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One of the common spiritual games we play is the concept of having greater authority and righteousness because the spirit being speaking to and through us is to be respected. Be it a famous deceased person, transcended master, angel, god, or goddess…. let the value of a channeling be in the words and the works themselves, not in the authorship claimed. I have met enough people in this field to know that claiming to associate with lofty beings or a famous spirit does not guarantee wisdom and spirituality, or even normality and civility.

This is not a criticism of usage. Nor is it name calling for name-dropping. This is merely a discussion about not getting caught up in a mind game wherein you elevate yourself above others in an act of insecurity. Like most psychological/spiritual games, playing ‘my guide is bigger than your guide’ is usually somewhat unconscious and not done with ill intent. In fact, giving credit to the spirit who you believe uttered words of wisdom, or composed a great poem, can be an act of humility. Spiritual beings do indeed speak to us, and through us, every day of our lives. When we are out of touch, it only means we are not paying attention to spirit in that moment. And it is a wondrous thing to be a conduit for love, wisdom and power to flow into the world. It also provides us an opportunity to practice detachment.

Imagine a violet ray streaming down to all life on earth; bringing a message of transfiguration, initiation and illumination. The average person only knows of their personality, so he or she may claim authorship; yet still be thankful of this creative gift and show a high degree of humility. People who have been taught to channel this light one way might say spirit guides are speaking through them. Others may believe it to be their own higher selves. Many were taught that angels or archangels of that ray are speaking through them. Another still, may claim it is a message directly from God.

In many instances what is claimed is based on the person’s social/religious upbringing and the psychological needs and limitations of the channeler in the moment. We can overcome our past programming of limitations and insecurities and allow ourselves to believe we have the right to bring through spiritual information and energy. As long as the message reaches humanity, the work is being done. The more we attach our sense of worth to the event, and judge others as less worthy because they are not conscious of their links, the greater our need for our own learning and healing.

A simple rule comes to mind regarding what to say… what to claim. If the voice you have learned to trust over the years tells you to give authorship to a particular being, then say it out loud and be willing to pay the price as well as accepting the rewards. But practice not being attached to the work itself and not caring who passed it along in the bucket brigade of bliss within that particularly colored ray. It all comes from the one light. The prisms that divide and display the separate colors only are there to help us assimilate it without getting too overwhelmed. The personalities that are used to disseminate higher power are also tools.

To be respected, respect the ways of all things, allow spirit to flow freely through you, and trust the love, wisdom and power channeled to speak for itself.

By Craig Junjulas

I have heard many comments about the sense of competition and criticism in the new age community from my students in New York who had come to Sedona as seekers and tourists. The people within this community also spoke of their concern about the same issue. And it is a problem that may occur in other spiritual communities around the world as well.

One center was accused by another of working from the base chakra. My response was that since all chakras are needed to perform fully on this planet, and each group has its job to do, this could actually be a compliment. Another group was called “space cadets.” To this, I replied that since they had been doing it for so long, they really should at least be called ‘space captains’ and honored for working on such a difficult level of thinking. Another group was said to just sit around getting high on bliss. I suggested the critic should sit with them and meditate on how to direct that wonderful energy into the problems of everyday life.

What my eyes saw were loving spirits with good intentions hoping to serve humanity. Yes, I noticed they were also human beings struggling, in varying degrees, with survival and acceptance issues. Aren’t we all?

The key is to see the spirit within each person or group working toward fuller expression. Give credit for the striving of the human to release old negative patterns, rather than measuring how far they still have to go in that endeavor. We all are reaching toward Higher Consciousness and trying to live according to spiritual principles. We all aspire to represent the spoken word of the ascended masters and serve the angels of light and love.

If you believe that we are all brothers and sisters, then it becomes your responsibility to send them light and love to support them while they grow – without even a hint of disappointment or criticism. Otherwise we are acting like high school seniors criticizing other social groups, thinking only our click dresses right and listens to the correct music, and making fun of the latest batch of freshmen in total. Some of these ‘younger’ ones will be our teachers and healers. That quiet one in the back seat, who dresses funny, may be the next prophet for humanity.

A very high number of metaphysical seekers pass through this town. Back in New York, I received many calls because of the degree of public exposure I had (weekly radio program, adult education class, etc.). If it is about serving all humanity, then how dare I try to capture all who pass by my door? That would be like erecting a net across the whole stream that passes through your property, because you fear not having enough fish to eat. This would not only cause your good neighbors famine, it would deplete the stream of fish for the future. I tried to remain aware of the other professionals in the area, and their particular forms of service, so spirit could guide me to refer people to the right professional.

What is the solution to this problem of criticism and competition? How do we not set up a force field of negative energy that eventually repels the very people we want to attract and help?

Simply use your talents as sensitives who are connected to the higher realms. When a person stands before you, ask spirit who they seek and what service you are to perform for them, if any. It may sound like a poor business tactic, but if this person is in town to meet the healer who they once held as a child in a past life, think of the potential harm which can come of you casting a net which captures this person and diverts him or her from their appointed hour with this soul mate. Hand them your card or brochure, inform them of the wonderful services offered by you or your group, AND tell them of the many other wonderful individuals and centers in the area. Let them know it is their soul’s development that is important, and help them fulfill the mission they were drawn to this area for in the first place.

In time we will heal that perception many have of the negative criticism and competition, of psychics and healers on every corner trying to pull in the ‘marks’ and elevating themselves by devaluing others.

By Craig Junjulas

Lusting for spirituality can be one of the most insidious forms lust can take on. It is a craving for the benefits, trappings, mannerisms, speech patterns, etc. It is making a goal of spirituality rather than seeking the process of moving toward it from wherever you are. A reasonable formula for spiritual gain is simply accepting yourself exactly where you are in the moment, then exercising your right as a spirit to bring about an upward shift in both energy and consciousness, and enjoying the beautiful colors, the illumination and the enlightenment which results naturally from the process. But faking it, ‘talking the talk’ for the sake of sounding spiritual, cuts the process off to an extent.

Mimicking a Master is one of the many paths toward enlightenment. I do not wish these words to be interpreted as disqualifying these and other equally valid techniques. Practice quiet patience every day and the spirit of patience will infuse you over time. What I am dissecting is the attitude of faking it, wanting others to believe it, and chasing after it out of fear and insecurity.

People who prey on the desperate, fill their coffers from donations made by people afraid of not getting into heaven, or not being one of the 144,000 souls to be plucked up and saved at the “end times”. On a less dramatic scale, wanting to be accepted as a renowned reader or healer by a certain group or community, or wanting your past lives to be important, or your higher self to be vainglorious… are all lesser forms of this lust.

I do fall under criticism because I do not formally meditate before I teach a class or present a lecture. I stand before the group feeling awkward, nervous, insecure, and … well…. very human. This is how most of the participants feel as they prepare to subject themselves to a new presenter. So why not have everyone start out on the same human level and rise together. Sure I would appear to be more spiritual if I used my hypnotic triggers and mantra to flush out my tension, heighten my aura’s frequency, and shift to a channeling modality before entering the room. I would be glowing and radiating peace and tranquility, thereby allowing the teacher to become the point of focus instead of the techniques which can bring everyone into a more spiritual vibration.

Instead, I speak for the first ten minutes about the process I am going through, the techniques I am employing, while opening my aura up and absorbing and transmuting the excess tension of the entire room. After a short while we all have moved up a level on our way to rising into spiritual energies together.

In readings and healings the formula is also simple. If a client truly needs you to bring through a brilliant, effervescent, light… it will shine through you. If not, don’t call to the heavens just for a light show. Turn on a lamp and have a chat. Spirit will guide both the energy and the information the person requires.

The perception that you are not overtly spiritual allows you more latitude to be human, reduces other’s expectations, and leaves you freer to go about the work and quietly commune with the higher realms in a very real way. By not chasing after spirituality, you generally can feel freer to take more risks, make mistakes, and learn from people in all facets of society as spirit gradually elevates you.

By Craig Junjulas

Nature spirits are an evolutionary line within the Diva system. They develop in a similar fashion to the human stream, but are much more involved with becoming one with their environment, rather that experiencing an existence within an environment that is perceived as separate from them. Elemental beings and their more evolved nature spirits, such as fairies, inhabit and co-create within the four elements of earth (gnomes), water (undines), air (sylphs) and fire (salamanders). I consider ether to be the fifth element.

Nature spirits live in the same reality that humans do. They only seem to be invisible because our everyday consciousness and our five senses are resolutely focused on a limited range of frequencies that are sometimes called, “the real world,” while disregarding the remainder of the energy that life is composed of.

We have been taught to shy away from anything that distracts us from remaining within the scientifically described boundaries of the physical world and have been warned about exploring the dimensions beyond its fringes. Occasionally, artists, naturalists, mystics, and the like, have left records of their adventures into these unseen lands. They portray nature spirits as beautiful beings who are always around us and influence our world every day of our lives. These life forms are described as being diaphanous, ethereal, evasive – even imaginary. Perhaps, to them, we just seem to be a little “dense” and inattentive.

Under the guidance of the angelic realm, these spirits assist in the working out of the laws of nature and the righteous distribution and utilization of nature’s vital force. They work with this fundamental creative force, also known as “ether,” to creatively serve and maintain the mineral, plant, animal, and human kingdoms. They are guided to work toward the fulfillment of the Great Plan for the evolution of all life forms and the eventual return to the one source. It is said that the Earth is destined to shift into a more ethereal vibration and we, as a species, will reawaken to our true spiritual conscious state and rejoin our fellows in these higher realities.

While living on the planet Earth, our role is to foster sacred relationships with nature spirits and to devote ourselves to assist in their work by directing the light of creation, which is pure love, into their projects. Consciously working with these beings can prepare the way for smoother planetary transitions and more graceful interactions with nature – sometimes averting the natural disasters that are seen as part of the cleansing process that the planet goes through. We can help by heightening our awareness of planetary needs, and protecting and nurturing the environment. We can also assist by meditating in nature; decrees, invocations and other sound vibrations; attaining open-hearted visual contact; directing healing energy into these kingdoms; and using many other modalities.

 My favorite method of communing is to sit in the woods by the edge of a stream and lean against a tree for hours with my eyes open and my consciousness expanding as I gradually become one with the ground, water, air, and sunlight. Over time, not only do the animals accept me as an unthreatening part of their world, but the nature spirits become visible and openly go about their work.

Entering into this world begins with you shifting your body-mind vibration into more subtle spiritual frequencies in order to effect a delicate exchange between your inner spirit and these ethereal beings who are generally reserved when approached by humans.

While sitting in nature, close your eyes, and go on an inner journey by counting down from 21 to 1 while imagining you are walking or floating down a gentle hill into a lush garden or meadow. Become increasingly soft of thought and emotion, even child-like, and remain patient as the elemental beings that compose the four elements, the greenery and the flowers reveal themselves to you. Above, are the nature spirits that tend to these elementals, and the angels who watch over the nature spirits. Shine your heart-light outward in a radiant pattern, and connect to nature’s beauty, to bring you into a more harmonious vibration with them as they go about their work. Envision walking to the exact spot that you are meditating in and sit down into your physical body as an enlightened spirit, thus bringing these two worlds together.

Slowly open your eyes, while remaining in an altered state, and pay attention to your peripheral vision for a hint of movement, a vague blush of color, or a translucent form. Try not to look directly at them as you would look at a physical object, but remain subtle while sensing their presence, and waiting for them to shift further into your field of vision. It is similar to approaching a small animal out in nature. Remaining centered and unthreatening helps a gradual trust to be established.

As your vision softens over time, engage your creative imagination further and maintain an open listening mode while noticing the faint thoughts that come into your mind. To speak out to the nature spirits, feel your inner voice come up from the solar plexus, move through the heart chakra and be carried by a beam of light shining from your entire face and chest. A dialogue ensues by having an internal conversation with one of them, and a new relationship is developed. The communication that follows can give direction as to the course of action that is best for you to take in order to contribute to the sacred planetary work. Ask for personal guidance and request that they weave their beautiful energy through your aura and chakras to help clear, heal and open your entire being to the glorious kingdoms of nature and the many mansion worlds above.

By Craig Junjulas © 2003

A kind and goodly man had returned from the hospital where he underwent a series of tests to investigate increasing discomfort in his torso and constant low energy levels. His wife of forty-nine years had died two years ago after a long bout with breast cancer, and he never seemed to recover from the yearlong caretaking of his wife as she went through series after series of operations, radiation treatments and chemotherapy. Just as it happened with his wife, now he was diagnosed as having terminal cancer. The doctors said there was nothing they could do and gave him six months to live.

The day he received the diagnosis and prognosis, his friend asked him what he was going to do about it. “Nothing,” he replied, “I will leave it in God’s hands.”

Five months later, his friends had gathered for his memorial service at his home in the country. As they sat on the lawn furniture sipping tea after service, one said, “This old house has potential. With a few improvements, I bet I could turn it over in a couple of months and make a good profit. The first thing I would do is take down those ridiculous bird feeders. Look at all of the disgusting creatures they attract. How could he stand all of these noisy birds flying about dropping shit all over the place?

The middle-aged man sitting next to her said, “I knew he wasn’t going to make it. I told him leaving it to God was only a copout. And he was always so down; so depressed after his wife died. He didn’t really want to live. If he did he would have fought it tooth and nail. You know what they say about couples. After the first one dies, the partner usually isn’t far behind.”

Another friend said, “I know he said that he was turning it over to God. But he lacked faith. He was always experimenting with that New Age crap. He actually sat around doing nothing but singing the same note over and over again and burning that smelly incense. If he truly believed in the Lord he surely would have been cured. Besides, I never saw him in church once.”

A third whispered, “I told him about that author. You know: that guy who’s on all of the talk shows with the best-selling books on creative visualization. He should have been using the power of his mind to think it away. All he thought about was the inevitability of death. No wonder he didn’t make it.”

The fourth responded with, “What can you expect. He smoked cigarettes for twenty years when he was younger. Besides, I told him of a new chemotherapy/radiation treatment they were experimenting with in the city. But he didn’t even call to try to get into the program. He just gave up!”

The last person in the group was quiet throughout the ceremonies and this discussion. When pressed for an opinion, she finally said, “I sat with him after work most days. His sister came in from the city to care for him on the weekends. All I know is that he asked me to take him outside every day so he could meditate and pray under the giant oak. He fed the birds every morning and learned all of their songs. What did he call it? Oh yeah… frolicking. He loved to watch them frolic and sing.” She paused for a moment, seemingly lost in a vision of the past as she remembered him fondly, “Every evening he sat on the porch and thanked God for allowing him such a long and prosperous life, for his family and friends, and he asked for the courage and strength to fight this disease every day. 

Near the end, he spoke to the spirits that he said were floating around the room most of the time- by then. That last night, just before he died, he saw an angel above his bed. He asked God to forgive those who may have wronged him in this life. And he asked to be forgiven for any wrongs he had done. His last words were for those who might judge his life, or his passing, to be shown the beautiful things that were revealed to him these last months and for them to be awakened while they still walked in health.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Dying is a natural and inevitable part of life. If your spirit volunteered to incarnate on this planet, it had to choose to have a body that breaks down over time and is prone to destruction by trauma and disease, unless one had become a master in this particular lifetime. Why do we need to find fault, to look for reasons? Does it push death further away by finding a mistake the deceased made, which then frees you from that same fate?

Practice shutting out the noise of the outer world and seek visions while you live. And listen to the small voice of your heart and the subtle feeling of the truth within. Learn to trust in the powers of the heavens working through your inner guidance. For they have the view to know the hidden purposes in all events, and the grace to righteously administer the laws of cause and effect. Their wisdom will lead you to the right combinations of treatment; be it surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, dietary changes, natural remedies, acupuncture, healing, guided visualizations, and the like. And they know when it is a good day to die. Only they are clear enough to analyze and judge the course of a person’s lifetime and to determine the success or failure of the working out of his or her karma. Our role is to try to hear their wisdom.

It hurts to face mortality. We must try to implement grace whenever we are tempted to judge the manner and timing of another’s dying or death. It will help the departing soul on its journey back home, and free our own souls to speak to us more clearly about life.

Craig Junjulas © 2003

The energy experienced in Higher Self Discovery classes and sessions has been described as soft, gentle, serene, healing, and spiritual. It has also been called powerful, bright, intense, and sometimes even mildly hallucinatory. The mind has the potential to become expanded and experience a blissful, joyous state of oneness. As the body relaxes into the process it may feel a warm peaceful energy that runs steadily or has a pulsing sensation accompanying it. An altered state of consciousness can be enjoyed in which the five senses become more acute, increase their scope, and communicate psychic information more clearly to the mind. As the room fills with a beautiful light that turns everything within it translucent it has been described as going quantum, radiant, blissful, interdimensional, even heavenly. I see it as a process of letting go of the grip on the limited physical level of reality and entering the multitude of frequencies, the many kingdoms that make up life.

When exploring these energies for the first time or experimenting with these techniques, some people may notice only a mild shift in the way they feel, or sense very little difference in perception. As with most spiritual practices, prior exposure to relaxation and meditation techniques can facilitate the process. Although prior metaphysical training can influence the intensity of the experience; many people achieve powerful results the first time being exposed to this energy.

The degree of “phenomenon” should not be construed as indicating the extent of a person’s capabilities, psychic talents, or spiritual evolvement. Everybody has the potential for sensing, feeling and seeing energy, communicating with other dimensions, and consciously traveling through time and space. In many cases it is the degree that the person recognizes and accepts what is taking place in their psyche that allows an even deeper experience. This is because the preexisting subconscious beliefs and fears can limit the results. By not dismissing the initial visions and feelings as mere fantasy, it signals the subconscious to relax the barriers and allow the process to continue. By not discounting the phenomenon by blaming it on other causative factors, our sight naturally expands to include brighter levels of spiritual energy and our minds open to even higher dimensions of reality.

In these classes and sessions we practice meditation with our eyes open, in a manner similar to many ancient systems such as the Dzogen tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. Higher vision is the natural state of sight when one relaxes, expands the energy centers of the body (chakras) and raises the consciousness while the physical eyes remain exposed to the physical world. A visual portal can be entered, through which both the “oneness” of life and the intricacies of its intertwining dimensions are revealed. Open eyed meditation helps to join the inner world of the spirit with the outer physical world. In this “quantum” sight, physical objects become somewhat translucent and human bodies can take on a soft glowing light, revealing the layers of energy that they are composed of and are surrounded by. This type of sight also affords a more direct view of the soul – revealing the history and the true spiritual makeup of others. It is a form of sight that is closer to the way the Higher Self would see this world – a loving and wise way of viewing life as composed of the energy of creation.

Some common visual experiences reported are: illumination around people and objects, tiny points of light floating in the air, and the colorful energies of the human aura radiating around a person’s body. In these higher visionary states, one can sometimes see facial changes that reflect the past lives, or the inner soul qualities of the person being observed. At times, the room itself can shift in appearance, or seem to disappear, and other spiritual realities can be directly seen and experienced. Guiding spirits can make themselves seen, felt and heard more easily in this conducive atmosphere. When teaching channeling, I sometimes invite a spirit guide into my aura and physical body to offer the students a direct view of mediumship. My etheric body acts as a holographic screen that displays this brilliant presence as visual changes in my facial features.

The instruction given during Higher Self Discovery classes and individual sessions is a blend of intellectual, intuitive and inspirational knowledge that employs the power of the spoken word to stimulate the inner wisdom of the receiver. It is form of creative teaching that is sometimes referred to as “sitting in truth” which utilizes psychic perception, aura interpretation, soul reading, inspirational speaking, and spiritual channeling. Its purpose is to initiate enlightenment.

The self-hypnotic procedures used to attain the altered states of consciousness described above engage the creative imagination and the human will in a meditative way to bring about a positive shift in both energy and consciousness. The guided meditations are directed toward relaxing the body and mind, requesting a connection to a spiritual source of love and wisdom, and allowing the light of the heart (the divine presence within) to expand and illuminate the aura. The mind is expanded toward experiencing cosmic consciousness and the energy centers (chakras) are opened to allow connection to the bountiful energies of the nature kingdoms as well as the many other dimensions and realities.

In both private sessions and group classes, the energy gradually increases and decreases in vibration at different intervals over the course of the event. This cycling is intended to progressively facilitate elevated wisdom and sight while providing rest periods wherein the experience can be described and everyday matters discussed. By entering this lofty energy for the moment, personally recording the occurrence, and becoming familiar with how it feels in the body – it teaches the individual’s mind-body-spirit system to raise the energy levels for itself in the future.

The information given regarding the process provides an understanding of how to access it and how it can help facilitate future personal and spiritual development. Being able to rise into the spiritual energies of higher realities, cool down and chat for a while (even joke and become somewhat distracted) then shift right back effortlessly, helps to protect against using tension to achieve and maintain this powerful state. It also shows that the students can learn to control the levels and steer their own course.

This article is an excerpt from the forthcoming book on Self Discovery through Psychic Awareness.

Craig Junjulas © 2002