Meditation techniques -
The Power of Your Mind

Practicing Meditation Techniques is the most empowering of all self development methods.
This is where you learn to use your mind as a tool!
In fact it is the most powerful tool at your disposal.

The term Meditation Techniques covers a wide range of skills, methods and practices, some of which have been developed and refined over at least five thousand years.
Meditating was once regarded as the domain of monks and mystics, yet today more and more people are finding a place in their life for meditation techniques.
These may range from methods of relaxation through to esoteric spiritual practices.
The idea of practicing meditation techniques often conjures up images of a shaven-headed monk sitting cross-legged on top of a mountain, oblivious to the world around him.
I would also include a quiet walk in nature as being within the realms of meditation techniques.
Sportsmen use meditation techniques to focus their efforts and improve on their performances, businessmen are taught meditation techniques in the guise of visualizing the outcome of goals and also to relax and relieve stress.
Everyone can use some form of improvement in their lives and in one form or another, meditation techniques are the shortest path to self-improvement, particularly through the mind-power meditation techniques.
The importance this chapter and the chapter on affirmations is that when both affirmation and meditation techniques are understood - and practiced - you possess the basic tools of self-empowerment.
When affirmations and meditation techniques are used in concert, you have the ability to change virtually any condition in your life, in other words, you can attain mastery of life.
Many people regard this combination as being the power to **manifest, whether it is as simple as getting (programming) a parking space at the shops, or as profound as projecting your entire future. You have the power, you were born with it. Now you have to learn how to use it.
** Manifesting is the concept of being able to cause things to happen (or to not happen), or to attract things or circumstances to yourself in the physical world through the power of the mind.
The Law of Attraction is an example of the power of manifesting.

The alpha meditation techniques described here have been derived from the mind power techniques of
Be Master of Your Life Personal Development Course with their full permission.
The first goal of any meditation technique is to calm the mind and body. From calmness the mind finds peace and the body relaxation to recharge and heal.
To guide you to a state of peace and calm, we need to know what is happening in our minds.
Brain Activity :
Medical science has identified four states of brain activity on an EEG-machine:
Beta:

Your normal waking state, which is characterized by brain rhythms of 14 cycles per second and above. In this state your mind activity is a veritable can of worms. The higher the brain activity becomes, the greater the stress factor. Alpha:

A very relaxed state of mind, characterized by brain rhythms of between 7 and 14 cycles per second. In this state of mind you are relaxed, somewhere halfway between being fully awake and asleep. Dreaming and daydreaming occur in the alpha state. The big difference between operating in alpha and beta is that in beta your mind is in control of yourself, whereas in alpha you are in control of your mind. Theta:

Usually the state of sleep, when not dreaming. Characterized by brain rhythms of between 3.5 to 7 cycles per second. The theta level is also reached in very deep forms of meditation where consciousness becomes separate from mind and body. Delta:

Very deep sleep or coma, characterized by a brain rhythm of between .5 to 3.5 cycles per second.

Learning :
As with all new skills, there is a learning curve as you become proficient. This learning curve is particularly applicable to learning to mediation because the experience of meditation is both subjective and personal. With mediation there are no signposts, no predetermined levels of skill to guide you, just a growing of awareness of yourself and a subtle but definite improvement in events in you life.

Discipline :
Regular practice is the first requirement for making meditation techniques work for you.
It is also a good idea if you can set aside a time of day for relaxing and meditating, in fact if you are serious about meditating it is necessary that a specific time be set and a certain discipline be observed.
You do not need to have a definite goal in mind to be attained from your meditations, however as you travel up the learning curve you will find that purpose will manifest itself.
Initial discipline and preparation for meditation are very important, because in meditating you are teaching your mind to be still and at peace.
For some this in itself can be a new experience!

Separation :
We live in times where we find ourselves continually bombarded by stimulation. Our minds constantly receive input from a hectic world around us and, assuming you do not live on a desert island, your mind has grown accustomed to being busy most of the time.
It is necessary to separate yourself from all this daily "white noise". When you are in a meditative state, you are in effect isolated - even if you are with a group!
Develop an awareness of just how much stimulation you are receiving from the media and advertising in particular. Bright colours, sensational images, fast action and more fast action: the messages we receive are go, go, go!
Separation is not isolation, it is placing yourself in the position of an observer.
Imagination :

Considering what never was and what could be!
When you read a book, your imagination supplies the pictures. A vivid imagination is your path to creativity!
Before we were bombarded with continual images by the media, we had to use our imagination to provide our own images - as children we developed our own games.
Not only is todays constant stimulation detrimental to our peace of mind, our imagination is being replaced by carefully preprocessed images.
The media industry is trying to steal your Imagination!
Your faculty of imagination is a vital part of your being. It is the essence of your creative ability and is the seed of your intuition.
In fact, by developing your imagination you can open doorways to latent skills and abilities which many would find amazing.

Through meditation techniques you will learn to reverse the process of over stimulation by teaching your mind to be peaceful, and reaching a state of simply being from where your creativity is free to flow.
This puts you back in control of your own mind.
To start with you may experience difficulty from your accustomed state of always thinking of something or other. You will find that you cannot simply block thoughts out.
Thinking of not thinking is a thought-process in itself!
Envisage it this way: you are not your thoughts, you are the space which they occupy!
An allegory to this statement is to see yourself as the sky and your thoughts are the clouds. As they appear, simply let them drift by and vanish.
Some forms of meditation do not require a release of the thought-processes, in fact they use it creatively.
In guided meditations in the Alpha State of Mind, where someone is talking you through a meditative experience, your thought-processes are guided into suggested images.

Note - This is not hypnosis or even near it. This is simply suggested imagery which you are free to follow or not. At all times during a guided meditation you are free to open your eyes and break off the session.
With this type of meditation, the ability to visualize clearly is very important.
This is the ability to 'see' with your eyes closed, invoking the powers of your imagination.
With discipline and practice, you will learn to produce clearer images in your mind, not just a general picture, but absoloutely specific images in living color.
The more real the better.
This is the image of what you are projecting to the universe, thus the clearer the image you project, the better connection you can establish between the reality of your imagination and the reality of your life.
This is the point where you are in control, with the power of your mind working for you - at your command.

Visualising :
There is a learning curve to visualising :

At first you pretend you are visualising
Then you imagine you are visualising
Finally at last you are visualising

Visualising something is the art of imagining something then being able to see it in your minds eye.
For some people this ability is automatic, whilst others have to work at it - however, you can do it! Practice, practice, practice.
Visualising something is not simply thinking about it - you must be able to "see" your desire as if in reality.
Clearly visualising your desires is a vital step in bringing your desires into being, in fact alpha meditation techniques depend upon it.

Cleansing Your Aura
The process of cleansing (compacting) your aura is one of clearing your body/mind/spiritual connection.
It goes like this :

Massage your third eye with the fingertips of your dominant hand whilst repeating the following affirmation :
- In the name of (whatever you hold to be sacred) I cleanse my body and soul!
Place the fingertips of both hands on your third eye, no draw them over tho top of your head and down to the nape of your neck.
Shake your hands vigorously as if shaking water off your hands.
Again run your fingertips fron the third eye to the nape of your neck and shake,
Now pass the palms of your hands over your whole head starting at the temples, and shake.
Thats it!

Feels refreshing and cleansing, doesn't it?
I perform this little ritual before meditating, saying affirmations and in fact before performing any spiritual exercise.

A word on posture before starting :
The classic 'lotus position' is the preferred posture of many people, who can achieve it, because sitting upright with legs crossed ensures a straight back with the chakras in line to optimize the body's energy flow.
Likewise holding hands together one in the other with the thumbs together or placing the index fingers against the thumbs is also completing a circle of energy.
Many westerners may find the lotus position unfamiliar and uncomfortable if maintained or extended over a long period of time. The most important elements of posture are: your back should always be straight, and you should be comfortable and symmetrical.
Particularly for 'meditation in the Alpha state' you can sit in a comfortable chair with your legs uncrossed.
If you prefer it, by all means lie down. If you should doze off during a meditation, then this is what your body needs at the time, and with practice you will learn to remain conscious.
I have written out each meditation so you can read it or record it for yourself.

however if you press the button you will play my pre-recorded guided meditation.
You have a choice of two formats of each recorded meditation. The Blue player button is one minute of relaxing music followed by guided meditation with a quiet background, whilst the Green player button has a faint music track behind the meditation. Choose the one you find it easier to focus with.

Alpha Meditation Introduction

Entering Your Meditation Studio

Meeting Your Life Guides

Once you have completed these introductory meditation cycles, you have the tools and basic skills to perform your own Meditations in the Alpha State.
The longer you spend in alpha meditation the better, however you will find that the time required to enter the Alpha state of mind becomes shorter and shorter. Eventually you could find yourself both in and out of the Alpha state at the same time.
Here are three more cycles to build on your studio awareness :-

Projecting your Future

Healing Meditation

Express Meditation Technique

Once you have practiced these six meditation cycles, you have the skills and the knowledge to make a difference to your life.
To reiterate - practice makes perfect.
If you only just hone your visualisation skills, you will be well on the way to improving your life.
If you would like to download your own copy of my MP3 audio files click this link.

Meditation Downloads

For your reference here are the Guided Meditation scripts on one page.

Meditation Scripts

Astrological Signs

Astrological signs represent twelve equal segments of the sky, each represented by a symbol.
Together these are called the Zodiac, and form form a circle around Earth.
These segments called constellations are centered on the ecliptic.
(The ecliptic is the path that the Sun follows through the sky over the course of the year).
According to astrology, celestial phenomena in the zodiac reflect or govern human activity , so that the twelve signs are held to represent twelve basic personality types.
As the Earth revolves around the Sun , a different part of the sky becomes visible each month, thus a different one of these 12 constellations can be seen above the horizon.
The visible constellation at the time of your birth represents your birth sign.
There are also Sun signs and Moon signs, both of which depend on your date of birth.
The position of the Sun is considered within one of the twelve zodiac signs depending on the month of birth.
This sign is then called your sun sign or star sign of the month you were born.
The position of the Moon is also considered.
The moon is associated with a person's emotional make-up, unconscious habits, rhythms, memories and moods.
It is also associated with the mother, maternal instincts or the urge to nurture, the home, and the past.

Each sign has certain characteristics; but the astrological signs are also categorized in several ways :
First, they are grouped by element :

Fire signs

Aries

Leo

Sagittarius

are associated with action, enthusiasm and leadership, as well as an openness to change.

Water signs

Cancer

Scorpio

Pisces

embody emotion, sensitivity and compassion.

Earth signs

Taurus

Virgo

Capricorn

symbolize practicality and a focus on material goals.

Air signs

Gemini

Libra

Aquarius

are the signs of the intellect.

The Three Qualities.
The Qualities assign the Astrological Signs into three groups of four.
They are occasionally referred to as crosses because each quality forms a cross when drawn across the zodiac.

Cardinal signs

Aries - (Spring)

Cancer - (Summer)

Libra - (Autumn)

Capricorn - (Winter)

If you are a Cardinal sign your job is to initiate the season.
You are the leader which brings forth that season.
Cardinal signs are pioneering and enterprising.

Fixed signs

Taurus - (Spring)

Leo - (Summer)

Scorpio - (Autumn)

Aquarius - (Winter)

If you are a Fixed sign, you are the second month in that season and it is your job to maintain that season.
Fixed signs concentrate energy and solidify ideas.

Mutable signs

Gemini - (Late spring)

Virgo - (Late summer)

Sagittarius - (Late autumn)

Pisces - (Late winter)

If you are a Mutable sign, your sign is the third (and final) month within each season.
The role for these signs is to prepare for the transition to the next season.
Their traits are communication, flexibility, and destruction.

This table shows the astrological signs and the element and quality associated with each sign.

..NAME...	..ENGLISH NAME..	..ELEMENT..	..QUALITY..	..POLARITY..	..PLANET....	..PERIOD OF BIRTH
Capricorn	The Sea-goat	Earth	Cardinal	Negative	Saturn	December 23 - January 20
Aquarius	The Water-Carrier	Air	Fixed	Positive	Uranus	January 21 - February 19
Pisces	The Fish	Water	Mutable	Negative	Neptune	February 20 - March 20
Aries	The Ram	Fire	Cardinal	Positive	Mars	March 21 - April 20
Taurus	The Bull	Earth	Fixed	Negative	Venus	April 21 - May 21
Gemini	The Twins	Air	Mutable	Positive	Mercury	May 22 - June 21
Cancer	The Crab	Water	Cardinal	Negative	Moon	June 22 - July 22
Leo	The Lion	Fire	Fixed	Positive	Sun	July 23 - August 21
Virgo	The Virgin	Earth	Mutable	Negative	Mercury	August 22 - September 23
Libra	The Scales	Air	Cardinal	Positive	Venus	September 24 - October 23
Scorpio	The Scorpion	Water	Fixed	Negative	Pluto	October 24 - November 22
Sagittarius	The Archer	Fire	Mutable	Positive	Jupiter	November 23 - December 22

Here are the psychic abilities and methods :

Divination

Divination - Using the Pendulum

Of all the divination tools, the pendulum in its various forms is the most common and easiest to use.
However do not underestimate its usefulness and power.
When all else fails, your pendulum will help you find both the right questions as well as providing the answers.
You may have heard of 'dowsing' the sex.* of an unborn child with a wedding ring on a piece of cotton - this is exactly what we are talking about.
*(Circular for girls, back and forth for boys).
The pendulum consists of a weight on a piece of thread no more than 30cm (1 foot) long. Everybody has their own preference of what to use for the weight, a gold ring being very popular.
In fact many people call this procedure - "asking the ring".
Some people prefer a small mounted crystal, but keep the weight down for a better response.
An advantage of using a crystal for divination is that it does not tend to twist and spin on the thread.
A little experimentation will sort out what works best for you.
The preferred length of thread and the size and type of the weight are your personal preferences.
Once you have your pendulum, you need to find what the response of the pendulum is going to be for you. It is different for each of us.
The usual three responses are :

Yes

No

Don't Know (maybe)

In answer to each of these question, the pendulum will either :

Swing in a clockwise circle

Swing in an anti clockwise circle

Swing from side to side

Swing back and forth

Remain stationary

Practice with your pendulum until the anwers for yes, no, and don't know are strong and clear.
You may regquest that the pendulum react more stromgly and more clearly as you talk to it. ie. Louder, stronger please.

Find your preferred form of questioning for divination. Some options are :

"Pendulum please tell me ...."

"Inner mind, inner mind please tell me ......"

"Spirit Guides please tell me ...."

"Higher Self please tell me ...."

"Lord of the pendulum please tell me ...."

Ok! Pendulums at the ready!
First bless (cleanse) your pendulum.
This is simply showing respect to the Universe for its guidance.
Hold the pendulum and wait until it is perfectly still.
Now ask the pendulum, .... please tell me the answer for yes.
If necessary keep repeating the question until the pendulum begins to swing strongly.
Now you have your yes answer.
Repeat the procedure to obtain your answers for no and don't know.
Practice until your answers are coming strong and clear. If the pendulum decides it has had enough ie. indistinct or no answers, put it away until later.
Once you are getting clear answers, try it out on some questions to which you know the answers.
Now we are ready to use our pendulum for divination. As with all methods of prediction, you must be prepared to accept the answer,whether you like it or not!
In fact the pendulum does not fail to give correct answers, it is FONT color="#8B008B">our minds trying to influence outcomes giving confusing signals.
You will achieve an accuracy with your pendulum better than 80 percent and can be as high as 100 percent.

Your questions must be :

Simple

Clear

direct

Unambiguous

If necessary break you question down into a number of simpler questions. If you are in any doubt as to the accuracy of an answer, try asking the question(s) in another form.
Do not use negative or double negative questions or any other forms of trick questioning as they will not give results.
Possibly one of the greater benefits of using the pendulum for divination is that it teaches us to frame questions in a clear and precise manner - to analyze and simplify situations and desires.
If you are working on personal problems, say trying to dig out a buried trauma, first ask the pendulum if it can find the problem.
If the answer is yes, then structure your questions to zero in on the event.

The pendulum is often very helpful in finding something your have mis-placed, (nothing is lost until you begin to look for it).
Some things - the winner of a horse race, the lottery numbers etc. are generally out of bounds.
You are competing with many vested interests and may be infringing on all sorts of free will using the pendulum for such purposes.
Likewise, the occurrence of future events, ie. "Will such and such happen in my life"? can be problematical because you have free will to alter your course.
Dowsing - using the pendulum for finding water, minerals or places on a map are an extension of divination. Once you can use a pendulum you can usually at least dowse for water, although my personal preference for finding water is using the dowsing rods.
Another use for the pendulum is its usefulness as an Applied Kinesiology tool.
The answers a kinesiologist gets by testing your body's responses to questions and stimuli, can be produced just as well by your pendulum. One word of caution though, any attempt at self diagnosis requires the knowledge to make that diagnosis.

Once you become proficient using your pendulum, you will notice that the answer to your question has popped into your mind as soon as you ask the question, before the pendulum has a chance to react.
This is where we are headed. Your intuition has at that point become clear and ever present, and you have achieved the level where - when you find the question, you know the answer.
One alternative to using the pendulum, is to use your whole body as a divination tool. There are, after all, situations where is is inconvenient to get out your pendulum to sort something out. If you let your body sway very slightly back and forth for yes and side to side for no, you can have a pendulum wherever you go.

Seeing Auras

Seeing Auras

All living things have Auras!
People animals, plants and even the earth itself. Some people have always been able to see a faint glow of light around other people and just take it for granted, although the majority of people have lost this ability as they have grown out of childhood.
Thanks to Kirlian photography most people now generally accept that auras do actually exist. However, unless you can actually see them, this knowledge is of no use to you.
So how do you see them?
The first hurdle to seeing is the 'seeing is believing' syndrome:-
If you have never seen one, then you won't believe that you can.
If you don't believe you can see one, then you will be unable be able to see one!! - Catch 22!

To initially see your first aura, there are a few tips which are helpful :

Firstly, the light level in the room should be low and your eyes should have become accustomed to the low light level. (Iris wide open).

Secondly a distance of about two to three metres (six to nine feet), is preferable.

The subject may be either your own reflection in a mirror or someone else.

Do not look directly at the subject. look past and into the distance.

You will perceive a faint 'glow' or 'energy field' around the subject.

The moment you first see (perceive) this field you will automatically try to focus on it and lose it.

What you are learning to do is perceive an energy field using your peripheral vision.
Forget all the stuff you have read about huge glows and rainbow colors at this point.
Some people do and some people don't.
Some people see their first energy field at the first sitting and others have to try different lighting conditions, backgrounds and situations.
Try using a red light. Our eyes are very sensitive at this wavelength.
If you don't succeed immediately, hang in there. Sooner or later you will see one.
Once your have seen your first energy field, your consciousness makes the switch from maybe to yes!!
Your first sighting may be the etheric-field which is close to the skin.
You may think you are seeing a parallax distortion, close one eye and if the effect remains it is not parallax distortion.
Seeing these energy fields is a skill which requires practice, practice, practice!
Practice wherever you are, in all light conditions and gradually your perceptions of energy fields will sharpen.
What you see will depend on the sensitivity of your eyes.
Some people are far more sensitive than others, so your experience will be personal.
It is possible to see ones own aura in a mirror, in fact learning to see your own aura is good practice when learning.
Personal experience note : Be aware that as you concentrate to see peoples energy field during the day, they will think you are staring at them. In some societies this is considered unacceptable.
Learning to see energy fields is an exercise in psychic sensitivity. The usefulness of actually seeing them, (unless you are a psychic healer), is the sensitivity of perception which it brings.
This in turn opens further doors to your psychic ability.

A similar procedure called overshadowments comprises looking at pictures of faces in low light in the manner that you would look at auras. You will see the faces change as ghosts/spirits reveal themselves.
Seeing "ghosts" and other non-corporeal spirits is also a function of the ability to see energy fields.

Cleansing Your Aura
The process of cleansing (compacting) your aura is one of clearing your body/mind/spiritual connection.
It goes like this :

Massage your third eye with the fingertips of your dominant hand whilst repeating the following affirmation :
- In the name of *(whatever you hold to be sacred) I cleanse my body and soul!
Place the fingertips of both hands on your third eye, now draw them over the top of your head and down to the nape of your neck, then away from your body.
Shake your hands vigorously as if shaking water off your hands.
Again run your fingertips from the third eye to the nape of your neck, away and shake.
Starting at the temples, now pass the palms of your hands over your whole head, then shake out.
Thats it!

Feels refreshing and cleansing, doesn't it?
I perform this little ritual before meditating, saying affirmations and in fact before performing any spiritual exercise.
*My personal affirmation is "In the name of Jesus Christ" ....., simply because I was raised in a Judeo Christian tradition.

Reading Tarot Cards

Reading Tarot Cards

Reading tarot cards is the more complex of the divination/prophecy arts.
However it is one of the most fulfilling.
In fact for many people, it is a complete way of life!
If you have been reading my articles on Psychic Ability , you should (at least) have recognized your sense of intuition, if not the ability to "see".
More about the term "see" a little later.
Tarot cards are many things to many people.
To someone without a developed psychic sense they are a means of divinaton by following the specific meaning of the cards.
As such they will still obtain a useful and accurate reading.
However in the hands of a skilled psychic reader, the tarot cards are little short of a magic wand.
Indeed, the art of reading tarot cards is often used by psychic teachers as the best method of expanding a persons intuitive and psychic abilities.

I have gone to some lengths to de-mystify reading Tarot cards for the purposes of this site.
The amount of mystique you wish to apply to the art of reading Tarot Cards is up to you.
For some people the Tarot is literally a magic wand, whilst for others they are simply a tool to prompt the intuition.

The Tarot Deck.
There are a huge number of different styles of tarot decks.
However, all modern tarot decks will conform to the following pattern.

There are a total of 78 cards in the pack.
The pack consists of two sections :
- The Major Arcana comprising 22 trump cards.
- The Minor Arcana comprising 56 cards in 4 suites.
- The suites are :
- Each suite is similar to normal playing cards (ace to ten), with the addition of an extra court (face) card, the Page.
- The playing card equivialents to the Tarot suites are :

The Rider-Waite deck is regarded as the de-facto 'standard' for modern tarot decks.
Many tarot readers begin with this pack before progressing to a deck of their own preference.
(My personal preference for reading Tarot Cards in a professional capacity been the 'Aquarian' deck).

Note :

It is not a game!

To begin reading Tarot Cards.
First obtain your tarot deck**.
** Note : I have included the entire Rider-Waite deck in the following pages.
In addition, I have included a handy Tarot Card Meaning locator page.

If you are going to be reading tarot cards professionally it is said that you should be presented with the pack.
Personally, I feel that if you feel attracted to a particular pack you should purchase it.
In any case, the style of your first pack should be one which appeals to you - after all you and these cards are going to spend a lot of time together.
The first step is to familiarize yourself with the cards. At first there will seem to be so many, however the tarot deck is surprisingly logical and not as daunting as it first appears.
As you examine the cards, you will find that some appear to be quite attractive, and some appear to be Ugh!
Good - You are starting to relate to the cards.
Now separate the deck into its major and minor arcana sections.
Arrange the major arcana into order, they are numbered by roman numerals from 0 (The Fool) through to XXI (The World)
Examine each of the major Arcana cards one by one and read the meaning.
There is no need to learn the explanations by rote, however you do need to develop a good impression of the meaning of the card and the relevance of each of its items.
Familiarity with each card is the best I can explain it.
Notice first the most obvious element of the card, now notice the least obvious element.
The least obvious element will probably change for each diffrent reading, and as such is an important indicatior.
Somewhere between the explanation of each card and your own impressions you will reach your own understanding of each card.
If you can create a story-line for each card by using your imagination it will help to explain the application of each card.
After all, when you are actually doing a reading, it is your imagination which is the channel for your psychic impressions.
Note :- your understanding is what is important here. What the card means to you over-rides all else.
During my explanations, my preferred term for the person who the reading is for is the subject.
However, in some instances I have used the terms the person,client or seeker.
All are interchangeable.
The traditional term "Querent" (one who queries), is normally used to represent the person receiving the reading.
However my preferences are for "Subject" or "Client".

Major Arcana Meanings

Now repeat this familiarization for each of the the Minor Arcana suites after reading the Minor Arcana overview which will put each of the suites into perspective.

Minor Arcana Overview

Suite or Cups

Suite of Swords

Suite of Wands

Suite of Pentacles

Card Meaning Locator
Use this handy Tarot Card meaning locator to select and find your Tarot card meanings.

Meditation techniques -The Power of Your Mind

Astrological Signs

Astrological Signs

Divination - Using the Pendulum

Seeing Auras

Reading Tarot Cards

Meditation techniques -
The Power of Your Mind