Wonderings & Wanderings of the Soul

Stroke of Insight By now you may have already seen Dr Jill Bolte Taylor - on TED, You Tube (below), Oprah or in some other thought forum or read her provocative book "My Stroke of Insight". For those who may not, I offer a little background.  She  is a brain scientist who was working at the Harvard Brain Bank when she had a massive stroke and watched 'from the inside out' as her brain functions shut down one by one --  motion, speech, memory, self-awareness. With the help of her mother, she spent the next eight years recovering her ability to think, walk and talk! But her recovery is not what makes her story so provocative. It was what she gained in the process of losing her left brain functioning. Surprised to find that she was alive, she reported, " I [...]

Consciousness Survives Death In order to seriously consider reincarnation, past lives, life between lives or eternal life one must accept that consciousness survives death -- a big idea yes, but one which is becoming easier to grasp and more difficult to refute. More on why in a bit. . . For some time, Western thought and the religious traditions that dominate here have dismissed reincarnation although commonly held in Eastern traditions. This is odd given the seeming paradox with the concept of heaven that is imbedded in the Abrahamic traditions. A new consensus is forming supporting the likelihood that consciousness survives death. This view holds that consciousness exists outside the brain and while inter-related, consciousness is independent of matter, i.e. the body.  That’s right, rather than contradicting views long held by mystics of every tradition, the scientific paradigm initially propelled by [...]

Cloud Atlas Life Lessons In Cloud Atlas life lessons are provocative and offer much 'food for thought'! If you haven't seen it, you should. Intermittently, a work of art is created that does justice to the complexity and profundity of life; the movie Cloud Atlas does just that and more. It exemplifies the progression of inter-related souls throughout the past, the present and into the future. As we follow their journeys, we glean profound life lessons and spiritual wisdom. And through their journeys we learn that everything is connected - past, present and future. Today’s films have a few days to a week at best to garner widespread public attention. While it may not have reached that mark yet, Cloud Atlas will profoundly alter its viewers’ perspective about our eternal journey through time. If you haven’t seen it, you must; not [...]

The following is a holiday greeting that I received from my dear friend Susan Olubi. I was deeply moved by it and felt immediately that her message had a universal appeal. With her gracious permission, it is reprinted here. I hope it speaks to you in the same way that it touched my heart and soul. . . " Friends and Family,   How time flies!  Another year gone, a new one begins. We have each experienced new highs and lows this past year - birth of a new child, extending the family line; a new love, be it experiencing it for the first time or being lucky enough to have a second chance at it; the loss of a loved one; new jobs; new homes; new home towns; renewed lease on life; better health; and so many other events and emotions [...]

The Prayer Amidst this season of holidays and time of merrymaking I hope that you will take some time for quite reflection, meditation and prayer. I share a contemporary favorite of mine. The Prayer  ~~   Carole Bayer Sager & David Foster I pray you'll be our eyes And watch us where we go And help us to be wise In times when we don't know Let this be our prayer As we go our way Lead us to a place Guide us with your grace To a place where we'll be safe I pray we'll find your light And hold it in our hearts When stars go out each night Remind us where you are Let this be our prayer When shadows fill our day Lead us to a place Guide us with your grace Give us faith so we'll [...]

Like anyone who takes the time to read this, or more likely, those who don’t even have enough time to read this, my 'To Do' List needs pruning!!!  One might think that it is the extra demands of the holiday season that put us over the top with commitments but I think the problem runs deeper. As I tried to determine how I would etch out the time to write my early December blog, I came face to face with one of the contributors.  But before I get to that, some context might be helpful. I have long had a habit of working my way up to a big task – in this case, writing a blog post. What this means operationally is that all smaller tasks must be out of the way so as not to distract. For me this [...]

  A time for gratitude for blessings ! Here we are again, on the cusp of Thanksgiving. It is one of the few times that our culture presses a collective PAUSE button to gather in earnest with hearts filled with gratitude and awareness of our myriad blessings. My list of things to be grateful for remains virtually unchanged from year to year. To the SOURCE of all that is, I offer thanks for the breadth of life, my senses and faculties, mobility, health and the well-being that I enjoy living in this incredible universe. And, not to be forgotten, I am grateful for my mind which is free to express its creativity while contemplating my purpose in life and my relationship to the creative force from which it came and to which it will return. Also on my list are Mother Gaia's gifts of beauty, [...]

To those on the spiritual path, the inspiration of Don Richard Riso and Russ Hudson on the stages of transformation offers encouragement. I wish I could say that I am the author of the brilliance that follows but instead offer thanks and acknowledgement to Riso and Hudson, The Wisdom of the Enneagram. I will simply add:    To those who have just started on the path of transformation, the following is a road map. To those who have been traveling the path for some time, the following offers encouragement. To those already transformed, I am certain you are smiling with delight, yet hoping that the rest of us would hurry-up and join you. And so, enjoy Riso and Hudson's inspiring words... "If we were to really observe ourselves, we would become aware of our tensions and habits.    If we were to [...]

I recently came across a short yet profound reminder in Annie Kagan’s The Afterlife of Billy Fingers. She was quoting her brother Billy who prompts us to recall  “People spend lots of time on things that make them unhappy – too much focus on the sand in the oyster. To cultivate joy, pay attention to what you like.” I wonder how many of us cultivate joy by focusing on what we like while ignoring the irritants. Or are most of us just too preoccupied with the sand? Billy’s words caught me like a sharp hook – pointed and jarring. So strong was my reaction to his provocation that they launched my inner debate team. On the one hand we strive to better ourselves, our state of mind, our circumstances, our environment, and our relationships. The process of enhancement requires a certain [...]

I recently visited friends in my hometown - Jersey City. As I walked from the subway to their home, the new World Trade Center peered from across the Hudson River. At first glance, it took my breath away -- at once stately, massive, and determined while simultaneously serene. I found myself transfixed. Initially memories of the horror of the past flashed. But truthfully those were quick to evaporate. They were replaced with marvel! It is a physical site to behold yet much, much more than that. It is awe inspiring! It touches one’s heart as it reaches into one’s soul. It proclaims endurance, determination and resilience. It is testament to humanity’s capacity to start over, to begin anew. . . It reminded me of our journey through life. We face calamity, are pained by losses and challenged by set-backs. Despite this [...]