Surrounded by a Sea of Danger

The geographic North Pole is the northern point on the earth’s axis around which the earth spins. It’s located at 90 degrees north latitude. If you were standing on it, every direction on earth would be due south. You would also be freezing your tutu and on the lookout for polar bears that haven’t eaten lately.

 

The magnetic North Pole is the spot on earth where compasses point. Presently, it’s located in the Arctic Ocean, nearly a thousand miles south of the geographic North Pole, just southwest of Canada’s Ellef Ringnes Island.

 

The town of Resolute Bay, population 200, one of Canada’s most northerly settlements, is only a short plane ride away. Their motto is “Resolute is not the end of the world, but you can see it from here.”

 

Unlike the geographic North Pole, the earth’s magnetic pole is constantly on the move, caused by the movement of molten iron deep within the earth.

 

The precise location of the magnetic North Pole was first determined in 1831, hundreds of miles from its present location. Since then it has been resurveyed about once every decade and has historically been moving north-northwest at more than 10 miles per year. According to the latest satellite surveys, it also has a daily elliptical movement of approximately 50 miles from its average point.

 

Since 1950, the magnetic North Pole’s migrating speed has increased some 400 percent, covering closer to 50 miles every year, requiring the Hydrographic Office of the US Navy to update its maps every five years.

 

Not only is the magnetic North Pole wandering across the top of the planet, but the two poles have changed polarity many times throughout the eons. The North Pole becomes the South Pole and visa versa – positive becomes negative as negative becomes positive.

 

This can be verified because iron oxide in volcanic lava or igneous rocks is nonmagnetic when liquefied by extreme heat. Upon cooling, they obtain a magnetic orientation matching the Earth’s polarity at that given time.

 

Based on core samples from the Earth’s surface, as well as submarine mountain ranges, there have been numerous pole reversals, the last one occurring 12,400 years ago. Evidently, our planet goes through a magnetic pole reversal on a regular basis.

 

Subterranean currents of molten lava create the magnetic poles. Changes in the flow lead to pole reversals.

 

Gauthier Hulot of the Globe Institute of Paris recently discovered that molten iron off the tip of Africa is now moving in a direction that is gradually weakening the dominant magnetic field, possibly leading to a global pole reversal.

 

Exactly what happens during a reversal isn’t clear.

 

A pole shift 12,400 years ago would possibly explain such events as the Biblical flood, the disappearance of the “mythical” continent of Atlantis, and such unexplainable phenomena as marine fossils found atop the Himalayan Mountains and evidence of tropical plant life discovered beneath the ice in Antarctica. In all likelihood, something dramatic happened in an instant global catastrophe rather than gradually over time.

 

In addition, the Earth’s crust is made up of gigantic tectonic plates. They rest on a liquid surface and are prone to movement, causing stress that generates volcanoes and earthquakes. A sudden, global slippage of the Earth’s crust is also a possibility.

 

Albert Einstein once wrote, “In a polar region there is a continual deposition of ice, which is not symmetrically distributed about the pole. The Earth’s rotation acts on these deposited masses [of ice], and produces centrifugal momentum that is transmitted to the rigid crust of the earth. The constantly increasing centrifugal momentum produced in this way will, when it has reached a certain point, produce a movement of the Earth’s crust over the rest of the Earth’s body, and this will displace the polar regions toward the equator.”

 

Earth is a very precarious place. The magnetic poles are prone to reversals in polarity and its surface crust can potentially slip in position. To mankind this rare occurrence would be a disaster of Biblical proportions. But to the planet itself, it’s just another bump in the road.

 

All in all, it makes things like politics and war seem trivial.

 

As a human being, I am merely a small glob of organic matter on a large spinning orb, hurtling through a vast void, destination unknown. Yet I reside at the center of the universe, basking in the spirit of my human essence, awed by the glory of my destiny unfolding before me.

 

I am an island named Bret, surrounded by a sea of danger, comfortable in the knowledge that we reap what we sow.

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Quote for the Day – "The universe that we inhabit and our shared perception of it are the results of a common karma. Likewise, the places that we will experience in future rebirths will be the outcome of the karma that we share with the other beings living there. The actions of each of us, human or nonhuman, have contributed to the world in which we live. We all have a common responsibility for our world and are connected with everything in it." The 14th Dalai Lama

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Bret Burquest is the author of 12 books. He lives in the Ozark Mountains with a few dogs and where All is One.

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Communicating with Spirits

Emanuel Swedenborg (1688 - 1772) was a Swedish scientist, philosopher and mystic. He was the world's pre-eminent scholar and scientist of his day.

 

Many artists, writers and scholars were influenced by Swedenborg, including Carl Jung, Arthur Conan Doyle, William Blake, Immanuel Kant, Helen Keller, Ralph Waldo Emerson and W.B. Yeats.

 

Swedenborg's father, Jesper, was a professor of theology who believed in direct communication with the Almighty One, rather than relying on sheer faith. He also believed spirits and angels were present in everyday life.

 

Emanuel completed his university training in Sweden in 1709. The following year, he travelled through the Netherlands, Germany and France, and eventually settled in London for the next four years where he studied physics and philosophy.

 

In 1715, Swedenborg returned to Sweden and spent the next two decades on engineering projects. He attempted to persuade the King of Sweden (Charles XII) to fund an astronomical observatory in northern Sweden, but failed. Instead, the king appointed him on the Swedish Board of Mines as an assessor.

 

In 1716-18, Swedenborg published a scientific periodical of various mathematical discoveries and mechanical inventions, including sketches of a flying machine.

 

In 1724, he was offered the chairmanship of mathematics at Uppsala University in Stockholm but turned it down. He had a speech impediment (stuttering, which caused him to  speak slowly) and didn't care to speak in public.

 

In the 1730s, his studies led him to physiology and anatomy. He was the first recognized scientist who anticipated the neuron concept (significance of nerve cells). He developed theories about the nervous system, the cerebral cortex, the localization of the cerebrospinal fluid and the function of the pituitary gland. In many cases, his conclusions would be scientifically verified decades later.

 

Swedenborg studied some of the great philosophers, such as Plato, Aristotle, Descartes and Plotinus. He eventually became interested about the purpose of creation. In one of his manuscripts he attempted to explain how the infinite was related to the finite, and how the soul was related to the mortal body.

 

On Easter weekend, April 6, 1744, Swedenborg, at age 56, began to have dreams and visions that led to a spiritual awakening.

 

In April of 1745, Swedenborg was dining in a private room at a tavern in London. At the end of the meal, he went into an altered state of consciousness. A man appeared in the corner of the room, telling him "Do not eat too much." Later that night, he encountered this man in a dream, who then told Swedenborg He was the Lord and would reveal the meaning of the Bible and guide him on what to write.

 

For the remaining 28 years of his life, Swedenborg published dozens of theological works.

 

In his publication titled LIFE ON OTHER PLANETS, he wrote that he had communication with spirits from Mars, Venus and other planets.

 

In 1758, Swedenborg had an audience with Queen Louisa Ulrika of Sweden whereupon the Queen requested that he tell her something about her deceased brother. When Swedenborg whispered something in her ear, she tuned pale. She later explained that Swedenborg told her something only she and her brother could have known.

 

On July 29, 1759, Swedenborg was having dinner with a group of people, several hundred miles from his home. At six PM, he announced there was a fire at a neighbor's house, which also threatened his house. Two hours later, he declared the fire was now under control. Later, it was all proven to be true, including the precise times of the start and end of the fire.

 

Swedenborg wrote 30 volumes on theology, including HEAVEN AND HELL published in 1758. He had developed the skill to be simultaneously in the carnal world and the spirit world, by realizing a state of awareness in a manner of similar to entering a hypnotic state.

 

He wrote the following -- "The first experience, being taken out of the body, is like this. We are brought into a particular state that is halfway between sleep and waking. When we are in this state, it seems exactly as though we were awake -- all our senses are as alert as they are when we are fully awake physically -- sight, hearing, and strange to say, touch. These senses are more perfect than they can ever be during physical wakefulness. This is the state in which people have seen spirits and angels most vividly. It is the state described as being taken out of the body and not knowing whether one is in the body or outside it."

 

Swedenborg claimed he had endless conversations with the spirit world. He explained that "celestial" angels remained in the higher realms whereas "spiritual" angels visited and guided mortal beings   Needless to say, he was highly criticized by the prevailing religious establishment.

 

More from Swedenborg writings -- "We may gather that inwardly we are spirits from the fact that after we depart from our body, which happens when we die, we are still alive and just as human as ever. I have talked with almost all the people I have ever met during their physical lives, with some for a few hours, with some for weeks and months, and with some for years... while we are living in our bodies, each one of us is in a community with spirits even though we are unaware of it."

 

May the Force be with you.

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Quote for the Day -- "Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds." Albert Einstein

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Bret Burquest is the author of 12 books. He lives in the Ozark Mountains with a few dogs and an imaginary girlfriend named Tequila Mockingbird.

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Enough is Enough

Lao Tzu Proverb: "The career of a sage is of two kinds -- He is either honored by all in the world, like a flower waving its head, or else he disappears into the silent forest.”

 

Around 500 BC, Socrates developed a political and ethical philosophy in Greece, Pythagoras founded a mathematical, astronomical and philosophy society in Greece, Buddha expounded about Dharma and Nirvana in India, and Lao Tzu wrote the TAO TE CHING in China. It was an epoch of great intellectual and mystical evolution.

 

Lao Tzu Proverb: “The key to growth is the introduction of higher dimensions of consciousness into our awareness.”

 

According to legend, Lao Tzu was born into a noble family in Hunan Province. He was in his thirteenth, and final, incarnation. He worked as a curator in the Imperial Library of the Zhou Dynasty where he met a young man named Confucius who had been browsing the library scrolls. For months, Lao Tzu and Confucius had lengthy discussions; Confucius believed in ritual and propriety whereas Lao Tzu considered them to be hollow practices.

 

Lao Tzu Proverb: "The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."

 

Later, Lao Tzu set out on a journey of silence into the wilderness. When he arrived at the Han Gu Pass, a gatekeeper persuaded him to write down some of his wisdom. Lao Tzu immediately wrote all 81 chapters of the TAO TE CHING, the most influential book of Chinese philosophical thought, providing the basis for Taoism.

 

Lao Tzu Proverb: "If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading."

 

At the time, Chinese society was under a feudal system where the vast majority of the population was controlled by wealthy landowners and the government was becoming increasingly centralized and bureaucratic.

 

Confucius went on to become a famous social philosopher. He was a major proponent and architect of the strong centralized government, and recommended a social hierarchy in which everyone knew their place. He believed in the virtues of social discipline, obedience and duty, and thus wanted to reform society accordingly.

 

Whereas Confucianism wanted to conquer and exploit nature, the Taoists preferred to be at one with nature. Therefore, the Taoists rejected an imposed authority and believed everyone could live in a natural state of harmony. They wanted to contemplate and understand the flow of existence rather than attempt to harness it.

 

Lao Tzu Proverb: "Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don't resist them – that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like."

 

Thus, there was a basic philosophical/political struggle. The Confucians wanted a structured social hierarchy and the Taoists wanted anarchy (the absence of a hierarchy whereby every person is of equal social status).

 

Lao Tzu Proverb: “Knowing others is wisdom, knowing yourself is enlightenment.”

 

Some 2,500 years later, the same philosophical/political struggle continues. Influential men, in the realm of the power centers of the dollar, the sword and the soul, continue to seek control of earthly possessions through authoritarian means. Governments become tools of greed and evolve into unrestrained, suffocating organisms.

 

Lao Tzu Proverb: "The more laws and order are made prominent, the more thieves there will be."

 

The primary principle of Taoism is that the world should be ruled by letting things take their course rather than by interfering. Unfortunately, one person's ideal existence is another person's opportunity to take over.

 

In 1949, the Communists, officially atheistic, gained control of China and initiated a one-party government. Religion was outlawed. Taoist monks were sent to labor camps and Taoist infrastructure was destroyed. A hierarchical social structure prevailed and obedience was required. The Confucians were in control once again.

 

In 1982, some religious tolerance was restored, allowing the existence of five religions, including Taoism.

 

Little has changed in 2,500 years. Many human beings are still insecure, self-serving, intolerant and greedy. Rather than experiencing contentment in their surroundings, they are continually embarked on a treadmill of mindless growth and materialism, with no end in sight.

 

Lao Tzu Proverb: "Be content with what you have, rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.”

 

The struggle for freedom never ends. Too many people want everyone to adhere to their personal code of morality or means of support, and use government as an instrument to coerce others to conform to their ideals.

 

Lao Tzu Proverb: "If you are not afraid of dying, there is nothing you cannot achieve."

 

This has never been more true than at any time within our lifetimes. Confucianism has reemerged in the popularity of socialism whereby the objective is an ever-expanding massive central government controlling every aspect of the lives of its subjects from cradle to grave. Plus, there is the added danger of external forces behind closed doors manipulating global events to form a one-world government in an attempt to enslave the entire planet.

 

Lao Tzu Proverb: “Man’s enemies are not demons, but human beings like himself.”

 

Freedom is never free. Sooner or later, those who are determined to control the lives of others are going to include a whole bunch of self-righteous fanatics who will stomp all over you and utilize you to benefit themselves.  Without freedom, we're merely pawns in someone else's game -- live free or die.

 

Lao Tzu Proverb: “At the center of your being, you have the answer.”

 

As for me, I have disappeared into the silent forest.

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Quote for the Day -- "He who knows enough is enough will always have enough." Lao Tzu

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Bret Burquest is the author of 12 books. He lives in the Ozark Mountains with a few dogs and where enough is sometimes too much.

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