QUESTION , What is this website about !

Or at least this is what I think it is about.  Others may say it is to become aware of the agenda of the elite, but I think that is a sidenote.  Too much focus has been on this aspect in my humble opinion.  I think we need to unite and become a force to be reckoned with.

Thanks for that excellent question, Eric. I'll be honest that I once had very high hopes for this forum as a way for all of us here to connect deeply and share vulnerably about ourselves and to find ever more ways to love and support each other and work together to help transform our world. This was not long after the forum started, way back in late 2007 and early 2008 when interest was very high among the several dozen members who had completed the course.

I and about two dozen others were spending a lot of time here and were quite excited about going deeper with this community of very cool people. For about five months, a growing number of great members were developing awesome connections and sharing quite deeply. I and many others were spending over an hour a day sharing and inspiring each other in most beautiful ways.

Then I recall it was in mid February 2008 right around my 50th birthday, I took the risk of raising the sensitive topic of sexuality. I fully hoped that my own unconventional sexual path would be accepted and honored by these awesome people. I shared of my lifestyle of expanded relationships in which I sometimes have more than one lover and of my involvement in a community of people who practice polyamory - having more than one love at a time in a very conscious way.

At first this post was very well received and many others joined in sharing on very deep, vulnerable levels of the joys and tribulations of their own sexual journey. Yet after a day or two and about 20 beautiful, vulnerable comments to my post, a couple people began to question my expanded relationship lifestyle. A few members accused me of trying to find lovers through this forum and trying to corrupt healthy moral values. One woman even privately shared her belief with several other members that I was part of a CIA disinformation project in setting up the course and the forum.

It ended up getting quite intense as I and many others got triggered. The forum became fairly polarized. I pulled my energy way back, as did others. One rather opinionated new member joined not long after all this and really began to stir things up. He made some great, inspiring posts, yet in others, he attacked me and others for our beliefs on sexuality and many other things. When I and the two others managing the forum then decided to remove this man posting privileges until he agreed not to post messages putting others down, several members became upset with us, believing that everyone should be free to express whatever they wanted here.

As a result of all this, interest in the forum dropped dramatically by mid 2008. Several members completely dropped out. The awesome feeling of love and support we once felt here was all but gone. As you might imagine, I and others were very sad and disappointed that what once was so rich and exciting had in many ways fallen apart. Though it has had its up and down periods since then, the forum has never regained that amazing feeling of love and support we once had during the first five months or so that it was up.

In the last few years, I've appreciated the overall warm and loving feeling of support I've seen in this forum, yet I've also perceived at times that several members have issues with each other. I've stepped in a few times when I felt I might help people to see that we are all beautiful people with beautiful hearts, as did a few others. This seems to have helped some, but I still sense enough dissension and frustration among some people that I'm not inspired to engage more than occasionally here.

What excites me most is when I see people doing their best to love and support everyone here, no matter what their beliefs or lifestyles. If I felt a strong commitment among all or at least most of the members here to really love and support each other, I would become more actively involved. As it stands now, I mostly check in just once a day and see if there are any posts, like this one, that attract my attention.

I very much appreciate your question on this and hope others might respond as well.

With much love and some sadness,
Fred

Hi Fred,

Thanks for sharing that story. It helps me place into perspective some of what seems to go on here that I didn't understand. I so appreciate your honesty and attempt to allow all posts no matter how hard to understand.

Thanks for your warm comments, Bob, Wendy, and Eric. I'm glad we have this forum as a way to connect and stay in touch. And yes, we are all quite human, warts and all. I'm just happy everyone here at least has the intention of loving and receiving love from everyone else. Take care and have a beautiful day.

With much love and warm wishes,
Fred

Thanks Eric, Fred, and all.  This is a real cutting-through topic.

I respect your candor, Fred, and your personal courage.  I arrived here in August of that same year, 2008, and so I didn't experience the upset when it happened.  But I did look back through the former posts and got it all second hand.  I especially noticed harsh comments from r.s. (whom you removed) and one or two other people.  I can't remember it all now in detail, but even after I arrived there were a couple of people who seemed overly critical and possibly even narcissistic-borderline, to tell the truth.  The result of one person's crititicsm caused another woman to leave.  Her leaving I felt very keenly because she was especially intelligent, sensitive, and spiritually insightful (IMO).  For months afterward I checked to see if she had showed up, but aside from one or two silent appearances, no luck.  It was felt as aa loss.  But people come and go for whatever reasons -- an inevitability.

So, I hear you, Fred, when you say how disappointed and attacked you felt, and how sad that what seemed like the original promise of this forum got lost.  Obvioulsy you had an especially senstive and dedicated group to start the project off, and that may have in some way been the source of your disappointment.  What I mean is that people being what they (we) are, that level of interaction and discourse would have been and was hard to maintain.  (I say this with perfect 20/20 hindsight, of course.)  Other people less insightful and dedicated inevitably showed up, and all of us do have our shadow side anyhow, which you remind us of frequently.  So there's that subterranean pool of of impatience, judgment, and even anger that is bound to erupt from time to time.  And that's how it seems it happens: periodically someone says something that causes someone else to take issue in some unskillful way, and then we have a kind of purging where some people end up leaving.  This is how the world is.  We may think of ourselves as being a bit wiser and better informed than most people, but we really do represent the whole world of humans.  Can we accept that?

Having said that, though, I do agree that we can (and generally do) aspire to be more forgiving and sensitive than "the whole world."  And so, as Nick says, we're here to lift each other up -- to affirm our common aspiration to be better people and open our hearts.  I agree completely, and I think that's our purpose here on the planet as well.  So part of that seems to be the willingness to be more tolerant when someone pushes our buttons, and to forgive them for anything hurtful we feel they've said -- and to forgive ourselves for our own reactions.  Lord knows, we all have this stuff in us.  And that may be the best we can do, or expect one another to do -- or to try.  Of course we're going to fail sometimes, and so there's always a risk in sharing something.  It's not so easy to remember to calculate that ahead of time, though.

This has been a great forum for me overall, as I've been exposed to a lot of wisdom and good information, some of it having opened my eyes to significant things I hadn't understood.  And I've "met" a lot of wonderful people; truly, I'm grateful to everyone.  But it's been a mix, of course.  Whatever interactions and information hasn't served me well I've usually been able to let go -- with judgment at my worst, and withou it at my best.  When someone has brought something that has seemed off the wall or has been too negative or dark for me to deal with at the time, I tried not to express disapproval, although sometimes I have and have apologized for that. 

A couple of built-in features that it's good to accept and work with:  New people sometimes bring up subjects that we've aired before -- even several times before -- so not every post sparks everyone's interest, yet it's good to address these issues again in some way for the new folks because it may be fresh and important for them.  Then there's the phenomenon of  rich periods full of interest, entusiasm, sharing, insights and new ideas, followed by dry periods where not much is said and maybe not many people even visit.

But, for all of its imperfections, I do value this forum.  And one thing for sure: it will be here until it doesn't serve its members any more, and then it will end -- just at all things end eventually.  No reason to be sad about inevitabilities (although we tend to be anyway), but I feel that one will be off in the future a ways.

To wrap up, thank you, Fred, for starting the Gatheringspot and for your tireless work to uplift and inform -- and for your tending the forum, even by checking in daily at a minimum.  And when you do post, it's almost always something of real value, always encouragement to open our hearts.

Thanks everyone for your replies. I appreciate everyone here!

To me, the Gathering Spot is a community where I can express myself authentically and explore different ideas in a safe way. I can also connect with a wide variety of people around the world with different perspectives, philosophies, and goals. I learn a lot from what people share, even if I don't agree with all of it. I also like to help people, so I feel happy when I can say something to someone that inspires, comforts, calms, or encourages healing in them.

I'm sorry that this space doesn't always feel safe for everyone; it's a bit of a conundrum because within such difficulties are opportunities for growth and transformation, but at a certain point if people aren't making the shift and the resulting waves keep repeating and disturbing the feeling of safety for everyone, what do you do? I could see how that would have been a hard decision for you, Fred. I'm also thankful to everyone here that since joining earlier this year, I've felt welcome, supported, and safe.

Peace, Trish

I've had a period of absentia due to tech and other issues at home, and so am just getting back in again-this is the first post I chose to read upon arrival today. 

Everyone has great comments and I remember the incidents that Fred's referring to from way back when.  It was unsettling to me then and discord here at any point even now bugs me-not because we all have to agree (we don't) but because we are all here in an effort to be 'transformational'.  Learning and being that is so very important to me.

From my perspective or current life view or whatever you choose to call it, when I chose to 'minister' I chose a path of 'self mastery' knowing that for me, that is the best way to selflessly assist those I meet along the path.  (I didn't say MY path.) I feel we teach by example and what better example than to meet each of you (and everyone else on the way) as a mirror of myself in all the beauty, glory and even gut wrenching real-ness that we all are at different times in our lives.

I'm short on time and big on feelings today, but I come here to honor you and to honor me and to know there are those of us 'out there' that want a better world, an open space for non judgemental communication and to bear witness to what it is we're all living as we put our sacred energy 'out there' too. 

I believe our consciousness is connected and we are so much bigger than we may feel we are and we are so very needed in the ultimate and grand scheme of things-I love you all-it doesn't matter 'what' you do or think or post. You are.  I am.  We create with every breath.

So what does the website mean to me? It means we choose to be transformers-electrical devices that 'step down' energy so that it may be used in a meaningful way.  I see us from the point of our Highest Good stepping down  essential God/Creation/Universal energy into a current/voltage/vibration that can assist those around us in ways bigger than we even have the capacity to understand yet.

Love you all.                  kristyne

This forum is different things to different people. For me, the PEERS course I took awakened me to many hidden agendas that I didn't know existed before.  For this, I will always be grateful. At times, it was difficult for me to not be overwhelmed by the flood of negative information revealed in the course, but once I swallowed the red pill, I could not go back... nor would I want to. Such knowledge has the potential to liberate humanity from decades of self-serving tyranny.

When I joined the Gathering Spot 4 years ago, I mistakenly assumed that everyone was on the same page as me -- that their eyes had also been opened to the horrific globalist agenda, and that in that knowing we would all say "enough is enough" and unite to shine a light upon the injustice.  What I discovered is that even on this forum, filled with what I thought were some of the most enlightened and informed people on earth, there is much denial, finger-pointing, and name-calling.  I'm shocked that even here, at this spot that to me once felt so much like home, I have somehow been branded a fear monger or a conspiracy theorist, simply for sharing what I've discovered (much in the same way that wanttoknow.info does).

It is with deep regret that I face the fact that this forum has significantly shifted as older members have left and newbies have arrived.  While new blood is necessary for growth, I no longer feel like this is a safe place for me to share my comments, thoughts, and feelings on any subject . Somewhere along the way, I have alienated some of the most vocal commenters here, and from this group, I'm afraid there is no redemption.  No matter what I post these days, it is either ignored or collectively villianized.  Even in my silence (as I rarely post anymore), I continue to read disparing remarks aimed at comments I've posted months prior.   To "forgive and forget" seems to be a lost concept here.

Sadly, the same ones so quick to ridicule the posts initiated by others are reticent to start a significant thread of their own.  If this trend continues, it could be the death knell for the Gathering Spot.  I would be deeply saddened to the pit of my being, if this should happen.

I appreciate you starting this dialogue, Eric.  And Nick, you said, "I think we need to unite and become a force to be reckoned with."   That has been my intention all along, though apparently, there still is not a meeting of minds as to what that means. So, I'd like to know, Nick,  what do those words mean to you?

If in any way I have ever made you feel as if you 'don't belong' Noa, I apologize because that would not be my intent.  I also have 'swallowed the red pill' as you've discussed above, and faced 'demons' that have awakened and changed my perception of the world as I once 'thought' it was.  I've also watched lots of bloggers come and go here and felt deep sadness that they have. 

You have a right to be here as much as any of us, you contribute what you feel necessary, I appreciate what you post whether I respond at all or not-often I simply have so little time to spend here that I read, digest and move on to the next post without comment.  It isn't intended to offend, minimalize or in any way diminish what anyone has shared. 

I  try to respond from a point of light because that is one thing I don't always find here, and one thing that imo is needed so badly everywhere. That comment isn't aimed at your posts but at so much of the stuff here that deals with hidden agendas and powers that be and the shit we see around us that can scare us all-if we allow it.  I choose not to allow fear in my periphery if at all possible.  It doesn't mean I'm not paying attention or choose to hide my head in a hole in the ground.  It means I don't buy into it- I don't give it more of my attention because that gives it more energy and my energy can be better spent.

I don't take myself all that seriously or anyone else for that matter, I know I make mistakes from time to time and I know when I realize that I attempt to correct them if at all possible. I hope you find more of what you need here and take some of it and us less personally.  I think sometimes it's more the material and state of the world we may get upset and frustrated with-not the individual posting.

I for one do not look at the past or the future so much because it would make me crazy-I really try to follow the 'Be Here Now' philosophy because for me now is what I have.  Doesn't mean I want to step on others or ignore their feelings.  I hope you will remain an integral part of this group as I hope everyone else here will as well.   That's also an important part of the transformation team website - that we see and respect all of our differences in an effort to see our sameness as well. In One-ness and Love to you my sister.              kristyne

Thank you for your kind and supportive words, Kristyne.  And no, I have never been offended by your words.  You're one of the beakons of truth and light, here.

Blessings to us all. In lak'ech.

I also have been around since 2008 and really miss the interaction that was so rich that year.  The sexual posting was a minor disruption when compared to all that great interaction that continued on in spite of it.  Then there was the Riversong test that caused a bit of a split.

The biggest change (my experience) came when the TT site was changed to the Gathering Spot site.  It was a ghost town for quite some time, and has never gotten back to the diverse and richly textured involvement on the TT sight in 2008.  Things change, the nature of nature in constant flux.

Noa, you left for a few weeks and then came back - and from my perspective posts have been going smooth and non confrontational since your return, and your posts have been kind and informative.  I say this because your post two posts above sounds like the post you posted a while back just prior to your taking a break from the G-Spot.  I had to look at the date because it didn't seem to fit the peaceful interaction of late.  Are you relating to something recently that I missed, or are you speaking of old wounds that seem and feel fresh and new when you are thinking about them???  You don't have to answer that if you don't want to - it just seemed a bit strange in light of how smooth and peaceful things have been here lately....

Anyway, seems things are going fairly smooth lately.  Would love to see it thrive again like 2008.

Time will tell....

Just sharing an honest response.  (I believe that was Eric's request.)  Or was I excluded from that invitation?

Much of what you are perceiving as "smooth and non-confrontational", Chris, is my holding back the entirety of what I want to say.  I don't want to offend anyone -- this has never been my desire -- and so now, after bitter criticism -- I am walking on eggshells. Also, I realize that my words are lost on those who are not open to entertaining perspectives that may contradict their own conclusions.

Trish just sent me this quote, which fits here perfectly:

“The only man who behaves sensibly is my tailor; he takes my measurements anew every time he sees me, while all the rest go on with their old measurements and expect me to fit them.” - George Bernard Shaw

If "peaceful interaction" is what you want here, does that mean never having  to read a post that doesn't agree with your own opinions?  And even if our sole purpose here were to be only to post what everyone will agree with, how is that possible?  Do we know how other people will react ahead of time?  And why would we even want such a thing?  Is there no room for contrast and debate?  If we live in a world where we only see what we want to see, how do we learn?   In order to grow, it is necessary to allow the old skin to shed and a new one to form.

I don't know what this place was like in 2008, but we all know that those days are gone.  This forum is evolving.  All of us here are its creators.  We choose with our words what it is and what it becomes.

"Before you accuse me, take a look at yourself." - Eric Clapton

I was just kinda hoping that you might be enjoying the calm between the storms.  If you are walking on eggshells, realize they are your eggshells and kick them aside when you wish - or stomp on them like a child stomping in a puddle after the rain.

I think you like the storm, Chris; otherwise you wouldn't keep making mountains out of molehills.

You are projecting, and you edited your post to take the defensive edge off - interesting political trickery, but a bit disingenuous...

Over n Out.........

...the Little Soul went forth into a new lifetime, excited to be the Light, which was very special, and excited to be that part of special called Forgiveness.

Hey Chris,

You and Noa seem to have an amazing love for each other. I have no doubt you can be powerful teachers for each other should you choose to take this on.

Much love and warm wishes to you both,
Fred

I want to thank you, Chris, for pointing out the defensiveness in my words above.  You said nothing wrong.  In fact, your words were gentle and kind; I'm just being overly-sensitive.  In hindsight, I can see that I haven't completely healed from my last public flogging here.  You and the others who piled on a few months ago may have forgotten the brutal name-calling you delivered, but it hurt me to the core of my being.  Please be patient as I heal my wounds.

Now.. here are the lessons I'm taking away from this current dialogue...

• Words hurt.  Choose them carefully, but know that some people may be offended no matter what you do.

• Words, no matter how carefully-worded, can be misunderstood.

• No one is responsible for how I react, but me.

• No matter how justified we may feel in the moment, our perceptions of others always pass through our own personal filters, which don't always assess things accurately. 

• Give people the benefit of the doubt...especially if you have NO doubt.

If you think that you are right, think again.

I really have no proof of what I think others think of me or my posts.

Just because I recognize myself in someone else's general criticism doesn't mean that they are criticizing me.

• I can't expect others to let go of their past perceptions of me if I haven't entirely let go of the past myself.

• People who annoy us can be our greatest teachers; but the lesson is more easily-understood when the teacher is patient and kind.  

Thanks Noa,

I liked that last post.

I come here to learn. I'm a knowledge glutton! I'm always looking for that fresh perspective that someone else might share, that I can't see from my viewpoint. I want to know what makes the world tick. I know that it's possible to get a very untrue perspective on things, only looking at them from my own viewpoint so I like to see how others respond as a check on my own take on things.

I personally don't think there is enough "dark" information here. The positive and inspiring stories are pretty easy information to find - no one is actively trying to hide these things. I want to know about the hidden things in the world because if anything is hidden I know I can't get a true sense of the big picture.

Thanks for that beautiful post, Noa! It feels like you've just created more love and peace in our world. Thank you for helping to create transformation even here and now. Have a great day!

With much love and gratitude,
Fred

Thanks, Fred.  I feel all warm and fuzzy now.

And Wendy, have you listened to the Conversations with God videos I just posted?  I'm learning so much from them.  God talks about duality at the beginning of this one.   Interesting stuff.

Amen Amen Amen

Ahhhhhhhmmmmmaannnnnnnuuuhhhhhhh

Potent question-it surprised me. Fred's answer especially. I have felt a loss several times since I joined in 2010. People would leave and I thought it amounted to something bad happening that I couldn't identify or that the gspot was failing. Then I fell in love with a member here and it ended sadly.  That led to a feeling of awkwardness that has never gone away for the other person and so I'm responsible for someone else not feeling OK to be here anymore. And that feels awesome.

Thank you everyone for your posts here. The story of the little soul resonates with me; it is a powerful perspective to have that enables total forgiveness and freedom to love wholeheartedly.

My hubby Shaun and I just had a moment where we were present and content with one another and I said, "Thank you for being a Divine teacher for me." He asked, "What do you mean by that?" And I said, "In all our experiences together, even when I have felt frustrated or hurt by your behaviour, I see all of it as a great love and dedication to my learning and transformation. Maybe we are all pure beings who have agreed to forget and pretend and have unconscious behaviour so we could have this human experience and learn to move between the dichotomies. For other people, I have a tendency to hold onto the memory of past pain as a stain on the relationship. For myself, I hold onto a feeling of guilt for having caused pain for other people in my ignorance and unconsciousness. But just as you are a Divine teacher for me, so I have also been a Divine teacher for you and others, and so we can both let go of past pain and guilt." Shaun snuggled in, smiled, and said, "All I know is that right now things are pretty awesome and if things feel bad again, I'll always have this memory." I said to him, "Why would you go back to a memory when you could be in your true home and sanctuary, which is the present moment?" And then we locked eyes, smiled, and shared a timeless moment together.

Peace, here and now, with you all,

Trish

Sweet!

I never meant any pain or harm to come to you from any of my posts.  I try hard to understand the world, but try even harder to remain optimistic.  That is a choice.  NOBODY is born with optimism and if they are, it is driven from them at a young age.

I make that choice every day, hour, and sometimes minute.  I can't stand too much negativity.  In fact, when I get inundated with it, I feel that this one small person has to change the world NOW.  That is usually the beginning of what the doctors call my mania.

Negativity is dangerous for me so I must take it in small doses.  That doesn't mean I don't want to know about the world.  It just means that if I know too much too fast, I will typically end up in a hospital.  

I love your quote by your picture by the way.  Everyone I know thinks I have a huge potential to be crazy.  The doctors at the psych ward can attest to that.  I really like your last post and just wanted you to know that I have just recently read this coversation and I didn't mean to ignore your post directed at me.

I love you no matter what and always will.

I myself have come and appear to have gone many times. This is all to do with chronic depression than anything said here.

I love the honesty here, wether good or bad, we must always be honest with ourselves.

On my journey I have been part of several forums, all of them transform and mould themselves as contributors come and go, however what Fred and his team created here with the Transfomational lead into the forum is something not found elswhere (not that I have found anyway)

Around the time or just before this original post, I took a serious overdose and almost left this planet for good. It was only my strong connection to my daughters and their keen senses that I survived. Looking back it was extremely selfish of me to do that, yet I know now it was very necessarily part of my journey.

Know this one thing, I love you all deeply, as you are all just me from another perspective and you have helped me pull through all of my troubles, even though I have been silent I have been thanking each and every one of you daily

Thanks again Fred for you and your teams inspiration and hardwork in setting this all up. Long may it continue

Wow, Ian! That's intense!!! Thank you so much for your willingness to share of your pain and of even getting to the point of attempting suicide. I'm so glad your daughters called you back from the other side. I invite you whenever you are feeling depressed to reach out here and allow us to support you as well. I don't want to lose you. I love you, dear brother!

With much love, concern, and gratitude,
Fred