Astral_Anima

What DOES he speak? I'll assume Chinese? Which kind? I'd love to meet that guy eventually =)

True but wouldn't internal alchemy or chi development increase our own bioelectric field and thus provide us protection from such things? And plus cell phones and such aren't needed. Food and water however...

He studied with Sifu Wang??

It's more than just stress... http://curezone.com/forums/am.asp?i=1678986 Alot of good advise on there. I would second the apples (of course minus the skin), in fact I would say juicing apples would work well. However if trying to get pectin and malic acid pasteurized apple juice will help also, although i'd recommend "cider" as it's more concentrated. Also if you're not eating raw I would highly suggest digestive enzymes and probiotic capsules to support colon health. Like said above cut out all sugary snacks, anything with too much INsoluble fiber, white bread, over processed foods. Honey is AMAZING at soothing the digestive system. In TCM it's mostly caused by "dampness" and "cold winds", which apparently is a typical result of a diet with alot of "cold" foods (cold beverages, over exposure to cold climates, iced teas, iced coffees, sodas, etc), protein-rich foods, going to bed late, mental stress, etc. In Ayurveda it would probably be diagnosed as a "Vata imbalance". Thus it's suggested to eat "warming" foods of the salty and sweet flavors. Avoid root veggeis like potatoes and ALL nightshade veggies, avoid cold foods and avoid dry foods (like chips and such, go for smooth, not crunchy) and nuts/seeds. Also avoid acidic foods like tomaties, peppers and citrus. It would suggest to shoot for things like well cooked oatmeal with banana and honey, veggie soups, mashed carrots and peas, and of course to use small amounts of ghee or butter as "lubrication". Basically the idea is warm, smooth and chewy. Fermented foods is something I would personally suggest. making your own coleslaw, kimchi and sauerkraut and if you accept dairy to buy raw yogurt from unpasteurized milk. Of course the best way for anything is to be aware of how certain foods affect you. Gauging the body's response to each food is the best way to find out what you should and should not be eating...however it can also take quite a bit of time . Anyway hope this helps some. There's alot of good info our there (and here ) take advantage. Best of Luck -Astral

Hey All, I've started a new set of practices based around mastery of body and mind. Of course this includes pranayama or breath control. However when I sit to meditate and practice pranayama I seem to be unable to relax enough to keep my breaths steady and even. It seems my nervous system is still rather f***ed up. I'm trying to figure out all of the factors that contribute to relaxation and respiratory rate (breaths per minute) and was wondering if anyone has any insights? So far I'm going to spend less time online and inside and try to spend more time outside in the sun and around nature. I've decided to go on a fast to help calm my system and heal. I'm going to be picking up a punching bag for stress relief... Does anyone have any other ideas? Any techniques in general to help with breath control or relaxation? I'm trying to get down to 1-2 breaths per minute (long term goal). Are there any special diets, systems, practices, exercises, technology, visualizations, mudras, ANYTHING that can enhance my ability to relax and concentrate? If anyone has experience in this what has worked for you? Thx in advance -Astral

While there's a health post out, I'm gonna throw this out there This guy touches on some crazy topics. I picked up his book which was even more full of "goodies". Just from the videos, what do you guys think? He's apparently the co-founder of the Hippocrates Health Institute and quite well known to health nuts -Astral

"speaks to me" would be an understatement but yes it does not just his dietary system but also his general attitude and alot of other things he says. Like the cessation of ejaculation for males and menstruation for females, connecting with "Source", "laying of hands" style healings, and alot of other things. I'm interested in human potential and thats what this guy is all about so I enjoy it. The reason I brought him up is that he makes alot of claims of transformation through such simple things as dietary change, sunlight, basic meditation, etc.

Gonna add these too as well suninmyeyes- Yea I'll admit the book is poorly organized imo. However it's PACKED full of highly concentrated useful, practical knowledge. No fluff. He says alot of crazy things but his msg seems to resonate with me.

You're right there's much controversy because of how big the protein molecules are in milk. However studies seem to suggest it's only a problem with pasteurized milk. While I agree milk is not necessary it certainly shouldn't be ruled out. Even the ancient essenes would use fermented dairy in healing. Also you're right about muscle development. Two websites to prove my point... thgardendiet.com http://www.thefirstsupper.com/ You definately don't need alot protein to build muscle. In fact on the "increasing jing" post it would suggest that it's the zinc/copper or the testosterone levels that build muscle. The argument for milk seems to be more for the nerves and blood. They say when a cow is grassfed it takes that chlorophyll and uses it to make high quality milk. It's known as "white blood" because it has very healing effect on the blood, just like chlorophyll. Personally I don't drink it now because i'm trying to get to a "breatharian" or "bigu" state, but I think raw milk play an important part of the transition to/maintenance of the raw diet. It' much easier to stay raw when supplemented with milk because of it's effect on the nerves. It's very calming. (could also have to do with the high Vit D and serotonin). -Astral EDIT: Also re-cancer, from my own study of this subject I think cancer has to do with just a surplus of toxins in general. One lady who had a tumor removed from her bowel(?) found that it had dead brain tissue and other strange chemicals in it. Tumors seem to be the body's final attempt at isolating and controlling all of the toxins in the system. Probably why tumors shrink on raw diets and fasts

BAHAHAHA omg Wiley F%^&ing Brooks. This guy who prefers payments in 100% pure gold and tells us eating McDonalds and diet coke is the "breatharian" diet. However the 5 "names of God" i've heard elsewhere. godsdirectcontact.com http://www.santmat.net/ Both of these (definately the first, maybe the second too) use the 5 names in chanting. They also teach meditation on the "light and sound", something that happens naturally out of daoist alchemy. So there may be sum truth in that. The BEST lies are 90% truth, because were they not believable, who would receive them? Also I agree with the use of unpasteurized milk. I did a "fast" (it was too easy to really call a fast) on raw milk drinking 2 quarts a day. Got some REALLY strong healing reactions, especially of the nerves. Also egg yolks are apparently really good for cleansing the liver. The high fat causes the liver to expel bile and with it, expel all of the fat/soluble toxins stored in the liver. The cholesterol and lecithin gives the body the raw ingredients needed to make more bile so the old toxin filled bile can be expelled instead of reabsorbed. I would wonder how a green juice and raw milk fast would go. Both are aimed at cleansing the blood. As far as I know it would supply everything the body would need fats, HIGH quality proteins, minerals, vitamins, probiotics, chlorophyll, enzymes, structured water, etc. and it would also be rather easy to follow due to the raw milk. When I drink raw milk it never feels like I need anything else...but then again it could be due to the opioid peptides. I know Gandhi couldn't give up milk. his health "deteriorated" every time he tried

There's a few problems with all of this. First problem is that there's more than one way to create "heat". For example instead of cooking food you can add spices like ginger, cayenne, garlic or pepper to increase internal heat. The biggest and most effective way, however, if flipping EXERCISE. On the Raw diet such energy is released that if you don't circulate it through exercise then it will stagnate and you will get weak and lethargic. I know, I FELT it getting "stuck" any day I didn't exercise. And i'm not talking about any baby crap, I went from sedentary to jogging 5-10 miles a day and hitting the punching bag for 2 hours a day. This is very unlike modern culture to exercise this much but it's what it necessary to handle such a drastic increase in energy. Second problem is that we're still using metaphors. We have science now people, it's okay . Saying stuff about boiling pot and pouring water on top of fire doesn't prove dick. Fruit has been proven to be one of the most easily digested substances and only enhances digestion. Studies have been done on raw vegans with varying results based on how they do it. One thing noticed is that for MOST raw vegans the digestive system gets cleaned and enhanced. By focusing on fruits and sprouts, juicing greens with heavy plant fibers and soaking nuts and maybe even making "nutmilks" digestion is enhanced. Another GREAT way to make it work is by using fermented foods. Take sum cabbage, carrot, and ginger and make sum raw sauerkraut . By fermenting it you allow a growth of pro-biotic and increase it's digestibility and assimilation. Plus we have the whole overlooked science of enzymes which no-one has touched on yet. The idea of enzymes sounds very much like pre-natal chi, you start out only with so much and when you run out your body shuts down. heating food over 115oF destroys most enzymes. Protein as well seems to get denatured making much less of it actually usable by the body. Probably why there's so many successful raw vegan body builders out there, cause they're using clean protein. Another problem I have is some of the people you're quoting and what they're saying. For example this quote... The main thing that people do the raw diet for is healing...and thats what it does, it keeps disease away, so obviously something is being done correctly. If this is true then there's no need to cook food the stomach does it for us. And even if we decide to aid the stomach...how hot do you think it gets? internal temp of most people is 98.6oF so maybe cooking at 100 degrees would work, but cooking 2-3-400 degrees? After that you're not longer eating the same food your eating a denatured product that your body will most likely recognize as "foreign". Not only that but there are some nutrients that are not heat stable. Vitamin C and Omega-3s are two of the most important nutrients, and you'll find none of them in ANY cooked food, unless they decide to add a synthetic version to the "waste" they've created. Also you have to keep in mind the culture of the times. All organized societies say to cook your food, there hasn't been a movement and heavy study into raw foods until today (at least not one documented). Plus one has to consider the discomfort of switching from cooked to raw foods. The discomfort of all of that energy. Cooking food could be labeled an addiction because it's not needed but it's very hard to stop doing. Keeping in mind that many Qigong masters are still just as human as us it's very likely that they simply made this "science" around the idea of cooking food instead of contrasting it. Many yogis live on a mainly raw food diet, not the modern ones in the US, or the bullshit gurus scattered all over the place, but the ones who truly seeks mastery of themselves, and shun pleasure for freedom. My ayurvedic doctor told me of her guru who was now like 115 or so and she said all he eats is a few pieces of fruit and sum raw milk. Lastly, going back to the enzyme issue. Raw foods contain active enzymes that help break down food. When these enzymes are present the spleen doesn't have to make as many enzymes so the burden is less. However when you cook your food the enzymes are destroyed and your spleen has to work harder creating enzymes to break down food. If you eat too much cooked food your body will take metabolic enzymes and transform them into digestive enzymes to break down of the "food" on pumps themself with. So eating cooked food too often can result in a slowing or ceasing into metabolic function. Eating raw foods is superior in the health of the spleen and allows it to function optimally long term. This is science, not some kind of metaphoric aestheticism. Metal dog- You're right that alot of people fail on this diet because they view it more as an "aesthetics" kind of thing rather than a science of eating. They think, " oh well anything that mother nature provides in it's natural raw state is good for eating" then they go and eat some poison ivy O.o Fruitarianism is VERY hard to make work in today's time due to the degrading soil and the lack of nutrition in modern fruits. Once upon a time they used to be much more nutritious, just look at the 'goji' berries of Tibet. They haven't been disturbed and mass produced and they have a complete protein, omega 3s, minerals vitamins, etc. Just this tiny little berry. So I would agree that it's hard to do. Sprouts honestly seem to be the answer. Sprouting seeds like pumpkin seeds, flax and chia seeds, etc provide the right fats and proteins for those with a thinner constitution (like myself) and using fermented foods (especially adding ginger to those foods) you can increase digestion and assimilation. Vegetables like brocolli, carrots, etc with hard plant fibers are the things that need a strong digestion to handle. Most of these suggest juicing. in fact even chimps juice vegetables, but they just chew it, swallow the juice and spit out the fiber. Also Re- protein. It's VERY easy to get all the protein you need. However symptoms of fatigue are not unique to protein deficiency. It also goes along with with withdrawl symptoms EDIT: Also re-sprouts, You can sprout things in water with synthetic minerals or sea salt to increase it's mineral content Do this over generations of plants and you'll get an effect similar to the Tibetan goji berry. EDIT2: Second that green juice smoothies. I'm going on a green juice fast when I get a job to support it. LT2- Fasting is indeed a powerful thing. It sensitizes you to everything like you would not believe. Just goes to show how much of an impact food has on our consciousness.

haha, not at all. The less i do somthing the less i want to do something. Maybe i'm just unhealthy though When it comes to sexual thoughts...i don't really get sexual thoughts cause i really don't care so much about sex. Again, maybe i'm just 'unhealthy" or have low jing. Or maybe it's just the way I am.

Yeah just focus on raising your "power level" (dbz referance :D ) through inner alchemy. The meditation that efflang gave in your "Meditation" post was GOLD that I actually ended up paying money for , lol, but o well. As a recap of what he said: no ejaculation or sexual stimulation, focus on lower dan tien in lotus (or half lotus with index fingers touching), natural or reverse breathing. Do this until you feel heat/vibration in lower dan tien. It should start moving after awhile. This is level 1 in Kunlun and a few other arts, it's the basis for most alchemy. Demons will try to stop you doing anything that will allow you to regain all of your power, even the buddha had a whole army of demons try to disrupt his meditation, he silenced them with a single gesture . There's a saying in Falun Dafa "One good repels a thousand evils". Work on meditation for energetic development and work on your mind to recognize negative influences and reclaim control of your mind. Meditation will open your third eye, like i said, when the heat is established it moves, usually up the spine, and when it reaches your third eye it will open. Of course from that point you may want to use some exercises to develop that opened third eye; but focus on opening it first. Every decent alchemy system starts with meditation. It may have some physical exercises to help increase the active energy, but meditation is what takes everything to a whole new level. If you're looking for a guaranteed safe travel I would find a "Master" that you trust who can help you in that sense. I would ask around the forum for such a source. However if you continue meditation you may find a "master" in another realm who may help protect you. If not there are deities you can pray to prior to meditation to watch over you. Lastly...alright this is rather controversial and I cannot back this up with anything other than my personal exp and a few "masters", but a vegetarian/vegan diet seems to prevent certain demonic influences. Personally i believe this is a VERY underrated and overlooked practice and it's helped me immensely in the dealing of negative entities and thoughts. You may want to experiment with it and see if it helps. -Astral

yeah, i used to worry about that too. Here's the thing though, the more you fear them the more you feed them, it's a cache22. In reality I believe we are WAY more powerful than any demon and that we give away our power through negative emotions. The best demons can do is tempt through intimidation, bribery etc. they truly are weak cowards seeking to drain the power of those they can affect. As scary as they may appear or seem to be, it's just a bravado. There's simple logic that will dispell the idea that they may be more powerful than us and it goes as follows. If they are truly more powerful than us and wish to destroy us then they would have done so already. the fact that they haven't proves that they can't and when you begin to show that they have no power over you by reclaiming your own power then they will retaliate. They want you to be like cattle, stupid and under control so they can feed off us. They wage war using illusion. The first big illusion is that we're weaker then them. If we believe this then they will use fear to control us. The best attitude to have is that of minor annoyance, like your bratty little sister is disrupting your meditation, because in reality the situation isn't that different. However if a demon materializes outside of you then thats good, i believe that means you're letting it go. If it's no longer inside you then it's likely a final attempt before it finally leaves you for good. If you can't believe in your own power then it may help using a mantra or praying to the deity you wish to protect you. Most people who experience "demons" find this easier. Though personally I think it's better to use your own power if you can. This response is just based on my knowledge and minor experience. -Astral

Ok then this brings up the question...what is qi? Also there's another problem I've come across...If all it takes is for one to want supernatural powers for a demon to grant it to them...then why doesn't EVERYONE have supernatural powers? Certainly there's a piece of the equation missing. What are the mechanics of "Futi"? What are the signs/symptoms? Also what is one's "essence"? Isn't our "essence" consciousness? Certainly you're not suggesting one can take that away. And lastly if it is theorized that most people get energy from "animals" or "demons", then where can someone get energy that doesn't come from another source? From cultivation? What is cultivation? cultivation of what? Certainly we shouldn't have to rely on a single "master" to give us energy to cultivate. I remember Li saying that virtue comes from student, gong comes from master...that would mean everyone practicing FD gets their energy from Li himself...but if thats the case then where did he get his power? His master? then where did his master get power? It's a cycle like that, thus it cannot be so.

Sounds like someone has a heart blockage, lol. I remember when I first started kunlun I had the energy stuck in my back where the heart center is...VERY uncomfortble, i did alot of stranger movements and felt like i as having multiple orgasms in my back, along with the desire to cry and scream Of course I bitched out cause I wasn't quite ready to do that, lol. But why do you think it's a bad thing to let it sit in the heart area? What have you noticed to draw you to this conclusion?

This is good. With diligent mental work and perhaps proper dietary changes you may notice your sex drive fades naturally. i've noticed that since switching to vegetarianism (and even better on raw foods) and paying careful attention to what I expose myself to, what I say, think and do...that my sex drive is at my will and command. I've applied some theories of hypnosis that seem they may work. For example, notice how many times one says "fuck" during the day and how many times one hears it. Subliminally it may be directing your thoughts in a particular manner. Likewise using particular words/phrases can affect you self-image causing one to think or act differently. Then of course theres the stuff on TV and in movies, lol. but try paying careful attention to what your expose yourself to on a daily basis and try to see how it affects you. Even simple things like what words you use, how you hold yourself, how you speak, how you walk, where your eyes wander, etc -Astral

Following the idea that sexual energy is the same as creative energy, then there's two theories I can think of. 1: Restricting your creative flow would cause the energy to grow stagnant and it would increase your desire for sex so it can be expressed. 2: Increasing your creative flow increases your sex drive. Bach was known to be quite sexually active. If I remember right he had something like 22 wives Another idea is that "like creates like" which is based on social programming. There's alot of hidden sexual messages in childrens' films, and TONS on TV shows for pre-teens, teens, young adults and adults. Because of all of the sexual overtones and suggestions our mind is kept in a constant state of semi-arousal. Secular upbringing would have one believe that sex/orgasm is the best thing life has to offer (this just in suicide rate increase 5%), and most movies/TV shows would indirectly suggest that "happily ever after" relationships are the "boon" of life. With all of this junk programming it's no wonder America is sex crazed. Also because men/women are encouraged to eat crap diets, and are overstressed, and never learn any sexual techniques then alot of the time sex isn't NEARLY as satisfying as it could/should be. Sex Ed is a fucking joke. At 14 I knew more about sex then every qualified teacher I knew. All they taught was the reproductive value, NOTHING about how to give and feel the most pleasure possible. There could also be the dietary aspect. I've heard the theory that ejaculation for males (menstruation for females) is a symptom of toxicity. I'm not familiar enough with the theory to really go in depth but from what I understand...Ejaculation is a way for the body to eliminate excess undigested protein, zinc, and sugars. For example I have personally noticed that after eating Oreos or cake or some kind of sugary garbage, I have a stronger urge to ejaculate. Similarly meat is known to stimulate sex drive, perhaps because of it's large hard-to-digest proteins and high zinc content. Personally i've noticed that since becoming a vegetarian my sex drive has SIGNIFICANTLY decreased, however my performance is still the same as it was before switching. Eating meat for zinc/protein and eating sprouted seeds/beans/grains for protein is drastically diff from my experience. Lastly there's the scientific aspect. This basically states that it's your animal instinct to reproduce. There'a also other things though. For example have you ever questioned why big breasts are so appealing to most guys? Or why a particular "shape" is appealing to most guys? It could be social programming, however it couls also have something to do with the unconscious mind. For example we may be attracted to a woman with wide hips and a healthy weight because unconsciously that signals "fertile". Men may like big breasts because it signifies high levels of estrogen, or it could have something to do with infantile obsessions (Freud). Personally I don't really buy this idea, I tend to lean toward social conditioning/programming but I thought i'd throw it out there anyway. -Astral

Haha, that sounds nice but i'll have to respectfully disagree. My experience has shown that trust is established when one follows through with what they say they're going to do, someone who has proven honesty multiple times and hasn't shown and reason to not be trusted. Just because I trust you doesn't mean you'll trust me. Also trusting "bad" people will just end up in betrayal, not matter how much faith you put into them. However I do agree that trust is the most important part of a relationship, especially when it comes to sex...unless you have that girl with the "rape" fantasy in which case...RUN!!! :lol:

This attachment is for vortex... Also it's quite possible to reverse the "lust leash" if you know a few things. Women have the ability to feel such pleasure that their eyes roll to the back of their head, uncontrollably spasm. You do that to them and they'll be addicted to you. Unless of course they have a strong will or enough energetic development, but most women have neither (from my experience).

Haha, well we dont HAVE to retain, surely 80%+ the population doesn't. However for one who wishes to cultivate energy it allows one to do so quickly. U don't understand why we have to retain because you don't experience what we do. For the most part when women experience orgasm, they become more orgasmic, thus once they've had one it's easier to give them another, it also tends to become more intense. For guys it's the opposite, once we ejaculate are arousal drops, whereas a womans arousal increases. Therefor when a guy can learn to orgasm without losing his arousal then he and his partner can explore ecstasy together. There's a theory that I heard which states that ejaculation and menstruation is a symptom of toxicity. Now i haven't explored it enough to support or refute it however I've noticed that my urge to ejaculte is increased ten-fold when i'm on a diet with alot of sugar and other bad foods. I'd assume since 2/3rd of a man's zinc supply is lost with each ejaculation that overdoses of zinc or perhaps overdoses of protein and sugar (some of the main components of seminal fluid) could cause the body to use ejaculation to expels excess. Idk how that works exactly. Also acceptance of such pleasure is another HUGE problem i think, especially for guys. Being the control freaks we are it's tough to "let go" and "surrender" to a feeling as strong as bliss. I agree with that point 100%. -Astral

Filling your lower dan tien. Thats what it sounds like to me. Thats what one experiences in Kunlun and perhaps Mo Pai. Stick with the heat. Of course it's a good idea to change your diet to "cool' foods like fresh fruits and raw veggies and LOTS of pure water. May want to take sum cold showers too No he has a goal and he's looking for a method to achieve it. If one simply starts meditating because it's fun and "hip" without knowing what it does or wat u want out of it, you're asking for trouble. He has a blueprint for a house, he's asking for the materials.

The fasting was a Master Cleanse, I did have decent energy but not nearly as much as I did later. Forced fasting can be good because it can force your body to find new places to tap into energy, but it can also be bad if it's not ready to tap into other energies. That fast was just to cleanse my body. I was really into detoxification back then (still am) so i was experimenting and breaking taboos of popular belief. After my fast I began a raw vegan diet. I ate raw brussel sprouts, alfalfa sprouts, nuts, berries, pinaaple, salads, etc. Eventually I began to add sungazing (though i didn't know it was called that) because I felt like it brought me closer to nature. Shortly after that i began eating mostly just fruit and sum nuts, which then evolved to just a few pieces of fruit and a tbls of oil. This was while I was working full time at a bank during the summer. I didn't know about sungazing, I would just stare at the sun for 20-30 mins 2-3 times a day and sunbath for about an hour when I got home. I was just obsessed with the sun. Of course I was only 16 and my family got bitchy and I gave in to their pressure and haven't regretted anything more than that. I'm hoping to be able to go down south for awhile and give this practice another whirl. I could REALLY use a break from the dependence on food and thus money. Fasting can be hard because it makes you MUCH more aware of your body than anything i've ever experienced. Talk about wu-wei, emptiness, when you've got nothing but moderate portions of water going through your body you become aware of EVERYTHING. Even mentally/emotionally, alot of shit can rise to the surface, i'm curious to combine it with Kunlun, i might explode . But yea typically it takes about 3 days for your body to adapt, then hunger begins to disappear around day 5-7 or so, PHYSICAL hunger anyways. The thing that really allowed me to do what I did was distinguishing between hunger and cravings. It's very subtle, so the fasting helped me tune into it. The body really doesn't need very much, it's the mind that drives us to eat as much as we do. There's alot I could say on this topic but i want to stay on topic. By fasting you free up alot of energy which is usually then redirected to healing and when you heal, some strange stuff happens. People who have had broken bones from years ago will report feeling pain in that area, some people will re-experience past mental/emotional traumas, really neat stuff. The best part is that it's free and we ALL have it. It doesn't require any energy development or years of meditation you just do it and it happens. The built in healing mechanisms are the best imho.

shen=spirit? Spirit body? yea we all have one Perhaps you're talking about an immortal body? there are many methods out there to cultivate immortality based on many theories. I'll list a few that i've heard of... Falun Dafa- the only qigong i've heard that actually makes claims to PHYSICAL immortality, body transformtion. It claims that your cells get replaced with high energy matter thus "transcending the 5 elements". Of course by this theory your body would then be able to run on qigong practice and one wouldn't need food...but anyway the "teacher" of that qigong talks about cultivating the immortal fetus, which is a strong theme is daoism and i'm pretty sure there's a school thats strictly about that. But this school claims to stop aging. Kunlun?- Kunlun (as taught by Max) talks about activating the "bliss body", Golden Dragon body which he says is similar to the Tibetan returnable rainbow body. Apparently your body becomes lighter and lighter, less and less dense, until eventually you become transparent/translucent and can turn you body from energy into matter. I'm not sure if that state is resistant to againg or immortal, noone's answered that for me...i'll make a thread. Mo Pai and other "hermit" schools- Again this is development of the immortal fetus. Mo Pai is known to be like this however it doesn't seem to be physical immortality. The main teacher of this school, John Chang, claims to communicate with his long dead teacher who apparently is an immortal spirit. This goes by a theory. When you die your yin body remains but your yang essence (consciousness) goes to a new body. So you Yin body has all of your memories and such but it's not conscious. By gathering Yang chi in your lower dan tien then merging it with Yin chi one apparently allows themself to transfer their consciousness into their spirit body and remain conscious after death. I don't know if thats really a good thing or not as i'm not sure what it's like, it's never been described. Tibetan Rainbow Body- http://tibetanbuddhism.tribe.net/thread/c9ef560a-2cd6-46df-9c21-82747fbb59f8 theres a good discussion about it. It's apparently when one fuses their body into light. When they "die" they leave behind fingernails, toenails and hair as the rest of their body becomes pure light. It doesn't say anything about "returnable" like Kunluners state, but it's none the less a powerful concept. Breaking the cycle of rebirth- This is a concept that has to do with immortality. Anything that breaks the cycle of rebirth will lead to immortality for you wont have to suffer reincarnation again. there are MANY ways that claim to do this. Many of the yogas have this goal. Kriya Yoga i think is the one most concerned with this? Sungazing is claimed to lead to breaking the cycle of rebirth, so is the 'Light and Sound" meditation. Basically anything that pays off your karma. Fasting, service, tolerance, compassion, mental endurance, developing moral charactor, etc. It's said then that when you die you'll be given an immortal body so that your learning can continue in the higher realms. Most of the above practices are for achieving that in this lifetime and bringing transcendentalism to this plane. According to this theory the "soul" must be "purified" by experiencing life and paying off it's karmic debts, thus is it has any debts to repay upon death then it will reincarnate so it can pay off those debts. Anyway thats all I can think of atm, hopefully that'll spur sum thought -Astral