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Forever Alive Issue 05
F O R E V E R A L I V E L i t e
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Issue Number 5 Feb - Mar 1996
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Forever Alive is the world's premier magazine on the subject
of physical immortality. We offer a new vision of humanity, as
completely whole, beyond the polarities of life and death,
spirit and body, mind and heart, male and female. This
pioneering magazine explores the transformative powers of
embracing a life without limits.
This file is best viewed in a monospaced font, such as
Courier.
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FOREVER ALIVE IS NOW ON THE WEB!
Visit our Web Site at http://www.people-forever.org!
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C O N T E N T S
* 10 FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF PHYSICAL IMMORTALITY
by Herb Bowie
* WORK (and Other Four-Letter Words)
by Egbert Sukop
* ABOUT FOREVER ALIVE
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M A S T H E A D
Editor: Herb Bowie
Forever Alive Lite is the electronic equivalent to Forever
Alive magazine, a periodical printed on actual paper. The
paper version is published quarterly, while its electronic
"lite" counterpart is published monthly. Both are published by
People Forever International.
E-MAIL ADDRESS
herbbowie@aol.com
MAILING ADDRESS
PO Box 12305, Scottsdale, AZ 85267-2305
TELEPHONES
1 (602) 922-0300 Voice
1 (602) 922-0800 FAX
1 (800) 2B4-EVER Toll-Free
Copyright (c) 1996 by People Forever International. You may
freely distribute this file electronically on a
non-commercial, nonprofit basis to anyone, and print one copy
for your personal use, but you may not alter or excerpt this
file in any way without direct permission from People Forever
International.
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10 FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF PHYSICAL IMMORTALITY
by Herb Bowie
Physical immortality, to me, is the most far-reaching
revolution in the human condition that I can imagine. It has
touched and transformed every aspect of my life, and continues
to do so on a daily basis.
So, when someone asks me what this phenomenon is all about, it
is difficult to know where to start. As a result, there is a
strong temptation to reply that it is a physical awakening
that can only be experienced and not explained.
This response, though, seems to me to be only a half-truth.
While the experience is not complete without the physical
component, I believe that physical immortality can be
explained and understood, and that it does make sense.
What follows, then, are ten basic principles that seem to me
to be at the core of everything that I and others consider to
be part of "physical immortality." These principles are
certainly not all there is to be said on the subject, but they
do form a consistent underlying foundation for much of what we
express in this vast area.
1) Human Beings Should Not Die.
Most people believe that death is a bad thing--under certain
conditions. When a child is killed in an auto accident, for
example, most humans agree that this is a tragic event. Under
other conditions, though, many people think that death is
acceptable, and even good--for example, when someone in their
nineties dies peacefully in their sleep, of "natural" causes.
We believe that, if some death is wrong, then all death is
wrong. We think that the complex belief systems that humankind
has developed in order to explain death are only
rationalizations for something that has been deemed to be
unavoidable. We do not accept any human death as natural or
beneficial. We believe, at a very deep level, that we are born
to live, and not to die.
2) People Come First.
We think that human value systems have been distorted by the
perceived necessity for death. Even though many talk about the
infinite value of human life, when it comes right down to it,
almost everyone has something else they think more important:
art, beauty, truth, god or nation, for example. After all, as
long as people are disposable, then greater value will be
placed on those things considered to be more enduring.
For us, individual human beings are more valuable than
anything else. Each one of us is more important, for example,
than the words written on this page, and the truths about
physical immortality they represent. We consider every person
to be unique, infinitely valuable, and utterly irreplaceable.
3) We Are Whole.
Throughout history all of humanity's religions, philosophies
and belief systems have depicted people as split between
various polarities: mind and body, flesh and spirit, god and
devil, reason and passion, pure and impure, flawed and
perfect, secular and holy, temporal and eternal. Once again,
we see death at the root of these attitudes. As long as
physical deterioration is considered inevitable, then people
will always feel these splits, between the part of them they
know must die and the part they hope will endure.
Physical immortality offers us a way out of these
contradictions. It lets us see ourselves and others as whole
and complete, just the way we are. It lets us accept human
beings as entirely wonderful, without having to rate them
against some artificial standards of perfection. And it lets
us act out of a new integrity, realizing that the many facets
of being human are not contradictory, but complementary and
synergistic.
4) Our Togetherness is Unlimited.
Most people see death as the inevitable and ultimate
separation between themselves and those they love. Even lovers
at most vow togetherness only "until death do us part." This
threat of final separation has placed a limit on human
togetherness in the here and now as well, since people have
been afraid to get too close to one another, unconsciously
seeking to lessen the pain of this eventual and inescapable
loss.
For us, physical immortality is more than just an abstract
concept--it is a tangible promise to never leave one another.
It is a vow that we will ever and always find new depths of
closeness to explore together. And in this togetherness, we
find both new reasons to live, and new resources for living.
5) Change is Our Only Constant.
Most people live within rigid patterns of thought and behavior
established by their parents, their culture, their education
and their personalities. Although these patterns are
constricting, they seem to offer valuable definitions of who
we are. Individuals tend to change these patterns slowly, if
at all, with society waiting on the coming of a new generation
to implement more sweeping changes.
Physical immortality requires us to make change a way of life.
We must "evolve on our two feet" in order to adapt to the
continually changing conditions around us. More than that, the
excitement of change and growth is part of what makes life
appealing.
6) We Can Create Heaven On Earth.
Many people have trouble understanding our preoccupation with
immortality. After all, most of us seem to go through life
giving little consideration to our ultimate demise. So, even
if we do have to die someday, what does that have to do with
our lives today? In other words, even if immortality was
possible, what difference would it make?
Our view is that immortality makes all the difference. It
allows us to appreciate the full value of every human life. It
permits us to accept ourselves and others as whole human
beings. Immortality provides a context for a new and unlimited
human togetherness. It also gives us a new appreciation for
our unending change and growth. Together, these factors make
possible a complete revolution in the quality of human life
here on earth.
Even further, immortality focuses our responsibilities and our
expectations on our everyday lives, here with each other. If
there is to be a heaven, then it's up to us to create it,
right here on planet earth, and we may as well start today.
7) Immortality is a Practical Goal.
Many people question the practicality of living forever. After
all, people have always died. What makes us think we are any
different?
We freely admit that we are attempting something that has
never been done before. Like many human pioneers, including
Galileo, Edison and the Wright Brothers, we are not waiting on
agreement from our contemporaries, but are persevering
according to our own vision of what is possible.
Although we are not scientists, we are encouraged by
increasing scientific evidence that death is not a biological
necessity, and welcome all medical advances in the field of
longevity.
Ultimately, though, we feel that a belief in one's own
immortality must come from a personal decision, from a deep
sense of aliveness, and not from a calm examination of the
available evidence.
Does this sound crazy? Perhaps to some, but considering that
we have nothing to lose, and everything to gain, anything less
seems equally crazy to us.
8, 9 & 10) Chuck, Bernie and Jim
Because people have died, and been otherwise undependable,
human institutions have been designed to avoid excessive
reliance on individuals. As results, we are governed by
presidents instead of kings, do business with corporations
instead of people, and enjoy art produced by industries
instead of artists. Through these various mechanisms, human
culture seems to have steadily progressed, while individual
humans have followed their own often erratic courses.
Physical immortality puts the role of the individual in a new
light. If we are here to stay, then we should outlast our ever
changing institutions. If we put people first, then they must
come before corporations. If we are whole, then we can truly
be here for each other, and become people to be depended on.
If we are ever changing, then we will always be getting better
for each other. And if we are together without limits, then we
can make the vow never to leave one another.
Everything I have described so far has been started by three
remarkable individuals: Charles Paul Brown, Bernadeane and
James Russell Strole. Working together, these
three--collectively known as CBJ--have discovered, described
and demonstrated all the principles I have set forth above.
For thirty-five years they have devoted themselves, not to
these ideas, but to other people.
It is true that these three are no more special than anyone
else on the planet. But then it is the nature of specialness
to be above comparison. So for me, no matter how many other
unique and wonderful individuals I discover, nothing can
change who these three are to me.
Can immortality exist without CBJ? As an idea, yes. But
immortality as no more than a concept holds little appeal. Can
you take from someone the truth that people are worth more
than ideas, say thanks, and then go merrily on your way? After
discovering that people can come together in a new wholeness,
can you choose to return to your own isolated path? And after
learning that people can be together without limits, can you
turn your back on an offer to stay with you forever?
Each person must answer these questions for themselves, of
course. For me, the answers are clear. I choose life--not just
for today, but for now and forever.
I invite you to choose it with me.
- - -
Originally published in Forever Alive magazine, Issue no. 19.
Copyright (c) 1993 by People Forever International.
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Egg-Onomics
WORK
(and other four-letter words)
by Egbert ("The Egg") Sukop
Let's Try An Experiment!
Are you ready for an exercise? No? Well--do it anyway. Take a
five or (even better) a ten dollar bill, step out of your
house and give that money to the next stranger you meet! S/he
has to take it, though--do not sneak it into his/her pocket!
If s/he doesn't want the money... fine, give it to somebody
else.
What--you're still here! What are you waiting for? Five
billion people all wail about their lack of ten dollar bills!
You will find the crowds on their knees, showering you with
gratitude. Trust me on this one.
Hmm... I sense you still don't believe me. Well, don't believe
me, then--just do it, damn it!
OK, I admit it: you'll find no kneeling crowds, no showers of
gratitude. But you will discover a grain of "truth" out there
in the economic wilderness. First thing you'll see is that the
cry of the masses for money is an empty lie. If you really
want to give away free money, the masses disappear and the
three-and-a-half individuals who are left ungratefully refuse
to take your money, as if it were somehow cursed. You will
find out that money must meet the most exacting conditions
before a person will even condescend to touch it!
So Who's Wearing the White Coat Here?
Most people build a sophisticated labyrinth around themselves,
so that money has to labor and sweat its way through in order
to be mercifully received by its master. We try to teach money
a lesson. We watch cash and count the time this stupid little
thing needs to find us. We have made a guinea pig out of
money. We watch it with curiosity, to see if its next step
will be acceptable to our limited belief system. We want to be
entertained like scientists in a laboratory.
Have you ever considered the possibility that the white rats
in the laboratories of the world are so smart that they made
the scientists in their white overalls do what they do? What
if it was the rats that made scientists apply for grants,
build labyrinths, develop series of experiments, and win Nobel
prizes? Maybe it is the scientists who have really been
employed by monkeys, rabbits and mice. And perhaps the reason
they quit animal testing (the animals quit testing the
scientists, that is) is that the animals got bored, because
the intelligence of the scientists in white never improved. (I
forgive the rats and mice for trying--don't we all
overestimate the power of science once in a while?)
What--you don't believe my silly little story? Good--then
perhaps you will also give up your belief that money is in
control of your life. People all too easily become guinea-pigs
of a laboratory rat called "money"!
Get Everything You Deserve!
Have you done your exercise by now? Did you give your money
away? What--you don't want to give money to somebody who
doesn't give you anything in exchange? Great! You have won the
worker's highest award. You have made yourself a real king
now: You are working! Herzlichen Glckwunsch!
Your level of resistance to giving money to another
person--without receiving any obvious value in return, in the
form of a product or a service--is a reflection of the depth
of your belief that people have to work hard before they
deserve to get a certain amount of money. This cold
measurement of what you and others deserve or don't deserve
earns us nothing but struggle and trouble! To take only the
money you "deserve" limits you and your income as much as
smoking limits your breath intake, and your health in general.
I advise you to quit both: smoking and deserving! You deserve
better... don't you?
Anyway, you don't really expect goods and services in return
for every cent you spend, do you? Paying your insurance
premiums and insisting on service in exchange means that you
would have to get sick, burn your house down, cause car
accidents, get robbed, and even die, from time to time! [Come
to think of it, this would explain a lot of our social ills. -
Editor]
I live quite well without all that, thank you. But if you want
to join me, I invite you to keep paying your premiums, but
give your money as a gift to your insurance agents. They
"deserve" your money and more without you or anybody else
having to suffer for it!
(You think I'm sick, don't you? You're right--but I like it
better this way. Wait, wait, before you kindle your fire
sadistically with this column, give Egg another chance to
kindle your whole existence! I so much hope that you are
ticklish, that you laugh and beg me to stop, knowing that I
won't quit! Let us tickle the crazy cash out of each
other....)
How much is your job worth?
Anyway, back to work (the subject of it, that is). If I think
that who I am is not worth being paid money for, then I need
to work. Do any of the following lines sound familiar?
My performance on my job makes me deserving of money.
If I didn't get paid for the job, I wouldn't do it
I'd rather be... ___ing,
(as so many bumper stickers seem to say).
I would like to do something else, but since I get paid for
this work, I'd better do the stuff I don't like.
I sell myself for as much money as I can get.
(There are a lot more prostitutes in the world than we like to
think! The prostitution I talk about is not prohibited
anywhere. It's even taught in public schools and by mom, dad
and dear uncle Nick. Isn't that funny?)
That's sad! People who live that way don't like their jobs
very much. They can't enjoy what they're doing, while they
would rather be doing something else. They think they have no
choice--it just "happened" that way. You know these
individuals! They suffer through work until they can get off
work tonight, until the next Friday (the TGIF club), their
next payday, their retirement, their big win at the lottery,
or a stroke (whichever comes first). Boy, are they in
trouble--mayday, mayday!
All TGIF folks complain they're underpaid
(but are really overpaid--and out of place)!
People who hate their jobs (and don't kid yourself--if you
don't love your job, then you hate it) do bad jobs. They are
never as good at what they are doing as people who enjoy the
same kind of work. Don't get me wrong! There are no bad jobs
in the world--only jobs. It takes a person to make a job bad,
and to do a bad job!
Now I have a joke for you. I don't take money for nothing,
because I think I'm not worth it. But I think this stupid job
I'm doing--the job I don't like, the work, I barely put any
quality into--is worth being paid for. I'm not worth a thing,
but the junk I produce day by day is worth my wage. Are you
beginning to get the joke? Isn't it funny that a human being
puts his/her own value below the value of a job they do
poorly, because they would rather be doing something else? The
best job cannot be better or more valuable than the individual
who does it!
The job doesn't earn you any money: You earn money by putting
yourself into the chosen job! Put yourself into being a couch
potato, and you'll earn money on your couch. (What--you don't
believe me? Haven't you heard--psychotherapists make big
money! One couch potato listens to another couch potato, and
the one with the lowest self-esteem pays. You think I'm
kidding? Every job works that way!)
Find three people on the same kind of job--with the same
education, the same experience, the same job description,
producing the same output--and you will see that they do not
get paid equally! The individual determines the value of
his/her income. Only a person who can't stop doing what s/he
is doing--and who can't be stopped--delivers the best quality!
A person like this doesn't experience competition and s/he
cannot be overpaid.
Forget About Self-Esteem
One more thing work won't do for you is build your
self-esteem. (In fact, work can make a person feel smaller, if
the person felt small before starting the work.)
You are who you are--whether you know it or not--but you won't
get enough money for being who you are, if you don't care
enough to be aware of your value. Why? Since nobody likes to
be in business with an outrageous liar, people who pretend to
be smaller than they are have a hard time squeezing money out
of people! (I'm sorry--I didn't mean to offend you. I didn't
mean you, of course. I was speaking in general about some
other people.)
By the way, you (I mean "they," of course) can't raise your
self-esteem. You don't have to do it, either. If you feel you
don't have enough of it, stop strangling the poor thing and
you may forget the whole silly struggle! The illusion of a
lack of self-esteem was invented by some smart therapists and
self-help authors, to make a safe living by re-connecting an
individual with something s/he can't be separated from. Try
telling people for a while that their brains are missing
(shouldn't be all that difficult), then try taking cash for
talking it back into place! Funny? It's not!
Forget about your brain and it works fine. Take my advice, and
forget about your self-esteem too.
Your work limits the money you get!
That's always so, unless you put your value into your work.
Expand your work according to yourself. Any stagnation will
end up in a failure: a fixed income of thirty thousand dollars
monthly will get as boring and limiting as fifteen hundred
"boogers" every month, believe me. Destroy the value your
"sacred" work has in your mind daily, and tear down the safe
bricks you've built your job with to secure your little
living. Safe jobs become prisons for your creativity, unless
you plan and act in wider circles (and not just busier ones)
daily.
May I ask you something? What is the highest sum of money
you've ever gotten in your life on one single day? (It doesn't
matter whether it was a gift, the result of a successful
business deal, the mortgage for your house, or an investment
by another person into your company.)
Compare your current work effort and your normal income with
this special cash amount you once received. Did you put a
relatively large effort and a lot of your time into getting
that big pile of paper--or was it rather a piece of cake to
make that money? Was it "hard labor," or even fun, to come in
contact with the most money you ever got? You, my friend, and
everybody else, have many experiences that prove the truth:
small money is harder to come by (and to live with) than big
money. Limits hurt!
Beware of diligence!
Being diligent won't make you rich. The ones who try so hard
are most of the time almost "there," but never quite make it.
The ones who are the best in their fields but take it easy
will always have unlimited resources to do better! You can't
beat a genius by being busy. Forget the competition and start
to figure out in which area you are a genius! Then you can
even start being busy again, but it won't wear you out. Your
"work" will be your "fun"!
Destiny Calls...
(But Always Collect)
Last bit of advice from uncle Egg: don't quit your job to
start looking for your "perfect fulfilling destiny." If the
job you have isn't what you are looking for, then it will at
least be the best job to back you up while you are building
the next one. You will be relaxed from the beginning and you
can't fail. (Unless you do--ha, ha--how do I know?)
- - -
Egbert ("The Egg") Sukop is an international author and
seminar leader on the subjects of money and prosperity. If you
would like to hear more of what Egbert has to say on these
subjects, you can order a copy of his book and cassette tape
package, "The Money Machine", for $45.00, including shipping
and handling. Send a check or money order to Egbert Sukop, PO
Box 14331, Scottsdale, AZ 85267-4331. Egbert can be contacted
via e-mail at doughdude@netzone.com.
- - -
Originally published in Forever Alive magazine, Issue no. 19.
Copyright (c) 1993 by Egbert Sukop Fun & Money Corp.
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ABOUT FOREVER ALIVE
Forever Alive magazine is the paper-based big brother to this
e-zine. It has been published quarterly since 1989.
R. Seth Friedman, in Factsheet Five, Issue No. 56, said about
Forever Alive:
"This publication breaks the mold of fringe immortality zines
with informative, rational (and very readable) essays in a
bright colorful package."
Carol Wright said about us, in the Spring 1994 edition of the
NAPRA Trade Journal:
"This quarterly publication is probably the only immortalist
(as opposed to longevity) magazine around. Forever Alive
offers recent information about longevity, bodywork, nutrition
and so forth. But their upbeat philosophical essays separate
them from other health magazines. They challenge your most
deeply seated beliefs about life and death."
The Alternative Press Review, in their Spring/Summer 1995
edition, said:
"Forever Alive is a nicely-produced, 42-page quarterly
magazine devoted to bodily health and human immortality...."
Forever Alive has now grown to 52 pages, with no outside
advertising, and featuring a full-color cover. The magazine is
available at better bookstores, including the Barnes & Noble
and BookStar chains. The cost is $6 for a single issue and $24
for an annual subscription (4 issues). Subscriptions and
single issues may be ordered directly from People Forever.
Distributors for Forever Alive include Desert Moon, New Leaf,
Armadillo & Co. and Ingram Periodicals.
ISSUE 27
Issue 27 will be on newsstands March thru May, 1996. This
issue includes all of the following.
COVER STORY
If You Know Why You Want To Be Rich,
Then I Know Exactly Why You Aren't!
by Egbert Sukop
Do you want to be really rich? If so, then our money expert
wants to explain to you why you aren't--and never will be!
Egbert has taught the truth about cold, hard cash to thousands
of people in his popular money seminars. This excerpt from his
new book, "The Money Machine", proves him to be equally
effective in print. Find out how your misconceptions about
money have kept you from achieving the success you deserve!
FEATURES
Finding Myself In You
by Charles Paul Brown
Universal brotherhood has failed to bring people together.
"Connecting" with others seems to work--for a while. Chuck
talks here about a new alternative: finding ourselves in one
another.
Unfixing Ourselves
by Bernadeane
Are you constantly trying to fix yourself? How about your
relationship--is there something (or someone) there you think
needs fixing? And once you seem to get things right, do you
want to fix them in place so that they can't ever again veer
out of control? If any of the above applies to you, then
Bernie has some radical advice for you: stop looking for a
quick fix, and start feeling a new excitement in your life!
Get So Far Away from Death that It Can't Find You Anymore!
by James Russell Strole
Are you content to get just an occasional break from death: a
happy weekend, a carefree vacation, a year or two with no
major disasters in your life? Well, none of that is enough for
Jim anymore. He doesn't just want a brief respite from death,
sorrow and depression. He wants out of them altogether--and
encourages you to settle for nothing less in your own life.
Quantum Flesh
by Jon Ward
Many of the world's great spiritual traditions call for a
renunciation of the flesh. Physical immortality, on the other
hand, calls for a full acceptance and celebration of our
material substance. Is there a way to reconcile these
seemingly divergent viewpoints? Jon thinks there is, and
explains how many common spiritual teachings can be fulfilled
through physical immortality.
True Healing
by Jenny McFeely
In this issue's column, our regular herbalist explains why
herbs and supplements are often not enough. Instead, she
explains how our emotions, attitudes, and relationships with
others can work together to achieve healings that, from a
medical point of view, often seem miraculous.
Confessions of an Alleged Cult Member
by Herb Bowie
People Forever has occasionally been called a cult by members
of the media and others who ought to know better. Our Editor,
Herb Bowie, reveals some of the behind-the-scenes activities
of these reporters and so-called "cult experts," and debunks
their apparently professional accusations.
The Possibility of Physical Immortality
by Herb Bowie
According to most people, death is as certain as taxes. But is
it really? Is death really inevitable, or are we simply
resigned to it because we have seen so much of it? Continuing
his popular "Questions & Answers" series, our editor explains
why he thinks it is actually possible to live forever.
DEPARTMENTS
Wellness Watch
Compiled by Dr. Claudio Lind
The latest research results in the fields of health and
wellness. This issue's subjects include:
* Taking folic acid to prevent heart disease
* Eating eggs without raising your cholesterol
* Increasing your fertility by avoiding depression
Books
by Herb Bowie
* "Forever Man"
fiction by George Michael Greider
* "Under A Lemon Moon: A Metaphysical Mystery"
fiction by David N. Martin
* "Stop Aging Now! The Ultimate Plan for Staying Young and
Reversing the Aging Process"
non-fiction by Jean Carper
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