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| Photo by Mark de Jong on Unsplash |
About This Episode:
I usually share my autism podcast, Autistic POV, to my Substack blog, instead of here—but this episode seemed perfect for the Mystic Review so I embedded it below.
It's funny, I always thought of my interest all things metaphysical as something that was only tangentially related to my autism diagnosis. Then, just recently, my perspective changed.
That is what the podcast is about mostly. I also talk about psychic ability and parapsychology (and this blog). I am going to be doing episodes on these topics so I will cross-post them here, for those of you who are interested.
Please note, that the idea that autistic people (especially nonverbal autistics) are unusually telepathic is controversial. To the best of my knowledge, it is yet to be adequately researched and, to be honest, I'm not sure it will ever be. I say more about why I think that in the podcast.
To me, the premise that individuals with autism my be unusually sensitive to psychic energies, just like they're sensitive to tons of other things, is worth exploring.
Additionally, and not incidentally, the lived experience of autistic individuals should be honored instead of marginalized. Personally, I find the Telepathy Tapes compelling and am always skeptical of the skeptics just on principle.
Please have a listen and let me know what you think!
Resources Mentioned in the Show:
- Autism and the God Connection by William Stillman
- The Telepathy Tapes Podcast (https://thetelepathytapes.com/)
- The Rhine Institute (https://www.rhineonline.org/what-is-parapsychology)
- Dr. Diane Hennacy/Powell (https://drdianehennacy.com/telepathy/)
- Psychology Today article on the Telepathy Tapes by Jeff Tarant PhD (https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/choosing-your-meditation-style/202503/science-skepticism-and-the-telepathy-tapes)
- Dr. Hennacy/Powell's Response to Jonathan Jarry (https://thetelepathytapes.com/dr-powell-defense)
- Sharing Our Autism Story (https://www.autisticpov.com/e/sharing-our-autistic-story-ep-6/)
My autism podcast, Autistic POV, is available on most popular podcast apps. There is also a show page at AutisticPOV.com. For anyone who wants to listen here—there is now a player in the Home Page sidebar!
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You can check out Writing On The Spectrum at barbaragraver.substack.com. I share fiction and nonfiction book excerpts, the autism podcast and most new Mystic Review posts to that site. Substack is fun and has a growing autism community and some great writers, which I love, but the Mystic Review remains my first love <3
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| Photo by Wyron A on Unsplash |
Why Study Psi?
Parapsychologists use the Greek letter psi to represent what many of us think of as psychic abilities. The three main categories studies are psychic phenomena (telepathy, precognition, clairvoyance), psychokinesis or PK (the ability to move or influence the physical world through our mental processes) and what is called survival research.
Survival research focuses on survival after death. This includes apparitions of the departed, near death experience (NDE) and reincarnation research. While some skeptics refuse to see it, there is strong evidence both inside and outside the lab that psi phenomena is real.
Parapsychologists take the position that psi is a human ability. Questions such as why psi occurs and how it can be applied are important and can only be answered through research.
It’s possible that psi abilities are growing stronger in the population or possibly diminishing and this is important information as well.
It's known (through evidence based studies) that belief in psi increases psi abilities (or at least the ability to demonstrate psi). If continued research into psi helps convince people that psi is real, it's very possible that psi abilities/phenomena will increase as a result.
Some Everyday Psi Application
I personally believe that ESP (especially telepathy and possibly some forms of PK) can be a valuable life skill. Unfortunately, in our society too many people are taught to doubt or discount their abilities. Being able to sense when something is off or read a potentially dangerous individual, for example, can save someone’s life. I think this is especially true for women and people who live or work in dangerous areas or professions.
I personally feel that I have avoided dangerous situations and at least one accident because of psi. I hope that someday people will be encouraged to make use of psi abilities instead of ignore them.
Another helpful use of psi is in business or various professions where hunches can lead to unexpected success. There are many other uses, obviously, but these are some of the most common and often taken for granted. It's worth noting that some parapsychologists believe that we use psi all the time and just aren't consciously aware of it.
I believe this is true for a lot of people.
I have always had some awareness of psi. Since childhood I've had experiences of feeling what other people felt to the point that it was like sensing an almost palpable field. At other times I've found that I was able to guess things well above chance which has saved me on more than a few tests.
I've also had the experience of tuning in on what people really mean in a conversation so clearly that it felt as if there were a surface conversation and a subtext or what I used to think of as the conversation beneath the conversation.
I've also had other occasional more evidential psi experiences.
Psi and Belief
I have never been a hardcore skeptic because I always wanted the paranormal to be "real" but I was skeptical in the sense that I wanted evidence. Sometimes the evidence I received was pretty compelling (things I couldn't have known otherwise, signs, etc.). At the time, I felt these experiences validated my beliefs.
Now as I learn more about parapsychology I'm seeing that there could be other explanations (ex. signs could be PK or revealed information could be precognition). This is something I'm still processing, to be honest. I would still like to think that some of my experiences were supernatural but it is interesting to consider what it might mean if they're not.
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If you're interested in learning more about psi, paranormal investigation or other aspects of parapsychology, I strongly recommend the Rhine Education Center!
by Edgar Cayce is an A.R.E. publication which presents the Cayce readings on Atlantis, in their entirety. While not written by Cayce directly it is a direct transcription of his words, as recorded by his stenographer, Gladys Davis, and edited by John Van Auken.I was initially reluctant to order this 160 page volume because I thought it might not have enough info to justify the cost. I needn't have worried. There is no fluff in the Cayce material and, while this volume isn't especially lengthy, it delivers a wealth of highly specific information.
The book begins with readings performed for Cayce's own spiritual study group on the topic of Atlantis and progresses through a series of life reading performed for Cayce clients who had experienced past lives in Atlantis.
The past life readings are complete readings and contain content related to Atlantean and non-Atlantean incarnations. I found it interesting to trace the development of the the individual through various incarnations. A person less interested in doing this however can find the Atlantean information toward the end of the reincarnation material in almost every instance.
The Atlantis Readings proper (done for the Cayce study group) are almost entirely focused on the topic of Atlantis. The contain specific information about the long history of Atlantis, including its origin, religion, politics, culture, religion and eventual demise. The readings are surprisingly detailed, as well as comprehensive, making Atlantis a fascinating resource for anyone with an interest in this fascinating subject.
From the text:
"In this temple, we find these of large or semi-circular columns of onyx, topaz, and inlaid with beryl, amethyst, and stones that made the variations in catching the rays of the sun... In this the sacred fires burned..."
About My Grandmother
My paternal grandmother was a widow before I was born. And while I didn't realize it when I was a child, I don't think she had a lot of extra money. I guess that's why instead of visiting often or even calling on the phone she sent me things. Like letters and clippings and eventually a binder.
The binder came with only a couple pages but then she started sending me more pages to fill it. And so several times a year I'd receive a package of 2 or 3 or 4 photo album pages filled with brightly colored pictures.
Those pictures weren't anything special by ordinary standards. Most were simply cut from magazines and carefully arranged under the plastic film that covered each page in the album. But somehow those pages impressed me so much that I still remember the pictures. A pile of leaves raked up by group of kids. A little dog in a bright red coat. A school bus in the rain.
My grandmother came to visit us once or twice a year and when she did she slept in the spare room next to mine. And I remember how one Christmas Eve we sat together on the bed in that room while she told me the story of the nativity. I will never forget the chills that ran up and down my spine when she told me the story of nativity.
And I have long thought that the presence that was there with us in the room that night was angelic in nature.
My Grandmother's Gift
The next day, on Christmas, my grandmother gave me a little white Bible. I don't remember getting it and I suspect it didn't impress me as much as the other presents I received. But I did read it - off and on, all through my childhood.
I would like to say that I kept reading that Bible or that it was one of my prized possessions but that would not be accurate. What is accurate is that my life veered off the rails and I returned to the Bible my grandmother had infrequently. and that it spent most of the years between now and then in a succession of dresser drawers and boxes.
And yet, somehow, out of the things that mattered more and all things that have come and gone, that little Bible is one of the few things I've hung on to.
In 2012 I moved into a new (old) house. I was still deeply involved in New Age spirituality. But when I was unpacking I decided to put the Bible my grandmother gave me into my china cabinet alongside my tarot cards and crystals.
And, in 2017, when I began to make my way back to the Faith those things went the way of other mistakes, great and small, and the little white Bible stayed.
And there were in the same country shepherds watching, and keeping the night watches over their flock. And behold an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the brightness of God shone round about them; and they feared with a great fear. And the angel said to them: Fear not; for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy... - St. Luke 2:8-10
Why I Left
I prayed a lot that week and on Saturday, the 22nd of May, 2017, I prayed more.
The next day I went to the flea market as I did most Sundays. I had forgotten to stop at the ATM on the way and had only eight dollars with me, which was much less than I usually brought. But I didn't really care. It was raining - a slow steady kind of rain that promised to continue all day - and I didn't expect there would be many vendors or much of anything to buy.
When we pulled into the parking lot I saw that I was right about the vendors. The large open area that was usually full of tables and tents was practically empty. The few sellers who had set up were spread out and the gravel lot was full of puddles. But we decided to put on our slickers and see what we could find.
One of the first things I spotted was a chalkware Blessed Mother. For some reason I couldn't really explain, I'd been wanting one of those big old Mary statues for some time. Over the course of the last two summers I'd kept an eye out. But all those I'd seen were chipped or expensive or both.
The one in front of me that day was almost two feet tall and had no significant damage. So I was surprised when the woman on the other side of the table said it was mine for five dollars. It wasn't really my style but I liked the blue of Mary's cloak and the graceful curve of her neck. I bought it without any negotiation at all.
A little further on, I saw a cold cast bronze St. Brigid's cross that had been made in Ireland. I asked the vendor the price and he said a quarter. And then, when I couldn't find any change, he refused my dollar and insisted I take the cross for free. I was happy that I was able to tell the a bit about St. Brigid and what she had done so long ago in Ireland. And I started to get a good feeling about the day.
The next thing I saw was a bright silver crucifix shining through the rain, When I got close I could see that it had a glass holy water font and a place on either side of the cross for candles. I thought that the seller would probably want at least ten dollars for such a nice item, but she didn't. She wanted three. So I got the crucifix too.
On the long damp ride home, I realized that I had bought three Christian items on an unlikely day and for a surprisingly good price. But what struck me most was that I had bought all three of them for the exact to the penny amount of money that I had with me.
So I considered it sign. And decided that I should give Christianity another shot.
I started with a church tour of several local churches. Afterwards I picked an evangelical church that was not a good fit and then a Pentecostal church I liked better. I didn't spend any real time thinking about the Catholic church I had visited in the early days of the church tour or the fact that each of the items I bought that day at the fleas market were Catholic in origin.
Until, almost three years later, just after my return from Israel.
It began with car problems. Getting to the new Protestant church I had joined was impossible. Finally, after several weeks, it occurred to me that there were two churches within a short walk of my house and that one was actually just a block and a half away.
So I walked down the street and went to Mass for the first time in what seemed like forever. And the next week I went back and I just kept on going.
As the weeks passed, I thought about the spiritual journey I'd made and the enormous circle that has brought me back to a place that is, and always was, just around the corner.
The items I bought that day at the flea market are gone and I know that there is some kind of lesson in that. And while I'm still not sure just what that is, I think that it might be that God doesn't want me to be the kind of Catholic I used to be. Or the kind of person I used to be.
I think that maybe he wants me to be something new.
Why I Returned to the Blog (2024 Update)
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| My rainy day flea market Mary |
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| Another flea market Mary that I have kind of sadly given away |
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| St. John's (our town's "Irish" church) complete with spires |
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| A beautiful picture taking on a truly perfect day. Even if I didn't see it then. Next time I will. |
So, because I wanted to be ready, it made sense to me to wake up today, at 4 AM, and make coffee and open up my journal. Not the new journal, I'd bought in honor of the new year, mind you. But the old the journal I'd begun in Fall of 2016 because in that journal there were 24 empty pages remaining.
I like science and don't spend nearly enough time thinking about it. It surprises me that so much of it is metaphysical in the popular sense of the word. Here are a few very basic facts on the frequency of color:
- Frequency refers to the number of times light passes a given point which can be thought of as vibration. Colors with long wavelengths have a low frequency. Colors with short wavelengths have a higher frequency.
- Red has the longest wavelength and lowest frequency of any color in the visible human spectrum. It has a low vibration or frequency and less energy than other light. Red represents earth and courage and the life-force. It is associated with the root chakra.
- Redder than red refers to a red whose wavelength is too long for us to see. Infrared light exists beyond the color we perceive as red.
- Violet has the shortest wavelength which translates into a very high frequency. This color contains the shortest waves we can see. It also contains the most energy. Ultra-violet is a very high vibration violet not visible to the naked eye.
- Color exists which has a higher frequency than violet. It is invisible to humans and known as bluer than blue. It interests me that blue corresponds to wisdom, spirituality and communication. Blue is significant to me personally, as is red so that made the outside the human spectrum stuff interesting to me. For more on my personal dream experience with color symbolism please see the following entry: The Spirit Dream
- There are many other wavelengths in the electromagnetic spectrum that which aren't visible to humans. The chart above illustrates this fact as well as all others mentioned.
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| The Necromanteion of Ephyra |
This is where Odysseus found himself after he was instructed to "make a journey of a very different kind, and find your way to the Halls of Hades." His experience at Ephyra included the sacrifice of a ram and ewe (providing the medium of blood) and visions of a multitude of spirits including his own deceased mother.
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| John Dee's Obsidian Mirror |
I am in the last weeks of the Practical Astral Projection Intensive offered by famed astral projectionist and author of Astral Dynamics: The Complete Book of Out-of-Body Experiences Robert Bruce.
I'm currently taking a fascinating course on Astral Projection (Astral Projection Practical Intensive) and wanted to share a bit on my progress. We are currently in Session 3 and, while I have not projected as of yet, I do feel I'm progressing.
My current challenge is that I'm going very deep in trance with the meditations and losing my awareness at times - though I don't really feel like I'm falling asleep. Yesterday I lost awareness and then became aware of being around people - which made me feel that I was dreaming. In the dream, I was yelling "I want to fly" over and over. :) I did used to fly in dreams but haven't done so for some time. Seems I might have missed it.
I feel very alert when I come back from these episodes of lost awareness (or checking / clicking out), not sleepy at all. What worried me was the memory loss. I was concerned that I might be missing actual OBE activity or rather failing to remember it. Robert believes we all astral project in dreams (for more on Robert's teachings please check out his interview on this topic here Astral Projection with Robert Bruce - affiliate link) and that the real challenge is to remember it.
- Increasing my slight discomfort level by using a hard backed chair against the wall with a small pillow to support my neck (and small footstool if needed).
- Restarting the CD if I do check / click out and repeating the meditation.
- Getting adequate sleep.
- Continuing my practice daily.
I'm planning to begin Robert Bruce's 90 day program Mastering Astral Projection next week. In order to do this, I've decided to create the space Robert talks about in the book.
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