Showing posts with label skepticism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label skepticism. Show all posts

Thursday, November 12, 2009

All this "New Age" Stuff Isn't Just Hooey--That, or my Therapist Is Bribing Someone

Healthy skepticism is always good--but sometimes you just gotta believe! Feeling low and needing clarity, I decided to book an appointment to have my chakras balanced. The idea is that your personal energy centers can get out of whack, revealing areas you need to work on. A perfect balance is the ideal, but you gotta work on it to get there. I may be skeptical but I figure if it helps in some way, what's the harm?

Well, I'm a believer now. Yesterday I was lying on the table with 2 people working on my chakras, thinking "this is silly." Afterwards, however, I was surprised when they nailed all my little idiosyncracies right on their pointy little heads! Mainly, they said my throat chakra was completely blocked and they couldn't open it! Traditionally, that chakra connects to your creativity, your intuition and your ability to "speak your truth"--all areas I seriously need help with.

Earlier that day, I had lunch with friends, and we had discussed this very challenge, of how difficult it is for me to communicate truthfully, to say what I want and so on. After my chakra balancing, that truth sank in a little deeper. It reminded me of the insight I had over a year ago when I was seeing a therapist to help with various issues. That insight was that I'm trying to find my own voice--and I sorely need to do so in order to be happy.

Then today, my partner and I go for our joint counseling session (different therapist). It's only my 2nd time seeing this woman and she tells me plainly that my main challenge/barrier is to not back down in voicing my own opinions and in expressing my own needs and requirements. Um, throat chakra, anyone?

Ok, universe, I get the message!

All this "New Age" Stuff Isn't Just Hooey--That, or my Therapist Is Bribing Someone

Healthy skepticism is always good--but sometimes you just gotta believe! Feeling low and needing clarity, I decided to book an appointment to have my chakras balanced. The idea is that your personal energy centers can get out of whack, revealing areas you need to work on. A perfect balance is the ideal, but you gotta work on it to get there. I may be skeptical but I figure if it helps in some way, what's the harm?

Well, I'm a believer now. Yesterday I was lying on the table with 2 people working on my chakras, thinking "this is silly." Afterwards, however, I was surprised when they nailed all my little idiosyncracies right on their pointy little heads! Mainly, they said my throat chakra was completely blocked and they couldn't open it! Traditionally, that chakra connects to your creativity, your intuition and your ability to "speak your truth"--all areas I seriously need help with.

Earlier that day, I had lunch with friends, and we had discussed this very challenge, of how difficult it is for me to communicate truthfully, to say what I want and so on. After my chakra balancing, that truth sank in a little deeper. It reminded me of the insight I had over a year ago when I was seeing a therapist to help with various issues. That insight was that I'm trying to find my own voice--and I sorely need to do so in order to be happy.

Then today, my partner and I go for our joint counseling session (different therapist). It's only my 2nd time seeing this woman and she tells me plainly that my main challenge/barrier is to not back down in voicing my own opinions and in expressing my own needs and requirements. Um, throat chakra, anyone?

Ok, universe, I get the message!

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Recent Shamanic Workshop: Challenges and Dislikes

The "alien" photo will make sense if you keep reading, trust me. Here's my "Part B" post on the latest shamanic workshop I attended. This one deals with what I didn't like or what I thought was just plain silly. Well, maybe I should say, those things "I didn't find useful." There--so much more diplomatic, no?

Don't Know Much About History...
When we began our second day talking about an alternative history to Earth, I realized just how much of a newbie I am to all this. And this totally blew my mind as far as trying to keep up with names, places and connections. The facilitator made a good point about how we only know the history that is written down and the history of the "conquerors"--and that leaves out quite a bit.

And I guess his "parahistory" of Earth solves the problem of evolution's missing link--because this theory says we didn't evolve at all but were actually created. By aliens. Hmmm, somehow I don't see the Christians liking this theory either. Here's how it goes (from what I can remember): An interdimensional alien race came to Earth looking for resources (gold, specifically). Over time, they brought in another race to be their slaves, but the slaves revolted. To get a more controllable workforce, the aliens created us humans by combining chimp DNA and something else.

Then it gets really confusing! Martians enter the picture, several lost continents (Lemuria, Atlantis) appear and disappear, and we are told the Hebrews/Jews are also of alien descent! It was entertaining, sure, but really difficult to swallow. The whole alien-superrace-seeding-humanity reminds me, though of the "Battlestar Galactica" finale--an interesting connection.

Visions of Octahedrons Dancing in My Head
We also discussed a little sacred geometry, which I actually find quite intriguing--but I got totally lost along the way. Supposedly, visualizing ourselves in an octahedron (8-sided) is the correct way to gain balance. Really? I've been meditating quite successfully for a few years now--without rotating pyramids in my head--so why do I need this now?

The octahedron thing is related to the Hathors, allegedly interdimensional beings from Venus who speak through author and sound healer Tom Kenyon. This is how the Hathors have suggested we stupid humans meditate.

I guess there's no harm in it, but I just can't help but see it as just another wacky meditation alternative. Nothing "wrong" with that, I suppose. No more "odd" that your garden-variety shamanic journey--but I just wasn't feelin' it. And the Hathors--why do they only speak through Kenyon?? I just don't buy that he's the only one capable or the only one "listening" on the entire planet. My knee-jerk reaction is to say this merely helps him sell CDs! "If you want to hear from the Hathors, Tom Kenyon is the only approved source!"

And Kenyon's CDs? Well, I only heard snippets from one, so maybe I'm not getting the full repertoire--but what I heard didn't impress. It sounded like he picked up a mike, mixed in some groovy New Age music and just made weird sounds with his voice. This is supposed to be extraterrestrial communication? I felt like such a chump! I didn't protest, however, because I wanted to absorb the experience and then make my judgment. I'm sure I would be told that I'm allowing our own human and cultural "blocks" to color my perception. Well, how else would I perceive this? As a cat?

Drive the 2009 Merkaba!
It really does sound like a car. Well, keeping to sacred geometry, we also discussed the merkaba, allegedly an interdimensional vehicle that can transport us to a higher level of consciousness (shown above). Wait--didn't the octahedron do that? No, ok--so how many things to do I have to visualize? My head hurts--or maybe it's getting hit by the rotating pyramid-thingy!

The concept of the merkaba does have lots of interesting connections, however, to the Star of David, Kabbalah and mystic Drunvalo Melchizedek. Which is enough to make your head ache for weeks. Here's a simple video which I wish I had seen--makes it much more digestible, I think.

So there you go. Our facilitator always says to take everything with a grain of salt and never to accept anything just because he discusses it. All in all, everything I disliked is merely yet another way of looking at the same thing. We'll see what rises to the surface in time. Regardless, I say keep a healthy skepticism!

Recent Shamanic Workshop: Challenges and Dislikes

The "alien" photo will make sense if you keep reading, trust me. Here's my "Part B" post on the latest shamanic workshop I attended. This one deals with what I didn't like or what I thought was just plain silly. Well, maybe I should say, those things "I didn't find useful." There--so much more diplomatic, no?

Don't Know Much About History...
When we began our second day talking about an alternative history to Earth, I realized just how much of a newbie I am to all this. And this totally blew my mind as far as trying to keep up with names, places and connections. The facilitator made a good point about how we only know the history that is written down and the history of the "conquerors"--and that leaves out quite a bit.

And I guess his "parahistory" of Earth solves the problem of evolution's missing link--because this theory says we didn't evolve at all but were actually created. By aliens. Hmmm, somehow I don't see the Christians liking this theory either. Here's how it goes (from what I can remember): An interdimensional alien race came to Earth looking for resources (gold, specifically). Over time, they brought in another race to be their slaves, but the slaves revolted. To get a more controllable workforce, the aliens created us humans by combining chimp DNA and something else.

Then it gets really confusing! Martians enter the picture, several lost continents (Lemuria, Atlantis) appear and disappear, and we are told the Hebrews/Jews are also of alien descent! It was entertaining, sure, but really difficult to swallow. The whole alien-superrace-seeding-humanity reminds me, though of the "Battlestar Galactica" finale--an interesting connection.

Visions of Octahedrons Dancing in My Head
We also discussed a little sacred geometry, which I actually find quite intriguing--but I got totally lost along the way. Supposedly, visualizing ourselves in an octahedron (8-sided) is the correct way to gain balance. Really? I've been meditating quite successfully for a few years now--without rotating pyramids in my head--so why do I need this now?

The octahedron thing is related to the Hathors, allegedly interdimensional beings from Venus who speak through author and sound healer Tom Kenyon. This is how the Hathors have suggested we stupid humans meditate.

I guess there's no harm in it, but I just can't help but see it as just another wacky meditation alternative. Nothing "wrong" with that, I suppose. No more "odd" that your garden-variety shamanic journey--but I just wasn't feelin' it. And the Hathors--why do they only speak through Kenyon?? I just don't buy that he's the only one capable or the only one "listening" on the entire planet. My knee-jerk reaction is to say this merely helps him sell CDs! "If you want to hear from the Hathors, Tom Kenyon is the only approved source!"

And Kenyon's CDs? Well, I only heard snippets from one, so maybe I'm not getting the full repertoire--but what I heard didn't impress. It sounded like he picked up a mike, mixed in some groovy New Age music and just made weird sounds with his voice. This is supposed to be extraterrestrial communication? I felt like such a chump! I didn't protest, however, because I wanted to absorb the experience and then make my judgment. I'm sure I would be told that I'm allowing our own human and cultural "blocks" to color my perception. Well, how else would I perceive this? As a cat?

Drive the 2009 Merkaba!
It really does sound like a car. Well, keeping to sacred geometry, we also discussed the merkaba, allegedly an interdimensional vehicle that can transport us to a higher level of consciousness (shown above). Wait--didn't the octahedron do that? No, ok--so how many things to do I have to visualize? My head hurts--or maybe it's getting hit by the rotating pyramid-thingy!

The concept of the merkaba does have lots of interesting connections, however, to the Star of David, Kabbalah and mystic Drunvalo Melchizedek. Which is enough to make your head ache for weeks. Here's a simple video which I wish I had seen--makes it much more digestible, I think.

So there you go. Our facilitator always says to take everything with a grain of salt and never to accept anything just because he discusses it. All in all, everything I disliked is merely yet another way of looking at the same thing. We'll see what rises to the surface in time. Regardless, I say keep a healthy skepticism!