The Ordinary Mystic

Featured in Chanting

Aakhan Jor | Prayer of Acceptance

Again I am struck by another of Snatam Kaur’s rendition of a spiritual prayer. The beauty of her voice as well as the musical arrangement truly convey the peaceful message of acceptance. The words, “Aakhan Jor”, come from the first line of the prayer, and mean “no power in speaking”. It echos the message contained [...]

Celebrating Peace in Palo Alto with Snatam Kaur

Listening to good music – relaxing – chanting – laughing – singing – practicing a few yogic breathing exercises – sharing with others an experience of peace … I experienced all these in one evening a few weekends ago at a concert performed by Snatam Kaur. And it was awesome!

What is Raising Your Vibration? (The High Vibes Game)

Do a Google search for ‘raising vibration’ and there is no lack of information available. But in the spirit of the ‘high vibes game’ meme started at OptimistLab (I’ve just been tagged … twice), I’ll give my take on it as well as five things I do to ‘raise my vibration’.

Featured in Skepticism

Two Big Spiritual Mistakes and Why Many Hate Religion

Last month my family and I attended my nephew’s First Communion. It was the first time I had experienced a full Catholic mass in a long time, and I took note of one interesting change since my early church-going days. When the priest invited family and friends to receive communion, he also welcomed non-Catholics to [...]

Dr. Dean Edell says Acupuncture no Better Than Placebo

While the results of some research in the efficacy of acupuncture has appeared to demonstrate no significant difference between “real” acupuncture and “placebo” acupuncture (where the needle does not penetrate the skin), I applaud many in the medical community who feel that further study is needed to determine the effectiveness of this form of alternative [...]

Spirit Orbs Strike Again at My Home

I believe I have a decent digital camera. It’s a Canon PowerShot A540 that I just got this past Christmas and I actually like it a lot. It’s easy to use and takes great pictures. Except that sometimes small blemishes appear in the picture.

Latest Posts

Do Some Women Enjoy Hearing About Their Mate’s Problems?

NPR posted an interesting article around an study reported in the Journal of Family Psychology. According to the NPR story, “women like it when men share their anger and frustration.” Have you found this to be true in your own relationships? I found one statement from the article to be particularly telling … “The women [...]

How to Start a Medical Marijuana Dispensary

Marijuana, as of this writing, is illegal under Federal law. However, 14 states have adopted laws that allow the cultivation and use of marijuana for medicinal purposes. In compliance with those laws, and for various reasons, many people have learned how to start a medical marijuana dispensary. If that is something that you wish to [...]

How You Can Benefit From Yoga and Meditation

Life can be full of fun and excitement! Inevitably, however, life can also be challenging, demanding, and even frightening at times. The conflicting conditions can create stress, which can be unbearable as there is a limit to what our minds and hearts can handle. Sad to say, no magic pill has been developed to fix [...]

VaporGenie Review – An Economical and Healthier Option

This review of the VaporGenie (Vapor Genie) vaporizing pipe is for those who enjoy smoking herbs but are concerned about the adverse health effects of inhaling smoke. At the very least, inhaled smoke is an irritation to the lungs that can result in emphysema, bronchitis, and chronic airway obstruction. Inhaling vapors from the herb, on [...]

Is Dougall Fraser an Authentic & Real Psychic?

Are psychics real? Can they really do all the things they claim – like read minds, foretell the future, or talk to dead people? I can’t vouch for every claim made, but several years ago I became acquainted by someone whom I consider to be an authentic psychic – Dougall Fraser, and have since attended [...]