I am afraid of the paranormal

I have a genuine interest in ghosts and the after life. I have a great love for people and an interest in their lives so the idea of being able to communicate with people who have passed on over the past thousands of years is exiting to me. But then I feel very afraid at the same time like- I shouldn't meddle. The mysterious draws me in the fear pushes me away - it's really irritating. I am afraid if I start to really study it then I will become affected perhaps, like get attacked or see something that disturbs me horribly. Seriously I want to be above that though and see ghosts in the light that they are simply people like me who no longer have their body but are somehow still living in another state of being. Also I fear the demonic side that is evil and wants to harm people. There are paranormal researchers who are so brave and it is scientific to them I want to be like that - but with a psychology edge- like a spirit councilor LOL. I don't know. I just fear it yet believe in it so strongly that I want to better understand it.

where is heaven?

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where is heaven?

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If there is a heaven, I'd say it's in the construct of one's own mind...same with hell if there is such a thing. I don't believe in a hell.

I say, don't be afraid. What's the point? If you are afraid and you believe this to be real to you, then maybe these negative things feed off of your fear... No fear and positive thoughts can help with your mysterious/curious side.

Really the worst that can happen is that someone's gonna drag you into the funny farm... which is pretty bad I guess. But still better than getting pushed about by demons.

So what is it that you fear?
Death?
We all die. Trite and cliche' I know, but true.

Pain?
Pain is what allows us to know we are alive. It should be welcomed as a part of this experience to teach us the lessons we need to learn in order to move on to the next experience.

Loss?
That's ridiculous. There's nothing in this existence that "belongs" to us anyway except our own body. Losing that? See #1.

When you can live your life without fear, so many more things become possible. Spirit communication is something that you shouldn't mess with just because you think it'd be cool. There is a lot of responsibility involved in working with and in the next experience. It should be respected and not taken lightly. It is a Warrior's Path.

Lose your fear. Become a Warrior. Then we'll talk more.;)

To me Heaven is a state of being that is close to my higher power, a place where the joy and mirical of being a living soul is celebrated and my higher power is praised for this. Maybe a beautiful city like on "What Dreams May Come' with places where we can continue to learn and there is a library with all of the knowlage of Univers. A place where all my friends are, and my cat is and a place that finally feels like truly coming home.

I don't think that the spirit world is "cool", it runs deeper than that I want to gain insite into the mysteries of our existance.

Shannyball, I think a large portion of your fear comes from lack of understanding and misconceptions about the paranormal. Not to say that any of that is your fault, or even that it is a bad thing. There is always room to learn.

Then of course there are the knowitalls who have to put themselves up on their pedestal and belittle other's interests in the paranormal so that they can feel important, and steer you away from it, because its something "you can't handle". Saying things about how serious it is and implying other complications of skill and danger in a pathetic attempt to make it inaccessible to you, so that they can remain in their fabricated and entirely internal sense of superiority. Pay them no mind. I think that was enough of a hint.

While there are precautions one should take while dealing with CERTAIN types of paranormal study, most of the time, you won't be in any sort of danger. It is necessary to question your values and reasons for why you are engaging in learning about certain sorts of things, and it is necessary to prepare yourself for possible negative experiences.

If you're looking to communicate with spirits, I would advise that you talk to a lot of people who have done it, read about it, and THEN begin to engage in it. The most imporant thing is to have a genuine respect for the paranormal if you intend to look into it. From a karmic standpoint, respect and sincerity are two things you will always benefit from.

Shannyball, Shannyball, Shannyball.......

You're an odd sort of xtian aren't you....

I totally approve by the way - exploring the mysteries of self, the mind, and what the heck "it" all means.

It is funny though that you seem interested in all kinds of things that your belief frowns upon.

You do relaise that the Gnostics such as the Cathars were put to the sword for their heretical belief in reincarnation - xtian doctorine preaches just one incarnation and then either heaven or hell. Yet you are interested in past lifes, the spirit world, eastern mysticism, etc. Here you are on these boards where many see AP/OOBE as proof of the soul and a gateway to the mysteries of either the inner mind or alternate planes of existence. I think you are a bit of a closet occultist - the occult by the way is latin for nothing more sinister than "the hidden" or "the secret".

The first step to conquering fear is to read. Read ALOT. Learn and practice control also. Learn simple banishing/protection techniques - if you beleive you are safe then you will be so. Ask advice and take baby steps.

To quote the Kybalion - "The ALL is mind - The universe is mental" - and this includes your fear.

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Originally Posted by Rainman

Then of course there are the knowitalls who have to put themselves up on their pedestal and belittle other's interests in the paranormal so that they can feel important, and steer you away from it, because its something "you can't handle". Saying things about how serious it is and implying other complications of skill and danger in a pathetic attempt to make it inaccessible to you, so that they can remain in their fabricated and entirely internal sense of superiority.

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:kiss:

See, that's the real way to deal with mean people on a forum. Give 'em a nice E-kiss! ;)

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Originally Posted by saxonharp

So what is it that you fear?
Death?
We all die. Trite and cliche' I know, but true.

Pain?
Pain is what allows us to know we are alive. It should be welcomed as a part of this experience to teach us the lessons we need to learn in order to move on to the next experience.

Loss?
That's ridiculous. There's nothing in this existence that "belongs" to us anyway except our own body. Losing that? See #1.

When you can live your life without fear, so many more things become possible. Spirit communication is something that you shouldn't mess with just because you think it'd be cool. There is a lot of responsibility involved in working with and in the next experience. It should be respected and not taken lightly. It is a Warrior's Path.

Lose your fear. Become a Warrior. Then we'll talk more.;)

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Bravo, that struck a positive note in me ;O

I'm not sure about closet occultist lol. I am not your run of the mill sheep no, I am the one always straying off to the other side of the pond to see whats over there and then asking why about everything I find. The problem with my religion is this- I am told in the Bible to fallow the Bible and to neither take nor add to it. However even though I believe it to be inspired by God, has been edited and taken from and added too for over a thousand years. It is hard to believe that nothing important was taken from it for some sort of political benefit at some point. So I have also been studying the banned books of the Bible. The book of Enoch which tells of the origins of angels, and how they are different classes of them, and how evil came to be and how humans mated with angels and also about something called the "Watchers" which explodes into a plethora of different theories. All sorts of stories that were part of the original Bible that were coveted by early Christians that were later edited out of existence by religious and political authorities or so they thought. As a Christian I am supposed to look for every answer to every question, in our Holy book. But it has been edited over many centuries. It is frustrating. I do believe in Jesus, I do believe in being saved and I do believe in Three spirits in one God . The Trinity and Monotheism so I am in all rights a Christian believer. I wish to be very deeply spiritual, not religious because that can be twisted by man but truly spiritual. I am like a little kid with all of my questions about our souls, their purpose, where we go when we shed our bodies and so on. Because I have been deeply spiritual and also Christian and have still had experiences with the supernatural and OOB I am inclined to feel exilerated not at the possibility that my faith is wrong but that it is so much deeper and so much vaster and so much more than what I was raised believing. I feel that it is there and it is a gift if I just ask for it, but it also demands respect. God is mysterious how could he be other wise? We are so limited in our understanding and perceptions as humans and he is infinite. The great physicist Albert Einstein even agreed with this.

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Originally Posted by shannyball

I have a genuine interest in ghosts and the after life. I have a great love for people and an interest in their lives so the idea of being able to communicate with people who have passed on over the past thousands of years is exiting to me. But then I feel very afraid at the same time like- I shouldn't meddle. The mysterious draws me in the fear pushes me away - it's really irritating. I am afraid if I start to really study it then I will become affected perhaps, like get attacked or see something that disturbs me horribly. Seriously I want to be above that though and see ghosts in the light that they are simply people like me who no longer have their body but are somehow still living in another state of being. Also I fear the demonic side that is evil and wants to harm people. There are paranormal researchers who are so brave and it is scientific to them I want to be like that - but with a psychology edge- like a spirit councilor LOL. I don't know. I just fear it yet believe in it so strongly that I want to better understand it.

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Hell does not exist, it's called fear and misunderstanding of the unknown, and expecting things to happen which leads back to fear. Heaven? i got no idea...i guess love, and acceptance of yourself.

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Hell does not exist

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How do you know?

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Originally Posted by User

How do you know?

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Because it was made up ions ago to scare people to believing in their religion so they could have more power to controll the masses. Todays hell people just have crazy imagry from the brain plus what they are told what to expect.

shannyball, I'm in the EXACT same situation like you. I'm glad to know there's other people like me out there. However about the fear, you just deal with it. You're scared at the beginning but then you get over it.