For those of you who tuned in late, The Philosopher's Stone , Alan and Deb's newsletter, was first launched in Spring/Summer 1993. The masthead listed Deb as Editor and Alan as Publisher. Graphics included our smiling faces, vintage 1991, and a Debsketch of a stone with a lantern next to it. In later iterations, the stone appeared on a low, wheeled platform, as the Philosopher sought a new location down among the sheltering palms, which were pictured after he/it arrived there. The newsletter went into hiatus as Alan's and Deb's lives became complicated in other areas. It may soon reappear, mailed to you on stone-colored stationery, or (preferably) by email subscription. No promises, but if you are interested in signing up, send us your email address with a request. For the foreseeable future, there will be no charge for the online version of the newsletter.
Reprinted from the first issue:
WHAT THIS IS ALL ABOUT
In days of yore, the philosopher's stone was what alchemists sought to transmute base metal into gold. The object of this newsletter is to help to transmute lives, throught higher consciousness and deeper understanding, for more abundant, successful living. One needed mental transmutation is from outmoded ideas, appropriate in a day of Newtonian physics, into views consistent with quantum physics. This calls for replacing notions of changeless substance with a vision of dynamic, developing process. In relation to New Thought, the result is Process New Thought.
Our mission is to teach, in a process perspective, the practice of the presence of God for practical purposes; in other words, to show people how changing their thinking, expectation, and ultimate awareness can bring about desired changes in their lives. We teach the philosophy and psychology of New Thought: the science behind the science of mind.
Alan has described philosophy as an armchair enterprise, one that examines the nature of reality and teaches people to think independently. A peripatetic philosopher, wandering about the world with his mental lantern for illumination, as philosophers are wont to do, might stop to rest upon a stone in place of his habitual armchair; and might address a few thought-provoking remarks to those who happened to be at hand, as philosophers are also wont to do. Such remarks might even be part of the cornerstone rejected by most philosophical builders.
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Until we get the newsletter back up to speed, here are bits of news about people and ideas that we have found helpful.
January:
I (Deb) have been thinking about the various heroes and heroines that I have come across over the years, people whom I have read about or perhaps even met, who serve as role models for me, particularly when going through one of those Red Sea places in life, where "there is no way out, there is no way back, there is no other way but through." One of the most recent ones is Terry McBride. I described his book in my notes last September, and since then, Alan and I have attended his seminar at Unity Church in Clearwater, Florida in October. We bought his set of cds and materials to help internalize the lessons he teaches.
To meet Terry, knowing his horrific medical history, is to be amazed at his obviously outstanding physical condition. He radiates energy and enthusiasm, moving with ease and vigor that make it hard to believe that he once faced the prospect of a short and painful life in a wheelchair. How could anyone who does a little hip wiggle to emphasize various points have ever had back problems? The mental image of his physical presence just won't go away, and I think, "If he could learn to overcome all of that, certainly I can overcome whatever I am facing at the moment." Some of his main points:
- Our beliefs determine our experiences.
- Beliefs--our own and others'--can be changed.
- We can live out our beliefs without making anyone else's wrong.
- God--however conceptualized--is already cocreating with us, empowering us; so, by our beliefs lined up with our intentions, we are--in a sense--controlling God.
You can order Terry's book through Amazon by clicking on the link to be found in our Book Store, or go to Terry's new website, http://www.terrymcbride.net for descriptions or purchase of his book, The Hell I Can't, and his cd program, Everybody Wins.
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Another hero of ours is New Thought psychologist Robert Anthony. We hadn't seen or heard of him in years, and then we learned that he was alive and well and living in Australia. For a mere $67, we got downloadable revised editions of half a dozen of his old books plus some new material supporting his Rapid Manifestation online audiovisual, 12 very effective minutes of. . . guided meditation to help one realize one's intentions. You get the books, the audiovisual, plus a scroll for your desktop that flashes intentions you can program as reminders of what you are working to achieve. We messed up the downloads, and his online support helped us get straightened out. Check out his website at http://www.totalsuccess4u.com . You can also get six emailed lessons that alone would be worth the $67, but they're FREE, with no strings attached. This is top-notch stuff, refined over the years; and we're using it to help us through some obstacles-into-opportunities places in our lives right now. We read his books aloud to each other, which is a very inefficient way to read a book, but a great way to spend quality time together.
