Well, hello. Here's a blog that I hardly ever post on. Why you ask? I have no clue. It just feels weird to me at the moment to even be writing a blog because with blogger or even tumblr, you can't make these posts private to where only your friends can see them. Which I feel is very odd. If that's a strange way of thinking then so be it. I journal every day and I talk to my best friend on a daily basis, mainly via text and skype every few days. I post pictures on my facebook and instagram of important events. Sometimes I even vlog and post it on youtube to share. I'm spread across so many social media sites including facebook, twitter, tumblr, instagram, myspace, google plus, youtube and pinterest, that I never focus my thoughts in one place.

I admit, I don't have much of a social life at the moment. I like to hide behind my computer screen or have my face in a book. Probably more so than most. Gotta love social anxiety! I try and get out every once in a while but it's hard for me to do. I find myself making plans and then making an excuse as to why I can't go. This is something I'm trying to work on. I see my therapist twice a week and she is absolutely fantastic. I'm not agoraphobic because I'm able to go to the grocery store, ride the bus and travel. Just social interaction isn't my strong suite.

I may or may not post here more. I'm not sure yet. I used to blog frequently when myspace was popular but I fell out of the habit and never got back into it. I used to post on livejournal a lot more as well but haven't logged on in months. I'd like to write about my experiences thus far with my mental health issues. Although I'm wary about revealing personal information on any public forum. Especially with past trauma that I've had. I just want to help educate others. I don't claim to be a mental health professional though. I've considered vlogging about it on my youtube channel but it's difficult me to express myself verbally and I'm more confident in regards to writing than I am speaking.

"True Haunting" By Edwin F. Becker

I just finished reading "True Haunting" By Edwin F. Becker and I have to say I found it very interesting to read. While it's easy and quick to read, it is very well written; the fear and frustration that Ed and Marsha Becker experienced while dealing with the home that the bought is clear. If you would like to read into what the book is about, please click here.

While the story is primarily told from Ed's side (considering he is the author of the book), he expresses Marsha's experiences and fear very well. I think that the book is very well written and I highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in researching the paranormal or is having something going on in their home. This book shows the struggles a family can have in regards to coming out to family and/ or friends about their home possibly being haunted. Sure we see people on TV with haunted homes and business' but these TV shows never really discuss or show the struggle of having to find help or come out to family or the comments of people saying that you are crazy and you're just getting used to living in your new home. While I do believe that in most cases paranormal experience IS just a case of getting used to a new place or not thinking through logical explanations. If there are allot of power lines near your home, the energy from that can affect the human brain and body and cause paranormal activity (it can also increase activity as well if the home truly is haunted). Also, if there is a carbon monoxide leak somewhere in your home or business, that can also cause people to believe that are having paranormal experiences.

One of the things that got me thinking in this book is that the exorcism that was performed on the home at the time had failed. Mainly because exorcisms don't work on spirits, they only work on demons. While there was supposedly an evil entity at this home, that doesn't mean that it was a demon. I took notice that at this time, at least according to the book, the beckers never tried to rid the ghosts other than with the exorcism, which by today's standards (at least in my mind) is kind of odd. While I do think that there are spirits that can't be driven out of a home (although I don't think it's always necessary), I find it interesting that the Becker's didn't try another route in regards to ridding the home of the spirits. The paranormal was still very taboo at this time and wasn't openly discussed as it is today though. So it is very possible that the paranormal investigation team they had in to look at the home didn't know any other way of ridding the home because it's possible the team had no one else to consult with and brainstorm other ideas. Paranormal investigation has come along way both in regards to research and becoming more socially acceptable, especially over the last 10 years than it did at the time the Becker's were having their experiences. While there is still a lot of disagreements and misunderstandings, it is a lot easier to figure out how to deal with paranormal activity in your home today.

Emily Griffin
"To trust, respect, challenge, educate and seek the truth."

Collective unconsciousness

The idea of a universal mind (or universal consciousness or collective consciousness or Collective unconscious) is a fascinating subject to me. The universal mind is the universal higher consciousness where we subconsciously connect with other beings around the world.  Collectively, as humans, we can predict when almost any type of major event is going to happen.

When I was at a paranormal event with the Paranormal Research Society a couple of months ago, tech specialist, Sergey Poberezhny was discussing the concept of collective unconsciousness with us and was talking about something called the “Random Event Generator (REG),” which is supposed to help us explore the direct impact of consciousness on the physical world. Research has been done for over a decade now with the REG and there are currently over 60 active eggs in the network in areas including Europe, the US, Canada, India, Fiji, New Zealand, Japan, China, Russia, Brazil, Africa, Thailand, South America, Australia. The hypothesis is that the REG will show some sort of anomaly deviations associated with major global events when there’s major participation or some sort of major reaction to the event; such as 9/11.

While the REG basically flips 200 coins a second to generate random numbers on the graph, it is supposedly affected by the collective unconscious to help “predict” the future. While I personally doubt that a piece of technology can really predict the future and some of the studies have been very far off, I do think that as creatures on this earth, both human and otherwise are connected somehow subconsciously.

I think that this concept of a universal mind plays into people having psychic abilities as well as religion and spirituality; which I believe the paranormal and religion/ spirituality go hand in hand. As I have sat down and thought through the concept of collective unconsciousness, my thought process lead me to this hypothesis; so many people believe in an almighty God, Gods or some sort of higher being that is separate from humans. That there is some big, invisible God out there in the universe that we can’t hear, see, smell or touch but what if WE are God? In theory, I think collectively as humans, we are God because according to many faiths, God is everywhere, in everything and (from what I learned in Sunday school as a child) is IN us.

This is just a theory I have but please feel free to discuss and disagree with me down in the comments below.

I was discussing this with a friend of mine and she told me about this story on tumblr. I don’t know who wrote it and I do not take credit for this story, but it gets the point that I’m trying to make across. Please don’t feel like I’m trying to change your beliefs in any way, because I’m not. You just cannot talk about the paranormal, without talking about spirituality.

You were on your way home when you died.

It was a car accident. Nothing particularly remarkable, but fatal nonetheless. You left behind a wife and two children. It was a painless death. The EMTs tried their best to save you, but to no avail. Your body was so utterly shattered you were better off, trust me.

And that’s when you met me.

“What… what happened?” You asked. “Where am I?”

“You died,” I said, matter-of-factly. No point in mincing words.

“There was a… a truck and it was skidding…”

“Yup,” I said.

“I… I died?”

“Yup. But don’t feel bad about it. Everyone dies,” I said.

You looked around. There was nothingness. Just you and me. “What is this place?” You asked. 

“Is this the afterlife?”

“More or less,” I said.

“Are you god?” You asked.

“Yup,” I replied. “I’m God.”

“My kids… my wife,” you said.

“What about them?”

“Will they be all right?”

“That’s what I like to see,” I said. “You just died and your main concern is for your family. That’s 

good stuff right there.”

You looked at me with fascination. To you, I didn’t look like God. I just looked like some man. Or possibly a woman. Some vague authority figure, maybe. More of a grammar school teacher than the almighty.

“Don’t worry,” I said. “They’ll be fine. Your kids will remember you as perfect in every way. They didn’t have time to grow contempt for you. Your wife will cry on the outside, but will be secretly relieved. To be fair, your marriage was falling apart. If it’s any consolation, she’ll feel very guilty for feeling relieved.”

“Oh,” you said. “So what happens now? Do I go to heaven or hell or something?”

“Neither,” I said. “You’ll be reincarnated.”

“Ah,” you said. “So the Hindus were right,”

“All religions are right in their own way,” I said. “Walk with me.”

You followed along as we strode through the void. “Where are we going?”

“Nowhere in particular,” I said. “It’s just nice to walk while we talk.”

“So what’s the point, then?” You asked. “When I get reborn, I’ll just be a blank slate, right? A 

baby. So all my experiences and everything I did in this life won’t matter.”

“Not so!” I said. “You have within you all the knowledge and experiences of all your past lives. You just don’t remember them right now.”

I stopped walking and took you by the shoulders. “Your soul is more magnificent, beautiful, and gigantic than you can possibly imagine. A human mind can only contain a tiny fraction of what you are. It’s like sticking your finger in a glass of water to see if it’s hot or cold. You put a tiny part of yourself into the vessel, and when you bring it back out, you’ve gained all the experiences it had.

“You’ve been in a human for the last 48 years, so you haven’t stretched out yet and felt the rest of your immense consciousness. If we hung out here for long enough, you’d start remembering everything. But there’s no point to doing that between each life.”

“How many times have I been reincarnated, then?”

“Oh lots. Lots and lots. An in to lots of different lives.” I said. “This time around, you’ll be a Chinese peasant girl in 540 AD.”

“Wait, what?” You stammered. “You’re sending me back in time?”

“Well, I guess technically. Time, as you know it, only exists in your universe. Things are different where I come from.”

“Where you come from?” You said.

“Oh sure,” I explained “I come from somewhere. Somewhere else. And there are others like me. I know you’ll want to know what it’s like there, but honestly you wouldn’t understand.”

“Oh,” you said, a little let down. “But wait. If I get reincarnated to other places in time, I could have interacted with myself at some point.”

“Sure. Happens all the time. And with both lives only aware of their own lifespan you don’t even know it’s happening.”

“So what’s the point of it all?”

“Seriously?” I asked. “Seriously? You’re asking me for the meaning of life? Isn’t that a little stereotypical?”

“Well it’s a reasonable question,” you persisted.

I looked you in the eye. “The meaning of life, the reason I made this whole universe, is for you to mature.”

“You mean mankind? You want us to mature?”

“No, just you. I made this whole universe for you. With each new life you grow and mature and become a larger and greater intellect.”

“Just me? What about everyone else?”

“There is no one else,” I said. “In this universe, there’s just you and me.”

You stared blankly at me. “But all the people on earth…”

“All you. Different incarnations of you.”

“Wait. I’m everyone!?”

“Now you’re getting it,” I said, with a congratulatory slap on the back.

“I’m every human being who ever lived?”

“Or who will ever live, yes.”

“I’m Abraham Lincoln?”

“And you’re John Wilkes Booth, too,” I added.

“I’m Hitler?” You said, appalled.

“And you’re the millions he killed.”

“I’m Jesus?”

“And you’re everyone who followed him.”

You fell silent.

“Every time you victimized someone,” I said, “you were victimizing yourself. Every act of kindness you’ve done, you’ve done to yourself. Every happy and sad moment ever experienced by any human was, or will be, experienced by you.”

You thought for a long time.

“Why?” You asked me. “Why do all this?”

“Because someday, you will become like me. Because that’s what you are. You’re one of my kind. You’re my child.”

“Whoa,” you said, incredulous. “You mean I’m a god?”

“No. Not yet. You’re a fetus. You’re still growing. Once you’ve lived every human life throughout all time, you will have grown enough to be born.”

“So the whole universe,” you said, “it’s just…”

“An egg.” I answered. “Now it’s time for you to move on to your next life.”

And I sent you on your way.

Citations

1) Lew, Daniel .. "Random Event Generators Predict the Future." Damn Interesting. Damninteresting.com, 10 Dec. 2005. Web. 18 May 2013. .

2) http://noosphere.princeton.edu/results.html

3) Gamble, Maureen .. "Universal Consciousness." Universal Consciousness. Lighttouch.com, Summer 1997. Web. 18 May 2013. .

4) "Collective Unconscious." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 05 Apr. 2013. Web. 18 May 2013. .

5) "Universal Mind." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 04 Dec. 2013. Web. 18 May 2013. .

6) "Psyleron, Inc. - Consciousness Research and Technologies Using Random Event Generators." Psyleron, Inc. - Consciousness Research and Technologies Using Random Event Generators. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 May 2013. .

7) "The Egg." The Egg. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 May 2013. .

The Trouble With Trayvon

Gypsy Herbal Astringent Lotion

I found this on facebook from a fan page that I like, I can't remember what the page is but I've been wanting to try this!

Home Beauty Treatments: Gypsy Herbal Astringent Lotion
This wonderful herbal astringent lotion has been hailed as the first herbal product ever produced and marketed. Legend has it that the early Gypsies formulated it and claimed it to be a cure-all. Whether or not it is I hardly know, but I do know that it is an excellent astringent for the face and a great rinse for dark hair.

This Gypsy herbal astringent lotion combines gentle common herbs in a masterful way, it’s easy to make, and it’s a versatile formula that serves many purposes. The Gypsies used it as a hair rinse, mouthwash, headache remedy, aftershave, footbath, and who knows what else! I have seen this formula sold in department stores in exotic little bottles for a fancy price. You can make it for the cost of a few herbs and a bottle of vinegar.

6 parts lemon balm
4 parts chamomile
4 parts roses
3 parts calendula
3 parts comfrey leaf
1 part lemon peel
1 part rosemary
1 part sage
Vinegar to cover (apple cider or wine vinegar)
Rose water or witch hazel extract
Essential oil of lavender or rose (optional)
Place the herbs in a widemouthed jar. Fill the jar with enough vinegar that it rises an inch or two above the herb mixture. Cover tightly and let it sit in a warm spot for 2 to 3 weeks.
Strain out the herbs. To each cup of herbal vinegar, add 2/3 to 1 cup of rose water or witch hazel. Add a drop or two of essential oil, if desired. Rebottle. This product does not need to be refrigerated and will keep indefinitely.

STRAWBERRY PRETZEL SALAD

INGREDIENTS
2 cups crushed pretzels
3/4 cup butter, melted (she said she used a cup though - butta)
3 tablespoons white sugar
1 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 (8 ounce) cartons frozen whipped topping, thawed
2 (3 ounce) packages strawberry gelatin
2 cups boiling water
2 (10 ounce) packages frozen strawberries

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Stir together crushed pretzels, melted butter and 3 tablespoons white sugar; mix well and press mixture into bottom of 9x13-inch baking dish.
Bake 8-10 minutes, until set; set aside to cool. (DO NOT LET OVERBAKE!)
In a large mixing bowl cream together cream cheese and 1 cup white sugar.
Fold in whipped topping.
Spread mixture onto cooled crust.
Dissolve gelatin in boiling water.
Stir in frozen strawberries and allow to set briefly.
When mixture sets a little bit (to about the consistency of egg whites) pour and spread over cream cheese layer.
Refrigerate until set.

Yummy summer treat!

Mango, Kiwi, Raspberry 
Ingredients:
9 tbsp water
2 tbsp sugar
5 oz kiwi, peeled
6 oz mango, peeled
6 oz fresh raspberries
Directions:
Make a simple syrup by combining water and sugar in a small pot and bring to a boil; boil for about 4-5 minutes on medium heat. Set aside.
Puree fruit separately in the blender. Set aside in 3 small bowls.

Divide the simple syrup between the fruit purees and mix in.

Equally fill four small 5 oz cups with the kiwi puree and place in the freezer; freeze one hour.

Add mango puree and freeze 20 minutes. Insert sticks and freeze at least 2 hours. Add raspberry puree and freeze overnight.
More awesome recipes and fun here: Angel's Weight Loss Support