Reverend Keith

Lewis Keizer

Nov 062009

Bishop Lewis Keizer is the founding Bishop of the Home Temple order of independent priesthood, to which I belong. I have never encountered anyone with such a wide knowledge in spiritual esoteric lore and practice.

Bishop Keizer has an large library of courses on spiritual topics on his websites. He offers inexpensive seminary training leading to ordination in the independent priesthood, as well as spiritual initiation and guidance through several initiatory orders. Degrees and classes in religious and spiritual studies are also offered through his institute. His wife and fellow bishop Willa is also highly trained in Silat, homeopathy and various spiritual schools and disciplines.

Bishop Keizer, in all his materials, combines excellent scholarship and down-to-earth practicality with his vast spiritual knowledge. His teachings always take the latest scientific, archeological and historical discoveries into account, without being limited by skepticism. Both his writing style and his voice are well honed for good communication.

If you are considering serious training in either initiatory spirituality or the priesthood, I would give his program first consideration.

You can find the Home Temple website here, and his Wisdom Seminars website here.

Just as an aside – while we do receive affiliate income from our Amazon.com book links, I have no affiliate program with Bishop Keizer. His materials are all extreemly reasonable in pricing, and I recommend them simply because they are wonderful materials.

Here is a sample of one of Bishop Keizer’s presentations

Outliers

Psychology and Relationships Posts, Reviews 3 Responses »

Nov 062009

Malcolm Gladwell’s new book Outliers: The Story of Success which I listened to in audio version, made for an engrossing week of commuting. Every evening I would find myself gathering the family around to tell them the latest things I’d learned from the book. Most of them can’t wait to listen to it when I’m done with it.

Gladwell isn’t a “self-help” author. The power of his books comes through the sheer enjoyment of the fascinating new ideas he explains and the engrossing stories he uses to illustrate them. But he teaches these ideas so well that its not a very big leap to applying them in your own life.

In the case of Outliers, Gladwells topic is success. What is it that makes some people, like hockey stars, virtuoso musicians, wall-street tycoons or software giants like Bill Gates rise to the top? Is it pure genius and talent? Is it sheer determination? No, as it turns out. It’s a combination of circumstances that give some people the chance to excel. Some of these circumstances are as random as the day or year you happen to be born. Others are deeply rooted in culture and history.

I don’t want to give away all the discoveries that await you in this book. Let me just say that Gladwell answers such questions as: Why are nearly all Canadian hockey stars born in the first few months of the year? Why are Asians good at math? Why did the Hatfields and the McCoys feud? Why did Korean pilots once have terrible safety records? Why were all the great software giants of Silicon Valley born within months of each other? What REALLY made the Beatles great?

One principle that seems to underlie all the others I WILL share, because it’s particularly relevant. It’s the 10,000 hour rule. It turns out that to be REALLY great in some field – from playing an instrument to writing books – takes about 10,000 hours of practice. Many of the other principles of unusual success revolve around circumstances that give the outliers the unique opportunity to accumulate those 10,000 hours of practice.

The good news for us ordinary people (and for society at large) is that the 10,000 hour rule doesn’t seem to depend on talent. In one study of musicians in a music program, for example, researchers divided the players into groups, based on an expert assessment of their ability. Every single one of those in the “talented” group turned out to have accumulated 10,000 hours of practice. And, even more encouraging, not a SINGLE musician who had accumulated 10,000 hours of practice was in the “untalented” group.

The principle seems to be that even someone who SEEMS to have only mediocre talent can become great – simply by devoting enough time to practice. And our educational and social systems would do well to making sure that everyone, especially our children, receive the opportunity and encouragement to get those hours of practice in the areas that interest them. In terms of parenting, this book suggests a very hands-on, involved style of relationship with our children, to guide them into finding and perfecting their talents and interests.

This book is another fine addition to Gladwell’s series. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Malcolm Gladwell

Psychology and Relationships Gurus No Responses »

Nov 022009

Unlike some of the other gurus on this site, Malcolm Gladwell’s books are not specifically designed as “self-help”. Gladwell is an author for the New Yorker specializing in social and psychological issues. His books are meant to be entertaining and educational, and they certainly are.

Once again, I ran into Gladwell’s work by accident, and then couldn’t put it down. I started out with “Blink”, which examines the human ability to make “snap” decisions, often with great accuracy.

I found that I couldn’t wait to drive to work in the morning so that I could continue listening to Malcolm’s book. If you buy the audio versions, it is Gladwell himself who does the reading, which is a nice bonus. Some authors don’t do a particularly good job reading their own books, but Gladwell knows what he’s doing.

Consult my favorites on Amazon.

He goes on to examine the psychology and sociology of popular trends and fads in “The Tipping Point”. This was another absolutely riveting book that I could not put down. Gladwell gives us deep insight into how people’s minds work, and how they interact with each other. I took away plenty of tips, not only for understanding my own thinking, but for understanding how to communicate and interact with others.

Malcolm is an excellent author – quite worthy of his best-seller status. Pick up any of books and you will be entertained and educated.

Below is an embedded video of a marvelous talk by Malcolm at the TED talks. Enjoy:

Raw Food and Weight Loss

Health and Healing Posts 4 Responses »

Nov 022009

My first Ezine article on raw foods and weight loss! Enjoy…

Raw Food Weight Loss – Why Does it Work?

By Keith
Campbell

Perhaps it’s just my own exposure to it, but a
raw food weight loss diet seems to be growing in popularity. I first
encountered a raw food diet myself as a last-ditch effort to avoid
the onset of type 2 diabetes. I was developing all the symptoms, and
had been warned by my doctor that I was on the verse of developing
diabetes. I learned about people reversing their diabetes with a raw
food diet through various sites on the internet, and was desperate
enough to give it a try.

It worked. Not only did my blood
sugar normalize, but I started losing weight hand over fist. Other
health problems (such as high blood pressure) began correcting
themselves as well. Once the crisis was over, I began asking myself
questions. Why did raw food work so well? What was there in
particular about raw as opposed to cooked vegetables and fruits that
made such a difference?

In fairness, there are a lot of
experts who will tell you that it doesn’t. Doctors like Joel Fuhrman
claim to have very similar results with a vegan diet that includes
cooked vegetables and beans, as well as raw fruits and vegetables.
Dr. Fuhrman makes excellent arguments as to why whole plant-based
foods help you lose weight. It basically revolves around the density
of the nutrient ratio to calories. The mechanism that regulates human
body weight perfectly when consuming foods found in nature is
completely inadequate for regulating the system when confronted with
the food monstrosities that humans create from processed and
artificially concentrated empty calories. But this argument applies
equally well to cooked or raw foods, as long as the foods are whole
plant foods. Is there an additional benefit to eating raw?

Many
raw food enthusiasts, including myself, think that there is. One of
the common explanations for this is that cooking destroys enzymes in
the raw plants, which are critical to digestion. This improved
digestion, the theory goes, contributes to weight loss. The science
behind this, from what I’ve researched, is a bit dubious. Yes, there
are enzymes in raw foods, but they are different from the ones used
by humans in digestion. On the other hand, it’s certain that cooking
chemically alters food in ways that are not completely understood.
They are not understood because we have only a dim grasp of the
staggering array of chemicals that even the simplest fruit and
vegetables consist of. It is this interplay of hundreds of nutrients
- some of them as yet undiscovered and not yet researched – that
contributes to health.

Perhaps there is something even
more fundamental to the effect of a raw diet. Many of the primary
changes I noticed when switching to a raw diet were mental changes -
even, if I may introduce the word, spiritual changes. Raw food simply
seems to have a “life energy” to it that translates into a
different experience when living primarily on raw food. I don’t know
that this “life energy” will ever be completely transparent
to scientific study, but many people who have tried raw food will
testify that it makes a difference to them and their quality of
life.

Or me, raw food has been a health transformation. Yes I
have lost a lot of weight. But most importantly, I simply feel more
in touch with my health. I finally feel at home in my body.

Keith
Campbell is a Reiki master and independent priest involved in healing
and holistic health.
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Keith_Campbell

http://EzineArticles.com/?Raw-Food-Weight-Loss—Why-Does-it-Work?&id=1531750

Reiki Courses

Health and Healing Posts No Responses »

Nov 022009

I’m happy to report that my article below was approved as my first expert article on Ezine…

Reiki Courses – How to Choose

By Keith
Campbell

What is Reiki and Why Study It?

Reiki is a form of “energy healing” that originated in Japan, but has
become increasingly popular in the rest of the world. The origins of
Reiki and its founder, Dr. Mikao Usui, are shrouded in some degree of
mystery, and many legends and stories abound to fill in the
historical gaps. Whatever the truth may be, Dr. Usui set up a clinic
in Japan in the early 1920s and began teaching students and treating
patients with his Reiki healing system. As Reiki spread to the rest
of the world, it has become recognized as an effective system of
energy healing.

Characteristics of Reiki

Hand positions: Reiki energy healing is done primarily with the hands. In
the standard treatment, the practitioner’s hands are placed on the
body of the patient, either lightly touching or close to the body.
The locations of the traditional hand placements correspond in
general to the “chakra” system known in yoga and the New
Age movement in general. A complete Reiki treatment usually involves
time spent allowing energy to flow into each of these
locations.

Attunements: Reiki has several “levels”,traditionally Beginners, Advanced, and Master (or First, Second and Third degree.) Each of these levels requires an “attunement” in which the keys for using Reiki are passed on from master to student. In the original mode of Reiki instruction, these attunements were done in person, and usually after lengthy study. Some
traditionalists still believe this is the only proper way to pass on
the Reiki tradition. However, many western masters offer
distance-study materials and courses, and often offer “distance
attunements”. In these attunements, master and student, even
though they are in different locations, set aside a time of
meditation in which the attunement is given. There are some masters
who offer CDs or DVDs that will pass on an attunement by listening or
watching them. Finally there are several books and courses
available which instruct the student in “self-attunement”,
so that they initiate the attunement process entirely on their
own.

Reiki Symbols: Very early in the history of Reiki, special symbols with special names were used in the process of healing and attunement. These appear to be derived from various Asian characters, and have special meanings in the Reiki system. They may be drawn in the air, used on physical objects, drawn on or over the patient, or simply imagined in the mind. The symbols focus or direct various kinds of healing energy.

Reiki Variations

As Reiki moved into the West, several variations, types or schools or
Reiki have developed. “Usui Reiki” generally refers to the
original version. Other teachers mix various elements of Tibetan
spiritual practice with Reiki. Other popular variations include
Karuna Reiki, Lightarian Reiki, Seichim Reiki, Angelic Reiki, and
dozens more. Some of these variations claim to have been “channeled”
through various spiritual beings, such as angels. Many of them add
various “New Age” elements to Reiki healing, including
sounds, crystals, additional symbols, aromatherapy, etc.

How to Choose

Some of the following questions may be helpful.

Do I have access to local Reiki traning? If not, then the various self-study programs are a good option.

How much time and money do I wish to commit? If your resources are limited, then you can find very reasonable self-study programs available.

Do I wish to make a career out of Reiki? You may not know the answer to this question immediately, but if you are considering it, make sure that
the Reiki course you choose explains the mechanics and practicalities of seeing patients professionally.

Am I attracted to a more traditional approach, or do I like incorporating
other elements into my training? If you opt for traditional, be aware that you may need to seek local training to get it.

How do I feel about the options I’ve looked at? Am I comfortable
with the master and his or her teachings? Is the approach too
dogmatic or fanatical? Is there a feeling of love or of
competition?

Ultimately, the advice of the Yaqui medicine man
Don Juan applies when considering learning Reiki – “Does
this path have a heart? If it does, the path is good; if it doesn’t,
it is of no use.” (The Teachings of Don Juan – Carlos
Castaneda).

- Keith Campbell is a Reiki master and independent
priest involved in healing and holistic health. Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Keith_Campbell
http://EzineArticles.com/?Reiki-Courses—How-to-Choose&id=1528676

Reiki Courses

Health and Healing Posts No Responses »

Nov 022009

Someone wishing to learn Reiki has a wide variety of course options to choose from. Traditionally, Reiki courses were done in a personal setting, by attending classes or workshops given by a live instructor. This is still an option may people prefer, and if you check around, there is likely to be a Reiki course or workshop somewhere in your area. One of the criticisms some have with in-person Reiki courses, however, is the expense. Workshops and classes can be expensive and getting to them inconvenient. Some unscrupulous practitioners can draw out the number of courses required to maximize the expense.

In the age of the internet, it is only natural that people would seek out books, at-home study, or on-line Reiki courses to learn the healing art. At-home options range from excellent to totally inadequate.

There are several items that need to be addressed with the at-home options. One of the critical aspects of Reiki are “attunements”. In an attunement, a Reiki master passes on the ability to use Reiki energy directly to the student. Some Reiki masters insist that this can only be done in-person, and that “distance attunements”, where the master passes on Reiki abilities to a student at a distance, are invalid. While many of these masters may be sincere, I believe it is simply a convenient fiction, designed to lure more students into expensive personal classes. After all, one of the skills taught in a Reiki course is “distance healing”. If Reiki energy can operate at a distance to heal, I find no rational basis for claiming that Reiki energy can NOT operate at a distance to attune! Some masters even teach a “self attunement” and claim it can be even more powerful that attunement from a master.

A second issue regards “Reiki symbols”. Reiki symbols are signs – often based on or resembling Japanese characters (especially in the case of Usai Reiki) that are drawn in the air to focus particular kinds of Reiki energy for healing, attunement, etc. Some masters regard the “Reiki symbols” as being secret. They do not approve of them being distributed in books or websites. Again, this seems a bit convenient in forcing people to personal workshops. Since Reiki symbols are readily available on the internet today, maintaining the façade of “secrecy” seems unnecessary.

So what are your options for Reiki courses? If you have a convenient location to take a Reiki course in person, by all means consider it. For most of us, there are a number of books and courses available online. Some of these include “distance attunements” where you and a master will schedule a time when the master will attune you. These naturally tend to be more expensive, as they require a master’s giving you personal time. Other masters have dvd’s available which will attune you by watching them and following the instructions. Then there are Reiki courses that will teach you self-attunement. All of these options should give you a good grounding in Reiki symbols, attunements, and practice. Choose the options you are comfortable with.

Beginning Lucid Dreaming

Psychology and Relationships Posts, Spirituality Posts No Responses »

Oct 282009

What is lucid dreaming? Since I’m not written on the topic before, I should begin with some explanation. Have you ever been in a dream in which you suddenly realized that you were dreaming? Often this results in waking up. But sometimes, with luck or training, we can manage to stay “lucid” (clear-headed and conscious) in our dreams, and begin to control what occurs in them. With practice, this can become great fun. We can give ourselves super powers, or summon up great historical figures to talk to. We can visit other planets and destroy or befriend the monsters of our nightmares.

Not only is this tremendous fun, but many esoteric teachers believe it’s an important exercise. The Tibetans apparently believe that if you can develop the power to stay completely lucid in your sleep to its ultimate potential, the same consciousness and control we develop in our dreams stays with us after death. At the point of death, we find ourselves with the consciousness to understand what it happening to us and control it. We are then able to pass by the dangers of the afterlife that various “books of the dead” warn us about and ascend to higher realms.

Would you like to add years to your life? How much time to you spend asleep and completely unconscious? If you can extend your consciousness to your dreams, it’s like living a whole new life in addition to the one you live while awake. And this life can be extremely fulfilling and useful.

Lucid dreaming is also extremely helpful for those who wish to learn astral projection. The most successful out-of-body experiences I have had began as lucid dreams. How do we develop lucid dreaming ability? There are a number of techniques, ranging from simple affirmations to complex machinery designed to “almost” wake you up at just the right moment. But the first order of business, if you don’t do it already, is to begin to remember and journal your dreams.

It’s a matter of scientific fact that everyone dreams. Many of us, however, don’t remember them. Several things contribute to our inability to remember dreams. First of all, we simply aren’t in the habit of remembering them. We have conditioned our minds to believe it isn’t important. Secondly, we may be used to waking up too abruptly. If we have an annoying alarm clock, or tend to jump out of bed abruptly, the fragile mental state with which we wake up (and which contains our dream memories) is dissolved. Within a few seconds of jumping out of bed, all our dream memories will be gone.

To begin to remember your dreams, then, put a notebook, a pencil (so you don’t have to sit up to write) and a light next to your bed. Make sure your alarm, if you use one, is gentle. Affirm to yourself several times as you go to sleep that you will remember your dreams. As you wake up, DON’T MOVE. Gently think back on what you remember from your dreams. When you have as much detail as you think you are going to get, grab your notebook and write it down. The first few times, you may forget and start to jump out of bed. Let the notebook on your bedside remind you, and write down whatever you remember. If all you remember are vague feelings, write that down. If you really don’t remember anything, take a GUESS at what you might have dreamed and write down the guess. Your mind will start to realize that you are serious about remembering your dreams, and you will remember more and more each day.

If you get up during the night, try to remember your dreams and write them down before you get out of bed. Some people have luck with setting their alarm for the middle of the night and recording their dreams at that time. In any case, if you are patient, within a short while you will remember more and more dreams.

Don’t slack. Write down everything you can. This serves several purposes. First of all, you can begin to use your dream journal for interesting analysis. Secondly, your consciousness will begin to develop itself. Soon you will start finding yourself being aware of your dreams while you are still IN them. This is one of the best roads to lucid dreaming.

There are a number of other techniques to increase your ability to have lucid dreams which I may write about soon, but dream journaling is, in my opinion, the most important.

PathsToKnowledge.com

Reverend Keith

Lewis Keizer

Outliers

Malcolm Gladwell

Raw Food and Weight Loss

Raw Food Weight Loss – Why Does it Work?

Reiki Courses