Last year when my beloved partner died I wanted to use any means at all to communicate with him. This led to a most interesting discovery of books by Dr Raymond Moody regarding contact with people in the Afterlife. He has constructed a chamber called a Psychomanteum, a darkened chamber with a large dimly lit mirror and conducted experiments with various different people from all walks of life. Apparently, 8 out of 10 people saw deceased loved ones (NOT always the ones they expected!!), communicated with them and in some cases they even saw them *emerge* from the mirror and into the room!! All were extremely affected by this. I wondered if it could somehow be connected to the "Collapsing the Consciousness Wave" mentioned by Karl L le Marcs? I do not pretend to thoroughly understand Quantum Physics, but perhaps the mirror deflects this wave somehow so that a link between these parallel existences is temporarily forged? He has also done extensive research into the forerunners of this, much again in Ancient Greece actually ;i.e. crystal gazing and water or oil gazing, citing many famous people throughout History.
14 comments:
Jesamyn: Oh how wondrous, a post by our Jesamyn.
*literally jumping with joy*
I believe it was Raymond Moody who first actually used the phrase ‘Near Death Experience’ in his book Life After Life.
In his famous study, Moody interviewed some 150 people who had either actually briefly died (according to Doctors) or had almost died. He concluded from this study that there are NINE experiences common to most people who have had a NDE:
1. Hearing sounds such as buzzing
2. A feeling of peace and painlessness
3. Having an out-of-body experience (OOBE)
4. A feeling of travelling through a tunnel
5. A feeling of rising such as into the heavens
6. Seeing people, often dead relatives
7. Meeting a spiritual being such as the Being of Light
8. Seeing a Past Life Review
9. Feeling a reluctance to return to life
Moody’s Psychomanteum is very interesting isn’t it; both when viewed Paranormically and also Psychologically. The Ancient Greeks used to proclaim similar experiences from gazing into pools of water at the reflections.
Thank you Jesamyn for such a personal and beautiful post.
A mirror reflects YOUR vision; what YOU observe in YOUR subjective universe, so whilst I don’t initally think that a mirror can specifically “deflect the wave” within Quantum Physics, you certainly have given me something to think about, which I will include in my full theory.
I do however think that a mirror can show us things that our conscious observation can not.
I’m reminded of the M.C Escher drawing “Hand with Reflective Sphere” which you can view here: Link to Escher Drawing
Within our subjectively collapsed particle of consciousness exists the memories and residual energies of our loved ones, so it makes sense to suggest these can manifest themselves in our peripheral vision and within our overall qualia and phaneron (see The Mother Paradox of Cheating The Ferryman) and consequently I do ask this:
If a mirror, within its frame, shows a different image from different angles of viewing and different observers then what is reflected in a mirror if no-one is looking at it?
Oh, Jesamyn! What a well-written post, how interesting a subject. And evoking such remarks from KLLM.
Do you know I had read on this, during those horrifyingly desperate days of first grief, which are the most hellish and devastating days that any human could experience. And even in my absolutely wild turmoil of despair, had researched methods one could try at home ( a darkened room, a mirror, a candle). And I concluded that for some reason the experience was not meant to come. Perhaps for others it is. But the question you posed to his lordship, and his most thorough reply, is indeed fascinating, at least to ME: not so much in terms of scientific/quantum theory, although it is surely interesting. But the implications for epistemology, phenomenology, ontology - which simply refer, respectively, to ways of knowing, examination of the contents of consciousness , and questioning the ultimate nature of being - and all metaphysical things is where I find the sublime, in any case: I cannot speak for others. Do you know Jesamyn, I once attended a meeting of a philosophical society, in which the "epistemic privilege of the oppressed" was discussed for 4 hours? And erupted into a horrendous argument? And the dead may as well be oppressed, and thus have epistemic privilege as well? and those taken over by the daemon. Perhaps.
Susan Marie: Beautifully said, and thank you for sharing your deeply personal insights.
Additional to my first comment: My mirror question is interesting (even if I do say so myself), as I have a large wide Victorian type one here in my home above the mantelpiece that I observe now from my sofa lolling position writing this on my laptop, and which reflects some of the hundreds of books that are behind me on bookshelves; but if I stand up then the reflection changes to be another image of the room (with me now also in it). Now if I leave the room, what is then left reflected in the mirror within the frame? Because there is no observer in the room without me there (even the cats are lolling in the warm garden) and a mirror reflects what an observer sees in it, so is a mirror totally blank when not being observed? And if not blank, then what could possibly be reflected without an observer?
*ponders, reflectively, obviously*
By the way, Jesamyn: You think and feel and write in a true and sincere way, and shed your own light on things. Therefore, it is folly to insist ever that you are at a disadvantage. And look at the burden of terms I am loaded down with, from years of academic study of classical theory, not enviable in the least. . .
KLLM: Incidentally, your mirror question, first posed, did not escape my notice. And I see you have added to it. It is a ponderous and weighty question, which leads to many other questions, and to which I of course have no answer. But I see that this in itself will provide much fodder within your own theory , and also may be applied to "the Sensation of Being Stared at", or so it seems to me. . .
Well. what can I say?? i am awed and honoured to hear from you both and am humbled and warmed by your kind words!! I want to really make an effort to hear Tony's Radio broadcast tonight!!
Susan Marie, you offered months ago to help with Philosophy and I am always grateful, images of me painting a sheet of glass black last year are a bit sad really, I guess all I needed was The Stones singing *Paint it Black*!! in the background and it didn't work either, although begging and crying is not the way to go apparently!!I am off to Google Epistemic Privilege!!
Karl, as always you are both helpful and knowledgeable and more to the nth degree, I am now also on the path of the convoluted thoughts of What is Reality?? i.e. now what would happen if a tree fell in front of a mirror at an angle unseen??
Is it seen or heard at all and if so by whom??? lol!!Eeeeek This Blog has been a Gift from above or all around or SOMEWHERE!!! Thanks again.. catch all your waveforms later
at Radio Interview!!
Jesamyn.
Hi Jesamyn, Thank you for this post, very thought provoking.
I did an experiment like this years ago and this post has reminded me of it (really must start taking my vitamin b supplements to help with the memory but I keep forgetting!)
I remember sitting in front of a mirror with the candle in the darkened room and went into a trance state whilst staring in the mirror. The face that appeared scared the business out of me, not because it was frightening but because it wasn't me I was looking at anymore, it was a male face, quite stern. I broke off the experiment at this point! I wonder now if it was my daemon, a deceased relative, although I didn't recognize him or similar?
Love the mirror question Karl and wait to see what wondrous solution to the conundrum you come up with!
Well, Jez, I am always glad to help you with philosophy, as you in turn have helped me with many insights and through much turmoil. And that is an awful image to look back on, I have many also which I cannot bear to recall. . . and that in itself speaks of the condition of consciousness, and the need for some form of repair, which Tony and KLLM point the way to better, in my opinion, than any others. . .
Hi all again!!! Johar I have a book from many years ago sitting forlornly in a box as I await a new Bookcase! entitled*Developing Your Latent Powers* by Frederick R.Gould.. he has many steps towards achieving this feat which you obviously have an aptitude for...Ohh I have just dipped briefly into the book and he speaks of bending rays and seeing perhaps your master as your reflection!! I had better blow the Dust of Ages from it and read it properly!! It must have been patiently biding its time!(twas growing weary!!) Perhaps you may be able to obtain a copy.
Susan Marie, This exchange between us today has redoubled my determination to retread the Paths of Philosophy,Thinking and Reasoning... my gratitude to you and Karl and All here is Boundless indeed..
Jesamyn.
Johar: That is most interesting! it may well have been an aspect of the daemon, and maybe appearing in the guise of an ancestral archetype. I am glad to know that others have had the same experiences as I have. I have often found when gazing in a mirror too long, if I am thinking , or tired, that a face emerges which is not my own. Must be some sort of "daemonic activation".. . Very interesting.
Oh Jesamyn, I owe you a massive Thank You!! *hugs*
I've just read back through the post and I've suddenly realized who I saw in the mirror. I'm close to tears and have got goosebumps all over.
I think what happened to me during this experiment was that, in an altered state of consciousness, I saw a daemonic memory from a previous life run.
As I've read what I've written, it is like I've been tapped on the shoulder and a voice has said' Err, just how blind are you?' And now I can see!!
Flippin' heck, Jes, you've blown this gal's mind with this post and I'm so grateful to you for it.
Thanks also for the book reference, another for the list. I read a book by William Hewitt regarding psychic development which I enjoyed, I must dig that out and start practicing again!
JESAMYN: Great post - and fantastic picture. What I don't quite understand is why the person in the room is communicating with a being in the mirror that looks like Donny Osmond!?
In all seriousness though I am really pleased that we have moved into discussing the NDE experience. This is a major cornerstone of itlad and CTF and is rarely touched upon on this blog.
I have been told by the editor of "Vital Signs" - the magazine of the International Association of Near-Death Studies that senior members of that organisation plan to involve themselves in this blog at some time in the future. Indeed one assumes that as soon as my two articles appear in Vital Signs we will be joined by many NDE experiencers. Could be very interesting.
I am also interested in who this post is discussing mirrors. I had written a section on mirrors and reflections for ITLAD. However as the book was challenging "War And Peace" as regards numbers of pages, that section had to be cut out. I was particularly fascinated by the physics and subjective psychology of reflections and mirrors. My favourite short-story writer Jorge Borges wrote about mirrors regularly, and suggested some really itladian scenarios.
Another great fiction writer was the Japanese writer Edogawa Rampo (yes, the name is a pun on Edgar Alan Poe). One of the most brain numbing stories I have ever read was one of his entitled "The Hell of Mirrors". Well worth reading.
Finally, on a slightly more academic level the psychologist Richard L Gregory (another favourite of mine) has written an amazing book called "Mirrors In Mind". An absolutely fantastic read and one that will really have you looking at mirrors in a totally different light!
Tony, It's interesting that your cover on ITLAD uses a mirror - who chose it?
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