DaoChild

I've experienced my most powerful revelations, experiences, coincidences, realizations in shamanic journeys.

Not quite sure where you got the idea that it's linked to memory loss, but giving up soda is a good habit anyway. The only way to do it is one day at a time - if you can, supply something else when you get the craving. Honestly I won't be of much use, I never drank soda regularly, and completely gave it up cold turkey when I was 13. See if you can get your friends to help you - and ask them not to drink soda around you. Over time you'll gradually lose the craving completely. Good luck, a craving for anything isn't easy to break !

Erm.. not sure where everyone is getting their sources. Smoking does NOT cause cancer. Let me say it one more time. Smoking does NOT cause cancer - it only increases your chances. It causes rapid cell proliferation which increases the *possibility* of a cell division going wrong. It's gambling, rather than a guarantee. Everyone "knows someone" who lived to a ripe-old age who smoked a pack a day. They aren't blessed by God, nor are they genetic freaks - they are lucky.

Uhh.. what? I'm pretty sure you can go cold turkey right to vegetables and you'll be quite alright. That, or take a few days or weeks easing into it (however long it takes to make the shift..).

I think it's a LITTLE more complicated than that.

Smile and walk away. Key word: threaten. If they act, you need to too.

It's physical conditioning to get into lotus. Practice every day, push yourself a little more, and you will get it. Just like stretching to attain a full split.

Very interesting stuff, for sure! I think in the years to come we'll see a fascinating new synthesis -- the line where mysticism and science cross. After all, if you are a scientist and don't constantly question the current dominant theories of the world - how can you continue to grow, learn and experiment? The world is an amazing place.

Hmmmm.. bloodshot eyes can be caused by many things. Lack of sleep, eye strain from TV / Computer, smoking the devil's cabbage Etc.

Technically "dreaming" is an out of body experience, but an out of body experience is not dreaming.

Hi all. Just wondering if you have favorite prayers you recite in the morning, or prayers/blessings you like in general. I have several I like in the morning, but am always interested in hearing more than inspire me. I take it slowly, but often times if I recite longer prayers I can better embody stillness throughout the day.

Does anyone know if Taoism has something similar? A meditative method that generates tremendous heat in the body that can keep you warm even in the middle of winter?

You might want to check out "Adventures Beyond the Body" by William Buhlman. Right now, It's the most recommended book on OBE. It's up there with Robert Bruce, and will clarify many things.

What do you mean similar to the Native American method? There exists one? I've never heard of such.. that's pretty interesting! Among what tribe?

Yeah, I've seen this attitude a lot before. I guess I'm going to have to swallow all my questions and go to China.. until all of them are answered.

Hi Seth I was actually traveling with a band of nomads, the Taureg, who have been living there for thousands of years. I deliberately went to the desert because I assumed that with so little external stimuli, I would only be able to turn inward. Funny thing about the desert was that of anywhere I've been in the world (and I've traveled a lot..) I've never been somewhere that felt so alive. Ever. It appeared so barren outside but it felt like the boulders were watching me as I passed by on camel, it felt like the sand was always following my heels, and it feel like there was a completely awake spiritual reality to the desert. I've never felt that anywhere else in my life. The trip actually ended up being organized through another party, especially since it's difficult to just show up and ask the nomads if you could go with them. I guess technically It *may* have been possible, since I speak pretty good French and ended up translating a lot. We ended up traveling for about 14 days into the desert, spent my 3-4 days alone in the desert, and then we rejoined and headed back out. Quite spectacular.

Hi Mikaelz. I don't fast regularly. The only fast I have done was a 5 day water only fast, when I did a vision quest in the Sahara desert several months ago. It is much easier to fast when you go out with a spiritual intent in mind, have no one (or food! ) around to distract you, and have yourself really honed in on something. It felt incredible though - I personally didn't notice any hunger after day 1, but I definitely felt weak near the end. Ironically, I may end up taking more regular fasts - because when I went to India my bowels and GI tract got all messed up (I LOVEE Spicey food maybe too much). And actually this 5 day fast completely reset and fixed my whole GI jumble. I agree, that's exactly what I felt.

I guess it depends what you pray for. I don't pray for 'having this taken away' or 'having that given to me'. Every morning I say a prayer of gratitude - thanks for a new day of life. I also say a prayer by Tecumseh which is more of an affirmation of how I'm going to live my life today. I think praying to some person in the sky to be granted (or granted release from) something is pretty silly. I suppose you all have different versions of prayer than I do - I don't pray "for" anything. I don't have pain in my life, I don't have misfortune, I don't have problems and I don't have anxiety. I have much, much more than I already need - so most of the time I say words of thanksgiving.

You can't cure a cold, it's a virus and therefore nothing you put into your body can actually make it go away. Viruses aren't living. Isn't it more about preventing dis-ease and weakness in the body? Many of the early Quanzhen masters believed that simply having a distracted mind led to impurity and even disease in the body. Obviously it's much easier to prevent things from happening, rather than trying to fix them once they've already occurred.

I'm sure some people will say yes - but I don't think so. Most often, the experience I get is of limitlessness. I feel alive, but empty, full of understanding since there is no concept of self. When I get into "The groove" I don't judge anything, and the result is that I feel like the center of the cosmos. There is nothing that affects me, as I am a mountain that the sun passes over. It's a pretty cool feeling of liberation.

? The glowing pub sign in the back?

I don't believe in psychic leaching. But, we all know the psychological/emotional leaching of being around someone who is always positive, versus someone who is always negative. They can inspire you, or make you miserable. And like associates with like.

In my opinion, that's the point of mysticism. When you understand the essence, god, tao, etc. everyone comes to the same conclusion. That's why all these abilities of sages, Druids, shamans, immortals all appear to be the same.

Eat more slowly. The few times in my life I've had acid reflux or heartburn were always linked to eating too quickly. And I'm not even talking about scarfing down food - in general, most of us eat too quickly. Literally spend 30 minutes eating a meal, and stay seated for at least another 30 minutes to let the food settle. Do it like the europeans do Anyway - that has been my past problem - not sure if it will help her!

Hydrogen peroxide removes astral gunk from your ears..... hmmmmm.