RELIGIOUS BELIEFS

When we speak of religious beliefs we mean its theological tenets. Christianity and Islam share common ideas and beliefs having their roots in a common source–Judaism. This religion in turn derived many of its doctrines and beliefs from the Persians, Egyptians, Babylonians, Chaldeans, and the Sumerians. Perhaps it would be true to say that almost every religion is syncretic, though they may try very hard to cover this up.

Eastern religions such as Buddhism and Taoism are more mystical in nature and differ greatly from the Semitic religions in many basic principles; Hinduism comprising of many philosophical schools of thought, embraces various theological ideas. Some schools of Buddhism teaches that there is no permanent entity called the soul; that what is thought to be the soul is simply a collection of karmic tendencies transmittable from one incarnation to another. Their extreme views are nilhilistic in nature; however, it is doubtful whether this was implied in the teachings of the Buddha. For instance, if there is no Self, then there is also no Gautama Buddha in existence; and yet, prayers are still being directed by the faithful to this exalted being. Fundamentally, although these religions have diverse concepts regarding the soul they all point or refer to the One where all sentient beings originate. All have their own particular name or names for this Source, and all have their personal ideas regarding this Divine Essence.

Theological precepts are often tainted with the frailties of the human ego and intellect and thus offer a poor basis for the study of true religion and its revelations concerning the soul. Nevertheless, we will strive to present its beliefs with as little bias on our part as possible. This section will be brief, for to do justice to the subject would require many pages and go beyond the scope of this work.

In Christian theology it is believed that the soul prior to birth is devoid of any individuality or personality. It is only when God breathes through the nostrils of man that the soul acquires self-consciousness, and is a “living” being–and this condition of being alive is believed to remain with the soul after death. In the Book of Genesis it is recorded that,

“God made man out of the dust of the earth, breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, and made man a living soul.” (Gen 2:7)

The phrase “living soul” is equated to the state of being self-conscious. According to this notion unless there is an awareness of the existence of an ego, or a self, a person or being does not truly have a soul. Such a creature is “soulless.” A person may be alive imbued with the soul-essence, the life-force, and yet remain soulless, in the sense that it is not self-aware. Some states of insanity may represent beings who are “soulless.” While the living soul is associated with the awareness of the ego, immortality is associated with the awareness of the superego, the Higher Self. This idea, though, falls in the province of metaphysical thought.

Basically, theology consider the soul to be a substance implanted in man. It is believed to be an entity divinely created and bestowed upon man when man takes his first breath. Christian theology formulated the idea that man is a divine creation, the highest of all beings, and that the whole universe was created for man alone in support of his existence.

In Christianity the terms “lost souls” or “degraded souls” are often expressed. The moral quality of a person’s life is believed to be able to affect the soul. However, from the metaphysical point of view soul-essence is immaculate, perfect, immutable and divine. What may be affected is not its essence but its conscious expression. The consciousness arising from soul essence is that which evolves and strives to reflect the image, archetype or blueprint that God created for man. This is stated emphatically in Genesis; however the statement is often interpreted literally. This blueprint is the image or divine qualities of God. It does not refer to form but to the inner nature of the life-essence.

The Hindus, generally speaking, believe the soul to be an entity that resides in the physical body and is subjected to reincarnation in accord with its karma. The Upanishads says that, “The Supreme Person, of the size of the thumb, dwells forever in the heart of all human beings.” Its esoteric wisdom, moreover, tells us that the immaterial man is constituted of various principles each having their own particular function. The highest principle within the microcosm of man is the Atma, or according to others, the Paratman.

In the Bhagavad Gita, the microcosm is represented by Krishna, Arjuna, the carriage, and the horses. Krishna is the Spirit, the highest aspect of man; Arjuna the evolving soul; the carriage the mind; and the horses the senses. Graphically five horses are often represented. They represent the senses of man through which the vital force escapes and runs uncontrolled. In yoga and esoteric practices the senses are subdued so that the vital force may be directed within to awaken the sluggish Arjuna. Krishna is the guide that assists Arjuna in this project.

ANCIENT BELIEFS

As we mentioned before, the belief in the survival of the soul after death goes way back to the earliest development of humankind. Primitive Neanderthal tribes, for instance, would bury food, tools, and weapons along with the corpses of their departed in order to provide them with the bare necessities in the afterlife. This custom still survive in some cultures and is a clear indication that not only is soul survival believed in but that the afterlife as a continuation of the sort of life lived in the physical world is likewise presumed.

Animism was the prevailing belief among prehistoric man. Everything was considered alive and pervaded with a soul-force that even gave inanimate objects a consciousness and an intelligence of some kind. Stars in particular were believed to be souls long dead and living in heaven. To the primitive mind, the sky or firmaments were considered to be heaven, just as hell was thought to lie beneath the earth.

That the soul “resided” and functioned in the physical body, a location was sought for its residence. Some believed the heart to be the organ of the soul, others pointed to the head. Some primitive cultures thought that the blood was the vehicle of the soul–that the blood carried soul-substances to every part of the body. The demon Mephistopheles in a play written by Goethe (1749-1832) declares the blood to be a “curious thing.” The belief that the blood is the vehicle of the soul is not without foundation, however. If the soul in this context is considered to be the life-force, prana, chi, or even oxygen, one can only surmise how the primitive mind intuited this scientific fact. Scientifically, it has been noticed that blood-transfusion often causes a temporary change in character in the person receiving the donor’s blood. Could it be that blood is impregnated with one’s soul-characteristics? As the blood was associated with the soul, many primitive tribes such as the Scythians evolved the custom of drinking the blood of their enemies or victims in order to absorb their courage, strength, power, and abilities. The custom of forming blood-brothers is also based upon the belief in the importance of the blood as related to the soul, and its transcendence over fleshly ties. Members forming blood-brothers would drink the blood of fellow members thus forming a soul-bond overriding the normal flesh-and-blood relationships.

The ancients often depicted the soul as a bird often human headed, perhaps referring to its ability to fly. The Aztecs, ancient Greeks and Egyptians among the many ancient races, for instance, often portrayed the souls of their dead in murals and pottery as a winged bird taking flight from its lifeless corpse. Eagles, hawks, doves, peacocks and phoenixes were often used to represent the soul.

Not only the head, heart, and blood were believed to be the seat of the soul, but likewise the breath. Believing that the breath is associated with the soul and life, the aborigines of Papua New Guinea would breathe through tubes into effigies of their forefathers in order to confer a certain vitality to their departed souls. This is a magical practice based on the law of similarity. Many tribal cultures practiced the placement of obstructions in the nostrils of their dying ones as a last effort to saving their lives. This they believe would effectively prevent the soul from escaping and causing the death of the body.

It is believed among ancient and savage people that the soul being associated with the life force, illnesses or feebleness of the physical body are caused by the escape of the soul from the gross form. In extreme cases the soul force was “captured” by some evil spirit and it was the task of the shaman, the tribal witch-doctor to recapture the soul and restore it to the corporeal body. The ability of the shaman to dissociate his incorporeal aspect from the gross form supposedly facilitated this sort of work.

The Ancients’ concept of the soul has evolved throughout the ages, and even now our scientific understanding is constantly in a state of change. Our conceptions regarding the soul is associated with our various notions regarding God. As man evolves so does his awareness of the soul and his Source. Man has formed many ideas regarding the nature of his creator. In this context it can be seen that the phrase, “God creates man, and man creates God” has a basis in truth.

Among the ancient cultures, the Egyptians and Hindus were the most advanced in their understanding of the soul. We in particular refer to their mystics, hierophants, and sages. They regarded man as a microcosm with many aspects, both material and incorporeal, with each aspect having its own function to play in the life and destiny of the soul. Their many teachings live on today in contemporary metaphysico-occult philosophy. The ancient Greek philosophers and sages such as Thales, Plato and Pythagoras derived much of their occult knowledge from these wise priests of the Orient.

SCIENTIFIC VIEWS

Along the scientific vein, certain schools of thought believe the self or ego to be a by-product of a brain function, and yet what gives rise to this function is not known, and only given an educational guess. The section of the brain that “causes” a sense of self is likewise not yet discovered. This concept of the “brain causes consciousness” is fundamentally the viewpoint of the mechanists that sees man as merely a machine. The above concept is flawed, however, because portions of the brain have been known to be destroyed and yet the presence of a sense of self still remained. In the condition known as hydrocephalus, for instance, large sections of the cerebral cortex may be destroyed or missing, being filled instead with cerebro-spinal fluid, and yet individuals suffering from such a condition may lead normal lives without suspecting their blight. They may even have an I.Q. above average.

The mechanists, Freud (1856-1939) among them, claim that our behavioral actions are automatic responses to external stimuli, and that life is a result of the right combination of chemicals derived from food and oxygen. That an animating force exists to vitalize the organism they may concede but this force is looked upon as a physical energy akin to electricity. The mechanistic theory describes how perception takes place through the stimulation of the senses that creates nerve impulses, and how these nerve impulses travel to the sections of the brain related to the senses, and how they form sensations; but the theory does not consider the real perceiver that tries to make sense of the sensations. To mechanists, the perceiver is thought to be one of the functions of the cerebral cortex. In short, the mechanistic concept leaves no room for the existence of the soul. To a mechanist the purported existence of the soul is considered as an absurdity.

If the eminent neuropsychologist Karl Lashley (1890-1958), author of Brain Mechanisms and Intelligence, after years of research could not discover the seat of memory in the brain, how much more difficult would it be to discover the seat of the self or soul–not withstanding Descartes’ (1596-1650) assertion that the pineal gland is its locus. This French philosopher and mathematician also declared, “cogito, ergo sum,” or “I think, therefore I am” thus implying that the Self arises into existence as a result of thought, or as a function of the mind. Nevertheless, mystics have proved to themselves the possibility of transcending thoughts and yet remaining in existence, and possessing an exalted sense of Self, unified with the Cosmos. The mystic’s standpoint is supported by Jean-Paul Sartre (1905-1980), French philosopher and writer. To Sartre, existence does not depend on the functions of the mind, that a being does not exist simply because it thinks. According to Sartre, existence precedes the mind–or thinking.

Rene Descartes’ statement is therefore erroneous, or perhaps our interpretation of his statement is wrong. “I think, because I am” would be closer to the truth. In spite of this, Descartes was somewhat accurate in believing that the pineal gland plays an important role in man’s occult physiology as we shall see later when we discuss the metaphysical purview.

Mainstream science may disavow the existence of the soul on the pretext of its immateriality, undetected by their instruments; and yet, matter in its actual state in similarly immaterial. This was the proposition of Leibniz (1646-1716), the German philosopher, who considered matter as a manifestation of Mind–”a stupid variety of mind.” To explain this graphically, for instance, what we call concrete matter is actually made up of moving molecules. Molecules in turn are made up of whirling atoms, and these are composed of even smaller particles. Should these sub-atomic particles be magnified “nothing” would be found. Matter, is therefore, made up of “emptiness.” We may call this void “energy,” “mind,” or “spirit,” but whatever we call it, the fact remains that matter is actually as insubstantial as the soul. If the reality of one is accepted why not the other? The many particles composing matter are filled with this “nothing,” or space. Another curious fact is that if we were to remove the space inherent within a human body, for instance, and all the “particles” united, the total compaction would result in a piece of matter no larger than a mite of dust. Leibniz’s theory is also paralleled by the thoughts of Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882), the American Trancendentalist. According to Emerson matter is “a phenomenon, not a substance.” He also considered the material world to be,

“a divine dream, from which we may presently awake to the glories and certainties of day.”

Science informs us that nothing is destroyed. That matter is just energy possessing a certain structure and magnetic-field. It is acknowledged that everything in existence is made up of energy. Now as the existence of consciousness and a sense of self are undeniable, they should be thought of as indestructible as well, for Science has already implied the idea in its equations. So why then does Science not accept the possible existence of disembodied consciousness–the soul?–because it cannot be perceived? Quiet an absurdity, really–even while embodied the Self cannot be seen. Can you see your Self?

From whence does the sense of self-identity come? It seems that mainstream science is still a long way in finding this one out. However, new paradigms are being formulated by open-minded scientists who are now considering the world-view of eastern mystics in conjunction with the new developments and discoveries in the field of physics and psychology. The theories of quantum physics and transpersonal psychology are closing the gap between essential religion and conventional science. Regarding the mystery of the Self in relation to the brain we are reminded of the words of the researcher and scientist George Buletza who said in the Rosicrucian Digest (Sept. 1983) that,

“Rather than the brain producing Self, it is the other way around. The brain is a product of Self, of Being ever striving to be. The brain is the incredibly fine instrument created by Self in the process of expressing its own nature . . .”

It has been observed in many laboratory experiments all over the world that human consciousness reveals an ability to extend itself beyond the boundaries of the brain and body, that somehow it may perceive or influence events at distant places. Such mental activities suggests to some scientific observers that consciousness may exist independent of the corporeal form.

Many branches of science such as physics, psychology, astrophysics, and biology, are investigating the soul, and each has their own particular methods of inquiry. Perhaps the most important branch of science that has been developed in recent times, relatively speaking, is parapsychology.

Parapsychology

Parapsychology is that branch of science that studies the nature of psychic or paranormal phenomena. Its scope of investigation covers a wide range of subjects: for instance, ESP, hauntings, poltergeist activity, Near-Death Experience, Out-of-the-Body Experience, UFOs, Strange Creatures, Weird Phenomena, etc. There are now many institutes investigating, studying, and teaching this branch of science. The word “parapsychologist” is often misunderstood. Many people seem to think that being a parapsychologist is synonymous to being psychic. This is erroneous. A psychic may not be a parapsychologist, and vice versa. A psychic is someone who perceives impressions through higher senses not ordinarily registered by the physical senses. Psychics may not generally understand the impressions that they register, and may simply believe and be fooled by illusions and appearances. A parapsychologist seeks to understand unusual phenomena through scientific analysis, and by using empirical methods with the aid of carefully devised instruments. A mystically inclined metaphysician, on the other-hand, basically strives to understand phenomena with the aid of his intellect, intuition, and other higher faculties. The parapsychologist’s basic methods are three-dimensional, the psychic’s four-dimensional, and the mystic-metaphysician’s, five-dimensional, or even higher.

To illustrate the difference between a paranormal and a metaphysician’s understanding of phenomena, we will just illustrate one out of many. As an example, supposing a psychic were to receive impressions of an impending disaster, he would consider it to be truth and proclaim it to others. He would make all sorts of predictions anent the impressions that was registered in his mind. He would consider it as a revelation of God.

The metaphysician on the other hand, knowing Cosmic and natural laws, understands the impressions received to possibly be thought-forms-mind creations of fearful beings. Man radiates thoughts, and these thoughts, perhaps without a basis of truth, are received by psychics. The unfortunate thing in all of this is that thoughts are creative. What we habitually think about with intense emotion have a tendency to materialize. So dire predictions often come true; however it does not have to be. We have to learn to eliminate fear. When psychics make predictions they are instilling and intensifying fear among the masses. Now this is a vicious cycle. When people are made fearful by psychics they begin to imagine more catastrophic horrors and these thoughts radiate out again to susceptible psychics who repeat the whole procedure over again. The momentum eventually grows until it manifests physically.

However, let us not digress too far and return to our subject: Parapsychology has established various avenues of research for determining the reality of the soul and the survival of personal consciousness. Although the results of their research are inconclusive by the standards of mainstream science, parapsychologists have been successful in acquiring evidence and vital knowledge that when analyzed seemingly validates the age-old belief in the existence of the soul and its survival of bodily death. Nevertheless, parapsychologists have formulated various theories as to their findings, not all of which aligns with the traditional view of the soul. It is also important to note that the term “soul” is rarely used in mainstream science or parapsychology. The terms “mind,” “consciousness,” and “personality” are often used instead.

Copyright © 2006 Luxamore

Leonard Lee aka Luxamore
Metaphysical teacher, counseler, healer and merchant of occult/magickal items of Indonesia.
Magickal Items from Indonesia: talismans, mustika pearls, kerises, etc.
Magickal Bezoar Mustika Pearls from Indonesia.

Obesity in school aged kids is out of control. It is the parent responsibility to establish limits and control the amount of food the child eat, children lack this ability.

Here are some tips that will help you keep track of your child’s food and eating regimen and help him fight childhood obesity. By eating poorly and not having good eating habits will effect the eating habits of your child and will lead to being lazy and becoming heavier and unhealthy. Your entire family will benefit from eating healthy eating and physical activity. As a parent you need to take a role in trying to create good habits and help your children establish healthy eating and exercising rituals, this will help in the long run.

Child obesity has lead to a number of other health related issues such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease from the combination of improper nutrition and lack of exercise. For the sake of her child’s health both as a child and throughout his or her life, breastfeeding is the very best possible thing you can do when your child is young. A recent study in obesity suggests that children who are breastfed by their mothers during the first year of life are less likely to develop obesity as they get older.

If you are concerned about your child possibly being overweight then you need to decide whether the excess weight is part of a growth pattern that may change over time or whether there is a weight problem. Forget all the drugs and diets, feed your children healthy food and monitor what they eat, this will help your child in the long run.

It is important as parents that we take more responsibility to ensure healthy living for our children and to ensure they eat enough so they are healthy and they grow up eating healthy foods, we must understand what is healthy weight and what is weight that is leading to becoming obese. Yes they need to eat enough to be healthy and to grow properly, but we must know where to draw the line between what is a healthy weight and what is excessive weight. As parents, we can not take the stand that it is healthy for our children to be round and plump.

One reason: children have increased the amount of calories they eat each day by as many as 300. Did you know that more than 60% of American youth eat too many fatty foods, and less than 20% eat the recommended five or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day. A journal is just a tool for you to help your child eat better.

Many of the foods children are eating today are fried or fast food type. To keep your children healthy and at an acceptable weight make the meals yourself so you know what you are putting into the food, you are able to control the portions of food and include healthy types of food like vegetables, fruit and many other types of food.

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It is a well-known fact that if you compare today’s children and children from a generation or two ago, you will find some differences in many aspects. One of the main differences is that these children seem to mature faster in many ways. For example, many of today’s children are smarter and taller than you were at their age. In addition, Some even reach puberty earlier than kids from one or two generations ago. One may argue that this is good while others may say otherwise, but you have to be aware that with this trend of earlier maturity, there is also another trend that comes up. It is a trend that gets many parents and health experts all around the United States worried so much, childhood obesity.

Many statistical reports show that a growing number of American kids are obese, but how do you know for sure whether your children are obese or not? Do you think that these researchers just make up some random numbers and throw them at you to get your attention? As professional researchers, before releasing such reports, they should have some well-defined criteria to determine who should be categorized as obese. This way it does not become a guessing game. In this report, I am going to show you how to determine if your children have childhood obesity problems.

As adults, we are usually fond of fat and cute babies. People usually want to touch their bellies, play with them, and pinch their rosy cheeks. Fathers usually are proud when their babies grow into big baby boys, while mothers are usually concerned that their big babies can not control their own strengths properly and may accidentally injure other smaller kids. In addition, when mothers raise concerns about their children’s big size, they are usually told not to get overly concerned because the children will grow into their weight.

In most cases, as children grow and become more active, they tend to become thinner. Unfortunately, not all children are born the same. Even though most of them will naturally become slimmer as they grow, some will still remain big in size. Before we judge our children as obese, we have to know how to differentiate between normal childhood chubbiness and childhood obesity. Infants and babies are never diagnosed as obese. It is older children that usually develop childhood obesity problems. Unfortunately, parents are usually still in denial, even though objective doctors have diagnosed their children as obese.

One of the most accurate ways to determine childhood obesity is by evaluating adiposity, which measures how much fat a person has. Unfortunately, the methods that can be used to measure adiposity, are still quite expensive. This is why more people choose to use calipers to assess the fat at specific points on the body. This method is very affordable, reliable and accurate, but only skilled practitioners will be able to produce the correct diagnosis. This is due to the level of difficulty of using these calipers to get accurate results.

Generally, health experts use the body mass index (BMI), which measures the amount of fat in a person’s body by calculating the ratio between the height and the weight, to determine if a child is obese or not. Children are evaluated according to their age and they are considered obese if they fall in the 95th percentile for their age on the BMI scale.

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Workers who are stressed are also more likely to be unhealthy, poorly motivated, less productive, and less safe at work. The organizations are less likely to be successive in competitive in modern market. Stress can be brought about by pressures at home and at work. Employers can not usually protect workers from stress arising outside of work, but they can protect them from stress that arises through work. Stress at work can be a real problem to the organization as well as for its workers. Good management and good work organization are the best forms of stress prevention. If employees are already stressed, their managers should be aware of it and know how to help.

What is work stress?

Work-related stress is the response people may have when presented with work demands and pressures that are not matched to their knowledge and abilities and which challenge their ability to cope. There is often confusion between pressure or challenge and stress and some times it is used to excuse bad management practice

Work related stress Hazards?

• Job content- Monotones, lack of variety, unpleasant tasks etc..

• Work load and work place- time pressures

• Working hours- inflexible and unsocial hours

• Participation and control- lacking in decision making and control

• Career development, status and play

• Role in organization-unclear role, conflicting role

• Interpersonal relationship

• Organizational culture

• Home-work interface

Stress Stages

Our mind has different stages while encountering a event. The two stages of stress are beta stage and alpha stage.

Beta Stage:

The beta stage is the situation where the person is in the waking stage. The alpha stage is the first step to unconscious. Usually the decisions we make in our life is a combination of conscious and sub conscious state. Now lets go in detail about how we these states work together.

Alpha Stage:

The alpha state is the stage where we do our work. This is the stage where we will be relaxed. We will be warm and comfortable. In this stage we will be waiting to take up the work with a fresh mind. For example, waiting in the car for some one on a sunny day, with a mild breeze blowing over you, is a perfect state of alpha stage. The work done in the alpha stage is mainly controlled by the sub conscious state. Thus what ever we do in this state, it will be correct and there is very less probability of making mistakes during this state. The alpha stage occurs only twice per day. It is when we wake up in the morning and when we are about to sleep during the night. Our conscious mind has the reasoning capability. Our conscious mind is like a tape memory. We cannot delete it and copy another data, instead we can create another copy of data on it. During the decision making stages, the sub conscious state is the one which take up the decisions. No mater what the conscious state does, it need to co operate with the sub conscious state in order to take up a decision. Thus this is the reason why we call the sub conscious mind as our energy source. For example, suppose we scold a small child and degrade him for some mischief done by him, the words of degradation will always exists in the child mind. Thus it will be stored in the sub conscious mind which will remain there for ever. Thus the child will be always a failure because conscious mind will not be able to over take the sub conscious mind in him. Thus we need to be careful while speaking to a child. We also need to know the fact that whenever a conscious mind takes up a decision, it has to be asked with sub conscious. If the sub conscious mind has already decide upon a particular decision and if the conscious mind changes the decision, then it is not possible for the sub conscious mind to again change.

Stress and Stress-Related Disorders:

Although information on this topic is still sketchy, reliable evidence has begun to emerge on both the extent of job stress and stress-related disability in many organizations. Indicators of occupational safety and health risks associated with the organization of work and workplace stress come from following sources:

• Data on the prevalence of stress and stress-related disorders in the workplace, and how the employees experiences job stress and how it have changed in recent years.

• Data on the scope of workplace exposures to workplace conditions that are known risk factors for stress and stress-related disorders, and on how these exposures have changed.

• When affected by work stress and work related disorders workers become increasingly distressed and irritable, unable to relax, difficult in logical thinking and decision making feel tired, depressed, experiences physical problems, musculo-skeletal disorders.

According to American Psychological Association, 54%of Americans are concerned about the level of stress in their everyday lives. Stress makes cancer cells stronger and less likely to die. Research indicates that a protein called BAD that kills cancer cells, does not work in the presence of epinephrine – which is produced by the adrenal glands during stressful situations and depression.

Economic Factors:

Stress can be linked to the external factors such as Economic factors, occupational risks, the environmental and emerging issues. Stress can also be linked to the external factors which govern our own irresponsible behaviors negative thoughts that surround us, or unrealistic desires and expectations. Organizational practices of concern in the work organization and stress field are the products of macroeconomic, technological, demographic, and other forces at the national and international level. These developments have had significant impacts on business practices relevant to the organization of work, including the organization of firms, the organization of production, the nature of employment contracts, and other human resource policies such as work-life programs and fringe benefits. In many countries, these trends have occurred against the backdrop of an aging and increasingly diverse workforce.

These causal pathways between work organization and worker safety and health are illustrated in the figure below. This figure portrays a somewhat broader causal model, showing that new organizational practices of concern are the products of various background forces, including the growing global economy, changing worker demographics and the labor supply, and technological innovation.

Occupational Safety and Health Risks

Although information is limited, indicators of occupational safety and health risks associated with the organization of work and workplace stress come from two sources:

• Data on the prevalence of stress and stress-related disorders in the workplace, and on how experiences of job stress have changed in recent years coincident with changing organizational practices, and

• Data on the scope of workplace exposures to workplace conditions that are known risk factors for stress and stress-related disorders, and on how these exposures have changed.

Emerging issues:

The aspects of work organization affect general well-being, physical health, and stress-related outcomes. There is a number of important emerging scientific and health issues related to work organization practices are:

• Work-Life / Flexibility:

Women are entering the workforce at increasing rates, and couples are working longer hours. Due to these circumstances and recent trends in family planning, workers are increasingly finding themselves “sandwiched” between work and domestic responsibilities. The links between work-life conflict and employees’ well-being and functioning (both at work and home) have become a growing concern for both employers and workers. It is necessary to examine the risks posed by work-life conflict and especially the design and benefits of work-life programs to restore work-life balance.

• Disaster Mental Health/Traumatic Stress.

9/11 and recent hurricanes have served to elevate disaster mental health as an area of concern in occupational safety and health, with special attention to stress experienced by emergency responders. Effort is needed along several lines to reduce stress risks among disaster workers, including (1) development of psychosocial instruments to reliably assess psychological stress in post-disaster situations, (2) how disaster response work can be better organized and managed to reduce stress risks, and (3) ways to improve the resilience of disaster workers and to improve mental health interventions.

Depression / Psychological Illness.

The mental health of workers is an area of increasing concern to organizations. For example, depressive disorders affect approximately 10% of adults in the U.S. each year and they are among the most costly health problems for organizations. Evidence linking work organization with depression and other mental health problems, and with increased productivity losses, is beginning to accumulate. There is a pressing need to better understand organizational practices and factors that contribute to poor mental health, to develop interventions that effectively target these risk factors, and to translate and disseminate information on risk factors and interventions for application in organizations.

Workplace Violence.

Studies indicate that as many as one-third of workers report they experienced some sort of psychological aggression, emotional harassment, or abuse while on the job .Workplace psychological aggression can be costly in terms of individual outcomes, such as increased psychological stress, reduced satisfaction, and poorer physical health, and in terms of organizational outcomes such as turnover, counterproductive work behaviors, and decreased productivity.

Older Workers:

A critical challenge in public health during the next decade is how to ensure the safety and health of an aging. Workforce. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimates that between 2000 and 2015, the number of workers 55 years and older will increase by 72 percent – from 18.2 million to 31.2 million. This compares to a rate of only seven percent for workers between the ages of 16 to 54. Despite this unprecedented increase in the number of older workers, we have only limited knowledge of the safety and health risks they will encounter. Company need to better understand the types of jobs and working conditions older workers experience identify risk factors that may disproportionately affect these workers, and develop best practices and organizational-level interventions designed to improve the safety and health of older workers.

Minority Worker Health.

Evidence suggests that racial and ethnic minorities, who collectively comprise at least 25% of the workforce, are overexposed to a variety of health- and safety-compromising conditions due to their overrepresentation in low status occupations and due to issues related specifically to race and ethnicity. Despite these exposures, few research efforts have been directed toward better understanding the occupational safety and health of minorities

Coping with stress:

Stress can yield benefits but employees don’t tend to look that way. For them it’s just an escape route. What Management sees as an “opportunity to excel”, employees sees them as “Threat of excessive pressure”. Employees today do not want to put extra efforts, they just want to have 9-5 p.m.job, with very little to contribute, and the expectations are so high. There is a tendency for desire, even though they do not deserve, while the case should be first deserve, and then desire.

There are two approaches:

Individual approach i.e., employee himself takes the responsibility for reducing his or her stress level, by implementing time management, increasing physical exercise, adopting relaxation techniques, and expanding his social network. Stress is essentially an outcome of mismanagement of time. Whenever we encounter a stressful event, our bodies undergo a series of hormonal and biochemical changes that put us in ‘alarm mode’. To reduce stress Meditation, yoga, physical exercise helps to create dynamic peacefulness within you. Apart from these the following can also be done by employees to reduce the stress at work life.

a) Job Analysis:

To do a good job, one need to fully understand what is expected of him/her. While this may seem obvious, in the hurly-burly of a new, fast-moving, high-pressure role, it is oftentimes something that is overlooked. By understanding the priorities in your job, and what constitutes success within it, you can focus on these activities and minimize work on other tasks as much as possible. This helps you get the greatest return from the work you do, and keep your workload under control. Job Analysis is a useful technique for getting a firm grip on what really is important in your job so that you are able to perform well. It helps you to cut through clutter and distraction to get to the heart of what you need to do. And it shows you the tasks you should try to drop.

b) Time Management:

Good time management is essential if you are to handle a heavy workload without excessive stress. By using time management skills effectively, you can reduce work stress by being more in control of your time, and by being more productive. This ensures that you have time to relax outside work.

• Assess the value of your time, understand how effectively you are using it, and improve your time use habits;

• Focus on your priorities so that you focus on the most important jobs to do, delegate tasks where possible, and drop low value jobs;

• Manage and avoid distractions; and

• Create more time.

c) Valuing Your Time:

A first step in good time management is to understand the value of your time.If you are employed by someone else, you need to understand how much your employer is paying for your time, and how much profit he expects to make from you. If you are working for yourself, you should have an idea of how much income you want to bring in after tax. By working these figures back to an hourly rate, this gives you an idea of the value of your time. By knowing the value of your time, you should be able to tell what tasks are worthwhile to perform, and which tasks give a poor return. This helps you cut away the low value jobs, or argue for help with them.

Activity Logs:

Activity logs are useful tools for doing things. They help you understand how you use your time, so that you can identify and eliminate time-wasting and unproductive habits. This gives you more time to do your work, increases your efficiency, and makes it more likely that you will be able to leave work on time and have good quality time to yourself to relax. The first time you use an activity log, you may be shocked to see the amount of time that you waste! Memory is a very poor guide when it comes to this: It is too easy to forget time spent reading junk mail, browsing interesting but unhelpful web pages, talking to colleagues, making coffee, waiting for meetings, traveling, etc. By keeping an Activity Log for a couple of weeks, you can identify the unproductive time in your daily routine. By cutting this out, or by changing your habits, you can substantially increase your productivity.

To Do List:

Keeping a To Do List is one of the most fundamental but important working skills that people can have. To Do Lists help people to deliver work reliably, without letting tasks “slip through the cracks.” This obviously helps in reducing the stress of having failed to do something important. it is essential when you need to carry out a number of different tasks, or where you have made a number of commitments. If you find that you are often caught out because you have forgotten to do something, then you need to keep a To Do List.While To Do Lists are very simple, they are also powerful, both as a method of organizing yourself, and as a way of reducing stress.This may leave you feeling out of control, and overburdened with work. Keeping a To Do List guides you in your approach to work, puts the work into context, and gives you a starting point for negotiating deadlines.

2. Organizational approach:

Stress activities that cause stress like task of the employees and the role demands and organizational structures are controlled by the management which can be modified or changed. The management needs to focus on personnel selection, job placement, training and development, job redesign, improved employee improvement, establishing corporate wellness programs etc. Goals should be set realistically which serves as a means of motivation to the employees who when achieves them, are most stress free. Finally the wellness program which focus on employees total physical and mental conditions like, providing workshops for developing the regular exercise program shall contribute to the removal of stress in organizations.

Conclusion

Work stress is a real challenge for workers and their employing organizations. Individuals vary greatly in their capacity to endure stressful situations, and there is, undoubtedly, self-selection in the kinds of jobs and stressors that individuals choose. Because sources of stress may vary from worker to worker, providing a solution for one worker may create stress for another worker. Stress can be both positive and negative which has an impact on the employee’s performance at work. If taken positively, the results are positive and if taken negatively it may yield disastrous results. For most of the people

Lecturer
Dept of Management Studies
PSNACET
Dindigul
TamilNadu
India

Every individual has a characteristic odor on the body, which is caused due to several factors. Chiefly these odors are caused due to the presence of bacteria on the body of the person. These bacteria multiply in the presence of sweat. This is when the odor becomes strong enough to become offensive.

In some people, even though there is profuse sweating, the odor is not offensive; whereas in others the odor can be extremely offensive even with a small amount of perspiration. Hence the body odor will depend on several factors. The diet one eats, the climate one lives in, gender, occupation, age and mood all contribute in some way or other towards body odor.

Ayurveda believes body odor is due to the presence of toxins in the body. The chief toxin that is responsible for the body odor is the ama, which is the buildup of undigested food material in the respiratory tract. If the ama is not controlled within time, then it would spread to other regions of the body. From there, it would be eliminated in the form of perspiration, causing severe body odors. The buildup of ama is due to an imbalance in the pitta dosha of the person’s body; but the body odor itself can be caused due to a vitiation of all the three doshas.

(1) Useful Herbs in the Treatment of Body Odor and Perspiration

® Alfalfa (Medicago satina)

Alfalfa has an antibacterial agent present in its chlorophyll. When alfalfa is consumed, it reduces the problem of body odor by killing the bacteria present on the body.

® Parsley (Petroselinum crispum) Just like alfalfa, parsley also has antibacterial properties in its chlorophyll. Moreover, parsley contains zinc in it which is known to have powers in reducing body odors.

® Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) Rosemary is an antibacterial herb. Hence it is used in several deodorants to kill the bacteria living on the body and make it odor-free.

(2) Dietary Treatments for Body Odor and Perspiration

Diet becomes absolutely important to reduce offensive body odors, as the presence of odors is due to the improper digestion in the body. Therefore the foods that are taken in the diet must be ones that get easily digested whereas all foods that do not get digested easily must be avoided. The following are some dietary tips:-

® Reduce the intake of all difficult to digest foods such as red meats, ice creams, rich desserts, very hot and spicy food, pickles, etc.

® Do not consume foods when they are too hot or too cold.

® Use plenty of green leafy vegetables in the diet. This will provide the necessary roughage for the elimination of wastes from the diet. As a result the digestive tract will remain clean.

® After a heavy meal, eat some plantains. These will facilitate the digestion. Alternatively, digestive herbal pills containing mint in them can be taken.

® Fruits are very important. Instead of oily snacks, having an apple, orange or a banana when hungry is extremely advisable.

® Include one green salad dish in every meal.

® Fluids are extremely important to flush out the ama buildup in the digestive system. Several glasses of water must be had in a day.

(3) Personal Hygiene for Body Odor and Perspiration

Ayurveda stresses on physical hygiene as the preliminary step in the treatment of body odor. People must have a bath daily, preferable in hot water as this also increases the circulation of blood within the body. After the bath, the body must be wiped with a rough towel to remove the dead bacteria and dead cells off the body.

Wearing clean clothes after a bath every morning is ideal. A talcum powder which has antiperspirant agents in it must be used before setting out of the house every morning. Also clean socks and underwear are important.

Most of the body odor problems arise from the armpits. Shaving the hair from this region reduces the problem of body odor to a great extent.

(4) Home Medications

® Some herbal teas can eliminate body odor. Sage tea, when had daily once, can eliminate the bacteria that are responsible for body odor.

® Sage leaves are also helpful in the removal of unwanted body smells. Sage leaves can be mixed with tomato juice and apply this on the regions which are he sources of the body odor. After about thirty minutes, have your bath and wash off the paste. You will remain body odor free for the whole day.

® An unconventional method to reduce body odor is to use vinegar made from apple cider in place of deodorants. This is used in the armpits. Though the method is less commonly used, results are obtained. Vinegar contains acetic acid which is an antibacterial. Even normal white vinegar when applied to the areas of profuse perspiration will reduce most of the bacteria living there and eliminate the body odor.

® Turnip is also known to help. The juice of a grated turnip when applied to the places where sweat is more will keep that area free of sweat and perspiration for a long time. Regular use of this method will eliminate the problem of body odor completely.

Read More on Treatments by Ayurveda and Home Remedies at http://www.ayushveda.com

Read more about Ayurveda at World’s Largest Portal on Ayurveda and Ayurvedic Remedies. – The Free Ayurvedic Encyclopedia

“They will ask thee concerning the Spirit. Say: The Spirit is by command of my Lord, and of knowledge ye have been vouchsafed but little” (Koran Al Israa 17:85)

Introduction

At present we are living in a very complex era that humankind’s intelligentsia call the “Space Age,” the “Computer Age,” the “Atomic Age,” the “Information Age,” and the “Technological Age.” These are descriptive culminating “Ages” of the Piscean period that will soon give way to other developments. In time, we will hear terms or phrases such as, the “Ascension Age,” the “Quantum Age,” the “Hyper-Space Age,” and the “Photon Age.” All of these latter Ages allude and refer to the characteristical nature of the forces that will soon interact, interface and integrate with humanity in the coming Aquarian Age causing a transmutation within the psychosomatic system of man at cellular and atomic levels. The two-helix DNA structure comprising our genes would split and multiply into twelve strands, in accord with the same law that divides a cell. Certain atoms within the pineal gland would simultaneously become active, as would certain sections of the brain. The synapses and dendrites of the neurons of the brain would form new connections all over the grey matter linking both the right and left hemispheres, and both the cerebellum and the cerebrum. Chakras beyond the major seven would likewise be stimulated and anchored into man’s lower force-field. Additionally, the various layers of the chakric-system and their many petals or attributes would unfold giving man untold abilities. It is said that the attainment of enlightenment is not merely a psychological event, it is also a chemical and electrical one. It is in fact an alchemical affair. In short, in the Aquarian Age man will be spiritually mutated, and made anew to a greater perfection-but only if man is prepared and works to facilitate this. This transmutation is the evolutionary quantum leap that awaits humanity.

With all of the awe-inspiring metaphysical developments that would occur, there are still simple truths that would need to be addressed to enlighten the layman, such as the existence of the soul, which is the topic of this paper. There are lots of seekers and potential seekers of a higher reality that need to be shown the way. It is the writer’s hope that this paper would fill the void in people’s mind regarding the hidden side of their existence, and hopefully, cause then to fathom further in the marvelous mysteries of the universe.

The Search for the Soul

The scientific search for the soul began ever since the dawn of spiritualism that had its onset in the early decades of the 19th century when the Fox sisters claimed communications with the spirit world. Still, in spite of all the “marvelous” high-tech achievements of man in these latter days of the Piscean Age, the question of the existence of the soul and its survival of physical death remains unanswered successfully by conventional science. The soul’s existence has not been academically and scientifically “proven” in the laboratory to the satisfaction of scholars of all branches of learning; on the other hand, however, the non-existence of the soul has not been proved either. To our knowledge, the devices that would monitor, measure, and scan frequencies beyond the known energy-spectrum remains to be invented ere the concrete proof of the existence of the soul required by Science may be attained. The many inventions of Tesla and Edison revealed that they were pioneers working on this problem.

Throughout the centuries philosophers have been speculating upon the existence of the soul and its survival of the body; of its nature and relationship to the physical form; of its origin and destiny; and also of its possible glorified nature, or its state of immortality. However, intellectual and analytical reasoning have failed to provide any substantial evidence of an independent entity existing apart from the physical body. The serious search for the soul by our world philosophers and thinkers through a priori, or reason alone seems to have waned in the twentieth century. Perhaps it is realized that the intellect has its limitations in grasping, comprehending, and truly knowing abstract and metaphysical matters, or it could also be the realization that any concept that could be thought of has already been conceptualized in the past–that any novel ideas would merely be variations of former metaphysical speculations and of the wide variety of theories, and would not make man any more wiser. This would once again substantiate the eternal truth that there is nothing new beneath the sun. Still, there are always die-hards.

The physical senses, the mortal mind, and the intellect are poor faculties when it comes to determining the nature of Reality or the Absolute. What is relative may be known intellectually and experienced objectively; relative absolutism may be speculated upon though without knowing whether one’s conclusions are of the absolute truth in the absence of scientific proof, even if they be rational and logical; examples of this is the “Unified theory” of Einstein and the “Idealism” of Kant. Absolute absolutism is simply indescribable and ineffable. It transcends the intellect, and anything said about it in conventional terms is simply misleading. Even our description “indescribable and ineffable” may be inappropriate. From the standpoint of the Absolute all that we know of whether through our senses or intellect are perhaps erroneous and illusory.

In the Qabala, the esoteric oral tradition of the Hebrews/Jews, the Absolute is called “Ain Sof.” It is the hidden God, the Source of all not mentioned in the exoteric scriptures. Jehovah, the god of Moses, with his human characteristics, is merely a reflection of the supreme god found in the pantheons of the coexisting cultures of the time. The existence and nature of Ain Sof was not publicized because the Initiates knew that the mental capacity and spiritual development of the masses had not reached the required level whereby such revelations could be intuitively grasped and safely applied. This state of affairs still exist nowadays but with a twist. Now the mental development of man has far outpaced his spiritual side. Whenever abstract matters are discussed, the human mind tend to concretize and anthropomorphize that which cannot be objectified or understood intellectually; and with man’s failure of apprehending abstract matters he comes to the conclusion of their non-existence. Man, therefore, becomes ignorant of his ignorance.

Though the above ideas concerning Reality may appear to be distinct, in actuality, they are interrelated and are connected with one’s mode of apperception and intuitive insight. Superficially, they are our different ideas or understanding of Absolute Reality. We will not speculate further upon this, for the more we delve intellectually, the further we stray from the truth. Reality may only be known and experienced mystically.

How is the soul related to the above concepts? Is the soul merely another invention of the mind, or can it be known and experienced in a physical and concrete manner, or any way that transcends the physical senses and intellect? As the Age of Pisces relied heavily upon analytical thought in order to apprehend “truth,” so the Aquarian Age will rely most emphatically upon altered states of consciousness, intuition and other higher faculties in order to perceive, experience and comprehend abstract realities. Whether the intuition or a higher faculty proves the existence of the soul will depend entirely upon the empirical knowledge acquired by each individual in an absolute state of awareness. That science would finally prove the existence of the soul, or certain aspects of it at some future date we have no doubt, but the answer to such a question may be acquired here and now through mystical means. In the coming Age there will be a shift of emphasis from speculative metaphysics to applied metaphysics or practical mysticism. Though this is already occurring with the varied activities of the proponents and exponents of occultism and metaphysics in the last few decades, this condition will intensify further in the next millenium. The true knowledge of the soul would have to come from the soul itself. It cannot be otherwise. Science may only discover aspects of it.

When Prometheus stole fire from the gods and gave it to humanity he ushered man onto the road of civilization and into the path of spiritual inquiry. Fire relieved prehistoric man of many fears. With the discovery of fire, man could for once in his life relax in the comfort of his cave without the fear of being attacked by unexpected predators. In his new-found ease man commenced to think and introspect. His higher mind began to awaken and he started off pondering upon the existence of invisible realms and a “self” independent of the material form. This cogitation was triggered by certain experiences that he had such as dreams, psychological impressions, and unexplainable instinctive knowledge. In dreams he felt that something within him goes forth out of the body to continue the activities of the day. This was the birth of the belief in the existence of the soul. The belief and search for an incorporeal principle of human life, therefore, goes way back beyond recorded history and is to be found in all cultures in one form or another. So far, only the spiritual cream of society–the mystics and saints–have solved the problem of the existence of the soul through experimentation in the laboratory of the Spirit.

Throughout the ages mystics, sages, and prophets have impressed upon us the importance of knowing the immaterial entity that animates and directs the body. Some consider this entity to be the mind, the self, the soul, the life-force, the spirit, the ego, the personality, the psyche, the Spark of God, etc. They declare that it is only through knowing this intangible reality of man is it possible to know one’s Source and one’s purpose of being. The instinctive drive that motivates and impels man to search for the soul stems from the imponderable soul-factor itself. The importance of the search is sensed by the mind but the exact reason is not known explicitly. This is what Jung called the religious instinct. Moreover, this “instinct” is not to be found in man alone, but also in the other primates and the cetaceans. Another curious fact is that the higher animals exhibit many so-called human qualities such as guilt shame, and pride. If these feelings are associated with the soul, then soul, or at least soul-essence may be said to indwell in animals also. However, man is considered the only being that wonders about the soul, death, the after-life, etc. In The Meaning of Immortality in Human Experience, William Ernest Hocking (1873-1966), the American philosopher says that,

“Man is the only animal that contemplates death, and also the only animal that shows any sign of doubt of its finality.”

Does the soul really exist? And what is the value of identifying the soul? Without the search and discovery of the “soul” along with the knowledge of its purpose of existence through whatever means possible, there would always be a feeling of dissatisfaction and uneasiness in the bosom of man. Without the undeniable proof of the survival of individual identity life would appear to be a series of meaningless events and experiences. If the soul does not exist and everything ends at the death of the human form then all the struggles and all the strivings in life serves no purpose. Why bother with the harsh teachings of life if all will end up in total annihilation with not a single iota of the immaterial man surviving the physical form? Suicide would be a convenient escape; and yet, somehow, we sense that suicide somehow violates cosmic rules–rules laid down by whom or what?

On the other side of the coin, man’s inflated ego has caused him to believe that he is the only creature on earth with a soul. His “superior intelligence” is proof of it. Man believes that no other creature possesses faculties such as imagination, reason, and the will as he has–the vital faculties needed to control and direct the environment. This reasoning gave man a sense of supremacy and uniqueness; and also the sense of being the chosen one of God, for was he not made “in the image of God”? This is basically an egocentric point of view, one that gives rise to the exploitation, abuse, manipulation and ultimate destruction of Nature. Associated with this belief is the presupposition that intelligent life only exists on earth, and that Man is representative of it. Man is so blinded by the ego that he does not realize that life adapts itself to whatever conditions it finds itself. The chemical and environmental necessities for sentient life here on this planet may not be the requirements for the manifestation of life on another planet. Life may subsist on other or unknown elements. For instance, carbon being the basis of life on this planet may not be the basis of life on other planets. Other planets may make use of silicon, silica, or other materials instead. That which gives life is not any of the known gases, but the universal life-force called prana. Aside from this, from the metaphysical point of view, life does not solely exist in the spectrum of energies that we objectively perceive, but exists even beyond that. So, as an example, a planet such as Venus or Pluto may be host to intelligent beings residing in the higher dimensions of the planet without being detected by the crude telescopes or instruments that we call technologically advanced, such as the Hubble Space Telescope.

Vital questions that might be addressed are whether animals possess souls, or is this a unique gift to man alone; is soul a substance or a function; and that if man evolved self-identity out of the functions of the life-force, at what point of his evolution did he acquire it; and should soul be considered an entity, at what point in the fetal development does it ensoul the form, or does it enter when the baby takes in its first breath? Such questions may only be answered should we possess a true knowledge of the metaphysical part of life. A study and understanding of all of the seemingly intangible aspects of nature such as the microcosmic constituents and functions of man–the etheric elements supporting organic life, the divine spiritual force that sustains the microcosmic structure, the three-fold Soul, etc., assists greatly in answering profound questions.

Man possesses subconscious knowledge of his soul, but for some reason he blocks this out consciously by “pretending” to be ignorant. He hypnotizes himself into disbelieving immaterial realities for this is the line of least resistance to him. Actually it is much easier to remember than to forget. The proof that the soul, the spiritual essence of man exists is that we are searching for it! It is the mystery of the soul searching for itself.

We realize that this topic is controversial in nature, and as being related to religion, it acquires a certain sensitivity among religious fundamentalists. However, this emotional sensitivity should be shelved aside in the rationalistic study of the soul; for one must be objective, open-minded, sensible, tolerant, and circumspect in the acquisition of beneficial knowledge. Unrestrained emotionalism is a hurdle towards the acquisition of truth. Hopefully this paper would offer the reader a greater insight into the mystery of the soul and our intense search for it. This is a complex subject and it would not be possible to wholly satisfy the intellect. Its purpose is no more than to act as a stimulus for the mystical consciousness of the one perusing its pages. Whenever we use the word “soul’ we are generalizing and mean the whole immaterial part of man, unless otherwise specified or implied.

DEFINITION

The Webster’s Dictionary defines soul as “the immaterial essence, animating principle, or actuating cause of an individual life,” and also as the “spiritual principle embodied in human beings, all rational and spiritual beings, or the universe.” It also defines the soul as the “person’s total self.”

Religion and philosophy regards soul as the immaterial aspect or essence of the microcosmic man that confers a sense of self and being–a sense of being an independent entity, quite apart from the external environment. Basically, religious philosophical thought believe the soul to be eternal in essence. Neoplatonism is one of the school of thought that propounds this tenet. The theologian and prelate St. Augustine likewise, believed in the immortality of the soul, as did Cicero, the Roman orator. The soul is often thought to be synonymous with the mind or consciousness. Theology builds up upon the above definitions by considering the soul to be divine in nature and capable of surviving the dissolution of the physical form. In our modern times the belief in soul survival is called Survivalism. Certain schools of metaphysics further assert that the soul, or spirit to be a spark or emanation of the Source of all and that it is an evolving aspect of the microcosm working towards apotheosis or deification.

Perhaps it would be superfluous to say that the soul-concept is subjective. Whether it exists is beside the point: the Self, or soul as an essence has never been perceived objectively by anyone. What are seen as phantoms or ethereal forms by psychics or the average person during certain psychological states are possibly the sheaths enshrouding the spiritual essence. If we have a soul, then what are we? What is “it” that is supposed to possess a soul or Self? Can a Self possess a Self? Is the soul to be differentiated from the Self? Unless we recognize that there are various aspects to the immaterial man we would not begin to understand him. It is in this respect that Occultism, Mysticism, the Ancient Wisdom and Metaphysics in general, are far in advance of the knowledge possessed by exoteric Religion, Philosophy, and Science.

The soul is not wholly definable. We may generalize and say that the soul is the immaterial aspect of man; and yet this non-substantial quality of man is composed of various components, not all of which may be immediately apprehensible by the various faculties of the mind. Also, our media of information conveyance such as words, signs, and symbols are incapable of transmitting the whole truth as it is. The divine aspect of the immaterial man cannot be expressed through language, nor can they be formulated into ideas. A faculty of a lower aspect of the microcosm is incapable of knowing a higher aspect in its entirety. In order for a higher aspect of the microcosm to be known it is necessary to exercise the faculties associated with it. For instance the cliché “it takes a thief to catch a thief” describes and supports our proposition exactly. No one knows a thief better than another thief. Likewise, in order to know something we must be that something or function at its level. This metaphysical principle has a very wide application, and many unusual occult phenomena may be produced from its use.

Although the academic definition of the soul has been given above, there is no standard agreement or understanding as to the terms “soul” and “spirit” and also of the other spiritual concepts taught in the many religions, sects and cults. This lack of standardization causes confusion and often result in senseless heated debates and even physical conflicts. Some systems of metaphysics consider the above terms as archaic and specific words denoting the various aspects of the soul or spirit are utilized instead. Should religion update its terminology and doctrines in accord with the modern findings of science and the pure spiritual teachings of mysticism it would be more aligned with the plan of God and attract more followers into its fold; as it is, true religion appears to be withering in the temples of God. This statement may be contradicted, however, those that argue against it may not understand what true religion is.

The many attributes of the soul are generally known to be the personality, the conscience, the emotional feelings, the mental faculties, the Ego, the memory, the various levels of consciousness, and the will. Generally speaking, philosophy, religion, and metaphysics are all in agreement as to this.

Copyright © 2006 Luxamore

Leonard Lee aka Luxamore
Metaphysical teacher, counseler, healer and merchant of occult/magickal items of Indonesia.
Magickal Items from Indonesia: talismans, mustika pearls, kerises, etc.
Magickal Bezoar Mustika Pearls from Indonesia.

AGE OF THE SOUL

Although generally speaking, spirit essence is ageless and eternal, it is possible to classify souls in terms of its evolutionary unfoldment or development. Here we do not speak of the origin of the soul, for from a certain occult point of view, not all human souls originated at the same “time” or from the same imaginary point in space. According to this viewpoint, not all humans are of the same spiritual race. Our many racial conflicts have its source in the very depth of our souls where our metaphysical blueprints are diverse and heterogeneous. In the channeled teachings of the New Age, our points of origin are associated with certain constellations in the starry sky.

The so-called age of the soul may be determined in various ways and there are many forms of classifications. These methods of determining the evolutionary stage of the soul assists us to greatly understand the behavioral patterns and mental/spiritual differences in human beings.

We call some of the various methods of classifying soul development, “the Caste-System,” “the Planetary Initiatory System,” and “the Chronological-Aging System.” Each system has its own method of delineating soul-progress. We believe that psychology would improve its understanding of the human psyche if it took the issue of soul-age under consideration.

The Caste System

According to the Hindus, thousands of years ago Manu, the progenitor of humanity, instituted the caste system called jati in Sanskrit. In this system there are four classes called varna. The highest varna is the Brahmin, the priests and scholars. Next in rank is the warrior/ruler-caste, called Kshatriya. Below this are the merchants and the farmers–the Vaisyas. The lowest class is that of the Sudras, the laborers. Outside of the class systems are the “Untouchables.” These are the Dravidians, the original inhabitants of the land colonized by the Aryans. This caste-system is still in existence today, however, its rigidity has caused a great amount of civil problems and unrest; fortunately though, numerous political and social reformers have caused positive changes and abolished many of the caste-system strict rules.

According to the exponents of the caste system every soul is born into the caste in accord with its karma. If one is born in a lower caste, it is because of its karma. Only if it ameliorated its karmic condition would it be born in a higher caste in a next life. Members of a certain caste were not allowed to marry those of another class. In such a strict system the opportunity to progress was not provided. The lower class eventually became the slaves of the higher.

Although the physical form of the caste-system is abhorrent to the fine, sensitive nature of the evolved soul, its essence has a basis in truth. Spiritually speaking, every person belongs to one of the class of the caste system. In other words, our soul functions at a certain caste-level and it eventually evolves through all of the castes. At present we may function at a Sudra-consciousness level, or a Ksatriya-consciousness level, etc. From the spiritual point of view, there are also classes above the Brahmin level. These are the great souls, men and women who have reached the state of perfection.

Briefly, the soul begins its evolutionary journey as an Untouchable, this is the soul-stage where one simply struggles to survive. One has no concept of sin at this stage, one simply lives according to the basic instincts. The Untouchables are simple, ignorant people. Their mentality and spirituality are not yet awakened. At the next stage, as a Sudra, the soul has evolved an egoic sense and begins to work for self-aggrandizement and self-centered purposes. As a Vaisya the soul becomes very ambitious and materialistic and seeks money for its sake alone. The Vaisya cares for none but for self alone. Everything that exists the Vaisya seeks to own. The Ksatriya on the other hand has evolved a sense of responsibility. He seeks to serve humanity, however, his attempts are still tainted by his ego which is now functioning in a subtle manner. The Brahmin has commenced to renounce the many vices and negative traits that acted as hurdles towards his spiritual progress. There is now little ego left in him. He often has a mystical disposition. In his mind and heart he often feels that he has “seen it all” and “have known it all.” This results in his distaste for the mundane world, and he usually becomes a renunciate. The Brahminic soul finds more pleasure in things of the spirit rather than in worldly pleasures.

From the above we can see the hypothetical situation where a Vaisya, spiritually speaking, is born into a physical Ksatriya caste, or becomes president of a country. This results in a ruler with tyrannical tendencies. Someone who misuses the trust that people places upon him. He exploits his position in order to own and acquire the riches of the world for self-centered purposes.

We can see the difference in soul development as related to class by an individual’s understanding of the concept of power. Each class has its own characteristical understanding of the word “power.” Ask someone with a Sudra soul-development what his understanding of power is. He will show you his muscles–”muscle-power.” The Vaisya on the other hand, will declare that money is power, or even that psychism is power. To the Ksatriya, position, rank, or office is power . . . perhaps his sword too. Brahmins would maintain knowledge to be power. The person who said that the pen is mightier than the sword was a Brahmin. The higher spiritual classes without doubt would declare love to be the highest power.

Though the Caste-system has four, five, or even six classes, they are not clearly distinct. In some cases we have an overlapping of classes. For instance, a soul may be a Sudra-Vaisya, or a Vaisya-Ksatriya, etc. Or a much more precise way of classifying this is to consider each class as having four sub-classes. The following is an example: Sudra-Sudra, Vaisya-Sudra, Ksatriya-Sudra, and Brahmin-Sudra. The next set of sub-classes would be Sudra-Vaisya, Vaisya-Vaisya, Ksatriya-Vaisya, etc. This would make 16 sub-classes in all, and each sub-class would have its own characteristics.

We can also see how the pattern of the caste-syetem corresponds with the four-fold personality of the microcosm: Sudra–physical body; Vaisya–astral or emotional body; Ksatriya–the lower mental (concrete mind); Brahmin–the higher mental (the abstract mind).

The Planetary Initiatory System

In order to understand the planetary initiations and its relationship to the stages of soul-unfoldment, we should first discuss briefly the meaning of initiation and the institution behind it.

Initiation may be defined as the “act of inducing, introducing, or instructing.” It is often ritualistic in nature and is to be found in various social ceremonies. Fraternal organizations often extend an initiation to their member-candidates to impress upon their minds the importance of the step that they would be taking. There are many forms of initiation related to the life of a human being; for instance, birth, adolescence, adulthood, parenthood, etc.-all of these are stages of growth and in certain cultures they are marked by certain initiatory rituals. These rituals are often called rites of passage. Initiation in that sense, is an announcement or revelation of what one has attained, or reached.

In schools of esotericism, initiations are given to candidates requesting occult wisdom. In such initiatory ceremonies, mystic instructions are often conveyed to the one being initiated. Often the candidate had to undergo certain tests and trials to prove his worthiness. In the Initiatory schools of Ancient Egypt, for instance, the candidate had to face the challenges of the four elements. These trials would reveal whether the candidate had the necessary qualifications, such as sincerity, courage, determination, perseverance, etc., in order to progress in the occult teachings and to preserve them from misuse. When these arduous tests had been completed the candidate would be led to a special chamber where he or she would be caused to experience what has been called, “dying while living.” Through mystic methods the high priest conducting the initiation would release the ka, the “soul” from the candidate’s corporeal form. In these initiations yogic instructions are given to the initiated one to practice. In most initiatory systems, there are three stages of occult advancement–each stage represented by an initiation. In the initiatory systems of ancient Egypt, these three steps are referred to as the initiations of Osiris, Isis, and Serapis.

Planetary initiations are quite different from what we have discussed thus far. Man is in a state of evolution, and every stage of his unfoldment is marked by an initiation. Often these initiations are ritualistically conducted by the members of the Planetary Spiritual Hierarchy. This Spiritual Hierarchy is the unseen government of this planet.

The Spiritual Hierarchy, according to the Ancient Wisdom, was established about 18 million years ago by an interplanetary being from Venus called Sanat Kumara. This exalted entity is the god or president-director of planet earth. It was he who sent many beings to appear on the world scene to instruct humankind on the Path of Truth, Love and Wisdom. These beings are our avatars, saints and prophets. Many of these entities now hold important positions in the spiritual government headed by Sanat Kumara.

The purpose of the Spiritual Hierarchy is to guide and assist humanity’s evolutionary struggle towards higher levels, towards the fifth kingdom–the kingdom of the gods and even beyond. Their goal is to release humanity from all of its self-imposed limitations and false beliefs preventing the attainment of god-hood, divinity, and immortality. The members of the Hierarchy teach every person the way out of the cycle of reincarnation, and the elimination of karma.

As mentioned above, the many initiations that the Spiritual Hierarchy conducts relates to the various stages of humanity’s evolution. These initiatory ceremonies are either formally or informally given. They usually take place in the higher dimensions, those above the astral planes. The candidates of these initiations experience them in the Out-of-the-Body state, and is normally recalled during the waking state as a “lucid dream.”

The consciousness of life begins at the mineral level. It progresses to the plant kingdom, moving on to the animal kingdom, and finally enters the human stage. The human kingdom is marked by various evolutionary phases. Most people have passed the early primitive stage of humanity’s collective evolution–and when we say “primitive,” we refer to the consciousness aspect and not to form. The Hierarchy’s consideration of mankind, therefore begins with the stage of the average person. When the average person begins to awaken spiritually, he is considered an aspirant. This is analogous to the stage of novice in any religious institution. After this stage comes the grade of discipleship.

After many tests, a disciple qualifies for his first initiation. There are 9 initiations associated with this planet. At each stage and initiation there are certain soul qualities that the person has to develop, certain traits and habits that has to be eliminated, and certain tasks carried-out. It is a person’s soul-development or expression that gives us a clue as to where he or she stands on the evolutionary scale or spiritual path as reckoned by the Hierarchy. Most saints and prophets are third and fourth degree initiates. The fifth initiation marks the level of the “Perfect Man.”

Generally speaking, the initiate of the first degree strives to overcome and balance the physical appetites and instincts. The second degree initiate works upon purifying and harmonizing the emotional nature. The third degree initiate has the onus of purifying, developing, and transcending the mind. The human ego would have to be eliminated or transcended in the fourth initiation. Perfection is attained in the fifth initiation. What lies above that, the sixth-ninth degree, is beyond the understanding of the lower degree initiates and the average person. Between two initiations there are several minor ones, not all of which are celebrated in a ceremonious manner. The various events in the life of Jesus as recorded in the New Testament represents the planetary initiations. This is a hidden truth not yet understood by orthodox Christianity. The gospel stories are actually narratives of our own soul-journey and development.

Not all of the initiations are attained in one incarnation. It takes many lives to pass through them. Because of this a person may be born as a second or third degree initiate; a first or fourth degree initiate; or even as an average person who has not yet set his foot on the path of spiritual unfoldment. Our children may be more advanced than us, spiritually speaking, just as candidates may be more highly developed than their seniors when they are first accepted or initiated into a spiritual organization.

The Chronological Aging System

Another method of gauging the soul’s age is what we personally call the Chronological Aging System. This method has attained some publicity when the manuscript, “The Michael’s Handbook” was published; however, this system is not new and have been taught by mystics throughout the ages.

Basically, this system follows the same chronological stages that an organism goes through in its life. An organism begins its life as an infant and progresses in the following stages: baby, youth (young), adult (mature), and the aged (old). Now the soul also undergoes all of the above stages in its development, and even more. Those souls that have passed the stage of “Old-soul” may be said to be Transcendent and Infinite souls. At each stage or age there are seven sub-stages or levels. At every level and every stage, the soul has identifying traits and characteristics, and these have positive and negative aspects. Generally speaking, by knowing the traits of someone we may tell their soul age, and hence, where they stand in their evolution. Below is a table of the soul stages and their basic traits as described in the book “Michael’s Handbook,” written by Jose Stevens.

[Please visit our website for the table]

Generally, Infant souls are more concerned with survival issues than anything else, and they often live far from the complexities of technological societies. It is said that Infant souls tend to congregate in the equator for survival is much easier and simpler there. Negatively, Infant souls are aggressive, animalistic, fearful, superstitious, and ignorant. Their redeeming qualities are simplicity, child-like, psychical, and instinctive.

Baby souls are those beings that strictly play the rules of society. They are unshakeable in their beliefs and they have a tendency to succumb to fanaticism, whether it be religion or some other. Baby souls are comfortable with formal rites and ceremonies and are strict conformist to the tenets of theological dogmas. The good aspects of Baby souls might include loyalty and obedience, while their negative aspects dogmatism, pettiness, and brutality.

Young souls are struggling to express their innate identity, their divinity; however, they mistakenly do this by asserting their false ego, by misusing power, and by manipulating others. Hence, with such tactics, they are often the conflict-makers. They are possessive in nature and are deeply concerned with power issues. They love to be known and worshipped and are often the success-hunters. Young souls are ambitious and competitive and ever seek to be prominent in their field of expertise. They are great winners but sore losers. They are materialistically and atheistically oriented, and are greatly fearful of death. They love luxury and the many comforts of life. Positive traits of Young souls are productiveness and industriousness. Negatively, they are competitive, self-righteous, manipulative, and given to exploitation.

Mature souls are less materialistic than their younger brethren. Relationships, cultural and intellectual pursuits are of more importance to Mature souls than the lower activities of the personality. This is the stage where the soul commences to search for a meaning in life. The soul begins to feel an emptiness in its heart for all the mundane things that it sought after in the early stages offered no lasting enjoyment. Mentally, it begins to be open-minded, is introspective, and commences its inquiry into the nature of Truth. Mature souls have a sense of caring, they are perceptive, and are open to others-these are their positive traits. Negatively, they can be over-attached, over-emotional, and neurotic.

Old souls are the teachers and guides of the younger souls. Having experienced life and its many facets, spiritually speaking, they are the ones among human souls most qualified to show others the Way. Usually, they possess not mere intellectual knowledge of Universal Truths, but have experienced them personally through soul-perception. Old souls enjoy their freedom and have a sense of inter-relatedness. All things to the Old soul are inseparable from itself, and are but aspects of itself. They see and feel God in everything. From the perspective of Young souls, old timers are sometimes hard to fathom. The Old ones seem to lack any powerful ambition, motivation, and enthusiasm for earthly life. They appear to be detached, reticent, and aloof. Old souls enjoy unorthodox spiritual practices, and alternative forms of healing. They are esoterically inclined–always searching for the inner truths in religion rather than conforming to its formalities; they are more spiritually aware than the soul groups of any other soul stage. Old souls are adept in choosing and expressing any of their past-life personalities according to the situations that they face in life. They might appear authoritative one moment, and at another they may act docile, sweet and innocent. Old souls know that life is a play and that they are merely actors playing roles. From the viewpoint of Baby and Young souls, the Old ones with their spiritual vision and mystical understanding are simply heretical. Old souls have often been persecuted and executed by the ignorant younger souls. The Young ones tend to attack what they fear and do not understand in the Old ones and thus create unnecessary karma. The Old soul is easygoing, eccentric, kind, gentle, loving, insightful, intuitive, and harmless, these are just some of their positive traits; Old souls have very little negative traits and ego left, although there are some “species” that can seemingly be obnoxious for certain karmic reasons. Old souls are at times lazy, weird, and unmotivated.

Copyright © 2006 Luxamore

Leonard Lee aka Luxamore
Metaphysical teacher, counseler, healer and merchant of occult/magickal items of Indonesia.
Magickal Items from Indonesia: talismans, mustika pearls, kerises, etc.
Magickal Bezoar Mustika Pearls from Indonesia.

The word meditation, is derived from two Latin words: meditari(to think, to dwell upon, to exercise the mind) and mederi (to heal). Its Sanskrit derivation ‘medha’ means wisdom.

Meditation is not a technique but a way of life. Meditation means ‘a cessation of the thought process’. It describes a state of consciousness, when the mind is free of scattered thoughts and various patterns. The observer (one who is doing meditation) realizes that all the activity of the mind is reduced to one.

Meditation can be defined as thinking continuously about something. Most of the time people are meditating on one thing or another, but they are unaware of it. For instance, when we are thinking about a problem, we can say that we are meditating on that particular problem for a given period of time. Therefore, one can say that when different people talk about meditation, they are essentially talking about the same process. However the major difference lies in the object upon which we are meditating. It is the final goal and actual features of the practice that mark its uniqueness.

Commonly today, people can mean any one of these stages when they refer to the term meditation. Some schools only teach concentration techniques, some relaxation, and others teach free form contemplative activities like just sitting and awaiting absorption. Some call it meditation without giving credence to yoga for fear of being branded ‘eastern’. But yoga is not something eastern or western as it is universal in its approach and application.

Preksha Meditation is the combination of knowledge from our ancient religious books, modern science and our experience. It is the practice of purifying our emotions and our conscious (chitta) and realizing our own self. and a technique of mediation for attitudinal change, behavioral modification and integrated development of personality.

Benefits of Meditation

To get rid of tension, panic, anxiety, heart disease, insomnia, arthritis, migraines, anger and other mental illnesses; and if you want to achieve a state of happiness and bliss, then step into the process of this meditation.

One of the most important benefits of meditation is how it releases stress from our bodies. Meditation practised regularly will lead you to a deeper level of relaxation and contemplation. If you want to be free of constant worry, pressure and stress the benefits of meditation can give you a life that is calm, peaceful, happy and relaxed.

Be it work, sport or music, concentration is essential to fulfill our potential. In one pointed concentration there is great power; our energy and focus do not get dissipated. When we have concentration we can do more in less time. Through meditation we gradually improve our powers of concentration; this focus can be used for both meditation, and also other activities we engage in.

Meditation can also help us to understand our own mind. We can learn how to transform our mind from negative to positive, from disturbed to peaceful, from unhappy to happy. Overcoming negative minds and cultivating constructive thoughts is the purpose of the transforming meditations found in the Buddhist tradition. This is a profound spiritual practice you can enjoy throughout the day, not just while seated in meditation.

When we live in the mind it is easy to get distracted by small irritations. For example, maybe we find it intolerable to be kept waiting in a line, or we get upset by a small misdemeanour of another person. The solution is not to avoid these minor problems, because they will keep appearing no matter how hard we may try.

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Life is full of chaos and hassle. In this, people have little time pay attention on themselves and consequently fall prey to many health problems. Meditation assists you in facing all problems easily. Benefits of meditation are countless. In fact meditation is a part of yoga. It has been in practice from last 5000 years and people have been resorting to it with a view to get relief from stress and for peace of mind.

This technique was developed in India around two thousand years back. Benefits of meditation consist of the whole process of cleaning out all the accumulated mess of mind through quieting and stilling the flow of thoughts. Meditation has been divided into seven centers called as seven charkas. These seven charkas are the source of energy in body.

There are different techniques which assist people in quitting all negativity and ensure complete well being. These techniques include mindfulness Meditation and Transcendental Meditation. In mindfulness meditation entire concentration is put on breath. This is the mostly used technique. It produces very beneficial effects on mind and body.

In Transcendental Meditation whole meditation is dependent on mantra repetition. It has been found in research that people practicing this technique found unique benefits like ability to reduce smoking and improved sleep.

One of the major benefits is stress reduction. In present days of rush it is very hard to manage all things well. Meditation helps in doing all things well by removing the stress of mind. Benefits of meditation cause many positive changes in individuals. It diminishes the release of stress causing hormones cortisol in body. Balanced cortisol level in body helps in maintaining mental and emotional health.

Meditation is easy to practice for anyone. Thus there are countless benefits which are not only are miraculous but unique as well. This technique is very helpful for people in search of spiritualism in life. However, meditation is not the concentration but definitely it can heal you by concentrating.

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the worst health problems America has faced in a long time is the growing rate of obesity. It is out of hand and only growing in severeness. At the same time, our country spends billions in trying to lose the weight.

Even though obesity is a well recognized problem here in the United States, this weight problem is felt well beyond the American borders. Obesity has grown to epidemic proportions where over a billion people are now considered over weight.

The blame for the high obesity rate can be put on several shoulders. How about the fast food industry and it’s mammoth sized portions of food they give. Or maybe we should blame the fad fitness programs who promise unrealistic results with little or no work. Maybe this fault goes to the governments, corporations, or health care providers who can’t provide affordable health care to those in need.

Or would it even be fair to blame anyone but the individual who themselves ultimately do make the final choice on what foods they eat and how often they exercise?

Lets think a bit more broadly about what the real problem is or why we are a fatter society than we once used to be.

First, our society is no doubt more technologically sound than we ever were. Long gone are the days where when we needed to eat meant we’d have to catch and kill or grow our own foods. There are very few miners and laborers in the fields and factories anymore. Now that we have machines and automation, it makes our lives much more simple, relaxed, and lazy.

Even kids these days don’t get outside enough to play like they once used to. Video games, the internet, and digital high definition televisions has children eating more and burning less calories throughout the day.

Our future generations will have even more severe obesity problems if we don’t do something about it now. If kids now are overweight, and then these kids have kids, it is only common sense they the new generations will be even more overweight.

This problem has to be solved in a house to house level where the parents or head of house has to make the tough decisions for the kids and limit the amount of food and inside exposure. Encourage your kids to get out and play ball, ride a bike, or just run a muck like children do. If we can teach our kids the importance of health and well being by eating a good diet now, then we can save our kids kids as well.

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