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USA Town Name Brain Teaser

Posted On 08/23/2012 09:25:40

GEOGRAPHY QUIZ -- Match List #1 with List #2

LIST #1

1) Black Hammer, Blue Earth, Rollingstone, Fertile, Climax

2) Washington, Madison, Lincoln, Waterproof, New Roads

3) Tahlequah, Wapanucka, Waukomis, Chickasha, Choctaw

4) Independence, Pittsburg, Auburn, Duluth, Moscow

5) Independence, Pittsburg, Auburn, London New Haven

6) Independence, Pittsburg, Auburn, London, Newark

7) Independence, Pittsburg, Aurora, Laddonia, New Haven

8) Wauwatosa, Waupaca, Wausaukee, Manitowoc, Mukwonago

9) Paradise, Power, Superior, Wisdom, Plentywood

10) Parachute, Rifle, Sunbeam, El Jebel, Virginia Dale

11) Cleveland, Savannah, Paris, Portland, Springfield

12) Des Moines, Sacramento, Pie Town, Loving, High Rolls

13) Nevada, California, Louisiana, Oregon, Mexico

14) Twin Peaks, Weed Patch, Pumpkin Center, Nice, Cool

15) Congress, Superior, Sunrise, Blue, Skull Valley

16) Albatross, Citation, Whirlaway, Cardigan Bay, Rock Sand

17) Jerusalem, Palestine, Ozone, Ink, Oil Trough

18) Madison, Portland, Lincoln, Camden, Belfast

19) Athens, Reno, Paris, Atlanta, Detroit

20) Athens, Reno, Rome, Belfast, Dublin

LIST #2

A) Towns in Kansas

B) Towns in California

C) Towns in California

D) Towns in Kentucky

E) Towns in Colorado

F) Towns in Oklahoma

G) Towns in Wisconsin

H) Towns in Missouri

I) Towns in Missouri

J) Towns in Louisiana

K) Towns in Montana

L) Towns in Arkansas

M) Towns in New Mexico

N) Towns in Arizona

O) Towns in Texas

P) Towns in Minnesota

Q) Towns in Tennessee

R) Towns in Georgia

S) Towns in Maine

T) Famous Race Horses

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ANSWERS: 1-P, 2-J, 3-F, 4-A, 5-D, 6-B, 7-I, 8-G, 9-K, 10-E, 11-Q, 12-M, 13-H, 14-C, 15-N, 16-T, 17-L, 18-S, 19-O, 20-R

SCORES:

20 -- Highly unlikely

17-19 -- Get a life

11-16 -- Well travelled

6-10 -- Not bad

1-5 -- Bad guesser

Zero -- Highly unlikely

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Quote for the Day -- "I hate small towns because once you've seen the cannon in the park there's nothing else to do." Lenny Bruce

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Seven Keys to a Vibrant Life

Posted On 08/07/2012 08:32:41

Michael Beckwith is a leader in the "New Thought" movement. In 1986, he founded the Agape International Spiritual Center for those who practice "New Thought -- Ancient Wisdom." He has made appearances on Larry King Live and The Oprah Winfrey Show, participated with the Dalai Lama in a feature-length documentary and is the author of many books.

In his book titled SPIRITUAL LIBERATION, Beckwith devotes a chapter to his seven keys for individuals to experience a positive life, meant to purify the Body, Mind and Spirit.

1) HYDRATION -- Drink plenty of pure water. It's essential to hydrate the physical body, which is also based on the spiritual principle of accessing inner wisdom in order to quench the soul's thirst.

"We are not here to be of no earthly good or to deny the delight of human experiences. Life in its juiciness, its passion, is beautiful." Michael Beckwith

2) NUTRITION -- Eat foods that "have been touched sunlight" and "carry the light of the natural world" to nourish the body. Nourishment of the Spirit is provided by such influences as your friendships, books, movies, conversations, etc. -- these influences imprint your consciousness and become the manner in which you express yourself.

"Our karma can only determine a starting point, but it can never determine our destiny. Our destiny is determined by our attitude and character, which are constantly being formed through our moment-by-moment choices." Michael Beckwith

3) EXERCISE -- Physical exercise is necessary to assimilate what you eat and drink in order to maintain a proper level of vitality. Inner exercise is necessary to obtain and maintain the capacity required to be able to practice your beliefs.

"If you merely collect spiritual information without practicing it, all you will develop is a case of spiritual indigestion and constipation." Michael Beckwith

4) DETOXIFICATION -- Fasting releases toxins from the body, including the digestive system and organs of elimination. If your body permits, it is wise to fast one day per week (drink more liquids, eat less solids). Cleansing is also necessary on the spiritual plane (forgiveness, love) to purify the heart and soul.

"Forgiveness is often what the heart is waiting for in order to release the past and be in the now." Michael Beckwith

5) POSITIVE THOUGHTS -- Negative thoughts create toxins in the immune systems. Positive thoughts are tonics to physical and mental well-being.

"Our incarnation is safe and secure, regardless of outer appearances. Only the ego is insecure." Michael Beckwith

6) SUNLIGHT -- Our bodies are an illusionary mass of electromagnetic energy. Daily exposure to sunlight (at least 20 minutes) absorbs the healing rays of the sun and produces certain vitamins and chemicals within the body. Meditation (and similar practices) internalizes the "light of the soul" allowing us to realize we are luminous beings beyond the frequency of solid matter.

"Everything that is alive requires energetic life force in order to exist." Michael Beckwith

7) REST -- Resting is a form of action permitting the body and mind to regenerate. Being in a state of no-thought calms the nervous system.

"Evolved people understand that there's a celebration going on throughout this great Universe and that a cosmic celebration can be localized within you when you realize that life is not a problem to be solved but a magnificent mystery to be lived." Michael Beckwith

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Quote for the Day -- "Your incarnation is your canvas." Michael Beckwith

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White Buffalo Birth of 2012

Posted On 07/29/2012 07:02:25

The Lakota Sioux are a nation of Native Americans who roamed the northern plains in and around the Black Hills of South Dakota. They have a prophecy known as the White Buffalo Calf Woman.

According to the prophecy, two warriors were out hunting buffalo, approximately 2,000 years ago, when they spotted a white buffalo calf. As they approached the calf, it turned into a beautiful young Indian girl.

One of the warriors had bad thoughts in his mind. The Indian girl told him to step forward whereupon a black cloud came over his body. When the black cloud disappeared, the warrior with bad thought had no more flesh or blood on his bones.

The other warrior kneeled and prayed. The Indian girl told him to tell his people that she would bring them a sacred bundle in four days. So the warrior went back to his people and told the elders. Then all the Lakota people gathered in a circle and the warrior told them what the Indian girl had instructed him to say.

On the fourth day, a cloud came down from the sky and off stepped a white buffalo calf. As it reached the earth, it stood up and became a beautiful young woman, carrying a sacred bundle. The woman spent four days among the Lakota people, teaching them the seven sacred ceremonies.

1) The purification ceremony of the sweat lodge

2) The child naming ceremony

3) The healing ceremony

4) The making of relatives or adoption ceremony

5) The marriage ceremony

6) The vision quest

7) The sun dance ceremony

As long as the Lakota people performed these ceremonies, they would remain caretakers of the land. Then the beautiful woman left, the same way as she arrived, vowing to someday return for the sacred bundle. The sacred bundle, known as the White Buffalo Calf Pipe, has been passed down from generation to generation of Lakota and is kept in a sacred place on an Indian reservation in South Dakota.

The White Buffalo Calf Woman also made several prophecies upon her departure. One of these prophecies was that the birth of a white buffalo would be a sign that it would be near the time of her return. And upon her return, she would purify the world, bringing harmony, balance and spirituality back to the earth, and all the races of man would live in peace.

A white buffalo calf is projected to be a one in 10 million occurrence. These are about the same odds as finding the lost Ark of the Covenant in a dumpster in Black Duck, Minnesota.

In August of 1994, a white buffalo was born in Janesville, Wisconsin. Although this event excited many Native American at the time, this particular buffalo was actually born red and later turned white.

On May 22, 2004, a white buffalo calf came into this world at the Spirit Mountain Ranch near Flagstaff, Arizona.

On May 31, 2008, a white buffalo calf was born in Jamestown, North Dakota.

On July 4, 2012, a white buffalo was born in Minnesota, but perished a few days later.

On Saturday, July 28, 2012, hundreds of Native Americans gathered at a farm in Goshen, Connecticut, where the birth of another white buffalo recently took place, and held a sacred ceremony.

Perhaps, Peace on Earth is finally on the horizon.

However, Peace on Earth is a hard nut to crack these days. Too many people are determined to force their way of life onto others, through coercion and violence. Ultimately, those who live by the sword, die by the sword. Unfortunately, it creates a bloody mess for the rest of us caught in the middle.

You canâ€™t change the world -- you can only change yourself. Peace on earth starts with patience and grace, and treating others the way you want to be treated.

For the Lakota people, peace on earth starts with a white buffalo.

Mitaku oyasin -- We are all related (Lakota proverb).

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Quote for the Day -- â€œThere can never be peace between nations until there is first known that true peace which is within the souls of men." Black Elk (Holy Man of the Oglala Lakota Sioux, 1863-1950)

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Bret Burquest is the author of 9 books, including THE REALITY OF THE ILLUSION OF REALITY and 11:11 EARTH TIME. He lives in the Ozark Mountains with a dog named Buddy Lee and occasionally talks to trees.

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Sonyah the Shechinah

Posted On 06/21/2012 10:28:26

In 1982, I began to have a series of nightly precognitive dreams and daily awakened visions after being prompted by a series of 11:11 incidents on digital clocks.

This changed my life from a full-time employee (computer programmer) to a part-time computer-programmer contractor and part-time adventurer (gold prospector) and part-time explorer of the mysteries of life and beyond.

In the early 1990s, I wrote four novels. It was the last thing on my Bucket List.

My first three novels took place in Topanga, California, central Arizona and central Montana, respectively. I had lived in two of those places and have a strong familiarity (past lives, plus several visits) with the third. I've been everywhere west of the Mississippi River except Oregon and Washington.

But when I wrote my fourth novel (THE ELEVENTH SAGE), I chose to use western Oregon as the location. The story could have taken place anywhere, but for some strange reason (strong intuitive feeling) I decided this was where it must take place.

The area in the novel is west (and somewhat north) of Eugene, Oregon, near the ocean.

The bulk of the story takes place at a "sanctuary, retreat" in the wilderness in a (fictional) place called Grotto Mountain not far from the Pacific Ocean, at a latitude slightly north of Eugene.

The main character in the novel sustains a head injury and subsequently finds himself in a sanctuary at the base of Grotto Mountain where he goes through a series of levels of life-altering lessons in various metaphysical disciplines such as the true meaning of dreaming, reincarnation, altered states of consciousness, parallel dimensions, invisible allies and so forth.

After the main character advances through the levels of teaching, he is compelled to find an entrance into a cave area within Grotto Mountain where he encounters what appears to be the face of a lion on the cave wall, where he then makes his specific mark as the First Sage, and exits the opposite side of the mountain to encounter a mysterious woman who lives in the wilderness and shares her mystical knowledge with him.

Later in the story, after the main character has recovered from his head injury (journey into another world) he stumbles upon the real sanctuary, just as in his "hallucination" of the sanctuary, whereupon he again goes through the same levels of metaphysical advancement and once again finds himself within the cave area of Grotto Mountain. This time there are 10 other marks around the face of the lion on the cave wall, including the original mark he had placed there in his "hallucination" state. Thus, he places his mark once again -- to become the Eleventh Sage.

My four novels were published in 2000-2001.

In 2001 - 2007, I wrote a weekly newspaper column.

In April of 2007, a friend suggested I should put my columns on Myspace.

In July of 2007, I created a Myspace site and began posting my columns. Along the way, I began to pick up a few column readers and people asking to be a Myspace friend..

In October of 2007, a woman who was a concert pianist requested to be my friend. Upon examining her Myspace website, my eyes were drawn to a person who looked like a Nordic Goddess named "Sonyah Gustav Student and the Guru" who posted a comment on the pianist's site, which included some references to the 11:11 phenomenon.

Thus, on 11/07/07 (interesting date), I wrote a message to Sonyah, curious about her thoughts on 11:11, which was the beginning of a cyber friendship between the two of us. Sonyah was extremely intelligent, her list of reading material was very impressive. She seemed to have a thorough knowledge of many ancient historical events and myths.

Over the course of time, I learned that Sonyah lived in Oregon, west and north of Eugene, in the same exact vicinity where my novel, THE ELEVENTH SAGE takes place.

She also believed she was a special soul. This is one of the early message I received from her (as she wrote it).

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I am a doe, a deer, a female dear, the Shechinah that went into exile with my people. I am King and Queen of the Tribe Naphtali, through birth and physically anointing by my father, which in turn makes me the high priestess of the order of doves, meaning the Magdalene, just as my grandmothers before me, of which also married David, and Solomon.

I have the blessing of King for right now, because I have had no one worthy to pass that anointing to.

Queens are not made by clergy, but by birth. Kings are made by the anointing of Princess, or Queen. Those appointed by clergy in the spiritual realm are illegal.

I appreciate your attempts to understand. What it boils down to, Magdalen is not a name, it is a title, of a specific family line, that of Naphtali. I am the Magdalen of this 21st century, of which is also the vessel of the spirit of Isis. (Osirus still has yet to be pieced together.)

Another reference to ash, I am the awaited red heifer of prophecy.

There is much to be told, to be revealed, clarified, mapped out, and understood, but I do not have the talents of a writer to make it sewn. I wish I did. All I know are the details. I need scribes, this I do know.

My full name means: Kosher, preserved, picked by el, gust av son, good staff, pure, consecrated to the service of YHWH, 2 in 1, Son Yah, to beget the eternal wisdom. My name describes my true character and ambitions.

Did that answer anything, or make more questions? You want to be my scribe? :o)

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Sonyah believed she was the "current" Magdalene, as in Mary Magdalene. Not in reincarnation, but rather in manifestation. To her it was a title, given by a king. And her mission in this life was to bring peace on earth.

The following is another message she sent me (as she wrote it), about when she gave birth to a child in a cave.

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February 27th, ThorsDay at sunset, 1997.

On my journey to the cave, I took with me a blue bird, two miniature goats, one was purchased for $25, and black, the other free and white, and a green eyed wolf, of which I had rejected three times, and again came back to me, all of which were to be set free.

The entire journey there was made with eyes closed.

There was a freak snow storm, of which provoked the radio dj to say, "the land is clothed in the purest of white, pure as the driven snow.

When I had gone to enter the womb of the earth, my eyes had opened for the first time on the journey, and on the rock four inches in front of my face, was a 3 inch scorpian with an out stretched tail. I had never seen one in such a position in my life.

The wolf is the mascot of the tribe of Benjamin, and represents the Alter. In this episode, it killed both the goats, of which where signs given me at crucial moments below.

In the bare nakedness, as in my innocent beginnings, I entered the womb of the earth.

I crawled about the space of a football field, on my hands and knees, in the pitch black, with nothing on but my skin and determination to sustain me, not knowing when, or if there would be a return, not sure in the least what to expect: crawling over crystal shardes that had dripped from the ceiling over the millenia, the sharp near glass like texture pressing against my flesh, testing my resolve as I crawl through the blackness, trying to avoid the many deep dark pits, sporatically spread throughout the cavern, ready to meet what ever destiny had instore, even if head on, in the deep pitch black of a pit, sure to have a bottom, but without guarante to be found.

I was prepared to fall in, to never be heard from again, for at least that would give me my answer that I was wrong, and full of crap, and could finish this endless nagging spiritual persuit to the answers of everything I was ever to find, to somehow complete a mission that I new began before the earth ever was, to acomplish what I did not yet know, and if I did not finish, I would not be able to live with myself, for not giving my all when I got the impressions to act.

In the pitch blackness, darker then any night above the earth, the only symblym of impressions that broke the stillness of the absolute pitch black, was the head of a lion, proturuding from the earthen wall, very fine in majestic detail.

It was the only thing percieveable, it was plain as could be, not bright, but like the faintest of shadow, in the greatest of detail.

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Yes, indeed. Sonyah was in a cave and the only thing she saw was the head of a lion on the cave wall. This totally blew my mind. I then sent her my novel about Grotto Mountain with a cave that included the head of a lion on the cave wall.

Sonyah was a bit "impressed" when she read the book, but not surprised. I had the feeling very little in the way of coincidence or synchronicity would surprise her. However, the last page of the novel did indeed impress her -- she actually found it to be profound. It was a rare occasion when I could impress her instead of the other way around.

In my book, the main character eventually becomes the main Guru of the sanctuary in western Oregon. Sonyah told me about her plans to build a sanctuary in western Oregon where she would be the main Guru.

By the way, Grotto Mountain is simply a fictitious name I came up with. In subsequent research, I learned that Mary Magdalene supposedly lived out her life in a "grotto" in France -- another profound synchronicity with Sonyah and THE ELEVENTH SAGE.

I talked to Sonyah on the phone on one occasion when she had a pronounced southern accent, like she was in a Tennessee Williams play. When I asked her why the accent, she told me she was the Oracle of the Southern Cross and had just been in a state of mind where she was had been communicating with the divine spirit of the Southern Cross and it always puts her in a southern mood.

She also told me once that she had been in contact with Native American tribal elders and they proclaimed her to be the "red heifer" in Indian prophecy.

She believed she was of the Holy Grail bloodline of David & Solomon and had been manifested to bring balance upon the earth.

My relationship with this marvelous magical mystery tour went on for several years. She was a muscular 6' 2," wore size 12 shoes and weighed about 200 pounds (after dropping some 200 pounds through special dieting). She was quite striking with long flaming-red hair, prompting me to call her "Red Sonyah."

She believed she was an Amazon (in spirit) but that Amazon women were totally misunderstood. She also claimed to be Nephilim.

So many more stories to tell about her.

It broke my heart to learn she died in January of 2011 -- an accident in a creek or river near her new home, which happened to be south of Salem, Oregon, on Fairview Highway.

Coincidently, I live a few miles south of Salem, Arkansas, at the end of Fairview Road -- synchronicities with Sonyah never seem to end.

In all likelihood, Sonyah would have been classified as schizophrenic or bipolar by today's psychologists and psychiatrists. But to me she was the real deal. She believed everything she said and I tended to keep an open mind, wondering if it could all actually be true after all.

Sonyah was indeed a special soul -- her presence had a profound affect on my life and I will miss her.

Rest in Peace, dear friend.

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Quote for the Day -- "I am truly grateful for each and every human being that desires a better day to live in, and works to make that happen." SonYah Gustav

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Bret Burquest is the author of 9 books, including THE REALITY OF THE ILLUSION OF REALITY, ORB OF WOUNDED SOULS and PATH TO FOURTH DENSITY (available on Amazon). He lives in the Ozark Mountains with a dog named Buddy Lee and the ghost of Red Sonyah.

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The Waking Sleep

Posted On 06/16/2012 11:05:51

George Ivanovich Gurdiieff (1866 - 1949) was a spiritual philosopher whose discipline is called The Fourth Way. He believed the majority of humanity live their lives in a "waking sleep" -- a state of hypnotic trance that requires an awakening of consciousness to achieve full human potential and to discover the purpose in your life

"Awakening is possible only for those who seek it and want it, for those who are ready to struggle with themselves and work on themselves for a very long time and very persistently in order to obtain it." G.I. Gurdjieff

Gurdjieff was born in Armenia, part of the Russian Empire. His father was Greek and his mother was Armenian. He later claimed he was born at the stroke of midnight, at the beginning of New Year's Day.

He grew up in Turkey, was trained as a priest and a physician, and traveled to many parts of the world, such as Egypt, Rome, Constantinople, central Asia, the Middle East. During his travels, he came upon a map of "pre-sand" Egypt, which led him to study the teachings of an esoteric Sufi-related brotherhood based in Asia called the Sarmoung Brotherhood.

On New Year's Day in 1912, Gurdjieff arrived in Moscow. He soon began to attract students with his esoteric teachings of the Fourth Way. Later the same year he married a Polish woman in St. Petersburg.

During the Bolshevik revolution, starting in 1917, Gurdjieff set up temporary training fellowships on the Black Sea coast of southern Russia, where he had many students of his teachings.

In 1919, Gurdjieff established the Institute for the Harmonious Development of Man.

In 1921-22, he traveled through western Europe, including London and Berlin, lecturing about his work. Once again, he established another Institute for the Harmonious Development of Man, this time south of Paris near the famous Chateau de Fontainebleau.

In 1924, Gurdjieff had a near fatal auto accident while driving alone from Paris to Fontainebleau. During his long painful recovery he began writing ALL AND EVERYTHING.

He continued teaching throughout World War II and died in 1949.

Gurdjieff believed the existing forms of spiritual teachings had lost their original meaning. They were too narrowly focused which failed to fully integrate the individual.

He believed there were three dimensions to a human beings -- emotions, physical body and the mind. His process, called the Fourth Way, was intended to produce a proper balance of these three dimensions.

"I will tell you one thing that will make you rich for life. There are two struggles -- an Inner-world struggle and an Outer-world struggle... You must make an intentional contact between these two worlds -- then you can crystallize data for the Third World, the World of the Soul." G.I. Gurdjieff

Gurdjieff's teachings stressed humanity's place in the universe and that extensive conscious efforts were required to attain higher levels of consciousness. He made use of ancient texts, including the Bible, as examples of psychological methodology rather than the "religious" meanings commonly given them.

He stressed conscience, which varies from culture to culture. He taught people how to focus their energy and thereby minimize mind chatter or mind wandering. He also believed group efforts surpassed individual efforts in the training -- it keeps the student more aware and alert during the sessions.

"Without self knowledge, without understanding the working and functions of his machine, man cannot govern himself and will always remain a slave." G.I. Gurdjieff

Gurdjieff gave new life to the ancient teachings of Plato and Socrates -- self-observation, self-discipline. His teachings have had a strong influence on many people, including Robert Anton Wilson, Timothy Leary, Frank Lloyd Wright, Aldous Huxley, George Bernard Shaw, Carlos Castaneda, Alan Watts, P.D. Ouspensky, Aleister Crowley, Jane Heap, many others.

Many Gurdjieff Foundations and Societies can be found throughout the world, helping people discover the true meaning of their being, where their completeness is commensurate with their understanding.

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Quote for the Day -- "There is a cosmic law which says that every satisfaction must be paid with a dissatisfaction." G.I. Gurdjieff

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Bret Burquest is the author of 8 books, including THE REALITY OF THE ILLUSION OF REALITY, ORB OF WOUNDED SOULS and PATH TO FOURTH DENSITY (available on Amazon). He lives in the Ozark Mountains with a dog named Buddy Lee and where the Road to Bliss is always under construction.

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Journey to Infinity

Posted On 06/08/2012 06:28:12

In the early 1980s, I began a series of incidences involving 11:11 on digital clocks, coinciding with a series of remarkable precognitive dreams.

For example, I would dream about an unknown person and at 11:11 AM two days later I would meet this person for the first time, whereupon I would soon discover that I knew a great deal about the person that I couldn't possibly have any logical way of knowing.

A zillion more examples -- always noticing 11:11 on digital clocks and having amazing dreams about future events that came true.

These events changed my life. I was in my late 30s, working as a computer programmer and general manager of a computer software company in Los Angeles. During the course of these life-altering "supernatural" incidents, I quit my job and became an independent contractor, cutting back on my hours, and began exploring metaphysical phenomena.

I read every book I could find on various subjects such as dreaming, mental telepathy, remote viewing, psychic healing, parallel dimensions, altered states of consciousness, past-life regression, future-life regression, reincarnation, higher astral planes of existence, sojourn of the soul, etc., etc.

One of the earliest set of books I read, and re-read many times, were written by Carlos Castaneda.

Castaneda was born on December 25, 1925 in Peru. He moved to the USA in the 1950s and earned his PhD at UCLA. He was an anthropologist and writer who wrote 12 books that detail (in the first person) his training to become a shaman.

Castaneda's books are focused on becoming a warrior, not in the sense of combative fighting, but rather as a seeker of wisdom and a higher level of existence of freedom within a world of the unknown (to eventually become known through the journey) and the unknowable (beyond human capacity to comprehend).

"Only as a warrior can one withstand the path of knowledge. A warrior cannot complain or regret. His life is an endless challenge, and challenges cannot possibly be good or bad. Challenges are simply challenges." Carlos Castaneda

The journey of a warrior is a journey of self-discovery and self-perfection. It is an end within in itself, directing internal energy at hyper-dimensional forces controlling the planet rather than indulging in self-importance.

"What weakens us is feeling offended by the deeds and misdeeds of our fellow man. Our self-importance requires that we spend most of our lives offended by someone." Carlos Castaneda

The warrior's goal is a life well lived. He lives in the world but is not of the world. His quest is not to conquer for gain or power or glory -- it is to conquer oneself through understanding and humility, to become impeccable.

"What we call reality is only one way of seeing the world, a way that is supported by social consensus." Carlos Castaneda

A list of Carlos Castaneda books in my personal collection:

THE TEACHINGS OF DON JUAN (1968)

A SEPARATE REALITY (1971)

JOURNEY TO IXTLAN (1972)

TALES OF POWER (1974)

THE SECOND RING OF POWER (1977)

THE EAGLE'S GIFT (1981)

THE FIRE WITHIN (1984)

THE POWER OF SILENCE: FURTHER LESSONS FROM DON JUAN (1987)

THE ART OF DREAMING (1993)

Castaneda worked for seven years on his first book, THE TEACHINGS OF DON JUAN, which was published in 1968.

In 1973, he purchased a large house in Westwood, near the UCLA campus, where he continued to write books.

He shared the house with three devoted women whom he called "the Witches," who broke off relationships with the outside world and changed their names -- Regina Thal became Florinda Donner-Grau, Maryann Simko became Taisha Abelar and Kathleen Pohlman became Carol Tiggs.

Carlos Castaneda died in April of 1998.

Two of the Witches, Donner-Grau and Abelar, disappeared the day after Castaneda's death. Amalia Marquez and Kylie Lundahl, associates involved in Castaneda's workshops, also disappeared the same day.

Theories of group suicide of the four disappearances abound, following their beloved Carlos Castaneda into Infinity.

A few weeks later, Patricia Partin, Castaneda's adopted daughter, also disappeared. Soon thereafter, Partin's automobile was found abandoned in Death Valley (Panamint Dunes area), where Castaneda's ashes may have been scattered.

Partin's remains were discovered in 2003, near where the car had been abandoned, and identified in 2006 through DNA analysis.

Critics of the Castaneda books have suggested they are simply works of fiction and Don Juan was simply a figment of imagination. However, the authenticity is irrelevant -- the brilliance of the teachings overshadows the author's methodology.

Some people call Carlos Castaneda the Godfather of New Age. Whatever he was, he had a profound affect on my introduction into the Reality of the Illusion of Reality.

To obtain wisdom, one must be curious.

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Quote for the Day -- "The aim is to balance the terror of being alive to the wonder of being alive." Carlos Castaneda

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We Are Not Alone

Posted On 05/21/2012 05:42:37

On December 21, 1968, the Apollo 8 mission was the first manned lunar orbit. The mission completed 10 lunar orbits in 20 hours. The three astronauts were the first humans to view the far side of the moon. In a transmission back to Earth, Astronaut Lovell reported, "Please be informed that there is a Santa Claus." The term "Santa Claus" was the code name for an alien presence.

Apollo 11 astronauts landed on the moon on July 21, 1969. Neil Armstrong stepped out onto the surface and declared, "One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." Supposedly, he was the first man on the moon.

When the Apollo 12 crew landed on the moon, they noted they were "being observed" by a transparent pyramidal object, shimmering with all the colors of a rainbow, hovering several meters above the lunar surface. Upon returning to Earth, astronaut Edgar Mitchell declared, "My neck still aches as I had to constantly turn my head around, because we felt we were not alone there. We had no choice but to pray."

On March, 21, 1996, several NASA engineers and scientists participated in a briefing at the Washington National Press Club to announce for the first time that "man-made" objects were discovered on the moon. Photos taken by astronauts during the Apollo program were revealed at the briefing, showing portions of the lunar surface where "a presence" was apparent.

When asked why this material had not been revealed earlier, a NASA specialist explained, "It was difficult to forecast the reaction of people to information that some creatures had been or still are on the moon. In addition, there were some other reasons to it, which were beyond the control of NASA."

No kidding.

The lunar photos revealed various constructions, the ruins of cities, huge domes with basements, networks of tunnels and so forth.

Scientists remain curious about the origin of the moon and the principles of its revolving around Planet Earth.

In July of 2009, an Exopolitics Summit was held in Barcelona, Spain, which presented evidence of an extraterrestrial presence through the testimony of many intelligence and military experts. One of the participants was Robert Dean, a retired U.S. Army Command Sergeant Major who was an intelligence analyst for NATO, with a Cosmic Top Secret Clearance, the highest clearance at the time.

Dean had access to a document titled AN ASSESSMENT, which was a thorough investigation of the UFO phenomena within Europe for the period of 1961 to 1964. According to the document, with absolute certainty, Planet Earth has been visited by members of at least four extraterrestrial civilizations for thousands of years.

The Truth will set you free -- but first it will curl your toenails.

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Quote for the Day -- "On the return trip home, gazing through 240,000 miles of space toward the stars and the planet from which I had come, I suddenly experienced the universe as intelligent, loving, harmonious." Astronaut Edgar Mitchell

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Bret Burquest is the author of 8 books, including THE REALITY OF THE ILLUSION OF REALITY, ORB OF WOUNDED SOULS and PATH TO FOURTH DENSITY (available on Amazon). He lives in the Ozark Mountains with a dog named Buddy Lee and the memory of former U.S. Army Air Force flight instructor Weston K. Burquest (May 21, 1919 -- Dec 8, 2011).

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The Military Industrial Complex

Posted On 05/17/2012 09:02:44

Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Army General who engineered the D-Day invasion of Europe during World War II, was President of the United States in 1952 to 1960. This was during a period of tension between nations called the Cold War. The USA and the USSR were two great powers locked in a standoff of paranoia and an arms race.

In his presidential farewell address to the nation in January, 1961, Eisenhower stated, "In the counsels of Government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the Military Industrial Complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists, and will persist. We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals so that security and liberty may prosper together."

Thus, the term "military industrial complex" became part of the American lexicon.

The "military industrial complex" refers to the U.S. armed forces and various components that support a strong military presence. In essence, it's a combination of the Pentagon (military procurers), corporate military contractors, the intelligence community, and their respective supporters in the U.S. Congress.

Eisenhower sounded a warning many decades ago that has basically been ignored -- the U.S. government now spends more on the military than all the rest of the countries of the world combined.

In fiscal 2012, the U.S. expenditure on Defense items (including Department of Defense, Veterans affairs, military pensions, homeland security, interest on debt incurred in past wars, etc.) is approximately $1.5 trillion -- which seems miniscule compared to the nearly $16 trillion (and rising) in National Debt.

Obviously, the USA is on a path of economic doom -- spending far more than it can afford, continually borrowing against the future, with no end in sight.

In order to exacerbate global conflict, thereby ensuring continued growth of the Military-Industrial Complex, the intelligence wing of the military industrial complex (CIA, NSA, etc.) has initiated plenty of action since 1960, including places like Vietnam, Cambodia, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Syria, Bosnia, Somalia, Korea, Serbia, Cuba, Chile, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Panama, Granada, Dominican Republic, Haiti, and so on.

There may have been valid reasons for most of these encounters, but often we have made matters worse by propping up evil dictators, such as Noriega in Panama, Pol Pot in Cambodia, Saddam Hussein in Iraq, and others.

Eisenhower was right. There exists a potential for unwarranted influences and the misuse of power. The military industrial complex thrives on global conflict. It feeds itself on U.S. tax dollars and contributes mightily to politicians who support it. There's too much at stake for too many people to curb its desire for profitability.

There's a fine line between being righteous defenders of global justice and belligerent warmongers. To much of the rest of the world, the USA is viewed as a domineering self-appointed police force, creating enormous global resentment.

Our country stands for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. We shed blood all over the globe to ensure freedom. But we spend well beyond a reasonable defense of our nation on a military industrial complex that has an insatiable appetite for funding and a continual need for armed confrontations in order to survive.

The world is a dangerous place. We must protect ourselves, but we also need to use some common sense.

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Quote for the Day -- "A people that values its privileges above its principles soon loses both." Dwight D. Eisenhower

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