Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Belltones

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http://www.franckh.be/
For those of you who grew up and went to grammar school in the 1970s, you may remember the special days that everyone trooped to the library to watch an 8mm filmstrip on some educational subject.  I say 'filmstrip' because that's exactly what it was - a roll of film on a large metal spool that was threaded through a projector, which then projected the images of each frame on the filmstrip onto the screen that pulled down from a casement on the library wall. 

If you were one of the lucky ones chosen, you were able to sit next to the projector and manually twist the little knob to advance the filmstrip, frame by frame, as a recorder told the story being watched.  A belltone would sound when it was time to advance the filmstrip to the next frame.  Before I moved on from grammar school, a wonderful new device was introduced - a small hand held wand with a button that was pushed to automatically advance the filmstrip frame by frame.  This cylinder still had to be manned by some lucky child.  I have no idea what type of audio-visual equipment is used in grammar schools these days; no doubt they are using DVDs.

What is my point?  Belltones.  I can distinctly remember, on the occasions that I was chosen to man the projector, how clear that belltone sounded to my ears.  I have always been a student of esoteric and spiritual concepts, even going back to my formative years in grammar school.  Those belltones always captured my attention because quite often in my personal life and spiritual studies, days after I would run across a particularly pertinent bit of information, I would hear a similar belltone.

When it first happened, I was certain other people could hear it too, but I learned that this sound was one of spiritual origin and thus, something that was meant for me to hear alone.  If I could describe it, I would say that I always hear this belltone at the top of my head, slightly towards the crown, or fontanelle area.  Those of you who have had children may recognize the word 'fontanelle' as being the soft spot on a newborn baby's head.  This soft spot exists to enable the baby's head to pass through the birth canal more easily, as the bony plates of the skull are more malleable; they ossify, or harden completely by the age of 2. 

Photo courtesy of
http://www.answithin.com/
The other noteworthy aspect of this spot on the skull is that it is the location of the Crown Chakra, also known as the Cosmic Consciousness Center, the "I Am" awareness.  It took me a while during my formative years to connect this belltone sound with the fact that I could "hear" and "feel" it close to my crown chakra, and to also assimilate what that meant in spiritual terms.  What does it mean, you might ask?  Since it did, and still does happen to me, my interpretation is that this a type of spiritual "red flag" to capture my attention and get me to focus on the lesson at hand.  I have mentioned other flags such as yawning and feeling goosebumps or shivers (Shivers + Yawns = Growth!) in past blog articles.  I am certain that every person has their own quirky little method or flag to recognize when something of great import is occurring.  This belltone that I hear hasn't ceased as I've grown older.  Indeed, it has grown stronger, more clear and definitive, reverberating from that crown chakra down through every subsequent chakra point and literally waking up my whole spiritual, etheric body. 

I have a whimsical mental image of some cosmic hand at the controls of the projector displaying the story of my life, advancing it frame by frame on the spiritual filmstrip, sounding that belltone emphatically at those watershed moments.  I firmly believe that we are masters of our own path, but I also firmly believe we are gently guided by a Loving Source, or Presence steering us in a direction which will afford us the best opportunities to learn, whittle down rough edges and grow.

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http://www.earthmoonfire.spaces.live.com/
Sometimes I also think our lives are similar to those old-fashioned movies....long, separate filmstrips addressing every layer, every high and low point, triumph and failure of our lives. Laughter, tears, accomplishments; moments where we learned and grew. Moments where we hurt and cried. Bell tones sounding as some unseen hand pushes the button to advance the frames of our lives, knowing we would continue...find a way to persevere. Old filmstrips removed from the projector to be tucked away in some mysterious library for us to study when our time comes to cross over.

For some, while we are here, the bell tones are too high a frequency for our human ears to detect. Our Souls hear it though, and recognize when it is time to take that next step, to move forward to another filmstrip, or to increase the length of a current one.


Photo courtesy of
http://www.faqs.org/
Perhaps this sounds outlandish to some readers.  Perhaps some of you are reading and nodding your heads in complete understanding.  Perhaps many of you have a similar experience with some Divinely Guided prompting that reassures you that you're making those strong, centered choices.  I'd love to hear your own stories in the Comments section below if you do experience a similar type of confirmation, a similar "A-ha!" or 'lightbulb' experience that makes you stop and take note of that specific moment in time.  It may be not so much a physical or auditory manifestation such as the one I experience.  For you, it may be a gentle knowing deep inside.  I experience those moments also, and they are beautiful, touching and profound in their simplicity.  The moments when I hear a belltone tend to be more life changing events - a big walloping cosmic wake up call to grab my attention with strong emphasis.

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http://www.stanlyconcert.com/
We are all beautifully unique beings, going through daily life tripping along to our own special harmonies.  I surmise that the manner and manifestation of being nudged in this direction or that, of becoming acutely aware of a spiritual lesson are as widely and richly varied as we are as individuals.  For me, a belltone occurs.  Clear in tone, strong and mellow in tenor and lasting in effect as it reverberates through my being, marking a bright moment.

As I grow older, the tone of this bell has changed, deepened and grown richer in sound.  I can only believe that it is adapting to the harmony of my own Spirit as I grow, learn and change; lifting my own vibrations to a higher, deeper, more clear resonance.  I don't question its presence; I am happy that it occurs with regularity in my life, as it gives me affirmations as well as guidance.  The Unseen Hand which guides us all with loving intent, for me, making itself known in the pure, sweet tones of a bell.




16 comments:

  1. The last few days have been really very Ah ah for me. I found myself in a constant state of bargaining( post from a couple of days) and now this book analogy.
    My next journey does not seem frightening or nerve wrecking. As I grow my bells are becoming sharper and change seems calmer.
    Lastly working on letting go 'really letting go' does not seem so hard to do.
    Love and Light

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  2. Savira, it's fascinating to be clearly aware of moments when you're in a growth phase, isn't it? I always pay attention to those moments of awareness because I feel it makes the process a great deal easier to assimilate. Living consciously pays off in the end! :)

    ~ Dawn

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  3. living consciously does pay off in the end..i'm also hearing those "bell tones" in hearing my divine spirit's voice speak to me and in my life's experience. wonderful blog my sweet dawnie

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  4. Hi Dawn,

    I've never had Belltones but I remember the reference. =D For me the important moments happen first by my vision become crystal clear. There's a sharpening & a great awareness of everything around me. Then I get a calmness deep in my center. This calmness permeates out no matter how crazy the situation is...then I know it's one of those moments.

    Thanks for sharing,

    Hugs,

    Bill

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  5. Janie, glad you enjoyed this one. I knew other people had to experience similar sounds or feelings, so I'm happy you shared yours with me here! Love to you always, dear friend.

    Bill, I love those quiet, profound moments too. I have them often, but they usually come at different moments. The belltone hits me when I'm really supposed to mark a specific lesson or experience, and it really does grab my attention sharply when I hear that sound! Thank you for sharing your own experiences - I love hearing how a blog post resonates for others!

    ~ Dawn

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  6. Lovely. Your closing is a poem, really. I very much enjoyed this post for its rhythm, its sounds, and its meanings. Thank you, peace,

    Diane

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  7. I love your filmstrip analogy. I have often been helped in trying times by a similiar view. Although facing a hopeless situation, it's a cool thing to look at youself and say "Oh OK, we're in that part of the film."

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  8. Diane, very happy to meet you! Another very close friend and blogger made a similar comment about the closing paragraph, so thank you for sharing your thoughts with me. It also pleases me that you 'caught' the rhythm of my words, as that is something that I consciously and subconsciously do when writing. I wrote a post many months ago title, "Musical Thoughts" that describes this best, but suffice to say here that when I'm writing, or thinking about writing, in my head I hear it all in a musical manner. Perhaps that will make sense to you as you recognized the harmony and rhythm here! I'll make sure to visit your blog in return tomorrow!

    Brent, I LOVED your comment! I do that very same thing - that inner dialogue with my own filmstrip. And yes, it does help to know in the most trying of times as well as the most beautiful of times that we're never truly alone. I'll be visiting your blog also!

    Well met, both of you - I appreciate you taking time to visit and leave such wonderful comments!

    ~ Dawn

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  9. Hello Dawn,

    You write beautifully and the smooth flow of your words gently call up my own memories. The sound of your belltones remind me of the vision flashes that I experience along the thread of my nightly dreams.

    Christiane Lavanoux

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  10. Christiane, what a lovely compliment! Nothing makes a writer happier than to know their words are communicating the message intended, in the manner intended. I am full of smiles from all the wonderful comments this post is receiving! I also love hearing that others have their own special moments such as your vision flashes. We're all so beautifully unique in that regard and it's fascinating to hear and share experiences.

    Namaste', my dear one!

    ~ Dawn

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  11. Dawn this really hits home. Mine is not a bell tone. But more a sense of knowing or mental awareness.It requires being quiet and becoming mentally aware. It maybse seeing a certain subject being repeated. Also a deep sense of peace and moments of da sha vu. Hard to explain.

    But it always involved someone or something bigger than me. To much detail to share here. When we finally get to meet would be glad to share then.

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  12. Charles, that's what's so wonderful about how God/Universe/Spirit communicates with each of us....it's unique with every person. I look forward to meeting in person soon and getting to know one another better. We need to get that planned!

    Namaste',
    Dawn

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  13. Dawn, Dear I love this new look to the blog, You did a wonderful job on this background. Your a wonderful and creative lady... love you,
    papa

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  14. Papa, thank you for the kind words! The new look is a work in progress, and I'll eventually switch over to a different format completely. For now, I like the new look a lot and am getting very good feedback on it. I love when you visit and, of course, I love you. Thank you for giving me a big smile!

    ~ Dawn

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  15. Wow, what fond memories you've brought back. I used to love being the one to manually turn the knob on the film strip! Any day that we were watching a filmstrip or a film in class was something to celebrate.

    I still remember my wonder when we were watching a film on Reconstruction or something else in the late 1800s, and I saw Les Nessman in it! I was floored.

    I know this comment sounds very basic compared to the beautiful place you took the analogy, but I just got warm nostalgic goosebumps reading the beginning of it. :)

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  16. Dave, I always love your comments. And honestly, I'm glad this revived some happy childhood memories for you! That's as big and genuine a compliment as you can give any writer, to tell them their words transported you back to happy memories and times. I like it! :)

    ~ Dawn

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