subtle world

This is defined as a world or realm composed of matter which though not visible to physical eyes is nevertheless everywhere present and which interpenetrates the physical matter the senses of the physical body observe and experience. The particles of substance of this realm exist everywhere in free form and possess a variety of characteristics and properties akin to chemical elements of the physical world. These subtle particles are capable of joining together to form coherent and stable objects as well as life forms having distinct components and functions. A certain amount of this subtle substance also makes up the astral or subtle body humans experience dreams in and resides in the same volume as the human body while an individual is awake. The existence of a subtle world composed of a more subtle state or gradation of matter is posited as a fundamental premise of this website. In addition, there is no evidence to suggest this degree of matter ends at the upper limit of the earth's atmosphere. So another basic premise we posit is that it extends into space indefinitely in all directions continuously and with no breaks.

Heightened Senses (or) Seeing is Believing

Submitted by Michael C. Willis on Tue, 06/02/2020 - 07:17

I have a dream experience I would like to share. It has to do with heightened senses while in the Subtle World.

I was in a place where almost everything around me was white and brightly lit. I was in the midst of what I now believe to be a kind of classroom situation, although I do not recall seeing any other pupils or anything even remotely resembling a classroom around me.

The reason I believe it was a teaching situation is that I was being shown various plants with insects climbing around on them. I can remember that the plants were very, very green. This made it somewhat difficult to see the insects - also green - crawling around on them. The insects were being pointed out to me by someone, although I cannot remember who this person is. What I do recall is this: when I concentrated on seeing the insects, they appeared to me as if they were under a magnifying glass or even a microscope. I could zoom in and out with my own sense of sight (without using any sort of apparatus), and I really got a good look at one of the bugs.

The funny thing is, when I figured out how to do this, I saw that the insects were not insects at all, but tiny robots engineered to look and act like insects. I could see the tiny mechanisms in the legs, wings, and even the eyes. I somehow even knew how they worked, but I cannot explain why. I am not a robotics engineer and would have no idea how to even begin to build something as astonishing as those little creatures.

Has anyone else ever experienced anything like this, where one (or more) of your senses were heightened while dreaming? I can't imagine I'm the only one, and it leads me to wonder about how the senses work in the Subtle World.

Glossary Terms:

subtle world

What Dreams May Come - Life After Death

Name of Review Item:

What Dreams May Come

Media Type:

Movie

Author/Creator:

Director:Vincent Ward; Writers: Richard Matheson (novel), Ronald Bass (screenplay)

Publisher and Copyright Date:

1998

Name of Reviewer:

Edgar Reyes

Date of Review:

11/21/2019

Stars:

Url:

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120889/

This is a really monumental movie dressed up as entertainment. In subject matter, it scales the Earth, heaven and hell, the heights of human love, the depths of depression, and our lives while alive on earth and after.

Life after death can be heaven or hell depending on the thought habits one cultivates while alive on Earth. Positive or negative; strong or weak, optimistic or pessimistic, kind or angry, full of love or full of bitterness. The main character (Robin Williams) loved art and beauty while alive and consequently his heaven was like living inside of his favorite painting.

He dies in a car crash and is met by an old friend (Cuba Gooding Jr.) almost immediately thereafter who becomes his spirit guide. His guide gently leads him to understand and accept that he has died, yet still exists and is just as conscious as he was while "alive". Part of the spirit guide's initial teaching is that this new environment in which the main character finds himself is thought responsive; and that consequently his thoughts create reality. This is a fundamental premise we students of the subtle world know is true.

I first watched this movie 15 years ago, before I knew anything about the subtle world other than that I had very vivid and interesting dreams. At that time it was one of my favorite movies because of how artful and beautiful it was (it won an Academy Award for Visual Effects) and how genuine and sincere it depicted family relationships. Now I'm blown away by how much the content of this movie aligns with all the things I've learned about life, death, and the Subtle World over the last few years.

Glossary Terms:

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The Link Between Sleep and Death - OBE's, NDE's, and Sleep Paralysis

Name of Review Item:

Out-of-body Experiences May Be Caused By Arousal System Disturbances In Brain

Media Type:

Paper

Author/Creator:

University of Kentucky

Publisher and Copyright Date:

Neurology Journal, March 6, 2007

Name of Reviewer:

Michael C. Willis

Date of Review:

09/20/2019

Stars:

Url:

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070305202657.htm

This scientific study contducted by the University of Kentucky examines a link between out-of-body experiences (OBE's), the sleep-wake transition, and near-death experiences (NDE's). A group of 55 people who had had near-death experiences were asked if they had ever had an OBE in their lifetime prior to the NDE. The researchers found that those who answered yes to this question were found to be more likely to experience something similar during the near-death experience.

For context and convenience, here are links to the definitions of terms used often in this article:

out-of-body experience (OBE)

near-death experience (NDE)

subtle world

The study also maintains that some people have brains that are chemically predisposed to out-of-body experiences. One of the doctors who led the study, Dr. Kevin Nelson, said that it was the brain's "arousal system" which regulates the spectrum of states of consciousness between REM to wakefulness that "may be the cause for these types of out-of-body displays". And it is this "arousal system" that the team of researchers suspect may have something to do with a person's predisposition to having OBE's during death and sleep-waking transitions. (This article was written in 2007, and since then, science has more accurately answered the question of what the brain's "arousal system" is. For many years it was thought that the system was comprised of several parts of the brain that worked togheter, but it was unknown which parts or how they accomplished this. According to a separate study published in June of 2018, scientists have been able to manipulate neurons located in the thalamus of rodents by a process called optogenetics in order to induce sleep and to wake them up. See https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/322118.php)

Statistically, the study found that people are just as likely to have an OBE during the transition between sleep and wakefulness as they are during near-death experiences.

To add to the mystery, Dr Nelson also says, "The strong association of sleep paralysis with out-of-body experiences in the near death experience subject is curious and unexplained."

Now, to anyone who has experienced sleep paralysis (or researched it) knows that sleep paralysis can be a very scary thing! While I myself have not experienced it, I have read enough to understand why it can be such a harrowing thing. Sleep paralysis is when, during the transition between sleep and waking (or vice-versa), a person finds that although they are aware and conscious of their surroundings, they cannot speak or move their physical body. When this occurs, many people report that although it can be disconcerting to not be able to move or speak, the condition usually passes within a few seconds. At the same time, many people report strange and often frightening experiences during these episodes, including the feeling of electricity shooting through their bodies, or being able to see or sense that other people or entities are in the same room. And many times these 'others' are not exactly friendly or kind...

What I would like to do now is to take the scientific conclusions of the study and talk about them from my perspective, keeping the knowledge of the subtle world and subtle bodies in mind. My purpose is not to negate the science - on the contrary, I would like to show how science is knocking on the door of the subtle world and encourage its continued advance toward this realization.

"For in that sleep of death what dreams may come,

When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,
Must give us pause."

--Shakespeare

From antiquity to the present, sleep has always been likened to death. Anyone who has kept vigil at a dying person's bedside can attest to the similarity between watching someone fall asleep and watching someone pass on. I myself have seen a dear family member pass on after a stay in hospice. The way the body relaxes slightly at the moment of death is very similar to when someone falls asleep. The physical body's inertness during both sleep and death...it is a universal human experience that these two states are very much alike to an observing eye.

To me, with the understanding of the subtle body, it is easy to come to the logical conclusion that, in both cases, we are witnessing the subtle body's exit from the physical body. This would support the finding in the study that "an out-of-body experience is statistically as likely to occur during a near death experience as it is to occur during the transition between wakefulness and sleep". With this in mind, I'm going to take another step.

For most of us, the transition between wakefulness and sleep is a smooth one. We typically have no recollection of it happening, whether it's wakefulness-to-sleep or sleep-to-wakefulness. But those who have experienced sleep paralysis know that the transition is not always easy and forgettable. To me, what they are experiencing is the separation or coming together between the subtle and physical bodies. I can't be sure what exactly causes the transition to not be as smooth as it is 'normally', but it may have something to do with the thalamus as described in the above study which backs the idea of "out-of-body experiences as an expression of arousal (neurons in the thalamus) in near death experiences". If this is correct, why would the thalamus work this way in some people and not others?

Two quotes from the study:

Dr Nelson also says, "The strong association of sleep paralysis with out-of-body experiences in the near death experience subject is curious and unexplained."
and,
"We found it surprising that out-of-body experience with sleep transition seemed very much like out-of-body experience during near death," Nelson said

What if scientists took a good long look at the possibility of the existence of the subtle world, subtle bodies, and how we interact with them? In a bright, new future, dots that currently remain unconnected would be thus connected, and mankind would be able to unlock amazing and vast new areas of science and medicine, along with a more real, more true understanding of who and what we really are. I would sincerely love to see what Dr Nelson and his team of researchers could discover using the knowledge of what we cannot see with all of their incredible knowledge of what we can see.

Isaac Newton was once curious about a force he could not see, but he could see the effects of it. He looked until he found gravity, and all our lives have been drastically changed for the better for it. What the world needs now is a new Pioneer who seeks to understand subtle things in the same way.

Glossary Terms:

subtle world

subtle body

energy bodies

out-of-body experience, OBE

near-death experience, NDE

Tags:

sleep

death

Coco: Taking a Deeper Look

Name of Review Item:

Coco

Media Type:

Movie

Author/Creator:

Director: Lee Unkrich

Publisher and Copyright Date:

Walt Disney Pictures; Pixar Animation Studios, October 20, 2017

Name of Reviewer:

Edgar Reyes

Date of Review:

7/29/2019

Stars:

Url:

https://www.pixar.com/feature-films/coco/#coco-main

coco_movie_poster

Background

In Mexico, the “Day of the Dead” is a day of festive remembrance of family and friends who have passed away. Families typically visit the graveyards where their loved ones are buried and bring pictures of the deceased along with their favorite food, drink, and music. These items are thought to encourage the visit of the deceased one’s spirit from the “land of the dead”. The origins of this cultural tradition are thought be among the Aztec civilization 2,500 – 3,000 years ago (see reference 1 below for more information).

The movie Coco depicts this Mexican festival beautifully and the movie has become mandatory viewing for all young Americans of Mexican descent (trust me on this one).

Movie Synopsis

Miguel is a young boy who desires more than anything else to be a musician. However, he has the bad fortune of being born into a family that has completely shunned music and anything having to do with music for generations. On the day of the dead, Miguel somehow passes into the “land of the dead”, meets several of his ancestors he’s only seen in pictures, explores the history of his family’s relationship to music and fame, helps his family discover the truth behind a terrible incident, and resolves conflicts that have robbed the family of peace for decades.

It is a wonderful story exposing children and adults alike to concepts worth thinking about and discussing.

The Land of the Dead

Not only does the whole country of Mexico believe that people continue their existence after death in a subtler realm, but so do several other cultures like modern Tibetan Buddhists (ref: The Tibetan Book of the Dead), ancient Egyptians (2), the Ancient Mayans (3) and Aztecs (4), modern Hindus (5), Celtics (6), and even several modern American and British authors like the clairvoyants CW Leadbeater (7) and Annie Besant (8). In many cases, the aforementioned peoples and writings give a detailed geography of the other world, outlining various regions of it and describing their qualities. All these people and cultures (except Mexico, oddly enough), say that a person goes there after death and stays there for a time before eventually reincarnating in another body for another round of earthly life. [Sometimes in dreams we really speak to those people who are living in that realm for the time being.]

Crossing Over

There are 3 ways to cross over into and have experiences in the “Land of the Dead” (i.e. Subtle Realm):

Death – when the physical body ceases to function, this has absolutely no bearing on a person’s other energy bodies. Hence, his next level up” body -his subtle body- is perfectly fine at the time of physical death and he/she is able to interact with things and people on that plane.
Sleep – During sleep, the dreams we experience are usually a jumble mess of memories from the day, imaginings from the brain, and actual impression from the subtle realm where the astral body finds itself when the physical body is “deactivated”.
Meditation – In certain yogic practices, like Raja Yoga, sense withdraw is practiced. This means that a yogi can stop the functioning of his 5 physical senses and thereby become sensitive to impressions made upon his non-physical bodies by non-physical objects and/or people.

Conclusion

The “Land of the Dead” is a concept embraced by many different cultures around the world and throughout time. This movie does a great job depicting, in a fun and family-friendly way, what that “place” (realm) might be like.

If you liked this movie, there is another movie that came out a few years earlier that didn’t get as much attention but that is equally enjoyable and beautiful and also centers around the day of the dead and traveling to the land of the dead. It’s called “Book of Life”.

References

1) https://www.diffen.com/difference/Day_of_the_Dead_vs_Halloween

2) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Egyptian_religion#Afterlife

3) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maya_death_rituals#Beliefs_about_the_afterlife

4) http://www.pitlanemagazine.com/cultures/aztec-mythology-and-afterlife-and-life-after-death-in-aztec-beliefs.html

5) http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/rs/death/hindubeliefrev2.shtml

6) https://www.adf.org/articles/gods-and-spirits/ancestors/afterlife-hero-dead.html

7) Book: Life After Death

8) Book: Death - and After?

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The Reality of Imagination

Submitted by Michael C. Willis on Mon, 05/13/2019 - 06:28

The Reality of Imagination

Science has proven that if a person sits down and imagines themselves in a heated argument, that the exact same centers of the brain are activated as when a person is actually in a heated argument. While the flow of neuron interactions may be different between real and imagined events as this article indicates,:

https://www.livescience.com/49244-imagination-reality-brain-flow-direction.html

...the same neurological networks within the brain are engaged. Indeed, anyone who has found themselves thinking of any kind of emotionally-charged interaction after the fact, can confirm that the exact same emotions that they experienced during the interaction will surface while simply thinking about it. On a similar note, all of the incredible, very real inventions that make our lives so good have been discovered by way of the imagination of the inventor. In both instances, imagination becomes reality.

My experience has been that my consciousness does not differentiate between ‘real’ and ‘imagined’. Both seem to occur with equal reality to my mind. If I think about an upsetting event (real or imagined), I get upset. If I think about playing with my favorite pet, I get all warm and happy inside. So it kinda makes me wonder, when I leave my physical body at night and have experiences in the subtle world (i.e. dreaming), just how real are these experiences? However bizarre the circumstances, however strange the juxtaposition of events or things, my mind perceives and experiences them as being real.

What does that mean for me in a practical sense? After giving this some thought, I think this question is best answered with a question: what do I want in life? Like most people, my answer involves the goal of happiness. So how do I get this happiness in my life?

The way I see it, the quality of my dreams - good or bad - just like the quality of my life in the physical world, depends wholly upon me. When my thoughts tend toward the positive, and I genuinely feel drawn to goodness, be it beauty, truth, benevolence, I will find myself attracted to people, things, and situations that reflect these qualities. On the other hand, if my thoughts are drawn to things such as addictions, hate, or anger, then I find myself being drawn to other people, things, and situations that reflect those qualities. I have been able to actually observe this in my life.

For instance, I used to have a fascination for news stories about people who did crazy stuff while on drugs. I would be browsing the news and find a bizarre headline with a couple of weird pictures that I couldn’t resist clicking on, and I’d read the story and marvel at whatever the story had to offer. Then at night, I would quite often find myself (in my dreams) hanging out with people who were doing drugs. So I tried a thought-experiment - I stopped clicking on and reading stories of that nature. And you guessed it - I stopped having dreams about being around those kinds of folks. In fact, I found myself having a much broader variety of experiences that included some pretty amazing things!

Suddenly my thoughts became far more important than they used to be. And I guess I finally, really accepted that I am “the captain of my own ship” when it comes to what kinds of thoughts I have. If I’m after happiness in the physical or subtle worlds, then I need to go to where I want to be - with my mind. Simple as that.

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