Simon On The Sofa - Latest Comments

Re: Kew Bridge Eco Village

Louise Brookes — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 21:51:27 -0000

Talking about absentee landlords the quieter villages of Somerset, especially on the Blackhills, are full of empty houses - all second homes by London finance bods - who are absent and therefore 'not using it' the land that is... Anyhow I know this because I passed through on a horse and cart as you do. Quiet mostly empty village after quiet empty village. The homes are called 'The Smithy' but there's no blacksmiths. and the closest you get to a bakery is a 'cyberbakery'. Loads haven't even got village shops. They're like ghost villages - You may as well go and take ALL of them back and use them and when the 'absentee landlords' return - you can make them feel at home... for the few weekends that they turn up!. Shame Kew got turned out, I've heard of a few that managed to stay, but pooling our resources co-operatively and buying up the leftover forest land is a good alternative

Re: Debbie Huxton

Debbie Huxton — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 16:48:26 -0000

Thank you for allowing me to share it was an amazing experience to be that heard ...feeling is the language of the soul xx

Re: What Love means to 4-8 year olds

Jonathan Evatt — Sat, 08 Jan 2011 15:20:55 -0000

Beautiful. Thank you for this. What a joy to have this window into the vast world of these loving children.

Re: Stewart Pearce

Artur Moustafa — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 20:11:15 -0000

Great talk Simon! Stewart really doesn't loose presence for one second and easily speaks in a masterfull way, being able to pick up words said in the beginning and let the conversation take a turn only to finish making a point much later on. Tell signs of an awakened being./Artur

Re: Stewart Pearce

Selfhood — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 17:40:28 -0000

A conversation full of beautiful words, ancient wisdom and heartfelt wonder. The charismatic exchange of energy was a joy to observe. From having observed you both I can now go forth with greater couarge and work with my shadow self. Thank you for sharing the treasure of your authentic selves. I am reminded of the healing power of gratitude. Again thank you.

Re: Stewart Pearce

Blee — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 17:36:20 -0000

Silence, solitude and stillness......beautiful. I'm glad I stumbled on this. I know it's no coincidence that it happened on new year's day as well. Thank you for sharing.

Re: Simon Ponders. Session Three – Oct 2010

Francis Evans — Sat, 27 Nov 2010 15:48:53 -0000

Hi, My name is Francis Evans - I've been studying the general field of 'Magick' since my early twenties which makes about 45 years. I've been a teacher of metaphysical principles put into action for a large portion of that time and have arrived at certain conclusions. Before I add my answers to the questions, I'd like to make this observation. The only absolute I've ever discovered is that 'everything is a paradox' including that statement. Then when we find conclusions and apply the paradox to them we discover those very conclusions are not true from some other position.

1) Do you think you are in control of all of your actions in life? My view is yes ..... and no. Yes, absolutely you are in control of all your actions, but some actions make no sense to you with only limited understanding why you did them.

2) Why isn’t philosophy taught in Schools? should it be? First, ask the question, what's the purpose for school? If school is designed to get you into a career then the only thing necessary is sales. You need self-confidence, self-esteem and the knowledge of how to sell something. If school is to evolve civilisation, then teaching philosophy would probably help a lot.

3) Are we conditioned to act in ways out of our control? Yes or No, why? As a species we are programmed to learn from experience. The meaning we make from one experience affects they way we make meaning of the next experience. So we condition ourselves based on the pressure to conform to the social environment we find ourselves in.

4) Can you really love another if you don’t love yourself? Love is an over-used word. Can you appreciate another if you don't appreciate yourself? I suspect we can easily envy another for what they have or are. Perhaps envy is some form of appreciation.

5) Isnt the want of change just a form of judgement? Of course, and aren't we full of self-judgements. I prefer the idea of 'Kaizen', continual improvement. Evaluation against some measurable criteria and adjustment.

6) Why is it so hard to do the things we know are beneficial for us? Because what we are already doing is also beneficial for us. I do what I do because other people want me to and I want their approval. As an example, I don't want my friend to give up smoking because that makes me feel bad about smoking myself. I don't want to give up because its beneficial to me not to have to feel I'm not approved of, and so on.

7) What would you do and what would you be if you could let go of all of your fears? I'm tempted to say dead. I think that some fears are very useful. Fear of the sea, perhaps we might call this respect for it. Fears stop you doing things, and their benefit is to bring that to your attention and let you decide whether its something worth perservering through. The only thing is to recognise that you are stronger than that.

Re: The Healing Light

Lee Wimberly — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 11:16:48 -0000

In "Exploring the Gap between Science and Religion," the phrase from the poem above
"We are all meant to shine, as children do.
We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.
Is explained through the metaphor of the universe as a hologram, a theory coming out of quantum physics and, as I understand for some, brain theory. A hologram holds the entire picture in each of its sections. In other words, divide it in half and the whole picture is in each half. One can divide infinitely, and still the whole picture is present. The beauty is that when the picture is NOT divided, the clarity increases. Beautiful metaphor for loving the whole by loving self. See http://www.explorethegap.net

Re: Jeremy Paxman quizzes Russell Brand on the cult of celebrity

Jason Stines — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 17:53:07 -0000

That, my friend is beautiful. Thank you for introducing this to my reality. I was not familiar with Russell Brand before this, only his created "Brand" by the media. Although, watching him on screen, I could sense something deeper in him. Good to know that your light can shine though all mediums. Much Blessings to All.
Smile...Laugh...Love...Be,
Jason

Re: Simon Ponders. Session One – April 2010

Bridget Finklaire — Wed, 19 May 2010 04:58:13 -0000

Bonnie - you expressed yourself beautifully and I'm waiting now for your blog and then your book! Thank you to all who have shared their valuable insights. Wonderful reading. Let's all manifest that world of peace now.

Re: Global Oneness, Taking Responsibility

Guest — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 15:17:27 -0000

I have approximate answers and possible beliefs and different degrees of certainty about different things, but I'm not absolutely sure of anything and many things I don't know anything about, such as whether it means anything to ask why we're here, and what the question might mean. I might think about it a little bit, but if I can't figure it out, then I go on to something else. But I don't have to know an answer....

I don't feel frightened by not knowing things, by being lost in the mysterious universe without having any purpose, which is the way it really is, as far as I can tell... possibly...

Life, death, belief, God no God, Why am I hear, does it matter?
None of the above frighten me.

My wife fears death - I do not.
My mother fears for me - I do not.
My family believe in God - I do not

Men/women preaching or soap boxes, in Piccadilly Circus are trying to convince themselves anyone convinced by them is nothing more than a sheep.

I try to live with awareness, with consideration for environment and fellow man. The big picture beyond this micro cosmos of my life is of no concern to me because in 30 years I will not matter to it and it not to me.

The church of any faith has only ever been there to propagate fear and control and is responsible for most of the torture and suffering in the world.