I have only run out of gas twice in my life.  The first time, I had been moving from one apartment to another, and I had a very busy schedule.  I completely forgot that cars ran on gas.  Lo, and behold, as I was driving down the street, my car started to sputter.  Dazedly, I looked at the gauges, and sure enough, the gas tank was completely empty.  This was in the days before there were red little warning lights on the gauges that let you know that your gas was low.

Fortunately, it was my lucky day!  The car stopped right in front of a house where the owner was mowing his lawn and he had a can of gas right there.  Seeing my predicament, he poured his gallon of gas into my tank and would not take any money.  Of course, gas cost about 50 cents per gallon in those days.  It was not a major investment like today.  I thanked him profusely and went on my merry way - directly to the gas station.

The second time I ran out of gas was because of an accident.  I was driving in my Buick Century down a freeway with my son, and all of a sudden, the car in front swerved to the left.  By the time I realized why he had swerved, I was on top of a big chunk of metal that probably had fallen off a truck.  Clink! Clank! Thunk! These were the sounds that I heard as the metal hit the underside of my car.  My tires were OK, but as I continued further, I noticed that my gas gauge was dropping quite fast.  I looked back in the mirror and saw a trail of gasoline.   My first thought was “I hope the car doesn’t catch on fire”, as I kept going.  There was an exit coming up.  I ran out of gas as I entered the exit and coasted right into a gas station that was in the right place at the right time.  I was really lucky!  The gas station specialized in gas tank repairs.  I called a neighbor to give me a ride home and lived happily ever after.

Overactive Imagination

Akashic Records, whose name is derived from the Sanskrit word “Akasha” meaning “space”, are supposed to contain all knowledge from all human experiences in the Universe. The Akashic Records are frequently described as a library that is constantly updated whenever any person anywhere thinks a thought. The mystic Edgar Cayce (March 18, 1877 – January 3, 1945) claimed to be able to answers questions about health, astrology, and reincarnation by accessing the Akashic Records when he was in a state of self-induced trance. The Association for Research and Enlightenment (A.R.E.) based in Virginia Beach, offers a variety of therapies in keeping with the spirit and philosophy of the Edgar Cayce readings. Edgar Cayce Centers are now found in 25 countries and each year attract thousands of curious people, scholars, researchers, philosophers, and even health care professionals.

Interest in mysticism and paranormal phenomena seems to fulfill a human need for absolute knowledge which science cannot provide. Some companies are running very profitable businesses by encouraging people to explore the power of their subconscious by tapping into the Universal Energy which is within the reach of enlightened individuals. There is a web site that for $98 Dollars will sell you six cassette tapes to teach “remote viewing”, a technique to access subconscious and universal mind information in space and time so that present, past, and future events are revealed.

Akashic Records, Collective Consciousness, and Remote Viewing are philosophies for which there is no proof and which cannot be scientifically verified. Remote viewing (the current version of “clairvoyance”) is a fancy way of doing thought experiments, or brainstorming about something that you know nothing about. Any findings produced through remote viewing or access to Akashic Records without physical observations or background knowledge cannot be much better than wild guesses. We can have a greater awareness of our surroundings and can even make some insightful predictions by paying close attention to our perceptions and by using our power of deduction.

One Million Dollar Challenge: The James Randi Educational Foundation, a not-for-profit organization which was established in 1996 to promote critical thinking, offers a prize of one million Dollars to any person who can demonstrate any psychic, supernatural or paranormal ability of any kind under mutually agreed conditions. To date, the prize remains unclaimed.

Madame Flora conducts free psychic chats that help clients think about their problems. Everybody can solve their own problems with a little encouragement. Here is a transcript of a recent conversation with a client:

Client: future career
Mme. Flora: Do you have any goals? Your goals determine your future. What field interests you?
Client: no
Mme. Flora: You sound unhappy. What did you eat for lunch?
Client: pizza, I am happy
Mme. Flora: Has your treatment made you happy?
Client: treatment?
Mme. Flora: We must have a bad connection. I am getting some typos and broken lines.
Client: maybe
Mme. Flora: Can’t you be more positive?
Client: i am positive
Mme. Flora: Positive thoughts can calm your nerves. What is your favorite sport?
Client: sleepingbag sliding
Mme. Flora: Beauty is the source of all true art and all science.
Client: is it?
Mme. Flora: Does talking about this bother you?
Client: no
Mme. Flora: Moving on to greener pastures… What is your favorite animal?
Client: koala
Mme. Flora: You will be sorry if you kiss an elephant in the lips.
Client: ?

Chat with Madame Flora