Friday, August 16, 2013

HOW DO WE KNOW WE HAVE A SOUL?

Yesterday I was thinking about the importance of our surroundings. Not just our furniture and home, but the people we allow into our lives. Family, friends, and spouses become our focus, and we get lost in the daily motion of the everyday.



We become friends with people for different reasons, and unlike those in our families, it is easier to allow these folks in, or to keep them out. When relationships don't work out we feel bad. If we stay in the relationships it can even be worse for us.



Many studies have shown that being in bad relationships not only makes us sad, but can make us sick. We think of our emotions as completely separate from our bodies; but we are starting to realize that our thoughts can and do influence how we live our lives. Each of our subtle thoughts send a series of hormones and energetic impulses through us; if they are bad we can become depressed in body and mind. Our systems slow down and we do not work properly. If this happens over and over, a negative event does not  have to happen, we can THINK it will and we will have the same response.

Some people are said to be sensitive to electrical fields and feel poorly when subjected to them. In one study these sensitive individuals were connected to MRI monitors and given cell phones and asked if they felt anything when they held them to their ears. They reported feeling headaches, sharp pains, dizziness and blurred vision. The pain centers in their brains did indeed light up on the MRI showing they were experiencing pain. Interestingly, these were NOT cell phones, and there was no electrical field. The pain was real, and in the future these people may experience the same types of pain when exposed to cell phones again. (Deepak Chopra)


A similar thing happens with our emotions. If a relationship is negative, we are already expecting a bad experience and start to respond before a heated situation starts. Inversely, if we are in a happy situation, our bodies and mind are saturated with a different energy, we feel strong, confident, and able. When we are in love it feels as if we can survive on water and air, and sometimes we do.

If we concentrate on something that truly makes us feel good, our bodies start to produce dopamine which makes us talkative and excited, serotonin to make us happy, and several other "drugs" that alter our sense of well being. Low levels of serotonin are linked to heart disease, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.  Our nation spends billions of dollars on pharmaceuticals to relieve these symptoms of hopelessness and gloom.

Many self help books speak of affirmations or smiling even if we are feeling low. This may help certain individuals feel better, but it does not work for all. Negative thoughts can creep in, or our minds repeat our worries to us. Most of us can conjure a thought or image or idea that is heartwarming, peaceful, or brings us joy.


If we can hold this image long enough, our bodies respond as if we are experiencing the happy moment again. Like the sensitive people in the electricity experiment, we begin to experience changes in our bodies from thinking...but these are positive. We don't have to force a smile because we actually begin to feel better.


We are used to separating our bodies from our emotions. We go to the doctor to get treated for high blood pressure or headaches, and we expect to leave with a prescriptive quick fix. We are given different medications for our skin rash and our stomach aches, and another for our anxiety or depression. Most likely all of these symptoms are related, the result of a negative situation or circumstance.



Maybe our bodies are a storehouse for our spirit or soul. If we are feeling poorly, could it be from a disharmony in our lives? If have repetitive thoughts, is it our soul trying to tell us to fix this?



I realize what I have written is a simplification of a far deeper subject. I have just stumbled upon this idea personally, and for some reason it feels extremely important to me, and I will do my best each day to focus on something that brings me to a really good place mentally. 

Suddenly I feel we DO have a soul, and we should start paying more attention to it.

<3  

10 comments:

  1. Nice post. I am a firm believer in balance and the soul has a lot to do with that. They say if you predict doom and gloom all the time you have a great chance of being a prophet: and I believe that. Surround yourself with positive thoughts and people. I look forward to more of your thoughts about this. Have a great day!

    Paul R. Hewlett

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    1. Oooo Paul I LOVE the prophet saying! And I agree...
      I spent the last few hours trying to find things to read on this subject, or audio books to listen to. This is fascinating to me.
      I found that Chi Gong is a study where the practitioner can MOVE personal energy (Chi?)...oh I hope it is true!
      Thanks for coming by Paul...always love to chat with ya!
      :)

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  2. I firmly believe everything you wrote too...great post!! And, I know first hand about how dangerous "diseases of the soul" are...because before DD (aka Dumb Dumb, or my Ex) got caught, my heart felt every time he was with her...I think I knew it before he did...

    I, too, would love to know more about this, yet I find that every time I get excited about something, and start telling others about it, I end up losing... :(

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  3. Thanks Beth.
    I know what you mean. I feel bad that you had to feel that way every time DD (haw!) did that. What an ASS.
    And I know what you mean about losing it too!! Sometimes I think it is about the OTHER people's energy. We get so into something and excited and tell others and they are like EH...OMG I can feel my energy sinking just thinking about it.
    Maybe if you go in knowing that the detractors WILL be there you can protect yourself!!
    Don't let 'em get ya!!
    Always glad when you come by Beth. XO

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  4. Do you think that writing dark stories has an affect on you? You have to immerse yourself in the subject matter. For example, I once tried to write a novella involving a plague and I kept getting sick.

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    1. YES Marie I DO!!
      I think it works the other way too...when I am in a bad place it is terrifically easy to write horror and gloom. I don't feel horrorish or gloomy lately and have been having a bad time with it. Moved over to the kid's stuff for a bit. Feeling more metaphysical vs. horror lately...
      I need to get into some more Deepak Chopra.
      Thanks for coming Marie! :)

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  5. I'm with Marie - delving into the deep, for whatever reason, can have a profound effect at the soul-u-lar level. It's like that Nietzsche quote: "He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you." So, you know, as creators who routinely dive into the dark, maybe we need to take extra measures to insure we can pull ourselves back out of it. :-)
    Some Dark Romantic

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    1. I agreeeeee Mina. Why this is getting to me lately is more interesting than anything else to me at this time. There has been some kind of paradigm shift with me...wondering if the scary books are going out the window...
      XO

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  6. So much truth in what you say here. Sometimes the simplified explanations are the best ones and I think you've nailed it. We have the power over the way we feel and the outlook we have on life and that in turn influences those around us. We make our own lives whether we know it our not and most people aren't thinking about that. They'd rather place the blame and responsibility on external forces.

    Good thoughtful post.

    Lee
    Tossing It Out

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  7. Oh boy did you hit the nail on the head Arlee.
    Many people can be placed in the exact situation, and each one of them will come out of it with a different description.
    As for responsibility, I agree there too. We are quick to blame others and pass the buck.
    I'm really glad you stopped by...come back again.
    :) Pen

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