Foot prints on sand and mind are worth reflecting in solitude to comprehend reality. It will open new vistas of hidden meaning and concept exposing a character of human beings. Their personalities are either distinct and clear or camouflaged and deceptive. The volatility and stability are directly proportional to its myopic approach or implementing their duties diligently. There are varying opinions and interpretations in support or against the fundamental concept of freedom. Therefore, it is obligatory on every individual and family to seriously prod-over the facts and factuality. The analysis should be subjective and objective in a healthy way rather than malicious.

There is another aspect, which needs cautious and careful approach to determine that the subject is not altered from it intended motive. At this juncture, individually and collectively we come at a cross-road of diversion of materialistic attachment and spiritual freedom. We need to make a firm decision in which direction we should take the first step to achieve success and satisfaction. I think it is appropriate to analyze what is the relationship between spiritual and materialistic is all about. Relationship is defined as the state of being related or interrelated. The definition is expansive in its meaning and concept. It varies from commercial, social, political, cultural and personal, etc. I am strictly restricting my views to the spiritual and materialistic aspects within and outside the bonds of the abstract and reality.

The laws and regulations are tools to achieve piousness and accountability too. The aims and objectives have been defined distinctly and comprehensively. I am not starting a debate between inter faiths and their concept and role within their doctrine. Whatever be the faith and doctrine; it teaches to be a good human being. It means that relationship defines values as its core concept and preaches to attain spiritual freedom. Why it is emphasized because of our attachments to materialistic means and values?

Materialistic attachments played a dominant role in human life beside it also makes vulnerable to reality. The worldly love distracts human being and makes him volatile in their thinking and disposition. Here, the possession needs not to be of phenomenal in nature. Even insignificant value can also make a dent in his thinking. Aristotle says, “It is of the nature of desire not to be satisfied, and most men live only for the gratification of it.” This evidently established that man has become the victim of his materialistic possession. It means he has shackled to worldly possession hence neglecting his prime responsibility to understand spiritual reality of life.

The best of life is to attain spiritual freedom. The most profound and ingrained in humanity is the universal statement that Imam Hussain Ibne Ali made in Karbala (Iraq 1400 years ago). In the last moment, prior to his brutal assassination, he called Yazid’s army and said, “Oh! The friends (Arabic-Shiite) of Abusufyaan, if you think that you are not going to return to Allah and not going to be accounted for your deeds, at least be a free person.” Here he meant spiritual freedom. He is also known as “Father of Freedom” (Arabic Version-Abu Ahraar).

If we remained shackled down to materialistic attachments, then all good advice goes in vain. Thus spiritual freedom is that every human wants to aspire. It means he needs to think beyond worldly attachments. If you fail to detach from materialistic possessions, subsequently the mind gets defocused. It then drifts in the wilderness of greed and lust thereby, jeopardizing human values and dignity.

What’s your vantage point?

Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being… By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.” (Genesis 2:7, 3:19 NIV)

Eagles and chickens are quite different and these differences show us spiritual inference that helps us to see how we can be successful in our spiritual walk. One important different between a chicken and an eagle is their visual vantage points. A chicken is limited to a ground dwelling living and focus, whereas an eagle has an unlimited visual advantage.

First, the chicken in the wild searches for food and gathers it in her beak. The chicken in the coop gathers food the same way; however, the chicken in the coop does not have to go out searching. The chicken in the coop has to wait to feed on whatever the owner of the coop brings. The chicken that learns to depend on being fed loses the ability to search for itself. The chicken becomes programmed to look downward continually for seed and food spread on the ground to eat. The chicken’s visual becomes constrained because its focus is limited. The chicken becomes programmed to only look for the seed (food) that the farmer or chicken caregiver spreads.

For some coops the chickens may not ever be let out, therefore their perspective is even more restricted, as they can only see what is right in front of them. Some owners may allow the chickens a limited place to roam so they are able to see a little more of their surroundings. Both of these types of chickens however are limited with a downward focus, only seeing the ground.

If we have a chicken mentality we too walk around with a downward focus with a limited vision, unable to see more than what is right in front of us. Our minds are trained to look for the seeds that will continue to keep us captives in the coop. If we don’t learn through God’s Holy Spirit that this is wrong eating, we will continue to keep our eyes to the ground held captive there because of the chicken coop mentality. We will go on with feeding ourselves on the seeds that encourages us to keep our focus on that downward, death-thinking. We need to examine to see what things have caused us to have limited vision. We need to learn to be aware of what conditions are conducive to limited vision and then examine ourselves to see if our vision is limited.

If your thoughts consist of statements like these, then you have a limited vantage point (vision):

1. I won’t do anything really great in my life and I’m fine with that.
2. I don’t have enough (ability, smarts, money, know-how, connections, etc) to be able to do something spectacular.
3. I’m just average, there’s not much that is really different about me.

It was not God’s desire for mankind to have a downward focus. God picked up the dust and created something new out of it, showing us that things that are on the ground can be changed into something different when they are lifted up. A downward focus continues to limit the chicken’s perspective; it is the same with humanity. It is not until we learn to look up, that we really learn to live (Numbers 21:8, John 3:13-15 NIV).

Like the chicken in the coop only knows the coop existence, for many of us the only thing we know is that “ground” thinking. We know how to doubt ourselves. We know how to look at our flaws and see them as insurmountable obstacles. Many of us have not yet learned that with every obstacle, there is a strategy to overcome it.

If it were not for God’s Holy Spirit seeking us and speaking to our downward minds, we would not be able to turn our focus upward to better things. Yet, without the touch of the master’s hand, we will continue to be chickens in the coop clucking along, eating from the ground.

Now let’s look at the kind of vantage the Lord desires us to have, the eagle’s vantage point.

16 But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:16-18 NIV)

The eagle can fly to high heights. Because of this fact, the eagle can see much more than what the ground dwelling chicken is able to see. The eagle has great eye sight and the capability to see great distances. An eagle’s eye is almost as large as a human’s eye. However, the eagle’s vision is four times sharper than a person with perfect vision. Eagles have two centers of focus; this allows the bird to see both forward and to the side at the same time. This vision allows the bird to see a fish in the water from several hundred feet above, while soaring, gliding or in flapping flight. This is a great ability because fish are darker on top and as a result it is harder to see them from above. The eagle blinks to wipe dirt and dust from the eye, but it can still see because the membrane over the eye is translucent.

The scripture states that when we turn to God the veil is removed. What separated us from God has been lifted. There is no longer any barrier between us. The way the eagle blinks reminds me of an illustration. If you and I close our eyes we can’t see, our eyes are veiled. Yet, when the eagle closes his eyes the membrane is translucent so there is nothing that keeps him from always having a clear vision of what is ahead. When we allow God to have control of our lives He makes it so that we can have continual, unhidden access to His truth, through the Word of God and the helping of the Holy Spirit. There are multiple things that would cause our vision to be veiled (anger, discouragement, rejection, disappointments, focus on our circumstances, etc.). These things get in the way, like the skin over our eyes when we blink, and keep us from seeing the things God desires for us to see.

In order to have this eagle like vision spiritually, we need God to free us from the things that make us heavy in our hearts. These things keep our center of attention on the ground in that downward focus. When we allow God to work in us we can see how to prepare for the walk ahead. God will illuminate our path so that we can have this uncanny ability to see “miles” ahead like the eagle does.

We need God to help us discern spiritually what it is we need so that we can grow. That requires us having the ability like the eagle to see what is in front of us as well as what’s on the side. It also requires us seeking God’s help to remove those things that hinder this ability to see. We need to be able to see from many different angles so that we can understand how to live this life in Christ. Are you able to see clearly through your life situations? Or has your vantage point be limited to the ground because of the things you are focused on? It is time to stop looking at the ground and allow God to unveil the hidden things. Are you ready to change your spiritual vantage point?

What is spiritual growth? How does a human being grow from birth to spiritual enlightenment? What is the process?

I believe that spiritual growth is simply the process of awakening our consciousness; becoming conscious of ultimate reality and “what is”.

Like many things that are “simple”, it is not easy to achieve. If it were, there would be many more enlightened persons in the world than there are. What do I mean by awakening or becoming conscious of reality? And why is it so difficult?

Let me begin by saying that whatever your personal understanding of God, or Creator is, the commonly held theistic view of God as a “person” who lives in a place called “heaven” is not going to be helpful when we try to understand the process of human spiritual growth.

I find it much more useful to understand God or the Creator as the creative spiritual energy of pure agape love or perhaps the radical Consciousness of pure being; the creative Consciousness of the Universe itself.

If we are born in the image of God as many believe, then at the moment of birth, before the world get its hands on us, we are essentially a pure, untarnished child of God; a child born in the image of God.

At that moment we are nascent consciousness manifesting pure creative agape love; able to love without a “because”. At that moment we are able to manifest the infinite. We are simply a wave called “i am” resting in the ocean called “”I AM””.

We do not need a “because” to elicit our love. We love because agape love is our essential creative energy. It is simply who we are. The agape love energy of ” i am” is the same as the creative energy of pure agape love and compassion of “I AM”.

This is how I understand the idea of “being born in the image of God”. The goal of the enlightened person is simply to return to this essential self; this place of pure awakened consciousness where we began our human journey.

Conceptually, I find it useful to think of this “essential self” or localized “i am” as the center of a small circle that is surrounded by “I AM” — “THE” creative ground, the creative essence of all reality.

As we grow and develop over time into a separate ego “self”, a “unique” individual, opaque layers of “ego stuff” called beliefs, certainties, expectations, fears, desires, likes, dislikes, attachments, assumptions, conclusions, prejudices, illusions, judgments, roles, labels, and worries begin to build up layer by layer as concentric circles around the “i am”.

The essential light of “i am” is slowly covered by the impenetrable grime of this ego stuff until the light of agape love of “i am” is no longer visible. Instead of manifesting the agape love of the Creator, we increasingly manifest our individual ego or self-identity.

Over time, these layers of “ego stuff” become the definition of who we “are”; an “object”, separate, apart, and unique from all other unique “self” objects. The beliefs, assumptions, and other “ego stuff” that we call our “self-identity” and which effectively blocks the light of “i am” or the essential self, are each like small lenses that distort reality. The more rigid the belief, the thicker the lens. These “lenses”, or ego “beliefs”, distort reality in that they allow into the ego only those aspects of reality that the ego believes to be true; they effectively block out the rest of Creation by labeling it as “not true”.

The self-identity of the ego is now complete. The agape light of “i am” is no longer able to shine, and the light of all reality not consistent with the ego’s “beliefs” cannot get in.

We forget our essential self even exists. Both “i am” and “I AM” disappear! The idea that we are pure agape love, that we are co-creators with “I AM”, is rejected as ridiculous.

Once formed, the ego is very invested in surviving; both; physically and psychologically. The ego “self” does not like change because it means that some part of it’s self-identity must die in order to make room for a new ego “self”. If the ego “believes” something to be wrong, not consistent with it’s beliefs, it will label it as “not true, or not right” and then reject it. In this way the self-identity of the ego is protected from change. The ego’s belief is “THE” truth. In other words, when a firmly held belief of the ego encounters reality, reality will change, not the belief.

Said simply, the psychological survival of the ego requires that the ego avoid change by being rigidly invested in being right. The need to be right is a primary source of conflict and suffering in the world.

Unless we are able to understand how powerful this tendency of our ego is to allow in only what we already believe, we cannot grow. This is especially true when it comes to spiritual growth.

Removing the log in our own eye is not easy work. It can be achieved only when we deeply understand and fully accept that the seeds of conflict and suffering are embedded in our own heart. Not just our neighbors.

Spiritual growth therefore, is simply a process of getting back in touch with our essential selves; a process of awakening consciousness and discerning what our ego “believes” to be reality.

To summarize, spiritual growth is growth in self-awareness. Any growth in self- awareness is spiritual growth. Spiritual growth is nothing more than a process of understanding and accepting the many layers of “ego stuff” that keep us from sitting with reality as it really is, and manifesting our essential energy called agape love.

Growth in self-awareness means understanding and accepting the simple reality that each of our beliefs not only distort reality, they reject all aspects of reality that do not exactly conform to that belief.

A friend once told me humorously that the plum line for what is right and true ran directly down the middle of his ego.

Change, the fundamental act of creation, and spiritual growth, are both challenging work for the ego. Both require an awakened consciousness. Each time we grow in self awareness and empty the ego of its many layers, we move closer and closer to manifesting the essential energy of the authentic self, the creative “i am” agape love energy that co-creates with the creative agape love energy of “I AM”.

The reality is we are co-creators with “I AM”. The wave can never be separated from the ocean. The only choice we have is—are we going to consciously create love and compassion, or unconsciously create pain and suffering.

Spiritual growth is nothing more than our ability to increasingly manifest this essential agape energy that resides at the center of who we really are…..our essential self.

If you are interested in meditation and enlightenment, it is important to start with practices and teachings. You follow a spiritual path, you follow Advaita, Zen, Bhakti Yoga or any other valid path to enlightenment.

And you do take on certain beliefs knowingly or unknowingly and by being true to those beliefs and practices, there is a deepening, even realizations. For enlightenment to occur, this process usually has to happen. You have to take on a set of teachings and disciplines and follow them.

But if you are blessed, at some point or better at many, many points, something will happen that will knock you off your feet.

You are going along in a blissful state, all the beliefs and practices are in place to support that and then something happens in your life that pulls the rug out from underneath you.

And suddenly all of those beliefs and understandings about yourself, enlightenment and spirituality that have been held perfectly in place have all tumbled down. And in that there are no more beliefs to hold on to; all understandings have been nullified.

And if you are able to surrender in this, then it is here that your heart breaks open to silence; like a crab that has outgrown its shell.

You become vulnerable to silence, to the absence of understanding, to the absence of security, to the absence of knowing who you are. And in this there is freedom. In this you are opened up to enlightenment.

What good is it to realize the Self and then be bound by the idea of the Self? What good is it to be dependent on having a certain experience, attainment or understanding?

When it all crumbles then all that is left is pure open vulnerability. It is not that you feel this and then you move on, but rather you learn to remain as this even while continuing your meditation practices.

Then you live in love; that love that resides in surrender. And your life is lead by grace. Not an idea of grace. But that which cannot be known is and that is that.

If you are really interested in enlightenment and meditation, then it is necessary to receive kundalini shakti from a meditation master. In receiving kundalini shakti, this process explained above begins to happen on its own. Receiving Kundalini Shakti is like a seed has been planted, enlightenment begins to awaken deep inside you and you learn to just surrender to the process.

Because of breakthroughs in audio recording, you can also receive this kundalini shakti through sound. Simply by listening to a unique enlightenment CD, kundalini shakti is awakened in you and you begin to easily experience deep states of meditation and bliss.

You can listen to samples of this Kundalini Shakti CD by visiting the “Enlightened Meditation Music” link below.

As a spiritual person with a strong link to the Universal Spirit it leads and guides me throughout my life. The thing that quickly destroys that link is entertainment, particularly fiction. Whether people realise or not stories that come out of people’s heads are lies and they don’t work in the presence of God. Make-believe stories are the basis of religions and they don’t serve the Spirit.

The world is full of contrasts and evil while it is encased in black darkness. The entertainment industry is responsible for most of it, however, because of the movies; concepts; games; social media; toys; and other things, that are frankly garbage to watch or use and junk food for the brain.

One can’t live on junk food for very long before the body reacts to it. The loss of vitamins, enzymes, flavonoids, and essential nourishment soon sends it into a spin. The brain is no different. Feeding it junk from man’s inventions, especially in regards to entertainment, does the same to the body.

The darkness from not feeding it properly plays on every cell within it. Toxins build up, free radicals hook onto cells to change them into things like cancer, or other diseases, and depression also sets in. That’s when people look to drugs for assistance to help them recover. Some drugs work but the hard drugs hook people into addictions.

Gambling is another form of entertainment that destroys. There would be few who are unaware of how people steal to support their habit and many lost their homes and families because of it.

While the world worries about the pollution of the environment and the build up of toxins in the air they give little thought to the things they use for entertainment. They are just as deadly and are working to destroy the earth by the lack of care and knowledge that people pass over so they can get to the next entertainment venue.

Without their spiritual link they are lost in a frenzy of worry and strife that has no solution. The entire world is fast approaching the point of no return. Many would rather laugh it off, however, than do something about it. As long as they can forget their troubles for a while they can be happy again.

What is spirituality?

• Spirituality is the state or quantity of being spiritual for a living being-much less a human being.
• Spirituality includes the knowledge of God, universe, creation, man, mind, soul and matter.

Characteristics of spiritual people:

• The spiritual people concentrate their energies within or in their inner world by practicing mediation, yoga, devotion and other mystical methods.
• The flashes spark, light or enlightenment that they acquire and recorded generally as revelations are the back bone of spiritual experiences, studies and practices.
• They mostly live in silence, in serene and quite atmosphere and environment.

Vibrations:

• The universe is based on cosmic laws and all the phenomena are essentially of the nature of vibrations or motions of different kinds.
• Everything in the universe is energy. Every matter, thought, belief, emotion, body and mind is a specific form of energy.
• There are only higher and lower vibratory frequencies. The lower or denser vibrations have less energy associated with them as compared to the higher vibratory frequencies.
• The universe is created by vibration and is maintained by vibration and at the time of dissolution is destroyed by the vibration. Each vibration has its own individual wavelength which characterizes it and can identify it.

Vibrations of energy fields or aura:

• Every human being is surrounded by a luminous invisible subtle energy field which interpenetrates the physical body and emits its own characteristic radiation or vibrations known as aura.
• The aura is divided into several layers or bodies interpenetrating each other and surrounding each other in successive manner.
• Each successive body is composed of finer substance with higher vibration than other that it surrounds and interpenetrates.

Frequency of a spiritual seeker:

• Normal human beings vibrate at 68-72 MHz.
• The pulsation rate of spiritual person’s aura is 92-360 MHz The aura of spiritual person vibrate at a very high frequency compared to other persons due to his developed higher mind, will, knowing, and integration of spiritual and physical makeup.
• A spiritual seeker has much developed higher subtle bodies, hence his aura vibrate at tremendous higher frequencies.
• While the aura of a normal human being pulsate at lower pace due to his limitations, material desires, lust, mental and emotional blockages.

Harmonic induction:

• Pulsation rate of one’s auric field induces changes in the pulsation rate of another’s auric field.
• The change may be positive, negative or neutral.
• Energy flow from higher to lower voltage.

Reasons for discord:

• When people are not within the same frequency or cannot synchronize harmonically, it becomes difficult to communicate.
• It is very difficult to communicate through the very big difference in pulsation rates of the auras of the spiritual seeker and other persons.
• Intimacy requires aura fields of concerned persons to be in harmony. The ability to either pulsate in the same frequency range or to synchronize fields using harmonics is necessary for communion.
• The pulsation rate of the spiritual people is very high and normal people’s aura is not able to pulsate that fast.
• Sometimes the high voltage pulsation of the spiritual person induces a series of bio-plasmic changes in the aura of other persons this in turn elevates their pulsation rate.
• The elevated flow of power running though the aura of the others person may release their mental, psychological and emotional blocks, and some deep rooted anger, fear, hatred, sex, enmity and evil memories may surface on the consciousness resulting in discord, stress and disharmony with the spiritual seeker.

BY

GEETA JHA [SPIRITUAL HEALER]

INDIA

INTRODUCTION

There are few so gross to imagine that we can direct infinite wisdom in the dispensation of providence, or persuade Him to alter those laws He contrived before the foundation of the world for putting things in a regular course. — Matthew Tindal, 1653–1733

He will not endeavor by prayers and supplication, by fastings and

genuflections, to change the mind of the ‘Infinite’ or alter the course

of nature; neither will he employ others to do those things in his place… He will know that honest labor is the highest form of prayer. He will spend no time in ringing bells or swinging sensers, or in chanting the litanies of barbarism… — Robert Green Ingersoll, The Improved Man, 1890

Both Tindall and Ingersoll, centuries apart, expressed views on a topic that, centuries later, inform a matter of ethics and fair play in modern sporting competitions.

Matthew Tindall perceived requests for outside assistance from a divine, supernatural force to be a great impertinence–an affront to any deity. How dare mere mortals be so gross as to seek adjustments of laws put in a regular course by the One with infinite wisdom?

Robert Ingersoll also noted that a much-to-be-desired Improved Man would appreciate the folly importuning The Infinite to change His mind or alter the course of nature. How disrespectful. Honest labor, translated in the sports world as hard training and giving one’s all, is the sole ethical path to glory.

SPORTING COMPETITIONS AND THE ETHICS OF SEEKING OUTSIDE ASSISTANCE

What’s going on when a baseball player points to the sky as he nears home plate after hitting a home run, suggesting a conspiracy with a sky god who in some way provided help?

Is that fair?

Isn’t that outside assistance?

Or in football, when a player scores a touchdown and engages in a ritual that suggests indebtedness to a higher power not even on the field of play who seems to be getting credit for the player’s success.

Should home runs and touchdowns and so on count if athletes seek or receive outside assistance?

Should not everyone be required to honor a level playing field where everyone does his best, relying solely on preparation, teammates and his/her own talents?

Didn’t the Boston Red Sox and Houston Astros in recent years find themselves in a bit of a fix after getting help with signals to home plate sent from team members not actually on the field? If mere mortals are forbidden to interfere, how much more flagrant is the violation if a competitor solicits help from the ruler of the universe?

OUTSIDE ASSISTANCE IN TRIATHLON

I’ve competed in triathlons for 40 years, and I can assure you, dear readers, that getting help from any source is strictly forbidden under Article III, Section 3.4 of the Rules of Race Conduct. The penalty for receipt of outside assistance is a DQ (i.e., disqualification).

Yet, despite this rule, many triathletes do invite outside assistance. We know this, not because race officials or anyone else for that matter have witnessed such assistance being rendered, but rather because winners have openly declared having had outside help, even bragged about it. What’s more, they publicly give profuse thanks to their unauthorized beneficiary and show no remorse whatsoever for deliberately enlisting illegal aid from a powerful ally.

Reforms are needed.

Don’t you think it’s about time that those of us who play fair, rely on intense training and hard-earned skills, and never seek or receive outside assistance in races, demand a stop to the shameless testimonials that laud the rule-breaking of outside interference in our beloved sport?

That was a rhetorical question. Of course it’s time, high time!

Just play fair. You did the training–you do the race.

A GUEST COMMENTARY

Is the summoning of divine intervention from an imaginary deity really cheating? Granted, there is intent, but if the request is directed to the clouds and it can be proven beyond doubt that no one lives in the clouds, then surely speaking to thin air cannot constitute an indiscretion. Insanity, maybe. Delusion, certainly. Attempt to cheat, probably. Outside assistance, dubious.

(Invited commentary by Grant Donovan, Perth, Australia)

Traditionally, a sense of the spiritual has been evoked in the depiction of religious themes. For example the humanity of the divine shown in Christian pictures of Christ on the Cross, the image of meditation expressed in Buddhist images of the Buddha, and the ideal of order shown in Islamic decorative art-work using repeated geometrical patterns.

More generally, however, the visual arts since the beginning of the 20th century have been associated with a wide variety of aesthetic expression usually not seen as spiritual. It has no longer been normal in the West to assume that all art aims at beauty. Much artwork in this period might be described as reflecting emotional liberation, political criticism and hedonism. The question arises as to whether it is possible for the spiritual to be seen in abstract art?

Kandinsky’s impact on the development of abstract art

One person’s answer to this question was a definite ‘yes’. This was the Russian artist Wassily Kandinsky. He wrote The Art of Spiritual Harmony published in 1919.

Kandinsky favoured painting in non-representational ways, i.e. not representing anything visually recognisable. This was because he thought the more obvious the separation from nature, the more likely is the inner meaning to be pure and unhampered.

The book is widely believed to have had an important impact on the development of abstract art in the twentieth century with a main focus shifting towards the appreciation of the form of lines and colours in combination rather than representational image. Representational art is still to be found to this day, but it is no longer pre-eminent in the way it once was.

The word ‘spiritual’ for Kandinsky

For Kandinsky a sense of awe is present in all ‘true art’. Presumably then, the spiritual in art amounts to more than what is merely ornamental, good taste or interesting but should suggest a sense of wonder.

He observed that humanity:

“Inclines to the outer and knows little of the inner.”

He wanted artists to express their own inner lives on the canvas. We might think that in this way the viewers’ increased sensitivity to the needs and suffering of others can deepen their own spirituality.

The term ‘spiritual’ for Kandinsky thus refers to wonder, awe and depth of experience. I would suggest it might also involve a sense of beauty, joy, harmony, fresh vision or innocent simplicity.

Kandinsky’s art

Kandinsky picked out for praise the art of Paul Gaugin (a post-impressionist) saying the Frenchman, although not a creator of non-figurative paintings, was nevertheless willing to sacrifice conventional form to inner expression and give a profound emphasis on what cannot be expressed in natural things.

Kandinsky himself tried to paint without recourse to natural form or representation. His theory was that in such a painting there would be no symbolic references with which the viewer would associate ideas and feelings – by which I suppose he meant natural pleasures and sentiment. He claimed his art was more purely spiritual as a result of being abstract.

Abstract art and subliminal perception

One wonders, in so far as a picture creates a sense of transcendence, whether it does so because of a subliminal use of symbols of which both viewer and artist is unaware. For example Kandinsky points out that, although Picasso and the Cubists produce intricately balanced lines and curves, they nevertheless persist in giving titles to their pictures which recall the natural object from which their minds ‘first took flight’. These titles as word symbols could be said to bias the viewer to the artist’s intention.

The spiritual school of American art

This attitude is in contrast with the nineteenth century. For example at that time there had been a so-called ‘spiritual school of American art’ in which the artists tried to project in their visual art a celebration of ideals rather than the material side of life. In their painting of natural objects, they used nature, not as an end in itself, but rather to represent what they saw as inner truth. Some of these artists (such as William Page, George Innes and William Keith) were aware of Emanuel Swedenborg’s theory of correspondence: a theory which suggests that spiritual qualities like innocence, protectiveness, courage, can be intuitively seen in natural things to which they correspond.

Kandinsky had a very different approach to that of the earlier American school, yet he was equally concerned about the way art had lost her soul. He introduced the phrase ‘art for art’s sake’ as a neglect of inner meaning.

Islamic art

Islamic artwork, is also mostly non-representational. The Islamic world’s resistance to the representation of living forms probably stems from the belief that the creation of life is unique to Allah and to paint animals and plants amounts to idolatry.

Swedenborg’s way of understanding spiritual history is in line with this view. His theory is that humankind over the ages had lapsed into more and more external perception: as a consequence works of art such as ‘the golden calf’ of the Hebrews lost their symbolic meaning and began to be worshipped as idols, rather than used as mere reminders of spiritual qualities.

“Much of Asia practised idolatrous worship… Ideas about God were presented in the form of various likenesses and carvings; and when their meanings became lost, the common people began to worship these as gods. Even the Israelite nation had this sort of worship when they were in Egypt, as is clear from the golden calf, which they worshipped in the desert instead of Jehovah.” (Emanuel Swedenborg, spiritual philosopher)

Likewise, in recent centuries there has been widespread veneration of relics, icons and other objects by many Christians.

My thought is that as culture has developed beyond this primitive religiosity, people have less frequently idolised or venerated artwork. If so, perhaps the Muslims have taken the problem of idolatry too far and should take a more positive attitude towards representation of natural life forms.

Individual differences in perception

The appreciation of art is a subjective thing. They say ‘beauty is in the eye of the beholder’ but what do you find aesthetically attractive? One might judge a Lamborghini to be beautiful because of its curved lines and partly because it is desirable as a status symbol, or we might judge it to be repulsive because it signifies for us over-consumption and offends our political or moral values. There is no pleasing everybody and visual designers cannot escape subjectivity in the spectator.

What one person sees, as sublime in a painting, another does not. I suspect the awareness of anything spiritual is less likely to be appreciated by me when I am focused on worldly matters and my own self-interest. Is there not mystery in the perceptual process of the spectator as well as in the creative process of the artist?

Water is an important tool for magic rituals in many religions and spiritual beliefs. Although it sounds redundant, most cults, sects or spiritual beliefs use it to represent the cosmic element of water for purifying, scrying, and even starting wars. Considering that most of the time H20 is not the only element a spirit seeker needs, the water may go through a bit of a special transformation that requires flowers, herbs, sticks, and other natural resources to become colognes/perfumes or spiritual waters.

Some of the spiritual waters as we know it now were born commercially as colognes. Since all colognes/perfumes possess herbal bases, they rapidly gained a special symbolism in the spiritual world and spell-craft sometimes referring to some of them as spiritual waters.

These products are widely used in rituals of home protection, and spiritual cleaning. Spiritual waters are used to “work” the soul and mind, and they are so common to the eyes of Afro/Latinos that they may be worn on the person, placed on the altar as offerings, or sprinkled around the premises as needed. Commonly, men wear them as spiritual waters, scents, and as after shaves in many cases whilst women sprinkle them on theirselves as an attractive scent that comes along with protective powers.

These colognes or spiritual waters are inexpensive and easy to get in major pharmacies, esoteric shops, botanic and magic shops in many cities, but having the option of being done at home if the spirit seeker has the correct formula.

Florida Water

Florida Water is a staple for many of the religious ceremonies of Afro/Latino religious expressions or sects. Basically, it is cologne used for spiritual services, purification, cleansing, healing, jinx-breaking, protection from enemies, tranquility, peaceful home, dealing with the dead, safe travel, and psychism.

Florida Water is a 19th century formula for a commercially-prepared eau de toilet that blends an array of floral essential oils in a water-alcohol base. The name refers to the fabled Fountain of Youth said to have been located in Florida.

I prefer to buy the ones at stores, without saying a specific brand. But I found a formula to prepare this spiritual water from “Fortunes in Formulas For Home, Farm, and Workshop” edited by Garner D. Hiscox, M.E. and Prof. T. O’Conner Sloane, A.B., A.M., Em., Ph.D. (The Norman B. Henley Publishing Company, 1937):

– Oil of bergamot 3 fluid ounces

– Oil of lavender 1 fluid ounce

– Oil of lemon 1 fluid ounce

– Oil of cloves 1 1/4 fluid drachms

– Oil of cinnamon 2 1/2 fluid drachms

– Oil of neroli 1/2 fluid drachms

– Essence of jasmine 6 fluid ounces

– Essence of musk 2 fluid ounces

– Alcohol 8 pints

– Rose water 1 pint

Mix and pass it through a soft filter.

Kananga Water

Also a 19th century eau de toilet, Kananga Water is used for psychism, purification, and dealing with the dead. In Jamaica and the Caribbean, the Kananga water is known after the huge commercial Kananga plantations were established during the 19th century by the British colony.

The Kananga Water is built upon a foundation of essential oil of Cananga Odorata, also known as Ylang Ylang. It flowers consist of six narrow, twisted, drooping 3 – 4″ long petals. And the orange color of this spiritual water comes from its greenish yellow and orange petals.

The home made formula for this spiritual water comes from the same author lines above:

– Ylang Ylang oil 45 minims

– Rose oil 15 minims

– Cassie oil 5 minims

– Almond oil 1/2 minims

– Tincture of orris rhizome 1 fluid ounce

– Tincture of storax 3 fluid drachms

– Grain musk 3 grains

– Civet 1 grain

– Tonka beans 3 (chopped)

– Alcohol (90%) 9 fluid ounces

Mix, and let sit for one month, then filter.

DESCRIPTION: Sleep apnea is when your upper airway temporarily collapses during sleep and breathing stops for anywhere from 10 seconds to 1 minute.

SIDE EFFECTS: Sleep apnea causes next day drowsiness (Bad for attention when driving to work), headaches (Really hard to concentrate with the drum corps beating behind your eyes), heart disease (Yes, it seriously affects your heart), learning & memory disorders (Good-bye new job when I can’t remember my job instructions), incorrect perception of reality (Are you sure you didn’t say that?) and mood disorders like depression (Very debilitating).

YOUR STRONGEST RISK FACTORS FOR SLEEP APNEA: are obesity & high blood pressure. It really is true – everything is interconnected. When you overeat you stress your heart which stresses your blood pressure which weakens your upper airway while you’re sleeping. Oh what a circle.

SPIRITUAL FACTORS behind Obesity & High Blood Pressure include these broken spiritual connections:

• Fear. Without a spiritual belief in something other than yourself, you’ll find that your broken inner self will continue to run the show.
• The need for protection. Fight or flight is basic to survival, but living in flight day in and day out is exhausting to the human body.
• Running away from your feelings instead of expressing them. Speak to someone you trust. Bottling it up and stuffing your feelings only stresses out your body and that stress will land in an already weakened part of you physically and further the damage already begun.
• Unfounded insecurity. This is a carryover from early childhood days when you couldn’t protect yourself. Today, as an adult, you are no longer that same vulnerable child.
• Self rejection. This could look like an eating disorder or not wanting to live in your own body.
• Long standing emotional problems that you won’t address and heal. Could have been abuse, abandonment or addictions.

If you have sleep apnea you can be sure you are feeling guilty about owning your feelings of disappointment, bitterness, unforgiveness and resentment. You likely feel overworked, underappreciated, abandoned, abused and unworthy. These guilty feelings are in effect trying to physically suffocate your hurt feelings in the area of your voice and throat.

But hang on. There are solutions.

SPIRITUAL SOLUTIONS TO SLEEP APNEA

1. Correct your nutrition. It’s obvious – stop eating foods that are genetically modified, sprayed with poisons and fed crap food to grow the animal quickly.
2. Bless your past and let it go. If you will practice living in today and learn from your past while you let it go, you will experience miracles in more than your sleeping patterns.
3. Speak up for your needs which include:
1. Safety, security, comfort, order, consistency, control of your own life.
2. Significance – Ask yourself if your life has purpose and if you feel needed by someone or something.
3. Variety. Boredom is a sure motivation killer.
4. Love & Connection – For spiritual wellness you need someone or something to love and to be loved back.
5. Growth – in the areas of physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual development.
6. Contribution – Where in your life are you caring for and helping others?

When you repair the spiritual, mental and emotional breaks in your personality your physical health will automatically follow suit.

Your body was designed to repair itself regularly. Did you know that your lungs repair and replace themselves every six weeks and that you have a whole new body throughout every seven years?

Remember these three things:

1. You have to feed your cells the nutrition they need in order for those cells to replicate healthy.
2. Starting today let go of the past and stop stressing your cells.
3. And lastly, remind yourself that it’s time to re-connect with a Power greater than yourself and bring peace to your past and joy into today.

You can do this.