I had a couple of lucid dreams (an awareness that you are dreaming while still in the dream) many years ago. I've always been kind of fascinated by it. In my lucid dreams, I knew that whatever I "thought" would manifest. I didn't really get a chance to play with that enough, so I am attempting to go there again.
Someone told me about an exercise they do to produce lucid dreaming. About once an hour, during the day, stop and ask yourself if you are awake or dreaming. Take note of everything around you, including your own body. Keep doing this every hour or so, for at least two weeks, and eventually you will find yourself asking that question in a dream, and you will become aware that you are dreaming.
Working on that.
LIBBY'S LIGHTHOUSE
Friday, December 10, 2010
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Bringing it all Together
Bringing it all together.
I've had so many spiritual experiences in my life, always with the idea that there was something just right out there, something I needed to find, so that I could spiritually progress and find "IT"..find God. There must be a certain path, a certain practice, a particular religion, something that would allow me to experience God to the fullest...obtain real Christ Consciousness. I looked everywhere, read lots of books, practiced yoga and meditation, took lessons from various spiritual teachers. I didn't find "it". But, I did have some very nice spiritual experiences along the way, especially with meditation.
For the last couple of years, I have settled into the religion of my childhood, conservative Protestantism. Settled is the word for it, because, even though I've learned a lot about Christianity, through the Protestant Churches I have attended, I was still in "seeker mode" and felt that I was only settling on this for a time. That's been my usual pattern. But, also, I have felt a bit out of place in the Christian world, even though I have developed a love and appreciation for Jesus Christ and his teachings.
I spent almost seven years as a Temple going Latter-day Saint. Except for some of the more conservative teachings in this church, it was possibly the best religious experience I have had, in many years. I left it, because I came to believe that Joseph Smith was not a prophet and, therefore, believed I had to throw it all out (kind of like throwing out the baby with the bath water).
What I am realizing, of late, is that I do not have to deny the very real spiritual experiences I had with certain aspects of that church, just because I couldn't swallow the whole enchilada. This is true for all of the spiritual experiences I have had throughout my life. I have realized that they were all valid and many of them very special, even if I couldn't accept the teachings in their entirety.
I have been inspired by the Bible, the Bagavhad Gita, the Tao de Ching, The Rubaiyat, A Course in Miracles, the Book of Mormon, Gordon B. Hinckley, the Dalai Lama, Pope John Paul, Father Thomas Keating, John Shelby Spong, Marcus Borg, Parmahansa Yogananda...that's the short list.
I had some beautiful experiences with meditation, when I was attending Self Realization Fellowship. I most definitely experienced God's Presence on more than one occasion. I also had a very profound experience with the Book of Mormon, which is what led me into the LDS Church. I have felt God moving in me more times than I can count, even though I have not stayed with any religious practice for more than a few years. But, what I'm discovering is that I'm not starting from scratch, each time I move on. I am building on what God has already given me...and I continue to have a desire for His Presence in my life, in whatever form will allow for that.
I've had so many spiritual experiences in my life, always with the idea that there was something just right out there, something I needed to find, so that I could spiritually progress and find "IT"..find God. There must be a certain path, a certain practice, a particular religion, something that would allow me to experience God to the fullest...obtain real Christ Consciousness. I looked everywhere, read lots of books, practiced yoga and meditation, took lessons from various spiritual teachers. I didn't find "it". But, I did have some very nice spiritual experiences along the way, especially with meditation.
For the last couple of years, I have settled into the religion of my childhood, conservative Protestantism. Settled is the word for it, because, even though I've learned a lot about Christianity, through the Protestant Churches I have attended, I was still in "seeker mode" and felt that I was only settling on this for a time. That's been my usual pattern. But, also, I have felt a bit out of place in the Christian world, even though I have developed a love and appreciation for Jesus Christ and his teachings.
I spent almost seven years as a Temple going Latter-day Saint. Except for some of the more conservative teachings in this church, it was possibly the best religious experience I have had, in many years. I left it, because I came to believe that Joseph Smith was not a prophet and, therefore, believed I had to throw it all out (kind of like throwing out the baby with the bath water).
What I am realizing, of late, is that I do not have to deny the very real spiritual experiences I had with certain aspects of that church, just because I couldn't swallow the whole enchilada. This is true for all of the spiritual experiences I have had throughout my life. I have realized that they were all valid and many of them very special, even if I couldn't accept the teachings in their entirety.
I have been inspired by the Bible, the Bagavhad Gita, the Tao de Ching, The Rubaiyat, A Course in Miracles, the Book of Mormon, Gordon B. Hinckley, the Dalai Lama, Pope John Paul, Father Thomas Keating, John Shelby Spong, Marcus Borg, Parmahansa Yogananda...that's the short list.
I had some beautiful experiences with meditation, when I was attending Self Realization Fellowship. I most definitely experienced God's Presence on more than one occasion. I also had a very profound experience with the Book of Mormon, which is what led me into the LDS Church. I have felt God moving in me more times than I can count, even though I have not stayed with any religious practice for more than a few years. But, what I'm discovering is that I'm not starting from scratch, each time I move on. I am building on what God has already given me...and I continue to have a desire for His Presence in my life, in whatever form will allow for that.
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