Many are excited about the upcoming New Age movie, "Indigo," written, produced, and directed by three renowned individuals who now live in Ashland - James Twyman, Neale Donald Walsch, and Stephen Simon. Appealing are the career opportunities, the camaraderie of movie-making, the promoting of spirituality and messages of peace and love. Promoters say it will stimulate the local economy and help our schools. But after examining the Indigo Child movement, and specifically the activities of co-writer/producer James Twyman, I see potential consequences for the community -- and for children.

A critical view on the Indigo Phenomenon by Lorie Andersson.

(See also: Indigo Children, What is Indigo Children, Parenting Indigo Children, Adult Indigo, Indigo Children Channeling)

The Indigo life is no bed of roses. If you have read some of the particular traits of Indigo people, you have learned that we have quite a bit stacked against us in our early lives.

In fact, we are classic late bloomers, and because of this, Indigo youth have a very high amount of difficulty assimilating into the mainstream. This is mostly because the mainstream caters to the average mind and intellect, and most Indigos are far from average. This can result in the flaring of depression, and also the abuse of alcohol and drugs. Sometimes it leads to suicide.

Misdiagnosis of ADD and other 'new age' illnesses add to the confusion, and the youngster is often drugged into submission at a point of life where they need to develop their minds the most.

(See also: Indigo Children, What is Indigo Children, Parenting Indigo Children, Adult Indigo, Indigo Children Channeling)

James Twyman is convinced that there's a new generation of special children among us who are psychically sensitive and spiritually evolved.

Those who follow metaphysics and ancient spiritual teachings have for years quietly nurtured the belief in these kids, known as Indigo children for the deep blue color of the "auras" psychics say they see around them.

Skeptics point out that there's no scientific research backing up the existence of these children, and Twyman, 43, knows that's true.

"Certainly in the scientific realm, this is just a bunch of New Age nonsense," says Twyman, "But I think anyone with an inquisitive and rational mind can look at many children out there today and say there's something about them."

(See also: Indigo Children, What is Indigo Children, Parenting Indigo Children, Adult Indigo, Indigo Children Channeling)

I've had the wonderful opportunity to work with children who are creative, intuitive, physically and emotionally sensitive and nonconforming. Many of these children, also called Indigo Children, have been diagnosed with ADD, ADHD and bipolar disorder and are brought to me by parents who are looking for a drug-free solution. In most cases these labels are neither necessary nor helpful. If a child associates herself with words such as disorder and deficit, her self-confidence is affected and she may believe she will be defined by these terms for the rest of her life. However ignoring her symptoms is not the answer either. A child who is very energetic and has trouble focusing, is usually frustrated and unhappy and will benefit from alternative therapies.

(See also: Indigo Children, What is Indigo Children, Parenting Indigo Children, Adult Indigo, Indigo Children Channeling)

It starts with a vague feeling of something not quite being 'right'. Sounds are harsher on the ears, you find yourself avoiding your once-beloved candle shop because the scents are so over powering. The mall, once a wonderful Temple of Temptations, has become the ninth circle of hell, as have many other public venues. Noise and crowds now drive you away, rather than excite and attract you. Your 'been-there, done-that' passport is completely filled, and nothing really thrills you any more. It's mindless kiddie stuff now.

(See also: Indigo Children, What is Indigo Children, Parenting Indigo Children, Adult Indigo, Indigo Children Channeling)

With so many of the Indigos being diagnosed with ADD, ADHD, and other learning disabilities, I thought some might find the following of interest. We experienced these difficulties before we discovered the Indigo information, but my daughter, Jessie, displays many of the Indigo traits. I should add as an aside that visual training proved beneficial, but we are also exploring "whole-brain" educational methods such as multiple intelligences. Also, if you look at natural learning models, such as the Sudbury School model, you'll see that the only learning disabled they encounter are those who have lost the ability to learn naturally through play. I've no doubt that the Indigos will teach us many new ways of learning. Meanwhile, I hope the following information will prove helpful to some.

(See also: Indigo Children, What is Indigo Children, Parenting Indigo Children, Adult Indigo, Indigo Children Channeling)

One of the most brilliant people I've come across thus far is John Taylor Gatto. He's the New York Teacher of the Year whose in-the-know insights set the establishment on its ear every time they are presented.

For example, when Daniel and I gave his sisters, who are public educators, copies of Gatto's book Dumbing Us Down the only comment one of them would offer was "sounds like a burned out teacher." Appropriate feedback in this age of cynicism.

I am a teacher of adults. I understand the call to teach and what happens when you respond. I have met many teachers, and I hear loud and clear that it's a battle trying to teach anything in the public school system. I also hear how one man did something to help his kids, often defying the system to do it. When you are fulfilling your purpose, for Gatto it is to teach, you don't get burned out. You learn.

(See also: Indigo Children, What is Indigo Children, Parenting Indigo Children, Adult Indigo, Indigo Children Channeling)

I have a seven-year-old Indigo son. I've been working as a teacher's aide in his classrooms through preschool, kindergarten, and now first grade, and I've observed his interactions with Indigos and non-Indigos of all ages. It's been interesting! In fact, trying to put it all down in writing has been a challenge because the children do so many subtle things.

Indigos process their emotions differently than non Indigos because they have high self-esteem and strong integrity. They can read you like an open book and quickly notice and neutralize any hidden agendas or attempts to manipulate them, however subtly. In fact, they can see your hidden agendas even if you can't! They have inherently strong determination to work things through for themselves and only want outside guidance if it's presented to them with respect and within a format of true choice. They prefer to work situations out for themselves.

(See also: Indigo Children, What is Indigo Children, Parenting Indigo Children, Adult Indigo, Indigo Children Channeling)

When Ki turned seven I knew it was time to organize my thoughts so I could give guidance and a sense of mental structure to his learning. Seven was when the ancient Greeks began to school their boys. Seven was when youth were admitted into monasteries. If it seems like a magical number, it is. The physical world is based upon cycles of seven. For a newly incarned soul, this means the first seven years of life the child is using the body constructed for him or her primarily by the genetics of both parents and the thoughts of the pregnant mother.

(See also: Indigo Children, What is Indigo Children, Parenting Indigo Children, Adult Indigo, Indigo Children Channeling)

I was looking forward to working in the studio with Paul Madar. We planned to lay the foundation for a CD of Atlantean music. Produced by dulcimer strings, the vibrations would align consciousness, opening the listener's mind to ancient healing methods.

We were ready to go and I was preparing Paul's frame of mind. I thought of the metaform, a revolving geometric form, that might facilitate focusing Paul's attention. I quickly went to the upper room to retrieve it.

(See also: Indigo Children, What is Indigo Children, Parenting Indigo Children, Adult Indigo, Indigo Children Channeling)

Teresa and Ernie Padilla are the parents of a beautiful girl who is now into her teens. In 1997, they attended what is called a Spiritual Focus Weekend on the campus of the College of Metaphysics in the Ozark Mountains of Missouri. Here they gathered with several other parents and a mentor for the express purpose of coming to deeper awarenesses of themselves as parents. The weekend, combining instruction, discussion, practices, and an Intuitive Report on each child, fueled their aspirations and restructured the way they saw themselves as people and their daughter as a soul.

(See also: Indigo Children, What is Indigo Children, Parenting Indigo Children, Adult Indigo, Indigo Children Channeling)

I was preparing supper for twenty-five people in the College of Metaphysics kitchen. Ki had been playing with "Gary", a newly-engaged 30-year-old who planned to half-jokingly have a dozen kids.

The time to serve the dishes had come. I turned from the stove to see Hezekiah coming toward me surrounded in a black cloud, eyes swimming in tears, a scowl on his face. Immediately, I held out my arms and lifting him in my arms I said, "What's happened?"

(See also: Indigo Children, What is Indigo Children, Parenting Indigo Children, Adult Indigo, Indigo Children Channeling)

Since he was born I have endeavored to faithfully record significant passages in Hezekiah's life. So far I have filled two notebook size journals with his life experiences and began a separate dream journal when he turned seven. I see this as part of the duty of being a parent. We are witness to the first steps the soul takes on the journey in this world.

(See also: Indigo Children, What is Indigo Children, Parenting Indigo Children, Adult Indigo, Indigo Children Channeling)

The Gift of Men was an act of the supreme being Iluvatar that set the race of Men apart from the Elves. While the race of Elves would know the most bliss and contentment and would conceive more beauty than any others of the Children of Iluvatar, it was decreed by this gift that Men would be the prime instruments of Iluvatar within Arda. Iluvatar willed that the spirits/hearts of Men are not content within Arda, and find no rest therein, and therefore seek beyond the world and its confines. They are not bound to the Circles of t ...

See also:

Gift of Men, Gift of Men - A Spiritual / Theological View of the Gift of Men, Gift of Men - Avoidance of the Gift of Men, Gift of Men - The Struggles of Men to Comprehend the Nature of the Gift

Read more here: » Gift of Men: Encyclopedia II - Gift of Men - A Spiritual / Theological View of the Gift of Men

Spiritual Gifts

The Christian doctrine that certain gifts are given by Jesus to his church. There are some that are obviously supernatural in the usage: speaking in tongues, discerning of spirits, healing, etc. There are others that are not so supernatural: administrations, help, admonition, etc.

There is debate over the continuance of the gifts. Some say that the gifts have ceased because we now have the Bible. They argue that the gifts were used for the building up the church during its beginning when the Bible was not complete. Since the Bible is complete there is no further need for the revelatory gifts like speaking in tongues and the interpretation of tongues. Others maintain that the gifts are all for today though to a lesser degree.

(See also: Spiritual Gifts, New Age Spirituality, Body Mind and Soul)

Spiritual Gifts

According to Christian doctrine, special abilities given by God to worthy believers. Every Christian has at least one

Following is a list of the gifts arranged in two groups.

• The first are gifts that require supernatural intervention and are possessed only by true Christians.
• The second are gifts that do not require supernatural intervention. Even non-Christians can have the second group of gifts.

A further issue is whether or not the gifts are still in use today. Some believe they ceased with the apostles and the completion of the writings of the Bible) and they are no longer needed for the building up of the body of Christ (Eph. 4: 12). Others believe the gifts are still in use but not in the pure apostolic sense. In other words, they are still in use but not in the same way possessed by the apostles. Instead, they are available to the believer if and when God decides it is beneficial to use them.

The first group of spiritual gifts are: Salvation, Word of Wisdom, Word of Knowledge, Faith, Healing, Miracles, Prophecy, Distinguishing of Spirits, Tongues, and Interpretation of Tongues.

The second group of spiritual gifts are: Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Giving, Leading, and Showing mercy.

(see Psychic Gifts)

(See also: Spiritual Gifts, New Age Spirituality, Body Mind and Soul)

Spiritual Gifts

According to Christian doctrine, special abilities given by God to worthy believers. Every Christian has at least one

Following is a list of the gifts arranged in two groups.

• The first are gifts that require supernatural intervention and are possessed only by true Christians.
• The second are gifts that do not require supernatural intervention. Even non-Christians can have the second group of gifts.

A further issue is whether or not the gifts are still in use today. Some believe they ceased with the apostles and the completion of the writings of the Bible) and they are no longer needed for the building up of the body of Christ (Eph. 4: 12). Others believe the gifts are still in use but not in the pure apostolic sense. In other words, they are still in use but not in the same way possessed by the apostles. Instead, they are available to the believer if and when God decides it is beneficial to use them.

The first group of spiritual gifts are: Salvation, Word of Wisdom, Word of Knowledge, Faith, Healing, Miracles, Prophecy, Distinguishing of Spirits, Tongues, and Interpretation of Tongues.

The second group of spiritual gifts are: Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Giving, Leading, and Showing mercy.

(see Psychic Gifts)

(See also: Spiritual Gifts, New Age Spirituality, Body Mind and Soul)

Charismatic Gifts

According to Christian doctrine, the special spiritual gifts given to members of the Christian church. They are for edifying and building up the church. They are: word of wisdom, word of knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, distinguishing of spirits, tongues, interpretation of tongues. Christians use the term to avoid using the term psychic.

(See also: Charismatic Gifts, New Age Spirituality, Body Mind and Soul)

gifts of the spirit

Inherent psychic abilities in all human beings

(See also: Gifts of the spirit, Body Mind and Soul)

The shadow of the first Dark Lord brought with it a perversion of the original intent of the Gift of Iluvatar, and brought fear out of hope, and tainted the Gift. Men began to fear and despise the gift, and began to view it not as liberation, but as damnation. It brought about in the race of Men a kind of self-loathing, and a denial of the basic nature of their being as the children of the All-Father Eru Iluvatar. Instead they viewed themselves as flawed in some way and sought to resist this very intrinsic nature of their creation. The result of such actions brought about much anguish on t ...

See also:

Gift of Men, Gift of Men - A Spiritual / Theological View of the Gift of Men, Gift of Men - Avoidance of the Gift of Men, Gift of Men - The Struggles of Men to Comprehend the Nature of the Gift

Read more here: » Gift of Men: Encyclopedia II - Gift of Men - Avoidance of the Gift of Men

A Christian theological definition of Charismatic Gifts according to CARM - The Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry:

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Charismatic Gifts

See also: Charismatic Gifts, Christianity, Body Mind and Soul)

For more dictionary entries, see » Spiritual Gifts Dictionary

When Mechtilde was seven years old, having been taken by her mother on a visit to her elder sister Gertrude, at that time a nun in the monastery of Rodardsdorf, she became so enamoured of the cloister that her pious parents yielded to her requests and, acknowledging the workings of grace, allowed her to enter the alumnate. Here, being highly gifted in mind as well as in body, she made remarkable progress in virtue and learning. Ten years later (1258) she followed her sister, who, now abbess, had transferred the monastery to an estate ...

See also:

St. Mechtilde, St. Mechtilde - Birth and Baptism, St. Mechtilde - Early Life, St. Mechtilde - Musical and Spiritual Gifts, St. Mechtilde - The book of her Revelations, St. Mechtilde - St. Mechtilde in Dante's Pergatorio

Read more here: » St. Mechtilde: Encyclopedia II - St. Mechtilde - Early Life