Tuesday, June 3, 2008

IX

The doors to most of the workshops opened about a half hour before the session was to start. I made sure I got to Neale's meeting about 40 minutes prior to ensure a good seat. My excitement was growing. A small group of us were led into the room at just after 2. A few seats had been reserved, but thankfully, I was able to get a front row seat which was just a few feet from where Neale would be speaking. There was a vase of flowers sitting right next to the microphone. The lady sitting next to me said that she had just seen this dude named Alberto Villoldo. She said they had done some past-life exercises. Fascinating, I thought. I missed seeing Many Lives, Many Masters author Brian Weiss the year before when plans for my wife and I to attend Celebrate 07 fell through. About 15 minutes before go time, a guy went up to the podium and removed the flowers. Interesting, I thought.

Shortly before 2:30, Neale entered the room with a female technician and a lady dressed in Hindu-type clothes that looked quite a lot like Alanis Morrisette. I overheard the tech say that she was sorry there had been flowers there. Neale said, "Yes, I am allergic to them". At 2:30, he introduced the lady who entered the room with him a few minutes prior as m. Claire. She did a short poetry reading and then it was time to hear from the man.

Many people in the audience weren't too familiar with him, so were quite surprised at his incredible sense of humor. He was very soft-spoken wearing a blue shirt and dark jeans. He mentioned that we're "making it all up", everything in life; that the world is an illusion as expressed in Michael Talbot's book, The Holographic Universe. He discussed being happy even if gas is $5 a gallon, to be happy even when outer circumstances aren't to our liking; that's it's much easier to change our own perspective than to try to change others.

He also brought up some experiences from his past such as the time when as a young child, he accidently ate meat on Friday (he was an altar boy at the time and very serious about his faith). He told his mother about it and she said, "I'm sure God will understand". Then Neale said, "What she should have told me was that God doesn't care". He did a short meditation with us as the workshop came to a close. Many had tears in their eyes when they opened them again. We were all moved by the message of unconditional love that Neale had given us that bright summer afternoon. As the meeting concluded, a tech told us that Neale would be signing books out in the main lobby. I took the following pic of Neale and m. Claire as he was visiting with people after the workshop:

3 comments:

Berean Wife said...

If as Neale Walsch said "Life is an illusion is acurate." Then I can shoot you and burn you alive but it wouldn't have really happened. You will have just imagined the pain and you will just imagine being dead because it certainly didn't happen - you just made it up.

Maybe you better wake up from your imaginary life and see the truth of the BIBLE.

Thomas said...

I like how you're doing some research on Neale, Berean. Many would just dismiss what he says out of hand.

I definitely believe life is an illusion in the sense that it appears we die and that nothing lasts forever when the reality is that it is impossible for us to truly die and that, therefore, we go on forever.

The Bible and NDW's work might not be as different as you think. In either case, I don't believe that one needs to read any spiritual works to be a good person or to be saved. In your own Bible, does not Jesus say, "The kingdom of heaven is within".

One big difference between you and I, though, is that I believe in pre-existence (that we existed before we were born). I believe that we chose to come to Earth to experience things, to go through trials in order to show others who we are and who we want to be. Why do we not consciously remember this? Because that would spoil the illusion. How could one concentrate on Earth with memories of a blissful past? Fact is, I don't remember being born in this life, but I obviously was.

For more on this, thousands of testimonials from people who have had near-death experiences can be found here:

http://www.nderf.org/

I choose to believe these comtemporaries of mine over a book that says the fall of man was caused by people who listened to a talking snake.

There is much wisdom in the Bible, particularly in Jesus' teachings, but to think that God would send people to hell for making mistakes, well, that's just not the kind of guy I can get behind.

Berean Wife said...

Thomas,

See the post What if you don't like the Bible?

I missed the last sentences on this comment previously. But I think my post may answer some of it. God and Jesus exhibit the same character. God isn't the mean one and Jesus the nice one. The next time we see Jesus he will exhibit the characteristics usually attributed to God. Read Revelations to see.

Berean Wife