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General Discussion / Re: What Attracted You To The Michael Teachings?
« on: July 06, 2012, 03:16:13 AM »
Excellent summation, from my point of view, as the very great majority is true for me as well. Thanks for putting it into words.
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General Discussion / Re: Michael Transcripts - Public Domain ~ May 5, 2012
« on: May 12, 2012, 10:00:50 PM »
Wow. This is a big deal. Many thanks.
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General Discussion / Re: How do you go about telling people about the Michael teachings?
« on: November 05, 2011, 10:51:46 PM »
Could you explain a little more how your LGBT friends have found soul ages helpful? As a gay man, I found the teachings helpful because of the generally "you'll experience all of the variations of sexuality" attitude in them.
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Artisan / Re: something tangible?
« on: September 25, 2011, 02:35:27 AM »
Do artisans live in their heads a lot? I'd like to hear more about that. I know we were just talking about not stereotyping, so I'm asking with the understanding that we'd be painting with a broad brushtroke.
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General Discussion / Re: Robert Burton
« on: September 04, 2011, 05:14:58 PM »
Chiara.... To make it even more confusing, you may remember that there are two famous Richard Burtons - Liz's and an intrepid Victorian explorer/many other things.
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General Discussion / Re: Robert Burton
« on: September 04, 2011, 05:04:15 PM »
I never thought for a second that Burton would be the vehicle for the high causal body, just to be clear. It does make me think that perhaps a LOT of filtering was going on due to the channel's previous associations with Burton - but wow, Michael mentions Burton in a number of places - perhaps this person got worse over time.
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General Discussion / Re: Robert Burton
« on: September 04, 2011, 01:25:47 AM »
I wasn't talking about any actor at all. Rather, I was talking about a man who at least claimed he was a teacher in the Gurdjieff school.
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General Discussion / Robert Burton
« on: September 03, 2011, 04:44:13 PM »
In some early channelings, Michael says that "THE MAN, ROBERT BURTON, WILL BE A VEHICLE FOR THE MANIFESTATION OF THE HIGH CAUSAL BODY." (A number of the earliest Michael group members came from the Gurdjieff tradition; Burton was involved with the Gurdjieiff teachings).
They also say "THE EGO SEEKS INTRIGUE AND ADVENTURE; THE ESSENCE DOES NOT. THIS IS WHY THE MAN ROBERT BURTON COULD PLAY IT STRAIGHT. HE HAD PERMISSION TO HAVE A FEMALE FOLLOWING, AND THERE WAS NO GUILT. THERE WAS ALSO NO EGO-SATISFACTION. THIS IS WHY HE COULD NOT BE SEDUCED — SEDUCTION WAS NOT A SUITABLE REWARD TO HIM."
At the same time, there are allegations of sexual coercion that were put forward against Burton.
When I first encountered Burton's name years ago, I remember puzzling over all of this. I've just encountered this information again, both the very high role Michael says Burton was to fulfill, and the less than flattering accounts of Burton elsewhere.
Has anybody else pondered this?
They also say "THE EGO SEEKS INTRIGUE AND ADVENTURE; THE ESSENCE DOES NOT. THIS IS WHY THE MAN ROBERT BURTON COULD PLAY IT STRAIGHT. HE HAD PERMISSION TO HAVE A FEMALE FOLLOWING, AND THERE WAS NO GUILT. THERE WAS ALSO NO EGO-SATISFACTION. THIS IS WHY HE COULD NOT BE SEDUCED — SEDUCTION WAS NOT A SUITABLE REWARD TO HIM."
At the same time, there are allegations of sexual coercion that were put forward against Burton.
When I first encountered Burton's name years ago, I remember puzzling over all of this. I've just encountered this information again, both the very high role Michael says Burton was to fulfill, and the less than flattering accounts of Burton elsewhere.
Has anybody else pondered this?
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False Personality / Re: Attraction to things, that don't make you happy
« on: August 18, 2011, 01:53:54 AM »
Regarding arrogance, it's protection--more precisely, a protection racket. It asks that you give up your vulnerability, as Chiara eloquently wrote about, in exchange for perceived safety. In the bargain you lose the parts of you that can feel connected to others. I have a CF of arrogance, so I know something of its machinations.
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The Roles (or Soul Types) / Re: What it's like to be a (fill in the role)....
« on: August 14, 2011, 05:20:33 PM »
I was just thinking about this thread today, and lo and behold, you've added to it. Raoul, as a Sage, do you find you sometimes "turn" a gathering of people into an audience? My brother is a Sage, and used to do that a lot when he was younger. Not as much anymore, for whatever reason.
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Spirituality / Re: Practice
« on: August 14, 2011, 04:02:52 AM »
Why thank you kindly, MeliaNamaste. I will check out the author and her work. I appreciate the information.
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Channeling / Re: Channeling: Fact or Fiction
« on: August 13, 2011, 03:14:29 PM »
It's not what we call the categories that matters. I was using that as shorthand for "factual, verifiable, or at least fitting within a framework of other verifiable material." Believe me, lots of the greatest literature, art, poetry, music, etc. doesn't fall in either camp. But when it comes to material upon which I'm going to base my philosophies of living and on which I'm going to spend already too limited time and energy, I want those philosophies to have some kind of factual basis.
Not that everything is directly verifiable by a single person of course. Sometimes you just have to "consider the source" and if a statement about X is made, perhaps the best you can do is see that statements Y and Z proved reliable, raising the probability that X may be true as well.
Michael's claims about Atlantis kind of fall in that category for me. In the 70s there seemed to be efforts to look for convincing evidence that Atlantis existed. Is any such effort still going on?
Not that everything is directly verifiable by a single person of course. Sometimes you just have to "consider the source" and if a statement about X is made, perhaps the best you can do is see that statements Y and Z proved reliable, raising the probability that X may be true as well.
Michael's claims about Atlantis kind of fall in that category for me. In the 70s there seemed to be efforts to look for convincing evidence that Atlantis existed. Is any such effort still going on?
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Spirituality / Re: Practice
« on: August 13, 2011, 03:10:17 PM »
I agree it doesn't matter in that probably pretty much any practice can lead to greater self-intimacy and intimacy with others (where intimacy = approaches to Essence). It's a matter of personal choice or style. I'm looking for a practice that suits my style, and lately chakra stuff has piqued my interest.
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Channeling / Re: Channeling: Fact or Fiction
« on: August 12, 2011, 11:08:03 PM »
And how do we even engage in rational conversation with those who seem to believe whatever may suit their fancy? If we deny the need for evidence, we enter the realm of speculation. I think speculation is great, creative, and inspiring at times, but it's not the same as non-fiction, which, like you, is my preferred category for channeling.
I've been surprised--perhaps I shouldn't be--by the strength of emotion that this topic has generated on the listserv.
People seem to be conflating rationality with close-mindedness. But I've often thought that if someone's grandmother's left index finger started making verifiable, evidence-backed spiritual pronouncements, I'd be among the first to try those pronouncements out for myself. It's not the source for me, it's the content.
Dave, you wondered recently how someone can take such a choice-based teaching as Michaels' and turn it into something rule bound. Same goes for taking such a verification-based teaching and making "verification" seem like a dirty word. Ah, our species.
I've been surprised--perhaps I shouldn't be--by the strength of emotion that this topic has generated on the listserv.
People seem to be conflating rationality with close-mindedness. But I've often thought that if someone's grandmother's left index finger started making verifiable, evidence-backed spiritual pronouncements, I'd be among the first to try those pronouncements out for myself. It's not the source for me, it's the content.
Dave, you wondered recently how someone can take such a choice-based teaching as Michaels' and turn it into something rule bound. Same goes for taking such a verification-based teaching and making "verification" seem like a dirty word. Ah, our species.
15
Spirituality / Practice
« on: August 12, 2011, 10:57:30 PM »
Someone on the Michael listserv recently noted something that I've often thought about: that the Michael teachings aren't really about practice, in the sense of meditation. They mention meditation, including chakra scrubs, but the poster said, rightly I think, that the teachings are more about a personality system (of course there's a lot, lot more to them than that), and not a "how to" for spiritual enlightenment. The Michaels themselves say "we are not the way."
Personally I like having a meditation practice - without one I can get stuck in unproductive modes of thought. I've tried Buddhist meditations in the past, Zen and mindfulness, but I'd love to find a practice that's more philosophically in line with the Michael teachings.
Mindfulness in particular requires no belief system to perform, but I still would like a more Michael-y meditation. Scratch the surface of mindfulness and you soon get into the Buddhist concept of no-self which can be analyzed six ways to Sunday, but I would prefer a practice which is directly connected to putting personality aside and letting Essence shine through as much as possible.
Has anyone discovered such a practice? How about chakra scrubs - anyone have any experience with that one?
Personally I like having a meditation practice - without one I can get stuck in unproductive modes of thought. I've tried Buddhist meditations in the past, Zen and mindfulness, but I'd love to find a practice that's more philosophically in line with the Michael teachings.
Mindfulness in particular requires no belief system to perform, but I still would like a more Michael-y meditation. Scratch the surface of mindfulness and you soon get into the Buddhist concept of no-self which can be analyzed six ways to Sunday, but I would prefer a practice which is directly connected to putting personality aside and letting Essence shine through as much as possible.
Has anyone discovered such a practice? How about chakra scrubs - anyone have any experience with that one?