|
I
N D E X
A B
C D
E F
G H
I J
K L
M N
O P
Q R
S T
U V
W X
Y Z
Return to GLOSSARY main page
REINCARNATION
the doctrine that the soul returns after death to a new physical body
to live another life. Reincarnation is a central belief in Buddhism and
Hinduism bit it is not limited to the East and is also common in the West.
For many people the idea that a person can be reincarnated is substantiated
by stories of past life recall that can be backed up with corroborating
evidence. Accounts of people who claim to remember events between lives
are often similar to accounts of out of body experiences and near death
experiences.
According to a 1981 Gallup Poll, one in four Americans said they believed
in reincarnation. Most people's ideas about reincarnation derive from
Hinduism or Buddhism. These religions grew out of a set of animistic soul
beliefs characteristic of the indigenous tribal peoples of India. One
common characteristic of animistic beliefs about reincarnation is that
the spirit of the dead person divides after death: one path travels to
the land of the dead where it becomes a spirit, while the other part returns
to earth to be reborn. Various methods were and still are employed in
tribal societies to determine the past life identity of a child. The patent
may have announcing dream, which predicts that a certain person will be
born to them. Babies are checked for birthmarks or birth defects, which
might indicate who they are. Reincarnation is facilitated or impeded through
burial customs; for example, dead infants are sometimes buried beneath
the floor of the home to make it easier for their souls to return to their
mothers. Human beings may not always be reborn as human children; in many
societies they may be reborn as animals.
The jury is still out to whether reincarnation is a genuine phenomenon.
Efforts have been made to investigate reincarnation scientifically and
validate claims of past lives. Most notable is the research conducted
by Ian Stevenson, professor of psychiatry at the University of Virgina,
who began investigating reincarnational memories of children all over
the world in the 1960s with impressive results. The main problem, however,
is that science does not recognise the existence of an essence that survives
the brain after bodily death, and reincarnation by its very nature implies
survival after death.
RELAXATION
a state of deep rest - not sleep, but rest - in which the metabolism of
the body slows and brain waves slow to an alpha state. Relaxation of body
and mind is stressed in all Eastern religions as a prerequisite for mediation
and is believed to be vital for the development of psychic powers.
In 1952 the first scientific study of relaxation in relation to psi was
conducted by the American parapsychologist Gertrude Schmeidler. Schmeidler
found that patients who had been hospitalised with concussion scored much
better in psi guessing tasks than those suffering from other disorders,
and came to the conclusion that it was due to their greater relaxation.
Subsequent studies have confirmed Schmeidlers conclusion.
A
basic relaxation exercise
Choose a quiet place where you wont be interrupted. Before you start,
do a few gentle stretching exercises to relieve muscle tension.
Make yourself comfortable, either sitting or lying down. Start to
breathe slowly and deeply, in a calm and effortless way. Gently
tense and then relax each past of your body, starting with your
feet and working your way to the your face and head.
As you focus on each area, thinking of warmth, heaviness and relaxation.
Push any distracting thoughts to the back of your mind; imagine
them floating away. Don't try to relax, simply let go of the tension
in your muscles and allow them to become relaxed. Let your mind
go empty. Some people find it helpful to visualise a calm, beautiful
place such as a garden or meadow.
Stay like this for about 20 minutes, then take some deep breaths
and open your eyes, but stay sitting or lying down for a few moments
before you get up.
|
REMOTE VIEWING The ability to see distant or hidden objects, events
and locations beyond the range of the physical eye. For example, a viewer
might be asked to describe a location on the other side of the world,
which he or she has never visited; or a viewer might describe an event
that happened long ago; or describe an object sealed in a container or
locked in a room; or perhaps describe a person or an activity - all without
being told anything about the target, not even its name or designation.
The term 'remote viewing' was coined in the 1970's by American physicists
Russell Targ and Harold Puthoff. Used extensively by so-called 'psychic
spies' during the Cold War for classified military projects, it has a
long history both as an intelligence gathering tool as the subject of
research and applications in the civilian world. It is believed to be
one of the oldest forms of psi and has been used for centuries in Tibet,
Africa, India and the Americas.
JANE ROBERTS
[1929 - 1984] twentieth century author and poet who is best known for
channelling an entity called Seth.
Jane Roberts was born in Saratoga Springs, New York and was the author
of numerous short stories and poems. One day in September 1963, while
she sat writing poetry, her mind was suddenly flooded with astonishing
and new ideas and her consciousness allegedly lifted out of her body.
When it returned she discovered that thorough automatic writing she had
recorded the ideas that had come into her mind. The notes even bore the
title 'The Physical Universe as Idea Construction'.
She began working with Ouija board and on 2 December 1963 a communication
came from a dead English teacher, whom Roberts identified as Frank Withers.
Checks of local records indicated that he had indeed existed.
After several sessions with Withers the entity indicated that he wanted
to be called Seth, to express 'the whole self I am, or am trying to be'.
Withers, the entity said, was part of a much larger personality and on
occasions he even called Withers a 'fat head'. Seth described himself
as an energy personality essence that no longer had physical form. He
told Jane and her husband, Robert Butt, that he had know them in a previous
life in seventeenth century Denmark. Seth also claimed to have had numerous
lives as both a man and as a woman.
Seth suggested communications should take place twice a week, and so began
Robert's incredible career as a channel for Seth. Over time she discarded
the Ouija board for clairaudient channelling and it was noticed that in
deep trance her voice would deepen and her features would change. Seth
explained that speaking through Roberts involved a 'psychological extension,
a projection of characteristics on both our parts'.
Seth claimed to be a personality with a message and said that he had lived
many lives, in various forms. His central message was that human beings
create their lives with their thoughts, actions and beliefs. He also stated
that each person has multiple personalities and there are no limits to
the growth of self. Humans reincarnate many times and the past, present
and future exist in simultaneous now. According to Seth there is no karma
that punishes or rewards a person for actions in past lives, rather progress
of the soul depends on its psychic and spiritual development.
Seth maintained that God is neither male nor female but the sum of everything
that exists within each one of us. The drama played out by Christ was
a manifestation of God in a way that humans can understand. Seth also
predicted the 'second coming' in 1075, when an individual would emerge
as a great psychic destined to teach others how to use their inner senses
to make true spirituality possible.
Famous
Seth quotes
'You get
what you concentrate on. . . there is no other main rule'
Therefore,
as always, make of this voice what you choose to make of it. Make
of me what you choose to make of me, but recognise within yourselves
the vitality of your being. And look to no man or no idea or no
woman or no dogma, but the vitality of your own being, and trust
it. And that which offends your soul, turn away from, but trust
yourself.
'I come
here because it is fun. I have fun when I come here. I do not come
here because I feel that I have any great responsibility for your
beings or welfare. Who am I to set myself against the innate wisdom
of your own individual being, or to take upon my invisible shoulders
the great privilege or joyful responsibility for your behaviour
and destiny?'
'The self
has no boundaries except those it accepts out of ignorance'.
'If you
are in poor health, you can remedy it. If your personal relationships
are unsatisfactory, you can change them for the better. If you are
in poverty, you can find yourself surrounded by abundance . . .
Each of you, regardless of position, status, circumstances, or physical
condition, is in control of your experience. '
'In the
most basic sense, the purpose of life is being - as opposed to not
being'.
'Using your
free will, you have made physical reality into something quite different
than was intended. You have allowed the ego to become overly developed
and specialised. You were here to work out problems and challenges,
but you were always to be aware of your own inner reality, and of
your non physical existence. To a large extend you have lost contact
with this. You have focused so strongly upon physical reality that
it became the only reality you knew.'
'You create
your reality according to your beliefs and expectations; therefore
you should examine these carefully. If you do not like some aspect
of your world, then examine your own expectations.'
|
ROSICRUCIANS
an umbrella term for a number of esoteric and occult sects which claim
to be the oldest secret societies in the world. Many of them base their
teachings on those of 'Christian Rosenkreutz', who was allegedly a medieval
monk who travelled the Middle East studying mystic traditions. On this
return he founded the Order of the Rosy Cross, where he and his fellow
monks applied the lore of magic and healing Rozenkreutz had learned on
his travels.
Rosenkreutz's writing may have remained in obscurity had it not been for
the publication in Germany in 1615 of a pamphlet entitled 'Fama Fraternitatis',
supposedly written by Rosenkreutz but probably the work of Johann Valentin
Andreas, a Wittenberg theologian.
ONLINE
DISCUSSION GROUPS
The General
Discussion Group
was created for people who have read, attended courses
or worked with Steven and his colleagues. It is ALSO open to people who
have not attended courses or read written resources and will encourage
them in their personal as well as professional life. To explore and, if
it appeals for you, join the general discussion group
The
Professional Discussion Group
.
Some of Steven and his colleagues have created an online resource to support
them in their work given that due to the nature of their international contacts
the Internet offers an excellent way of easily keeping in contact and up
to date. If you would like to explore and if it relates and will support
your professional work
|
|