Cooperation

During this trying time of the coronavirus, we have seen conflicts arise between individuals and groups over government mandates concerning the wearing of masks and social distancing. Some believe that such mandates violate their individual rights and should not be the function of government.

 

I wonder if these individuals have tried to see things from the viewpoint of those who service them in the grocery stores, doctor offices, and many other public places. I shop at a Publix store in Florida, and the cashier and person bagging my groceries both wear masks. A shield provides additional protection for the cashiers, but not for the baggers. They are exposed to countless people during the course of their shift. Even with everyone wearing a mask, the employees still have some risk of contracting coronavirus from asymptomatic carriers or negligent infected people. But the shield and masks reduce the risk. Without everyone wearing masks, they would be at much greater risk of contracting the virus.

 

Many of the employees are elderly, which is the group most at risk of not surviving the virus. They are there because they need to work; they need the job. I think it very reasonable for Publix, other businesses, and the county to ask all who enter their businesses and offices to wear a mask. Masks have been shown to reduce the spread of the coronavirus, especially if the wearer is infected.

 

The coronavirus is not the normal flu. Health care professionals are seeing frequent cases of damage to a person’s body months after recovery from the virus. Those who think the virus is a hoax or not very dangerous should visit the ICUs in the hospitals.

 

I think such protests against health measures indicate a complete lack of concern for others. Everything is viewed through the lens of the ego—what I want to do regardless of how it may affect others. It is an extremely selfish position. (I am not including young children or people with health issues who cannot wear a mask.) And those who physically attack, and even threaten to shoot, someone who requests they put on a mask are seriously disturbed, and confused about what freedom means. Even if they really believe the government or a business has no right to require a mask, their violent response is way out of proportion to the perceived affront.

 

In 1931, a group of ordinary people who had been studying world religions approached the famous psychic Edgar Cayce to get help in understanding how the psychic related to their lives. Each had his or her own purpose, but they all “hoped to discover more meaning and purpose in their lives.” (See A Search for God Books I & II 50^th Anniversary Edition published by the Association for Research and Enlightenment, p. VIII.)

 

Cayce began a series of readings that became lessons for the study group. Interestingly, the very first lesson was Cooperation. Other lessons covered topics such as Know Thyself, Faith, Fellowship, etc. Cooperation was considered fundamental to the progress of this early study group. And I believe cooperation is fundamental to the progress in healing this nation, whether it is overcoming the coronavirus or the hate and animosity that are so prevalent today.

 

It just takes me seconds to put on my mask. And at worst, wearing the mask is a slight inconvenience. I do not understand the negative response of people who refuse to cooperate based on a claim it violates their constitutional rights. I wonder how many have ever read the constitution. We are still struggling with the coronavirus in Florida because a significant number of people refuse to social distance or wear a mask. Some are attending private parties or eating in restaurants or bars that completely ignore the recommendations. Their behavior has not only cost lives; it has wreaked havoc on companies because things cannot return to normal. If everyone had cooperated initially with the recommendations, the coronavirus would be gone by now. 

 

As I have written many times, we are all inexorably linked together, whether or not we realize it. If you harm another, you harm yourself. If you help another, you help yourself. You cannot say that another doesn’t matter without saying you don’t matter. In a deep and fundamental way, that other person is part of you.

Time to Get Serious About Climate Change

Scientists have told us that global warming is real, and they have described many of the catastrophic results, but as a country, we are unprepared. Many are in denial. When the devastating effects begin in earnest, where do we go for help? The government will have few answers, and help may be a long time in coming as the government rushes to develop resources and plans that should already be in place.

The thing I find the most alarming about the COVID-19 response was the lack of equipment and safety gear for our health care providers. One might well mistake us for a third-world country. What we hear from the experts is that the system was not designed for such an event. And I ask why not? They knew it was a definite possibility, and we barely avoided some earlier outbreaks of disease in Africa. The flu of 1918 with more than 500,000 deaths in the US is well documented. Our government was warned many times by health organizations about the real possibility of a pandemic, and still we were unprepared.

Last year, my son and his wife watched a movie about a pandemic that he related to me when they were visiting. I remember telling him that my worst fear was not an attack from missiles launched by North Korea or some other country. My worst fear was that someone would enter the US with a highly contagious disease and it would spread throughout the US before it could be contained. And now that fear is being realized, just as I imagined it. The US was not prepared for such an occurrence, and I do not think it is prepared for the effects of climate change. I lived through hurricane Irma in Florida when it ravaged the state, and it was not a pleasant experience. But I think that event was minor compared to what the future will bring.

You have probably heard the quote “Chance favors the prepared mind.” The actual quote in a slightly different form is from Louis Pasteur. He said, “In the fields of observation chance favors only the prepared mind.” I think it is time for all of us to be prepared because the alternative is now staring us in the face. In response to the coronavirus, rather than a minimal shutdown and quick response, we are facing extended shutdowns, enormous disruption to business and families, and deaths in the tens of thousands. Let’s not go down the same path for global warming and climate change. The effects are real and are already happening, although for many they are now just an inconvenience. Soon devastating effects will be felt throughout the world and for many it will be a matter of life and death.

If you find yourself inconvenienced by the COVID-19 restrictions and the store and restaurant closings, think about life without shelter, electric power, mobile-phone reception, and food and water. This is not just a possibility; for many it will be a reality. And it will not be just the people in some third-world country. People cannot say they weren’t warned; scientists have been shouting out the dangers for over a decade. What is missing is a serious response and preparation on the part of the government.

You Can Find Answers in Your Dreams

Many years ago when I was a young man, I was seeking answers to the mysteries of life. I was unhappy in my job and wanted to know my purpose in life. I often asked myself the question: What does it all mean? Then I read the book There is a River, the story of Edgar Cayce, by Thomas Sugrue. Something immediately clicked. I now believed that I possessed abilities I was not recognizing. The answers I sought were not far away; they were with me all along.

One of the things that made a big impression on me was Cayce’s claim that we could do everything he did in his readings, if we were willing to pay the price. Edgar Cayce is widely regarded as the greatest psychic and prophet of the last century. He helped thousands of people with various health issues, often critical, to a recovery and better life. Yet he said we could get the same information he received if we paid attention to our dreams and had the right purpose. This led me to a radical change in my life that is described in my memoir The Man Who Sees Tomorrow in His Dreams.

I did not blindly accept what he said. I put it to the test with a prayerful attitude and the recording and study of my dreams. Now, after fifty years of dream work, I can say without any doubt that what he claimed is true. My health has been reflected in my dreams with regular advice on changes I needed to make to improve my condition and warnings about incipient problems. Nothing happened that was not first “foreshadowed” in my dreams.

Unfortunately, we have become a drug culture. I am not just referring to illegal drugs. I am including prescription drugs where the answer to every health problem comes from a container of pills. Like with COVID-19, we are not proactive in preventing disease. Instead, we are always in the position of turning to more and more drugs to correct something that need not have happened. And the medical community has yet to understand the power of dreams to warn about potential health problems and diagnose illness when it occurs.

I believe that someday dreams will routinely become a part of a program for maintaining good health. And I believe that physicians will use dreams as a diagnostic tool to better understand the conditions causing illness in a person. But that is not the case today. However, that does not mean you need to wait until some prestigious medical institution blesses the use of your dreams for improving your health. Today, they may recognize that a particular dream may be about a person’s health. But I do not believe they realize that our dreams continually reflect our physiological condition and will foreshadow any disease before it manifests physically. This was the claim of Edgar Cayce, something I have observed in my own life for the past fifty years.

In my book The Inner Guru, I explain how your health is reflected in your dreams. I discuss the common symbols for the body and and how your dreams deliver messages about the state of your health. Examples are taken from my own life to show exactly how I benefited physically from my dream advice and came to rely upon it as a monitor of my health.

If you want to give yourself the best chance to remain healthy and avoid colds and viruses, pay attention to your dreams. Be proactive; don’t wait until you have a disease and are in a weakened state. We are seeing our country with its vast resources brought to its knees by a microorganism. The cure for a disease is always more painful than doing the simple things to prevent the disease in the first place. The people most at risk are those with a compromised immune system. But there are things you can do to strengthen your immune system, and your dreams will assist you in that endeavor.

Diet, exercise, and meditation are important for maintenance of a healthy mind and body. If you are ignoring one or more of them, your dreams will remind you of your neglect. And if you are engaged in a dangerous behavior, you will be reminded of that as well. Pay attention to your dreams and you will experience a healthier, more productive life. Throughout this trying period, heed the medical advice and advice of the infectious disease experts. And use the time at home to reflect on your habits and to better align them with ones that promote a healthy life.

A Refuge from the Storm

In my book The Inner Guru, I relate a story about an encounter with the late evangelist and faith healer Kathryn Kuhlman. This occurred in Columbus, Ohio, when I was a young man in my mid-twenties. During that period, I was questioning many things, and religion was one of them. At the time of my encounter, I lived in Dayton, Ohio, when I learned that a famous faith healer was going to be in Columbus for a revival. Something caused me to decide that I needed to attend the revival. I was raised as a Roman Catholic, and I had not been active in a church in several years. And as a Catholic, I had no experience with faith healers.

My academic background was science, and I had serious doubts about faith healing. However, I felt prompted to drive to Columbus to see firsthand what transpired during Ms. Kuhlman’s revival and healing service. I believed that it might simply be a show designed to separate the gullible from their money, but I tried to keep an open mind.

Kathryn Kuhlman had a signature way of ending her healing service. She would ask people to come to the stage, and she would greet each person, say a brief prayer, and touch the person on the head. The person collapsed into the arms of two men operating as catchers, who gently laid the person on the stage. For reasons I don’t want to elaborate on here, but are explained in my book, I found myself as one of the people on the stage staring out at thousands of other people. I was hot and uncomfortable, and did not believe anything was happening other than a show. I thought that she was going to be embarrassed when I failed to collapse like the others.

My turn came, she said her brief prayer, and touched me on the forehead. I suddenly felt all of the stress and tensions evaporate from my body. I felt like every fear or concern built up over years was gone, and a feeling of total peace and joy pervaded my being. I recall that a curtain of light moved horizontally across my vision, as if someone or something was opening a curtain.

I lay on the stage in front of an enormous crowd, but I didn’t care. I felt fantastic, and although my normal inclination was to never be in such a situation, at that moment had no concern that I was on display.

My encounter with Kathryn Kuhlman was the first time I experienced what many call the Holy Spirit. I don't feel the need to give it a name, but I can say a place exists that is free of worry and fear. That place is not far away; it is within us and can be reached by anyone with a pure intent. The turmoil of the external physical world does not touch us there. It is not an escape, but a realization that a greater truth operates in our lives.

Staying Healthy Through the COVID-19 Threat

Many people are worried about contracting the COVID-19 virus, which is causing enormous stress. I think there are some basic things you can do to promote a healthy immune system and minimize your susceptibility to the virus. These include having a good diet, regular exercise, daily meditation, and recording your dreams.

Of course, I recommend these practices for other times as well, but they are particularly important now. Your diet will have a big effect on your ability to repel viruses like COVID-19. As a member, I received an email from the A.R.E. that quoted one of the Edgar Cayce readings that is very relevant. The reading stated, “if an alkalinity is maintained in the system — especially with lettuce, carrots and celery, these in the blood supply will maintain such a condition as to immunize a person.” (480-19) This number in parenthesis is the identifier for the specific Cayce reading. All of the readings are catalogued and available online through the A.R.E.

A healthy diet means you should eat plenty of fruits and vegetables with a salad for lunch. Drink enough water to maintain hydration, and don’t rush your meals. The right foods support your immune system, in addition to providing numerous other benefits.

Regular exercise is important. You will feel better and it will help you stay positive during the COVID-19 restrictions. If possible, you should get some sunshine each day for vitamin D.

The health benefits of meditation have been studied and are well documented. Meditation will reduce stress and be beneficial for your immune system. The results of meditation are more than just a feel-good effect; meditation has tangible effects on the chemistry of your body. I refer you to a Forbes’ article by Alice G. Walton, Senior Contributor for Healthcare. It was published Sep 6, 2016, and is titled New Clues Into How Meditation May Boost The Immune System. There are numerous other articles easily found with a web search that describe the many physiological benefits of meditation.

Of course, the recording and analysis of your dreams has been the main subject of my posts. Your dreams provide feedback on your daily thoughts and activities. So if you need to make adjustments in either area, you will see it reflected in your dreams. You may be advised to add some activity to your current schedule that will be beneficial, but escaped your conscious notice.

COVID-19 will eventually pass, but it will probably have a lasting effect on our society. Unfortunately, I think it is but an early warning for challenges we will face this decade. The world was not prepared for such an event, even though infectious disease experts knew it was a distinct possibility. Pandemics were the themes of many movies and TV programs, with some being quite prescient. But governments did not take them seriously.

Now is a good time to reevaluate your life. The things I suggested can improve the quality of your life, even during normal times. And they will prepare you for future challenges. The time to make adjustments in your lifestyle is now, not when the next crisis arrives. Find the center of your being and all your fears will dissolve.

Time to Reevaluate

The world is now facing a situation that has been depicted in movies and TV programs. As is often the case, fiction has become reality. World health organizations have warned about the possibility of a pandemic for many years, so this event should not be the surprise that it is to many politicians and world leaders. I do not believe the United States, and most other countries, were properly prepared for a pandemic. The warnings have been clear for a long time, but they were not heeded.

I don’t want to dwell on what is past, but I do think it serves as a reminder of our unpreparedness for the chaos we are going to experience from climate change because of global warming. For now, climate change is pushed to the background. But when COVID-19 has subsided, the dangers we face from the radical changes in climate the world is experiencing will still be with us. If our political leaders refuse to recognize the dangers, as they are doing and initially did for COVID-19, we are going to see a disaster far greater than what we see from COVID-19.

This is a time for all to reevaluate their beliefs and ideals. President Trump has declared today, March 15, a national day of prayer. However, that alone is not going to change the future. We must behave in a way that proclaims our belief in God, not simply set aside a day of prayer. We must demonstrate in our daily words and actions our faith and belief that we are our brothers’ keeper.

In what do you place your faith? In recent years, material wealth and/or technology have become what many worship. People have come to think that technology can solve all their problems. But here we are with life brought to a standstill by a microorganism. And technology has no ready answer. Thousands will die; there is no medicine to magically destroy the virus. All the wealth in the world cannot provide a cure if you have the Coronavirus.

I think that now is a good time for the many people who are staying home to examine their beliefs. What is your ideal? In what do you place your faith? If you believe there is a God, is it just a hope? Or do you have a real sense of the spiritual power that is at the center of your being? Some may ask the following: I want to reach my true inner self, but I don’t know how. I believe there are three ways to connect with a higher power. They are as follows: prayer, meditation, and dreams.

Prayer demonstrates your intent, your willingness to recognize a higher power. And prayer recognizes your desire to seek help beyond your individual ego.

Meditation helps you connect to that higher power. It stills the conscious mind and prepares you to receive an answer to your prayers. It puts you in touch with your inner self.

Dreams provide another way to receive concrete guidance from a higher power. If you seek sincerely, your dreams will provide an answer, regardless of your conscious feelings about the problem or dilemma for which you seek help. You may consciously thing that your situation is hopeless, that there is no answer. But to the Universal, nothing is impossible, and your dreams often provide solutions that never occurred to your conscious mind.

We are at the beginning of a new decade that my dreams have indicated will be very challenging for all humans. Dramatic Earth changes will take place. The government may be helpless to overt some disasters or respond in a timely way to others, and you may be left alone wondering when help will come. Now is the time to find that source of inner strength so you are never truly alone.

We have seen just how fast our perceived material wealth can dissolve when a crisis occurs. The stock market lost nearly thirty percent in a matter of days. Although it has recovered almost ten percent, the turmoil might not be over. What if the crisis took the market down by fifty percent, or more, and the government had to freeze all accounts or close the market for an extended period. Where is your wealth then?

The answer is not accumulating weapons and ammunition. The answer is recognizing your spiritual nature and finding your comfort from within. I do not know how long the Coronavirus will last. I have not seen a dire outcome for the United States. In one dream, it was dark and cloudy outside, but when I opened the door and went out, I discovered the storm had passed and the sun was shining. So maybe it will be short lived. But if not, I am prepared for whatever happens.

Prior to the financial panic, I had a dream one night that I was in a car with another person. We arrived at what appeared to be a national park. As I got out of the car, I spotted a bear and became afraid. I yelled to my companion that I saw a bear. Then I watched as the bear started to move in my direction, but the bear was abruptly stopped because he or she was tied to a tree. I saw a long rope restraining the movement of the bear. At the time, I thought the dream indicated the danger of a bear stock market, but I was not and am still not certain if the dream was saying the bear market will be very limited and restrained. It could be saying that the bear who had been restrained is about to be unleashed, although I did not see that happening in the dream.

Reevaluate your life and values. Do you know your purpose on this Earth? If not, maybe it is time to find out. You can find answers through your dreams, but you must be willing to make the effort. Many books can provide help, but you must do the work on a daily basis to fully realize the benefits of dream interpretation.

Dream about a Rock Hitting the Earth

Two nights ago, I awoke in the middle of the night from the following dream. I was watching a news broadcast about a rock from space that was close to the earth. At first, it was thought that it would miss the Earth. But it did not; it hit somewhere in the region of the North Pole as a thirty kiloton explosion, about twice the force of the Little Boy bomb dropped on Hiroshima. In the dream, I thought the size of the rock was two feet, which seemed far too small for such an explosion. Anyhow, in the dream I was worried about the effect around the world from such an explosion. The news indicated chaos ensued in the area of the impact.

This is a good example of the form taken by many dreams: the use of metaphor and the relationship to one’s daily life. Of course, I always consider the possibility that a dream is literal, although that is not the case for most dreams. But some of my dreams about the Earth, whether it is climate or something else, have later proved to be literal. In this case, I do not believe the dream is literal for the following reason. A rock of the size mentioned in the dream would not cause an explosion of thirty kilotons, even if it reached the surface of the Earth. It is possible that I didn’t remember the size correctly. Anyhow, before you become panicked, consider my alternate interpretation, which I believe is the correct one.

Dreams frequently make use of metaphor to tell a story or deliver a message. Also, dreams usually relate to your current concerns and reflections. In my case, that day I had been thinking about the drone strike on the Iranian general. The rock shooting into the polar region is a good metaphor for the missile striking Soleimani. Our relations with Iran were already frigid—hence the North Pole in the dream. The chaos after the rock struck the Earth symbolizes the chaos in Iraq and Iran after the missile strike. The fact that the news first reported the belief the rock would miss the Earth may relate to reports that the initial thoughts were to call off the done strike. I believe the numbers in the dream are also significant. The number 2 for the size of the rock indicates division, and it could also relate to the size of the missile. Two can be a weak number that indicates great division. The number 30 represents the power of the explosion, but three can represent the trinity of mind, body, and spirit. I believe the destructive force and message of the missile strike has affected all three aspects of life in Iran, and other parts of the Middle East.

In summary, we have the clear metaphor, and the dream related to my thoughts and concerns of the day. So I believe this symbolic interpretation of the dream is the correct one. I believe that the killing of Soleimani will have major repercussions. I do not know the details of the justification for his assassination, but I recall that the Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary is often listed as the immediate cause of World War I. You can find more on my thoughts about drone strikes in the first topic, Utilitarianism Unmasked, in my book A Prophetic Dreamers Reflections on Life.