RiverSnake

Although I have very little experience in magic these are supposedly the most basic foundational techniques you need to get started, you'll notice there very similar to Franz Bardon's stuff. I also highly recommend the book by Draja which this excerpt is from: http://thetaobums.com/topic/26048-foundations-of-magical-training/ In regards to expanding ones consciousness and raising ones energy to "higher planes" I recommend practicing Chi Kung. There are many systems out there, find one that resonates with you. Also, most important of all, work towards practicing virtue or in another words emptying/purifying of oneself....it is very easy to get lost on the path if you are not cultivating emptiness, virtue and self-knowledge (these are the same thing really). Through self-purification you will learn to listen and develop a relationship with ones higher self and find that you "KNOW" and feel what direction is most powerful and positive for you. My 2 cents, Peace

K, cool. Thanks Zhongyong.

Hey Slim. If you feel a strong connection with Bardon then i say go with his system. If you however feel something is missing for you then i suggest that you send out a prayer or wish to connect with a system that is perfect for you and the path you should choose. Often when you knock on that door somebody opens. My 2 cents, Peace

Thanks for the posts everyone I am very interested in the benefits of Horse Stance. I think perhaps when i start exercising again i will start practicing 5 minutes of Horse Stance after my morning Hatha Yoga routine. It will definitely add some intensity to my workout and make my Tai Chi practice a lot funner and difficult. Also i am sure it will help strengthen my posture and body. My 2 cents, Peace

For those talking about the dangers of trance, I thought I would list some of the warnings I have found in a variety of books and interviews. 1. Have an exact or focused intent on what you wish to accomplish when going into trance. (So you don't get distracted) 2. Keep you trance structured with a beginning and an end much like a ritual. (So your reality doesn't get warped) 3. Retrace your steps back through your trance rather than returning to your body immediately. (So soul fragmentation does not occur) 4. Do not practice Trance if you are Bipolar or have some kind of psychological disorder. (You can potentially destroy yourself mentally) -------------------------------------- Spotless mentioned Trance being seen as a side-path. I very much agree, for me personally, in my limited experiences I have found it to be a very useful tool for self-healing, receiving advice/knowledge.....etc. However, although it can be very useful in certain situations, it is not the whole enchilada. Like anything in the esoteric world, if it is not approached with a certain level of integrity and self-knowledge then it can be very entangling. These things are better understood than feared IMO. My 2 cents, Peace

Indeed, many people are writing bout Trance Theory and what trance actually is.....but I was more interested in the experiences people have had with them....good or bad. Been experimenting with trance recently myself, I feel there are many vehicles for entering a trance state. I set my intent on achieving a certain goal and just allow myself to relax into complete nothingness. From this nothingness I just allow whatever images the mind wishes to project flow and I move with them without resistance, when I am finished with the path I walk back through the states, I retrace my steps through all of the situations and images and return to regular awareness....I then record my experiences in poetry so I can reflect and record them. It's been quite a powerful tool for me. It's been a tool for working with individual blockages that are causing problems which might have taken a longer time to dissolve had I just focused purely in one method of approaching self heaing. IMO a very good tool for working with the personality and integration. Ofcourse this is my understanding from some very simple and limited experiences. My 2 cents, Peace

You never employ Wu Wei. It employs you....if you allow it to. My 2 cents, Peace

You will find that there are many different types of qigong that people talk about on the forum. Just do a search and I am sure you will find people in the discussion forum whom have asked the same question.

Welcome, I like your screen name Drifitng Cloud

I always found Tai Chi very enjoyable, but one of the reasons I never really got fully into it was because it was to easy and not intense or difficult enough for me. Sounds like this would be something great to integrate into my practice when I am able to start again. I am curious does Horse Stance have any Internal Development benefits? My 2 cents, Peace

That was hysterical. :0

This is a simple and general book about exploring the reality of the mind....as the title basically states. However, within the simplicity of the book I found an enormous depth of knowledge and it was apparent to me that the author does have a lot of background experience in this area. I would say about 50% of the knowledge in this book I was familiar with....however the level of depth and clarity that the author is able to convey his subject matter expanded my understanding about topics that I thought I already had a good grasp on. I don't think I have ever highlighted so much in any book, there are precious gems everywhere in this book. He clarified a lot of my own experiences of the nature of the mind, reality as well as my experiences with Trance and Magic. I have already applied some of his techniques in order to clear and re-formulate some of my mental constructs and have found great success. The only thing I might have complained about is he does come of a bit too academic at times for my own esoteric tendencies.....but that is also one of the strengths of the book and I feel he hits the right balance as best he can when talking about such fuzzy esoteric topics. Best of all its dirt cheap, only a penny on amazon. It was a great read, I didn't want to put it down and read it in 3 days. http://www.amazon.com/Mindscape-Exploring-Reality-Thought-Forms/dp/0835606600/ref=la_B001KI2PPO_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1361924060&sr=1-2 My 2 cents, Peace

He does cover a lot of material I am sure other authors cover. The difference for me was his writing style and the clarity which he was able to expound on the topics, it brought a lot of my own experiences into focus and helped me better understand them, it was a good "refresher" for me. He also does teach some techniques for exploring the mind which are very basic and simple but which I have found very useful. My 2 cents, Peace

Hmmmm...I just put up a review. You are referring to the negative one? People have there own opinions I suppose. Judge for yourself, the books only a penny. My 2 cents, Peace

Trolls made me laugh today.

While I have no personal experience with this....my readings and talks with others have taught me differently. Karma can be be transferred but my understanding is it must be done so consciously. But indeed we should be primarily concerned with what fields we are sewing for ourselves. My 2 cents, Peace

Karma means "action". It's not some high in the sky idea that some people make it out to be. Everyday we make decisions or actions with our body, mind and emotions. Those actions have an effect on us and our reality. My 2 cents, Peace

Intent is important when doing these things. If your doing them out of fear then naturally your gonna be stiffled because you are projecting that fear and therefore attracting it to you. Clarity and focused intent are important in these things. There are times when I have been psychically attacked or i have just been feeling "heavy"... the moment I put up my walls I felt "lighter" and had more energy. I am not clairvoyant so I can't see these things but in some way or another it works. That's what my experiences have taught me atleast and what I have also been taught by numerous teachers (shield yourself). Love can be a very powerful form for dissolving....but at the end of the day it is still an emotion and emotions require energy....if you go out trying to dissolve every person on the planet you are gonna exhaust yourself and not be a happy camper. Edit: I am not saying there is anything wrong with projecting love and joy. But it's better being happy by ones intrinsic nature and also at the same time protect oneself effectively (shields) so you can keep projecting that joy and love instead of getting knocked off balance by others negativity. My 2 cents,Peace

IME that is simply not true. You can have friends and family and be around them and still be detached and not absorb there negativities. However, in regards to intimate relationships I would say its impossible to be intimate with someone and remain detached....the act itself builds a connection and can compromise clarity very deeply. Also in regards to jetsun's post on taking on others karma that Buddhas do. This is something that should probably only be left for those high level practitioners whom have sealed all of there doors and know how to dissolve such things in one foul swoop without becoming entangled. It is not something one should do without a supreme level of clarity. My 2 cents, Peace

I laughed a bit at the title: Complete Realities shouldn't have sections....right?

Good Karma Bad Karma, green karma, yellow karma....while it is important to protect oneself from other people's negative energies via shielding.....I think it's best not to overly obsess about all tricks you need to avoid karma.....cultivating simple detachment and shielding oneself is the root way to avoid entanglements. I agree with Jetsuns post....don't be scared of these things.....that just brews deeper attachment and suffering. Cultivate diligently and you will learn how to seal the doors for yourself. My 2 cents, Peace

My understanding is that standing meditation can be one of the best things for Tai Chi because it not only enables chi flow but allows us to sort through the spine and personal posture, unravel knots and continue to edit and refine are posture, weight distribution....etc Best of luck phore. My 2 cents, Peace

I am currently reading Exploring the Reality of Thought Forms by Bruce Just began reading it and am already enjoying it. Some of it I already knew and at the same time I am learning a lot. He writes quite clearly and thoroughly on the topic, I am surprised its not a more popular book on the subject. http://www.amazon.com/Mindscape-Exploring-Reality-Thought-Forms/dp/0835606600/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1361627886&sr=8-1&keywords=exploring+the+reality+of+thought+forms

If reincarnation is correct then if you commit suicide you'll just be right back where you started in a similar situation having to learn the same lessons/teachings/problems. It's better to try and manifest a way out of our situation....why do you feel you can't do anything to change your situation? My 2 cents, Peace