Friday 23 March 2007

Possible empirical 'proof' of The Ferryman Thesis

There have been some interesting developments on not only actual verifiable proof of the existence of the Daemon exactly as described in my book, but that this being has indisputable precognitive abilities. What makes this particularly important with regard to my theory is that my information source has diagnosed Temporal Lobe Epilepsy. I cannot say any more on this breaking news at the moment but say that I am excited is a massive understatement.

I am also writing the first chapter of my next book when I stumbled across this quotation by Plato (from Phaedo 107d):

'For after death, as they say the daemon of each individual, to whom he belonged in life, leads him to a certain place in which the dead are gathered together, whence after judgement has been given they pass into the world below, following the guide, who is appointed to conduct them from this world to the other: and when they have received their due and remained their time, another guide brings them back again after many revolutions of ages.'

Is this not a description of my process of Cheating The Ferryman as outlined in ITLAD?

Plato describes the Daemon taking the role of The Being Of Light as described in the NDE literature. This being then has some form of judgemental process (the Panoramic Past-Life Review?) then 'another guide brings them back'. I am also fascinated by Plato's use of the term 'after many revolutions of ages'. This to me sounds suspiciously like a description of the Eternal Return. After all what does a revolution do but return to its point of start?

Sunday 18 March 2007

Post from Myron Dyal

My experience of my “Daemon” began shortly after I had been in a coma for two months and upon awaking my memory of all things that preceded the coma were gone! I had no family, no moorings, nothing that would, or even could support the notion that I was of this world; and I had epilepsy!! It was at that time that my spirit guide, (I called it Charon) came into my life and made it known to me that it would always be with me. Charon has taken me places that were, and are so vast that they are inexpressible in normal human terms. Through out my life my memory of travels with Charon is vivid and intact, while my extraverted life experiences are vague, and have in most cases been entirely erased from memory. Our creation of reality is tenuous at best and must be supported minute, by minute by familiar, and reinforced objects that tie us to what we optimistically call the “real” world. Almost from the beginning of my post “lapsarian” existence I selected other objects, places, sounds, and experiences to circumnavigate my inner universes. My TLE continuously channeled energy into my unconscious mind shattering the barriers that keeps others from fully experiencing their inner realities. The inner path has no boundaries or limitations on what can, or should be available to the ego, the difficulty is expanding your “ego” consciousness to accept all the vastness that is out there just waiting to be discovered. The problem as Shakespeare so aptly put it is “not in our stars, but in ourselves”!! Posted by myrondyal to Anthony Peake's Cheating The Ferryman Blog Page at 16 March 2007 22:44

Saturday 10 March 2007

Flanagan's Apple on Second Life

The Second Life link continues to be really interesting. If you go onto it and search out Flanagan's Apple in the virtual simulation on Matthew Street in Liverpool you may find something you recognise. Go into the bar and look at the poster to the left of the bar as you look at it from the entrance. Yes, your eyes are not deceiving you. It is the cover of my book. But it gets better. Seek me out - my SL name is DAEMON BOHM - and we can have not only a chat but I can give you a free teeshirt that your Avatar can wear whilst in Second Life. And what a natty little teeshirt it is. On the front is my website and on the back is a picture of my bookcover. You can then become a walking bill-board!!

If I can get enough interest I will set up a Second Life Group to discuss areas of mutual interest in a face-to-face (or pixel to pixel) situation.

Wednesday 7 March 2007

Reflections..!

Hi Anthony,

I've been meaning to post for some time now having read your book recently and thoroughly enjoyed it.

For me it was interesting that an odd series of events had lead me to reading your book when ordinarily I might so easily have passed it by. In fact I had come to the opinion independently a matter of weeks before reading your book that coincidences may well not be meaningless and needless to say this is a central theme of ITLAD. It is interesting the number of people both on this blog and in day-to-day life who remark on such moments.

I note also your mention of Second Life - this is a game I am familiar with but have not yet played and was a reflection of existence that I was keen to mention when I did get round to posting. So you've pipped me!

I suppose, for me, the beauty of life is the not knowing. Nothing can ever be definate. I tend to describe extisence as a hall of mirrors. Each persaon is the product of their DNA + their experiences. DNA is unique to each individual as is each individual's set of experiences. DNA, therefore, is like a unique distorted mirror that reflects a unique set of experiences. Each person, therefore, can be seen as a unique and subjective reflection of what it is to exist. And suddenly Bill Hicks springs to mind..! "...all matter is merely energy condensed to a slow vibration … that we are all one consciousness experiencing itself subjectively. There's no such thing as death, life is only a dream, and we're the imagination of ourselves..."

Religion, for me, is nothing more than a manifestation of faith so I tend to deal only with the 'simple faith' in discussion. It is generally projected that atheism can never be fully proved. Likewise, a proof of a 'life after death' may also be impossible to attain even if there is truth in it. If fact if there were any truth in a life after death then one of the main points of life might well be the certainty of these two uncertainties! In essence, we are forced to live our lives without the benefit of 100% certainty and therefore base our decisions and actions on something other than a deity, i.e. ourselves.

I was chatting last night to a good friend of mine - a staunch atheist - who was hung up on the absurdity of a idea of a third-party 'God' whom one might have to live upto. This, for him, was a crux of his atheistic views - views which instill quite a fear into him, "and rightly so," he said.

For my part I countered that firstly I agreed with his views on a third party 'God'. It is difficult to live up to something/someone you have never met. I proposed, however, that any God need not be a third party - given that everything on the quantum level is essentially the same, he would likely be a part of a God. As a part of everything, one can never be a part of nothing.

I went on say that, although I felt his fear of oblivion was understandable, it was essentially irrational. One could not experience oblivion nor could it judge. A God of which one is a part, however, raises the possibility of having to live up to yourself after you die. One can always argue that living upto an unfamiliar third-party God is flawed from the outset. Living upto yourself, however, can not only be very difficult in life, but could prove a very tough experience during death! "Here's what know you could have done, this is what you chose to do.."

We are are harshest critics and our strongest champions because we have values created in our minds through our DNA and our experiences of what is right and wrong. Sometimes we dissapoint ourselves in our actions; sometimes we surpass ourselves - but again, this must be subjective.

If there is a God, I project that we are likely part of it, it will essentially be ourselves and if anyone is wondering whether they are doing the right or wrong things in life I suggest that they already know! Fortunately, however, if Anthony's theory holds weight in its basis, we may well all get the chance to rectify our wrongs!

Stuart

Second Life

This shows how much of an internet junkie I have become. Has anybody heard of the website Second Life? (www.secondlife.com) If you have not then you are probably missing the singularly most influential cultural phenomenon of the moment. It is a virtual world that literally millions of people are building within the web itself. Indeed in the last 60 days 1,594,592 people have created an 'avatar' in this virtual-world and are living out a literal 'second-life'. People are building houses and opening up businesses - real businesses that are making money. This world even has its own currency - The Linden. You can walk (or fly) anywhere you want and the people you see are real people sitting in front of their computer - some on the other side of the world. You interact as you would in the real world. You can talk, swop things etc. I joined it a few months back but only went back on the day before yesterday. I know that one of our group (Robin) is a member because we met in SL (as it is known). Now that more and more of my 'Real World' friends are on SL I have started to log on again. Now for those of you interested one 'resident' is building a replica of Liverpool city centre. This is so like the real thing as to be weird. But what has just blown me away is that this morning a friend emailed me and said that I should 'teleport' myself on SL to an Irish Bar called Flanagan's Apple in this virtual Liverpool. I did so and up on the wall is a poster of showing my book cover. How wild is that!!!
I have just received a communication from the bar 'owner' and she says that I can use this bar for virtual, on-line real-time meetings. I plan to set up a Group and see what happens. It would be great if some of you joined me. SL is totally free - all you will lose is your time. Just check out the site and see what you think.
What is particularly interesting about all this is it is so Gnostic in its implications. It is a clear example of how reality can be seen as an elaborate illusion. Wander about in SL for a few hours - chat to people and make friends and believe me its starts to feel very very real. Pure Philip K Dick!!

Sunday 4 March 2007

The Dichotomy of Psychiatry and Neurology

The dichotomy of psychiatry and neurology with respect to TLE (Temporal Lobe Epilepsy), the most common form of epilepsy, should lean toward the path of neurology as the psychiatric symptoms are so very secondary. Epileptic focal points in the temporal lobe have been found in those with diagnoses such as schitzophrenia, bi-polar disorder, autism and the like. This is SOLID proof that that these psychiatric diagnoses are of neurological origin. Keep in mind that we all are, in essence, our brains. Why do you think those diagnosed with schitzo-effective disorder (schitzophrenia) etc. are practically "cured" when they begin treatment with an anti-convulsant, which unfortunately, is most often thought of as a treatment for whole brain epilepsy? Because their psychiatric symptoms are being stopped in their tracks, if you will, rather than masked with symptom cover-ups such as Lithium, Zyprexa, Seroquel, etc. The last two are classified as atypical antipsychotics therefore cary much stigma. Psychiatric diagnoses result in patients being improperly medicated as they only treat SYMPTOMS. TLE is classified as a physical disability, while bi-polar, etc. are classified as mental disabilities. Does not everyone suffering psychiatric symptoms deserve being classified with a disorder that is neurological in origin therefore "physical" rather than the ever so stigmatic, dare I say, diagnosis of "crazy?" "Meat before Metaphysics"; diagnosis and treatment of the root of the disorder is KEY.

Friday 2 March 2007

Reincarnation v Eternal Return

Hello Tony and Titas Rivas

Asking if anybody had heard that Prof Stevenson had died was my first contribution to the blog. Thanks to Titas Rivas for answering my question as to what he will come back as. Although I asked it very much tongue in cheek it sparked a very interesting response from Titas.
I fully agree that Prof Stevenson will go down as one of the most significant contributors to the great questions of life.
I am not sure where I stand on the Reincarnation v Eternal Return debate. I have several problems with reincarnation although I do admit that every time I finished a Stevenson book my doubts were certainly lessened.
My own experience of my young son telling me one day in an unusual serious voice that "we do this all over again" could I suppose be evidence for either theory.

Doppelganger

Just a quick point. I have noticed that I have been posting blogs as both myself a Doppelganger. The observant among you (which I guess will be everybody) will have realised that this person is indeed me. I had planned to set up a kind of Socratic dialogue on some ot the issues but this was for the future. However the last few times I have logged on my computer has put me on as Doppelganger and not as Anthony Peake. Hope this has not caused too much confusion.
Tony

Ian Stevenson

Welcome Titus.

Firstly I am honoured and really pleased to see you joining in with the discussions on this website. As you are an internationally respected expert on NDE it is great to have you on board. By the way you may also be interested to know that my publisher has just successfuly completed negotiation rights for a Dutch language edition of ITLAD.

Secondly thanks also for your interesting question on the fascinating work of Professor Stevenson. I have read most of his work and I find it both fascinating and compelling.

Indeed it is comments/ questions like yours that made me start this blog site in the first place. As somebody who continually questions everything around me I know I do not have all the answers. All I know is that as far as I am concerned there is considerable scientific evidence to support my conclusions - and after all I only made those conclusions from that evidence and that my conclusions are a 'theory', nothing more.

Having read his books and made extensive notes on them I would like to make a considered response. Aas I am a little short on time today this will be in the next few days.

Best Wishes - Tony

Thursday 1 March 2007

Reincarnation vs. eternal return

Hi Anthony,

Let me take this opportunity to contribute a first post to your blog.

In my view, Ian Stevenson is one of the main psychical researchers of the last two centuries. I'm looking forward to the day he will be recognised as a scientific giant on a fairly general scale.

Now, what intrigues me is how his work could possibly be reconciled with your own theories? For instance, if I understand your theory rightly, the question what he will come back as, should be answered: as a baby called Ian Stevenson born in October 1918 in Montreal. Your theory and real reincarnation simply seem totally incompatible.

If I'm right about this, I wonder how you would explain Stevenson's better cases, including paranormal information, an emotional identification with the claimed past life, a paranormal skill, and birthmarks or birth defect. As I try to make clear in my SPR-lecture Past Life Interpretations: We need all of them , there are certain cases for which real reincarnation seems to be the best explanation. Do you agree? But if you do, would that not undermine your own theory?

Best wishes,

Titus Rivas

Prof Ian Stevenson

Has anybody seen that Prof Ian Stevenson died in February. I read many of his books and papers on reincarnation. What always came across was the way he presented his views as a clear scientific study. If you want a good example of how a book on a paranormal subject (even if your not sure or dont believe) should be written then read "Where reincarnation and biology intersect". I wonder what he will come back as?.

Schizophrenia

Hi, Just a quick point. I note that Bloggerhead and Its Cool To Care are having a very interesting exchange under the above heading. By all means continue there if you wish but as you are both entitled to place a blog like this one you could make your comments and thoughts slightly more public.

In response to Bloggerhead's observation regarding the Tibetan Book of The Dead and Shamanism she will be pleased to know that I will be discussing the implications of this fascinating belief system with regard to The Ferryman Thesis in some detail in my planned third book. Indeed I am working my way through the Mercea Eliade book Shamanism at the moment.

Also the Tibetan Book of the Dead (or Bardo Throdrol) will feature in my next book in relation to the writings of Philip K Dick.

I totally agree with Bloggerhead that both these systems have massive similarities with my theory and I thank her for pointing this out.