Providing Value To The World

How are you providing value to the world?

Like many people, your initial answer to this question will probably revolve around what you’re doing to provide value and to contribute towards the upliftment of the world… I write articles on spiritual development, I teach young children, I make environmentally-friendly products, I do voluntary charity work….

As Lightworkers, when we consider providing value to the world, we usually think in terms of doing things like the examples above. They all seem very clearly geared towards assisting others and bettering the world. The value of such activities seems obvious and direct.

What if the answer to the question is something like I meditate every day or I work as an administrative assistant?

Meditating could be seen as a selfish activity – on the face of it, it is not other-oriented. Working as an admin assistant could be seen as a job far removed from traditional Lightworker roles.

However, an argument could be made that meditating calms you down, and that interacting with others later in the day is always much better when you’re in a calm state than when you’re rushed, anxious and worried. Similarly, an argument could be made that dedicated and competent administrative assistants provide value to the companies for which they work by keeping them organised, efficient and effective.

Both of these arguments are true. Yet they only hint at the full extent to which these two activities can be utilised to provide profound value to the world. The key to this lies in your state of being while doing these activities.

This is easy to see when we look at an activity like meditation. Entering into an alpha state and allowing Source energy to flow freely not only has positive benefits for ourselves, but also for the world – this energy ripples out and affects others, even those with whom we don’t come into direct contact during the day. We may not see the immediate impact of our meditative activities beyond our own well-being and positive changes in our relationships with family and friends, but it is there. Research has demonstrated that crime rates and accidents decrease when even a small percentage of the population of an area meditates (the Maharishi Effect).

Okay, so it is easy to add value to the world by meditating. But what if you don’t have time to meditate because you have to get to work as an admin assistant every day? The same principles apply. Even though you may not be sitting in the lotus position chanting Om, you can still bring a meditative state to your work by practising mindfulness and presence. When you are being peace regardless of what activity you are doing, you can bring peace to the world.

I think we can get very caught up in only considering value from a superficial point of view, in the sense that, on the face of it, someone working in an anti-crime charity seems to be adding more value to the world than someone working as an administrative assistant, for example. When we look at things from an energy level, however, the picture may be very different – it is possible that the charity worker is vibrating with anger and fear, whereas the admin assistant may be vibrating with love and peace. The former will ironically be contributing to increasing the very ills that she is trying to work towards decreasing, whereas the latter will be far more effective at decreasing crime and promoting peace, even though that isn’t her official job description.

So… let me ask you again. How are you proving value to the world?

Flow And Buying A House

In my last post on Flow And Intention-Manifestation, I mentioned that my husband and I had recently purchased a house. One of the commenters on that post, T Edwards, asked:

Congratulations on your new home. My question is: do you give credit for bringing it into your life to ‘The Law of Attraction’?

I gave a brief reply to the comment at the time, although I realised that there was much more that I could say on the subject, so much so that I thought I’d take this opportunity to devote a post to it!

I think I should start by saying that I use the term Law Of Attraction to describe principles of how the universe works on an energy level, mainly because it is a term that many people know these days and which can therefore be used as a reference point. For me, however, the principles behind what is popularly termed Law Of Attraction represent deep spiritual beliefs, many of which I was first introduced to as a young child and which I’ve come to understand more deeply over the years. I’m still learning! So, while my answer to T’s question in the comments is that I do give credit to the Law Of Attraction for bringing the house into my life, my use of these principles is a much more spiritual one than popular products like The Secret describe.

My husband and I started looking for a new house to buy in January this year. We had owned our own home in South Africa, but had decided to rent when we moved to Scotland until we had become more settled and familiar with the city of Edinburgh and its surrounding countryside, and had a good idea of which area we wanted to live in.

I had started thinking about our ideal house when we first made the decision to move to Scotland and I knew a house purchase would arise in the next year or so. I developed a picture in my head of what it would look like (based on both my and my husband’s intentions, which are thankfully exactly the same when it comes to houses and decoration thereof!), and even drew a floor plan and a 3D picture of what it looked like. This picture was continually refined, and by the time January came round, I could see our ideal house extremely clearly in my head. It had the same status in my mind as the house we owned in South Africa, in the sense that it was as real to me as a house that I had actually lived in. I knew our ideal house intimately!

When it came to the details of our ideal house, we had some non-negotiables as well as some nice-to-haves. We were also clear that the house had to reflect the Divine qualities of love, peace and joy. We were looking for a house that felt like home the second we stepped through the door. In terms of finances, we planned to use the money from the sale of our house in South Africa as a deposit towards buying a house in the UK. Houses in the UK are a tad more expensive than in South Africa – our many Rands gave us a great deposit amount to use here, but unfortunately not enough to purchase a house outright! Nevertheless, we were grateful that we had that money to contribute towards the process as it would keep our mortgage down and make us more attractive to lenders.

The first few months of the house-hunting process were frustrating. Each property we saw matched our requirements to a certain extent, but none included everything we wanted, even when we considered doing renovations. Those that were closer matches were outside our budget, but even those didn’t have the energetic qualities we were looking for.

About four months in, I became very despondent. I started to doubt that we would ever find our ideal house within our budget. I hated the idea that we would have to settle for something far less than we wanted. Even though this was a dark time for me, it was out of this period that I began to clarify my thinking around Flow. I spoke to my guides about it, and I started practicing it in all areas of my daily life. I changed my focus from details and specifics to making Flow my primary focus. I learned to trust that if Flow is present, all else falls into place.

At about this time, the UK started to experience a so-called “credit crisis”, and the news was full of doom and gloom – mortgages were difficult to obtain and house prices were falling. I took the latter quite positively, however – if house prices were falling, it meant we would be able to get more house for our budget! I also chose to ignore the news reports about mortgages, and instead maintain my focus on Flow.

Shortly after this, we walked into the house that we ultimately ended up buying. It felt like home. It matched our intentions perfectly on an energy level. At first glance, it only had some of the non-negotiables that we’d wanted, and none of the nice-to-haves. But, upon closer inspection, we realised that we could easily renovate the house to obtain all but one of the non-negotiables and all but one of the nice-to-haves! Honest reflection showed me that these two unobtainable characteristics were in fact ego-driven wants. I released these, and in the process I realised that these two things that I had thought so important actually weren’t so important after all!

Had there not been a credit crisis, this house would have been out of our budget range by at least £10 000. As it was, we were able to buy it for £30 000 under budget, leaving us with money to spare for all those renovations! Thanks also to some helpful family and friends who are involved in the building trade, we are likely to obtain some hefty discounts on things like kitchen units and bathroom suites.

The actual purchasing process was a beautiful example of Flow. Our dates for giving notice on our flat matched up perfectly with the sellers’ moving date. Through our solicitor, we were put in touch with a financial advisor who organised a mortgage for us at a very good rate. The mortgage application process itself was easy and hassle-free. Our solicitor was amazing – he was efficient and thorough and kept us updated at each step. We essentially sat back and watched the process unfold, doing our small bit (e.g. signing a form, making a telephone call, making a bank transfer – nothing too onerous!) as and when required. In a telephone conversation with the seller at one point, he mentioned to me that he was amazed at how smoothly and easily everything was progressing – I could only agree! With Source energy directing the process, how could it be any different?!

If you’d like to see some pictures of our new ‘hood, you’re welcome to browse through those on our other personal blog.

Flow And Intention-Manifestation

As I mentioned in one of my previous posts (Make up your mind!), I’m a Libra and a Scanner. Consequently, I’m not always clear on the specifics of what I want to do or what I want to have, since there are so many experiences and things that are equally attractive and meaningful to me. No one thing stands out.

Yet, despite this, I am absolutely unequivocally clear about what I want to be. I know exactly which energetic qualities I want to be present in my life.

Clarity is important when it comes to intention-manifestation. But, how specific do we need to be? If we want to manifest a new car, for example, do we need to imagine every detail, from the make and model to the colour and engine size? Or is it more effective to focus our attention instead on the energetic qualities that we associate with having a new car and to be that now?

These are questions that I’ve been putting to my guides. Their response: flow first, specifics later.

Allowing Flow brings us into alignment with energetic qualities such as love, joy, peace and abundance, As such, our physical world will start to change to reflect these. We do not have to direct exactly how we want these qualities expressed, although we can if we so choose.

If we do decide to create something very specific, aligning with the flow of Source energy first makes manifesting these particular features easier. It takes far less effort to channel energy into specific details when we are already in a state of Flow than it does when we are impeding the stream of Source energy.

In addition, the more aligned we are with Flow, the less likely it is that we are attached to any specific characteristics that we decide to include in our intentions and creations. When we find ourselves intending to manifest something very specific, it is a good idea to reflect on why we want those particular physical characteristics. This can entail being very honest with ourselves – do we want a BMW, for example, for ego-based reasons (usually fear-based, such as “people will think less of me if I don’t have an expensive car”), or simply because, to us, it is a fun expression of the energetic quality of freedom? It is when we are truly not attached to specifics that it is best to introduce them into the equation.

I had the opportunity in recent months to undertake some of this reflection for myself. My husband and I bought a house (the legal and administrative process is now complete, and we move in today in fact!). When we first walked through the front door of the house at the initial viewing, it felt like coming home. The house was a perfect energetic match for what we had intended. Yet, very few of the specific physical details that we had wanted were present. Upon reflection, I realised that some of the characteristics that I had wanted to manifest in my ideal house were very much the choices of my ego. It was an eye-opening process, but one from which I was able to bring some more limiting beliefs into my conscious awareness to work on releasing them. As for the other characteristics to which I had no ego attachment… well, it turned out on closer inspection of the house at the second viewing that we’d be able to make some fairly minor alterations to the property to bring it in line with what we wanted!

All in all, our house-hunting and house-buying were a wonderful example of flow in action. The timing of the purchase and move for both us and the sellers was spot-on in terms of our respective life circumstances and requirements, and the entire legal, financial and administrative process has proceeded very smoothly and effortlessly. I’m certainly intending for the flow to continue on moving day itself!

I’m also intending for the effects of flow to extend to BT (British Telecom) and our internet service provider connecting everything at the new property as arranged, so please leave your comments – I’ll be popping in to reply to them!

Row, Row, Row Your Boat… But Mind That Obstacle!

This is Part 2 of a series on Flow. If you haven’t yet read part 1, you can find it here.

Row, row, row your boat
Gently down the stream
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily
Life is but a dream.

The feeling of free-flowing Source energy is beautiful and blissful. The stream of Source energy may be powerful and deep, yet it is also gentle and supportive. Whether we choose to surf the flow, or row our boat down the energy stream, the experience is one of effortlessness and joy.

Or at least, it can be. Often, however, it seems that we’re determined to turn what can be an easy journey into an obstacle course! The following are some of the most common obstacles that we tend to create and which end up impeding flow.

Barriers
Resistance is supposedly futile. Yet, even though we may know better, we often find ourselves resisting what is – we should be in a more enjoyable job, our parents should stop treating us like children, our children should be more polite, our financial situation should be better, the world should be a safer place….

The more we resist, the more drained we feel. Emotions like anger, worry and fear deplete energy. And so we start building barriers with the best of intentions – we want them to protect us by keeping what we don’t want out and by keeping our precious energy in.

The thing is, Source energy doesn’t stop moving. By its very nature, it flows. This means that it keeps building up behind the barrier, placing pressure on the structure. At some point, the barrier will break. If a barrier is small and weak to begin with, breaking it down will be fairly easy and the aftermath minor. However, for many of us, barriers are not so easily broken down. We’ve been building them for years, adding layers and layers to our defences until they are really thick and strong. When the structure finally breaks, it is often explosive and destructive as all the pent up energy is finally released – we have a nervous breakdown because of work stress, for example, or we lash out in anger at our parents or children, saying things and taking actions that we later regret.

Diversions
When we build barriers, we place a great deal of our attention on the areas concerned. We’re constantly vigilant, maintaining our defences and always wary of attack. In contrast, there are sometimes areas of our lives from which we choose to totally withdraw our focus. These may be areas that we are uncomfortable looking at, or areas in which we’re unsure what the next step to take is. For example, we may be unsure how to change our work situation to one that we are passionate about. Maybe we’ve tried a few things that didn’t seem to work, and rather than give more creative energy to this area, we decide to give up. We go through the motions, but our energy investment is nil.

What we’ve done in this type of situation is create a diversion, channelling Source energy away from one area to instead focus it on others in which we feel we can make a difference. When Source energy isn’t allowed to flow into a particular area, however, the result is that we experience stagnation in that area.

Hooks
Whereas it’s very clear that barriers and diversions are self-created, being hooked usually feels like it is caused by someone else – as you row down the Source energy stream, someone standing on the bank casts out their fishing line, hooks onto you, and reels you out of the flow and into their drama.

The irony is that we can’t be hooked unless we’re hook-able. Hooks are all about attachment – others can only hook us if we provide the attachments for them to hold on to. It may feel like they are the ones attached to us, but the reality is that we are the ones with the attachments to others’ dramas, and it is only us that can release these.

If you’d like to read more on hooks specifically, I’d suggest that you delve into the excellent series that Christine Kane did on the subject.

Heavy Baggage
Some of us just can’t pack light – we need ten suitcases for a weekend away and wonder how on earth others manage to fit everything they need into one little carry-on bag!

Energy-wise, we can also carry tremendous metaphorical baggage with us. All those old unresolved issues weigh us down, making our journeys in the stream of Source energy slow and sluggish. We think we need all this extra “stuff”, and we are so used to carrying it around with us that it has become part of our identity.

Undercurrents
Undercurrents work below the surface of our lives. They are insidious and subtle, yet they affect every aspect of our lives and they can prevent us from fully experiencing flow. Undercurrents are the often unconscious scripts that underlie our behaviour and choices. Some common scripts include “I’m not worthy”, “I’m unlovable”, and “I’m insignificant”.

We have to look closely at our lives to identify the patterns that keep repeating themselves. In this way, we can identify the undercurrents and bring them to the surface. In the light, we can see that these scripts do not represent who we truly are, and we can change them to ones more aligned with the energy of flow.

Over to you… Have you ever come across these obstacles to flow? Are there any further obstacles you experience in your own life or that you’ve noticed in others?

Surfing The Flow

Don’t you just love it when life flows? I certainly do!

In psychological terms, the word flow is used to describe a state in which we are so fully immersed in an activity that we feel energised, focused and involved, and as a result experience a distorted sense of time and effortless of action. It is an ego-less state in which we are completely present. Flow is a concept integral to the field of Positive Psychology, and its main proponent is the man with the virtually unpronounceable name, Mihály Csíkszentmihályi (those in the know say it is pronounced Mee-high Chick-sent-mee-high-ee, but apparently his friends just call him Mike!).

In spiritual terms, however, flow is quite literally Source energy flowing through us. It is possible to feel this energy flow tangibly. It is a strong and powerful energy stream that contains within it a deep sense of love, joy and peace. It is graceful, abundant and expansive. When Source energy is flowing freely, we experience the psychological state described above in relation to our daily activities.

There is an element of surrender involved in the process, in that flow can’t be forced. It can only be allowed. It is when we get out of our own way that we can be a conduit for Source energy to flow through us into the world. That said, once we’re in the energy stream, there is an interplay between letting it carry us forward and co-creating our journey along the way. We’re not so much going with the flow as we are surfing the flow!

I’m going to be exploring the concept of flow over the next few blog posts, looking at subjects like work, health, relationships and money from the perspective of flow. I’ll also be discussing the topic of how flow relates to manifesting intentions, and the different types of blockages that affect flow. I look forward to you joining me throughout this series, and as always, to hearing your thoughts as we delve into the subject!

In The Beginning Was The Word. Or, What’s In A Name?

According to a small book published in 1929, our names carry vibrations which strongly affect the development of our personalities and the events that we experience during our lives.

Veolita Parke Boyle, the author of the book (Fundamental Principles Of Yi-King, Tao: The Cabbalas Of Egypt And The Hebrews) asserts that the universe operates according to energy vibrations, and that each form vibrates at a particular frequency. Letters are considered no exception to this, as each on its own and spoken together as a word forms a particular sound, which invokes a particular vibrational frequency.

Our names, always associated with us, ensure that their particular vibrations remain connected to us. These vibrations, in turn, attract life circumstances to us that resonate with the same frequency. The system outlined by Veolita Parke Boyle argues that it is possible to manifest different circumstances by changing one’s name, although she cautions that this does not imply that no effort will ever be required again. Instead, changing one’s name to a vibration more favourable to what one intends to manifest would eliminate unnecessary struggle and busywork, although inspired action would still be required.

This system is considered completely different from numerology. For example, first names and surnames are not reduced to a single digit, but are treated separately (although the effect of each on the whole is considered). Each name also has an undertone, which is worked out mathematically from the name’s primary tone, and which can modify the effect of the primary tone in either a positive or negative direction.

Laurence Y Payg (pronounced “page”) has been featured on TV a lot in the last week or so here in the UK, as the country’s only professional analyser of names using the method outlined by Veolita Parke Boyle. He is famous for changing Laura Hollins’ name to Agyness Deyn (pronounced “Agnes Dean”), whose subsequent success as a supermodel is attributed to the choice of a name more vibrationally aligned to success.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this… do you think our names have their own vibrations as the theory states? Or is it that changing our names leads us to think differently about ourselves, and those thoughts change our intentions and what we manifest into our lives?

Lynne McTaggart: The Intention Experiment

A couple of chapters into Lynne McTaggart’s book, The Intention Experiment, I was disappointed. Bored and disappointed. Two emotions I certainly didn’t expect to feel while reading a book on one of my favourite topics, the intersection of science and psi.

It took me a while to figure out why I was feeling like this. It wasn’t that the book didn’t contain information from scientific studies on esoteric subjects such as meditation and intentions and healing. It did, and those studies in themselves were interesting. The studies presented do make one think about the connections between all living things and the power of the mind to affect matter. I finally realised, however, that I was battling to connect with Lynne’s writing style. It reminded me of some students’ literature reviews that I used to evaluate when I was an academic as well as of some journal articles that I would be asked to review – competent, don’t get me wrong, very competent, but “disconnected”. By this, I mean, they would present many scientific facts and figures, lists of studies and results, but ultimately not really tie these together in any coherent way to give the literature review a sense of continuity and a central critical argument (possible, even when one is trying to fairly present both sides of a debate).

I persevered with The Intention Experiment, however, and it did get better. By the time the final two or three chapters came round, linkages between sections and a critical viewpoint were emerging.

The last section of the book presents some very practical guidelines related to setting and sending an intention. I found these very helpful and probably enjoyed this section, which applied the results of the scientific studies to very specific exercises, the most. The book is further linked to Lynne’s website, where you can join a community, discuss your own and others’ experiences as well as participate in ongoing group intention experiments.

My criticisms above notwithstanding, I am still very grateful to Lynne McTaggart (and all the scientists mentioned in her book) for their continued work to understand the nature of the universe and to make it accessible to everyone.

How Negative Can Equal Positive

Sometimes, the best way to get positive is to get negative… negative air ions, that is!

A negative air ion is formed when an oxygen molecule gains an electron. Since electrons are negatively charged, the addition of one to a previously neutral molecule results in the molecule as a whole becoming negatively charged. The extra electron comes from another molecule that has been broken apart by means of energy acting upon it.

Since this energy is most often in the form of sunlight or moving air and water, it comes as no surprise that negative air ions are found in abundance in natural environments, which can contain about 4 000 negative air ions per cubic centimetre. In comparison, a typical city environment will contain less than 100 negative air ions per cubic centimetre as a result of the neutralising effects of various pollutants and synthetic materials as well as the presence of objects (such as computer monitors) that create positive air ions instead. Whereas positive air ions have a draining effect on us, negative air ions help to regulate our levels of serotonin and increase the flow of oxygen to our brains, resulting in us experiencing increased energy, greater alertness, decreased depression and relief of stress.

Various negative ion generators (or ionisers) are available in the marketplace to increase the concentration of negative air ions in your home or office. If you plan to invest in one of these, it is best to do some research prior to purchase, as not all such generators are effective. An alternative is to spend some time in your home’s own built-in negative ion generator… your shower! In nature, one of the best generators of negative air ions is a waterfall – the falling action causes electrons to break apart from the water molecules and attach themselves to oxygen molecules in the surrounding air. An indoor shower achieves the same effect, giving a whole new meaning to “washing away the stresses of the day”!

Quantum Leaping: How Long Does It Take For Change To Occur?

Teachings on the Law Of attraction focus a great deal on the issue of vibrational frequency, specifically on how to become a vibrational match for those things or experiences that you want to attract into your life. Changing our vibrational frequency feels like a process that takes time – after all, we spend time in meditation or visualisation, and we have limiting beliefs that we need to work through. Would it therefore surprise you if I said that changing our energy state from one frequency to another actually takes no time at all?

The types of activities that we associate with changing our energy state (e.g. visualisation) are an important part of the process. However, while they are preparatory activities that contribute to and lead up to the point of a change in vibrational frequency, they do not represent the change in energy state itself. This change occurs instantaneously. We can feel when the shift has happened – a sense of certainty exists that wasn’t there before. Potentiality has been converted to actuality.

What occurs when our vibrational frequency changes is akin to a quantum leap (also referred to as a quantum jump). An atom consists of negatively charged electrons orbiting around a positively charged nucleus, in much the same way that planets orbit the sun. Each orbit is fixed, and electrons can only travel on these specified pathways. When an electron jumps from one orbit to another, changing its energy state as it does so, this is referred to as a quantum leap, so called because the electron either gains or loses a quantum of electromagnetic energy (i.e. a fixed amount of energy known as a ‘photon’) in the form of light when it jumps. This change in energy is instantaneous and discontinuous – the electron jumps from energy level A to energy level B without passing any of the energy levels in between. It is a change that takes no time at all.

It takes observation of the atom to initiate a quantum leap, transforming the electron from a fuzzy state of potentialities into a particular point in time and space. As such, triggering a change in our vibrational frequency from one level to another is achieved by means of making a firm decision regarding our intentions and desires. Until we commit to what we want, it remains only a possibility. It is our decision, focus and attention that ensure that it manifests into the physical.

Seeing Things? Part 5 – Reflections And Conclusions

It is possibly because of how psychic abilities are portrayed in movies and television programmes that people develop expectations of being able to see energy or spiritual entities via their physical eyesight, and give their visual experiences prominence over many other ways of interacting with the spiritual world. As a result, confusion can develop over what constitutes a proper “psychic vision”, and many common physical visual conditions can be misinterpreted as having a paranormal foundation.

Throughout this series of posts exploring the main examples of commonly misinterpreted conditions, I’ve been reflecting on the implications of unquestioningly accepting paranormal explanations for visual experiences (beyond the obvious consequences, such as those from ignoring potentially serious physical ailments like a detached retina). I’ve come to the following conclusions:

When we are focused on seeing the spiritual world via our physical eyes, we can shut down our “spiritual sight” rather than opening it. Although psychics in movies are shown seeing spiritual entities external to themselves, it is far more common for people with psychic abilities to see energy and entities via their mind’s eye, which is developed and strengthened by nurturing an internal connection to Source energy.

This connection and the flow of Source energy is blocked when we keep ourselves “trapped” in the physical by looking for external evidence of the spiritual. It is especially difficult to maintain this connection when we become desperate to see signs of the spiritual in the physical world and begin labelling every anomalous visual experience we have as paranormal.

When we stop practicing discernment in spiritual matters we do ourselves a disservice. We can be distracted by “false” paranormal occurrences at the expense of seeing what is really there. Do we really want to be so focused on the face we see in the tree bark that we miss the angel standing behind us? When we allow ourselves to open up to a real and profound spiritual connection, it becomes clear that the types of visual experiences discussed in this series of blog posts are exceptionally poor imitations of the real thing.

Not practicing discernment also has wider implications than those that affect us personally. Not only do we lose our own ability to identify real paranormal occurrences, but, like the boy who cried wolf, we also damage others’ belief and trust in us and in the paranormal itself.

Do you have any further thoughts on the implications of non-discernment in spiritual matters? I’d love to hear them – please leave a comment below!

This is Part 5 of 5 in a series exploring common visual experiences often mistaken for paranormal occurrences. The other posts in the series are as follows:
* Part 1 - Floaters
* Part 2 - Flashes Of Light
* Part 3 - Pareidolia
* Part 4 - Retinal Fatigue & Afterimages

Seeing Things? Part 4 – Retinal Fatigue & Afterimages

Stare at the white dot in the centre of the following image for 30 seconds, and then look at a blank white wall or piece of white paper. What do you see?


Well, it’s kind of obvious that it’s the American Flag, right? That much is clear from the image above! The illusion in this case, however, is that when you transfer your gaze to a blank white wall afterwards, the red, white and blue of the flag appear correctly. This optical effect is known as an afterimage and it is caused by retinal fatigue.

Our retinas contain two types of photoreceptor cells that convert light coming into our eyes into signals that are sent to and interpreted by our brain – rods are sensitive to light and dark, and cones are sensitive to red, green and blue light. Together, red, green and blue light make white light, and other colours are a combination of different mixtures of these three primary colours, as seen in the image below.


When we stare at an image for at least 30 seconds, the cones that are maximally sensitive to the colour of that image become tired and stop transmitting signals to the brain. For example, fixating on a blue spot will cause cones sensitive to blue light to experience fatigue. When we then transfer our gaze to a white wall, even though all three primary light colours are entering our eyes, no blue is transmitted to our brain. Our brain therefore only receives red and green light, which it will interpret as yellow (red and green combined). It is for this reason that afterimages always appear to be the opposite or complementary light colour to the original image. As the cones recover, the afterimage will fade.

Although our eyes are fixated on a particular point when doing exercises such as this, it doesn’t mean that our eyes are completely steady. They do move slightly and this can also cause us to start seeing an object’s complementary colour around the edges of the object, particularly if we have been staring at an object placed against a plain background. This phenomenon can occur just as easily when the “object” in question is a person, in that the colour of a person’s hair, skin and clothes can all contribute to retinal fatigue of the corresponding cones if stared at for a long period of time.

While I in no way doubt the existence of an energy field (or aura) surrounding people, it is for the abovementioned reason that I am sometimes doubtful of various claims to have seen auras, especially if the reported aura appears to be complementary in colour to the person’s clothes. I am also doubtful of the method often cited to teach people to see auras, which involves staring at a person (or yourself in a mirror) sitting against a plain white background for an extended period of time, as these are prime conditions required to induce retinal fatigue and create an afterimage.

[Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons]

This is Part 4 of 5 in a series exploring common visual experiences often mistaken for paranormal occurrences. The other posts in the series are as follows:
* Part 1 - Floaters
* Part 2 - Flashes Of Light
* Part 3 - Pareidolia
* Part 5 - Reflections & Conclusions

Seeing Things? Part 1 - Floaters

Do you sometimes see grey or semi-transparent dark-edged specks, strands or squiggly lines in your field of vision, particularly if you are looking up at the clear sky or at a blank wall? As I’m writing this, I’m aware of seeing a couple against the white of my MS Word page –one is circular in shape, transparent with a dark nucleus and dark ring around its edge, while the other looks like a tiny grey worm! They are similar in appearance to the ones in the picture below.


People who experience these usually have one of two reactions: either they fear that there is something drastically wrong with their eyes or vision, or if they are interested in the paranormal, they often get excited that they are seeing energy or evidence of a spirit’s presence. The truth is much more prosaic than either of these, however.

These specks, strands or cobwebs are called floaters, otherwise known in technical medical terms as muscae volitantes, and they are a very common eye condition, particularly amongst middle-aged or nearsighted people. They develop when the vitreous gel, the clear jelly-like substance that fills the back two-thirds of our eye, undergoes very natural changes as we age – small pockets of liquid form within the vitreous, the strands of collagen within the vitreous become thicker and denser, and the vitreous shrinks and detaches from the back of the eye. The shapes that we see are actually the shadows cast by these liquid pockets or collagen strands floating in the vitreous as light travels through the vitreous to the retina. Because the floaters are in our eyes, they move with our eyes, either drifting across our vision or darting away as we try to focus on them directly.

Although the changes mentioned above may sound worrying, there is usually no cause for concern and they generally don’t affect vision beyond being mildly annoying. Our brains can adapt to the floaters’ presence and will learn to ignore them for the most part. Floaters also tend to decrease in size or darkness over time, or “settle” at the bottom of our eyes below our line of sight. However, if you experience a sudden increase in the number of floaters that you can see, or if your floaters change significantly, it is recommended that you visit an eye care professional, such as an optometrist or opthalmologist, so that they can check the health of your retina.

[Image credit: Acdx on Wikimedia Commons]

This is Part 1 of 5 in a series exploring common visual experiences often mistaken for paranormal occurrences. The other posts in the series are as follows:
* Part 2 - Flashes Of Light
* Part 3 - Pareidolia
* Part 4 - Retinal Fatigue & Afterimages
* Part 5 - Reflections & Conclusions

The Fifth Dimension Is Love

Years ago, long before I’d ever heard of the Law Of Attraction in any way, shape or form, I had a dream about the underlying energy structure of the universe. My dreams generally fall into three categories, each of which has a completely different feel to it – Processing dreams (just the brain tidying up, filing away all the many things it has seen and heard), Symbolic dreams (sleep-time therapy, using a mixture of standard dream symbols and personal imagery that I know how to interpret to find the meaning of the dream sequences), and lastly, Instructional dreams (teachings and messages from spiritual beings, usually one on one). My dream about the energy structure of the universe fell into this third category.

I found myself in a dark space. It felt like a classroom, in that I knew its purpose was a place for teaching and learning, but it didn’t look like an earthly classroom. No walls, no doors, no blackboards. Just a vast dark space. I couldn’t see anyone, least of all myself. I was an awareness without a body. At no point did I feel any fear.

Then I started seeing imagery of the world, but at an energy level, with each person’s current vibrational frequency represented by numbers. Probably the best way of describing what this looked like to me was something similar to the restaurant scene in The Matrix Reloaded, in which Neo, Trinity and Morpheus see everything in that greenish Matrix code. Seeing that made me wonder if the Wachowski brothers ever had a similar instructional dream to mine! As the imagery was presented to me, I came to understand that each person could change their vibrational frequency and that this would have an effect on their physical experiences.

While this understanding seemed to just “download” into my brain, without any words being spoken, there was a spiritual being with me who was speaking to me at the same time. I never saw the being, just heard its voice. The being was androgynous, in that the voice didn’t seem to be clearly male or female. It was, however, far from robotic, and was instead rich, powerful and loving. As the imagery flashed before me, the spiritual being kept on asking me, “Do you understand? Do you understand now?” I can still hear that voice clearly in my head!

As I watched the images, again the understanding was “downloaded” into my head that this energy level was the fourth dimension to the universe, underlying both space and time. As I started to pull away and wake up, I realised that I hadn’t yet asked the next logical question. It popped into my head: “If this is the fourth dimension, then what is the fifth?”

As I woke up, I heard the spiritual being’s voice echoing in my head: “The fifth dimension is love.”

Deal? Or No Deal?

I love the TV show Deal Or No Deal. I’m pretty sure that it’s available in various countries, but just in case you haven’t ever seen it, you can find a summary of the game here.

Although the contestant pool for the game is constantly changing, this happens slowly as only one person leaves per game to be replaced the next day by a new contestant. As a result, players remain in the game for an average of about 25 shows, and are fairly well known to the audience by the time their turn to play comes around. The show is therefore personal. And yet… it’s not.

It’s personal because we get to know the players’ stories – from people who’ve overcome major life challenges, to those wanting to take their children on the holiday of a lifetime, to students needing to pay off student loans, to couples getting married and buying houses, to retired folk who want to be able to treat their grandchildren and also live comfortably in their old age… every one of them is special. They are good people. We want them to win big. We want them to have the money. We feel that they deserve it. Then they go home with a small amount of money, and we feel disappointed and gutted. It seems so unfair that the Universe should treat them this way after all they’ve been through. It seems so unfair that good people are not rewarded as they should be.

And yet… it’s impersonal because, at the end of the day, it’s all about energy, and energy just is. Each player has a particular energy vibration. The Universe is not out to “get them”, or reward them. The Universe simply matches the vibration of each person’s energy field. Each player’s reality conforms to their energetic alignment. A friendly, caring contestant may leave the show with very little money, not because they are being punished, but simply because they may be energetically aligned with a scarcity mentality. In a game of money, beliefs related to abundance and scarcity are paramount.

This phenomenon is not confined to a show like Deal Or No Deal. It plays out in every aspect of our lives. The reality of our relationships, career, health and financial circumstances simply matches our energetic frequency.

Does the impersonal nature of energy mean that the Universe doesn’t care about us? No – on the contrary, the Universe is loving and supportive. But it doesn’t make decisions related to worthiness or deservingness. God, the angels and our spirit guides want the best for us. They can guide us along our paths, but ultimately we have free will and they cannot make our choices regarding thoughts, beliefs and actions for us.

What this does mean, is that we are empowered to create a life of abundance in every form. Love, happiness, health, wealth – all are choices that we can make freely and hence all are within our reach. The Universe is abundant, and this abundance is available to all of us all of the time, but it is our decision whether to allow that abundance into our reality. The Universe doesn’t withhold its treasure, but sometimes we turn our backs on it.

When the Universe offers you abundance, what will you say? Deal? Or no deal? It's up to you.

GTA4 And Violence In The Media

Grand Theft Auto 4 (GTA4) has just been released, much to the delight of gamers. It is, without a doubt, a violent game, and as a result, it has also prompted the usual television panel discussions and newspaper editorials regarding whether or not violent games and movies lead to violent acts being committed in society.

Gamers vehemently deny any such link, most of them making the point that it is “just a game” and that it would never prompt them to go out into the world to perpetrate, copy-cat style, the violent acts that they see during gameplay. On the other hand, cases exist of people seemingly doing just that – for example, after spending hundreds of hours playing a previous release of Grand Theft Auto in 2003, 18 year old Devin Moore Thompson gunned down three men (two police officers and a 911 dispatcher) in the town of Fayette, Alabama. For every Devin, however, there are millions of other gamers who have never (and would never) follow through on what they do during a game. And so the argument continues, round and round in circles.

Because of cases like Devin’s, it is often assumed that any link between violence portrayed in a game or movie and violent acts committed in real life will be a direct one. In other words, people assume that the gamer or viewer themselves will be the perpetrator of any violence, acting out what they have practiced or seen in the virtual world. While I think it is perfectly possible that this is a plausible scenario, I also think that the situation is a bit more complex than this.

At an energy level, what we think about creates our reality – including changing our physical brains. For someone like Devin, with a troubled history, anger was already a predominant way of interacting with the world. Playing a violent video game would have further entrenched these thoughts in his mind. Given that the “wiring” of the prefrontal cortex (the brain’s impulse control centre which allows us to think ahead to the potential consequences of our actions) is not fully completed until one’s early 20s, Devin would have been continually reinforcing neural connections during his teens that supported angry and violent patterns of behaviour. In a situation perceived as threatening, Devin’s actions merely corresponded to what he had trained his brain to do.

So why don’t more gamers duplicate the violent acts that their avatars perpetrate during a game? At an energy level, I think there are various contributory factors. For example, gamers who, prior to even engaging with a game, are already aligned with a more positive energy frequency, will have differently wired brains. Playing a violent game will not be enough to significantly alter physical brain structure, or permanently change their predominant thought patterns away from the game. Another factor to consider in this regard is how easily gamers are able to detach from the energy of the game after ending their gaming session. The more someone ruminates on the violent scenarios contained in a game like Grand Theft Auto after playing it, the more their thought patterns and hence their physical reality will be affected. Both of these factors just mentioned assume that the gamer is engrossed in the game, and hence aligned with the energy of violence, while playing it. However, it is also possible that some gamers can remain detached from the game in an energy sense, even during game play – they will still enjoy the game for what it is, but their level of conscious awareness is sufficiently high that they can maintain an objectivity towards the violence, maintain present moment awareness rather than getting lost in the game, and consequently remain at a high positive energy level throughout, For such gamers, the game may not change their vibrational alignment at all.

I think the number of gamers falling into the latter category are, however, small, and that the vast majority fall into the other groups, in which their vibrational alignment shifts temporarily while playing the game. As a result, even though these gamers would not commit violent acts themselves, I do think their playing of violent games contributes to the level of violence in the world – at an energy level, the effect of millions of gamers changing their vibrational alignments, albeit temporarily, to ones of anger and violence, affects the collective consciousness, and consequently reality mirrors this negative energy level in the world. I think this indirect link is often ignored during discussions of the effect of games like GTA4 on the world, yet I think it is far more insidious.

I’m not suggesting that we start getting all controlling and rush about censoring all violent games (and movies). I would far rather see the small group of gamers who are able to remain detached from the energy of such games increase. There is evidence that humanity’s collective consciousness is changing – many more people than before are starting to consider spiritual issues (the number of people tuning in to Oprah’s webcasts with Eckhart Tolle is an example of this). As this continues to grow, it is possible that we will see an increase in conscious gamers. It is interesting to consider that, although this group may continue to play violent games for a while, as their and humanity’s consciousness increases, it is likely that the nature of gaming will change too as the content of such games changes to reflect the new reality of a higher level of consciousness.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this subject – please leave a comment and share!

Resisting What Is

Today marks the second day of strike action at the Grangemouth Refinery here in Scotland. The employees are protesting against changes to their pension schemes. The employees return to work tomorrow. As this particular refinery provides fuel to about 80% of the country, shutting it down during the strike will have an effect on the supply chain. However, there are sufficient fuel stocks in reserve to cover ten weeks of normal petrol consumption levels. In addition, more fuel stocks can be brought in if required.

Given the information above (which I’ve tried to keep as objective as possible) how do you, as a petrol consumer, react?

Do you:
* Get upset and verbalise this in your conversations with others by saying things like “This is ridiculous! I don’t understand how this can be allowed to happen! These employees shouldn’t be allowed to strike and cause a disruption to petrol supplies!”
* Rush to the nearest petrol station to fill up your car, convinced that supplies will run out despite assurances to the contrary. As you do this, you are experiencing feelings of outrage, anxiety and fear that if you don’t act quickly others will get in there before you, leaving you with no petrol for your car.
* Watch the news footage of queues at petrol stations and reports of some running out of stocks, and feel justified that you reacted as you did, telling everyone “I knew this would happen! Thank goodness I got in there quickly!”

Or do you:
* Accept the situation for what it is and go about your normal life, leaving your petrol consumption patterns unchanged.
* Remain calm and present, unaffected by others’ panicked reactions to an imagined future event (no more fuel anywhere).
* Know that you live in an abundant universe and that all your energy needs will always be fulfilled.

The outcome of the first set of reactions to the event is the creation of a reality that matches exactly what people feared – namely competition for fuel and shortages of supplies. The irony in this situation is that these reactions created a self-fulfilling prophecy: as people panicked and changed their normal consumption patterns, demand outstripped supply. Had people not reacted blindly to an imagined future and instead continued to buy fuel at their normal rate, scheduled fuel deliveries would have more than adequately met demand levels, even though the refinery was closed for a few days.

My husband and I made a choice to respond to the event, rather than react unconsciously. Our car was due to be filled up, but it was a task that could wait a couple of days. We went about our daily life, secure in the knowledge that there were sufficient fuel supplies for the country. Sure enough, by the time we had to fill up our tank, the initial rush to petrol stations had died down and we were able to fill up our car during the normal course of our day without any bother at all. While other people’s conversations were filled with talk of “the fuel crisis”, ours concentrated on other topics altogether. While other people experienced anxiety, fear and anger over the last few days, we experienced calmness and joy.

We experienced similar polarised reactions from others when we had a burglary recently. Although we didn’t condone what had happened, we did accept it. Once it had happened, we knew that we had a choice: either stay present, and follow through with what was now before us to do, or fight against what is and add negative emotions of anger and fear into the mix. Remaining present throughout the process opened up a space in which peace and joy could remain paramount, and as a result, I could feel a very clear energetic shift inside me and a stronger connection to Source.

Quite a few people with whom we interacted during the process displayed a similar response. They were supportive (emotionally and in practical ways) without dwelling on the negative aspects of the event. In our conversations with these people, the focus was on gratitude and the continued commitment to the creation of a friendly community in our block of flats. Overall, these interactions were uplifting. There were, however, others who had a very different reaction. These interactions took the form of moral outrage and a stream of invective against these criminals in particular and crime in general. Ironically, in their resistance to what had happened, these people seemed to suffer more as a result of our burglary than we did.

Suffering is not a given. More and more, I realise that reacting blindly to an event and fighting what is causes suffering, whereas acceptance and present-moment awareness frees up energetic space to create a live filled with love, joy and abundance.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this topic – are you able to accept what is happening as it is happening, or do you resist and wish things were unfolding differently? Do you notice that you suffer more as a result of your reaction to an event than as a result of the event itself?

[Edit: Andrea Hess’ latest blog entry deals with this very subject, specifically around spiritual practices – please read it if you haven’t already done so! In the meantime, since this topic is obviously coming up in my reality, I’m going to reflect on it some more and see what it is in turn reflecting for me!]

Ask Mags: Vibrational Alignment And Unexpected Negative Manifestations

I have become quite good at using the Law Of Attraction to manifest things and experiences. But every now and then, something unexpected and negative crops up. The latest was an unexpected bill. I didn’t intend for this, so why did it manifest into my experience?! I get quite upset when this happens – what am I doing wrong?

The physical manifestations in our lives reflect the balance of positive and negative vibrations that we put out. Even those of us who are more practised at maintaining a state of conscious presence, thinking positively, and focusing our thoughts and feelings on specific intentions don’t always manage to keep this up 100% of the time.

Since we have a mixture of vibrations, we get a mixture of experiences back. I tend to think of it as a kind of interference pattern :). For example, say the balance of your vibrations is 95% positive and 5% negative… your life will reflect this in that things will go incredibly well for 95% of the time, yet every now and then something negative will crop up. I refer to the ones that happen in my life as “glitches in the Matrix” :). They’re not hugely negative experiences in the grand scheme of things (on the level of administrative-type things, like my bank messing up an application and me having to redo it). Obviously, I’d prefer for the glitches not to happen, but I’d rather redo a bank application than have my house fall into a sink-hole!

The glitches that you experience may not be anything that you have specifically intended. Things and experiences manifest into our lives that match the general level and tone of our vibrations – becoming more present, for example, with its attendant vibrational energy of joy and peace, will attract joyful and peaceful experiences into your life. You can further focus your energy on specific intentions, but it is important to realise that this is not necessary in order for experiences to start coming into your life. The same principle applies to more negatively toned vibrations – sending out a general anxiety-type vibration will tend to attract physical manifestations of that. We may therefore not intend specifically for an unexpected bill, but it arrives nonetheless because we are a vibrational match for it.

I understand your experience of getting upset with the unexpected manifestations! I experienced this as well a while back. I was quite frustrated, almost angry, with the glitches – my thoughts went along the lines of, I’m positive and good with the Law Of Attraction and energy stuff… how can this be happening to me?! When your life is largely positive, even a small negative thing can seem major because it is so different from the rest of your experience. But as I started to understand more about how we attract what we’re a vibrational match for, and the balance of positive and negative energy, I realised that instead of beating myself up every time a glitch happened, I should actually be congratulating myself… having glitches rather than major catastrophes is evidence that I am pretty good at manifesting positive things and experiences into my life!

For now, then, while I’m still learning about the Law Of Attraction, I’ve decided to relax about my glitches. Instead of focusing on them and how terrible they are compared to the rest of my life, I accept them when they happen, and use them as an opportunity to learn even more about the Law Of Attraction. Then I take my focus off them and look instead at the things that are going well, sending out deep gratitude for the wonderful parts of my life.

Deepak Chopra: SynchroDestiny

For someone who loves reading books on metaphysical and spiritual topics, I have hardly read any of Deepak Chopra’s work – apart from one of his fiction books, SynchroDestiny is the first of his books that I’ve delved into! Luckily, it was a good introduction to Deepak and his style of writing, so I’ll definitely be investing in some more of his books soon :).

This particular book focuses on the phenomenon of synchronicities – those apparent coincidences that illustrate the larger forces at work in our lives. As the book’s blurb states, “…there is no such thing as a meaningless coincidence.”

The first part of SynchroDestiny focuses on the science that lies behind synchronicities and the Law Of Attraction. If you’re looking for a simple, clear explanation of some of the principles of quantum physics and nonlocal intelligence (the field), this is it. Deepak is definitely very skilled in explaining complex concepts in a very user-friendly manner! This section of the book also goes deeply into the concepts of coincidence and intention.

The second part of the book is devoted to the practical exploration of the concepts. These exercises are centred around the process of meditation, using mantras to focus the mind. I found these exercises interesting and useful, although I altered the process of meditation described to fit with my own style of meditating. Deepak’s methods may work for him and for others, but I found them to disruptive to my own rhythm, and I therefore had much more success when I integrated his techniques with my own. Don’t be afraid to experiment a bit to find what works for you – there is no “one size fits all” style of meditating!

Throughout the book, Deepak makes reference to the ancient Eastern wisdom of Vedanta, which describes much of what quantum physics is only now discovering regarding how the universe functions. In this respect, it is also incredibly interesting to read SynchroDestiny’s Appendix A, in which Deepak outlines the principles of the Hermetic tradition, which has its origins in ancient Greece, Rome and Egypt, to illustrate how these principles match those of the Vedanta. Reading these ancient teachings demonstrates clearly that the Law Of Attraction is not new!

Are Skeptics Their Own Worst Enemies?

The experimenter effect, or the effect that the observer has on the observed (whether that be people or atoms), is well known in many areas of science. The field of parapsychology is no exception. Certain researchers seem to be psi-inhibitory – their presence consistently prevents the appearance of any evidence for psi. On the other hand, psi-conducive researchers consistently obtain results demonstrating evidence for psi. While research into the characteristics of the two groups is ongoing, it does seem as if psi-conducive experimenters are in general more positive in their attitudes towards psi than their psi-inhibitory counterparts.

Does this imply that it is possible that an attitude of skepticism towards the paranormal and metaphysical can actually block any such phenomena from occurring? I would argue that it can. The sceptical view, however, raises the question whether some researchers consistently don’t find psi because it doesn’t exist. Like any other scientific field, parapsychology is judged on replicability of results. Although all scientific fields experience some inconsistency in findings, parapsychology has perhaps had the most difficulty in overcoming this and establishing a credible knowledge base. It remains one of the field’s most vexing problems.

The Cure For The Common Cold?

I have a cold – my third cold this year, to be precise. I am not happy. Instead, I am, quite literally, sick and tired! For me, this is a very unusual situation, as I hardly get sick. In fact, prior to this spate of colds, I hadn’t been ill for about two years. I thought I’d discovered the cure for the common cold! Actually, I still think I have; I just haven’t been applying my own knowledge…. So, here, without further ado, is Mags’ Theory On The Common Cold. The Nobel Committee is welcome to email me to make arrangements for me to collect my award for services to humanity :).

The principles of the field of Energy Medicine, along with the tenets of teachings such as The Law Of Attraction, focus on the fact that our bodies reflect what is going on for us at the levels of our mind and spirit. All illnesses therefore reflect certain beliefs that we hold or a soul-level issue that is currently a challenge for us.

Let’s look at the area of beliefs first. In terms of a cold specifically, I’ve noticed many people espouse beliefs such as: "When the seasons change, then I get a cold", "When other people are sick around me, then I get a cold", and "When I’m out in the chilly weather, then I get a cold".

This seems like common sense, and it matches many people’s experiences of catching a cold. But is it the truth? I would argue that it can be your truth if that’s what you choose to believe. I would argue that you can choose differently. I did. For example, last year, as winter slowly relinquished its chilly hold on us, many people got sick with colds and flu. My husband and I were catching public transport a great deal, and I lost count of how many times we were sneezed on and coughed on in the crowded buses. My husband kept on saying things like, “Oh, it’s just a matter of time before we come down with this as well.” My reply went something like, “I choose perfect health regardless of what germs are in the air or what other people’s bodies are doing. My body remains immune and healthy.” My husband got sick. I didn’t.

So why, if I have chosen not to conform to society’s beliefs about when and how I should catch a cold, am I sick now for the third time in as many months? Well, for me, this series of colds is not about beliefs such as those mentioned above, but is instead about larger soul-level issues with which I am currently grappling.

For example, cold number one happened at the same time as we had a couple of groups of house-guests come to stay with us. Don’t get me wrong – I dearly love the people who came to stay with us. For me, though, an ongoing issue has always been one of personal space and setting boundaries. When it’s just my husband and me in our home, we have a fairly uncluttered peaceful space; when we have houseguests, that all gets disrupted :). It can be fun, but it is also definitely chaotic! As the chaos took over, I started to feel claustrophobic, and the phrase “I can’t breathe” kept running through my head. Lo and behold, what should manifest out of that but a cold – I didn’t feel sick anywhere else in my body apart from having a very blocked nose. I literally couldn’t breathe!

Cold number two was also related to boundaries, but in a slightly different way. We had a surprise visit from some friends. I had hoped for a quiet evening and an early night as I was tired after a busy day, but as the evening wore on, I could tell that these friends were hoping to stay for supper and were settling in for the evening. I should know by now that not speaking up when I should about something results in me getting a sore throat, as the throat chakra corresponds to communication. As I’ve been working on this issue for pretty much my whole life, I actually do also know by now how to gently and kindly, but firmly, assert my boundaries. You do teach people how to treat you, after all. Yet, for some reason, this particular night, I chose not to put any of this into practice. I think I felt guilty at wanting to be selfish, as we hadn’t seen these people for a while. However, as the evening wore on (and on and on!), I got more and more upset, and old scripts related to others’ lack of consideration for me returned with a vengeance, until I was eventually screaming at them (in my head only, that is!) to please leave. And still, I chose to remain polite and not say anything. They eventually left, and I woke up the next morning with a sore throat.

Cold number three has arrived at a time when I am working on moving energy in an area of my life which has been quite stagnant. I’ve started a new project, and have been quite excited at the creative flow getting going again. To get the energy moving again has meant getting rid of some of the old “gunk” attached to it, and the cold has been a manifestation of this.

So, as unpleasant as three colds in three months has been, they have certainly taught me a great deal about work that I still need to do in certain areas of my life. I’d better put my own preachings into practice now – I’ve had enough colds lately to last me the rest of the year, if not the rest of my life!