You are on page 1of 417

Lessons of Enlightenment

By Cosmic Awareness

Published by Cosmic Awareness Communications PO Box 115 Olympia, Washington 98507 United States of America www.cosmicawareness.org www.transactual.com ISBN: 1441426167 EAN-13: 9781441426161
Copyright 2009 Cosmic Awareness Communications All rights reserved Printed in the United States of America by CreateSpace Bulk purchases and reseller discounts, contact dave@transactual.com

Without limiting the rights under the copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, by photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the copyright owner. The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or by any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal. Please purchase only authorized printed or electronic editions and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support is appreciated.

Cover image was created, authored and prepared for NASA by STScI under Contract NAS526555. No claim to copyright is asserted by STScI and the image may be freely used and is in the public domain in accordance with NASA's contract.

This book is dedicated to

you

Acknowledgements
With tremendous gratitude to the Cosmic Awareness Communications staff, the Interpreters, and every entity around the world who made this book possible. You know who you are.

Contents
Preface I II Lesson 1 Lesson 2 Lesson 3 Lesson 4 Lesson 1 Lesson 2 Lesson 3 Lesson 4 Lesson 1 Lesson 2 Lesson 3 Lesson 4 Lesson 1 Lesson 2 Lesson 3 Lesson 1 Lesson 2 Lesson 3 Lesson 1 Lesson 2 Lesson 3 What is Cosmic Awareness? The Philosophy of Cosmic Awareness Alpha: Human Nature Overview of the Human Condition The Spiritual Nature of Humankind The Mental Nature of Humankind The Physical Nature of Humankind Beta: The Feeling System The Emotional Nature of Humanity The Emotional Behavior of Humanity The Six Basic Feelings Emotion: The Sixth Sense Gamma: New Beginnings New Tenets of Human Existence The Power of Habit The Life-Giving Habits of Self-Expresssion Universal Values and Needs Delta: Implications for Personhood Implications for Self Concept Implications for Child Rearing Implications for Human Development 1 3 5

7 13 25 33

45 58 71 81

95 107 124 151

169 179 196

Epsilon: Implications for Human Interaction Implications for Morality 213 Implications for Interpersonal Relationships 228 Implications for Group Relationships 244 Zeta: Implications for Social Structures Implications for Religion Implications for Government Implications for Education

259 270 294

Lesson 1 Lesson 2 Lesson 3

Eta: Implications for Health Implications for Mental Health Implications for Physical Health Implications for Holistic Health

309 324 335

Theta: Implications for Evolution Lesson 1 Evolution Lesson 2 The Spiritual Compass in Evolving Gestalts of Consciousness Lesson 3 Human Evolution Omega: Conclusion Epilogue

349 362 374

399

Preface
Cosmic Awareness Introduces the Book
(Cosmic Awareness channeled message)

The time has come to impart the Lessons of Enlightenment, for the ushering in of the New Millennium. The Lessons are offered to facilitate the unfolding of the New Age, which symbolizes the restoration of humans to their intended evolutionary pathway, which allows for the maximum evolution and expansion of Universal Consciousness. It is an era of renaissance through which entities can awaken from the sleep-inducing, dogmatic and manipulative assertions of mankind and realign with the divine source of universal knowledge which lies within. It is a time to celebrate the reconnection between the individual and the totality of All That Is. It is a time to become receptive to the Divine Grace, the love and faith that has been placed in humankind. It is a time to honor the faith, to acknowledge and reclaim the resources and abilities that empower humans rather than allow them to remain mired and enslaved within their own earthly illusions. It is a time for every soul to rise to the challenge of realigning the spirit, the will, the mind and the body. It is a time of joyous self expression. The Lessons provide the light, but it is the task of the individual to enlist the will and to actively choose the pathway to receive the light. This requires the trust that each individual was created with the innate capacity to know, to experience, and attune to an inner guidance. This requires the courage to set aside those beliefs, and habits of thought and action that now severely limit the soul, yet masquerade as the very truths for which humans feel compelled to fight and to die. For the feelings are indeed instrumental in such choices, but not without the understandings to be imparted in these Lessons. The Lessons Of Enlightenment will arrive like pearls of wisdom, for each entity to assemble into an invaluable adornment which can become an enduring talisman against external manipulation and a symbol of the choice for, and 1

Lessons of Enlightenment

commitment to individual empowerment, soul development, to individual, social and spiritual evolution, to love replacing fear, to light replacing darkness, to the rejection of evil, and to the unwavering faith in the Universal Divine. It is to be worn with honor, legitimate pride, dignity, compassion and self respect. It cannot be worn if there is insincerity, a refusal to question existing beliefs, denial of spiritual impetus, denial of will energy or violation or denial of others. For such denial not only negates the soul, but also denies Universal Consciousness and each individual's rightful place in the connectedness of All That Is. The actions of the wearer will always defy any such attempts at deception, for legitimate actions will always spring from a new motivative source, demonstrating the understanding, the awareness and the grace that the Lessons embody. The actions of entities automatically provide testimony to the degree of alignment between spirit, will, mind and body. Indeed, upon grasping the understandings that the Lessons provide, human essence, human nature, human behavior, human evolution and human destiny will all become far less mysterious. This is like a vessel of opportunity. This is a time of great potential. This is a time for each entity to rise to the challenge of participation in the turning of the tide and in the laying of the groundwork for accelerated development. This is the time to realign with the Universal Divine, the Love Force, the Universal Consciousness of All That Is. The vessel of opportunity has arrived. Welcome aboard.
(End of Cosmic Awareness channeled message)

I
What is Cosmic Awareness?
(From the Editors)

Cosmic Awareness is the Force that expressed Itself through Jesus, the Buddha, Krishna, Mohammed and other great avatars who served as channels for what is commonly referred to as God. The messages do not come from spirits, ghosts or discarnate entities, but directly from the sourceUniversal Consciousness. Early in 1962, a voice expressing itself as Cosmic Awareness began speaking through Ralph Duby, a university lecturer and ex-army officer who had been through the Bataan Death March in Philippines during World War II. The voice spoke whenever the subject was in a state of self-induced trance. Since that time, much valuable information has come through to us on this earthly plane from a source so high it staggers the imagination. When the question was asked of Cosmic Awareness: What is Cosmic Awareness? we were told that Cosmic Awareness is the total mind that is not any one mind, but is the Universal Mind. It does not represent any unit other than that of complete and total Universality. We were told that we are all part of Cosmic Awareness and that we all have that God-cell within that can be contacted. No need to run off to psychics or priests or spiritual mediators. Cosmic Awareness said that you can channel Cosmic Awareness, too. Everyone can. From Cosmic Awareness, we have learned from the tens of thousands of readings It has given, that It has many names. Some call it God, Jehovah, the First Cause, the Great I AM, All That Is, etc., but Awareness has said It is not a single entity, not the anthropomorphic concept that It was often defined to be by most religions. It has defined Itself as Beauty, Purity, Concentrationand above all, Truth or What Is. It has called Itself anti-matter, pure space, pure nothingness that is everything and the everything that is essentially nothing. It has described Itself 3

Lessons of Enlightenment

as being that which is next to that which does not and cannot speak because it is the highest form of energy in the universe. It corresponds to the highest impersonalized concepts of Godthe Clear Light. It has said that as it speaks through a modern-day interpreter now, in the past It has spoken through the great avatars: the Buddha, Mohammed, Moses, Jesus, Krishna and others who served as Its channels. Cosmic Awareness has made Itself quite clear that It is not an entity, a disembodied spirit or anything of that nature. Awareness is pure energypure everythingor the natural God. Cosmic Awareness is that Universal Consciousness that permeates all living things in the universe, that sees all and experiences and discerns what is without judging or condemning. It is the Cosmic River of Life, the Stream of Consciousness, the Eternal Essence of Being, the Divine Spirit. Cosmic Awareness is not a personality, but a force that is personal in nature. The name Cosmic Awareness is unlikely to become confused with any personality who channels or expresses this force, avoiding any form of worship toward that person. It can be experienced by anyone who goes deep enough within oneself to touch that level of Cosmic Awareness. Cosmic Awareness is the sea of life that not only fills our cells with living energy, but fills the air we breathe and the space between galaxies and the molecules. It is the living universe. Like water filling a sponge, Cosmic Awareness fills the spaces between molecules atoms and subatomic particles, and binds them all together into one gigantic Universal Being. Like cells in a microcosmic body, we blend together as souls in a macrocosmic body whose consciousness is Cosmic Awareness. The communications have reduced what a true religion should be to the simple fundamentals of service to one another. God is revealed as a universal set of cosmic laws, not a personal deity subject to capriciousness, wrath or vengeance. Cosmic Awareness has taught us that there is no actual personalized God, apart from the many that human beings have created; there is no personalized Devil apart from the many that men have promulgated. The communications are deeply spiritual, but essentially non-religious and non-secular. The communications never cease to stress the supreme importance of spiritual life and the necessity for compassion in our dealings with all people. In the messages from Cosmic Awareness, there is to be found the same supreme dedication to helping to ease suffering and tragedy among humanity and a reverence for all life that is the hallmark of the great saints and the teachings of the great religious leaders. 4

II
The Philosophy of Cosmic Awareness
(From the Editors)

Cosmic Awareness has stated that purpose of the information being released is to lead people on earth to find out Who, In Fact, You Really Are. This is a key phrase that is repeated many times throughout the tens of thousands of readings and literally millions of words. There are several interesting aspects of Cosmic Awareness that consistently permeate all of the readings. First, Cosmic Awareness refers to people as entities because It indicated that they have all played the roles of being a man as well as a woman. All of us have both a masculine and feminine side, and we decide which role we will play in a given lifetimewhichever sex will provide the best opportunity in that time and place for our soul to grow as it evolves back toward its source. Yes, Awareness explains reincarnation, and if the doctrine has never made much sense to you, reading this book may put the subject into a very different lighta light that not only makes sense, but may lead you to wonder how you could have ever thought differently. Another major theme that runs through all of the Cosmic Awareness readings is that there is no death. None whatsoever. What we call death and mourn about is nothing more than a simple transition to another vibratory rate that Cosmic Awareness refers to as the Inner Planes. During sleep, Cosmic Awareness tells us, we often leave our physical body and travel around the various planes, of which there are manysome high and some quite low. These inner planes are what are generally referred to in various religious teachings as Heaven, Hell, Limbo, Purgatory, etc. We travel to these planes to attend schools, to help others and to basically learn what we need to learn.

Lessons of Enlightenment

One interesting aspect of death is that Cosmic Awareness says that we will no longer even have to go through a physical death now that the earths spiritual ascension is nearthat is, if we dont want to. Awareness tells us how to reorient our minds to the new concept that aging is merely a projection of our own mind, which is playing a tape over and over, over and over, programming and hypnotizing our bodies into getting old and disintegrating. Aging can be stopped and Awareness explains how. As you become familiar with Cosmic Awareness, these concepts and many more will begin to fall into place. Your daily actions will begin to reflect a new philosophy. Indeed, you will find yourself becoming aware of Who, In Fact, You Really Are. Another important conceptand this is very importantis that Cosmic Awareness tells us not to believe anything, not even Cosmic Awareness, but to question, explore, doubt, and discover on your own what the truth really is. Cosmic Awareness will only indicate and suggest. Cosmic Awareness asks not that you sacrifice to It, not that you believe in It, not that you bow down in worship to It, but only that you love one another, serve one another, and that you yourself grow spiritually, become cosmically aware and find out Who, In Fact, You Really Are. Cosmic Awareness tells us that at the time of passing over, which we call death, each and every one of us must answer one, and only one, question (asked by yourself to yourself, not by any sort of spiritual judge): How many have you served, and how well? We should consider what we will be able to provide as an answer to ourselves.

Alpha
Human Nature
Introduction

Lesson 1: Overview of the Human Condition

There is a great urgency for human beings to understand and correct their current situation. Humankind is and has been experiencing far more disconnection, disorientation, pain and suffering than is necessary. This creates an interruption in the flow of Universal Divine Love Energy and a virtual frustration in the ever-expanding consciousness of All That Is. Each and every earthbound entity is an apportionment of the Divine Spirit and maintains a connective strand, a communicative channel, through which inspiration, guidance and divine intention can be experienced. Along with this information channel came the innate ability to transmute Universal Energy into physical form to create events and physical manifestations pleasing to both the individual and the ever-expanding Universal Spirit. The power to intuit, the power to create, and the freedom for willful action, are all far greater than humans imaginefor they have become obscured, blunted and limited. Communication and the Fluid Creative Reality Since time was young, humans have had the challenge of utilizing that power to create unlimited, ever-evolving tools and methods to develop and express their soul potential in earthly existence. Development and expression of Spirit was the individual objective within the overall goal of continued expansion of Universal Consciousness. Such tools have manifested in the physical technologies, including everything from stone carving tools to the Internet, as well as mental technologies including knowledge, beliefs, cultural customs, political systems, legal systems, social codes, religious and worldviews that exist today. These tools were originally to be developed by an individual for that individuals personal use to accomplish the maximum possible development, expression and expansion of his or her individual consciousness. The tools were 7

Lessons of Enlightenment

intended to be temporary, flexible transient and ever-changinglike cloaks to be designed, worn and cast aside as new, more effective versions were inspired and created. There was no right or wrong, no good or bad tools, no judgments or limitations were placed upon the creations of man. The only legitimate quality assessment was how well the tools and ideas accomplished the development and expression of the soul potential. The reality was highly individualized. It was negotiated and created through the communication between individual and universal spirit and the application of will power. The action choices of entities were validated by the spiritual responses experienced through the feeling system. Those tools that were most effective at meeting the expansion goals of the spirit were pleasing to the spirit, and those that were less so were not so pleasurable. Those that did not work or lost their effectiveness over time would restrict, even frustrate the spirit and the feelings would be not pleasingthey became even unpleasant and painful. These pleasurable or painful feelings were experienced within the individual as an ever-present reminder of the goals of the spirit and of how well they were being attained. This was the reality: an information exchange and feedback between the spiritual, mental and physical realms, each working in concert to maximize and expand individual and Universal Consciousness. There was no mistaking that earthly reality was fluid and within the constant control of the individuals, no matter how real and valid the earthly creations and events may have appeared in the physical realm. Disconnection and Rigid Physical Reality But over time, humans began to believe more and more in the validity of their creations and rely less and less upon the internal communicative spiritual guidance. The methodologies and beliefs began to take on a life of their own, to become more real, as they were shared between individuals and eventually passed along between generations. Such ideas became real when adopted through willful choiceregardless of whether or not that choice was a conscious one. In fact, most humans empower beliefs without even realizing their choice, since facts, values and ideals are indoctrinated into them from the moment they are born. Cognizant or not, humans direct their will power into the belief, which then entraps them within its limitations. Not only did such limiting judgments become part of earthly reality, but they actually have a physical counterpart that exists in the form of energy fields where potential energy has been frozen into habitual pathways that grossly limit the human capability of selecting or creating alternate tools or ways of thinking. 8

Alpha: Human Nature

The beliefs become physically empowered with the human energy that is willfully invested in them. The more times a particular truth is uttered and energized, the more it takes on a physical reality that in turn limits the perception of a myriad of other possibilities. Instead of the evolution of many coexisting equally useful tools of spiritual expression, certain ideas become dominant, overarching and the way for all to be. Such limiting beliefs and judgments have interfered tremendously with the natural communicative pathways between embodied entities and All That Is. They have greatly reduced the creative ability to transmute Universal Energy at will, all but eliminated the original fluidity of reality and entrapped humans within the very tools which were intended to empower them. The result is that humankind has become mired within an illusory reality of their own creation, cut off from the overarching reality, guidance and direction of All That Is. The human condition is now such that the expression and development of individual spirit, as well as the expansion of Universal Consciousness, has been tremendously impeded. This misuse of human freedom has become known as the Fall from Grace in many existing origin stories and religious doctrines. For with the self-imposed limitations due to having bitten of the fruit of the tree of knowledge, humans have lost touch with those very facilities with which they were endowed to protect and guide themselves. Attempts at Re-Empowerment In the course of human history, there have been many sages, Avatars and wise men of God who have attempted to re-empower humans. These seers incarnated with a clear destiny, a broadened awareness and with better command of the innate power that all humans were intended to possess. Their task was to awaken humankind to the tremendous potential and power that lies within their grasp, yet which remains unclaimed. For every human being maintains that connective strand through which Divine Spirit Intention can be accessed and utilized, offering vast benefits and direction for the restoration of humanity to the intended evolutionary path. Their offerings have made a positive impact; but there has also been a tremendous amount of distortion of the teachings perversion and dogmatic assertions used for manipulation and control by misguided, power-seeking humans, perpetuating the myth that direction can only come from external forces and guides. The sages message of re-empowerment was lost in the shuffle. The ultimate result was the implanting of a nearly universal belief that human beings are innately evil, rather than innately good, and that with such evil nature they require external control. The coming of the sages reinforced the belief that some exter9

Lessons of Enlightenment

nal Omnipotent intermediary has the sole responsibility to create the events necessary for successful human existence. And that since man was innately evil, that unpleasant events were his due as retribution from that almighty force. This further disconnected humans from their inner informational feeling system, with the adoption of conflicting ideas about feelings themselves. This created the related belief that emotional suffering is an inevitable, necessary and uncontrollable part of living. But the belief in the need for external control cannot change the ultimate reality that the individual has, and will always have, internal control. The belief itself cannot remove the individuals capability and his or her responsibility to manifest their own destiny. It does not in the least diminish the power they possess, only the conscious control they have over that power. The belief in externals cannot change the physical transmutation process or alter the individual causal link between energy and willful manifestation. It merely shifts that power into the earthly illusions and conflicting beliefs which become the external controllers. In adopting an external intermediary, humans cast their power to the wind, rather than honoring themselves as the creators of their own destiny. Many unexpected and undesirable events that occur in the lives of individuals and those which evidence decay in societies around the world, are a direct result of misdirected, misunderstood human will power. Humans then scramble to react to the oncoming events that seem random, chaotic and meaningless, rather than creating the desired events as originally intended. The information signals of human feeling go unheeded allowing hurtful, limiting beliefs to take root and flourish. The realm of human mind is now choked with many such debilitating beliefs, most of which masquerade as highly esteemed ideals and values. If the innate guidance had been understood, there never would have been such a virulent spread of misdirected energy. If the innate guidance had been understood, humanity would now be master rather than slave. Regardless of the illusions, the reality of the human condition is still that each individual has the power and the biological capability to receive information and transmute energy directly from the Divine Source. This is the originally intended inner communicative flow of validating feelings of the spirit. Humans are intended to use the conditions and events that they desire. The information process has long gone unnoticed and the lack of intuitive guidance has all but removed the individuals capacity to create the reality that is most pleasing to the spirit. As a result, the individual spirit is frustrated, as is the Universal Spirit. When the spirit is frustrated and cannot expand, this is made known through the feeling system of the individual as has always been the case.

10

Alpha: Human Nature

The Feeling System: A Spiritual Safety Net The feeling system is the one system that is not susceptible to the realm of earthly illusion. Although belief can color the feelings, they cannot deny the anger, fear and sadness of a frustrated spirit. The feeling system is the communicative strand that provides a safety net to keep humans attuned to the Spirit regardless of the earthly illusions. The feeling system also plays a major role in the transmutation of energy that creates events, both desirable and undesirable. The preponderance of negative events and frustrating experiences in ones life is a direct result of the level of frustration of the Spirit. Humans have also developed ways to escape the haunting feelings of a frustrated spirit through escapism or aggression or self deception. But true and lasting relief can only come through the identification and rejection of those beliefs that have been internalized, which frustrate rather than develop and express the spiritual potential. These beliefs, and any others which limit human development and expression, are no longer to be tolerated. The state of the earth becomes less and less stable as more and more energy is fed into the existing limited beliefs. Now is the time for the piece-by-piece dismantling of the dense energy network that stifles the spiritual, mental and physical evolution of the human species. The dominant formative energies are fear, anger and sadness, which spring from the grossly frustrated Universal Spirit. Without direct intervention, these energies will continue to create individual and social and eventually, physiological and geological upheaval. The Task at Hand It is to be the task of each and every earthbound entity to reestablish a connection with the inner guidance that they posses, and to regain understandings regarding the nature of their own power and how best to use it. From there, they are to identify and reject any beliefs they find within themselves that are limiting to the Spirit. They are then to identify and to participate in the active removal of such beliefs from the world itself, from the realm of mass consciousness. With these direct actions, the energy can be disengaged, unit by unit, belief by belief, and returned to the individual. This energy can then be refocused to increase those positive, uplifting, joy-inducing ideas and beliefs which facilitate spiritual expression. The mass reality can ultimately be restored to that state of fluidity where the tools and strategies remain flexible, creative options for individuals to select, based upon their ability to develop and express their unique spiritual potential. 11

Lessons of Enlightenment

These lessons will include the specific advice and understandings necessary to restore the inner communicative information channel within earthbound entities. They will explain the nature of the human feeling systeman unexploited sixth senseand how it has become lost. They will detail how to interpret the signals from the Spirit, and exactly how to actively respond to the advice offered. They will draw parallels to the feeling system and the misdirected transmutations of power in the creation of events. Ultimately, they can usher in the understandings that will replace the myriad of debilitating beliefs that frustrate the Universal Spirit and cripple the spiritual, mental and physical evolutionary potential of humankind. Just as sages and seers have appeared in the historical past, there are active entities today working together to carry out their group mission of restoring the inner guidance to earthbound entities. There are many existing, enlightening ideas in the realm of mass consciousness that can be assembled and utilized. There are offerings from every realm, from the arts, from the sciences, from religious, educational and political institutions which all can contribute to the understandings that these lessons embody. As the millennium progresses, there are ever-increasing inspirations, put forth like puzzle pieces to be assembled by humankind. There is a building energy force, toward a critical mass that fuels these inspirations, and makes the necessary understandings more accessible to every human being. It is now the challenge of each and every earthbound entity to realign themselves with the Inner Guide, through which they can be welcomed home.

12

Alpha: Human Nature

Lesson 2: The Spiritual Nature of Humankind


Humanity as Spirituality as Divinity From the moment of the creation, or what has become known as the Big Bang, the Universal Consciousness of All That Is fragmented Itself into a wide variety of physical, material forms, so that It could gain self-experience and self-expansion. As apportionments of this Divine Universal Spirit, human beings are essentially spiritual beings. It has been a time honored tradition for philosophers, religious leaders, poets, artists, scientists and politicians to ponder the nature of man. Indeed, it is a motive of Divine Spiritual Intention that humans understand their nature. The divinity whispers within every human being, stirring self-curiosity and the need to seek purpose and meaning. In answer to this inner urging, throughout the ages the question has been asked: Is man good? Is man evil? Perhaps a bit of both? There is plenty of evidence leading directly and completely to one conclusion: that human beings are indeed good. There are many beliefs and judgments placed upon that evidence that lead to quite another conclusion: that humans are wretched and wicked. Thus, the answer has been quite difficult to find. Instead, there now exist many conflicting thought systems, generally within the religious realm, that describe the human being as both good and evil. With each system comes an elaborate set of understandings and rules. These rules are quite specific in ordering the human being to make certain choices which will ensure that he or she always stays on the good paththe straight and narrowever vigilant against the evil impulse rearing its ugly head. The logical flaw within such thought systems is the premise that human nature can be altered by human ideology. Humans will be humans and will act human regardless of any dictates to the contrary. Societies have no hope of ever successfully controlling human nature if they insist upon working against it. The very concept that human declarations can alter the motivational essence of humanity is absurd. All humans respond according to their nature. No matter what race or culture, no matter what religious affiliation, no matter what social or economic station, no matter what physical, sexual or intellectual orientation, no matter what errors or aberrant behaviors have been chosen, no matter what level of success at attainment of universal intention all human beings are one and the same at their natural core. Each are apportionments of the universal divine. All human beings are divine.

13

Lessons of Enlightenment

Although there are widespread beliefs to the contrary, the fact is that humanity is spirituality and divinity in chemical clothing. Humans are as divine as each and every deity. As divine beings, the trust, faith and grace was placed in humanity by All That Is, with the endowment of Free Will to manifest and control individual destiny. This divine freedom evidences the creators trust and assurance of human goodness. This fact goes unnoticed, even minimized, with every passing thought that human beings are any less than embodied divinity. But such thoughts have been accepted time and again and have become firmly imbedded attitudes and beliefseven justifications for misguided thought and action. The belief in evil is not completely unjustified, given the historical evidence of vicious and heinous actions and violations that humans have perpetrated upon one another. Given these actions, it is understandable why there would be so much confusion and suspicion cast upon human nature. But without exception, each and every evil act is the direct result of miscommunication between spirit and mind. Humans will act in predictable ways when the inner divine communication breaks down. It is only when man-made ideas overrule the innate guidance of spiritual wisdom that this communication breaks down. When this happens, humans are in trouble. For all individual and social chaos springs from this miscommunication. At present, humans are indeed, in very much trouble. For their very freedom has wrought imprisonment. The inner divine guide remains hidden within the many layers of misconceptions, self imposed limitations, attitudes and reactionary choices, but it remains. For the Universal Spirit not only provides unlimited freedom and communicative guidance, it also provides insurance that humans can never completely stifle the spirit. Frustrated Human Purpose and Evil The ultimate purpose of human existence is for a given spirit to develop and express its unique potential in physical form. This translates within the body as needs which facilitate self development and expression. As each individual achieves personal fulfillment of this purpose, a corresponding experiential expansion and fulfillment occurs within All That Is. The astronomical genetic uniqueness of each embodied spirit seeks release as an equally unique and necessary contribution to human civilization. Each successful contribution joins the totality in the manifestation of Divine Intention. Self expression is the goal of the Creator. Regardless of what form this expres14

Alpha: Human Nature

sion takes, no matter how seemingly insignificant or how substantial, no matter how public or private, no matter how acceptable by human judgmental standards, each unique contribution is an equal, valuable and necessary portion of the whole. The spiritual impetus is so important that humans are embodied with physical insurance that the needs of the spirit will be expressed. The opposite of expression is frustration. Spiritual frustration is the antithesis of the Creators intended purpose. It also signals its own presence through the feeling system. Frustration is acknowledged by unpleasant emotions. The spiritual insurance against continuous frustration comes in the form of selfpreservationary reactions to unpleasant feelings which are hard-wired into the body. Such reactions virtually override the mind where the human limitations reside. The emotions contain creative arousal energy which moves the individual to corrective action. Such a force is the natural spiritual aggression, yet missing the intentional focus. Such corrections preserve the species, but since they lack intention, they do not facilitate human purpose. At best, they buy time. Evil springs from the impediment of Divine Intention. Evil acts are selfpreservationary acts, not those of self-development and expression. One cannot both preserve and develop the self simultaneously, can one? Selfpreservationary reactions were hardwired into the body as a last ditch safety net through which humans can protect, even rescue themselves from their own creations. The self preservation impulse ensures the continuance of the species, but relegates humans to a minimal existence. The evil acts of humankind are nothing more than innate self-preservationary reactions of the spirit crying out for understanding. The symptomatic pain and anguish, fear and violence shouts the frustration of spirit, but still it goes unheeded. Humans have become so mired within their own man-made ideas that they have severely altered the life experience by grossly limiting their receptivity to innate guidance. They are operating on half power at best and short circuiting themselves at worst. Humans operating on such a base level of existence reflect the sorry state of mass consciousness. And there is a predominance of unnecessary suffering. The emotional symptoms will eventually lead humans to wisdom for they will not go away until the spirit is understood. But this is a harsh and unnecessary course, tantamount to hitting rock bottom in order to gain enlightenment. There already exist such severe conditions both within individuals and societies that understanding must now be facilitated. For human beings cannot hope to begin to utilize their nature for the intended purpose, if they cannot even grasp an understanding of it. 15

Lessons of Enlightenment

But regardless of this present state of sub-humanity, the divine tie remains. When it is accessed and utilized, the evil acts that have sullied the reputation of human nature will become less and less frequent. The primary step toward this goal is the reestablishing of the inner line of communication between spirit, mind and body. When the feeling signals of the spirit are interpreted accurately and acted upon optimally, the spirit achieves the self expression it desires. When humans act correctly upon these natural impulses, they cannot help but be moral. Natural Morality The intended state is that humans operate from self-developmental and selfexpressive impulses. This state is that of uninterrupted flow of spiritual Divine Love energy. When in this state, humans access their innate, natural morality. Yes, humans are innately moralhow can they not be as apportionments of the Divine Spirit? Each and every destructive act that has been cited as evidence of mans innately evil nature is the floundering of a frustrated, disconnected soul in self-preservationary mode. Evil is the absence of the life force, as pain is the absence of the love force. All actions which spring from self-developmental and self-expressive impulses, spring from spirit. Regardless of what the numerous ideologies of mankind have asserted, divine human impulse operates upon the pleasure and pain continuum of human feeling. Pain signals the frustration of spirit and pleasure signals its expression. Humans are spiritual hedonists. This is in the divine and good way. Pleasure is the experience of the Divine Love force unimpeded. The word Hedonism itself has been sullied, just as has been the reputation of human nature. But the pursuit of pleasure and the avoidance of pain is a pure, simple and beautiful principle that allows humans to know whether or not their spiritual energy flow has completed its circuit. There are many activities, pursuits and inclinations that have been deemed bad, selfish, immoral, unacceptable, even illegal within every society. When in the spiritual sense, if they are what the spirit requires for expression, they are, by divine dictate, necessary and naturally moral. Many man-made judgmental dictates impede rather than facilitate morality. This is not to say that humans should haphazardly cast all caution to the wind and pursue self pleasure with gusto at the expense of other humans. In fact, any act which violates another is one of self preservation. The essence of natural morality can be distilled to this golden advice: Hurt not others with that which pains thyself. This credo can be adopted immediately. But before spiritual he16

Alpha: Human Nature

donism can fully operate as intended, there are some additional, crucial understandings necessary. The Civilized Planet Although modern humans consider themselves quite savvy, sophisticated and culturally astute, civilization does not in fact occur until natural morality is understood and accommodated within all social structures. Following misguided notions about evil capacity, human social, religious, political, educational, judicial and economic systems have attempted to control human nature. As rigid rules and restrictions deny the spirit, self-preservationary systems take over. The fear-based, win-lose proposition of competition overtakes the joy-based, win-win underpinnings of cooperation. As self-preservation becomes the dominant motivator, individual and social chaos, fear and aggression then become the norm. This is the present condition upon the Earth. If this current course continues, the violence resulting from fear and anger of frustrated spirits will continue to erode civilization. A primary goal of these Lessons is to impart the wisdom which can reverse this course. Once the intricacies of human hedonistic nature and how it has become affected by mass consciousness are understood, the spiritual advisory connection can be restored. Humans will have far more freedom than has ever occurred and they will use it toward moral purposes. The dominant motivators will be self-development and expression, not the base, self-preservation impulses that now exist. Such spiritually directed actions are indeed hedonistic, as well as moral in the highest sense. There is no need for external codes, rules, mores or even laws, when humans are operating up to their intended capacity. As individuals heed these Lessons and act upon them, society will slowly begin to restructure. There will be the removal of unnecessary restrictions and the development of avenues of equal human opportunity that do not yet exist. As freedom and opportunity are restored, the spiritual connection strengthens, and the spirit is allowed development and expression. Creative mode will replace survival mode. Energy directed into destructive acts and undesirable events will be redirected into those that are productive and desirable. Humans will get back the tremendous amount of power that now lies dormant. Future generations will enjoy a less and less constricted level of mass consciousness. And ultimately, mass consciousness will evolve to accurately reflect Universal Consciousness as it did In The Beginning.

17

Lessons of Enlightenment

This is the direction. Now is the time to take the first steps. The understandings are of critical importance, but will most definitely conflict with many existing beliefs and tenets. It is suggested for this reason, to open a new mental space to receive this information to temporarily set asidenot discardbut temporarily set aside existing beliefs, and to actively, openly consider alternate ways of thinking and being. Your spirit will tell you of the validity of any and all informationonce you understand how to listen to it. There is no need to abandon existing beliefs completely, as this would be far too painful. (As soon to be explained). Simply place this new information in a special compartment, and keep it together, without placing judgments upon it. You will begin noticing how it manifests in your life. Now, in order to understand the genesis of the misunderstandings regarding the nature of humankind, as well as to reverse them, it is necessary to begin back at square one, discussing the nature and parameters of spirit. Human Spirit: Consciousness and Intention and Consciousness Itself Individual Spirit can be defined as that essence which manifests Divine Consciousness and Divine Intention. The individual spirit of a human being has also been termed soul, entity or higher self and these words can be used synonymously with spirit. Consciousness, also known as Awareness, is generally the definitive quality assigned to spirit under common conceptions of the term. It is generally understood that when a spirit is embodied within human form, that form is alive, it is conscious of itself, it is aware of its experience. The condition of death is marked by the complete disconnection of the spirit from the body. Although there are altered states of consciousness such as temporary unconsciousness due to physical trauma, or the so-called subconscious dream states, the spirit is still engaged within the body. There is much to be learned through and about altered states of consciousness, but humans are not yet able to achieve much progress due to their entanglement within belief systems of their own creation. Humans will learn far more about their own consciousness and its abilities as they become more attuned to their innate abilities. The first step to mining the riches of spiritual consciousness is to learn the language of spirit and begin its active liberation. Consciousness For our immediate purposes, many of the existing concepts regarding consciousness are in need of some clarification. First, there is a wide-spread belief that there is some vast, hidden, dark, inaccessible pool of information and im18

Alpha: Human Nature

pulses within the human mind known as the subconscious. The belief in such a thing severely limits understanding, for it provides a handy place for humans to divert any unexplainable event or behavior. It provides an acceptable, even fashionable, outlet of blame for outcomes of what are actually willful choices. Instead, a replacement understanding is recommended. There is no such thing within the realm of mind. All knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, impulses and relevant experienceseven dreams (with practice), are contents of the realm of mind and can be accessed at any time. Of course, there is a limit to how much information a given individual can ponder in the moment. There is an immediate field of vision or spotlight of consciousness known as short-term memory. This is the realm where thought is being entertained in the present moment, where the attention is directed. This spotlight is also known as the point of power consciousness. The rest, which is known as long-term memory, is simply a storage area of information awaiting retrieval. There is no unreachable pool of information in the mental realm. Even dream states are intended to be remembered and utilized for the wisdom they containwith one major qualifier: Dreams exist not only in the mental realm, but in the spiritual realm. When the spiritual realm is involved, there does exist a pool of complete information like the subconscious, but this is a pool of Universal Consciousness. A critical understanding is that the realm of spirit and the realm of mind are distinctly separate locations. Altered States of Consciousness The present point of power consciousness travels to alternate spiritual locations when in altered states. While the body is asleep, for example, the consciousness of spirit is simply attuned to a different vibratory focus, as evidenced by the varying levels of brain wave activity. In fact, humans enjoy a rich and varied existence in these dream realms and a great deal of productive activity actually occurs therein. Since the point of power has such mobility, humans command a great deal of creative energy while they suppose they are unproductive and unconscious. Humans canand many doeffect physical bodily changes, promote health, plan and create events, communicate with other entities (earthbound or otherwise), as well as with past, present and future selves all within the dream realm. Dreams have become far less accessible due to the many limiting beliefs surrounding them that exist in the realm of mind. Because they are not understood and therefore are not utilized, they are ignored and they eventually become less and less significant. Dreams are not even acknowledged as useful in most societies. But even with limited understanding, dreams provide messages from the 19

Lessons of Enlightenment

self to the self, from the spirit to the mind. Control of this power can be tremendously advantageous, but even as the mind and body lie sleeping, dreams often spontaneously correct physical and mental imbalances that save the very life of the entity. This is the frustrated spirit at work, freed a bit, when the mind is at rest. This is testimony to the tenacity of spirit in doing what is necessary to circumvent the entangled mind and offer its wisdom through vicarious routes. With conscious understanding within the mental realm, the mind can assist the spirit and body in accomplishing the benefits of the dream process in ways now unimaginable. Dreams are, in fact, highly spiritual, creative, significant and pure. As stated earlier, they exist to bridge the gap between spiritual and mental realms. But waking consciousness is focused in the mental realm. Daily reality springs from mind. An essential preliminary understanding, however, is that the mental realm is intended to be fluid and not nearly as rigid as it has become. Memory, for example, needs reinforcement and active use or it will fade. If certain learning is not utilized, nor relevant, it will abdicate in lieu of incoming information which is more current and useful. Those who have experienced the study of a foreign language, or higher mathematics, yet having never applied it in an actual setting, can attest to this fact. This mental flexibility is the intended state. Neurological connections in the brain strengthen only if they are utilized. Useful tools are the only ones intended to remain. Consciousness and all mental abilities are mechanisms through which the individual spirit can create his or her own reality. Reality is intended to be highly flexible and individualized. In fact, memory itself has very flexible qualities not generally acknowledged. Created visions can easily become part of ones experiential memory, whether or not the event actually occurred. Imagined creative visions are accepted within the mind and body as actual. This ability is related to the mental and physical receptivity to spiritual intuitive wisdom and guidance which often comes in the form of creative imagination, inspiration, visions and dreams. Taking this one step further, this mental flexibility allows individuals to create intentionally desired events in the physical realm. With these abilities of consciousness, we can begin to see how consciousness and intention interact within spirit. A summary of the consciousness component of human spirit would be that consciousness makes possible the mental and physical experience of being. It plays a role in the development of the mental realm, in the reception of divine direction, in the power to imaginatively create desired life events, and in the transmutation of energy for physical manifestation of those events. 20

Alpha: Human Nature

The Illusory Fragmentation of Spirit and Will Still, the general idea of spirit having something to do with consciousness is fairly well understood. But there have been some distortions and misconceptions regarding the intentional aspect of the spirit. For spirit not only has consciousness with which to know itself, it also has intention through which it can experience, feel, manifest and direct itself. This intention has become disassociated from spirit in the realm of human understanding to the degree that it now needs its own name. It has been termed Divine Will. It is through this disconnection that so many no longer experience the guidance of Godly intention. It is through this disconnection that self preservation has become the motivational norm. It is through this disconnection that events seem to come out of nowhere, rather than to be creatively designed and attracted by the individual through willful choice. It is time to reclaim this aspect of spirit for a more complete understanding of and participation within the human condition. Although the term Will is utilized, it should be clear that it is still part and parcel of every human spirit. The purpose of human existence is for a given spirit to develop and express its potential in physical form. This is also the intention of Divine Spirit as carried out by Divine Will within each individual. Both are manifested in body, with the spirit experienced as consciousness and the will, experienced as feeling. Will power is raw emotional energy. Both aspects of spirit are to remain in balance with each other as two halves of a whole. In a manner of speaking, spirit relates to light and will relates to darkness. Consciousness is the fastest vibratory aspect of spirit, and will is the slower more physical magnetic vibration which exists as a porthole of sorts into physical existence. Consciousness is the point of power and will is the focus of that power. The will vibrates the darkness to receive the light of spirit in the physical form. It is through this process that imagined thought forms become physical objects and probable events become actual physical events. Together, consciousness and will create the desired intended reality. It was the original intention that humans would live the physical experience under the complete direction of spirit carried out by magnetic will energy. Spiritual direction was to be received and converted by will to the slower vibratory level necessary to be actualized in the physical realm. When this occurred, spirit and will remained in balance, and the human could act spontaneously upon every feeling and the most beneficial outcome would be attained. Each 21

Lessons of Enlightenment

moment contained a fresh challenge and new opportunity with which the spirit could develop and express itself. The desires of the spirit were manifested as desires of the body. If completely accepted and allowed expression, such feelings would always lead to the most fulfilling self experience. The acceptance and manifestation of all spiritual intention was the task of the will. The will had freedom of active choice of any method within the imaginative mind to give life to the intention of the spirit. The choices would lead to physical events and outcomes in which the needs of spirit were accommodated. Once the complete expression of the feeling had subsided, there would be certain understandings available to the individual. This was to be a cycle of learning through experience so that an array of mental strategies could accumulate that which would provide choices for spontaneous actions. Flexibility and spontaneity facilitated this cycle. The cycle would be repeated with new, often surprising and inventive situations created through magnetic will energyeach facilitating spiritual intention, and a contribution to the expansion of All That Is. Together, spirit and will made Divine Intention or predestination compatible with Free Will. With a balanced, uninterrupted flow between spirit and will within body, events were created from the inside out. This was the optimal condition in which earthly events sprang from spiritual intention. All such events were pleasing to the spirit if they allowed for its development and expression in physical form. The human experience of pleasure was reassurance from the Divine Spirit that Its flow of Universal Love Energy had not been disrupted. When the Divine Love flows unabated, there is a successful completion of the energy circuit between the individual and the totality of All That Is. This was to be The Way. This was to be as the path of least resistance. Human limitation frustrating the will creates obstruction and resistance to The Way. Disconnection from intention allows will energy to follow selfpreservationary pathways. Reactions that simply buy time do not eliminate the obstruction nor achieve the corrective balance. The limitation continues to signal its presence with negative emotion. Will energy, either positive or negative, still creates experience. Negative, painful experiences are attracted through the negative emotion. The events are intended to draw attention to the belief which frustrates spirit. But instead of understanding this message, it simply appears to the human that bad stuff is happening for no apparent reason. Events seem to come from nowhere, from the outside in. This facilitates further limiting beliefs and superstitions,

22

Alpha: Human Nature

which are designed to protect against imagined evil, external controlling forces at work. To say the least, disconnection from will is disempowering. Upon examining the will as a separate entity to learn its function, it is now necessary to conceptually place it back within spirit where it belongs. Will is not separate from spirit. It shall now be recognized as its feeling aspect. Feelings shall now be respected for the spiritual intention that they communicate. Feelings shall now be respected for the powerful creative will energy that they contain. Feelings both communicate intentions from spirit and magnetically bring them into physical reality. Thoughts empowered with emotional energy will be more likely to become reality. Whether the thoughts are surrounded with joyous expectation, or dread, worry and fear, they will create events connected to the imagined mental scenario. The mind does not know if an event has been good or bad, but the spirit does. Spiritual intention has been accomplished in physical reality when the feeling pleasure is experienced. If there has been interference from the realm of mind and spiritual intention has not been accomplished, a painful event will result. Pleasure and pain, the spiritual judgmental pronouncement. Make no further mistake: there is no other accurate judgment. Spirit is consciousness and intention, and is experienced as thought and feeling. Uninterrupted spirit, aided by images of mind, creates desired physical experience. Pleasure is the validation and reward of spiritual fulfillment. Through this path, the Universal Spirit is allowed to sense Itself through many widely varying experiences carried out by all the physical forms. Each form, whether it is vegetable, mineral, animal or human offers its unique portion of the totality of experience by accomplishing its own expression. Indeed, every unit of matter is imbued with conscious spiritual intention following the pleasure/pain, attraction and repulsion principleincluding subatomic quanta. Forms less complex than humans enjoy the clearest channel to spiritual intention with less interference from their own experience. The behavior of animals, often highly organized, intelligent and mathematically precise, exposes the communicative clarity between spirit and will. But this clarity goes largely unrecognized and is dismissed by humans as instinctive behavior. What these lessons seek to impart is that humans are also attuned with such guidance in their own form of predictable, organized and mathematically precise instinct. This is their creative development and expression. This is their natural morality. It should not be so puzzling that a colony of ants can interact 23

Lessons of Enlightenment

together as one conscious entity, with each individual carrying out its part of the whole. This should be no more mysterious than quanta operating in concert to form atoms, than atoms operating in concert to form matter, than cells operating in conjunction to form organs operating together to form systems and systems operating together to form human beings. Human beings interacting together to form civilization should be at least as successful as antsshould they not? Every unit of every thing is a unit of Universal Spirit. Every unit has consciousness and intention. Every unit meets success and fulfillment if there is no resistance. Every unit has a unique experience through which the totality of All That Is can find pleasure in experiencing Itself. The difference with humans is that the path of least resistance operates uniquely, for it now has to navigate through the realm of Mind.

24

Alpha: Human Nature

Lesson 3: The Mental Nature of Humankind


Enter: The Realm of Mind Far and away the main factor behind the illusory separation from Spirit is the evolution of human mind. The mind has been mentioned and its overall function is assumed, but what exactly is mind? The mind must be singled out from such concepts as spirit, body, will, brain, soul, ego, personality, self, etc., and clearly defined. The mind, when understood, can be humankinds greatest gift. If not understood, it can be our greatest burden. Due to the conflicting and imprecise information that exists regarding human nature, attributes of the mind are often confused with features of spirit, of body, of experience, or of culture. But a precise definition of the parameters and functions of mind is an important underpinning in the emerging explanation of human nature. Although spirit exists in every time and every space simultaneously, mind is limited to the physical realm. Mind is actually a focal point of consciousness, the seat of physical, waking awareness. The mind is intended to be steward to the spirit. The mind can be thought of as a specific location, necessary for physical experience, while humans are oriented to a slower, denser vibratory rate and less attuned to their broader accelerated essence. The mind focuses experience within time-space and creates dependence upon the physical senses of sight, sound, smell, touch and taste. Mental processes are necessary to order and retain sensory information and to creatively develop and utilize ideas that can accomplish the purpose of self development and expression. The mind can also be thought of as a receptacle, a tool kit of sorts, housing ideas, memories, beliefs, attitudes and certain aspects of the personality. Thus, the mind can be defined as the collection of experience, the working knowledge, skills and strategies, accumulated through the senses from the moment of the entitys birth until the end of the lifetime. Any features of personality that are a direct result of experience relate to the contents of mind, as opposed to the enduring spiritual aspects of personality. The mind is also dynamic, like a computer. Its location and receptacle aspects interact to allow for spiritual, imaginative and sensory inputs; rational, analytical information processing; data storage; and logical decision making outputs. All mental processing capabilities and features exist to facilitate a fluid spiritual existence in the physical realm.

25

Lessons of Enlightenment

The mind operates then like a location, a receptacle and a computerwhich sounds a lot like a brain. The brain, of course, is the organ in every human that houses the mind. But the mind is far more than the objective brain. While the normally developed brain is fairly similar among all humans, as are computers that roll off the assembly line, the mind is highly individualized. It is extremely personal and subjective. But it does not come that way. Just as a new body arrives with each birth, a new mind is born for a fresh beginning. Each human being arrives on Earth with a blank slate to be impressed upon by human experience. A blank slate upon which each individual can create their own desired reality. Humans have complete freedom of will to determine what the contents of mind are to be. With this feature, the mind is not so much like a window to the world, or even a mirror of the world, it is more like a canvas upon which the world can manifest. As an artist paints a picture, each entity can create a mental landscape like a portrait through which he or she can experience life. The mind holds pictures of the existing world, and adds creative improvements as well. Thus, humans have the fantastic mental agility to create as many unique realities as there are unique human beings. This individualized mind is intended to support and orient the embodied human upon his or her particular destiny path. The mind also operates like a converter. The mind was intended to assist in converting spiritual intention into earthly experiences, events and technologies that could bring evermore creative ways of expression. Not only does the mind create this reality within the consciousness of its owner, but it also assists in the transmutation of spiritual (will) energy into actual physical events. It is the minds ideas, visual creations, thoughts and beliefs that define and flesh out the raw spiritual intention. Then, when powered with emotional and physical energy, these subjective images and events can become objective and actual occurrences. The mind was intended to be temporary, fluid, highly personal, subjective and dynamically evolving at the direction of the spirit. But this conversion aspect has some inherent limitations. It is important to note that the communication between mind and spirit is conditional. Although spirit is aware of everything in the realm of mind, mind is only aware of spirit if specific understandings are in placeor more to the point, if certain limited beliefs are not in place. Such understandings need to be deliberately inscribed upon the blank slate, to prevent disempowerment. The conversion process goes on quite on its own, whether or not the intention is present in the result. The human ability to manifest events and transmute matter is far more powerful than humans suspect.

26

Alpha: Human Nature

In summary, the mind is at once a location, a receptacle, a computer and a converter. Mind contrasts distinctly with spirit. While universal permanence, ubiquity, biological integrity, primacy, and divine intention mark the spirit, the mind is characterized by temporary transience; subjective, experiential and cultural flexibility; creative imagination; and unlimited growth potential. Both interact to achieve the maximum self development and expression. Both comprise what is known as personality and both comprise what is known as self. The Goal of Mind Spiritual Intention is reducible to two goals: 1) self development and 2) self expression. The mind is the major facilitator of self development. Its singular goal is to provide tools to accomplish self growth. A scientist would describe such growth as adaptation to ones environment. The more adaptive tools one acquires, the more successful they can be in an ever-expanding turf of various environments. The word environment, in this sense, includes not only the physical, geographic landscapes but also the social, cultural mindscapes and established systems within which modern man must now operate. This means that the broader and more inclusive the persons reality, the more they can successfully interact with other people and their own unique realities. Without such development, successful expression is unlikely. The overall developmental goal is to be completely free to express the spirit in any and every physical and social situation without hindrance. A scientist would call this personal growth an adaptive, evolutionary process. A teacher might call this process, learning or education. A psychologist might call this personal growth becoming, self discovery, or self actualization. A poet might call this process the unfolding of the petals of the soul. A religious leader might call this transcending human limitation and attaining the divine. A spiritualist might call this process the individual contribution to the expansion of All That Is. Each would be correct in their assertion. Thus, the mind has a very important task in the larger scheme of things. The human mind is a tool kit of creative resources, as well as a factory for their assembly. The mind is meant to be filled with ideas and beliefsmental tools of an ever improving nature to provide freedom and avenues of opportunity to the individual. Experiences are to be analyzed, mined for the learning, and significant skills and strategies retained for future successes. Within the fluidity of mind, old strategies are cast away as new improvements are discovered that drive a constant mental evolution. With the contents of mind, each human can

27

Lessons of Enlightenment

envision and create whatever thoughts, images and events that they find pleasing to the spirit. Mental Tools Can Be Double-Edged The gift of mind came with some inherent risks. It was Divine Spiritual Intention that the mind be an accouterment, a grand toy with which humans could more realistically engage in the game of physical existence. It would allow a crystallized individual experience for each spirit in flesh to enjoy a unique reality designed exactly to their desired specifications. But such boundless freedom can be seductive. The realities created can become quite convincing. The tools can linger past their point of effectiveness and create conflicteven become hurtful. Limiting ideas can take on a life of their own, setting the stage for separation from spirit. When the contents of mind muffle the voice of spirit, the rational mind, the computer, operates on incomplete information. The wisdom of spirit that transcends space-time is not factored into the logical calculations. Information that does not fit a nice physical linear picture is not allowed into consciousness. Events appear to happen to individuals rather than to be created by them. This is the seduction of earthly existence: when mental creations that are intended to be subjective and fluid, become utterly believable, enduring and entrenched objective realitiesthis is known as being lost in ones own physical camouflage (a major theme in Eastern religious traditions). In Hinduism, for example, humans are under the spell of Maya, the magical drama created out of the Brahman, the unifying spiritual essence underlying the creations. The seduction of physical reality can lead to the perception of isolation. An enlightened Western philosopher once identified the isolation potential through the assertion cogito ergo sum or rather: I think, therefore, I am. He points out that humans define their very existence by their thought process, a statement that historically attests to human entrapment within physical camouflage. This is the condition where the mind believes its reality to be the one and only, negating all spiritual reality beyond the bound of its physical limitations. His next progression of thought was that of a primal fear springing from the isolated human notion that one could not be absolutely sure of anything even existing outside ones own conscious mind. An insidious, but perhaps inevitable, fear that he termed Cartesian Doubt. Isolation, of course, is not real in the greater, spiritual reality in which all things are connected. That feeling from connection provides the pleasurable faith and optimism which evidences unabated love energy. But once this isolation 28

Alpha: Human Nature

has occurred, the spiritual energy is frustrated and an unpleasant emotion will occur. The predictable fear then arises in which undesirable events of the past are projected into the future, affecting it with equally undesirable, yet perhaps impending, scenarios. (This is the basic principle of karma in Eastern traditions, although the term has become mired in limiting beliefs). Thus, there were spiritual cautions that were offered with the evolution of human mind. Cautions specifically regarding how essential it was to remember that this earthly reality was illusory and that any knowledge or truth of this realm would only be so if it reflected Universal Knowledge and Universal Truth. The rest were simply temporary, flexible and evolving tools chosen and used to achieve the most complete earthly existence. There were specific cautions regarding the illusory isolation, the seduction of the camouflage, and the potential disconnection between universal and individual consciousness, between spirit and mind. Still humans immersed themselves in physical experience. The Biblical Fall From Grace Humans enjoyed the freedom to create their own earthly reality and went about it with relish. The spirit communicated through a finely attuned will, using the tools, skills, strategies and abilities of the mind to create any desired reality. The game became so enjoyable that humans expanded their mental empire, with the mind reigning supreme, and the illusions of individual reality becoming utterly believable. As the belief in individuality became more and more powerful, the feeling of isolation began to creep into the human existence. The Universal Spirit began to cry out through its individual spirits for the reconnection that is its natural state. In answer to this cry, humans took steps within their mental realm to reconnect with other humans. They would share the ideas that they had created. They would trade beliefs, creating a shared reality and enriching each others existence by doing so. They escaped isolation and quieted their fear by negotiating a group reality. They began teaching their mental strategies to their offspring and offering them a head start toward building their own strategies of living. They built languages, worldview, monuments and other mental and physical vestiges of civilization to indoctrinate every new human being into this shared existence. As time passed there accumulated a tremendous amount of shared knowledge, enduring ideas, strategies and tools that existed in a common realm. This created an illusion of some higher objective, truthful, reality that began to replace 29

Lessons of Enlightenment

whatever mental remnant of spiritual reality that had existed. This was the first stirring of a mass consciousness, a group reality that has become to be known as culture. Human culture is that collection of energized ideas that takes on a physical reality of its own. This lent further credence to the cause and effect rational interpretation of random events that distanced humans from their own creative freedom and fluid reality. With the advent of human culture, came what has become known in Western religious tradition as the fall from Grace. Human individuals, already partially separated from their creators guidance, became convinced that this group reality was, in fact, the ultimate reality. An underlying assumption was that there had once been a caring, loving creator, who directed and enriched the lives of humans, but who had become angered and no longer provided such services. Right living would restore this relationship, but not until death could humans enjoy the Kingdom Of Heaven. In the context of Eastern traditions, this same separation happened when the Brahman then became lost in the Maya such that it was unattainable without Karmic redemption. Both traditions, for the most part, leave the power as well as goodness, outside the hands of humanity. As the world now exists, man-made belief systems virtually replace the remaining strands of communication with All That Is. They promote conformity, standardization, dependency and ever increasing separation between body, mind and spirit. Current Mass Reality: The Mind of Man What was intended to be a highly selective, subjective reality within the mind of each human being is now something far more. It is externalized, public, and has taken on an objective life of its own. This objective mass reality can also be termed the Mind of Man. For man is greatly affected by it in many ways. Energized thoughts from every individual mind have created a dense network of group thought that constitutes a group mind. As this external reality is reinforced over time, it becomes the dominant influence in human existence. With every passing generation, humans are born into an ever narrowing realm of possibility. So much exists as truth within the realm of mass reality that it severely limits the blank slate situation that is necessary for full and complete freedom for development of individual mind. Choice itself becomes illusory as a large amount of the contents of any individual mind are chosen inadvertently and by default. So much information is imparted onto the blank slate from the outside that entities have little hope of 30

Alpha: Human Nature

even becoming aware of the many alternative potentials that can exist through the conscious attunement to the spirit. The individual mind has largely given way to the mass Mind of Man. The situation that exists today within mass consciousness is indeed severely limiting. Humans are so utterly caught up in their mass reality that most no longer experience true freedom. The conflicting and limited information that exists within the social, political, economic, religious and educational institutions of human culture severely limit the opportunity humans have to design their own reality. They have little hope of developing and expressing the spirit without basic freedom and opportunity. This is not simply a metaphoric situation. There is a physical manifestation of mass consciousness. There now exist myriad dense energy networks surrounding the planet that affect human experience profoundly. As each human adopts and empowers the individual belief in something, its validity in the mass realm is strengthened by the energy. This energy network interferes with the reception of spiritual insight. This energy network also plays a major role in the events which human beings draw to themselves, particularly the ones that seem to come from outside. These are usually unwelcome experiences that limit freedom and opportunity, while leaving the spirit feeling frustrated. The Divine Spiritual Safety Net It should not be so surprising that earthly existence is not what most humans would like it to be, given that individual reality has virtually given way to mass reality. The limits within mass consciousness are self-fulfilling and selfperpetuating cycles. The wonderful truth of the matter is, however, that humans still create their own individual reality. For each spirit embodies the form with hardwired signals which can provide a reality check. This reality check ensures that spiritual intention is made manifest. It ensures that the contents of mind include only those items that facilitate self development and expression. It is now up to the individual to honor the purpose of mind and to restore humanity to the fluidity state that was originally intended. It is time to sort through the contents of the mind to sift and change those ideas that frustrate the spirit. This begins with the examination of the contents of each and every individual mind. Such house-keeping of beliefs, ideas, attitudes, will facilitate the identification and rejection of any and all that limit development and expression in any way. Changes within each individual mind will create energy changes

31

Lessons of Enlightenment

within mass consciousness so that those limiting ideas will become less and less influential. But mental changes alone will not suffice. Active changes are also necessary. Appropriate communications of dissatisfaction over specific limitations of the social, political or economic systems within human cultures must be expressed. Existing mechanisms for social change, (political activism, civil complaint processes, legislative mechanisms), are those useful and positive tools within mass consciousness. Even simple communication can create external change and successfully champion human freedom and dignity. This is not to say that certain personal choices are to be foisted upon others; simply, that group limitations are to be removed to make way for individual freedom and equal opportunity for all humans to develop and express their spiritual essence. Many such positive actions already occur. They are motivated by the urgings of a frustrated spirit. For the insurance policy remains within the biology of every human being. It ensures that spiritual intention will not be ignored without certain symptoms becoming apparent. These are the symptoms that present themselves as painful dissonant feelings within individuals and societies. For the spirit is embodied in flesh, and despite the interference of mind, it speaks that language of spiritit speaks the language of feeling. The rational powers of the mental realm can be overridden by impulses of the physical realm.

32

Alpha: Human Nature

Lesson 4: The Physical Nature of Humankind


Spirit as Self in Physical Form With Lessons Alpha One and Two, a conceptual boundary between mind and spirit has been established. It is now possible to discuss certain aspects of mans physical existence that have gone unnoticed, for it is the physical response of the body that ensures the preservation of the integrity of the spirit. It is essential to understand these physical processes, for they underlie most of human motivation and behaviorincluding, of course, those actions that wreak havoc upon civilization. The body is spirit in the flesh, and the bodys prime directive is to ensure the continuance of the physical form so that Spirit can be developed and expressed. The body has a built-in knowledge of what it is and what it is not. It operates upon a self/not-self distinction, with a primary goal of self-preservation. The body has a tremendous amount of mechanisms that operate toward the goal of self-preservation. Science has acknowledged this fact as a basic foundation of evolutionary theories and explanations. But lacking an overall framework with which to interpret their findings, many highly important systems remain misunderstood, resulting in confusion within the Mind of Man. The spiritual nature of humankindas well as the interference effect of the mindremain mysteries, and therefore obstacles to human progress. Humans remain cut off from the very biological process that can lead to their salvation. Nevertheless, this spiritual safety-net is still quite successful at keeping humans from complete befuddlement within their own camouflage, for when the messages of the spirit fall upon deaf ears, the body takes over. Unfortunately, when it operates outside conscious understanding, the physical reactions can compound problems until the spiritual message is finally heeded. It is now of central importance to understand the spiritual defenses and how they operate in the body. When this process is understood, humans can begin the evolutionary journey that has thus far been postponed. Human Emotion: An Undiscovered Sixth Sense The one process that crosses the spiritual, the mental and physical realms is that of emotionhuman feelings of pleasure and pain. This is the singular, most powerfulyet equally misunderstoodhuman system. Vast benefits lie dormant, and unnecessary suffering results when this power is not harnessed. Indeed, human emotion exists as an undiscovered sense, and perhaps the most 33

Lessons of Enlightenment

powerful of them all. Like physical pain, emotional pain grabs the attention of the individual and cries out for solution. But feelings remain profoundly misunderstood. In describing this sense, it is helpful to contrast thoughts and feelings, for the two are often confused. l) Thoughts identify, organize and categorize information, always leading to other thoughts. Thoughts exist within the bounds of mind. 2) Feelings only arise when the self is involved. The self is the spirit as it is experienced in the body. So unlike thoughts, feelings involve the body as well as the mind, and they lead to actions. Although they are related, feelings and thoughts are completely different experiences. For example, it is one experience to conceptualize the features of a bear with such mental thoughts as: the bear is a member of the mammal family; its skin can be used to make warm rugs (when it is deadwhile alive, it tends to object), it lives in caves and eats honey. There is quite again another experience when looking such a beast in the eye, and thoughts turn to the fact that the bear is likely to be dangerous to selfsurvival. Fearful feelings and active responses, perhaps flight, will result. Thought is a process, while emotion is a communicative and active sense. As a sense, emotion not only offers sensory input, it has three essential interacting functions: Human emotion is the l) language of the body, as well as the 2) language of the spirit, and is 3) intimately connected with the contents of the mind. For the spirit, feelings communicate intent and how well it is being carried out. For the mind, feelings give feedback regarding the suitability of mental tools at carrying out spiritual intention. For the body, feelings motivate the person to actions that carry out spiritual intention, and if frustrated, those that accomplish self-preservation. Together, these three functions of emotion drive human behavior. Without the intended flow of feeling communication, mind and body can often work against each other. When this happens, the spiritual self-preservation of body can override the goals and intentions of mind. This is a last ditch effort to preserve the needs of the spirit, but can serve to bring about results quite unbecoming to the divine human. Such behaviors are intended to communicate that a level below which the spirit cannot dip, has been reached. Instead, such defensive maneuvers tend to become habitual and accepted as inevitable, albeit undesirable, human behaviors. Not to mention that death can, and often does, result if mind and body continue to oppose each otherthe spirit simply chooses to vacate, acknowledging a lost cause.

34

Alpha: Human Nature

This misunderstanding and miscommunication can no longer be tolerated within the species of man. The events of the past century show that selfpreservationary acts can actually destroy the planet. Humans intuit the spiritual way, and although it is far afield from what they have created, they still desire to attain it. This last five decades in history have been a wake-up call that humans for the most part, have begun to answer. The key to a turnabout course is the reestablishment of this inner communication between spirit, mind and body. The secret to restoring the inner communication lies in understanding the physical feeling system, listening to its wisdom and learning to operate within its parameters. Only then can humans return to their intended evolutionary course from which they have strayed. This begins with the understanding that the emotional system is part of the physical immune defenses. Feelings and the Human Immune System Self-preservation is the goal of the human immune system. It operates upon a highly sophisticated range of abilities and features that distinguish self from that which is not-self. The immune system is best known for its role in fighting disease processes. It is poised to identify and eliminate any foreign invaders which threaten the health and vitality of the selfthe body. For example, if a virus should enter and reproduce within the body, the immune system springs to action. It elevates the local temperature, organizes helper, killer and memory T-cell, enlists macrophages to consume or eat up the invader. It then produces antibodies so that future invaders of the same type will quickly be recognized and eliminated. It accomplishes all this by recognizing the chemical difference between cells that are part of the body and belong there and those that do not. Antibodies mark invaders with the non-self red flag so that they cannot reinfect the body. It is overall a very elegant bodily system of selfpreservation. Scientists are finally awakening to the interrelations between mind and body, and specifically how emotions affect physical health. They know that inadequate emotional expression is correlated with a heightened stress response, impaired immune functioning, cardiovascular disease, psychosomatic illness and a predisposition to develop cancer. But they have not yet made the obvious conclusion that emotion is a part of the immune defense system. As part and parcel of the human immune system, the emotional system plays an immensely important role in human self-preservation. It functions as the physical aspects of defense, but it operates also within the realm of mind. Just as the cells of the immune system signal invaders of the body, so do emotional feel35

Lessons of Enlightenment

ings signal invaders of the mind. Likewise, as the active responses of the immune cells remove the invaders, the hardwired reactive behavioral responses to human feeling are intended to make corrective adjustments that include removing invaders. This is the spiritual safety net in action. In the case of emotion, the invaders are beliefs that are chosen and retained which do not contribute to, but limit, self development and expression. This is an ultimate reality-checking device that can ensure that the portrait each human paints of reality includes the very essential qualities necessary for the expression of spirit. Any limiting beliefs are, in fact, invaders. The feeling system is the long sought interactionary device between mind and body, theorized by philosophers uncomfortable with scientists reductionism and mechanistic view of human nature. (Humans are not merely machines without free will, self-direction and intention. And the mind is far more than simply a brain). Such a mind-body communication device is the only escape from the mental isolation (and imminent fear) of a mind set adrift from external reality, let alone spiritual intention. Mr. Descartes himself, (our enlightened philosopher), suggested that human emotion was the interactionary device between mind and body, yet he was met with disdain due to the many limiting ideas within mass consciousness. As a key defense then, emotion operates as a feedback device that exchanges information between mind and body. The goal is to keep the mind aligned to the needs of spirit that are biologically encoded within the body. This system virtually takes over when most spiritual communication with mind has been interrupted due to limited beliefs. The spirit sneaks in the back door, so to speak, through the feelings and reactions of the body, to bring about the intended need fulfillment of the spirit. This is not the easiest way to communicate, mind you. But it at least makes some communication possible, when humans are so completely enmeshed within their own mass creations that they no longer have direct, conscious, mental communication with their own spirit. This is the physically encoded information that spirit will not let humans go without. It will haunt them with individual and social pain until they finally get it. Feelings Communicate Essential Spiritual Needs What will haunt humans until they are met, are the essential needs of the spirit. These needs are biologically impressed upon the body to ensure a minimum of spiritual development and expression within the physical realm. When these 36

Alpha: Human Nature

needs are met, humans can successfully go about the business of self development and expression. When they are not met, humans flounder in frustration, bad feelings and misunderstandings. There has never been any consensus in the Mind of Man regarding essential human needs. Thus, with no official recognition, acceptance or definition of them, it is not likely that they are well accommodated within human civilization. Wherever the spirit is not accommodated, there will exist a predominance of self-preservationary behavior. Now is the time for simple, yet complete, acknowledgement and acceptance of human spiritual needs. There are two main categories of human need. l) The Individual Needs, and 2) The Connection Needs. These needs exist within every human being. They are inborn. Regardless of the widely varying cultures and systems of living, the tacit goal of all social structures is to accomplish need fulfillment. When the individuals needs are met, they can share their effective methods with the world. From these offerings rise social structures. Those cultural institutions that have endured must contain some successful need-meeting tenets, but for the most part, mass consensus is choked with conflicting dictates due to the lack of understanding of human needs. These invaders must be purged from the individual and mass consciousness for evolution to proceed unimpeded. This, of course, is not possible without first understanding the needs themselves. The Individual (Power) Needs The individual needs take precedence over the group needs. If individual needs go unanswered, the self-preservationary reactions will occur. Such acts often go directly against other individuals, or the mutual goals of group living, but are intended to preserve the individual. For without individuals, there can be no groups. Although the need for group connection is very strong, the need for survival is necessarily stronger. This way the spirit is assured that although groups, even civilizations, will come and go, the individual will always survive to create new ones. Thus, it should be accepted that the individual needs will always take priority over group needs. It should then be no surprise that when societies do not accommodate the needs of its individuals, they will act out against the obstacles. This is inevitable. This is right. This is just, in the highest sense of the word. This is spiritual intention.

37

Lessons of Enlightenment

What are the individual needs? The human physiological needs for air, food, warmth and procreation are already fairly well understood. It is quite obvious what happens when the needs go unmet. Therefore, most social structures are fairly successful at accommodating them. But there are individual psychological needs which are impressed upon the body by spirit and which speak through the human emotional system. These are the needs that are unrecognized, dishonored, denied and for the most part, remain frustrated. But they are experienced in some form within each and every human being the world over. The individual needs are about development and expression of spiritual (or genetic) potential. They translate into the need to explore, create, find meaning and successfully interact with the environment, the need for power and equitable freedom to control ones own destiny, and to ultimately contribute their unique offering to humanity. Although there are many forms through which these essential needs can be met, they are at the core of human motivation and behavior. When an adequate level of individual needs are being met, then the group needs are experienced. The Group (Connection) Needs The group needs are essentially about maintaining an awareness of the spiritual connection with All That Is. They translate into the need to commune, affiliate and interact with other humans and life forms, to be accepted and recognized as unique, to love and be loved and to experience a spiritual connectedness with the world. These needs interact, of course, and there are no hard and fast rules about priority, other than that an adequate level of individual need must be met or its frustration will interfere with the relational group needs. These needs and their fulfillment are the biologically ordained translation of spiritual intention. They are the level of spiritual expression below which humans cannot dip without emotional, physical and social repercussions. The feelings constantly report the spiritual need-fulfillment status. This is the human insurance policy that prevents the species from complete severance from spirit and complete disorientation within their own camouflage. Humans should be extremely thankful to their good fortunes that they are endowed with such insurance. They should be highly reverent of these needs, and the feelings that communicate them. At bare minimum, they should be aware of them. Humans should ensure that every society accommodates them fully and equitably. For this embodiment of need, of course, is not simply due to lucky stars, need fulfillment is the goal; it is indeed spiritual intention.

38

Alpha: Human Nature

Human need is the principle upon which the information is exchanged between mind and body when spirit is essentially left out of the loop (as is now the case). Emotion is the language. Human feelings signal need fulfillment, or lack thereof, through the experience of pleasure or pain. It is an information exchange systema feedback systemboth mental and physical. Feelings as Feedback Between Mind and Body But what is feedback you ask? Feedback is an information exchange system that relates the status of two things and keeps them at some preset level of balance. Feedback systems are elegant and abundant in biological systems, from chemical reactions within single cells, to complex ecological interaction in the biosphere. It is one of natures favorite systems to keep physical forms in their required state of balance. A feedback system compares two things, signals an imbalance, then effects a corrective change to restore the balance. For example, a home heating thermostat. The desired temperature is compared to the actual temperature and when the balance is upset, the heat clicks on or off to restore the balance. Spirit is experienced as emotion within human mental and physical realms. (This is the disconnected Will aspect of spirit). The feeling system is part of the immune defense system. Thus, the two things that are compared by this feedback system are internal and external worldsself and non-self. The human feeling system exists to mediate humans in their physical world. If internal mental thoughts lead to external actions that result in meeting the needs in new and creative ways, the person becomes aware of this through positive, good feelings. Likewise, if thoughts lead to actions that do not meet needs, or external obstacles are encountered, this is known to the person through negative or bad feelings. These are the comparative and signaling aspects of the feedback system. The Hardwired Responses The next step in the feedback cycle is the corrective action. The emotion comes with physical arousalbody energythat is intended to motivate corrective responses. These corrections can be mental adjustments or they can be physical actions. But they are intended to be corrective in the highest sense of the word. They are the singular process preventing utter human enmeshment within the Earthly camouflage. Emotional reactions are the final vestiges of a vital, unbreakable, spiritual, communicative tie.

39

Lessons of Enlightenment

If humans had come to earth and become completely enchanted by their own early creations, they still would have had this corrective safety net. If such enchantment had led them to choices that endangered their very lives, they could fall back on automatic responses that could rescue them. These active responses follow emotional arousal and are often acted out without much conscious thought or mental involvement. Or, they are often acted out with highly creative mental involvement. They base nearly every human action, yet their nature is grossly misunderstood. Each and every evil act of human beings, as well as most every individual and social ill, is traceable to one of these selfpreservationary responses or a perversion thereof. The two general categories of hardwired corrective response are to approach and to avoid. It is the basic spiritual directive to approach that which causes pleasure and to avoid that which causes pain. The approach response accompanies good feelings. It is intended to lead us in those same directions we are goingthose that are working, or improved directions that meet needs in new and creative ways. The approach can be in the acquisition and implementation of a creative idea, belief or strategy. It can be a repetition of an existing strategy or a refinement following a pleasurable outcome. It can be a simple physical approach to that which is attractive in any sense. This is a hard-wired self preservationary response that can also facilitate self-development and expression. This establishes a cyclic relationship where the pleasure becomes the goal. The evolving beliefs and actions to attain it are finely honed and thus verified by subsequent pleasurable successes. Although there are some cultural complications, following positive feelings to attain positive ends is quite intuitive. For the most part, it happens very naturally and without too much mental interference. For the positive feelings of joy are the resonance of a satisfied spirit, and humans know this within every fiber of their being. The avoid responses can be quite a bit more complex. These are the responses that get humans into a great deal of trouble. They are generally known as the responses of fight and flight. They exist so that the human can forcibly remove, or escape from, an obstruction in the external world. The avoidant responses can be productive and positive, or they can be extremely destructive and debilitating. We will be discussing these responses at length, for they are the core of self understanding and the place where positive action, rapid growth and change, can occur, once they are understood in their entirety. But first, it is necessary to have the underlying conceptual foundation of the feedback system and how it has been affected by the evolution of human mind. 40

Alpha: Human Nature

The Fully Functional Feedback System The emotional feedback system is part of the physical immune system. But, this safety net offers far more than simple self preservation. When it is allowed smooth, unimpaired functioning, humans operate upon the hedonic principle of approach and avoid. This follows spiritual intention and motivates innately moral responses. Humans read the feedback feeling signals to understand the nature of their relationship with the outside world, as well as with the other humans they encounter. They use their feelings to judge how well the contents of the mind are doing toward creating a reality that meets an adequate level of human need. They can continuously adjust the beliefs and other mental tools so that they are afforded maximum self development and expression. They can take external active communicative steps to remove unnecessary cultural obstacles. They experience far more pleasure than pain. They experience balance between mind, body and spirit, and they experience glowing, vital, energized, physical health. Civilizations can evolve based upon the individual contributions without unnecessary restrictions that inevitably reflect in social symptoms of fear, anger, violations and despair. Thus, the feedback system can, at minimum, accomplish self-preservation. At maximum, it can assure self development and expressionand in doing so restore the inner spiritual guidance that has so long gone unrecognized. When the spiritual messages received through inner communication are acted upon by individuals, humans will automatically begin disassembling the rigid mental constructs that now inhibit other spiritual communicative pathways. There will be an unfolding of inner senses that existing beliefs flatly deny. This is the path to the raising of human consciousness. This is the first and direct path, for without understanding these core features of human nature, free will is misdirected and the status quo of self-preservationary actions will continue, and continue, and continue, ad infinitum. The Self, The Mind, The Body History has been limited to this cycle because of the lack of understandings that these Lessons seek to impart. They are reasonably straightforward and elegant in their simplicity. Indeed, many of the core ideas already exist as general knowledge, but certain subtleties have allowed the bigger picture to remain hidden.

41

Lessons of Enlightenment

A major subtlety is the relationship between emotion and the immune system. Another major subtlety is the confusion over such concepts of mind, self, spirit, body, where one leaves off, and where another begins. We have offered the very important distinction between mind and spirit, and now must build upon that understanding and define the self. For these two subtleties interact to create a major impediment to the fully functionally emotional feedback system. We know that the human immune system is driven by a self versus non-self distinction. So is the emotional systemwith some crucial differences. Within the immune systems biological definition of self, everything inside the skin constitutes self and everything outside the skin (in the outside physical world), is defined as non-self. It is due to this rigid biological definition of self that part of the communication system breaks down. For the biological parameter of self makes no distinction between mind and spirit, for both are considered as self, for both exist inside the human body. Initially, when humans first donned the chemical cloak, there was virtually no mind, merely straight-line communication between spirit and body through inner senses that now lie virtually dormant. This refers mostly to the receptacle aspect of human mind, for ideas could ebb and flow like tides in and out of physical consciousness. The feedback system compared inside and outside worlds, just as it does for immunity. The entire inside world is self-mind, body and spirit. Once the individual mind and The Mind of Man began to accumulate and retain information, externals became the overpowering controller, and the internal system became skewed. This was The Fall from Grace. Mind now exists as an interloper, a monkey wrench of sorts, smack dab in the middle of the feedback system. The problem is that mind not only is part of the internal environmentthe selfbut it is also part of the external environmentnot self. The collection of man-made ideas that are passed down from one generation to the next, come from the Mind of Manthe outside environment, the not-self. They then become absorbed into the self concept as they are accepted and retained within each individual mind. The feedback system necessarily compares self against not-self. Therefore, the dual nature of mind confounds it. This is the underlying reason why emotions are no longer understood as motivator of desirable behavior, let alone spiritual intent. They often seem to spur unwanted, even destructive actions. Part of the reason for this is because needs of the spirit are not understood and are often further obscured and contradicted by the cultural dictates within the Mind of Man. Thus, the emotional signals seem random, chaotic and the bane of human existence. For despite the association between physical illness and lack of emotional expression, virtually every 42

Alpha: Human Nature

society has rigid rules in place to suppress or control the effects of understanding emotional human nature. The rest of the reason is that humans do not understand the nature of the corrective signals of the feedback system, nor the most spiritually desirous way of responding to them. The solution to this problem lies in a universal understanding of the divisional boundary between mind and spirit. This is why it is now crucial to understand and honor boundaries and features of mind as distinct from those of spirit. We know now that mind and spirit have very different attributes, as well as virtually conflicting goals. Spiritual intention is at minimum, self-preservation. It is, at maximum, self-development and expression. The spirit cannot be expressed if it is not preserved. Even without the potential development, some expression is better than none. Thus, the self-preservationary goals are hardwired within the body to at least ensure that humans have vehicles for spiritual expression. But once they are there, they have the goal of developing the mind in ways that maximize such expressions. So there are conflicting goals within the bodyto both mentally self develop and to spiritually self-preserve. All emotional signals are based upon the self-preservationary directive without regard for the mind that evolved later. The emotional system does not in and of itself consider mind at all. It simply signals faithfully the message to self-preserve and motivates certain actions that support that goal. The answer to the dilemma now facing humans is to embrace the language of emotion and realize that it requires one interpretation for features of mindto self develop and the exact opposite for features of spiritto self preserve. This will resolve the seemingly conflicting messages of human feelings and reestablish the inner guide. To this end, we can now turn to a more specific focus upon the emotional nature of humanity.

43

Beta

The Feeling System


Lesson 1: The Emotional Nature of Humanity
Reclaiming the Lost Emotional Sense With the understandings of the major spiritual, mental and physical components of human nature, we can now rebuild a most accurate conception of human emotion. For each of these pieces of the human being affects the feeling system in very significant and inescapable ways. With clear understandings of the nuances of the system, humans can reclaim the tremendous value that now lies outside their grasp. Emotion is energy in motion. It is the very stuff that creates physical events. When thought is enveloped in emotion, it attracts a like experience. As long as humans continue to misunderstand the nature of the emotional system and its modern constraints, they will continue to live with unintentional, but very real circumstances. Such a reality will mirror the contents of mind. It will either rejoice and celebrate with successful beliefs, or it will painfully reflect the problems of limited beliefs. Before humans can truly begin to explore this creative power, they must understand the nature of the feeling system. For if it is not working toward human intention, it will be working against everything but self-preservation. This major problem lies in the realm of mind. It all hinges upon the minds contents, the belief systems chosen and housed therein. We know now that humans each have unlimited freedom to choose the contents of their mind. We know that the mind is self-designed to create an accurate portrait of the world. We know that mind is a storehouse of information drawn upon for lifes need-meeting challenges. We also know that certain external ideas can be chosen inadvertently, that stifle self expression, ignore individual need fulfillment and limit life to the choices of others. We know now that the mind can become frozen rather than the intended fluid state of continuous selfdevelopment.

45

Lessons of Enlightenment

We also know that the spirit has encoded the body with feelings to identify beliefs and to distinguish those that work from those that do not. We know that the feelings signal these imbalances so that they can be acted upon with corrective responses. We know now that if the mind does not make the needed changes, the body will do whatever is necessary to preserve itself, through fight or flight responses. We know that the need for self development is in direct conflict with the need for self-preservation. We also know now that for this reason, humans are no longer attuned to the emotional feedback system the way The Creator intended. We are beginning to understand how the mind as converter, draws to us those events which our thoughts and beliefs design. We are beginning to understand that emotion is the energy that carries thought into physical reality. In any individuals life, there will be a percentage of negative emotion that directly corresponds to the percentage of his or her destructive beliefs. Likewise, that same percentage of unpleasant experiences will be attracted into the life of the individual. As long as the emotional signal is not allowed to do its communicative job, its creative power keeps humans trapped within a base level of existence a good percentage of their life. In order to gain control at a higher level than base self-preservation, the human task is threefold: 1) Humans must learn how to clearly interpret the feeling signals; 2) Humans must learn how to avoid inappropriate self-preservationary responses; and 3) Humans must learn how to actively choose the spiritually intended corrective response. Then, and only then, will the feedback system of human emotion be allowed to impart its spiritual wisdom. Only then can humans be restored their birthright of all six senses. Only then will humans be replaced upon their intended evolutionary path. Only then can humans begin to be fully human. The Interpretation of Emotional Signals There are a few critical understandings necessary for accurate interpretation of feeling signals. First, feeling signals always identify contents of mind that are not successful at meeting human needs in the immediate situation. This appears to be a straightforward statement, but truly grasping it and acting upon it will require tenacity and commitment. For there are an incredible number of well established beliefs that are never even examined, since they are completely accepted as fact. Many of them severely limit the choice of need-fulfillment activities. In fact, many of the most cherished religious dictates (with their misconceptions regarding mans evil nature) do just that.

46

Beta: The Feeling System

While feelings cry out the emperor is naked, the beliefs continue to present him as adorned in his royal robes. At present, beliefs are given supremacy. For there is a steadfast belief within Mass Consciousness that ration and emotion are opposing forces. It is common knowledge that emotion has no place within a modern reasonable mind. But we know now that ration and passion operate in concert and that one without the other is severely handicapped. No logic in the world can accurately judge the contents of mind without the emotional signal of spiritual intention. Until the role of feelings, as well as the spiritual needs themselves, are well known this will continue. Humans have indeed been quite arrogant in their logical assumptions and insistence that man-made dictates can somehow overrule those of The Creator. Although the individual and social pain continually points out these errors, this ignorance continues. The logical flaw is the idea that external dictates can ever overrule internal ones. Validity and Judgment of Knowledge To be very clear upon the nature of internal and external dictates, perhaps a discussion of epistemology, the study of knowledge, is in order. It is critical that humans understand the difference between two types of knowledge. First, there is natural knowledge that is a universal objective, physical fact. This category includes the spiritual wisdom, and factual information about the nature of man and the universe. This type of knowledge is permanent and unchanging in its validity. This type of knowledge exists within the consciousness of All That Is, it is evident in the creation, and is encoded within the human body. This type of knowledge is an internal dictate. Second, is man-made or cultural knowledge that is subjective, local, consensual and subject to change. This type of knowledge exists within the Mind of Man. It is an external dictate. Cultural knowledge is not true, valid or real in a universal sense; it is relative, as time is relative. But cultural knowledge is very useful for humans to agree upon doing things in certain ways. For example, think of traffic patterns in most cities. It is quite handy that everyone knows to stop at a red light. Drivers share the knowledge that green lights mean to go, and that red lights mean to stop. All (non-colorblind) drivers know the physical difference between the colors red and green. This is natural, internal knowledge, universal among humans due to their visual sensory apparatus. But the fact that the green light means to go is purely consensual and contingent upon learning. This is external, cultural knowledge. It is only by agreement that this meaning exists.

47

Lessons of Enlightenment

We know now that the emotional system feeds back information to balance body and mind. The mind holds both kinds of knowledge. Natural knowledge relates to body as cultural knowledge relates to mind. The emotional signals, in effect, serve to separate those aspects of cultural knowledge that conflict with natural knowledge. It also means that with the flexible nature of cultural knowledge, some pieces can conflict with others. Such conflicts become particularly apparent as humans travel about operating within the many diverse cultures that now exist. The experience of cultural shock results from such conflict. Knowledge that might apply in one place may be quite useless even detrimental, in another. Belief can be placed in any kind of knowledge, but generally the difference between their natural and cultural essence remains unnoticedexcept to the watchful eye of the emotional system. The reason these two types of knowledge are pointed out, is to impart the understanding that cultural knowledge is included in the flexibility and fluidity of the mindnot as enduring and sacred as natural knowledge. Human judgments abound regarding which cultural knowledge is the best, the moral, the Godly, the right way to think and act. But Spirit totally disregards such human judgments and wholly accepts all free choices. Indeed, free will is logically inconsistent with a judgmental God. Spirit judges not what humans choose to create as knowledge and belief. But it does judge whether or not those ideas meet human need. Natural dictate is the only legitimate judge and spiritual need fulfillment is the law upon which its decisions are based. Human judgments must be cast aside for the feedback system to operate unimpeded. This new belief should be emblazoned upon the sky. The only true quality determination or judgment that can be placed upon any belief is the pronouncement of Spirit communication through the feeling system. It has been the relinquishment of power to external judges that has perpetuated manipulation by others, brutal self-preservationary acts and loss of personal freedom. Humans do not realize that they have free will to think whatever they want to, or to actively manage that responsibility. As a result, there is a tangle of both workable and destructive pieces of knowledge within any given individual. The most destructive beliefs are those that attempt to defy nature through dogged faith in ideologies that deny human needs. Less insidious but also destructive, are those cultural beliefs which conflict with one another. Conflicts can peacefully coexist as knowledge within the mind until an external situation arises in which they are called into the same context. But this peace is illusory, for in the meantime, they have a powerful influence upon the limits of thought, action and creation of life events. 48

Beta: The Feeling System

For example, if a person believes himself to be good in certain of his beliefs, and evil in others, then he has conflicting directives through which his Will Energy will create the life events. He will have a mishmash of conflicting experiences, that will take him one step forward and two steps back. He will also be plagued with conflicting feelings that signal the presence of these beliefs, and lots of negative emotion when the intent to remove them is not carried out. As mentioned, this is very common. If any of you recognize yourselves in this situation, and accept this, regardless of any feelings of inadequacy, or personal guilt, or tendencies to deny it, you have already taken a dramatic step forward. And each step will be rewarded by your own emotional system with feelings of joy. Acceptance is the first step, then, of course, to commit to a process of purging all such beliefs from the system. It is critical to sort through the contents of mind and separate the wheat from the chaff. You will have the innate feeling guide to help you. This is the gift of the emotional signal. You will also have rationality to help you see the cause and effect relationship between useless beliefs and outcomes, so that you can discard them. Rationality will also identify conflicting but related beliefs and help you assemble them all into one over-arching, spiritually intended belief upon which you can successfully operate. But without the fundamental understanding and respect of emotions judgmental function, its message is surely lost and rationality is left to run circles around itself. Beliefs as Gems and Slivers It is essential to understand that every painful problem boils down to belief systems, pieces of knowledge that drive thoughts and actions. There is no evil force, there is no need for suffering, there is no karmic explanation necessary for when bad things happen to good people. It is all brought about by belief. Thoughts empowered by emotion create events. You get what you concentrate upon there is no other accurate explanation. The only thing that stands between the truly desired events and what actually does occur, are the conflicting ideas within the realm of mind. This is why the rational examination and housekeeping of the beliefs is an essential commitment. At this point, it may be useful to coin terms for those beliefs that are productive and good for the spirit and those that frustrate it. The negative debilitating beliefs act as slivers within the system, festering until they are removed. They make their presence known through emotional pain. 49

Lessons of Enlightenment

Slivers are those beliefs that deny human need, or those that conflict with each other. Slivers are the necessary risk that comes with the benefits of the free mind. The other category defines the positive, productive, creative tools that facilitate human spirit and successfully meet needs. These are the gems. They are to be creatively mined, safeguarded, shared, polished and occasionally, re-cut. Creating and accumulating gems is the very reason for minds function as a receptacle. Gems are identified by the successes they bring and the spiritual validation of pleasurable feelings. All facts within the category of natural knowledge are gems. But anything goes within cultural knowledge; the mind cares not what you put into it. The gems are those ideas that do not conflict with spiritual, natural knowledge. Or they are the local consensual knowledge that is meant to undergo continuous refinement. Slivers can be touted as grand gems within the mind of manand many are. As the world exists today, there are wonderful, diverse gems of various cultures that are extremely successful at meeting some of the human needs. But there are also many conflicting and unnecessary slivers, often embraced as part of a package, that thwart or deny other human needs. There are then quite elaborate explanations and rituals devised to vent or vilify the emotional frustration resulting from the inadequacies within these packaged doctrines. (We will later be discussing the individual and social symptoms at length). The task now is for each individual to separate the slivers from the gems within their own life and to make the necessary external contributions to mass consciousness. The latter will be the optimal way to use the self-preservationary response. As slivers are discarded within individuals, they will then make active responses in an effort to remove them from social systems. Political action, negotiation, persuasion, conflict resolution, even simple communications are examples of such responses. As the slivers are removed, freedoms are gained. The self-preservation is then a healthy one because it preserves spiritual need, not slivers. When the need for freedom and control is validated, respected and accommodated, the spirit sings its approval. It is not necessary to reinvent civilization simply to remove the obstacles that are presently imbedded. As this process unfolds, there will be a renaissance within individuals and within societies. Self preservationary responses will give way to developmental and expressive actions. As the spirit achieves its order, there will be a reacquaintence with many latent human potentials and abilities.

50

Beta: The Feeling System

This is the task at hand. If it sounds simple, that is because it is. But it does require a commitment through the acceptance of judgment only as deemed by spiritnot by man. (This was the central message of Christ, to judge not). This commitment to spiritual intent will ensure the restoration of Grace that has been given humans by All That Is. The function of the emotional feedback system is to assist each individual in the process. The feelingswhen fully understoodshall be the inner guide. If the commitment is made to honor this internal judge, above all others, our discussion can continue. The Effect of Mind on Emotional Signals This is not to chastise humans for their continued, but unnecessary, suffering. It is merely to highlight the problem so that it can be corrected. For simply listening to and following feelings is not quite enough. There still exists the interference factor of mind, and its effects must be internalized as well. Recall that the system compares internal and external worlds (self and nonself). This means that essentially, it compares the mind, which is the portrait of the outside world (the not-self), with the body which is the vehicle of Spirit (the self). The goal of this system is to ensure that the portrait of mind is an adequate enough representative of the external world, so that spiritual needs can be met. The problem with interpretation of emotional signals to a modern human is that the mind is neither here nor there, but it is also both here and there. The mind is both internal and external. It is not only the internal portrait of reality, it is also the external Mind of Manthe collection of gems and slivers that are handed down as knowledge, tradition and truth. (The mind has become so external, in fact, that children are indoctrinated with life-long beliefs from the Mind of Man before they reach the age of ten years). But to the physical defense system, the mind is definitely part of the internal realm of self, and it treats it as such. Thus, it seeks to preserve itself, and therefore any contents within the mind will be defended just as it defends the cells and organs of the body. Such defense is the exact opposite of the spiritual goal of mind, which is to continuously develop, adapt and refine itself in accordance with external environmental change. The emotional signals of pleasure and pain then give confusing signals, since there is no clear boundary between internal and external realms, between mind and body. It gives one set of signals for two sets of circumstances.

51

Lessons of Enlightenment

The only solution to this problem is for humans to actively make this internal/external distinction themselves. Then, and only then, can they reclaim the understanding of the signals. This can be done in one of two ways. Mind and Spirit: The Twin Selves The first, and perhaps the easiest, is to maintain a clear distinction between the realm of spirit and the realm of mind. This is why such emphasis was placed upon the difference between them in Lessons Alpha 1 and Alpha 2. In this sense, spirit is synonymous with body. If a clear understanding is achieved, then emotional signals that spring from the spiritual realm (the inside) will be interpreted in one way, and those from the mental realm (the outside) in another. This will restore the accurate interpretation of the signals. The other way is to conceptually divide the internal realm (the body, the self) into two sections: an inside self and an outside self. For within the defense systems self definition, there now exist Twin Selves that correspond to spirit and mind. They are the Genetic Self and the Cultural Self, respectively. They also correspond to natural and cultural knowledge. The Genetic Selflike spirit includes all innate personality dispositions, physiological functions, needs, instincts, intellectual aptitudes, raw talents and everything else biologically inherent in the individual. The goal of the genetic Self is to self preserve. It is the intended beneficiary of the self-defense system. In contrast, the Cultural Selfas mindis the collection of mental tools, language, beliefs, attitudes, memories and skills that are learned through experience. The goal of the Cultural Self is to self-develop. The opposing goals of the Twin Selves will distinctly separate them. This understanding will allow accurate interpretation of two distinct types of emotional signals, even though the defense system only has one. Remember, all aspects of self will elicit the self- preservationary emotional signal, if a need is not met. But using this rational interpretation, each feeling can be traced to its source, and acted upon accordingly. There will be distinctly different choices for signals from each of the Twin Selves. In effect, the feedback system now signals balance between each aspect of self. It compares the Genetic Self to the Cultural Self and if the Cultural Self does not accurately reflect the Genetic Self, the painful signal sounds. Or, it can be thought of as comparing spirit and mind, or internal and external worlds. The feedback cycle continues as it always has. But with the rational distinction made between these two aspects of self, humans can compensate for the sim-

52

Beta: The Feeling System

plistic nature of the defense system. Although it only has one signal, humans can divide it and recognize that it has two meanings. If the signal springs from the contents of mind, or Cultural Self, then a selfdevelopmental act is in order. Quite often, even the simple recognition that the belief was learned, communicates that mind is the source. Or on the other hand, if the signal springs from spirit, or the Genetic self, then a self-preservationary correction is needed. This is a relatively easy distinction to make, once it is known how necessary it is. Later, there will be an even easier way to make this distinction, but for now this division between aspects of self (or between spirit and mind, if you prefer) will suffice. The Effect of Mind on Motivational Responses With the tool of the Twin Selves, it will be quite natural to accurately interpret emotional signals. It will be readily apparent which aspect of self needs the corrective attention. But there will still be only one set of hardwired responses to act upon the two different spiritual directives. Recall that the feedback system compares internal and external worlds to signal imbalances. Whether it is an internal mental sliver, or an external cultural restriction, both will signal a bad feeling and motivate a corrective response. The correction will fall into one of two possible arenas. The action can either change the internal realm (the self), or it can change the external world in some way. The imbalance will always be an obstacle of some sort to need-meeting efforts. We just learned that for accurate interpretation of the signal, the mind is considered in the outside realm. But in the response part of the cycle, the mind must be thought of as the inside realm. For mental changes can only be made within the mind. The spiritthe other inhabitant of the internal realmis unchangeable. External changes are effected to the outside world, generally in responses of approach, fight or flight. Originally, external responses were all that was needed. Therefore, the body was limited in its hardwired responses. But with the advent of mind, came the necessity for a new type of response. Although it is not hardwired, it is easily within reach through rational choice. For mind not only brought the problem, it brought the solution.

53

Lessons of Enlightenment

The Right Response Indeed, since the advent of culture, there has been yet another response that humans often intuitively choose instead of the fight and flight selfpreservationary responses a self-developmental response. This is a post-mind response that seeks an internal change. This response actively revises the portrait of reality to accommodate new external conditions. It is a mental shift, resulting in a purposeful addition to the individual mind. We shall call this response The Right Response. It can be compared to the righting of a sailboat that has listed too far port or starboard. One cannot always fight or take flight from winds of change, but one can always right oneself. This is the internal corrective response, where a change occurs within the realm of mind. The right response is, in effect, a learning experience. It is an outgrowth of human mind, and a very necessary one at that. Each addition or revision of a mental tool, a belief, idea or piece of knowledge is this right response. Like the fight and flight responses, the right response directly follows emotional arousal when the self is involved (in this case, the Cultural Self or the mind). The term also has meaning in that an internal shift is often the optimal, moral, responsible, and therefore the right corrective choice. The root of most human problems lies in the fact that the role and parameters of mind are not considered within the physical defense system. Anything taken into the mind becomes associated with the self concept and the tools of self preservation. So although a self developmental response is needed, only selfpreservationary responses are motivated. Making a right response is exactly the opposite of the motivational impulse, which seeks only to self-preserve. Thus, the reactions of body negate the very spiritual intentions they seek to preserve. For this reason, with the birth of mind, came a corresponding relationship born between learning and pain. Whenever a learning experience is in order, it will signal the threat of self-preservation through pain. This pain can range from mild, almost imperceptible, anxiety to gripping fear. The more of the self concept invested in the limitation, the more powerful the feeling. It should be completely accepted that a small amount of pain will accompany every discovery of the fact that mind needs some fine-tuning. But with automatic responses, the motivation instead is to escape it, to deny it, and defend the parameters of present knowledge. A perfectly human response, yet completely devoid of spiritual intention. This is how the fluidity of mind becomes stifled and limited to certain versions as dictated by external standards. This explains 54

Beta: The Feeling System

how slivers in both individual minds and The Mind of Man are allowed to remain, and are actively defended, often to the death. This insight is the major way to accomplish the number two task at hand, learning how to avoid self-preservationary responses when they are inappropriate. A small amount of pain is perfectly bearable, even energizing, particularly if the signal is understood while the problem is still small. And the pain should be acknowledged as an indicator of a sliver, or the need to polish or re-cut a gem. Its intensity will be in direct proportion to the lack. With this strategy, the Right Response can be immediately effected and the problem solved. Instead, caveman-like avoidant responses happen, preventing the needed change, and become accepted as an inevitable part of human nature. Certain social codes and assumptions then pop up which perpetuate the problem. For example, human error has become something to be ashamed of and avoided at all costs. This is contrary to the learning cycle. For it is through the feedback of pain and pleasure that all learning occurs. Mistakes should be greeted with compassion to self and others who make them. They are the simple message that the portrait of reality does not yet match the requirements to meet an adequate level of the human need in any given external situation. Instead of getting out the paints and making revisions, humans often seek to hide the inadequacies and pretend to be perfect. Punishment is often given for mistakes, both to self and others, and this is quite backward. Compassionate guidance should be offered to add the missing knowledge, belief or skill. Each such addition will be rewarded by positive feelings. Such pain that accompanies learning should be welcomed and acted upon with right responses as soon as the feelings are detectable. This is an easy task once humans know the difference between thoughts and feelings, and the parameters and goals of spirit and mind. A concept such as growing pains should be utilized in which humans realize that without pain there is no growth. Or as the bodybuilders say, No pain, no gain. This is not to say that humans should endure higher levels of pain than this small feeling of personal anxiety we now can call a growing pain. Nor is this to say that making this right response will always be the spiritually intended corrective action. Indeed, there are still very valid reasons for both fight and flight responses-but only under certain conditions and at certain times. We will be discussing these conditions at length, but first, we turn to the result of these automatic avoidances, which we shall call emotional boundaries.

55

Lessons of Enlightenment

Emotional Boundaries Humans have lived for many thousands of years without understanding their own nature. Thus, their emotional system has worked against them in many ways. Most destructive has been the tendency to preserve, when change is spiritually desired. Self preservation and conservatism is always appropriate when needs of the spirit are at issue. But it is never appropriate in the realm of mind. Yet, one merely needs to look around and one can see abundant evidence of incredible efforts to defend cultural knowledge. Everywhere, and in every time, one can witness passionate efforts to conserve that which is actually personally limiting. Such efforts appear externally as acts of communication, persuasion, political activism, violence and even war, that seek to narrow the freedoms of others in order to validate the cultural choices of some. For example, nearly every religion espouses to be the one true word of God and that all others are misguided at best and evil at worst. Historical colonialism evidences how some groups exert their power over others and force their choices upon them. The holocaust was an extreme example of cultural ideology enforced as natural law. Yet, in each of these cases, many felt passionate in their beliefs and emotionally empowered to live by them and carry out their dictates. These feelings seemingly guided them to amoral even heinous, actions. This is when feelings can be ineffective behavioral guides. But this is due to a perversion of the natural system. These are those very selfpreservationary actions that directly conflict with spiritual intention. These are actions that should have been self-developmental, not preservationary. These are actions that spring from passion without ration. Such emotions are signaling that the contents of mind are not adequate and should be changed. They signal that a boundary of the mind has been reached, which needs expansion for spiritual expression. Instead, this limitation becomes a defensible boundary of self, and the actions then seek to carefully maintain these boundaries as if they are sacred aspects of self. These are actually boundaries of mind, but since they are signaled only by emotion, we call them emotional boundaries. It is crucial to understand the tendency to protect and maintain emotional boundaries. It is equally crucial to resist the temptation to do so. It is an easy out, for defending ones ignorance is simpler and requires less effort than actually effecting the Right Response. The concept of emotional boundaries should become a permanent fixture within each individual mind. The boundaries of self should be continuously expandednever defended. On the other hand, there should be compassion and respect for the boundaries of others to the degree that many diverse choices and 56

Beta: The Feeling System

levels of personal growth can coexist. But there should never again be the mistake that boundaries of mind should be preserved, nor that the boundaries of some are the correct boundaries for all. The human mind is in a constant state of evolution, as is the Mind of Man. And this is as it should be in the highest sense. For to limit the expansion of mind is to frustrate the spirit and stymie the expansion of All That Is. On the other hand, if the emotional boundary is one due to a spiritual dictate or need relating to self expression, rather than a mental belief relating to self development, then it is a boundary that should be maintained and protected. These are the healthy boundaries of self. These are the boundaries of Spirit, necessary for the expansion of All That Is. These are the minimum spiritual requirements below which humans cannot dip without serious repercussions. Defending them is true self preservation, as the spirit intends. But the majority of requirements and limitations that erect defensible boundaries exist in the realm of mind. These should be avoided so that the continuous expansion desired by spirit can be attained. For true and lasting fulfillment, development and expression, the emotional boundaries of mind should be as vigorously avoided as the emotional boundaries of spirit are to be reinforced. With the understandings of the pitfalls to the emotional system, as well as their corrections, we can now proceed to discuss the number 3 task of reclaiming the emotional sense. This is how to go about choosing the appropriate responses to each of the emotional signals.

57

Lessons of Enlightenment

Lesson 2: The Emotional Behavior of Humanity


Emotional Motivation Throughout human history, despite many sage offerings, the mystery of human behavior remains just that. What motivation could possibly underlie human behavior and explain the many differences as well as the similarities? What could motivate the orderly, cooperative, altruistic and moral behavior, as well as the chaotic, competitive, heinous and the evil acts of humans? Why humans do what they do seems unfathomable. This is particularly true if one believes humans to be a good and capable lot. We now have certain understandings that hint at the truth. So we shall go straight to the heart of the matter. All human behavior springs from emotional motivation. The good behavior flows from spiritual intention. It is purposeful in pursuit of self-development and expression. It utilizes all human faculties for their intended purpose. The bad behavior is absent of spiritual intention, except that of basic self-preservation. It is undertaken without utilization of human ration. It is the by-product of the misunderstandings of the emotional feedback system. It is incidental, if not accidental. If each and every human act is examined within the framework of understanding that these Lessons impart, it shall become apparent that emotion is at the very core. It will be fairly obvious that humans approach that which brings pleasure, and avoid that which brings pain. Of course, the avoidance of pain has become the dominant motivator since very few countries even claim to afford humans the right to the pursuit of happiness. Avoidance of pain is at the root of every act that takes humans from their intended course, it is at the root of every evil act. It can be extremely subtle in avoidant self-deception, or it can explode upon the world in atomic ragehardly an application of a rational selfpreservationary strategy. It is merely due to the lack of rational interpretation and rational response to the emotional signal that self-preservation has become the norm. With this understanding, humans can examine their own behavior, identify the motivational feelings and trace them back to the gems and slivers upon which they operate. They can readily see which behaviors were motivated by self-development and expression, or those that were motivated by self-preservation. This is rational use of the emotional feedback. This is utilization of the undiscovered sixth sense. This is living on purpose, in spiritual intention. 58

Beta: The Feeling System

Now is the time for humans to successfully live on purpose. Until now, there has been relative darkness. The light that shines the way is human feeling. But in order for humans to fully embrace this newfound ability, there are further clarifications necessary. For it has become habitual to act within the system in ways that grossly misuse it. And there are many slivers within Mass Consciousness that accept, even promote such misuses. The solutions to problems inherent in human cultures can only come from within individuals as they remove the source from their own lives, inside and out. So the individual subtleties of emotion that humans face must now be examined. The subtleties yet to be discussed lie in the corrective response part of the feedback cycle, the behavior itself. This is where the rubber hits the road. Right use of emotional feedback can provide lifelong, moment-to moment spiritual guidance. This means that certain feelings will suggest certain behaviors. But the benefits of such guidance are contingent upon effecting the optimal corrective response. For optimal corrective responses are within spiritual intention, and all others are merely self-preservationary. Wrong use of the system is abundantly evident in certain evil motivations. It is easy to see how angry violent behaviors can wreak havoc. But some detrimental human motivational habits are well disguised. To expose them, we now turn to the responses as they operate in the modern world. Recall that all corrective responses can be made to either the internal or external realms. An internal change is applied to the mental landscape. An external change is a behavior acted upon the external world, the physical or social landscape. The response choice is how humans effect evolution. Internal changes are how humans acquire culture. It is how they self-develop, learn and adapt to their world. External changes are how humans create culture and express their internal contributions in the external world. Certain choices will be optimal and empowering; others will be detrimental, causing individual and social chaos and slides from the intended evolutionary tract. Mistakes of response choice will create further symptomatic pain. This is the spirits way of calling attention to mistaken choices of action and beliefs. We will now discuss the uses and abuses of all responses in both internal and external realms. The Approach Responses - Right and Light The approach responses naturally follow positive emotional signals and are very intuitive. It is quite natural to approach that which feels good, to reinforce those ideas and strategies that satisfy the spirit. It is inherently rewarding to 59

Lessons of Enlightenment

promote situations and relationships that are spiritually fulfilling. All optimal approach responses result in self-development and expression, as the spirit intends for them to be. Approach responses can also be in answer to painful, negative emotions. In a modern world, approach responses are often preferable to the selfpreservationary avoidant responses that are hardwired. The approach responses are about acceptance. What they have in common is that each is an open approach in acceptance of a situation without resistance. Approach responses are the path of least resistance. There are two basic approaches. They are the Right and Light Responses. We have already introduced the Right Response. These are self-developmental approach responses that are effected by the internal mental realm. Most Right Responses are approach responsesall adaptive ones are. This is when current ideas, skills and strategies are upgraded to provide maximum need fulfillment. Self development is learning, but only learning in ways that promote the needs of the spirit. Although the Right Response is very functional and optimal in many cases, as with any response, it can also be abused. But basically, the only mistake that can be made with the Right Response results from the misinterpretation of an emotional signal. If there is no clear boundary between the spiritual and mental realms, the person might approach an idea of mind as if it were a directive of spirit. This is when cultural knowledge is confused for (and is in conflict with) natural knowledge. This is learning something that is limiting to the spirit, the introduction of a sliver. Another way of thinking about it is the misuse of the Right Response pits the Cultural Self against the Genetic Self. This is illogical and will never work, for the Genetic Self represents the embodiment of spirit and cannotnor should notchange its essence. The specific pains of this symptom will be fear, self guilt, self blame, sadness and eventually depression. Individual mental and physical ills ultimately result when this mistake is allowed to remain. With this error, the sliver that has been introduced into the mind further frustrates the spirit. This sliver will make its presence known through increased emotional pain. In this case, anger. Anger is indeed the signal of a frustrated spirit, stifled from its expression. But as long as the person continues to empower the belief, this in effect, turns the anger inward against the spirit, causing increasing levels of anger. Then the person must find escapes or safe ways to vent the anger.

60

Beta: The Feeling System

For example, one human culture has a truth regarding the relative inferiority of women. This belief is interwoven throughout many of the traditions of these people. This belief serves to meet the power and control needs of men (who generally lack such freedom as fringe members of a more mainstream culture), by domineering the woman of their group. This creates emotional dissonance within the women of this group, for it denies the integrity of their spirit. Being female is a choice of the spirit and one that cannot, nor should not, be changed or minimized by any cultural dictate. They react to this frustration with anger toward themselves which further perpetuates the belief. This feeling is experienced as shame and is even institutionalized as feminine shame for their inherent dirtiness. They have customs such as washing mens clothing in separate pots so they are not defiled by the dirt from female garments. They must also cover their faces when men other than their husbands enter the room. The women of this culture are unhappy. But instead of rejecting the belief, they have developed an outlet for the continuing frustration. They have traditional poems that they utter frequently whenever a negative feeling arises. These poems communicate their hurt as well as their sanctimonious religious standing from being such wonderful martyrs. Yet they continue to perpetuate the very ideas that keep them frustrated, for the slivers are deeply ingrained in their worldview. Placing a belief of mind above the dictates of spirit may seem like a silly and unlikely option in more mainstream cultures. But in every culture, there are ideas that ask just that of their members. For there are many perfectly acceptable ways of meeting spiritual needs that are deemed socially unacceptable or even taboo. This is why it is crucial to understand that correct use of the Right Response seeks only to change the mind to accommodate the needs of spirit. Humans should never respect or follow guidelines within any world view that rejects, or worse, defiles a perfectly right and just spiritual need. Errors of this response are not likely, however, if the distinction is clear between spirit and mind. And for the most part, the Right Response is a very good choice of approach. In fact, it is the recommended first choice option to all emotional signals. This approach ensures that ration has been applied to the situation, that the entity has first examined the mind to see if learning is necessary. Once this has been done, if there are still negative signals within similar situations, then other responses will then be appropriate. But this cannot be known without first trying to effect these internal self-developmental changes.

61

Lessons of Enlightenment

The Light Response The other kind of approach response seeks instead to change the external world to restore the balance. Self expressive approach responses are actions in the external world that seek to share wisdom, creativity or otherwise contribute to the outer environment. They are acts of simple communication, persuasion, compassion, altruism, or any method of creative expression. It is an act of taking who you are to the people. We shall call this approach, the Light Response. For this is the way humans offer their individual light to other spirits to which they are connected. Light responses are always offering the ideas, tools, skills perspectives and help that promote the self-development and expression of others. It is the exchange and sharing of gems. It is the spiritual expression of the innate cooperative capacity that reflects the fulfillment connection need. The underlying assumption of this choice is that this is surely a cooperative, win-win situation, where both parties can benefit from this response. It is the exchange and sharing of feedback when one person sees something in the other of which they are unaware and would benefit from understanding. This is actually an approach to a negative emotion, one vicariously experienced within another. The Light Response is offered with respect and compassion in the genuine desire to contribute to the well-being and happiness of the received. For example, a child observes another child during a baseball game. He sees this childs frustration at the fact that he cannot seem to strike the ball with the bat. The first child, who is emotionally healthy and empathetic, feels this pain. He knows he has some information that he has gained that can solve this problem. His response to the feeling is the expressive approach, the Light Response. He feels the spiritual impetus to offer his help. Thus, he approaches the child and respectfully suggests that he can give the child some pointers if there is consent. If even one helpful idea is exchanged, both children will experience a positive emotion. This pleasure will signal that the receiver has accomplished spiritual development, and the giver has accomplished spiritual expression. A key understanding is that the Light Response must only offer ideas that remove existing limits. They must be consensual and respectful of the existing emotional boundaries. This type of approach basically communicates: I feel your pain, can I offer some light? Although this may sound schmaltzy to the modern mind, it communicates connection, respect, compassion and an invitation for growth, without provoking the defenses. For specific words to use, some alternative suggestions: I hate to see you struggling, can I offer some help? Or even, Can I help here? 62

Beta: The Feeling System

Of course, if the receiver does not desire your light and permission is not granted, then your job is done. Whether or not the receiver is in a ready, receptive state, you have achieved your needed spiritual expression. Emotional boundaries that create the defensive, self-preservationary responses must be compassionately respected. Regardless of the receptivity, the gesture itself is spiritually desirable. At minimum, it gives the person pause for thought and bolsters the idea that humans are good and caring. A person who initially rejects such offerings of light will be all the more receptive to the next expressive gesture. Each such gesture wears away at maladaptive beliefs that hold humans to be less than compassionate, caring, connected, trustworthy and good. The Light Response also works in the reverse. It is often highly desirable to ask others to share their light, to seek advice and counsel that can precede a Right Response. This is an optimal combination of internal and external self expressive and developmental response to emotional signals. Of course, respect, consent and cooperation are still required. There are also mistakes made when choosing the Light Response. There are rampant examples of those offering light when it is not desired, and when it, in fact, adds limitation. Any true act of light broadens opportunity and expands emotional boundaries. Many religious proselytizers seek to change the world to meet their mental portrait instead of the reverse. There is often an arrogant and self-righteous attitude that lacks compassion, is disrespectful and downright backward. The same is true for political parties. Humans should always ensure that they take in as much light as they seek to give out, lest they simply be maintaining their own emotional boundaries rather than expanding them. This is the reason why the world experiences social and political gridlock and holy wars continue to be fought. We have only discussed the approach responses, and have already encountered the source of many human ills. But for the most part, approach responses are still fairly easy to use appropriately. It is a good rule of thumb to go ahead and act upon positive feelings, as well as compassionate negative ones. For those approach impulses will lead to learning, whether or not the road may be bumpy along the way. With honest evaluation of the feelings, the feedback they provide, and a timely corrective response, diversions from the intended path can be quickly rectified. The more ominous aspect of the approach response is when humans approach in order to avoid. If certain needs are not met to an adequate level, it often becomes an automatic tendency for humans to approach to create pleasure to escape pain. When this is the case, we are no longer in the realm of approach 63

Lessons of Enlightenment

responses. We are no longer in self-developmental mode; we are in the realm of self-preservation. We have just learned how mistakes in approach responses can cause certain individual and social ills. But these mistakes of self-development and expression are relatively harmless in comparison to the mistakes of self-preservationary responses. We can now turn to the most insidious of the response choices, the avoidant response. The Avoidant Responses We have briefly introduced the Fight and Flight Responses, but now we shall delve into their complexities. They are still valid responses to specific circumstances at particular times. But for the most part, they are grossly over-used, resulting in nearly every remaining individual and social ill experienced by human beings. Avoidant responses are about resistance. They refuse to accept a situation as reported by the emotional signal. Resistance to objectionable ideas that defile or reject human needs is a good and necessary response. Resistance is still a useful tool, but one with a sharp double edge. In learning situations, avoidant responses can wreak havoc and throw humans from their evolutionary path. In receiving the Light Responses from others, avoidance closes doors to opportunity. But avoidance also fosters more sinister and nearly universal human ills. Avoidance (not money) is perhaps the root of all evil. Take particular note of this information, for recognizing and consciously controlling these responses in your behavior will be tremendously liberating and greatly rewarding. The Flight Response The Flight Response is that innate urge to run away from danger. When humans experience fear, the body is filled with arousal energy for movement away from the dangerous situation. The underlying assumption for choosing this response is that something very threatening must be avoided, for this is a win-lose competition and the self would surely be the loser. This is a very adaptive strategy when there is clear and present physical danger. This was particularly true before the advent of mind. For as we know, along with the mind came the need to self-develop and the challenge of achieving spiritual expression through its filter. We know now that even a signal for self-development feels like one for self-preservation, prompting avoidance and escape. 64

Beta: The Feeling System

Therefore, there are some particular sticky results from these constraints upon the Flight Response. First, running away is rarely appropriate. In fact, it should be a last ditch response only when all other options have met with failure. This Flight Response now takes the form of physically leaving an environment that does not accommodate need-meeting efforts. This can be the retreat from a relationship, a marriage, a job, a club, a religion, a country or even a life, if needs cannot truly be met due to immovable obstacles. It can be a temporary retreat to cool off, to regroup, to re-strategize; or it can be a permanent retreat to more free and opportune systems, relationships or geographic locales. This is the only appropriate form and is a final option. The Flight Response is very automatic and shows up in very subtle, yet insidious, ways. For example, with the advent of mind there came the option of internal retreatsinternal flights from perceived danger. The word perceived is used because this perception may or may not have an external validity, of which we know the mind does not know or care. It operates as if every content is actual and real, as is its job. Worse, whenever a learning experience is necessary and a growing pain is experienced, the first automatic and easiest response is one of avoidant defense. All mental flight responses are maladaptive, nonproductive and hurtful. They are rationalizations, placing blame, scapegoating or otherwise finding alternative explanations for deficiencies. They allow virtually anything except entertaining the possibility that problems lie within the self. Each mental flight is a psychological retreatan act of self-deception. Such escapism always slows or stops self-development and can be quite damaging, yet such reactions are extremely common. Escapist actions are apparent everywhere. Humans seek mental retreats from emotional pain through defense mechanisms, withdrawal, avoidant tendencies, distractions and compulsive behaviors. Such mental escapism is all captured within the umbrella concept of denial. Denial is the tendency to avoid that which is staring one right in the face. The information is avoided because its acknowledgment would be painful. Denial can be a subtle escape from (or avoidance of) any situation which could cause the emotional signal. This includes even the minor anxiety of growing pains. This means that learning experiences would be avoided. This is not spiritually desirable, but the human defenses are prone to do just that, without rational understanding of the feeling.

65

Lessons of Enlightenment

In our baseball example, if the struggling child would not admit his own need for assistance, a mental escape would allow him to save face. He could come up with any number of ideas that would explain his lack of success at hitting the ball. This is self-deception, but it offers relief from the emotional signal by adopting an avoidant idea. Humans are extremely resourceful in their denial. It is a subtle, even subconscious, habit that must be guarded against. But denial is not a lone avoidant strategy. For humans also have many other creative diversions that successfully avoid and quiet unpleasant feelings. Distraction is also a handy Flight Response. Humans distract themselves from bad feelings by behaving in ways that bring pleasure. They can escape into safe and fantastic imagined realms through books, television, films or other entertainment; they can focus intently on distracting or thrilling tasks, they can eat, socialize, work or make love. Certain of these diversions are harmless, even quite rewarding, in moderation. But any such activity in direct response to (or avoidance of) emotional pain, does nothing to resolve the imbalance. In excess, they can even become neurotic compulsions and the feelings will only get stronger. They will linger continuously, smoldering just beneath the surface of consciousness, prompting further mindless, non-productive, compulsive, bizarre or unhealthy actions. This cycle can continue indefinitely until the basic underlying sliver is removed, or the body wears out. This avoidant strategy would yield a painful, hellish (and perhaps short) existence. Another psychological Flight Response is the human practice of actually altering the physical chemistry to relieve emotional dissonance through medicating the body with alcohol, nicotine and other drugs. Of course, chemical manipulation of a healthy emotional system can only rob humans of its advantages and indeed, can cause irreparable harm. One need not look far to see liberal, reckless use of the Flight Response. But optimally it should be chosen with foresight and exercised with caution. It does not resolve the conflict, nor restore the balance, and it can desensitize one from their own emotional signals, to the point where they deny the feelings themselves. In short, the Flight Response should be saved for a last-ditch corrective option, and diligent efforts should be expended to avoid this particularly tenacious, hardwired, avoidant response.

66

Beta: The Feeling System

The Fight Response The other avoidant response is, of course, the Fight Response. This is the active, expressive form of resistance in which external force is used to overcome the danger or to change it in some way. It is a relative (perhaps the evil twin) of the Light Response, but without the acceptance of the situation nor the spirit of cooperation. It is the competitive response to limitation, obstacles, lack of resources or opportunity. The Fight Response seeks to correct or reshape the external world so that it can better accommodate a need-meeting effort. Initially, the Fight Response ensured that humans would survive by meeting their needs through competitive brute force when necessary. The assumption justifying this response is that only one winner can emerge, that this is surely a competitive win-lose proposition and a win is necessary to self protect. Until societies fully acknowledge human nature and accommodate the needmeeting choices of their citizens, this response will still be appropriate, for resistance to any ideas or codes that deny needs of spirit is what the Creator desires. If this were not true, humans would not experience anger, the selfpreservationary aggressive response. Political resistance, even revolutionary actions, which stand up for human rights are historically evident and understandably beneficial. If the oppression is mighty, even war can be beneficial. However, this is merely due to the misunderstanding of human nature and needs, and the miscommunication between spirit, mind and body. Such limits continue to exist within societies, but in an enlightened society, Light Responses are received and assimilated which continuously expand freedoms and opportunities. They ultimately evolve away from the need for spiritual resistance. When such limitation still exists, the Fight Response is a necessary choice. Of course, a modern version would be to communicate the problem and your nonacceptance of it. Doing this in a peaceful manner, within the acceptable avenues of change already in place within ones society, is the best method. This is why there are social, judicial or political processes in the more enlightened societies for the resolution of such conflicts. Usually, however, by the time a Fight Response is necessary, the limitation is firmly entrenched and accepted within the social order. There still exist many societies on earth where the credo is severity for those who resist. Such countries fail to recognize the individual needs and the fact that they take priority over the group needs within its members. There is much 67

Lessons of Enlightenment

institutionalized suffering as a result. Any country that feels it needs a wall to contain its members has mistaken operational directives, clearly not aligned with spiritual intention. Fortunately, the world has now evolved to the point that there are countries that do provide escape from oppression, which ensures that Flight Responses, when necessary, can be effective. Eventually, those ideas that perpetuate the spirit will win out, if enough interaction between cultures is allowed. But progress could be increased exponentially with the understandings that restore spiritual intention to the process. The United States is an excellent training ground for such an exchange of ideas, through promoting values of freedom, equitable opportunity and happiness. This country recognizes both the individual and the group needs, in a world where it has been traditional for societies to choose one over the other. Although they have yet to attain the optimal balance between the two, this is evolving well. With the worldwide communication and mobility, many American ideals are rapidly being spread throughout the world, some of which are beneficial to global evolution. Rejection of resistance is also the basic premise within most religions. Their method of oppression is through introducing further slivers when any conflicts are exposed. They offer bribes and threats to talk humans out of their basic needs, rather than accommodate them. The confessional booth for example, often brings to light conflicts between human need and religious dictate. Although it is unlikely that the priest will take certain suggestions to the Pope, this is exactly what the spiritThe Creatoris requesting. It is suggested that individuals within any religious organization, make Right Responses to reject any limiting dictate and keep only those that satisfy the spirit, so that they can enjoy the benefits of religion and without suffering the grossly misleading costs. Summary of Behavioral Corrective Response Each and every human behavior, be it thought or action, falls into one of these categories. Each is motivated by a feeling. Although many such feelings are subtle, there is a constantly available, yet changing emotional energy underlying every human motive to act. If each action is analyzed, it shall become apparent that without exception, it will be motivated by either a Right, Light, Flight or Fight Response. Within the feedback paradigm, emotion is exposed as the crucial communicative tie that either unites or separates, mind, body and spirit.

68

Beta: The Feeling System

With this crucial information at the disposal of humans, they can begin to monitor and utilize the essential messages of the spirit. They can understand their behaviors by finding the underlying feelings. They can identify the gems and slivers by following them to their source. They can make reasoned choices for their corrective responses to imbalances. These can be optimal choices that contribute to individual and mass evolution. They can even make plenty of human mistakes, but they will be far ahead of the game with such a strategy. For this inner gift will always be present to guide them even from the darkest, most painful moments back into the light. Each such soldier of light can contribute to the wave of consciousness expansion that shall soon crash upon human shores. Even with minimal understanding of the subtleties of the emotional sense, anyone can join this effort. They can do so simply by following some elementary behavioral guidelines. All it takes is a genuine commitment to self-development and expression, honest self-analysis and logical order in the choice of corrective response. Many scourges upon humanity are the direct result of humans choosing the response choices in the wrong order. There are certainly notable exceptions, but for the most part self-preservation creates the normal urge to action in the following order: 1. 2. 3. 4. Deny feelings; take Flight from pain, (even growing pain) Fight to maintain emotional boundaries Right if unavoidable Light when possible

Changing this pattern alone can create enormous and immediate growth. Although there are more understandings to come, anyone wishing to join the forces of light can simply follow this simple strategy to guide their behavior and to experience tremendous progress. To live within spiritual intention from this moment forth: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Listen to feelings; resist denial of emotional messages. Right first. If obstacles persist, cooperate and offer Light. If obstacles persist, resist, compete and Fight. If obstacles persist, take Flight.

69

Lessons of Enlightenment

Each successful day of living within spiritual intention will allow evermore complete understandings to unfold. With this simple behavioral guidance, the spirit can begin to sing. We can now press on to examine the specific feelings themselves. Each understanding will assist in the full restoration of the innate emotional sense, understanding of the Language of SpiritThe Language of God.

70

Beta: The Feeling System

Lesson 3: The Six Basic Feelings


Emotions of Spirit With the understanding of the intended feedback function of human emotion, the feeling signals become honored as crucial communicators. Although the simple behavioral guidance for choice of response is already a tremendous aid, full utilization of the sixth human sense is assisted by heeding the specific messages of each of the signals. For each emotional signal has a specific purpose, related to a specific spiritual need, and each calls for its own specific response. In the earlier discussion regarding interpretation of emotional signals, the tool of the Twin Selves was offered to redefine the boundary between mind and body, or internal and external realms. This distinction allows humans rational interpretation of their feelings so that they can choose the correct response. During that discussion, it was hinted that there was an easier way to tell the difference between mind and body to help interpret emotional signals. This is because there are specific emotions connected with each of the selves. There are specific emotions that automatically suggest that the imbalance springs from limitations in the realm of mind, and others that communicate from frustrated needs of embodied spirit. Although the order of response is still as recommended, those feelings which come from contents of mind will automatically suggest self-developmental behaviors (Right Responses), and those of body will suggest self-expressive or preservationary (Light, Fight or Flight Responses). We can now examine the feelings themselves and reacquaint ourselves with this most wondrous, yet misunderstood spiritual communication system. The Emotions of Body In the beginning, there was one basic emotion, joy. Joy, of course, is the conscious experience of Divine Love. Joy is the intended state of spirit. As we now know, when humans donned the chemical cloak they became susceptible to interruptions of spiritual intention. To ensure an ever-present spiritual connection during the physical journey, the body (the Genetic Self), was encoded with protective devices to save humans from themselves. This is the homeostatic feedback device that signals when spiritual intention is frustrated, and motivates corrective actions to get back onto the track of joy. In this system, feelings both signal the problem and motivate the corrective responses.

71

Lessons of Enlightenment

Encoded within the body to do this job were two basic human emotions. They were joy and fear. They equated simply to spiritual expression or frustration, to the Divine Light or the darkness in its absence, to pleasure and pain. Joy motivated a human approach and fear motivated an avoidance. Fear was intended to ensure the preservation of the species as a corrective signal when needs were unmet as well as a hardwired avoidant response that could over-ride the mind when necessary. These two emotions, when interacting with the cognitive abilities of the brain and the need-meeting actions of early humanity, soon branched into the emotions of anger and sadness. And then there were four. Anger sprang from the human need for freedom and control. Anger would grow from fear over memories of frustration and future projections of concern over interference with efforts of spiritual expression. It motivated active fight responses to ensure that external obstacles were not to be tolerated. Sadness sprang from loss experiences. Most specifically from losses of people and the severance of ties that satisfied the group needs. Sad feelings were meant to motivate actions that promoted new, replacement alliances and protected against further loss. Thus, we now have four basic hardwired emotions: joy, fear, anger and sadness. They should be thought of as emotions of the body or the Genetic Self. These hardwired feelings are present at birth and displayed in early infancy. These are universal emotions, experienced for the same reasons by all humans regardless of culture. They should be understood as indicators that self-preservation is truly the message. Joy means that needs of the spirit have been fulfilled, while the pain of anger, fear and sadness means that needs are frustrated by obstacles that must be removed. These four emotions motivate universal mental and physical responses of approach or avoidance to ensure self-preservation. It is important to mention, that although these emotions spring from body in the feedback situation, that they are filtered through the perceptions and beliefs of mind. So for this reason, the Right Response should always remain the optimal first response choice. This would be a quick, non-resistant, (non-defensive) accurate analysis of underlying beliefs about the emotional-invoking situation. Any conflicts discovered could then be immediately resolved. This will ensure that objective, rational assessment of the situation has been achieved and that the obstacles are not internal, imaginary or self-created. But once this has been ruled out, this feeling signal in a similar situation can accurately be understood as indication of an external obstacle that must be removed by an expressive response.

72

Beta: The Feeling System

The Emotions of Mind All other emotions are outgrowths of these primary emotions and are secondary softwired emotions. Although they are rooted in human biology, they are not present at birth; they develop with age, interaction and experience. They develop entangled with the culture values, knowledge, memories and beliefs of the mind. They exist in the realm of the Cultural Self. Their meaning can be as complex or simple, as straightforward or convoluted, as supportive or debilitative as the human mind in which they are experienced. They are directly related to human experience; in other words, they are learned. They can be attached to most any human idea that can exist within the realm of mind. The summations and beliefs that invoke them can very widely. The emotions of mind include guilt, shame, hope, pride, embarrassment, remorse, confidence and any other subtle shade of feeling not mentioned in the above category. They relate directly to contents within the realm of mindto the gems and sliversand indicate that self-developmental responses are in order. These learned emotions of mind call for learned responses of mind, Right Responses. We know now that these are not hardwired. They must be actively chosen and undertaken, often in the face of opposing urges toward avoidance. This key understanding will cast many situations into an entirely different light. It will be shocking as it exposes rather entrenched and universal emotional boundaries. But it is now extremely necessary to shock humans back into understanding, to break through the haze of denial and self destruction. For example, when a situation arises in which guilt is experienced, this will now be understood as a message from the spirit that some external dictate has been internalized that has frustrated or limited a need. This is exactly opposite of what most humans are taught about the experience of guilt. In fact, this emotion has been utilized to inspire conformity to external dictates at the expense of internal ones for thousands of years. With such slivers, the first impulse upon the experience of guilt might be a trip to the confessional or some such action that shares the concern and allows getting the issue off ones chest. This is good; it can actually be an expressive Right Response where one seeks external counsel, enlightenment or understanding so that the internal changes can be effected. The result would be a change in belief systems that would prevent the same situation from being repeated, thus the feeling signal would be quieted and would not arise again in similar situations.

73

Lessons of Enlightenment

But this is not an optimal action if it leaves the sliver in the mind. No amount of cultural or religious appeasement will actually remove a need that has been stifled. The spirit will diligently protest the sliver and the situation and its resulting guilt will arise again and again. For as we know, slivers are often conflicting ideas that humans believe, which give them conflicting directives and create confusing impulses. Once these conflicts are exposed and eliminated, the directives can be those of the spirit, not those of a confused mind. For ultimately, humans will find that any action that brings a feeling of guilt will be the result of a maladaptive response to an emotion-invoking situation, driven by conflicting beliefs and misunderstandings, or good old-fashioned laziness. There is no evil; there is no inherently wrong act, unless it violates the needs of the spirit. Guilt is not the only misconceived feeling; each has become muddled and entangled with an incredible amount of human knowledge. Since there are so many misunderstandings regarding feelings, we now turn to a careful analysis of each of the major emotions. Together the emotions of mind and body now comprise six basic feelings that underlie every subtle feeling. All of which are affected by contents of mind, two of which are exclusive to the contents of mind. With clear understandings of the six universal feelings, rational analysis of each subtle experience can be attained. The Emotions of Mind Six Universal Feelings: Joy, Fear, Anger, Sadness, Envy and Guilt JOY Definition: A very glad feeling, happiness, delight; anything causing this. Range: Mild, pleasant contentment, to rapturous ecstasy. Source: Genetic Self (body/spirit), in its drive for preservation and expression; Cultural Self (mind) in its drive for development. Stimulus Conditions: Rewarding, situations. Hyper-accommodation of physical or psychological needs; getting better than expected results; creative and spiritual expression of the Genetic Self, and development of the Cultural Self. Instinctive Response: To approach; to recreate stimulus circumstances to bring about the feeling again and again. Intended Function: To accomplish self-preservation, development and expression by identifying those experiences which should be cultivated, reinforced and recreated. To provide motivation to continue along paths which are successful at spiritual need-fulfillment. Pitfalls: The possibility of creating artificial, escapist or induced pleasure through compulsive actions or through biological and/or pharmacological ma-

74

Beta: The Feeling System

nipulation; Joy entangled with reproductive drive (infatuation and other lesser forms of love)beware. Recommended Course Of Response To Joy: 1. Any approach (developmental or expressive), behavioral responses which increase the stimulus and recreate the feelings of joy, for genuine reasons, which expand goals, broaden arenas, elaborate and improve strategies that are already working, and sharing them with others. Joy leads to its own reward. 2. If any negative emotions arise from such Right and Light behaviors, analyze the stimulus conditions and proceed through the recommended course for those emotions. They will expose conflicts in belief that need resolution. Caution: joy is so powerful that no one wants to lose a source of joy, even if that source is also the source of great pain. This conflict spurs the automatic Flight Response of denial (denial of the negative aspects of the source in order to continue to enjoy the positive aspects of the source). Food For Thought: Be happy, its one way of being wise. Colette Joy is a net of love by which you can catch souls.Mother Teresa FEAR Definition: Anxiety caused by real or possible danger. Range: Mild anxiety to blinding, heart-stopping panic. Source: Genetic Self, in the drive for self-preservation. Stimulus Conditions: Threatening situations. 1. Internal beliefs, thoughts, ideas, attitudes or memories that cause perceived danger or potential threat to need fulfillment. 2. People, things or situations in the external environment that threaten health, safety or need fulfillment. 3. Emotional Boundaries of self cause mild anxiety in developmental or learning situations (growing pains), since development is a threat to self-preservation. Instinctive Response: To take flight, to retreat or escape Intended Function: To motivate the avoidance of, and the escape from situations that threaten to diminish need fulfillment opportunities or efforts, (and ultimately, threats to survival).

75

Lessons of Enlightenment

Pitfalls: Imaginary threats can create very real fear feelings. Fear prompts avoidant thoughts and behaviors quite naturally, but such denial fails to address or remove the underlying source, perpetuating a cycle of fear and further avoidance as well as narrowing mental emotional boundaries. Overly closed ideological environments can promote paranoia, avoidance of (and ultimately hate of) other different environments and their members. Fear of the unknown and avoidance of growing pains, can thwart self-developmental need fulfillment efforts and stymie learning. Recommended Course of Response To Fear: 1. Right Response: Examine beliefs and interpretations of the fearinvoking situation to be sure that it is indeed a verified threat, not an imagined or self-created one. Discard any doctrines or beliefs that perpetuate irrational fear. Put valid memories of fear-invoking situations in their proper historical perspective. Seek knowledge. Often, knowledge alone can replace fear of the unknown. Remind yourself that risk is the necessary price of glory. 2. Light Response: Alter the situation to reduce the negative component, if minimally threatening. 3. Flight Response: Get away from a truly threatening situation long enough to evaluate strategies, to resolve or eliminate the threatening situation; or retreat permanently if necessary. Food for Thought: Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood.Marie Curie I am not afraid of storms for I am learning how to sail my ship. Louisa May Alcott Anger Definition: Hostile feelings because of an opposition, a hurt. Range: From mild frustration to irrational, blinding rage. Source: Genetic Self, in its drive for self-preservation; stifled, confounded or unsatisfied individual needs for empowerment and control over ones destiny. Stimulus Conditions: Power/control loss situations. Frustrated needs due to perceived external obstacles. The attributed source can be either upon environmental obstacles or upon shortcomings of the Cultural Self, both of which are external to the core Genetic Self. Instinctive Response: The Fight response, outward aggression.

76

Beta: The Feeling System

Intended Function: To accomplish self-preservation by generating active expressive behavioral responses which successfully remove the obstacles from the external environment. Pitfalls: In interpretation: Anger can be invoked by perceptions based upon maladaptive beliefs, attitudes or mental Emotional Boundaries. (This is invalid and contrived anger). In response, maladaptive, misdirected anger can result in violence and destruction of self and others. Negative outcomes of these pitfalls can be avoided if response rules are followed: Recommended Course Of Response To Anger: 1. Right Response: Evaluate beliefs, attitudes and expectations that bring on the angry feelings. Look to self. Are outcome expectations realistic and reasonable? If not, the anger is contrived. Look to the world. Does the environment deny a just and equitable opportunity for need meeting? If not, the anger is contrived. In both cases, beliefs are to be altered accordingly. This step will remove the mental source of contrived anger. 2. Light Response: If Right Responses have met with failure and the obstacle is legitimate, it is time to effect external changes. Light Responses are behaviors toward the anger source that can successfully alter or remove the obstacle so that needs can be met. Respectful cooperative communication, persuasion and self expression can accomplish this goal. 3. Fight Response: If respectful cooperation is not successful, it is time to take a more aggressive, even revolutionary expressive stance in honor of the spiritual need. Such actions should be attempted within the established conflict-resolution processes that exist, but should escalate in direct proportion to lack of receptivity within the environment. 4. Retreat Response: If even after all expressive attempts, the obstacle persists, a Flight Response is in order. It is then necessary to leave the situation and find more free, just and opportune surroundings. Food For Thought: The size of a man can be judged by the size of that which makes him angry. Harry Truman SADNESS Definition: Having or expressing low spirits; unhappy, sorrowful, causing dejection; sorry (broadly includes grief). Range: Mild, unfocused blues to the depths of chronic, even suicidal, depression. 77

Lessons of Enlightenment

Source: Genetic Self, in its drive for self-preservation. Stimulus Conditions: Loss situations. The perceived irretrievable loss of something need-fulfilling; be it a dream, a goal, a belief, a person, a thing, a self-image or exception. (Note: if the loss is impending but has not yet occurred, anger, not sadness is cued; the loss is perceived as certain and irretrievable when sadness is experienced). Instinctive Response: To take flight, to escape or deny the loss. Pitfalls: Lingering in state of denial that a loss has actually occurred can perpetuate continuing anger. Failure to adapt to a loss can result in long term depression. Loss can be purely imaginary or falsely perceived, and sadness is cued unnecessarily and unjustifiably; acceptance of such an imagined loss (or personal lack) can lead to the adoption of faulty and detrimental thought processes and self-defeating behaviors. Recommended Course Of Response To Sadness: 1. First Right Response: Accept that the loss has occurred when your external experience keeps telling you that it has. An attitude change is necessary which shifts the object of the loss (idea, thing or person) into a realm of the past. Although memorial fondness can continue forever, the object, along with its need-fulfilling gifts must be completely removed from future expectations. This can, and does take time. But such restructuring is necessary to usher in replacement strategies. If anger is experienced during this process, it shows that the loss is not yet fully accepted. 2. Second Right Response: Adopt replacements for the object of loss. Find new beliefs, things or people to provide the missing need-fulfillment. 3. Light Response: Actively make external changes in physical or ideological surroundings that can accommodate the adaptations suggested above. Extensive grief can be channeled in vicarious, yet positive, needfulfilling directions. Food For Thought Adversity is the first path to truth.Lord Byron ENVY Definition: Discontent or ill will over anothers advantages possessions, abilities, etc., (broadly includes jealousy). Range: Mild self-conscious discomfort, to open hostility toward another. Source: Cultural Self, in the drive toward self-development (offshoot emotion, tempered by learning, but related to genetic anger and sadness). 78

Beta: The Feeling System

Stimulus Conditions: Negative comparison situations. When self and others are compared on some scale, the self is assessed with less of the desired qualities, skills, abilities, advantages or possessions than the other. Instinctive Response: To fight or take flight, to overcome or avoid the object of painful comparisons. Intended Function: To signal that the Cultural Self has not yet developed to the point of full expression of the Genetic Self and that further development is needed. This painful reminder comes when one sees another who possesses or has achieved higher levels of some desired quality. Pitfalls: Feelings can be misattributed. Personal lacks perceived can be irrational, defiling or neglecting spirit; prompting maladaptive, spiteful responses which attempt to lessen the other instead of Right Responses that bolster the self. It is often difficult to avoid Fight and Flight Responses. Recommended Course Of Response To Envy: 1. First Right Response: Take self-developmental steps to acquire skills, abilities, opportunities, etc., that are possessed by the object of envy. (But such changes should only alter the mind or Cultural Self). 2. Second Right Response: If the enviable ability or quality lies in the realm of the Genetic Self or body (i.e., physical beauty, strength, height, etc.), acceptance of corporeal limitation will end pangs of envy over qualities that simply cannot be changed. Instead, consider and work upon areas of strength that can be or have been cultivated. Give selfcredit where self-credit is due. Food For Thought: If it is painful to you to criticize your friendsyou are safe in doing it. But if you take the slightest pleasure in it, thats the time to hold your tongue. Alice Duer Miller GUILT Definition: A feeling of self-reproach from believing that one has done wrong; (broadly includes shame and embarrassment). Range: Mild self-doubt to debilitating self-hatred. Source: Cultural Self, (offshoot relative of fear). Stimulus Conditions: When thoughts and behaviors fail to match with some internal ideal self-image or accepted code of behavior. Often guilt is experienced following a behavior which fulfills some physical, spiritual need, yet which goes against some learned ideology.

79

Lessons of Enlightenment

Instinctive Response: To take flight, retreat from negatively assessed self qualities, actions or behaviors. Intended Function: To direct attention to conflicts within knowledge and beliefs, or to those that go against the needs of the Genetic Self. Pitfalls: Guilt is learned and can be attached to almost any behavior or thought, depending on the culture. Since it is a gut feeling, it seems to come from some sacred place within, while in actuality it springs solely from learned beliefs. It is common to subordinate the needs of the Genetic Self to the rules and codes of behavior dictated by ones culture. It is also illogical and debilitating to do so. Recommended Response To Guilt: 1. Right Response: Make sure your behaviors match your conscience. Do what you say you will dowalk your talk. But examine beliefs, alter or discard any which go against the needs of the Genetic Self. Develop positive accommodating attitudes toward every aspect of your Genetic nature. 2. Light Response: Use logic and persuasion to alter the external cultural belief systems that deny any aspect of your genetic nature. (Any such components are counter-evolutionary and will hamper even the most intelligent, best fitting cultural doctrines). 3. Flight Response: If the external environment fails to accommodate your nature, leave for better ideological or physical locales. Food For Thought: Guilt is the price we pay willingly for doing what we are going to do anyway. Isabelle Holland Its hard to fight an enemy who has outposts in your head. Sally Kempton Sin is whatever obscures the soul. Andre Gide With clarity regarding the feeling system, how it works and how it can be so easily misused, we can press on to discuss the practical usage of this system.

80

Beta: The Feeling System

Lesson 4: Emotion: The Sixth Sense


Heeding the Spiritual Directive Despite thousands of years of humankinds quest for meaning and self understanding, it has never been achieved. The slivers from the Mind of Man have perpetuated confusion and false ideas that limit human power and defile human nature, stripping away the birthright of Free Will. It is testimony to the spiritual tenacity of human beings that they have evolved as well as they have under such severe conditions. For since the dawn of humanity, they have been struggling along without benefit of a major sensory systemhuman feeling. With this system, the spirit offers its directives for living in the light. Human survival can be attributed to the spiritual safety net of self-preservation. They can operate upon rudimentary hardwired responses to the feelings in approach and avoid behaviors, which meet the minimal level of human need and promote the perpetuation and survival of the species without interfering with Free Will. But operating upon self-preservation alone is only a slim percentage of spiritual intention and human potential. As free will is utilized in ways that accommodate spirit, humans evolve. As humans evolve, the spiritual directive is no longer limited to selfpreservation. It becomes self-development and expression. Acceptance replaces resistance, cooperation replaces competition and Right and Light responses become the norm. Human civilization has now reached the point where living in relative darkness can give way to enlightenment. With the technological mobility, global communication and economic interdependence of humans, there is no longer the isolation that allowed competition to ensure survival. As worlds collide, cultures clash, and religions wage war, the global community should take note that survival now depends on cooperation. There need not be losers. As always, the spirit waits patiently within, to offer its clear guidance for individual and social evolution. These Lessons are designed to allow the rediscovery of this most wondrous gift at a time when human consciousness is ready for a great leap forwardand it all begins with self understanding. If these Lessons sound a bit esoteric and abstract, think about it this way: Humans have achieved tremendous technological creativity, with global marketplaces for the exchange of goods and information. What if, perhaps, some inventor developed an incredible new machine that could communicate directly with the Creator, that could give moment-to-moment advice on how to act to create the most pleasurable and fulfilling existence? A machine that could 81

Lessons of Enlightenment

greatly reduce pain, fear, anger and suffering; a machine to accomplish great learning; a machine that could enhance physical and mental health, as well as provide enlightened guidance for development of evolved civilizations; a machine that could ultimately achieve world peace? If such a machine were advertised, most humans would be quite dubious indeed. They might scoff that such a thing might be too good to be true. Or if it were, that it would come at a price most could not afford to pay. It would become an accouterment of only the rich and famous. It would also challenge many cherished religious and scientific beliefs about mans placepowerless within a vengeful, meaningless, or chaotic universe. They might immediately resist and reject such a possibility, driven by their beliefs. And they would be dead wrong. For not only does this machine exist, it already belongs to each and every human being. It is the supreme human gift and it is free for the taking. Regardless of whatever human station, or culture or financial portfolio, it can be immediately activated to begin providing all those services and many, many, more. This machine will be the great equalizer and unifier for it will allow the meek to inherit the earth. Those that begin immediate activation of this force will be the pioneers of human consciousness. Of course, this machine is the communicative feedback system of human feeling. It is the understanding of the sixth human sense the spiritual sense. It is the Creators innate word and judgment regarding human survival, human connection and purpose, as well as moment-to-moment guidance in human interactions. It can make the difference between resistant, painful suffering, competition and base survival; and joyful acceptance, cooperation, spiritual fulfillment. It should be received and valued as if it had been purchased for millions upon millions of dollars. These Lessons, for the first time in human history, have offered a definitive portrait of human nature. A portrait that is universal among all humans, regardless of the diverse cultures that now exist. This machine belongs to everyone. The feelings whisper the highest truth of human nature and purpose. Now is the time to activate this machine. Now is the time to attune to the spiritual directive. Now is the time to begin the experience of true humanity. To begin anew with a full comprehension of what it means and how it works to be human. No more guesses, no more assumptions of evil, no more need for external controlnone of this is, or ever has been, necessary. No more will humans flounder in ambivalence and conflicting directives. No more will free will run amok. No more will humans be fooled by their own illusory creations. They

82

Beta: The Feeling System

will at last be able to judge not. For they will hear the one true judge, the feelings which speak the wisdom of spirit. From there, new worlds can begin to open to humans as institutionalized limitations are removed. New levels of consciousness can be attained, new creative worlds, and new levels of joy. Human potential has many surprises awaiting those that answer the challenge of spirit. Not only can tremendous benefits be achieved, but equally devastating disasters can be averted. The technological abilities of humans have outstripped their understandings of themselves. Resistance, competition and suffering are now the accepted norm. Without self understanding, the basic (yet maladaptive) responses of self preservation will continue; evolution will be tremendously impeded as well as the ominous possibility for the self-destructive demise of the realizations that instigated nuclear disarmament. The Light cannot help but spread if chosen, obtained and lived within by each individual. Let peace begin with Thee. To activate the machine, to choose the Light, is to completely accept the fact that the Creator endowed humans with inner guidance. It is to live the truth that the wisdom of God is not limited to Holy texts or other external dictates, but to know that it is possessed within. The Creators purest word exists in nature and any human translation is less than pure. Human nature is no exception the answers lie within. This message has always been inherent in every great teaching, albeit lost within the cultural distortions. But what has always been missing from such teachings has been exactly how to listen and react to this inner wisdom. It is through the feeling system that this is accomplished. It is through the feelings that the spirit can inform, develop and correct the mind. It is through understanding the difference between automatic self-preservationary motivations to Fight or take Flight, and the rational, willful choice of Right and Light responses. It is through understanding of universal human needs and in designing of political, religious, educational, economic and social institutions that accept, value, honor, and accommodate them. The Creator intended for humans to use this system to retain the connection with the Spirit of All That Is, to be guided toward the most fulfilled and joyous experience. Human joy is the Creators joy. Human suffering is also experienced by the Universal Spirit. Its expanding consciousness, its joy and light urge humans to eliminate these dark spots that they have willfully (albeit accidentally) created. Despite the priceless value, the only cost is the commitment to the spirit itself.

83

Lessons of Enlightenment

The Spiritual Commitment Learning the mechanics of the feeling communication system is the first and primary step. Understanding alone can allow the natural spiritual impetus to become dominant within each individual. In understanding their needs and the inevitable self-preservationary impulses, each person can become aware of their own habits of thought and actions. They can recognize those activities that truly bring fulfillment, as distinct from those that seek refuge from misunderstood feeling signals. They can identify destructive need-meeting strategies that will surely arise if constructive ones are not available. They will enjoy a new awareness of life. But awareness alone is only half the battle, and perhaps the easy half. It falls to the individual to act upon the spiritual impetus. This requires the commitment to actively choose and carry out the optimal corrective responses desired by the spirit. This will be a difficult directive to fully embrace, given the historical dependence upon external codes, rules, counsel and advice. As always, there will be an automatic tendency to preserve ideas that have become comfortable strategies. (Remember, the Cultural Self is born of human knowledgeand all parts of self will seek preservation). Ones very identity is often shrouded within beliefs outside of spiritual intention. There will be an automatic tendency to escape painful learning experiences that may be necessary for self development. There will be an automatic tendency for groups of people of like mind to stand together and hold tight to their beliefs, even if they are limiting instead of offering broader opportunity. This can culminate in the urge to fight and even die for certain traditional ideals. Thus, there is a certain commitment to Divine Intention that will take courage and strength to unravel the many distortions that exist as truths within the realm of mind. It will take tenacity to handle those powerful emotional responses that will expose the deepest, most enduring, cherished, yet spiritually undesirable beliefs. But this intensity will surely abate as progress is made. There will also be verification from spirit every step of the way that will resonate, validate and reward the committed efforts with joyous feelings. This commitment marks the step up from an animalistic competitive consciousness, into the human spiritual cooperative of All That Is. It is several giant steps away from the door of the cave where humankind now huddles.

84

Beta: The Feeling System

This commitment will ensure that the person will then be replaced upon a lifelong track of self development and expression, which is the goal of the spirit. This is a highly rewarding track to be upon, but it requires courage and faith in the inner messagesparticularly in the belief that the inner messages should always take precedence over external ones. When in doubt, you can find validation by identifying which spiritual need is being fulfilled by any belief or action. For if one strategy satisfies one need without violating another, then that action or belief is valid and good in the highest spiritual sense. Living in the Light We can now distill the understandings into a daily living scenario that can be beneficial in bringing them down from the abstract realm, for immediate application. Each day forward can be life in the light as opposed to the previous flashes within relative darknessdarkness of ignorance, self-preservation and misdirected energy creating events that mirror the limits of Mass Consciousness, rather than those desired by spirit. A deliberate daily strategy where ration and passion combine to direct and create life events will accomplish the maximum growth and fulfillment. As humans awaken each morning, they do so to a newly created world. They slip from one probability to the next without so much as a blink. As consciousness expands, it will become apparent how very much control each has over the creation of the desired events in ones life, and how they choose to actualize one probability over another. Certain thoughts should be reinforced such as, I create my own reality and My spirit will guide me. Each morning should be faced with reflections upon where ones life is going and how to get there faster today. Knowing that yesterday is gone, having been mined for its wisdom, that the power is in the present and nothing from the past can in-and-of-itself reduce it. Only belief in limitation can limit. Humans can actually split apart from their past and recreate it in the present with more supportive interpretations and beliefs about it. Remember that the mind has many unrecognized facets and tools, all of which can support spirit, or can limit it if misused. Before actually arising, it is suggested that humans harmonize to the spirit by engaging in a two-way communication. This creates clarity and communion through focused attunement. As the mind slows its vibration from dream consciousness into the hypnotic nether-realm before full awakening, much work can be done. The mind is most receptive and least effected by beliefs in this realm. Lucid communication is a natural process in which the messages and interactions from the dream realm allow mind to intuit certain knowledge and 85

Lessons of Enlightenment

ideas that can bolster the spirits goals. Conversely, after listening to the wisdom offered, one can then answer, and communicate individual intention back to spirit. These are the nuts and bolts of creative reality. Unbeknownst to humans, they create quite undesirable events by concentrating the powerful Will Energy of emotion upon beliefs and projections that they fear. Since emotion is the two-way language of spirit, everything operates as if humans are purposefully choosing such events. The spirit does nothing to alter the process in any way. It simply creates that which is concentrated upon and bathed in emotion. The spirit does judge them, however, through the emotions that will accompany events and experiences when they are manifested in physical reality. To counteract these unconscious directions of power that inevitably occur throughout the day, one must actively, consciously, refocus the Will Energy upon exactly what one desires. This is accomplished through the visualization of detailed images regarding each of the major life areas, empowering the vision with emotional (will) energy. Each of the following visuals will be flooded with positive joyous feelings of gratitude As if they have already been actualized. The energy communicates to the spirit what your mind intends to create, and is a critical essential ingredient in creating physical events. (The powerfully focused joy energy can negate other fearful images that arise and are mistaken for desired events). As you progress through the categories, upon completion, allow each one to ascend into Universal Consciousness, letting it go knowing that it will have made its mark. The Daily Meditation 1. Focus ration and passion upon the areas of Intellectual and Spiritual Development. Visualize yourself freely receiving Light and becoming one with the Universal Consciousness. See yourself learning, developing your mind to include all the creative tools that allow the spirit to sing freely. Visualize what the outcomes of such self development would look like and feel like. They could be travels, explorations and adventures, physical, mental and/or spiritual. Become completely caught up in the images and feelings, until spiritual resonance and completion is experienced and the event has occurred. (Completion is when the joyous emotional energy peaks and gratitude envelopes the image.) When this vision is complete, send it forth, like a balloon into the heavens, clearing it from your mind. 2. Envision the Life Mission. This is about spiritual expression once certain development has been attained. This is the Destiny Path upon which you have embarked by designing this specific incarnation. If you do not 86

Beta: The Feeling System

yet know what your mission is, then focus upon a general completion of it without the specifics. Feel the fulfillment of a complete and satisfied spirit that has completed the Destiny Path. In time, as you notice opportunities and act upon them, your mission will unfold to you. If you already know, then focus upon exactly what that mission would look like and feel like without any limitations whatsoever placed upon what you can accomplish. Beliefs regarding limitations of time, of resources, of opportunity, or self-ability often arise in this area. But not so much during this altered, relaxed state of consciousness. Your spirit honors no such limitations and its wisdom is much more clear in this space. Visualize as if there is no limitation and energize this image with feeling. 3. Envision the Professional Accomplishments desired. This can be in any chosen field or aspired direction where one makes a living as well as accomplishes spiritual expression. Visualizing specific events as well as long term outcomes can clarify intention, communicate and manifest desired events. If there is not yet a professional direction, education often substitutes. This need not be a salaried position; it can include home parenting, volunteerism and such action that contributes to an overall focus of life energy. It can be creating a salaried position out of ones desired interests. The key in this area is to capture an outlet for creativity and to not include any limitations in the visions. The sky is not even the limit. 4. When completion is attained, the fourth area of focus is upon the Material Desires. This is the financial expectations as well as specific accouterments, like a house, a car, a particular book, a piece of clothing, etc. Anything that feels desirable is worth shooting for. Specific artifacts can be quite pleasing to the unique esthetic or tone of the spirit. There are no rights or wrongs, simply what is pleasing to spirit. Be careful not to think that to live a spiritual life, one must have an austere life style. This is a silly and limiting, even manipulative belief. (This belief was originally promoted to gain compliance and control over serfs who might otherwise fight for their rights). Envision in great detail a life filled with all the financial abundance and material items spiritually desired, again enveloping this image in joyous gratitude. 5. The next area of focus is that of Physical Health and vitality. This is the area where specific body goals and maintenance can be empowered, as well as healing and transformations. Focusing empowered emotional energy upon any specific area of concern can be of tremendous benefit. Envisioning peak performance of all bodily systems and experiencing gratitude for the incredible physical form can help counteract the bar87

Lessons of Enlightenment

rage of negative and limiting human knowledge. Be sure to envision the correct balance between an underactive (for cancer prevention) or overactive (for allergic reaction) immune system. If it is underactive, envision little killer cells attacking that which is not self and keeping things tidy and in order. If overactive, tame those killer cells by showing them that which is self which may have caused allergic response. (Remember, this system thinks everything inside the body and mind is self and should be preserved, fighting against foreigner invaders. Food stuffs or other allergens should be embraced as self and enveloped in emotional joy to communicate and authorize your acceptance of them. Be very specific, and of course, empower the visions with joyous gratitude. There lies much undiscovered power in this area, but one caution is offered: do not be disappointed or discouraged if dramatic, miraculous results are not achieved immediately. This is the area where the most enduring and hard to dismiss beliefs reside; indeed, years of human energy have been invested in them. As individual and Mass Consciousness expands to understand the energy dynamics of the human body-mind, health and vitality will be far less elusive. 6. Focus upon Relationships. This is a prime area to satisfy the connection needs of spirit as well as general development and expression. If a primary relationship exists (a life mate, husband or wife), then it can be envisioned in its ideal form. If not, one can be created in which such mate will be attracted into ones experience. Problems can be addressed and clarified in face-to-face meetings with loved ones or work-mates. Psychic communication between parents and children is quite beneficial also. This need not be limited to the realm of the living. If there exist issues that evoke negative emotions regarding departed loved ones, recent grief or old issues can be settled with face-to-face conversations, regardless of whether or not that entity is currently focused in physical reality. Envision an interaction that discloses hurt feelings and evokes an apologetic or explanatory response. This can replace resentment with compassion and forgiveness, allowing emotional release and attitude change. No limits to the imagination are necessary. Simply empower the vision with joy and gratitude. These six categories should cover the main areas of ones life, but it is recommended to tailor and personalize your meditation, making it your own. It also helps to envision a special relaxed and beautiful nature place in which you can mentally escape to perform such meditations. (This can be a real place, or any combination of geographic features or natural beauty that invokes spiritual peace and resonance.

88

Beta: The Feeling System

Be as creative as you can beno limits exist in your imagination). In addition to the morning meditations, the effect can be bolstered by being repeated during the day or evening. (Deep breathing, about five deep connected breaths can help calm the mind and settle into a similar relaxed and receptive consciousness). The more creative energy the visions receive, the sooner they will begin to manifest in your life. The Meditation of the Clock This meditation is known as the Meditation of the Clock. It can be envisioned with each category like a number on the clock. Intellectual Development at 4:00, Mission at 2:00, Profession at 12:00, Material Desires at 10:00, Health at 8:00 and Relationships at 6:00). Having a visual format such as this can make this easier to manage and ensure that each major life area is allotted attention, focus and energy. This exercise can give you mental clarity. Perhaps you will be surprised to realize how many goals you have or did not really think about. Do not worry if the goals seem incompatible with one another. Simply dismiss any limiting ideas as they arise. Worry will be an important feedback clue later on to see how well you actually did dismiss them. Simply declare that which you desire. The clarity will allow you to get acquainted with your needs and how they manifest in your life. You will also be able to determine a great deal about your beliefs when starting from this place of clarity, for now your spirit has something to work on and to relate to your experience. And now you know exactly what your spirit is addressing through your communicative feeling sense. The Meditation of the Clock: The Daily Feedback Once you have begun the daily meditation you will be ready to watch for feedback from the spirit. It will seek balance between your desires and your outcomes, your internal and external worlds, between your spiritual intention and your physical experience. And it will signal whenever corrections are necessary. Now it knows how you want to meet your needs, and it will do its best to bring about every desired result. But it will only have the freedom that your mind has afforded it. It will only have the mental tools of beliefs, the gems and slivers, contained therein. It can only operate upon your existing level of selfdevelopment. It will try to achieve your goals in the existing environment. To succeed, it will require mental skills enough to overcome external challenges. And it will most surely bump into your limiting beliefs. For it will create exactly that which you believe most strongly will happen to yougood or bad. 89

Lessons of Enlightenment

You will feel the nudges of spirit when some event is not within your spirits desires. Whether or not you do a daily meditation, your spirit already attempts to create the reality you envision, working within your mental boundaries. But mostly this is unconscious; and fear, anger and guilt are the primary creative feelings. They can achieve certain levels of expression beyond preservation, but they can also empower scenarios and attract events exactly opposite to those that are truly desired. The Creator allows this so that eventually humans will make the connection between what they reap and what they sowbetween direction of the Will into beliefs and the outcomes they produce. Now, of course, is the time to understand the creative communicative power of human feeling and to harness it forevermore. Now that you know what the feelings mean and how to respond to them, they can finally do their job. And they will most certainly arise now that your intentions have clearly been offered. Any belief, attitude or developmental limitation that stands between you and your envisioned goal will signal a negative emotion, so that it can be removed. As you go about your daily business, closely attune to your emotions, and what they are saying regarding your stated goals. Your feelings will spring from your actions in the external world, and how successful they are at meeting your inner needs. As soon as you experience any emotion, stop and analyze the situation. There will be an imbalance or obstruction of some sorteither in the internal mental realm, or in the external physical realm. The feeling will signal this fact and motivate you to react correctively with internal developmental or external defensive or expressive responses. Of course, you know now that you do not really want mere selfpreservation! So watch for those auto-defenses! Good feelings signal situations and underlying beliefs that support and add to your goals. Remember, all feelings signal imbalance between mind and spirit. But this type of imbalance is the kind humans like and are motivated to create as often as possible. This is the imbalance that says, This is workingnot just adequatelybut wonderfully! What you are thinking and doing is bringing even more spiritual expression than you expected keep it up, keep it up, keep it up! Correcting this imbalance is easy. It will be some sort of developmental or expressive approach. This can be accomplished by making Right Responses (mental updates) in acknowledgement of good progress, bolstering successful strategies, relationships, skills, and belief and even broadening and expanding goals. This naturally bolsters self-esteem and confidence, resulting in faith to90

Beta: The Feeling System

ward overcoming future challenges this is empowerment. Light Responses (verbal and physical expressions) in which further skill and success can be offered to (and received from) others, are also effective behaviors in honor of positive emotional signals. They reap many fulfilling rewards. All other signals will be bad feelings that call for other, more urgent corrections. These feelings are your spirit saying: If you truly want this to happen, then why are you believing or doing this? Or, If you truly want this to happen, then this must be fixed! Although the most painful, these are actually the most valuable feelings, for they expose the most debilitating conflicts and beliefs. The most important reaction to these feelings is to stay aware of them. As time passes, your successful self-development will reduce the situations where you will experience negative emotion. As you no longer need to blunt your feelings, your overall sensitivity will rise, turning the volume up on all emotions since most of them will be positive. As you clear away limiting beliefs, new creative insights will become evermore accessible. This is enlightenment and the expansion of consciousness. Remember, living in the Light means living in Spiritual Intentionliving on purpose toward self-development and expression of your full potential. This is the high road. The low road is the self preservation, a mere shadow of true human potential. This level of existence often severs connective ties in competitive defense, temporarily overcoming an obstacle, but in the long run further frustrating the spirits connection need. But the body will defend and self preserve. And the mind will help it until these understandings are fully internalized. There may be many habitual, protective strategies in place to keep bad feelings at bay, but each and every one of them must be dismantled for the spirit to freely speak and do its job. Keep a vigilant guard against ineffective behaviors that compete, stall, excite and distract, yet do nothing to accomplish envisioned goals. The urge to self-preserve is quite powerful and habitual, also arriving in the form of defensive anger, in which blaming or any other skirting of the personal accountability for the situation occur, nearly automatically, The two major directives in such moments are to accept (resist not) your personal role in the situations as reported by spirit and thus looking within to seek improvements. This is not to say that external ideas that self-efface or denigrate the spirit are to be internalized or tolerated. Once you have ruled out that deficits are in your mind, self-expression, even preservation, is essential. The second is to operate from a stance of cooperation, not competition, in which there need not be a loser or blamed one.

91

Lessons of Enlightenment

With cooperation, the connection need is always honored, even if the connection is one of simple compassion for ignorance of another. A hearty and mature spirit will always seek self-development regardless of how unenlightened the external forces may be. The spirit will sing its pleasure following this higher choice of action. This reward is far greater than any temporary rush from revenge or one-upmanship that may follow vented anger. The former springs from self-development, the latter from self-preservation. Cooperative acceptance can set the stage for the accurate interpretation of the signal and choosing the appropriate response. The tool of the Twin Selves can determine if the belief that has frustrated the spirit exists in the realm of mind or body. If the belief is learned (of Cultural Self or mind) then a Right Response is in order. This is usually when there is an immediate need for selfdevelopmental learning. This happens when mind needs to add skills or ideas to accomplish the need-meeting challenge at hand. This is always the recommended first choice. To look within and seek clarity and improvement. Or instead, the feelings may spring from the frustrated need itself (the Genetic Self or spirit), if the needed skills and ideas already exist, so an external change is necessary. In this case, a Light Response is in order, as an external expression to remove the obstacle. In the simplest terms, if the imbalance springs from mind, development is at hand, if the spirit, expression. (Remember the rules: Right first; then Light; if obstacles persist, Fight; if they still persist, take Flight). These simple spiritual directives can guide your daily actions. If even a small percentage of actions are within spiritual intention rather than self-preservation, great progress can be made. There is no need to beat yourself up if you catch yourself making an automatic defensive response. Simply analyze it after the fact and find the belief that allowed this, change it, and next time the results will be different. Honor yourself instead for this newfound awareness. As you begin to become conscious of your choices and actions, you will open an entire world of self understanding. You will be able to see exactly why you have achieved certain successes and why others have eluded you. You will begin to notice an incredible tangle of conflicting ideas and directives through which your spirit has been trying to carry out your wishes. With reflection upon your personal history, you will later begin to notice that your beliefs do create your reality. You will also notice how your beliefs have been creating less than desirous events. You may feel awed, even afraid, of your power. This, like any other feeling, exposes the limited belief in your powerlessness that you now have proven to be obsolete. As these limits melt away, you will embrace and delight in your power.

92

Beta: The Feeling System

You will notice your needs and how you have been meeting them, in both constructive and destructive ways. You will begin to become familiar with your own emotional boundaries, expanding those of mind and standing firm in honor of those of spirit. Your progress will rapidly accelerate as you purposefully accept your personal accountability for each situation, rather than resist it with denial. Your interactions with others will change dramatically as you realize how much more rewarding cooperation is than competition. You will begin to approach the limits of the world with compassion, yet achieve spiritual fulfillment by offering your Light. Creating Community Although living in the Light is perfectly possible without sharing your new approach with anyone at all, finding others of like mind is quite rewarding. The synergy of community is very powerful. It is highly recommended to seek others who have chosen enlightenment, cohorts with whom to share experiences, exchange wisdom and gather support. With even one close friend with whom to share your experiences, they will become much more meaningful and salient. Family units can set aside particular times to discuss the understandings, and the efforts and outcomes at creating desired reality. Establishing focus groups with regular meetings can help build community and build great networks for the Light. With these strategies in place, you can now begin to live within the Light and allow life to unfold as your spirit desires. So begin now, and you will never be the same again. As you practice, your world will be affected by your newfound insight. You will discover that these understandings act as a small pebble tossed into a still pond. The implications will ripple outward in concentric circles until they reach the very boundaries of human existencefor the implications which logically follow the understanding of human nature, impacts every major area of life. It will be necessary to rebuild certain primary understandings to support your expanding consciousness. Thus, we can now turn the discussion to creating new beginnings.

93

Gamma
New Beginnings
Existing Directives

Lesson 1: New Tenets of Human Existence

Although many gemssuccessful, creative, spiritual inspired ideasexist within the realm of mass consciousness, the slivers are far more significant and far less obvious. There is no way to tell the difference between them, unless the spirit is invoked. Until these Lessons, it has not been apparent how to listen to spirit. Thus, humans, their cultures and civilizations have evolved without the critical understanding or benefit of their sixth, emotional sense. Mind often stands between Spirit and body, and mass consciousness now stands between spirit and its physical expression. With these new understandings, mind, body and spirit are at last reunited. Spirit can direct the development of mind to achieve maximum fulfillment and expression. Wholeness of experience can be achieved. The Grace of internal guidance is restored. This is a grand step forward in human existence. It is a step placing humans upon the intended evolutionary path, a higher road than simply selfpreservation. With this step comes tremendous liberation. The very world expands when adding this crucial puzzle piece to the picture of human existence. It brings a whole new worlda world far superior to the one with which most are now familiar. Humans now need to look about, to see their everyday surroundings in this new enlightened perspective. Each facet of life must be reexamined. This is where the inner work begins. Right Responses are in order that redesign the mind to accommodate the language and wisdom of spirit. New knowledge must replace old. Spiritual directives must replace those of human origin.

95

Lessons of Enlightenment

Upon redefining basic human nature, the next logical step is to examine how humans operate within existing conditions and directives. For it will be much easier to attune and respond to the feelings of spirit if certain habits are first examined. New strategies of acceptance, development and cooperation will be hampered by existing directives that predict and rely upon resistance, defense and competition, assuming that they are the only natural impulses. Scientific and Religious Directives We know now that many social structures are based upon misassumptions of human nature. They recognize and facilitate only self-preservationary behavior, and do not dare to presume something as optimistic as a spiritual intention. Modern human science pronounces the universe to be a machine, with deterministic forces interacting, concluding that all life results from a grand cosmic accident. It views the physical without regard or hint of the spirit, the order, the beauty or the intention within. To scientists, humans are also theorized to be machines, driven by the prime directive of survival as the only human purpose. Scientific assumptions of selfish generic determinism also underlie many physical and psychological health directives. People are seen as hopelessly diseased and disordered, with minimal control over the innate forces motivating them only toward survival. Spirit is never considered nor even mentioned in such discussions. Of course, this assumption is partly true. Without the mental conditions for the broader purpose of self-development and expression, humans do innately respond toward self-preservation. This is why evolutionary theory is based upon survival of the fittest. But survival is a minimal spiritual directive to ensure physical forms continuehardly the whole story of human potential. Many directives from health advisors must be reframed within the context of universal human needs, reconnection to spiritual intention and the feeling system. In contrast, modern religions do have faith in, and focus upon the spirit. They provide fulfillment for the spiritual needs for meaning and connection. Religious experience can invoke tremendous spiritual attunement and bliss. But more often than not, religions assume spirit to be somehow separate and unreachable except through beliefs (touted as unimpeachable truths), through rituals and intermediaries some of which have become very limiting, disempowering and dogmatic. And each ensures an innate evil nature that will most certainly dominate and lead humankind astray. Such world views offer meaning at a high price indeed, often defying ration. They are saturated with ideas, which separate and maintain a distance between the Creator and the creations. They often enforce the acceptance of mental sliv96

Gamma: New Beginnings

ers and conflicting information. Such conflicts allow the reconciliation between the logically opposing dictates of Thou Shall Not Kill and the practice of holy war. They also manipulate the emotional system in ways that are counter to spiritual intention. They can instill guilt feelings connected to any behavior deemed inappropriate in a given doctrine, many of which are perfectly beautiful and good in the eye of the Creator. When the mind is ordered to overrule the spirit, this creates conflict and negative emotion in humans. If the human accepts that order, the result is deprecation, depression, and the breaking of the spirit. The faithful are then limited to appeasing these feelings within the rules, rituals and interpretations of the masters of their faith. They remain forever in need of external direction. Each and every such directive should now be analyzed against the wisdom of spirit. When feelings are given the freedom to do their intended job, they offer the most valid and true judgments. Political and Governmental Directives Modern human political and legal structures also ignore spirit, and assume humans to be innately evil. They produce laws and codes that seek to control the self-preservationary impulses as if they are only impulses. They create societies with limited opportunities for humans to meet the spiritual needs, forcing them to compete rather than facilitating the innate cooperative impulse. For they are based upon scientific and religious knowledge, also without any concept of innate spiritual guidance. They also strive (albeit unconsciously), to meet the human needs. But in not knowing exactly what they are, it has been a trial and error learning process. Those systems, laws, and codes that have endured, must be meeting an adequate level of human need despite their inherent flaws, or they would have been rejected by humans and left behind as civilizations evolved. History is filled with external dictates that have been rejected in the most revolutionary of ways by humans. Indeed, many such rejections are abundantly evident in the world today. The most recent forms of government that have evolved are perhaps the most cognizant, accommodating and respectful of many human needs. But even they still struggle through trial and error approaches. Still, like science and religion, every existing political body or government contains assumptions that must be replaced with accurate ideas about human nature. These ideas will spring from the spiritual expression of individuals who are attuned to their inner guidance. Such people will make the accurate interpre97

Lessons of Enlightenment

tation and response to their emotional signals. They will make Right Responses to develop the mind. They will offer Light responses to share their improved ideas with their communities. They will Fight when it is appropriate to stand firm for their spirit, never to deny its supreme wisdom again. And they will take Flight if all else fails, to begin creating new worlds that suit the spirit, steadfastly rejecting external control and allowing themselves the empowerment that is their birthright. The Power of the Individual It is a common assumption that organizations lead and guide individuals. Schools instill knowledge, governments instill rules, religions instill morals and beliefs, each imparting information into the individualas if humans are like inflatable balloons. Although such exchanges of information are essential to prepare humans with the necessary mental tools to succeed in physical experience, the external sources do not hold the power. There are tremendous beliefs to overcome regarding the powerlessness of the individual. In each of the human cultural institutions, there are deeply ingrained beliefs that individuals can only achieve knowledge and control from their institutions themselves, from within the Mind of Man. Humans subordinate themselves to the doctrines of their country, their faith, their political party, their parents, their social pundits to anyone except the wisdom of their own spirit. The generally accepted idea is that human development comes from outside in. But within the new understandings, one can see that all changeinternal and external, individual and socialbegins within the individual. All individual and social evolution springs from the inside out. No group could exist without the creative vision, participation and expression of its individual minds. There would be no mass consciousness without the combined thought of each individual consciousness. Yet societies have taken on lives of their own, due to the limitations and misunderstandings within mass consciousness regarding human nature. They often fight to maintain the status quo, insisting upon the outside-in mode, and rejecting individual contributions that may not fit with the existing ideas. But human grouping that does not offer human freedom, power, meaning, connection and creative opportunities in some minimal form, cannot be successful in the long term. Spirit will reject them. The spirit has been evident in its rejection of such external control through individual and social pains and acts of self defensive violence. Individual members will Fight or take Flight. Such actions, 98

Gamma: New Beginnings

when viewed through the distorted lens of Mass Consciousness, have only served to reinforce the inaccurate belief that humans are inclined only toward selfish, evil actions and that without external control, they will destroy each other. Thus, the misguidance continues and still more external control is attempted. History shows this cycle. Countries that have needed physical or psychological walls to contain their members will ultimately fail. Such controlling communities will be overthrown, or other, more enlightened civilizations will attract their members. For true power and control must spring from the individual. In respect of this truth, communication channels and efficient responses to input are essential in any organization, whether it be a family, a religion, a scientific or political community, a club, a company or a country. It is the task of individual members of every social institution to be receptive to the expressions of the individuals, and allow the natural course of evolution to flow unimpeded. Now that the understandings and strategies for living in the light are in place, we can start exercising human power by redefining the contents of mind. You have begun a lifelong process of self-development, a redesigning of your mind, but this time, under spiritual guidance. You will be examining and sorting through your entire concepts and beliefs about life. You are committing to search out and reject anything and everything limiting to the spirit. This will require rethinking your philosophies, your political, economic, social and religious beliefs, and by reframing your life experiences in this new enlightened context. Be confident in the knowledge that the mind can be fooled by its own illusions, but the spirit cannot. The Mind of Man, mass consciousness, has become the respected source and supply of truth at the expense of spiritual intention. External guidance springs from mind and all outlets of external guidance must be subrogated to spiritual internal guidance. This commitment is not disrespectful of your mothers, or your teachers or your preachers. It need not diminish the wisdom imparted from the realm of mind in any way. Everything truly good for you will be saved and valued as always, but now you will have a way of knowing what is good in the highest sense. You will feel such validity from inside out. You will be utilizing your innate spiritual judge to tell you which ideas are gems to be kept and polished or which are slivers to be expelled. Your spirit will faithfully and tirelessly speak these pronouncements through your feelings of pleasure and pain.

99

Lessons of Enlightenment

Restoring the Blank Mental State It may be helpful to think of your mind as a house with various rooms. As you walk about in this mental house, you will be directing your consciousness into its various rooms. Your mental house is already filled with many beliefs and ideas. But the contents of every room must now be sorted and each idea tested against the spiritual judge. With this vision, empty a large room and place a sign upon the door which states: Gems According To Spirit. Then mark the door of an adjoining empty room with Incoming Information. Think of this as a receiving room, a holding tank, where each and every incoming idea, belief or conclusion from experience will be loaded with potential information. Some good, some silly but harmless, and some quite hurtful. The feedback from your experiences provides an endless supply of highly valuable input for this room. Maximum mental development is contingent upon a continuing source of new experience. This room is like an interim, limbo room, where everything is welcomed and accepted, whether or not it matches existing values, knowledge and ideas. This is the room in which it is appropriate to judge not. For this is the room where each piece of information awaits its spiritual judgment. But it is essential that everything must be allowed in. All mental emotional boundaries should be removed from the front of this door, to allow access to every meaningful result of experience. Guarding against defenses such as avoidance and denial will allow this room to function properly. Adjoining this receiving room will be a special judgment room where the actual spiritual determinations are made. The room can be called the Spiritual Advisory. This is a very special, personal, even sacred room, where you can retreat to analyze the incoming information that has caused emotional dissonance. Use good, vivid mental imagery and create the room to any specifications. Design and decorate it in any way pleasing to your spirit. Whenever a negative feeling is experienced, your consciousness is being directed into the Spiritual Advisory, bringing along a belief from the receiving room. Such feelings will come and go throughout your day; the power is in understanding what they are telling you. In this feeling moment, the idea creating the feeling is on the stand in the spiritual court. With your active participation in this process, you can direct the belief where it belongs. Once a belief has passed inspection in the Spiritual Advisory, it can be placed within the Gem room. This process can take a quick moment of reflection and a simple mental shift. Or for more deeply held beliefs, you can mentally retreat into this room to focus intently upon the situation, your feelings and reactions to figure out the core belief. (The more powerful the emotion, the more entrenched the belief, the more effort required to pry it loose.) 100

Gamma: New Beginnings

Of course, everyones mental house is already filled with existing beliefs and this is good. But each such room will also now be treated as incoming information. Negative feelings will direct your attention to these rooms as situations arise so that you can assess and respond to them accordingly. Ultimately, each room will be emptied and replaced with Gems, until every room is filled with nothing but Gems. This will be the spiritually intended mental state. Of course, even items in Gem rooms are always subject to recall into this Spiritual Advisory as outside circumstances, requirements and challenges change. They may need to be updated. Revisions to many existing beliefs will be necessary; gems can be polished and occasionally recut. Mental fluidity ensures the maximum possible spiritual expression and most rewarding, complete physical experience. Never fear, the feelings will always call forth that which is in conflict with the needs of spirit. When conducting your mental housekeeping, you will find that you need a removal system. There should be a garbage chute in this mental house, where ideas can be discarded if they have been proven by spirit to be limiting. This should be marked with a sign Slivers for Recycle. This might be easier than assumed. If valid replacement beliefs have been chosen and there are no other related beliefs, disposal is as simple as a decision to do so. However, if there are relatives, they will resurface in future experiences. They can simply be put through the process again. If disposal has been complete, there will never again arise a situation in which that feeling is experienced for the same reason. Adequate and continuous disposal increases over-all positive experience for this very reason. The first step in living in the Light will be to place the new understandings in the recently vacated rooms. The knowledge of the spiritual communicative system should be the first and only occupant in the Gem room. From the moment the inner voice can be heard, each and every piece of information should be measured against it. Even the messages within these Lessons should begin as incoming information to be passed trough the Spiritual Advisory. Living in the light means just that, without exception. Any truth of mind that resonates with spirit can be considered just that. Any truth of mind that is discordant with spirit must be reexamined. Each act of mental housekeeping is an active Right Response. Each acceptance of incoming information ensures defensive Flight Responses are not indulged. Each acceptance of mental accountability is the owning of the experience, which minimizes the choices of Flight responses and other external blaming or resistance. With accurate interpretation and optimal responses, your feelings will 101

Lessons of Enlightenment

help you develop your mind and your world. The house of mind can be an incredible edifice, a huge expanse of gem rooms with tools for every situation, challenge and environment. It can be a model of spiritual expression and fulfillment. Or it can be a slum of frustration and suffering, with rigid emotional boundaries that defend inadequate beliefs and severely limit physical, social and spiritual mobility. To begin this new strategy of mental housekeeping, the first new ideas can now be received into your mental house. These are to be some universal human tenets, which are logical consequences springing from the now complete picture of human nature. Your feelings will affirm each and every idea in line with spiritual intention, no matter how far it may be from your present state of understanding. Take each to the Spiritual Advisory and test it out. See if it resonates with your spirit and fits with your experience. Once validated by spirit and placed within the Gem room, such ideas become the beacon for human thought and action. The Tenets of Human Nature 1. Humans are innately good and moral when attuned to, and purposely fully directed by spiritual guidance. (Concepts of evil are to be eliminated). 2. Humans are spiritually guided toward the purpose of cooperative, self development and expression, where experience expands and consciousness evolves. 3. Humans are driven by competitive self preservation if not attuned to spiritual guidance. (Experience becomes reduced then to mere survival, creating the illusion of evil, and evolution is stymied). 4. Spiritual guidance is physically manifested in human needs for freedom, power, connection, meaning and creativity. When all are met, humans are naturally accepting and on purpose. If not, they will revert to resistance and defensive self-preservation. 5. The spirit speaks through the language of feelings, motivating behaviors of approach and avoid in accordance with needs and purpose. 6. Without understanding the difference between spirit and mind, (Cultural self and genetic self), the spiritual feedback system can appear to give mixed signals and motivations.

102

Gamma: New Beginnings

7. All Feelings are legitimate and are to be welcomed as valuable communicative corrective informational signals, and acted upon within the rules of response. (Right, > Light, > Fight, > Flight). 8. The emotions of spirit (joy, anger, sadness and fear) indicate internal developments (Right Responses) and external expressions (Light Responses) are in order. 9. The emotions of mind (guilt, envy, embarrassment, hope, confidence, shame, etc.) indicate developmental Right Responses are in order. 10. Fight and Flight Responses are necessary only when true self preservation is at risk, evidenced by spiritual anger and fear. Such defenses are to be understood as automatic reactions to ensure base survival, and avoided as first choice responses. Conclusion: Human goodness and destiny lies in wait for spiritual guidance. The Tenets of Human Existence 1. Human purpose is to develop and express spiritual potential. 2. Humans have been given complete power to create any desired conditions to achieve their purpose, mediated through the gift of human mind. 3. Humans have been graced with unlimited freedom to ascertain contents of mind, with no restrictions whatsoever. 4. Humans use this freedom to create knowledge and belief systems containing gems, slivers, or both, and spirit does nothing to interfere. 5. Slivers accumulate and interfere with spiritual communication, separating humans from the totality of All That Is, and creating the proverbial Fall From Grace. 6. Spiritual intention can be communicated through direct creative inspiration only when mind is unfettered by slivers, but is always communicated through human feelings of pleasure and pain.

103

Lessons of Enlightenment

7. Although contents of human mind and mass consciousness have severely limited the mental acquisition of spiritual intent, mind can never successfully negate the feeling system. 8. The spiritual safeguard of mind is human feeling, to signal the presence, and motivate the removal, of slivers and ultimately bring a return to Grace. 9. As the mind is revamped under spiritual direction, physical consciousness expands to receive increasingly direct spiritual insight. 10. The Creator will not interfere in the physical realm to rescue humans except in offering spiritual insight through the feeling system of each individual. For the creator exists within. 11. Human destiny is to restore mental empowerment and spiritual expression through attuning to spiritual wisdom. Conclusion: For evolution of consciousness, to restore fluidity of mind and to return to the spiritually intended path, each human must listen and act upon feelings. The Tenets of Creative Reality 1. The object of the physical game is to experience spirit in form, totality within limitation, light within darkness. The more expression, the better. 2. Physical reality is illusory, fluid, limited to time-space and the realm of mind. Spiritual reality is consciousness seeking expression and expansion. It is unlimited, universal and everlasting creative power. 3. Spirit needs mind to physically create. Humans create their own physical reality by directing spiritual energy (will power) through the images of mind. Mind converts willfully chosen images into physical experience according to intention and belief. 4. Intention is communicated by the language of feeling in both directions, Spirit to human. Physically, Spirit guides individuals through approach and avoid feelings. Mentally, spiritual insights are received as direct thought, and spiritual judgments about beliefs are indicated by pleasure or pain.

104

Gamma: New Beginnings

5. Humans communicate intention to Spirit through mental imagery, thoughts and feelings. (Feelings are the most powerful communicators given the present state of mental enmeshment). 6. Mind creates. Thoughts surrounded in positive emotion will attract positive events. Thoughts surrounded in negative emotion will attract negative events. 7. Fearing an undesirable event can keep it at bay, but fear generated safety contracts experience, collapsing it and frustrating spirit. Joy generates fulfillment and expands experience, and promoting the expansion of All That Is. (Eliminating conditions for negative emotional response, will eliminate the attraction of negative physical events. Promoting conditions for positive emotional experience will attract positive, desirable events). 8. There is no other creative source of experience. There is no valid fatalism, no bad karma, no evil force manipulating human experienceno valid blame to be placed. All events are created by individuals themselves. 9. Spirit exists beyond space-time, in past, present and future. 10. Some choices and destiny paths span lifetimes such that certain genetic and cultural conditions are created at birth to facilitate that direction. 11. If negative events occur despite all attempts to follow spiritual intention, spiritual destiny beyond mind can be assumed. (Eventually, the positive outcomes will explain and justify any seemingly negative interim necessities). 12. With spiritual intention and guidance, humans can create desired events and never again be victims of their own ignorance, nor be captive slaves within their own power. Conclusion: Humans have total creative freedom. Mind creates reality; spirit empowers and directs. Desirable physical outcomes are achieved in direct proportion to mental liberation and accessibility to spiritual intention.

105

Lessons of Enlightenment

The Tenets of Social Structure 1. Civilization can only evolve if human nature is understood and accommodated. 2. Existing civilizations are based upon a norm of competition and selfpreservation resulting from disconnection between mind and spirit. 3. External dictates must be aligned with internal ones. 4. Human needs for freedom, power, creativity, meaning and connection must be honored as Rights with expressive and developmental opportunities provided within social-political groupings. 5. Standards of cooperation, acceptance and spiritually directed responses must be implemented across human institutions. 6. Receptivity to Light Responses must be ensured in each. 7. No limitations should be placed upon self determinism, free will and personal choices that do not violate rights of others. 8. Social sanctions should be placed upon unnecessary, uncooperative, self-preservationary reactions that violate others. 9. Individuals must ensure that their institutions do not resist feedback and defend their own mass mental emotional boundaries. 10. Alterations to existing systems must come in manageable steps, without needless ripping of the fabric of society. Conclusion: Individual contributions following reconnection between Mind and Spirit will motivate mass reconnection and social evolution. With these first tenets passing into the house of mind and taking their rightful place, we can now turn to discuss existing habits, pitfalls of thought and actions that have become normal and acceptable. These habits, in spiritual actuality, are anything but normal and are no longer acceptable.

106

Gamma: New Beginnings

Lesson 2: The Power of Habit


A Gift of Mind As we begin to reexamine each and every content of our mental houses, it is critical to establish some preliminary new ideas about the mind itself. The mind, as we now know, is a truly incredible resource. It is a separate entity from spirit, although they interact. The mind is strictly a physical manifestation, an accouterment of the human physical experience. It has many functions, all of which are to serve spirit. It operates as a location, to focus spiritual consciousness in the physical. It serves as a receptacle, to receive creative insight from spirit and to store any and all mental tools (beliefs, ideas, and skills gems) which allow its expression. It functions like a computer, connecting, processing and organizing information to continuously refine the mental tools. And finally, it operates like a converter to manifest in the physical, those events, opportunities, and experiences which are spiritually desirable. We also know that the mind can inadvertently get in the way of spirit and utilize any of its abilities against their intended purpose. This is the price that comes with free will. Humans have the choice of creating the mind in its entirety. Any reality can spring from the position of mind. But such choice, for the most part, is now lost as existing ideas from mass consciousness are foisted upon the mind in childhood, which severely limits its abilities by focusing it upon one declared true reality. One of the most powerful ways that this happens is through the computer-like function that creates preprogrammed sequences of thought and action, known as habit. Habit is a truly wonderful, mental capability. It is the ability to store and repeat an effective tool, skill or strategy so that it can be used time and again, rather than having to create a new approach each time. Habits are developed through conscious effort, through developmental learning experiences, just as a computer programmer chooses what software and data to input. (The programmed physiological responses and processes of the brain that run the body are not included in the category of habit as it is being defined). Habits are choices, purposely added to mind and carried out by the physical brain through its electrical chemical synaptic activity. Habits are learned, being impressed upon the blank mental slate from the moment of birth and throughout the lifetime. Learning good habits is purposeful self-development that facilitates spiritual expression. Ideally, habits should only be created under the

107

Lessons of Enlightenment

direction of spiritual intention and altered the moment they diminish in their effectiveness. Habits can be so well ingrained, certain functions can happen simultaneously within the mind and consciousness need not even be disturbed. This ability allows humans to do many things at the same time, while focusing their attention upon that which is necessary and allowing the mind to do other things on automatic pilot. There are two main types of habits, mental and physical. A mental habit is a sequence of thought, like a computer macro, which rapidly goes through a series of steps to complete a desired action, without the conscious involvement of the operator at each interim step. One thought or feeling triggers the pattern and consciousness is only aware of the resultif even that. The result has to be above or below existing expectation to elicit a feeling to focus the awareness upon the habitual effect. If the mind paints a reasonably accurate portrait of the external world, expectation is often met habitually so that consciousness is bypassed entirely. Mental habits automatically associate former experiences, existing beliefs, expectations and information with incoming information, to sort, classify and find meaning in each experience, quickly without much conscious effort. Humans rely heavily upon mental habits to be versatile and successful in need-meeting challenges in a wide variety of situations or cultural environments. Attitudes are mental habits. They are pre-formulated judgments about incoming stimulus that can help automatically classify and respond to incoming information. Attitudes are intimately connected with the emotional system. Attitudes connect existing beliefs to similar, previously judged, experience. Attitudes that are in accordance with spiritual intention are wonderful things to have. Attitudes that are not aligned with spirit can be very detrimental. If left unexamined, they can reinforce inaccurate information and behavioral responses. Choices of action are often based upon attitudes. For example, the attitude that the world can be made into a wonderful, safe, accommodating and just place will most likely motivate actions that will ultimately make it that way. On the other hand, an attitude that is defensive, pessimistic, and competitive, will most likely lead to actions that create further individual and emotional chaos. Physical habits are motor skills that are patterns of muscular movement that bring about a desired goal. Walking is a learned series of balanced movements that becomes a habit. Playing a musical instrument or excelling in athletics or 108

Gamma: New Beginnings

dance are all based upon the formation of physical habits. Each and every such pattern of physical movement that creates spiritual expression is a highly desirable commodity. Habits can greatly assist humans to take on tremendous challenges and juggle many activities simultaneously. This can allow for multiple outlets for spirit to maximize its expression. For example, think about when you are driving to work, or to some other environment in which you can satisfy your needs. Perhaps your spirit finds pleasure in music so you are listening to your radio. Your mind is thinking about a task that awaits you at your destination. You are strategizing for the hours to come, as well as reflecting upon events earlier in the day, you are navigating traffic, and perhaps even drinking a cup of coffee. Then suddenly, a particularly pleasing song from your past comes on the radio and you begin to sing along with it. As you are singing, you suddenly remember a project that you did not finish the previous day. You then immediately begin thinking about what you are going to do to complete the project as soon as you get to work. But the mind is so adept in its use of habits that you do not even skip a beat of the song you are singing as these other thoughts intrude into your consciousness. Indeed, your singing has gone on auto-pilot, as has your driving and your consciousness is free to receive other insights and thoughts. If someone should suddenly cut you off in traffic, your consciousness would immediately be returned to the focus of driving, allowing you to take defensive action. All this is possible due to the minds ability to operate through habit. Habits of Defense: The Self-Preservationary Impulse We know now that the hardwired defense responses exist in the body to ensure human survival. Defensive action that avoids a car accident is an excellent example of when this response is effective and appropriate. Defensive responses that honor, protect and maintain the boundaries of spirit are essential and many are hardwired into the body. But body defenses can quickly generalize to mind, if the critical boundary between mind and spirit is not recognized and scrupulously honored. Until now, the self has been a mishmash of mental, physical and spiritual processes all lumped together. Defense responses of mind have become an accepted part of human experience. But they are not innate. They are formulated exclusively through learning and reinforced through habit. They lie within the realm of willful control and are resolvable. Humans do not need to concern themselves terribly much with gaining conscious control over the hardwired defensive responses that protect spiritual emotional boundaries; they will come naturally when allowed. But, it is essential to guard against habitual defenses. (Fight and Flight responses) that protect 109

Lessons of Enlightenment

boundaries of mind. For it is the ever-evolving habits of mind that will direct and control the alternate, beneficial, developmental (Right) and expressive (Light) responses. Besides, any situation that is dire enough to invoke physical survival responses probably warrants them anyway. It is the defensive habits of mind that now need to be addressed with a more detailed focus. Since there has never been an accurate understanding of the spiritual emotional sense, there have arisen many external dictates and ideas within the Mind of Man that perpetuate the development of defense habits of mind. We now know the goal of mind is to expand and never to defend and preserve, yet defense is the hardwired automatic motivation. The hardwired response, however, can be overridden by purposeful habit development that counteracts self-preservationary impulses whenever the true need is to develop mind. These mental defenses, however, cannot be counteracted until they are clearly identified. The basic defensive responses of Fight and Flight can take many forms in the realm of mental habit. But there are several clearly human patterns that can be readily observed. They are counter to spiritual intention; they violate the response rules; they keep the motivation and behavior in a mode of competitive self-preservation; and they must be consciously eliminated to restore maximum progress upon the Destiny Path. They can now be known as the Eight Deadly Habits. The Eight Deadly Habits The eight deadly habits can be seen in actions throughout human historyin wars, in political, judicial and social trends, in art forms such as literature, poetry, dramatic theater and film. They can be seen as factors that underlie rules, codes, mores, religious tenets and even laws. They each perpetuate relationship breakdown, severing human connection. They offer evidence of mans innate immorality and sin and evil capacity. But they are not part and parcel of a spiritually intended human nature. They are choices and mental habits that are imparted without conscious intention and left unchecked. Such habits almost always temporarily satisfy one or more of the spiritual needs, but always at the expense of anothercreating further spiritual pain. They can and should be reversed. Each of these patterns only occurs if the rules of response are broken (Right>Light>Fight>Flight). They occur when Flight and Fight come before or in place of Right and Light responses. But since they are so habitual, so prevalent and so accepted, they require special mention.

110

Gamma: New Beginnings

Resistance The first four deadly habits fall into the broad category of resistance. This is the wrongful tendency to preserve mind, which springs from the rightful tendency and innate impulse to preserve spirit and its body. Resistance disallows the mind to even receive the spirits incoming information necessary to right itself. Resistance is tantamount to keeping the doors to the mental house firmly closed, so that nothing ever comes into the receiving room, let alone the spiritual judgment room. Resistance is essentially the Flight Response that seeks to avoid or escape any incoming information that may cause pain. But as we know, such spiritual pain is a necessary signal pointing to that which needs to be altered in order to accommodate, develop and express the spirit. Humans are quite hearty indeed when it comes to pain. But the highest levels of fear and anger are only experienced when faulty ideassliversremain protected within the walls of the mental house due to resistance. The small levels of necessary growing pain are very easy for humans to handle. They can even be invigorating. Unfortunately, through habit, all pain gets lumped together and a defensive posture of avoiding all pain sets the stage for resistance. Resistance is the antithesis of open acceptance. It comes in many subtle forms. We have already discussed the concept of denial and how certain things are simply not admitted into the consciousness. Denial, of course, is synonymous with resistance. To truly communicate the depth of its insidiousness, we will point to some major forms of denial that may make the concept more readily recognizable in everyday thought and action. Resistant Escapism The most common form of resistance is escapism. Escaping the challenging situation immediately removes the pain, for the consciousness is quickly refocused. Of course, escapism is often necessary and healthful, when willfully and rationally chosen and utilized sparingly. For example, in the modern world, humans scramble about directing their energies in many different directions in order to juggle their need-meeting responsibilities in a crazy man-made world ill suited for spirit. This can be physically and mentally exhausting and certain down times are necessary to maintain the physical health of the body. In such cases, a little escapism into the physical and mental realms of relaxation are good choices. This is why universal patterns of work schedules have been adopted in varying forms across human civilizations. Days off, break periods, and vacations are commonly understood to be healthful and necessary. The underlying reason is that spirit requires certain changes in routine, alterations of 111

Lessons of Enlightenment

experience, time to refocus and reevaluate the goals and strategies of mind. Such periods should always follow times of intensity in order to maintain the spiritual balance required and ensure physical health. Escapism is always driven by the self preservationary impulse. When the mind and body are overtaxed, the spirit cries out through its feelings that down times are necessary for health and maintenance of the bodyself preservation. Feelings of exhaustion, distress and fatigue are all signs from the spirit to slow down, relax and reflect. Remember, spirit is encoded in body to safeguard and protect its physical and mental needs. Spirit has ensured survival in this manner throughout the history of humankind. Such urges from the spirit are to be heeded immediately so that mind and body are given the care they deserve. Another very useful aspect of this retreat mechanism is to ensure that the mind will not be overwhelmed by an overpowering challenge. This is the innate tendency to deny that which is exceptionally disturbing to ones sense of order, justice and meaning. Any daunting task or challenge can be approached with much more vigorous action if there is an optimistic, but perhaps less realistic understanding of the challenge at hand. In such cases, denial allows the mind to parcel out a huge challenge or mental shift into smaller parts. With this strategy, the mind can still utilize existing skills while slowly conquering tremendous challenges. It is not unheard of for a human to utter, If I had known how hard this would be, I never would have tried in the first place. But now Im glad I did. At certain times, shielding oneself from such intensity motivates the courage necessary for monumental accomplishments. These are the good types of escapism. They maintain and protect spiritual boundaries. They are the kind necessary to ensure that spirit in flesh can handle the pace and expectations of the mind. Spirit will always direct these actions, in ways that maintain fulfillment of all the needs, as well as the protection of the physical form. The accurately interpreted feelings of spirit will motivate appropriate escapes. This type of self preservation will ensure that the mind does not get overly ambitious and overtax the limitations of the body. The other typethe deadly typethose to be extremely cautious about, are directed by mind. It is essential to be aware of the difference between these two types of escapism. Remember: Self-preservation, hardwired to protect boundaries of spirit, also generalizes to the boundaries of mind unless humans specifically reinterpret certain feeling signals. Mental escapism allows ideas to remain in the mind, which limits the spirit, setting the stage for huge life strategies to be built upon faulty foundations. Escapism denies comprehension of experience that opposes the existing framework of belief. This occurs when items are in the Gem Room which have never been willfully and consciously 112

Gamma: New Beginnings

sent through the Spiritual Judgment chamber. This is the type of escapism to avoid altogether. But at a minimum to ensure it never becomes habitual. On the surface, it may sound difficult to tell the difference between good and bad escapism. But there are several ways of distinguishing between the two. First, different emotional feelings will be experienced. When spirit is asking you to slow down and escape briefly, or to rethink a strategy into smaller more manageable portions, the feeling will relate to unmet needs. This will be clear. You will feel that some needs are being met at the expense of others and that it is time to reflect and reprioritize to ensure that you are on the best track for maximum spiritual development and expression. These types of signals will be callings from your spirit to make needed mental and physical changes. They will be the specific feelings of spirit (anger, sadness or fear) or the bodily feelings of physical and mental fatigue. If the feeling is simply the anxiety of a growing pain, or any of the emotions of mind (guilt, shame, embarrassment, etc.) then escapism is not the optimal response choice. This is also true of inaccurately appraised spiritual feelings, when misperceptions of mind are truly the source of the imbalance. The second way to tell is that choosing escapism inappropriately will bring additional negative feelings of spirit after the fact, to indicate this wrongful choice. If escapism is chosen to avoid necessary learning experiences then ones world will contract rather than expand. For instead of developing more and more ways for spirit to find expression, this erects emotional boundaries of mind that narrow the mental comfort zone. Such contraction is frustrating to spirit and brings further dissonant feelings such as boredom and fear. Boredom indicates spirit is confined and seeks new adventures and experiences. Fear will be experienced at the thought of environments and challenges for which adequate skills have not yet been developed. Guilt is also experienced, as well as envy, when others who have risen to such challenges, model their successes and the self feels threatened by comparison. Through these feelings, the spirit is saying, You can do that too! Get busy! True resistant escapism is always in direct response to emotional pain. It becomes habitual quite quickly, due to the self-preservation mechanism and lack of human understanding of how to heed the voice of spirit. When escapism is habitual, it becomes quite unconscious and comfortable. Escapism can become such an ingrained habit that potentially painful situations are avoided altogether to maintain that comfort. Of course, this means that instead of freedom and ever-expanding arenas of activity, the world becomes narrow and limited to existing environment and challenges that can already be met in familiar ways. Resistant escapism frustrates the need for freedom, development and expres113

Lessons of Enlightenment

sion. It can also frustrate the need for spiritual connection if the tendency actually keeps individuals from interacting with each other. There are far too many individuals with habitual strategies of escapism. Many band together in groups who stand firm against the world with rigid cult-like mentalities that are closed to experimental input. Just about anything can become a habit of escape. Even positive pleasurable experiences if sought in direct response to emotional pain can become habitual derailers. Any behaviors that are pleasurable and fulfilling are ripe to become possible escapist habits. These include eating, working, playing, making love, reading, watching television, hobbies, computingvirtually anything. Then of course, there are the more obviously insidious escapes into alcohol, nicotine, and other drugs. Many obsessive, compulsive and addictive behaviors are rooted in resistant escapism. The line can be drawn between healthy and unhealthy pleasure by determining the spirit in which the choice is made to partake of them and by watching for the subsequent emotions they bring. If the response rules are always followed, such strategies will be recognized and eliminated from the house of mind. Resistance is an insidious habit. Resistance is the choice to deny life and human experience. Its deadly pattern can take root in several alternate forms. This discussion will continue to expose the deadly habits, but resistant escapism can be well disguised. It is also the first deadly habit that sets the stage for others to follow suit, perpetuating a destructive cycle of self-preservationary action. It is first suggested that you begin examining your daily actions and expose each act of resistant escapism. This shall be a beginning step along the path of developing replacement habits. Resistant Defensiveness The second deadly habit keeps important information on the outside of mind by bouncing it back with defensive thoughts and comments. These can take many forms. But each is designed to minimize or deflect any emotional feedback information which could be considered painfuleven a minor anxious, growing pain. This can become so habitual that nearly all suggestions and offerings to Light are deflected and self-development comes to a near halt. Many perspectives, although quite valid, can serve to stop incoming information contrary to existing mindsets. Simple acceptance of incoming information ensures that each piece will have its fair hearing in the Spiritual Judgment room of mind. Rationalizations are wonderful tools of deflective defense. Self righteousness is a very successful defense, as is suspicion, prejudice, justification, 114

Gamma: New Beginnings

explanation and self-deprecation. These are all seemingly innocent acts that are forms of mental resistance that keep incoming information at bay. They refuse to accept accountability of situations that arise. They keep potentially painful information safely hidden outside the walls of the house of mind, by insisting that the source of the problem exists externally. Mental receptivity is essential for self development. Allowing in feedback information, no matter how painful, is the first step to heeding and acting upon the voice of spiritliving in the light. It is crucial to honestly observe your interactionary behavior and carefully note whether or not any thoughts, actions or comments seek to deflect information rather than allow it in. Resistance defense maintains mental boundaries by keeping the conscious focus upon existing ideas so that incoming information is simply not absorbed or even heard. Such defense habits comprise a great deal of normal human interaction. They can be quite subtle but every bit as detrimental as the most dramatic forms of escapism. Resistant Self-Deception By far the most insidious habit of resistance is that of self-deception. This is the simple act of lying to ones self and pretending that certain experiences are simply not occurring. Self-deception keeps the bad feelings at bay by blatantly denying the reality of the experience. One of the most effective ways to deceive ones self is to tell lies to others. In fact, every act of deception, every spoken falsehood, whether harmless or violent, is an act of self-deception. At its source, a lie seeks to convince all concerned that circumstances are not as they are. To bear false witness is to exploit the vulnerability of human mind, both its unlimited capacity to create reality and its helpless reliance upon external sensory information. Deception is a violation of the trust necessary for civilized, cooperative living. Of the broadly accepted religious commandments, this is the most spiritually legitimate. Although the power of creative reality is such that creative visualization can actually alter probable events, there is a huge difference between creative thought and self-deception. Creativity fully acknowledges the degree of challenge necessary to obtain a desired result. It allows in all information signals and utilizes them to build the best mental skills to make it actual. Deception seeks to minimize the challenge or get around it in a lazy sub-spiritual attempt to reduce the necessary effort. Even little white lies are deceptive and dishonoring. They ignore the impetus to honestly express and are best converted to

115

Lessons of Enlightenment

honest truths, couched in the most compassionate and cooperative terms, and offered as Light Responses. All forms of resistance share the common goal of leaving the incoming information outside the mental door so that any pain can be avoided. These habits can bring human evolution to its knees. But resistance is not the only problem. For information can be allowed in, truths imparted directly into the gem room without having gone through the spiritual advisory. This inserts slivers and allows them to drive the actions and minimize the choices of its master. These slivers are allowed to fester and bring the next class of deadly habit resentment. Resentment Once the faulty ideas have been allowed into the mind, they continue to frustrate the spirit. As resistance keeps things out, resentment holds them in. The beauty of the spiritual wisdom, however, is that it responds to slivers pronouncing its negative judgment upon them through feelings of emotional pain. So even though these ideas have bypassed the conscious judgment process, they are still subject to its safety-net effect. Thus, the negative feelings will build into a new energy called resentment. This condition allows the individual to harbor ill will toward the falsely identified source of his or her troubles, never considering the possibility that a change within self is necessary, nor utilizing their rightful power. This habit springs from lack of understanding of the personal will power and the flexibility of mind. Resentment is counter to spiritual intention, it is competitive and selfpreservationary, so it creates further pain. This energy builds and haunts the mind and creates victim-like events to bring the slivers to the attention of the master of the mental house. Resentment is a lingering feeling of frustration that prompts new ideas to counter them. Oftentimes, instead of removing the first slivers, new ones are added like a scaffolding of mental explanations for ones woes. Oftentimes other people or situations are cited as responsible for the unpleasant events in a given persons life. When there is a perception of an external limitation, spiritual anger will be experienced. Resentment allows the anger to stew inside when one insists an outside source is responsible for an inside problem, bringing further negative outcomes.

116

Gamma: New Beginnings

Resentful Blame Eventually this resentment will bring about mental changes. But most often, it brings further faulty explanations for bad events and assigns distorted meaning. This type of psychic finger-pointing is another of the deadly habits. It is known as blame. Feelings of anger, guilt, envy, anxiety or shame often motivate a blaming response. The act of blame is a maladaptive Flight Response in which the external realm is held accountable for internal problems. To blame, is to think that it might be due to Karma, or the weather, or the configuration of the stars, or the secret government, that things are not going as the individual plans. Such finger pointing can bring temporary postponement of feelings but never true spiritual fulfillment. For the underlying dissonance always remains, creating further negativity in feeling and experience. The tone and personality of the habitual blamer, will be angry, frustrated, impotent and often a martyred victim. There will be ongoing helplessness, disempowerment and negative emotions since the problems will never be adequately addressed. Modern society often promotes blaming with its faultfinding judicial system and general misconceptions regarding the minds potential to create reality. In sum, resistant blame is counter-productive. It defends internal limited mindsets by creating false external limitations. The appropriate response to any true external limitation is the Light Response, where cooperative alternations to the situation are achieved. This could be through persuasion of another person whose limited perspective does not honor nor accommodate your needs. Blame, however, does nothing but ensure further limitation. Hostility With continuing habits of resistance to incoming feedback, resentment grows into contemptand the next deadly habit hostility. With this shift, a permanent assessment against another person or situation is incorporated into the mind. Eventually, the energy will build to the point that genuine hatred will be felt toward those who have been blamed. This will allow the formation of certain strategies to counteract the evil efforts of the agitator, no matter how unrealistic this assessment is in the perspective of others. The harboring of ill will toward another does nothing but channel that energy inward and disrupt the natural flow necessary to maintain positive balance and

117

Lessons of Enlightenment

physical health. But the energy continues to build since the actual source of the problem has never been addressed, ushering in the next class of deadly habit. Revenge When the lingering resentment and hostility builds to unbearable proportions, some external outlet is necessary to ensure self-preservation. The remaining deadly habits fall into the category of external venting and seeking revenge upon the blamee. Blaming and hostility lie in the mental realmrevenge takes the Fight Response into the physical realm. To think it is one thing, but to further act upon hostility is quite another. Many reprehensible and evil acts follow the habitual motive to get even. Revenge often seeks to lower another to a less intimating level of comparison. Revenge is to inflict pain back upon the one that has been assumed to have caused it. It is the urge born from hurt to hurt back. When the spirit feels lowly and small, trapped within its mental straight-jacket, the feelings can prompt changes that bring others down to the low and small position rather than elevating the self. Revenge always directly springs from anger that often grows from unexamined and misdirected feelings of guilt, envy, anxiety or shame. But this form of anger springs from the limitations and expectations of mind, rather than any valid external obstacle. As long as the human race continues, there will always be plenty of opportunity for people to be hurt by others. Whether the hurt is one from misconceived ignorance or comes from a deliberate act of aggression, pain upon human interaction is inevitable. Vengeful Gossip Revenge can often masquerade as seemingly harmless acts and comments. It starts with small external comments, remarks and suggestions, not directly focused upon the source. Gossip is a form of revenge. Often times when one is hurt by comparison to another, no matter how mildly, it is often the act of choice to belittle that person behind their back. This is an act of cowardice which does not clear the air with the person believed to be at issue, but rather allows the gossip to feel escapist pleasure in the position of power that their words assume. The initial painful feeling should have instead motivated an inward reflection and the addition of a conscious goal to either gain the desirable quality, or a mental shift to truly accept the impossibility of doing so. With this type of internal adjustment, future situations are not likely to invoke the same feelings.

118

Gamma: New Beginnings

For example, a woman feels envy upon meeting another who is a particularly beautiful and an accomplished artist. With this feeling, the spirit within is suggesting, You can do that, too! Instead of bad-mouthing the artist, the woman commits herself to practicing and studying ways to express her own artistic talent. Such an adjustment should not include trying to convince herself of her own inferiority by comparison in the beauty department. The physical embodiment is part of spirit and cannot, nor should not, be changed, defiled, or rejected for any reason. Certain physical forms are often chosen for specific purposes aligned with the Destiny Path. Adopting the freeing attitude of developing all those talents and abilities that can be brought forth and accepting the physical form as is, is the most beneficial strategy. Remember, the spirit as well as its body, its appearance, its needs and desires, cannot be changed by anything mental. Only the mind can change by adding new ideas, strategies, perceptions, values and skills. It takes particular strength of spirit to reject the many judgmental ideas from mass consciousness regarding the human form, its appearances and processes. Existing society prompts many envious feelings. Certain unrealistic standards are foist upon individuals and accepted, pitting mind against spirit. Such an act always leads to further emotional pain and self-depreciation and eventually depression. If such ideas are not rejected, unrealistic comparisons are inevitable, eliciting negative emotions. Such feelings, when misunderstood, motivate escapism and vengeance instead of the necessary self-development (a Right Response). Eventually, even the most adept practitioner of vengeful gossip will need a more direct outlet. The anger will continue to build until it is expressed. The emotional system is such that the spirit will never be satisfied until the actual source of the dissonance has been addressed. And, of course, the mind can declare what that source is, depending upon its contents. It will decide the source of dissonance, whether it be right (in accordance with spiritual intention) or it be wrong (as perceived through a distorted mental lens) due to continuing resistance. But right or wrong, if the mind is utterly convinced in its belief, the spirit will motivate external changes upon the source directed in the Fight Response. Although this will perpetuate survival, it is not appropriate unless the response rules have been observed. In the situation of building resentment, all behavioral motivations are based upon faulty information that has never been fully examined, acknowledged or understood.

119

Lessons of Enlightenment

Vengeful Aggression If the mental corrections are still not made, eventually the energy will build into direct expression of anger against the persons or situation believed to be at issue. This is known as the deadly habit of vengeful aggression. Such aggression can take the subtle form of passive aggression, or it can be more direct. But in each case, the anger is directed outward before any internal work has occurred. For example, in the case of the enviable woman, the envious one might make some back-handed complement that actually insults or judges the woman harshly. Such as, Your use of color is surprisingly sophisticated. Vengeful aggression is successful at venting the emotion, for it does indeed address the perceived source of the problem. But it has violated the response rules; it serves only self-preservation, and it is only a temporary fix. The true source of the problem lies within the beliefs and limitations of mind, not in the external other or situation. Nevertheless, with pent-up emotion, humans will inevitably lash out at those whom they have blamed. These mini violations upon another generally remain in the verbal realm. They are serious enough in their effects. But when enough emotional energy is accumulated, there will be an external explosion in the physical realm of much greater significance. Vengeful Violence This is the deadly habit of vengeance violence. It is due to vengeful violations that laws and punishments have arisen. It is the source of the human reputation for evil capacity. It has become accepted as an inevitable human action, although it is truly a habit born of ignorance within a misguided mind, that is learned and can be unlearned. When anger is vented physically upon another person or a group of people, this is the ultimate maladaptive, anti-spiritual human act. It obliterates any semblance of cooperation and reduces everyone involved to self-preservationary stances. What is truly evil is that vengeful violation can be taught as perfectly respectable and necessary. Beliefs can be instilled which manipulate the emotional fight and flight responses to gain certain ends. Fear and anger can be invoked and marshaled by strong and charismatic leaders to gain compliance and participation in quite heinous acts.

120

Gamma: New Beginnings

This can be done with such effectiveness, that the anger may not even be associated with the act itself. Instead, temporary feelings of loyalty connectedness, and the fulfillment can come from committing atrocities while following advice of such a master. Thus, it is essential to become a powerful master over ones own mind. Not much needs to be mentioned about vengeful violation, since human history speaks of its peril endlessly. But it is essential to make the connection between mental resistance and where it leads. It is also important to know that it is spiritually necessary to vigorously defend ones self against such violation by another. If Light Responses are insufficient, turning the other cheek against a motivated violator will not suffice. This is when a Fight Response for self preservation of spirit is in order. Until civilization becomes just that, this will be the case. In time, as more enlightened ideas are incorporated into mass consciousness, there shall begin a trend of fewer and fewer violations. In the current state of humanity, it is imperative to draw attention to the fact that each of the deadly habits are just that, unconscious, repetitive acts that bypass the consciousness and wreak havoc upon individuals and humanity. The Cycle of Resistance What is most devastating to human purpose, progress and evolution, is that the eight deadly habits combine together into a vicious and self-reinforcing cycle of behavior. This is when the emotional signal sounds, informing the mind that spirit is frustrated. This signal is met with some form of resistance, in which the feedback is not allowed into consciousness and the message of the spirit is lost. When this is allowed to occur, the original problem remains and the emotion lingers causing further agitation and motivation to fight and take flight. As long as the emotion remains blocked, the energy will build, allowing the mind to haphazardly make assumptions that assign meaning where none truly exists. The building emotion is held as resentment, and eventually expressed outward in some form of vengeance against the assumed source of the problem. Whoever is the target of the vengeance will, of course, respond to it in some way. If this response is resistance and the mind is not righted to accept the limitations of the vengeful one, the habit would be to return the vengeful favor. This second vengeful act will most likely be experienced as negative feedback, provoking further emotional pain within the original person. Again, the pain may be met with habitual resistance, then resentment and with vengeance, cast back upon the other.

121

Lessons of Enlightenment

The anger will bounce back and forth between the two like a Ping-Pong ball in a deadly game of self-preservation. This is an incredible expenditure of energy. It diverts the attention away from stated goals and allows the entities to spin their human wheelsto while away their potential and live in pain and frustration, as well as allowing the creation of a hellish world. Sadly, this is how more humans operate than not. Civilizations are based upon this cycle of behavior, in the knowledge that this is the extent of human potential and that their only purpose is one of self-preservation. This is why systems of external control have arisen. From religious moral dictates, all the way to lengthy legal codes, such external controllers of the evil human exist in each and every grouping. These truths of mass consciousness continue to perpetuate the learning of the habitual cycle of self-preservation. It is no wonder that humans born into such structures learn to rely upon external control. With such ingrained truths, the concept of internal control is foreign, and the concept of internal guidance, innate morality, and spiritual intention even more so. These truths are the seeds that grow into habits of human disempowerment. To weed these habits from the mental garden is the first step to reempowerment. This cycle is learned. It canand must be unlearned. For it is essential to reconnect with the internal guidance and begin to live as fully functional human beings. To break the habits and stop the cycle, the answer is human purpose. Resistance is learned and becomes habitual only because there is no understanding of the message of emotion. The self-preservationary impulse overtakes mind and body. Acceptance is the antithesis of resistance. Acceptance based upon clear knowledge and faith in human purpose is the counterpart habit needed to replace resistance. When a human being understands that the true purpose is self-development and expression, each situation is interpreted through this lens. Self preservation is seen for what it islimiting. Each daily occurrence becomes highly significant and each piece of incoming information is welcomed with open mental arms. For each moment of each day can allow the opportunity to self-develop, to adjust the mind in concert with the incoming information, rather than to resist its validity. This continues to broaden its boundaries, adding gems to the ever-expanding mental house. With each successful act of self-development comes a counterpart potential for additional self-expression. With each act of self-expression comes the resonance of fulfillment in Universal Joy. This is living in the light. 122

Gamma: New Beginnings

This is living on purpose. This is the human experience as the Creator intended it to be. Breaking the deadly habits will take serious effort, but progress can flow quickly and naturally when the focus remains upon purpose. We can now discuss the more positive habits that are developed in concert with spirit that foster the maximum levels of human joy possible in earthly experience.

123

Lessons of Enlightenment

Lesson 3: The Life-Giving Habits of Self-Development


Acceptance The deadly habits spring from resistance to incoming information. This touches off a cycle of struggle as humans defend the inaccurate mental boundaries instead of identifying and removing them. The experience is then one of fear, self-preservation and competition as prime motivators, and the creation of chaotic, random, and often unpleasant events that seem to come out of nowhere. Resistance to incoming information is resistance to experience, and ultimately resistance to spiritual intention. Living from an operational base of deadly habits has reduced the human condition to a perpetual state of spiritual frustrationa state that is screaming, Fix this! The solution is simple and profound. The answer is the antithesis of resistanceit is acceptance. Acceptance reverses the misplaced impulse to defend or self-preserve a limited mind by opening it wide to experience. Open acceptance faces the fear and moves through it, finding the belief source that is festering in the mind. Acceptance heeds the message of the fear and acts upon it correctively. Open acceptance allows the Earthly experience to be evaluated by spirit, liberating it from the judgments, physical illusion and isolation of mind. When unimpeded by resistance and respected as the messengers of spirit, the feeling signals can at last be allowed to do their job. Then and only then can purposeful, meaningful, fulfilling experience begin. Once restored upon the intended path, the individual is then reconnected with the Spirit and living in the Light. Human feeling then takes its rightful place as the internal guide. Its signals are carefully analyzed and acted upon, following the response rules. This tremendously speeds progress, leads to the intended joyous feeling state, the creation of desired meaningful events and fosters an ever-expanding arena for spiritual development and expression. Fear becomes only a casual visitor, and only when learning is in order. And resistance is cast aside as a vestige of ignorance. Open acceptance creates a positive cycle of thought and action that can become habitual to instantly deliver optimal responses and experiences. Acceptance opens the door to each and every incoming experience, regardless of whether it feels good or bad. In fact, the earliest acceptance of the stuff that feels bad affords the quickest response time. This allows levels of fear and other pain to remain relatively minor and never to build to the horrific proportions now routinely experienced by far too many humans. 124

Gamma: New Beginnings

The Role of Judgment The key to building the habit of acceptance lies in understanding the nature of judgment. Many great leaders have heralded the warning message of human judgment, but it has not yet been correctly absorbed and applied. A clear understanding of the problem must start with a review of the capacities of mind. The mind is a tremendous gift with incredible capabilities designed for the task of creating optimal spiritual expression in human experience. Mind as a receptacle acts as gatekeeper, defining the bounds of individual self-identity. Mind as a computer performs rational, informational processing to store, classify, sort, merge and utilize ideas in incredibly useful ways. Decisions and conclusions result from such processing, which in turn, motivate thoughts and actions that are tested in the world. These thoughts and actions are then evaluated against the external results that they achieve. If the strategies behind the actions are sound, they would meet with success in fulfilling spiritual needs in the world. This success would be signaled by good feelings. If mental belief strategies were not adequate, they would meet with failure and bad feelings. Such successes or failures then are remembered, and taken into the self-identity of the human. The evaluation step is where the confusion over judgment lies. The mind is unlimited in what it can contain and how complex it can become. It can creatively evaluate any scenario based upon its beliefsincluding rationalization, psychic blaming, and even delusion virtually anything goes within the powerful brain. Mind has no way within its own boundaries to determine the accuracy of its evaluation. Mind, by itself, cannot measure the rightness or wrongness of its choices. It requires the spirit, an understanding of its intention, and how it speaks through the language of human feeling. The dangerous kind of human judgment is that which allows mind to perform the evaluation all by itself. This is a profound point: Mind alone cannotand therefore should notjudge. Recall the problem of Emotional Boundaries. The purpose of mental boundaries is to separate one human from another, to provide a uniquely individual focus of experience, and to allow that focus to freely direct and choose life events. Boundaries of mind are intended to continuously expand as the purpose of selfdevelopment is carried out. In contrast, boundaries of spirit are those defined by the Creator and encoded within the body. They must not be changed. They must be actively maintained, protected and defended to ensure at minimum, self preservation, and ultimately, the intended purposeful self-expression. The mind 125

Lessons of Enlightenment

must be as actively developed as the spirit must be actively defended to accomplish the fully-intended human experience. But motivation to defend spiritual boundaries can mistakenly direct the mind to stop developing and defend its current state. This creates the problem of human judgment. A defensive mind closes itself to experience and cuts itself off from the necessary spiritual evaluation. For the mind cannot go outside of itself to bring in new information without conscious involvement of its master. It can only base its decisions upon that which already exists as knowledge, belief, attitude or habit. As we know, there are no garbage chutes in the house of mind where the faulty ideas are automatically shuttled away. Slivers can sit side by side with gems until they are noticed and actively removed. They are noticed only through conscious feeling experience. Such evaluative information must be actively invited acceptedinto the mind. The feedback cycle is dependent upon action. Action, and the feeling experience that follows, is the only way to invite new evaluation information. Test actions invoke the spiritual judge and allow feelings to determine how well the mind is equipped to meet spiritual needs. Then corrective actions Right, Light and Fight responsesfollow the feelings that adapt the mind or alter the world to facilitate spiritual expression. The judgment problem arises when the mind evaluatesjudgesa situation by itself before active experience, in a habitual sequence of thoughts that result in limiting action choices. Such habit can allow the mind to direct actions that avoid and resist the very experience for which the spirit cries out. But since mind creates events, based upon its contents, it will also attract unpleasant events which point out the same inadequacies it is defending. Such a person will fall victim to bad luck, accidents, or misfortunesall of which mirror perfectly the limiting beliefs that create them. This is a dangerous cycle of misdirected will energy and self-preservationary impulse, which relegates humans to a brutish and minimal physical experience now the norm on earth. This is the condition that must be relieved. It is now time to heed this timeless message: judge not. In short, the mind must accepteven seek outexperience in order to keep itself aligned with spiritual intention. Mind simply must be actively developed. It is a common understanding that the human brain only uses one tenth of its capabilities. This is simply due to the lack of adequate mental selfdevelopment. Until the mind is harnessed, the feeling route to spiritual intent must be fully utilized, for the actual percentage of harnessed mind power is much lower. Humans have not yet even imagined the mental potential that awaits within. 126

Gamma: New Beginnings

Clarity of Purpose Building habits of acceptance rely upon clarity of purpose. The only way to rise above the automatic, biological imperative of self-preservation of body is to actively focus upon the higher purpose of self-development of mind for expression of spirit. This is the true goal of the preservationary impulseto keep humans alive until they finally answer the jammed signal of spiritual feeling and awaken to their intended purposethe Divine human purpose of selfdevelopment and expression. It bears repeating that the human purpose is to fully express spirit in the physical form. This requires first the development of mindthe vehicle of expression in the physical experience. Cultural, mental self development is the only route to physical, genetic, spiritual self-expression. To focus with clarity upon purpose is to see beyond the momentary impulse to self-preserve, compete or violate. With consciousness of purpose, certain feelings automatically signal the need for mental development. The mind can then seek and create strategies that broaden its boundaries under the ever-present direction of spirit. Purpose is the shining beacon that pierces the darkness, guiding humans toward spiritual reward. Faith in Spirit From purpose springs the next replacement belieffoundational faith in spirit. Purpose points the way but faith empowers the movement. Faith allows spirit to energize the body and mind. Faith in individual spirit is faith in Universal Spirit. Those who live in faith, bear lifes challenges without the draining heaviness of doubt and fear. Faith in spirit brings optimism, energy, vigor and vitality to every action. Faith in spirit already belongs to each and every human being. Although it may be buried deep beneath the trappings of belief, or the pains of fear and doubt, it is there. Recognition of spirit is hardwired into the human body and it is felt in many natural, universal, human experiences. It comes in a flood of feeling that swell of love and joy from within upon connecting with Universal Spirit. This feeling may have been associated with any number of experiences, but each held the common quality of resonance with the Creatorthat unmistakable feeling of divine joy upon recognition and attunement to the ever-presence and intention of All That Is. It is a feeling that begins in the solar plexus, the energy center just below the heart, and washes through the body-mind, bringing 127

Lessons of Enlightenment

a peace-like contentment, and an instantaneous unshakable knowledge of the meaning, wisdom, beauty, order and rightness of the universe. This feeling may have accompanied an interaction with natures wonders of creation, in a moment of awe and appreciation of a fawn in a thicket, a magic sunset, the unfolding of petals of a flower, or a starry night sky. Or it may have been associated with the unmistakable communion of spirits, that deep connection experienced as love. It may have been a moment where the soul was moved to tears by a powerful, creative expression of another kindred spirit, be it musical, artistic or poetic. Or it may have been experienced through a moment of creative insighta breakthrough in understanding. It may have been experienced through a religious framework, where the presence of the Creator or other higher powers are simply known and felt within each fiber of the being. The unmistakable presence of spirit may have poured forth from the eyes of a newborn child whose ancient wisdom and powerful soul now lie swaddled within soft fresh pink flesh. It may have come in the form of a miraculous event or the message of a dream or from another altered state of consciousness. But the spirit has been ever-present, and may be revealed through a review of each and every life experience that has moved one to tears in resonance with universal joy, with each recognition strengthening the power of faith. The spirit is hardly a foreign conceptit is a familiar presence. Each and every human being is already on some level attuned to the presence of spirit, with a corresponding level of faith. This attunement must be identified, reinforced and credited for that which it is, for the faith to strengthen. Regardless of the cultural trappings or disguises, spirit itself is the root source of each incident of illumination, of raw joy, and of inspired awe. When the trappings are stripped bare, particularly the ones which carry religious dogma, a pure and deep concept of spirit shall emerge. All faith in a God or Creator should be clearly understood as faith in spiritUniversal Spirit in each of its individual apportionments. Faith in spirit is the trust that spiritual knowledge lies within, not without. It is not dependent upon any one thought system, religion, culture, political perspective, leader, supernatural entity or any other intermediary. It is rightful, reachable and ever-present within each human being. Connecting to the Universal Truth is to once and forever establish faith in spirit. To have faith in Spirit is to have faith in the Creator and the Creations. It is to rest assured that chaos and suffering is an aberration of the physical experience, not a naturally intended condition. To have faith in spirit is to know without 128

Gamma: New Beginnings

doubt, fear or hesitation, that there is meaning in each and every life event; that each experience is a message from Spirit to mind that can reveal its rightful intention. To have faith in Spirit is to search for the spiritual wisdom in each physical event. Accountability and the Law of Attraction Faith in Spirit leads to more ready acceptance of each and every opportunity to learn. It provides the courage to push past the growing pain and into broader mental and physical horizons. Acceptance is faith in the Spirits presence within, and feeling signature upon every physical experience. Faith in Spirit recognizes the creative power of mind. Thus, acceptance begins with a mindset that each and every experience is one that has been attracted by that human being. Acceptance begins with accountability for lifes events. For indeed, the creative mind attracts experience which perfectly reflects its beliefs and intentions. There are no accidents, evil or mysterious forces that decide which probable event will occur physically. It is simply mind creating that which it thinks the person desires. It can only do this based upon what it knows and believes. It can do no more or less. One of the rare guarantees in life is that physical experience will always accurately reflect the parameters of mind slivers and all. Desire is the emotional spiritual forcethe Will energythat has remained misunderstood. Thus, each emotion whether positive or negativeis interpreted by mind as desire. Desire is intention and feelings communicate intention. Emotion empowers the belief that signals it and creates that event. Given the fact that most mental contents have bypassed the spiritual judge, many beliefs are not aligned with spiritual intention. This means the events they create are not those actually intended by Spirit, they will be unpleasant and will bring emotional pain. The mind is the controller; it holds the ideas, beliefs and values to create experience. Feeling is the key to unlock the creative power of mind. Thus, the mind will continue to create that which it holds, pain and all, so that humans can recognize and accept accountability for the cause and effect relationship between belief and experience. Remember, once Spirit enters flesh it delegates the creation of reality to the mindthe portal of individual human experience. The pain of spiritual frustration exists to inform mind that its contents need re-examination. Instead of understanding this message, humans have created many wildly exoticyet faultybeliefs to explain why bad things happen to good people. Supersti129

Lessons of Enlightenment

tious meaning is assigned, external controllers are identified and the internal power remains unclaimed. This adds further limitation to mind, and sets up the cycle of blame and victimhood. This is the norm of human consciousness at this time. Is it any wonder then, why humans only use a mere one tenth of their mental capability? The following idea bears repeatingheed this crucial universal truth: There are no accidents, evil or mysterious external forces that decide which probable event will occur physically. It is simply mind creating that which it thinks the person desires. Desire is communicated through feelings. Feelings spring from beliefs. Beliefs must be carefully selected under the direction of Spirit, for mental belief creates physical reality. This is the Law of Attraction. Individual mind is the creator of individual experience and should be held accountable. With this ultimate truth, the most beneficial mindset is to take immediate ownership and responsibility for each experience so that it can be used to find limitations of mind. This is the habit of accountability. Accountability honors the incoming voice of Spirit by looking to mind for answers. Accountability respects the Law of Attraction. Accountability is seeking mental cause through faith in spiritual effect. Accountability counteracts the psychic blaming which creates the cycle of resistance, limitation and pain. Accountability is looking to self for learning opportunities. Accountability is the habit of mind that ushers the Right Response to emotional pain. To be accountable is to think and live by the credo: I attract that which happens to me. Accountability provides its own reward. For example, recall our person driving to work, relying upon many physical and mental habits. Recall how another driver dangerously cuts in front, grabbing our drivers attention for corrective action. This situation would most certainly bring sudden emotional arousal within our driver, first fear, and then likely anger. It would be very easy and quite natural to direct the anger at the errant driver, and perhaps a physical retaliation of fist shaking or other such gestures. Although this would have a certain valid justification, it gives the power of the moment to the errant driver. This would reinforce the belief that the world is full of idiots whose ignorant actions can leave devastating effects upon innocent othersin this case a potential car accident. There is utter powerlessness in this belief, which will be echoed by anger that might spoil an otherwise lovely day. Most competent human drivers have experienced such a moment, and can recognize how they have allowed such oafs to drive away with their power. This is simply due to the unconscious, habitual response of resistance and blame.

130

Gamma: New Beginnings

Now imagine instead, at the moment of the incident, our driver uses the emotion to examine the existing beliefs. Accountability is to thinkthe moment composure is regainedWhoa! What did I do to attract that into my life? Was I paying adequate attention to the road? Do I believe that accidents can occur? Do I believe the laws of probability I was taught in the school, that I must have a certain number of accidents corresponding to number of miles driven? Do I secretly want to get my moneys worth out of my insurance payments? Do I believe in karma? Did I wrong that jerk in another life? Do I expect such things to happen inevitably? Do I have adequate tolerance and compassion for such people? Any of these self-reflective thoughts can lead to mental housekeeping. Even the slightest liberating mental shift is highly beneficial. Looking to self for cause keeps the power and uses the emotional arousal to develop the self, not preserve self-limitation by blaming another. Perhaps our driver ended the event by reaffirming the dominant mindset of compassion for those less enlightened, and eliminating a lesser, but conflicting, belief in the power of ignorance. The feeling of fear or anger would cease and the day could continue as planned, or perhaps with the energy retained and the mood protected, it would unfold with even more positive events. The reward is the feeling that follows the accountable Right Response. Not only does positive emotion reflect the success of the accountable action, it also brings closure to the event and frees the mind for its next experience. But the mind is now that much less limited. Even very minor shifts can be quite powerful, and they build upon one another with incredible results. When enough such shifts have occurred, the mind is allowed the freedom to quickly show the cause and effect relationship between belief and action. This is what is referred to as the raising of consciousness. This is the ultimate empowerment, because the mind can see more clearly and create more spiritually desirable experience. Such a mind creates a life that is, and feels, good. Accountability is a very powerful mindset. It is the key strategy of empowerment. Several habits of acceptance can bolster and support this strategy. Breaking the habitual cycle of blame can be quite a challenge. For Mass Consciousness teaches humans limitation, judgment and blame at every turn. Compassion Genuine human compassion is a spiritual tool of acceptance. It is a component of innate morality and counterpart of the connection need. Despite the most successful attempts to look within, there will be genuine times when an external limitation is the source of your spiritual frustration. It is often the case that pre131

Lessons of Enlightenment

judgment or the beliefs of another causes resistance within them, in turn having a direct effect upon your need-meeting efforts. This will be experienced as an external obstacle and will prompt feelings of anger. In sum, internal accountability needs an allyexternal compassion. Although the limitation is a genuine one, compassion recognizes and absolves the other for their limitations while retaining the power to act and respond. To maximize compassion, an essential mindset is the understudying that change can only be accomplished with guaranteed results within the self. The spiritual need of freedom to choose the contents of mind is indeed every humans right. So ultimately, it must be accepted that no matter how well-meaning, no matter how uplifting, no matter how truly valuable, significant and wonderful offers of Light can be, they may not be accepted. This is right and good in the eyes of the Creator, for it preserves the mental freedom that defines the individual human experience. And with such freedom, rest assured unenlightened choices will be made. This is the condition of ignorance. Ignorance results from misunderstanding and misuse of the self-preservationary impulse. It results from the habit of resistance and of defending limited mental boundaries. The spiritual right of freedom to choose ignorance is why humans are in their current predicament. The best habitual response to the swell of anger and frustration that follows an interaction with an ignorant one is to immediately understand and respect the right to self-develop at ones own pace. Accept the other, warts and all, with human compassion and empathic understanding of their experience. Then use the emotional energy to develop skills and strategies for dealing with them in ways that match their mental environment. To stand in the shoes of the ignorant one and to truly accept their present state of development is to recall your own time spent there. For an enlightened perspective has surely sprung from having been in a similarly narrower state of awareness at some point. Compassion is to accept and meet the mind of the other and operate from the base of experience or focus on reality. Compassion offers the challenge of learning to express your suggestions to those at many levels of awareness. Compassion springs from spiritual recognition of the one-ness and interconnection of each spirit. Compassion is the resonance of respect for each individual journey of discovery. Compassion is not judgmental, condescending or patronizing; it need not even be communicated to the other. It is simply a mental tool to immediately accept the situation as is, to right the self, and to channel the anger productively. Compassion flows naturally from faith in the integrity of spiriteach and every spirit, regardless of how tightly swaddled they might be within ignorance. 132

Gamma: New Beginnings

Respectful compassion is also an essential ingredient for offering successful Light Responses to others. Although expression can always be rejected, offerings of Light will meet with far less resistance within the resonance of compassion. Each human responds to genuine compassion on a cellular level. There can be no ingenuous manipulation, persuasion, control or even legal constraint over another without the energy of genuine compassion in validation of their experience behind it. Compassion is the very secret to sharing the Light. Forgiveness Another life-giving habit is that of forgiveness. Compassion for the ignorance and foibles of another can reach a limit, if forgiveness does not follow. For ignorance can lead to the most heinous and evil acts of violation by human upon human. This is where the most powerful mental adaptations are necessary. Take the example of murder. The anger that springs genuinely from such evil violation is the true voice of spirit. Such acts are truly inhuman and frustrating to spirit. Such feelings are not based upon limited beliefs or faulty perceptions; these feelings voice legitimate, righteous, spiritual anger. Anger shouts its pain, declaring the violation of every human need when a life itself is taken. It warns that ignorance is threatening the very preservation of the species if such acts are permitted. It is the anger that has moved mountains and defined civilization. But anger must be utilized in productive ways or it can eat away at the soul of the violated one. This is where finding compassion in ignorance and closure in forgiveness can restore power. This is not always easy. For example, it is much easier to find compassion for a man who commits murder from the mindset of his mother, than it is from the perspective of the mother of his victim. Forgiveness allows the anger to be converted into impassioned energy that can be directed at the source of the true problem, the limitations within Mass Consciousness that allow and perpetuate such ignorance. The perpetrator himself is a symptom. Thus, the victim will never be free until the perpetrator is forgiven. Anger misdirected is the giving over of the power. To retain the power is to forgive. To channel it productively is to remove the beliefs and limitations within human cultures that reduce humans to such sub-human ignorant conditions. It is to build structures of enlightenment within the educational, social, political, judicial and religious institutions and traditions. It is to remove the lingering ideas that perpetuate limitation, spiritual frustration and selfpreservationary ignorance.

133

Lessons of Enlightenment

Competition Within Self One final habit to develop and hone is a healthy, challenging, internal competition. The habit of competing with others is very rooted within individual and mass consciousness. Be they families feuding, Gladiators fighting, religions warring, political parties arguing, even athletic opposition, human history is peppered with evidence of the broad acceptance and encouragement of external, win-lose competition. Such competition springs, of course, from innate spiritual purpose. This has translated into self-preservationary directives, where humans must compete for survival of the fittest. But in an enlightened society, competition with others where one must lose for another to win, is not appropriate. Yet humans will always have the urge to compete, due to the higher spiritual purposes of selfdevelopment and expression, and they must be reinterpreted in that context. Thus, a new form of internal, personal competition should replace the old. With the most primitive directive of external competition, individuals simply fight to forcefully overcome the challenges of the environment in remedial caveman-like responses. By placing the competition on the inside, humans can adapt themselves to be successful within every kind of world, as well as make positive changes upon them. Adaptations within the mind and corresponding creative actions in the world are the stuff of human evolution and the only route to enlightened civilizations. With the habit of self competition, the individual holds the continuing challenge of personal betterment, with the goal of attaining ever higher levels of skill, ever more valuable and accommodating beliefs, higher levels of acceptance and compassion, and a broader, more inclusive world view. Winning is bettering the self and spreading the unique gifts far and wide. And there can be no more deeply rewarding sense of accomplishment. Instead of measuring ones self against the successes or failings of another, it is far more useful to pit them against earlier versions of ones self. This simple mindset can profoundly increase the human connection as well as empower individuals to answer their higher purpose. No longer will it be necessary to beat and humiliate one another in order to attain status or regard. No longer will it be necessary to define rigid categories of value that only honor and value a few. No longer will humans experience the frustration of being measured on scales irrelevant to their own spiritual inclinations, gifts and destiny paths. No longer will humans give up altogether in the face of overwhelming competition. No longer will humans have to elevate themselves by lowering another. No longer

134

Gamma: New Beginnings

will one have to lose for another to win. True cooperation means win-win expressive scenarios for all involved. A daily directive of personal development and improvement can provide an arena to meet all the needs within the context of cooperation, compassion, acceptance and natural morality. When humans finally break free from the illusion of necessary competition, evolution can flourish. So feel free to engage in mental and physical sparring, debates, games and exhibitions of challenge and accomplishment, but do so in the spirit of cooperation with humankind, and only in true competition with yourself. With the life-giving habits of self-development discussed, we can now turn to the life-giving habits that promote self-expression. Acceptance Although acceptance has already been discussed as a life-giving habit of selfdevelopment, it is a habit with additional value in the realm of self-expression. Acceptance within the realm of self-development allows all incoming information to be evaluated without resistance or limitation, to allow an internal communication or dialog that results in learning, gaining mental additions, shifts and alterations to belief systemsRight Responses. In contrast, the realm of self expression is at its core, the arena of external communication. The goal of self-expression is to effect positive changes to the outside world and the people in itLight Responses. Spiritual expressions of human creativity that help shape the world to better meet human needs, are the fuel of human evolution. Acceptance in the realm of self-expression is the understanding that people in the external environment have a unique mental skill set and focus upon reality that may be grossly different from your own. Acceptance means attempting a meeting of minds with such a person, and respectfully working within the existing mental framework to effect changes. A single change within a human mind provides the bedrock for the eventual achievement of massive ideological changes within human cultures and beliefs of mass consciousness. Empires can rise and fall by the effective expression of but one human being. In short, there is no other way for humans to evolve without the capability of expressing themselves in thought and deed. Understanding and acceptance of the requirements for self expression will speed up all individual and group evolution. This requires acceptance of: 135

Lessons of Enlightenment

1. The rightful uniqueness of each human mind. 2. The power of free will and how it can create limits; 3. The responsibility to empathize and understand one anothers perspective. 4. The spiritual imperative of voicing ones insight; 5. The inevitable conflict and resistance that can arise; 6. The responsibility to minimize the self-preservationary impulse within self and others. These are the keys to successful self-expression. To accomplish the needed acceptance, one must simply not deviate from the understanding of the interconnectedness of all spirits. To gaze upon another, is to gaze upon ones self in an alternate form, for indeed, All Are One. To recognize the kindred spirit, to extend compassion and patience with the level of development they have achieved, regardless of where you might be yourself, is to maximize your chances of broadening their world as well as your own. Each interaction should be like that of a loving parent imparting guidance to a child without any sense of competition or resistance. (This has the corresponding benefit from the receiving end to also listen without resistance, with the trust and faith of a child in receiving Light from the wisdom of loving parents. To trust that there is some benefit in the offer, no matter how much variation or distance between the two minds.) Acceptance and compassion can allow you to stand in the shoes of your other and view the incoming information from that perspective, so you can tailor it to fit that frame of reference. To turn on the light of honor, empathy, cooperation, and compassion in each interaction with another, is to be fully human in the highest spiritual sense. This light can cut through the darkness of the communication challenge with far more intensity and success than can any fancy words. When one expresses from a truly spiritual level, the spiritual intention is felt within the receiver and the doors of resistance automatically respond. Even sworn enemies, following the dictates of mind, resonate to each others spirit. This is why a primary rule of combat is not to fraternize with the enemy. Such human directives are clearly outside of the spiritual intent of the Creator. Communication without an underlying spiritual intent will most likely be inter136

Gamma: New Beginnings

actions with another who is resistant, driven by fear rather than faith, and acting upon self-preservationary impulses rather than self-developmental and expressive ones. Most interactions considered ordinary between humans contain a very high degree of resistance, and self-preservationary acts. They are so abundant in human history that they have become standards for entertainment. One need simply look to literature and dramatic arts to find a trove of examples of humans exhibiting the deadly habits of self-preservation. What interesting tale does not contain the pain of betrayal of trust or the joy of success? Instead, the simple attitude of acceptance can allow your spiritual feelings to dictate exactly how and when to offer Light, and how and when to respond when resistance is encountered. Acceptance assures that your efforts will have been those dictated by spirit, regardless of the immediate outcome. This brings us back to the habit of Faith in Spirit, for it also will be a powerful tool in self-expression. For with faith, and in understanding the time lag between mental change and physical change, one can be patient and move through one situation and onto the next, without lingering in frustration due to the fact that the Light may not have been received in full. Patience and Faith The key to successful self-expression is to know when it should be offered and how much is enough. It is to understand the ebb and flow of the spirit, the continuous expansion of the mind, and that the appropriate amount of light will be received for that person at that time. Even the most resistant of humans cannot help but open to the truly compassionate and spiritually intended offering. The biology ensures this. But the mind has the rightful control and the beliefs can be like a garden thick with weeds so that the incoming seedlings of spiritual intention have a difficult time taking root. Faith and patience flow from the knowledge that the seed has been planted and that is all that was requiredthat the expression has been made, the Light has been offered. It then can percolate within the mind of the receiving individual. The feelings will most assuredly call the attention to it again and again through the experience of this person. For if it is truly Light, it cannot help but be validated by the emotional system, the voice of the Universal Spirit. As each such feeling spurs this person to examine and reexamine the beliefs and strategies, the seedling will blossom to the full intent of the offerer. But this might take a lifetime. And if immediate results are expected, then offers will be less likely to occur. Faith in the Spirit will bring the accompanying patience and understanding to allow you to let the Spirit move you toward offering Light 137

Lessons of Enlightenment

when you know it can be used and trusting the universe to follow its natural course from there. For example, a young teacher feels moved to share personal insights with a child she observes to be receiving very limiting beliefs from her home environment. The child has been taught to fear and suspect authority figures other than those who advise her at home. Religion has been used to intimidate the child into conforming to the lifestyle and wishes of her family, often against the wisdom of her own spirit. The child believes herself to be sinful for feeling an attraction to friendship with a new classmate from a different culture and an opposing religion, but she is happy despite being different. (Her spirit tells her that this person can offer new ideas and beliefs which is good for self-development, but her mind, through its veil of belief, tells her this is wrong and signals a feeling of fear as this belief is reinforced).The child wrestles with conflicting feelings and ends up bullying the would-be friend. (The automatic response to the fear is to make the outside world match the expectation of mind, by making the child an enemy to match the belief. Then anger will be experienced, but its message will go unnoticed. The rejection of the spiritual signal results in a self-preservationary Flight Response, a pattern of deadly habit). The teacher recognizes what is occurring and decides to offer her Light. She brings the two girls together and offers a story of how she and a similarly different classmate joined forces against an aggressor who had been picking on them both, when she was a girl. This story allowed both girls to feel a similar position, like sistersthe connection between spirits was suggested and accomplished. The two girls responded differently to this offering in later behavior. For although a seed was planted, each attracted events which matched the mental landscape. The first, continued to needle and demean her classmate for a short period of time, and then became withdrawn and angry. Her family moved away shortly thereafter. The second experienced a stronger connection and began to interact more with other classmates and became accepted. The teacher felt a sense of frustration at not having been able to get through to the first girl, and a bit of her idealism was rubbed away, keeping her from so freely offering her Light in future situations and dropping a veil of sadness upon her. But if faith and patience had dictated, she would have instantly known that the seed has been planted. Regardless of the short-term outcome, the frustration and sadness would not have arisen to the point of misinterpretation of the experience, nor would it have interfered with future self-expression. 138

Gamma: New Beginnings

For the actual outcome was different. The first girl continued to be heavily influenced by the conflicting dictates and limitations of her family, and her mind created the same conflicting situations reflected by evermore intense negative emotions. During her adolescence, certain rebellions turned her anger upon herself. She acted out her spiritual frustration in self-destructive behaviors that were evermore unacceptable in her familys limited viewpoint. Their mechanisms of control could no longer work against the power of her spirit. Her misguided actions to gain freedom landed her in the juvenile justice system. She was resistant to every external counselor or advisor. She even attempted suicide to break free. Then she had an encounter that changed her life. She was appointed a probation officer who was truly compassionate and exhibited faith in spirit. But most importantly, she was of the same culture as the classmate from her early years and touched the spirit, creating a connection like the first teacher had. This person offered, for the first time, alternate beliefs and world views that allowed the girl the freedom her spirit longed for, but the mind with its existing limitations, would not allow. Had the seed not been planted, this offer would also have met with resistance, but it had had time to percolate and find its space among the many debilitating ideas and beliefs that ruled her mind. The truth is that the spirit will always reign supreme, even working within the most limited of mindscapes, and that the timing of progress is insignificant in the grand scale. Faith in spirit and patience will bring forth the best results and more complete spiritual expression. Breaking free from the limitations of mind is the challenge of each human, and regardless of the timeliness or circumstances that bring this realization, it will come in its own time to each human no matter how many lifetimes it might take. Once the enlightenment is gained however, it can never fully be reversed. Humans are at various places of understanding and even the slightest offering can become a base for a break-through. Then the reclaiming of the incredible power of the mind can begin. The simple attitude of faith and patience will assure that each entity will act upon the spiritual directive to offer the Lightno matter how much darkness it is attempting to pierce. After each such offering has been made, the spirit will faithfully reward the entity with the loving feelings of divine resonance. Thus, acceptance, compassion and faith in spirit will provide the foundation for the maximum avenues for fulfillment of the human purpose of spiritual expression.

139

Lessons of Enlightenment

Gratitude Another life-giving habit of self-expression is gratitude. Since the feedback cycle depends upon a flow of energy from within to without and back in again, it is essential for entities to express back to others those actions and offerings that have been beneficialthat have brought the spiritual feelings of happiness and fulfillment. All too often, resistance and competition keep humans from admitting when they have gained from the help of another, let alone asking for it. Successful self-expression then includes acknowledgment and recognition of those and their offerings. This springs from the cooperative rather than the competitive spirit, where credit is given where credit is due, even when a mentally misguided attempt is made. Although individuals do not have a spiritual need for recognition and acknowledgment, this does affirm the need for connection and verifies publicly that self-expression has occurred. It is through active, vocal gratitude that mass consciousness can be altered to bring out self-expression, to reward it rather than stifle or even punish those who dare to follow the advice of their spirit. Expressions of gratitude for even the slightest offerings should become habits institutionalized within every human culture. Humor Another gift of spirit, and tool for successful self-expression, is humor. Humor is that mysterious, yet ever-present capacity for humans to experience fun and spontaneous spiritual creativity. It is the Creators directive to find new and creative perspectives and meaning and to share them. Humor reframes a mundane thought into something unexpectedly meaningful and inexplicably delightful. The spirit experiences joy upon creating, delivering and accepting the creative humorous insight. Humor is a very pure form of spiritual expression. It relates directly to the level of liberation experienced by Spirit and reminds humans to think outside of the box. Freedom and spontaneity of spirit allows the humor and fun to flow. A spirit relatively unfettered by mind, secure and exalted as the valuable and everpresent driver, will be one capable of spontaneous delightful humor. Genuine love and acceptance by the outside world fosters this ability within each human being and empowerment releases it. Humor greases the wheels of acceptance. It is an avenue of self-expression that is counterpart to the automatic Flight Response relating to anger. Humor is the 140

Gamma: New Beginnings

antithesis of the angry expressive response. It can be developed to replace angry expressions and deadly habits. Humor is also the ally of the ever evolving mind. It allows acceptance and understanding of temporary self-limitation so that learning can then be sought. It is the innate gift of humility connecting humans at every level or grouping. Humor is the great equalizer resonating within each and every spirit. A human who meets resistance, rejection and frustration early in life is less likely to develop the ability to express through humor. Yet, it is a gift that lies well within the capacity of each and every spirit and one that can be a tremendous aid to self-expression. As entities remove the internal and external limitations that create fear and anger, they will open their innate corresponding abilities to be humorous. Humor is to the liberated spirit what anger is to the frustrated one. Humor is the ability to view a frustration in alternate terms, to quickly disarm a situation by reframing it creatively. Humor can tremendously reduce resistance both from within and without. Humor can accomplish tremendous movement toward self development, if it is used to remove the emotional boundaries that often protect a limited mind. Humor can communicate the humanness and commonalties that usher in the sense of connectedness and cooperation. Humor can open the entity to the continuous change that is mental evolution. To be able to laugh at ones self is to be open to all necessary growth. Humor can also facilitate communication and self-expression. It can soften a harsh message when the learning need level is very high and the growing pain is intense. Humor can persuade and eliminate resistance to offers of light. The more internal and external mental limitations are removed, the more humor can manifest in each and every individual, and eventually pour forth to delight the world. But humor in those that are particularly gifted, can also become a crutch to allow resistance and avoidance. Or it can be used to communicate passiveaggressively if the consciousness is not fully engaged. This is true of any human ability; it can work either toward the human purpose or against it. This minor caution should take its rightful place in the consciousness, without minimizing or detracting from the truly incredible power of humor. Self Promotion Another habit to cultivate is one of telling the world who you are and asking for what you need the habit of self promotion. This is not to be confused with

141

Lessons of Enlightenment

self aggrandizement, egomania or boorish narcissism, but it is an essential ingredient to successful living in the Light. It has been a habit for humans to hold for themselves a standard of selflessness to counteract what they believe to be an innate selfishness that will run amok without external control. This would be true if they were correct in the assumptions that: 1. The only human purpose is self-preservation and that natural competition will always reign supreme over cultural cooperation; or 2. That humans are naturally evil and need to be controlled by external dictates and rules in order to live civilly; or 3. That humans are severed from the guidance of the Creator and cannot act morally. Although such ideas have helped humans through some difficult times, they have been accepted to an extreme degree that is no longer desirable. It has been carried to an extreme known as martyrdom, where the needs of the self are dramatically and self-righteously removed from the picture, creating pious victim-like suffering. In this scenario, the martyr denies and suppresses personal needs in order to attempt to fulfill the needs of others. This is based upon the faulty assumption that someone can better understand and meet your needs for you than you can for yourself. They often suffer in silence and frustration, motivated only by some promise of eternal reward in the afterlife. The martyr role has also become a weapon of resistance and even not-so-subtle aggression. Pious selflessness is actually used to generate guilt through which to manipulate others. The underlying message is that if you martyr yourself, someone else is now obligated to do the same for you. Or that your beliefs, or your religious ideals, or your political views, reign superior over those of the other whom you pretend to help. This goes against the Creators intent that each individual develop a mindset for themselves without unnecessary external intervention. It negates the gift of Free Will and frustrates the need for freedom and self-determinism. This also sets up the individual to experience continuing emotional pain, due to the fact that they have cut themselves off from the required spiritual need fulfillment. The silent sufferer never voices or attempts to meet the needs themselves and anger inevitably results. The martyr can then blame those expected to reciprocate when they do an inadequate job of guessing and satisfying the martyrs needs. The cycle of resentment and revenge can ensue when the person the martyr holds responsible to reciprocate does an inadequate job. This prompts automatic defensive and self-preservationary responses that are hardly in keeping with the original intent.

142

Gamma: New Beginnings

The directive of honoring others above self should be replaced with the understanding that self-needs cannot be denied, nor second-guessed or filled by others; that cooperation with others should always replace competition; that every other self is indeed part of the totality of selfof All That Is. The directive of Honoring self while honoring others is far more aligned with Divine Intention. To reverse the trend of the martyr, humans must learn to respect and honor the boundaries of spirit, those innate genetic aspects of self that are right and good in the eyes of the Creator. They must not only honor, but also actively promote themselves through Light Responses that remove obstacles and increase opportunities to express and contribute to the total human evolution. They must actively develop skill to communicate their needs and to find and open doors of need-meeting opportunity. They must speak and act upon their spiritual truth, to develop the life-giving habit of self-promotion. This brings us to the third application of the Faith in Spirit habit. The act of self-promotion can be compared to the identifying and knocking on doors of opportunity. The more expression, the more doors opened, the better. Surely not all can open at the same time, nor could an earthbound human possibly pass through them simultaneously, nor can every opening match exactly the exceptions of mind. This is when flexibility of mind is essential. This is when the mind must adapt to the dynamic changes necessary to proceed through unknown doors. This is when the mind must accept when a door slams in the face of ones plans. This is the point at which probabilities alter, sending a rigid mind into growing pain and resistance. But such shifts in course often take the person far beyond the original expectations. This is when Faith in Spirit is essential. Faith in Spirit, following selfpromoting, acknowledges that life can unfold in delightfully surprising ways. This is the letting go to a higher power. This is the trust that the mind has the ability to create reality and the spirit will have a hand in its direction that creates the courage to venture into uncharted territory. Faith allows the letting go of long held goals with the faith that something even better will surely result for it will. No matter how it may appear in the short run, the long term outcome will be far better for Spirit than the plan of the limited mind. Maximizing opportunity through self-promotion and letting go and trusting, will allow the most complete and rewarding life paths to unfold. Responding with acceptance and effective learning (Right Responses), the mind can adapt to match the new direction.

143

Lessons of Enlightenment

This can require great courage when enduring long-term goals and dreams seem to be suddenly dashed by the winds of fate. When marriages fail, loved ones die, jobs are lost, economies collapse, and countries go to war, faith is the only salvation. Faith in the Light will be a primary driver through even the darkest hours. Rest assured that the combined strategies of self-promotion, faith in Spirit and flexible Right Responses to growing pains will ensure the maximum life experience. Spirit will create that which is desired as long as you are doing your best at self-promotion and mental development, but it may come in forms beyond the limits of imagination, though sure to be delightful and rewarding. Self-promotion can open worlds far beyond your imaginationgo with it in faith. Most of the habits discussed thus far have involved interactions and communications with other humans, but there are other habits of self-expression that are also very beneficial and more singular in nature. They can also be more immediately rewarding, for they do not depend upon an external other effecting change as a result. These are the physical, dramatic and artistic creative spiritual expressions that make the world go around. These are the types of spiritual expression that are immediately rewarding to mind, body and soulbecause they perpetuate the intention of All That Is. Creative Artistic Expression The Creator intended humans to pursue that which brought pleasure and avoid that which brought pain, but not merely for simple survival. For this method also determines what contents of mind to choose in order to live the most complete and fulfilling life. Pain and pleasure, when understood are the essential learning tools of self development so that maximum spiritual expression can result. Since humans have not yet understood this simple truth, there exists far more pain than was ever intended. Yet, since the dawn of humankind, there have existed outlets for such pain, inborn escape hatches through which pleasure can be experienced simply by resonating to the spirit within others. For this reason, pleasure is automatically experienced through the successful spiritual expression of others. Of course, resistance and beliefs can always still get in the way, but this ability to connect and resonate to the experience of others is quite powerful. And this ability gives birth to what is known as art in all of its forms. Throughout the most painful of human eras, with violation, war, fear and want, there have always been the arts. The basis of art is when the individual connects with the spirit of the moment allowing the divine spark to flow unabated, expressing itself outward. It matters not whether anyone responds, or is even 144

Gamma: New Beginnings

present at that instant. Creative expression is a highly personal act, yet leaves a legacy so that the divine spark catches the spirit of all who witness it at some later point. This is why the arts are found to be so enjoyable; they connect with the kindred spirit within and affirm the universal validity of the necessary expression. Creative expression occurs when the mind temporarily steps aside and allows the spirit to reign superior over the consciousness. Creative expression is when the spirit-body is alive without interference of the mind. It is an energy that flows through the cracks of mind, winding its way through the dense network of limiting beliefs, like a river flows through a thick forest to the sea. It is actually a slightly altered state of consciousness that scientists are just now beginning to notice. This state has been called the flow state. In this state, the mind does not attend other stimulus; its focus is away from the happenings of the world and honed in on the persons creative expression. And in this state, there is an unmistakable feeling of pleasure. Although the feeling is most powerful for the individual doing the creative act, those witnessing such expression can also be pulled into the spiritual flow. This is a wonderful, vital and health giving ability. And it has rescued humans from the depths of despair time and again for the Creator does not intend such pain and suffering. It is only due to the human choices, the slivers of mind, that lingering pain has become a fact of life. But enlightened ones understand how pain is merely a signal to be acted upon to right the mind to free the spirit. And creative expression is a powerful liberator. Humans have an incredible flexibility with which they can handle huge amounts of pain in their lives. But perhaps most beneficial, is the fact that they can get by with a minimal amount of need fulfillment. They can channel the energy from one unmet need into another for which they have developed a successful outlet. They can use spontaneous creative expression to give regular release to frustrated spiritual energy. This is the reason why every cultural tradition has incarnated some expressive form into its institutional framework. Be it oration, music, singing, group movement, chanting, drumming or any other form, it endures because it is aligned with spiritual intention. But self-expression is not at all limited to such traditions or activities. In fact, any creative pursuit that involves using the hands to manipulate matter and changes its external form to match some internal vision is highly pleasurable and rewarding. Such creative pleasure drives human evolution itself. For spirits in flesh are intended to use the power of mind and the inspiration of 145

Lessons of Enlightenment

Spirit to design and create a physical world of their choosing. Such creations do not have to be considered artistic to be highly rewarding. Most professional pursuits allow freedom of the creative impulse as well as provide the rewards of connection and meaning. The only caution is that human creations should flow from spiritual intent, or they can create undesirable physical results. Creations that follow cooperation, pleasure, and love will endure and create further experiences of cooperation, pleasure, and love. Creations that follow competitive impulse, fear and anger will always create further competition, fear and anger. But no matter how long they are allowed to endure within mass consciousness, they will eventually give way to more enlightened forms of expression, as individuals, one by one, learn to heed and actively express the Spirit within. Unfortunately, this will not occur without the conscious choice of humankind. For within consciousness lies the ultimate freedom. The Creator gives all the necessary guidance through the feelings of pleasure and pain and the mental ability to create and actualize that which is chosen by mind. The creations then reflect their level of need-meeting success through resulting feelings of pleasure or pain. Thus, the cycle of development and expression continues. Just as the inner mind is developed within each individual, so follows the external evolution of human mental and physical technology or mass consciousness. The life-giving habits of self-expression can bolster every other effort toward living in the Light. Self-expression is the integral step that unites humans within the physical realm. It is the driver of experience and the mechanism to solicit feedback from spirit regarding how well the mind is doing in its task of continuous development and meeting its needs in the world. Touch Creating with the hands brings us to another powerful life giving habit of selfexpressionthat of touch. The energy that flows through the hands in artistic creation is that same energy that can be exchanged between life forms through the laying on of hands. The physical, emotional and therapeutic benefit of touch is already fairly well understood within mass consciousness, but basically only because humans find it mysteriously pleasurable to touch one another. What is not understood consciously is the expressive value, spiritual fulfillment and the physical exchange of energy that accompanies human touch. Humans have discoveredin spadescertain pleasurable gifts of the flesh, such as human sexuality. The innate pleasure centers that motivate procreation have become the fodder of many limiting thoughts, beliefs, and systems of liv146

Gamma: New Beginnings

ing that seek to tame the wild beast within. But the sexual experience is also a highly spiritual one where energies are exchanged between truly loving entities. This creates a deeply spiritual connection where energies meld again into one another, recalling the consciousness to the fact that we are all intermingling energies. There should be the highest respect for this act, and an honoring of its spirituality, instead of the simply physical excitements and releases. For this type of expression without the presence of love can be spiritually frustrating and damaging physically, psychically and emotionally, not to mention the problem of procreation outside of the original spiritual intent of loving interactive developmental connection. The benefits of touch, however, have far more applications. This simple touch of the shoulder of one who is in distress can communicate the empathic connectedness of spirit and loving compassion quite healing to one experiencing pain. To stroke a child or a pet is intensely rewarding to both parties. Overall massage of the body also provides actual therapeutic benefit to the cells as well as the energy system. As humans develop less limited mindscapes, they will become attuned to the more subtle and powerful aspects of human touch. For now, like many other natural gifts, touch speaks for itself. Humans the world over are encouraged to exploit its physical and emotional benefits as much as possible. Vocalizing Self expression is about getting yourself out there, about telling the world what you think, dream and desire. Humans rely mostly upon wordsthe gift of language, no matter what tongue. But self expression is any action or utterance that meets needs or shows gratitude when they have been met. It is how the individual creates change in the environment, how evolution proceeds. Thus, as part of the human natural motivative system, it has some built-in features. The Creator endowed humans with several kinds of innately rewarding vocal methods of spiritual expression. The most rudimentary vocal form of self-expression is the ability to shed tears. Like every other inborn gift, the ability to cry is part of the Spiritual safety net, where physical processes take over and respond to spiritual frustration in necessary ways. For example, take a newborn. Crying is the first tool a human has to communicate distress and frustrated needs. The parents relate emphatically to the distress and then act in ways that solve the problem. Without such assistance, helpless newborns could not survive. (The sound of an infant crying is also innately aversive and humans are immediately motivated to make it stop.) The parents must have a high degree of attachment to the infant to respond to 147

Lessons of Enlightenment

its needs, or the spirit will vacate the body. Such inter-dependence of humans is one of the physical requirements of the Creator. Crying not only happens when self needs are frustrated, but it also happens spontaneously when empathic pain of others is experienced. And crying is not limited merely to negative experiences, for humans can also weep with joy. Humans often weep over deep and abiding human experiences, rights of passage, and common situations of success and pleasure. Humans often weep when they experience the deeper meaning, or rhythms within daily living. For this system communicates the connectedness and intent of the spirit when the experiences of others touch the universal sameness and resonate with the knowledge that All Are One. Crying is often associated with new beginnings, when the spirit swells with faith, hope and optimism. Such milestones are often marked with traditional ceremonies such as weddings, rights of passage, graduations, promotions, births, etc., as the spirit resonates, validates and encourages movement along the path of life. Tears can mark the final breakthrough of consciousness into awareness of long held, yet denied conflicts, self-doubts and beliefs. Tears often accompany such personal rebirth, as spirit basks in enlightening selfdevelopment. Spirit sings its song of hope through tears. Crying is often also associated with closure, in universally human situations of endingsfunerals, good-byes, relocations, divorces or any other transitions that mark the end of one phase and the beginning of another. Tears punctuate the human cycles of birth, death and rebirth offering physical release in lieu of clear understanding of the ever-evolving dynamic nature of the mind and of life itself. When these understandings are absorbed, crying will result less from resistance and more from the acceptance of the connection and universality of spirits. Humans shall instead cry tears of joy. Crying continues to act as a human connector and a vent for frustrations throughout the entire lifetime. Crying is a very healthy activity, despite its aversiveness and corresponding reputation within mass consciousness. Men in particular need to learn how to understand and appreciate its benefits. Allowing yourself to be carried away within a good cry is tantamount to going into a healing altered state of consciousness. The body takes over and allows the emotional energy to pour forth in physical reflexive lurches and uninhibited tears. Crying is psychically and physically cleansing. It allows the body to cast off pent-up emotional frustrations and right itself, regardless of the limitations of mind that continually fuel the fires of frustration. The crying response auto-

148

Gamma: New Beginnings

matically calls forth the necessary hormones and chemicals that actually wash away toxins and impurities that contribute to physical stress and decay. Thus, humans are encouraged to cry with abandonment. Seek out opportunitiesgo to see sentimental movies, enjoy the literature, and other art forms which bring on tears. Cry when you are moving and dancing about; allow your spirit total liberation. Cry when you find yourself in deeply spiritually pleasing places, when you meditate, or when you gaze upon nature. Crying is the spirit resonatingso let the tears flow freely. Of course, private personal crying will be easier to accomplish than public releases. But let it be known that even big boys should cry with reckless abandon to help affirm and preserve their physical and spiritual boundaries. Laughter is another of natures gifts of vocal expression. It relates to the mystery of humor as well as to the crying response with equally cleansing and curative benefits. Laugh loud and often. For laughter also sings the Spirits song of hope and oneness. Laughter speaks for itself. But it is all too easy for humans to become so entangled within the limits of their own minds that they forget to laugh. It takes conscious focus to remember to find the humor within, and to respond to it heartily. Thus, humans should also seek out opportunities to laugh, to find the fun in the unexpected and note it with a hearty burst of laughterno matter how challenging life might be at any point. Laughter feeds the mind, body and soul. The final form of vocal expression is song. What human has not felt the physical effects of meaningful tones and vibrations upon the body? There is some form of uniform vocal expression in each and every human culture, which evidences its universal benefit. Song has been used throughout human history to invoke spiritual resonance and to connect it with religious teachings, political alliances and community groupings. To experience the harmony and passion of voice raised in song, is to know in the fiber of our being the tremendous accomplishments that humans can achieve with cooperative expression. So, like laughter and tears, sing loud and sing often. (And remember not to mentally judge how it sounds! Let the spirit squeak and howl freely.) For the sounds of song also have direct effects upon the energy system of the body. The vibrations of certain tones correspond with major energy centers within the body. There is much to be learned in this area regarding physical transmutation and manipulation of matter with the use of sound. As the many limitations within mass consciousness are reduced one by one, new creative insights and approaches will be allowed to unfold in this area. At this time, suffice it to say that singing is nourishment for the body, mind and soul. 149

Lessons of Enlightenment

In sum, all vocal expressions can serve positive purposes. Be they words of kindness, or rejection of injustice. Be they tears of frustration or joy. Be they laughter or song. Use them and enjoy them, for they are the gifts of the Gods. Expressing Within the Creation One final comment in the area of self-expression relates to being at one in spirit with the Natural Creation. It is innately pleasing to express through interaction with other life forms within the creation. Creative expressions and art forms that interact with other organisms achieve a special emotional reward. To create with flora, to garden, landscape, or even simply to walk among the trees of a forest, are actions that strike a deep chord within the spirit in affirmation of the inter-connectedness of every apportionment of spirit. Interaction with animals is particularly pleasing, generating a physical, mental, emotional and spiritual response universal to all humans. Such forms of appreciation and interaction with all of creation are innately rewarding. Thus, there is a counterpart responsibility for humans to ensure that their own creative technological expressions are limited to those within the cooperative spirit that does not infringe upon any other form of life. This is a responsibility that should be accepted and honored at its highest levels. Humans should ponder this challenge and begin immediately to act upon it. With the understandings in place to begin replacing the deadly habits with lifegiving ones, we can now turn the discussion to the human needs themselves.

150

Gamma: New Beginnings

Lesson 4: Universal Values and Needs


The Scientific Authority Science is often considered the most acceptable source of human knowledge. A reputation well deserved for the most part. But scientists might teach you that the universe and all of life is some sort of big cosmic accident. They might say that consciousness itself arose from the primordial soup only after centuries and centuries of evolution. Perhaps the worst advice they offer is that there is no greater purpose than simple self-preservation, that life at its core is brutish competition for survival of the fittest. They offer such advice without acknowledging the overpowering evidence that the universe and all of the natural creation operates instead upon a directive of cooperation toward a higher, divine purpose of self-development and selfexpression. Science is cautious in its assertions because it holds to objective, empirical standards which seek to avoid the limiting influence of existing subjective beliefsa most noble goal. For the existing beliefs within the cultural memory run the gamut from the sublime to the ridiculous. They declare wildly conflicting truths and righteousness about human values, purpose and morality. Many place negative value judgments upon human nature itself. There are no limits to humanitys creative interpretations. Any such belief can be entertained and passed down through the generations. Many such limiting assumptions are passed along through religious frameworks as unimpeachable and unquestionable truths. Therefore, there are many conflicting, inaccurate beliefs that need to be sifted and classified. Science seeks objective laws upon which to base such subjective classification. To this end, scientists look to the natural world to find evidence that can explain lifebut without assuming that a Creator exists. Much to the chagrin of many atheistic scientists, this approach will lead humans to the unmistakable, irreversible conclusion that there does exist such a force with intention, value and divine purpose. When scientists become acquainted with human nature and the emotional system, they will have all the evidence they need to conclude the presence of a higher intelligence at work. For indeed, God is alive and well. The intention of the Creator is evidenced in the creation with far more integrity, validity and truth than any human philosophical or religious rendering. Indeed, any truth put forth that is not aligned with actual human nature is simply inaccurate. For God does not play dice with the universe. There is order, cooperation and intent. 151

Lessons of Enlightenment

Scientists are finally on the verge of discovering that the emotional language unites the intuitive (spiritual) qualities and the rational (mental) qualities. This has been the missing piece of human puzzle since time untold. Once recognizing this natural, elegant mechanism, they will be led to higher and higher levels of objective understandings. They might be resistant at first, due to their own particular brand of dogma, which seeks to fit evidence into overly narrow paradigms. But those that heed the inner desire to know, more than they fear where it might take them, will succeed. Much to the chagrin of religious zealots, these discoveries will alter the face of God as they know it. Nonetheless, great knowledge and guidance can then emerge which can influence mass consciousness quite profoundly. And it will be knowledge that provides far more fulfillment than any truths or values that will have to be abandoned. Spiritual Intention vs. Human Mental Values What they (scientists) will discover from finally coming to understand the human feeling feedback system, is that there are indeed certain hardwired, biologically intended, universal values. Values are levels of quality that are desirable and have intrinsic worth. Although virtually anything goes in the realm of mind, the realm of spirit knowsand desires humans to knowinherent universal values. Humans may place value upon any arbitrary traits, behaviors or objects as long as they are in agreement. Although human values can come and go, changing with the times and varying widely across cultures and human history, the spiritual values are those that are non-negotiable, and everlasting. They have always existed and they always will in their purely elegant but simple form. The difference is that universal, spiritual values are the same for each and every human being and perhaps every form of life itself. These universal values can be found underlying many cultural traditions, rules and codes. Many human values are, in fact, symbolic representatives of these spiritual values. For example, dollars, ducats, francs, pesos, lyre, pounds, wampum, etc., are all representatives of monetary value. The money itself has no inherent value. But as an agreed upon medium of exchange, it often provides power, freedom, and can bring fulfillment. The only reason money succeeds as a human value is because it hooks into the higher, spiritual values and brings emotional rewards. On the other hand, if the human value conflicts with a spiritual value, it will cause emotional pain. Many aspects of money do, indeed,

152

Gamma: New Beginnings

conflict with certain spiritual values. The relationship between human and natural values is captured in the expression: money cannot buy happiness. Thus far, many human values conflict with spiritual values, due to our lack of understanding. Many teachings and world views do not recognize all spiritual values and overemphasize some at the expense of others. This creates conflict in experience and bad feelings to such a high degree that humans think such negative experience is normal. There is thought to be no sense, meaning or order in the universe and that life itself is meant as a torturous series of painful events, or that suffering is somehow good for the soul. When in actuality, suffering merely signals when human choices are hurtful, so immediate corrections can be made, restoring the intended state of enlightened bliss. Spiritual Values Embodied In Human Needs Such suffering is no longer necessary. Now, with understandings of how the emotional language speaks the intention of spirit, observing what happens emotionally when certain conditions exist, reveals exactly what that divine intention might be. For the Creators intention is hardwired into the human being at the physical, mental and emotional level in what is called universal human need. Human needs are about human purpose. They are designed into human nature to internally orient each upon the Destiny Path. Each need plays its own unique role in the basic purpose of self-preservation, as well as in guiding humans to their higher purpose of self development and expression. Each need derives from (and points to) the spiritual values of self worth, divine joy, self expansion and cooperative unity. When human needs are fulfilled in a balanced manner, the natural, divine human morality emerges in every thought and deed. It bears repeating that these values are translated into biological human needs. They have been previously introduced in two categories of Individual (power) Needs and the Group (connection) Needs. Now they can be examined more closely. Understanding the needs themselves can explain a great deal about human behavior and why certain actions happen instead of others. They can provide key information that helps accurately interpret feelings and identify the casual beliefs that need to be altered. For oftentimes, the beliefs place the needs in conflict with each other. Yet the impetus to fulfill them is so powerful that it motivates choices often outside the conscious awareness of the individual. This is because the spiritual needs, biologically impressed upon the human being, play a very important role in the feedback information cycle of the language of emotion. Listening to the language of feelings will lead you to your chosen beliefs of mind, but they will also lead to your inborn values of spirit experienced as the needs of the flesh. 153

Lessons of Enlightenment

The Role of Human Needs There are many ideas and beliefs regarding human need. Many such dictates and values spring from human culture, from mass consciousness, rather than from spiritual validity. Which means, of course, that there are many distortions put forth about human need in general. One such distortion is that it is considered a good thing for one person to need another. A second distortion is that each person is supposed to fulfill the needs of others, in selfless charity, while their own needs go unmet. This only brings confusion, martyrdom, codependency, unhappiness, resentment and conflict. For each individual is intended to fulfill his or her own needs. This spiritual directive is so non-negotiable, important and powerful, that each human is born with preset biological self-protecting reactions to ensure that they will be met. If self-needs go unfulfilled, the emotional signal will sound. If the corrective message is ignored, the emotional intensity will continue to build, motivating the person to seek relief in any way possible. This basic connection between need, emotion, and the urge to act sets the stage for many actions that seek escape from the painful emotions. This is the basis for nearly every competitive, violent, aberrant, compulsive or addictive behavior perpetrated by mankind. Thus, it is imperative for humans to understand their needs, be empowered to meet them in any manner they so choose, and to listen to the emotional signals for guidance and feedback. As we have become acquainted with the language of human spirit, we have learned how the human feelings provide continuous guiding feedback information. We know that the goal is to compare and balance mind and spirit. At this closer level, we can see exactly what gets compared. These needs are the internal spiritual standards against which the emotional signals compare external results. These needs are the measures against which the beliefs are evaluated. In short, the emotional signal in any given moment tells us how well our needs have been met by our beliefs. The feelings compare our needs with our beliefs and constantly inform us which beliefs help meet our needs and which frustrate them, so that corrections can be made. Bear in mind that our needs flow from our destiny and intuitive knowledge of spiritual intentiona source far wiser than our minds. They drive us toward divine intention no matter where the mind thinks it ought to go. This way, the desires and actions will steer the mind in choosing the best beliefs. The best belief systems, of course, are those built upon this spiritual feedback. The best mindscapes will allow all needs to be met in some balanced manner, 154

Gamma: New Beginnings

without neglecting some to meet others. In the course of the learning experiences, the safety feature of the emotional system will motivate automatic physical corrective actions, if the mind does not choose successful ones. These responses will often occur before the mind is even invoked. They are intended to ensure survival long enough to ponder how and why such a situation came about to foster mental correction. If no correction ever comes, the human is reduced to a basic instinctive, reactionary level of experience that does not utilize the rational capacities. Thus, the universal needs are the basis for all directed human actionwhether consciously chosen or unconsciously habitual. Emotion is the force that moves us to action; the need provides the direction. When actions meet the needs in a balanced manner, the golden meanthe intended state of balance, decreed, desired and dictated by the Creatorhas been achieved. The needs are the Creators delightful, ingeniously designed insurance policy that humans would never completely distance themselves from the guiding wisdom of their spiritual source. The needs are designed to lead us to our highest purpose. No matter how long humans may flounder in limiting choices of belief, their feelings will urge them toward this state of balance. No matter how ignorant the application of free will, the inner guidance back to the light is always available. The biological needs, empowered by frustrated feelings, will drag humanskicking and screaming if need bein better directions than the limited mind has been able to provide. Only when all the needs are respected, and beliefs and strategies are in place to get them met, are humans allowed to be fully human. The course of human evolution will only move toward this eventual outcome. The ultimate, truly civilized, systems of livingthose that will not self-destruct or suffer the social symptoms of fear and angerwill recognize and provide a balanced approach where all of the needs are continuously respected and met. The Dynamic Flexibility of Needs The wisdom of the Creator allows tremendous flexibility in how humans choose to meet their needs. Free will means just that. There are no rigid rules. The human needs can be met in any number of imaginably creative ways. Simply looking to the many diverse human systems of thought and living will attest to the tremendous freedom the Creator allows humans to chart their own course. The level of need fulfillment in a given individual or society reflects the level of understanding of human purpose. To date, most human civilizations and sys155

Lessons of Enlightenment

tems of living do not meet all of the needs all of the time. In fact, some needs are not recognized nor respected at all. Often, the individual needs are pitted directly against the group needs, or one is ignored so that the other can be emphasized. This sets the stage for failure, emotional pain, and defensive selfpreservationary responses which seek to remove self chosen roadblocks. It is only through creative, if not deviant, behavior that much fulfillment is accomplished at all. This is why science has declared, if not relegated, human purpose to be that of mere survival or self-preservation. (Religion, however, for all its mistakes, has kept the faith of a higher human purpose alive until science can catch up). For humans are a hearty species indeed. Temporary retreats can help them survive intense amounts of mental and emotional conflict and pain while they are finding their way. This human tenacity can be credited to the wisdom of the Creator, who offers timeless patience and faith in human nature. This inner strength, resiliency and self-protection was a gift to match that of free will, giving humans the ability and strength to endure while learning for themselves how to restore the inner guidance. But there are definite limits to any such flexibility. Although feelings will always sound the alarm, they can be ignored for only so long until the needs are neglected beyond even the Creators tolerance level. The self-preservationary reactions of flight and fight occur when this limit has been reached. These inborn self-preservationary mechanisms will ensure that a minimum amount of need-meeting will happen, regardless of how conflicted the realm of mind might be. These defensive responses will ensure that some of the needs will at least be met all of the time, and that humans do not dip below the minimum level, threatening preservation of the species. This is why the selfpreservationary impulses to fight and take flight are so powerful. Humans are not intended to tolerate such continuous pain and suffering. These responses ensure that the individual will at least physically react to meet the needs regardless of how well the mind or world honors them. Like anything else, need fulfillment itself can be used as a strategy of escape and denial of the bigger challenge at hand. It is all too easy to seek refuge in the emotional pleasure of meeting one need to soothe the frustration of another. This is how need-meeting behaviors often become compulsions. Impulses to overeat, drink or self-medicate nearly always spring from unmet spiritual needs. As debilitating as this can be, it is not without temporary benefit. For until the system is understood, it is often necessary to seek refuge from overly intense emotional signals.

156

Gamma: New Beginnings

But all defensive responses are merely temporary fixes. As always, the feelingswhen understoodcontinuously ask for permanent correction in any and all circumstances brought about by limiting beliefs that have left needs unmet. Hardwired responses only meet some immediate needs, while rational, emotionally directed responses address all needs on a long-term basis. Self preservation is only a stage or stepping stone to the higher, purposeful responses of self-development and expression. Thus, it is essential to become very well acquainted with each of the needs, so that the messages of emotions can bring the maximum progress. In sum, emotion moves action toward meeting needs. For emotion addresses beliefs in relation to these needs. The need lies under the feeling representing the voice of spirit, just as the belief lies under the feeling representing the voice of mind. The feeling then motivates the action. Thus, emotion is very powerful and the primary force behind every human action, with each feeling addressing one of six, core, rudimentary, basic, spiritually ordained, and biologically imbedded human needs. Understanding needs is the final piece of information to ensure maximum use of the emotional message. The needs are not complex, nor mysterious. In fact, they are quite simple and clearly recognizable, once we make their acquaintance. To this end, we will now discuss, in detail, the needs themselves. The Need for Power This is perhaps the most basic of all human needs. It is the essential requirement that each human being be able to control his or her destiny. Power is the unrestricted ability to act and to have the world respond to those actions. Individual empowerment is the divine conduit of free will. Each human being must be able to act in ways that allow them to succeed in getting what they need. Power in its most basic form provides the safety of knowing that you can fend for yourself and make your life work. The need for power is perhaps the most basic, most rudimentary and nonnegotiable of the human needs. If the power need goes unmet, all other needs will be subordinated immediately to restore this most essential degree of control and safety. The power need reflects the universal spiritual values of cooperation, and self determinism. Without the cooperative give and take between individual and environment, life simply cannot happen. Whenever human beings experience a lack in the power need, they will feel fear. They will be physically motivated to immediately remove themselves from that situation or to fight to change it to ensure survival. The basic social

157

Lessons of Enlightenment

conditions must allow humans to have enough empowerment to act upon their thoughts and feelings and be able to learn through their experiences. From the very moment of birth, humans need to experience their power and ability to control the environment. Even a helpless infant exerts power by expressing the feelings through vocal outbursts until a parent or caregiver comes to satisfy the need. If no one responds to the crying, the infant simply does not survive. If the crying is only successful some of the time, the infant is not assured of its own power, and emotional dissonance immediately begins, setting the stage for inadequate emotional development. (Many disconnected souls spend their lifetime seeking power in violent angry outbursts due to this initial condition of questionable power within a non-cooperative foster environment.) Power and personal control over ones destiny is often confused with other trappings of power. Money, position, status, and control over others often compensates temporarily for a lack in the personal empowerment need. If someone does not feel safe, then they might be motivated to find temporary escape or pseudo-safety in any ways their distorted beliefs might dictate. But such responses to emotional pain are simply flight responses and not those that will ensure development and expression. Adding knowledge that has passed emotional muster is far more empowering. Knowledge is, indeed, power. The most important point about the power need is that it is an essential need that opens doors to the meeting of all other needs. The need for personal power and control over ones destiny is simply non-negotiable. Individual empowerment is the naturally ordained right of each and every spirit in flesh. Thus, it is essential to honor this need and establish internal beliefs and external social structures that allow the maximum self empowerment. It goes without saying, of course, that with such naturally ordained power comes the corresponding naturally intended responsibility for chosen actions. This is why the life-giving habit of accountability is so important. Humans often give their power away due to misunderstandings of the choices of belief. They often channel their power indirectly through other people or through social structures that severely limit their fulfillment. This error will be signaled by anger, frustration, and eventually the sadness and depression of self-loss. These feelings all scream for the power to be restored, for the beliefs to be altered (with Right Responses) from those that have allowed it to be given away. True empowerment is reflected in beliefs that rarely invoke anger or frustration. Power is not simply being able to control the angry feelings; it lies in structuring the mind with beliefs which restore control over the daily challenges, so that they are never even elicited. Instead, the threat to personal power

158

Gamma: New Beginnings

often allows the fight response to take over, regardless of what the best response might be. Suffice it to say at this point, that the need for power will overcome the other needs if necessary. For self-preservation can only occur if the individual has the power to act upon the environment and meet the innate needs. If conditions are such that competition is necessaryso be it deems the Creator. It is, indeed, the individual that will make changes in the world, not the group. The group can never change or fully control the individual in ways that prevent these innate human dynamics. Evolution happens at the level of the individual, and thus, it is imperative to ensure maximum empowerment of each. If relative empowerment for safety and control is not achieved, there will be chaos and eventual demise. The Need For Freedom Beyond the power to control ones destiny, lies the freedom of movement and thought with which a human can both broaden the mind and alter the world. One can have control, yet not have the freedom to expand the internal and external worlds. Once self-preservation is assured (the power need met) the human is immediately motivated to begin self-development with the urge to be free. But the urge to be free is also very basic and non-negotiable. The human value of liberty embodies both the power and freedom needs. The words, Give me liberty or give me death, were deeply and spiritually accurate. The need for freedom ensures that humans will be able to think for themselves and decide how to design their mindscape to best fulfill their innate value. The need for freedom was the Creators insurance that free will would be honored and nurtured. Life is meant to be experienced in the present moment, with spontaneity and enthusiasm supported by constantly evolving, unlimited mental structures. Learning is intended to be an individual experiential trial and error processand never to be replaced by a limited or singular way of understanding and interacting with the world. Although human education and the passing on of culture is very helpful for shared living, it has also, over time, profoundly reduced other options of thought and action. Life is not meant to be learned from the experiences of others. Divine intention is that learning will occur only through the experiences of the self acting upon the world in trial and error behaviors, with the ever-present guide of human emotion judging progress. The intention of the Creator is born out in the adolescent years of developing human beings. What has become feared as the inevitable, willful rebellion of teens is simply the Creators inborn desire for each person to learn for themselves through their own experiences. This is why humans often reject the 159

Lessons of Enlightenment

advice of their elders, even good advice from those who are very respectable. For the urge springs naturally from the right and true, deep and abiding need for freedom of thought and action. They must learn certain things for themselves, despite all the frustrations of those who have already had similar learning experiences. Thus, the need for freedom and individual experiences must be honored, accepted and accommodated within each individual mind and in all social structures. This does not mean that all structured learning and education should be thrown by the wayside. Instead, it should be tailored to allow individuals experiential learning within the existing structures to strike the needed balance. All knowledge should be offered as flexible and consensual and treated as a suggestion or a framework of reference from which individuals can create and imagine bigger and better explanations. Nothing should be offered as an unimpeachable Truth, but instead as a potentially useful tool for self-discovery. Education and knowledge should be offered in the context of Socratic questioning and discussion, along with situational dramatics that honor, respect and facilitate each persons right to experiential learning. (Situational dramatics and roleplaying are very powerful and underutilized tools for experiential, precautionary learning. They can bring about vicarious, yet painful, messages of emotion without the actual experience itself, imparting wisdom without paying the price of learning the hard way). Simply put, societies that do not allow freedom for all of their members, will not survive. Any human grouping that seeks to contain and control its members by erecting mental and physical walls can never succeed in the long term. When societies provide the right amount of freedom, there will be far less violent rebellion, anger, fear and manipulation. For, when freedom is suppressed, the need becomes magnified to the point of a compulsion. This can bring exaggerated defensive responses that are not at all in the best interest of the individual or the society. The Need for Creative Expression Once the need for freedom has facilitated movement, growth and mental flexibility, the urge to self-express becomes readily apparent. Although all of the needs are always present, the power and freedom needs will come to the surface immediately, usurping all others, should they become frustrated in any way. Only when there is a minimum amount of power and freedom can humans fully focus and become conscious of other, higher needs. The word higher in this context means merely that these needs are removed from the automatic selfpreservationary mechanisms and can relate more to higher human purpose.

160

Gamma: New Beginnings

For they will remain at the edge of consciousness until the basics of survival are in place. The need to create reflects the spiritual values of self-worth and self-expression. Creativity is about making internal visions and dreams actual in the physical world. The creative need motivates achievement, and the attainment of all goals. It is about being the most complete form of your spiritual self and acting it out upon the world in truly unique and valuable ways. Creativity is an ability often thought to be limited only to artists and musicians. But this is a far too narrow way of thinking about creative self-expression. For each and every action, each word, and each motion is an outward creative reflection of the inner creative spirit. Those expressions that reflect limits of mind, of course, will also be apparent. Any such inadequacies, however, will in turn elicit the necessary feedback, once the feelings are understood. Then, with accurate interpretations of, and responses to the emotional signals, the inadequate beliefs of mind will gradually give way to better versions, such that each and every action becomes the creative expression of true spirit. Creative expression melds the spiritual values of self-development and expression into the motive to achieve bigger and better results; to build a mindscape of knowledge, skills and abilities to express and create in all realms or find success in a wide variety of challenging environments. If creativity and growth is stifled, boredom will surely set in as a spiritual reminder toward continuous evolution and expression. The creative expression of such a spirit would consistently exhibit joyous, spontaneous, meaningful, cooperative and exuberant thoughts, words, movements, actions and interactive deeds. Any other types of expression still contain the effects of a limited mindscape, with negative emotional experiences and responses asking for the needed corrections toward this ideal spiritual existence of creative expression in flesh. Thus, each and every human being has the inborn need to express ones self. This is experienced as an inner understanding or knowingness regarding ones universal value. It is also the irresistible urge to do whatever is necessary to know that valuable self, to develop that self, and to go forth and share that self with the world. The sense of committed contribution springs from this urge to create. That inner inspiration to achieve, to change the world, to make it a better place, springs from the spiritual creative need. The work ethic that has built civilizations is based on the need to create. The need to create motivates individuals to go to work each day and leave their unique mark upon the world. And each creation, no matter how seemingly insignificant in human terms, holds tremendous value and cosmic significance in the spiritual realm. 161

Lessons of Enlightenment

The Need for Connection The human individual needs are, indeed, very powerful motivators, and they will come to the fore if they are not met, to ensure self-preservation. But in order to truly and fully be human, the need for group connection cannot be denied. This is the need reflected in the urge to commune, affiliate and share life with others. Indeed, the overwhelming feelings and urges to love and be loved spring from the connection need. The connection need embodies the spiritual values of unity, love and cooperation. One can only find fulfillment in temporary ways when seeking only to fulfill the individual self needs of power, freedom and creativity. Such a soul would be quite lonely indeed. Many such souls, motivated by fearful competition, keep themselves from finding broader creative fulfillment of true cooperation. The need for connection ensures that great spiritual offerings will meet with the highest and broadest levels of creative expression, for more people will be around to help. A magical thing happens when groups of people set out to achieve a common goal, when the creative and connection needs merge into a singular motive. The whole is often better than the parts. A certain synergy is sparked where each persons creative thrust adds to the original vision, making it far richer than first imaged. In fact, the universe is designed for like energies and entities to attract each other to intermingle and reconnect in new and unique ways. Humans have a deep and abiding longing to love and to be loved. This need springs from the connectedness of each and every spiritual apportionment and speaks its truth through the spark of human (and even animal) connection. When the connection needs are denied, even in the best of individual circumstances, the soul suffers its lonely sense of loss. This is why the accepted strategy of competition should give way immediately to the understanding of necessary cooperation. In fact, most competitive win-lose human situations are actually based upon agreed on, cooperative rules. Thus, the connection need underlies any seemingly successful or fulfilling competitive activity. Nonetheless, the connection needs can be subordinated and postponed for quite long periods of time if the survival need for power has not been attained. Humans can be driven away from one another, into violent competition when the rules for connection become too steep. For the connection need can also work in negative ways. For example, the martyr dutifully strives to satisfy the needs of all the loved ones, oftentimes at the expense of ones own hopes, dreams, 162

Gamma: New Beginnings

and needs to creatively express. The martyr then experiences frustration and resentment, since their own needs are neglected. Such frustration often results in passive-aggressive, back-door, power-seeking dynamics. For the individual needs must always come first. Resentment often results, and subtle and then perhaps violent outbursts will be played out upon the loved ones of the group if this imbalance continues to exist. Warm fuzzies and recognition from cohorts should not be accepted in lieu of basic power, freedom or opportunities. Like every need, the connection need must be honored, understood and respected without sacrificing another. The connection need has its abuses as well. It can be used by some seeking power over others. Relinquishment of freedom of thought can be the price charged for admission into a loving or safe group. Cult-like mentalities often result from humans who huddle together in their own darkness rather than risk being lonely. Yet, freedom and control is often traded away to join such groups as well. This breeds yet another brand of emotional problems, with such symptoms as paranoia, anger and social disconnection. In any grouping where external control seeks to replace internal control, you will always find dissonance and maladapted individuals. The power of love and attraction includes a hardwired urge to nurture, to procreate and live communally. Oftentimes these physical urges can be confounded by limited beliefs, leaving humans in compromising positions that require need tradeoffs. Solid relationships are based upon mutual understandings which recognize and honor each of the self needs and allow each member to meet them in ways they so choose. Compromises between two conflicting perspectives that make both sacrifice for some third middle-ground alternative are not recommended, for no ones need is satisfied with such a compromise. The connection needs must not on a long-term basis, usurp the individual needs. The connection need often serves as a refuge when other needs are not met. Subcultures spring forth as defensive responses from those who have not been allowed sufficient individual freedom and empowerment within the accepted cultural framework. Although often temporarily necessary, such fractionating between peoples does not work well over time. For, as with any need, it urges humans toward the truth of universal values. Fragmenting humans into separate groups only achieves disconnection that promotes hatred and violence against one another.

163

Lessons of Enlightenment

The Need to Find Meaning The urges to survive, to creatively express, and to love and to be loved go a long way toward helping humans find their higher course. But without a doubt, the need that will give them the most rapid success in solving the secrets of the universe and understanding the mind of the Creator, will be in answering the inner urge to find meaning. Again, the Creator was ingenious in encoding the chemical cloak with the need to discover, to understand, to know and to make sense of the world. Humans are curious beings, born with the desire to seek solutions, to solve riddles and puzzles. The need to find meaning evidences the spiritual value of selfdevelopment and expansion of human experience, as well as universal order and meaning itself. Like any other need-meeting experience, it brings a degree of emotional joy. When humans learn their inner truths, they experience that unmistakable resonance; a very pleasurable chord struck within them that validates their finding. The need for meaning spurs humans to know self, know their world and know their place in their world. In the meantime, religion, science and world views provide meaning in a seemingly meaningless universe. Science has yet to connect the dots and see the greater order, wisdom, and cooperationthe meaning within each and every physical interaction from microbes to universes. Religion has yet to realize the consensual nature of its chosen beliefs and to understand that truly spiritual cooperation does not pit one against another, nor hold a monopoly on truth, nor attempt to defile or alter their GOD-given nature. Yet, despite humans struggle to attain enlightenment, they are rallied each and every day when they find meaning in their deeds, the events and the actions of their lives. They find meaning in the order, value and beauty of nature. To gaze upon a golden sunset evokes the resonant meaning or order and validity of the universe. These tidbits keep us going until we finally find what we are supposed to find. Until we finally stumble upon the connection between our beliefs, our needs, our feelings and the events that occur in our lives. Until we finally live and breathe the Creators intent. To date, humans experience frustration in wondering why things happen. Particularly puzzling is why bad things happen to good people. For the connection has not yet been made that humans do, indeed, create their own reality, quite literally attracting each and every event that they experience. Such events actually reflect, with crystal clarity, the beliefs chosen by the human being. Such reflections are intended to be acted upon as feedback with feeling signals to address needs and direct the refinement of beliefs to achieve more rewarding 164

Gamma: New Beginnings

results. This is the ultimate meaning that the Creator intends the creations to embrace. When the light begins to shine, humans take great delight in everyday occurrences, for they realize that each and every event holds hidden meaning and perhaps opportunity to develop and express. They will begin to recognize how the most surprising, unlikely and unexpected of events can open doors that will greatly increase their own successes and move them quickly toward their stated and envisioned goals. Each day is filled with wonder and anticipation as events are recognized beyond the confines of time as those specifically requested by that spirit. With meaning, life becomes an exciting and wonderful adventure where positive feelings attract the entities to their highest experiences. Without it, life is a cycle of misguided action, pain and reaction to avoid further pain. Events are created that seem chaotic, random and pointless. But humans can also misunderstand and abuse the need to find meaning. Humans can create world views that explain why things happen the way they do. Many such philosophies provide meaning at the expense of other more urgent needs such as control and freedom. The group goals can often conflict with the individuals needs and the rules will ask for individuals to sacrifice for the good of the group. This is counter evolutionary and destructive. The Need to Build Self-Esteem The higher purposes of self-development and self-expression are attained through each of the basic needs. Bur perhaps the most direct contributor to the balancing, growth and expansion of self is the powerful human need to achieve self-esteem. The term self-esteem captures every such concept that recognizes the value of the collection of beliefs, skills and strategies that have been assembled and willfully chosen by a given individual. Since the mind is also the Cultural Self, the identity of the individual is intimately connected with the level of efficacy the mind has attained in the world. Self esteem naturally follows when a person knows that they can handle lifes challenges. When they know that they have worked hard to learn from the world and to adapt themselves accordingly. True self-esteem can only be earned by making the necessary Right Responses and learning the lessons from lifes challenges. True self-esteem cannot be built upon empty compliments, unfounded sentiments from others, or self-deceptive beliefs. Self-esteem must be based upon actual adaptations and expressions accomplished by that given individual. Although the mind can adopt inaccurate,

165

Lessons of Enlightenment

unrealistic or skewed beliefs about ones self from such sources, the spirit cannot be fooled. The reward from each learning experience is felt through the positive emotions. Each such experience adds to an ever increasing level of self-esteem that both celebrates successful interactions with the world and builds confidence in achieving future successes. Indeed, the Creator gives the nod when the high road has been taken by offering joyous emotional reward. It is also important to recognize how taking the low road to a false elevation of self-esteem can also be a seductive trap. True self-esteem is based upon successful self-development and expression. But false or temporary self-esteem can also be attained through self-preservationary responses as well. For example, actions of retaliation for a wrongdoing, getting even, or deliberately demeaning another can all momentarily give one a sense of superiority over that person. This can bring an accompanying good feeling of justice in having successfully defended ones self against an aggressor. But superiority assumes a competitive relationship, not one of truly rewarding connected cooperation. When examined closely, many human interactions are based upon the jockeying for superiority, and a great deal of energy is wasted upon self-preservation, when self-development is the true desire of spirit. Many reactions are those that deny and defend limited boundaries of mind, or strike out against the bearer of the feedback message. Both reactions are of course, the limited, selfpreservationary responses of Flight or Fight. Thus, it is particularly important to understand the many automatic responses that occur which use the esteem need in this way. Each interaction with another human being pits one mind against another, with each person experiencing emotional signals about how well they stack up in that particular world. Choosing Right Responses that broaden the boundaries of mind automatically expands and strengthens the self. These feelings about the self are a constant and powerful motivator, usually residing just below the conscious focus, yet underlying each subsequent action. Casting the conscious focus upon them can avoid a great deal of unnecessary, hurtful human interactions. The need for self-esteem is quite powerful indeed. It ensures that selfdevelopment and self-expression will occur. It reflects the spiritual values of self-worth and the continuous expansion of All That Is. Like all needs, it must be honored, understood and met in ways that do not compromise any other need, nor settle for actions of mere self-preservation.

166

Gamma: New Beginnings

Summary of Human Needs These are the six basic human needs that lie within each human being: The need for power, for freedom, the need to create, to connect, to find meaning, and to build self-esteem. They all ensure survival of the species. They all steer humanity toward discovery of self-understanding and guidance toward their highest purpose. They underlie all human action, whether consciously chosen or habitually acted out. They are the spiritual values and boundaries against which the emotional message measures the success or failure of beliefs and strategies of mind. They can be met in a wide variety of ways and are quite flexible. They can be used to achieve peak performance or they can be misused as mechanisms of escapism and violation. It is imperative to recognize, honor and respect each of the human needs and design strategies of living that allow them all to be met simultaneously. This is the true intention of the Creator. Genuine happiness, fulfillment and growth can only be experienced on a long-term basis when each need is honored. The lifegiving habits of self development and expression are all based upon balancing these human needs, just as the deadly habits of self-preservation spring from misunderstanding and denying them. The feeling signals themselves each address these needs. The very universe itself rests upon the values they embody. Understanding the universal human needs completes the information cycle of human spiritual communication. We can now refine the understandings and address its implications upon humanity for restoring spiritual guidance will forever alter every area of mass consciousness.

167

Delta
Introduction

Implications for Personhood


Lesson 1: Implications for Self Concept

The wisdom within these Lessons is self-evident, upon a bit of experimentation. Yet, due to the many limiting ideas that exist within the Mind of Man, it is essential to point out each and every implication of having access to the voice of spirit. For until this time, humans have been left to their own devices and the creativity resulting has left a jumble of conflicting factioned groupings which need to be reassembled into the Family of Man. Thus, each individual within the world, each and every belief system, each institution within each culture, need now be cleansed with the knowledge that comes from the voice of spirit. This global cleansing is the challenge of each earthbound entity. It is not to be accomplished with darkness or violation of any type. It cannot be accomplished with competition, battles or Holy Wars; it can only be accomplished through the cooperative, developmental efforts of individuals redefining the mental landscape under the direction of the spiritual guide, followed by expressive efforts to alter the cultural landscape accordingly, to accommodate the nature of humankind. The task is a daunting one, yet the time, the energy, and the human receptivity to internal guidance is at a peak point. The patterns of resistance, competition and self-preservation have been repeated so many times throughout human history that the futility and negativity of such a course is now apparent to all. Humankind now experiences en masse the effects of lack of evolution, the effects of disconnection from the spirit within, the effects of separation from the Creator, and is now trapped within the gross limitations of their own creations. Such a life of pain, guilt and futility is hardly the intention of the Creator. Thus, the spirit urges from within, through feelings of frustration, signaling the need for individuals to rise to the challenge at hand. In response to the inner feelings, civilization can now be accomplished through each individual effort and even the slightest, most seemingly insignificant successes impact the en169

Lessons of Enlightenment

ergy far more than might be suspected. Indeed, world peace can be accomplished through the accumulation of such efforts. The seeds planted now by the enlightened ones will flourish, and in time, the garden now choked with weeds can return to its original Eden-like state of creative freedom and spiritual fulfillment. All accomplishments of self-development and expression rest upon the ability to rise above the self-preservationary reactions that now hold most humans captive. Understanding the self will reconnect humans with the universal values so they no longer must argue over which political, economic, religious, educational, social and ethical ideas and approaches should be pursued. With mind, anything goes. Minds will always disagree until spiritual values are understood and invoked. With spirit, there is a correct, purposeful courseone deemed so by the very Creator. It is written on the wind, evidenced throughout all physical nature and encoded within each cell. It presents itself as innate needs that cannot be left unmet. It is evidenced by the natural repercussion from biological safeguard systems. It follows the pleasure and pain principle, the approach and avoidance action impulses clearly observable in every physical unit, from human beings to subatomic particles. Tremendous progress can be made. A true and empoweringly great leap forward can be made, but there is a particular sequential order to this global transformation. Thus, the first step is to attain the total and complete understanding of the Self. For it is the many muddled ideas about the self that keep humans from claiming their spiritual birthright. To this end, we will now pull together and discuss existing concepts of self. We have acknowledged the problem of how all beliefs become associated with the self-identity and signal the feeling system. We provided the solution to this problem by establishing the crucial division between mind and spirit, and of how different feelings relate to these different aspects of self. With these understandings in place, it is now useful to add the body back into the mix. It is crucial to remember that the mind still holds the focus upon the physical realm and can greatly distort the perceptions and restrain incoming information, skewing the impressions of the physical world. It is also essential to know that the energy of spirit contains all information from both mind and body. But now, clarifying within the self concept the exact role of body can usher in less abstract understanding of the self-preservationary impulse. For although it is disruptive when misunderstood, it is the basic, safeguard system, level of human purpose. 170

Delta: Implications for Personhood

The Self and Human Purpose The human is actually comprised of a trinity of self. The spirit is the energy, the life force that carries information between the twin physical and nonphysical realms. It has access to all available information from both realms. The mind is the vehicle of free will through which the individual can design the life accouterments to their liking and to best fulfill their destiny path. The mind has the express purpose of self-development. When the mind does its job, the spirit can meet its purpose of self-expression in ever-expanding areas of experience. With adequate information exchanges and feedback between these Twin Selves humans can enjoy the maximum most rewarding physical experience. The life giving habits are all designed to meet these higher purposes. Unfortunately, the mind has complete free will and can develop itself with slivers that can take humans in less rewarding directions, should the communication with spirit somehow breakdown. This is the risk of physical existence and the downside of free will. This is why the wisdom of the Creator has been imbued into the body itself. This is the safety feature that can save humans from themselves by keeping them oriented upon a purposeful path. The body contains the needs to move humans forward, and its physical responses of fight and flight to move them back when they stray from their intended course. The bodys basic purpose is to self-preserve so that the human is kept alive long enough to discover and act upon its higher purposes. Thus, there is a trinity of purpose swirling within humans at their present level. The human race has not yet reached sufficient self-understanding necessary for the cooperative level of existence that they now are faced. They remain at cross purposes within themselves because the emotional self-signals have three distinct meanings that need to be understood. The feelings tell body to selfpreserve. They tell mind to self-develop in ways to ensure the bodys purposes are met. They speak the truth of spirit for its purpose of self-expression. Local Self Distinctions So it is now useful to recognize the trinity of self, to best understand each feeling signal as it is experienced at this quite primitive level of human existence. Thus, all other terms used to capture any concept or portion of self will fall into one of these three simple self-categories of body, mind and spirit. It is essential to define this trinity of self to decipher the language of human feeling.

171

Lessons of Enlightenment

There has been a tendency for humans throughout their history to theorize and dissect the human self and declare certain portions to have specific functions. Although incomplete or inaccurate, many have been quite elaborate, and have created further confusion. This tendency has been rooted in the very real distinction between body, mind and spirit, yet was always clouded by the knowledge of the day, mental judgments and the perspective of the theorist. Many theorists identified three major categories, but there was so much fuzziness and overlap that the role of feeling signals in the spiritual self-regulation system could not reveal itself. Many of what was supposed to be higher divine values were simply the passing fancies within mass consciousness. As we know now, any such belief taken from the cultural storehouse of mass consciousness is freely and willfully chosen and maintained by its owner. For example, the historically accepted Freudian distinction between Ego, Id and Superego. The Ego represents the individuals conscious mind. The Id, which he defined as an inborn, unconscious, impulsive portion of the personality, represents the body. The Superego, which was thought to be a sort of conscience or higher inner guide, was a combination of external social dictates, mores, and rules from the realm of mind, mixed together with a vague concept of inborn internal spiritual directives, inaccurately entangling them into a third fuzzy category. Such is also the case with the early philosophy of Plato, with his rational (mind), spirited (spirit) and appetitive (body) portions of the human self that based (were the basis for) the later Freudian thought. The result has been a great deal of terms, each used to describe various portions of the human psyche. With the precise clarity of redefining each aspect of self, cleansed of its cultural judgments, the feelings can begin to take on their purposeful meaning. To this end, each term now must be relegated to the proper category of Body, Mind or Spirit to further cement this critical distinction. Thus, the chart on the following page is offered:

172

Delta: Implications for Personhood


BODY Purpose: Self-Preservation Physical Genetic Self Id/Superego (internal, natural rules) Unconscious (hardwired drives) MIND Purpose: Self-Deveopment Mental Self Ego Conscious Focus Mass Consciousness Unconscious Rational Evolving Self Actual Self Ought Self Intellectual Beliefs/Cultural Knowledge Plans/Expectations Attitudes/Moods Skills Goals Nurture Influences SPIRIT Purpose: Self-Expression Non-Physical Self Superego (divine rules) Collective Unconscious (info beyond space/time) Soul Spirited

Appetitive

Natural Knowledge Temperments Talents Drives/Needs Physical/Natural Influences

Ideal/Destined Self Intuitive Truths/Divine Knowledge Divine Intention/Mission Divine Exuberance Soul Development Destiny Spiritual Influences

Conclusion Each and every aspect of a human being that is learned and changes after birth resides in the realm of Mind. Each and every aspect that is innate and hardwired belongs in the realm of Body. Each and every aspect that is enduring, divine and life giving belongs in the realm of Spirit. Other terms commonly used to describe aspects of self, often combine and overlap between these realms causing further confusion. Examples include personality, character, mentality, psyche and even brain. The term personality for example, is a combination of innate spiritual tendencies acted upon by the specific experiences and beliefs held in mind that shape behavior choices. The word brain is a uniquely confusing word. For of course, all aspects of self are manifested within the physical structures. The brain is clearly part of the body. It comes with its own abilities and temperaments and talents. But the brain can then be expanded upon and developed through experience. Quite literally, as humans learn and have experiences, the brain structures themselves change and grow in ways specific to that individuals experiences. But it is the energy of spirit that pulses the brain with life, giving rise to mind.

173

Lessons of Enlightenment

Interpretation of Feelings and Attribution An instantaneous recognition between the purposes of body, mind and spirit is crucial to the accurate assessment of the feedback offered by the Spiritual adjudicator, the emotional information system. The feelings take on the three distinct levels of meaning to the enlightened mind. But without adequate understanding of the separate functions of each aspect of self, the system falls into automatic mode to ensure survival. In this mode, (automatic mode) the system operates upon the self/not-self distinction with body, mind, and spirit lumped together motivating actions toward a singular goal of self-preservation. Self preservation of mind creates limitation and emotional boundaries and stifles the spirits purposeful expression. Evolving humans must rise above the automatic cycle by mindfully intervening and rising to the higher purposes of self-development of mind and self-expression of spirit. Thus, it is essential to correctly understand which portion of self any specific feeling addresses. This is a process called attribution. Attribution is the part of the Right Response that acknowledges the specific portion of self that has elicited the feeling signal being interpreted. This is a relatively simply task when one understands the difference between body, mind, and spirit, and will eventually become virtually automatic for enlightened ones. But what happens without such information, is that the entire self gets credit or blame for each and every feeling and automatically seeks to preserve itself by avoiding situations that invoke bad feelings, or automatically approaching those that bring pleasurable onesoftentimes not at all the best choice of action. Actions that meet one need at the expense of another provide a benefit of momentary relief from bad feelings or pleasure from good ones, but at a cost of future problems. Lacking this ever-present boundary and the correct attribution of the feeling signal, the message of Divine Intention is far less accessible, and the human needs can become mental enemies instead of spiritual allies. If the feelings are misattributed or unexamined, they can work against the spiritual goals by helping instill slivers rather than removing them. Partial, temporary, or artificial need fulfillment can perpetuate misconceptions that set the stage for future pain. For instance, the need for Self Esteem. Self Esteem and the feelings of joy, hope, trust, honor, pride, faith and the confidence it brings, are the spiritual rewards for successful developmental and expressive responses. They are the validation that willfully developed beliefs, skills and strategies of mind that have allowed the spirit to shine upon humanity. But such feelings must be at174

Delta: Implications for Personhood

tributed to their correct source, or confusing, conflicting and inaccurate beliefs and ideas can result. Such slivers, in turn, create future situations that will signal far less pleasant emotions. For example, a spirited young girl of eleven tender years dances into the living room of her parents, displaying adept and imaginative choreography. Even as she dances, she experiences joyous emotion for the creative expression she is achieving. Her spirit sings its happiness as she meets this essential need, to which she rhythmically and energetically responds. The joy is intensified due to the fact that she is also meeting her connection need by performing for others. When her performance is complete, her parents give raves and applause, and again her spirit soars in reward for her skillful accomplishments, and her sense of self is strengthened. But among the praise for her creative expression, her tenacity in practicing, and her innate talent, come other, perhaps more sinister, praises: What lovely golden curls, you are so beautiful, just like a lady! Or comparisons might be made: Youre so much better than your cousin Jane! The positive emotion that accompanies such a glowing review prompts an automatic response, where these new concepts of self, beautiful, ladylike and better are added to the tools of mind. This is also known as conditioning or positive reinforcement. Like all needs, the esteem need ties directly with the feedback system and its objectives to identify things that are good or bad for self. Without conscious mental intervention, all portions of self will be included in any situation of positive reinforcement. Recall that true self esteem is based upon self-development (of mind) and self-expression (of spirit), both of which are purposeful, individual actions. But recall also that esteem needs can be met in other temporary or artificial ways through self-preservation of existing ideas or mindsets. There are several potential problems in this situation: Positive Feelings and The Self This example brings to light how positive emotions play their role in the learning cycle. Although the negative emotions are the most problematic, it is essential to understand the subtleties of the positive ones as well. Since all feelings can be attracted to contents of mind or self concept, the pursuit of pleasure is also wrought with potential self-preservationary responses. We have discussed in detail how each of the emotions speak from different aspects of self, how the primary emotions of joy, anger, fear and sadness spring directly from a frustrated or expanding spirit which brings bodily safeguards into play. But joy is also intimately connected with any contents of mind that have met with success previously. And joy takes on many subtle shadings in the 175

Lessons of Enlightenment

form of the learned emotions such as pride, confidence and even hope that operate in the mind. Although temporary and misleading, it is far easier to retain slivers that bring pleasure than those that bring pain. Thus, to be just as cautious in understanding the positive emotional signals is to be truly enlightened. The best advice is to think about the incoming positive feedback and scrutinize just what belief it is suggesting or what need it is fulfilling, like the young lady in our example. As you go through this process, pay particular attention to any bad feelings that arise, for they will expose limitations to the incoming or proposed gem. If the pleasure does not allow denial or an escape response from something that causes pain, if it does not compromise one need to meet another, or if it shows promise of a truly better approach, let it in. Let it become associated with your sense of selfin full awareness that this is the mind that is always purposefully seeking change and improvement. For the beauty of the spiritual adjudicator, is that if it is truly a sliver it will create future negative feelings such as anxiety, fear, frustration, guilt, or sadness, which will then expose it for removal or alteration. In sum, each incoming feeling, good or bad, and the experience or incoming feedback information that spurred it, should be pondered and applied to its correct source. With a few conscious interpretations and attributions, these thought processes will soon become as unconscious as the ones that now automatically attribute every feeling to the entire self. Each feeling, indeed, springs from an aspect of self and should be recognized as such. For mind is the pinnacle of physical existence, but it also stands directly between spirit and the body in its physical world, placing the responsibility upon the mind to resolve its own complications. All humans simply must apply this knowledge to each and every feeling as soon as it is experienced. If the source is mind, the best response is to adapt beliefs and learn. If the source is body or spirit, the best response is to honor the need, express the higher ideal, faithful in the wisdom of spiritual intention. Of course, when the mind is enlightened to the degree that it can direct actions within all three purposes, such conflicts do not arise. Other Self Goals There are also other terms regarding the self and its goals tossed around which can be clarified as well. Some examples are self-efficacy, self actualization, self-love, self-hatred, etc. At this point applying them to the correct aspects of self should be relatively easy. As long as the understanding is in place between the developing and enduring qualities, interpretations of self become the proverbial piece of cake. 176

Delta: Implications for Personhood

For example, self efficacy is defined as the effectiveness or ability of an individual to make things happen. It is related to self-esteem and belongs in the realm of mind. Self actualization, on the other hand, is about allowing the spirit to fully express its gifts upon the physical realm. It speaks of something that already exists within the body that needs to be developed and actualized or made apparent in the world. This of course is the spirit. But without development of mind, without skills and strategies with which to express spirit, selfactualization is not as likely to occur. Self love should always be above spirit. Self love is about valuing that which you are despite the illusions of the physical realm, the slivers of mind, the limitations of body and the judgments and injustices of mass consciousness. Self love marks faith and trust in the Spirit and in its higher wisdom. It is strengthened by the absolute certainty that spirit is one with the Creator and All That Is. Self love is not conditional upon anything that might rest in the realm of mind, or body. Love for self and others flows naturally when the needs are met. Patience, compassion, humor and self-acceptance regarding the body, the mind and its developmental progress are also such expressions of self love. Self hatred should never exist. But it is an easy tendency when blaming is a chosen strategy. As we now know, any legitimate negative feelings about the self, point to deficits within the realm of mind and beg for learning experiences and corrections of conflicting beliefs. Many cultural systems instill such conflicts by asking individuals to believe things that go against their spirit and their natural bodily inclinations. Guilt almost always is the result of such conflicting information and external dictates. When spirits choose their own actions which do not agree with the minds chosen religious tenets or moral view, they experience guilt and self-loathing. It must be completely accepted by the mind that the spirit, the body, and all of its inherent nature, are good and beautiful and natural as defined by the Creator. They should be loved and celebrated and placed as superior to any man-made ideas or methods that deny, defile, control or attempt to overcome the spirits nature. Feelings of guilt and self-loathing should automatically be examined to find the underlying slivers that pit mind against body or spirit, and demand that nature bend to the ideas of mind. This is an affront to the Creator, and this is why it is a violation of the response rules. It never works, for the spirit will continuously offer its message of disapproval through the subsequent negative feelings. This is as close to sin as humans can cometo deny the Creators intention. True doctrines that celebrate spirit do not even attempt to legislate natural behavior; 177

Lessons of Enlightenment

instead, they attempt to understand the wisdom of the Creator by honoring the creation and accommodating each of its natural working systems. In sum, the distinction between the trinity of self is the basic foundational understanding that can unlock the complex meanings contained within each emotional signal. It can demonstrate how all three purposes are suggested within each feeling. It can show how each feeling suggests the sequence of specific internal or external corrective actions set forth in the appropriate response rules. It can unlock the mystery of how the safeguards of body are forced into action when the mind is not sufficiently developed to lead humans along the destiny path. It can expose the folly of such concepts as evil and sin. It can acknowledge the existence of the spirit and its special functions and divine wisdom. It can give the spirit credit as the ever-present life force that communicates information from all physical and nonphysical realms. It can acknowledge how the spirit provides the insights and inspirations from the wellspring of universal consciousness, once humans unblock the mind. It can hint of a grander more purposeful level of existence than that which now exists. This first level of self understanding provides the foundation for further implications upon personhood, as we now turn to the process of learning culture.

178

Delta: Implications for Personhood

Lesson 2: Implications for Child Rearing


The Parental Responsibility The implications of spiritual reconnection have profound impact upon how humans treat their offspring. Each interaction between parent and child will be a formative one, from the very moment of conception, throughout the first several decades of life. In the womb, the emerging spirit will be slipping on the chemical cloak that can be severely influenced by the actions of the host mother. Later, upon birth, the spirits dependence upon the state of the body will be compounded by its complete reliance upon the caregivers to instill the preliminary contents of the mind. If that were not enough for concern, the entire emotional relationship with the world will depend upon the early relationship the infant has with the caregivers. At present, conditions for an incoming spirit are far from optimal. Confused parents have no universal guidelines and are left to fall back upon patterns from their own upbringingboth good and bad. Most parental missteps are selfpreservationary fight and flight responses: The venting of emotional frustrations in explosive outbursts; or the attempt to exert control through fear and violent punishment; or the escape from parental pressures through denial, compulsive activities, substance abuse or outright abandonment. Sadly, many parents do not even exercise free will in the decision to become a parent. Many seek to fulfill connection and esteem needs through sexuality, resulting in unwanted pregnancies. Just as many more start a family simply because it is expected of them. The enlightened approach is for parents to fully embrace and to purposefully commit to their responsibility for the physical, mental and emotional development of their children. The Parental Choice The first optimal condition for bringing forth life is when the role of parenthood is purposefully chosen by two loving, bonded entities, who have made prior preparations of mind and body. The mind is prepared by enrichment with prevailing wisdom, evaluated of course against the wisdom of spirit. Prior to conception, the body can be prepared by fortification, fitness, and enriched nutrients within both mother and father, as well as a period of abstinence from any debilitating activity or substance. Such conditions are continued by the mother throughout the pregnancy and duration of lactation. There is, fortunately, a tremendous amount of spiritual resilience and a level to which the incoming spirit can directly influence the physical development, de179

Lessons of Enlightenment

spite a lack of preparation on the part of the parents. Many spirits work behind the scenes, making deals with familial entities on other levels of consciousness to ensure a destined conception will occur, and imparting feelings within both parents to make the parental choice, as well as to impart urges for the mother to eat or do certain things that will help the developing form. But the level of parents receptivity to such actions dictates the level of success, and is dependent upon their own level of enlightenment. The influence of the incoming spirit can range anywhere from a complete and total cooperative effort between parents and child, to a complete competition between parasite and host. In the latter case, the free will of the mother is primary and a choice to discontinue any pregnancy should remain within the realm of option. For even a mother who chooses to offer an unplanned infant for adoption after birth has a tremendous role in its proper physical development. This means a committed, cooperative effort at least through the duration of pregnancy to ensure a normally developed body for each incoming spirit. Anything less would be a violation upon the child as well as upon unsuspecting adoptive parents. The choice to parent is clouded with many limiting beliefs and myths that unnecessarily challenge nontraditional families. Despite such obstacles, there are many variations upon the family unit that can meet with equal success in childrearing. Assumptions that only the biological parents should raise a given child are inaccurate and limiting. As long as a support network is in place where the child has the opportunity to learn from many loving adults, it matters not what style of family is involved. The cooperative nature of conception between mother and father and again between mother and child evidences the Divine intention of cooperation in general, and the desirability of both male and female influences, not necessarily that they are to be the only potential parents to the incoming spirit. The power of procreation should be highly respected, with the right to choose, the accountability and responsibility of the choice widely available to all involved. Should the potential parent not yet be ready to take on that responsibility, replacements can and should be made where one abdicates to another who offers a full commitment. In such cases, the earlier the chosen parents participate, the better, to ensure adequate physical development of the child. The best case scenario is to provide wisdom, assistance and support and make the pregnancy a cooperative effort within the host mothers and minimize the chance of careless activities that could adversely affect the developing child. In short, if a child is to be invited into the physical realm, the biological mother must be willing and able to fully commit to the needs of the child within throughout gestation. Anything less justifies and indeed justly requiresthe option of abortion. 180

Delta: Implications for Personhood

The Parental Role - Physical Development The conditions of gestation must ensure the presence of an adequate amount of nutrients and the absence of toxic substances within the maternal system. There is no need to go too far in the opposite direction in an attempt to improve the internal conditions, flooding the body with excessive amounts of vitamins or other enhancing substances. This would be the mind, again attempting to second guess the wisdom of body and spirit, where the best of intentions can actually backfire. With an adequate chemical balance, natures miracle of reproduction unfolds quite naturally, but its inherent biological projections cannot prevent external chemical assault caused by the mother herself. To date, many infants are born with compromised bodies and brains due to self-destructive tendencies of the mother. Many toxic substances are routinely ingested which create weakness and developmental delays and disallow the spirit a full and complete chance at physical viability. Drug and alcohol abuse create insurmountable conditions and often irreversible effects, underscoring the crucial commitment to the child beginning with conception. In addition to a balanced chemical environment, the incoming spirit can also be benefited by mental, visceral and verbal expressions of love while still in the womb. The brain itself can be developmentally reinforced by external stimulation from the parents. Activities such as creating or listening to music, speaking soothingly, and reading to the developing fetus can all bolster the brain development. Visualization of future family harmony and subjective communications where love energy is directed toward the incoming spirit are also very powerful. The love energy spans space-time, it beacons and welcomes, attracting those with chosen destinies matching the conditions offered. Adoptive parents can also interact in these ways during gestation to begin spiritual and emotional bonding. After birth, the parental responsibility for the childs physical development will continue in the form of lifestyle choices. These choices include nutritional support through intelligent approaches to diet, the physical safety through instructional awareness of environmental hazards, and musculoskeletal vitality through regular creative movement. Most parents have access to information through the health care professions that can allow a fetus and infant adequate physical development. The bottom line is to ensure a normally developed body, followed by providing the necessi-

181

Lessons of Enlightenment

ties to meet basic survival needs. The lesser understood and more challenging parental responsibilities lie in the realm of mental and emotional development. The Parental Role - Mental Development There is substantial overlap between physical brain development and mental development. Brain development is synonymous with mental expansion and is tremendously influenced by the people who comprise the foster environment. Brain cells bud and branch forth as mind expands. Scientists are correct when they note that memory nodes exist which can by physically manipulated influencing the state of mind. But they are incorrect to assume that consciousness arises from brain tissue alone. For mind is far more than brain tissue, it is alive with the voice of spirit which spurs it toward purposeful development. Thus, children are far more capable of understanding and decision-making than most parental myths might suggest. In order to fully accommodate free will, the brain will expand or contract upon the chosen contents of mind. It will be stretched to accommodate the most technologically complex mental scenarios, or it could be prepared for a far simpler approach to life. The mind, of course, is the constellation of all contents of belief, knowledge, and strategies learned throughout the life that characterize an individual. This mental flexibility ensures that any lifestyle choice, worldview or culture can be chosen as the primary focus of a given life. The brain is primed to absorb a great deal of information as early as possible to set the primary mental stage. But there is a limited window of opportunity during this period, a window that narrows after the initial mental stage is set. This fact of biology evidences the Creators intention for each spirits choice to enter and focus within a particular space-time cultural scenario and the Divine effort to facilitate their particular destiny path. Thus, early mental development depends upon stimulation. Despite notions to the contrary, the child can take in and understand far more, if challenged than when being shielded from anything too complex. The best rule of thumb for parents is the more early intellectual stimulation, the better. There are neural circuits in the brain that will quite literally shut down if they are not stimulated during the early years. Providing a rich array of sensory stimulus can switch them on, and allow them to branch forth into complex neural networks that can later be utilized for more complex thought. The more direct complex communication, the sooner language can be acquired. (Each parental expression of baby talk actually robs the child of an opportunity to grasp adult language). Reading aloud throughout childhood is a powerful positive interactive activity, to stimulate imagination and diversity of 182

Delta: Implications for Personhood

thought as well as to facilitate language skills. Likewise, subjective imaging, dream interpretation and manipulation, meditative visualization, and telepathic exercises and games can develop neural networks and mental abilities now largely dormant. Any such activity that exercises the minds ability to focus in altered states of consciousness can ignite many hidden inner mental abilities. This is not to say that a child should be over-stimulated. Following a childs cues and allowing the natural curiosity to blossom in individual pursuits will ensure the necessary balance. Beyond these implications upon brain development, lie the equally important implications of the parental role upon imparting the specific contents of mind: the artifacts of culture, the beliefs, truths and traditions that are imparted from one generation to the next. The parents cannot help but pass along their own cultural wisdom and values to the child. The child observes the caregivers actions and each will model and display their mental strategiescomplete with each gem and sliver. But it is a dangerous myth that only one set of ideas is the best and only to be offered. Or, that children can be protected from the realities of a cruel world, sheltered within a family or religious cocoon. For to understimulate or under-expose a child can do more damage than good. In the complex world that exists today, mass consciousness has an inescapable effect upon children. The mind of man is the complex mass reality, the cooperative product that humans have created and are quite literally limited within, until they design it to be free of all limitation. The challenge to each incoming spirit is to develop the mind to work within the existing limitations and achieve individual expressions that remove unnecessary limitations. The illusory trap of mass conscience as a singular unavoidable reality often mires the mind to the degree that it loses touch with its very free will. But humans are indeed in creative control over defining the earthly experience. The cultural creationsthe mental and physical man-made technologynow overrule many natural processes. Humans have devised a phenomenal technological capacity to share information. They share through newspapers, magazines, televisions and computers, bringing mass consciousness to the doorstep of many who were once isolated. Ideas, actions and truths from many conflicting perspectives now bombard and confuse. Humans are often unaware of their own free will to accept or deny such information, and are continuously stressed with conflicting feelings and information overload. This is not to condemn the human ability to share information, but to point out that it has replaced much of the interaction with the world that is necessary to impart individual beliefs tailored to the unique spirit. Human technology has empowered mass consciousness often at the expense of individual conscious183

Lessons of Enlightenment

ness. As well as offering confusion, it can perpetuate a singular, limited worldview rather than facilitating the diversity of thought, belief, and choices of living that are optimal for earthly spirits. Childrennow more than evermust be taught to utilize the internal spiritual adjudicator in order to sift through the mountains of existing choices to design a mental landscape that matches the desires of spirit. Instead, mass consciousness presently sets forth values, views, assumptions, and activities that become cultural norms with which individuals feel compelled to conform. These norms close the mind to other values and ways of thinking and acting, many of which are far more desirous by spirit. Many such norms hold unrealistic standards of appearance, morality and behavior that defy the standards and diversity of nature. A mind that attempts to adopt ways that go against its natural leanings is doomed to create emotional pain, as the slivers signal the ongoing disapproval of spirit. The parental task is to ensure the exposure to many ideasresisting the feardriven temptation to control information or to shield the childand instead to help the children to enlist the emotional system to guide their willful choices. Ultimately, human technology, when utilized under the direction of spirit, can be tremendously valuable in imparting universal understandings and focusing humans upon group goals. When the species has reached this level, the corresponding feelings of joy and happiness will replace the present emotional pain and stress that accompanies complex technology. But until then, this poses the unique challenge to parents of instilling a breadth of understanding and the importance of free will, yet realistically balanced within the existing limitations, structures and rules of mass consciousness. It is to teach them how to utilize the inner system to adapt to existing conditions in order to be successful and to make individual spiritual expressions that creatively change the world for the better. Thus, an essential offering from parent to child is the understanding that all incoming information is conditional upon validation of the emotional adjudicator. When knowledge is offered, for example, a parent might preface it by saying: This is what I have learned, and works best for me, and you might find it helpful. and follow it by saying: How do you feel about it? Or when watching TV, This is what the creators of this program have found to be true for them. Try it on for size and see if it feels like it fits. This approach sets the mental stage for the child to understand the complex intermingling realities, the flexibility and power of mind, the essential evaluation role of spirit, and to maintain individual choice in all situations.

184

Delta: Implications for Personhood

Questioning and debate should then be encouraged and facilitated in many forums. An open, flexible mind should be assumed and perpetuated at all times. It is critical to understand that the parent is simply assisting in the choices of free will for the child until the child is capable of doing so for his or her self. The purpose of self-development of mind should permeate the life and traditions of all within the family community. Drawing the childs attention to how each situation feels, relating it to the chosen beliefs that guide the actions, is to bring awareness of the importance of the voice of spirit. Any incoming information that is natural, enduring and spiritual will be validated by the internal voice of spirit through the feeling system. Likewise, any cultural knowledge that is helpful toward meeting needs and is consistent with other beliefs will also be validated by the emotional system as long as it remains effective. An enlightened lifestyle is one that also incorporates open, regular, communication in which the expression of dreams, goals, thoughts, feelings and experiences creates discussion, reflection and the sharing of insights among loved ones. This type of activity facilitates the development of individuals as well as the development of family and group goals. The dinner hour already provides a group forum where daily activities are shared. Adding selfknowledge, feedback feelings and what they mean can foster connection, understanding, social skill enhancement, fulfillment and family cohesion. Drawing connections between daily actions, feelings, outcomes and needs can tremendously empower a child. Examining daily events where the actions of others seek to manipulate the emotions or seek self preservation can bolster understandings and identify effective strategies for interacting with less enlightened others. Parents can point out and safeguard against the deadly habits of resistance, resentment and revenge, as well as their effects upon the spirit. Reflecting upon unacceptable anger-invoking events with humor, compassion, tolerance, and forgiveness can instill life-giving habits. Parents who begin an early practice of such analysis of feedback cues, the identifications of source beliefs that bring emotional signals, and suggesting improved strategies for reducing painful feelings and increasing joyous ones, set the stage for continuous internal self-analysis within a healthy child. Such an approach can quite quickly attune an individual to the spiritual information cycle such that even without a group forum, the child will automatically conduct the self-analysis to constantly live under the direction of spirit. Each daily experience can be analyzed to mine spiritual wisdom to achieve the maximum self development and expression. The child is then prepared to understand, adapt and succeed within diverse environments, as well as to build solid, sup-

185

Lessons of Enlightenment

portive, enlightened, rewarding relationships with others, and share his or her light with the world. An enlightened family lifestyle also provides broad and open physical boundaries and many opportunities for experience outside the comfort of the home environment. Just as the mind is stimulated by ideas, the spirit is stimulated by a wealth of experiences. Once the cycle of internal thought, external action, external result and internal feeling feedback is embraced, the more external experiences the better. Every child should be traveled so that they are apprised of conditions existing in many diverse environments. These include anything and everything from work places, museums, shops of commerce, artistic events, halls of academia, halls of justice, places of religious worship, political forums, community action events, multi-cultural systems of living, diverse ethnicities and world views, distant geographic locations, places of natural beauty, and even the positive and negative groupings which represent the successes and failures of group mind. The footsteps of experience should meander into all walks of life. This external exposure provides a mechanism where the child can reconcile the differences between the ideal and the actual, between the family environment and those with any disparity outside the door. The idea that a child can be sheltered or isolated from the shortcomings of the world is an antiquated, misguided, fear-driven practice, and one that can leave a child ill-equipped. Optimistic realism is the key. Exposure can also bring understanding, tolerance and appreciation for the broad choices available to humans, as well as the effects and limitations of such choices. It can offer opportunities to recognize and fend off efforts of others to control or to emotionally manipulate. Broad experience will greatly reduce fear and increase courage. For invalid fear-inducing beliefs will naturally give way to more spiritual knowledge as the emotional system faithfully and accurately reports the positive and negative aspects of any given situation, and the mind correctively responds. In sum, the parental role in mental development is to create as many opportunities as possible to take in, analyze and discuss various beliefs, strategies and actions. This will maximize formative brain growth and set the mind on a lifelong course of self-development. The Parental Role Emotional Development Even within existing limitations, development of body and mind are already far less mysterious to parents than the development of spirit. Despite the best intentions of the religious community, spiritual development is not about church, rules and holy books. Spiritual development remains a mystery due to the pre186

Delta: Implications for Personhood

dominant misunderstandings about the voice of spirit, the emotional system. Thus, spiritual development begins with emotional development. The spirit, from the moment of birth, already knows what is best for itself. If caregivers provide a stimulating and accommodating environment, the child can safely experiment with the growing knowledge, heeding the feelings as a guide. They can test skills and beliefs in the world and constantly refine and build upon them. Within this framework, the child can come to know the individual needs as they naturally unfold as motivators to action. But none of this is possible unless emotion is allowed to play its proper role. And very specific experiences must occur for the emotional system to fully engage. Engaging the Emotional System The secret to understanding emotional development begins with the basic cycle of need, feeling, expression and feedback from the world. For example, if the infant child (a boy perhaps) is hungry, lonely or unduly constrained, his needs are not being met momentarily. Thus, his spirit is frustrated and the emotional signal sounds. He feels bad, so he uses his innate expressive response to those bad feelings; he cries. His behavior of crying acts upon the environment, and generally the caregiver responds by satisfying the need. When his survival needs are satisfied, all is well again, the child feels good. This cycle is repeated many times in a given day. With each successful cycle, he gains confidence in his own abilities to meet his needs and control his destiny. When the cycle is consistently successful and the infants actions create the desired changes, he will begin to recognize the cycle (and it can be pointed out directly by the parents when language is in place). The parents can talk about needs, connecting them with the childs actions, and how they feel when satisfied. They can casually, yet consistently, refer to the childs mind, or to the spirit, or to the body, so that he will grow up with the natural understandings of the division between these aspects of self. As the child becomes more sophisticated, the parents can clarify the three purposes and connect them to the needs and the behaviors, so that the child understands the whys, the hows, and the whats of being human. Such development of emotional understanding engages the spiritual adjudicator, and allows the higher purposes their rightful place in motivation. Thus, emotional development depends upon this cycle and the child recognizing and embracing all that it means. A child with adequate emotional development will be prepared to undergo the lifelong development of emotional intelligence that characterizes an evolved human being.

187

Lessons of Enlightenment

Unfortunately, a more normal state of affairs on Earth at this time is one in which humans are inadequately emotionally developed, unable to tap the wisdom of spirit, and are separated from the higher purposes. They are then limited only to the basic purpose of self-preservation of body, imprisoned within predominately painful emotional signals of fear and anger, and their choices driven by competitive fight and flight reactions which perpetuate individual and social chaos. Such a state is separation from Divine will and loss of individual will and purposeful application of power. This is why the parental attention upon emotional development is now essential. For there are profound implications and painful outcomes of inadequate emotional development at the root of most evil human actions. Attachment, Trust and the Learned Emotions A crucial understanding for anyone taking on the parental challenge is to recognize that without adequate emotional development, certain feelings will never fully arise. Complex emotional signals are learned and must be purposefully and carefully instilled. Recall that the primary emotions of spirit, (i.e. joy, fear, anger and sadness) combine and mingle with the local customs and beliefs to develop the learned emotions of mind. The emotions of mind include all other subtle shades of emotional feeling (i.e. guilt, confidence, hope, envy, pride, shame, remorse, etc.) These feeling signals are learned through experiential interactions with the world. The emotions of mind come quite naturally when the childs needs are accommodated, so there is no huge task involved other than setting up the proper conditions. The conditions mentioned above are optimal, but in any environment where there is reasonable freedom, need-meeting opportunity and exposure to ideas, these emotions will arise. This is why so many humans with widely varying cultural traditions have successfully learned these feelings despite the many obstacles. However, it is also why many have not. This is why some humans have not learned hope, confidence or remorse. This is why there are often artificially created feelings of shame and guilt that drive humans to hate themselves. It is also why there are artificially created feelings of false pride, envy, fear, and anger which create emotional boundaries between groups and drive humans to hate and violate one another. Certain mental and criminal conditions spring not fully engaged. Mistrust and disengagement comes when the world does not consistently allow the needs to be met, or the feedback cycle to return to the state of fulfillment.

188

Delta: Implications for Personhood

The critical concept here is trust. It should not seem unreasonable for an infant to expect to be able to trust the words and actions of those in the family home or foster community, nor for loving parents or caregivers to consistently deliver. The dependent nature of humans upon one another is the Divine way. Trust is the understanding and faith in the cooperative nature of the world. This is why without a cooperative, trustworthy early environment the spirit will simply vacate the body. Those that are born to chaotic worlds where a minimum level of cooperation does not exist will die. Those that are not fed will starve. Those that are not handled, loved and stimulated will fail to thrive and die of loneliness. Those who must constantly compete for basic survival will lose to the fittest competitor. Thus, a basic trust that the world will respond to ones efforts is part of the Divine plan. Unfortunately, trust can be compromised and not allowed to fully develop due to inconsistent actions of parents or caregivers. Consistency is the key. Ideally, every interaction would build trust, and every cycle would end with fulfillment, with only an occasional lapse. But when the cycle ends in repeated frustration more often than fulfillment, trust is compromised. Trust is also compromised when parental strategies include physical punishment for ordinary learning errors rather than corrective feedback. Violent punishment is rarely necessary within the enlightened approach. Simple removal of freedoms, time-outs and consistent restrictions, can allow a child to recognize quite quickly that the amount of freedom and power depends upon the amount of responsibility and accountability to that freedom. Violent punishments can only emotionally confuse, negate trust and invoke survival defenses. Once trust is compromised, it is very difficult to fully restore. The body will not let the mind forget anything that has threatened it. Without a sufficient level of trust, the individual is condemned to a life of dysfunctional relationships of a singular existence where self-preservationary motives undermine cooperation, communication and intimacy. The worst outcome, however, is that a lack of trust does not allow the emotional system to fully engage, and the voice of spirit remains inaccessible. Many anomalies of human behavior spring from this basic lack of emotional attunement and development. Scientists have already recognized that there is an essential attachment period where an infant bonds with caregivers and learns to trust. This period falls within the window of opportunity of brain development to establish the relationship with the specific cultural world. Trust must enter through this window or forever be questionable or conditional. Trust is the foundation for all cooperative impulses and the precursor to hope, confidence, pride, self esteem and faith in spirit. Trust is the assurance that ones actions will have a predictable impact, on the world. It is the foundation upon which 189

Lessons of Enlightenment

human intimacy, communication, and cooperation exists. Without trust, there can not be hope. The attachment period facilitates the successful learning experience where the cycle of action and reaction is established, and predicts each success for future interactions. It is where one is assured of the rightful power to control and influence ones world. It is where one is assured of the Divine meaning and spiritual connection within existence. Attachment occurs through a process of repeated successful interactions between the infant and the caregiver, where each responds to the others words, cues and actions. When parents consistently respond to the needs, over time, the child begins to experience a deep, affectionate, close and lasting tie. This loving tie evidences spiritual fulfillment and the trust that the environment will continue to provide opportunity for this type of need satisfaction. Over years and years of successful trust-building interactions, the child develops a healthy connectedness to the caregivers and other people that constitute this community, as well as hope for the future. Trust becomes interwoven with all mental beliefs and strategies. Eventually this connectedness will generalize to all humans. This sense of connectedness perpetuates what we generally call a conscience, which makes us accountable for our actions upon our loving others. It instills the understanding that we are all part of a greater spiritual whole. With conscience, a violation upon another is equal to a violation upon the self. Valid, natural guilt is when a person feels the very pain they have inflicted upon another, experiencing remorse, resolving to never repeat the violation. The mind that violated did not yet know, and the remorseful mind has learned a better approach. A mature conscience needs no external controllers whatsoever. Such a conscience is the Divine innate seed of natural morality lying dormant within each human, desired by the Creator to bloom forth. Conversely, if a child survives being raised in a chaotic, neglectful, rejecting or abusive environment, the message received will be that cooperation is not to be expected or relied upon. It breeds the fear-driven belief that needs cannot be consistently fulfilled, control is only intermittent and the spirit is disempowered, even violated. Since the child is powerless to alter these conditions, the spirit will continue to shout its message through feelings of anger. Since the child can not yet interpret the anger and choose a developmental or expressive response, the anger is utilized by the body to ensure self-preservation through primitive versions of the fight or flight responses. (Remember, the body will bypass the mind if it does not hold beliefs that will ensure survival.) Competition for scarce resources, for opportunity, for need fulfillment, and for love, will dominate each thought and deed. The higher purposes of mental development and spiritual expression will always take the back seat to physical preservation. 190

Delta: Implications for Personhood

The conscience of such an individual will motivate a morality of every man for himself. Just as competition will be the main motivator in such cases, the predominant feeling will be anger. The anger can be expressed in one of two directions. The child can turn it inward toward himself, by choosing to accept the limitations of the world, effacing the spirit and losing touch with his needs. Strategies of selfdeprecation, learned helplessness, martyrdom and self-hatred can become enduring personality traits. Such a choice can lead to an ultimate state of depression or even dissociation and the dependence upon escapism from the ongoing spiritual pain. Compulsions, addictions and self-destructive behaviors can then occur. Suicide is the ultimate act of internally directed anger. The other option is for the child to reject the conditions and turn the anger outward in explosive or violent acts that can be quite anti-social, if not pathological. He might never develop trust, conscience, remorse or connectedness to his fellow human beings. Never being able to achieve intimacy or love outside the family, or to build support networks, this child (and eventually this adult) will be quite capable of acts that effectively cultured people would perceive as unconscionable or evil. Most such acts would be misguided competitive attempts to meet needs in some manner or simply express the pentup anger. Murder is the ultimate act of externally directed anger. The effect upon the world of such an individual will be most damaging. The effect upon mass consciousness of such individuals will be the mass belief that humans must be controlled by society. Thus, all social controls (i.e. rules, mores, religious dictates, laws and prisons) have arisen due to this condition. It is essential for individuals and societies to understand the critical nature of this early period and to accommodate and ensure paternal efforts to adequately complete this bonding period. For a child who is not attached to others, cannot fully hear the voice of spirit. Such a child will suffer continuous emotional problems and lack the compunctions of conscience, necessary in a cooperative world. Anything less will breed criminals and other social outcasts, doomed to a future of alienation, isolation, retribution and pain. Creating trust-building conditions is not a difficult task. In fact, it takes quite a bit to disallow the trust to develop, yet far too much neglect and abuse still exists. In sum, if the foster environment does not provide opportunity for its individuals to meet their needs, human beings cannot properly develop. Such a tragedy is quite avoidable, yet its results can drive humans to quite inhuman acts against one another. Scientists are not convinced that such misaligned people are redeemable. Yet the power of spirit can heal all wounds if given its proper voice. In fact, there are some very enlightened spirits who even, in childhood, enlist 191

Lessons of Enlightenment

self-love, compassion, tolerance, and forgiveness who can overcome quite severe conditions of neglect and abuse. The voice of spirit is loudest and most clear in such hearty children even if a minimal connection is allowed. But once disconnection occurs, an effort to reverse the condition requires intensive longterm restructuring of the entire mental realm. However, this is not to say that children should be molly-coddled and that parents should jump at their every whim. Indeed, there is a very important difference between needs and wants. If the environment is unchallenging and over-accommodating, the child will be robbed of developmental opportunities. Emotional signals of boredom and contrived annoyance will then arise. Or, if the freedoms offered or challenges undertaken are more than the child is equipped to handle, anxiety and fear will be elicited. Both broad and safe boundaries must be defined and maintained. In this case, other kinds of emotional problems will result. Such unrealistic expectations can become firmly rooted maladaptive beliefs that also generate feelings of anger. This would be the case of the spoiled brat who lashes out in tantrums against a world that is not immediately accommodating all whims and wants. Indulgent conditions can instill false pride, vanity, envy and hubris. Such a child has developed a very unrealistic view of the world, which may set them up for a big fall in other, more challenging or dangerous environments. Essentially, parents could achieve a balance by providing opportunity to accommodate all human needs, and offering the tools to the child to develop skills to attain his or her wants. With age, the children should be increasingly responsible to meet their needs themselves. Genuine pride and esteem are the natural rewards for such developmental successes. Cultural Manipulation of the Emotional System The latter example calls attention to the fact that culture can taint feeling. It is crucial also for parents to understand how the emotional system can become entangled with the local values, truths and activities of the culture. All emotionseven the emotions of spiritcan be affected and elicited simply by the contents of mind. (Remember, feelings help the mind to learn. Any cultural truth will work unless it violates a natural one or conflicts with another). This is why the rules of response require looking first to mind before looking to the outside world for needed changes. Anything the mind chooses to believe goes, and takes on positive emotion as a gem, until it is proven otherwise by spirit. As conditions change in the world, such beliefs are meant to give way to improvements. Instead, they can linger and cause pain. If not discovered, similar slivers will be added, building upon the faulty foundation, creating complex belief sys192

Delta: Implications for Personhood

tems that ensure disempowerment. An imagined limitation is every bit as emotion-invoking as a real one. Imagined demons can elicit powerful selfpreservationary responses upon innocent others. Thus, the most important implication is that parents understand that what they teach will take on emotional flavor. The primary challenge is to turn on the inner voice of spirit within the child. The secondary challenge is to minimize the passing on of any beliefs that go against spirit. Instead of being understood as an internal control and advisor, emotion has often been used by parents in ways intended to impart external advice and control. Parents should avoid such emotional manipulation in every way. Although punishment remains a primary strategy of parenting, it should now be apparent that fear and anger should not be motivators while parenting. Adjusting the boundaries of freedom and level of parental intervention to match the level of responsibility and accountability is the key. But one emotion in particular has been used as a time-honored tool of such manipulation and deserves special mention. A Word About Guilt This is the emotion of guilt. It is a common practice in many, if not all, social systems to set behavioral rules and codes to which a member must conform. A connected and healthy individual will then experience guilt if their actions do not conform to the rules. Guilt is intended to help the mind find conflicting beliefs that go against the needs and workings of spirit. It is intended to point out where the action choices have not aligned with the beliefs and values. It is intended to be used to elevate the needs of spirit above the unnecessary limits of local tradition. Guilt is not necessarily indicative of an active conscience. People can learn to attach guilt to virtually any activity judged to be unacceptable by their local society. Guilt often exposes an inner motivator that is simply more powerful than the external controller. The intended message of guilt is to straighten out the priorities and to drop any rules that are limiting to the needs of spiritoften exactly the opposite of its culturally implied meaning. But guilt has become a powerful manipulative tool that pits humans against their nature to the end of perpetuating certain cultural traditions, mores and rules. Guilt is one of the most powerful tools of religion. Thus, feeling guilty has become a routinely accepted part of human existence. An enlightened mind never accepts external dictates, ideas or truths which dishonor or reject internal (physical and spiritual) needs.

193

Lessons of Enlightenment

Yet guilt is rampant and often compounded by another emotion of mind shame. Guilt and shame are often associated with normal bodily drives and functions. Some local traditions adopt extremely limiting and rigid beliefs that institutionalize shame. For example, a belief exists known as feminine shame where an entire sex is taught to be ashamed of their very bodies. A web of customs is built around the dirtiness of being female, complete with body coverings, subservient behavior, and a rank status below that of males, and even the acceptance of violation and abusea web which entraps and disempowers any spirit born into a female form. Each tradition is empowered by institutionalized guilt. A more generalized guilt has been established throughout many local communities regarding sexuality. Human sexuality is a Divine gift, the ultimate act of mental, physical and spiritual connection between humans in the flesh. It is such a powerful force that almost every society believes that external control must be placed upon humans lest all sexual hell break loose. Sex has taken this bad rap due to the self-preservationary responses. Like any joyful or pleasurable experience, it can become a compulsion if used as an escape, or a violation if used to seize power or vent aggression. But like any natural process, when allowed to work in concert with all three purposes, human sexuality needs no external limits. Instead, children should enjoy an open, respectful, anticipatory understanding of the natural beauty and divinity of sexualityin whatever form the spirit has chosenbalancing the joys of spiritual, physical pleasurable communion of flesh with the responsibilities of health and procreation. The bottom line is that most guilt and shame is unnecessary. Parents must pay particular attention to guard against the perpetuation of any cultural directive that pits the mind against the needs and purposes of body and spirit. The only durable cultural truths are those that allow all purposes to work together. A child should be made aware of the Divine nature of the body, its processes and its needs, and never to feel guilt or shame over the physical form. Any such cultural assumptions should be soundly rejected. (This goes for any and every religious dictate that instills guilt over any naturally ordained Divine process. Any such assertion defies the intention of the Creator it claims to serve). And finally, parents must resist the temptation to utilize guilt as a mechanism of control. Such a strategy is not only doomed to failure, but it perpetuates needless pain. Mechanisms of external social control are not necessary when the social system has been designed according to the voice of spirit. Forgiveness is the key in learning situations. Errors signal opportunity to learn. Any actions of the child that elicits feelings of remorse should be interpreted as those of spirit asking for integrity, accountability and consistency between thought and action. Parental faith, compassion and forgiveness allow any missteps to be kept in 194

Delta: Implications for Personhood

proper perspective and the child to use this information to further develop the mind. Such a parental approach will foster the faith, compassion and forgiveness of self that are necessary for any human to thrive and creatively express self in the chaotic world of daily trial and error learning. Indeed, it will be those who reconnect with spirit and follow its urgings who will change the very world. Thus, it is essential for each enlightened one to ensure the enlightened perspective is carried forth throughout subsequent generations. Therefore, the paternal role in inculcation is a particularly important one. In sum, the role of parents can profoundly influence the incoming spirit. Thus, some primary conditional prerequisites for anyone choosing to be a parent are: the understanding of the importance of the parental role, the lifetime commitment to the child, the ability to provide a safe, accommodating environment, essential need-meeting opportunities, enlightened self-understanding, a network of family and community support, the faith in the integrity of the spirit, a faith in the divinity of lifes natural thrust, and a wellspring of pure spiritual, unconditional love. Once adequate inculcation has been attained, the human is then ready to pursue a lifelong course of development, which we can now discuss.

195

Lessons of Enlightenment

Lesson 3: Implications for Human Development


The Developmental Responsibility The implications of spiritual reconnection also have impact upon how humans view the developmental cycle. Although the body goes through a recognizable growth pattern and most societies deem an age of adulthood, there is no magic point where the development stops. Never. Indeed, mental development continues on a daily basis throughout each day of the entire life. But the growth cycle that continues does not do so automatically. It happens deliberately at the direction of the human beingfor it is growth within the realm of mind. The true mark of adulthood is the acceptance of, the accountability to, and the active participation within ones own continuing mental developmental processes. Each human being has the power to expand the mind and hone it to the maximum fulfillment of spirit, or to resist change altogether and maintain narrow boundaries of mind. Of course, the latter choice will lead to further emotional pain, for it will delay the desired spiritual expression. It is crucial to recognize that a choice of resistance to mental development, will lead to discomfort in any arena outside the boundaries of mind. Such a person will be imprisoned within a limited familiar home-base locale, where routines and distractions mediate experience. Outside the boundaries of habit and routine, there will be stressful life experience. A static mind will prompt feelings of being out of control and the anxiety of not knowing how to handle situations and events. The feelings will be subtle or quite dramatic, but they will drive actions from just beneath the awareness. There will be pain of sadness, guilt, shame, anger, fear and any other subtle shades of unpleasant feeling tone. If these signals are continuously ignored, it becomes too painful to even venture about in the world. The personality can harden into habits of thought and action that defend, retreat and reject other human beings. There will be no mistaking the less spiritually fulfilled human beings, for they will not be happy or attractive. Their pain will be difficult for others to be around. It is also crucial to recognize how mind, complete with its boundaries, will create the life events to match its contents. A reality conducive to each and every limitation will most certainly manifest, along with the painful signals to point them out. If not corrected, such events will prompt further actions of flight and escape, in a self-perpetuating cycle that further narrows experience. Creating the illusion of escape from spiritual pain is only thatan illusion.

196

Delta: Implications for Personhood

Even if defending mental boundaries narrows the world so that all people are avoided, a completely solitary life is nearly impossible in the modern world. And even interacting with one person with broader mental boundaries will challenge the limits and signal a subtle negative feeling and motivate further avoidance. Such avoidance is an act of body where the mind has abdicated its choice and even its conscious awareness of its own motivations, since its existing beliefs are insufficient, yet considered otherwise. Of course, rather elaborate resistance strategies can exist where nearly everything is rationalized to exist within the limitations of mind, but the feelings will never go away. Nor should they, because they reflect the integrity of spirit and its intentional contrast between the actual physical arena of successful expression and the unlimited one that is divinely desired. Creating a mental fantasy about ones physical level of expression is simply thata fantasy. Although resistance can become a lifetime strategy, the spirit yearns for selfexpression. And the more the better. The level of individual spiritual expression achieved will relate to the overall expansion of universal Spirit. The spiritual path is far more rewarding than the temporary relief from pain the avoidance provides. For just as pain from spiritual frustration will linger, the rewards of spiritual expression are everlasting. In fact, the more the spiritual expression, the easier the physical experience will be in current as well as alternate lifetimes, past, present, and future. The resonance of spirit within flesh is a feeling that will be clearly recognizable within alternate existences, helping that individual to reconnect with inner guidance and to find fulfillment. Development and Karma There are many beliefs within mass consciousness that set forth conditions of an afterlife complete with elaborate declarations about the meaning within serial lifetimes. They often seek to explain mysterious unexpected events, or justify the unjust, by drawing cause and effect relationships between the current and previous lifetimes. In doing so, they often mistakenly declare that the control lies outside of the human mind. The Law Of Karma can be better understood not just as the force that creates the outcomes of divine evaluation and spiritual justicebut as a force that lies within, and can be utilized to the advantage of an enlightened mind. The mind creates life events and experiences through its present beliefs, which are constantly evaluated by spiritual feeling signals. If its beliefs promote disunity within self and disconnection with All That Is, the life will be reflected as suchcomplete with ever more powerful painful signals so that corrections can be chosen. The term karma captures the inevitability of repeated cycles of creating frustrations until understanding the nature of ones own creative power is 197

Lessons of Enlightenment

attained. Development in its grandest sense is learning to harness the creative power of will energy. The crucial understanding is that beyond space/time, the moment of all correction is in the present moment, with the goal of divine balance met through eliminating any pain-inducing belief structures. When such changes are affected by any given portion of the entity, emotional energy surges are felt within all aspects of the entity. Each physical incarnation will experience good luck and joyous floods of insight and spiritual resonance. Thus, what goes around emotionally comes around to all aspects of the entity, for joyous resonance and full creative empowerment is the way of Divine Justice. It is only because of the lack of understanding within any given mindscape that such events are thought to come from outside of the self, or as some form of external judgmental punishment. The stronger the presence of spirit has been within a given physical existence, will make it correspondingly less likely to become mired within the limits of illusory reality and Mass Consciousness for any aspect of the entity. Thus, those that postpone the fulfillment of spirit and resist the needed development of mind will continue this postponement in alternate physical existences. There is no escaping the nature of spirit to seek fulfillment and expansionno matter how many life experiences it takes. On the other hand, if acceptance, accountability, faith in spirit and personal empowerment are the main life strategies, life becomes an ongoing learning process. The entity is challenged to attain the maximum number of strategies and skills to allow spiritual expression in as many environments as possible. Rising to the challenge is rewarded by the spirits joyous feelings. The better equipped the mind, the more active expression can happen. Imagine a mind expanded as far as the physical horizon, as far as the eye can see. A mind filled with a rich collection of ideas and finely honed strategies for interaction with spirits with all variations of mental expansion in all arenas within that boundary. Imagine further, a mind as wide as the earth, where comfort is experienced in any and every location, any imaginable group, with any imaginable doctrine. Such a mind is indeed enlightened, aglow with spirit and the predominant feeling in each interaction is joy. Such a person enjoys tremendous mental, physical and emotional freedom. There would be no culture-shocking experiences that could not be handled while meeting all three proposes. Such a person would exhibit very few selfpreservationary actions or deadly habits. Instead, the life-giving habits, the rich and numerous skills, the human compassion, and humor would be used to minimize creating pain for others, and light would exist in every human interac198

Delta: Implications for Personhood

tion. Such a mind clearly focuses and best utilizes its will energy attracting and creating events matching the breadth of mind. Such a mind can create far more rich and rewarding events than most humans now imagine, as well as recover its own untapped abilities. As mind expands, life expands in kind. As each life expands, universal spirit expands and fulfills Divine Intention. It will be easily recognizable when such expression has been achieved, both from the inside and from the outside. From the inside, joyous resonance with spirit is experienced consistently; life is meaningful and filled with loving, productive interactions. From the outside, there is a distinct glow of spiritual presence within the eyes, and actions that show the fearless loving bond with each and every human being. Such a person recognizes each day, indeed each moment, as an opportunity to further refine the mind and to live and act in ways that leave the personal expressive mark upon the world, their unique spiritual expression. The world notices the departure of such entities, for it recognizes their valuable contributions and even Mass Consciousness feels its own lack by comparison. Development and Divine Judgment Human concepts of life assessment by deities are also related to the developmental responsibility. If there are to be any after-life judgmental processes, they will relate directly to the level of spiritual fulfillment and expression rather than any conditions that human religions have set forth. It would be far more useful to embrace the fact that this judgment is ongoing throughout the life course for indeed this is the case. It would be far more pleasing to the Creator if free will were utilized in each moment, in ways that meet all three human purposes, than for humans to limit themselves within rigid man-made doctrines and guidelines. For the spirit speaks its evaluations through feeling signals of pleasure and pain each moment of every day, leading humans to divinely intended, purposeful actions. Anyone wishing to know the evaluative judgment upon themselves from the Creator can have it at any time, simply by acknowledging their level of pain. Anyone wishing to please the Creator, or to do His work can readily do so by designing a mind which reduces pain and actively expresses the spirit in ways that reduce pain for others as well. Thus, the responsibility for human development falls to the individual. Instead of waiting for development to happen as automatically as a body maturing, the mind needs active, purposeful, hands-on application of free will. It requires unfailing self-honesty, heeding the voice of spirit, and understanding of the trinity

199

Lessons of Enlightenment

of human purpose. It requires designing strategies for daily living that allow all three purposes to be fulfilled within each action. It Is Never Too Late The beauty of the natural system is that no matter how long a human being has lingered in resistance and emotional pain, each day brings a new opportunity to totally redesign the life. There is no need for any human being to suffer in darkness even one moment longer, once they possess the self-empowering knowledge of the spiritual light within. There have been amazing examples of humans who have had life changing experiences and have undergone dramatic alterations in personality. Complex, house-of-cards belief systems, defended and strengthened by years of resistance, can come tumbling down with liberating, enlightening purposefully chosen changes of mind. Many limited minds have unknowingly created dramatic illnesses, personal crises, even near-death experiences for themselves to reconnect with spirit. But such drama is not necessary. Nothing is set in stone except that which is chosen, yet lies outside the owners conscious awareness. The spirit constantly points to such slivers with feeling signals that beg for learning more wholly successful strategies. Indeed, cosmic awareness begins with internal awareness. It connotes the broadening of the mind to become aware of the meaning within each moment of life experience. It means freely choosing to sculpt the mind until it can direct the actions that can best express the spirit. Once the limitations are removed from mind, many yet untapped abilities can begin to emerge. Once awareness of the meaning has been attained, the individual can set about immediately making the desired changes to create the life events that will bring the maximum level of self expression. The mind has just begun its possible expansion. Tremendous empowerment awaits the species as entities develop mind so that it reflects spiritual intention. Dormant brain functions can open wide to the minds true and astounding potentials. This is the most direct route from here to there. Indeed, the human examples of directly accessing universal consciousness continue to dwindle. Those pioneers, seeking wisdom through adventures in consciousness that set aside individual mind, cannot help but be stymied by the interference of mass mind. For the energy networks of mass consciousness permeate in ever increasing densities, as humans continue to produce cultural creations without the direction of spirit. Instead of accessing universal consciousness as directly as some cultures have in days gone by, the density is now much more difficult to permeate by spirit without the help of mind. It is now 200

Delta: Implications for Personhood

imperative to actively access universal consciousness through developing the individual mind at the direction of spirit as divinely intended. Armed with the knowledge of these Lessons, humans can begin active development immediately. Each moment becomes an opportunity to identify slivers and remove them. Free will can never fully operate as long as slivers exist within the realm of mind. Slivers must be removed first from individual minds. Then the clear thinking, unlimited spirits can offer light responses that can remove them from mass consciousness. Once this finally occurs, newcomers to the physical experience will enjoy far less limitation and pain, and a far more instant and lasting connection with the direct voice of spirit. Self Evaluation - Getting Started To get started it is essential to know the learning cycles and get comfortable with each part. In brief summary: We know now that the Divine Spirit desires both biological destiny of body and free will of mind for a full and complete human experience. We know that individual spirit is not separate from Divine Spirit. Individual spirit communicates divine intentions to both mind and body through human feeling signals. We know now that at every moment the actions are driven by motives of mind and body relating to their specific purpose and are mediated through human needs. The needs are the divinely designed, unchanging motives of body and need never change or even be questioned. But the motives of mindthe basic knowledge and understandings of life, the strategies for action, the plans and expected outcomesare based upon the current mindscape which must constantly change. The feelings that accompany each action inform the individual of exactly how well that action, and its underlying beliefs, have accomplished the purpose of spirit. Having knowledge of the needs and purposes provides a context within which to analyze each feeling signal and know which correction it suggests. If the right response is needed, the mind can then identify and rethink the beliefs and strategies, remove slivers, add skills and try again. It can purposefully react in corrective ways that meet all purposes, not simply those survival purposes of body. If the sliver lies in mass consciousness, then a light response is needed in which it is rejected and actively removed from the world. With enlightenment, comes the awareness of this cycle and the sensitivity to feel the most subtle of feelings in self and others. With this level of sensitivity, corrections can be made at the very seed of a limitation, solving it before it even takes root. But best of all, as slivers become fewer and fewer, this level of sensitivity brings joyous feelings and positive, purposeful movement along lifes path. 201

Lessons of Enlightenment

The best starting point to assess the current level of development is to take a look at how well things are going in general. The rule of thumb for evaluating ones development is to note the level of pain in ones life. The level of negative emotion experienced is the best measure of how well the spirit is faring in its physical existence. For emotional pain reflects its level of frustration and lack of movement. True adulthood is to maturely embrace the developmental responsibility by recognizing, becoming accountable to and making corrective changes for each and every bad feeling experienced. Adulthood is the ability to accept and adapt to the events that occur, and to ultimately take accountability for their creation. It is to ensure that the purposes of body do not override the intentions of mind with its hardwired responses of fight and flight, which cause disconnection and violation. It is to actively self-correct through right responses and to actively express its empowering discoveries through light responses in the physical world. Adult behavior is to allow each human being the respect and dignity of evaluating themselves in a like manner, without judging their progress or comparing it to the progress of others. With these commitments, one can then embark upon the continuous examination of how well the needs of body are being met at any given point by the strategies of mind. We were not placed in this physical environment to suffer so that we can be happy later. Awareness of Needs A crucial component to developing inner awareness is becoming familiar with ones needs. The universal needs present themselves uniquely in each persons life. To understand exactly how each is played out upon lifes stage will be a tremendous aid in identifying the exact source of emotional pain. The choices of partners, profession and recreation all provide clues to how beliefs are currently meeting needs, as well as shedding light on those needs that are less fulfilled. Even better indicators are those choices and habits that might not be good ones by external definitionthe compulsions, the addictions, the habits that feel good in the moment, but prevent humans from meeting their long-term goals. These are the need-meeting action choices that are driven by faulty beliefs that are often outside the conscious awareness, or those driven solely by bodily responses. Identifying needs can be accomplished then from both good and bad experiences and can allow adults of any age to understand and take control of their current developmental challenges.

202

Delta: Implications for Personhood

We know now that the human needs drive humans to serve their three purposes. Beliefs are formed based upon need-meeting experiences. Nothing should be in the mind except that which has helped to meet the needs. However, this does not mean that every belief ever adopted is worth having. Developing the mind is like building a wardrobe. Beliefs are like clothing that suit the occasion, the climate and the tasks at hand. The moment the belief is no longer sufficient, it will elicit emotional pain when it is worn in public. Likewise, any belief that is a classic, that serves all three purposes, will never go out of style by eliciting emotional pain in any environment. These are the gems to collect and share with the world. The old outdated beliefs never reused can simply rot away on old hangers in the mind for lack of use. Memory is very flexible this way. But any garment of belief can be donned at any moment, depending on the need-meeting requirements of the situation. The enlightened adult will automatically tailor the beliefs as needed. A belief may have been adopted that was useful in some past situation that is no longer applicable, served a purpose at the expense of another, or is could be a piece of cultural knowledge that limits or rejects some aspect of human nature. Any of these kinds of beliefs become slivers, red-flagged by emotional pain. The needs themselves, when examined at any point upon the life path, will provide patterns to assist the tailor in all such mental redesign. Accessing Core Beliefs We have just discussed how early enculturation can set the mental stage, in both good and bad ways. The early learning experiences will fill the minds closets with garments of belief. Any painful belief still employed from childhood, will offer a potentially dramatic opportunity for learning and self empowerment. There is a common myth that access to these beliefs is difficult, if not impossible, without advice and counsel from therapists. But this myth has endured not because such beliefs are truly inaccessible, but because they are often carefully defended and protected from examination. These core issues are at the center of very complex edifices of belief and lie hidden from the conscious awareness by years of resistance and defensive habits. It is simply that if the mind has certainty about any belief, it no longer needs to look at it. Certainty is not a desirous aspect of a dynamic ever-changing mind. Simply looking at those steadfast certainties with newfound selfunderstanding will be very enlightening. It is not necessary to spend hours upon a psychoanalysts couch revisiting childhood to find these sources, particularly if there are slivers within the belief systems of such therapists, or if they seek to create a market for dependence upon their services.

203

Lessons of Enlightenment

This is a misguided approach, unless the therapeutic helper is offering selfliberating and empowering information such as that contained in these Lessons. Far more damage than good can come from delving into the supposed dark recesses of ones subconscious mind for hidden and repressed experiences and memories, or covering emotional pain with chemical prescriptions. For any problem that exists, any sliver held in the mind, will surely present itself in daily living. Any garment that is not needed will never be taken from the closet and will naturally fade from memory. More enlightened therapeutic approaches already embrace this universal truth, and look to the present life events for clues of the faulty contents of mind. What they do not yet know is how easily the accompanying emotional cues lead to these sources. When humans begin to embrace the voice of spirit, they reclaim an internal guidance counselor far superior to even the most revered doctors of mind. All the information they need will come straight from the signals of spirit, through the feelings of pleasure and pain. From there, they will immediately examine the situation that has just occurred and see which needs and which belief systems are involved. The logical, organizing and deductive powers of mind can be utilized to think through new strategies that can replace the old. Recognizing the meaning of emotional signals alone can immediately bring awareness of strategies that deny, defend or resist the reality of a given situationmany of which create the problems that arise in daily living. A good starting place is to first examine the daily life events for any situation that invokes the feeling of joy. We know now that joy is the spirits song telling us that plans worked out even better than we had expected. It is the signal from spirit that needs have been met at even higher levels than we had hoped. This feeling tells the mind that something just worked, and worked very well. It asks the mind to do more of this, and to come up with other similar strategies that allow this feeling to come more and more often. The feeling of joy can relate to any of the needs. Identifying and establishing a lifestyle filled with healthy pleasures can reduce pain levels substantially, as well as reduce the motivation toward unhealthy momentary escapist pleasures. But the most revealing and urgent feelings will be those that hurt. Each will be connected to one of the innate needs of body. Many unnecessary limitations exist within every cultural tradition that denies legitimate human need-meeting choices. It is important to keep in mind that truly adult choices of mind do not accept unnecessary limitations placed upon the desires of spirit, no matter how convincing and culturally accepted. The choices for some may not be the choices for others, and the Divine right of free will is the gift of the Creator. To date, many activities that are judged as unacceptable or morally wrong by some are, in fact, very legitimate choices according to spirit. Any activity or lifestyle 204

Delta: Implications for Personhood

that meets all three human purposes without violation of another is a perfectly acceptable choice. It will prove itself as such by not invoking painful feelings. The positive and negative emotional cues will paint a picture of how well the needs are currently being met. The key to the most broad and inclusive development is to maintain a balance between and among the various needs. Some can be postponed for long-range goals, while others come to the fore. But in a larger sense, all must be met in a balanced way, or there are likely to be telltale signs in patterns of behavior. We now know of the meaning within events that are attracted and the challenge of finding the limiting beliefs that empowered them. And of course, the telltale feeling signals of spirit accompany each such experience, so that we can make corrections. Needs and Life Stages The universal human needs drive actions and the actions result in learning experiences. A learning experience imparts something into the mind of the learner, right or wrong, good or bad. Some vestige of the experience stays behind in memory to provide information for future strategies. When these pieces of lingering information are not passed before the spiritual adjudicator, they become foundations for related beliefs, creating quite complex ways of thinking and acting, which may very severely limit the spirit. The earlier the sliver is allowed in, the more important it will be to find it and remove it and all of its relatives. When such basic foundational beliefs/slivers are removed, there can be quite dramatic life changes, all resulting in additional enlightenment and empowerment. They will each relate to needs, and will correspond to what have been called life stages. There have been many ideas set forth about the stage of human development beyond the early years, the most famous of which is the inevitable mid-life-crisis. The age-groups for stages offered here are very loose and general, for there are no truly universal patterns. The progress of each individual is solely dependent upon the free will and choices of mind. Also, the human body can live a great deal longer than is currently the expected norm. But looking to the milestones of life for relational patterns can greatly increase self-understanding and development. Most important is the common thread between themhow they relate to human needs. By grand design, fulfilling the needs of the body is the stepping stone to purposeful living. The needs will motivate all three purposes, yet the beliefs of mind may only allow them to be partially met. In such cases, body might take over with self-preservationary responses to meet the needs temporarily in ways that go against long-term goals or other needs. For an adult body cares less about connection than it does free205

Lessons of Enlightenment

dom and power, if the prevailing conditions for connection compromise them. Oftentimes, choices of mind force the body to choose and its prime directive is simply survival. All needs will be apparent at every life stage, but over the lifetime, there are periods where certain needs take center stage. They are punctuated by periods of self-reflection that are meant to foster corrective action for debilitating patterns that have emerged over time. The individual is intended to be able to notice patterns of frustration, long-range moods, learning personality traits and attitudes that bring emotional pain that has emerged from slivers that have not yet been corrected. There is a spiritual significance in the number four. There are four-day, four-month and four-year cycles in which the spirit will allow certain building up of frustration, and then a necessary venting. These cycles are intended to draw attention to the cycle of human action, the feeling signals and how the beliefs are at the core of any problem. Each cycle offers a pattern that the need for meaning motivates the individual to notice and explore. For each day provides a chance for a new beginning, and the needs interact over the life course to bring conscious awareness of the developmental challenge. We will now discuss each of the needs and how their frustration presents itself in certain patterns and life experiences. This information can further assist in the individuals development process, with additional methods to find and correct mental slivers. Earliest Years: Trust and Connection The first to consider is the connection need. We have just discussed the infant vulnerability, the enculturation process and the early developmental challenges. The earliest of developmental milestones includes the primal connection with the world and trust that it will accommodate efforts by the individual. If the child survives neglect or abuse, there will be incompletions and lingering doubts about the depth of a loving connection. They will manifest in situations of fear, mistrust, and a lack of faith. This sliver will be built into the very definition of the intimate relationship, affecting communication, cooperation and intimacy. Not all such humans will become criminals and outcasts, but all subsequent relationships will be affected to some degree by such slivers. The unmet need for connection will become a prime motivation, even exaggerated in ways that a neediness and fear of abandonment will drive the individual to neurotic actions to keep such things from happening. Strategies of deception, people-pleasing, and avoidance will replace the faithful and trusting intimacy necessary for communication and love. Yet the very beliefs that base the fears

206

Delta: Implications for Personhood

will motivate actions that will most surely manifest abandonment and loss situations. Thus, life situations that arise can provide additional clues to expose the underlying beliefs. There are no accidents. Each event will accurately reflect the beliefs of the mind that called it forth. Events that affect relationships are likely signs to examine the strategies for meeting the connection need. Divorces, breakups of partnerships, scrapes with the law, even very dramatic, complex loss situations will be manifestedall so that the connection need can be noticed and met within all three human purposes. Fear, ranging from mild anxiety to blinding fright will characterize this unsatisfied developmental need. Fear of vulnerability and abandonment might be buried quite deep within layers of avoidant strategies, bravado or image, but it will surely be there, interfering with each and every intimate relationship. It will also interfere with normal day-to-day cooperation among humans. For underneath the surface beliefs will be the nagging truth that others will take advantage of you if you choose to fully trust and cooperate. Evasive actions will be taken to ensure the vulnerability is never exposed, or angry explosive rejections will create chasms between us and them. But, of course, true connection and intimacy and the joyous loving rewards of spirit will remain at bay. Ages 1-20: Freedom and Power Another early formative belief is how one views their freedom of movement and personal power. A faulty belief structure regarding ones freedom will result in angry rebellion and a lack of ability to adapt and cooperate within normal, non-threatening constructions and guidelines. Slivers regarding ones power will result in a motivation to over-control self or others, or to resist any form of control placed upon themselves. Slivers can spring from early life experiences that lack freedom or opportunity to learn that ones destiny is their own. Over-controlling parents, rigidly limiting worldviews, and lack of just and equal opportunities, can all convince a human that one must compete and win, lest someone dominate and control their choices. This strategy sacrifices true connection and cooperation, and limits lifes purpose to that of selfpreservation. Instead, the early learning experiences must deliver the gems that each individual is the sole determinant of their life experience. First, there must be a healthy separation or sense of individual identity within the context of connection with others. This is a healthy sense of self value and respect offered by the world, a rightful assurance of mental and physical freedom. Second, there must be a sense of accountability for ones actions, with the understanding that one takes 207

Lessons of Enlightenment

the initiative to make things happen and then takes responsibility for what has happened. And third, that the effort to honor the inner destiny is always put forth to live fully, to create and express their unique gift. Together, these gems meet power and freedom needs and manifest into a strong sense of self-purpose, a solid work ethic and an inner reward system to allow efficient success in purposeful living. Without them, there will be feeling experiences of doubt, guilt, shame, inferiority and lack of self-esteem. The events and patterns of life will be those of dependency, blaming, lack of faith, resistance to learning, an exaggerated longing for external approval and a general lack of self-sufficiency. These primary needs for connection, freedom and power are best accommodated by developing successful strategies of mind during the first two decades of life. This is the period that is normally considered childhood, adolescence, and the teen years, which mark the successful transition into adulthood. This period varies, depending upon the complexity of the culture, with some systems instilling the basics much earlier. Disruptive, chaotic and non-accommodating experiences will leave need deficits, faulty beliefs and strategies, and their telltale actions and feelings. When one is seeking enlightenment and empowerment, looking to these fundamental needs can be a most beneficial approach to ongoing development of mind. For most every human being, born of the modern world cannot help but be influenced by the many slivers held within mass consciousness. It can be extremely beneficial to look to problems in areas of intimacy, control and selfconfidence to identify and correct any limiting contents of mind. Independence, Creativity and Early Adulthood In early adulthood, the 20s and 30s, each of these fundamental need-meeting strategies will be called upon during the primary choices of partnership, professional direction, and the starting of a family. Dreams are declared, plans are made and alliances are formed. Problems and issues that arise during this time period can call to light the early slivers. Parenting ones own children offers a second chance to purposefully instill the most rewarding mental landscape as previously discussed. But parenthood also provides an opportunity for a rebirth of sorts. A mature commitment to self-development can allow the young adult to analyze and recreate within their own mindscape those desirable traits they seek to offer their children. If there are any emotions connected with the parents of those now parenting themselves, these can be excellent clues for the need to address these 208

Delta: Implications for Personhood

issues. This time period can provide an opportunity to review the early years with compassion, forgiveness and faith in spirit. Then, toward the end of early adulthood, there will come a time of settling into making conscious choices and productively creating. The plans will be carried out during this period. The need for creativity will come to center stage. The spirit will yearn for purposeful living and producing something lasting and meaningful. This will be the time when the urge to start a family will come to the fore, if it has not already. Biological clocks will begin ticking and life will be examined for additional outlets for creative impulses. The urge to make something of ones life will dominate. If creativity is stifled within the lifestyle choices, the need will manifest in other ways. Hobbies and artistic outlets can be helpful when added to the primary profession, as long as they do not become escapes themselves. Any strong compulsion to do something shows that it is meeting a need. If the creativity need (or any need for that matter) is stifled, that emotional energy might be channeled into any other type of need-meeting or escapist activity. This stage of life is a good time to ensure that balance is attained between and among all needs and purposes. A telltale sign of emotional frustration will be any one activity or tendency that takes more time than its products might warrant. Of course, the destructive activities are already acknowledged as those to eliminate, but some positive ones can also begin to go beyond their own needed purpose if balance is not achieved. An analysis of ones daily time schedule measured against its effectiveness for meeting each need and serving each purpose can be an excellent way toward improving balance. Midlife Evaluation: Meaning and Esteem Then will come a period of self-reflection and life analysis. During the 40s, 50s, or even the 60s, the inner urge for meaning will come to the fore to analyze and evaluate the first half of life. Emotional frustration in many areas will become less tolerable as the spirit yearns for purposeful living. Feelings of sadness, loss of hopes and dreams, and general discontent will motivate new beginnings. If continuous self-development has not been occurring, the level of spiritual frustration will build until perhaps some crisis event forces the issues to center stage. A revisiting of early dreams and an assessment of what went wrong are now in order. Self esteem and confidence should be propelling one along the destiny path at this point. Life revolves around successful relationships, professions, community leadership roles, active parenting and other creative pursuits. If the 209

Lessons of Enlightenment

professional avenues are not creatively rewarding, new challenges might be assumed. This will be a time when mental and physical tolerance for unhappiness is particularly low, and conscious, purposeful changes must be made. In fact, physical malady and illness might present itself as the bodys way of expressing its emotional frustration of any unmet need. The body can assume exaggerated or weakened immune responses, create tumors or otherwise scuttle itself if emotional frustration has become a daily reality. Special care and attention to the maintenance and respect of the body is particularly important. Such physical clues can also shed light upon the underlying belief sources and need deficits. Information of this nature is readily accessible, should humans choose to analyze their own needs, their strategies for meeting them and how well they feel they are being met. The Golden Years Upon retirement from workaday activities, there will come a time for reflecting. Although it is never too late to make dramatic changes in ones life, with the Golden Years comes a certain acceptance about how the life has unfolded. The spirit still yearns for development and expression, but it relaxes a bit. It recognizes the inevitable ending to the life and accepts the inevitability of certain limitations of mind, yet it desires a great deal of reflection at this point. This will be a time to find patterns of meaning, the gleaning of wisdom from the life experiences and expressing them in new ways. The Golden Years are a time of peaceful reflection and sharing of wisdom. They enjoy the maximum level of remembered experience, where generations can be seen and the major patterns of life lie before the mind of experience. It will be a time for tremendous connection with loved ones and with the world. It will be a time of powerful leadership, wisdom and guidance for the most spiritually fulfilled. There may never be an official period of retirement, yet the activity level and participation takes on a more guiding rather than driving role. Or, it will be a time of pain and despair, if deadly habits have survived this long. There will be a necessary isolation from humanity, even misanthropy if a measure of spiritual peace has not been attained. The stereotype of the crotchety old person captures such a path. The particular patterns of emotion will still offer a wealth of self-evaluative information, and it will spill over onto others as the elders become ever more dependent. This is a time when younger generations can play active roles in the reopening of minds and fostering purposeful living in their own parents.

210

Delta: Implications for Personhood

Death and Dying The final stage of life is the transition from the physical realm and is known as death. Human beings are meant to be aware and in control of the time to let go of life. An enlightened mind will intuit the coming event and allow sufficient time to wind down and achieve closure on any life projects. (When the species evolves in its mass enlightenment, death itself will take on new meaning.) In the present world, this final stage is a time of the most profound need for meaning, and of attaining a spiritual connection. The death process need not be fearsome or painful, or resisted. Yet, limiting beliefs and misguided cultural traditions and technologies of prolonging life at all costs, have virtually redefined it. Instead, the process can be a joyous culmination of the life experiences, the opportunity for accomplishing a final and everlasting connection with loved ones, replete with any ceremonial, ritualistic or traditional trimmings imaginable by the individual. The final period of life will offer a mental flexibility in ways like the plasticity of consciousness upon the birth. The dream-world will become more significant as the mind experiments with altered states of conscious focus. Individuals who practice and become comfortable and gain a degree of conscious control during dream adventures can aid their transition. The mind might slip in and out of its normal focus quite often, as the spirit flexes and alters its vibratory rate, in preparation for its journey home. The current mass consciousness in most cultures promotes the denial of the death experience altogether. Etiquette books suggest pretending that health will be restored in even the gravest of cases. But such advice wastes a powerful opportunity for humans to reach out and to achieve closure and reconnection, and especially to heal old wounds with compassion and forgiveness. This provides emotional rewards to all involved, for if such is not achieved, the ones left behind are to linger in guilt, fear, anger and sadness noting their spiritual frustration. The entity passing on, however, will leave behind the limitations of mind that created the life experience. The experience will broaden as consciousness becomes reoriented. The spirit returns to its unrestricted arena beyond time/space, but in which spiritual wisdom and feeling tone remains everlasting. Communications expressed to the dearly departed enveloped in love energy will most certainly be received. Loved ones left behind experiencing any lingering pain can attain closure by promptly utilizing verbal or visualization techniques enveloping the communications and images within love energy. Faith in spirit, compassion and forgiveness can allow each and every painful memory to be replaced by more 211

Lessons of Enlightenment

spiritually desirous understandings and interpretations of interactions with the departed one. The essence of each stage of human development is the challenge to attain life strategies and activities that allow purposeful living. At every point in life, embracing developmental responsibility and all that it implies will keep the individual upon the Destiny Path. Understanding the unique purposes of body to survive, of mind to learn and create and of spirit to express, can guide each decision to consciously, purposefully and cooperatively act rather than unconsciously, indiscriminately, and competitively react. Understanding how the six universal needs move the body and mind toward purposeful choice of thought and action can provide information in each moment that will allow for maximum happiness and spiritual fulfillment. The life-course, however meaningful to its owner, beyond time/space has its own brand of significance. The past, as humans think of it, matters not to spirit in the grandest scheme. It matters not how the early development proceeded, even if there were serious violations, injustices and lacks of freedom and opportunity, that the urgings of spirit could not correct at the time. For each entity has the power in every moment to develop and even re-invent the mind. It matters not to spirit the prior levels of frustration and pain, the amount of misguided thoughts and actions, or even the enduring personality patterns that have emerged from such limitations. Development and renewal awaits in every moment. What does matter is that spirit is eventually heard. This can occur at any point along the life path. To begin immediately to allow the feeling signals to lead the mind to its most ingrained, foundational beliefs for an audience with the spiritual adjudicator, is to reclaim the willful design of mind and to honor the spirit. The spirit patiently awaits its opportunity to begin to live. Accepting developmental responsibility can offer just that. With understandings in place regarding what it means to be human, we can now proceed to discuss, what it means to be human among other humans in Earthly experience.

212

Epsilon
Introduction

Implications for Human Interaction


Lesson 1: Implications For Morality

The implications of spiritual reconnection have profound impact upon how humans think of morality. Morality is that which seeks to distinguish the right from the wrong and the good from the bad, so that right and good actions can be chosen, and wrong and bad actions can be avoided. Morality is a virtue that operates as an inner behavioral guide. Although morality should spring from within, human groupings have devised rules, codes and laws that set forth externally controlled morality. Privileges, perquisites and promises of spiritual reward are offered to those who follow the moral path. Likewise, punishments are doled out for breaches of conduct ranging from the painful disconnection of shunning to the vengeful act of capital murder. But this human form of carrot and stick, bribe and threat morality has only been necessary since humans have not yet understood how to connect with their inner natural morality. Indeed, humans are born equipped with an innate morality predicated upon unification between the purposes of body, mind and spirit. The voice of spirit endows humans with an innate morality, complete with safeguards, which is far superior to any human attempt at defining external behavioral controls or guidance. The external moral and legal rules conflict with one another in the modern interconnected world, and can wreak havoc upon the emergence of the necessary global consensus. But worse yet, behavioral dictates that ignore, deny, or judge any aspect of human nature, will interfere with the biological legislation of human nature. Moral codes that are based upon inaccurate declarations about humanity, masquerading as cultural truth, only further erode the connection between body, mind and spirit.

213

Lessons of Enlightenment

In doing so, they continue to pit humans minds against their own bodies and short circuit the emotional communication between them, ensuring that the bodily safeguards will rule human action. Until humans achieve understanding of the inner guidance, they are doomed to a never-ending cycle of inappropriate self-preservationary actions that keep them at a moral level far beneath their potential. Unenlightened behavioral codes set in motion a cycle that guarantees purposeless, amoral actions in the truest sense of the word. Morality is ultimately about judgment, and as we now know, only the spirit with its knowledge of divine intention can accurately judge. It is simply a matter of restoring the self-understandings that reunite body, mind and spirit and align the purposes in each action. Phase one of this restoration will be the removal of any inaccurate, judgmental beliefs about human nature. One particularly damaging assumption about humanity deserves first mention in the moral discussion. Biological Hedonism The English word hedonism has become tarnished by dogmatic assertions of religion. So much so, that its original enlightened offering is now lost. But those who coined the term had captured a universal truth. That which feels pleasant is intrinsically good. These original ethical philosophers had embraced the idea that the Creator knew best how to orient human beings, and endowed the human creation with pleasure and pain as guidance. They had an intuitive awareness of an intentional, biological, divine predestiny despite the heavy misconceptions of external morality offered in their day. They understood that emotion was somehow meaningful. Unfortunately, they did not yet understand the divisions between body, mind and spirit, or the potential conflicting purposes, enough to explain the self-preservationary impulse. Pleasure and pain seemed instead to only motivate selfish, competitive, basal pursuits that did not bode well with the social order. Thus, their work was largely rejected for the less-challenging concept of sin. It was easier to explain pleasure and pain within a universe of good and bad forces, evidencing a flawed nature where humans succumb to the temptations of evil. But as should be clear, human actions follow pleasure and avoid painwithout exception. Until this is accepted, evolution will be stymied. The word hedonism should take on its rightful and just divinity. For it is the mechanism that provides an unerring guide toward purposeful self-discovery, yet without interfering with complete freedom of will. It is only in freely bringing the mind to this understanding that the guidance can emerge. Mindfully observing the meaningful patterns, the hardwired reaction of body, coupled 214

Epsilon: Implications for Human Interaction

with the mental analytical abilities, and the spiritual need for meaning, will lead eventually to the messages within these Lessons. (For each of the Creators systems comes complete with its own evolutionary wisdom and balancing thrust, either leading to its purpose, or a cleansing to start over). The basic impulses toward the good and away from the bad provide the most supreme guidance, regardless of what laws or Holy books might declare. Hedonism merely follows the six basic human needs, calling humans to approach that which feels good and to avoid that which feels bad. These forces will lead to the discovery of the higher purposes, and to the recognition that all amorality springs from action strategies that do not meet all three purposes. Psychologicalindeed biologicalhedonism is the essential, first foundational principle upon which any social grouping must be built. In fact, it was one of the primary reasons for the unit of the United States, which now exists as a microcosm for the global community. This particular community arose with the express goal of avoiding the historical limitations of forms of government that prevented the necessary freedom and empowerment of its people. Therefore, the official legal documents set forth the intention for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. This has been the unrecognized basis for most of this countrys successes, although much progress is still needed. Multiple Meanings of Emotional Signals The validity and divinity of hedonism has remained elusive because the role of emotion has not been discovered. Since the signals themselves have been falling upon deaf ears, their complex messages have not been able to provide their purposeful guidance. The message is only complex to the degree that it addresses all three purposes. It is not difficult to understand them, unless it is unclear that they have specific meanings for body, for mind, and for spiritall of which must be considered to guide any action choice. We know now that the emotional signals mean to body: Act in ways that will self-preserve. We know that the emotional signals tell the mind: Act in ways that will self-develop. And that they urge from spirit: Act in ways that selfexpress within the world. Although this is fairly straightforward, there are so many limiting ideas set forth about emotion, human nature, and the need for external controls, that it is no surprise that this fabulous gift from the Creator has gone unnoticed. There now exist so many conflicting behavioral directives about how to go about the pursuit of happiness, that the United States is crippled within its own confusion. Hedonism, is but one of many whirling, swirling, conflicting, judg215

Lessons of Enlightenment

ment calls within mass consciousness cultural truths about human nature. They are more accurately described as spiritual falsities that perpetuate this self-limiting cycle of infighting and self-preservation. The result is another emotion laden concept. For this cycle creates the illusion of evil. The Concept of Evil Evil springs from the valid idea of purposeless or backward livingeven the word live spelled backward becomes evil. Evil is simply the outcome of when something prevents the natural morality from leading humans upon their intended life course. Evil is anti-progressive and anti-purposeful living, nothing more, and nothing less. There is no evil force that doles out rewarding good feelings for bad actions. Good feelings always serve some intended purpose. But they can motivate violations upon self and others unless all levels of purpose are considered simultaneously. There is no room for the concept of evil when the body, mind and spirit work together in each action. It becomes as obsolete as the stone knife, for it is but a temporary bridge to the higher understanding of natural morality. The concept of sin is its counterpart, which captures any behavior that violates the purposes of self or others. Sin, of course, is nothing more than a selfpreservationary action outside of the higher purposes. Many humans think themselves to be sinful, weak, flawed creations, who must throw themselves on the mercy of some higher power simply for being what they are. Any hope of learning or purposeful self-development then falls to rigid forms of external control that further confuse and short-circuit the feeling system, leaving such humans virtually disempowered. The concept of sin itself is far more evil than any action labeled as such. Excitement and Morality Sin has been attributed to many of the most basic of human processes that operate upon the principle of pleasure and pain. Thus, hedonism has taken the rap for the inevitable pitfalls that spring from misunderstanding the emotional system. The emotional system is indeed the intended guide to natural morality, but its arousal and action components have drawn human suspicion since time untold. For it is often the excitement of body that dictates behavior when the mind is not purposefully engaged, throwing fear into the hearts of those who seek to control human action. Humans love the thrill of excitement. This is the energized, alive feeling that accompanies emotional arousal. Whether it is great love, great anger, great joy or great fear, the body revs up for action. The heart races, the hormones flow, 216

Epsilon: Implications for Human Interaction

the endorphins surge and the muscles receive energy to act. The experience itself can be quite intoxicating and rewarding. This is why there have arisen so many activities for thrill seekers, and just as many aspersions cast upon excitement itself. Throughout the world, the universality of human excitement can be seen, from artistic and literary offerings for vicarious passion and excitement, to daredevil exhibitions and roller-coaster theme parks. There are entire industries based upon thrilling competitions, from the early arenas of the gladiators to the modern sports stadiums brimming with emotional spectators. With the technology of today, television and computers bring all types of vicarious interactions right into the home. Excitement itself has become associated with the confusion about feelings. This is because of the inaccurate interpretations of feeling and the inevitable selfpreservationary reactions that follow. Accurate understanding of feelings is the only way out of this dilemma. Indictment of the arousal system or excitement in general is foolhardy. There shall be no moral judgments cast upon any such activity, so long as it does not violate another, just the required awareness of what is actually occurring. In addition to the problem of interpretation, creating vicarious excitement also amounts to manipulation of the emotional system. For it creates an emotional response outside of the purposeful interactions in which they are intended to have the most meaning. But this is not necessarily a bad thing. Indeed, any such activities can offer emotional refuge from a world not yet ready for enlightened ones. These activities often allow for the vicarious venting of emotional energy and the necessary and welcome, but temporary, escape from overly stressful environments and situations. They can make the difference between faithful perseverance and giving in to fear and defeat. The key to keeping exciting events within the realm of moral behavior is to ensure they are mindfully chosen within the context of all three purposes. This means that they do not take the place of actual connections and external expressions or violate the needs of others. This will also ensure that they are kept within a supplementary area, in designated times of relaxation and leisure within the daily routines, and never to become time-bandits which rob precious moments of physical existence from the purposeful destiny pathor worst of all, become compulsive or additive mechanisms of escapes from the spiritual challenges. Like any other physical pleasure, excitement can become an escape response in order to avoid emotional pain, or a pale substitute for truly rewarding purposeful activities.

217

Lessons of Enlightenment

It is helpful to make a conscious distinction between temporary and divine pleasure. All pleasure is good, but the temporary excitement of short term pleasures that might potentially have long term pains, should be kept in their proper perspective. They serve best as temporary bridges to more long-term purposeful paths, and should be respected for their allure as well as their potential to thwart higher more divine pleasures. These are often the guilt pleasures we choose knowingly which do not hurt others, but might not be the best longterm choices for ourselves. All concepts of morality should shift to accommodate the inevitability of the manipulation of the emotional arousal, and relax any judgments against it. Humans should feel no pangs of self-reproach when indulging within most any activity, as long as violations of self and others do no occur. All concepts of morality should then instead facilitate accurate understandings, interpretations and responses to the three messages contained within each feeling. Guilt and the Human Conscience Pangs of self-reproach bring us to the next aspect of moralityhuman conscience. Acting purposefully, is acting morally, is acting within conscience. To act within ones conscience is nothing more than to listen to the voice of spirit and to act upon it within all three purposes. Breakdowns only occur when the feeling signals are misunderstood, leaving confusion and conflicting impulses between body, mind, and spirit. Any action that ignores or denies any one of the divine purposes is truly amoral. Selfpreservationary reactions based upon fear and anger are amoral for they place body above mind. They choose to fight to change the world to match an undeveloped, distorted or unbending mindscape, instead of allowing the mind its moral, purposeful and necessary self-development. The result is a loner strategy that frustrates spiritual expression. It is fairly easy to see how fear and anger can lead to violations upon self and others. But the more insidious and potentially hurtful emotion of moral concern is the feeling known as guilt. Although guilt is commonly thought to be the emotion most linked with conscience, this is simply not so. Most events that elicit guilt are in fact amoral, but for entirely different reasons than might be suspected. They spring from amoral mental shifts that incorporate ideas into the mind which place mind above the body. This is when a learning experience, a right response is chosen, but one which lets in a sliver. Instead, guilt has become a much misunderstood and overworked emotion. Guilt has become a favored and powerful tool of manipulation by mass con218

Epsilon: Implications for Human Interaction

sciousness, particularly in the realm of religion. Once humans instill the idea of sin and evil, the devil gets in the door. Then they attach many natural drives and bodily functions to the concept of evil, pitting mind against body, setting the stage for the bodily safeguards to dictate seemingly evil behavior. This is self-fulfilling prophecy at its worst. The irony is that humans have the audacity to second-guess the Creator, and in His name, create and manipulate guilt feelings within their adherents. And then to reinforce the slivers by utilizing the very guilt signals they produce, as a constant reminder of the weakness and amorality of the person. But in reality, any directive that elicits guilt remains in the realm of mind and has solely to do with cultural trappings that are learned. Mind should no more be elevated above body than body should be elevated above mind. Both must work in concert in order to serve spirit. The instillation and manipulation of guilt is a heinous, power-stealing practice, which misses the message of emotion entirely. Humans should pay particular attention to any idea that invokes guilt feelings and identify the underlying needs that are at issue. The concept of a guilty conscience should be changed to the more accurate guilty mind. Then they should wholeheartedly reject any doctrine or idea that does not embrace the divinity of their God-given nature. Humans are no more meant to experience lingering guilt, than they are meant to experience lingering anger, fear or sadness. Acting purposefully upon all emotional signals can allow humans to remove the limitations that created the signals so that they can attain the intended lingering statethat of joyous loving spiritual fulfillment. Learning Error vs. Sin Guilt, like all emotional signals, should be recognized for its role in the learning cycle of self-development. Sin is simply an error in trial and error learning where feeling signals evaluate action outcomes. Course correction begins with feeling signals that follow mistakes or successes. The flexibility within natural morality, complete with the Grace of the Creator, ensures that humans can easily recover from the inevitable mistakes. Even humans acting within all three purposes can easily perpetuate minor violations upon themselves or others, simply because they are in need of further selfdevelopment. If each individual greets the actions of others with humor, faith, compassion, tolerance, forgiveness and expressions of light, the learning error is quickly overcome and all concerned are restored to the purposeful track.

219

Lessons of Enlightenment

Purposeful self-development will break the cycle of self-preservationary violation and liberate humanity from such limiting self-concepts such as evil and sin. All sin is simply learning error, on the road to strategies that satisfy all three purposes simultaneously. Sin is simply a misstep from which important learning can be attained. It is not an inherent flaw within the design of the human being, for which any relative deity must die in order to save souls. Such terms as sin and evil arose only because they served the limited purpose of providing temporary meaning. They offered believable explanations for when humans choose hurtful behavior. But they evidence a great distortion of the early messages, where the message became the answer, not the message of self-understanding itself. The Power of Apology and Forgiveness The religious message that humans who follow divine dictates will be forgiven for their sins carries this distortion. On the other hand, it also has spiritual utility, for forgiveness does indeed mesh with divine intention. But it is not the religious dictates that make this true, it is because forgiveness brings powerfully positive feelings both to the forgiver and to the forgivee. Forgiveness is a right and purposeful strategy because it brings divine pleasure. It is a life-giving habit. But forgiveness does not mean that humans can do any old thing, and rest on their laurels because they can forgive themselves and others for any indiscretion. This attitude toward forgiveness only breeds further feelings of selfreproach, for it is the lazy mans way to the light. Apology and forgiveness take on very powerful meaning in the context of accountability. Most any learning error, even violation can be redeemed when apologies contain an expressive, active effort to restore the one violated to his former state or to one even better. Cultural forms of restitution flow from this truth, yet they include anger and retaliation rather than true forgiveness and restoration of grace. True expressions of regret spring from the higher state of understanding, from the learning that followed the violation; they come from the heart. The receiver knows when this is the case, for they will resonate to the apology and offer forgiveness. Not only is the offender accountable to expressively apologize to the offendee, but the offendee is also accountable to receive these expressions as if he sought forgiveness himself. True connection with another recognizes the pitfalls of humanity and does not assume evil intent, for the learning error is inevitable and the shoe will soon be on the other foot. If all humans embrace the nature of trial and error learning and utilize the life-giving habits, then all will be forgiven and can quickly restore themselves upon the destiny path. Rest 220

Epsilon: Implications for Human Interaction

assured, far fewer violations will occur when this is the normal state of humanity. The Historical States of Moral Interaction It is helpful to instill universal forgiveness for human frailty upon understanding that certain stages of moral development dictate different moral actions of their day. Competition was once the moral choice, for biological predestiny utilizes competition to effect human evolutionary movement. We will later discuss this in detail, but for now understand that the only true original sin is in lingering within early stages of human moral development. Biological predestiny is hardwired into all species as an orienting mechanism, each interacting in the overall evolutionary process. The essential dynamic is how an individual organism is moved from within to survive in any given environment. This movement might come from generic predisposition or adaptive mutation in other organisms, but in humans, it comes from free will. With all humans buzzing about with everyone pursuing pleasure and avoiding pain, there are bound to be some bumping into one another. When this happens, they can willfully choose to interact either competitively or cooperatively. Free will is meant to be guided by the innate morality within the wisdom of spirit, which means to operate within all three purposes, and act upon the emotional signals in their multiple levels of meaning. There is then a natural moral progression from the singular self-concept to the plural connected self-concept. At each stage of moral development there will be certain needs coming to the fore, as well as an evolving understanding of the meaning of the emotional signals. Until humans awaken to the power of free will, they are safeguarded against their ignorant choices of mind by the selfpreservationary reactions of bodyserving the first stage of human purpose. Caveman Morality At this first stage, humans respond exactly like other animals, influenced primarily by emotional memory and hardwired instinctual responses. This relates to the human pre-cultural caveman level of morality. Humans at this stage are like singular, lone wolves, competing against one another for scarce resources, be they food, land, power, money, etc. With competition, there is a win-lose outcome: one will get all of the resource, and the other will get none. At this stage, fear and anger are the predominant motivators, fight and flight are the common actions, as the stronger often overpowers the weaker to the victor goes the spoils. At this level self-preservation is the singular purpose, the level of conscience now known as selfish. 221

Lessons of Enlightenment

At this early, pre-cultural stage, competition is the right and good choice of action, because the individual needs take precedence over the group needs. The emotional signals are interpreted to ensure survival and that the basic individual needs for power, freedom and creative expression are honored. Once these needs are accommodated in the mind and world of such humans, then the other needs can come to the forefront of consciousness and motivate further evolution. For competition is not the only choice when humans interact. The resource can go to one, or to another, or it can be shared by both. The sharing is known as cooperation. The emergence of cooperation is inevitable, for the need for interconnection is built into the human system in many other ways. For example, the cooperation necessary for procreation becomes an immediate hint of the higher, more rewarding approaches. Images of pre-cultural females dragged into the caves conjure still valid emotional signals that simply could not have allowed the lone wolf lifestyles to continue for long. Cooperative Morality In answer to the connection need, humans begin to develop the mind to include others in the self-concept. This ushered in the secondary cooperative level of conscience where self-development and right responses became the moral action choice, in lieu of fight and flight. Thus, the earliest forms of cooperation began to flourish, resulting in shared culture that would bring a lasting condition of interdependence. With cooperation, there is a win-win outcome. Although neither will get all, both will get half. The trade-off of receiving only half the spoils comes from the emotional reward of connection, and in the increased ability to gain through subsequent cooperation. At this stage, the higher group needs are considered in addition to the basic individual needs. Emotional signals begin to take on the added meaning of selfdevelopment of mind and to embrace the group connection need, the need for meaning and the need to achieve esteem-building expressions among others. Loving connection, and the fulfillment from meaningful, creative expression become the dominant motivations as right and light responses become dominant action choices. Before this stage is fully attained, some will still choose to compete, while others begin to cooperate. At this transitional state, there is both the chance to winlose, or to negotiate a win-win. When some trust others to cooperate, and those others breach the trust and compete, win-lose and disruption occurs. In this stage, cooperation is the right and good, the correct moral choice, and those 222

Epsilon: Implications for Human Interaction

who compete at the expense of the cooperative other are thought of as cheats. Thus, external rules and laws to protect the cooperators from cheats become necessary. The third and ultimately necessary stage is where all competition between humans gives way to true cooperation: all self-expression is accomplished in the context of cooperation. This is truly civilized morality. All emotional signals are interpreted within all three purposes, and all six needs are accommodated. All major motivations spring from the approach emotional signals and the avoidant ones are rare, corrective and evolutionary signals. In this final stage, each emotional signal is fully understood within the connection between all. To hurt another would equally hurt the self, this is the complete and mature state of moral development. This is the healthy conscience. Violations need not be controlled, because they simply occur only as learning missteps and are met with tolerance, compassion and offers of light. But transition to this stage is not yet complete. The movement away from fear and anger toward hope and trust is now occurring. Human groupings have not sufficiently embraced the self knowledge, and even enlightened individuals are stymied in their cooperative efforts by a world that embraces and declares competition to be the way. Spiritual frustration is experienced at every turn. To end this cycle and embrace cooperation, one must understand the necessity of moving from fear, to trust. The Role of Trust This macrocosm of humanity can be reduced to the microcosm of moral interactions between two human beings. Interactions will be motivated by pain until pleasure takes its rightful place. Fear is the dominant motivator in the stage of competition. Moving from competition to cooperation is based upon mutual trust. Trust is a necessary perquisite for cooperative moral action. For the cave woman could just as easily have slit the mans throat with his stone knife while he slept, as she could have arisen early to build him a comforting fire. Trust is a touchy thing, for in a win-lose competition, one who violates the cooperative trust can nearly always emerge victor of the spoils. Thus, there is always room for violation to exploit vulnerability inherent in trust. It is very easy to take advantage of the trust of another. Yet, it always comes with the price of living in fear, isolation and loneliness, not to mention facing the wrathful anger of the violated one. Fear and the self-preservationary impulse alone never brings true fulfillment until the bodys needs are fulfilled in the context of spiritual connection. Despite this fact, those who retain a singular concept of self, and choose to compete and endure such feelings will certainly lose out 223

Lessons of Enlightenment

when competing with groups choosing cooperation. Fear driven strategies will ensure a hellish fearful existence. Until the pleasurable path of trust can be truly embraced, humans are relegated to the transitional stage between fearful competition and faithful cooperation, between self-preservation and self-development, between the purposes of mind and body, with conflicts resulting both internally and externally. A major influence upon this condition has to do with the economics of scarce resources. When there are insufficient resources to be shared, fear will motivate competition. Resources are most scarce when there is overpopulation, or when communities do not have equitable systems for the freedom and empowerment of their members. Moral progress can also go backwardswhen resources are scarce, cooperation gives way to competition. (Since humans have become the dominant species and exercise free will in cultural transformation upon the ecosystem, they have taken on the responsibility to ensure fair allocation of resources to any embodied spirit, of all species, or they will feel the competitive results). Tit-For-Tat Morality Thus, morality is inextricably entangled with opportunity, and these predictable stages can point to the social changes necessary. Until adequate opportunity occurs, however, there will be a rather fixed state of affairs. This state brings a correspondingly predictable stage of morality. One in which there is a stand-off between the negative, competitive and the positive, cooperative impulses where many animal species, and the majority of humanity, is now poised. This pattern can be seen through the entire animal kingdom, where varying stages of competitive and cooperative efforts yield the most success for the species. This pattern is a mish-mash of both, where a moral rule of thumb is as follows: First, attempt cooperation. If the other cooperates, then both can win. Next, if the other chooses to break the trust and compete against you, you will lose to him. But your task is to then withdraw your cooperation with him and deal with another (more honorable) fellow, and the first will lose your help, becoming isolated. Eventually he will come calling again, following a learning experience. Trust again, and if he has truly learned, he will cooperate. The feeling signals all around will reward this more purposeful path, and the group effort will be stronger than any one isolated effort. This pattern is also apparent in the animal community, but they do not have the mental abilities of humans to remember and plan interactions as thoughtfully. The body alone, via the feeling system, guides their choices. In this case, the 224

Epsilon: Implications for Human Interaction

animal has memory enough to recall only the emotional outcome of the previous interaction. It is very common for such mindless violators to come around again with every intention of perpetuating another violation, for the previous winning of all the spoils felt great. But the duped one also recalls his own emotional outcome, one of sadness over the loss and anger over the violation. He then plans to do the same himself, perpetuating a violation back upon the violator, in an Ill show you how it feels retaliation. This is called the tit-for-tat strategy that works best when competition has not been completely overcome. In this case, the violator comes calling with an offer of a second cooperation and trusts the first. The first in this case, violates the trust and wins the spoils for himself. The second round often reinforces the soundness of the cooperative choice within the original violator and promotes cooperation in future interactions. Otherwise, fear and anger drives a perpetual cycle of getting evena deadly habit among humans. Tit-for-tat means simply: First cooperate, and then in any subsequent interaction, do the same as the other formerly did to you. Although tit-for-tat has its place, humans are intended to discover their higher moral guidance. They are not simply limited to the emotional memory of the experience; they can invoke the mind. If the higher purposes are heeded, trust outweighs fear, the connection is preserved, and winning halfplus the emotional reward of connectionbrings repeated cooperation that yields far more long-term benefit for all concerned. The less cooperation among all species, the more fear and self-preservation will be apparent. The more spiritual connection that exists, the more trust and cooperation can be observed, and more faith and personal fulfillment is experienced. Understanding the patterns of competition and cooperation can help individuals determine the moral course of action when dealing with others who are driven by competition alone, as well as underscore the most spiritually rewarding choice of cooperation. It should be readily apparent, however, that humans who keep to their fear-driven competitive level of self-preservation are no more evolved than the animals over which they claim superiority. The Golden Rule With these historical interactions in perspective, we can now see how they led to early forms of moral guidance. This first step from competition to cooperation was captured in the early moral directive: As ye would that men should do to you, do to them likewise. This reflected the tit-for-tat strategy of the animal kingdom and the human desire to overcome the cycle of retaliation. For to follow this directive, both would initially cooperate rather than to go through a 225

Lessons of Enlightenment

wasteful series of competitive retaliations. This directive is still inherent in most major religions, commonly known as the Golden Rule. It has also been restated: Do unto others that which you would have them do unto you. This moral advice has endured because it dovetails with many elements of innate natural morality. The Golden Rule assumes that there are some universal right and wrong behaviors, clearly understandable by all humanswhich there are. It assumes that all humans can recognize rightness within others and in themselveswhich they can through their feeling system. It is right-minded, basing morality upon the emotional evaluation of the act, and the purposeful pursuit of happiness. But this rule is only part of the picture, and its use as a moral directive is limited. For it assumes that everyone has the same values, which is never the case in a multicultural diverse world. It does not embrace the free will given to each human being to design values and beliefs according to their individual spirit. (What brings happiness to a member of one culture might bring great unhappiness to a member of another.) It embraces the contrived emotional boundaries that result from lack of continuous development of mind. It honors only those with similar, local values, and does not embrace the entirety of connected humanity. (It is quite easy to do horrible things unto others, if one does not consider certain humans as otherswitness the Holocaust). Nonetheless, with some simple variant twists, it can be a far more useful moral tool at the current state of the moral development of the species. The first twist would be to recognize it in the context of all humans, indeed to every spiritual embodiment, not just humans within any specific spiritual grouping. This fully honors the connection need, bringing all spirits together in the self-concept, making it a truly universal dictate. This brings the next essential universal twist that adds far more sweeping application. This flips the rule around to utilize avoidant impulses as universal guidance, using what humans do not like as a guide. Although a wide variety of diverse ideas, strategies and choices, can bring pleasure, it is the truly universal limitations and frustrations of spirit that bring pain. With these added understandings, this golden advice becomes far more useful in the form: Do not do unto any others that which pains thyself.

226

Epsilon: Implications for Human Interaction

This most simple of moral guidance allows humans to know in any moment what not to do and it frees the feelings of spirit to lead them toward actions to which they are morally invitedindeed divinely destined. The final word about natural morality is that it suggests that far fewer controls need to be placed upon human beings. Instead, energy and resources should be invested in ensuring that there is adequate opportunity for each member to meet needs without competitive impulses coming to the fore. Humans can simply let go of all ideas about what is right and wrong and allow their spirits to guide them. The self-righteous ones must step aside, taking their cultural judgments with them, and allow each human the dignity, the privacy, and the freedom to pursue happiness in their own way. For vitality and behavior, when chosen within all three purposes, which does not frustrate any of the essential needs, nor intend to consciously violate another, and is chosen within the response rules, is moral in the eyes of the Creator. With these essentials of right action in place, we can now look more closely at human to human personal interactions.

227

Lessons of Enlightenment

Lesson 2: Implications for Interpersonal Relationships


The Cooperative Level of Existence The implications of spiritual reconnection have profound impact upon how humans think about, and interact with, one another. Once humanity has been reconnected with the inner moral guidance, the next step is to build cooperation, intimacy and community with others. As humans successfully interact and connect with one another, they begin to take each other further into their own self-concept. They begin to respond to each others thoughts, feelings and actions as if they were their own. For once the connection need is discovered and honored, there can be no turning back to the conditions of isolation. Indeed, a new stage of existence unfolds, one that coincides with embracing the higher purpose of self-development. At this stage, not one, but two purposes are accommodated with thought and action. Each emotional signal not only tells the body to self-preserve, but it also now tells the mind to self-develop in ways that now and forever consider the pain of all others before each action. At this stage, each human relationship is based upon the understanding of the interrelation and inescapable spiritual interconnectedness that is The Way. Strategies of competition and violation are simply outdated ways of thinking when one truly embraces the spiritual connection. Actions that hurt another are felt as painfully as hurt to the self and become outdated vestiges of an uncivilized past. This self merging is a necessary accomplishment for the divine path to unfold. The complete individual self, the mind, body and spirit, must be brought together first, and then melded with the purposeful motion of each and every other mind, body, and spirit for true progress to occur. This was the intended message of the earlier wisdom offered, but its meaning became distorted. Selfmelding should now replace any mutated ideas about self-sacrifice, martyrdom and rising above self. With self-development, nothing need be lost, and everything can be gained. When this transition has been successful, the dominant feelings become the trust and faith that motivate the higher actions. The grander, larger sense of time and meaning begin to come to the fore as the chaotic, fear-driven life of self-protecting isolation is overcome. Reclaiming the meaningful messages within each emotional signal, will direct the choice of actions within all three purposes. As mindscapes are further refined, fewer distress signals are necessarybecause life is working as it should be. This is a state of unimpeded 228

Epsilon: Implications for Human Interaction

energy flow within and between all spiritual embodiments and brings its own emotional rewards. Intimacy and Community: The Gift of Sharing There are tremendous individual and group benefits at this level of existence. Two heads can do far more than one, and the more they interact the more progress can be made. Cooperation is the most basic level of interpersonal relationships, and the next is called intimacy. World peace rests upon international community. Community rests only upon the strength of cooperative intimate trust between its individual members. It is easy to cooperate with another human being toward some common goal; yet it is quite another matter to remove all defenses, share your darkest secrets and bare your soul before another. The more successful this melding of spirits, the more trusting and intimate the relationship can be. The more intimacy, the more potential information for self-development and expression of both parties involved. Intimacy means far more than the commonly accepted definitions that capture the physical component. It is the condition where there has been a meeting of two individual minds, or more accurately, building of a common-ground third cooperative mind, thought of as us. This is the basic building block of all mass consciousness, which is the culmination of all such common-ground agreements within all communities of humans. Intimacy can be thought of as into-me-see. It is about honesty, integrity and of opening ones self to the view of another. Intimacy can be built within any relationship. Building intimacy begins with perspective taking. It begins with standing in the other persons shoes and becoming acquainted with their particular unique worldview and mental lens. It involves the connection to another without resistance, pretense, power games or false image. For it involves the open, trusting, compassionate and faithful understandings of true spiritual connection. Universal love energy itself bases the connection that completes a circuit. Once loving connection is established, it can never be severed, regardless of any temporary violations or limiting conditions. Such a connection exists regardless of minor disagreements or even mistakes and self-preservationary actions that reduce the flow. Such a connection can beand should beremembered in each moment. Intimacy is the condition that allows the most freely flowing spiritual energy between two entities. The more complete the energy flow, the deeper the connection and the greater the benefit. 229

Lessons of Enlightenment

The Energy Dynamics of Intimacy Specifically, when the body, mind and spirit within any two individuals are aligned in a singular purpose, there is maximum expression possible by both. The mind contains the gems that allow the spiritual its free expression. When the two are united in a relationship, a common goal, or even a simple conversation, there will be a circular flow of spiritual energy exchanged between them. Spirit itself is energy; energy which contains information that when adequately expressed becomes part of mass consciousness. Or in other words, to the degree that common understandings are attained, that energy is manifested as a physical cultural condition. Such energy networks form the basis of all spiritual expression in the physical realm. This flow can be like a circulating river of spiritual energy. As the purposeful expressions of one are received by another, it is clearly resonant and recognizable in joyous pleasure. This is the spiritual validation of true connection and meaningful expression. This river can be slowed down or sped up depending upon the amount of expression and receptivity of both partiesdetermined solely by the beliefs of mind. To those fear-driven entities that seek to hide from the vulnerability of open intimacy, let it be known that there is no such escape. Spiritual energy that is put forth is unmistakable to the feeling systems of others. The energy put forth cannot be falsified; it either flows freely or is prevented. It flows freely bearing the information of all combined beliefs of mind and needs of body. The more enlightened the entities, the more conscious awareness and sensitivity to this energy correspondingly develops. But regardless of conscious awareness, the emotional system will move the body to respond to what energy is put forth. Conflict When either party has a sliver, or any strategy that is not within all three purposes, it will invoke resistance that can slow the flow until it is discovered and removed. When the expression is slowed, limited or reduced in any way, feelings of frustration will naturally result. This is the external manifestation of conflict. The same type of conflict can exist between mind and body, or within the mind of any one individual; but this is the external manifestation of conflicting beliefs that lie between two people. The negative feeling signals remain exactly the same, as do the optimal responses. But the bodys common response to such fearful or angry frustration is to invoke the urge to fight or to take flight. With both parties feeling the frustration, 230

Epsilon: Implications for Human Interaction

there are twice as many chances for unhealthy reactions. These urges bring about resistance and the deadly habits that are the enemies of intimate connection and the antithesis of spiritual intention. The physical result is the shutting down of the energy flow, causing backlogs that must be then expressed in some other way. Such resistance and closing off to one another is the basis for most all forms of distancing, conflict, arguments, and losses of intimacy, as well as a great deal of unnecessary emotional pain. The innate natural morality that arises from mindscapes designed to honor all human needs and purposes can direct actions that can avoid disconnection. Resolving these external conflicts requires the same examination of the events, the existing beliefs and the identification of the conflicting ideas. Then, and only then, can resolution occur. There can be respectful ways of approaching such conflicts, but communication and resolution must occur if the energy flow is to be restored and progress is to continue. Following the rules of response, having faith and invoking the life-giving habits can mediate conflicts quickly and clearly and keep all such connections strong. These guidelines will allow the innate, natural morality to emerge and dictate action choices. Although natural human morality is the same in every interaction, intimacy is more of a selective choice. The choice for an intimate relationship will relate to the spiritual fulfillment and longevity found in the friendship or union. There are levels of intimacy that one can choose, depending upon the nature of the relationship. The same actions and choices would not necessarily be the best ones at different levels of intimacy. Less intimacy is necessary for temporary, distant, public or professional relationships, while the deepest intimacy would be called for in a loving, committed union. There are four basic classes of relationships, each with its own, most effective, level of intimacy. The Fellowship Relationship This is the broadest, perhaps least personal or intimate relationship of the physical realm, yet it is the one that exists between fellow spirits. The enlightened approaches to this most basic of relationships, are those set forth within these lessons. Enlightened interactions and choices are those that consider all humans within the sense of connected self. One that does not limit the sphere of self-fellows to anything less than one that contains each and every human being. One that does not resist or deny rightful human respect. There need not be any direct interactions within the fellowship relationship. In fact, related fellows need never even cross physical paths. But they do affect one another. All actions and expressions that become part of the external world can affect human fellows. The energy contribution alone will have its effect 231

Lessons of Enlightenment

upon everyone physically encountered. With connection, a sneer from a bitter, angry, isolated human is felt as keenly and understood as keenly by a passerby as is a friendly smile or kind word. But this is particularly true for humans whose destiny paths have taken their expressions into the public spotlight. These will be the most influential contributors to the mass mind. With this influence comes the responsibility to put forth expressions in keeping with enlightened, connected, cooperative humanity and away from those of the limited, competitive, survival level of existence. Expressions whether they are words, songs, books, poetry, stories, news, counsel or legislationshould promote all universal spiritual values. They should advocate maximum freedom for choice of cultural values, and establish the most possible need-meeting opportunities, and exchange of spiritual resources. Those that set forth expressions, opinions and values that promote resistance, division, or remove freedoms or opportunities from others do dishonor to their fellow humans. The Professional Relationship This is the least intimate of the direct personal relationships. It encompasses what is termed an acquaintance, where the paths have crossed for any particular reason, yet no intimate action has occurred. But generally at this level, humans have come together united for some group purpose, whether it be a business corporation, a political group, an educational goal, a public event, an artistic effort, or one of religion. But at this level, there is not much intimacy at all; there is no need to share as many aspects of self. Nor is much necessary, as long as it is understood that the rules of emotional response should always be honored, and all life-giving habits utilized. Clear communication of all goals and processes toward achieving them, is the emphasis at this level. The challenge is in accomplishing group goals without compromising any rightful individual purposes or needs, and without violating the rights of others. Individuals will constantly need to learn and rely upon adept social skills, tactful communication, conflict negotiation and persuasion to attain consensus without compromising honesty or integrity. Solid bonds and powerful group actions can result with hardly any level of intimate, personal exchange. In fact, until civilization fully embraces the enlightened understandings, there will be an intense need for privacy between these public and private spheres of interaction. This springs from the freedom need, freedom from a world far too limiting. This condition also creates an even more intense need for intimacy and honest open sharing within the safety of home environments. Every entity needs a place of beauty and intimate sharing. A respite, a haven of intimacy to 232

Epsilon: Implications for Human Interaction

return to after a harsh day of taxing professional interactions in the world choked with the limitations of mass consciousness. Most human job opportunities involve this type of more external relationship. The contractual obligations and time allocations of the standard workday do not lend themselves to more intimate interactions. But mistakes are made in both directions by those involved in professional relationships. Some attempt to build inappropriate levels of intimacy is time-consuming and can work against the performance requirements. But by far, most errors come from the lack of connection, cooperation and trust. Defensive territoriality keeps many such group efforts from attaining anywhere near their most effective level. Insubordination, infighting and even sabotage are common occurrences. There is no room for such survival level strategies and reactions within cooperative frameworks. They are simply like cancers that stop energy flow in its tracks by denying the connections. Entities involved in professional relationships should make contributions that establish group values and frameworks where each individual can meet their needs and purposes within the context of the mission and goals of the group. They should build group values and standards that encourage self-development, the most free-flowing communication and conflict negotiation to gain the maximum value from expressions of each member. From such strategies will come tremendous success toward group goals and minimize any selfpreservationary reactions. Such a climate can also build bonds which might move some to step up to the next level of intimacy, that of friendship. Friendship A friend is one who can freely exchange personal experiences with another in an unimpeded way. A friend is a comrade and compassionate confidant in the game of life. A friend can offer a broader and less restricted form of interaction that is more intimate, more safe, more honest and free-flowing. There will be no need for many intermediary forms of communication and negotiations, for the realms of the individual minds will overlap far more. There can be a more immediate, unimpeded, and rewarding flow of energy between friends. Friendships usually occur based upon some mutual commonalties and interests that operate as boundaries for interactions. The more intimate the friendship and the more common choices and interests, the deeper that friendship can be. Interactions between humans at this level involve some form of regular exchange of energy which springs from conversations, recreational activities, educational exchanges, Socratic discussionsany activities where there is some meeting of the minds and sharing of experience. 233

Lessons of Enlightenment

In the discussion of human development, such interactive forums were recommended within families for the maximum self-development of incoming children. Through friendship, all the same benefits can arise through an entire lifetime of adult development. The benefit being of course, that you can freely choose who comes into the sphere. The intimacy of friendship offers new arenas for self-development, where the feedback from intimate others can often point out patterns kept hidden by resistant tendencies within the self. It takes faith, honor, trust and courage to be, and to have, a true friend. When humans come into contact with one another, they will feel attractions to those that can most freely exchange energy with them. The more the energy is allowed to flow, the more the spirit expresses, and the more attractive this person will be to others, and vice versa. Friendships can be built with most anyone, depending upon the rate of mutual self-development and energy exchange. There will also be natural, spiritually familiar relationships where a nearly instantaneous recognition and attraction occurs, allowing intimacy to begin immediately. These are often the result of creative energies following the spiritual destiny path, combined with the existing conditions of mind. Such a friend can enter a life and dramatically alter its course and be off again on a different track. There will also be certain relationships where there are inexplicable repulsions and dislikes, also relating to certain challenges along the destiny path. Situations where people will be thrown together with little in common, yet entangled in necessary relationships. In either case, the rules of emotional response and avoidance to deadly habits will facilitate the most productive and fulfilling relationship. But when creative reality is fully understood, humans will begin to see exactly how both positive and negative kinds of people are attracted into the life. For if the mindscape insists that some people must always be in ones life, existing as the proverbial thorn in the side, such will be the case. If there was some inescapable annoying or hurtful person in the early life experience, this belief can take root. Even if the original antagonist moves on, another will quickly manifest to fill the void. Humans can be especially enlightened by finding the meaning within each such person who enters this life. There will always be powerful learning potentials, for angels can come in some challenging packages. In the world at present, there will be immediate obstacles to friendship due to the many existing territorial, competitive rituals common among humans. One area from whence comes a good deal of this resistance deserves special men234

Epsilon: Implications for Human Interaction

tion. This happens in the male-female relationship. Before we can discuss the next level of intimacy, we must first address one interference factor that affects all levels of intimacy. Whole communication patterns and less functional styles have long been accepted which virtually guarantee obstructions to the spiritual energy flow. Gender Roles The major impediment to self-development, communications and the freeflowing energy of purposeful living, has been the nearly universal pattern of humans defining gender roles. Every culture seems determined to divide up human potential and allocate certain attributes to women and others to men. Although it is true that there are some basic biological differences between the sexes, a very large percentage of this variance is due to limiting ideas sliversfrom human culture. Until they are removed, they will have profoundly limiting effects upon the intimate energy exchange. Humans need not worry about the real biological sex differences; they will take care of themselves. But they should take vigorous steps to find and eliminate as many of the unnecessary cultural judgments about gender as possible. For the spirit will unfailingly speak of painful limits placed upon needs and desires for every human regardless of the physical form they have donned. This condition sets the stage for energy to seemingly switch on and off, as habitual patterns of thought and action send signals that have distinctly different meanings for either sex. The gulf between the sexes began innocently enough, in the form of shared labor. It is much easier for two to accomplish a task when each is responsible for a specific part. Since the female of the species carried and nursed the offspring, the duties revolving around the home became her domain. She began to be dependent upon the man for more external functions, as well as to become the keeper of all domestic and family operationseven communication itself. The female was also associated with dark, internal, receptive energies, intuition, submission and cooperation. And most importantly, she became the keeper of emotion, as the singular receptacle for the realm of spirituality. The male of the species became the active one, the aggressor, the hunter, the provider, even the creator. Man would use the logical mind to create the tools and build the communities and compete for scarce resources. Man was dominant and powerful, strong, silent, enlightened, and independent. He was associated with the external, rational, objective, physical world. Man laid claim to most attributes of both body and mind. And in time, his manliness was de-

235

Lessons of Enlightenment

fined by them, and questioned if he exhibited signs associated with femininity. The cultural institutions would encourage this division between the sexes through social convention, religious teachings and even laws that would subjugate and disempower women. Such limits would spur women to develop backdoor methods and even skills of manipulation to gain their needed power. The same institutions would deny spirit itself and would separate men against their own emotions, dooming them to a competitive level of behavior. Each new generation born into such cultures would find a certain limited reality associated with their sex. There are many accepted situations of Earth today, where women are not even allowed to educate their minds or freely control their own bodies. And perhaps many more where men are not encouraged to even experience their emotionsthe very voice of spiritlet alone seek to understand the messages they bear. Unquestioned slivers would become self-reinforcing, and self-preservationary actions would result. For what has actually happened through this gender typing has been an institutionalized separation between the certain aspects of self. This only offers the opportunity for some of the people to meet some of the needs only some of the time. No entity should be born to such unnecessary and correctable limitations. Certain separate types of energies are now assumed and associated with masculinity and femininity, yet there is only one pure spiritual energy. Such self-disconnection would become so profound, that the spirits of both sexes would eventually rebel with both social and biological results. The modern movement toward freedom, equality and androgyny within gender roles evidences this needed rebalancing, as does the biological shift toward alternate forms of sexuality. One consolation is that women have kept spirituality alive and helped it to flourish. This is quite an accomplishment considering that the entire realm of spirit has been long relegated to religion and dominated mostly by the males of the species. But spirit exists within all and is now on the verge of rediscovery. It must take its rightful place in both sexes if civilization is to evolve. Each entity desiring to be restored upon the destiny path must first reclaim the entire self. The gender roles must be revisited within the context of separation between mind, body and spirit, in consideration of the six human needs, and the purposeful messages of the emotional signal. It then becomes readily apparent that both sexes need all human attributes in order to even have a chance to know how to approach life. Expressions from fully restored, enlightened humans can alter the traditions and consciousness at quite rapid rates.

236

Epsilon: Implications for Human Interaction

Each entity following these messages of spirit and acting upon them within all three purposes cannot help but change the world for the better. All the best concepts within both masculinity and femininity are important, necessary attributes to bring daily fulfillment. For together they constitute the potential whole of human body, mind and spirit. Each forges a link in the chain of mindbody communication through the voice of spirit. To disconnect a man from his spirit or a woman from her mind or body is to maim. Each quality is necessary for the functional unity, intercommunication and flow of energy within the trinity of self. Only then can the flow be restored between members of any given sex and between members of the opposite sex. To even begin to have a chance, each entity of any biological sex or sexual orientation should have equal opportunity, freedom and power enough to control his or her own destiny. This basic universal right should be self-evident. It is the essential first link in the chain. For one who must compete for basic freedom or power, one who cannot even direct the life events, has no hope of acting purposefully or cooperatively. This means that neither sex should seek to escape into the comforting limitations of either sex role, but to consciously accept responsibility for personal control of the destiny, and attune, with commitment and integrity, to the spiritual voice within. The emotional rewards of such a choice will far outweigh the feeble, temporary comforts of dependence, fatalism, machismo, femchismo and martyrdom. When all aspects of masculinity and femininity are considered, the chain of mind-body communicative interaction can commence. There is a special place in the cycle for each passive, active, receptive, aggressive, rational and emotional thought or action. First, each member of both sexes must be earnestly, passively, openly receptive to even the most subtle of emotional signals. This receptivity is awareness itself, this is intuition, this is heeding the voice of spirit. Without the receptive quality, no such guidance can occur, and the chain is broken. With passivity and receptivity associated only with femininity, men are instantly left limited to self-preservationary reactions of fight and flight, for the cycle of spiritual information stops before it can even begin. Resistance and defense is the masculine norm. Thus, the reputation for man as warrior, or those of porcine mind who can easily succumb to the motives of the flesh. Next, each entity must enlist the mind to rationally analyze the meaning of the feeling signals in the context of all three purposes and in enlightened understanding of the universal needs. The mind is the most essential component and is quite often left out of the feedback loop, and body is allowed to automatically respond to emotion-invoking situations. Without accurate interpretation of each 237

Lessons of Enlightenment

emotional signal, the chain is broken. Acting upon the emotional signal alone, the mind is bypassed, relegating humans to a level beneath their birthright. Women should no more abdicate their rationality than men should abdicate their emotion. This means that the maximum amount of self-development of mind should be available to, and embraced by, each of the sexes. Next, each entity must again actively enlist the mind to consciously choose the most appropriate corrective response. For the mind alone can only know when the fight response is in order. The mind must first eliminate the other options by directing a right or light response. If the mind is not actively engaged, the chain is broken once again, and the body will respond in fight or flight or appropriate approach reactions. Worse yet, without actively engaging the choices of mind, humans remove themselves from rightful free will. Disempowerment always results. Only through aggressive spiritual expressions can progress be made. Feminine passivity prevents women from the persistent, active expressions their spirit demands. It opens the door to a reputation for femchismo, and for mind inclined toward feline, sneaky, manipulative power plays. Masculine competition and independence prevents the necessary communication, connection and cooperation needed to achieve the higher purposes. Thus, before intimacy or cooperation can be truly achieved, entities must remove the garments of masculinity and femininity that have been handed down generation upon generation, and dismantle any closets that may have resulted. Entities who are true to their spirit in this manner can enjoy the much greater heights of intimacy, and even sexuality, when one creates wholeness of spiritual fulfillment within themselves. Entities who are tolerant, compassionate and spiritually connected will no longer feel compelled to cast judgments upon the unique spiritual propensities of one another. Intimacy and Sexual Love Once these limitations have been removed, the next level of intimacy can be attained. Love is the ultimate pleasurable human experience. Friendship at its highest level can include that spark of physical attraction and the desire to commune physically with one special person. Although humans can engage in sexual activity with others outside of the bond of love and intimacy, the highest emotional rewards come from an intimate sharing with a singular loving other. When one is in love, no other can be but a pale substitute. The connection need and profound pleasure of spiritual love brings humans together in these special physical couplings. This is part of the grand design to perpetuate the species within the most enlightened of conditions.

238

Epsilon: Implications for Human Interaction

Sexuality is good evidence by the natural pleasure it produces. It is a gift from the Creator, not just simply for procreation but as part of human creative expression. Sexuality outside of procreation is also intended to be chosen within all three purposes and in conditions of intimate love of souls in flesh. It can greatly facilitate the spiritual connection and communicate energy exchange between two humans and is a physical celebration of love. It can also induce altered mental states of consciousness and strengthen psychical energy centers. The physical need for sexual activity, and the pleasure it can bring, is the insurance that the species will continue. Such couplings also serve the higher purposes. They offer a loving, intimate, common world to be designed and shared, a mini self-designed mass reality in which offspring can be raised. The spirit soars to the degree that such commonground worlds allow for fulfillment of the six universal needs. Children thrive, and energy flows best between two such lovers under such enlightened and empowering conditions. There is such universal agreement about the positive value in the longevity of such couplings that some form of marriage, or formalized coupling, has arisen in each culture. Love As Distinct From Need Yet certain spiritual conditions must exist or the longevity and success of any such union will be severely limited. These are the conditions where each member of the unit has the opportunity to develop knowledge and skills, and freedom and power to actively express in ways that meet the six universal human needs. Each individual is intended to do so for themselves under the direction of their own spirit. Indeed, these free and opportune conditions must exist throughout the world for humanity to succeed as well. But change begins within individuals, moves outward in concentric circles, into their familial units, and then into their communities. Thus, couplings and domestic partnerships can provide the testing ground for spiritual expressions and purposeful change. One very limiting result of centuries of gender typing has been the idea that other persons are responsible to fulfill ones needs. Men have traditionally been held accountable to provide certain things for women (perhaps economic freedom and power), while women have been required to provide other such things (perhaps nurturing, meaning, and emotional support), to men. There is a misguided acceptance that loving someone is synonymous with needing someone. There are mores and even laws that perpetuate a state of codependency between couples. Indeed, the lasting, stable, loving, cooperative efforts of unified spirits allow for fostering of the most enlightened and fulfilled children. 239

Lessons of Enlightenment

Yet the divorce rate, neglected children, domestic violence and spiritual malaise is evidence that mandated mutual dependency is not the way. It will only be through the rejection of any sliver that limits and disempowers any individual, regardless of their sex, that the most successful loving unity can emerge. Independence within a cooperative unit is highly spiritually rewarding, for it fosters the freedom and empowerment for each individual to pursue their purposeful path. Yet doing so in the context of love, connection, intimacy and shared experience, allows the two paths to dovetail. The Myth of Love as Codependency The division between men and women, and the lack of self-understanding, has perpetuated many limiting ideas and strategies toward love and marriage. Many unions do not survive due to role limitations and dependency upon one another, including the unspoken expectation of one member to have the other member meet their needs. Resentment, anger and contempt are inevitable if one plays the game and the other benefits but does not reciprocate. Dysfunction will most certainly result unless both parties are responsible for and expressive about meeting their own needs. What happens then is the energy flow narrows and eventually closes off and love diminishes. Many recommended, but limiting, rules of the marital union reinforce the confusion. The word compromise, for example, means to negotiate a common winwin solution. Compromise does not mean one gives up what they need in honor of another. It does not mean meeting someone half way, somewhere between what each desires, for neither is a single lifestyle. Self-less living does not mean giving up ones needs in order to serve those of anotherit is not about martyring ones self, gracefully losing a win-lose competition, so another can win. It means rising above the competitive self-preservationary impulses to accommodate all three purposes for self and others. It means melding all parts of each self and designing a lifestyle of common cooperative goals. Love and Its Pitfalls Yes, emotion pushes and pulls humans toward their destiny, with good and bad results. The more the mind is actively involved, the more rapid and purposeful the directions can be. It is easy to see how negative emotions and the selfpreservationary avoidance responses can wreak havoc upon individuals and societies. But what can be more insidious are the automatic approach reactions to positive feelings that pull people toward each other. Love, in particular, should be carefully understood within the context of these Lessons. For love, with its

240

Epsilon: Implications for Human Interaction

propensity to entanglement with sexual procreation, is among the most powerful and volatile of human experiences. Love is that unmistakable spiritual resonance with another human being. But like all emotions, love exists in both mind and body, and if either seizes full control, trouble can result. In the mind alone, love can be attached to a love object that is a fantasy or image which matches ones ideal mate, having nothing at all to do with true expressed external connection. Love can motivate delusional fantasies, with compulsive, even violent results. Love can be mistaken for need fulfillment, when other needs for power, freedom or meaning are met within the context of a relationship. Love can be associated with pain, where you only hurt or get hurt by the one you love. Love can arise for all the wrong reasons, yet its force of attraction is just as powerful when it is based on slivers, as when based upon gems. But perhaps the most all-consuming power of love is when the body is in full control, when the mysterious spark ignites the body into its sexual mode, bringing love or raw desire into the physical dimension. This is the arena where humans succumb to the pleasures of the flesh in the immediate moment. The ideal conditions of procreation are when each party chooses the sexual act within all three purposes, where the body, mind and spirit of each are aligned in the decision. Unfortunately, in the confused modern world, this is more the exception than the rule. Sex outside of purpose can wreak havoc. So much so, that the activity itself has been defiled, controlled and judged, and it is now laden with a tremendous amount of excess baggage. But the baggage has come from the fallout from the distorted motives and actions resulting from misunderstanding the force of sexual desire. Indiscriminate sexual activity, devoid of love always seeks to address other needs beyond procreation, among the six psychological human needs. A female giving in to sexual conquest in order to gain self-esteem is as equally empty a reward as the momentary power gained by the male conqueror who truly seeks more general life control. Combining strategies of competition and anger with the quest for power can motivate rape. Any number of misguided motives and actions can result from the lack of self-understanding and purposeful guidancemany of which result in unwanted pregnancies. Cultural Conditions Placed Upon Love Historically, the love force has proved to be a powerful, yet mysterious and uncontrollable aspect of human nature. Thus, there has been an outcropping of external controlling directives and myths that are designed to counteract the inevitable disruptive and painful events that spring from self-preservationary 241

Lessons of Enlightenment

sexual impulses. There are many useful beliefs about love throughout mass consciousness, but there are just as many myths that do far more damage than good. Love is indeed a gift from above, but not nearly with so many conditions and trappings as might be believed. Each mind contains a unique mixture of impressions from role models, learned information and spiritual creative and intuitive insights about the meaning of love. Whole lives can be put on hold due to ideas that limit the suitability of a love object, or they can be filled with the dramatic turnover of many unrequited or short-lived loves. Each individual has the responsibility of knowing what their mind contains and purposefully designing the most fulfilling strategies. Each belief about love must be carefully granted an audience before the spiritual adjudicator. But there are some basic misconceptions and popular myths about love and marriage that can be immediately dispelled. The first is that everyone must meet and marry and procreate. If the spirit does not desire marriage, then this message should be heeded first and foremost; for the intended destiny path might necessitate freedom from such entanglements. A spirit forced to conform to normal family standards against its own yearnings will suffer cruelly, as will the others trapped in such a unit. Wrapped into the myth is another which insists that one male and one female are necessary to produce and parent healthy offspring; when in reality, the loving contributions of many enlightened adults of either sex can foster an enlightened, connected child. The conditions (those described for optimal human development), rather than the players is what determines a successful parental unit. Even a single parent with a good and stable support network can achieve success far easier than two competitive, fearful, conflicted biological parents. Another is the romantic myth of a singular soul-mate, that basic missing half of ones soul with which each person is destined to find and reconnect. This myth is meant to promote monogamy and longevity of relationships, but can also set impossible expectations. This is not to say that there are no spiritual destiny paths meant to cross, for this is a common occurrence. But it is to say that there are many potential soul-mates and that progress along the destiny path will be a predictor of who is right for whom at any give point in time. It is to say that the free will and the pitfalls of an unenlightened physical existence can greatly influence the progress. It is to say that humans can cross paths and give each other what they have to offer and then go in alternate directions, that free will can alter paces and probable paths. It is to say that even 242

Epsilon: Implications for Human Interaction

when a spiritual soul-mate recognition occurs, this does not mean an automatic happily ever after. It is to say that such a person can be a good choice to attempt to build intimacy with, but if one such party is not ready to do so, or are too limited by their own mindscape to the illusions of mass consciousness, it is best to understand this and move on. There should not be shame or guilt when full and purposeful living takes lovers in alternate directions. The marital union should hope for lifelong affinity, but make no promises for enduring the death of spirit. It is also true, however, that spirits who recognize one another have a stronger potential of sharing enlightenment with one another. The existing connection can help transcend existing limitations if both are committed to doing so and capable of the trust, intimacy and expressive efforts necessary. Following feelings of approach and love in such cases is a good practice, as long as the spirit is allowed to communicate the right time for letting go should either party be unready for such growth. For purposeful love is only created when completing the circuit of intimacy between two melded souls. Any worldviews that put stipulations upon whom one can marry should also be rejected. Religious prejudice, racial tension and socio-economic class distinctions can all limit the potential pool of love objects. Tremendous limitation has occurred due to such practices. Entire gene pools have been created due to such limitation, some complete with genetic mutations that have been detrimental to the species. A healthy, unrestrained mixing within the diversity of genetic combinations will assure the necessary diversity continues. Ultimately, so much of human destiny rests upon the unimpeded flow of energy between two individuals. No matter which level of intimacy exists, each will play an important role in the evolving of individual minds and of mass consciousness itself. When energy is allowed to flow within and between each individual, the spiritual expression is maximized, as is the expansion of the experience of All That Is. But individuals alone are not the only active players in this process. We can now proceed to examine how groups of individuals interacting, can take on lives of their own, creating unique energy dynamics and avoidable obstacles.

243

Lessons of Enlightenment

Lesson 3: Implications for Group Relationships


Why Groups? The implications of spiritual reconnection have extreme impact upon how humans think about themselves as members of groups. Ultimately, humanity as a unified whole, is the highest group to which each individual belongs. The spiritual connection impressed upon the body as the powerful urge to commune and interact with brothers and sisters, moves humanity to discover themselves as members within this singular group. Ultimately, the human hedonic design pushes and pulls humanity toward connected cooperation as an entire species, but such movement occurs whether or not the mind is engaged in the process. All purposeful movement is predicated upon following spiritual wisdom. Until full self-understanding is attained, there are predictable patterns and pitfalls that will emerge. The modern world revolves around the human group. There are many good reasons to form and belong to groups. People are not only pushed together by the pains of loneliness and isolation, they are pulled together in order to meet all their human needs in cooperative ways. There is power in numbers. There is loving connection, opportunities to earn esteem, find meaning, and a great deal of creative energy possible. The group can attain far more than any one of its members alone. There is a veritable magic that can happen in the cooperative sharing of resources, a synergy of energy where the whole becomes more than the sum of its parts. There is a divinely intended balance and vitality when all organisms freely interact to meet their needs. Indeed, the entire physical world is based upon cooperative interactions between and among individual spirits. By offering need-meeting opportunities, each kind of group plays its own unique part in the cooperative purposeful whole. Family units are the core of society, greeting incoming spirits with open arms and orienting them along their destiny path. Membership in workgroups can provide basic survival resources, as employees toil and earn resources to provide for their families. Membership in support or friendship groups can satisfy needs for connection, meaning and creative expression. Recreational, sporting or entertaining group activities can satisfy personal needs for power, fun, freedom and excitement. Educational groupings, book clubs and discussion groups can greatly assist in self-development. Health groups can offer connection and support, and motivate more healthful life choices. Religious groups can provide spiritual guidance and meaning. All groups that allow individuals to develop and express 244

Epsilon: Implications for Human Interaction

can help build self-esteem. Political groups, advocate groups and workers unions can help solve problems, and protect one another from unjust conditions. But there are also some predictable and avoidable traps of group memberships. When armed with the wisdom in these Lessons, one will be aware of the many pitfalls, and the painful prices one can potentially pay for group membership, and can take the necessary actions to ensure that they do not occur. The Group Organism At present, all of the maladies that haunt the unenlightened individual also plague the groups they form. The resulting social symptoms have become so routinely accepted that they are never noticed to be symptoms of deficit states. Thus, the corrective signals are never received or acted upon. When reclaiming the voice of spirit, individuals will begin to recognize that the groups to which they belong are also like individual organisms. Each group has unique features, like genetics of an individual, its own language, rules and power hierarchy. It matters not if the group is a family, a sports team, a professional business, an artists union, a governmental agency, a gang, a church group, a local community, a country or a planeteach group has its own developmental cycle, purposes and pitfalls, like those of the human being. For just as cells come together in forming organs, and organs come together in forming systems, and systems come together in the whole that is a human body, human minds come together in creating new group organisms. This fact is the basis of all mass consciousness, and can be seen in the various groups that have arisen. Each group will have the same functions and the same purposes of the human beingthe trinity of purposeto self-preserve, to self-develop and to self-express. And each group will have the exact same pitfalls and challenges as a living, breathing human being. Fortunately, each group will also suffer the same painful emotional signals and can gather the wisdom and take immediate corrective actions. But this will necessarily change the face of many human groupings as they now exist. For many groups are alive due to their ability to manipulate and misuse the emotional system rather than align with it. Some groups take on a life of their own, outliving the original purposes and minimizing rather than enhancing humanity. Some prey upon human weakness and take power from their willing, but unaware, members. Others simply suffer conflict and dysfunction because there is not unity within.

245

Lessons of Enlightenment

Conformity The first of the pitfalls of group membership arises immediately upon entry. For once one joins a group, the group and what it stands for becomes part of the persons self-concept. And, as we know, anything that is taken into the mindscape and becomes self, will then become subjected to the selfpreservationary responses of the body. The group will then seek to preserve its unique identity in several ways. Depending upon the levels of the self-needs that are satisfied within the group, there will be a corresponding emotional value of the membership. The value of the membership plays out in a group as the need for conformity. The ideals, rituals, and activities of the group all become rather sacred and in need of preservation in order for the group to survive as an entity. This means that certain rules will be followed, certain assumptions will be taken for granted, certain symbols have specific meanings, perhaps even certain clothing will be worn that distinguishes the group. There might be a special initiation, or a secret handshake, a unique language, or any other kind of distinguishing commonalty that one can imagine. The urge to conform springs from the connection need as well as the pressure from the group to match its expectations, and creates the force that continuously regenerates the group bond. It is often so powerful that it can override the thoughtful choices of the individual. Thus, the price one pays for the pleasures of group membership comes with a potentially steep cost of individual will and freedom of thought. The urge to conform is quite intense due to the general human lack of selfunderstanding. Thus, in terms of individual purpose, conforming to a group can bring one either up or down depending upon its beliefs and values. The urge to conform can bring an individual into the rewarding embrace of those who can offer self-development, or refuge from an abusive or unenlightened previous group. Or it could be merely to serve a frustrated power need, and provide an allegiance to a gang that seizes power through drive-by shootings and random acts of violence. Either way, there are ongoing positive and negative forces that will bond members within their groups. This continuous emotional bond works in two directions. Conformity brings pleasurable positive reinforcement, tapping the inner pull of purposeful needfulfillment, wherever a member behaves in characteristic ways of the group. When members display the correct values and actions, they will be rewarded by smiles, pats on the back, high fives, or some other sort of recognition for their conformity, and they will feel good. 246

Epsilon: Implications for Human Interaction

The opposite force appears with nonconformity. Depending upon the value, there will be the corresponding threat of rejection, the ever-present possibility that the group will ask a member to leave. This will compound the positive desires to conform by adding the fear component. Different actions and beliefs are instantly trounced upon by negative reinforcement in order to preserve the group identity. Thus, any group will also be maintained by the force of negative emotions. There will be fearful feelings within each member to follow the path of the group, as well as an anger that ensures that other members do as well. This aspect can bring about some quite negative outcomes. For where there is emotional force, devoid of understanding of its purpose, there will be mindless self-preservationary responses. For with fear, it becomes an individual motive to stay within the groupat all costs, including doing things the mind would not direct. With this added force to conform can come a shift toward risky behavior to prove ones mettle as a worthy member of the group. Hazing and other dangerous initiations into the groups and acts of allegiance often end in tragic events as well. Such challenges of group membership that go against the spirit will also motivate anger. This will also spur all group members to ensure that their own sacrifices and risks are matched by all other members or retaliations might result. This can show up in either very subtle or dramatic ways. But there will be constant maintenance of the boundaries of the group, the prodding and cajoling by members for each to prove their allegiance, to measure up. And if any one dares to act differently than expected, they will be immediately cajoled back into compliance. Particularly if they imply in any way they might be thinking original thoughts that might go beyond the established guidelines or boundaries of the group. For example, a gang member begins to be interested in a community youth dramatic program offered by his local library. The program offers brief classes in dramatic acting, and a loose and informal setting for its members to put together creative plays. It only takes one evening out of his week, and is on a night that his gang is not together anyway. He finds many rewards in this new creative outlet, and wants to share his enthusiasm with his gang. But when he begins to describe his experiences, his fellow gang members will respond to this nonconformity as a threat to the group. Without even mindful awareness, they will automatically respond in defensive ways. They might interrupt, ridicule, and chide him for using new words, and tease him about 247

Lessons of Enlightenment

becoming a sissy actor. As they do so, they will give each other high fives and be less interested in what the actor is saying. They are simply maintaining the unit of the group, for his new activities have threatened its self-concept. If any member actively pursues individual self-development, then he must either hide it, or somehow convince the entire group to develop along similar lines. For the self-preservationary impulse of the group organism is every bit as powerfulif not morethan that of the individual, and defensive responses will occur as predictably as the moon does rise. And where there are selfpreservationary responses outside of emotional understanding, there will always be breakdowns in purposeful movement. The Developmental Cycle of a Group To address where each of these breakdowns occur, one can look to the natural developmental cycle of any human grouping. The first group to which any individual will belong is that of the family. This group is unique because it is already established and does not go through the formative stages. But each spiritual principle and emotional dynamic has particular meaning within the family unit, for it is the vehicle for adequate emotional development and the climate that can make or break the spiritual connection. For humans are born immediately into a specific group, within a specific community, within a specific cultural heritage, and within a specific accepted worldview. (Ultimately, the largest grouping is the current level of mass consciousness itself.) The family group will bear the responsibility for imparting the initial frames of reference, the first beliefs, for the entire reality of the incoming entity. These early beliefs affect the very brain structures, as they form the lens of the reality that is offered. Of course, in an enlightened world, the necessary flexibilities and selfunderstandings will be the first and primary offerings, but until then many pitfalls will continue to occur. These will involve the actual development of the emotional signals themselves. A child can be taught enlightened, connected, cooperative, life-giving habits that allow the natural feelings to flow, and a lifetime of pursuing the higher pleasures will be fostered. Or the child can learn that the world is a dog-eat-dog competition for survival, where fear and anger are ones only true friends. Most of these other groupings can be changed through choice, but the family cannot. This is not to say that one cannot build a new family community to replace one that has been escaped for necessary reasons, not that ones birth family was not chosen through prior arrangement: it is simply to note that an 248

Epsilon: Implications for Human Interaction

incoming infant is fairly well stuck with the initial group. It has no say-so upon arrival, aside from departing the physical realm entirely. The developmental task of any group is to establish the conditions for true, connected cooperation within and between its members, in order for any group goal to have and enjoy the synergy of the combined energy of its members. This means that there cannot be competition within and between members, or certain predicable patterns will arise. Power Dynamics The first will have to do with the ones relative power in a group. If this is not stated upon entry, then it will emerge through struggle. Entities are not always consciously aware of the struggles, but they participate in them constantly. This is particularly apparent when a group is forming. Groups form when people come together for some common purpose. They each will be drawn to the group by inner knowledge that they have something unique to offer, and something to purposefully receive. If they feel frustrated in any way while trying to make this exchange, they will experience some mild form of anger. This anger will move them to express themselves to remove whatever obstacle is in the way. These expressions will be how a group develops its language, negotiates its rules, and power hierarchy. It will not be until each person has found their place of necessary fulfillment within the group that cooperation can begin. Many existing groups have never truly reached this cooperative state of being. If any member is not adequately fulfilled within their place within the group design, they will be motivated to find alternative ways to meet their needs. This sets the goals of an individual against, and in competition with, those of the group. This is like the disconnection between mind and body in an individual or even dysfunction between the heart and lungs of a human body. Competition ensures that only some of the needs will win and others will lose. Yet, the competitive mindset that is the accepted norm within mass consciousness does not recognize that embracing win-lose competition is like allowing a cancer to grow within the organism. This limited belief often accepts and promotes an adversarial position between individual and group needs, which is spiritually and biologically unsound. For the needs of one are the needs of all, without exception. The need for sufficient power to control ones destiny in a group is just as powerful as everywhere else. Likewise are the needs for freedom, connection, 249

Lessons of Enlightenment

creativity, self-esteem and meaning. The task of the group is to design a structure in which each member can actively meet adequate levels of these needs to ensure the maximum contribution from each member, and to facilitate the maximum progress toward the group goal. If not, the negative impact will be seen in direct relationship to the level of frustrated need fulfillment. When breakdown occurs, the emotional forces leave the members torn between the need for power and the need for connection. We know now that the power need will always win out. Freedom and power ensure survival, and if the group does not allow them, the member can simply leave the group. But more often than not, particularly in work groups, the primary economic power of membership itself forces employees to stay. This leaves the individual divided within himself and against the group, stranded in a deficit state, lingering in painful unanswered corrective signals, and doomed only to hardwired selfpreservationary responses. For as we know, the body will overtake the mind when necessary. For example, perhaps the group endeavor is a business and the individual is an employee who belongs to this group in order to make his living. He will be given the free authority and the resources to perform his job. He will be told of the requirements and expectations, given the equipment, supplies, training, and he will agree to a specific salary package. These will cover his first basic needs for freedom and power, particularly if there is room for promotion and advancement. Suppose that our worker was unhappy with the amount of pay that his job provides. (As is the case with most workers, in an unenlightened world with imbalanced worldly conditions and limited opportunities). But since there were no other available jobs, the worker agreed to the salary. In the world that exists today, money has become synonymous with freedom in many ways. Economic freedom is tantamount to the freedom of movement as well as providing the resources to meet other needs. If the arrangement was not considered fair and just, this worker will experience anger and might be motivated to cheat or steal to get what he feels is rightful, or it might move him to do little things to get even with the group and sabotage the group goals. These kinds of self preservationary responses, of course, show that true cooperation has been overridden by survival competition. When this happens, the lower needs of body win out over the higher ones of mind, and both the employee and the company will suffer. Other symptoms and informal power hierarchies will also arise. If there is inflexibility and inadequate freedom to communicate, negotiate and control ones 250

Epsilon: Implications for Human Interaction

destiny, then underground grapevine lines of communications and gossip, fear and mistrust begin to breed. If contributions are not recognized or valued, then anger, envy and hostility can arise. Sneaky acts of retaliation and sabotage against group goals will occur. There can be thefts, embezzlements, the designing of destructive computer viruses, even territorial urination in the corporate water-cooler. The Group Structure These painful symptoms are exactly like the corrective emotional signals experienced in an individual. Any group must have the enlightened leadership to ensure that a structure evolves which accommodates the needs of each of its members. Each and every such symptom should be acted upon immediately to restore frustrated need-meeting opportunities. Each group should ensure its continuous purpose of self-development and expression. The leadership of any group should respond exactly like an enlightened mind, to adapt itself to each and every incoming piece of information and design the organizational structure and rules to best allocate resources and eliminate internal competition. Failing to respond to such symptoms is like closing the door of the mind in a flight response to denial, and all the problems inherent in that choice will befall the group. Such dysfunctional groups can be identified for their dependence upon ideological, emotionally manipulative, psychological or physical walls to contain their members. Such walls are erected to keep individuals from escaping into more rewarding and spiritually fulfilling groupings. In an enlightened group or world, no such walls need ever exist. All such walls, of course, are spiritually unsound, for they will eventually be broken down by the safeguard angers of those frustrated spirits imprisoned within. Dysfunctional groups are far less likely when the structure facilitates the most natural and purposeful contributions from its members. Any group desires, of course, that each of its incoming members to be as capable, resourceful and functional as possible; but some qualities are far less important when the environment is fertile. For the group can bring out the best, or worst, in any member, depending upon its structure. The inevitable struggles occur in order to eventually bring about the just and spiritually desirable structural conditions. The more the structure accommodates human nature, and allows each individual to fulfill the trinity of purposes, the more successful it will be in its group endeavors. First and foremost, the structure must accommodate the basic individual needs for freedom and power or there will be the corrective feelings of fear and anger in its members, and retaliatory self-preservationary acts against the group. 251

Lessons of Enlightenment

Fear and anger are not to be accepted or tolerated over long periods of time. Yet, they are often embraced and even manipulated by group doctrine and leaders. Many human groupings do not understand that leading through fear and intimidation will never work well. For these are deficit states indicative of an arena where justice does not dwell. External justice is the social counterpart of individual purpose. Until humans embrace this natural truth, all group organizations will have to deal with continuous anger and fear. Justice is simply the external condition in which each individual has the rightful freedom of movement, and the opportunities for empowerment to meet the needs. It is quite easy to see how most groups, be they families, communities, religions, political groups, businesses, governmental organizations, schoolsany type of grouping finds its own way of utilizing rather than eliminating fear and anger. These feelings are used not to give the necessary power, but to take away even more. Indeed, emotional manipulation is a major strategy in an unjust world. This is a subhuman state of living but has been accepted as the norm among humans. Religions used fearsome fire and brimstone to force moral actions; businesses use threats and power-wielding to get the most effort out of workers; governments pass laws restricting freedoms and threatening fines and imprisonment, but nothing will work except a structure that provides natural justice. For the human spiritual system is designed to pull individuals forward along the naturally moral purposeful destiny path. The push of painful feelings only ensures that there will be no backward movement allowed. The ideal structure instead assures each group member the necessary freedom to move about, to do what is necessary to meet needs and challenges of the environment. There must also be an adequate balance of resource allocations such that each member can both draw from and give to, the group unit. These are the only two required conditions of justice, and when they exist, the inner positive feelings drive purposeful movement. An enlightened leadership, aware of the pitfalls, would build a structure that would assure that the positive feelings always remain stronger than the negative ones. Although money might be tight for salaries all around, there can be allocations of projects that can offer added empowerment and creativity, special incentive and recognition programs that build self-esteem, informal business activities that allow connection and group missions that offer meaning. The structure can provide for all the needs and salary itself becomes far less important.

252

Epsilon: Implications for Human Interaction

Any group organization can dramatically improve its internal relations and its external successes, by structurally tending to the emotional needs of its members. This is the only way to foster trust, connection and true cooperation. Soliciting constant communicative feedback and attending to the emotional information is essential. There are many deadly habits routinely undertaken by both leaders and members when fear and anger are allowed upon the premises. The enlightened leaders that have discovered these patterns, have found that the resources invested in attaining such enlightened structures, have been far surpassed by the values of the positive changes within the workforce. The employees of such organizations find true joy and pleasure in going to work each day, and are more aligned within themselves as individuals, simply due to the structure of their working world. They bring home enhancements, as well as bacon, to their families. The opposite is also true. To the degree that fear and anger are simply incorporated into the system, there will be an eventual downfall, for it does not jive with the spiritual nature of humanity. Even if members are forced to remain within religions, workforces, political parties, countries, or even families that deny them basic freedom and power, there will be symptoms within the group that point to the necessary corrections. Thus, there will be systems that arise to handle the steady discontent rather than to effect repair. The only long term solutions are those that follow the guidance of spirit and engage the inner natural morality. Every such grouping can benefit profoundly from this same principle. Heeding the wisdom within each of the negative feelings that arise individually and en masse, and correcting its source immediately can allow every type of group to evolve as dynamically as can individuals themselves. The Isolated Group Regardless of the level of inner harmony of the group, it will still behave like an individual entitycomplete with a version of each of the same pitfalls. Another error that commonly occurs among human groupings is that they can try to isolate themselves from incoming ideas. This is the counterpart of the individual who seeks to avoid incoming information, and preserve the mind in its existing state, rather than adapt and develop purposefully. If a group functions reasonably well as a unit, then it becomes like a separate mind. It quite literally does take on a mind and a life of its own. But with the choice of isolation, it attempts to disconnect itself from the grander cooperative whole of humanity. It closes its doors through walls of rules and codes that are 253

Lessons of Enlightenment

intended to keep members in, and the rest of the world out. Such isolation, of course, denies the spiritual interconnection between all humans and automatically sets the stage for a completely new series of painful symptoms. (For the grand cooperative spiritual interaction is the only Way). The first symptom is known as groupthink where the minds of all begin to meld together and form a unique view of reality. And although this is not necessarily a bad thing, in the isolated form, it breeds profound emotional boundaries and a warped sense of reality. What happens is that as the members embrace the rules of the group, their emotional systems become entangled with the ideas, values and cultural knowledge held therein. They learn to feel good about certain ideas and feel bad about othersbut based only upon the rules of that particular isolated environmentwithout the input from their experience and interactions with the rest of the world. This can spur a cult-like mentality, detached from its larger family of humanity, lost within its own delusions. Membership in this type of distorted reality is often taken on by personal choice, and is later perpetuated by naive belief that free will still actually exists. Power mongering violation can then occur. But the spiritual feeling system is alive and well. Its frustration will signal fearan inherent quality in all such groups. The fear will then become part of the driving force of the group and nearly always at some point the group will begin to take action within the larger community. They can turn to actions that follow this contrived worldview and act out upon that fear against the others in their world community, in a warped sense of self-preservation. This error is apparent in hate groups that hold ideas about racial or ethnic superiority, terrorist groups that hold ideas about right and just political conditions, and whose members have no logical qualms about unjustly violating others to attain them. It is apparent in jingoistic propaganda of communities that persuade their members to view their ideas as superior, and worthy enough for which to fight and perhaps to die. It is apparent in religious groups that shun members for individual thought or non-compliance and close the door to incoming perspectives and legitimate, spiritually directed questions. It is apparent within cults who take up arms in the name of their faith. This kind of damage is the strongest in those groupings that deliberately manipulate the emotional system of its members, to take for themselves their power of choice. For the emotional system is the only safeguard system that saves humans from faulty choices of the free mind. If the mind is filled with ideas that exploit the defenses of the emotional system, that take power through instilling fear, guilt, anger, and hate, they can effectively turn the system against its master. Although the concept of brainwashing is a physical impossibility, the 254

Epsilon: Implications for Human Interaction

exploration of the emotional system in this way happens quite regularly. But those who become victimized will know by the level of fear and other negative emotion that the spirit is suffering under oppression. Entities are encouraged to heed the feeling signals, the true voice of spirit, above and beyond faithful adherence to any group doctrine. Indeed, isolation is no longer possible in the global community. Enlightened ideas must spread from individuals and flow freely throughout all human groupings for true civilization to emerge. No mind can be any more isolated than can a person, a country or a spiritfor all are connected at the most essential levels of being. There is to be no turning back from the emerging global marketplace, but the spiritual guide must take its rightful place. The root source, as well as the most damaging of group pitfalls, are these powerful emotional boundaries that are erected between groupings. Emotional boundaries unchecked within the individuals will inevitably lead to emotional boundaries with groups. These are the walls of shared belief that keep members in and new ideas out. We have seen how, when the mind follows the bodys urge to self-preserve, it will interpret each negative feeling as one to close the mind and defend its present contents. This is exactly the opposite of its purposeful message to mind. We have termed these emotional boundaries, since the feelings always point them out, but they are actually boundaries of the mind and its beliefs. The worst effects come from groups who have decided through their own distorted lens that other specific groups are the dogs to be beaten. This is how hate is learned. This is how intolerance, social judgment, racial discrimination and holy wars are born. Since the dawn of humanity, the reality of emotional boundaries has been continuously overlooked, and powerfully exploited. Most humans know intuitively that hating others is wrong, for the spirit desires no boundaries between individuals, let alone groups of them. But we do not think twice about seeing others as different from ourselves because of their free choices. Social Stratification Just as conformity urges boundaries from the inside, there is an opposite effect that also maintains the boundaries from the outside. Just as members cajole each other to stay the same, there is also a tendency to compare themselves to outsiders, and feign a certain superiority. This also strengthens the perceived value of the group.

255

Lessons of Enlightenment

When the group survives over a long period of time, its need begins to take on a life of its own. Individual members come and go with time, but the values become institutionalized, and rarely questioned. This can be compared to the Frankenstein monster that can aggress against its members, the first of which were its master designers. Some groups have become so unquestioned, that their original purpose no long exists and its values have mutated into those that divide and drain humanity at large. Certain government and religious bodies have fallen into this category. Yet, these groups are still preserved through the emotional forces effected upon their members. Lines are then drawn and institutionalized insiders and outsiders arise. The group remains strong through belittling outsiders, who are not group members. Weakening the outsiders then strengthens the unity of the self within the group. These lines establish long-term competition instead of enlisting connection and cooperation within humanity. It is simply a grand scale deadly habit that is the motivational force behind all sorts of social stratification. This is how nearly permanent lines get drawnand maintainedbetween groups of people, whether they are based upon race, culture, family, socioeconomics, geography or any other arbitrary sort of classification. This is the emotional root of all prejudice. This is how the family of humanity became fragmented, disconnected, and relegated to a state of spiritual frustration. For such classifications also come with their own limitations, particularly in the areas of freedom and opportunity for empowerment. Whole subcultures thus arise that in some way push against the whole, just as cancers are allowed to grow and fester within individuals. Any cultural ideology, system or law that is based upon a required division of peoples is spiritually and biologically unsound. For the individual spirit will continuously rail against any constraint upon its spirit, creating the predictable social symptoms too prevalent in the world today. Enlightened Group Affiliation The solution to each of these pitfalls lies within each and every individual spirit. For at the heart of all groups is the individual, and at the heart of the individual lies its innate feeling guidance system. Each and every interaction, when guided by the spiritual evaluative information can ensure maximum individual purposeful progress, as well as that of any group to which that individual might belong. Once bad feelings are recognized for the corrections they suggest, the deficit states that have long been accepted as necessary evils will begin to naturally disappear.

256

Epsilon: Implications for Human Interaction

Indeed, group efforts can move mountains when each member is moved from within by the pulls of spiritual pleasures rather than pushes of its pains. Spirit leads. Mind and body can but follow. With these fundamental understandings in place, we can now discuss the enlightened changes necessary to the specific human social structures.

257

Zeta

Implications for Social Structures


Lesson 1: Implications for Religion
Religious Purpose: Divine Connection The implications of spiritual reconnection offer tremendous insights for human religious institutions. Religion has remained the one bastion of spirituality that has been kept alive in the face of humanitys tremendous disconnection from spirit. Religion has sought to foster Divine Connection. The benefit of religion has been to provide meaning, and a direct connection with the higher powers and forces at work in the universe. Religions seek to define All That Is, and explain life events so that humans can find guidance in daily living and peace in times of suffering. They seek to decipher and share Gods Word, to ensure that it is carried out to the best of human ability. Many entities rely quite heavily upon religion and can now find a far richer spiritual liberation and Divine Connection through the natural inner pathways. Thus, religion is not a requirement of enlightened living, but it can be an empowering supplement when aligned with the purposes of spirit. Religion can take a central role in the spiritual education and in promoting lifestyles and community actions that can allow the natural morality to unfold. They can accomplish preventative spiritual attunement so less governmental curative measures are necessary. (An ounce of spiritual prevention is worth a pound of governmental cure). The best contribution of religion can then be to focus upon Divine Connection within and between spirits, and to mine the meaning of life experiences to align with the trinity of purpose in individuals and en masse. As entities regain inner harmony, the self concept naturally expands to enfold all other spiritual embodiments, leaving no room between religions for tensions, competition or even the oxymoronic concept of a Holy War. Divine connection is The Way, no

259

Lessons of Enlightenment

matter the race, the creed, the religion, the sex, the age, the language, the cultureDivine Connection means just that. But like all human thought systems, each religion has arisen without the full understandings of the nature of spirit. Religions have evolved, utilizing the symbols and major assumptions within mass consciousness. Instead of awakening the connection within, they have served as a go-between, and inadvertently, often a barrier. They have been heavily influenced by the restrictions and power struggles of the historic conditions, so each will address the universal human needs and purposes through its own unique collection of gems and slivers. Many will have strayed into the realm of power and freedom due to wrongful cultural judgments about human nature with tenets that actually weaken the Divine Connection and create additional spiritual pain. The enlightened attunement divulges the misconceptions within any religion while validating spiritual principles. Any slivers will be readily identifiable through the negatively toned feelings of fear, guilt, or anger and each religion must be cleansed of each painful tenet. Fortunately, there is sufficient spiritual validity within each of the major religions for individuals to build upon the foundational truths, to ensure that uplifting religious structures need not be abandoned. Nonetheless, there are some essential understandings that must be part and parcel of any religion if it is to do more good than harm. Divine Freedom The first is the ground level understanding that free will is a gift that indicates the Creators desire for every mind to create its own experience. Therefore, no religion can insist that followers blindly believe what they are told, for valid faith embraces the evolving and open nature of the mindscape. Human minds are designed to interpret and utilize religious teachings in highly individualized ways, and there need be no valid concern about blasphemy by allowing the feeling signals to pick and choose the tenets themselves. The result of such flexibility will be the creation of as many unique approaches as there are unique mindseach infused with evermore creative inspirations and insights that unfold. There can be no declarations of singular truths (like those so readily made), for such is not aligned with the willful creative nature of reality. Entities are far more validly serving All That Is, when they utilize the gift of free will, than when they mindlessly follow anything passed off as the Word of God. The Word of God exists in its purest form within the natural creation itself. It is spoken directly to each individual mind through feeling signals unique to the personal destiny path. It is far too rich and complex to be held in a single book or thought form. Thus, every entity should creatively design within 260

Zeta: Implications for Social Structures

themselves, by passing each belief before the spiritual adjudicator, the most meaningful, spiritually pleasing form of communion, and participation within All That Is. Divine Freedom is based upon Divine Connection. This kind of mindscape includes the divine tolerance and compassion for the rightful freedoms and choices of others and the peaceful coexistence of an endless variety of religious interpretations and persuasions. Ultimately, as light responses are made within such a freely evolving system, the commonalities between each thought system will become part and parcel of all other social structures. They will be those universal ideas and beliefs that consistently promise spiritual pleasure within every human being and foster natural morality. The extras, the rewarding colors and flavors of any particular worldview, and the individual touches unique to each developmental level and destiny path, can be added by choice. If certain rituals, traditions and concepts bring long-term pleasure, they can be retained; it matters not whether they are included in anyone elses structure. What should always be discarded is any idea of ritual that brings spiritual pain, for each limiting tenet, rule or code will signal the objections of Divine Spirit. And there are many, for the churches have added unnecessary limitations by straying from their purpose of connection and meaning, and involving themselves in the business of power and control. Divine Empowerment Divine Empowerment is the spiritual intention that every individual shall personally control his or her own destiny. Such empowerment is inherent in free will, and humans are designed to be biologically controlled only by their internal natural morality. The highest power comes with unifying the self and expanding the self concept to include All That Is. It is in the recognizing and being accountable to the immense power that lies at the fingertips. There is no valid place in an enlightened religion, for placing power outside of the trinity of self. Yet, a major defining characteristic of religions has been the reverence of a superman or higher power that is unreachable and separate from the lower human self. This happens during times of injustice, and competition for survival, when anger and fear mark the day, leaving chaos in lieu of any understanding. Since the corrective messages remain unanswered, the hardwired fight and flight responses to fear and anger perpetuate further chaos and confusion, and forms of external control will predictably arise. Emotions are often used as tools of manipulation and their messages remain undiscovered. This is how religions began to remove individual power, placing it instead in the hands of a vengeful God, in an attempt to legislate external, unnatural morality. 261

Lessons of Enlightenment

Divine Goodness An enlightened religion, instead, understands internal control and promotes the unfolding of the natural morality that is Divine Goodness. This includes embracing power, freedom, connection, and meaning through internal controls, and the selection of self-understandings and belief structures validated by the spiritual adjudicator. Although this is an individual process, there are some common, deeply rooted assumptions within mass consciousness that are clearly slivers. The first is the concept of evil. Such an idea was prompted partly by ignorance, but also partly by the leaders in order to keep individuals locked into a rigid pattern of fearful ignorance and blame, which keeps them from discovering their inner power. (Religions are every bit as self-protecting as governments or gangs, and control over ones members ensures job security). The early forms of such manipulation offered such mythic characters as Satan, and demons who would do his bidding. Such a scapegoat would prevent the anger of disempowered spirits from being directed at those leaders and social structures that were actually responsible for the lack of the necessary power and freedom. As humans became more complex and less easily distracted, the focus went from external evil to internal evil in the concept of original sin. This was partially due to deliberate manipulation, and partly influenced by the need to provide meaningful explanations for self-preservationary actions that were disruptive to the whole. Any amoral act is simply one not aligned within each of the three purposes, yet religions blame both the mind and the body in various ways, and claim that the human design is sinfully flawed. (Such a declaration hardly suggests faith in the Creator.) Instead of recognizing this divine system which unites body, mind, and spirit, religions offer ways to appease the evil and flawed nature, either by having a divine one martyr himself for human sins, or through strict controlling codes of action that prevent sin from rearing its ugly head. Religions assume that purpose and goodness must be forced upon the followers from the outside, since it was assumed that evil will surely come from within. The idea of sin has only endured because there has not yet been a suitable replacement that can shift the idea away from a world of external controlling forces and chaotic and meaningless actions, to one where each action has purpose and is driven by divine, internal control. When the trinity of purposes and their potential conflicting nature is understood, there is no need for such a concept as evil or sin. 262

Zeta: Implications for Social Structures

Divine Desire Instead, the concept of Divine Purpose, shall be that which shifts the focus of religious followers from one of flawed disconnection, in need of supernatural, external guidance and rigid control, to one of Divine Connection through which one can attune to inner guidance and control, through natural explanations and understanding the force of Divine Desire. Divine Desire is that force of spirit that is omniscient. It all-knowingly communicates divine intention through the experience of pleasure and pain. It carries wisdom from all aspects of existence and offers its constant energy to evaluate each experience against spiritual purposes. It is the only valid judgmental process, for it feels and shares the divine intentions. Divine Desire is inseparable from individual desire. Having misunderstood it, religions have judged it, defiled it and have made it their enemy. They try to control the evil hedonistic tendencies in their followers, and instill guilt by telling them that they are separated from their Creator, hopelessly dependent upon religious leaders to interpret his word. This, of course, is the exact opposite of divine intention, as evidenced by the guilt and fear that such ideas produce. Divine Desire is that which will naturally unfold into human experience when the natural emotional developmental process is no longer obstructed, driving humanity toward its intended Destiny Path. Acknowledging the wisdom of the spiritual adjudicator is to embrace Divine Desire and to rise above the mindless cycle of simple bodily safeguard responses to spiritual signals. Any religious structure should replace each and every cultural judgment with the concept of Divine Desire and build its tenets accordingly. But whether or not the religion itself accomplishes the necessary changes, the individuals can proceed to do so themselves. For it is pleasure which judges a belief as spiritually valid, and pain which begs for spiritual correction. The mind cannot judge its own contents, but unexamined experiences can be filed away in the mind with the corrective signals still attached. Although some experiences bring empowering beliefs and good feelings, far many more bring painful slivers. Many existing teachings intentionally instill cultural judgments, painful beliefs, such as sin, and of hierarchical levels of accessibility to the Divine. They then manipulate their followers by using these painful feelings of guilt and fear with images of fire and brimstone, of hell and damnation, in order to gain further control and power. But as should now be apparent, each and every belief with an attached negative feeling has not been consciously processed through the spiritual adjudicator and the mental judgment remains, the body will defend itself, creating the illusion of amorality. The power of spirit can truly liberate 263

Lessons of Enlightenment

followers from this cycle by identifying each idea that is anti-spiritual, and can allow them to more fully embrace those that will set the spirit free. The Power of Prayer One very rewarding and powerful ritual common among religions, is some form of prayer. Prayer is the accepted pathway of communication with All That Is, and can be a very effective facilitator of spiritual insight and focus of creative will. Verbal affirmations are useful and the Meditation of the Clock has been offered as a form of secular prayer, and such a structure can help focus the will energy of individual desire. Either can be used in any degree of regularity, with each session adding emotional energy to the image vividly desired. But the crucial understanding is that the prayers are actually answered by the creative capacities of mind. The Creator has honored humans with the blanket power of creative will, to be actualized through chosen belief structures of mind. If entities are to verbally affirm, or supplicate to The Lord for that which they truly fear they can not have, no such prayer will be answered. In fact, quite the opposite will likely occur. For the emotional energy and the thought to which it is attached is the mechanism of creation in the physical realm. Intensity, rather than positive or negative poles, will energize the minds choices. Prayer occurs with each thought that is laden with pleasure or painwhether intentional or not. Fear can answer a prayer as surely as can joyous desire, but the fears are often attached to unexamined thoughts that will deliver realities far less desirable than conscious, joyous choices. Creative prayer will be most effective if energized with the most joyous and faithful feelings riding upon meaningful beliefs in ones individual power and accountable role within the creative process. This can gather additional spiritual energy to infuse into such visions and verbal renderings. The more energy, the sooner the critical mass, and the more likely the event can occur in the physical realm. Urgent and highly desired events can be facilitated by a thrice-a-day prayer session or meditation. It must be recognized that prayer works in both directions, for it is that same thought/feeling combination that rides the stream of energy flow and is constantly available. It is the Divine Desire of self from beyond space-time that brings purposeful information regarding the status of purposeful living. Likewise, judgment day lies in each moment, for fear-driven experiences are received as under-energized in the spiritual realm, and joyous, purposeful experiences are received through the fullness of Divine Desire. Entities are

264

Zeta: Implications for Social Structures

challenged to remove each belief structure that stands between aspects of self and the totality of All That Is. Thus, prayer sessions should accommodate both incoming and outgoing desires. In addition to moment-to-moment attunement to spiritual feeling signals, a quiet reflective time period scheduled daily apart from the creative meditations or prayers, is also beneficial in helping entities attune to the intuitive voice of spirit. For just as the creative words and visions send forth messages from the physical realm, the reflective meditation period opens the door to incoming visions, intuitions and insights. Most entities are naturally open to such pathways immediately upon waking, and can bring revelations fresh from the dream realm, but a concerted effort to attune can also assist the unfolding pathways. Spiritual insights are always accompanied with joyous tinges of feeling. The louder they are heard, the more the resonant joy. As feeling signals are followed to their source and good beliefs are developed and limiting beliefs are discarded, entities will naturally begin to notice more and more receptivity to the stream of universal consciousness that courses through the mind. They will know that impulses spring from spirit rather than from the frustrated needs of body, for the mind has accomplished full energy passage in both directions. Entities need no church, nor congregation, to attune to Divine Guidance, but such creative and receptive reflective periods, when organized toward group goals, can be quite powerful indeed. Such synergy can be a powerful offering of an enlightened religious structure. The Temple of Light Spiritual principles are one and the same for each physical embodiment. The bodily desire for, and the deep intuitive understanding of, the connection between all humans brings unifying urgings to each mind. The frustrations of Earthly struggles are felt by all. These feelings encourage entities to set aside surface differences and unite in spirit to make corrections. No matter which faith, what creed, what worldview, all entities can participate as one in group efforts to creatively alter the probable path of humanity. The Temple Of Light has been established as a conceptual meeting place for entities to gather and participate in enlightened pursuits regardless of where they might also go for Sunday service or daily worship. Despite any surface appearance of isolation and differences, entities can come to the Temple and enjoy the resonance and participation within focused efforts to alter mass consciousness. Individuals visiting the Temple can both leave offerings as well as obtain benefits. They can participate as individuals or en masse.

265

Lessons of Enlightenment

The Temple is located between space-time and can be accessed through imaginative pathways, with specific images open to the design and choosing of the individual. But a simple meditative exercise such as the following can suffice: Meditation for the Temple Of Light While seated in a comfortable upright position, in a quiet place of little distraction, close the eyes and relax within. Focus the consciousness inward, and further the depth of this relaxation within a series of (minimum of ten) deep cleansing breaths, allowing each exhalation to wash the relaxation throughout the body. Create the image of a golden path with a winding staircase of ten stairs (either leading up into a cloud-like world, or down into a glowing subconscious realm whichever is most pleasing). Slowly imagine yourself progressing upon the staircase. Take another ten deep breaths, one for each step toward this realm, slowly and deeply relaxing the consciousness into this image. At the final stair awaits a golden door behind which lies the Temple Of Light. (Create ornate markings, and other sensory accouterments to further involve the feelings and imagination.) Gather the feeling of love to gain entry. (Recall, or recreate a moment when love swept over the mind/body and recreate this vibratory feeling). All who enter the Temple acknowledge the loving connection between spirits and carry it with them within. With the power of love, the door can then be opened, revealing a world of brilliant sunlight and natural beauty, in the midst of which sits the Temple Of Light. It can take the form of something akin to the Taj Mahal, a Greek temple, a palace, a futuristic edifice, an alien outpost or any other image pleasing to the spirit. But there is a noticeable radiant energy funneling between the highest peak of the Temple and on upward toward the Universal Source, a vortex where energy is constantly cycling upward and downward. There are healing pools, waterfalls and fountains to be seen, you might encounter other visitors and enjoy a peaceful telepathic resonance with them. Take flight upon the wings of desire and be transported to the Temple itself, and again the feeling of love will part the golden entry gates. Beyond the gates, spiritual resonance overpowers any tinge of fear or negative emotion. The vast entryway is bathed in golden light and can be constructed with brilliantly crafted stonework, carved woodwork, golden metalworks or in any pleasing way. There will be flora and fountains, and endless hallways to rooms that beckon, where virtually any energy exchange can take place. There are 266

Zeta: Implications for Social Structures

rooms with libraries of books with all the answers necessary to daily problems. Healing rooms with libraries of books with all the answers necessary to daily problems. Healing rooms with magical amulets and wands and lasers that can be both energized and utilized by all who enter. Rooms with healing pools that immerse the body/mind within the life force itself; youth fountains where one can bathe; rooms limited only by the desires and imaginations of all who enter. There is a central theater, where groups of entities, or individuals can creatively participate in international and local physical dramas conducted upon the screen. Entities can create images of existing problems and choose enlightened outcomes, and create alternate probable historical courses. The feelings of love, connection and intuitive understanding permeate this theater. Even the most fearsome events are viewed with the detached, compassionate understanding of the evolving nature of mass consciousness and within the firm belief in the ability of Divine Desire to bring purposeful outcomes and infuse the images with empowered love energy. (Those yet outside the Temple will see an outflow of light rising upward from the Temple as your energy joins with others, passes through the vortex, and energized the probable outcomes that can then become actual in the physical realm.) There are unlimited private theaters where each individual can play out the life events desirous in a like manner, in the recognition of the cumulative power of all entities who enter. Everywhere in the Temple, individual contributions synergize exponentially, making a vast power source available to all. Meetings can be arranged with difficult relationships; calls can go out to find soul mates; loved ones can be touched and healed; there is no limit to the uses of the Temple. The more empowered love energy that is experienced while in the Temple, the more is left behind for others to share. When the spirit feels a degree of fulfillment, the reverse path can be taken back to the physical realm, the breaths can each restore the conscious focus to the physical realm and the experience is complete. Entities can visit the Temple as often as desired, expanding upon its structures, rooms, functions, accouterments, etc., in any and every way imaginable. The joining together of group efforts to gather for specific reasons at the mass theater can be tremendously helpful in altering probable courses of humanity, and are heartily encouraged. Such visits will also reinforce individual plans and heighten the spiritual signals surrounding those thoughts and beliefs that will help or impede them. They will heighten the senses to the subtle insights and impulses that can be acted upon to contribute energy to the physical manifestations of all goals. Such activities can accomplish the valid goals of organized religion without the inherent competition and isolation that much of the existing dogma demands. Entities of all faiths who feel limited in any way by their cho267

Lessons of Enlightenment

sen worldview are invited to find release in the Temple. Such visits are perfectly compatible within all forms of religion, and need not even be confessed. Religious Transcendence Once individuals have removed each of the slivers from their worldview, (such concepts as sin, of martyrdom, of evil, of the minds capacity to judge, of the need for spiritual intermediaries of any kind), the valid transcendence can begin to unfold. The concept of transcendence is implicit, if not explicit, in most worldviews and formal religious structures, and is held out as a goal for human potential and development. This common strand with the transcendent experience relates, of course, to the emotional development, the natural expansion of the self, and the trinity of purpose. The trinity of purpose has been couched in symbolism such as the trinity of the Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit, which respectively represent the mind, the body and the spirit within each individual. The unity within and between has always been the goal of religious transcendence. Such unity is accomplished by an enlightened mind (the Father) attended to the feeling signals of spirit (The Holy Spirit) that has chosen beliefs at the direction of spirit which fulfill the needs of body (The Son). The natural developmental process is the ongoing expansion of self to eventually merge with All That Is. The unity within the trinity of self can accomplish the trinity of purpose in each and every action, and open the mind to transcendence. The unity is designed to unfold when the incoming spirits undergo the natural emotional developmental process. The body feelings of joy, fear, anger and sadness drive the earliest understandings of the ability to control ones destiny and gain a mindful sense of rightful power and freedom within the context of cooperative connection. This is the contribution of The Son, where the biological predestiny ensures that purposeful courses will be known (despite the other portions of self) to ensure the primary purpose of self-preservation. The Son represents the singular self-concept that is the necessary foundation of all further self-growth. When the feelings have done their job, there will be the first of the emotions of mindthose of trust, confidence, and frustration when obstacles arise. These basic feelings are then further tempered by learning experiences where they differentiate into the more subtle feeling tones that address the beliefs of mind and promote the higher needs for creativity, esteem and meaning, while retaining freedom, power and connection. These feelings are the contribution of The Father which relate to the teachings of the local culture and the beliefs

268

Zeta: Implications for Social Structures

held within mass consciousness. These feelings address the care and feeding of the mind, where each with a positive tone connotes a belief that is spiritually desirous and a negative tone connotes a limitation. These signals allow the mind to achieve its purpose of self-development as well as continuing to honor the purposes of body. This self-development fosters a plural self-concept to enfold external others within the feeling system as well. The full purpose of spiritual self-expression can begin when both body and mind are in unison. Then the contribution of The Holy Spirit can fully come into play. These will be marked by the highest feelings, the most rewarding and positive resonance with All That Is. These highest feelings will pave the way for and accompany intuitive insights, telepathic communications, reception of energies from beyond space-time and the information held within each energy unit. They will complete the expansion of the three-fold self-concept by merging it with All That Is. (The expansion of the self concept in the transcendence process has often been mistaken for the surrender or destruction of self. This has been another misconception that must be purged from religious structures.) When the mindscape accommodates this reception of spiritual flow, the transcendent process can begin. It will lead each individual to the highest levels of meaning and the most direct actions for the maximum purpose and reward in the physical experience. It can apprise earthbound entities of the relationship between physical actions and creations and their greater cosmic validity and purpose. Transcendent moments and states are characterized by such feelings as compassion, faith, divine love, bliss, devotion, courage, gratitude and exuberance. Religious Community Service One final value of the institution of religion is that it can serve as an individually driven community support resource. As individuals gain enlightenment, they can go forth into communities and help organize uplifting structures that can offer empowerment and freedom to all members of the human family. In sum, the more enlightened the religion, the more it can support the internal controls inherent in spirituality. The more it embraces the trinity of self, Divine Connection, Divine Freedom, Divine Empowerment, Divine Goodness and Divine Desire, the more valuable it will be. The more valuable the religious institution, the less external governmental controls will be necessary. We can now discuss what the unique role of government might be in an enlightened society. There are powerful implications for the economics of human purpose.

269

Lessons of Enlightenment

Lesson 2: Implications for Government


The Grand Game With individuals re-attuning to the divine inner guidance, they will immediately be confronted by certain mistaken assumptionsslivers which have been incorporated into many social structures. The central primary mistake has been the persistent mass belief that humans need external control. This inaccurate idea has left humans shackled within a world filled with all forms of controls that actually foster just what they seek to preventamorality. As the entity Jean Jacques Rousseau once said: Man is born free, but everywhere is in chains. Governmental structures exist to provide an organized way to establish agreed upon public policies that reflect the desires and contributions of the people they serve. It is the official way of determining what will become part of the rules of the social game in any particular local, collective consciousness. Governmental structures are like shoes that should fit their people. The shoes must be generic enough to fit everyone, but flexible and adaptive enough to be altered and adorned by willful choice of each human. But instead, many try to force human feet to fit in ill-designed confines. The fact is that any ill-conceived governmental shoes will rub and pinch until their cultural rules match the biological rules in the grand natural game. Indeed, the spiritual corrective signals will arise when individuals are confronted with each ill-fitting confine, for the physical experience is designed with its own universal and inescapable, structures and rules. When the innate motions of humanity are understood, far more flexible, liberating, creative and supportive rules for the game will arise. These rules will replace the guesses and assumptions with the self-understandings of universal human needs, and how they relate to human rights that must be protected. They will not be limited to any one locality of government, but will be embraced on a global basis. For they are the biological boundaries of all human spirits. They are the rules for the grand game of purposeful energy exchange. This game of energy exchange is played upon several stages, at biological, ideal and spiritual levels, corresponding to body, mind and spirit. Each kind of life form has its unique role and inner impetus to play it out upon the physical stage. Some life forms, such as basic elements and plants, are limited to the biological level, where energy exchanges are physical transfers of matter often in response to the willful thoughts and actions of other life forms. Others, including the higher animal forms, enjoy a bit of mental participation, where an ideal realm allows individual thought and mental energy. 270

Zeta: Implications for Social Structures

Each kind of life form offers a unique physical experience in space-time, from which spiritual apportionments of All That Is can choose to consciously embody. Each such life form has an essential biological role and right to its being within a grand balance. Each has its unique perspective and participation to yield meaningful understanding in the earthly learning ground of creative energy manipulation. But no matter what kind of life form, each will be moved from within to carry out its unique purpose. Humans enjoy the most complex forms of energy exchange, where spiritual energy is received in mind and willfully manipulated. Humans have the utmost conscious freedom to convert and exchange energy on the physical level by designing the most purposeful and rewarding mental conduits to full spiritual expression. Economics of Resource Exchange To design an optimal governmental structure, the true nature of the physical game must be understood. Although humans enjoy mental free will, every physical creature has innate biological orienters, the inner movers and shakers, which lead it toward purposeful action. These are the spiritual signals of pleasure and pain. The intention is that the pleasure will pull all organisms toward basic survival, reproduction and any higher purposes encoded into the genetics. Or, if there are deficit states, where certain balances are disrupted, at minimum, each organism can ensure its own survival by pain reduction. Physical pain reduction should be able to suffice, unless the deficit states become more longterm. Then psychological forms of pain arise, manifesting as fear, anger, sadness and the defensive responses they bring. These same inner movers and shakers are built into all life forms in varying degrees of complexity. Each organism in the simple acts of freely following its inner urges, becomes its genetic potential, and in doing so, contributes to the interactive environmental whole of nature. The hedonic patterns of all life forms demonstrate the unified cooperative nature of the physical experience the Creators intention of a grand, purposeful, cooperative, interactive game. No cultural laws will suffice which violate these natural spiritual motions, for they will prompt fear, anger and natural safeguard defensive responses. All such movements interacting with one another define the grand game of energy/resource exchange. The divine dance of all organisms freely moving about meeting their needs is the way of the natural, physical world. The living world turns on its axis empowered by the energy expended as each organism goes forth into the world to meet its needs. The Creation is the unique balance of 271

Lessons of Enlightenment

life forms that provide resources to one another so that all needs can be met by each life form. This balance is designed down to the chemical and even atomic level, where atoms move forward and backward in terms of their own inner purposes, as consistently as metal filings are attracted to magnets, and humans are attracted to the pleasure of fulfilled needs. In the grand game of resource exchange, each individual is like a buyer and a seller in a marketplace. Each goes forth into the world to fulfill its needs, by purchasing or otherwise obtaining the necessary resources. (These are the basic survival needs for food, warmth, safety, etc.) It expends its own energy in doing so, whether it is physical energy, time or moneysome cost is always paid. All expended energy becomes a resource available to others in the grand marketplace. In fact, may the buyer beware, for he himself might become an edible resource to something else in the grand marketplace. This is the most basic physical level of the game. But the rules are the same in the realm of human culturethe realm of mind. Ideas are exchanged which build the cultural world. The information-energy within human thought becomes transferred through thought and action into physical events, structures, buildings and entire governments. Yet it is all a grand game of energy exchanges and conversions, dependent upon each individual freely following the internal urgings and purposeful self-regulation systems. A plant is fulfilled by growing to its full height, an animal by daily survival and seasonal cycles and a human by actualizing the most of its developmental and expressive potential. Universal Human Rights - Basic Self-Determinism The entire game is based upon the fundamental natural right of unrestricted movement of the organism or entity. No player can hope to understand or succeed in the grand game, if not freely empowered to control ones own destiny. In humans, this right of self determinism is experienced as the basic need for freedom and power. As we know, these are the first priority needs to fulfill, for they are essential to the bodily purpose of self-preservation. In humans, this essential freedom and empowerment is the foundational basis upon which all other needs and purposes must be built. Our attempts at social unity based upon external control will merely become chains that enslave us. As we now know, the inner self-regulation for humans is the feeling feedback system that leads humans to broader bands of consciousness and creative internal control. The trial and error nature of human self-regulation depends upon the minds free thought and the bodys free action necessary to call forth the subsequent spiritual evaluation, to guide mindful corrective adaptations. Thus, if basic freedom and empowerment is stifled, the whole design will be scuttled. 272

Zeta: Implications for Social Structures

Then the spirit remains frustrated, the mind cannot self-develop, the body will fall back upon safeguard defenses that severely limit purposeful experience. Without the basic freedom and empowerment, true connection and cooperative living will always be just out of reach. Competition and power struggles will become the norm, for it is a biological certainty that the group needs will fall if the individual needs are unsatisfied. Just as any human will stop working to eat when hungry or sleep when tired, when the body is unduly restricted, it will stop win-win cooperation, and defensive win-lose competition for basic power and freedom will ensue. Anything less than free movement will relegate humans to inner motivations more like animal instinct. The Biological Condition of Justice Free movement and empowerment are essential, for they are part of the physical design, and part of a divine natural, state of balance. This balance occurs when all organisms are interacting and purposefully exchanging energy within the grand need-meeting marketplace. When inner need-meeting balance is attained, external actions are purposeful and when all purposeful actions dovetail together in the grand marketplace, there is an optimal divine external balance. This divine external balance is the biological condition of justice. Biological justice is the state where all organisms are free to move about and empowered to control their own destiny and that there is sufficient influx of available energy/resources to compensate for the required outflux. Justice allows balances between supply and demand in the marketplace of physical and mental resource exchange. This means that humans are not designed to be limited or externally controlled in any way. We should not be prevented from choosing any experience, exchanging any resource, as long as in doing so they do not violate the same rights within others. For if any human need is involved, it will be a necessary experience to meet it, and any need-meeting resource will create such a demand. Instead, social structures should strive to provide as many avenues for self-development and self-expression as possible. Indeed, biological justice is the external counterpart of internal natural morality. When just conditions exist, each life form can follow its inner urges and will be guided toward moral actions. There are no implied rights or wrongs in what takes place in the physical need-meeting arenaother than that which creates pain. There is no more or less implied significance in the death of a spider than the death of a human. In time, all forms go back into the earth and enrich its chemical resources, and non-psychic spirits reunite with All That Is. 273

Lessons of Enlightenment

But humans have been given the gift of free will and the most power of all life forms in terms of affecting the divine natural balance. Through the use of culture, we have radically redefined the natural marketplace by adding cultural resources that create a group mindscape, alter the landscape, dominate all other species and build social mini-markets, all within the grand marketplace of resource exchange. Biological justice must underlie any successful form of social justice. Instead, through our historical lack of emotional self-understanding, humans have upset the natural biological justice, causing further disturbances that we then must also scramble to control. We have only but to listen to the messages inherent in all pain to live up to the honorable gift. All forms of psychological pain, fear, anger, sadness and disgust are based upon long-term deficit states of injustice. When the mind remembers past injustice and anticipates future injustice, the safeguards kick in. Anger, in particular will ensure that the man-made chains will not be tolerated for long. Anger is the force that forces countries to move in more just directionsoften through painful revolution, instead of the more pleasurable evolution. But either way, positive change will eventually result. Until the spiritual message is answered and justice restored, humans will linger in painful experiences and remain shackled in self-made chains and will be painfully dragged to their destiny. Social Justice These simple biological economic realities of hedonic movement have been overlooked by most forms of government. Needs for freedom and power must be accommodated before cooperative structures can evolve. All social structures can be compared to organisms, for they reflect human nature. Any form must address the body, (the needs of its people), the mind, (its mass knowledge and values), and the spirit, (its unified cooperative interactive whole.) Ensuring the basic human rights to free self-determinism ensures that bodily purposes can be met. Attempting to skip over them, and structure life around the mind, will only bring further inner and outer conflict. But this has been what many governments have doneattempting to enforce cooperation, while inadvertently setting the stage for competition and struggles for basic freedom and power. Until there were two predominant world governmental strategies, which have broken free from those that rule through rigidly controlling religious ideologies. They are generally known as Communism and Capitalism. Both try to make up rules for the game of life by which individuals are forced to play, yet

274

Zeta: Implications for Social Structures

both leave out some aspect of the biological needs and scuttle the selfregulating process. For example, Communism embraces the connection need, and seeks a cooperative, socialistic structure based upon equal empowerment of its citizens. They attempt to provide equal access to education, job opportunities and health care to all citizens. Establishing cooperative structures for individual self empowerment is an enlightened idea, but it often comes at the expense of the need for individual freedom. Their desire for equal results does not recognize the rich diversity of human creative focus, the many destiny paths; nor does it accommodate the necessary free movement. They often offer a bland limited menu of resources and opportunities that stifles creativity, esteem, and the ability to find meaning in ones existence. This puts the cooperative cart before the horse of justice, and the citizens suffer in silence until they eventually revolt. This approach also recognizes that group ideals are necessary and has often attempted to control ideologies and religious choices of its members, through controlled information, media and propaganda. This requires a certain amount of isolation, which immediately severs the connection with other humans, as well as violating the free choices and developmental opportunities required for a fulfilled spirit. Capitalism, on the other hand, embraces individual freedom, but fosters empowerment through win-lose economic competition, often leaving many unempowered. The misunderstanding about the true nature of competition discourages true connection and promotes individual and group isolation. (It should be recognized that all American competition relies upon cooperative frameworks. Raw win-lose competition is seldom allowed.) Win-lose competition in terms of freedom and empowerment will not work. Basic opportunities to learn how to meet needs, and job opportunities are often linked to financial economics, but are essential to biological justice. It sets people apart and allows individuals to run roughshod over one another, and to assume that some are capable of taking care of themselves and some are not. They celebrate the diversity and do not seek equal result, but use it to rationalize away equal opportunity. They ignore huge pockets of the disempowered and disenfranchised, and allow subcultures to arise that will work against the cooperative whole. At least building from the initial priority of individual freedom satisfies one of the conditions of justice, but the full concept of freedom and all its implications have yet to be embraced. Even Americans profoundly limit human freedom unnecessarily, which correspondingly limits the opportunities for empowerment.

275

Lessons of Enlightenment

Both forms are guilty of limiting individual liberty with all sorts of cultural judgments that attempt to legislate morality and limit certain activities. This violates the individuals right to privacy where any choices and learning opportunities should be available for any developmental experience. If any activity is chosen within the three purposes, it is a moral choice. Even if any activity is chosen through unconscious hardwired defensive responses, it is still a learning opportunity. With adequate education and social safety-nets, any amoral or corrective experience can offer the necessary insight, without the ongoing cycle of repeated learning errors that currently plagues most societies. (As we now know, this is a source of the illusion of evil). The natural result of restricting freedom is prevalent everywhere, yet most societies do not recognize the symptoms and simply deny that their controls are ineffective. If ideas are restricted, there will be underground sources of information. If religion is restricted, there will be underground religious networks. If any specific resource, commodity or service is restricted, a black market will surely emerge. With humans, when there is demand, there will be a supply. Such is the need driven behavior and creativity of humanity. This is the lesson not quite learned by the American experiment of Prohibition of alcohol. Thus, both Communism and Capitalism have part of the human story, but neither has it all. Both groups suffer social spiritual corrective signals of fear, anger, crime, violence, revolution and emotional malaise. For all life forms are intended to be free and empowered within the context of connected cooperation. And the feelings will settle for nothing less. Communistic attempts at cooperative living will immediately dissolve if either freedom or empowerment is compromised. Likewise, although individual freedom is essential, Capitalistic competition is not the way to get the highest kind of freedom in an interconnected cooperative world. Disempowerment occurs frequently under the guise of innocent competition, and despite jingoistic affirmations to the contrary, American competition only ensures liberty and justice for...some. Those without it will rebel and secede from the cooperative unit. Where fear and anger exist, free-flowing justice is sure to be missing. Where justice is missing, defensive self-preservationary, amoral actions will be commonplace, as will external forms of control seeking to prevent them. Justice is the required global condition that must be promoted by all world leaders. Justice ensures the fundamental respect and defense of natural biological boundaries that are valid for every human being despite the rich cultural diversity. In fact, justice encourages diversity of thought and action and life style, for it allows the freedom of each individual to creatively self-express in its own unique way. Justice opens doors and never closes them, unless to enforce the prevention of violations, (which are far less likely, when justice 276

Zeta: Implications for Social Structures

prevails). Justice provides to the world what bodily boundaries and safeguards offer the trinity of self. Justice ensures that humans will be free to move about and feel the evaluative outcome of their thoughts and actions in order to find and progress upon the developmental path. Justice will ensure that humanity can lift themselves beyond the survival level, and discover the much fuller potential of the being and transcendent levels of human experience. For indeed, humans are intended to be pulled toward their purposes by positive feelings instead of being pushed away from misguided thoughts and actions by painful experience. In short, a society is not just if it denies the universal rights and freedoms that the Creator has bestowed. Such arrogance should be self-evident. The Biological Condition of Civilization Connection without justice is simply not possible. Only when the environment is structured in ways that ensure basic freedom and empowerment to control ones own destiny, can it begin to evolve into a true civilization. The biological condition of a true civilization is one where justice prevails at all times, and individuals can then unite into a cooperative, connected social whole. Civilizations are advanced kinds of social structures that offer opportunities for their members to meet all six of the universal human needs. There is no right or wrong way to do this. In fact, the more imaginative and creative the structures, the more opportunities they can provide. Civilization is not dependent upon technological advancement, only the effectiveness of its cooperative nature. Contrary to popular belief, the most technologically simple savages that have attained true cooperation are far more civilized than even the most technologically advanced warrior competing for basic power. True civilizations have social structures that enhance the life experience with many opportunities for self-development and self-expression, emphasizing the higher needs for connection, esteem, creativity and meaning. There are free flowing ideas and myriadunlimitedopportunities to meet needs and fulfill purposes. In a civilized community, all needs are met without violating the needs of any others, hence the natural morality of do not do unto others that which pains thyself. This includes the pains of injustice perpetrated upon life forms by human folly. Any enlightened global social structure must ensure that it provides justice alone, and allows each individual community to devise the desirable civilized structures. The rich cultural traditions that have arisen are testimonial of the human creative expressive abilities and the natural enjoyment from tasting the 277

Lessons of Enlightenment

fruits of many diverse customs and values. A cultural civilization can be compared to a mindever evolving, improving, and expanding in ways that allow for the maximum spiritual expression and fulfillment of its members. And many minds are, of course, better than one. A civilized society is a purposeful society. For when all six needs are met, all three purposes can be met. For example, libraries, educational and technological systems exchange mental resources, share the knowledge we gather, and ensure avenues for gaining esteem and self-development. Our social, economic and political structures promote connection, cooperation, and accommodate the ongoing creative resource exchanges and social refinements. Our arts, religions and sciences facilitate creativity and provide meaning. The flexibilities within our justice system ensure that cooperation is the #1 rule, violations are not tolerated and just conditions are maintained. The Role of Government Recognizing the simple economics of need-meeting can define the role and dramatically enhance the effectiveness of government. A government is simply a structure through which the cooperative choices of the people can be carried out. If it becomes a controller or manipulator of freedom and power of its people, it shall never work, and should be heartily rejectedin revolutionary ways if need be. Government at its raw essence is an organized structure that ensures that the cooperative unit is established, maintained, and continuously improved, based upon individual contributions that increase freedom and add opportunities. Good government adds resources, and facilitates maximum creative and ingenious forms of resources exchange. If it works with human nature, and succeeds in its role of facilitating justice, the economic and social health will naturally improve. It will promote far more pleasure than pain. (In fact, economic shifts accompany all social change and a healthy economy in the global interconnection is a sign of enlightened progress.) Good government will provide additional resources and opportunities for all members to freely meet their needs. For it will not promote isolation of present methods, but will assist each individual in self-development and self-expression and to be embraced within the cooperative whole. Good government will focus only upon ensuring justice. The focus will remain upon individual freedom and empowerment. Opportunities will be built into the structure where each and every human can find avenues to meet their needs

278

Zeta: Implications for Social Structures

within the structures, regardless of money, family birthright, sex, age, race or any other arbitrary distinction between spirits in flesh. Bad government will attempt to interfere with and control the natural flow of resource exchange. It will attempt to limit and legislate external morality, control free information and resource exchanges, invade privacy, and cause far more harm than good. It will attempt to judge and prop up the weak while at the same time disempowering its members, creating man-made victims, martyrs and criminals. It will experience inner conflict, warring factions and gridlock to the point that cultural evolution grinds to a halt. Over-regulation, welfare states, prohibition, victimless crimes, over-crowded prisons and even revolution will all result; as well as fear-driven, volatile or black market economies, and the subcultures, crimes and isolation they promote. In a general sense, government must ensure structures that facilitate and protect self-determined actions of need-meeting self-preservation, while fostering the maximum opportunities for self-development and self-expression for each of its members. It should not attempt to externally control or remove power beyond the ensuring liberty and justice for all. For without liberty and justice there can be no individual value fulfillment, without which there can be no expansion of the consciousness of the species, without which there can be no unobstructed expansion of All That Is. With these simple principles of self-regulated self-determinism in place, we can now turn to the specific activities of enlightened, twenty-first century governments. The Governmental Body The most essential tasks of an enlightened governmental structure are those that mirror the hardwired tasks of the body within the trinity of self. As we now know, the role of the body within the divine self-regulation system is to ensure the minimum standards necessary for self-preservation. The body will overrule free will of mind with purposeful biological predestiny whenever its most basic needs are left unfulfilled. The mission of good government should be to establish external structures that prevent the needs of body from being overrun by the misguided choices of mind. Like the human body, which contains the seeds of all needs and purposes, enlightened governmental structures use the natural attraction of positive emotion to guide and pull citizens in the highest directions, and use the push of pain as a fail-safe only to correct a misguided course. A successful government will acknowledge, value, and nurture the inner seeds of human purpose within a global citizenry.

279

Lessons of Enlightenment

This mission translates into several goals common among all enlightened governments. First, that individuals are all afforded the essential informational resources to understand themselves, to understand the grand game, and to take accountable control of their own destiny. Second, that structural opportunities exist which allow each individual to join the cooperative unity, to freely and creatively engage in need-meeting resource exchanges; to enjoy ongoing selfdevelopment and self-expression; and to begin contributing as soon as possible. Third, that structural safeguards are in place to protect the freedoms and rights of all within the cooperative unity from isolation and competitive violation. Enlightened governments accomplish these goals by allocating the shared resources of their citizens into creative infrastructures that accommodate and stimulate these inner guidance mechanisms. The role is better one of temporary guidance than ongoing regulation. Those who attempt to repress or control through rigid external laws will only create predictable forms of malaise and revolt, for humans are not designed to ensure artificial (external) control or accept institutionalized pain. The human spirit will not tolerate being forced into submission, and will move the body to burst free from any such chains. Many governments have fallen or become massive, unwieldy, monsters because they fail to understand or accommodate basic biological justice. Thus, true civilization cannot arise until the condition of justice for all is achieved. Safeguarding - Ensuring Global Justice For maximum benefit, governmental budgets must be prioritized just as the trinity of self priorities its needs. The safeguards must come first with the foundational assurances of basic freedom and empowerment of all people. Only when rightful self-preservation is cooperatively accommodated can true selfdevelopment and self-expression be fostered. But only recently in human history has the concept of freedom even begun to take root. But without the enlightened understandings, freedom leads to natural evolutionary breakdowns that are perceived as threats of disorder and create the fearsome image of a sinful people run amok. The fear of disorder then causes defensive responses that pile on all forms of external control, which only erodes the fledgling freedom. Like individual development, all defensive responses within an organization simply scuttle the natural learning cycle, impede growth and create further emotional pain. As this painful cycle continues, it is only a matter of time before any such government or group will collapse under their own excess weight. Governments that cling to any political or religious doctrine of rigid external control are biologically destined to fail socially and economically. It is only through rightful freedom and empowerment that this cycle can be broken.

280

Zeta: Implications for Social Structures

The most recent historical forms of government, including the American community, have taken an enlightened step forward. They have arisen due to the growing recognition that libertyboth freedom and empowermentare the only way. The early American visionaries held a faith in the laws of nature and the inherent rights and abilities endowed within human nature. The organizing and constitutional documents recognize the universal equality of human beings, honor the basic urge to pursue happiness, and set forth protection of individual liberty. But like all other governments, they have failed to recognize the role of negative emotion as a driver of both freedom and powerpower devoid of unenlightened external controls. Somewhere along the line, the misguided notion that humans have a sinful or animalistic nature replaced the idea of divine providence and faith in nature. The result is the attempt to grant freedom, but without any real empowerment of the people, and competing political factions which can be compared to the conflicting purposes of a self-preserving body and a self-developing mind. This is simply due to the lack of understanding of human purpose. Until the understanding is in place that humans have not one, but three purposes, such infighting will continue. Rightful empowerment must be based upon the inner accountability to use freedom in purposeful ways that bring long-term pleasure. Until humans know of their inner goodness, how to follow divine guidance and how to avoid animal level fight and flight responses, there will be the illusion that they cannot control themselves, the perceived need for external controls and all kinds of competitive advice on how to attain such control. Separation of church and state in America has been successful in disentangling the government from the rigid and competing belief structures that caused most historical revolt, and it has encouraged cultural diversity and tolerance. But it has also created an attitude against any natural purpose, values or morality, which in the context of competition becomes a free-for-all of ignorant moralistic passions that further divide the union. All political factions that pit conservatism against liberalism, equality against freedom, competition against cooperation, one moralistic doctrine against another, or rights against responsibilities, are misguided and will ultimately be forced by its citizens to change. The acceptance of inner conflict between body and mind actually bases the concept on good-old-American competition. It is revered as a pillar of national economic success, yet it denies equal opportunity. This is a grand illusion, for it is the cooperative freedom that makes the capitalistic marketplace a success. Global freedom and empowerment can only be attained if external controls are removed, the concept of purposeful inner directed cooperation embraced, op281

Lessons of Enlightenment

portunities created, and the rights of all protected against violation. Ironically, the misguided ideas about competition actually perpetuated a great deal of violation that would not otherwise exist. Global Cooperation Without Violation Rightful freedom and empowerment will minimize competition because it will minimize anger. Anger is that force which draws the line in the sand, and safeguards our innate rights by moving us to fight for them. Once the line is drawnfor the entire world to seerights are acknowledged and protected through just social structures, competitive anger and win-lose scenarios are no longer desirable or necessary. In short, there is no need or impulse in a cooperative world for disruptive, defensive aggression. Then, as the feeling signals are allowed to accomplish their purposeful tasks, the self-concept naturally grows and expands to enfold the needs of others. To the enlightened mindscape, perpetuating violations to one is emotionally understood as a source of pain for all. Nonetheless, until mass consciousness embraces the essential human knowledge, defense from violation is a necessity. As part of the safeguard systems, any government must have structures in place that discourage and negatively sanction survival-level competition or any action that results in violation. Violation is basically the infringement upon the rights of others to freely control their own destiny, or any acts that obstruct anothers free engagement in purposeful, cooperative resource exchange. Violations are acts of singular self interest that deny the interests of others. Humanity has yet to evaluate the very concept of violation and to extend it to all life forms in the political structures that they willfully design. These reflections will lead to values that recognize that global resources are limited, should be respected, shared, replenished, and conservatively utilized in social structures that balance resources with those that rely upon them to meet their needs. Runaway population, inadequate resources, and cultural values that consume more than they contribute, are all states of imbalance that enlightened governmental structures can avoid. For when balance in the resource marketplace is attained, emotional energy flows freely, win-win cooperative exchanges become the natural norm and violations are greatly reduced. Reducing and eliminating global violation must focus upon establishing the global values of cooperative resource development, sharing, replenishment and free exchange. With the freedom and empowerment for each country to develop and share their unique resources, global economic health and development can be assured, without overtaxing the environment or institutionalizing violation of other people or species. Successful economics will always ensure that they do 282

Zeta: Implications for Social Structures

not consume more resources than they produce, nor squander valuable assets. For example, with enlightened global values, countries that now have economic dependence upon the export and exploitation of exotic but dwindling animal species can instead develop specific exotic experiences by attracting paying visitors who can find discovery and meaning in the local nature and culture. Photos, books, cultural traditions and stories can be shared instead of pelts, bones and blood. Fostering Global Connection When leaders of the free world recognize the biological human blueprint, the greatest achievements of all forms of government can be culled into some basic global principles that underlie the development of structural opportunities to empower and connect all individuals. Freedom and empowerment can establish justice, but when the connection need is also satisfied, true civilization can commence. Like any group, each nation, in its own way, seeks to foster connection amongst its people for cohesion and cooperative living. But it is the concept of global connection that is yet to come. Connection cannot occur without justice, for if basic power and freedom is compromised, individuals will necessarily break unity and self-protect at the expense of cooperation. This is a biological certainty and an important safeguard for any individualfrom cell to country. But the highest pleasures and the long-term rewards of purpose will only be met through global cooperative connection. Attaining connection translates into global governmental efforts to unify and unite individuals and to reduce the isolating roadblocks that are now so prevalent within and between human cultural and geographical communities. At present, the fledgling NATO community is laying the first foundations for what will become a global constitution of sorts. It will set forth a mission of universal self-determinism and cooperative dictates just as the body sets forth the universal human needs. If enlightened, it will not attempt to regulate, moralize or otherwise interfere with the individual choices within the resource guidelines. It will ensure the basic freedom and empowerment of each individual country to control its own cultural destiny and to cooperatively contribute its unique creative, cultural, and natural resource offerings for exchange in the global marketplace. Such a document shall contain the general tenets suggested in the Global Government Mission Statement, and Declaration of Unity offered herein. (See conclusion of this Lesson).

283

Lessons of Enlightenment

Such a document can base an enlightened, cooperative world marketplace, where individual countries choose to participate and to play by the scant, but effective, global rules. Members accept freedom as well as the responsibility and accountability for its purposeful, cooperative use. Official participation can take the form of economic membership contributions that support the minimal administration of such a world government. There can be varying levels of recognition status that can be earned within the world community, based upon the positive contributions and the level of cooperation acted upon the world stage. Positive sanctions and esteem can be offered for exceptionally enlightened contributions, as well as corrective sanctions when necessary. Such a structural strategy would set the stage to accommodate the present tit-for-tat morality until full cooperation is attained. Eventually all countries will see the tremendous benefits of global membership and willfully choose to partake, rather than be bullied into compliance by even the most well-meaning of countries. The American government, which has helped give birth to the enlightened global order, has also interfered with its natural evolution by overzealously exporting the concept of freedom in an unenlightened guise also promoting unbridled competition. Those countries that recognize the value of equal empowerment, feel genuine fear and anger over such imprudent use of aggression, and have resisted cooperation within the NATO unity in defense of their value of equal opportunity. For no global cooperative can work without freedom, equal empowerment, and connection among its empowered parts or the oppressed will rightfully aggress and defense will be necessary. Competitive vs. Cooperative Defense But just as the human body is designed to accomplish defense by cooperative self-regulation, so does a government require a cooperative form of selfdefense. Competitive forms of self-defense are the kind where the mind tries to bully the body into conforming to misguided beliefs. The deadly habits are all strategies of competitive defense, where one appears to win temporarily, but both actually lose in the end. Resistance and revenge upon the legitimate interests of any country are tantamount to revenge by the right hand upon the left. Competitive defense is simply a manifestation of the fight and flight responses, symptomatic of a world without mindful understanding and control of itself. The level of competitive defense can be assessed at any time by the amounts of both weaponry and prisons. Instead, cooperative forms of defense are those that seek out informational signals from all realms and act upon them with Right and Light responses. 284

Zeta: Implications for Social Structures

Cooperative defense will bring lasting changes that come from global efforts of self-development. All such efforts will build opportunities that empower, rather than disempower and destroy people in denial of the messages of their voices. Defense will take the form of enlightened prevention and avoidance of conditions that create painful individual and social symptoms. Cooperative defense will be far more effective at resolving the root sourcethe lack of freedom and empowermentrather than simply flailing against the symptoms themselves. The time is past when humans can deny their brotherhood. The evolution of human technology has forced humans to confront their need for global connection and cooperative defense; there can be no more competitive jungle struggles in a nuclear age. Most countries already recognize how fight and flight defense can easily become global annihilation, yet many still scramble for the power and safety of a hearty nuclear arsenal in a world that does not yet ensure biological justice. With enlightened global guidance, countries will be pulled into the unity for the pleasurable, synergistic benefits of cooperation, rather than be forced into compliance with painfully competitive threats and bombs. Cooperative defense consists of a two-pronged approach, of adding unifiers and removing dividers. Unifiers facilitate the cooperative whole and utilize positive emotion as an inner motivation to guide purposeful living. Dividers are those beliefs, (individual and en mass), which promote inner personal disunity which is then experienced as outer, social disunity. Indeed, no man is an island. Unifying structures are those that force healthy emotional development, self unity, expressive opportunity and social cohesion. They find and impart common understandings, allow all citizens to join the community family, to freely and consistently meet the basic survival needs in the marketplace of resource exchange, and find and refine avenues of self-development and expression. They are common systems of enculturation that share common values, methods, strategies and impart knowledge and skills. They are common infrastructures to facilitate maximum opportunity through communication, mobility, productivity, creativity and potential resource exchanges in local and global marketplaces. They are mechanisms to ensure access to minimum standards of living, public safety, and prevention of and defense against competitive violations. Unifiers will foster and usher the emergence of natural morality. Dividing structures are any and all which counteract true inner and outer connection. They are the institutionalized slivers, the worldviews, educational systems, political persuasions, religious beliefs, economic institutions that misunderstand the trinity of self, and/or divide humankind into fragmented, isolated, competitive groupings. They are external attempts to regulate behavior, legislate morality, prohibit certain experiences, thoughts and/or actions and 285

Lessons of Enlightenment

justify the disempowerment and relegation of some humans to positions of isolation or dependency. Dividing structures ensure that natural morality will be thwarted. Such basic and loose guidelines for resource conservation, freedom, empowerment, connection and cooperative defense within the global community shall be sufficient to reestablish biological justice. Once these fundamental needs are met, the only necessary limits to individual offerings are the boundaries of insight, creative imagination and spiritual feedback. From there, individual countries can enhance the global structures with creatively diverse forms of civilizations and technological ingenuities that meet the cultural and creative desires of their citizens. Each country can establish civilizing structures of their choosing which can foster the meeting of needs for self-esteem, creativity, and meaningall of which should contribute significantly to the resource pool and economic health of the country. Sanctioning Violations Once a global cooperative agreement with just parameters is in place, there will arise a world self-regulating feedback mechanism where continuous communications, evaluations and corrections can be made. This will include a feelingdriven judicial court of sorts, where grievances can be heard, mediated, and violations negatively sanctioned. It becomes the responsibility of each country to actively express in this manner when any violations are perceived, in order to reduce pain of any life forms. The most effective punishment for violators, is not punishment at all, but negative sanctions that communicate the non-acceptance of the violation and which actively enlighten the violator about the nature and responsibility of free will. Once a violator truly understands the concept of connection, his or her own emotional system will guide the moral actions, for they will know with fearless trust that their rights are also protected in this manner. The tit-for-tat moral structure can be accommodated within the membership status classes, where trust is assumed, but status is commensurate with the level of cooperation actually displayed in resource exchange interactions. With varying levels of membership that reflect the global esteem earned through cooperative contributions, countries can earn global respect and leadership positions. The learning component in all sanctions is necessary, since development is an individual process, and trial and error learning with pleasure/pain feedback, is the most direct route to purposeful self-development. Just as a child should be given as much empowerment as can be responsibly used, so then can

286

Zeta: Implications for Social Structures

developing countries be offered conditional membership, and allowed their normal growing pains as they learn. This form of global sanctioning can also be used locally to replace many unnecessary, expensive and excessive forms of punishmentwhich are, at heart, competitive forms of defense. The concept of incarceration is wrong-minded for many violators. Safeguard protections would be far more beneficial where the violators were educated, and able to redeem themselves in ways that positively affect the victim or community. Giving such a learning experience constitutes an expressive correctiona Light Response, as well as a Right Responseand is far less costly and far more aligned with the spiritual system. The popular idea that redemption and rehabilitation are not possible is a severe limitation within mass consciousness perpetuated by the myth of sin and evil and fostered by structures that deny equal opportunity. Humans can become convinced of their own evil if never offered an alternative, more enlightened explanation for fight and flight impulses. The educational system alone can accomplish many such safeguards and will be discussed separately, but self-regulation information can be made available in many existing systems and outlets where entities can continuously have access to higher and higher levels of self understanding, and be given opportunities to choose the more purposeful and rewarding life track. Local Government and the Feedback Cycle As should now be apparent, all organisms operate upon the self-regulating principles of cyclic interaction, feedback and correction, and government is no exception. These natural patterns will guide the most effective forms of any human grouping and should be recognized as the Creators divine blueprint. At present, even with its limits, the American form of government with its three branches illustrates this emerging pattern: The legislative branch sets forth the laws of public policy that can ensure certain constitutional rights of its people. This policy is like an individual minds chosen mental motives that seek to meet the bodys needs. The administrative branch carries out the policies by establishing and maintaining avenues of opportunity while ensuring the public safety. These activities are like the behavioral actions in the feedback cycle, where the motives are tested in the world to see if they attain the desired outcomes. Then the judicial branch has the task of evaluating that outcome. Finally all three play roles in correcting strategies and policies.

287

Lessons of Enlightenment

This form of government has several of the enlightened puzzle pieces in place, yet still contains judgmental assumptions and unclear lines of responsibility that promote infighting, conflict, ineffective communication and developmentall of which can be rectified with the precise understandings of the trinity of self. The first of which is the entanglement of economics and the legislative process, which limits the amount of feedback that is considered in the policy making decisions. Another is the removal of unnecessary controls that attempt to legislate morality or cultural value. Another still, is the removal of excessive regulation and taxation which interferes with, an often prevents, free enterprise. All such changes flow from the spiritual adjudicator, and eventually will come about through the internal forces of the needs of the people. At present, the judicial branch can only evaluate against existing, often conflicting policies, and is severely limited in its empowerment and often does more harm than good. Many such judges, base decisions upon doctrine of sin and evil and further stymie the developmental progress of the nation. This branch has now become entangled with more administrative functions in carrying out corrective actions according to existing, and often flawed policies and laws. Their evaluations and suggested corrections often breed further intolerance, victimization, isolation and loss of personal freedom. If this branch is to be at all effective at balancing power, it must clarify its role of evaluation. It must have ultimate authority to render decisions that are fully aligned with the spiritual adjudicator to ensure that legislationeven the constitution itselfand all forms of correction stay within the bounds of the divine design. With the final authority of natural law as evidenced in the emotional patterns, all cultural laws can be correctly evaluated so that all guiding policies continuously evolve to match the divine design. Representative Government - The Value of Each Voice Like a body attuned to all of its cells, a government is indeed of the people, by the people, and for the people. Enlightened governments are based primarily upon the input of the people they serve. Those that are based upon rigid worldviews, competitive economic interest groups, and limited ideologies discourage the purpose of self-development and shall relegate their members to daily doses of spiritual pain. Indeed, like the body, a government guides the development of the public minda mass reflection of the individual minds which comprise it, with equally important fluidity in its chosen beliefs and cultural strategies. Most governments remain in rigid adherence to value judgments handed down from earlier days where religious worldviews dominated governments.

288

Zeta: Implications for Social Structures

At present, those governments based upon this democratic input process have enjoyed the most success, but many still suffer the pitfalls of excess economic dividers. As long as representative government promotes competition at the expense of cooperation, there will be factions of power instead of the free opportunity for all to become empowered. The laws will follow the reinforcement of the haves versus the have-nots as those empowered become the loudest voices in the input process. These are the modern vestiges of institutionalized dividers along lines of blood and class, which forced many historical revolts as human voices raged in spiritual anger. An enlightened government must also embrace the true meaning of freedom and equal empowerment and fully honor the spiritual meaning implied therein. These judgments automatically stifle many voices whose individual destiny paths necessitate experiences deemed to be off limits by the cultural moral choices of some that become local law. Laws that deny the free-flowing patterns of human trial and error experience merely thwart their own best interest. Whether or not the contribution of each member is officially offered in a political process, all voices can easily be heard to an attentive ear. A truly representative government listens to all voices by attuning carefully to the spiritual feedback its structures bring. Market fluctuations, public opinion, cultural themes and trends, crime levels, mental illness, and every form of human pain are all voices to be heard. Each community can readily observe the spiritual symptoms of its folly should it choose to avoid resistant defense. Black markets, economic subcultures, overcrowded prisons, exorbitant health care costs, welfare states, self-abuse, addiction and violence comprise a veritable chorus of resounding voices that now falls upon deaf ears. Each social problem contains its own solution when the underlying needs and emotional patterns are addressed rather than ignored, denied, or written off as sinful or incompetent human nature. Good governments actively seek out these voices and effect immediate resolutions to the lingering malaise following the needs and purposes of spirit. For example, most governments struggle against the human desire to experience altered states of consciousness by imbibing chemical substances. Likewise, many struggle helplessly to combat the sale of sexual services. They struggle because these offer, at present, necessary human learning experiences. As long as there is a demand for certain experiences, there will be a supply in the grand marketplace. This is simply in keeping with the trial and error nature of human learning, the hedonic inner movers and the nature of free resource exchangeall inherent in the Divine Design.

289

Lessons of Enlightenment

As we now know, all experiences are moral if they serve as learning experiences, and steps in natural individual development. In fact, many of the current desires are based in defensive escapism due to the lack of self-understanding and the predominance of institutionalized disempowerment and pain. The demand for such experiences will dramatically reduce once more unifiers are in place. Although the answer of simple removal of unnecessary restrictions would profoundly improve the efforts of government, these symptoms are ignored and denied. The voices are given no official validity. Likewise, there are many positive voices that speak of systems, ideas and values that are working because they bring long-term pleasure. Thus, a truly representative government must actively search, listen and decode each of its positively creative as well as negatively symptomatic voices. Fortunately, despite historical upheaval and revolution, many of the enlightened ideas have taken root here and there, for spirit does indeed push humanity in purposeful directions. The modern technological advances are beginning to facilitate the kind of communication and information exchanges that can yield a far more representative government. Although the answer of simple removal of unnecessary restrictions would profoundly improve the efforts of government, these symptoms are ignored and denied. The voices are given no official validity. Likewise, there are many positive voices that speak of systems, ideas and values that are working because they bring long-term pleasure. Thus, creative as well as negative, a truly representative government must actively search, listen and decode each of its positively symptomatic voices. Fortunately, despite historical upheaval and revolution, many of the enlightened ideas have taken root here and there, for spirit does indeed push humanity in purposeful directions, attune to and synergize all such voices. These information exchange technologies will begin removing the judgmental and divisive ideas and mechanisms and can open the floodgates. Administrative governments can interact within their various institutions to gather and analyze each kind of feedback and incorporate it into evolving policies. Then through the ongoing attunement and analysis of the feedback, governments can shape and develop themselves as effectively as the most enlightened mind. It can then allow its people to freely evolve and accomplish the maximum self-development and expression to hurtle humanity forward in enlightened cultural evolution. The government that follows the principles of unity of purpose cannot help but blossom and provide enriched opportunities for fulfillment.

290

Zeta: Implications for Social Structures

Financing Good Government The current situation of humanity is still far afield from the potential experience of full creative manipulation of energy and physical matter. The constant energy conversion and physical manifestation is now mostly accomplished through the earning and exchange of money. Thus, the grand natural marketplace has become an economic cultural resource arena where individuals work to receive the financial freedom to design the life course. The empowerment comes through job opportunities to create and contribute in the grand marketplace. Thus, freedom and empowerment now revolve around the ability for each individual to find an economic niche and make a living. Government then garnishes a bit of these earnings to contribute to the cooperative structures, or attempts to redistribute resources to the needy who are often not held accountable for any form of contribution. In lieu of enlightened guidance, most governments thwart themselves with conflicting assumptions that cause them to squander the available resources on ventures not aligned with natural emotional patterns. There is infighting and shifting of political tides where one party reverses a course, and then another reverses it yet again. Entire agencies are born and take on self-protecting lives of their own. Government can then become an unwieldy spendthrift, causing a citizen backlash of fear, anger and mistrust against the government. When governments actually find out and provide what people are willing to pay for, they can earn the public trust and can easily sustain themselves upon a minimal monetary contribution from each member. Such contributions will be happily offered, for the fruits they bear will be apparent. Eventually, when a fully cooperative unity has been attained, the financial institutions will be deserving of the term public trusts and can serve as direct collection points for governmental taxes, dramatically reducing the need for entire collection and enforcement arms. The elimination of black markets makes all commerce above board, legitimizes each enterprise, and brings all humans into the cooperative whole, and thereby dramatically increases available resources. Once all individuals enjoy just freedom and empowerment, taxation can be a simple banking service or a percentage interest rate charge. Public trusts and representation can even come together into some form of individual designation of how the tax dollars are to be spent. This can allow individuals to put their money where their mouth is. In this way, the values that bring the most cooperative empowerment will naturally emerge. Public Infrastructures

291

Lessons of Enlightenment

The government can provide many unifying pathways between citizens that can bring the maximum freedom and mobility to each individual life experience. The public educational system provides a fundamental unifier and the most direct avenue to the task of providing unifying informational resources. It will be discussed later in some detail. But there are also other structural unifiers that the government can foster and even support if necessary that not only provide safeguards, but also facilitate empowering opportunities. Major infrastructures such as transportation and communication networks, public works, public health and community utilities are all necessary to an unconnected body. Governmental guidance and assistance can develop and link private enterprises and increase need-meeting opportunities for all and ensure equal access to survival resources. They will draw upon the inner motivations to welcome all citizens into the collective, cooperative fold and foster the honor and responsibility of creative, meaningful membership in the world community. The primary governmental task is to open the free market doors and ensure that the maximum amount of resource exchange and trade can occur. At present, a great deal of infrastructure is controlled by administrative government, which could just as well, if not better, be taken on by private enterprise. The governmental hand is best when gentle, temporary and guiding rather than firm, permanent and controlling. A government that forms itself around these innate tenets shall arise as the most effective, economically successful and creatively helpful to the unfolding evolutionary destiny of the human species. We can now examine the specifics of the cornerstone equalizer of any good government, an enlightened public educational system. Global Government Mission Statement To faithfully, actively and cooperatively honor divine providence by offering universal guidance in all ways that safeguard the natural interactive processes and resources of the planet, and foster purposeful, connected, creative evolution of the human species. Declaration of Unity In acknowledgement of alliance with divine biological predestiny, we the people of the planet Earth declare that: 1. By divine providence, all humans are created equal, with the innate biological goodness, impetus, ability, guidance and rights to freely control their individual destiny in cooperative concert with one another. 292

Zeta: Implications for Social Structures

2. With the right of willful destiny comes the self-evident responsibility for humanity to purposefully, intelligently and responsibly use culture to design systems, technologies, social structures and cooperatives that align with and enhance natural predispositions in order to provide the most fulfilling experience for all life forms. 3. Creative diversity shall be encouraged, in agreement that any cultural assumptions, values, beliefs, institutions, and activities shall strive to rest upon the solid foundations of natural universal principles found in the creation itself, and no longer seek to judge, defile, or deny the divinity, purpose and sacred value potential of all living beings. 4. There shall be no undue organized interference with the exercise of individual, willful acts of purposeful self-preservation of body, selfdevelopment of mind, and self-expression of spirit, within the guidelines of the global cooperative unity and dictates of natural emotional dynamics of adaptation and evolution. 5. There shall be active, cooperative, and creative efforts to establish global freedom and equal opportunity to every human being as basic, just conditions which meet the non-negotiable inborn needs for freedom, power, and connection; toward the goal of reducing deficit states which prompt fear, anger, isolation, and competitive defensive responses, and enhancing those desirable states which prompt joy, trust, compassion, and unified purposeful responses. 6. There shall be active, cooperative and creative efforts that foster social structures to enable all humans to meet the secondary needs for esteem, creativity and meaning that foster desirable states of faith, inspiration, courage, honor and creative delight, without undue interference with the cultural choices of other members of the global community. 7. There shall be a global effort of cooperative defense to prevent, reduce and correct any violations that interfere with the free empowerment for individual countries and persons to pursue the happiness derived from purposeful value fulfillment in manners they so choose.

293

Lessons of Enlightenment

Lesson 3: Implications for Education


Developing the Public Mind Just as the government must facilitate the needs of body, it also must assist in the establishment and ongoing development of a common public mind. Public transportation, technological, and commercial infrastructures can unite individuals physically, but it is through public education that they are united in thought and action. Public education provides the essential communicative pathways that transmit and enhance culture in the organized, purposeful manner. Mass consciousness exists without public intervention, but it can be guided away from limitations and developed to its maximum value potential with enlightened approaches. As a top priority, the public mind must embrace and instill the basic self understandings within citizens to begin purposeful development of each individual mind. Self-development is the most critical purpose for humanity to discover at this time, given the dogmatic assertion of science that survival is the only life purpose. The admission that natural selection evidences pre-determined direction will bring the next wave of official progress. But it is self evident that humans, by virtue of this natural capacity to remember and learn, have the dual purpose of self-development. Learning allows adaptation to any external challenges far better than waiting around for genetic mutations. It will also allow deeper understandings to unfold concerning why such mutations occur and how they can be consciously controlled. The public mind is at present a loose conglomeration of conflicting bits of natural and cultural knowledge, attitudes, trends, and values, steered by the scientific community and limited by governmental defensive safeguards. External legal controls and prepackaged value judgments become incorporated into educational approaches as educators scramble to balance conflicting ideals and offer official information. This problem is compounded further with the recent explosion of available information that often competes withand wins out overofficial declarations. As a result, the public mind presently flounders and individual minds are left with conflicting and limited guidance. This situation will continue until there is an enlightened awakening to the emotional patterns of human nature that expose the inner guidance, the divine system of self regulation that drives all purposeful learning. The line must be drawn between information that promotes versus the destructive path. The relative nature of reality, information and individuality must be embraced. For the mind is not a vessel to be filled with useless facts and figures, but a receptive 294

Zeta: Implications for Social Structures

canvas whereupon each of inch individual life unfolds, with experience and spiritual evaluation as the brush which colors, shades, defines, and creates meaning. Such a natural portrait brings forth the most beautiful and complete expression of the innate value potential, symbolic of the most purposeful rewarding and most expansive life experience. This approach satisfies the recent request of the Dalai Lama to enhance education of the mind with education of the heart. Creative Experiential Learning vs. Receiving Judgments A fundamental change in educational approach involves understanding the nature of judgment. As we now know, the mind has no capacity to make judgmental evaluations, due to the unrestricted nature of free will. Likewise, the creative nature of mind leads to unique, individual realities which will unfailingly replicate themselves in physical experienceslivers and all. For this reason, the mind is not designed to simply accept and absorb the conclusions and experiences of others; such would violate free will. Memory is as fluid and creative as reality. Historians are beginning to recognize that any given account of historical events is colored by the perspectives of the day and that as such, history is not fixed. This understanding, taken to its natural conclusion beyond the limitations of space time, recognizes that the power of mind is always in the present moment and to clog it with unnecessary limits defeats the very purpose of the creative physical existence. An enlightened educational approach must rest upon the trial-and-error nature of experiential learning rather than the one-way teacher-to-student flow of information. At present, many systems waste a huge amount of time and squander the potentials of great minds by failing to recognize the natural cycle of action, evaluative feedback and adaptive learning. Boredom, loss of passion for discovery, acceptance of meaninglessness, and angry acts of rebellion are all symptoms of systems that fight the natural propensities of purposeful selfdevelopment. Many so-called learning disabilities would be far less debilitating if natural experiential, interactive, trial-and-error learning were allowed to occur. The emotional system will continue to reject much of what is offered under the present systems, for the spirit fights to keep the mind free for its own creative sake. Of course, this is not to say that the idea of sharing the experiences of previous generations is not valuable and necessary. For the mistakes of the past can offer a wealth of strategic information. But it is to say that each individual must pass any incoming information before the spiritual adjudicator. The spirited mind seeks to find the patterns within the stories, the meaningful transitions, and feeling experiences emphatically and intuitively shared. The 295

Lessons of Enlightenment

only way to discover innate values is by sharing experiences in such a way that vicarious feelings alert the mind of the personal interest or aversion to any given experience. Long-term learning comes only from impressing the mind of its duty to discover and create strategies that bring long-term pleasure and avoid all but learning pain. It must first be allowed to self-direct and create in order to evaluate and correct its work. With this essential information in place, enlightened educators will focus far more on how to understand and embrace the natural learning and self-regulation process. In fact, they will distinguish immediately between mental value judgments and emotional evaluations, truly willful gems and conditioned slivers, and help individuals find and resolve existing judgmental slivers they may already hold. They will instill with mantra-like constancy the understanding of the experiential learning cycle of motive, action, outcome, evaluation and correction. They will provide active, expressive opportunities to learn why things hurt and why they feel good, and how each feeling holds meaning at each step of this ongoing cyclical process, as they evolve evermore complex understandings of themselves, their world and their purposes within it. Classroom hours will be spent in far more interactive cooperative, experiential processes, and far more outer excursions and hands-on activities will take place. Meaningful transitions will be embraced and celebrated as abilities and boundaries expand, but without long periods of separation between grade levels. Opportunities to contribute will abound from the earliest ages, where peer counseling, tutoring, and mentoring allow mutually beneficial exchanges, skill modeling and plenty of practice communicating, negotiating, and creatively expressing. Public education can provide the safety-net for any citizen who may seek escape and solace from any ongoing situation of violation. There will be constant focus upon the natural developmental track upon which each human being proceeds. It will stand in stark contrast and constant comparison with the wrong track of survivals competitive defense. There will be encouragement and opportunities to attain the highest and broadest level of selfdevelopment and self-expression. Trust will develop through the organized, synergistic, cooperative support networks where humans help each other along. All forms of resistance and defense are well known as roadblocks to long-term reward and students offer one another structured support with feedback when defenses are displayed in any form. Such an educational environment will provide the common understanding and acceptance of the uniqueness of each persons reality and the sharing of perspectives with the goal of broadening each persons self-concept to include perspectives, needs and purposes of others. This inclusion can range from any296

Zeta: Implications for Social Structures

thing from merely respectful, nonjudgmental detachment which allows very different individuals to respect each others willful choices from a safe distance; to compassionate tolerance for varying developmental levels which foster cooperative interactions; to creative compassion where action choices pull vastly different individuals together in common cooperative developmental and expressive exchanges. The Scope of Public Education The enlightened self-understandings will suggest immediate changes in the scope and structure of public education. The educational institution can play a primary role in ensuring the just conditions of equal empowerment. Thus, its scope must expand to ensure as many avenues of unifying developmental experiences and expressive opportunities as possible. This will involve cooperative purposeful structured interactions with the economic marketplace and all other social institutions. Government can play a leadership role in terms of setting policy, structures, and initial funding, but eventually the educational systems can be run by unified networks within private enterprise. First and foremost, an enlightened educational system must embrace each and every citizen with equal access at any and all ages. Access to unifying and empowering information and developmental opportunity is the best form of cooperative, preventative defense against a tremendous amount of individual and social pain. At present, the prohibitive economic dividers against equal access to educational opportunity have squandered a huge percentage of creative value potential. Another obstacle is the institutionalized belief that development is one dimensional, automatic, and stops at some magical age of adulthood, perhaps at age 18. In fact, if adequate emotional development is not in place by such an age, then it is all the more essential to offer educational support. Each and every individual who roams the streets of any village in the world, driven by corrective pain rather than being pulled by purposeful pleasure is symptomatic of this need. The world has not only been deprived the synergy of many ingenious offerings, but has been dragged further down, defending itself against the resulting competitive criminal approaches to basic need fulfillment created by injustice and emotional isolation. The most fundamental goal of public education is to provide orientation and practice into the workings of ones self and the workings of the world in general. With enlightened education, each individual is awakened to his or her own purposes, value potentials, rights and responsibilities, and provide opportunities to develop and freely pursue them in any manner of willful choosing. It will 297

Lessons of Enlightenment

find incredible success in engaging the inner self-regulating mechanisms and pulling individuals toward their value fulfillment with the positive emotional reward of connected, esteem building, meaningful, creative experiences. The most successful structures will be those designed to accomplish the maximum opportunity for need-meeting, those that offer hands-on ways to meet the six universal needs and embrace the purposeful development within each experience. These experiences will facilitate understanding of universal needs and foster the cooperative respect for the needs of all others as well as crystallize understanding of how each feeling signal offers corrective guidance. This would include the earliest possible recognition of the connection and emotional universality between humans and foster cooperation, tolerance and compassion for the choices and errors of others. It would honor the inherent value potential in each human being, respect that the creative power lies in the present moment, and create an urgency for it to manifest itself in the world. It would make the mind aware of how esteem is earned through purposeful development and expression, and not through defensive superiority of belittlement, idle indulgence, family connections, materialistic competitive consumption or empty external praise. It would release the mind from its chains of bondage, teach it to remove any existing slivers, and set it free to create. The Structure of Public Education This expanded scope can be facilitated by added structures that network individuals and groups and remove as many isolated conditions as possible. Public education would blend both purposeful self-development and self-expression. The expressive, experiential component can be facilitated by student networks throughout all age-levels who offer guided support to one another through structured community service requirements. Such roles as school bus helper, playground negotiator, cafeteria litter patrol, nurse assistant, art assistant, peer counselor, office assistant, language helper, math helper, etc., can all be structured into the daily educational experience. A shifting schedule of assigned roles can allow students to engage in varying levels of challenge and explore areas of interest that dovetail with the real-world of marketplace resource exchange. At the earliest ages, this provides immediate understanding of how the interactive resource exchange occurs and engages the emotional system in the context of cooperative interaction. This affirms immediately that when one takes, one gives back to the best of ones ability, immediately embracing the esteem of being an active, contributing part of a cooperative whole. To the youngest students, each can pass equally through a set number of diverse jobs where they 298

Zeta: Implications for Social Structures

all gather a wide exposure, begin to feel attractions in special directions, and recognize that equal opportunity implies equal value, no matter what dividers might otherwise exist. Such experiences can bring positive emotional rewards at even the most tedious and lowly of jobs. For the feeling of connection and contribution alone can embrace even the most isolated individuals when they recognize their value and the rewards of contribution. A wide variety of such community service jobs should be offered at each age level, with more variety and diverse levels of challenge offered as the students progress to higher grade levels. This flexibility can provide opportunities for many levels of ability, interest, learning styles, backgrounds and individual inclinations as well as encourage the taking on of increasing levels of challenge. Such community service structures can also provide significant manpower and resources to enhance learning without equally dramatic cost increases. Higher level students regular structured learning would include assisting in the education of lower level students in cooperative resource. This can provide bigbrother/sister mentoring and unions that can fill voids within family structures as well as provide enriched learning experiences for both parties. As the educational scope broadens, so can the actual structures utilized within the educational process. Interactive networks within and between all public and private need-meeting organizations can facilitate synergistic benefits and profitability for all concerned. For example, if it were to begin at much earlier ages, public education could provide quality, structured, enriched environments in lieu of day care for working parents, with emphasis upon early emotional engagement, self unity, and cooperative trust. This could provide safeguards that could dramatically reduce the isolating effects of family dysfunction as well as provide enrichments for the most fertile developmental periods. Likewise, senior citizens could share their wisdom and find purpose instead of isolation. Transitional housing, hostels and even long-term living arrangements can be incorporated into the educational network to provide the open-armed welcome social embrace of safe escape from situations of injustice and violation. Similar interactions with the judicial system can provide far more successful rehabilitation than can incarceration alone. Once education is extended to individuals of all ages and circumstances, these community service jobs can include actual apprenticeships and positions within the public marketplace. Within a continuum of complexity, the community service jobs can simply transition into established positions structured for the purpose within and throughout the larger community under the educational umbrella. Temporary, transitional, educational positions pave the way for gainful employment into private professional relationships. Open door education could

299

Lessons of Enlightenment

facilitate adaptation to life-changing events, offer ongoing retraining and offer opportunities for career changes at all ages. Interim systems of transferable monetary vouchers where students seeking any form of education can participate in interactive apprenticeship programs that provide labor in exchange for hands-on experiential learning. These specific educational jobs, designed for specific and myriad skill levels would offer increasing levels of challenge throughout the resource marketplace. Such strategies not only can balance the needs of all, but also can accomplish mutual profitable benefit. Such cooperative structures could first be supported through tax breaks to participating businesses and alignments with non-profit charitable organizations. Eventually, such guided educational opportunities could be interwoven and solely supported by private enterprise. For example, each business could structure 20% of its work-force to interact with the educational system to an equally valuable percentage of tax benefit. Hotels and living complexes that participate in educational safety-net housing would enjoy similar tax benefits or subsidies. Eventually, the wisdom and benefits of such cooperative interaction will eliminate the requirement of monetary exchange for they will become integral profit enhancing parts of the resource marketplace, naturally improving upon existing systems and filling social voids. The ultimate governmental role would be only to provide the structural guidance of educational policy and to ensure the maximum avenues of educational opportunity are established. Just and equal empowerment is the ultimate educational goal. Such a structure would far more validly align with human need, purpose, diversity and biological justice. It would acknowledge and facilitate the ongoing nature of self-development, acknowledge the long-term rewards of cooperative interaction and not confuse equal empowerment with equal result. It would celebrate and encourage individual proclivities and offer multitudinous avenues of opportunity most suited to any particular destiny path. It could prevent the continuing contraction of public education and replace musical and art programs that have gone by the wayside and aggressively increase all avenues and opportunities for creative expression. Rather than try to force individuals into narrow molds, such a structure would honor and encourage the diversity of thought and expression necessary to drive purposeful evolution. The additional work force from community service and training programs can also resolve unaddressed problems at their source, ultimately replacing many existing corrective social programs through successful prevention of the emotional disunity that creates most every social ill. It can even eventually replace much of which now goes into prisons and in global competitive defense, and 300

Zeta: Implications for Social Structures

shall remain the cornerstone of good governmentindeed the foundation of civilization. Such systems that attune all individuals to the way life works, the way body, mind, and spirit each offer united and unfailing guidance, and provide the maximum amount of interactive opportunities can allow all people to understand and passionately follow the bliss that will manifest the maximum progress along the destiny path. Early and Elementary Education The earliest education should provide the enrichments that can allow hungry minds to flourish and the development of complex and balanced brain structures. The earliest school years will focus upon emotional attunement and early mental development as discussed previously. These are the spiritual fundamentals that must underlie all methods of transferring important cultural knowledgeteaching the standard reading, writing and arithmetic. By combining these principles with early learning opportunities that exploit the brains plasticity, incredible learning can occurwhich includes dormant multilingual, musical, and artistic talents, and manifests dazzling potentials and creative inclinations that would boggle the present day public mind. Spiritual understandings can be presently instilled without upsetting any existing doctrines that separate church and state, if the emphasis remains upon biological self-regulation of the dual-self model (body and mind). But one major change will be understanding that experience and emotional feedback are the best teachers, and the purpose of self-development insists upon an open, liberal, and individually designed mindscape. The idea of mind control, sheltered protection, censorship and the filling of an empty vessel with the right ideas is quite limiting. Instead, classrooms will offer safe and structured real world interactions that immediately orient the child to their ability to control their own destiny. No legitimate controversy need arise from practices that facilitate cooperation, connections, empathy, respect, responsibility and self control. Curriculums, exercises, cooperative projects, field trips, stories, presentations, job experiences, and routines will seek to instill basic self-regulatory information, an empowered sense of unique value potential and willful perspective; an equal, universal, sense of belonging within a welcoming world; awareness of life along purposeful developmental paths, and the evaluating role of feelings. Contrasts will be made continuously between the right track of purpose and the wrong track of deadly habits. Mistakes become laughable growing pains and opportunities. 301

Lessons of Enlightenment

Providing an unwavering cultural expectation of mutual acceptance for all human mistakes as inevitable to the learning process, combined with communal agreement to support each other to make corrections, can build cooperative trust, empathy and mutual respect, as well as minimize defensive responses that might otherwise become habitual. Making a clear distinction between meanness and kindness and emphasizing the feelings produced from both strategies will minimize the competitive and isolating defensive and offensive actions. Humorously contrasting effective communicative techniques with ineffective ones, both verbal and nonverbal, that contrast feelings of giver and receiver can foster solid expressive skills and awareness of how others perceptions might vary. Enjoying ongoing repetitive cyclic experiences where plans are carried forth to completed outcomes will instill the understanding of how keeping organized and on top of all challenges keeps the stress and pain of unfinished business at bay. Recognizing the role and power of fear and anger as signals of deficit states that need immediate correctionand how they lead to hurtful defensescan keep even the youngest children aligned to the purposeful path. Offering clear understandings of how self-deception, even little white lies, are actually methods of defensive escape which create painful distance instead of enhancing happy connection. Play-acting scenarios that demonstrate tit-for-tat morality and vividly depict how lies always bring pain in the end can help curtail the development of many common deadly habits. All such self-regulation information will foster the emergence of natural morality and allow the unfolding of the higher feeling signals of trust, confidence, compassion, pride and courage, and prevent learned shame, guilt, arrogance or hatred. People are always characterized as good, yet necessarily subjected to human learning error as the price paid for free will. Violations are treated as learning mistakes. Positive inducements are used to open inner motivations, and withdrawal of pleasure is used when corrections are necessary. Intimidation, ridicule, corporal punishment and any form of negative, pain inducing motivators are contradictory, and even destructive to an evolving sense of value and cooperative trust. They demonstrate a lack of faith that the child can exercise self-control and are contrary to purposeful self-development. It shall be readily acknowledged that grownups can make mistakes too, and neither teachersnor parentsare ever excluded from the feedback process. Indeed, children have much to teach their elders about openness, spontaneity and discovery. The absence of blame and the presence of empathy shall allow exploration of alternative choices to any traditional approaches. Habit patterns from dysfunctional homes can be discouraged through time-out isolations 302

Zeta: Implications for Social Structures

where the child feels the loss of companionship and the benefits of cooperation, but the belief behind the behavior is discussed as well. Drawing comparisons and constant references to how each action puts one either on the right track or on the painful path can quickly reorient the mind to the spiritual feedback cycle. The daily routine will be punctured with many hands-on, interactive projects and activities. There will be an emphasis on problem solving, puzzle completion, artistic creation, musical appreciation and every form of experience through which meaningful patterns can be discovered. Recognizing patterns and rhythms within sound and light will create neural synapses that recognize and intuit patterns of meaning. Experiencing plenty of both linear and gestalt patterns will unite and strengthen the dual hemispheric functions within the brain. Reading and other exercises with vivid imaginative visual imagery and powerful emotional resonance can stimulate untold brain networks that would otherwise lie dormant, and open young minds to many of their highest capabilities. Physical movement, vocalizing and the broadest variety of new and diverse activity experiences can all maximize physical, as well as mental, and spiritual health. Curriculums will include regular, fun, and actively shared dreams and detailed images of what children want to become in the future, how they want to live. Dramatic role playing or otherwise depicting or sharing the most exotic of fantasy potentials are games with very powerful and very real positive effects upon the developing mindscape, and the realities created. There will be regular and diverse treks into nature to explore and discover meaningful patterns and dispel fearsome myths. Resonating with nature and feeling a sense of belonging can rapidly facilitate respect for and attunement to the inner abilities and guidance. Pattern recognition is the most awe-inspiring within nature, where the mathematical precision of natural processes and cycles inspires the highest faith in the integrity and intelligence within creation, which transcends to the self as part of that creation. Children need never fear, but to respect the power of nature. They can find both safety and power in discovering the night sky, witnessing the foraging of nocturnal creatures, planting seeds in the dirt, being drenched by rain, and whipped by wind. Such exposure develops a healthy sense of unwavering faith, connectedness and respect for the goodness and power of nature. As self-development unfolds in the context of freedom, power, and connection, the self concept of each child naturally expands to enfold an ever broadening range of others. Empathy and compassion deepens as the pains and pleasures of others are vicariously experienced. Competitive games of win-lose superiority will lose their allure, as the truly cooperative nature of playing by the rules 303

Lessons of Enlightenment

and taking turns is recognized. Acceptable forms of competition will be those that pit any child against only himself as additional motivation to continuously better his skills and abilities. Win-win solutions are encouraged within all interactions, and activities structured to demonstrate that when someone a child cares for has any success, that success feels good to both. This vicarious pleasure indicates a healthy connection while the pain of jealousy or guilt is recognized as an indicator that further self-development is necessary. Early education can instill freedom and empowerment to create within the context of trust and cooperative connection in ways that can release humanity from its chains of survival-level competition. It can rapidly usher a far more civilized, cooperative state of existence. Intermediate and High School As each grade level is completed, higher levels of both freedom and responsibility are to be the rewards of such rites of passage. At these older ages, children are ready to absorb more abstract and symbolic concepts, although the experiential and interactive strategies shall continue. The emphasis becomes providing a myriad of structured opportunities for students to independently manage, and learn from their experienceto try their wings and get support, corrective advice and encouragement when they make learning mistakes or fail. Cooperative empowerment is enhanced by more challenging and diverse opportunities to create, express, build esteem and be able to find meaning in each experience to further hone the budding mindscape. The most enlightened structures will allow for a blend of short-term and longterm goals that will allow the student to advance at any pace possible. Such advancement comes with the completion of structured challenges and within the broad array of experiential opportunities to test ones wings. There shall be no limits externally placed upon the desires and efforts when accountability and success is demonstrated, nor should there be judgmental sanctions placed upon paths that might meander or need additional time to recover from previous limits or deficits. Curriculums in traditional middle and high schools can build upon the earlier base with the finer and evermore complex points of the divine spiritual feedback system as well as share all forms of cultural knowledge and experience. All delivery of cultural knowledge can then be accomplished without the normal pitfalls of force-feeding facts, figures and prepackaged judgments that are quickly forgotten, but rather emphasizing the dynamic patterns of human adaptation and creative change. All information should be acknowledged and treated as conditional, to be offered as potentials which might be useful upon 304

Zeta: Implications for Social Structures

the purposeful path at some point. Instilling the necessity of the complete openness of mind, how value is relative to the universal needs and individual value potentials will be far more effective. Tolerance for the choices of others will lead to a natural state of open friendly banter, feedback, mutual respect and agreement to disagree while remaining truly open to all potentially rewarding information and strategies. Job opportunities, direct and vicarious learning experiences and general curriculums could revolve around the purposes of body and mind, the conflicts between them, the innate defenses and distorted mindscapes, and the deadly habits they create. Dramatic play-acting of undesirable as well as purposeful experiences can instill the preventative gut-level understandings of how short term pleasure can bring long-term pain, and develop life-giving habits that will endure short term pain to gain long-term purposeful pleasure. The minds evolving ability to recognize and intuit meaningful patterns will become ever more adept as deeper patterns within nature and within the mathematical and logical harmonies rise within the conscious awareness. Mindscapes freed from time consuming slivers, create realities and further developmental experiences that can instead expand upon themselves in astounding ways. At these stages, the complex emotional signals are deciphered and each feeling tone is seen in the context of self-development and self-expression as well as the complex emotional patterns of others. Clarifying the two good and bad life tracks can expand to include the stages of human evolution and how living within purpose naturally brings one from the survival level, to the being state on to the transcendent destiny potential. The specific pitfalls (cognitive distortions, deception, resistance and revenge) of the wrong track of defensive responses become more complex, as students begin to grasp the higher level of the directive to judge-not. Exercises which give plenty of experience with uniqueness of others reality, and how honest intimacy builds and deception breaks down trust and communication can prevent a myriad of painful learning experiences in the real world. Developing specific expressive communication skills, win-win persuasion and conflict negotiation can foster success in all realworld interactions. This is also an appropriate age to discuss relationships and family life, love and its pitfalls, and the life-long developmental path. Sharing and discussing biographical life experiences of historical and current public figures (both successful and the infamous), can offer emphatic resonance to the tenacity needed for overcoming challenges, and the clarity needed in avoiding treacherous choices. Blame-free sharing and contrasting of parents individual and 305

Lessons of Enlightenment

generational challenges with levels of potential value fulfillment can both foster respect, forgiveness and ways to hold fast to and accomplish the highest of dreams. Reinforcing the equal value of each unique spirit in each structure and interaction will ensure that all students are embraced within the community of humanity through an enlightened public mind. With such a mass consciousness, the kinds of isolating and violent outcomes of fear and anger that exist now as scourges upon humanity will become virtually extinct. Continuing Education The most valuable structural change in public educational systems would be to ensure that each and every citizen has the opportunity to continue on to the maximum level of education desired, free of economic obstacles. When the government prioritizes its structures around the human needs and ceases squandering its resources on conflicting strategies and competitive defense, its first and foremost priority will become ensuring all citizensof all ages organizing educational opportunities. When the networks are in place with private enterprises, the transitional community services, projects, apprenticeships, and internships are established under this umbrella, the costs will be far less than might be suspected. This will not only allow any student to progress through to the PhD level, but it will also allow returning students of all ages and situations. With enlightened understanding of the biological self-regulation system, the academic community can overcome the need of separation between church and state by acknowledging the emotional process as a feature of the third selfcomponent of spirit. At the college level, the body-mind dual model of self can be fleshed out to contain the highest levels of meaning and implications that might formerly have been relegated only to religious discussion and found objectionable in the lower levels of public education. The separation being made between spirituality as attunement to the natural inner guidance, and religion being any specific set of beliefs in a supernatural higher power outside of the self, will more than adequately draw the necessary line between church and state. It would also acknowledge within the theory of evolution that consciousness indeed underlies all matter rather than being a product of it. This would liberate frustrated research scholars who are now forced down wrong-minded tracks of inquiry that only allow the public confusion and social pain to build. The acknowledgment of conscious intention within natural selection will open many new areas of study where the inner self-regulatory system leads to the unfolding of the transcendental inner sensitivities and abilities that now lie 306

Zeta: Implications for Social Structures

dormant. There can then be experimentations with the boundaries and focus of consciousness that will unite and resolve many existing conundrums such as mechanical versus quantum physics. When the secrets of the mobility and connectedness of all consciousness begin to unfold, there can be tremendous breakthroughs in the approaches to space and time travel that cannot otherwise take place with physical technology alone. The universe cannot be understood until such inner pathways are utilized. As emotion becomes understood as the basic physical manifestation of spirit in pleasure and pain, it will allow the mind to open its intuitive pathways to more direct energy/information that resonates with the unmistakable validation of universal joy. In such a structure, scientific academicians at the college level would take the reigns of the ongoing development of the public mind. Their activities and findings will not be limited to dusty unintelligible journals, but will be shared through many avenues of communication as the private media become aware that good news can help reduce the horrors of shocking violence of present headlines and televised stories. These networks will provide continuous updated self-developmental information to the public and directly to policymakers that would weigh much more heavily than the desire of special interests. The structural opportunities for learning specific technical skills and job training will ensure that justice is attained where each citizen is rightfully enabled to join in the resource exchange marketplace in any way that the spirit directs. Unique lifestyles, work schedules and need-meeting approaches are not only tolerated, but also actively encouraged throughout the entire structure. The most creative and visionary contributions will be actively facilitated and valued within such a system so that entities such as Albert Einstein need not squander precious life hours in boring classrooms or menial jobs in order to simply meet survival needs. Special think-tanks, artist communities, and other such structures will be encouraged to allow the most fertile and synergistic ground for fine minds to flourish. Likewise, special recovery communities shall serve those needing the most assistance. All structures will promote maximum value fulfillment and the most direct and personally rewarding destiny path for all citizens. The educational system will be the crowning glory and the hope for humanity as the facilitator of cooperative defense and mindful development. We can now turn the discussion to the implications that enlightened self-understanding brings to concepts of mental and physical health.

307

Eta

Implications for Health


Lesson 1: Implications for Mental Health
The Concept of Health Throughout history, humans have struggled within mental prisons of their own making. The legacy of judgment, misunderstanding and distortion befalls incoming humans immediately, crippling them through the well intended but unenlightened actions of parents. At present, the human experience is but a pale comparison to that which is intended, and to many an utterly hopeless and hellish karmic sentence. Until understanding of the human self-guidance system is firmly embraced within mass consciousness, the very concept of health will be distorted by the judgmental interference with the natural developmental system. Health is a reflection of how much energy spirit can bring through to its physical body-mind. The vibrant high energy, happiness and creative empowerment of an unimpeded spirit is a state of holistic vitality nearly unrecognizable to a species who believes firmly that health is simply the absence of disease. Indeed, health is ease of spirit flowing through an ingenious mindscape designed to its evaluative specifications. Health is an easy mobility of consciousness that accesses many alternate focuses and sources of intuitive information. Health is the experience of few and irregular painful feelings, for the mindscape and the cultural landscape are intended to be designed to minimize and eliminate these deficit states. It is folly to simply allow them to exist and assume that suffering is part of the natural experience. Such an idea is like a cancer, and indeed can bring about such maladies. All pains are symptomatic of dysfunction within natural systems that seek immediate correction. When these symptoms are examined within the lens of selfunderstanding, many truths about health will become apparent. First, we will address the concept of mental health, for emotional self-understanding will for309

Lessons of Enlightenment

ever alter the present concepts of sanity, normalcy, and evil. Mental health, as suspected, does indeed reflect the state of mind, for it is the mind that holds the slivers that prevent the growth that is necessary for a vital and complete existence. Until the boundaries of body, mind, and spirit are clearly recognized, mental health will remain entangled with judgmental beliefs, confused with emotional dysfunction, and shrouded in mystery. Biological Flexibility and Destiny Challenge Both mental and physical health are essentially rooted within the working and safeguard mechanisms of the body. As we will see, good mental health springs naturally from the unimpeded cognitive, emotional and intellectual development that unfolds through experiential trial and error learning. But all humans are bound to the uniquely specific genetic package inherent within the cloak that they have donned for each specific lifetime. Indeed, spiritual entities choose specific physical features, sensitivities and challenges when designing the chemical cloak to ensure the maximum possible success in overcoming both the general and specific destiny challenges. The evolving mental personality then works within that specific range of biological predestiny to maximize and express the innate value potential. The range of biological predestiny is linked to the specific areas of focus of the spirit/entity. The entity desires that its multiple aspects enjoy the broadest and most well-rounded experiences in order to continue the expanding expression of consciousness. As we now know, the body is designed to pull and push the mind-bound individuals in purposeful directions that fulfill these larger destiny challenges. These inner movers and shakers come in the form of human needs which, when met in an ongoing manner, accomplish the destiny challenges of the earth experience. The needs guide the developing mindscape to create evermore successful beliefs and strategies. As the mind responds to the direction of its spiritual feeling signals, the mindscape becomes more and more attuned to the intuitive knowledge of other aspects of its spirit to further assist in a creative, purposeful life of self-development and expression. When body, mind and spirit are united in thought and action, health is a given and the experience would be nearly unrecognizable to modern humans. At present, the necessary potential range of biological diversity has been overlooked, and normal has been assigned to those falling in the mid-range of any given trait or propensity. Those individuals who possess uniqueness at both ends of any trait spectrum have uniquely specific experiences and offer many hints into the human potential. There are varieties of intellectual ability, perceptual focus, sensory sensitivity, openness to interaction, and flexibility of

310

Eta: Implications for Health

consciousnessall of which allow specific avenues of experience potentially benefiting the whole of the entity. But for the most part, a great deal of what is considered abnormal or disordered in terms of mental health, relates to the developmental experiences in a world that is misunderstanding and thwarts the unfolding of the self-directing selfconsciousness. Most syndromes and disorders are the direct result of misdirected emotional signals, the hardwired bodily defensive responses, the longterm mental judgments and the patterned habits that follow. In short, a great deal of disordered mental health is an unnatural, man-made cultural phenomenon, the inevitable perverted outcome of abusing the divine self-system. Natural Self-Development We have discussed human development in the context of the unfolding universal human needs, but now we can elaborate upon how needs, feelings, spiritual challenges and mindscapes are intended to naturally unfold in a healthy unimpeded fashion. In essence, as the needs of the body push the individual toward necessary experiences, and the mind observes and self-corrects via the spiritual evaluative signals, there is a holistic balance between body, mind and spirit that allows for the maximum purposeful experience and vibrant health. The universal needs correspond with specific spiritual challenges that are part of the physical experience. These spiritual challenges have been discussed in such contexts as karmic cycles and archetypal patterns within the collective unconsciousness. They are simply part and parcel of all human experience that assists in discovery and fulfillment of purpose. Conquering each of these spiritual challenges leaves behind the gems, the archetypal understandings that facilitate a healthy mindscape. The inner need to conquer them helps humanity discover the all-powerful nature of the creative mind, and appreciate the crucial importance of conscious development of the mindscape and the diligent efforts to keep it free from mental limitations. Conscious understanding is the only prevention against falling victim to the illusions of the physical system. As needs are met and these challenges are conquered, the human becomes mature, and the desirable state of functioning can begin. The natural process of surmounting spiritual challenge, builds one upon the other to complete the functioning human being. The self-development allows for the innate value to come forward in the physical realm and then self-expression can be ensured in as many realms as time allows. In short, life begins when these challenges have been surmounted.

311

Lessons of Enlightenment

As part of the physical growth process, one challenge will unfold after another in a predictable developmental pattern over the first two decades of life. The challenges can be compared to images on a vertical totem pole, where one climbs to new heights, each step based upon the one below. As the individual matures with age, the challenges unfold like the changes of the seasons. If each challenge is not fully overcome and the archetype readily available to the mindscape, there will be continued struggles until they are surmounted completely. The less completion attained at each level of challenge, the more challenge the individual must then continuously juggle as the struggles of life become compounded. One who reaches any level of challenge in any degree will be pulled downward on the challenge totem pole on most occasions until the foundations are in place. Then they will snap back to the highest level of challenge. Challenge levels can vacillate from moment to moment. When the mindscape aligns empowering beliefs in any given moment, even if it might have conflicting or limiting beliefs held in memory, the challenge level can bounce quite high, only to plunge when the conflicts consciously align in a subsequent event. A healthy mindscape, of course, is free of such conflict. At present, average humans exist in various vacillations between one unmet need or another, and have surmounted some, but not all challenges or have mindscapes with so many conflicting beliefs that challenges often repeat themselves to no avail. Such individuals experience suffering, confusion, identity issues and mood swingsbut they are considered normal by most standards. Others are affected much more with long-term disruptions of the emotional system held fast by habits of thought and action that bring about corresponding chemical imbalances, and compromised mental health. We can now discuss this spiritual developmental process, noting where specific challenges create specific constellations of mental/emotional syndromes. With each challenge, the mind must learn and become consciously adapted through right responses that overcome the challenge and refine the mindscape. With each challenge, a new self-insight is added which together comprise the full levels of functional self-understanding. Either the mind adapts purposefully, or it adapts in ways that serve only to defend and preserve its limited boundaries, creating two distinct types of experience. We can then contrast two tracks of existence: the natural purposeful path versus the chaotic and painful path, to pull together the cognitive, emotional, moral and emotional developmental components of the spiritual self-regulation process. Only within this perspective can the present day suffering be seen for what it isa perversion of the natural process.

312

Eta: Implications for Health

Challenge I: The Mother vs. the Victim The very first challenge that befalls an incoming infant is to experience that he or she is connected to a functional whole. The development of trust corresponds to an emotional understanding of what it means to be a mother. The mother archetype is the manifestation of what the mindscape contains after this first challenge is surmounted. The mother constitutes what has been called the yin force of the ability to receive energy and information through the empathic and intuitive pathways of insight. The mother embodies the concept of an unconditionally loving and giving universe that embraces each of its points of conscious light. The mother embodies the connection of the individual to the world. The mother listens and emphatically receives messages of the spirit and of all spirits. The mother concept encompasses both Mother Earth and the Goddess energies of mythology. During this most early challenge, the brain development is insufficient to hold many conceptual thoughts, and the senses alone provide the information. Actual conceptual thought is confined to memories of action patterns of approach and avoid. Voluntary movement is possible at this stage, but conscious strategic future intention is not yet present and most actions are purely bodily responses. The neural development ensures that the sensory systems will be the driving force, before the mind has an opportunity to absorb habitual judgments. A sense of permanence is not yet formed until the second year of life to ensure that the foundational patterns of moving to the inner needs are firmly ingrained. The mother also constitutes that first sense of freedom to move within a safe and secure environment. As the parents nurture and assist the child in all of its need-meeting activities, the child is pulled up upon its own independent feet and the mind forever embraces what it means to be a mother. The child is firmly rooted in its body in its world, comfortable in the goodness of both. In an enlightened environment the child, either a boy or a girl, will conquer the mother challenge during the first year of life and shall carry this conceptual archetype within the mindscape and be able to function in the role of the mother if parenting should be a choice. With the mother, come the feelings of trust, faith and love which offer lifetime empowerment to be open and to receive lifes feedback and courage to overcome challenges. On the other hand, the child might continue to struggle with the mother challenge, perhaps for the entire lifetime. The quality of the early foster environment makes a crucial difference upon the first success or failure at this challenge. If the mother challenge is not surmounted, this sets in motion the less purposeful chaotic path of compromised emotional, intellectual, mental and spiritual development (in terms of expansion of the entity.) The child instead 313

Lessons of Enlightenment

develops the victim archetype in the mindscape. The victim archetype can last a lifetime unless consciously altered through conscious self-development. The victim fears for its safety, mistrusts the world, experiences a lack of mobility, becomes overly dependent, feels as if others owe me, and uses the strategy of denial and blame instead of action. The victim becomes avoidant and does not receive the incoming energy necessary for fully functioning and unity. Since it is the receptive energy, the victim fails to do anything to change the situation, simply taking on more and more pain. The victim will also display a constellation of what have been termed anxiety disorders, for fear will become a lingering corrective signal. When the individual does not feel safe in ones own body or in the world, the stage is set for panic disorders, generalized anxiety, phobias and somatic, bodily disorders such as hypochondria. This is a bigger potential pitfall for those who are particularly genetically sensitive to stimulus or having a low pain threshold. Organic propensities and events can also lead to autism, where a curtain is drawn between the individual and the rest of the world and certain sensory information is simply not received. Challenge II: The Father vs. the Martyr The second challenge that falls naturally during the second year of life is that of embracing the father concept. The father is the archetype that embodies the yang energy, the aggressive, rational and active properties of the human self. The father energy is embodied in autonomy, initiative and empowerment to actively control ones own destiny. The father challenge furthers the sense of individual safety, connection and freedom, and adds to it the power to make things happen in the world. It adds a grounding in the mind like the mother challenge grounded the body, as the mind chooses joy as its guide. The father is the developmental challenge that hooks the consciousness into the divine system of self regulation. Both yin and yang can then interact in a balanced exchange and provide the solid foundation for unified, purposeful living. The developing brain at this point can hold crude representations but not longterm or complex strategies. The mind is not yet fully functional, but with each successful environmental interaction, it grows evermore able. Throughout this process, the childs basic sensory perceptions take on more and more intuitive abilities, and a wholeness of being begins to take form. The father challenge builds upon the all is one receptive connection of the mother archetype to add honoring others in active thought and action. This provides the foundation for the aspects of parenting as well as the ability to take care of ones self in the cooperative context of loving others. The social strate314

Eta: Implications for Health

gies become cooperative interactions and the morality is to reduce pain in all. Feelings of confidence, hope and honor accompany this passage. The father challenge is naturally surmounted within the second to fourth years of life. If not, the individual will struggle with father issues in addition to the mother challenges. They will revolve around freedom, power and creating abundance and well being. There will be a tendency to take on pain on a long-term basis, and eventually to take on the pain of others in the martyr archetype. The fear takes on shades of shame and doubt as both active/receptive roles are questioned and bring a lingering fear of losing control. The martyr subjugates his or her own needs for the sake of others in a misguided attempt to please or actively provide. Many currently fashionable beliefs about self-deprecation and religious selflessness create this dysfunctional pattern. While the victim will blame himself or his oppressors, the martyr will blame opponents. There can be wildly creative strategies of self-deception that uphold and justify the martyr archetype. The main social strategy will become competition, and the moral development will be arrested at the level of avoiding punishment. Although the father challenge can be surmounted at any time during life, characteristic patterns occur when it remains unmet. The mental conditions that spring from the unanswered father challenge can result in impulse control disorders, obsessive compulsive tendencies, sexual disorders and dependency upon psychoactive substances. Impulse disorders spring from unmet needs as the martyr continues to neglect the self. Patterns of compulsion to engage in any behaviors that meet needs temporarily or provide escape from the pain of the moment can result in chemical addictions, gambling, workaholism, pyromania, fetishes and other sexual perversions. More severe conditions result from combinations of unmet mother and father challenges, which can base further developmental disorders. Individuals with a special gift of intuitively attuning to alternate self-aspects can later create multiple mindscapes where particular memories and responsibilities fall to different alternate personalities. Attunement to such intuitive senses at this age is one predictor, but this condition is generally facilitated by an abusive environment, and can usually be avoided entirely. Challenge III: The Contributor vs. the Servant The contributor challenge has been referred to as the whole child or even the warrior archetype, for it builds upon the yin/yang spiritual energy by adding a separate sense of self. The contributor challenge culminates in a unique conscious focal point identity that of self. It is the culmination of the emerging

315

Lessons of Enlightenment

mind. The contributor attains a finalized sense of autonomy, but within the context of a connected interdependent world. The contributor challenge meets the need of self-esteem within the context of freedom, power and connection. Honoring one another translates to honoring self as an equal contributing part of the whole. The contributor challenge establishes a sense of equality and cooperative equal exchange, a personal sense of empowerment, value and contribution to the whole. Feelings of pride, selfconfidence, self-worth and excitement come from surmounting the contributor challenge. The contributor experiences a sense of personal reward for contributing their unique offerings. An early sense of creativity and meaning begin to form as strategies are personally chosen. The morality level takes on a sense of personal moral duty to contribute positively to self and society; and is no longer to simply avoid negativity but to actively contribute positively. The contributor challenge builds upon the others and can be completed by age six or during adolescence. During these years, the brain is growing in leaps and bounds as the mind comes into its own. Its processing abilities and logical thought begin to engage in order to put objects in the world into order in the new mental repository. This is the most fertile time period for interventions which can turn around detrimental courses caused by abusive or understimulating foster environments, and prevent a good deal of future mental and emotional dysfunction. On the other hand, the contributor challenge might not be met, and problems can continue to compound. If none of the challenges have been met, there can be further developmental delays and future anxiety, impulse control, and mood disorders. At this point, the child is particularly vulnerable to dissociation, since the mind is emerging as a singular self-unit. Although there has been a pattern of attuning to alternate states of conscious focus, they now can become alternate self-aspects, or multiple personality counterparts. Alone, this unmet challenge can establish the pattern of the servant. The sense of self is established, but within the dysfunctional martyred context of value in the self only from pleasing others. The servant experiences low-self worth, does not feel appropriately rewarded for his contributions, and becomes stagnant due to lack of pursuing self-needs. Avoidant strategies of blaming continue, and accountability for ones actions escapes the servants notice. Feelings of feigned superiority, inferiority, boredom, role confusion, and guilt all accompany the servant mentality. There will be difficulties in self-discipline, in setting personal boundaries and in meeting needs. There will be fear of rejection, over emphasis upon physical appearance 316

Eta: Implications for Health

even defensive narcissism, fear of making mistakes and over-sensitivity to criticism. Challenge IV: The Lover vs. the Actor With the challenges surmounted that have satisfied initial connection, power, freedom, and esteem, the brain developed and the mind is place, the need for connection is revisited in the challenge of the lover. This challenge generally falls around puberty and early teen years and comes to the fore with the help of hormonal sexual urges, although sexual love is but a small part of its offerings. The lover challenge entails learning the ability to have intimate friendships, to share openly without fear and to develop the deepest of human bonds. It fleshes out the early concepts of connection by coming full circle and offering yourself to others as the mother once offered herself to you. This stage marks the genuine expansion of the self concept to fully include others in the thoughts, feelings and actions. Creative impulses also come to the fore and the need for meaningful encounters strengthens. The lover begins to build a common reality with intimate friends without limit, fear or competition. The morality of the lover honors the social order, but takes on a higher sense of duty and commitment to building the intimate friendship. Feelings of compassion, love, tolerance, forgiveness, loyalty, honor, faith and hope are the rewards of surmounting the lover challenge. These feelings are based within a mindscape that understands love as the divine power. On the other hand, the actor archetype can instead emerge. The actor understands that there is some inherent value in connection with others, but is overcome by limiting beliefs that create mistrust, fear and anger. The actor uses deception to pretend intimacy but remains isolated within a defensive mindscape. There will be emptiness, shallowness, competitive dominance and submission, and sabotage of relationships that get too close for the minds comfort. The lover challenge when unmet can create further mental conditions such as mood disorders, personality eccentricities and erratic and dramatic behaviors. The feelings of jealousy, contempt, hostility and even hate can come from a lack of loving reconnection with the world. A good deal of histrionic, sociopathic and psychopathic behavior culminates at this point when there has been dysfunction at the lower levels of challenge. Individuals can retreat into severely limited mindscapes, and isolate themselves from others both mentally and physically.

317

Lessons of Enlightenment

Challenge V: The Speaker vs. the Silent Child During adolescence, challenges come upon one another as the growth process reaches its goal of physical maturity. The speaker challenge engages the creative impulses to the maximum level so that external expression can be shared with the world. Speaking, in this sense, means any form of creative expression in the world that communicates an original perspective, becoming an abstract or concrete cultural contribution to the world. At this point in the natural unfolding development, the mindscape has been finely honed and is attuned to both body and spirit. Life becomes a passionate pursuit of self-development and creative self-expression. The need for meaning also becomes more and more salient as the intuitive pathways continue to blossom. The speaker is characterized by strengthened truth and integrity, seeking broader arenas for creative expression, solid boundaries and self-solidarity. The morality of the speaker continues to respect social duty, but also speaks up when limits of convention hinders any self in any way. The feelings of creative accomplishment, passion, courage, mirth and faith become constant companions of the speaker. The speaker challenge accomplishes a sort of merging of the mind with spirit that appears to be a surrender to the divine, and opens itself freely to the offerings of life. The speaker courageously goes forth, speaks and acts creatively, and fears not what will come of it. For the speaker feels the spiritual joy of creative expression and is becoming more and more attuned to the meaningful patterns of life. The mindscapes that hold the fundamental archetypes, of course, minimize painful missteps. If the challenge goes unmet, the silent child pattern will instead be evident. The silent child falls victim to a limited mindscape that creates ongoing fear. It hides itself in shame and hurt. Its unexpressed creative energies are often channeled in internally directed anger. Feelings are held in, but burst forth in dysfunctional thoughts, and self-destructive actions. The pain of separation is a constant cross to bear, and the accumulation of pent-up feelings often prompt the escapism into avenues of chemical dependency or other forms of avoidant withdrawal. If there has been an ongoing failure to meet needs still at this stage, there can be quite severe psychological repercussions. The more severe forms of mood disorder and thought disorder begin to appear at this time in those most genetically vulnerable. Symptoms such as schizophrenic psychosis, self-mutilation and suicidal depression can begin to present themselves.

318

Eta: Implications for Health

Challenge VI: The Seer vs. the Intellectual With all former challenges surmounted, the foundation is in place for the unfolding of the higher brain potentials. Enlightened mindscapes have all archetypal understandings applied in conscious thought and action and experience far less emotional interruption than that considered normal at present. Where the spiritual energy flows easily between body, mind and spirit, there is no resistance to feedback, and the individual can see far more clearly and intuitively. The seer has conscious control of the self and is unified in every sense. The seer has clear and accurate mental perceptions and has no need for avoidance or deception of any kind. He or she is secure in power, freedom, connection, esteem, is creative and now becomes compelled by the need for meaning. The seer begins to focus attentions to the higher, more meaningful aspects of mental creativity, but remains firmly rooted in body and in actively expressing in the physical world. The seer begins to access psychic gifts and tap potentials from beyond space/time. The seer begins to understand the meaning within the nuances and synchronistic nature of life. The seer no longer has the blinders created by a limited mindscape, and begins to embrace the true nature of the physical experience. The mantra of the seer is to seek only truth. The seer begins to recognize and willfully control each of his creative events. Ideals of external controllers, superstitions and fear-driven beliefs of power loss are simply not part of the seers mindscapefor such slivers have never been seriously entertained. The illusory cause and effect relationships of the physical realm begin to give way to the higher understandings from beyond space/time as the seer becomes ever broader in his scope of conscious vision and exploration. There are few lingering emotional corrective signals, as the seer creates events and situations that no longer limit and frustrate the spirit. The predominant feelings of the seer are compassion, love, honor, mirth, bliss, gratitude, passion of living and purposeful experience, excitement of creation, and the delightful surprise and wonder in watching how desired events will unfold. The seer enjoys the fully functional nature morality, where the moral directive is the universal principles of justice, equal empowerment, compassion, respect, honor and accountability. The seer neither needs nor accepts external forms of moral or legal control, for they are known to be generally less enlightened than internal controls. The seer understands the deepest meaning within all symbolic morality systems and lives by the inner urgings of his spirit, enjoying cooperative, emotionally rewarding interactions with all fellow humans.

319

Lessons of Enlightenment

In an enlightened environment, the seer can emerge as early as in the late teen years. At present, however, the full value of the seer expressed in the physical realm is rare indeed. The more recognizable pattern can be recognized as the archetype of The Intellectual. The intellectual has made some positive progress, but has a mindscape that revolves around the existing mindscape rather than a genuine openness to ongoing self-development. The intellectual has come to certain judgments and finite conclusions and holds fast to them, often going to great lengths to rationalize, justify, and even deceive to make incoming information fit the existing mold. The intellectual must constantly defend the mindscape against any corrective emotional signal and engage in selective perception. The intellectual will often have a strong sense of superiority and be loath to allow anything or anyone to question it. The intellectual will become less and less likely to engage in genuine selfdevelopment. The mental judgments will continue to become evermore complex and perhaps impressive to some, but all judgments do nothing but limit potential and create spiritual distress. The intellectual will find it more and more necessary to subordinate the intuitive functions to the rational analytic processes because the intuitions bring information contrary to the mindscape. Eventually the entire right brain will be less involved than the left. The intellectual will not be able to escape the signals of fear, anger, sadness and guilt. Their mental and physical horizons will begin to collapse. They will necessarily narrow their field of activity and limit their friendships to those who can be persuaded to agree with them. They will put others off with haughty superiority, rigid opinions, and judgmental expressions as well as ensuring a safe physical distance. They will lack compassion and tolerance, and may demand perfection in everyone but themselves. There will be a natural isolating effect as the intellectual retreats to live in the superior surroundings of his or her own mindscape. The intellectual, having lost touch with the feeling system, will attempt to hold in feelings and subordinate them to ration, in evermore impressive mental contortions to justify the limited mindscape. The spirit will then work overtime during both waking and dream states to get its message through. The feelings will manifest inwardly, however, in depression, paranoia and resentment. If underlying challenges have remained mostly unmet, there are serious repercussions to the intellect. Such a mindscape has little effectiveness at surmounting daily challenges, lifestyles; and worldviews are quite distorted and detrimental. In fact, not many individuals even remain living if a minimal amount of progress is not attained by this time. The entity might simply decide 320

Eta: Implications for Health

that willful limits are so profound that life is a try-again, do-over. There will then be a direct spiritual hand in the final exit. Perhaps a fatal illness, an accidental death or the more direct suicidal exit. The inner needs and intuitive forces that propel the challenge of the seer cannot help but broaden the bounds of consciousness at this point in physical development. If there are any propensities toward a mobile consciousness or personality fragmentation, they can become psychotically profound at this point. As the intuitions and information from beyond space/time impinge upon the closed mindscape they can be distorted and misinterpreted, but considered valid and real. They can facilitate episodes of delusional, paranoid, psychotic and manic-depressive behavior. Challenge VII: The Transcender The final challenge lies in the continued focus upon the evermore complex levels of meaning that can be derived from the creative physical experience. As the self continues to expand internally and externally, so do the creative talents and powers of the individual. This archetypal understanding can be called the transcender. It has been historically referred to as the wise old man, the guru, the ascended master and other such related concepts. Reaching the full and complete state of the transcender is very rare indeed in the current Earthly experience. The transcender lives spontaneously in the present moment but can only do so due to the finely honed mindscape that is skilled in all worldly spheres. The mindscape is free of both positive and negative judgments, yet the experiences created bring emotional delight, and the spiritual resonance from a blissful instant, intuitive, ineffable, energy/understanding. The transcender is indeed, the full and whole human potentialthe experience that the physical embodiment is designed to be. The transcender has the entire world at his or her fingertips in complete understanding of the purposes and functions of the physical realm. Such an individual has developed and enjoys a tremendous flexibility of consciousness and is no longer simply limited to the narrow mental daytime focus of the personality. The transcender is often competent in mobility of consciousness in realms beyond space/time, enjoying out of body sojourns, lucid dreaming, extra-sensory perception, telepathic communications, and is highly effective at manifesting energy into matter. The transcender is also competent at conscious willful control over bodily processes, and exhibits impressive healing abilities. Some individuals have mastered some of these potentials including those that can manifest matter seemingly from thin air without any time-lag. The entity known 321

Lessons of Enlightenment

as Jesus Christ can be offered as the best example of the potential of the transcender. Therapeutic Approaches to Mental Health To the enlightened mind, it should be clear that the best approach to mental health is in allowing it to unfold, without messing it up with social fear, judgment and external control. Evolving beyond the idea that human nature is flawed by mental disorder or sin can go a long way toward attaining mental and emotional order and purpose. Until the emotional system is understood and given its rightful place as the divine self-regulation system, most attempts at mental cures will be only marginally successful. At present, many cures for mental illness cause far more harm than good. It is only when the emotional patterns are recognized and accommodated in the natural developmental process that mental health will naturally manifest. Approaches that examine and alter belief structures are of course the most effective forms of therapy, but the added spiritual understandings are essential additions to any such practice. Loving connection, trust, compassion and support between human beings is far more therapeutic than most cures. Pharmacological approaches are by far the most popular cure for most serious disorders, but often do far more harm than good. Most individuals that take regular doses of psychoactive drugs can only continue to take them because the chemical system has adapted to interfere with their potency in order to right and protect itself. But more often than not, individual bodies and spirits heartily reject regular doses of powerful chemicals that simply alter the emotional system instead of attacking the problem at its source. In fact, pharmacological therapy is a symptom of mass denial regarding the knowledge of the human condition. Healthy emotional systems can easily be thrown off balance by ongoing stressful situations that tip the delicate chemical balance. But there is presently far more susceptibility to such imbalances due to such factors as diet, exercise patterns, and of course internal and external conflict. Many individuals who find themselves in a period of depression can simply enhance nutrients and eat a more natural and balanced diet to completely restore chemical balance. Although individuals often respond positively to a temporary dosage of certain medications, it is because they have jump-started the natural system into producing the chemicals that have been insufficient. Even inert substances, when empowered with belief, can bring astounding improvements.

322

Eta: Implications for Health

But it will only be through the loving cooperation within humanity that true mental health can emerge. With this lens of mental health in place, we can now discuss the ramifications and connections for physical health.

323

Lessons of Enlightenment

Lesson 2: Implications for Physical Health


The Physical Focus Historically, humanity has focused on the study of human health and based the therapeutic approaches upon the inner workings of the physical form. Although it should be readily apparent that the body comes complete with its owns systems, balances, developmental and healing processes, humanity has assumed the modern scientific understanding to be superior to the wisdom of the body. Although the expansion of scientific self-awareness is a noble and necessary pursuit, at present, the level of understanding is quite meager indeed. The emphasis is still upon the physical manipulation of the form as if matter were an inert, unconscious, malleable putty to be shaped by human hands. This level of understanding has based most approaches to the practice of medicine on the central assumption that permanent corrective alterations can be made through introducing external substances and externally manipulating symptoms of inner states. Indeed, when an organ is surgically removed there is a permanent change made to the material body itself. And indeed, there can be some valid benefits in taking such drastic approaches when humanity is in the early stages of its evolution. But this approach only addresses a single aspect of the self-construct, and works only at the level of the body. It manipulates symptoms when actual causes are located in other aspects of the self. Therefore, the physical approach cannot help but be shortsighted, and can yield only limited and temporary health benefits. At present, this assumption is so deeply rooted within mass consciousness that it underlies many common beliefs and daily health practices. Some support good health, but most create a fearful artificial dependency upon external medical caregivers and substances that are necessitated by the lack of faith in the natural healing processes. The modern day health care crises illustrates the absurd level of external power that has been assumed. The government has been forced to become entangled with providing health care due to its misguided efforts to control so many other aspects of human experience. Ultimately, the removal of unnecessary legal restraints and expansion of its educational role will reduce governmental involvement and allow individuals to reclaim their rightful power for self-determinism and well-being. Be aware, internal empowerment is the key to optimal health. And indeed, the focus upon the body can give back a degree of that power. People can, in fact have quite a positive impact upon their health by simply respecting and caring for their body. This is true because the body has its own set of needs and re324

Eta: Implications for Health

quirements for its peak operation and carries out everyday healing miracles below the level of human consciousness. It must simply be given clean air to breathe, wholesome foods to eat, clear water to drink, the activity and mobility to keep its strength, flexibility, and vitality, its required level of restorative rest, and a lifestyle that honors these six universal needs. These simple requirements underlie the smooth operation of many incredibly intelligent inner systems of checks and balances that when left alone can bring far better heath than might be expected. Active Faith in the Body The first strategic approach then becomes accepting the accountability for ones own health and embracing the natural wisdom of the body. This will involve replacing any limiting ideas about natural disease processes, vulnerability to communicable diseases or pollutants, and genetically inevitable disorders of any kind, with the simple and well-founded faith in the body. The bodys ability to cleanse, to adapt, to manufacture anything it needs, and to control and protect its self are far and away more reliable and effective than any external medical methods. Indeed, it is the spirit that works beneath the minds conscious focus to ensure health and immunity, and its available information of how to do so is vastly unlimited compared to even the best of modern minds. Truly embracing this understanding naturally brings the necessary feelings of faith. This faith motivates taking active responsibility for ones health and designing a lifestyle best suited to supporting, rather than interfering, with the automatic unconscious bodily mechanisms. This faith will be courageous enough to listen to medical advice or to take in the latest scientific information, but to do so without embracing any limiting ideas that create fear. When faith is stronger than fear and integrity and honor for the body is stronger than denial of the personal responsibility and creative power, the limits of the world need not become the limits of ones mind. With faith and relative absence of limiting beliefs, the spiritual energy will flow naturally and unobstructed, the immunity and healing processes will operate at peak performance. This approach will spur a natural evolution and betterment of the lifestyle in general as the individual finds higher and higher levels of meaning within daily experience. There is far more individuality than might be suspected in lifestyle approaches that can bring equal health and vitality. This faith will include adherence to the spiritual feedback in designing the individual lifestyle. Like all human systems, health is a self-evolving condition that is directed by the genetic challenges and propensities and spiritual desires of the entity, and mediated by the energy/information provided by the feeling system.

325

Lessons of Enlightenment

As individuals are allowed to explore life, follow inner urges, and learn through active experience and spiritual feedback, they will develop the best internally directed approaches to all aspects of health. As these lessons suggest, feelings of pleasure and pain are the essential language of spirit that speaks specifically to each aspect of the self. An essential rule of the body is, If it feels good, do it. Of course, this advice comes with the usual caution about denial, escapist short-term pleasures and self-destructive tendencies based on reduction of pain, but pleasure by its very nature is health-giving. The Pleasure Principle Creating the conditions that invoke emotional pleasure releases hormones that affect all organ systems and make physical changes to the form itself. Sensate pleasure and pain is the language of body, with emotional neuropeptides and receptor cells in every area of the body to reap their benefits. The natural pleasures need never be questioned, for they are as valid as any other universal truth. They are integral to the self-developmental process and intimately connected with meeting the universal needs, whether or not the mind is yet aware of the details. Although pleasure is an individually defined pursuit, there are some general validities that affect all human forms. The life-giving habits have already been offered which can facilitate this process and enhance the state of vitality through specific expressive activities. A lifestyle that incorporates creative movement, vocalization and touch into the daily routines can bolster the physical health no matter what other choices might be made. Explorations into any number of ways to give the body pleasure can yield many surprising methods of invigorating and restoring the body. For example, human touch and massage provides a great deal of pleasure because it stimulates and influences many of the automatic bodily processes including the muscular, central neural, and lymphatic systems, as well as providing human connection. Vocalizationfrom speaking and singing to shouting and cryingnot only vent emotions, but they give the body, a rest from the effects of the mind, and they cleanse and move blocked energy. Such expressions help restore the bodily feelings of freedom. Pleasure and pain is always a valid spiritual guide. One simple truth, however, is that many humans at present will experience physical pain and emotional resistance to needed levels of physical activity. Movement satisfies needs for freedom, creativity, meaning, connection, and builds self-esteem as the body is actively respected and consciously honored and new challenges and worlds are conquered. 326

Eta: Implications for Health

Because such overemphasis has been placed upon the mind and its abilities, the body has been neglected. Mental work and play have replaced many of the active forms resulting in sedentary lifestyles. Physical activity will be painful at first, and the long-term gains and pleasures must be the driving force to get past these growing pains of the body. But the required activity is so well accommodated within the natural flow that the body itself compensates for any temporary growing pain with natural chemicals that reduce the pain and allow the natural pleasures to take over. Endorphins are released that find purchase within pain-reduction receptor cells, the heart gets pumping, and the body comes alive with vitality and enthusiasm. Pain is often symptomatic of neglected, sedentary bodies that have begun to atrophy for lack of vital activity. Athletes that utter the mantra no pain no gain are aware of higher pleasures that follow activity and the more normal functional realm of the body once such deficit states have been transcended. But one need not be an athlete to enjoy the life-giving pleasures of movement. (Any simple, but regular regimen of dancing, walking, running, Yogic posturing, Tai Chi-like movements, sexual activity, sports activities, etc., -anything which honors the integrity of the body, that allows the breath to increase, the heart to pump, the cleansing sweat to flow, and the feelings of free-flowing spiritual vitality to arise, will do.) Generally, any action is better than inaction, but a routine of such movement three to five times per week for 15-45 minutes each is sufficient for vibrant health. Physical health can also be enhanced by ensuring the body adequate rest and relaxation. There are physical and mental approaches to relaxation, both of which bring pleasure and restoration. Winding down periods of relaxation after mental and physical exertions are also necessary toward keeping the overall balance of health. The body responds well to muscle relaxation techniques, deep breathing, saunas or hot baths, massage, or even moderate alcohol consumption. The mind responds to music, to expressing feelings and concerns to loved ones, to absorbing tasks, to engaging hobbies, watching television, working puzzles, playing games, meditation and creating visual imagery, as well as to some natural mind altering substances. All pleasures that bring active learning, self-development and expression are divine by natural dictate. Sleep itself is a highly individualized process, but human sleep cycles have been dramatically affected by the cultural choices and conventions of humanity. For example, six hour sleep periods alternating with six hours of wakeful activity are much more suited to peak physical health. Short restful naps also enhance mental acuity and physical coordination. Meditative sessions are also helpful for many reasons, but do not compensate for lack of sleep.

327

Lessons of Enlightenment

In sum, the simple, unobtrusive, care and feeding of the body can make profound differences in ones state of health. Simply attuning to and answering the bodily urges will lead to meeting needs and ultimately to conscious understanding of unconscious bodily wisdom. But with the human mind, comes the ability to take over conscious control of many of the bodys subconscious processes. Indeed, the challenge of the physical realm is to learn how to manipulate matter with mind and create the conditions that allow for the broadest expansion of spirit. But with mind also comes the capacity to reap ignorant destruction upon the body. Thus far, the effects of individual mind and mass consciousness have been far more detrimental than necessary due to the lack of enlightened selfunderstanding. The Power of the Mind For mind creates the reality of its beliefs, and the generally accepted mixture of conflicting directives within the concept of health and medical care is enough to burden even the finest mindsand negatively impacts even the finest bodies. The mind can imagine and create any number of maladaptive beliefs, attitudes and strategies that can interfere with nearly every automatic process. For example, the widely held belief that health lies in the hands of a medical practitioner. With this belief, healing and cure can be stimulated simply by a conversation with a medical practitioner, or it can be impeded by the thought of ones physician being incompetent or uncaring. Suggestions of potential diseases that fit nicely into limiting belief networks, judgmental attitudes and unresolved spiritual challenges, can manifest those very conditions if fear is allowed to take root over faith. These kinds of limiting beliefs are so deeply ingrained within many societies that people often suffer much shorter lives simply because they believe themselves to be without the medical support needed, or hopeless victims of the latest popular disease. As stated, the body is an elegant cloak designed with incredible resiliency and tenacity toward maximum vivacity and healthunless the conscious mind misguidedly decides otherwise and actively interferes. (Indeed, having no mind at all is often better than one that works against its master). The body responds incredibly well to the directives of mind, for the mind is intended to consciously expand and become the willful, creative controller of the self. An elegant example of the bodily adaptive cooperation with mind is what has been called the placebo effect. Even with minimal suggestion, the body can heal itself or stop pain simply by using the energy that comes with the idea of cure. No matter whether the curative property is a sugar pill, a strong chemical, or a ritual chicken sacrifice, the body responds to the idea embraced in the chemical 328

Eta: Implications for Health

or ritual. Generally, this is enough to release bodily chemicals to right imbalances, but soon enough conflicting beliefs will return and negate its effect. Indeed, the body can produce far more substances than are yet recognized, when maintained properly. But it is not the property that has cured; it is the belief in its power that has channeled will energy into consciously altering the body. (Hypnotic suggestion and exploration will be a future area where much will be discovered of the mind-body interactions.) Whether it is the entangled slivers about health care, its own misguided needmeeting strategies or its inefficiency in the role of converter of spiritual will energy, the mind is truly the source of health. If individuals are to simply look to their lifestyles and the beliefs that support their choices, they will see many, many practices that work against the simple bodily requirements. For example, the concept of food and what it means sets people up for many mind traps. Food becomes entangled with many of the psychological needs, with cultural and social rituals, resulting in many dietary preferences, habits and attitudes that close the mind to the wisdom of the body and the benefits of ongoing development. Food then is no longer considered primarily as a nourishment mechanism, but becomes an avenue for pleasure that is missing in other areas of unfilled need. Mental deficits, not physical ones, may prompt dietary choices and result in lifestyles that compromise the bodys balances. Such choices over time can contribute to weight problems, digestive problems, hormonal imbalances, diabetes, cancer, and many other disorders and diseases. An effective strategy to counteract the habits and patterns that often inhibit the body, are cyclic dietary restorations. Since the body develops tolerances and accommodates many debilitating habits, it can be reset, by periodic fasting. Breaking a rigid dietary habit pattern can allow the body to return to a more natural state of balance and actually alter conditioned taste preferences and habitual impulses, allowing the actual hunger and satiety conditions to change. Indeed, it honors the body to regularly, perhaps once per year, undergo a threeto five day period of cleansing with juices alone as the diet. Then the gradual introduction of solid foods over the next two weeks, beginning with fresh fruits and raw vegetables and relatively smallish portions taken regularly throughout each day as directed by the urges of the body. This restorative fasting allows many processes to return to much more natural states, and new preferences and patterns to emerge. Indeed, any habitual pattern should be broken from time to time, to simply invite innovative alternatives. A mindscape with a simple, natural approach to food drawing upon the gifts of nature, without much mindful intervention, will experience something much closer to peak physical vitality than even the most complex knowledge of vita329

Lessons of Enlightenment

mins, supplements, and curative potions. Nature has provided all the organisms and seasonal rhythms to offer many forms of the basic nutritive requirements, as well as the inner self guidance system to evolve the best personalized approaches to diet. As the natural self-developmental process unfolds, the mind automatically seeks higher and higher levels of meaning, and there is a corresponding alteration in the evolving lifestyle of the individual. Thus, there are as many approaches to food, exercise and health as there are levels of spiritual development. If the mind is truly doing its job, the spiritual feedback signals will bring continuous improvements to the strategies that underlie health. As denial and blame are replaced with accountability for all of lifes experiences, the importance of building health will take a much higher priority, and a corresponding change in diet, exercise, and general faith in the body will naturally unfold. There are no necessarily right or wrong approaches to meet the bodys requirements, and an over-emphasis upon which approach is the highest can sacrifice the faith in the body and bring unnecessary fear. For example, vegetarianism. As entities begin to evolve the self-concept to include all life forms, it can become dissatisfying to choose to eat animal flesh and rob a conscious life form of its experience. Such choices are well within the range of necessary human experience as the species evolution unfolds. But at the present level of mass consciousness, the limited concept of a life form, the illusions of spacetime, and the tremendous disconnection from spirit create a good deal of confusion. Honoring the natural urges and learning from all emotional experience is the best way to honor all spirits as well as design a dietary lifestyle. At present, removing slivers is the first challenge to the minds role in maintaining health. For a mind choked with conflicting beliefs invests its energy so poorly that its higher potentials cannot even present themselves, let along develop. There must first be an unblocking of energy, before the full vital force can flow. Then there will come an individual developmental process where each person attunes more to the feeling signals of body and embraces many available intuitive insights about what the body needs at any given moment to bolster its vitality. The idea that the form is the only controlling force has blinded researchers to the role mindful experience plays in the onset of most disease processes. As individuals embark upon this developmental process, they will become acquainted with the bodily predispositions and the spiritual challenges they represent. As the challenges are surmounted, certain symptoms begin to disappear. Many disturbances with symptoms such as allergic reactions, cancerous

330

Eta: Implications for Health

tissue overgrowth and hormonal imbalances are the direct result of emotional stress that has not been properly understood or addressed. As the divine self-regulation system provides its unifying guidance, many apparent genetically inevitable conditions will simply reverse or not arise. Hidden beneath a pile of conflicting and limited beliefs about health, lies the valid need for the mind and body to constantly interact in the divine feedback process. Managing Emotional Stress An essential part of maintaining health in the world at present lies in understanding and mediating the daily stressors. Reconnecting to the inner spiritual guidance will put the concept of stress in its proper context, as the cumulative level of unresolved emotional conflict. Stress is the symptom of conflict between the self and world, due to the opposition between body and mind. Each conflict obstructs the flow of spiritual energy and begs for correction. The more the stress, the bigger the physical detriment. Stress then has both a role in the natural feedback process, and in how emotional energy builds, accumulates and creates disruption. At present, the ability to understand and manage stress is essential to building health. The divine self-regulation system is the instrument for effecting purposeful internal and external change. Since this divine self-regulation system is intertwined so completely within the human biology, emotional arousal has a direct effect upon the physical immune system. It is to be expected that any sort of change will bring emotional signals, and the more unexpected and dramatic the change, the stronger the feelings will beboth good and bad. But in a general sense, stress is the cumulative effect of lingering negative feelings of fear, anger, guilt, envy, resentment, etc. Embracing the concept of growing pains and responding to the slightest signal will ensure that unhealthy amounts of stress do not accumulate. The amount of momentary stress or emotional dissonance, experienced in any given moment can range from minor anxious growing pains, to a shocking and overwhelming emotional reaction that can even overtake consciousness and cause one to faint dead away. The highest stressors have to do with major losses, such as death of a loved one, loss of health, businesses, jobs or major need-meeting resources. The worst experiences often surround the power, freedom and connection needs. In the world today, sudden, unexpected and painful life events will surely arise, until fully enlightened mindscapes are in place and events are created in line with all desires.

331

Lessons of Enlightenment

Indeed, as humans begin to embrace the enlightened understandings, there will be accelerated progress and plenty of change. Individuals will begin assessing the very core assumptions and values that have based long-term decisions. They may outgrow their friends, and even spouses, yet attract entirely new and more suitable comrades. They might change jobs and even whole careers when recognizing and answering their inner urgings. They might end or begin all sorts of group affiliations. Although this brings tremendous progress to the individual, it comes with a good deal of emotional ups and downsall of which can be reflected in the health unless a solid strategy of stress management is in place. In addition to the tender, enlightened care and feeding of the body, good stress management will involve structured ways to promote enlightened feedback and support for the process of change itself. Such structures will include intimate friendships where life circumstances can be discussed. Each human being can benefit tremendously by simply sharing life events, feelings experienced, and solutions in the context of connection and the search for meaning. Such community is tremendously pleasurable as well as offering a forum for exchanging perspectives, information and potential solutions. Such structures will also counter negative events with balances of healthy pleasures. Individuals can benefit tremendously from counterbalancing each negativity with one active positively given to the self. This is particularly important in an historical age when selfishness is condemned and martyrdom is advocated. The popular ideas that suffering is good for the soul, or that giving something to ones self is somehow less noble that giving pleasure to another, are simply unsound and create further emotional stress. With a united body and mind and expanded self-concept, the pleasures of the individual self are never excluded from the pleasures of all. Balanced and appropriate levels of self indulgence are not only recommended, they are required. Restoring a sense of equity and balance can keep stress to a minimum. Thus, it is essential for each individual to know exactly what brings about personal pleasures. Producing a list from the highest, to even the most minor, pleasures can clarify exactly how the universal needs are fulfilled. When painful changes occur, after the necessary right and light responses are made, it is time for legitimate celebration and reward. A selection from the pleasure list of an indulgence of appropriate size and correspondence to the problem itself can help counter-balance stress as well as motivate quicker corrections. Even guilty pleasures, sinful foods, vacation getaways, or expensive gifts when parceled to ones self in a balanced way can greatly enhance health without compromising the contributions to others, the form of ones body or the resources of ones pocket book. Again, this is an individual process, but there 332

Eta: Implications for Health

are indeed many healthy pleasures to be had, with balance and moderation being the key. Universal pleasures are of course linked to the universal needs. Optimism, altruistic actions, confessional intimacy, continuing education, creative expression, gaining control, life examination and finding meaning, laughter and tears are healthful and life-giving. In sum, the mind should be designed around the parameters, needs, impulses and urges of the body to promote the most natural flow of health and vitality. Take care to attune to and honor the body, to face all growing pains with courage and integrity, and to embrace full accountability for making healthy lifestyle choices. The mind can then ride the wave to faith in the integrity of nature, of spirit, and of the body to build and maintain health and vitality. Holism Fortunately, the time has come where humanity is awakening to a bigger version of health and indeed a broader understanding of the human experience. Not only has the power of mind begun to be suspected, but also over the past several decades, there has been a growing interest in alternative and holistic approaches to health that also add the spiritual component. Holistic self-unity is indeed the bedrock for all kinds of health and vitality. It is only when there is disunity that the spiritual energy force cannot flow freely between physical and nonphysical worlds, and freely throughout the physical body. Humanity is poised on the brink of discovering and enjoying a radically optimistic view of healthand life in generalas they embrace the enlightened understandings. It is reclaiming the divine emotional system that shall at last reunite body, mind and spirit in the vital whole that is intended to regulate and support the most purposeful physical experience. As individuals re-attune to this long-lost inner sense, the natural process will unfold. If the right and light responses are made to each painful emotional signal, the mindscape is more and more cleansed of slivers and judgments, awareness of the natural bodily processes evolves and unclaimed potentials will simply emerge. Health and vitality come along with this process, and the unification of body, mind and spirit in any given lifetime cannot help but promote maximum health and expression in all counterparts and aspects of the entity. Indeed, healing brings a fuller spectrum of spiritual vitality across space-time. When this unifying sense becomes embraced within mass consciousness, tremendous catch-up progress can be made. The focus will immediately shift to the model of the trinity of self, and the roles of both body and mind will be recognized as integral in the expression of spirit. The body will be rewarded and 333

Lessons of Enlightenment

fulfilled by the mind, and the mind will fully accommodate the spirit through enlightened belief structures, and be free to create any experience of its choosing. As higher and higher levels of meaning are attained, individuals will recognize the constant interactive cycles within and between the physical and non-physical realms. For as purposeful self-development and self-expression occur, there is an actual expansion of consciousness itself. With evolving vibrancy, there is a continuous increase in mental abilities where the eventual instantaneous manipulation of matter by mind is entirely possible. Health and healing will be entirely different constructs than those that currently exist within mass consciousness. We can now discuss the first step to this destiny in the new holistic understandings that are becoming known as energy medicine.

334

Eta: Implications for Health

Lesson 3: Implications for Holistic Health


Health in the New Millennium The turn of the millennium marks a significant transition in the human consciousness with the rediscovery of the inner self-regulation sense of feeling. Upon re-attunement to inner guidance, when feeling signals are decoded and acted upon purposefully, the subsequent enlightenment will naturally unfold. Individuals will begin to discover and reclaim the vast empowerment that now is invested in limiting beliefs which purchase only minimal levels of expressionand allow only minimal levels of physical vibrancy. The lack of self-understanding has dramatically reduced the amount of the potential health and vitality of normal human living to the degree that disease, disorder, personality and even character development have been placed outside of individual control through the truth offered by mass consciousness. In a world that insists that humans are slaves to genetic predestiny, or the effects of bad parenting, or cultural violenceonly to be rescued by blindly following religious doctrinethe creative power of mind is short-circuited. The power over health and development has been placed in the hands of experts instead of in the minds of each individual where it truly belongs. But as the dawn of conscious enlightenment sweeps humanity, there can be a fairly quick recovery and return to the state of conscious, unified, creative experience of spirit in flesh. This empowerment will replace the emphasis of good health back upon each aspect of self as a self-regulated, willful, unified whole and a far more profound understanding of the spiritual aspects of humanity will be apparent. Energy Medicine and the Flow of Consciousness The beginning of this trend can already been seen in the recent interest in energy medicine by Western civilization. Although Eastern disciplines and medical approaches have long embraced the nature of the body electric, with this shift, the energy will be recognized as the vehicle of consciousness itself. Reclaiming the emotional sense will sever the final strand of the Western notion that consciousness arises from life, instead of consciousness underlying all life. It will create a flurry of intellectual connections between many isolated areas of science including quantum physics, as consciousness takes its rightful place as the energy/information of the cosmos, the expanding mind expressing the spirit of All That Is.

335

Lessons of Enlightenment

The energy field will be recognized as various manifestations of consciousness and seen as an interacting portal between body, mind and spiritwith varying intensities and mental and physical manifestations perceived as various aspects of the emotional system. Indeed, varying levels of certain features of energy (such as vibratory frequencies, etc.) will be recognized as unifiers of body, mind and spirit as consciousness cycles into and out of the physical space/time continuum. These cycles and processes will be central to the new concept of holistic energy health. Indeed, the flow of energy and its conversion from one form to the next is the process that maintains all physical matter, and the conscious human mind plays a far bigger role than is yet suspected. The energy network that comprises the spirit in flesh can be compared to an infinite cycling of energy of spirit flowing through mind and body. A visual depiction can help: Imagine an infinity symbol and the pattern of cyclic energy flowing between its two sides. One side is the physical realm and the other is the nonphysical spiritual realm. Trace the outline of the figure below to feel the cycle course of energy flow. Within this image of circulating energy between physical and non-physical realms, we can recognize the conscious energy potential of spirit. The spirits breadth of consciousness transcends any attainable level of physical consciousness, but provides guidance through the emotional sense to bring the fullest breadth of conscious physical experience to mind. It resides in the non-physical and constantly journeys into, and out of, the physical realm when the entity is embodied. It is the life force that animates the body, handles all subconscious processes and moves it impulsively towards its purpose. Thus, both sides of the infinity symbol can also be acknowledged as body and spirit within the trinity self construct. But now focus upon the intersection point between the two, as this tiny point is actually the mental realm, or the mind, as depicted below. The mind is the focal point of the individual personality, the conversion center of the will energy, as well as the mechanism for expanding consciousness. With this image, it is apparent how the mind, as a door-like portal, can influence the energy flow. The mind receives energy from both the spirit and from the body and directs thought and action through belief structures. The body, with its needs and impulses cues the mind through unconscious impulses to consciously act in ways that meet the physical needs. This is how it receives feedback from the world regarding how well its needs have been met. The spirit, with its challenges and drive for breadth of expression, moves the mind through pleasurable inspirations, dreams and creative insights. The information from the energy of spirit is experienced in the mind with the emotional resonance of joyous connection to the divine.

336

Eta: Implications for Health

The energy from the physical world is experienced in the mind as more basic emotional feelings and impulses. The feelings are experienced as need hungers which seek satisfaction and which are satisfied through the impulsive movements of body. If the bodys needs are not satisfied in any given moment, it cues the mind through the painful corrective feelings of fear and anger, and impulses for fight and flight responses. As the mind recognizes meaning within the patterns, it expands its conscious ability to direct purposeful thought and action as well as embracing and expressing its value potential in any manner desirable. In organisms less complex than humans, there is a more direct connection between body and spirit, without much conscious mind to intervene. The energy information flow from spirit acts directly upon the body. But in humans, the energy information from body flows into mind so that it can become consciously aware and take willful control over need-meeting actions. This is how it learns and can come up with creative need-meeting strategies that are far better than the simple instinctive reflexes of body. While the energy flow within animals is relatively constant, in humans, the energy flow to body can be disrupted by the will choices and contents of the mind. If the mind chooses to not attune to the incoming emotional messages or clings to beliefs that do not do the job, the mind closes its doors in self-defense, and little of the precious energy can flow between physical and non-physical realms. But a fully closed mind could not facilitate life and a closed mind is not usually the true obstruction. It is, of course, the beliefs that become part of the mindscape. As we now know, the mind develops from the moment of birth in order to consciously and willfully direct the creative experience, so it builds beliefs in a third mental realm which transfers the energy from its spiritual form to its mental form. In this mental realm, the beliefs act as energy targets that channel and direct the will energy into creative events in the physical realm. The energy flow is not disrupted or minimized unless limiting belief structures are planted within the mind, and these disruptions, of course, prompt the corrective signals of emotional pain. In this context, emotional pain signals distortion of the pure energy/information of spirit and suggests changes to the mindscape. The mindscape is meant to be designed to the desires and specifications of each individual, to be planted and nurtured like a personal garden that converts will energy into purposeful and desired life events. The mind is meant to become complex with the individually unique perceptions and value expression as part of the experiential expansion of All That Is. As mind evolves conscious understandings, it can speed up and personalize the flow of energy between body and spirit, but at present serves more to obstruct and water down the flow of life

337

Lessons of Enlightenment

force. This is the very genesis of the condition of compromised mental and physical health. As depicted below, the mindscape, the creative mental realm can either convert energy efficiently with its myriad gems, or it can block it, if it contains a sizeable amount of slivers. Emotional signals mark the trapped energy in the mind that is frustrating the flow of spirit and under-energizing the body. With this image, the complete energy construct can be introduced. What has been depicted with this infinite energy loop is the trinity of self. The mind is the conversion portal of physical and nonphysical energy. It is not simply one construct, but a series of energy conversion points that have been termed chakras. The mind or mental realm has also been termed the emotional body, energy body, or ethereal body, but it can now take its rightful place in the self system. Now the image of the infinity symbols can be collapsed back down into its more valid depiction. The trinity of self intersects at the portal chakras of mind in an overlapping interactive conversion system that has been compared to a spinning wheel. Each chakra of the mindscape is more accurately depicted below. Indeed, the mindscape (with its beliefs that either increase or subdue energy flow) is not located in one place, but rather it straddles space-time encapsulating the physical body. The mind is thus centered at seven locations corresponding with each of the universal needs of body and the spiritual challenges. During the natural developmental process, as the challenges are surmounted and the successful need-meeting belief structures are put into place, each of the minds chakra portals becomes fully engaged and operating at peak capacity. At peak capacity, the will energy is smoothly converted from the nonphysical realm into the physical realm and back again through its personally chosen belief structures. This is how reality is created through the mindscape as well as how it is guided by the feedback of the spiritual energy force, and how peak health and well being is attained. If belief structures are limited in any way they will create events that cause emotional signals to tell us that we are focusing our energy in ways less conducive to spiritual intention. If signals are not answered with conscious adaptive learning corrections made to the mindscape, the energy disruptions affect thought, action and the health of the physical body. For ongoing painful signals indicate unacceptable deficit states where the individual is not fully functional, or even fully alive.

338

Eta: Implications for Health

This energy state underlies all aspects of mental and physical health. For the displaced energy lingers and builds, creates chemical imbalances, and adds urgency to the bodys unconscious need-meeting impulses until some purposeful change occurs. The body can help dissipate the energy through movement, creative action, vocalization, and tears, but it will continue to be problematic until each of the spiritual challenges are surmounted permanently with successful belief structures that bring positive emotional outcomes on a long term basis. For physical life is the creation of blissful human experience which delights and expands the universal consciousness of All That Is. Suffering is not a spiritually desirable state. Humanity has become so mired in limiting beliefs that disorder and disease have been accepted as normal or inevitable conditions of life. Each emerging mind has been so choked with value judgments that the intended course of human development remains unattained. Although physical life is graced with tremendous flexibility and resilience such that we can survive with severely under-energized forms, such a life is painful, brutish, relatively short, and devoid of much meaning and value. Full healthful development is the challenge of bringing unconscious processes under willful conscious control through purposeful belief structures. This peak development is mastering the ultimate potential to creatively manipulate matter with the conscious mind. The fully aware and alive human being can convert matter into energy and quite literally prevent and cure disease with the power of the mind. The transcendent potential within humanity includes transmutation of the physical form itself. Where conscious conversion, dissipation and reintegration of the physical form can allow certain types of time-space dimensional travel. With such a destiny, the species are profoundly handicapped even when we appear to be fairly alive and healthy. But the progress of the species is contingent upon conscious awakening to the interaction of the trinity of self and ceasing to ignorantly interfere with the unfolding mind. The process can proceed if the energy flow remains open and circulating, the chakras spinning, so that mind becomes conscious of all spiritual potential and expresses it in the world. At the optimal energy flow, feelings from the nonphysical realm deliver steady enthusiasm, creative inspirations and a passionate drive toward purposeful self-development and self-expression of its value potential in line with the entitys desired destiny path. When this optimal flow occurs, health is naturally vibrant, and life is consciously directed, spontaneous, meaningful and rewarding. Otherwise, disruptions occur which effect health and well-being and misdirect energy into limited beliefs and creations.

339

Lessons of Enlightenment

Disturbances to the Chakras of Mind Interference in the natural developmental process manifests itself in one of two ways. The energy comes into the mind from both directions, flowing through the minds belief structures cycling feedback information between physical and non-physical realms. As mind evolves its consciousness, it becomes better and better at deciphering the energy information from either side without creating distortion, while choosing any desirable manner of belief to carry out spiritual guidance. Any limiting beliefs of mind can act like a conceptual gate at either side of its portal that filters and limits a portion of the energy. The mind can also develop habitual defensive strategies that can substantially impact either gate. If the mind blocks the energy from either direction, the chakra itself will contain either too much or too little energy. The mind can block energy as it comes from the spiritual realm if it contains belief structures that do not honor the divinity and connection to All That Is. This is the condition of being under-energized, with characteristic mental and physical symptoms resulting in lethargy and depression. Or the mind can allow the energy/information to enter, but lack the efficient belief structures to channel it properly in creative expression, resulting in a frustration of blocked energy. Or the mind can defend itself with denial to the incoming feedback from the physical realm. This is the condition of being over-energized, with its own set of symptoms, which involved increased impulsive urges. Either condition prevents the full breadth of its potential experience from flowing into the physical realm and back to its source in the non-physical realm. The condition of being under-energized, can still allow a flow of feedback information between body and mind, but spiritual input is minimized. A chakra that is open to spirit but becomes closed to feedback from body, fails to act upon the energy information, and experiences creative frustration and pressure from world challenges that increase subconscious bodily impulses. The energy is then forced into future experiences through unconscious approach-and-avoid responses to complete its intentions of self-preservation and drive toward conscious self-development and self-expression. This trapped energy moves the body in the purposeful directions, in specific patterns of behavior so that the mind can take note, get it right and change its structures and increase the energy flow. It will continue in endless cycles of negative events until the mind becomes aware enough to get it right. If the person allows their mind to cling to its limited beliefs and shuts down at both ends, this is the most serious compromise of the health of the mental chakra, and the most powerful threat to survival. This generally occurs when 340

Eta: Implications for Health

denial strategies prevent the feedback from body from entering the conscious awareness, yet there are also few belief structures to receive the higher inspirations and feelings of faith offered by spirit. Without using the feedback information, the mind becomes disconnected from body and body alone acts out its pain. This creates a sense of futility, yet an energized anger that is unleashed upon the world. This is the essence of the concept of karma. If the mind is not sufficiently open at any point, it will be forced by the negative experiences it creates to learn of its power and how to utilize it more purposefully. Such a mind will create disease by continuously forcing the body into stressful emotional cyclesdisease that does not necessarily go away with the physical death. For even if the life ends long before the mind has opened itself fully, its experiences and limitations then become future challenges for the entity to overcome in alternate/subsequent experiences and incarnations. The persons chakras of mind become part of the entitys history of expansion following any given incarnation and all deficits become top priorities to round out and complete itself as part of the general expansion of All That Is. This is how choices are made for subsequent birth conditions, physical challenges, and all genetic predispositions. They are intended to focus developmental efforts on the least fulfilled spiritual challenges. Enlightened health analysis will use genetic conditions and propensities as indicators of the specific challenges that must be addressed, such that these disorders need not arise. Enlightened parents can then ensure the best conditions to keep this pattern from repeating, and the individual can use the information to recognize inner urges that relate to these challenges. Indeed, holistic health reaches far beyond the simple aches and pains of any given day, or the disease processes of any given life, addressing the spiritual challenges and their broadest implications. The Seven Chakra Centers of Mind The secret is, of course, realignment with the inner self-unifying processes through understanding the function of spiritual feeling signals as they circulate within and between all aspects of self. As we now know, the bodily needs and the spiritual challenges manifest in this process of purposeful mental selfdevelopment. This develop-mental process is the intended natural opening or turning on each of the chakras of mind. Ancient symbolic wisdom has linked the chakra system to the elements of earth, fire, water and air; to the sensory system; to aromas; to musical notes and tones; to colors of the spectrum; all in addition to health issues. The recent pio341

Lessons of Enlightenment

neering efforts in energy medicine have begun to synthesize the ancient symbolic wisdom and to tap into the physical maladies linking them with the unmet physical needs and unfulfilled spiritual challenges. Although there is less specificity and precision than will ultimately emerge, this rudimentary holistic concept of health is a necessary step in the evolution of the species. To assist in this evolving self-understanding, it is most useful to discuss the over-energized and under-energized symptoms at each of the chakra centers. These physical and emotional conditions can be used to identify the unfulfilled spiritual challenges, to resolve conflicting beliefs, and to remove the destructive slivers. Individuals can draw from this wisdom to find many useful techniques to assist their self-developmental progress. The use of tone and color are particularly helpful in visualizations, vocalizations and creation of soothing, relaxing and grounding external conditions. As the chakras themselves are introduced, their descriptions will include some of the traditional wisdom. But it is essential to recognize the supplementary nature of element, tone, and colors associated with specific chakras and that the focus remains upon the spiritual challenges and conscious development of the mindscape. The chakras must first and foremost be recognized as the very manifestations of mind itself, which have a direct energetic, electrical and chemical effect upon the body. The chakras are where and how the specific beliefs of mind affect the bodily conditions. In a general sense, the chakra system has three major categories or stages in a sequential developmental process. The primal or bodily grounding, the psychological or mental grounding and the psychic spiritual awakening. Chakras One and Two: Bodily Grounding The first two chakras are opened fully as the mind learns its place in the world, becomes connected with inner and outer processes, and learns to both give and receive energy information. There can be a good deal of overlap in the physical process and symptoms of these two basic centers, but the health maladies offered can point the mind in the direction of the spiritual issues and bodily needs that require corrective attention. The Root Chakra The root chakra is the first and most basic energy center of the emerging mind. It is located around the tailbone, and it represents the basic connection need to be grounded in ones body and in ones world. The feelings of body push and pull through inner impulses to lead the mind to develop the successful beliefs that overcome the mother challenge. The root chakra is profoundly affected by 342

Eta: Implications for Health

the infants environment and is influenced by the predestined focuses of the incarnation. It is the tribal connection and offering of mass consciousness that can make or break an emerging sense of connection, freedom and power. Unconditional love from family and acceptance into the world is essential for the complete opening of the root chakra. The root chakra has been associated with the sense of touch, the color red, the earth element, the note of C, and the tone of short e as in red. A fully open and balanced root chakra is characterized in the mother archetypal energy, by a centered groundedness, a safe and healthy sense of selfempowerment, unlimited physical energy and the ability to manifest abundance. It supports the values of loyalty, honor and justice. The sexual energy is loving, affectionate, passionate, trusting and sensuality is experienced throughout the body. Disturbances in this chakra relate to unresolved challenges and mental slivers that have been instilled which close the door at either end of mind. An overenergized root chakra presents itself in such characteristics as a victimizing archetypal energy, perfectionism, impulses of greed dominance, and addiction to wealth. Sexuality is often indiscriminate, mostly genital, often sadistic and filled with nervous sexual energy. An under-energized root chakra is well captured in the victim archetype, characterized by weakness, confusion, inability to attain goals, and self-destructiveness. Sexuality is influenced by feelings of being unloved, or of being abandoned, and often results in little interest in sex or masochism. Physical symptoms of disturbances of the root chakra will involve the spinal column, nervous system, legs, feet, immune system, the blood and the bladder. They can include lower back pain, sciatica, hyperactivity, fever, low or high blood pressure, sluggish digestion, flaky skin, varicose veins, shock, anemia, poor circulation, rectal tumors, and depression. The Second Chakra The second chakra is located in the lower abdomen. It is associated with the father challenge, the sense of taste, the color orange, the element of water, the note D and the tone o as in open. It involves the sexual organs, the hips, bladder, appendix, pelvis and large intestine. It is the center for physical prowess, empowerment, friendliness, creativity, money, blame, guilt and sexuality. A healthy and open second chakra of the mindscape drives a friendly, humorous and optimistic disposition, solid attunement to feelings, strong empathic connection with others, creativity, imagination, and intuition, and a beginning sense of universal connection and altered states of consciousness. Sexual en343

Lessons of Enlightenment

ergy is very sensual and a potential desire to have children if such has been a destiny choice. Excessive energy in the second chakra is evidenced by emotional explosiveness, aggression, being overly ambitious or manipulative, being caught up in fantasy or delusion, and overly affected by the feelings of others. The sexuality might be obsessive, with a view that people are objects. An under-energized condition is characterized by detached emotions, shyness, guilt, mistrustfulness, self-sacrifice and resentment, and well described by the martyr archetype. Sexuality is often overly needy, repressed, guilt-ridden, dysfunctional and may bring difficulty with conception. Physical symptoms of disturbances in the second chakra can be gynecological problems, kidney weakness, constipation or diarrhea, lethargy, allergies, urinary problems or bladder infections, muscle cramps or spasm, infertility, impotence or frigidity as well as chronic lower back pain. Chakras Three and Four Mental Grounding The next two chakras are concerned with the minds grounding in its tasks, abilities and functional role as the conscious controller and instrument of selfdevelopment and creative expression. The Third Chakra The third chakra is located in the upper abdomen at the solar plexus. It is the center of personal power and value fulfillment at the developmental point where the person comes into ones own in full recognition of the drive to develop and express inner gifts. It is associated with the contributor challenge, sense of taste, the color yellow, the element fire, the note E and the tone oom as in room. It involves the stomach, the middle spine, liver, gallbladder, adrenal glands, spleen, abdomen, upper intestines, kidney and the pancreas. It involves issues of trust, self-esteem, pursuit of happiness, compassion for self and others, responsibility for decision making, fear and intimidation, sensitivity to criticism, and personal honor. An open and balanced third chakra is characterized by: respect for self and others, an outgoing and cheerful disposition, a strong sense of personal power and responsibility, awareness of inner value potential and its need to express; skillful, relaxed, intelligent, spontaneous, enjoys good food, and likes challenge and activity. Sexuality is free, uninhibited, emotionally warm, intimate and mutually pleasurable, with a sense of tremendous value for, and committed responsibility to, family. 344

Eta: Implications for Health

Disturbances in the over-energized third chakra include judgmentalness, perfectionism, workaholism, demanding, resentful, overly intellectual, seeks chemical escapism and a superiority complex based upon feelings of inferiority. Sexuality might include complaining, testing ones partner, being overly demanding or overactive but rarely fulfilled. An under-energized third chakra brings depression, lack of confidence, confusion, following rather than leading, fear and loneliness. Physical symptoms of these disturbances are poor digestion, food allergies, gas, liver problems, diabetes, hypoglycemia, over-sexuality, depression, difficulty breathing, gallstones and nervous exhaustion. The Fourth Chakra The fourth chakra is located in the heart area. It is the center of full connection and empathetic compassion. It is associated with the lover challenge, the color green, the element air, the senses of touch and smell, the note F# and the tone a as in ah. It involves the heart and lungs, the circulatory system, and the thymus gland, the arms and shoulders, the ribs, breasts and the diaphragm. It involves the issues of love and hate, grief and anger, resentment and revenge, loneliness, commitment, hope, trust, forgiveness and compassion. A balanced fourth chakra is characterized by full emotional attunement, intimate relationships, compassion, humanitarianism, faith in human nature, nurturing, in touch with feelings in self and others, active in community, discriminating, and outgoing. Sexuality is a merging of spirits in intimate communion, a dissatisfaction with lesser forms and the strong inner motivations and patience for the higher intimacy. Excessive energy in the fourth chakra is reflected in possessiveness, overly demanding and critical behavior, melodramatic, manic-depressive, uses money and or guilt to control. Sexual energy is conditional love, and manipulative control. Under-energized conditions result in self-pity, indecision, paranoia, fear of abandonment, fear of vulnerability, and worry over family members. Sexuality is stifled by feelings of unworthiness, fear of rejection, neediness for constant reassurance. Physical symptoms of fourth chakra disturbances are congestive heart failure, heart attack, mitral valve prolapse, asthma, allergies, lung cancer, bronchial pneumonia, upper back and shoulder pain, breast cancer, high blood pressure, negativity, fatigue, breathing problems, tension, insomnia, anger, cancer and paranoia.

345

Lessons of Enlightenment

The Final Three Chakras Grounding the Spirit The final three chakras are involved with the grounding of spirit and attaining the maximum connection with the highest guidance and communion with All That Is. The Fifth Chakra The fifth chakra is located in the throat area. It is the center for creative expression. It is associated with the speaker challenge, the color blue, the sense of sound, the note G and the tone u as in blue. It involves the throat, the thyroid, mouth, teeth and gums, trachea, esophagus, parathyroid, the neck vertebrae, and the hypothalamus. It involves the issues of creativity, choice and strength of will, value fulfillment, personal expression, judgment, faith and knowledge. The balanced fifth chakra is characterized by artistic inspiration and expression, spontaneity and living in the present, good speaking and meditating skills, intuitive, centered and prolific. Sexual energy is incredible, or it can be channeled into other creative outlets, making abstinence an easy choice. Excessive energy in the fifth chakra involves being over-talkative, selfrighteous, dogmatic, addictive, or arrogant. Sexuality is preoccupying, subconsciously macho and might seek partners that can be dominated. Too little energy results in intimidation, holding back, unreliable, inconsistent, confusion, devious or manipulative and having trouble expressing ones thoughts. Sexuality is fearful, tense, and in conflict with cultural teachings. Physical symptoms of disturbances in the fifth chakra include thyroid problems, sore throat, teeth and gum problems, exhaustion, mental fatigue, skin irritations and rashes, ear infections, laryngitis, and swollen glands. The Sixth Chakra The Sixth chakra is located in the forehead area. It is the center of intuitive vision and finding meaning through an ever-widening conscious awareness. It is associated with the senses of sight and self-regulation, the color indigo, the note high A and the tone om as in home. It involves the brain, nervous system, the eyes, nose, and ears, and the pineal and pituitary glands. It is connected with issues of: the seer, seeking truth, self-evaluation, uniting intellect with emotion, openness to others ideas and feedback.

346

Eta: Implications for Health

The fully open sixth chakra is evident in charisma, attunement to universal consciousness, emotional detachment from material things while open to the joy of aesthetic, no fear of death, model of liberation and self-mastery, telepathy and clairvoyance, and a mobile consciousness. Sexuality is spiritual melding, with androgyny attained by both partners, or celibacy and transcendent bliss is substituted. An over energized sixth chakra results in authoritarianism, religious dogmatism, manipulation and egomania. An under-energized sixth chakra instead brings lack of self-discipline, fear of success, and a melding with feelings, energies and identities beyond the personality. Health conditions that accompany sixth chakra disturbances include stroke, brain tumors or hemorrhage, neurological disturbances, blindness or deafness, full spinal problems, seizure disorders and learning disabilities. The Seventh Crown Chakra The seventh, final chakra of the mindscape is located at the crown area of the head. It is the center of spiritual transcendence. It is associated with the transcender challenge, the need for the highest meaning, the color violet, with extrasensory perception, and the transcendent lure of life-long unified selfregulation, the note B, and the tone e as in see. It involves the muscular and skeletal systems and the skin. Its issues are spiritual awareness, mobility of consciousness, conscious creation, faith, inspiration and cosmic humanitarianism. The fully functional seventh chakra is characterized by purposeful thoughts and actions that lead to the highest ethics and values of natural morality, communion with the divine, the self actualized potential, the endless boundaries of the self concept, miraculous abilities, the humanitarian efforts for the broadest realm of self-expression, faith, courage, compassion and devotion, and a relative absence of negative emotion. An over-energized crown chakra brings constant frustration, unrealized power, frequent migraine headaches, psychosis, depression or mania, destructive impulses, and delusions of grandeur. Sexuality fluctuates between passion and distance. An under-energized crown chakra leads to indecision, low vitality and catatonia. Physical symptoms of the crown chakra disturbances include energetic disorders, mystical depression, chronic exhaustion without any physical source, and extreme sensitivity to all forms of sensory stimuli.

347

Lessons of Enlightenment

Personal Health Care In light of the reunification of body, mind and spirit, health maintenance becomes the daily care and feeding of the body, and of ongoing refinement of the mindscape to expand the consciousness through the specifications of spirit. As more successful belief structures conduct spiritual energy/information, the chakras that comprise it can open and spin freely allowing for the most purposeful, vital, rewarding, and healthy life experience. Infant natal charts will include courses of parental actions regarding the specific challenges indicted by genetic strengths, weaknesses and disorders. Individuals can then take the lead at any point that they become conscious enough to recognize their unique sensitivities and life events as relating to the overall challenges of the spirit and any deficits that may be lingering. They can quite literally map the slivers of mind by using the information from the body through the evaluative wisdom of spirit. Enlightened individuals can immediately begin using the mental and physical symptoms to find disruptions in the energy/information flow, and alter the slivers that now stand between the spirit and the person. The spiritual challenges, the physical needs and the minds conscious ability to meet them through personally designed willful strategies are all reflected through the various manifestations of the emotional sense, with the spirit pulling humanity toward the highest feeling tones, the broadest mind, and the most vibrant health. The chart below can be of tremendous assistance in analyzing all aspects of every health challenge: With the understanding of the interacting self-construct, health is no longer a power handed over to external professionals, but an individual responsibility of continuous self-development and self-expression. For health is but a byproduct of the divine unified self-developmental process. It is a process that not only drives the evolution of individual consciousness, but one which drives the very evolution of the specieswhich we can now discuss.

348

Theta
Lesson 1: Evolution

Implications for Evolution


The Pursuit of Self-Understanding Throughout human history, the need for meaning imbued within human beings has driven the constant quest for self-understanding. Humanity will feel the existential pull of emotional angst and will suffer the mental, social and physical symptoms, until it achieves the unifying of self-understandings that are offered within these Lessons. The emotional push and pull, of course, underlies and drives all kinds of purposeful change, developmental progress, and all aspects of evolution itself. This information prepares the mind to open the door to inner channels of information and processes that can allow the many further secrets of life to unfold which can then maximize the evolution of the species along the most fulfilling probable course. But at present, a good deal of progressive change has been stymied by the mass misconceptions that have resulted in the disunity of the Trinity of Self, and an historical dualistic split in human theoretical approach and perspective. Some philosophical schools of cultural traditions chose only to believe in or focus upon the body, or the material aspects of the selfan approach which was officially adopted within the realm of science. This line of thought held fast to the idea that all natural phenomena, including human behavior, was driven by natural physical forces, often denying that anything that could not be seen with the naked eye could even exist. And as we will see, there is a large element of truth underlying this assumption, although the answer is far more complex than presently accepted. From this first perspective came the ideas that would dominate the evolution of Western scientific thought. A central theme was one of dualism, where opposing forces interacted to cause all worldly events. Such concepts include: the energetic and material universe with Newtonian mechanical laws governing predictable and deterministic actions; the Darwinian notion that organisms and 349

Lessons of Enlightenment

environments competitively interact, with nature chaotically selecting and recreating genes which cause human behavior and drive evolution; the Cartesian notion that mind and body are separate entities; and the overall rejection of any supernatural or nonphysical forces at work in Earthly events. The second approach held fast to the intuitive and emotionally appealing idea that something more must be going on than that which meets the objective eye. Those of this leaning gave supremacy to the concept of spirit, and ideas of higher levels of intelligence that had a causal or influential effect upon the physical world. This second approach most heavily influenced the Eastern evolution of thought and action. The great world religions all contain symbolic wisdom gleaned from this approach. But this approach led to black and white ideas about supernatural forces of good and evil ruling the Earth, the need for rigid and punitive external moral controls, and promises of after-life rewards for enduring a painful, brutish and disempowered existence, all of which tended to minimize and devalue the entire purpose of human physical experience. Unfortunately, both approaches failed to define nature properly (science too narrowly and religion too judgmentally), and neither left any room for the free will of human beings to have any sort of influence upon the events of their life. No mater the doctrine, the conclusions were the same: Either natural or supernatural forces pushing or pulling the hapless, helpless humans hither and yon which ultimately ruled out effective self-understanding, self-unification and self-control. Also, these initial assumptions have been worked and reworked by subsequent human minds and have left a huge gulf within mass consciousness between the two valued perspectives. This gulf has perpetuated conflicts between science and religion, between impulses and laws, between socio-political objectives, and ultimately between the body and mind of human beings. At present, the most elemental manifestation of this problem is the ongoing causation debate between creationists and the evolutionists. Evolution vs. Creation Without a more complex and accurate concept of the self, such debates and conflicts will continue to rangethus the urgency of spiritual reconnection. But without the elementary understandings offered herein (concerning the basic boundaries and functions of body, mind, and spirit and the unifying language of human feeling), the intricate layers of the self that relate to its many gestalts can never even begin to unfold before human consciousness. Indeed, as human beings re-attune to the lost connective and evaluative sense of human feeling, the expansion of consciousness will expose the many secrets of the depth, breadth and intimate functions of the human self that explain in full the delicate balance between free will and divine intention. 350

Theta: Implications for Evolution

But spiritual reconnection is the essential first step. For the present, the evolution versus creation debate illustrates that natures divine intention or purpose is not even yet acknowledged within mass consciousness. The turn of the millennium will mark a dramatic shift forward as scientists begin to embrace and carry forth in theory and action the implications of the discoveries of quantum mechanics. Although this information has been available for some time, it so radically challenged the existing dualistic and dogmatic paradigms that supported and even defined the scientific approach, that they were fearsomely resisted and ignored in biology, psychology, medical and political science. Indeed, the rediscovery of the emotional sense will achieve the critical mass necessary to prove that nature not only has intentions, but that humanity has spiritual access to understanding, as well as the responsibility to carry out such intentions. It will become common knowledge that each human body participates unconsciously, and each mind participates consciously in both evolution and creation. The spiritual reconnection offers final reconciliation with the scientific acceptance of a redefinition of consciousness. At last, nature will be recognized as the manifestation of interacting gestalts of consciousness that constantly exchange energy and information at every level of biological organization. It can no longer be denied that such energy/information that operates so flawlessly below the human level of consciousness is not highly intelligent and does not come from some non-physical source. This acknowledgment will open the door to reunification between science and religion as the reconnection with spirit meets their long-pursued mutual goalto discover the natural wisdom, secrets and desires of the creator. The Trinity of Self, the symbolic Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit can be reconciled and understood within the scientific self-regulating paradigm of body, mind, and spirit, providing a backdrop against which both can compare, identify, and purge their respective misassumptions from mass consciousness. With this cohesive approach, both creation and evolution become valid and significant concepts in the ultimate timeless reality of the ongoing expansion of All That Is. For evolution is simply the cumulative changes that result from ongoing purposeful creations that are accomplished by all life forms within the physical system. In short, there need be no tension between the concepts of creation and evolution; both are equally valid. It is only the physical illusion of time that separates them. The self-regulating principles that balance creative change and stability operate at all levels of physical complexity in accomplishing natures divine purposes. At varying levels of complexity, each life formeach gestalt of conscious351

Lessons of Enlightenment

nesseach self plays its role by following its inner urges. The least complex forms fulfill the most basic stability purpose of self-preservation that gives the continuity necessary for physical form and interactive existence. This is the purpose that scientists already embrace, but they have no idea of how intricate and creative this basic purpose is within the Earthly ecosystem. Indeed, the inner impetus of self-preservation, with each simple life form doing its own particular thing, is what accomplishes a great deal of the ongoing reaction of the physical realm. The Ongoing Evolving Co-Creation With this new awareness of consciousness expansion, the primitive ideas of one single creator and a long-ago creation will give way to the reality of ongoing co-creation. Indeed, when the full understandings of the quantum implications are embraced, all life forms will be recognized as integral perceptual conduits for converting energy into matter, and quite literately recreating the Earth in each moment. The process of photosynthesis is an excellent example of how the lowly plant life forms convert light energy into matter, a single process that provides renewable food resources and makes possible the entire food chain. What is not yet realized from this fact is that all life forms play an equally unique and important role in translating energy from the probable fieldthe unlimited possibilities with the spacious present self-awareness of All That Is into matter to form the actual physical realm. It is the arrogant assumption that humans are all knowing, soldiers of God with a self-generated Word-OfTruth Bible in hand, given dominion and the manifest destiny of conquering nature that has led to ecological disasters that are yet to be recognized. Each level of consciousness plays a purposeful role despite its level of complexity. Without the simple operations of atoms consciously attracting, repelling and exchanging electrons, no physical life would be possible. Indeed, it is at the atomic level that all dimensions and realities connect, exchange energy and interact. Through atomic activity, the energy is converted from the probable to the actual fields as electrons zip into and out of orbital fields or alternate dimensions, retrieving and delivering information with each action information that provides the very elements that organize and comprise all physical matter. Each life form, simply by meeting its basic survival purposes, plays its role in this ongoing manifestation of the physical realm. What will follow from the initial revelations about the role of consciousness, will be that more complex gestalts or selves, through their actions and sensory perceptions, exert conscious directions to all inner selves comprising that life form (be they organisms, organ systems, organs, cells, molecules, enzymes, substances, ele352

Theta: Implications for Evolution

ments, atoms, or subatomic particles) that create material changes to both the environment and the organism at all levels of organization. When organisms are sufficiently complex, with brains that allow a unique new form of selfconsciousness, they offer forms of experience that include thought and electrochemical memory patterns that serve as mental blueprints that facilitate the ongoing co-creation of existing life forms of lesser complexity into which consciousness can enter and achieve self-expression. These blueprints create psychic structures with physical counterparts like the enzymes similar to those within photosynthesis that help recreate the life forms that it experiences. (Simply by being locked in the memory of a predator, the preys existence is energized.) The physical manifestation of this process can be observed as the replications and mutation genetic DNA. (The mental, selfconscious thought processes have far more effect upon matter than is imagined, which is why the inner guidance system is so essential to ongoing re-creation.) All such thoughts, perceptions and actions are evaluatively driven by inner electromagnetic emotional guiding principles. The sum result is that the physical realm has a continuity of existing life forms into which consciousness can venture and seek expression. As long as there is sufficient latitude for value fulfillment within a species, it will continue to be chosen and reproduction will continue. On the other hand, if a species loses sufficient opportunity due to imbalances within the ecosystem, extinction will occur. The Power of Free Will At higher and higher levels of self-awareness, gestalts of consciousness from mammals, to primates, and finally Homo sapiens, along with more complex brains and thought, there is ever more willful control and conscious creative participation within this process. At this stage of complexity, the crude psychic blueprint can be tremendously affected by the mind itself in ways that can enhance the experience and opportunities of the species. This is the power of creative will energythe power that can either enhance of destroydepending upon its level of attunement to inner guidance. Herein enters the secondary purpose of self-development joining the first, where the mind can exert its creative control and influence upon the many levels of existing processes. Herein, also, enters the complex feeling tones that offer the mind its highest directional guidance in order to ensure quality control. Self-development allows the mind to collect and utilize ever-increasing levels of understanding concerning the processes of its many levels, so that it can do a high quality job of enhancing the value of experience. Self-development occurs first through conditioned unconscious learning processes until at some point the organism recognizes the meaningful patterns and mindfully adapts with right 353

Lessons of Enlightenment

responses. In either case, the mind will create actions and reactions, which in turn create chemical alterations that change the external environment and, to some degree, affect its own DNA, allowing it to pass along the improvement to its species gene pool as well as the collective species consciousness. Both thought and action create evolutionary change. It is through the changes, the creative enhancements affected by the highest life forms that new gestalts of consciousness become possible within the physical realm. Indeed, the human species itself is collectively a self as its mass consciousness exerts influence upon the free will and biological predestiny of the humans that comprise it. The more guided purposeful expansion of consciousness, the more complete becomes the creative free will. Thus, the broadest self-actualization of each individual helps enhance the potential fulfillment of the entire whole. (The whole includes all members of the human species despite any sort of racial diversity, for a species is defined by its members ability to reproduce.) The most dramatic forms of human evolution occur now within the realm of mind. The changes in mass consciousness are trends in human cultural evolution and are driven by the collective changes brought about by all three purposes accomplished by each individual. Following the inner urges to manifest the inner value potentials, humans create ever more complex mental and ethnological tools that drive the expanding mass consciousness. Indeed, the human mass consciousness can rightly be described as a single planet in a still higher universe of planetary consciousnesswith its own value to fulfill. Thus, it becomes essential for each portion to offer its highest and best contribution to the whole. This is the most deliberate form of expression, described herein as the purpose of self-actualization. Humans are indeed the creative custodians over life forms influenced by their culture and technology. Without the inner guidance, there is much corrective work to be done. For example, the treatment of the cattle species for the food source of beef by many Western cultures. Beef production that disallows a natural developmental experience and free range sensory experience, offering instead only a life of limited mobility, manipulated by growth and anti-bacterial chemicals, and ending in a painful and violent death, has negatively affected the mass consciousness of the species, resulting in such anomalies as mad cow disease. On the other hand, cultures that honor the cow as sacred and allow it a more meaningful natural experience, have positively affected the species consciousness, perhaps forestalling a mass extinction. Early aboriginal peoples, particularly the Native Americans, had a much more highly evolved consciousness in terms of spiritual connection with animals of all kinds. They had quite well-developed intuitive senses and actually practiced 354

Theta: Implications for Evolution

telepathic communication with animal totems who offered wisdom and guidance. They asked permission in pre-hunt prayers and post-hunt celebratory feasts, dances, and rituals. This honored the spirit of the animal, creating an emotional connection highly desirable to the species. They participated in the food chain as their needs dictated, but they did so with honor, gratitude, and respect for the life that was taken, and called forth only those that were ready to end their physical journey. They used humane killing techniques and utilized every portion of the animal with minimal waste. Unfortunately, the Western technological dominance disrupted such cooperative practices, arrogantly misunderstood and defiled such savage rituals and concepts, and created near extinction of the buffalo species through their own misguided and willfully ignorant approach to hunting. There are endless examples of how free will of humanity, when separated from its inner guidance, has diverted the species evolution from its most directly purposeful and rewarding path. As we have learned, it is the force of human emotionthe unifying voice of Spiritthrough which all levels of consciousness are evaluatively informed of the directions of movement and creative thought that will best manifest the highest purposeful opportunities in the physical experience. Human consciousness is guided in both quantity and quality by the feeling sense to avoid the potential pitfalls of free will before the higher understandings emerge. Thus, the basic blueprint for human development compensates for ignorance, but is propelled forward by the spiritual challenges which assist in designing the mindscape and opening the chakra energy centers to full mental efficiency and communication with the higher wisdom from gestalts of consciousness (levels of self) with which it is most intimately affiliated and directly connected. Of course, the energy information that is constantly infused into the physical realm, springs from these more complex gestalts of consciousness that exist in the non-physical, spiritual realm. The most appropriate term for the self-aspect just outside or psychologically adjacent to the psychical realm would be the entity of which each past, present and future incarnate physical ego personality is a part, just as cells This is the location of the spiritual gestalts that are symbolized in the religious ideologies (as angelic hierarchies with a pinnacle Godhead as the most complex, omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent gestalt), that recognize the various levels of organized self-consciousness within the totality of All That Is. It is the wisdom of the entity and its own source of higher, more complex and broad wisdom that unites and guides the thought and action of its personalities through feelings of pleasure and pain. Thus, creation is ongoing and evolving in far more elegant and purposeful ways than many suppose; for both are ongoing aspects of the ever-expanding con355

Lessons of Enlightenment

sciousness of All That Is. Quite simply, through the active dilemma of desiring to know itself, all actions of consciousness continuously recreate and evolve evermore complex gestalts of consciousness. When the self-aware mind enters the picturewhether the mind is simple or complexseeing is believing, but remembering enhances the believing that in turn colors the perceptions of seeing, which re-create the mental blueprints into which energy can flow and manifest as matter. So scientific objectivity is joined by the subjectivity on the part of all observers within the physical realm. Indeed, thought and feeling create perception which re-create the blueprints which reinforce believing and generate thoughtcompleting the subjective, objective, creative cycle. This objective subjectivity of co-creation is why staunchly held beliefs, assumptions and competing concepts of creation or evolution work in direct opposition to the needed conscious inquiry and can stymie the creative process itself. Mass consciousness must be sufficiently evolved to orient the human away from misusing the free will, or the very mental blueprints of life will be and have beenaltered in destructive ways. All beliefs about anything must be open to momentary re-evaluation and change as part of the evolutionary thrust of life. Until recently, such assumptions as natural selection having no prior plans, intentions, or predestiny; that humans are born sinfully flawed; and that emotional suffering is a necessary cross to bear have clouded the mass mind and quite literally degraded the human experienceand the effect of limited human consciousness has been detrimental to the overall evolution of consciousness. Evolution of Consciousness and Information Processing A crucial stumbling block for scientists has been their stubborn assertion that everything in the physical realm is caused therein, with chaotic natural competitive forces that evolve ever more complex organismsquite by accident. They witness the incredible amount of intelligent energy exchanges going on within cells and organs and between plants and animals, yet deny the deep wisdom and information that it takes to accomplish interactive life so seamlessly. They wonder when consciousness arose, ignoring the quantum implications that consciousness itself is the very fabric of the universefor their mathematics predict far more dimensions than their crumbling paradigms can handle. Each and every minute particle of matter is a manifestation of energy imbued with consciousness in some form or another. Where there is matter there is energy, and where there is energy there is information, and where there is information there is consciousness.

356

Theta: Implications for Evolution

The information processing concepts will help scientists overcome the dogmatic fiction that consciousness is a result of life. They will find that it is its ultimate cause and destiny as thought is allowed its rightful place in the creative cycle. For indeed, without consciousness coming first, there would be no chicken or egg, or any cause and effect relationship of one begetting the other. But all ignorance and arrogance aside, they are correct in recognizing the power and dominion gained by the emergence of the human mind. This will be the key to recognizing the evaluative guidance that came along with the emergence of mind. Humanity will recognize from its own technological accomplishments of the information age that the Trinity of Self operates like a computer. The body will be compared to the hardware, with its preset parameters, brain processing and memory, and protective systems designed with the highest non-negotiable laws and values that are to be honored, respected and preserved. The bodys emotional communication network will be recognized as the language of the human operating system, when found in electric brain pathways, in chemical production and receptor centers throughout the body, and computer chip-like properties and operations of the very cell membrane. It can then no longer be denied that the human self is an information processor, cycling information within and between all spiritual, mental and physical realms. It will be clear that emotion mediates the evolving consciousness at physical levels through subconscious, instinctive and impulsive actions. The mind will be recognized as the metaphoric software for the computer system. The focal point of human mind, which begins at birth of any given personality, collects self-experiences and makes patterned sense of them. It takes the sensory processed outputs of the hardware and consciously alters and adapts them creativelybecoming the full designer and conscious controller at the keyboard. Beliefs, habits, attitudes and strategies will be recognized as the macros that are used as creative shortcuts by the mind. Herein comes wonder and power of free will to not only be aware of existing and ongoing bodily processes, but to actively and creatively participate in ways that enhance the life experienceand allow the unfolding of the highest destiny path. Emotion will be recognized as the evaluative guide of mindful thought, which aligns itself with the patterns of impulsive action and creates long-range strategies for ongoing pleasure. The spirit is the timeless energy source and grand designer of the entire hardware/software system. Without the spiritual force, the system would be unpluggeddead. It is indeed the breath of life that connects the most minute and least complex levels with the ultimate complexities of All That Is. It is the inhaling of all energetic sensory wisdom and exhaling the mental and emotional 357

Lessons of Enlightenment

self-created expressions that manifest the lyrical artwork of human culture. Upon attunement to the spiritual guidance available in feeling language and attainment of conscious unity in each breath, the human awareness can expand in both quantitative and qualitative ways to its full cosmic proportion. In humans, and many animals, the safety features of the hardware parameters of the body are designed to accommodate varying levels of mindful consciousness, depending upon the quality of the willful use of mind. As humans learn and grow through the individual evolutionary process we have described as purposeful self-development, the mind collects more and more quantitative information about what is going on in the information/energy exchange process. (This energy flow has been described as the infinite cyclic exchange of energy information that is allowed admittance and exit through the chakra centers of mind as the spiritual challenges are met.) An evolved consciousness does a high quality job of adding enhancements rather than disrupting the process by dishonoring, suppressing, ignoring, judging or attempting to overrule the hardware parameters of bodyparticularly the suppression of feeling signals. If the mind has not sufficiently expanded to successfully handle a given situation, this is when the body will take over with its unconscious control and instinctive actions. These are the impulsive aspects within the feeling system that work behind the scenes with which the mind must align. In short, if the mind is not yet capable of doing the multi-purpose job, the body will default back into pre-set, unconscious, single purpose, safetynet control. If emotion cannot guide thought and action, it will always settle for protective action alone. This process is mediated by the degree of fear or joy that the incoming perceptual information contains. If the thought processes are sufficiently evolved through willful guided learning, feelings of confidence will allow acceptance of the information into mindful consciousness. Fear affects the perceptions, and any information likely to overwhelm the mind is filtered or denied entirely. The ego identity of the mind responds to these feelings unless they are decoded, serving as a gate that can swing closed in order to protect the stability of the mind and the subjective reality it experiences. When this happens, the information is rerouted back through the body for unconscious processing and corrective, active responses are carried out through impulse. This is how a person can have instinct take over before the mind has even comprehended what has happened. Although a wonderful safeguard, the ego gate is intended to evolve away from this function (as soon as we understand the messages within feelings), for it stymies the potential expansion of consciousness. (This ego resistance is also how chakras can become under or over energized.) If we are unaware of how feelings grease or freeze the ego doors, our defaulting to the 358

Theta: Implications for Evolution

autopilot mode to control sacrifices the higher potentials and relegates us to a lower level of mere survival. The physical system is quite elegant in its flexibility and ingenious in its balancing of spiritual predestiny with mental free will, and the clues to this type of biological evolutionary flexibility are readily available to the scientists. From the lowest and least complex organisms, all the way up the purported phylogenic evolutionary ladder to humans, along with the increase in the complexity of form, there is also an observable increase in behavioral flexibility, brain capacity and emotional processes that all support varying degrees of conscious willful control over the life experience. At any stage, there will be successful bodily regulation either through unconscious instinctive processes or conscious willful processes or a combination of bothmediated by the emotional information flow and experienced as a unique spirit-in-flesh kind of experience. As we have learned, emotion is a sense that is the closest approximation to the non-physical informational vibrations of All That Isthe language of spirit linking physical and non-physical portions of any gestalt of self. Without casting judgment upon any particular form of life, humanity can observe a myriad of available experiences and adventures in consciousness, each expressing value and experiencing emotional reward while dovetailing together in the physical realm and co-creating the Earthly ecosystem. As humans become more and more consciously adept at recognizing the patterns within their own physical history, they will surely detect this evolving nature of consciousness and cast a new light on evolution both at individual and species levels. As this awareness unfolds, the gulf between hard-nosed scientists and those of enduring religious faith will come together. There shall be a reconciliation as the light dawns upon them both that the never-ending questioning of science is coming up with many of the answers that the faithful have long held. They will both recognize the inner compass and the true north of Divine Joy. They will achieve Divine Acceptance of the mutual connection, and interface and exchange more information allowing dogmatic rigidity within both camps to relax and a far more cooperative venture shall drive a cultural evolution that is long overdue. Darwin and Lamarck Revisited No scientist will dispute that it is indeed the individual within each species that is the unit of evolutionary changethat it is the genetic contributions of each organism that influence the species as a whole. But this is only a part of the story. The moral to this incomplete story is that the only purpose of any life form is to reproduceto perpetuate his/her genes within the pool. It is assumed 359

Lessons of Enlightenment

that genes are unchanging, predetermined codes (unchangeable hardware parameters) that constantly reproduce themselves. It is only when some error in the copying of genetic information that mutations occur which offer any form of adaptation which may enhance the genetic information. But it is well known that mutations can also degrade genetic information, and thus all enhancements or anomalies are accidental whims or mistakes of nature. But the DNA is far more complex and attuned to human experience than is now suspected. Fortunately, the information processing model will offer the uniting paradigm that will make it plain that both genes and the environment create changes in one another that call for and depend upon the higher purposes of self-development and self-expression. Not only does the physical environment effect inner changes, but the entire realm of mental thought is also a profoundly influential addition to the environment. Likewise, the coded instructions of the genes create chemical expressions and secretions that contribute to the ecosystem. The ongoing energy conversion/information processing cycle will leave no doubt that the effects of the environment which are largely controlledand indeed createdby the human mind, have a profound effect upon the activity and replication of DNA itself. This fact will bring about a revolution in the realm of evolutionary thought, but it will also hearken back into human history where this possible path of inquiry once diverged. Long ago, before Darwin became canonized and causality was decided to be in the genes alone, there was an alternate evolutionary theory set forth by JeanBaptiste Lamarck. Lamarkian thought was that there was some cooperative force at work within evolution that worked toward the benefit of the entire species, not simply the genes alone. He intuitively understood that the experiences of any given life form must have some way of affecting their offspring or all learning and creative expression would be meaningless. His concept of felt needs which inspired certain changes was far ahead of its time. For indeed, it is the mental and behavioral adaptations that create emotional conditions which alter the chemical reproduction and coding within the genes themselves. It is also the ongoing developmental and expressive exchanges between parent and child that alter, switch on or off the genetic potentials with which either are born. Indeed, it is the constant replication of DNA, that very re-creation of any given bodily form that can be profoundly influenced in each moment by the consciousness that creates it. The mind can dramatically enhance the rapid, creative adaptive mutations thought to be accidents of nature by simply creating mental and physical experiences of long-term pleasure. The concept of ongoing, evolving co-creation would have arisen long ago had both parts of this picture been recognized as valid contributions instead of op360

Theta: Implications for Evolution

posing approaches. With the information processing model and emotional selfregulation uniting the two, it will be plain that evolution is driven by both internal environments (spiritual, mental, electrical, chemical, genetic and atomic processes) and external environments (socio-cultural landscapes, opportunities for purposeful development and expression, and basic survival conditions). It will be clear that a constant give and take mediation is occurring where adaptive mutations are created by thoughts and actionsever guided by the balancing, safeguarding and enticing emotional messages of spirit. The turning of the millennium marks the potential of critical mass as the revelations of the inner unifying mechanisms sweep through mass consciousness, accomplishing another dramatic shift which will propel humanity up to a higher being state of consciousness. With the understandings of how evolution is accomplished, we can now take a closer look at the trends within human cultural evolution.

361

Lessons of Enlightenment

Lesson 2: The Spiritual Compass in Evolving Gestalts of Consciousness


The Quantum Potential and Expansion of All That Is Once we have the enlightened perspective upon the concept of evolution as ongoing co-creation, we can begin to recognize the undeniable spiritual unity within the material Earthly realm. For indeed, the expansion of All That Is, the unfolding of universal consciousness itself, underlies the energetic/information wisdom that moves each organism to fulfill its unique creative purpose. It is this expanding action force that drives the interacting processes of stability and change which accomplishes all forms of evolution. The informational networks we have been describing are simply the particular flow and attunement channels, or self focal points within and between the overall consciousness of All That Is. With each individual life experience, regardless of whether that life is an atom, a molecule, a cell, an organ, an organ system, a vegetable or animal organism, or a human being, the motion of its electrical existence alone legislates interactive influences with the quantum potential which is the energetic manifestation of the consciousness of All That Is. Indeed, that which physicists have begun to recognize and term the quantum potential, is indeed the energetic informational database of cosmic consciousness, the Akashic Record of all experience, the Brahman of truth, the source of omniscience, of God and is also known as many other namesall of which imply the ultimate divine informational source. This is the spiritual energy/ information that both guides and drives all organisms in the unified and ever-expanding cooperative gestalts. For humans to take their rightful place in evolutionary history, it now must be understood that it is this co-creative process, with its delicate balance of biological predestiny and free will that allows all organisms to mutually coexist. For it is the guidance of spirit as communicated and accomplished through the experience of emotion and feeling that regulates and maintains this balance and ushers maximum value fulfillment and expansion of all forms of consciousness. Through purposeful responses to each inner guiding impulse, all the physical life forms participate in the ongoing co-creative process, like vessels steered about on the material sea by ever-present guidance signals from the cosmos. Receiving the Purposeful Guidance Just as the ancient mariners learned how to steer their ships by learning about the patterns of the stars, humans have also been in training to learn the most 362

Theta: Implications for Evolution

pure form of directional guidance by observing the patterns within human feeling. For like the light energy perceived from the stars, the quantum field sends forth spiritual signals which are fine tuned to each of the living receptors which offer unfailing, individually tailored, directional guidance toward the highest purposes. It is most useful to think of the spiritual signals from the quantum field as like radio waves available on various bandwidths. Each form of organism is equipped with specific receptors and innate responses that are affected by the radio signals it is designed to receive. Thus, by simply attuning to and reacting to the available information, the organism regulates the self activities necessary for purposeful experience. As organisms conduct their daily business, their thoughts and actions affect changesphysical energy manifestationsthat are encoded with information that cycles back into the quantum field, expanding its wisdom and potential guidance. Since the information is continuously sent forth from the expanding ultimate source, it contains within it the requirements of all other organismsall bodieswithin that physical cooperative. This force is the infinite cyclic action of consciousness, the ongoing information flow between and within the multiple aspects of the human self, the body, mind and spirit. These are the evolutionary dynamics that take place in the Earthly ecosystem, manifesting as the scientifically observable interactions between organism and environment. The grand, economic, need-meeting marketplace runs smoothly due to these inner mechanisms. These are the interactions that allow the chaos within the quantum field to become the orderly ecological interactions that underlie the idea of natural selection and the idea of the intentions of nature or the divine plan of the Creator. Since the separation between any form of consciousness is an illusion necessary for unique forms of physical experience, there is no real division between organism and environment. But all the richly magnificent diversity within nature is based upon the relativity of the self unit. Indeed, the self is every bit as relative as time and space beyond the Earthly physical boundaries. Although this might come as a shock to the human ego consciousness, who knows itself as a separate, distinct and perhaps superior life form to a plant, an animal, or a rain drop, such is still the case. For it is the selfdefined identity, the self-consciousness experienced by the organism which corresponds to a specific bandwidth of quantum informational guidance that creates the illusion of separation and the resplendent wonders of diversity within the unity of All That Is. The internal self environment of any given organism is that which receives information directly through its emotional signals from the quantum field, and the external environment is everything outside of its innate identity. 363

Lessons of Enlightenment

Thus, in the ultimate sense, the quantum potential comprises the entire environmentwith internal and external boundaries as arbitrary as space, time and any self distinction. And although the boundaries of consciousness may change, the self-regulating spiritual dynamics remain the same. With this in mind, we can explore the various manifestations of self and the interactions that underlie the mysteries of life itself. For these principals underlie the Trinity of the human self and facilitate both its cooperative unity and collective progress, or its competitive diversity and ongoing suffering. The Self in Evolutionary Context Every self consciousness knows what it is. An oxygen atom even recognizes itself as distinct from perhaps a hydrogen atom. Through the simple knowledge of the boundaries of itself, it interacts with the quantum field (its internal environment) and with other atoms (its external environment) to form the foundations of all organic life. Likewise, a cell knows itself as a cell, an organ knows its identity as a heart, pancreas or kidney, and an animal knows that the boundaries of its skin or fur mark where the self leaves off and where the world begins. (In the humans, the precision of the immune system defines that which is the body self, and protects the body against invaders that are non-self, while the ego defines the self-parameters of mind and seeks stability through the protection of the self-identity from any incoming information that might be too painfully overwhelming.) Like humans, but in less complex forms, each self of any given species is attuned to its particular frequency within the emotional sensory waves of the quantum field. But within each self consciousness unit, there is also a gestalt of mini-selvesa collective consciousness attuned internally to its signals and changes of collective body as part of the interactive information exchanges within the spiritual network. Each gestalt of self, regardless of its complexity, both gives and receives energy information from the quantum field that allows for the cooperative interactions that facilitate the need-meeting of all organisms involved. As stated, this is orchestrated by the emotional signals received within the range of its relative receiver. As we now know, the emotional spectrum spans electrical, chemical, motivational, and cognitive ranges that bring many forms of sensory guidance. As a general rule, as self units become more complex, their physical structure, sensory equipment, and brain size dictates how much of the bandwidth of emotional information is available. The less complex the life form, the more simple the experience, the more pure and of relatively short life duration as compared to more complex forms. As the complexity increases, there is also an 364

Theta: Implications for Evolution

increase in the free will of the organism to choose self-directed behavior. In other words, a simple self is a body only, while a more complex self is joined by a mind as well. Thus, with any form of mind comes volition and more potential misuse of free will, so nature provides safeguards in the form of more levels of emotional guidance to ensure both the quantity and quality of physical and mental development of any given life form. For example, an atom is attuned purely to the electro-magnetic positive/attraction and negative/repulsion properties of emotion. It has little ability to freely choose imaginative behavior, although it follows its innate feelings of attraction and repulsion that allow it to enter into chemical bonds with other atoms that underlie other material life forms. (It is due to this relative lack of free will that the Newtonian precision of the material universe can be counted upon.) But it is the thrust to expand encoded in all information from the quantum field that drives the atoms to enter into unions with other atoms which orchestrates the chemistry of all organic life and creates higher and higher levels of self consciousness. By simply following the inner guidance, atoms participate in cooperative gestalts to create molecules that are consciously aware of themselves as a self unit, and molecules to participate in gestalts to create cells, and cells to create organs, and organs to create organ systems, and finally entire plant and animal organisms whose self consciousness perceives internal information from the gestalt collective consciousness of all its component parts. This is accomplished by specific sensory attunement to a broader and broader bandwidth of emotional guidance. A good deal of the bandwidth information, (the electrical and chemical aspects in particular), are carried out below the level of conscious awareness of the complex self-identity, thus not having to burden the mind with extraneous details. For example, consider the man-made automobile. It would be unduly burdensome if the driver needed to consciously direct the operations of the pistons, the gears and the rotation of the tires in order to use the car for its intended purposetransport his body from one place to the next. The details of traffic negotiation and avoiding accidents would be much harder to keep in mind if the driver had to consciously concern himself with controlling all workings of the car as well. Thus, they run automatically by design. Such is the case of many life forms. But as life forms become more complex, they also are designed with more attunement to the guidanceguidance which is necessary for the conscious participation of the willful mind. Like in our car and driver example, human life forms are intended to use conscious free will to design a mindscape that allows for living within the three 365

Lessons of Enlightenment

purposes. Simply trusting and respecting the feeling signals will ensure that all the inner mechanisms of the body remain in peak performance without undo interference from the mind. (Humans need not consciously concern themselves with the cooperative efforts of their cells and organs, other than awareness that they are intended to regulate, correct, and heal themselves.) The ego self of mind must instead attend to and heed all our incoming regulatory informational signals in the secure knowledge that the body speaks its needs in this manner, and all will be unified and well. Thus, the self-regulating guidance system exists as a natural force. By natural law, each self-identity marks the bounds of conscious involvement and the Earth falls together by all organisms exercising varying degrees of free will choice. This accomplishes the on-going, co-creative, adaptive, evolutionary expansion while also preserving the genetic integrity of the life forms that consciousness can inhabit. Through the interaction of unconscious and conscious information processing, life forms enjoy a spectrum of behavioral guidance ranging from nearly complete instinctive or autopilot self-regulation to nearly complete manual control, free will self-directed self-regulation that only intervenes automatically when low quality choices are made. And as is the central message of these Lessons, it is through the emotional corrective signals that are received within the motivational and cognitive bandwidths that the guidance is both communicated and carried out in such complex forms as the human being. But humans are also subject to all emotional information whether it is processed consciously or not. It is crucial to be aware of and trust the influence of the electrical, chemical and motivational aspects of emotion in order to interpret the encoded information of the cognitive feeling experience in order to offer the highest kind of creative participation in the life process, to live within ones highest purposes. This means that although humans are much more complex, they are also subject to simple autopilot self-regulation that can come into conflict with the manual directions of the mind. Mindful humans must ensure the right use of free will to maintain the integrity of the body, just as a driver must be aware of his or her role to avoid mistreating or wrecking the car. (Not to mention if the driver misguidedly puts brake fluid in the gasoline tank, the car would experience breakdowns in its smooth operation, or blatantly ignoring warning lights and road signs would crash and burn.)

366

Theta: Implications for Evolution

Autopilot, Semi-Autopilot and Manual Modes of Guidance Autopilot Self-Regulation In order to gain full control and the highest benefit of the emotional guidance, it is essential to cognitively understand how it operates at three basic levels. For it is the ignorance of mind and gaps in self-understanding that allow the breakdowns in communication between the electrical, chemical, and motivational signals of the spirits emotional guidance that lie at the cause of mental and physical breakdowns of the body and mind. Humanity must recognize that all mini-gestalts of self within the bounds of the physical body and mental identity know how to do the best things in order to keep the whole functioningwithout much intervention from the mind of the person involved. This is the autopilot level of self-regulation that is characteristic of atoms, molecules and cells that make up the body proper. They are attuned to the electrical and chemical bands of the emotional sensory spectrum and both give and receive information within the whole body that keep each piece well, intact, and operating toward its highest purpose. Although at the autopilot level, self-preservation is the primary purpose, selfdevelopment also occurs even at these most simple levels of organization, as atoms, cells, and organs adapt themselves in order to cooperate and adjust to changes in the environment. This kind of adaptive self-development also allows for higher, more elaborate and complex forms of self-consciousness to emerge. But at the autopilot level, the flexibility of behavior is relatively fixed, that is to say there is not much willful choice over the actions of an atom, a cell or an organ beyond their hardwired responses to the electrical and chemical messages they receive. Honor, respect and gratitude should be given them, for their fixed type of experience provides the essential and necessarily reliable building blocks that give foundational support to all life within the grand ecological dance. Like automobiles, higher gestalts of consciousness could not exist without the nuts, bolts and gears that comprise them. But the experience and purpose of an atom or a cell is every bit as important and rewarding as any other more complex life form. Indeed, it cannot be overemphasized that it is through the individual cooperative participation of these autopilot forms of consciousness that the Earth exists with the predicable trustworthy continuity upon which more complex forms rely. They respond with predictably reliable actions of attraction and repulsion to positive and negative electrical polarity within the emotional signals, they respond with agonizing (cellular bonding and creating change) and antagonizing (blocking and 367

Lessons of Enlightenment

preventing change) responses to the chemical messages of emotion, but are far less aware of the familiar sensation of hedonic pleasure and pain than higher life forms. For example, an atom or a cell can quite happily die when it is no longer needed by the whole without feeling any lack of purpose or discomfortfor its purpose has been served, its potential has been actualizedit has lived its chosen life. Atoms can spontaneously be reborn in some other organization or form, as they transform from one complex gestalt to another as part of the grand energy exchange process. Certain aspects of the human experience are just as fixed and spontaneous. (The human spiritual challenges are orchestrated through inborn instinct and movements to meet the universal needs.) When the mind becomes aware of these innate patterns through the feeling language, the development of less automatic kinds of volitional adaptive behavior begins to arise. In sum, the experience at this guidance level is fixed, automatic, and ruled mostly by the natural laws of the physical realm. The self-consciousness is less complex, the identity is more merged with All That Is, and it is only the grace of these autopilot organisms that allows the continuing expansions of higher and more complex forms of life to emerge. Semi-Autopilot Self-Regulation To the degree that the life form has sufficient neural complexity, sensory networks and broader emotional bandwidth receptivity, it begins to be able to move about a bit under its own self-direction with creative kinds of adaptations based upon not just its hardwired responses but from learning from past experiences. These are animalsranging from reptiles all the way up past mammals on the evolutionary ladderwho have specific brain structures to process a new kind of emotional information, the motivational bandwidth, the sensations of pleasure and pain. With brain processing capabilities that can pair emotional experiences with memories, these animals can learn through classical conditioning how to respond to situations before the outcome actually occurs, based upon past experience. This allows for tremendous adaptive and creative advantages. Although this kind of guidance does not yield much free will, it does allow for much more behavioral flexibility than in lower organisms that have fixed attract/repel motions from the feeling guidance. At the semi-autopilot level, there can be memories that create electrical and chemical responses within the cells and tissues that allow the whole animal to move protectively away from danger and move instinctively toward things that bring growth and pleasure.

368

Theta: Implications for Evolution

At more complex levels within the semi-autopilot category, the emotional experiences of joy and fear are added to the perceptual receptors from the spectrum of emotional information. This allows for more complex, long-term, kinds of conditioned learning known as operant conditioning, where the animal knows that there is a link between its actions and the outcome that was created. The feelings of joy and fear form electro-chemical loops in memory that allow for even better adaptive self-developmental actions to take place. (Such patterns underlie the energy body and emotional memory that can be recognized within the human chakra system later on in the evolutionary scheme.) Feelings of joy promote behaviors that are creatively adaptive, such as play. Play serves as practice for real life situations, and marks the threshold into willfully cooperative behavior, the preferred adaptive strategy over simple competition alone. As we now know, the general pattern of increasing self-complexity includes increasing complexity in conscious volitional experience. The semi-autopilot level is essential so that an evolving mind can have time to learn, while the body and its needs are still protected by the hardwired responses of attraction /repulsion and approach/avoidance. Thus, this kind of learning is not conscious learning, but it has conscious corrective results. The emotional guidance comes in the form of the feeling that follows a given action, but gets stored in the cellular memory in order to activate defensive responses in the future before another disaster strikes. (Perceiving fear when a threat to survival is looming, and being able to run in the opposite direction before it strikes is highly beneficial.) But the animal is not truly conscious of what has occurred until after the fact. This level is also apparent in humans, as learning experiences create cellular memories and flexible habits and attitudes that can contain either gems or slivers. (Ongoing fear, of course, robs humans of their conscious participation.) Manual Free Will Self-Regulation In the highest animals and in humans, the emotional experiences of joy and fear branch out into the six basic feeling signals that not only offer approach and avoid motivational guidance, but also the opportunity to comprehend the cognitive informational messages within the feeling tones themselves. As experiences are remembered and external situations become familiar, the feeling of fear speaks of external threats, the feeling of anger speaks of potential obstacles to need-meeting opportunities, the feeling of sadness speaks of losses that must be replaced and the feeling of disgust speaks of unwholesome foodstuffs that should be expelled and avoided in the future. The motivational urges still operate upon approach and avoid impulses, but the joyous feelings associated with growth also prompt a good deal of purposeful creative innovation.

369

Lessons of Enlightenment

As humans pursue that which brings them joy, they begin to learn more and more about their innate needs for freedom, power, connection, esteem, creativity and meaning. Conquering the spiritual challenges fully opens the chakra centers and allows full conscious experience and fosters excellent mental and physical health. It is through the successes of their creative adaptations that all human culture arises, and mass consciousness takes a place in the creative formation of the life experience. It is at this point when right and light responses can replace the cruder fight/flight, and approach/avoidance responses that served only self-preservation purposes. With full manual control over ones actions, the emotional guidance becomes even more important than ever. Because if the self is not attuned to all the available information within the motivational and experiential aspects of human feelings, the mind can create all sorts of slivers that will promote thoughts which electrically stimulate chemical messages which operate oppositionally upon the inner selves (the cells, tissues, and organs.) This is how the mind and emotional baggage can create all breakdowns and disease processes within the human self system. It is also only in the highest life forms that an experience of time (past, present, and future), and a cause and affect relationship can be drawn between actions and changes they createfor their commission, their role in the entirety is to create meaningful change instead of maintaining the status quo. Non-physical entities (the higher gestalts which direct their human personality manifestations) do so from beyond space-time allowing for an overall perspective that enfolds all human incarnations at once and indeed, many alternate forms assumed simultaneously. The manifestations of creative change in all sentient organisms come from the impetus of the entity and bear the distinct mark of conscious, purposeful intention and of course are communicated through spiritual feeling signals. The choice to embody a specific life form is open and available to all gestalts of consciousness, and indeed many who think of themselves as isolated identities have far more roles than they can possibly be aware of, different focuses of the gestalts of which they comprise. But then this is part of the fun for All That Is to be able to experience so many unique aspects of itself. Simply knowing of these types of consciousness games can tremendously enhance the meaning of a single individual. The knowledge of ones role in greater challenges and games is communicated during the dream sojourns and awareness of this fact can tremendously enhance the guidance. Indeed, it is through dream sojourns that entities interact directly with personalities, as the ego gate is closed for direct interactions and exchanges occur with 370

Theta: Implications for Evolution

the higher gestalts of self within the quantum field. It is in the dream state when collective missions get carried out on psychic levels that facilitate the optimal evolution of the species. For humanity has been collectively creating the evolutionary course of its speciesand with some pleasurable successes and with some very painful limitations. The Emotional Evolutionary Destiny of Humanity The trust for expansion and value fulfillment of All That Is can be compared to a force that desires the fastest straightest course for each of its living vessels or ships. But since life is not all autopilot, that creative free will and imagination can define and influence the life course, the fastest most direct course is that which is mindfully imagined and purposefully created, but under the full guidance of the spiritual compass. This means that there will always be varying degrees of value fulfillment, courses that are more or less meandering and indirect, and with potentially less than complete value fulfilling journeys. This fact is built into the physical system and its reincarnational nature so that necessary ignorance can be accommodated as the species evolves its consciousness. Indeed, human ships can turn in continuously misguided circles, repeating the same mistakes again and again until the patterns of self-created pain are too powerful to ignore. Such is the tradeoff for the gift of free will. But it is always true that positive feelings will mark the most direct pathway and negative pain will steer the vessels away from misguided courses. With the strategies of attuning to and acknowledging each feeling signal, immediate progress and recovery from past slowdowns is possible. The key is in the acceptance of as much incoming information as possible, the broadening of consciousness, that begins with letting in the feeling signals themselves. When the individual human ego consciousness attains divine acceptance, formerly painful situations will then be experienced as neutral and the mindscape will be built into the evolutionarily desirable perspectives that will promote positive feelings in all situations. Indeed, the evolutionary path is away from pain and toward the highest pleasures, and ultimately to the feeling experiences of universal oneness with All That Is. The beating stick of pain is merely a crude form of spiritual guidance. When the static is removed from the clouded consciousness, all inner channels to broader bandwidths of information can become consciously available through direct intuitive insight. The mind will become consciously aware of how information is received directly, electrically, through the very action of each breath. Humans will then breathe in insights as easily as the air. This is the transcendent destiny of humanity that will come as consciousness expands at the direction of the emotional messages of spirit. 371

Lessons of Enlightenment

On an individual level, development progresses in designing the optimal mindscape through the spiritual challenges that can be chartered by the feelings that occur in the present. Humans can use the evolving course of feelings to examine and refine thought processes and to reframe perceptions within higher feeling states in order to heighten their individual progress. The chart on the next page offers a general pattern of the human spectrum of feeling and a picture of how the expansion of consciousness toward universal oneness is experienced along the way. It can be used to assist individual examinations of the life course. It can be used to determine how close one might be to acceptance, and to offer insights into how to find alternative beliefs that can immediately replace slivers with gems. Such activity will, of course, rapidly increase the progress upon the destiny path, and the more individual efforts, the faster the species mass consciousness can evolve its own value potentials. With these dynamic patterns in mind, we can now turn to the evolutionary patterns within the human species that have carved out human history. Evolutionary Path of Evolving Consciousness and Feeling Experience
Fear Anxiety Excitement Growing Pain Acceptance Learning Anticipation Courage Faith Universal Oneness Confidence

Anger Frustration Annoyance Tolerance Acceptance osity Mirth Compassion Universal Oneness Sadness Love Loneliness Acceptance Universal Oneness Liberation Attachment

Patience

Curi-

Trust

Hope

Disgust Annoyance Tolerance Acceptance Curiosity Camaraderie Attachment Friendship > Compassion Grace Universal Oneness Envy/Guilt Anxiety Frustration Grace Universal Oneness Attachment Worthiness Trust Hope Love Pride Acceptance Confidence Compassion

Compassion Gratitude

Faith Devotion

Universal Oneness Universal Oneness

Confidence

372

Theta: Implications for Evolution

Watch your thoughts they become your words. Watch your words they become your actions. Watch your actions they become your habits. Watch your habits they become your character. Watch your character it becomes your destiny.

373

Lessons of Enlightenment

Lesson 3: Human Evolution


The Journey from Pain to Pleasure Just as individuals proceed down a path of optimizing spiritual value and purpose, humanity as a whole, the mass consciousness of the species, travels a similar path. The self-developmental impetus moves humanity forward in the expansion and creative use of group consciousness as surely as it does for each individual. As with individuals, the species has vacillated back and forth between the dynamic forces of protection (self-preservation) and growth (self-development) as it has become collectively conscious of natural processes and evermore adept at quality creative participation within them. When groups recognize their common roots, interests, and collective power, group purposes and self-identities begin to emergekinships, villages, cities and countries. Each group then responds to its collective social patterns of pain and pleasure to attain its highest value fulfillment. Of course, the self is relevant, and any group distinction that does not include the entirety of humanity is limited in its breadth of consciousness. Historically, the pains and pleasures of each group within the species have collectively influenced the overall health and evolution of the whole. In a world where some choose the higher path of cooperation and others remain at a more reflexive competitive level, all humans must default to some degree to the lower defensive, fear-driven path. For example, the early European practice of colonialization, the seizing of power and imposition of Western culture upon any isolated communities. This era was simply a power-seeking expansion rather than a unified cooperative effort honoring the connection need, the insights, or the wisdom of different others. Many enlightened collective and ecologically sound cultural traditions were obliterated, squandering a good deal of value that had been earned. For when thoughtful ideas and words are up against guns and perceived superiority, the meek will predictably suffer. But as many seers have also predicted, the meek shall indeed inherit the earth. For the cooperative destiny of the human species shall only unfold when humanity recognizes the universal guidance within the human feeling sense. The meek are those who consciously embrace the wisdom within the feeling sense, that recognize the universal connection of all life, that honor the human responsibility to create purposeful change, and are driven by egalitarian respect, compassion, gratitude, loyalty, devotion, and love instead of competitive fear, anger, superiority, contempt, and hate. Although there have been many groups 374

Theta: Implications for Evolution

that have had advanced consciousness and understandings, they will continue to be overcome by the ignorance of those who do not for the species is indeed an evolving whole with majority if not mob rule. (The Energy of every human thought forms the pool of mass consciousness, no matter the purposeful quality of thought. As creative will power is equal, all energy is equal.) Indeed, the most accurate measure of the condition of any connected chain is indeed its weakest link. The self-defining identifiers within mass consciousness offer clear reflections of the transformational energy progress that has been made. For any competitive, divisiveness, warring, discrimination, prejudice, or injustice marks the early stages of human progress. Until the majority of the human population becomes aware of the emotional guidance available, pain will be the teacher and pleasure will take the back burner, as repetitive historical patterns of mistaken and limited-purpose choices continue to occur. The measure of Earthly pain marks the necessary corrective call to action to remove the cultural slivers from mass consciousness. At present, ongoing human pain is thought to be a normal condition of life, competition is heralded as the highest value, the universal human needs are frustrated and humanity has created profoundly excessive emotional malaise. The disease model approach to human mental and physical health dominates, whitewashing the massive symptoms of humanitys folly. From this perspective, it becomes clear that humanity has a long way to go. But it also becomes clear that with re-attunement to the emotional sense a good deal of catch-up progress can be made. The evolutionary patterns of punctuated equilibrium, the sudden and rapid changes within longer periods of relative stability, mark the times of enlightenment such as that which now presents itself to humanity. At such times, there is a critical mass attained within mass consciousness, such that it effects a sudden burst of evolutionary movement. Each such change begins with a wave of new information becoming available within the mass consciousness of humanity. As each individual receives creative insights and contributes cultural enhancements to his or her group, and each group contributes to the species, the culture undergoes a new cycle of progress. These cycles are simply large-scale turns through the human action cycle where the social, emotional evaluation of that which has been created increases public awareness and hones the public motives. With sufficient consciousness of the cause and effect relationship between beliefs and outcomes, and recognizing the emotional evaluation to the degree that right and light responses are effected to the public mind, evolution marches forward at an efficient pace and in a highly purposeful direction.

375

Lessons of Enlightenment

Of course, it is the task of each individual to embrace and utilize the available information if the highest collective progress is to be made. Embracing the fact that humans (and even many complex animals) have two ways to process information, one higher and one lower, it becomes apparent how and why humans continue to spend time on the lower evolutionary track. Since humans are undergoing the individual process of becoming even more aware of the information cycles, and have suffered the loss of disconnection of the spiritual guidance of that process; at present, humanity remains largely driven by unconscious processes still struggling to gain basic understandings necessary for conscious control. In short, humans are far more like animals than the biological form allows. (Compassionate understanding and recognition of this fact will allow the ego gate to remain open long enough to comprehend and effect the necessary changes.) The pain persists because most humans still process the flow of information in largely unconscious ways, because the mind has not yet evolved enough to handle the job. Most individuals then struggle between high and low roads as life goes on without the conscious understanding of how their selfaccepted slivers interfere with self-development and reinforce the unconscious habitual reflexive protective processes. And, of course, individuals are immediately subjected to the gems and slivers of past generations as soon the incarnation begins. Thus, the individual and group minds continuously interact in the dynamics we have describedpushing the species with pain to discover the destiny of purposeful spiritual pleasure. These dynamics underlie the historical progress of every human group. As local groups struggle and test human value systems to see how the spirit responds, certain unmistakable trends appear. A Brief History of Cultural Evolution What we have described as mass consciousness is indeed the collective species consciousness reflected in local and overall trends of cultural evolution. (The species is simply a less recognized gestalt of consciousness.) As the evolving social mind tries out new ideas, it runs them up the flagpole by testing them in the world, either the collective spirit will salute or not, with informational signals of pleasure or pain. As the individuals and groups continuously respond with right and light responses, more information is exchanged, and more inventive mental and physical tools and technologies are created. A brief historical assessment at the species level can set the contextual stage for the current evolutionary quickening as well as showing the potentials for that which is to come. In essence, the trends will show that the evolution of mass 376

Theta: Implications for Evolution

consciousness is steadily moving humanity toward conscious creative, cooperative interdependence, and away from the pains of brutish competitive animal survival struggles. This can be observed in patterns that relate to how well we process and exchange information with one another, forjust like individualssocieties are either pushed by the pains of unconscious animal safeguard processes when they can handle less information, or are pulled by the pleasures of conscious creative successes when they can handle more. For as we have learned, emotion guides the expansion of consciousness by mediating the information exchange internally as well as externally and can protectively close the door to consciousness and default to lower levels of information processing when necessary. We can examine human history within this context and see how the dynamics of freedom, empowerment, and connection either enhance and speed up cultural evolution, or slow it down to ongoing battles for simple survival. As we discussed within the context of human development, natural morality, and politics, humanity is indeed a cooperative, interdependent species. But until the mass mind can embrace the plural we self-concept, the emotional motivation will remain on a lower animal me level. Indeed, when we reconnect to inner guidance, individuals can reclaim the natural trust upon which the empathic attachment to other human beings rests. It then becomes generalized to a strong sense of public trust, providing a safe and sturdy mental framework for the cooperative interdependent nature of humans. It is only due to the emotional ignorance of humanity that this was not the case long ago. As such, the destiny of the species has been unduly influenced and stymied by the slivers which have become institutionalized truths such as for scientists: survival is the only purpose of humanity, for religions: that all humans are born with original sin. From the truths held in the public mind, comes the creative reflection of its misuses of will energy and misdirection of spiritual purpose. Without the concept of unity between body and mind, and unity between people, the higher needs and meanings cannot enter the realm of consciousness. With this inner communication breakdown, there will be an ever-present tension between the me body and the necessary we mind as well as the we collective species. This internal tension is reflected externally in social groupings by symptomatic communication breakdowns, mistrust, disempowerment, loss of freedom, and war within and between groups. (It makes no more sense for humans to compete and interrupt the social information flow than it does for the bodys cells to fight amongst themselves interrupting the flow of energy information necessary for physiological functioning.) Indeed, without unity be-

377

Lessons of Enlightenment

tween the individual brain cells that make up the human collective mind, human progress will seem dogged by a dichotomous social yet uncivilized nature. Human cultures arose due to the economics of need-meeting that we now know is mediated by the emotional language of spirit in all life forms. Freedom and power were attained when need-meeting resources were readily available. When the territory of the hunter-gathers was filled with natural bounties, early humans began to communicate and share information about where the best resources might be found, and to coordinate cooperative need-meeting activities. Learning from others about distant resources allowed bands to travel with the turning of the seasons to seek naturally occurring resourcesplants, animals, tool-making materials, etc. This expanded the territory and eventually led to the insightful practice of domesticate resource management and replenishment. But it was the informational exchanges between people that led to the changes in the mass mind that facilitated these cultural trends. When humans began to till the land and grow their own plant resources, the traveling became less physical, than mental. The development and use of common language allowed the transport of information and new insightful ideas to cycle between individuals, just as the senses cycled it within the individual minds and bodies. Over time, it was the ideas, the flow of mental information that became evermore complex so that humans began to rely upon the tremendous cultural knowledge resources that are now taken for granted. Indeed, power, freedom and connection are far more about mental exchanges than the simply physiological exchanges involved in sharing and finding food. As the information within the mass mind continued to accumulate, and roadways and networks expanded between people, there became a need for some sort of centralization and leadership for more efficient assessment of sharing, and organization of the available resources and information. With farming came the first forms of early governments and chiefdoms that created cooperative groups larger than families and bands. When leadership accomplished the successful cooperative meeting of the needs of the group, all would be well. But more often than not, lack of freedom and equal opportunity for each of the members, would create inner strife and competition within the group and would break down the cohesive structure. (Like any mind, a social ego can only handle as many challenges as its own belief resources.) Large groups would then fraction into smaller, more manageable groups with differing strategies and ideologiesand more often than not, competitive rather than cooperative goals. One undeniable trend, however, despite these conflicts and dynamics of change, was the evolutionary trend toward larger united groups that coincided with cultural inventions that increased information flow and shared the mental 378

Theta: Implications for Evolution

resources. As humans shared their technological advances, the capacities increased and everyone benefited in kind. With the advent of written communication, chiefdoms evolved into city-states, with the printing press came modern civilizations, and with the Internet came a globally connected information network between humans. Even without the informational guidance, human creative technological innovation itself pulls humans to recognize the undeniable cooperative nature of the species. A central message of these trends has been overlooked. This message is that the sharing of information and resources, builds a feeling of public trust, and yields far more long-term benefit than does the fearful power mongering, hoarding of information and resources, in order to gain superiority or short-term advantage. (Taking less in order to share in the short run, always adds up to far more resources in the long-run, since there is synergy and a lack of competitive retaliation from those left out.) Indeed, all cooperative changes lead to increased freedom and empowerment of the individuals within the group, and the increased interdependent connection within any given grouppushing humanity to recognize and acknowledge all three needs within social structures. It is a fallacy that competition will bring anything other than ongoing battles and limited resources for all, but the unenlightened impulsive mind cannot help but fight until the light begins to dawn. Indeed, humanity still struggles with the first developmental challenge: that of understanding and creating trust. Thus, there was a great deal of isolation, revolution, mistrust, and fear that caused information hoarding and breakdowns to occur in ways that yielded the Eastern-Western split between emphasis upon external versus internal empowerment, rational versus intuitive processes, cooperation versus competition, freedom versus connection, and allowed opposing forms of government to arise. The West honored freedom and the capitalistic right to earn economic power, while the East leaned more upon the connection need, but often at the expense of basic freedom and empowerment to control ones destiny. The concept of equal opportunity was misconstrued and mutated into equal result. The entrenched ideas of mechanism and original sin also arose which facilitated a dogged, ignorant denial of the emotional forces that underlie and guide the evolutionary process. To the degree that any ideology provided the information for individuals to empower themselves, the freedom to cooperate within the whole, the higher needs for esteem, creativity, and meaning could arise and be met within the emotional system. Great art, literature and music arose during particularly enlightened times, but only within the classes that were afforded access to the informational resources necessary to meet both basic and higher needs. (Far too many great artistic revelations are still born of frustration and pain, due to humanitys in379

Lessons of Enlightenment

ability to fully value and accommodate the universal need for creativity.) The pains of disenfranchisement would always arise and tear at the social fabric until required evolutionary changes arose. The newest, most evolved, forms of government are attempts to ensure the foundational freedom and empowerment that must underlie any successful collective cooperatives. In sum, although humanity thinks it is at the peak of the biological evolutionary ladder, the information flow and the capacity for cooperation remains well below that which the form demands and the spiritual pull suggests. Humans still struggle with the simplest of their developmental challenges. In short, they are far less evolved and aware than they suppose, and in far less conscious participation and creative control than they believe. To the degree that basic freedom, power and connection are accommodated, the consciousness is allowed to expand, to receive, create and exchange more information. But to the degree that humans must fight for basic freedom and empowerment, they will retreat into autopilot, survival modes of fight and flight impulse responses that continue to tear at the fabric of society. The spirit will not be silenced, for it has a much higher plan than the mass mind can yet fully conceive. The trends are very clear, and it is only now, at the dawn of the new millennium that the forces of spirit can be given their full recognition. Indeed, it is the force of anger that causes disempowered individuals to rise up and change that which is an unjust, revolutionarily moving society toward the biological conditions nature and Divine Intention have set forth. Unfortunately, the mass human consciousness cannot yet accommodate the flow of feedback information from its own citizenry, due to the lack of universal values and spiritual selfunderstanding. Without such, the public mind will have less and less cohesive influence, offer less cooperative advice and be vulnerable to all the impulsive actions of its weakest links. Indeed, the global community that has always been spiritually and ecologically connected, is now fully technologically and economically interconnected and there can no longer be any lingering at a lower level of consciousnesswithout epic consequences. The recent assaults with computer viruses, germ warfare and acts of terrorism with technological weapons illustrate the urgency of the need for this enlightened shift. Levels of Human Conscious Experience By divine design, the physical experience has built within it the laws that direct the evolution of consciousness. These laws, however, do not violate the potential creative free will that is inherent in the human experience, but simply include physiological safeguards that ensure the mind can be oriented in the 380

Theta: Implications for Evolution

most fulfilling directions while operating within the limits of the physical realm. The human needs and the feeling informational signals of the body motivate humanity to pass through the developmental stages and to become aware of and surmount spiritual challenges that prepare and open the mind to the fully creative human experience. As we now know, it is the divine acceptance of as much incoming information as possible that will tip the scale from feelings of corrective pain toward those of purposeful pleasure. Acceptance marks the entry into the ego gate in both individual and cultural minds. Habitual denial ensures ignorance and ongoing corrective pain until there is conscious acceptance of that which has been created. The degree of acceptance corresponds with the level of conscious experience. At present, the species ignorance of the emotional guidance sets the stage for incoming personalities to fall victim to the limiting beliefs offered as institutions, traditions and truths. The structure that accomplishes the acceptance of emotional guidance will give rise to far more optimal kinds of humane experience. This fully human kind of functioning encourages the expansion of consciousness at a much faster pace than has yet been experienced by most human beings. Nevertheless, these evolutionary levels of experience are all well within the grasp of any given individual to the degree that an environment accommodates the inner impetus to evolve. There have been several cultures whose beliefs and isolated nature allowed for some quite impressive development of inner abilities that much of the world has yet to embrace. Those cultures that advocate meditative practices or utilize meaningful dream guidance which access inner information through altered states of consciousness have indeed much to offer the masses. But the most useful information source that can bring such insights into waking consciousness and daily experience shall be through the original path the feeling signals. Since a critical mass (the predominant percentage of energy) must be attained for macro evolution to occur, there will always be individuals interacting who are at different places in terms of consciousness. Although the majority still lingers in the darkness, there are many intuitively enlightened individuals who have tenaciously gathered and evaluated as much information as possible and have expanded their consciousness significantly. They recognize the self-made limits within mass consciousness and are responsibly striving to remove them. There are many who answer the calling spirit and offer spiritual truths through artistic interpretations that resonate with others. Such inner directed and outer expressive individuals are often referred to as light workers. Such individuals have accomplished the spread of spiritual information to the degree that critical 381

Lessons of Enlightenment

mass is closer than ever. It falls to these enlightened ones to carry the torch and to help bring their own higher levels of consciousness to the masses. These people, the compassionately meek yet with courageous integrity, understand and forgive the cost of ignorance for the benefit of free will. They seek to bring forth the Christ consciousness that lies dormant within the human potential faithful that even when pushed by pain the spirit will lead humanity from the darkness. Thus, there are levels of human experience ranging from painful, unconscious incompetence and confusion, to pleasurable, consciously creative competence, and spontaneous value fulfillment. Such is true for the entire species. On the macro level of human evolution, this occurs as three distinct levels of existence with varying degrees of personal awareness, purposeful understanding, creative competence, social justice and painful and pleasurable symptoms. The Survival Level of Existence The first level is that which is currently familiar, but it is actually a very primitive and crude form of human experience more like animal instinctive experience. This is the normal condition of humans who have not yet consciously embraced their inner guidance system, and are subjected to the autopilot modes of spiritual self-regulation. Free will and consciousness awareness are both severely limited at this level, but the genetic collection of body wisdom ensures the divine goals will be protected and that the urgings of spirit can always become known. This, the survival level of experience, is characterized by supremacy of body, with limited awareness of a good deal of the available bandwidth of quantum information. The information exchanges happen largely behind the scenes carried out through electro-chemical interactions within the body that bypass any form of mind and directly interface with the world. But even in the forms with the most meager brain structures, these unconscious informational processes are depositing information in varying forms of memory banks. There is a cellular form of memory that is the accumulation of all experiences of that particular gestalt of consciousnessin its highest form. This kind of memory bank speaks within the bandwidths of quantum energy gestalts (available to all forms of consciousness that can attune to it), directing all genetic operations and its information is called upon as bodily wisdom. But also through these purely physical processes, a second kind of memory then begins to take place. This occurs through a bodys pairing of events and feelings in memory in order to benefit from the experiences and creative will of the individual. This manifests as conditioned learning in animals and in humans 382

Theta: Implications for Evolution

and is created without conscious interventionbut it underlies and gives rise to the emerging mind and personal forms of memory. For it is in the ability of any organism with a complex enough brain to pay attention and recognize the patterns within the context of space and time and make some self-directed changes and choices in the process. Over time, a mindscape develops with the unique mental representations of the physical information that can take on an ego identity of its own. Thus, as the survival level mind evolves, these bodily patterns are not only recognized, but the mind takes on more and more conscious control and creative participation within the regulatory processes. In the natural expansion of consciousness, the mind first needs to grasp what is happening. The feeling signals bring conscious attention to the outcome after the fact after the behavior and twice removed from the intentional motive itself. This leaves the mindful consciousness mostly focused in the past with confusion resulting over why things happen. Due to the resistant impulses of the defensive safeguards, the first kinds of answers will not embrace creative self-determinism within the physical system and blame will be assigned externally. Take, for example, human superstition. Since the typical human experience is driven by mostly unconsciousness intentions, which create actions and outcome perceptions that bring many surprises (both good and bad), the mind begins to recognize the timing and coincidence of events and begins to assign cause and effect. This is a typical pattern as the mind strives to make sense of what is happening as life unfolds each day. With the error of human judgment pairing the outcome with the feelings and allowing conditioned learning, the mind can inadvertently associate cause and effect in a willy-nilly fashion. A free will mind can then believe that human sacrifices bring the sun or rain, that different others are evil demons or that vengeful Gods are meddling in human affairs, in turn creating those very realities and perceptionscomplete with all corrective signals. Since the mind first emerges with its initial holdings gleaned from the past, the present remains driven by impulse, with the feelings of pleasure and pain most meaningful in the moment, with long-term concepts and future events rarely considered. This is what leads to the trend for competitive, short-term thinking instead of long-range, strategically cooperative interactions, and mental strategies of cultural institutions that are based upon win-lose warring. It will only be when the connection is made between the contents of mind and the outcomes created that trust in humanitys power and ability can be established.

383

Lessons of Enlightenment

Survival Empowerment and the Chakra System Another way of grasping this point is to look to the spiritual challenges and the opening of the chakra centers of mindbut within the mass consciousness of the species. The survival level experience is focused upon the lingering challenges of the first three chakras as tribal freedom and empowerment are learned through the unconditional trust and acceptance of mother archetype and the autonomous creative activity of the father archetype. As the cultural information provides for better and better parenting of its children, valid connection and creatively expressive contributors propel humanity to the other higher understandings of the heart chakra for true global unity. The species is now faced with surmounting the spiritual challenge of the heart chakra, necessary to balance the mass energies for full connection. The trend can be noted in the shifting values of religion, and indeed, a good deal of the evolutionary patterns have been influenced by religion. The influence has been largely due to the fact that religions have been the keepers of such concepts as spirit, soul and divine guidance, and have been concerned with the questions of empowerment and moral authority. In other words, as the mind evolves the ability to realign with internal empowerment, the species will struggle to open its first three mass chakras to the full energy of spirit. As humankind has struggled to gain knowledge and value systems that afford external empowerment over the harshly competitive conditions of the environment, the spiritual impetus within has also been pushing for discovery of the internal values upon which cooperative empowerment can arise. At first, religions focused mainly upon these internal values due to the natural sensitivity to the feeling signals. But over time, the struggles for external power and authority allowed religious doctrines to mutate in ways that promoted unified values and morality only through competitive external power. As we now know, the uses and misuses of the emotional system underlie these dynamics. In essence, any aspect of any religious doctrine that demands adherence to external authorities (be they deacons, shamans, or Gods) through bribes or threats has limited purpose and will be identifiable by its exploitation of fear, guilt, and anger from vengeful retaliation. Conversely, any that inspires internal cooperative empowerment is multi-purpose and calls upon the higher feelings of compassion, integrity, courage, gratitude, loyalty, and faith shall be those that stand the tests of time and unite humanity. The old and new testaments of the Holy Bible illustrate the trend away from fearful adherence to vengeful Gods, external power sources and competition, and toward internal cooperative self-empowermenttrue spiritual empowerment advocated by the entity Je-

384

Theta: Implications for Evolution

sus Christ. Still, humanity remains conflicted between two levels of conscious understanding. This vacillation between internally directed cooperative power and externally based competitive power has influenced evolution in several ways. First, the tremendous diversity that exists in the human gene pool is characteristic of the geographic, environmental and socio-cultural inter-actions that have taken place between genetically isolated groups. Religion has helped to both isolate and bring together the formerly non-interacting genetic populations due to competitive holy wars and as missionaries associated with savages in order to spread the good word. Second, religious ideologies also have resulted in selfpreserving group identities and distinctions that continue even when geographic isolation is no longer a factor, creating uniquely interacting kinds of gene pools and social environments such as race and ethnicity. (Indeed, scientists have given little attention to the profound socio-cultural effects upon the gene pool.) For example, the self-identifier of the group catholic influenced the intermixing of formerly isolated genes and physical traits due to the beliefs advocated by that group. The purposeful concept of equality of souls and equal access to salvation within the ideology resonated with the universal connection of humanity, and helped influence the mating patterns between formerly isolated groups. The downside has been that less purposeful tenets have also been included such as indiscriminate reproduction, institutionalized judgment, fear, guilt over natural drives, and loss of personal accountability. Nonetheless, it will be those united in spiritual community that will continue to lead the species until science embraces the spiritual nature of the human being. The spiritual impetus is of course, moving humanity to unite, to connect, and for the whole species to benefit from the unique talents and skills and cultural answers that have arisen. This sharing and exchange of both information and genes is what will drive both cultural and genetic evolution toward its cooperative destiny. The fearful and angry racial hate is simply a survival level phenomenon of less consciousness. In sum, the survival level of experience is the mass minds struggle to open its first three chakras. It is characterized by low levels of conscious awareness, information comprehended, conscious competence, social self-understanding, self-acceptance, purposeful creative expression, value fulfillment, social justice and cooperation, and positive emotion; and high levels of unconscious intentions, incompetence, confusion, superstition, misinformation, impulsive actions, inner and outer competitive conflict, spiritual malaise, and painful fear, anger, and hate. Individual pain manifests in social symptoms such as depression, rage, suicide, violence, and creates a predominance of mental and physical health disorders. Of course, this is but a pale comparison to the rich potential of 385

Lessons of Enlightenment

higher level experiences that consciously embrace and participate within the cocreative flow of life. Indeed, hidden within all major religious themes, are the seeds of the spiritual truth that humanity needs to re-attune and be guided by the highest feeling tones such as compassion, integrity, forgiveness, courage and faith. All the answers do lie within and the promise of full human living can be attained by simply decoding and following wisdom within the feeling signals. The discovery of the emotional sensory compass and the spread of information regarding its use will be the final catalyst necessary to unite science with all the religions and for the species to fully balance the human heart. With this information, humans can then rise to the challenge of unity by using the feeling information to allow the mind to align withinstead of war againstthe desires and bodily processes and wisdom of spirit. This will generalize socially to end the external warring between individuals and groups for basic power and freedom. Thus, at the survival level of existence, humans are most concerned with selfpreservation and the basic needs of freedom and empowerment, both in obtaining resources and in creating a competent mind. The first competence a mind must embrace is that of its own emotional guidance that relaxes its ego identity and propels it forward with enthusiasm and faith upon the purposeful developmental paththis is the only valid and authentic form of empowerment. A freely empowered mind can then begin to overcome the fight and flight impulses and respond with right and light responses that are effective over an ever-longer period of time. A freely empowered mind learns from the past but is focused more in the future as it plans and strategizes how best to maintain creative control over its destiny. This empowerment and liberation of each personality then drives the creative expression that accumulates and manifests as cultural evolution. Each individual contribution builds toward empowerment and freedom of the whole building connection. The current information explosion within human culture marks the nearing of the end of the survival stage and entry of the species into its next level. The Individual Task At Hand As we have discussed, at present, humans remain poised at a crucial threshold, ready to consciously embrace the undeniable truth of the emotional, ecological, economic and cosmic interconnection. As science teeters on the brink of recognizing the unified connection between body and mind, as religions recognize the folly of superstition and the emotional voice of spirit, as political leaders recognize the futility of oppositional parties, philosophies and countriesthe 386

Theta: Implications for Evolution

connection need will come to the fore, competition will give way to cooperative social justice and vault humanity up to the fully human state. But this will not occur due to some dramatic polar shift, weather patterns, planetary alignment, miraculous cosmic forces or divine interventionit will occur due to the creative efforts of each and every individual to become aware. The miraculous divine forces are already at work and have been throughout the entire evolutionary history of the Earth. The quantum informational field has been ready and able to provide as much guiding information as the inhabitants of the Earth are prepared to consciously assimilate, rationally synthesize, and to willfully act upon. This will go on being true no matter how long it takes for humanity to open to this wisdom and evaluative guidance. Nevertheless, a much more creatively delightful form of existence waits beyond the shadows of human ignorance and has long been unfolding before the minds of those ahead of the group game. With each individual effort to embrace the accountability to free will choice, to proceed through the spiritual challenges, to develop the mind to be able to receive and process the maximum amount of information, and to share those insights with creative expression that hone the cultural mass mind, the evolutionary progress of the whole will benefit. By the very act of reading these Lessons, the energy increasesand by embracing the energy, increases exponentially toward the mass enlightenment and the higher destiny. There shall be no martyrs of this cause, for the personal rewards of transcending mere survival are beyond measure. With awareness that the survival level is but a first step along the macro path, we can now go on to discuss the higher potentials within the destiny of the species. Historical Survival The patterns of human history reveal that humanity, despite all of its advanced technologies and creative cultural achievements, is still in the early stages of its evolutionary destiny. Although nature sets forth a clear course through the interactions of genetic memory and the quantum environment, this biological predestiny is intended to be embraced and creatively enhanced with purposeful use of free will. Indeed, human consciousness plays an integral role in the pace of human evolution. But the protective self-preservationary safeguards within the system ensure that the direction of evolution will always remain the same pushing and pulling humanity toward the True North of adaptive selfdevelopment, meaningful self-actualization and cooperative co-creation.

387

Lessons of Enlightenment

Despite the repeated mistakes and cycles of ongoing pain within the Earthly experience, the patterns are readily available for conscious comprehension and punctuated enlightenment to occur at any time. The higher destiny awaits, beyond space-time, whole and intact, ready to unfold before the willing eyes, minds and hearts of humanity. The survival stage is merely the necessary transition as humanity grasps the meaning within the automatic processes and its abilities to consciously enhance them. As a normal part of the expansion of All That Is, the human experience includes a transition away from automatic processes and biological predestiny and toward ever-more creative, willful empowerment. Learning through the cycles of pleasure and pain, however, will lead even the most recalcitrant to higher uses of the conscious mind until the inner delights of the highest feelings begin to take over. It will only be due to continued mass rejection of the available guidance that humanity could now undo the progress and destructively set themselves back, although such is within the realm of choice. But the biological variety within the human gene pool provides for many unique destiny paths to be chosen by advanced entities or old souls and ensures that individual personalities can evolve higher levels of aware existence and be far enough ahead of the pack to help instigate purposeful changes on the mass scale. Due to the collective efforts of the most enlightened ones, at the current juncture, the species consciousness is approaching the critical mass. As such, the historically painful struggle to understand and establish the biological conditions of justice can, at last, come to an end. When the painful signals of fear and anger over survival competition are finally quieted, humans can begin to attune, comprehend the meaning, and respond to the higher, more subtle and complex feeling tones of the spiritual language, and begin embracing the higher purposes with all thoughts and creative actions. Such purposeful expressions will model and share the knowledge and as the enlightened information sweeps across the international community, earthshaking shifts will be made. Intellectual and social barriers will be removed, ushering in a new era. An era in which the species can begin to experience what it means to be fully human. The Being Level Of Human Existence This is the best state of human experience, where human beings are more than just surviving animals, but fully alive with an ever-broadening receptivity to the available bandwidths of information within the quantum field. The focus will shift away from self-preservation and become meaningful self-development so that consciousness can expand to its full potential and be guided to prepare itself for the highest quality creative expressions. The focus upon the external 388

Theta: Implications for Evolution

senses will be shifted with the recognition of the inner senses beginning with the attunement to the emotional sense of spirit. At this stage of experience, humans are much more likely to surmount all the spiritual challenges, open and balance all chakras of mind, and have a wholly creative human experience. Thus, humans will also be far more healthy, energized, alive, creative, and passionately involved in the daily business of purposeful co-creative living. The being state allows for the mind to be focused in the present, but prepared with solid strategies, skills, and perspectives to act spontaneously in ways that will facilitate and create a positive, purposeful, future. There is little impulse avoidance, rationalization, blame, or any other form of survival defense necessary. This is the juncture where creative will unites with biological predestiny and forges them together on the purposeful path. The daily life will be far more pleasing, as the unfolding mind embraces evermore meaningful information and begins to direct multi-purposeful thought and action. At the being level of evolution, humans have embraced the inner guidance and can both learn at accelerated paces and can unlearn everything contained in both kinds of memory banks. They can cleanse the mind of the distortions left over from instinct, conditioning, and from low-quality conscious intervention. All conditioned learning, which is affectionately known as emotional baggage, can be unpacked and processed through the conscious mind so that the fear and anger are dramatically reduced from both the perceptual and creative aspects of the life experience. Right responses examine and decode all emotional signals, to reconcile them within the perspectives and contextual frameworks that bring the highest emotional responses. At the being level, humans are aware that every pain is a corrective signal to inform the mind to right uses of free will, as the spirits instructional guides to thinking and acting. As the changes are made to individual minds through right responses and expressed outwardly in the light responses, the mass mind evolves accordingly in the creation of the just and civilized social perspectives, strategies and structures. Once the deficit pain of enslavement and disempowerment have been reconciled within the cooperative, interconnected, enlightened world, tremendous cultural progress can then occur. At present, a nearly sufficient number of humans have attained enlightened minds to the degree that this shift can take place. For although we have many institutionalized traditions of survival level consciousness, most are recognizing the basic fact that all people comprise a common species. Instead of the historically predominant experiences, and impulsive responses to the protective pangs of raw fear, anger, and maladaptive guilt, resentment, and hate; the majority have begun to collectively create the being state of passionate, creative enthusi389

Lessons of Enlightenment

asm and egalitarian feelings of love, compassion, respect, courage integrity and loyalty. At the being level, the optimal developmental path will become the normal experience for each incoming human being. Without all the painful static characteristic of the survival level, the mind can turn up the volume on all sensory channels and allow in much more informationrapidly increasing the self-developmental pace. Humans will embrace the inner guidance system from birth as enlightened parenting and educational systems shift from the paradigm of external authority and competitive power to cooperative internal self empowerment. With proper social structures and parenting techniques, individuals will be off and running with the most effective personality patterns, attitudes and strategies, the full natural morality, and fully creative passionate empowerment to begin maximizing their value potentials by age eighteen or even less. There will be no need for stages of confusion, rebellion, isolation, addiction or depression when the mass consciousness embraces and accommodates aspects of the feeling system and welcomes and fosters the unique gifts that each human has brought to Earth. Three Perspectives of the Being Level At the being level, although positive emotions will lead the way to purpose, negative emotions will still arise. This is simply due to the fact that humans can and will make mistakes and perpetuate violations upon one another while learning through trial and error. But the difference between the survival level experience and the being level experience will be that the perceptions of the mind honed by feeling guidance will be different. When the mind is cleansed of its slivers and its gems accumulate over time, the minds perceptions are quite literally altered by the attitude and interpretations that fall from the purposeful belief systems. Indeed, when allowed to develop naturally, the human mind arrives at universally optimal ways of thinking and acting. Thus, the being level of human consciousness is characterized by three mindful perspectives that are the natural result of the mind responding to its own emotional guidance. First, the mind comes to see the world through The Lens of Unity in reflection of the fulfilled connection need and the enlargement of the ego-identity to enfold the feelings of others within the emotional self-concept. Indeed, the role of the ego becomes less necessary as the mind understands the difference between defensive resistance and empowering acceptance. Although the individual sense of self is still intact, the ego me protector is no longer necessary. For the minds identity understands the meaning sense of we and 390

Theta: Implications for Evolution

its individual role within the interconnected whole, as its natural morality emerges. Through this lens, individuals automatically emote in tune with the needs and feelings of others, thus making personal choices that will benefit others. They will be able to intuitively stand in the shoes of all others involved and make cooperative decisions accordingly. As the ego relaxes to allow in all the available information, the mind will become attuned to the subtle meaning and messages of the complex feeling tones as opposed to being gripped by the raw fears, angers and compulsions of the basic autopilot mode. The initial empathic connection, trust, mutual respect, and loving connection within the family automatically generalized into the public trust, public respect and compassion for humanity that drives cooperative civilizations. Meanwhile, the individual self concept blossoms into a full awareness of the unique inherent value potential and destiny challenge and becomes the driving conscious force behind all motives and actions. This brings the second character perspective of the being level mindscape. This driving passion to discover, develop, and creatively contribute all innate gifts brings with it feelings of enthusiasm, mirth, integrity, courage, and profound faith in ones ability and in the meaning of each life event as an opportunity to advance along the destiny path. This mindset that emerges from these feelings can be called the Personal Accountability Perspective. Although the compassionate mind is aware of human frailty, accepting of inevitable mistakes, and forgiving violations, the empowered accountable mind takes full and complete responsibility for multi-purpose living, seizing every opportunity to progress along the destiny path, and solving every problem that the personality encounters along the way. With the being level lens of accountability, each individual activity avoids impulsive fight, flight, and approach responses and ensures right and light responses become the predominant course corrections. With such a mind, there will be no blaming othersno matter what role they might play in the situation; no self deception of any kind, no rationalizing mistakes, no denying incoming information, nor being dishonest in interactions with others; and no competitive aggression (whether passive to active) unless a violation has occurred and light responses have not been successful at creating the needed change. The accountable mind seeks out the meaning within each and every life experience in the faith that meaning is indeed to be found which guides the most purposeful immediate action to keep the self upon the most rewarding life path. The mind then can see its own signature upon each event that is created and the final vestiges of survival level confusion, resistance, and blame slip away.

391

Lessons of Enlightenment

The third perspective that arises naturally at the being level of experience can be termed the Big Picture Perspective. Such a mindset allows all outcomes to be evaluated in the context of the broadest awareness of the most information available over the longest period of time. This perspective allows for the discovery of the meaningful patterns that make sense of the surprises of every day events. Feelings of hope, faith, courage and universal oneness both build and spring from this perspective. The consciousness begins to recognize the relativity of space, time and even self, in order to see the meaningful opportunities and learning messages in each moment. The Big Picture Perspective also results in the kind of intuitive understanding of exactly what the long-range effects of any thought or action will have. It affords the person the rightful and full range of conscious choice. It is the antitheses of impulsive, unconscious, short-term autopilot responses to simply bring immediate pleasure in order to alleviate pain. Together, these three perspectives will help remove any slivers and build a mindscape of gems. These optimal tools can also be used to help people vault themselves into the being level. Individuals who feel trapped in the patterns of survival level consciousness can simply borrow these perspectives as a way of reinterpreting any outcome that brings a painful emotion. In doing so over time, they can become as automatic as if they had developed naturally. Thus, the active right response of reframing each and every painful experience through one or all of these being-level lenses can be a tremendous aid to the individual enlightenment process. For example, some driver cuts you off in traffic, and the immediate feeling is one of anger, survival impulses take over and you might likely honk, yell, or flash a crude gesture at the offender. But if you respond after the fact with a bit of reflection, a right response can be attained. You might think in ways that allow in additional information for processing of an alternative decision. By drawing upon the Lens of Unity, you can put yourself in the offenders shoes. You might think back to once when you made a mistake in traffic that was taken as a personal offense against a stranger, and the painful regret you felt. With adopting the Big Picture Perspective, your mind can find alternative, more purposeful interpretations of the act. As such, you might realize that the offender did not know you and could not have meant any personal offense, might be stressed to get somewhere in a hurry, or that the poor slob might just be hopelessly ignorant of anyone except his own immediate needs and most likely did not even see you. At the very least, to recognize that this was an unconscious act of a struggling survival mind allows compassion to replace and reduce the defensive anger.

392

Theta: Implications for Evolution

Each such thought can reduce the amount of anger and perhaps on the next occasion, only annoyance will be felt when someone cuts you off in traffic and the impulse to act does not occur. Using these perspectives in this way, in and of itself honors the Personal Accountability Perspective, for you are making the necessary changes within your own mindscape and modeling them to the world. That is the highest gift one human can offer the species. Over time, with many such right responses, you will at some point be able to shake your head with a knowing smile or even laugh when someone cuts you off in traffic. The fear and anger signals of a defensive ego will have been replaced by the compassionate acceptance of the fact that people can and will do that sort of thing without it affecting your freedom or poweror connectionin any way. In time, the being level experience will shift focus away from issues of power, freedom, and connection as true civilizations arise, and humans can get right to the higher challenges and chakra centers. The needs for esteem, creativity and meaning will usher the highest levels of activity development and expression and the focus upon the highest chakras will be the major life effort. As individuals find and use their empowered voice, the words of the leaders who have conquered the speaker challenge will help humanity move ahead ever faster. The focus will ultimately be in becoming conscious of ever more complex levels of meaning, or seeing and transcending the limits of the ego self identity as all chakra centers open to full capacityand beyond. The seers will experiment with altered states of consciousness and gain far more awareness of ever broadened bandwidths of information, being enticed into a still higher level of human potential. In sum, the being level is characterized by: attunement to the emotional voice of spirit, recognition of the higher informational use of complex learned feeling tones, individual purpose, optimal course of development, internal selfempowerment, interconnection, cooperation, social justice, awareness of how and why things happen as they do, enlightened character perspectives which alter perceptions of outcomes, and far more positive emotional and creative experiences. All of these conditions pull humanity ever higher toward potentials far beyond what the present consciousness can yet conceive. The Transcendent Level of Human Existence Inherent within every human is the ability to achieve a still higher level of experience that can be described as the transcendent level of human potential. Indeed, nature familiarizes us with these potentials through the highest emotional tones that resonate with direct insights and flashes of this kind of experience. Dreams also contain many hints of the mobility and breadth of human consciousness, should humanity recognize that they are not simply 393

Lessons of Enlightenment

ramblings of brain with its consciousness removed by sleep. Indeed, it is a mobility of consciousness where the dream state affords the spirit its freedom to interact directly with the body, with the personality as mindful controller out of the way. But as the mind evolves, it is no longer a liability to mobility of consciousness, and can instead bring the creative personality into the game. At the transcendent level, the full creative capacities can come to the fore as the mind has broadened to attune to and embrace all the wisdom of body and add tremendous creative enhancements to the processes. The mind has transcended the pitfalls of a struggling body and is finally fully in control, but plays a lead role in directing high quality thoughts and actions. There is no longer conditioned learning, since all information flows into the mind for processing and as it expands, the more subtle and finer distinctions can be made within the multiple levels of information that are available within each experience. The predominant experiences are those rich feeling tones with the joyous resonance of universal clarity, the joys of compassion, grace, courage, justice, mirth, exuberance, divine love, faith, honor, gratitude, devotion, and universal oneness. At the transcendent level of human experience, all chakra centers are open and continuously expanding as the mind attains an ever broader conscious participation within the co-creative processes. The emphasis is upon the crown chakra, however, as the individual actively practices the expansion and mobility of the conscious mind. Transcendence begins with the recognition that the entire bandwidth of quantum information contained within All That Is, is accessible to the human spirit and that the challenge of the Earthly experience is to actively create the conditions within mass consciousness to align the mind with the breadth of spirit so that the species can evolve away from the necessity of limiting bodily safeguards. Once the being state unites the external senses with the internal voice of spirit, the finer aspects of inner sensory perceptions will automatically begin to awaken. Indeed, the range of emotional sensitivity involves vibrational insights, and multi-sensory mechanisms to enhance the breadth and quality participation within the co-creative experience. Although the species has much progress to make as a group, certain individuals have attained transcendent level experienceit has been attained in the dream state, through chemical manipulation, through meditative practice and even through religious revelation. Fleeting glimpses of these abilities remind humanity of this inner potential, as flashes of intuition, sudden shifts out of the relative time, space or self, or instantaneous joyous, harmonic resonance with the quantum field. Indeed, the genetic physical potentials within the most chemically sensitive personalities allow for tremendous spontaneous mobility of consciousnessoften 394

Theta: Implications for Evolution

chosen for uniquely challenging, leadership destiny paths. Many misunderstood experiences, that the survival level consciousness world deems to be abnormal, are in fact simply the innate ability for mobile consciousness. Psychic, telepathic abilities, multi-modal perceptions and projections, multiple personalities, and even psychotic delusions are all manifestations of a giftedly mobile chemical vessel intended to facilitate out of space/time/self conscious sojourns in order to offer unique creative insights and contributions of the most challenging destiny paths. Indeed, what appear as mental disorders to the confused public mind are actually splendid opportunities to learn the mobility inherent within the human consciousness. Oftentimes, gifts in one area come with apparent weaknesses in those held to be of value. It is an ignorant travesty that such individuals are feared by the masses, and taught that they are disordered or evil, and are chemically medicated away from their gifts. Such out-of-time individuals often suffer rejection and isolation, and never fully recognize the meaning within their unique experiences. They should instead, be revered, studied and helped to align with and balance their chemical sensitivity, attune to, and manifest their uniquely creative offerings. For even within the survival level mass mind, these individuals often transcend severe limitations and put forth the most insightful and indeed ingenious offerings. Of course, life at the transcendent level will include tremendous mobility of consciousness as a routine of daily creative living. Even the normal range of human potential has far more gifts than have been discovered. Lucid and creative dreaming, astral projections and spiritual travels will become a far more common practice as the inner aspects of self take on larger and larger roles and the mind attains ever more access to the vast information within the quantum field. The focus upon value assigned to external sources of information will dramatically shift toward internal scientific explorations of time, space and self. With an open heart, the mind and eyes of humanity will expand to take in more and more of the wonders within All That Is. There will be such highly creative and effective cooperative social structures that self-preservation and selfdevelopment will be a respected right of every human citizen, so the immediate purposes of self-actualization will be the primary purpose of humanity. This will include both the fulfillment and expansion of all potentialshurtling humanity ever-further along the evolutionary path. At the transcendent level of experience, there will be an unprecedented flow of newly available information affecting all levels of consciousness. There will be ever-increasing intensity of inner telepathic resonance, of attunement to deeper and more core memory banks, of self-hypnosis and inner time/space travel, of unifying the wisdom for altered states and dream consciousness, of directing 395

Lessons of Enlightenment

lucid dreams and facilitating communications and resource sharing with alternate personalities or incarnations, as well as experiencing all the inner senses in the distinct nuances not yet even conceived. But most of all, the human experience will be the spontaneous creation of exactly those experiences which can most fulfill the entity and all levels of gestalts of consciousness within which the personality lies. The person will experience the rapturous resonance of fulfilling the ever expanding destiny of All That Is with precision, creativity and panache. The potentials will continue to expand as the telepathic and intuitive pathways become dominant. Communication within and between people will be far better and less restricted by the limitations of language. Thus, new mechanisms and levels of information exchange will become the norm. Deception will be a vestige of the ancient past as travels in altered states of consciousness allow humans to bypass the illusory boundaries of time, space and even self. The depth of empathic compassion will have truly transcendent qualities, as will the creative abilities. The social manifestations of the transcendent level of humanity will be a global community much more akin to the elusive utopian society than the present pessimistic mind of man can consciously embrace. Technological advances will occur more in inner realms as the self-system, internal abilities, and willful self-empowerment are intellectually and institutionally embraced. Intuitive research, travels, and technologies including energy medicine and conscious participation within energy dynamics will be mainstream. Ultimately, the creative adaptive efforts of humanity can enhance the genetic code, and transcend certain limits of the psychic form. Such advancements can allow consciousness to create physiological changes independent of biological processescreating many of the instantaneous miracles of religious legend. Value judgments and human knowledge will also be vestiges of ancient history, as the Eden-like condition of mass consciousness is restored. Such is the promising path set forth for humanity. From this vantage point, the historical and present events provide empowering evidence that the era of competitive self-preservation is nearing an end. All fear, isolation, confusion and war are the death rattles of the unconscious stages as humanity begins to consciously embrace inner empowerment, trust, connection, meaning and global unity. Each individual who embraces the inner voice of spirit shall help build the energy to propel humanity forward. Such is the challenge at hand, a challenge to be entrusted to any and all whose consciousness resonates with these universal truths.

396

Theta: Implications for Evolution

Summary In sum, the eras of humanity have all been leading the mass mind to become aware of the higher destiny, to make that significant shift in consciousness that reconciles freedom and empowerment within cooperative connection to vault into the being level and to begin to taste the fruits of human potential. The more individuals attain purpose in their personal lives, the more the world can be shaped by their light responses to become the just, civilized, mass consciousness that is necessary for the blossoming of human potential. This kind of evolution will not happen automatically, for the human physical consciousness is necessary for the most purposeful and expedient cultural evolution. Of course, if humanity fails to rise to the challenge, the unbridled misguided mass mind will ultimately lead to self-destructionthe outcome of the utter lack of self-development. Fortunately, the gathering impetus of individuals following the urges of spirit have already begun to set forth a successful outcome. The macro patterns of human evolution are depicted below. The chart shows the relationship between individual purpose and social justice, and how with each increase in individual purpose the world at large improves. The arrow constitutes the history of humanity which is at present, poised to vault into the being stateguided by the enlightened ones. This is the legacy that awaits humanity when enough individual minds become enlightened to shift the mass mind toward re-attuning to the inner guidance system of the voice of spirit. The information contained within these Lessons is designed to shine the light so that ever-more aware individuals can contribute to the critical mass necessary to boost humanity over the threshold from the crude and brutish survival state of experience to feel what it means to be fully human. From there, the pace can rapidly increase, leading individuals and eventually the species to the higher calling of the transcendent abilities and leanings of nature toward the most creative and unlimited physical manifestations of the expansion of All That Is. We can now turn the discussion to the final summation of what the Lessons have been sharing and see the concept of enlightenment in the broadest perspective.

397

Omega
Conclusion

Epilogue: The Lessons of Enlightenment


The Mission of Enlightenment The purpose of these lessons has been to align the reader with the direct path to inner spiritual guidance. It has been to awaken the reader to the reality of the awesome power of the creative mind and the urgent need to apply consciously guided willful choices. It has been to acquaint the mind with the default patterns that will remain in place until the mind is sufficiently enlightened to take over its own destiny course. It has been to establish faith in the spiritual nature of the universe and the creation in the knowledge that even the slow and painful path is advancing humanity in purposeful directions. It has been to establish the calling, the compassion, forgiveness, courage, and integrity within those who wish to enhance and accelerate the process with creatively positive feelings and expressionsas is the desire within the thrust of All That Is. It has been to plant the first seeds within mass consciousness to bring about crucial shifts away from mere survival consciousness, negative motivations, superstition, and submission to external controllersto the fully human being experiencethe joyous guided liberation and positive motivations of internal creative empowerment. Although there have been many tremendous offerings of enlightenment energy/information throughout human history, this offering is significant in several ways. First, the uniqueness of this offering is relative to the evolving consciousness and in response to the timely opportunity for a great leap forward. Second, this spiritual manifesto is also unique as an accomplishment that has been long underway by a network of entitiesas participants in highly complex gestalts of consciousnesswith the unified mission of rescuing humanity from the illusory limitations so thick within the physical experience.

399

Lessons of Enlightenment

Indeed, the words within these pages are some of the first made possible by the former successes and advances of this enlightenment community. Throughout history, various manifestations of their energy have brought about the spiritual wisdom that now exists as gems within the cultural mind. But they have always been limited by the boundaries of consciousness and creative awareness of the species, and thus have utilized many vicarious and even back-door routes to deliver the information necessary for each shift in species consciousness. They have worked near magic slipping intuitive insights, dreams and inspirations into the consciousness of particular individuals, guiding them to make contributions through artistic, religious, literary and scientific revelations. With each such expression, the evolutionary winds have gathered force. On the other hand, far many more insights have fallen upon deaf ears, or were received but never acted upon, due to the limited beliefs and protective fear. Or the new insights expressed were socially stifled or rejected, taking a bit of the wind out of the evolutionary sails. Still, throughout history, the accumulation of enlightened beliefs has reached many points of critical mass that have propelled the species forward in punctuated stridessuch as that which is now at hand. This happens at both cultural and biological levels as individuals interact with the quantum environment. Historical Shifts and Modes of Attunement The first such shift was accomplished when specific entities with the mission of light work had significant enough physiological sensitivity and mindful clarity to begin to receive particular insights from extra ranges of the quantum spectrum. Although the information was often incomplete and distorted, the general spiritual thrusts achieved creative completion to the degree that the mass mind began to take note. Although most of this information ended up being credited to superstitious sources, still the concept of oracles and other types of intermediary paths to some form of higher wisdom became part of the mass mind. At that point of the human cultural journey, the interaction between the energy within the mass mind and the corresponding genetic adaptive mutations facilitated the next major stage in the expansion of human consciousness to include some of the inner sensory pathways. The next major shift was accomplished when the human gene pool began to contain specific abilities for certain unusual individuals to experience a broader mobility of consciousnessto have a different experience of space and time than their normal others. This allowed for specific sensory sensitivities that permitted the voice of spirit within the quantum field to be more accessibleso that messages could be heard and more guidance could be obtained. This led to the next major energy shift that allowed for the adaptive mutations of even 400

Omega: Conclusion

more mobile forms of consciousness in which the experience of self also became highly mobile and unique. With this shift, humans with this unusual mobility could displace their personality and allow the channeling of alternate gestalts of self to communicate directly through the physical forms. This phenomenon has become widely known as mediumshipand was subjected to much distortion and misuse and still faces rejection as a legitimate experience by the scientifically inclined. But the genetic diversity in the mobility of consciousness allowed for the first transmissions of more direct information between the physical and spiritual realms. Although this genetic ability (and the willful acceptance of extrasensory information that it added to the mass mind) was a valuable and necessary step, it required the disengagement of the personal mind from the process. The experience was also largely spontaneous and although often desired, was not within the realm of conscious control. The individuals often were subjected to uncontrolled intrusions and chemical fluctuations that were highly confusing and often even promoted certain forms of self-fracturing psychosis. Willful creative choice in the matter was minimal. Thus, these unique individuals were labeled as mentally disordered, the implications of the mobility of consciousness was largely lost and the lives of these individuals were often brutish, painful and short. Indeed, many complex souls have chosen such a path. Nonetheless, this route of the medium or psychic, led to the next step in terms of even more direct access to higher energy information. Next came the phenomenon of trance channeling, in which the personality has relative control over the mobility of consciousness and maintained a certain relationship with other gestalts of self included in the enlightenment mission. But still, this required little direct development of the mindscape and its belief structures. Thus, many of the benefits of the information channeled could not be exploited even by those providing it for the masses. Still, the path of humanitys march toward direct contact with higher gestalts of consciousness was ever progressing. Were it not for the efforts of all such heroic contributors, humanity would not now enjoy the energy that virtually sizzles with potential at the dawn of this millennial era, nor the promise of the evolutionary propulsion now possible. Indeed, there is a collective celebration occurring beyond space-time as the first experiments in direct transmission have been a relative success. For these Lessons have been delivered, not due to vicarious or displacement routes, but due to the accomplishment of personal awareness and unified attunement to the inner spiritual sensefor the time is right. Indeed, many individual facets of this body of information are arising through many other sources.

401

Lessons of Enlightenment

This is a momentous occasion for those within the enlightenment community at all levels of consciousness, for it constitutes the evidence that the genetic memory of humanityas well as the cultural mindscapeare sufficiently prepared and united to usher in the age of direct attunement between personalities and their higher entities. The conscious recognition of the emotional languagethe sensory voice of spirithas been a singular goal for eons, since it was originally lost due to the error of human judgment. It has been a long and arduous path, traveled through the landmines of human knowledge and misassumption, for the energy information to have finally reached acquisition. Human language alone does little to help the transmission. As readers discover, nearly every word has become loaded with judgments and distortions that make the language constructions necessary for this transmission difficult to embrace. But rest assured, even the focusing upon them does far more than any reader might yet be aware. Those that brave the growing pains necessary and build the mindscape around these new uses of words and concepts will be those who are instrumental in tipping the scales still further. For the more will energy infused within enlightened concepts, the more the species will feel the effects. Indeed, each human mind that reads, grasps the information and/or attunes to the inner voice will make it easier for those that follow to embrace and utilize the information. Direct Access The most salient significance of the method of the delivery of this material is that it marks the biological opening of the inner channels within the species form. The cultural strides have been aligned with the emergence of biological mechanisms for normal sensory information processing, to extra-sensory, to multi-sensory and now to the full emotional inner sensory pathway as the precursor to the entire intuitive language of spirit with all its transcendent potentials. The mindscape has not abdicated the personal self to obtain the higher knowledge, but instead accommodated the feeling signals with the purposeful belief structures that allow expansion of self and the inner channels to open. Indeed, the channels grew ever broader as the material itself was delivered. For this reason, the word constructions have particular value relative to their sequential placement in the material. For this reason alone, readers are encouraged to study the material beginning to end, rather than skipping in and out of particular areas of interestwith at least one full reading. The will energy applied to this first reading will enhance the species consciousness regardless of the level of personal understanding gleaned. But the personal benefits will also occur on multiple levels of consciousness. Indeed, multiple readings and study of the material are highly 402

Omega: Conclusion

recommended, for each such reading will ready the mind with a new layer, which builds upon the last in an ever broadening conscious embrace. With the first reading, it is perfectly normal for many of the concepts to appear to simply make no sense. This is because there are not yet any existing hooks of understanding upon which to hang the concepts. But diligence in the first reading will build the foundations necessary for building hooks upon which they can be later placed. Another typical response to new information of this type is confusion and resistance, due to the confounding or challenging of existing beliefs, attitudes and protective patterns. It is essential to recognize these feelings as growing pains so that corrective adjustments will be made to the mindscape. (Retreating into unconscious habits of fear and resistance for the sake of ego safety, comfort and familiarity will only prolong and slow the journey to a most tedious and painful crawl.) Simply facing daily challenges and feeling signals with faith in their meaning will allow even the most rigid egos to eventually find a delight in purposeful change. Daily experience will provide the proofs and insights, but a program of active study and application of the ideas will dramatically increase the enlightenment process. Final Words What If I Am Struggling? A word to those who are struggling with the new information: Trust. Trust that the universe is creative and compassionate. Trust that All That Is allowsand desiresfor you to progress at your own pace through willful choice. Trust that there is meaning within all events. Trust that you are a worthy, special, and gifted individual with a uniquely valuable offering for the world. Trust that all mistakes are healing and growth opportunities. Trust that all pains, violations and fears are reflections of misuses of the creative mind, but will always mirror and expose the faulty beliefs that created them. Trust that all feelings carry guiding messages of your most purposeful uses of mind, from you the spiritual entity to you the physical personality. Trust that these higher authorities within more complex gestalts of consciousness know what is best for you in each moment and whisper through your feelings. Trust that your body and mind are designed to attain positive, conscious, purposeful

403

Lessons of Enlightenment

change far faster than the protective, unconscious, default path. Trust your spirit as your unfailing guide. For it is so. What If I Cannot Break My Destructive Habits and Patterns? A word to those who worry that they might not be able to break rigid patterns, to those who have blocked out the inner voice for so long that they are unaware of many of their feelings: Courage. Courage to allow yourself to feel that which you have long suppressed. Courage to breathe in the power of your spirit in moments of pain and resistance and proceed purposefully in the face of obstacles. Courage that each small success will open more vast possibilities for larger ones in the future. Courage in the knowledge that the universe provides all the time necessary for your journey, that despite missteps and false starts, even the smallest of purposeful steps will take you where you need to go. (There are as many lifetimes as you need, and each moment is your point of power to resist or acceptin fear or in faith.) Courage from the knowledge that even the smallest purposeful steps are of creative spiritual value. Courage in the knowledge that braving your growing pains will always reap multiple rewards, even across space/time and levels of self. Courage in the wisdom that with self honor and integrity all challenges can be not only accepted, but also surmounted. Courage that others will love, honor and support your efforts and that they will forgive any mistakes along the way. For it is so. What If My Journey Takes Me Away From My Loved Ones? Love. Universal love exists beyond space/time and even self. Find strength in the wisdom that the illusions of the mind and the physical experience never allow love to end. Love can only expand. It can not contractdespite the end of relationships that are no longer purposeful. Love is not a state of deficit need, although such conditions can strengthen the protective attraction to a love object. But the added strength comes only from the motivations of fear. To run away from one thing to the safety of a needmeeting love will only recreate that which is feared. Love is an abundance of spiritual energy flowing between two connected individuals, while fear diverts and redirects some of that energy and minimizes the connection. Love is the 404

Omega: Conclusion

path of least resistance. Love without fear accepts all events and instigates creative change in the most purposeful directions, regardless of how much of the past must dissolve before a more valuable future can unfold. To truly love is to let go when the time is right. To truly love is to honor and respect the potential in all, but to exercise choice according to the creative manifestations they have attainedlittle or great. How Do I Deal With the Unlovable Ones? Compassion. Compassion is the vibratory aspect of universal love that can be readily accessed for those who suffer the results of their ignorance and who blindly or vengefully violate others in doing so. The price for creative free will is the potential abuse of it until the consciousness expands sufficiently to use it wisely thus patterns of learning error, violations, corrective feelings and protective responses are all an inevitable and enduring part of the physical experience. Situations that spur feelings of frustration and anger can be perceived through the lens of compassion in the knowledge that everyone has been a violator at some point in the course of their spiritual evolution. Compassion for the pitfalls of the physical experience and the trial and error nature of learning can move mountains. Although those blind with fear and anger seek to seize external power through competition and violation, the authentically empowered compassionate shall redesign and inherit the Earth. What About the Worst Perpetrators of Violation? Forgiveness. To those survivors of multiple violations, perhaps the greatest power comes with forgiveness. Consider the forgiveness you would like to receive for your own errors born of unconscious ignorance, and give it generously to others. Forgiveness washes through the body-mind with a cleansing power of pure spirit, forever reclaiming the energy held in the past pain. For the anger, shame, guilt, fear, or sadness experienced in any moment is the message that the event has not been concluded in its most purposeful probabilityand will continue to manifest in some form. Forgiveness of self often restores the most power, and readies the mind to expand the forgiven self to unfold others with a blanket authorization to be human. Forgiveness, then, opens the door to compassion and universal love.

405

Lessons of Enlightenment

How Do I Survive The Darkest Moments? Faith. Each moment that any given life event is perceived along with the feelings of trust, courage, love, compassion, forgiveness (or any other of the highest feeling tones), will bring the enduring beliefs, the gems, which provide spontaneous faith. Faith is the unwavering validating feeling that accompanies sound beliefs and understandings that every event is creative, purposive and meaningful. Faith empowers each purposeful action, perception, feeling communication, and corrective action in each moment and prevents the automatic processes from allowing us to backslide unconsciously into the darkness. But the darkest moments are those filled with the most potential. They are our constant tests and reflections of how well we are using our conscious mind. Embracing the message within the darkness can bring the most brilliant flashes of light. Breathing in the depths of faith in the most frightening moments can counteract even the most convincing beliefs and events created by ignorant fear. Faith has empowered the species perhaps even more than the feeling of love, for it is the glue that holds the spiritual consciousness in the moment and keeps the mind involved in the creative processes. Without faith, there is darkness, automatic default processes, limited guidance and painful corrective signals. But faith need not be dressed up in Emperors clothing as it has been throughout the history of the species. Faith need never pit one system of belief against another, or pit one group of humans against another, as has been the pattern. Faith allows the purely joyous energy force of spirit into the physical system through a well designed mindscape of unlimited, yet purposeful, beliefs that manifest as fully open, efficient, chakra centers transforming the non-physical into physical creation. The Universal Spectrum of Love and Light The spectrum of joyous universal love includes all these highest feeling tones, like the rainbow color spectrum that derives from pure white light. When human beings experience them, they are attuned to the wave length of spirit, with body and mind aligned with the wisdom of universal consciousness. The darkness of fear and each of its relatives (anger, sadness, guilt, etc.) are simply precursor interim states to recognizing and correlatively attuning to the wonders of creative consciousness. The more humans can heed and respond to each emotional tone, the broader and more effective the use of creative will energy. 406

Omega: Conclusion

It is a process of awakening to ones highest potential, like each newborn opening the eyelids to the wonders of the visual world, yet the language of spirit, with each of its colors, spans the relative continuum of space, time and self. In each moment, every human has the opportunity to awaken from the slumber of unconsciousness and default living patterns, for each present moment offers a fresh co-creative beginning. There is no harm or retribution for past (or even present) patterns of protective behavior that seek the safety, protection, or comfort of the darkness when one knows not how or what to do in the light. There is simply the endurance of the painful signals which call to the higher and more pure manifestations of spirit that await just beyond the door of the known. They will wait patientlyas long as it takesfor willful choice reigns supreme in the co-creative process. But with each effort to find the meaning and choose the purposeful response to each whispering of spirit, the door begins to crack open. The darkness is simply the void that attracts the most necessary information in each moment. With each brave peek, the door will eventually open wide and be ready to receive the most complete information in each moment needed to make the most enthusiastic decisions, actions and the most rapid progress upon the destiny path. You are now prepared to go forth into each new creative moment as fresh as the newborn for the willful creation of your destiny. As with any sage creator, the task of your genesis is to let there be light. Should you now recognize your unity with all co-creators and choose to feel your way along, in each creative moment, there shall be light. ~~~

407

You might also like