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Essays and Articles

Please check back occasionally for new items.

These articles and essays form a good introduction to the conceptual context within which I work with you. They include introductory topics and more in-depth essays exploring selected aspects of metaphysics, energy dynamics, and psychology.
I present them here in the hope that they may contribute to your own process of reflection and understanding.

Chew well before swallowing :-).

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Latest Blog Entries

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RELAXING INTO LIFE
9/1/10
It has been said that necessity is the mother of invention. I've often noticed that laziness is another good stimulus for creativity. In other words, if something has to be done why use more energy or effort than necessary to accomplish it? More...

SUNLIGHT REFLECTIONS
8/15/10
Take a moment and remember all the places you've gone swimming. Remember all the swimming you've done out doors, in sunlight, where the water is shallow, clear, and you can see the patterns of sunlight on the bottom. More...

DEEPER AFFIRMATIONS
8/1/10
Several weeks ago I was having one of those days where mental focus and clarity about my current spiritual journey was less than optimal. Being reworked by Spirit again... More...

FINDING LOVE WITHIN YOURSELF
7/16/10
I had a teacher who spoke of the difference between being in love with someone and simply being in love. More...

THE WEB OF SUNLIGHT
7/1/10
The Colorado foothills are especially beautiful this year. Green and lush from the heavy spring rains they are spotted with the color of wild flowers. More...

BRINGING IT HOME
6/16/10
My yoga teacher used to say that its great to go find God in a cave in the mountains, but the real challenge is to hold onto Spirit in the middle of the market place. More...

FEED THE BODY BY FEEDING THE SOUL
4/14/10
In Europe in the Middle Ages, or India still today there are people who follow the calling of the Spiritual life, who are supported by their community. Their focus on the Spiritual is considered a service to the community and those that lead worldly lives support this with contributions. More...

LOVE AND FEAR
3/16/10
Is the drive to breathe a love of air or a fear of death? When we move towards Love not out of Love, but running from Fear this may be a good starting point, but it is probably not the ending point. More...

REFLECTIONS OF BEAUTY
2/1/10
Remembering beauty. A vision of nature... A work of art... A child or partner. Let that experience of beauty well up in you, filling your heart and your body. More...

STARS AND ATOMS
12/1/09
Start this trip with the starry night sky. Remember the last time you looked at a clear sky full of stars. Have you ever tried to imagine how much space there is out there? More...

STARDUST
10/29/09
On a warm evening in summer, under a clear sky I was outdoors looking up at the sky, and turned my attention to how the stars were speaking to me. More...

WHICH VOICES DO YOU LISTEN TO?
10/1/09
When you're listening to the radio and something comes on that you don't like, you change the station. ..you make a choice and find something that you do like. More...

OPENING THE HEART
7/16/09
The joy of a wedding opens the heart to grief.
The grief of a funeral opens the heart to love.
In this way we are beaten and forged, our hearts made pure and free. More...

A SUCCESSFUL LIFE
5/1/09
Every so often you may find a headline that says something like "Successful Businessman Commits Suicide". This begs the question: if he was so successful, why did he commit suicide? .. we come to potential conflicts between social and personal success. More...

RELATIONSHIPS, SPACE, AND SPIRIT
2/15/09
...viewing a relationship as a special space that you create with another person. Each party has their own space and together they create a third space in which to have the relationship, More...

HOLDING THE CENTER
10/1/08
As in the old Chinese curse it seems we are living in interesting times. ... Perhaps it is strange, but I find myself joyful and excited. More...

Poem: Into the Gap Between - Ursula K. LeGuin
9/12/08
What do they do,
the singers, tale-writers, dancers, painters, shapers, makers?
They go there with empty hands,
into the gap between. More...

All articles copywrited by Alan McAllister. No permission is needed to link to them (with appropriate acknowledgment). Please ask permission to include them on your website or in your publication.

Latest Article

new Navigationnew [© 5/10]
A discussion of GPS navigation in cars and with the heart. Trusting that Spirit does know where we are going and will guide us appropriately. Learning the value of being present along the way without skipping steps.

Introductory Overviews

Hypnosis and Trance [© 7/05] Top 5 Read
An overview of my how I view Hypnosis and trance work in general. Covers states of consciousness, levels of trance, passive hypnosis and active (interactive) hypnosis.
Reading and Healing [© 2/02]
An overview of my how I view my role as a reader and spiritual healer.
truth, Truth and teaching [© 5/02] Top 5 Read
An outline of the relationship of personal, social, and absolute truth. Including aspects of perception, the ego, and the manifestation of the physical from spirit. All to set up my suggestion of how to read what I write.
Intro I: the Energy Body [© 5/01]
Intro II: Judgment, the Glue that Binds © 9/01]
Intro III: The Energics of Karma [© 12/01]
A three part summary/introduction to my vision of us as energetic beings and the application of that vision to understanding the spiritual journey, "karma", etc.
Cultivation of the Energy Body [© 3/01]
A metaphor comparing our energetic being to a garden full of flowers (after M. Tamura).

Topical Essays

Initiations [© 3/10]
In which we consider why it seems we have to take initiations, say "yes" to Spirit and Self, over and over again. Perhaps it is the result of free will. We also suggest that this can become a source of joy rather than frustration.
Spirit as Tour Guide [© 2/10]
In which we consider how healers and teachers, from a massage therapist, to Spirit itself, work with us by leading us through ourselves and pausing occasionally to ask: "hey, did you know this was here? are you ready to let go of it?"
Understanding Each Other [© 11/09]
Understanding each other requires intention and attention. Communicating successfully is not as simple as we often assume. We tend to give up or over assume in many cases. When we look beyond the words we can begin to understand each other and ourselves.
The Glass is Half Full [© 9/09]
On how we are trained to find problems to solve, and how this can lead to seeing nothing but problems. Reflections on the results of this reflex and of remembering that we can always chose to see the positive aspects of others, ourselves, or anything else. The contents of the half full glass are the resources we need to fill it to overflowing.
Welcome Home [© 7/09]
On how we can call in our essential self, which is always present, and how we have internal fears that limit our ability to do. These fears, that bringing in light will bring us face to face with dark things, are missing the fact that great resources that are available after we call ourselves home.
Sharing Ourselves [© 6/09]
On the different aspects and levels of "opening" in relationships, sharing ourselves with another. Especially the difference between opening on the emotional/personal level and discouvering and sharing our soul.
The Flavors of the Seasons [© 3/09]
On how the associative memory creates a flavor for each season from past experience and imports it into the present to color our present experience. When begin to be conscious about this and transmute the past emotional energy we can be present to current seasons and experience with the wonder and joy of the child.
The Ego, the Soul, and the Id [© 1/09]
On how the ego has been seen as both something to overcome and as something that makes us human. It is suggested that it is neither good or bad, but an integral part of who we are and something that can contribute to manifesting the soul through the personality. Understanding that our deepest selves are good we can relax the ego without fear of other parts of ourselves.
Life, Death, and Preservation [© 11/08]
On how life is comprised of three part cycles, and how in resisting the final "desruction" part we get stuck in "preservation" to the detriment of "creation" and the over all flow of life itself. Reconsidering our bodies in this context we can open more easily to spirit in ways that nourish and heal them, making them living temples.
Time to Stop Trying [© 10/08]
On why we have a part that "trys" so hard, and how giving it a vacation and dropping deeper into ourselves we can connect with our soul. From the soul level "trying" is no longer necessary.
Relationships and Stories [© 8/08]
On the extent to which our relationships may be formed on the basis of our inherited life stories, rather than as co-creations with another soul.
Resources of the Mind [© 5/08]
On the many levels of mind and being that we can draw on as resources. We are much more than our ususal conception of the conscious mind.
Willful Eyes [© 5/08]
On how the will projects itself through the eyes and the positive shifts in consciousness that can occur when we rest them.
Includes a short meditation.
Parents Come in Pairs [© 4/08]
On how, when clearing old parental influences and patterns, it is useful to look at both parents. One is often much more obvious, but sometimes recognizing the "hidden" influence of the other parent is key to resolving an old issue.
Manifesting from the Heart [© 3/08]
On the role of the mind and the heart in manifestation, and how often the heart is a more appropriate tool to take us where we wish to go. A tale of releasing the mind from trying to manage things outside its sphere of competency.
On Opening to Possibility [© 2/08]
On the ways in which we limit our options for receiving the love and appreciation we want from life, and how we can release these and open up all the possibilities for achieving what we want.
On Looking Forward [© 1/08]
On the importance of perspective, visioning your future as well as clearing the past, and the usefulness of the same tools to move from good to great as from distressed to good.
On Losing and Finding Our Center [© 12/07]
A piece inspired by a lesson from spirit on a ceremonial evening. About different levels of being lost and found, and how we find meaning in our lives.
On the Emotions of the Heart [© 10/07]
A piece inspired by the joy of opening one's heart and learning to hear it's language and song.
On Nursing Intuition [© 9/07]
A brief outline of energetics behind how healthcare professionals interact with their clients.
On the Braid of Evolution [© 12/04]
A brief outline of the three different evolutionary currents that combine to set up a human lifetime.
The Limits of the Ego and the Benefits of a Higher Power [© 11/04]
On why giving the ego a vacation is sometimes best for all concerned.
Dancing on the Earth [© 8/04]
On how dancing with the Earth yields both grounding and freedom.
new Reading clip and recorded meditation available on the Recordings page.
Birth and the Fear of Being Alone [© 6/04] Top 5 Read
On the root fear of separation and being alone, and how we may confuse aspects of the birth and death transitions.
Theirs or Mine? [© 8/03]
On why we may confuse release of old emotional trauma with a present time energetic attack.
Our Relationship with Divinity. [© 4/03]
On how we all converse with Divinity in our own way.
Being Who We Are. Finding our Power. [© 2/03]
On how "tuning in" to who we are brings us to our true power.
Proudly Reclaiming our Playfullness [© 11/02]
On the true nature of play and playfulness. Why we gave it up and how to bring it back.
Growing Pains [© 8/02]
On why we can expect a few bumps along the spiritual path, and how the "journey" is more one of remembering than one of finding, or becoming.
Giving and Receiving in Relationships [© 8/02] Top 5 Read
On how giving and receiving in relationships changes when we change from thinking of ourselves as limited beings to unlimited beings.
The Keys to Your Heart [© 7/02]
On why we often feel we need to "fall in love" with someone else, rather than simply be "in love".
Includes a short meditation.
new Listen to it on the Recordings page.
Projection and Power [© 4/02] Top 5 Read
An essay on owning our issues, reclaiming power and healing.
[* A featured link on Holistic Healing at About]
Amusement and Healing [© 2/02]
An essay on the role of amusement in healing.

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Any amount welcome.

Last amended September 2, 2010. © Alan McAllister.