DreamBliss

Out of a probably misguided sense of honor I will not answer this question. But my unwillingness to answer it should be answer enough... Well I can provide a hint I suppose. I got him a really nice pipe for his birthday. Hopefully that tells you enough.

#1. There is nobody on his case. Nobody has accused him of mental illness. Nobody has said anything at all to him about his behavior. In fact, when my stuff (which was stored at his place) was stolen, I didn't even yell at him. I hold no grudges. I am not angry with him. I am not criticizing or judging him. I was open and aware the whole time I stayed with him, and these are the things I witnessed. If anything my parents are too easy on him. More on this in a sec. #2. He is alone and isolated. Perhaps I was not clear. He lives by himself over 40 miles away. He is in one half of a duplex, our father pays his rent, utilities and electricity, and he has no real employment. He gets some work from people living on his street. He has no real social life either, just those individuals he interacts with on that street. He plays video games for fun, but he no longer has a video game system and has not explained where it went to. Let me be perfectly clear! I am not criticizing or judging him. I am stating facts, to the best of my knowledge. I do not believe that going partying every night and having a steady job is the answer. That sounds like the way of thinking we become brainwashed with in society. That you have to get a job, work hard, and maybe, after 40 years (if you can even keep your job that long) you can retire and have fun. Until then having fun entails going to bars or clubs, getting drunk, possibly having sex with random strangers, going home, passing out, waking up and going to work. I perceive this model to be seriously broken and flawed and I do not willingly support it in any way. Lastly I have not, as far as I am aware, put myself above anyone, or tried to stuff anyone into some conceptual box. I went to my brother's to stay, working very hard to have no expectations, to simply accept things as they are. As I said I was aware, open, receptive, non-resistant while I was there. No responding in anger, no criticizing, no judging. I observed, and I have laid out here what I observed. If anything I was not clearly seeing my brother before, because I would have noticed this stuff if I had. So before I went over and stayed, I had been seeing my brother through the lens of my perception. I do not think this was the case during my visit. I do not know how I entered that state and stayed there through everything. I was surprised, looking back, and still remain surprised. Before I probably would have gotten into some conflict with my brother. Something he did or said would set me off. But I was detached this time around. #3. That is exactly what I did, and am still doing. But you do not ignore a clearly perceived issue. If someone blows up without provocation, showing the same display of rage you are very well experienced in, and you know where that same depression and rage (the two are intertwined) took you, you damn well better do something about it before it is too late! I would not have witnessed this, seen these things, if they were not brought to my attention for a reason. I have faith that I was made aware of this, somehow entered into a state where I could observe detached. I would not have noticed the behavior before, and probably would have gotten caught up in my brother's explosion, rendering me unable to clearly see everything. But for the first time I saw clearly, with no criticism or judgment, and it was definitely a warning. In my opinion inaction is not the best course of action. But as I said, I have taken my hands off of this, and will keep them off this. I am collecting information for my parents. My brother is their responsibility, not mine. It is left up to them and the universe. I feel my part was to merely observe, aware and detached, then relay what I observed to my parents. I have done this. It feels OK for me to gather information for them, but I have let go of any desire to fix or help things. It has nothing to do with chilling out. That would imply I am stressing or worrying about my brother. I am not, I have let go. I came to the realization this is my parent's and my brother's path. They have to walk it themselves. I have no desire or interest to control anyone. I have no desire or interest to have anything at all to do with someone being committed or prescribed drugs. My practice is to love and accept myself as I am, and others as they are. But if I feel someone is in danger of hurting themselves or another, I must say something, without bias, criticizing or judgment. And this is what I will do, and have done here.

I will attempt to explain, even though I am, by no means, any sort of expert in this area. My brother is showing signs of increasing obsessive compulsive behavior. Ever watch the TV series Monk? Where everything has to be just so. I watched him washing dishes, and if he looked around and saw a single cupboard door open, it had to be shut, so he would stop washing dishes to do so. He was constantly vacuuming the floor. There is a cat dish on the floor next to the fridge, when I moved it so that it was closer to the fridge and not sticking out as much, I came back and saw it was sticking out again, and he explained that he had to have it that way to keep the cat's water clean. These are just a few examples. He is also showing what I believe to be a violent persecution complex. The morning of the day I left, and why I left, he blew up. He threw a glass into the kitchen shattering it, threw all the stuff next to his TV to one side of the room, threw the furniture around, almost threw the TV. Understand I said nothing, not like I was ignoring him, I was just silently watching all of this. I also did not argue or fight with him. It all happened, as far as I can tell, because I changed my mind and decided that I would not use the mattress he set aside for me afterall. I was very polite about it. While he threw stuff around the room he was talking about things I had said to mom from weeks before when he visited, that I was complaining about him to her, he he tried so hard, bent over backwards, on and on this tirade the general gist of which was that he was being persecuted. He said he said things that he did not say, as far as I can remember, and claimed things were said by others that were not said, again t o the best of my recollection. BTW, when he threw the glass I was sitting right there, in its general direction of travel, but just off to one side. He cut himself on a piece of that glass later. He was always a little obsessive compulsive. Either it was very little or I was just not as aware of what was going on around me as I was when I stayed there. To my perception he has gotten progressively worse over the years. It seems far more extreme than I ever remember it being. I never called it obsessive compulsive behavior before. I just always thought he was finicky, a little picky. That's all it seemed to me. But it was far more this time. My cousin thinks he may be bi-polar, and as I worked with someone who was that way, there are similarities. My brother is depressed and angry, exactly as I used to be. He is violent in his anger, which stems from his depression, exactly as I used to be. I considered suicide multiple times, and once I stood on the road outside our house with a machete, ready to use it. At that time, looking back, I can clearly see that I needed professional help. My brother, in my perception, is in a far worse state than I was. But instead of considering killing himself or hurting others overtly, as I did, its as if his mind is breaking down, as if he is attacking himself inside, destroying himself from within. Which is I think why I said he was a danger to himself. I hope I have explained things well enough. Thank you for the links. I really hope we don't have to commit him, and that we instead can just somehow get him the help and support he needs.

I remember one time when I got cocky and started to show off... I was using a pogo stick at the gym, getting higher and higher, far higher than everyone else. Then I came down wrong, smacking into the ground, breaking a front tooth in half. That discolored, larger-that-it-should be repaired tooth is a constant reminder. Of course in a Christian household the verse, "Pride goes before a fall" is used in such a situation. I am not sure the real meaning of this verse, but there is nothing wrong with pride in the things you have done that make you feel good inside. The emotion wouldn't exist if we were not supposed to feel it. I think it changes as a person grows, becomes something other than, "Look at me!" I have something that feels vaguely like pride for how I handled these last few days, which have been very tough. But there is no showing off here, no expectation of a plaque or a medal. That's probably where you got caught. In a criticism or judgment or another, or an expectation of praise for your good work, or something like that. I did not read the whole thread. But you know what you were feeling and thinking when this incident happened. It should not be too hard to trace back the cause. Whatever the cause, whatever needs addressing inside, this is a blessing. It is a chance, as I said, to learn and grow. Babies don't learn how to walk by just getting up and walking around. They crawl, they get up, walk a few steps, fall flat on their face or their arse, crawl some more, get up again, rinse and repeat. The whole thing is the process of learning how to walk. You are in the process of learning whatever lesson it is that you set out to learn on your path at this time in your life that led to this incident. Give a big thanks and a hug to whatever or whoever you call god, get up, and continue the process.

It is the same fight the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Transgender) people are fighting. It is the fight the black people fought, and are still fighting. It may even be the fight the Taliban and Al Queda are fighting. All these groups feel oppressed, repressed or suppressed by other groups in some way. Woman want the same rights and men. Some of the women who want these rights see men as keeping them from it. Unfortunately, in their fight, women actually are giving power to that which they fight. They are reinforcing the things they do not desire by adopting the premise, in the first place, that they are somehow less than, or not getting the same treatment, or whatever. All these groups suffer from the same issue. Us VS Them. It is all duality, all ego. The women's movements, LGBT, the equal rights movement for blacks, the terrorist striking against their oppressors - these are all products of our society. This is what mankind's ego has brought it to. So that is what's going on in a nutshell. The women want to do the same jobs as men, even the physically demanding ones, and they want the same pay. They do not want any glass ceiling getting in their way of their fight to the top. They want to be CEOs, not secretaries. It started at the turn of the 1900s, if memory serves. Nobody questions the societal model, or the issues in society that have clearly created these problems. And nobody questions the us VS them mentality. If humans continue in this fashion we will probably annihilate either ourselves or our planet. The only solution is to realize that we are all wearing masks that have identities and genders, but these masks are the parts we are playing, not who we are. We, as a race, need to wake up to the fact we are wearing masks, that we are just playing parts.

Source, bless and be with Mr. Hanh, and bless and be with all those interacting with him. While he would take no pride in this statement, Thich Nhat Hanh is one of the reasons I am no longer a Christian, and I am very grateful to him not only for that, but for the love that drips from every word in his books. Thank you. May you be well!

My two cents... When I took the first steps on my spiritual path I was into "Positive Thinking." Every time I had a negative though I would suppress it or try to transmute it in some way. It was all about being positive. But the reality is that I am exchanging one extreme of mind for another. I am not being aware and present, with whatever is presenting in this moment. I am denying the present moment experience that has brought this negative thought, usually a pattern of thoughts or a belief adopted from those around me. I was the most angry and depressed when I was a Christian, and a "Positive Thinking" Christian is just as bad as a "Negative Thinking" one. As long we deny what is, as long as we are not authentic and honest with ourselves with what we are feeling, as long as we are not with our feelings, moment by moment, we are just squeezing a balloon. You squeeze it on that end, the air goes to the other. Squeeze that end and the air goes back where it was. To get the air out of the balloon we need to do better than squeeze (using force.) We need to either open it, to let the air out (allowance), or stick a pin in it (awareness) which allows the air to come out. The fact that you blew up just means that you were using force somewhere inside you instead of acceptance. One of the worst blow ups I had was with my brother when I had been working on my anger and changing my thinking for some time. Change has occurred, certainly. But the more you set out to change yourself, the more things will present themselves to you that you need to address inside you. It is a blessing. This interaction with your mother was an opportunity to continue the path you had chosen for yourself and face this aspect of yourself. You will know when your inner work is done, because the outside, what you define as reality, will be calm, at peace. There will be lightness inside with every act, thought and word. There will be joy. You will no longer call these sorts of situations to yourself, you will not need to, because you will have addressed all the inner aspects of yourself. That state, when you get there, is probably what others call enlightenment. Growth spurts as you get there are like their physical equivalent. They hurt, but they also tell you that you are growing. Thank whatever you call god for this, experience what you need to experience, learn what you need to learn and realize what you need to realize. See the others in your life as mirrors showing you exactly what you need to deal with inside yourself. Look at these interactions with others, whatever happens in them, as opportunities to practice. From accepting what is and being fully present and aware to loving and accepting others (and yourself) as you are to realizing that you can't change people and shouldn't try to to realizing that you can't help or save people and shouldn't try to. Your only task is to work on yourself and how you see the world. Follow your inner guidance, pay attention to your emotional compass in all you do, say or think. Follow what makes you feel good, what makes you feel light. Leave everything else up to the universe.

I just posted this at my blog: https://blisswriter.wordpress.com/2015/01/07/mini-lesson-practicing-presence-and-pooping/ In this mini lesson I will give you a very simple practice that anyone, and I mean anyone, can do. It does not matter how busy you are, at least once a day you will have to go to the bathroom, you will have to sit down and go number 2, as my parents call it. The next time you have to go to the bathroom, instead of taking a magazine or the newspaper with you, instead of sitting there thinking about what you will do or where you will go next, just sit there and practice awareness of your physical body as it expels waste. I have started doing this myself recently. Normally I want to think about anything else, or daydream. It is resistance to being present minded, to a practice of awareness and presence. Now I see this for what it is, and without criticizing myself, condemning myself, judging myself, feeling ashamed or guilty, I just gently, but persistently, bring my attention back to my physical body and what's going on during this process. I usually have the window open if I want to practice breathing, but if the smells of the process become overwhelming, I can just bring my awareness into my body. Everything my physical body feels as it pushes this waste out. There are so many sensations, focusing on them can keep my mind occupied for a long time, and in the meantime I am being fully present and living in the present moment. An additional benefit is that there is no strain. I am not rushing off somewhere else. I am fully with my body's process of expelling waste, fully aware and present. So I will never again get a hemorrhoid because I was pushing and straining out of a desire to be somewhere else. Instead I am right there, allowing my body to do its thing, in its own natural time, according to its own natural processes, and I am just being aware of this, just observing it. I know exactly when my body is finished because I am so tuned in, and for 5-20 minutes I have not only meditated, but practiced awareness. I am following the instructions of Ram Dass to, "Be Here Now." So the next time you need to go to the bathroom, leave all the distractions behind. Go in there, focus completely on what you body is doing, and just observe. Just be with the process. Just be aware of it, and, if conditions allow, practice your breathing. Take a moment to breathe deeply in and out. This is a way for those who say they have no time for mediation, no time to practice awareness, to do so, at least once a day, and maybe several times a day. It is a beneficial, healthy practice, both physically and spiritually. It is also a process of loving and accepting yourself as you are, as your physical form, instead of feeling ashamed of your body, causing you to rush through its functions.

This questions comes after finding something I wrote not that long ago, inspired by Tolle's, "Power of Now", called, "Tar Pit." Essentially I had come to a number of realizations about my previous thoughts of suicide. I wrote this thing, never edited it, and forgot about it. Recently I found myself appraoching the same sort of terrain I was in before I wrote this. That is to be expected, the time after Christmas has been dark for me in the past, and that is a thought pattern which has to be replaced with a new way of thinking as much as anything else. This year however has already been different, I am not down at all. I don't know that I can say I am happy or joyful. But I am not unhappy or joyless. However if I were to continue to go deeper into this terrain, and appraoch the same sort of state I was in that I was writing about, then things could turn out quite differently. This year will be especially hard for me, as I approach 40, for reasons I do not care to go into. So if I were to allow myself to that particular place, mindset, way of thinking, then it is feasible I could do something that I have faced a few times before but never followed through with. Please note I am nowhere near that state, so if you are concerned, I appreciate it, but there is nothing to fear or worry about. In any case this brings me to my question... As I understand it the ego is concerned with self-preservation. The ego then, by nature, can not be suicidal. It can be self-destructive, but it can never seek to kill itself, as that would be against its nature. Yet it is the ego that is responsible, I am certain, for forgetting I wrote this, that I realized these things. It is the ego that wants me to forget these things I have realized reading Tolle's book. If I was in the wrong mindset, if I did not find these words, the ego may then find itself destroying itself. If I were to kill myself, I would kill my ego. My death is its own destruction. So why would my ego intefere with this? Why would it cause me to not remember what I wrote, the things I realized? How could I forget these important realizations? Remembering this is life, forgetting them is death. The ego seeks its own death in forgetting them. Because while I am not in that mindset right now, where I am is fragile and tenous at best. I can easily fall or slip down into that mindset, and this year, of all years, it could be fatal. Why would my ego risk that? Suicide is killing my self. Just wanted to get some thoughts on this. If the ego is going to do stuff like this (of course I presume it is my ego and I could be wrong, but assuming it is and I am right) understanding it will help me deal with it. I want to get to know this thing that, at this present moment, seems to be in control of me.. Specifically how come it would cause me to forget something at the risk of destroying itself. Whatever else this thread may be, it poses some interesting questions and ought to be an engaging conversation. Understanding that thing in us that we are trying to free oursleves from might make the task easier.

Thank you all for your posts. I have been listening to, "The Vortex", one of these Teachings of Abraham, and I think I understand something now. I am both this physical body and some sort of energetic form that gives this physical body life. It may even have something to do with the meness of this physical form. The ego is, in essence, a sort of ghost in the machine. If you have ever watched Jim Carey in, "The Mask" here is a humorous way of looking at it. We could think of Jim Carey's character, when he does not wear the mask, as our energetic aspect of ourselves. We could think of the mask, when Jim Carey's character wears it, as our physical aspect of ourselves. We could think of the ego as the god or whatever it was that inhabited the mask and took over Jim Carey's character. So when we die we set the mask down, the physical body, and leave the stage. The ego dies with the physical body in this example. As well anything else related to the mask, the physical form, and that includes thought patterns, beliefs - everything we humans tend to fight and kill each other over. So what do you think of that?

Exactly my question. It's starting to sound like the ego will use any means to preserve itself, including killing its host, as another poster put it. But I don't know that I agree or like the idea of the rest of it, the whole light and heavy body thing. Smacks of karma as far as I am concerned. Why are so many religious types concerned with silly human notrions like justice and pusishment? As far as I am concerned we can take whatever action we want in this physical life, and we only have to face the consequences while in the physical. It is irrelvant, what we have done, who we have been, outside the physical. Hitler is not roasting in hell, or choking on his own karma, as much as we would like to think he is. There are no eternal consequences for any temporal action. I prefer to think of the afterlife is a sort of exit from the play we have been taking a part in. A stopping of the dance, using Alan Watts' description. What need have we for anything we left behind in the role we played? Outside of experiencing or learning whatever we came into the role to experience or learn. I am a little confused about the whole body thing. Am I my body or not? Tolle seems to teach against the idea that I am not my body. So how would that work? If my body were, say, a physical manifestation of my energetic, real self, then it should simply dissolve or disapparate or something. But no, a corpse is left behind. So if I am my body, when my body dies, I die. It would seem there is nothing left to leave the body and go eslwhere in some other form. But that doesn't seem logical, as there is an energy in the body, and energy can not die, only change form. My thought is the ego dies with the host. It was part of the part I was playing. Like an actor really getting into characater. We're such good actors we forget we're acting and think we are our characters. All that gets left behind, somehow, in some way, when the physical form ceases to funtion.

Let's steer this train back on track... There is a rumor floating around about the Freemasons being linked to the shadow group The New World Order, tied to the Georgia Guidestones possibly and other places. Anything to that? Also, if such a group existed, probably having its roots in Nazism if not further back, what is the spiritual person's best way to deal with them?

This is really a continuation of this thread: http://thetaobums.com/topic/37163-just-want-to-get-something-off-my-chest-maybe-get-some-clarity/ But I did not want this information to get lost in the shuffle. What I am about to share came from what I call, "the Voice Inside." You might call it the Holy Spirit or your Higher Self or your Intuition. The process is that I type out a question, and then I pause, usually head towards the center of my chest, a sort of inner listening. Then I "hear" words which are the answer. I have tested this voice and it seems accurate. I really haven't spent any time trying to figure out what it is or where it comes from, but I also don't really need to. I know the words are not my own, even though my fingers typed them, and I am just thankful to have something outside of myself to consult on matters like this. For a variety of reasons I trust this voice and have faith in its accuracy. You are free to test these things out for yourself, and I encourage you to do so. I think we all have to come to know certain things in our own experience. So now, here is the material, from two different question sessions, the 19th and 27th of December of this year (2014.) The questions are my words, the answers are not, I will try to differentiate between the two. Everything, from the words used to the spacing of the paragraphs, is determined by this voice. I consult it even as I spell check and format. If anything appears in brackets [] I have added it. I have excluded some material directed solely at me. Some words come like this: faith/know. I think as you read them you will understand. The Law of Attraction Question Are the various teachings of the Law of Attraction I have been reading true, or directly pointing to the truth? Answer 12-19-2014 No, they are not true. Neither are they false. They are an attempt to understand the workings of the universe. They come from extra physical teachers who are doing the best they can to explain it in human terms. The translation leaves much to be desired and is not completely or totally accurate. The general principle is correct. You create the life you live, your life experience. It is up to you to change your circumstances if you do not like them or find them less than desirable. Many choose to live as though they had no control over their life. They blame it on their religion, their leaders, their life choices, the area in which they live, god, their parents and other authority figures. They choose to live in squalor, so deeply they are not aware of the choice they have made. In short they are asleep, and choose to remain so. From outside it would seem like their circumstances are responsible. But it is their response to their circumstances that is responsible. They have all these reasons why they can not just pick up and leave, or make a deliberate attempt to change their life circumstances, but the truth is they can. In most cases there is nobody preventing them other then themselves. This is something you have to learn as well. You are the greatest enemy to yourself right now. Your ego is throwing a tantrum and you think it responsible, to the point that you are going along with it. But you are really just acting like a child, throwing a fit because they are not getting their way. You have not learned how to act more maturely, so-to-speak. 12-27-2014 No, they are not true, but neither are they false. The question is not their trueness or falseness. It is not about bad or good These are duality. The teachings exist outside of duality. They exist outside of the dual mindset. They are non-dual. They either serve you, where you are in your life, at the moment you are reading them, or they do not. They are like a flashlight. When you are in the light, you have no need for the flashlight. But if you are in a dim or dark space/place, you can use the flashlight to illuminate your surroundings. For you, now, at this moment, there are dim or dark places that you need help illuminating, and these words are doing precisely that. You want to know if the words or good or bad, right or wrong. They are only words. It is only your perception of them that can make them right or wrong, bad or good truth or untruth. The ego is concerned with these things. The ego wants to know where the words fit in duality. You have an ego concern here. Think on this. Be aware of this. Practice presence with this. Question Does the Law of Attraction work as Abraham and others say it works? Is this, in whole or in part, really how the universe works? Answer Yes, this is in part how the universe works. It is not the whole picture, just a piece, and even that is limited by your human perception, caught in duality. You wanted to know if the Law of Attraction works as a sort of backdoor to knowing if the teachings are right or wrong. The teachings are just that – teachings. They are not in duality, as we said. The teachings are not right or wrong because this is, in part (limited by human perception) how the universe works. That the universe works, in part, in this way, does not make the teachings right or wrong, bad or good, truth or non-truth. You could say it proves the teachings to be accurate, as far as human perception can understand it, as far as the egoic mind can understand it. But accuracy is, once again, neither bad nor good, right nor wrong, edible or inedible. It is not caught in dualism. Question If they are true, am I applying and understanding them correctly? If I am not, how do I do so? Answer You are understanding and applying what you have been taught to the best of your abilities, as correctly as you know how. But you do not have the whole picture. You are not being mislead, but you are missing huge chunks of vital information. Never fear! You will gain the knowledge you so desperately seek! Continue to read them and apply them as you have. Having a part of the puzzle no matter how small, is better than having no pieces at all. The consequences of this action, of your study, will be for the other pieces to fill themselves in and for you to become aware of these important parts of the message. Question If the Law of Attraction is true, or pointing directly to the truth, but the teachings I have been reading are false or misleading, what is the truth about the Law of Attraction? Answer The truth about LoA can not be put into physical terms – relayed in any physical manner. It is a spiritual truth. It is something only known and realized at an energetic or spiritual level. The teachings you have been reading will point you to the other pieces of the puzzle which you can not understand in any physical sense. But there can be an inner knowing, and it is with that inner knowing that you will be able to see the completed puzzle. This knowing does not take place at a conscious level. It is like a sort of automatic tuning that is slowly being adjusted for a clear signal to get through. All the books you read about the Law of Attraction will make you aware, at a deep level, of this tuning in, and will make the necessary adjustments. Question If the Law of Attraction is false or misleading, what do I do? How do I get the life experience I want to have? Answer You can not get the life experience you want to have, it is impossible. You can only receive it. Be open to it. The teachings you have been reading, though inaccurate, make you open and receptive. They change you by tuning you into the big picture. So continue to read, study and apply the words of these teachings. Do not fear being led astray. Any wrong information will not stick, and will fade as you “tune in.” Any truths will be absorbed and help those inner adjustments to be made. It is your task in this life to “tune in” in this way, changing your inner life, and manifesting in a changed outer life experience. But you are not only doing this for you. You are doing it for all the other humans on the planet as well. The more of you tuning in, the more the collective mind of humanity is tuned in. Question Is there anything else about this? Answer Yes, there is. Non-dualism is just a label, an idea. It is neither good nor bad, right nor wrong, truth nor untruth. It is a way of looking at things differently, outside the egoic mind. A teaching or words that are non-dual in nature can not be understood well by those caught in duality. They will not be accepted as truth by those who are caught their dual nature, or who can only see the world in terms of dualism. So it is easy for the dual, egoic mind to brush such teachings aside, to point out into the perceived world and say, “See, it does not work!” But that is a falsity. It does work, the universe operates outside of duality. There is no right or wrong, bad or good, truth or untruth in the universe. There is just the universe and how it operates. A poor person on earth, liking in misery, sick, living in poverty, lives that way because they choose to live that way, even of they are not aware of making such a choice. You know this, you have always known this. It seems inconceivable that anyone would choose to live that way. If opportunity came where they could choose differently, certainly they would do so in most cases. The truth is opportunity has come, and continues to come, so that they could live differently, but they are not conscious of it. They are following thought patterns, caught on the rails, thinking in the same way they have always thought, thinking that brings them the life they now live. Changing the thinking may not change the circumstances, at least as long as the old thought patterns are there in the background, and they continue to think that way by default. But changing they way they think, becoming conscious and aware of their thoughts, this is the first step to changing those thought patterns. Eventually they come to realize that changing their thinking isn't enough, because others around them still think in the same old ways. They find that they must make serious life changes, maybe even leave their physical location, their home. Sometimes they are unable or unwilling to do that. So they fall back on the old thought patterns again. It is so easy to take up old, ingrained thought patterns to fall back on them, over and over again, especially if they are trapped by their current circumstances. Whatever they are facing, it is a mirror showing them what they need to change in themselves, and that is the next step to freeing themselves of their circumstances. First change your thinking. Become aware of your thoughts. Consciously choose better feeling thoughts, just as the teachings in the Law of Attraction state. Then become aware of what is around you, what is reflecting back at you in your circumstances. Become aware of what is being called attention to in yourself that you must change. Once the inside has been changed, the outside will change. Continue to practice awareness and consciousness, of your thoughts and your circumstances, and in this way, when an opportunity comes to change your circumstances, you will be able to do so. Understand that these steps are grossly simplified, to be understandable in human perception. The “Mechanisms of the Universe”, as you liked to call them, and far more complex than that, well beyond human comprehension, and this is in part because human comprehension is caught in duality, as most humans understand and know things only through the ego, or egoic mind. Teachings like this can only be, at best, like a flashlight illuminating the dark or dim areas in one's life and thoughts. It is only when humans can see things clearly, with no need of illumination, that the flashlight will no longer be needed. For now it is needed, it is useful, as long as collective human consciousness is ruled by the ego, or egoic mind. In a world of no darkness, there is no light. Light only exists in darkness, darkness only exists in light. The true nature of reality exists outside of both. Question Shall I share these words at my thread on Tao Bums, or anywhere else? Answer Yes, share these. However do not expect others to believe them. It is not your place to defend them, and they have no need for defense. Those who are ready for them will take from them what they need, those who are not will either not hear them or will not take anything from them. They may come up with examples of how these words are false. But the words are not false, and they are not true. They exist outside the human perception of duality. People will always find justification for what they believe about something. That is their choice, their path, as you well know. Focus only on your own path, on the choices you make. Thank you. You are very welcome [with a sense of a smile.]

Well I did snoop around the Washington Grand Lodge Website, and it appears as though I am not compatible with Freemasonry. First of all dualism is important in Freemasonry, but my spiritual experience has lead me to understand that an indvidual must move beyond dualism. Dualism is really at the root of all of humanity's problems as a race, in my opinion really. As long we insisit on balance and on there being black and white, there will always be us VS them, so there will always be struggle and warfare between humans. Secondly while they claim to, can't remember the exact phrase, but something like, "...not interfere with other faiths..." yet stress teachings about God, it is, to my mind, just another cult or religion. As far as I am concerned this is another issue at the root of human society, because as long as our cults and religions tell us what to believe and how to think we have no need to experience what is commonly called God for ourselves, or remain free to believe whatever we wish to believe. In short I choose to stay away from brainwashing in cults and religion, as well as anything that reinforces dualism in my life, to the best of my ability. I want to think for myself, experience Being or Source for myself, and free myself from dualistic, ego-based thinking. That said it would be so much easier to just give up, join a religion or cult, and become a sheep again. Just allow others to determine my life experience for me and believe what they tell me. I can't remember the source, but I recall something about once your eyes are open you can't close them again. There is nothing harder than waking up and becoming aware. It's like leaving childhood, you can't go back. But right now, at this moment, I almost wish I could. Thank you for all your interesting replies and information. I appreciate it!

OK, so I have said this before, maybe multiple times. I find it, at the very least, discouraging, when "New Thought" and "Manifestation AKA Hay House" teachers become salespeople. Why? Because if this thing really works, then they should have no need to sell anything. They should be able to give away materials and teachings freely, or for just enough to cover their expenses. They should be pratcicong what they preach, which means they should nbot have a lack.limnitation mindset, so the have no worries about financial matters or money. They trust the Universe provides, as they so often teach, and it does, if this thing works! I just visted the Hick's Abraham page, and while they still offer the Introductory sessions of Abraham for free (you have to Google search for it as it seems to be buried in their site) the main focus of the site looks to me as if it is all about making money. Judge for yourself: http://www.abraham-hicks.com/lawofattractionsource/index.php Introductory Audio: http://www.abraham-hicks.com/lawofattractionsource/mp3downloads.php Teachings of Abraham: http://www.abraham-hicks.com/lawofattractionsource/teachings_new.php I look at this site, and just like Wayne Dyer, I see cruises and who knows what else, which I haven't verified, but I'll bet cost thousands of dollars per person to attend. To my mind this casts serious doubts on the teachings. If what you teach really works, if you practice what you preach, if you have mastered the teachings you espouse, then where are the free cruises, seminars, workshops or materials? Now maybe I couldn't say anything if I was the same way, but as far as I know, I am not. I provide my teachings for free. I have also not made a penny on them. I know there is a psychological component here, if ytou offer something for free peole thing its worthless, so you give it a price tag and it acquire percieved value. But what other people should be none of my business. If I came into the place or state where I am manifesting anything I ask for, and teaching others how to do so, I would do so freely, or only charge a small amount for my costs and time. That's it. No thousands of dollar cruises or seminars. The focus is on sharing, on teaching, not on making money. I am troubled by this. I feel that the teachings of Abraham, Seth and Wayne Dyer are pointing the way clearly more or less to the truth. I know there is a history here I have just learned about. From way back in 1937 with Napolean Hill's, "Think and Grow Rich." He allowed them to edit out the word vibration from the manuscript, and never detail what The Secret was (whcih became the inspiration for "The Secret.") Apparently the original 1937 manuscript makes no such edits and gives the missing information. The point is that there is a history here. We have been taught this nearly 100 years in recent history, and it goes back further with the Kyballion (I think) There may be other works as well. And for as long as these teachings have been given to us there are those censoring or dilluting the message. If they are not driven by profit then they are driven by fear. I have no doubts that the original translations of the various texts that make up the Bible even have these truths in them. But the Bible as taught today, and the modern versions of, "Think and Grow Rich" leave out the important information about the universe. That is that there is an energetic aspect to life, otherwise known as the non-physical, which is typically beyond our physical capabilities to perceieve. It is from this non-physical energy that everything physical comes into existance. It is some combintion of our beliefs becoming our faith then directing our thoughts that allow us to manipulate things energetically, and this is how we can manifest things into the physical world. That is the essence of the teaching, to the best of my understanding and ability to write it at this moment. When you come down to it, the Native Americans have it right. This world is the dream, it is not the reality. It is a game, or, according to Alan Watts, a dance. I think I like the dream analogy best. At an energetic level we have collectively created this world in which we live. Whatever happens here has no effect on who we really are, that energy that is the energetic aspect of us. Really we're like a gaggle of children, ages 3-7 or something, who are playing with our imaganery friends, creating our own imaginary world, and the result is the physical world in which we live. But the dream anaology is better I think. We can sit back, let the dream run us around, or we can take control of it, make of the dream what we will and create the experiences we choose. It is always our choice, even if we choose to forget it or not remember it. In this case an elightened person is just someone who became lucid. They realized this was a dream and "woke up" within the dream. They reconnected consiously with that energetic aspect of themselves. So I think these teachings are true, but only in the sense of the truth that is finger pointing at the moon, these teachings, none of what we can teach while in the physical, is the moon. But these teachings at least point in the right direction. Still if that is the case, how come those who realize and teach this are trying to make money from it? If you are out hiking and someone comes along and asks for directions, do you help them without thought of payment, or do you demand they pay you a few hundred dollars? If you were the person looking for direction, would you want the one you asked for it to charge you? I know I wouldn't like that, and I would give direction freely to the best of my ability. And I have not, by any means, mastered any of these teachings. I admit that, I freely share what I have come to understand, I make it clear that at best it is a finger pointing to the moon, and I have no expectation of anything from those I help. How come these others can't do the same? I really don't understand. How can you not practice what you preach? What are your thoughts?

Thank you for your conern. I appreciate it. I have not, until these forums, had any place I could "go" where I felt loved, even when there are disagreements. I wish I could remember who directed me here, I think it was Telethise, whoever it was they have my eternal grattitude for directing me here. It is also rare for anyone outside of my family to say they love me. Maybe that sounds creepy or weird, and maybe by society's standards I am too mushy or sensitive for a guy. But think about it... How many of us have gone years with nobody outside of our families, and maybe not even in our families, telling us they love us? If we are very blessed we have someone to share our lives with and then we may be told we are loved. But I do not have this, at this moment, and its like it's not enough that your family loves you. It is almost as if it is expected or something, although I know some do not have this experience. But for those of us loved by our families, especially if we are sheltered by them, it is a sort of default setting. But it is not enough. We need to hear we are loved by others outside our families, only then do we think it the truth. Or at least that is the way it is with me. The point being that for over 20 years I have never heard or read the words, "I love you" from anyone other than family members, and for me at least that is not enough. I do not feel truly loved unless others outside of my family loves me. Actions and words. It's almost as if I don't exist if nobody validates this existance outside of my family. If nobody in the world outside my family knows I exist, much less loves me, I feel incredibly alienated and alone. It doesn't help that I don't feel I really fit anywhere. You can imagine how dark and deep things got for me when I was a Christian and was angry and depressed most of the time. All that to say it means a lot to me, more than I can put into words, beyond any eolquence I can muster, to have anyone outside of my family actually care about me, even more so when I someone says, "I love you." If you can imagine a cactus in a desert that has gone without water for decades, then one day getting drenched by a sudden shower, that is how I feel right now. Also like the cactus it goes a long way to helping me bloom. So thank you, know that I am OK. It is a little stressful and tense for me, I am recieving a lot of practice in not letting my circumstances determine how I feel. But I am hanging in there. Also Merry Christmas, in case I forget to come in here and say so before Christmas comes. I love you all, may you all be blessed!

I would very much like more information on this, as well as titles of any books on the subject.

Very simply, I am a failure. I am 39 years old, and no matter how hard I have worked, the inner changes I have made, the rules I have followed or occasionally broken - nothing at all has done anything at all to improve my current life experience. Nothing at all! My knowledge, intelligence and skill has done one thing... It has brought me to this point. In the process of coming to this point my life expreience and situation is very much the same as it has been for the greater portion of my life. But my mindset has changed substantially, and I am no longer depressed and angry, tossed about by the circumstances of my life. So, in short, my circumstances have not changed much, but where they had a great effect on me before, they have less of an effect on me now. This is a culmination of leaving the Christian religion, positive thinking, working on my anger, and now studying LoA. I have done everything I know to do. I have taken every action I have known to take. The consequences of my actions have had little or no effect on my life circumstances. My knowledge, intelligence and skill has not been, and is not, enough to change my life in any fulfilling, meaningful or substantial way. You say I have exchanged one belief system for another. I say it is not the same. When I was a Christian, I identified myself as a Christian. I defended my beliefs. Those beliefs were a part of my identity. In this case my beliefs are not a part of my identity. If the LoA teachings prove false in my own experience, I will drop them. I learned my lesson and I will not be defined or identified by what I believe. The problem is that if LoA proves false in my own experience, then there is nothing left. I have tried everything else. Another poster says I need to find inner contentment with my life circumstances. I can not, as far as I understand it, as far as I know, do this. I do not have to live in the future when things will be better, or dwell on the past. I can stay in the present moment and hope for a better life experience. I can do this without being attached to this or adverse to my current experience. I can have faith that the Universe provides, meanwhile acknowledging my present moment experience, bringing awareness to what I am feeling in this moment, moment by moment. I am not willing to sit back, look around at my current life experience, smile and act as if everything is OK, because that would be a lie. It is not OK. I am not happy with it. I must be authentic and honest with my feelings. I want more. I want a seat at the table, not the fucking scraps, end of story! I want to enjoy all this life has to offer, and that can not be done without resoures and wealth. I have lived poorly, in more ways than one, all my life. I refuse to continue living that way. Either my life will imrprove or it will end. That's what it really comes down to. Will the LoA teachings point me towards my desired outcome, or hinder me? The Christian teachings hindered me. The LoA teachings, so far, do not. But if I am going to bet on this horse, I damn well better know it can run, which is the purpose of this thread,. Thank you everyone for your replies so far. I see some things I need to address in myself, and I appreciate you helping me to see them.

I felt an urge to reply to this in defense of what I feel is true, within the constraints I stated. Now I am smiling at that, because you are right. In your example it would be so easy, sitting here in America, to say that their situation is "karma" or "sin" or "satan" or "...because they are not Christians..." But the truth is, as I have said a few times before, that truth needs to defense. If something is true, is an accurate pointing to the moon, it will withstand anything thrown at it. So if these manifestation teachings are true they will stand the test of time, and may have aleady done so. I will continue to study them and Tolle, applying the lessons of these teachers, in spite of any doubts I may have. Because Nikolai1 is also likely right, from their perspective their lives of luxery, success and wealth may be a direct result of their applying the very things they teach. At this moment, right now, I can also say this. If I had to live like Ryokan, running around with my begging bowl and tattered robe, if that was the experience life insisted on giving me (I would not choose it), I would kill myself. I have said this before as well. If there is such a thing as "my place" and it is to be, essentially, "white trash" (the best sociatal label for myself) then there is literally no reason to live. If there is no hope of bettering my circumstances without selling or wearing myself out, and I knew this with enough certainty, looking at it from all angles, I would immediately go out and end my life with no hesitation. I left the Christian faith behind for numerous reasons, but one of the things I have come to be happy that I got rid of was this absolutely stupid, as far as I am concerned, lemming or sheep-like idea that I am an imperfect sinner and I have to be saved. In fact, it is from my perspective here, now outside that faith, that I have protected myself from adopting other equally stupid ideas like destiny, fate or karma. Now if you believe in such things I mean no offense. But these are chains I refuse to lock myself in. All this to say that I have to have a definte and real power to create a life for myself that I want, without succumbing to what society says I should do, or some religion says I should do, or anything like that.I have to have a definite and real power to create the life I want for myself easily, without restriction. If I can not have this, if I do not have this, I do not have a reason to live, end of story. So whatever the accuracy of the truth these manifestation teachings point to, at the very least, in this moment, they empower me. They do not subjugate me. They give me the hope of freedom from being under the thumb of other humans. I literally can not live, now, at this moment, if others have the ability and power to control me and determine what life experience I will have, what role I will play. I have tasted freedom from religion and the mind washing that occurs inside an institutionalized religion. From my perspective outside I can see things clearly. I can even read the Bible from a different perspective, finding whole new ways of looking at the things I was taught for over 20 years. I do not have to live under the threat of hell. The only drawback is that I am around my parents and others who are Christians, and it makes me sad to hear them, sadder to know that they are worried for me, they think me decieved by satan. I remember how I used to be the exact same way and it hurts me to see them that way. They are like lambs being led to the slaughter, horses being led with blinders on, regurgitating the same crap that was stuffed down their throats since they were kids, and on back to who knows how far back. My family has been indoctrinated into the Christian faith. Like an eagle who has been a pet for so long it forgets how to fly. Worse it looks to the sky with no recognition, no desire, no drive. I feel for people in countries labeled as, "third world." But I have to believe anyone, including myself, can change the way they think and draw a better life experience to themselves. If I can figure this out to where I can use it consistantly and reliably, I would freely teach it to all who would listen. I have to believe that in a way I am here because collectively humanity is ready to change. It is tired of the way things have been, the few subjugating the many, the many struggling to survive, much less enjoy their life experience. What we call "reality" or "the real world." I think these Hay House teachers and those studying them, sharing what they learn, like me, are here because humanity as a whole is sick and fucking tired of "reality" and "how thinsg are." A change is wanted by the many, the agents of change have manifested into this world, as far as I can tell more at this time than any other in the last few thousand years. Humanity as a whle is tired of being controlled by its religious beliefs and those in power, who have influence and wealth. It wants something different. So people are waking up spiritually, and these manifestataion teachings are coming in like machine-gun fire. While I do not believe in destiny or fate, I think perhaps I can subscrive to the idea of a purpose, not the requirement of one, but having a reason I am here, and perhaps that reason is to share these teachings. There must be a reason why I went through what I did with everything that happened as I left my faith. It can't be all that common for people to turn their back on a religion they have subscribed to for over 20 years. If you were to read some of the things I read as a Christian you probably wouldn't believe I wrote those. People change, I am living proof, there is little about me that remains the same. I know some of you will have read the statements about killing myself with some anxietry, concern, fear or worry. I appreciate your concern, and am thankful for it, but please understand I have no thoughts about killing myself at this time. I would only consider it if, after applying what I am learning about the manifestation teachings, I was unable to attract to myself a better life experience. There would be nothing left for me to try, no other course of action, not from my perspective at this moment. I lived the hard work approach. I know exactly where that goes. I lived the "god provides" approach as a Christian, and I know god really doesn't. I lived the positive thinking approach, I know its limitations. Now I have the manifestation appraoch. I will develop faith, as I have been instructed, I wil practice awareness and present-mindedness, but if in the end I am still single, with a physical form that is less than ideal, and no prospects for creating a life I want to live, then and only then will I consider giving up, and not easily, as I am a particularily stubborn bastard and have been to the point of considering suicide a few times. I am still here, a testemant to either my bravery or cowardice, depending on your perspective. Brother Seeker of Wisdom, please be careful what you call claptrap. One less stubborn than I, or less determined, or uncertain, could drop a chosen path that they needed to walk in order to learn something important. We should be loving guides, not police officers in full swat geat and blockades on any path we do not agree with! The Pharisees had plenty of wisdom. Plenty of intellectual knowledge. Jesus called them things like dirty cups and whitewashed seplichures, full of dead men's bones. I think instead of seeking wisdom, you may be better served to seek love, first in loving and accepting yourself as you are, so you can then love and accept others as they are. Maybe I am wrong but I sense bitterness and pain between the lines in your post. I sincerly and strongly urge you to let these poisions out of your system. Just release them and let them go. They will not do you or anyone else any good.

I honestly had no political message here. I have no opinions about Mr. Biden one way or the other. I do think Obama should be impeached (for Obamacare and other atrocities), and I will not be voting for him again. I know nothing about that of which you speak. I am involved in a number of petition websites such as change.org so if something like that was passed I should be getting some info in my email box. Problem is I haven't checked my mail for a few days. I just wanted to get on the, "Sad Joe Biden" bandwagon and maybe make a few people laugh. Or maybe just chuckle...

Here's a tough one for you! If you're too old for songs about Santa Claus and Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer, but you are also not a Christian, so O Holy Night, Silent Night and about 1000 other songs are out, what do you listen to around Christmas? Specifically, what spiritual, but not religious, albums do you like to listen to, assuming you acknowledge the holiday season at all? I can only think of one so far, and that is Sting's, "If On A Winter's Night." But that, technically, according to the artist, is a winter album, not a Christmas album. Maybe the key is winter albums? Looking forward to your suggestions!

I am going to be a very rude person and not read this thread all the way through before posting. I was a christian for over 20 years. Before I became a christian, and during this time, I had paranormal or supernatural experiences. As far as I know, at this time, I also created a tulpa (thought form), fell in love with it thinking it was something else, and eventually disconnected myself from it, literally breaking up. Finally I have watched numerous episodes of shows like, A Haunting. All of this has given me a very unique perspective on the whole thing. If you are a christian you may suffer, more than any non-christian, from what you will call demonic attacks. This is because your beliefs, as a christian, empower and reinforce what you call evil. If you believe in god you also believe in satan. If you believe in angels you also believe in demons. If you believe in heaven you also believe in hell. You are sending energy to these things. Whatever we send energy to, we help to manifest. Whatever we dwell on, focus on and think about we draw to us. In short, all of the entities christians believe in are tulpas, including their idea of god. A tulpa is a thought form that feeds on our energy. The energy is directed by our beliefs. The stronger our beliefs, the more energy we are feeding this tulpa. My tulpa fed on my sexual energy. I have a theory here that even children are summoned in some way energetically by the collective sexual energy of two people mating. Sexual energy is one of the most powerful forms of energy, in the right states of mind sexual energy can be used to directly affect the energetic in some way, as was the case for me. Belief energy is not as strong, it is only as strong as the one believing, it brings more of a focus to one's usual manipulation of the energetic while in physical form. So god and satan are tulpas, as are all angels and demons. As far as heaven or hell, from what I understand (but have not experienced to my recollection) the afterlife, the astral planes, whatever you want to call them, wherever its is you go when you die, that space is vast, infinitely vast. So I have no doubt there is a heaven christians can go to if that is where they wish to go, based on where they have placed their believe energy, their focus. And maybe there is a hell that certain people may feel they deserve to end up in. But neither of these places are the real afterlife, and neither of them trap you there eternally, whatever you believe. You may wake up in time, decide you are bored with eternal perfection, that you want something beyond the duality you experienced for however many years you lived on earth, so you leave it and go somewhere else. Or maybe you get tired of suffering in hell, of letting demons shove hot pokers up your arse, so you leave. You realize you endured enough hell when you were alive physically. Other theories say there are several vibrational states in the afterlife, with one filled with nasty creatures an suffering close to the vibrational rate of the physical world, and this is likely where ghosts would come from, as they are not able to leave to the higher vibratory states just yet. I tend to believe that aliens, ghosts and bigfoot are tulpas. Thought forms given temporary physical existence. Explains why these entities can disappear and have only a limited effect on the physical world. The only reason they are as strong as they are now is that humans have collectively sent belief energy to them for thousands of years. I doubt you will ever capture a ghosts, or find alien or bigfoot remains. Because these are not physical entities. They exist primarily in energetic form, they take on physical form only briefly and never permanently. If everyone on earth at the same moment stopped believe in aliens, ghosts, bigfoot, god, satan, angels, demons, and all other religious entities, and that belief was suspended for a time, you would never find any eye witness account, of any reliability or truth, of any sighting of any of these things. There would be no demonic attacks, no angelic intervention, no demonic possessions, none of it. It would vanish in the same instant. As long as people send belief energy to these things which these entities feed on, they will continue to haunt us. It is really as simple as that. All institutionalized and organized religions will some day have to wake up to the fact that their belief systems are based on duality. Which means there is that which is considered ideal or right, and that which is considered less than ideal or wrong. Even their afterlives have this! Can you imagine how horrible heaven would actually be? You just worship your own idea of God for all eternity. There is no growth, nothing to learn, nothing to express, no individual expression. Perfection is stagnation. It is the Lego movie in eternity, President Business using the Kragle to glue everyone and everything into place and have this perfect world he created, only in the case of heaven it would be god with the crazy glue! Who in their right mind would want that for their eternal destination after this life? The texts I have read have it right... Heaven or hell is right now, in this moment. If you are caught in duality or time you are in hell. If you are free from duality and time you are in heaven. But heaven and hell are right here, right now, in your state of mind, literally! Being stuck in any belief system or religion that places you firmly in duality or time will also place you firmly in hell. Christians are the unhappiest people I know, who suffer the worst. Why? Because they are sinners, they need to be saved, this world is not their home, it is nothing more than a pit stop on the road to the greater destination, and let's not forget that some of the stronger believing ones, such as the Amish, have the most horrible evil entities tormenting them. Now wonder there is global warming and so much pollution on earth! Why should the majority of its population, those caught in dualistic religions that do not see this world as their home, care about it at all? I know these words may hurt some and if this is the case I am sorry to have caused pain. I know that some seek to understand these things, search for them even, and its easy, maybe even for me, to get caught up in the whole paranormal or supernatural phenomena thing. Hell if I was invited I would go to that tuberculosis hospital with its death tunnel and hunt for ghosts! Can't remember the name of it now. But I would go! I would probably experience things too, because others with me believe in them and are giving them their energy, and it would eventually leech some belief energy out of me. I mean its hard not to believe when you see a shadow figure or hear some disembodied voice screaming in your ear. Kinda hard to ignore that! I love watching Ghost Hunters with my dad, we saw one episode in Season 8 where it sounded like someone was whistling, plain as day, and it wasn't any of the crew! That was awesome! But the truth is that there is no more reality to it than a haunted house attraction. That's all it is, a better, more authentic, haunted house attraction. Without belief energy its just an old building that's falling apart. The harder you fight the things you believe in, the more energy you give them. So some of the episodes I have seen of A Haunting and Paranormal Witness seem to show people locked in struggles with things throwing them around. Why? Because they believe so strongly in their faith, their religion, typically christianity. Which means they believe just as strongly in demons, which gives the tulpa enough energy to affect them physically. In the same way a psychic is more easily tossed around by a tulpa. The guy in the series The Haunted Collector will always find haunted items, because he believes he will. His continued energy in their being haunted will allow ghostly things to happen around them. On and on it goes. These words have to be sharp to cut away all illusion. The christian god does not exist. There is no old man on a thrown somewhere. Nor does the muslim god exist, or the hindu gods, or any other institutionalized and organized religion's gods. Likewise none of their demons exist. Aliens and bigfoot also do not exist. But I will allow that aliens at least could be real, should there be a race out there in the stars that makes its way to our planet. But we will know the real thing from the tulpa, The real thing is something everyone will be able to see and interact with, even the Buddhist monk praying in the mountains somewhere.

Title of thread changed.