Theory Dictionary

Foot Reflexology: An ancient cousin of acupuncture. It involves pressing reflex areas on the feet. Its principle is that these areas correspond to organs and systems of the body. Foot Reflexology really cleanses the mind and body and revitalizes energy. A common theory of reflexology holds that massaging certain areas of the feet restores health by breaking up and dispersing crystals.

(See also: Foot Reflexology , Body Mind and Soul, Alternative Health, Alternative Health Dictionary)

Aleister Crowley

(1875Ð1947) An English magician and Occultist. Crowley was known for sex magic, homosexual rituals, and a fascination with drugs, blood and torture. Headed the British branch of Ordo Templi Orientis (OTO), founded the Abbey of Thelema at Cefalu in Sicily. Author of Diary of a Drug Fiend and Magick in Theory and Practice

(See also: Aleister Crowley , New Age Spirituality, Body Mind and Soul)

Christian Fundamentalism

Fundamentalism is a Protestant view that affirms the absolute and unerring authority of the Bible, rules out a scientific or critical study of the scriptures, denies the theory of evolution, and holds that alternate religious views within Christianity or outside are false.

A Bible conference of conservative Protestants at Niagara, New York, in 1895 affirmed five doctrinal points that were later named the "five fundamentals":

• the verbal inerrancy of scripture,
• the divinity of Jesus,
• the virgin birth,
• the substitutionary atonement, and
• Jesus' bodily resurrection and physical return.

Although these points do not include all the elements of Protestant fundamentalism, they are regularly present in fundamentalist views.

A series of volumes entitled The Fundamentals by American, Canadian, and British writers (1910-15) carried the discussion further by attacking Catholic doctrine, Christian Science, Mormon teachings, Darwin's theory of evolution, and liberal theology's critical study of the Bible and denial of miracles. In 1920 C. L. Laws used the term fundamentalist in the Baptist Watchman-Examiner to identify these views. In the North during the 1920s and following, Presbyterians and Baptists, among others, were torn by controversies over fundamentalism. From this struggle came institutions like Westminster Theological Seminary (1929) and new denominations such as the Orthodox Presbyterian Church and the Conservative Baptist Association of America (1947).

Interdenominational organizations were also formed, e. g. , the American Council of Christian Churches (1941, to offset the National Council of Churches) and the National Association of Evangelicals (1942). By the 1950s, Neo-Orthodox theology with its emphasis on biblical revelation had changed the theological situation from a standoff between fundamentalists and liberals by developing a middle ground between them. Since the more militant fundamentalist leaders had settled into their own organizations by then, the basis for intragroup fights lessened, and the controversy waned. With the political swing to the Right in the 1980s fundamentalist voices found new support. Attacks on evolution and liberal scholarship fell into the background as some fundamentalists emphasized more positive themes such as conversion, personal and social morality, and a right-wing political agenda. In other groups, however, attacks on nonfundamentalist scholarship came with new vigor. Fundamentalism is characteristically evangelistic. Some ministries combine evangelism with healing.

Premillennialism, the view that Jesus will return to earth in visible form and establish a thousand-year kingdom, has frequently been an aspect of the fundamentalist movement. Finally, since the Scopes trial (1925) fundamentalism has waged a war against contemporary science, particularly the theory of evolution. Scientific creationism is one form of the attack. In an attempt to harmonize Genesis 1 and certain scientific arguments, this school holds, for example, that the geologic layers of the earth cannot be used to support the vast time sequences of standard earth science because the catastrophic flood of Noah's day was the source of much of the layering. Core beliefs of the movement are virtually identical with evangelical Christianity.

Some fundamentalists, however, later distinguished themselves from evangelicals (or neo-evangelicals) whom they saw as too compromising and ecumenical. The term ÒfundamentalistÓ is a synonym for one who is narrow-minded, bigoted, antiintellectual or divisive.

(See also: Christian Fundamentalism , New Age Spirituality, Body Mind and Soul)

nonhuman birth: The phenomenon of the soul being born as nonhuman life forms, explained in various scriptures.

For example, Saint Manikkavasagar's famous hymn (Tiruvasagam 8.14):

"I became grass and herbs, worm and tree. I became many beasts, bird and snake. I became stone and man, goblins and sundry celestials. I became mighty demons, silent sages and the Gods. Taken form in life, moveable and immovable, born in all, I am weary of birth, my Great Lord."

The Upanishads, too, describe the soul's course after death and later taking a higher or lower birth according to its merit or demerit of the last life (Kaush. U. 1.2, ‚hand. U. 5.35.10, Brihad. U. 6.2).

These statements are sometimes misunderstood to mean that each soul must slowly, in sequential order incarnate as successively higher beings, beginning with the lowest organism, to finally obtain a human birth. In fact, as the Upanishads explain, after death the soul, reaching the inner worlds, reaps the harvest of its deeds, is tested and then takes on the appropriate incarnation - be it human or nonhuman - according to its merit or demerit.

Souls destined for human evolution are human-like from the moment of their creation in the Sivaloka. This is given outer expression in the Antarloka and Bhuloka, on earth or other similar planets, as the appropriate sheaths are developed. However, not all souls are human souls. There are many kinds of souls, such as genies, elementals and certain Gods, who evolve toward God through different patterns of evolution than do humans.

One cause of unclarity is to confuse the previously mentioned scriptural passages with the theory of biological evolution developed by Charles Darwin (1809 -1882), which states that plant and animal species develop or evolve from earlier forms due to hereditary transmission of variations that enhance the organism's adaptability and chances of survival. These principles are now considered the kernel of biology. Modern scientists thus argue that the human form is a development from earlier primates, including apes and monkeys.

The Darwinian theory is reasonable but incomplete as it is based in a materialistic conception of reality that does not encompass the existence of the soul. While the Upanishadic evolutionary vision speaks of the soul's development and progress through reincarnation, the Darwinian theory focuses on evolution of the biological organism, with no relation to a soul or individual being.

See: evolution of the soul, kosha, reincarnation, soul.

(See also: Nonhuman birth , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Materialism In the rigid philosophical sense, any theory which considers the facts of the universe to be sufficiently explained by the existence and nature of matter. A familiar form of this is what has been called the atomo-mechanical theory, which derives all phenomena from the movements of material atoms in space. The philosophical definition of materialism differs according to the meaning of the word matter; as for instance, when we limit matter by no physical attributes or implications alone, but

See in it the sevenfold prakritis or pradhanas of Hindu philosophers and mystics, matter is then seen to be but a name for the veil or shadow of spirit -- the other side of spirit as it were. This distinction makes materialism but a synonym for spiritualism -- i.e., the profound philosophic theory that the universe is built throughout, from and of the substances and attributes of spirit, which become matter in its innumerable and manifold forms and phases on the lower cosmic planes. What physicists have been calling matter is a percept derived from the interaction of the physical senses with the physical plane of prakriti or nature.

Matter is one of the twin aspects of universal life, coeternal with spirit and indeed spirit's veil or vehicle, and hence is present on every plane of manifestation, from the highest to the lowest. When the manifested One of a universe is considered as a unit or unity, it is called the First or Unmanifest Logos; when it is considered as a duality it is called the Manifest-Unmanifested or Second Logos, and is spirit-matter or life, spirit being its positive pole and matter its negative. Matter is everywhere the vehicle of spirit, and in matter inhere the attributes which spirit expresses in it. Hence materialism, in this sense, would define the whole theosophic philosophy.

The history of philosophy presents a rivalry of schools where materialism is contrasted with idealism, but all these rival schools originated outside of the Mysteries of the sanctuary, although many if not all contain substantial elements of occult verities. The attempt entirely to separate the notions of spirit and matter, of mind and body, of noumenon and phenomenon, results in futility and confusion; a purely ideal world is as unreal as a purely material one.

Materialism, however, stands commonly for an attitude of mind which exalts sense-life, together with its appropriate species of intellectualism, into a summum bonum; and which strives to devise a philosophy that will justify such an attitude. It is an attitude towards life consisting of mental and emotional attachment to externals, to the senses, and to reasoning based on sensory perceptions; and a corresponding neglect and denial of real values. This kind of materialism undermines morals by substituting self-interest or expediency for an innate moral sense, as the basis for conduct. It places illusory power in the hands of man, while at the same time depriving him of his real power of penetrating discrimination, and hence of his ability while under this illusion to use the powers of nature aright.

(See also: Materialism , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary)

Polarity Therapy (Polarity, polarity balancing, Polarity Energy Balancing, Polarity Energy Balancing system, polarity energy healing, polarity healing, polarity system, Polarity techniques, Polarity Wellness): Eclectic natural health care system originated by Austrian-born Randolph Stone, D.C., D.O., N.D. (1890-1982), and based primarily on Ayurvedic principles.

It includes basic Polarity counseling, cranial balancing (see CranioSacral Therapy), guided imagery, hydrotherapy, Polarity bodywork, Polarity dream counseling, Polarity evaluation, Polarity nutrition, Polarity reflexology, Polarity Yoga, and spinal balancing.

Its principle is that balancing the flow of energy in the body is the foundation of health. According to its theory, the top and right side of the body have a positive charge, and the feet and the left side of the body have a negative charge. Thus, practitioners place their right hand on negatively charged parts of the client's body, and their left hand on positively charged parts. Polarity theory also posits a cleanable cellular memory.

(See also: Polarity Therapy , Body Mind and Soul, Alternative Health, Alternative Health Dictionary)

bioenergetics

1. (Bioenergetic Analysis, bioenergetic method): Offshoot of Reichian Therapy developed by psychiatrist Alexander Lowen (b. 1910), author of Language of the Body (1958). Its theory posits bioenergy (life energy), and its principle is that all bodily cells record emotional or energetic reactions.

Practionars hold that such cellular memories are adaptable to healing and consciousness-raising, and that patients can release them by crying, screaming, and kicking. Practitioners may be called bioenergeticists.

2. Science practiced by former boxing instructor Yefim Shubentsov, called The Russian and The Mad Russian. It is a treatment for phobias, addiction, bulimia, overeating, pain, migraines, and hearing deficiency. According to its theory, such problems are remediable through effects on the patient's force fields.

(See also: Bioenergetics , Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)

evolution of the soul: Adhyatma prasara.

In Saiva Siddhanta, the soul's evolution is a progressive unfoldment, growth and maturing toward its inherent, divine destiny, which is complete merger with Siva. In its essence, each soul is ever perfect. But as an individual soul body emanated by God Siva, it is like a small seed yet to develop. As an acorn needs to be planted in the dark underground to grow into a mighty oak tree, so must the soul unfold out of the darkness of the malas to full maturity and realization of its innate oneness with God.

The soul is not created at the moment of conception of a physical body. Rather, it is created in the Sivaloka. It evolves by taking on denser and denser sheaths-cognitive, instinctive-intellectual and pranic-until finally it takes birth in physical form in the Bhuloka. Then it experiences many lives, maturing through the reincarnation process. Thus, from birth to birth, souls learn and mature. Evolution is the result of experience and the lessons derived from it. There are young souls just beginning to evolve, and old souls nearing the end of their earthly sojourn. In Saiva Siddhanta, evolution is understood as the removal of fetters which comes as a natural unfoldment, realization and expression of one's true, self-effulgent nature. This ripening or dropping away of the soul's bonds (mala) is called malaparipaka.

The realization of the soul nature is termed svanubhuti (experience of the Self). Self Realization leads to moksha, liberation from the three malas and the reincarnation cycles. Then evolution continues in the celestial worlds until the soul finally merges fully and indistinguishably into Supreme God Siva, the Primal Soul, Parameshvara. In his Tirumantiram, Rishi Tirumular calls this merger vishvagrasa, "total absorption. The evolution of the soul is not a linear progression, but an intricate, circular, many-faceted mystery. Nor is it at all encompassed in the Darwinian theory of evolution, which explains the origins of the human form as descended from earlier primates.

See: Darwin's theory, mala, moksha, reincarnation, samsara, vishvagrasa.

(See also: Evolution of the soul , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

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

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Evolution

See also: Evolution , Christianity, Body Mind and Soul

Apperception Perception involving self-consciousness; cognition through the relating of new ideas to familiar ideas. Used by Leibniz to denote a stage higher or more subtle than perception.

The impressions received through perception are apprehended by the mind and are related to other impressions which the memory holds, so that complex ideas are formed. Apperception may be called perception accompanied by awareness and an interpretative power.

In contrast to the theory that the higher faculties of mind are built up synthetically from the lower, Leibniz's views support the theory that the intuitive or original inner powers are primary. "Nascent apperception, which is the Mahat of the lower kingdoms, especially developed in the third order of Elementals . . . (is) succeeded by the objective kingdom of minerals, in which latter that apperception is entirely latent, to re-develop only in the plants"; and "that which is meant by 'animals,' in primary Creation, is the germ of awakening consciousness or of apperception, that which is faintly traceable in some sensitive plants on Earth and more distinctly in the protistic monera. . . . Neither plant nor animal, but an existence between the two" (SD 1:454-5&n; cf ET 940).

(See also: Apperception , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

Phlogiston [from Greek phlog fire]

In the 17th century modern chemistry was in process of birth and alchemical ideas still survived, particularly those of the four elements and of the triad of sulphur, salt, and mercury. Stahl (1660-1734) enumerated four elements -- water, acid, earth, phlogiston; and the phlogiston theory was elaborated by Priestley (1733-1804).

All combustible bodies, it was said, contain phlogiston, and when they are burnt the phlogiston leaves its latent state and escapes from the body in the form of heat and light, leaving behind the ash or dephlogisticated residue. For example, magnesium gives out its phlogiston in an intense light and an inert ash is left. But later chemistry banished the imponderables, and formulated a physical system composed of ponderable matter and energy.

Accordingly, when it was shown that the ash weighs more than the original substance, the phlogiston theory was abandoned, and in its place came abstract and indefinite conceptions quite as difficult of explanation as was the phlogiston theory itself, which may be grouped under the general term energy, and include heat, light, chemical energy, etc.

The more recent progress of science has proved that the atomo-mechanical system, the representation of the physical world as divisible into matter and energy, or mass and motion, however useful in interpreting molar physics and facilitating practical applications, does not suffice for an interpretation of the intra-molecular world. The distinction between matter (or mass) and energy has become obliterated.

The Mahatma Letters state that phlogiston is the lowest and densest form of a universal essence and serves as the vehicle for dhyanis of a corresponding degree (p. 56); and the name is also given to the magnetic electric aura of the photosphere (p. 164). The idea of phlogiston overlaps that of caloric, with which is it sometimes confused.

(See also: Phlogiston , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

Sex, Sexual Dreams

Dreams of sex and looking for sexual meaning in dreams is something of a pastime for dream interpreters. Often, you don't have to look very far. Sexual content, feelings of love, flirtation, attraction and nocturnal rendezvous are often very explicit in dreams.

Sexual meaning has long been a first path of inquiry in dream interpretation. This is due, in part, to the significant contributions of Sigmund Freud to the area of dream interpretation. However, interpreting the sexual content of dreams can be difficult. University studies reveal significant differences in how men and women dream about sex. However, when all is said and done, almost everyone is 'doing it' in dreamland.

How much?

Sex during dreaming is reported as a topic of at least 12 per cent of male dreams and four per cent of female dreams. This discrepancy is generally consistent with our waking sex drives, with men doing much more thinking about the topic than women. (It is said that men think about sex far more than 12 per cent of their waking lives, though.) In his book Finding the Meaning in Dreams, G. William Dumhoff reveals some interesting data about the manifestation of sex in dreams:

Men

Participating 93%

Watching 7%

Women

Participating 68%

Watching 32%

This table indicates that women often separate themselves from what is going on in the dream sexually, whereas men see themselves as participants. This can be significant to understanding why it is more common for men - particularly boys - to have orgasms in the dream state than it is for women. It also reveals the conflict that many women feel about the good-girl/bad-girl taboo.

Aside from overt sexual activities in dreams, the question of sexual images and symbols as they occur in dreams is important. Because sexuality is often cloaked in a heavy shroud of secrecy, either through childhood or throughout life, the subconscious is prone to represent sex in a variety of ways visually. Freud, in his theory of the sexually driven personality, contributed much to this line of thought.

Source: iVillage, http://www.ivillage.co.uk

(See also: Dream Archives, Meaning of Dreams, Dream Interpretation, Dream Dictionary, Dream Dictionary - Sex, Sexual Dreams , Meaning of Dreams about Sex, Sexual Dreams , Dream Interpretation Sex, Sexual Dreams )

Ayurvedic nutrition (Ayurvedic diet): Nutritional phase of Ayurveda. It involves eating according to

(a)           one's body type and

(b)          the season.

The activity of the doshas - three bodily humors, dynamic forces, or spirits that possess - determines one's body type. In Ayurveda, body types number seven, eight, or ten, and seasons traditionally number six. Each two-month season corresponds to a dosha; for example, the two seasons that correspond to the dosha named Pitta (see Raktamoksha) constitute the period of mid-March through mid-July. But some proponents enumerate three seasons: summer (when pitta predominates), autumn, and winter (the season of kapha); or Vata season (fall and winter), Kapha season (spring), and Pitta season (summer).

According to Ayurvedic theory, one should lessen one's intake of foods that increase (aggravate) the ascendant dosha.

(See also: Ayurvedic nutrition , Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)

Singular Point Used in mathematics in contradistinction to an ordinary point or Euclid's point, without length, breadth, or thickness.

The singular point is made by the intersection of two lines, at the apex of a cone, where a decreasing magnitude reaches zero, the node of a vibration, or when something passes from one state to another. Sir James Jeans, in Astronomy and Cosmogony, says: "The type of conjecture which presents itself, somewhat insistently, is that the centers of the nebulae are of the nature of 'singular points,' at which matter is poured into our universe from some other, and entirely extraneous, spatial dimension, so that, to a denizen of our universe, they appear as points at which matter is being continually created."

This suggests that he avoids the idea that matter can be created, and resorts to a fourth-dimensional theory to explain its mysterious appearance. In theosophical philosophy, physical matter is formed or deposited from ultraphysical matter, as energy-substance passing from one plane to another, so there is no need to resort to a fourth-dimensional theory.

(See also: Singular Point , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary)

JIN SHIN DO

Developed by psychotherapist Iona Marsaa Teeguarden, Jin Shin Do combines gentle, yet deep finger pressure on acu-points with simple body focusing techniques to release physical and emotional tension. The client determines the depth of the pressure.

Jin Shin Do promotes a pleasurable, trancelike state during which the recipient can get in touch with the body and access feelings or emotions related to the physical condition. This body/mind approach, performed on the fully-clothed client, is a synthesis of a traditional Japanese acupressure technique, classic Chinese acupuncture theory, Taoist yogic philosophy and breathing methods, and Reichian segmental theory. The client lies on her back on a massage table while the practitioner holds “local points” in tension areas together with related “distal points,” which help the armored places to release more easily and deeply. A typical session is about 11?2 hours.

Jin Shin Do acupressure is effective in helping relieve tension and fatigue, stress-related headaches and gastro-intestinal problems, back and shoulder pain, eye strain, menstrual and menopausal imbalances, sinus pain, and allergies. (With medical problems, the client is asked to consult a doctor.) Over a period of 10 or more sessions, armoring is progressively released in the head, neck, shoulders, chest, diaphragm, abdomen, pelvis, and legs.

After sessions, clients typically feel deeply relaxed and may even feel euphoric. If the client is responsive, there will be significantly less tension and pain together with an increased sense of well-being for hours or days. This response will tend to extend after further sessions. In the case of chronic fatigue, initially the client may feel more tired after a session, because the body is demanding rest. It is advisable to schedule sessions with time to rest and relax afterward. On the other hand, Jin Shin Do can be used before athletic events to improve performance, for horses as well as for people. “The Way of the Compassionate Spirit” is based on the eight “Strange Flows” that regulate the entire body/mind energy.

(See also: JIN SHIN DO , Alternative Health, Massage, Bodywork, Body Mind and Soul)

A Christian theological definition of Intermediate state according to CARM - The Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry:

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Intermediate state

See also: Intermediate state , Christianity, Body Mind and Soul

Poltergeist

(German - rattling ghost"} The term is applied to a variety of invisible entities which manifest in an unruly and disturbing manner, often involving unexplained noises, the moving or throwing of objects, vile smells, strange shrieks, as well as such curious phenomena as apports. While some occurrences may appear to involve actual spirits or ghosts, the disturbances may also derive from subconscious psychokinesis on the part of an individual.

Poltergeist phenomena have been reported around the world throughout history. Before the nineteenth century, these occurrences were blamed on the Devil, demons and witches. In the 1930s the psychologist and psychic researcher Nandor Fodor suggested the theory that poltergeist disturbances were caused not by spirits but by individuals suffering intense repressed anger, sexual frustration, and hostility. This psychological dysfunction theory has been supported by other research indicating that in a significant number of reported disturbances, the agent was a child or teenager possibly unconsciously unleashing hostility without fear of punishment.

Psychological profiles of agents show that mental and emotional stress, personality disorders, phobias, obsessive behavior and schizophrenia are linked to supposed poltergeist phenomena, and in some cases psychotherapy has eliminated the poltergeist disturbances.

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

Idealism Philosophical systems based fundamentally on consciousness, as contrasted with systems based on sensation or materialism. It affirms that the universe is an imbodiment of mind or, as stated by theosophy, the aggregated imbodiments of hierarchies of minds proceeding from a unitary divine root or universal hierarch.

It states that reality is essentially divine, spiritual, or noumenal and, on a lower plane, that the psychic is noumenal to the physical, which is its phenomenon. As a theory of knowledge, idealism identifies reality, so far as humankind is concerned, with inner conscious experience, or asserts that the mental life alone is truly knowable.

Subjective idealism denies the existence of objective reality altogether, except perhaps as illusory, as for instance in the views of Berkeley. Objective idealism, such as the system of Schelling, recognizes the existence of objective worlds while regarding the ideal world as the primary production and paramount: the external world has a relative and temporary or mayavi reality. This latter view is the only strictly logical one; for if we annihilate the object, we must thereby annihilate the subject also, these two terms having no meaning except relatively to each other.

In any theory of knowledge, there must be knower and thing known; and the latter is objective to the former. Absolute idealism logically is as unthinkable as is absolute materialism.

See also MAYA

(See also: Idealism , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

Tibetan medicine (Amchi, Emchi): A largely allopathic system that stems from Ayurveda, Bon (see Bon shamanic practices), Chinese medicine, and Unani.

Tibetan medicine encompasses acupuncture and moxibustion and heals both the physical and the psychic being. Its theory posits reincarnation, evil spirits, tutelary gods, and three physiological principles (bodily energies): wind, bile (gall), and phlegm.

According to Tibetan medical theory, karma strongly influences 101 disorders caused by afflictive emotions (e.g., desire or hatred); another 101 disorders caused by such emotions involve spirits (harmful unseen forces); and it is appropriate to expose certain medical substances to the light of the full moon. The terms Tibetan medicine and Tibetan Buddhist Medicine appear synonymous.

(See also: Tibetan medicine , Body Mind and Soul, Alternative Health, Alternative Health Dictionary)

Kriya Yoga (Kriya): Ancient yogic method rediscovered, renamed, expounded, and revived by Babaji, the guru of Lahiri Mahasaya. Lahiri Mahasaya popularized it in modern India, and Paramahansa Yogananda (1893-1952) advanced it in the United States.

Kriya theory posits apana (eliminating current), prana (the life force), an omniscient spiritual eye, and the transmutation of oxygen atoms into life current.

(See also: Kriya Yoga , Body Mind and Soul, Alternative Health, Alternative Health Dictionary)

spiritual healing: A form of channeling and energy medicine (vibrational medicine) that involves the transference (commonly through the hands) of healing energy from its spiritual source to one who needs help. Its theory posits a spiritual body.

(See also: Spiritual healing , Body Mind and Soul, Alternative Health, Alternative Health Dictionary)