What Happens When We Die? 21 Grams: A Great Debate on the Nature (or Nonsense) of the Soul

November 16, 2009

What happens when we die?

Does our spirit surf the bardo realms of the great beyond……or do we simply cease to exist altogether?  We’ve debated that here on a few occassions, and of course…..MY belief is that life simply continues uninterrupted, as a new journey begins.

But obviously….LOTS of smart people out there believe differently.  And many make persuasive arguments to support the idea of the extinction of the “spirit” at the moment of death, with any idea of an afterlife being wishy washy mental midgetry.

On the other side of the spirtual street, many scholars argue equally as passionately that THIS life is only one small piece of the larger puzzle that is YOU. 

Here is a great article that highlights the debate between two super smart scholars, with diametrically different opinions – Deprak Chopra, the famous author, doctor and philosopher, and Michael Shermer, a well known and respected “skeptic” argue the merits (or lack thereof) of whether life after life is feasible……or FOOLISH! 

Check out the full article at the link below – I promise, you’ll learn a thing or two for sure! 

The ancient Hebrew word for soul is nephesh, or “life” or “vital breath”; the Greek word for soul is psyche, or “mind”; and the Roman Latin word for soul is anima, or “spirit” or “breath.” The soul is the essence that breathes life into flesh, animates us, gives us our vital spirit.

Given the lack of knowledge about the natural world at the time these concepts were first formed, it is not surprising these ancient peoples reached for such ephemeral metaphors as mind, breath, and spirit. One moment a little dog is barking, prancing, and wagging its tail, and in the next moment it is a lump of inert flesh. What happened in that moment?In 1907 a Massachusetts physician named Duncan MacDougall tried to find out by weighing six dying patients before and after their death.

He reported in the medical journal American Medicine that there was a 21-gram difference. Even though his measurements were crude and varying, and no one has been able to replicate his findings, it has nonetheless grown to urban legendary status as the weight of the soul. The implication is that the soul is a thing that can be weighed. Is it?In science we define our terms with semantic precision. I define the “soul” as the unique pattern of information that represents the essence of a person.

By this definition, unless there is some medium to retain the pattern of our personal information after we die, our soul dies with us. Our bodies are made of proteins, coded by our DNA, so with the disintegration of DNA our protein patterns are lost forever. Our memories and personality are stored in the patterns of neurons firing in our brains, so when those neurons die it spells the death of our memories and personality, similar to the ravages of stroke and Alzheimer’s disease, only final.

Skeptic » Reading Room » Debates: The Great Afterlife: Michael Shermer v. Deepak Chopra

Learn How to Read Minds! The Truth About ESP, Psychic Sight & Paranormal Powers (Shocking but TRUE!)

November 12, 2009

Who else wants to learn how to read minds, develop ESP and becoming super psychic.…all from the comfort of your very own home?
If you are anything like the vast majority of our readers, the simple truth is that you are eager to explore the powers and potential of your OWN innate psychic abilities and potential, right? It’s true…and while skeptics, cynics and de bunkers abound, the simple truth is that just about ANYONE can exponentially increase their paranormal powers from home, and that includes you!

So is mind reading even possible…..or is it ALL just make believe?

It truly depends on who you ask…..but I’m FIRMLY in the camp of it not only being possible, it’s actually FAR easier to do (and prove) than you recognize. The simple truth is that mind reading has been “proven” over and over….and over again. As a matter of fact, some PROFESSIONAL skeptics now use “mind reading” to explain other “unexplainable” phenomena like psychic mediums who are getting information from the “other side”. (skeptics are now calling mind reading “super PSI” to explain how some of these mediums are actually reading minds…rather than speaking to the dead!) Pretty crazy, right? I agree….but it’s true, and it IS happening all around the globe as I write this.

So what is the very best way to learn to read minds?

Very simple. Meditation for one. And using brain entrainment tools like hemi or holo sync technology seems to be an EASY entry way into the wild and woolly world of ESP, telepathy, astral travel and deep mystical states. The theory is, (and this has been studied extensively in the lab) that entraining your brainwaves into a state of synchronized harmony creates an altered state of consciousness….whereby levels of awareness become AVAILABLE to you, that are ordinarily filtered out by everyday consciousness and day to day “thinking”.

The truth?

You have to experience THIS sort of truth for yourself....as other people’s experiences are a POOR substitute for your own wild and woolly ride on the supernatural surfboard for sure! But make no mistake…once this world opens up to you, the more “mundane” one you are living in right now is FAR less interesting, that much I can promise!

Are Guardian Angels Real? Some Suprising Sources Say YES! (Stories You Have To Read To Believe)

November 9, 2009

What do many survivors of traumatic experiences have in common OTHER than a thankfulness for staying alive?  Many report the guidance of an invisible, or guiding hand or voice that helped them overcome whatever it was that they needed to surpass…..to survive.

Famous Polar Explorer Earnest Shackleton coined the phrase the “Third Man” for the guardian guiding hand that helped him escape certain death, the aviator Charles Lindenbergh spoke of the third man in helping him succeed in his famous flight and survivors of ALL types and stripes have attributed this same mysterious “man” (or woman..:-) who shows up at the point of do-or-die crisis to lend a much needed helping hand.

Fact or fiction?  Check out the full article below, from a recent CNN story in their “surviving death” series, and you’ll think TWICE before you say it’s all an imaginary friend..:-)
 

When Sevigny awakened, he could barely stand. His back was broken in two places, his knees were busted, and he had internal bleeding. He gave up hope of surviving and curled up in the snow to die.

But then he felt an odd sensation. He felt someone behind him and heard a voice: “No, you can’t give up. You have to live.” Read all about cheating death”It was right over my right shoulder,” Sevigny said. “It was like if I would sneak up to you and put my nose a quarter of an inch from your neck. It was that kind of physical sensation.”What happened next was so profound that Sevigny, a scientist who disdains organized religion, says he couldn’t talk about it for years afterward without crying.

Sevigny still doesn’t know who that voice belonged to, but another man does. He calls it “The Third Man.”Who is the Third Man?John Geiger has sifted through the survival stories of people like Sevigny for six years.

Adventurers, sailors, prisoners of war and pilots, they all tell strikingly similar stories of being saved from death by a mysterious presence, he says.In the book “The Third Man Factor: Surviving the Impossible,” Geiger attempts to solve the mystery of that presence.

Near death, aided by ghostly companion – CNN.com

How to Talk to the Dead: 5 SIMPLE Tips and Techniques For Contacting Spirits That Really DO Work!

November 9, 2009

Who else is trying to talk to the dead? If you are anything like the vast majority of people who enjoy our articles and comment on our content, the simple truth is that you probably have one BRAVE hand held high, right?

Nothing is more controversial than the topic of afterdeath communication, and as someone who has spent a fair amount of time researching the subject, and immersing myself in personal experiences, i can tell you first hand that you often have to wade through LOTS of “muck” to find the magic, mystery and miraculous.

But when you do……. your WHOLE world changes in an instant.

It’s true….and there is simply NOTHING more exhilarating, more exciting and more life changing than making authentic contact with a deceased loved one, or spiritual being on the “other side”.

So are ALL techniques for talking to the dead created equal?

Absolutely not. And not all methods work every time, for everybody. The key is to simply BELIEVE it’s possible. Open your mind. And your heart. You’ll be amazed at what will come in once you do.

With this in mind, let’s take a look at some of my FAVORITE techniques for making contact with the other side, and how just about ANYONE with the will to see it through can have a transformational, and transcendent experience with a wee bit of practice!

Mirror Gazing:

Yes, this is one of the oldest, (and little known) techniques for making contact with spirit. Any reflective surface is actually amenable to this, but mirror’s tend to work best. Remember, this is NOT some “new age” technique…as ancient civilizations, Native Americans and all sorts of other deeply spiritual cultures have been using water or “well” gazing and divination for the very same purpose, dating back to our earliest historical records. And Raymond Moody, the pioneering researcher and author of the famous book “Life after Life”, is SO impressed with this method that he’s actually built a “psychomanteum” where he demonstrates the incredible power of this process. (and wrote a book called “Reunions” highlighting the power of this practice)

Ouija Board Work:

Don’t laugh…this can be amazingly powerful. I was a skeptic, until I had an amazingly impressive experience that would be difficult to explain away using conventional science. (or the unconscious motor movement that most skeptics argue is happening here as well)

Seance’s:

Ever been to one? I have. And many of them are complete and utter duds. But all you need is ONE where incredible things happen to PERMENANTLY shape and change your belief system completely. And while it’s a good idea to have an idea “what you’re doing”……a good seance is a very powerful experience, and one where tens of thousands of ordinary people have had EXTRAORDINARY experiences with spirits, deceased loved ones and all sorts of ethereal entities and intelligence’s. (and that includes many ONCE skeptical scientists as well!)

Deep Meditation and Prayer:

Yes, this is a great opening to the infinite, and if you are committed, one of the very BEST ways to open yourself up to the magnificence of your true nature, and the enduring nature of ALL those you have loved and lost as well.

Psychic Mediums and Readings:

Probably the EASIEST way for ordinary people to have an immediate “glimpse” into the eternal nature of the soul. Many famous (and even more NOT so famous) psychic mediums have offered hundreds of thousands of us the HOPE and practical PROOF that our loved ones are with us always. My own interest (and belief) in the afterlife came about this very way….and one reading, almost 20 years ago totally changed my life, (and what I believed was possible) in less than 30 minutes.

If you are looking for the same “proof”, have an open mind and a curious spirit, the very SAME can (and will) happen for you, I promise!

Is There An AfterLife? The Astonishing EVIDENCE That Life Really DOES Continue After Death!

November 5, 2009

Is there an afterlife?

Is there any “proof” that we survive our physical demise? And what does religion have to do with it anyway? Does what I believe play a role in where I go? In this article we tackle the tough terrain of life after death, and reveal some shocking, but simple facts that many people are not aware of as well.

Ready? Great….continue reading as we take a closer look below!

Filed Under: The Weight of The Evidence is Overwhelming

Any individual story, anecdote or experience is really proof of nothing. But the overwhelming evidence for something, EVEN when science turns a blind eye, often is. What do I mean? Well….when you look at the individual elements of facts that “support” an afterlife, it’s often easy to dismiss and fantasy….or wishful thinking. But when you ADD all of them up, and look at them as a whole, they are amazingly evidential that something truly extraordinary happens at the moment of, (and after) physical death.

Some examples?

Near Death Experiences:

(people who have extraordinary experiences while “clinically” dead, often with no vital signs or brain activity for many minutes)

Out of Body Experiences:

(people who leave their bodies, and see things happening many miles away that are later validated – often called Astral Projection, which is usually thought of as the INTENTIONAL experience of learning to leave one’s body, rather than it happening spontaneously)

Crisis Apparitions:

People who appear to others in “spiritual” form at the moment of death, or severe trauma.

Many of these cases have been reported in wars, or when someone is struck with a unexpected trauma like a sudden heart attack or car accident….and “appears” to others many miles away to say goodbye

Death Bed Visions:

People who report seeing loved ones at their death beds, often “invisible” to others in the room (although….NOT always..:-) who have come to help them “transition” to the other side

After Death Communications:

(or ADC’s)

Very simply, these are more commonly thought of as “ghosts” – when someone who is LONG dead appears after their demise to you in physical, or energetic “form” to communicate something. (often is important….and other times can be trivial and re-assuring)

Mystical Experiences

:

The personal process of having something extraordinary happen that leaves NO doubt in your mind that you are NOT your physical body alone. Very powerful, very personal, and very transformational. (many religious leaders, icons, prophets and other figures throughout human history have based their entire theology on the mystical experience – Moses seeing the “burning bush” in the Old Testament being a textbook example of it’s power to change lives)

Reincarnation & Past Life Research:

The compelling cases of people who remember past lives in incredible and fascinating detail, speak foreign languages they’ve never heard, play musical instruments they’ve never seen, and do all sort of other amazing things that science can NOT explain under currently accepted “laws” of how things work

Mediums and Psychics who Talk to the Dead:

Yes, many are con’s, charlatans and money making scams….but MANY mediums are genuine, authentic and do AMAZING things that simply cannot be explained by conventional means. They SAY they are talking to the dead….and some of the most amazing cases would suggest that the dead most CERTAINTLY are talking back!

ITC and EVP:

Basically, electronic voice phenomenon or communication from the other side that’s “captured” using modern equipment like a basic voice recording from the “other side” or more sophisticated stuff like images and even phone calls from beyond. Don’t laugh…they are MANY compelling cases of this sort of thing, and some of the GREATEST scientific minds studied this with vigor, zeal and a FIRM belief that something truly transcendent was happening. (including great scientific luminaries like Tesla, and Thomas Edison, who was working on a device to “talk” to the other side prior to his death)

The bottom line?

In total, the evidence ALL supports that life is a continuous affair…and your soul has a lot more to say after this life is over..:-) Is this GOOD news? I think so! And a good reason to live a life that you can be proud of, and focus on the sort of stuff that’s TRULY forever. (the relationships you forge in this lifetime MAY last a lot longer than you believe..:-)

Can Anyone Be Psychic? Common Questions (and Easy Answers) About Cultivating Psychic Abilities Naturally

November 2, 2009

Is it possible for anyone to become psychic?

Do you need a pedigree……or to inherit a special skill set, extraordinary abilities, or any other special exotic talents to be more intuitive or insightful than the average man or woman on the street? In this blog post, we’re going to take a quick swim in the warm and welcoming waters of psychic ability development, and see if the psychic skills are something that any of us can learn to develop on our own. Curious to know more? Great….continue reading as we take a closer look below!

Filed Under: The Truth About Psychic Skills

Honestly? Anyone can “become” psychic. Actually, it’s almost a misnomer, as we are all inherently psychic to begin with. The truth is, psychic abilities are simply an extension of natural “sensitivities” that we have innately. It’s an awareness, a sensitivity to energy, emotions and frequency that really defines TRUE “psi” in the first place.

An analogy?

It’s like asking if you have to be born a “musician” to play the piano. Musical talent, is simply something that you cultivate through practice, and by augmenting your abilities with exercises and repetition. Quite honestly, psychic powers are very similar, in that we can all LEARN to accentuate and accelerate their development through attention, awareness and practical repetition.

Does that mean that EVERYONE is equally as gifted?

Absolutely not! Some are just BORN with natural abilities that transcend those that you and I will ever achieve. Much the way that only 1 in 10,000 who plays the piano recreationally will ever play professionally…and only on in 10,000 who plays professionally, will ever become famous! It’s the same thing with psychic abilities.

You can accentuate your awareness, and get quite intuitive. But most likely, if you’re like the rest of us, you WON’T be as good as some of the famous psychic mediums, intuitives and readers who are out there showcasing their talents on TV, or on high priced readings, or in books, talk shows and other attention grabbing appearances..:-)

If you truly want to become more psychic….

Practice makes perfect. Meditation can be magical! And learn to call, or visit REAL professional psychics, to get a grasp for what THEY do….as the more exposure you have to the real thing, the better your own skills can flower!

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