So, did anyone see the Discovery Channel special, Unraveling the Mystery of Alien Abduction? A great program. Most of it, however, they seemed to attribute to the phenomenon of sleep paralysis, to which I would concur. Okay, so I don't specifically give much credence to aliens. And yet, I don't give much credence to the notion that it's simply the by-product of an over-active imagination. I've had enough of my own sleep paralysis "encounters," to know that there's more to it than that. In fact, there were one or two "enlightened folks" towards the end of the program, that made comments similar to my own take on the idea below ...

Sleep Paralysis ... The Spiritual World

The Greek gods were "real" too. They exist as part of our collective unconscious, and exist in another dimension which, we come in contact with when we begin to dream. Ever experience a lucid dream? The "entities" that we experience in our dreams are just as real as the "entity" that they experience as "us." In other words, who is dreaming of whom? Could it be that this is a "collective experience" and, we have in fact entered a continuum (where other "spirits dwell"), in what we would otherwise call the "spiritual world?" So, that when we experience sleep paralysis, the "portal" of the mind remains open, and we become subject to these monsters (or, demons if you will) which exist as part of the "collective id?"

http://www.dionysus.org/

I didn't catch the special, but I agree SP is responsible for most supposed encounters. Almost everyone will experience SP at least once in their lifetime and for someone who doesn't know what is happening it can be dramatic. As far as entering the spirit world when we dream or leaving the "portal" open I would have to disagree. Dream characters are mental images of people that we endow with the social reactions we have learned to expect from others and that is what makes them so real.

http://www.alien-ufos.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14090

Ben

Here is an interesting take on the possibility that these spirits do exist, as well as a spiritual world that I'm referring to. The guy was a clinical psychologist at a state mental hospital in Mendicino, California, and had established an ongoing dialogue with the "voices" his patients were hearing. The results he came up with are quite surprising. Of course it doesn't coincide with conventional methodology, that is, the palliation of "symptoms" with drugs (meaning the phenomenon is simply brain-induced), which is probably why we don't hear too much about it. Yet it coincides quite well with my own experience, much of which I've outlined in my book (same as link in original post), and I find myself agreeing whole-heartedly with it.

Dear Iacchus,

I very much enjoyed reading the article you wrote in the link. My knowledge has expanded with the information you gave concerning Wilson Van Dusen and Emanuel Swedenborg. Your links in the article were excellent as well.

I tried to make a comment on the site and gave a screen name and password to gain membership to the site but was refused by the system, twice. I don't know what the problem could be.

As I could not make the comment there I will give it here: I thought the article you wrote was very informative and insightful. Your provided links made it a very thorough learning experience. I learned a lot. Keep up the good work! I look forward to any more 'gems' you may be willing to share with us.
_____________________
'Ignorance is the only thing more expensive than education.'

SC ... or, would that be Russ?

Which article are you referring to? Are you referring to the article about Wilson Van Dusen and Emanuel Swedenborg? If so, no I didn't write this article, and I'm afraid I can't help you there. I agree though, that it is well written and, quite informative.

Thanks.

Dear Iacchus,

You can call me Russ. SC stands for South Carolina, the state where I reside.

I apologize for mistaking you as the writer of the article about Van Dusen. When I read from your book I did not take note of the authors name (you) and so when I read another link from you I just assumed that you also authored that. I won't make that mistake again.
__________________________
"Whatever a man has, is, in the end, only a gift." C. M. Wieland