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24 Sep 2003 @ 10:59, by craiglang. Diary
One thing I have noticed in my wanderings from breadcrumb to breadcrumb is that there are a whole lot of people doing pretty much the same thing. Since there seem to be quite a number of people on NCN who are in a similar transitionary phase, I thought I would share some of my experiences in this arena.
Yesterday, as part of my on-going casting-about, stumbling from breadcrumb to breadcrumb, I paid a visit to the University of Minnesota Alumni services - specifically the Minnesota Career and LifeWork Center. I've known others who have worked with them before, and what I've heard is that these folks are good. And one thing I have learned is that often it is usually good to get the help of others who are most knowledgeable about such matters. So I decided to take advantage of this resource, myself.
It struck me how many people there must be who are in career transition in a similar manner. The biggest hint was that there was quite a long wait to get in for an opening appointment. To me this says volumes about how common this whole scenario is.
But yesterday, I did get in, and the results were quite productive. What suprised the counselor was that I had already done the homework that they have most people do as part of their program. My sense was that while alot of people may not have done their homework, probably those who have been in the midlife-transition scenario for awhile have thought about this alot. And so, if they are anything like me, they will have by-default gone through alot of these mental gymnastics, often with the corresponding paperwork to go with it.
There are the ubiquitous tests:
Myers-Briggs - done that (E-N-T/F-J)
Strong-Campbell - done that
Disc Assessment - done that
Highlands Ability Battery - done that...
Done all of 'em - some several times. So for this kid, it was time to take action.
I noted that in this service, the people I talked to were quite open to the more esoteric side of the search. Though perhaps not all as knowledgeable about spiritual considerations in a professional environment, it was not new to them. And what they were good at is how to find leads, based upon well established interests. So I got some pretty good insights on the more spiritual side of the path, as well as some rather worldly leads.
One thing that seems to be the case is that most people who have a significant esoteric interest will likely travel on a dual track (at least for awhile) - One side being the day-job, and the other being the spiritual/esoteric track. At some point they may combine, but the phrase "don't quit your day job" is often very appropriate. It's just something we have to live with. The trick is to make the day-job be a enjoyable and compatible experience for as long as one is in that track.
So, to that end they did have alot of ideas - some about finding different optins [...I will be vague about this, as this is going out over the net, and at some point someone like my boss might see it :)... ] and the other about making your current situation more meaningful [hear that, Boss? :)...].
So, while this was pretty much of a concrete and "business-y" thing, taking advantage of resources such as the lifework center can often be a very good move.
Again, for those who are interested, the above may be just a re-statement of the obvious - maybe even greeted with a big "duh!". But often I've found that hearing someone's experiences in such a way can be helpful. I hope this is helpful to someone out there.
Let me know if it IS helpful, if you have comments - or even if you have an idea for the next breadcrumb... :-)
Namaste,
-Craig Read More
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21 Sep 2003 @ 20:28, by craiglang. Diary
Something interesting and deeply meaningful, came through tonight during our monthly meditation circle at Pathways.
Once a month, we meet for what we call the "Dome Meditation" circle, and pass into a visionary trance for about an hour. Each person in the circle is encouraged to speak out about whatever they percieve. And tonight was a beaut... Read More
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14 Sep 2003 @ 14:20, by craiglang. Inspiration
Some interesting insights occurred to me last night as I enjoyed one of the more amazing classical concerts I have ever seen. It was the Minnesota Orchestra's season opener, and they were at their classical best - playing Rachmananoff's Piano Concerto #3, and Beethoven's Fifth Symphony.
These amazing works of creativity from earlier times brought out very different but very complimentary qualities. One was that of the individual prodigy. The "Rach 3" may well be the most difficult piano music known to western civilization - yet the concerto soloist made it look easy. The hypnotist within me marveled at the focused expression on the soloist's face as he seemed to become the music, itself. Although supported by one of the world's best orchestras, this was his moment - a star - a prodigy performer.
The other work was Beethoven's fifth. And here the orchestra itself, together, was the star. Not one person, but all - a synergy of the best and the brightest, combining to produce a work far greater than the sum of its parts. While the Rach-3 was the result of beauty focused primarily on the work of one person, the "B-5" was the result of many egalitarian parts, combined into one magnificent whole.
As the insight popped into my mind, I quickly jotted some notes on the side of my program, and returned my focus to the stage. And then, all too quickly the concert was over. As I was leaving, I wondered - how is this a metaphor for much of what we do each day?
Some of our efforts are individual, and some of our work is collective. While I will never come close to approaching the prodigy levels that I saw on stage (actually, I have no musical talent whatsoever) I still wondered about the many areas of life which can benefit from both individual mastery and collective cooperation. Wouldn't it be nice to feel synergy at the level we heard tonight? And how can we bring our own analog of such mastery - our own gifts - to where they are most needed?
I smiled and folded up the program page with my scrawled. Stuffing it into my shirt pocket we headed home after a lovely evening... Read More
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5 Sep 2003 @ 10:16, by craiglang. Thoughts
I've been reading alot of comments on NCN about what NCN is, is-not, and is-supposed-to-be. And I am wondering about the original intent of the network (comments Ming?). Is NCN supposed to be a premeditated nucleus of a deliberate, collaborative efort? Is it intended to be the springboard for a coherent effort to accomplish a specific goal? Or, is it more of an informal forum? Perhaps a meeting place for discussions, and perhaps more spontaneous efforts by smaller groups. The latter is very consistent with what I've observed. Yet some of the comments seem to be talking about the first idea - a deliberate central focus.
I've seen this discussion in a number of other organizations as well, especially those that are at the forefront of the awakening. Should there be a business-type planning (top-down) or should it be run in a more intuitive (bottom-up) manner? So this question doesn't seem to be unique to NCN.
My own sense is that where NCN is right now is about right. We have a superb forum for discussion and we have seen several great efforts, friendships, and collaborations (and even a marriage) develop from it. It's more of a spontaneous synergy, rather than an organized, coherent effort planned top-down. So in my view what we see now is probably about right.
So like some/many of it's members individually (speaking for myself, at least), I think that NCN is following the breadcrumbs - serving its role synchronistically. And to me, that's good. Read More
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3 Sep 2003 @ 10:51, by craiglang. Diary
I had a fascinating experience this weekend as I took a few moments and just people-watched.
Some of my wife's family, including my six-year-old niece, were in Minneapolis to spend the Labor Day weekend with us. For her, it was the last hurrah before she starts school, so we spent the weekend seeing the sights. One venue was the renaissance festival, and another was Camp Snoopy at the Mall of America. In both places it was very interesting to observe the people who were there. There was a completely different flow to the energy of the two places.
I have noted that each of the few times I've been to the MoA, I have felt an overpowering sense of commercialism. It is the frenetic pace of both people and money that characterize 21st century society - all under one roof. Yet I found that in both places, it was interesting to watch the people, how they acted, their body language, and how they seemed to feel.
The Renaissance Festival was very interesting, and alot of fun. While there, I felt the wonderful atmosphere of fastasy - just plain fun. No one was there for any purpose other than to - just for a while - live in another era. Many of the people I observed wore period-costume, at least to a degree. There was the sense of creativity there that was a delight to behold.
Later that day, we were at the Mall of America so that several of the family could do a couple of rides at Camp Snoopy (the indoor amusement park at the center of the mall). I took the occasion to again observe the people, how they walked and conversed, and how they seemed to feel. There, I noted the fast paced, cosmopolitan atmosphere.
Everything I saw and felt while at the MoA was in stark contrast to what I had observed earlier. Instead of the free-flowing creativity of the "Rennies", I observed a sense of conformity. While both places seemed about equally as crowded, the MoA seemed to have more of a crowded feel to it. This was the 21st century in its archetypal form - stores, lights, and the immediacy we associate with urban America.
To me, The contrast spoke volumes about why our civilization is in the situation it is in at the present time, and why we sometimes need to escape to an earlier time and lighthearted fantasy - even if just for a few hours. Read More
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29 Aug 2003 @ 19:31, by craiglang. Articles
Ming's article on "Doing Things That Work" struck a chord in me. I, like many baby boomers, am at a crossroads of life - that time of transition called midlife crisis. The career and life path of the last 20 years may have been pretty successful, but there is the sense that it is time to move on. So the question: where to go from here?
In the hypnotherapy world, it is said that experience brings empathy. So perhaps my search for the next breadcrumb has made me all the more sensitive to this same issue in others. And recently I have had a number of hypnotherapy clients dealing with just that issue:
- What should I do next?
- I don't like where I am in life...
- But I don't know what my life path should really be, instead
- What is my calling in life?
- And how can I make money doing that which I am called to do?
Since thoughts are things, and thoughts create reality through action, perhaps there are some ways in which working with the subconscious can help us to manifest the reality we seek. Read More
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26 Jul 2003 @ 22:17, by craiglang. Diary
Earlier this evening, I made the mistake of cable-surfing past CNN. I saw some more news from Iraq - another ambush, and a few more kids getting killed. For a moment, it was just another piece of news, except that it stuck in my craw, like a stone stuck in my shoe.
I was also reminded of the notion that any of us are at most five links of acquaintance away from anyone else. And so, in a way, these foks could be my own cousins - stuck in a war for what? For the "New American Century"?, For a Haliburton reconstruction contract? The more I thought about it, the angrier I got.
Earlier in the day, I had seen a new sign in front of a neighborhood church: "Pray for our troops". I remembered this. But at about the same time, I remembered some of Eckhart Tolle's writings, and even some of my own comments about opposition and polarity. As I began to say a prayer, the thought came to mind - rather than just pray for the troops, pray for all of those involved. Pray for those who are fighting - on either side. And pray for the noncombatants stuck in the middle. Above all, pray that true peace will come to that part of the world.
I thought more about this after reading Ray's posting on the Nonviolence movement. It gave me hope that peace can come far sooner than I had ever imagined - perhaps even now. What a wonderful thing to hope for.
Perhaps it is possible after all: Real peace, Finding real solutions to the real problems underlying war. Getting to the root cause of war and solving it. Then there will be peace - real peace. So the message I got from this was to pray for peace, for friends and for enemies alike. A true, just, lasting peace - for everybody...
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..... Pray for Peace .....
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 14 Jul 2003 @ 10:39, by craiglang. Articles
This is a copy of the review I just posted on Amazon, of Lisette Larkins new book: "Calling on Extraterrestrials" (I gave it 5 stars).
In this book Lisette larkins (LL) offers a whole new view of the experience that is the close encounter of the Fourth Kind (CE4). As a researcher and hypnotherapist, I have heard many of these same observations from other experiencers. LL describes the CE4 experience from the inside - in a unique way.
Many other books study the phenomenon from the outside, describe the experiencer as a victim, or simply try to debunk the phenomenon. However, this book views encounters from the perspective of the proactive experiencer - working with the phenomenon on its own terms.
To LL, being an experiencer means being in a relationship with the phenomenon. This is the first book to talk about how to take the initiative in the CE4 relationship. It helps you to understand how, and what this could mean in your life.
I noted a few minor issues with the book. One is that LL tends to gloss over the darker side of the phenomenon. Many abductees have much less positive experiences than what the book portrays. But LL simply says that you call the phenomenon to yourself, and experience what you called. So be careful what you wish for. All in all, I thought that she could have said much more about discernment.
Also, I wonder if some of the phenomena she depicts as being E.T. in origin might better be thought of as shamanic. Her examples of contact via nature symbols, shapeshifting, etc., might just as easily be thought of in that light. The question arose in my mind as to just who/what is being contacted. Her view of what an E.T. is seems to be pretty loose. Others may well disagree with her. I thought that this book could have taken a greater look at this.
Much about the book reminded me of many meditative/spiritual-growth paths. I wonder if what LL views as preparing for contact isn't simply a well rounded spiritual practice. Read the book and see for yourelf. Read More
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 13 Jul 2003 @ 13:15, by craiglang. Articles
Here are some thoughts from the 2003 MUFON Symposium, held over the July 4th weekend in Detroit, MI.
1) The UFO phenomenon is just one of a whole series of interlocking mysteries:
- Mysteries of human origins and prehistoric(?) humanity
- Balls of light and crop circles
- Close Encounters and Reality-Transforming Experiences
- Parapsychology and the emerging human consciousness
- Hoaxes and other human hijinx
2) There is some excellent science being done in the UFO field.
- The lights in Hesdalen Norway are being subjected to some solid scientific analysis.
- Crop circle and ground trace analysis being done by W.C.Levengood and the BLT Research Team is producing some excellent results.
- Linda Moulton Howe's presentation on the Brazilian Abduction Evidence case showed some fascinating experimental evidence, which shows that some anomalous things may have occurred there (this is part of a major controversy in UFO studies at the moment)
Whether these results hold up over time will be interesting to see, but they are interesting, to say the least.
3) The presentation by Dan Wright on Close Encounters and the Human Psyche was another fascinating glimpse into the depth and mystery of the close encounter phenomenon. In follow up discussions many of us agreed that we haven't even begun to understand this mystery.
The Annual MUFON conference is one of those times when the widely scattered threads of research, mystery and community all come together to help update the fascinating picture of this strange phenomenon(a). Interesting things are happening in the field of anomaly studies - so stay tuned to the anomaly world, and keep a discerning and open mind. Read More
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 13 Jul 2003 @ 12:40, by craiglang. Articles
Ray Powers just posted some fascinating questions about the big bang. Here is another item which captures the imagination. This hit the news a couple of days ago - but here is the excerpt from the space.com website: Primeval Planet: Oldest Known World Conjures Prospect of Ancient Life Read More
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Exploring the emerging consciousness, the Universal Mind and the coming changes - as well as other general stuff... |
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I had been looking for some time for an on-line forum and collaboration site, and I think that at last I have found it. My hats off to the innovators, creators and maintainers of this site. This e-place is wonderful. |
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