Leader: Nancy
Reader: Greg
In the "How to Interpret Your Dreams" book, we are still in Chapter 3 and made it to page 44, the third line from the top that begins "The symbol represents..."
For the discipline this week, continue to keep your dream journals, and work with your symbols.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Monday, March 21, 2011
A.R.E. Meeting for 03/21/11
Leader: Nancy
Reader: Nancy
In the "How to Interpret Your Dreams" book, we started Chapter 3 and made it up to page 38, at the section "Who Is the Best Interpreter?"
For the discipline this week, look into applying your dreams to your waking life. As stated on page 38, we should define dream interpretation as our "response through application in daily life to the living, meaningful experience remembered from the dream world." In doing comes the understanding.
I asked if anyone had seen the video on the main edgarcayce.org website. It is titled "Courageous Souls," and can also be watched on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4vDbP6js3M. In the story of the woman injured by an explosion, I was wondering how much of our life is preordained.
And with sunspots, Eric appears to be right that the cause is turmoil on the earth:
Reader: Nancy
In the "How to Interpret Your Dreams" book, we started Chapter 3 and made it up to page 38, at the section "Who Is the Best Interpreter?"
For the discipline this week, look into applying your dreams to your waking life. As stated on page 38, we should define dream interpretation as our "response through application in daily life to the living, meaningful experience remembered from the dream world." In doing comes the understanding.
I asked if anyone had seen the video on the main edgarcayce.org website. It is titled "Courageous Souls," and can also be watched on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4vDbP6js3M. In the story of the woman injured by an explosion, I was wondering how much of our life is preordained.
And with sunspots, Eric appears to be right that the cause is turmoil on the earth:
The more ye become aware of thy relationships to the universe and those influences that control same, the greater thy ability to help...even as to the sun which reflects those turmoils that arise with thee; even as the earthquake, even as wars and hates, even as the influences in thy life day by day.Edgar Cayce Reading 5757-1
Then, what are the sun spots? A natural consequence of that turmoil which the sons of God in the earth reflect upon same.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
The 23rd Psalm and the Chakras
John Van Auken, in his book Toward a Deeper Meditation, answers a question in the appendix of the book about the use of the 23rd Psalm for ending meditation and the closing of the chakras.
Question: Since the 23rd Psalm is recommended by Cayce to end a mediation and close the chakras, is there a direct correlation between keywords and the chakras, as Cayce gave for the Lord's Prayer?
Actually, I am not aware of any instruction in the actual Cayce readings that gives the 23rd Psalm a closing device for meditation. As far as I know, this became a common practice throughout the A.R. E. community because Hugh Lynn Cayce loved it so much and regularly suggested it. It has now become a tradition, a good tradition, in my opinion.
Now, as to the correlating of keywords to the chakras, which Cayce's readings do give for the Lord's Prayer, there are also no readings on this for the 23rd Psalm. However, inspired by your question, I attempted to meditate deeply and see if I could find some correlation. The following is what came to me. But each of us should find the keywords for ourselves. What works for me may be different for you and others.
"The Lord is my shepherd [pituitary, third eye]; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures [pineal, crown]; He leadeth me beside the still waters [thyroid, throat]. He restoreth my soul [inner, true self]. He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness [thymus, heart] for his name's sake [pineal, crown]. Yea, though I walk through the valley [gonads, root] of the shadow of death [adrenals, solar plexus], I will fear no evil [cells of leydig, navel]; for thou [pituitary, third eye] art with me. Thy rod [standards, ideals] and thy staff [kundalini, life force], they comfort me. Thou preparest a table [four lower chakras restored] before me in the presence of mine enemies [lower urges]. Thou hast anointed my head [pineal, crown] with oil; my cup [pituitary, third eye] runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy [four lower chakras spiritualized] shall follow me all the days of my life; And I shall dwell in the house [the head, three upper chakras] of the Lord for ever."
Let me explain some of my correlates. Rather than selecting Lord as the keyword in the psalm for the third eye, I found the word shepherd felt better for me. Few people know that, from the line in the Lord's Prayer, "Our Father which art in heaven," Cayce actually gave the word heaven as the third-eye, not Father. But the study group working with him changed the keyword to Father, and it has been published that way for years. The selection of green pastures for the pineal was easy, but still waters for the throat chakra was a bit of a surprise to me. However, during my meditation, the words had a profound effect upon my throat chakra. As we all know, Cayce associates the throat chakra with the keyword will in the Lord's Prayer. I felt that when I seek God's will over my own, I am abiding in the still waters. It worked for me. See what works for you.
Perhaps the most surprising guidance in my meditation was the collective keywords. Table felt like my entire lower centers as did goodness and mercy. It felt as though my lower, earthly centers had become united and spiritualized. The "house of the Lord" was an easy correlate with the head chakras because the Taoist text Secret of the Golden Flower has a beautiful metaphor that has stuck with me over the years: "In the square inch field" is the pituitary, which abides within the "square foot house" of the head. As you know, Cayce's readings stated that the four lower chakras are "earth," and the three upper chakras are "heaven" in the Lord's Prayer. I felt that some of that grouping was occurring within the 23rd Psalm as well.
I enjoyed this meditation so much I'll be doing it again. I've always felt that the 23rd Psalm had profound mystical implications for the meditator, but I've never attempted to explore these. Thanks for asking such a good question.--JVA
Question: Since the 23rd Psalm is recommended by Cayce to end a mediation and close the chakras, is there a direct correlation between keywords and the chakras, as Cayce gave for the Lord's Prayer?
Actually, I am not aware of any instruction in the actual Cayce readings that gives the 23rd Psalm a closing device for meditation. As far as I know, this became a common practice throughout the A.R. E. community because Hugh Lynn Cayce loved it so much and regularly suggested it. It has now become a tradition, a good tradition, in my opinion.
Now, as to the correlating of keywords to the chakras, which Cayce's readings do give for the Lord's Prayer, there are also no readings on this for the 23rd Psalm. However, inspired by your question, I attempted to meditate deeply and see if I could find some correlation. The following is what came to me. But each of us should find the keywords for ourselves. What works for me may be different for you and others.
"The Lord is my shepherd [pituitary, third eye]; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures [pineal, crown]; He leadeth me beside the still waters [thyroid, throat]. He restoreth my soul [inner, true self]. He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness [thymus, heart] for his name's sake [pineal, crown]. Yea, though I walk through the valley [gonads, root] of the shadow of death [adrenals, solar plexus], I will fear no evil [cells of leydig, navel]; for thou [pituitary, third eye] art with me. Thy rod [standards, ideals] and thy staff [kundalini, life force], they comfort me. Thou preparest a table [four lower chakras restored] before me in the presence of mine enemies [lower urges]. Thou hast anointed my head [pineal, crown] with oil; my cup [pituitary, third eye] runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy [four lower chakras spiritualized] shall follow me all the days of my life; And I shall dwell in the house [the head, three upper chakras] of the Lord for ever."
Let me explain some of my correlates. Rather than selecting Lord as the keyword in the psalm for the third eye, I found the word shepherd felt better for me. Few people know that, from the line in the Lord's Prayer, "Our Father which art in heaven," Cayce actually gave the word heaven as the third-eye, not Father. But the study group working with him changed the keyword to Father, and it has been published that way for years. The selection of green pastures for the pineal was easy, but still waters for the throat chakra was a bit of a surprise to me. However, during my meditation, the words had a profound effect upon my throat chakra. As we all know, Cayce associates the throat chakra with the keyword will in the Lord's Prayer. I felt that when I seek God's will over my own, I am abiding in the still waters. It worked for me. See what works for you.
Perhaps the most surprising guidance in my meditation was the collective keywords. Table felt like my entire lower centers as did goodness and mercy. It felt as though my lower, earthly centers had become united and spiritualized. The "house of the Lord" was an easy correlate with the head chakras because the Taoist text Secret of the Golden Flower has a beautiful metaphor that has stuck with me over the years: "In the square inch field" is the pituitary, which abides within the "square foot house" of the head. As you know, Cayce's readings stated that the four lower chakras are "earth," and the three upper chakras are "heaven" in the Lord's Prayer. I felt that some of that grouping was occurring within the 23rd Psalm as well.
I enjoyed this meditation so much I'll be doing it again. I've always felt that the 23rd Psalm had profound mystical implications for the meditator, but I've never attempted to explore these. Thanks for asking such a good question.--JVA
Ideals Exercise
From the Cayce Health Database at http://www.edgarcayce.org/IntSearchHealthDatabase/data/thideaI1.html
An ideal is a standard by which one lives. "The ideal gives us a sense of stability, guidance and orientation, as well as a criterion for judgments." (Puryear & Thurston, 1987, p. 95)
"An ideal is not a goal. It is a motivational standard by which to evaluate our goals and our reasons for pursuing those goals. The goal is what; the ideal is why! A spiritual ideal is not so much a goal toward which we move as it is the spirit in which we grow. It is a living and dynamic standard by which we quicken and measure our daily motivation." (Puryear, 1982, p. 112)
The readings frequently suggest an ideals exercise designed to examine and modify dysfunctional attitudes and behaviors based upon spiritual considerations. This exercise consists of writing down one's ideals on paper. The process involves making three columns headed: SPIRITUAL, MENTAL AND PHYSICAL and listing words under each which signify the meaning of each category. The spiritual ideal is a person or concept which conveys the highest sense of purpose or meaning to which one may ascribe. The mental ideal is the mental attitude which is consistent with the spiritual ideal. The physical ideal is the behavior or physical manifestation of the spiritual ideal. Thus, the holistic perspective is maintained by the coordinating of physical, mental and spiritual ideals.
The technique is cognitive-behavioral since it brings to awareness the attitudes and beliefs upon which a person is operating and links the mental dimension to concrete behaviors. The mental and physical ideals are modified to be consistent with the spiritual ideal. The difference between this technique and many contemporary cognitive-behavioral models is the role of the spiritual ideal as the standard for mental and physical processes. The Cayce readings do not advocate a "value-free" approach to healing. However, the values are not to be imposed by an outside agency - each person must work through the process on one's own to find one's own balance.
The readings state that ideals will change as one progresses through life. Therefore, the ideals exercise is an ongoing process of reorientation. It may be viewed as a tool for maintaining balance and integration at all phases of one's life.
The use of ideals has important clinical implications. Persons who have high spiritual ideals, but whose mental attitudes and physical behaviors fall short of these spiritual ideals, may be prone to self-condemnation for failing to live up to their own standards. Or, they may project their perceived shortcomings onto others. Self-blame or blaming of others is likely to lead to psychological and/or interpersonal problems. On the other hand, a person with low spiritual ideals (or the complete absence of them) may find life meaningless, boring and empty.
An obvious benefit of this exercise is its potential for focusing on beliefs which have been unconsciously adopted during childhood and adolescence. The insistence that the ideals be written down and reviewed regularly is critical in this respect.
REFERENCES
Puryear, H. B. & Thurston, M. A. Meditation and the Mind of Man. Virginia Beach, VA: A.R.E. Press, 1987.
An ideal is a standard by which one lives. "The ideal gives us a sense of stability, guidance and orientation, as well as a criterion for judgments." (Puryear & Thurston, 1987, p. 95)
"An ideal is not a goal. It is a motivational standard by which to evaluate our goals and our reasons for pursuing those goals. The goal is what; the ideal is why! A spiritual ideal is not so much a goal toward which we move as it is the spirit in which we grow. It is a living and dynamic standard by which we quicken and measure our daily motivation." (Puryear, 1982, p. 112)
The readings frequently suggest an ideals exercise designed to examine and modify dysfunctional attitudes and behaviors based upon spiritual considerations. This exercise consists of writing down one's ideals on paper. The process involves making three columns headed: SPIRITUAL, MENTAL AND PHYSICAL and listing words under each which signify the meaning of each category. The spiritual ideal is a person or concept which conveys the highest sense of purpose or meaning to which one may ascribe. The mental ideal is the mental attitude which is consistent with the spiritual ideal. The physical ideal is the behavior or physical manifestation of the spiritual ideal. Thus, the holistic perspective is maintained by the coordinating of physical, mental and spiritual ideals.
The technique is cognitive-behavioral since it brings to awareness the attitudes and beliefs upon which a person is operating and links the mental dimension to concrete behaviors. The mental and physical ideals are modified to be consistent with the spiritual ideal. The difference between this technique and many contemporary cognitive-behavioral models is the role of the spiritual ideal as the standard for mental and physical processes. The Cayce readings do not advocate a "value-free" approach to healing. However, the values are not to be imposed by an outside agency - each person must work through the process on one's own to find one's own balance.
The readings state that ideals will change as one progresses through life. Therefore, the ideals exercise is an ongoing process of reorientation. It may be viewed as a tool for maintaining balance and integration at all phases of one's life.
The use of ideals has important clinical implications. Persons who have high spiritual ideals, but whose mental attitudes and physical behaviors fall short of these spiritual ideals, may be prone to self-condemnation for failing to live up to their own standards. Or, they may project their perceived shortcomings onto others. Self-blame or blaming of others is likely to lead to psychological and/or interpersonal problems. On the other hand, a person with low spiritual ideals (or the complete absence of them) may find life meaningless, boring and empty.
An obvious benefit of this exercise is its potential for focusing on beliefs which have been unconsciously adopted during childhood and adolescence. The insistence that the ideals be written down and reviewed regularly is critical in this respect.
REFERENCES
Puryear, H. B. & Thurston, M. A. Meditation and the Mind of Man. Virginia Beach, VA: A.R.E. Press, 1987.
Monday, March 14, 2011
A.R.E. Meeting for 03/14/11
Leader: Nancy
Reader: Greg
In the "How to Interpret Your Dreams" book, we finished Chapter 2. Next week we will start Chapter 3.
For the discipline this week, before going to bed, pose a question you want answered. The question should be phrased in a way that could be answered yes or no. Seek guidance or feedback through a dream.
Reader: Greg
In the "How to Interpret Your Dreams" book, we finished Chapter 2. Next week we will start Chapter 3.
For the discipline this week, before going to bed, pose a question you want answered. The question should be phrased in a way that could be answered yes or no. Seek guidance or feedback through a dream.
Monday, March 7, 2011
A.R.E. Meeting for 03/07/11
Leader: Nancy
Reader: Sylvia
In the "How to Interpret Your Dreams" book, we are in Chapter 2, page 29, ready to begin the section "Keeping a Dream Journal."
The discipline is still to keep a dream journal, and maybe try some of the 14 methods of dream recall we read this week:
1. Go to bed early.
2. Have a partner wake you during REM periods.
3. Learn to awaken in the night.
4. If you awaken during the night, write down some key words.
5. Read your dream journal before going to bed.
6. Before going to sleep, use a simple suggestion for dream recall.
7. Keep paper, pencil, and flashlight by your bed.
8. Record your feelings upon awakening, even if you don't recall a dream.
9. Record and study other dreamlike fantasies.
10. Upon awakening, review the key questions in your life.
11. Write out your purposes for wanting to recall dreams.
12. Pray for recall yourself, or have others pray for you.
13. Have an inquiring attitude.
14. Act on the dreams you receive.
We discussed and seemed to agree that it would be better if everyone limited their weekly dream recall to their one most significant dream or one they wanted guidance on, rather than discuss them all. That would leave more time for reading the book.
Reader: Sylvia
In the "How to Interpret Your Dreams" book, we are in Chapter 2, page 29, ready to begin the section "Keeping a Dream Journal."
The discipline is still to keep a dream journal, and maybe try some of the 14 methods of dream recall we read this week:
1. Go to bed early.
2. Have a partner wake you during REM periods.
3. Learn to awaken in the night.
4. If you awaken during the night, write down some key words.
5. Read your dream journal before going to bed.
6. Before going to sleep, use a simple suggestion for dream recall.
7. Keep paper, pencil, and flashlight by your bed.
8. Record your feelings upon awakening, even if you don't recall a dream.
9. Record and study other dreamlike fantasies.
10. Upon awakening, review the key questions in your life.
11. Write out your purposes for wanting to recall dreams.
12. Pray for recall yourself, or have others pray for you.
13. Have an inquiring attitude.
14. Act on the dreams you receive.
We discussed and seemed to agree that it would be better if everyone limited their weekly dream recall to their one most significant dream or one they wanted guidance on, rather than discuss them all. That would leave more time for reading the book.
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