Have you ever heard of the word Shen and wondered what it meant? Until I attended school for massage therapy, I had never given the word any thought, at least not until I began a rigorous class in Shiatsu.

In Chinese thought, Shen is the spiritual element of a person's psyche, which put another way, is the human soul, mind or spirit. As I learned in Shiatsu, in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), there are five Shen for each of us, and each Shen is associated with one of our yin organ systems, along with a corresponding element. These include the heart (with the element of fire), kidney (with the element of water), spleen (with the element of earth), liver (with the element of wood) and lungs (with the element of metal). According to Chinese philosophy, yin is considered to be the passive female principle of the universe. In school, in order to help us better understand this principle, we were taught to think of yin as the dark side of the mountain (earth, dark, and cold).

As for the origin of the TCM five-Shen system, it is thought to have begun roughly 5,000 years ago as part of Taoist practice. As a science fiction writer who is deeply spiritual, I find it utterly fascinating that each spirit is associated with a planet. That's right, a Planet! In fact, in Taoist practices of Shamanism, it is accepted that spirits can travel not only to planets, but to stars and galaxies as well.

How is this accomplished? Taoist magicians are said to use a talisman, which can be a person, rather than a "thing" like an amulet. It is believed that these talismans can call on the abilities and protection of beings who most would consider to be supernatural. Might they be referring to extraterrestrial or inter-dimensional beings? I believe the answer is likely, yes. Nonetheless, through inner alchemy (which is termed as a return to Source), along with Taoist practices and rituals, it has been suggested that these talismans can experience what is known as an "ecstatic spiritual union". Such a union (or reunion?) includes not only communication with other realms, but flying, shape-shifting and dream-time as well. 

All I can say is that I do not practice Taoism. Additionally, I had never been exposed to this information prior to experiencing a life-changing 50-minute encounter with a luminous orb in upstate New York. To this day, I'm still not exactly sure how to describe what occurred, other than to say that to me, this orb appeared as a conscious, spiritual machine made up of plasma. Even more amazing, it seemed happy to see me. Excited, even! I never felt threatened in any way. In fact, if I had to use one word to describe this encounter, it would be Love. So, for all of the chatter about UFOs and abductions (which I experienced as a little girl), based on my own experiences, I strongly suspect that there is much more at play than most of us understand, at least when it comes to ancient esoteric traditions and other-worldly encounters. 

 ABOUT THE AUTHOR

D. M Atwood is an American writer of suspenseful paranormal and science fiction. She draws upon her B.A. in psychology to develop flawed and complex characters while her background as a nanotechnology start-up owner serves as the foundation for her sci-fi’s exciting, futuristic technologies. In addition, as a trained massage therapist and ET/UFO experiencer, she is comfortable exploring some of the more esoteric aspects of the human condition. D. M. Atwood currently resides in Arizona.
 
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As it turns out, the center of the human brain might have evolved to function as a type of cellular telephone. Strange, I know, but just hear me out.    

​In the middle of our brains lies a gray matter-containing structure known as the thalamus. The thalamus is located between the left and right cerebral hemispheres, and consists of two egg-shaped structures which flank the third ventricle. Additionally, between the two halves of the thalamus—in the epithalamus, which is near the center of the brain—is a structure known as the pineal gland. And it is here where things get especially interesting.​ 
 
 That’s because the pineal gland, a pinecone-shaped gland housed inside the brain, is considered to be the Third Eye—a type of All Knowing system which is available to everyone. The pineal gland and third eye are constructs which are well known throughout the world. For example, in Hindu, the third eye is painted on the forehead of Shiva and other deities. Buddhists have a third eye placed on the forehead of Buddha. In ancient Egyptian iconography, the third eye is better known as the Eye of Horus or the Eye of Ra and is known to represent the sun and moon, creative actions, and destructive and protective powers. If that weren’t enough, in Mexico, there is a depiction of the god Chicomecoatl holding a pinecone (the shape of the pineal gland). And lastly, in ancient Assyria, there are palace carvings that depict winged gods carrying pinecones and sprinkling their pollen onto the Tree of Life.

So, what exactly is the significance of the third eye? Just as our physical eyes help us to perceive our material world, it is believed that the third eye helps us to perceive the True World—reality as it actually is. As such, the third eye is said to be the center for imagination, intuition, inner wisdom, psychic abilities, telepathic communication and an intimate connection with God. Put another way, it is through the third eye that we are able to see that which cannot be seen by our physical eyes, hear that which falls outside the realm of “normal” human hearing, and receive information which represents a quantum leap in humankind’s understanding of science, technology, literature and other disciplines. In essence, the third eye provides each and every one of us an opportunity, at a truly visceral level, to experience the unified One. Many consider the third eye system to be the pilot of our soul, leading us on a journey to an unbreakable connection with God/the Universe/the Greater One.

     Since everything in the Universe/the Greater One is made up of energy, it should not be surprising that the third eye is also considered to be energetic in nature. Thus, it is believed that by accessing the higher vibrational frequencies (energies), humans are able to contact or be contacted by the higher realms. Such realms may include intelligent, spiritually evolved, benevolent, extraterrestrial lifeforms, starseeds, indigos, and others who may reside in different locations or dimensions within and beyond our own planetary system. Stated another way, the third eye can be thought of as a biological, spiritual technology – a type of “E.T. phone home” communication system in which time and space knows no boundaries.

Something to keep in mind is that to other beings in the cosmos, we will soon be E.T’s as we chart our destiny in and beyond our solar system. Perhaps one day, the planets that we visit or even seed as part of a Continuity of Species Program, will contain intelligent lifeforms who, through the magic of DNA sequencing, will be created in our image and likeness, but made to survive in conditions compatible with those found in another planetary system. Maybe those beings, (our offspring) will also be created to communicate telepathically with us, just as we might be communicating with those who either seeded and/or enhanced our DNA throughout our evolution here on planet Earth.  

This idea seems a bit less outlandish once we consider how some people have reluctantly come forward with strange accounts of contact with extraterrestrials/interdimensionals which included telepathic communication and an increase in psychic abilities post-contact. Are all of these people psychotic? Since many of them have expressed deep concern over the state of their mental health after such encounters, but were able to return to their normal (and in some instances, high-functioning) lives, I rather doubt it.
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With regard to contact, entities in the “higher realms” are said to vibrate at a frequency that is higher than that of the third and fourth density experienced by Earth humans. However, once we come into contact with E.T.s, their craft, or through naturally-occurring influences, it has been suggested that portions of our so-called “junk” DNA will be activated and/or a clearing of our third eye chakra will take place, thus elevating our vibratory frequency and helping to open up our third eye. 

Linking these ideas together, when it comes to chakras, our current understanding of the chakra system is that it consists of wheels of energy which spin in such a way as to enable spirit to animate our physical form. Stated another way, its function is to move spirit within the human vessel. If any of the chakra wheels becomes blocked or stagnant, the body will experience a lack of ease, depression and eventually, disease.

For those unfamiliar with the chakra system, the third eye is said to have its own chakra, located in the center of the forehead near the pineal gland. In the Hindu system, if the third eye chakra specifically is closed, a person is considered more likely to experience pessimism, cynicism, confusion and uncertainty.

Many esoteric traditions around the globe have heralded the third eye as our connection to spirit. The third eye is considered to be the space between each and every human being and the Greater One. In other words, it has been designed to move us away from the isolation experienced in the human condition and return us to the Greater One and as such, it is believed that through a high-functioning third eye, we find our highest source of ethereal energy. This is why working to expand our third-eye awareness by way of prayer, meditation, exercise and eating a clean, high-vibration diet (fresh fruits and vegetables free from pesticides and preservatives) is how we are all able to lift our vibratory frequency and create the best life for ourselves and others.
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What about you? Have you experienced the opening of your third eye? Have you ever communicated telepathically with others? Did you receive telepathic downloads and wonder what in the world was happening? Did you experience an increase in your psychic abilities after a UFO or E.T. encounter? I look forward to hearing from you!
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Happy New Year!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

D. M. Atwood is an American writer of suspenseful paranormal and science fiction. She draws upon her B.A. in psychology to develop flawed and complex characters while her background as a nanotechnology start-up owner serves as the foundation for her sci-fi’s exciting, futuristic technologies. In addition, as a trained massage therapist and alien/UFO experiencer, she is comfortable exploring some of the more esoteric aspects of the human condition. D. M. Atwood currently resides in Arizona.

CONNECT WITH THE AUTHOR:
 
Website

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