Mindblogging

I had long ago gotten tired of tripping over our dog when it was time to feed him. So rather than have him harassing us, he now sits quietly next to his bowl while we fetch his food. Being a Labrador retriever he is prone to fits of exuberance, though usually he can sit still long enough to earn his food. Last night he was particularly good at waiting, and I felt he needed to know that.

I began to heavily praise him for his efforts and as I did, the idea popped into my head that his performance had earned him an extra doggie treat. Well the next thing I know, the dog is all over Kelly as she put clothes in the clothes dryer, which just happens to be directly below where we keep the dog treats! He was in the sitting position facing her, with his ears perked up, exactly like he does when he’s expecting a treat. It was enough to make Kelly burst out laughing but it left me scratching my head.
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I was stuck in traffic during this afternoon’s commute, so I thought I’d give a call to Kelly and let her know I would be running late. As I dialed the phone I decided to try to visualize what we were having for dinner. At no point during our call did either one of us ever mention dinner.

Soon the taste of Mexican food filled my imagination. I could taste the beans and meat to the point that my mouth began to water.

When I arrived home, I was quite happy to see I was correct! Much to my delight, Kelly was busy making soft tacos.

I need to try more of these psychic games. I bet I’ll get better at them the more I do.

Looks like another case of mindreading took place at home yesterday, this time between me and my son, Travis. It was lunchtime and we were both in the kitchen. Travis was at the table with his back to me, playing with his Legos. I was puttering around the kitchen, lazily putting my lunch together.

As a switch from my usual drink, I poured myself a glass of milk. As I did, I thought about the milk in the coffee machine at my office. I get a latte from that machine each morning and I was thinking about a comment a coworker had once made to me that the milk in the machine was not skim milk, but 2% milk instead.

I turned around to pour the milk when Travis confidently announced “Daddy, that’s skim milk.”
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Richard Bach said “argue for your limitations and sure enough, they’re yours.”

After posting my story on meditation and Dr. Larry Dossey, I found this rather nasty thread at the Huffington Post regarding an excerpt of Dr. Dossey’s book. The skeptics weigh in with their predictable arguments, repeating the tired but incorrect mantra that no evidence exists.

This used to really annoy me, but I’ve come to an understanding about it. Basically, what other people think about psi doesn’t change my psi ability one whit, so I will pay it no mind. They can go on merrily believing it does not exist. That does not change the fact that it does occur for me and thousands (if not millions) of others.

Let them believe it’s impossible to see the future. Let them believe one can’t read another’s mind. Let them believe they’re secure in their worlds. No need to upset the apple cart.

It is not my role to show skeptics the error of their ways. Maybe they’ll eventually catch on, but that’s not important to me anymore. I have far too many more interesting things to do with my time.

Author Stacy Horn was interviewed by Frank Stasio on WUNC’s The State of Things two months ago to discuss her new book Unbelievable, which is a history of the Rhine Center. Horn provided many good stories from her research and did well in presenting the topic. She made it sound far more exciting than it probably was (imagine staring at Zener cards, day in and day out)!

Stacy is as engaging in person as she is on the radio. If you get a chance to hear her speak about her book or her research, don’t pass it up!

I took the kids for a hike around a new nature preserve north of the city. We walked the perimeter of the property under the cool shade of hardwoods and pines. As we hiked along over tree trunks and leaves, we got into a rhythm and I let my mind wander a bit. Looking down as I chose my footsteps, a thought crossed my mind that it might be wise to watch for poison ivy.

Instantly, Hallie’s voice piped up from behind me. “We should watch for poison ivy!” she cheerfully declared.

I chuckled all the way back home, thinking how Hallie seemed to have read my mind once again!

I got an email today from the Lucidity Institute. As you may know, I’m a fan and practicer of lucid dreaming. I’m also interested in OBEs though its been years since I can claim to have had one or anything remotely similar. In the Lucidity email was a link to a paper Lynne Levitan and Dr. LaBerge wrote in 1990. Titled “Out-Of-Body Experiences and Lucid Dreaming,” Levitan and LaBerge attempt to brand OBEs as nothing more than dreams.
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Yesterday afternoon, I toured a local business which makes digital video recorders for police cars. At dinner last night I spoke to Kelly about my meeting, though never did I ever mention anything about police, as Kelly was already familiar with the business. My conversation was limited to my interactions with the person I met there.

Travis was largely silent during my talk with Kelly. During a lull in the conversation, a moment of reflection, he jumped in with a comment seemingly apropos of nothing.

“I want to be a police officer when I grow up,” he said almost to himself.

I marveled at what appeared to have just happened. Thinking quickly back, I confirmed that I never mentioned police, though I realized I had been subconsciously thinking about the gear I’d seen and its purpose. He didn’t seem to be trying to hijack the conversation, nor did he seem particularly pushy with his comment – it simply spilled out of his mouth.

While its true Travis often talks about becoming a police officer, the timing of this particular comment strikes me as very suspicious, considering nothing I said mentioned anything about police or careers.

Travis is four years old now. The last time Hallie surprised me with her mindreading she was probably still three.