LOVELIGHT
magazine
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October 2009***Vol. 5, no. 10
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Managing Editors: Adamaria Francis and a Franciscan Taoist
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We would like publicly to acknowledge, and credit, the following contributors to this issue (our loyal staff) Barbara Baty, Jim Dwyer, Mick Gallagher, Steven McDaniel, Ty Scharrer, Cherigene Slaughter, Alma Turner
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LOVELIGHT MAGAZINE: WHAT WE'RE ALL ABOUT
Lovelight magazine is free,
coming to your inboxscreen monthly, to announce the beauty of Love! And we love to laugh!:) So, if you discover any good chuckles,
please send them along!:) But no
bigoted, prejudiced, scatological, geruntological, low-quality, or poor-taste
humor, please.
Still, life is not all laughs. So, we hope also to share pleasant and
happy thoughts. Lovelight wants to
promote peace and harmony, all over the world, and to aid you to feel
good!:) If you are working on any
religious, psychological, or spiritual issues, we encourage you to read the
ezine, and to write to us at rmfrancis@juno.com
Also, if you come across any wise or
touching pieces, not copyrighted, fairly short, please share them with us! Also welcome are practical tips, short
pieces on personal philosophies, interesting facts, wordplays, and general
spirituality (but no religion or "preachy" dogma, please.:). We reserve the right to make whatever
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*****
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WORDS TO LIVE
BY: QUOTATIONS
sent by Steven McDaniel
"Once you forget yourself, God remembers you: once you've become His slave, then you are free."—Rumi
***
MERMAID OR WHALE?, sent in by Cherigene Slaughter
Recently, In a large French city, a poster featuring a
young, thin and tan woman appeared in the window of a gym. It said:
¬THIS SUMMER DO YOU WANT TO BE A MERMAID OR A WHALE?¬ A middle aged
woman, whose physical characteristics did not match those of the woman on the
poster, responded publicly to the question: To Whom It May Concern: Whales are always surrounded by friends (dolphins, sea
lions, curious humans). They
have an active sex life, they get pregnant and have adorable baby whales.
They have a wonderful time with dolphins stuffing themselves with shrimp. They play and swim in the seas, seeing
wonderful places like Patagonia, the Barren Sea and the coral reefs of
Polynesia. Whales are wonderful
singers and have even recorded CDs.
They are incredible creatures and virtually have no predators other than
humans. They are loved, protected
and admired by almost everyone in the world.
Mermaids don't exist. If they did exist, they would be lining up
outside the offices of Argentinean psychoanalysts due to identity crisis.
Fish or human? They don't have a sex life because they kill men who get
close to them not to mention how could they have sex? Therefore they
don't have kids either. Not to mention who wants to get close to a girl who
smells like a fish store? The
choice is perfectly clear to me; I want to be a whale.
P.S. We are in an age when media
puts into our heads the idea that only skinny people are beautiful, but I prefer
to enjoy an ice cream with my kids, a good dinner with a man who makes me
shiver and a piece of chocolate with my friends. With time we gain weight
because we accumulate so much information and wisdom in our heads that when
there is no more room it distributes out to the rest of our bodies. So we
aren't heavy, we are enormously cultured, educated and happy. Beginning
today, when I look at my butt in the mirror I will think, ¬Good gosh, look how
smart I am...¬
*****
*****
WISE WORDS,
sent in by Barbara Baty:
"None of us
are defined by the mistakes of our past unless we believe we are. What
defines us is what we've learned from them. Don't let shame keep you
hostage to what you've done. Love yourself -- give up your old story
lines and breathe in the present moment freedom of claiming your highest
potential. You are worthy of being renewed."
*****
*****
TAKE IT EASY
AND HAVE A LAUGH:HUMORTHERAPY
NINE
WORDS MOST WOMEN USE: THE CODE BROKEN sent in by Barbara Baty,
(1) Fine: This is the word women use to end an argument when they are right and you need to shut upÉ.2) Five Minutes: If she is getting dressed, this means a half an hour. Five minutes is only five minutes; if you have just been given five more minutes to watch the game before helping around the houseÉ.3) Nothing: This is the calm before the storm. This means something, and you should be on your toes. Arguments that begin with "nothing" usually end in "fine"É.4) Go Ahead: This is a dare, not permission. Don't Do It!...5) Loud Sigh: This is actually a word, but is a non-verbal statement often misunderstood by men. A loud sigh means she thinks you are an idiot and wonders why she is wasting her time standing here and arguing with you about nothing. (Refer back to # 3 for the meaning of "nothing.")É6) That's Okay: This is one of the most dangerous statements a woman can make to a man. That's okay means she wants to think long and hard before deciding how and when you will pay for your mistakeÉ.7) Thanks: A woman is thanking you, do not question, or faint. Just say you're welcome. (I want to add in a clause here - This is true, unless she says 'Thanks a lot' - that is PURE sarcasm and she is not thanking you at all. DO NOT say 'you're welcome' . that will bring on a 'whatever')É.8) Whatever: Is a woman's way of saying, "Go to hell."É9) Don't worry about it, I got it: Another dangerous statement, meaning this is something that a woman has told a man to do several times, but is now doing it herself. This will later result in a man asking 'What's wrong?' For the woman's response refer to # 3.
*****
*****
RIDING THE
STROLLER, sent in by Jim Dwyer
|
|
USEFUL EDUCATION, sent in by
Barbara Baty
Class 1
Up in Winter, Down in Summer - How to Adjust a Thermostat.
Features a Slide presentation.
Class 2
Which Takes More Energy - Putting the Toilet Seat Down,
or Complaining About It for 3 Hours?
Class 3
Is It Possible To Drive Past a Walmart Without Stopping?.
Class 4
Fundamental Differences Between a Purse and a Suitcase--
Pictures and Explanatory Graphics.
Class 5
Curling Irons--Can They Levitate and Fly Into The Bathroom Cabinet?
Examples on Video.
Class 6
How to Ask Questions During Commercials and Be Quiet During the program.
Help-Line Support and Support Groups.
Class 7
Can a Bath Be Taken Without 14 Different Kinds of Soaps and Shampoos
Class 8
Health Watch--They Make Medicine for PMS - USE IT!
Class 9
I Was wrong and He Was Right!--Real Life Testimonials.
Class 10
How to Parallel Park In Less than 20 minutes Without an Insurance Claim.
Class 11
Learning to Live--How to Apply Brakes Without Throwing Passengers through the
Windshield
Class 12
How to Shop by Yourself.
Class 13
How to Fight Cerebral Atrophy--Remembering To Take a List To The Store,
Avoiding Separate Trips for Each Item Needed.
Cerebral Shock Therapy Session.
Class 14
The Stove/Oven--What It Is and How It Is Used.
Live demonstration.
Upon completion of any of the above courses, diplomas
will be issued to the survivors.
Send this to all your guy friends for the best chuckle of
their day and to all your gal friends who are secure enough to have a sense of
humor.
***
AND NOW, FOR MEN:
CONTINUING EDUCATION, sent in by Ty Scharrer
1) Toilet Rolls: Do They grow on
shelves?
2) DIFFERENCES BETWEEN LAUNDRY BASKETS AND FLOOR
Practicing with hamper (pictures and graphics)
3) DISHES & CUTLERY;
DO THEY LEVITATE/FLY TO KITCHEN SINK OR DISHWASHER BY THEMSELVES?
4) HOW TO FILL ICE CUBE TRAYS
5) LOSS OF VIRILITY
6) LOSING THE REMOTE CONTROL TO YOUR SIGNIFICANT OTHER
- Help line and support groups
7) LEARNING HOW TO FIND THINGS
Starting with looking in the right place instead of turning the house upside
down while screaming
8) EMPTY MILK CARTONS; DO THEY BELONG IN THE FRIDGE OR THE BIN?
Group discussion and role play
9) HEALTH WATCH; BRINGING HER FLOWERS IS NOT HARMFUL TO YOUR HEALTH
PowerPoint Presentation
10) REAL MEN ASK FOR DIRECTIONS WHEN LOST
Real life testimonial from the one man who did
11) IS IT GENETICALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO SIT QUIETLY AS SHE PARALLEL PARKS?
Driving simulation
12) LIVING WITH ADULTS;
BASIC DIFFERENCES BETWEEN YOUR MOTHER AND YOUR PARTNER
Online class and role playing
13) HOW TO BE THE IDEAL SHOPPING COMPANION. Relaxation exercises,
meditation and breathing techniques
14) REMEMBERING IMPORTANT DATES & CALLING WHEN you're
GOING TO BE LATE
Bring your calendar or PDA to class
15) GETTING OVER IT; LEARNING HOW TO LIVE WITH BEING WRONG ALL THE TIME
Individual counselors available
***
FEEL FOR THE OTHER, sent in by Jim Dwyer
|
KIDS ARE QUICK,
sent in by Jim Dwyer
TEACHER: Maria, go to the map and find North America .
MARIA: Here it is.
TEACHER: Correct. Now class, who discovered America ?
CLASS: Maria.
***
TEACHER: John, why are you doing your math multiplication on the floor
John: You told me to do it without using
tables."
***
TEACHERS AND STUDENTS: SICK JOKES, sent in by Jim Dwyer
Teacher: Donald, what is the chemical formula for water?
Donald: HIJKLMNOÉ
TEACHER: What are you talking about?
DONALD: Yesterday you said it's H to O.
***
TEACHER: Winnie, name one important thing we have today that we
didn't have ten years ago.
WINNIE: Me!
***
TEACHER: Glen, why do you always get so dirty?
GLEN: Well, I'm a lot closer to the ground than you
are.
***
TEACHER: Millie, give me a sentence starting with ' I. '
MILLIE: I is..
TEACHER: No, Millie..... Always say, 'I am.'
MILLIE: All right... 'I am the ninth letter of the
alphabet.'
***
TEACHER: George Washington not only chopped down
his father's cherry tree, but also admitted it. Now, Louie, do you know
why his father didn't punish him?
LOUIS: Because George still had the axe in his
hand.
***
TEACHER: Now, Simon, tell me frankly, do you say
prayers before eating?
SIMON: No sir, I don't have to, my Mom is a good
cook.
***
TEACHER: Clyde , your composition on 'My Dog' is exactly the same as your
brother's. Did you copy his?
CLYDE : No, sir. It's the same dog.
***
TEACHER: Harold, what do you call a person who
keeps on talking when people are no longer interested?
HAROLD: A teacher
*****
*****
WHY WE LOVE
CHILDREN, sent in by Barbara Baty
1) NUDITY. I was driving
with my three young children one warm summer evening when a woman in the
convertible ahead of us stood up and waved. She was stark naked! As I was
reeling from the shock, I heard my 5-year-old shout from the back seat, "Mom,
that lady isn't wearing a seat belt!"
***
2) OPINIONS. On the first
day of school, a first-grader handed his teacher a note from his
mother." The note read,
"The opinions expressed by this child are not necessarily those of his
parents.'
***
3) KETCHUP. A woman was
trying hard to get the ketchup out of the jar. During her struggle, the phone rang; so she asked her
4-year-old daughter to answer it.
"Mommy can't come to the phone to talk to you right now. She's hitting the bottle."
***
4) MORE NUDITY. A little
boy got lost at the YMCA and found himself in the women's locker room. When he was spotted, the room burst into
shrieks, with ladies grabbing towels and running for cover. The little boy watched in amazement and
then asked, "What's the matter? Haven't you ever seen a little boy before?"
***
5) POLICE # 1. While taking a
routine vandalism report at an elementary school, I was interrupted by a little
girl about 6 years old. Looking up
and down at my uniform, she asked, "Are you a cop?"
"Yes," I answered and continued writing the report.
"My mother said if I ever needed help I should ask the police. Is that right?"
"Yes, that's right," I told her.
"Well, then," she said as she extended her foot toward me, "would you please tie my shoe?"
***
6) POLICE # 2. It was the
end of the day when I parked my police van in front of the station. As I gathered my equipment, my K-9
partner, Jake, was barking, and I saw a little boy staring in at me. "Is
that a dog you got back there?" he asked.
"It sure
is," I replied.
Puzzled, the boy looked at me and then towards the back of the van. Finally he
said, "What'd he do?"
***
7) DRESS-UP. A little girl was
watching her parents dress for a party. When she saw her dad donning his tuxedo, she warned, "Daddy,
you shouldn't wear that suit."
"And why not, darling?"
"You know that it always gives you a headache the next morning.
***"
8) DEATH. While walking along
the sidewalk in front of his church, our minister heard the intoning of a
prayer that nearly made his collar wilt. Apparently, his 5-year-old son and his playmates had found a
dead robin. Feeling that proper
burial should be performed, they had secured a small box and cotton batting,
then dug a hole and made ready for the disposal of the deceased. The minister's son was chosen to say
the appropriate prayers; and with sonorous dignity, he intoned his version of
what he thought his father always said: "Glory be unto the Father, and
unto the Son , and into the hole he goes." (I
want this line used at my funeral!)
***
9) SCHOOL. A little girl had
just finished her first week of school.
"I'm just wasting my time," she said to her mother. "I
can't read, I can't write, and they won't let me talk!"
***
10) BIBLE. A little boy opened
the big family Bible. He was
fascinated as he fingered through the old pages. Suddenly, something fell out of the Bible. He picked up the object and looked at
it. What he saw was an old leaf
that had been pressed in between the pages.
"Mama, look what I found," the boy called out.
"What have you got there, dear?"
With astonishment in the young boy's voice, he answered, "I think it's
Adam's underwear!"
***
WISDOM, sent
in by Mick Gallagher
A 75 year-old fellow, who
loves to fish, was sitting in his boat one day, when he heard a voice say,
"Pick me up."
He looked around and couldn't see anyone. He thought he was dreaming. Then he
heard the voice say again, "Pick me up."
He looked in the water and there, floating on the top, was a frog. The man
said, "Are you talking to me?"
The frog said, "Yes, I'm talking to you. Pick me up, then kiss me,
and I'll turn into the most beautiful woman you have ever seen. I'll make
sure that all your friends are envious and jealous because I will be your wife!"
The man looked at the frog for a short time, reached over, picked it up
carefully and placed it in his front breast pocket.
Then the frog said, "What, are you nuts? Didn't you hear what I said?
I said kiss me, and I will be your beautiful wife."
He opened his pocket, looked at the frog and said, "Nah, at my age
I'd rather have a talking frog."
***
WITH AGE (SOMETIMES) COMES WISDOM, sent in by Barbara Baty
|
Elementronics: The heaviest element known to science is Managerium. This element has no protons or
electrons, but has a nucleus composed of 1 neutron, 2 vice-neutrons, 5 junior
vice-neutrons, 25 assistant vice-neutrons, and 125 junior assistant
vice-neutrons all going round in circles. Managerium has a half-life of three years, at which time it does not decay but institutes a series of reviews leading to reorganization. Its molecules are held together by means of the exchange of tiny particles known as morons. *** |
CUTE
"QUICKIES", sent in by Jim Dwyer
I dialed a number and got the following recording: "I am not available right now, but
thank you for caring enough to call.
I am making some changes in my life. Please leave a message after the beep. If I do
not return your call, you are one of the changes."
***
ASPIRE TO INSPIRE BEFORE YOU EXPIRE.
( I LOVE THIS ONE! )
My wife and I had words, but I didn't get to use mine.
***
Frustration is trying to find your
glasses without your glasses.
***
Blessed are those who can give without remembering and take without forgetting.
***
God made man before woman so as to give him time to think
of an answer for her first question.
***
Every morning is the dawn of a new error.
***
BURNED BISCUITS!, sent in by Alma
Turner
When I was little, my mom liked to make "breakfast for dinner" every
now and then. And I remember one
night in particular when she had made breakfast after a long, hard day at work. My mom placed a plate of eggs, sausage
and extremely burned biscuits in front
of my dad. I waited to see
if anyone noticed! Yet all my dad did was reach for his biscuit, smile at my
mom and ask me how my day was at school.
He smeared butter and
jelly on that biscuit and ate every bite!
I remember hearing my mom
apologize to my dad for burning the biscuits. And I'll never forget what he said: "Baby, I love burned
biscuits."
Later that night, I asked him if he really liked his biscuits burned. He
wrapped me in his arms and said, "Your Momma put in a hard day at work
today and she's real tired. And besides,
a little burnt biscuit never hurt anyone!"
You know, life is full of
imperfect things, and imperfect people. I'm not the best housekeeper or cook. What I've learned over the years is that
learning to accept each other's faults-- and choosing to celebrate each other's
differences-- is one of the most important keys to creating a healthy, growing,
and lasting relationship.
And that's my prayer for you today. That you will learn to take the good, the
bad, and the ugly parts of your life and lay them at the feet of God. Because
in the end, He's the only One who will be able to give you a relationship where
a burnt biscuit isn't a deal-breaker! We could extend this to any relationship.
In fact, as understanding is the
base of any
relationship, be it a husband-wife or parent-child or friendship, "Don't
put the key to your happiness in someone else's pocket. keep it in your own."
*****
*****
|
INTERESTING
GEOGRAPHY! , sent in by Jim Dwyer Alaska - More
than half of the coastline of the entire United States is in Alaska.***Amazon-- The Amazon
rainforest produces more than 20% of the world's oxygen supply. The Amazon River pushes so much water
into the Atlantic Ocean that, more than
100 miles at sea off the mouth of the river, one can dip fresh water out of
the ocean. The volume of water in the Amazon river is greater than the
next 8 largest rivers in
the world combined and 3 times the flow
of all rivers in the USA.***Antarctica - Antarctica is the only
land on our planet that is not owned by any country. 90% of the world's
ice covers Antarctica. This ice also represents 70% of all the fresh
water in the world. As strange as it sounds, however, Antarctica is
essentially a desert. The average yearly total precipitation is about 2
inches. Although covered with ice (all but 0.4% of it),
Antarctica is the driest place on the planet, with an absolute humidity
lower than the Gobi Desert.***Brazil. Brazil got its name from
the nut, not the other way around.***Canada - Canada has more lakes
than the rest of the world combined. Canada is an Indian word meaning 'Big
Village'.***Chicago - Next to Warsaw, Chicago has the
largest Polish population in the world.***Detroit - Woodward Avenue in Detroit, Michigan, carries the
designation M-1, so named because it was the first paved road anywhere.***Damascus, Syria - Damascus, Syria, was flourishing
a couple of thousand years before Rome was founded
in 753 BC, making it the oldest continuously inhabited city in existence.***Istanbul, Turkey - Istanbul, Turkey, is the only
city in the world located on 2 continents.***Los Angeles - Los Angeles' full name is El Pueblo de
Nuestra Senora la Reina de los Angeles de Porciuncula -- and can be
abbreviated to 3.63% of its size: L.A.***New York City - The term
'The Big Apple' was coined by touring jazz musicians of the 1930's who
used the slang expression 'apple' for any town or city. Therefore, to
play New York City is to play the big time - The Big Apple. There are
more Irish in New York City than in Dublin, Ireland; more Italians in
New York City than in Rome, Italy; and more Jews in New
York City than in Tel Aviv, Israel.***Ohio - There are no
natural lakes in the state of Ohio, every one is man made.***Pitcairn Island - The smallest
island with country status is Pitcairn in Polynesia at just 1.75
sq. miles.***Rome - The first city to
reach a population of 1 million people was Rome, Italy in 133 B.C.
There is a city called Rome on every continent.***Siberia - Siberia contains more than
25% of the world's forests.***S.M.O.M. - The actual smallest sovereign entity in the world
is the Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM). It is located in the city
of Rome, Italy, has an area of 2 tennis courts, and as of 2001 has
a population of 80, 20 less people than the Vatican. It is a sovereign entity
under international law, just as the Vatican is.***Sahara Desert - In
the Sahara Desert there is a town named Tidikelt, which did not receive
a drop of rain for ten years. Technically, though, the driest place on Earth is in the valleys of
the Antarctic near Ross Island. There has been no
rainfall there for two million years.***Spain
- Spain literally means
"the land of rabbits."
St. Paul, Minnesota - St. Paul,
Minnesota was
originally called Pig's Eye after a man named Pierre 'Pig's Eye' Parrant who
set up the first business there.***Roads - Chances that a road is unpaved in the U.S.A: 1%,
in Canada: 75%*** Texas-The deepest
hole ever made in the world is in Texas. It is as deep as 20 empire state buildings but only 3 inches
wide.***United States - The Eisenhower interstate system requires that
one-mile in every five must be straight. These straight sections are usable
as airstrips in times of war or other emergencies.***Waterfalls - The
water of Angel Falls (the World's
highest) in Venezuela drops 3,212 feet
(979 meters). They are 15 times higher than Niagara Falls. ***** ***** |
THE YEAR 1909
, sent in by Jim Dwyer
This will boggle your mind, I know it did mine!
The year is 1909. One hundred years ago.
What a difference a century makes!
Here are some statistics for the Year 1909 :
************ ********* ********* ******
The average life expectancy was 47 years.
Only 14 percent of the homes had a bathtub.
Only 8 percent of the homes had a telephone.
There were only 8,000 cars and only
144 miles of paved roads.
The maximum speed limit in most cities was 10 mph.
The tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel Tower
The average wage in 1909 was 22 cents per hour.
The average worker made between $200 and $400 per year .
A competent accountant could expect to earn $2000 per year,
A dentist $2,500 per year, a veterinarian between $1,500 and $4,000 per year,
and a mechanical engineer about $5,000 per year.
More than 95 percent of all births took place at HOME.
Ninety percent of all doctors had NO COLLEGE EDUCATION!
Instead, they attended so-called medical schools, many of which
Were condemned in the press AND the government as 'substandard. '
Sugar cost four cents a pound.
Eggs were fourteen cents a dozen.
Coffee was fifteen cents a pound.
Most women only washed their hair once a month, and used
Borax or egg yolks for shampoo.
Canada passed a law that prohibited
poor people from
Entering into their country for any reason.
Five leading causes of death were:
1. Pneumonia and influenza
2. Tuberculosis
3. Diarrhea
4. Heart disease
5. Stroke
The American flag had 45 stars.
The population of Las
Vegas, Nevada, was only 30!!!!
Crossword puzzles, canned beer, and ice tea
Hadn't been invented yet.
There was no Mother's Day or Father's Day.
Two out of every 10 adults couldn't read or write.
Only 6 percent of all Americans had
Graduated from high school.
Marijuana, heroin, and morphine were all available over the counter at the
local corner drugstores. Back then pharmacists said, "Heroin clears the
complexion, gives buoyancy to the mind, regulates the stomach and bowels, and
is, in fact, a perfect guardian of health." ( Shocking? DUH! )
Eighteen percent of households had at least
One full-time servant or domestic help.
There were about 230 reported murders in the ENTIRE U.S.A. !
I am now going to forward this to
someone else without typing it myself.
From there, it will be sent to others all over the WORLD - all in a
matter of seconds!
Try to imagine what it may be like in another 100 years.
IT STAGGERS THE MIND!
*****
*****
AIR
CONDITIONING) MUST READ, sent in by Barbara Baty
Good to know....
Please do not turn on A/C immediately as soon as you
enter the car. Open the windows after you enter your car and turn ON the
air-conditioning after a couple of minutes.
Here's why: According to research, the car dashboard, sofa, air
freshener emit Benzene, a Cancer causing toxin (carcinogen - take
time to observe the smell of heated plastic in your car). In
addition to causing cancer, Benzene poisons your bones, causes anemia and
reduces white blood cells.
Prolonged exposure will cause Leukemia, increasing
the risk of cancer. May also cause miscarriage. Acceptable Benzene
level indoors is 50 mg per sq. ft.. A car parked indoors with
windows closed will contain 400-800 mg of Benzene.
If parked outdoors under the sun at a temperature
above 60 degrees F, the Benzene level goes up to 2000-4000 mg, 40 times
the acceptable level...
People who get into the car, keeping windows closed
will inevitably inhale, in quick succession excessive amounts of the
toxin.
Benzene is a toxin that affects your kidney and liver.
What's worse, it is extremely difficult for your body to expel this toxic
stuff.
So friends, please open the
windows and door of your car! Give
time for the interior to air out! Dispel the deadly stuff - before
you enter.
Thought: 'When someone shares something of value with you and you benefit
from it, you have a moral obligation to share it with others.'
*****
*****
The following is an excerpt from the book Mind and
Cosmos: Spirituality and Physics
Chapter 1/ Changing the
Rules, Changing the World: What's
Going On?
***
The one who studies the world might alter that world by studying it. This is the implication of many of the newest and most sophisticated experiments in microparticle (subatomic) physics. This "neophysics" is very different from its "grandfather," the slowpoke, old "Newtonian" physics of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
Newtonian (traditional) physics worked just fine when describing the macrocosmos-- the universe of relatively "big" things. It was okay at describing and predicting planets, machines, even billiard-balls. It also worked in describing the actions and interactions of bee-bees.
But as things got smaller, they also became weirder. Once you started describing things as small as individual atoms, the old "laws" simply failed to work. New laws altogether had to be discovered and described. This led to the new field of neophysics or "quantum physics."
The mind cannot affect large aggregates of atoms. Here, the laws of Newtonian physics, the old physics, seem to be predictably controlling and over-riding. People move larger objects around with their minds only in badly written science-fiction, or in the oddball imaginings of new-agers gone over the top, or off the deep end. We seem quite unable to affect the dynamics of tables, boulders, cars, and other larger objects. We probably cannot influence, with our minds, the movements of even marbles. For, although small when compared with buildings, they still contain millions of atoms, the whole of which remains remarkably stable.
But when we get into the realm of the very, very tiny, the kingdom of the ultrananoscopic, things change. In fact, we are most literally in "another world." And it looks disturbingly like something out of the "Twilight Zone."
Just how tiny are these nanoparticles within the atom?
If an atom were the size of a football field, the nucleus, at its center, would be about the size of a small pebble. Electrons would be orbiting a hundred feet away, and would be the size of dustmotes. Astonishingly, unlike the "solid" atoms proposed by Democritus (460-370 BCE) and Newton (1643-1727) the real atom is 99.9% empty space! And what is not empty space, the "pebble" and "dustmotes," are not solid "particles," but pure energy.
It is because the mind is somehow involved with, or related to, this strange atom that physics can never be value-free. For the same mind is the creator of values, including morality and ethics. Politicians are often value-free, despite their pretenses to the contrary. But science, and often, scientists, cannot be. Specifically, they are morally responsible for what they do with their discoveries. At any rate, science will likely lead all of us, inevitably, to either "heaven" or "hell" on earth. To prevent the destruction of our lovely planet for a few little dollars, scientists should be the first line of our defense against corporate greed. For, given its way, it will kill us all for a fistful of dollars.
The ultimate tragedy might be that about half of all scientists have prostituted themselves to work for the military, to develop more deadly weapons. This is a negative energy-expenditure that our country, and our planet, simply cannot afford. It is taking the gold of scientific genius and flushing it down a toilet.
These tragically wasted talents include many in the field of subatomic (microparticle; quantum) physics. Atoms contain huge energies, and there might be still more locked up within its subcomponents, the ultramicroparticles. The subject of study, for these scientists, the atom, is incredibly tiny. (Seventy-six million could line up across the diameter of a penny.) These constituent microparticles are really more appropriately "micronanoparticles." They are so micronanoscopic, in fact, that they constitute only one one-thousandth the total volume of a single atom.
But this book is not pure science. It is part science, by an admitted second-hander, and part spirituality. It is with the latter that the author has much actual experience. He has written seventeen books on the subject of "spiritual psychology," or "pneumopsychology." This psychology concerns the Unconscious Mind. It is the exploration of the "preconscious" mind, but, much more importantly, the "personal unconscious," well-known to psychology. Then, this artscience plunges even more deeply into deeper levels of Mind; when it does, it becomes more controversial. For the level just below the personal unconscious is the Soulevel of Mind; ordinary psychology knows almost nothing about this level. Below that is the Collective Unconscious, also largely unknown to much of traditional psychology. And, at the core of all mind is another collective (shared) level of Mind called the "Superconscious," "cosmic" or "universal" Mind. This is a mental galaxy of content, and is pure Love, pure beauty, pure wisdom, and an understanding so great and penetrating that it has been described by the word "omniscient." This is the interior "mind of God." This is the most explosively controversial of all the premises of spiritual psychology. For traditional religion is accustomed to seeing "God" as "outside" the individual and, in fact, as "outside" of creation altogether. The traditional image of God is hopelessly transcendental. This is a leftover from the ancient Jehovah-myth. But, in spiritual psychology, God represents a "transcendental" state of consciousness within the individual mind. It is a vast and immense Mind, as much larger than a human mind as a planet is than a salt-grain. This is the very Mind that dreams up the everyday, ordinary world.
A common and comfortable dogma is that this world is the only way of viewing reality. We are schooled in it from toddlerhood, and it rarely occurs to us even to question it. This dogma is not based on empirical fact or experimentation. In fact, it is a dogma that the world is exactly as it appears because this is based on unquestioning faith and "common" sense. For an actual scientific analysis shows, and proves, that the world is not as it appears. It is, in fact, composed of swirling, glittering sparks rushing around each other at nearly the speed of light. And it emerges from, and continuously is reabsorbed in, a cosmic pool of invisible energy. This is not a fact documented by, or accessible to, the five senses. The "sensory" world is not the real world. Besides, questions, or their answers, can be very scary. Spirituality addresses these inquiries, and mysticism is the deepest form of spirituality.[1]
Someday, the borders that separate spirituality from psychology will dissolve, and the two paths will meld, fuse, unify, and merge into "pneumopsychology." And this is not the most astonishing scenario: More breath-takingly, it could even turn out that physics could someday become a subsystem of spirituality, as "pneumophysics." One thing is certain: Most psychologists are traditionalists. They do not accept the existence of the Coremind of the Unconscious as God. But when It is touched, the life explodes dramatically into new wisdom, creativity, productivity, and compassion. The very belief that you are, at your core, a being of mental, moral perfection and Love can itself be therapeutic. And the belief that you can touch this Core, through mystical experience, is even more integrative and healing psychologically.
And while this, especially the latter, sounds quite bizarre to our early twenty-first century ears, our children's children's children might well take it for granted that physics is spiritual, or even, spirituality. Physics, like other sciences, is now taking a "systems" approach. It is being related to larger contexts and environments within which it functions. If the deeper psyche is found to be relevant to more subatomic processes, this could be the stroke that moves psychology and physics together towards "psychophysics," a large step towards the evolution of ultimate pneumophysics. For every day, experimental science is strengthening the many and deep connections that unite physics with psychology and spirituality.
Before this evolutionary mergence can kick into high gear, pneumopsychology will first have to find a place of recognition within the larger fields of accepted psychology. One problem might be that our society and culture are simply too primitive for such an advanced and sophisticated type of psychology. Before any culture can shift its paradigmatic reality-views, it must have progressed to the level where that shift is comprehensible, and makes sense to most of its scientific leaders. Happily, both physics and psychology are evolving, in this promising direction, every day.
Two examples will suffice regarding psychological evolution: The promising concept of "other-centeredness" in Rogerian psychology and that of "peak experiences" in Maslovian psychology strongly hint at ideas that are very relevant to pneumopsychology, and there are dozens more similarly spiritual ideas. Indeed, the whole of Jungian psychology has been regarded as a prescient form of pneumopsychology. It will take a move of not much more than a nanometer for psychology and spirituality to cross their shared border and to begin fusion.
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Chapter 2:
Pneumopsychology: Anatomy of the
Spirit
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When we write here of "spirituality," of what factors are we writing? They are many and complex, and interrelated in an abundance of very involved and intricate patterns. But one factor stands out like the sun at midnight.
This is Love. Due to its cruciality in pneumopsychology, and that, mystically, it has been equated with God, we will start the word with a capital initial letter when it is used as a noun.
In pneumopsychology, it is Love for the self and for others that constitutes the most valuable mark of psychological health and wellbeing. Love is the major assessment-tool by which pneumopsychological balance and wellness are determined.
Love is not, of course, merely sex. Nor is it simple attraction. Instead, it is a pervasive factor throughout the healthy personality. As mystics will say, in the final analysis, It is indefinable. But, used as a tool of psychology, we must at least attempt to catch its meaning in terms of related characteristics.
The most fundamental Love is "universal Love." This does not imply that one is a "tree-hugger," or, worse, that one wants to have sex with everyone. Tree-hugging could actually be a healing form of Love, but nymphomania and satyrhiasis are definitely pathology. What, then, is this "universal Love"?
It is simply wishing someone well. It is sincerely wishing that any person, friend or foe, find a life of joy, peace, wisdom, growth, progress, and Love. This is the extent of "minimal" Love, given even to all strangers. This kind of Love implies only good wishes, and the absence of hatred, bitterness, fear, and other counterproductive mindstates. Truly wishing the best, including ultimate enlightenment, for another person is healing, both to her and to the well-wisher.
Love is not a simple phenomenon. For one thing, it comes in many varieties; it also comes in many powerlevels. This is why you "love" your neighbor, your dog, your mother, brother, cousins, friends, and strangers in very different ways. You love your Love-partner in still another way, and yourself in still another.
The key fact here is this:
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Love is healing, no matter to whom it is given, and no matter what type or powerlevel is involved.
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Love can most effectively be defined, at least partially, by its subcomponents and manifestations. It includes goodness, a desire to make the right, just, and fair response to others. It involves kindness, courtesy, and friendliness, for it welcomes others, and does not judge their total worth. It manifests as practical compassion, a desire to help those in trouble and to stretch out your hand to aid others. Other subcomponents involve joy and peace, for Love brings both in its wake.
But at its human zenith, Love can utterly dissolve personality into Itself, and reintegrate an entirely new personality around the original core. Love can be so powerful as to "take over" human personality. The mind can be "lost in Love," leaving not a trace of the former person with her wide variety of hangups. This is what occurs during that apogee of Love, the mystical experience. This transcendental event, in pneumopsychology, is the very height of mental wellness. And the closer that one can remain to this ecstatic state all throughout life, the more "well" or "healthy" she is.
Even in everyday life,
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The more that one loves, herself or others, the healthier and stronger she is.
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So, learning the art of loving maximally is the goal of pneumopsychology. This involves subfactors such as detachment, rising above pettiness, and, ultimately, learning to identify with a greater Self (the Soulmind). And, with the introduction of the mystical factor, it means rising, in time, even above this "higher" Self to the "highest" Self, which is Love Itself, or "Spirit." For this is everyone's "secret identity."
Mystics of all ages and cultures are the Way-showers. They become the model of the average person after she has encountered the transcendental or the divine parts of her own psyche. They all teach a Way that emphasizes compassion, ecological (natural) awareness and sacredness, goodness, morality, ethics, and healthy attitudes towards others. They all teach that we are not the human biological self (ego). They teach us that we are minds, not bodies, and hence, without separating borders and boundaries.
In the beautiful and transcendental altered state called "Love," something like empathy occurs. People are inevitably isolated as "separate" by membranes of skin. But there are no similar membranes that separate minds. So, if you are a mind, and I am a mind, and we both agree to love each other, a special type of dissolving or disintegration of conceptual and actual boundaries can occur. We can join not only hands, but hearts, and meet in the middle. Love brings the human mind to an increased state of internal integration, in which borders and fences become meaningless. In the act of Love, whether between two merchants, two strangers, two diplomats, or two Love-partners, all walls dissolve. The moment of Love, every moment of Love, is a huge psychological victory over the "lower" or "animal" nature. For Love lifts us outside even the limitations of nature. Every act of Love is transcendent; every moment of Love-sharing is "supernatural."
An aspect of pneumopsychology is that it is not just an analytical technique, a method of diagnosis, assessment, and classification. It is, instead, an active strategy for interior healing. It is the science of interior exploration, the path of the "psychonaut." It says, in essence, that fullest healing lies in touching the deepest level, the Core, of the Unconscious, and encourages people to do so through meditation, mindclearing, and sharpened awareness. It encourages the use of such tools as yoga and Zen, and stimulates a personal philosophy that blossoms from Love.
Here, it is crucial to distinguish between religion and spirituality, for the two can share certain words, even principles, in common. Here is that distinction:
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Religion is what you do on the "outside," often, to impress others.
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Spirituality is what you do on the "inside," authentically, to heal and improve your connections with the deep Love-nature in the Unconscious.
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It is probably obvious that, from a spiritual perspective, religion is optional. And the particular "brand" of religion that you embrace is of even less importance, unless it is a religion that is antiagapic (Love-resistant).
[1] Compare J. deMarquette, Introduction to Comparative Mysticism (New York; Philosophic Library, 1949)
See also R. Francis, Journey
to the Center of the Soul: Mysticism Made Simple (Liberty Township, Ohio; Love Ministries, Inc., 2003)
See also R. Francis Falling
In Love With Yourself: Love and the Inner Beloved (Liberty Township, Ohio; Love Ministries, Inc., 2004)
See also Stephen Blaha, Cosmos and Consciousness (Bloomington, IN; Authorhouse, 2000)