Small Fur

DaoJones, I had studied for years with an internationally renowned acupuncturist who was a direct disciple to the late JR Worsley, the founder of Five Element Theory in acupuncture. I spent much time in nature, doing experiential study of this ecological system as it relates to organ and meridian systems as well as our constitution, spirit and the greater metaphysics of life. In addition, I worked for several years in one the most successful 5E clinics in the country under my mentor (who teaches extensively in this system) with an integration of other holistic health doctors. Even after all this time, I remain greatly in love with the power of this system. It was my main area of sub-speciality theory in graduate school for Classical Chinese Medicine. I utilize it extensively in my private practice in combination with many other systems and experiences of understanding. If you are interested in formal, organic and private discussions to learn more about these methods with me, you are always welcome to visit my website: www.solamita.wix.com/welcome or private message me to set up some time together. The most reliable sources for this material are geared towards medical practitioners. I would happy to give you those titles, however you may find that without supplementation, the material becomes obscure (though this too is something I would be glad to provide insight). I do have to say that doing interpersonal and experiential study in this system is fairly foundational to these methods (whether this be with myself or any other 5E practitioner of your choosing) as it is primarily based on relationship, not just static "elements". There is much that happens through spirits connecting that cannot be conveyed simply through reading a theoretical text. It is truly a beautiful and remarkable system and I would glad to take you as far into it as you have sincere interest. Otherwise, I gladly refer you to my mentors and others who also provide workshops on location through out the country. Enjoy and be well, Mila

Hi Oildrops, Color is a play of light, though there are 'essential' colors in the universe- essential spectrums of lighting: this is what we are actually trying to tap into when we do chakra alignments using color. It is not the 'earthly' colors of light we are harnessing; these colors exist on a much more vibrant universal spectrum out in 'space'. As for colorless ethereal sight, it may be that you are just experiencing things without registering the color or it may be that there is not color in what you see. A lot of my own sight gift registers forces, movements and entities through varieties and shades of translucence. Without meeting you, looking into you to see if I can see your visions, or a more pronounced description, it is hard for me to say what I think you are experiencing. There are many forms of tentacles…. some of them are entities themselves, some are just attached to entities, some are merely forces. And generally, in my experience with tentacled energies…. they can become integral to an individual, that being either highly disruptive and draining, or also potentially beneficial. Tentacles, generally are conduits between you (or an object) and something else… As for more ethereal shapes and forms… some energies are amorphous, but there are too many to describe. Some may be actual beings such as spirits (perhaps with low vibration bodies), while others could simply be natural energetic patterns of the universe similar to wind, smoke, steam and movement, as well as more abstract or 'spiritual' kinds of forces. I think the important quality about your thread here is that you realized and are able to distinguish that what you are seeing is from a state of consciousness, not unconsciousness. Both forms of sight afford types of vision, but each bring with it different types of understandings, utilities and validities. The important part now is to begin to increase your consciousness around these sights so that you can understand what it is you are experiencing. In order to do that, becoming grounded is important. Also, letting go of any egoic astonishment around the mystery of it all (eg. forget about that "WTF" feelings. Your request for acknowledgement on the forum and deciding to share these things is a good step in that direction). So accept the occurrence and your experience of it without doubt, yet remain open and curious to what it actually means. Realize that in the clarity of the visions there is an uncertain clarity in your understanding and pose this to yourself in the universe as an open question about what can be known. Doing this may make the experience more mundane and potentially less exciting, but it also creates the possibility to deepen your understanding, increase the rate of occurrences, while adding a steadiness and clarity to your relationship with these phenomenons. Thanks for suggesting your thread to me and sharing. Small Fur

Enshi, So fun! That is neat that you have reception with them. It's funny, but I did the similar thing later that evening… contacted a different "ET" than the one I mentioned earlier in the post and asked to do a bit of sensory exchange regarding our anatomical systems and other things. It was very fascinating and well beyond any experience of bodies that I have known here. The TCM was a fun way for me to conceptualize them in the closest, most applicable way I could by our earthly measures, but given that their organ system is not even like ours, nor is their subtle body composition like ours, it is a much further and more symbolic means of description to apply our theoretical system on to their living experience. I like your description about the 'spatiality' in their communication style. It truly is much more vast than our own. I was very impressed to experience their ability to perceive time and space which gives them a 'forward' like insight to time that is not even psychic in its prophecy as would a person (who would have to project or sense into a 'future'), but rather more like a type of 'direct' knowledge and understanding about the spatial relationships of time and dimension. So hard to describe but very fascinating. Many of the qualities that people here on earth would consider 'psychic' are not even 'psychic' to their form in my opinion, it is a much more 'direct' (rather than remote) and understandably tangible (rather than abstract per se) experience to them. Anyway, it is too complex for me to describe this in writing, in part because I wasn't having verbal communication with them where I could just repeat how one would describe it to me, but rather we were 'mind-melding' (LOL- for lack of a better term) so that I was able to experience it more or less for myself. Being that an ET communication is still really a new experience for me, I'm not sure that I have words for that very inhuman experience. But it was educational for me, just as, I think they had their own interest in observing my funny human nature. ! :-) Thanks for your sharing. Mila

Well, yes. To be extremely generic about it, this is the concept of "possession". In Chinese medicine possession can be internal or external- meaning, they can come from outside of us and into us (ie. ingesting drugs and toxins until we become sick), or we can generate them from inside and they spread outward (ie. having a genetically predisposed cancerous growth that manifests onto the surface of the skin). Of course, what is internal and external is not mutually exclusive, but that is for another discussion. On the surface of modern TCM it would appear that possession is simply the processes of development involved in illness, however, when you look back historically and more contextually at the roots of the medicine, you realize that they are also talking about spirits and spiritual level possession, meaning demons and also the more etheric "gui". To move this out of an ancient esoteric realm, what I would describe from my experience is that possession is quality of force or energetic pattern from a source that seeks to subsume its host. This means, for instance, mental illness or extremely negative thinking that we self-generate can lead to psychosis. Not only this, but the energy of that psychosis, will if strong enough, over time begin to gestate and develop wanting to take a form of consciousness. On a physical level, one way you might see this as a person who looks rather 'zombiefied' from their mental/emotionally generated miseries. On a subtle level, what I see is that amorphous heads are literally trying to come out of the 'misery' energy field. In anthroposophy, this is discussed as the energy pattern trying to develop a consciousness or a sense of 'I' or self. In popular culture, this is depicted as ghostly demonic heads trying to come out of the chest or shoulders of a person, but this is literally what it looks like if you can see at a subtle level. In time, if this is strong enough, one can actually become "possessed" by their own miseries. Of course, once this misery develops its own 'mind' it will try to drag down others with it or assume additional hosts, hence the statement, "misery loves company". In this way, the energy generated by 'cursing' others is similar in the sense that it is an energy pattern that takes hold of someone's life path and creates disruption from a single source. Although this is less embodied in its origination than your question about entities. So, all this is to set up a little more foundational information and dimension for me to answer your question and keep it relevant for Taoist readers. To get more specific, first of all, we are all on a rock floating through a shared intergalactic space, don't forget that you are already living in space. Many forms of communication are transmitted through this space (for an intellectually acute fictitious cultural reference that mirrors actual scientific theory on this matter, see Neal Stephenson's book "Anathem") in part because we are all generating numerous impulses, signals and energies. Much of what you believe 'you' thought of is because of other conditions occurring in the 'meta-consciousness' or field generated by other civilizations, beings, peoples at other times, spaces, dimensions, etc.,. that are crossing through your current stream of consciousness. Some of the ways these manifest are in situations like synchronicity, dejavu, coinciding incidences. These are all variations and aspects of time, space and dimension of self transmitting or 'infiltrating' the sphere of present time and present consciousness into your awareness. Second, there are an infinite number of other varieties of entities. I can't describe them all to you, but some are scarcely embodied, some have distinct forms but are primarily etheric in their constitution, etc. So, different beings are going to interact with (or not) humans in different ways. To give example, and provide a more 'positive' spin on 'abduction' an angel may enter someone's body to help heal, save their life ,or temporarily take hold of someone's life for goodness affecting their fate. This does happen. We have all heard of people being saved by angels, and sometimes that happens from a very 'internal' way for us. In contrast, what we call demons (I will note here, that I basically -haha- consider it 'racist' to say all demons are alike, this category actually houses SO many different forms of entities, some of which don't even know of each other, like each other, etc.,.- but that's a digression and I will keep this simple) do take possession of people at a variety of levels. In fact, some entities of demon (- and technically, most are in another dimension, yet still part of the universe so they fit the terminology of "interdimensional" that you used) basically only want to 'possess' others. In my experience, it is not out of maliciousness, per se, it is just how they live. It like a parasite or a flea that sucks blood- it just does what it does, and that is how they live. Of course the ramifications of that to a human can be rather excruciating, but nonetheless, that is not 'upsetting' but rather 'healthful' if you were operating from the 'demons' perspective. And yes, some portion of mental illness is therefore often affected by or sometimes directly created by demonic forces, this is determined as an 'internal possession' in Chinese medicine, primarily because the 'demons' work from the inside out of the system. Finally, I think you were trying to get at whether aliens can possess us. This is a tricky one. Aliens, as we have established, are highly psychic individuals. They communicate through the sensory system that registers in our minds. So, if your mind were very open to this- ie. you were yourself psychic or you have lost grounding and are basically 'demented' you may get reception (albeit confused if you are demented) reception from ET/alien forces. Can they take over the body? Well, only in the sense that the mind is part of the body. But my sense of them is that they don't really have interest in this, not say like an angel or a demon whose primary interest are interacting with humans at an 'abstract' yet physical level. Despite being highly psychic, aliens are really physical beings compared to beings of other dimensions like an angel or a demon. Therefore, they can not subsume the body in the same energetic way a demon would, which is why it either psychically communicates or it has to physically 'take you in its spacecraft.' But they could communicate with you. Would they take over your mind? Well, guess what? Anyone who is truly psychic and energetically aware and powerful in that regard can influence another's life course and system. The fact is, psychic or not, we are all energetic beings influencing each others paths and energies. The difference between an alien, an angel and a person is in their level of consciousness and the quality of intent. What do you think transmission is about when Chinese practitioners pass information? These are 'ghosts' of a lineage acting through another to affect the course of ones development, training, and health. What about saints and mystics who transmit universal chi, heavenly energy, or primordial sources to initiate, heal, and transfer information or change your life? This is to say that each of us have different functions and intentions about how we relate. Some are to possess and dominate, some are to give and allow. These qualities exist on a spectrum of power depending on the amplitude of intention, as well as clarity and level of consciousness to affect each other. We can all affect each others bodies, emotions, minds and spirits. Being who we are, we may all use different tools- a car, a spaceship, our hands, an energetic field, a prayer, a curse… and all beings are capable of refining and developing it to extraordinary measures- hence, the Taoist immortal, the healing saint, the master qi projection practitioner, and the one who seeks to awaken others through profound love. So more important then whether or entities are affecting us, is how are we affecting ourselves and each other each moment of our lives? What are you thoughts, intentions, energies and impulses? How aware are you of your own field of projection in shifting this universe?

YES! To deeply see and be seen… to know one another truly… to love and honor each other through that witnessing in ALL that we see… these are great intimacies toward dissolving fear, hurt, and separation. This quality in love can release mental and emotional barriers, free the spirit to breath a little more deeply and allow the soul to shine a little more brightly.

From a Chinese medicine perspective, phelgm (not saliva) is considered pathogenic waste that can obstruct the channels, collaterals and mind. It is a product as well as cause to a variety of diseases. This substance affects the body's fluid metabolism, leading to a stasis of chi. It is common for Individuals seen at the Chinese medicine clinic to be treated for conditions resulting from phelgm such as lethargy, obesity, mental fog, headaches and much more. Some common methods by which excess phelgm can develop include over consumption of dairy products (cold-phelgm), negative emotional states (invisible-phelgm, internal) and pervasive alcohol use (heat-phelgm). Smoking can also burn fluids and damage the lung leading to copius phelgm. In ayurveda, the substance is known as "amma". If you are coughing phelgm frequently, you may want to consider changing your dietary and lifestyle habits or seeing a Chinese medicine practitioner to improve your fundamental metabolic and pulmonary health. Also, prolonged coughing itself is a stress to the system, sending excess nerve impulses, wearing on the musculature, and can add stress to the spine and ribs throwing off structural alignment. *To note, I have been an academic, graduate level student of Chinese medicine and Acupuncture.

You fear death, partly because you have a limited conception of what it is. Death is... A Cycle of Transmutation Death is a moment of transmutation just as birth is. In fact, you live and die each moment simply by breathing- one full breath rotation is a completion of the cycle of life and death. They are inextricably linked. This microcosmic breath of life and death is reflected in the macrocosm of the rising and setting of the sun each day and night, and thus the cycles of the seasons from spring to winter. That is Beyond our Conception of Time To talk about these cycles makes us believe that time is involved. And while on earth, where things are linear, it appears to us that time is involved, in fact, living and dying is beyond the linearity of time. This is because we actually exist in a multitude of spaces and dimensions simultaneously. These threads of our being are weaving in and out of existence all the time. So your perception of living and dying is based on a limited vantage point. You have already died. You are still being born. Each moment is itself eternal and infinite- therefore, you will never be born, you will never die. This is the paradox of the Tao. Whose Process is MultiFaceted The fact is you have many layers of existence even within your single body, let alone the other variations or your existence throughout time and space. This is why we physically can change drastically in appearance over time, feel emotions we never knew were possible, have psychic experiences, etc., because we are made of many layers (or in ayurveda sheaths of form). These same sheaths and deeper energies of the universe that create them are the types of energies and alchemies that allow for egoic death, spiritual rebirth of the yang fetus and much more. But This is all Bull because... The thing is, you can read this over and over or consult what the Taosist's have said- such as, po will go out the anus into the earth (the corporeal death you fear) but the hun will rise out the head and go the sky (the spiritual life that continues to your relief) yet the shen is rather immortal to this all (the transcendence you long for); but the realization of this isn't going to be found entirely in my words. Intellectually grasping it isn't enough, you must experience it. No, no, I am not talking about that car that ran you over, I am talking about another kind of death. It is a sort of 'spiritual' death in which you understand you are not even entirely the you you think you are to worry about losing the you that you're not. (Got that ;-) These experiences can happen through deep meditation, through an emotionally life altering experience, and by other means, all of which require, before you 'die' the willingness to let go of your pre-conceptions and prejudices of death to face the truth of your existence. That willingness can't come from the mind but must start in the heart. The sincerity to truly know what your life is made of and about will transcend you far beyond any concept of death. When the mind is still enough, the heart is true enough in its devotion to know without striving, then it is possible you may know- and that itself doesn't require any special technique.

Hi Lindelani, Yes, it beautifully romantic and also literally and practically true. From a Chinese Medicine perspective The eyes hold the light of the great shen (to note, there is also a little shen and/or the five little shens). The light of shen is the light of the spirit. Practitioners who have the gift of sight can literally see its flicker. If you can't actually see the light, then you can perceive it through attentively watching for a sense of radiance about a person. A person whose 'spirit' is healthy and embodied carries a brightness in their eyes consistently. When people are joyful, laughing or in love, it is quite easy to sense or feel a flicker of light in the eyes. In contrast, when you look at people whose vitality is low, who suffer from depression, or who are chronically ill, you may get a sense that the eyes are weak and dark. Once you observe these qualities deeply, over time, you may be able to develop a refined sense of the spirit lights or through other means literally see it. For instance, I am able to read the quality of the flicker so that I am able to understand a person's unique composition of emotion, read 'thoughts' and more. I have also heard of a few practitioners who are able to do organ health diagnosis through simply analyzing shen light. Some times I have seen people laugh so hard, the lights literally twinkle and pour from their eyes. Some people who are very dreamy hold their lights like sun on the surface of a river, meandering and glimmering. Often when people are being quick witted and sharp, there is an edge, as if the flamer were a spear. So next time you gaze, relax and allow yourself to sense. From a 'metaphysical' perspective and my non-theoretical experience The eyes are basically a passage in to the universe. On a strictly physical level, the pupil is a hole at the center of the eye that allows for the light of the earth to enter the retina. On a deeper, the hole of the pupil is actually a portal and its darkness is the space of the universe through which the light of celestial bodies can be seen and earthly (and remember earth is a celestial body too) lights can be transferred. When I look through that space and deep into the eyes or rather beyond the eyes, I can see the soul. The bones of the soul are actually planets. So when I see the arrangement of the planets I am able to see the structure of someone's soul or their 'constellation'- this includes the space they occupy in the universe, the composition of that space, their relationship to other souls and basically the physical anatomy of their soul. As romantic as it sounds, it is not symbolic, it is literal. Meaning, if you could see through that window, you would see the celestial world without having to get in a space ship. ! Share your gaze and share your soul… :-) Mila

This has got to be my most unusual post yet, but umm… anyone interested in constitutional analysis of extra-terrestrial beings with a short final analysis of their form from a Chinese medicine perspective?! Thought I'd post a little something to this thread though it is unusual for me to share about exclusively metaphysical topics. Although it was recent that I had my first and only communication with a single extra-terrestrial being, I can say that it provided me with a lot of insight. For one, aliens exist within our dimensional plane of space, so their biological physiology has some similarities in composition to our own, if none other than for the fact that they experience and live among similar organic compounds to us. (Fairies and angels are one among many other entities whom I have had communication and I can confirm that they are not at all like aliens, nor do they even exist within our particular dimension of space, per se. This generic/gross relegation of all non-human beings to one 'alien' or 'mystical' realm for dismissal is due primarily to human ignorance of the matter, I would say.) However, their constitutional composition is vastly different than our own. In regards to the one individual I met, its physical body is what I would describe as highly psychic in form. The skin texture had a greater elasticity about it than our own and was more permeable than our own. It was rather osmotic, not just of air and water like persons, but to many other refined essences and substances, and not just through the skin, but throughout its entire system. This permeable nature of their skin and its internal structure which is more liquidious and viscous in density than our own (yes, I could, through my own sensitivity feel into its body) means that its concrete form is actually designed for telepathic or more psychic (meaning highly sensory) forms of relationship to all things, not just people, but all matter. Whereas people have by comparison, extremely dense bodily forms and then subtle bodies or gateways in the system that can be used for telepathy, the alien’s body is itself, rather psychic. From a strictly physiological constitutional point of view, the larger head size to its more slender and lithe body suggests a great proclivity to the astral realms and less concern or need for a lower jiao or earthly/physically grounded constitution. Like humans, the eyes bear the 'gateway to the soul', and in this respect, the eyes of this entity- entirely large and dark, actually held, from a psychic point of view, the vastness of space in a way that humans are generally not so profoundly connected. Its eyes were vastly interconnected to the greater physical contexts of its own existence, not just a myopic view of its immediate planetary/existence as people tend towards. Their communication style … wow.. this is difficult to describe, is what I experienced as intellectually sensory. It is a very 'etheric' style of communication that does not require verbal articulation but is an intellectually refined comprehension through sensory awareness. That said, it was also one of the most clear communications I have ever had with a physical entity that was not more spirit based in its form (ie. an angel, certain demons, etc.,_). Part of this clarity has to do with the refinement of their physiological and cognitive systems, and partly because it’s intensely cerebral nature also helped it to give it a precision in sensory articulation. For those versed in the Chinese system of Five Element Theory, I would describe that the constitution of this ET was like that of a lung metal and kidney water. Lung, being an organ of metal, and metal in more refined and organized states reflects crystalline forms. Anything with more of a crystalline body is 1) more connected to the minerals of the solar bodies 2) has an ability to amplify or act as conduit/receptor to the energies at a higher frequency 3) has physiological and constitutional 'memories' of the universe's origins and planetary anatomy. If this individual is in any way representative of its race, then I would say its spirit composition was more that of the water element, in that it is highly sensory and adaptive, and also more in touch with the 'mysteries' of the universe, though this in to way to say it is more 'spiritually enlightened' per se. Water, is related to kidney, and the alien head does remind me of a giant kidney as does the depths of its eyes, which hold more the space of universe (jing) than the light of the solar bodies (shen) commonly seen in human eyes. On a side note, it makes sense then that for those who are afraid to confront their depths, mysteries and uncertainties, might find looking into the dark space of an alien's eyes unsettling. Being that I perceive this being as primarily two aspects of yin (lung and kidney are yin organs) it makes sense then that its personality runs cool, its body is thin and lathe, and it also has a feminine quality about its sensitivity. As for more of a strictly TCM analysis of the body type (and not 5E) it is a very fire body- smooth, pointed, ethereal. Meaning, combined with my other system analysis, we are looking at a highly alchemical (water-fire axis) being with a physiological proclivity to the ‘heavens’/ ‘sky’ (eg. Lung, which is referred to as the water cloud in Chinese medicine). Well there you have it… a glimpse of extra-terrestrial anatomy from a Chinese medicine point of view. What an out-of-this-world post!!

Lao Tzu says we "should"? Oh. I think its a matter of choice and nature- we can do anything, just as we don't have to do a thing, and all things happen at the crossing of the paths of choice and flowing situation. Becoming more conscious allows for more information, but not everyone knows what to do with more information when they have it and not everyone understands what they do know. So how deeply do you want to refine that understanding? Will it still be 'understanding' once you have 'achieved' it or will it transcend into something else? What is he alluding to? An infinite number of things, and in the Tao of it all- nothing at all. ;-) No. That's actually not a joke. I'm serious. What is the process? Depends on who you are and what methods and paths work best for you. Ultimately the spiritual journey is a personal journey, just as the challenges you face are your own as to how you've lost sight of the 'One Nothing'. On a general level, all the forum, energy practices, and religions of the world have a prescription available. Do you know which method or path would serve you best? How many fractals of dimension in the dimensions are there? Changes like breath, ocean, season, day and night, life and death. One can not intellectually count the grains of sand moving in and out of the sea, breaking apart and dissolving in to the ether.

There is the general answer and there is the personal answer- and the two don't necessarily have to be the same. The important question here isn't about the generalized principle, but about who you are and how you choose to live your life: it is about what you need to be well in the world. What I hear you saying is that there is both a new sense of comfort and an old apathy (giving in to the way its always been) belying your confusion. On the one hand you have increased you sense of self-comfort and are more content than you've ever been to be alone. On the other hand there is a 'giving in to the path of least resistance' which in some ways is a continuation of a type of depression you've lived with. When the question isn't about the theory of intimacy, but the present moment of your life right now (ie. "is intimacy important?" vs. "do I want to be in an intimate relationship right now?") and when the answer arises from neither desire nor resistance, then the most intimate path of your life will naturally unfold. Today it may be to lovely rest quietly and alone among the falling leaves and in another season you may find it equally beautiful to walk hand-in-hand through the flowering gardens with a Beloved. Be with yourself now, one step at a time, in the ever changing moment.

Your first question, about mundanity and the divine, can only exist when viewing life from a divided state. Because there is ultimately no separation between these conditions; this also answers your other question about 'good and bad' action- again, the judgement of these conditions comes from a division or- to be Daoist- a separation of yin and yang. One way to overcome this division is to sense the 'divine' in the 'unsavory', and to see values not as moral prescriptions but view them in terms of what is conducive to health. To note, health is rich in its movement of both 'pain' and 'pleasure' as it comes into balance. The journey to a unified state of experience can be found in all paths of life. It is not what you choose to do (though I am not suggesting it is exclusive either), so much as the level of awareness from which you approach it. Meaning, you can sit in a monastery or a cave and still have no greater understanding of your existence than if you were to run blinded through the given scripts of society. On the other hand, you could delve deeply through scripts and discover the divine -and vice versa. This is after all, One life with a refraction bearing many disguises… or one could say, a single ocean, with a diversity of ripples. Don't stare at one dull or crazy ripple and forget that it is the mirror and part of an entire ocean.

*cups a bowl of warm, richly spiced soup and hands it to you* ;-) thank you, rainbowvein!

It feels like there is something that I need to add to my own post. The way I stated the previous post is very straight forward in that it avoids (ha- so much as a theme such as "sex without touching that produces multiple long orgasms that lead into the universe" can be viewed) much of the deeper spiritual and mystical implications. Perhaps the most essential one being that at this 'level' of relationship/communication/exchange, the act of sex becomes a path to a form of self-realization. Yes, there are also 'mystical' things that happen along the way, but that is periphery to what is essential. I am not sure why I had written the post that way, but perhaps it is to start off with the simplistic nature of just the foundational concepts and because I felt that this was what was partly being asked. Further to strip it down to something very core and grounded, touches on the essential and takes the egoic factors of blinding excitement, misguided interest, and grasping desire out of the equation- to allow those more dedicated and serious to have a glimpse of the pathway inward. In reality, the mechanics I describe here are just minutae. It would be a misunderstanding to read what I have written and think what is wonderful and important lies exclusively in the gift of a fantastical heightened sexual experience. The process of deep cultivation to come to these sorts of experiences cannot originate from such desires and will actually be hindered by such desires. What is important in the superficiality of what I have written (like most of my posts to this forum) lies in the implied. Like all pure and sincere energy practices, it is not a matter of even the energy itself or doing a 'thing', but the quality of the heart of the practitioner and their sincerity in devotion to existence that helps to make such loving awareness possible, and ultimately, the deep awareness that enables a return to our original 'self'. So to answer the original posted question: ultimately there is no secret and yes, there is a key, but what it opens to, isn't a single 'thing' (whether this be contained or expressed via the powerful acts of sex or meditation or whathaveyou) it becomes a way of life, a completely transformed understanding of yourself and existence- full of every potential, risk, misery and joy. Who here is ready? The answer is obvious and simple- like the act of understanding silence. To keep it secret is a game. But that this sexual 'mystery' like silence is allowed to remain unseen is given when the intention does not touch directly into the path of truth. All the answers to these great cultivation practices are here: right here and explicitly so. What keeps us from knowing lies not in the lack of information to make it possible but in the lack of true self-awareness and this can only come from a truly sincere heart.

Sure, here is a brief elaboration: 1) The universe is made out of chi. There are many forms that chi can take. The body is a field. This field is made out of a dense form of chi. When you understand the body's energetic composition, you can affect the field of chi without gross and direct touch. (This is a similar principle to, though different execution of how qi gong can be used to affect healing, for instance.) Hence, you can have sex by sharing sexual energy without touch, movement or imagination, but simply through moving the energy field via the connection of yi and zhi or what is also respectively called "intention" and "will". 2) The body is actually composed of various layers. In Aryuveda (an ancient Indian medicine system very similar to Chinese medicine), these bodies are known as 'sheaths'- the gross anatomy or physical body being only one of the sheaths. Hence, you can experience orgasm at various levels of the system, or various planes within the body's fields (simultaneously or discretely). The orgasm is now no longer localized to only the physical body, but other subtle layers of the body and ultimately this leads to an experience of the universe. 3) Most people are accustomed to physical anatomical orgasms- these are fairly "crude" or "base": usually localized to an area (eg. the lower region), brief in duration (a few seconds), with a single (high or low) explosive force. When the vessel is attuned, the quality of the orgasm is enhanced: it is continuous (lasting minutes to hours), feels more as a long wave (rather than a single short burst), and permeates not only the whole physical body, but also includes the other layers/aspects of existence. This is sometimes also known as "Valley Orgasm". In addition, because there is a deep alignment between partners who are able to share this, the orgasms always occur at the exact same time for both partners without having to consciously regulate or 'time' the process together. Finally, because the orgasm travels further and deeper, it bears a more 'universal' quality of existence. Sex and orgasm with the same person now becomes incredibly different every time, each time, even after years with only the same person: you never experience the exact same quality of sex, self or other- it is infinite in its potential, variety, and overall experience. This energy can now be used for transformative processes. Basically, what is orgasm and sex at some point evolves from experience of concrete energy to abstract energies- these forces then can meld between the polarities of form and formless, creating a new experience; one that could not even be termed so typically as 'sex' or 'orgasm' but something quiet entirely different- it resolves back so something entirely pure and primordial yet also essential and transcendent.

Yes, if by Taoist sex practices you mean partly about how to achieve continuous orgasms in partnership without touch but through pure chi exchange and at multiple levels, for extended durations. As for retention, it is a matter of deep awareness and discipline- of learning to sort out your emotions and sensations from the visceral processes of the CNS (Central Nervous System)- at least, that is a simplification of it in part. But as with this and MCO, what are you trying to achieve? What are you doing it for? I feel that men need to be very cautious about retention and MCO as the power of the seminal energy can have dangerous effects if not utilized correctly. (I have to say that I am dismayed the information was published without deeper insights into its contexts and regard for the importance of containing the powers of these intimacies- in part because it has led to these kinds of confusions and also a flippancy around an extremely powerful and also beautiful cultivation: the sexual, like many energies, but perhaps especially so, is a form of spiritual 'magic' so to speak). I don't really consider these practices and ways a secret, but rather a very natural potential within all of us made possible through a very deep and refined understanding of our body and spirit's movements and relationships. Being that these are sacred practices, I feel it is wise if approached with a sincerity and devotion greater than just a desire to achieve a self-involved aim.

Hmm… to clarify… First of all, qi is energy. Second there are many forms of energy, thus there are many forms of qi. What people are describing are differences in the result of what qi movement produces in their particular system, NOT the quality of qi itself. Let me give an example to help clarify: Lets say you have a hairball in your shower drain and your entire tub is full of cold water. The energy you take to suddenly and forcefully remove the hair ball quickly unclogs and your drains flood the pipes with cold water at high pressure. Maybe you are focused on the tub, so then you describe 'qi' as a feeling of emptying, release and depressurization- not warming but certainly you are less cold. Now let's say you didn't notice your tub but you felt the pipes, you might say qi feels like cold, rushing, high pressure water coursing through your system. So the description of variance given by others has to do with: -Your constitution: what the design of your personal system is (ie. ceramic tub, metal tub, small pipes, large pipes, etc.,. | overweight, slender, phelgmatic, young, elderly, etc.,.) -Type of Pathogen/Stagnation: what kind of blockage there is (ie. hairball, mudball, gravel, etc.,.| damp, heat, cold, wind, etc.,) -Method of Treatment: what quality and method energy is use to remove the block (ie. quick, slow, fast, hard, gradual, etc.,., | moxabustion, qi gong movement, yoga pose, acupuncture needle, herbs, etc.,.) -Level and Focus of Consciousness: development of awareness (ie. the upper section of the pipe, the end of the pipe, the center of the tub, etc.,., | unconscious, imagination, ideation, direct perception, emotional perception, etc.,.) So, if someone says qi is hot or cold, fast or slow, etc.,. these are descriptions of what the qi/ energy produces- not what it IS. So, in the example, qi was used to initiate the movement of water, and water itself is contains a qi movement. But in all cases- this is not feeling the qi itself, per se. This is the sensation of dynamic produced by qi. Qi movement appears subjective because people bear uniquely comprised systems, and yet its commonality is in that different constitutions of individuals are comprised of universally shared properties and laws. When you understand the mechnisms of an individual system in subtle detail, you gain insight into the course and quality of qi for a particular individual. Finally, back to the issue of what actual 'qi' feels like. Still energy is potential. Qi in different forms of 'accumulation', without too much movement AND in the body, feels relatively as I described in my previous post (at least those two forms feel as such relative to each other). This is as close to a description of sensing types of qi at a physical level of body as I can get to without describing qi prior to human form and it is not a description of qi in gross interaction with unique forms. This is a description of qi in relative stillness. However, remember, qi is potential energy, so the only way to actually feel qi, is to actually feel its potentially prior to manifestation- which means, what I described in my original post, is also not entirely true. The question then becomes, are you able to feel un-manifest potential? (and by the way, yes, it is possible… this is even a more subtle phenomena than experiencing qi forms through the body) In any case, to refine this and give even deeper understanding would take hours, so for now I will leave this as is. Hopefully this sheds some light on the matter a little more clearly.

Hi Noelle, I would seek first to distinguish the many different types of qi. Generally speaking and for instance, the qi which resides in the palms could be described as softer and warmer; this is in contrast to the qi that emanates from the finger tips that may be described as more focused and cooler. The qi that is in the palms tends towards a sensation of a magnetic field when in proximity to an opposite polarity. Most simply, this could be the polarity of sensing qi between one palm of your hand facing the opposing palm. In contrast, the type of qi that emanates from the finger tips has more of an electrical charge, and can be seen as radiating lasers. The qi of the finger tips are penetrative in a different way than the qi of the palms. It has less of a 'fuzzy' magnetic field and more of an pointed electrical charge. Since different qi forms are types of energy and people infrequently experience sensing their own energy, they are apt to describe all qi as one singular 'thing' that bears an electro-magnetic quality. This is true, in the sense that qi is an energy of a fundamental source and that energy, by its nature, has such electromagnetic properties. However, as you begin to differentiate not only the sensation, but also its movements, you will discover that various forms of energy bear different properties, and so they are suited to different applications. There are many practices to cultivate vitality. The one best suited to you depends partly on your constitution and where you are at in life, as well as what you are looking to achieve. 'Vitality', like anything can be applied in many different ways- thus, different practices are better suited to certain individuals than others. Be well, Mila

It is a new birth! Welcome to you, Spirit.

To ask "What is spirit?" is like asking "What is tree?" or "What is human?". It is many things and yet it is also its own thing. One can describe its features, pointing to many aspects, but ultimately it is an experience in relationship. My first answer is to consider that spirit, like any other form, has its own unique existence. Although it is abstract to the common sense perception- partly because it can appear somewhat translucent to the eye; it is in its own right, a type of substance (much like air bears its own particular quality of existence). Spirit then, is not 'just' a descriptor of qualities, an idea, or feeling, but it actually bears its own 'physical' form, as well. Second, spirit is compromised of many diverse properties. Depending on the system through which you view it, the understanding varies, yet each provides insight and information about the multi-faceted composition of spirit. For instance, the question "What is tree?" to a physicist yields a different answer than if you were to ask the pagan or the biologist. Accordingly, in the system of Chinese medicine, I refer you to the passage in Chapter 8 of the "Ling Shu" or "The Spiritual Pivot". The title of this chapter is "The Roots of Spirit". Qi Bo explains to Huang Di, "Heaven abides so that we have virtue. Earth abides so that we have qi. When virtue flows and qi is blended, there is life. Life comes from what is spoken of as the seminal essence. When two seminal essences strike each other, it is spoken of as the spirit." This is a foundational point to understanding the spirit nature in each visceral organ according to TCM and also as Todd described in his post. (You can follow up his post by learning about the properties of each spirit organ- its movements by pathway, through season, and in various states of condition as they affect your wellbeing by learning more about TCM theory.) Another way to understand spirit is through the Ayurvedic medicine system that examines the relationship between core energy centers and subtle bodies that surround the body. In this system, spirit is an emanation of the energy fields stemming from the integrity of the 'sushumna', a central canal within the body (not dissimilar to the chong mai in TCM theory). The first, most outer layer that hovers above the skin is known as the 'etheric' body. This field is most closely related to our physical existence and acts as a bridge to our soul existence. It is also the body of our emotions, or what could be referred to more concretely as the 'mind-heart connection'. As such, we can take the popular notions of spirit that refer to tone of character or ones unique personality to be part of the vibration that is ones spirit. So if I ask, "How is your spirit?" It is not necessary to consider it from a place of mind or project oneself via imagination (as you mentioned above), but rather to directly sense from a place of heart: heart which is, remember, home to both the small and big 'shen' [see Todd's post] that is attuned to the subtle ether body of your emotions. This is a concrete experience of spirit, like the breath of air, though for some not as readily visible to the common eye (note however, that it is possible to develop ones ability to 'see' spirit at a level that is as obvious to the eye as all common concrete things). A simple way to state this is to say that when you feel your emotions thoroughly, you are experiencing your own spirit, which resides inside your body through the (meridian) channels that lead to your organs, and is also deep in the core of your body (sushumna) and emanates into the presentation of your 'aura'- eg. the aura of your smile, your warmth. These are direct and concrete experiences of spirit. Furthermore, the spirit of shen resides in the eye, and it is not uncommon that each of us can experience the 'light' that is in the spirit of the eyes. This is just a starting point, of course, elementary and actually fairly vague to the complex nature of spirit. Just as any system, body, or being is not compromised only of discrete parts, and because vibrations have a tonal fluidity, there is a point where what I speak of evolves by melding to create more complex manifestations of spirit. Although one spirit may have origin through the visceral organ and energy center within the body, they are also their own body, and as such, the interaction of multiple aspects of spirit creates another field of spirit, so to speak, and now spirit becomes something 'greater'. Finally, this post also does not really address the movement of spirit in its fine details. But really, all this would take tomes to write. :-) Hopefully, this small introduction gives a little food for thought to your excellent question on the mystery of spirit.

Hi Everything, Right. The process is neither intellectual nor emotional, rather it is in a state of equanimity without thought. The moment you 'reach' for consciousness, you create a chasm or divide, separating yourself from your true nature. You need not 'teach' yourself to be as you already are. It is the realization that gives you an understanding (or wisdom) not an idea or thought you bring to it that helps you 'get there'. Generally speaking (as every teacher or guide works differently), I would suggest that one who is awakened will not give you advice, per se, so much as convey to you the state of presence that is awakening. This happens at both overt and subtle levels. This individual may talk if they choose, but while the words will be a guide, their presence will be a stronger indicator. Someone who is awakened can certainly help move you into that state of Being, while addressing some of the mind questions you may have. So, yes, it is ultimately yours to experience, and someone who is awakened can provide guidance and movement towards or transmission of presence. As you noted, words have limits, but don't neglect their vibrations, especially if you can be touched by a wakened soul. Mila