The debate has raged for centuries. Ancient religions have wrestled with the notion of the existence of a separate “individual self or soul,” which might actually be a mental illusion (Maya) blocking our efforts to eventually attain true enlightenment. According to the Eastern philosophical view, release from the relentless cycles of Samsara (Moksha) requires abandonment … Continue reading Taking Care of Your “Self?”
There was barely time to attempt any sort of recovery of my wits from the events of the past few months, having been so engaged as we were in what would end up being a painfully long goodbye, when I found myself on the road to be present for the birth of my grandson in … Continue reading A New Life Follows Our Long Goodbye
Considering the wide range of my lifetime of experiences, both sensual and spiritual, my sincere conviction now is that what I feel, what I sense, and what I experience, not only internally and personally, but also as an observer of the world “outside of me,” especially in consideration of the responses of other individuals under … Continue reading Consciousness Video Series: Episode 10: Writing About the World Within
Mist and Shadows “Home is behind the world ahead, And there are many paths to tread, Through shadows to the edge of night, Until the stars are all alight.” “Mist and shadows, cloud and shade— All shall fade, all shall fade.” Follow the link below to hear the song: https://www.facebook.com/reel/1307202833541080/ Lyrics and Music from Lord … Continue reading Mist and Shadows
I came across this quote a while ago, and at first felt as though Epicurus was simply trying to encourage people of all ages to be open to acquiring wisdom, regardless of their age. Thinking about it at length, though, I wondered if his phrasing was sufficiently clear. The idea of “seeking wisdom,” while noble … Continue reading The Wisdom of Seeking
The title of the song in the background of the video below is “Beyond This Moment,” by Patrick O’Hearn. I’ve mentioned his work before and heard it on the radio on the way home one evening, and it stuck with me. The title started me to thinking about how we might discover what lies “beyond … Continue reading Consciousness Video Series: Episode 8: Beyond This Moment
"Driftwood," by Winslow Homer (1836-1910) “I can reach a state where I seem to be watching things happen as if I were there. That is, I suppose, that my memory supplies what I had forgotten, so that it seems as if it were happening independently, though I am really making it happen. In certain favorable … Continue reading Blog Post #400 – Moments of Being
Webster’s Encyclopedic Dictionary says: “A supernatural event regarded as due to divine action; an extremely remarkable achievement or event; e.g. “it was a miracle he wasn’t hurt.” Anyone possessing even a passing familiarity with religious ideas has probably heard of what holy books have described as miracles—turning water into wine, healing the sick, and other … Continue reading The Mystery of Miracles – Divine Intervention or Just Impossible To Explain?
Anyone even vaguely familiar with the term “mystical,” whether from a religious practice or simply from an investigation into the subject generally, can usually agree that it includes a whole range of possible experiences which may qualify. In his classic volume, “Varieties of Religious Experience,” William James writes: “The adjective ‘mystical’ is technically applied, most … Continue reading The Mystical Is Often Metaphorical
There have been moments lately, where it seemed to me, that I, myself, have been chasing the shade. Clearly, in the summertime, when it gets particularly hot, and the sun is particularly dangerous, we find ourselves moving our chairs so that they remain in the shade. As the sun creeps up, we move the chairs … Continue reading Winter Pastoral: Chasing the Shade
John's Consciousness 