Articles on Shamanism and Healing
Imagination, Belief, Intellect and Knowledge
A wise man once said that “Imagination is more important than knowledge”. Clearly however, most of our contemporary culture does not view it as such. Here in the western world, imagination is considered to be somewhat of a dubious use of time. At best, it is reserved for naive children and “artsy” types, and at worst, it is seen as an escape for somewhat “flighty” individuals with too much time on their hands or disillusioned souls who have lost their grip on “reality”. Sarcastic quips such as “she's got quite a vivid imagination”, “he's got his head in the clouds” or “don't mind her, she's in another world” give us a hint as to the basic opinion that the collective holds for the act of imagination.
Contrast this with accolades such as “ he really has his feet on the ground” “she is as solid as a rock” or “so and so is very down-to-earth” and it becomes quite clear that our society puts a much greater value on the rational mind than the imaginative mind. This dynamic was felt to be incorrect and commented on by the same “wise-man” when he stated that “ The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift”. Could this be true? Could he be right? Isn't it the development of the intellect, and with it, science that has freed us from the dark ages? Isn't intuition and imagination just “make-believe” where as intellect and its “knowledge” are known facts? Perhaps the “wise-man” has been displaced by the “intelligent-man”? Read More...
Monsters or Madness?
Over the past year or so, I have noticed an ever increasing tendency of people wanting to discuss with me, a very serious and "dark"subject. With greater and greater regularity, I find myself in heavy conversations with clients, friends, fellow "seekers" and even complete strangers on the topic of conspiracies. I can usually recognize when one of these discussions is coming. There will generally be a noticeable change in the behavior of the person who is broaching this content with me. Very often there will be a cursory check of the surroundings to make sure no one else is within listening distance, other times a sudden increase in both seriousness and intensity occurs, some will get a little closer to me and speak in a lower and more hushed voice. After any one or more of these signs, I will invariably be informed of various insidious plots, master minded by very powerful and secret organizations, directed against the largely unsuspecting and innocent general population. Although this may sound like a scene from some dark futuristic sci-fi flick, for the people who speak to me on these matters, this certainly is no Hollywood fantasy. Disclosed to meare horrible descriptions of very powerful new world orders bent on world domination. These covert organizations poison the masses with fluoride in the water supply for the purpose of keeping us "dumbed down" and submissive to their evil agenda. I am told that the white streaks that crisscross our skies from jet airplanes are actually a form of chemical warfare that is sickening our population. A friend of mine fills me in on the massive HIV conspiracy that was orchestrated to wipe out "undesirable" segments of the population. The list goes on. Read More...
Rethinking the "Nature" of evil
Most of us believe we have a good idea of what "evil" is. It is the opposite of all that is good and whole some. It is the antagonist, the "bad guys" in the perennial Good vs. Evil epic myths, that are described over and over, in the stories that we were raised on. Evil's essence is captured perfectly by the "dark side" in the epic Star Wars saga with the diabolical emperor, the cold and heartless Darth Vader and the corrupt Galactic Empire. It is depicted as the sinister Lord Voldemort of the Harry Potter series and by the wicked witch of the west in The Wizard of Oz . Evil represents that element in life that evokes our darkest fears, and at the same time, it is the very thing that we love to hate the most. We understand, all to well, that evil is not simply just make-believe from some "story", but that evil is a very real component of life and that it is the source of enormous pain and suffering in our world. Without a doubt, most people in our culture, feel they know who the "evil people" are and would put the likes of Adolph Hitler, Jack the Ripper, Charles Manson, and Osama Bin Laden at the top of the list. What exactly is it though, that makes us categorize these people as evil? Read More...
