Teal Swan: The Role Of Spiritual Resilience

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I have a very high tolerance for eccentricity and don't mind the foo foo woo woo stuff at all.
But  . . . I hope the financial/economic analysis doesn't get shoved to the side. It's hard to be continuously wrong there year in, year out – waiting for an asteroid that never seems to arrive. But that's money for ya! It's weirder even than the alien bases under Mt. Shasta, where the Lemurians live.  Weirder than the Pleidians. Weirder than Bigfoot even! That's pretty weird stuff.

There's lots of other places for foo foo on the internet, some are pretty ludicrous but some are pretty good. At any rate, Chris I have never once doubted your intellectual integrity and the vigorous probing thoughtfulness of the financial/economic/market analyses presented here – whether posts or podcasts. I find that all very helpful on a few levels – personal and professional.

I hope it keeps coming.

 

 

 

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No ruffled feathers here. Just a big smile after reading your comments.
Your brother in Christ,

Rick

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Steve:  I understand your concern about ruffling feathers.  I have received some interesting replies the few times I have referred directly to my faith when posting here.

I did give you a thumbs up as soon as I read your post but my past experiences kept me from going any further.  I stand convicted by Deaconmn who used his only post in six years to voice his support.

Thanks for sharing and for the posts about Jesus in the historical record. There are a number of His followers here (as you can see from the thumbs up you received) but we tend to be a rather subdued group. Maybe your sharing will help shake us out of our passive silence. 

Thanks again. Another brother in Christ.

JT

 

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Taleb?

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JT / Rick,

Thx so much for the kind words!  

Hopefully these discussions have spurred some on this site to look more closely at the truth claims of Christianity and even to full faith in Christ.  

 

67

It seemed, initially, a very strange question, why Christ wasn’t mentioned in the dead sea scrolls, first because we still do not yet have full access (not by malice… just by archaeological caution, I suspect). But also, in a very real way they DO mention Christ.
One of the big discussions between Jews and Christians, from a Christian standpoint I the verse of the psalm, “they have pierced my and feet”. At the council of Jamnia, it was determined that a yod was out of order, and that it should read “like a lion my hands and feet”, which of course cannot refer to the crucifiction.
The dead sea scrolls have “they have pierced my hands and feet”.
Jesus said that until all was fulfilled, not the smallest yod of the law would be changed.
Technically, this isn’t the law. But the point should still stand.
Here’s my take: if there is a creator who holds all in existance, he is going to be a master communicator, and will also be capable of holding in existance those communications he finds important. So scriptural integrity is a non-issue for those who believe there is such a creator.
So it isn’t lost on me as a Christian, when the Epic of Gilgamesh has Noah telling Gilgamesh to give up his hunt to return his friend from the dead… that unless an immortal dies to bring him back it won’t happen. It isn’t lot on me that the deity who defends humanity is named Ya (a Hebrew name for God, and part of the name of Jesus, “the salvation of ya”.)
It isn’t lost on me that we have preserved Confuscius discussing the qualities of the true man (which as a Christian I find to be the messiah). It isn’t lost on me that miraculous events repeatedly should have paved the way for Christianity, be it the self-sacrifice of a celtic high priest in five ways, the story of Vilnius built on Flowers, the story of Quetzlcoatl that paved the way for – I blanche with shame to say it – the conquest of Mexico, but also the Christianization of Mexico, the theology of the Waodani Ecuadoian indians, prior to the effectual martyrdom of Steve Saint and four other missionaries.
To me, to leave out the entire message that the whole universe sings TO us is to be deaf as a post.

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Cult Definition
 
The definition of the term ‘cult’ as provided by the Merriam-Webster dictionary 1 covers a variety meanings:
 
1 : formal religious veneration : worship
2 : a system of religious beliefs and ritual; also : its body of adherents
3 : a religion regarded as unorthodox or spurious; also : its body of adherents
4 : a system for the cure of disease based on dogma set forth by its promulgator <health cults>
5 a : great devotion to a person, idea, object, movement, or work (as a film or book); especially : such devotion regarded as a literary or intellectual fad
b : the object of such devotion
c : a usually small group of people characterized by such devotion
 
http://cultdefinition.com/

I would add that the defining feature of a Cult is dogma, the belief that the head guru has all the answers and that any deviation is heresy. 

It is the absence of this malady that makes Paganism superior to the Abrahamic cults.

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A wonderful interview, Chris, and yes, Teal is great. To share my experience, I also had a breakdown of the ego system, crying on the kitchen floor for hours. It happened on 7 October 2013, and I consider this ‘’crash'' my biggest ‘’achievement’’ in life, considering that I am only 35 now :  ) Identification with spirit/God inside is the only way for us to be really happy, ego’s goals are just a sugar rush, an eternal black hole of emotional need. And we can be successful in the world, and it is great, but we can only really enjoy it when we don’t identify with it or are attached to it. What you discussed is greatly portrayed in Wayne Dyer’s movie: the SHIFT. 
 
So yes, to go into the feeling, and release it… this is what brings us beyond the mind…where our true liberation lies.. beyond the mind. 
 
Just as a suggestion, Chris, a person who would be excellent for another conversation like this is Marianne Williamson. How to connect spirituality and the ‘’real world’’…which is actually the illusion of our mortal mind. 
 
Thank you for all your great work. 
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It was common practice for the Romans to crucify regime-averse persons.

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This guy put a somewhat passionate video up on youtube following the interview. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uaGSemQWS_E    If adopting her belief system  means giving up private property rights, then I think she might be misguided.

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If adopting her belief system  means giving up private property rights, then I think she might be misguided.
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As I said previously, I enjoyed this interview. A lot of people clearly didn't, which is fine. Different things work for different people. But why the need to attack Teal?
These are words people have used in the comments to describe her:

  • cold frightful woman
  • psychopath
  • nut case
  • playing a seduction game
  • idiot

Chris interviewed her and posted it on this site. He posted a lengthy intro explaining why, and asked for everyone to practice discernment. Teal deserves the kind of respect that every podcast interviewee deserves. If you don't agree with her message, that is your right. But why the need for personal attacks?

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If you stick around long enough you will be able to recognize an identifiable pattern.Trust me.

75

I usually have Libertarian sympathies, but the gentleman in the video has done some serious harm to that goodwill.

Quite a shallow, uninformed and immature view he's got there.

But, I suppose that was me at one time too…

By the way, none of us have "Private property rights."  That is Libertarian fantasy speak.  I rent my property from my local government which tells me exactly what I can and cannot do with it. 

Finally, one of the very specific things that Teal says about her teachings, and which I reinforced and quite plainly said multiple times to, is that nobody is asking anybody to "adopt their belief system."

In fact the exact opposite was said many times, in different ways.  So really low marks to this person for listening and comprehension, but high marks for allowing their own belief system to misinterpret something about which they could then become righteously indignant.  :)

Remember; discernment.

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JT, Penny, Micheal, et al.,

I know this is a tricky distinction but let's see if we can share our spiritual selves with each other without making this about religion.

I see no upside in that discussion and we specifically forbid the belief based topics because they are divisive.

Spirituality is anything that helps you be more connected and alive.  Feel free to describe how your practices in life help you achieve those aims.  Do you help people?  Meditate or pray in a certain way?

Great!  Let's hear about it.

But this is just not the right site to get into discussions about historical documents, texts, or other 'proofs' that support your belief in One True Way, or however you want to put it.

I uphold and applaud everyone in finding their own path to deeper meaning and fulfillment in life, however they manage that.  There are many paths, and many teachers.  Most of them say exactly the same thing to me when you strip away the social and legal wrappings that got layered on over time.

The divine is within each of us, and we can find that by entering our inner stillness.  

Again, I am 100% interested in hearing from people what works for them and makes them a better person.  

The reason I like Teal Swan is that she makes it clear that our inner transformation and development is up to us.  The only person we can control with 100% certainty is ourself.   Everybody else is dicey to impossible prospect.

Finally, to all the people that could not manage to respond to Teal without resorting to name calling and character assassination, I would ask you to re-read the intro.  Take what you will, and leave the rest.  

If you cannot do that, then the good news is you have a lot of exciting ego discovery in front of you!  :)

 

77

That's one way of looking at it.

Another way is that the land (I'm refraining from calling it property because I think the mindset that name comes from is a big part of the problem) belongs to nobody or to the entire community of life and that we are graciously granted the right to occupy on it only for as long as we can hold on to it.  Those deeds and surveys in the town hall only mean something because we say they do and are able to maintain the infrastructure and organization to enforce it.  In the long term, they're just an illusion.

If we don't treat the land well, or some larger event sweeps over us, we may no longer be able to occupy it or it may become so degraded that it is not worth the effort to occupy.

Last year, I was walking in the woods at the edge of the wetland on state land just outside my neighbor's property about 100 yards from his back yard. This is land that, as far as I can tell, he never uses other than to pay the surveyors to maintain his rather formidable corner markers and posted signs - the only property like this on my street. He yelled down from his backyard "Get off my land."   So the illusion runs deep.

78

It would be instructive to sit down and catalog the number of assumptions the guy who made the video made and just how many times he put words in her mouth by pushing what she said to and beyond the extreme what a reasonable person might construe she meant.
From my perspective, it's safe to say that at least in the United States today, we have pushed individualism way beyond what might be useful into extreme separation, isolation and hyper-consumerisim.  Perhaps you think Teal takes it too far in the other direction, but I would guess that that most of you could see the value in at least a bit more communal style of living.  I mean that in the broadest sense and not necessarily joining the nearest commune if indeed one exists nearby.

79

Tikky-
I saw a number of her other videos.  I noticed that she tends to talk matter of factly about some pretty scary subjects.  That could come across as lacking warmth ("cold, frightful") or otherwise emotionally detached about subjects that many would find more emotionally difficult.

I'm not sure those people were making a personal attack.  Perhaps it is just that particular viewer's genuine emotional response to the interview.  [After thinking about it, I think that some people have a hard time articulating specific types of discomfort so they reduce things to words like "nut job".  I just mentally replaced that with "I did not connect with anything she said."  One of the skills I learned in wine tasting class was to first understand, and then articulate exactly why I didn't like a partcular wine.  "Wow that's crappy" wasn't the right answer.  "It smells like sulfur, overly alcoholic, no fruit and way too much tannin…" that works.]

I have these audio recordings of guided meditations from my teacher.  I find them relaxing.  My mom's partner said at one point that her voice felt like nails on a chalkboard.  He couldn't even stand to be in the same room.  Was that a personal attack?  No, its just how he felt.  I was a bit surprised, since her voice never struck me like that, but - what can you say?  Its just how he felt.

I think the whole subject guarantees a whole lot more diverging opinion than, say, Peak Oil, or sustainable agriculture.  If the numbers say we're not making sufficient discoveries of oil to replace current production, there is not a lot of room for argument.  But spiritual teaching (whatever that is) is a vastly more subjective field.

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QB-

From my perspective, it's safe to say that at least in the United States today, we have pushed individualism way beyond what might be useful into extreme separation, isolation and hyper-consumerisim...
I wish I could give you ten thumbs up for that statement.  While I'm a huge fan of private enterprise and (properly regulated) free markets, what we have now is just insanity - at least on a spiritual plane anyway.

I don't think the system itself needs to be swept away - if the people comprising the system (including the citizens) would just wake up, things would get a whole lot better in a hurry.

The fact that more people inside corrupt organizations are leaking details of immoral activities may be a small sign that individuals may just be starting to feel that they have the power to change things.

81

In my view of health and healing, there are four boxes that need to be ticked if one wants to make rapid change; Mind, Body, Energy, and Spirit.

I have a much longer discourse on each of those, but perhaps I should briefly explain what I mean by energy.   Our bodies are the place where we store our implicit memories, made before our hippocampus forms at ~18 months of age.

The nerves in the body, said to approximately equal in number and weight those in the brain, are doing something.  But what exactly?  What could all those nerves be doing?  Nature had some sort of compelling reason to put them all there…

We now know that the neuroendocrine system, as well as other important homeostasis and response processes, are being run by these nerves.  Makes sense, right?

So when you enter "fight or flight" and you are buzzing with adrenaline, that's a response coordinated and led by some those nerves, the ones that comprise the sympathetic nervous system.

When I say "energy" I think I am mainly referring our electrically driven and highly sensitive nervous system in the body.  It's the place we say "gut check" about and where many people report their intuition is housed.

 It is the place which is somehow interacting with and interpreting and reacting to the outer world.  

At any rate, when that's out of balance all sorts of systemic diseases result.  We are learning more and more what it means to be human and a LOT of our current existence is just, plainly, out of alignment with our human DNA blueprint.  

This movie captures a bit of it extremely well.  Nature vs. nurture.  

If you want to understand where violence and ego-maniacal actions come from, watch this short movie and you'll hopefully appreciate that in most cases it was the impact of damaging child rearing that did the trick.

That is not an indictment of specific parents…in some cases you could be the very best parents in the whole world but the practices of culture itself are unhealthy.

"It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society."

     ~j. Krishnamurti