I think that eventually anyone that is involved in any kind of mystical or spiritual practice (or anyone that is alive) is going to be faced with a medical condition for which they will be faced with a choice. That choice will be: Do I take an accepted modern treatment for this condition or do I use an alternative treatment? The severity of the condition will obviously play into the decision but ones own principles and beliefs are going to figure in the decision. Do you believe that Big Pharma is solely out to get your money and feed you a treatment with no intent on curing you? Do you feel that alternative treatments are little more than placebos? Are you willing to try anything as long as it works?
Once you've settled on what you're going to do you're faced with another question: What does this mean for my beliefs and practice? Likely if you chose an alternative treatment you aren't going to have to wrestle with many moral of philosophical issues but if you went the conventional medicine route and depending on your spiritual or mystical leanings, you may have to reconcile some things in your belief system.
Any of us involved with altered states of consciousness or those of us that deal with things that aren't really there already know the "rational" explanations for these experiences. They're a product of the brain misfiring, chemical reactions, tricks of the light, etc. When you go throwing pharmaceuticals into the mix things get even trickier. You may begin to doubt your experiences even more, even if you haven't already. If your path focuses on energetic or natural healing you may even feel like you're betraying everything you believe in by taking a pill regardless of what you experience. There are a lot of things to consider here.
I mention all of this because I've been wrestling with many of these questions myself over the last several weeks. I've never been a fan of pharmaceuticals but I've also never had a reason (or need) to use them in the long term. When you have a condition that affects your life in such a way that you're willing to do just about anything for relief, even compromise your beliefs and principles, it starts a ripple that crashes through the core of who you are. I guess writing this is one of the ways that I'm coping with how I'm having to change my belief system. I'm giving evidence based medicine and pharmaceuticals a chance to do what they're supposed to do even though I don't have a lot of faith in them.
I don't think that the medications I've been using have hindered my ability to be mystical or spiritual but they haven't really been helping my condition either. The side effects have just made it harder to concentrate alongside the condition the medication is supposed to treat. I'm taking a hiatus from mystical endeavors to give the medication an unbiased and uncontaminated chance to work. I don't want any false positives. I have plans to attempt to treat my condition with alternative methods but I'm giving conventional methods their shot first. I'm not keen on taking drugs with lots of side effects that have an unknown mechanism of action but I'm not a neurologist so I'm providing as much optimism as I can muster on that front.
In the coming weeks I'll try to get back into the groove of things but until this grand experiment is over I can't say when it will be. I have lots of ideas floating around but I can't really test anything at this point and my condition makes it hard to concentrate on anything too mystical, let alone practice it. Thanks for bearing with me.
Showing posts with label mysticism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mysticism. Show all posts
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Sunday, February 19, 2012
The Power of Stones
Recently I've been reading more into the esoteric or magical properties of gems, stones, and crystals. I had a cursory knowledge of this area of magic before but had never taken much interest in it as far as actual practice though. That has changed recently and I picked up a few specimens at a recent metaphysical fair to get me started.
My opinion on the power of stones is that they are a way to trigger things within us as well as ways for us to focus on particular energies. I'm not sure if stones have any intrinsic power unrelated to what we give to them but I don't doubt that they have power within the context of magic and mysticism. I've actually acquired a couple of stones specifically to help me out with my astral projection project.
Stones aren't anything new in magic but the New Age movement has brought the use of crystals and semi-precious stones more into the mainstream. As with just about anything New Age there seems to be quite a bit of conflicting information concerning individual stones. One source will attribute certain properties and another source will attribute different ones. Most of the time these properties are fairly similar or at least related and I've not come across too many outright contradictions between sources. That said, I use what sources tell me as guidelines. I realize that a particular stone may not behave the same for different people so I trust my gut. As cheesy as it may sound I think the best approach is to let the stone tell me what it can do rather than other people.
Even if one doesn't use stones in their own practice they may wish to look into the folklore associated with specific stones as it's rather fascinating. For anyone studying mysticism or esoterica the folklore surrounding stones can be informative of how a certain culture saw the world around them and the stones they pulled from the earth. It provides a window into our ancestors' minds in a way. For the student that actively engages in magic, folklore can provide ideas and inspiration.
Something worth mentioning for the person that may be interested in getting started with stones is that most stones are not very expensive. The most expensive piece I purchased recently was a tumbled celestite for $3.50. Prices can be much lower for raw stones such as the small amethyst point I bought for 75 cents a few months ago. Naturally, the higher the quality or value of the specimen the more it's going to cost, but getting started with a few basic stones with lots of ascribed attributes can be done for $10 or less depending on what specific stones you're looking for.
If anyone has any tips or tricks related to stone, gem, or crystal magic then feel free to share in the comments below. Here is a link to a site that I've found has some associations and correspondences for some stones I've found missing in the books I have that discuss the subject:
Psychic Revelation - Crystal Properties & Uses
My opinion on the power of stones is that they are a way to trigger things within us as well as ways for us to focus on particular energies. I'm not sure if stones have any intrinsic power unrelated to what we give to them but I don't doubt that they have power within the context of magic and mysticism. I've actually acquired a couple of stones specifically to help me out with my astral projection project.
Stones aren't anything new in magic but the New Age movement has brought the use of crystals and semi-precious stones more into the mainstream. As with just about anything New Age there seems to be quite a bit of conflicting information concerning individual stones. One source will attribute certain properties and another source will attribute different ones. Most of the time these properties are fairly similar or at least related and I've not come across too many outright contradictions between sources. That said, I use what sources tell me as guidelines. I realize that a particular stone may not behave the same for different people so I trust my gut. As cheesy as it may sound I think the best approach is to let the stone tell me what it can do rather than other people.
Even if one doesn't use stones in their own practice they may wish to look into the folklore associated with specific stones as it's rather fascinating. For anyone studying mysticism or esoterica the folklore surrounding stones can be informative of how a certain culture saw the world around them and the stones they pulled from the earth. It provides a window into our ancestors' minds in a way. For the student that actively engages in magic, folklore can provide ideas and inspiration.
Something worth mentioning for the person that may be interested in getting started with stones is that most stones are not very expensive. The most expensive piece I purchased recently was a tumbled celestite for $3.50. Prices can be much lower for raw stones such as the small amethyst point I bought for 75 cents a few months ago. Naturally, the higher the quality or value of the specimen the more it's going to cost, but getting started with a few basic stones with lots of ascribed attributes can be done for $10 or less depending on what specific stones you're looking for.
If anyone has any tips or tricks related to stone, gem, or crystal magic then feel free to share in the comments below. Here is a link to a site that I've found has some associations and correspondences for some stones I've found missing in the books I have that discuss the subject:
Psychic Revelation - Crystal Properties & Uses
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Magical Squares
I had been exposed to magical squares before but only recently have I come to understand their history or their significance. For those of you that don't know what magical squares are there is a decent explanation here.
I'm following author Renna Shesso and making a distinction between magic squares and magical squares here. A magic square is a recreational thing whereas a magical square is used for, well, magical purposes. An example would be using a magical square as a talisman or to produce an abstract sigil. Magical squares have deeper astrological and mythological significance which make them something special when compared to any old arrangement of numbers that do neat math tricks.
The book Math for Mystics by Renna Shesso is an excellent resource for starting out in the area of magical mathematics. I've found it to be helpful in showing me why certain things are the way they are in occult lore and I'm not even finished with the book yet. I will certainly keep reading because this book has shown me that math can be so much more than just equations and frustrations. If you are looking to incorporate numbers into your practice or are curious why certain numbers or geometric figures are so prevalent in occultism then I highly recommend checking out this book.
I'm certainly looking at the world in a new, more numerological way now. Math has a deeper, more esoteric side and I'm loving what I've learned so far. The prospect of using the planetary squares to make talismans or for other mystical purposes opens up new avenues of magical exploration and thought. I encourage anyone interested to explore this fascinating facet of metaphysics alongside me.
I'm following author Renna Shesso and making a distinction between magic squares and magical squares here. A magic square is a recreational thing whereas a magical square is used for, well, magical purposes. An example would be using a magical square as a talisman or to produce an abstract sigil. Magical squares have deeper astrological and mythological significance which make them something special when compared to any old arrangement of numbers that do neat math tricks.
The book Math for Mystics by Renna Shesso is an excellent resource for starting out in the area of magical mathematics. I've found it to be helpful in showing me why certain things are the way they are in occult lore and I'm not even finished with the book yet. I will certainly keep reading because this book has shown me that math can be so much more than just equations and frustrations. If you are looking to incorporate numbers into your practice or are curious why certain numbers or geometric figures are so prevalent in occultism then I highly recommend checking out this book.
I'm certainly looking at the world in a new, more numerological way now. Math has a deeper, more esoteric side and I'm loving what I've learned so far. The prospect of using the planetary squares to make talismans or for other mystical purposes opens up new avenues of magical exploration and thought. I encourage anyone interested to explore this fascinating facet of metaphysics alongside me.
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Broadening Our Horizons
Lately I've been looking into areas of mysticism that I normally wouldn't consider digging into. An example is sacred geometry. I recently picked up a book about sacred geometry and numerology and I've been slowly working through it. I was inspired to look into the subject because it's not something I've been exposed to a lot. In occultism there are a lot of geometric figures and sacred numbers but it isn't always obvious why those are important. I felt that I owed it to myself to gain a deeper understanding of why those things are fundamental to certain practices.
This brings me to something I feel is important in all areas of life whether you're interested in mysticism or not. We should always be broadening our horizons and learning new things. We should always be striving to experience and understand things. Life is about learning and we should never stop learning. Sometimes this means getting outside of our comfort zone or forcing ourselves to tackle something that is difficult for us. In the end we will most likely benefit from the experience of learning a new skill or studying a new subject.
I've found that everything is connected and not just in a mystical sort of way. In academia, fields of study tend to blend into one another. In the sciences everything interweaves to paint a bigger picture of how physical reality behaves. If you study something long enough it's likely it will lead you in unexpected directions. This being true, it's only a matter of time before your studies or practices lead you to something you normally wouldn't bother with or even consider. This is part of gaining a deeper understanding and should be embraced.
Follow your intuition the next time you're shopping for books or looking for a new hobby. You might be surprised at what you're lead to.
This brings me to something I feel is important in all areas of life whether you're interested in mysticism or not. We should always be broadening our horizons and learning new things. We should always be striving to experience and understand things. Life is about learning and we should never stop learning. Sometimes this means getting outside of our comfort zone or forcing ourselves to tackle something that is difficult for us. In the end we will most likely benefit from the experience of learning a new skill or studying a new subject.
I've found that everything is connected and not just in a mystical sort of way. In academia, fields of study tend to blend into one another. In the sciences everything interweaves to paint a bigger picture of how physical reality behaves. If you study something long enough it's likely it will lead you in unexpected directions. This being true, it's only a matter of time before your studies or practices lead you to something you normally wouldn't bother with or even consider. This is part of gaining a deeper understanding and should be embraced.
Follow your intuition the next time you're shopping for books or looking for a new hobby. You might be surprised at what you're lead to.
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Spontaneous Human Combustion in Ireland and Wi-Fi Refugees
Spontaneous human combustion is one of those things that never seems to go away no matter how many "rational" explanations you throw at it. There are a lot of different theories as to what causes the phenomenon but no one seems to be able to explain it beyond a doubt. I bring up spontaneous human combustion because the first case documented in Ireland has apparently occurred.
'First Irish case' of death by spontaneous combustion
In other weird bodily phenomena we have those that claim extreme sensitivity to electromagnetic radiation. This seems quite similar to the phenomenon of electric or magnetic people to me except that instead of manipulating electrical devices or having objects stick to them these people become ill in the presence of electromagnetic radiation. Some have even gone so far as to seek refuge from EM radiation in the "Quiet Zone" that surrounds a major radio telescope.
'Wi-fi refugees' shelter in West Virginia mountains
I find both spontaneous human combustion and sensitivity to electromagnetic radiation to be interesting facets of the human condition. It suggests to me that we are more susceptible to the sea of energy around us and perhaps have something of a literal inner fire inside of us. We are biological beings but it would be ignorant to say that we are not also electromagnetic creatures. Our brains and nervous systems operate with electrical signals, we can look into our own behavior using machines that record our electromagnetic impulses, and our free will can apparently be usurped by moving a magnetic field over certain areas of our brains.
I think that there is some correlation between electromagnetism and the spiritual energy that so many mystics talk about. Perhaps they are just two different interpretations of the same thing? Maybe this plays into spontaneous human combustion somehow? There is a theory that SHC is caused by an uncontrolled awakening of the Kundalini energy within an individual. Hopefully this will give you something to chew on until my next post.
'First Irish case' of death by spontaneous combustion
In other weird bodily phenomena we have those that claim extreme sensitivity to electromagnetic radiation. This seems quite similar to the phenomenon of electric or magnetic people to me except that instead of manipulating electrical devices or having objects stick to them these people become ill in the presence of electromagnetic radiation. Some have even gone so far as to seek refuge from EM radiation in the "Quiet Zone" that surrounds a major radio telescope.
'Wi-fi refugees' shelter in West Virginia mountains
I find both spontaneous human combustion and sensitivity to electromagnetic radiation to be interesting facets of the human condition. It suggests to me that we are more susceptible to the sea of energy around us and perhaps have something of a literal inner fire inside of us. We are biological beings but it would be ignorant to say that we are not also electromagnetic creatures. Our brains and nervous systems operate with electrical signals, we can look into our own behavior using machines that record our electromagnetic impulses, and our free will can apparently be usurped by moving a magnetic field over certain areas of our brains.
I think that there is some correlation between electromagnetism and the spiritual energy that so many mystics talk about. Perhaps they are just two different interpretations of the same thing? Maybe this plays into spontaneous human combustion somehow? There is a theory that SHC is caused by an uncontrolled awakening of the Kundalini energy within an individual. Hopefully this will give you something to chew on until my next post.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
The Power of Belief
The Dark Side of the Placebo Effect: When Intense Belief Kills
There is a lot of New Age emphasis on thinking positively and believing in things to make them real. While a lot of this moves into the realm of visualizing yourself as rich and famous there seems to be a darker side to belief. Whether we think of it as a mystical technique or simple biology there is little argument that what we believe can affect us on a physical level. The placebo effect is a popular example of belief affecting biology. What about when placebo goes bad?
Depending on the specifics and the depth of belief, the nocebo effect can actually be deadly as is argued in the book discussed in the link above. As little as we understand the placebo effect we understand nocebo even less. Obviously there are ethical problems when it comes to testing the nocebo effect so it may be a long time before we get much understanding of it. I don't think we need to know the specifics to utilize the effect though.
Jumping back to the mystical side now, if we can cause bodily changes with our beliefs then this seems like a very useful ability worth cultivating. I think that anyone that has experimented with the vaguely-named practice of energy work can understand how a belief in an action can produce a physical sensation. This seems most useful in the form of the placebo rather than the nocebo, but these are just two sides of the same coin. If we can actively affect how our biology works with our belief then could we affect other aspects of the physical world? It might be something worth experimenting with.
What you could take away from the above article as well as this article is that what we believe has real consequences. Regardless of how superstitious or illogical a belief may be it can still have an effect on us. I have a feeling this applies to less superstitious and more logical beliefs as well in the sense that they could limit our potential in mystical or spiritual pursuits.
There is a lot of New Age emphasis on thinking positively and believing in things to make them real. While a lot of this moves into the realm of visualizing yourself as rich and famous there seems to be a darker side to belief. Whether we think of it as a mystical technique or simple biology there is little argument that what we believe can affect us on a physical level. The placebo effect is a popular example of belief affecting biology. What about when placebo goes bad?
Depending on the specifics and the depth of belief, the nocebo effect can actually be deadly as is argued in the book discussed in the link above. As little as we understand the placebo effect we understand nocebo even less. Obviously there are ethical problems when it comes to testing the nocebo effect so it may be a long time before we get much understanding of it. I don't think we need to know the specifics to utilize the effect though.
Jumping back to the mystical side now, if we can cause bodily changes with our beliefs then this seems like a very useful ability worth cultivating. I think that anyone that has experimented with the vaguely-named practice of energy work can understand how a belief in an action can produce a physical sensation. This seems most useful in the form of the placebo rather than the nocebo, but these are just two sides of the same coin. If we can actively affect how our biology works with our belief then could we affect other aspects of the physical world? It might be something worth experimenting with.
What you could take away from the above article as well as this article is that what we believe has real consequences. Regardless of how superstitious or illogical a belief may be it can still have an effect on us. I have a feeling this applies to less superstitious and more logical beliefs as well in the sense that they could limit our potential in mystical or spiritual pursuits.
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Mind-Altering Substances and Spiritual Experience
The use of mind-altering substances in mystical experience has been with us probably since mankind first discovered these substances. I have no experience with mind-altering substances other than alcohol so I will be using that as the primary example. What I have to say most likely applies to substances other than alcohol but that is for you to decide.
Moving through the various literature or communities that discuss metaphysical or mystical experiences you will probably come across those that feel that entheogens and mind-altering substances are tools for experiencing spiritual reality. You will probably also encounter those that feel one should never use these substances because they will hinder ones abilities and progress or they will simply trick the person into believing they are having a profound experience when it was really nothing but the effects of a psychoactive substance. There are more complexities such as the legality and availability of certain substances, the culture that comes along with them, and the possible risks to health but for the purposes of this post I'll focus on the question of whether using substances makes an experience less real than not using substances.
Again, I speak only from the perspective of using alcohol but alcohol is considered to be psychoactive so what I say should be relevant to those that use other substances. I find that using alcohol for mystical purposes simply makes it easier to enter certain states of mind. If I am drunk then I am drunk whether I am being mystical or just watching TV. There is a certain baseline to the experience of drinking alcohol. Alcohol typically affects memory and motor function and usually will not make you experience profound spiritual truths without a little effort on your part. This has been my experience at least.
What I am trying to convey is that simply being inebriated has a character of its own just as being sober has a character of its own. One can choose to perform mundane activities or mystical activities in either state and aside from the obvious effects on memory and motor function there will not be a lot of difference in the experience. I have found that alcohol makes it easier to access the states of mind required for mystical experience, probably because of alcohol's famous ability to lower inhibitions all around. Alcohol also allows a person to relax which is, in my opinion, a fundamental prerequisite for altered states of consciousness.
Broadening the example a little bit we could ask the question: Does a mind-altering substance cause you to have a mystical experience or does the substance allow you to have a mystical experience? I'm sure there are as many opinions as there are people that possess them. I think that if a person has experience with a substance outside of a mystical context then they will be able to tell when they are simply under the influence and when something a little more out of the ordinary is going on. Just as we notice a difference from everyday consciousness when drinking alcohol because we are sober most of the time we will begin to notice when something goes beyond the effects of a substance if we have enough experience with that substance to know how it normally affects us.
This is not to say you should run out and buy drugs or alcohol because they might help you into altered states of consciousness. I'm writing this only to give my perspective on the entheogen debate. One does not have to use mind-altering substances to have spiritual experiences. I have had profound experiences while absolutely sober and to date nothing I've experienced while intoxicated has compared to my sober experiences. I only observe that alcohol helps me reach a calmer, more receptive state faster. It does have its drawbacks in that being inebriated can be distracting to ritual or other relatively complex mystical contexts. There seems to be a "magic" amount that gives you all the benefits with few of the drawbacks and this is probably different for everyone.
There you have it, my views on the use of mind-altering substances in a mystical or spiritual context. I could go on about the symbolism of alcohol or whether using these substances will actually hurt your spiritual progress but those are perhaps topics for another time. I do feel that some people probably should not use mind-altering substances because of personality flaws that could make them more susceptible to addiction or other problems. Not everyone is capable of controlling themselves and even the best of us can still fall prey to substance abuse so before using mind-altering substances for any reason, mystical or recreational, one has to examine themselves closely.
Ultimately the decision of whether to use or not is up to the individual and they must take responsibility for their choices and their actions. I'll say again that you can have intense spiritual experiences whether sober or intoxicated. For some people the use of mind-altering substances may be something they wish to explore. For those that want nothing to do with it then more power to you. I'm a firm believer that there are several paths to any destination and that all roads eventually lead to the same place.
Moving through the various literature or communities that discuss metaphysical or mystical experiences you will probably come across those that feel that entheogens and mind-altering substances are tools for experiencing spiritual reality. You will probably also encounter those that feel one should never use these substances because they will hinder ones abilities and progress or they will simply trick the person into believing they are having a profound experience when it was really nothing but the effects of a psychoactive substance. There are more complexities such as the legality and availability of certain substances, the culture that comes along with them, and the possible risks to health but for the purposes of this post I'll focus on the question of whether using substances makes an experience less real than not using substances.
Again, I speak only from the perspective of using alcohol but alcohol is considered to be psychoactive so what I say should be relevant to those that use other substances. I find that using alcohol for mystical purposes simply makes it easier to enter certain states of mind. If I am drunk then I am drunk whether I am being mystical or just watching TV. There is a certain baseline to the experience of drinking alcohol. Alcohol typically affects memory and motor function and usually will not make you experience profound spiritual truths without a little effort on your part. This has been my experience at least.
What I am trying to convey is that simply being inebriated has a character of its own just as being sober has a character of its own. One can choose to perform mundane activities or mystical activities in either state and aside from the obvious effects on memory and motor function there will not be a lot of difference in the experience. I have found that alcohol makes it easier to access the states of mind required for mystical experience, probably because of alcohol's famous ability to lower inhibitions all around. Alcohol also allows a person to relax which is, in my opinion, a fundamental prerequisite for altered states of consciousness.
Broadening the example a little bit we could ask the question: Does a mind-altering substance cause you to have a mystical experience or does the substance allow you to have a mystical experience? I'm sure there are as many opinions as there are people that possess them. I think that if a person has experience with a substance outside of a mystical context then they will be able to tell when they are simply under the influence and when something a little more out of the ordinary is going on. Just as we notice a difference from everyday consciousness when drinking alcohol because we are sober most of the time we will begin to notice when something goes beyond the effects of a substance if we have enough experience with that substance to know how it normally affects us.
This is not to say you should run out and buy drugs or alcohol because they might help you into altered states of consciousness. I'm writing this only to give my perspective on the entheogen debate. One does not have to use mind-altering substances to have spiritual experiences. I have had profound experiences while absolutely sober and to date nothing I've experienced while intoxicated has compared to my sober experiences. I only observe that alcohol helps me reach a calmer, more receptive state faster. It does have its drawbacks in that being inebriated can be distracting to ritual or other relatively complex mystical contexts. There seems to be a "magic" amount that gives you all the benefits with few of the drawbacks and this is probably different for everyone.
There you have it, my views on the use of mind-altering substances in a mystical or spiritual context. I could go on about the symbolism of alcohol or whether using these substances will actually hurt your spiritual progress but those are perhaps topics for another time. I do feel that some people probably should not use mind-altering substances because of personality flaws that could make them more susceptible to addiction or other problems. Not everyone is capable of controlling themselves and even the best of us can still fall prey to substance abuse so before using mind-altering substances for any reason, mystical or recreational, one has to examine themselves closely.
Ultimately the decision of whether to use or not is up to the individual and they must take responsibility for their choices and their actions. I'll say again that you can have intense spiritual experiences whether sober or intoxicated. For some people the use of mind-altering substances may be something they wish to explore. For those that want nothing to do with it then more power to you. I'm a firm believer that there are several paths to any destination and that all roads eventually lead to the same place.
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