Registered: Apr 2001
Location:
Posts: 16728

hey all, ive come to the conclusion that I need to go on a spiritual journey. I don’t know when or where but I need it soon. I have to go through some major changes and I need to find some clarity and simplicity. Some time with little food or comforts will do me some good.

Anyway, my point of telling all you freaks is id like to know if you have ever done a spirit walk so to speak.

Like the old lady in the desert who was led to peyote by the eagle and saved her people from spiritual disarray.

I cant do any drugs, or wonder the desert but ill figure something out.

So anyway, personal stories please, im pulling your string as you walk away and I want you nekkid (symbolically speaking)

Excuse me while I get drunk (er) for the first time in weeks.

Theresa says “hi!”

tell me a story.

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Registered: Feb 2004
Location: south afrika
Posts: 16791

quote:

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Originally posted by euphorbia
hey all, ive come to the conclusion that I need to go on a spiritual journey.

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Registered: Jul 2001
Location: Disgusting den of creepitude
Posts: 10535

Sounds like you need to have a "vison". Start walking. Don't eat and drink little water till your body is so draind you start to halucinate. That's your "vison". Do what it fuckin' tells ya.

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Registered: Jul 2000
Location: Montreal
Posts: 2990

All you need is to climb (hike) a mountian.

2 weeks ago I went up 8400ft. It was exhausting and I got vertigo pretty bad in some places. One you get to the top though, we went as far as we could with out climbing gear, it's amazing.
The world is different from such great heights.

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"Please pardon my levity, I don't see how to take death seriously. It seems absurd." R A Wilson (R.I.P)

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Registered: Mar 2004
Location: Behind this monitor.
Posts: 6468

Here's a story I wrote not to long ago...it took forever to edit it without the ellipses.
It's of a 'vision' or 'enlightment' I had on one of my many journeys.
I did live in the woods alot and I always went to streams..cliffs rivers etc and sat and become one with nature..


As I sat on the rock looking into the vast sea, an undescribable feeling welled up inside. I froze. I knew I was not to move a muscle, although every ounce of energy within me wanted to take flight. My muscles were the most tense they had ever been in my life, every muscle, my heart pounded so hard I thought at any time it would actually explode out my chest.
The rock I sat upon was just large enough to accompany me and my feet hang and dangled in the dark murky waters below. I had been slightly kicking them just to stir the water and was lost in intense consintration...of nothing really.
The air was warm and a cloud had fallen from the sky and landed around me. Although it should be cold and damp, it was pleasantly warm and damp instead. The cresant moon hung far off in the sky, unreachable tonight, as if it itself wanted nothing to do with the earth this night.
The waters parted about two feet in front of me. It arose ever so slowly, but as each second past the creature became larger and larger and before I knew it it was towering over me, so high in fact I had to look almost straight up to see its face. It blocked the dim ray of the moon leaving me surrounded in the darkness of the night and overshadowed by his frame.
My body began to tremble in fear, and I could not stop it. I think my inner child passed out and left me an empty shell, just flesh and bone and a mind that was out of control.I was not on drugs and this was a reality unfolding before me. Sitting before this most hideous figure, I ran my eyes over his body. His legs were ripped with muscles, his entire body actually, but there was 'fins' for lack of works protruding from his body in various places, some small and some the size of half of me running lengths of his body.He was from another land, some would call an alien, others would say a demon. His hands were not human but that of claws, long fingers and nails that when he cupped his hand he could not close them as his nails stopped that event.My eyes made there way up to his face, fearful to even look at his eyes, knowing a creature like this could steal my soul in once glance, but I must look and although my mind screamed NO, my eyes had a destiny to fulfill. His face had fins on his cheeks, fitting of the size and he had a row of horns down his back that stood straight out. Upon seeing his face he smiled and shown the layers of teeth that were all pointed, his tongue was of a serpant thin and lean and came to a point. My eyes reached his and my heart feared death.
Upon looking into the red beads that shown, I became lost in his glance. I have never seen that color red, the depth was surreal of his soul, I became lost with his world thru his eyes. I could feel my body no more, it had become an earthen vessel of clay that stayed posed upon the rock.My muscles had become so relaxed by then and my limbs hung freely although my back remained strong.
My adventure was a spiritual one then, and my spirit traveled to places unknown. I can not speak of what I had seen there in his eyes, I am forbidden. I had seen much unknown to mankind.An underworld that did exist here on earth just in another realm. Inside held the future of man and the plight which was to reign down upon them.
The creature breathed but it sounded more like a growl escaping from deep within. He began to speak and I sat attentive to his voice, spellbound to say the least. `Shing-ka' he called me and mummbled another name I can not remember. My head nodded in confirment and acceptance of the name. He continued on and although his voice was full of snarls and growls, I understood. I began to have visions,flashs of still pictures like he was showing me a slide show. Each new picture becoming progressly worse, unspeakable horror and my soul was overwhelmed. It now contain more then I ever wanted it too yet it kept pouring in and embedding itself into my inner being, it filled an emptiness deep within and for once in my life I felt complete. I had not become a monster that stood before me, I was a marked messenger to deliver a word to the world.
I began to feel my body and without hestitation I drew my legs up under me and arose, standing upon this dark rock that had become cold to touch now. Why I stood I do not know. I was so inferior to this monster that's head seem to touch the sky, easily he was 40 foot tall and I was an object he could crush on the rock with a finger tip if he so chose. I didn't speak a word but a question filled my mind and unknowily he could hear my very thoughts. He spoke again in a soft growl and answered my query.
How can I tell the entire world, I am but a fragile meek person among others much bigger then myself. They will not listen to one like me.
His reply was "yes, they will `shing-ka, they have no choice but to heard if you speak it,spellbound they will be- captivated in your words, they have the choice to not heed your words and THAT very act will determine their fate" he snarled.
And how will I tell the whole world this message.
No sooner did the words cross my mind he replied. "One person at a time, at times small groups."
Will I see you again?
He growled lowly as if to be sorrowful at his answer and lowered his head. "The answer to that lies within you. Others will visit you at times but beware- there are some opposed whom want your very soul and will devour you. Be aware Shing-ka."
"Know this `Shing-ka, you will never truly live in this life and you will never truly die, yet you will live more and die more then any other human. Neither life nor death want to contain your being. Accept that."
With those words he began to descend back into the murky water. When he reached the level of my eyesight he stopped for a brief second. I stared closely into his eyes now, the closest they have been for me too see into. The red changed, multiple colors began to swirl like a funnel and then dark grey became the color. He closed his eyes and dissappeared under the water, leaving me alone standing on the rock. I scanned the water to see if I could see movement but there was none now. How a creature so huge arose from the knee high water in front of the rock was beyond me, that was the least of my conserns.
I looked up to the moon, the one who had forsaken me this night and had withdrawn earlier, was now closer and shining it's rays down upon this spinning rock. It sent it's beams skipping across the top of the water and smacked me in my face.
I can not play tonight with you brother moon, and withdrew from the rock, turning my back to him.

Last edited by T on 09-15-2004 at 11:22 PM

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Registered: Feb 2003
Location: Oceanside, CA
Posts: 5154

I've been feeling the same need sometimes. I have been toying with the idea of walking the Appalachian Trail...it's not exactly a vision quest, as starvation is not recommended, but six months of relative solitude in the mountains, with hard physical labor most days, might not be too far off.

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Registered: Mar 2004
Location: Behind this monitor.
Posts: 6468

With mother nature and father time..you can't go wrong.!

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Registered: Feb 2004
Location: south afrika
Posts: 16791

quote:

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Originally posted by T
father time

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Attachment: father-time.jpg
This has been downloaded 175 time(s).

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Registered: Nov 2000
Location: UK
Posts: 4776

quote:

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Originally posted by Talarohk
I have been toying with the idea of walking the Appalachian Trail...

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Registered: Feb 2003
Location: Oceanside, CA
Posts: 5154

quote:

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Originally posted by macker
It makes you appreciate just how damned heavy food is. For the 7 day hike the average backpack was about ~35kgs, with maybe 15kgs making up your emergency tent, sleeping bag and cooking utensils(pot, gas stove, cutelary). You also invariably started the hike with 3-5 litres of water, the variation depending heavily on how dry the year has been and how many easily accessable streams are along the trail.

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There seems to be a sizeable debate among long distance hikers about ultralight vs. regular backpacking. From what I have gathered, the average weight of a typical long-distance hiker's gear on the Appalachian Trail is around 40 pounds (18 kg), although there is plenty of variation in both directions. A lot of them use a very light tent or even just a tarp, titanium cookware, and stoves made of Pepsi cans that burn denatured alcohol, and so manage to get down to low pack weights. They do complain about the weight of food, usually having to carry 5-7 days worth at about 2 pounds per day. Water is pretty widely available, though.

quote:

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As for the spirituality deal, I've found that if you go through life being an arrogant bastard, you spend very little time questioning why you've been placed on this earth, or what purposes you should have.

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Ah, but an unexamined life is not worth living, or so I've heard.

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Registered: Mar 2004
Location: USA
Posts: 24747

quote:

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Originally posted by euphorbia
I need to find some clarity and simplicity. Some time with little food or comforts will do me some good.

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Registered: Apr 2003
Location: . o O
Posts: 6416

This thread is a[spoiler] bloated bag of shit.

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Registered: Mar 2004
Location: Behind this monitor.
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quote:

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Originally posted by cw
This thread is a[spoiler] bloated bag of shit.

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Registered: Oct 2000
Location: Dumbfucksville!
Posts: 12164

T, you must be from New England considering how you said, "So isn't the Shenandoah Valley" versus "So is the Shenandoah Valley."

Am I correct?

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Registered: Mar 2004
Location: Behind this monitor.
Posts: 6468

No..

USA all the way..

I have weird online speech although I just type it how I think it..

I worry alot of times people don't understand what I mean..

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Registered: Aug 2000
Location: LfuckinA
Posts: 3374

Fuck me, I thought New England was part of the USA.

Oh, and spiritual stuff for me usually involves the ocean. It calls me home every so often. The best experience I've had close to home was when I was out on a body board, just staring at the horizon during whale migration season. I saw a large fin come up and then go under. Not long after that, I was waiting for a wave while all around me, sand sharks were feeding. I was pretty lucky that day.

Away from home, the best was probably swimming in the Great Barrier Reef and seeing some interesting creatures. It always reminds me of how small, and ironically, how large I am.

Last edited by flocat on 09-16-2004 at 05:00 AM

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Registered: Jul 2001
Location: East Texas
Posts: 355

funny how we fill in our life with frivolous crap

I don't know if 4b means to sit silently in some barren room with only a glass of water and a bowl of rice each day but I'd highly recommend that everyone "clean out their life" like cleaning out a closet every few years.

stop you're usual routine but make sure you get plenty of sleep/food/water/whatever essential.

get up 1 hour earlier, go to bed at least 2 hours earlier and turn off the box attached to the monitor you're looking at right now. stop listening to the radio, stop watching the TV, stop reading the news (it won't NOT rain just because you didn't listen to the weather). restrict your time with non-family members (if your friend can't live without talkign to you each day, there's a problem)
cut out all caffeine, alcohol, tobacco and any other non-prescribed medications/stimulants/depressants.

no sweets, no sodas, no meat-at-every-meal, and eat less.

you don't have to change jobs or take time off or leave your state.

just cut out all the crap you fill your day with and then after 2-3 weeks begin to slowly add back one or two of these things based on what's truely most important to you and what you feel most comfortable letting back into your life.

seriously, cut out all the "non essential" stuff and see what kind of "spiritual journey" you are already on.

....or go the new-aged route and play peyote eating indian (don't forget your energy crystals)

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Registered: Jul 2000
Location: zanzibar
Posts: 10477

My brother and I got in my car and just started driving from Detroit. He had been hospitalized before that and had become diabetic from some of his medications. He had just started feeling good again. We ended up in St. Louis the first night. We just kept driving and driving and wandering about. We went across through Amarillo, TX and over to Flagstaff, AZ. We stopped in Los Angeles. Walked on the stars of the Walk of fame. Put our hands in Frank Sinatra's prints at the Chinese Theater. Saw the observatory where James Dean had his knife fight in Rebel Without a Cause. We drove past the line for the Tonight Show and ate dinner at Bob's Big Boy in Burbank. Then we drove down towards San Diego. My car threw off one of the main pulleys on the engine at Laguna Hills. We got the car in a shop before it closed on New Years Eve and rented a car to get to our hotel in San Diego. Because NYE was a Thursday, we were stuck in San Diego until Monday, which was great. He needed a rest and we both needed to stop and enjoy a place for awhile. Then we left and headed to the Grand Canyon, then across the south side of AZ and NM and saw the huge cactuses everywhere. In NM we saw Billy the Kid's grave at Old Fort Sumner. We came through El Paso and over to Dallas. We took in the Grassy Knoll and went through the Book Depository. We left there and headed up for Memphis and saw Graceland. Then finally we got back to Detroit and my brother told me he'd never do such a fool thing again. Later on he was very ill in a hospital and I am told he talked to the nurses about our trip all the time. It was a great experience and I am very glad I did it. I have an album of the whole thing.

Sometime I need to scrape together some time and a reason to go somewhere again. I don't really like planning anything or being on a schedule when taking a trip like that. I remember how good it felt to leave the city and my cares behind for a few weeks.

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Registered: Jan 2001
Location: Zion
Posts: 4518

Mine started when I was 19. Until that time I had never really given much thought to religion or any kind of spiritualism. I grew up in an LDS family that went to church services just often enough that kept you in the good graces of the church. Anyway, I was called in to the Stake President's office ( he oversees about 3 church houses worth of members) and told I was going to serve a mission for God. Funny, I never really thought about it until the papers were in front of me. Two years of my life spent on the road trying to convert people to the LDS way of life. "I'm not ready for a mission. My testimony of the Church isn't that strong." I was told that "entering the mission field will make it strong." I made an agreement with the President. I would go home, read the Bible and the Book of Mormon cover to cover and then decide what I needed to do.

So I did. It took me the better part of 5 months to read both books cover to cover. The results and my findings are quite personal and not really relevant to this conversation. But it did teach me a few things about myself and my beliefs. A few years after completing my studies I "set my self free" from what I consider to be the guilt and oppression of religion and had my name removed from the records of the LDS church.

But something happened while I was examining what the Church wanted me to believe. I discovered what my own thoughts and spiritualism was. It resides in my morales, my love of my family and the general way I try and live my life. Without the guilt of religion I was able to explore the spiritualism of sex and mind-altering substances. I have since discovered that the answers in both are incomplete and but a small part of the whole. I can find my inner peace on a cool, salt-air beach or atop a 10,000 foot peak. I can find comfort in a book or in a song. I believe in the powers of faith and belief but don't often share them with the mainstream. I believe in the power of kindness and that one should truly "do unto others as you would have them do unto you." I find comfort and wisdom in my elders. I believe that if religion makes someone a better person in their day lives, it is a good thing. I don't believe that going to a building once per week and talking with God improves your standings with him. I believe that the best religionists talk to God on a constant basis and keep him in their hearts.

But here is my secret to my life. This is where I get my spiritualism. I believe there is no after life and I get one shot at living my life to it's fullest extent. I believe that I can make a difference and be a positive influence to those around me and that helps me with my inner peace.

I don't expect it to make sense to you. It's so personal that it really shouldn't.

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Registered: Apr 2004
Location: Den
Posts: 11291

It makes sense over here, CD. Here's a poem for you.

"No matter though it towers to the sky,
And darkens earth, you cannot make the lie
Immortal; though stupendously enshrined
By art in every perfect mould of mind:
Angelo, Rafael, Milton, Handel, all
Its pillars, cannot stay it from the fall.
The Pyramid of Imposture reared by Rome,
All of cement, for an eternal home,
Must crumble back to earth, and every gust
Shall revel in the desert of its dust;
And when the prison of the Immortal, Mind,
Hath fallen to set free the bound and blind,
No more shall life be one long dread of death;
Humanity shall breathe with ampler breath,
Expand in spirit, and in stature rise,
To match its birthplace of the earth and skies."

-Gerald Massey

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Registered: Nov 2000
Location: UK
Posts: 4776

quote:

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Originally posted by theMAC
seriously, cut out all the "non essential" stuff and see what kind of "spiritual journey" you are already on.

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