Unlike some previous attempts at battlefield psi ops, there is actual technology involved this time:

The project has three major goals, according to Darpa. First, try to map a person’s EEG patterns to his or her individual words. Then, see if those patterns are generalizable — if everyone has similar patterns. Last, “construct a fieldable pre-prototype that would decode the signal and transmit over a limited range.”

Neat stuff, for sure, and at least slightly more likely to be taken seriously than the well-known and much ridiculed Stargate remote viewing project that went on for years.

The success of Stargate is heavily disputed by many but its alumni spawned a private company or two shortly after the “official” project was discontinued.

The Farsite Instiute, the better known of the spin-offs, hasn’t done a whole lot to bolster confidence in remote viewing–or the people who offer training in such things. It’s been riddled with a bit of controvercy and in-fighting for years and some of it’s more public predictions (like the insitance that aliens would make themselves known “soon”–it’s been a decade or so since).

Psi Tech is a few years older than Farsite, but it’s history sounds no less like some fantasy spy novel. Their website does nothing to erase or dilute that “psi-fi” image.

Both organizations, though, do put forward an interesting set of theories and experimental control schems that should, eventually, allow some sort of independent verification of their claims.

The problem is, as is often the case with psychic phenomenon, no matter how tight your controls, repeatablility is always a problem. In a very soft science like remote viewing–which often requires heavy intrpretation of quick sketches and anecdotal descriptions of what the viewer is seeing–two outsiders looking at the same set of raw data can (and do) see very different things.

But, the new military “psychic” devices appear to be much  more centered on the indisputable biological and electrical activity in the brain, so maybe we’re finally on the right track.

Of course, as much as I applaud the fringe research, I can’t help but think our money right now would be better spent in other areas of research. Save the government funded fringe research for when our coffers are full. Leave this stuff up to the eccentric private sector folks (like those mentioned above) and then, when the economic climate is a bit better, actually make use of their research and build upon it.

Lucid dreaming is something that I do on a semi-regular basis–either planned or unplanned.

Do you lucid dream?

Have you ever found yourself in a recursive dream, lucid or otherwise? (One where you “wake up” and then realize that, no, you’re still dreaming.)

Have you ever felt trapped in a dream, lucid or otherwise? (Where you know you have to escape but can’t.)

Tell me about these dreams.

Or, perhaps more specifically, I don’t perceive them the same way and that perception difference manifests in my mind processing the visual data differently.

This becomes most apparent when going through photos. I’ll see someone, recognize them and then get a solid *whack* of dissonance in my head as the mental image doesn’t at all match the picture I’m looking at. In face-to-face situations, the dissonance can be even more unnerving as my mind flips back and forth between the actual visual data and the interpreted appearance.

Thankfully, it doesn’t happen all that often… nor does it happen consistently with certain people. It seems to mostly be situational or related to the mood of the person or myself. It’s more prone to come up with those I’ve met in metaphysical situations, which, really, isn’t that surprising. Sometimes it’s infinitely more intense than others.

Yes, there have been people I have not at all recognized in person after meeting them numerous times in various situations.

So what, exactly is going on with that?

Physiologically, I’m sure there’s some sort of explanation–we all know there are numerous things that go on in the process of memory creation and visual interpretation that can get fouled up by any number of different things. It may just all be in my head… as is the case with most things that fall under the purview of this blog.

Metaphysically speaking, it seems that these secondary images–these Second Looks that people have–are connected to a few different things.

The first and most easily acceptable for me is some sort of past life connection. The most intense (and confusing) time I had this happen was with a young woman I met at a pagan workshop. We clicked pretty quickly and ended up going on a cross country trip together. The problem was, whenever I looked at her or thought about her she didn’ t look at all like the person that showed up in the pictures I had. It wasn’t until some things played out in a dream–where I recognized the setting as the location of one of my past lives–that things fell into place. I was seeing her as she had been in that life, not in the current one the camera was able to a capture.

A second explanation is connected to the masks we wear in our interactions and the different energies we project when playing those parts. This is a very context-oriented thing for most people. “When I’m out at the club, this is who I am. When I’m at the office, this is who I am.” We all do this to one extent or another and we’ve all seen what it’s like to run into that person from a specific venue when they’re “out of costume”–no makeup, no fancy clothes, in a hurry to get somewhere else. We all have trouble recognizing them. What I’m talking about is one step beyond that–the projection takes on a metaphysical aspect that can leave it looking like a double-exposure at times. Not as vague as an aura, almost as real as good special effects makeup.

Of those two explanations, I’ve run into the past life one the most. The second is (thankfully) rare in most normal social situations (and can be downright creepy if you don’t know what it is). Both speak volumes to me about the inner workings of the person and my interaction with them.

Both explanations leave me wondering if I have some Second Look that others see.

Do you see people differently from as they are? Are you aware when you are working with an altered visual reference? What cause to you normally attribute these Second Looks to?

In fact, I kind of count on it to keep my life interesting.

So far, I haven’t been disappointed.

I’ve stumbled into most of the great things in my life–my relationships, my jobs, my most interesting ideas and experiences–almost always while looking for something that, at best, was only vaguely related.

Being able to accept the kinds of happy accidents that serendipity provides is a key part of being a Searcher. If you are too focused on the goal you have set out after, you miss out on the added benefits of the journey. Very often it is those side discoveries that provide what is really needed… even if you don’t know you need it before it is found.

Serendipity sometimes has odd sense of humor about it, leading you to find something quite the opposite of what you were expecting. That kind of whiplash can lead to a whole cascade of realizations all its own. Sometimes it can even change you (often for the better) to the core of your being.

You can open yourself up to serendipitous experiences by being observant in your daily life. It’s the signs and portents around us that let the subconscious play and connect random dots into strange pictures. You also have to be secure enough in your ability to adapt to deep changes in your situation–otherwise your natural psychological defense mechanisms kick in and suppress the realization of the new information added, potentially prolonging your arriving at both your intended destination and the (potentially more important) one serendipity has placed along your path.

A second way to open yourself up to serendipity is to be slightly vague in your stated goals from time to time. Doing so allows both your mind and the Universe to be flexible with how ultimate solutions are reached. It may take a little longer–but, again, the journey is a learning experience all its own and may be more important than the destination.

For those needing a third way to encourage serendipitous happenings, I offer this simple idea: Chase the White Rabbit. It worked for Alice. Something odd caught her eye and, diverging from the path she had been on, she followed it. Her adventures are something we’re all familiar with and, if nothing else, a study in stumbling along into interesting things. If we put the energy into exploring the tangents that appear around us, we become accustom to shifting our focus and accepting new ideas and directions.

Our mundane day to day lives can be tedious and boring. They can sap us of our creativity and active energy. Even worse, they can strip from us the vitality we need to thrive and live the life we deserve. Being open to the serendipitous, being flexible and aware enough to notice is and being brave enough to follow bits of it, can revive our joy in life.

Or, at least, keep us distracted and entertained until enlightenment kicks in.

What kinds of serendipitous experiences have you had? How open are you to randomness in your life?

Needless to say, that piqued my interest. Partially because she was pulling in $10,000 a month per client, but mostly because it was reported straight, fair and prominently by Newsweek.

That kind of coverage doesn’t happen all that often in the metaphysical arena. Articles from mainstream media sources are usually tongue-in-cheek, snide, “fluffy” or downright discrediting. But here was an article that laid it all out pretty plainly: respectable businesses and psychic can and do work together.

Just the other day in USA Today, another article talks about how there’s a boom in patronage of psychics and intuitives. As is to be expected, it’s not the deepest or most informative bit of writing, but the cenral fact echoes sentiments that have been showing up in numerous places for months now. Wired had an article about psychic business back in November about it that put it like this:

The boom in superstition is a predicable response to troubling times, says Columbia Business School professor Gita Johar, who’s studied the phenomenon. “If the future is uncertain, people turn to psychics,” Johar says. Consumers tend to embrace the supernatural when confronted by stress, combined with uncertainty. “You have an illusion then that you can then control the outcome. People want the illusion of control.”

Even The New Scientist agrees that when times get tough, people take to things they would otherwise avoid… like psychics.

“Uncertain times” may be a bit of an understatement at this point. With the Wall Street numbers bouncing around like jumping beans on speed and numerous other social and political things going on around the nation (and world), there’s no telling what’s going to be important tomorrow morning. Our interconnected system is being laid bare by a shared global uncertainty the likes of which we haven’t seen.

And so, it’s no surprise that there’s an uptick in the schedules of pshycics and intuitives all around. This, of course, raises the question: Is now the time for those of us with an intutive, psychic and/or metaphysical bend to make a puch for more recognized legitimacy?

The time would seem to be ripe, with the current media coverage and businesses apparently finally willing to talk about their use of non-standard consultants. The market is there if already established practioners are being swamped, there’s space for new growth.

Perhaps more importantly, there may be a moral impertive for thow with talent and solid eithics to actively pursue exposure over the charlatans and cheats that will undoubtedly rush to fill the growing demand from a public who knows most of their psychic lore from popular TV shows and couldn’t spot a fake if their life depended on it.

I know I’ve held off for years on “going pro” with my ideas for becoming a professional Tarot reader and intuitive consultant. (Though I have floated them around a little before–like on this rough draft of a site.) Why? Because I remain concerned about credibility and acceptance. I worry that stepping fully into the role of “professional psychic” would get in the way of my other professional interests.

Now… I’m becoming less sure one would be a detriment to the other.

I’m interested in hearing what you out there think about that credibility line. Is “Intuitive Business” coming into its own now? Should the psychic community push for better recognition and more obvious standards for those who go into business? And, even if you don’t think there’s such a thing as a “real” psychic, does applying the intuitive process to an unpredictable situation really hurt anyone in the long run (especially since we seem to be wired for irrationality in some situations)?

As I’ve mentioned before, I’m a man of science as well as a man of faith. One foot in each world, as firmly planted as I can manage. That’s how it’s always been and that’s how I’m hoping to keep it until either I’m forced to pick just one side or until the world catches up and can hold both ideas in the popular consciousness without serious dissonnance. (I’m hoping for the latter.)

Over the years, I’ve read more than a little on the physiological, chemical and psychological intricacies of brain/body/world interaction. The main conclusion I’ve come to is: it’s some pretty darn complex stuff that we’re not even close to fully understanding just yet.

The secondary conclusion is that, once we do understand all the science behind it, we’ll be able to do the most amazing things. Or, at least, the people who understand the science will.

That’ll leave a whole lot of people out of the loop.

This is where the Metaphysical Framework comes in.

Over the course of human history, non-scientists have come up with a whole lot of little things that echo, in one way or another, a lot of the science we’re just getting to now (mostly thanks to wonderful new imaging technologies that let us spy on the inner workings of our brain). Through the metaphores and imaginings that have come about from observation and trial and error, our ancestors managed amazing things.

Perhaps one of the most amazing was working out their own mental well-being. What we do now with therapists and big name drugs, they did with their religious leaders and natures bountiful psychotropic crops. Long before modern psychotherapy developed, the faithful worked through their problems from within the framework of their religious beliefes.

It seems that the trend toward beliving in the metaphysical is an intrinsic part of what we are as humans. And, this is the important part, it’s helped us make due in an unkind world for millennia.

None of this is to say that we should eschew science and focus on metaphysics. Quite the contrary–I think we should work harder at understanding the classic metaphysical remedies through our modern science.

But when it comes down to it, it is infinitely easier to get your average person on the street to help themselves via some well worded metaphors, internal visualizations and repeated mantras than it is to get them to understand that the root of their problem is some mis-firing neurons that, with the proper bio-feebdack equipment, they could re-train to work correctly.

Why a metaphysical framework for development? Because the entry bar is lower and the return on effort is quicker (if applied correctly).

Yes, there have been many, many people who’ve taken advantage of that, causing all sorts of grief for those who sought their help. But even the medical profession and the world of hard science are riddled with charlatans.

No way is exempt from abuse… but no way is also the only way to solve problems.

The metaphysical framework is a tool. When wielded with skill and morality, it can do much to make life better for others. When brought to bear along with more modern techniques (like modern medicine), the benefit to body and soul (or, if you must, percieved mental well-being) is more amazing than anything else out there.

Some are drawn to it by life events and an innate craving for something more. Others stumble upon it, not fully aware that they’ve even begun until they look back on the lessons they’ve learned.

Among those myrid reasons, there are some that seem more common than others. This is a partial list.

1. Knowledge

The arcane world claims many secrets that even modern science can’t quite grasp. Perhaps it is ancient knowledge, long forgotten or kept secret by mysterious powers. Perhaps it is nothing more than misrepresented folklore. Those on this path tend to be methodical and willing to put in long hours learning obscure languages and traveling in search of rare manuscripts. Regardless of where the search takes them, Initiates who begin their path looking for this hidden knowledge take more pleasure in the journey than the destination. They may be laughed at by their more conventionally scientific compatriots, but they are no less thorough or meticulous in their work.

2. Wisdom

Very similar to those who seek Knowledge, those who seek Wisdom may forgo logic and sensibility all together, instead relying entirely on intuition and “gifted” messages from the world around them. This path has the added pitfall of often leading quite close to what outsiders would percieve as insanity. The rewards, if and when they are realized, are hard to deny–a lasting sense of inner peace and understanding.

3. Power

Many are the stories of powerful sorceres who do good or ill in the world around them. Those who feel trod upon may begin their path to power in order to assert themselves more fully on the circumstances or people who push them around. Others may see it as a venue for righting other wrongs. Ego can be a dangerous pitfall for those who come to the mystical arts seeking only power. They can become disheartened and bitter when they discover it doesn’t work like in the fairy tales or movies. They can also discover the strength within themselves to manifest their will in the real world. Hopefully, they will also discover the Wisdom to use whatever power they gain in a reasonable and beneficial manner.

4. Control

Much like the motivation of Power, the impetus of Control can be the seeking of an internal or external influence. Esoteric forces can be used to help the individual control his or her own mind better, leading to better focus and productivity. Meditation and phsycial exercises are often a big part of the pathwork those seeking control utilize. But control can also be sought over others, learning the lessons of manipulation and subterfuge, toying with the energies of those around you for your own benefit–or the benefit of others. Anyone who walks the path toward control will find it in their best interesst to do so with the goal of wisdom in their perfiery.

5. Enlightenment

The loftiest of all goals, Enlightenment is about transcendence and evolution of the spirit. Those who come to a path seeking enlightenment will undoubtedly find themselves delving into all schools and being tested by many forces, both physical and metaphysical.  There is no One Way to journey to the pinnacle and beyond, and none of the ways that exist are quick or easy.

I originally came to my path seeking knowledge, then wisdom. Now, I hope to dedicate myself more fully to a path that will enlighten me and better allow me to help ease the transitions of those around me.

For me, the number represented an amazing change in being. A freeing from many of the things that held me back from knowing–let alone being–who I could be. It was a year that led me to realize just how interconnected all things are. A year when I learned what real Friendship was all about (and how I had been thinking of it wrong in the past).

In a way, it all falls in nicely with the meaning held in high regard by those who walk the path of Thelema. It serves as the numerical representation for both of their key concepts: Love and Will.

Right now, the more relevant of those concepts is Love.

Agape, the Greek work for the particular kind of love spoken of in most religions (or, at least, the Greek word for Love that was appropriated by early Christians and serves quite well to differentiate). It is a pure and complete Love–the basis for everything that is.

Over the years, I’ve found it quite useful to begin from that point and, based on individual experience, dial back that “free and clear” love. Part of me remains vigilant, aware and waiting for the betrayal of trust, but another part always remains open to that free flowing positive influence of unconditional Love.

By no means does that make me some sort of bunny and marshmallow squishy New Age stereotype. On the contrary, it makes me all the more aware of how nasty and separated from one another we humans have let ourselves become.

Suspicion, duplicity as the norm, self-centered thinking to the detriment of all–things like that run rampant when we don’t realize that we’re all in this life together (and none of us are making it out any more alive than anyone else). There are near infinite examples of a lack of Love that we’re exposed to day in and day out. Even in our own lives, we’re more often than not left doubting whether anyone really cares about us.

Starting from the negative, it’s almost impossible to work our way to the positive side of acceptance.

But if you accept, even for a moment, that there may be an equal possibility of some unconditional positive force, filling the gaps among the dark bits we see all the time, there is hope for us all.

And if you start from that high point–that Agape position of genuinely Loving yourself and the world you exist in–a whole new dimension of interaction opens to you.

It doesn’t matter if anyone else cares. You care. And you express that to others. You let them know that they are not alone in the Dark.

In the fall and winter of 93, I learned that first hand. It’s something that’s kept me going ever since.

While not technically the darkest of the dark days of winter, for those of us in the non-tropical regions of the northern hemisphere, it sure does kick of what is typically the nastiest part of winter.

Already stressed from the cold months that have passed, our minds and bodies are feeling the effects of the dead world around us. Nature is, generally speaking, wrapped up and hiding from everything, leaving us with gray and brown landscapes, often covered in a brilliant, lifeless white or deadly ice.

Thing is, even while we’re troming around all bundled up, wishing it were warmer, Nature isn’t just hiding. It’s gearing up for the spring–conserving some energy, transmuting other (stored) energy, growing in strength. There’s a lot going on under the surface, we just can’t see it all the time.

Today is also Groundhog Day, that wonderful bit of Americana that has grown into a pop-culture phenomenon. Heck, it was even the backdrop to one of my favorite Bill Murray comedies, the appropriately named Groundhog Day.

In that movie cynical, jaded and arrogant newscaster Phil Connors finds himself trapped not only in a small town that he despises, but in time. Again and again the day repeats itself. No matter what he does, it seems, he always finds himself waking up once more to the same cheesey song blaring through the motel radio, running into the same people, again and again and again.

The real beauty in this is the subtext. Connors is stuck in his own patterns and is oblivious to that fact until he’s forced to see just how similar all of his normal actions are. He’s put up his own layers of dead wood, frozen sod and encrusting ice, cutting himself off from the better parts of himself.

Those parts are still there, though. Just like the natural world keeps working even when we can’t see it, our own inner world plugs right along through most of our distractions. Oh, there are consequences of ignoring all those inner working, but, for the most part, most people can go a good long time without any obvious ill effects.

Everything–seen or unseen–follows it’s own cycle. The Wheel of the Year turns from season to season. The ground freezes and thaws, the trees shed their leaes and then bud, grass turns from brown to green. Our actions spawn reactions, those reactions have ripples that touch others and bounce back to us as new chancces for action. It all goes round and round and round.

And sometimes, we get stuck.

These big, classic, seasonal markers are chances for us to do two things: take stock of where we are in our own cycles and, if we so choose, make use of the natural ebb and flow around us to kick-start that move to a new, more healthy (or more desiered) cycle.

Of course, that all requires that we be aware of those deep internal workings we may have buried away ages ago. Digging them out can be more difficult than attempting to work the back yard garden before the snow has melted, but it is possible.

Be willing to do that work. Be willing to make the jump. And don’t be too scared by that bit of Darkness you may see–it’s just a part of you… illuminated by the winter sun.

As homage to my seemingly endless problems with water being where water shouldn’t be, I was going to start off with that element and work my way through the other three over the rest of the month.

That plan has been slightly derailed. Mostly due to a bit of flooding that happened here in my apartment over the weekend.

Needless to say, I’ve been a little distracted.

So, instead of going on about the spiritual, mythological and natural characteristics and uses of water, I’m going to pose a question:

What’s the most unusual (be it ironic or otherwise) experience you’ve ever had while exploring the metaphysical?