What are the basics of spiritual development?

How does a person go about developing spiritually?

I have been reading 'Life in the World Unseen' by Anthony Borgia.

He talks about dark realms where those who have been evil dwell.

I am just confused as to what to do - to be a spiritually advanced person?

Just looking for some input here.

[naturesflow]

What interests you? Is there anything within the whole spectrum of life and spirituality that you feel drawn too?

Originally Posted by naturesflow

What interests you? Is there anything within the whole spectrum of life and spirituality that you feel drawn too?

Well a few things:

I am schizophrenic, so do have an interest in mental health
i am a vegetarian, so i do have an interest in animal rights.
My profession before the illness took a grip was software engineering and it does interest me. i love tech and computers.

I guess because of my illness I can't lead a normal life, and was scared that i would be condemned to the dark realms.

There is an entire universe beyond the 'dark realms'.

Explore it.

[naturesflow]

Originally Posted by Burntfruit

Well a few things:

I am schizophrenic, so do have an interest in mental health
i am a vegetarian, so i do have an interest in animal rights.
My profession before the illness took a grip was software engineering and it does interest me. i love tech and computers.

I guess because of my illness I can't lead a normal life, and was scared that i would be condemned to the dark realms.

Well that is a natural fear and makes much sense.

Where your interested can propel you creatively and spiritually as one.

Is there any body that inspires you to listen to online? Not to attach too, but more listen and gain ideas from that might support and reflect some of your own struggles. Once you manage and make peace with your health and other struggles as one source, it can be quite liberating and expand you more freely without fear in place.

[shivatar]

Originally Posted by Burntfruit

How does a person go about developing spiritually?

I have been reading 'Life in the World Unseen' by Anthony Borgia.

He talks about dark realms where those who have been evil dwell.

I am just confused as to what to do - to be a spiritually advanced person?

Just looking for some input here.

Find a worthy mentor. Go through as many teachers as you need to until you find the one whom you connect with enough to call a mentor. The mentor/student relationship is as important to spiritual life as the husband/wife is to family life. so many people make the mistake of not realizing this though, either because of pride or willful ignorance.

Practice in a disciplined and determined way. That means pick a practice or a handful of practices then do them at regular times for long periods of time. Make a commitment and stick to it.

Find a teacher.
Practice every day.

those are the two that came to my mind first. I'm sure there are other ones, but in general a lot of other things can come from those two things. Maybe add

Meditate. Or have a practice of solitude and inner reflection/inner awareness.

[Snow Goose]

If I was you I would be looking into schizophrenia and shamanism. Loads of stuff on Google ;-)

Originally Posted by Burntfruit

I guess because of my illness I can't lead a normal life, and was scared that i would be condemned to the dark realms.

I guess that answers everything you need to know about Spirituality.

How do you define a 'normal' Life? In a world full of madness being called 'not normal' isn't an insult it's a compliment. Some would say that being Spiritual is 'not normal'. I used to work in mental health with the National Schizophrenia Fellowship, and when you start looking into it schizophrenia is more common than most would believe. I was also told I was schizophrenic by a mental health professional but it turned out I was clairsentient. There are so many aspects of Spirituality that could be construed as 'delusional' or 'not normal'.

The 'dark realms' are only dark because people won't 'go there', if they did they'd realise that they're not so dark after all but another level of experience completely. Once upon a time schizophrenia and Spirituality would have been considered as 'dark realm' stuff, the same as so many other things that are more widely understood in this day and age. And who is going to condemn you to those 'dark realms', other than yourself?

I would guess that you can Live a Life despite your illness, so many do after all. Recently I lost a friend to cancer, but give him his due he Lived on his own terms since the day he was diagnosed. That's the Spirit.

Originally Posted by Greenslade

How do you define a 'normal' Life? In a world full of madness being called 'not normal' isn't an insult it's a compliment.

How true. I can remember being in a group discussion and someone
declaring me "You're just weird" and I had to reply "Looking around at you lot,
if you're normal I'm glad I'm not."

[naturesflow]

Originally Posted by Lorelyen

How true. I can remember being in a group discussion and someone
declaring me "You're just weird" and I had to reply "Looking around at you lot,
if you're normal I'm glad I'm not."

The story of my life.. Lol