My Journey: Religion, Spirituality, Meaning of Life

How these thoughts, emotions and beliefs affect your health

• Definition of Health:
  

  [Webster's Online Dictionary]
  " the condition of being sound in body, mind, or spirit; especially: freedom from physical disease or pain"

  There are many different definitions of health, but the above definition was similar to that of what I first encountered studying Human Movement / Exercise Science in university. A definition that used the word 'soul' and 'spirit'. Such words have never held much weight with me as I had never grown up in a religious or spiritual family and didn't really know what they meant. Since then, I have always had in the back of my mind that my own health must not be complete due to not having any belief system set in stone. Hence my journey began. Here's a summary of things I have experienced, watched, read or listened to, which have shaped my thoughts to what they are today. Hope they help you as they have helped me!

• How can my THOUGHTS about religion, spirituality and my purpose in life affect my health?

As you would have read within the 7 Steps to Survival link, 'thoughts' are the number one thing that affect your health. The thoughts and emotions you have about religion, spirituality, afterlife, life purpose, existence of God, sins and guilt and the existence of heaven and hell, can have profound affects on your thought patterns shaping the way you live your life. How this affects your health is this: from a scientific explanation, constant negative thoughts (eg: sin, guilt and a lack or purpose in life) activate the sympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system. This branch controls the activation of the adrenal glands located on top of the kidneys. When the hormone produced by this gland called cortisol is repeatedly secreted over time, it causes major issues with the body, namely leading to a depressed immune system. Quite simply, a depressed immune system is responsible for all of these syndromes, disorders and diseases that exist today. Everyone's body just chooses to exhibit a depressed immune system in a different way whether it be more severe, such as Cancer or Parkinsons etc or less severe in the case neck tension, migraine etc. From a holistic viewpoint, your thoughts are only one of many things associated with optimal health, but they are certainly the most important one.

• Their affect on my health (and so many others!)

  
  In my case, I feel my health has suffered in one way or another over the years due to my confusion and lack of a belief system and at one stage, being scared of dying. My Christian studies taught me that if I was not living by God's word, then I would go to hell for eternity. Learning this at a young age till now has never sat right with me. I have constantly questioned the existence of an afterlife and all that is associated with it. Since becoming a health professional that now takes a holistic view of health, my zest for this information has been greater. My questions about the presence of GOD, heaven and hell, purgatory, spirits, souls, ghosts, the paranormal and all that is seen as crazy to believe in based on the inability of science to prove it, have been at the top of my list. I have then questioned my purpose in life, and if everything I am doing and experiencing is a lesson?

• What do I currently believe?

  
  Read and watch all the links below....

  I hope you may benefit from any of the below to help shape your thoughts. I've experienced a lot of emotions whilst taking this journey. Be prepared to be defensive, skeptical, shocked, or just feel more comfortable knowing you have more confirmation of beliefs you may already have. I personally feel much more at ease now with who I am and what I am doing in this life now. I hope the below links do the same for you!

At the end of the day, whatever belief system we all end up having, if we all find peace and happiness in ourselves, we will be much healthier and happier.

Experience #1: Ages 17-20. Christian Bible Study After meeting some christians at High School, I took it upon myself to go to church and attend bible study. This was my first experience with religion. In the end I believed that a higher power or GOD existed, but there was no way that I could live the life of a Christian. No sex before marriage being the biggest deterrent :o)
Experience #2: World Travel - Nothing beats traveling the world to learn about and experience how other cultures and traditions have been molded by religion. Learning about different religions around the world other than my Anglican roots was a crucial experience I needed to have. All religions think that their version of GOD is the right one. Whilst I needed these experiences, it really just confused me more! Which is the right one? Are any of the right? Is it all just crap designed to control the people?
Journey of Souls - Dr. Michael Newton Ph.D [Book] This book has had a profound affect on my thoughts with regards to a spiritual world existence. From Fishpond.com.au: "In this groundbreaking book, 29 subjects under hypnosis reveal graphic details about how it feels to die, what the spirit world is really like, where the soul goes and what it does there, why souls come back in certain bodies, how to recognize soul mates, and much more. They confirm the existence of an immortal soul whose journey between lives confers meaning on our earthly existence." Check out Dr. Michael Newton's website here.
Interview with Dr. Michael Newton - Author of Journey of Souls [Interview - 5 parts] An interview with the author above. This Ph.D. doctor of counseling and hypnotherapy, stumbled on his ability to regress people back to their past lives and lives between lives. Holds much more weight to claims considering he is of a science / atheist background.
Zeitgeist [Documentary - VIDEO] (Part 1 on Religion) / (Part 2 on Religion) / (Part 3 on Religion) Controversial take on the origin of the bible and the crossover similarities of 15 + religions.
The Pharmacratic Inquisition [Documentary - Lecture - VIDEO] Lecture by two American historians backing up much on the information from Zeitgeist plus detailed information on the relevance of psychedelic drugs in all world religions.
Same Soul, Many Bodies - Dr. Brian Weiss [Book] After reading the work of Dr. Michael Newton, I found another doctor / psychologist / hypnotherapist from the states doing the same work, but also 'progressing' people! Fishpond Review: "How often have you wished you could peer into the future? In "Same Soul, Many Bodies," Brian L. Weiss, M.D., shows us how. Through envisioning our lives to come, we can influence their outcome and use this process to bring more joy and healing to our present lives. Dr. Weiss pioneered regression therapy -- guiding people through their past lives. Here, he goes beyond that to demonstrate the therapeutic benefits of progression therapy -- guiding people through the future in a scientific, responsible, healing way. Through dozens of case histories detailing both past-life and future-life experiences, Dr. Weiss shows how the choices that we make now will determine our future quality of life. From Samantha, who overcame academic failure once she learned of her future as a great physician, to Evelyn, whose fears and prejudices ended after she envisioned prior and forthcoming lives as a hate victim, Dr. Weiss gives concrete examples of lives transformed by regression and progression therapy."
Interview with Dr. Brian Weiss - Author of Same Soul, Many Bodies Interview with Dr. Brian Weiss during the pilot for Entreparentesis. An Interview TV Show aired in San Juan, Puerto Rico with interviews with 8 New Age authors and speakers. Interview in English with Spanish subtitles.
Criss Angel [Mindfreak TV Show - VIDEO] Episode - Celebrity Seance Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 - Mentalist, magician, freak?! Evidence for the spirit world and paranormal. Very convincing episodes showing peoples reactions and descriptions of a spirit / ghost in a house. Chris Angel then produces a photograph of the girl who previously died there that matches the previous descriptions by all participants.
Sensing Murder [US, Australian and New Zealand TV Show - VIDEO] Sensing Murder Episode: Blood Money - George Engelbrecht Evidence for the spirit world and the power of psychics. Psychics solving crimes for the Police.
Am I Normal? - Spirituality [Documentary - BBC - 6 parts - VIDEO] Great documentary on spirituality and religion from a scientific view.
Reincarnation [ABC USA Interview - 2 parts] Parents in the USA discover that their child's nightmares of being attacked in a aircraft dogfight and knowledge of things related to military and aircraft, are that of his soul incarnated from a past life.
- My talks with intelligent friends that I respect that have had undeniable spiritual experiences. - Having past life regression therapy finally done on myself with a Deep Trance Therapist in Sydney. - Regular meditation that has brought up visions of 'past lives' or thoughts that have significantly affected me mentally and physically, in the form of not feeling pain in particular parts of my body that have always existed!
Tom Silver - Past Life Regressionist Example video / You Tube Channel A hypnotherapist that has a lot of videos on the internet showing this type of hypnotherapy in action.
The Maharishi Effect Hardcore scientific studies that were done in the late 70's to early 80's that proved meditation in groups of hundreds to thousands of people, had a statistically significant effect in improving everything from crime rate, to weather, to the Dow Jones! This book has helped me to confirm that power and energy that we cannot see exist, and most certainly have and influential affect on our health. Our thoughts, or lack of them through achieving 'pure consciousness' or the art of meditating to think of nothing, affect those around us, and worldwide!
Destiny of Souls - Dr. Michael Newton Ph.D. [Book] Dr. Michael Newton's second book putting the experience of the afterlife from 70+ patients, into this extremely detailed 409 page book. He answers the full range of questions one could ever think to ask about life after death: How can a soul be in heaven and reincarnate at the same time? How are new souls created? How are souls who've done evil on earth punished? These and many other questions are answered with surprising congruity between respondents.
Currently Reading 'The Power of Now' and doing Paul Chek's PPS program. Journey in progress: more to come soon!

What do I currently believe?

Wow, it changes slightly every now and then depending on what I read and watch. But I am without a doubt convinced by my studies, that a higher power, source of energy, creator, Allah, GOD exists. The work of Michael Newton Ph. D has had the most profound effect on me. An former atheist scientist who stumbled on his ability to regress people to past lives and lives between lives, has found through his inter-life hypnotherapy research, conclusive information about the afterlife across the board with his patients. Regardless of their religion, spiritual stance or lack there of, they all say the same things.
A few key things that stick in my head that have brought me inner peace from the various sources...
Heaven and Hell do not exist; sin does not send you to hell; a spiritual world exists in which we all go to when we die; we will all see the bright tunnel of light when we die; we live multiple lives as different genders (and other things! ;o) ) hence life is not short, just this one we are currently in!; we have soul mates that we continually live lives with; each life on earth is about learning lessons until we have reached a pinnacle in our understanding (enlightenment: call it what you will); physical pain can most definitely be carried across from a past life; most religion has elements of truth in it about the big picture but is mainly just a means of control over masses of people; the buddhists are more in tune with what happens in the afterlife than anyone else.
Shocking statements to some of you reading this I'm sure, but check out the articles, books and videos below first before you deny these claims.