Experiences

[Walt Zingmatilder]

In answer to a request for a thread on experiences.

I summarised mine here

Re: Food for thought for Christians  « Reply #175 on: April 03, 2016, 12:18:30 PM

and described it thus: What I can say, by dint of explaining my experience, is that this is unlike say liking Chopin. It  has the hallmarks of being a proper encounter namely of surprise, of awareness, of new and affective information and disturbance of ego, and against personal bias.

I think the idea now is that people feel free to relate experience.

[horsethorn]

That's not a description of your experience, though, it's your conclusion.

To "relate experience", we would need to share a description of the actual experience.

ht

[Gonnagle]

Dear Horsethorn,

The actual event, how we felt in that moment, is that what you are asking.

Gonnagle.

[Walt Zingmatilder]

That's not a description of your experience, though, it's your conclusion.

To "relate experience", we would need to share a description of the actual experience.

ht

Perhaps you can show us how it is done?

[horsethorn]

Perhaps you can show us how it is done?

Certainly.

When I was meditating/journeying, I experienced a 'moment out of time'; approaching me from between the two boughs of a tree were a succession of goddesses - I recall Mary, Isis, Rhiannon, Freya, possibly Parvati, and others. They did not speak, but I was told that they were all the same Goddess, and everything was part of Her. I also recall a feeling of peace, and of being on the right path.

That's about as much detail as I remember of that one.

Note that I gave no conclusion, just a description of what I experienced.

Your turn.

ht

[Brownie]

Well, that really was a big experience Horsethorn!
Mine was a quiet one.  All I can say is that I was reading something (I do remember what it was I was reading but I doubt anyone else would be interested), and suddenly everything seemed to fall into place.  I was no longer uncertain and did feel quite emotional as if great weights were taken off my shoulders.  It definitely changed me.

I must be honest, though, the change didn't last.  The memory of the experience has always stayed with me and I go back to it in my mind which is helpful but I certainly slipped quite a bit, especially a few years afterwards.

[Gonnagle]

Dear Horsethorn,

Sorry but I am going to go all atheist on you.

1. You put meditating/journeying, do you equate meditation as some kind of journey?

2. Moment out of time, what is that?

3. They did not speak, but you were told!!

4. Feeling of peace?

5. Same Goddess, everything was part of her, who, or is that whom?

I don't dismiss your experience just trying to understand.

The only one I can loosely relate to is the feeling of peace, but mine was more of surrender, my shoulders slumped, a release of some kind.

Gonnagle.

[floo]

I have mentioned this 'experience/dream' before, but will relate it again. I don't know when it actually occurred as it has been with me as long as I can remember, which is right back to the cradle.

I was an angel up in heaven (feel free to laugh), when god, who presented as a bright white light, told me it was my turn to do my bit on earth. I protested as I didn't fancy the idea, but ended up down here anyway. No doubt I am now a fallen angel. However, that experience didn't stop me losing my faith.

[horsethorn]

Well, that really was a big experience Horsethorn!
Mine was a quiet one.  All I can say is that I was reading something (I do remember what it was I was reading but I doubt anyone else would be interested), and suddenly everything seemed to fall into place.  I was no longer uncertain and did feel quite emotional as if great weights were taken off my shoulders.  It definitely changed me.

I must be honest, though, the change didn't last.  The memory of the experience has always stayed with me and I go back to it in my mind which is helpful but I certainly slipped quite a bit, especially a few years afterwards.

Sometimes the "small" ones are more important...

ht

[horsethorn]

Dear Horsethorn,

Sorry but I am going to go all atheist on you.

1. You put meditating/journeying, do you equate meditation as some kind of journey?

Journeying is a specific meditation technique used in core shamanism

2. Moment out of time, what is that?

When time seems to stop and you see everything with an abnormal clarity.

3. They did not speak, but you were told!!

Yep. The information was transferred non-verbally

4. Feeling of peace?

Calm, relaxed, happy, comfortable, not anxious or concerned.

5. Same Goddess, everything was part of her, who, or is that whom?

Who (or whom) doesn't matter; they are all One.

I don't dismiss your experience just trying to understand.

The only one I can loosely relate to is the feeling of peace, but mine was more of surrender, my shoulders slumped, a release of some kind.

Gonnagle.

As I said to Brownie - sometimes the "small" experiences are more important; "Bigger" experiences take a very long time to process, I've found.

ht

[horsethorn]

I have mentioned this 'experience/dream' before, but will relate it again. I don't know when it actually occurred as it has been with me as long as I can remember, which is right back to the cradle.

I was an angel up in heaven (feel free to laugh), when god, who presented as a bright white light, told me it was my turn to do my bit on earth. I protested as I didn't fancy the idea, but ended up down here anyway. No doubt I am now a fallen angel. However, that experience didn't stop me losing my faith.

It's interesting that you apply christian terminology to it, though

ht

[Étienne d'Angleterre]

The experiences that I have are kind of self brought on.

I feel that I can leave my body and travel to another place. I am aware that I am traveling but can't really see or feel anything. It is as though the everyday world falls away.

When I reawaken I am in a kitchen, fairly bare, just a wooden table and two chairs around it. I find different objects placed on the table every visit and sometimes a dead (before I was born) relative.

We don't talk, but we do talk (impossible to describe really). The discussion is about the object the object or objects on the table. When the relative is not there I just peruse whatever is on the table by myself.

When I return to the "real" world  I find an inner peace and resolution to whatever has been on my mind although I am not sure how it has been resolved.

Very odd, but very comforting.

[Gonnagle]

Dear Horsethorn,

Calm, relaxed, happy, comfortable, not anxious or concerned.

Yes Happiness, I was going to say joy, but not joy, although anxiousness and concern did follow later.

I will try to digest the rest of your post, this journeying sounds fascinating.

Gonnagle.

[horsethorn]

That's fascinating, Stephen. Would you say it is (or started as) some kind of guided visualisation, or is/was it a spontaneous experience?

ht

[horsethorn]

Dear Horsethorn,

Yes Happiness, I was going to say joy, but not joy, although anxiousness and concern did follow later.

I will try to digest the rest of your post, this journeying sounds fascinating.

Gonnagle.

If you've got any questions, Gonners, just ask - you know I'm quite happy to answer.

Odd that Vlad hasn't joined in yet.

ht

[Nearly Sane]

Sometimes the "small" ones are more important...

ht

When I spoke at my father's funeral, just as I did some introductory thanks to the funeral directors and the priests, I rubbed my finger on the bevelled leather of the very large bible in the crematorium. I remember that as a focus of grounding me to allow me to then talk about my father. The slight roughness, the substance of the book allowed me to know that there and then attention must be paid to my father.

Big things affect us, often in ways that we have no clue of,  till the small moments clarify the meaning.

[Gonnagle]

Dear Stephen,

Excuse my French but wow, fuckin WOW

Gonnagle.

[Étienne d'Angleterre]

That's fascinating, Stephen. Would you say it is (or started as) some kind of guided visualisation, or is/was it a spontaneous experience?

ht

Not quite sure what you mean. I wasn't shown how to do it. I just remember a series of session of peace and quite when I was taking the opportunity to think about things, when one day I just seemed to travel away. Hard to describe really. Don't know where the relative or the object came from I just kind of arrived.

When I am there, it is not like real life but not like a dream either.

Very odd.

[Brownie]

Dear Stephen,

Excuse my French but wow, f***** WOW

Gonnagle.

A wow from me too.

NS, I found your post quite moving.

Floo, you had a really sweet and innocent dream, bless.  It was lovely.  The nearest I've had to that is when I was a small child, I dreamed a fairy was looking at me from inside the lampshade in my room  , I woke up scared stiff.

[Nearly Sane]

Stephen,  fascinating post as others have said, do you mind if I ask if the objects on the table have/seem to have significance, and if so in what way?

[Nearly Sane]

Oh, and while we are on here my differences of opinion with Vlad are known and long-standing  but this is a lovely idea for a thread, so doff of the hat, to Vlad.

[Gonnagle]

Dear Brownie,

I have tears in my eyes, of laughter, did you asterisk my swearing

Gonnagle.

[Nearly Sane]

Dear Brownie,

I have tears in my eyes, of laughter, did you asterisk my swearing

Gonnagle.

  I would have had to put in a g or an apostrophe had I quoted you.

[Gonnagle]

Dear Sane,

Tell you what old son! This experience stuff is heavy, very heavy, I can totally relate to you and your Fathers funeral, my notes went totally out of the window, everything I wanted to say was there, in that place.

Gonnagle.

[Nearly Sane]

Dear Sane,

Tell you what old son! This experience stuff is heavy, very heavy, I can totally relate to you and your Fathers funeral, my notes went totally out of the window, everything I wanted to say was there, in that place.

Gonnagle.

Agree, Gonzo, that's why I had to give Vlad the credit for the thread. This is much more about what unifies us than the insert god figure here a bit of a dick stuff.

Just to add in my brain, I had Fatboy Slim, Death of a Salesman and Sondheim's Assassins on a mash up in my head playing about right here, right now and attention must be paid.


https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ub747pprmJ8