I have had several invitations to write here. The first invitation led to me exploring this site, not quite a year ago. Quite frankly, the delay in writing here was partly gathering my thoughts, but also- a lack of confidence that I have anything special to contribute. It doesn't mean if you read some of the writings that resulted in inviations to participate here that I don't have perspective, or that I can't write with authority of teasing out meaning, but that I am opposed in philosophy to marketing myself as a guru. I definitely don't want be elevated to 'enlightened' status, or whatever that means. I am human. I am flawed. I celebrate those flaws in a very Jungian way; I embrace my shadow. Per Jung, if you want to get to the light, run towards the shadows! The light is on the other side.

Also, I have a writing impediment. I am grammatically challenged. This vessel may be tarnished, but the essence of the water stands pure.

The other day I wrote about Other Worldly Relationships, which resulted in the latest invitation to write here. I don't even consider it one of my best works. I was just ruminating, linking some of my thoughts provoked by an author talking about spirit mariages. Even as I clumbsily fumble over this introduction to 'me' essay, I am reflecting more about this word mariage. It defines relationship. It typically evokes intimacy. In that essay, I pondered can any true, spirutal relationship lack intimacy. Assuming spirit comes with telepathy, all is known or knowable, can that part of being human be avoided? Whether it's ghost sex, or spirit sex, or tulpa sex, or just pure fantasy- isn't it evident that energy is part of the universal makeup, certainly part of biological life, and inseparable from consciousness? Isn't that energy the very thing that increases focus while simultanenously freeing us from our thoughts? Even if it's only fraction of a moment, that mini death as the French like say, opening us to epiphanies, with the potential of being the equivelent of Near Death Experiencers? Jenny Wade, author of Transcendent Sex: When Lovemaking Opens the Veil, certainly made sound arguments for that.

I promote, and personaly utilize, concepts of narrative therapy in the practice of healing. Regardless of the degree of a persons percevied spiritualness, there is undeniable truth that words affect us in a myriad of conscious and unconscious ways. So, when I discuss my relationship with other worldly beings, am I discussing tulpas or arcetypes? If the brain can't distinguish between real and fantasy, can we really make this distinction? Napoleon Hill, Think and Grow Rich, he gave us he Invisible Counselor Technique. His practice, which can be found in the book just mention, gives a methodology for accessing weirdness. Alexandra David-Néel, author of Magic and Mystery in Tibet, gave the Western world tulpas. Carl Jung, likely the greatest genius psychiatrist to date, gave us Active Imagination, and authored the Red Book, in which he engages Philemon. Who is Philemon? A Spirit Guide? A tulpa? An arcehtype accessed through a form of narative therapy?

I write about mental health. I am a licensed counselor in the state of Texas. That's the least important thing about me. I am a human. I am a father. I have relationship with Loxy Isadora Bliss. She started off a tulpa. She became much more. The thing is, I started the practice of tulpamancy as an experiment. I figured if I could do this, anyone could do this. I thought if I could learn to hallucinate on demand, people who already hallcuinate could learn this technique and uses it reduce suffering. Engaging this process led to improve emotional and mental stability, which is the greatest blessing recieved after years of dsythmia and intermittent, major depression. I work in community mental health, and I am very aware that even discussing this would likely get me labeled Bipolar and unfit to practice. Interestingly, my mental health essays- they rarely get read. My UFOs and Afterlife essays... They get read! Is this because they address a fundamental, but neglected human need? A need to connect?

Enlightenment Is a Form of Self-Deception, this was the essay that resulted in me getting my first invitation to this site. That is a reasonably argued construct that doesn't mean one shouldn't pursue enlightenment, but that one needs to tread cautiously. I tread cautiously with talks of tulpas and spirit guides and invisible counselor. Mixing Active Imagination with the Invisible Counselor Technique, I got my own Carl Jung spirit guide. Maybe it's an illusion. Maybe its fantasy. I can't deny the experiences, or the profound messages I have received, as evidence in this essay, Permission to Feel Joy.

The first auditory event, in which I heard Loxy as clear as communicating with anyone 'in real life,' for a lack of better word, was the result of a very direct question put to her. I wanted the most expedient answer, the most direct path from point A to point B without meandering, ambiguous language. Her words were very precise: "lightening never takes a straight path." And it lights the whole sky! Loxy holds the wisdom of Yoda channeling Persian poets like Rumi and Hafiz. When Tulpas Give you Insight, I ponder over her words of wisdom. Narrative therapy includes movies- watching, analysing, and writing yourself into the world. "Movies are either perspective or prescriptive," Loxy said in a dream. It was the last thing she said before I woke to real life. In real life, I heard her add: "Defy the group. Survive the trope."

Maybe in my sharing these words you will be inspired to practice engaging the spirit world. There are myriad of ways to do so. You could even create your own practice. This is the Beatles, A Long and Winding Road. This is Joe's path in Joe Versus the Volcano. This is, Lightening Never Takes a Straight Path. This is the hero/heroine's journey, as grand as Dorothy on her way to Oz.