All posts by Shawn Murphy

Commentaries

Book Review: Journey of Souls: Case Studies of Life Between Lives by Michael Newman

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I have read many books on the afterlife, ghosts, and the spiritual world and find Journey of Souls: Case Studies of Life Between Lives lacking for two main reasons:

1) The therapist, Michael Newman, asks too many leading questions in his case studies. He allows his own view of the afterlife to taint the reports from the subjects. For example: he tells his patients that souls are androgynous balls of light, when the subjects are describing male and female being.

2) Newman generalizes too much, based on the limited data that he has collected. Although he does not admit this in the book, he has a very strong sample bias to his cases. This leads him to make statements like: “all souls choose the life they will live.” This may be true for the patients of Newman, who were enlightened enough to seek out his assurance. There is a large percentage of people living today that have not gained any self-awareness that would lead them to seek out Newman. Thus, a sample bias that excludes the subjects who had not said in the conditions of their current lifetime.

I would suggest people to read a more board set of case studies in the book Life After Life from Beatrice Brunner who channeled these souls which were recorded before a live audience. There are 13 additional cases posted on Quora.

Material and Ethereal, Reviews

New review of Torn Between Two Worlds – Material and Ethereal

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In summation,  this book covers many controversial viewpoints but backs them up in a logical fashion.  The end of the book suggests several resources to understand better the foundations for Murphy’s theses.  Mark Twain’s thoughts on Joan of Arc, who took command of the King’s army at seventeen, are particularly enlightening.  Walther Hinz’s work is intriguing as well. Overall, I rate the book and its theories and supporting references a fascinating read at the very least. Murphy has put his work in and should be commended for the amount of research and supporting documentation he provides in this book with his research and supporting documentation.

 

 

Reviews

Torn Between Two Worlds – Editorial Review

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While this book does not claim to have all the answers, it effectively points readers toward a direction where they might be able to ask the right questions. Packed with facts, logic, and compelling anecdotes, this is a body of work that will start conversations and generate discussions among those who read it. Its unbiased exploration of the relationship between that which is known and unknown will ensure that it is appreciated by both scientists and philosophers alike, and even more so by those who share the author’s belief that one simply cannot exist without the other.

via Torn Between Two Worlds – Editorial Review

Interviews

Interview: The Big Question

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Josh Okello invited me back on his show and he entitled the episode “The Big Question” where we talked about transmigration of souls, reincarnation and life after death. We also discussed my writings on Quora where I have been answering many questions related to the three books I have written.

We talk about the most popular question that I have answered so far, and that is about the story of Eve being made from Adam’s rib. As with many of the stories in the bible, this is of a nonmaterial nature. God did not wrap earth around a rib He took from Adam, but rather He took a physical body and ensouled it with one of the false ribs – the fallen pair of Elders (Rev 4:4). God put this symbolism into man’s body – showing the 24 elders, and only fourteen of them are connected to Jesus (the sternum).

We discussed the flood as how it fits into earth’s history. The abrupt global warming, that occurred around 8,500 BC, flooded the inhabited delta regions and wiped out those who were not prepared for the rising waters. But Noah, a spiritual pioneer in the plan of this benevolent force, was saved. This was like burning the dry brush away to allow the tender green roots of virtue to take hold.

In addition, we spoke about the plan of salvation, which is not spoken of in any religion. The concept is that each one of us is a fallen angel, and this material world was created for us to regain our virtues and overcome our vices in an unperceivably slow process of rebirth. I have explained this in the books and also in a post on Quora called How can God’s work of salvation be summarized?

Commentaries

Torn Between Two Worlds answers many common questions on Quora

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Since the release of my trilogy, I have been answering common questions posted on Quora addressed by my books. Over 4,700 questions have been answered and these have received over 3.5 million views. There seems to be a hunger for logic and reason that both religions and science are having difficulty delivering. Below are the questions I have answered that are of most interest to readers.

Although the old Testament reveals women were made from Adam’s rib, what is the actuality now known by science?

Do birthmarks have a spiritual meaning?

Do we reincarnate instantly after we die? Or do we end up in some kind of limbo waiting for years and years until it’s the right time to reincarnate?

How is it that the pyramids were build 12,000 BC and Adam and Eve came about 8000 BC?

What is the true story of Lucifer and the fallen angels?

Why do ‘ghosts’ never talk about going to heaven and what that is like or about God?

Please visit my profile for these and many other questions with the perspective presented in Torn Between Two Worlds.

Inspiration, Material and Ethereal

The Discovery – thoughts on life after death

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I was looking to forward to this film to see how they handle the topic that I discuss in my third book – Torn Between Two Worlds: Material and Ethereal. I was quickly disappointed in the first scene, where the discovery of life after death turns into a call for mass suicides. But then when I thought about it further, I realized that this might be a logical conclusion with no guiding philosophy. The conclusion drawn is that death is like “pushing the reset button” on life. In my book, I lay out some research into the consequences of the lifestyle on the type of after life that could follow such a life. There is an indication in the research that a suicide has dramatic consequences, including the theory that the next life could present the same issues that one is attempting to escape.

The second thing that stood out for me was a quote by Thomas (Robert Redford). He said, “Faith, oh god, I have such contempt for that word. Show me someone who relies on faith, and I’ll show you someone who has given up control over whatever it is that they believe.” This shows me how misunderstood faith is in the scientific community. Einstein was one of the few scientists that understood the importance of faith. He once said that he has faith in the nobility of nature. Science needs to relearn this trait if they are to successfully unravel some of nature’s secrets.

I often tell friends that they need to learn to have faith in themselves. By looking at all that one has been able to overcome already in life, should reassure one that they can handle anything life throws at them in the future – have faith instead of fear. This is faith based on a logical assessment of one’s accomplishments. No one should be ashamed of having faith in themselves or, like Einstein, in the beauty of nature.

Interviews

Discussion on Periscope with Josh Okello

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Josh Okello invited me to join his show on Friday night to discuss the trilogy Torn Between Two Worlds. After having read the first book, Josh had a wide range of questions about the nature of reality and truth, the origin of the universe, and more philosophical concepts that stretched the breadth of my three books. I look forward to continuing the conversation with Josh and his twitter followers.

In this discussion, I hope I was able to make the point that any theory of our universe and its creation needs to encompass much more than scientific realities. It must be able to explain:

  • the anomalies that science ignores,
  • the common perceptions of people with clairvoyant gifts,
  • commonalities in near-death and out-of-body experiences,
  • the shared experiences researchers have with ghosts,
  • the multitude of religious beliefs, and
  • the wide variety of human life experiences/tragedies.

Ideally, this theory should also answer the three basic questions of human existence:

  • Where do we come from?
  • Why are we here?
  • Where are we going?

The theory of human existence philosophy

 

Inspiration

New insights into addiction from beyond the veil

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I start with this account from the late 19th century, not for its time period, but for the level of enlightenment of the deceased. He is a self-proclaimed egotist, and the ethereal world that he describes is fitting to his character. I imagine it on the one hand as the wild west, due to its amount of lawlessness, and like a ghetto on the other hand, due to its run-down and dirty appearance.

This is a fascinating story to read after having read Wickland’s work, because it complements the knowledge he imparts. Franchezzo explains how he and other ethereal beings in this wild west influence weak-willed humans. After death, an addict is still an addict, so they seek out humans that they can connect with to experience the “high” of their addiction. They accomplish this through temporary possession. For example, a deceased alcoholic will search out weak-willed drinkers and encourage them to keep drinking so that he can enjoy the ethereal essence of the alcohol and the intoxicating feeling experienced by the drinker.

We also find from this story that the deceased are encouraged to improve their base thinking and strive for virtue. Benevolent beings visit these lower regions and encourage the residents to consider a path of redemption, a nobler path. Though, as in the material world, free will is respected and no one is forced to change their ways, until they are incarnated again in the material world.

Inspiration

Heal Thyself: Modern Science has not changed much in a century

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After nearly one hundred years, the success rate of treating mental heath ailments has progressed little. In his book, Heal Thyself, Dr. Edward Bach discusses the variability of results from the various treatments available at his time. He was disturbed by the lack of consistency in treating the symptoms. A similar situation exists today with results from pharmaceuticals, eastern medicine, acupuncture and various energy healing techniques, including Dr. Bach’s own Bach Flower Remedies.

The theme of my trilogy, Torn Between Two Worlds, is to highlight scientific anomalies that are not currently understood with a materialistic viewpoint and to suggest a holistic approach that can help to encourage researchers to look at other factors not currently part of their experiments. In the case of Bach, this is the logical step he took. He boldly named his book Heal Thyself because he truly believed that it is the patient who knows the most about the underlying causes of their ailments, they just need to be empowered in order to treat themselves.

It seems logical to me that when anomalous results exist, that there are more variables involved in the solution to consider. Currently, medical professionals are discouraged from looking for non-materialistic factors and non-materialistic results. Dr. Bach went out into nature and discovered thirty-six essences that are effective in treating the sources of many ailments such as anxiety, depression, and mental distress. These essences are of an ethereal nature. They are the direct transfer of the flower’s essence into water using sunlight and contain no material components. There are other similar studies that have come to the same conclusion, notably Dr. Emoto’s use of Hado water in treating similar ailments.