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Spirituality

Scientific Evidence for Answered Prayer and the Existence of God

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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)

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Spirituality

How to dress – spiritual effect of the clothes we wear

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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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Spirituality

How do negative energies influence people through thoughts?

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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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Spirituality

Spiritualism, A Guide for Those Who Seek

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Ethel Rowe at 89th birtjhday in 2000[Editor’s Note: Nov. 2011. These concepts were set to print in a small booklet authored by Ethel Rowe and Norma Bright in 1985. Ethel was a wonderful spiritualist teacher who I met through the Learning Light Center in Anaheim, California where Ethel held prayer services every Sunday. During the latter half of the 1990s, I attended psychic development (mediumship) classes (on and off) at her home in Anaheim for a couple of years , along with perhaps 8 or 10 others. All of her students learned a great deal and were deeply inspired by Ethel’s knowledge of metaphysics and her ability in mediumship. Ethel would occasionally recall anecdotes about fellow traveler and co-learner Norma Bright, who died from cancer in 1982 and of Ethel’s late husband, Jack, who was also well known as a healer and spiritual teacher. Ethel passed over about 7 years ago and would have been in her mid 90s. She was an inspiring and dedicated teacher nad very easy to like.

Take the time to read each chapter presented here. You will be amazed at the profound wisdom and understanding contained within Ethel’s explanations. I’m sure her words will bring you closer to a greater understanding of life, of God, and the purpose behind the physical plane. …Ken Adachi]

By Ethel Rowe and Norma Bright
http://educate-yourself.org/mbc/ethelrowespiritualismApart28nov11.shtml
November 28, 2011 Ethel Rowe on her 89th Brithday in 2000

Spiritualism, A Guide for Those Who Seek (Nov. 28, 2011)

Introduction to Spiritualism

Spiritualism is an outpouring of spirit to humanity, a divine revelation from the Spheres of Light. It is the highest message we have, as yet, grown to grasp, the one whose depth, beauty, and mighty significance we will imperfectly realize.

A Spiritualist is one who believes as a part of his or her religion in the communication between this and the spirit world by means of mediumship. It is one who endeavors to mold his or her character and conduct in accordance with the highest teachings derived from such communication.

How little we know of true Spiritualism! How far we are from mastering its wonderful philosophy! It cannot be contained between the covers of any book or outlined fully in any written creed.

Spiritualism is the broad educator, the great redeemer, the emancipator which releases the human soul from the bondage of superstition and ignorance. It lifts the clouds of error that have for so long enshrouded the world and illuminates the darkness of the world’s materiality. Through the gateway of inspired mediumship, it has stimulated science and enriched philosophy. It has broadened the concepts of man and liberalized beliefs and creeds.

Spiritualism has abundantly proven that there is no death; that there is a world of spirit where we live, move, and have being in a spiritual body as real then as our physical body is now. Man’s moral status after death is the same as immediately before the change and he enters into a high or low estate according to his spiritual attainment in this world.

In the spirit world, man retains his individuality. The unfoldment of his mental, moral, and spiritual faculties is continued indefinitely by processes not unlike ours in this world.

Good deeds, done from a good heart, create a force in building a pleasant abode in the spirit life. The sinful create their own unhappy place. The wicked must compensate for their evil deeds here and hereafter. They must attain a state of justice before they are prepared to enter the path that leads to spiritual happiness and progression.

Through directive wisdom, the intuitive person receives guidance from centers of inspiration in the upper realms. Ever grander revelations will be forthcoming as we grow ready to receive them. It brings to the surface man’s spiritual gifts such as inspiration, clairvoyance, and healing powers.

We increase in spiritual knowledge by rich experience and potentialities of the spirit. We learn, while yet embodied, what it is to be free and masterful spirits. We are capable, even now, of every noble conquest and achievement.

Spiritualism is the science, philosophy, and religion of continuous life. It is based upon the demonstrated fact of communication by means of mediumship with those who live in the Spirit World.

Spiritualism teaches that the spark of Divinity dwells in all. As a flower gradually unfolds in beauty, so the spirit of man unfolds and develops.

Death is not cessation of life. Death is in reality, the portal of the spirit world, where a life of living and learning continues. Nothing physical is necessary; no money needs to be earned. They are busy with loving relationships and the gaining of wisdom.

Man does not have a soul; man is a soul and has a body. Man is a Spiritual being now, while encased in the flesh. As man sows on earth, so shall he reap in the life to come. Those who have passed on are conscious – not asleep.

Communion between the living and the “dead” is scientifically proven. It thus brings comfort to the bereaved and alleviates sorrow.

Spiritualism is a manifestation, the demonstration and proof of the continuity of life explaining many spirit manifestations recorded in the Bible.

It demonstrates that many spiritual gifts with which mankind is endowed, but which, through want of knowledge, have been allowed to lay dormant. Through prejudice, it has been violently and unjustly suppressed.

Every soul will progress through the ages to heights sublime and live gloriously where God is love and love is God!

Spiritualism is God’s message to mortals: “There is no death!” All who have passed on still live. There is hope in the life beyond for even the most sinful.

Ethel Rowe

Spiritualism, A Guide for Those Who Seek

Part 1~ Science
Part 6 ~ Mediumship
Part 2 ~ Philosophy Part 7 ~ Healing
Part 3 ~ Religion Part 8 ~ Ancient Spiritualism
Part 4 ~ Prayer Part 9 ~ Conclusion
Part 5 ~ Meditation Part 10 ~ Closing Thoughts

 

 

 

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Health / General Awareness, Spirituality

Hope

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Very important thing in life:

never_give_up_tee
 

“Hope inspires people and makes them achieve sometimes impossible victories. Dark forces hate hope, and by all means they try to uproot hope from the hearts of people. When hope is cut off, man turns into a slave of dark forces or the slave of chaos. A hopeless person is like a trapped animal in the hands of his physical, emotional, and mental enemies “…Torkom Saraydarian

Hope by Torkom Saraydarian (1991)

By Torkom Saraydarian
http://educate-yourself.org/cn/torkomsaraydarianhope24apr06.shtml
April 24, 2006

Chapter 4
Earthquakes & Disasters, What the Ageless Wisdom Tells Us (1991) *

One wonders why in our recent psychology and psychiatry there cannot be found any serious study or discussion about hope. Hope certainly has a great effect on our emotions, our glands, and our behavior. Hope can change the chemistry of the secretions of the glands and the condition of the blood circulation. It releases energy from certain etheric centers and gives us courage and strength, bringing great changes in our electromagnetic field or aura.

Hope creates a frame of mind in which man searches and strives continuously to find a solution, and because of such a positive tension, his Higher Self responds and brings the needed light

Hope prevents negative thoughtforms from building themselves within your aura. Negative thoughtforms are the cause of many failures. Hope creates a sphere of consciousness in which negative thoughtforms cannot breed. When the consciousness is free from negative thoughtforms, higher impressions can reach it and register themselves upon it.

Most of our failures are the result of defeatist or failure thoughtforms. We not only create them, but we import them from our friends and enemies. Imported and created failure thoughtforms literally eat and destroy any positive or constructive thoughtform. Many people try to be successful; but when success approaches, they give up because the failure thoughtforms reverse the gears on their path.

Hope prevents such an action. It not only nourishes the constructive thoughtforms, but also broadcasts them, thus creating a magnetic atmosphere around you.

Hope continues even if you attain the object you hoped for. Hope leaves you and enters a different dimension and makes you search for it. Thus you are led from one dimension to another because of the hope. that is attainable and because of a hope that is still unattainable.

On the other hand, when you see the evaporation of your hope, hope does not vanish but appears from another comer in another form and encourages you to follow its steps. Thus whether you attain your hope or lose it, it is always in Pandora’s jar.

The power of hope is based on the fact that it is not an attribute but rather the feeling of the existence of the True Self, dancing and playing with every object of hope, hiding and reappearing behind every interest to challenge you for your future. Hope is the voice of the future, the thread of the True Self, pulling up His reflection which is wandering in the lower worlds. This is the reason why hope is always there whether it is met or it is lost A person, a group, or a nation advances by hope. Hope creates a proper atmosphere in which growth and development become possible.

There are three kinds of influential people:

1. The fIrst kind are those who speak about doom, about final destruction, about annihilation; who pump fear into the hearts of people, using fear to control or exploit them. These people can be found everywhere, talking about the shifting of the axis of the Earth, about floods and earthquakes, and about the numerous diseases which are supposedly going to engulf humanity. Some of these people are false prophets. Some of them are pessimists. Some of them have hidden interests behind their words. They spread poison, and this poison affects your nervous system and your heart and breaks off the wings of your soul.

2. The second kind of people are those who are very rosy and goody-goody. Everything is beautiful and just right for them. They are satisfied with life. No matter what happens, they feel safe, content, and happy; and they sleep under the blanket of their goodiness until the flood comes and dumps them into the ocean. One of my Teachers used to say that such people enter hell in their sleep. Such people allow evil to spread roots and branch out in such an immensity that people of goodwill find themselves incapable of fighting against it and stopping its growth. Because of their goodiness, they indirectly encourage those kinds of activities which eventually lead people into destruction. Such people are not only optimistic fools, but also cowards, who hide behind their selfish interests and let evil grow around them.

3. The third kind of people are those who see the danger, the corruption, the pollution, and the evil of totalitarianism and take conscious action to prevent its expansion, without pessimism but with inflamed optimism. They see the situation clearly. They see the difficulties and obstacles on the path. They see the growing power of evil; but they never lose their hope of victory over evil. They have the experience that the opportunity of progress comes when there are crises and obstacles, against which man walks with hope and determination to win the victory. This third kind of people belongs to the race of heroes. They know that in unexpected hours the help reaches them and that on the edge of the abyss the hand touches them. They feel that all events going on upon Earth are watched by Higher Forces. They know that there exist higher resources of energy which, in unexpected times, come to the rescue.

The substance of hope makes such rescue-work possible. Hope provides the right atmosphere through which the~ fIres of Space reach us. It is not pessimism or sickening optimism that provides such a channel, but real hope – which is the foundation of true optimism.

Unfortunately, our daily newspapers and radio and television programs perpetuate the pessimistic spirit and day and night nourish it with their gloomy news and with movies of violence and destruction. After reading your morning paper and listening to the news on your television, you fill yourself with the spirit of pessimism and negativity; you lose your hope for life; and all day your body produces poison or imperil. Once you poison yourself, your handshake becomes poisonous; your smell becomes poisonous. To whatever you touch, you impart poison. You carry poison into your office, workshop, and home. Day after day you increase your poison, and eventually you defeat yourself with your pessimism.

Those people who change crises into a process of purifIcation and opportunities for transformation, victory, and achievement are called “the hopes” of the nation and the world, who stand in front of humanity as paths leading toward greater achievements, new courage, daring, and striving. In reading and hearing about such people, we are filled with new hope and we think, “If they achieved, if they conquered in those difficult conditions, we, too, can achieve and conquer.” Thus we become a source of hope for ourselves and for others.

When darkness descends on our path; when we are lost in the dark nights of our lives; when we feel that all is lost in the chaos; we still see a distant light, the light of hope – which shines and inspires us to forge ahead and achieve victory. That distant light is our Inner Guide, Who passed many dark nights and Who knows that each one of us must fight for his own victory.

Hope is a subconscious and superconscious confidence that all possibilities exist. While your concrete mind gives up, your subjective mind still searches for a solution or an answer. Such a labor is called hoping for. I imagine the act of hoping as a torch carried in your right hand in darkness through intriguing caves, to find the passage leading to the sunlight.
Challenge for Discipleship, pp. 488-490

The psychological and physiological effects of hope are:

balance of mind
stability in confusing conditions
control over negative elements within us and around us
aspiration
joy
physical strength
better circulation of the blood
courage and daring
regulation of the glands and the functions
of the organs
healing
inspiration

Hope creates spiritual magnetism, which draws inspiration or clear direction from Higher Sources. Hope keeps the vision of achievement in our hearts in spite of all conditions and thus keeps alive our aspiration toward the vision. Our hope can have a very positive effect on people who are hindering our success. It melts away their negative ~ttitudes and creates an urge in them to open our way and,. help our efforts to fulfill our destiny. For example, if I hope that I will be able to cooperate with a certain person, I naturally send him thoughts of cooperation. Those thoughts gradually weaken his negative attitude toward me, and he eventually cooperates with me. Hope reaches his soul, and his soul washes away personality antagonism.

Hope is psychic energy. It uses thought constructively. Hopeless thoughts never reach their destination. Hope changes the currents of energy from destructive toward constructive ends. Hope gives the possibility to Higher Forces to reach you, to impress you, and to guide you. Hopelessness is like living under a thick fog: the rescuers cannot see you from the mountaintop. Hope gives a signal to Higher Forces to reach you and strengthen you.

When you are full of hope, you combat against all ugly and defeatist thoughtforms sent by dark forces and by failed friends or enemies. These thoughtforms cannot penetrate and control your thinking as long as your hope is alive. Once a few thieves were planning to rob a house. After they had climbed the fence and gotten into the yard, one said, “There is a light on inside. Someone is awake. We can’t do it today.” And they turned back. Hope is like that light in the house which repels the thieves.

Hope sends signals to friends on Earth and in Higher Worlds to hasten to our rescue. It creates communication lines between people and worlds. Hope strives to the end, and each end turns into a beginning. One day people will see on a screen how hope creates harmonious and colorful brain waves and stabilizes disturbed auras, creating health, happiness, a cooperative spirit, and joy.

Hope inspires people and makes them achieve sometimes impossible victories. Dark forces hate hope, and by all means they try to uproot hope from the hearts of people. When hope is cut off, man turns into a slave of dark forces or the slave of chaos. A hopeless person is like a trapped animal in the hands of his physical, emotional, and mental enemies.

Hope turns into a destructive tension when freedom is taken away. Hopeless people serve the forces of destruction. Try to see positive elements in any person or event. Know that often negative elements are servants to positive elements. One type of people says, “This event is absolute “evil and extremely bad.” Others’say, “Oh, that is nothing. It didn’t bring harm to me. It happened many times, and it may happen again.” The third type of people say, “Well, the causes of this event are as follows . . . and we can eliminate such events by taking the following steps. . .

In the fIrst case, people are caught in the arms of the octopus of the bad event. They are frozen and motionless, and they conclude that it is the end of the world. In the second case, people are indifferent to the suffering, loss, and aftershocks; and they are content because they think that the event had no effect on them. In the third case, people realize the seriousness of the event, but they can see a way out of it. They try to think how similar events can be prevented and how such events can be utilized to bring out a new way for which the world was searching and put it into action for the benefit of people.

Hope is not an emotional attitude, but a clear mental and intuitive insight, charged with courage and determination to achieve. Every time we read our newspapers we say, “That is it. The end is not far away.” This is how we slide downhill and lose our hope.

Every event is the result of certain causes. It is possible to initiate new causes to change the causes of future events. Sometimes the accumulated causes must manifest, to clear the sky for a new sunshine. The evolution of the planet cannot be stopped by the conflict between the fleas living on its skin. It is possible that a worldwide catastrophe may take place, but it will not be the end. Maybe it will be a new beginning. Maybe the consciousness of man will expand enough to totally change his instinct to fight and his glamor of separatism and seJf-interest. Great truths often reveal themselves in great shocks.

Hope will never leave us. It remained in the bottom of Pandora’s jar. It is the foundation on which we build our lives.

Once a psychiatrist came and said to me, “I am really tired. I cannot face the condition on Earth. I see global destruction. I don’t want to live any more.”

I said, “I see the condition exactly as you see it, but I see something deeper.”

“What is it?”

“In such a condition, we could continue poisoning and killing all planetary life, but because of this condition we can now see how and why we created it and how we can change it.One who escapes meeting the challenge is less courageous and less intelligent than one who does not give up and fights to the end. You may choose one of these paths. Have hope. In the darkest hours of our life, doors will be opened and humanity will enter a new life. Such doors exist for those who do not give up hope.”

Torkom Saraydarian

Through labor we give birth to that which is greater than what we are before the labor.
Labor helps us to transcend ourselves.

*ISBN 0-911794-63-8

Related

A Little Encouragement for The Days Ahead by Grey Wolf (March 15, 2006)

Rediscovering Hope (April 26, 2006)

Don Croft Speaks Out on ‘Aerosol Crimes’ DVD (Abandon Hope, All Ye Who Enter Here!) April 23, 2006

The Power of Words (Feb. 26, 2006)

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