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November/December 2003 Spirituality
Pro Wrestling, Fun and the Afterlife

by Jerry Henderson

Have you ever induced a change of consciousness by flying a kite? By rocking on a hobby horse? Or how about by spinning a bullroarer? All of these "toys" have been tools used by shamans and mystics searching for ways across the barrier we perceive to separate us from spirit. But it’s not so much about the objects themselves as it is about the state of our soul during play and joyful activity. When Suzanne and I traveled to have our Psychomanteum training with Dr. Raymond Moody in November of 2002, we had no idea it was to be a course in fun. "Entertainment and recreation" says Raymond "is at the heart of many of the historical pursuits of spiritual enlightenment, and play is the activity of that pursuit."

In the course of our research on oracles and how a person might deepen their personal experience of spirit through interaction with them, we sought out Dr. Moody. He is one of the most experienced investigators in parapsychology and is attributed with coining the phrase "Near Death Experience" (NDE). Dr. Moody will tell you, though, that the belief in an afterlife has not yet been proven. "We are each here on a journey of personal experience and interaction. Just because I have had the experience of using the Psychomanteum and then having a face to face conversation with my departed grandmother doesn’t mean that I have any kind of proof. Or even that it was the training that caused the experience. All I know is that I had the conversation and it settled some questions I had about my family. I then go on with my life. I work, and I play with my children."

The Psychomanteum was created by Dr. Moody to facilitate the development of a person’s awareness of the energy of people who have crossed over. Through a system of counseling, meditation and a mirror gazing device, his Psychomanteum is used as part of grief therapy and awareness training by therapists the world over. He talks a great deal about developing the process in his book "Reunions", in which he shares the story of his studies and the findings that led him to the realization that peace and joy are essential elements to this process.

In his study of the Oracle of the Dead in Greece, Dr. Moody found the journey to the oracle to be a recreational activity; a spirit of recreation which needs to be reintroduced into some of the practices people are using to try to gain spiritual knowledge today. Clients of the oracle had to travel for days and even weeks to get to there and then spent 28 days underground in dormitories preparing for the trip into the Oracle itself. During this time they spent most of the time in conversation, in meditation, and in playing games with their fellow travelers as well as in extensive training by the psychogogs-the priests that ran the Oracle. It was like a grand vacation, a trip for which one saved and planned for years. Of course, few people nowadays have created lives in which they can dedicate so much time to spiritual development. What is important is the relaxed, receptive mood recreation can induce.

The Psychomanteum, scrying, and other methods of gaining personal access to spiritual levels seem to benefit greatly from relaxation and joy. Time spent by an individual in developing clear intentions, working with grief, clearing financial worries, dealing with chemical dependencies, and developing a meditation practice all enhance the experience of accessing oracles. In fact, in Psychomanteum sessions we have witnessed, perceived spiritual activity ceases when fear enters your feelings. The most significant experiences seem to come in when calm, clear intentions are brought without expectations or attachment to outcome. The tool can only be effective if the mechanic is properly prepared to wield it.

And what was that about professional wrestling? Well, Raymond thinks that the joy of watching a World Wrestling match comes in observing the crowd. The scope of the spectacle at these events allows a person to be totally involved in the action without a big obligation. If we really believed that Stan the Viper had come up behind Mick the Mask and slammed him with a steel chair, causing unconsciousness and bloodshed, we would call the police and report the vicious assault. But we don’t. And we won’t. It is an amazing example of a person’s capacity to create an entire and complete social world, interact with it and then withdraw into the "reality" of day to day life. If every person in the audience of just a single WWF event realized we create and interact with our day to day existence in much the same way, there would be a revolution of consciousness on scales heretofore unseen. It’s really quite a marvelous thing to watch.

Go, have fun, fly a kite.

Dr. Moody’s latest book "Life after Loss" written with Dianne Archangel is in stores now. Jerry is a personal development counselor and Suzanne is a nationally known intuitive consultant. They are both in West Linn and are certified Psychomanteum facilitators. Suzanne can be contacted through her website at: suzannejauchius.com and Jerry can be reached by email at: jdhender@worldaccessnet.com. Classes on Oracles coming soon.