So sorry Carmel. I had edited my post after you replied I believe and added more above. You keep saying how you FELT you were levitating. Does that mean though that you are positive that you PHYSICALLY and LITERALLY levitated off of the ground? Thanks so much for replying. I love hearing these stories. I know it shouldn't effect or help my faith but it does. But only if I come to the conclusion that I think the person is really telling the truth. I know it can't be proven without any doubt because it did not happen to me or I did not see your feet dangling above the coffee table but one can come to a conclusion on it given the evidence stated.
Wow Jose What an exciting field of work you got. I read your paper but of course missed the technical details. I’m more a fisheries biology and sustainable development kind of guy. The image is amazing. It’s the kindof things thatstrengthens our faith, although of course I agree with you. As a scientist you must keep fair neutrality about the subject of your study and be open to natural explanations. But if you manage to keep this distance and impartiality in your research, the discoveries will be even more rewarding. Personally (faith obligeJ) I’m pretty sure that in this matter of the shroud your discoveries will always point in the acheiropoieton direction. It’s a pity that, in this moment it is not possible to have authorization from the Vatican to get new samples to verify if the many flaws that are pointed to the C 14 tests made in 1988, are true or if the age dating they obtained still stands. I’m pretty sure that a proper sampling without including pieces of repair fragments that were added in the medieval ages to restore the shroud, would tell a different story. I don’t know if you understand French, but if you do there is an interesting book dealing with the historical and medical issues of the shroud: Lévéque, J. & Pugeaut, R. (2003). Le Saint-Suaire revisité. Des certitudes scientifiques à la compréhension de l’histoire. Sarment, Éditions du Jubilé.
Hi Jimmy, Well its been a long time now since I've had those experiences. I do get them maybe one a year now or so, but I've never thought much about the actual physical levitation part. I can tell I always just knew I was probably levitating, and I would be so scared that it would happen in public, so I would pray that it wouldn't happen, so that is the extent of how much I thought of the actual levitation part. So no, I really don't have any physical proof for you....perhaps it was my soul levitating and not my body. I don't want to lead anyone astray by saying I was flying around the room or anything ! I always was under the thought I was a few inches to maybe a foot off the ground, and I don't know why I think that. In quiet prayer I get the feeling of maybe like falling backward and God catching me. A letting go with extreme trust. But again, I know you are interested in the physical happening, but at the time I was so ingrossed in being in union with Christ, I never paid much heed to it.
I also want to add that during my second apparition, I left my body and went with Christ into eternity, where He showed me many things. I know for sure I left my body, firstly, because I begged Him not to send me back into it and back to this world, and secondly, because when I saw Him, the joy was verberating in each of my cells so intensely, that I could not speak or relate to Him, and felt Him "take" me, per say, which was much more comfortable. It wasn't until much later, when I started having the lesser prayer experiences, that I even wondered what my body had been "doing" when He took me. Was it lying there like dead, or was it levitating in a suspended state? About 9 months after this first experience (the 2 apparitions happened within 24 hours of each other) I was given a book on St Teresa of Avila, which really helped ease my mind that these experiences were somewhat a normal part of deep prayer.
WOW! I'm glad I'm not that smart. I hated school, I didn't do that well. I always started the year thinking "I must concertrate and learn". But then my mind wondered and I found myself looking out the window. I have only just started learning. But it is about God and prophecies. For some reason or other my mind seems to stay more focused on this subject.
A few months ago I went and listened to a Filipino man, Brother Stanley Villavicencio give his testimony. Wow. It was fantastic! 1993, his mother-in-law heard him moaning, so she went into his room to find him lying in bed trembling vigorously and blood coming out of his mouth forcefully. His heartbeat was very low and his eyes were already white. In the hospital the doctors asked his wife if they can turn off the machine, because there was no chance of survival. His wife called home to bring in the clothes for him to wear and the coffin was organized. God had a different plan! None of the relatives agreed to remove all the life support apparatus attached to his body. He saw a light, and noticed there was a person standing in front of him. It was Jesus. Jesus showed him a film of his life, from his childhood to the present. Every time it showed sin, the film would slow down. He felt the heaviness and could feel the heat. Everytime he did something good eg. give to the poor, he could feel himself floating. He also noticed the sins he did not confess to a priest, because they were too heavy. Brother Stanley said "We can not deny anything because the screen is so big, and below the pictures are written the day, month, year. And below that is the hour, minute and the seconds. Jesus said to him. "You go back now, because you still have so many things to do. You still have so many things to finish. If I have something for you, or if I have a message for you, I will just appear to you in a dream." After that, Brother Stanley suddenly got up, he removed the oxygen from his nose, there was a tube going down to his intestine. He removed the I.V. from the hand. There was a nurse that saw everything, she was so afraid she ran away. Ofcourse the medical staff could not explain. The media were alerted. The television, radio and newspaper. The investigation was lead by Cardinal Vidal in which he gave Brother Stanley an endorsed letter so he can give his testimony around the world. This man has had 36 encounters with Jesus of the Divine Mercy in which in his dreams he recieves many messages. I will continue later with more.....
Thank you so much for sharing Carmel. Absolutely fascinating. I know that I am maybe prying a bit too much but can you share some of what Jesus showed you when He took you into eternity? Was the book Interior Castle by St Teresa of Avila? Love that book.
Hi bona fide, I am a biologist specialized in neurogenetics but in my free time ( if this is possible having four children) I dedicated some time to the Shroud. Regards, Jose
No I have not left the ground. I would need a pilot's license. But I have to say it kinda feels like leaving the ground, there is the most curious feling of lightness. I used to think maybe then this idea of levitating was subjective , that people had the feeling of leaving the gorund and thus imagined that they did. But reading the lives of people like st Joseph of Cupertino and St THereasa of Avila where there were so many objective witnesses that someitmes folks do take off. Not all the times but with some rare souls. I see no reaosn why such levitation would not be measurable. I understand a Bishop, I think in Texas some years back allowed an exorcism with some praeternatural phenomena to be filmed for TV and this resulted in some conversions. I think faith has fallen away so badly that this was maybe not a bad idea. The raputre or ecstasy feels like being immersed in a huge fire of love and light, sometimes like a brilliant fire or spear of love is piercing the heart. It's. I suppose what heaven will be like.
Mari Loli during a state of levitation. This is the only known photo of the phenomenon taken at Garabandal. http://www.ourlady.ca/info/de la Riva/delaRiva25.htm
Ecstatic marches forwards and backwards. I love the way the children continually bless themselves in this footage Gives me a warm glow watching this:
Stanley's 11th dream encounter happened early in the morning, due to the heat, he took off his shirt and sleepily said his 3am prayers. When Jesus appeared, He spoke out loud, "DON'T I DESERVE RESPECT?" Stanley apologized profusely, dressed up and prayed attentively. This is what Jesus said to Stanley. 3:40am 31st Aug 1994 "Please attend Mass everyday." "Please do not let Satan disintergrate your team." "My son, you will witness My Final Coming." 3:30am 9th Oct 1994 "Pray, pray the Chaplet." "Don't worry, your sacrifice will not be for long." "I'm with you always." 3:45am 15th Jan 1995 "Congratulations! For your team have already saved so many, so many that it enrages Satan so much." "Multiply your effort because the time is coming so fast and so near." "I'm always with you." 3:15am 14th July 1995 "I am so happy and satisfied, keep up, the field is ripe and the harvest is ready." "Healing needs deep and constant prayer not in a flash at all times." "Pray, prayer, the Chaplet increasingly." "I'm with you always." to continue..............
It got me thinking. Jesus likes us to be respectful in our dress even when we are alone with Him. Jesus told Brother Stanley "He will witness Jesus final coming." This is what the Scriptures tell us. (I don't know it word for word) Something about the same generation will seeing it all. I don't know how old he is. As a guess, he is between 55 - 70. While he doesn't look 70, I believe many Fillipino's look young for their age, so he could be. So if God permits. We too will see "The Second Coming."
I have heard of this man too, he has a wonderful healing ministry now. I heard of one girl who was very sick, and he inquired as to whether the family were into freemasonary, turns out they were. When they left, their child became well.. There have been other stories like this..
You know, when you look at all these prophecies, (that don't cast fear as they are not meant to) it is simply God preparing us for what is to come so that we are prepared, and won't die of fright etc. God is in the business of saving souls. Behind every prediction, we need to remind ourselves of this.. When someone does wrong on Earth we want to chuck them in prison When we all did wrong on Earth, Christ came to show us what true love was all about, even unto Death. Even that wasn't enough for Him, he then sent us The Holy Spirit to reside in us and to spur us on to Heavenly Things. He left us with the sacraments, and a leader to guide us in everything. If one is feeling fearful of what is supposed to come, then just dwell on the above. You know some things have to happen, the cries of the abused and the aborted are crying out from the Earth, there is a high chance that the killing off of the sick, the elderly and the disabled will come to pass. More and more people are not being allowed to practice their faith, morals have been chucked out of schools and it is even a crime to feel guilt anymore. God HAS to act, if He doesn't, we will destroy ourselves anyway. God acting is His way of ensuring that as many souls as possible are saved.
That was beautifly said. It made me think. I remembered feeling fearful when I was reading some of Maria Divine Mercy's messages. Medjugorje messages are really 'feel good' messages. Full of love. But it frightened me when I watched the Garabandal DVD. But there is a difference isn't there? Like with Garabandal, I had the fear of God in me. This made me realize I had to change, not tomorrow, but now. I hear what you are saying Mary's Child. But doesn't scripture say about it being good to have the fear of God? Or is this different to what you are saying?
It is difficult for me to believe in a divine intervention to try to change us. Or a chastisement to punish us. It does not fir whit what I have learned. God gave us free will and it is up to us to decide if we want to be with or against Him. On the other side I do not see any reason for God to act today and not in other times where faith was also almost inexistent and terrible things happens directed by human will, like during the 3rd Reicht in Germany. Everything has been already said with the scripture and with Jesus's death and resurrection.
This is different. The true fear of God isn't being good for the fear of being punished that isn't true love, or being good because you want to get to Heaven, that is self serving and isn't love at all.. Bit like the son who remained, when you read the prodical son.. Anyway, do you have an aunt? Or someone that is so good that you respect them so much, and even when you are younger, you wouldn't speak how you might ordinarily speak to your friends, or would be extra nice to your parents not being cheeky in front of this good person, because you had so much respect for them, and it was important to you what they thought of you as you had so much respect. Also, you would never want to offend them because they are so good.. That is true "Fear of the Lord." The other kind of fear, is the fear that we get when we are being dictated to by tyrants, God isn't a tyrant. He is simply saying, this world needs to change, even the planet is falling under the weight of sin. Man is placed at the head of nature, so when he falls, nature falls.. We never used to have sickness or any disordered thing before the fall.. Now we have so much disorder, and the fact that we have sicknesses, tells us that even nature is disordered, so we are in effect killing ourselves. God can see what we are doing, He can see all the evil, in His mercy, He is warning us that awful things are going to happen, and that there is an eternity and we are deciding here where we will be in the next life. God can no longer stand back at abortion, and all these horrendous things, so He is giving mankind one last chance, to change things, to know that He exists and wants true peace for all.. That is for all to live in communion with their creator, and to have mutual love and respect for each other where fear no longer exists. So, He warns and prepares us for these changes that are inevitable because of our sins.. Does that make sense? Some no longer believe in Hell or Purgatory, but God clearly promises all the little victims that they will be safe in Heaven, how safe will a child who has been abused feel if they see their abuser in Heaven as he was (am not talking about those who are repentantant and live out that repentance), how then will it be Heaven, no Divine Justice is honest, good and true...
Yes Jose, I kind of think on those terms too, but when man falls the whole of nature falls, that is just the way we are indeed designed. We are all interconnected, that works with science doesn't it? When God speaks of chastisement etc, it is a wake up call, He is telling us that there are unnatural consequences to our actions... I think that it is definitely time for God to act. Man is only here to try to be able to live according to God's will, so that he will be able to live in Heaven. We cannot exist there if we do not live in God's will. You and I think in human terms, God thinks in eternal terms, He wants us to Heaven for eternity. Sometimes the crossing on a journey gets a bit rough, but the final destination is worth it... Does this make sense? Also, doesn't God hear the cry of the poor man, the downtrodden, the child within it's mother's womb,. Never has it been so bad, years ago, people may have killed new born babies etc as happened in the time of Moses, and at the arrival of Jesus. Also by evil men during war times, with their war crimes. But never has it been so bad that a child is no longer safe in his mother's womb. How bad does it have to get? We have murder spilling on our streets, kids are killing kids... All happening within a generation of abortion.. Would you stand back if you watched a man being murdered or would you try to do something? Well God has stood back, whilst there was still hope for man, but today, the new God is technology and God is being pushed right out, and in his place we have murder, destruction, desolation... His right arm has indeed been pushed by us
