Maggie Cox
Member
That's helpful, thank you Nate.
I was interested to hear a talk by Father Francis Tiso, a Catholic priest, on the rainbow body, something that was said to have happened to a holy monk in Tibet...Francis Tiso might be a good person to interview for Skeptiko.
William Buhlman decribes just such a situation in one of his books, Adventures in the Afterlife (based on his many out of body experiences). He uses a fictional character who is originally drawn to his mother's place of living (in the astral), but eventually comes to discover it is a place of limiting beliefs and decides to explore further. The implication is that there are all sorts of places "over there", and, just like here, our experiences of "over there" can be limited according to our belief system.I can easily imagine that the afterlife might be something like that. It would be terrifying if we didn't have the option to change our beliefs after death - we could truly get trapped in abusive or isolating communities.
Seth makes the same observation with regards to the over-soul.There are also what I call facets of the one diamond. This is the over-soul, the greater individuality, and the facets are aspects of it which incarnate into your world for experiences that will add lustre to the diamond when they return to it.
the book looks interesting. Here is a short account:I agree. Tiso's book based on his wide-ranging research, from interviews in Tibet to Dzogchen literature to the history of Syriac Christianity mystical theology, is now available: Rainbow Body and Resurrection.
Now I want the book!the book looks interesting. Here is a short account:
http://xuanfa.net/articles/khenpo-a-chos/
I agree. Tiso's book based on his wide-ranging research, from interviews in Tibet to Dzogchen literature to the history of Syriac Christianity mystical theology, is now available: Rainbow Body and Resurrection.
I have a few excerpts from Arthur Conan Doyle and NDErs here: http://ncu9nc.blogspot.com/2013/07/what-is-it-like-in-afterlife.html
Also:
http://www.spiritwritings.com/library.html
has many free e-books, see the section "Future Life in the Spirit World" in particular but other sections too. I think you will be able decide which are reliable. But I would suggest you look at authors G Vale Owen, Elsa Barker, Charles Drayton Thomas, Geraldine Cummins, Arthur Conan Doyle (History of spiritualism vol II has a section on "THE AFTER-LIFE AS SEEN BY SPIRITUALISTS, http://www.gutenberg.net.au/ebooks03/0301061h.html#chap11) and others.
If you have trouble with broken links use https://archive.org/web/ to look up archived versions of anything that used to be on the web.
The books in the section on "Channeled Teachings" might have information on the afterlife. I recommend authors Stewart White, and Darby and Joan, Margaret Cameron, William Stanton Moses, and others - use your judgement on which are reliable.
More libraries of on-line spiritual e-books here:
https://sites.google.com/site/chs4o8pt/elibs
Also I recommend books by John Edward ("One Last Time" has a chapter "Sneaking Peeks"), and George Anderson ("Lessons from the Light" has chapters "What is the Hereafter Like" and "Animals - Here and Hereafter"). If you check the publisher descriptions of their books on-line you might find more books by them specifically on what it is like in the afterlife.
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If you click on the links in my previous comment above and click through to the references, they explains why "simulation in consciousness" is the best explanation for the current scientific description of reality - using the language of current technology. If you don't agree, perhaps you could provide a better explanation for the same data? Why is the speed of light constant? Why does gravity bend space-time? Why does "quantum" mechanics seem to be digitized?
Here are the main references:
This explains why the simulation hypothesis is the best explanation for the data: it explains things about, for example, relativity and quantum mechanics, that mainstream science cannot explain.
The Physical World as a Virtual Reality by Brian Whitworth
http://arxiv.org/ftp/arxiv/papers/0801/0801.0337.pdf
This explains why consciousness is the best explanation of what is running the simulation:
Digital Physics Argument for God's Existence
How could the big bang come from nothing? It didn't. It happened when God thought, "Hmm what whould happen if this and this and this happened" ... and he kept thinking and calculating, "what would happen next" etc etc. Physical "reality" isn't physical, it is all and only thought. Since our consciousness is part of God's consciousness (see where I mentioned panentheism above), we perceive the "simulation" too.
I am most grateful for the very kind comments that have been made so far. I also appreciate their depth."What are the pitfalls and opportunities regarding channeled material and to what extent has Michael distinguished himself above the crowd and delivered to us something significant?"
The channeler should routinely bring through material that he would have no ordinary way of knowing but which can be verified.
However, when an incarnated human philosopher writes, his statements are judged by whether they stand up to scrutiny. Are they logically valid, does he provide references to back up his statements? If channeled material stands on its own in this way, the source - spirit or human - is irrelevant.
You should use the same caution when you meet a spirit for the first time as you do when you meet an incarnated person for the first time.
The simulation hypothesis is not crazy, it is correct. However, the "simulation" is not running on a computer, it is running in consciousness.
http://ncu9nc.blogspot.com/p/occasionally-i-post-something-to.html#misc_universe_sim_god
This is exactly what Michael Cocks is talking about when he says, "I think together we are God" and "...the higher we go, the more we are each other ..."
If you want to crack open the mind of a materialist atheist about the possibility of psi, the simulation hypothesis is a good place to start because it provides a theoretical explanation for psi. I would not ridicule it. I would point out that quantum mechanics provides evidence that the "simulation" is running in consciousness.
http://ncu9nc.blogspot.com/2015/03/realizing-ultimate.html
According to wikipedia
Panentheism (meaning "all-in-God"...) is a belief system which posits that the divine ... interpenetrates every part of the universe and extends, timelessly (and, presumably, spacelessly) beyond it.Palamite Panentheism is explained in the video Christianity and Panentheism on youtube. This philosophy is a form of monism or idealism that holds that consciousness is fundamental. Here are some quotes from the video that support this view:
Acts 17:28: "'In him we live and move and have our being.'"
Colossians 1:17: "And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together."
John 14:20: "In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you."
Athanasius the Great (writing about Jesus): "In creation He is present everywhere, yet is distinct in being from it; ordering, directing, giving life to all, containing all, yet is He Himself the Uncontained, existing solely in His Father. As with the whole, so also is it with the part. Existing in a human body, to which He Himself gives life, He is still Source of life to all the universe, present in every part of it, yet outside the whole; and He is revealed both through the works of His body and through His activity in the world." On the Incarnation, 3.17
Martin Luther: "God must be present in every single creature in its innermost and outermost being, on all sides, through and through, below and above, before and behind, so that nothing can be truly present and within all creature than God himself with his power." Weimarer Ausgabe 32.134.34-136.36
Larry L. Rasmussen: Nature could not exist if the spirit of God was removed.
To answer Michael Larkin: If you go to pages 251-283 in my Stephen book you can find discussion of Stephen's Celtic version of Koine Greek of 2000 years ago, how it confirms what Stephen said in English, is consistent with known historical facts, and with information only known through Dead Sea Scroll documents. Mr research was vetted by two professors from two universities, who would confirm that the Greek is genuinely from Thrace and Macedonia around CE 30.Alex's question at the end of the podcast:
What are the pitfalls and opportunities regarding channelled material and to what extent has Michael distinguished himself above the crowd and delivered to us something significant here?
Don't forget "Astral City", which is a dvd made in Brazil based on channeled writings. It used to be free on youtube...now I notice they are charging for rental.Someone on facebook recently asked about books describing what it is like the afterlife. I replied with links to many free e-books...:
Are they logically valid, does he provide references to back up his statements? If channeled material stands on its own in this way, the source - spirit or human - is irrelevant
Alex's question at the end of the podcast:
What are the pitfalls and opportunities regarding channelled material and to what extent has Michael distinguished himself above the crowd and delivered to us something significant here?