I just wanted to inform Heavenly Ascents readers of a new blog that I’m starting up called Planting Mind Seeds.

Heavenly Ascents is my blog that deals with topics that I have been studying and researching for the past several years of my academic career.

Planting Mind Seeds (http://www.plantingmindseeds.com) will be more of a personal journey — an exploration of other topics that have interested and helped me for many years.  For example, in one of my first posts, I talk about how I was taught to use creative visualization to recuperate from a foot injury and go on to win championships in Track and Field.

This new blog will cover topics such as meditation, creative visualization, memory enhancement, the power of the mind, holistic living, and so on.  I will look at these topics from the perspective of a Westerner, a Christian, and a Mormon.  How can we integrate what is helpful from these practices that sound so foreign to many of us: mantras, chakras, reiki, and the like?

I am no expert in this field, but I have keen interests — and I have been putting some of these practices, such as creative visualization, into practice since I was quite young.  Also, I think my years of studying Jewish and Christian Mysticism, as well as interacting with people of diverse faiths and backgrounds, has helped prepare me to talk about some of these subjects. This blog is a chance for me to explore these topics and share them with others.  I want to raise awareness of the benefits of concepts that we often avoid because they are not considered part of our own tradition — although there are many common principles that we share despite the cultural, conceptual and terminological barriers.  For an example related to this blog, we can see many parallels between the ancient Jewish and Christian concepts and practices related to the Ascent to Heaven and the Eastern practices we call Astral Projection.  Furthermore, I believe that there are many comparisons to be made between Judeo-Christian and Eastern concepts of meditation, asceticism, faith, and many other areas.

So if you have ever wanted to know more about meditation, visualization, or any of these kinds of topics, check out www.plantingmindseeds.com. Please subscribe to receive email updates or connect to the site via Twitter or Facebook.  I look forward to seeing your comments and expect to learn from those of you who may have more experience than me with some of these ideas.