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Old 02-14-2010, 03:18 AM   #40
danj
Dojo: Brisbane Aikido Republic
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 298
Australia
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Re: Words like God and Ki

Quote:
Johann Baptista wrote: View Post

To list an example: I once attended a special kind of ritual called a drum stalk. It is for those who are just beginning to listen to their heart. It involves doing nothing less that walking blindfolded through a forest, and following the sound of a drum. There are people who come through the forest (and we walk for a good 45 min) who come out without hitting a single tree. I'm not talking about 1 out of 100, I'm talking about every single person, hitting less than three trees. Everyone there, (about 30 people) reported being able to sense some kind of presence, and walking around objects.

They drugged us? No.

We could feel the temperature change from shadows? No.
(drum stalks are always done at night).

I have only done a few drum stalks, and they vary in success. Sometimes I hit two trees, sometimes it hit none. I actually find that when you are truly a beginner, its easier. After you've done it once, you develop a sense of what to expect, and that expectation interferes with listening to your heart. You later have to get rid of this expectation, and learn to listen to yourself. Although I have been getting steadily better, I have not reached this place yet.

I have shared my experience with the drum stalk, because I feel it may help to reinforce all of our under-siege beliefs. Even with the many miracles that have happened in my life, I still find myself questioning belief in the spiritual. I think this is the result of everyone telling me that I'm wrong. Active spirituality in an actively nonspiritual culture is a path of solitude sometimes, and perseverance.
...
- Johann
Its a good example but could be made a better example by sending people through the field without the drum to set a kind of baseline. If there is a difference then you have something to talk about. Of course you need to randomise the participants, give the control group some placebo belief and excitement etc...

best,
dan

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