InnerSelf

Personal Growth and Personal Development: The following articles will help you on your path of personal growth as they focus on your personal development, happiness, and well-being.

Articles provided here will cover areas such as prevention, cause, and various ways to heal. All of the information presented here is provided by the authors of each article, and are to be used according to your own choices, and are not presented as medical diagnosis or prescriptions.

Scroll to the bottom of this page for links to more articles on "death & dying".

Death & Dying are subjects that are not usually brought up in "polite" conversation. While death is an everyday occurence, it has been a taboo topic and one that we have often been afraid to mention.

Examining our Fears about Death & Dying

However, much can be gained by examining our fears, our beliefs, and our expectations about death and dying. Especially when we've lost loved ones, or if we have loved ones (or even we ourselves) approaching that fateful passage, the transition of death.

These are emotional subjects and ones that necessitate a loving supportive guiding hand. The authors whose writings we share with you do just that: they share their experiences and their insights and in so doing, help you through your experience with loss and grief.

From Denial of Death to Acceptance of Dying

The articles in this section deal with acceptance & denial, with life after death as well as life before death, and provide assistance in dealing with aging & mortality. Joyce and Barry Vissell share A Mother's Final Gift... the story of Joyce's mother who saw death as her final joyful adventure.

All of these viewpoints on death and dying help us move away from the superstitious dogma and fears that we've been raised with... and help us see death indeed as a  "graduation" from this stage of life and as the birth into a new one.

Scroll to the bottom of this page for links to more articles on Spirituality.

Spirituality is very personal and each person will have their own definition of what it means to them. For some people, spirituality equates religion, for others, spirituality is an internal experience and perspective on life.

Spirituality: No Rules, No Dogma

Whereas each person may have their own definition of spirituality, there are no rules, no dogma to follow. Mostly it has to do with a personal and internal connection with what each person feels is their source or their creator. It is the inner space where they connect with their guidance, and the highest and best aspect of their being.

While a religious person will attend church services, a spiritual one may not necessarily do so, as one can be spiritual without being religious.  (Unfortunately, sometimes, one can be religious without being spiritual as well.)

How Does One Become Spiritual?

How does one become spiritual? Many of the master teachers through the ages, such as Jesus, Buddha, etc. etc. have propounded the same wisdom: Love thy neighbor... Do unto others... What we have come to call The Golden Rule.

While there are many religions, spirituality is "one". While it is "one", it is not so in the sense of being "the only one". Spirituality can encompass the teachings of multiple religions, many teachers, and many paths. It is "one" in that it connects everything together, and sees that we all are beings of light, living on planet earth in a common experience, and that we are all one.

Guidance for Spiritual Living

The articles in the "general spirituality" category focus on a spiritual way of life and perspective... always with the goal of being the best person you can... one for all, and all for one in our journey of life. The goal of the articles is to empower you, enlighten you, and generally assist you on your path to inner peace.

Scroll to the bottom of this page for links to more inspirational articles.

The word inspiration means to take in oxygen, consequently to take in life. So when we are inspired by something or someone, we are receiving life.

What an interesting concept! Inspirational speakers and authors consequently are giving us life. And of course in return, since we may be their inspiration to write and/or give lectures, we also give them life.

Sharing Inspiration with Others

When I hear or read something that inspires me, I want to share it with others... either directly, or through the change in my behavior and attitudes. The ispiration that I receive from others then flows from me, just as the breaths I have taken. Just as air is recycled (breath in, breath out), so is inspiration.

Articles That Bring Inspiration and Light

The articles in this section bring inspiration in one form or another. They cover various topics: ending conflict, fear and judgment, the changes within and without, and so much more.

When we are struggling with challenges in life, inspiration from various sources is what can help us come out of the darkness of depression and struggle and take a deep breath, and "see the light". We can find inspiration in every aspect of our lives. We simply need to stay open to the messages in every situation and every encounter.

Scroll to the bottom of this page for links to other articles on this topic.

By now, we've all heard stories of people "dying" on the operating table (or elsewhere) and then coming back with tales to tell of meeting up with their dead grandmother, or with Jesus, or with a bright light. Years ago, these "tales" were considered strange and delusional, and thus not many people shared their stories.

In the past years, many have "come out of the closet" sharing their experiences on the other side of the veil... what happened, who they saw, what they were told. A common thread is the bright light, as well as being told "It's not your time. You must go back."

Visitations from the Other Side

And in the same way, many now feel more comfortable sharing their memories of visitations from their deceased grandmother, or mother, or friend. Some of these visits occur in the dream state, others in the meditative state, and others just in the "normal" course of events.

For those of us who have been visited by someone on the other side, there is no doubt remaining that there is life after death. For those who have not had that experience, reading the stories of others can help shed light on the question: Is there life after death?

 Life After Death: Doubts or Belief?

Articles in this topic category tell of many such occurences and warm the heart, just as they may brings tears... If you've recently lost a loved one, these stories will bring comfort. If you've had such an experience yourself, then reading this will reinforce your experience and help distill your doubts.

Scroll to the bottom of this page for links to other metaphysical articles.

Metaphysics simply means "outside of objective experience" -- thus it is subjective experience. Subjective means: arising from conditions within the brain or sense organs and not directly caused by external stimuli.

Consequently, metaphysics has to do with one's personal experience, or one's internal experience of reality. So, rather than being some strange esoteric pursuit, it is simply an  experience outside of the typical sense organs of taste, touch, etc.

Personal Experience of Reality

Since metaphysics deals with our personal experience of reality, it will encompass different things for different people. For many, it has to do with these questions: Why am I here? What is the meaning of life?

For others, it deals with enlightenment or finding one's own path to God or to the Source. Many metaphysicians see all of humanity as "gods in training' and view life from the perspective of being able to create their experience of reality.

Since metaphysics is outside of  the five senses, it will deal with such topics as health and well-being from a non-physical perspective. It looks for the "non-obvious" or the "non-objective" perspective. It is "more than physical". It deals with thought, with projections, with manifestation, with creating one's reality.

Metaphysics: Enlightenment, Karma, Esotericism, etc.

The articles in this section take a look at reality from these different perspectives, and help us clarify such experiences as enlightenment, karma, esotericism, and personal experiences of God.

Scroll to the bottom of this page for links to more articles on Native American Spirituality.

Native American spirituality existed before the "white man" set foot on this continent. However, it was nothing like the "spirituality" exhibited by the Puritans or other settlers of the "new world". Native American spirituality dealt with respect -- respect for Mother Earth and for all of creation, two-leggeds and four-leggeds.

Unfortunately it isn't until recently that "white" people have started to pay attention to the spiritual teachings of Native Americans and discovered that the native or aboriginal way of life has much to teach us.

Native Americans do not see their spirituality as a religion. While it does have rites and ceremonies, it is more of a personal experience as evidenced by vision quests, sweat lodges, etc. Native American spirituality is a way of life rathan than a "type of worship", though it does include worship in its practice. It is about seeing the sacred in every day life and experience. It is about honoring the life in all of creation and respecting the rights of future generations.

This prayer of thanksgiving seems to sum up the aboriginal perspective:

"We give thanks to the Creator... We ask his blessings on the food that we eat and on all the generations that follow us down to the Seventh Generation. May the world we leave them be a better one than was left to us."

The articles in this section focus on the Native American spiritual path or way of life: it includes respect, harmony, sacredness, and much more. It is a way of life that, as we learn more about it, leads us to reflect on our role in the greater picture... for seven generations to come.

Scroll to the bottom of this page for links to more articles on prayer.

When we think of prayer, our first thought may be of kneeling in church with our hands pressed together reciting a prayer. Or, having been raised in a religious environment, kneeling at home in the evening to say a family prayer. These were formal prayers: one recites a text that has been used for centuries by the faithful.

Children's Prayers

Then there is the child's prayer upon going to bed at night: Please keep my teddy bear, my dog Skip, and my mommy and daddy safe. Amen. The child mostly focuses on the present: I want this, God, please give it to me. Or sometimes they can sometimes have a "grocery list" of things that they would like to receive from God. (Adults do this too.)

However, some parents have taught their children to focus on gratitude in their prayers. Thank you God for the wonderful day, for Jimmy coming over to play, and for the cookies that mommy gave us. Again, these prayers are "outgoing messages" and not "incoming".

Prayer Outside of Organized Religion

When we step away from organized religion, prayer takes on a different format. Prayer becomes more meditative, more of an act of gratitude than an asking for things.

Prayer in a spiritual setting is less talking and more listening; it is more about tuning in to the "God channel" and being receptive to what may be coming through. Prayer is no longer sending a message to God, but more about waiting to receive a message or guidance.

Prayer has nothing to do with a particular location, a particular set of words, or even a particular ritual. It has to do with an openness of soul. It has to do with communing, or at least being open to communing, directly with our Source, our Creator, the All That Is.

Reading Material: Reflective Prayer

The articles in this section focus on prayer, the traditional and the non-traditional type of prayer. They open up the possibility of making your life a prayer and spreading the blessings to the world as your inner peace increases.

Scroll to the bottom of this page for the various categories and articles dealing with Religions and Beliefs.

There are numerous religions and the thing they mostly have in common is a belief in a Creator. Aurelio Arreaza, in his article "One God, Many Religions" takes a look at the similarities and differences between the various religious paths.

We offer this for your consideration: since there is only one planet Earth, does it not follow that there would be only one creator, by whichever name he/she is called? Consequently the focus in this section is on the unity of religions (and religious paths) as well as the diversity of their teachings and practices.

We glimpse at the roots of religions as well as the many ways that we can incorporate religion in our life. We reflect on science and religion: are they really opposing viewpoints or are they really the same, just looked at from different perspectives? What about religion and spirituality? Eastern religions and western ones?

There is much food for thought in the many insights shared by the numerous authors in this section. If you read with an open mind, you may discover guidance that may assist you in living your life, and "practicing" your religion, from a unified and loving perspective for all.

Scroll to the bottom of this page for links to spirituality-related testimonials.

Other people's testimonials, or stories about their spiritual experiences, can give us hope, and help guide us on our path. Oftentimes, when we cannot see our way out of the darkness of our current experience, reading someone else's discovery can give us that well-needed boost -- "regular" people, like us, who had challenges and found their way through them to a better place.

How Others' Testimonials Can Help Us

Sometimes, in hearing (or reading) someone else's story, we find a similarity with our own. We see our search and/or struggle reflected in the path of the other. While the circumstances are probably different, the questions, the doubts, the answers may be the same.

The experiences and/or struggles of others can help shed light and clarity on our own experience. They open the door to our own reflection, and sometimes lead us to our own answers.

Testimonials as a Tool for Reflection

Reading testimonials is a great starting point for reflection or meditative thought. Reading John Selby's story about his granny being his first spiritual teacher leads us on a path of thinking about our own spiritual teachers, and the diverse forms and shapes they came in. When Tolly Burkan writes of casinos being a spiritual tool, it becomes an eye-opener and gives us food for thought... what other things in our life are spiritual tools if we use them with that purpose in mind? Jim Brickman shares his thoughts and experiences about faith and other simple things...

The author section is still very much in development. Eventually any authors that have more than one article on InnerSelf will have a page here. Each page will feature an extensive bio and links to their articles on InnerSelf.

The Multi-Language section of the InnerSelf website is in development.

While construction is taking place, please go to our website, www.armoniainterior.com, to view additional multi-language articles.