Your greatest spiritual surprise.

Originally Posted by Still_Waters

I agree with your comment that "any experience of timelessness is essentially an experience of eternity" - the "Eternal Now". If one practices conscious sleep and watches dream formation from start to finish, one quickly realizes that time is a mental fabrication that manifests with the urge to coordinate activities between dream-objects. There are obvious implications on the next level to which you have alluded.

I appreciate your comment as it allows this dialogue to move to another level.

Still_waters,

Thanks for your response. As you have noticed this dialogue has not moved to another level...…:) But, nevertheless, I am returning to it...:) What I was alluding to was the transformation that can occur from experiencing timelessness. IMO this provides the opportunity to allow God(Spirit) to work unimpeded on one. It is akin in physical terms as submitting oneself to anesthesia. No one agrees to undergoing anesthesia unless he/she has faith and trust in the doctor/dentist. It is then that the physician can do his work without having to share time with the mind of the patient. Timelessness...the reality of eternity...places one in the domain of God/Spirit where no other entity holds sway. The nature of the transformation can be gradual but the practitioner(us) can return to the Physician repeatable times for further and continuing treatment. For Christians I think of the last words of Christ...."into thy hands I commend my spirit". This is the relinguishment of life into the hands of God. It is the death that is necessary to gain eternal life.

[sky]

Originally Posted by Honza

Are you sure? I spent 13 years at this forum arguing against 'I Am' and listening to arguments for 'I Am' before I conceded and accepted 'I Am'. It did not come easy.

It seems to me that you always wanted to believe that the bible is not the word of God. That it did not require much effort to disbelieve it.

I am sure but it didn't take me 13 Years

'It seems to me that you always wanted to believe that the bible is not the word of God '


You are free to think what you choose to think

[Still_Waters]

Originally Posted by Miss Hepburn

Oh, I know..one major one for my young 19 yr old mind was realizing from 3 geniuses...
Einstein, Jung and B. Russell that -
"Wherever man is to get individually or as a whole he will not get there with his Mind''.

Threw me for a loop at that silly young age...."Well, what is there, then!!?
What does THIS mean?"".


Ah-ha...take these books back to the Key West Library..and come out with all
the Eastern books.
Quite a spiritual surprise from being Catholic.
Dive into meditation, the Inner Journey, direct contact with God, expand your mind while quieting it...ok...
forget most of everything you thought (for now).

Having also been raised Roman Catholic, my near death experience served as a trigger to "come out with all the Eastern books" and to "dive into meditation, the Inner Journey, direct contact with God, expand your mind while quieting it ....ok .... forget most of everything you thought (for now)."

Einstein and Jung also had an impact on me with a lesser impact attributable to Bertrand Russell.

It was interesting to note the parallels in our evolution leading to the conclusion that "Wherever man is to get individually or as a whole he will not get there with his Mind''.

[Still_Waters]

Originally Posted by Molearner

Still_waters,

Thanks for your response. As you have noticed this dialogue has not moved to another level...…:) But, nevertheless, I am returning to it...:) What I was alluding to was the transformation that can occur from experiencing timelessness. IMO this provides the opportunity to allow God(Spirit) to work unimpeded on one. It is akin in physical terms as submitting oneself to anesthesia. No one agrees to undergoing anesthesia unless he/she has faith and trust in the doctor/dentist. It is then that the physician can do his work without having to share time with the mind of the patient. Timelessness...the reality of eternity...places one in the domain of God/Spirit where no other entity holds sway. The nature of the transformation can be gradual but the practitioner(us) can return to the Physician repeatable times for further and continuing treatment. For Christians I think of the last words of Christ...."into thy hands I commend my spirit". This is the relinguishment of life into the hands of God. It is the death that is necessary to gain eternal life.

I AM in complete agreement with what you just wrote and that is EXACTLY how I lead my life. When one is "experiencing timelessness" (I equate that with the stillness and complete silence, including quieted mental activity), "this provides the opportunity to allow God/Spirit to work unimpeded on one".

As you duly noted, "the nature of the transformation can be gradual" but it seems to start with faith and, as one gets more and more positive experiences, it proceeds to confidence and then to trust and then to complete surrender as in the final quote in your post, "Father, into your hands I commend my Spirit". (I had never thought of that quote in that context but I like they way you presented it.)


I loved everything that you wrote, including the "death that is necessary to gain eternal life". I was going to add some direct experiences of mine in keeping with what you wrote, but I did not want to distract from what you wrote. I just wanted to dwell on and savor your insightful, well-expressed thoughts without further comments as they echo my sentiments exactly and I don't think that I could express it better.

Originally Posted by Still_Waters

As you duly noted, "the nature of the transformation can be gradual" but it seems to start with faith and, as one gets more and more positive experiences, it proceeds to confidence and then to trust and then to complete surrender as in the final quote in your post, "Father, into your hands I commend my Spirit". (I had never thought of that quote in that context but I like they way you presented it.)

Still_Waters,

Thanks for your very generous response. I liked your views on the progression of faith. Many years ago my mother gave my sister a necklace as a graduation gift which my sister cherishes. It is a mustard seed encapsulated in a glass globe. "If ye have the faith of a mustard seed it can move mountains". I think the progression you presented is very accurate....:)

[Still_Waters]

Originally Posted by Molearner

Still_Waters,

Thanks for your very generous response. I liked your views on the progression of faith. Many years ago my mother gave my sister a necklace as a graduation gift which my sister cherishes. It is a mustard seed encapsulated in a glass globe. "If ye have the faith of a mustard seed it can move mountains". I think the progression you presented is very accurate....:)

It's interesting that you once again posted a variation of one of my frequently used quotes, "If ye have the faith of a mustard seed it can move mountains".

Having met extraordinary beings in my travels throughout the world, I am convinced that virtually anything is literally possible. That becomes food for meditation in contemplating how such things are possible. This gives insights into the nature of the Reality.