Peace and Loveism

Music Review: Carbon Based Lifeforms

Soulthriller — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 02:12:53 +0000

Ambient drops of harmonically spectacular sounds have the power to take oneself on a journey beyond space and time. The ambient and downtempo musical expressions calm the body and awaken imagination. The artists using the name Carbon Based Lifeforms are able to take the listener on an emotional journey into the most surreal states of consciousness like few other artists can. Their three full albums each exist in such a way that each one must be listened to in their entirety. There is a story being told, and one cannot glance at a part in the beginning, middle, and end and expect to understand the whole of the story. From Hydroponic Garden to World of Sleepers to Interloper, Carbon Based Lifeforms delivers incredible musical stories that enliven passionate thoughts of an interstellar nature, or transport consciousness down streams of realizations, serenity, and expanded awareness.

Each one of this artist’s albums is a wonderfully unique and special creation in itself. Carbon Based Lifeforms seems to have a progressively more intricate sound, as time goes on. The music is evolving into resonance with higher and higher dimensions of reality. They are not afraid to make full use of reverb in order to capture that etheric sound of wonder. The occasional female vocal is also present, and definitely adds to the richness of the sound and the story as well. I highly recommend Carbon Based Lifeforms if you love ambient and downtempo harmonics but even if you have never listened to such music or are unsure if you will like it. I’ve gotten several people into the sounds of Carbon Based Lifeforms and am very hopeful you will enjoy these musical journeys as well.

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Modifying Reality Through Our Subjective Perceptions

Soulthriller — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 05:07:50 +0000

When one looks to the present-day scientific community, he or she sees an almost maniacal desire for objective answers to its questions. Scientists want absolutely no bias in their results and therefore will act as if they are completely detached from any matter at hand, in order to gain the most objective answers. What they do not realize, is that by this very sort of action on their part, they are having subjective perceptions unconsciously. They are deducing that their intentions, beliefs, and state of consciousness have no effect on whatever aspect of reality they are studying. Their very belief in their own consciousness not having an effect on the matter at hand has an effect on the matter at hand. Results and answers will be skewed in a particular direction. In fact, entire new aspects of reality will arise that provide answers, but such answers are on a lower level of truth and reality than in actuality.

As a friend had recently mused, “I think it was Francis Bacon who said Nature is to be tortured so she will yield her secrets. However, my understanding is that torture does not produce reliable information”. This is indeed true and demonstrates that although present-day scientists may find an answer to a question/problem/situation, it may not reflect the highest level of truth to the answer. Consider the discovery of the particle and the wave. It is a phenomenal discovery, considering its implications. However, the discovery that matter can exist either as a particle or wave is like receiving two contradictory answers to the question at hand. With such ultra-violent experiments today such as those occurring within the particle collider at CERN, it comes to question whether the manner in which these answers are being received has any effect on the answer received. We are such a young species within this vast universe and so it would be highly irrational to create within ourselves such pride as to think that we have certainty in anything concerning the existence, the nature of reality, and other things–even if we do receive some sort of results.

We are modifying reality unconsciously through our subjective perceptions that we mistakingly believe to be objective. It is a mystery of existence as to whether we are able, or ever will be able, to ever experience the objective primary reality within the dimensions of space and time and beyond. All that cannot be quantified cannot be understood with attempted quantification. Science is a road to knowledge, but it is not the highest road. There are roads that hold less bias and that are more Whole-oriented rather than part-focused. These paths towards truth will be traversed soon enough, and humanity should not be shamed that it is unable to get answers to questions that have been tormenting it for ages. We will learn that which we wonder about as soon as we evolve and shift our consciousness to levels where the doors to those mysteries are open for questions to go through and receive their companion answers. By understanding our unconscious influence of reality through what we believe to be unbiased objectivity, we can realize that having an open mind concerning possibilities in reality is a necessary component of who we are. We cannot let our pride get the best of us, or else the answers will keep their distance until we are ready to minimize those egoistic expressions.

The Conscious and Intentional Evolution of Human Consciousness

Soulthriller — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 06:21:29 +0000

There is a profound shift in consciousness occurring. This shift is part of the intentional evolution of human consciousness by members of the human race far and wide across this planet we call Earth. By being mindful of our thoughts, we are able to shape our reality in a number of different ways. The Buddha said that “we are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make the world.” Such statements reflect the reality of focused and intentional thoughts shaping the reality in which we find ourselves in on a daily basis. They display the power of one’s consciousness in the assisting of the overall evolution of the transpersonal consciousness of humanity. When the Buddha also stated that everything that we are is the result of the thought-forms we have created and projected, one thing he showed us was that we have the ability to continue our evolution, both personal and transpersonal, until we become fully enlightened and Self-realized. By being mindful of what thought-forms we create, we are able to become an integral part of the evolution of the interconnected transpersonal consciousness of humanity.

Every manifestation of the infinite Consciousness that comprises the totality of reality goes through its evolutionary process. In the domain of human consciousness, there is an evolution that can be seen as well. One must only compare the human being from 10,000 years ago (from limited archeological records) with the human being today and see that the higher levels of consciousness, which became accessible after basic physiological and psychological needs were satisfied, were being experienced more and more as the human race moved into the future. Higher states of consciousness that had interconnectedness and oneness as their base are being experienced by more people, more frequently, and more intensely than in times past. With the consciousness revolution of the 1960s being a sort of quantum leap in this evolution of human consciousness, we have been able to make incredible strides towards the fulfilling of a supramental transformation of humanity. By experiencing more of the higher states of consciousness with more frequency and with more intensity, we are able to make personal progress in our shifting of consciousness, which in turn helps in the shifting of the global consciousness. This shift is part of the evolutionary process of consciousness transformation.

The heart feelings of happiness, empathy, and compassion are enhanced in many ways. One of these is through the spiritual practices such as meditation that connect us to something greater than ourselves. Another is the heart connection with others, close friendships within and outside the family. Yet another is the gathering with others with relative frequency for uplifting purposes such as social causes. Living a heart-centered life helps with the shift in consciousness necessary for the conscious and intentional evolution of human consciousness, as a whole. As the shift continues and people experience greater stress, over-stimulation, overload, stress-induced physical and mental health problems, the importance of a shift toward heart-based living increases. One could say that given the brilliance of Reality, the framework mechanisms for the evolution of the various manifestations of Consciousness created themselves in such a way that the aspects of reality known as interconnectedness and oneness were stressed as being of the utmost importance, for the good of the Supermind as a whole. With high importance placed on these elements of Reality, it was as if a direction was installed into the evolutionary processes towards expressions of consciousness that underlined and stressed the importance of them. This direction is the heart-centered approach to life.

The heart-based way of living takes into account that all is One and that subsequently we are One. This interconnected aspect of consciousness increases the feelings of empathy, compassion, and love among humans part of this consciousness matrix. It was mentioned earlier that it seems as if the process of evolution itself, initiated and formulated by whatever mechanisms of Reality began it all, are focused and directed towards strengthening and intensifying the aspects of reality we have come to know as interconnectedness and oneness. Evidence of this can be seen in many places. One such place is in the sphere of incoherence and coherence.

Incoherence, such as when a person feels stress, overwhelm, anxiety, uncertainty and fear, generates chaotic and incoherent signals in the heart that go to the brain/mind and trigger stressful responses. The heart and brain fall out of alignment and as a result the solutions to personal or world problems are not readily found. In the dense dimensions, these negative emotions are registered in the heart and brain’s electromagnetic fields and generate a global stress and incoherence wave that radiates outward into those around us and to those all over the world. Stress and incoherence are intensified by catalysts such as instant mass media reports of negative situations such as natural disasters, social upheaval, economic turmoil, etc. Incoherence brings about negative results and because of this, demonstrates that the opposite, that being coherence, is what the process of consciousness evolution prefers, and indeed this is seen to be so.

When a person feels genuine hope, care and compassion, his or her heart sends out harmonious and coherent signals to the brain/mind, replacing feelings of separateness and solitude with a sense of connectedness and oneness. The heart and brain are aligned and in sync. There is harmony. The higher cortical functions are enhanced, facilitating objective, sober assessment and intuitive perception. A person is able to perceive more wholeness, and solutions to problems become more apparent. On a collective level, positive emotions such as hope, will, care, compassion and appreciation generate a global coherence wave whose electromagnetic field goes out into those around us and all over the world. The intentional increasing of the heart-mind alignment and the focusing on a heart-centered way of life have the potential to create a global coherence wave to facilitate new solutions for the problems and issues that the world as a whole faces today.

There is an evolution of the global consciousness of humanity occurring as this is being written. Those things that bring us closer to realizing the intrinsically deep connection between all manifestations of Consciousness within reality are consequently the same things that nudge us forward, as a collective consciousness, towards a supramental transformation unlike any ever seen in human history. A heart-based life with the projection and expression of positive emotions such as compassion, love, and empathy is a way of life that not only brings about more coherence within one’s life, but also one that brings humanity as a whole that farther down the road of a positively progressive evolution of consciousness. With the conscious and intentional evolution of human consciousness that comes about with a shift towards such a way of life, everybody wins. All benefit. We are in this together and whatever one of us does, affects the other. It is in each one of our own best interests that everyone else makes the shift to such an approach to life. Do we wish to see a bright future or a kind of dystopia? The choice is ours. Life a heart-based life and see the vectors of human becoming flower into spectacular wonders.

Gathering of the Vibes: A Convergence of Peace, Love, and Happiness

Soulthriller — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 18:41:38 +0000

Hidden within the city of Bridgeport, CT right on the Long Island Sound is a festival that comes around once a year that is filled with positive energy and merrymaking. This festival is Gathering of the Vibes. For four days, it is a coming together of 15,000-25,000 people with the intent of pursuing happiness, spreading good vibes, and enjoying music. Since 1996, Vibes has been paying homage to the Grateful Dead by having artists and bands that reflect similar musical styles and harmonic expressions, as well as the Dead themselves. Keeping a focus on grassroots, the festival has vendors that sell their hand-made wares and crafts (among other things), which helps give it a very non-commercial flavor. As at the Rainbow Family Gathering, there is a meditation on peace at the main stage led by Woodstock icon Wavy Gravy, which is a beautiful demonstration that a music and arts festival can not only be a place where people can come to enjoy music, but also be a tool and catalyst for world peace.

This year’s Gathering of the Vibes was held in Seaside Park, which is situated right on the Long Island Sound in the city of Bridgeport, CT. Upon driving into the city, I wondered where could there be a peaceful music festival in such a big city. It turned out that there is a park right by the ocean and this location was quite a beautiful place for a gathering of this kind.The weather was all sunshine and a small cloud here and there, adding to the wonderful feeling of serenity I felt in my being when entering the festival. There was relaxing music by Galactic playing and reverie was something I saw everywhere. Hula-hoops, bubbles, and tie die were everywhere I looked. A higher state of consciousness permeated this gathering…feelings and expressions of peace, love, and happiness. Meeting new people and making friends was an effortless and enjoyable process. There were so many incredible individuals at the festival. Some drove down from nearby Woodstock while others came all the way from California, where the festival was originally located. So many people from so many places converged in harmonic resonance with each other because of the focus being on the unifying states of consciousness. Being in such an elevated group consciousness has the ability to lift you up and enhance your sense of connectedness with others. It is a beautiful experience that everyone should have at least one time in their lives.

Since this festival is centered around the Grateful Dead, there is a sort of intimate connection with the 1960s consciousness revolution in that the Dead had started giving the gift of music to others back in 1964 in California when they called themselves the Warlocks. The Dead have an incredibly close-knit community that feels very unified to the point that they will travel great distances or even travel wherever the group goes to perform. Since the death of Jerry Garcia in 1995, who was essentially the leader of the band, the group known as Phish kept the strong unified community sense alive and includes many of those who adored the Grateful Dead. You will perhaps see more tie-dye at this festival than at any other event. It is a surreal explosion of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet that makes one feel an exhilarated sensation of visual pleasure. Here, it feels as if the 1960s had never ended. All the main elements that existed then are apparent now at this gathering of vibes, as the festival is so aptly named. For those who are gravitated towards the consciousness revolution aspect of the 1960s, this festival is certainly a place that you will want to experience sometime in the future.

Elements of the ego-based levels of consciousness were hardly anywhere to be found. There was plenty of unity-centered acts of conscious expression that I saw, which was quite a comforting element within the people at the festival. People gave both tangibles and intangibles freely and with love. The level of respect was something that is seldom seen. Everyone seemed to be in the same domain of consciousness, since harmony was a pervasive feeling I experienced all throughout the festival. Human beings acted as human beings…with empathy, compassion, and sincerity. Serenity and tranquility guided people in the way in which they presented themselves. There seemed to be no rush to get anywhere by anyone. Time ran as slow as molasses and what an enjoyable experience that was…to have one of the major elements of control loosen its grip on us.

Although it is a 4 day festival, I was only able to stay for two of the days and so I did not get a chance to experience all that this festival has to offer. However, the elements that I did experience were very pleasing and have persuaded me into going once again next year. Such gatherings of people being connected through the love of music and positivity are something that we should cherish, because they are models which demonstrate that a society based on peace and love is indeed possible, if we truly will it to be. Because of the universal reality of interconnectedness and oneness, we are already halfway to accomplishing such a seemingly-utopic society. All that is missing is the will and determination that such a reality is possible. Fueled by hope, we can make this happen, we can make this dream come true. The next time you are at a festival such as Gathering of the Vibes, become aware of the level of consciousness of all those around you collectively. Imagine this consciousness as being the one that permeates the global consciousness of humanity. The world is our mirror…let us see a reflection of peace, love, and unity so that in the future, this is the reflection all see.

Adventures Into The Higher Dimensions of Reality

Soulthriller — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 05:26:33 +0000

Reality is multifaceted with many different dimensions encompassing its totality. These dimensions range from the densest manifestations of Consciousness to the most subtle planes of existence. The most familiar to us is the 3rd dimension of space followed by the fourth dimension of time. After that, the less known, although just as real, plane of reality is the 5th dimension, otherwise known as the astral plane, given its subtle state of existence. The astral plane in particular is the dimension of Reality that enjoys quite a bit of awareness concerning its existence, aspects, and purpose, as far as the nonphysical planes are concerned. However, this is not the only non-physical dimension of Reality that exists. Beyond the astral, there are planes of existence that are so incredibly incomprehensible by the human brain that words simply fail to accurately describe their existence. However, just as we are able to see the shadows of the 4th dimension but not be able to see the actual structures of the fourth dimension while in the third dimension, so too, can we experience existence within the higher dimensions of reality, but be unable to describe them in all their splendor.

What is meant by higher dimensions is that there are planes and levels of Reality that exist above the four-dimensional space-time and the fifth dimensional astral plane. These are called by many names, which include the “spirit realm”, “summerland”, “astral plane”, and so on. They are the dimensions that are invisible to human sight (minus the atrophied “third eye”) and are not quantifiable, as of present, by scientists (and perhaps they will never be because of a universal impossibility). It should be noted that certain theories in quantum physics, such as string theory, support the reality of a multidimensional universe.

No reality is as important to realize than the ultimate reality. Therefore, this article will explain, as best as is possible in English words, the higher dimensions and vibrational levels and higher levels of consciousness. The information put forward has been amassed from experiences within the higher dimensions of Reality via deep meditative trance states. Entering the astral plane is quite simple and easy compared to entering the higher dimensions, and the astral plane may perhaps be the farthest that many will be able to travel, in reference to experiential existence. However, the potential exists within all, to be able to finally have enough clarity and exist at a high enough level of consciousness, to where it is possible to experience the ultimate transcendental bliss.

Higher dimensions are similar to the astral dimension, but exist at much higher levels of consciousness and vibration. Each level is a completely separate area, but occupies the same space; this is how dimensions exist in Reality. Between each level is a sort of “buffer zone”, a transition area, if you will. The buffer zones separating different planes in the astral dimension are much easier to traverse and get through than the ones separating the higher dimensional levels. It can be said that each level of consciousness has its own dimension. The higher we get in this dimensional consciousness sequence, the more subtle our energy body is. The higher the level, the more abstract, metaphorical, allegorical, and symbolic it becomes. It can be said that we are existing within all dimensions all the time. However, depending on how progressed our energetic development is (our) spiritual growth of consciousness), the reflections of our subtle energy bodies will be either stronger or weaker.

Higher dimensions require higher awareness. This is why it is very difficult for most people to go beyond the astral dimension, either through the dream state or through willful astral projections or OBEs (out of body experiences). You must be calibrating at a higher energetic frequency with respect to consciousness in order to get to these highest dimensions, or levels of consciousness. If you become the state of love, or become the state of joy, for example, you will be able to traverse these indescribable levels of ultimate reality. It appears that this is a sort of safeguard so that beings/localized fields of consciousness with a lower state of consciousness can not enter into these higher dimensions.

Since every human being should have the chance to be able to experience the highest levels of Reality, a simple tutorial of sorts is provided below for the purpose of assisting you with taking an adventure into the higher dimensions of Reality. The easiest way to shift your consciousness to these levels is through consciousness-raising meditation.

Use a deep relaxation technique, then attain a full trance state
Stimulate all primary energy centers (chakras in Sanskrit)
Use extra brow and crown energy center stimulation exercises
Raise energy through your entire body, through all your primary energy centers in one smooth action to the crown center while breathing inward
Hold awareness in the crown center and feel energy flowing into there all through the inward breath and all through the following outward breath.
Flick awareness back to your feet and repeat at the start of the next inward breath.
Continue this for about ten minutes or until you start seeing colors or a tinting in your third eye vision behind your closed eyelids. Purple is the best color to see for this, but any primary color is a good sign. If you see nothing, continue anyway.
Using your body awareness, generate a continual “Ommm” sound in your heart energy center. Then, slowly move your awareness of this sound into your throat energy center, and then to the third eye center, and ultimately, to the crown center. Let it spread and fill your entire head. Try your best to maintain this sound for a few minutes.
From behind your closed eyes, look for a distant point of light or a small pattern of light that is brighter than anything else you can see. Gently lock onto this and hold it firmly in your mind’s eye.
Shift your position of awareness towards this and feel yourself moving towards it. Feel yourself inside of it. Realize and feel a strong connection of spiritual love with it. Love it with your whole being and wish to be there.

What you will experience once in these highest dimensions of reality will be attempted to be put into words below. However, there are no words to express what you will experience. I would ultimately fail at describing them and I have attempted to use words in the past, only to find that I am unable to do this and still fully express the experience of being in the highest dimensions of all reality. If I were able to telepathically send you the emotions and feelings that I had experienced while uniting with the Source, I would. However, below will be my best attempt to describe and explain the most awe-filled planes of existence. There are several levels above the astral plane and so I will briefly attempt to describe what you will experience, and indeed have experienced in every experience you had inbetween lives.

You never want to go back
- This feeling is universal in the highest dimensions of reality. You never want to go back to the lowest levels of experience, which are the physical levels of the observable universe. It is impossible to wish to want to go back and you will only come back by your physical body pulling you kicking and screaming back.

Colors are surreal
- The colors you see are so much more then they ever could b in the physical reality. To get an understanding of this, I suggest watching the film What Dreams May Come to see this played out on the screen.

Thoughts are expressed in true manifestations
- Thoughts appear and disappear as solid kaleidoscopic crystalline patterns of living light and sound.

Time is non-real
- Depending on which one of the higher dimensions you are in, you feel as if time either is stopped, or does not exist at all and never has there.

Reality is opposite of the physical dimension’s constants
- Reality is fluid, kaleidoscopic, and abstract to the extreme.

Consciousness manifested into creations
- The highest energetic frequencies are manifested into observable creations that are able to be interpreted by the mind’s eye as angels, fairies, and other wonderful/phantasmagoric beings.

Communication impossible
- Meaningful communication with thought-words is not possible and not how it exists in the highest levels. Feelings of love, happiness, understanding, and empathy are how communication is done.

Peace and Love
- The highest levels are filled to the brim with infinite and unconditional love and universal peace, since these are the levels of consciousness that had manifested these dimensions in infinity in the first place.

Individuality is nonexistent
- You lose all feelings of being separated from everything and everyone and individuality is lose. Oneness with the Source and all that there is in reality is your new true nature of understanding.

The Light of Divine Love
- In the spirit dimension where all loved ones from the same soul groups reunite, there is an indescribable brightness of light that is not able to be described in physical appearance, but in the energetic vibrations of soothing, healing, pure, and divine love.

Reality is more real than physical reality
- You experience the ultimate reality and therefore, you will see that the reality being experienced in these highest levels of consciousness is even more real than the physical reality you can touch, taste, see, smell, and hear. You will be forever convinced after this that the physical reality you are living in and experiencing at this very waking moment is not as real as these highest levels and even perhaps, a bit fake and created for a certain purpose.

Adventures into the highest dimensions of Reality are experiences that are completely awe-inspiring and leave the traveler at a loss for words in order to describe what he or she has experienced. Nevertheless, the energetic signatures of the experiences stay with the person for as long as they live. These are not experiences that can be forgotten easily, for they transcend any sort of experience that is possible within the physical planes of reality. Go out and elevate your state of consciousness so that you, too, will be able to experience these life-changing moments of infinity for yourself. There is absolutely nothing to lose and so so much to gain.

The Rainbow Family Gathering: A Gathering of the Tribes

Soulthriller — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 17:44:48 +0000

This forest is a magical place, they say…a forest rich with enchantment and wonderment. I am referring to the Allegheny National Forest in western Pennsylvania, of course, where this year’s Rainbow Family Gathering had its national coming together of the tribes united by a vision of oneness and unity. From July 1-7 (and for some people several weeks before and after), a gathering of 15,000-30,000 like-minded individuals occurs somewhere within America where a temporary autonomous zone exists in which sparks of the infinite consciousness are able to live out utopic zenarchy. It is gatherings such as this one that excite a feeling of hope within the psyches of those who experience such an amazing event. This feeling of hope has the power to initiate such a fundamental social transformation that could only be described as being an evolution of consciousness. Becoming aware of our intrinsic and fundamental relationship with nature, as is possible with gatherings surrounded by sentient expressions of consciousness, helps us realize how much chaos and disharmony humanity has created and chooses to live with. It helps us realize how disconnected we have become from who we truly are. It helps us gain clarity and heals our souls in such a magnificent way that it is impossible to describe.

The Rainbow Family Gathering had its first communion in 1972 and for a few years prior to that, it was known as the Gathering of the Tribes. Every year since 1972, there have been national and regional gatherings not only in America, but in countries all over the world such as Australia, Italy, and Bulgaria. Much more than a gathering of so-called hippies, it is a coming together of everyone and anyone who feels that the ideals of peace, love, and unity can be the basis of human society. Sure, this may require a shift in consciousness from the ego-dominated mindstates of greed, pride, and fear, but it is a shift that is quite attainable, which can be reflected by many who come to the Gathering. There are always the exceptions, of course, such as the “drainbows” that called themselves Death Camp at the Gathering this year, but these are a small minority that can statistically be found in essentially any congregation of beings. By being and embodying the ideals of higher consciousness, the Rainbow Family Gathering is able to show the rest of the world that another way of living is possible, we just need to have the will and determination to create the quantum leap in consciousness within ourselves to a selfless and unity-oriented way of life.

Named the Gathering of the Tribes in the late 60s and early 70s, this name is quite fitting, given the wide variety of people that come to the Gathering. During my time at this year’s Gathering, I had met individuals who travel from gathering to gathering, choosing to live a life outside the confines of contemporary human society. These people are gravitated towards a life in the forest. They feel incredibly connected and in tune with the peaceful, serene, and healing energies of all the non-human expressions of consciousness. The forest is their home. When they are not in the forest, they are hitchhiking nomads who do not place any sort of ownership on anything, but treat the earth as if she was everyone’s and no one’s simultaneously, as the natives of this continent have done for thousands of years. This is because All is One. Separateness is an illusion. We are all in this together. Nobody is above anyone else. We are all unified through the Infinite Consciousness of Reality. It is a wonderful thing to see that there are people who choose to live in a way that they feel is closer to the ideals of harmony, love, and unity than the currently accepted model of society.

I have met people who have been coming to gatherings since they first started as well. These individuals are beautiful examples of being sparks of light shining in a world of darkness. They serve as inspirations to the younger ones and are able to act as elders who can give their council and wisdom when asked for. When there was a need for their services, such as one time when a violent confrontation broke out, they would get together, as a council, and deliberate as to what the best action and/or reaction would be suited to the given situation and circumstances. By shouting out “Shanti Sena”, rainbows (those who come to the Rainbow Gatherings) are able to alert the older Brothers and Sisters, as well as anyone else, to a situation that is projecting and radiating out negative energies of anger, fear, and other lower consciousness states.

Among the others who attended were children, who generally camped out with their parents and/or guardians in a big area of the gathering called Kiddie Village, where there was much merrymaking and good food. Out of all the places to camp out during the Gathering, besides a few places such as Shaman’s Edge, I felt some of the most peaceful energy at the Kiddie Village and would recommend it as a place to camp out even if you do not have children of your own. To see the young ones filled to the brim with feelings of wonder and awe is a beautiful and reassuring thing, since it gives you hope for the future generation in that it will be able to live in a consciousness-shifted society where more people will live out and express peace, love, and harmony within their daily lives.

With over 80 camps spread out all over the western portion of the Allegheny National Forest, there was plenty of different flavors of camp where people were able to pitch their tents and commune with like-minded individuals. The Main Meadow, as it was called, was surrounded by these camps from all sides and provided a place for all the tribes to gather and experience things that they will never forget. The bonfires, the drum circles, the weddings, the meditations, the fire spinning, the maypoles, the clear blue skies, and all else that was in the sprawling meadows of the Gathering helped enhance an already-beautiful experience of a temporary utopia.

The nudity that some chose to express seemed elegantly natural. The cool stream that ran through the Gathering invigorated one’s being and refreshed his or herself with healing energy and comforting pleasure. The barter system that was in place allowed for an adventurous, fun, and socializing experience. The cold nights allowed for the huddling and cuddling of kindred spirits and elementals in love. The dragonflies and monarch butterflies helped with the appreciation of nature and all that resides in it. The fern meadows made for enchanting views. The makeshift living spaces added to the aura of magic within the confines of this beautiful forest. The phrases one could hear everywhere like “loving you” put a smile on one’s face and in one’s mind. The cellos, mandolins, banjos, guitars, flutes, drums, violas, violins, harps, and all other musical devices captivated all those who had ears to hear them express their harmonics. The cymatics created by the musical instruments had the power to heal even the deepest of soul wounds.

This was my first Gathering and it will certainly not be my last. Out of all the life-experiences I have had, the Rainbow Family Gathering has been the most transformative and life-changing. I could not express any more sincerity than I am right now when I say these things. It is an experience I recommend to anyone that is gravitated towards living peace and love in their lives. Being completely free of charge to be a part of, it is very difficult to find a reason not to be a part of the Rainbow Family Gathering. I hope to see all of you at the next one, where there will be a special Peace and Loveism Camp. Let us create something that we will never forget. Let us create a model for a future society. Loving you, Family.

How to Protect Yourself From Emotional Manipulation

Soulthriller — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 23:52:27 +0000

Given the reality that we as human beings have a very strong self-centered aspect of our beings called the ego, many problems arise when this aspect of the human experience goes uncontrolled. Manipulation has always been a favored tool of the ego in order to get what it wants. This manipulation can come in either a physical form or it can be seen to work on the emotional level in order to break the psyche into meeting the manipulator’s desires. Properly identifying the ways in which people emotionally manipulate others can save us much suffering in the future when identified early enough. By protecting ourselves from being manipulated on the emotional level, we are able to free ourselves once and for all from the violation of our universal right of free will. The following will be a detailed list of signs to look for in people that are trying to emotionally manipulate others and how to defend against these sinister tactics.

You make a statement that is turned around to be used against you in a negative way.

The person will speak with an air of honesty that is in fact a cover for their true intentions. An example would be that you would tell this person something like, “I am really angry that you forgot my birthday.” Their response would be that “it makes me feel sad that you would think I would forget your birthday, I should have told you of the great personal stress I am facing at the moment, but you see I didn’t want to trouble you. You are right I should have put all this pain (by this point, persuasive tears may begin to appear in order to give more credence to this manipulation tactic being used) aside and focused on your birthday. Sorry.” Your intuition may sense that this elaborate apology is not genuine. However, since they said the magic words, you are essentially left with nothing more to say or you will find yourself trying to control their fake anger. When this scenario plays out, do not accept an apology that is as real as their true intentions. If you do accept the apology, you have just been emotionally manipulated! If it does not feel genuine, it probably is not. Do not allow yourself to me emotionally blackmailed because if you do that one time, the emotional manipulator will see that it can be used as a successful method of getting what he or she desires.

The person presents his or herself as a willing helper.

A person that acts as an emotional manipulator plays the part of someone who is willing to help out with any given task. If you ask for their help with something, he or she will be more than willing to agree. If you did not ask for their help, he or she will volunteer to help with any given task. Seeing an offer for help looks like a wonderful thing, but in the mind of an emotional manipulator, this is merely a tactical move in order to fulfill a selfish desire he or she has. If you accept their offer to help, he or she will express their unwillingness to help by letting out several sighs that are loud enough for you to notice, or some other non-verbal signs that let you know they actually do not want to help you with whatever it was they offered to help with. You will notice this and tell them that it does not seem as if they actually want to help, and this is when he or she begin their main manipulation efforts. He or she will show their great will to help you and that you are being unreasonable. In order to bypass this manipulation, ignore the fake sighs and subtle cues that he or she is unwilling to help. You can also confront the individual directly and deliver an ultimatum (albeit in a civil manner).

They say something but later assure you that they did not say it at all.

This is one tactic that you can see being used in many aspects of society, perhaps the political sphere being the greatest user of this. If you constantly feel like there may be something wrong with your memory recall because you remember one thing and the emotional manipulator “remembers” another, then be cautious. Those who have mastered the “art” of emotional manipulation are experts in justifying their actions, turning things around against you, and rationalizing situations. It is as if they have graduated The University of Lying and are incredibly skilled in passing off even the most ridiculous lie without giving any hints that he or she is being deceitful. They can be expert persuaders to the point that you begin to question your own memories and sanity. To combat this technique by the emotional manipulator, keeping a log of what he or she says is a good start to having definitive proof that he or she is lying right in your face. It does not matter how you go about doing this. It can be in the form of having another person with you when the manipulator is saying whatever it is they are saying, writing it down, recording it, etc.

They put you in a guilt trip.

Emotional manipulators are experts in the craft of guilt-tripping. They have the ability to make you feel guilty either for not speaking up, for speaking up, for not showing enough emotion, for showing too much emotion, for not giving and/or caring enough, and for giving and/or caring too much. There are no lines that the emotional manipulator will not cross in order to put you in a guilt trip. This person will very rarely exhibit any real needs or desires he or she has. Instead, emotional manipulation is the game they play in order to get these needs and desires satisfied. Combined with guilt, sympathy is a very powerful tool to manipulate your emotions. The emotional manipulator is excellent at playing the victim. They stir up your will to support, care, and nurture them. These individuals very rarely do their own dirty work, so to speak. They are able to make you do it for them and when you do (through indirect means) they will say that they never expected or wanted you to do anything at all. Do not worry, you are not losing your sanity! Make it abundantly clear to them that you are not going to do their dirty work, which can be said by saying “I am fully confident in your ability to work this out on your own.”

They are indirect.

By taking the passive-aggressive route, emotional manipulators are able to deal with things indirectly. Actions in this category include talking behind your back, getting others to say to you what they would not say themselves, and finding subtle ways of letting you know they are unhappy. They will tell you things that you want to hear, but then do something to undermine that. An example of this would be if the manipulator says that “of course I want you to go back to school baby and you know I will always support you.” Fast forward to a night where you are either studying for an exam or perhaps finishing a project for work and your children (if you have some, that is) are throwing temper tantrums, the television’s volume is set really high, and your pets need taking care of – all the while “honey” is sitting on the couch looking at you blankly. If you were to call them out on this, they will likely say something like “well you can’t expect life to just stop because you have an exam or have to finish a project for work can you dear?” This is a difficult one to deal with, and if an emotional manipulator pulls this one, the choices for response are very limited…even as much that I do not have an adequate method to combat this besides getting this person out of your life.

They always seem to have it worse than you.

This tactic is pretty straight-forward. No matter what problems you may have in your life, the emotional manipulator always has problems worse than you. They shift focus from your problems to their supposed problems (which almost never exist in the way they claim they do). If you sense that they are not being genuine and are just trying to shift the focus of the conversation on themselves in order to satisfy an egoistic desire, they will display feelings of being deeply hurt and will call you selfish. Yes, they will call you selfish, when in reality it is they who are selfish. Every day is Opposite Day for this emotional manipulator. It is difficult to combat this, because it is difficult to prove that you are not trying to be in the spotlight, so to speak. However, a clear and effective solution is to simply trust your intuition on their genuineness and walk away.

They are able to lower the positive energy of others around them.

Given the interconnected nature of human consciousness, everyone affects everyone else. This reality is able to both benefit and hurt us. If an emotional manipulator is in a room with others who are feeling fairly content and positive, the manipulators’ low level of consciousness will negatively impact all the others around his or herself. If they are angry or sad, others will begin to feel these emotions creep up into their consciousness and bring them down. The instinctual result of this is that others will try to bring the energy level back up by trying to make the emotional manipulator feel better. By staying around such a person for a long period of time, you will find yourself exhausted with always trying to bring them back up to the positive end of the emotional spectrum and become burnt out.

They have no sense of accountability.

Emotional manipulators do not take responsibility for their own actions. They always turn around a situation to see what others have done to them. An easy way to identify an emotional manipulator using this tactic is to see if he or she attempts to establish intimacy via the early sharing of what is considered very personal information that is the kind that makes you feel sorry for them. You may at first feel that this individual is very sensitive, emotionally open, and perhaps even a little vulnerable. This is precisely how they want you to perceive their actions. Emotional manipulators have emboldened their ego to such great heights that they practically never feel vulnerable. The best way to combat this tactic is to identify it early on and cease giving these individuals an audience.

Every one of us is bound to come across an emotional manipulator sooner or later. By understanding how they operate and what tactics they use on others, we can be well prepared for their attempts at using us for their own egoistic desires and can prevent much pain, sometimes even a lifetime’s worth. Spread awareness to others by educating them on emotional manipulation and with our collective efforts, we will no longer fall for their tricks.

The Insightful Golden Verses of Pythagoras

Soulthriller — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 02:20:40 +0000

There are many ancient texts that have insightful wisdom embedded within them. Some of these include the Emerald Tablets of Thoth, the writings of Confucius, and The Golden Verses of Pythagoras. This last ancient text is a collection of wise and insightful sayings that are attributed to being written by Pythagoras. The exact origins of the golden verses are actually unknown and dating them is quite difficult, although it is possible that they can date as far back as the third century BCE. This collection of wise sayings has been held to such high esteem that their renown persisted during the medieval ages and well into the renaissance. Although some of the verses may not apply as well as they did when they were written, there are still several that can be used in one’s continuous self-growth. Below are a few select verses that I have chosen in order to elaborate upon. These particular verses are the most timeless in my opinion, and will hopefully be helpful in your personal growth.

Remember about the law of cause and effect in your life.

The law of cause and effect is a universal law and fact of life that sometimes also goes by the Sanskrit name of karma. Since all manifestations of consciousness within Reality are interconnected, everything affects everything else. The well-known Golden Rule is founded upon the idea that what we do to someone else affects us as well. Given this reality, it does not benefit us if we project negativity towards anyone because this will either instantly or eventually affect us with the very negativity we had projected. By remembering the nature of cause and effect, we can be mindful of our thoughts and actions by only projecting positivity. Like attracts like and the more positivity we project, the more positivity will come back to us. Experience this and you shall see it to be true.

There are many possibilities people can choose from. There are bad and there are good ones. So, look carefully and choose for yourself the noble path.

There are an infinite number of possibilities. Anything can happen. We have the power to decide what we wish to do, because of the free will we have as human beings. Our thoughts shape our reality and so it is possible to focus our thoughts only on the positive and the beneficial so that we can create for ourselves a reality in which bliss and ecstasy shine down on us. This is possible, since anything is possible. All we need, is the will, courage, and determination to become trailblazers in our lives towards that which is called the pursuit of happiness. Do not care what others may think of your decisions, as this is your life, not theirs. You are the keyholder to your own destiny. Decide for yourself what path you wish to take. After all, there are many paths to the summit of the mountain; some may take longer than others, but eventually all will reach the summit.

Be afraid of becoming a stingy person, but fear also to squander goods like careless people do.

Extremes in behavior do not allow us to function optimally and so just as it is unwise to be lavish, being stingy can be just as detrimental. Although fear is a strong word, it could perhaps be said that one should be mindful of one’s actions regarding stinginess and squandering. Careless people squander it is said, and so the logical fix for this is to be more care-full rather than care-less. By being stingy, we miss out on so many incredible life opportunities that come about by taking risks and exploring the wonderment and awe of life.

Do only that which will not lead you to destruction! Therefore, before acting, deliberate on your every step and deed.

Let creativity abound. Shy away from actions and thoughts that are destructive in nature. Be mindful of what you do instead of acting first and then thinking if what you just did was a good idea or not. Taking a few moments out of your life in order to deliberate can save what sometimes becomes a lifetime of suffering and anguish. One of the paradoxes of Reality is that it is much easier to destroy than to create. With this in mind, think about how much time, effort, and energy you are erasing by the destructive actions you may be partaking in. Create! Add to the infinite knowledge base of universal consciousness and reality and do something that will benefit yourself and/or others. Not only will you feel better afterwards, but you will elevate the beings of others. You may even send someone into a state of transcendental bliss.

You will know also that people themselves cause their calamities due to ignorance! They are free in choosing their destinies!

It is said that ignorance is bliss. The fact of the matter is that this is usually not so. Many nations and societies have fallen into the depths of totalitarianism and slavery as a result of the ignorance of the general masses. We hold our destiny in our hands. Empower yourself to realize this statement as being true. You control and shape your reality in a very large way. Although there may be macrocosmic aspects of reality that we cannot have complete control over, the things we do have the ability to control are very numerous. Let us all save humanity from experiencing much suffering by ridding the world of ignorance and expanding peoples’ awareness on whatever we feel is necessary. Social transformation occurs when the veil of ignorance is lifted. Let us learn from our past and experience a future reality that does not have the negative repercussions that come with ignorance.

But we should not abandon hope of saving people from the darkness of ignorance — for every human has a Divine root.

Do not feel that just because the majority of humanity is ignorant of truth that you should feel apathetic about the state of things and the future of humanity. Be a beacon of light. Shine down onto the darkness of ignorance and illuminate the awareness of others, for we are all One and we are all parts of the Whole of reality and Infinity itself. We are but drops of awareness in the ocean of Consciousness. Ignorance is a very dark place in actuality, because awareness in such a state is limited to such a small area of reality. So very little is learned or experienced with an ignorant mind. We are all in this together and so it could only help if we lift the veil of ignorance out from under peoples’ eyes. Become something that legends will talk about for ages to come.

How Culture Diverts Our Thoughts Away From What Really Matters

Soulthriller — Thu, 20 May 2010 01:25:34 +0000

There is one truth that nobody can debate, and that is that we physically die at some point within the near future, relative to the life spans of everything else in the universe. However, it seems that many forget this fact of life and dedicate great amounts of time and energy towards icons, personalities, and ideas that are unconnected to their own day-to-day lives and do not matter in the grand scheme of things. The intense (and sometimes violent) passion that sports fans experience as well as the immersion of oneself into the “sleazy” world of celebrities are some ways in which cultures and societies divert our thoughts away from things in life that matter the most. Things which directly affect us and make lasting impressions upon our beings. By creating illusory focus points within reality for the masses to lock their awareness into, culture and those who have enough power to dictate or influence it becomes a hindrance to one’s own personal self-growth and self-actualization.

Think about the massive quantities of time that people spend on these things which have no direct connection to their lives…all that time which could have been dedicated towards something a bit more constructive or positive in experiential existence. Our culture is an artificially-created box in which a seemingly-endless number of things exist which attempt to entice an individual towards giving away massive amounts of his or her conscious lives towards the focusing in on trivialities or things which have no direct influence on his or her life and self-actualization. Terrence McKenna had mused on the same thought-form, which is that humanity seems to be imprisoned by its cultural programming. This programming is so intense and strong, that it seems to be the most imprisoning factor within our lives. Culture does indeed appear to be a mass hallucination.

There are numerous boundaries that exist within culture have been erected by groups or individuals within society that (either knowingly or unknowingly) helped hinder any progress being made in peoples’ self-growth, self-actualization, and/or Self-realization. Things such as sports rivalries, clothes styles and various types of class systems are just a few of the boundaries that had hardly had any useful place in reality because they did not exist prior to us creating them. Only by complete boundary dissolution can we revert to a more pure form of experiential existence, where the focus of one’s self was on one’s personal growth and of others’. Boundary dissolution refers to deconstruction and dissolvement of boundaries that have been created by humans and which have existed as long as the ego has influenced humanity. The purpose of boundary dissolution is to do away with these falsehoods that separate humanity rather than uniting it. Societal boundaries and other boundaries based on the self-ish nature of the ego can be said to be the cause of many of society’s ills and problems.

With a good system come good results, and the results and outcomes of boundary dissolution indeed are numerous. You can try for yourself to see this as being a reality. Instead of giving into cultures’ aspects that are unhelpful in shifting your consciousness to a higher level, have the idea of oneness within your mind and immerse yourself in things that unite, rather than divide. By doing away with the constructs that separate you from others or create any bit of hostility, hatred, or animosity between you and someone else and by letting go of the fear that hinders you from taking these actions, you will be freed from the overbearing grip of the ego. When you dissolve the boundaries that divide and separate you from others, you will have the ability to transform your world into one of serenity, tranquility, and peace. Oneness will not be just a philosophical or utopian concept but a reality that will be experienced by the totality of the human race. We must always have hope that this will become a reality because the future is yet to be determined. Possibilities are endless.

Getting Closer to Enlightenment via Acceptance and Forgiveness

Soulthriller — Tue, 11 May 2010 05:14:09 +0000

Enlightenment is a seemingly-elusive experience and state of existence that few attain at any given point in the timeline of human history. However, there are those that do and it seems that more and more individuals are experiencing the enlightenment of their consciousness than ever before. There is a modern saying that points out that when in 500 BC there was only one bodhisattva (enlightened being), today there are a thousand. Perhaps it is because there is simply a greater number of people alive now. Maybe it is thanks to the incredibly open access most humans have to such a wealth of information and knowledge through the Internet, which itself acts as a “hall of records” so to speak. Whatever the reasons, the experience of becoming enlightened rests on a transcendental experience that a person must go through before becoming enlightened: the transcendence of the ego and taking away its dominance over the individual.

Most of the things which can be considered growth-debilitating in the human cultures and societies around the world seem to originate from the self-centered ego. Thanks to this “false” self that craves being the center of our existence, we humans discriminate, criticize, judge, are selfish, are unforgiving, have fear, and on and on and on. There is one simple, yet powerful, realization that has to be made and experienced before the enlightenment experience can occur: Self-realization. The realization that the ego is not who we are in the higher sense of the term (on a level which transcends time and space), and is everything we are not. It is the ultimate test to see if we will finally realize our transcendent nature, as a spark of the infinite timeless consciousness of all that is.

The path to becoming Self-realized has its own prerequisites. In order to reach the top of this mountain of expanded awareness and higher consciousness, two important experiences have to become daily thought-patterns imprinted within our minds: acceptance and forgiveness. Forgiveness is an aspect of acceptance, love, peace, and truth. Resentment (its opposite) is an aspect of hatred, negativity, and falsehood (non-truth). Forgiveness brings inner peace and serenity of the mind. Resentment, on the other hand, brings inner turmoil and suffering. What we choose to experience is our free-will choice. We have the power to act and react in either a positive and creative manner, or in a negative and destructive way. By the power of consciousness being able to create and shape reality, we are able to venture down the path to enlightenment by making conscious decisions of exercising acceptance and forgiveness within our lives.

Experiencing and exercising acceptance and forgiveness means choosing to see the absolute perfection and beauty in all manifestations of reality. See it in the ocean, in the flowers, and in the human being. Everything and everyone is currently operating at its own level of awareness and/or evolution, be it physical or nonphysical. Everyone and everything is what it is right now because that is what it needs to learn or un-learn. People are what they are, and make mistakes, because they truly do not know otherwise (most of the time through ignorance or lack of awareness), or they do not want to know otherwise.

If there is complete and meaningful forgiveness and acceptance of absolutely everything, then there’s nothing to judge, there’s nothing to discriminate against, there’s nothing to condemn, there’s nothing to criticize, there’s nothing to label, there’s nothing to describe, there’s nothing to define, there’s nothing to interpret, there’s nothing to translate, there’s nothing to suppose, there’s nothing to explain, there’s nothing to say, there’s nothing to talk about, there’s nothing to expound upon, there’s nothing to express an opinion about, there’s no thing to make into something, there’s nothing to express a belief about, there’s nothing to emotionalize about, there’s nothing to worry about, there’s nothing to fear, there’s nothing to rationalize, there’s nothing to determine, there’s nothing to hypothesize, there’s nothing to complicate, there’s nothing to solve, there’s nothing to manipulate, there’s nothing to get confused about, there’s nothing to distort, there’s nothing to change, there’s nothing to force, there’s nothing to set right, there’s nothing to fix, there’s nothing to resolve, there’s nothing to alter, there’s nothing to modify, there’s nothing to seek, there’s nothing to search for, there’s nothing to learn, there’s nothing to get, there’s nothing to lose, there’s nothing to gain, there’s nothing to do, there’s nothing to want, there’s nothing to desire, there’s nothing to obtain, there’s nothing to intellectualize, there’s nothing to conceptualize,there’s nothing to verbalize, there’s nothing to communicate, there’s nothing to say, there’s nothing to declare, there’s nothing to communicate, there’s nothing to articulate, there’s nothing to perceive,and there’s nothing to think about at all. Such is the irony of enlightenment.

After this realization is experienced, what is left is the feeling of inner peace and ecstatic bliss. Everything simply is.
Existence just is. Reality just is. Life just is. Anything else is a distortion of reality and truth. Keep it within the forefront of your mind that without acceptance of life and reality of being this way, and without the ability to instantly forgive, enlightenment can not be reached. Perhaps it may be experienced for a few moments thanks to certain molecular compounds, but in order to stay within the enlightened state of be-ing, these two processes have to become ingrained within our consciousness and expressed within our daily lives. Experience the sweet transcendental bliss of enlightenment by paving the path to it with these things, and you will see that it was all worth the time and effort.