The critical factor in change is that
there must be a need for a change as well as the power to execute
the change. This requires a special interaction of our personal powers
with the external powers to create that reality which is needed.
We are familiar with changing our
reality by introducing a strong need into our life. As an example
we can join a parachuting club and experience a need as we step
out of the airplane during our first jump. Other methods include such
things as rock climbing, bungee jumping, picking a fight, volunteering
for what no one else will chance, or doing such things as illicit drugs
or sex. The majority of people choose a lesser need such as desiring to
know the ending of an exciting book or movie or how a sporting event
will go. Some choose a sexual encounter, hard rock music, an argument, a
debate or discussion with others. These techniques do work, but only for
a short period of time, and the resulting world is very limited in
scope.
The largest problem in all of the
above methods is that as we repeat the stimulation, it quickly becomes
less and less effective. As for instance, the second ride on a roller
coaster is hardly a thrill at all, and the continual replay of music or
the re-reading of a book almost becomes boring. The result of this
habituation to stimulation is countered by attempting to find even more
stimulation of the same type. This pursuit makes us a book worm,
television couch potato, a drug addict, a sports or celebrity fanatic, a
cantankerous argumentative associate, or a true faddist or cultist. As
our world dulls and narrows down, we probably try harder and harder
until our world shrivels down to only that chosen pursuit, and we end up
clinging tightly to it as our only enjoyment in life.
This paradox of shutting down our
world because of a pursuit to open our world is the direct result of our
conditioning as to what reality and life is. The chief error is in the
societal implant that the power, joy, and excitement of life are only
found in the external world. Without understanding the process or what
is required to change our world, we tend to cling to what we think is
the external source of the change.
Discovering and understanding the
process and source of the controlled changing of our world became
perhaps the chief goal of the early Christians as well as the Mystics
before them.
This controlled change will be shown
to require the construction of a new world and the washing away of our
old world such that we are reborn into the new one. This process can be
seen to be similar in some ways to the questionable methods of looking
for dangerous pastimes that overwhelm us. The old techniques however,
can be construed to have consisted of using the Eastern techniques to
find an inner source of direction rather than that obtained from our
conditioned, chattering brain. The Eastern techniques also allow us to
separate ourselves from what we have been conditioned to believe the
outer world is and to see it as it really is. When the world can be seen
as changeable and a reflection of that which is within ourselves, then
we can choose a new role and purpose in our life. This system of choice
can be contrasted with our training on being perfect, doing things
right, judging the outer powers and being concerned about acceptance by
the outer world, and, of course, feeling guilty. All of which keeps us
tightly controlled and unchanged.
Some of the esoteric Eastern
techniques also teach the increasing of super-grade energy so that a
greater range in realities can be obtained or that a chosen reality can
be Quickened to increase the experiencing. These techniques are
concentrated upon increasing the lower gut muscle activities through
various churning exercises and learning to stimulate the activity
through special exhalations such as normally encountered in a moment of
challenge when there is a strong forced exhalation and a shift into
lower abdominal breathing. These techniques are beyond the scope of this
book, however, and references to these can be found in the author’s
book, The Golden Triangle.
Before the discussion of changing
ourselves is continued, it may be helpful to point out that we have been
conditioned not to change our world and ourselves. It is all right to
have the momentary thrill of jumping, orgasm, or altruistic effort, but
we are conditioned to be very concerned with any change that might
possibly be permanent. For instance, we are concerned about being
acceptable to our family and friends and they, on the other hand, expect
us to be the person that they want us to be. Our employer also expects
us to be what the organizational chart says we should be. Our friends
have the added requirement of us always being the person that meshes
perfectly with their usual games. Nobody, especially us, really wants us
to change except perhaps to “improve” ourselves or to become closer to
the concept of what we are supposed to be. There are large numbers of
people and organizations that exist to help us “improve” ourselves, but
although we might find “improvement” for a while, we seem to drift
rapidly back into our old world and self.
The chief technique for bypassing our
conditioned responses that prevent us from changing ourselves is to
instead change our outer world. When we encounter a new world and
situation, we are also conditioned to adapt to socially fit in. The
change must be more than the physical setting, however. For instance, in
moving out of town most people find the same type of objectionable
characters living there as were in their old locations, and they face
the same type of social problems. Changing the backdrops or scenery of
our play does not change the plot of the play or the role that we must
play. We must somehow change our whole world, self, and plot.
Before we cry “Impossible!” consider
that we have already changed our world at least to some extent a number
of times. We have both improved it or made it measurably worse on
different occasions. As an example, we can remember waking up and
staggering out of bed, stubbing our toes in the process, finding that we
are out of hot water, burning our breakfast, and discovering that our
car has a flat tire. From there our day gets worse, even our friends
antagonize us, and it seems as if we are sinking into a lonely and
brutal world. We have, however, also experienced the perfect day in
which nothing can go wrong, everything is buoyant, uplifting, joyous and
even our enemies are supportive and kind. The same people are in both of
these days or worlds, and if we ask them how they managed to change so
drastically, they will, of course, suggest that we need psychiatric
care. This experience of two different worlds should raise all kinds of
questions, yet surprisingly it does not for the majority of people. Most
people pass the experience off as getting out of the wrong side of the
bed, or having good fortune on the good day. In our modern highly
materialistic society, it is not considered possible to change our world
such as we have individually experienced, yet it can be changed and
changed far more than we have ever dreamed of.
Changing our world is much different
than improving ourselves. Improving ourselves is dictated by some
perceived social need. Changing our world in many ways requires making
an effort in exactly the opposite direction that we have been taught to
take for acquiring new controls or skills. The terms for personal
transformation used by the ancient teachers have been trivialized and
altered over the centuries, but if taken seriously, they can still give
an idea of what is required. The term used by the early Christians was
to be completely reborn. As to how this was to take place, the model of
being infused with an overpowering spirit that would change our whole
nature was used. The change produced by some inner force was universal
and all its advocates taught that it was released from the bowels, the
lower abdomen, or from within the sexual region. The Book of John
in the Bible discusses living waters
that flow out of the belly
that transform. These living waters are similar to the Indian notion of
the inner fluid called soma.
The idea of some inner spirit changing our world was symbolized in
ancient writings by the changing of juice or water into wine or changing
flour into bread dough with a small amount of a fermenting agent such as
yeast. The alchemists used the model of a long, arduous process of
changing lead into gold as a model of the conversion process that
required a “philosopher’s stone.”
When it is understood that the power
to change is contained within ourselves, then a universal methodology
can be developed from the early Mystical schools. The following table
contains only ten items rephrased to exclude the original religious or
social connotations. This rephrasing is necessary since almost everyone
has learned to interpret religious terms in a very rigid and limited
definition, and even those from a religion of which we are not a member.
It is also helpful if we can forget the aspect of this table as being
taken from religious rules and accept the possibility that this table is
a basic psychological and physiological listing of transformational
requirements and changes.
-
We must first master the laws of
society.
-
In mastering the laws we find
that we are in bondage to the laws.
-
In seeking freedom we require the
union and bondage with others.
-
In seeking union we find the
necessity to fully live for or with the individuals we encounter.
-
In becoming involved with others,
we find overpowering challenge and opposition.
-
In facing the challenge and
opposition, we find Knowledge and Quickening.
-
The Knowledge and Quickening are
perceived as rising up from the bowels.
-
With Knowledge and Quickening,
special supernormal powers are found.
-
These powers provide the means to
find freedom, joy, and evolution of world and self.
-
The Two powers
can then be directed and united to form any chosen world.
Almost everyone understands the
necessity and reason for mastering society’s laws, ranging from being
potty trained to being successful in driving on a crowded super highway.
Following the law is generally summarized as starting with being good
followed with doing good. This step is initiated and controlled by
institutions beginning with the family or parents.
As we become ingrained with following
the rules and laws of civilized behavior, we also become habituated to
following the rules. This results in being unaware of the extent and
depth of the training and conditioning and its control over our behavior
and responses. We become as a programmed robot in terms of most
responses to the social world. We are don’t notice how we automatically
respond to a greeting and how we change in the presence of our parents
or an authority figure. We have a deep ingrained control that limits our
response in society as, for instance, the impossibility of taking our
clothes off on a public street.
We are generally unaware of how we automatically respond to the dress or
mannerisms of strangers, other than noticing our approval, distrust, or
even instant dislike as we first meet them. Our response to our friends,
family, and associates becomes very rigid and defined without our
awareness of our bondage to the social conditioning and laws.
The modern high technological world
and the advances in human comfort and care require a clockwork precision
in the interaction of individuals and groups that can only be maintained
with strict Law. We can become very much aware of the necessity of Law
as we race down a crowded freeway at seventy miles an hour amidst other
speeding vehicles. The simple act of going to a store and purchasing a
single desired item requires the precise and timed interaction of
hundreds of individuals. It also requires our usage of special skills
involved with our getting to the store and the selection as well as in
the purchase of the item. In order to fully appreciate the complex laws
that govern the modern individual, consider some great historical person
from centuries past faced with driving to a mall to purchase something
to eat or wear. Compared to this person, a teenaged dropout in the
ghetto has skills and wisdom that would appear God-like to an ancient
king or queen. At home this “disadvantaged” youth has the power of many
slaves that heat his apartment, cook his food, produce light, carry hot
and cold water, etc.
Most of the readers of this book
attempted to be good when they were young. Individuals who are eager to
grow and evolve start off their lives being perfectly good. We were
probably so good that people commented on our goodness and we learned in
time to become proud of how we followed all of the rules and laws. This
continued until the day that we suddenly became suspicious that we were
sometimes missing out on rewards and goodies by being good. In fact,
many times those who had broken some of the rules seemed to get more
goodies than we did. At this time we started becoming aware that our
parents did not follow all of the rules and, in fact, would break many
of them, as, for instance, in speeding in traffic. We also noted,
however, that the damage had already been done, we were good despite
ourselves. We could not always state what we really believed or felt,
and, in fact, we would agree to requests that we really did not want to
do. We found that we were generally good even though we did not always
feel like being good.
As we attempted to prove ourselves
free from constraints of society, we may have started with being
independent and becoming a “lone wolf” or openly rebelling. We avoided
following the crowd or doing that which everyone else was doing. This
avoidance generally started with the things that we criticized our
parents for doing. We may also have started to try and do new things and
in the process found that we were capable of doing surprisingly well and
amazed ourselves at how well we could do. However, after isolating
ourselves, we eventually awoke to the realization that no matter how
great a thing it is that we accomplish, it is nothing if we can’t tell
someone about it. When we did find others to share with, then we could
find joy.
The step of evolution in finding
closeness with others generally took the form of finding a “best friend”
in whom we could confide and share our life. Unfortunately, we also
experienced conflicts with our friend as we became jealous and fearful
for our relationship. This jealousy and fear of losing our best friend
resulted in the development of rules that minimized any disruption in
the friendship. As for instance, we quickly learned that certain
subjects could not be broached or that certain things were not to be
shared. As the friendship deepened or matured, rules were developed in
how we approached each other that included even our demeanor. We both
attempted to provide a solidarity in our relationship that necessarily
made the relationship rigid and unchanging. The old “Golden Rule” is an
example of this control, as we limit ourselves in doing to others what
we would want them to do to you. This rule maintains status quo as we
limit our actions and words to what we have learned is proper, correct,
and expected. It is also this rule that we use in attempting to love our
neighbor as ourselves that generally ends up with us being very proper
and formal.
It is a sign of progress when we can
perceive the bondage in a friendship since normally it is very well
hidden. Many times it is first seen with a change in our world as we are
forced to change our demeanor such as when we change our marital status
or lifestyle. Our friend notices the change in our demeanor and
generally objects to it or opposes it as a threat to the relationship.
We may also be able to see the limitation in roles in other
relationships, such as with our parents as we tire of being treated like
a little dependent child while we attempt to play an adult role.
A break in our concept of how to
relate to others may start with a chance conversation with someone on a
bus, or in any situation where we are required to be in a strange place
with individuals we do not know and will likely never again meet. What
commonly happens is that we are able to enter very quickly into a very
intimate discussion that leaves us with the feeling that we both know
each other extremely well and perhaps better than anyone else in our
current world. We find ourselves being overpowered and mesmerized by the
depth of the thoughts of the other person and we in return find
ourselves speaking with no hesitation and with a clarity of thought that
we may not have ever before experienced. It may also remind us of our
“first love” when we had similar reactions and gave up ourselves
completely to our love. Later as we think over the encounter with the
stranger, we may ask why we cannot have this openness with friends and
loved ones. At this time we may discover that we have a fear of
increased intimacy with a loved one because of the possibility of it
providing some unknown conflict to the present relationship. However,
this fear is not present with a stranger on a bus, because we are aware
that we will never meet him or her again. Almost everyone is afraid of
someone finding out about his or her inner self, although they have not
the faintest idea as to what is in there, let alone what could be
damaging if it were known.
As we grow confident of our mastery
of the social world and its laws, we may find a few moments when we “let
our hair down” or forget to worry about doing what is proper in the
presence of others. We may “let ourselves go,” meaning that we forget
the importance of our ego and pride. At these times we find an extreme
enjoyment as we let the situation or encounter overpower us and carry us
off into some common interaction. In retrospect, we may question whether
we went too far or made a fool of ourselves, but almost never do we find
that we suffered any loss of prestige or standing because of it. There
is even a trend at the moment for many social leaders to attempt to “be
themselves” or “to be informal” or allow themselves to become emotional
or overpowered by their audience. It is being found to be conducive to
selling or teaching.
In the above cases there is a large
change taking place in our interaction with the outer world. Instead of
attempting to be socially correct, we allow ourselves to be changed to
become that which best interacts with the other individuals. Instead of
expecting them to be impressed by us, we start to become that which is
required or needed to enhance the interaction. We start to exist for
them instead of expecting them to fulfill some expectation of our own.
Performing artists are very familiar with this state as they become that
person or role which the audience expects and interacts with. They live
for their fans.
The above phrase of “living for”
others is in agreement with the Greek word agapao that has been
introduced in Chapter Three. To live for our neighbor implies the
dedication to increase a nearby person’s success and happiness even at
the expense of our own. In living for someone, that person or persons
become more important and loved at that moment then even our family
members. This process requires the quieting of the analytical thought
process and then seeing
the other person without any preconceived concepts or as they really are.
Whether the person was our friend or enemy is of no consequence. We must
open to the other person such that they have a power over us or we
become fully aware of what they do and say.
The next step is to find a role within ourselves and then fully interact
with this person.
This can be compared with the Biblical phrase to love God with all your
heart and soul, which is nearly impossible for most Westerners to do.
This will be discussed in more detail in Chapter Eleven.
As we fully open to another person’s
life, problems, or experiences, we suddenly expand the scope of our own
life to include a major piece of the other’s life as well as integrate
ourselves with the mutual goals or dedication of the moment. The rise in
supernormal powers as discussed in Chapter One, following a joint need or demand can be explained as being able to draw from sources
beyond the self. In other words, living for someone else also adds their
problems, joys, experiences and powers to our own, thereby vastly
increasing our interaction with the world.
As we quiet the analytical side of
our brain and fully open to someone else’s situation, we can find an
immediate total knowledge or insight that is quite spectacular. This
Knowledge is experienced without question, judgment, or thinking; it
results in the state of complete acceptance of what is happening. This
state will be discussed further in Chapter Eleven.
If the world of the other person
requires action, we will experience the rise of Quickening with
associated strong feelings in the bowels or gut such as tightening,
churning, contractions, or heat. This activity in the gut changes the
breathing such that the lower capacity of the lungs is used, thus
energizing the body. The churning of the lower gut forces additional
blood normally stored or pooled in the lower abdominal cavity to flow
throughout the body and stimulates the abdominal organs. The lower
abdominal pressure also exerts a corresponding pressure on the tailbone
of the spine and hence increases the pressure in the spinal fluid up to
the interior of the head. This increased pressure stimulates the brain
as well as the regulatory organs at the top of the spine. The Quickening
force, therefore, activates the entire body and brain to meet some
oncoming demand or challenge and becomes the source for the supernormal
powers and functioning of the body.
As we open to the worlds of others
and thus expand our own, we find that our old world can be seen as
rather limited. We see that our concerns and worries are quite minimal
and actually provide further stimulation to growth. As we gain more
wisdom through our interaction with Knowledge, we become more able to
view our own problems as objectively as we have viewed the problems of
others.
Another very important result of the
interacting with another’s world(s) is that we find that we are able to
also change our own world and the roles that we play. It is in much the
same way that a child can choose what game or what role they wish to
play and become.
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