Thanks Dawn and Pwcca. I do wish I lived in a place where I could talk to a Native American with genuine old beliefs, or even an Australian aborigine. I'd love to hear stories about the dreamtime. I've lived here for 13 years (UK) and just haven't come across someone who could help me in a spiritual way, though I've seen plenty of people doing funny stuff in Glastonbury LOL. You can buy any kinds of crystals, herbs, magic books etc there, but yes it is all window dressing if a deeper meaning is not there for you. They are all aids along the way to the truth, they are not the truth in themselves. Same as candles, incense, music, anything else that could be part of a ritual.

I know that a lot of people here would tell me I need to find God, that is what is lacking in my life. I'd expect to hear that here. It isn't what I am after, not the Christian version of God and not the Bible. I respect the messages in there and I respect people's choice to accept it as their way of life; if you are a true Christian then you will be a loving, caring, non-violent person and that can only be a good thing. But it isn't the way for me.

I have never been attracted to psychedelic drugs as part of the spiritual journey. I think a lot of people in the 60s made that mistake, that if you just take one of those drugs it will remove you from reality and you will learn something deep. I think it's important to bear in mind that aboriginal cultures who use drugs as part of rituals usually do it after long preparation. They know what they are looking for, and it is going to be framed in a spiritual context for them. They are going on a vision quest, or seeking their spirit guide, or some such thing. Anyone who dives into that world without preparation or knowing what they seek is liable to start drowining in my opinion. It can also become just a form of escapism.

What am I looking for, in looking for ghosts? I don't know. An experience of something out of the ordinary I guess, that I would love to understand. I think it's also something very worthy of scientific research, though unfortunately it gets lumped into the general category of the "paranormal" along with crop circles and UFOs, and 99% of serious scientists would never associate themselves with it for fear of losing their reputations. There are definitely things going on there that don't link up with the laws of physics as we understand them, and it would be fascinating to learn. I'd also like to learn about the phenomena from a mystic or psychic point of view but people who could teach me seem to be in short supply here <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Linda.