Spiritual journeys

 You who are on the Road. Must have a code that you can live by...Crosby, Nash, Stills & Young.

Books have always fascinated me. From my childhood I would devour comic books and books about sports hero's. As I grew older horror and then police procedural and then non fiction. I remember asking people what they knew about their faith or their worldview or their opinion. I found most people simply believed what their parents believed or what they saw on TV. 

She's got electric boots, a mohair suit. You know I read it in a magazine...Elton John

But I want to say this. I've known a lot of wise people that rarely if ever cracked a book. Simply reading is like simply going to college. You might be book smart but "some folks are educated way beyond their intelligence." Jerry Clower the great country comedian made that statement.

Still some of the smartest people I've ever known read books. I don't know how you even have a worldview if you never read a book. Still in my old age I find that I don't read as much as I used to. Matter of fact if it were not for Kindle and ebooks I would hardly read at all these days. I just don't have the focus I once had. And I go from one thing to another on the internet.

He got joo joo eyeball

He one holy roller

He got hair down to his knee

Got to be a joker

He just do what he please...Lennon & McCartney

So this isn't a "boy ain't I smart because I read a book" post. Also, these are not necessarily my favorite books to read. 

But this is a list of books I read in from my youth. Read in means I didn't always read every word. They helped shape or at least were a part of my inner spiritual life. Only one of these is from recent years. The others are from my teens through my 20's and maybe into my thirties. But if so it wasn't far into my 30's.

Old man look at my life. I'm a lot like you 

were...Neil Young 

But that's when worldviews are mainly formed. By your mid life you often are already pretty much into your views with  few tweaks and maybe some awakening to follow. Autobiography of a Yogi is the only one on this list that I came to later in life. However apart from the bible it's the oldest book on the list.

This isn't an attempt to change or argue with anyone. I'm just at that age where I look back on things and make my old fart lists of stuff. So here's a list.

The Bible: you can't be born into the family I was born into and the part of the country I was born into and not be affected by at least someone's interpretation of this "book." The reason I put quotation marks around book is because in really it's a collection of books and writings. I read it because I was always told I should and being stubborn I decided I would. I slept through Deuteronomy and a few others but believe it or not the prophet's woke me up. 1st Samuel was a clinic in getting quiet. John was a revelation (no pun intended) on spiritual communication and made me think of issues like talking to God and Spirit. I came away no longer comfortable with my religion because of certain old testament stuff. But with a real appreciation of listening for that still voice inside.

Autobiography of a Yogi. Paramhansa Yogananda.: I came later in life to this book. It's considered a spiritual classic. I listened to a lot of it on Audible while walking or doing chores. I also read some in the ebook. This is the only book on the list that I read in ebook format or listened in audio book. I have most of the others in ebook now. But there wasn't any such thing as an ebook when I first read them. Chapter 43 The Resurrection of Sri Yukeswar (i probably spelled that wrong) made a huge impression on me. Not because I believed every word of the account. But because something in me knows that there is a greater truth in this account. Anyway, I still go back and listen or read and meditate/ think on this chapter from time to time.

The Road less traveled. M. Scott Peck:   I came across this book in my youth. I was a young man struggling with faith. Prayer and my faith was important to me. But I found myself wondering if I was stupid for having hope in a reality beyond what basic science classes stated. Here was a very intelligent Psychiatrist saying it wasn't stupid. That spiritual growth and realty is legitimate. I found it at the right time for me 

Out on a Limb Shirley Maclaine: Similar to The Road Less Traveled this book hit at the perfect time. I've had A snippet of what I consider to be A past life memory since childhood. This book written by A well respected actress at the time gave me permission to go out in my own limb. It took years back and forth but this was A gentle shove forward at the time.

A bed by the Window M Scott Peck: This book showed the strength of love and inner strength in the teeth of hate and malice. It somehow reminded me of some issues I had back in middle school. 

Communion Whitley Streiber: even though it's popularly called an alien book it isn't. It's an account of some really odd occurrences that were also shared by visitors to the Streiber cabin in Upstate New York if memory serves

Passport to Mangonia Jacques Vallee: This is story after story of the interweaving pattern in our myths and folklore that Vallee connects with UFO sightings and alien abduction. I don't really like this type narrative because after so many accounts my eyes glaze over. But the message is plausible and it's a classic.

20 Cases Suggestive of Reincarnation Ian Stevenson: This is an academic tome. Written by a psychiatrist who interviewed and meticulously wrote up case after case of children who remember past lives. I honestly have not read it but have read in it and about it over the years. But if you are a stats & numbers person or an academic this is a classic in its field.

Flim Flam James Randi: This is by The darling of the materialistic atheist. Nothing paranormal is true and even if it seems to be it really isn't. Another book I read a little in during my journey. After all I was searching for The truth. I don't think this crusty old magician had it. But, if you know anything about skeptics or care then Randi is a classic.

The Key Whitley Streiber: Oh yeah. I said most of these books I read in my youth. But this one I came across recently. So I have to add this. An older man visits the author at a very late time of night and drops some wisdom on him. Was he real? Was he from our time? I don't know but Whitley feels he was specially sent. I got lost reading this one in the bookstore. I didn't quite finish it But was to cheap to pay full price for it. So I'm waiting for the Kindle version to drop into one of those "Dailey deal" things.

Heading Towards Omega Kenneth Ring: This is classic. After the Moody book Kenneth Ring did some awesome work. It was Ring that I first heard talk about blind people seeing during the near death experience.

Life after life Raymond Moody: The first time the term Near Death experience entered the public consciousness. The experience itself is ancient. But starting with Plato Dr. Moody brought it to the forefront with this book.

Return from Tomorrow George Ritchie: This one about a Korean war American soldier who died and was if memory serves taken to the morgue is awesome. He saw ( although I think all experience is personally unique in some ways) Jesus descending into hell or dark places to speak and rescue people. But they wouldn't look up and realise there is still hope. Anyway it's an awesome book and highly recommended.

There are many modern writers of you're interested in the paranormal. Tricia Robertson does a great job of presenting accounts. Jeffery Mislove has a podcast called New Thinking Allowed that is awesome. Buddha at the Gas pump is another. TOE by Kurt Jimengal and the writing and any podcast with Donald Hoffman is great. But I have to admit I can't just sit and listen to a podcast. I have to be walking or doing chores or puzzles or coloring. But there is a treasure trove in YouTube these days. 

Anyway, thanks for reading my old farts list of things that impacted or are impacting my walking through this wonderful, horrible, blessed and tragic journey.

Peace!

The Road

 You, who are on the road. Must have a code that you can live by....Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.

 I once read a book about the afterlife based on the author's experience but written in fiction form. One of the most intriguing things in the book was a road the main character walked after dying in this world. 

He was walking on a road that was eternal. He could stop along the way and manifest a beautiful mansion or a seaside cottage or a mountain dwelling. But sooner or later he was back on the road. Because as he walked along the road he would encounter people, pets & places from the life he had just lived.

On this two lane highway 

Is going my way, moving fast

Two lane highway

Is taking me home, home at last...Pure Prairie League

I think the image of the road has always intrigued people. I know it has me. I was born in Gadsden, Alabama but I spent much of my childhood in rural Altoona/Walnut Grove, Alabama. The sight of a blacktop road or highway in the sunshine leading around a tree lined bend and through the woods has always fascinated me.

A dirt road in the country leading up into the hills and beyond. Roads could be heading anywhere. Maybe around the next bend will be a town or city you've never seen before. Magic could be just beyond that hill over there. Or even right up there on a Alabama summer day where the blacktop is shimmering in the hot sun.

 I had a friend who I used to walk some of those country roads with. He was a gentle person but country tough. A simple dude not highly educated. Socially awkward but loyal to the end with his friends and family.

Religion and his own inner loneliness killed his hope in this world. An angry god who could send and leave his loved ones in eternal torment along with the self righteous church folks pretty much convinced him that there was no real hope. 

The message of unconditional love that never fails just couldn't compete with the hellfire of the frozen few. So he took his life. I think about old friends and my family that have gone before me these days.

 So the image of a road where I can look over and see my friend walking beside me again is a wonderful thought. To stop at my grandparents house and sit with my granddaddy around a pot bellied stove one eternal morning. 

The character of the book also came upon a neighborhood store from his childhood. How fun would that be? I could walk into my neighborhood store in Walnut Park which was my old neighborhood. Get a coke for a dime a bag of barbq chips for a dime and get a candy bar for a nickle and sit on the bench out front with my friends the Hooks brothers. 

Roads are always a symbol of freedom. But the best road is the one that leads home. It's evening and you see that bright yellow light shining through the window as you approach home. The place of sanctuary and peace. 

Rest up and enjoy familiar surroundings and sooner or later get back to exploring. Because the road goes on forever.

The long and winding road that leads to your door. Will never disappear I've seen that road before...The Beatles

I've heard a lot of opinions about what happens when we die. I have my own ideas and some life experience  to draw from. But this isn't my opinion on what we will encounter when we drop this body. 

This is simply a rambling thought process of "what if?" I don't think the afterlife is a static road but there might be a road that goes on forever involved.

 

After all. All roads eventually lead home. I don't do religion these days. At least not a one size fits all. I still have my faith though. I think eventually love wins! 

Peace!