"Did Mrs. Houdini want to become a 'nut'?"

[primemignonite]

And now for something from this quarter a bit lighter and different: http://www.useyourmagic.com/essays/houdini.html

The actual title of the piece is: Houdini's Afterlife Experiment - Did It Work?; that in the 'Subject' line being the sub-title.

I have always been fascinated by Bess and Harry Houdini. They were ultimate examples of the true 'American original'.

The article linked above is a study of supposed 'life after death' as a subject, and I think it really quite good. Below it are other collateral links equally interesting.

James

[ken_behrendt]

James...

I have spent a lot time studying paranormal phenomena and my conclusion is that there really is no scientifically acceptable proof for the existence of an afterlife. Of course, never having been dead, I can not guarantee that is the case, but I suspect it is most probably the finally reality of human existence. That is, most likely we only get one shot at life before we will experience extinction of consciousness for eternity. So, that's why I think it's of paramount importance that we be the best kind of person we can be while we are alive and do as much as possible to live up to our fullest potential. If there is no afterlife, then there will never be a chance to right the wrongs we do in our one and only life...


Harry Houdini was, and still is, probably the world's greatest escape artist and it is natural for his devotees to hope that he could also escape the bounds of death and communicate with them from an imagined afterlife. But, so far, such communication has not occurred despite year efforts to establish it since he died.



ken

[John Collins]

edit

[primemignonite]

James...

. . . . That is, most likely we only get one shot at life before we will experience extinction of consciousness for eternity. So, that's why I think it's of paramount importance that we be the best kind of person we can be while we are alive and do as much as possible to live up to our fullest potential. If there is no afterlife, then there will never be a chance to right the wrongs we do in our one and only life...

* * * * *

Yes, but for those less kindly disposed toward one's fellows it can and often does serve as justification for a life dedicated to sadistic pleasures. We know the types: most of their like prosecuted the Russian Revolution after having thrown their former religion out, in favor of being re-born as Bolsheviks, newly re-named, and then wallowing in the blood and gore of their mostly Christian victims, they in the tens, upon tens of millions! The ATHEIST species is the most dangerous of homo sapiens, and this kind, especially, need the firm hand of future guilt to be set upon them hard, actual or not!

"DO WHAT THOU WILT - LET THAT BE THE WHOLE OF THE LAW" - Alleister Crowley, self-styled "wickedest man in the world".

and

"The ends justify the means." - Utilitarian moral theory.

It is these two dicta, primarily, that THE ATHEIST - those that knowingly and actively make pathetic war against Heaven, and what may have made them - so dearly and frantically embraces. The good among their number simply cannot compensate for what results from the other's intense hatred for life, and determination to appropriate-unto-self all credit for their actions, for better or worse and no matter what.

A continuing example of the lowness of the creature, is the consuming imperative to heap-up contempt for those daring to express faith in the existence of the unseen and unknowable. They have no rational reason to do so, being so out-voted, as they are. It is a fatal flaw they flaunt, and marks them out for cautious attention every time. They spit their very own bile and blood in the ill-advised, failing effort. It is tragic in-the-extreme. [I solicite any and all retorts to these admittedly pointed assertions.]

Existence of gratitude as felt in the body and acted upon tangibly [Many will have no idea of what I am talking about here, as it is difficult to physically or conceptually relate to. See Wilhelm Reich's work for explanations.] is a sure sign of treading a right, dextral path; it's lack being a flashing red signal of highest potential danger.

All criminals, sociopaths and psychopaths, are UNIFORMLY BEREFT of any capacity for possessing or expressing authentic, natural, healthy gratitude. As a result, this translates into an almost insuperable energetic stasis for the victim, which then so often translates into destruction of others. Giving-of-self implies a 'letting go', which the difficult money experience we have, in-general, is indicator sure of various degrees of the malady being present in most of us. Muscular memory being long, all remembrance of healthy times from youth being thereby forgotten because held in error, this so as to eliminate any awareness of it's tragic loss, and improbable re-capture.

Better to 'tread the razor's edge', and ponder the range of possibilities allowed by agnosticism. At least thereupon lays some hope.

* * * * *
Harry Houdini was, and still is, probably the world's greatest escape artist and it is natural for his devotees to hope that he could also escape the bounds of death and communicate with them from an imagined afterlife. But, so far, such communication has not occurred despite year efforts to establish it since he died.


ken

Yes, Ken, he certainly was, as you said. He seemed to want to escape life somehow by his exhibitions of escaping as entertainment. He was also a very good magician, being utterly convincing because so sincere! He had one killer of a front-and-back card palm. It was filmed.

I believe he was born here, in the US, and not in Hungary, the native country of his parents. His father was a "failed Rabbi", as one bio put it, but seems to have been a really good sort who tried hard to well-influence his sons, but something went subtly wrong some way, I don't know where, and his later amorous existence with Bessie was apparently lacking in the essential basics, with no children being but one result of this difficulty. [We humans are SO WEIRD when it comes to reproductive congress. See yet more of old W.R., one might suppose.]

Well, there are those who will pooh-pooh it, but I intend to consult H. H. personally one day, and get all the answers . . . will report back from the Great Beyond, IF I am allowed to. |:)

James

[ken_behrendt]

James...

Just because a person claims that he subscribes to the " godless religion" of atheism does not necessarily mean that he is evil and just because a person is a Bible thumper does not necessarily mean that he is good or moral. I have known several self-avowed atheists in my time that were very caring persons and always did the best they could for others in their dealings with them. And, of course, we in America have all been shocked and revolted by the pedophilia practiced by some ordained priests in the Roman Catholic Church.

Ultimately, each of us must decide for ourselves how we will live our lives and treat others. I do not need a clergyman to tell me when I am being unfair. Not being a psychopath, my own conscience let's me know when I am trying to take advantage of others and when they are trying to take advantage of me. And, on many occasions, I do not mind being taken advantage of a bit when I know the other person's need is great.


Personally, I really do hope that there is an afterlife and that it will not ALL end for me upon my demise. However, if I did know for a fact that it will all end for me on that fateful day, then I think knowing I did the "right" thing when feasible for my fellow humans, left a shelf full of thought provoking books behind, and, of course, finally knowing the secret of Bessler's wheels would allow me to slip off into the darkness of eternity with a smile of satisfaction upon my face...


ken

[primemignonite]

Ken...

If I may, I'll do a bit of the old on-page insert technique . . .

James...

Just because a person claims that he subscribes to the " godless religion" of atheism does not necessarily mean that he is evil [TRUE] and just because a person is a Bible thumper does not necessarily mean that he is good or moral. [Also, TRUE upon it's face.] I have known several self-avowed atheists in my time that were very caring persons and always did the best they could for others in their dealings with them. [And 'ditto' here.] And, of course, we in America have all been shocked and revolted by the pedophilia practiced by some ordained priests in the Roman Catholic Church. [Hopefully, when seeking remedies to this particular well-known way of us humans, for probably millions of years now, unbridaled hysteria will NOT be the guiding authority. Yes, beware the simple statue law solutions.]

Ultimately, each of us must decide for ourselves how we will live our lives and treat others. [i.e. the essential exercise of 'free-will'] I do not need a clergyman to tell me when I am being unfair. [As hopefully dictated by that rule-of-law residing in all hearts IF NOT IGNORED to willful purpose. But ultimately, HOW is one to know that this is always in-trim, that is, if not having external moorings attached to, at least, a generally agreed-upon ethics set?] Not being a psychopath, my own conscience let's me know when I am trying to take advantage of others and when they are trying to take advantage of me. And, on many occasions, I do not mind being taken advantage of a bit when I know the other person's need is great. [The complexities ever-multiply.]

Personally, I really do hope that there is an afterlife and that it will not ALL end for me upon my demise. However, if I did know for a fact that it will all end for me on that fateful day, then I think knowing I did the "right" thing when feasible for my fellow humans, left a shelf full of thought provoking books behind, and, of course, finally knowing the secret of Bessler's wheels would allow me to slip off into the darkness of eternity with a smile of satisfaction upon my face... [I think that, if allowed, this would about sum up most of it for my own self!]


ken

The point I sought to make in the panel before yours but apparently failed at, about the deadly peril that THE ATHEIST potentially poses to the huge, still-believing majority, lays in the fact of certain of their numbers' DEMONSTRATED LETHALNESS to that majority in the past, and on a supremely vicious and gargantuan scale, once having had attained that unbridled power of the state!

The two greatly-infamous main exhibits in support of the above would be:

1. The French Revolution

and

2. The Russian Revolution.

WHY?!

Because both professed and acted-upon the key assertion that there was not a Creator of us all that could possibly exist, and, that THE STATE WAS PRIME, and to be worshipped instead!

Of course, in addition to this evil philosophy that eventually makes species homo sapiens into nothing more than thinking animals, they ACTED OUT their vicious hatred for the remaining good within them with butchery of endless glee, and most of this being projected at believing Christians especially. The Bolsheviks murdered tens of thousands of Priests!

"Human beings are but a brain at one end, and a s--t factory at the other!" - Felix Derzhinsky, head of the Bolshevik Secret Police, who transmitted the order to butcher, rape and burn the Imperial Family!

Charming!

A perfect illustration of where that "godless religion" can go, when allowed it's spiritually rotted head and EMPOWERED!

Yes, the peculiar ATHEIST FERVOR would best keep it's head way down, and it's voice very quieted, while doing it's worming work. They must be watched, forever and forever, lest another seizure of such mechanized butchery comes into their hands, their grotesque madness breaking forth once again.

THE PROOF for all this stands up on it's own legs, and speaks out directly to those who still have ears with which to hear, and brains to think.

James

P.S. For the most part, I believe, this no longer applies to the Russian people as they themselves WENT through the endless ATHEIST hell itself, and have come out honestly attempting self-determination, for mostly the right reasons.

We, here, have considerable misery to yet endure, this mostly in the cold, hateful blades of the merchantilist/political grinding machine. It has NO pity; it has NO heart; it knows NO clean charitable impulse; ONLY the kissing of the cloven hooves of Mammon, does it truly know..

[primemignonite]

Interesting it is to me that there was not ONE response to what I wrote above, some while ago. Was it all lies? Was it just 'too much' and an uncomfortable challenge to personal comfort? Or WHAT?

Mortally serious, real issues it broaches, ones best dealt with BEFORE it is all upon us, rather than the usual AFTER!

No?

----------------------------------------------

The Houdini business is up-and-running, once again.

Last night on Coast to Coast AM with George Noory, two authors were on, talking about their new book on Houdini. Much evidence for brand new, previously un-imagined angles on Houdini and what he was, were presented.

The new volume is entitled "The Secret Life of Houdini". He was apparently a spy, among various other things. Here is a link to the C2CAM window with information on the right: http://www.coasttocoastam.com/shows/200 ... html#recap

[Coincidentally, the other guest of the evening, as can be seen on the left same page, discussed the un-clean subject of Aleister Crowley, who I had quoted above.]

Here is a link to the new book: http://www.amazon.com/gp/explorer/07432 ... 22-0639336?

Delightful All Hallow's Eve is about upon us . . .

James