Are you familiar with John Hellebrand? I took his college courses while I was in high school. I did use his teachings on autosuggestion for peak performance throughout my life. An incredible hypnotist and mentor. I also devoured Harry Lorayne's books on memory as a kid.
I attribute Hellebrand's teachings (and practical practice of the self-made safeguards against anothers control) for my resistance to interrogation training and to being one of a handful to ace that course that year.
"We’ll never know, but his eerie mysticism makes me wonder what is magic and what is not and how much could we know not limited to the boundaries of our five senses. What exists outside those limitation because we all need enchantment in our lives." I couldn't have said this better! I love reading not only your stories, but your insights. Life truly is magical. Also I love seeing videos of your act! Super cool. Thank you for sharing!
A wonderful story, thank you for sharing! I ended up working at renfaires for a few years after I left the Army and went to college. Pure serendipity due to dating an actress back then. I grew up reading James Randi and loved his mind. Interesting enough as you talk of Indianmysticism, I have experienced some extraordinary things as I got deep into martial arts. My analytical mind wrestled with my imagination concerning some of the more incredible achievements, including some done by me. In the end, I determined that whether I defined it as intuition, heightened physical senses, extreme psychological profiling of anothers thought processes or a 'danger sense' gut-feeling, premonitions of someones actions, telepathy, didn't matter. The experience existed, but wasn't always in evidence, ergo the act of defining it, diminished it.
Are you feeling anothers chi or merely unconsciously aware of miniscule body heat variance when blind-fighting? Are you reading another's thoughts or just know them so well that you know how they think? For me, the answer didn't matter. The experience happened. Let it go. Where am I? Here. Now.
We are so separated from our other senses and other dimensions. Birds and fish show us two other realms which we can’t access, but we can only see. We have to practice tuning our sixth sense and listening to our inner voice.
It's crazy how connected lives can be. You rubbed shoulders with some of my childhood heroes (I got into power lifting in early 80s too, part of that peak performance quest I was on for martial arts), so your post on that was fascinating for me as well.
One of the key elements of Zen, listening to your gut! But I know that people can heighten their thermal and electromagnetic sesitivity as well. Maybe I am a mutant, but for years I could pass with metal through metal detectors. I took a trip along the Nile to see the ruins post Army. I completely forgot about a full-size combat blade in a hidden coat pocket. I went through SeaTac, O'Hare, Heathrow, Paris and Cairo airports only to discover it a week into Egypt! It came home in checked baggage!
My parents took me on the trip. They were not amused. But then they didn't care for how their bookworm son came out of the Army much either. As a 98C/97E tactical MI, my battalion proved proof of concept for what would become the modern Stryker teams. I never stopped being a geeky nerd, I just picked up some Rambo traits too lolol
SM, James Randi lived quite near me for decades in the MIC R&D community where my parents were steered to. Illusion, deception, technological innovations, were and remain a sizable portion of what constitutes a command-and-control system.
I never thought Randi's presence coincidental, just practical, considering the turf we were sharing. There was hardly a moment in my childhood where things were what they seemed.
Signal Corps budgeting was beyond children's comprehension, some of us were conditioned to believe we would never make sense of anything. We played the roles we were given, were too tired to do much questioning, and when we did not accept an explanation, we experienced creative corrections.
Fact is we are born with access to reality, which we are conditioned to ignore. Nothing is beyond Nature. Presence begins and flows infinitely from our core, or gut-feeling as you call it;
time and space are just words, not obstacles in the actual here and now.
Thank you for the story! Was Randi a good neighbor? I shared the stage with him many times. Nice man, but in my opinion spent too much time trying to disprove spiritual events. Many of them are fake, but often times they are real. Have a blessed day! ✨🤗
Randi was invisible. I never saw him when he was not performing. We knocked on his door on Halloween. I bet most people did not even know he lived there, or in town even. He lived in a child infested neighborhood where houses were close together, with a young man, from India, I think, as it was this person, who we assumed to be his assistant, who answered the door, to my recollection. This had to be around 1970.
Spiritual events...Every breath we take is a splendid example. We take breath/spirit for granted, not for the miracle that each breath, each heartbeat is. I have seen amazing, overwhelming illusions, and survived lots of situations that I could not tell you for certain if they were real or contrived training exercises. I understand why.
To keep a crew on their toes, they can't know, or if they do, they won't say. It is the look of WTF that we shared, for a moment, and then it was on to the next one if we were not alone, as I was never sure that the person next to me was part of the act, or a patsy in training, just like me.
I was born into this, and performing since before I could tie my own shoes. My father was impossible to know, even though he was a lifelong bit player, he knew enough to know better than to steer us in any direction. His father, the dog trainer, was the true master of deception. Of course, we knew nothing, except his Chaplin imitation. This is the tell, and the only one.
I did not earn my master credential until I was fifty-four, and then the practicum that I barely survived. I understood that a child might get there by twenty-one, but that a lot of them would have died in the process of getting one done. Street kids are disposable, and I was not one, just conditioned to believe that I had been.
So, I was a half a century in before knowing a possible purpose of any of what I perceived had transpired, and even now I can deny knowing anything for certain. I have the memories, for now at least, and a good working knowledge of skullduggery.
I live in a world where players get played. Who lives to play another day, and who moves on to the beyond, is always interesting to observe, but not my forte. I am here to savor the miracle, and tell stories, at least while I can still remember them. I teach there is always a higher level of play. I enjoy the great mystery, and not knowing how the doing gets done. I simply know that the work gets done, and the show goes on.
For me, the song was Invisible Sun. I can say honestly that this song helped me survive 1984, when chaos overcame my ability to make sense of the play in front of me. Big fan of the entire ablum, and saw them do it live, way back then.
Thank you Janet for your support and encouragement! Sending you much gratitude. I would love to appear.on your Podcast once it's launched! thank you so much for considering me and asking me to do so. Have a beautiful week!🤗💫💞
I remember being in your Studio City apartment and Jonathan talking me into climbing into the basket! This was my first and only time experiencing something so magically iconic. Quite thrilling, definitely! Forty plus years later, I would definitely need a much larger basket! lol!
You and me both Karen! Lol! Thank you for the fond memory! I do recall you getting in it! The other day I found a picture of Nelson at our place in Studio City! Have a magical weekend my friend! I hope you all had another fabulous Thanksgiving! ✨✨💖✨✨
Splendid! I'm amazed at how skillfully you disappear into the basket.
I understand now that every performance of magic has a wonderful story behind it. I had no idea that India had this amazing history in the field of magic.
I appreciate your kind words, thank you for reading it and taking a moment to comment! Yes, India is extremely rich with magical history. Houdini’s entire essence as a performer was based on Indian magic. I’m thrilled I could share this with you!
Are you familiar with John Hellebrand? I took his college courses while I was in high school. I did use his teachings on autosuggestion for peak performance throughout my life. An incredible hypnotist and mentor. I also devoured Harry Lorayne's books on memory as a kid.
Yes, I’m familiar with both men. That’s terrific you took John’s classes! Some amazing men!
I attribute Hellebrand's teachings (and practical practice of the self-made safeguards against anothers control) for my resistance to interrogation training and to being one of a handful to ace that course that year.
Trying to find some references online, but not finding anything :(
Somewhere I have the mix tape cassette he made for me lol
"We’ll never know, but his eerie mysticism makes me wonder what is magic and what is not and how much could we know not limited to the boundaries of our five senses. What exists outside those limitation because we all need enchantment in our lives." I couldn't have said this better! I love reading not only your stories, but your insights. Life truly is magical. Also I love seeing videos of your act! Super cool. Thank you for sharing!
Many thanks, Kristin I welcome your support and I'm so glad my article gave you happiness! Have a fabulous weekend! ✨🤗
I should qualify that the "letting go" was only after a lot of time chasing answers. Monkey Brain and Zen
Sometimes you have to exhaust yourself to find the answer. 🏃♂️ ✨🤗
Have a magical day! It was so good to chat! 💬💖
A wonderful story, thank you for sharing! I ended up working at renfaires for a few years after I left the Army and went to college. Pure serendipity due to dating an actress back then. I grew up reading James Randi and loved his mind. Interesting enough as you talk of Indianmysticism, I have experienced some extraordinary things as I got deep into martial arts. My analytical mind wrestled with my imagination concerning some of the more incredible achievements, including some done by me. In the end, I determined that whether I defined it as intuition, heightened physical senses, extreme psychological profiling of anothers thought processes or a 'danger sense' gut-feeling, premonitions of someones actions, telepathy, didn't matter. The experience existed, but wasn't always in evidence, ergo the act of defining it, diminished it.
Are you feeling anothers chi or merely unconsciously aware of miniscule body heat variance when blind-fighting? Are you reading another's thoughts or just know them so well that you know how they think? For me, the answer didn't matter. The experience happened. Let it go. Where am I? Here. Now.
Thank you!
We are so separated from our other senses and other dimensions. Birds and fish show us two other realms which we can’t access, but we can only see. We have to practice tuning our sixth sense and listening to our inner voice.
Always a pleasure to chat with you!
Likewise. thank you for stopping to char, very enjoyable! 🤗💖
Always!
🤗✨
It's crazy how connected lives can be. You rubbed shoulders with some of my childhood heroes (I got into power lifting in early 80s too, part of that peak performance quest I was on for martial arts), so your post on that was fascinating for me as well.
Much thanks! It’s amazing the potential of the human body! 🏋️♀️🥋
One of the key elements of Zen, listening to your gut! But I know that people can heighten their thermal and electromagnetic sesitivity as well. Maybe I am a mutant, but for years I could pass with metal through metal detectors. I took a trip along the Nile to see the ruins post Army. I completely forgot about a full-size combat blade in a hidden coat pocket. I went through SeaTac, O'Hare, Heathrow, Paris and Cairo airports only to discover it a week into Egypt! It came home in checked baggage!
Oh! Wow! 😲
What an incredible story. Forces protecting you! ✨🙏
My parents took me on the trip. They were not amused. But then they didn't care for how their bookworm son came out of the Army much either. As a 98C/97E tactical MI, my battalion proved proof of concept for what would become the modern Stryker teams. I never stopped being a geeky nerd, I just picked up some Rambo traits too lolol
SM, James Randi lived quite near me for decades in the MIC R&D community where my parents were steered to. Illusion, deception, technological innovations, were and remain a sizable portion of what constitutes a command-and-control system.
I never thought Randi's presence coincidental, just practical, considering the turf we were sharing. There was hardly a moment in my childhood where things were what they seemed.
Signal Corps budgeting was beyond children's comprehension, some of us were conditioned to believe we would never make sense of anything. We played the roles we were given, were too tired to do much questioning, and when we did not accept an explanation, we experienced creative corrections.
Fact is we are born with access to reality, which we are conditioned to ignore. Nothing is beyond Nature. Presence begins and flows infinitely from our core, or gut-feeling as you call it;
time and space are just words, not obstacles in the actual here and now.
Thank you for the story! Was Randi a good neighbor? I shared the stage with him many times. Nice man, but in my opinion spent too much time trying to disprove spiritual events. Many of them are fake, but often times they are real. Have a blessed day! ✨🤗
Charlotte:
Randi was invisible. I never saw him when he was not performing. We knocked on his door on Halloween. I bet most people did not even know he lived there, or in town even. He lived in a child infested neighborhood where houses were close together, with a young man, from India, I think, as it was this person, who we assumed to be his assistant, who answered the door, to my recollection. This had to be around 1970.
Spiritual events...Every breath we take is a splendid example. We take breath/spirit for granted, not for the miracle that each breath, each heartbeat is. I have seen amazing, overwhelming illusions, and survived lots of situations that I could not tell you for certain if they were real or contrived training exercises. I understand why.
To keep a crew on their toes, they can't know, or if they do, they won't say. It is the look of WTF that we shared, for a moment, and then it was on to the next one if we were not alone, as I was never sure that the person next to me was part of the act, or a patsy in training, just like me.
I was born into this, and performing since before I could tie my own shoes. My father was impossible to know, even though he was a lifelong bit player, he knew enough to know better than to steer us in any direction. His father, the dog trainer, was the true master of deception. Of course, we knew nothing, except his Chaplin imitation. This is the tell, and the only one.
I did not earn my master credential until I was fifty-four, and then the practicum that I barely survived. I understood that a child might get there by twenty-one, but that a lot of them would have died in the process of getting one done. Street kids are disposable, and I was not one, just conditioned to believe that I had been.
So, I was a half a century in before knowing a possible purpose of any of what I perceived had transpired, and even now I can deny knowing anything for certain. I have the memories, for now at least, and a good working knowledge of skullduggery.
I live in a world where players get played. Who lives to play another day, and who moves on to the beyond, is always interesting to observe, but not my forte. I am here to savor the miracle, and tell stories, at least while I can still remember them. I teach there is always a higher level of play. I enjoy the great mystery, and not knowing how the doing gets done. I simply know that the work gets done, and the show goes on.
“ Spiritual events...Every breath we take is a splendid example.”
Before I read your response I want you to know this song has been an earworm for the last day!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMOGaugKpzs
For me, the song was Invisible Sun. I can say honestly that this song helped me survive 1984, when chaos overcame my ability to make sense of the play in front of me. Big fan of the entire ablum, and saw them do it live, way back then.
You and I are enjoying a serendipitous moment, a blessing ✨🤗
Did you really? That’s so cool!
Wow!
Charlotte, your article is mesmerizing 💫
What an incredible life you and Jonathan have had 🪄✨🌺
When my Podcast is relaunched I would love to have you on the Show 💜
Thank you Janet for your support and encouragement! Sending you much gratitude. I would love to appear.on your Podcast once it's launched! thank you so much for considering me and asking me to do so. Have a beautiful week!🤗💫💞
Thank you so much Charlotte 🙏
My listeners will be mesmerized by your storytelling and life experiences.
Interesting!
Thank you!
Wow great piece Charlotte! Still remember seeing Kuda Bux at The Castle he was amazing, still can not explain how he did some things!
Thank you Clifford! Is act was the most amazing and I found him so mysterious on stage and off stage. A very nice man.
Fantastic illusion! Masterful! I must ask though, didn’t you ever want to be the one shoving swords through Jonathon?
👏👏👏😂🤣👍 🗡
Absolutely fascinating stories Ms. Charlotte Pendragon .
Thank you.
Bless you Joe! Thank you my friend! ✨🤗✨🤗
Wonderful story! Thanks for sharing
Thank you Tom! I appreciate your support! Have a fantastic weekend!✨💖✨
Informative
I remember being in your Studio City apartment and Jonathan talking me into climbing into the basket! This was my first and only time experiencing something so magically iconic. Quite thrilling, definitely! Forty plus years later, I would definitely need a much larger basket! lol!
You and me both Karen! Lol! Thank you for the fond memory! I do recall you getting in it! The other day I found a picture of Nelson at our place in Studio City! Have a magical weekend my friend! I hope you all had another fabulous Thanksgiving! ✨✨💖✨✨
Splendid! I'm amazed at how skillfully you disappear into the basket.
I understand now that every performance of magic has a wonderful story behind it. I had no idea that India had this amazing history in the field of magic.
I appreciate your kind words, thank you for reading it and taking a moment to comment! Yes, India is extremely rich with magical history. Houdini’s entire essence as a performer was based on Indian magic. I’m thrilled I could share this with you!
Have a magical weekend! ✨🤗✨
That you are so very easy to look at makes your linked diaries splendiferous!
Awwwww 😍 Thank you JRC! 🤗 I’m happy you like my posts! ✨
Your posts are always so captivating and enchanting!!!
Thank you Amirita! 🤗 ♥️
As a girl growing up in India, have you seen or heard of anyone who has seen it done? 🤔 😂
Incredibly cool! Thank you. I learned a lot... 🙏🏽
Many thanks! I am happy you learned a lot from my article this week. Have a very blessed day! 🤗✨🙏
You too, Charlotte
🪄✨✨💖