Coping: With the Fear of Death

Since this is a weekend when most of the Western world is concerned with a “death & dying event” some 2,000 years ago, there’s no better time to talk about what is arguably the biggest fear in Life.

You see, much of how your life works is directly related to your outlook on Death.  And yes, we’re all going to die…at least in terms of leaving here.

There are two wonderful books I have been working my way through (as time permits) that are helping me to see through some of my own delusions about the personal ‘end times‘ and I’d like to share those with you.

(Continues below)

 

The first is a book I have mentioned before by Napoleon Hill of the personal/human potential movement.

It’s Outwitting the Devil: The Secret to Freedom and Success.  A few reader notes and you’ll understand what is  so attractive about this book:

First, it is divided into two parts.  In the first, we go along with Hill as he escapes to West Virginia to avoid a gang of criminals which was out to kill him.  Along the way, though, he makes an amazing discovery.

Seems there are two “occupants” of our minds.  One – which we access in normal operating times – and another that he calls the Other Self who comes around only in times of extreme stress and need. Unfortunate are those who don’t realize that that Other Self (often taken as a Voice of God) is really there the whole time.  Acting as a co-pilot.  Pipes up only now and then.

I don’t know if you remember the old Road Runner/Wylie Coyote cartoons, but there was a marvelous picture used often by the artists that showed a character with the devil on one shoulder and an angel on the other.  Both were coaching some hapless cartoon figure to answer questions like “Do I drop the anvil, of what?

In a moment of extreme stress, Hill welcomes his Other Self into full communications with his “daily self” and the results – as demonstrated by his life and collecting the 17 Principles of Success – are indeed remarkable.  The thing worth pondering this weekend is “Why haven’t I done that?”

My friend Chris McCleary who took up and expanded our fledgling www.nationaldreamcenter.com project, has been dedicating his life to learning about the mechanics of just this kind of mental topography.  With four (or is it five now?) masters degrees, how many retired F-15 pilots do you know who are working to more clearly understanding the relationship between the Dream world and the Now world?

Conventional psychology likes the “current model” of how things work – the integrated right brain/left brain model.  Some of the time you think in one sphere but at times you venture into the other.  Oh?

Says who?  Suppose for a moment that we all live 99.99% of the time in one hemisphere, or the other?  In such a model, the dominant side would be able to mimic the other – an engineer’s mind (left dominant)  borrowing a bit of art or music from the right brain.  In the alternative model –  the whole time – there’s a co-equal intelligence hiding out in the opposite “brain” that has been silenced through social and educational conditioning amounting to dominant-brain repression.

Makes for an interesting rethink of pop psychology.  And it asks our all-time favorite question:  What IF everyone else (save Hill in this case) is wrong?

The second half of the book is much simpler.

The set-up is Hill has a conversation with the Devil, who he can compel to answer all questions truthfully.  As things roll out, the Devil lays claim to 98% of humanity because he has mastered a single concept – and it’s the one that is in the headlines today (we think suspiciously timed, too…).

Fear.

As Hill explains the Devil, he’s all about one thing only:  Capturing people by means of fear.

In this regard, his allies (significantly) include the big Churches of the world.  And to hear him tell it, that’s because how the Churches scare people.  Hell, fire, brimstone, and all.

Why, it’s the Devil’s tool fear, of course.  Afraid of Hell?  Repent…oh and while you’re at it, toss a little something in the collection plate.

Hill’s interview with the Devil has already helped Elaine and I to see our present Life situations a bit more clearly.

You see, Elaine and I have similar mechanisms to deny the possibility of Death.

Last night, as we were talking about how fear paralyzed a lot of aging people, I explained to her how fear of death has been a back-seat driver of my behavior.

You don’t know this, but I have at least eight HF-ham radio stations.  Of those, perhaps six need either further restoration or repair.  After a lot of Hill-inspired reflection, it became immediately apparent to me that the reason there are so many radios is that I’m really afraid of dying.  My delusion?  By having radios that demand I work on them, I build a need to remain alive.

You can see how it’s alsot a paralysis trap.

I don’t work on the radios (at least very seldom) because in the back of my mind, if I complete all the repairs, will I have a reason to live?  My brain is tricking me into thinking if I have projects ahead, I will live.  No, not really, but emotions are not especially rational.

Elaine has a similar “block” regarding three books – each of which is about 20% done.  She is having a hard time picking up where she left off and continuing the writing process to completion, for a very similar reason.  Why, if all her books are written, what would be her reason to live?  Different mind, same trap.

Some people (not doers) have it easier.  they head for the couch and wait for Death to knock at the front door.

The result of the fear of dying is, in Hill’s interview with the Devil, one of the major tools that flips “motivated people” into “drifters.”  who ask what’s the point?

A comment about how to read the Hill book:  There is all kinds of text – which the Amazon Kindle version fortunately sets as a different font, that is eminently “missable.”  This is how I read all books with commentary.  Skip the interpretations by others.

A  lot of people who will be aghast at this, but 10-classes from a doctorate, and 69-years of hands-on Life experience, do,  I need the advice of others on how to read anything?  Hell no!. Books either stand on their own as great, or they don’t.  The Bible, the Hill book, got a million of them.

But fear is a strange adversary – and it’s in reviewing how we live with it that determines how life rolls out.

On to the second book, then:

Serge Kahili King’s Urban Shaman.  4,8 stars on Amazon which, for a book of it’s sort, is quite remarkable. – especially when you’re reading the Hill book in parallel.

King’s got a nice way of being in the world.  And in many of his discussions, you can  see how people’s fears drive them.

In Hawaiian lore, there are hunas – the shamansAnd there are the master shamans which we call ka-hunas.  It’s a complex view of things based on living more cooperatively than confrontationally.  It suggests the reason Hawaii ended up ruled by warriors was because the hunas didn’t confront the arrival of violence but rather withdrew.

That’s not the best part of the book (though it’s dandy).  It provides a lot of different ways to approach things and compliments the Hill book (and that different topology of how thinking works) that we covered above.

By the time I got up this morning, what distilled into a thought that could be captured was this:

People are mostly afraid.  They cope in a myriad of ways on the surface, but underneath is a variety of denial driven by fear.

An Application Note:  I know of an aging couple, where the woman has cancer and the husband has “packed it in” mentally – withdrawing from supporting his wife’s household needs.  Some members of the family have confronted the husband, but he’s in huge pain “My wife is dying!”

Stepping back, you can see a whole-family fear dance.

When you read these two books, it will  make a bit more sense.  As you become aware of how fear works, and how people react to it (denial, drift, blame, etc.) it will help you deal with those elements in your own life.

Face it:  We’re all going to die.  What defines us is how we react to that certainty.

I modestly propose that there are only two things that really need “doing” in life.

First, there is the conquering of fear.  Once you deal with fear in this life, you can tap into the almost unlimited energy available to a mind uncluttered with that terrible background process.  It’s the one that leads to eating the wrong foods, stressing too much, worrying constantly, and so forth.  It is dispelled with faith.  More hints in Hill’s book.

Second, there’s “arming for the afterlife.”  Which, in case you haven’t guessed, is ruled by very jealous entities and these rule by fear.  Conquer fear, conquer afterlife.

While the Catholic Church quickly walked-back the Pope’s hint that Hell might, indeed, be a “fear play” it’s actually grand to see someone who can entertain (leak?) the idea that fear isn’t healthy.

An interesting notion to follow is that the Pope may be in a similar “drain the Swamp” mode in the Vatican (pedophile claims and such) that parallel’s Donald Trump’s Swamp project in D.C.

But enough.  The point is that all you can take with you to the other wise are the spiritual tools and the ways of being that make us either high humans, or animals.  Simple enough choice but how many people take it on.

For me?  The nature of my treadmill time has changed a bit this month: I’m inspecting almost everything I do and asking the hardest question of all:

Am I living my own plan, or is fear in the driver’s seat?

That, and a slow, thoughtful read of Dylan Thomas’ poem will occupy some time this weekend:

Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

As long as the light’s on, commit to being fully present.

And kick as much ass as you can. It’s the Way of the Peaceful Warrior.

With luck, we’ll all be “risen again” come Monday.

Write when you get rich,

George@ure.net

56 thoughts on “Coping: With the Fear of Death”

  1. Good morning George and Elaine & a beautiful day it is. Good comments on ‘death’ as we all go there. I have looked at this for years, but not out of fear, more of a wondering. For some they seem to live as long as they are ‘useful’. Others live to learn or be of service.
    My personal beliefs revolve around ‘spirit’. We come from spirit, inhabit a physical body to move around in this plane, learn and then leave the physical body to return to the spirit world. This sort of follows the American Indians and other beliefs. Everything is a circle like the 4 seasons. Birth, growth, harvest and then death. Then comes birth again and the circle repeats as long as necessary for your personal growth. Death is simply a walking through the door to the other side and being reunited with the ones who went before. I once read a Navaho poem about “It’s a good day to die”. As the old man looked out over the fields he sees that the crops are well and said “it’s a good day to die”. He looked at his children, livestock, grandchildren and repeated “it’s a good day to die” each time. His job was complete so he went to the other side.
    Do not ‘fear’ death as it is competition of this phase and the start or continuation of the journey of life.

    “When you were born, you cried
    and the world rejoiced.
    Live your life
    so that when you die,
    the world cries and you rejoice.”

    White Elk

  2. I am not afraid of death, but of living. I remember pieces of some past lives and can see how they fit with current circumstances. Someone who was very dear to me died last year and I sorely miss that source of love in my life. “Success” has never appealed to me as I see it as a hollow goal.

    I am retired and no longer have motivation to get up every day as there is no point, no worthy goal, just the dreary daily routines (which I hate) and hobbies that don’t give real, deep satisfaction. I have no family and only a few close friends who are involved in their own lives. Many days I find myself just asking “why am I doing this?” and really wanting to go home.

    I do agree that fear of death is the biggest motivator in the world which is why it is so widely used. Fear of death is silly. Instead, be concerned about how easily life brings awful, lingering pain.

  3. Great post!

    I’ve often thought that one reason we strive to acquire so much stuff is out of an attempt to tether ourselves to this life and so, keep death at bay. “You can’t take me yet, Lord. I’ve got ALL THIS STUFF.”

    Eat right, live right, die anyway. I’m with the docs on this – I’ll go whenever, just keep the pain away.

    73s.

    • But while doing that, how about 7-elements wide-spaced at 150 feet on all bands, a Collins S-Line, 30-S1 amp on the floor and an Icom 7800/Alpha 3-KW export on hot standby? And one QRP rig just for the fun of it?
      Sun’s out here in East Tx this AM – going to hit the “It is risen” button on the crank-up tower now – after the nap, mind you. Maybe 20 will open up into eastern Europe this weekend./ ar de ac7x

  4. The Tibetans spent a thousand plus years focused on the question and have much of the answer……… beginning with notion that there is not one answer. The most life changing aspect is the non-dual version of reality that says we are one unified consciousness receiving and filtering/creating perception rather than observing it in a subject/object duality. JMHO

  5. Faith drives out fear. As a retied pilot I know the joys of being shot at and missed, having time bombs go off on the ramp because I was late, etc, etc. Absolute Faith in God who is the Author of my faith is the way I believe and act. Trust in Him not in man or stuff. At 81 I have seen a good cross section of life and earthly death but believe the our souls live on–where and how depends up our actions.
    Blessed Easter all.
    overbore

  6. you might enjoy “the denial of death” by ernest becker. it contains many profound insights on how death contributes to life.

  7. You are wrong in saying that this weekend is about death and dying; it is exactly the opposite — it is about living!!

    Luke 23:51
    “He is not here, but is risen…”

    Mark 16:6
    “…Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here…”

    Matthew 28:6
    “He is not here: for he is risen, as he said…”

    The majority of people have no problem believing Christ was crucified, but do not believe that he rose from the dead just as He and the scriptures said He would.

    I Corinthians 1:18
    “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.”

    Romans 10:9 -10
    “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”

    For believers, death is not to be feared — it is a transition from this world to the next — to live for eternity with the risen, living Lord.

    Here is a truth: Everyone lives forever.

    You have an opportunity right now to decide where you want to spend eternity — Heaven or Hell (Yes, Pope, there is a Hell).

    • You been to hell CAH?I have had 10 NDE’s. Lol never visited hell in any of them.

      Flat lined. Heart stopped and no breathing. Once for over u min.

      I saw no hell on the other side.

      God doesn’t judge by human standards anymore than the sun refuses to shine it’s light, warmth and life on all people no matter if they lied or cheated or stole for the day. The sun doesn’t say, no day for you. No light! No warmth! You lied about something today. And how much greater is God’s grace than that of the sun’s.

      I too am a Christian. My responsibility is to do with God what God wants to do.

      About a year ago. I was late for a meeting. Late all day as a matter of fact. As I pulled into the parking lot and hurried to get out of my truck, I noticed a woman laying on her side on the ground. I hurried over to her and shook her and asked if she was ok. I checked her pulse and nada. Checked to see if she was breathing. Nope. So I called 9-11 and started CPR on her. Right before the ambulance got There she sat up and started gasping for air. Saying she was sorry. I just hugged her and said it’s ok. I’m glad your back. She had a stroke. Never new her name. The ambulance got there with the cops and they all patted me on the back and they loaded her up and took her to the hospital.

      Does it matter if she was a Christian? A Moslem? Black, white? Good tax paying citizen? Faithful or unfaithful wife? Nope. Didn’t matter at all. All that mattered was she was dead and I was there and I did for and prayed and brought her back. Didn’t even matter what her name was. Good thing I was late.

      These are the things that are important to God.

      • Uhem. 8 min.

        Books are good. And I have read the bible over 26 times. Anyone can quote scripture. Even the most evil people do that.

        They said blessed is your mother and blessed is your brothers and sisters. And Jesus replied. Rather than that. BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO HEAR GOD AND DO HIS WILL.

      • The Will of God is Shbg.

        Shbg is the aramaic term for forgiveness it simply means to “unlock your mind”

        To unlock your mind from this world.

    • I wish to go similar to a patient I knew.. Every night this woman would sit and read while the night show was on just before the show would end she’d call and get a pop and a few cookies. Well that night was bust ..right on time her light came on I go in and she asks for her cup of soda and cookies. I explained that things were busy so it might take a few minutes.. Oh no hurry I am in the middle of this chapter and I can wait. Instead a bunch of other workers showed up to bail me out so I was able to go get it right away. When I got to her room there she was smile on her face her book propped open the most peaceful image she left at peace with a smile.

  8. The great Sci-Fi author, Frank Herbert, did me a great favor in his book “Dune”, with the “Litany Against Fear”:

    “I must not fear.
    Fear is the mind-killer.
    Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
    I will face my fear.
    I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
    And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
    Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.
    Only I will remain.”

    I was a very mental/intellectual child, and yet very spiritual and empathic. I encountered both “Dune”, and Mr. Spock of Star Trek during years when I was afraid that my mentally unstable mother would kill me. This fear was a legitimate one.

    Prayers against fear in the religious texts that I had encountered just did not work for me, but this short litany helped stabilize my mind and emotions in the face of crazy.

    This experience of regular exposure to a potent threat made me realize early on I had to get over fear of death in order to be mentally and emotionally free.

    I would like to do a long post addressing a number of accessory topics, but I just don’t have time today.

    One last thing I will mention — about keeping busy with projects, and the fear that if you run out of projects you will run out of the will to live. The author James Altucher has a concept of coming up with 10 ideas a day. Sometimes he will come up with 10 ideas for someone’s business and just send them off in an email for free. Sometimes he takes two random objects and comes up with ten ideas on how to combine the objects in some way. There is no limit on how you can play with this. It is a great mental flexibility training and yields emotional satisfaction, as well as potential pragmatic and financial benefit.

    The practice of ‘10 ideas a day’ can help remove identification of self with a limited range of projects, and open one up to a more limitless feeling.

  9. George,

    Always good stuff, I wish I had the time to follow up on your reading recommendations.

    My Near-Death-Experience in 2016 opened my eyes a little bit. We are all a part of the creation machine… so what are you going to create?

    As the Master Artisans of history discovered, there is a code to producing masterpieces… And that is what Good Friday is all about!

    If you’re interested in the source of the sterotypical angel and devil riding on everyone’s shoulder, I believe I found it in one of The Dead Sea Scrolls:

    Testament of Amram, Father of Moses: Dead Sea Scrolls” 4Q535, Manuscript B
    Fragment 1
    (9) [… I saw Watchers]

    (10) in my vision, the dream-vision. Two (men) were fighting over me, saying…

    (11) and holding a great contest over me. I asked them, ‘Who are you, that you are thus empo[wered over me?’ They answered me, ‘We]

    (12) [have been em]powered and rule over all mankind.’ They said to me, ‘Which of us do yo[u choose to rule (you)?’ I raised my eyes and looked.]

    (13) [One] of them was terr[i]fying in his appearance, [like a serpent, [his] cl[oa]k many-colored yet very dark…

    (14) [And I looked again], and … in his appearance, his visage like a viper, and [wearing …]

    (15) [exceedingly, and all his eyes…]

    Fragment 2
    (1) [… em]powered over you …

    (2) [I replied to him,] ‘This [Watcher,] who is he?’ He answered me, ‘This Wa[tcher …]

    (3) [and his three names are Belial and Prince of Darkness] and King of Evil.’ I said, ‘My lord, what dom[inion …?’]

    (4) [’and his every way is darkened, his every work da[rk]ened. In Darkness he…

    (5) [Yo]u saw, and he is empowered over all Darkness, while I [am empowered over all light.]

    (6) [… from] the highest regions to the lowest I rule over all Light, and over al[1 that is of God. I rule over (every) man]

    Fragment 3
    (1) [of His grace and peace. Over all the sons of Lig]ht have] I been empowered.’ I asked him, [What are your names … ?’]

    (2) He [s]aid to me, ‘[My] three names are [Michael and Prince of Light and King of Righteousness.’]

    • Good stuff, Stewie, it is all back to who we feed, which wolf. I, too, had a NDE, or something like it, very recently. What is it when one is in a medically induced coma and also on paralytics, yet is alert and aware and travels and suffers and learns and is spoken to by beings in different parts of the world, (and dimensions) seen and unseen? I would close my eyes to this world and open them right up in the next. It didn’t take away my fear of death because I had no real fear of death as I had already had enough experiences to know that the soul is eternal and lives on after death, but what it did was ‘upset my living route.’ I am still working on resolving that. In another post, I shared the most important 3 things. The last is this: The purpose of life is Service. George, to acknowledge that fear of death makes one frantic underneath the surface is a great connection. The fear in real suffering is real, dying didn’t hurt a bit. While I was under, I saw a creature, similar, to the description from the fragment which makes me realize we have this ‘picture’ out in the modern world, it is trendy, but it hides this visage in plain sight. Even in the hospital, there it was. There is so much goodness in this world, in the spiritual realm and so many light workers, we can fortify ourselves by learning about them and relying on them and calling on them as we need them and as we grow. I called on Jesus and he was there. One more thing, I didn’t know this, as I have few friends, but I have a devoted spouse, siblings and extended family, and the word went out from these family and friends and it made it to the churches and holy places and thousands of people ended up lifting me up in prayer. I was in the unconscious but conscious fight of my life to live. I was aware that many parts of my physical life was ending and I almost stopped fighting. I remember too much to type here. However, those prayers congealed together and came to me as a river of light and healed my heart that was failing. I can describe it, but suffice it to say, this river was a river of spirit and good intentions and healing. “There is a River the streams whereof shall make glad the City of God, the holy places of the tabernacles of the most high.” Psalm 46:4. The last thing I would like to say about this topic and experience is this. I was told that there are 2 ways to advance spiritually. One is suffering, and the other is through the way you live your life, the ‘service in your life’ (which begins as simply in your own home and all of us are capable of it and do it every single day with our love and caring for each other and others as manifested by our efforts on earth), this is what you get to take with you while you are doing it in your life. Isn’t that a great bonus?. Many people advance via one or the other. Rare people advance through both.

  10. “Take me now Lord. Take me now.”
    Fred Sanford

    I fear not death. I fear what I may or may not leave behind, my legacy.

  11. Take it for what it is worth about life after death: One night a few years back my phone woke me out of a deep sleep. No one answered. After putting the phone down, I rolled over and found my wife in the final stages of dying. I believe she was letting me know she was leaving! Time passes, and we are having her service at church. In the middle of the eulogy by her best friend, my cell phone rings really loudly. Since I had not had the phone long and I was new to cell phones it was a total surprise it was ringing. I hurriedly looked to see who was calling and it was a weird set of numbers I didn’t recognize.I didn’t answer it. I like to believe it was her just letting me know everything was alright. Yes, there has been many times I wished I was knowledgeable enough to have saved those phone numbers.

  12. Was watching the classic film with Rodney Dangerfield ,Back To School, in one of the memorable scenes taking his oral exams teacher asked what did the Dylan Thomas poem,Do not go gentle into that goodnight, mean to Rodney his reply was” I ain’t talking sh%t from no one, I am going to pass and stay in school”. Had Dean Martin biting his finger to keep from crying. When the world seem to be falling all on top of you Fight harder and never give up. Then Rodney went on to do the triple Lindy dive and won the dive meet!
    Just like the frog being eaten by the bird and the frog is choking the bird.
    Big John up in the tree with the bob cat had an alternative solution, Just shoot up here amongst us one of us has got to have some relief!

    The words well done my good and faithful servant is a good thing to aspire to. Read Job about how tough it was. What was the never give up. How tough do we really have it compared to other times, places, people.

  13. Great topic! I’m not intending to deminish the exchange in any way when I quote George Lucas, as manifested thru Frank Oz’s Yoda, in saying: “Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter!”

    Lucas was a student of eminent mythologist Joseph Campbell [Mask of the Gods]. Campbell scribed that “mythology is someone else’s religion.” But at its root, mythology was the story of humanity. “The gods are us,” Campbell is quoted as saying. And one ability the deities (I.e. ‘us’) all had/have was/is to reincarnate. Campbell tied his theories to Carl Jung and his psychological archetypes. Myth, Jung declared, mirrored the human psyche.

    So it is with us. The Buddhist Llamas all can reincarnate. If they can, why not you and I. This life, this time are artificial constructs. We keep manifesting in physical form in order to learn. In learning we improve. By improving we strive to manifest the perfection of creation.

    We are timeless. Until perfected, we will continue to return. I suggest doubters read either or the Egyptian or Tibetan books of the dead. Closely related to each other on theme, they mirror the events recalled during ancient near death experiences.

    And Dr. Jung is said to have personally believed in reincarnation. Imagine that! Early Christianity accepted reincarnation. Only after the Council of Nicaea did the Roman Church attempt to deny this belief as heresy.

    The moral of this post – shed the excesses of the physical and embrace the higher self, for that is the stuff of which you truly are – that which you will eternally be.

  14. Lesson 48
    There is nothing to fear.

    The idea for today simply states a fact. It is not a fact to those who believe in illusions, but illusions are not facts. In truth there is nothing to fear. It is very easy to recognize this. But it is very difficult to recognize it for those who want illusions to be true.
    A COURSE IN MIRACLES

    Today’s practice periods will be very short, very simple and very frequent. Merely repeat the idea as often as possible. You can use it with your eyes open at any time and in any situation. It is strongly recommended, however, that you take a minute or so whenever possible to close your eyes and repeat the idea slowly to yourself several times. It is particularly important that you use the idea immediately, should anything disturb your peace of mind.

    The presence of fear is a sure sign that you are trusting in your own strength. The awareness that there is nothing to fear shows that somewhere in your mind, though not necessarily in a place you recognize as yet, you have remembered God, and let His strength take the place of your weakness. The instant you are willing to do this there is indeed nothing to fear.

  15. First off, it would be a sin not to mention Hill’s most famous book “Think and grow rich” which has greatly helped me in this life. Second, no worries about dying now that the Pope has said Hell doesn’t exist :)

  16. (the Eye of the Camel actually refers to a small squeezed entrance way into ancient walled cities, like a fat person in an airplane restroom)

    If one is sure of his good deeds in this world (not his bank account), there will be a better chance of entering Heaven.

    https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Mark-10-25/

  17. Andy – no, I have never been to Hell but that does not mean it does not exist. The Lord Jesus says there is a Hell and I believe Him. He also said there is a Heaven and we are told how to get there through Paul’s writings:

    Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”

    Yes, evil people can quote scripture but so can those who are saved to share God’s plan of salvation to a lost world.

    George – Taxes in Hell? The bible is clear that it is a place of eternal torment and for a lot of people who end up in Hell, the torment will be knowing that they did not have to end up there — it wasn’t because they were bad people; it was because they lacked faith in the free gift of salvation purchased through the shed, atoning blood of Jesus Christ.

    • You may have missed my humor: Since taxes here are a special kind of hell – paying for that which you may not agree with, being forced to drink from the polluted well…then if there are taxes in hell, it would merely be a cont5inuation of life, only a different set of demons to collect their vig…

      • I wonder why Dante didn’t add tax’s to the divine comedy LOL.. speaking of which.. I heard this snapping sound.. it shocked me.. then I realized .. it was my sphincter muscle snapping shut when the tax man told me how much i have to write the check out for lOL LOL LOL LOL

      • It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everythingbefore us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way… (Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities)

    • Cah. The kingdom of heaven is within you and all around you.

      Death without works is dead. I personally don’t give one crap about the carrot or the stick. I’m not in this world to earn trinkets on the other side. Those concepts are of this world. Im hear to do the will of the one who sent me back which is simply shbg.

      Sigh…. Jesus did NOT preach about Hell. The word didn’t even exist until 725AD. Thats seven hundred and twenty five years after his death and resurrection. So there is no way Jesus was talking about a word or concept that didn’t even exist for another 700 years.

      The modern English word hell is derived from Old English hel, helle (first attested around 725 AD to refer to a nether world of the dead) which was not a lake of fire.

      Jesus spoke aramaic. It was the language of his time around Nazarath and Galilee. The aramaic term for forgiveness is Shbg spoken as sha-bag. It is not the western concept of mercy granted for an offence or crime committed.

      Shbg is defined as “to unlock your mind”.

      The shbg of sins is to unlock your mind from sin. To unlock your mind from death. Jesus came to unlock your mind.

  18. Thanks for the ‘Urban Shaman’ reco. earlier. I ordered it and have begun to read. I have for years been a spiritual student of the Huna sciences… and have known a few Kahuna in my decades in the islands. They way my life worked out in strange ways, I often wonder if I am not a reincarnate Hawaiian.

    • A true confession: I knew I was part Hawaiian when my first hot date as a kid a spontaneously broke into Hawaiian.

      “Come-on-ah-wanna-lay-yah…:”
      But seriously: Any comments on the Serge King books from someonw who’s local would be very worthwhile…even a full length commentary would be welcome. for this is the really important research in Life.

      • Two things show feebleness of mind: holding your breath at the time for speaking, and speaking when you should be silent. (Saadi)

  19. Lets see is a alternative opinion on this subject will be allowed on this blog.

    Religions are a creation of faulty, lying humans. I was raised in a strict religious family but broke free of that mind control after witnessing countless people who claim to be devoutly religious but were bad people. Sure, they talked a good game, knew all the bible quotes from memory, but it was all a façade. I have come to accept logic over blind faith and religious delusions. IMHO, any creator/God that expects or demands worship, thru the threat of murdering/rapturing his creations and then sending them to a eternity of pain and torture in hell, is NOT a divine perfect creator/God. Such demands or ultimatums would not be the traits of a perfectly loving and divine being. These types of sick traits are found in un-divine/imperfect beings { like humans}. Is there a heaven and a hell, as explained in numerous religions ? Possibly , but most likely not. If there is , I am confident that Heaven would not be filled with religious people , but GOOD PEOPLE, because religious people do not always = good people.

    Unfortunately such logic is often lost upon those that have been brainwashed with the 1 sided agendas of a certain religion. Mainstream religions have a basic agenda of recruiting others to be part of that specific cult , by claiming only their religion is correct and all others are wrong , and if you dont worship the 1 religion I do, then you deserve a eternity in hell. When you think about it, it is a pretty sick, evil concept. If there is 1 singular creator, I am confident he is appalled by the religions humans have created and used to indoctrinate, murder and discriminate against the masses here on earth.

    • A required reading book in a theology class I took was “Good Goat: Healing our Image of God” by Dennis Linn. It was a very easy read and explains what Pope Frances was attempting to add to the discussion.

  20. Simple question : Would a perfect, moral, loving divine creator, rather have heaven filled with people who idolize a manmade religion or have heaven filled with people who are good/decent humans who have a strong moral conscious and discipline ? Religious people do not often = good , trustworthy people . One does not need to worship manmade faulty religions to be a good person of integrity, honesty, morals and fairness. Just think how sick religions are to suggest that only people that pick and choose the 1 correct religion on earth { out of 100s offered} deserves to go to heaven. This would mean that 6 billion people on earth that did not worship Christianity, deserve to be murdered then sent to a eternity of pain and torture in hell , even if those people were the most honest, loving and compassionate people on earth , they still deserve a eternity of suffering in hell, ACCORDING to your fault manmade religions. This is truly 1 of the sick ideologies of manmade religions.

  21. The simple question all religious people need to ask themselves is this . Would a perfect, moral, loving, compassionate divine God, truly have a ultimatum that if you do not properly..FEAR ME, WORSHIP ME, ACKNOWELDGE ME , via 1 of earths MANY manmade religions , then I shall rapture/murder you in this earthly realm and then if that weren’t evil enough , I shall send your eternal soul to a eternity of pain and torture in hell. Only faulty un-divine imperfect beings would have such a demand/ultimatum , IMHO. Religions truly are a form of mental illness often instilled in us from our upbringing and usually based upon where we are born. If you are born in the Mideast, chances are you are brainwashed to believe that only Islam is the 1 correct religion, if you are born in India, then its Buddhism , in Rome, its Catholicsm, in Israel its Judiasm, Talmudism , etc..etc…How could any person of logic and insights, think that this type of indoctrination system of religious beliefs could carry any true validity in real life or in the eyes of a intelligent divine creator ? Religions are a control mechanism and are largely effective because the people
    { TPTB} that created these manmade religions, understood human psychology so well. Do you really think that TPTB would ever allow the complete truth of creation, the universe and divinity, to be distributed to us peons in society ? Of course not, religions are just another deceptive tool/ diversion handed to us from TPTB….but that wont stop billions of people from embracing the pleasing religious lies they WANNA believe are all facts. Humans WANT to think that the religion they worship, guarantees them that FREE TICKET to heaven and guarantees those of differing beliefs, that free ticket to hell. Yes, when you study these concepts of manmade religions, one can truly see the evils, agendas and lies they contain. All it takes is a open mind and the discipline to break free of ones prior programming.

    • Most people I know who are religious are good people. They earnestly try to do the right thing for the right reasons.. and most are charitable and “good neigbors”.

      There is over 1 billion Christian’s on the planet. By far the largest religion of the world. Christianity is the largest empire in the world. Second place is the moslems.

      I’m reminded of a verse from my favorite book of all times. So treasured to me, I could only read a few paragraphs at a time to soak it in. Some homeless chick stole my original copy I had off the deck at my old house. I bought it for $0.79 at a thrift store

      2 quotes, From the chapter of tides and time. The book, Prayer the master key. James Dilett Freeman.

      “Be still, then perhaps if you are still enough you can hear the everlasting tide of being fling itself on the shores of forever.”

      The ritual of Prayer is about the person praying. God speaks math to the mathematician, pigme to the pigme, English to those who speak English and beats and rythems to those who beat drums to talk to God. God is! And God is not inep by mans philosophy of what is best.”

  22. The Lord Jesus despised religion and religious people, too. Look at His interactions with the Pharisees who were the religious people of the day. He called them “HYPOCRITES!” over and over. They used the LAW (the commandments plus all of their man-made laws) to condemn and find fault in all others but themselves. They tried more than once to trick the Lord Jesus into breaking the LAW so that they could condemn HIM.

    I have always wondered about why are there so many denominations in Christianity. Don’t we all believe the same thing? No, because the denominations have cherry-picked portions of the Bible instead of properly using all of it and for what purpose? To brow-beat their followers if they step out of denominational doctrine and to convince them that their denomination’s way is the only way to Heaven.

    Paul writes that keeping the LAW is not a way to salvation; the LAW can only condemn not save. The LAW is there to show us what we should or should not do in our relationship with God and with others. God created us in him image and He knows what is best for us.

    Most people believe ‘in’ God; however, most people do not ‘believe’ God — they have no belief/faith in what God tells us through his Word. It is every individual’s responsibility to read and understand God’s
    Word — do not take anyone’s (including mine) or any denomination’s interpretation without checking it out for yourself.

    As Paul writes in 2 Timothy 2:15)–
    “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

    Belonging to a denomination or trying to keep the commandments does not get a person to Heaven — a person cannot work or earn their place in Heaven — a person cannot put God in debt to them so as to say “God you owe me because I am a good person”.

    The gift of salvation is free to all who believe because it was purchased by the shed, atoning blood of Jesus Christ.
    Ephesians 2:8-9 —
    “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”

    • I have to chuckle when I see religious people endlessly posting verses from manmade religious religious texts. We all know that humans are untrustworthy and fallable, and yet cult members will quote their MANMADE written religious texts as though those texts are 100% proven in-fallable.

      Question : If God has allowed religions to become so subverted and evil, then why wouldn’t God also allow these supposed religious texts to also become subverted and evil ? Actually, a better question is, WHY would God allow his words/ religion to become so subverted and evil ? I would think God would be willing to DESTROY any human or entity { like the Vatican} that dares to subvert the true words/commands of God and Gods writings. Your religions are a pathetic joke, and one of the most effective tools of TPTB.TPTB will NEVER allow any text or catalogue of information to fall into the hands of us peon slaves which 100% accurately explain the knowledge of creation, the universe, reality, time, space etc. Our lack of knowledge = POWER for TPTB therefore there is never a vested advantage for TPTB to allow us peons to become completely knowledgeable about the truths and origins or our creation. Its very possible that this life, we call reality, is actually the most vivid dream state created thru advanced computer simulations, holograms, etc. We think that when we are sleeping, that is our dream state and when we are awake we are in 100% reality state. What if both dream and awake is a state of dreaming/ simulation ?

      Anything we are given by TPTB, which claims to enlighten us with the truth, is something I always question as being a lie or a diversion. Your enemies never want you to have the knowledge they have, hence TPTB gave us all manmade religions and religious texts to embrace. Oh…happy easter, and dont forget to celebrate by letting your kids gorge on candy, chocolate sugar and soda pop, and dont forget to let your family engorge on a huge Easter meal. After all, this is the devoutly religious thing to do, to celebrate sky messiahs and pagan gods. Peace !

  23. The aliens that are trillions of years old who still have their memory say we’ve never found this thing that you call God.

    This is me saying if God created everything and God is on the outside of that shell and everything he created is on the inside of the shell ,so you’ll never be able to contact or see recognize this thing called God but God is something man-made up always has always will be.

    But the God on the outside of the shell would counter that and say you want to bet.

    • There’s evidence that the Vatican plays both sides of the coin. On the ground floor and above everything is religious looking up to par the standard to Jesus’s name but down underneath go down in the basement and you’ll find the satanic evil everything that’s the opposite of the top is down there in the basement that’s why they’re able to play both sides of the coin same way with your politicians we look good to you we act nice to you but deep down underneath in our basement is the evil satanic worst nightmare of your dreams

      • Now do these people believe in God or are they just flipping the coin on to their advantage is there really hell is there really heaven or is it like the alien say you’ve been preprogramed to go to the light, upon your death so that your memory is erased upon your reincarnation.

        But more intelligent beans that haven’t been subject to this treatment are able to leave a body before the body dies or they can take over a body that’s already left occupied every Spirit soul is different and its strength and its abilities and its power to go anywhere and do anything every Spirit Soul has its limitations.

        So with that we leave you those notes and you have a happy Easter.

        May all beings be lovingly fulfilled so be it

  24. The area I reside in, is considered a bible belt area. My property was constantly being trespassed upon by religious loons wanting to persuade me to join their delusional cult. I decided to put up 6 no trespassing signs, along with closed circuit cameras.

    The culties still come onto my property and bang on my door. Had 2 of them come here 2 weeks ago. They both got out of their car with bible in hand, and approached me. They said
    ” we want to ask your opinion if you believe the bible is the complete words of God” I replied ” IF BOTH OF YOU ACTUALLY FOLLOWED THE WORDS OF GOD AND THE BIBLE, YOU WOULD NOT HAVE IGNORED MY NO TRESSPASSING SIGNS, WHICH INSTRUCT YOU TO STAY OFF MY PERSONAL PROPERTY” . They turned around and left.

    After decades of studying religions and religious people, I now consider myself to be a spiritual agnostic. I admit that neither me or others know the true answers to our existence and the universe however, I think the 2 main possibilities that TPTB have given us
    { evolution, divine creation} are once again, LIES to keep us from figuring out the truth. Im more inclined to think we are lab rats, created by advanced aliens who are thousands of years ahead of humans in technological terms. I like to call them ” cosmic magicians” . They have mastered the mysteries of physics, science, medicine, gene splicing, technology, travel, etc. These cosmic magicians are so advanced, they would seem like divine GODS to us humans
    { but they aren’t divine Gods like is explained in faulty religious texts} , just like if we could go back in time only 100 years, and have technology like iphones, laptops, modern medicine ,etc to show to the society of 1918, the people in society would regard that as proof of a God. The best technology will often appear to be some type of mysterious godlike invention.

  25. I believe that most people that worship a religion, do so out of fear. They are terrified of what lies beyond, and religions soothe their fears along with making each individual feel like some type of moral superior to all others of differing religious beliefs. Worshipping a religion, gives a person the soothing feeling of being able to condemn other of opposing beliefs . I think religious texts would have been better if they all had this verse in them ” IF YOU CONDEM OR BELIEVE OTHERS OF OPPOSING BELEIFS, DESERVE TO ROT IN HELL FOR A ETNERITY, THEN YOU YOURSELF SHALL ROT IN HELL FOR A ETERNITY” . This would be just 1 way to help end the childish trite divisions that religions were designed to create in the 1st place.

  26. Don Juan emphasized to Carlos, “Death is an advisor, it is always with us”. It’s on a spot on the periphery of the luminous egg, behind our left shoulder. It helps ask the questions; is this action worth my death, this thought, this association? It can be lurking behind a pebble in the road. It can come at any moment, any place.. are we ready for the final struggle? That advice was 45+ years ago,, I’ve never forgotten. It was not about fear.

    Read the Bible several times. In distillation it is Matt 22:36-40. The rest is a history, stepped on so many times, written long after the events happened, that to take is literally is a giant leap. I’m not disputing it as a most relevant book. But what made the cut, what didn’t, who translated what.. (does not encourage its veracity) And certainly the Chronicle Project, regarding the oldest of the Old Testament has really piqued my interest (Thank You, Chris et al). And I chuckle at people that say,, well if God existed, why doe he allow.. blah blah blah… That is ultimate vanity, to pretend that we can know the mind of the Creator (or for the most shallow to even question if there is a Creator).

    When I was married, I paid for my wife to become a Cardiac Intensive Care Nurse.
    She would come home after a tough shift (most) and lament how old people, who had been relatively healthy their whole lives, would want every single absurd procedure, to cling to a few more months in diminished capacity. Fear of death is what makes out health care so expensive. Even if this side is misery, its preferable to the unknown.

    I don’t want to make any offensive generalities. There are 7+ billion of us, and I’ve yet to see anyone glow in the dark, or have all the right answers. I think we each have a small piece, that needs to be respected and cherished. After all, The Creator deemed we each should exist.. I just go with it.

    I’ve had plenty of vivid dreams,, explaining the past, portending the future. And I try to listen,, but that 1/3 of our lives asleep is a giant mystery,, and our science can peck at it, and they will never admit it has a soul.

    So, I long ago was convinced (as were my mother and brother), that we do this over and over. And each time the vail becomes easier to pull back.

    So in the late 90’s I found DR. Newton’s, ‘Journey of Souls’. Believing his explanation, rests on your acceptance of the validity of hypnosis,, particularly the techniques he developed. He regressed over 7,000 people, from the complete melting pot. Kept his work confidential, until he compared the similar results these clients had. His description, derived from his sessions,, is that we live– between lives. That is our true home, surrounded by peace and beauty,, and our best buds (who we’ve shared this earth deal with, over and over).+- We regroup, plan the next trip to earth, try to get better.

    He solidified what I had often glimpsed. I won’t ramble about his complete findings. But I’ve tested his hypothesis constantly, and I think its the best description of our little funny world (out of 3 trillion galaxies). Newton doesn’t talk about the Big Guy, cause He is never seen. There is NO answer to Why? We are way too small to get the big picture.

    So I have NO fear of death. and while I’m here, I try to spread love, and it’s given back to me (thanks Christ). And I know, the more I know; the more I don’t know. and death can be lurking behind the next pebble. and I’ll be ready to struggle, but with out fear.

    Thanks Mr. Ure, the newsletter is always great,, thanks for the terrific effort, and the wide variety. And you are a nexus for a wonderful group of readers and commenters.

  27. Being born again, IMO, is that one needs to shed all thought forms that are gained in growing up that are cultural morals and not simply born from love.

    Don’t remember where, but somewhere in Christian tradition is speaks of being as little children as they are closer to god than you as we grow we gain cultural stereotypes which serve no good.

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