Inner Harmony & the Pathway to Spiritual Peace (Original)

[Jade Hellene]

+Faith+

Member
Member # 2886

Member Rated:
   posted 01-10-2006 08:58 PM                       
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For anyone who feels that their life has become pointless...well, Calvin had a good suggestion as to getting more involved with the church. However, I know that some people have an aversion to religion and also that belief is something you feel, not something that can be forced upon you.

My suggestion would be to get involved with an organization to help people. You can't help but to feel you have a greater purpose and the purpose you work for is for a greater good.

--------------------
(Psalms) 31:5,
"Into your hands I commit my spirit; redeem me, O LORD, the God of truth."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posts: 159 | Registered: Dec 2005 

[Jade Hellene]

George Erikson
Member
Member # 1129

Member Rated:
   posted 01-10-2006 09:12 PM                       
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Be aware of the god within yourself. Slow down. This does not happen easily when you're trying to meet deadlines... artificial dates for delivery of essay papers, manuscripts, etc. But you cannot let these tasks dominate. Meet them at the best moment, last moment, ignore them, or just forget them. Never regret them. If they are not important, ignore them. Do you think you'll starve? Not likely, in our country, different in Africa... where my advice is laughable! Slow down!!!

[ 01-10-2006, 10:16 PM: Message edited by: George Erikson ]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posts: 572 | From: Prescott, AZ USA | Registered: Aug 2002   

[Jade Hellene]

I_am_that_I_am

Member
Member # 1238

Member Rated:
   posted 01-10-2006 10:28 PM                       
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 and keep everyone at arm's length.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wow, I feel sorry you feel that way !  Without family the world can seam a big lonley,non-caring place. I agree, maybe you should look for a church of your liking, which may be hard to do, so many denominations and even inside each denomination each church is different. Personaly I don't see church as a place to worship, As one can do that all day long outside of the church.(don't pray in thy synagog, pray in thy closet)But I DO VIEW THE CHURCH AS A COMMUNITY, A PLACE OF FELLOWSHIP OF LIKEMINDED INDIVIDUALS AND THE MEMBERS COME TOGETHER TO WORK AS 1 (STRENGHT IN NUMBERS) ON WHATEVER THE NEED IS. It does not have to be a church though, there are many non-religious civic groups out there also.

--------------------
KNOW that as ye do unto the least of thy associates ye do
unto the GOD within THEE that is in the image of the God
without.
E.C.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posts: 1820 | From: Nashville, TN. | Registered: Nov 2002   

[Jade Hellene]

Brooke

Member
Member # 2806

Member Rated:
   posted 01-10-2006 11:24 PM                       
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My own personal philosophy?
Life is a struggle, don't expect anyone to be nice to you and keep everyone at arm's length.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On the other hand, I see nothing wrong with keeping people at arm's length. There are a lot of loonies out there!

--------------------
"The most incomprehensible thing about our universe is that it can be comprehended." - Albert Einstein

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posts: 1102 | Registered: Oct 2005 

[Jade Hellene]

I_am_that_I_am

Member
Member # 1238

Member Rated:
   posted 01-10-2006 11:45 PM                       
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On the other hand, I see nothing wrong with keeping people at arm's length. There are a lot of loonies out there!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

true that, but by doing so you are also missing out on some really good relationships. reminds me of..It is better to have loved and lost then not to have loved at all.

--------------------
KNOW that as ye do unto the least of thy associates ye do
unto the GOD within THEE that is in the image of the God
without.
E.C.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posts: 1820 | From: Nashville, TN. | Registered: Nov 2002   

[Jade Hellene]

Aristotle

Member
Member # 2244

Member Rated:
   posted 01-11-2006 10:51 PM                       
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My own personal philosophy would be that everyone, be they man or woman, should learn how to take care of themselves because no one is going to do it for you. By my definition, that would be not learning to pray to a God, but having faith in one's own abilities to handle things. While no doubt some will see that as a bit of arrogance on my part and that there is some power that takes care of us all, to them I would say, what if there isn't? What if we have been alone all this time, here only by some cosmic accident, and that each of us actually has been handling our problems alone for all this time? The lesson I would have people take from that would not be the lesson of disillusionment, but that each of us is stronger than we know. The message would not be, "we are alone," but that "we are strong enough to make it alone," and that there is not, nor has there ever been, anything to fear.

And I'd like to dwell a bit more on that. Throughout history, I would suggest that people have committed most of their worst acts out of fear. Fear of not going to heaven, fear of beliefs that might differ from their own, fear of any people that they see as different than themselves. People who tend to believe in themselves are, by their very nature, less afraid, and that would be the lesson I would most like to impart upon everyone.

--------------------
"It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it."
- Aristotle

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posts: 357 | From: ancient Athens | Registered: Nov 2004   

[Jade Hellene]

Brooke

Member
Member # 2806

Member Rated:
   posted 01-11-2006 11:32 PM                       
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
true that, but by doing so you are also missing out on some really good relationships. reminds me of..It is better to have loved and lost then not to have loved at all.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

True, Iam, but most women will tell you that they have to sort of do that in order to protect themselves.

--------------------
"The most incomprehensible thing about our universe is that it can be comprehended." - Albert Einstein

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posts: 1102 | Registered: Oct 2005 

[Jade Hellene]

Pagan

Member
Member # 2369

Member Rated:
   posted 01-12-2006 12:06 AM                       
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+Faith+, you also feel good if you commit a purely selfish act! In fact, I would have to say that you feel a whole lot better!

Forget everything that everyone has been saying here, expecially +Faith+ and Aphrodyke! The only one even close to the meaning of life is McGrath:

Party a lot, get laid whenever you can and don't take anything too seriously! Everyone has their own private party they can go to, and, you know where it is?

It's in your pants!!!

--------------------
╔╪╪╪╪╪╪╪╪╗
☼The Pagan ☼
╚╪╪╪╪╪╪╪╪╝

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posts: 467 | Registered: Feb 2005   

[Jade Hellene]

I_am_that_I_am

Member
Member # 1238

Member Rated:
   posted 01-12-2006 12:59 PM                       
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 True, Iam, but most women will tell you that they have to sort of do that in order to protect themselves
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It require's a delicate balance, like almost everything in life, moderation is the key.

--------------------
KNOW that as ye do unto the least of thy associates ye do
unto the GOD within THEE that is in the image of the God
without.
E.C.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posts: 1820 | From: Nashville, TN. | Registered: Nov 2002   

[Jade Hellene]

Heather Delaria

Member
Member # 2196

Member Rated:
   posted 01-12-2006 11:56 PM                       
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The 13 Principles of Wiccan Belief:
1. We practice rites to attune ourselves with the natural rhythm of life forces marked by the phases of the Moon and the seasonal Quarters and Cross Quarters.

2. We recognize that our intelligence gives us a unique responsibility toward our environment. We seek to live in harmony with nature in ecological balance offering fulfillment to life and consciousness within an evolutionary concept.

3. We acknowledge a depth of power far greater than that apparent to the average person. Because it is far greater than ordinary it is sometimes called ‘supernatural’, but we see it as lying within that which is naturally potential to all.

4. We conceive of the Creative Power in the universe as manifesting through polarity – as masculine and feminine – and that this same Creative Power lies in all people and functions through the interaction of the masculine and the feminine. We value neither above the other knowing each to be supportive of the other. We value sex as pleasure as the symbol and embodiment of life, and as one of the sources of energy used in magical practice and religious worship.

5. We recognize both outer worlds and inner, or psychological worlds sometimes known as the Spiritual World, the Collective Unconsciousness, the Inner Planes etc – and we see in the interaction of these two dimensions the basis for paranormal phenomena and magical exercises. We neglect neither dimension for the other, seeing both as necessary for our fulfillment.

6. We do not recognize any authoritarian hierarchy, but do honor those who teach, respect those who share their greater knowledge and wisdom, and acknowledge those who have courageously given of themselves in leadership.

7. We see religion, magick and wisdom in living as being united in the way one views the world and lives within it – a world view and philosophy of life which we identify as Witchcraft – the Wiccan Way.

8. Calling oneself ‘Witch’ does not make a Witch – but neither does heredity itself, nor the collecting of titles, degrees and initiations. A Witch seek to control the forces within her/himself that make life possible in order to live wisely and without harm to others and in harmony with nature.

9. We believe in the affirmation and fulfillment of life in a continuation of evolution and development of consciousness giving meaning to the Universe we know and our personal role within it.

10.Our only animosity towards Christianity, or towards any other religion or philosophy of life, is to the extent that its institutions have claimed to be ‘the only way’ and have sought to deny freedom to others and to suppress other ways of religious practice and belief.

11. As American Witches, we are not threatened by debates on the history of the craft, the origins of various terms, the legitimacy of various aspects of different traditions. We are concerned with our present and our future.

12.We do not accept the concept of absolute evil, nor do we worship any entity known as ‘Satan’ or ‘the Devil’ as defined by Christian tradition. We do not seek power through the suffering of others, nor accept that personal benefit can be derived only by denial to another.

13.We believe that we should seek within Nature that which is contributory to our health and well-being.

http://www.controverscial.com/The%2013%20Principles%20of%20Wiccan%20Belief.htm

--------------------
"An it harm none, do what ye will."
-the Wiccan Rede

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posts: 637 | Registered: Nov 2004   

[Jade Hellene]

Heather Delaria

Member
Member # 2196

Member Rated:
   posted 01-13-2006 12:12 AM                       
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wicca Beliefs and Practices

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



There are a wide variety of beliefs and practices in modern day Wicca. However, despite the pluralism and diversity, distinct principles derived from Gardnerian Wicca are common to most modern witches. Some of these beliefs are as follows:

Everyone has the divine (or goddess) within.
One should develop natural gifts for divination or occult magic (often spelled 'magick' by occultists.)
Divine forces or nature spirits are invoked in rituals.
The Goddess, as either a symbol or a real entity, is the focus of worship.
Nature and the earth are sacred manifestations of the Goddess.
Everyone has his or her own spiritual path to follow.
Rituals and celebrations are linked to the seasons and moon phases.
Meditation, visualization, invocation (calling on forces or gods/goddesses), chanting, burning candles and special rituals trigger a sense of the mystical, thus reinforcing the core belief system.
These beliefs will often be mixed with a combination of mystical traditions, Celtic or Norse paganism, Greek and Roman goddess worship, ancient Egyptian spirituality, Eastern Shamanism, or even Native American spiritual practices depending on the group. All of these groups revere nature, support peace, and believe society cannot be at peace if we are out of harmony with nature or are mistreating Mother Earth (also known as Gaia, the name of a pagan goddess given to Earth). This aspect of Wicca is very similar to the New Age Religion supported by the United Nations and many of it's members, NGO's and leaders. Divination techniques such as tarot cards, astrology, runes, the I Ching (from Chinese Taoism), clairvoyant or psychic readings, candle magick and other occult practices are not only common but encouraged by most groups.

Similar to Hinduism, the serpent is believed by Wiccans to be a symbol of eternal life and female spiritual awakening or power. In Hinduism, yoga and meditation results in enlightenment from awakening the kundalini, or power known as the serpent power believed to be coiled at the base of the spine. Other symbols used in witchcraft are:

Pentagram and pentacle - A 5-pointed star used for protection, spells, conjuring, etc.
The Ankh - Egyptian cross-like symbol with a loop at the top associated with the worship of Isis.
The Crescent Moon - A symbol of the Goddess also used in Islam.
Crystals - believed to contain healing and spiritual properties. Crystals are also used by many other new age cults.
One hurdle that will have to be crossed in witnessing to a person involved in Wicca is their lack of belief in a need for forgiveness or salvation. To the witch, there is no sin therefore no need for forgiveness. There is no need for salvation, as there is nothing to be saved from. The main tenet of Wicca is the "Wiccan Rede" which states "And it harm none, do as ye will". Basically, as long as you don't hurt anyone, anything goes. Of course, views of what actually causes harm vary from person to person. Most also believe that whatever you do will come back to you three-fold, so it pays to be careful. Some, however, believe that it is sometimes acceptable to cause harm as long as you are willing to accept the karmic consequence.

Views of an afterlife vary widely among groups. Witches do not believe in a heaven or hell and will usually espouse the concept of karma and endless reincarnation. Backed up by "memories" of "past lives" they insist the idea of living only once is ridiculous. Others believe in reincarnation until enlightenment, or endless rebirth until such time as the person is enlightened enough to pass on to some other existence. Again, what makes a person enlightened varies from person to person. Still others will openly admit they have no idea what will happen after death and say the will find out when they get there.

As you can see, the beliefs of Wiccans fit very well into the humanist religion that has become so widespread in modern society. As with other humanist religions everything goes as long as it doesn't oppose their claim to being god/godess or hold them accountable to a higher power. It is this point that makes Christianity the only faith they will bend the "anything goes" rule for. To them it is intolerant to believe in an absolute truth and they will often take it as an insult to be told there is evil in the world and we all sin. This is one of the biggest obstacles to sharing your faith with Wiccans and other humanist groups.

http://contenderministries.org/wicca/beliefs.php

--------------------
"An it harm none, do what ye will."
-the Wiccan Rede

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posts: 637 | Registered: Nov 2004  | 

[Jade Hellene]

Jason

Member
Member # 2807

Member Rated:
   posted 01-13-2006 02:47 PM                       
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I actually consider myself a "moderate" myself, and I think most people are. And I'm a moderate when it comes to just about everything.

I think people tend to be a little bit too extreme in both their religious beliefs and their politics here. I'm of the opinion that almost all religions are based on fantasies so it's senseless to say that one is better or worse than the other. That goes for Wiccca as well as Christianity.

When it comes to Bush and the Republicans, I'm not able to keep an open mind about it all. So long as they keep nominating these conservative, bloated big business whores who want to keep attacking the Constiution, I will never vote for a Republican. September 11th was a horrible day for the country, but it was actually a great thing for the Bush Administration. There would be no way those crooks would still be in office if they weren't still able to use the Osama boogeymnan to keep on scaring everybody.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posts: 318 | From: Dorm Room | Registered: Oct 2005   

[Jade Hellene]

Morrison

Member
Member # 2156

Member Rated:
   posted 01-26-2006 09:34 PM                       
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I thought it might be interesting if we used Dawn's old thread to also devlve into some conditions that bring disorder to a person's mental harmony, specifically disorders of the mind.

No inference should be drawn here towards any person here, I have always found the human mind to be interesting and have always found it a bit intriguing to try and fathom it.

Paranoid personality disorder

Diagnostic criteria (DSM-IV-TR)
The DSM-IV-TR, a widely used manual for diagnosing mental disorders (see also:DSM cautionary statement), defines paranoid personality disorder as a cluster A personality disorder (along with schizoid personality disorder (301.20) and schizotypal personality disorder (301.22)):

301.00 Paranoid Personality Disorder

A. A pervasive distrust and suspiciousness of others such that their motives are interpreted as malevolent, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by four (or more) of the following:

suspects, without sufficient basis, that others are exploiting, harming, or deceiving him or her
is preoccupied with unjustified doubts about the loyalty or trustworthiness of friends or associates
is reluctant to confide in others because of unwarranted fear that the information will be used maliciously against him or her
reads hidden demeaning or threatening meanings into benign remarks or events
persistently bears grudges, i.e., is unforgiving of insults, injuries, or slights
perceives attacks on his or her character or reputation that are not apparent to others and is quick to react angrily or to counterattack
has recurrent suspicions, without justification, regarding fidelity of spouse or sexual partner
B. Does not occur exclusively during the course of schizophrenia, a mood disorder with psychotic features, or another psychotic disorder and is not due to the direct physiological effects of a general medical condition.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posts: 391 | From: New England | Registered: Oct 20

[Jade Hellene]

Morrison

Member
Member # 2156

Member Rated:
   posted 01-26-2006 09:37 PM                       
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In popular culture, the term paranoia is usually used to describe excessive concern about one's own well-being, sometimes suggesting a person holds persecutory beliefs concerning a threat to themselves or their property and is often linked to a belief in conspiracy theories.

In psychiatry, the term paranoia was used by Emil Kraepelin to describe a mental illness in which a delusional belief is the sole, or most prominent feature. This usage is now largely obsolete and the term is more typically used in a general sense to signify any delusion, or more specifically, to signify a delusion involving the fear of persecution. The exact use of the term has changed over time, and because of this, psychiatric usage may vary.

Use in psychiatry

In his original attempt at classifying different forms of mental illness, Emil Kraepelin used the term pure paranoia to describe a condition where a delusion was present, but without any apparent deterioration in intellectual abilities and without any of the other features of dementia praecox, the condition later renamed schizophrenia.

In the original Greek, παράνοια (paranoia) means simply madness (para = outside; nous = mind). Kraeplin's developed a definition from this root involving delusional beliefs. Notably, in his definition, the belief does not have to be persecutory to be classified as paranoid, so any number of delusional beliefs can be classified as paranoia. For example, a person who has the sole delusional belief that he is an important religious figure would be classified by Kraepelin as having 'pure paranoia'.

Although the diagnosis of pure paranoia is no longer used (having been superseded by the diagnosis of delusional disorder) the use of the term to signify the presence of delusions in general, rather than persecutory delusions specifically, lives on in the classification of paranoid schizophrenia, which denotes a form of schizophrenia where delusions are prominent.

More recently, the clinical use of the term has been used to describe delusions where the affected person believes they are being persecuted. Specifically, they have been defined as containing two central elements:

The individual thinks that harm is occurring, or is going to occur, to him or her.
The individual thinks that the persecutor has the intention to cause harm.
Paranoia is often associated with psychotic illnesses, particularly schizophrenia, although attenuated features may be present in other primarily non-psychotic diagnoses, such as paranoid personality disorder.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posts: 391 | From: New England | Registered: Oct 2004  |

[Jade Hellene]

Morrison

Member
Member # 2156

Member Rated:
   posted 01-26-2006 09:42 PM                       
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Delusional disorder is a psychiatric diagnosis denoting a mental illness that involves holding one or more non-bizarre delusions in the absence of any other significant psychopathology (signs or symptoms of mental illness). In particular a person with delusional disorder has never met any other criteria for schizophrenia and does not have any marked hallucinations, although tactile (touch) or olfactory (smell) hallucinations may be present if they are related to the theme of the delusion.

A person with delusional disorder can be quite functional and does not tend to show any odd or bizarre behaviour except as a direct result of the delusional belief.

It is worth noting that the term paranoia was previously used in psychiatry to denote what is now called 'delusional disorder'. The modern psychiatric use of the word paranoia is subtly different but now rarely refers to this specific diagnosis.

Delusional disorder may typically be one of the following types:

Erotomanic Type (see erotomania): delusion that another person, usually of higher status, is in love with the individual.
Grandiose Type: delusion of inflated worth, power, knowledge, identity, or special relationship to a deity or famous person (e.g. see Jerusalem syndrome)
Jealous Type: delusion that the individual's sexual partner is unfaithful (see delusional jealousy).
Persecutory Type: delusion that the person (or someone to whom the person is close) is being malevolently treated in some way.
Somatic Type: delusions that the person has some physical defect or general medical condition (for example, see delusional parasitosis).
A diagnosis of 'mixed type' or 'unspecified type' may also be given if the delusions fall into several or none of these categories


A monothematic delusion is a delusional state that only concerns one particular topic. This is contrasted by what is sometimes called multi-thematic or polythematic delusions where the person has a range of delusions (typically the case of schizophrenia). These disorders can occur within the context of schizophrenia or dementia or they can occur without any other signs of mental illness. Usually when these disorders are found outside the context of mental illness, they are often caused by organic disfunction as a result of traumatic brain injury, stroke, or neurological illness.

People who suffer from these delusions as a result of organic disfunction often do not suffer from any obvious intellectual deficiency nor do they have any other symptoms. Additionally, a few of these people even have some awareness that their beliefs are bizarre, yet they can not be persuaded that their beliefs are false.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posts: 391 | From: New England | Registered: Oct 2004  |