Search results for ""author frank thomas smith""

What is the meaning of life? As human beings, we cannot avoid this most basic question of earthly existence. Is consciousness simply an accident of the universe, as modern science would claim? On the other hand, many established religions suggest that life is a one-time experience, culminating in 'eternal life' in heaven or some kind of purgatory or hell. But how could this be equitable, given people's vastly differing life circumstances? As a response to such questions, the author discusses the concept of reincarnation - the development of individual souls over multiple lifetimes. She examines the idea of fate in relation to one's occupation. What is more important: a well-paid career or finding one's true vocation? Are our 'innate' talents and abilities the result of a gene-lottery at conception, or could they be related to pre-birth existence - to our own intentions for our forthcoming life on earth? The notion of reincarnation is a prerequisite for understanding one's personal destiny or karma - a personal life plan created before our incarnation on earth. Through such ideas, the consciousness of one's immortal soul-core - our inner being, that exists both before birth and after death - can be awoken. The transcript of this enlightening talk is a stimulating introduction to contemporary perspectives on the ancient teaching of reincarnation and karma.

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Dementia, a broad category of brain diseases including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, affects millions of people worldwide. Although its impact is primarily focused on populations of Western countries, orthodox medicine has not been able to discover the causes of dementia, let alone develop successful treatments or a cure. Given this situation, there are good reasons to investigate the psycho-spiritual factors connected to the outbreak of the illness. As the author states in her Preface: 'The conception of man that is given priority today by the scientific world hardly takes into account that in addition to the physical-material component, for which certain degenerative or pathological processes can be determined with the help of technical apparatus, there are other components of his being to be taken into account which cannot be investigated in that way. So long as the cause of an illness is not sought in connection with those spiritual components of the human being, a successful treatment of the patient cannot be assured.' Developing successful methods of treatment requires a full understanding of the human being.This can not be achieved through observation with the outer senses only, but increasingly calls for spiritual-scientific perception. Through this method, as founded by Rudolf Steiner, great service can be rendered to humanity, including precise research into the causes of ill-health. The factors involved in the eruption of modern afflictions, such as dementia, can be determined by careful consideration of humanity's - as well as the individual's - destiny. In this succinct but rich study, Judith von Halle describes her investigations into the phenomenon of dementia, beginning with a general outline of the anthroposophical conception of the human being and society, and applying that knowledge to what today is increasingly referred to as an epidemic. This book does not demand medical expertise, but requires an effort to engage with the psycho-spiritual conditions of dementia sufferers. It provides a wealth of insights and guidance to approaching one of the greatest challenges of our time.

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'They only awoke when the fire came through the roof...'. The words of the news presenter jolt the toddler into wakefulness. Arousing to consciousness from a twilight of hidden memories, she asks: Who am I, and where was my consciousness before it entered my body? In the first volume of her extraordinary true story, Judith von Halle tells of powerful spiritual experiences as a child and young person. Still in her third year, she begins to see the world with different eyes, observing things that people around here clearly cannot see - like the multicoloured currents of life - which her child's mind calls the 'magical life-force' - or the ability to maintain consciousness whilst asleep, or perceiving grotesque faces at the threshold to what she calls the 'World of Reality'. All the time, she is nourished by the 'venerable Light' that gives her strength and encouragement. As a 10-year-old, the young girl has a shattering soul encounter that reveals the universal source of wisdom and love, offering a pathway to her search for wholeness. In her private thoughts she mulls over existential, philosophical questions such as life and death, transience, love and God. Yet in the everyday she has to navigate between what she calls the 'day-theatre-world' and what she knows as the 'World of Reality'. She finds consolation in the realms of poetry, philosophy and art and experiences a breakthrough in her thinking, but it is not until the age of 25 that she is able to share her secret world of metaphysical knowledge. She discovers a group of people who have embraced an open-minded philosophy in which she finds astonishing correspondences with her own spiritual understanding. Here, she finds the concept of reincarnation, which brings her full circle - back to her original awakening to self-consciousness... Swan Wings is a courageous, moving and inspiring testimony to the immortal spiritual individuality of the human being, its origins, capacity and full potential.

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What lies at the root of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and the worldwide pandemic it has caused, affecting the health and livelihoods of untold millions of people? What are the deeper, spiritual realities behind COVID-19 and the global turmoil it has left in its trail? In an effort to answer these queries and many others put to her at the start of the pandemic, Judith von Halle composed two letters in March 2020, based on her own spiritual-scientific research. Published in this book together with an additional essay, she addresses questions such as: * Which entities stand behind the virus? * How and why does it affect human beings? * What measures can be taken for prevention and therapy? * What does the crisis mean to individuals and what possibilities does it offer for personal development? The author suggests that, apart from the material havoc triggered by coronavirus, the spiritual causes behind it are extremely serious and - if the present pandemic is not to be the first in a series of catastrophes - humanity is called upon to respond in a radically transformative way. In an additional article von Halle tackles the controversial issues relating to government lockdowns and the protest movements that have sprung up in opposition to them. How do these events point to real questions of individual freedom and, most importantly, how do they relate to the central event of our time - an event that, tragically, remains largely unknown? Revealing unexpected perspectives to the COVID-19 pandemic, Judith von Halle asks urgent and difficult questions and offers shattering insights for humanity's further development.

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