Quotes

Fred Robins, cyclist – ‘My working life was one of performance, seeking excellence, achieving consistent high standards, solving problems and never permitting mistakes to be made. Retirement gave me the time to find poetry. My work-shaped ‘being’ slowly opened up to the beauty of the poetry of Gerard Manley Hopkins who found God in nature and whose poems exude the power of his belief in God’s presence in the natural world around us. Retirement led us to East Hampshire and the beautiful heathland, commons and woods that surround our home. Cycling the bridleways on my mountain bike, I was overwhelmed by the ever changing magnificence of  this quietly stunning environment. I began to inwardly sense what Hopkins experienced. As I looked towards the South Downs on the horizon I thought of his words from various poems:    ’…and the azurous hung hills are his world-wielding shoulder/ Majestic – as a stallion stalwart, very-violet-sweet !... High there, how he rung upon the rein of a wimpling wing/ In his ecstasy! Then off, off forth on swing,/ As a skate’s heel sweeps smooth on a bow-bend: the hurl and gliding...All things counter, original, spare, strange;/ Whatever is fickle, freckled (who knows how ?)/ With swift, slow; sweet, sour, adazzle, dim;/ He fathers-forth whose beauty is past change: Praise him.’   My very personal feeling is that nature can and does provide healing, protection and regeneration to those who (to quote Hopkins again)  ‘have trod, have trod, have trod’ for most of their lives’

 

Publications

Wired for God? – The biology of spiritual experience – Charles Foster. Published:   15 April 2010, Hodder & Stoughton. Foster’s passion and clarity help us focus on the key issues concerning the nature of religious feeling in human life. He takes us on a journey through the drugs, dreams and profound experiences that lead people to believe in the existence of our souls.

Self Hypnosis for Cosmic Consciousness: Achieving Altered States, Mystical Experiences, and Spiritual Enlightenment - Ronald A. Havens. Published: 26 Jan 2007,Crown House Publishing.
This is a book for people who want to use hypnosis to expand their potential, not just to read, but to experience.

An Introduction to Religious and Spiritual Experience - Marianne Rankin. Published: 15 Jan 2009, Continuum International Publishing Group Ltd.  From spiritual experiences to mystical and near-death incidences, this fascinating introduction explores and evaluates the significance of such events; taking into account different interpretations from scientific, philosophical and religious viewpoints. This comprehensive new introduction looks at spiritual experiences from past to present, from the experiences of the founders of the major world religious traditions to events in the lives of ordinary people today.

Life Experiences & Spiritual Triumph - Patricia Littlejohn. Published:25 Jul 2006, Lulu.com
Daily devotions in relationship, family, friends, living your best life today. This read is for the soul and heart and is said to leave you breathless.

Quietly Comes Quan Yin 1: Quan Yin's Oriental Healing Garden. Label: Spiritual Sojourn Sounds.
"Quan Yin's Oriental Healing Garden" is the first of 3 CDs which make up the "Quietly Comes Quan Yin" Healing Meditation Collection. This CD consists of 3 instrumental meditation tracks to help you connect with the Quan Yin's healing energies.

Quietly Comes Quan Yin 2:Quan Yin & the Healing Dragon Fly. Label: Spiritual Sojourn Sounds
"Quan Yin & the Healing Dragon Fly" is the second of 3 CDs which make up the "Quietly Comes Quan Yin" Healing Meditation Collection. This CD consists of the 27 minute long Honest Heart guided meditation led by Catherine Walsh and the 29 minute instrumental Shimmer meditation both meditations are designed to help listeners connect with Quan Yins gentle healing energies.

Quietly Comes Quan Yin 3: Quan Yin Healing for the Inner Child. Label: Spiritual Sojourn Sounds.
"Quan Yin Healing for the Inner Child" is the third of 3 CDs which make up the "Quietly Comes Quan Yin" Healing Meditation Collection. This CD consists of the 60 minute long Quan Yin Compassionate Healing for the Inner Child guided meditation led by Catherine Walsh - created to help listeners connect with Quan Yins gentle healing energies.

Spirituality of Music – John Bird. Published: 24 Nov 2008,Northstone Publishing Inc. Author John Bird invites us to discover how music touches us throughout our lives, from the pulsing rhythms we experience in the womb, to the music that will escort us out of life. In between, Bird shows how music connects us with family and friends and the world of the spirit; how it can express our 'authentic voice', both as individuals and as members of particular cultural traditions; and, how it strengthens and unites us during times of protest, and comforts us during times of loss. He shows how music and word combine to integrate mind and spirit, and how music and movement combine to integrate spirit and body. Beautifully illustrated with full colour photographs.

Thresholds - Marcel Cobussen. Published: 28 Sep 2008, Ashgate; illustrated edition. In Thresholds Marcel Cobussen rethinks the relationship between music and spirituality. The point of departure is the current movement within contemporary classical music known as New Spiritual Music, with as its main representatives Arvo Pärt, John Tavener, and Giya Kancheli.

Kundalini - From Hell to Heaven - Ganga Karmokar. Published:15 Jul 2006, Zen Way Center.
Guidance for both those with awakened kundalini and for those seeking enlightenment. Description of signs and symptoms of kundalini awakening and descriptive stories of those going through the process. This is not a book giving kundalini yoga instruction - the author spent 30 years going through the process until its completion with self-realization in 1999.

The Kundalini Experience: Psychosis or Transcendence -  Lee Sannella. Published: June 1987,Integral Publishing.  Many people have heard of the extraordinary phenomenon of kundalini awakening in which a person’s body is swept by muscle spasms, indescribable sensations & sharp pains running throughout the body. He feels his body tearing within. Then suddenly he laughs & is overcome with bliss. When allowed to progress to completion, this process may culminate in deep psychological balance, inner strength, and emotional maturity.

Kundalini, Evolution, and Enlightenment – John Warren White. Published: April 1990, Paragon House Publishers. A collection of stories by leading experts on kundalini phenomenon, some of them use their space in the book to evangelize their own particular brands of enlightenment. The book holistically looks at theories, personal accounts and scientific research. It also explores individual/social relationships.

Farther Shores: Exploring How Near-Death, Kundalini and Mystical Experiences Can Transform Ordinary Lives - Yvonne Kason. Published: December 2, 2008 –Iuniverse. A dramatic near-death experience change Yvonne Kason's life forever and prompted her study of the mystical experiences that fall beyond the everyday. She explores a wide range of spiritually transformative experiences - near-death experiences, mystical experiences, spiritual energy/kundalini episodes, psychic awakenings and spontaneous inspired creativity - by sharing fascinating real-life stories. Farther Shores is an inspiring book for those who have experiences the extraordinary and for the health care professionals whom they turn for help.

Spiritual Emergency: When Personal Transformation Becomes a Crisis - Stanislav Grof.
Published: 1 Dec 1989, Warner Books. This book argues that many episodes of transformational crisis have been misdiagnosed as mental illness, and explains how to use such a crisis for spiritual development.

Conversations with God: Neale Donald Walsch. Published: Clays Ltd, St Ives Plc:  1995. A fascinating book written by a man who was frustrated with life and wrote a letter to God, without expecting a response!  Walsch was amazed by his response from God. Here we read about the most puzzling questions such as love, faith, life, death, good and evil.

Walking with Angels: Carmel Reilly. Published: Silverdale Books: 2005. Inspiring, true stories from every day people, not just seers and great prophets, but proof that there is healing in our every day lives.

Seeing Angels: Emma Heathcote-James. Published: John Blake Publishing: 2002. Emma Heathcote:  James has had some intriguing experiences with angels and has been analysing over 800 such accounts for her PHD into Contemporary Experiences of Angels. This book tells the amazing stories from hundreds of people who have claimed to have experienced visions of angels. This includes people from all walks of life such as prisoners, children and professionals.

Through My Eyes: Gordon Smith. Published: 2006, Hays House UK Ltd. A powerful, inspirational book where the author talks about the many experiences he has encountered by helping the bereaved who are experiencing intense grief. This book offers comfort, great wisdom and practical advice to thousands of readers.

Angel at my Shoulder: Glennyce S. Eckersley. Published: 1996 by Rider, an imprint of Ebury Press.
Here are stories of countless ordinary people being rescued by angels, being comforted and healed by them and feeling their presence in the face of death. These tales are drawn from many different countries.

The message: Colin Fry. Published: 16th April 2009 by Edbury press. Colin reveals wisdom from the Other Side. Sharing true stories of encounters with the spirit realms, he also sets out seven steps for leaving hurt and hardship behind.  

 

Websites

Spiritual Science Research Foundation - aims to educate humanity on the spiritual dimension and provides people with tools for understanding the spiritual dimension, problem solving and overcoming problems where the root cause is in spiritual nature and aims to achieve everlasting happiness.
www.spiritualresearchfoundation.org

Spiritual Path - a website with facts and information on all different kinds of religion
www.spiritual-path.com/religions.htm

Spiritual Stories.com  A variety of spiritual stories and parables that have been collected from various sources. Here there are classics you may have heard but never considered from a non-religious perspective, and others are spiritual parables you may not have heard before.
www.spiritual-short-stories.com/

Spiritual growth  A beautiful website for spiritual growth. Poems and stories.
godslittleacre.net/spiritualgrowth/

Spiritual Stories and reflection  Chris Cade has put together a blog of spiritual stories for readers to enjoy. Here you can also receive spiritual stories via email.
www.spiritualstoriesblog.com/

Inspirational stories Stories to fill the heart and lift the spirit.
www.spiritual-endeavors.org/stories/

All Spirit Website  A very useful website for spiritual unfoldment including philosophy, poetry, quotations, song lyrics and sacred texts. Here you will find lots of literature including a poetry index and an Allspirit store with links and quotations.
www.allspirit.co.uk/

Spiritual Poems A website that offers a collection of spiritual poems and poetic themes.
www.poetseers.org/themes/spiritual_poems/

Inspirational Positive Thoughts Website  Inspirational thoughts for times of need.
www.indianchild.com/thoughts_for_life.htm

Spiritual experiences forum  A forum to discuss spiritual experiences such as life after death, and experiences with loved ones after passing.
www.psychics.co.uk/psychic-forum

Spiritual experiences  A useful website where you can submit your own spiritual experiences and also read about other peoples. Articles, experiences, quotes, music and videos.
www.spiritual-experiences.com/articles-spirituality/

Where spiritual experiences become delusions A number of interesting articles written by Jessika Lucas (Amma)
kl@gnostic.org  www.gnostic.org

Inner self - The online magazine for spiritual mindfulness in everyday life.  New attitudes and possibilities for spiritual and creative thinking.
innerself.com/Meditation/mindfulness.htm

Mind Reality.com - a great website for alternative outlooks which offers some very interesting articles that shed light on secrets of the mind which everyone can relate to.
www.mindreality.com

Schools/organisations

The Alister Hardy Society Religious Experience Centre – researches religious experience and spirituality today. Religious Experience Research Centre:
Department of Theology & Religious Studies,
University of Wales Lampeter, Ceredigion SA48 7ED.
Tel: +44(0)1570 424821 Fax: +44 (0)1570 424987.
e-mail: ahardytrust@lamp.ac.uk   www.lamp.ac.uk/aht/Home/home.html

The Association of Spiritual Retreats -  association of Spiritual Retreats is a global resource for some of the best holistic treatments worldwide including Meditation retreats in the United States Ireland, England, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Thailand and Canada. Articles, blog, prayer centre and membership. www.spiritualretreats.com

Spirituality UK – a Unitarian network which offers spirituality development programmes and events in the UK and is dedicated to helping people live more enlightened, compassionate, mindful and joyful lives. admin@ukspirituality.org  www.ukspirituality.org/whoweare.cfm

Morning Star Mystery School - provides an educational opportunity that is more about self-transformation rather than the traditional classroom fact-gathering seminary.
www.divinehumanity.com/home.html

The British Humanist Association - exists to promote Humanism and support and represent people who seek to live good lives without religious or superstitious beliefs
British Humanist Association,  1 Gower Street, London WC1E 6HD. T:020 7079 3580
naomi@humanism.org.uk www.humanism.org.uk/about

SchoolsGalore.com - provides an easy-to-use resource for those seeking higher education and a better way of life. Hundreds of vocational schools, colleges, universities, natural healing schools, online schools, certificates and degree programs are logically organized to make it easy to find just what you are looking for.  www.schoolsgalore.com/

Stepping Stones -  offers a range of therapies, including Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) , Vortex Healing, Crystal Healing, NLP and Hypnosis and body treatments along with their shop where you can purchase books, candles, angels, incense and a rang of other holistic products. In Farnham, Surrey.
www.steppingstonesstore.co.uk/

Laughter Network - for laughter, happiness and well-being workshops exploring and teaching the benefits of laughter as a tool for personal development, health and joy.
info@laughternetwork.co.uk  www.laughternetwork.co.uk/services.html