Am I already dead?

Live_By_Common_Sense: I don't feel alive, I think I came to a sense of physical death, but I am still roaming like a free spirit. What if I am already dead, and people around me are controlled by spirits from a different realm to test my actions and behavior, to see if I am ready to pass on to a different world. This is just my wild theory. And no I am not high, I am just bipolar crazy.

Zanjan: If you're bi-polar, that's not something we can properly discuss, since we're not all psychiatrists. I will tell you that no one can control anyone - there is only an opportunity for you to react to someone else's behaviour or suggestion. We're not puppets on a string.

You seem to be talking about motivation - the spiritually dead don't have any. Only you know if you're ready for a different world. If you are, nothing can stop you from pursuing it. Maybe you need a reason to motivate you?

In that case, there's a really good book I highly recommend you read, written by Joseph Campbell, called "the Power of Myth". That's one in a series he wrote on the subject and it's fascinating. You might just want to read them all.

The book came about because Joseph was asked to speak to an audience of individuals with various mental illnesses, some of them organic or hereditary in nature. In short, he describes how such individuals have gotten "stuck" on their very real and normal spiritual journey and, what possible measure can be taken to lift them out of that rut.

Never think that you're alone in your feelings - there are great resources to help you realize most of your feelings are normal as part of the course of your learning. Personally, I find it eerie how very smart and perceptive bi-polar individuals are - I've worked with quite a few, never ran across one who was dull-witted.

Live_By_Common_Sense: I for one see my bipolar actions and words sometime contradict myself. I say one thing and say speak differently in a different day. In my mind, I actually argue with myself of how things are in my surroundings. I think logically, but sharpen my thinking by arguing with my logical sense. I do not have schizophrenia, but I listen to my own conscious like a higher entity is trying to connect with me. Just like my dreams, I wake up most days deciphering my dreams, and most of the time it makes sense when I remember what my dream is about. So in that sense, I feel like I am being moved spiritually and connected spiritually. Also, sometimes whenever I go talk to my dad, he seems like he is in an idle position, watching a blank screen on t.v. It looked like he was sitting there knowing that I was coming to talk to him. I have many thoughts and ideas of why my life seems like I am dead. I will tell you more, if you responds. Thanks for your thought Zanjan. Please do reply. I will check in to the book that you recommended.

Zanjan: You know, my youngest, very observant, son once did a project for school, attempting to prove that most people function like robots. If course, we all know those workaday folks who move by the clock - eat, sleep, work, pay bills, repeat every day. Obviously, this is a must but where are they going?

He got a friend to video tape him on a busy funky city corner, dressed in full frogman gear, flippers and all. Personally, I thought it was hilarious, but he was right - as he walked awkwardly along the street, not a single head turned, not even the drivers, stopped at the traffic light. No one laughed.

They seemed to be on autopilot - outwardly, they could see but nothing they saw appeared to register. I suppose that's a zombie.

Live_By_Common_Sense: Yes, people can be zombie at times. If they don't respond, and they glare off to the distance of nowhere, that is a zombie. But if the person communicates and give signs of response, that person is a human. My dad do not work, he is retired. I am sure he was not tired at the time. All he does is play golf and go out for a walk or jog. Nothing to harsh for him to lose energy and be zombie-like.

Zanjan: You know, we're living our eternity right now. We remember lessons learned. We're not aware of what we didn't learn. All the bad stuff falls away when we pass on - what we bring with us to the next world is our character, only that which is good in our heart.

According to God, real life is the life in knowledge of God, both in this world and the next - that life never dies. But those who ignored God, when they pass from this world to the next, they'll be made aware of what has escaped them. One could hardly imagine a worse death than that.

So, don't waste your precious time on earth - use every day of your life here to learn more about God. Dive in and draw nearer every day. Soon, you won't be asking that question.

Zanjan: As for the "tests" you mentioned - those are for your own benefit. God already knows the stuff you're made of but you don't.

You see, Reality is ONE - the difference between this physical plane and the Hereafter is that, on this physical plane, no one is fully aware of their true place, rank and station. So, God helps us with the downside of that - that is, He doesn't want us to get swelled heads or discouraged either.

Tests are the means for *you* to see where your own weaknesses are. Just like when you're sick and stick a thermometer under your tongue, you need a way to register your condition so you can tend to it rightly. You'll need to recognize the test and draw on your spiritual training to respond appropriately.

If you fail, the same test will return again and again until you do pass. If you pass, you'll know because it wont come back - the next test will be different. Life on earth is a school - your chosen religion is your particular class room. (the other kids are out playing hooky)

When you've passed all the tests your class has to offer, your understanding of it's lessons is accomplished. Then you become like the specially gifted person who languishes in kindergarten - you must move on in your learning and growth, being able to apply yourself or you'll fall asleep. One doesn't feel much when they're fast asleep but the "dead" means they're dead to God.

As written, even a potato will cease to flourish if planted and re-planted in the same worn-out soil. Sometimes, one needs a massive jolt to wake up and get the message.

Live_By_Common_Sense: Awesome Zanjan. So I been working, and while I am at work, sometimes I feel this heavy burden on me. On my shoulder and my head, it feels like I am carrying heavy objects. I feel like I am doing something wrong. I ask myself, is this karma to have this pain of anxiety. Is this because what I sow and I deserve this pain that I reaped? I asked myself this question all the time. I don't know if its a test, or punishment, but I think GOD is trying to signal me in through pain and turmoil. I had epiphanies of what I deserve and what I do not deserve, like what I do to get what I deserve. There are times when I just feel like my life is just being punished, to the max like someone is pushing buttons, and I am feeling the wraith of GOD's anger. Even interaction with people seems so off, and I feel like that the people that interact with me is the same way of how I interacted with others.

Zanjan: I can't answer why you feel "heavy"; normally, one is aware of the nature of the burden they carry. You're having trouble identifying it but a cause can always be found.

For instance, pain and depression from grief - you know the source is "loss" but you also know that's a natural passage for everyone; fortunately, it's temporary so one can slog through the clouds at their own pace and come through on the sunny side again.

Another kind is from fear - this is self-inflicted. Those who've committed a wrong know EXACTLY what they've done wrong. If they don't rectify the wrong, it follows them everywhere like a monkey on their back. They fear discovery and retribution. This is normal too but some have totally wrecked their lives through avoidance.

Another kind is organic in origin - see a doctor and follow instructions.

Another kind is spiritual - the most common cause is extreme stress/pressure, disappointment, disillusion, failure, traumatic experience and so forth. These lead to emotional upset, confusion, mental disturbance and general physical instability/ailments. That requires a spiritual remedy.

Direction for healing of the heart comes from God, Who has promised He'll never give you a burden greater than you can bear. I've found that to be true; however, we're much better at hindsight than foresight. Good spiritual training helps us to remember what to do.

Life is NOT fair, SA, it can be really hard at times because people don't often get what they deserve, or not until decades down the road. Yet this is by the Mercy of God - there's *always* benefit by experience with some hardship but none via a cushy life.

We're like young trees - when the wind blows, it's good for us because it makes us build much thicker cells on the windy side; that allows us to bend. The more often and harder the wind blows, the more resilient our core becomes - this is true strength. Should it blow from all sides, so much the better - the tree will grow straight.

A tree that grows where there's little wind or too much water will break or be uprooted the first time a strong gale comes along - that will end the tree's life.

You have some good self-reflecting going on and seem to be saying you're feeling different from how you used to normally feel.......as if you're slipping. Try to nail down a date or frame of time when that changed from one to the other and your clue will be on its heels.

A warning signal is telling you to take action......possibly a new action. Life was made for joy and happiness as the norm - this depends on your desire to live it that way.

Zanjan: Now for something personal - you decide if any of it is applicable to you. This is something more unusual. An example from my own life. As a young child, I learned I had certain uncommon gifts and struggled greatly with them because no one could help or guide me.

I'm speaking of psychic gifts. I'd go to anyone I thought was wise - same response every time: they told me not to tell anyone, they said "Shusssh, keep it quiet". (You realize a psychiatrist would never tell you that). What bugged me was that they never said why, despite my asking. Even religious people gave me the same reply. As I got older, I had a powerful need to know.

Q: Why did I have this when no one around me did? Q: I know I'm not the only one - where are the others? Q: What's it for? Q: How is it to be used? You see, I knew it was a gift from God and He wouldn't give anyone an ability that was meant to be ignored, suppressed, and not even mentioned. There were no teachers - God was my only Teacher so, I asked Him for personal guidance.

The only way to get direction was to test the waters; I was like the blind man walking down the street, tap taping here and there with the white cane. I came to learn that if I applied it wrongly, it would bite me back; if it was right, there was smooth passage. Thus, I made my way through life.

Long story short, it took nearly 30 years but all my questions were finally answered. The point I'm getting to is there was a peculiar effect - when someone else did something wrong, like steal something, I felt guilty - sounds crazy, right?

I, too, often felt a heaviness, similar to what you describe. I was so sensitive, I was feeling the weight and sorrows of the world - I could sense "aura's" of those around me and feel them in colours, rather like tasting something on a dinner plate, except with tingling in the nerves. I called that my "antennas".

The reality is I was a genuine "empath", and that's what it feels like. I had to learn how to handle it - essentially, it's capture, accept, then release. In spiritual terms, this principle is called "detachment". I use it often. Prayer and reliance on God is my sole support.

Live_By_Common_Sense: Zanjan, what you just typed down about your special gifts remind me of the show Hero's. Someone that can gain psychic abilities. For to those ones that had the power, can control it. To the beginners may panic. I too feel the aura, the sense of peoples reaction and action. I have many times even guessed what will happen in the future and it happened. For example, I was watching Jeopardy and the Host of the game show asked a question. I barely had an idea of what the question is about, but I answered it alone, and the answer was correct. This happened many times. I blew it off like it was a lucky guess, so I did not pay my mind in to it. Also while I was walking ahead of this couple, and there was this idea that I knew what car was theirs. I told myself, they going to pick this car. Next thing I knew, I was right. This got to me, thinking, what kind of power do I have? I was bit worried, that I might be going crazy.

Zanjan: I want you to know that real psychic powers are not gained or developed - you hear that but it's a hoax, not true. Some people get the odd blip or two or a few buzzes throughout life but that's it - doesn't mean they have potential.

Since these abilities are bestowed by God's choice and measure, they don't inflict panic or terror on the bearer, just profound amazement and occasional suffering. That's because God built the individual to be FIT to bear it. I can't stress enough that if it doesn't come naturally, it's extremely dangerous to go digging around in it - such people have no idea what they're dealing with.

So, you don't get this by degrees or by anything you do - one has no control over that which is natural. It's not something you plan or ask for. Like coughing, it just happens from time to time. Of course, there's a practical decorum while coughing.

I'm convinced there's a genetic component - that is, a gene cluster. If you research it, you'll likely find one person back in your family tree who had same thing. It can skip a few generations.

Live_By_Common_Sense: What happens after you pass all the test? Do you join in heaven with GOD? Or do I stay in this realm and roam?

Zanjan: You only have one lifetime on earth to pass any test; and, you won't pass all of them. This is because learning is ongoing and learning can be painful. Each new test is harder than the last; I'm sure there's an infinite number of them.

As long as you live on earth you'll be faced with tests to your last breath. It's a building process.

The good news is, the tests stop when you pass on. Then God decides what to do with you after that but you wont be on the physical plane anymore. One isn't "tested" in the Hereafter because the veils have been dropped. Tests wouldn't work, you see. You can't advance with a cheat sheet, right?

The only realm worth discussing is the heavenly realm - that is, if you've been living a godly life on earth, you'll continue to learn and develop in the Hereafter, throughout all the divine realms but the means of learning is different. Souls don't sit around in heaven doing nothing - their delight is in acquiring knowledge and serving God.

Live_By_Common_Sense: I got a question. What is heaven like? Do we eat in heaven? Do we sleep also? Is it fun in heaven? I have more, but these are the few question of mine.

Zanjan: Heaven is a state of mind - it's nearness to God. It's a life lived in service to Him, always coming nearer to God. His Kingdom is vast - there are many worlds of God.

There's work, teaching and learning, beauty, joy and contentment - they experience pleasurable and lofty things because they're engaged; there's lots of things to do and souls to do them with. They understand each other, know each other's merits, and communicate clearly. Everyone is busy; no one sleeps - as in, falls asleep. They eat the divine fruits of the Tree of Life and pluck the gems of divine mysteries from His treasure house.

What, specifically, one does depends on whether they're in heaven on this earthly plane, or in the hereafter. To each, is given according to their capacity and degree of virtues. So, yes, in heaven there are ranks, just as there are on earth - the difference is there's no conflict.

In the hereafter, the heavenly souls in the Concourse on High also provide the inspiration for the arts and sciences here on earth. This is what the writings in my religion say.

Live_By_Common_Sense: Okay Zanjan, thank you for your insight on what Heaven is like. Can you give me the location of where Heaven really is? Is there other name for Heaven? Like the coordinates to the star system. Zeta Reticuli, or somewhere in the Milky Way. Or is Heaven in a different dimension? Like its on earth but we are in parallel. I know we can't sustain life in sky, there is no ground to walk on, and no crops and food to harvest. Will Heaven be somewhere in the star system, traveling with a high speed ship that can maintain to carry many passengers?

Zanjan: First, let's be clear on the difference between states and realms.

The heavenly REALM is called the "Kingdom of God" - on earth, as it is in heaven. It's a huge Realm - all those devoted to the Cause of God dwell there, each in their different worlds. That is, it holds all of God's Houses of Worship, past, present and future.

Unlike on earth, in the Hereafter, one won't wont see atheists, agnostics or hypocrites there; since they've been sorted out, they have no place in this conversation.

In the Kingdom of God, the Master of each House is the Revelator of God, to whom the people of His Book turn. Each House has its own name. All those who *truly* believed and had faith in that Revelator will continue to dwell in that House, as they did in their earthly life.

The STATE of "Heaven", on the other hand, is the recognition of the Lord of the Age - that is, the Revelator Who presides over the dispensation and time in which YOU live. This is a state of the heart, the highest possible attainment any soul can achieve.

As written in scripture, you can be the author of every righteous deed but if you fail to recognize the Lord of the Age, you can't enter heaven. Should you enter "Heaven", you'll continue to draw ever-nearer to God forever. God will place you, in Heaven, wherever He deems fitting.

So, yes, there's a name for heaven. Each time God sends a Revelator, "Heaven" is given a new name. Most people don't know that.

Live_By_Common_Sense: Okay, thanks for your knowledge on Heaven. I still don't know the difference between states and realms, even after I read over your comment a few times. Can you simplify it for me please?

Live_By_Common_Sense: Also, I watched a youtube video earlier this week. I wanted to confirm if its true. Can you take a look. This is a story about satans rebellion against God.

Zanjan: About the video: Firstly, Lucifer isn't satan. Lucifer mean "lightbringer"; whereas, satan is darkness. Lucifer was a reference to a Babylonian King, who started out well, inspired by God but fell from grace due to his own pride.

Birth names don't matter - the point being about a common dynamic, which can happen to anyone who enjoys being the center attention.

Satan isn't an entity - it's a personification of "self" - that is, the urges of one's own base nature. We were meant to rise above that and God gave us the path to do it though His Revelators.

We were all born innocent but ignorant. As innocent children we trusted our guardians, parents, and God to guide us. However, as one gets older and faces trials, the world can have negative effects on the weaker souls; ergo, many lose that trust and become rebellious and jaded.

This occurs due to the negative condition of one's environment - that is, the state of one's family and upbringing was dysfunctional; at the worst, society had become corrupted and debased, having strayed far from God.

In that milieu, pitiful lost souls seek to return to innocence; this time, not through ignorance but through knowledge.

Yes, all creation is vibrating; when a Revelator appears, He quickens that vibration through the power of the Holy Spirit. The souls of Revelators are pre-existant - nobody knows what that existence was like. Revelators lead people back to their true home, which is with God.

No, there was never any evil in heaven and never will be. The story of the wars in heaven is a visual for the war of good against evil *on earth*. No one was born an angel, except the Revelators, and they suffered at the hands of attackers, as did their early followers.

We ordinary folks are naturally born, striving to overcome selfishness and become like angels through the best possible spiritual education and training. We need to be civilized, learn genuine love, justice and unity. That said, as long as we're under the grace of God, all things are possible. If we fall from grace, then not.......no wings, no flight, no heaven.

Zanjan: State = the condition of mind and heart. Healthy or not?

Realm = spiritual worlds. The places where souls dwell and serve God, rank and file.

Live_By_Common_Sense: Zanjan, I want to ask you a question. When you said you won't able to see atheist and agnostics in heaven. I want to know why not? Because, atheist and agnostics have not ever seen God in any way of form, they could not figure out the truth of the existence of God if they saw no pure evidence, or actual vision by the being in the existence of God. If God really do love all human beings as His true sons and daughters, I would like to see it that God would show himself to the unbelievers so they can repent, and find the real truth of salvation and seeing the protector the Father (YahWeh). So please do explain to me, why they don't deserve to be in heaven.

Zanjan: Q: Why aren't there atheists and agnostics in heaven?

A: Since heaven is nearness to God, the above individuals don't qualify. Same as on earth, they didn't enter the Kingdom of God, although they had the same chance as everyone else. They'd all heard about God, His Messengers, and Holy Books so, none of them were ignorant. God sent these for their training.

They just didn't want any part of it. That was their choice. It's not a matter of having the IQ to determine the truth, the requirement is having the heart to accept it. They've attempted to justify themselves but there is no cover in the Hereafter.

The path to God isn't easy but it's the only way one can acquire the spiritual virtues which provide the knowledge and power that brings one nearer to God, permitting one to move and serve Him in accordance with His Will.

Atheists and agnostics never developed so, they're defective units - they enter the Hereafter as cripples. On earth, they could move under their own steam because they had physical bodies - not so in the Hereafter. They can't make any transformation because they can't help themselves.

They demanded that God should please them, doing as they say - God doesn't work that way. They know this from what they've heard and read about Him. In the Hereafter, they get their comeuppance. No excuses will be accepted.

Do you think God would let you fly a jetliner full of passengers if you've never even learned to ride a bicycle?

Live_By_Common_Sense: Okay, Zanjan. I understand the biblical teachings are to open the eyes of unbelievers. But, people have never seen God. So, all they can do is question Gods existence, and keep questioning till they find true evidence, or true visions themselves. I was wondering, if God did exist, He would show himself to the whole world, and let us open our eyes and learn the truth. Biblical knowledge does not prove anything. All what the bible does is let us read the witness of Gods working. If I stand correct, God loves all, so he should love to the ones who even denied Christ. Because didn't Jesus quote, saying if a man hit you on the cheek, turn to the other cheek? So basically, forgiveness is what the bible teaches us. It did not teach us to condemn unbelievers to hell. This is so much contradiction to what I have been taught. I feel as if the world had to suffer, than I would suffer as well with them, because I am human just like them. So, just being human living in the nature of this world, I question why there is hell. And why do satan exist in the first place. I would like to believe that God is all good. I truly believe in peace. But to glorify in punishing other for living their life, feels like it is unjustified.

Zanjan, please do reply. I would like to read what your thoughts upon my thoughts.

Zanjan: You don't have to see God.........all you have to do is know Him. To know Him is to love Him; when that relationship is genuine, it's binding.

Yes, people question God's existence because they're not listening, not watching, not caring, and refuse to take instructions. They really don't want to learn that God doesn't operate the way they do. They're pitiful creatures.

They demand that God be something they like, can touch, talks directly to them, or fits into their agenda - not a God that demands submission and servitude to Him in return for His favour. They would have it the other way around.

No matter how many times we say God is incomprehensible, they refuse to accept the fact that God, to be God, must be greater than anything their minds could conceive - greater than all things in creation. If they can't intuit this on their own, they must be very poor at math.

There's nothing in any text that says God LIKES all..........His love is not a feeling of attraction - it's unconditional. He bestows only what is in each soul's best interest because that's the responsible thing to do when providing for His creatures. Some souls don't like that, they don't like God's version of justice .....like a wild animal, they bite the Hand that feeds them.

You're right, no scripture teaches us to condemn anyone or hold them in contempt.
I've heard those threats "You're going to hell"; that begs the question, where are they now then?

There is nothing in scripture that says you must forgive someone who shows no remorse or doesn't ask for forgiveness - that's entirely at your own prerogative.

This earthly plane is the world of tests - doesn't matter if one is religious or not, everyone gets the same tests eventually. Not everyone passes them the first time, or at all...........we're all here on earth mixed together with each other to practice on. It doesn't look fair or just because we're so short-sighted; yet no one climbs a mountain without getting cuts, bruises and scrapes.

An old maxim: 'without evil and injustice, there would be no need of valour.' How would you know one if not for the contrast?

So, there's bound to be suffering. However, those who've suffered the most are closest to God.....they don't shake their fist at Him.