“To learn to forget is as necessary and useful as to learn to remember. We think of many things every day which it would be more profitable not to think of at all. To be able to forget is to be able to drive away the unseen force (thought) which is injuring us, and change it for a force (or order of thought) to benefit us.

“Demand imperiously and persistently any quality of character in which you may be lacking, and you attract increase of such quality. Demand more patience or decision or judgment or courage or hopefulness or exactness, and you will increase in those qualities. These qualities are real elements. They belong to the subtler, and as yet unrecognized, chemistry of nature.” ~Prentice Mulford

Learn to Forget

“This is probably contrary to everything you have ever heard. Rarely does someone tell you to forget. Only if it is something terrible like witnessing a murder would they say that. But there are many other times when forgetting is useful.

“Many of us grew up as members of a conventional church that teaches social behavior more that any form of spiritual enlightenment. Such churches teach us to listen and conform. To forget such teachings can benefit us greatly.

“Some of us grew up in poverty. There is nothing wrong with that, nothing to be ashamed of. But when it gives us the belief that we are doomed to live in poverty all of our lives, this is something we need to forget.

“Others, on the other hand, grew up in luxury with servants to do just about everything for them. They had cooks to make meals, tutors to help with school, and so on. When it comes to spiritual growth, however, you can’t get your servants to do it for you. Neither can you buy your way in. You have to forget those ideas and learn to do things yourself. A spiritual awakening is a personal thing.”

Read the entire article online at spiritsun.net.

Original article posted by HAROLD BOULETTE on SEPTEMBER 26, 2018

Nonconscious Learning From Crowded Sequences

“Can people learn complex information without conscious awareness? In the present study, we explored whether participants could learn a sequence of stimuli that they could not consciously perceive. Implicit learning—learning without awareness of what has been learned—has been the focus of intense investigation over the last 50 years. However, it remains controversial whether complex knowledge can be learned implicitly. In the research reported here, we addressed this challenge by asking participants to differentiate between sequences of symbols they could not perceive consciously. Using an operant-conditioning task, we showed that participants learned to associate distinct sequences of crowded (nondiscriminable) symbols with their respective monetary outcomes (reward or punishment). Overall, our study demonstrates that sensitivity to sequential regularities can arise through the nonconscious temporal integration of perceptual information.”

Access the 2015 article online: http://pss.sagepub.com/content/25/1/113.long

link submitted by Michael McIntyre

“They [the Essenes] interpreted the Torah and other Hebrew scriptures in an almost exclusively spiritual, symbolic and metaphysical manner, as did the Alexandrian Jewish philosopher Philo. They also had esoteric writings of their own which they would not allow non-Essenes to see. But even more objectionable to the other Hebrews was their study and acceptance of “alien” scriptures–the holy books of other religions–so much so that an official condemnation was made of this practice. In light of this we can say that the Essenes were perhaps the first in the West to hold a universal, eclectic view of religion. Celibacy was prized by them, being often observed even in marriage, and many of them led monastic lives of total renunciation. They considered their male and female members–all of whom were literate–to be spiritual equals, and both sexes were prophets and teachers among them.

“They believed that the sun was a divine manifestation, imparting spiritual powers to both body and mind. They faced the rising and setting sun and recited prayers of worship, refusing upon rising in the morning to speak a single word until the conclusion of those prayers. They did not consider the sun was a god, but a symbol of the One God of Light and Life.

“They believed that miraculous cures were natural extensions of authentic spiritual life. They would wear only white clothes as a sign that they worshiped God who is Light and were clothed by him in light. … The disciples of Saint Thomas in India had a similar rule, only wearing white clothes in worship.” ~Abbot George Burke

Interpreting Scripture

The Universal Essenes, as well as other spiritual groups, did interpret scripture from all religions in a spiritual way. But what does that mean? Doesn’t everyone interpret religious writings in a spiritual way? Sadly, no, they don’t Many interpret them literally. They act as if they are reading a newspaper or history book rather than scripture.

Scripture is almost always written in the form of allegory, parables. Most ancient myths fall into this category also. They are written this way for several reasons. One is that human languages do a poor job of explaining the spiritual. They are simply not designed for it. So those who have spiritual experiences are forced to describe them in allegory. A second reason is that they wanted people who were not ready for a spiritual awakening to remember these teachings until they were. Making them into allegorical tales made them easier to remember. Third, they wanted to make it difficult for evil and materialistic people to understand the truth, so they hid it.

Read the entire article online at spiritsun.net.

Original article posted by HAROLD BOULETTE on NOVEMBER 16, 2018

The Sun in various ionization bands. Credit: David H Brooks, Ignacio Ugarte-Urra, Harry P Warren.

Dec 31, 2018

“Do convection currents and vibrating magnetic field lines create the dynamic phenomena observed on the Sun?

“According to the thermonuclear fusion model of the Sun, hydrogen in its core is crushed with so much force that it is converting to helium, releasing tremendous amounts of energy. The core’s temperature is thought to be 15 million Celsius, with compressive strain greater than 340 billion times Earth’s atmospheric pressure. A common metaphor used to illustrate the process is to imagine millions of hydrogen bombs exploding all at once within a confined space: 700 million tons of hydrogen are said to be converted into helium every second.

“The Sun’s surface is known as the photosphere. Above that surface layer is the chromosphere, and above that is the corona, the outermost part of the Sun’s visible atmosphere. The photosphere averages 6000 Celsius, while the corona can be as much as two million Celsius! This is the great mystery that has encumbered researchers. How is it that the hottest region of the Sun begins at an altitude of 4000 kilometers and extends over a million kilometers from its surface without any significant temperature drop?”

Read the entire article by Stephen Smith posted online December 31, 2018 at thunderbolts.info.

link submitted by Robert Petrovich

“Not all things can have a life merely at second hand, that would give an infinite series. There must be some nature which, having life primary, shall be of necessity indestructible, immortal, as the source of life to all else that lives. This is the point of which all that is divine and blessed must be situated, living and having being of itself, possessing primal being and primal life, and its own essence rejecting all change, neither coming to be nor passing away.

“Whence could such a being arise or into what could it disappear: the very word, strictly used, means that the thing is perdurable. … In such an entity this primal and eternal Being cannot be dead like stone or plank: it must be alive, and that with a life unalloyed.” Plotinus

Infinite Life

Plotinus doesn’t just make spiritual sense with his statements here, he is also logical in the intellectual sense.

If there is a factory that produces paper cups, and truckloads come out of the factory daily, it stands to reason that there must be something other than the cups themselves inside the factory. There must be machines forming the cups and probably people operating the machines. The temporary cups can’t make themselves.

All material beings are temporary like those paper cups. And while we can certainly see that people, animals, and even plants are capable of reproduction, that is only part of the story. That reproduced body of matter must be given life. There must be a source for that life, a permanent Being that is always alive and therefore always generating life energy. At some point, the first being of matter had to be created and given life by a being that had life, but was not material. That being cannot be material because everything material changes and dies. This infinite life that is the source of all other lives is God.

Read the entire article online at spiritsun.net.

Original article posted by HAROLD BOULETTE on NOVEMBER 17, 2018

Sydney Martinez, Content Manager at the Department of Tourism and Cultural Affairs, has produced some beautiful articles that give exclusive coverage the the Steamboat Healing Center and Spa online at the department’s web site Travel Nevada (travelnevada.com) for sharing with their audience.

Well written, well researched, and well received, the articles are now available for viewing on the Department of Tourism’s web site:

Steamboat Hot Springs Healing Center & Spa—Point of Interest, or Business Listing

Steamboat mention in Resort Hot Springs editorial blog

New Steamboat editorial blog, on Steamboat exclusively

And just this month the online magazine has also created a hot springs “adventure” in which the Steamboat Healing Center receives a mention!

10 NEVADA HOT SPRING PAIRINGS—ADVENTUROUS TASTE REQUIRED

“The story of Father Crespi is a mysterious and controversial account of a priest in Ecuador involving claims of unknown civilizations, strange golden artifacts, a subterranean cave system containing a metallic library, depictions of strange figures connecting America to Sumeria, symbols depicting an unknown language, evidence of extra-terrestrial contact, and a Vatican conspiracy involving thousands of missing artifacts. But how much of the story is true? Ancient Origins set out to find the answers and was given exclusive access by the Central Bank of Ecuador to the private artifact collection of Father Crespi, tucked away in hidden vaults and storerooms, including the controversial carved metal plates, which had not been seen or photographed for decades.”

“The Truth About Father Crespi and His Missing Artifacts Finally Revealed”

For more on Father Crespi and his lost collection of artifacts, watch the videos below.

The artifacts in Father Crespi’s collection appear to have been created in the Bronze age 2000 – 1200 B.C. In one version of the story, the Sea People (Minoans) and Canaans (Phoenicians) visited America in bronze age and played the role of bearded gods.

“Padre Crespi Collection” (42:49)

J. Golden Barton gives his account of visiting father crespi in Ecuador, and of all the fascinating ancient artifacts he was able to see and photograph. This talk was given at the Ancient Historical Research Foundation (www.ahrfoundation.com) symposium held a BYU on May 25, 2005.

“Father Crespi and the Ancient Metallic Library” (42:24)

links submitted by Frieda Nelson

“A little knowledge that acts is worth infinitely more than much knowledge that is idle.

“If your knowledge teaches you not the value of things, and frees you not from the bondage to matter, you will never come near the throne of truth.

“If your knowledge teaches you not to rise above human weakness and misery and lead your fellow man on the right path, you are indeed a man of little worth and will remain such till judgment day.

“Learn the words of wisdom uttered by the wise and apply them in your own life. Live them—but do not make a show of reciting them, for he who repeats what he does not understand is no better than an ass that is loaded with books.” ~Kahlil Gibran

Active Knowledge

“It should be clear to anyone that active knowledge is better than inactive knowledge. It should also be clear that knowledge is better than ignorance. Yet knowledge that is not put to use is pointless. It’s like freezing to death in the cold while clutching a heavy coat in your hands.”

Read the entire article online at spiritsun.net.

Original article posted by HAROLD BOULETTE on OCTOBER 1, 2018

Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama (C) greets devotees at the closing ceremony of a teaching session at Kalachakra Ground in Bodhgaya on December 31, 2018. PHOTO CREDIT: AFP/Getty Images

Beijing’s Buddhist diplomacy depends on controlling the Tibetan leader’s next reincarnation.

“China’s brutal crackdown on its Muslims has attracted a global outcry and shows no signs of slowing in 2019. This extends to other faiths: Chinese Christians, Taoists, and Buddhists are also facing a new wave of repression. But while China is backtracking its accommodation of religious citizens within its borders, it’s doing the opposite outside them.

“With an energetic, multibillion-dollar, transnational campaign, China wants to harness Buddhism for soft power across Asia. It calls Buddhism an “ancient Chinese religion” and has spent $3 billion to revive the birthplace of the Buddha, the Nepalese town of Lumbini. It has been holding World Buddhist Forums since 2006 with monks from all over the world. It is pouring in money to revive the Gandhara trail of Buddhist sites in Pakistan, linking heritage revival to its Belt and Road Initiative. It’s building a Buddhist center in Myanmar’s capital and funding the study and translation of Buddhist texts. (In contrast to this expansive global vision, it also announced this month a five-year plan to “Sinicize” Buddhism for practitioners inside its borders.)”

Read the entire article by Krithika Varagur posted online January 22, 2019 at foreignpolicy.com.

Link submitted by Robert Petrovich

“The soul that really loves God and Christ, though it may do ten thousand righteousnesses, esteems itself as having wrought nothing, by reason of its insatiable aspiration after God. Though it should exhaust the body with fastings, watchings, its attitude towards the virtues is as if it had not yet even begun to labor for them. Though divers gifts of the Spirit, or revelations and heavenly mysteries should be vouchsafed to it, it feels in itself to have acquired nothing at all, by reason of its unlimited and insatiable love to the Lord. … It continues to be insatiable for the mysteries of grace, and for the accomplishment of every virtue. It is smitten with passionate love of the heavenly Spirit, …desiring to be perfectly admitted to the mystical, ineffable fellowship with Him.” ~St. Macarius the Egyptian

Spiritual Humility

“Many people do good deeds. Some do it for God, some not. Some do it primarily for recognition. They will donate only to charities who publicly announce the donations. They are not being charitable, they are buying acclaim.

“St. Macarius says this is the wrong approach. No matter how many good deeds we do, spiritual or physical, we should not brag about it, but give the credit to God who inspires that devotion. In doing that, we show proper humility. Sadly, today, humility is not a popular virtue on Earth, but it still matters a great deal in Heaven. Spiritual humility is an important spiritual attribute.”

Read the entire article online at spiritsun.net.

Original article posted by HAROLD BOULETTE on NOVEMBER 7, 2018