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"Creative Visualization" experiments


Tom Booth

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I played with some of this stuff myself for a while. But I was concerned about getting caught up in the phenomena, the gee whiz aspect, and not giving enough attention or study to see how or if it fit in to a larger puzzle. I felt that for myself, treating it as a toy was trivializing it, and that I also didn't have the knowledge or experience or wisdom to manage it wisely; towards the end I felt like it was managing me and I didn't like that feeling, so I put it aside and focused on the spiritual aspects of my life & the world around me. It's still kinda cool, but not for me.

Fair enough,

I'm not entirely sure that it is "for me" either.

I was a rather extreme skeptic to begin with, and to a certain extent, still am.

I started out this thread saying that I was mainly interested in what precipitates these kind of "mind-over-matter" experiences so that further study could be made rather than determining or arguing about IS IT REAL OR NOT.

In that regard, I'm interested in the "nuts and bolts" so that such experiences (real phenomenon OR perhaps hallucinations) could be further studied, either from the perspective of the "hard sciences" or from a psychological perspective.

It seemed to me the first order of business is to know enough about the phenomenon and it's "mechanics" so as to render it reproducible under controlled conditions.

An advanced "Yogi" / Guru may believe and experience that he has mastered the power of materializing a physical object, and he may even be able to demonstrate this power to his "followers".

He may explain in some detail how he managed to accomplish such a thing or how anyone might develop such a power.

There are at least two possibilities though, Having mastered the POWER to accomplish such a thing, what has actually been accomplished ?

A real power to materialize an object or some form of hypnosis which has the power only to somehow persuade himself and his audience that a real materialization has taken place ?

Before the later question can be answered in a truly "scientific" manner enough has to be known about the phenomenon to render it reliably reproducible.

That is all a rather long way from the question: Does it have any use or practical application in my own or anyone else's life or for society as a whole, other than as, perhaps, a form of entertainment at parties or perhaps a psychological panacea to take the edge off life's miseries.

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In the post above I stated that I would provide some "examples". That is, accounts of strange experiences that might even constitute "materializations" in some instances, but which seem to follow a certain pattern as previously outlined. Here's one of my favorites: The case of George Adamski:

Adamski was a flying saucer investigator. He started out a skeptic but became very interested in the possibility that flying saucers might in fact be real. After a converation with some millitary officers he writes: "I began to observe the skies more closely..."

Later, in his book, Adamski describes how this interest developed into a kind of an obsession:

"Since then, winter and summer, day and night, through heat and cold, winds, rains, and fog, I have spent every moment possible outdoors watching the skies for space craft and hoping without end that for some reason, some time, one of them would come close, and even land. I have always felt that if the pilot within one of these ships would come out and we could meet, there would be a way for us to understand one another, even though our words might be different...

"Night after night I stayed outdoors watching the heavens... during the long winter nights... cold winds wrapped me round and seemed to penetrate to the very marrow of my bones... Once I caught such a cold that it took me many weeks to recover, but still I persisted. The saucers were a challenge and I could not stop..."

He followed all the news reports about UFO sightings. Took hundreds of photographs through his telescope of objects he thought might be space ships, only a few of which, when developed, ever showed anything. He gave lectures... It became his whole life,... his one dream... to actually meet a visitor from another planet.

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Then one day, he was with some other UFO enthusiasts out in the desert... They had come well prepared for anything.

They were standing and watching an airplane go by, then:

"Suddenly and simultaneously we all turned as one, looking again toward the closest mountain ridge where just a few minutes before the first plane had crossed. Riding high, and without sound, there was a gigantic cigar-shaped silvery ship, without wings or appendages of any kind...

(Note: It's not unusual for a jet liner to appear like a Cyclinder without wings, depending on the viewing angle. T.B.)

"Excitedly Dr. Williamson exclaimed, 'Is that a space ship?' "At first glance it looked like a fuselage of a very large ship with the sun's rays reflecting brightly from its unpainted sides,...

"Schooled in caution against over-excitement and quick conclusions, especially in regard to aircraft, Lucy replied, 'No, George, I don't believe it is.'

'But that baby's high! And see how big it is!' exclaimed Al.

'And, Lucy! It doesn't have wings or any other appendages like our planes do!' persisted George. And turning to me, 'What do you think, Adamski?'

"Before I could answer, Lucy interrupted. 'You're right, George! Look!

It's orange on top--the whole length!'

"Excitement filled the air as the truth was quickly realized, and everybody began talking at once..."

From this point on... though he was at first cautious,... Adamski, with his small group of 'disciples' or 'believers' who's excitement

has reached a fever pitch, (whatever they all thought they saw) Adamski takes

on a "UFO Guru" type role. Suddenly he "knows" what the supposed UFO is going to do as if in some sort of psychic rapport with the "pilot".

Adamski begins giving the other instructions:

"I said, 'Someone take me down the road---quick! That ship has come looking for me and I don't want to keep them waiting!...

"Don't ask me why I said this or how I knew. I have already said that I have a habit of following my feelings, and that this is the way I felt. But I cannot tell you why... I felt a definite need for haste, but as I think back over my experiences, I am not sure whether this feeling was coming from those in the big ship, or being created by my own excitement.

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Admski continues the account:

"I told Al. and Lucy to get back to the others as quickly as possible and for all of them to watch closely for anything that might take place.

"As I have said before, I had many times entertained dreams of actually meeting the personnel of some of the craft I had been clicking my camera at for several years...

"... I only wished I could have seen the one who was operating that beautiful craft and could have had a chance to talk to him...

"Suddenly my reverie was broken as my attention was called to a man standing at the entrance of a ravine between two low hills, about a quarter of a mile away...

"A prospector perhaps? Or someone living among these mountains? I had thought no one would be within miles of this spot when I chose it. Or could he be a rock hound, stranded way out here?... I started toward him, mentally questioning in a minor way, but still feeling the exaltation of my recent experience.

"As I approached him a strange feeling came upon me and I became cautious. At the same time I looked round to reassure myself that we were both in full sight of my companions. Outwardly there was no reason for this feeling, for the man looked like any other man...

"Although I did not understand the strange feeling that persisted,... I continued walking toward him...

"Suddenly, as though a veil was removed from my mind, the feeling of caution left me... I was no longer aware of my friends or whether they were observing me as they had been told to do. By this time we were quite close. He took four steps toward me, bringing us within arm's length of each other.

"Now, for the first time I fully realized that I was in the presence of a man from space--A HUMAN BEING FROM ANOTHER WORLD! I had not seen his ship as I was walking toward him, nor did I look around for it now. I did not even think of his ship, and I was so stunned by this sudden realization that I was speechless. My mind seemed to temporarily stop functioning."

I like this account in particular, because Adamski provides details about what he was thinking, his

thought process itself and what was going through his mind (or not going through his mind, as the case may be.) at the time of his experience.

From this point on... (from the time he says: "my mind seemed to temporarily stop functioning") there is no more doubt. Adamski goes on to describe a full blown encounter with this "Man from Venus". They are able to communicate by "telepathy" or mental pictures, just as Adamski had anticipated they would all those years...

In many ways, the experience he describes conforms to the expectations he talks about earlier in the book.

What is most notable about this case, I think, is something that will appear again in other cases... that is, his statement, at the climax of his experience; "My mind seemed to temporarily stop functioning."

I think it is safe to say NOW today that there are no space people living on Venus. It seems Venus is incapable of supporting any kind of humanoid life form. Therefore, I would tend to conclude that the whole experience was a hallucination. However...

...Adamski and his companions returned home believing that they had concrete "physical" evidence.

They all SAW Adamski's encounter and signed sworn affidavits to that effect, copies of which appear in the book.

The imaginary man from Venus left footprints ! and they were able to make several plaster castings of these footprints which had strange unearthly markings on the soles, After the encounter they all saw the spacecraft take off.

Adamski, walking back to the spacecraft with the man from Venus, got too close to the ship at one point and his right arm apparently got caught in the anti-gravity field which was holding if off the ground and with a sudden jerk his arm was wrenched upward causing numbness and pain for some weeks after the experience, (Or did he have some kind of stroke?)

The "space brother" took one of Adamski's photographic plates away with him on the space ship, returning it a few weeks later with some strange symbols and a diagram of the spacecraft which he believed to be an explanation of the ships propulsion system...

Later Adamski writes:

"Certain students of this subject have asked me if I thought saucers and their occupants might normally be 'etheric' in nature or texture, but be able to 'condense' and so take on 'solidarity' and 'visibility' in Earth's environment... for now I am confining myself to a factual accounting of what I actually saw and heard on that memorable 20 November and the texture and substance of both this man and his ship were far from being anything through which you could stick your finger. It was 'solid' in the way anything else is solid in our three- dimension world.

The atmosphere of Venus is so acidic it dissolved the first few space probes sent there. It's surface temperature is hot enough to melt lead. So... was the whole Adamski encounter with a spaceman from Venus a hoax, a hallucination or what ?

Rather than draw any conclusions as to the "REALITY" or "UNREALITY" of the whole episode,... looking at a variety of such perplexing anomalies or reported experiences, I started to notice parallels in regard to the state of mind involved, in cases where a description was given.

Edited by Tom Booth
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Part of the scientific method is said to be the avoidance or attempted avoidance of "experimenter bias". This kind of, IMO, puts (conventional material) science in the strange position of trying to avoid "mental influences" that may slant the interpretation of experimental results while in general, simultaneously denying that "mental influences" exist in the first place.

Aside from that, the scientific method itself seems to adhere to the pattern previously outlined.

first there is an hypothesis. I don't think it can be said that there is not some expectation in that, though tentative.

second there is the experiment to test the hypothesis. Some procedure is carried out that is supposed to produce some result in accordance with the previously formulated hypothesis.

third it is generally conceded that a "good" scientific observer will be mentally passive. For example: Claud Bernard wrote regarding "The Experimental Method" -

"To be true to the principles of the experimental method, a scientist must satisfy two sorts of conditions, and he must possess two qualities of mind which are indispensable for reaching his goal and discovering the truth.

"As an observer, he must describe simply. His only concern should be to avoid errors of observation. He must see what is there, no more and no less... He must observe without preconceived ideas. His mind must be passive...

"And it is only after he has carefully noted the results of his experiment, just as he would do for any ordinary observation, that he may allow himself to reason, compare, and try to reach a decision as to whether his experimental hypothesis has been verified or falsified by these results...

"To return to the figure of speech used earlier, we could say that the experimenter puts questions to nature, but that as soon as she speaks, he must stop talking and take notes, listening until the very end...

"When it comes to recording the results of the experiment, I would insist on strict observation without recourse to the preconceived idea which led to that observation... The observer does not reason, but merely takes note of the facts."

Does the Scientific Method sometimes produce apparent "miracles", opening doors into new possibilities, new realities because, in a certain sense, it has, perhaps unconsciously, adopted the method of miracle working common in religion ?

It could be assumed I think, that if there were some "science" or reliable METHOD for producing "mind-over-matter" type effects, such a method would be universally applicable. That is, it would find parallels even in regard to the developments in science itself, these of necessity also being manifestations of "mind-over-mater", if such phenomenon exists at all.

In other words, if "creative visualization" were a REAL phenomenon with REAL mind-over-matter" type consequences then there would be evidence of that in relation to new scientific "discoveries" and the way in which science itself progresses. Is science discovering previously unknown aspects of reality or is it perhaps making progress by creating new realities out of whole cloth ?

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That is all a rather long way from the question: Does it have any use or practical application in my own or anyone else's life or for society as a whole, other than as, perhaps, a form of entertainment at parties or perhaps a psychological panacea to take the edge off life's miseries.

Hello,

I can not speak for other people, only myself. My practical application for these skills can be described as personal physical, mental, emotional well being. Which translates to a joy which society as a whole can notice and appreciate or ignore. It is true that those of us who have a particular focus or interest will see it as a form of party entertainment. That is just as appropriate for them as it would be for a person who would wish to be involved with healing practices.

The practical value is subjective, as I see it.

John

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Speaking for myself, I only use whatever talents I have when I am called to do so, never for entertainment or self-gratification, or money, or just to prove that I can. I use it only when I think it can be of help to someone, fully cognizant that not everyone would find it helpful, so it's more of an intuitive thing for me. As I said earlier, I used to play around with some of this stuff, and eventually every cell in my body screamed to knock it off, so I did. I think that short story, "The Rocking Horse Winner" that I read when I was a kid has a message in it that I've never forgotten.

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Hello,

I can not speak for other people, only myself. My practical application for these skills can be described as personal physical, mental, emotional well being. Which translates to a joy which society as a whole can notice and appreciate or ignore. It is true that those of us who have a particular focus or interest will see it as a form of party entertainment. That is just as appropriate for them as it would be for a person who would wish to be involved with healing practices.

The practical value is subjective, as I see it.

John

What I've been mainly interested in and experimented with over the years is the possibility of "Creative Visualization" producing OBJECTIVE physical, observable results.

I came across one account where visualization was used in healing or curing diseases. What I found most interesting was an account of an apparently successful "healing" that involved a genetic abnormality. I don't remember all the details at the moment or the source. Perhaps when I have more time I'll track it down. It was online somewhere, but it was years ago.

I did however become interested in the work of Luther Burbank for similar reasons. Burbank introduced some 800 new varieties of fruits, flowers, grains and vegetables.

Accounts from those who visited him and studied his work habits say that he went about his work with plants as if in a kind of hypnotic trance. Burbank himself claimed to be psychic, able to communicate with plants so as to convey his wishes.

There is no doubt that he used visualization. Picturing in his mind the shape and qualities of the new variety he wished to bring into being.

What I also found interesting is that Burbank credited a book by Charles Darwin as the source of his inspiration: "The Variation of Plants and Animals under Domestication".

http://darwin-online...estication.html

In that work Darwin quotes several plant and animal breeders: A few excerpts follow:

[quote

]"... when selection is brought into play all is changed; for this is the foundation-stone in the formation of new races;(...) for the breeder has a distinct object in view, namely, to preserve some character which has actually appeared; or to create some improvement already pictured in his mind.

---

"...the cultivator should have "in his mind an ideal of beauty, for the realization of which he works with head and hand." We thus see how clearly Mr. Paul, an eminently successful cultivator of this flower, appreciates the action of methodical selection.

--------

Few persons, except breeders, are aware of the systematic care taken in selecting animals, and of the necessity of having a clear and almost prophetic vision into futurity. Lord Spencer's skill and judgment were well known; and he writes,5 "It is therefore very desirable, before any man commences to breed either cattle or sheep, that he should make up his mind to the shape and qualities he wishes to obtain, and steadily pursue this object." Lord Somerville, in speaking of the marvelous improvement of the New Leicester sheep, effected by Bakewell and his successors, says, "It would seem as if they had first drawn a perfect form, and then given it life." Youatt urges the necessity of annually drafting each flock, as many animals will certainly degenerate "from the standard of excellence which the breeder has established in his own mind."

It also seems that present day successful plant and animal breeders also proceed in the same way. Clearly visualizing in advance the shape and qualities of whatever new breed of animal or variety of plant they are endeavoring to bring into being.

These kind of results are by no means purely subjective.

In an advertisement for the work Burbank endorsed the book "Applied Psychology" by Dr. David Van Bush. This was a series of lectures on visualization more or less in the "New Thought" or "Law of Attraction" category as far as I can gather.

Burbank and other plant and animal breeders certainly used conventional plant and animal breeding methodologies other than visualization but, as Darwin further writes:

When animals or plants are born with some conspicuous and firmly inherited new character, selection is reduced to the preservation of such individuals, and to the subsequent prevention of crosses; so that nothing more need be said on the subject. But in the great majority of cases a new character, or some superiority in an old character, is at first faintly pronounced, and is not strongly inherited; and then the full difficulty of selection is experienced. Indomitable patience, the finest powers of discrimination, and sound judgment must be exercised during many years. A clearly predetermined object must be kept steadily in view. Few men are endowed with all these qualities, especially with that of discriminating very slight differences; judgment can be acquired only by long experience; but if any of these qualities be wanting, the labor of a life may be thrown away. I have been astonished when celebrated breeders, whose skill and judgment have been proved by their success at exhibitions, have shown me their animals, which appeared all alike, and have assigned their reasons for matching this and that individual. The importance of the great principle of Selection mainly lies in this power of selecting scarcely appreciable differences, which nevertheless are found to be transmissible, and which can be accumulated until the result is made manifest to the eyes of every beholder.

...we may smile at the solemnity of these precepts, but he who laughs will win no prizes."

Darwin, apparently, in his many observations, by his own account could not actually see or discern any differences in the animals selected for breeding by those successful breeders he was acquainted with. He explains this by making the logical assumption that such breeders have some special "power of discrimination" or ability of "discriminating very slight differences" no one else has. He confesses at least that he did not have it. Apparently, and quite suddenly in some cases the new variety with the qualities sought after would make an appearance that would be "made manifest to the eyes of every beholder."

It seems to me that Darwin, although he made many observations and gathered much material that is suggestive in regard to the power of human imagination or "visualization" to effect genetic changes in plants and animals under their care, he was entirely blind to or simply ignored any possible metaphysical implications.

"But how do you begin? What is the very first thing?" a visitor insists.

The "very first thing" I have already described - it is the conception of an ideal, a mental picture of the new plant form desired."

http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/cgi-bin/HistSciTech/HistSciTech-idx?type=turn&entity=HistSciTech.Burbank03.p0025&id=HistSciTech.Burbank03&isize=M&q1=Burbank,%20Luther,%201849-1926

Edited by Tom Booth
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Visualisation could be very helpful. But, caution is advised.

http://www.abardoncompanion.de/Celibacy.html

"A larva is something you create yourself, subconsciously, out of your own astra-mental energy."

"Most larvae are very weak and short lived, but the stronger emotions, thoughts and desires, create longer lived and much stronger larvae called phantoms. A phantom has a strong will to survive and to do this, it must actively feed off its creator's astra-mental energy."

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But a woman who had been suffering from a hemorrhage for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. For she kept saying to herself, "If only I touch his cloak, I will be healed." But when Jesus turned and saw her he said, "Have courage, daughter! Your faith has made you well." And the woman was healed from that hour.

(Mathew 9:20-22)

What is "Faith" ?

According to the basic definition of the original Greek word in the New Testament faith is roughly equivalent to and sometimes alternately translated as "belief".

Certainly, in my opinion anyway, it could not mean a "blind faith" in Christian Teachings. When Jesus was first going around teaching and healing people there was as yet no "Church" no "Christianity" no formal doctrine or dogma.

In the above narrative, what the woman actually BELIEVED is stated quite simply: "If only I touch his cloak, I will be healed." That was her FAITH, her belief. Plain and simple. She had only one thought on her mind which she kept repeating to herself.

Some Bible commentators make this clear, I'll give one example that is available online for convenience and because it appears to be non-denominational (not pushing any particular organized "Belief System" or Christian sect as far as I can tell):

"A Working Definition

"What then is faith? ... Webster defines faith as, "unquestioning belief that does not require proof or evidence; complete trust, confidence, or reliance." This definition implies that faith has an object, either a person or an idea or a truth that is trusted, confided in, or relied upon...

"...one is either doubting the object in question, or one is not; there is no gray area here. ...if one is doubting an object then one has NO faith in that object, not weak faith. Doubt and faith are not warm bedfellows: if doubt is present then faith is not.

"... Faith is complete trust, complete confidence, complete reliance. Faith is, by definition, the complete absence of doubt... Faith is always "nothing wavering." (James 1:6) " If ye have faith, and doubt not." (Matt 21:21) "...shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe." (Mark 11:23) When there is any particle of doubt or unbelief in an object, faith is completely absent concerning that object.

"...the presence of doubt completely excludes faith; if one can be doubting and have faith at the same time about the same thing then the passage cannot be true as it stands.

"...This implies that any doubt at all is classified as unbelief. The presence of any minute trace of doubt with respect to some object of trust or belief or activity directly implies the absence of faith with respect to that object. Faith in a specific object (the idea or truth) cannot therefore be treated as a value on a continuum, such as big or little. Instead, faith must be treated as a discrete value: on or off, yes or no: faith and belief being one state and doubt and unbelief the other."

http://www.ableever...._substance.html

Faith is a STATE OF MIND in which there is only ONE THOUGHT and no other thoughts to contradict it.

We might think of this as a Laser like concordance of thought. A singleness of mind as opposed to being "double minded". Like light waves acting in concert as in a laser rather than scattered, going in different directions.

Edited by Tom Booth
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In Yoga also, what leads to the various powers or Siddhis is Dharana, translated "single focus" or single-pointed concentration and focus on some one object. "one pointed concentration".

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In Yoga also, what leads to the various powers or Siddhis is Dharana, translated "single focus" or single-pointed concentration and focus on some one object. "one pointed concentration".

Yoga is interesting. But, tere are two different paths. A path to achieve nirvana = end the cykle of life and death. And a path for obtain siddhis and better life. Good are translantion of original easten texts.

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