person can completely become one with Source and all others, he needs to become aware of various spirit levels of being, because they are a part of the Oneness. This is true even with beings who are currently manifesting in a negative way. They are a part of Self in a larger sense.

Sometimes people don't become aware of such levels of being because they are afraid to do so. Until they do so, they won't be able to reconnect with Source completely, even if they have glimpses.

I Am Dude wrote on Sep 24^th, 2015 at 3:59pm:

  If you're basically saying that a person cannot spiritually grow directly from knowing, theorizing, or thinking about life, metaphysics, or anything, then i would completely agree with you.  That people can over focus on metaphysics and phenomena is also true and fairly common.

  But, i occasionally get direct guidance about various metaphysical things like other lives, astrology, etc, often without seeking same.  This indicates to me, that it has some value/importance in the grand scheme of things, because expanded guidance generally only shares what is helpful to and/or needed for one's spiritual growth, especially if one is a mature consciousness to being with. 

  While i don't often seek info much anymore during meditation, sometimes i do ask "please bring to my conscious awareness that which is most spiritually helpful for me and/or the Whole to become aware of now."

  This practice has led to some interesting, and seemingly unlikely places.

  But mostly meditation and life in general has become about opening up/expanding the "heart" so called, and communing with those who consciously know and exist in that full, fully conscious Oneness state that i would like to grow to as well.

  I tend to talk about others experiences/info more than my own, because i'm a pragmatist and know that people generally are much more interested in and open minded to, Monroe, Cayces, Moen's, etc, etc. experiences or information than my own.  If i receive something from guidance that aligns with aspects of their information, then sometimes i spend time in synthesizing various sources which speak similarly, as a way to facilitate some deeper thinking and openness to a certain concept. 

  In general, i've found the more that i grow in and attune to Love, the more my awareness and perception has generally expanded as well--become more aware of the Whole--say for example the Reptilian E.T.'s.  As i often say and point out, Like attracts and begets Like, and so perception follows beingness to a degree unless the body and physical interferes (injury, etc). 

   As in most things in life, it's the deeper intention behind an activity or expression which in relative relation to the individual (including their entire past etc), which determines more the degree of constructiveness or retrogression spiritually for them. 

   We all come in with certain different lessons and issues to work on more specifically, as well as generally trying to grow in love. 

   I know enough about my past, and what makes me me, to know and understand that occasionally talking about metaphysical subjects is not one of my areas or issues to work on. 

  In fact, i have gone long periods of not communicating much on here at all, and have received guidance that i should post more often.  Sometimes, it came from another and out of the blue for them. 

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It's funny that you say this, because i felt/thought similarly in relation to your recent replies. Reminded me of myself at a couple points when i thought i was above it all or thought i found the one true way. 

  If you have distilled this mysterious, and simply huge process called life down to only purification of the mind (which in and of itself alone can involve many factors, conscious AND unconscious), then chances are, you're probably missing the mark to some extent because there is a lot more than that involved. 

  Purification of the mind is certainly very important, but even the phrase itself indicates a certain lack of understanding, and/or a tone towards the negative. After all, the process at it's core is most about growing in and attuning to Love and increasing quality of consciousness.  Purification of the mind puts the emphasis on that what we don't want aka the problem. It's ego centric, and like a course over focused on the problem and the ego monster.  But of course i would agree that dealing with hindrances or limiting aspects of self is a part of growing/expanding in Love, etc. 

  However, what is more helpful to put the most focus on, especially to the subconscious?  Focus on that which is the reality and truth (Love) or the lack of same (dirty mind and ego)?  Hmmm, when i see people over focused on the latter, i often also see over focus on a particular limiting belief system.


While i'm not generally a fan of Zen, i do find the saying about enlightenment to have truth to it, *Before enlightenment i chopped wood and carried water, and after enlightenment i chopped wood and carried water.*

   I'm not enlightened, and especially not in any ultimate, He/She sense.  However, i've temporarily perceived/experienced it.  (that dream that i mentioned)

  I've come to intuit and consider that full, or complete enlightenment isn't possible while connected to a human body during this cycle (and not for many generations yet to come)--meaning if you were born of a woman and all that.

  For those nearing completion (those that are incarnated in the earth and which this pertains to, are extremely rare at this time), that degree of beingness and awareness will come after the death of the body.  It's possible, but unlikely, that like Yeshua, such a person might re-create a human like form to interact with fellow humans, but only if there is a need for it.  As we, unlike him, are not the Co-Creator and the over seeing director/guide of growth/remembrance and retrieval here, then unlikely for the need to arise.

 



   



 

  Albert, thanks for the kind words, but i don't consider myself particularly humble by the more common human  definition and perspective.

  To some extent, Dude's comments reminded me of something.  I think we need to be careful when ascertaining the supposed degree of spiritual development of others. 

   Related--there was a small percentage of people who received "Life Readings" from Cayce which when going into their most influencing other lives, and nonphysical experiences (described astrologically), were told that they would not have to incarnate again as a human if they chose not to.  Meaning, they had reached a certain degree of spiritual attunement.  Some were told it was conditional depending on how well they finished this life, and others were told that they had already reached that development.

   Cayce's grandson years later commented that having met some of these rarish folks that Arcturus (as a symbol) was a conscious factor in their life chart, or could be, that he often was surprised because he said that in many ways, they seemed pretty ordinary and fallible human beings.  They weren't "walking on water" types by a long shot.

  One lady, who had been Yeshua's Essene Teacher in Judea, was apparently a bit abrasive and pushy/bossy at times personality wise. 

   So, it's not always easy to accurately judge a Soul's development by occasional glimpses into their changeable, wavering, personality self.  After all, this part of us is very strongly linked to our body and the physical in general, and our bodies are very fragile things that can be imbalanced by many different things--various foods, accidents, outside psychic interference, etc, etc e.g. factors that don't directly relate to the deeper will and intention of their Soul in a spiritual sense. 

  At the same time, it's not hard to see when a person really gets off track if they start to consistently partake in egregiously harmful and lacking in love activities, such as conning others for material gain, manipulation, etc, etc. 

  But what i'm essentially saying is that to most accurately judge another's development, takes 1. clear and expanded sight on part of the viewer, 2. needs to consider the person as a whole and their average expression over a period of time,  3. their deeper intentions and motivations, 4. tuning more deeply into them and getting info about them from expanded guidance. 

  I have misjudged people based on material conditions and personality things, and because i do have some true humility and realized i could be wrong, i brought it to expanded guidance under more ideal conditions and was told differently than i initially thought about a person. 

   Or, i just might not have realized the degree of attunement that a person might have. An example, i had a dream wherein i was at a gathering with Bruce Moen and many others (helper types), and Bruce told me very intently, "go find (so and so), he is more intune than i."

  At the time did i consciously think that this person was more developed and intune than Bruce?  Not really, and to some extent i briefly put Bruce somewhat on a pedestal (around this time). But the dream message clearly told me that this person was more developed. 

  Or, conversely, i've gotten guidance about people and their dark sides that i wasn't as consciously aware about.  A recent example:  We rent out two of the rooms in the house we live in. I have been on the fence about one of our housemates because of certain actions and behaviors. But otherwise, he is charming and friendly on the surface.

  I had a dream recently which indicated quite clearly to me that he had deeper and more severe issues with ethics than i even realized.  The dream showed me his dark side. Part of me was sensing this, but i guess i didn't want to fully realize it consciously and partly because i didn't want to misjudge him (having misjudged others occasionally in the past).  But, most would meet him and never guess this about him, because on the surface, personality wise, he can be friendly and charming. 

    I guess that saying, don't judge a book by it's cover can be rather true. 

   If we took isolated instances of Yeshua's life out of a larger context, we could easily find fault with him and say that this man lacked spiritual attunement or awareness of Love.  But how off we would be with such a myopic assessment.