I have been invited to be a presenter on the BBC Radio Manchester programme The Alan Beswick Show. This will take place on this coming Saturday (5th January) at 09:00 am (UK time). This will be unusual in that I will be on the show (together with another guest) reviewing the week's news and discussing my plans for 2008. As such this will hopefully be slightly different to my previous interviews. I will be on the show for an hour.
For those outside of the Manchester area this can be listened to on-line at http://www.bbc.co.uk/manchester/local_radio/ . Just press the orange button 'listen live' on the right hand side half way down. Although I do not know for certain I suspect that this part of Alan's show will not be available to listen later via the 'listen again' facility.
Monday, 31 December 2007
Sunday, 30 December 2007
Amazon USA
The book did manage to hold onto top spot on Amazon UK categories Reincarnation and Afterlife. Since then it has been dropping. This, I can only assume, is because copies were bought as Christmas presents. I am pleased to now see that the book has just reached its highest position in the USA Amazon charts. It is at 42,710 as of this morning. This charts it at number 28 best-seller in the Reincarnation category. This is, again, really great news because it shows that the book is beginning to be noticed over there. This without any press or magazine reviews. This will change in the new year when the International Association of Near-Death Studies (IANDS) will be reviewing the book in either the IANDS Journal or Vital Signs.
Wednesday, 26 December 2007
Daemon-Eidolon Dyad According to C J Jung
I received an email today from a member of this blog who is located in Switzerland. ArtFunk forwarded me an email that had been sent to him by a friend from Australia. Art wished to let me know the similarities between my theory of the Daemon-Eidolon Dyad and those of the great psycho-analyst Carl Gustav Jung. Jung uses the term Dioscuri. I have been long aware of Jung's writings but it was new to me exactly how similar to mine they are. Here an extended quote from his book "Concerning Rebirth" -
"This “other being” is the other person in ourselves – that larger and greater personality maturing within us, whom we have already met as the inner friend of the soul. That is why we take comfort whenever we find the friend and companion depicted in a ritual, an example being the friendship between Mithras and the sun-god. This relationship is a mystery to the scientific intellect, because the intellect is accustomed to regard these things unsympathetically. But if it made allowance for feeling, we would discover that it is the friend whom the sun-god takes with him on his chariot, as shown in the monuments. It is the representation of a friendship between two men which is simply the outer reflection of an inner fact: it reveals our relationship to that inner friend of the soul into whom Nature herself would like to change us – that other person who we also are and yet can never attain to completely. We are that pair of Dioscuri, one of whom is mortal and the other immortal, and who, though always together, can never be made completely one. The transformation processes strive to approximate them to one another, but our consciousness is aware of resistances, because the other person seems strange and uncanny, and because we cannot get accustomed to the idea that we are not absolute master in our own house. We should prefer to be always “I” and nothing else. But we are confronted with that inner friend or foe, and whether he is our friend or foe depends on ourselves.
You need not be insane to hear his voice. On the contrary, it is the simplest and most natural thing imaginable. For instance, you can ask yourself a question to which “he” gives answer. The discussion is then carried on as in any other conversation. You can describe it as mere “associating” or “talking to oneself”, or as a “meditation” in the sense used by the old alchemists, who referred to their interlocutor as aliquem alium internum, “a certain other one, within” This form of colloquy with the friend of the soul was even admitted by Ignatius Loyola into the technique of his Exercitia spiritualia, but with the limiting condition that only the person meditating is allowed to speak, whereas the inner responses are passed over as being merely human and therefore to be repudiated. … But a real colloquy becomes possible only when the ego acknowledges the existence of a partner to the discussion…. (p. 132)
[It is about transformation] “It is my own transformation – not a personal transformation, but the transformation of what is mortal in me into what is immortal. It shakes off the mortal husk that I am and wakens to a life of its own; it mounts the sun-barge and may take me with it”. (~ C.G. Jung, “Concerning Rebirth”, The Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious, C.W. volume 9i. Page 134)
Interesting is it not.
"This “other being” is the other person in ourselves – that larger and greater personality maturing within us, whom we have already met as the inner friend of the soul. That is why we take comfort whenever we find the friend and companion depicted in a ritual, an example being the friendship between Mithras and the sun-god. This relationship is a mystery to the scientific intellect, because the intellect is accustomed to regard these things unsympathetically. But if it made allowance for feeling, we would discover that it is the friend whom the sun-god takes with him on his chariot, as shown in the monuments. It is the representation of a friendship between two men which is simply the outer reflection of an inner fact: it reveals our relationship to that inner friend of the soul into whom Nature herself would like to change us – that other person who we also are and yet can never attain to completely. We are that pair of Dioscuri, one of whom is mortal and the other immortal, and who, though always together, can never be made completely one. The transformation processes strive to approximate them to one another, but our consciousness is aware of resistances, because the other person seems strange and uncanny, and because we cannot get accustomed to the idea that we are not absolute master in our own house. We should prefer to be always “I” and nothing else. But we are confronted with that inner friend or foe, and whether he is our friend or foe depends on ourselves.
You need not be insane to hear his voice. On the contrary, it is the simplest and most natural thing imaginable. For instance, you can ask yourself a question to which “he” gives answer. The discussion is then carried on as in any other conversation. You can describe it as mere “associating” or “talking to oneself”, or as a “meditation” in the sense used by the old alchemists, who referred to their interlocutor as aliquem alium internum, “a certain other one, within” This form of colloquy with the friend of the soul was even admitted by Ignatius Loyola into the technique of his Exercitia spiritualia, but with the limiting condition that only the person meditating is allowed to speak, whereas the inner responses are passed over as being merely human and therefore to be repudiated. … But a real colloquy becomes possible only when the ego acknowledges the existence of a partner to the discussion…. (p. 132)
[It is about transformation] “It is my own transformation – not a personal transformation, but the transformation of what is mortal in me into what is immortal. It shakes off the mortal husk that I am and wakens to a life of its own; it mounts the sun-barge and may take me with it”. (~ C.G. Jung, “Concerning Rebirth”, The Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious, C.W. volume 9i. Page 134)
Interesting is it not.
Saturday, 22 December 2007
Book Hits Number One Spot!
It seems that a lot of people will be getting ITLAD for Christmas this year. The book has been making its way up the Amazon UK charts over the last two weeks and today it hit top spot in the categories 'Afterlife' and 'Reincarnation' books. This is really exciting for me, as you can imagine. Book sales are always higher over Christmas so this is quite an achievement. If it can hold on for a couple of days I may have my first Christmas Number One. I am up there with Slade, Wizzard,George Michael and Shakin' Stevens (oh, maybe its not that good a feeling after all!).
I note that Amazon USA sold out of ITLAD a few days ago but now have new stocks in. Yet again another good sign of healthy sales.
May I wish a very happy Christmas to all of you guys who involve yourself in this blogsite. You all have many things to do in your lives but you find time to read this site and contribute. Thank you for this - it really is appreciated and never, ever, taken for granted.
Lets see what 2008 has to hold.
Best Wishes
Tony
I note that Amazon USA sold out of ITLAD a few days ago but now have new stocks in. Yet again another good sign of healthy sales.
May I wish a very happy Christmas to all of you guys who involve yourself in this blogsite. You all have many things to do in your lives but you find time to read this site and contribute. Thank you for this - it really is appreciated and never, ever, taken for granted.
Lets see what 2008 has to hold.
Best Wishes
Tony
Friday, 21 December 2007
KUCI Radio Interview
On the 14th July this year I was interviewed by Robert Larson of KUCI Radio,based on the University of California Campus in Irvine, California. Robert's programme is called 'Out of the Rabbit Hole' and is well worth tuning into. Robert has now managed to turn the interview into two podcasts which are available for download via his Myspace location at Out the Rabbit Hole. - www.myspace.com/outtherabbithole . They can be downloaded by clicking on the 'view more' tab on the right-hand side where it says "The Extraordinary Science of What Happens When You Die". You are taken to a new window. Left click on "Hear my interview..." and download onto your PC. Remember that the podcast comes in two parts.
You will find that most of this goes over old ground but as this can be downloaded you can then keep it and even maybe bore to death your friends and relations with it!!!
You will find that most of this goes over old ground but as this can be downloaded you can then keep it and even maybe bore to death your friends and relations with it!!!
Thursday, 20 December 2007
Real Daemonic Precognition? - Version 2
However amazing the Coup precognition of 9/11 is (see post below) this is overshadowed by the album cover opposite. The band are called Dream Theater. If you look closely you will see an image of the World-Trade Centre in flames. Now the title is "Live Scenes From New York". Now a simple question - how many times would those actual words have been used by TV and radio reporters on September 11th 2001? These words will be forever associated with the images of that day - burned into a "memory" that may be recalled in a future life re-run in the Bohmian IMAX.Now for the real stunner. The CD was released on ... September 11th 2001! A day or so later the band made the following announcement:
We are all OK....Our sessions today are obviously cancelled as NYC is sealed shut and we will return to NYC to continue whenever it re-opens.
In regard to the live album's cover art, I can only say that it is a horrible coincidence that we obviously could have never forseen. The timing of the release of the CD happening on the very same day as this tragedy is merely an incredible coincidence. We are currently in discussions with the label as to whether or not we will recall the CD's and replace them with a different cover. Obviously, the recovery of everybody's personal lives here in New York is the first priority
Thank you to all concerned,
Mike Portnoy
But clearly somebody did foresee the events - and tried to subliminally communicate them in the same way that somebody tried to communicate with Boots Riley of Coup.
Was that somebody the Daemon?
Real Daemonic Precognition? - Version 1
The picture opposite will be very familiar to those of you who have attended my lectures. For those of you who have not it may simply be an interesting image. We see an album cover by a 'Gangsta' rap band by the name of Coup. Clearly they like to be provocative and what better than to have the attack on the World Trade Centre on September 11th 2001 as a backdrop. Interesting but hardly amazing. However what if I told you that this cover was designed in May 2001 and was already viewable on the record company's website (75 Ark) in June of 2001!If you looke closely at the picture you will note that even the impact point is correct. Indeed the designer even had a 50/50 chance of picking the wrong tower for the first impact. But no, even that is accurate.
I have researched this and I have found that the actual photo-montage was designed on May 15th 2001. The designer, Boots Riley, claims that the image found its way into his head and he simply saw it as "a perfect metaphor for destroying capitalism".
Could this have been a 'previous life' memory that had welled up from Riley's subconscious? Could it be that the images of 9/11 were so strong that his Eidolon started to remember its future (and its Daemon's past)? Or maybe it was an attempt by his Daemon to get a warning out in the only way it could - an attempt to avert the disaster?
Riley was not alone in having a subliminal awareness of what was to take place- see next post.
Wednesday, 19 December 2007
Daniel Tammet 2
I agree with Hurly-Burly. The psychological state known a 'savant-syndrome' is, for me, further evidence of the Daemon-Eidolon Dyad.
I saw the TV programme on Daniel Tammet and I went out and got hold of a copy of the book. I knew exactly what I was looking for - did he have epilepsy (crucial to my theory)? - and this was confirmed in the book. In ITLAD I discuss the Russian memory-man Sherenevsky. As well as amazing memory recall this man also had extreme synaesthesia (you may recall his description of a symphony by Shostokovich). Sherenevsky also had TLE and believed that he shared his consciousness with another person (his Daemon?).
With regard to this whole savant-syndrome thing may I suggest two books that are an absolute must read. One is Darrold A Treffert's 'Extraordinary People', and the other is Oliver Sacks' 'An Anthropologist on Mars. The former author was the consultant for the film Rain Man. This book is full of fascinating examples of synaesthesia and amazing memories with individuals who seem to have another section to their brain that they can instantaneously access with no conscious intention. Some of these people have epilepsy. To me this implies that certain individuals have access to the memory banks and information processing ability usually only available to the Daemon.
The latter has a fascinating section on an Italian artist who seems to have a form of total-recall with regard to his childhood memories. On reading this I knew what was coming next and I was right - the artist has TLE!
I saw the TV programme on Daniel Tammet and I went out and got hold of a copy of the book. I knew exactly what I was looking for - did he have epilepsy (crucial to my theory)? - and this was confirmed in the book. In ITLAD I discuss the Russian memory-man Sherenevsky. As well as amazing memory recall this man also had extreme synaesthesia (you may recall his description of a symphony by Shostokovich). Sherenevsky also had TLE and believed that he shared his consciousness with another person (his Daemon?).
With regard to this whole savant-syndrome thing may I suggest two books that are an absolute must read. One is Darrold A Treffert's 'Extraordinary People', and the other is Oliver Sacks' 'An Anthropologist on Mars. The former author was the consultant for the film Rain Man. This book is full of fascinating examples of synaesthesia and amazing memories with individuals who seem to have another section to their brain that they can instantaneously access with no conscious intention. Some of these people have epilepsy. To me this implies that certain individuals have access to the memory banks and information processing ability usually only available to the Daemon.
The latter has a fascinating section on an Italian artist who seems to have a form of total-recall with regard to his childhood memories. On reading this I knew what was coming next and I was right - the artist has TLE!
Daniel Tammet
About two and a half years ago whilst living in New York i saw an amazing documentary about several people with autistic conditions, among these people were Daniel Tammet. Daniel has Savant Syndrome but the documentary itself was about a condition which set Daniel apart from many others with similar conditions, that being "Synaethesia". This is a condition in which a person's senses are mixed; they see number and words in colours, they see numbers within sounds and this condition has allowed Daniel to achieve some virtualy impossible mathematical feats. I became fascinated by this condition after seeing this documentary, the people who have this conditon said that it is, at times, the most frustrating thing in the world, but they wouldn't trade it in a million years.
I'm about two thirds of my way through his (Daniels) book "Born on a Blue Day." If you were thinking of reading this, don't be put off by the quote from Richard and Judy on the front cover, it is, in fact, an amazing read! It fluctuates from a rather personal account of his struggle to learn the social skills needed to join the rest of the world, to examples of his extraordinary mind.
The reason that i posted this is because the condition is linked so much with Daniel's use of the right side of his brain. Daniel had sevral epileptic attacks when he was younger which, in his opinion, may have caused his condition. I expect many of you will have heard of Daniel but thought i'd post this to see if anybody had anything else to share, particularly about "Synaethesia" which i find fascinating.
On a side note, i was reading last night and came across the word "Demonstrated" - Demon - st"ar"ted. I'm far too lazy to look up the origin of the word but i'm sure somebody can tell me why this little coincidence popped up! I've been up since 5.00am and can't sleep, have a greaaaaaaat day!
Friday, 14 December 2007
A bit of fun for Christmas - Shakespearchronicity maybe?
No links to ITLAD or CTF this one, but someting that has always amused me and you can have some fun with friends by pointing this pointless bit of knowledge out to them. I always think it works best by simply have them do the counting of the words then tell them the facts afterwards.
In 1610 the final draft and polishing of the Authorised (King James Version) of the Bible was completed.
Now if you have a copy look up Psalm 46 and count 46 words from the beginning of the psalm. You will find that you have arrived at the word "shake". Now, discounting the word "Selah", count 46 words from the end of the psalm and the word revealed is "spear".
Now in 1610 Shakespeare would have been 46 years old (having been born in 1564). Is this a coincidence or something that the translators did in honour of the Bard? If so it would have taken a good deal of manipulation of the text to get it to work so well. Not impossible I agree but some effort.
In 1610 the final draft and polishing of the Authorised (King James Version) of the Bible was completed.
Now if you have a copy look up Psalm 46 and count 46 words from the beginning of the psalm. You will find that you have arrived at the word "shake". Now, discounting the word "Selah", count 46 words from the end of the psalm and the word revealed is "spear".
Now in 1610 Shakespeare would have been 46 years old (having been born in 1564). Is this a coincidence or something that the translators did in honour of the Bard? If so it would have taken a good deal of manipulation of the text to get it to work so well. Not impossible I agree but some effort.
Thursday, 13 December 2007
Synchronicity......
I am a little premature in posting here as I have not read Anthony Peake's book/s as yet.I have E mailed him regarding lucid dreams.I do not think a fellow-blogger here, Susan Marie, will mind my saying that she and I met on a Grief site and live at opposite ends of the world to each other. She is the person who told me about these books and is actually sending me some, as we have grown closer through corresponding and have found many quite uncanny similarities between us. Each time we communicate, there are more.She has re awakened my long interest in Philosophy which I neglected due to Life getting in the way....anyway the other morning we were E mailing each other, and the conversation had got around to her having had a past obsession with Eminem, so I teased her a little, and related that I, in turn, had had a similar obsession with Elton John.. both of these were probably an escape from other large problems we had separately at the time, in each case, years ago. I had just hit the send button to reassure her that I , too had had a "strange obsession" when , right on my TV screen came on a morning show interview, which I had NOT seen advertised, where Elton proclaimed an "unlikely friendship" with Eminem and even embraced him!!!! For some reason, this happening at the identical moment we were speaking of these two unlikely people just blew me away and even a couple of days later, I still find it quite amazing, a 10,000 to one chance.....Myself and Susan Marie talk of synchronicity and I read about it a long, long time ago, and do not yet know what Mr. Peake's works are about, but I am pining here to read more!!!!I realise this is no world-changing event, but I feel for myself it may well be..... Jesamyn.
Deja Vu Survey
As I may have mentioned a few times on this blog one of the biggest influences upon my work - particularly in relation to the deja vu aspects - is Dr. Arthur Funkhouser of Bern in Switzerland. It is Art who first suggested the theory that a deja vu experience is actually the remembering of a dream that the subject has had and then elements of that dream are then encountered in real life. It was this observation that made my think about how dreams can be precognitive.
Art is involved in a world-wide survey of the deja phenomenon and has an on-line survey. If you have a moment please check this out and maybe complete it. The more data Art has the more statistically valid his conclusions will be.
The survey can be found at http://silenroc.com/dejavu/ .
Art is involved in a world-wide survey of the deja phenomenon and has an on-line survey. If you have a moment please check this out and maybe complete it. The more data Art has the more statistically valid his conclusions will be.
The survey can be found at http://silenroc.com/dejavu/ .
Wednesday, 12 December 2007
Personal experiences
My precognitive experiences are as if I have been an eyewitness to an event and then have been questioned on it afterward. There are details missing and some of the details don't make sense. I have heard from psychology experiments that eyewitnesses often see certain correct details and disregard any details that don't seem to fit to create their own picture of an event.
Does anyone have any similar personal experience of this?
Does anyone have any similar personal experience of this?
Congratulations
I am really pleased with how this blog is now developing. My intention was to build a little community of like-minded people who wish to openly discuss the implications of ITLAD and CTF. Over recent weeks things have become both this and even more. I know from the private emails that many of you send me that we are becoming 'virtual friends' which is a real bonus. There is a lot of knowledge out there in the group (both intellectual and experiential) and I know that many of you have had simply amazing personal experiences that you know really happened to you. We are now starting to share these to help each other understand more about this amazing place we find ourselves. I am really excited by this and by the fact that people are starting to find this blog by chance and find its contents interesting. For example you may have missed the following comment by Robin Hernandez in response to Chris's Right Brain Vs Left Brain Posting:
"What an incredible blog! I was directed here through a (standing) Google alert on right brain/left brain.
I've poked around a bit, and found so much food for thought. Being one who is consistently "hungry," there's no doubt that I'll return regularly to see what's being discussed."
What more can I say - and this is down to all of us .... and I am hoping that Robin, who is a very interesting artist, will join in on a more formal basis.
"What an incredible blog! I was directed here through a (standing) Google alert on right brain/left brain.
I've poked around a bit, and found so much food for thought. Being one who is consistently "hungry," there's no doubt that I'll return regularly to see what's being discussed."
What more can I say - and this is down to all of us .... and I am hoping that Robin, who is a very interesting artist, will join in on a more formal basis.
Tuesday, 11 December 2007
a thought on consciousness
When looking at many of the great and passionate thinkers in Europe and America in the 18th and 19th centuries - James, Emerson, Blake, Fechner, to name a few - one is struck by the fact that they were pursued by the intuitive belief that consciousness precedes matter, and not the other way around. And if one thinks as well of Jesus of Nazareth's reply to those who questioned the concept of a man being on par with God - "Is it not written, 'I have said that ye are as gods, made in my image'?" - then it seems that the conclusion is this: that we also spin worlds out of consciousness, that this precisely is our kinship with "God" (Peake and the Bohmian I-MAX).
Monday, 10 December 2007
Right Brain Vs Left Brain
I found an interesting website through facebook - Right Brain Vs Left Brain and watched the animation and I first see it going clockwise but if I keep staring at it, it changes direction and I can keep doing this. Does that mean that I use both sides of my brain the same amount? As it didn't have that as an option in the text.
Sunday, 9 December 2007
some thoughts on the golden compass
I have just seen the movie and have also - in my recommendations of it to family, friends, and associates - related it to ITLAD? and suggested the book as well ( which incidentally I have bought as holiday gifts for quite a few).
The main idea which comes accross through the lovely visuals seemed to me to be this: That the 2,000 year rule of Christianity and the Church ( the magisterium) has perhaps reached its apex and reversal, having failed to acknowledge gnosticism's concept of the heavenly twin of consciousness (the Daemon), and the ensuing inwardness of ethics and faith (this was Keirkegaard's main thrust in his polemic against the organized Christendom of his day).
Having failed to inherit Gnosticism's key insight, it can therefore not surpass it, and fails to evolve. In this sense it thwarts a higher ethics and understanding which is the 21st century's due. The conflict between Christianity today and the vast technodemocracy of most of the globe is therefore no mere accident; but symptom, consequence and incident of the essential error, and all that has come before.
Where Anthony Peake's work comes in is as a fusion of the sociology of religion with postmodern theories of consciousness and cognitive/neurological sciences' insights. Peter Novak, in his "Division of Consciousness" to my thinking fails where Peake advances, due to the former's obsession with reincarnation and his mania for Christian judgement and rapture. I think Peake creates a lens which lends a view far more subtle and profound, which is why I continue to highly recommend his text.
The main idea which comes accross through the lovely visuals seemed to me to be this: That the 2,000 year rule of Christianity and the Church ( the magisterium) has perhaps reached its apex and reversal, having failed to acknowledge gnosticism's concept of the heavenly twin of consciousness (the Daemon), and the ensuing inwardness of ethics and faith (this was Keirkegaard's main thrust in his polemic against the organized Christendom of his day).
Having failed to inherit Gnosticism's key insight, it can therefore not surpass it, and fails to evolve. In this sense it thwarts a higher ethics and understanding which is the 21st century's due. The conflict between Christianity today and the vast technodemocracy of most of the globe is therefore no mere accident; but symptom, consequence and incident of the essential error, and all that has come before.
Where Anthony Peake's work comes in is as a fusion of the sociology of religion with postmodern theories of consciousness and cognitive/neurological sciences' insights. Peter Novak, in his "Division of Consciousness" to my thinking fails where Peake advances, due to the former's obsession with reincarnation and his mania for Christian judgement and rapture. I think Peake creates a lens which lends a view far more subtle and profound, which is why I continue to highly recommend his text.
Friday, 7 December 2007
A daemon's wooing
I thought by way of an introduction to this site, and to explain my interest in your theory, I would begin by relating some incidents. I consider them to be daemonic, in your sense of the word.
Throughout my young adulthood and stemming in part from my serious academic study of philosophy, I have held a conception of a second self. I experienced this vaguely and sporadically. I viewed it within the framework of the Kierkegaardian eternal (hence, out of time) and as somewhat akin to the OverSelf/Soul of James "of which we are but the mutilated expression.". It was not until my late 30s that I actually began to see it's secret animus at work, and to understand it's prescient power.
In 2002 my husband and I began taking trips up to Provincetown on Cape Cod, MA. We were exploring the works of playwright Tennessee Williams, who had lived and written there. It was a period in which we were entering the second half of married life, and had grown into soulmates, work partners, and best friends; we also had built our dream home on a river, and work opportunities were broadening. I was approaching 40, and he, 50. In short, there was every reason to expect a full and happy harvest.
It was at this time that a series of dreams and synchronicities began occuring. I will not go into them all, but they were uncanny in nature. They pointed toward an end, a death. Once a voice spoke in my head as I was drifing off to sleep. It sounded like my own, but magnified and slightly mechanical. It said, "This devastation will be worse.". The only prior devastation I could think of was a period of crisis we had gone through at the begining of our marriage, and conditions were far superior to that time's. I had also long harbored a fear that my husband would fall ill at age 50 and die in the manner my father had. But again, my husband was fit, trim, a nonsmoker/drinker, who ate well and exersized; he had good doctor's check-ups and there was no history of such an illness in his family. But twice in dreams I was wandering through Provincetown alone, near a cemetary (none such in real life) and in another, a doctor stared at me gravely. There are many more to tell but time and space do not permit their recounting. But they were all markedly uncanny.
Suffice it to say, my husband suddenly fell ill in early 2004. By early 2006 he was dead. It was the illness that had killed my father nearly 3 decades earlier , right down to the details, and their deaths both occured in mid-March.
I could take no comfort in concepts of a distant heaven, nor in mediumship or the like. My sole view of immortality had been Nietzschean eternal recurrence, but my interest had been academic, and based on ethics and valuation. I had new dreams in which my husband's surgeon was staying in a chalet with a spiral staircase. He was trying to offer me some hope, and it was though he were revealing some key which I could not make out. The doctor in real life bizarrely bears a resemblence to Anthony Peake. (I am not certain of the meaning, but it resonates with spirit and intuiton). The accidental finding of your essay "Cheating the Ferryman: A new paridigm of immortality" (not sure of exact title) while on the internet was fortuitous and healing.
This has been a brief sketch that does not do justice to the tumultuous and eerie unfolding of events that spanned 2002-06. Were I to present the full details you would gain a clearer picture of their impressive nature, but it would take many posts to do so.
Throughout my young adulthood and stemming in part from my serious academic study of philosophy, I have held a conception of a second self. I experienced this vaguely and sporadically. I viewed it within the framework of the Kierkegaardian eternal (hence, out of time) and as somewhat akin to the OverSelf/Soul of James "of which we are but the mutilated expression.". It was not until my late 30s that I actually began to see it's secret animus at work, and to understand it's prescient power.
In 2002 my husband and I began taking trips up to Provincetown on Cape Cod, MA. We were exploring the works of playwright Tennessee Williams, who had lived and written there. It was a period in which we were entering the second half of married life, and had grown into soulmates, work partners, and best friends; we also had built our dream home on a river, and work opportunities were broadening. I was approaching 40, and he, 50. In short, there was every reason to expect a full and happy harvest.
It was at this time that a series of dreams and synchronicities began occuring. I will not go into them all, but they were uncanny in nature. They pointed toward an end, a death. Once a voice spoke in my head as I was drifing off to sleep. It sounded like my own, but magnified and slightly mechanical. It said, "This devastation will be worse.". The only prior devastation I could think of was a period of crisis we had gone through at the begining of our marriage, and conditions were far superior to that time's. I had also long harbored a fear that my husband would fall ill at age 50 and die in the manner my father had. But again, my husband was fit, trim, a nonsmoker/drinker, who ate well and exersized; he had good doctor's check-ups and there was no history of such an illness in his family. But twice in dreams I was wandering through Provincetown alone, near a cemetary (none such in real life) and in another, a doctor stared at me gravely. There are many more to tell but time and space do not permit their recounting. But they were all markedly uncanny.
Suffice it to say, my husband suddenly fell ill in early 2004. By early 2006 he was dead. It was the illness that had killed my father nearly 3 decades earlier , right down to the details, and their deaths both occured in mid-March.
I could take no comfort in concepts of a distant heaven, nor in mediumship or the like. My sole view of immortality had been Nietzschean eternal recurrence, but my interest had been academic, and based on ethics and valuation. I had new dreams in which my husband's surgeon was staying in a chalet with a spiral staircase. He was trying to offer me some hope, and it was though he were revealing some key which I could not make out. The doctor in real life bizarrely bears a resemblence to Anthony Peake. (I am not certain of the meaning, but it resonates with spirit and intuiton). The accidental finding of your essay "Cheating the Ferryman: A new paridigm of immortality" (not sure of exact title) while on the internet was fortuitous and healing.
This has been a brief sketch that does not do justice to the tumultuous and eerie unfolding of events that spanned 2002-06. Were I to present the full details you would gain a clearer picture of their impressive nature, but it would take many posts to do so.
Thursday, 6 December 2007
The Golden Compass
Just got back from an afternoon showing of the movie The Golden Compass. I read the books two or three years ago (after the first draft of ITLAD had been written) and I was stunned by how Philip Pullman had, by pure coincidence, applied not only my Daemon-Eidolon Dyad to a fantastic story but had also chosen to call the alternate self a daemon. The movie is even closer to my Dyad in that each character 'talks' to their Daemon as I imagine those people, such as TLErs do so on a regular basis. If you get the chance go and see it and let me know what you think. I am sure that this movie will be the 'must-see' for Christmas and The new Year. I suspect that the concept of the Daemon will be all over the press, magazines, radio and television in the next few weeks. Can I ask that if you have friends, associates or acquaintances who talk about this please mention my theory. it is a perfect introduction for those new to the idea.
By the way, the movie confirms something that I have long suspected but avoided doing because of clearly negative connotations - the correct pronunciation of daemon is deemon not daymon. Now that people will be more used to this I will correct it in my talks and lectures.
By the way, the movie confirms something that I have long suspected but avoided doing because of clearly negative connotations - the correct pronunciation of daemon is deemon not daymon. Now that people will be more used to this I will correct it in my talks and lectures.
Wednesday, 5 December 2007
Kerrang Interview
Short and sweet!
I was expecting a little bit longer than seven minutes so it was quite a challenge to explain CTF in such a short time. However I have been told by the producer that this was a short introduction for a longer phone-in.
I was expecting a little bit longer than seven minutes so it was quite a challenge to explain CTF in such a short time. However I have been told by the producer that this was a short introduction for a longer phone-in.
Book 'awarded' a minus 5 on Amazon
I have decided to amend this posting to reflect recent developments.
Although it was never my intention to have the reviewer remove her comments from Amazon and any other places she may have posted it. She has nevertheless decided to do so.
Although her words and comments stung me quite a lot she was still entitled to make them. Clearly most people find ITLAD to be an enjoyable read. However I know that many of you like the book but do not agree with the conclusions. That is great. After all CTF is only a theory. I am sure that a completely different conclusion could be drawn from exactly the same information as presented in the book. That is why I set this blog up. I want to reproduce those late night, after the pub discussions on life, the universe and everything. Indeed that is really what ITLAD is - a proposal (or maybe even, as some of you have said to me, a work-in-progress).
Can I thank all of you that rallied round when the reviews appeared. It was much appreciated as was the regular comment that I should 'keep things in perspective'.
However I am still very concerned about her comments with regard to the referencing. If she is right I thank her for pointing this out. I will check this out when I have the time.
Although it was never my intention to have the reviewer remove her comments from Amazon and any other places she may have posted it. She has nevertheless decided to do so.
Although her words and comments stung me quite a lot she was still entitled to make them. Clearly most people find ITLAD to be an enjoyable read. However I know that many of you like the book but do not agree with the conclusions. That is great. After all CTF is only a theory. I am sure that a completely different conclusion could be drawn from exactly the same information as presented in the book. That is why I set this blog up. I want to reproduce those late night, after the pub discussions on life, the universe and everything. Indeed that is really what ITLAD is - a proposal (or maybe even, as some of you have said to me, a work-in-progress).
Can I thank all of you that rallied round when the reviews appeared. It was much appreciated as was the regular comment that I should 'keep things in perspective'.
However I am still very concerned about her comments with regard to the referencing. If she is right I thank her for pointing this out. I will check this out when I have the time.
Tuesday, 4 December 2007
Mysterious-America Interview
My interview with Brent Raynes of 'Mysterious America' can be now read on the website
http://www.mysterious-america.net/ .
Also note that with reference to my article Brent has kindly reproduced an article written by John Keel many years ago. In this John discusses the role of what he terms 'pseudo-epilepsy' in the light of UFO abductees. In my opinion this phenomena and CTF have similar roots. Indeed I have been in contact with the famous abductee Whitley Strieber. Whitley has requested a copy of the book I am hoping that he will send his observations to me in due course.
http://www.mysterious-america.net/ .
Also note that with reference to my article Brent has kindly reproduced an article written by John Keel many years ago. In this John discusses the role of what he terms 'pseudo-epilepsy' in the light of UFO abductees. In my opinion this phenomena and CTF have similar roots. Indeed I have been in contact with the famous abductee Whitley Strieber. Whitley has requested a copy of the book I am hoping that he will send his observations to me in due course.
BBC Radio interview - chance to 'listen again'
I was interviewed on BBC Radio Merseyside last night. I was lucky to get a spot as the Royal Command Performance was to take place just round the corner and clearly this was a big event for Liverpool - as was the presentation of the Turner Prize at the Tate. However Claire Hamilton kindly interviewed me for six minutes before the 1830 news slot. This can be listened to using the facility 'listen again'. To do this follow the following link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/liverpool/local_radio/index.shtml and click on the orange 'Listen again' button on the right hand side underneath the red Radio Merseyside logo box. A new window will open. Click on the 'Claire Hamilton' programme (second one down on the 'A-Z of all shows. This will start the recording. To find my interview click through the timer button until you get into around 1 hr 15 minutes. You will get Diana Ross singing away (Love Reaction). I am on as soon as Diana finishes!
I was honoured to be an the same programme as one of my all time favourite actors - Dennis Hopper. Unfortunately I didn't meet him. I would have been keen to ask him about three of my favourite movies in which he acted - Apocalypse Now, Blue Velvet and Easy Rider. I am not sure how long this is available for but I suspect that it will just be for today.
I was honoured to be an the same programme as one of my all time favourite actors - Dennis Hopper. Unfortunately I didn't meet him. I would have been keen to ask him about three of my favourite movies in which he acted - Apocalypse Now, Blue Velvet and Easy Rider. I am not sure how long this is available for but I suspect that it will just be for today.
Saturday, 1 December 2007
Contact
last week my husband was painting our kids playroom, he was up a ladder and had the radio playing through the TV - Heart FM (it plays mainly R&B of the 80's) when the TV decided to turn itself off then turn itself back on and play Chris Barber 'Bugle Boy March' at full volume - the tune we had played at my father-in-laws funeral and not a tune that would be played on 'Heart FM'.
My father-in-law died last September and would have been very interested in this blog as we often discussed such matters even to the extent that we made a pact that whoever went first would try to make contact from the afterlife - obviously that was before he was diagnosed with terminal cancer.
I don't know how the TV experience would fall into us being on a continuous cycle of birth - death - birth - death etc etc... But, I do know for sure that my father-in-law is trying to let us know that he continues to live on....
I'm now wondering if there is a possibility that everything that has ever happened is happening now - all at once?, that our past, present and future including our death and time spent in the afterlife is actually existing at the same universal time and that is why we sometimes have deja vous or experience uncanny coincidences or warnings of impending danger or vivid flashbacks like, something trivial that happened when we were children seemed like it only just happened, because, for a fleeting second it is remembered with such clarity. If this is to be true then could our daemon's actually be us in our future when we are in the afterlife stage being our 'higher selves'? emmmm.......
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