The Role of Prophecy

As we inch ever closer to 2012 it seems the amount of predictions about different events (not just about December 21, 2012) has been on the rise. Some of the predictions are even bordering on the hysterical. Understandably, all these (usually) negative predictions can create a feeling of fear and uncertainty about the future unless we look at all of this in the proper perspective. You may ask: what other perspectives could there be about earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, pole shifts and similar disasters?

As far back as history can tell us, predicting the future has been part and parcel of human activity. Kings, ministers and other high officials usually consulted court astrologers for guidance about whether or not to wage war, if there was going to be bounty or famine or other facets that would affect the workings of the kingdom or empire. Seers and oracles, such as the famous Oracle of Delphi, relied on visions and other mystic means as the source of advice to be given. Even the Bible contains many stories of seers and prophets giving counsel or warning to kings and their kingdoms.

Whatever the means of seeing into the future, there is one common thread that binds them all: the predictions are supposed to offer guidance for future actions. Therefore, if we look at prophecies and predictions as a guide instead of as some inevitable event, then we can finally get a handle of how to manage the information provided.

The problem is that most people tend to view predictions and prophecies as unavoidable events set in stone and there is nothing to do but to weep oneself to sleep. That is really an unfortunate attitude, because if we look at it closely, the true role of prophecy is to give one the chance to make sure the prophecy does not come to pass. Yes, that's right, a prophecy is a chance for us to use our free will to change a negative event. There is a mystic saying: "The stars impel, but they do not compel." Isn't that great?

The other side of the coin is that there are also those who view all predictions as hokey. We wouldn't think twice about the validity of a doctor telling us that if we eat too many sweets everyday we'll get sick pretty quick. But essentially the doctor is making a prediction about a possible event (i.e. getting sick) in the future. Whether or not one continues to maintain a bad diet is entirely the individual's decision.

The difference between the doctor and seer of course is that we are able to comprehend the basic mechanics and biochemistry of the physical body that the doctor uses in making his diagnosis (and prediction). We can also consult other doctors for a second or third opinion or do further research on our own, so there is a way to validate a doctor's statements.

Whereas the seer or even the astrologer relies on more intangible forces that not everyone can sense or comprehend, so we're often left with taking their word for it. It also doesn't help if the prediction doesn't come to pass, or the prediction still happens despite precautionary measures being taken.

If a prediction comes true even if one changes one's habits or life patterns, it simply means the changes were not enough to completely negate the prediction. It's the same thing with the doctor again. Perhaps instead of 1 box of Krispy Kreme donuts per day, you cut it down to half a box a day. You may not get sick in a month, but you'll still get sick eventually, and you can't really blame the doctor for that.

Sometimes though, the seer is in a no-win situation, because if the prediction doesn't come true, people are more quick to call the seer a quack rather than breathe a sigh of relief that they were able to make enough changes to negate or minimize the magnitude of a particular dire prediction.

This is why it's sometimes tempting to hope that predictions of disasters come true, just to show people that one was accurate, but that temptation has to be resisted. Don't feel too bad if that thought crosses your mind, though. In the Bible, even Jonah got pissed after Nineveh changed its ways and was thus spared God's wrath. After all, Jonah went to a lot of trouble just to prophesy against Nineveh.

What's the solution then? Always work towards improving oneself so that eventually this extends to improving one's surroundings and situation in life. Service and tithing are the most basic tools one has in order to manage karma, because it's all about karmic entitlement. The more that we understand about karmic entitlement, the easier it becomes to take responsibility for our future actions and also the negative consequences we may encounter along the way, instead of instantly pinning the blame (and the responsibility) on others.

By seizing this sense of responsibility, the more we will feel in control of our lives and we can more easily recognize events for what they are, that something needs to be improved on or changed, instead of getting off balance every time something bad happens. Prophecy is therefore one of the most invaluable aids in this journey of self discovery. The Chinese character for "danger" is also the same character for "opportunity." Therefore, let's use dire predictions as opportunities to turn things around in our lives and in the lives of others. And if something bad still happens, just remember that the effects may already be less than originally intended.

Just remember, this doesn't mean we turn off our brains and ignore all predictions. If the weatherman predicts rain, bring an umbrella.

The Spiral Universe

A few years ago, when I was still new to pranic healing, I was able to read Master Choa Kok Sui's book The Existence of God is Self-Evident. In the book, Master Choa mentioned that evolution occurs in spirals, regularly passing the same relative point but always on a higher scale. Ever since, I've encountered similar statements in other esoteric works I've read.

I didn't really think much about the above statement although it makes a certain sense on the intellectual level, but recently I was able to watch a nice video that brings to life the spiral nature of things. You can watch the short video below:



The title of the video, Earth Is Not Orbiting The Sun, is a bit misleading. In the video, it actually says that if we go beyond our 2D conception of the Earth circling the sun year in and year out, we would realize that because the sun is hurtling towards space, in order for the Earth to keep its relative position to the sun it has to follow the same general path as the sun. If this is drawn on a piece of paper (and the animation in the video does show it), we would see that the Earth's movement is actually a spiral track around the sun.

I guess it only makes sense that the movements of celestial bodies would follow a spiral. The spiral describes the flow of energy and we actually see a lot of it. The structure of the DNA, the structure of spirulina, the shape of galaxies and even the structure of a torus, which is basically an energy vortex bent into itself. Again we find ourselves in the realm of sacred geometry with more evidence that the microcosm indeed follows the macrocosm and vice versa.

Life truly is amazing!

11-11-11: The Next Big Date on the Calendar

Well, October 28 has come and gone and so far we're still here, so that fact tends to throw out some of the more apocalyptic theories about what was supposed to happen. There was a monster ice storm in the East Coast of the US, and one of my friends who works in a tech firm said they experienced several server outages simultaneously around the world, plus locally there were also outages of SkyCable in several locations. Aside from that interesting news, October 28 was an otherwise ordinary day.

The fact that nothing seems to have happened after October 28 can be interpreted in two ways. One interpretation is that Carl Johan Calleman's calculations were wrong, or that even if the calculations were right there's no special meaning to the Mayan calendar end date after all. Understandably, this would be the position that skeptics would take. Another interpretation is that the shift did indeed take place, but it was a shift in consciousness, which means it took effect on the mental plane. If so, it would take some time before the effects of such a shift would manifest on the physical plane since everything first happens on the mental and astral before it shows up on the physical. How long the delay in manifestation would be depends on the amount of energy behind such a shift. Most likely the evidence of such a shift will only become clear in hindsight.

Historical examples of shifts that only became clear through the eyes of history are the rise of Christianity, the Industrial Revolution and the sudden explosion of Internet technologies (the 8th wave started on January 5, 1999). At the time these shifts occurred, majority didn't have an idea of the huge impact these particular shifts would have on humanity.

My best friend was wondering if this is another case of the frog being slowly boiled alive. In case you don't get the analogy, they say that if you want to boil a live frog don't throw it into a pot of boiling water because the frog will simply jump away. Instead, put it into a pot of lukewarm water then slowly heat the water until it boils. The frog won't notice the rising temperature until it was too late to jump away.

On to another topic of special dates, it's interesting to note that barely two weeks after October 28 we have another big date coming in: November 11, 2011 or 11-11-11. Just the simple configuration of numbers has even ordinary people taking a second look at this date. According to some groups, by 11-11-11 certain doorways of consciousness will open and the downpour of higher vibration energies will be very intense. Interestingly enough, 11-11-11 is also the full moon. Given that most magical and esoteric beliefs consider the full moon as especially potent for magical operations and meditations, then the combination of two special energies will make that day very interesting indeed.

There are many theories about what 11-11-11 means as far as the bigger picture of Earth's ascension is concerned. But like I've been reiterating, even without all these Earth changes we should have been spiritually evolving anyway, so as far as one's daily life is concerned, we just need to take note of these special events and watch the "show." But even if you don't buy into the Earth ascension theory, it would still be good to commemorate such a unique date as 11-11-11 with a special prayer or ceremony, either with yourself or your loved ones.

Heading for the Home Stretch

October 28 is just a few more days away and assuming Carl Johan Calleman's calculations are correct, that date marks the actual end of the Mayan calendar. What the end of the Mayan calendar actually means is still a topic of hot debate in most circles.

There are a bewildering array of theories and speculations about what will happen on the Mayan calendar end date. Some people believe that it is indeed a special date, but will otherwise be an ordinary day, like Christmas. Some say the world will end, while others say it will mark the start of major cataclysms (both natural and man-made) that will change the face of the Earth forever. There are those who believe that the different extraterrestial races will finally make themselves known to the rest of humanity or that governments would finally acknowledge them. And there are also speculations that say the Earth will become etheric, and so will our physical bodies. Or perhaps it's a mix of all of them.

Bottomline is, if you believe there may be something to it but are sitting on the fence on this one because you're not really sure, then most likely you don't know what to prepare for. Which theory do you go with? But since the Mayan calendar end date is supposedly just a few more days away, if you haven't done any preparation there's really nothing else to do but watch the show (again, assuming the calculations are correct).

But just yesterday, I was chatting with a friend of mine and we got into some of our own speculations about what could possibly happen. I know this is treacherous ground but since a lot of theories are flying around anyway, might as well add to the pot.

If you're sensitive to energy vibrations, you may have felt a difference in the Earth's energy. So far, it seems to manifest as a sort of static electricity or tingling feeling around the body and it gets stronger if you consciously connect to the Earth's energy. Try it. Just mentally say, "I desire to connect with Mother Earth's energy" and see if you feel anything.

Anyway, for those who meditate regularly, the feeling I mentioned in the previous paragraph is commonly associated with meditation. Meditations, aside from calming the mind, generate lots of energy and some people feel tingling over the whole body as well as other physical, emotional and mental cues. Each experience is not always the same, but the different cues tend to recur at some time if you meditate often enough. But as one goes through the day, encounters stress or other negative situations, the energy level tends to go down to "normal."

So this got me and my friend thinking, what if after the supposed end date the energy level normally associated with meditations becomes the baseline everyday energy level of the whole Earth? Meaning, the extraordinary becomes the new normal. So far so good, there's more energy around us. So what?

Most likely, IF it happens this way (and that's a big if), the jump in baseline energy levels will mean different things for many people. Let's look at a more mundane analogy. Let's imagine there are two guys, one of them living a sedentary lifestyle and the other, while no athlete, at least goes to the gym regularly, perhaps runs a marathon once a year. Then someone with a bunch of armed goons behind him goes up to both guys and says, "You both have to run a 10K marathon RIGHT NOW and reach the finish line within a specified amount of time. The one who fails the run gets shot in the head. MOVE!"

The guy who exercises regularly would likely have a hard time, but stands a better chance of adapting to the sudden run than the guy who lives a sedentary lifestyle. Their physical bodies have developed way differently.

In the same way as the example above, not only our physical bodies but our subtle bodies (etheric, emotional, mental and spiritual) are different from each other, depending on how we live our lives. There are different precautions to consider when starting any meditation, such as physical health, lifestyle and habits, because these can influence how one experiences the meditation. Divine energy is very strong especially for the more advanced meditations, and if one has too much physical, emotional or mental baggage that can create a feeling of uncomfortable pressure in the person, like high pressure water forcing its way through a dirty pipe. It can even manifest as physical illness or emotional and mental imbalances or at worst it could manifest as insanity.

Imagine if 7+ billion people in the world suddenly received the energy level generated by meditation. For those who meditate regularly or are at least spiritually-minded, there may be some discomfort but it's something easily adapted to. For those who are totally unprepared, well, we can only imagine what that would do to them.

If there is one consistent theme about the different theories being presented, it is that people stand a better chance of making it through the shift by becoming more spiritual. It's not just the "go to church everyday, say 9 novenas" type of thing. It also means becoming a better human through character-building and the way you live your life.

You may ask, why would God allow something like that to happen to all of humanity? But if you look at it, humanity has been given hundreds if not thousands of years to prepare, through all the wisdom teachings of great spiritual avatars (Jesus, Buddha, etc.). And even among people born in this generation, there have always been opportunities to get onto the spiritual path, perhaps even more of an opportunity compared to even two decades ago because of the Internet and the explosion of mobile communications technology.

I don't know if you've noticed it, but among the people I know or encounter, there have been more and more cases of susceptibility to disease, emotional pain and mental confusion. It's likely an effect of the coming shift, like the pressure shift that marks the coming of a speeding train, but perhaps also one last chance for people to make that personal shift. As we all go through catharsis and personal crises, perhaps we will finally "see the Light" so to speak.

Either way, ready or not, here it comes!

Earth Changes and You: Like Deer in the Headlights?

The survival instinct is a very basic trait not only in humans but in animals as well. So it may seem odd why there should be any question when survival is called into question. Alas, the human penchant for complexity sometimes gets in the way of this very basic trait.

Even when faced with an immediate threat to survival, there are people who still fail to act accordingly. In psychology, this is called the normalcy bias. As per the Wikipedia definition:

The normalcy bias, or normality bias, refers to a mental state people enter when facing a disaster. It causes people to underestimate both the possibility of a disaster occurring and its possible effects. This often results in situations where people fail to adequately prepare for a disaster, and on a larger scale, the failure governments to include the populace in its disaster preparations. The assumption that is made in the case of the normalcy bias is that since a disaster never has occurred then it never will occur. It also results in the inability of people to cope with a disaster once it occurs. People with a normalcy bias have difficulties reacting to something they have not experienced before. People also tend to interpret warnings in the most optimistic way possible, seizing on any ambiguities to infer a less serious situation.

According to one article I read, understanding the normalcy bias could save your life. It was the story of this woman whose house burned down in The Great Laguna Fire of 1993 (this is Laguna Beach, California, not Laguna, Philippines). The author was rushing towards her house when she saw her neighbors just gawking at the approaching wildfire that was barely 1,000 feet away. Although she was intent on evacuation, she ended up frozen into a state of inaction, wondering whether she really needed to evacuate since she wasn't even sure if the wildfire would really reach her house.

Nowadays, with the threat of natural, social and economic calamities being very high, the question of survival preparedness becomes even more pertinent. Although we have seen a rise in self-sustaining survival communities and survival-oriented info is prevalent on the Internet (such as The Modern Survival Blog), putting this information to use presents another problem. Assuming you overcome your own normalcy bias, financial capacity certainly plays a big part in what sort of preparations you can make. Then there's also one's family to think about.

I suppose in the US the family issue won't be as big a consideration since people there are so used to being away from the family. In fact, independence usually starts at 18 years of age when one moves out of the parents' home. But in the Philippines where family units are very closely knit, it can be a challenge to convince family and relatives of the need to relocate to a safer place or institute preparations of some kind. If you think conquering your own normalcy bias is difficult, wait until you encounter the normalcy bias of several people grouped together. Even if you do push through on your own, your conscience may not accept the fact that you are safe in a survival community while knowing the city where your family and relatives are located has been destroyed by a tsunami or earthquake, for example.

Disaster preparedness instructor Ed Guevara has encountered a lot of this inherent opposition when conducting disaster preparedness seminars. In case that name sounds familiar, that's because I featured Ed Guevara in a previous article.

One of Ed's most memorable experiences was when he conducted a seminar in Semirara Island, just off Mindoro. He told the villagers in a seaside village that they were in an unsafe location and that they needed to relocate, but of course no one listened. However, that night there was a strong earthquake in Mindoro which was also felt in Semirara. The next morning he asked them if they felt the earthquake and then he said that that's what he was talking about, and immediately everyone relocated to higher ground. In this case, fear overcame the economic considerations and inconveniences of relocating. Unfortunately, not everyone will have such an opportunity.

But just as with other things in life, one just has to learn to play with the cards in one's hands. At the very least, by being aware, you are prepared to take advantage of any survival opportunities that may come your way. Picking up from the line in G.I. Joe, "Now you know, and knowing is half the battle." But I suppose the normalcy bias is the other half?

Three's A Company

Last year, one of my friends introduced me to the concept of triple numbers through Drunvalo Melchizedek's book The Serpent of Light: Beyond 2012. According to Drunvalo, triple numbers have a special meaning that pertains to the particular thought you had at the time you encounter the numbers.

The following is a list of the triple numbers and their meanings, from pages 88-89 of the said book:

111 - Energy Flow: Any energy flow such as electricity,money,water, sexual energy, etc.
222 - New Cycle: The beginning of a new cycle, the nature of which depends on the next triple number you see.
333 - Decision: You have a decision to make. The decision will lead to either 666, which means you must repeat the lesson again in some other way, or it will lead to 999, which is completion and you have learned the lesson.
444 - The Mystery School: What is occurring in life is a lesson around learning about the Reality. This school is learning, such as reading books or studying a subject, but not actual doing.
555 - Unity Consciousness: This is the number when someone has attained Unity Consciousness. They have mastered all levels of the Mystery School. It is the highest number. It is the number of Christ.
666 - Earth Consciousness: This is the number of the Beast in the Bible, so it can represent pure evil, but it is also the number of mankind and life. Carbon is the basis of life, and carbon has six protons, six neutrons, and six electrons. Generally, when you see this number, it means to watch out for physical events that are presenting themselves at that moment, and you must be careful.
777 - The Mystery School: This is the part of the school where you are not just reading books about life, but are also practicing it.
888 - Completion of a particular lesson within the Mystery School.
999 - Completion of a particular cycle of events.
000 - Has no value.

While it may be hard to imagine how a series of numbers can have any bearing on what is happening to you, ever since I learned about the triple numbers I've tried to take note of my thoughts everytime I saw a triple number and then observed subsequent events, and there is certainly something to it.

For instance, just recently I saw a friend post something in Facebook, so I was browsing other pages while thinking about her post and then saw the triple 6 in the screen. Since the triple 6 means to "watch out for physical events that are presenting themselves at that moment" I decided to see what would happen next. About 10 minutes later, my friend called and it was about that particular post in Facebook! Considering I hadn't had the chance to talk to my friend since early this year, this is something extraordinary indeed.

I usually see the triple numbers in the plate numbers of cars and the interesting thing is that I don't see them when I'm looking for them, but they usually turn up at the most unexpected moments. Certainly, it has made me more aware of my thoughts, which is a good thing in and of itself, since runaway thoughts sometimes get us into trouble.

One thing to watch out for is if you get too focused on the numbers to the point that you almost become paranoid about seeing them or tend to agonize over what they could mean for you. For me, I take it as a "live and let live" situation with the numbers simply pointing to something interesting about my life.

Of course, one would wonder if the very act of assigning meaning to the numbers and thinking about them attracts the very circumstances that one was thinking about. That's certainly a valid point, although I still think there is something more to it.

The sages of old treated the concept of triplicity with special meaning. We see it in the Trinity, Three Aspects of God, and so on. According to Albert Schutz in Call Adonoi, the number three represents powers that are supreme in the universe, regulating life and growth, fruition and decay, basically ruling all existence from beginning to end. The kabbalists refer to these forces as the "Three Mothers."

Seeing the triple numbers in this light, we get a glimpse of why they seemingly tap into the fundament of our thoughts and give hints about the direction those thoughts are leading us to.

Now that's something to think (pun intended) about.

Are You an Angry Bird?

In case you're unfamiliar with what Angry Birds is, it's a puzzle video game developed by Rovio Mobile for mobile devices such as the iPhone and Android-driven devices. It's one of the most successful mobile applications ever released. One of the marks of this success is the inclusion of Angry Birds in television and other advertisements.

I suppose the game developers chose to call the characters "angry birds" because of how the players are supposed to use them to demolish buildings and kill the green pigs that are the opponents in the game. Despite the fun theme, that's certainly what anger can lead to if left uncontrolled.

Within the context of this article, are you yourself an angry bird? We've all had moments of anger and depending on one's temperament and environment, it can be extremely easy or very difficult to get angry. There are many things that can trigger anger: a spoken word, an incident that evokes a bad memory, someone's face. If there are too many trigger points, then the anger can become a psychological issue.

But for most of us, we get angry, then we forget about it and move on. But energetically speaking, the "energetic scars" that caused the anger are still there and the "wound" can easily re-open if you encounter a trigger point. This is why it's not only important to deal with the anger itself, but the underlying causes. More often than not, this requires a high degree of self-honesty since you may not like what you discover about yourself.

The effects of anger are not just mental or emotional but physically detrimental as well. Increased blood pressure, heart pumping wildly, these things repeated often enough can't be good for one's health, especially if one already has pre-existing conditions.

Fortunately, while working on anger issues there are very simple ways by which one can mitigate or get one's anger under control. These are very simple methods from Master Choa Kok Sui's Pranic Psychotherapy and in fact you may have heard of them separately from other sources.

Do the following anytime you're angry or feel like you're about to explode:

1. Do deep abdominal breathing for at least a few minutes. By deep breathing that means you inhale, pause, exhale, pause, then inhale again and keep doing so until you calm down.

2. Chant a sacred word or mantra like Om or Amen. Try mentally saying the mantra at least 10 times and observe if there's any change. Combine this with deep breathing and observe the results.

3. Say a prayer or meditate on the prayer of St. Francis of Assisi everyday. The prayer goes:

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury,pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy. O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen

4. If you have the chance, do the Meditation on Twin Hearts everyday.

You may say that the above techniques are so simple. The question is, are you doing them?

The above techniques don't require any money or a huge investment in time and energy. It just needs your commitment to better yourself. There are just too many trigger issues in the world right now, so don't add to the world's problems (and your own) by getting carried away by anger. Instead, try to take a different path, the so-called straight and narrow way. It could save you a lot of hurt in the long run.

In Bo Sanchez's Facebook page, he put a nice quote:

"For every minute you are angry, you lose 60 seconds of happiness." - Anonymous

It's your choice. How are you going to spend your precious time?