Wikileaks: Torn Curtains Forever Open

Torn Curtains Forever Open
A Sundance editorial by John Hutchinson



Why do some people consider Julian Assange*, the Wikileaks’ founder, editor-in-chief, and spokesperson, more of a hero than a criminal or traitor?


In my opinion, the answer is quite simple.


Most people have experienced governments, politicians, bankers, corporations, and others in influential positions communicating information that was either completely false or meant to lead public opinion and understanding in one direction while at the same time acting covertly in a completely opposite direction.


So for these folks, Wikileaks can be seen as a breath of fresh air that provides a window into actual uncensored communications rather than just the releases that are cleaned for public relations purposes… the politically correct versions.


For some, Wikileaks, provides truth and transparency.


We often trust those who tend to share our beliefs and views. The more I have experienced in life and have learned through disclosures and research, the more I realize that anything must be fact-checked… and even then we must know the biases of those who we rely upon to check the facts. We live in the 24 hour news cycle and sound bites designed to paint a picture in a few seconds. Where has discourse and reason gone in our daily life, in our governing bodies, in our corporate and financial sectors.


In my opinion, self-interest, self-centeredness, and selfishness rule the day in many cases… both in the corporate and individual realms.


If we are to be honest at the most inclusive levels, we will recognize that the best for us as individuals in the long run is to act in ways that are best for all of Life. If we act according to what is best for our individual wants and interests only, we are living out a lie. Life is an interdependent and interconnected organism… One living Being… A good part of the scientific and spiritual community would agree on the ecological and organismic nature of Life, no matter how you refer to the Source of this one Life.


The sooner we find the curtains that hide the ‘wizards of Oz,’ the sooner we will see the reality of ‘what is.’ We can feel betrayed, anger, depressed, despair, and whatever else our reactions may be… and then we have a choice to either deny and avoid what has been revealed… or we can choose to act in ways that move life in a healing and ameliorating direction. Once the curtain is torn down exposing the mysterious ‘wizard’ as just another person trying to control and manipulate others, replacing the curtain will not bring back ignorance and innocence.


The wizards of our modern world are being exposed… the bankers and moneychangers… the political puppets… the corporate and financial gamblers… the paper currencies printed from raped forests and backed by polluted thin air… the systems and structures will continue to be laid bare.


We live in an growing atmosphere where dialogue equals weakness in the minds of many… getting our information from one dimensional electronic signals forming human heads and sounds…


People with different beliefs will reason differently. If we are honest, we will admit that we have all used some reason to justify an action that was not the exact truth. Sometimes we just make something up because we are really not in touch with the actual reason we are doing something…. Other times, we do not want to admit the real reason since it may be embarrassing, unethical, against social rules, or even illegal… What we want can lead to emotional arguments based on premeditated conclusions replacing discourse about the ‘facts’… which may be too absolute a descriptive word… How do we determine facts from opinion? So even making the facts fuzzy or confusing can provide cover and justification…


We too often have lost the will to decide together and to come to common interests. Mediation, negotiating, and compromise have been reduced to the adversarial game of win-lose in modern politics and in many areas of life. Hierarchical and dictatorial structures are the governing model of most corporations, with no one really being accountable or responsible. When corporate CEOs take the fall for some illegal, unpopular, or unethical activity, boards reward him or her with enormous severance packages that ease the falls from power.


Personally, I do the best I can each day while doing what I choose to do. It seems almost an impossible task to reshape the systems in place.


Where have the discussions gone about the meaning of our lives… our common values… our humanitarianism… our spiritual respect for all of life?


What does it mean to be Republican? Democratic? Where are the common interests? What are our economic game guidelines and underlying philosophy of economic activity? What are our values and what is most important? It seems like we need a country retreat to clarify our group values and mission.


What is currency based on… confidence, military might, and good will? Anyone who has watched the gambling process of the currency FX markets knows that the currencies are as volatile as an amusement park ride and can be manipulated by the institutional players and affected by any number of world events… in addition to the actual manipulation of various trading platforms…


We know that all major events get their official commissions and reports that tend to be designed to nail down the official ‘history’ of the event and often neglect and cover over other facts and queries brought up by others. The others are then called conspiracy theorists with the implication that unofficial reports are simply off-base if not crazy and part of fringe elements or groups.


So, why do some people see Julian Assange as a hero rather than villain? Mistrust and cynicism based on experience welcome anyone who is willing to rip down the curtain and expose what is really real…


--------------------------


Note: See more about Julian Assange at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julian_Assange  


Whether what has been is deemed good or bad… I simply see it as something that ‘is.’ I neither condemn or applaud the action…it’s not my job!

The Transcending Urge

The Transcending Urge

"NO! Get away from those steps!" his mother screamed. While her intent was most likely based a loving concern for the child's safety, the energy was one of fear and possible anger... both energies that can be felt as attacks on a vulnerable being trying to find his or her way in this new world.

There are more positive ways to relate to one another than simply to react from fear or anger. We all have perhaps experienced the negative ways of parenting, both from the child's perspective and also in the parent's role. Hopefully, we have all had some experience along the journey of experiencing positive communication that respects one another as equal aspects of Life's One Being. Given specific responsibilities can bring out both love and fear. It is important for all in positions of responsibility to take time to start with a sense of Being and Love before we move into the actions of doing and living out our activities of service.

Do you wish to be a thwarter of other's growth and development and creative transcending? Or do you prefer to be one who affirms and empowers others on their path? Individuals and institutions have both played their part in the past of operating from a fear base that emphasizes the "no" rather than the "yes." Institutions, corporations, and other organizations have as part of their defined mission a goal of self preservation and survival that makes them basically ego-centric. This can be seen in industry, in military systems, in religious organizations, and of course in governmental bureaucracies. And it is certainly evident in our individual ego structures. It is part of the nature of survival and self-preservation.

Unless thwarted in specific ways by factors in our environment or genes, the tendency toward growth and development is a natural phenomenon. Given the needed nurturance, a child naturally moves from crawling to walking... and will most likely try to climb any set of steps he or she can find to explore the territory above. Of course the same is true about descending the basement stairs... all part of the natural inclination to explore the environment. Hopefully, there are caring guides present to help make the initial exploring adventures safe and positive experiences.

There seems to be a drive within to find that psychological or spiritual space that provides a sense of return home to the core of our being. It may be defined as looking for the missing piece... or perhaps being "chased by the hounds of Heaven."  It may not emerge for sometime as we are domesticated and taught to survive in the current ways of our tribe, culture, and interconnected world.  Tribal connections and tasks take precedence and are integrated into our personality as we enter this world dependent upon others.

In some ways, life seems paradoxical in our modern societies. We spend a good part of our lives being domesticated through tribal/cultural ritual and rules. Then we are educated to fit somewhere into the maze of our industrial and military systems or serving those who do or do not fit into those systems. It's all part of social living and social development. We are encouraged to develop strong survival skills and a strong ego so we can be successful in the world as it exists today. Then at some point... or perhaps at every point... we are aware that there is something that is missing ... some part of this Life puzzle that we haven't found yet. And we think that by looking for it in others, or in another job, or in another person, or in another place... we may magically stumble upon "it" ...the one "missing thing" that will make us happy, content, at peace.

This may be a necessary scenario to urge us on toward transcending our state of unfulfillment, despair, sadness, homesickness... or whatever you call(ed) it. So, first we are focused on developing our personal skills, talents, knowledge, etc to get along in the world... to make a living...to provide for ourselves and others. All good things... and in the process, we often lose touch with the very core of what is most important... the true sense of soul that is grounded in the larger Being of Life.

For our purpose here we can speak about two ways of looking at our life's orientation. One is focused on doing and one is focused on being. One is separate, individualized, and ego based which we might call the 'personal self.' The other is inclusive, interconnected and Love based which we might call the Transpersonal or Transcendent Self. In this case we do not mean to suggest that 'Transcendent' is above or better than the personal. I would suggest that everything is intricately tied together and that which at times appears transcendent to our experience is always within our experience since Life is not a duality but One. So the use of different terms is used for communicating differing aspects only. "Transcendent" might be considered as outside or beyond our current fields of experience and awareness.

As we read the spiritual masters from the various traditions, or read and listen to various current teachers of spiritual energies, or have various experiences of "the bigger picture," we see that there are differing orientations within the Oneness of Life. We can observe many who seem disinterested in spirituality and also many who seem satisfied in their own religious forms and institutions. And of course everyone seems to be on their individual paths, which we might assume is actually the case.

We might also consider that we are One in our individual and collective journey. We are part of a collective consciousness and a collective unconsciousness that holds the energies that are carried forth in the present moment. There are an infinite number of choices at any moment. People experience the stress and uncertainty of life and cope according to their own seeming preference. From accepting what is... to embracing what is... to being resigned to what is... to giving up on what is and finding solace in mind numbing forms of substances, food, sex, entertainment, or any other activity that can distract from the pain, sense of lostness, alienation, separation, unhappiness, etc.

Most of us have experience with these various states. People who would be considered very successful by most conventional standards may suddenly hit a wall and find their life meaningless. This has sometimes been labeled an "existential crisis" or a "crisis of meaning"... in which they find themselves in a condition in which none of their skills, talents, or intellect is of any help.

All religions have started with a person who dared to step beyond the tribal bounds... who dared to walk a different path to find some inner connection to that Life Source of energy and peace. They have left this physical world and are gone now. I would guess that each one of these spiritual beings was in touch with the same Life Energy and shared the essence of Being through their own filters of experience. The sacredness and mystery of Life seems universal. The Life Energy or Great Spirit or Holy Spirit of existence will never be caged or captured in institutional dogma or special books deemed holy and authoritative. The great Mystery and Life Source...often referred to as "God" ...is beyond words and the projections of the human mind.

We see that social religious institutions and groups can provide a real avenue for individuals to change and transcend their former activities. Then people often become attached to the form that helped them to Love and Forgive themselves and others and return to the present moment of freedom and a more fulfilling and abundant life. And then we also see that the social needs in us take over and we become attached to a specific form rather than remaining present in the Now. We see the separation that takes place when judgment enters creating 'us' and 'them.' Why do we need to cling to 'our' way, which become simply another ego attachment?

My guess is that we fall back into social convention and stagnating social forms because it is often difficult to stay in the present moment...to remain awake. It takes a trust and a certain willingness to accept that we do not know and can't control the future. Most organizations, as we can observe, are structured to remain stable which usually means they are not open to change in any significant way. God bless the form and individuals in our world who are open to change through feedback mechanisms other than money.

We see a polarity in most political systems of those who wish to make changes and those who want thing to either remain the same or somehow return to the past. Differences are a natural part of life and the best we can do at times is to do our best to live peacefully in the midst of the differences. Fear can motivate anyone and love, in its various forms, can also be a motivator us as well. And yet we are one as we consider the bigger picture.

Our ego structure is a natural and normal aspect of our development here on the planet Earth. "Ego structure" is also a concept... simply something we make up to try to communicate about a life process. One on the main dynamics of our personal ego is that it seems fairly well developed over time and also resists change. In this sense we could say there is an aspect of our psyche or make-up that wants to remain in-charge, stable, and the same. It wants to make sure that it protects this personality structure that it has spent years building. So the ego structure is like any other institution in that sense. It can be a great help in acting in the world around us... and it can be a great hindrance as we try to grow and change. It can resist the urging from Life's Deepest Energy or Source since it wants to assure its own supremacy. Thus, we can sometimes sense an internal conflict and battle waging.

Nightmares can be an indicator that something is trying to break into our conscious awareness from the depths of our personal or collective unconscious. The fear experienced can be seen as the ego fearing a loss of control or that its structure is being threatened. Jung and others suggested, and I agree from my own study and experience, that dreams help to convey things to our conscious mind that are not already known. When repressed or other unconscious material and energies are trying to be released, the ego freaks and we experience fear in our dreams and possible annihilation... All forms including our ego and personality structures are impermanent and yet the ego is like "a body at rest wanting to stay at rest" without change.

The urge toward transcendence is also an urge toward synthesis. Over time the process of growth and development tends to integrate more aspects of our personal functioning. People who were mostly cool-headed thinkers may find more of the emotional side emerging in the second part of life. Those more structured may become less so and feel more freedom to "go with the flow."  Those who were empirical-minded and believed only what they could observe may find their intuitive function popping up at unexpected times. Those who have been quite extroverted and outgoing, will probably discover more times when they enjoy solitude and quiet. And the opposites are equally possible. Life tends to balance out our early tendencies and different experiences can elicit the development of more latent abilities.

This process toward synthesis can be long and slow. It can also make rapid jumps at unexpected times. Most traditional psychological counseling has focused upon personality dynamics and the resolution and integration of energies to help a person function more satisfactorily in their life situations. Various approaches deal with issues in different ways. Some focus on getting the desired behavior while others attempt to release repressed emotions; some use talk therapy while others use dreams, hypnosis, visualization. Some rely on brief methods while others emphasize ongoing relationships with the 'professional.' The medical doctor of psychiatry may use various prescribed pharmaceuticals to try to alter the brain chemistry.

Since the 1960s there has been an increase in the teaching and practice of "spiritual psychology," sometimes referred to as "transpersonal psychology" or "transformative psychology."  As implied in the names, this form of guidance is open to a spiritual component. Jung was one of the first to express the notion that all healing must have an element of the "numinous" or spiritual energy involved. Roberto Assagioli, a contemporary and colleague of Jung and Freud, also emphasized the metaphysical or 'Higher Self" in the theories and practices of Psychosynthesis. There has always been "counseling" within the context of particular religions which tends to be guidance toward integrating the teaching of the religion in one's life and may also involve various forms of mediation and prayer.

The broader or more open forms of "transpersonal psychology" affirm the transformative possibility that the Deepest Life Energy or Spirit is an integral part of a satisfying life, without a strict interpretation of how Life energy is defined. Psychosynthesis, for instance, has sometimes been defined as an integration of eastern and western psychologies, philosophies, and religions... a truly eclectic and global approach which incorporates any methods and techniques that are helpful in the collaborative work of guide and client.

 We can say that the process of synthesis... the urge toward transcendence... is like a tree with its roots growing ever more solidly into the earth and the branches being drawn by the sun's light. There is richness in the tree or plant metaphor that could be the subject of an entire booklet in itself. De Chardin was a Catholic theologian and philosopher who, like Jung, Assagioli, and others postulated that each person is being drawn toward a place of wholeness. It has been called "teleology" which suggests the 'end point' or goal is a significant drive in our lives that urges us and draws us toward that "Mystery."

I am reminded that the center of the earth and the center of the Milky Way galaxy are both Fire... which can also be a symbol for Life Energy.

Our personal development can be viewed as that aspect of our lives that roots us in the earth, on the planet, in form... providing us with actual abilities to function in the world... to "DO"

Our spiritual development can be seen as being drawn toward the fullness of Life... the Source... to the Being to which we are all united as One. The more fully we can find our way home to this center within, waking to the present moment, then the more the richness of Spirit , of Life Energy will freely flow through form into action and service. Waking to Being ...Now...

Love and Peace,

John Hutchinson
November 5, 2010

Spiritual Experiences

Spiritual Experiences

If you have had an experience that may be considered a spiritual or breakthrough experience in which you go beyond a previous state of consciousness or ability, you will certainly see it as meaningful ...and it is, to you, an event with "deeper meaning". When you describe it to others, we may or may not understand, depending on our own experience and knowledge. 

[Note: You are invited to participate in our Sundance Center Research on the Varieties of Spiritual Experiences. Take the research Survey at www.PPT5/com  ...there is also an introductory article to the research at: http://sundancewellness.blogspot.com/2010/11/research-survey-comparisons-of.html ... We appreciate you taking the time to be a part of this research and, if you wish, you will receive a copy of the results.]

Defining a "Spiritual Experience"

• "Experience," for our purposes here, is defined as any personal involvement in an event or series of events that have occurred or are occurring within your own life circumstances;
• "Spiritual," for our purposes here, is defined as some actual personal experience that is 'beyond' your ordinary everyday consciousness which may include, and is not limited to:
1. Expanded awareness - We are conscious forms of Life and we grow and evolve through our journey in the world. We find that our awareness as well as our knowledge usually increases through experience. At time we may experience breakthroughs that expand our way of seeing and significantly affect our way of viewing Life in general.
2. Special Emotional Content - Whether in darkness or light, we may experience heightened emotions. Some who may have repressed emotions and have a cathartic expression of trapped energies may consider this a spiritual experience. 'Energy' and 'Spirit' can often be equated.
3. Expanded Body Sensations - Whether during a dream,  imagery, or simply spontaneously, a spiritual experience can be accompanied by heightened or different sensations experienced physically in the body. People report having very specific energy shifts and movements within the physical form.
4. Beyond Thoughts and Beliefs - Reports of spiritual experiences include a kind of suspension of thought forms and beliefs as if the thinking aspects of our mind are parted and there is a calm still presence without any thoughts. Later the thoughts come to try to interpret the experience.
5. Healing and Wholeness - At times people report some actual physical shift and healing... a release of pain... along with a greater feeling of body integrity, balance, and wholeness.
6. Synchronicity and Meaning - Coincidences beyond chance may have a spiritual quality or point to a larger intelligence and connectedness beyond the definitions imposed by our thinking process.
7. Timelessness - People in heightened states of awareness later report a sense of timelessness, or being in eternity, or totally in the present moment. Timelessness can also be experienced in the creative process with full attention in the activity of the present. Other traumatic or life threatening experiences can bring consciousness to the present moment with the sense of time standing still. Athletes report times that are 'almost spiritual' when they are in the zone and performing at peak levels... beyond time and in the moment.
8. Qualities of Love, Joy, Peace, Beauty - Breakthroughs in meditation or spontaneous in nature may be accompanied by the super-conscious qualities we call Peace, Joy, Love, Beauty. These qualities can also be elicited through contemplation using our cognitive and creative processes.
9. Sense of Oneness - Spiritual experiences can include the sense of openness and one with all Life... awareness beyond ego and that Life is totally interconnected and one unified interacting energy called LIFE... Personal identity dissolves in the oceanic soup of being.
10. Traumatic or Life Threatening Experiences - Sometimes those experiencing traumatic incidents or survival threats will experience a spontaneous shift to a calm awareness and sense of presence in which response is automatic and without thinking. Later, a spiritual experience of sorts is reported, along with reverse projections and interpretations of what occurred...
11. Near Death or Out of Body Experiences - people have reported transcendent experiences in a matter of fact way in which they have seemingly separated from the physical form and observed their body from above, often noting details of what occurred, even though they were "unconscious" from the perspective of others on the scene.
12. A Breakthrough to New Abilities - People report experiencing spiritual and energy highs when a new ability or step in growth occurs. It may be a mentally identified client being able to express feeling and develop emotional expression to learning a new skill or increasing a talent that propels a person into a new life or occupation. These can be transcending experiences that are at the personality level and equally spiritual. We use the term "level" for teaching purposes while acknowledging and affirming the continuity of consciousness beyond any system of "levels".
13. Creative Inspirations - Often those involved in creative endeavors such as inventors, writers, scientists, artists, and other ordinary people like you and me find their way to another level of experience which can be experienced as spiritual and inspirational. In the creative and cognitive processes, a point of tension is built through focused attention. Sometimes when though is suspended during sleep or other activities, the new thought or idea or "answer" pops in from "out of nowhere"... At times, the new "idea" may appear in different locations at the same about the same time.
14. New Choices and Actions - The act of making a decision can release new energies that propel a person into unknown territory and into a new adventure. The clarity of choice is often experienced within the context of spiritual struggles and wrestling with the "angels" in one's consciousness. It is often suggested and reported that the 'best' choices emerge from connecting with a sense of Life's being... and through a more direct intuitive 'pop.'
15. Light, Illumination, Clarity - Reports of being in the light, seeing the light, seeing clearly, from darkness to light, life being illuminated in a new way.
16. Truth - "The truth shall set you free" ... can be connected with the previous aspect; Truth refers to truly see "what is"... not some absolute set of rules ... truth is letting go of projections, justifications, excuses, denials, and the acceptance of "What Is" right Now.
17. Heightened Intuition or Psychic abilities - Those who have had extraordinary experiences may report an increase in psychic abilities and knowing what is happening with others, particularly those close ties through family and friendships. Those who are naturally more intuitive see these abilities as more normal than those who experience the 'mother's intuition' less frequently.
18. Para-normal and extra-ordinary perception or experience - other forms of para-normal experiences and abilities may increase such as: mediumship, channeling, precognition, bi-location, a new understanding of a paradigm shift of the "bigger picture."
19. Everyday Miracles - Some report the events of each day as "miracles" as they see life through a new "lens." This usually involves a more conscious appreciation of Life along with a sense and expression of gratefulness, gratitude, and thanksgiving.
20. Super-human experience - Most have read or heard of occurrences in which people have performed physical acts, that, under normal circumstance, would seem impossible to do.... such as lifting a car off of a child ... or the ability to save one's life by severing a limb where most would simply go unconscious from the pain or trauma.
21. Other - More to come...

Disclaimer: "Spiritual" means different things to different people. More characteristics of spiritual experiences will be added as they are presented to us. Indeed if we equate "Spiritual" with "Life Energy" as many have done, then of course even the everyday and ordinary experiences are spiritual in nature since all of Life is One... and in this sense truly everything is an "Everyday Miracle" called "Life." The distinctions I make are simply for being able to focus the discussion on various aspects.

To summarize:

• Spiritual Experiences transcend or go beyond our ordinary identity and state of consciousness, whatever that may be. The 'new' can become our new "ordinary" state of consciousness.

You are invited to help us with the Sundance Center Research on the Varieties of Spiritual Experiences. Visit http://www.ppt5.com/ to take the anonymous and confidential online Survey. You may read the posted introduction at: http://sundancewellness.blogspot.com/2010/11/research-survey-comparisons-of.html  ... Please invite your friends, family, and other contacts to also take the survey and share their experiences as we hope to receive responses from various nationalities, religions, and cultures from around the globe.

All the best!

John Hutchinson

Sundance Center for Conscious Living
http://www.sunhutch.com/ 

Coincidence, Meaning, and Synchronicity

Coincidence, Meaning, and Synchronicity

There was a loud BANG ... and time stood still... as the car is spinning around in the middle of a busy interstate highway in New Jersey during rush hour traffic... cars and trucks doing 70 miles per hour... and here I am sitting in my car...spinning around in the middle lane... a tractor trailer kisses the door beside me ... the car continues its spin... I feel the bounce off a black 4-door sedan in the right lane... A brief thought wonders if it may be my time to leave this world ... then ... from the back seat area I hear a voice that calls out loudly and clearly,
"LET GO"... and so, with the car still spinning, I let go of the steering wheel... and I am amazed that the car stops spinning as it straightens out...and remains in the middle lane and I am now headed in the right direction... my hands naturally go back to the steering wheel and I guide the car to the nearest shoulder area...

More to come...

 The human egoic mind is constantly making associations and assigning meaning to events that occur. It can be quite a futile attempt at times to try to 'know' or 'understand' everything, since, in the words attributed to Einstein in a James Taylor song, "We can't understand it all." But our egoic mind seems to try its best, both in order to survive in the physical world and also to control or manipulate its environment in direct or covert ways.

Coincidence...
There is a belief by some people that everything is purposeful and meaningful at some level. This may or may not be true. Events that may occur simultaneously or within close proximity in time or space are called 'coincidental'... which may or may not be assigned meaning by the observer. To paraphrase Deepak Chopra: "every event has an infinite number of causes and also results in an infinite number of possible outcomes." And we find ourselves sitting here in the present moment of the causal quantum universe's Now!

Synchronicity...
Carl Jung coined the term "Synchronicity" in the early part of the 20^th century [about 1920] to signify meaningful coincidental events that would not be expected to occur together by chance. And it has become a part of our knowledge base ever since. Synchronistic events are experienced as meaningful by those who experience them. By way of example, one day as I was driving to a community church service with a friend, we were discussing synchronicities. I shared that one time Carl Jung was talking with a 'client' who had a dream about a golden beetle. As they talked he noticed a shimmering object on the window and there was a 'golden beetle' reflecting the sun's light. We arrived at the church and as we walked around the back of the car, I noticed a beetle in the rear window glistening in the morning sun.  we shared this experience in amazement and went into the church. During the morning talk, the minister used as an example illustrating his topic, the same story of Jung, his client, and the Golden Beetle. Later I investigated if there was some explainable way all three things may have happened. Did I read the sermon topic ahead of time and therefore shared my story of the beetle and Jung in anticipation. The answer was "No"... there was no conscious connection indicating what was to come in the minister's talk that day.

Of course, we assigned some meaning to the events of that morning that went beyond mere chance occurrences. It may even point to the interconnectedness of consciousness that plays a vital part in manifestation theories and how our focus and intention can attract similar energies, people, and events.

Some people, myself included, tend to see the phenomena of synchronicity in a good way as the "conspiratorial nature of the universe."  At times, events seem to occur that are both meaningful and guided by some mysterious intelligent energy that is beyond the understanding of our everyday or ordinary personal consciousness.

So, what is the nature of "Meaning"?

'Meaning' in events is related to the significance and assigned value we give to them.

Practical or Everyday Meaning

 'Meanings' of symbols and words are necessary and significant as a shared mode of communicating. In this case, the social group defines the words or symbols by agreement and usage. "Mowing the lawn" easily communicates a certain meaning and experience to the majority in our society, even though each person will have his or her own images and experience with which to interpret these few words. So while "mowing the lawn" conveys a general communication and concept, each person brings their own experience, understanding, education, biases, and feelings to these three words.

There are the actual meanings of the symbols, which are defined in any English dictionary. Then we add to seasoning to the meaning with our own personal experiences and filters and we can call this our interpretation. For this we can easily see how all "Meaning"... even in everyday day practical communication can be quite relative in nature and dependent upon personal differences.

Communication is often fraught with assumptions that we know what the other person means. The relative nature of how we interpret what other say or write can best be seen in the frustration between supervisor and employee, between team members who assume someone knows what to do, between relationship partners, etc.

There are specific communication skills and techniques that can be learned and applied to help improve the conveyance of meaning in our everyday lives.

"Deeper Meaning"

'Meaning' may have a deeply significant value to the one who experiences an event, whether or not that meaning is shared with others. If I said that when I turned the corner this morning, an acorn almost hit me in the head, we all could see this as a coincidence that just happened and do not need to assign any further 'deeper meaning' to the events. Although some people tend to see a meaning in everything and this is fine for them of course. And it can result in simple projections onto everything that avoids simply being with "what is" without the ego needing to understand or try to figure out "why" something happens.

 If we recall the story I shared above about Jung, the beetle, his client, the clients dream, my car window beetle, the minister's talk of Jung and the beetle, the prior car discussion with my friend about synchronicity, etc., then perhaps we can see how easy it can be to make the leap to the 'universe conspiring with us' in a more personally meaningful way... a deeper meaning that will not be found in the dictionary.

It's my understanding that we cannot really know from the perspective of our egoic mind if something is truly meaningful in any absolute way. We just cannot know for sure. We can sense a "deeper meaning"  within the context of a specific situation. We can intuit that events are meaningful. We can agree that some events are meaningful as a group. That does not make them meaningful in any absolute way. It does however provide a sense of intelligence and purpose beyond our personal ego and experience... a sense of the "bigger picture."

To summarize:

• Coincidences are when two or more events occur either simultaneously or close together in the conventional timeframe. Coincidence is simply 'what is' without assignment of a deeper meaning, whether or not there is one.
• Chance is the assumption that there is probably no known shared cause for events to occur as they do.
• Meaning is both significant for and relative to the person or people who share an event depending on their particular experiences and personal filters of interpretation.
• Synchronicity is two or more events occurring coincidentally that have meaning to the observer(s) and/or participant(s) and which seem unlikely to have occurred due to chance.

The "Rest of the Story"...
I began this section by telling a personal story. So here's "the rest of the story" as Paul Harvey used to report on his news broadcasts.

What actually happened?

I don't really know, nor do I need to know... The best I can do is relate the probable cause as compiled by discussions with the Saturn technician, the insurance adjuster, and the body work technician. When I first pulled off the road, I assumed I would find a blown tire since there was an explosive bang that initiated the spin. But all the tires were fine. And the Saturn seemed to be driving fine. I thought perhaps it was something on the road surface that flew up and banged loudly against the underbelly of the car. When I took it to Saturn service technician to make sure it was safe to drive, he could find no evidence of my first theory. He suggested that most likely what happened was that the truck to my rear in the next lane touched the left rear of the my car and sent it into a spin He explained that when race cars are traveling at fairly high speeds, it only takes a slight bump by another vehicle to send a car out of control and into a spin. The marks on the car were consistent with this theory, so that's good enough for me... plus it was confirmed as a good explanation by the other experts I spoke with. To be fair to the driver of the truck, it's impossible to know who did the drifting. I could have drifted a bit so that the lug nuts on his front tires hit my car...or he may have drifted into the lane I was in. Either way, the slight bump started my spiritual experience and lesson of the day.... and that's the "rest of the story."

Lessons from the Whirling Dervish Auto Episode
The spinning on the interstate truly was an extra-ordinary experience in which I simply seemed to noticed everything in a calm and peaceful manner. There were several meaningful lessons I took from that experience:

• No time, No fear, No thoughts: When a real crisis occurred, there was no time and no fear, simply being present. The reality of "what was" suspended the stream of thoughts usually rambling through consciousness and the emotional fears that our minds can create will play we play in fantasylands of past and future.
• Guardian Angel: There is some intelligent guardian energy that uses a form I can relate to when it is vitally necessary. The "voice" I clearly and audibly heard was as real as it needed to be to get my attention in a concise way.
• Trust and Obey: There is a lesson in this to follow the guidance I receive. The voice said, "Let Go" and without thinking about it or considering the options, I did it... with positive results to be sure.
• Life Lessons: I followed the guidance provided for this specific situation. So the first thing is to hear the guidance. I was going through a transition at that time in my life and career and was kind of spinning in circles in my own personal way as I experienced the uncertainty of that transition. I took from the near-disastrous highway incident that perhaps I simply needed to let go of trying to steer my life out of the spin and trust the guidance that is available. And in Life's own timing, the guidance will always be here when needed.

Research Survey: Comparisons of Varieties of Spiritual Experiences

To take survey now, go to: www.ppt5.com >>>>

Research Survey: Comparisons of Varieties of Spiritual Experiences

Introduction

You have most likely had some type of life experience that took you to a new or different place in your awareness... an experience that expanded your consciousness in some way.  You may or may not have referred to your experience as a spiritual one... and... you knew it was different in some way from your other ordinary life experiences.

Some people are more comfortable than others in sharing their personal experiences. I was talking with a friend who was describing an experience in nature while visiting a family member and she said, "It was almost spiritual" and I took it from the emotional content that she was talking about her sense of being in touch with "something" that was beyond her everyday "normal" experience... although she seemed a bit hesitant about using the word "spiritual."

William James was an avid student of such mystical or religious experiences throughout his lifetime. He was trained as a medical doctor and psychologist, as well as being known as a philosopher, writer, and educator. James published a seminal work in 1902 entitled, "The Varieties of Religious Experience" which continues to be reprinted due to its ongoing popularity and heuristic value.

Survey

In light of James' work, the following anonymous and confidential survey is intended as a global research project to collect personal experiences and demographics that will aid in comparing various types and characteristics of spiritual, mystical, or religious phenomena. The intent of this project is to both give you the opportunity to share these special moments in your life and provide some details for analyzing and comparing experiences in specific ways. The results are to be published in a report or booklet format which, hopefully, will add contemporary data in the study of consciousness, in general, and of spiritual experiences in particular. Comparing various spiritual experiences will be conducted with attention to both contrasts and similarities in experiences.

We know that some may not choose to take the time to help with this project and some will choose to participate. We hope if you have read this far that the subject interests you and you will choose to help in our research. For your participation, you will be provided with a copy of the results in whatever form it takes. We will collect the data in an objective manner as is possible realizing we all have preconceptions and assumptions we bring to any endeavor.

If you are choosing to participate and prefer to share this information in person or by phone, or if you have specific questions before proceeding, please contact, John Hutchinson at:  JOHN@SUNHUTCH.com or call +1 484 685-0549 and leave a message with your number, first name, location or time zone, and the best part of the day to call you. You may use the following Survey form or you may complete an online form at http://www.123contactform.com/contact-form-sunhutch-112922.html ... http://www.ppt5.com/ 

Defining a "Spiritual Experience"

• "Experience," for the purposes of this survey, is defined as any personal involvement in an event or series of events that have occurred or are occurring within your own life circumstances;
• "Spiritual," for the purposes of this survey, is defined as some actual personal experience that is 'beyond' your ordinary everyday consciousness which may include:
1. Expanding awareness
2. Special Emotional Content
3. Expanded Body Sensations
4. Beyond Thoughts and Beliefs
5. Healing and Wholeness
6. Timelessness
7. Sense of Oneness
8. Traumatic or Life Threatening Experiences
9. Near Death or Perceived Death experiences
10. New Choices and Actions
11. Illumination, Clarity
12. Heightened Intuition or Psychic abilities
13. Para-normal and extra-ordinary perception or experience
14. Supra-physical experience
15. Other: (Please specify)

________________________________________________________________

Survey: 

The online form can be found at http://www.ppt5.com/ ...If you chose to use the form incuded in this article, please copy and paste the question to a document or email and send to Survey@sunhutch.com ...we will receive it.
Please complete the following survey and return as soon as possible to John@sunhutch.com ...All personal identifying information will remain anonymous and confidential. We would appreciate it if you wish to make yourself available for follow-up or clarifying questions. If so, simply provide some form of contact information:
Optional Information:
Name:
Email:
Phone:
_________________________________________________________________

Please complete every question and the answers may be as brief or extensive as you choose:

1. Current Age?
2. Gender?
3. Country of Birth?
4. Country of current residency?
   State, Province, or Region:
5. If you are associated with or a member of any organized religion, defined spiritual group or institution, please provide name:
6. How would you describe your spiritual or religious orientation?
7. Personal Spiritual Experience 1:
1. Experience - Describe your most vivid spiritual experience in as much detail as you feel comfortable:
2. Setting - In what setting did the spiritual experience occur? (meditating in home, walking in nature, while driving, in synagogue, wandering in the desert, etc):
3. Age at the time this spiritual experience occurred:
4. Social - If others were involved, briefly describe:
5. Circumstances - Where there any specific or extra-ordinary circumstances before or after this experience?
6. Altering Substances - If there were any herbs, plants or other mind-altering substances involved, please describe:
7. Anything else you'd like to add: If you wish to continue to describe various spiritual experiences, please copy, paste, and complete the above format.

Thank you very much for completing this survey.

Please return by email or attachment to: John Hutchinson at John@sunhutch.com 

Note: A little about John

I have been interested in the exploration and experience of spiritual experience for most of my life. Recently, I reviewed some of the work by William James and decided it might be a good time to do a contemporary version of his research findings. Thus, the creation of the current survey came to be.

My own bias and experience suggests that the importance of spiritual experience is a present attention to what is right Now. I have been blessed with numerous "spiritual experiences" that have provided me with an assurance and "knowing" regarding the existence of the spiritual realm ...of pure awareness and being... the realm of consciousness beyond our everyday thoughts and forms.

Communicating about the mysterious or ineffable aspects of this "spiritual" realm is a paradox of sorts. So the task of collecting data about "spiritual experiences" is easy if we find those willing to take some time to reflect and share their experience. Reporting the shared experiences is also easy. The difficulty may rest in one's interpretation and clarifying the meaning of the descriptive words used.

I do not pretend to be William James or anyone else. Simply a being who is curious and wishing to provide any contemporary insight into that "spiritual" realm which is beyond time and beyond the 'English' symbols I use to do my best at communicating.

Formal training includes a BA in Psychology, M.Ed. in Educational Counseling, Graduate Studies in Theology and Jungian Psychology / Dreams, and Doctoral Studies in Transpersonal Psychology / Psychosynthesis. Professional experience has involved counseling, consulting, writing, and management in the fields of Transitions, Education, Community, Ministry, Business, and Personal Development.

Contact: John@sunhutch.com
Blog: http://www.sunhutch.com/  
Latest Blog Post: http://www.sundancewellnesscenter.com/