Tag Archives: Spirituality

What is the difference between prayer with expectations and without expectations?

Something more about prayers and what is the difference in them:

What is the difference between prayer with expectations and without expectations?

There are two types of prayer depending on the intention behind the prayer.

1. Prayer with worldly expectation

This is the commonest variety of prayer. This type of prayer is said with the expectation of fulfilment of some worldly requirement. The prayer may or may not be accompanied by any other spiritual practice.

Some of the prayers with worldly expectation would include prayers about:

  • Gross material requirements like job, partner, child, etc.
  • Subtle material requirement like recovery from illness, happiness, etc.

 

Prayers that are said with expectation of some worldly benefit are generally said by people in the initial stages of their spiritual journey. Even those whose prayers about some worldly benefit are regularly answered, are generally in the initial stages of their spiritual journey. The reason is because people in later stages of spiritual growth make prayers only for their spiritual growth as explained in the next section.

When we pray for the worldly benefit of ourselves or others, the prayer may get answered but we end up using our spiritual energy gained through spiritual practice. This spiritual energy could be either from this birth or an earlier birth.

People who continue praying lifelong with worldly expectations use prayer as a tool to obtain a little something from God rather than striving to increase spiritual practice to attain the all encompassing continual grace of God. The important disadvantage of this type of prayer is that one tends to remain trapped in worldly desires and needs instead of transcending to surrender to God’s will and being able to rely on Him to provide as per our requirement (and not as per our wish).

2. Prayer without worldly expectation (for spiritual growth)

This type of prayer is said by the seekers of God who are serious about their spiritual journey. In such prayers also there is a pleading to God, but it is not about worldly expectations. The expectation is about being able to do better spiritual practice to achieve spiritual progress. Seekers may also pray for removal of obstacles in their spiritual practice, reduction of their ego, etc.

 

Seekers who pray without worldly expectations have the double benefit of being graced with spiritual progress as well as their material need being taken care of as per the requirement. Here as the person who is praying surrenders much more than the person who prays with worldly expectations, he is able to access much more grace of God. Also the surrender contributes to dissolution of mind, intellect and ego. Both these factors result in rapid spiritual progress.^ Top

3. Comparison between the two types of prayer

Prayer with worldly expectation

Prayer without worldly
expectation (for spiritual growth)

  • Prayer may get answered if a person’s destiny does not deem it otherwise.
  • Always gets answered depending on the intensity of the prayer and person’s spiritual level.
  • Spiritual energy is used up.
  • Spiritual energy is not used up.
  • Spiritual progress does not occur.
  • Spiritual progress occurs and worldly requirements too are taken care of as per God’s wish.

4. How prayers change as a seeker grows spiritually

Aspect of life

With expectation

Without expectation
(for spiritual growth)

  • Job
Lord, I have just finished the interview, please let me get the job. I really really need it! Lord, I have just finished the interview and I leave the outcome at Your feet. Please grace me with the strength to accept the outcome as per Your wish.
  • Finding a partner
Lord, I love this person. Please make that person love me equally if not more. Lord, You know best whether this person is meant for me. I also know that whether I find a partner or not in this lifetime is as per my destiny. But please protect my spiritual practice either which way.
  • Illness
Lord, I cannot take this illness please cure me. Lord, please give me the strength to bear this illness so that it does not distract me from my spiritual practice.
  • Illness of one’s child
Lord, please save my child. I will do anything. If you save my child I will donate half of my next salary to an orphanage. Lord, my child is seriously ill. We have done all we can – I know You love him much more than I do – I surrender him at Your feet.
  • Painful part of one’s life
Lord, this is the most painful part of my life. Please save me from it. Lord, please give me the strength to bear the pain and let me learn what I need to learn at a spiritual level. Please let my spiritual practice continue without getting obstructed.
  • Happy part of one’s life
Generally absent Lord, please let me remember You continuously in my happiness and that You only have graced me with it. May I yearn for You the same as when I am unhappy.
  • Spiritual practice
Generally absent Lord my gratitude to You for giving me another day to do spiritual practice. Please let me serve You as per Your wish and grace me with the capacity to improve my spiritual practice.

5. In summary

In summary, the following is a rule of thumb that one can keep in mind when making a prayer:

  • If the prayer is about enhancing the five senses, mind and intellect it is a prayer with worldly expectation
  • If the prayer is about making efforts to experience the Soul (i.e. the God within us) it is a prayer without worldly expectation.

Source

War and the Near-Death Experience

By Kevin WilliamsWar exists everywhere in nature. The world is a literal combat zone where survival of the fittest is law. Viruses invade our bodies and antibodies kill them. We are constantly at war against insects that destroy our crops and invade our homes. Because we, as humans, are at the top of the food chain, we slaughter all kinds of plants and animals for food and clothes. Law enforcement is fighting a war against crime and drugs. The federal government declared war on poverty and illiteracy. At times, our country declares war against other countries which threaten our national interests. Hurricanes, earthquakes, and other natural catastrophes unmercifully kills multitudes of people and destroys billions of dollars worth of property. Some day in the future, the world will in danger of being destroyed by a killer asteroid or comet. Ultimately, the whole universe might end the same way it began – with a violent explosion of unimaginable destruction. 
Table of Contents
1. Introduction 11. The Meek Will Inherit the Earth?
2. God’s Big Bomb 12. Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death
3. The War for the Survival of the Fittest 13. The Perfect Love of Adolf Hitler
4. Natural Born Killers 14. The Perfect Teacher Adolf Hitler
5. The Planet of the Apes 15. The Perfect Lessons From Adolf Hitler
6. Holy War? Smart Bombs? Friendly Fire? Military Intelligence? 16. Apocalypse Now
7. The War Against Death 17. The Enemy Within
8. Learning From War 18. War Is Hell
9. The Armies of Heaven 19. Farewell To Arms
10. No Pain. No Gain.
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1. Introduction
In New York City, terrorists flew airplanes into the Twin Towers and killed thousands of innocent people in the name of religion. What should our response be to this? Should we love the terrorists and pray for them in the hope that more of them don’t do it again? Or should we kill them all to prevent them from ever killing our children? In the light of the NDE and unconditional love, should we kill our enemies or should we love them? This is not an easy question for us to answer. Fortunately, we can find some answers by analyzing history, nature, and science in light of the NDE.
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2. God’s Big Bomb
An incredibly violent act by God resulted in the creation of the universe and all the acts of violence that followed. An infinitely massive explosion unleashed by God led to unimaginable chaos, destruction and fireballs of incredible proportions. After eons of time, the chaos began to subside and harmony began – the heavenly bodies were born.
Multi-colored icon.   “I saw that the Big Bang is only one of an infinite number of Big Bangs creating Universes endlessly and simultaneously. The only images that even come close in human terms would be those created by supercomputers using fractal geometry equations.” (Mellen-Thomas Benedict)
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3. The War for the Survival of the Fittest
From the very beginning, the survival of the fittest became the struggle for life through domination, submission, killing, and being killed. The evolution of all living things came about through war and aggression. The fight or flight mechanism within animals and humans is a critical component of evolution. Animals and humans kill plants and animals for survival. This is not a moral decision, but a matter of life and death.
Multi-colored icon.   A way became available for souls to enter the Earth and experience it as part of their evolutionary / reincarnation cycle. Of the physical forms already existing on Earth, a species of anthropoid ape most nearly approached the necessary pattern. Souls descended on these apes – hovering above and about them rather than inhabiting them – and influenced them to move toward a different goal from the simple one they had been pursuing. They came down out of the trees, built fires, made tools, lived in communities, and began to communicate with each other. Eventually they lost their animal look, shed bodily hair, and took on refinements of manner and habit. The evolution of the human body occurred partly through the soul’s influence on the endocrine glands until the ape-man was a three-dimensional objectification of the soul that hovered above it. Then the soul fully descended into the body and Earth had a new inhabitant: the homo sapien. (Edgar Cayce)
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4. Natural Born Killers
Evolution and reincarnation put humans at the top of the food chain of command. Humans succeeded in conquering the animal kingdom and ruling the planet through violence and killing. Science is beginning to understand how humans are genetically natural born killers. Medical researchers have discovered that people born with dysfunctional frontal cortexes of the brain are highly prone to be serial killers. In our courts of law, criminal defense attorneys have used the criminal defense of “my brain made me kill.” FBI profilers know young, white men are more prone to be serial killers. The Greek philosopher Plato, in his acount of the near-death experience of a soldier named Er, wrote how Er observed the reincarnation process where souls must decide their destiny or “fate” before incarnating:
Multi-colored icon.   “One of these fates casts before the crowd to be reincarnated a number of earthly destinies from which they may choose to be, for example, a tyrant, an animal, an artist, or, as Odysseus carefully chose, an ordinary citizen who minds his own business.” (Plato)
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5. The Planet of the Apes
The history of humanity is the history of warfare. Modern civilization is the product of a tremendous number of devastating wars and man’s inhumanity to man. History teaches us how humanity learns little from history. However, some people are learning from history by traveling back into time during their NDEs to experience the entire history of the world. Perhaps the reason near-death experiencers journey through history is to teach us the lessons of history.
Multi-colored icon.   “I went back and lived in the minds of Jesus and his disciples. I heard their conversations, experienced eating, passing wine, smells, tastes – yet I had no body. I was pure consciousness. If I didn’t understand what was happening, an explanation would come. But no teacher spoke. I explored the Roman Empire, Babylon, the times of Noah and Abraham. Any era you can name, I went there.” (Rev. George Rodonaia)
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6. Holy War? Smart Bombs? Friendly Fire? Military Intelligence?
In modern times, humans became capable of completely destroying the world and everyone in it with weapons of mass destruction. Experiencers reveal that war not only exists in the physical realm, but in the spirit realm as well. The inner nature of man that is responsible for committing atrocities against others becomes manifested in spirit realms.
Multi-colored icon.   “I had always thought of hell, when I thought of it at all, as a fiery place somewhere beneath the Earth where evil people like Hitler would burn forever. But what if one level of hell existed right here on the surface – unseen and unsuspected by the living people occupying the same space.” (Dr. George Ritchie)
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7. The War Against Death
Today, doctors are beginning to win the war against death. Modern medical technology can now be used by doctors to literally bring people back from death.
Multi-colored icon.   During her NDE, Laura experienced a heated battle between the doctors who were trying to save her and the angels who were trying to bring her over to spirit. During the struggle, an angel finally said, “They’re stronger than we are,” and she was sucked back into her body. (Laura)
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8. Learning From War
While it is true that love is always the best teacher, even war can result in divine revelations for the learning and soul growth of humanity in general. Near-death insights reveal that our greatest mistakes can be our greatest teachers.
Multi-colored icon.   The oldest near-death account ever recorded in western civilization was the result of war. Plato described the NDE of a soldier who was killed in battle and who came back to life on his funeral pyre. Er was told that he must be a messenger to humanity to tell them of the other world. (Plato)Multi-colored icon.   Lynn saw soldiers who died during the Vietnam War hiding in the near-death tunnel. They were afraid to come into the light or who were disoriented about where they were. Lynn was told that there was no need to worry about them because a guide would eventually help them along. (Lynn)

 

Multi-colored icon.   Ned Dougherty once lived an unspiritual and hedonistic life. While trying to murder his business partner, Ned had a heart attack and a NDE. He saw the light of God and felt God’s embrace and love – a love greater than any love he had ever known. Spiritual beings began cheering him and conveying their loving encouragement and support. They cheered: “You are doing wonderfully. We are here to support you. Continue to do good work, and we will help you. You are part of us, and we are part of you. We stand ready to come to your aid when you need us, and you will. Call us. Beckon us. We will flock to you when the time comes!” Ned was confused by all the attention because there wasn’t anything wonderful about the way he had conducted his life. He thought, “How can I be doing wonderfully? I almost killed someone tonight. Could I be justified in what I tried to do?” Ned’s deceased friend appears and says, “You were spiritually rescued from a negative event that was taking place in your life.” (Ned Dougherty)

 

Multi-colored icon.   After a man’s son was murdered, it angered him so much that he decided to kill the person responsible. One day, the spirit of his son appeared to him and said, “No hatred, no anger, Dad,” and he repeated it, “No hatred, no anger.” This amazing spiritual experience changed his heart so much that he no longer felt the anger and hatred. He even began to feel sorry for the man who murdered his son because he will have to live every waking minute of his life knowing that he is a murderer. (Bill Guggenheim)

 

Multi-colored icon.   During the Apostle Paul’s NDE, he witnessed the judgment and punishment of a soul who murdered three people. Paul saw angels whipping the murderer. The soul wonders what sin he has committed. The “gatekeeper” brings forth three of his murder victims. The soul was then cast down to the world to be reincarnated. (Apocalypse of Paul)

 

Multi-colored icon.   A woman consulted Edgar Cayce on a critical health matter. She was about to undergo a very risky surgery and she wanted to know whether or not to have it done. Cayce induced himself into having a NDE using hypnosis in order to read the woman’s life record in heaven. Afterward, he advised the woman to have the surgery because it would be a success. He explained that the surgeons who were to perform the surgery were once Inquisitors in a past life who tortured and killed her because of her religious beliefs. By going ahead with the surgery, she would be allowing the surgeons to pay a karmic debt they owed her. Because of this advice, the woman underwent the surgery. It was successful just as Cayce foretold. (Edgar Cayce)

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9. The Armies of Heaven
Some near-death accounts describe the unseen spiritual warfare occurring all around us and the warring angels involved. These angels are often described as extensions of God’s desire to bring peace to the world.
Multi-colored icon.   “God is in the process of recruiting an army in which God will shake the world. Working through his soldiers, God will produce great miracles that will shake the established hierarchy of organized religion.” (Rev. Howard Pittman)Multi-colored icon.   “The archangels Michael and Gabriel are two gigantic, magnificent and mighty beings dressed in brilliant garb. Michael’s role is to choose souls to be soldiers for God. Gabriel teaches souls the ways of the soldier for God.” (Lou Famoso)

 

Multi-colored icon.   According to the archangel Michael, God’s army of angels is visiting us with a life force of energy, a spiritual energy radiated by the Creator to all humankind. (Ned Dougherty)

 

Multi-colored icon.   “I was told that the war between darkness and light upon the Earth has grown so intense that if we are not continually seeking light, the darkness will consume us and we will be lost. I was not told when it would happen, but I understood that the Earth is being prepared for the second coming of Christ.” (Angie Fenimore)

 

Multi-colored icon.   “Souls preparing themselves for birth are like battle-hardened veterans girding themselves for combat.” (Dr. Michael Newton)

 

Multi-colored icon.   During her NDE, Kerry Kirk witnessed a battle between a Being of Light and a force of darkness during which the dark force was defeated. (Kerry Kirk)

 

Multi-colored icon.   “Everything in the spirit realm is controlled by the all-pervading vibration of God. This divine vibration controls all thoughts by destroying negative thoughts and allowing only good thoughts of love and happiness.” (Arthur Yensen)

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10. No Pain. No Gain.
Near-death accounts reveal that God’s love for us is not a passive love that would sit by and watch humans destroy the world and everyone in it. The evidence suggests that although God does not want people to kill each other, God permits it for the purpose of instruction. Such evidence suggests that God’s love is a tough love.
Multi-colored icon.   “God does not wish to see us suffer. Our adversities are of our own creation. Just as a parent punishes a child in order to correct it, so the laws of God prove immovable when we try to resist them. The more we struggle to resist, the more hopelessly do we entangle ourselves at the mental or physical or material or emotional level, and sometimes on all four levels simultaneously.” (Edgar Cayce)Multi-colored icon.   “God’s overriding desire is to purify the darkness of our souls, irrespective of the suffering it puts us through to achieve that end. If we learn to accept our situations in life, instead of fighting it, then our suffering is greatly minimized.” (Daniel Rosenblit)

 

Multi-colored icon.   “All the suffering in our lives is actually for our own good. Out of the most tragic of circumstances springs human growth.” (Angie Fenimore)

 

Multi-colored icon.   Howard Storm was given the following insights from beings of light after his life review when he was fearful of returning to Earth life and afraid he would make mistakes again:

“Mistakes are an acceptable part of being human. We are here to make all the mistakes we want because it is through our mistakes that we learn. As long as we try to do what we know to be right, we will be on the right path. If we make a mistake, we should fully recognize it as a mistake, then put it behind us and simply try not to make the same mistake again. The important thing is to try our best, keep our standards of goodness and truth, and not compromise them to win people’s approval. God loves us just the way we are, mistakes and all. When we make a mistake, we should ask for forgiveness. After that, it would be an insult if we don’t accept that we are forgiven. We shouldn’t continue going around with a sense of guilt, and we should try not to repeat our mistakes. We should learn from our mistakes. God wants us to do what we want to do. That means making choices – and there isn’t necessarily any right choice. There are a spectrum of possibilities, and we should make the best choice from those possibilities. If we do that, we will receive help from the Other Side.” (Rev. Howard Storm)
Multi-colored icon.   “Our suffering is not a cross from God for us to bear. It is a challenge to help us grow and stay compassionate.” (Lynn)Multi-colored icon.   “Life is supposed to be hard. We can’t skip over the hard parts. We must earn what we receive.” (Angie Fenimore)

 

Multi-colored icon.   “An acceptance of suffering as a needed lesson can bring instantaneous healing.” (Edgar Cayce)

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11. The Meek Will Inherit the Earth?
Jesus said the meek will inherit the Earth. The question arises concerning the identity of the meek and the identity of the strong? Are the so-called strong actually weak? Are the so-called weak actually strong? Near-death insights reveal how people who appear to be very physically weak are often very spiritually strong and how these people chose to assume their physical weaknesses before they were born for the purpose of advancing the spiritual growth of themselves and others.
Multi-colored icon.   “There are many divine rewards from struggling and overcoming a handicap from birth.” (Mary Ellen)Multi-colored icon.   “The mentally retarded are special people who know much more than they are able to express. They are actually more spiritually advanced and come to Earth to teach the rest of us.” (Sandra Rogers)

 

Multi-colored icon.   “Life is a cycle leading humanity toward perfection. Most people have this secret revealed to them when they die, but handicapped children often know this and endure their problems without complaining because they know that their burdens will pass. Some of these children have even been given the challenge of teaching the rest of us how to love.” (Dr. Frank Oski)

 

Multi-colored icon.   “Hardships are necessary for the growth of our soul.” (Sandra Rogers)

 

Multi-colored icon.   Some people have a NDE because of losing a battle against a fatal disease. During their NDE, a Being of Light miraculously destroys the disease in their body. They are then returned to their body and returned to life. This suggests that God does destroy diseases in NDEs – possibly as a testimony of the supremacy of the spirit over the body. (Anecdotal evidence of NDE healings)

 

Multi-colored icon.   A firefighter lost a battle against a fire he was fighting. During his NDE, he was told that if he chose to return, he would miraculously not suffer the ill affects from the fire. He was told that this will happen so that: “God’s power over the elements would be made manifest.” (Jake)

 

Multi-colored icon.   Sarah was beaten to death by an intruder in her home which resulted in a NDE. In heaven, she was told by her guardian that she was brought to heaven to rest and gain the courage and energy to go on and finish her mission. (Sarah Powell)

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12. Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death
The NDE evidence suggests that free will is one of God’s greatest gifts given to humanity. This means we are free to war and kill each other at will. Although God’s gift has lead us to war and murder, free will is the only vehicle which permits us to truly love God and others. A robot with no free will can only do what it is programmed to do and has no choice to do otherwise. It is clear that God does not want robots to love. Perhaps divine love is something that cannot programmed and can only be attained through trial and error. Perhaps this explains all the injustices that exist in the world.
Multi-colored icon.   “War exists in the world because humans come here and make free choices to learn and evolve. Unfortunately, this creates a mess and war is a part of that mess. But the same free choice principle is instrumental in cleaning it up.” (David Oakford)Multi-colored icon.   “All the misery that happens in this world is our fault. God gave us the tools to live by including free will. It is our free will that is responsible for war and hatred.” (Carter Mills)Multi-colored icon.   “Some scientific discoveries were divine gifts that humanity perverted to use for war.” (Rev. Howard Storm)

Multi-colored icon.   “Humanity’s general inability to believe that life is everlasting is responsible for millions of people being killed by war. Human life has been held very cheaply. But humans are progressing up the spiral of evolution to a place where we know that there is no problem, no pain, no ill, no disharmony in the entire universe that will eventually not be made into harmony.” (Margaret Tweddell)

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13. The Perfect Love of Adolf Hitler
It’s hard to comprehend how one man can have such a horrible influence on the world. Adolf Hitler was responsible for unleashing a global war that was never before known in history. We think of Hitler as the personification of evil and we believe he is now somewhere burning in hell for eternity. We believe we are incapable of doing the things that he did. It horrifies us that any human being could do these things. We practically deny his humanity in order to demonize him. But this is one of the things that makes Hitler so horrifying – he was human. And the question concerning the Holocaust is not, “Where was God?” but “Where was man?”Try to imagine what Hitler’s life review must have been like. In the light of complete understanding, he would suddenly realize his true nature as perfect love. He would then become every victim of his atrocities and feel all their pain. He would see perfectly how all his thoughts and actions had an impact on the entire universe. Although he made such monumental mistakes, he probably learned monumental lessons from his life review. One might even wonder if Hitler learned more from a life review than anyone else. We can only speculate how horrible the negative aspect of his life review must have been. It may even be too unbearable for one man to take.
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14. The Perfect Teacher Adolf Hitler
From big mistakes come big lessons. It is clear that Hitler made very big mistakes which led to big lessons not only for himself, but for humanity. It should be clear to us that God permitted Hitler to make these mistakes for the purpose of instructing humanity. Near-death accounts reveal that God loves everyone unconditionally and this includes Hitler. So, we too must love everyone unconditionally, including Hitler. We know that God’s infinite mercy extends to him and someday Hitler will join the choir in heaven just like the rest of us.
Multi-colored icon.   “I’m sure that I asked the question that had been plaguing me since childhood about the sufferings of my (Jewish) people. I do remember this: There was a reason for everything that happened, no matter how awful it appeared in the physical realm. And within myself, as I was given the answer, my own awakening mind now responded in the same manner: ‘Of course,’ I would think, ‘I already know that. How could I ever have forgotten!'” (Beverly Brodsky)Multi-colored icon.   “Everyone goes to the same place. This includes Billy Graham, Hitler, and Jeffery Dahmer.” (Mac Wright)

 

Multi-colored icon.   “Mistakes are an acceptable part of being human. We are to make all the mistakes we want. It is how we learn.” (Rev. Howard Storm)

 

Multi-colored icon.   “There really is no sin as it is known in the world. The only thing that has any meaning in the spirit world is what we think. The very core of our being is perfect love and light.” (Jayne Smith)

 

Multi-colored icon.   “There is no evil in any human soul. It is the lack of love that distorts people. We are designed by God to self-correct, just like the rest of the universe. No one is lost because everyone is already saved.” (Mellen-Thomas Benedict)

From these NDE insights, we should conclude that Hitler was not an evil man because evil does not exist – only ignorance exists. Hitler was very spiritually ignorant. He was so spiritually ignorant that we might even consider him spiritually retarded. It is even possible that this spiritual retardation was the result of a dysfunctional frontal cortex of the brain. Who is to say? Thinking of Hitler as a mentally handicapped person (who but by the grace of God goes us) makes it a little easier to love him unconditionally. How can we hate retarded people? It is much easier to sympathize with them.
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15. The Perfect Lessons From Adolf Hitler
If we assume that Hitler was strong enough to enter into the Light after his death, and that he was able to endure the tremendous negative aspect of his life review and not flee into darkness because of it, then he would have seen the tremendous positive influence he had on the world. The positive influence resulting from his atrocities are positive lessons God gives to humanity for the purpose of instruction and perfection. One positive influence, as a possible example, is that never before in history have so many people cried out to God because of one man’s atrocities.During his life, Hitler was probably unaware of how his “demonic” influence upon the world would ultimately have the positive effect of bringing the world together toward a new level of spiritual awareness. Atrocities such as those of Hitler, teach us in a fierce manner, how such atrocities must never be allowed to happen again. For over the last fifty plus years, a war on such a massive scale as World War II has not happened again. This worldwide awareness of higher spiritual realities due to the utter horror that profound spiritual ignorance can bring, helped unite the world through the creation of the United Nations.
Multi-colored icon.   “Hitler was the catalyst that led to the development of the atom bomb, another factor that brought a new level of spiritual awareness to humanity. We now have the ability to destroy the planet many times over and everyone in it. This helped bring humanity together to prevent this from happening. The full extent of the horror of war is now realized. One act of aggression can now result in the complete oblivion of Earth. Ironically, the atom bomb is actually contributing to the deterrence of complete oblivion.” (Mellen-Thomas Benedict)Multi-colored icon.   “Hitler gave humanity a yardstick for which to measure the extent of the need for people to change for the better. The spiritual darkness that Hitler unleashed into the world greatly increased the need for spiritual light. Unbridled bigotry, hatred, and spiritual ignorance on such a massive scale are greater threats to the world than ever known before. Spiritual ignorance now has the power to bring humanity to the very brink of extinction.” (Kevin Williams)

 

Multi-colored icon.   “The legacy of Hitler demonstrates the folly of appeasing murderous dictators. It is too costly to allow them to threaten the world with impunity. Their murderous intent must be nipped in the bud early on before it takes a devastating world war to stop it. As stated earlier, God does not desire war but God will allow it to happen for the purpose of instruction leading to perfection.” (Kevin Williams)

 

Multi-colored icon.   “Hitler’s attempt to rule the world ultimately led to a shift in the balance of the world’s power. Colonialism dissolved all around the world and people began to be free to govern themselves. America became the Arsenal of Democracy to counter the threat of political oppression that breeds dictators such as Hitler. The legacy of Hitler and World War II is ultimately resulting in the victory of democracy all over the world.” (Kevin Williams)

 

Multi-colored icon.   “The NDE principle of how our greatest mistakes become our greatest lessons can certainly be applied to Hitler. Hitler and Nazism was such a colossal mistake that it resulted in a colossal lesson. A similar situation on the other side of the spectrum can be made concerning Jesus. The colossal mistake of executing Jesus led to an even greater good – the proliferation of his teachings.” (Kevin Williams)

 

Multi-colored icon.   “Humanity is designed to self-correct itself.” (Mellen-Thomas Benedict)

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16. Apocalypse Now
Near-death experiencers are given glimpses of the future. They see the future as it would exist if current trends continue. Near-death accounts reveal that the Earth as a single organism for which we are all a part. We are the Earth’s human awareness. Our wars and transgressions not only cause us to suffer but causes the Earth to suffer as well.
Multi-colored icon.   “The Earth has terrible wounds on her body. She is gasping for breath and calling out to God and to her children to stop the killing and hatefulness. The world is dying and praying for all of us to help her to heal and regenerate.” (Dr. Liz Dale)Multi-colored icon.   “Humans have fallen away from living in balance with nature. Great damage will be inflicted on the Earth before this harmonic balance is finally restored.” (David Oakford)

 

Multi-colored icon.   “Humans are out of harmony with the world and all its creatures, including our own brothers and sisters, with whom we are constantly at war.” (Norman Paulsen)

 

Multi-colored icon.   “Humanity is in the final moments before Jesus returns. The Earth is being prepared for this event. The war between the forces of light and the forces of darkness are growing so intense on Earth that humanity is in danger of being consumed by the forces of darkness.” (Angie Fenimore)

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17. The Enemy Within
Near-death accounts reveal how everyone has within them a divine nature and an animal nature which wars against each other. At a higher divine level of consciousness (spirit), everyone is connected and there is no separation between things. This “Universal Consciousness” connecting us all is what people refer to as “God.” But our lower animal nature tends to believe in a delusion that somehow we are separate from other people and God and that we are not connected. This creates a spiritual struggle within us between our lower nature and our higher nature.
Multi-colored icon.   The Biblical “war in heaven” between God and “the devil” is a symbolic religious description of this real spiritual struggle within all humans between our lower animal nature and our higher spirit nature. Our higher self – our spirit – is one with (or “a part of” but also “is”) the “Universal Consciousness” which people think of as “God.” The lower self is symbolized as “the beast within” which Jesus taught to put to death by “taking up our cross” and following him in practicing unconditional love through self-sacrifice, self-deprecation, and self-denial in devotion to others. By “crucifying the flesh,” we allow our higher selves to manifest itself more and our lower unevolved animal nature to recede. The nature of the beast within humanity is manifested as self-gratification, self-indulgence, self-centeredness, selfishness, self-consciousness, self-importance, self-righteousness, self-delusion, self-condemnation, self, self, SELF (the “ego,” the “false god,” “Satan”) This spiritual condition of a “conscious self” deluding itself into thinking it is separate from the “Conscious Whole” is what the Bible symbolically refers to as the “fall” of spirit in man at the “Garden of Eden” – or the “fall” of one third of the “angels” from heaven (both Biblical analogies refer to the same spiritual event). (Edgar Cayce)Multi-colored icon.   This struggle between our animal nature and our divine nature ultimately created a gulf in our consciousness which must be overcome. Self is the greatest enemy you will ever have to face. This desire for self constantly wars against our higher self – the Whole. The collective human desire for self and materialism (symbolically described in the Bible as “Babylon”) is the source of every war and atrocity committed by human beings. Only the painful processes of “crucifying self” and the “purification” of the Earth will restore everything to its original glory. For humans to fully evolve from their animal nature and overcome self, it is not enough to merely believe in these things or know about them. It must be experienced and put into practice. The higher self – the spirit – must be brought into conscious awareness. (Edgar Cayce)

 

Multi-colored icon.   It is not enough to merely focus on the cross of Jesus and the divinity within him. Jesus taught people to “take up their own crosses” and follow his example and way. A person whose higher self has overcome his lower self will then become spiritually “awakened” and a spiritual “resurrection” will take place. The person will then begin to manifest the human-divine unity that Jesus, Buddha, and other avatars did. Once our spirit “comes alive” in our conscious mind through the spiritual practice of unconditional love for others, we become liberated from the cycle of evolution and rebirth. This process of spiritual awakening within an individual and within humanity at large is described in the Book of Revelation in dream symbols – the language of the soul. The liberation of humanity is when the “devil” (the delusion of separation and self-will) is then “cast into the abyss” (self-will is suppressed from consciousness by the divine will). The result will be “heaven on Earth” (divine awareness within humanity). So, in conclusion, this describes in a nutshell the entire story of human evolution. It is the story of the struggle of the human spirit in overcoming the animal flesh. It is the Bible story, from Genesis to Revelation, concerning the fall and rise of the human spirit. It is paradise lost and paradise found again. The rest of the Bible is mostly commentary. (Edgar Cayce)

 

Multi-colored icon.   “The struggle between our higher and lower selves grows until finally the destructive elements are completely overcome.” (Betty Bethards)

 

Multi-colored icon.   “Humans are educated at a higher level by spirit beings who bring us into heaven. We grow and increase, and grow and increase, and shed the concerns, desires, and base animal stuff that we have been fighting much of our life. Earthly appetites melt away. It is no longer a struggle to fight them. We become who we truly are, which is part of the divine.” (Rev. Howard Storm)

 

Multi-colored icon.   “God’s love looks at all of us throughout the eyes of eternity. God’s overriding desire is to purify the darkness of our souls, irrespective of the suffering God has to put us through to achieve that end. However, it will greatly minimize our suffering if we learn to accept instead of fighting against our situation in life. (Daniel Rosenblit)

 

Multi-colored icon.   “Jesus knew he had to die on the cross to fulfill his mission. His mission was to demonstrate to humanity how to practice unconditional love through self-sacrifice in devotion to others and by overcoming self so that our divine nature can be manifested.” (Edgar Cayce)

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18. War Is Hell
Since war is so prevalent in this world, it should be no surprise that there exists a spirit realm where the human desire to kill can be fully expressed. At death, a person’s inner nature is expressed outwardly in the spirit realm. People take their inner hellish natures with them after death. The result is what people refer to as “hell“.
Multi-colored icon.   “Hell is a great battlefield where thoughts are not private and where hordes of angry souls are locked in fights to the death where no death is possible. They are locked into destructive habits of mind, emotion, hatred, lust, addictions, and thought-patterns which cannot be satisfied. Angry souls have been observed arguing over some religious point and trying to kill those who do not agree with them.” (Dr. George Ritchie)Multi-colored icon.   “Hell is a psychological condition which represents the hellish inner thoughts and desires within some souls. Here they become uninhibited and their hellish condition is fully manifested. No demons are there to inflict punishment. Each soul acts out their own anger and hatred by warring and tormenting others.” (Emanuel Swedenborg)

 

Multi-colored icon.   “Hell is a state where a wild orgy of frenzied taunting, screaming and fighting occurs. These souls are completely ignorant of any higher spiritual realities. They are a mob driven by unbridled cruelty and passions.” (Rev. Howard Storm)

 

Multi-colored icon.   “Murderers in hell do not see a devil. Instead they see visions of their own face distorted by hatred, greed, anger, and other defeating emotions. Souls such as these will stay in torment for a long, long time, until they believe themselves to be totally lost. At this point, they may at last cry out to God to rescue them. This wail of despair is heard by God and they are rescued. They are then given opportunities to make amends through the process of reincarnation.” (Ruth Montgomery)

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19. Farewell To Arms
Although the world has a long history of war and murder, near-death accounts reveal that someday all war will end and heaven will be established on Earth. This will happen when humanity learns its lessons, renounces war, and changes for the better.
Multi-colored icon.   “There will be no nuclear war in the world because God loves the world.” (Rev. Howard Storm)Multi-colored icon.   “If humanity changes for the better, a horrible world war will be averted.” (Dannion Brinkley)

 

Multi-colored icon.   “Out of all the wars that humans tried to create, God allowed only a few, to bring people to their senses and to stop them.” (Rev. Howard Storm)

 

Multi-colored icon.   “If people turn more to spirituality and less to materiality, these wars will not happen.” (Ned Dougherty)

 

Multi-colored icon.   “God is going to rescind some of humanity’s free will in favor of more divine control over human events in order to bring peace and harmony to the world.” (Rev. Howard Storm)

 

Multi-colored icon.   “Man will prey on man until man will pray for man.” (Lou Famoso)

Source

Scientific Evidence for Answered Prayer and the Existence of God

This one I have tested many timea and have made a conclusion, that yes you can help someone or yourself with a prayer. I don’t have any science fact about it, but almost everything I have prayed for have been fulfilled somehow, not exactly but almost. And I think it’s the God’s way to turn prayers to reality. Here is somekind of study about it:

Scientific Evidence for Answered Prayer and the Existence of God

What scientific evidence do we have that God exists? Most skeptics would say “none.” A crucial doctrine of Christianity is that God listens to and answers prayers. So why not test this doctrine scientifically, using a double-blind, clinical trial? This is the exact premise that groups of medical doctors used in double-blind “drug” studies of the efficacy of Christian prayer on healing. Papers are available online.

A Report on the Papers:

  1. “Positive Therapeutic Effects of Intercessory Prayer in a Coronary Care Unit Population”2
  2. “A Randomized, Controlled Trial of the Effects of Remote, Intercessory Prayer on Outcomes in Patients Admitted to the Coronary Care Unit”3
  3. Effects of remote, retroactive intercessory prayer on outcomes in patients with bloodstream infection: randomised controlled trial.4

1. “Positive Therapeutic Effects of Intercessory Prayer in a Coronary Care Unit Population”

Methods

Cardiac patients from the San Francisco General Medical Center were randomly divided (using a computer-generated list) into two groups. The names of the patients in the “test” group were given to a group of Christians, who prayed for them while they were in the hospital. The intercessory prayer team members were chosen on the following basis:

  1. Born again Christians on the basis of John 3:35
  2. Led an active Christian life on the basis of
    1. daily devotional prayer
    2. fellowship in a local Christian church

The “placebo” group received no prayer. Neither the “test” nor the “placebo” group of patients knew if they were receiving prayer. Likewise, the hospital staff, doctors, or nurses were “blinded” since they did not know which patient belonged to which group.

Results

Statistics were acquired from the prayer and placebo groups both before and after prayer, until the patients were discharged from the hospital. There were no statistical differences between the placebo and the prayer groups before prayer was initiated. The results demonstrated that patients who were prayed for suffered “less congestive heart failure, required less diuretic and antibiotic therapy, had fewer episodes of pneumonia, had fewer cardiac arrests, and were less frequently intubated and ventilated.” Statistics demonstrated the the prayer group had a statistically significantly lower severity score based upon the hospital course after entry (p < 0.01). Multivariate analysis of all the parameters measured demonstrated that the outcomes of the two groups were even more statistically significant (p < 0.0001). In science, the standard level of significance is when a “p value” is less than 0.05. A value of 0.01 means that the likelihood the result is because of chance is one in 100. A p value of 0.0001 indicates that in only one study out of 10,000 is the result likely to be due to chance. Table 2 from the study is reproduced below. The remarkable thing which one notices is that nearly every parameter measured is affected by prayer, although individually many categories do not reach the level of statistical significance due to sample size. However, multivariate analysis, which compares all parameters together produces a level of significance seldom reached in any scientific study (p < 0.0001). The author points out that the method used in this study does not produce the maximum effect of prayer, since the study could not control for the effect of outside prayer (i.e., it is likely many of the placebo group were prayed for by persons outside of the study). It is likely that a study which used only atheists (who had no Christian family or friends) would produce an even more dramatic result. However, since atheists make up only 1-2% of the population, it would be difficult to obtain a large enough sample size.

TABLE 2. Results of Intercessory Prayer
Study Variable Intercessory
Prayer
Control
Group
P
Days in CCU after entry 2.0 � 2.5 2.4 � 4.1 NS
Days in hospital after entry 7.6 � 8.9 7.6 � 8.7 NS
Number of discharge medications 3.7 � 2.2 4.0 � 2.4 NS

New Problems, Diagnoses, and
Therapeutic Events After Entry
% (No.) % (No.) P
Antiarrhythmics 9(17) 13 (27) NS
Coronary angiography 9 (17) 11 (21) NS
VT/VF 7 (14) 9 (17) NS
Readmissions to CCU 7 (14) 7 (14) NS
Mortality 7 (13) 9 (17) NS
Congestive heart failure 4 (8) 10 (20) <0.01
Inotropic agents 4 (8) 8 (16) NS
Vasodilators 4 (8) 6 (12) NS
Supraventricular tachyarrhythmia 4 (8) 8 (15) NS
Arterial pressure monitoring 4 (7) 8 (15) NS
Central pressure monitoring 3 (6) 7 (15) NS
Diuretics 3 (5) 8 (15) <0.01
Major surgery before discharge 3 (5) 7 (14) NS
Temporary pacemaker 2 (4) 1 (1) NS
Sepsis 2 (4) 4 (7) NS
Cardiopulmonary arrest 2 (3) 7 (14) <0.01
Third-degree heart block 2 (3) 1 (2) NS
Pneumonia 2 (3) 7 (13) <0.01
Hypotension (systolic <90 torr) 2 (3) 4 (7) NS
Extension of infarction 2 (3) 3 (6) NS
Antibiotics 2 (3) 9 (17) <0.01
Permanent pacemaker 2 (3) 1 (1) NS
Gastrointestinal bleeding 1 (1) 2 (3) NS
Intubation/ventilation 0 (0) 6 (12) <0.01

NS = P > .05; VT/VF = ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation

2. “A Randomized, Controlled Trial of the Effects of Remote, Intercessory Prayer on Outcomes in Patients Admitted to the Coronary Care Unit”

Methods

Cardiac patients from the CCU at the Mid America Heart Institute (MAHI), Kansas City, Mo, were randomly chosen and assigned to control or prayer groups. In this study, patients were not told about the prayer study and doctors did not know which patients were assigned to which groups. According to the paper, “The intercessors represented a variety of Christian traditions, with 35% listing their affiliations as nondenominational, 27% as Episcopalian, and the remainder as other Protestant groups or Roman Catholic. Unlike the Byrd study, the intercessors of the MAHI study were given no details about the medical conditions of the patients, but were only given their first name.

Results

The main table of results, reproduced from the study appears as Table 3 below. Because of the small sample size of each individual component, only one of the individual components reached statistical significance. However, the overall effect was statistically significant, with a P value of 0.04, meaning that the result was likely to occur by chance in only 1 out of 25 times the experiment was repeated.

Table 3. Effects of Intercessory Prayer on Individual Components of the Mid America Heart Institute–Cardiac Care Unit (MAHI-CCU) Score*
No. (%) of Patients
MAHI-CCU Score Component Usual Care Group
(n = 524)
Prayer Group
(n = 466)
P
Antianginal agents 59 (11.3) 47 (10.1) .62
Antibiotics 82 (15.6) 77 (16.5) .77
Unstable angina 4 (0.8) 1 (0.2) .38
Arterial monitor 42 (8.0) 32 (6.9) .57
Catheterization 180 (34.4) 162 (34.8) .94
Antiarrhythmics 56 (10.7) 50 (10.7) .94
Inotropes 76 (14.5) 69 (14.8) .96
Vasodilation 78 (14.9) 59 (12.7) .36
Diuretics 112 (21.4) 97 (20.8) .89
Pneumonia 10 (1.9) 12 (2.6) .62
Atrial fibrillation 17 (3.2) 12 (2.6) .66
Supraventricular tachycardia 6 (1.1) 2 (0.4) .29
Hypotension 7 (1.3) 8 (1.7) .82
Anemia/transfusion 66 (12.6) 50 (10.7) .42
Temporary pacer 16 (3.0) 13 (2.8) .95
Third-degree heart block 1 (0.2) 2 (0.4) .60
Readmit to cardiac care unit 22 (4.2) 25 (5.4) .48
Swan-Ganz catheter 172 (32.8) 123 (26.4) .03
Implanted cardiac defibrillator 6 (1.1) 10 (2.1) .32
Electrophysiology study 15 (2.9) 10 (2.1) .61
Radiofrequency ablation 8 (1.5) 2 (0.4) .11
Extension of infarct 2 (0.4) 0 (0.0) .50
Gastrointestinal bleed 12 (2.3) 5 (1.1) .22
Interventional coronary procedure 155 (29.6) 121 (26.0) .21
PTCA alone 69 (13.2) 62 (13.3) .95
PTCA with stent and/or rotablator 86 (16.4) 59 (12.7) .10
Permanent pacer 21 (4.0) 12 (2.6) .28
Congestive heart failure 17 (3.2) 19 (4.1) .60
Ventricular fibrillation/tachycardia 12 (2.3) 10 (2.1) .95
Intra-aortic balloon pump 20 (3.8) 12 (2.6) .36
Major surgery 76 (14.5) 51 (10.9) .11
Sepsis 7 (1.3) 7 (1.5) .96
Intubation/ventilation 27 (5.2) 26 (5.6) .88
Cardiac arrest 6 (1.1) 5 (1.1) .84
Death 46 (8.8) 42 (9.0) .99
* PTCA indicates percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty.

3. Effects of remote, retroactive intercessory prayer on outcomes in patients with bloodstream infection: randomised controlled trial.

This study involved 3393 patient subjects whose bloodstream infection was detected at the hospital from the years 1990�1996. Remote, retroactive intercessory prayer was said for the well being and full recovery of the intervention group. Results were measured through mortality in hospital, length of stay in hospital, and duration of fever. Mortality was reduced in the intervention group (28.1%) compared to the control group (30.2%) although the difference did not reach statistical significance. However, length of stay in the hospital and duration of fever were significantly shorter in the intervention group than in the control group (P = 0.01 and P = 0.04, respectively). According to the author of the study:

“Remote, retroactive intercessory prayer said for a group is associated with a shorter stay in hospital and shorter duration of fever in patients with a bloodstream infection and should be considered for use in clinical practice.”

Implications of the studies

Obviously, science has demonstrated in three separate studies the efficacy of Christian prayer in medical studies. There is no “scientific” (non-spiritual) explanation for the cause of the medical effects demonstrated in these studies. The only logical, but not testable, explanation is that God exists and answers the prayers of Christians. No other religion has succeeded in scientifically demonstrating that prayer to their God has any efficacy in healing. In fact, studies that have used intercessors from multiple religious backgrounds have failed to prove the efficacy of prayer.6 The Bible declares that Jesus Christ has power over life and death and sickness and is able to heal us, both physically7 and spiritually.8 He gave this power to His disciples and those who follow Him.9

2006 American Heart Journal study

A widely publicized study from 2006 failed to show the efficacy of intercessory prayer. However, the design of the latest study was somewhat unusual.10 The researchers used three patient groups. Two groups were advised of the study, but were not told whether they were in the prayer group or placebo group. The third group knew that they were being prayed for. The study was performed at six hospitals. Out of 3295 eligible patients, 1493 (45%) refused to participate, which is very high, although they did not explain the reasons for non-participation. The intercessors were composed of three groups. Two were Roman Catholic and one was a Protestant group (Silent Unity, Lee’s Summit, MO). Unlike in previous studies, the intercessors were not allowed to pray their own prayers. The prayers were given to them by the study coordinators to “standardize” the prayers. The discussion section of the paper suggested that at least some of the intercessors were dissatisfied with the canned nature of the prayers. In attempting to standardize prayer, I believe the study introduced a serious flaw, since most intercessors tend to pray as they are led by the Spirit, instead of praying prepared scripts. Jesus told His followers not to pray repetitiously, since God would not hear those kinds of prayers.11

Ultimately, the results showed that groups 1 (prayer) and 2 (no prayer) were identical, whereas group 3 (those who knew they were being prayed for) did worse than the other two groups. The lack of efficacy of intercessory prayer in this study could be due to theological problems with the study design.



References Top of page

  1. Hodge, D.R. 2007. A Systematic Review of the Empirical Literature on Intercessory Prayer. Research on Social Work Practice 17: 174-187.
  2. Byrd, R.C. 1988. Positive Therapeutic Effects of Intercessory Prayer in a Coronary Care Unit Population. Southern Medical Journal 81: 826-829. [online paper]
  3. Harris, W.S., Gowda, M., Kolb, J.W., Strychacz, C.P., Vacek, J.L., Jones, P.G., Forker, A., O’Keefe, J.H., and McCallister, B.D. 1999. A Randomized, Controlled Trial of the Effects of Remote, Intercessory Prayer on Outcomes in Patients Admitted to the Coronary Care Unit. Arch Intern Med. 159:2273-2278. [PDF version]
  4. Leibovici, L. 2001. Effects of remote, retroactive intercessory prayer on outcomes in patients with bloodstream infection: randomised controlled trial. British Medical Journal, 323, 1450-1451 .
  5. Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3)
  6. Krucoff, M. W., et al. 2005. Music, imagery, touch, and prayer as adjuncts to interventional cardiac care: the Monitoring and Actualisation of Noetic Trainings (MANTRA) II randomised study. Lancet 366:211-217.
  7. And Jesus was going about in all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people. (Matthew 4:23)
    And Jesus was going about all the cities and the villages, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness. (Matthew 9:35)
  8. “But in order that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins,” He said to the paralytic. (Mark 2:10)
    and He said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and rise again from the dead the third day; and that repentance for forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. (Luke 24:46-47)
  9. And He called the twelve together, and gave them power and authority over all the demons, and to heal diseases. And He sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God, and to perform healing. (Luke 9:1-2)
  10. Benson H, Dusek JA, Sherwood JB, Lam P, Bethea CF, Carpenter W, Levitsky S, Hill PC, Clem DW Jr, Jain MK, Drumel D, Kopecky SL, Mueller PS, Marek D, Rollins S, Hibberd PL. 2006. Study of the Therapeutic Effects of Intercessory Prayer (STEP) in cardiac bypass patients: a multicenter randomized trial of uncertainty and certainty of receiving intercessory prayer. Am. Heart J. 151:934-942.
  11. “And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. (Matthew 6:7)

Source

How to dress – spiritual effect of the clothes we wear

Have you ever wondered, that there might be difference what kind of clothes you wear spiritually? Here is a nice article about it:

In order to better understand this article we suggest you familiarise yourself with the following articles:
  1. Sattva, Raja, Tama – the 3 subtle basic components of the Universe
  2. An introduction to the concept of sattvik living (Spirituality in daily life)

Table of Contents [show]

1. An introduction to how to dress

how-to-dress-spirituality

What will I wear today?

Some of us give this question much thought while others may pull out the first set of clothes from their cupboard.

We generally pick the clothes that we will wear for the day based broadly on where we are going or the weather forecast. There are a myriad other influences such as the prevailing fashion style, whether we fit into the clothes, our mood, time in hand, etc. which finally seals our decision.

We go through this process daily, however we rarely consider the spiritual effect of clothes on us as a reason to wear or buy clothes. In fact most of us (and this includes the manufacturers of our clothes) are unaware that we are affected spiritually by the clothes that we wear. In this article we will share with you knowledge obtained through spiritual research on how the clothes we choose to wear can be either to our spiritual benefit or detriment.

2. Spiritual research on clothing

Spiritual research on clothing and how to dress at the Spiritual Science Research Foundation (SSRF) is undertaken using advanced sixth sense. The research is carried out by seekers who use their advanced sixth sense gained through years of spiritual practice (sadhana ) and most importantly under the guidance of H.H. Dr. Athavale. They perceive the spiritual vibrations emanating from various types of clothes based on aspects such as colour, shape and material and note down the readings gained through sixth sense. Some seekers have an advanced sixth sense of vision and can actually see the various spiritual vibrations. By drawing pictures based on subtle-knowledge, they give us a glimpse into the spiritual dimension, a realm beyond our common perception. In this section we will be sharing a number of such pictures based on subtle-knowledge  which will provide a greater insight into the effect of the clothes we wear.

3. Purpose of clothes from a spiritual perspective

We are all aware of the purpose of clothes from a physical and psychological perspective. From a spiritual perspective the purpose of clothes are twofold:

Negative energies: At the Spiritual Science Research Foundation, we use the term ‘negative energies’ as a collective noun to represent all types of entities in the spiritual dimension that intend to harm humility right from the ‘common ghost’ to the highest level ‘māntriks‘. If the spiritual strength of a common ghost is between 1 and 10 units, then a māntrik’s strength ranges a billion close to infinity.

1. To imbibe and emit sāttviktā Depending on how we dress, clothes can act as a receptor to imbibe positive and divine frequencies from the atmosphere around us. In doing so they can transmit these positive vibrations and purity into our consciousness.

2. To protect from attacks of negative energies (ghosts, devils, demons etc.):If the clothes we wear are able to harness positive energy, then in doing so they are able to protect us from negative energies. If clothes are tāmasik in nature then they attract negative energies or ghosts from the spiritual dimension.

Something to keep in mind: Ghosts and negative energies from the spiritual dimension capitalise on any increase in Raja-Tama vibrations in the environment. Spiritually inappropriate attire is Raja-Tama predominant and hence attracts negative energies.

4. How we dress and its spiritual effect

Every object has its own distinct and unique spiritual vibrations. The vibrations of clothes depend on factors such as type of cloth, shape, colour, design, stitching of cloth, etc. The more sāttvik these factors are, the greater is the Sattva component of the final product that is the clothes. This article is about how to raise the purity in our clothes while also reducing the Tama component which causes spiritual ignorance and inertia and distress from negative energies.

4.1 Type of material

how-to-dress-type-of-material
Natural fibres such as silk and cotton have a greater ability to attract, imbibe and retain divine frequencies from the atmosphere. On the other hand clothes made from artificial fibres nylon, terylene, rayon and polyester have a diminished ability to attract divine frequencies. They attract Raja-Tama frequencies from the atmosphere making the people that wear them more likely to be attacked by negative energies.

4.2 Amount of stitching

how-to-dress-cuts-stitches

Cutting cloth and creating innumerable small holes in the cloth through stitching attracts negative vibrations from the atmosphere. Hence it is better to wear clothes where there is minimal stitching. This is one of the reasons traditional attire of Indian women or the sari, a silk 9-yard dress, is considered to be the most sattvik dress. For the same reason, clothes that are held up with a knot like the rectangular piece of unstitched cloth, usually around 4-5 metres long, wrapped around the waist and the legs and knotted at the waist by Hindus or the dhoti have a greater spiritual benefit as opposed to clothes sticthed with buttons.

Along with this, clothes that are hand-made while chanting the Name of God, have a better ability to attract positive spiritual vibrations. Extensive and rapid piercing of clothes with a sewing machine attracts distressing vibrations.

4.3 Colour of the cloth

how-to-dress-colours

Whites, yellows and blues have a higher ability to attract spiritually positive vibrations. This is because these are sattvik colours. Black on the other hand is the colour that most attracts distressing vibrations. Black and white when worn as a combination of colours, clash with each other at the level of spiritual vibrations and thereby attract negative vibrations.

Refer to the article on colours and why we should not wear black to a funeral.

Gaudy colours also attract Tama predominant vibrations. Colours should be complementary to each other.

4.4 Design and print on the cloth

how-to-dress-design

The patterns, size or frequency of patterns on cloth can have a significant impact on the spiritual positivity or negativity emanating from a dress.

  • Sattvik designs such as leaves, flowers, dots and vines are more helpful
  • Sattvik designs generally do  not have pointed tips
  • Designs should not be congested
  • Morbid and violent looking designs such a skulls etc. attract negative vibrations
  • Vertical stripes on a shirt are better than horizontal. Oblique stripes have distressing vibrations
  • Self-coloured clothes with sattvik colours which are devoid of design generally attract positive vibrations

Refer to the picture given at the beginning of this article.

4.5 Condition of the clothes

how-to-dress-torn-clothes

The condition that clothes are in also plays a role in affecting us at a spiritual level.

Unwashed clothes attract negative energies. For example a big brand jeans company encourages their customers not to wash their jeans. From a spiritual perspective, as dirt and sweat builds up in clothes so do the Raja-Tama vibrations. On the other hand, washed clothes are not charged with the individual’s vibrations and dirt, and therefore their ability to attract the Sattva component is high.

Wearing torn clothes is also considered a fashionable trend with the younger generation. However torn clothes attract negative vibrations.

When it comes to old and new clothes, the latter is more conducive to attracting divine energies. For example a washed new silk garment will be better able to attract divine frequencies as opposed to a washed old silk garment.

4.6 Length of hemline

how-to-dress-hemline

Over the decades hemlines have reduced and while this is considered fashionable, it has its  disadvantages from a spiritual perspective. Clothes act as a protective covering from negative energies. Short clothes not only have the potential to arouse sexual desire in the opposite sex but also the attention of ghosts and negative energies in the vicinity. Negative energies get attracted towards women wearing revealing clothes and harass them from the subtle in order to fulfil their sexual desires. At SSRF we have come across many instances where women have been sexually abused by a subtle-entity with or without their knowledge.

4.7 Style

how-to-dress-tight-clothes

The style of clothing has many aspects to it, one of which is the fit of the clothes. Garments need to be comfortable and not too tight. If they are too tight, then the friction between the cloth and skin creates sound waves of subtle-air, which causes distressing waves from the atmosphere to be  propelled towards the person. A looser fit allows for a subtle-void to be created between the cloth and the skin which allows the Divine Consciousness (Chaitanya) from the atmosphere to be attracted and retained.

Draping of cloth on the body is also another aspect to consider as depending on the way it is done helps in either the flow or obstruction of energies. Let’s take the example of the sari . Our spiritual research showed that there is a reason why a sari is designed with pleats in the front. This instigates a flow of energy from the folds of a sari towards the ground and it protects women from negative energies emanating from the subtle-region of Hell (Patal

Fashions may ebb and flow with each season as fashion designers chase the next fad. However our spiritual research has shown that through the centuries, it is the 9-yard silk sari followed by the 6-yard sari which have been and still are the most spiritually conducive garments to wear for a woman.

Refer to the article – How to dress? – The sari and the skirt

4.8 Borrowing clothes – a spiritual taboo

Borrowing clothes, shoes, caps from a friend may help to temporarily extend one’s wardrobe, however the spiritual disadvantages outweigh the advantages.

In today’s world a large section of society is affected by negative energies. As a result the vibrations of these negative energies remain in the clothes as distressing energy. Wearing the clothes of a person who is possessed by negative energies can be extremely detrimental from a spiritual standpoint. As we do not have the sixth sense ability to understand who is affected or possessed with negative energies it is best to refrain from borrowing of clothes altogether.

Refer to the article on how many people are affected or possessed by demonic energies.

We may experience a similar effect when buying second-hand clothes. If we have no alternative to buying second-hand clothing, it is highly recommended we spiritually purify the clothes before wearing them.

Refer to the article on removing subtle-smell from clothes.

5. In summary – how to dress

The information provided in this article shows us some of the main ways that clothes can affect us at a spiritual level. Every effort we make to abide by these guiding principles helps bring us an inch closer to the ideal sattvik lifestyle. At a practical level there are some of the aspects above which one can heed and put into practice immediately, for example; avoid wearing black coloured clothes. The faster we incorporate these changes into the way we dress, the better off we will be.

On the other hand it may not be so easy to adhere to some of the other points given above. It is important to understand that whatever efforts one can make to increase the Sattva component in us adds to our overall purity and at least that should be acted upon when choosing our clothing.

When we practice Spirituality according to the six basic principles of spiritual practice it helps to open up our sixth sense ability. We are able to experience the above information at a vibrational level. Once we gain the ability to experience subtle-vibrations, we empower ourselves to make better decisions about everyday activities which finally help us lead a sattvik and fulfilling life.

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How do negative energies influence people through thoughts?

Have you ever thought about it? Have you ever wondered, that when you do something awful it’s not like you who is thinking or acting? Here might be some answers:

How do negative energies (ghosts, demons, devils etc.) influence people through thoughts?

In order to understand this article, we recommend you familiarize yourself with the following:

1. Introduction

In our earlier articles, we have ascertained that the majority of the world’s population is affected by negative energies (ghosts, demons, devils etc.)   or will feel their effect in the years to come. We have also provided advice on how one can recognise and reduce the effect of negative energies on oneself through spiritual healing and spiritual practice.

One of the benefits of spiritual healing and spiritual practice is that we come to understand the difference between thoughts that arise from our subconscious mind and thoughts which are given by negative energies (ghosts, demons, devils etc.). A practical way to understand this difference is to study whether the thoughts disappear or whether their intensity or frequency reduces after spiritual healing.

However in the initial stages of spiritual practice it may be difficult to discern the difference. In addition to this, when the influence of the negative subtle-entity is very strong, it may sometimes take months or years of spiritual healing and spiritual practice to ascertain where the thoughts originate from.

In this article we list examples of different types of thoughts given by negative energies and how they influence people. We have also explained how their influence over people at large differs from their influence over seekers of God. Some responses and remedial actions are also suggested alongside each example.

2. How negative energies (ghosts, demons, devils etc.) increase desires in the mind

When negative energies (ghosts, demons, devils etc.) affect us by increasing desires in the mind, it mostly happens through the following mechanism.

The negative energy sends a direct command to the subconscious mind targeting the instinct and desire centre. For example: “Drink alcohol now”, “Eat chocolate now”, “Watch a movie now”, “Listen to music now”, “Do drugs now”, “Have sex now”. As a result the desire to act as instructed arises in the person and the person feels like doing these acts.

If the person resists this desire, or if there is Divine protection, or if the person is feeling some Divine consciousness (Chaitanya) or Bliss (Ānand), then the negative energies (ghosts, demons, devils etc.) increase the intensity of the command. For example: “Eat kilos of food; eat all the food that exists in the house”, “Have sex with 30 women” etc. (The commands may not be exactly like those stated here, but the principle of the command and the feeling in the mind is.)

Autosuggestion: A therapeutic sentence or perspective suggested to the self to positively change one’s actions (behaviour), thoughts and reactions (attitudes) or physical state.

Another method used is to target the likes and dislikes centre by sending a thought in the form of an autosuggestion, such as: “I like chocolate”, “I love alcohol”, “I love meat”. Then the like centre sends an impression for the person to do the act.  A seeker may not have a centre of likes developed for these things, but he or she would still feel like this centre in the subconscious mind exists. Negative energies (ghosts, demons, devils etc.) make an extra effort in this case because a seeker’s mind has a centre for sāttvik desires which fights these desires.

 

Impact of desires given by higher level negative energies

3. How negative energies (ghosts, demons, devils etc.) increase negative thoughts about self, others and Spirituality

3.1 Negative thoughts about self

As in the earlier example, the negative energy (ghost, demon, devil etc.) affecting us through negative thoughts places such a thought in our mind. It is a similar principle, but the suggestion attacks the intellect and identification and interpretation centres.

The thoughts that they send about self are, for example: “You are a bad seeker. You deserve to suffer. You are so bad and there is no way out. The only solution for you is to kill yourself. In fact, you should stop spiritual practice because you are such a bad person”. Then the seeker gets the thought in his mind that: “I am a bad seeker. I deserve to suffer. There is no way out. The only solution is to kill myself. I should stop spiritual practice because I am a bad person”.

Impact of negative thoughts about self given by higher level negative energies

3.2 Negative thoughts about others

The type of thoughts that negative energies (ghosts, demons, devils etc.) place in our mind about others are, for example: “This person is very negative”, “He has a big ego”, “What he is saying right now is ego”, “This person is dishonest”, “He hates you and wants to harm you”.  Usually this is completely untrue.  Things which don’t exist are pointed out, and we appear to see defects and ego that are not there. But the impression is put in the mind by the negative energy and the affected person starts thinking like this about others. In this way, the affected person’s mind becomes clouded.

Impact of negative thoughts about others given by higher level negative energies

3.3 Negative thoughts about Spirituality

The thoughts that negative energies (ghosts, demons, devils etc.) send against spiritual practice, including one’s service unto the Absolute Truth (satsēvā)  are, for example: “Spiritual practice is fake”, “There is no God”, “God hates you”, “Guru is fake and is cheating you”, “Guru/God likes others more than you”, “You are not treated fairly”, “The satseva that you are doing is not satseva”, “Spread of Spirituality cannot happen”. They can also send intellectual doubts to discount spiritual science, for example: “Meat is good because it has iron.  If you don’t eat meat you will get sick. Science has proven this and spiritual science is wrong”.

Negative energies (ghosts, demons, devils etc.) also send thoughts distorting spiritual science in order to bring about tāmasik behaviour, such as: “Nothing much will happen if you don’t take a shower or clean the house.  These are just gross level things.  Subtle is more important so you don’t have to do it”. Or it can be a thought to induce incorrect spiritual practice, such as: “You should just sit and chant and not do satseva because chanting is within and satseva is external and at the gross level. You don’t need to do satseva since you have gone beyond it.  You are already feeling Bliss”.

In more extreme cases of distorting spiritual science, negative energies (ghosts, demons, devils etc.) can send thoughts to make the person think that the negative act is a positive act, such as: “You should guide yourself.  By following others, you are not connected to God but to the person. Each person should be his own guide”, or “Drugs give spiritual experiences and drugs are a spiritual tool for growth”.  In regards to telling others about Spirituality, the negative energies can also send incorrect thoughts about how Spirituality should be spread or disseminated. They can give thoughts to do satseva  ( and spread Spirituality at a psychological level that actually may lead to mistakes. They may also give thoughts of improper judgment about a curious person (for example, sending the message that a person is a seeker when he is not, or the reverse, that the person is not a seeker when he is).

Impact of negative thoughts about Spirituality given by higher level negative energies

4. How negative energies (ghosts, demons, devils etc.) increase thoughts of pride and ego

To increase our thoughts of pride and ego, negative energies (ghosts, demons, devils etc.) send thoughts, such as: “You have done this so well”, “Everyone will see it”, “You will be praised”, “Everyone is looking at you”, “You look good”, “You are so smart”.

These thoughts may be about many different things, even small unimportant acts. In the case of seekers, negative energies make stronger suggestions, for example: “You are the strongest of all”, “You are the smartest of all”, and “No one in the world can do this better than you”.

Impact of pride and ego-related thoughts given by higher level negative energies

5. How negative energies (ghosts, demons, devils etc.) give very bad and aggressive thoughts (thoughts of breaking things, beating people, murder, rape or similar)

To influence people to perform really aggressive acts, negative energies (ghosts, demons, devils etc.) send a visualization of the act into the person’s mind. The person sees the act already happening within his mind and is then motivated to act out what is visualized.

In addition to the visualization, negative energies can send a feeling of pleasure coming out of the act, meaning they let a person experience a fake sense of pleasure from visualizing the committed act.

Impact of aggressive thoughts given by higher level negative energies

6. In summary – steps to reduce the influence of negative energies (ghosts, demons, devils etc.) on the mind

Unknown to most of mankind, a major battle of good versus evil has been taking place in the subtle-regions since 1993. From time to time throughout history, the subtle-forces of evil gain enough spiritual energy to attempt to establish a demonic kingdom in the Universe. One of the ways in which they trouble mankind through this subtle-battle is by sowing thoughts of unrighteous behaviour that takes people away from the pursuit of spiritual growth and increases the Raja and Tama components in the environment.

Since most people are unaware of this battle, they do not realise that the thoughts they experience may originate from negative entities in the spiritual realm. It is only through regular spiritual practice that one starts to recognise such occurrences, learns to overcome their effect and is protected from them.

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