CONTENTS

June 1974

 

 

WHISKEY AND ONIONS   ...............................................................................................             2

JUDGMENT   .....................................................................................................................             3

OTHER PLACES-OTHER PEOPLE   ...........................................................................             5

UNDERSTANDING   ........................................................................................................             7

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING   ....................................................................................             7

UFOs INTERNATIONAL   ...............................................................................................             9

PRAYER FOR AN ENEMY   ............................................................................................             10

poet’s corner   ..........................................................................................................             10

CONSIDER THE CONCEPT   ........................................................................................             12

world report   ...........................................................................................................             12

book reviews   ............................................................................................................             16

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR   .........................................................................................             17

WORLD INVOCATION DAY-JUNE-4,1974   ................................................................             18

Bulletin board   ........................................................................................................             19

 

——— ♦ ———

 

THE STAFF

 

EDITOR ........................................................................................... Dr. DANIEL W. FRY

asst. editor ...........................................................................   kerttu campbell

assoc. editor ..........................................................................   margaret little

circulation manager ...................................................  clara A. ledbetter

 

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UNDERSTANDING

 

Volume XIX                                  JUNE 1974                                                 Number 5

 

Dedicated to the propagation of a better understanding among all the peoples of the earth, and of those who are not of earth.

 

 

WHISKEY AND ONIONS

"I am not as stupid as you think!" This terse expression seems to sum up the present attitude of most Americans, toward the many and varied agencies of the Federal Government. It is an objection which, in many cases, seems to be well taken. One cannot observe the actions and processes of government for any length of time, without becoming aware that few governments, as a whole, give their electorate credit for the amount of knowledge and intelligence it actually possesses, if not individually, at least collectively.

The Psychologist who once stated, for publication, that the intelligence of the average American was somewhere between that of an eight and a ten year old child, did a great disservice, not only to the advertising business, which has been pitching its commercials to that level ever since, but also to the elected official, who frequently feels that it is the proper level on which to deal with his constituents.

Most of the serious problems facing various members of the Federal Government today, have resulted from a gross underestimate, by the official, of the level of awareness of his electorate. Some have felt that their own election was sufficient proof of the extreme gullibility of the voter, when, as a matter of fact, they were chosen simply as the lesser of the several evils offered by the ballot.

One is reminded of the story of the young man who, while in college,

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had formed the firm habit of having a small glass of whiskey each day with his lunch. In his first employment after graduation, his desk was very near to that of his boss. Not wanting his boss to know of his habit of taking whiskey with his lunch, he began to carry a few cloves in his pocket. Having had his drink, he would nibble on the cloves before re-turning to work. After some five years of this, apparently successful subterfuge, he discovered one day, that he had neglected to bring any cloves with him, and asked the waiter to bring him a small onion, which he nibbled instead. Soon after returning to work, his boss began to sniff the air, with obvious signs of irritation. Finally, turning to his employee, he said, "I'm sorry Dick, but I will have to let you go. Your work here has been quite good. In fact it has been so good that I have put up with the odor of whiskey and cloves from you for the past five years, but I just won't put up with the odor of whiskey and onions for anyone!"

What the people of the U.S. seem to be saying to their government today is-"We are a patient people, and we have been putting up with the odor of whiskey and cloves from you for many years, but don't think that you are fooling us just because we tolerate it, and, above all, don't try to make us put up with whiskey and onions!"

JUDGMENT

The Judgment Seat is not an easy one to fill. Every year citizens of various countries discover this when they are called to serve as jurors and to decide the fate of their countrymen. The seriousness of this responsibility should call forth in the heart of every juryman the desire to be wise, for it is only if the verdict is true that a fair judgment can be rendered.

If young people go out into the world from homes where they have not been disciplined, as so many do today, and proceed to act as they did at home, the world will soon set them straight. Their fellow citizens judge their behavior and find it wanting. No one will tell the young people these things but by the treatment they receive they will know.

Why do so many people wish to judge their friends and neighbors when they are not capable of judging fairly the person they know best in all the world . . themselves? Do they think that judgment is a simple matter that can be directed according to their likes and dislikes? or perhaps it is habit for them to react for or against the events of their day. The verb, "to judge," means to compare, to evaluate, but to a great many people it must mean to condemn.

The coin of judgment has two sides. The other side is appreciation.

JUNE 1974                                  3

When we truly appreciate a friend or acquaintance, we are simply recognizing the spark of Divinity in them, however brightly or dimly it may be glowing. This recognition from you strengthens your friend's good qualities, which are in harmony with his God-Self, and in the sun of your acceptance they will grow. Unfair treatment always affronts the innermost part of a man; he will not be pushed around, because he knows instinctively that he possesses more real worth than appears on the surface of his life.

Sometimes Life compels us to go through very hard experiences that bring us grief and pain. If we can briefly set aside the emotions these experiences arouse and do some hard thinking about them, it will not be long before we find the nugget of truth they contain for us. This is something every man must do by and for himself. How can criticism and condemnation do anything but interfere with this process of self-evaluation? Condemnation is the action of a person who does not under-stand his fellowmen and the necessities of their lives. Jesus understood these necessities and His warm sympathy drew men to Him, for they sensed He was on their side.

How many times have men or women been discarded socially for behavior that would have been fully explained and understood had the background of their lives been known! What injury does such ostracism inflict! If we could only withhold judgment of our neighbor while we say to ourselves, "I do not know why he acts this way, but there must be a reason. I do not like what he is doing but he may be learning the greatest lesson of this lifetime and will never repeat such behavior. This is no time to withdraw my friendship when my love and understanding may strengthen those qualities in him that will help him win this fight."

Of course, those people who would injure others often must be pre-vented from doing so by being locked up, but only until they are able to reason with spiritual insight. This may take several lifetimes. If you believe a man is the product of what he has experienced not in this life alone, but through many, many lives in past ages, how could you possibly have enough knowledge of him and what he has been through to judge him fairly? It is difficult enough to judge yourself.

It is a gift of God that allows us to be different from our friend. Accept that difference in him, so that you may have the same freedom. There will be some people with whom you do not get along, whose vibrations are not harmonious with yours. You do not have to seek them out unless your karma is involved with theirs. Let them go in peace, and you find your friends elsewhere.

If you are thrown constantly into association with those who irritate you and try your patience, recognize the karmic claim they have on

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you and do your best to work things out fairly. Remember that those higher on the Path of Light will be required to give more in understanding and patience than the stragglers. Thus we teach as we have been taught, and the children of the races will turn their faces to the sun of God's love for them, and continue their long climb back to knowledge of who they are and where they are going.

MARGARET LITTLE

OTHER PLACES-OTHER PEOPLE

(This is the third in a series of four articles on the "Orient Odyssey" of Understanding Member-MALENE ENGLESTAD-of Santa Monica, Calif. The 38-day trip was made during April and May 1973.)

NEPAL

By some political machination our 747 jet was commandeered for some officials going home from Rangoon, and we were left with a small antiquated plane which took six hours instead of the two planned. However, we would not have had the agonizing, exciting experience had we not been in that small plane at that auspicious moment over the Himalayas, en route to Kathmandu, Nepal. The lights suddenly went out and we were completely enveloped in a thick shroud of dense clouds. The first jolt made me exclaim: "Roller Coaster" . . . while all were searching for their seat-belts and praying. The old plane started to creak and groan. A hailstorm pelted the wings with staccato, harsh beats. It lasted no more than 10 minutes, but I am sure to all it seemed like an eternity!

We had missed seeing the Himalayas and Mt. Everest. However, when in Kathmandu, we took an hour's tour by plane to Mt. Everest at sun-rise. A sight never to be forgotten! "Roof of the world" it is called. Nothing begins to rival those parallel ridges, called the Himalayas, for power, beauty and the overwhelming quality that makes anything human seem insignificant. Snow covered peaks as far as eye can see . . . huge rocky mountains and after half an hour of flight, over the microphone the pilot's voice: "Look ahead to the left, the highest peak is Mt. Everest." We were too far away to truly appreciate its majesty, but it was clear long enough to fill us with awe. Down below, in that utterly secluded, impenetrable vastness, clusters of houses were seen. Incredible. In any other age no one would have known of their existence. But, today the Big Birds fly over and nothing is hidden. The world is cracking wide open.

Kathmandu is a valley surrounded by high mountains. We called it "handscaped" for every inch was terraced and planted by man. Here majestic mountains and fertile land do their own thing, giving freely.

JUNE 1974                                  5

But man has to learn to use these gifts and become the master. The people are very poor, primitive. Looking at them one word comes to

mind: Togetherness ... clinging, holding hands, in clusters they watched us from a distance. Privacy is earned. Identity comes from being alone. We do not appreciate enough the strength it takes to be alone without feeling lonely ... independent without feeling insecure.

Our bus tour around the country was again a revelation of old cultures. At Bhatgaon the King's Palace, over a thousand years old, was famous for its 55 unusually carved windows, its inner court with elaborate carvings, its temples decorated with elephants, lions and griffins, the guardian deities. Here we saw men with black fezs, women covered with shawls, with a red mark on their foreheads, little children carrying their school books. Raggedy but surprisingly alert, they were parroting French and English words learned from tourists.

INDIA

AGRA-India-represents a culture which developed in the 17th century under Shah Jehan, and has seldom been equaled for its magnificence. And TAJ MAHAL is its perfect jewel ... Symmetry to the point of perfection ... exquisitely beautiful ... 20,000 laborers and artisans worked for 12 years to create this gleaming costly tomb. Squares of white marble are inlaid with soft-colored gems cut in shape of leaves, buds, blossoms. Also, the holy book, the Koran, is transcribed on its outer walls. Only 300 years old and today amid poverty and dust it seems an impossible mirage. It is said it is slowly sinking into the sacred Juma River. How tragic.

In a new air-conditioned bus, just introduced for tourists, we drove 25 miles through a one-lane road to visit an abandoned ancient Mogul Capitol. Often we had to stop to let the native vehicles, emaciated cows, bicycles, donkeys, children and dogs pass. A sign: Help to eradicate malaria. An almost impossible task with the flies, dust and dirt all around. Passing through the one street, business section ... 6 x 6 dark rooms, and 3 x 6 porches constituted the market place-old sewing machines operated by little boys ... fruits, goods, food, flies ... every-thing peddled in the open.

Lack of water has hounded India for centuries. This Mogul Capitol, also 17th century, was built for the king. A very fascinating place ... A thousand-and-one-night stories are told about it: On huge blocks of marble in the courtyard chess games were played with beautiful girls as pawns; swimming pools filled with rose water; even an ingenious way to keep the palaces air-conditioned with water running over tiles . . . but, all ended within less than a hundred years when severe droughts

6                                                    UNDERSTANDING

and parched land drove the kings back to Agra.

NEW DELHI, like all new cities, is in the main a modern city with a generous sprinkling of new, modern high-rise buildings, and some very impressive and imposing public buildings, like the circular Parliament House and the new Central Secretariat. Our Hotel Oberoi Intercontinental was a deluxe, beautiful hotel. The main dining room had an exquisitely beaded peacock on one wall, and the lighting fixtures were 8-foot minarets covered with multicolored beads.

Our bus trip to OLD DELHI again took us through very poor, crowded sections of the country. Once again we were amazed to view the old monuments of past civilizations, such as the Red Fort, and remnants of the Imperial Palace of Shah Jehan, builder of the Taj Mahal. Later on, in the evening, we saw a beautiful Sound and Light performance which told the 300-year-old history of vanished Mogul Kings.

The Ivory Palace was a revelation. We watched emaciated young boys transforming elephant tusks into the most exquisite objects, large and small. How could these people, poverty-stricken not only physically but with a lack of beauty around, understand and appreciate such beauty and have the talent to create it?

(To be concluded in the next issue)

UNDERSTANDING

I put before all men of knowledge the question of man's understanding. If each man tried to understand before he tried to love, then perhaps the love that was in man would not turn to hate, and there would be peace in the world.

Man often sees and interprets before he understands. In man this is a weakness, in teachers and leaders of men it is criminal. Would any man ask for a blind leader?

Perhaps man can not understand everything, and some more than others, but the effort must be given and instilled by the men of knowledge.

And so my fellow citizens of the world, I ask you not to love the same things, to live the same lives, to dream the same dreams, but to try to understand one another. To ask, to seek, to find, and not to yield.

Pro Pax, No Amor, No Mens ……………….. servio!

THOMAS F. CARR

 ♦  ♦  ♦ 

Eggshells are sometimes so thin that you may see out of one for a hundred years and never know you were inside.

JUNE 1974                                  7

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING

Behavior Tied To Communication

(GALVESTON (Texas) DAILY NEWS, January 26, 1974)

Dr. Bernice Milburn Moore told Mental Health Association members and their guests that there's a vast difference between what one says and what others hear that person say.

It is this problem, according to Moore, that causes most of the inter-personal relationship problems.

Moore, a former newspaper woman with a PhD in sociology and social psychology is the executive associate of the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health of the University of Texas System.

Moore says "we become human, we become a person, we become a personality, we become a self, through relationships, from birth to death, with important others, with casual encounters with others and with all others."

Communications and behavior are so closely related, according to Moore, that we hardly separate them. There's a constant interpretation of human behavior through communications.

"The important thing in communication is not how much we under-stand each other, but how much we misunderstand," she says.

A sick relationship, according to Moore, is when people have to think about the relationship rather than what they are talking about. When people must wonder what they are thinking about each other or how the other responds to what is being said, the situation is unhealthy.

Therapy, Moore says, helps people learn to judge correctly how others judge us and think of us.

Moore says when one becomes a teenager, he learns what he feels he is and if others respond to him by agreeing with his own self-image, then he overcomes many frustrations. If they do not, he becomes frustrated.

The same thing happens with alcoholics, she maintains. For instance, if an alcoholic says he has problems and those around him admit he does and help him seek professional guidance, then he does not become confused. However, if they do not respond as he wants and do not agree with him, he becomes confused.

The more spontaneous a relationship is, the more healthy it is.

When people talk with one another they have many differences in how they size up a discussion. They have genetic differences as well as experimental, and knowledge differences and both are constantly changing. Therefore, no two people ever look at or hear things the same way, Moore says.

In describing what is healthy behavior or good mental health, Moore

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says it is the ability to accept realities of living with all its imperfections. When a person expects to have to deal with tension throughout his life, but learns to handle it, he has the capacity for resilience. She admits that everyone will "hit bottom" occasionally, but learning how to overcome the problem makes for a healthy person.

A healthy person also learns to accept change in himself, in others and in all of life.

Moore closed with, "Life is complex-because of you. Life is interesting and exciting-because of you. Life is fun-because of you, and I'm glad you are you, but I'm never sure about the relationship between you and me, so I try always to be aware of you. For, without you and without me there would be no life."

UFOs INTERNATIONAL

Over the Imperial Palace in Tokyo

(Special Report, CBS International, Japan, March 1974)

The evening edition of a Japanese paper, the Yomiuri Shimbun, on February 26th reported that before 11 a.m. people in the wholesale trade market at Tsukiji, Tokyo, observed a light orange football-shaped object in the sky toward the Imperial Palace. It hovered in one place for about 10 minutes, which caused a great sensation.

The object remained stationery, but sometimes it shone metallic on the left edge, which irregularly repeated to be as it was before, at intervals of 10-15 seconds.

After hovering for about 10 minutes, the object began to move slowly, turned round halfway emitting light and went away, toward the western sky at 11:25 a.m.

For this strange object, witnesses amounted to hundreds, puzzled by a UFO. A newspaper office had a rush of reports from some 20 persons. On receiving the report, the Metropolitan Police Board officials in charge of the control room also observed an orange airship-like object from the rooftop.

Regarding the strange object, the Orient Airship Co., that is the only owner of airships in Japan, denied the airship opinion, claiming there was no flight plan for that day. Meanwhile the Civil Aviation Bureau of the Transportation Ministry said that it had received some dozen inquiries about the object.

The mysterious object remained unknown, disappearing into the no-where of the skies over Tokyo.

Truth Drug Brings Out UFO Tale

A truck driver from Bahla Blanca, Argentina has admitted, under

JUNE 1974                                  9

hypnosis and the truth drug, sodium pentathol, that he had been approached by aliens and "taken aboard an alien space craft," in October 1973.

Newsman, David Day of KFJZ-Ft. Worth, Texas, broadcast on January 22, an account of a conversation in Spanish between Dr. Eduardo Mata and reporter Kathy Alcala. The Dr. confirmed that one of his patients is suffering from shock after the experience aboard the space craft.

According to Dr. Mata, "The patient wandered around for some time after he again reached the ground, and was suffering from amnesia and shock when he wandered into a hospital where I began treating him. The patient refused to disclose what had upset him," the Dr. told Kathy on Jan. 21st, "until the use of hypnosis and sodium pentathol."

A check of an Argentine Air Base records indicates that a UFO was sighted in the area on that same day.

According to Dr. Mata, the man said, upon boarding the craft, "it then hovered over a power line and placed one cable on the power line and another in a nearby lagoon." The power company reported a sudden, sharp and unexplained rise in electric power consumption that same day.

The truck driver reportedly also said, "The aliens told me the earth was to suffer some grave events in the future and they were trying to determine if man could survive in their planet's atmosphere if the earth were destroyed."

Dr. Mata insisted the man had since been placed under hypnosis and given sodium pentathol several times, and that on each occasion his facial expression takes on exactly the same look and the story is told in precisely the same way."

The Dr. also said his patient gave him much more detail about the incident, but he cited doctor-patient confidence relationships for with-holding any additional information.

F. HINES ZIMMERMAN (All Rights)

 ♦  ♦  ♦ 

PRAYER FOR AN ENEMY

God is Universal-I know this. God is Understanding-this I know. God is Power, the Highest Vibration-this I can conceive. God is also individual-I must not forget this. He is in each of His creatures-this I must remember. He is in me-I believe and know this as a fact-But he is also in my fellow-man. Lord, give me strength to realize this-and never to forget it.

(Translated from the Dutch by Rey d Aquila)

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poet’s corner

Where Shall We Hide The Truth?

(PRISM MAGAZINE, Spring 1974, Published by Cosm-O-Link Corp., Honolulu, Hawaii)

"Where shall we hide the truth from man?"

The gods all cried when he was made.

"How can we guard our secret now?"

They ask each other most afraid.

 

"Hide it in the Earth; he will find it.

Hide it on a mountain; he will climb it.

Even in the sea he will find it.

Where shall we hide the truth from man?"

 

Quite beside themselves, they cried:

"This little guy will take our throne.

We have made him far too smart

Not to claim our heaven home!

 

Hide it in matter; he'll analyze it.

Even in hell; he'll surmise it.

Where shall we hide the truth from man?"

 

They thought of stars in outer space

Or in the nature of a tree.

But they knew that man could solve

Each and every mystery.

 

"Hide it in the wind; he'll pursue it.

Hide it in an act; he will do it.

Even in an atom he will view it.

Where shall we hide the truth from man?"

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Then they solved the mystery

Of how the frightened gods should win.

The wisest said, "Let's take the truth

And hide it deep inside of him.

 

Hide it in his heart; he will doubt it.

Hide it in his soul; he'll live without it.

Even if we should reveal and shout it,

He won't believe the truth is within him."

SEBASTIAN TEMPLE

 

 

 

GOD

I see the face of a child, and I see God;

I listen to the birds sing, and I hear God;

I lie in the morning sun, and I feel God,

As I dwell on the mountain top, and hear the voice of God.

 

I breathe mountain air and breathe, the breath of God;

I see the beauty of flowers, and I see the face of God;

I taste God's fruits and taste, the goodness of God,

As I feel the Love of Life, I feel the Love of God.

WILLIAM MELCHIOR DUERST

 

 

CONSIDER THE CONCEPT

The Union of Diversity

The obvious gap between the physical sciences and religion will one day be non-existent. What appears to be irreconcilable diversity is merely immaturity on both sides-or a beginning stage of growth. Even now science and religion are moving very slowly toward agreement-an agreement which evolves gradually over the aeons as each side investigates in a spirit of open inquiry, free of dogma. Occasionally a brilliant insight will be achieved on one side and its rays will merge with a like insight on the other side. And as these rays touch they will lock into tiny units of understanding which will serve as permanent bridges to insure the correct unfolding of each in accordance with a Higher Will.

LAVINIA WASSER

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world report

 

Rice From Maize

(South African Digest, March 8, 1974)

The first factory to make "rice" from maize (mealie-meal) has gone into production at Spartan, near Kempton Park Transvaal. This means that South Africa has won the expensive international race for a formula to convert mealie-meal into an edible substance other than porridge.

The cost of finding the South African formula was negligible

... the wear and tear of an ordinary kitchen stove in a house in Johannesburg, a few amperes of electricity, and several kilograms of mealie-meal.

The discovery was made by Mario Afeltra, production manager of a large food concern, who was concerned about malnutrition.

 

 ♦  ♦  ♦ 

Food For The Future

(Daily Courier, Grants Pass, Oregon, March 30, 1974)

WASHINGTON-The smelly green stuff that coats ponds is destined for the dinner table and the space program.

Scientists long have realized that Chlorella, a common one-celled form of alga, holds exciting potential as a food source for earth's growing population. Pilot Chlorella farms have been tried in the United States, Germany, Japan and Israel.

Their product, high in vitamins and protein, is too costly to market today. But as production costs drop and other food prices rise, Chlorella could become a food staple of the future.

"The Japanese have turned it into a tasteless white powder that can be added to wheat flour," points out Paul A. Zahl in an article on algae in the March National Geographic.

Algal extracts already have wide use, chiefly as emulsifiers, in the commercial preparation of ice cream, chocolate milk, salad dressings and puddings. In other forms algae are used in hand lotions, photo-graphic film, rubber tires and beer. Some are used to purify sewage, others as a base for cultures in research on microorganisms.

Roughly described as "cells containing chlorophyll," algae are among the most widespread of living things, and among the hardiest.

Algae grow in the perpetual ice and snow of polar regions, in near-boiling hot springs, and in brine lakes 10 times saltier than the sea.

JUNE 1974                                  13

They even live in deserts, where they can survive indefinitely on traces of dew and spring into new growth when raindrops fall. Present-day algae-about 30,000 species-range in size from microscopic one-celled organisms to 200-foot stands of giant kelp.

 ♦  ♦  ♦ 

UFOs Are Real Says Lecturer

(Ballymena, Ireland)-"I speak neither to convince nor convert, merely to present fact," said Mr. Timothy Good, when he opened his lecture in Ballymena on unidentified flying objects.

Mr. Good, a member of the London Symphony Orchestra, addressed a small but attentive audience at Northern Ireland's first ever lecture on the subject.

He stated that whatever you may feel about UFOs, sightings come from all over our planet, although few are taken seriously. Of the re-ports he could study, about 70% could be accounted for by terrestrial and astronomical objects, meteorological phenomena, etc. But what of those sightings which defy such a simple explanation?

To support his theories, Mr. Good showed slides which seemed per-haps too real to be true. He, however, assured his audience that the originals were analyzed by an optical physicist who is a senior project development engineer for the Kodak Company and had been assured of their authenticity.

During question time, Mr. Good was supported by one gentleman who claimed to have seen a UFO over Belfast in 1966, and was attacked by another as having presented a very convincing lecture backed by slides without any real proof.

These two extremes of views made for a lively debate with perhaps most of the audience being convinced by Mr. Good's persuasive argument.

At one stage, Mr. Good called upon Miss Lou Zinsstag, one of Switzerland's leading UFO researchers, to help explain slides of an actual UFO landing.

 ♦  ♦  ♦ 

A Two Minute Sighting

(Chillicothe [Ohio] Gazette, March 21, 1974)

AVON LAKE, Ohio (AP)-Mrs. Bernard Booth had television trouble Wednesday night and looked out the window to find a saucer-shaped object with flashing lights hovering over the roof of the house across the street.

The 39-year-old piano and organ teacher told police the color washed out of her TV about 10:45 p.m. and the picture pulled to one side, so

14                                                  UNDERSTANDING

she went upstairs to bed. She looked out the bedroom window and saw a UFO ringed by greenish lights with a throbbing orange and red light in the center underneath.

She watched it for about two minutes before it streaked in a pinkish line across the sky toward Lake Erie to the northeast, she reported. Police confirmed receiving her report and several others, citing "lights in the sky."

The saucer appeared to be going around and swaying, Mrs. Booth said. She added she thinks it returned about 2 a.m. because a roaring noise woke her children and the house was flooded with light. It couldn't be seen a second time, so it might have been hovering over her home, she surmised.

Her reaction? "Instead of being scared, I got a beautiful feeling watching the thing. I had nothing to drink and was wide awake," she said.

It Rains Fish in Northern Australia

(Citizen-Journal, Cols., Ohio, March 11, 1974)

DARWIN, Australia (UPI)-It has rained fish three times in two weeks at Kilarney Station in Australia's northern territory.

Ian Garske of the fisheries section of the Northern Territory Department, said more than 100 fish-mostly small perch-fell with heavy rains on three occasions.

"Small rains of fish have been reported from all over the world but no convincing explanation has been given for the phenomena," Garske said,

Scientists Plan Search For Flying Saucers

(Citizen-Journal, Cols., Ohio, March 11, 1974)

SAN DIEGO, (AP)-Thirty-five scientists and engineers plan a united search for unidentified flying objects, using the most scientific means, including sophisticated sensors, a spokesman says. J.F. Herr, a research psychologist, said 15 magnetometers capable of sensing a UFO at least 15 miles away will be used, starting in two weeks. At least some of the objects reported sighted over the year emit extremely powerful magnetic fields, Herr said in an interview.

The magnetometers will be equipped to operate automatically around the clock, recording their measurements on magnetic tape. A 16th magnetometer is being shipped to an investigator in Marseilles, France.

In addition, the group plans to use automated motion picture cam-eras, ultrasonic detectors, microwave radiometers and other sensing devices.

The stations are scattered throughout San Diego County, in the homes of the scientists and engineers, who have requested anonymity

JUNE 1974                                  15

to avoid ridicule and possibly even censure in their professions, says Herr,

Try Divining Rod

(DAILY COURIER, Grants Pass, Ore., May 3, 1973, by Hanna Neuerbourg)

BASEL, Switzerland (AP)-Dust was rising in oppressive heat from the vast and arid flatland near Bombay, India, when Peter Treadwell suddenly ended his long walk and firmly announced, "Here is water." The spot, less than two yards in diameter, was pointed out to a drilling team which soon went to work through solid basalt rock. Ten weeks later, it struck water at a depth of about 200 feet flowing through a rock fissure only inches wide.

There was enough water to assure supply of a new plant subsequently built at the site.

The find maintained the "100 per cent success" record the company has registered in searching for water for its numerous international projects with a method scientists still overwhelmingly reject as humbug-the divining rod.

Since ancient times, rods have been used to search for hidden things, including water, gold, oil and even criminals. But to date, there is no scientific proof of any causal connection between movements of a rod and the finds it supposedly made.

"For a scientist, the successful divining rod is a completely unsatisfactory thing," concedes Dr. Treadwell, a chemical scientist. "However, scientific or not, the method pays off," he explained. "It is 100 per cent reliable."

Treadwell has been searching for water for the company since the 1940s. He made his first find on company grounds at Basel. He has since used the rod in many parts of the world, including Japan, Indonesia, Pakistan, the Philippines, Australia, Spain and France.

The find in India was the most spectacular so far, according to Tread-well. Two other Swiss companies searched for water in the same area with the most modern detecting equipment. But they missed the water artery by about one yard.

"The equipment was not precise enough because the water is flowing in very narrow fissures, one to 10 centimeters wide," Treadwell comments.

Treadwell's theory involves an unidentified "radiation beam" emitted by the subterranean stream and casting a "shadow" on the surface which is sensed by the operator even through rock or reinforced concrete.

16                                                  UNDERSTANDING

book reviews

Extra-Sensory Perception-What Does It Signify?

(Extra-Sensory Perception-What Does It Signify? A New Theory of Mind, by Hassie Annelle Easlic, Vantage Press, Inc., 616 West 34th St., N. Y., N. Y. 10001.)

The information on the jacket of the book describes the contents as "A scientifically oriented approach to ESP, this may be one of the most important books ever written. It presents a new theory of mind, one that could revolutionize man's concept of himself and point to new dimensions of thought, of growth and being." The author is described as a business woman, social worker, author, and poet whose work has appeared in some thirty different magazines and anthologies in this country and abroad.

The book itself isn't a heavy volume. It's rather small, easy to carry, seventy-two pages in all, projecting an ethereal quality that belies its dynamic contents. Don't hurriedly scan the pages but delve deeply, examine new concepts, add to your storehouse of knowledge and allow your mind to savor the mental feast Mrs. Easlic has prepared for you.

Hassie Annelle Easlic admits being an atheist who depended on intellect to see her through the process of living. With suddenness and clarity a variety of extra-sensory experiences occur prompting her to eventually discard her atheistic beliefs. From childhood her nature was one of extreme curiosity and questioning, demanding positive proof of the how and why of all things. In the quest for understanding of these new events she speculates as to what is mind, memory, material and non-material reality. Her scientific knowledge does not deny the logic of her heightened awareness, but reinforces her conclusion that all past energy patterns are ever present, surfacing at times as psychic experiences. She writes of these just as they happened, expressing her own doubts as to

JUNE 1974                                  17

their validity, knowing that those of a kindred spirit will understand the bewilderment accompanying an initiation into the unknown.

When tragedy strikes, her longing for comfort and reassurance comes in a truly psychic manner. The answers she seeks are those for the questions we too ask in our desire for more information on this strange and wonderful subject. Skeptics and believers alike will appreciate her lack of mystical mumbo-jumbo. Her background of skepticism doesn't allow a blind faith acceptance. Conversion is, for her, a gradual unfolding, a re-learning process, the arriving at a new plateau, the awareness of the reality of psychic dimension.

Sharing her thoughts makes interesting, dynamic reading. Don't hurry through, read, reread, digest and enjoy the banquet.

HAZEL WALTON

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Dear Dr. Fry:

Did you ever try the Area of Mutual Agreement idea at the family level? Maybe it can work between individuals as well as between nations and other groups. (Maybe as a step toward the latter.)

In your next family General Assembly or Security Council Meeting, or Spouse Summit Conference, you may want to try it. You might be surprised at the basic agreeables that have never been discussed or shared. And you may be pleased at the building blocks that can be built on top of the basic areas of mutual agreement.

One possible conference format is for each one to sit down with pencil and paper. Take turns expressing his own needs in different areas. It is amazing how mutual they are; how many you share.

You can start by just agreeing that everybody has many similar needs, such as:

privacy            uninterrupted quiet times      his own spaces         good listeners

need to be loved and touched and accepted regardless of flubs

and bumbles

need to have contributions, ideas, challenges, and feelings recognized

need to have his inside center of guidance trusted and recognized by others

and that's just a possible sample.

Out of these basics might grow new ways to communicate, more eye contact, better listening, and loving and solution-oriented approaches to problems and bumpy times.

I'll bet you come up with some exciting discoveries, all based pretty much on discovering that other folks need the same things you do.

/s/ BILL STEVENS

18                                                  UNDERSTANDING

WORLD INVOCATION DAY-JUNE-4,1974

We invite our readers to join with all men and women of goodwill in the observance of WORLD INVOCATION DAY, that "new values for living, new standards of behavior, new attitudes of non separateness and cooperation, leading to right human relations and a world at peace" may soon prevail. Let us pray:

 

THE GREAT IN VOCATION

From the point of Light within the Mind of God

Let light stream forth into the minds of men.

Let Light descend on Earth.

 

From the point of Love within the Heart of God

Let love stream forth into the hearts of men.

Let Christ return to Earth.

 

From the centre where the Will of God is known

Let purpose guide the little wills of men-

The purpose which the Masters know and serve.

 

From the centre which we call the race of men

Let the Plan of Love and Light Work out.

And may it seal the door where evil dwells.

 

Let Light and Love and Power restore the Plan on Earth

Bulletin board

Astronaut James Irwin a Convention Speaker

From Dr. Frank E. Stranges, Chairman of the Anaheim UFO Convention, comes this announcement:

Special Convention Guest-Saturday Only-Col. James Irwin, United States Astronaut, will speak of his Moon landing and show pictures taken by him on the Moon.

JUNE 1974                                  19

Dr. Stranges also mentions that he is endeavoring to secure from NASA a display of Moon Rocks for the Convention.

(See advertisement for dates, details and contact address.)

 ♦  ♦  ♦ 

July Convention

From Wayne Aho comes word that plans are afoot for another North-west Convention, in the vicinity of Eatonville, Washington. The dates are July 26-28.

For further details please write: New Age Foundation, P.O. Box 867, Eatonville, Wn. 98328.

 ♦  ♦  ♦ 

The Prayer Chain

From the Jersey Shore Metaphysical Center we have received the address and phone number of the first contact (which can reach up to 64 people) in a prayer chain.

If you are in need of prayers for yourself or a friend please contact: Khadine Koester, Enterprise Blvd., Bldg. 405, Apt. #3, Toms River, New Jersey 08753. The phone number is: 201-255-6552.

If you would like to start a Prayer Chain in your area please write to Understanding in Merlin for suggestions.

 ♦  ♦  ♦ 

To Thank You

We are grateful to all who have contributed something extra to their subscription renewal. Postage costs keep climbing!

It now costs 10c to mail a single copy of Understanding Magazine. If you are on our Bulk Mailing Permit ($30.00 per year) our cost for sending you 10 copies is 63c for the year. Overseas subscriptions cost One Dollar in postage.

Thank you for understanding that our thanks to you are offered here -to conserve precious postage needed for personal letters.

Someone Needs You

From one of our subscribers we have learned of another lonely soul. Here is what we received: "A lonely man am I, a prisoner in the Southern Ohio correctional facility in Lucasville. I have no family nor friends who are concerned for my selfare and receive no mail. Because of my loneliness, I am seeking outside correspondence with the free world. Would someone out there care to say 'hello' to me by letter?"

You can reach someone who needs you by writing to: Tommy Deal 117-278, P.O. Box 787, Lucasville, Ohio 45648. Why not do it today?

20                                                  UNDERSTANDING

 

 

CLASSIFIED DEPARTMENT

6c per word per insertion; 3 or more insertions same copy, 5c per word.

 

U.F.O. CONFRONTATION-SURVIVAL or UPLIFTING ADVENTURE. POSITIVE IDENTIFICATION "friendly," "hostile" CRAFT AND OCCUPANTS. SAFETY REACTIONS AND DEFENSE WEAPON FOR LAND, SEA, AIR, ANY-WHERE. HOW TO COMMUNICATE. PERMANENT POLLUTION SOLUTIONS ENVIRONMENT, GENETIC NUCLEAR WASTES. GUARANTEED.

U.F.O. MANUAL       50c U.S.         75c CDA.       $1.00 OVRSS PPD.

Michael J. Campione,                      2202 New Albany, Cinnaminson, N.J. 08077

 

 

 

 

APPARITIONS

of the "Lady of Light" have appeared in the past in times of crisis.

NOW Her glowing form, seen by thousands, signals major changes and world events SOON to come.

YOU can know these prophesied events and the sobering, inspiring meaning behind them. READ what Ray Stanford, a well-documented psychic, has to tell of the original SECRET OF FATIMA ... never told before.

SEE for yourself how FATIMA PROPHECY: Days of Darkness, Promise of Light SOLVES the mystery of today's crises. Apparition photos included.