This blog is more than an account of Near Death Experiences. It ponders in detail the tough questions of life. Who are you, and why are you here in this physical world? What happens when you die, and is there a judgment? However, most anything could appear here. This is not a news blog, archived posts are just as relevant as new posts. Check the boxes at the top of the page for the Contents, Contact, Forum and other links.
Viktor Frankl’s theory and therapy grew out of his experiences in Nazi death camps. He saw that people who had hopes of being reunited with loved ones, or who had projects they felt a need to complete, or who had great faith, tended to have better chances than those who had lost all hope. This video is presented by Lifespan Learning Institute.
Years ago, during my studies of Psychoanalysis, Psychology and related disciplines, I was privileged to meet Dr. Frankl. He was on a speaking tour of the United States and came to my home town. After the lecture, Dr. Frankl stayed in the hall to meet people on a personal basis. I talked to him for only five minutes, but will never forget the feel of his handshake; the experience of his presence.
Dr. Frankl was a survivor of the Holocaust. He had spent over three years in a Nazi death camp and lived to tell about it. Having seen the most inhuman conditions possible, he did not lose faith that life had meaning and was worthy of living. It was this faith that guided him through the horrendous ordeal.
The main thing Dr. Frankl taught was life has meaning, and the quotes below illustrate how he endured in the worst of conditions.
“Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.”
“…everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms — to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”
Everyone knows what Love is, or do they? People tend to confuse Love with all sorts of other things. That is because Love is not an event, not something you do. It is something you are, it is a state of mind, an attitude, a way you live your life. The meaning and purpose of your being.
Love is hard to define because it is not an event. A group of us guys were sitting around the lunch table. The subject of sex came up, and I explained sex was not love. Just as most of the group were trying to make me eat my words, one of them said: “Hey, do you guys love your parents?” Consensus was yes, that they did love their parents. “Do you guys have sex with your parents?” An immediate outcry of disgust was expressed by all present at this suggestion. “Then Love is not sex, it is something greater than sex,” remarked my rescuer.
One of the best descriptions of Love I have come across is the one given by Paul in the 13th chapter of 1st Corinthians in the Bible. It is often called the Love chapter.
“Love is very patient and kind, never jealous or envious, never boastful or proud, never haughty or selfish or rude. Love doesn’t demand its own way. It’s not irritable or touchy. It doesn’t hold grudges and will not notice when others do it wrong. It’s never glad about injustice, but rejoices in truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends”. — Paul.
God is Love. Love is unconditional. Love heals all things. Love is the force that creates, and holds everything together. Love is caring, and compassion. These are some more of the many ways to accurately describe Love. Love is so ubiquitous, and so powerful it resists any simple definition put to it.
But, it is not enough for us to define Love, that does not really help us to enjoy life a whit more. We must find ways to gain access to the power of Love, and allow this power into our daily lives in order to grow strong spiritually.
We know we are created in God’s Love, and we are Loved. Why then does Love seem so distant at times? So hard to find when we are alone, troubled, and seeking answers.
The reason is two-fold. First, we agreed to incarnate into the physical world, a world of dualism. Part love, part fear, for the purpose of learning to love, and second, we have not finished learning yet. Fear is a strong motivator. It is easy to become lost in the teachings of fear. Some of our authority figures (parents, teachers, professors, politicians, etc.) teach us fear, while others teach us love. That is as it should be, our task is learn what is fear, and what is love, opting for love each time we recognize it.
Fear is pervasive, it can be seen most everywhere in our society. Wars, violence, murder, and mayhem can be found in our books and magazines, our video games, our television programs, and reported on the daily news. Hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, forest fires, mud slides, avalanches, tsunami and other natural disasters seem to be with us on a daily basis. Then there are plane crashes, train crashes, and car crashes, as well as many other accidents. Don’t forget the recession and the suffering it has brought to so many people. It is no wonder many are depressed, have anxiety attacks, feel suicidal, or are mentally disturbed.
Love is also pervasive, but not as apparent. Love is less spectacular than fear, because it is more common. There is more love in this world than fear. For those that kill, there are more that comfort; for those that harm, there are more that heal; for those that destroy, there are more that build; for those that steal, there are more that give; for those that lie, there are more speaking truth; for those that cheat, there are more that are honest; for those that condemn, there are more that uplift, for those that criticize, there are more that encourage; and for those that hate, there are more that love.
You are in a classroom, what you will learn is your decision, no one can do it for you, will you learn to love? Love has the power to heal, love can bring peace into your life, and compassion into your heart. There is nothing to lose, it is a win, win, decision.
