Thursday, March 31

The Ghostly Children Seen In Two Houses

Ghostly hands
A 67 Not Out readers story today. Thank you JC:

One night I was lying in bed trying to do a visualization exercise which is supposed to help you relax and sleep better. But every time I would picture the light, that I was supposed to imagine, I would get this creepy feeling.

It was like someone was leaning in over the side of my bed. In my mind I kept seeing three small children bending over towards me, kind of like they were curious about the light.

When I opened my eyes there was nothing there, but it didn't stop me from scootching closer to my boyfriend who was already asleep. I finally had to give up, because I couldn't get control of the image in my mind. There were three children around 6 to 8 years old, two boys and a girl both African American.

At the time I didn't think of it as a paranormal experience at all. It just seemed to be a weird thing that had happened in my imagination.

I got talking to a neighbor whose house is two doors down. He made an odd comment with a bit of a tone about never being able to find anything in his house.

I asked him what he meant and he said, "Okay you are going to think I'm crazy, but I think my house is haunted."

He went on to describe what had been happening, which didn't appear anything too major. He said he had started to think that it was kids, because of the childish nature of the activity.

This didn't mean much to me until he started telling me how one night he had a girlfriend stay over. She claimed to have seen the children at the top of his stairs. I asked for her description and he said, "Three of them, two boys and a girl, around age 7, black."

I felt the color drain out of my face, and I told him about my weird experience.

Were they the same children? I don't know, but I'm trying to find out now about the history of the local houses including mine.


Further Reading:
The Unusual Contact With Her Dead Mother
Ghost Of Virgin Mary Seen On Cornish Cliffs
A-Mail Messages from Beyond The Grave

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Wednesday, March 30

Tecumseh And The Shawnee Way To Live And Die

Tecumseh, Shooting StarIf we look there is wisdom to be found in most cultures.

The following is a quote from the Shawnee Native American Tecumseh, sometimes known as Shooting Star, Tecumtha or Tekamthi.

His birthdate isn't known for sure but was probably around March 1768. He died, or rather was killed, at the Battle of the Thames, on October 5, 1813. His death signified the end of united Indian resistance against the Americans.

I won't go into the rights and wrongs of what happened but here is the quote from Tecumseh, who was something of a mystic along with being a warrior. They are surely guidelines, even for today, on how to live our lives:

"So live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart. Trouble no one about their religion; respect others in their view, and demand that they respect yours.

Love your life, perfect your life, beautify all things in your life. Seek to make your life long and its purpose in the service of your people.

Prepare a noble death song for the day when you go over the great divide.

Always give a word or a sign of salute when meeting or passing a friend, even a stranger, when in a lonely place. Show respect to all people and grovel to none.

When you arise in the morning give thanks for the food and for the joy of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies only in yourself.

Abuse no one and no thing, for abuse turns the wise ones to fools and robs the spirit of its vision.

When it comes your time to die, be not like those whose hearts are filled with the fear of death, so that when their time comes they weep and pray for a little more time to live their lives over again in a different way.

Sing your death song and die like a hero going home."


I think that says it all.

Further Reading:
Black Elk On Peace And At The Door Of Death

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Tuesday, March 29

The Hypnotic Way To The Wounds Of Stigmata

The Ecstasy of Saint Catherine

Last week I wrote a post Stigmata And The Copycat Wounds Of Jesus.

Today I plucked a book from my office shelves at random and it was called ESP - The Sixth Sense. As the title suggests this was published in the mid 1970s when ESP was quite fashionable.

I opened up the book and it settled on a page about stigmata. It gave some examples which I mentioned in my post and came to a general conclusion that some stigmata are perfectly genuine.

One of the instances they quoted was the work of a Dr. Alfred Lechler - though further research has shown me that his first name is sometimes quoted also as Adolph. As his work was published in the late 1930s this could be the reason for the name difference.

Dr.Lechler investigated, amongst others, the stigmata of Teresa Neumann - mentioned in my post - and gave details of this in his book Das Ratsel von Konnersreuth.

To back up his findings Lechler carried out an experiment on one of his patients, a young Austrian girl called Elizabeth. She had been greatly impressed after seeing a film of Jesus on the cross and his suffering. So much so she had sympathetic pains in her hands and feet.

He gave Elizabeth the hypnotic suggestion that overnight, wounds would develop at the site of her pains - and they did. He was also able to 'persuade' her to produce tears of blood and the marks of the crown of thorns.

Dr.Lechler filmed the wounds on Elizabeth before causing them to heal - again by hypnotic suggestion. I can, however, find no trace of this film on the Internet.

Other forms, similar to stigmata, have also been produced by hypnosis.

One in particular was a sailor who, under hypnosis, was told he was about to be touched by a red hot poker. In fact his arm was touched by the hypnotists finger. Within a few hours a large watery blister had formed.

I think my conclusion of stigmata remains the same as in my first post on the subject: If belief is taken to emotional excess this can produce a dramatic effect on the body. Some stigmata could well be genuine.

Further Reading:Stigmata And The Copycat Wounds Of Jesus

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Monday, March 28

A Pint Glass Will Only Hold A Pint Of Beer

A Pint Glass Will Only Hold A Pint Of BeerI know that many think that money or wealth and spirituality don't mix. That's fine, each to their own beliefs. Personally I see nothing wrong with money as long as it isn't an obsession or the main focus in life.

At the present time we need money to get a long and to ease some of the stresses of life. Okay, as is often said, it doesn't bring happiness, that's down to our thought processes, but it can help us along the way - and perhaps also allow us to help others.

I'm on to this theme because of the subject of visualisation, where what we see or visualise becomes a reality.

"But why doesn't visualisation work fairly?" someone asked me.

Well it does, all natural laws do.

What the person was referring to was an example where there were three people out of work: Alan who previously earned $20,000 a year, Brian who earned $50,000 and Clive who used to scape by on $100,000.

Alan, Brian and Clive head off to a teacher of visualisation with the aim of getting new employment. They learn the basics well and each of them lands a spanking new job. Alan got a job earning $20,000, Brian's employment will bring him in $50,000 and Clive was happy with his $100,000 a year.

"So how can that be fair? They all put in the same effort with their visualisation but earn differing amounts."

The answer is simply that we can only get a pint of beer in a pint glass. To put it another way, we can only receive our fill - or receive at a mental capacity to what we can comprehend.

Alan's life experiences have shown him that he can make $20,000 a year. It's what his mind accepts as being the right level, so this is what the Universe will give him. Likewise Clive is used to $100,000 so that's what he expects and gets.

The Universe does answer our requests or visualisation but at a level to which we believe is possible. We have to think more affluently to demonstrate greater prosperity.

It's never sufficient to say something like, "I am a millionaire." We have to expand our mind to believe, without doubt, that this is attainable - if this is really what we want.

Visualisation works at a level to which we believe it will work.

Further Reading:
Visualisation Of The Mystic Masters
Visualisation Brings A New Carpet Via a Coincidence
How To Get A Car Parking Space Using Coincidences

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Sunday, March 27

Cleansing The Palate Of The Mind

Daffodils
There is a lot going on in the world today from earthquakes and tsunamis to bombs and struggles. Sometimes it's good to step back from all of this and cleanse our minds with beauty and positivity. I personally do this by walking along the cliffs near to where I live or by looking at, and enjoying flowers.

The photos on this post are flowers from my garden last year. I'm no photographer but they do illustrate some of the wonderful things there are in the world.

Primroses
Azalea
Poppies including Mrs.Perry
10 flower photos on 67 Not Out
Red rose
Pink dahlia
Hydrangea
Fuchsia
Yellow gladiolus
Michaelmus Daisies
River FalFootnote: The following day, after setting up this post, my wife and I went for a longish walk along the River Fal. We had our lunch with us so stopped to sit on a wooden bench seat.

The seat was there as a memorial and had a small plaque which read. "In memory of Arthur Toby (my dad's name was Arthur and our favourite dog was Toby) a man who always said we should take time to smell the flowers." He must have been a wise man and it was a pleasure to have shared our lunch with Arthur Toby while overlooking the river on a sunshine day.

The Simple Secret Of The Way To World Peace

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Saturday, March 26

The Suffering Created By Eve And Pandora

Pandora: Painting by Jules Joseph Lefebvre 1882
Pandora with Pandora's Box
It's always puzzled me as to why Eve munching on an apple has caused all of us so much suffering. Well, that's what the Bible seems to indicate. It seems a little unfair - to say the least.

But, though many creationists will disagree, Adam and Eve is simply a story or myth. The original meaning of which has no doubt been lost in translation.

But it's interesting that in Greek Mythology they have their own version of Eve - Pandora. It appears she has also caused us a lot of suffering and diseases.

Let's look at Pandora. She was made of clay by Hephaestus at Zeus's request. She was then given life and all of the gods made and gave her presents. This is where her name originates: pan "all" and dora "gifts". She supposedly received every necessary gift a mortal could desire.

From here on the story varies. One version is that she married Epimethius - he was the brother of Prometheus who stole fire from heaven. Anyway, Pandora's husband must have been chuffed at all of her presents, including the one she was told not to open - this was, what is now often called, Pandora's Box.

Epimethius opened the box and sent a multitude of evils and diseases forth into the world which still afflict mankind today. All that somehow remained imprisoned in the box was Hope.

So it is Hope alone who now comforts man in his troubles and misfortunes.

Other more popular versions say that it was Pandora who opened the box out of curiosity, which ties in more with the Eve story. Some write that it was actually a jar and not a box but, whatever, nastiness was released and Hope remained trapped inside. Hesiod in his poem, Works and Days, wrote:

"Only Hope was left within her unbreakable house,
she remained under the lip of the jar,
and did not fly away.
Before she could,
Pandora replaced the lid of the jar."

There are several similarities between Eve, of Adam and Eve fame, and Pandora.

(a) The stories seem to try to answer the question as to why there is so much evil and suffering in the world - which God or the gods seem to ignore.

(b) They were both the first divine creation of a woman.

(c) This first woman disobeyed God's order or commandment.

(d) By this first woman disobeying God's order or commandment all of mankind has experienced much suffering and ills.

So there we go. Who came first, Pandora or Eve?

The good news is that the God of the Bible did say: "Behold, the man is become one of us, to know good and evil ..." Genesis 3:22.

As Gods, therefore, we must have great potential. Though the Bible is always a bit confusing. Before Eve was created it says: So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female he created them." Genesis 1:27. (Or maybe this refers to Yin and Yang within us.)

Stranger still, there's a hint, prior to this, that there is more than one God: "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness ..." Genesis 1:26.

Perhaps one day everything will become clearer.

Further Reading:
Kundalini The Serpent Of Adam And Eve
Bible Coincidences Where God Is At The Centre
How A Prayer Was Answered

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Friday, March 25

The Mystery Of The Celtic Cross With A Dollar Symbol

Celtic Cross with dollar sign
Ever since a small child I've always loved churches, their graveyards and looking at the old stones. I'm not sure why because I don't belong to any organised religion - perhaps I was something to do with a church in a previous life. Mind you I think I may also have had something to do with old fashioned windmills as well as I find them very scary.

St.Breock Church
St.Breock Church, Cornwall
Anyway, I'm still wandering around churches but leave the windmills alone. Yesterday my wife and I were heading for Padstow in Cornwall, about 20 miles from where I live. I felt compelled to make a stop at a well away from the beaten track church at St.Breock. It's a pretty isolated old church which was closed, so we wandered round looking at the old grave stones.

One in particular caught my eye as it was a Celtic Cross with what looked like a dollar sign in the middle - see photo at the top of this post. It's puzzled me ever since as I can't find out what the $ like symbol means. I've a feeling this is why I felt I had to visit this church.

Living in Cornwall I have seen lots of Celtic Crosses, especially in churches, as in the photo below at St.Winnow.

St. Winnow Church
St. Winnow church, Cornwall
There are many theories about the meaning of Celtic Crosses. These include that the circle is for eternity or maybe the everlasting love of God. Others will say that the circle is from the Druids and has been pinched by the Christians to add to their cross. One of the best articles on the subject is Celtic Cross History and Symbolism - but this has no explanation of the dollar sign. If anyone does have an explanation or idea I'd love to know the answer.

After we'd finished at St.Breock we went on to Padstow for lunch on the quay. It was a glorious day for March. Two photos follow:

Padstow harbour
Padstow Harbour, Cornwall
Padstow Harbour and seagull
After lunch, and still pondering that St. Breock Celtic Cross, we walked along the cliff top overlooking the River Camel estuary and deserted, sandy beaches - a perfect day!

View from the cliffs at Padstow, Cornwall
View from cliffs at Padstow, Cornwall

Padstow, Cornwall
And that's unfortunately the end of the story. I still have to solve the mystery of the Celtic Cross with a $ dollar symbol in the center.

Further Reading:
Magical Cure For Madness At The Cornish Holy Well At St.Cleer
The Cornish Mystery Of The Trevethy Quoit Stones
Following In The Footsteps Of St.Michael In Cornwall

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Thursday, March 24

Photos That Soothe Pain Better Than Pills

Pills and tablets
Got a bit of an ache or a pain? Don't reach for a paracetamol or aspirin, reach for a photograph instead.

Our friendly scientists have been at work and this time they may well have got it right. According to their research looking at a photograph of a loved one can soothe pain, just as efficiently as the aforementioned tablets.

A picture of a spouse or partner actually dulls activity in the pain processing areas of the brain. And it does this as efficiently as painkillers, narcotics such as cocaine, or physical contact with a loved one.

Volunteers had varying levels of heat applied to their skin while they focused on photos of their partners. Scans were taken of their brains while all of this was going on.

Neuro-scientist, Jarred Younger, found that on average pain was reduced by between 36 and 44 per cent. Intense discomfort was eased by 13%.

The scientist explained: "It appears to involve more primitive aspects of the brain, activating deep structures that may block pain at a spinal level - similar to how opioid analgesics work. You don't have to just rely on drugs for pain relief."

In a different study 25 women, with long term boyfriends, were subjected to different levels of pain while they held their man's hand. It was found that looking at a photo of their boyfriend provided as much pain relief as physically holding his hand.

So there you go, grab a photo of someone you love to soothe a pain. No doubt paracetamol manufacturers won't be publicising this!

Further Reading:
How Rituals Combined With Action Can Cure Illness
Woman Walks After 23 Years Through Spiritual Healing
The Night Demon Sitting On Your Chest

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Wednesday, March 23

Stigmata And The Copycat Wounds Of Jesus

St.Francis of Assisi
St.Francis of Assisi
Stigmata are the wounds or marks on the body - that some people appear to have - which correspond to the injuries Jesus suffered on the cross. Stigmatics may have these on their hands, feet, side and some also have bruise like marks on their shoulders caused by 'carrying the cross'.

Stigmata are no doubt sometimes fake but there have been instances, throughout history, where perhaps they may be genuine.

The first instance of Stigmata is appropriately in the Bible. In Galatians 6:17 St. Paul writes, "I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus." But, as with a lots of the Bible, this could possibly have a different interpretation.

St. Francis is said to have had a vision of an angel on the cross. This affected him so much his wrists and feet became as if pierced by nails. Thomas of Celano in his First Life of St.Francis writes about how St.Francis had another wound on his body, "... his right side had a large wound as if it had been pierced with a spear, and it often bled so that his tunic and trousers were soaked with his sacred blood."

The most famous stigmatics of a slightly more recent age are Teresa Neumann (1898-1962) and Padre Pio (1887-1968).

Teresa Neumann was born in Germany and had a serious accident to her back in 1918, after which she became bedridden. However, after praying to St. Teresa of Lisieux in 1925, she recovered from her injury.

The following year she went into a trance and wounds formed on her hands, feet and side. They are said to have bled profusely as did her forehead corresponding with Jesus' Crown of Thorns. Crowds flocked to see her as this continued to happen each week.

Padre PioAs for Padre Pio de Pietralcini, he was an Italian Capuchin friar. He is said to have received his stigmata in 1915, after which he also had great powers of clairvoyance and precognition. Again people flocked to see him. His stigmata continued for over 50 years.

He has told of his experience: "I saw before me a mysterious person ... his hands and feet and side were dripping with blood. The vision disappeared and I became aware that my own hands, feet and side were dripping blood. Imagine the agony I experienced and continue to experience almost every day... I am dying of pain because of the wounds and resulting embarrassment..." This has echoes of St.Francis.

Though stigmata is normally associated with Roman Catholics they view the subject with caution.

But can this really happen?

The feeling seems to be that - if not caused by God or mystical means - they are created by some form of auto-suggestion. If belief is taken to emotional excess this can have a dramatic effect on the body. Couple this with religious fervour and anything is possible.

Further Reading:
How The Virgin Mary Had A Child But Remained A Virgin
The Most Wonderful Wonder Of The World
The Dangers Of Harry Potter And Wicca To Mankind

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Tuesday, March 22

The Church House Coincidence With Jack And Jill

Church House

Here's a spooky coincidence story today from 67 Not Out reader, Jill:

After we married my husband and I bought our home, where we still live today. It's a four bedroom dwelling that had once belonged to the nearby church and is situated at the top of a hill.

Previously it had been used as a home for the local vicar, but I gather the church sold this off about forty years ago. It is called 'Church House' and we moved in on March 3, 1984.

Six months after we moved in our son Jack was born.

Fast forwarding over the ups and downs of life, in 2009 our son got married himself to a great girl. And now comes the coincidence. She was born on March 3, 1984 and her surname is Churchouse. Plus her first name is Jill. It's therefore Jack and Jill and remember our house is on a hill!

But there is still one more twist as they have presented us with a beautiful granddaughter who was born on March 3rd!

~ Jill

Other Random Readers Coincidence Stories
A Ride In a Taxi Coincidence
67 Not Out Readers Coincidence Stories - 11
The Peanut Allergy Psychic Prediction

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Monday, March 21

The Mystery Of The Cornish Roche Rock And Hermitage

Roche Rock and Chapel or Hermitage
Roche Rock and chapel, Cornwall
As the shadows fall on Roche Rock, and it's tiny chapel, the wind howls over the heathland. It's not a place for the faint hearted. The ghost of an old tin miner casts his shadow with no earthly presence to be seen.

Luckily, when I made a visit to Roche Rock this week, there was blue sky and the late winter sun was warming and took away much of the unseen dangers.

Roche Rock is about seven or eight miles from where I live in Cornwall, England. Myths and stories surround this ancient monument.

Roche Rock, Cornwall
From the photos you will be able to see that a small chapel or hermitage had been built on the natural rocks. Many infer that these are granite but in fact they are made of grey quartz and black tourmaline. They are very tough and have supported the remains of the chapel since the 1400s. The rocks themselves were created some 270 million years ago.

A metal ladder leads to the first floor of the chapel / hermitage
Roche Rock showing metal ladder to chapel or hermitage
The chapel was dedicated to St Michael in 1409 but the feel of the area is that the rocks may well have been used for sacred or religious ceremonies going back thousands of years.

A second metal ladder leads to the top of the chapel
A further metal ladder leading up to the top floor
In truth the origins of the chapel aren't known for sure. One of the legends goes back to the days of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.

View from top of Roche Rock
Roche village in distance and Roche Church
View from top of Roche Rock
The story is that Tristran (or Tristram), a nephew of King Mark, was sent off to Ireland to fetch the King's bride to be, Iseult. Somehow the couple accidentally sipped a love potion together - well, it's easily done - and the two fell hopelessly in love. Needless to say, this made them none too popular with King Mark. The lovers took refuge in Roche Rock's chapel, which may have been a hermitage at the time.

Inside the Roche Rock chapel
Inside the chapel on Roche Rock
Another story is that the Celtic saint, St. Conan, took refuge here to commune with his God. He must have done a good job as he became one of the first Bishops of Cornwall. He left the Rock to install himself at St. Michael's Mount, a small island off Cornwall.

Roche Rock and heathland in late Winter.
Heathland full of ferns and plants from Spring.
Roche Rock and heathland
And there's more! There's the tale of Gundred whose father was a leper. As such he kept himself away from the local society by living in the chapel. Gundred tended his needs and bathed him in a Holy Well over a mile from Roche Rock, this became known as St Gundred's well.

In 1584 Norden wrote the following description of Roche Rock and it's chapel. The spelling is in the 'olde English' style of the period:

Old picture of Roche Rock"A verie high, steepe and craggie rocke, upon the top whereof is placed a cell or hermitage, the walls whereof are partly wrowghte, and that with great labour, out of obdurate rock.

It standeth upon the wylde Moares, farr from common societie, fitteste for suche votaries ..."

There used to be a track or path leading from Roche Rock to the church of St Gomondas in Roche village.

Roche Church St Gomondas
Roche church St Gomondas
The 'official' line about Roche Rock is simply:"It has two storeys - the chapel above and a room below. The chapel is a time capsule from 1409. But it's been a ruin for at least 250 years. That much we know. Beyond those facts it's all myth and legend. Did someone - a man or woman - cut themselves off from society? Were they sick, maybe a leper? When there's a gale can you can hear the giant Tregeagle howling round the rock?"

Further Reading:
Following In The Footsteps Of St.Michael
The Cornish Mystery Of The Trevethy Quoit
The Cornish Mystery Of the Men-an-Tol Stones

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Sunday, March 20

Nostradamus And His Magic Mirror

Nostradamus
I was searching to see if Nostradamus had come up with anything about the recent terrible Japanese earthquake and tsunami but didn't really come up with anything. I spent too long doing so this it'll have to be a quick Sunday post today.

The picture shows our man, Michel de Nostredame (1503-1566), but now mostly known as Nostradamus, a latinised version of his surname.

It's said that he composed his quatrains in a trance like state 'and gazing into a bowl of water on a tripod'. This was an old way of predicting the future. He was then able to see and hear 'the Divine Presence' who inspired him with his writing.

The picture shows him not using a bowl of water but a 'magic mirror' instead. That's him in the circle with Catherine de Medicis (1519-1589), the Queen of France. She had summoned him to Paris to hear in advance of any possible threats or problems that may befall the French royal family.

The magic mirror in the pic shows the Queen looking at a series of Kings (on the right) who were deposed by Jesuits (on the left).

His magic mirror must have been impressive as Nostradamus later became physician and counsellor to the French royal family.

As for the Nostradamus predictions in general they are very obscure and could be interpreted in numerous ways. It's easier to link things, that have happened in the past, to his quatrains than reading them and seeing the future. In other words he's better in hindsight, which defeats the object really.

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