spiritual
When I'm 64
“When I get older losing my hair
Many years from now
Will you still be sending me a valentine
Birthday greetings, bottle of wine?
If I’d been out till quarter to three
Would you lock the door?
Will you still need me, will you still feed me
When I’m sixty-four?”
‘When I’m Sixty-Four’ — The Beatles
I turned 64 last week. Is that old? I don’t think so; at least I don’t feel that way. I started this blog four years ago on my birthday thinking that maybe someone of my age would have something wise, relevant, and intriguing to communicate to … whoever, out there in the world. Not sure if I have proved that in any way whatsoever, but at least I have the opportunity to throw a bunch of stuff on the wall and see if anything actually sticks. I guess that would be up to you to decide all that, huh?
We all live our lives in relatively insulated bubbles of reality and illusion, sometimes wondering who we are, where we came from, what we’re doing here, and where we could be going. But mostly we carry on with our lives day to day, reflecting on how good or bad yesterday was, trying to deal with the challenges of the present, and hoping tomorrow’s sun will shine brighter. At times it seems life doesn’t give us the tools to understand what we should be doing in any given moment. Because oddly, the moment is all we ever really have, isn’t it? From moment to moment we traverse through this labyrinth of reality-illusion, with time continuously raging on in a totally relentless manner. Meaning there are no moments we can latch on to. For they are gone … in a moment. Moment by moment. So, what to do in each moment? …
The Way of 12.21.12
“Do good, for good is good to do. Spurn bribe of heaven and threat of hell.” — The Kasidah, Sir Richard Burton (aka Haji Abdu El-Yezdi)
“The end is near.” So they say. Have been saying. Will continue to say. It is our way, isn’t it? To want to know when the end is? And why is that, do ya’ think?
I have been listening and watching all this for at least 25 years, since 1987 when the hyped-up ‘great’ Harmonic Convergence began this 25-year countdown. A clock that has finally wound down (thank goodness!). But believe me, another clock will start up to replace it, one way or another. And we will be facing another ‘end-of-the-world’ or ‘spiritual rebirth’ scenario.
I think there are a couple of factors of why we paint ourselves in a corner with these scenarios. First, we fear the end of everything, because we think there is nothing after ‘the end.’ So, this unknown end cannot include us, because it is ‘the end.’ And second, fear seems to be a common fuel that our world runs on. If the powers that be can keep that fire stoked, then there will always be something else out there to fear. Another end of something we must stress out about. And stress and tension will always keep us down, keep us bound to a never-ending cycle of perpetual concern.
We The People ... I A Person
“If men were angels, no government would be necessary.” – James Madison
Yes, that time is once again upon us, when every four years we have to choose a President for the good old U S of A, from the leftovers the two major parties push upon us. Of course, usually that means choosing the least of two evils. And yes, politics is not usually what we go into here, so we won’t get too heavy into it, just explore it from a more philosophical point of view … and see if we can relate it to how that can affect our own spiritual potential.
Actually, I have many times enjoyed discussing the intellectual theories of government, but I absolutely hate politics. I know, they are difficult to separate from each other. Too bad. In college I started out as a government major, minoring in economics. I remember that one of my term papers was about trying to match up the best economic system with the best legal system. That was an intriguing exercise, and required a lot of research on my part. Of course, there was no Internet back in those dark ages, so hitting the library late at night for long hours was absolutely required. I learned a few things. Such as, oftentimes government was not the solution, but the problem. Disheartening. Not sure Madison knew what he was talking about in all his governmental theories, except maybe the part about men not being angels (other than I think they may have that potential). Because as much as the Founding Fathers preached about small government, it seemed maybe even they relied on it (bigger government) too much.
No Other Film …
“Our truest life is when we are in dreams awake.” – Henry David Thoreau
… is like “Dreams Awake.” Like it, love it, hate it, indifferent about it, whatever … you will never ever come across another film that has the elements this film does. I personally guarantee it. That may seem like a boastful statement, but I firmly believe it. If anyone wants to challenge me on it, come right ahead. Because right here, right now, I am coming out of the closet about the content of this film.
This film is not completely fiction. Some of these things have happened, are happening, will continue happen. I know, another crazy bold statement to make. But I can back it up. People I know, as well as myself, have had many of the experiences referred to in the film, and many other similar types of experiences. Without the dramatic story that ties it all up, this could actually have been a documentary.
When I got the very first inklings of this story, I actually did not intend for it to go in that direction. It was as if the film had its own life, its own momentum, and its own magic. I cannot completely explain it, but I can attempt to relate it to you. Right here. Right now.
Finer Moments
“Life is eternal, and love is immortal; and death is only a horizon; and a horizon is nothing save the limit of our sight.” – Rossiter R. Raymond
Exactly twelve years ago today was not a happy one for me. But it was quite instructive. Debbie, my wife of 17 years, and the mother of my two sons, passed from the physical world and into the next one. She had been fighting cancer for four years, and the battle had just taken too much of a toll on her body. That actual day she passed is still very vivid in my memory. Her mother, our two sons, and myself were present at her bedside. She had chosen to be at home when this happened. Within an hour after she left and when the funeral home was taking her body for cremation, I suddenly saw her standing in the area connecting the dining room to the living room. Now of course, I’m talking about her ‘spirit’ presence. And I didn’t see her with my physical eyes, but my spiritual sense of sight. She seemed to be floating about two feet off the ground and she looked radiant, but with this puzzled look on her face. Then she spoke to me in my mind, wanting to know what all this fuss was about.
A Longer Wheel
“If the doors of perception were cleansed every thing would appear to man as it is, infinite. For man has closed himself up, till he sees all things through narrow chinks of his cavern.” – William Blake
Being our first year at college was certainly the last thing on our minds that weekend night. After having partook of the latest entertainment chemical mix, the four of us guys drove around like crazy. It should be logical that flying high and speeding around in a hot car don’t mix. But having a flat tire on top of that didn’t bode well for the rest of evening.
The first thing we did was not to look for the jack, but to lie back in a field looking up at the stars. I had never seen the night glow like that, nor the stars dance so much. And yes, on top of all that, it happened once again.
As I flowed into the ebb and flow mixture of the nightly lights and spheres, the ripping pressure in my chest pulled me away. And the rising sensation totally changed my perspective. My gyroscoping point of view shot fear throughout my body. My physical body, which I was no longer a part of. Now I found my ‘self’ shooting towards the heavens, completely out of and away from my body. And I heard that damn ringing sound again. Oh hell.
Floating Away
“We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.” – Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
When I was about six years old, I think, a series of odd experiences overtook my small life. And at that time, made life much larger than I thought it ever could be. I flew, no popped, right out of my body. Not once, but numerous times. Say what?
Now at this time, I had no idea what an OOBE (out-of-body-experience) was. Hey, I was six, I barely knew what the hell an IBE (in-body-experience) was. So now I’m supposed to deal with flying around my room above my body, all over the damn place? At this point, I just wanted my mommy! Waa!!
And yes, there she was down with my body trying to comfort me. As I looked down at her from one the corners in the ceiling of my bedroom. I was sick and had a high fever, and she was trying to help me. But hey, mommy, I’m up here!
And why did I see everything from an exaggerated fish-eye type lens perspective? Wow, this was tripping and I didn’t even know what tripping was. All I knew is I didn’t like it. Then all of a sudden I was back in my body. Oh wow, no wonder I got out. I feel like crap. I was sick all right.