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Radiesthesia:
Any form of divination that
involves the use of a pendulum,
including dowsing, cleidomancy, coscinomancy and dactylomancy.
The term itself refers to the study of rays or the fine radiation
supposedly emitted by every animated or inanimated material, and the
assumption that it can be measured with radiesthetic instruments
such as pendulums,
rods or single-handed rods
Raelian:
Raëlians are members of a UFO group that follow Claude Vorilhon, a
Frenchman who calls himself Raël.
He claims that on December 13, 1973, he was in a volcano near
Clermont-Ferrand, France, when he saw a UFO. He says a radiant
being emerged and entrusted him with a message revealing the true
origin of mankind. They told him that henceforth he would be known
as Raël, which means "messenger." His followers consider him to be
"the prophet of the third millennium." Raël expects is followers to
support him. A 10% tithe is the norm. His followers believe he was
taken to the planet of the Elohim in a flying saucer in 1975, where
he was introduced to noted spiritual teachers of Earth, such as
Jesus, Buddha, Joseph Smith and Confucius. The Elohim, small
human-shaped beings with pale green skin and almond eyes, were
apparently the original inspiration for the Judeo-Christian God.
They informed Vorilhon that he is the final prophet -- sent to relay
a message of peace and sensual meditation to humankind under his new
name of Raël -- before the Elohim will return to Jerusalem in 2025. Raël
claims that the human race was created from the DNA of aliens some
25,000 years ago. (In fact, all life
on earth was created in alien laboratories.) Among other things,
Raël has also learned that cloning is the way to immortality and
there is no God or soul. According to Raël, our alien creators want
us to be beautiful and sexy and enjoy a sensuous life, free from the
restrictions of traditional Judeo-Christian morality. The Raëlian
headquarters are in Montreal but the group is international and
claims to have some 50,000 members in 85 countries.
Rainbow Therapy:
(1) A combination massage and Tibetan energy techniques using 9
highly anti-microbial oils developed by "Tesla" of Lead, South
Dakota, designed to bring the body into a higher frequency,
electrical alignment and balance. (2) Massage therapy using stones,
a color-chromatherapy wand, sound, flower essences, organic
essential plant oils, creative visualization, breath work and
intuitive healing, developed by Laurel Gerber of Mt. Shasta,
California.(3) Any of several therapies using color, chakras and/or
a mixture of oils.
Raja: (Sanskrit)
King, Lord
Raja Yoga:
See Yoga.
Ram Dass:
(a.k.a. Richard Alpert:) New
Age guru and
author of Be Here Now..
Rama:
Ramakrishna or Sri
Ramakrishna Paramahansa:(1836-86)
A Hindu mystic. He was born of a poor
Brahman family in Bengal, and his given name was Gadadhar
Chatterlee. In about 1855 he became a devotee of the goddess Kali
and lived for the rest of his life at her temple in Dakshineswar
outside Calcutta. During a 15-year period of intense spiritual
practice he mastered all the types of Hindu Yoga and also had
mystical experience through Christian and Islamic worship. He
concluded that all religions are valid means of approaching God.
Ramakrishna had little formal learning, but his saintliness and
wisdom attracted a large following. After his death his teachings
were spread by his disciples and by his wife Sarada Devi.
Ramakrishna’s message of universal religion was carried to the West
by Swami Vivekananda. The Ramakrishna Mission, founded by
Vivekananda, is represented by a large monastic order in India,
devoted to both contemplation and social action, and by centers in
major cities of Europe and the US. Ramakrishna’s sayings are
contained in The
Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna
Ramayana:
Hindu epic
Ramtha:
A 60,000-yaer-old Lemurian warrior
channeled by J.
Z. Knight.
Rapping:
A technical term used to describe the knocking sounds supposedly
produced by spiritual entities in response to questions put to them
during a seance.
Rapture:
The rapture is
an Christian eschatological (end times) event whereupon at the
return of Jesus the true believers who are "alive and remain shall
be caught up together in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air..."
(1 Thess. 4:17). There is much debate over the time of the rapture.
Does it occur at the beginning, in the middle, or at the end of the
tribulation period? (See Tribulation.)
Rastafarianism:
(Ras Tafari, Rastas) An African/Jamaican religion founded by
Marcus Garvey: It teaches that the late king of Ethiopia, Haile
Selassie, is God.
Reading:
Information given to a person by an
intuitive or psychic in response to questions asked. May involve
past, present and future events.
Reading, Aura:
Psychic reading of the subtle energy
field around a person or object.
Reading, Shustah Card:
Reading using a deck of cards with five
suits of fourteen pages. Based on ancient mystery teachings, they
are used for guidance and to predict the future.
Rebirthing/Integrative
Breathing:
:Precisely defined breathing technique
to cleanse, clear and heal the body, mind and spirit; its purpose is
to relive the moment of your first breath and release the trauma
associated with it
Reconciliation:
Reconciliation
is changing for the better a relationship between two or more
persons. Theologically it refers to the change of relationship
between God and man because of the death of Jesus. The doctrine
states that we are now able to have fellowship with God, whereas
before we could not. So, we are reconciled to God.
Recovered Memories: (See
Repressed Memories)
Redaction criticism:
:A relatively new branch of biblical literary
criticism that
attempts to infer the theological purposes of the “redactors”
(anonymous editors, compilers, or revisers) who helped to rewrite or
shape various books of the Bible (especially the Gospels) into their
final form. Whereas form
criticism focuses on
discerning the literary form and origins of specific passages,
redaction criticism focuses on the use of those passages to convey
the message of the book as a whole. Redaction criticism assumes that
the book in question was written using different sources that were
selected and edited to emphasize or convey certain theological
concepts.
Rede:
A tenet, rule, doctrine, or law.
Redemption:
Redemption
means to pay someone's debt
or ransom
so that they are freed., According to some Christian doctrine we
bought from spiritual prison by the price of Jesus' shed blood.
Reflexology:
A therapy that heals
the body through massaging certain parts of the foot or hand that
allegedly correspond to the major organs of the body. .
Pressure applied to specific nerve endings stimulates glands and
organs elsewhere in the body which helps to release toxins, improve
circulation and relieve tension. Zone Therapy.
Reformation:
The 16th century movement initiated by
Martin Luther, initially intended to correct, protest, or reform the
doctrines and practices of Roman
Catholicism. Luther’s efforts (later joined and expanded by
Zwingli, Bucer, Calvin and others) quickly developed into a complete
break with Catholicism. The reformers’ major doctrinal issues
included a rejection of the Pope, church control of Bible
translation and interpretation, a distinction in value between laity
and clergy, and salvation being a product of the church and its
sacraments (salvation
by works). A more thorough (and in some cases unorthodox) reform
occurred with the Radical Reformation—the orthodox Anabaptist
movement being an example. To various degrees, virtually all Protestant denominations
today share a common heritage concerning the issues of the
Reformation.
Reich, Wilhelm (1897-1957):
Perhaps the only modern men to claim to have created
life, he was a conventionally-trained scientist who studied medicine
at Vienna University. His main theme was that sexual energy was of
vital importance not only to the creation of life but to its
complete fulfillment and that sexuality was "the center around which
revolves the whole of social life as well as the inner life of the
individual." Reich eventually concluded that almost all sickness —
including psychological ailments such as schizophrenia and
depression — was the result of failing to achieve "true orgasm":
complete sexual satisfaction. He was an important member of Freud's
Psychoanalytic Society in Vienna, but later broke with Freud. In
1939, forced to leave Austria because of Nazi activity, he settled
in New York. In 1935 he had announced that he had succeeded in
producing what he called ‘bions’ from certain substances (such as
coal), and that these were capable of developing into protozoa
(single-cell organisms). Biologists rejected this, but Reich worked
on, and in 1939 announced that the radiation given out by ‘bions’
produced: from sterilized sea sand was a hitherto unknown form of
energy, which he called orgone, and described as "the basic
life-stuff of the universe." In 1942 he founded the Orgone
Institute, a center for development of his theory that the lack of
repeated discharge of this energy through "true orgasm" led to both
individual and social neuroses. Reich claimed that orgone could be
measured, collected in an "orgone
box", and used for the treatment of serious diseases, including
cancer. However, the United States Food and Drug Administration
declared it a fraud and in 1956 he was sentenced to two years
imprisonment for contempt of court and violation of the Food and
Drug Act: he died in prison a year later.
Reiju:
is a Japanese form of an attunement. This
particular ritual dates back to the early teachings of Mikao Usui
and is basically the forerunner of an attunement. The Reiju has
recently entered the Western Reiki world but has always been
practiced in the traditional Japanese lineages such as the Usui
Reiki Ryoho Gakkai (society). It does not use mantras and symbols
and does not change with different levels. Reiju is given repeatedly
at meetings (three times a month) in the society - it is not a
one-off practice.
Reiki Healing:
A Japanese "laying
on of hands" healing
technique to tap the Universal Life Energy and use it to heal and
balance living beings. It is, based on the knowledge
that an unseen energy flows through all living things and is
connected directly to the quality of health..
Reincarnation:
Belief that after a person dies, he
returns again to the earth, inhabits a new body, and does this as
many times as needed to acheive spiritual perfection. Whereas Hindus
typically believe that reincarnation includes transmigration of
souls between animal, plant, and even inanimate forms, New
Agers believe reincarnation is limited to human and celestial
forms. Reincarnation generally assumes a doctrine of karma.
The idea is the basis for the practice of attemptingpast
life regression
Religion:
Religious Science:
One of the New Thought religions,
founded by Ernest Holmes.
Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter Day Saints (RLDS):
Largest of all off-shoots of the LDS
church. When Joseph Smith died, those who accepted Brigham Young as
the Smith’s successor followed him west to Utah; they are known as The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS).
Those who rejected Young and accepted Smith’s son, Joseph Smith,
III, remained in Independence, Missouri, and became known as the
Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (RLDS). The
doctrines of the two groups eventually became radically different.
The RLDS have a slightly different version of the Book of Mormon and
Doctrine and Covenants, and they reject the Pearl of Great Price as
scripture. The RLDS do not hold to many of the LDS distinctive
doctrines, including the polygamy of the 19th century LDS Church and
the LDS belief (still held) that God was once a man. In recent years
the church has experienced divisions, with more conservative Restoration
Branches becoming
independent. Historically, the RLDS also have had a leader who was
a direct descendant of the Mormon founder, Joseph Smith, Jr. Grant
McMurray, was the first exception to this practice.
Repentance:
The word
repentance in the Bible is the Greek metamoia which means a change
of mind) In the NT repentance means to change the state of your
mind so that you act differently.
Restoration Branches:
A conservative split from the Reorganized
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (RLDS)
that holds what they believe to be a more classical, historical RLDS
understanding of basic doctrines, Joseph Smith, and the Book
of Mormon. They generally view the institutionalized RLDS church
as being too liberal in theology and perhaps on social issues as
well.
Resurrection:
In Christian
theology, Being raised from the dead. It specifically refers to
that future time when we shall all receive new bodies when Jesus
returns at the end of time, when the last trumpet is blown New Age
:teaching: The Greek word ανάστασίς which
is translated 'resurrection' in the King James translation of the
Bible, means literally 'rising up'. In most usages, it would be
better translated 'ascension'. It is not the raising of the body
from the grave, but rather the raising of the consciousness to a
higher, spiritual level. (see Ascension)
Resurrection
body:
According to
Christian theology after the second coming of Jesus, we will all be
brought back to life and be given a resurrected body that is not
subject to death or sin. It is taught that Jesus, after his
resurrection, possessed such a body - one without blood - and he was
able to move about as He desired instantly and even through walls.
Jesus is the only one who has received a resurrected body. That is
why he is called the first-fruit from the dead
Retrocognition:
Knowledge of past events learned paranormally
Reverend Ike:
a.k.a., Frederick Eikerenkoetter, II
Right Brain Learning:
The right hemisphere of the brain is
believed to be the center of intuitive and creative thought (as
opposed to the rational nature of the left hemisphere). New Agers
have developed a number of "right brain learning techniques" which
include meditation, yoga, and guided imagery.
Right-hand Path:
A term used for a person whose
practices and philosphy are beneficial to himself and others.
Opposite of left-hand path.
Righteous Branch of the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:
Small polygamous, Mormon
Fundamentalist splinter
group of about 100 people. Founder Gerald Peterson claimed that the
spirit of Rulon Allred, who founded the Corporation
of the Presiding Elder of the Apostolic United Brethren,
returned to restore the priesthood to him.
Rimpoche or Rinpoche (Tibetan:
precious one):
An honorific used in Tibetan
Buddhism. It
is used to address or describe reincarnated Tibetan
lamas.
Rising Phoenix Spiritualist Church:
Rising
Phoenix Spiritualist Church, 522
W. Encanto Blvd,in Phoenix, was
founded in 1951 by Rev. Edwin W. Ford as Harmony Chapel, a member of
the National Spiritualist Association of Churches (NSAC). Rev.
Ford integrated his church long before it was generally accepted. He
invited Rev. Nellie Mae Taylor to serve at Harmony Chapel. She was
an excellent medium and pastor who just happened to be Black.
In the late 1980’s a representative of NSAC came out from New
York and he informed them that
they could not display a picture of Jesus or the
Bible. He was shown the door and the church severed its connection
with NSAC.
A fire at the Chapel destroyed the building on April 21, 2006. The Chapel
reopened in the spring of 2008 at the same location. In 2012,
the board approved the tradename, Harmony in Phoenix, to designate
the community. While retaining the official corporate name, use of
the tradename removed a barrier that some may have to church or
church-sounding organizations and opens doors to invite others to
our Spiritual Community and Metaphysical Center.
2015 brought with it a time for change and growth. Under the direction of
a new board and pastor, Rising Phoenix Spiritualist Church was
manifest.
Roberts, Jane:
Author and channeler of
spirit entity called Seth.
Robins, Anthony (or Tony):
Business consultant, empowerment,
personal transformation and motivational speaker whose theories
often contain New
Age philosophies.
Rodgers, Rev. Dr. John: (1937-20?)
Founder and first bishop of the New Age Community Church.
Ro-Hun Therapy:
An energy-based, spiritually-oriented
psychotherapy which aims to relieve negative thinking atterns and
traumas stored in one's energy field and replace them with more
effective means of living (see chi).
Rolfing:
An alternative healing system developed
by Ida P. Rolf (1896-1979), it is a stringent muscular realignment
therapy. It is used mainly for back and neck problems and consists
of deep massage therapy which "strips" the fascia. It transcends
chiropractic in that it is based on the notion that emotional as
well as physical health depend upon being properly aligned. But in
rolfing alignment must be of much more than just the spine. To be
healthy, you must align your head, ankles, hips, thorax, pelvis,
knees, shoulders, ears, etc., in just the right way. By being
properly aligned, gravity enhances personal energy leading to a
healthy body and emotional state.
Roman Catholicism:
The oldest Christian church in the
world begun about 312 AD by the Roman Emperor Constantine. Because
of its size and scope—both in membership (about a billion people
worldwide) and geographically, the actual beliefs held by devout
Catholics are widespread and eclectic. One doctrine uniting all
Catholics is belief that the Pope is the supreme representative of
God on Earth. Catholicism has been influenced by liberation
theology, especially in parts of South America. In Africa, the
Caribbean, and elsewhere, attempts have been made to blend
Catholicism with spiritism,
creating a type of Catholicism withoccult elements.
In addition, since the 1960s there has been a small but significant
element of charismatic Catholics who have been influenced by the
larger charismatic movement. A small percentage of Catholics are
doctrinally evangelical, and others (such as Matthew
Fox) are part of the New
Age movement. As a
whole, however, the differences between Roman Catholicism and Protestantism are
still seen most clearly in the issues of the Reformation.
The 16th century reformers distinguished themselves from Catholicism
in two key ways. First, they saw the Bible as the sole foundation
for authority (sola scriptura) rather than the Pope, church
dogma or tradition. Second, the reformers taught salvation
by “grace alone” (sola
gracia)\,not by works.. The Roman Catholic Church claimed (and
still claims) to affirm sola
gracia, but teaches
that grace is received and maintained by a combination of faith plus
works (religious rites, sacraments, or human endeavor).
Rosary: (Latin:
a rose garden)
1) a certain form of Roman Catholic prayer in which the believer
says 15 sets of ten Hail
Marys with an Our
Father between each
ten. 2) the set of beads used to keep count of the prayers. Related
the Arab worry beads and the Hindu mala.(see Rosary)
Rosicrucian Anthroposophic League:
Break-off of Rosicrucian
Fellowship in New
York, NY: founded by S.R. Parchment,
Rosicrucian Fellowship:
A major Rosicrucian organization in
Oceanside, CA, founded by Max Heindel. Emphasis on astrology. See Rosicrucianism.
Rosicrucian Foundation:
Oldest Rosicrucian group
in the U.S. Founded by Swinburne Clymer in Quakertown, PA. Emphasis
sexual occultism.
Rosicrucian Order - Ancient and
Mystical Order of the Rosy Cross (AMORC):
Largest and most successful Rosicrucian
organization in the US. Founded by H. Spence Lewis and located in
large headquarters in San Jose, CA
Rosicrucianism:
(Literally the “Rose cross”) The name
was first given to the disciples of an adept known as Christian
Rosenkreuz, who supposedly lived Germany around 1460. He is said
to be the founder of an order of mystical students whose early
history is to be found in the German work, Fama
Fraternitatis (1614),
which has been published in several languages. The members of the
Order maintained their secrecy, but traces of them have been found
in various places every half century since these dates. This
organization which was extremely Christian in its orientation,
apparently died out around the beginning of the 19th century. The
best-known modern Rosicrucian organization, the Ancient and Mystical
Order of the Rosy Cross (AMORC),
was founded shortly after the turn of the 20th century and derived
its charter from an organization in France which evolved from an
organization founded by Aliester Crowley. There is no obvious
connection between the original 17th century Rosicrucians and any
modern group using the name The
first Rosicrucian society in the United States was founded in
Pennsylvania in 1694. In 1909 Harvey Spencer Lewis founded The Ancient
Mystical Order Rosae Crucis (AMORC)
which now has its headquarters in San Jose, California. Lewis
claimed to have been initiated into the Brotherhood in France. The
AMORC is an international fraternal order that operates through a
system of lodges and fosters the Rosicrucian philosophy of
developing humankind's highest potentialities and psychic powers.
Through study and practice, members strive for the perfection with
the ultimate goal being admittance into the Lodge and the attainment
of true knowledge, or cosmic consciousness. Students progress
through twelve degrees of mastery, with the tenth through twelfth
degrees conferred psychically, usually in the Order's temples in the
East. As in Theosophy,
such perfection comes only after various reincarnations, each
devoted to achieving a greater oneness with the Supreme Being.
Rosicrucians claim influence on Freemasonry,
especially since the eighteenth Masonic degree is the Sovereign
Prince Rose Croix of Heredom.
Roswell:
New Mexico town with a population of 45,000. It is a small ranching
community, that was a site for much of Robert Goddard's later
rocketry work. On that day, however, an object crashed nearby. On
July 8, 1947, the Roswell Army Air Field (RAAF) allegedly announced
it was an UFO,
and four alien bodies were supposedly recovered from the landing
site. The following day, U. S. Air Force officials stated that it
was not an UFO, but a weather balloon. Since then, Roswell has been
a focus of alien and conspiracy theory, rivaled only by Area
51, where the alien bodies are said to be stored. Today, UFO
tourism is a major income for people around Roswell. The place has
also been featured in many books, comics, movies and television
series. In 1994,
the "Roswell case" was officially closed (see [http://www.af.mil/lib/roswell]),
though Ray
Santilli, a British
film producer, produced a film in 1995 supposedly showing the
autopsy of an alien from the crash.
Rudra:
A form of Shiva
Rune Casting:
An ancient Nordic and Germanic oracle
dating to around 800 A.D., involving the use of twenty-five ceramic
tiles, each inscribed with a letter from the Viking alphabet;
divination technique allowing one to tap into answers in the
subconscious or higher self for insight and advice.
Runes:
Symbols of ancient Norse and Germanic alphabets the
symbols of which were ascribed magical properties
and used mainly for charms and inscriptions, on stone, wood, metal,
or bone. Perhaps derived ultimately from the Etruscan alphabet, the
runic alphabet was spread throughout Europe, Russia and Britain byViking invaders,
and Rune usage was at its height during the Dark Ages. There were
several different systems of runes. In Britain the earliest alphabet
had 24 letters divided into three groups of eight. The groups were
named after Norse deities:
Freya, Hagal, and Tiu. The use of runes had died out by the
fifteenth century as the Roman Catholic Church eclipsed paganism. In
the late nineteenth century German occultists revived interest in
runes, which became associated with Teutonic racial superiority. The
Nazi swastika is the runic symbol for Thor's
hammer, also symbol of the Earth Mother, and the runic S symbol was
used by the SS, the Nazi secret police. There
are many types of runes, alphabets of Anglo-Saxons, and Norse, and
modern Wiccan runes, are just a few. To "read" the runes, they are
usually tossed randomly after deciding a subject, and then
deciphered based on their positioning
Russell, Charles
Taze::
Founder of the Watchtower
Bible and Tract Society.
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