My Spiritual Coach
Quick search
  • About Me
  • About My Sessions
  • Your Past Lives Revisited
  • Discover Your Soul Mates
  • My Soul Mate Books
  • Psychic Phenomena and Powers
  • Auras, Out-of-Body, and Life after Life Experiences
  • Astrology, Saturn, and Past Lives
  • Balance and Enhance Your Energy Centers (Chakras)
  • Blog - Q&A
  • Contact
  • Resources

What are some of the most important spiritual principles that can be found in Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) literature?

10/31/2022

0 Comments

 
“Let go and let God,” is one of the fundamental spiritual precepts in AA. This is why AA has been the most effective treatment for the destructive patterns of alcoholism, through the years, that I have encountered. We have already relied on our fearful minds and fault-finding intellects to take us to a place where we are out of control. We believe the negative bias of the mind and therefore try to numb it by consuming ever greater quantities of alcohol. Our decisions have taken us down a dead end of ruin and loss.

Willpower didn’t work for us. Therefore, it’s time to let go of the idea that we, personally, are the masters of the universe, can control our self-destructive impulses, and begin to understand the forces that are really “in charge.” Then, we must give up our fearful sense of self and rest in the bountiful heart of the Universe.

AA shows us that thinking we’re capable of total self-management doesn’t work if we believe we are our worrisome, petty minds. They will drive us to drink or other destructive addictions. We must acknowledge and give up the control to a Higher Power—which is the force behind all that is, because it works. AA does not assign a name, such as Jesus or Allah to this Higher Power. This allows everyone access to the idea something larger and wiser than our smaller selves is in control. We’ve allowed ourselves to get out of control anyway, despite our willpower, thus we have become alcoholics, addicts, and dependent on substances to get us through the day.

It is a humbling position, that leads us to recognize that we are in charge of so very little. And that we have messed up and are destroying our health, lives, and the lives of those around us. It takes the burden off of us when we realize that we can depend on something much larger than our little fears and ambitions to break a destructive pattern. Just as we do not circulate our own blood or beat our own hearts or order our stomachs to digest our food, we need to acknowledge that something much greater is at work. It’s delusional to think we can control everything and therefore become very upset when things don’t go according to our plans.

Our plans to go to the bar every day or drink a bottle of whiskey in our room never contributed to our health or abundance or happiness. Why did we think that our plans to quit the habit, based on our own mistaken mental habits, would work out when we are the ones making the decisions? Those decisions were flawed and made us feel more like failures when we couldn’t live up to our resolutions to quit. And so we took another drink to drown out all the mental noise.

The Higher Power is the source of wisdom, love, beauty, and peace. AA tells us to get into contact with the spiritual underpinning of All-That-Is. Stop thinking it’s all on us to fix things. It doesn't work, obviously. Willpower doesn’t work. It doesn’t work because we are forcing ourselves through sheer discipline, which we don’t have when it comes to substances.
​

It takes surrender. Or as the apostle John said in the New Testament, “I can, of my own self, do nothing . . . because I seek not mine own will but the will of the Father that hath sent me.” Our willpower alone does not work and we are backed up against the wall. The only way to go is to surrender: “Let Go and Let God.”

​
0 Comments

Who is better, Deepak Chopra or Dr. David Hawkins (quantum healing)?

10/23/2022

0 Comments

 
Both Chopra and Hawkins are accomplished, visionary thinkers and physicians who incorporate spiritual modalities into bodily healing and mental health. As to which is better, it is up to you if you like one style over the other. Both emphasize the same points and bring out the fact that hard scientists have not explored spiritual avenues enough to be effective in healing or in giving us answers to the deepest questions in life.

In 1995, Dr. Hawkins came out with a "Map of Consciousness,"in his book Power vs. Force. The "Map of Consciousness" brings discoveries from quantum physics and nonlinear dynamics. Deepak Chopra’s book Quantum Healing appeared in 1989. It is about the invisible mind-body connection and how we can alleviate our suffering by understanding this interrelationship and its spiritual component.

Hawkins’ "Map of Consciousness," shows that with each rise in the level of consciousness, the "frequency" or "vibration" of energy increases. In this way, higher consciousness radiates a healing effect on the world. He also tested human muscle response to these vibrations, which stays strong in the presence of love and truth. But negative energy fields induce a weak muscle response.

Chopra’s approach is similar: Human beings can become “metahuman” by reaching a new place of awareness and thus be endlessly healthy and free. He sees the human body as supported by a "quantum mechanical body" composed not of matter but of energy and information. Contact with these higher fields of energy and information brings health, happiness, and benefits to the world as well.

Both Hawkins and Chopra adhere to the fundamental ideas of the world’s great spiritual traditions: Kindness and compassion to everything and everyone, including ourselves; humility; forgiveness; reverence for all of life; and surrender to Cosmic Consciousness (or God). It is a direct path to Enlightenment in which each internal progression of love and integrity uplifts the whole of existence: "We change the world not by what we say or do but as a consequence of what we have become," states Dr. Hawkins.
​

Chopra also says, “Each of us is a unique strand in the intricate web of life and here to make a contribution.” So it’s not a matter of who is better. They are both great contributors to our understanding of how to alleviate the enormous amount of suffering in the world and in ourselves.
0 Comments

What is the connection between Martin Heidegger's philosophy and Buddhism (especially Zen)?

10/23/2022

0 Comments

 


Martin Heidegger’s philosophy is deep and complex, and yet he makes statements that are simple and Zen-like. Zen is accepting things as they are and not fighting the flow. This includes the Zen approach to death, which is Life and Death are one. It is a continuum. There is no dividing line between them. As in the world of form, there is actually no dividing line between anything, there only seems to be to our perceptions. Everything interacts as part of a cosmic dance of chemicals, atoms, and non-physical elements. All is one underneath it all.

Heidegger made this statement:

"If I take death into my life, acknowledge it, and face it squarely, I will free myself from the anxiety of death and the pettiness of life - and only then will I be free to become myself.”

He is saying that our fear of death and our craving to “make something” out of our lives puts us on a hamster wheel of tasks and to-do lists that never end but don’t lead to peace, joy, or understanding of our true selves. Instead of being in denial about our own physical death, if we face that it is inevitable, we won’t scramble around living life on the surface. It’s like the Kamikaze fighter who crashed his plane but didn’t die. He expected to. die And when he survived he felt renewed, as if he saw life and all its glory for the first time.

Heidegger also said, “Every man is born as many men and dies as a single one.” He is saying that we are more than the physical bodies, which, like snowflakes are all individual but form the totality of the snowfield. Or like raindrops falling into the ocean. The individuality disappears, once we cross over into death.
​

This is Zen-like because of the emphasis, that after all, All is One. We realize that the deepest level of our life, what in Zen is called the "true self," is always here-and-now. This true self, even though here-and-now, is always changing. When we are born we enter the world of change and when we die we enter the world of change. It is always the same yet always changing. If we don’t realize this, we live deluded lives. That is why Heidegger said, “Transcendence constitutes selfhood.”

​
0 Comments

What are the signs that someone has become enlightened in Buddhism? Have there ever been any cases of people disappearing after becoming enlightened?

10/23/2022

0 Comments

 
In Buddhism, there are “Seven Factors of Awakening” that show enlightenment:
  • Mindfulness: To maintain awareness of reality, in particular the teachings of Buddha. Reality in this sense means staying in the Here and Now. This is in contrast to our minds fearfully and restlessly running from the past to the future and creating and inner and outer atmosphere of fear and stress.

  • Investigation into the nature of reality. This means looking within and finding our connection to Cosmic Consciousness, the underlying organizing intelligence of the Universe. It does not take the objects of our physical perception as being the true reality. It means living a life of contemplation into what is behind the illusion, instead of taking things at face value.

  • Energy. This means determination and effort to move beyond the endless stream of activities and thoughts that we take as daily life. It takes discipline to practice spirituality and inner peace. Without this fire within, we cannot make a connection to what lies beyond the cycle of birth, reproduction, decay, and death. We must love our inner beings much more than we love our capricious minds.

  • Joy. Enlightened ones are happy because they are not the victims of their chattering monkey minds. Enlightened beings trust that Universal Harmony is the Law of the Universe and therefore do not life fretful lives. This is deep, inner joy—not just the superficial happiness that comes when our cravings are satisfied. That happiness goes away when we are deprived of its objects. Joy stays as the foundation of their being.

  • Relaxation or tranquility of both body and mind. We can feel when someone is in inner turmoil. They show it in countless ways, from nervous tics to having meltdowns and tantrums. The enlightened ones accept What Is and don’t fight it. They solve problems naturally, without feeling they need to control everything and everyone around them.

  • Concentration—a calm, one-pointed state of mind, that fits into the above “relaxation and tranquility.” This is usually done through meditation. Yet we don’t need to sit endlessly in the lotus position to attain this one-pointedness. It happen all day long as we stay mindful in our tasks and activities, or just sit and contemplate the glory of What Is.
    ​

  • Equanimity: In Buddhism it means to accept things as they are without craving or aversion. We can spend our whole lives reacting to things. I hate this. I love this. All based on our conditioning, experiences, and opinions. Cravings drive us into a endless path of dissatisfaction. For once the craving is satisfied, another one comes up. Or we just want more and more of what we think will make us happy. Aversions cause us to live a life of disgust with others and moral self-righteousness.

As for people disappearing after they have become enlightened, even the Buddha hung around in the flesh after he attained enlightenment. Disappearing is a romantic and fairy tale view of enlightenment. When people asked the Buddha, “What do we do after we become enlightened?” He asked, “What are you doing now?” They said, “We’re chopping wood and carrying water.” Buddha said, “Chop wood and carry water!”

Enlightenment isn’t a state of fireworks, peak experiences, and mind-blowing sensations. It is a simple approach to daily life that many people may not even be able to notice. But as we are chopping wood and carrying water or going about our daily tasks, we hold them in a different state of consciousness—as something precious, miraculous, and in the NOW.
0 Comments

Does consciousness depend on the brain, or is it dependent on something else like soul or spirit?

10/23/2022

0 Comments

 
There are different levels of consciousness. They range from simple mental awareness, depending on the brain, to body-levels of consciousness that include the gut and the endocrine systems. We also exist within a higher level of consciousness, called Cosmic Consciousness, which is the organizing intelligence of the Universe.

The level of awareness that most call consciousness is dependent on the brain and body. It would go away if we starved ourselves to death or didn’t drink anything for 10 days. That level of consciousness, which is what helps us survive and navigate through the physical world, would just vanish. When we are brain dead, we don’t know our name, gender, or any of our physical attributes.

Yet we also have a circulating nervous system, or second brain or layer of consciousness. It is called “the Enteric Nervous System.” It is located inside of our gut. It causes us to feel emotions, such as butterflies in our stomach when we’re excited or nervous. Or feeling sick to our stomach when we’re frightened or repulsed. The Enteric Nervous System is made up of more than 100 million nerve cells. These cells line our gastrointestinal tract that runs from our esophagus all the way down to our rectum.

This second brain communicates directly with the brain in our head. But it is non-verbal. This is called the brain-gut connection or gut brain link. For a long time, doctors thought that anxiety and stress were the root cause of gastrointestinal problems, but it’s actually now thought to be the opposite. Poor gut health can send signals to the central nervous system and influence our moods, and how we perceive the world.

The endocrine system, our hormones, are also another layer of consciousness within the Enteric Nervous System. Hormones and other neurotransmitters travel along the gut-brain axis to send chemical messages. So we now know that he brain is not the only origin of thinking, feeling, and the operation of intelligence. “Messenger molecules” associated with the brain circulate throughout our body via the bloodstream. They also affect our health, the way we think and perceive our environment and other people.

As I said, outside the brain, intelligence and consciousness is nonverbal. For example, the immune system can identify and fight invading bacteria and viruses, and is sometimes called “the floating brain.” Yet it does not use language to communicate. It can be influenced by our thinking but it can also influence our thinking, causing us to have moods and other reactions, inducing ill health.

Then there is Cosmic Consciousness. That is the overall, underlying organizing intelligence of the entire Universe, in which we live. We abide within this level of consciousness and it is beyond our control. Even after we are brain dead, that level of consciousness, of which we are a part, exists for eternity. That is our Soul. It is felt within our hearts as well as all around us. Most have to enter a mystical state to perceive this level of consciousness. Yet, even people in a coma exist within this Cosmic Consciousness, for it is the underlying structure of the universe and all that is.
​

In other words, our Cosmic Consciousness is using the physical brain and the circulating brain as processing devices, moving molecules where they are needed to create the sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell of the world. Cosmic Consciousness does not depend on the brain’s mechanics of thought, perception, and transforming raw data into the world around us. The brain depends on it.
0 Comments

Is enlightenment necessary to be free from suffering?

10/15/2022

0 Comments

 
Pain and suffering are two different things. We cannot choose whether we have pain or not. And often pain is a warning sign that helps us to diagnose problems. People who are unable to feel pain can die from bleeding to death before they find out that they are mortally wounded. People who cannot feel pain do not survive long.

But suffering is an emotional response to pain. It is within our range of choice as to how we will approach the inevitable. If we have a broken leg, it will hurt. But if we personalize it with fearful questions such as, “Why me?” “Just my luck!” “Life sucks every day for me,” and “How long will it take before I get my life back?”, then we are entering into the endless world of suffering. Fear is the main miserable component of pain.

Enlightened beings’ approach is fearless, for they already know they are eternal beings. Life on the physical plane has both pleasure and pain and much is beyond our control. We cannot expect physical life to be one endless round of ecstasy. Pain can be a great launching point into spiritual awareness. It can be a blessing that lets us know some things must be changed and growth needs to occur to allow for more free-flowing happiness.

Enlightened people take the suffering out of the pain by accepting what is at this moment. They embrace this moment, whatever it contains, and say, “Bring it on. I know I can handle this because I am in touch with something higher than my fearful ego-mind. I know that I am eternal Soul and not this body that changes, decays, and dies.” Pain is not the end of the world for enlightened beings, because they know the world is impermanent anyway.

What happens to pain, when approached with this attitude, is that it becomes more of a heightened sensation, rather than an anxiety-causing difficulty. It happened to me during childbirth. While the women around me were wailing and screaming, I saw that what I was going through was something millions of women before me had undergone and was nothing personal to me. It was Nature working through me. I relaxed into it and did not resist. And the pain was transformed into something else—a very powerful sensation, with no fear attached—with powerfully beautiful results.
​

Suffering adds further pain to the pain. Resisting causes further trauma. It is easier to take the enlightened approach, which again, is to accept what is and not fight it. Rather, know that Life is perfectly put-together and all is well in the world of the Spirit.
0 Comments

    Author

    As a spiritual guide, healer, and lecturer, I have had the privilege to touch the lives of people who long to understand their higher selves. Please leave questions and comments for me. Hope to see you often here!

    Categories

    All
    Chakras
    Consciousness
    Death And Dying
    Dreams
    Energy Fields
    Enlightenment
    Good And Evil
    Health And Healing
    Karma
    Life After Life
    Meditation
    Movie Reviews
    Past Lives
    Philosophy
    Present Moment Awareness
    Purpose In Life
    Religions
    Soulmates
    Spirit Guides Angels
    Spiritual Growth
    State Of The World
    The Soul
    The Universe

    Archives

    October 2024
    September 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    September 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    May 2022
    February 2022
    October 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    February 2017

    RSS Feed


© Copyright June Marshall, 2014 - Present. 
    All rights reserved.       


Site designed and maintained by Newmedia Publishing