Ego – What causes its illusions?

ego

By Stephen Russell-Lacy As we grow up, we become aware of our being a separate, self-contained individual.  This sense of ego can be a positive thing as with self-development of personal skills, or self-reflection on inner feelings.  The trouble is there is a risk that self-occupied thoughts can also lead us to: Seeing things from … Continue reading Ego – What causes its illusions?

Are aliens human?

Are aliens human?

By Stephen Russell-Lacy It doesn’t sound so weird these days to talk about intelligent life of aliens. Scientists have discovered not just a few but lots of potentially inhabitable planets outside the solar system. So far they have confirmed 5,506 such planets. Given the size of our galaxy, it is estimated there are 11 billion … Continue reading Are aliens human?

Self-observation and spiritual presence

Self-observation talk at Well Spring House

  By Stephen Russell-Lacy. Contents of a talk about self-observation and spiritual presence given at Well Spring House Swedenborg Open Learning Centre 1/7/23 We have a natural tendency for mindless reactivity Jumping to conclusions Travelling to the venue where I presented this talk, I indignantly watched a driver ahead of me stall in the queue … Continue reading Self-observation and spiritual presence

Reincarnation or Spirit Survival?

reincarnation

Most of us don’t want our bodily death to be the end. Perhaps this is why in recent decades, many Europeans and North Americans have developed an interest in reincarnation. Contemporary films, books, and popular songs frequently mention reincarnation. This belief gives us hope that life continues beyond the grave. Reincarnation is very different from … Continue reading Reincarnation or Spirit Survival?

Astral Plane – Real or Imagined?

astral plane

The astral plane is said to be another dimension of reality coexistent in space with our physical world. It is featured in the television show Charmed, in which it is described as a realm of “spirits and energies” and a place where time does not progress. Carl Jung practised what he called ‘active imagination’ and … Continue reading Astral Plane – Real or Imagined?

Ghost – Why believe in spirits?

ghost

These days the notion of a ghost is usually limited to the world of fiction. Tales of such apparitions have been found in every culture. The ghost hunting theme has been featured in reality television series in the West. The traditional popular image is of something wispy and translucent. Yet we tend not to actually … Continue reading Ghost – Why believe in spirits?

Aura – Why can’t I see mine?

aura

In religious art a halo around a human head depicts spirituality. This may be because it is what some people have actually seen.  In some forms of spiritual practice, an aura is thought to be a luminous field of energy extending a little distance from each living thing. Some healers say that colour in someone’s … Continue reading Aura – Why can’t I see mine?

Anxiety – Can spiritual learning help reduce it?

anxiety

Nigella Lawson is well known as a television cook who takes a relaxed and casual approach to cooking for her own pleasure.  However, it seems like most of us she is not immune from anxiety. “At some stages of your life you will deal with things and at others you are overwhelmed with misery and … Continue reading Anxiety – Can spiritual learning help reduce it?

Dream sleep — How to understand it?

dream

People have random eye movements under closed eyelids (REM) from time to time when they are asleep and if wakened at these times they report  dreaming. In this way sleep researchers found that most people dream for about a fifth of their sleeping time. A person of age seventy-five will not only have  slept twenty-five … Continue reading Dream sleep — How to understand it?

Fantasy: Dead again

For years after the death of my best friend and spiritual guide, I would dream about him being alive again. We would talk but I never got the chance or courage to ask him where he had been. So this is a fantasy extension of that dream. “The dream came back and you my best … Continue reading Fantasy: Dead again