Monday, October 31, 2011

Atlantis, Lemuria and Mu Continents of Mystery

Throughout history, people have tended to look back toward an exclusive age of perfection; a time when human achievements were greater, lives were happier and the world was generally a better place.

In religious terms, this often meant a time when the gods lived upon the earth. In secular terms, it has led to theories of prehistoric civilizations whose technologies exceeded, or at least equaled, that of the modern world.

Because none of these early civilizations left conclusive, visible remains, the theories concerning them have to explain their almost total disappearance. Most have done so by locating them on continents that subsequently sank beneath the oceans, never to be found again.

Personally, I feel that all things, including civilizations are cyclical. And that man has reached high degrees of science, civilization and religion many times in the past only to have them destroyed. I believe we have had many "Golden Ages" in the past and will again in the future.

Atlantis:
There are three principal lost continents of the past. Atlantis, located in the Atlantic Ocean, has attracted the widest belief. Stories about Atlantis were recorded by Plato (c428-347 BC), his Timea/Crimea. These stories have held the popular imagination ever since. Plato, a Greek philosopher, described Atlantis as an advanced civilization, which was destroyed because it over stepped it bounds and became evil.

A number of authors during the nineteenth century, wrote extensively on the subject. They featured many religious, occult (great use of "mind power" doing the work that our machines do today) and anthropological theories. Today research suggests that historical references to Atlantis may have come from a civilization based on the Mediterranean coast line.

Lemuria:
The second continent, Lemuria may have been the original Garden of Eden. Some theories say it was located in the Indian Ocean and some that it was in the Pacific. The British zoologist Philip Sclater and the German biologist E.H. Haeckel called the continent "Lemuria" after the lemur, which is found in Africa, India and Malaysia.

Life on Lemuria was generally held not to have reached the advanced civilization of Atlantis. Helena Blavatsky and Rudolf Steiner believed Atlanteans were descended from the Lemurians.

The third principal lost continent, Mu, was located in the Pacific Ocean, according to discoverer, Colonel James Churchward, it boasted a highly advanced civilization that was destroyed by natural causes.

A slightly different set of theories places such lost civilizations "inside" the Earth, which is said to be hollow, with openings at the ends.

There is the Hawaiian Huna belief, the theory of "Ancient Astronauts", by Erich von Daniken in his book "Chariots of the Gods"(1971). This theory holds that in ancient times extraterrestrial beings visited Earth, possibly mating with humans and teaching them astonishing advanced technological and esoteric knowledge.

This would explain the extraordinarily sophisticated early feats of construction and engineering - such as the Egyptian pyramids.

Although this theory is scoffed at by many, there are ancient depictions of beings who appear to be wearing space suits (for example in the Val Camonica Cave paintings in Italy). They can be seen in Europe, Africa and South America as well.

Brightest of Blessings,
Lory

Lory Woortman is a writer, water color artist and garden designer. Lory is interested in the study of quantum physics, Norse Myths and Religion. She lives in a small country town in North East Pennsylvania with her writer husband, Ellis and her little dog Dixie. Lory has a blog and written many articles that are "Free," pertaining to Norse Mythology, Shamanism, Runes and Quantum Physics.

http://mistressofenchantment.blogspot.com/

http://www.olevikingshop.builderspot.com/

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


Sunday, October 30, 2011

Myths and Mythology - Atlantis

In 360 B.C. Plato writes in Critias (which is a discussion among Socrates, Timaeus,
Hermocrates, and one Critias) that a group of divine beings in ancient times, "the
gods of the nations," had divided up rule over the earth amongst themselves:
"In the days of old the gods had the whole earth distributed among them by
allotment. There was no quarrelling; for you cannot rightly suppose that the gods
did not know what was proper for each of them to have, or, knowing this, that they
would seek to procure for themselves by contention that which more properly belonged to others. They all of
them by just apportionment obtained what they wanted, and peopled their own districts; and when they had
peopled them they tended us, their nurselings and possessions, as shepherds tend their flocks, excepting only
that they did not use blows or bodily force, as shepherds do, but governed us like pilots from the stern of the vessel,
which is an easy way of guiding animals, holding our souls by the rudder of persuasion according to their
own pleasure; thus did they guide all mortal creatures."

In this Greek version of the legend, the mighty god Poseidon (Neptune in Roman mythology) was given the
island-continent of Atlantis. Poseidon, Greek god of the sea and founder of Atlantis, was one of a triad of the
most powerful Greek deities: Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades (Roman: Jupiter, Neptune, and Pluto).
Critias continues, giving a fairly detailed description of Poseidon's allotted lands:
"I have before remarked in speaking of the allotments of the gods, that they distributed the whole earth into
portions differing in extent, and made for themselves temples and instituted sacrifices. And Poseidon, receiving
for his lot the island of Atlantis, begat children by a mortal woman, and settled them in a part of the island,
which I will describe. Looking towards the sea, but in the centre of the whole island, there was a plain which
is said to have been the fairest of all plains and very fertile. Near the plain again, and also in the centre of the
island at a distance of about fifty stadia (2.5 nautical miles), there was a mountain not very high on any side.
In this mountain there dwelt one of the earth born primeval men of that country, whose name was Evenor, and
he had a wife named Leucippe, and they had an only daughter who was called Cleito. The maiden had already
reached womanhood, when her father and mother died; Poseidon fell in love with her and had intercourse with
her."

"Cleito bore Poseidon five pairs of twin male children; and dividing the island of Atlantis into ten portions,
he gave to the first-born of the eldest pair his mother's dwelling and the surrounding allotment, which was the
largest and best, and made him king over the rest; the others he made princes, and gave them rule over many
men and large territories. And he named them all; the eldest, who was the first king, he named Atlas, and after
him the whole island and the ocean were called Atlantic."

Atlas, in the Greek myths, was a Titan, one of the original deities who ruled over Earth before the Olympian
gods (Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, etc.) overthrew them and took supremacy over Earth. The Titans of the Greek myths
were giants of great stature that ruled mankind during the Golden Age of mankind, during the rule of Kronos
and the Titans. This race of man was created by Prometheus and lived in peace and harmony, blessed with the
fruits of the earth which grew freely in a garden of Eden-like paradise. However, all was not perfect in Paradise,
as the Titans were jealous of their privileges and refused to devolve any power to the younger generations of
gods. Zeus led the lesser gods in rebellion, and after a violent ten-year war, the Titans were overthrown and cast
into Tartaros (the Greek word for hell or the abyss). We find a similar record in 2 Peter 2:4: "God spared the
angels when they sinned, casting them into hell and committed them to pits of nether gloom to be kept until the
judgment...."

The myths have some support in biblical tales. Angels or gods once intermingled with earthly forms and beings.
This mingling produced offspring that were giants. It also lowered the vibrations and consciousness of the
angelic, godly ones, catching them in the evolution of matter, casting a veil between their vast universal mind
and their now terrestrial mind.

In Genesis 6:4-8 we find this passage: "The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward,
when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men, and they bore children to them. These were the mighty
men that were of old, the men of renown. The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth,
and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the LORD was sorry that
he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. So the LORD said, 'I will blot out man whom I
have created from the face of the ground, man and beast and creeping things and birds of the air, for I am sorry
that I have made them.' But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD."

Again in 2 Peter 2:5 we find: "God did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a herald of righteousness,
with seven other persons, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly."

Cayce's readings of the Akashic record tell us that the Great Flood occurred over a long period of time, beginning
around 50,000 B.C. and ending around 10, 014 B.C. By 10,014 B.C. Lemuria, Mu, Oz, Og, On, and Atlantis
were gone, and a new world was being repeopled. Gone were the Nephilim, Titans, and ancient gods and angels.
The age of humanity was to begin, and according to Cayce, the hard "journey up through selfishness" was to
begin. These would be low, terrestrial times of much struggle and suffering. The times of the curse of Eden. But
someday, all would rise again, cleaned, purified, and renewed. Souls from Lemuria and Atlantis would return,
bringing with them all the wonders of those glorious times before the fall.

John Van Auken is a Director at the Association for Research and Enlightenment. He is considered an expert in spirituality [http://edgarcayce.org/personalspirituality/], reincarnation, ancient mysteries, and rejuvenation of the body, dream work, meditation, prophecy, mysticism, and Edgar Cayce [http://www.edgarcayce.org] concepts.

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



Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Legend of the Chinese Dragon - The Dragon and the Wuxing!

What or Who is the Chinese Dragon? Are they real, human, animal(s), people, mythical or extant? And why haven't they got wings?

Chinese Dragon Year (2012-13) will soon be upon us and 'knowing the Dragon' in advance might help us through this. Such Years, like that beginning Jan 24th 2012, are usually auspicious for Martial Artists and others 'in-tune' with Dragon Year Energies. Life at loggerheads with these energies, conversely, may be difficult, fractious and frustrating during this period. To attune to Dragon Year Energies requires increased 'Lung-learning' (plus Year Element Water-wisdom) in advance.

The Chinese Character ' Lung'/Dragon

Chinese characters often incorporate graphic insights into their actual meaning and 'lung' is no exception.'Lung' depicts a human figure. If you look carefully at the Chinese Character for 'Dragon' see her/him, complete with Chinese-style hat standing next to something looking suspiciously like a feather or 'wing'! Lung, here is the human who does Kung Fu: he flies (as in jumping--flying kicks) via will-power--hence we don't have any wings--we don't need 'em to fly.

Yin/Yang

The Yang Dragon also rules and tops the universal hierarchy. Have you noticed a vast, golden, roaring Flying Dragon (the rising Sun) in the East dominating the sky lately? Its Yin equivalent the Crimson Phoenix/Red Bird is the Sun at its height, in the South, at mid-day.

Lung Leads at Number 5

Number 5 is the number of the Dragon: he tops the Wuxing/5 Animals rankings. Number 5 in the 12-Year 'Ghanzi' Animal Cycle,Dragon Year is a high point within it. Humble (no legs) Snake in following Year 6, begins a symbolic evolutionary journey ending, 12 months later, with Lung's reappearance. The Shaolin Maxim: 'Do not despise the humble Snake, one-day he may become a strong and mighty Dragon!' deserves meditation.

5 Animals/ Elements Wuxing

The 'Wuxing' 5 Animals in Ascending Order are: Snake, Crane, Leopard, Tiger, Dragon (1). Sometimes Mantis or Eagle replace the Leopard at no.3, but the middle 'bridging' animal must demonstrate a high power-to-weight ratio to justify its correspondence to the Meta lElement in 5 Elements Wuxing, The Leopard is ideal for this position being stronger pound-for-pound than even the Tiger but not big enough to defeat his striped superior. Lung, however, tops and rules all.

5 Element Wuxing equivalents are: Earth, Water, Metal, Fire and Wood. Wood the (the only 'living' Element) 5, corresponds to the Dragon in this system, and both symbolise 'Spirit'. Feng Shui, too emphasises Dragon/Wood/ Spirit links, locating both in the East, the direction associated with Spirit. Feng Shui, incidentally, uses 4 Animals, the Centre being occupied by the Feng Shui practitioner: Green Dragon in the East (prime position), Red Bird/ Crimson Phoenix in the South, White Tiger in the West, and Black Warrior in the North (this is a composite image comprising a Tortoise with a Snake coiling around its carapace).

Feng Shui Consultant Peter Allsop M.Ed. also publishes 'Red Dragon Martial Arts Ezine'. Longevity Training, Iron Shirt, 5 Elements Qigong, Daoism, Chinese metaphysics and Astrology feature among his interests alongside gem and crystal Feng Shui.
Explore the free resources at http://www.sheffieldkungfu.com
Senior Student of GrandmasterYap Leong, Peter also teaches Shaolin Kung Fu and Qigong in Yorkshire and Derbyshire U. K. as Shaolin Fists International Area Instructor for the region.

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



The History and Hauntings of the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum

The Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum has been deemed as the most haunted hospital in America. This particular hospital has also been referred to as "Weston State Hospital" in the past. Located in the vast country area of Weston, West Virginia this structure housed individuals who experienced mental illnesses of several different types in the middle of the 1800's. In addition to being noted for the role it played in the lives of several individuals who required care and the medical community on the whole, there are a number of true ghost stories circulating about this establishment. Here, I will share with you some of the exciting information about the most haunted hospital in America, the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum.

The History of Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum

The history of Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum is actually quite long and extensive. This history seems to be quite relevant to the unexplained phenomenon and real ghost stories that circulate today about the facility. The original construction of the building that would serve as a home to several individuals suffering from psychiatric conditions began in the year of 1858. By the year of 1881, construction had been completed. However, despite continuing efforts to construct the building, in the year of 1864, this hospital allowed the first patients to enter.

The hospital was suitable for a number of about two hundred and fifty patients. Unfortunately, as the facility gained popularity, more and more individuals were pushed to reside there. By the 1950's, the hospital had become severely overcrowded with an astonishing number of patients - reaching nearly two thousand, five hundred! Naturally, due to the crowding that was being experienced the care of the patients quickly began to decline. In the year of 1994, it was established that the hospital could not operate any longer. The closure wrecked havoc on the economy of the community in which it resided. To date, the financial loss still burdens the community.

When Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum first opened, it was a direct result of the efforts of a lady by the name of Dorothea Dix. She saw the need for an area where individuals who were considered to be "insane" could be placed so that they were not locked away in prisons with dangerous convicts, and treated with a high disregard. It was her belief that the people plagued with psychiatric illnesses should have rights, and the ability to receive proper care. However, during the 1800's, most people who suffered from diseases of the mind were treated like nothing more than wild animals. In later years, an individual by the name of Thomas Kirkbride would come to agree with the ideas that Dorothea Dix presented, and the approval of the facility would be granted.

The following is a quote that Ms. Dix issued about who she was, and what she wanted to see: "I come as the advocate of helpless, forgotten, insane men and women; of beings sunk to a condition from which the unconcerned world would start with real horror" (Taken from the website for the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum as quoted by Dorothea Dix).

The Hauntings of the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum

Many unexplained events have been witnessed in this hospital. These events are the things that led individuals to develop the theory that it was a haunted hospital. Now, based on all of the encounters that various guests and employees have experienced, this has been deemed as one of the scariest places on Earth! The following details some of the paranormal events and unexplained phenomenon experienced in the most haunted hospital of Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum:
1. There have been several hundred individuals who passed away in this haunted hospital. Many people who have visited the asylum believe that the majority of the souls of these people have been left behind. Conversations, noises of people moving about, and other sounds have been heard throughout this facility in order to confirm this.

2. Many people have claimed that they have seen full and partial body apparitions within the walls of this particular most haunted hospital.

3. People who have visited this hospital have captured ghost pictures and ghost videos that indicate that there is a strong presence in the facility - possibly numerous presences.

If you are seeking to uncover the truth behind the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum, there are several tours offered. Bring some friends, a camera, and even a video recorder and capture spooks of your own!

To read about more of the most haunted places in America check out Haunted Places To Go!

http://www.haunted-places-to-go.com

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



Mental Illness and the Early Insane Asylums - A Shameful Past

Originally in the later part of the Middle Ages, insane asylums were built to remove the mentally ill people from the streets. These unfortunate people were feared and viewed with horror by most of the population of the time. The asylums created were really prisons and not centers for treatment. The inmates were chained and the rooms were dark and filthy dungeons. The "patients" were treated like animals, not humans.

Later on in history, in Paris 1792 an experiment was conducted. The chains were removed from the inmates which was a big deal at that time. Much to the amazement of the skeptics this experiment on the "animals" was a success! A different attitude was now starting to emerge towards the treatment of the mentally ill. The inmates were removed from their filthy dungeons and given clean, sunny rooms. They were treated with kindness and not like wild animals by the staff. The result was that many ill folks who were considered hopelessly crazy recovered and were even able to leave the asylum!

But the treatments used to try and cure the mentally ill were horror stories out of a horror flick. These "treatments" were actually forms of torture that were believed to help bring the patient back to reality. One early treatment was the branding of a patient's head with a red hot iron to "bring the animal to his senses". An English treatment of the earlier nineteenth century involved using a rotating device in which the afflicted person was placed and then whirled around at a high speed. Even as late as the nineteenth century another similar "treatment" device was used. This one swung the mentally ill person around while he was in a harness. This treatment supposedly "calmed the nerves".

Then in 1904 there was a breakthrough in mental illness science. Syphilis spirochete was discovered and shown that there could be a physical cause for mental illness. Then, Sigmund Freud and his followers came along and suggested that environmental factors could be the cause of mental disorders. But it seems that even with these new scientific breakthroughs and different ways of viewing mental illness, the general population of the early 1900's still thought of mentally ill people living in asylums with fear, horror and even hatred. There still was no real understanding of this terrible illness.

But in 1908 an amazing thing happened. A mentally ill person named Clifford Beers recovered from his mental illness. He published a book called "A Mind That Found Itself". He was diagnosed with manic-depressive psychosis and was institutionalized for three years. The earlier forms of torture, branding, "spinning" and others were abandoned at this time only to be replaced by overcrowded hospitals, poor food, strait jackets and sadistic and uncaring attendants. These elements made the "hospitals" unpleasant places to live in, let alone to try and recover in.

Clifford Beers described his experiences in the insane asylums. He helped educate the public about the principles of mental health. His single-handed efforts to educate the public about mental illness, along with using his book helped to make the public aware of the disease and to help understand it. Soon the National Committee for Mental Hygiene was organized. Then in 1950 the committee joined with two other groups and formed the National Association for Mental Health.

Of course nowadays we have a much better understanding of mental health and mental illnesses. New drugs and treatments are always being discovered. Looking back in time, it sure is hard to believe that the understanding of this illness was so limited and the accepted treatments were so barbaric. But today, with our advanced drugs, technology and treatments we are able to help the mentally ill successfully recover in many cases and lead healthy, normal lives. Maybe one day science will discover the answers as to what causes mental illness in the first place and find us a sure and permanent cure.

To learn about how to enhance your lifestyle and improve your mental health please visit www.powersofhypnosis.com [http://www.powersofhypnosis.com]

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



Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Saint Joseph of Cupertino - The Flying Saint

Joseph begins to Levitate

Joseph returned to the Monastery at Grotella after his ordination. As soon as he entered, he ran to the Image of Our Lady to thank her for intervening for him, worthless and least of all her sons. During his first Mass, at the moment of consecration, when he touched Our Lord in the Holy Eucharist, he was so overcome with his unworthiness that he begged the Lord to purify his heart and cleanse his hands of all impurity. Each day, after his work was done, Joseph would steal away to a tiny room or remote hideaway. As he meditated on the Lord and the real world above, he would become engulfed in ecstasy and find himself levitating in mid-air. The brothers later testified at his Beatification, his ecstasies and levitations recurred so frequently, Father Joseph was not allowed to take part in spiritual exercises with the other brothers or walk in processions, lest he disturb the proceedings.

Father Joseph's life, through his own design, became more and more austere, as he deprived himself of all eating utensils and all but one poor garment. Throwing himself before the Crucifix, he cried, "Look upon me, Lord; I am divested of all things; Thou art my only good; I regard all else as a danger and ruin to my soul." The Lord's response was to take away all His consolation from Father Joseph, plunging him into the Dark Night of the Soul. His agony became so unbearable one day, he cried out in anguish, the cry of his Savior before him, "My Lord, why hast Thou forsaken me?" A religious appeared to Joseph, someone he had never seen before. He handed him a new habit. Upon donning it, suddenly Joseph was no longer alone; he could feel the presence of his heavenly companions. Who was this stranger? Was he an Angel? Father Joseph believed so.

Father Joseph chastised his body through means of mortification to tame and empty it of all earthly consolation, so he could be free to accept the graces poured down upon him by the Holy Spirit. During his priesthood, he felt so keenly the responsibility and the privilege of his vocation that he ate no bread for five years, drank no wine for ten years, and subsisted on herbs, dried fruits and beans flavored with the most bitter powder. One of the brothers tasting it, later testified that he got so sick to his stomach, for days all food made him nauseous. Joseph fasted almost unceasingly, observing 7 fasts of 40 days each (280 days), the same fast observed by his founder Saint Francis before him, eating no food on Thursdays and Sundays. Living solely on the Eucharist, after receiving his Lord, color would return to his face and renewed strength to his weakened body.

Saint Joseph soared with the Angels

One time the Lord would come and rest in Fr. Joseph's arms. Another time the Saints would come and share the awe and wonder of Paradise. Angels would appear to him, and bring him comfort and consolation from Heaven. But wherever the Heavenly Army of Angels is, the fallen angels are close by, ready to do mischief. One day when a religious was placing a girdle, blessed by Fr. Joseph, around a possessed man in an attempt to exorcise Satan from him, he heard the evil one say, "If you knew the virtue of this friar (Father Joseph) and how pleasing his soul is to God, you would be astonished. I must acknowledge this because God forces me to speak. Friar Joseph is the worst foe we have."

The enemy attacked Fr. Joseph relentlessly. He was praying before the Tomb of Saint Francis in the crypt of the Basilica of Saint Francis in Assisi, when the devil blew out all the candles in the church and proceeded to beat Joseph. All of a sudden, the demon saw Saint Francis emerging from his tomb carrying a candle, and needless to say, he fled! The devil never stopped trying to do Father Joseph in. He tried everything; he tried to drown him; he tried to kill him by running him through with a sword; he tried to destroy him by gossip. But the Lord Who is Almighty is far mightier than that sucker.

Saint Joseph the Miracle Worker

Whenever there was a need for food, the cupboard quite bare, Fr. Joseph would pray, place his hands upon what little there was to eat, and what came about was the multiplication of honey, bread, wine and whatever food there was before him. At other times he simply called upon his Lady to intercede and behold, food miraculously increased. He would place his cap on a blind man's head and his sight was restored. The lame and the crippled walked after they kissed the Crucifix Joseph held out to them. During the plague which claimed many lives, he blessed a poor soul burning up with fever, making the sign of the Cross on his forehead; the fever immediately dropped, and his temperature returned to normal. With the sign of the Cross, St. Joseph brought the dead back to life.

An arrogant nobleman contemptuously challenged Fr. Joseph: "Impious hypocrite, it is not you, but the religious habit you wear that I respect and because of it, I trust that if you make the sign of the Cross on my wound, it will heal." Cheerfully, Joseph humbly agreed with the nobleman that what he said was absolutely true and wise. Then he blessed the nobleman's wound, whereupon it was completely healed.

Bob and Penny Lord are renowned Catholic authors and television hosts on EWTN, Global Catholic television. They are prolific writers about the Catholic faith, especially the Saints. Read more about Saint Joseph of Cupertino at http://bobandpennylord.com/St_Joseph_of_Cupertino.htm.

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Monday, October 24, 2011

What is a Water Witch Or a Divining Rod?

A divining rod is a Y shaped stick that is used to indicate the presence of water in an area. This is also called water divining or water witch stick. The person, who uses the stick, holds the stick firmly and starts walking slowly. If the stick twitches or jerks, then there could be an indication that water is present there. That is why it is very important to hold the divining stick very firmly.

There is another way to perform water divining also. Some people use the pendulum because it is much easier. They will hold the pendulum in one place rather than walk across the field. The pendulum starts swinging to the direction of water and the swinging will be more vigorous as you approach the place where there is water.

Water divining is used to locate a source of fresh ground water. People who build houses or building need a source of fresh water. It is impossible to find the exact location of digging for water. If you have to use a trial and error method, then it could get very expensive and also time consuming.

There is no exact science that explains how these divining rods work and base don what methodology. Some proponents of the science believe that the rod has its own divine power and can identify water under the ground. Some people believe that the knowledge of the presence of water may be present at subconscious levels in the person and they are invoking it.

About Author:
Pauline Go is an online leading expert in the fortune telling industry. She also offers top quality tips like:
Scorpio Women Traits, Characteristics of Sagittarius

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Do Modern Militaries Have Thought Control Weapons?

Many folks think that the thought control weapons do not exist and that they are a fictional story which shows up in Sci Fi movies and books, others blow it off as the topic of conspiracy theorists. Sure, all that is perhaps true too, but in this modern age of technology, you cannot tell me that such things do not exist to some degree right?

The reality is, that it is very easy to play around with frequencies and the human bio-system brain, etc. after all that's how the body operates, how biorythms work together, brain waves, nerve firings, which is why stun-guns work too, disrupting the nerve firings. I think it's kind of funny that anyone would debate the ability to do these things, or attempt to hide the research or classify it, maybe they just didn't want to call attention to themselves, I guess I don't blame them in that case.

The reason I say this is that if you go online and start looking up "thought control weapons" you find that all of the old studies have vanished, and no longer exist, but I assure there were plenty of papers on this topic which I'd read online in the mid-90s and prior to 911.

Today, the research that is easily accessible goes into every along the same lines of research, and it would be incompetent for the military not to do research on these things. And if the Military did experiments with LSD and the like, you know they would have tried every possible combination of frequencies to test the behavior for military purposes. I just do not see how anyone could deny that, regardless of the removed research papers on the Internet.

Anyway, I'd say the evidence is overwhelming, so I can't let anyone off the hook in challenging me on this one. Nevertheless, I am not a conspiracy theorist, I even enjoy coming up with conspiracy theories just for fun and entertainment, things to write about, so it's easy to spot the baloney, misdirection, etc.

For those in the intelligence community, which has grown at a staggering rate in the last 10-years, which now has some 700,000 plus people with security clearances, obviously they know all the little tricks of the trade which go on, and have heard enough rumors from people they know and trust, in the area there, well so have I, so let's not kid ourselves, and without passing judgment on this topic.

Meanwhile, at least for me, I really care more about the science here, because we can use what's known to fight wars, end battles, and get the enemy to turn and run, drop their weapons, start fighting themselves, fall asleep, or start fornicating or whatever the heck else we choose and boy, that sure beats dropping gas-air-weapons on them, and it also makes sense to stop riots from getting out of hand too. These abilities, techniques, non-lethal weapons, are useful plain and simple, even if the Electronic Freedom Foundation or various groups decry it. And it's probably not just the good ole' boys like Vannevar Bush, Timothy Leary, et al - way back when who did such experiments, especially since today - well, we know so much more right?

There are also weapons which cause hiding enemy war fighters to ramp up their aggression and come out of hiding guns blazing, then we shoot them, we also use megaphones challenging their manhood, calling them chicken etc, to cause them to come out and challenge, then the opposing force just shoots them. It was a common tactic in Gulf War I and II, so please consider all this.

Lance Winslow has launched a new provocative series of eBooks on Future Concepts. Lance Winslow is a retired Founder of a Nationwide Franchise Chain, and now runs the Online Think Tank; http://www.worldthinktank.net

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Friday, October 21, 2011

Are All End Of The World Predictions Pointing Towards 2012?

It is a known fact that a majority of the end of the world predictions these days are pointing towards the 21st of December, 2012. Our current world on the planet Earth is expected to come to an end on that day. Regarding the events on 12.21.12, a lot of people across the globe have speculated different scenarios. Apart from the speculations there are also several prophecies pointing towards that day as well.

It is the Mayan calendar that serves as a source for all the rumors regarding the actual date of the end of the world, as December 21, 2012. This predictions is believed to be absurd by a lot of people since it was centuries ago that the Mayan civilization ceased to exist. Astronomy and mathematics were the two incredible skills possessed by the Mayans.

Apart from the 3500 years long calendar that was created by them, they also created a mathematical calculator. Checking against the activities in the heavens with the use of this calculator allows the experts of today to determine the date of the end of the Mayan calendar. A pattern for accurate predictions has been set by these people.

The fact that the 21st of December is falling on the winter solstice or the equinox marking the beginning of winter, makes it even more significant. Since the 21st of December is also the date of the beginning of the Age of Aquarius therefore it has gained furthermore impact.

The fact that the end of the world is most likely has also been agreed upon by Nostradamus. A warning that the earth will be impacted by a comet and massive flooding will be caused was given by Nostradamus. This is the scenario where Plant X, Nibiru, Ersis and Marduk come in. This astronomical body has been given many names but the fact remains that once every 3600 years it comes close the solar system. Climatic changes, increased seismic activity and volcanic eruptions are some the effects that can be caused by this planet. All of these are in fact advance predictions.

Some other predictions, which are alarmingly in agreement with the end of the world events the Mayans predicted, come from Merlin. A lot of people are also concerned about the discovery of the Mayan regarding the year 2012. What the Mayans actually found out was that the sun and the black hole at the center of the Milky Way will line up perfectly in the coming year. The Mayan astronomical predictions are actually agreed upon by the astronomical scientists of today as well.

Majority of the people are aware about what they can expect from the year 2012 if all these predictions and prophecies prove to be true, but most of them do not know what to do about it. Honestly if the world is to come to an end in the next year then there is nothing mankind can do to stop it. If these predictions are indeed fulfilled, people should be ready and prepared to possibly survive the upcoming events.

Stories about December 21 2012 will give us tips and ideas of what will happen when that year comes. With the help of mayan calendar, we have a reliable source of what possibilities will our planet be on 2012.

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



2012 - The End of the World, Or a New Age?

My guidance tells me that there is nothing special about 2012 other than the significance that we place on it. If enough people agree strongly enough in a certain direction, that creates a powerful attractor and can cause a manifestation.

Right now humanity is in a chaotic, fluctuating period prior to a potential quantum leap. The light is shining into the dark subconscious of humanity and all of our demons are coming to the surface and are being exposed. This is a result of a natural process of increasing awareness due primarily to a rapid population increase.

Consider what happens when there are 100 people in a room as opposed to 2 or 3. The energy is higher, it increases exponentially. The potential for something spontaneous to "happen" increases by orders of magnitude. That's because we are not pieces of meat, but spiritual beings connected to a universe-wide field of consciousness. Every planet has a planetary energy envelope that is activated by the beings that live on it. Each planet is an energy "node" in a galactic-wide community.

When planetary nodes evolve far enough in power and sophistication, they become "live" or mature, and species become ready to cooperate with each other and work together as a planetary society. Until then, it is like a light bulb that flickers on and off, because there is not enough power to illuminate it.

Humanity is an immature, adolescent species. For millennia we have been fighting amongst ourselves, simply because we have not come together. Our fragmented consciousness has led to fragmented societies. Moreover, for millennia we have believed that we are alone in the universe, an absurdity that could only take root in a primitive, low-level consciousness. But that is rapidly changing. If you are like me, you feel a psychic energy that at times feels almost overwhelmingly good, or overwhelmingly bad!

Many say that population increase is bad, but it is not. We need more humans on the planet, more new souls coming in with higher vibrations to put us over the top.

Those in the establishment have as their purpose to decrease population. They see the handwriting on the wall. All of their efforts - pollution, drugs, suppression of alternative medicine, suppression of free energy technology, fraudulent finance, chemicals in food, chemtrials, carcinogens in the air and water and land, everything, the whole lot of it is directed to decreasing the population and preventing a new tipping point to a higher level of consciousness. The dark actors -- who are representative of our own, individual shadow sides - are fighting a losing battle with primitive, crude weaponry, the weaponry of the old order -- conflict, domination, coercion, force. More and more people are seeing past these outdated techniques as the energy increases on planet earth.

The significance of 2012 is that it happens to line up with the population increase and the rise of consciousness. Or perhaps it's the other way round! The timeline for humanity's advancement is not written, however. We are a volatile species and are writing the script as we go along.

The way to the new consciousness is for individuals to start thinking for themselves, to consult that inner kernel of wisdom that is connected to the universal field, the universal Mind, the universal Heart. Here we can find peace, and the answers to the questions that plague us. The answers will come when we collectively reach a higher level of consciousness, and that is the road we are all traveling right now, as individuals and as a species.

Kenneth James Michael MacLean has written 8 inspiring books, over 100 content-rich articles, and produced two movies.

Visit Ken at his website, The Big Picture, at http://www.kjmaclean.com

To see "The Law of Attraction Explained" and "The Unity of Spirit and Matter" movies, go to http://www.sunrise-production.org

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



How to Reset Your Energy for 2012

As 2012 approaches, many of you are wondering what you can do to ease the transition for yourself and your loved ones.

No one knows for certain what the frequency level will be in 2012. The frequency of the Earth's core has already increased from 7.8 cycles per second in the 1980s to approximately 12 Hz today. This increase in vibration and subsequent increases are changing how you must interact with other people and life forms on the planet. We will, of necessity, be forced to change our interactions with nature, as anything created by Gaia will be created from a differently vibrating womb and thus, be of a higher vibration. It is possible we will begin to see even more new species of insects, plants and animals appearing around the globe. Any change in microbes, means our bodies must adjust to survive while fighting against them, or to utilize them.

A perfect example of current changes is "Global Warming". Is it really the result of industrialized, or is it the increased vibration, changing the temperature of the Earth and her womb? While the vibration and thus heat increases on the outer crust, those things formerly sustained, will either adjust, be destroyed, or phased out. An example may be the ice caps. They may be shrinking, but we still have water in the oceans, waterways and air. They may form in a new way, or something new appear. New types crystals may be found growing in the earth or they may take on new structure. Even a new form of renewable oil and gas may be found.

By now many of you know of the work of Dr. Masaru Emoto. Using prayer, he raised the vibration level of water. The result was that the lower vibrating life forms contained in polluted water, transformed or were destroyed and the water cleared and became potable once again. Higher vibration changes things.

This is the same process, if on a smaller scale, that the Earth is going through now. The vibration has increased from 7.8 Hz to 12 Hz. Anything using 7.8 vibrations to survive is hanging on for dear life, while those who are vibrating as 12 Hz are breathing a sigh of relief as it takes less energy to survive than the lower density vibrations.

So, how can you breathe a sigh of relief rather than hanging on for dear life? First of all realize that lower vibrations aren't bad. However, there will be a new level of low as things raised in vibration. Things vibrating at 7.8 may become extinct and 11 become the new lower vibration. There will always be variance due to the millions of life forms on and created by Gaia.

Here are 12 things you can do to raise your vibration and ease the transition into 2012.

  1. Reset your vibration to that of the new Earth vibrations.
  2. Spend as much time as you can outdoors. Going barefoot is even better.
  3. Release judgment.
  4. Practice forgiveness.
  5. Clear your body's energetic system; it's Meridians, Chakras and Aura.
  6. Spend less time sitting and more time moving.
  7. Purify your body.
  8. Take inventory of your social circle.
  9. Meditate.
  10. Practice compassion.
  11. De-clutter.
  12. Release, release, release

Want to know more about some of these suggestions? Check out these Ezine articles by Lillie Ruby.

  • How Reset Your Vibration To That Of The New Earth Vibrations.
  • How to Clear Your Body's Meridians
  • How to Clean Your Chakras.
  • How to Clean Your Aura.
  • Ways to Purify Your Body.
  • Taking Inventory Of Your Social Circle.

A Fifth Generation Psychic, LILLIE has been a Professional Energy Channel and Clairvoyant for the past 3 decades.With a strong Mercurian Aspect, LILLIE enjoys traveling the world, presenting Seminars based on her work and other Spiritual and Psychic topics.

LILLIE RUBY'S clients include individuals, businesses, celebrities, physicians and other healers. She works with people of all backgrounds and experiences who are located around the globe, working on locale and through Distance Energetic Therapy.

For more information go LILLIE'S website http://www.lillieruby.org

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


Thursday, October 20, 2011

The Horrors of the Black Death

Gondolas floating through the canals of Venice, Italy collecting the dead, wolves coming down from the mountainside in Spain to feed on the living were the everyday norms in Europe of this time. Ships docking into port with a sick man tied to the helm. Upon closer observation, the residents see the bubo on his neck. They throw rocks and food at the ship so it turns back. They try to save themselves from the Black Plague that has swept Europe and it is one heck of a horror story.

Dead bodies littered the streets. Carts rolled out in the morning to pick up the deceased. Children lay abandoned by their mothers and fathers. Bodies thrown in piles for burning or piled high like a deck of cards for burial. Dogs hunted down and killed as culprits of the plague. Few calamities have caused such horrific human behavior as the Black Plague of medieval times.

Many may wonder what the Black Death has to do with the genre of horror. Well, besides being one of the most horrific things to happen to mankind, many rumors emulated out from the catastrophe, including the existence of vampires. The history of the plague reads like a horror novel. It gruesome details causing you to scrunch up your face at the though of being witness to such death, destruction and mayhem.

Whether called the "Great Pestilence" or the "Great Plague", the results of the Plague were the same: It killed and it broke the human spirit. The Black Plague is believed to have been the deadliest pandemic in human history. It is noted to have begun in central Asia and was carried into Europe in the late 1340's via trade ships.

Worldwide deaths have been counted at 75 million. The Plague killed anywhere from 30% to 60% of the Europeans it infected and it changed the world. The Black Death, as we are aware now, is the Bubonic Plague.* It was widely caused by a bacterium named Yersinia pestis and was spread by rats and fleas.

*Please see note there are new hypothesis in regards to the plague. Nervertheless, I have chosen to present traditional history until it is conclusively proven otherwise.

In 1347 A.D., the real culprit, the oriental rat flea, made its way into Europe through the rodents that boarded the trading ships. The three types of plague identified as such are: septicemic, bubonic and pneumonic. The first two were transmitted after contact with the flea, with the latter being transmitted via airborne droplets sprayed from the lungs and mouth of an infected person. The mortality rate was anywhere from 30-75%. All three killed in a most vicious way.

In the bubonic type, symptoms included inflamed lymph nodes in and around the arms, groin and neck. Victims bore horrible headaches, nausea, fever and vomiting. The body would garnish buboes. The pneumonic and septicemic were less seen than the bubonic. The mortality rate for the pneumonic was 90-95%. It infected the lungs, causing the victim to cough up sputum until it was all completely red.

The septicemic plague was most rare and caused the victims body to turn purple due to DIC (Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation). The mortality rate was close to 100% and even today there is no treatment.

Prior to the arrival of the plague, Europe was in a cooling period with great crop failure. The Little Ice Age had begun. The Great Famine struck Northern Europe. Food shortages, crop failure and high prices spread the hunger and malnutrition. The typhoid epidemic hit and acted a precursor to what lay ahead for Europe: THE BLACK PLAGUE.

The governments were unable to handle the crisis and mayhem spread: Rumors that Jews poisoned the wells, tales of the end of the world, belief that man had sinned and needed to be punished. Jews were exterminated out of cities such as Cologne and Strasbourg. People with skin diseases were hunted and killed. Beggars, the ill, outcasts, and even man's best friend, dog, was hunted down and killed all in the name of stopping the Black Death.

The Church began to lose power because the people were unable to believe that their creator could bestow such horrible punishments on the innocent. The Church had no answers and no cures and the monks in monasteries and the nuns who nursed those sick died along with everyone else.

The doubt of the Church and the clergy caused people to follow other religious groups, such as the flagellants. While the Church found them a fanatical and heretical sect, the people of Europe had grown desperate and they sought guidance.

The Flagellants would enter the villages, singing vigorously, attracting people into the center of town square. The Jews of the villages would go into hiding because the movement was completely anti-Semitic. Word had gotten around how they exterminated hundreds and thousands in the areas they visited.

The Flagellants' dramatic white outfits, garnished with a cross on the back and front of their robes would gain the people's attention. They entered towns preaching words of salvation. They offered answers and reprise from the horrors of life. After gaining the town's attention, the Flagellants would violently fall to the ground, each representing a sin of man, such as adultery. Murderers would lie on their backs, adulterers on their stomachs. Each of them held a sin for punishment. Each man destined to take on the punishment to stop the plague.

As they chanted, they began collective flagellation. Their weapons were decorated with spikes and needles. Above their heads rose the weapons and down into their flesh it landed. Their white robes bloodied with every new chant, with every thrust of their weapon.

Lacerations poured blood and after the erotic ceremony was over, the people would touch the Flagellants wounds, sop up their blood on handkerchiefs to rub onto themselves, and others would smear it on their faces, looking for God's salvation.

Although they were banned by the Church in 1262, the German wing made it appearance in almost every major disaster. They preached that priests were no longer needed for salvation. Their message spread. They continued killing Jews and anyone who got in their way. In 1349, Pope Clement VI announced for their dispersal and arrest. Local rulers could now arrest and execute the fanatics.

After the plague was over, there were Flagellant-free zones and Sicily threatened to kill any that stepped onto their land. Eventually, a younger generation took over and they were fueled by even more hatred and crime. Eventually, their numbers died out.

The plague brought to light the worst of all human behaviors. Besides that, it caused rampant misunderstandings and blatant ignorance on the people's part. Rumors of vampires spread quickly and many blamed them for spreading the plague.

Common folks believed that those that died of the plague would somehow return to spread the disease. A movement to locate the graves of vampires took hold and many legends claim they used horses to walk over the graves of the dead to locate the vampires. If a horse would not walk over a particular burial site, the grave was opened and the body exhumed.

Once the body was exhumed, it was mutilated so the vampire could not rise up. Corpses were buried face-down, many believing they were unable to rise back from that position. Wooden stakes were planted into the ground above the grave, so when the vampire would come to life, he would be instantly killed.

Boulders were placed over the graves to keep the body in the ground. It was believed that a vampire could not lift the heavy rock to escape. Many were upset when they exhumed the body of a suspected vampire to find that their hair and nails were still growing. Since, there was no understanding of body decomposition during that era, the folks simply thought the vampire was preparing to come back to life.

Possibly, many of today's superstition that surrounds vampires originated with the Black Death. People started using herbs to keep the plague away. Doctors would roam the streets, trying to cure the ill, dressed in an outfit that held herbs at the beak of a face mask. Since bad smells were thought to thwart the plague, this was then applied to keeping vampires away. Wolfsbane and garlic became favorites in keeping vampires away from the healthy.

Although the plague is a fact of history, one will find it difficult to locate anything more horrific than the pestilence that arrived that year in Europe.

Maryann Paige is a paranormal author who resides in the Hudson Valley of New York. Visit her at [http://www.maryannpaige.com] and [http://www.talesoferotichorror.com]

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



Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Ouija Board Origins

The exact origins of the Ouija Board cannot be traced but there is evidence to suggest they may have arisen from ancient civilizations. Perhaps they are based on the ancient Chinese divination method of fuji? Dating back to 1100BCE fuji involved guiding a stick around a tray filled with sand. The messages spelled out in the container were thought to be communications from the spirit world.

In its early years the Ouija Board was referred to as a Talking Board and looked very different from the boards we recognize these days. These early designs had a pencil fitted to the planchett which was rested upon sheets of blank paper. The participants would ask a question and the planchett would travel across the paper until it had spelt out the messages from the spirits. Over time, the design was modified until the boards had letters, numbers and words fixed upon them.

The modern Ouija Board which we know today dates back to the late 19th Century where they were first sold as novelty items. William Fuld of the Kennard Novelty Company was the first to introduce the Talking Board to the mainstream and in 1901 patented the term 'Ouija Board' to market them. This was the perfect time to introduce these boards to the general public as interest in spiritualism was growing in popularity.

An interesting side-note is that the original Ouija Boards did not have the words "hello" and "goodbye" on them. It was only added by the Victorians who didn't want to anger the spirits with bad manners so demanded a courteous opening and closing to their Ouija sessions!

Fuld claimed the word Ouija was from the Egyptian for 'good luck'. In fact, this is untrue. However, the name can be linked to the words for yes in French and German, "oui" and "ja" respectively. One of the earliest mysteries surrounding the boards can be attributed to the death of Fuld himself. In 1927, whilst attempting to repair a flag mast on the factory roof that produced the boards he fell to his death. The official explanation is that one of the supports gave way however, others believe a more sinister force was at work and something supernatural caused his demise!

The Fuld family eventually sold the trademark 'Ouija Board' to the toy and game manufacturer Parker Brothers in 1966. Parker Brothers still own the trademark to this day. To date, they are estimated to have sold up to 25 million units.

Much of the opposition to using Ouija Boards comes from religions groups with many of them believing the boards carry a threat of demonic possession. Some fundamentalist Christian groups have burnt the boards as they see them as symbols of witchcraft! However, there is much scientific study to suggest Ouija Boards are nothing more than a toy and it is only the conscious/unconscious activities of the participants that is responsible for making the boards 'work'.

So the Ouija Board we know today may have their origins in ancient China. The methods used to use the Boards have changed through time but the debate as to their credibility is still a source of great debate. Perhaps Parker Brothers summed this up perfectly with their marketing slogans: "It's just a game...isn't it?"

Written by Gary Mullen from HandcraftedUK, supplier of Ouija Boards.

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


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Tuesday, October 18, 2011

The Facts About the Pombero, A Creature of Cryptozoology

The Pombero remains to be one of the most famous and infamous monsters throughout the world. This creature stems from the Gurani mythology which describes it as mythical humanoid monster that is relatively small in size. Its relevance in the cultures of South American countries such as Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina has grown through the year as is its legendary status across the globe.

Kurahy Jara is the original Gurani name of the Pombero which literally translates to "owner of the sun." Oddly enough, the Pombero is actually known as a creature of the night. In a number of regions in Argentina, this creature also goes by the name "Dueno del Sol," which is a Spanish translation of its name. There have been hundreds, if not thousands of sightings of the Pombero through the years, primarily in different native communities in Argentina.

While different villages may have slightly varying descriptions of the Pombero, they all agree that the creature is small, ugly, and has hairy feet and hands. Most sightings also claim that the Pombero even wears a hat and carries a backpack over his small shoulders. Majority of reports say that this creature is known to reside in rural areas, such as the forest, but has also been known to inhibit houses that have long been abandoned.

What may be a relief for most is that the Pombero is generally known to be a harmless creature. While he may be a bit of a troublemaker, his primary targets remain to be rural farmers. Even so, the mischief he performs is somewhat light and childish as compared to other mythical monsters. This may include scattering rice and corn, startling horses, stealing honey, chickens, and eggs, as well as setting cattle loose. However, there are some communities that have more serious accusations towards this creature such as raping and impregnating single women in their sleep.

As mentioned earlier, there have been tons of sightings of the Pombero over the years. However, very few, if any, documented photographs or videos exist simply because this creature is very elusive. Aside from the fact that it is quite small, it is said that its hairy feet allows it to move stealthily through the jungle unheard and undetected. If this doesn't do the trick then the Pombero can use its supernatural abilities and turn itself invisible or even squeeze through the narrowest of spaces.

While this creature still has its fair share of skeptics, it is quite illogical to deny its existence. The mere fact that there have been a myriad of sightings in different geographical locations, all pointing to the same creature should be enough to turn any critic.

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 an avid writer for years, and he has over 300 different articles published on the internet, on numerous subjects of his interest. Robert loves going fishing at ponds, lakes and rivers, and enjoys taking long distance vacations as well as one day bus trips. Robert enjoys computers, internet, sky gazing, walking and numerous other activities.

Unknown Creatures
http://www.unknown-creatures.com

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



Powerful Techniques For Lucid Dreaming

Welcome to the worlds of lucid dreaming. Everyone is capable of having them, and many people report having had at least a few over the course of their lifetimes. Imagine being able to have them regularly! Our aim is to help you toward that goal.

Lucid dreaming is a natural and exciting way to have adventures, try superhuman activities, practice for upcoming events, relive past experiences, or explore possible futures. As with many things, lucidity takes practice and patience, and most report that over time their lucid experiences have been deeper, more frequent, and longer. There are two ways to induce lucid dreams: wake-induced and sleep induced. This article aims to describe very basic methods of each. The links below contain even more information.

Wake Initiated Lucid Dreaming (sometimes referred to as WILD) involves entering a dream directly from the waking state. Most wake induced techniques involve you lying motionless and thereby tricking your brain into thinking you've gone to sleep. Given your natural sleep cycles, timing is everything with a wake-induced lucid dream. The best times to try WILD is either by waking yourself up during or right before a REM cycle, or through taking a nap during the day. You'll have to experiment to find the best timing for the former - everyone's REM cycles are different - though you may have success trying to wake up about two hours before you normally do in the morning.

To successfully do WILD you need to wait for and become aware of your hypnagogic hallucinations, those dream snippets and strange sensations that happen while you are still awake but slipping into the sleep state. At the point you need to remain calm, conscious, and focused, telling yourself that you are going to remain lucid as you drift into the dream state.

Dream Initiated Lucid Dreaming (DILD) is the most common form of dream induction. There are several methods that can be used in combination to accomplish DILD. First, the use of meditation and mantras before you fall asleep may help "program" your mind to have a lucid dream. Clearing you mind and repeating something like "I will be aware while I am dreaming" many times is a good first step. Second, you can go about your normal day frequently asking yourself whether you are dreaming. This may help build that same inquiry into the dream state, and if the answer is yes...

The third way to practice DILD is the most interesting and powerful. Every person has a set of "dream signs" which are parts of reality that are distorted in their dreams. Dream signs may include not being able to see your reflection, having extra fingers or toes, being able to walk through walls, etc. (On our main site we list many more dream signs, the link is below). If you go about your day looking for dream signs, when they do happen in your dreams it may snap you to lucidity.

This article presents only a very short and general overview of lucid dreaming. Then again there is nothing terribly complicated about it! Much more information is available. The most important thing is that you are willing to be patient, diligent, and creative as you pursue having regular lucidity. It will be worth it!

For more detailed information about techniques you can use to have lucid dreams, plus access to free information and advice about lucid dreaming please see the lucid dreaming center. For our blog with up-to-the-minute ideas and coaching, see this lucid dreaming how to blog.

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


How to Lucid Dream - Your Own Journey

How to Lucid Dream? For most this question would seem to appeal to a beginners only. I found there are different types of beginners that start off within different stages in there Lucid Dreaming journey. Let me explain. I know people who recently discovered what lucid dreaming is only to realized they have been doing it for all their dreaming life. These people typically can give you a detailed five minute rendition or blow by blow version of last nights dream. This they can do every day. Well lets just say this was not the case with me and I had to start right at the beginning. You'll also find that if you talk to them about techniques for practicing dream awareness, while awake in order to achieve dream awareness while in a dream, they are successful without much effort at all.

If this last sentence did not make sense let me try and explain in another way. The first goal with lucid dreaming is to realize or to become conscious that you are dreaming and that you are not awake. So you are consciously aware of the fact that you are dreaming while you are asleep. Now to achieve this you have to practice checking or testing whether you are in a dream while you are awake. This can be done in different ways but one example is to have a set routine. For example every half an hour ask yourself "Am I dreaming", pinch yourself (and feel it) and look at the time on your watch twice a couple seconds apart.

The main idea involves conditioning yourself to test if you are dreaming, so that your subconscious mind keeps on requesting you to do this test. Eventually while you are in a dream the answers change FROM "no I am not in a dream"," ouch that hurt" and 10:10am & 10:10am TO "yes, I am in a dream", wow that did not hurt and 10:10am & 05:28pm.

Typically in lucid dreaming, otherwise known a conscious dreaming, if you look at your watch twice a few seconds apart, the time with each view is totally different and you do not feel being pinched and you just somehow know you are now dreaming.

Typically people need to practice this for days and weeks before they get it right. The naturally talented lucid dreamer mentioned above was able to tell me, the day after a conversation we had about double checking the time, that the previous evening they where "practiced" enough to remember to do this test in a dream. We had one conversation about it and they were able to try it in a dream and succeed within hours. Their starting point in the lucid dreaming journey was not the same as mine.

The point being that learning how to lucid dream is a journey and each individual will have a different starting point. Not to mention also a totally different paths. This is important to understand in order to know where you are on this journey to help you focus on the next techniques to practice for you. This journey's life cycle could involve the following phases.

· not being aware of any dreams

· conscious awareness practice while awake

· successful dream recall

· successful dream control

· create and experience amazing adventure and fantasies

· use lucid dreaming for self discovery and personal growth

· out of body experiences

· personal healing

· spiritual awareness and growth.

· and much more.

Not only is it important to understand where you are in your journey but also to know where you want to be. There are many end destinations and they keep on changing as you reach some successfully.

Note that the above list is only a rough guide and that each phase can involve lots of ground work and practice while awake. The trick is to first learn about conscious dreaming, understanding more about each phase and then deciding what you want gain from it. Then it is simple to know where you are and what you need to do to get to your destination. From there you can easily find out exactly what lucid dreaming techniques and exercises you need to do. As you start your journey and become more experienced you'll soon notice that there are many other benefits and usage of lucid dreaming that can to be discovered and help you to archive your goals, basically you can tailor make a journey for you.

To really make the most of conscious dreaming one needs to find ways to work on your creative imagination. After all everything you experience and create in your dream comes from yourself and you need to cultivate this gift with a creative imagination. But first things first, aim to understand the big picture as discussed above, then realize where you are in it and then figure out the detailed effort involved to get to the next step. So when learning how to lucid dream make sure you know what your first goal is, you need to be very goal focused to be successful.

And lastly remember to enjoy the lucid dreaming experience from the beginning. In this case the cliché of the journey is more important or fun than reaching the destination is so true as with most things in live.

If you want to learn more about how to lucid dream then we have lots of information for you at our website on lucid dreaming.

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



The Illuminati Faith

The Illuminati is a very real institution. Whether it is the entity that is behind government that conspiracy theorists, survivalists, and fundamentalist Christian groups claim it is, is debatable, uncertain, and irrelevant to the discussion at hand. The point is that it is a real philosophy. The Illuminati faith is secular and does not have a belief in spirits, supernatural beings, or gods. It is basically materialistic, scientific, and rational. In this sense it cannot truly be classified as a "faith" or religion, perhaps. The Illuminati philosophy comes in two basic forms: Illuminism and Luciferianism. Luciferianism is actually a branch or one particular form of Illuminism, a sub-group, if you will. Luciferianism and Illuminism both focus on the Principle of Light as the symbol of knowledge and enlightenment. These philosophies are often the targets of much persecution by conspiracy theorists and fundamentalist Christian groups. Their influence, however, is far-reaching and all-encompassing, especially in the Western World.

Luciferianism and Illuminism truly are the same school of philosophy, with one fundamental difference. Luciferians see the Roman god Lucifer as the embodiment of Light, knowledge and illumination ("illumination" is the Luciferian/Illuminist term for "enlightenment"). Illuminism might also use Lucifer as this symbol, but might also use various sun gods, Light itself, God, Aton, Hiram Abiff, or Jesus Christ as this symbol instead of Lucifer. In fact, the vast majority of Illuminists are Christians and Jews, and are thus repulsed by the idea of using the symbol of Lucifer. Luciferians are a rarity in the Illuminist faith, despite what fundamentalist websites tell you.Thus, the one and only difference is that Luciferians typically revere the basic attributes associated with Lucifer while Illuminists might not always do this. It is also important to note that, according to the Luciferians, this Lucifer does not refer to the devil from the Christian Bible, which is the personification of evil. Most Luciferians do not believe in Christian mythology. Lucifer was a Roman god of light and the planet Venus, used by Luciferians as a symbol. These are considered two totally different entities.

The philosophy of Light (Illuminism and Luciferianism) sees the sun, fire, and Light as symbols of illumination and knowledge. They represent the advancement of Man in science, mathematics, physics, the arts, technology, etc. It represents science, reason, and logic. Rationality and humanism are major attributes of this philosophy. The All-Seeing Eye is also an important symbol of knowledge, the eyes being opened to see reality. It is also important to note that the All-Seeing Eye is the sun, and is a symbol of God's omniscience, which has been used in Christianity as well as other faiths. In these two "Illumined" philosophies, one that has recieved illumination and who has attained cosmic truth is referred to as an "illuminatus" (Latin: Enlightened One), the plural of which is "illuminati" (Enlightened Ones).

Why is Light the appropriate symbol of enlightenment? First, notice that "en-light-en" is merely the word "light" with "en" put on each end. Thus, the very word "enlighten" means to "bear light." Now, let me ask, what gives us the ability to see? Light. In darkness Man is blind and cannot see. Darkness, therefore, is the symbol of ignorance. But turn on a light switch, or light a candle and Man sees! Thus, Light is knowledge and darkness is ignorance. The Light of the Illuminati (Illuminated Ones) is the light of knowledge, science, and reason. Through the advancement of science Man will discover the undeniable truth of the universe and see reality as it is. This is what physics, biology, chemistry, mathematics, astronomy, and other sciences do. By science and rational knowledge Man might rise in his evolutionary journey. One must shun all superstition and ignorance. Learn the sciences and the truth of the world. Be rational beings. This is the path of conscious evolution and advancement of humanity.

Luciferians are the branch of Illuminists that have chosen Lucifer as their philosophical symbol of Man's quest for knowledge. Why? First of all, if you ask any Luciferian, he or she will tell you this is different from the devil of Christian mythology. Lucifer is the Roman god of light. Lucifer is Latin, meaning "light-bearer." Thus, Lucifer is the Roman god of knowledge, which very much resembles the statue of liberty, with rays coming from his head and holding the torch of knowledge that Man may see. Also, from the Illuminists' standpoint, the Church has persecuted science and enslaved Man with ignorant doctrines and burned heretics (those that disagree with the Church authorities) at the stake. Look at what has happened to Galileo, Copernicus, and other great scientists. Why not choose the enemy of the Church as the symbol of knowledge? The struggle between Illuminism and the Roman Catholic Church has been a long and bloody one.

Illuminism is a philosophy of Dualism: The battle between the forces of Light and Darkness. Light is primarily the symbol of knowledge, while Darkness is seen as ignorance. Thus, one should learn the sciences and be rational and try to discover the truth in the universe. Blind dogmas and superstitions are to be overcome. Man is blinded and has been seeking knowledge since we rose above the animals. The reasoning faculty of Man, in fact, is the very thing which raises us above the lower kingdoms in nature. With Light Man sees and in the Darkness Man is blind. Light is also love, while Darkness is hatred. Love is what causes society to work together in groups and in harmony. Without the Principle of Good in the world, people would end up killing from each other, stealing, and harming others. Our governments' laws are set up for the very purpose of keeping social order, and religions have sprung up with sacred laws, helping to control the masses to work together efficiently in society. Laboriousness (having a good work ethic) is Light and laziness is Darkness, too. Laboriousness and doing one's duty in life causes society to be happy and to prosper, while laziness causes one to be a financial burden on others. Foolishness causes people to get into all kinds of trouble, while the Light of wisdom is like a lamp before Man's feet, showing him the way of right conduct. Therefore, the Illuminist concept of Light versus Darkness is much like the Christian or Mithraic concept of good and evil. One is to seek the Light and to overcome the Darkness.

The seekers of the lamp of knowledge are often called the "fire philosophers" because of their reverence for the light of flame. Why not? Remember, before the recent invention of the light bulb fire was the only means of light, whether from lighting a candle to see, an oil lamp. torch, or via the light of the sun, moon, or stars. One of the attributes of fire is transmutation. Fire transforms wood into ash and smoke, and ice into water and water into gas. The way of Light is the way of self-transformation through divine fire. For example, if one is lazy and does not work, he or she should get a job; if one is fat, one must lose weight; and angry person should be filled with patience and love; ignorance transmuted into knowledge, from vice, virtue; from hatred, love. This is also called spiritual or philosophical "alchemy." involves turning base metals (like lead) into gold. Thus, philosophically, one must turn the baser elements of character into pure golden ones. This is perfection of the self, self-improvement and of the world. Go to college to get a better job. Advance the human race through science.

The philosophy of Light is a path of apotheosis: Man reaching divine union with God.In this way, its primary goal is the same as that of Yoga, Buddhism, Qabalah, and other mystical traditions. Man is to reach the spark of divinity, the seed of Light within. Man will advance through knowledge, science, the arts, technology, self-improvement, and enlightenment to rise as a species, the advancement of the human race: conscious evolution to reach the stars.

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Monday, October 17, 2011

Mythology's Extraterrestrial Gods: The Giant Cyclopes?

One of the major themes of mythologies around the world relate to the concept of giants. It's easy to extrapolate and super-size up the human body to giant proportions (Hollywood's done that a few times in Grade-B sci-fi flicks), and there are many tall tales and fairy tales/folklore about giants like the American Paul Bunyan or the kiddie favorite "Jack and the Beanstalk". However, while it's easy to imagine human giants, however, it becomes obvious pretty quickly that these giants can't be the case in reality without major anatomical alternations to the human physique.

Now let's say the average human is six foot tall. The maximum height for a human male is a fraction under nine feet; for a human female a fraction over 8 feet according to the "Guinness Book of Records", but humans much above 7 ½ feet are very rare indeed. 7 ½ feet and below isn't really giant-sized, just very tall. A real giant say is at least double the human average - say 12 foot high - and that and more is not all that uncommon in the mythological literature and all cultures have tales of people of exceptional size. However, most of the mythological giants tend to be under twelve feet - like Goliath cited as being somewhere from a bit under seven feet to just under ten feet.

The main problem regarding human giants is, if you double the height, and associated width and breadth as well, you increase the body's mass by a factor of eight. The person weighs eight times as much. However, the supporting structure, the cross-section (width and breadth) of the legs (muscle and bone) has only increased by a factor of four. So your legs are four times as thick, but they must support a weight eight times as great. If you triple the dimensions you have 27 times the mass, but only nine times the supporting area for that weight. A fourfold increase sees a massive increase in weight to 64 times normal; the supporting structure is however only 16 times greater. The ecological catchcry of 'limits to growth' takes on a new meaning here.

Thus, while human giants are grand Hollywood entertainment, films like "The Amazing Colossal Man" or "Attack of the 50-Foot Woman" can't be taken for anything more than that - pure (put your brain on the shelf for the duration) entertainment.

So there are limits to growth. If some of the giants of mythology can't be human, and if they aren't purely figments of the imagination, then they are probably extraterrestrials.

It doesn't take too awfully long for giants to make their appearance on Earth according to the Bible.

Apparently way back towards the near beginning of all things, the Biblical 'sons of God' and the 'daughters of men' did their 'be fruitful and multiply bit'.

Now what's this 'sons of God' and 'daughters of men' bit? In Genesis 6:2 [New King James Version] we have: "that the sons of God saw the daughters of men; that they were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves of all whom they chose."

According to the Old Testament [New King James Version], "There were giants [Nephilim] on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men and they bore children to them." (Genesis 6:4). However, since these giants are the products of the sons of God* (who must therefore also be gods) and human women, these giants must only be demigods.

Now the 'sons of God' couldn't have been too giant-sized in their own right if they were to have their wicked way with the 'daughters of men', yet their giant-sized offspring were - well, giant-sized that is. Numbers 13:33 [New King James Version] states "There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight." If humans were like grasshoppers in size relative to the giants (the offspring of the 'sons of God' and the 'daughters of men') then something's screwy somewhere, unless either the 'sons of God' or their giant [Nephilim] offspring were shape-shifters. That something is screwy somewhere actually comes as no real surprise considering it's the Bible - the most contradictory text ever written.

Those other 'gods', the polytheistic deities, also spent a lot of time screwing each other and us humans. The sexual exploits of the 'gods' (especially the Greek 'gods') would put modern swinging and swingers to shame. The 'gods' were really quite a randy lot and not just the male 'gods' but a fair few of the fairer sex 'goddesses' as well. We're well acquainted with Eros (Cupid) and Aphrodite (Venus) as to their job descriptions.

For example, according to ancient Greek mythology, in the beginning there was the Earth Goddess Gaia and her son the Sky God Uranus who had a bit of a role in the hay together and produced not only the 12 Titans but also the Cyclopes trio of Arges (Bright), Brontes (Thunderer) and Steropes (Lightning-Maker). The Titans eventually went head-to-head with the Olympians (Zeus and company) for world (or at least Mediterranean) domination, but the Cyclopes, treated somewhat badly by daddy, all turned turncoats and helped Zeus defeat the Titans.

Now the Cyclopes were expert metal-smiths, and they fashioned the thunderbolts for Zeus, Poseidon's trident, and Hades' helmet of invisibility which played key roles in that epic war-in-heaven. The Cyclopes are said by the Roman epic poet Virgil to have been as tall as forest trees, so a height way more than 12 feet would not be out of order.

Now as gods in their own right (being the offspring of Gaia and Uranus), the Cyclopes are immortal (or quasi-immortal as nothing lives forever); but they, like most other quasi-immortal gods, well the various Cyclopes weren't invincible or invulnerable. In fact the Greek god Apollo bumped off our trio in revenge for Zeus killing Apollo's son with a thunderbolt that the Cyclopes had made for Zeus in the first place; Zeus then had to punish Apollo, but that's another story.

Odysseus did some major damage to the Cyclops Polyphemus (a second generation Cyclops fathered by the God of the Sea, Poseidon) in Homer's "The Odyssey", thus incurring the wrath of the Sea God who made Odysseus' life quite a miserable one for many years.

So why not consider Polyphemus purely fictitious? Well, "The Odyssey" is the sequel and companion volume to "The Illiad", and it was Heinrich Schliemann who had such faith in the historical accuracy of "The Illiad" that he used it has the historical text in which to find and uncover the apparent mythological or fictitious city of Troy. He did! So, if the "Illiad" isn't pure storytelling; perhaps the "The Odyssey" isn't either.

Now the Cyclopes are clearly too large to be based on the purely human anatomical plan. A real human the size of a forest tree would have to have leg bones made of metal or stone.

The one eye of the Cyclopes suggests something non-terrestrial. No terrestrial species has one eye, very rare mutations (called obviously enough 'cyclopia') aside.

The Cyclopes clearly possessed very advanced technology that enabled the Olympians to defeat the Titans.

Now more likely as not, the Cyclopes collectively were either an alien race in their own right and not literally the offspring of Gaia and Uranus, or the results of the 'gods' experiments in genetic engineering. The later makes the idea of a creation, of offspring, more understandable.

Now mother and son (Gaia and Uranus) weren't quite through producing giants. They actually parented another trio of giants, the Hecatoncheires, who had 50 heads and 100 arms/hands each! Perhaps these giants were again really the end result of some more genetic tinkering on the part of the 'gods'. Anyway, the Hecatoncheires were also treated badly by daddy, so they too ultimately joined forces with Zeus against the Titans. Daddy meantime came to a bad end having his private parts cut off, but again, that's another story.

As to the liaison between the Earth Goddess Gaia (mother) and the Sky God Uranus (son), well if they were both really extraterrestrials, then you couldn't expect their moral or ethical codes to mirror ours of necessity.

But the one-eyed creatures of mythology don't start and stop with the first and second generation of the Cyclopes of Greek (or Roman) mythology. While there's not room to make a detailed account of them all, there's the legendary Norse/German half-human character of Hagen who in a few accounts is one-eyed. Hagen is today probably best known for his role in the downfall and slaying of Siegfried in Richard Wagner's concluding opera of his epic Ring Cycle, "Gotterdammerung".

Then there's Balor of the Evil Eye, a god of death who was a king of the Fomorians, a race of giants in Irish mythology. Balor (or Balar or Bolar) had one eye in the middle of his forehead and you most certainly didn't want him looking at you! Fortunately, he too came to a sticky end at the hand of his grandson.

In conclusion, when it comes to giants in general or the Cyclopes in particular, we have yet again a universal theme in mythology. When it comes to mythology, my basic premise is that anytime you have near universal themes between wildly dispersed in space and/or time cultures, ethnic groups, nationalities, whatever, then you sit up and take notice that something more than just human imagination is at work.

*So Jesus Christ had brothers, presumably older and far larger brothers! The Big Question however is who was God's wife (or mistress) by which God fathered the 'sons of God', or does God reproduce asexually? Maybe there isn't a Mrs. God or she's kept well out of sight. God doesn't seem to be an equal opportunity player. His offspring are all male (J.C. and the 'sons of God'); so are his cast and crew (the angels) entirely male and he deals with males like Noah, Moses, Enoch, Abraham, etc. Even Adam came before Eve and those two only produced male offspring (which is another whole can of worms glossed over by the faithful). It would appear that the polytheistic gods are heads and shoulders above the monotheistic God when it comes to the status of women.

Science librarian; retired.

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Mythology's Hybrids: Human Imagination Or Alien Genetics?

There are many puzzling features in mythology, if taken as purely mythology, regarding the so-called gods. I say so-called because to my way of interpreting things, the gods weren't mythological but flesh-and-blood extraterrestrials with advanced technology, especially in the field of bioengineering or genetic engineering. A puzzling feature regarding the 'gods' and related tales, or even tails, are the half-and-halves (my phrase - you probably won't find it lasted in any index in any mythology text). But these half-and-halves, for example there were the Centaurs, Cupid (or Eros), the Harpies, Mermaids or Mermen, the Minotaur, Satyrs, Sirens, the Sphinx, the Chimera, Dragons, the Gryphon (or Griffin - alt spelling), the Hydra, Pegasus and the Questing Beast, are just scratching the surface of the sum total of those represented in our ancient mythologies.

The interesting point is that these hybrids are universal within that collective mythology. That is, they appear across all cultures; all geographies. Anytime something supposedly mythological, is represented everywhere, it's time to sit up and take closer notice that things might not be quite as mythological as things first appear.

Where's the body-on-the-slab-in-the-lab evidence? With no fossil evidence of any such hybrids, perhaps this is where mythology overrides reality. Perhaps it is just a natural pondering to wonder 'what if' human abilities could be combined with some other animal's abilities; or what a composite of one animal's body parts attached to another animal's body parts might achieve.

But then again, maybe that's not the case.

Now clearly, a lot of people, our ancestors, went to a lot of valuable time and effort to create or depict in often quite considerable detail all over the world, the who's who, and what's what, in tens of thousands of paintings, literature, statues, figurines, murals, monuments, carvings, pictograms, hieroglyphs, etc. to what we (their descendents) would call nonsense - purely imaginary entities. But I maintain our ancestors would not go to extraordinary lengths to devote precious resources into making images of beings they knew to be imaginary. Translated, they believed with all their hearts and souls that these beasties, globally numbering in the multi-hundreds, whether 'gods' in various combination's or lesser mortals (human-animal) or purely animal-animal forms, really existed. Multiply that by more multi-hundreds of 'normal' mythological characters that have been honored with thousands of monuments, and well there's apparently a whole ancient expensive and often backbreaking industry devoted to what again, we superior modern descendants of theirs, believe to be nothing at all.

As an exact parallel, 'modern' human have built and erected all manner of monuments, memorials and statutes to really real historical people. Many are on display in all manner of public parks for the pigeons to rest their weary wings on.

Then again, in our modern era, nobody designs and builds cathedrals just to provide work for the construction industry, but rather because the relevant powers-that-be, the instigators and designers and fundraisers of cathedrals firmly believe there is a being who deserves such monuments to be built in his honor. Now the fact that being probably doesn't exist, at least as a supernatural creator deity, but rather just one of many of an advanced race of extraterrestrials is irrelevant. You build the cathedral because you believe that being exists - full stop. Atheists don't build cathedrals. Okay, our smart-as-we-are ancestors believed the half-and-halves really existed.

Now that we've seen some of the puzzling anatomical features associated with the half-and-halves, beasties that are composites of two or more terrestrial life forms, here's a hard as solid rock case study that not only illustrates time and effort but might highlight why human imagination is not at work. There's a very large life-size statue from ancient Assyria housed in the British Museum of a winged, human-headed bull (probably representing Shedu or Lamassu). That would be odd enough, but in this statue of a bull with wings and a human head, you find that the bull is depicted with five legs (please note I can count up to five!). Now, if you were to design from scratch a mythological beastie, one thing I'm pretty convinced of is that you would NOT give it five legs! So, I ask instead, is this statue a representation of one of the 'gods' genetic experiments?

Now before pursuing that tack, we're all aware of the various plants and animals we've artificially selected for via breeding pairs of organisms that have the sorts of characteristics we desire such as leading to faster horses; disease resistant wheat, cuter puppy dogs, etc. Sometimes we interfere at the cellular level to increase the pace of the changes we want. We've all heard of genetically modified food or genetically modified organisms; of DNA from one species being spliced onto the DNA of another species. We've heard of harvesting animal tissues and organs for transplantation into humans. We've come into the era of the designer baby, or at least prospective parents undergo genetic counselling and testing before having children. Having children is no longer hit or miss and take your chances. And it won't be long before babies will be made-to-order if the parents so wish.

Now imagine the genetic tricks a highly advanced, if somewhat amoral race of ET's were to use terrestrial stock to further their genetic research and agenda. Even several hundred, far less thousands of years in advance technologically of us could produce the half-and-halves of our mythologies.

So, were the half-and-halves of our mythologies evidence of genetic and bioengineering experiments by the 'gods', the 'gods' own version of "The Island of Dr Moreau?" If these hybrids are not the wild imaginations of our ancestors, and standard Darwinian natural selection cannot adequately account for them, then it's clear an alternative artificial selection mechanism must be contemplated instead. What on Earth (or off Earth) could be the driving force behind such artificial selection - behind the required bioengineering or genetic engineering required? Well, unless your best guess is better than my best guess, ET, that's who.

But then it all ceased to be; then they all went away, either literally (as I suspect) or within the human imagination (and if so, why?).

One thing I'm convinced cannot adequately for the massive range of our mythological hybrids are fossils. Fossils cannot explain the half-and-halves. There aren't going to be too many buried skeletons of a lion minus its head that just happens to have a human skull in the immediate vicinity to explain the Sphinx. And what about the odds of finding the skull of a falcon minus body that just happens to rest next to a headless human skeleton and thus explain several of the Egyptian 'gods'?

Now clearly some of these half-and-halves beasties are going to ultimately prove to be mythical - figments of the human imagination invented for reasons now lost and buried by the sands of time. Some cases are probably of real beasties we all know today but embellished for reason or reasons unknown and probably unknowable. There's going to be cases of linguistic misinterpretations or misunderstandings or errors in translations. Then too there's going to be cases of someone who told someone who told someone who told someone who told someone over many miles and probably generations before the tale was written down. The 20th generation retelling of an 'eyewitness' account explains some of the half-and-halves.

But are the mythological half-and-halves all really products of pure human imagination and embellishments and 20th generation retellings? If that be the case, why are there no more recent equivalents, in the multi-hundreds, in our 'modern' (say within the last 300 years of fictional literature, later films and TV) apart from those taken directly from our mythological ancient history like Mermaids? Nearly all 'modern' literature's creations are human (Sherlock Holmes, James Bond, Harry Potter, and Captain Kirk as examples - even if they do come from another planet like Superman or Mr. Spock). The Creature from the Black Lagoon was humanoid; ditto the Wolfman who at no time was represented as being a wolf's head on a human body or vice versa. Frankenstein's Monster was still human, even if patched together. Dracula may have been able to shape-shift into a bat, but he never was actually half-human and half-bat - ditto Batman. Even Donald Duck was still a duck; Mickey Mouse was just a clothed talking mouse. Some of the Egyptian gods were represented as half-and-halves, but The Mummy wasn't! So, if all is assumed to be human imagination, then there's this discrepancy between way back then and recent history. The one obvious 'modern' exception is the well known novel "Island of Dr. Moreau."

The "Island of Dr. Moreau" was originally a novel published in 1896 by H.G. Wells with film adaptations in 1933 (as the "Island of Lost Souls"), 1977, and 1996. It basically deals with vivisection and an obsessed scientist who conducts profane experiments in evolution, eventually establishing himself as the self-styled demigod to a race of mutated, half-human abominations. This all takes place on a remote island, the inhabitants being those experimental animals being turned into strange looking humans by one Dr. Moreau - the obsessed mad scientist in question. I'm just substituting the ancient 'gods' for the more modern Dr. Moreau; the so-called mythological half-and-halves for those modern fictional experimental animals turned into abominations.

That 'modern' novel aside, you may think the ancient mythological menagerie - if entirely imaginary - exhibits quite an intense range of the human imagination in the creation of half-and-halves. I'd beg to differ. There's an immense array of potential half-and-halves possibilities that apparently have never been realized, or at least popularized. The whole plant and invertebrate communities have largely been ignored, which may make sense from the biological reality of a genetic engineering standpoint. I do realize that Hollywood has rectified this with several versions and sequels to "The Fly" and B-Grade films like "The Wasp Woman", and probably several other B-Graders in that vein. But 1) those cinema features were relative rarities in terms of modern half-and-halves images and 2) there was never any possibility of mistaking those films for anything else other than social commentary and/or entertainment, just like the novel by H.G. Wells.

Anyway, as to what might have been imagined by our ancient ancestors, but never really was, though I do seem to recall a mythological human head on an octopus body, but that was about it when it came to the invertebrate and plant kingdoms - no lobster heads on a human body; no human heads on a slug; and as for humanoid rose bushes - forget it!

However, when talking real modern half-and-halves, one would be remiss not to mention Mothman, a winged hominoid with glowing red eyes, associated with the Point Pleasant area of West Virginia around the period of November 1966 through December 1967. Mothman's been the subject of several books, dozens of articles, and at least one motion picture ("The Mothman Prophecies" - 2002). However, there have been no sightings since. Perhaps Mothman's a purely imaginary half-and-halves case, one never before or after seen. Maybe.

Finally, there might be a really real modern version of the 'gods' and their half-and-halves. If UFO / alien abductions are to be believed, taken at face value, (somewhat backed up and supported by animal mutilation cases), then the alien 'gods' - collective now called the 'Greys' - are still manipulating human genetics and further progressing with the evolution via artificial selection (breeding) of the human species, as well as their own, for the apparent objective is nothing less than a human-alien (or human-grey) hybrid. That this is implausible, well, recall from mythologies around the world those human-animal hybrids like the Satyr, Sphinx, Minotaur, Mermaid, and a host of others.

Science librarian; retired.

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