“I cannot tell you who God is or what God is. That is not within my capacity nor is it within the capacity of any other human being. What I can tell you is how I believe I have experienced God. Even then I have to be aware that I might be delusional.”
These words are part of what has become for me something of a mantra, with which I now conclude almost every lecture I give. They also seem to me to provide the only proper context within which to approach the Christmas narratives that are a gift to us from Matthew and Luke. These two writers were creating not history, but rather poetry born in...
'); break; case '02' : setPvText(idNum, 'Free to Love, Free to Heal','by David Simon, M.D.','In my role as a “mind-body” physician, I hear many heartrending tales. Over the three decades I’ve been practicing medicine, I’ve come to see a person’s migraines, fatigue, digestive distress or back pain as a sad kind of admission pass that entitles the bearer to a few moments of a doctor’s attention.
After listening to people’s problems for so many years, I’ve learned that when I can create enough safety for the sufferer, an underlying story—a story that at its heart is about giving or receiving love—will be revealed to me. And if I as a doctor can coax the hidden meaning of the illness into the open, then...
'); break; case '03' : setPvText(idNum, 'Soften Your Grip on Your Belief','by Masaru Kato','Moshe Feldenkrais, a founder of the Feldenkrais Method (increasing self-awareness through body movement), said, “If you know what you are doing, you can do what you want.” You are mostly unaware of how your behavior is patterned or confined to a certain fixed way by your thoughts and beliefs. Thus, if you know why you are doing what you are doing, you can transcend the pattern that molds you. You will become more open to your potential and you will get what you want.
Actually, it is hard for you to realize what kind of psychological pattern you engage in. For example...
'); break; case '04' : setPvText(idNum, 'Dont Shoot the Messenger','by Stephen Lewis','GS: Stephen, it’s been a few years since we last spoke. For newer readers, let’s start with what you do.
SL: What I do is the AIM Program, a holographic spiritual technology designed to help you in the process of healing yourself, whatever you need to heal—physically, emotionally or spiritually. We use a hologram, coupled with computer technology so that you focus on whatever about you needs to be healed until it is healed. We help you heal yourself.
'); break; case '05' : setPvText(idNum, 'Guy Spiro’s Original Astro-Weather Report','','What a rollercoaster of a year this has been and the ride is far from over. At year’s start, optimism over positive change was very high. There have been twists and turns, victories and disappointments. But this month it should be clear that although there is much to do and setbacks will occur, the positive changes are in place and continuing to evolve. Through this month, the Saturn square Pluto is very tight and active, seeming at times to return conservatism to power, but in reality it will be loosening its hold. Greater and deeper exposure of the past administration will continue. This is not....
'); break; case '06' : setPvText(idNum, 'The Shared Heart: New Dimensions ofLeonard was yelling at his wife, “Damn it, Mary, when are you going to give me any respect? I work all day long and come home to a messy house and dinner isn’t even started. What do you do all day?!”
Mary was clearly intimidated. She was sitting wordlessly on the couch while he stood threateningly above her, clenching his fists as if he would hit her. She was hugging herself in a desperate attempt at self-protection, while the tears gave away her fear and pain.
No question here. This is obviously abusive and unhealthy anger. How about this next example...
'); break; case '07' : setPvText(idNum, 'From the Heart - Stories Worth Telling','by Alan Cohen','In the spirit of the holiday season, Dee and I went to a liquor store to purchase a gift of wine for a friend. There we asked the store owner, a congenial fellow named Ali, for some recommendations. We were pleasantly surprised to find that Ali is a world-class wine expert. He went into fascinating, poetic details about each wine, describing its subtlest nuances and mesmerizing us with stories about the history of each winery, some of which went back over a thousand years. I was rapt.
Finally I commented, “I guess all wines have a story.”
'); break; case '08' : setPvText(idNum, 'Sound Perspectives','by Steven Halpern','Michael Jackson’s This Is It!, V, 2012, The Lost Symbol and Ingo Swann’s Star Fire
Back in the day, late night TV host Arsenio Hall often featured a segment called “Things that make you go hmmmm.” A lot of folks I’m talking to recently are making that sound, in light of the current flood of movies and TV programs with interwoven themes.
Do you really think it’s just a coincidence that the ABC series V, 2012, the NBC/SyFy channel documentary on the science behind 2012 (airing November 8, 2009), the film The Fourth Kind, the book The Lost Symbol (Dan Brown’s latest...
'); break; case '09' : setPvText(idNum, 'Everyday Matters - Erring on the SideWell, the holiday season is upon us. If you’ve read this column for awhile you know that I love Christmas: the spirit and tradition of it, the getting ready for it, the day itself. But like many, I sometimes find myself anxious and overwhelmed.
This year, I’m again going to try to get through it in good shape. I get a little better each year. As we know, it’s mostly not external situations that create our moods, but rather our reactions to them. I’m going to watch myself this season and try to react to tough moments with a spirit of generosity.
What started me on this thought was a phone...
'); break; case '10' : setPvText(idNum, 'In Print','','The Cynical Idealist: A Spiritual Biography of John Lennon by Gary Tillery; Way of the Peaceful Warrior: A Book that Changes Lives by Dan Millman; One Million Mandalas: For You to Create, Print, and Color by Madonna Gauding; There is Life After Death: Compelling Reports from Those Who Have Glimpsed the After-Life by Roy Abraham Varghese; The Wolf at Twilight: An Indian Elder’s Journey through a Land of Ghosts and Shadows by Kent Nerburn; 101 Exercises for the Soul by Dr. Bernie S. Siegel; more...'); break; case '11' : setPvText(idNum, 'Science Fiction & The Art of Storytelling','by Jacqueline Lichtenberg','The Mystery of Magic Part V: Master MagicianAs usual in December, I’m not going to review any new titles to refrain from fueling the commercialization of the season. So let’s contemplate what we’ve learned.
In August, we looked at some mystery genre novels and correlated the detective’s role with puzzle solving in the training of the Magician, jumping off from a diagram posted in the May issue of Wired, the Tree of Life on its side.
That diagram is about how hard science encounters magic, though most people won’t see....
'); break; case '12' : setPvText(idNum, 'Alternate Realities: Creating the New Mythos','by Stephen Simon, The Movie Mystic','Remember what it was like to go to a movie and cry and laugh and applaud and feel great about just being alive when you walk out of the theater?
I do. And you will too when you run as fast as you can to a neighborhood theater to see THE BLIND SIDE, one of the most touching, wondrous, uplifting, and miraculous movies of the last several years. And, what makes the experience even more delicious is that the film is based on a true story.
Michael Oher was a homeless teenager in Memphis, Tennessee. His father had disappeared when he was a small child, and his mother was...
'); break; case '13' : setPvText(idNum, 'The Pulse Calendar','','Tuesday, December 1
INDIVISIBLE CONSCIOUS LIGHT: Presentation and video on the life and "Perfect Knowledge" teachings of Avatar Adi Da Samraj. 7:30, Adidam Midwest Center, 3301 Fullerton, Chicago. 773-661-0127, www.adidamchicago.org.
URANTIA BOOK study group, Urantia Foundation, 533 Diversey Pkwy., 7pm.
Thursday, December 3
'); break; case '14' : setPvText(idNum, 'Green Chicago','by Kathleen Ellis','For those who celebrate gift- and feast-oriented holidays this season, dealing with crowds, waiting in lines, credit card (ab)use, last minute scrambling and—of course—stress are all inevitable. The temptation of modern convenience is compelling—to simply go online, log onto Amazon or some other corporate multinational retailer, buy a load of stuff made in China, and have it delivered to your door. But there’s another way to purchase through the holiday season outside of malls and big-box stores—going radically local.
Local First Chicago represents a consortium....
'); break; case '15' : setPvText(idNum, 'Lightworkers Directory','','ANIMAL CARE
ANIMAL COMMUNICATOR Carol Schultz. Interactive conversations with your pets. Teleclasses and on-site courses in animal wellness through Animal Spirit Healing & Education® Network. animalspiritnetwork.com. Private consultations with Carol at 815-531-2850 or carolschultz.com.
BODYWORK
LICENSED MASSAGE THERAPIST, Reiki Master...
It was late evening. After my workout and dinner, I fell asleep. When I awoke it was nearly midnight. I walked slowly through the crisp night air of early spring toward the station. A strong breeze blew from behind me, as if impelling me forward along the campus paths.
As I neared the familiar intersection, I slowed down. A light drizzle had begun, chilling the night. In the glow from the warmly lit office, I could see Soc’s shape through the misted window, drinking from his mug, and a mixture of anticipation and dread...
“Fatback’s Dead”
The words on the slip of paper struck me like a blow. Fatback’s dead.”
It was not just the news itself, though the words cut deep. It was the very fact of the note, stuck on my windshield on the Red Lake Indian Reservation in northern Minnesota hundreds of miles from where Fatback had lived and, apparently, died. That, and the small deerskin pouch of tobacco that was tied to it.
Fatback was a black Lab — a good dog — who had belonged to Dan, an elderly Lakota man who...
'); break; case '18' : setPvText(idNum, '101 Exercises for the Soul','by Dr. Bernie S. Siegel','101 Exercises for the Soul
Bestselling author Dr. Bernie Siegel is a well-known proponent of alternative approaches to healing not just for the body, but the mind and soul as well. In 101 Exercises for the Soul: Simple Practices for a Healthy Body, Mind, and Spirit he offers simple exercises for the soul, a divine plan for healing yourself and transforming your life. Here’s a sampling of the guidance and wisdom he lovingly offers:
Exercise 38: Take a Bath
Maximize Your Relaxation Time
'); break; case '19' : setPvText(idNum, 'Dictionary of Gnosticism','by Andrew Phillip Smith','Introduction
Gnosis is direct spiritual experience, knowledge of the divine without intermediary or any controlling authority. Those who practiced it in the ancient world were known as Gnostics, and the web of historical individuals and movements, systems, and teachings that are linked to these ancient Gnostics is Gnosticism. Ancient Gnosticism has a high degree of spiritual relevance for the contemporary seeker. Aspects of the Gnostic worldview, such as alienation from society, distrust of religious authority, creative mythmaking, and direct personal spiritual...
'); break; case '20' : setPvText(idNum, 'The Cynical Idealist: A Spiritual BiographyMind Games
Consider the pieces of decorated paper in your wallet that give you the power to walk into a shop you’ve never visited before and leave with whatever strikes your fancy. Consider how traffic laws are observed on a normal day in the city versus how they are observed while a riot is taking place. Consider how you behave when surrounded by thoughtful, polite people, but how petty you would become if marooned somewhere with a group of self-gratifying, devious individuals.
Human society is founded on agreement. Paper...
'); break; case '21' : setPvText(idNum, 'There Is Life After Death','by Roy Abraham Varghese','THE SMOKING GUN
Claims about a realm that lies beyond death have been made almost from the dawn of human history. Strangely enough, these claims have been “born again” in the present day—this time seemingly custom-tailored to the new more skeptical setting of the modern world. Millions of people who physically died and were then resuscitated have reported the reality of a world beyond death, a world that awaits all who die. These reports of near-death experiences have been taken seriously by everyone but the professional skeptics. This is not to say that the...
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