Agustina Thorgilsson is The Official SelfGrowth.com Guide to "Spiritual Growth". You can find complete information on Agustina Thorgilsson and her products by visiting www.lifenavigation.com.
A powerful technique for inner growth and understanding is to sit quietly and simply observe one’s thoughts and feelings as they arise. Then, trace back any of them to where and how it arose. What triggered it? Where did it come from? Initially it is difficult to successfully carry out this ... Views: 153
Teilhard de Chardin described what he called a noosphere, a belt of mental energy that encompasses the earth, and which moves vibrations that can be perceived at the mental level and converted into thoughts and thought-forms. This is similar to the biosphere at the level of the life-energy and ... Views: 160
The ego-consciousness lives within the illusion of having free will and making its own independent decisions. A closer examination shows us that the individual is not an ‘island’ unto himself; rather, he is a result of innumerable factors from genetics, to pre-natal influences, to interactions ... Views: 123
If we review our lives through the lens of ‘history’, that is, looking back over the events of our lives from where we are today, we can see that things we thought, at the time, were positive things were in some cases, highly detrimental to us over time; and similarly, things we found ... Views: 153
We tend to interpret events from our own ego-standpoint as to whether they are “good” or “bad” without reflecting on or considering how they relate to a larger picture and longer perspective. This means we judge circumstances as if they occur by ‘chance’ and we evaluate these things with the ... Views: 138
When we are fixed in the external consciousness and perceive things with the external senses, we treat material objects as ‘solid’. We do not see that they are actually energy that has been condensed to appear solid to us, while in fact, they are a form of energy. Western scientists, however, ... Views: 150
We spend little time or thought on the place we occupy in the universal creation. The larger forces at work, the consciousness that creates, builds, shapes and directs this massive and complex undertaking remain hidden from us. The power we can consciously receive and utilize is a minute amount ... Views: 174
The law of inertia holds that it takes energy to move something that is stationary, and the more massive the object is, the more energy required to move it. A similar principle operates in human actions. We have our fixed habits, whether physical habits, instincts, trained responses, ... Views: 156
We typically live rooted in the ego-consciousness in the external, physical world. We judge things based on our perceptions, our physical, vital and mental processes and our habitual way of understanding things from the standpoint of the ego. This leads to a very limited and biased viewpoint ... Views: 153
What is the will of the Divine, and how can we know it? The usual answer is some prescription from one religion or another with a doctrine supported by that religious persuasion as being the correct interpretation. In some cases, the Divine Will seems thereby to be in conflict from one religion ... Views: 123
We are born into a family, a culture, a society, a given economic and political system, an educational process, and a vast number of social habits, customs and predilections which create for us a framework within which we are expected to take up our destined place in society and carry it ... Views: 166
The terms ‘divine grace’, along with ‘cosmic law’ and ‘divine compassion’, are transcriptions into human terms from our human viewpoint of actions and events that take place from an entirely different level of the divine manifestation and with a viewpoint that far exceeds that of our limited ... Views: 147
Our normal human view of things is based in the framing of the mental process which relies on distinguishing differences between one thing and another, between one being and another, between one event and another. This “fragmentation” leads us to focus primarily on the separation we have rather ... Views: 170
How can we know that the spiritual force is actually working in us? An actual experience of a force or what is called a ‘spiritual experience’ is a specific, generally short-lived ‘event’ that enormous numbers of people have had. Yet, the experience recedes and the daily life goes on, seemingly ... Views: 178
There is a clear divide between those who have actually experienced the action of spiritual or yoga-force, and those who have a mental conception of spirituality but have not had a strong experience thus far that makes the theory into something real and actual for them. Once the experience is ... Views: 148
How do we determine whether there is any such thing as a ‘yoga-force’? Some treat it as a form of self-delusion, some as hypnotic suggestion, some as some form of ‘placebo effect’ of the mind, some as simply the action of other forces that we simply define as ‘yoga-force’ without any objective ... Views: 158
We tend to operate under the fallacy that any spiritual force that is operative will automatically, and completely, achieve its intended result without difficulty. We forget, thereby, the way forces actually work in the world. There are always starting points, conditions, limitations, and ... Views: 161
Rare are those individuals who can take up a practice and not see any result whatsoever, yet continue on with endless patience and persistence. We look at the example of Milarepa, the great yogi of Tibet who spent a number of years doing hard labor at the behest of his guru, Marpa, and who was ... Views: 172
A devotee reported several incidents that appeared to be the result of spiritual force. The first occurred in early 1973 in Los Angeles. He attended a talk by Udar Pinto of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram and afterwards joined his party for dinner, at which there was extensive discussion. Udar told the ... Views: 153
Sri Aurobindo once told about an incident that helped spark his interest in yoga-force. His brother was very ill. A wandering yogi came by and when he learned on that illness, asked for a glass of water which he then proceeded to infuse with mantas. The illness was quickly overcome once Sri ... Views: 177
In order to know something, we need to utilize the tools and methods appropriate to whatever form or energetic action we are trying to know. Those things which rely on emotion, for instance, cannot be fully understood by the logical intellect. Similarly, the strict step by step process of ... Views: 176
There are forces in the universal creation that can obstruct, delay or harm the development of consciousness. They try to maintain a form of status quo, or they try to protect a vested interest or desire that they maintain. These forces, sometimes called ‘hostile forces’ are a frequent topic of ... Views: 181
When people become totally immersed in something, they concentrate, naturally, all their energies and focus in that direction, without seeming effort, and experience the joy of the process. We can observe this in children at play. They become the act of play and don’t concern themselves with ... Views: 139
What makes us move in one direction or another? How do we choose, decide, set forth in one direction as opposed to another? There is the inner readiness that creates a sense of incompleteness, dissatisfaction or a view of something better, more perfect, more beautiful, more essential than what ... Views: 167
The imposition of the external world on our mind and senses is so powerful that we don’t pay attention to the vast universe of galaxies and stars. In former times, before the world was widely illuminated by lighting at night, there was at least some opportunity for people to be outside at night, ... Views: 163
Everywhere we turn we see mounting crises. The news reports are dire. Climate disasters are increasing, we are poisoned daily by toxic substances in our food, water and the very air we breathe. On a day-to-day level, we are struggling in a world that seems to be impossible to understand, with ... Views: 179
One of the limitations of Mind embedded in a physical body is that it tends to fixate on what it can experience ‘here and now’. It has a hard time correlating past, present and future and seeing and understanding trends, directions, trajectories and momentum, other than in specific areas such as ... Views: 150
When Life evolved out of Matter, substantial transformations occurred. What was not possible in a purely material world suddenly became not only possible, but a key principle. Matter itself, to accommodate the life force, had to become more fluid, more flexible and responsive to changes that ... Views: 172
As we begin to experience realms of awareness other than that of our current primary body-life-mind complex, we can begin to appreciate that there are further, higher states of conscious awareness that can be experienced, and which have powers of insight, and ways of working that are far ... Views: 177
Each successive plane of consciousness has a native action in its own domain and then, as it enters the material plane, it has to modify its action to conform to the limitations of the other principles. Thus, the native action of the vital plane is freer and more fluid and powerful than when the ... Views: 158
Matter, prepared and encoded with the dataset required to bring forth Life, does not spontaneously, on its own express the life-form for which it is encoded. The seed, or the egg, remains potential, latent, until it is acted upon by a force external to it. In the case of the seed of a plant, the ... Views: 167
The primary standpoint for most people is that they are a physical body endowed with Life, Mind and (potentially in their minds) a Soul. Everything starts from the primacy of the body and its centrality in their view of their lives. This makes the purpose of life one of survival and procreation, ... Views: 170
We tend to take the development of life, and mind, for granted. We do not actually reflect on what it takes for them to emerge from Matter. Many believe that somehow various chemical elements in the material world are impacted by the radiation from the sun and through the heat of the core of the ... Views: 149
As science begins to recognise the fact that there are ranges of vibration outside of the limited scope that we can normally experience, and that countless reports of perceptions that are inexplicable based on the outermost physical reality that we have heretofore treated as our sole reality, we ... Views: 158
We are generally so fixated on the impressions we receive through the action of the five physical sense organs, that we fail to recognise that we frequently sense things without these senses providing any input. For instance, people can frequently sense when someone is staring at them, even when ... Views: 173
We scour the galaxy for signs of intelligent life elsewhere. The reality is that unless an extra-terrestrial race has found a way to circumvent the constant of the speed of light, through some method of ‘folding’ space or creating “wormholes” that truncate the distance to be travelled, setting ... Views: 152
When we can once appreciate and accept the fact that forces, unseen by us, unperceived by our senses, can, and do, act upon us, pushing us to act in certain ways, pressing on us to move in certain directions, it is but a small step to recognize that there are beings who inhabit these unseen and ... Views: 165
We frequently try to ‘know’ things based on a particular capacity of our being; however, this may not always be the correct way to appreciate and understand what is actually taking place. Trying to understand music, for instance, by applying the logical intellect and trying to parse the sounds, ... Views: 154
We observe the material world around us and as we study that world, we see the development of forms of ever-greater complexity and power of action and intelligence. Charles Darwin described the process of the evolution of forms in his book The Origin of Species. The cause and purpose, however, ... Views: 185
Ase, often referred to as Ashe or Axe, is a concept deeply embedded in the spiritual fabric of Africa. Originating from the Yoruba people of Nigeria, Ase encapsulates a profound understanding of divine energy and the interconnectedness of all life. The phrase 'ase african meaning' reflects the ... Views: 191
The vital nature gets excited by things that seem to be “occult” or that promise some kind of interaction with the “dearly departed” loved ones who have passed away. An entire industry has arisen to cater to people who are seeking solace, contact or information from the deceased. Some of this, ... Views: 188
Vital beings, by their very nature, take advantage of our ambitions, desires, greed, and fears to convince us to interact with them, and they then use these responses for their own enjoyment or nourishment. The more we are motivated by these vital drives, the easier it is for such beings to toy ... Views: 152
We see a proliferation of people who claim to act as intermediaries through a process of seance, or use of a Ouija board or planchette, to communicate with individuals who have passed away. The interest in this area goes through periods of peaks and troughs, but continually captures the popular ... Views: 149
Within the intricate tapestry of spiritual lore, stink bug symbolism occupies a unique and often overlooked place, yet its profound meanings and messages resonate deeply for those attuned to its significance. In spiritual traditions around the world, from ancient cultures to contemporary ... Views: 222
Spiritual seekers are frequently advised not to indulge in or display any ‘powers’ that arise along the way. Patanjali, in his Yoga Sutras, describes a number of powers that can arise naturally through the practice of Yoga, and seekers throughout the ages have validated the reality of powers ... Views: 172
Beneath their surface, hiccups—those sudden and involuntary contractions of the diaphragm—are often seen as trivial annoyances in our daily lives. However, they reveal a rich tapestry of spiritual meaning that spans cultures and philosophies, inviting us to explore deeper connections between our ... Views: 207
In life's grand mosaic, every creature, regardless of its size, holds its place and significance. Among these tiny beings are gnats, often regarded merely as nuisances. However, from a spiritual perspective, gnats are much more than bothersome insects. They are considered powerful symbols, ... Views: 227
Herbert Spencer (April 27, 1820 – December 8, 1903) was an English philosopher, biologist, and anthropologist. He coined the phrase “survival of the fittest,” yet his concept of evolution included ethical human progression. In the late 1800s he was one of the most influential European ... Views: 184
For the most part, people live on the surface of their being, and do not see into the occult or hidden beings and forces that exist and act upon them, unseen, invisible and essentially unregarded. Many things that occur in the world are hard to explain without an understanding of the occult ... Views: 141
We see a growing movement around the world of people leaving the religion into which they were born, and starting down a spiritual path of inner growth. A driving factor behind this change is the perception among these people that the religion has either lost any life-force that it may have had ... Views: 218