Sir Arthur, the Spiritualist?

Despite the apparently curious and fantastic dreams and claims of spiritual mediums and Spiritualists, many well-known writers embraced a level of truth in such beliefs. This may not seem so difficult to believe. Writers and artists have historically been associated with the esoteric. Their creative minds think -out-of-the-box' or go against the grain of the status quo.

Consider Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. He devised the logical and rational Sherlock Holmes detective. Holmes became a respected novelist and committed Spiritualist who believed in connections to "The Other Side." He participated in seances and incorporated his spiritual beliefs into some of his many best-selling books.  Doyle was adamant about focusing on concepts that redirect attention from materialism. The famous character Sherlock Holmes himself questions the existence of the soul.

At the base of all this is a fundamental question: why would we desire a religion we can prove if the point of religions appears to be to shroud human existence in perpetual mystery?

"The true mystery of the world is the visible, not the invisible." -Oscar Wilde

"Without mysteries, life would be very dull indeed.  What would be left to strive for if everything were known?" -Charles de Lint

Apparitions, hallucinations or prophecy?

According to some people, near-death experience (NDE) only provides superficial insight into what its like to die. These people argue NDE doesn't prove life after death exists because the survivor hasn't actually died with a sense of finality. The supposed survivors are back with us in physical form, as if nothing happened, even if they claim it did. The concepts of life reviews and conversations with the technically- dead don't appear overly convincing. Skeptics point to the possibility of daydreams, hallucinations and unresolved conflicts or emotions with the deceased.

Believers in life beyond the grave point out that where they live life to the fullest, they don't fear death and don't always consciously invite supranatural visitors. Many NDE survivors aren't necessarily believers before their experience. Ask Dannion Brinkley. He claims to have died and returned from NDEs twice in his book, Saved by the Light.This is but one of many accounts which reveal another take.

Are believers simply sucked into a world they envision? or something they might hope to (re)experience themselves?

Religion is the human response to being alive and having to die.
-E. Forrester Church

Signs of a certain presence

Sometimes you may find yourself hoping and waiting for events to unfold in a certain way. In your own life, you may question reasons for your patience about certain situations. Do you ever ask yourself, "how long is long enough?" Are you expected to wait forever? Could you be waiting for something when you may be missing something else?

Remind yourself you only ever see what you choose to see. Angel visits have been described. Yet, angel presence seems to be more widely felt through other senses and interpretations.  During the past week, I have been amazed at what I've noticed by widening my perception:

1) As I was entering a building to finalize last-minute travel plans, a girl passed me wearing a hooded sweatshirt with a guardian angel and yellow halo on the front.  The girl huddled near her mom with her head initially bowed to hide part of the image. When I remarked on the angel, she looked up, revealed the entire cartoon and smiled. 

2) I waited outside a shop for a friend doing an errand. The mall was closed. Most people had gone home. Still, a smiling man appeared and walked by me wearing a blazer with the words "Faith" embroidered in blue thread. I remarked on it. He said he just bought it, thanked me and left with a noticable glow. Blue colors the sky and twilight. The ancient Egyptians used blue lapis lazuli to represent heaven. A pure blue is associated with inspiration, sincerity and spirituality.

3) A white feather mysteriously appeared out on my backyard patio plant in winter.

4) A woman I passed at the grocery store was wearing a guardian angel pin. The miniature pin bell chimed and made a faint sound as she walked.

5) I came across a unique license plate with word "kaput" (owner said car never broken down). I had a revelation and looked up meaning of license word spelled backwards. The word "tupak" is a variation of the Incan word "tupac" which means 'revered glowing serpent warrior' or 'heavenly messenger.' The serpent image connected to the heavens by having them represent deity, creative powers, and healing. Feathered serpent in Meso-American culture is a deity responsible for giving knowledge to mankind.

Get a bite out of dentistry

I know a man who evolved to spend his professional life working with dentists and orthodontists, though dentistry was never his ambition. I personally think he has already great teeth. He's not a dentist himself, but inadvertently learned about what they do anyway. Funny how life evolves!

After a variety of jobs, he decided he would begin to organize conferences to make his living. I'm unsure exactly why he zeroed in on dental professionals, perhaps he met a dentist he liked? Anyway, he recognized a market and that business was his choice. He was astute at researching which dental professionals were on top of their game, publishing developments and manufacturing technology in the industry. This man learned to persuade people about the benefits of what he had in mind. He invited individual speakers to present their ideas or innovative techniques to a group of peers. The seminar sessions lasted over a few days.

Now, this friend of mine happens to be Irish by birth. Somehow, he met and befriended a Scottish dentist. The Scotsman's popularity as a witty speaker led my friend to repeatedly invite the Scot abroad to participate in dental conferences. This friend of mine arranged the logistics for all his conferences and also introduced the speakers to audiences. His Scottish friend eventually suggested that the abrupt introductions could be improved with practice. So, my friend decided to become involved in Toastmasters (TM) public speaking.

For a long time, he attended TM meetings but only listened. Perhaps he couldn't decide if he really wanted to be there? Yet, as he built up his courage, he began to open his mouth. Much to his surprise, he sharpened skills he didn't know he had.  He developed his confidence and began to incorporate natural humor into his speeches. One thing led to another. The introductions he blended into his dental conference business became noticed. Audiences began to appreciate him so much, that dental professionals began inviting him abroad to speak about the dental industry. His career evolved from being in the background of speakers by choice, to become a major public speaker in their industry. It was unplanned, but most rewarding.

My friend still arranges professional meetings and conferences. Over 25 years experience helped him build a solid reputation in his field. What's really great about his own evolution is that he took steps to develop his inner self. What ensued were a variety of unexpected opportunities for personal growth, including public speaking, local and international travel, and professional networking in a discipline that began to attract him differently than before. He has taught me when you reach out to take risks to learn, life will evolve in ways you can't begin to imagine.

"The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing, is nothing, and becomes nothing." ~Leo F. Buscaglia

Morrie Schwartz & 6 Revelations about the Hereafter

Morrie Schwartz was a sociology professor. His passion for books and life lessons are incredibly contagious. I came to know about him through a book entitled "Tuesdays with Morrie" by Mitch Albom. Apparently, Ted Koppel interviwed and broadcast a series of pieces about him on ABC Nightline. I never saw them.

Schwartz's final years led him to recognize and share his views on unnecessary tension most humans create inside. He voiced the most meaningful revelations he experienced during the end of a terminal illness. Simpilicity was one of the points he feels so many people miss. Based on Morrie's increased clarity as he neared the end of his life, I would invite you to consider the following:

1) Do you sense you lead a meaningless life? Morrie observed that many people would get busy doing things they felt were important, yet their heart wasn't in what they did.  He encouraged people to re-evaluate their choices, to stop chasing the wrong things.  His thought the way to create meaning in your life is to learn to devote yourself to loving people, to focus on things that enable you to feel good about yourself, and to make a positive difference in the lives around you.

2) What are your priorities? Morrie discerned the most vital life experience was to learn how to give, express and receive love.  He sensed many people don't think they deserve it. He sensed people generally feel that if they accept it, they'll go soft or, be judged less than human. As a man, he acknowledged the importance of learning to 'loosen up,' which implied ignoring what society told him was okay for men. He decided to figure out the power of compassion in his heart.

3) How do you learn to believe? Morrie discovered closing his eyes made all the difference. This reminded him that sometimes we tell ourselves we can't believe what we see. Yet, what really matters, at any given time, is how we choose to feel. He drew from the example of trust. We all want to believe we can trust people, even during times of uncertainty, even after individuals, institutions, or other forces around us seem to let us down. He showed us we can believe ourselves.

4) Does society distract you from what really matters? Morrie reflected how people don't regularly step back to self-examine or question whether choices are based on more than ego. While speaking with his former student, Mitch, Morrie explained why we all need teachers who encourage us to probe into ourselves about our logic and reasoning. To pinpoint your fears and secrets and to identify how they affect your current choices is the key. Mitch wrote to consider: death, fear, aging, greed, marriage, family, society, forgiveness, and a meaningful life.

5) Are you prepared to die? Morrie felt this means to be mentally prepared any time, any place, regardless of age or state of health.  This implies becoming deeply involved in life while you're still alive. Draw your attention to questions such as, "Am I following my passions?," "Am I making the decisions that enable me to feel true to myself?," "Is there anything I've been postponing which urgently requires attention?," "Have I learned what it means to truly live, to give unconditionally of myself?," "Is ambition at the expense of what you sacrifice really worth it?"

6) Have you discovered the healing power inside? Morrie questioned the ability of human beings to make room for spiritual things and wondered why people could be so quick to belittle and disregard what they could not perceive or explain. Morrie didn't pretend to know the decisive meaning of spiritual development, but he asserted the Western world he knew had become too focused on things that don't satisfy at the core. He felt the intangibles, natural miracles, relationships and connections to things beyond us deserved more value and attention. He encouraged people to explore the basis for beliefs as a road to authenticity and inner peace.

"A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops."
~Henry Adams