A.R.E. Meeting for 8/27/18

Leader: Cindi

There were seven in attendance tonight. Cindi started us off with a poem on the Sphinx from a Catholic magazine. Following that, Cindi had us read a John Van Auken article in the Cayce Quarterly from the ARE. The article was “Handbag of the Gods,” which talked about symbology of handbags in ancient carvings and pine cones. The deeper meaning of this according to Van Auken was that the pineal gland looks like a closed pine cone, so this is what was being portrayed.

We each had a chance to discuss the experiment, which had to do with the precognitive nature of dreams. For those still reeling from the thought that we are gods (two weeks ago), here is a quote from reading 4083-1:

So, as in the self, whether the individual entity or soul entertains its relationship to the Creative Forces or not, the relationship is still existent or possible. For indeed in Him, the Father-God, ye move and have thy being. Act like it! Don't act like ye think ye are a God! Ye may become such, but when ye do ye think not of thyself. For what is the pattern? He thought it not robbery to make Himself equal with God, but He acted like it in the earth. He made Himself of no estate that you, through His grace, through His mercy, through His sacrifice might have an advocate with that First Cause, God; that first principle, spirit.

We had short discussion on what we would study after we finish Book II of our Search for God book. Start researching ideas and bring them or mention them in an e-mail.

We started the chapter on “Destiny of the Body” and read the first two sections: the “Introduction” and “What is the Physical Body.”

Following that, we read the opening of the Experiments book to page 70, where our experiment reads:

Practice bringing greater abundance into your life and the lives of others. Give of your excesses—your time, your money, your talents, your energy—in some area that seems to need it without any thought of what you might “get” in return.

Remember that the library is closed for Labor Day next Monday, so the next meeting (Sylvia will be the leader) will be Monday, September 10^th.

Abundantly yours,

Greg

A.R.E. Meeting for 8/20/18

Hello Dear Friends,

In the 10 years the Edgar Cayce A Search For God Study Group has been meeting at Ruth Holly Library, tonight is the first time we have been turned away, and with no advance notice due to a plumbing problem there. The sign on the door concluded the library will reopen at 9 am tomorrow. 

Four members who arrived about the same time agreed not to let the appearance of an obstacle block our intentions to work with the Edgar Cayce material, and to support each other in moving forward on our individual paths of spiritual development. The one public table outdoors was occupied, none of our vehicles accommodated our place to meet, and we located no out of sight tables around the corner of the building.

Greg reported that he located, but had to apply, to join an A Search For God online study group on Facebook. He applied, was accepted, and in the brief time he was able to have on the group ASFG page, he determined that it has excellent information with both well written questions and well thought out answers on this unique group page.

When Donna exclaimed that McDonalds is just across the street, our quest for an instantaneous place to meet was resolved. Scott got us a table in the back as quiet as a study room at the library corner booth, and our delayed meeting was comfortable and more enjoyable over food and drinks. Not only were we sharing our metaphysical, spiritual leanings in common, surprisingly, our common experience of being rejected and thrown off our typical comfortably sitting in the same chair in the same study room came with an enhanced sense of closeness and camaraderie.

The discussion of metaphysics, of places and cultures such as India, or Shamans of Peru, combine ayahuasca tree bark with something else to create DMT. It has been described as a substance botanically similar to the DMT produced by the pineal lighting up. Drinking DMT can greatly increase the light the pineal produces. Our unanswered question discussed what possibilities creating light in meditating Monks ashrams saw when there were no physical lights in the room. No one attempted to understand levitation out loud. Iowa, Transcendental Meditation, it's local teachers, the Marharashi, his university in Iowa, living in a small town in Iowa of two thousand plus can be like living in Mayberry and the movie partially filmed there based on a true story of an older man with no drivers license driving his farm tractor rig from Iowa across Wisconsin on his mission to connect with his son. The film, The Straight Story starred Sissy Spacek and Richard Farnsworth.

Our excellent exploration of spiritual and getting to know us better personal experiences in the the ideal perfectly quiet space provided for meditation after the library's quick refusal to accommodate us, was interrupted by a waitress telling us that room was now closing, please move to the other dining room.

Our reports of the outcome of our week long experiments were very rewarding and fulfilling. Those who embraced at intervals during each day were rewarded with not only a genuine empowerment, but feelings that I am supported and being helped and God is consistently with me, supporting me.  I will not be abandoned. Everyone who choose to explore a week of asserting "I am a god" (little g ) experienced a greater sense of being enabled by this new realization. Their intentions and goals were all accomplished. The one who choose to watch what the mind is being fed (according to dietary rules) were also well rewarded. This one took the form of additional time to use one's doing of what needs to be done versus too much time poorly used in electronic media.

The meditation in the better populated music playing room was described by one as the most challenging situation ever attempted to meditate in for 45 years. We were able to incorporate the words of the louder and louder seeming song, life is better with you, as a recognition that God's presence is making life better, then along with the music and song, life is better with YOU (God). 

We read and chose to do the final experiment at the end of the chapter, Destiny of the Mind. On page 67, it reads:

For a week take special note of your dreams and note the precognitive process that is in many dreams.  You will find dreams that predict the physical manifestation of things which you have set in motion at the mental level.  If these dreams of physical events do not look favorable to you, work on changing your thought patterns. Observe whether or not such a change in your thinking immediately affects your dreams. 

We'll be interested in learning from you next Monday what your results are from working with this experiment.  Unless you choose to work on any of the three previous to this from last week.

After tonight's adventure of taking our ASFG to MacDonalds, I can whole heartedly welcome an idea suggested by our friend among a handful of creative ideas she presented to our group for keeping the meetings appealing and fragrant and fresh for our renewal. This adventure enabled us to be flexible, to see how wrong expectations of being in McDonalds an hour or two after the dinner hour were. It pulled us closer mentally, into a better sense of oneness, many, but, all one in one group.

From tonight s adventuresome ASFG, as seen by Sylvia

A.R.E. Meeting for 8/13/18

Cindi led a group of seven souls, eager for enlightenment, that attended this week’s meeting. It began when Cindi mentioned a book on near death experiences she was reading and a woman was asked about the golden light, and the response was that it was the breath of God. Cindi also mentioned that this month’s ARE topic had to do with “awareness” and passed along a few notes to the group. The wording of awareness seemed to correspond with Cayce’s definition of Christ Consciousness. Here is the reading quote:

Q-18. Should the Christ Consciousness be described as the awareness within each soul, imprinted in pattern on the mind and waiting to be awakened by the will, of the soul’s oneness with God?

A-18. Correct. That’s the idea exactly! [5749-14]

Sylvia had a nice Catholic prayer that she shared with the group.

We began reading in the Experiments book on page 64.  The first experiment, which is an option, is:

Use as an affirmation for the day (not for meditation but in waking life events) “I am a god.” Be sensitive to the creative potential and the responsibility which this entails.

Reading a little further, the other optional experiment is:

Work with applying the three dietary laws described above in the way you feed your mind.

The three dietary laws are on page 65. Summarized, they are:

1. Certain things in and of themselves are toxic to the body and should be avoided.
2. Certain things are to be avoided in combination with other things.
3. A balanced diet involving a variety of food is necessary.

There was a discussion on whether Facebook was beneficial to individuals and society. The ARE happens to have a presence on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/edgarcayce/.

At the end there was a discussion of Pope Francis’ recent decree that teachings of the Catholic Church throughout history about capital punishment were wrong. Then there is Genesis 9:6: “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image.”

Blessings,

Greg

A.R.E. Meeting for 8/6/18

There were four in attendance, including our leader, Eric. We reviewed the past week, recounting what impact the experiment had for us. Eric kept us entertained with stories of his work dynamics.

We completed the chapter "Destiny of the Mind," by reading the two sections: "Signs Along the Way" and "Conclusion." From the applicable chapter in the Experiments book, we read a little, and came upon our experiment for this week on page 63:

At the end of the day, just as you are going to bed, take several minutes to review your thoughts of the day. What recurrent thought patterns do you observe? What is the emotional component related to each one? For those you would like to change, do one of three things:

1) Select a potential replacement emotion to hold the next day.

2) Try to resolve the emotion by thinking about it or praying about it.

3) Make a commitment to let go of the emotion if you see it is merely a negative one you have been enjoying.

Blessings,

Greg