Are You Blocking Spirit? Tips from James Van Praagh
It’s no coincidence that James Van Praagh was in Denver at Mile Hi Church speaking about spirits, connection, and love the very same day that gay marriage was legalized by the U.S. Supreme Court — June 26, 2015. The bubbly spiritual medium came on stage waving a rainbow flag a “Mile Hi-er” gave to him just moments ahead of time. It was synchronistic one could say.
JVP was at Mile Hi for An Evening of Spirit, a packed event where attendees came in the hopes of connecting with loved ones who have crossed over to the other side. It was more than that, though. Those not getting a personal reading still left that evening with plenty of tools in their spiritual toolbox in order to connect with not just loved ones, but with Spirit itself, the Divine love that created the universe.
Connecting with Spirit
James started out by explaining that in order to connect with spirit, one must look at it from a soul’s point of view, not a human’s point of view. Spirit tells us we must be mindful. Every single person is God. And that vibration, that God energy, is light. So how are you shining your light? Each choice we make originates from either love or fear. In every decision we make, we are moving toward one or the other.
Spirit is all around you and wants to help you clear your mindset of expectations, negative energy, and destructive thought patterns. Why? Because it’s easier to communicate with you this way. These spirit-blocking energies are a result of the ego. What does the ego do? The ego edges God out.
How to Attract Spirit
Here are some tips for being more open to attracting spirit(s) into your life.
Stay in the Light
Have an atmosphere of love and light. Do your best to move away from fear, anger, hate, and other negative emotions that cause you to vibrate at a lower level.
Be Open
Be open to whatever happens.
Detach Yourself from Expectations
Release all of your expectations. Expectations block energy!
Check Your Ego at the Door
The more you know, the less you will be afraid. Your ego tries to outsmart what you know deep down inside of your soul. Don’t let it edge God out.
Do Some Mental Housekeeping
Clean up the conditions of your mind. Thoughts become things, and you are the only one who controls which thoughts you manifest.
Meditate
The more you meditate, the closer you can get to spirit. Meditation helps you clean your energy field – your thoughts, your chakras, the vibrations you emit constantly simply by living.
James says that thoughts are like bullets. When someone thinks about you, it goes right to you. (Ever had the phone ring shortly after you’ve been thinking about the person on the other end? That’s energy exchange.)
Thoughts have colors, vibrations, character, and design. It is our thoughts, and corresponding choices arising from those thoughts, that creates the fabric that bleeds into the tapestry of life. Your thoughts and actions are a single thread in the larger tapestry of consciousness. You will be held responsible for your actions when you pass over to the other side. It’s called a life review. When you get there, what will yours look like?
Be patient
Manifestation of the Divine and connecting with those on the other side can take time on this physical plane called Earth. Physical vibration is slower than spiritual vibration. This is why you’ll notice James gets very excited and high energy when he’s channeling spirits; the spirits knocking on his door are vibrating at a much higher level.
Spirit is All Around Us
Spirit can connect with you in many different ways. You don’t have to see a spiritual medium in order to know that someone is with you. Music, guided meditations, individual or silent meditation, animals, and many other signs are spirit speaking to you.
Coming to see JVP with the expectation that a loved one will come through can actually block the occurrence from happening. If you’ll be meeting James any time soon, refer to the tips above to better prepare for the exchange.
About Mile Hi Church
Located in Lakewood, CO and known worldwide, Mile Hi Church teaches the principles of Science of Mind and Spirit, the basic principles being Love and Law. Their teachings are based on the work of Ernest Holmes. Their vision is oneness revealed…a world of love, peace, and abundance for all. Their mission? To serve as a spiritual beacon for personal empowerment and global enlightenment.
Learn more about Mile Hi Church at www.milehichurch.org and check out their event schedule. Many of their speakers have programming you can watch right here on Gaiam TV.
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About the Author
The After Effects of a Near-Death Experience
Stories of near-death experiences have existed for centuries. The subject is well researched yet the question remains: Is the origin of the near-death experience rooted in science or religion? Despite the continuous search for empirical explanations, accounts of near-death experiences and their aftereffects prevail.
Initially, aftereffects of a near-death experience can incite feelings of love while negative reports often express fear. Over time, aftereffects can stimulate psychosocial and psycho-spiritual deviations. Psychologists, school counselors and professionals in the medical field understand a need for intervention. Professionals can assist people who have near-death experiences by helping them integrate their experience, as well as provide support for family members.
The Question Remains: Is a Near- Death Experience Fact or Fiction?
Do we need to question our scientific world or spiritual space to understand near-death experiences? Stories from real people and their perceptions may shed some light upon clarifying the subject of near- death experiences.
Over several decades, many clinical cases have been recorded explaining events of people having life-changing experiences of dying, then coming back. This mysterious phenomenon has been named “near- death experience”, or “NDE.” According to the 2006 article Near-Death Experiences and Spirituality by Bruce Greyson, many stories revealed common features such as bright lights, tunnels and feelings of joy.” Furthermore, investigators collected data and found similar features including helping others more often, amplified compassion, spiritual versus religious inclination, and an overall disposition of gratitude and appreciation for life.
History of Near-Death Experiences
Stories of near-death experiences have been reported by many different cultures throughout several eras. The 2009 article Near-Death Experiences and Psychotherapy by LJ Griffith retells the story of a near-death experience: “Plato recounted a tale of a soldier who seemed to be dead, but came back to life explaining he had visited another world.” Global accounts of near-death experience stories “originate from Israel to South America,” Griffith states.
Raymond Moody is considered the pioneer of near-death studies in the mid-1970s. The main focus of his studies was to look at the actual experience and aftereffects. In 1975 Moody published Life After Life, which initiated further research and public interest. Moody’s book ignited over 50 research teams who published more than 55 studies involving a wide cultural span. According to the 2001 article A Hawaiian Near-Death Experience by Allen Kellehear, data collected on near-death stories spans the experiences of over 3,000 people practicing a range of religions.
Research on Near-Death Experiences
Research on near-death experience caught the interest of professionals in a variety of fields. According to Christian Agrillo’s 2011 Near-Death Experience: Out of Body and Out of Brain? research on near-death experiences is considered a valued subject in the field of cognitive neuroscience. The mystery of whether an afterlife exists represents an extremely important topic in philosophy as well. Additionally, Griffith discusses how researchers involved in near-death experiences include physicians, nurses, chaplains and psychologists – and some have written substantially on the subject.
Despite the amount of research on near-death experiences, a roadblock remains regarding what exactly a near-death experience is. Agrillo explains that some investigators have attributed roadblocks to the reality that the process of death and subjective manner in which we die is still a topic of limited knowledge.
Definition of a Near-Death Experience
Psychological and physiological models postulated in the past have failed to pass empirical investigations thus limiting a clear definition of a near-death experience. Research has involved exhaustive interviews resulting in categorical evidence. According to the 2010 article by KE Bell on How School Counselors Can Assist Student Near-Death Experiences, the results of interviews from several studies indicate patterns that define a near-death experience.
In Greyson’s 1999 article Defining Near-Death eExperiences, Greyson described twelve to fifteen consistent themes and features that were discovered on near-death experiences:
- An awareness of being above your body or dead
- Rise in joy or euphoria
- Entering a space or sometimes tunnel
- Seeing or feeling a very bright white light
- A sense of a being in a peaceful, beautiful or sometimes frightening place
- Encounter with loved ones who have previously passed on
- Angel type beings, guides or religious figures
- Some form of a life review which often involves experiencing deep emotion associated with ones actions
- A choice or perception that one has to come back
After effects
What happens after experiencing the near-death experience phenomenon? Often experiences result in positive, sometimes profound aftereffects such as a sense of bliss and euphoria in their lives. Many people find their personality has changed in addition to different beliefs and attitudes toward subjects in religion and death. Furthermore, Griffith explains that physiological transformations such as experiencing heightened sensation to noise or other senses, increased or decreased need for sleep and some level of sensitivity toward electromagnetic were described by people interviewed.
Religion
While examining the subject of religion, researchers found profound changes in near-death experiencers. According to Greyson’s 1999 article, interviews found the most often reported alteration in life was that of a spiritual matter. Additionally, reports of a stronger concern or empathy for others, a solid sense of purpose, closeness to God and an aversion to conventional religious practices were recorded. Not surprisingly, as reported in the same article, newfound characteristics parallel the definition of a spiritual transformation which often encompasses an authentic love for others on a large scale.
