I was able to use the "Master Cleanser" fast for a total of seven days, from the time I woke up on Monday, June 15, until I went to bed Sunday night, June 21. During that time I consumed only the lemon juice, agave, cayenne mixture (stuff) and/or water. On days 1, 2, and 6 I also used the salt water cleanse which thoroughly cleans out the colon in short order! The last time that I did the salt water there was only one trip to the commode. By the end of the seventh day, I felt that my mind/body/spirit had been sufficiently purified, and I made plans to stock up on fruit juices to transition back to eating again the next morning, Monday, June 22.
While fasting I was able to do my housework, hang out with friends, attend my classes at the School of Metaphysics, do yoga, meditate, and go to work in the emergency room for two shifts. Several times I attended meals with friends and watched them eat while I sipped at my stuff, or a glass of water. That was DAMN tough! A couple times, I wanted to dive across the table and land face first in my friends' plates... but i didn't. Some people asked, "So, you can't eat ANYTHING?!?!?", to which I replied, "I can, but I choose not to." I don't really have the words in any language to describe the looks on their faces when they heard that, but suffice it to say, it was priceless : ) Early on it was more difficult, as my stomach churned almost constantly, wanting SOMETHING, ANYTHING to digest, but that didn't last long. I had guidance from Wendy and Jack, who suggested that I just drink more of the stuff to avoid hunger. That worked like a charm. Most of the time I was not hungry at all. I did have to pee a lot more frequently, but not as often on the "number 2" without any solid food.
I'm happy to report that my fast was a success in several respects. First, I felt very in tune with my body. I was much more consciously aware of all sensations. Smells were much more fragrant, colors more vibrant, sounds more resonant -- or sometimes dissonant! Second, I felt much more calm in general. Equanimity was the buzzword for me during the fast. My meditations immediately became much more placid, with fewer random thoughts intruding or interrupting the peace. An example of this was actually quantifiable numerically by the candle meditation exercise that I do daily. While staring at a candle flame for ten minutes each day, sitting upright, feet flat on the floor, pencil in hand, I make a mark each time my attention wanders away from the candle flame, or rather, just as I direct my attention back TO the flame. Before starting the fast, I was recording marks in the mid thirties. On Tuesday morning after beginning the fast Monday, my attention only wandered fifteen times from the flame -- only HALF of the number of distracting thoughts. This trend continued throughout the week. Third, I simply felt healthier. I realized that everything that I put in my body has a direct effect on how I feel and how my body functions. As my body released waste, junk, toxins, etc, I began to realize that it's very important to choose carefully what I consume from now on. Last, but not least, I lost a few pounds, and in the process, my stomach shrunk. This will be beneficial in helping to save money and continue to lose weight as my overall health improves.
Monday morning I began easing out of the fasting state with some pure fruit juices. Holy cow... talk about sweet! I felt like I was drinking pancake syrup, after having consumed only the stuff for a week. I bought an orange mango mixture and already had a natural organic apple cider in the fridge. Both were quite yummy, but I could only take small amounts at a time. The first food that I tried out that morning was the "Tribe" brand hummus from Reasor's Grocery. I read the label actually looking for something in particular... and there it was, big as Dallas. ***SUGAR*** With a heightened sense of taste, for the first time ever, I actually noted it in the hummus. Seems it's put into most processed foods nowadays to get us to eat more of them. Well, fool me once, shame on you.... fool me twice, shame on me! I'll be making my own hummus from now on, thank you very much ; )
At lunch time that day, I gingerly experimented with solid food. I had four chilled shrimp with cocktail sauce, two small spears of asparagus, and a bite of sweet potato. The shrimp tasted OK, but I didn't really enjoy them at all. The asparagus was tasty, but overly salty. For those of you that know me, you'll realize how significant it is for ME to say something is too salty ; ) The sweet potatoes tasted like butter and sugar swirled together with orange color and a little cinnamon. By the end of the meal, I felt a little bit let down, thinking, "So, THIS is what I've been missing? Should have stayed on the fast...." It's not that the food that they serve in the doctors' lounge isn't good. It's just that after clearing out my system so well, my tongue is much more discerning! I also ate three plums, perfectly ripened, and a banana, which was a little bit on the green side. Later that evening, I had some of the left over home made lasagna that my friend Jaemie made and left for me. Now THAT tasted great! I relished every flavor in it, from the different kinds of cheese, to the texture of the pasta, to the amazing sauce and spices : )) Strong work, Jaemie!!!
I didn't exactly follow the instructions of the "Master Cleanser" book in reintegrating foods, as it recommends having only fruit juices for a whole day, then adding a few bites of fruit the next day, then salads the day after, and never EVER returning to eating toxic, dead animals EVER EVER EVER again! Well, I was ready for some food, and I ate. Furthermore, I'm not quite prepared to become a raw-foodist, vegan just yet! I also didn't use the recommended maple syrup in the mixture, instead substituting agave syrup for most of the fast. I did have enough maple on hand to make one batch of stuff, and it was tasty, but a little too sweet for me personally. The agave worked better for me. Seven days felt like enough, rather than the recommended ten in the book. As I had already been eating very healthily since late December, I felt well cleansed after that time period rather than the entire ten days that were recommended.
In conclusion, I fasted for seven days. My body felt somehow lighter, as did my mind and my spirit. My preparation for dietary intake for each two day period took only about an hour, which drastically simplified life. I lost a bit of weight. I got into closer conscious contact with myself, Source, and my everyday reality. I'm glad I did it, and I'll do it again someday when I feel the need for a physical and spiritual boost : )
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Fasting - Day 1
On Monday, June 15, I started a fast from all foods and most beverages. Fasting is a part of every major spiritual tradition and is seen as a way to get closer to Source, God, Creator, I AM. It is also a way to purify and detoxify the physical body. The only things that I will consume for ten days are plain water or a yummy concoction of lemon juice, water, agave syrup, and cayenne pepper. This beverage is a variation of that recommended in a booklet called "The Master Cleanser," which some refer to as "the lemonade diet." Last week I spoke with my friend, Joe P. who was doing the Cleanser at the time. That got me thinking that this is actually a pretty good time for me as well. Thanks for the inspiration, Joe!
I purchased a citrus fruit juicer a couple years ago, along with the agave syrup recommended by Jack G. At the time he also recommended non-irradiated cayenne. I bought plain old Wal-Mart cayenne that has likely been irradiated, and Jack said not to use it! So I went to Whole Foods in Tulsa the other day and bought the organic lemons and the NON-IRRADIATED cayenne. In the past couple years, I've planned to carry out this fast on at least two different occasions. I even purchased the lemons. Then I didn't start, and the lemons all spoiled. But this time is different. I've been doing quite a lot of work lately on building good habits and self discipline, and now I'm actually ready : )
Day 1 was the 15th of June. I got up, started my daily meditation exercises, and proceeded with the first step of the "Master Cleanser" process. This involves drinking one quart of room temp water (purified, spring, or such) with two TSP of non-iodized sea salt. Also on the recommendation of Jack, I used the Himalayan Sea Salt, which tastes quite nice and has a bit of a pink hue to it, due to the mineral content. I drank it all down without a problem, although I was quite glad to be finished after that last gulp! The purpose of the salt water step is to cleanse the colon, and all I have to say about that is, MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!
Next, I set to work preparing the lemon juice drink, which will be hereafter referred to as "the stuff." I got all of my supplies out and organized them across my kitchen cabinets in my usual anal retentive fashion. Then I rearranged them to improve efficiency. Then I arranged them all again, just for good measure! Once I had all of the supplies and tools ready, I started making the stuff. First I cut two lemons in half and juiced them. The recipe calls for two TBSP per 10 oz glass of stuff, so I decided to start with two lemons. I juiced them and measured out 10 TBSP of the lemon juice into my measuring cup along with 10 TBSP of the agave, which stirred together quite nicely into an amber colored liquid. I poured this from the measuring cup into an empty one-gallon spring water jug, which I figured would work well for shaking and storing the stuff. Next, I poured in the proper amount of water, 50 ounces, and added 1/2 TSP of cayenne. As the recipe calls for 1/10 TSP of cayenne per 10 oz glass of stuff, I decided to multiply the whole thing by 5 to make a larger batch, because who the fuck has a 1/10th TSP measuring device?!?!?!?!? Finally I shook it all up in the jug, poured my first 10 oz into the measuring cup, and poured it from there into my favorite crystal wine glass that I got from Hun (my grandmother, Lois) years ago. Voila! Tasty stuff!!! Jack was afraid that I would hate it, since he knows that I really don't care too much for sour things. But the stuff doesn't really taste sour to me at all! The agave sweetens it nicely and the cayenne gives it a nice, spicy kick! Even when I'm not fasting, I'll probably make this sometimes for beverage variety and to serve to guests.
Here's the recipe I used:
10 oz purified or spring water
2 TBSP agave syrup
2 TBSP lemon juice (FRESH SQUEEZED, ORGANIC lemons)
1/10 TSP cayenne pepper (NON-IRRADIATED)
Once again, I multiplied the whole thing by 5 for ease of preparation and storage. Had I multiplied it by 10, it would have not all fit into a one gallon jug easily. After making the first batch and measuring out all of the TBSPs of lemon juice and agave, I realized that two whole lemons juiced was basically the perfect amount for a batch, and that when I added the requisite agave syrup, it totaled a PERFECT 10 oz in the measuring cup! This will save a bunch of tedious measuring with the measuring spoon in the future. I also marked the outside of the jug with a black sharpie once I had all of the ingredients in so that next time, all I'll have to do is pour in the lemon/agave juice and then fill the rest of the way up to the line with water. This will save measuring out five cups of 10 oz each and pouring them individually into the jug.
The benefits that I expect to receive as a result of fasting are the following: First - it will purify my mind. Both the Buddha and Christ went out alone and fasted for some time and look how good they turned out!!! ; ) Second - it will purify my body, as the lemon juice and the salt water flush are purported to remove toxins from the system. Third - as my mind clears, my spirit will be more open to receive wisdom in meditation which I now practice daily. Fourth - I will more than likely lose some weight. Fifth - my stomach will shrink significantly, and when I do start eating again, smaller portions will suffice. Sixth - having purified my mind, body, and spirit, I will be ready to receive the teachings of the writing workshop that I'm attending in July.
So far so good! I'm on day 2 as I write this (Tuesday the 16th). I woke up with a slight headache, which might be a result of caffeine withdrawal or low blood sugar. Not sure which. Either way, it's not too bad. Yesterday I was somewhat hungry most of the day, but it wasn't as bad as I had anticipated. Today, I really don't feel hungry much at all... just a little bit tired and headachy. Everyone that I've talked to has said that after the third day, you really start to feel great, and that if you can just make it past that crappy first three days, you'll be fine. We shall see! Stay tuned for the next thrilling installment of "The Lemonade Fasting Chronicles!" ; )
I purchased a citrus fruit juicer a couple years ago, along with the agave syrup recommended by Jack G. At the time he also recommended non-irradiated cayenne. I bought plain old Wal-Mart cayenne that has likely been irradiated, and Jack said not to use it! So I went to Whole Foods in Tulsa the other day and bought the organic lemons and the NON-IRRADIATED cayenne. In the past couple years, I've planned to carry out this fast on at least two different occasions. I even purchased the lemons. Then I didn't start, and the lemons all spoiled. But this time is different. I've been doing quite a lot of work lately on building good habits and self discipline, and now I'm actually ready : )
Day 1 was the 15th of June. I got up, started my daily meditation exercises, and proceeded with the first step of the "Master Cleanser" process. This involves drinking one quart of room temp water (purified, spring, or such) with two TSP of non-iodized sea salt. Also on the recommendation of Jack, I used the Himalayan Sea Salt, which tastes quite nice and has a bit of a pink hue to it, due to the mineral content. I drank it all down without a problem, although I was quite glad to be finished after that last gulp! The purpose of the salt water step is to cleanse the colon, and all I have to say about that is, MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!
Next, I set to work preparing the lemon juice drink, which will be hereafter referred to as "the stuff." I got all of my supplies out and organized them across my kitchen cabinets in my usual anal retentive fashion. Then I rearranged them to improve efficiency. Then I arranged them all again, just for good measure! Once I had all of the supplies and tools ready, I started making the stuff. First I cut two lemons in half and juiced them. The recipe calls for two TBSP per 10 oz glass of stuff, so I decided to start with two lemons. I juiced them and measured out 10 TBSP of the lemon juice into my measuring cup along with 10 TBSP of the agave, which stirred together quite nicely into an amber colored liquid. I poured this from the measuring cup into an empty one-gallon spring water jug, which I figured would work well for shaking and storing the stuff. Next, I poured in the proper amount of water, 50 ounces, and added 1/2 TSP of cayenne. As the recipe calls for 1/10 TSP of cayenne per 10 oz glass of stuff, I decided to multiply the whole thing by 5 to make a larger batch, because who the fuck has a 1/10th TSP measuring device?!?!?!?!? Finally I shook it all up in the jug, poured my first 10 oz into the measuring cup, and poured it from there into my favorite crystal wine glass that I got from Hun (my grandmother, Lois) years ago. Voila! Tasty stuff!!! Jack was afraid that I would hate it, since he knows that I really don't care too much for sour things. But the stuff doesn't really taste sour to me at all! The agave sweetens it nicely and the cayenne gives it a nice, spicy kick! Even when I'm not fasting, I'll probably make this sometimes for beverage variety and to serve to guests.
Here's the recipe I used:
10 oz purified or spring water
2 TBSP agave syrup
2 TBSP lemon juice (FRESH SQUEEZED, ORGANIC lemons)
1/10 TSP cayenne pepper (NON-IRRADIATED)
Once again, I multiplied the whole thing by 5 for ease of preparation and storage. Had I multiplied it by 10, it would have not all fit into a one gallon jug easily. After making the first batch and measuring out all of the TBSPs of lemon juice and agave, I realized that two whole lemons juiced was basically the perfect amount for a batch, and that when I added the requisite agave syrup, it totaled a PERFECT 10 oz in the measuring cup! This will save a bunch of tedious measuring with the measuring spoon in the future. I also marked the outside of the jug with a black sharpie once I had all of the ingredients in so that next time, all I'll have to do is pour in the lemon/agave juice and then fill the rest of the way up to the line with water. This will save measuring out five cups of 10 oz each and pouring them individually into the jug.
The benefits that I expect to receive as a result of fasting are the following: First - it will purify my mind. Both the Buddha and Christ went out alone and fasted for some time and look how good they turned out!!! ; ) Second - it will purify my body, as the lemon juice and the salt water flush are purported to remove toxins from the system. Third - as my mind clears, my spirit will be more open to receive wisdom in meditation which I now practice daily. Fourth - I will more than likely lose some weight. Fifth - my stomach will shrink significantly, and when I do start eating again, smaller portions will suffice. Sixth - having purified my mind, body, and spirit, I will be ready to receive the teachings of the writing workshop that I'm attending in July.
So far so good! I'm on day 2 as I write this (Tuesday the 16th). I woke up with a slight headache, which might be a result of caffeine withdrawal or low blood sugar. Not sure which. Either way, it's not too bad. Yesterday I was somewhat hungry most of the day, but it wasn't as bad as I had anticipated. Today, I really don't feel hungry much at all... just a little bit tired and headachy. Everyone that I've talked to has said that after the third day, you really start to feel great, and that if you can just make it past that crappy first three days, you'll be fine. We shall see! Stay tuned for the next thrilling installment of "The Lemonade Fasting Chronicles!" ; )
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Out of the Metaphysical, Psychic, Spiritual Closet
OK, it's time to just come right out and write about all of the experiences that I've had over the past year that have convinced me of my own divinity, as well of the divinity of every other human. When I say "divinity," what I mean is that we are all part of something so large that I can't really find adequate words to describe it, but I'll attempt to capture it with something like "Universal Consciousness." I've alluded to this newfound knowledge, or recollection rather, in previous posts, and I've told a few of my closest friends about these happenings, but the time has come to write it all down. These experiences were generally surprising at the time that they occurred, and I didn't know how to process them when they happened. Gradually I've realized that * I AM * much more than just this gorgeous hunk of man flesh, or bag of cells and chemicals, or cognizant animal that you know as Eric Wayne Mix, D.O. I am consciousness that is incarnated or downloaded, if you will, into this body. Many things that I've read in the past year have helped to explain the occurrences which I am about to relate below. I've read quite a few books recently that have given me at least a partial explanation and understanding. If any of my behaviors have seemed strange lately, this will provide some background as to why I've been acting this way. Hopefully this post will make things clearer for everyone, including myself!
Not too long after I got sober in December of 2000, I began to feel like I was waking up from a long, but restless slumber. I even said to some folks, "I feel like I'm just starting to be awake for the first time!" A few months or years into my sobriety (freedom from alcoholic stupor) I started to notice synchronicities very frequently, particularly around the use of my phone. Whenever someone would call me on my cell, more and more often, I had JUST been thinking about them prior to the call. It was like I got a psychic call before I got an electronic call. It also happened the other way around, as I'd call someone who would say to me, "Oh, I was just thinking about you!" These little phone coincidences were simply a source of amusement back then. My explanation to myself at the time was that my mind was simply becoming clearer, so I NOTICED these things more often, as opposed to thinking that maybe they were OCCURRING more often.
Once I had taken my friend Gary to the airport in Corpus Christi, so he could go back to New York. I wrote my cell number on a slip of paper and gave it to him as I dropped him off. About a week later I thought, "I should call Gary and find out when he's flying back so I can pick him up." I called him right then, and when he answered he said, "Oh my GOD, you're never going to believe what just happened! I just finished putting your number into my phone, and just as I hit enter, the phone rang, and it was you!" By the time this one happened, I was starting to get used to it, and it wasn't such a surprise after all. We had quite a good laugh over it. Not only have these little "phone hits" continued, but they have gradually increased in frequency.
Another phone hit that REALLY freaked me out was not just a synchronicity, but rather an outright psychokinesis of sorts. That's about the best word I can come up with to describe what happened on a lazy day last summer. I had been playing phone tag with my friend Allycia all day long while I was flitting around Tulsa being the social butterfly that I am. I had made several other calls and had finished talking with my cousin, Machelle, after which I placed the phone into the cup holder in the console of my car and turned the screen off by pushing the top button. I left the ear phones (buds) in my ears and continued driving. After a few seconds, I heard the soft electronic buzz go silent, as it does shortly after hanging up the phone. Next the thought crossed my mind that I should try calling Allycia again. It was getting kind of late though, and I looked at the clock on the dash of the car which read 9:37. I thought, "Maybe I shouldn't call her now... It is kinda late... she's got a husband and little girl and all...." Then I heard that soft electronic hiss start up in the ear phones. This always happens right before a call comes IN, so I looked at the phone sitting in the cup holder to see who's name and/or picture would show up on the screen. Nothing on the screen, but the soft electronic hiss was still going off and on.... Tsssssst..... Tsssssssssssssst........... Tssst................... Tsssssssss..............Tsssssssssssssst...... Then came the sound of a phone ringing on the other end of the line, as if I had called OUT to someone else. I stared at the phone thinking, "Why isn't the screen on? And why does it sound like the I'm calling someone else?" I picked up the phone and continued staring at it, still hearing the outgoing ringing sound, and I thought, "What the hell?" I pushed the button on the top of the phone which activates the screen, and what I saw on the screen almost made me scream and drop the phone!!! On the screen it said, "Calling Allycia Jones." She didn't answer, but a second or two later her phone went to voicemail. I struggled to get out a few words.... something casual like, "Hey Allycia... phone tag, you're it! Talk to you later." It was all I could do not to scream, "OH MY GOD!!!! My friggin phone just called you by itself when I wasn't even touching it, but I was thinking about calling you!!!!!!!" This particular type of phone psychokinesis hasn't happened since. I don't know how it happened, but I'm absolutely certain of the fact that I wasn't touching the phone at all, other than the contact of the ear buds which were still in my ears. Nor is there any chance that I somehow hit a "redial," as I had been talking to someone else altogether before the phone called Allycia...either by itself, or with a little psychic nudge from my mind.
Not long after the psychic phone call to Allycia, I had another weird iPhone moment. This one took about 24 hours to play out though, and it involved the iPod function of the same phone and my dear friend, Jack. He and I had plans to meet one evening to have dinner with my friend Martha and then see a play afterwards. I was driving toward tulsa earlier in the day, listening to my playlist titled "Women" that has about 20 different female singers featured. As I got closer to Tulsa, I thought, "I wonder if Jack's done with his massage client? Maybe he'd wanna go to Lunch? Should I call him now? No... I'm too close to those cell towers, and the call will drop. I'll call him when I get closer to town." This was at about 11:15 am. Ten minutes later I called him, but got his voicemail and left a message. We didn't have lunch, but met later as planned and had a nice evening, after which I slept over on his couch. The next day we were running around town in my car, driving down the Broken Arrow Expressway when I asked Jack, "Do you ever get a song stuck in your head and wonder where that music is?" to which his head snapped around and he shot back, "You were listening to that Edith Piaf song yesterday morning, weren't you!?!?!?" Stunned, I replied that indeed I had been listening to it on the way to town. Jack said, "You sent that song to me!" As he was finishing up the linen changing process after his massage session the day before, carrying the towels through the kitchen to the washer, he said it was like BAM!! Suddenly someone had turned a stereo on full blast in his head with Edith Piaf wailing away in French, "Allez, venez, Milord! Vous asseoir à ma table...." Months before, I had burned Jack a copy of Edith's songs, "Milord" being at the top of the playlist. He'd listened to it a few times and then put it down and hadn't heard it for several months. On that day, as I was driving to tulsa, thinking about calling Jack, and listening to the song, "Milord," Jack suddenly heard it loud and clear in his head, but from about 15 miles away, apparently. Jack tells me this is an example of my clairaudience. Whatever it is, it feels to me like more than mere coincidence.
Backing up a bit to Spring of 2008, I had an experience which really jump started my interest in paranormal events. It was a dream (during sleep) the likes of which I have never had before or since, and It made a very strong impression on me, since it was so unusual. Throughout my entire life, in my dreams I have always been myself -- Eric Wayne Mix. Never in my dreams have I ever been any other person or creature, or in any different time frame from that in which I was living, in waking life, when the dream occurred. That's why this particular dream was so startling and unusual to me. Part of the reason it was shocking was the absolutely realistic quality. It did NOT have any of the surreality of my usual dreams, but rather was like a vivid scene in a movie in which I was starring. The whole thing lasted about 5 to 10 seconds worth of real time. In the dream, I was suddenly standing and looking down at myself thinking, "What the hell am I doing wearing this women's robe?" I had ahold of the left front edge of it and looked down the front and outside, noticing the gorgeous burgundy color and intricate pattern woven into the silk fabric. The edge that I was holding was a cream colored, quilted, tubular border. As I pulled the left side of it open, I noticed that the inside was equally beautiful gold silk, also with a beautifully woven pattern. There were small loops of cord about two inches each in the inside of the left side of the robe. Upon seeing them I thought, "That must be how to fasten it...I think it's called hook and eye, or something like that... but I don't know how to do that." At this point I looked up and saw a window directly in front of me about eight to ten feet away with bright mid-day sun shining through it. The bottom of the window sill was about three feet above the ground, and the overall height of the window was about three to four feet with the top of the window shaped into an arch. There was no glass in the window. It was just open to the air. I realized looking at the window that the wall into which the window was built was 1.5 to 2 feet thick and made of stone. Then I realized there were several people standing all around me. I didn't look at any of them directly, but I could tell that they were there in the periphery surrounding me. I felt very disoriented and nervous, knowing that they were waiting on me to do something. I thought, "They're waiting on me to fasten this, but I don't know how....OH YEAH....They're supposed to do this for me!" It was like I'd suddenly remembered the key variable in a complicated algebra equation in a moment of EUREKA! So, I held out my arms and waited for them to come to me and finish fastening my robe for me, as this was how things were supposed to be done. Then I woke up.
The experience of this dream really threw me for a loop, but I did have a slight inkling of what had happened. I had heard two of my close friends speak of remembering their past lives. I thought, "Could this be a past life experience?" Rather than a remembered experience, it felt more like * I * (my consciousness) had suddenly ended up in the body of a woman in the midst of an ordinary daily event in medieval life. I spent about 5 to 10 seconds there, then fell back into my body in the current time frame right as I woke up mid morning on a sunny late spring day, 2008, in my country home outside of Hulbert, Oklahoma. Whether it was a past life remembrance or a projection of my consciousness into another space/time/physical reality, it was most assuredly not an ordinary dream at all.
These experiences along with many others have convinced me of one thing -- I AM more than a physical body. The day to day physical reality that I experience with the five senses via this body is but a part of the dynamic, flowing, interconnected wonder of the universe. I KNOW that there is so much more just under the surface, waiting to be discovered. Rather than constructing a several-hundred-billion Euro particle accelerator to unlock the mysteries of the universe, I think I'll continue to hone my skills of concentration, attention, and meditation, thereby discovering who and what I AM. Having caught only the slightest of fleeting glimpses of that beneath the surface of reality with the experiences related above, I no longer have fear of anything on this physical planet. This body will decay but the I AM inside of it will not. I know not what lies in store for me after my journey in a human body on this planet, but I know that something else will continue on, even if it is just some of my heat and electromagnetic energy here on earth. At worst, death of this body will be the great, deep sleep from which I don't awaken. At best, my consciousness will continue into another incarnation of physical reality somewhere else in the universe, or it will join into the universal superconsciousness. Now I'm at peace with whatever may happen.
Namaste,
Eric : )
Not too long after I got sober in December of 2000, I began to feel like I was waking up from a long, but restless slumber. I even said to some folks, "I feel like I'm just starting to be awake for the first time!" A few months or years into my sobriety (freedom from alcoholic stupor) I started to notice synchronicities very frequently, particularly around the use of my phone. Whenever someone would call me on my cell, more and more often, I had JUST been thinking about them prior to the call. It was like I got a psychic call before I got an electronic call. It also happened the other way around, as I'd call someone who would say to me, "Oh, I was just thinking about you!" These little phone coincidences were simply a source of amusement back then. My explanation to myself at the time was that my mind was simply becoming clearer, so I NOTICED these things more often, as opposed to thinking that maybe they were OCCURRING more often.
Once I had taken my friend Gary to the airport in Corpus Christi, so he could go back to New York. I wrote my cell number on a slip of paper and gave it to him as I dropped him off. About a week later I thought, "I should call Gary and find out when he's flying back so I can pick him up." I called him right then, and when he answered he said, "Oh my GOD, you're never going to believe what just happened! I just finished putting your number into my phone, and just as I hit enter, the phone rang, and it was you!" By the time this one happened, I was starting to get used to it, and it wasn't such a surprise after all. We had quite a good laugh over it. Not only have these little "phone hits" continued, but they have gradually increased in frequency.
Another phone hit that REALLY freaked me out was not just a synchronicity, but rather an outright psychokinesis of sorts. That's about the best word I can come up with to describe what happened on a lazy day last summer. I had been playing phone tag with my friend Allycia all day long while I was flitting around Tulsa being the social butterfly that I am. I had made several other calls and had finished talking with my cousin, Machelle, after which I placed the phone into the cup holder in the console of my car and turned the screen off by pushing the top button. I left the ear phones (buds) in my ears and continued driving. After a few seconds, I heard the soft electronic buzz go silent, as it does shortly after hanging up the phone. Next the thought crossed my mind that I should try calling Allycia again. It was getting kind of late though, and I looked at the clock on the dash of the car which read 9:37. I thought, "Maybe I shouldn't call her now... It is kinda late... she's got a husband and little girl and all...." Then I heard that soft electronic hiss start up in the ear phones. This always happens right before a call comes IN, so I looked at the phone sitting in the cup holder to see who's name and/or picture would show up on the screen. Nothing on the screen, but the soft electronic hiss was still going off and on.... Tsssssst..... Tsssssssssssssst........... Tssst................... Tsssssssss..............Tsssssssssssssst...... Then came the sound of a phone ringing on the other end of the line, as if I had called OUT to someone else. I stared at the phone thinking, "Why isn't the screen on? And why does it sound like the I'm calling someone else?" I picked up the phone and continued staring at it, still hearing the outgoing ringing sound, and I thought, "What the hell?" I pushed the button on the top of the phone which activates the screen, and what I saw on the screen almost made me scream and drop the phone!!! On the screen it said, "Calling Allycia Jones." She didn't answer, but a second or two later her phone went to voicemail. I struggled to get out a few words.... something casual like, "Hey Allycia... phone tag, you're it! Talk to you later." It was all I could do not to scream, "OH MY GOD!!!! My friggin phone just called you by itself when I wasn't even touching it, but I was thinking about calling you!!!!!!!" This particular type of phone psychokinesis hasn't happened since. I don't know how it happened, but I'm absolutely certain of the fact that I wasn't touching the phone at all, other than the contact of the ear buds which were still in my ears. Nor is there any chance that I somehow hit a "redial," as I had been talking to someone else altogether before the phone called Allycia...either by itself, or with a little psychic nudge from my mind.
Not long after the psychic phone call to Allycia, I had another weird iPhone moment. This one took about 24 hours to play out though, and it involved the iPod function of the same phone and my dear friend, Jack. He and I had plans to meet one evening to have dinner with my friend Martha and then see a play afterwards. I was driving toward tulsa earlier in the day, listening to my playlist titled "Women" that has about 20 different female singers featured. As I got closer to Tulsa, I thought, "I wonder if Jack's done with his massage client? Maybe he'd wanna go to Lunch? Should I call him now? No... I'm too close to those cell towers, and the call will drop. I'll call him when I get closer to town." This was at about 11:15 am. Ten minutes later I called him, but got his voicemail and left a message. We didn't have lunch, but met later as planned and had a nice evening, after which I slept over on his couch. The next day we were running around town in my car, driving down the Broken Arrow Expressway when I asked Jack, "Do you ever get a song stuck in your head and wonder where that music is?" to which his head snapped around and he shot back, "You were listening to that Edith Piaf song yesterday morning, weren't you!?!?!?" Stunned, I replied that indeed I had been listening to it on the way to town. Jack said, "You sent that song to me!" As he was finishing up the linen changing process after his massage session the day before, carrying the towels through the kitchen to the washer, he said it was like BAM!! Suddenly someone had turned a stereo on full blast in his head with Edith Piaf wailing away in French, "Allez, venez, Milord! Vous asseoir à ma table...." Months before, I had burned Jack a copy of Edith's songs, "Milord" being at the top of the playlist. He'd listened to it a few times and then put it down and hadn't heard it for several months. On that day, as I was driving to tulsa, thinking about calling Jack, and listening to the song, "Milord," Jack suddenly heard it loud and clear in his head, but from about 15 miles away, apparently. Jack tells me this is an example of my clairaudience. Whatever it is, it feels to me like more than mere coincidence.
Backing up a bit to Spring of 2008, I had an experience which really jump started my interest in paranormal events. It was a dream (during sleep) the likes of which I have never had before or since, and It made a very strong impression on me, since it was so unusual. Throughout my entire life, in my dreams I have always been myself -- Eric Wayne Mix. Never in my dreams have I ever been any other person or creature, or in any different time frame from that in which I was living, in waking life, when the dream occurred. That's why this particular dream was so startling and unusual to me. Part of the reason it was shocking was the absolutely realistic quality. It did NOT have any of the surreality of my usual dreams, but rather was like a vivid scene in a movie in which I was starring. The whole thing lasted about 5 to 10 seconds worth of real time. In the dream, I was suddenly standing and looking down at myself thinking, "What the hell am I doing wearing this women's robe?" I had ahold of the left front edge of it and looked down the front and outside, noticing the gorgeous burgundy color and intricate pattern woven into the silk fabric. The edge that I was holding was a cream colored, quilted, tubular border. As I pulled the left side of it open, I noticed that the inside was equally beautiful gold silk, also with a beautifully woven pattern. There were small loops of cord about two inches each in the inside of the left side of the robe. Upon seeing them I thought, "That must be how to fasten it...I think it's called hook and eye, or something like that... but I don't know how to do that." At this point I looked up and saw a window directly in front of me about eight to ten feet away with bright mid-day sun shining through it. The bottom of the window sill was about three feet above the ground, and the overall height of the window was about three to four feet with the top of the window shaped into an arch. There was no glass in the window. It was just open to the air. I realized looking at the window that the wall into which the window was built was 1.5 to 2 feet thick and made of stone. Then I realized there were several people standing all around me. I didn't look at any of them directly, but I could tell that they were there in the periphery surrounding me. I felt very disoriented and nervous, knowing that they were waiting on me to do something. I thought, "They're waiting on me to fasten this, but I don't know how....OH YEAH....They're supposed to do this for me!" It was like I'd suddenly remembered the key variable in a complicated algebra equation in a moment of EUREKA! So, I held out my arms and waited for them to come to me and finish fastening my robe for me, as this was how things were supposed to be done. Then I woke up.
The experience of this dream really threw me for a loop, but I did have a slight inkling of what had happened. I had heard two of my close friends speak of remembering their past lives. I thought, "Could this be a past life experience?" Rather than a remembered experience, it felt more like * I * (my consciousness) had suddenly ended up in the body of a woman in the midst of an ordinary daily event in medieval life. I spent about 5 to 10 seconds there, then fell back into my body in the current time frame right as I woke up mid morning on a sunny late spring day, 2008, in my country home outside of Hulbert, Oklahoma. Whether it was a past life remembrance or a projection of my consciousness into another space/time/physical reality, it was most assuredly not an ordinary dream at all.
These experiences along with many others have convinced me of one thing -- I AM more than a physical body. The day to day physical reality that I experience with the five senses via this body is but a part of the dynamic, flowing, interconnected wonder of the universe. I KNOW that there is so much more just under the surface, waiting to be discovered. Rather than constructing a several-hundred-billion Euro particle accelerator to unlock the mysteries of the universe, I think I'll continue to hone my skills of concentration, attention, and meditation, thereby discovering who and what I AM. Having caught only the slightest of fleeting glimpses of that beneath the surface of reality with the experiences related above, I no longer have fear of anything on this physical planet. This body will decay but the I AM inside of it will not. I know not what lies in store for me after my journey in a human body on this planet, but I know that something else will continue on, even if it is just some of my heat and electromagnetic energy here on earth. At worst, death of this body will be the great, deep sleep from which I don't awaken. At best, my consciousness will continue into another incarnation of physical reality somewhere else in the universe, or it will join into the universal superconsciousness. Now I'm at peace with whatever may happen.
Namaste,
Eric : )
Friday, June 5, 2009
Rimpoche
Last night I was fortunate enough to be able to hear Khen Rinpoche Lobzang Tsetan speak in Tulsa at Congregation Fellowship Church. Rinpoche is an honorific title in the Tibetan language which means, "precious one." This particular Rinpoche is the Abbot of the Tibetan Buddhist Monastery in India which is the main monastery of the Dali Lama. As far as Tibetan Buddhism goes, this lovely fellow is one of the most exhalted of spiritual leaders living today. The teachings that he transmits have been handed down over hundreds of years from Lama to Lama in an unbroken lineage and are as close as one can get to the original pure form of Tibetan Buddhism. What a privilege it was to hear him speak!
Rinpoche is an elderly gentleman who bears a STRIKING resemblance to my own late grandfather, Wayne Mix. He speaks English with heavy Tibetan accent, which I was able to understand by sitting on the front row and listening very intently. Dressed in red and golden robes, he walked up to the stage, beaming like Miss America the entire time! He removed his shoes before going up on stage, but kept his fluffy red socks on, walked to the lounge chair in the middle of the stage, and curled up in it cross-legged. Next, he opened up his brown, cloth bag and took out a shiny, gold lamay, spiral-bound notebook, and a bright, golden, cloth-wrapped something-or-other. After arranging everything on the table before him, he put on the microphone and proceded to greet us with a bow and an invocation prayer in Tibetan. Finally, he unwrapped the mysterious gold cloth covered package. Inside was a book, bound in what appeared to me to be green leather. From the front row (yes, I'm a TOTALLY nerdy, front row student) I could see the writing on the pages and recognized it to be Tibetan. The book was longer and narrower than a typical western book, and when he opened it up to read from it, I noted that the spine was lying horiontally, rather than virtically. He flipped the pages up and down instead of side to side.
Rimpoche began by reviewing what he had already covered in two previous lessons, which I was could not attend. Then he began the body of his discussion for the evening. His taught his lesson with eloquence, humility, joy, humor, and an absolute sense of conviction born of decades of personal experience of walking the path of Tibetan Buddhism. Although he taught much more than I can write in this blog, I would like to relate two of his key concepts. First, there are no things outside of us that cause suffering. There is only the EGO within us which causes the suffering in reaction to events. Second, EVERY time that we experience a negative emotion, we should say a quick prayer of thanks, because it is through experiencing these little burrs under our saddles that we are reminded to get back on the spiritual path, the point of which is to end suffering! Some consider the end of suffering to be enlightenment... in case you were wondering ; )
For Rimpoche and every PRACTICING Buddhist with whom I've ever been acquainted, these teachings are not simply something to be heard and believed with blind, unquestioning faith. Rather, everything taught in Buddhism is meant to be practiced, lived, experienced and KNOWN! Rimpoche's talk for me was a beautiful reminder of teachings which I had once studied and, for a time, practiced quite regularly. Somehow, over the course of the past few years, I've gotten sidetracked from the study and practice of Buddhist teachings and meditations; however, much of these principles have stayed with me and have become a part of my character, makeup, and way of relating to the world. I've been fortunate to be able to pursue many avenues of spiritual growth and development. The conclusion I've reached is that if I'm not moving forward, I'm sliding backward. The more effort I put in, the more peace and serenity I receive. The more I give, the more I get in return. I guess in conclusion, what I really mean to say is, "IT WORKS IF YOU WORK IT, ERIC!"
Rinpoche is an elderly gentleman who bears a STRIKING resemblance to my own late grandfather, Wayne Mix. He speaks English with heavy Tibetan accent, which I was able to understand by sitting on the front row and listening very intently. Dressed in red and golden robes, he walked up to the stage, beaming like Miss America the entire time! He removed his shoes before going up on stage, but kept his fluffy red socks on, walked to the lounge chair in the middle of the stage, and curled up in it cross-legged. Next, he opened up his brown, cloth bag and took out a shiny, gold lamay, spiral-bound notebook, and a bright, golden, cloth-wrapped something-or-other. After arranging everything on the table before him, he put on the microphone and proceded to greet us with a bow and an invocation prayer in Tibetan. Finally, he unwrapped the mysterious gold cloth covered package. Inside was a book, bound in what appeared to me to be green leather. From the front row (yes, I'm a TOTALLY nerdy, front row student) I could see the writing on the pages and recognized it to be Tibetan. The book was longer and narrower than a typical western book, and when he opened it up to read from it, I noted that the spine was lying horiontally, rather than virtically. He flipped the pages up and down instead of side to side.
Rimpoche began by reviewing what he had already covered in two previous lessons, which I was could not attend. Then he began the body of his discussion for the evening. His taught his lesson with eloquence, humility, joy, humor, and an absolute sense of conviction born of decades of personal experience of walking the path of Tibetan Buddhism. Although he taught much more than I can write in this blog, I would like to relate two of his key concepts. First, there are no things outside of us that cause suffering. There is only the EGO within us which causes the suffering in reaction to events. Second, EVERY time that we experience a negative emotion, we should say a quick prayer of thanks, because it is through experiencing these little burrs under our saddles that we are reminded to get back on the spiritual path, the point of which is to end suffering! Some consider the end of suffering to be enlightenment... in case you were wondering ; )
For Rimpoche and every PRACTICING Buddhist with whom I've ever been acquainted, these teachings are not simply something to be heard and believed with blind, unquestioning faith. Rather, everything taught in Buddhism is meant to be practiced, lived, experienced and KNOWN! Rimpoche's talk for me was a beautiful reminder of teachings which I had once studied and, for a time, practiced quite regularly. Somehow, over the course of the past few years, I've gotten sidetracked from the study and practice of Buddhist teachings and meditations; however, much of these principles have stayed with me and have become a part of my character, makeup, and way of relating to the world. I've been fortunate to be able to pursue many avenues of spiritual growth and development. The conclusion I've reached is that if I'm not moving forward, I'm sliding backward. The more effort I put in, the more peace and serenity I receive. The more I give, the more I get in return. I guess in conclusion, what I really mean to say is, "IT WORKS IF YOU WORK IT, ERIC!"
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