I have a long-time (30 + years) friend who "channels" a "being" and I have had occasion to observe them very closely. I use the plural pronoun to hide their sex and to indicate the two of them, the human and the channeled being, together. They make a truly excellent living at it because they are able to convince large numbers of folks of the reality and the truth of their healing power--which is real enough for the people who benefit. The placebo effect is powerful and, in a sense, why not harness it in any way we can?
I could be dead wrong, of course, and have been dead wrong about countless things, but in my opinion what is going on here is 1) embryonic witnessing misused or gone awry 2) very large (and exceedingly fragile) ego invested in keeping things as they are 3) Huge control-freak type personality that is constantly fed by the true believers that buy their services 3) by this time, there's no way out since their living depends on keeping up the charade 4) there's no way out because the thing has become the reality in a sense, but a total break-down wouldn't surprise me Theirs is an extremely lonely life since no one can be allowed to get close enough to them to see through the charade. --- dhamiltony2k5 <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, TurquoiseB > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > A good point, and hopefully a springboard to an > > interesting thread. I have always been nothing > > short of *amazed* at the number of TMers who get > > involved with channeling and "spirit voices" and > > "communicating with higher masters" and the like, > > given the STRONG stance Maharishi took against > > these practices from Day One. > > > > What will be interesting in the wake of his death > > is whether there will be some revisionist history > > on these practices as people start claiming to be > > "getting messages" directly from Haharishi. The > > "he's talking to me" thang is *going* to happen; > > that's a given. The question is how it's going > > to be handled by the larger TMO, or what is left > > of it. > > > > Will it be handled in the same way that > Maharishi's > > equally strong teaching about the enlightened > being > > not even having the *option* of reincarnation on > > any relative plane, and now the "teaching" being > > spread around by Bevan and King Tony that > Maharishi > > himself is in heaven, where even the gods are > > amazed by him? > > > > Or will someone remember the original teachings > and > > point them out, and suggest that the Wannabe > Emperor's > > New Voices might not be coming from the source > they > > think they're coming from? > > > > Interesting point, the cat might be out of the bag. > Or is that > the 'genie out of the lamp' as you mention with Tony > example and also > these recent 'eperience' posts about Maharishi from > the dead (or the > road to Damascus). > > Proly now to be a really good apostle you should > need to be hearing > from Maharishi right about now, before the pile on > gets too thick. > Will make for some great TMmovement theatre if not > else. > > Jai Guru Dev, > -Doug in FF > > > > > As someone said recently, the jury is still out on > > this one. I post, for the amusement of those who > > have always thought that Maharishi's original > "take" > > on "listening to voices" was correct, and as > edifi- > > cation for those who think he was wrong, a > teaching > > that showed up yesterday on another board in > response > > to someone saying that "her voices" were telling > her > > something and that everyone else should pay > attention > > to it as the "revealed message" it really was: > > > > "When you hear a voice or have a thought to do or > > think something in particular; once in a while do > > the exact opposite and then observe if the voice > > or 'thought' gets angry at you. That's how you can > > > tell that you are being manipulated by something > > or someone outside of yourself." > > > > The woman this advice was given to got > hysterically > > angry and claimed at the top of her all-caps > screen > > "voice" that everyone else, including her own > teacher > > who had said these words, was WRONG, and that "her > > > voices" were correct. Most of the rest of us > considered > > the case closed. > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, > "dhamiltony2k5" > > <dhamiltony2k5@> wrote: > > > > > > > > Your quote from Patanjali is irrelevant in > this context. > > > > > > > > The quote is evidently relevant only in that > it is a strong > > > > comment and warning, from scripture. > > > > > > Interesting distinction you make though about > this willing and > > > unwilling possession. > > > Are you experienced in the sense that you > practice it? > > > > > > Thinking back on earlier TMmovement days we > didn't have much > directly > > > from Guru Dev in the way of quotes and readings. > Maharishi told > > > stories about Guru Dev. The one thing that was > given out though > was > > > a quote from Guru Dev on this subject of > spiritism. It was sort > of > > > foundational material for ruddering the > TMmovement in straight > and > > > narrow spiritual practice. That... dabbling in > spirits could be > > > dangerousÂ… Maharishi was always firm in consul > and coaching > about > > > this. > > > > > > This quote was a printed one sheet paper that > was very available > > > around teacher trainings and on ATR courses: > > > <paste> > > > > > > Guru Dev: > > > Speaking on the Value of a Human Birth and the > Importance of > Right > > > Action > > > "Do good works without hesitation. The Jiva has > been experiencing > > > samsara for many, many births. It is only > natural, therefore, > that > > > its tendencies have become worldly. To turn its > tendencies toward > > > Paramatman and away from samsara requires some > effort. In > reality, > > > the aim of life is to stop the mind from > involvement with this > world. > > > If one engages in spiritual practice and in > thinking and speaking > > > about God, the mind will start dwelling on Him > and after some > time it > > > will withdraw from the world on its own. > > > In our daily affairs we should adopt a strategy > of quickly > attending > > > to good works and things related to the Divine. > Should any wrong > > > thought arise, on the other hand, we should try > to postpone it to > > > another time by saying, "I'll do it tomorrow, or > the day after > next." > > > In this way, wrong action can be continuously > postponed. > > > To be born a human is more fortunate than to be > born a deva > (angel or > > > Divine being). Taking birth as a deva is > considered comparable to > > > taking birth as any other life form. Birth as a > deva is attained > by > > > those who perform certain sacrifices and karma, > etc. associated > with > > > divinity, with the intention to enjoy divine > pleasures. The minds > of > > > the devas wander incessantly because of the > abundance of > enjoyable > > > things in the heavenly realms, and hence they > cannot perform > > > purushartha (Divine action - action in accord > with the cosmic > > > evolution and individual destiny). For this > reason, the human > birth > > > is considered superior, because here, by doing > as much > === message truncated === Send instant messages to your online friends http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com
