The cast of the BBC’s Sea of Souls.

The latest episode of the BBC’s Sea of Souls supernatural thriller series, examined the little-known phenomenon of High-Voltage Syndrome (HVS). The syndrome is related to PK, or psychokinesis: mind over matter. Subjects manifest sudden huge electric charges which endanger anyone near them, and set off electrical instruments.

But does this syndrome actually exist?

There are many cited instances on the Internet. Here are two of them:

“[In the] 19th century D. D. Holmes was known for his ability to levitate and to handle hot coals without being burned. But, also during this time, there were individuals known as ‘electric people’ who experienced a ‘high-voltage syndrome’. They made knives and forks cling to their skin, and with a touch could send furniture flying across a room.”

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The following piece is from The Tibetan Yogas of Dream and Sleep by Tenzin Wangyal Rimpoche and contain some interesting ideas (experiences?) about the nature of dreams and sleep:

There are numerous examples in the Tibetan tradition of practitioners who received teachings in dreams. Often the dreams come in sequence, each night’s dream starting where the previous night’s dream ends, and in this way transmitting entire, detailed teachings until a precise and appropriate point of completion is reached, at which point the dreams stop. Volumes of teachings have been “discovered” this way, including many of the practices that Tibetans have been doing for cen­turies. This is what we call “mind treasure” (gong-ter).stabilize in consciousness without identifying with the conventional self. The practitioner whose clarity is unobscured by karmic traces and samsaric dreams has access to the wisdom inherent in conscious­ness itself.

Authentic teachings discovered in dream do not come from the in­tellect. It is not like going to the library and doing research and then writing a book, using the intellect to collect and synthesize informa­tion as a scholar might. Although many good teachings come from the intellect, they are not considered mind treasures. The wisdom of the Buddhas is self-originated, rising from the depths of conscious­ness, complete in itself. This does not mean that mind treasure teach­ings will not resemble existing teachings, for they will. Furthermore, these teachings can be found in different cultures and in different his­torical periods, and can be similar even though they do not inform each other. Historians work to trace a teaching back in time in order to point out how it was influenced by a similar teaching, where the his­torical connection took place, and so on, and often they find such a link. But the underlying truth is that these teachings arise spontane­ously from humans when they reach a certain point in their individual development. The teachings are inherent in the foundational wisdom that any culture can eventually access. They are not only Buddhist or Bon teachings; they are teachings for all humans.

If we have the karma to help other beings, the teachings from a dream may be of benefit to others. But it may also be the case, if we have karma with a lineage, for example, that the teachings discovered in a dream will be particularly for our own practice, perhaps as a spe­cific remedy to overcome a particular obstacle.

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John Simm (left) and Philip Glenister, stars of Life on Mars.

Now here’s a rarity: a brilliant supernatural comedy on the BBC: Life on Mars.

TV viewers in Britain will already know about this exceptionally well-written show with the superb acting of Philip Glenister as a tough thief-taking cop from the pre-PC era of the 1970s.

Here’s how the BBC describes the show: “John Simm stars as Sam Tyler, a driven and ambitious young detective, determined to keep the streets of 21st Century Manchester safe. But after a near fatal car accident, he wakes up, dazed and confused, in 1973. Has he gone back in time? Is he in a coma? Or has he simply gone insane?”

Glenister dominates the screen as the old-school Detective Chief Inspector who gets results. Lines like: “The first one who speaks is guilty,” make this drama a total delight to watch.

The supernatural element, which involves the politically “correct”, 21st-century cop, John Simm, almost disappears as the sheer verve of old-style policing takes centre stage.

Wherever you are, if you get a chance to watch this, don’t miss.

From the Toledo Blade, Ohio, USA, news of an interesting free seminar on supernatural data from an acknowledged expert:

“The Rev. Bob Larson, a nationally known expert on cults, the occult, and supernatural phenemona, will host a free “Spiritual Freedom Seminar” at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the Clarion Westgate Hotel, 3036 Secor Rd., toledo, Ohio.

“Mr. Larson, who has written 30 books and spoken in 90 countries, draws upon his more than 20 years of experience investigating the occult to discuss the influence of evil on people’s lives.

“The seminar includes a personal prayer from Mr. Larson and biblical training on deliverance. For more information, call the Rev. Louis Roy of Oasis Ministries in Toledo, 419-787-3772, or Mr. Larson’s headquarters in Denver, Colo., 303-980-1511.”