Walk the talk and more

 

Of late I have been preaching a lot about positive thinking but not sure I am walking the talk. At the workshop which I conduct for children from divorced families, one of the tools taught to cope with their feelings is to change thoughts and activities when the going gets tough. Similarly at another counselling sessions with an adult, I shared with her about how continuous rumination of negative thoughts saps one's energy. I wonder whether this really works for them.

Every morning when I wake up I turn on the tv to get the latest news update. In the order of severity there would now be news coverage on the human tragedy of the Israel/Palestinian crisis, an update of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, catastrophe brought about by climate changes, fear of another pandemic arising from unknown pathogen and occasional irrational shooting incidents. The newsreels on children being killed or trying to survive in bombed hospitals is really heart wrenching. Perhaps that coupled with a close friend's account of near death experience makes me feel moody occasionally, especially during the first moments when I wake up.

Of course I do not have the time to really dwell in the existential angst of death and meaning of life. I have a routine to follow. In that respect I do practice what I taught ie. instead of lying on bed and ruminating I get up and busy myself (switching my thoughts and activities). Does that mean however that I have to fill my day with endless activities both physical and mental? 

Now this is when it is difficult to impart to the children, to observe your emotions without judgement (it is neither good nor bad, it's just being human), allow it to be there and see it shifts or pass. That in itself is catharsis. 

"Instead of resisting any emotion, the best way to dispel it is to enter it fully, embrace it and see through your resistance". | Deepak Chopra

In another Realm

 

A close friend's sharing of being in a coma for over a week from a critical illness and how she heard God/Spiritual voices has an impact on me. It sets me googling into NDE (near death experiences). Many who have such encounters described it as being with an immense light that emanates unconditional love and peace. The Christians among them thought of 'It' as God or Jesus. I also seek a scientific clinical explanation which speculates that when the brain is deprived of blood the mind begins to have illusions while the narrowing of the retina causes vision of brightness through a tunnel. 

I can not conclude whether NDEs is biological or spiritual. However I begin to understand the message my friend wishes to impart ie. to contemplate the fragility of life. She being a Christian may be concerned about my after life. Indeed she is totally right. Shouldn't we be working towards the probable eternity instead of focusing on the desires of the short span of this earthly life.

One thing that strikes me when reading all the NDE accounts is the description of unconditional love and the realm beyond time and space. It brings to my mind that we do not have information about everything (the universe and beyond) and what we perceive of our world may be like how an ant views its own world. So certainly there could be a realm beyond this earthly life. What is good to remember is 'Unconditional Love' being described as the essence of this realm. 

Be it felt as the Christian God's unconditional love or the Buddhist precept of loving kindness, love seems to be the overriding experience in the realm of NDEs. That perhaps should be our beacon while we walk this earthly journey.