[whitecrow]

Originally Posted by murnut

Question is, Which 1%?

I was serious when I said it's all true, it's all ox droppings. It's a little like my job at a health food store. We sell thousands of supplements, some of them extremely expensive, very few of them cheap. I remarked on day to my boss that about 90% of what we sell is useless. He was startled until he realized that what I was saying was that the remaining 10% is different for everyone.

I do think of this as spiritual nutrition. It's not of real importance to me if you believe we're going to be rescued by space aliens or that we are all going to become immaterial through increased vibrations, or that the rapture is just around the corner. If that is the kind of spiritual food that inspires you to be kind and to seek truth, well and good.

Not to flog an already-strained metaphor, but in terms of spiritual vitamins, established religions are like your One-A-Day and Centrum. They make you feel like you're doing something for yourself, and they're glad to take your money. But their products don't actually protect your health or build your body; for the most part they go right on through you. It takes a little effort to learn the difference between natural vitamins and laboratory products, and then to find a source where you can begin to feed yourself real food. But i'ts worth it because you can feel the difference.

So, which 1% or which 10%? That's the question. There are commonalities...everyone needs a multivitamin, antioxidants, a source of omega-3, probiotics. Beyond that lies a journey of discovery. Some people really need extra iron....it's toxic, though, for most of us. Some folks use valerian as a sleep aid, others do better with melatonin. You get the idea. That's the value of a free-for-all forum like this....the goods are on the shelves, and it's up to us to find what moves us forward.

Congratulations. You're shopping at one of those hidden treasures of a shop. You could be standing in line at Walmart.