Peeking in Closer to Home: Life in a Convict Settlement

I had this experience about a year ago, but I've thought of it often since.

I find myself mounted on a horse, giving advice to a group of fifteen to twenty convicts and colonists.  I’m telling the colonists how to keep the convicts in line (most convicts actually worked as servants, labourers and field hands, and were not kept in prisons), but the speech is also directed at the convicts.   I remember saying, “The only alternative is a Godless, criminal life outside the bounds of society, and I would not advise it”. 

On waking I was actually whispering the words, “I would not advise it”, although during the experience, I was saying them with great vehemence.  As I speak, I’m picturing the barren deserts of this vast continent, though I feel I’m in Port Macquarie.  Port Macquarie was a brutal convict settlement; often convicts were sent here because they were critical of the government.  Many of them were educated and literate. 

Here is St Thomas' Anglican church, Port Macquarie.  It was "...built by convict labour, under military supervision"  and still stands today (Port Macquarie-Hastings Council  May 2007).  The painting is by English artist Joseph Backler and dates from 1832-42 (Wikipedia May 2013).

In this life, I have radical political views.  In my life in convict Port Macquarie, I was extremely conservative and regimented.  I believed convicts deserved their fate and gave no consideration to the factors which drive people to crime, such as poverty and justifiable discontent with political regimes.  In other words, I was a harsh and cruel man, but I also understand I was very much a product of the social mores of the Victorian era.

On the other hand, this man (I’ve come to know him as “the Sergeant”) had a lot of good qualities: he had a strong work ethic, was extremely disciplined; had great physical energy, a zest for life and a love for the natural world - qualities I would love to nurture in myself.

Seth tells us that the knowledge and energy of our reincarnational selves (or aspects) is available to us at all times (you can read about this here: Seth on simultaneous incarnation but you will have to request membership as it's a closed group).  This may seem a strange idea to someone not familiar with the material, but a friend tells me she often uses her aspects' energy to help her through tasks she doesn’t enjoy, such as cooking.

I decided to give this a try when I was out walking last week.   I simply asked the Sergeant to give me his energy and enthusiasm for the outdoors.  Within moments, I found myself marching along, swinging my arms (not my usual mode, I can tell you) and enjoying the scenery, not thinking about my tired legs or aching back; in fact, I felt no pain at all. 

This result was really exciting and over the next few days, I started to expand on it.  What if, I wondered, somewhere there are aspects of me who have all the qualities I lack?  Not only that, but what if there are aspects of me who are better schooled in the areas where I already have talent?  And, what if there’s an aspect of me who isn’t sick? 

This idea evolved into: what if there’s a probable version of me who never got SLE?  OK, I admit, this last one may take some work, but I’ve been working with these ideas through the week, and the results are remarkable.   I definitely have less pain; I was able to finish my Christmas shopping by calling on the part of me who is excited by the hustle and bustle of crowds; I’m writing again (something I’ve neglected the past couple of weeks); I’m able to tap into energy when I need it and everywhere I go I meet smiling faces.

Returning to my story, on waking, I was aware of a presence in the room.  I could see something moving, and the shapes around me distorting.  There was a light coming from somewhere.  My cat was asleep on the bed but didn’t appear bothered.  I turned the light on, and she woke and seemed to be having a good look around, but soon settled back down to sleep.

I recently watched an interview with a member of Jane’s ESP class.  He’d had a similar experience (also concerning a military man).  Seth asked if he’d been aware of the soldier looking back at him.  I’m inclined to believe it was the Sergeant in my room when I awoke.  While I was peeking in on him, he was peeking in on me, considering my life and comparing it to his. 

There is a past life therapist who suggests we talk to the aspects of ourselves we’ve contacted, making suggestions and helping them grow.  I’ve experimented with this idea and I do believe the Sergeant is changing; softening his attitude towards the convicts and developing some understanding of their plight.  It seems only fair to give him something, since he’s giving so much to me.

A couple of weeks ago, I shared the inner senses exercise with a good friend, although I had little expectation of a result (when I’ve shared in the past, the person has simply forgotten, or had no success).  A few days later, I asked her if she’d tried the exercise and to my surprise, she immediately replied, “Yes!  I think I was a convict”, in Port Macquarie.  

She spoke about the connection she’s always felt with this place – a sense we both share.  Of course, I wondered if we’d known each other in that life too.  We’ve been neighbours for years, and although we don’t have much in common, we’ve become good friends.  I’ve always known she’s a person of strong principles; someone I could trust.

I believe we knew each other in that other life and perhaps in other incarnations as well.   “Your lives are more intertwined than you know”, I was told recently (I’ll expand more on the source of this quote later).  The adventure continues!

As always, your comments are comments are welcome - I'm very much interested in other people's views and experiences.

Love Chanson.

Peeking in on a Past Life: Reincarnational Bleed-Throughs

I was lying in bed one night, quite wide awake, but with my eyes closed, waiting for sleep.  I started to see geometric symbols passing through my mind’s eye.  “This is strange”, I thought, “I wonder what’s going on”. 

At first I thought I might be dreaming, but on examination, I knew that I was fully awake.  Suddenly, I was in a cave with about twenty people, who appeared to be Bedouins.  However, I also had the feeling that the cave was in Spain in the 14^th Century.   The people were sitting in a circle, and I felt that they were having a meeting of some kind; that it was some sort of secret society.

As I watched, my eye was drawn to a young girl of about fourteen.  She had large dark eyes, but was otherwise unremarkable.  Without consciously trying, I seemed to be pulled towards her and suddenly I was, looking out through her eyes.

I “knew” that she was one of my reincarnational selves (I’m not sure how).  I also knew that she didn’t speak, although she was quite capable of it - a “condition” known nowadays as elective or selective mutism.  

Interestingly, even though I was out of my body, in another time, and then inside another body, I never had any sense that I might somehow lose myself.   Throughout the experience I was very much aware of myself as myself, and even though I saw this young girl as part of me, I was also aware that she had her own identity and destiny, which were different to my life purposes.   And, I felt absolutely no fear; just intense curiosity and excitement.

In the next instant I returned to my body, and lay there thinking, “Wow! What was that?”  The experience didn’t fit in with traditional ideas of reincarnation.  If this girl had lived long ago, how was I able to visit her as if her life was happening now?  And clearly, time was behaving in an unusual way as well. I also wondered about the symbols which preceded the experience.  What did they mean?    

Some kind of synchronicity was clearly in operation too.  I knew about elective mutism, having read Isabel Allende’s “House of Spirits”, where the main character does not speak for some years (it’s many years since I read this book and internet synopsis don’t mention what is, IMHO,  Clara’s most interesting character trait) .  For some reason, I’d been fascinated by this idea, following it up with further research.

At this stage in my life, I’d read many books on “spirituality”, and explored a number of religions.  I always felt I was left with unanswered questions.  The books spirituality on just seemed to repeat the same old dogma, regurgitating ideas from Buddhism and spiritualism with great authority but little real understanding or explanation.

When I found “the Nature of Personal Reality”, I clearly heard a voice say, “You need to read this book”, but resisted, because I was just so bored with the same old same old stuff.  I saw the book, and heard the same words at least half a dozen times before I finally acquiesced and decided to give it a chance.

Seth discusses these experiences, which he termed “reincarnational bleed throughs” in Session 669 of the Nature of Personal Reality (Roberts, 1974, pp. 443-449), saying they’re actually not that uncommon.  However, most people will simply dismiss them as imagination or dream material.  Because we’ve been taught the information that comes to us through imagination is not to be trusted (i.e. it cannot be truth, therefore it must be “lies”), we fail to recognize the vast amount of useful data that appears to us through this source. 

He suggests we utilize this information in solving our immediate problems.  When I analysed my experience, I looked at it in terms of my current life.  I was struggling with my own inability to assert myself verbally in relationships.   Although I’m not sure how the experience helped with the problem, it did give me some idea of its origins.  I do know that now, I do make more of an effort to speak up when someone is unkind or tries to put me down, so while the result may have been intangible, it was, nonetheless, real.  The more tangible result was that it led me to question traditional ideas on reincarnation and time.

Seth also explains the appearance of the geometric symbols prior to the experience.  He says that when we’re born, information linking us to our reincarnational selves is symbolically encoded in our subconscious.  These symbols can be used as pathways (or stepping stones) to knowledge of our multidimensional existence, and are intended to assist in expanding our conscious awareness. 

The experience was profound and thought provoking.  It is a memory I’ll always treasure.

In my next post, I’ll discuss the apparent time paradox involved in this episode.  As always, you r comments are welcome.

Here’s thinking….

Animal Reincarnation: How I got My Cat

Twelve years ago, a woman moved in next door to me.  She complained of being lonely, and I suggested she get a cat.  Not long after, I met her in the driveway.  She’d brought her new kitten to meet me.  It was love at first sight: she was a four month old tortoise shell (or calico), very dainty, with big green eyes.  When I went to pat her she did what we call the “bunny hop”, sitting up on her back legs to bump her head against my hand.  At the same time, her little front paws stretched out like tiny hands.

I just wanted her; I was jealous!  Then, I heard a voice say, “You’re going to end up with that cat”.  She went on to become an expert huntress, killing birds and rats every day, much to her owner’s distress (we live on the edge of nature reserve).  Some days she’d even kill two animals.   Sandy (I’ll call her) tried belling her and even double belling to no avail.  She always managed to pull the collar off.

Eighteen months passed, and I‘d begun to think the voice I’d heard was wrong.  Tizzy (yes that was her name, an inevitable shortening of “Solstice”} often visited me, and I’d always feed her, but she never stayed long.

Then Sandy called me saying she didn’t know what to do.  Tizzy was bringing rats into the house and letting them go.  She was considering surrendering her to the RSPCA.   Of course, I offered to take her, but Sandy was dubious: what could I do to prevent her from killing wildlife?  I told her not to worry; I was fairly sure I could solve the problem.

I went over to get Tizzy, and Sandy gave me some food and her feeding bowls.  She helped me carry them over to my place and as we left, Tizzy saw us and followed, clearly thinking, “Where are you going with MY things?”  She came into my house, and immediately made herself at home, sleeping on my bad, and seeming to be blissfully happy to be here.  As far as I know, she never went back to Sandy’s, and for years refused to even acknowledge her. 

Since I’ve had her, as far as I know, she’s caught one bird and she spends most of her life indoors.  She likes to stick very close to me, following me around the house.  How did I stop her from hunting, you ask?  It was easy: she was hungry.  I’d always thought she was part Siamese, as she was very lean.  She’s now twice the size and enjoys her food very much. 

Some years before, I’d had a cat very much like Tizzy in looks and temperament.  I was living in an apartment and was forced to surrender her when a neighbour complained – it was me or the cat – and as I’d just moved in, I couldn’t afford to move again.  I’ve always felt that somehow Blossom came back to me in Tizzy.  Sometimes, people who never knew Blossom, even call Tizzy by that name.

When I found the Seth material, I was delighted and intrigued when he described Jane and Robert’s relationships with their pets.  In all the reading I’d done, I’d never found such descriptions anywhere before.   In Seth’s view, animal consciousness does survive death and they do reincarnate (Session 837, The Individual and the Nature of Mass Events, 2012).  I’d always thought that if humans live again, why wouldn’t animals?  I believe Tizzy was Blossom, and found her way back to me as soon as she could.  According to Seth, pets often play out roles in our psychic dramas, substituting for family members who have passed beyond the veil, and helping us work out our fears and challenges.

Your thoughts and comments are welcomed as always,

Love

Chanson

Limiting Belief: Social Class Determines My Position in Society

Tonight, I “became aware of” a limiting belief.  I realised I’ve really been aware of it all along.  It’s the belief my position in society is governed social class. 

Interestingly, my education in sociology, social science and counselling has reinforced this belief.  I’ve always thought of my experience at university as being positive and enlightening, but now I’m realising that it’s also had some negative results.

The thing is, as a counsellor and sociologist, you’re trained to address the client’s “social context”.  Meaning: someone coming from a deprived and marginalised background is (of course) comes to therapy with all of those issues. You're looking not just at the individual, but their entire social world.

I’m not saying that this idea should be discarded; not at all. The ramifications of child abuse, growing up in domestic violence, issues of gender, race and ethnicity do have an impact: there’s no doubt about that. 

However, when I talk to counsellors, I often hear them describing clients as victims and bemoaning their inability to extricate themselves from their circumstances.  I guess somewhere along the line, I’ve taken some of this on board.

Anyway, my belief that I’m a victim of the class system just seems like reality to me.  After all, I see evidence of it everywhere.  On the other hand, Seth explains that the organising nature of the psyche, coupled with the intense and very real electro-magnetic quality of a belief means I will accept information that agrees with my belief, and discard any information that disagrees with it.

When I think about it, there are plenty working class people who’ve risen above their circumstances to become wildly or even just moderately successful.  Heck, my grandfather was a millionaire who started out as a chauffeur! 

Changing the Belief

The task is to imagine what might happen if you turned this belief on its head, at the same time trying to evoke the emotions that would accompany the change.

I began by telling myself that so this is just a belief, and not reality.

I asked myself what would happen if the opposite were true.

Of course, I’d have more confidence in socials situations, if I saw myself on a level playing field.

I realised then I’d always imagined myself “looking up” at people I’d considered somehow superior, which was interesting, but then I had a real epiphany.

I’d always thought these people had a problem with me, when in fact, the problem was all me.  I was projecting my negative attitude onto them and they, of course, picked this up telepathically (substitute body language here, if you prefer), and responded by giving me exactly what I was expecting.

I was putting them in a box, which I realise is most unfair.  By changing my belief, I’ll be able to take people from different social classes as they are as unique individuals.  This will, I believe, open up new channels of information for me, help me get along with more people, and benefit them too. 

Everybody wins!

Earlier this evening, I did the visualisation exercise aimed at altering limiting beliefs.  I thought about how the consequences of this belief in my life: how I always literally feel small around wealthy successful people.

I realised that I’ve always projected my feelings onto them.  I felt inferior, and they obliged me by agreeing with the message I was broadcasting.  Really, it was all me.

Visualising what would happen if I felt confident around other people, I had an epiphany: I wasn’t seeing them as real people at all.  All I was seeing was my own projections.  How unfair of me!  And no wonder I’ve so often had negative experiences with people I thought of as “socially superior”. 

Of course, they were well aware of my point of view. 

My solution is to imagine them as real people; instead of putting them “in a box”.  It’s ironic, really: because I was afraid of being judged, I became judgemental.  I never realised this until today.

What is it that leads us to label people?  I do have plenty to say on this, but I want to keep posts relatively short, and I’d love to hear what others have to say, so please: feel free to comment.


Love Chanson.

Tony Soprano - I'm Not Like Everybody Else - The Kinks

Some of my friends refused to watch the Sopranos, claiming it promoted violence.  I, on the other hand, see it as a cautionary tale. Their greed, lust and hatred culminates in violence.and ultimately creates misery for them and their families.  This montage is so powerful; a real work of art IMHO, and the theme song is one of my all time faves.  Enjoy.

Dawn in Paradise

As I watched the clouds aligned themselves toward the sun,
As if offering an homage

Butterflies and Brahminy Kites

In the last few weeks, I’ve seen quite a few of these:

 

This beautiful creature is known as the blue triangle butterfly.  They proliferate in this part of the country in late Spring and early Summer, which always surprising, since it seems to me something so exquisite should be rare.  Every time I’m going through changes in my life, I see butterflies and the blue triangle, in particular. 

To me, they represent spiritual metamorphosis, and that’s definitely where I’m at right now.  I’m on a path to a complete life makeover.  According to Spirit Animals and Animal Totems, they also symbolise lightness of being and emotion.  When I see a butterfly I feel lighter and brighter. I think it could also be encouraging me to enjoy the process of writing and change, and not to take it too seriously. 

You can read more about butterfly symbolism here: http://www.spiritanimal.info/butterfly-spirit-animal/ Spirit Animals and Animal Totems

The brahminy kite is quite rare around here, and yet, I’ve seen it three times this week – possibly the same bird each time.  They remind me of miniature eagles. Watching them soar and glide so gracefully is somehow exhilarating:and evocative of freedom.  That’s definitely apposite to my need to free myself from limiting beliefs. 

As a totem, the kite can share her propensity for skimming the surface, gathering only the knowledge required for a particular task.  This is definitely an ability I need right now.  It’s very challenging trying to sift through the data in NPR without going overboard.  I want to use the book as a framework for my own writing, not simply regurgitate someone else's ideas. 

The kite also brings clarity to tough decisions, while balancing the emotions involved in the process.  I need this clarity to recognise my limiting beliefs.  I’m sure that letting them go will be an emotional journey.  

Brahminy kites spend their lives traversing the frontiers between the heavens, the Earth, and the ocean.  I wonder if this offers a glimpse what is possible when we understand that the body (Earth), spirit and emotions (water) and mind (air) can all function together.  what would it be like to have access to knowledge and wisdom at the intuitive/emotional level, the intellectual level and the spiritual or group soul level?

You can read more about kite symbolism at Animal Spirit Totems Dictionary .

Strange…when my life’s in a state of flux, it’s always these two creatures appearing before me.  It’s not something I’ve talked about a lot, but I’ve been aware of it for a long time.’

If anyone’s reading this, I’d be interested to know if you can relate to any of this.  I’d love to hear another point of view, so feel free to comment,

Love Chanson