Sunday, January 30, 2011

Lost Love - It's Predestined, You Have Many Soul Mates & You'll Love Again

Losing a loved one is a heart wrenching experience
to say the least.

Although finding the strength to move on with one's
life after such an experience takes time, it can be
done.

Gratitude is wonderful for helping to overcome
grief. Be grateful for the love you had, the
experiences you shared, what you currently have
in your life, and what will be in the future.

The closer the connection, the more difficult the
separation, but it helps to realize that everyone has
more than one soul mate. Some are more compatible
than others, but all are meant to enter and leave your
life when they do, meaning all relationships appear to
be spiritually contracted, including the length of time
to be spent together. Expectations of "growing old"
with a partner are the norm in our society, but in
many cases it's not meant to be.

As we wrote in our book Your Love Life and
Reincarnation, published in 2002, almost all
relationships include karmic ties. In other words,
one person owes the other, they both owe each other
and their connection is necessary for growth and
payback, or a similar situation exists. Perhaps there is
unfinished business or the two souls agreed, before
incarnating, to reunite in order to learn some lessons or
accomplish a certain goal.

For someone grieving from the loss of a loved one, we
would like to suggest a new outlook. In our Nov. 10th,
2006 column titled Redefining How You Perceive New
Love Interests, we recommend viewing love interests
as opportunities for growth and allowing them to be
what they're meant to be, rather than all or nothing, or
assuming they'll be "the one" for life. Such an outlook
eases the difficulty of accepting what is and what is to
be, that which you can't change.

Loss can be devastating, but at least with this
perspective, it can be easier to digest when it doesn't
work out as it "should have." Although that seems to
deflate romantic notions of "forever," know that love
really is forever on a spiritual level, not on this physical
plane. It's helpful to view soul progression in lifetimes,
not just one existence, as each soul has an agenda that
stretches throughout time.

That brings us to the popular phrase, "love of your
life." Perhaps "love of your life so far" or "one of the
loves of your life" are much more appropriate since
you haven't lived your entire life and met all the
potential love interests yet. This way of thinking does
not diminish what you had with past loves since every
relationship is different, and you may have a lot to
look forward to no matter what your age.

Is a lost love destined? Is feeling a deep sense of loss
a natural part of personal fate? We believe so, since
the comprehensive astrology and numerology charts
clearly indicate unions and separations, among other
circumstances. Most experience the loss of love at one
time or another. It may be someone they didn't know
that well, someone with whom they were involved
for years, or even someone they are still involved with
but the spark has died for one or both.

From a spiritual perspective, feeling a sense of loss
serves any number of purposes, including, but not
limited to the following: it allows you to appreciate
more what you had (and will have again); it allows
you to experience first-hand the cyclical nature of life;
and in some cases, it may even allow you to balance
the scales of karma for the loss others experienced
due to your actions in the past. But don't feel guilty
over the possibility of past life negative actions as
long as you are "doing the right thing" in all
situations during this life.

For those who lost a love that may have seemed like
"the one," even though you never had the chance to
come together, this type of love loss can also be
upsetting, especially if there is a strong past life
connection. Perhaps you met and spent time together
at work or on vacation. Although the connection has
run its course, you still think about the person a lot.
However, if you had spent more time together, you
may have realized that the person only represented
what you wanted or felt you needed in your love life.
"What could have been" may have been more of a
fantasy. The time spent together was all that was
meant to be, for now, maybe, in part, to further
establish a link to be continued on a much deeper
level the next time around. Remember, the spiritual
reasons for the events in your life may seem illogical,
and the fated outcome is often at odds with plans,
expectations, and hopes.

For those who lost a very compatible and rewarding
relationship, past life regression is a great tool to
return to a lifetime where you were also together in
a loving relationship, and even to a future lifetime
(through future progression) when you'll have the
opportunity to love each other again. It will also help
to calm your mind and heart to realize this lifetime is
just a part of a long tapestry of love.

For those who had to leave a relationship due to
dangerous circumstances, such as abuse, alcoholism
or drugs, but still cannot seem to let go of the person,
cut the spiritual ties that bind. Consciously and visually
surround yourself with White Light, cut any cords
connecting you and the other person, and fill the empty
places where the cords were with White Light. Do
this daily until you feel the effects and ask for spiritual
help in the process, from whomever you pray to. Let
go of them and any anger the best you can.
Forgiveness will heal you and help you move on.

Every relationship is different and even though
grieving for a lost love isn't easy, know that there
may be a future lover waiting in the wings for a
relationship that is even better than you have ever
imagined. But dwelling on "what could have been"
or your loss will not help to usher in a happier
future.

Also know that, based on past life regression
research, you have likely loved hundreds of times
or more in hundreds, if not thousands (or many
more) of past lives. It's also possible that you will
be with that person in a future life, in one way or
another, when the timing is better for both of you.
In the mean time, let go of this person the best you
can. This will not release the memory of them from
your life or the possibility of being together again,
but remove them as a potential block in your
current love life.

Copyright © Scott Petullo, Stephen Petullo

Scott Petullo and Stephen Petullo are identical twins and have been exploring metaphysics since the early 1980’s. They are experts in the fields of prediction, personal fate, love life, and past life regression, and are natural psychics and mediums. Get their free report: 13 Spiritual and New Age Myths and 11 Questions to Ask before hiring Psychic.

http://www.mystictwins.com
http://www.holisticmakeover.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Scott_Petullo

Twin Flames, Soul Mates & New Age Romance - More Myth Than Reality

Everyone wants that other half. We want to be joined deeply and intimately with the one we have longed for and searched for since the beginning of our lives - since the beginning of eternity, it seems. Some call this the soul mate, others call it the Twin Flame. Are these the same?

Let us begin by examining these terms. The most common kind of soul mate is the one most of us are involved with or married to. This is the karmic soul mate, which is someone with whom we have had past lives, and with whom there is unfinished business. There will be lessons to learn from them, and lessons they are to learn from us. There will be unresolved matters which need to be worked through. For example, we might be married to or involved in a romance with someone who has killed us in the past, and the lesson is to be strong enough get away from that person amicably, and without dying this time. In that instance, clearly divorce or a break-up is what we came to experience!

Or perhaps we are involved with someone who was taken from us, or from whom we were taken, much too early--as in the case of a soldier who dies in battle, or a woman dying in childbirth. The experience wanted by the Souls in this lifetime then might be one of having a long and happy life together, extending into a ripe old age. That would be an example of a more pleasant karmic soul mate relationship. But there is also the less pleasant kind.

Perhaps we reincarnate to be lovers at some point with someone who was a family member we slighted in a past life. One example is the following, which I saw while doing past life readings. A widowed, wealthy woman in Roman times had a drunken gambler for a son. She bailed him out over and over as a youth, but after he married and had half-grown children and had not changed, she cut him off financially, and refused to reconsider her position. She supported his wife and children, but he got not a cent. He ended up dying in a gutter. These two came together in the current lifetime as lovers in their mid-forties. Both were quite drawn to each other, and there was talk of marriage. But he experienced a business failure, and she bailed him out at great cost to herself, giving him the last of her savings. He promised to repay the money in a few months, when a particular investment matured. Instead, he got a high-paying job and moved to another city far away and eventually married someone else, someone quite wealthy. She never saw a penny of her savings returned. This was her karma--to experience being destitute when the other person could easily have helped her out and callously did not. This is an example of an "unpleasant" karmic soul mate experience from the viewpoint of the human ego. The Soul, however, got to experience what she had "dished out" in another life. This is one powerful form of karmic balancing.

There is also the soul mate experience where two people come together dharmically. In other words, they come together as life partners to help each other with the tasks that they incarnated to accomplish while on Earth. These are often people with whom our karma is complete.

The Twin Flame experience only comes when we are at the end of our lifetimes on earth, and when our greatest service to humanity is being birthed. Twin Flames almost never incarnate at the same time--or in the same dimension/density. The Twin is the other half of ourselves which split apart from us long, long ago, at the beginning of this cycle, and for whom we constantly search. Almost no one ever actually joins with the Twin Flame in a lifetime on Earth.

However, until that time comes, your Twin wants you to be happy. And if you petition your Twin Flame to bless you by coming into your life energetically through a mate who carries a compatible vibration, you can in that way join with your Twin Flame while on Earth! Both parties must be willing at the Soul level to embody the energy of the other's Twin Flame. These two people can experience the height of loving joyously from the depths of their being while in a physical body on the Earth Plane. So to experience this simply call out to your Twin Flame for a blessing, and then be patient while the angelic realm takes care of the rest. Learn the Laws of Attraction and of Pure Intent. The relationship will happen when, where and how your Soul and Angelic Guides deem best for you and for the other party. In the meantime, live life to its fullest, and stay in the now. The relationship will come along usually after you have become comfortable with yourself, and are perfectly happy living alone, for then you are not sending out a frequency of pain and longing. Become an energetic match to what you want: peace, joy and love. Gratitude also magnetizes to us magnificent things. So live in gratitude for your many blessings!

Lois Wetzel, MFA, ParBP, ND is a published author, an accomplished artist, a teacher and healer. She has been doing past life readings from the Akashic Records since 1990, began meditating in 1975, and has been involved in spiritual healing work for over twenty-five years. A Reiki Master since 1988, her initiations are very powerful and her lineage short. In addition to past life readings from the Akashic Records, Lois offers Soul Retrievals. Lois has been practicing the BodyTalk System for eight years, and also practices EDINA energy medicine, Psych-K, and offers consultations. This work can all be done at a distance!

Lois has also completed extensive post-graduate studies in clinical psychology.

Click below to see Lois' Hot Pink Lotus website, where you can sign up for the free newsletter, read the newsletter archives, and email your request for a FREE AUDIO RECORDING of a meditation to assist you in contacting your spirit guides.

http://www.hotpinklotus.com

Luminous Blessings!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lois_Wetzel


Twin Flames - A Subset of All Souls

There is a specific energy that flows between Twin Flames. It's extraordinary and rare. The frequency that travels between them is distinguishable by vibration, clarity and intensity. Twin Flame relationships are more unique than you may suspect.

Many support the theory that everyone has a Twin Flame. In actuality, Twin Flames are a small and distinct subset of all souls. Twins do not share a soul, but rather their divine resonance is the same. Imagine identical human twins. Genetically identical, but they have individual life experiences, right? Translate that to souls. Not all souls are created as Twins. Just as human Twins are the same but different; it is this way with Twin Souls.

Many people are in pain thinking they have met their Twin Flame - they are having a difficult time coming to terms with the relationship or lack of relationship. In reality, they have met a soul-mate or in some cases are trying to wrap the label of "soul-mate" around a relationship that may be nothing more than a dysfunctional human relationship.

Nobody wants to be unhappy. Nobody wants to be miserable...but some people don't know how to break that cycle and instead choose unhealthy relationships and try to 'explain them away' with a spiritual label. They give credibility to their unhappy state by convincing themselves they are having a "spiritual" or a "twin flame" connection and therefore have no way out & are doomed to be miserable. These are fairly easy to identify because they commonly blame the other party and like to talk about the mean & hateful things they say or text to their "connection". If you recognize yourself in that last sentence, I can guarantee you 100% you are not in a Twin-Flame relationship.

There are others who are having an undeniable soul-mate experience with a high-level soul family member. In these cases many of the things they experience parallel a Twin Soul connection.

There is no right or wrong here. There is no better and no worse. There is no more or less important, but there are differences. There would be much less hurt experienced if people were more educated about exactly what a Twin-Flame relationship is, and is not. Those who fight and fight and question if they are having a Twin Soul experience might be relieved to know they are probably not.

Twins and non-Twins incarnate for a unique and vital purpose. Nobody is forced to have a human experience. We all come here to learn. Some come to teach. Many of us do both.

The broad difference is that Non-Twins aren't energetically linked to another specific soul, whereas Twin-Souls have an identical energy source or soul. To be clear, they do not share a soul, they are not two incomplete halves. They were created and birthed as Twins who respectively carry the same resonant energy source (soul).

The path of Twin Souls is a difficult one, but that could be said for all souls.

Each and every soul whether they have a Twin or not has a primary contractual agreement with the universe/god/source. That contract is about fulfilling, to the best of our ability, our own souls' ultimate possible growth in a particular lifetime and ultimately what we plan to achieve by the time of our final incarnation. We have secondary contracts with each other (soul family). We have other agreements in which we promise to learn (or teach) specific things to (or from) specific other souls. These are the elements of destiny - we *will* meet each other, but it's up to the individuals to achieve, delay or avoid the contractual duties.

We would not be Twins incarnated together if it wasn't divinely significant. I do not believe there is such a thing as "uniting your inner Twin Flame". It's more accurate to say that each Twin independent of each other must discover and master (or nearly master) specific skills that Twins were sent here to learn first and teach second. I referred to a subset of souls earlier. Just like some teachers teach math, some science and others art... not all souls come to teach the same things. Of course there is overlap and we're all here to learn about kindness, love, compassion, empathy, etc. We can learn that and teach that to many.

Twin-Souls have contracted to have a particular soul curriculum that teaches them exactly what they need to know to (1) reunite with their Twin and (2) to elevate and educate any souls willing to listen to the message that only Twin Flames carry.

You can't teach something that you don't know. Twins must first LEARN. We learn by remembering and experiencing. When we think we're pretty smart we are forced to learn more. Our Twins make us. We do this for them also. When Twins are prepared sufficiently, they join together in a way that is agreeable to both. Their individual energies, talents, knowledge and abilities morph.

This is the time when the individual souls merge/join/infuse each other and their energies begin to exceed the sum of their individual parts. One plus one equals a million.

If you're not a Twin Flame you can breathe a sigh of relief. You should trust that the contract between your soul and the universe/god is not dependent upon the soul of another.

If you are certain- truly certain- that you are a Twin... it is your duty, your obligation, your mission, your divine responsibility... to heal any remaining wounds you carry and to learn and to educate yourself as much as possible. When you've learned enough about soul communication and energetic healing, you can begin working with your Twin on the non-physical level. Any contact on the human level should be soul-based (as opposed to human/ego)... and you easily forgive yourself when you slip up.

Twins would not have been selected for this difficult work if they and the universe/god weren't certain they could fulfill their agreement.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Moe_Wood


Twin Souls Reunited

Many people contact me to do their conscious work of healing and becoming whole within. Their desire to do their inner work was prompted by an 'awakening,' that each in their own way realized she/he had a soul agreement to reunite with a Twin Soul this lifetime.

No doubt you have heard of Soul Mates. A Soul Mate is a soul you have met in your current life with whom you had a previous life/lives. A Soul mate could be a lover, spouse, mother, father, sister, brother, teacher, student, friend, family member. Soul Mates can be our victims or tormentor. You have a soul agreement (contract) with each soul you have returned to earth with. Together you are working on resolving unfinished business between you as well as for greater learning and growth that this person can help you the most and in turn you can help him/her the most.

Twin Souls, a.k.a Twin Flames or Twin Rays are the other half of your soul. This phenomenon is based on the belief that we are all parts of the Divine Being, God, All That Is, Source, Spirit, or Creator.

In order for The Divine Being to experience Itself, It divided Itself into many souls, each in turn divided into many others and many others. The final split of the many neutrally gendered souls created male and female halves of a whole - The Twin Soul.

You can live a lifetime in joy and harmony with a resonant soul mate, and this is a beautiful, albeit, rare gift. It is no coincidence that many people refer to their spouse as, 'My better half.'

Each soul evolves and reincarnates through many lifetimes, gathering emotional and spiritual development, strength and courage. On some level we are all soul mates with one another, learning and growing from each other - teacher and student. Emotional and spiritual growth is manifested in loving and comforting lessons in forgiveness and unconditional love. Sometimes it is a case of 'victim,' or 'darkness' that brings the opportunities for growth.

Someone can come into your life and create great pain and suffering. This is a soul contract between you to grow and evolve in love and forgiveness. This is the balancing of karma, and one that will free you from the karmic cycle of "I am the tormentor, you are the victim or vice-versa.

You break the cycle by acting rather than reacting, by freeing the ego from the soul and learning to love and forgive even in suffering. Your greatest joy and your greatest pain are both conceived in these soul mate relationships, your feelings intensified by your soul connections, whether for good or bad. You can identify a soul mate or karmic relationship by the sense of, 'Love at first site,' or 'Revulsion at first site,' depending only upon the growth you have contracted to accomplish with this soul.

Twin Soul/Twin Flames meet only when lessons of love, loss and forgiveness are complete, thus the heart is made resilient and strong through pain and loss and is ready to face the intensity of being with the other half of their soul.

Many people experience a "Dark Night of the Soul", or a major spiritual transformation just prior to meeting their Twin Soul, or upon meeting their Soul Mate. It is believed that you need to be "emptied out" emotionally, spiritually and mentally as a test of your spiritual strength and courage. Connecting with your 'other half' can be a magical, maddening experience that opens your perceptions in ways you could not have done otherwise. Some people experience an opening of their psychic awareness as their heart expands in this unbounded, identical, and unconditional love bond. The truth of the matter is, your life will not be the same, and whether you perceive it as a gift or a curse, it is the challenge of your soul's evolution. The Twin Soul connection is a triad involving the Divine Spirit/All That Is, two people connected by soul, connected to God.

Before one can physically unite with their Twin Soul, one needs to do the conscious work of healing and becoming whole within oneself. Twin Soul love cannot exist in a codependent, ego-based relationship, or from a perceived 'need' that the other person will make you whole. Both people need to face separations while they strengthen their own connection to Spirit and find their strength and purpose on their own.

When Twin Souls unite, each will find balance in their male/female, yin/yang union. When both halves of the Soul become strong pillars on their own, are healed and have resolved karmic ties in the present life, then they can unite to fulfill their Divine purpose. However, the challenges do not end. There is an intensity that can be frightening when facing the mirror of yourself - weaknesses and strengths magnified, unresolved issues and wounds painfully open to push you to further healing, or cause your ego to run from the relationship in fear. It is critical for Twin Souls to find their greater purpose, whether it is a task they will accomplish together or alone - there is work to be done.

Some Twin Souls choose to only unite on the spiritual level, while one or both may be living physically with another soul in karmic agreement. Twin Souls, who are having a lifetime in the same time period, but, not with each other, are considered 'parallel lives.' Some Twin Souls other half may not be on the Earth plane at the same time and will offer guidance and comfort from the other side as a 'guardian angel.'

Synchronicities are an important part in Twin Souls meeting. These synchronicities are God's messages to you to pay attention. You will find similar experiences in the same timeframes before you meet, marriages, births, divorces, illnesses, etc. You may discover that you lived as neighbors in different towns at a point in your lives or vacationed in the same country at the same time. You might discover you champion the same sports teams or enjoy the same activities and have identical likes and dislikes.

The most frequently asked question about Twin Souls is: 'How will I know if I have met my Twin Soul or if I am with my Twin Soul?' Meeting or being with the 'other half of your soul' is
so life changing and profound that this question is redundant...you just know. Twin Souls both recognize this extraordinary bond, whether, you each are evolved and whole enough to acknowledge and act upon it, is another matter.

Meeting your Twin Soul sets forth an internal spiritual revolution, a deeper connection and understanding of the Divine and the Universal oneness, this is the greatest gift of connecting with your Twin Soul

Twin Soul love is not a desire to 'possess' another, it is truly a challenge to love unconditionally and without expectation, to be whole and complete within yourself before joining with the other whole and complete side of your soul.

When you connect with your Twin Soul, you will discover there is no 'game-playing,' manipulation or power struggles. You will notice you are compelled to be transparently honest in your relationship and communication with each other. If there is any karma from past lives to work through between you, it will be apparent and you will consciously work it out. If you or your twin is committed to another relationship, you will respect and honor that bond and realize the tests of unconditional love. Meeting your Twin Soul challenges you to grow and heal spiritually, mentally, emotionally and physically. You will see beyond time, ego and physical limitations. You will be compelled with the desire to be the best manifestation of your soul on earth. Twin Soul relationships are seldom about flowers or romance; they are about enduring beyond time and space.

There is a caution that these signs are absolute 'proof' of meeting the other half of your soul. Frequently, you might be challenged by meeting a 'near twin soul' or karmic soul mate who can mirror all these signs. Meeting a 'near twin soul' presents opportunities for emotional and spiritual growth - that is the reason you were unable to see that it was a 'near twin soul,' you needed to heal something before you could meet your authentic 'Twin Soul.' There are no guarantees in life, in every situation you are called to give unconditional love, compassion and forgiveness, a meeting with a karmic soul mate can be an excellent opportunity for your emotional and spiritual evolution.

If you are determined to believe that this or that person is your Twin Soul, you might become blinded to the opportunity for your emotional and spiritual evolution. Life is about unconditional love in all forms, i.e. you need to truly trust in the wisdom of the Universe to bring to you those people, who will teach you best.

As a Certified Hypnosis Practitioner and a Certified Past Life Regression Practitioner, I offer a FREE consultation to answer your questions. I, also, conduct sessions via phone with as much success as face-to-face. See contact information below.

The best way to determine if someone is your Soul Mate or Twin Soul is to do a Past Life Regression with a Certified Past Life Regression Practitioner. The best source to find a Certified Past Life Regression Practitioner is the International Association for Regression Research and Therapies, Inc. http://www.iarrt.org or International Board for Regression Therapists Inc. http://www.ibrt.org

Dorothy M. Neddermeyer, PhD, Metaphysician - Certified Hypnosis Practitioner, Author and Speaker. Dr. Dorothy facilitates clearing blocks, fears and limiting beliefs. You can live the life you desire. She brings awareness to concepts not typically obvious to one's thoughts and feelings. http://www.gen-assist.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dorothy_M._Neddermeyer,_PhD

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Religious Education And The Tradition Of Sunday School

Religion is largely based upon personal experiences of the metaphysical realm. One originally becomes concerned with a Higher Power because of some sort of phenomenon or occurrence which simply cannot be explained by logic or reason. When one begins asking questions about the Higher Power or the spirit realm, one immediately begins seeking the answers to those questions.

Thus, although religion may be based on the individual and his or her personal experiences, it is largely propagated through knowledge and instruction. One of the key methods of religious education, especially within the Christian religion, is through Sunday school.

The concept began in England in the 1700s and was the result of religious revivals taking place all throughout the world. Some say it was Roman Catholicism that started the first school while others claim Protestantism began the tradition. While the origins of the institution may be somewhat unclear, it is universally accepted that the tradition began with Christianity.

Before the days of public schooling when education was for the wealthy upper class, crime and poverty permeated the poorer districts of society. A journalist named Robert Raikes observed this desperate situation and opened a public school that operated on Sundays, which was the only day that many children had off of work from the factories and other such employers. Their textbook was the Bible, but it was used to teach secular subjects as well as religious ones. Over the next century, similar schools began to spring up all over Europe and throughout America, with millions of children in weekly attendance worldwide.

Today such schools are almost exclusively for the purpose of teaching religious doctrine. Other religions, such as Judaism, have come to use the term Sunday school to refer to their religious education, while Catholicism mostly refers to it as Catechism class. Religion has remained a powerful force in the world largely because of the institution.

As the dynamics of society continue to change and evolve all over the world, religion will change and evolve, as will its methods of instructing and handing down tradition and doctrine to future generations. Presently, Sunday school remains a firm pillar of religion; it remains a long-standing tradition and a beacon of hope for many, offering a safe haven in a world of crime, poverty, negativity, and violence. Like the world in which the institution began, Sunday remains for many people the only day to devote to religious study and fellowship with like-minded believers. For these reasons and more, the institution will more than likely be around for years to come.

Are you looking for Bible stories for children? Be sure to visit our site for Bible lessons and other Christian books and music.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sandy_Rutherforde

Christianity - Importance of Religious Symbols

Jesus Christ was born to the Virgin Mary on 25th December, the Christmas Eve nearly 2000 years ago. He had been sent by the God to redeem and salve the people from their sufferings and provide them eternal peace. The Holy Son, as was Jesus known, preached about the Kingdom of God and his many blessings for the people. This was misinterpreted by the religious rulers of that time. They felt threatened by his growing affection and affinity amongst the common masses.

They termed his spiritual thought as a political rebellion. They felt that they were losing ground in their own kingdom. Jesus was crucified and bled to death on a cross as a penance for all the sins that mankind had done. Easter Sunday is celebrated as a day of his resurrection.

Christianity started as a result of the teachings of Jesus from the roman province in Palestine and then went on to spread in the rest of Europe and finally to the entire world. With the passing time, this religion has been divided into three major branches - the Roman Catholics who trace their origins in the early disciples of Jesus, Eastern Orthodox Church which was formed in the 4th century but later got separated in 1054 and the Protestants who split from the Roman Catholics during the reformation period. Differences arose between the two spiritual thoughts due to the reformations that were introduced in the 16th and the 17th century related to the doctrines and practices of the Church.

As the religion spread, there was a widespread use of religious symbols to identify people of a similar spiritual thought. Some of the most commonly used symbols in Christianity could be given as follows:

The Anchor is a very early Christian symbol and it represents St. Clement of Rome who is said to have been tied to the anchor and thrown in the sea. This symbol has been found in the catacombs and it brings together a number of other nautical Christian symbols like fish, boat, and dolphin along with the cross. It usually signifies hope in the Holy Son.

Apple symbolizes sin in Christianity. This has happened because the Latin word for apple and evil is the same i.e. malum. This is one of the reasons why it is called the forbidden fruit in the story of Adam & Eve. When Christ is depicted as holding the apple, he does not represent sinful behavior but is known as Second Adam.

Chi Ro is one of the oldest Christian symbols and consists of the first two letters of Christ in Greek (XP) which is superimposed on one another. It is represented in multiple ways and is sometimes combined with the alpha and omega and other Christian symbols.

Dolphins represent Christ and his guiding principles as they swim along boats. Dolphins are also sometimes used to illustrate the story of Jonah, and in turn it makes dolphin a symbol of resurrection.

The dove represents the Holy Spirit, especially when it is depicted with a 3-barred halo. Without the halo it is the symbol of peace. Seven Doves surrounding the letters SS (Spiriti Sancti in Latin) represent the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit i.e. power, wealth, wisdom, strength, honor, glory and praise.

Fish is also one of the earlier symbols of Christianity and represents the Greek word for fish which implies Jesus "Christ, God's Son, Savior". This has also come to be taken as a symbol because Jesus Christ made many fishermen his disciples.

The history of Christianity and the symbols are inter-twined with each other and are also helpful in identifying the spiritual inclination and identity of a person.

For more information on Christianity and Christian Religion please visit our website.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sapna_Kale

Super Volcano: Can The Disaster Be Prevented?

It maybe possible to apply a rogue wave theory and some mathematical formulas of fluid dynamics to the problem of superplumes (theory) of volcanic activity to get them to erupt outside areas of high populations. This would be done by triggering events into the liquid magma underneath the surface. Would it be worth setting off four or five 50 Megaton nuclear detonations, if we knew we could save a Tokyo, Shanghai, Seattle or Mexico City? Well know you see the validity of the debate.

About Rogue Waves:

http://www.math.uio.no/~karstent/waves/index_en.html

It maybe possible to spike four or five points at the top of a volcanic super plume some 250 miles apart along the points of an artificially drawn square or pentagon, then set off a disruption underground, forcing the center to erupt. This could be done by finding an old volcanic vent, which is away from populations, and then causing the eruption there. Making sure the trade winds or localized winds aloft were in fact drifting away from areas of dense populations. One could use the example of a teenager popping a zit. As the pressure builds up under the earth and threatens to take out a large populated area such as a Mt. Renier exploding near Seattle or causing lava flows into Tacoma and then the ocean, we might be able to choose our preferred spot and save the population from tragic loss of life, limb and property.

We know from prior years and volcanic events from tree trunks and various means of paleoclimatelogy that such events did reshape the landscape to a large degree and were major disruptions to the ecosystem in those periods. Today mankind belongs to that ecosystem and we have a lot at stake. If we look at a Mexico City, Manila, Hawaii, Tokyo, Seattle, we see huge populations very near very active volcanoes, which are at severe risk. We also see in areas of known volcanic activity that there are more than one volcano, often somewhat active at similar times, perhaps due to high water flows, seismic events, plate tectonics, Earth's normal cycles of wobbling, electromagnetic energy, etc. When such conditions are right we notice activity and as we study these things we get better at predicting what will happen.

Now that we are nearly to the point of prediction, perhaps intervention is possible, which allows the earth to do it's thing without overly impacting our needs as dwellers of the surface of the planet. One possibility is to cause an eruption under the ocean, which will certainly cause gas plumes to emerge and cause heating of the water and even perhaps causing increased surface temperatures of El Nino effects, which are something we know we can deal with. Covering all of Seattle with 10-18 inches of soot, maybe good for the car washing industry but it will also fowl the water supplies, cause serious disease to our species, destroy hundreds of square miles of civilization and render much of an area unable to support populations for years to come. This of course is a severe volcanic eruption, which can happen on a not so close timeline interval. We have super computers to track super plumes and a research branch already set up to do it; The USGS.

If we go back and study the most devastating volcanoes of all time we may find that many small seismic events triggered rogue waves within the earth causing a superplume which may have slowly dwindled back down to size on it's own, to erupt with such violent forces that it reshaped continents or caused large permanent changes in one of the Continental Shelves. It appears that there have been many such events which have virtually changed the entire globe and there may even be a cycle of 700,000 years, the last one occurring 74,000 years the prior. So we are not expecting such a big event however many smaller events do occur from time to time. We see major volcanoes every 5-10 years and have written records of huge events on Earth every 500-1000 years. Some recent Volcanoes in our Hemisphere near Mexico City, have warned us we are not invincible on the surface of Earth. Mexico city and the Southwestern Mountainous terrain of Mexico is in a region of the world which has had much climactic unrest in the past 40,000 years which is quite evident from the signs of the topography.

With the population of Mexico City pushing some 20 plus million people and watching the city closely and taking serious all seismic and volcanic activities, how can we protect such large populations from catastrophic Earth Events? Is the rogue wave fluid dynamic effect a way to do this? By sending disruptions on the perimeter of where we wish an eruption to occur we maybe able to force the rising liquid and pressure to let off it's energy away from populous regions. Imagine a Jacuzzi where there are four or five jets, which are pushing water into the round pool, connect those jets by a line and you have the shapes perimeter, now figure out the center. Now watch the huge waves created there in the center of the Jacuzzi. By sending one, two, three pulses simultaneously at each jet you can increase the pressure in the center an cause an eruption. If you pick a volcanic vent of known eruption or weak point you can send the magma skyward and alleviate the pressure in those volcanoes near population bases. This is possible with our current technology, through large discharges of explosives, pulsating radio waves or nuclear discharges under the earth.

The Super Plumes when they erupt can cause huge warming of the water, changing global climates if under water, or can discharge huge clouds of CO2, which could cover entire continents for years. The Department of Applied Science at New York University has done a study on the Carbon Dioxide release which would come with a Super Plume associated with a mid-Cretaceous size event. There is some evidence of this occurring previously. This would have caused global warming. They have developed a carbonate-silicate cycle model to try to quantify the possible climatic effects of such insanely huge CO2 gas releases. They say;

"utilizing four different formulations for the rate of silicate-rock weathering as a function of atmospheric CO2. We find that CO2 emissions resulting from super-plume tectonics could have produced atmospheric CO2 levels from 3.7 to 14.7 times the modern pre-industrial value of 285 ppm. Based on the temperature sensitivity to CO2 increases used in the weathering-rate formulations, this would cause a global warming of from 2.8 to 7.7 degrees C over today's global mean temperature. Altered continental positions and higher sea level may have been contributed about 4.8 degrees C to mid-Cretaceous warming. Thus, the combined effects of paleogeographic changes and super-plume related CO2 emissions could be in the range of 7.6 to 12.5 degrees C, within the 6 to 14 degrees C range previously estimated for mid-Cretaceous warming. CO2 releases from oceanic plateaus alone are unlikely to have been directly responsible for more than 20% of the mid-Cretaceous increase in atmospheric CO2."

Super plume CO2 releases are only one problem associated with such events the devastation to those regions where eruptions occur are in immediate danger of annihilation, from poisonous clouds, Earthquakes, lava flows, etc. If those areas are within high-density populations the issues for loss of life and property make this last Florida's Hurricane Season look like a pussycat. Perhaps we ought to open our minds and imagination and see what we can do to control our environment and provide protection to Earth's populations.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance is an online writer in retirement.

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Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Prophecy: From Science To Superstition And Beyond

Prophecy isn't all balderdash. I make this prophecy that the Sun will rise tomorrow morning in New York City! I also make this prophecy that New York City will experience at least one thunderstorm between May and September 2011. Further, I'll make another prophecy that there will be at least one murder in New York City in the month of June, 2011. But, if I make a prediction that aliens will invade New York City in 2011; some New Yorkers will experience the Biblical Rapture in 2011; or that planetary alignments suggest that 90% of couples living in Manhattan will divorce in 2011, well you'd call that balderdash. So, what's the dividing line between making balderdash prophecy and making sensible predictions?

Scientifically Near Certain: Nothing is absolutely certain except death and taxes, thus the use of the word 'near'. However, in this case, scientifically 'near' certain means 99.99999% certain. Examples of this sort of prophecy are the times of the rising and setting of the Sun, the Moon, the planets and stars; the rise and fall of the tides (time of high and low tides); lunar and solar eclipses decades in advance; and other predictable events of this nature in an ordered and clockwork Universe. There is no kudos or pats on the back given for soothsaying in this category.

Scientifically Predictable (Statistically Probable): Not everything is predictable with near absolute certainty, even in science. Some patterns are a bit too chaotic to yield to absolutes. The classic case is the weather. I've known predictions of a 100% chance of rain when not a drop fell! However, that's very rare. Still, it tends to be a chance of thunderstorms, or this or that. That applies to earthquake predictions and similar events. Science can predict with 100% certainty that you're going to kick-the-bucket. However, the exact moment in nearly all cases is uncertain. There is no kudos or pats on the back given for soothsaying in this category either.

Educated Guesswork (But Still Statistically Probable): The shift here tends to be from the physical sciences to the social sciences. I mean predicting the stock market and commodity futures is not an exact science but still something that more often than not you'd better get right if you want to keep your job as a financial advisor! That applies in general to forecasting trends be it forecasting trends for governments, the public sector, or the private sector. There is no kudos or pats on the back given for soothsaying in this category either if you get it right, but expect a kick in the behind if you don't. The general term here that applies is 'futurology'.

Prophecy in General: Let's just say that if you throw enough darts at a dartboard, even blindfolded, sooner or later you'll hit the bullseye. Now just publicise that, and pat yourself on the back for your skill, but conveniently don't tell anyone about, and forget about, all the misses! That dartboard scenario, or analogy, just about sums up the bona fides of the soothsaying profession IMHO.

Now don't quote me Nostradamus as (an example) of a spot-on soothsayer. His verses are quite vague. Not once does he state explicitly that on such-and-such a date, at such-and-such a place, such-and-such an unexpected event will take place. Many historical events have been, sort of, linked to one or more of his various verses, but always after-the-fact, as in gee-whiz, this event might just about fit if you stretch the meaning of this bit and ignore that bit. Translated, nobody before-the-fact saw a clear cut prophecy of his of the rise of Nazi Germany and Hitler; the assassination of JFK; the Moon landings; the events of 9/11. Of course it all became crystal clear that he indeed foretold those events - it's obvious to blind Freddy exactly what certain verses meant, but only as interpreted after the events happened. That's a cheat! It's a cheat given his after-the-fact track record according to his followers' is100%; his before-the-fact track record from a more sceptical point of view is 0%.

Personal Prophecy: When it comes down to the nitty-gritty of prophecy, we're not usually that concerned about predictions of a solar eclipse three decades off; or even the odds that a tornado will hit us next month, or will our portfolio double or half its value over the next week. Acts of God are acts of God and we're pretty helpless in the face of Mother Nature; portfolios, if you take the long term view, usually deliver the goods. However, we are greatly concerned with the more immediate if mundane things in our day-to-day lives: today's success, today's money, today's health, today's power, today's love, today's whatever, etc. That's why you get daily horoscopes (though you can get weekly, monthly and yearly ones too, all equally as vague in that they seem to apply to nearly anyone, anytime).

And so in order to assist our expectations of obtaining the good things in our immediate 'now', well wouldn't it be nice for some powers-that-be to tell us in advance what's coming on down the track that's liable to have a bearing on those personal good vs. bad facets? That is, if we knew in advance of the fact, some knowledge that we could use to our advantage to maximise the good and minimise the bad, well who wouldn't? And so, there's a flourishing industry in astrology/horoscopes; the reading of tea leaves & chicken entrails; caressing crystal balls; using ouija boards, and any other means to get the inside tract on making today a better day. And with such expectations, like with the dartboard, you'll tend to remember the rare spot-on bullseye hits, precisely because they are so few and far between. All the misses you easily forget because they're so common and so prevalent.

Of course all this sort of personal prophecy is pure nonsense. It's harmless fun unless you actually base your day-to-day life, behaviour, decision-making, etc. around them. I'm pretty sure that 99% of people, who consult the astrology column in their daily paper, know full well that what they read there is just vague and general so as to have no real practical and specific application to their personal calling-of-the-shots today. It's a daily 10 second diversion that's a bit of fun. Still, it's a rather sad reflection on how nonsensical superstition, even in the enlightened 21st Century, can still be viable enough for people who know better (but don't care) to actual earn a living by pulling the wool over the eyes of the great unwashed. But that's nothing compared to the wool pulling by religion.

End of the World Prophecy: However, there's a dark side to the forces behind prophecy. The central focus, as always, is me, myself, and I. If you're reading the astrology horoscope, what it predicts for your next door neighbour is probably of no consequence to you. However, if someone predicts that the world is about to go down the gurgler; that the end is neigh, well, you're part of the world, so you're heading down the gurgler too! Now that may, or may not, upset you. For religious reasons, many look forward to the world going down the gurgler, because that means that they, while going down the gurgler too, get deposited at the other end of the tube into an eternal paradise. Or so they believe.

There's one really main problem with end-of-the-world prophecy, and it doesn't matter a hoot what you're ultimate source is that you base, or believe, the prophecy on - to date, 100% of all end-of-the-world predictions have failed (that's bloody obvious isn't it? I mean we're still here; we're still standing)! If I'd received a fiver for each failed doomsday prediction, I, my bank manager and the tax man would all be happy little campers. A 100% failure record - that's a pretty piss-poor track record, 100% opposite to science predicting a solar eclipse three decades down the track. Now if there have been just a handful of these the-end-is-neigh predictions, and I mean down to the exact day of the year, well that could easily be dismissed. However, when the absolute number of them, over the millennia, have been such that if you'd collected a fiver for every one, and that collection of fivers would make you one of the wealthiest persons on the planet, well you've have to conclude that there's an awful lot of deluded people. A 100% track record of failure inspires bugger-all confidence that the next quack or gaggle of quacks that comes along with an 'end-is-neigh' sign can be taken seriously, such as the 21st of May 2011 or the 21st of December 2012 (see below).

Unfortunately people who are suckered into believing that on such-and-such a date they, along with everybody else, are going to meet their maker, well that can have serious consequences. There are more than a handful of case studies which have shown that ordinary people, caught up in the end-of-the-world hype, lacking the qualities of logical and critical thinking, have sold off all their worldly goods, left their homes and families, to await the end - which never came. Some have banded together to form end-of-the-world doomsday cults which have required suicidal philosophies as the alleged end drew near. Human delusion can have tragic consequences.

Most end-of-the-world prophecies tend to have religious overtones, as in Armageddon and the Biblical Book of Revelation. I've noted on the Internet one 54 year old Californian religious loony who is absolutely convinced he will be part of The Rapture on the 21st of May, 2011. That's it - that's the Judgement Day, the Second Coming of Christ, the end-of-the-world as we know it. I predict that he will be very disappointed when he wakes up in his California abode on the 22nd of May 2011 in a totally un-Raptured state. I really shouldn't single him out, it wasn't he who came up with that date, yet still he got sucked into the frenzy. Over the millennium he's but one of millions of loonies who got sucked into the-end-of-the-world frenzy!

It's a pity that so many peoples' lives are so miserable that they literally look forward to someone else (i.e. - God or J.C.) ending their mundane existence of everyday mortality and transporting them into another one of peaceful eternity, although who really knows, maybe it's a case of going from the frying pan into the fire!

But say now, what if you absolutely and firmly believed that within three days the entire world was history. What sort of constraints, the kind normal society places on you, would now have an impact? Probably none. I mean if the end was neigh, what constraints would stop you from stealing, rioting, or murder? Well, let's face facts, there wouldn't be any. Now, what if a significant percentage of the population believed that? What might happen? Mob rule? Total anarchy? Rioting in the streets? The total breakdown of society and society's rule of law and order? All that and more? What if you had an absolute dictatorial ruler who believed that? Why wouldn't that leader, who say hated this other nation for whatever religious or ideological reason(s) decide that's there's nothing to lose now by pressing the nuclear button.

Let me repeat - there have been thousands of end-of-the-word prophecies from the religious Armageddon as given in the Biblical book of Revelation to predictions of alien invasions to nuclear suicide as per the "On the Beach" scenario or maybe some 'the-sky-is-falling' alarmist who's convinced there's an undetected and undetectable asteroid that's heading our way - ground zero; target Earth. It ain't happened - the asteroid anyway - to us, but T-Rex would tell a different tale methinks. T-Rex aside, anyone who places any sort of faith that the next prophetic quack has got it right is in serious delusion. The odds favour the exact opposite. Mother Earth will go on her merry way for a long time yet. If you're anxiously awaiting The Rapture - well, be prepared to wait a lot longer.

The 21st of May 2011 aside, the next predicted doomsday biggie is the 21st of December 2012 for a whole potful of various reasons that's relatively easy to find out about given hundreds of books, articles, Internet sites and blogs, DVDs, etc. all devoted to the subject. Well, I'll go on the record now as prophesizing that it's going to be quite safe for you to plan your 2012 Christmas and post-Christmas activities and holidays and welcome in 2013 with the usual New Year antics we've all come to love and participate in.

Now, to end on a downbeat note, let's return to scientific prophecy. Our world will end! That's 100% certain! At the very least it will end when the lifespan of our parent star, the Sun, ends. Just like your car has a limited supply of fuel in its gas tank, so too our Sun has a limited supply of fuel that keeps it burning forever. When the Sun exhausts its fuel, well you can kiss life on Planet Earth goodbye. However, least I scare you into losing a good night's sleep, that's still some roughly five billion years in the future, or so modern astronomical prophecy dictates. Even if that's off by 10%, well that still gives you plenty of time to enjoy the good life, including a good night's sleep.

Science librarian; retired.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Prytz


Aliens From Zeta Reticuli or Something Fowl From the Farm - The UFO Enigma Solved

For hundreds, or thousands of years there have been sightings and reports of UFO's from almost every corner of the planet. Of course a lot of these sightings and reports could just be stories or even myths handed down from generation to generation, but with so many cases maybe there is a great deal of truth to the reports. In fact if the ancient caveman was the only ones to have recorded incidents of UFO encounters, we may easily pass off the reports as myths. Every year there are more reports of UFOs then the previous years, in fact in the year 2010 there were more reports of UFO's then previous years, and 2011 looks to be the same. Not only are there thousands of reports made by normal citizens, but many of the reports come in from what is regarded as people who have a generally high IQ and or higher position in society, such as military personnel, commercial pilots, government personnel, doctors and others.

Clearly something is going on, and I believe I have stumbled upon a mystery most fowl indeed. Growing up on a large dairy farm I was exposed to seeing numerous cattle, pigs, chickens and roosters. One summer my brother and I were constantly terrorized by a rooster, a Rhode Island Red, named Bubby. Bubby was a menace, in fact he was a real bully, whenever my brother and I ventured outside, he would attack us. Bubby, could be 100 feet away, and if he spotted one or both of us he would suddenly, run, flap his wings and head towards whichever one of us was the closest to him. Bubby would attack with flapping wings, pecking his sharp beat, and poking us in the shins with his sharp spurs.

My brother and I would run, screaming into the house, bleeding profusely from our wounds, while Bubby, would casually walk back towards the barn with his head held high in victory. Bubby, the rooster, ruined many summer vacations for my brother and I, due to the fact that we had to spend almost all of our time away from School, being a prisoner inside the house. One day a neighbor friend of my Brothers, a boy named Berak, came down to visit us, he came inside and said; "You guys are not going to believe this but I just saw a UFO flying over your house!" Berak, said the UFO was large, and it was shaped like a disk or saucer. Berak, talked so much about the UFO, that despite being terrorized by Bubby, the rooster, my brother and I decided to go outside to see if we could spot the UFO ourselves.

The three of us had been outside for roughly 10 minutes when our friend Berak, shouted "There it is!", we looked up in the direction Berak, was looking, and we both saw a large UFO just as Berak, had described earlier. We stood there for a few seconds and watched as the large UFO hovered over the barn, then it started heading in our direction, strangely the closer it got, the smaller it became in size, like it had some advanced technology to morph or change it's shape. Suddenly the UFO, changed completely into a shape my brother and I had seen many times, it was Bubby, the rooster. Strangely all of the times Bubby, had attacked us, he did so by running, and flapping his wings, now he had discovered the ability to fly. We all ran into the house screaming, and we told our Dad about the UFO that had changed into a rooster.

Dad, laughed and said; "Heck I have seen that many times on the farm, a Rhode Island Red Rooster has a special chemical in their feathers that makes them look distorted in daylight when they fly, in fact the brighter the sun is shining, the more they distort, they even do it during the night time when they fly, giving off a sort of Rooster Bio-Luminousness or 'RBL' as scientists call it". Amazingly a small normal Rhode Island Red Rooster can appear to be a large saucer shaped UFO when flying. It sounded unbelievable but we had seen it with our very eyes.

Over the next year I decided to do some experiments, so I saved my money that I earned by selling issues of 'Red Herring magazine', and I purchased a Barred Rock species of Rooster. The Barred Rock is colored black or (dark brown) and white, I got a very healthy one that could fly high, and let it loose. The Barred Rock Rooster took off and flew a short but high journey into the air, as the sun light shined off it, it quickly took the shape of a large cigar or cylinder shaped UFO, again as with the Rhode Island Red flew, its appearance changed back into that of a rooster as it neared the ground. Next I purchased a white species of Rooster, called a White Leghorn, and repeated the experiment, not only did the rooster's appearance change once it flew into the sunlight, but it appeared to change into a large, silent, black triangle craft, and when flying at night it appeared to have lights underneath it.

I believe I had stumbled upon solving one of the greatest mysteries of mankind, the UFO enigma. I know that many folks that read this article will find the evidence hard to believe, but I have the test notes and the proof to back it up. This also explains why after thousands and thousands of UFO's reports, there is no concrete proof of one, even as they land, but if you observe one some bright sunlit day or during a starry night, look closely as it nears the ground, and you may discover that in reality it is a rooster that has escaped from some farmers coop.

You may publish this article in your ezine, newsletter or on your web site as long as it is reprinted in its entirety and without modification except for formatting needs or grammar corrections.

Robert W. Benjamin has been in the software business since the early 1980's on the VIC 20, C64, AMIGA, and WINDOWS Computer Systems. He has won magazine awards for the 'Game of the Month', and more, in several European computer magazines.

The Great Deception

http://www.great-deception.com

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2012: The Theories, The Prophecies, The Aftermath

The thought of the year 2012 brings to the minds of many images of gloom and doom, death and destruction, and the potential reemergence of mankind from its ashes. In the last few years there have been countless books, movies and television specials discussing what the authors believe will happen on December 21, 2012. After investigating all of the available evidence, I have come to my own conclusion as to what will happen on that highly anticipated date.

Before I jump to the punch line and tell you what I believe, let's spend a few minutes investigating some of the prophecies that have been associated with the 2012 event.. And, take a look at as some of the theories describing what is believed will happen.

The Maya created a number of different calendars to record the passage of time. One of them is called the "Calendar Round". We learned about this calendar from a book, known as the Dresden Codex. It was spared the burning frenzy of the early Christian priests in Mexico. The Calendar Round is made up of two separate calendar systems used by the Maya. The Tzolk'on or 260 day Sacred Calendar and the Haab, the 365 day vague calendar. When combined they form a new calendar that measures 52 years.

The Calendar Round can only distinguish 52 years then starts repeating itself. The Mayans needed a more refined dating method. To ensure that dates could be identified over these extended periods, the Maya devised the "Long Count" calendar. We became aware of the Long Count through the study of various stelae found in the ruins of many abandoned Mayan cities.

The Long Count identifies the number of days that have passed since the beginning of the last Great Cycle. A great Cycle has a length of 13 baktuns or 1,872,000 days (5,125.36 years). Once completed, like the odometer on your car, the calendar resets itself to 0 (zero). The accepted start date of the current Great Cycle, as proposed by Sir J. Eric S. Thompson, is August 13, 3114 BCE. By adding 1,872,000 days to August 13, 3114 BC we arrive at the date December 21, 2012 - the "end of the Mayan Calendar".

While the Mayan Calendar provides us with a date for its completion, some researchers believe that other prophecies support the end of a great cycle is fast approaching. According to the Hopi Indians, as reported by White Feather - a Hopi of the ancient Bear Clan - to a minister named David Young in 1958, these are the signs of the end times:

"The Fourth World shall end soon, and the Fifth World will begin. This the elders everywhere know. The Signs over many years have been fulfilled, and so few are left."

"This is the First Sign: We are told of the coming of the white-skinned men, like Pahana, but not living like Pahana men who took the land that was not theirs. And men who struck their enemies with thunder."

"This is the Second Sign: Our lands will see the coming of spinning wheels filled with voices. In his youth, my father saw this prophecy come true with his eyes -- the white men bringing their families in wagons across the prairies."

"This is the Third Sign: A strange beast like a buffalo but with great long horns, will overrun the land in large numbers. These White Feather saw with his eyes -- the coming of the white men's cattle."

"This is the Fourth Sign: The land will be crossed by snakes of iron."

"This is the Fifth Sign: The land shall be criss-crossed by a giant spider's web."

"This is the Sixth sign: The land shall be criss-crossed with rivers of stone that make pictures in the sun."

"This is the Seventh Sign: You will hear of the sea turning black, and many living things dying because of it."

"This is the Eight Sign: You will see many youth, who wear their hair long like my people, come and join the tribal nations, to learn their ways and wisdom."

"And this is the Ninth and Last Sign: You will hear of a dwelling-place in the heavens, above the earth, that shall fall with a great crash. It will appear as a blue star. Very soon after this, the ceremonies of my people will cease."

"These are the Signs that great destruction is coming. The world shall rock to and fro. The white man will battle against other people in other lands -- with those who possessed the first light of wisdom. There will be many columns of smoke and fire such as White Feather has seen the white man make in the deserts not far from here. Only those which come will cause disease and a great dying.

Many of my people, understanding the prophecies, shall be safe. Those who stay and live in the places of my people also shall be safe. Then there will be much to rebuild. And soon -- very soon afterward -- Pahana will return. He shall bring with him the dawn of the Fifth World. He shall plant the seeds of his wisdom in their hearts. Even now the seeds are being planted. These shall smooth the way to the Emergence into the Fifth World."

The signs, over the years, have been interpreted as follows: The First Sign is the arrival of the white man with his guns. The Second Sign is of the pioneers' covered wagons. The Third Sign is of longhorn cattle. The Fourth Sign describes the railroad tracks. The Fifth Sign is a clear image of our electric power and telephone lines. The Sixth Sign describes concrete highways and their mirage-producing effects. The Seventh Sign foretells of oil spills in the ocean. The Eighth Sign clearly indicates the "Hippy Movement" of the 1960s. The Ninth Sign was the U.S. Space Station Skylab, which fell to Earth in 1979. According to Australian eye-witnesses, it appeared to be burning blue.

The Hindu Yuga cycle has also been linked by many as supporting the December 21, 2012 date. According to Hindu Tradition, the length of all life here on earth is described as one day in the life of Brahma, the god of this universe. When Brahma awakens, the universe appears. When he sleeps, it disappears. It is said that one day in the life of Brahma lasts for 4,320,000 years.

Each day in the life of Brahma is broken down into ages or yugas. They include: the Satya Yuga, the Treta Yuga, the Dwapar Yuga and the Kali Yuga. Without going into a lot of detail regarding the math that supports these ages, it is believed that the Satya Yuga lasted for 1,728,000 years, the Treta Yuga, for 1,296,000 years and the Dwapar for 864,000 years. It is also believed that we are now in the Kali Yuga. The Kali Yuga is to last for 432,000 years. At this time, Brahma will again slumber and our world (what we know of as our universe) will disappear from existence.

Meaning "Age of Vice", the Kali Yuga is characterized by strife, discord and contention. Evil and dishonesty has replaced the truth found in the Satya Yuga. In the Hindu Text, the Vishnu Purana - thought to be written somewhere between 800 and 300BCE - we find a detailed description of the Kali Yuga. Here are a few excerpts from this document.

"The minds of men will be wholly occupied in acquiring wealth; and wealth will be spent solely on selfish gratifications. Women will follow their inclinations, and be ever fond of pleasure. Men will fix their desires upon riches, even though dishonestly acquired."

"The kings of Kali Yuga will be addicted to corruption and will seize the property of their subjects. Then property and wealth alone will confer rank; falsehood will be the only means of success. Corruption will be the universal means of subsistence."

"Princes, instead of protecting, will plunder their subjects; and, under the pretext of levying customs, will rob merchants of their property. In the Kali age everyone who has cars and elephants and steeds will be a Rj: everyone who is feeble will be a slave."

Based on society today, it seems as if we are well into the energy dynamics of the Kali Yuga.

Prophecies derived from the Book of Revelation in the Bible have also provided ammunition to the 2012 debate. Talk about Earth changes, the 4 Horsemen of the Apocalypse and the Anti-Christ have added fuel to the fire of this already hot debate.

A number of theories have emerged to explain what will happen at the end of the Mayan calendar. The outcome (according to supporters) fall into two major camps. These camps are as different from each other as day and night. The most popular theories promoted are apocalyptic in nature. They foretell of dramatic events which will virtually wipe mankind off of the face of the earth. If I had to pick from these scenarios, the most likely outcome would be that we would blow ourselves up. Nuclear weapons, a troubled economy and the growing threat of terrorism, all add to the stress and pressure governments face. It only requires one badly played card before we are all potentially toast.

Other popular theories include the Rapture which is found in the Book of Revelation. According to this theory, the Rapture begins with "the saved" being taken up and off the Earth. In the movie "Left Behind", these individuals just disappear, leaving the unworthy behind. Once saved, Armageddon can begin in full force. A war between good and evil follows and finally Jesus, flying in on his cloud, will return to end the fighting. Associated with this theory (although not supported by fundamentalist Christians) is the belief that it is not Jesus who brings about the end of Armageddon, but aliens. It is these same aliens who transport the worthy off the planet and save them from Armageddon.

Additional end time theories include: the appearance of Planet-X (sometimes referred to as Niberu), solar winds, giant asteroids and even a magnetic poll shift. Each of these potential events could end life on this planet.

Switching theoretical sides, there are theories of a calmer and more transcendental nature. According to some, on December 21, 2012 our planet will enter into what is called the Galactic Alignment. This astronomical configuration is said to happen once every 26,000 years based upon the precession of the equinox. Due to this astrological configuration it has been said that our planet will be aligned with the center of the galaxy. This will cause our chakras (the energy centers within the body) to open, thus allowing the free flow of universal energy into our bodies.

Similar to this theory is that the beginning of a new calendar cycle will usher in a new age. It is often likened to the "Age of Aquarius" as a time of peace, love and understanding. This shift would not be instantaneous. Instead, changes to our consciousness and collective conscious would commence. This shift would lead to a new, better and harmonious life here on Earth. No one has identified how long this process would take, only that on December 21, it will have begun.

The final theory associated with 2012 is that of ascension. The Rapture describes saving individuals from an upcoming worldwide catastrophe. In this scenario, the person is present on Earth one minute and gone the next. Ascension theory is something like presented in the TV series "StarGate". The character Daniel Jackson ascends and becomes one with the Ancients. The concept of spiritual ascension is associated with a number of spiritual beliefs and practices. Through self transformation, we as humans would no longer need our physical bodies and will transcend into a higher plane of being. Proponents of this theory are unclear if ascension will happen December 21 or if it is the process of ascension will begin on that date. In any case, this one sounds pretty good to me.

The question I am most often asked when talking about 2012, is what will really happen to us. Based upon my research to date, this is what I have deduced. Starting bright and early on December 22, 2012 the sun will come up, we will rise from our slumber and we will begin a new grand and glorious day.

You might ask how I came to this conclusion? I am happy to share that information with you now.

Let's return to the Hopi Prophecies. According to their prophecies, it is the fulfillment of the identified events which will indicate the beginning of the Fifth World. Compelling as they are, like the prophecies of Nostradamus, we are left with the question... Are we making assumptions about their true meaning? What has been suggested as the fulfillment of the prophecies, is on face, value very persuasive but we will never know for sure.

There are also problems when you factor in the Hindu Yugas. The Kali Yuga is said to begin on the day Krishna died in 3100 BC. The 3100BC start date of the Kali Yuga does make you contemplate its connection with the dates given for this cycle in the Mayan Calendar. What many 2012 supporters do not tell you is that the Kali Yuga is identified as lasting for 432,000 years. If you subtract the number of years that have passed since the start of the Kali Yuga, we still have roughly 427,000 years to go until this Yuga ends - and the universe as we know it will disappear. The math does not add up to any time in 2012.

Over the centuries, prophecies derived from the Book of Revelation have been interpreted and re-interpreted to rationalize many of the difficult time periods we have encountered. Is the Book of Revelations talking about what is going on now? It could be. But it could also have been describing the emperor Nero who banished John, the author of Revelations, to Patmos. Over the years, this same text has been used to predict the end of the world numerous times.

Finally we come to the Mayan Calendar. The date of December 21, 2012 was determined by Sir J. Eric S. Thompson and is referred to as the Thompson Correlation. As you may recall, Thompson stated that the current Great Cycle commenced on August 13, 3114BC. This date has been generally accepted as the most likely start date of the cycle. However, Thompson is not the only one who has proposed a start date. If you add 1,872,000 days to some of the suggested alternative launch times, dates for the end of the Mayan Calendar have ranged from the year 1734 AD all the way through to the year 2532 AD.

As you can see, there really isn't anything that directly supports the December 21, 2012 date. It is really just a bunch of smoke and mirrors. The net effect has been that many of us are afraid of what may, or may not, happen on that date! If you are worried that the world is coming to an end, let it go. Take a deep breath and open yourself up to contemplating a bright future ahead. Before I go, I would like to ask each of you for one thing. When you open your eyes on the morning of December 22nd, think of me, this message and say thank you.

Copyright Body, Mind & SoulHealer - soulhealer.com 2011. All rights reserved.

Dr. Rita Louise, Ph D is a Naturopathic Physician, founder of the Institute Of Applied Energetics and the host of Just Energy Radio. Author of the books "Avoiding the Cosmic 2x4" and "The Power Within", it is her unique gift as a medical intuitive and professional clairvoyant that enlivens her work., Let Dr. Rita assist you bringing health, healing and wholeness back into your life. Visit http://www.soulhealer.com or listen live online to Dr. Rita on http://www.JustEnergyRadio.com.

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Are Your Past Lives Really In The Past?

When one considers that reincarnation is accepted in practically all religions including Christianity, Buddhism and Hinduism to name just a few, then we are forced to acknowledge the fact that the belief in past lives is extremely far reaching.

How many have thought that their past life could have anything to do with the present life? Alternatively, the knowledge of it being helpful now?

Past Life Regression is appealing to many people because they like the idea of learning who they were and what happened in their past lives. They do not realize that they can use this knowledge to change their present and future lives for the better.

This is not a figment of man's imagination. Scientific research vouches for actual improvement in one's present life if he or she indulges in such past life regression therapy.

Whether you decide on hypnosis sessions from a PLR expert or whether you opt for the self hypnosis method, it is always recommended that you set time aside to prepare your subconscious mind as well. Of course, the best way for you to teach your subconscious to accept these memories of past lives, is by including affirmation sessions.

There are things that are necessary for you to know and understand before trying Past Life Regression.

The past is hidden in the present. Therefore it influences the latter. PLR jogs past memories and brings them forefront.

Simply establishing the knowledge of a past life is not our aim. Instead, we need to use the information we can gather in order to make changes to this current life.

You can use your experiences in your past lives to make changes for the better in your present life. Knowledge of your past will help in your present and future life. You will learn from the mistakes of the past.

Some people however, for various reasons find it impossible to believe in reincarnation. However Past Life Regression can be of immense help in either changing your life for good or helping in avoidance of commission of big mistakes in present life even if you think that all the events you remember are merely the results of a fertile imagination.

Irrespective of what your own personal opinion is, most PLR experts will still recommend that you take part in Past Life Regression for two fundamental reasons.

*If what you learn from remembering your past life helps you to have a better life, this is because what you remembered was from a past life.

*You may believe that everything you remember is an active imagination, and that is okay. You can still experience a release that frees your mind; this could allow the creative process to flow and lead to health and success.

Please see below for the five fundamental benefits of Past Life Regression.

*Help in healing emotional traumas from the past that is causing chaos and havoc to our present lives.

*It helps in bringing about clarity of thought and decision making in our personality.

*PLR can help to prevent you from unintentionally making the same devastating mistakes you made in a past life. These lessons can of course be from minor mistakes to incredibly serious mistakes.

*By exploring your past lives you can bring out your hidden potential which is unrealized by you in the present. You may find skills and talents and other attributes that are hidden deep in your subconscious and discovering them may change your life in the present forever.

*You will have a better understanding of yourself and realize why you do the things you do. You will know why you have a certain personality or characteristic that was a mystery to you before.

All in all, you have nothing to lose by undergoing PLR therapy.

Look at the exciting world of past life regression with the popular http://www.past-lives-regression.com website. Discover for yourself about past life healing. Visit here and get your FREE video and audio DVD Package.

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Have You Ever Heard Of So Many Dead Fish?

Are things really going quite seriously wrong somewhere?

The 31st December 2010 saw a loss of over 5000 redwing blackbirds inside the town limits of Beebe Arkansas -then the evening of the 3rd saw a fall of blackbirds into the yard of a house in Gilberstville, Kentucky (which mirrored exactly a bird fall into a garden in England, March 2009), the 4th of January saw the loss of a further 500 redwings in Point Coupee, Louisiana and the following day 200 grey coots were found dead on a bridge along Highway 155 near Lake O' The Pines, Texas.

One incident doesn't stir me, it's not even going to get me away from the sports pages. But two incidents? Of the same bird, with the same injuries, with more deaths occurring almost daily? It's time to hit the research button.

Whilst seeking information for my previous articles about the death of birds across the U.S. and Europe, I've come across equally alarming stories from the fish world. Here is a brief precis of what has happened:

Brazil, 30th December 2010

Over 85 tons of fish of all species were found on the banks of the Lagoa Rodrigo de Frietas in the heart of Rio de Janeiro's Zona Sul, and adjacent to one of Rio's most exclusive neighborhoods, Ipanema and Leblon. Cause of death? Speculatively down to 'an overnight bloom' of algae that robbed the lake of its oxygen.

Arkansas, United States, January 3rd 2011

100,000 fish were found washed up dead on the banks of the Arkansas River by a tug boat operator. The dead fish stretched along nearly 20 miles of riverbank near the city of Ozark. The fact that approximately 95% of the fish were Drum fish (bottom feeders not highly prized by fishermen) has led local experts to point to disease amongst the species rather than the pollutants suspected by local residents. But the experts would say that wouldn't they?

Canada, January 4th 2011

Hundreds of dead Gizzard Shad fish were washed up on the shore at the north end of the St Clair River, close by the town of Sarnia, Ontario. Officials of the Ministry of Natural Resources are putting the mass die-off down to a one off natural event due to rises and falls in temperature. Rises and falls in temperature? C'mon, it's Canada in the winter!

Maryland, United States, January 5th 2011

An estimated 2 million juvenile Spotfish washed up dead on the sands of Chesapeake Bay. The first reports of dead fish came from Calvert County, near to the Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Plant (no worries there then), and rapidly spread along the bay to Annapolis, Sandy Point State Park, Poplar Island, the Honga River, and finally Dorchester County/Tangier Sound.

Cause of death is currently awaiting toxicology tests, but is believed to be from 'temperature change'.

England January 5th 2011

What was described as a 'deadly tide of crab corpses' were washed up along the coast, close by the Isle of Thanet. The velvet swimming crabs, known locally as devil crabs, are thought to be victims of a cold front that lowered the sea temperature. Which in anyone else's words would be - temperature change.

Over 40,000 crabs were washed ashore in the first event of its kind ever recorded in the U.K.

New Zealand, January 5th

Beachgoers at Little Bay and Waikaku Bay on the Coromandel Peninsula came across hundreds of Snappers dead on the tide line, on looking out to sea they saw many other dead fish being washed ashore. A group of boaters and surfers who were interviewed by the local press spoke of a 'carpet of dead Snappers' still out at sea.

One official put down the deaths to the fish starving because of,- wait for it - temperature changes. This was dismissed out of hand by local fishermen, who have noticed no change in conditions.

So what do you think? Mother Nature working her cruel magic, or something a tad more sinister?

Watch the Skies everyone, Watch the Skies.

Jeff is a keen researcher of the strange, mysterious and odd. To his knowledge he has never been abducted by aliens, nor has he ever seen Sasquatch in his headlights. But has seen some other pretty weird stuff though. There's enough mystery going on out there for all of us. We just have to look for it.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jeff_Pearson

Ghosts and Haunts - What Do Paranormal Researchers Really Know?

The attempt to distinguish one type of haunting from another is an incredibly difficult task for even the most seasoned Paranormal Investigator. After years of research, I can assure you of one thing; ghosts do not willfully come out of hiding to visit with us over coffee. As a matter of fact, the average specter seems to avoid confrontations with the living, tending to show themselves only when, where and how they want. Despite my greatest efforts, I have yet to define any clear method of enticing them out of hiding and into our presence. I don't know if they avoid interaction with us by their own choosing, their abilities or even due to the order of a higher being. Regardless, the difficulties we face when trying to understand the different types of ghosts and haunts we come across, is nothing compared to how difficult it is to talk about them in an intelligent way. Before we can have an honest conversation about ghosts, or any other topic for that matter, we must attempt to define what it is we are talking about and the following is my attempt to do just that. Please keep in mind that all of which you are about to read are my own thoughts and feelings about the matter. After all, when dealing with the supernatural there are no true facts - only a lot of speculation.

So, what exactly is a ghost? In my opinion, a ghost is the surviving, yet transformed energy of a human being after his or her physical body dies.

Let's talk briefly about the energy contained within the human body. Everything about us (both physiologically and psychologically) is possible, and controlled by, the electrical signals running throughout our bodies. This electricity is generated within the atoms from which we are built. Without it, we could not possibly exist. Consider also Einstein's formula: E=MC2, which basically says that energy can transform, but never dies. This fact is also supported by the Laws of Thermodynamics, which states that energy is always conserved; it cannot be created nor destroyed. In essence, energy can only be converted from one form into another.

Considering that the scientific community generally accepts these laws and theories as being factual, then the next obvious question is: What happens to all that electricity after our physical body ceases to exist? I believe that our energy detaches from the flesh and yet somehow continues to thrive. This may sound outrageous to some, but there is a mountain of evidence collected by thousands of Paranormal Investigators from all around the world to support the idea that our energy survives outside of our human body. The evidence also shows that our energy is capable of retaining our entire personality, including all of our thoughts, memories and desires. In some cases we even see evidence that we keep our temperament and sense of humor!

Now that you understand how I feel about the survival of our soul outside of our physical human body, allow me discuss what I believe happens after we die, and also some of the many ways we seem capable of interacting with the physical world after our departure.

Reincarnation: In some cases, I believe that our energy is reincarnated and will begin life anew inside the body of another human. How this takes place, I don't know, but I do believe it happens. I also believe that at our rebirth, we lose the conscious memories of our past. Where's my evidence to support such a notion? Well, the evidence is anecdotal at best, but there have been stories of Deja vu going back countless generations. Deja vu is the feeling that one has already seen or experienced a current situation, even though the exact circumstances of the earlier encounter are uncertain and perhaps even dreamt or imagined. In some cases, the experience is so distinct that the person may enter into a building they have never been and yet somehow know exactly where everything is within the house. Hypnotists have also been known to take people back to the past; so far in fact that the person believes that he or she has gone into a previous life; they call this, "Past Life Regression Hypnosis." Now, I know this isn't a lot of evidence to support my belief in reincarnation, but like I said before, this is my opinion, and that is all I have to offer.

Heaven: I also believe that once you have learned what is required of you here on Earth, you will be invited to "follow the light," and go directly to Heaven. What is Heaven? I don't know, I haven't seen it. But, based on the testimony of countess patients that have experienced the life after death phenomenon; I believe it is a place where your energy becomes a part of the eternal energy field that transcends time and space. At that time, you are no longer held down by the restraints of your physical body and you are free to live again without pain or stress. Everything is beautiful, everything is love and everything is eternal. Sounds too good to be true, doesn't it? Well, we are only human after all and to accept anything as perfect as what I just described goes against everything we have ever learned about life. Still, I truly believe in "Heaven" and I believe that it is every bit as awesome as the Bible describes.

Hell: I suppose that if one believes in Heaven, then we must also accept that there is a Hell. Hell is for the nastiest of bad people, and everything I have ever read about the place is horrific and ugly. I hope I never receive the opportunity to experience it. The funny thing is that most of the evidence we have recorded suggests that life after death is typically enjoyable. We might choose to believe that all the truly evil people of the world have already transcended to Hell, but the evidence suggests otherwise.

Haunts: If you don't go to Heaven or Hell, and you have not yet been reincarnated, then what? Well, at that point you may be in a place where you are stuck on Earth for a while. Maybe you are awaiting your judgment, or there is just a long line at checkout and you don't want to get in it yet. While waiting for the right time, you may attempt to interact with the natural world, and if your interaction is successful, then you will in effect be the source of a place being considered haunted. There are many types of haunts to discuss, and many "titles" assigned to them, however, let me assure you that no matter what you read elsewhere; none of us can claim any of this as factual. It is merely the interpretations of our knowledge combined with our own personal experiences described the best way we know how.

Intelligent Haunting: The belief that when a person dies, his or her spirit leaves the human body and for reasons unknown, remains earthbound. There are many theories about why the disembodied soul of a dead person doesn't leave, (unfinished business, doesn't know that he or she is dead, etc.) but who really knows? There are a few things we focus on as we attempt to find if the haunting is the result of a discarnate Soul: the ghost will be interactive, intelligent, and he or she may attempt to communicate with us.

Residual: This is the belief that an event is so intense that it leaves an impression on the scene, (similar to the way a sound is recorded onto the surface of a magnetic tape in a tape recorder). Otherwise known as an "Impression on the Location" or the "Stone Tape Theory," the replaying of the impression is triggered when any varieties of conditions are met, (daily, weekly, yearly, every time it rains, anniversaries, full-moon, etc.). At times, witnesses have described these types of haunts as including anything from vehicles, buildings, machinery, etc. There are a few things we look for before we will classify a haunting as residual: the ghost is not interactive, and seems oblivious to our presence at the site, and he or she will not attempt to communicate with us.

Poltergeist: Poltergeist is a German word that combines the verb "Poltern" which means to make noise, rumble or knock, and the word "Geist" which indicates a Ghost or Spirit. Therefore, a Poltergeist is a noisy Ghost, rumbling Spirit, or any of the like. In the Paranormal world, we refer to a Poltergeist as a spirit or ghost that is able to interact with our physical world by moving objects, making noises, throwing things, etc. So, in order for us to give a ghost the title of "Poltergeist" during a haunting investigation, we would expect the ghost to be noisy and potentially disruptive.

Most paranormal phenomena is classified using one of those 3 types of ghosts and haunts, however, there are other possibilities to consider.

Time Slip: The "time slip" is very much like the residual haunting in that the ghost does not interact with us. However, the theory suggests that the person isn't seeing a "recording" per se, but instead they are actually looking through a "window in time", and seeing the event as it is unfolding in the past. I can't disprove the "time slip", but I can't say that I have ever seen any evidence to support it either. Therefore, I will remain highly skeptical of this theory.

Hallucination: Drugs, alcohol, extreme fatigue and physical or mental illness can all cause hallucinations in people. When a person experiences a hallucination, he or she becomes fully engulfed in the images, odors and/or sounds as though they were truly happening. This is why we as researchers of the paranormal should always question people about their mental and physical well-being, as well as any use of drugs and/or alcohol prior to performing any paranormal investigation.

Imagination: Some people, (especially ghost hunters at times) want to experience a haunting so intensely that they interpret every unusual sound, smell or visual anomaly they come across as being supernatural. Unlike hallucinations, the person doesn't actually see, smell or hear anything paranormal; they simply jump to false conclusions and quite often do not even attempt to debunk the experience.

Colliding Dimensions: This is way over my head, and the heads of almost everyone I know in the field of paranormal research, but it is at least worthy of brief mention. Basically, the colliding dimensions theory suggests that ghosts are entities from another dimension that has collided with our own. The idea is that our dimension is surrounded by other dimensions. Occasionally, a ripple in the universe causes two dimensions to collide with each other and for that brief period, we are able to see people, "on the other side".

Thought Projection: The thought projection theory suggests that some apparitions could be the result of another being, living or dead, actually projecting their thoughts psychically into the minds of others. The result is very much like a hallucination; however, several people bear witness to it at the same time. Personally, I have no evidence, nor have I ever seen any credible evidence to substantiate such a notion.

Astral Projection: Also know as an out-of-body experience, many people believe that they are capable, either deliberately or spontaneously, to astral project themselves out of their own body. I am one of them; having experienced what I believe were out-of-body events twice as a young boy. I think about stories of people seeing their loved one at home, only to find out later the person they saw was still overseas fighting in a war. The question I ask is; did that person actually see the astral body of the man, or was it simply a matter of an over active imagination or hallucination? I think any of the three are possible, but without the ability to test this extremely rare occurrence, we may never really know.

Angelic or Demonic: It is easy to get wrapped up in the religious arguments that are sure to arise when people discuss angels and demons. In its simplest form, most people associate a good spirit as angelic, where-as the demonic spirit represents evil. The Hebrew Bible, the New Testament and the Quran, all refer to Angels as being the messengers of God. Catholic theology refers to demons as being like the devil, and often refers to them as fallen-angels or evil spirits.

Having discussed all these types of ghosts and haunts, we haven't even begun to cover things like shadow people, Doppelganger, and the like. The list goes on and on, and no matter how much time I dedicate to this article, there will always be those people who insist that I missed out on the opportunity to discuss some very important types of ghosts and/or haunts. Frankly, I just don't see the point in spending any more time giving credence to that with which we cannot offer any evidence for.

I guess my point is this; a lot of the paranormal investigations we undergo result in us finding perfectly natural explanations for the phenomenon our clients were experiencing. There are times, however, where there is no logical explanation for the phenomena that is occurring and we end up with no option except to consider the location haunted. Once we show that, then we can look to see if the evidence we collected supports that a ghost was attempting to interact with us. If so, then we will describe it as being an intelligent haunting by the disembodied soul of a deceased person. If there is no clear interaction noted, then we will consider it residual, and finally, if we experience kinetic activity at the site along with unexplained noises, then we will consider it the result of a poltergeist type haunting.

For now, that is about the best we can do. No matter how much time we devote to the field of parapsychology and paranormal research, we must understand that we do not have the technology, gadgets or wisdom we need to help us decipher why a spirit is haunting any particular place. To suggest otherwise would be ridiculous. Perhaps, the day will come when we do, but until that time, the best we can hope for is to do our research, conduct our investigations, review our evidence and use our knowledge and common sense to give you our best "opinions" on the subject.

Nothing more.... Nothing less.

FindersCreepers is a non-profit group based in central Oklahoma that specializes in paranormal research, ghost hunting and haunting investigations. The Founder of the team, Tim Doyon is a highly educated Paranormal Investigator with a certification in parapsychology. Over the years, Tim has experienced many different types of paranormal phenomena while investigating haunted locations throughout the Sooner state and has set out on a mission to help anyone in need of our extraordinary services.

You can view more articles dealing with parapsychology and other paranormal phenomena by visiting our website located at: http://www.finderscreepers.org

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