Love is the Way to Ascend

Love is the Way to Ascend

Spiritual Awakening Healing Tools for 2012 and Beyond

Lynne Namka, Ed. D.

Artwork by The Soul Connection Network.

Also by Lynne Namka

The Doormat Syndrome The Mad Family Gets Their Mads Out How to Let Go of Your Mad Baggage

Avoiding Relapse: Catching Your Inner Con A Gathering of Grandmothers: Words of Wisdom from Women of Spirit and Power Good Bye Ouchies and Grouchies, Hello Happy Feelings: EFT for Kids of All Ages

Teaching Emotional Intelligence to Children: Fifty Fun Activities for Families &Therapists Parents Fight. Parents Make Up. Take Good Care of Yourself!

Your Quick Anger Makeover Plus Twenty Cutting‐Edge Techniques to Release Anger!

For information on books and curriculums, go to www.AngriesOut.com

Copyright 2011 by Lynne Namka

www.AngriesOut.com www.Tucsonshaman.com

You may copy portions and exercises from this book for posting on your websites

and blogs provided that this web site www.lovetoascend.com is referenced. Any form of selling this information from this book is a violation of copyright law.

However, this book is to be shared freely; please email it on to interested friends and family.

Published by

Talk, Trust & Feel Therapeutics, 5398 Golder Ranch Road Tucson, Arizona 85739

ISBN # 78‐0‐9642167‐7‐9

Permission given for the cover illustration Rise of the Radiant Goddess by Teka Luttrell, author of Stories for Transformation and the Soul Connection Network.

“Say what you think. Nothing more.”

Juan Flores, Salazar Amazon Shaman

Dedication

“I will hide myself among you, O ye stars which are imperishable. My brow is the brow of Ra.

Let the Eye of Horus come forth from the god and shine outside his mouth.

"I shall see the Gods and the Eye of Horus burning with fire before my eyes."

The Pyramid Texts

Honor and gratitude go to the Elohim, the creator aspects of God, the Galactic Councils of Light, the Angelic Realms, the Ascended Masters the White Brotherhood, Troth and all forces of light and love that assist in the development of human consciousness. We are indeed fortunate to be able to access and evoke these Universal consciousness energies. There is great gratefulness for the remembrance of who I am as a spiritual being resonating with Unity Consciousness. I am here to serve, all time, all space, All in Oneness. And of this earthly plane, thanks go to two women of high consciousness, Nancy Swain and Donna Gilson who put love and time into corrections of this manuscript. Their loving assistance and support has helped me round out this book. Lynne Namka, Ed. D. © 2010 5398 E. Golder Ranch Road Tucson, AZ 85739 www.Tucsonshaman.com www.Angriesout.com [email protected] I’m slightly dyslexic and don’t always see typos. Anyone out there who wants to email me corrections, feel free as long as you aren’t a perfectionist in nature! Disclaimer—Other than my own books which I sell on line, I have no financial interest in any products of the web sites mentioned in this book. Send me an email telling me what you think of the ideas in this book!

Table of Contents

Introduction Chapter 1 To Ascend is to Raise your Consciousness Chapter 2 The Time of the Divine Mother Chapter 3 The Language of Love and Light Chapter 4 Healing at the Soul Level Chapter 5 Fear is the Neurotic Pattern of the Ego Chapter 6 Coherence in the Human Biofield Chapter 7 The Process of Healing Chapter 8 How Healers Develop Their Gift Chapter 9 Finding the Small, Still Voice Within Chapter 10 The Dark Must Be Played Through Chapter 11 Alchemy and the Awakening Process Chapter 12 The Holy Breath as an Alchemical Tool Chapter 13 The Brain Entrained: Sound Technology to Enhance your Brain Chapter 14 Becoming Pure of Heart Chapter 15 Modern Day Energy Psychology Approaches Chapter 16 Balancing the Polar Opposites Chapter 17 Tuning into the Christ Consciousness Healing Chapter 18 Illumination and the Ascension Process Chapter 19 Choosing the Evolutionary Process in Times of Ambiguity

i

Introduction These times, they are a coming. Indeed, they are here. We humans are shifting as our entire planetary system is in the process of a great vibrational change. We live in the age of information and speed. And instant information at that. Facts, figures and data of anything we might want are available at the click on the web. You can access that information that elevates your spiritual growth to take personal responsibility for creating your own unique destiny. People who are ready to find information about how to evolve spiritually will seek it out; this is the Law of Attraction. Information is there if you want it. Web sites, books, CDs, music, documentaries on the 2012 prophesies and phenomena are there at the drop of a Google hat. And some of the content of the forecasts is not pretty. I pose the question: What would you do if the world infrastructure goes down? What would you do if Wall Street and our financial institutions crash? How would you and your loved ones handle the lights and water delivery system going out? If our governments could no longer support and protect you, how would you survive? These are questions worth considering and coming up with a sensible plan for emotional, physical and spiritual survival. My credentials to write a book on spiritual awakening despite the dire predictions regarding the destruction and wreckage that’s predicted by many spiritual traditions for 2012? I’m no Chicken Little hysterically running in a panic yelling, “The sky is falling! The sky is falling.” Nor am I a Dooms Day person with products or books to sell. No agenda here except to offer some no‐nonsense information from the ancient spiritual traditions plus modern science to prepare for the near future come what may. And to give you some tools for better preparing to live and deal with chaos. I’ve been studying the sudden shift into mystical states since I was twenty one. I was a young mother sitting on the bed holding my infant son. The sun streamed through the window, dust motes danced in the air and suddenly I went into a different dimension of Cosmic Consciousness. I’ve been researching the questions, “What is this sudden transport that takes us into other realities? And “How can we obtain more of this change of vibrations that completely alters how we perceive reality?” “What is reality anyway?” “What is the nature of consciousness?” “What really is behind Door Number Three or is there even a Door Number Three? Are there doors at all? ”For the Diamond Sutra, one of the most ancient Hindu sacred scriptures, tells us, “Life is like a bubble, a dream, a reflection, a mirage.”

ii

I’m a psychologist who is scientifically trained and a mystic who takes people on shamanic journeys. This means I have both left brained and right brained working together to pierce the mysteries of our great Universe. And someone who accesses both the logical, rational left side of the brain and my intuitive, clairvoyant right side. I’m a damn, practical woman with a mystical bent. And I understand the deep upsetting emotions that chaos brings. As a toddler, I experienced highly disturbing events in both my grandparents’ homes so understand trauma personally from inside and out. I know how to release these unresolved, stored central nervous system energetics of not feeling safe. Daily, I work with people to release unproductive beliefs, feelings, defense mechanisms, and automatic body reaction patterns to threat. In the possibility of world upheaval, old unconscious energies of not being safe that you might harbor might be reactivated rendering you less effective to deal with whatever comes. When trauma wounds are released, what is left if love. I consider myself to be small minded like Winnie the Pooh—“a bear of a very little brain”—but to offset this lack of great intelligence, there’s a big heart and a great knowing about healing. I’m not an oracle or prophesier but do listen and take direction for my writing from a higher Source that is grounded in the Love Energies. I’ve trained my eye to be discriminative about what is truly important. Discernment is the ability to pick out the relevant from the irrelevant—to separate the wheat from the chaff, so to speak, and there is sooooo much chaff out there. Spiritual discernment is the ability to discriminate the anabolic, life‐enhancing information from the catabolic or that which consumes and destroys life. Long past the need to be associated with organized religion, I draw genuineness from many spiritual traditions as they all carry a piece of the Truth. Wisdom is the ability to differentiate the true from false. There is a Sacred Science out there for those with eyes to see and ears to hear. As a shaman, I’ve earned the ability to go into other dimensions through working on developing humility, clarity of mind and sincerity of purpose and right living. Through connecting with the Christ Consciousness Spirit, I have the antennae to pull in information that supports life and promotes healing.

Continuing Through the Into the Light So back to the question of how to personally handle the chaos of a possible imminent collapse of our local, national and world social structures. The answer it seems to me is to first and most importantly— get a hold of your emotions! The

iii

psychology field is in agreement with this saying that emotional regulation is an important skill to handle stress. When internal chaos reigns, terror is a common emotion. We are programmed to continue to exist! Extreme selfishness is one way of coping with trying to survive. I know panic and terror, personally and from working with people who experience these extremely distressing emotions. Panic equals lack of knowledge and preparation for whatever you are facing and making stupid decisions. Terror is being totally overpowered and frozen in paralysis. Confusion is a normal emotion that is experienced when there is a lack of data or two or more sets of data giving different information. To best serve yourself and your family, calming the heightened emotions is absolutely necessary so you can make rational decisions. If 2012 means that there is a time of pandemonium and turmoil, all your personal bases will need covering. This book gives emotional and spiritual tools for facing and getting through confusion in the worst of times. Here are tools of increasing the love within you for the either/ors and the and/buts or whatever happens to our planet. The tools of love cover all these scenarios:

• What if nothing big and untold happens, you are still covered for dealing with this somewhat maddening world as it is and life will go on as usual. • If this is all a test about your making your own reality—a type of cosmic what you get is what you think—then cutting through the ego fears and the illusions and lures of the material world is your best deal. • That if there is a big “kaboom!” and you somehow survive, likewise you want ways to work your mind in clear, rational ways to deal with whatever comes. • That there’s a vibrational shift and people are “Taken Up,” (whatever that means) and you find yourself being one of those people, then you’ve got the spiritual foundation to carry the right vibes. • That if space aliens offer you a ride on their space ship, you’ve achieved the spiritual depth to join their dimensional loop but being not too loopy about it. • That if there’s an intergalactic portal to gain entry into which takes you to a new dimension, you can find it or alternatively it finds you. This possibility gives new meaning to Captain Kirk’s message, “Beam me up Scotty.”

iv

• That we are multi‐dimensional beings who exist only in part on this planet we call Earth and that we can choose to move to one of our other dimensions?

It’s all there for you with this cosmic shift that’s happening having been in the works for eons and eons. “X—You are Here,” as the map in the mall says, and you hopefully know where you want to go. To get home free. That’s where we want to go. That’s what we all want—to be home free. Remember the childhood game of Hide and Seek when at the end someone would cry, Ollly, olly, ox. All in free! What we long for is a safe pass, to get past “Go” without having to go to jail or pay the $50 fine. We all want that safe home where all is well. To do so, we will have to remember who we truly are. Regarding the future of our world, many of us agree with science fiction writer, H. G. Wells who said, “History is a race between education and catastrophe.” And if you are a non‐believer that big changes are not coming, well that’s your right to have your beliefs too. We do live out our beliefs although sometimes it’s good to get a second opinion. You never know just is what you believe and what is denial. Keep your options open and keep checking it out. The Agnostic Prophesy, according to the cartoon Non Sequitur in the daily funny papers shows a man carrying a big sign proclaiming “Something Armageddonish might be near!”

Physical Survival in Case of Infrastructure Collapse What this book is not: Other writers and web sites give detailed ideas on how to prepare for the possibility of a total collapse of our economic and food supply system. Physical survival tactics are not the intent of this book. This information is out there so get busy and make the necessary preparations as directed by your inner wisdom and common sense. If it pleases you, get a prudent plan for getting by if there is an infrastructure failure. If spending some money and laying some water and nonperishable food by and securing your home site give you peace of mind, do it. Here is the short version of physically surviving if there is devastation: Think self‐ sustainability for you and your loved ones. Ask yourself, how did Great Grandma and Grandpa do it? Get back to your farming roots. You city folks may have to relocate to go to land that can be farmed. Tune not only your psychic antenna but your common sense as to what practical skills and tools you would need to be self‐sufficient. Skill training and how‐to‐books are great investments for your money.

v

Read books and take courses in water harvesting, organic gardening and Permaculture which is a philosophy and technique for becoming self‐sustainable on a small amount of land. It’s a world‐wide movement that was developed in Australia which has a challenging dry climate to live and thrive in. Indeed we can learn much from the Hopis and Australians who practice extreme dry climate food‐growing practices and water harvest. Prepare to address the worst, do the plan and then let your fears around what might happen go. Find websites and physical survival books to help you prepare to deal with whatever comes. Use your common sense in taking guidance from each book. The information is there in many forms and with different agendas in mind. Avoid using your time and energy reading about conspiracy theories. Many of the conspiracy theories are merely propagated to confuse and distract you from finding your real truth. Find those sources that do not try to frighten you into conspiracy theories that can never be probed and burn up a lot of your energy or those that want you to buy their products. Two books that give down‐to‐earth, practical information are James Wesley’s scary, take to the hills and arm yourself book, How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It and Crisis Preparedness Handbook: A Comprehensive Guide to Home Storage and Physical Survival by Jack Spigarelli which is about putting food supplies by. Decrease your dependence on outside sources such as the government and financial institutions. Use your energy and resources wisely to become self‐reliant. Make a plan, carry it out and then let your worries go. If nothing dire happens, then all you will have lost is some time, energy and cost of carrying out your preparations. This money and energy expense may be small indeed compare to staying in a frenetic mind set. Watch out for false teachers who want you to give up your power and your resources—as in “Turn your money over to me and I will take care of you.” Unfortunately we are in the “The Too Much Information Age; an Age of Disinformation” where there are many false paths that look enticing but lead nowhere. This important time is not the time to blindly play the child’s game, “Follow the Leader.” There are those individuals among us whose purpose is to whip others into a frenzy to disrupt the forces of love that are working for the good of mankind and the entire planetary system. Ignore the false voices and follow the love that bids you to stay solid within your inner wisdom. Hold on to your power and use it well. Finding and following the love within is a necessary skill set that can be learned!

vi

Why make this book free? I connect with the spirit of the Native American Giveaways. Give what you can, when you can. Money as an abundant, flowing resource has come to me. Have enough. Don’t need more. Being secure and having a “Right Relationship” with money and a minimal life style give such freedom. My purpose here is to gather and spread ideas about living a calm, happy, loving life as we come into this great adventure we name the Ascension.

Spiritual Survival I’ve always believed in the proverb, “Trust God and tie your camel.” Have faith and love and be practical and get busy and do the work. So in this book are many sweet, loving and yet practical tools to release your deepest fears for your journey home. Isn’t spiritual survival what we truly need? If there is to be chaos, then it is the chaos within that we need to face. These exercises given here create healing to help you open your heart and deepen your love within. And go forward to face the new day, the new millennium or the New Age, the Golden Age or whatever it’s to be called. It behooves all of us to take responsibility and share in making the best of the reality that we create together. We are in this act of Co‐Creation of what comes next together. To ascend means to become other worldly and move towards the One; to return to that single Source of which we are a part. The ascension process is a vibrational shift where we are led into that very reality that is consciousness itself. The Ultimate Reality is there all the times but we have not the “eyes to see, the ears to hear.” Whatever happens here to our planet and civilization, the human race will survive. Evolution dictates that our human DNA will go on. We are survival beings with an indomitable spirit with our hearts beating in vibration with sacred geometry and the Universal Intelligence that supports everything. Gregory David Roberts in Shantaram, his riveting novel about India gives valuable advice when things seem out of control and yet there we are waiting to see what happens yet:

“For this is what we do. Put one foot forward and then the other. Lift our eyes to the snarl and smile of the world once more. Think. Act. Feel. Add our little consequence to the tides of good and evil that flood and drain the world. Drag our shadowed crosses into the hope of another night. Put our brave hearts into the promise of a new day. With love; the passionate search for a truth other than our own. With longing: the pure ineffable yearning to be saved. For so long as fate keeps waiting, we live on. God help us. God forgive us. We live on.”

1

Chapter 1

To Ascend is to Raise your Consciousness

“Healing can be found for ALL. No man is so broken, so oppressed by burdens of ill‐health, poverty

and unhappiness, but there is some way out of his problems in the last resort to be it. This is so; this must be so, because all men exist within the Universal Mind which has brought this world into being.”

Paul Brunton, The Secret Path

We live in exceptionally interesting times. This is a time of upgrade and refinement as the intensity of the energetic shifts of our Planet Earth continues. We are here at this time to heal and to add to the healing inflow of energies into our planet at this time of Ascension. We are here at this most unusual time in history for a reason. Of all the times to be born, this is an exciting one! The word ascension means to move upward. It is defined as moving into a greater state of consciousness as great vibratory changes are happening to Planet Earth. This Great Shift, grounded in cyclic changes, is happening and you are a necessary part of it. Many spiritual teachers believe that at this time we are at the end of a human cycle of existence that will evolve into something different. Some believe that the human race is preparing for chaotic changes in our earth. Some see the 2012 experience as an opportunity for a vibrational portal that will open when the timing is right. One prediction is that there will be an eclipse of the galactic center by the 2012 solstice sun, an event that happens every 26,000 years which coincidentally is the date given by the Mayan Long Count Calendar. Some think 12/12/12 is the exact date; others think that these years before and after 2012 will bring emotional and physical upheaval. Many believe that our current civilization is undergoing a huge transitional change as the time for a new earth cycle draws near. There are many geophysical and cosmological theories and predictions that world‐changing events are happening. Some say that this is becoming a time of interconnectedness called the Golden Age where we have the potential to break out of old paradigms of power and greed. Some call these times a new millennium chapter or a necessary Global Awakening. Others have more dire predictions labeling this the End Times. Some groups that base their ideas on the Bible call these upcoming times the Apocalypse, the Rapture or Armageddon.

2

Whatever will happen is happening now. This cosmic mystery that predicts great change has being recognized by many traditions. We are in a transformational time as predicted by the Mayan Calendar and prophetic warnings from many traditions such as the ancient Aztecs, Incas, Hopi, Cherokee, Pawnee, Kogi, Egyptians, Greeks, Hinduism as well as from the book of Revelation from the Bible. In the Hindu religion, the Apocalypse which means “uncovering,” “revealing” or “lifting the veil” is predicted to happen when Shiva opens his Third Eye bringing about the end of an era. Written prophecies from the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Kabala point to the same message of preparation. Mystics such as Nostradamus, Mother Shipton, St. Hildegard of Bingen, Rudolph Steiner, Edgar Cayce and Padre Pio have shared their prophetic visions. Modern‐day teachers such as Sun Bear, James Hurtah, Benjamin Creme and Drunvalo Melchezidek plus others give their ideas about the changes that will happen. In addition, there are references from the major religions of the world about this end of this age. The Jewish religion calls this the coming of the Messiah while the Christians call it the second coming of Christ. The Mormons are preparing for what they call The Last Days. Moslems refer to this time when the Imam Hahdi will come. The Hindus refer to it as the coming of the Kalki Avatar. Buddhists reference this time as the Maitreya Buddha as foretold by the Gautama Buddha. Are we, as Jungian therapist Sunny Strasburg questioned, just all caught up in the archetype of the Apocalypse? We are in turn, possessed and obsessed by the archetypes with which we identify. It’s almost like we get to vote for what we want though our energetic framework. We throw our weight to new ideas, trends and fads making them “for real” or not. By giving energy to the mass group of collective unconsciousness, through our thoughts, we project a harmonious or destructive future. Certainly something extraordinary is happening. And we humans are certainly a part of this interchange of planetary consciousness. To use John Wheeler’s term, we live in a “participatory universe!” Something is certainly in the air vibration wise. No matter what you believe, this is an exciting time of co‐creation for the human race as we birth a new era. We are engaged, back and forth, between human consciousness and the bigger picture that is happening around us. So it behooves us, each of us that makes up the collective, to be careful as to where –what beliefs and what paradigms to put our energy

3

The Hopi Prophesies

I will draw from the Hopi tribe in Northern Arizona, one of my spiritual traditions, to illustrate one of these prophesies. From the Hopis, called the People of Peace, comes their creation myth which tells of the beginning of the world. Many of the creation stories from the indigenous tribes have a similar flavor starting with Nothing or a Great Void of which our earth and the beings were made by the Creator with some act of intention and vibration. Some of the traditions say that Light was the first act of the Creator.

And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

Genesis1:3. Frank Waters was a noted western writer who lived with the Hopi Indians. He spoke with some Hopi elders to record their oral legends in his Book of the Hopi. He described the Hopi Creation Story which is similar to those from other indigenous cultures: “First there was only Endless Space. The Creator Taiowa formed Sotuknang, his nephew, whose task was to make the universe. Sotuknang created the first world from that Endless Space and made Spider Woman to remain on earth and take care of it. Sotuknang gave the people speech, a different language to each color with respect for each other's differences. He gave them the wisdom and the power to reproduce and multiply. Then he said ‘with all these I have given you this

4

world to live on and to be happy. There is only one thing I ask of you. To respect the Creator at all times. Wisdom, harmony, and respect for the love of the Creator who made you. May it grow and never be forgotten among you as long as you live.’ So the First People went their directions, were happy, and began to multiply." But some of the people were not pure of heart. Hopi legend has it that there have been four successive worlds. The first three worlds were destroyed when the people became wicked and focused on things of the world rather than worshiping the Creator. When the first world of earth was destroyed, the people who had been faithful to the Creator escaped to go on to live with pure hearts in harmony with Mother Earth. They left through a hole in the ground called a sipapuni, which is called the "place of man's emergence from the underworld." The second world, the world of air, was likewise destroyed when the people turned away from their essential goodness. The third world of fire also underwent destruction and the One Hearts went forward to a new world. The Hopi believe that we are in the fourth world where we are being challenged to live an authentic life in harmony with our earth. If the people of this fourth world become too self‐centered and turn away from their true nature, there will yet be another great world destruction. The people of loving hearts will have the opportunity to gather at the sipapuni to escape into the fifth world. The message from the Creator has remained consistent throughout the four worlds: Take care of Mother Earth and live a life of goodness, generosity and purity. An ancient pictoglyph on the Hopi reservation near Oraibi, Arizona called The Hopi Life Plan records man's journey throughout life. This drawing etched in rock represents the soul's journey in finding the true path. This passageway is long and treacherous and there are many opportunities to leave the path. The Hopis, along with other indigenous people, believe that when people live in accordance with the laws of the earth and its natural rhythms, they tread a pathway with a sure step. People who leave the true path through selfishness, addictions, attachments and diversions of the world may be pulled away onto the false path which is seductive and winding. The false journey leads to nowhere but self‐destruction. There can come a time of crisis, trauma or illness in the person’s life that is represented by the fork in the road. This crisis time is an opportunity to become like a new infant and start again at that point turning back to the true path. At that time an individual can make a choice to continue on the path of distraction and diversion or to enter again that narrow path of the true self, the Path of Life, which is solid and leads to wholeness.

5

We are being given the chance to leave the materialistic path to purify ourselves before this fifth world change comes about.

Prophecy Rock

The ancient Hopis were given a nine signs message that predicted that great earth changes were coming and the Time of Purification was coming. The traditional elders of the Hopi tribe have released their Nine Signs of Hopi Prophecy to encourage us to prepare in our hearts. Although there is speculation from people who are not Native Americans whether this is a hoax or not, the following message comes from White Feather of the Bear Clan, Hopi Tribe.

The Nine Signs of Hopi Prophecy Elder White Feather, elder of the Hopi tribe, gave the following prophecy: “

The Fourth World shall end soon, and the Fifth World will begin. This the elders everywhere know. The Signs over many years have been fulfilled, and so few are left. • First Sign: We were told of the coming of the white‐skinned men, like Pahana, but not living like Pahana ‐‐ men who took the land that was not theirs and who struck their enemies with thunder. (Firearms)

6

• Second Sign: Our lands will see the coming of spinning wheels filled with voices. (Covered wagons, cars, etc.) • Third Sign: A strange beast like a buffalo but with great long horns will overrun the land in large numbers. (Longhorn cattle) • Fourth Sign: The land will be crossed by snakes of iron. (Railroad tracks, telecommunication wires) • Fifth Sign: The land shall be crisscrossed by a giant spider's web. (Power and telephone lines and chemical trails from jet planes) • Sixth Sign: The land shall be crisscrossed with rivers of stone that make pictures in the sun. (Concrete roads and their mirage‐producing effects.) • Seventh Sign: You will hear of the sea turning black, and many living things dying because of it. (two large oil spills in the Gulf of Mexico and Salt Lake City and others as technology becomes old and greed for profits is rampant) • Eighth Sign: You will see many youth, who wear their hair long like our people, come and join the tribal nations, to learn our ways and wisdom. (Environmentalists, hippies and spiritual seekers who visit the Hopi mesas) • And this is the Ninth and Last Sign: You will hear of a dwelling‐place in the heavens, above the earth, that shall fall with a great crash. It will appear as a blue star. Very soon after this, the ceremonies of my people will cease. (the International space station that was knocked out of orbit by Y class flare or Planet X predicted to hit the earth creating massive destruction) These are the Signs that great destruction is coming. The world shall rock to and fro. The white man will battle against other people in other lands ‐‐ with those who possessed the first light of wisdom. There will be many columns of smoke and fire such as White Feather has seen the white man make in the deserts not far from here. Only those which come will cause disease and a great dying. Many of my people, understanding the prophecies, shall be safe. Those who stay and live in the places of my people also shall be safe. Then there will be much to rebuild. And soon ‐‐ very soon afterward ‐‐ Pahana will return. He

7

shall bring with him the dawn of the Fifth World. He shall plant the seeds of his wisdom in their hearts. Even now the seeds are being planted. These shall smooth the way to the Emergence into the Fifth World. "But White Feather shall not see it. I am old and dying. You—perhaps will see it. In time, in time..."

Many of the indigenous tribes of the world have gathered to share their knowledge of the upcoming earth changes at this time. The Hopis further prophesize:

“That time is not far off. It will come when the Saquasohuh (Blue Star) Kachina dances in the plaza and removes his mask. He represents a blue star, far off and yet invisible, which will make its appearance soon. The time is foretold by a song sung during the Wuwuchim ceremony. It was sung in 1914 just before World War I, and again in 1940 before World War II, describing the disunity, corruption, and hatred contaminating Hopi rituals, which were followed by the same evils spreading over the world. This same song was sung in 1961 during the Wuwuchim ceremony. The Emergence to the future Fifth World has begun. It is being made by the humble people of little nations, tribes, and racial minorities. You can read this in the earth itself. Plant forms from previous worlds are beginning to spring up as seeds. This could start a new study of botany if people were wise enough to read them. The same kinds of seeds are being planted in the sky as stars. The same kinds of seeds are being planted in our hearts. All these are the same, depending how you look at them. That is what makes the Emergence to the next, Fifth World.”

8

None of us know exactly what might happen during this time. However, with the massive unrest in the physical structure of the earth and the conflict that is escalating between people, most people recognize that something unusual is happening. And so we can prepare ourselves physically so that our body is supported through the predicted earth changes, but more important, we can use this time we have left to prepare ourselves spiritually. We can get ready by becoming the best person we can be in living our life with loving respect for ourselves and others. At the time of this writing, we still have time to become the pure—the One Hearts—as described by the Hopis. Purity is to live simply connected to nature and to be kind to all. We can put our psyche and our lives in order, so no matter if pandemonium happens; we can do daily practices that create clarity and calmness.

The Evolutionary Urge All living things manifest an evolutionary nature to survive and become whole. All life is vibration. Life emerges! From the beginning of our planet, there is an emergent property to life. We humans are evolutionary creatures who are hard‐wired to follow this evolutionary impulse for growth. This inherent impulse in humans is ongoing as we move into a more complex consciousness. The divine plan is for us to unify our body and mind and spirit to express and restore wholeness. As we grow spiritually, we become more in tune with this force that operates to create a greater good in the universe. We can make this a conscious evolution by tuning into the forces of love that are available so that our hearts and decisions become clean and wholesome. The conscious choice is to love! Fortunately we have been given evolutionary models in our world for positive change and achieving authenticity. The self‐help movement, the recovery model of Alcoholics Anonymous and the Buddhist loving‐kindness approach all encourage taking responsibility for our thoughts, attitudes and behaviors and making loving decisions. The decision to put ourselves into a state of love raises our vibration. As Drunvalo Melchezidek, a visionary guide who teaches us about going into the sacred space behind the heart to promote the ascension process, reminds us, “Love is the way home.” Raising your consciousness through moving into the higher vibratory state of love is the best preparation for this ever‐evolving process which is beyond our control.

9

You are here at this place and time to use the extraordinary ideas of self‐transformation and healing to become the best you can be. You can heal yourself with love. The universality of the love can pour into your hearts if you open to it. Whether you call this outpouring of love God, Light, Allah, Great Spirit, the I Am, Source, the I Am Presence or All That Is, that doesn’t matter. What you call this high‐vibration flow—this liaison of the heart to open to the Greater Divine that lies within— is your own preference and most likely based on your culture and understanding. It’s not the label that matters; what’s important is that you recognize and respond to this calling. Nurse educator and mystic Marcia White described this Universal Truth that exists past time and space:

“Every culture has named it. It endures when the names fall out of fashion. The Truth is always here. The curious will find it. It’s there in that tiny spot in the heart that opens up to Everything—that little lens that opens up to the Big Vista. There is never anything to fear. Fear is just confusion. Confusion is forgetting who you are. Disturbing events happen to give a great reminder that there is a place where fear can play at the center of who you are. The lessons of the heart converge with the energy of confusion for you to remember who you are.”

The message is clear: we are here to remember and to learn and grow! It is time to go past fear and confusion and reawaken to those memories of who we are as spiritual beings. This is the age of Ascension where we humans are remembering that we are co‐creators in this evolutionary urge. The purpose of this remembering is to develop consciousness for individuals, for our collective unconscious of our planet and for the entire planetary system. The time is now to return to the higher state of consciousness we once knew. Consciousness, which cannot be seen or measured, is part of all living things. It assists us in our understanding, purpose and finding meaning and a purposeful existence in the universe. Consciousness is that part of our being that has the capacity for self‐reflection to engage in evolutionary growth to connect with the greater whole. Our conceptual world view is changing rapidly. This allows us to move towards a more optimistic world view and interconnectedness with all. At this time of great opportunity in history, we are being given the capacity to go beyond the beliefs rooted in fear that keep us caught in the small self. We are being given more information, more help, more opportunities and now more approaches to help us move beyond judgments and beliefs that keep us separate. In Oneness, literally, we are all One; we are part of Creation. No matter what our age, race, gender, religion,

10

cultural heritage or spiritual path that we walk, we are one; we are Beings of Light and Love.

11

Chapter 2

The Time of the Divine Mother

“If there is to be a future, it will wear the crown of feminine design.”

Sri Aurobindo

The ancient philosopher Plato saw this world in which we live as a shadowy imitation of a greater world that is there waiting for us. He used the metaphor of coming out of a dim cave where we cannot see, to come into the light. We are so used to the dark, the obscure that we know not that there are different realities waiting there for us. We are in the darkness of cave under the veil of enchantment, as the Maitra Upanishads says, “As of enchantment, they see the False as the True.” So what is this veil that is supposed to be lifted? From the Hindu tradition is the idea that we are in a Shakti Transition of destruction which is to prepare us for a new existence—a new world order. The Shakti energy brings in chaos for transformation. Cataclysm is part of the powerful force that the universe destroys and breaks apart some of its organization so that the new can be formed. The creative process that has formed our universe needs the energy of coming apart so that whatever will be formed can happen. And on a human level, we at times have to come apart to be reformed if we are to be transformed to seek our True self. Something new can come forth so we as a species can move forward. Chaos is needed to provide the energies to give birth to you truly are. So within all is this chaotic Shiva Shakti energy with its vibratory dance—a dance of feminine movement which is connected to all of Creation. It is from fertile chaos out of which comes new birth!

12

Shakti the female divine force to restore balance

The Age of Kali Yuga is the time of making the shift from the fourth world into the next. The meaning of the words “Kali Yuga” is different from “Kali the Goddess.” Kali Yuga is the consolidator of the era of strife and discord. She is the dark mother, who decapitates and devours wielding Shakti’s sword to bring destruction so that liberation can spring forth. Kali Yuga as an archetype brings about a predicted era of moral descent and spiritual bleakness. This breakdown cycle is necessary so that our world can move into the next stage. What will be destroyed is ignorance! From his life‐long study of the sacred scriptures of the world, Robert Cox predicts that there will be a decline in people’s egos and as this phenomena reaches a critical mass, that “a new Golden Age, a new age of Truth, is close at hand…. in accordance to universal divine will by the influence of time.” Cox explains how this transformation will take place:

“We are in the last dying breath of Kali Yuga and the first awakening breath of a new Golden Age…. when the forces of Light, which represent the influence of the Self, will gain superiority over the forces of Darkness, which represent the influence of the Ego, for the first time in thousands of years…. a new Golden Age will begin for all mankind.”

The veil can be lifted from the ignorance under which we are living both as individuals and as a human consciousness. Austrian visionary Rudolph Steiner predicted in 1925 that “Order will not arrive from the chaos of the times; we wake up and change ourselves.” Along with the many earth changes, the old paradigm of individual and world basis fear‐based mental conditioning is collapsing. Our

13

sleeping consciousness that has been separated from the God Source for eons is reawakening. Many people believe that we are connecting with the help of higher‐dimensional beings to radically transform ourselves and our planet from the dominance and power pattern to the feminine model. Our psyche has both a masculine and a feminine side as shown in this Tarot Card picture. The Sun and the Moon are metaphors which represent the two halves of our brain. The left side of the brain represents the male, rational, logical side. The two halves are linked through the corpus collosum which allows interchange and complete brain function.

For centuries, our world has been under the influence of a dominant masculine energy. To be of the feminine energy is of knowingness, feelings and caring. It is of yearning of what goodness may come. It is of waiting to be impregnated. The Divine Feminine consists of the body, nature, earth, life and growth. This feminine energy that is coming in will lead our planet back to a different encoding system and a mass consciousness arising. This is the rise of the Radiant Goddess—those loving feminine energies that take us to our next stage of evolution. The great hope is that after a period of shake up for our planet, there will be a shift into a period of peace and acceptance called The Golden Age. Visionary teacher and poet, Andrew Harvey explained the importance of calling in the feminine energies to our planet:

“Unless we awaken to the mystery of the sacred feminine as sacred, and allow it to glow into, irradiate, illumine, and penetrate every area of our activity and create in them all harmony, justice, peace, love, ecstasy and balance, we will

14

die out and take nature, or a large part of it within us. Unless we come to what the sacred feminine really is—its subtlety and flexibility, but also its extraordinarily ruthlessness, radical power of dissolving all structures and dogmas, all prisons in which we have sought so passionately to imprison ourselves—we will be taken in by patriarchal projections of it. The Divine Mother, the fullness of the revolution that she is preparing will be lost to us. We must understand that comprehending the sacred feminine is a crucial part of surviving the next terrible stage of humanity.”

The word Shakti is from the Sanskrit shak which means “to be able.” Shakti also means the sacred force or empowerment. It is the primordial cosmic energy which represents the dynamic feminine creative forces that move through the universe to restore balance. It has no beginning and no end and alternates between action and rest to re‐establish order. In the Hindu tradition, Shakti is the Great Divine Mother who is responsible for all creation and change. Shakti has many names. As Durga or Kali, she is the Universal Mother promoting change as ever‐changing creator, preserver and destroyer. By focusing on the feminine nature of the Shakti energy that flows through our body we can restore inner balance. In the seventh century tantric tradition of Vijanana Bhairava, pauses in the breath can be used to carry deep awareness inside. So to connect into these gentle, yet strong and swift energies, here’s a breathing approach from spiritual teacher Harshada David Wagner to work with the subtle dynamics of the breath instead of merely watching it.

Focusing of the Divine: Shakti Breathing Meditation

Harshada David Wagner

“As the breath goes in and out, there is a pause as the exhalation becomes the inhalation and again before the inhalation becomes the exhalation. If one focuses their attention on these pauses, the nature of Bhairava will be revealed. This natural pause between breaths happens again and again throughout our day—over and over again. (Most people take between 1025,000 breaths per day.)” As you meditate, put your attention on the pauses between the breaths and follow the energetic currents of inhaling and exhaling. Instead of holding the breath, notice how the breath at times naturally slows or becomes shallow and subtle as you breathe in and out. Think about being gently relaxed while placing your attention into the powerful feminine energy of those subtle pauses. In this ancient Hindu tradition, the

15

sweet, gentle rhythm of the breath can pave a pathway to know your true Divine nature. Conscious breathing means remembering your intimate connection with God with each breath. Wagner explains further, “Through the relaxation of our bodies and the deepening tranquility of our mind, the breath begins to pause spontaneously. The spaces between the breaths, on their own, become longer and more profound…. Moment to moment we dip deeper and deeper into what the dharana refers to as Bhairavi ‐ the goddess, the Shakti, the nature of the Absolute Bhairava. Let go into that energy contained in the pauses. When the Shakti is retained outside after the exhalation and inside after the inhalation, it becomes tranquil. Afterward, as a result of this peace, Bhairava, the Supreme, is revealed.”

Finding Discernment in the Midst of Confusion No one knows for sure what will happen during the next few years. Much speculation and sensationalism abounds. Everything seems up for grabs and as we cannot read the future, it’s all conjecture. Humans seem to need to construe their reality to fit their deepest beliefs and consciousness level. One possibility is that there will be no intense upheaval or destruction of our planet. I do know for sure that whether there are immense earth changes or not, increasing the love in your life is a good bet. This is not the time to engage in the muck or fear of what might happen. No matter what happens, you can choose to be a better person, grounded in love. So what to believe in this time of media and internet information overload? How do you choose when there are numerous ideologies and theories to choose from? Let’s go to the wise words attributed to the Buddha when approached by his disciples about their confusion of which teachings to accept. This practical advice from the Buddha, one of the major teachers of our planet, still holds true.

“Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and it is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it.”

16

The thing to remember is that doom is not a permanent condition. There have been massive shake ups before. Humans have built‐in mechanisms to survive the short‐term tempestuous times. The only thing that is permanent—that is ongoing through all ages and times— is love. Love is the way to assure our passage into this time. Mystical writer Ken Carey relates his teachings of turning inward and trusting your ability to love during these transformational times:

“This event will be of greater power than any the Earth has ever seen. More energy will be released in a very few moments than is typically released upon the surface of the Earth in many years. This energy will take the form of heightened perception and deepened emotional connection, rejoining the individual and God…..You now have all you need to release the conditioning of history, and ride the ascending wave of consciousness beyond the spell of matter into an awakened life."

Separating the True from the False Discernment is necessary when faced with new concepts and possibilities during times of great change. Some of the information being presented now from the dooms day speakers is based on old fear messages as a means to control the masses. Some ideas are put forth as religious dogma that says you are doomed if you do not follow their own dictates. Exclusionary racial, religious and political beliefs do not enhance the cause of love. What is the Truth of this age? Are these the end times or the beginning of something brand new and shiny? Ralph Waldo Emerson speaking several centuries ago put forth this advice applicable to all times: “Our lives are an apprenticeship to the truth that around every circle another can be drawn; that there is no end in nature, but every end is a beginning that there is always another dawn risen on the mid‐noon and under every deep, a lower deep opens.” Advancement by the soul is never accomplished through fear conditioning; we humans have had centuries of that already. We must each seek out our own truth. Here are some ideas to differentiate between what is true and good with the glut of information that is out there.

• When questioning some new idea or technique, include the simple directive from Gandhi about accepting only that which supports life. There is a quote from modern-day spiritual teacher, David Hawkins that inspires hope: “the capacity of the human organism to differentiate not only positive from negative

17

stimuli, but also anabolic, meaning life-enhancing, from catabolic, meaning life-consuming, and most dramatically, true from false”.

• Add the heart‐felt instruction about whether the teaching adds to the love in

your life. • Ask the important question of whether the ideas, teachings, technique or

healing approach comes from fear or from love consciousness. • Does the approach increase your inner state of wellbeing and wellness? • Does it help you get in touch with a more profound part of yourself to give a

deeper understanding of the consciousness which is connected to the Oneness?

• Look to the loving nature and ask as anthropologist Carlos Castaneda does,

“Does this path have a heart?” This time of great opportunity is embraced by unconditional love.

This is a Time of Preparation All healing is a transmission of light and information. “Light is the language of God,” said writer Gregory David Roberts, “light may be the way that God speaks to the Universe and to us.” The preparation process of the co‐creation we are experiencing now is about learning to radiate the most love that you can. Information that is stored in your cells down to the atom, proton and DNA levels can be accessed. We are hard wired for healing. Love is the bridge. As this is a time with people polarizing around their beliefs, spiritual writer on the ascension process, Joanna Cherry suggests finding a passion that focuses on love:

“Ascension is our return to this unlimited state. It is our divinity felt and expressed, on this plane or a lighter one. It is BEING who we are: joy, love, life, light….. Just how do you ascend? First of all, intend to ascend. Then follow your heart, your joy, your love—these are directly connected with your true self. Does something inspire you, excite you? Do that! You are loved and supported in doing it; use your practical wisdom to bridge your old ways with your new. Forgive yourself‐‐for everything—past, present and future. Love yourself, your every thought, feeling, and action as quickly as possible. Loving your anger, for example, turns it gradually into love. Heal your relationships.

18

Embrace everything that happens as fully as you can, knowing you create each experience as a mirror to learn from. Love everyone around you‐‐everyone‐‐as much as you can. Discover or reinforce how you want to give to the world; this can be any form, as long as your love is included in the giving.”

In preparation for this time of earth changes, focus on becoming your own healer. Your choice to engage in self‐healing connects you to the energies that assist the Ascension. Your becoming a healer of your own mind and body and any unhealthy life patterns is part of the overall design for consciousness. We are being given new practical ways to supplement the ancient practices to prepare for the shift in consciousness of humanity. The lower vibratory energies of humans and the Universe are shifting to a higher and inter‐dimensional consciousness. This is a time for humans to step up to their individual co‐creation process to move from fourth‐dimensional consciousness to fifth‐dimensional consciousness. Drunvalo Melchizedek reminds us,

“You are One with the Creator of this universe, and you always have been. There never has been a time when you were not One, and there never will be a time when this is not true. Because you and I are One with the Creator, you and I can personally change the world and bring peace and beauty to this entire planet. But you must change yourself first. You simply have to remember who you were before you fell into this very dark place.”

We are to do our part with the intention to be here fully, to be present in this incarnation. The mystic poet Jelal‐ud Din Rumi gave us instructions for awakening several centuries ago: “The breeze at dawn has secrets to tell you. Don’t go back to sleep. You must ask for what you really want. Don’t go back to sleep. People are going back and forth across the doorsill where the two worlds touch. The door is round and open, Don’t go back to sleep.” So wakey, wakey! This is a time of recalibration. Love is the way to ascend.

19

1

Chapter 3

The Language of Love and Light

“Everything ultimately is just patterns of light and information.”

Richard Bartlett

Healing is an exchange of vibrations and energy to achieve self‐transformation. Everything in the universe has a characteristic resonance or frequency consisting of light and information. Resonance means the natural frequency at which an object vibrates which gives the basis for healing. The concept of human resonance is based on the idea that like attracts like and people tune into the same wave length and vibe together in unison. Humans have a built in resonance detectors for good or ill. We fall under the influence of those we are around and can be caught up in their energetic resonance. We also resonate with calm, soothing environments or harsh, discordant ones. Resonance is why spiritual people enjoy spending time in calm, loving settings. Indeed the different systems of our bodies reverberate in resonance. Sound healer, Jonathan Goldman explains how our bodies and the very organs, tissues and cells are made up of their own frequencies,

“Together they make up a composite frequency, a harmonic that is your own personal vibratory rate. You have your unique vibratory signature and each of the organs and systems of your body has a vibratory signature. Through resonance, it is possible for the vibrations of one vibrating body to reach out and set another body in motion…. Just as it is possible to set an object into its own natural motion through resonance, so it is possible to restore the natural vibratory frequencies of an object that may be out of tune or harmony. When an organ or another portion of the body is vibrating out of tune, we call this ‘disease.’

The energies of the physical organs go out of balance during a trauma experience when there is high emotion. Traditional Chinese Energy Medicine gives the needed information on how to bring the body, mind and spirit back into balance. All healing is self‐healing; it is a response to a deep, inner need that calls out for information. Emotions carry vibrations and informational patterns. Distorted thinking patterns and uncomfortable emotions create energetic interferences and congestion that are not consistent with supporting health and life. As symptoms, they come forth to be recognized. Symptoms seek restoration to the state of health.

2

Emotional symptoms are markers that something in you that is requesting attention and change. They are an indicator that the energies in your body are out of balance and you have some error in thinking to challenge. This is the warning function of fear or the “yoo hoo,” look here for something that wants changing. Feeling overwhelmed and out of control and have limiting beliefs and excesses of negative feelings are signals from “The Whatever in Your Life That is Not Working! Uncomfortable feelings are merely symptoms that something needs to be examined. So see your symptoms as an opportunity for release. Peter Levine, author of Walking the Tiger, Healing Trauma, says, “Trauma is a fact of life. It does not, however, have to be a life sentence. Not only can trauma be healed, but with appropriate guidance and support, it can be transformative.” Levine gives a set of techniques called Somatic Experiencing (not given in this book) for releasing residue tension held in the body after highly upsetting events. The goal of healing is to get all cells, tissues and organs in resonance with the universal healing resonance of love. Besides having your own complex vibratory signature, you are an informational system. The word “information” comes from the Latin word “informare” which means shape or form. Information is transmitted by frequency resonances to bring the system to order. You and all everything around you are vibratory patterns of light and information that can receive the necessary intelligence and knowledge to heal. Your body, mind and spirit can draw those necessary light and information patterns to shift lower vibrational energies. This language of love and light can move us through the dissonance of the old ways of doing things. It is there for the asking. Accelerated Assistance Approaches to Clear Energy Blockages for this Time

Many of these techniques have recently come into our planet to help people clear their constrictions of energy so that it can flow freely through their entire body. We are fortunate that this seeding of new concepts and techniques are being given to us at this time to allow the needed energy shifts. Of course these techniques are really not new—but they appear new to us as we are remembering them from other times. The Higher Forces of Love are assisting us with this information so that we can more fully incarnate into our physical being. The new paradigm shift we are in now gives many old and new varied healing techniques to help you transform to your fullest potential. I’ve gathered some of the best available healing tools and techniques from many psychological and spiritual traditions to help you raise your awareness to assist your conscious evolution.

3

These protocols create self‐induced good feelings and discharge important neurotransmitters that have been proven by researchers from many different approaches to correspond with better mental and physical health. Healing tools practiced regularly reduce strong emotions about your troubles and provide restoration of emotional balance. Negative emotions carry electromagnetic energies that create energetic imbalances in the body/mind/spirit. Emotional issues that are not addressed cause a contraction of the energy flow which restricts the overall vibrational level of the person. Learning the skills of emotional regulation helps calm your mind to counteract the frenzy of modern society. These energy‐system rebalancing exercises given in this book break into these energetic interferences. They help you let go of assumptions, judgments, worry, anger, fears, self‐destructive behaviors, and old dysfunctional family messages. They help balance your brain, calm your emotions and discharge erroneous beliefs and will bring more harmony and joy into your life.

The Path to Enlightenment is Always under Construction The healing rituals aid your life by drawing from the unified consciousness to release energetic blockages which interrupt the natural flow to complexity. Approaches based on increasing the love within keep you focused on what is truly important in your life. They become catalysts, activators and accelerators to prepare your body/mind/spirit for this ongoing evolutional process. The techniques presented here are informational models that transmit data to help address any unrest and confusion about who you are. __ Focusing of the Divine: Shakti Breathing Meditation __ Ask and Receive __ Expansion Beyond Ego __ Thymus Thump with Laughter __ Accessing the Small, Still Voice Within __ Inner Child Work: Energy Fragments __ Alternate Nostril Breathing __ Breathing for Survival __ The 4:1 Breath __ Breath Rhythms to Facilitate Letting Go __ Connecting Heaven and Earth __ Breathing Earth and Sky __ Purification Breaths __ The Emotional Freedom Technique __ The SADS Technique __ Spinal Release Technique __ The Sea of Tranquility __ Challenging Unsavory Core Beliefs __ Tapping to Release Family Themes __ Releasing Themes Other Dimensions __ Clearing Soul Contracts __ High Frequency Download __ Inner Focus: Spaciousness_ __ Tuning into the Christ Consciousness __Heart Math Coherence __ HeartMath Freeze‐Frame __ Stepping Back Behind Your Mind

4

Of course there are many, many other highly‐effective techniques and approaches out there for you to try and experience. I’ve chosen ones I know that are easily interpretable through the written word. Find the techniques that work for you. Learn multiple ways of releasing anxiety, depression and anger that interrupt your calm sense of self. Set the intention that the very best of techniques and people who can assist you with healing will come to you.

Just Do—Don’t Go into Overwhelm! Which of the many techniques given here should you use? Doesn’t matter, they all work. Try the ones that you are intuitively drawn towards. If you feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of exercises here, then take feeling overwhelmed as your first emotion and issue to work. Tell yourself, “Even though I feel overwhelmed by the amount of work to do, feeling overwhelmed is just another feeling to be worked through. That reminds me of when I first felt overwhelmed when _____” and start from there using any of the techniques. I’d suggest you start with The Emotional Freedom Technique due to its ease of learning and using. First things first! Feelings are just meant to be named, felt and then worked and released! Give yourself a big gift—a “No Overwhelmed Policy!” This policy bids you to do something with your feelings instead of just stewing in them. It takes you out of feeling helplessness and moves you into action. This simple policy is the first step to dealing with whatever chaos may come regarding earth changes. Help is there for you! You can call on your angels, spiritual guides and from all that you believe to assist you in making higher vibrational choices to recalibrate your energies to move you from the fourth dimension to fifth‐dimension consciousness. Bringing yourself daily to the higher vibratory state of love helps you align with those energies that bring order out of chaos. The more you keep your mind in the vibratory state of love, the more prepared you will be for whatever comes your way during these exciting times. Clearing of beliefs that do not support life and emotional blockages equals the rising of vibrations. This is a major time in history and you play a big part in assisting with what is to come. You are a key player in this ascension process. You can make the choice to be pro‐active in choosing healing to shape your own destiny and in doing so, put yourself in tune with the great forces of change.

5

Many of these tools given in this book are novel treatments that affect the cortical and limbic brain areas to assist with emotional regulation. By choosing to address life’s stressors and negative thoughts, you become an active participant in developing your new identity. By setting an intention for connection with the highest good, you can connect your subconscious mind with light and information from Universal consciousness. Done repeatedly, these tools offer a process to align and attune with Oneness. Consciousness rises by determination and by design by making the choices to take your healing seriously. If you are a sensitive, feeling type of person who regularly experiences fear, anxiety, depression or anger, these mind‐calming exercises are tailor made for you. They work on the principle of desensitization to reduce distress and calm the heart and mind. They correct errors of thinking and the fear‐based thoughts that fuel depression, anxiety and anger. They help you self‐regulate your emotions to bring you back to a calm place.

The Intelligence Behind the Strange Terror and Beauty of your Feelings Your feelings are brilliant teachers. Focus on the sensitivity of your feelings as being your teachers who show you what you need to learn. Follow the labyrinth of your feelings as you go deeper to the innermost place. Call them out and give them a name! Observe what you do to interrupt distressing feelings and thoughts; they are defensive coping patterns to avoid the more vulnerable feelings that ask for recognition and release. Philosopher and resident mystic of our planet, Ken Wilber reminds us that we can’t escape from uncomfortable feelings: “Thus, ultimately to try to escape a distress merely perpetuates that distress. What is so upsetting is not the distress itself, but our attachment to that distress. We identify with it and that alone is the real difficulty.” This concept is commonly expressed in “What you resist, persists!” Many people do not know that they can release uncomfortable feelings through the use of psychological techniques that are easy to learn and do. You can USE these quieting tools to work your emotions instead of muddling through life and expecting peace of mind to find you. For optimum change do several of these techniques every day. Several times a day is even better! Mix and match a variety of them from the different spiritual and psychological traditions. You might wonder, do these techniques work? All approaches work some of the time some of the issues for some of the people. Some techniques work better than

6

others. Some work better for certain types of issues. Some work better at certain times of your life when you are open and ripe for change. These techniques all do work, but only if you work them. And repeat them enough so that you get to the bottom of your symptom or issue. The main thing is to do something to release your unpleasant emotions and distorted beliefs so that you can get back to the loving person you are that hides under the intensity of your problems! Start with one tool given here and if that doesn’t change how you view your problem, repeat it a second or third time. Then if you don’t feel better, go on to the next technique. Think of this as having many handy tools in your tool kit—you wouldn’t try to saw a board with a hammer. So if one approach does not take care of your problem, go on to the next and then the next. Try them all. Some are easier than others, some are quicker and deeper. They are all valid. You will find some techniques that you like better and some that fit more with your orientation or interests. Skip the tools if they have concepts you don’t believe in or alternately, give them a try just to see what happens. As Gary Craig says of his Emotional Freedom Technique, “Can’t hurt, might help!” Stay open to letting new information come to you as you grow in your spiritual process. Learn and practice healing tools regularly. All you have to lose is some time. And perhaps your issues.

Play It Forward! Future Pacing Future Pacing from Neurolinguistic Psychology is visualizing how you would like to act and be in the future. After completing each exercise, think of how you would like to be. Go out of the present just for a moment and see yourself differently in the future. After finishing a procedure, spend one minute visualizing positive change through rehearsing how you want to be in the future. Visually rehearsing a wanted behavior anchors positive resources, opens up new synapses and installs new neural pathways in the brain. Future Pacing anchors the energetic image in your body, mind and spirit. Many of us have spent a lifetime putting negative pictures in our minds. The antidote to negativity is to create positive visualizations of how we want our life to be. You can use the power of your imagination to see the change that you wish to achieve for yourself. There are many possible outcomes of any situation. Create conscious pictures of change and you will draw that outcome to you.

7

These heart‐infused, emotional‐regulation techniques work, but only if you do them! You are the only one who can lift yourself from continual thoughts of depression, anxiety or irritability. You are the only one who can give yourself peace of mind. Give yourself the best advantage possible through doing daily healing practices to create a harmonious, loving life.

Practice Makes Permanent! Healing is both a science and an art that can be studied and understood and, like any other skill, requires increased practice for proficiency. Repeat each new tool until you have it down pat. Make your favorite procedures a habit that comes up automatically when you are feeling crushed or overwhelmed or beset with fearful, sad or angry feelings. Practice, practice, practice these approaches until they are over‐learned and come up any time you have an out‐of‐sorts feeling. Create a daily ritual to start your day in peace and harmony. Practicing positive rituals for change are part of becoming a loving, calm person. You can set yourself free from unwanted beliefs and emotions if you are willing to take the time to do the work. When you are upset or caught in an unproductive mood, do one or more of these release techniques, then spend some quiet time centering with awareness. Learn to dance with the chaos and then slip through it back to your peace of mind. There’s no valid excuse for not taking care of negative thoughts and emotions as they arise during your day. Not having time is not an excuse. These tools for spiritual awakening only take a few minutes to complete. Adding one or two to your daily schedule perhaps in the morning and evening will give you a great return on your investment of time. The busiest people make time for stress and anger management and spiritual enhancement tools. They actually gain more time as they don’t fritter their time and energy away by caving into stress. They commit to spending a little time to gain inner peace. Practiced regularly, these healing approaches will transform your life and destiny.

8

Chapter 4

Healing at the Soul Level

“These preparation times are about healing. Healing is your job, your responsibility and your birthright.”

Anonymous

You can shape your destiny during these times of individual and planetary ascension. The purpose of all healing and all techniques is to access the love that is within. You can lighten your heavy emotional load to promote desired change. With your requested intention for bringing in the highest consciousness possible, you can draw from the light and love of Universal Consciousness. It’s like playing ping pong with the Universe; you have to take aim and make that first serve before good things come back to you. Healing is possible now for your body, mind and spirit when you bring forth energy from the highest levels of Creation. It takes energy to change consciousness and this energy is available to you now. All you have to do is avail yourself of the great influx of light and information that is being provided for us from Spirit. In Matthew 7:7‐8, the Bible quotes Jesus as saying, “Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.” Higher states of our consciousness always have answers; they always have a bigger picture and can incorporate a higher perspective. And you can always ask for what you want. If you know to ask the question, the answer is within. Sometimes you don’t have access to this stored‐away information or are not ready to accept the answer. We already know everything we need to know about any problem; on some level the answer is there. Sometimes we need to turn issues over to the deeper aspects of ourselves that are not caught up in resistance.

9

Here is a shortened version of a lovely technique called Ask and Receive developed by psychotherapists Sandi Radomski and Thomas Altaffer. (I added the self‐doubt statement after experiencing hesitancy in some clients about their subconscious mind’s ability to get answers.)The complete manual, which features muscle testing, explains how to address past traumas which may interfere with your receiving information can be purchased from www.askandreceive.org/. This gentle approach puts you in touch with the Higher States of your being and your subconscious mind to bring awareness that you have all the answers you need is inside you. This technique brings your subconscious mind on board to assist you in finding the solution once the anxiety around the problem is quieted. It can give you the knowledge that you do have the ability within yourself and that the answer will present itself. The felt sense is that total body, mind and spirit confirmation that comes from deep within. Listen for the sensations around that deep knowing within that signals that the answer you get is correct for you. Be still, listen and know. Doing this quick procedure empowers you by reminding you that all that you need really is inside yourself. Here is a shortened version of their procedure.

Ask and Receive

Sandi Radomski and Thomas Altaffer Think of an issue that concerns you. Determine level of intensity of the problem from one to ten with ten being the most distress and one being a small amount. You can do muscle testing on yourself (this procedure is beyond the scope of this book.) Or, you can get an inner answer as you feel a shift in your body as it relaxes when you get a yes answer which signifies agreement with a statement. You will feel yourself resonating with what you have just said as if it is real. You may even feel relief. You can hear or sense the words “Yes” or “No.” 1. Say out loud, “My body/mind/spirit knows how to heal this issue.” Take a deep breath and let it out slowly and listen for an answer. Yes/No a. If an answer does not come forth, your selfdoubt or hesitancy becomes the issue. Say “My body/mind/spirit knows how to heal the confusion/doubt or hesitancy about whether I know the answer. “ Yes/No Go back to step l. b. Ask, “Is there an underlying trauma that needs to be worked before gaining the answer?” If so, this trauma becomes the issue that asks for healing. Use Ask and

10

Receive or The Emotional Freedom Technique given later in this book to clear old stuck emotions and beliefs around this trauma. 2. If yes, try to access the feeling. Try to find the place in your body where the problem resides by looking for a tension pattern. 3. There are parts of my being that already know how to heal this issue with grace and ease. Yes/No 4. These parts of my being are WILLING to inform the rest of me now. Yes/No 5. My mind/body/spirit is receiving this information now. Yes/No 6. This information transfer is now formulating and is/will be whole and complete. Yes/No 7. Say, “I am thankful for this healing.” Determine what level of stress you have now. Repeat exercise several times if necessary. When you are in touch with that deep inner knowing of the correct action to take, your energy is enhanced. Your unconscious mind has great gifts for you; it can show you what you need to heal.

The Soul Connection We can connect with our soul to intensify the reminder that we are Divine and are at one with everything. Alice Bailey quoting the Tibetan Master said, “Nothing under heaven can arrest the progress of the human soul on its long pilgrimage from darkness to light, from the unreal to the real, from death to immortality, and from ignorance to wisdom.” In Esoteric Healing, Bailey wrote, "All disease is the result of inhibited soul life.” This is true of all forms in all kingdoms. The art of the healer consists in releasing the soul so that its life can flow through the aggregate of organisms which constitute any particular form.” The choice to take our healing seriously allows us to become resonant with the knowing aspects of ourselves and that of the greater Universe. We have been too long separated. This is a time of integration—right and left hemisphere integration, conscious and subconscious mind integration, chakras and energy field integration and body, mind and spirit integration. This is a most magnificent time of evolution

11

as we advance towards Unity. With practice and intention, you can become a healer for yourself and your fellow human beings. This is the time of consciousness by design, consciousness by destiny. Your self‐transformation at the soul level is a part of the overall design for the shift of consciousness for our planet. Continuous dismantling of the ego is one of the clarifying approaches for journeyers on the spiritual path. The fear generated by the ego to keep you separate from the Greater All is the place of the small self. You are more than the problems of the small self that contracts in fear. You can learn to go beyond your small egoic‐sense of self to that which is interconnected to all. The ego, as described by current spiritual teachers, is that lower, rebellious part of the human personality complex that constantly generates fear thoughts and reactions. Here is a tool called Expansion beyond Ego that will help you go beyond your small sense of self to get the Bigger Picture.

Expansion beyond Ego Close your eyes and move into a place of quiet in your mind where you sit observing yourself. See your body and make a note of whatever belief or problem your mind is obsessing over. Breathe deeply and observe any uncomfortable feelings you are experiencing as you rerun the belief or problem in your mind. Don’t go into your problem and your feelings, just observe them without judgment. Tell yourself, “Fear contracts me into my problems and my feelings around those problems. Fear is of the ego. Selflimiting thoughts are just my ego thoughts about my beliefs, problems and my uncomfortable feelings of anxiety, fear, anger, resentment, etc. I can choose selfliberating thoughts over selflimiting ones.” First imagine a journey to the place beyond your mind. Picture yourself going inward and slipping beyond your mind. This is a place of no thought, just being. Breathe from this place of disconnection from the problems of your body/mind. Picture your body/mind that observes those sensations of fear. Now move your consciousness out an inch away from your body. Make a circle around your body and move your awareness several inches out into this circle. Become aware of all that surrounds you in the room and move out of your body/mind into the awareness of what is happening around you. Expand your awareness into the sounds, temperature and atmosphere of your environment. If you go back into thoughts, dismiss them and return to expanded consciousness.

12

Expand the space slowly staying with awareness noting the energies of your room. Allow the circle of your awareness to grow further out from your body/mind and take in the entire room. Mindfully expand your consciousness to take in the entire building. Keep your focus moving outward to enlarge your special awareness. Expand it into the block and then into several blocks staying with the nonjudgment state of merely being watchful. Note the rhythm of your heart that beats strongly with the rhythm of the Greater Self. Grow your awareness further to take in your entire town, state and country. Observe and stay with mindful awareness as you further expand your consciousness into our beautiful planet. Let the rhythm of your heart expand into the rhythm of our planet. Move the circle of your awareness past our little planet into space. Keep moving your consciousness outward into that expansive circle that continues to encompass everything. Connect the rhythm of your heart beat with the rhythm of the Universe. Allow the vibration of your consciousness to be in harmony with the space of All That Is. Let your consciousness dissolve into Allness. You are that Allness. Let your consciousness dissolve into Infinity. You are that Infinity. Feel the vastness of your consciousness that takes in everything without judgment. This is the place of no thoughts, the place of no fear; the place of no ego. This is the place of no problems and no feelings. This is the place where there is no right or wrong. This is the place of allowing everything to be just as it is. This is the place of emptiness. This is your True Self, your Authentic Self that is connected to everything; to all. This expanded state of consciousness is the Authentic Self that is who you truly are. You ARE the Authentic Self which resonates with everything. Stay with this Authentic Self that always has been and always will be. Remain in this place of connection with All That Is and take a peek down to the person that you are that has a body/mind with an ego that worries and obsesses over problems. See the folly of the fears of the ego from this expanded place of awareness of the Authentic Self.

All is Impermanent save the Authentic Self The ego worries, desires and attachments are bound to the temporal world. Obsessing over uncomfortable feeling states is generated by fears generated by the ego. Undesirable feelings and the fear thoughts from the ego that create them come and go, keeping you from the Authentic Self which encompasses all.

13

We have forgotten that our true nature is nondual, whole, complete and invulnerable and this remembering is the journey home. This process of healing returns us to the Truth or to our Divine and Holy Self which is connected to the Oneness. Union with the Divine is the end goal of many religions and for those who espouse a generic spirituality. Mystic Martin Buber described the search for Oneness in his classic book, I and Thou. Buber says “we forgot at birth” that we are essentially one with all. Healing is to return to those knowing, that sense of Oneness. Allowing the experiences along the way allows the Force of Spirit to tweak your ego again and again to create an opening for a bigger breakthrough. Evolution is awareness! Your soul and inner wisdom are always there for you bidding you to enter into appreciation and gratitude. Uttering an intention to return to the natural order of things releases energy both within yourself and with the greater Universe. Healing happens when you set the intention for Love for the best and highest for all concerned. The soul is the essence or the deepest level of your existence of who you are which carries on through many lifetimes. The journey to wholeness is centered in the recognition that there is only One Mind and Truth that is centered in Divine Love that all living beings share. There is only one energy which encompasses all and we are a part of this loving energy that resides within us. It is available for providing Truth whenever we call for it. There is only One Mind and that Mind is Love.

14

Chapter 5

Healing is Your Birthright

"When coherent information reaches an unbalanced system in any of its levels, the induced tendency is always the auto‐reconfiguration towards more harmonious patterns."

Dr. Giampiero Cungi

The evolutionary impulse for all beings and for our universe flows toward increased integration and complexity. The evolutionary impulse throbs poking and probing our healing journey from fragmentation to wholeness. That is its nature. The tendency towards complexity and integration is how the universe works. The movement from simple to the elaborate is called the tendency to complexity which moves towards increased order and consciousness. We call this ultimate, integrating complexity the Divine, Oneness or God. Healing is part and process of your birthright. Being born—the right of becoming into a new state of energy as a human being—gives you this right to evolve. The energetic template for your healing lies deeply embedded in your psyche waiting to be activated. And you are not alone for the evolutionary process of expanding consciousness is there for you with radiant light coming forth from the Universal Energies. You have come here on earth to heal and be part of the healing of our planet. You can use your energies to act out your desires, intentions and readiness for change and return to balance and harmony—the natural order of things. This is the stuff of healing—the conscious and mindful process that encompasses many small acts of intention and the decision to become whole. The word heal is a derivative of the English word hale meaning to make whole, that which has survived, keeping the original sense according to Webster’s New World Dictionary. Another meaning of the word heal comes from the Latin word intendere—to attend, design, plan that guides the action for restoration or regaining health or soundness. Healing is a process of joining, connecting and re‐conciliation to come to wholeness.

15

Psychotherapist John Freedom says, “Healing is:

• Bringing darkness to light • Bringing falsehood to truth • Bringing illusion to reality • Bringing that which is fragmented to wholeness • Bringing anger to acceptance • Bringing ignorance to understanding • Bringing “sin” to forgiveness • Bringing fear to love • Bringing self to God.”

A Course In Miracles tells us, “To heal is to make whole. And what is whole can have no missing parts that have been left outside.” Healing is defined as any ritual, substance, nutrient, or mind‐altering experience that brings information of a higher vibratory state into a chaotic interference pattern. During healing, that which has been fragmented moves toward wholeness and greater complexity. The person may change at many emotional, physical and spiritual levels. On the body, mind and spirit levels, healing is a fluid process of tuning in to gather to allow vibrational shifts in:

• Chi stagnation and blockage • Energies of the meridians, chakras and aura • Heart and brain rhythms • Unwanted emotions of fear, anger, anxiety decrease • Biochemical processes affecting the biochemistry and

neurotransmitters • Ego beliefs, defenses and perceptions of threat • Energies that need to be re‐aligned and integrated • Subtle energy fields that surround the body • Understanding the divine purpose of your being • Individual consciousness that is connected to the greater

Consciousness. The purpose of healing is to open the person up to the love that resides within. Love is the supreme gift. The quest for the True Self is a developmental, ongoing process continuing along repeating itself along with lows, plateaus and the higher states of consciousness that assist the informational changes. It activates what is already present in the human psyche. It is an ongoing progression, not a one‐time, done

16

deal. It is a reawakening process that helps us remember who we are as spiritual beings residing in a physical body. The body energetically holds the wisdom of what needs to be healed. It carries the energetic imprints of trauma in the nervous system and muscles. It reconnects us with the Truth that is already present within. Fear beliefs dissipate with the deep‐felt recognition that mystic St. Hildegard of Bingen described: “All is well, all is well, all manner of things is very, very well.”

Healing is Creating Coherence in the System Coherence comes from the Latin word coharere which means to be connected naturally and stick together as parts in a mass. Through coherence, a system becomes logically connected in a unified, interconnected fashion to bring order. In physics, coherence is the force through which the molecules are held together to form adhesion. We human beings constitute an individualized system that lives in a greater system as part of being interplanetary beings. Systems are organized energetically and carry intelligence. Gathering and processing data and information intelligently ensures that the system will survive. The Institute of HeartMath is a research lab that studies the effect of loving emotions on the workings of the heart and brain. It’s Director of Research, Rollin McCraty describes coherence as:

“… the harmonious flow of information, cooperation, and order among the subsystems of a larger system that allows for the emergence of more complex functions… It is the rhythm of the heart that sets the beat for the entire system. The heart’s rhythmic beat influences brain processes that control the autonomic nervous system, cognitive function, and emotions, thus leading us to propose that it is the primary conductor in the system. By changing the rhythm of the heart, system‐wide dynamics can be quickly and dramatically changed.”

Systems theorist Bruce Forciea said, “The essence of the vital force is information. At the core of all healing systems is the transfer of information.” Coherent emotions such as gratitude, love, appreciation, acceptance and peace of mind transfer needed information that promotes healing of the body, mind and spirit. Imaging studies show that the frontal cortex, temporal, occipital and parietal areas of the brain are influenced when positive information comes in and the heart and brain shift into a coherent state.

17

There is a vast intelligence in the body, mind and spirit which seeks homeostasis and wholeness. This intelligence can be accessed in Higher States of Consciousness. Healing practices interrupt the autonomic nervous system dysfunction that contributes to many physical ailments such as high blood pressure, strokes, heart attacks and congestive heart failure. Coherent information operates at vibratory frequencies that support life and growth. It returns the autonomic nervous system and the organs of the body to balance and harmony. In a coherent system, there is order, structure, congruence and alignment within the system and its subsystems. Acts of creating coherency increase synchronization of the brain hemispheres allowing the system to access greater amounts of information in form of intelligence or waveforms. Sudden break throughs and insights can happen when your brain hemispheres integrate, your heart and brain operate in congruence and you slip into the true nature of consciousness itself! Each act of healing constitutes a quantum leap into creative consciousness. The congruent body has the ability to foster cooperation among its organs, glands and brain with greater cooperation with external systems as well. This promotes the emergence towards complexity and coherence of consciousness. David Servan‐Schreiber, M.D., PhD. Calls this “the instinct to heal.” As part of the greater Universal Planetary system, we are natural resonators of that energy. When coherence is restored to the individual’s energy field, vibratory frequencies of grace flow into the person. The person reverberates or vibrates at the same frequencies of the Universal Energies.

Congruence is Alignment with the Principles of Sacred Geometry Sacred geometry is behind the creation of our universe according to Drunvalo

Melchizedek and others who study this sacred science. All of life appears as geometry and its exquisite ratios which support the life process. Sacred geometry is expressed in the supreme beauty and ongoing evolutionary growth of our universe which is based on numerical, ideal ratios and proportions.

18

Healing is coherent in nature drawing from the connective fields of information held in the heart. Alchemist, astrologer, physician and writer on the art of healing, Paracelsus said, “The art of medicine has its roots in the heart. If your heart is false, then also the doctor in you is false. If it is fair, then also the doctor is fair.” Gregory Hoag, visionary artist and creator of patterns of sacred geometry, clarified this concept of coherence. “A coherent environment supports focus and the ability to maintain intent in order to manifest. Congruence allows resonance with a greater power, so synchronicity and being in the right place at the right time can occur. The feeling of connection is enhanced by a sense of relationship, which can create relevance and respect in all actions.” Conversely, negative emotions such as anger, stress, anxiety and revenge create incoherent patterns. Acts of healing bring the person back into connection with the Higher Intelligence present in our universe.

The Dynamic, Reciprocal, FreeFlowing Energy Field of Healing Healers create a resonant entrainment with the field of their client by going into a non‐ordinary or as some call it, a non‐local state of consciousness. Entrainment is the process of synchronization with the vibrations of one person causing the other to resonate at the same rate (or if done with tuning forks, crystal bowls or with specially designed CDs to specific sound frequencies). The universal Law of Sympathetic Resonance says that during the heightened state of healing, client and healer connect into a resonant bonding with a hertz level that supports healing. The client shares or entrains into this field of coherence. In an altered state of compassion, healers can become totally client‐centered, heart‐centered, body‐centered, and spirit‐centered. The resonant energies of the Universe dance in to join in to create a coherent, cohesive field. In Quantum Physics, the universe is seen as energy particles and waves where mind, intelligence and consciousness are all intertwined. Quantum Physics says that we humans are made of subatomic particles and energy fields. Human fields are interactive and carry psychic information which can be accessed and transferred. The HeartMath research shows that when two people are connected, one person’s EKG rhythms are reflected in the other person. This occurs when they are physically together but also occurs in non‐linear time and non‐local space as in remote healing. The electromagnetic imprint transfers with the individual’s intentions.

19

Discussing sound as medicine, Dr. Jeffery Thompson ties quantum physics with vibrational healing.

“…a host of research projects have shown that brain electrical activity and neuro‐chemical hormone function are involved in accessing deeper memory response and expanded brain function. From the standpoint of quantum physics, as we examine ever smaller particles of matter— people made of cells, made of molecules, made of atoms, made of protons/electrons, made of quarks, etc. –we eventually reach a state of reality where the smallest particles of matter, when broken further, do not yield smaller particles which we can put names on, but rather a universal energy matrix of relationships of vibration patterns. In actuality there is nothing solid in the universe at all. Consciousness itself is a vibration pattern.”

Healing occurs where there is acceptance and consideration flowing forth in the energetic field which fosters brain wave entrainment that changes the heart rhythms, brain waves and the neural networks in the brain. Bilateral symmetry within the brain occurs. Electrical activity and energy flow! Communication between the right and left hemispheres of the brain becomes enhanced. Love allows the shift from everyday beta states of consciousness into alpha, theta and then possibly gamma brain waves associated with vibrational shifts into consciousness states where insight is possible. Time, space and form can become distorted. The healing state is bi‐directional and reciprocal in nature flowing between the people involved and the universal energies.

Two Healing Formulas

Healing is a function of (Focused Attention + Connection + Intention + Love and Forgiveness to receive Information and Vibrational Frequencies.) Healing is forgiveness of self, understanding things from a higher spiritual level and drawing from Higher Resources to empower the self. The transfer of needed information is brought forth for the person is in the form of higher frequencies, vibrational shifts and a different understanding. In this coherent state, you feel acceptance, peace, grace and harmonious. Training to achieve coherence helps deal with negative emotions and keeps emotional stress down. People who meditate or practice healing enter into positive mental states more easily and their ECG patterns indicate congruence.

20

The False Self is of the Ego

We humans have an ego that helps us in our daily planning and decision making. We need enough healthy ego strength to get through our day. The sense of being separate we humans has been called by modern‐day spiritual teachers as the False Self or the ego defenses. The ego structure consists of two parts: the healthy preparation for life but also the fear programming of the conditioned mind that has been exposed to threat and trauma. It contains fear beliefs, destructive emotions, addictive needs and defense mechanisms. Robert Cox says that “The ego has usurped the place of our True Self…. it is the nonself—the absence of self.” The ego’s purpose is to separate and it chooses conflict as it sees things through the lens of lack, competition and defensiveness. Our task as spiritual beings is to move past this fear thinking and return to our healthy ego functioning. For practical purposes, the word ego will be used to describe the egoic aspect of the human psyche which is the phantom of the mind that bugs us continually about what’s going wrong. The ego creates an over‐identification with ownership of the body, feelings, experiences and thoughts. It has a huge list of judgmental shoulds and should nots (musts and must nots). “This should not be happening. I can’t stand this. I demand this stop right now.” The ego which runs on fear is always there—twenty four/seven—with its relentless demands and hassles. The ego is one of those separated aspects focusing on my feelings, my ideas, my perceptions, my losses, my betrayals and my body issues. Through the constant focus on angst and unfairness, the ego keeps us recognizing the desire for union of the separated aspects of our self. The ego takes us out of this most precious moment by insisting things are bad and unfair. It develops endlessly looping tapes that rerun in your mind to convince you that unfortunate things that happen are intolerable. The ego believes itself to be important so it must run the show fueled by fear. It insists that things must always be favorable to you and that others must go along with how you want things to be. Many religions address the ego even though they do not call it out by name. Greek Orthodox priest Archimandrite Dionysios calls out the ego directly to challenge it,

“The real enemy is the ego. It is the enemy because it is against love….What is ego? It is the means by which I protect myself as if I were in a battle, as if every other person is my enemy, and the only thing I care about is winning the victory.”

21

Love Carries the Frequencies to Balance the Ego

Abandonment and fear are at the core of the sense of separation that the ego experiences. When we feel separate from our True Self we feel unlovable and experience guilt and fear and judge ourselves. The negative emotions arise from a sense of feeling separate and unworthy. Fear is expressed in the negative feelings of envy, shame, rage, embarrassment, disgust, anxiety, sadness, etc. If you are not in the love category about a situation, then you are in fear. The Bible verse of John 4:18 reminds us, “There is not fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.” In his book, Healing With Love, healer and physician Leonard Laskow gives an exquisite explanation of how love completes the healing process to bring the individual back into wholeness.

“…. we utilize love, which is the universal harmonic, to help ourselves or others release energy patterns of separation and move into energy patterns of wholeness. The essence of love is relatedness — to a person, a place, an object, a food, one's self, the universe, or God or an undefined Higher Order. We can look at relatedness in a very literal sense: to relate means "to carry back together… love brings back together what was once one but seemingly became separate. It is a coming home. We can become aware of this nonseparation, or relatedness, for it always exists. We can experience it as a sense of wholeness, completion, peace, and the impulse toward unity. And we can express and manifest it through our actions.”

At this time in history, we are given information in the form of many unique healing practices to address the ego fears and defenses. A Course In Miracles reminds us, “All healing is essentially the release from fear.” You let go of your ego's need for the power to make things happen the more you trust that the greater possibilities for change can happen. New information can flow in when you hold yourself steady in the healing power of love. As The Beatles’s song says, “Let it be. Let it be.” In the long run, it’s not about you anyway but about the overall design of unfolding evolution of which you are a small part, but it a very important, necessary part in assisting planetary consciousness. Leonard Laskow continues this concept:

“When we relate fully to what is so, love becomes known as Truth or Pure Consciousness; perceiver and perceived become one. Love creates an energy field that affects all that enters it. It is said that the loving fields of Christ and Buddha were so powerful that people were healed in their presence. Both of these great avatars taught that loving energy is the energy of oneness,

22

harmony, balance, and peace. In the presence of a powerful loving field, if there is the intention and willingness for healing to occur, the body's inherent self‐healing capabilities will be stimulated and augmented.”

We are here to dismantle that part of our ego structure which consists of programmed lies and defensive ways of reacting. When this happens, we are left with the healthier aspects of our ego functioning. We are the only species that has been given the ability to think and can use our free will to accomplish this great task. This free will is part of our evolutionary nature using the pursuit of novelty to greater consciousness. And we are not alone. We have the Life Force of the Universe to assist us to move out of spiritual ignorance during this time of the Great Shift. We humans can choose to awaken the forces of love that are within us to take our part in the awakening of consciousness for our planet during this cycle of time.

23

Chapter 6

Fear is the Neurotic Pattern of the Ego

“Under the grip of the ego, we are narcissistic. Empowering your ego means giving in to those urges f or addictions, obsessions, perceptions of unfairness, excesses of undesirable feelings and giving in to abuses of pride. All of these make you lose your capacity to listen to the truth that resides within you…..

They deny the true essence of who you are.”

Cheri Huber A Course in Miracles tells us, "The ego always speaks first. Its voice is always the loudest, and it is always wrong.” The ego takes us away from our true self and the Oneness. John Freedom describes it thus: “There are two great forces within each one of us: Ego, which is the force/movement towards greater division, conflict and separation thus creating our separate selves and Integration, which is the force/movement towards wholeness, connection (some call this Spirit or God) and the recognition that we are part of this Great Oneness.” “Neuroticism” is considered to be one of the five basic personality attributes in psychology. It’s unfortunate that the word neurotic which has a negative connotation was chosen to describe people who essentially can feel their feelings, as opposed to those who do not. Neuroticism manifests those people who regularly experience anxiety, anger and depression as opposed to those who do not typically experience much emotion. People with high neurotic tendencies tend to ascribe more negative emotional reactivity to uncomfortable events. And yet without the ability to feel we would be no more than robots. So as a human trait, it’s better to have feelings than not! And yet to have too many feelings as well as none at all is a foil of the defensive aspect of the ego. Fear is the withholding of love from a situation out of ignorance. During the state of fear you do not allow love to flow to yourself or to others. The ego constantly throws up fear thoughts. Fear takes us into defensiveness and acting out whatever we have learned earlier in life as a protective device. The intent of the fear‐based ego is to protect and run away from anything that makes it uncomfortable, especially uncomfortable emotions. Addictive behaviors, defenses and mishandled anger are the devices of the ego. Anytime you have a belief that you are better than others, you are in the grips of ego. You are in ego mode anytime you become angry when someone doesn’t agree with you.

24

The ego rears its head preventing us from finding connection to others. It keeps us separate from our most connected sense of our loving selves, separate from others and separate from however we language that force that is greater than we are. A trick of the ego is to blame others to project your problems on an outside source. Anything you experience in your life is a mirror of what’s going on inside yourself.

We Cannot Help but Act Out Our Unresolved Defenses We live in relationship and it is in relationships that we are traumatized. Most trauma is caused by relational trauma caused by parents, family members, peers or teachers. A child is born innocent and precious. The child’s vibrational levels of his organs and meridians go out of balance when he or she feels out of control and overwhelmed. Of course a few traumas happen as a result of living in the natural world—car accidents or dog bites, etc. but most of the frightening experiences that a child undergoes are at from people who act in dysfunctional, hurtful ways. The motoric defense reactions accompanied by strong emotions are born of trauma and devastating emotions. The child’s sense of self is impacted at a core level when there is overt or covert abuse, neglect or lack of validation. The child wants to be heard and validated but there is no one who can acknowledge him at the deepest level. Feeling alone and unable to ask for help, the betrayed child feels shame and is changed. Or perhaps the wrong kind of help is given and the child feels more helpless. Trust shuts down. The shame core builds unconsciously. Resistance and avoidance of addressing the bad feelings build. The formula for resistance is resistance equals the number and strength or the defenses and the level of fear and shame. Walls develop and defensive ways of protecting oneself are set in place. What is not resolved is acted out in the life. The word separate means that things that were previously joined are disengaged and severed. When we feel separate from our True Self we project these perceptions/feelings outside ourselves. This sense of separation projected by the ego makes us feel unworthy, incomplete and vulnerable. From the False self, we defend ourselves from the projected guilt which gives rise for the need to perceive attack to justify the projection. The identity becomes organized around defense mechanisms that protect the need to avoid feeling vulnerable. And so the Divine Child becomes the Defended Child. Hardened, neurotic, reactive or helpless instead of free, open and spontaneous. Shielded against other people who are deemed not safe. And of course, their parents react with their own defense

25

mechanisms and aren’t able to give the child what he needs. So the child grows up trying to survive in a defensive system. He becomes mistrustful, armored and keeps himself apart from knowing true intimacy. This behavior pattern that the child uses as he learns to survive will react later with partners. Or perhaps, he won’t be able to commit to relationships. He becomes toughened and reinforced against knowing the true beauty and freedom within himself. Caught in shame and thinking too well or too little about himself, he becomes defended against his feelings, other people and against remembering his true loving nature.

Learned Muscular Tension Coping Patterns to Defend Against Threat There are common defense reaction patterns of the body and mind that people typically go into when they feel threatened. These are ways of moving the body to try to defend against a threat. These movements include muscular, breathing and even hormonal reactions and movements that the body goes into automatically. One way to look at defense coping pattern is to watch how your energy moves when you sense a threat. What do you do when you are frightened or stressed by someone or someone? If you aren’t sure, start to observe what you do when someone is cross with you or challenges you. You may have several of these most common defensive movements that are automatic reactions to avoid feeling shame which is a profound sense of unworthiness and other vulnerable emotions. Turning to alcohol, drugs, gambling and other addictions are other ways to mediate the pain and grief received earlier in life. Note which defenses you have; we all have several of these ways of defending ourselves. Which is your major defense and what other ones do you have?

• _____ Withdraw, contract, tighten muscles to protect vulnerable areas • _____ Move forward, blame, project, bully, aggress towards, tighten fists • _____ Brace against hit, tighten muscles, tighten shoulders, jaw, neck, stomach • _____ Freeze, block trauma triggers, dissociate, space out, fragment energy • _____ Pull back, deny, ignore, minimize problem, pull away • _____ Become agitated, anxious, frenzied, scattered, nervous energy • _____ Become overwhelmed, devastated, numb and shut down • _____ Distract, deflect, joke, change the subject • _____ Agree to do something then don’t follow through (passive aggressive

behavior) These are learned patterns where you compartmentalize your energy that were developed out of trauma wounding. Within each automatic pattern are beliefs,

26

feelings, body sensations, hormonal patterns and muscular patterns including the internal organs. The defense mechanisms happen when you feel out of control just like you did earlier in your life when something bad happened. You can track these patterns and challenge them telling yourself, “I choose to be present and deal with this threat instead of reacting as if I was a helpless child or younger person.” Bessel van der Kolk, trauma researcher says,

“Unresolved perceived life threats are a threat to the very survival of the individual… “The more feelings needed to be avoided, the more energy is spent on keeping them at bay—energy that should have been used for feeling alive and open to new experiences. What is felt remains unchanged or gains in inward pressure, which forces people to step up their methods of avoidance. This is the sort of vicious cycle that trauma creates. Abandoned feelings call out for attention from the growing shadow of existence. Treatment must aim at putting these disjointed sensations together. Doing this involves coaxing them to begin to feel and tolerate the sensations that overwhelmed them.”

The exercises in this book will help you get to the bottom of these patterns of checking out of the present moment and help release them. You will become a more creative and loving person once you release your defense mechanisms. You can learn to see your unproductive defenses as just something that you learned when you were younger. And then accept that you were doing the best that you could at the time and feel compassion for that innocent child or your younger self that became defensive to protect yourself and survive. The first connection is to self‐compassion. Healing your destructive egoic patterns will enable you to stay present in the here and now. So here is the healthy alternative to defensive reactions: _____ Stay present, breathe and deal with threat in a straight, direct way! As Ram Dass said, “Be here now!” We become reactive and defensive when we forget who we are as a child of the Universe. Seen in this light, there is only one problem which is feeling separate from the Divine Love and the solution to that problem is always Love. Love, acceptance, forgiveness and compassion are the answers to every question, every problem and every defense.

27

Chapter 7

Coherence in the Human Biofield

"The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single (full of light), thy whole body is also full of light; but when thy eye is evil (dark), thy body also is full of darkness."

Luke 11:34

Our entire universe is mathematical in nature. Everything is energy of a vibrational nature and all follows the laws of mathematics and energy. We live in this unified field of energy and information taking in energy from the sun, earth and solar system. All is in evolution seeking wholeness and balance. Conscious co-creation in healing consists of becoming one with the needed information and resonating with it so it can be gathered and applied as needed. Likewise, artists, musicians and writers as well as psychics and intuitive are gleaners of the information that is already there in the Field. What is needed is to just tune in to make contact with that information and allow it to come forward. When you put your everyday mind—your Thinker—on hold and tune into your heart and higher states of your consciousness, the solution comes. You alter your consciousness to go into that vast storage place then tune into the vibrational band width and just go in and pick it up. Drawing from the work of Rudolf Steiner, Albert Einstein and German physicist Max Plank, Hungarian systems expert Ervin Laszlo theorizes that there is an all encompassing energy field called the Zero Point Field (so described because even at the absolute zero point, energy can still be measured) where time and space do not exist as all is happening all at once. This field is a vacuum which is a carrier of information. Laszlo stated, “This quantum vacuum is the origin of mind and matter – a blueprint of the universe. Even our own memories are not stored in our brains, but are stockpiled like holographic information in the field. Our brains are mainly receivers and processors of this information. When they resonate with certain mathematical frequencies they gain access to specific information.” In the physics quantum world, subatomic particles--protons, electrons and neurons-- become connected when they collide. If they move apart, the connection remains. This is the concept of entanglement. In the people world, organisms, moments in time, ideas, and energies become entangled. And so do intentions. Entanglement constitutes the strange,

28

wonderful world of healing. Entangled minds with the intention to heal resonate with those Universal energies. The ancient philosopher Pythagoras described the Zero Point Field and entanglement when he said, “There is One Universal Soul, diffused through all things, eternal, invisible, unchangeable; in essence like truth, in substance resembling light.” In 1981, the U.S. Congressional Research Service looked at the evidence from thousands of studies on telepathy, clairvoyance, remote viewing and precognition and concluded that “Recent experiments in remote viewing and other studies in parapsychology suggest that there exists an ‘interconnectiveness’ of the human mind with other minds and with matter. This interconnectiveness would appear to be functional in nature and amplified by intent and emotion.” It’s all there waiting for us to go in and pick up the information that we need. Lynne McTaggart agreed, “Researchers discovered that the Zero Point Field contains the blueprint for our existence. Everything and everyone is connected with one another through this field in which all information from all time is said to be stored. Ultimately, everything – from man to matter – can be traced back to a collection of electric charges that are continually in contact with this endless sea of energy. Our interaction with this field determines who we are, will become and have been. The field is the alpha and omega of our existence.” The concept of the Zero Point Field posits a radically new science which incorporates spirituality and an all-inclusive view of our world. The Zero Point Field offers an explanation for the many unexplained mysteries around healing, human minds influencing random number generators, ESP, remote viewing, intuition, clairvoyance, and premonitions. In the field, there is no difference between what has happened before and what is happening now. The implication of the Zero Point Field is that you can create your own reality. The mind has a strange ability to influence itself as noted in hypnosis and other techniques which use the creative imagination to create change. The capacity of the human brain is profound; there is no difference between past and present experiences. The subconscious mind can’t distinguish between what is real and what is suggested. That’s why hypnosis works; the subconscious acts as if something is real if it hears a suggestion. You can create your own body and mind according to the perceptions that you hold. The world is not as it is, but as you experience and perceive it. You are influenced and influence matter both around you and in remote areas with our perceptions. We conjunctively create our world experience. You have your personal dynamic bioenergetic field that is an accessible collection of information. Our entanglement is with the planetary changes that are happening. We live

29

in an interconnected universe that is energy vibrating at different frequencies and we are entrained with the harmonious energies that are taking us to where we need to be. The information is stored not only in our subconscious mind but in our cells down to the tiniest atoms, protons and DNA.

The Subtle Forces that Vitalize the Physical Body

Within this biofield are the chakras; the word chakra means wheel in Sanskrit. The chakras, as described by the ancient Hindu traditions, are the whirling vortexes of the etheric counterpoints of the physical body. These chakras or vortexes of energy are centered on the seven endocrine glands. Each chakra stimulates the hormones produced by that associated gland. The root chakra corresponds to glands in the sexual organs, the second chakra to the pancreas, the solar plexus chakra to the Adrenals, the heart chakra to the Thymus gland, the throat chakra to the Thyroid and the brow and crown chakras correspond with the pituitary and pineal glands. These centers of energy become harmonically connected as a unified field as the person awakens to the Great Mystery and rises in consciousness. The complete understanding of how to work with the chakras is beyond the scope of this book. For a complete review of this information, see Zachary Lansdowne’s comprehensive book, The Chakras and Esoteric Healing. Here is a short version of how chakras work.

Chakras Spiraling Wheels or Cones of Energy

A grounded, healthy person’s chakras revolve at the same rate of high speed. Their chakras extend outward from the front and back of the physical body allowing their energy field to connect and flow freely from the universe and earth. There is a harmonious flow within their energetic field through the chakras and subtle energy bodies.

30

During times of great stress or in unhealthy individuals, the energies within the chakras move too fast or too slow, interrupting the vital energy flow. A trauma event creates discordant emotions which carry resonant vibrations—energetic interference patterns— that are in synch with the original event. These energetic interference patterns carry unresolved excess emotions that interrupt the flow of the meridians and the integration of the left and right brain hemispheres. The pathways can become blocked with stale or stagnant energy that prevents the free exchange of vital energy throughout the system, and illness, stress and accidents bring imbalance and illness. In addition, human bioenergy fields of different people interact with each other also bringing energetic imbalance or discomfort.

The Healing Field The Tibetan Master Djwhal Khul as given through Alice Bailey taught that “all disease begins in the outer layers of the energy field where irrational thinking patterns, fears, stresses, and unfounded core beliefs over time can leave energy imprints. If these issues are not healthfully processed or if the will of the personality is not in alignment with the will of the soul, the body can experience disease.” There is a semi-permeable energetic membrane surrounding the body which allows energy flow transmission and information from others. This three-dimensional energetic boundary around our physical body is connected to our consciousness. Our energetic boundaries insulate us and allow us to relate to all other organisms through connecting and interpreting their energetic fields. Beliefs of limitation and not being safe reside within this membrane. When we think negative thoughts, this field shrinks close to the body to conserve energy and protect ourselves. Later the field over-extends as a constant vigilant coping barrier. Deficient or blocked energy is one result of unresolved unhealed emotional wounds. Ongoing fear beliefs shrink the energy field around the physical body. Healer and intuitive Yuliya Cohen relates, “Trauma and illness can strip away the energetic membrane and leave an organism diminished and vulnerable. It also will alter and distort perceptions of reality and leave one plunged in the strange world of voices, hallucinations and greatly exaggerated forms. These are the telltale symptoms that a client’s energy field and membrane have been compromised due to their inability to regulate energy information flow.” Distressing symptoms provide the greatest opportunity for healing, as Rumi said, “The wounds are where light enters.” Positive emotions, which are information, can expand the field out from the body. They provide the neurological rewards in your brain giving you that boost of positive neurotransmitters. Gregg Braden, in his book The Divine Matrix, explains that the

31

language of emotion is at the crux of how we create and sustain life. Healers use the language of emotion to work with the power and intelligence that resides within the human field by repairing it and its energetic membrane and then assisting the person to reframe their perception of their experiences in positive, empowering ways.

Healing as a Ritual with the Potential for Change We are programmed to be receptive to healing rituals to repattern ourselves for the greater good. Rituals, ceremonies and intentions flagged with emotion are most potent in bringing vibrational patterns of coherence into a chaotic field. Rituals can create trance or altered states in their participants making information from the subconscious mind more accessible. “Trance is the real perception state of humankind,” said Holger Kalweit, author of Shamans, Healers, and Medicine Men. Trance is from Latin "transīre" which means to cross, pass over a threshold as a conduit or portal into something different. In induced trance states there is intense focused attention and suggestibility for healing is enhanced. Often words spoken by or through the healer carry information and a resonant vibration. Words can heal and those words that come from a different dimension spoken by the healer can send you into a brain wave state that fosters moving through the limited fear beliefs to see things from a higher perspective. Repeated rituals that focus on love change the raw circuitry of your brain and your physical body. Your inner musings, wishes, desires and choices create an inner environment that turns on positive brain neurotransmitters. Scientists estimate that there are over one-hundred million neurons in our autonomic nervous system. Turning on new neurons and neural pathways with new ideas stimulates the plastic nature of the brain allowing for possibility for shifts in gene expression. Healing is a potent ritual. As part of the Oneness we are in relationship with everything and everyone. This healing interaction that draws from the greater whole is described by Jesus in the Bible verse, “…when two or more are gathered together in His name, there I am also.” When the two individuals combine their minds and invoke healing, they form a field of energy and information which is picked up by the subconscious mind of the healer. Joining forces with another person and setting the stage for healing creates a unique energy field connection that allows a vibrational and informational transfer. Healers input coherent, vital and intelligent energy into an unbalanced system lacking in equilibrium to adjust the life force to provide reorganization and integration. The frenetic energy of the disrupted system is interrupted and there is a movement towards order and complexity. Somewhere in the Universal field and in the person’s depth of the body, mind and spirit, held in reserve is the potential for that healing moment when there is a sudden insight of seeing a higher-consciousness perspective, a creative solution and a

32

bigger picture. This is a quantum jump into a new reality, even just for an impending moment, where there is an uptick in vibration. This ability to tap into the absolute potentiality for exactly what is needed for the person at that moment is part of the quantum nature of consciousness. Every perceived problem, conflict or difficulty can be turned over to the holy wisdom which resides within you and around you. Allow the state of connection and grace and know that there is no separation. In healing, all in interconnected as Zackary Lansdowne, author on esoteric healing, explains, “Pranic healing employs the planetary etheric body as the medium linking the healer with the patient. There is no reality to separation, because the healer’s and the patient etheric body are integral ports of the planetary etheric body, which is whole, unbroken, and continuous.”

Systems Theory

Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, known for his studies of happiness and creativity, describes his concepts of flow and systems theory. All parts of the system are mutually dependent. Fear and fragmentation decrease the available energy of the system. Energetic information becomes organized when separated parts come together. That which has been separate can become more complex and integrated in a non-linear fashion. He states, “As a living open system, the person has the capacity to take in matter, energy and information and release the same back…. The individual tends to evolve towards a higher ordered, more differentiated system.” So we are systems seeking integration as times become more chaotic. The healing state is similar to that of the flow. Csikszentmihalyi described flow as a time of focused attention where the person is "completely involved in an activity for its own sake. The ego falls away. Time flies. Every action, movement, and thought follows inevitably from the previous one, like playing jazz.” Rituals such as Tai Chi, meditation, mindfulness, yoga and martial arts as well as some sports such as golf improve the capacity for achieving the flow. The healer’s focused attention can tap into a flow state where time and space fall away with only the moment of staying with the intention of allowing whatever needs to happen. Healers which catch the wave of the flow available there in the field become completely quiet which allows them to have a greater clarity as to what is needed. Their focus sharpens to picking up the information within the person’s field but also information from the greater Oneness. Matrix Energetics developer and healer extraordinaire, Richard Bartlett explains,

33

“Dissolve the idea that healing and disease are a polarity and that one can’t exist without the other. In an open system that is not true. In an open or so‐called free energy system, you can get more energy out than you put in….Transformation is a miraculous process that can transcend what you think of as the laws of physics.”

Healers work with the principle that the Universe is an interconnected whole and we are in a systematic relationship with all existing in this dynamic of universal consciousness. Tuning into the right brain’s intuition includes following your wise hunches, dowsing, muscle testing, and applied kinesiology and all are methods that give a direct connection to your body/mind to access its wisdom. The subconscious mind is more suggestible than the conscious mind. It can be more flexible, open and willing to interchange information. Richard Bartlett concurs: “Everything is information. Unconscious awareness becomes an energetic signature. It can be deconstructed or projected to a distance for healing. The information is there. Your subconscious mind knows all of it. Get out of the way. Tune into the Morphic field and get information and then drop it.” Deep, core beliefs about being unlovable, undeserving and unsafe that exist in the unconscious can be eradicated when addressed with intention and love. Intuition from the unconscious mind is enhanced along with openness and empathy. Empathy is the ability to deeply care about the feelings or situation of another person and sit with loving compassion for whatever they are experiencing. Being with someone who sits in loving compassion without judgment is a restorative process. Albert Einstein said, “The idea that there is separateness is but an illusion, we are all one thing in this universe, and our job is to widen our circle of compassion till it surrounds everything in the universe.” Compassion is an integral part of healing. We can access this Source for others or for our own healing.

The Thymus Gland and the Energy Portal of the Heart Chakra The Thymus is a small gland located in the chest just under the breastbone. Many spiritual healers consider it to be the energy portal of the Heart Chakra. It brings together the energies of the heart where light or energy emissions are experienced in their essence as Unconditional Love. It is considered the master gland of the immune system responding when there is infection to create needed hormones and T cells. It is sensitive to intention, vibration and sound. Renee Brodie is a sound and crystal bowl healer from the United Kingdom. She wrote The Healing Tones of Crystal Bowls: Heal Yourself with Sound and Colour, and emphasizes that the thymus responds to sounds made by your own voice and those

34

around you. “The whole body, mind and spirit need peaceful and lovely sound to create a space in which we can move forward into the full light.” Brodie states that the thymus “brings together the energies of the heart (love) and throat (creative expression) in total loving communication and to create a strong immune system.” Aligning the pineal, thymus and pituitary glands are part of the ascending process according to some spiritual traditions which believe that the pineal is the receiver and transmitter of higher consciousness energy. The Thymus Gland is associated with the heart chakra. It is said that it is the heart that sets the intentions. Stress causes the thymus gland to shrink as is the case with people who have illness and physical stress. It is helpful to your healing to stimulate the thymus gland by thumping it daily and even several times a day. Brodie relates, “It has the role of Master Controller that directs life-giving and healing energies of the body, and is strongly influenced by the individual’s physical environment, social relationships, food and posture.” The thymus gland shrinks with aging. The Thymus Thump is an exercise which was described by psychiatrist, John Diamond, to stimulate your immune system. Diamond believed that our health was directly related to the strength of the thymus gland, saying that people with high strength in their thymus gland respond with strength when faced with adversity. The positive aspects of the thymus gland are courage, faith, trust and gratitude. John Freedom added using laughter to further stimulate the positive motions and neurotransmitters. So with that in mind, here’s a one-minute thymus thump tool that will recalibrate your energies. The

The Thymus Thump with Laughter To bring together the energies of the heart, make a fist with one hand and thump it over your Thymus in the upper middle of your chest. Visualize the implosion of positive energy in the heart chakra. Feel the vibration; the body loves percussion and loving intent. Take a big breath in and smile. Start laughing out loud, “Ha, ha, ha…” as you exhale and inhale in a rhythm that matches your thumping. That’s right! Beat your chest and laugh. Fake it until you start thinking of something funny. If you can’t think of anything humorous, just fake it. The Thymus Thump exercise is so quick and easy to do, taking you to a different state of consciousness. Do the Thymus Thump every day to stimulate your thymus gland, balance your body’s energy and shift into a loving, whimsical outlook on life. Reflect on several things that please you or for which you feel gratitude to further activate the heart chakra.

35

Then tap briskly on your collarbones which is an acupuncture point called Kidney 27 in Chinese Energy Medicine and under your arms down from your armpits, a Spleen point. Tapping on these two points is a quick balancing exercise to counteract fear and helplessness. The Thymus Thump gives a good energy interconnection within and boost to start out your day. Connecting with empathy for yourself activates access to the subconscious mind. Richard Bartlett draws from Quantum Physics in his Matrix Energetics suggesting that you draw from your subconscious mind to access all potentialities:

“By cultivating the habit of asking powerful, mind-altering questions, you are training your right brain to respond to the signals from your subconscious…. anything you notice from the domain of your five senses after asking the question is potentially usefully and possibly life altering…. Persistence and belief are the keys. Believe in yourself. You have the right to guidance, love and assistance from the realms of Spirit.”

The Symbolic Language of the Unconscious Mind The subconscious mind has a language that works through symbols. In addition, the richness of symbols in metaphors, fairy tales and myths bring out the language needed to accomplish healing. Symbols carry energy that engages right brain input. Information is transmitted through symbolic images that can be decoded. Bartlett explains, “The subconscious mind operates on a symbolic model rather than a linguistic one, and the images that percolate up from it to the conscious mind, if they can be recorded and deciphered, can be used in reverse fashion to give instructions to the subconscious.” We all carry symbolic memory as evidenced by the images received in dreams. Unbidden imagery and ideas arise when the healer’s ego gets out of the way. Data is waiting for integration. Free-flowing images, symbols, desires and longings of the subconscious emerge and are picked up by the healer to foster coherence and brain integration. In the midst of turmoil, you can learn to maintain a coherent field through daily acts of symbolic appreciation and gratitude. A small change can move a system. In this high-coherence state, which some call fifth dimensional healing of love and acceptance, there is deep alignment with Spirit. One ritual which creates the vibration of thankfulness is paramount. William Blake said, “Gratitude is heaven itself.” Focus on gratitude and acceptance as a daily ritual to create a high vibration of healing. The highest vibrational energy is the pure state of love of the Oneness. When you ask for assistance from the higher forces in the universe, you create an energy field connection to the greater whole. Leonard Laskow explains, “Love creates an energy field that affects all

36

that enters it. It is said that the loving field of Christ was so powerful that people were healed in his presence. This great avatar taught that loving energy is the energy of oneness, harmony, balance, and peace. In the presence of a powerful loving field, if there is the intention and willingness for healing to occur, the body's inherent self-healing capabilities will be stimulated and augmented.” Healers have the ability to connect to the great data base called the Universal Mind. You can always ask for what you want. You can request to draw from the field of Oneness of which you are already a part.

37

Chapter 8

The Process of Healing

“Knowledge, skill, attitude, belief, intention, will, laughter, love, and human caring can all facilitate the healing process. Thus, we can enhance or interfere with the body's inherent healing process…. the energy of love and the creation of a loving field can profoundly enhance healing, not only

physically but mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Love is not only the stuff of poets and mystics but a tangible, transmittable energy that can produce healing.”

Leonard Laskow

Author Rothlyn Zahourek Ph.D. is a psychiatric holistic nurse who has conducted research on the intentionality of healing. After carefully interviewing healers she concluded, “We are all born with this capacity to attend, focus, develop purposeful thought and motivation, interpret meaning and purposefully act. This capacity enables us to put desires and dreams in actions. It evolves as we evolve and is influenced by the same phenomenon that affects our general psyche-social-spiritual development.” The movement of light and information is necessary for the Universe to evolve. We are those movers using our immaterial thoughts, ideas, wonderings and imaginations. As purposeful beings, instinctively we seek learning and understanding. We seek order. Energy wants to move. Thoughts are energy. We use movement to seek what we do not yet understand. Even slime mold can solve mazes. According to ancient shamanic lore, Spirit must come when called. The summoned deities, guides, teachers, sages, saints and other evolved beings bring their frequency resources to assist in the session. “Command the Law to work,” said Ernest Holmes, developer of the Science of Mind principles, which emphasize using the mind to obtain healing. Jesus did not pray over people when He did his healing work; he commanded that healing happen. The ancient law of healing is “It will be done as you command.” Preparation for healing starts with one person’s taking the responsibility for being a catalyst for change. Their mind tunes in going to an altered state of consciousness. The outer awareness of the environment is decreased through setting one’s personality and ego aside while quieting and settling the mind. This quieting time sets the stage to pick up subliminal cues in the other person’s subconscious mind and energy field. Going into trance allows for an upward shift in understanding while moving attention away from the physical body and environment. The practice of centering puts the healer in the position to receive information from the overall field; he or she learns to wait in this altered state for divine guidance to come through.

38

Steps to Healing

In this quiet state, you become alert, relaxed and aware to allow information to come from your subconscious mind and the other person’s energy field. You learn to listen with your whole being to get the invisible and subtle cues for someone else or yourself. With practice you can tune into the desired state that brings information. 1. State an Intention: The process of healing starts by stating what you would like to have happen by stating a desired need or request. According to Therapeutic Touch research on healing, intention is considered to be more important to create change than the type of procedure chosen. The intention points the direction of the desired outcome. Stating an intention of wanting the best for another gives a single-pointed awareness and intense absorption in the process. Verbalizing the intention out loud shapes the expectations for both healer and healee. Intention does not mean to will an effort to happen. To will is to try to force an outcome by applying pressure. To intend is to open to all possibilities stating what you would like to have happen but allowing whatever comes forth. Say what you want and then get out of the way. There is a forceful energy that supports evolutionary growth. Be intentional but not willful of connecting with healing to ride with the energy of the Field. To increase your own healing ability, set your intention with love while doing these exercises. Sharpen your focus on positive change and hold it. See, feel and experience the power of love plus intention as powerful change agents. “Fervent desires reach heaven,” says an old proverb, so be passionate in your intention for healing. 2. Create a Healing Ritual: Human beings require rituals; we have an inborn need for meaningful ceremony. Repetitive rituals are comforting: they create a connection between the participants. They stir our deepest longings to be whole. Rituals come about as a response to need. The rituals can be simple or elaborate but they have deep meaning for us at both a conscious and unconscious level. Visiting a shaman, a healer or a therapist and entering into their procedures can be a powerful ritual. Likewise group rituals create the “where two or more are gathered in his name effect.” Energy information is transferred in an interconnected field or system. 3. Focus Attention: Lynn McTaggert in The Field, researched quantum physics scientists who study the transmission of energy. She concluded that the healing sessions were intensified by rapt attention and peak experiences of emotion that create a ritual of collective resonance. Intense intention and the expectation for change set up a common energy field to get the ego, along with its lower consciousness vibrations of contraction and fear, out of the way.

39

Energy follows awareness and attention. Projecting the mind for change sets up the framework for the manifestation of information transfer towards movement and wholeness. There is focus on choice for the good of the person and the greater good. It can help the healee release detrimental beliefs, learn repetitive life lessons, release karmic patterns and increase his consciousness. Buddhist monk John Tarrant said, “Attention is the most basic form of love. Through it we bless and are blessed.” The focus of attention helps shift your brain waves into a state of consciousness where you can ride the energy of the field. 4. Let go of Expectations for Change: Experienced healers agree that they do not do the healing; they are merely the vessel through which a desired outcome in another person may occur. They recognize that to try to direct the specific outcome so they can feel good or take credit merely feeds their own ego. There is an innate wisdom of the body, mind and spirit that knows what direction the healing needs to go. So the message is clear—surrender the desired outcome and give up what your ego thinks is needed. Keep your outcomes clean and free flowing by avoiding expectations and the need to control what happens. 5. Call Upon the Higher Forces and what you Believe in to Assist the Process. Turn the healing process over to the greater order of things which is ultimately in charge. See, feel and experience the intense power of love as the powerful change agent while bringing in Higher Resources to promote change. Go into a state of innocence and purity and the focused state of “forgetaboutit. “ It’s not about you in the bigger picture. There is an Intelligence much greater than yours at work here. Call upon it for assistance. 5. Allow an Experience of Emotional Intensity: We are emotional beings. Human emotions register and harness energy fields that transmit and transfer information to each other. The accompanying rush of emotion creates a deep release within the person and feelings of relief as he recognizes a truth about himself that has been buried. This high level of love energy allows the person to go past the illusion in which he has lived, past the belief system under which he has been operating, to tap into the true nature of the universe. As the person resonates with this new-found energy of love, his entire body vibrates with his heart center. People often feel deeply moved during a healing ritual. Feeling strong, positive emotions during a healing ceremony imprints the vibrational change on the emotional body. A fragmented part of the self is brought forth and integrated; there is a moment of compassion accompanied at times with tears of gratitude. The gratitude attitude is innately healing. At times, the participants may feel flooded with emotions of being humbled and surrender some longstanding belief with intense gratitude. The surrendering to the healing experience shifts the muscle tension patterns of the body that have been

40

tightly held. The chemical release in this type of tears is of a different substance than that in tears of sadness over loss. Information flows in to expand openness and awareness to Life’s beneficence. 7. Say Empowering Words that Define the New Sense of Self: Talking or thinking about the experience of healing allows its integration in to the total being. Verbalizing some ideas about how the experience has changed you for the better helps imprint the new concepts even further. Visualizing how you could be different in the future anchors the change even further. 8. Recognize the Automatic Integration of the Two Hemispheres of the Brain: In the desired state of calmness and well being, the positive neurotransmitters release and the energies of the brain automatically shift to bring hemispheric balance. Blood flow and energy shifts from the overly reactive left brain and the right brain comes on board. The former problem is seen from a full-brain perspective rather than from the old limited state. 9. Recognize that Healing is an Ongoing Process. Our body, mind and spirit is designed to return to the state of homeostasis again and again and is willing to assist in a lifetime endeavor to stretch and grow. Pastor and healer Ruth Carter Stapleton said, “Inner healing is a ladder, not a single rung, a process rarely a onetime event.” Healing may or may not bring about desired physical body changes or a cure as physical diseases can be very complex with distortions in physical, mental, emotional and spiritual levels. As we are body, mind and spirit, sometimes there are changes in physical symptoms; sometimes not. At the core, the greatest healing happens at the spiritual level.

41

Chapter 9

How Healers Develop Their Gift

“People’s faults can only be cured by loving them. You can love a greenness into ripeness... or have the owner or sufferer from the greenness into such ripeness as is in him to develop.”

Kahil Gibran

Archetypes as vibrational images and metaphors learned from our cultural conditioning exist in our individual as well as our collective psyche that guide and beckon us inward and onward. Mythic meaningful images are embedded in ancient legends, fairy tales and replayed in novels and movies. Universal archetypes are primordial images that exist in the awareness of all people coming from various and diverse cultures. “The concept of archetypes,” said Jung, “arises from repeated observation that sometimes myths and tales from universal literature comprise well-defined themes which reappear everywhere and every time. We find the same themes in fantasies, dreams, delirious ideas and illusions of individuals that live in our present days.” He goes on to say, “The archetype is empty; it is a pure formal element, nothing else….” Life giving or life threatening, the archetypes come forth from shadow material and are to be brought into conscious knowing, not banished nor railed against. As instant labels, archetypes give short-byte information and can invoke emotional memory. Choose your archetypes well (or do they choose you?) for they evoke strong meaning and a call to action. For example, those of Christian beliefs might identify an archetype of Jesus Christ as “The Sacrificed Christ, the Bleeding Heart Christ, the Ascending Christ, The Angry Christ whipping the money lenders, Christ as the wise teacher of parables or the compassionate healer or the “Second Coming of Christ.” Or going beyond religion and taking a larger perspective, as the Christ Consciousness energetic which brings compassion and higher consciousness.

42

The Compassion of the Christ Consciousness Energies for our Planet Your archetypical beliefs define you. Conjure up your demons anyone? Check those negative archetypical images that infuriate you. As the saying goes, “If you see it, you be it. If you feel it, you are it.” What you focus on and share energy vibrations with is both a mirror and a ticket into your future. Readers who choose to read this book are most likely on a spiritual path to become a healer even if the healing is directed at themselves. And so we look at the archetype of healing. Opening up to the healing abilities within is a journey of many steps and can run concurrently with the spiritual path. Each person has his or her own extraordinary journey of developing the deeper aspects of them to become a healer. And yet there is a general process of gradually understanding and developing one’s unique gifts. There is a technology to this science and art of healing. Some healers with a personal history of family dysfunction, trauma, illness or pain have a greater need for personal healing. This is the “wounded healer” archetype and many have a greater understanding of the pain of others as they have experience pain themselves. Archetypical connections that involve emotional and physical pain can be karmic in nature. For some, becoming a healer is not a choice but a calling that may start with awareness of a personal loss, imbalance or discomfort and recognition of a necessary need for change. There may be a healing crisis where the energy builds up around a psychological issue. Upsets and abrasion in life are needed, as the Chinese Proverb reminds us, "The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor a man perfected without trials."

43

There may be a bottom-hitting time with time spent in despair with a soul-searching recognition that the life is not working as is. The person may mull over unanswered questions in their search for inner peace. The intensity becomes more desperate with the ego hanging on for dear life. Remember that the defenses operate to keep a person’s emotional pain from surfacing. As the psychological defenses break down while in the painful period of hitting bottom, a refining hope can emerge about the potential for change and for restoration of wholeness. Wounded healers have experienced pain at their own core level and have the ability to draw from their life experiences to help others. They understand the restorative effect of just being with someone in pain with openness and compassion. After becoming healthier themselves, they become aware of yearnings to help others as well and a keen desire to make a difference to the world. As the healer matures, refined shifts happen on many levels: values, feelings, motivations, neurological organization, ethics, belief systems and world views. These vibrational changes provide a new identity and expanded sense of self and consciousness.

Growing in Compassion The healer’s true capacity is the art of seeing the state of health in the person seeking healing. Knowing the perfection and wholeness of the individual creates an energetic field where all such things are possible. Sitting as a compassionate witness to another’s pain helps create acceptance of what seems horrible. Healers learn to clear the mental clutter from their own minds by working out their own issues as they progress in order to become a clear, telepathic channel. They participate in creating an energetic field to allow in the natural frequencies that transmit Universal information and light. Telepathic sensitivity is developed as they intuit, feel or see vibrational changes in the client as they happen. Alice Bailey says that “Love (not sentiment) is the clue to successful telepathic work” which happens when the soul of the healer connects with the soul of the person in need of healing. The healer becomes sensitive to the feelings, emotional reactions and needs of the person and tunes out what is not relevant. The healer learns to direct the energy emanating from the energy field and move, balance or integrate it within the client. Boundary softening and expansiveness allows closeness, connection and a great sense of peace for both participants. Healers gain the ability to simply sit in compassion when the client is in pain. As healers expend more energy in developing their skills, they understand that all is interconnected in the universe. They become more generous and have a strong desire to be of service and

44

become aware of their unspoken contract with the Universe. "After the verb ‘to love,’ the verb, ‘to help’ is the most beautiful verb in the world,” said Bertha Von Suttner, the first woman to be a Nobel Peace Prize laureate. Some people are born with a natural gift for healing; for others, it lies dormant until a certain time of their life when the yearnings inside emerge. Some find their talent by immersing themselves in books, trainings and different healing modality exchanges with other healers. Whether innate or trained or a combination of both, the pursuit changes the healer’s interests, personality and life course. They become passionate about being receptive to the spiritual influences of healing sounds, traveling to sacred sites, taking courses and visiting different spiritual teachers. Some may share their own process of healing with others as evidenced by Alcoholics Anonymous and other approaches which encourage self-disclosure. Some healers focus on a certain tradition for their craft or work within their specific religion. Others become eclectic in their approach sampling whatever as directed by their inner wisdom. They seek out complimentary modalities and cross train in different healing practices. As their skill set grows, they become more open minded and use their intuition to bring whatever the client needs to restore wholeness. They learn to keep their mind in a highly focused state to be in the moment with the person sitting before them. Extraneous information falls away and the outside world ceases to exist during the healing session. The process of moving from a beginner to an expert healer unfolds as the person becomes more familiar and confident in their role of drawing from Universal Energy. Deep shifts in consciousness occur when a healer practices being in the presence of an intangible power greater than him or herself. Rothlyn Zahourek described how ongoing practices of healing deeply change the individual for the good:

“… the intent for healing becomes imbedded and, as a result, a natural, effortless and nearly unconscious response. The individual develops a healing persona, which is more spiritual and reflects a core of being that has been profoundly changed. It is the development of a healing stance or posture where the person finds it nearly impossible to not heal.”

For some healers, their journey may halt or take a detour away from their deep spirituality for awhile. Others become more grounded and their expansion of consciousness progresses exponentially. As their spiritual journey continues, the healer’s ego decreases as their capacity to be with those who seek their healing gift of being able to stay present in the face of another’s pain. Expert healers see themselves as a unified whole with others and all dimensions in the Universe. This is the development of consciousness by conscious design. They use the tools learned on themselves to activate

45

their goal of becoming the best person they can be. Being of service becomes a major goal and direction for their life. This then is the path of the ever-opening heart.

46

Chapter 10

Finding the Small, Still Voice Within

“If you love Me, keep my commands, and I shall ask the Father and He will give you another Helper to stay with you forever, the Spirit of Truth whom the world cannot receive, because it neither perceives nor understands Him.

You know Him, for He remains with you and will be within you.”

John 14: 15-17 The Bible, Revised Berkeley Version

In following our own personal vision for healing our self and the planet, we face an exciting challenge. The challenge is to become the most loving, self-actualized individuals that we can become. We have the tools to do this now with the self-help groups, personal growth workshops, therapeutic techniques and spiritual guidance that are available. We are being given the opportunity to achieve our highest spiritual level, and in doing so, to change the world. Following our vision is easier if we have a process that encourages us during times of doubt. Visionaries from all times and ages have been strengthened by listening to their inner wisdom as they followed their unique spiritual journeys. This age is about each individual learning to turn inward to listen to their Highest Self to live in full consciousness and integrity to work for the healing of our planet. We can learn to find our essentially loving spiritual nature to combat those feelings of inadequacy and unworthiness. The Quakers as well as many other religious traditions have the concept of "centering down" or having an “inner meeting of one” by communing directly with the God who lives within. The process of following your vision starts with developing a loving relationship with yourself. It is to turn away from the voices of fear and remember that you are love. To do so, we must learn to tune into that "small, quiet voice within” which calls us. This is the voice that has been echoed in the sacred literature of the world. It is the voice that bids us to be who we were meant to be, pulling us forward through dreams, hunches and intuition to provide information about ourselves. It gives us the key to living from the part of us that hold the most integrity. Learning to use this voice, commonly called your Higher Power, on a daily basis is the most important thing you can do in recovering from the hold of material objects and harmful addictions. Keep at it looking back with hindsight as to the appropriateness of the decisions that come forth. Korean Buddhist master Kusan Sunim said, “When there is great doubt, then there is great awakening.”

47

Do not judge yourself, just lean into the part of yourself that doubts and smile at it. Forgive yourself for not having trust that you are connected to the greater whole and can access its wisdom if you set your fear/doubt aside. White Eagle said, “When you are in doubt, be still, and wait. When doubt no longer exists for you, then go forward with courage. So long as mists envelop you, be still. Be still until the sunlight pours through and dispels the mists—as it surely will. Then act with courage.”

On Choosing Outer Teachers Spiritual teacher Brugh Joy described the concept of inner and outer teachers. Outer teachers are invaluable along the path of transformation. Outer teachers come to us in the form of a friend, therapist, workshop leader, minister, guru or a spiritual teacher. Some teachers come in the voice of an author or members of a self-help group or a twelve-step program. Outer teachers are individuals who believe in us at a time when we do not believe in ourselves. They can give information but are necessary only as long as we do not know who we are. They can provide some of the tools to make the journey and point the way for us. They are a step along the way and point us down the path, but they are not the whole journey. As Joy says, "Each soul is responsible for its own experience." The path that must be walked is our own. Outer teachers cannot give us our own truth. The function of the outer teacher is to help us get to the Inner Teacher. Some outer teachers still have their own life lessons to overcome. They may play out their unresolved issues of control within each group that gathers around them recreating those same dysfunctional energetic themes passed down to them from their families. As you come into the sphere of influence of a teacher or therapist, observe his or her co-dependent leanings. Does he or she subtly try to coerce you or others into doing what he or she thinks is best for them? Watch to determine if methods of dependence are used to gain a personal power base. If people are viewed as “bad” or “sick,” then methods of shame and blame are being used. Peer pressure and the group process may be used to tell the individual what he "should" be doing with his life. The new paradigm is to understand what has happened not blame others or yourself. The new way of dealing with conflict is to try to understand, take responsibility and fix the problem, not make people bad. The genuine spiritual teacher or therapist will give you the exercises to develop your own Inner Teacher. He or she will look at you with unconditional regard so that you begin to see your true worth and beauty. The true teacher does not seek to make you wrong but demonstrates how you might be better. He or she will continue to focus on their own lessons and issues rather than trying to rescue you or exploit you. Ethical spiritual teachers build checks and balances into their work to prevent exploitation of individuals who can become too dependent. They encourage their followers to think for themselves and to participate only in those activities with which they feel comfortable.

48

In choosing a teacher, channeler, therapist or self-help group, choose people with a high level of consciousness and sense of integrity. Your observations about whether the teacher practices what he or she preaches can help you determine the level at which they operate. Your inner wisdom can help you determine if the teacher is right for you as you listen intently for any dynamics of the teacher that mimic any dysfunction that may have been in your original family. Unfortunately, we attract what is unresolved within us! The same applies in choosing a person practicing the healing arts. Center and ask for guidance before making a phone call in seeking a healer. In the initial contact with the person and then after, notice where his or her consciousness lies. Is there a gentle, loving concern for your being? Is the person heart-centered or fear-based? Is he or she empowering or disempowering? Where is the love? Where is the humility? Use these standards when choosing a medium or intuitive. Does the person tell you negative things to scare you that only he or she can help? Does he or she come up with all sorts of far-out things you have never heard of from other dimensions that may not exist except for in their mind? Does the person use fear-based ideas to try manipulate you or make you dependent upon them? Listen for any messages of gloom, doom and negativity. Does he or she claim to "see" or "sense" bad energy or problems in your brain or body? Giving initial fear messages are ways of trying to control and manipulate you. Is there urgency present where the person seems overly involved in trying to fix you? Remember that fear emotions can be contagious. Don’t get caught up in someone else’s intensity of fear. Presence of psychic skills does not equal integrity. Notice if the person is overly charming, slick or needy as this may be their way of manipulating you to get money. Be especially alert if someone tries to sell you an extended package of healing for extra clearing because you are so damaged for an exorbitant amount of money. I met a woman who refinanced her house for $60,000 putting her marriage in jeopardy to keep paying money to a so-called healer which was merely a scam. Even if someone has clairvoyant skills and has been able to “read” you correctly and tell you things about your past or present life, this does not mean that they can heal. One of my clients got a great reading correctly telling her about her life, but then the medium offered to cure her of a hidden, imagined ailment for $7,200. A specific amount like this may just be the amount needed to pay off their credit card bill or the behind-mortgage payments. If you feel any reservations in your gut or notice your alarm system signaling doubt, tell the person that you need some time to meditate on the issue and get in touch with your guidance before making a decision. Get out of that atmosphere of fear and center yourself before deciding!

49

As our society learns more about the process of empowerment, the time of seeking an external healer, teacher or guru to turn over one's power is past. Yes, you can take information from a great leader and learn from books, therapy, self-help groups and experiential workshops. You can get some relief from accomplished healers. However, to truly move past your pain and dysfunctional behavior, your own inner base of knowledge must be developed. You are being asked to seek and find your own answers within and to find your own healing process. Fortunately, the techniques and methods to accomplish this great task are there. Finding your Higher Power will help to erase those misbeliefs about the unworthiness and sense of emptiness about yourself. Finding your truth through accessing your inner wisdom may be the most important thing you can do in accomplishing your healing.

Steps to Develop Your Inner Teacher Outer teachers are part of the early spiritual path. The Inner Teacher takes the place of outside authority and guidance further down the road. The Bible tells us "...be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind." Receiving inner guidance can become a daily act that will transform your life. Meditate upon your concern. Ask questions that can be answered in the “yes" or "no" format. Listen quietly to the messages that you receive. The voice may be hesitant at first or it may come only part of the time. Pose questions several ways such as “May I do.....?” or “Shall I .....?” One question to use is “Is this action in my best and most perfect good for me to do this action?" or “Is it in my highest and best interests to....?" Watch your wording. Your inner guidance will take the question literally. Ask for the clearest message that you need for guidance on the specific concern at hand. Sometimes a quiet question will suffice. “What would you have me do?” Then listen. Once you master accessing the inner voice, you can use it to gain answers to take on any specific matter. Asking with the proper intentions can be helpful in clearing the fears that are present. Your intent in seeking inner guidance should be to know your innermost loving self. Ask to have any fear or selfish ego thinking set aside so that you may truly know what is right for you. Its purpose is guidance, not to be a fortune teller. Do not try to use it for amassing personal gain, but only to guide you on your spiritual path. Don’t ask for information of the stock market or which lottery ticket to buy. Remember you are seeking information that will assist your growth. Letting go of ego attachments that have been conditioned through living in a certain family within a certain culture should be your goal of fostering this inner wisdom.

50

Gaining Clarity and Discernment through Focusing

Your truth is known when all parts of yourself are comfortable with what has been revealed. This is that "small, still voice within" that resounds with recognition. Your truth is that knowledge that brings tears of recognition to your eyes and gives a resounding "Yes!" in your heart. This is what Eugene Gendlin called a “felt sense” in his book Focusing. His focusing technique has you listen for that felt sense at a body sensation level—to listen to your gut that signals that you have the information you require. At a deepest level, you feel the rightness of the vibration that a particular answer gives you. It is a knowing of what the right answer is for you. Your body, mind and spirit resonate with truth. When you are in accordance with your truth, your body relaxes and your energy is enhanced. According to Gandhi, "Truth is what the voice inside tells you." The knowledge may come through as a voice, as a knowing or as a visual experience. Once you learn to go into a calm state where you can access your voice, there is no question to which you cannot gain the answer. Richard Bach, author of the popular book Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah, reminds us that if you know to ask the question, the answer lies within. You may not always like what you hear. You may feel uncomfortable or frightened by what has been revealed but you know its "rightness" in terms of your growth. Your conscious mind may disagree with what your wisdom says. You then have a choice to make whether to carry it out or not. Gandhi spoke often of this knowing:

"...the moment of truth is suddenly there--unannounced and pervasive in its stillness. It comes only to him who has lived with facts and figures in such a way that he is always ready for a sudden synthesis and will not, from sheer surprise and fear, startle truth away."

Discernment is absolutely necessary in recognizing the one true voice from other voices that you may hear. This voice is not the voice of your parents or other authorities in society. It is not a guilt-driven "should, must, have to or ought to." It is not the voice born of desire and cravings. The true voice has a different vibration and takes you out of the fear, guilt and obligation to knowing what is right for you based on love. It is the quietness of knowing that comes through, causing a release of body tension. It is the "Aha!" and the deep knowing behind the message by discerning what is right for you. The true voice is profound and at the same time extremely light. Some call it "the truth that feels like you." The answer of truth will feel “right”--it will feel satisfying and peaceful. But the demands of the crafty ego must first be quelled; when the ego is set

51

aside, truth can emerge. Satya Sai Baba said, “People say ‘I want peace.’ If you remove I (ego), and your want (desire), you are left with peace.” How do you distinguish that one true voice inside if you have other voices nagging at you? Is the answer consistent with your standards and deeper values? Your fears send their voices also stopping you in your tracks in conflict. Determine if the voice comes out of your fear or if it adds to your sense of mastery. Is it in your best interests even though there may be some risk? Does the answer measure up to the highest ideal that you have set for yourself? If you feel unsure of the authenticity of the message you get, ask if the information that comes from your inner knowing is for your best and highest good. Ask the same question using slightly different wording to validate the answer. When there is conflict, still your mind and ask, "What is it that I really need to know? What is in my best interests about this matter?" You can choose to laugh at the tug of war that sometimes goes on between your conscious mind and your wisdom. The difference is that the conscious mind may be caught in fear and addictions whereas when you are connected to the greater Intelligence of the universe, the inner wisdom comes from love and the yearning to be whole. A Course in Miracles tells us that there are two basic emotions--love and fear. Love and fear are opposing emotions that cannot occur at the same time--where love is fear cannot be and vice versa. When you turn to the loving aspect of the deep knowing within that’s generated by your heart, you bypass fear.

Gathering Beautiful Fruits There are some strong considerations to be followed when you contact and use the inner voice. Continue to check to insure that the messages you get are consistent with your sense of your highest self. Continually checking is necessary to determine whether the information that comes through is of purity and love. Some messages, which have been received through an Ouija Board or channeled writing, may come from a lowered energy source, which can be mischievous or potentially harmful. Some may start out giving what seems to be correct information but then turn hateful. Spiritual books have long cautioned the novice on the spiritual path against using these forms of occult communication as they can pull in negative energy. Yet some individuals with higher consciousness have used these forms of communication and received information. Whatever way you bring in information, consider the messages you get; see if they fit with that which is consistent with your best and highest self.

52

Messages that lead the person into believing that he or she is a special person is another trap. There are dangers for being carried away into grandiosity if there is no active program for addressing the pretensions of the ego. False voices can subtly lead individuals away from what is their real truth into believing that they are special, are a divine messenger on earth or are reincarnated from important historical personages. Through constant study and cleansing and purification of reducing ego attachments, you will be able to discern the authenticity and appropriateness of messages that you may hear. If the message you hear seems grandiose or bizarre, it probably is. If it leads you to believe that you are special and better than others, it’s not your wisdom speaking. Once you learn to recognize the strength and power of your inner wisdom, you will better understand the discernment process of sorting out the true from the false voice. The determination of its authenticity then becomes how well it works for you. The Bible verse “What are the fruits of the labor?" reminds you can remind you of the outcome of following messages received. If the fruits are beautiful and abundant, the voice is in alignment with everything that is truth for you. The ultimate test of truth, according to Gandhi, is the refusal to do harm to yourself or another individual. Daily practice and hindsight vision will convince you of the accuracy of the answers that come through when you tune inward. Check the results of your decisions when you have followed the advice of the Inner Voice. Keep track of the wisdom and changes that it brings into your life. As your confidence builds, you will find yourself turning to your inner guidance more and more for important decisions. Your conscious mind will become more in tune with the inner self so that you need not ask with regard to small issues. Your intuition will develop more so that decisions are made with your conscious mind and intuition working together. You will experience less conflict in your life as you have a means of always knowing what is right for you. As you learn to recognize the genuine authority of your inner guidance, you will realize the power that you hold is within your own being. Daily practice seeking your own truth, instead of relying on others, helps validate the information that you are given. Trust in this process of seeking within grows as a tenure of your experience. Once you are certain of the validation of the voice that you hear as being consistent for your growth and well being, the process becomes an automatic part of your spiritual practice. Your small, still voice within that is connected to higher consciousness will lead you to places that you do not want to go, as it will send you to places where you will challenge your fear. It will tell you things about your integrity that you may not want to hear. If you need to leave an unhealthy situation but stay because of fear, you will be shown the way.

53

You have already had some practice in being a partner with your inner wisdom. It has been present in moments of great decision and turning points in your life. It works daily in your intuition. Your invitation now is to ask it to come though directly to give you guidance. There is a part of you that knows your wholeness. This is the part that is all knowing and loving. It wants to speak to you of its yearning for your happiness. It has been there all along and now wants to speak in a direct voice to further your growth and creativity.

Accessing the Small, Still Voice Within Close your eyes and start to breathe deeply. If you are able to meditate, go into the process that has worked for you. If this is new to you, continue to breathe deeply and become quiet and still inside. Start to feel your inner smile as the corners of your mouth turn upward while you think of something pleasant. Let the smile spread as you remember something funny allowing the nostrils to flare and the whole face to follow as you continue to send your smile to all parts of your body. Smile as you breathe in and out. Blow out tension, as you breathe in, bring in peace and harmony. Say to yourself several times, "In—peace. Out—tension." Feel the stirring for health and wholeness within. Ask all of the forces who have been working for your best and highest good to be with you. Ask to have any guardian angels or spirit helpers that assist you be present. Ask for your conscious mind to be set aside to gain information from the Inner Teacher. Make this affirmation: “I am willing and ready to hear truth at a deeper level for my healing and transformation.” Now in this time of quiet and harmony, ask a question about what is the best action for you to take on a specific matter. Ask a question where you will recognize the truth of its answer. Listen quietly to any changes in your thoughts, mind or body. The answer may come through as distinct words, a release in body tension, or as a "knowing." Listen well. Continue to inquire within while attending to the replies that you are given. If you are not given an answer, thank your inner wisdom for bringing you to this point. Make the affirmation: “I am willing to set aside any fear belief that blocks my accessing my wisdom. My truth is there waiting to be heard.” Repeat this exercise at another time again when you are in a contemplative state of mind. If you are given useable information, thank your Inner Self for this process of finding your truth.

54

Awareness is key here. Be awake for those moments of synthesis. Gandhi recommended that you be prepared to be blown away with each new recognition of truth, one after another. Go into the gentle, loving place of the heart and listen for the Truth that wants to come through. The wisdom is there waiting for those who become quiet and listen for it. In this translation of Proverbs 3: 13-20, wisdom is given a feminine gender. Consider this message of the astuteness of searching for and finding wisdom as a lodestar to guide your way.

“Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding, for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold. She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her. Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who embrace her; those who lay hold of her will be blessed. By wisdom the LORD laid the earth's foundations, by understanding he set the heavens in place; by his knowledge the deeps were divided, and the clouds let drop the dew.”

55

One of Jung’s Mandala Drawing from his Last Journal called The Red Book

56

Chapter 10

The Dark Must Be Played Through

“Between the conception And the creation

Between the emotion And the response

Falls the Shadow.”

T. S. Elliott The word psychology comes from the root word psyche which means soul or spirit. Indeed the journey through life with its accompanying developmental tasks is essentially a journey through the psyche. Psychology originally delved into theories of the subconscious mind through Sigmund Freud's and Carl Jung’s influence. Psychoanalysis sought to describe human behavior in terms of instinctual drives and their repression. Behaviorism became highly popular for a period of 50 years through the theories of John Watson and B. F. Skinner. This theory sought to reduce human nature to complex chains of positive and negative reinforcements. In the l960s, Abraham Maslow opened up the way for a shift in the field when he studied healthy people and described love, meaning, purpose and humor which were neither reducible to infantile drives nor external reinforcement. Now the field has “rediscovered” the unconscious mind to study the spiritual aspects of human consciousness. An article in American Psychologist, official journal of the American Psychological Association, said that there was a scientific turnabout on consciousness in l970 leading to a true paradigm reorganization. As new energy streams into the planet, powerful opening-up techniques are being discovered and Jungian psychology and the use of dreams, myths and archetypes are currently undergoing a revival of interest. The mystery and paradox of being human is that you hold both the dark and the light. Carl Jung described how the human psyche is split into the persona, which is the aspect of the self of which you approve and with which you identify, and the Shadow, which consists of those dark, unbearable, hated characteristics. The Shadow is those parts of the self that are cut off from the rest just as a real Shadow is attached to the body. Unresolved issues lay buried in the subconscious mind outside the realm of knowing. Jung said, “By shadow, I understand the 'negative' side of the personality, the sum of all those hidden unpleasant qualities, the insufficiently developed functions and the contents of the personal unconscious."

57

The Shadow parts are born of great confusion around issues of neglect, abandonment and abuse. The original trauma is called the activating event – those overwhelming life experiences out of which the child forms his view of the world. Debilitating experiences in early life often have a profound effect on an individual’s personality and subsequent life decisions. A trauma is an event of such confusion and terror that the individual feels helplessness and can’t process its meaning to make sense out of it. The separated self is accentuated through the splitting of the self during trauma. Often there are conflicting messages associated with the emotions of threat and shame that accompanied the overwhelming event. These fragmented, multiple selves are formed when the child feels threatened and needs to protect him or herself during traumatic events where he cannot escape. He dissociates or “runs away in his mind” thus creating an energy field that is separate from the rest of the personality. These subparts, identities or “alters” of the personality are created when the vulnerable child becomes traumatized by shame, criticism, rejection and physical or sexual abuse. A subtle magnetic field with its own vibration is set up in the brain which holds the memories and overwhelming emotions of terror, fear, anger, shame and confusion.

We Are Many Parts The subparts represent the different expressions of two basic emotions: love and fear. Layering of trauma after trauma creates the fear aspects of the person. Polarization occurs and events, others and your own nature are viewed negatively. This angry, self-debasing subpart develops if the child was raised by a negative, critical parent and some part identified with that energetic pattern. A negative, self-critical side of the personality is developed resulting in dysfunctional communication and behavior patterns. During early traumatic events, the person formulates core powerful beliefs or scripts (“I am unlovable.” “I am not worthy.” “I am not safe.” etc) that will play out consciously or unconsciously in life. Often there is a cluster of other negative beliefs that become fixed to the central negative conviction. Fear programming beliefs then run the life, playing out what the person decided was true at a time when his resources were nonexistent or small. Core beliefs center on not being safe and ideas about the self, others, the environment and/or God. Some are unknown, stored deep underground in the subconscious mind. These are considered developmentally arrested, little child parts. The Shadow holds these core negative beliefs, keeping you stuck in denial, discouragement, desperation and despair. It holds the not knowing that prevents you from knowing. Denial with its projecting of blame, excusing the self or refusing to see the truth behind the issue is only another symptom in clever disguise.

58

Ignoring or attaching to these Shadow subparts by denying or projecting them often gives rise to physical and mental symptoms. Attachment to the darker fractions of who you are happens due to the feelings of horror and shame about exposing them to others. Thus, attachments become the source of isolation and separation from others; the parts may become autonomous, appearing to have a life of their own. In buying into the fear that you are bad, you unknowingly add to the disintegration of unity and consciousness. As Jung said, “Whenever we are still attached, we are possessed; and when we are possessed, there is one stronger than us who possesses us.” Some individuals are aware of these different subparts of their personalities, most are not. Amnesic barriers to remembering the terror of the trauma or parts that hold the pain are put in place so you won’t feel its impact. The more conscious you can become about the disparate parts of the personality, the more centered energy is available for helping others and living a balanced life. What you do not know about the more dysfunctional subparts can hurt you.

Energetic Interferences at a Core Level

Often in unhealthy families, there are rigid rules that state that negative emotions should not be expressed. The child learns to emotionally detach from any experience that might be painful. As a mechanism of self-defense, the child shuts down a major part of him or her self – the vulnerable feelings are repressed or he or she may go into an anger state. Yet the energies around the repressed feelings remain as they not allowed to be expressed. Energy must go somewhere as the laws of physics tell us. Repressed feelings become stuck in the fragmented younger child parts that have been split off. Shutting down the negative emotions binds them to the person’s physical body and helps create the energetically-defined much younger subparts. Jana Dixon says that “Repression does not simply ‘make things go away’ but condemns them to the shadow realms, where they incubate and infect the entirety of our lives with poison. Numbness and unconsciousness produce ever-increasing dysfunction, neurosis and removal from reality.” This is called developmental arrest where the person stops growing emotionally but remains stuck on that issue at that earlier age when trauma first hit. Unhealed emotional wounds are registered energetically in the body as duality thinking and separation from the Oneness. Injury and not being heard or validated can create a split in the total energy; fractures are held at an energetic level in the subconscious mind. The subparts carry different vibratory rates of energy, i.e., the confused, spaced-out part is different in terms of the amount of resources that are available to the person than the self-confident part. Brain studies show that they have different neurological patterns.

59

They may each hold their own emotionally-laden memories of pain around that originating event. Trauma can cause the blood to be shut off to the forebrain and sent to the midbrain which activates the stress hormones. Survival through limbic system activation takes precedence when we perceive danger even though the threat may not be a rational one. The limbic system becomes dysregulated and the neo-cortex which has logic and rational thinking goes blank. Brain studies show that the limbic system lights up during stress conditions and the adrenal glands are activated for a burst of energy to prepare to fight or flee. The subparts represent conflictual pairs of opposites (from bad to good) that operate within your consciousness and are seeking resolution. Seen simply, they are disowned energy patterns that are out of harmony with the integrated self. Conflict between the parts requires energy and draws from the total reservoir that could be available. Chaos reigns within and coherence is lost. The flow of consciousness is interrupted. There is injury at a deep level which is perpetuated by the ego beliefs of separation. In addition to energy disruptions in this life, interruptions also come from three other karmic sources to disrupt the flow of energy towards wholeness:

• Ancestral (genetic patterns of the parents, family, grandparents, ancestors)

affecting the DNA.

• Other dimensions-- past lives, other aspects of the multiple selves and the collective consciousnesses.

• Soul – all that has affected us including karmic patterns and lessons.

Divided parts have potent energies, which results in the person playing out the negative behavior pattern again and again. Sigmund Freud first described the repetition compulsion, which is behavior that represents a re-enactment of the childhood trauma. Having their origin in learned messages and internalized beliefs about self-worth, different parts continue to play out their function, rising to meet current situations. Freud’s concept of repetition compulsion is that negative ideas hidden deep in the subconscious mind that are not brought to consciousness and addressed will repeat in your life. The crafty ego is resistive every step of the way. Jung said, "The psychological rule says that when an inner situation is not made conscious, it happens outside, as fate. That is to say, when the individual remains undivided and does not become conscious of his inner contradictions, the world must perforce act out the conflict and be torn into opposite halves." The deceptions of the ego are like the layers of an onion to be peeled away. Jung

60

believed that healing is moving past the snares of the ego that preach disgust and moving into self acceptance: “We cannot change anything unless we accept it. Condemnation does not liberate, it oppresses.”

We Cannot Help but Act Our Unresolved Defenses Negative core messages show up as primitive defense mechanisms such as passive aggressive behavior, whining, splitting, anger reactions, addictions, and blaming others. They are played out as psychological reversals such as “I’m unlovable, unworthy or unfixable.” A common defense of these times is playing out the angry/victim core script. Unresolved feelings are shelved away somewhere in the body-mind complex and acted out as behavioral or physical symptoms. The disruptive feelings remain on the shelf until the time comes to deal with them. Ongoing, intrusive experiences trigger old undigested emotions and memory fragments, bringing them to the surface. They come back with a vengeance in playbacks such as dreams, intrusive thoughts, dreaded memories, acting out behavior or physical problems. The previous energy of wholeness becomes the energy of defense with the mission of not allowing the self to become hurt again. Virginia Satir, a pioneer in the family systems movement, used to say that all behavior, no matter how distorted it was, has a purpose. Aristotle said, “Everything in Nature behaves to achieve a goal.” You are purposeful beings, although you cannot always understand why you do the things you do. Much of the underlying purpose of seemingly irrational behavior lies hidden in the subconscious mind. Each symptom or behavior pattern, whether it is physical or mental, has its own underlying meaning and function. Even the so-called negative aspects of the personality exist for some reason. The submissive part, the aggressive part, the acting out part, the sick part, etc. were each learned in childhood as a survival response to a threat in the environment. Seemingly nonproductive parts continue as a fragmented energy pattern in your behavior as an adult as over-learned autonomous patterns. They remain when you are in denial or don’t know how to release the negative subconscious content behind it. The patterns that have been formerly passively ignored and denied or active resistance or agitation are not addressed, imbalance builds up. As energy fluctuations which are vibratory in nature increase, the instability of the individual increases. Illness, physical stress, fatigue, sensory deprivation and threat of harm render the person into heightened conflict and a weakened state of the ego. In this vulnerable state, the system can collapse allowing new ideas to take form. Preconceived notions or distorted versions of reality fall away, which sets the stage for new patterns of health to be suggested. The moment of release comes when the individual can give up the rigid structures of the defended ego in order to view the events and situations of his existence with acceptance.

61

“Ye Suffer from Yourself, Nothing Else Compels” Our ego is not all bad. The psychological community relates the term ego to the need for sufficient ego strength to organize our life to make it go smoothly. The ego’s positive functions are to figure things out, plan and organize. It makes distinctions and hierarchies based on the need to survive and to distinguish “less than” and “more than.” The ego analyzes a situation and determines that what it concludes about it is real. It develops beliefs which may or may not be true. This is the concept of the “healthy ego” as described in some psychological literature. However the ego has a dual nature and another meaning which will be used in this book. The common usage of the word ego in spiritual and Alcoholics Anonymous writings is as the fear-based part of the self that must defend, rationalize, nag, scold and judge. Here, the ego holds the repository of betrayal that holds onto the hurt, the pain and the defiance. The negative part of the ego has a closed mind and does not want new information to come in to refute current opinions. It sets things in stone and then believes the writings it has made. To wander into ego territory is to be on a constant vigil with roadblocks, seemingly inaccessible peaks, sudden drop offs and ever-present illusion. Participants from AA call the ego ‘Easing God out.” The ego is the mechanism of attachment. It is the chatter mind part of the greater whole that incessantly says, “It’s about me. I hold the trauma story. I know the problems and obsess about them. I must run the show. Me! Me! Me!” When there are fears in a life, the ego is the problem. It holds a narrow view based on fear, loss and pain and can’t experience the vast expanse of the Total Self which is connected to God. The ego tries to prevent you from recognizing your Shadow parts that hold greed, deceit, denial and self-importance. You might dislike, be ashamed of or even hate your dark side for the raw power it holds and the possibility of destructiveness within. Our religious traditions steeped in the concept of original sin have long demanded that you try to control or destroy the more animal-like aspects of your nature. When society did not have the required knowledge or techniques to work through anger, lust, hatred, manipulation and greed, the only answers seemed to be denial or control of the negative emotions. The Shadow aspects are merely a part of the sum and total of the complexity of the human condition. They hold power over us only when they operate deeply in the subconscious mind, misunderstood and unexplored. Philosopher and mystic resident for our planet, Ken Wilber said that there is strong opposition to owning negative aspects of our personality.

62

“All of us have a dark side. But ‘dark side’ does not mean ‘bad side’; it means only that we all have a little black heart... Those items in the environment (people or things) that affect us instead of just informing us are usually our own projections.”

When you refuse to acknowledge your dark side, it clings tenaciously. What you are ashamed of or deny in yourself gains great power just through the energy it takes to contain it. You remain in conflict when you have to hold something strong at bay all of the time. The heart and soul long for more. The conflict between wanting what you want of the ego-based personality and the longing of the soul for purity and simplicity uses up much psychic energy; we call this confusion, depression or anxiety. Longing both sets up and takes us through this conflict. Rumi describes this exquisite pain of seeking and releasing: “Longing is the core of mystery Longing itself brings the cure. The only rule is, Suffer the pain. Your desire must be disciplined, and what you want to happen in time, sacrificed.” In looking at the Shadow part in ourselves, we are reminded that there are always moral decisions. The behaviors that you abhor can be brought forth and examined in the light of day. Observing how you treat others and yourself is certainly a large part of the spiritual journey. There are choices on how you live; many of the choices you make have a moral basis based on your values. Spiritual teacher, Lazaris said

“Choice is focused intent. It triggers belief, attitude, feeling and decision making. Choice is the keystone to creation and manifestation. Choice can encourage the subconscious to override the subconscious. Choice opens gateways to the future, to the possible and to your many possibilities.”

The choice to live with a pure heart is to choose to live respecting others and yourself and our Mother Earth. The spiritual journey is bringing forth the unhealthy, neurotic and selfish behaviors and confronting them with acceptance and determination to release their hold on the personality. The shadow is absolutely necessary in the process of spiritual growth. You cannot perceive things except when there is contrast. Dark Shadows and figure-ground contrast are needed for the sense preceptors and the nervous system to understand what is there.

63

Jung’s work described integrating the Shadow parts as a life-long process of coming to terms with the unacceptable aspects of your personality such as hidden impulses, desires, selfishness, hostility and greediness which are merely aspects of the ego. Individuation is the longing for the essence of one’s self. Integrating the Shadow parts is a major part of the spiritual growth process. The evolutionary process is to return to the wholeness of the Self--the return to the wholeness of all which is the Oneness. The process of integrating the many unresolved shadow parts to become aligned with the soul’s purpose is often a rocky one. However, knowing both extremes of your nature can open you up to the wonderful variations of all that lies between the two poles so you can heal the opposites within you. To understand and accept your own rottenness is a significant step on the way to healing. If you do not go into the dark you cannot expect to be of the light. You can flip the coin over to see the other side to find that it is one and the same. All is One. The greatest pair of opposites has to do with soul and personality, according to Alice Bailey. Your soul wants you to address the shadow parts to evolve while personality is that part of your ego which wants pleasure and escape from suffering and pain. Bailey describes this division between soul and personality/ego as a psychological cleavage which has the goal of becoming integrated.

But I Just Want Everything to be Goodness and Light! Some spiritual people focus only on the light and the positive side of life. In doing so, they ignore a deeper, essential part of themselves which must be addressed. They thrive on myth, beauty, visualizations and rituals which make them feel good. They say positive affirmations but never do the deeper work and wonder why their negative emotions do not subside and why their lives don’t improve. They are attached to the romanticism of spirituality and to rituals, techniques and workshops that make them feel good but are not transformative in nature. They can’t address the negative polar opposites of their personality and thus miss out on the deepening of the journey. This is “woo, woo” spirituality which focuses only on sweetness and light. This may be a phase or a part of the process when accepting a spiritual framework to life. Spirituality is not only about being positive. Getting stuck in the fantasy land of your own mind keeps you from the depth of growing personally and spiritually. Discovering your spiritual nature is not spiritual highs and feeling good –it is deep soul work. The spiritual path is a serious undertaking which is concerned with all aspects of who you are as a human being, including detachment from both the positive experiences of life as well as dysfunctional beliefs and behaviors. Those seven deadly sins of greed, lust, envy, stubbornness, hatred, denial and sloth are Shadow material to examine.

64

Jungian therapists Elizabeth Howes and Sheila Moon described their understanding of the Shadow parts: “But these dark powers have their particular healing qualities, if you learn of them, and sacrifice your narrow ego defenses. You are the child of the below as well as the above. As we explore in the depths of our darkness and begin to accept it, we come to realize that it is not evil but rich and full.” To gain the balance and integration of the body/mind/spirit, the dark must be addressed. Walking the Shadow side of the spiritual path helps you come to terms with the Shadow parts. In coming to understand, accept and forgive them, the Shadow side loses its power over you.

Befriending the Shadow Parts of Yourself

Seen from a higher perspective, our subparts, shadows, projections, neurotic behavior and seemingly irrational thoughts hold gifts for us. They can be windows into the darker regions of the self which are still unresolved. The disappointment, hurt, betrayal and anger that you feel at others’ selfish behaviors can be an invitation to look within at an aspect of the Shadow Self which is waiting to be reclaimed. Doing the Shadow work is a dis-identification process which allows for old scripts from the various parts of the personality to be integrated into the total being.

The beliefs from the Shadow parts and their originating memories can be brought forth to be examined and expressed, thus allowing for their release. Most often, this is done with deep processing types of psychotherapy. Misbeliefs can be re-framed to cancel out old emotions of hurt, anger, jealously, shame and fear. As you move from the narrow, fear-based ideas and gain a new energy-activated perspective, you understand that your healing process is part of the total cosmic plan. Emotional patterns are transformed through the infusion of spiritual energy. The acceptance of the formerly-abhorred subpart is transferred into a state of neutrality through acceptance, which is a higher energetic state than fear. By owning the dark aspects of yourself, you release judgments and reclaim the fragmented parts. Spiritual writer Matthew Fox describes the acceptance of a negative subpart as a process of making friends: “Learning to befriend the dark means learning to befriend nothingness, to reverence it. To let nothingness be nothingness. To trust nothingness. For in the ultimate of darkness, in what Meister Eckert calls our ‘unknowing knowledge,’ wisdom itself is often tasted...we need to recall how holy nothingness is, how it deserves our respect and attention, how nothingness needs to be allowed in our lives.”

The Divine Plan is for Spiritual Growth

65

The Shadow parts must be brought out of the hidden recesses of the mind and be moved into the light. “Give light and the darkness will disappear of itself,” said Erasmus. Integrating the Shadow parts and assimilating them into the totality of the Self is the path to becoming whole. The Shadow parts also carry inherent goodness in them once you traverse the fear. The positive possibilities come forth when you sit with them, bringing them into the light with positive intention. This developmental process of seeking to return to the Source by transforming the Shadow parts is tied to the maturity and depth of consciousness of the person. As you move into the higher aspects of the spiritual path, you come to realize that the dark is part of being human. The dark is not empty, but rich and full. In accepting these disowned parts that you have kept hidden away, you allow them to become part of your healing resources. Integrating the Shadow parts and assimilating them into the totality of the Self is part of becoming whole. When you face the dark aspects of your nature in a different context than you faced them previously, and move in love and non-judgment, the energy of these dark aspects dissipates. You can own the deliciousness of being of the dark, and in doing so, claim the polarities. Carl Jung said, “To confront a person with his own Shadow is to show him his own light.”

Keys to Integration: Understanding, Acceptance and Forgiveness

All experiences hold opportunities for learning and you are here to get the lessons. Attachment to strong feelings and life experiences (we attach to the good experiences as well as the bad) is but an invitation to see the situation differently. Lessons are for learning and they are always about stretching and growing and dismantling the ego defenses. There is always a deeper message behind the surface feelings. "I am never upset for the reason I think," A Course in Miracles reminds us. This search for deeper understanding of your pain is about your search for wholeness and love. The Shadow work need not always be intense and serious. At times it can be held in the light with a sense of humor of the absurd nature of what it means to be human. A Course in Miracles reminds us "Forgive, forgive, and then forgive some more." Forgiveness is the final step in anger release. Yet forgiveness can never be a “should” imposed on you by yourself or someone else. Sometimes anger has to be expressed before forgiveness comes forth. Other times, forgiveness comes of its own accord. When the deep longing to touch into love is tapped, the heart opens and forgiveness can happen. When you forgive someone else or yourself, you are cleaning out your own Shadow—the part that is disliked and disowned. You may have to experience forgiveness for someone who hurt you more than once, depending upon the number of betrayals that have been perceived. You may experience an overall forgiveness, releasing the bonds of negative

66

energy between you and the other person. With surrender and forgiveness, there is a leap to Higher Consciousness where personal energies go into creativity, self-expression and service to the greater good for all.

Seeking Wholeness and Union The ancient philosopher Plato said that there were two great movements—decension and ascension. And so it goes throughout the Cosmos. Source/Spirit made manifest and scattered its Being as humans, on Planet Earth at least, in great diversity. The One became many and developed ego. Now we the many are to return to the One through this psycho-spiritual process that Jung described of heating our crucible and cooking our karmic seeds that encompass the fear programming we call the ego. The ultimate betrayal is that we abandoned our self—our deepest knowing of who we are as part and parcel of Universal Intelligence. And yet how could we not? In the tremendous upheaval of moving from pure spirit to matter when we first came to earth, we had overwhelming tasks to face. Being in a human body with the strange experience of intense emotions and not knowing how to survive physically was a monumental job. So if we forgot our essence in the struggle to survive, it is truly understandable. And we are given the alchemical tools for absorbing ourselves back into our true nature. From separation to integration and fragmentation to wholeness, forgiveness and humility are part of the alchemical tools that lead the way home. As St. Augustine said, "Do you wish to rise? Begin by descending. You plan a tower that will pierce the clouds? Lay first the foundation of humility." It might be said that the journey takes you through ego. What has been scattered and cast apart can be reunited. The process is honoring the dark corners of your mind that were formed from feeling betrayed and abandoned by others and yes, even by your own self. This magical experience of experiencing wholeness is an alchemical process to be savored. The soul’s longing comes shining through with a leap to Higher Order. There can be a recalibration of energy and vibrational level resulting in bringing those fragmented energies into the total aspect of the personality. When you become tuned into your Higher Self to listen to the soul’s message, you remember what has been forgotten: “I am intact. I am whole. There is nothing to fear.” That indeed is the Higher Order which is Perfection Itself operating in the Universe.

Reconnecting Energy Fragments

67

United we stand, divided we go into fragmentation. We carry complex geometrical information within located in our electromagnetic field. We need our energy to be intact so that the chakras remain open, vibrating at the correct geometric speed, direction and ratios. Intact energy allows the free flowing of light and information from Infinite Intelligence to us in our physical bodies. With integration of the separated energy parts, the chakras that were affected at the time of trauma can come back into balance and are available for downloading of light and information from the higher realms. Our energy is for our use and for sharing but we are not to give it away or have it taken from us by others; this is the concept of soul retrieval. We also are not to take on hitchhikers of our life energy—those entities who join us to use our bodies when they die as they are fearful about crossing over to the other side. This ritual is called de-possession or entity removal. Shamans can assist in releasing energies that are not yours and calling back any of your energy that has been taken away. Ancient and modern day ceremonies, rituals, dreams and transformational therapies bring forth separated energetic aspects and dualistic beliefs back to connection to Unity Consciousness. Integrating the fragments is Union which brings order from disorder. Each fragment contains the totality of the entire system, a hologram of sorts, and can be fused back in the whole without destroying it. As part of the hologram, each strong emotion with accompanying ruminative thoughts can be a signal that this part is asking for healing. The soul wants wholeness. It brings forth emotional and physical symptoms which are informational patterns to get your attention. The urge from soul is to call all fragmented energy home. The patterns and shades of the psyche are numerous; some are of wholeness and some are of separation. Some aspects support life and some reject life. The shadow parts revealed and befriended are born thus discharging the frenetic energy. You can bring them back home calling upon the evolutionary drive within. Those disconnected, arrested child parts want to come into integration. What has been split off wants to return to the whole. Dissociative states allow for the opening up of the good, the bad and the ugly within us. The horrors as well as the beauties of the mind as when meditating or chanting are brought forth when you go into an altered state for the purpose of healing a disowned self. View all subparts with compassion and touch into the hurt deep within that caused them to form. Dialogue with them and ask them what they need and how they would look if the fear was examined. Offer them forgiveness and grace. Bring them into the whole body/mind/spirit. Here is one such technique drawn from the Jungian Psychology tradition. This energy fragment visualization helps heal the hurt, frightened, lost and angry parts of the self that

68

continue to be expressed in energetic ways. This protocol gives the imagery for the split-off energy to be reunited with the entirety of the energy field. This exercise may also be done with any past life memories or aspects of the self that exist in other dimensions. Call forth the frequencies of Love and Integration to assist in this process. There is no “I” or divided mind in Unity Consciousness; there just is.

Inner Child Work: Calling Energy Fragments Back Home

Lynne Namka

To heal a dissociated part, set the intention for the return of the whole, integrated energy. A dissociated child part has felt rejected, abandoned and not listened to or valued. Due to its rejection from parents or even yourself, it feels very bad about itself. These feelings of not being worthy of attention and caring must be reversed by applying love from you, the adult self. Sense or visualize where the split off child part went outside your body (front, back, side, up or down). If possible, get a memory of the first trauma but don’t go full fledged into it. What false belief did the child pick up? Call this child or younger self to you. Tell it that you are its older self and you want to provide for it what your parents could not long ago. Honor and validate this child and its pain. Ask this part what is needed (a hug, being held, reassured, etc.) Ask the child part to name the fear belief. Have your adult self explain the belief in a different way that will comfort the child. The erroneous belief was created in a time of neglect or abuse to this much younger part of yourself that didn’t have much language or life experience to understand what happened. Give compassion and reassurance to this cast-out child part. Ask the child what he or she needs and visualize giving validation, being listened to, being held or love from you, the adult self. Take a breath and ask for the frequencies of connection and integration and love to achieve healing. Move into Love that emanates from Source and come up with a different understanding. Visualize the child coming back inside you. Bond and merge the separated part back into your whole being. Mental Body: See the connected child who feels validated. Visualize the energy of the body becoming whole.

Emotional Body: Feel the emotions of relief and joy of reconnection and integration. Physical Body: Feel and know the sensation of being intact, solid, healthy energy.

69

Take a deep breath and feel the integration. State this affirmation “I am safe. I cannot be harmed. I am One with All.” Ask if there are any other dissociated child selves and repeat the integration process. Call the separated energy home. Bring it home to love and interconnection. No matter what the question, love is the answer. No matter what the fear, love is the remedy. Unity is the true reality of things. Fear Separates, Love Integrates. Polarity Separates, Unity Integrates. For what is life but alternate times of light and shadow? As we work out the shadow part in our self, the fears and negativity of the shadow are not so dark. The Divine Plan for each of us is to bring together the dualities within us that appear separate and celebrate one as all and the same.

70

Chapter 11

Alchemy and the Spiritual Awakening Process

"The Truth will set you free, but first it will make you miserable." The Talmud

Alchemy is best known from ancient writings and practices as the secret formulas for changing impure, base matter such as lead into gold; this is known as the chemical approach. Alchemy is considered to be the beginning of modern chemistry. Another understanding of alchemy is to find the secret process to distill gold into a white powder that will grant immortality. A third approach to alchemy from the Jungian tradition uses metaphors from alchemy to accelerate a psycho‐spiritual process to advance consciousness. This “inner alchemy” serves to help you clear emotional blockages, deconstruct the ego and remember past lives and other incarnations. Carl Jung believed that alchemy process was a metaphor for man’s spiritual and psychological discipline and transformation. The ego is the base substance being worked on—the prima materia which must go through the alchemical steps of washing, distilled, cleansed, dissolved, purified and rendered whole and integrated. This was considered to be “the symbolic gold of great worth.” Working with the unconscious mind is the key to unlocking the symbols. In his book, Memories, Dreams and Recollections, Jung said,

“Alchemy, as a nature philosophy of great consideration in the Middle Ages, throws a bridge to the past, the gnosis, and also to the future, the modern psychology of the unconscious… Only be discovering alchemy have I clearly understood that the Unconscious is a process and that the ego’s rapports with the unconscious and his contents initiate an evolution, more precisely a real metamorphoses of the psyche. It is all about, of course, the individuation process. “

For the later part of his life, Jung studied the symbols and recorded and interpreted his dreams looking for the “transformational symbolism of the human soul.” He found parallels between Oriental and Gnostic teachings and alchemy symbols for the psychic energy that is created through the conflict of the opposites. The end goal of this deep work is a process of ever‐deepening inner development of going through a circular movement towards the center which is the Self. Jung called

71

this process individuation with the ego being assimilated into the Self. Shadow parts representing the separated subparts or the moral opposites are brought forth; the conscious and unconscious are reconciled. Perfection of the man is achieved through unifying with the Divine. The Elixir or The Philosopher’s Stone is the secret substance that perfected the process. Finding that secret ingredient is called “The Great Work.” This seven‐step formula of achieving perfection is described by the ancient Emerald Tablet of Hermes who gave the phase, “As above, so below.” Hermes Trismegistus was also known as Thoth or Tehuti by the early Egyptians. His writings also pointed to the necessity of the balancing of the opposites, “Bring together in yourself all opposites of quality – then you can apprehend God.” Hermes is considered as The Divine Messenger who comes to earth during certain times to impart information of sacred science. Several translations of the Emerald Tablet were made by the early alchemists from different countries.

The Emerald Tablet of Hermes from Manly P. Hall’s The Secret Teaching of All Ages

English friar, Roger Bacon’s translation of the Emerald Tablet, called the Secretum Sccretorum, was made around 1445 and gives the steps to gain “the brightness of the whole world.” Bacon considered morality a necessary part of alchemy as part of

72

liberation and longevity. Bacon and other alchemists wrote in ambiguous terms to preserve the secret formulas and ideas.

“True it is, without falsehood, certain and most true, that which is above is like to that which is below, and that which is below is like to that which is above, to accomplish the miracles of one thing. And as all things were by the contemplation of one, so all things arose from this one thing by a single act of adaptation. The father thereof is the Sun, the mother the Moon. The Wind carried it in its womb, the Earth is the nurse thereof. It is the father of all works of wonder throughout the whole world. The power thereof is perfect. If it be cast on the Earth, it will separate the element of Earth from that of Fire, the subtle from the gross. With great sagacity it doth ascend gently from Earth to Heaven. Again it doth descend to Earth, and uniteth in itself the force from things superior and things inferior. Thus thou wilt possess the glory of the brightness of the whole world, and all obscurity will fly from thee. This thing is the strong fortitude of all strength, for it overcometh every subtle thing and doth penetrate every solid substance. Thus was this world created. Hence will there be marvelous adaptations achieved, of which the manner is this. For this reason I am called Hermes Trismegistus, because I hold three parts of the wisdom of the world that which I had to say about the operation of Sol is completed.”

The universal themes of union of father and mother to produce a divine child and the descent and ascent are again being played out. Alchemy becomes ascension. The One has been made into matter and we as that matter are now to ascend and know our Oneness.

Intensify and Invert to Go Through the Chaos

The alchemical concept of inversion is an integral part of healing. Things have to heat up to provide the impetus for change. Energy builds until it can build no more and then must shift. Intensification is happening now on our physical Planet Earth. Likewise, in individual growth, energy increases as a call from the soul. The person’s

73

mind ruminates about an unresolved issue with unbearable emotion for the energy to shift like a pendulum to the opposite side. Feelings build up until they reach their zenith and flip the switch to go the opposite direction. During inversion, there is an “upsetting of a given order so that it may be replaced by its opposite,” according to Juan Eduardo Cirlot in his classic book of archetypes, Dictionary of Symbols. The word invert is from the Latin, vertere, versi which means to turn, the turning at the end of a line in music, to spin (vertigo.) Cirlot describes how crisis and the natural concept of inversion provide momentum to move toward healing and integration:

“Man tends to question his destiny mostly in moments of crisis, that is, when the stream of life (either the stream within him of his feelings and passions, his abnormal urges or sense of inadequacy, or that flowing outside him—the flood of obstacles and failures in communication goes against him or carries him along farther than he would wish. There is, then, a primordial desire in Man to experience ‘inversion,’ that is, to find the technique whereby anything of a kind can be transmuted into its opposite. So, for example, illness inverted becomes health, hate becomes love, loneliness company, ignorance wisdom, dissension solidarity... Such inversion at first appears as a cross‐roads, that is, as a potentiality. Then it takes the form of symbols of sacrifice… Then, finally comes the symbol of inversion proper and of rebirth.”

Inversion is the concept behind the Yang‐Yin symbol of the distribution of forces; counterbalancing, containing within itself the antithesis; to switch the opposites as the focal point is reached. Our world is possibly entering into this inversion concept where the energy increases to give impetuous for great change.

Healer Richard Bartlett emphasizes, “Change does not come causally; it comes through intent and intensity. Change comes from intensity!” Sometimes a person’s life has to be turned upside down to produce the energy for change. Great power is

74

needed to bring about change. Another note of interest, Cirlot says that “to breathe is to assimilate spiritual power.” Cirlot relates,

“The more terrible the situation, the more urgent the need to transform and invert it… and the greater must be the sacrifice… the process of sublimation is always promoting inversions and metamorphosis of this order… unknowable by means of contrasts... each phenomenon as these denoted by its opposite.”

The inversion process may be behind the energetic intensity building up that brings about what Carl Jung called is the “confrontation with the unconscious." Perhaps the unconscious mind requires a certain concentration of forces and volume to gather the energy for change. “Decisive thinking is a release of energy,” explained teacher Jack Swartz who described how the energetic process works. “As soon as one decides, one releases.” The whole body swings into a more relaxed state when a decision is made. What is released is a fear state and accompanying beliefs. Needed transformation may be done at this subliminal level which is connected to and plays out the universal need for evolution. George Leonard, in The Silent Pulse, describes how the process of intensively trying to force an issue through great determination can bring a person to his knees physically, psychologically and spiritually. Personal energy becomes depleted. When the point of total exhaustion, resignation and despair is reached, the ego is relinquished. The person gives up in helplessness and hopelessness. This surrender point happens when the self is emptied of all roles, attachments and ego defenses around that issue that it had been holding. The transformation occurs with tears, intense emotion and feelings of relief.

Crisis Provides the Opportunity and the Energy for Shadow Confrontation

Creative crisis provides the heat and the energy for alchemical change. Virginia Satir described how chaos within a person both provokes and provides change. In the status quo stage, everything remains on an even keel to keep things the same. As change is always inevitable, a foreign element enters the system. This foreign element can be external changes in the environment or a conflict in the person's belief system which functions to throw the individual into chaos. During this stage, the Higher Power of the person may draw painful experiences to the individual to promote growth. Inner conflict provides the opportunity to constructively confront what is not working in a life to bring about a shift in perception. Old expectations and the

75

accompanying blockage of negative energy are cleared allowing a higher state of consciousness. The emotional charge around the old painful memories is released along with their defensive behaviors. Then the individual moves into the integration phase which is characterized by adopting new values and beliefs. The final stage is practicing the newly formed attitudes and behaviors. The individual then goes back into a new status quo period until the next period of chaos comes up. After a healing experience when major energies are transmuted from lower to higher consciousness, the individual may feel ungrounded, vulnerable and exposed for a while. These experiences bring about rapid changes in values, morals and self‐identity. Old perceptions, beliefs and patterns of behavior are shattered and fall away to make room for the expanded self. Old psychological defense no longer work leaving feelings of rawness. There may be a "healing crisis" where the physical body responds through illness or diarrhea as the body undergoes a physical detoxification. Fatigue may be present along with a need for time spent alone. The process requires intense energy to integrate these changes. The physical body may need to shut down temporarily to deal with the intensity of the emotions and adjust to the rapid vibrational change that has taken place on a cellular level. An acute bout of depression functions to shut down the person's energy for outward things to focus on the inward process. The individual moves on through the temporary state of uncertainty as he integrates the knowledge of the new experience into his being. Socrates described the phenomena when he said, "Our greatest blessings come to us by way of madness, provided the madness is given us by divine gifts."

Reduction of the Ego as Part of the Alchemical Process Roberto Assagioli, developer of Psychosynthesis, states "Spiritual development is a long and arduous journey through strange lands full of surprises, joy, beauty, difficulties and even dangers. It involves the awakening of potentialities hitherto dormant, the raising of consciousness to new realms, a drastic transmutation of the "normal" elements of the personality and a functioning along a new, inner dimension." There are a multitude of potential outcomes available to us that can be achieved dependent upon our ability to tap into them. There are many ways that the ego puffs itself up during the spiritual journey. Reduction of the ego is a recognized aspect of spiritual growth. The ancient spiritual literature repeatedly warns against the dangers of emotionally attaching to newly found mystical experiences that come up during the spiritual journey. Yet some

76

people are overly fond of telling their story of the unusual and exciting mystical events that have happened to them. This is the "inflation of the ego" trap which often accompanies spiritual growth and development. The purpose of the mystical experiences is to learn and grow in consciousness without awe or attachment to the sensory events, healing abilities or the heightened intuition that accompanies them. Healers who are beginning to recognize their healing gifts often experience feelings of superiority. Feeling superior because one has achieved intense spiritual evolution is but another attachment of the ego. The alchemical tradition stresses humility and purity of heart and descent into the darkness for the alchemist to become grounded before ascending into the light. From separation to integration and fragmentation to wholeness, forgiveness and humility are part of the alchemical tools that lead the way home. As St. Augustine said, "Do you wish to rise? Begin by descending. You plan a tower that will pierce the clouds? Lay first the foundation of humility." It might be said that the journey takes you through the ego. Alice Bailey’s teachings describe ways seekers on the path can keep their ego in check through identifying with the metaphor of seeing oneself as being a part of the numerous anonymous, spiritual light‐workers who bring change to the planet. The service to others without feeling a personal increase in self esteem is one sign that the ego is in alignment with highest spiritual guidance.

Giving Up your Story and the Glory; Giving Up the Fears and Tears

Deep spiritual work is about releasing the need for your attachments to the highs and lows of life. You stop attaching to the ego’s identity with the joyous and blissful times of life as well as the betrayals, traumas and dramas. You begin to see that all that happened to you, good or bad, are just experiences that the ego gave dire or joyous meaning to. Self‐involvement and selfishness as well as self‐doubt and self‐hatred can be understood and released. Surrender is the asking for and the process of releasing the ego defenses that were born out of feeling hurt, betrayed and abandoned. The process of surrender is to die to the separate sense of self. It is the willingness to accept life as it is. To go beyond attachments and accept life just as it is. To surrender is to continually release both ego desires and fears. Surrender is saying “Yes” to the moments of life as they arise before you and living in the present even when there is pain. To surrender is to let

77

go and make peace with your history of pain through introspection, self‐examination and acceptance. The movement from the position of fear to love happens when the person goes to a state of mind that lets go to the "Thy will be done." This is the essence of healing of the mind/ body/ spirit. Surrendering into humility as you let go of the opposites of being better than or less than others is part of the alchemical process. Letting go of the emotional charge cultivated by duality thinking of harm/no harm frees you for other priorities such as creativity and joyfully living in the present. There is an emptying of oneself so that a filling of the Oneness can take place. Surrender is the Self Absolute seeking itself. Separation melds into wholeness. Surrender is the shining jewel in the crown for emotional, psychological, and spiritual liberation. There is a respite period to provide integration, and then the surrender process begins anew with another issue.

Alchemical Archetypes The healing of the “purified opposites,” the masculine and feminine energies that arise naturally from the energy that conflict produces as the soul confronts the ego. Healing is symbolically represented by the archetypes of the King and Queen which become conjoined. This marriage produces the Divine Child. The left brain activity is considered Solar (sun) in nature which is rational, logical and intellectual while the Lunar (moon) activity is creative, intuitive, artistic, musical and knowing of the heart. The Solar King and the Lunar Moon are symbols of the Yang and Yin in Chinese alchemy.

78

Union of the Solar King and the Lunar Moon

Jung described of heating our crucible and addressing that shadow self that carries the fear programming we call the ego. We are the crucible that heats up. The raw materials of the alchemy procedures are our thoughts and feelings that become unified through this spiritual art and process. Of the secret ingredient in the alchemy process Paracelsus said, “Love is the agent of the process,’ that would finally make manifest the gold within the flask, and the release of the divine within man. Both taken to be implicit from the beginning.” When love and acceptance break through the fear, you can feel gratitude that brings movement into a clearer vibratory field. It’s an Ahhhhhhh feeling as the conflictual energies drain out. An internal quieting response happens when you recognize that there was no harm, only experience. What was made of the event which seemed harmful – the perceptions, beliefs and reactions of what happened is fluid and therefore moveable.

79

Through the healing of the opposites, the marriage of the masculine and feminine energies takes place. Through this developmental spiritual process of deep introspection of discovering The Philosopher’s Stone, our illuminated energy shines through. The union produces the Divine Child with the inherent luminosity of our divine nature coming.

The Divine Child of the Marriage of the Sun and Moon

Drunvalo Melchizedek gives a Unity Meditation in his book, Living in the Heart, which puts you into a state of love. The meditation helps you drop into the sacred space of the heart to connect with Mother Earth and Father Sky to produce a recognition of your own Divine Child. The intention comes forth from your heart and mind to bid you to go into longing for union. He says that the Holy Trinity is alive in each and every one of us waiting to be recognized.

The Alchemical Path as a Way of Upping your Vibrations Conscious Incarnation is what Eckert Tolle calls “The power of now.” The alchemical process laid out by Carl Jung gives the road map for emptying out the shadow and fully grasping movement down the evolutional path. There are many fine teachers, traditions and spiritually awakening exercises that will remove the

80

veil from your eyes. The lessons of gaining Self‐Realization are out there presented in many forms and directions that are available if you listen to your soul’s longing. Jung’s alchemy model gives the steps on going through this important task. Poet T. S. Elliot understood surrendering to the evolutional purpose of the Shadow when he said, “I said to my soul, be still, and let the dark come upon you. Which shall be the darkness of God.” Responsibility—total responsibility is required for making this transition. You are being heated up and for good reason! Even though we may feel that we have been betrayed and abandoned by those we love, the original abandonment is of our own self. Acknowledging that we have denied part of who we truly are is a necessary step of healing. Having undergone two great awakening experiences, Jana Dixon has a great understanding of the process using the Jungian perspective of the alchemy process. She states that acknowledging the initial abandonment is a necessary part of the integration process:

“Self-abandonment is the primary trauma that we must learn to “face into” to avoid abdicating from our own life. All we really want and need is our Self; that is what we are longing for. TOTAL RESPONSIBILITY for one’s condition needs to really be grokked in order to move into the kind of sovereignty where self-Self development is even possible. Otherwise everything else in the world (according to our triggers) determines who we are. Love of course is the opposite of abandonment. Self-responsibility, that is becoming responsive to Self, is none other than freedom, enlightenment sovereignty and Individuation.”

The evolutionary urge prods, pushes and pulls us on to greater consciousness. We are held back by lack of interest, fear, worldly distractions and ignorance. Conscious incarnation means to really be here on earth with awareness that we are spiritual beings living in matter. Raising your vibrations means your energy system vibrating at a faster level that is more consistent with Spirit. Slower vibrations are more of matter, of physicality and therefore are dense. Raising the physical body’s vibrations to a higher level is the purpose of spiritual alchemy to allow you to move into states of higher consciousness where more and more are possible. But not to worry about all this. You are a work in progress and all is in process. You are consciousness moving back upon yourself. That is the beauty of being a conscious human being doing conscious incarnation.

81

Chapter 12

The Holy Breath as an Alchemical Tool

“Can we, in love, breathe together?…. Each of us is interpenetrated with all the thoughts and judgments of each other, and the love, the light and all the things apparently good and apparently bad.

Like the waves of the sea, these move through us on the breath. So can we learn to breathe with God?”

Reshad Field

Your breath is your best friend. One of the very best things you can do to improve your health and life is to practice daily breath awareness. Anthroposophy author, Rudolf Steiner said, “All healing originally resides in the human breathing system.” Deep, slow, rhythmic breathing lowers the breath deeper into the diaphragm and lower belly and increases the oxygen supply of the human body. It strengthens the muscles of the abdomen, reduces the size of the stomach and decreases abdominal belly fat. It promotes the curriculum of the coronary artery and increases blood or oxygen supply to the heart. Along with the exercise that deep breathing give by moving the muscles, it helps release the lactic acid which is a waste byproduct of the cells which has been built up in the body. The breath works with the vagal nerve in relaxing the muscles and calming the heart rhythms. Breathing strengthens and expands the lungs by slowing respiration to increase vital capacity. It turns the mind from disorder to calmness by expelling distracting thoughts. It’s even reported that deep breathing helps you lose weight as you are exercising your inner organs with each breath you take! There are numerous helpful forms of breathing. The ancient spiritual traditions of the East offer a science of breathing to create different brain waves that balance the brain hemispheres and strengthen the respiration system. Spiritual teacher Thomas Crum said, “What would it be like if you lived each day, each breath, a work of art in progress? Imagine that you are a masterpiece unfolding every second of every day, a work of art taking form with every breath.” Ask for peace and understanding about an issue by saying a positive intention to create the energy for change. Breathing deeply creates oxygen intake and the quiet internal space to allow an emotional shift to happen; most of the exercises in this book incorporate breathing as part of their protocol.

82

Observe how the different breath practices affect your emotions and body. Find the approaches that relax and energize you. Here are six breath patterns that you can choose to incorporate in your daily ritual of healing. For a super‐duper calmer downer and energizer at the same time, do all six in a row!

Alternate Nostril Breathing to Calm the Emotions

The Dalai Lama The Union of Bliss and Emptiness “In the practice of the six yogas of Naropa, a process of ‘dispelling the impure winds through nine rounds of breathing’ is explained. First one inhales through the right nostril and exhales through the left then one inhales through the left and exhales through the right. First close the left nostril with the back of your right index finger and inhale through the right nostril, and then exhale from the left nostril while blocking the right nostril; after that, block the right nostril with your left index finger and so forth. During this process, although you are inhaling and exhaling through the nostrils, image that the winds come out and go in through the two side channels…. This will calm the force of whatever emotion you have because it prevents reinforcement of it. The strong force of emotion calming is just like turbid water become clear. A nonvirtuous state of mind should be transformed to a neutral one and then skillfully transformed into a virtuous state.” This alternating nostril pattern is known by some yogis as Prana Breathing which connects the right and left hemispheres of the brain through breathwork. Prana is the Hindu word for chi, the vital breath which is necessary for life. Alternate holding the right nostril shut while breathing gently in the left one, then holding the left nostril shut while breathing out the right nostril with a long, slow breath and vice versa to calm your central nervous system. Prana Breathing gives you bilateral stimulation causing you to shift back and forth from the right and left brain hemispheres which creates relaxation. Integration of the right and left brain hemispheres can be accomplished with any of the bilateral stimulation techniques which break into the dysregulated emotional states. In the integrating brain, energy flows freely through the prefrontal cortex. Thoughts and insights as neural energy garnered during the healing process turn on new neural networks. These networks become connected at the moment so that information can be processed and incorporated into the greater whole and later become incorporated at a deeper level during quiet times or sleep and REM dreaming.

83

Breathing for Survival: When Chaos Strikes

Rami Katz Breath is our link to the miracle called Life. Our breath plugs us into the universe bringing the Life Force into us, through us and out again. The Life Force which is our Source of energy, thought, feeling and aliveness feeds us, nourishes us and keeps us alive. We are automatically in a rhythm of living though our breath and our heartbeat. However, mostly we are not conscious of how shallow and irregular our usual breathing pattern becomes when we are anxious and overwhelmed. When we are experiencing tension, anxiety and fear, our breath rate may double to a usual sixteen times per minute. If we consciously reduce our breath rate to eight breaths per minute, we slow our heart rate and experience more peace, clarity and awareness within the circumstances that are occurring on a day‐to‐day basis. As you pay attention to your breath, it deepens, slows down and starts to calm your racing thoughts. In slowing the breath, you increase your connection to your intuition and feelings. You only need to do this to find out if it works for you.

The 4:1 Breath

From Yogi Bhajan as written by Rami Katz This pattern of breathing use and develops our capacity to breathe. It can be used during an emotional crisis and when coping with a situation that seems impossible. It can also be used to break addictions and calm the cravings for substances that we habitually turn to for comfort. Sit in a comfortable position with your hands relaxed in your lap. Close your eyes and inhale deeply through both nostrils in four equal parts. Each part is a quick snifflike inhale that causes the sides of the nose to collapse slightly with each breath you draw. (Do your best to make them equal but don’t worry if they are not at first.) Now exhale in one single breath through the nose. Let the breath be very rhythmic. Do your best to keep your attention on your breathing though your thoughts may stray.

84

Continue for three minutes. Now relax, keeping your eyes closed for another minute, breathing normally and be with yourself.

Breath Rhythm to Facilitate “Letting Go”

From Yogi Bhajan as written by Rami Katz Breathe in long, slow and deeply through your nose. Focus your attention as the breath comes in, receiving it as the Gift of Life. Relax your abdomen and allow it to gently expand and then notice this same expansion into your chest. Let go of the breath slowly and completely. As you release the breath, feel all the air moving out. Gently pull in your abdominal muscles to help empty your lungs. Breathe in a rhythm of two beats for the inbreath and four beats for the outbreath. Inhale 1 & 2 Exhale 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & taking twice as long as your inhale breath. Follow your breath, mentally counting or reciting a repetitive statement that eases your mind. Examples: “Relaxing now.” “My Source sustains me.” Allow the breath to be natural, gently receiving the flow of breath on your inhale and letting go with the breath of the exhale, elongating it as much as possible.

Connecting Heaven and Earth We can learn to connect ourselves with the greater wisdom on the Universal Love Energies and the Love energy of Mother Earth. Humans are the conduit between these two great forces and we can draw energy from each. Contemplate the meaning of Ibn el Aralu’s quote, “All is contained in the Divine Breath, like the day in the morning’s dawn.”

85

Hold this image of yourself as a bridge between Heaven and Earth as an intention and connect to the Divine energies of the Universe and the grounding energies of our planet. You are the conduit between heaven and earth as the energies flow through you. This following breath exercise will help ground you into Mother Earth while reminding you that you are “a child of above as well as below.”

Breathing Earth and Sky

Lynne Namka

Visualize a tall, thin golden tube or a flow of light about a hand’s width above the top of your head that runs down your body behind your naval going into the earth beneath your feet. Breathe in the Divine Breath. Focus on lifegiving energy coming into from the top of the tube down through your body sending it to your heart and cells as needed. See and feel energy flowing into the golden tube from the Universe to your heart and the rest of your body. Release any negative thoughts to Mother Earth where they are neutralized. Ground yourself by seeing yourself sinking deep into the earth up to your ankles. Then focus on the breath bringing up good energy from Mother Earth. Send this earth energy to the needed parts of your body. Feel the energies of our Universe and those of our planet flowing through you as they intermingle. Visualize the breath coming back through your body going up above your head to again gather more energy. Smile and soften the back of your throat and sinus area. Feel the connection within as you continue to invite the Divine Breath to circulate through you. You are the means of expression between Heaven and Earth.

Purification Breaths

Linda Richards Breathe in the earth breath Work with the physical body. Tune in to gratitude to Mother Earth for supporting and nurturing you. Cleanse the body with the earth’s healthy magnetic body. Radiate out past the physical body to the health magnetic body.

86

On this breath, I ask Mother Earth to ground me. Breathe in the water breath. Water is light. Work with the emotional body. Tune into forgiveness. Cleanse the emotional body with water. Radiate and expand out past the emotional body to the light body. Breathe in the fire breath. Work with the moral or relationship body. Tune into love and life’s passions. Cleanse the moral/relationship body with fire. Radiate out past the moral body to the karmic body and healthy relationship boundaries both past and present. Breathe in the air breath. Work with the mental body. Tune into freedom (soaring on air above the thoughts) Cleanse the mental body with air. Expand beyond the "monkey chatter” thoughts out to wisdom. Breathe in the ether breath. Work with the spiritual body. Tune into the aonement with God. Cleanse the spiritual body with ether. Radiate/ expand out to the arms of God. Reconfirm that it is your intention to be healthy physically, emotionally, morally, mentally and spiritually in this lifetime. Ask for guidance as to how to achieve this intention. We can use our conscious mind to create higher consciousness when we remember to breathe deeply and state an intention of releasing ego. When we drop into that deep pearl of stillness with we go into a state of being that connects us with that healing field always present. This is the vibrational field of information of compassion shown by the Buddha, Mother Mary, Jesus, Padre Pio and all great healers.

87

Chapter 13

Modern Day Energy Psychology Approaches

"EFT (the Emotional Freedom Technique) offers great healing benefits.”

Deepak Chopra This is a hastening time for many of us. We, like Mother Earth, are in the process of our own healing. Individuals who are on a spiritual path are a microcosm of that much larger process that is happening on a planet level. As the vibrational changes stream into our planet, individuals are being quickened in spiritual growth. We are experiencing what has been called Earth Plane Anxiety! This is an intense time for those of us who clearly identify with being on a spiritual path as long‐held attitudes and values are being challenged to push us on to further growth. Fortunately we have been given some new innovative therapeutic techniques to help us, come what may. The Energy Psychology Techniques or Meridian Based Therapies incorporate self‐acupressure and positive intention to help shift the energy behind distorted ideas and distressing emotions. There are over thirty different energy techniques and new ones are being developed. They incorporate tapping, holding or rubbing acupuncture points to bring about a relaxation response. These designated points have been shown to have greater electromagnetic conductivity than other parts of the skin. They lie along the fourteen primary energetic meridians as mapped out by Traditional Chinese Medicine which has a rich tradition of healing of thousands of years. The meridians are designated by Chinese Energy Medicine as either being feminine or Ying or masculine or Yang. Imbalances in the meridians add to imbalances in the brain hemispheres. These new techniques quickly decrease fear, anxiety, phobias, frustration and anger. Studies show that these approaches slow the heart rate and shut off the fight or flight response and provide a sense of well being. The new energy therapies calm the more primitive parts of the brain which have become overly stimulated and sensitized—the limbic system and amygdala and other parts of the midbrain that first reverberated with the emotions surrounding a traumatizing event. Psychologist Jim Lane gives a thorough review of the research literature as to the underlying dynamics of how the stimulation of acupoints reduces midbrain arousal

88

and regulates the autonomic nervous system. Acupuncture and acupressure increase the positive neurotransmitters such as serotonin and the endorphins and reduce the stress hormones norepinephrine and cortisol. The racing heart rate is reduced and pain decreases as the relaxation response in produced through acupressure. The fight, flight or freeze response is interrupted as the distressing idea or situation is reframed or seen in a different way. The person shifts his understanding of himself and can say, “I’m in control now and can see this upsetting situation as one I got through.” In some people, the life energy does not flow freely due to a past trauma which sets up too excesses or deficits of energy flow within one or more meridians. This distortion is caused by emotion that have not been processed and released. The energy therapies work through providing desensitization to stress‐related stimuli that cause people to trigger back into the old emotional arousal patterns. By creating a relaxation response, they reduce stress, tension and pain and increase endorphins and other neurotransmitters to produce natural opiate release in the brain that decreases pain and promotes a sense of well being. The thesis of Chinese Energy Medicine is that the meridians of the body go out of balance due to excesses of emotions. In most energy therapies, to fully release an energetic charge you have to get back to the associated learning between the traumatic event and the emotions and meaning given to it of not being safe. This is called the activating event or the original trauma which is the first time that excessive emotions became associated with a belief or meaning. To get to the hidden content of the unconscious mind, you have to get back to the lowest common denominator—when you first felt the out‐of‐control emotions that became imprinted in your nervous system and muscles.

Assumptions Underlying the Energy Psychotherapies l. Part of being human is having emotions which help process and clarify our experiences. 2. Humans have an internal hard‐wired drive to seek growth and health. 3. Loss, threat and trauma generate intense uncomfortable feelings and physiological arousal of anxiety and shame. 4. Strong, overwhelming feelings during moments of trauma can’t be processed so are stored away as emotional charges. Negative beliefs become attached to the negative body states. 5. Negative affect and physiological arousal of anxiety and shame are avoided, as they are uncomfortable.

89

6. Effective psychological techniques allow the surfacing of safe amounts of negative physiological arousal of a problem to desensitize it with the help a supportive, calm therapist. 7. Desensitization of the negative belief brings about a release of emotional charge through extinction. 8. The neutralization of the emotional charge through touch, tapping or eye movements brings about a change in the body’s polarity system. 9. There is a shift at the cognitive level; the meaning of the negative experience changes and the event is integrated with the person’s ability to see things differently. 10. Vibrational techniques decrease the frequency, intensity and clarity of intrusive, triggering stimuli. 11. By the continual release of the emotions and muscular patterns that surrounded the earlier trauma, basic core beliefs of “I am unworthy, I am not safe, etc.” begin to fade away. 12. The energy techniques help the body return to the state of homeostasis after feeling stressed or threatened. These energy approaches make it easy for you to release many of your own unproductive feelings and irrational thoughts when you take them to the underlying trauma to get to the dysfunctional emotions, beliefs and ways of coping around a problem. They provide a quick approach to take responsibility for what you think, feel and how you act. Taking responsibility for what you think or feel is the beginning step for making the desired correction. Energy therapist Tom Altaffer said, “If you feel it or think it, it belongs to you. If you feel it or think it, you can find it and correct it…you can heal it. Treat yourself for it. It’s the responsibility of the person who holds the feeling or belief to treat it. Find the ruthless honesty to own your stuff.”

The Subjective Unit of Distress (SUDS) and Tapping Most of these approaches have you rate on a ten‐point scale as to just how upset you are before and after the treatment. Behaviorist Joseph Wolpe gave us the Subjective Unit of Distress Scale or SUDS level is an indication of how strong the issue, feeling or belief is for you. It’s an indicator of how much energetic interference you have around an issue using a scale of one to ten. A level of one is very small distress with ten being the highest amount energetic charge. The SUDS level is obtained before and after a treatment to determine the shifts in your emotional intensity levels as you work the issue.

90

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Not upset A little upset Quite a bit! Over the top!

The Subjective Units of Distress Scale

“Try It On Everything”—The Emotional Freedom Technique

The Emotional Freedom Technique, developed by Gary Craig, has created a world‐wide movement with users both in the mental health field and lay practioners. Tapping is done on one point of the major energy meridians that go down the head and body. There are over 400 acupuncture points recognized in Chinese Energy Medicine. Craig has chosen only a few points to tap on with a simple, quick, easy‐to learn protocol that taps down the face and body. Tapping is a gentle form of soothing touch which puts a percussive energetic into your body. Thoughts of negativity and judgment keep you from wholeness. You can tap on long‐standing or current issues, fears and false ideas about self‐worth. You can tap to release the intensity surrounding physical as pain has an emotional component. By tapping on the pain directly and the ideas of suffering and being a victim of an illness, you can release guilt, shame, anger, resentment, worry, or frustration. These self‐guided energy approaches ask you to be very specific in defining your problem. The Emotional Freedom Technique has you say a self‐forgiveness statement or make a positive affirmation after you describe your feeling or problem. Some authorities believe that all healing is self‐forgiveness. The set‐up statements of EFT exquisitely promote self‐acceptance so that you can move to the holy state of forgiveness. You do not forgive others but as the holder of the problem, you forgive yourself for having the negative feeling or belief. In actuality, you forgive yourself for having excessive emotions (going back to the original trauma event) that put your body out of balance. Gary Craig said, “True forgiveness is the aim of all healing.” While Craig stresses that EFT gives us freedom from troublesome emotions, the real freedom is to break through the negative, false conditioning that we have been exposed to from our parents, institutions and cultural mores.

91

Psychologist David Feinstein, in The Promise of Energy Psychology, explains how EFT works on a brain basis: “By mentally activating a psychological issue and stimulating a set of energy points, the neural connections governing that issue can be rewired in a new way. This technique which allows almost surgical precision in changing neurochemistry without causing side effects is unique in the fields of healing, psychotherapy and education. The promise of EFT is profound.”

The Emotional Freedom Technique®

Gary Craig Start by thinking of an issue, problem, feeling or belief that you would like to release and become clear about. Find your Subjective Level of Distress (SUDS) level from one to ten with one or two being small and ten being very intense. Say a setup statement where you own a feeling, problem or belief and then give a statement of selfacceptance. Repeat the statement three times. Be as specific as possible. “Even though _____ (state your problem or feeling here), I deeply and completely accept myself.” Alternately you can say any positive affirmation. Tap on the Karate Chop point which is on the side of your hand using the fingers of your other hand. Tap with the other hand, using your fingertips. Say the “Even though” statement while tapping continuously. Some people prefer to start with rubbing the Sore Spot instead. The Sore Spot is located about four inches down from the point of the collarbone and a few inches out from your heart.

92

Now tap down your face and body starting at the top of your head. Tap both points at the same time with two to four fingers using both hands. Tap on the points approximately six or seven times while thinking of your issue to hold it foremost in your energy field. Don’t worry about getting the exact points or the correct statement to say. Just go with the flow of whatever comes into your mind. Tapping is very forgiving as it vibrates the entire area around the point. Take a deep breath anytime you feel like it is needed or you feel stuck. Take breaths at the Eyebrow, Under the Eye, Collarbone and Under the Arm Points to reduce anxiety.

The Top of the Head Point. The Eyebrow Points are located at the beginning of the eyebrow, nearest the center of the face. The Side of the Eye Points are located on the bones at the outside of the eyes near your temples. The Under the Eye Points are located on the bone located under the eye even with the pupils. The Nose Point is located midway between the bottom of the nose and the top of the lip. The Chin Point is midway between the bottom of the lower lip and the chin, in that indentation area. The Collarbone Points are located at the base of your throat and move about an inch down and an inch outward towards your shoulder. These points are for fear, stress and anxiety reduction. Some people automatically tap their collarbone points when they start to feel anxious. The Liver Points are on the lower ribs just down from the nipples. (Note, I add this point to Craig’s protocol as the liver meridian is associated with anger.) The Under the Arm Points are located about 4 inches below the armpits. You can reach across your body folding your arms to tap these or place your arms under your armpits to tap (this is called the Funky Chicken tap!)

93

Return to Top of the Head and do the sequence again. Give more tapping attention to any point that felt tender or especially good.

Repeat the tapping sequence several times. Take an ending SUDS level from one to ten with one being no intensity (it’s gone away) and ten being very intense. Repeat the steps above if your level is above a two. You can modify the setup statement to “Even though I still have some of this _____, I deeply and completely accept myself and I am a good person, just as I am.” Or you can say, “The remaining symptom” as you tap on each point. There are many web sites devoted to The Emotional Freedom Technique. There are many derivatives of the tapping approaches and they all work well. Roger Callahan’s Thought Field Therapy® (TFT) started the tapping movement. Meridian Tapping Techniques® (MTT), WHEE®, Energy Tapping, Healing from the Body Level Up and Be Set Free Fast® are some examples. Workshops to learn these tapping approaches that are fun to learn can be found with a web search. They can be learned by the layperson or professional in the mental health field. The body likes using vibration, percussion and positive intention to release uncomfortable feelings and beliefs. In addition, the Applied Kinesiology and chiropractic fields have a number of energetic approaches such as Touch for Health, BEST, PSYCH‐K and The Neuro‐Emotional Technique that use muscle testing to connect with the wisdom of the body to determine what is needed energetically. Somatic Experiencing and Eye movement Desensitization and Reprocessing are two other valuable techniques that have been effective in releasing trauma. If you are drawn to a healing technique workshop, by all means, go ahead and sign up for it. Invest the money and take the training as learning new skills is an important investment in yourself! You will learn about yourself and get free treatments through the leader’s demonstrations and the other attendees practicing on you. You will come out with a great set of skills you can do on yourself and trade with other people. Bartering or trading sessions with other healers is the way that many spiritual people get free work. Some workshop graduates meet regularly to practice on each other. Across time, many healers become proficient in numerous techniques to help their friends and family members with their problems. These Energy Psychology approaches help you open your mind to different ways of working with energies.

94

Releasing Sadness, Loss and Grief

You can release unhappy and sad feelings and long‐held grief by gently tapping on the Lung meridian while thinking about what grieves you. Tapping brings attention and energy to a spot. The lung meridian in Chinese Energy Medicine runs from two points on your chest about two inches near your armpit down the inside of your arm to the outside of your thumb. It represents sadness, grief, anguish and cloudy thinking. Sadness is a normal feeling when we lose something that is of importance to us. You need not remain in sadness forever. Unresolved grief is typically an attachment to the good feelings that accompanied the person that you were close to or an indicator that there is an entity present which is usually a benign one. Understanding that all things pass away with time helps you accept the reality of impermanence. Use the SADS technique for simple grief issues. Complicated problems may need to involve assistance from a professional mental health practioner.

The SADS Technique: Soothe Away Distress and Sadness

Lynne Namka Think about something that makes you feel unhappy. Get a SUDS level on a one to ten scale on your sadness. Say out loud three times, “I love and accept myself even though I’m sad about _____.” Tap briskly beside your armpit on your chest near the outside of your scapula where your undershirt or bra strap would be. Slowly tap across the front of your shoulder and down the middle of the inside of your arm to the outside of your thumb at the fingernail until you find a tender or sore spot. This may be a blockage of energy that can release through acupressure. Breathe deeply as you tap into that tender spot while thinking about sadness. Honor those feelings of sadness and tap on the sore spot until it decreases. Repeat the tapping and looking for a tender point on the lung meridian on your other arm. Tap the outsides of your thumbs together. Say, “I forgive myself for feeling sad. Sadness is a normal emotion when I experience loss of something important.”

95

Cross your arms on your chest just below your throat and tap near the scapula near your arms while taking three long, deep breaths. Tap on the side of your hand just below your little finger while you say, “I accept myself for being a normal human being with normal feelings of sadness.” Take a deep breath into the sad feelings and visualize the feelings release. Tap on the back of the web of your hand between your ring finger and little finger. Say, “I forgive myself for being attached to _____. I forgive myself for investing my selfesteem in this person or object. I am a good person with sad feelings about being attached to _____.” Breathe in and out and visualize yourself releasing sad feelings. Hold your head still and roll your eyes in a big circle three times while taking deep breaths. Say, “I accept these sad feelings. I am a good person even if I feel sad.” Now check your SUDS level. Repeat as necessary.

Crossovers: Blocked Energetic Patterns Donna Eden is an energy therapist and an intuitive who can sees energy. Eden has written about many different ways to balance and work with energy. Sometimes your energy pattern can be blocked in one or more ways or even run the opposite direction. There may be a blockage of the flow of energies between the top and the bottom of the body. There may be a right‐to‐left interference flow or there may be a front‐to‐back blockage inhibiting the energy flow. Sustained stress of any kind can interrupt the energy flow between the brain hemispheres. One part of the brain can become undercharged while the other is overcharged. The polarity of the body becomes reversed and the mind disorganized around that issue. It’s best to do these crossover corrections with all three energy flows even if you don’t know whether you have a blockage. It only takes a few minutes and if you don’t have a blockage, nothing will happen. These correction approaches will allow the energies to open up and flow evenly. For more of Donna Eden’s energy techniques see her coauthored book, The Promise of Energy Psychology: Revolutionary Tools for Dramatic Personal Change.

Crossover Corrections of Blocked Energy Patterns

96

Ideas from Donna Eden Do the Emotional Freedom Technique several times on each statement until you feel clear. 1. “Even though I have a toptobottom energy blockage in my body, I love and forgive myself. I choose to allow my energy to flow freely from top to bottom and vice versa.” Visualize your energy flowing in a circular pattern from your head to your feet and then in a reverse flow from your feet to your head. Visualization of these circular flows is a good tool to do with your breath for helping you relax at night and go to sleep. 2. “Even though I have a righttoleft energy blockage in my body, I love and forgive myself. Even though the energy flow is interrupted between the right and left sides of my brain, I choose to allow my energy to flow back and forth.” Visualize your energy flowing in a circle from right to left around your body and then reverse the flow from left to right. 3. “Even though I have a fronttoback energy blockage in my body, I love and forgive myself. I choose to allow my energy to flow from front to back and vice versa.” Visualize your energy flowing freely in a circle around your body.

Deep Breaking while Working the Bladder Meridian

The Spinal Release Technique is a loving tool from the chiropractic tradition that couples can do to release anger taking turns tapping down each other’s back. The sympathetic nervous system chain which activates the fight, flight or freeze responses travels down the thoracic spine. Tapping on either side of the spinal column helps break into the fight or flight response. The Bladder channel, as described by Traditional Chinese Energy Medicine, runs from the inside of the eyebrows back across the head and down the back near the spine continuing down to the toes and is the only meridian that is connected to all the organs in the body— lungs, heart, liver, spleen, pancreas, stomach and intestines. Tapping on the Bladder channel while you think of your problem can create a shift in the energy system of the body.

The Spinal Release Technique

97

Enlist a partner to briskly tap up and down one inch away from your spine on both sides while you keep your problem or feeling in mind. Breathe robustly while accepting what you don’t like in your life. If you can’t find a partner, reach back to tap on your own body as much as you can on the top, mid section and lower back. Start with the top of your neck at the skull going as far down as you can. Give extra tapping to any tender areas along this Bladder channel. Think of what upsets you and turn it into an even though statement: “Even though I _____, I deeply and profoundly love and forgive myself and I choose to change.” Do three different types of breath patterns while tapping; one deep, long breath, four half breaths and then short rapid breaths as if you are breathing up and down a musical scale. This variation of breathing unlocks energetic blocks in the respiratory system. If an unhappy memory comes up, stay with it while tapping and breathing. Tell yourself that whatever happened, you survived it and you are strong enough to deal with anything that comes up.

Going Inward and Centering The Central or Conception Meridian in Chinese Energy Medicine runs from under your bottom lip down through the center of your body to the genital area. As a metaphor, it is considered how you “conceive” of your self—your self‐esteem. Energetically, it connects the higher Throat Charka and Heart Chakra with the three lower chakras. It is the place that we go into to ground and center ourselves. The center of your chest on the midline is an acupuncture point called “The Sea of Tranquility” in Chinese Energy Medicine. This is the place where your palms naturally come to rest when you fold your hands to pray—a gesture that is used in many spiritual traditions for centering and grounding. From this place of your heart move out of whatever fear that has held you in its grip.

The Sea of Tranquility

Lynne Namka

98

Place the tip of your tongue on the top of the back of the roof of your mouth to connect the Conception Meridian with the Governing Meridian. Tap sharply on the center on your chest with your fingers and take some deep breaths. Tapping and breathing put a strong vibration into the thymus gland and the heart to calm you. Think of floating in the Sea of Tranquility and letting your negative thought wash away from you. Monitor and correct your restrictive thoughts daily to be more positive in your thinking. Ask yourself, “Do I have a higher thought than what has been bothering me?” When your thinking is more rational based on actual facts, not the fear interpretation of the facts that your ego wants, you are left with a calmer mind. Healing is releasing that sense of the limited self. With the first emotional arousal cue comes up in any situation, tell yourself, “I can choose love. I choose life. I choose peace.” Touch into the center of your chest and allow a tranquil moment. Take a deep, replenishing breath and feel it move through your body down into your heart. Then bring your hands still in the prayer position up to touch the center of your forehead and focus on illuminating and opening your Third Eye.

Self Sabotaging Core Beliefs For some people, change can be threatening, even positive change. They hang on to deep‐seated beliefs due to fear of change. Psychological Reversals (PRs) are deeply hidden core belief fears that lie within that keep you from being successful. They are those perpetual blind spots described by Thought Field developer Roger Callahan who gave us the first Energy Psychology technique. We all have our blind spots which carry chronic patterns of energy that keep us caught in unproductive thinking. Psychological Reversals are pervasive mental blocks that prevent you from experiencing healing. They are unconscious objections to healing that were programmed into you when you were naive and open to the condemning judgments of others. PRs are the dogmatic beliefs which keep you caught even when you want to change. They are the decisions you made when you felt overwhelmed and unworthy as a child that continue today because you have not had the tools to release them. They create systemic energy blockages and energetic imbalances in your body and deplete your life energy. PRs are like having your batteries in backwards. Nothing

99

will work for you until you get your energy field straightened out. The belief that nothing you do will make a difference to make your life better is a reversal itself that needs to be corrected. Psychological Reversals come from the ego’s desperation to stay alive. They are the sneaky, ingenious reasons for staying as is! They are the character flaws born of your deepest fears and attachments. Many of them lie dormant in the subconscious mind and then pop out as an unhealthy defense when you feel the threat of uncomfortable emotions coming up. These programmed ideas that the mind holds hurt you. They often carry some hidden reason that you can ferret out and confront. Here are some typical self‐limiting core beliefs for you to check off and confront: _____ I am not lovable. _____ I am not safe. _____ I am unworthy. _____My world is not safe. _____ I don’t deserve abundance. _____ I don’t have the right to belong. _____ I am guilty. I must remain guilty and ashamed. _____I ‘m incompetent. _____I’m a bad person. _____ I hate myself. _____ I can never change. _____I’m trapped. _____I’m a victim. _____I’ve been betrayed. _____I can’t receive abundance. _____People will hurt me. _____I must rescue/fix others. _____ I’m special and should get special treatment. _____ I’m superior and can do what I want. _____ I am better than you. _____ I can hurt others. _____ Raging is okay to avoid uncomfortable feelings.

Challenging Unsavory Core Beliefs Choose a situation that you have not been able to change and ask yourself these questions. Writing down the answers will help clarify your need to hold onto beliefs and coping mechanisms that do not suit you. Dig deep!

100

All behavior has purpose. What possible benefit is there to having this coping behavior? How does staying in the situation keep you safe at some level? What does it keep you from risking? What does your subconscious mind want you to get or do before the belief under your behavior goes away? What have you been unwilling to do in order to keep this problem? What are you willing to do in order to change this unhealthy situation now? How will you be different if this issue goes away? Negative beliefs held at the core of your subconscious mind that were formed during traumatic events can hold great power sabotaging you from having loving relationships and success in life. They can be broken into with energy psychology techniques. When challenged repeatedly and turned upside down, you will have a sense of peace and renewed energy. Identify the situation where you feel stuck: Identify your beliefs regarding the situation: Identify your feelings about the situation: Now that you understand more about your reversed way of thinking, do something about it. Say your problem out loud to get auditory feedback through hearing your own voice. Say each statement twice while taking deep breaths while tapping on your body to create the energy for change. Tap all over your body and breathe vigorously while repeating the statements below. Pound away if the deeper vibration feels good. This brisk tapping or pounding will stimulate your endorphins and you will feel much better and you just might see things in a new light. Cup your fingers and tap briskly all over your body starting from the head down to your toes while you breathe deeply. Tap on as much of your neck and back as you can reach.

101

Say these statements even though you don’t mean them! Describing a difficult situation while you tap away on it can sometimes shift from nonacceptance to acceptance. Remember you can always give yourself permission to leave a situation that is harmful to you. Even though I minimize and don’t want to accept how bad my situation is, I deeply forgive myself. Even though I don’t like this situation, I accept myself and my feelings just as they as they are. Even though I hate this situation, I cannot change anyone but myself. Even though I feel frightened and hopeless about this situation, I choose to see my situation clearly and give myself choices in dealing with it. Even though I hate the way I act in this situation, I accept myself and all my feelings just as they as they are. Even though I judge myself bad for being in this situation, I choose to see my situation clearly and give myself choices in dealing with it. Even though I want to escape from this situation, I deeply and profoundly forgive myself. Even though I judge this situation to be unfair and wrong, I choose to see my situation clearly and give myself choices in dealing with it. Even though I think that I am better than or less than other, I choose to address this error in thinking. Even though I believe that I can’t bear this loss, I deeply and profoundly forgive myself. Even though I don’t accept this situation, I accept and forgive myself and choose to become clear. That’s it! Do these tools to break into your PRs even though you don’t want to. Do tapping and breathing on the idea that you don’t want to do this exercise. That might remove your resistance to doing the work!

102

Go back the next day and tap on your distorted thoughts again. And again. Keep at it! The only thing you have to lose is your fear and stuckness!

You are Not Alone! Requesting Help from Higher Forces There are loving spiritual forces around us that are waiting for an invitation to help as described by the anonymous saying, “We entertain angels unawares.” You can call on your God, guides and teachers and spiritual deities you believe in from higher realms to assist you in achieving peace. John Freedom adapted the Ask and Receive Technique to draw directly from higher spiritual resources. Higher Frequency Download is a structured prayer way to access and know answers to problems by connecting with the subconscious mind with the Higher Resources that are available to us. It helps you address your deepest beliefs that are not helpful. You can request higher frequencies from above through intention and asking for what you want.

Higher Frequency Download

John Freedom Find an issue for which you wish assistance with from those spiritual forces greater than yourself. Determine the SUDS level of intensity of the problem. 1. I KNOW that there are Angels & Allies, Healers & Teachers, Higher Forces & Resources (God) that know how to heal, balance, correct and realign all the errors in my beliefs, attitudes, perceptions and memories regarding _____. 2. These Angels & Allies, Healers & Teachers, Higher Forces & Resources (God), are completely willing to heal, balance, correct, and realign this issue, in me, if I but ask. 3. I am completely willing to receive this divine healing, balance, correction and reAlignment. 4. I am now receiving this Divine Healing, Balance, Correction, and ReAlignment, in those specific memories, circuits, channels and locations needing correction, in all parts of my body, mind and spirit, in all times past, present, future and beyond, in all places, spaces, locations and dimensions of existence, for myself, my friends and family,

103

for all beings who have similar memories, issues, harmonics and Morphic fields, for all sentient beings and for All Creation, for the Highest Good of All. 5. This Healing/Balancing/Correction and ReAlignment has already begun, and will continue for as long as needed. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Thank those deities with whom you identify and receive guidance. Energy therapist Dawson Church’s book on neurogenesis called, The Genie in your Genes: Using the Stunning New Breakthroughs in DNA Research to Generate Peak Health, quotes research showing that it doesn’t make a difference which deity you call upon to help with healing. Help is there when asked for. That innate intelligence will respond to your asking for help as you connect in with your heart. The heart has the strength and intelligence to carry you through to that place of love.

Family Ancestral Energetic Themes and Emotions Some of the emotions that we carry are not only our own but are energetically transmitted to us from our parents and our ancestors. We replay some of the dominant emotions and themes of our parents and those who came before us, good, bad and indifferent. Some of the energetic interchange may be registered at the subconscious level in you or in your relatives from generations past. Destructive themes are also passed down in families’ genetic memory. Being a victim, incest, addictions, stubbornness are some examples of themes. If your parents have had a theme even though they may have repressed it, you probably have it either at a conscious or an unconscious level or both. Children are often little energetic sponges and take on the energies of their parents without being aware of them. They grow up and make the same mistakes or marry someone who has a similar energetic theme as their family. Themes in families are intertwined with the past and future generations and as beliefs, emotions and defense mechanisms, these can be released. You can clear negativity around an emotional state (anger, fear, grief, sadness, shame, anxiety, etc.) or a theme that have come down through your father and/or mother’s ancestral line. In this exercise, anger is given as it is a universal theme family present in many families. You can substitute any other emotion such as shame, depression and anxiety.

104

You can use tapping protocol of The Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) to take personal responsibility and go deeper into resistant, energetically‐bound family themes to provide systematic clearance. Call on any teachers, helpers, guardians, angels and God to assist you in this healing. Use EFT to tap while making the following statements. This tool takes a few minutes, but it is thorough working the issue with forgiveness for you and your ancestors. It uses anger release as an example, but you can use any emotion or theme.

Tapping to Release Family Energetic Themes Choose a general family emotion or theme that affects your life. Work this issue first with your father’s side of the family and then your mother’s. Even though there is anger in my father’s ancestral line that continues in me and my children and grandchildren, I deeply forgive myself and all of those who preceded me. I humbly ask Source to release all energies, beliefs and this predisposition to anger. Even though there are issues of fear and anger about being rejected and abandoned in my father’s genetic line, I forgive myself and those who came before me. Even though I am angry that I’ve rejected myself or a part of me, …. Even though I am angry that I’ve abandoned myself or a part of me, …. Even though I’ve rejected my values of _____, …. Even though there are issues of anger in my father’s genetic line at being betrayed, I forgive myself and those who came before me. Even though I’ve betrayed _____, ….. Even though I’ve betrayed myself by _____, ….. Even though I’ve been angry at being betrayed by _____, ….. Even though there are issues of anger in my father’s genetic line about fear of being criticized, I forgive myself and those who came before me. Even though I’ve criticized and fault in myself, ….. Even though I’ve criticized others, ….. Even though I’ve been angry at myself for making mistakes, …..

105

Even though there is judgment and disgust when others did things differently than my father’s values, I forgive myself and those who came before me. Even though I’ve become judgmental and disgusted at other’s behaviors, …. Even though I’ve become judgmental and disgusted at myself or a part of myself, …. Even though there is irritability and frustration in my father’s genetic line, I forgive myself and those who came before me. Even though I am irritable and frustrated with____, …. Even though I’ve been irritable and frustrated with myself, ….. Even though there is disappointment in my father’s genetic line, I forgive myself and those who came before me. Even though I’ve been disappointed with …. Even though I’m disappointed with myself about_____, …. Even though there’s denial of personal responsibility and blaming others in my father’s genetic line, I forgive myself and those who came before me. Even though I’ve denied personal responsibility, ….. Even though I’ve blamed others instead of looking at my part of the problem, …. Even though there are power struggles and issues of control in my father’s genetic line, I forgive myself and those who came before me. Even though I’ve had power struggles and issues of control with _____, ….. Even though I’ve had power struggles and issues of control of my own about____, …. Even though there is bullying, mean teasing and aggression in my father’s genetic line, I forgive myself and those who came before me. Even though I’ve teased and bullied others, ….. Even though I’ve had aggressive thoughts/behaviors with _____, ….. Even though there is rage and violence in my father’s genetic line, I forgive myself and those who came before me. Even though I’ve raged at/about _____, ….. Even though I’ve had violent thoughts/behavior at _____, …..

106

Even though there is hatred and revenge in my father’s genetic line, I forgive myself and those who came before me. Even though I’ve felt loathing for myself, …. Even though I’ve felt hatred and revengeful at _____, ….. You could also repeat this exercise with any family trait—depression, mental illness, incest, addictions, narcissism, codependency, stubbornness etc. than has been passed down.

Covering all the Bases—Past, Present and Future We are all interconnected through that greater Morphic Field. People who are present have reincarnated back to be together as a soul group. Your going for the whole, super sized enchilada of healing with these people with whom you’ve experienced karma can’t hut and just might help! As part of a soul group that came through together, there are many unresolved emotional issues with anyone your have loved, hated or been close to. This includes your parents, siblings and important relatives. If you were adopted or raised by someone who did not share your genetic heritage, most likely you came from the same soul group. This category includes a step parent or an adoptive parent who influenced your beliefs. This energetic influence around a negative emotional theme that was learned from them also has to be worked. Go back and do the previous exercise substituting the name of the step or adoptive parent who raised you for the phrase “my father’s genetic line.” You could also do this altered version for any person not of your family who has hurt or abused you or that you have hurt to break any negative past life connections.

Releasing Themes from Other Dimensions and Other Aspects of Ourselves

Lynne Namka We are indeed privileged to be living in a time where we have the resources and techniques to carry out healing not only for ourselves but for the generations that came before us and those who come after. Do the EFT tapping protocol with these following possible energetic imbalances.

107

After the following Set Up Statements given below, add “I choose to be in a state of love and humbly ask God/Source to release these issues from the past or future. Even though there are unresolved past life energetic issues with _____, ….. Even though there are soul group imbalance issues with _____, ….. Even though there are other dimensions connected to this issue, _____, ….. Even though I carry the collective consciousness group theme of this issue, _____, ….. Even though my children and grandchildren carry out this theme, ….. Even though these issues play out in my current life in my relationship with _____ ….. Even though this generational theme operating currently has caused energetic blockages in my body and mind, …..

Clearing Old Karmic Lessons Karma is the understanding of the proverb, “What you sow, is what you reap.” What is unsolved and unsettled in a person’s consciousness is played out through their experiences with the people around them. At certain times in a person’s life, old soul memories start to awaken to call the person to address what is unresolved. Karmic lessons are hidden deep wit in our character and what we vibrationally draw to us. The misconceptions, false expectations and false assumptions that keep our life out of balance come up again and again to find resolution. Heraclitus said, “Our character comes back to us as destiny.” Each in its own timing, those soul lessons come back until they are addressed and laid to rest. The Chinese teacher, Li Junfan said, “The way to transcend karma lies in the proper us of the mind and will. The oneness of all life is a truth that can be fully realized only when false notions of a separate self, whose destiny can be considered apart from the whole, are forever annihilated.”

Clearing Soul Contracts What karmic lessons did you come back to learn? What negative, reoccurring patterns have you been playing out? What agreements have you made at a soul level with certain people in your life? Where is your life continually out of balance? What mistakes do you keep repeating? What are you doing to address your lessons?

108

Think of an uncomfortable life situation or an unhealthy pattern with someone in your life. What doesn’t work for you? You will have more than one lesson to be challenged. Once you bring these old contracts to a conscious level by being aware of them, you can work and release the ones that are impeding your spiritual growth. Turn the negative theme that you have experienced around. Reword it as a positive lesson to be learned. _____ To live in freedom. _____ To release narrowminded prejudice, intolerance and contempt for those who are different from you. _____ To release loss and identity confusion issues around loss and grief. _____ To release cravings for something outside the self seeking addictions. _____ To release hatred and revenge. _____ To release codependent behavior and the need to excessively take care of or fix others. _____ To balance power and issues of submission and domination. _____ To release beliefs and behaviors of superiority. _____ To release beliefs and behaviors of inferiority. _____ To receive abundance gracefully. _____ To live in harmonious, loving relationships. _____To speak my truth and live in accordance with Inner Wisdom. You can tap using The Emotional Freedom Technique on these old contracts that you came back to release. Set your intention for healing the unresolved karmic lessons that are playing out in your life. Observe how these contracts play out in your daily life and address them often.

109

Chapter 14

The Brain Entrained: Sound Technology to Enhance your Brain

“The brain tends to match its own wave pulses to those of exterior sound pulses, a phenomenon known as ‘ acoustic brainwave entrainment.’ Research has shown that specific states of consciousness can induced through hearing sound pulses that match the brainwave frequency of that particular state of mind.”

Jeffery Thompson

Brain waves are us! We humans are electrical and chemically based and our brains have electromagnetic impulses or currents which can be measured and charted with an electroencephalogram (EEG). This frequency or speed of the brain wave is measured in hertz (Hz) or cycles per second. You engage in varied brain wave frequencies as you move through your day depending upon what you are doing. If certain parts of your brain have more electrical energy, they become dominant with other parts having less energy. The brain goes out of balance. Depressed people have low levels of activity in the prefrontal cortex while experienced meditators, healers and Tibetan monks have high levels in this area. We now have important brain entrainment technology from the sound‐therapy field to help us offset some of the stressors that go on in our world. By using brainwave entrainment, you can shift your brain waves to a frequency that assists learning, relaxation, meditation and healing. Meditation has always been a recognized spiritual practice that allows for the shifting of disturbing material from the subconscious mind and enhancing consciousness. The binaural beat sound‐healing technique uses brain wave entrainment that allows a person to perceive tones that are below the range of human hearing. Binaural beats are produced when two tones of slightly different frequencies (such as a slight hertz level difference) are played in each ear. The brain tries to figure out what it is hearing and produces a sort of "back and forth" wave sound that pulses at different rates. Binaural beats recordings are available on CDs or downloaded to your MP3 are specially generated sounds, designed to alter your brain waves for optimum functioning. Your mood is affected by the type of brain waves you are experiencing and vice versa. Different commercial wave patterns promote different mental states or combinations of the different ranges. Binaural beat stimulation has been used to decrease anxiety, control weight, depression, stress, focus, attention, and deepen

110

states of consciousness. Brain enhancement has been used to facilitate profound relaxation, sleep, pain control, weight loss and to develop a harmonious attitude and strengthen the mind‐body relationship. Hemispheric synchronization is a process where the electrical activity between the left and right brain hemispheres become balanced. Having access to both sides of the brain at once is highly desirable as the right hemisphere is associated more with emotions and creativity while the left is associated more with rational thought, logic and speech. Increased synchronization is found in long‐term meditators and happier, contented people. When your two hemispheres are synchronized, you feel energized, healthier, happier, and emotionally stable and have a clear, focused mind. Brain synchronization is part of the spiritual journey.

Beta Waves Your Thinker—the part of you that is reading this right now—uses beta waves. Beta, our everyday working wave state pattern is measured at 13‐40 Hz when we problem solve and are motivated to do something. When we think, plan or interact with others, we are in the beta wave state. However fear thoughts are also part of the beta wave pattern. Certain hertz range levels of beta are associated with stress, depression, anxiety, insomnia and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Beta waves help take in and process data received through the senses. They are required for conscious thinking and processing of emotions. Beta waves are present when you worry, are angry or afraid. The frontal lobes of the brain are where beta brainwaves are produced as well as on both sides of the brain. Do not try to increase your beta waves if you are anxious or stressed.

Alpha Waves Alpha brain wave activity, measured at 7‐13 Hz, is common among highly‐creative individuals who have a clear mind or are experiencing relaxation. Alpha is also associated with the beginning of accessing the unconscious mind, softening your focus and increasing your creative vision. Do you get too relaxed and zone out when sitting in front of the boob tube? It’s a brain wave thing. Research showed that people who watched television produced brainwaves in the low alpha range. It only took one minute for the brainwaves to turn off the world and to enter low alpha! Extreme television watching can produce

111

an unfocused, day dreaming, brain fog, low alpha state that makes it challenging to go back to the real world and get something done! No wonder television is addictive. People who started reading a magazine quickly went back to the everyday state of beta.

Theta Waves Generating theta activity, measured at 4‐7 Hz, for a few minutes each day is a boon for healing. Theta waves are said to boost the immune system, enhance creativity and obtain deep relaxation and meditation. You experience theta during hypnosis, trance and going down into REM dream sleep. This happens when you are in a twilight dream‐like mental state. Childhood memories can come up. Theta has been associated as the “break through state” where sudden insight and creative ideas break through. Theta waves are present during shamanic journeys, out of body or astral travel. Sound healer Jeffery Thompson describes the healing reactions that can happen when theta brain state is activated. “This is where emotions and past hurts and traumas are healed. For many, the Theta brainwaves thaw frozen or stuck feelings from past traumas and hurts. As the brain state for healing feelings and emotions, the Theta session is very gentle but powerful: insights enhance understanding and realizations come with the “Aha” moments brought about by hemisphere synchronization.” “Theta Healing” is a popular workshop training program that teaches practitioners how to induce this deep healing state in clients.

Gamma Waves The gamma brain waves measured from 40‐70 Hz making them the fastest and smallest type of waves. They are considered by some to be a natural antidepressant which promotes a connection to increased perception and higher consciousness. When gamma waves increase, the left prefrontal cortex activity is increased allowing for the whole brain to balance and integrate. Gamma brain waves are commonly associated with increased levels of compassion, feelings of happiness, optimal brain functioning and a conscious awareness of reality. They are also associated with the “ah ha!” moment and mystical experiences. Research from across the world shows that some healers reach states of gamma waves while in their altered state of healing. Researchers found that strong gamma

112

waves were produced in eight Tibetan monks who meditated in a state of "unconditional loving‐kindness and compassion.” Some research indicates that people with psychiatric and neurological problems, learning disorders and schizophrenia have disrupted gamma waves. Lower and higher states of consciousness have different brain wave states. Nuclear physicist Dr. Robert Beck went all over the world measuring the brain waves of healers. He measured their electrical brain waves with an electroencephalograph (EEG). He found that healers all exhibit the same brain wave pattern of 7.8‐8 Hz when they are engaged in an altered state of consciousness during the healings. He tested many different types of healers: psychics, Christian faith healers, Hawaiian Kachinas, Wicca practioners and generic‐type healers. One hypothesis by Evan Vorley from the high‐consciousness web site www.themeditationsolution.com/is that babies have brains with strong gamma activity. Of course this would refer to babies who have not experienced birth trauma and early neglect or abuse. A contented, happy baby has a more integrated brain. Later, when there have been unsettling experiences where there has been strong emotion that was not processed, certain parts of the brain become more dominant giving too much of certain types of waves. Integration and wholeness becomes interrupted with changes in the brain’s electrical activity. Trauma experiences fragment the brain and disorient the child. The baby’s ego is formed when his gamma waves are disrupted. Vorley gives a good description of how brain waves are related to the formation of the child’s ego.

“When gamma brainwaves are strong the entire cortex is activated. It is a brainwave that integrates the brain and helps it to work as a whole… Their sense of self is simple, whole and integrated. As the child grows up however their brain starts to work in compartments with some parts becoming more active and others less active. As the personality becomes more complex and the Gamma brainwave becomes weaker the child starts to look for its sense of self in what it does and how it relates to the world instead of its wholeness, its being. This is a turning point in the evolution of the ego. When does the child's sense of self shift from its presence, the beingness that was born to that of the ego? It is a gradual process but there are periods where the child is actually aware of the shift… It is only years later when the ego becomes increasingly complex that the sense of self shifts from that of Essence to that of ego. When this occurs, the gamma brainwave has become much weaker and the brain becomes disjointed.”

113

The concept of entrainment from the brain wave research explains how deep healing occurs in the presence of gurus, shamans and healers who can induce (entrain) gamma waves in others. During healing experiences, pieces of the fractured ego may be brought into balance with theta and gamma activity to resonate with the higher vibration frequencies of love and interconnection.

Delta Waves Delta waves are those good deep sleep waves which provide restorative healing for the body. They are measured at less than 4 Hz and accompany the loss of body awareness as you drop into deep sleep that restores your body. During deep sleep, there is an increased immune function and deep physical relaxation with the potential for healing. Delta waves during REM sleep give you access to the unconscious and collective unconscious. During deepest REM sleep, information that has been learned during the day becomes incorporated. People with brain injury and comas may have too much of these delta waves and are unable to shift to other needed brain states.

The Binaural Beat Technology Some sound healing programs use pleasant background sounds such as ocean waves, rain forest sounds, bird calls or ambient sound. Some provide hypnotic suggestions, verbal instructions or subtle sound effect. Others are pure beats only with no subliminal messages or voice‐over messages. Free samples are available from some of the websites that sell these programs either to listen to or to download to MP3 devices. Jeffery Thompson incorporates primordial sounds to his recordings—womb sounds, mother’s heart beats, nature sounds and sounds taken by Voyager Space Craft as it passed by outer planets of our Solar System—Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Thompson relates,

“These were recordings of charged electromagnetic particles (ions) in the magnetic fields of these planets vibrating within the range of human hearing. What did they sound like? They sound like dolphins, choirs of voices singing, crickets, birds, Tibetan bowls, and ocean sounds, plus other sounds too strange to identify, but which seem very familiar. Could these sounds be deeply recognizable at a deeper level of the "collective unconscious?”

114

Warning, Choose Wisely: One Size does not Fit All! Brain mapping research indicates that some people have too much of one type of brainwaves. Exposing their brain to more of the same waves can be detrimental with more hemisphere imbalance. People who are dissociative or feel depersonalized and lose their sense of time might stand a good dose of beta‐wake‐up‐now waves. People with seizure disorders may have too many theta waves at certain times might benefit from beta activity when a possible seizure starts to come on. Beta waves might be helpful for people who space out and those who feel “ungrounded.” There is a small amount of research saying that people with ADD have difficulty maintaining the high levels of brain arousal associated with sustained alertness and focused attention. They have low levels of beta activity as measured by EEGs and too much theta waves some of the time sending them off into day dreaming and distraction In a research study, enhancing beta waves was shown to have an effect on the ability of children with ADD to improve attention and perform various tasks.

Designer Brain Wave Programs for Different Purposes Listening to different wave patterns, you may notice tingling sensations in different parts of your brain as electrical activity shifts. The binaural beat field is worth researching as more is being discovered with the new brain‐imaging studies. Achieving a balanced, interconnected brain is one of the most important things you can do to help with the stressors that you face. Reuniting the disconnected hemispheres and moving from lower level consciousness to a higher state of vibration will help increase the peace and harmony in your life. You might ask yourself, “What type of brain waves are needed for this particular task?” or “What type of brain waves will calm me down or rev me up right now?” There’s not much written on understanding your own type of brain wave activity and how to optimize designer brain waves for your specific needs. If you have an unusual brain or one that has too many of one type of wave, you need to be a connoisseur when choosing what works for you. Or go to a brain‐mapping clinic to learn about your particular types of wave lengths and how to optimize the electrical activity in your brain.

115

Here are some general ideas. Do you have trouble focusing and paying attention? When your brain feels groggy or scattered, try one of the Hemi‐sync’s CDs for alertness and focus. Beta wave CDs with various types of classical music can be found at the Monroe Institute’s Hemi Sync web site at www.hemi‐sync.com/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=204&cat=ADD. For creativity and calming, try sound healer Dr. Jeffery Thompson’s music such as Gamma 2.0 or Theta Meditation at www.neuroacoustic.com/. Use Thompson’s Delta wave CD for getting to and staying asleep when your mind is over‐stimulated and busy, busy, busy. For spiritual development and understanding of your multi‐dimensionality, Meditationsolution.com gives a metaphysical understanding and the binaural beat technology embedded in sound and higher level practices to assist your awakening into higher knowledge. They have a program that balances all the organs and chakras. While all human brains are similar, individual brains are unique like fingerprints; each has its own special needs on a day‐to‐day basis. Caution, caution about staying in alpha, theta and gamma too much of the time to the detriment of your everyday life tasks. Use this sound technology intelligently drawing from your inner wisdom. Don’t try to get too much of a good thing. Don’t overdo using this brain entrainment technology to stay in the “feel good” brain states all the time; don’t create a new addiction to being in la la land at the expense of other required brain waves. A short period a day is sufficient to achieve harmony. Your intelligent brain can learn to reproduce desired brainwaves on its own through repeated listening. Your brain can hold the memory of a desired wave pattern and recognize what is required for a certain type of task. Then with much practice, your brain can remember how to produce that particular activity and chemical and hormonal state that is needed. This is the ability to entrain your own brain to a desired brain state by using breathing, intention and a conditioned response to put yourself into a desired brain state. As the ancient Taoists knew, healing is always about balance.

116

Chapter 15

Coherence: Becoming Pure of Heart

“Intelligence capacity is diminished when frustration, anxiety or inner turmoil operate.

Such emotional states cause incoherence in the rhythmic and electrical output of the heart, diminishing neurological efficiency. It's one of the reasons smart people can do stupid things.

When you make internal coherence a daily priority, you save time and energy. Internal coherence "oils" your system. Without oil in an engine, it burns up.

So can you.”

Doc Childre and Bruce Cryer, HeartMath Institute We humans are so heart connected. The heart is the first organ that develops in the fetus beginning about ten days of age. The heart creates a strong electromagnetic field that sends signals throughout the body. Joseph Chilton Pearce said that the electromagnetic field goes out up to fifteen feet from the body. The heart is an intelligence system that works with the mental emotional reactions that affect our health. The HeartMath Institute has pioneered research for over a decade showing the mechanisms through which the heart communicates with the brain to process perceptions, emotions, organ function and overall health. We are both electrical and chemical in nature with one hundred trillion cells seeking information through specialized pathways and communicating with each other. Through study and mapping the electrical and the chemical synchronization between the heart and brain, the researchers have repeatedly shown that creativity, intuition and productivity increase when there is coherence in the system. Ahh, it is the heart that’s at the center of our healing. The heart has an electrical amplitude that is sixty times greater than the brain. The magnetic field of the heart is 5,000 times greater than the brain’s generated magnetic field. Your heart beats chaotically when you are in emotional distress. Your heart and brain communicate via electrical and chemical messages that dictate the fight or flight response. Yet you can reset the mechanism to bring yourself back into feeling safe and competent. Healing moments access higher levels of information that create harmony and balance in the brain and heart. Chilton Pearce said, "The intelligence of the heart is the intelligence of the Universe to hold itself in unison."

It’s about Balance—the Two Branches of the Central Nervous System

117

As I described in my book, Your Quick Anger Makeover: Plus Twenty Other Cutting-Edge Techniques to Release Anger, Five Element Theory and Traditional Chinese Energy Medicine came out of the ancient Taoist philosophy. Five Element Theory describes wood, fire, metal, earth and water energies and the tendency or predisposition of a person to act in certain ways due to the imbalances of their body. For example, angry people typically have an imbalance in their wood energy which is concentrated in the liver and gall bladder meridians. Acupuncturist Lonny Jarrett states that Chinese theory describes how “…. a child becomes stuck in one of the five movements of the Tao as a predominant form of self-expression.” Traumatic life experiences including positive and negative core beliefs and the perceptual lens of how the world is viewed can further impact the child, enhancing their imbalance. Using anger as an example, if liver chi is obstructed or exaggerated, it accumulates without the ability to flow which causes excess heat. Excessive chi in these meridians is characterized by a person who is hostile, belligerent, frustrated and has a sense of being thwarted and the need to always be right which results in the inability to control anger. The Taoist concept of striving for balance is consistent with modern‐day scientific theory that homeostasis is the result of equilibrium between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system so they can function in tandem. Coordination between the two branches of the central nervous system happens when the individual is able to detect safety in not only the outer environment but within the memories of the mind. Danger is not perceived so the person does not have to stay in hyper‐vigilance always preparing to fight, flee or freeze. Everything that you perceive and think is transmitted from your heart to your brain though the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system. The two systems work together to speed you up when danger is eminent and to alternately slow you down to ensure survival of your body. The sympathetic nervous system reacts to stress and threat; think of it as being sympathetic to react to DANGER energizing the heart, glands and smooth muscles to prepare for action. It gives the message to fight/flight, which is escaping, or freeze. Freezing, a typical dissociative response, makes the body immobile (like a possum playing dead) but in this state no energy is discharged from the autonomic nervous system. Amnesia for what happened may occur. The thinking process and mental functions are separated off from the emotions. In this state, all the internal organs are affected and there is no discharge of the excess energies of shock, shame, helplessness and hopelessness.

118

The parasympathetic nervous system with the help of the vagal nerve tries to get the body back to homeostasis by slowing down the heart beat to bring the body back to a calmer state. People with constant stressors in their life can get stuck in hyperarousal or sympathetic nervous system arrest. Seventy to ninety per cent of all visits to the doctor result from stress‐related causes according to the American Institute of Stress.

Research indicates that some very sensitive people who experience early threats have compromises in the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems disrupt their ability to remain calm as their brain over‐interprets incoming stimuli. Disruption of the sensory stimuli signals makes more of a challenge with behavioral over‐reactivity and emotional self‐regulation. People with sensory defensiveness have intense interpretations of noise, touch, olfactory and visual stimuli that others find innocuous. It stands to reason that the more sensitive you are, the more self‐care in terms of calming techniques you will need to do to keep your body in homeostasis. And the feeling that you are safe in your world is a function of the amount of your original emotional arousal and sense of helplessness if you experienced earlier trauma.

The Coherence Research from the HeartMath Institute

The HeartMath Institute studies measured the heart variability rate (HRV) to show how the heart speeds up or slows down in response to stress. Their following graphs show the different patterns of heart rate variability under conditions of stress and then how the heart rhythms change when you feel grateful and appreciative.

119

StressProducing Heart Rhythm of a Chaotic, Jerky Pattern

An incoherent heart is marked by jagged, disordered or irregular heart‐rhythm patterns. When you have stressful feelings your heart goes out of balance and your brain becomes flooded with cortisol and other stress hormones. Unresolved problems, stress and negative thoughts create an electrical system in the body that is out of balance. Chronic stress is an ongoing self‐induced state of emergency. Excessive negative emotions add to being in a state of chronic dehabilitating stress and fatigue and interrupt your body’s ability to heal itself.

Harmonious Heart Rhythm with Cardiovascular Efficiency

A coherent heart has smooth, ordered heart‐rhythm patterns. Healing is achieved by reaching a coherent energy field within the system by bringing in refined and higher frequencies that create a harmonious balance between the heart and the brain. This is the heart‐brain entrainment. Strong emotions change your heart and brain rhythms and disrupt the free flow of electrical activity and energy. The HeartMath research concludes,

120

“Sincere, positive feeling states like appreciation can result in highly ordered and coherent heart rate variability patterns, generally associated with enhanced cardiovascular function. What’s happening is that the two branches of the autonomic nervous system are "entraining" and working together at maximum efficiency instead of fighting each other. Think of entrainment as being ‘in sync.’ When your head and heart, thoughts and feelings, are working harmoniously together, you have more clarity and inner balance–and you feel better.”

Depressed people often obsess about how bad they feel and focus on the negative aspects of their life. A recent study used a treatment of having depressed people make a list of five things they were grateful for once a day. All they had to do was make a list. Their emotional state changed and they became much happier. Imagine how much better you would feel if you not only made a list, but actually experienced the feeling of gratitude daily? That’s the premise behind the HeartMath Institute’s mind and body calming practices. You can go to your “happy place” by connecting your heart and brain in coherence! HeartMath’s research shows that we have the ability to create heart‐rhythm coherence to live happier lives. Connecting into your heart and activating a heart feeling such as love, gratitude or a fun experience suspends your everyday reality from disruptive thoughts and emotions. The HeartMath’s research shows that feelings of appreciation, gratitude and happiness increase white blood cells and strengthen the immune system. Use the HeartMath exercises that follow to give yourself congruent, coherent moments often to allow that entrainment between your heart and brain. Stop reading now, and do these quick exercises to entrain your heart and brain.

Quick Coherence®: The Rhythm of the Heart

HeartMath

• Heart Focus: Shift your attention to the area of your heart and breathe slowly and deeply.

• Heart Breathing: Keep your focus in the heart by gently breathing – big breaths—5 seconds in and 5 seconds out. Pretend to breathe through the area of your heart. Do two or three times.

121

• Heart Feeling: Activate and sustain a genuine feeling of appreciation or care for someone or something in your life. Focus on the good heart feeling as you continue breathing through the area of your heart.

Think of at least five things that you feel grateful for. Notice how your body softens and your heart and mind calms. Think of your “happy place.” Focus on the positive in your life to get more of it!

Freezeframe® Technique

HeartMath FreezeFrame is a oneminute technique that allows a major shift in perception. More than positive thinking, it creates a definitive, heartfelt shift in how we view a situation, an individual or ourselves. When you feel stressed, stop for a minute:

• Shift out of the head, and focus on the area around your heart. Keep your attention there for at least 10 seconds. Continue to breathe normally.

• Recall a positive time or feeling you had in your life to reexperience it mentally. Try not to simply visualize this event, but rather feel it fully.

• Ask a question from the heart: “What can I do in this situation to make it different?” or “What can I do to minimize stress?”

• Listen to the response of your heart. You may hear nothing, but perhaps feel calmer. You may receive verification of something you already know, or you may experience a complete perspective shift, seeing the crisis in a more balanced way. Although you may not have control over the event, you do have control over your perception of it.

Attitude Breathing Tool®

HeartMath In Attitude Breathing, you focus on your heart and solar plexus as you breathe into a positive attitude. The solar plexus is the area of the third chakra which carries lessons of balancing power with others. The heart will automatically harmonize the energy between the heart, mind and body, increasing coherence and clarity.

122

• Focus on the heart as you breathe in. As you breathe out, focus on your solar plexus. The solar plexus is located about four inches below the heart, just below the sternum where the left and right sides of your ribcage are joined.

• Practice breathing in through the heart, and out through the solar plexus for 30 seconds or more, to help anchor your energy and attention there. Next, select a positive feeling or attitude to breathe in and out through those same areas for another 30 seconds (or more). For example, you can breathe in through the heart, an attitude of appreciation; and breathe out through the solar plexus, an attitude of compassion.

• Select attitudes to breathe that will help offset the negative emotion or imbalance of the situation you are in. Breathe deeply with the intent of shifting to the feeling of that attitude. For example, you can breathe in an attitude of balance, and breathe out an attitude of forgiveness.

Practice different combinations of attitudes you want to develop. You can tell yourself, “breathe genuine”, “breathe courage”, or whatever attitude you want. Even if you can’t feel the shift at first, making an earnest effort will help you get to a neutral state.

Heart LockIn®

HeartMath Heart LockIn helps you experience your heart at a deeper level through spending more time in appreciation. This approach does not try to problem solve or fix something but puts you in a longer coherent state so you can see things clearly. These quick, powerful HeartMath exercises can be done several times daily to improve physical, mental, emotional health, reduce stress and maximize creativity!

• Shift your attention away from your mind, and focus on your heart.

• Remember the feeling of love or care you have for someone whom it’s easy for you to love. Try to stay with that feeling for five to 15 minutes.

• Gently send that feeling of love or appreciation to yourself and others. In 15 minutes, a Heart LockIn can provide physical, mental and spiritual regeneration as you give yourself the gift of tapping into a state of love and creating oxytocin and other good brain chemicals.

123

124

Chapter 16

Balancing the Polar Opposites

“Empty yourself of everything. Let the mind rest at peace.

The ten thousand things rise and fall while the Self watches their return. They grow and flourish and then return to the source.

Returning to the source is stillness, which is the way of nature.”

Lao Tse The ancient wisdom of Taoism speaks of the concept of achieving a consciousness of no duality or separation. Much of the suffering in life comes from beliefs that we are separate. In Esoteric wisdom all extremes of emotions flow out of our perception of duality. Unhappiness and anxiety result from the nonacceptance of the negative aspects of life’s experiences. Duality perception divides everything into polar opposites that then must be judged—that there is harm or no harm. This sets up a dualistic tension in the body/mind/spirit. Jung studied the Tao’s concepts of separation and stated that human needs have fashioned most concepts into dichotomies:

“Man's real life consists of a complexity of inexorable opposites—day and night, birth and death, happiness and misery, good and evil. We are not even sure that one will prevail against the other, that good will overcome evil, or joy defeat pain. Life is a battleground. It always has been and always will be; and if it were not so, existence would come to an end. The Tao speaks of a place of peace of achieving a consciousness of no duality or separation. Emotional healing results every time we shift a part of the polarized thinking. The healing of negative feelings, thoughts and judgments take us out of the sense of being separate from others, from our own spiritual nature and that which we perceive as God.”

Dualistic thinking causes psychic conflict between the aware, conscious mind and the repressed subconscious mind which if brought into your awareness can bring the energy necessary for change. Dynamic polarities such as passivity versus pain, life versus death force, self versus outer world and love versus hate exist as conflictual energy within the personality.

125

The Tyranny to Separatist Thoughts

The beliefs that we are separate from the total unity and that we can be harmed are part of suffering. The word separate means to destroy the connection; to become detached from; to occupy a position between and to keep apart. It also means to alienate, detach, disengage, disjoin, disunite, divide, part, remove, sever, split, sunder or withdraw. Separation is the process of division or the state of being disconnected. Believing oneself to be separate is an illusion fostered by the either/or polarized thinking of our time. "All suffering is caused by an illusion of separateness, which generates fear and self‐hatred which eventually causes illness,” said Barbara Brennan author of Hands of Light. In the Pali Canon scriptures, the Buddha exhorted his followers to release their attachments to cravings, material objects and false identity ideas. Did the Buddha predict the end times through destruction in this translation or is he using a metaphor? Is he saying that this earthly existence is not permanent so prepare yourself by addressing attachments and addictive needs?

“There comes a time, monks, when the great sea dries up and evaporates and no longer exists, but still, I say, there is not making of suffering for those beings roaming and wandering about hindered by ignorance and fettered by craving…. There comes a time, monks, when the great earth burns up and perishes and no longer exists, but I say, there is not making an end of suffering for those beings roaming and wandering on hindered by ignorance and fettered by craving.”

126

Suffering Equals Attachment According to the Buddhist philosophy, all life is suffering. “One thing I teach, is suffering and the release from suffering,” said the Buddha. The First Noble Truth the Buddha tells us is that all existence is suffering. Sorrow has a cause and the cause can be ended. The Second Truth is that cravings cause the pain. Feelings and perceptions of the ego propel us to want to possess desirable objects and personal attributes. Egocentrism, desire, blindness and hatred fan the flame of craving, keeping us in a constant state of unrest. Buddhists believe that it is attachment to the eight world dharmas that creates suffering. Four pairs of opposites make up the eight worldly dharmas: Pleasure/pain, gain/loss, fame/disgrace, and praise/blame. We put our emphasis on getting pleasure, gain, fame and praise which feel good and thus avoid the negative poles. Suffering is different from pain. Pain is the physical sensations in the body and brain from assault to the body. Suffering is of the mind generated by our beliefs. We all have attachment to feelings of loss, grief, betrayal and feeling abandoned. Suffering is of the ego seeing the lack in the life and wanting something. The Buddha taught that we are born and we suffer. We live and we suffer. We die and we suffer. To get rid of suffering, let go of attachment. Release all attachment to things that are not of the greater Self. The Buddha told us that it is the nature of human beings to be addicted. The human condition is to cling and to attach—we want to feel pleasure and avoid pain. We attach to those substances, things and experiences that make us feel good. We seek the endorphin rush that comes with pleasure. We cling to the positive things to avoid feeling the inner deep pain and shame that hides within the Shadow. We attach to former times and relationships that bring us a sense of nostalgia and happiness. We desire those feelings that create the ahhh relaxation of the body and mind. Over‐attachment to the feelings of happiness and past love (positive arousal which stimulates the endorphins and increases self‐esteem) can also keep individuals from moving forward. These ego desires are based on gaining pleasure—the “I want to feel good!” Living in the past, nostalgia and attachment to happy feelings that accompanied a simpler time in life can arise during times of stress. Attachment to fame, fortune and being seen as special in the eyes of others are other ego traps

127

We suffer because we feel incomplete and lacking in some way. Much of the confusion in our lives is the interplay between ego fears, attachments and desire and the will. Suffering comes out of ignorance and holding on to a certain perspective. The trap is desire and attachment in either wanting something or wanting to be rid of it. In suffering, we are separated from something that is valued. It may be a loved one who is no longer with us, health, or possessions. These external lackings reflect the separateness we feel internally. Unity is what we seek to achieve; suffering is an opportunity to achieve this healing. Mystic Aldous Huxley expanded on this theme of moving though the attachment to the ideas of separation and suffering:

“The capacity to suffer arises where there is imperfection, disunity, and separation from an embracing totality; and the capacity is actualized to the extent that imperfection, disunity and separateness are accompanied by an urge towards the intensification of the creative conditions. For the individual who achieves unity within his own organism and union with the divine Ground, there is an end of suffering.”

We are stuck with our traumas from the past because we do not know how to release the energies that surround them. Fear binds energy in an unusable state and robs the individual of energy that could be used for joyful living. Addictions, self‐centered thoughts, quarreling and worrying over issues cause personal energy to be bound up. Rejection sets up an energy field of its own. Fear of abandonment and of being alone keep us in situations and emotional states that are painful to bear. Judging oneself and others and being indecisive or clinging to one desired expectation for an outcome fosters a state of disequilibrium. Emotional baggage left unresolved creates psychic conflict between the repressed, subconscious mind and the aware, conscious mind.

Attaching to the Story of Victimhood When threat, stressors and trauma strike, it can be very easy to see ourselves as the “Victim of All Times.” This unfortunate mindset is attachment to the trauma and drama—“I am a victim or I am the victim of all times because I’ve suffered greatly.” The building up of the self as the leading character in a tragedy play can place misguided emphasis on the melodramatic. Cast in the helpless role, we are separate. The tragedy may be related to the false belief that it is prestigious to have something seriously wrong in one’s life. Some people define themselves only in terms of the current crisis in their life. There may be secondary gains of garnering attention from others as you repeat your woes.

128

Victim words related to the harrowing feelings of helplessness such as “can’t,” “impossible,” “never,” and “unable” show the limits the person places on himself. By accepting the passive view of helplessness, the person’s world is distorted with conflict building up and choices become limited. The story of incompetence and passivity can become your identity. The fears and tears function to distract from the true journey of finding the True Self. And yet it is in suffering where we gain the most depth of understanding. We learn through our pain. A phrase from the Greek play Agamemnon, describes this—pathei mathos means “learning by the means of suffering.” Challenging the judgments of the critical ego and its attachments is an ongoing process. To go outside of polarity is to release the need to judge or want anything. Moving through out attachments to gain our truth is part of the spiritual path. Healing is suppressed when you are in those ego states of superiority or inferiority which are tuned into fields of fear. Psychotherapist Cheryl Cook asks, “What fields are you tuned to? You can tune to those miraculous archetypical fields of healing. With an open heart and good intention, you can ask to step back from your attachment to your story.” Here is her exercise on gaining a perspective on addressing the “me‐not me” polar opposite:

Inner Focus: Opening to Spaciousness

Cheryl Cook Often what we attach to are stories about ourselves that creates a constriction of thinking. You can open your mind to a generosity that goes beyond fear which always contracts not only the mind but also the energy field. The spaciousness of the heart is inclusive wanting only the best for you. Think of a story about your life that you tell yourself that smacks of limitation. Just for a moment, focus on your attachment to: THE body THE body sensations THE mind THE thought THE feeling THE ego THE story you tell yourself

129

Learn to distinguish between your story about what you tell yourself and who you truly are as a spiritual being. Choose one of the above (body, body sensations, mind, thought, feeling, ego or story) and insert it in this exercise. Choose a different aspect to focus on each time you do this practice. What do you notice in THE (body, body sensations, mind, thought, feeling, ego or story)? Meet THE (body, body sensations, mind, thought, feeling, ego or story) without judgment or opinion. Meet THE (body, body sensations, mind, thought, feeling, ego or story) with open curiosity. Meet THE (body, body sensations, mind, thought, feeling, ego or story) with great kindness and compassion. If you think this is hard to do, meet that thought of it being hard to do with open curiosity and great kindness. Open into spaciousness. Breathe into curiosity and great kindness. What do you notice? Allow a shift. Note that shift with open curiosity and deep gratitude. Tell yourself, “I am not THE (body, body sensations, mind, thought, feeling, ego, story). I’ve a _____ but I am not THE _____. I am much, much, more than the _____.” Open into gratitude and deep compassion. Thank THE (body, body sensations, mind, thought, feeling, ego, story). Take a deep breath. Step back from THE (body, body sensations, mind, thought, feeling, ego, story). Note you are not THE (body, body sensations, mind, thought, feeling, ego, story). Allow some space in THE (body, body sensations, mind, thought, feeling, ego, story). Allow with open curiosity and deep gratitude. Just for a moment be this time of Stillness as you allow Spaciousness in being more than the _____. Awake to the moment of Stillness. Allow Stillness.

Becoming the Neutral Observer

Clinging to the idea that we have been or are being harmed in some way results in neurotic behaviors and reactive defense mechanisms. We are sometimes too close to our problems to be able to see them objectively. The ego invests way‐too‐much

130

energy in them. Observing something impartially from a different vantage point can change the perception of how you see it. You engage the Observer Effect when you step out of the ego to alter your perceptions of the problem. Take what upsets you to a neutral position. Try this step‐back approach of just viewing your emotions instead of reacting to them. Visualize the situation that bothers you and move away emotionally from it. Then take two giant steps back where you simply watch objectively.

Stepping Back Behind Your Mind Go to a place behind your mind. Feel yourself pulling back until you are looking at things from behind your mind. Disengage from your feelings and observe the action with a mild curiosity. If a fear comes up, just watch how it shuts you down or takes you into hostile thoughts that keep you from interpreting situations correctly. Observe any defenses that arise that make you want to lash out in anger, pull back in confusion or stew in selfrighteousness. Observing and experiencing an emotion instead of reacting instantly to defend yourself gives you time to regain your composure when you feel a threat. Slowing down that hairtrigger response gives you more personal power by helping stop habitual defense patterns. Step away from your attachments, Ma’am or Sir. Just step away! Put a situation that disturbs your mind on a large picture screen. You are the writer, director and actor of a story about how you anger or frighten yourself. Give your movie a name. Sit watching the picture from the front of the theater as the story unfolds. Breathe deeply and watch quietly without emotion. Then take another part of yourself to sit in the middle of the theater that watches the part of you that goes to sit in front watching the picture on the screen. Then take another part of you that sits in the back of the theater that observes you in the middle watching you in the front studying you on the screen. Take another part of you that sits in the balcony watching you in the back of the theater watching you in the middle watching you in the front watching you on the screen. Feel the detachment and dissociation as you move back from the intensity and emotionality of the situation. Remember that as the writer, you can change the script anytime; choose to rewrite the ending into a happier one. See your character in the movie growing and changing through observing instead of defensive reacting to threatening events.

131

The illusion of “they did this to me, therefore I am devalued and must live my life being less than who I am” becomes broken. You can start to remember what has been forgotten—“I am intact. I am whole.” When you realize the absurdity of the dualities of pain/pleasure, right/wrong, good/evil, sick/well and self as separate from others, you can experience interconnection with all. By moving past the need to make things right or wrong, you can come to the place where defenses no longer serve any purpose and emerge into the spiritual realm. The mystic poet Kabir said, “Between the poles of the conscious and unconscious mind, there has the mind made a swing. Thereon hang all beings and all worlds, and that swing never ceases its sway.” So this is not only a time of the Great Shift, this is a time of the Great Swing. Remember what fun it was to just swing with abandon when you were a child? It is time to return to the child‐like state of knowing and joyfully swinging.

132

Chapter 17

Tuning into the Christ Consciousness Healing

“He healeth the broken in heart…He telleth the number of the stars.”

Psalm 147: 3, 4 Many people are responding at this time of great change to their soul‐generated urging for change to the Christ Consciousness energy that surrounds our planet. The Christ Consciousness is a feminine, compassionate energy being brought into our planet by the Higher Forces of Love and Light. It is here to assist our evolution and growth as it has personal love for all humankind and is helping to transform our planet. Christian contemplation has been a time‐respected practice for healing for those who feel a deep connection with the healing power of Jesus Christ. Christ was a wonderful model of compassion for those who were in pain. The Christ Consciousness energies that are coming into our planet are considered to be the benign vibrations of love and acceptance where healing can take place. You have been given permission to do great works in His name. Remember His immortal words, "Even the least among you can do all that I have done, and greater things."

Connecting with the Christ Consciousness Think of a negative emotion or belief you wish to heal. Bring the palms of your hands together rubbing them gently. Focus on the warmth of your palms. Allow the warmth to increase. Place your hands on your heart as you think of the great compassion of Christ. Connect now with your Inner Healer which is connected to the Christ Consciousness spirit—that part of you that seeks health and wholeness to activate those healing forces that are within you. See and feel a color that represents the healing energy to you and picture a spiritual image of Jesus or Mary that has meaning for you. Breathe into the color and let it grow. Surround the entire area of your body with that color. Allow that healing energy to sink deeply into that root cause of your problem. Breathe deeply as you ask that the root cause of your emotional discomfort be reached. Think deeply on what you want to have happen with the negative emotion. Feel what

133

you really want, what you long for most of all. Focus all of your attention on that longingto be whole and well. Ask God to release you from that origin of your problem. Know that with energies, there is always movement. Nothing stays the same. There is always movement. Everything is in constant vibration, constant motion and constant evolution. Visualize your negative emotions in motion and allow that they want to move. Forgiveness can take the place of any limiting thought or fear that you may have held. Feel yourself surrounded in loving forgiveness. If you are upset with someone, ask to hold them in lovingkindness and compassion. When you forgive, you release your separate sense of self in that moment. Love bids us release our selfjudgments and those projected out on others. Think about other spiritual healings you have had and how your faith has helped you in the past. Recollect the vibration of feeling alive and vibrant. Surrender now. Surrender to love and ask to let go of that which you no longer need to keep. Feel deeply the connection to your soul as you touch into deep surrender. Surrender to the healing energies of the Christ Consciousness. Be aware of how the Holy Spirit is working through you. Now go to that holy space of gratitude. Thank your Inner Healer for its assistance and being there for you. Focus on appreciation and joy for health and feelings of well being. Contemplate on the Bible verse of John 1:9: “That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.” Give yourself all of the time you need to sink fully into gratitude and celebration. The Christ Consciousness is always there for you. All you need to do is to stop and tune, to stop and ask that it work deep within you.

Becoming Pure of Heart Healing of the programmed ego beliefs, feelings and unhealthy coping choices is not a destination; it is a continual journey of the soul which seeks joining, connection and union. The measure of progress is your becoming more contented, alive and more present as you progress in your journey. Delusional thoughts become easier to budge. Afflictive emotions hold less power. Self‐centeredness decreases and daily decisions to live with moral behavior and high integrity becomes a priority. Kindness abounds. This is the compassion of Christ Consciousness and those higher vibratory energies that are flowing into our planet.

134

Making our heart pure helps prepare for Ascension. These practical daily choices have helped me the most as I connect in with those spiritual forces that guide my development.

(1.) Using the energy psychology techniques to challenge negative thoughts and clean out those self‐centered, narcissistic ways of thinking and acting produced by the ego self. Catching my selfish thoughts and interrupting them time and time again has helped me become a better person. We can stretch and grow when we accept the challenges in our relationships and vow to become a more loving person.

(2.) Using the HeartMath ideas and focusing on gratitude, love and appreciation

for what I’ve been given and what I’ve experienced.

(3.) Focusing on the compassion as taught by the Buddhist concept of loving kindness and as the Christ taught.

(4.) Making the daily decision to be kind, loving and generous. Making this

decision over and over again especially when I’m feeling overwhelmed or cross with someone or myself.

Experiencing love many times a day is a means to going back to the spontaneity and freedom that you experienced before your egoic defenses developed. The choice to become One Hearted is a decision to make over and over again.

135

Chapter 18

Illumination and the Ascension Process

The light of the body is the eye; if therefore, thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be of light.”

Matthew 6:22 We are beings of the light. Hidden away in ancient spiritual traditions are numerous references and practices regarding becoming illuminated which means to light up and be supplied with light. The process of becoming enlightened is the dropping away of ego and of ignorance to become filled with light. In the Analytical Concordance to the Bible, a listing and counting of 311,000 references of its topic contents, there are over two hundred and fifty listings on the word light. Ascension refers to the act of moving up to a higher level which many of the human race are undergoing at this time. Anthropologist Mircea Eliade studied many indigenous cultures and concluded that ascension was a common archetype: “Whatever the religious context and whatever the particular form they may take (shamanistic or imitation, mystic ecstasy, dream‐vision, heroic legend) ascensions of all kinds, such as climbing mountains or stairs or soaring upwards through the air, always signify that the human condition is being transcended and that higher cosmic levels are being attained.” Visions give symbols and metaphors to impart a source of knowledge and meaningfulness to which we can aspire. In the seventeenth century, the French optical scientist Rene Descartes drew from ideas from the ancient Greeks who described the pineal gland as “the seat of the soul.” The pineal is a bioluminescent organ that holds photoreceptor cells to receive light and has the capacity for biophoton emission. This illumination is shown by the shining light that emanates from saintly people. Repeated spiritual‐awakening exercises boosts serotonin and activates a bright, inner light in the Third Eye and the brow chakra. Figuratively and literally people drawn to the process of ascension are being called by their soul to rise above oneself, to become transparent and “lighten up!”

136

The Pineal Gland and the Third Eye Center

The Pineal Gland and the Third Eye The pineal gland is described as the point at which the mind and body are connected. The gland is pea size and is shaped like a pine cone that is located in the center of the brain between both the left and right hemispheres. It’s no coincidence that it is surrounded by the limbic system, a major emotional area of the brain. Scientist Robert Beck stated that the pineal gland is tuned into the magnetic north to give us a sense of direction.

137

The Taoists called the area of the brain between the pineal and the pituitary "the Crystal Palace." The pineal is a crystallized structure that responds to light and to darkness. It releases the important hormone melatonin, the “hormone of darkness” to regulate sleep and wake patterns, mood and growth development and controls the rhythms of the body. Melatonin production is stimulated by darkness and inhibited by light. Sleeping in a pitch black room is recommended to achieve maximum melatonin production. Babies and children have less calcium in their pineal glands. Around puberty, the pineal calcifies and diminishes as does some of the innocence and childhood’s creative imagination and playfulness. Shrinkage and calcification in the pineal gland in some skull x‐rays has been linked to aging. According to Dr. Bhagat Singh Thind, the pineal gland gets “gummed up” in old age and stimulating it helps with constructive thinking and inner reflection. He added, “A vital body needs this vital gland.” Melchizedek says that our pineal glands have atrophied as they have not been used effectively for 13,000 years. The pineal gland is connected to the Third Eye or the Brow Chakra Center which has been called “The Subtle Eye of Insight” making it a vehicle for achieving enlightenment. Awakening of this gland has been linked by many spiritual traditions to creativity and to seeing beyond time and space, prophecy and increased psychic awareness. The ancient mystery schools taught that the pineal is the connecting link between the physical and spiritual worlds; some connect it to the Tree of Life. In the Bible, Jacob says in Genesis 32:30, "I have seen God face to face and I will call the place Peniel." Hindu yogis consider the Third Eye a portal to the Higher Self calling it the Crystal Chamber, the Eye of Knowledge, the Thousand‐Pedaled Lotus, the Cave of Brahman and the House of God. The metaphor of the opening of the Third Eye is a journey into luminance. Some ancient spiritual literature explains that the substance secreted by the pineal grants a long life. Some ancient alchemy teachings allude that this pineal secretion is part of the formula for transformation of the base metal into gold and the baser aspects of the human into spiritual awakening with the “gold of the illumination of a thousand suns.” Several authors including E. C. Chaney in The Birth of the Third Eye relate healing ability to chakra development of the healer. “Once a disciple stimulates the Third Eye, he automatically becomes a healer….. He can create a tremendous power which, flowing from his brow into the hands and on outward, along an etheric cord to reach

138

the patient, can effect a miraculous and instantaneous healing.” This may be related to the vibratory power emitted from the brow chakra in those who are highly developed spiritually.

Caution! Pineal Activation Tools are Dangerous to the Ego Illuminating the pineal gland to raise the frequency of your vibration helps speed up the ascension process. This sixth chakra or brow chakra is thought to be the seat of the Christ Consciousness. Its activation negates the ego’s core beliefs of unworthiness and being unlovable and helps integrate the fragmented selves. It enhances humility, clear vision, saintliness and the wish to serve others. The sixth chakra is also associated with increased intelligence, insight, mental clarity, wisdom, extra sensory perception, deep dreaming and clairvoyance. Repeated spiritually‐awakening exercises can help awaken the hormones of the glands of the body and the chakras. Natural methods to stimulate and enlarge the pineal include time‐honored spiritual practices such as contemplation, meditation, visualization, deep repetitive prayer, mantras and breathing while focusing on the gland. Extremes of stressful situations that cause shock to the body can sometimes trigger changes for the spontaneous opening of the chakra. Spiritual development is ongoing and as a process it should not be forced. Do your spiritual homework and address your egoic defenses before trying to coerce the pineal gland to open. Too rapid openings before you are spiritually prepared can be devastating and, according to the Transpersonal Psychology literature, can even drive you mad. So with that dire warning in mind, travel forward at your own risk. Pineal stimulation methods given by different traditions to flood the Third Eye with light include:

• Lying down with a quartz crystal on the center of your forehead while visualizing spiritual energy coming in as you meditate on the vibration of the crystal. Clear white light and violet are the colors represented with the Crown chakra. Purple or blue crystals are also recommended such as amethyst, lapis lazuli, sodalite or sugalite as the colors violet and indigo blue are associated with the Third Eye chakra. Alternately, you can ask your intuition which color of gem stone is vibrationally best for you.

• Meditating on the Third Eye opening while using aromatherapy oils such as Frankincense, Myrrh, Sage, Mint, Jasmine and Lavender, long

139

associated with different spiritual traditions. Or ask your intuition to choose an aromatherapy oil to assist you.

• Listening to and vibrating with harmonic sounds such as crystal bowls, and overtoning, activates the autonomic nervous system which regulates body functions such as the heart rate, gastric and digestive reactions, stimulates the chakras and balances the glands and organs in the body. The theory is that toning counteracts out‐of synch vibrations in the brain. The sacred sounds associated with the brow center are AUM or OM.

• Squeezing the insides of the big toes stimulates the pineal gland while pushing hard on the ball of the big toe stimulates the pituitary gland as taught in Reflexology trainings.

• Repeated laying‐on‐of hands approaches such as Reiki, Therapeutic Touch, Healing Touch and Cranial Sacral Work create calming brain states.

• Doing deep repetitive, abdominal breathing creates alphas waves and hyperventilation and increased oxygen in the brain. The Breath of Fire exercise and other yogic or tantric tools teach this method.

• Spinning and whirling as done by the Sufi Whirling Dervishes of the Mevlevi order and the Tibetan monks stimulate the pineal and pituitary glands to open to deep states of consciousness. The popular book by Peter Kelder, The Tibetan Five Rites, describes daily spinning as one of the five rites to stimulate the pineal and the chakras for optimum health.

• Carl Jung drew and meditated on mandalas seeing them as representing the symbolic center of the Self. The mandala, found in all ancient cultures, and other esoteric symbols are used for meditation by the alchemist to internalize the unconscious archetypical meanings behind them. Jung drew artwork in his journals including intricate mandalas which he felt would facilitate opening the Third Eye and accelerate his spiritual journey. Draw your own mandala or meditate on Jung’s mandala of the Third Eye Thousand Petaled Lotus from his Red Book Journal.

And what slows the process of spiritual development down? Addictive substances such as alcohol, prescription and street drugs and excessive sugar, meat, refined food and fast‐food diets with preservatives contribute to the atrophy of the pineal gland. Lack of interest in spiritual development or focusing on the dogma of a religion (man‐made laws) as opposed to finding a direct connection to your sense of

140

the divine also can keep the gland in an atrophied condition. Some writers believe that fluoride is detrimental to the healthy functioning of the pineal.

DMT: The Spirit Molecule The gland also produces other life‐enhancing chemicals called DMT, harmine and pinoline. Buddhist psychiatrist and researcher on psychedelic substances, Rick Strassman, MD, wrote a book called DMT, The Spirit Molecule. DMT (Dimethyltryhptamine) is a powerful neurotransmitter made by the pineal gland and brain tissues, cerebrospinal fluid, lungs and red blood cells. Strassman ties the production of DMT in the pineal gland to moments of high intensity: birth, death, near death, high fevers, prolonged meditation, sensory deprivation and mystical experiences. DMT is also a naturally‐occurring chemical made in certain plants which when imbibed cause visions and hallucinations. Strassman explains that DMT is a chemical carrier with receptors in the human brain that can be used as a tool to take us to higher states of consciousness and other realms of existence to communicate with other forms of consciousness including plants, primordial and archetypical images, geometric shapes and other “beings.” He speculates that DMT is a kind of chemical interface that releases serotonin and other mood‐elevating molecules to open the mind's eye to realities of other worlds making it a portal to other dimensions. In this state of heightened consciousness, a person’s spirit can leave this earthly existence and pass through to other realms. Under the influence of DMT there can be a dissolution of the ego allowing for a transcendent sense of Unity. Terence McKenna, who spent his lifetime researching and writing about many psychedelic drugs, called DMT “the ego crusher of choice.” The hormone harmine is a mild antidepressant which protects against gamma radiation that constantly bombards our atmosphere. Pinoline is a potential free radical scavenger in the brain that protects against oxidative damage and severe neurological diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease. In addition to its antioxidant qualities, it is an antifungal and antibacterial and functions as an antidepressant, affecting brain receptors which release serotonin. Like melatonin, pinoline is produced during darkness. Lack of these important hormones disturbs the circadian rhythms resulting in depression. One scientist called pinoline a “door opener to higher brain cortical functioning indicating that it increases brain function from our measly 10% maximum potential to 40%.”

141

Light is a basic underlying principle that brings forth order from chaos according to alchemical symbols and shamanic lore. Pinoline resonates with 8 hertz per second which is “The pulse the DNA uses to replicate.” Several researchers have shown that the hands of healers emit this wave entrainment at 8 hertz (Hz) levels. Coherent heart rhythms are encouraged through maintaining the circadian rhythms, meditation and focusing on compassionate love enhancing the pineal gland. According to researchers in the field, cardio rhythms of coherence are simpatico with alpha brain wave entrainment of 8 Hertz. HeartMath research shows that twenty minutes spent contemplating compassion creates a cardio rhythm which induces 8 Hertz levels in the brain which elevated the mother hormone DHEA to more youthful levels. Extended meditation also switches on the pituitary gland. The supposition is that joining the essences within the pituitary and pineal glands in the third ventricle of the brain will open the Third Eye. One theory is that the gland's release of the molecules of DMT, penoline and harmine acts as DNA light receptors which can pick up light signals from the Zero Point Field. The hypothesis is that these molecules pick up and use 8 Hz wave signals from the body as an antenna drawing forth the resonant electromagnetic frequencies of the earth to combine with the Universal Life energies which carry required information for healing. The 8 Hz signals the DNA to correct gene damage and to replicate.

Kundalini: “The Three Foot Journey from Ascent to Enlightenment”

Kundalini is best described as “the energy of our natural physical beingness—the life energy of each cell of the physical body.” Kundalini is prana or energy rising in a

142

spiral fashion to move and unify cosmic energy in the human body. It is considered to be a feminine psychic energy that is within all people that awakens as spiritual development is achieved. Jana Dixon, the major writer in the field who has undergone two awakenings, describes it as a mixing of the feminine and masculine energies of the body:

“Kundalini is a psycho‐spiritual energy, the energy of consciousness, a concentrated field of intelligent, cosmic, invisible energy intrinsic and vital to life. Reputedly beginning in the base of the spine when a man or woman begins to evolve as wisdom/Presence is earned through spiritual surrender. Kundalini has been described as liquid fire and liquid light and is an aspect of Shakti, the divine female energy and consort of Shiva. The ultimate outcome of kundalini is the union of Will (shakti‐kundalini), Knowledge (prana‐kundalini) and Action (para‐kundalini). The inner fire is the most potent of all forces, for it knows no limits and penetrates the fabric of space, matter and time.”

There are impurities and blockages in the glands and chakras which have resulted from old traumas. These toxins and blockages become burned away by the oscillating kundalini energy that flows up the spine with an accompanying spiritual metamorphosis. Road blocks to the kundalini flow are held in the chakras and astral body which carries the emotional and mental conditioning. These barriers have kept us from connecting with our deepest sense of self, with others and our multidimensional aspects. The rising of kundalini breaks through “knots” in the chakras or spinal column that contain and restrict the flow from moving upward to reach the three higher chakras. Of course, the fewer the blockages, the easier time the person will have when the kundalini starts to flow. As the kundalini ascends, it stimulates the endocrine glands including the pineal which releases DMT and other hormones. It activates both the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, oxytocin, sexual hormones, thyroid and parathyroid with hyper‐stimulation of the cardiovascular system. Energetically, this rising energy helps break into the power of the ego structure. The huge trauma hits in a life that significantly impacted the energy system (meridians, chakras and subtle bodies) helped to solidify the ego structure. Now with kundalini rising, there may be periods of purging the ego‐related emotions and throwing out old trauma imprints. The process is tied to the heart rhythms. Itzak Bentov, a Czechoslovakian mechanical engineer, studied people undergoing the kundalini experience from a scientific perspective. He theorized that the heart aorta rhythm pulsation resonates

143

in the brain and a feedback loop is pulsed through the electrical and chemical systems of the body stimulating the pleasure centers in the brain. He describes this heart and aorta pulsation giving rise to the ecstasy and bliss experience reported by those with kundalini awakenings.

Not for the Unstable or Arrogant Mind! Kundalini sometimes occurs spontaneously with intense shocks to the body of heat and cold, during childbirth, and during experiences of danger and even falling in love. This experience happens more to sensitive, mystical people. This vibrational shift is usually attributed to spiritual work done in other lives although it can be forced through intense practices. The general advice given by most traditions is to awaken the kundalini energy gradually and gently. Kundalini Yoga is a long‐practiced Hindu tradition of body postures, spiritual breathing practices and meditation techniques to awaken the kundalini force. Warning: artificial kundalini awakening should not be attempted by the weak of heart or by people who have not done considerable spiritual work. There are strong cautions in the literature about forcing the kundalini energy awakening without the necessary spiritual development to support it. There can be a serious electrical overload to the central nervous system and resulting severe symptoms. The Transpersonal Psychology literature reports that some mentally ill people in institutions may be manifesting kundalini symptoms. Most psychiatrists and psychologists are clueless about this extreme energy overload called the Kundalini Syndrome. There can be serious symptoms of mood swings, psychosis, uncontrollable agitation, continuing sexual arousal, depression, anxiety. For the spiritually unready, this is too much, too soon and all at once where sensory information is amplified and constant charges of electricity surge through the body. So the kundalini rising, for good or ill of those unprepared spiritually, is an opening of powerful energies. When the individual is prepared with years of study and devotion, there is a release of the feminine energy within. This gets the flow moving to allow unresolved psychological content from the unconscious mind to surface to be cleansed. Sufi master Puran Bair explains:

“The coiled and dormant 'feminine' energy refers to the vast potential of psychic energy contained within us all. It is normally symbolized as a serpent coiled into three and a half circles, with its tail in its mouth, and spiraling around the central axis (sacrum or sacred bone) at the base of the spine…. The

144

image of coiling, like a spring, conveys the sense of untapped potential energy that will spring into action soon. For now we remember in small doses. The concept of this rising energy can also be examined from a strictly psychological perspective. From this perspective kundalini can be thought of as a rich source of psychic or libidinous energy in our unconscious.”

When the kundalini rises to the crown or seventh chakra, there is detachment from illusion from this material world moving toward union with God. The final opening of the Third Eye takes place in the pineal chakra of pure consciousness of the thousand‐pedaled lotus. Often bliss is felt as an opiate substance is secreted from the pineal gland during its opening.

The Winged Serpents of the Caduceus and the DNA Double Helix The parallels between the ancient cultures of the world and modern science are fascinating when you follow the symbols. Did the ancients have a concept of the DNA double helix? Intertwined serpents are a universal archetype and this symbol has been found in many diverse continents and cultures from the Greeks, Egyptians and early Sumerians on. The caduceus, the ancient alchemical motif of two serpents coiling around the staff of Hermes, represents the double helix structure of our DNA. It represents the alchemical concepts of interconnection and evolutionary growth: heaven and earth being combined, dualistic opposing forces, ideas of good and evil and the counterbalancing of masculine and feminine energies. The staff represents the balancing power between the opposing forces: the union of the opposites.

145

Kundalini and the Physician’s Caduceus

In Tantric Buddhism, this twisted serpents symbol represents the force of kundalini coiled up at the base of the spine which will move up the spinal column into the central nervous system. The two wings stand for the dual hemispheres of the brain. Above the staff is a small disc or circle thought to represent the pineal gland. The column of energy extends from down into the earth, through the body and reaches to several feet above the head. Energy comes up from the earth through the bottom part of the column to connect to the lower chakras. The column connects to higher dimensions allowing energy, light and information to flow into the body.

The Complexity of the Awakening Process This e‐book gives only a rudimentary discussion of this kundalini process; it is a much more complicated process on the biological, physical and spiritual levels. Jana Dixon has written an excellent book, Biology of Kundalini, much of which she has posted on the internet at biologyofkundalini.com describing the intensity of her awakening experiences. She describes her writings as “a science and protocol of spiritual alchemy” and gives the complexity of the kundalini process and how to cope with the aftermath of the ongoing powerful personal, mental, emotional and social ramifications. Here’s Dixon’s eloquent and passionate description of flowing with the process instead of trying to resist it:

“Since kundalini is the universe becoming more conscious of itself, when the miracle of metamorphosis happens to us we should learn to go with it, not just for our own salvation, but for the entire tree of life. Every time we resort to our addictions to back down from the raw edge of our existence and full self‐response‐ability, the more we interfere and resist the “spiritual” plan for humanity. In metamorphosis, the body‐soul does most of the work, including the transmutation of elements. All we can really do is to get out of the way and just doing that takes all our courage, all our intelligence and intuition and all our respect and love. Evolution just Is. Half the battle would already be won if we just stopping getting in our own way. To the extent that we choose energy increasing choices in any situation is the extent to which we ‘create our soul’.

To the alchemists, this means embracing the tension of opposites...the marriage of matter and spirit, form and Emptiness—the heart of the tantric tradition. Compassionately embracing shadow and light and the up and the

146

down of the Tao. To take the brakes off. To stop hiding under our shell of conformity. To stop pretending we are limited and deficient.”

Spiritual alchemy is soul prodded but still we have to do our most necessary part—to show up, suit up and do the alchemical work. Inner alchemy is about choice; we have to daily refuse to live with the grasp of the ego. The process truly is about surrendering our small sense of self. The exercises presented in this book can help to confront the fear beliefs and embrace both the shadow and the Self until we realize that we are here now on earth to be engaged in the evolutionary process of becoming spiritually awake. The time for living in ignorance is past. Our evolutionary goal is to become awake so that we can consciously be here to assist in planetary change at this unique time in history. In order to do this, we must combat the lie that we have been abandoned. The conflict and confusion are abandonment issues about your true identity that can be addressed by challenging these emotions directly. Again it comes down to personal choice and determination—you can continue to live with the grave error of thinking that you are lacking or to shift to a higher vibration belief that you are worthy of love as part of Universal Consciousness. Dixon explains:

“The opposite of abandonment is conscious incarnation. Kundalini is the miracle of life itself quickened and amplified. Metamorphosis must be made increasingly conscious in order to reach and stabilize higher homeostasis and meta‐adaptation to spirit. Awakening or spiritual acceleration demands conscious incarnation…”

The MerKaBa and the Lightbody Drunvalo Melchizedek describes the lightbody or Mer‐Ka‐Ba as the combination of all your energy chakras, the column from the base of your spinal column that extends down through a tube into the earth through which earth energy rises. The life‐force energies descend from the universal energies through your chakras to the meridians and the cells and subtle bodies. It includes all those sacred energies that enfold you that transcend time and space. The Mer‐Ka‐Ba is a counter‐rotating energetic grid work of light and sacred geometry that carries vibrational information from other dimensions. It is a living form that requires love to remain alive. The word Merkabah means chariot or ascension vehicle and is mentioned forty‐four times in the Old Testament. It is a vehicle of higher consciousness which merges

147

feminine and masculine energies to assist your movement into other dimensions. It is both within you and outside of your body which includes your soul energy that reaches into other dimensions. Melchezidek teaches the Mer‐Ka‐Ba meditation which activates the human lightbody based on sacred geometry to prepare for ascending. This meditation raises the frequency of a person’s lightbody and carries the harmonics of the Creation energies. It is described in his book, The Ancient Secret of the Flower of Life, Volume II and is taught along with a Unity Breath Meditation which connects you in love to the earth and planetary energies in The Flower of Light workshops. These two meditations done regularly help to prepare us for transcendence out of our third‐dimensional world to the next state of being. Melchizedek states that for some people the Mer‐Ka‐Ba can “be activated by love and faith alone.”

The Geometries of the MerKaBa and the Human lightbody According to Melchizedek, there are electrical charges of positive and negative polarities inside the head that connect to the pineal gland. These beams are shown coming forth as halos of light in Russian icons, pictures of Jesus and saints and in some Hopi Kachinas. He says that unhealthy people have unconnected, fuzzy electrical charges creating fragmented thinking. Negative emotions such as anger and fear create energetic beams that are chaotic and out of balance. Melchizedek explains that love needs to be present for the Mer‐Ka‐Ba to become alive: “Love is the exact vibration that matter responds to… The female aspect of love must be present in love to balance the male or life will not be.” He further explains the connection between the Merkaba and the ascending process:

148

“The purpose is to give all of the information and knowledge of the human energy field, the Mer‐Ka‐Ba; the missing information around the beams of light coming from the pineal gland, and the instructions of how both of these human energy fields are intimately linked to the sacred space of the heart, the place of creation. The place where all new worlds are born. Once this information is practiced in unison, a new Earth emerges from one's inner vision. A way of seeing where this outer world that seems so chaotic and crazy, begins to recreate itself from deep within your own heart by a dreaming process long, long forgotten. Together, we will remember. Fear will turn to love. Hope will emerge out of desperation. And the World can have a second chance, if only you care enough to reveal the truth of who you really are. Remember your intimate connection to God.”

Upping the Evolutionary Ante Changes in our individual and collective vibration and awareness will take our planet into its next incarnation. The cleaner your energy column and chakras, the more light that can be infused to go to your cells. Through the conscious decision to speed up your evolutionary growth you will manifest more clarity as old trauma imprints release. There will be numerous awakening moments, both big and small. This refinement process of clearing your astral body of the shadow’s mental and emotional disruptions is spiritual alchemy:

• Breaks into the strong ego structure • Clears the astral layers of negative beliefs, emotions and defense mechanisms • Releases ego beliefs and defenses of superiority (excessive self‐esteem) or

inferiority (low self‐esteem) • Balances brain hemispheres • Balances the polar opposite beliefs • Integrates the feminine (Ying) and masculine (Yang) energies • Illuminates the Third Eye • Releases sexual, kundalini energy making it available for transformation • Incarnates the lightbody for the ascension process in order to move into the

next dimension. As your lightbody becomes more integrated, the male and female polarities merge to transform your sexual energies. Your entire molecular structure becomes

149

reorganized and less dense so that you can open to the higher vibrations of Unity Consciousness.

150

Chapter 19

Choosing the Evolutionary Process in Times of Ambiguity

“Let us begin this very day, this very hour, the Great Healing to come.”

Leonard Peltier This is an exciting time in which to live for those of us who are in the opening up process of finding our true identity. We are in the midst of a potential upheaval. We are facing a spiritual earthquake. The old ground on which we have been standing is shifting. The media shouts about the earth’s volatility and the headlines are daunting. Here are some recent examples: Heaviest monsoons on record, worst floods in decades, landslides killing thousands, massive glacier ice breaking away, summer melts of vast proportions, world‐wide temperatures at record highs, biggest increase in heat waves since 1950. The possibility that magnetic pole shifts and planetary changes will happen is unprecedented. Riots and revolutions and wars increase. Rumors, myths and rampant speculations fly. These are ambiguous, unsettling times as we do not know what is happening to us as a species on this planet. We want to know how to stay safe in an unsafe world. No one has the crystal ball that gives the exact knowledge as to what will happen. There is a reconsideration of the fundamentals with which we’ve been programmed. We are moving into “This World As You’ve Never Seen It!” Humans hate uncertainty; it brings feelings of helplessness and hopelessness. But these disturbing feelings that accompany our not knowing what is happening are only feelings to be confronted. This discomfort about not knowing what will happen is a signal to wake up. It’s wake up time boys and girls. And it’s grow up time! Is 12‐21‐12 an archetype for the end of time or as Daniel Pinchbeck believes, a “cosmic deadline for our species to make an evolutionary jump in consciousness?” Some spiritual traditions say that we are in the Fourth Age of Man already; that we are currently between worlds, saying that we are moving towards the edge of chaos. So what is the antidote to surviving the big flood, the big collision, the big nuclear explosion or the big infrastructure breakdown? What is the escape hatch for Homo sapiens?

• Dismantling the ego? • Altering brain waves to mesh with higher vibrations?

151

• Speeding up the alchemy process? • Unleashing DMT? • Lighting up the pineal? • Moving on to unseen dimensions?

All of the above? Or to put the question on a more personal level, “What is your particular escape hatch? Or hatches? Do you have a plan? These questions are about your personal identity and your personal alchemy. How do you construe yourself? Are you still operating from the three lower chakras caught up in fear, addictive behaviors and need for power? Or are you moving to higher ground of the heart, third eye and crown chakras that will enhance your life energy?

Think Evolution, Evolution, Evolution! One trap fostered by the ego is the false belief that you just “want to go home.” This longing to be somewhere else to escape the pain of Mother Earth and your own personal pain is but another distraction keeping you away from continuing soul growth. This longing to prematurely escape before doing your important alchemical work is a distorted, distracting belief that keeps you from becoming the best you can be. Of course we all want to go home again, where ever that may be, but that’s neither the point nor the place to put your energy, as it distracts you from focusing on your process of growing and evolving. The reality is that you are here now on planet earth and you are here for a reason. These times are about intensifying the collective consciousness of our species. We the collective have a destiny to decide here. You are here to help with the transition of human consciousness into the next level, dimension or whatever is to happen. This requires you to be here completely and fully take responsibility to assist in the elevation of humanity’s consciousness through raising your own vibration. Wake up! Your soul is calling. Get ready during this speed‐up time by tuning into your observing, open‐hearted self. Staying awake is a necessity during the shifts that are happening. Marcus Aurelius gave good advice several thousand years ago: "Live not as though there were a thousand years ahead of you. Fate is at your elbow; make yourself good while life and power are still yours."

152

So whether we have world cataclysm or not, you are still going to have to live with yourself for the rest of your life so you might as well become the best possible person you can. Rumi explanation of this responsibility of emptying yourself exquisitely follows in a translation by Coleman Barks of Rumi’s verses in Feeling the Shoulder of the Lion: You Are the Only Student You Have

You are the only faithful student you have. All the others leave eventually. Have you been making yourself shallow with making other eminent? Just remember, when you're in union, you don't have to fear that you'll be drained. The command comes to speak, and you feel the ocean moving through you. Then comes, Be silent, as when the rain stops, and the trees in the orchard begin to draw moisture up into themselves.

These are the Necessary Times of Preparation

We as a species are undergoing significant changes at a deep, deep level. You can make the whole unnerving process much easier if you clear out as much of your emotional blockages as you can before the shift time comes. You don’t have to know what distortions and fragmentations need to be healed as your subconscious mind knows. At this time more and more pressure is put on our astral bodies to speed up the growth process. As present and old karmic memories come up to be examined and released, there may be bursts of overwhelming, chaotic energy within you. You may seemingly fall apart at times with disorientation, anxiety and panic. The ego protests loudly when it is threatened by growing awareness. It starts to reverberate mightily

153

as an unresolved large trauma starts to emerge from the subconscious mind to be worked through. This agitated energy can propel the release of negativity from the solidified ego structure. You may become extremely frightened as the intensity of the emotions amplify and build up to prepare for the inversion shift. It may even look as if you are having a nervous breakdown. It would help if you remind yourself that you are merely falling apart to come together again. This is part of the shamanic model which says that a person must die for certain aspects of him or herself to be put back together. This can be a temporary state if you work the issue either by yourself or with another healer. Tell yourself that the fear that you experience is only your ego trying desperately to hold on to its status quo which no longer works. Distressing symptoms provide the greatest opportunity for healing, as Rumi said, “The wounds are where light enters.” The energies behind processed emotions build to provide the impetus for change. Remember the intensity process of inversion. Trying to stop the process or holding on or distracting yourself with addictive substances will create more anxiety and pain. Resistance is counterproductive; to try to hold back the process is futile. Work with the alchemical concept of inversion of heating up so that the energy builds so that it can shift. So let ‘er rip, feel the feelings no matter how painful they are. Find the emotions experienced during the original trauma. Then do an exercise to release the feelings or find someone with healing gifts to help you with them. And then “pick yourself up, dust yourself off and start all over again.” As you release the energetic and emotional blocks and de‐condition the programming of the mind, you will move into deeper awareness. As you transform your personal energies through freeing them, you have more ability to access other dimensions of consciousness. Our group unconscious psyche is being prepared for a tremendous vibrational shift. Some spiritual teachers say that certain vibrational frequencies will be brought forth to bring order from chaos in our subtle bodies for us to remember that we are part of the totality. Extremely potent energies that are deeply affecting us are pouring into our plane at this time. Remind yourself that you are not alone and can always call for help from those spiritual forces that work with you as a soul. Connect with your angels, guides and other non‐physical beings that act in our behalf. Spiritual teacher Gurdjieff taught that cosmic energies will assist in our gaining a transcendent sense of unity. As shown by the on‐going, ever‐changing process of progression, life wants to transform itself. Hermes Trismegistus, the Greek god Thoth, the founder of alchemy

154

told us, “The soul passes from form to form; and the mansions of her pilgrimage are many fold. Thou puttest off the bodies as rainments and as vesture does thou fold them up. Thou are from old, oh Soul of man, yea, thou are from everlasting. This is the noblest goal we can ponder that of returning to Spirit.” We will go on. It’s all taken care of.

Many Possible Futures Life is very much like "Let's Make A Deal" with your belief systems and daily choices determining whether you get Door Number One, Two or Three! What you get is what you believe you are worthy of getting. You draw that particular future that fits with your total overview of how things must be. As long as you remain stuck in self‐defeating beliefs, you get the booby prize—poverty consciousness. If you are not happy with what you are being offered in life right now, then you can change the deal by changing your thoughts, perceptions and beliefs at that core level. We continually define our own personal reality by our thoughts, words and actions. You can learn to change those decisions made early in your life which were influenced by a society that was based on fear. Within those early decisions lay an identity that you carved out for yourself and the definition of a future—a creation which you are living out. Now you can learn something different. Old patterns of acting dictated by the materialistic ego are not on solid ground. As the earth changes in shifts of energy, you are being given new ways of being. Reality shifts daily as you learn to see things differently. Fritjof Capra reminds us in The Tao of Physics, that consciousness not reality, is the fundamental stuff of the Universe. Reality at any given moment is only how you perceive things dictated by your programmed beliefs. Leland Kaiser, a designer of the future, talked about the theory of parallel futures. He said, “Reality is a great universal pharmacy and you are the prescription writer.” There are all kinds of probable futures that could exist for you. Probability means that anything can happen. What happens depends on what you think and what you do. The menu of many possible futures is there before you with choices limited only by your restrictive beliefs. Kaiser gave a powerful metaphor of reality as a prescription waiting to be written for what you want. “Whatever you write, the pharmacy fills. If you write the wrong prescription, you will receive the wrong medicine, and it will not be the fault of the

155

pharmacy!" Becoming the conscious responsible planner of your reality is the way of becoming the person you want to be. Metaphysical writer Stewart White, in his book Across the Unknown, eloquently makes the same point:

“If you are going to face a great and shining future, you must use a new and bright apparatus with which to express your greater capacities. You can’t think bright and shining thoughts with a tired old brain. So step aside from it… It is only a protective covering now for the thing that counts, which is what generates your bright and shining thoughts— the new consciousness born within you.”

The many possible futures metaphor reminds us that we can become who we choose to be. Acting as if you have all the wisdom that you need is an art form that you can skillfully create. Act as if and make it happen. Act as if you have the ability to move from what you are carving out in this present reality to that which you want to become. Your life is the most important creation that you will ever make. You have all the wisdom right within you to choose the best possible future. How artfully can you act on this? This is the heart of it—to act artfully on what you already know. With positive action and letting go of limiting belief systems, that old gray future ain't what she used to be! The thing to do is to program in the possible future that is consistent with your soul growth. Let your soul do the choosing for the love and light that comes from the Higher Intelligence operating in the universe.

Heart to Brain During Chaotic Times: “Coherence, Come in Please!” The evolutionary process seeks coherence and you can develop those coherent brain‐wave patterns that enhance whole‐brain potential. At a time when there is greatest disorder without, you can look for order within. Meditation and checking in with your inner wisdom along with the active processes of working your fears, both old and present, are time‐honored approaches to deal with anxiety, agitation and depression. Feeling out of control with fear, helplessness and hopelessness as dictated by your ego will likely be your greatest enemy. Changes beyond your control can be accompanied by feelings of terror. During those times of upheaval, remember fear and terror are only feelings, very uncomfortable feeling to be sure, but in the end, only internal sensations and feelings. They are to be examined and gone into and breathed or worked through, not given into.

156

Fear and other emotions are contagious. We are all in this together and people will tap into their deepest fears of being annihilated. If your friends or family become caught in fear and panic, offer to do some of the exercises in this book that will bring them back to a calm place. Spiritual survival will be vastly important for you during those times if others seem to be losing their heads and their reason. You can serve as a resonant beacon sending out positive energies. Ground yourself to offer a loving entrainment to bring others through turbulence back to their center. See this as your mission—to be a stable force that others can draw from. Deepest fear moments will emerge to be addressed; these are the vortexes and whirlpools of the shadow. Don’t fight the mental fabrications of the shadow; expose them to the light. Stay wise. Stay practical. Drop into your heart often to produce those “Eureka moments” that happen when you are in the brain wave states that allow healing. Find those Spiritual Warrior or Adventurer Archetypes that are intrigued by the potentials that are there within yourself. If dark thoughts of something negative attacking you emerge, don’t give them power. It’s some deep primeval fear surfacing within yourself—do not give energy to feeding it but challenge it instead as just being a belief to be healed. This is a time to keep a constant vigil over your ruminating, fear thoughts generated by the ego. Challenge thoughts of evil, negative spirits or implants taking over your body. If there is such a thing, they feed on fear energies. Interrupt those thoughts that will freeze up your mind in confusion and terror. Stay away from web sites, books and people caught up in negativity who try to frighten you to get your allegiance and your money. Get a grip—don’t surround yourself with negativity. If you have times of falling apart, get yourself back together.

The Epiphany Plan and Spiritual Survival Those of you who are drawn to these writings are re‐remembering your Christ Consciousness vibration. You have lived countless lifetimes. You are the carriers of the memories of the Cosmos. The “Aha moment,” the great epiphany of totally knowing of this purity of who you are and surrendering to it is within you. Once you remember this and live it daily, survival is there for you automatically. This is a re‐remembering time. The knowledge is there within you. Whatever happens during a period of quantum change, go inside and see what you can

157

remember from other times. You have vast amounts of information within that you can draw from if you put the voice of fear to rest. When you have times of great clarity—those “suddenly I see” moments, perhaps you are drawing from those quantum aspects of your consciousness that exist in other dimensions. You have the Akashic Field and the Zero Point Field to draw from. Think of yourself as Infinite Potentiality unfolding into itself. Remember your breathing and tapping and the other exercises that enhance a calm mind. Use spiritually‐grounding approaches to keep your mind strong and the circuits of your body in balance. Listen to binaural beat entrainment CDs to calm your fears. Meditate often to take your brain waves to the healing vibrations of alpha and theta. If you feel ungrounded and floating above your body, use the beta wave CDs to help focus your mind to the task at hand. Form a spiritual support group if you don’t have one already. Surround yourself with positive, like‐minded people who share ideas about moving into the next dimension. Group rituals and meditation that opens up to love will help you stay in a solid place.

We Can Cultivate Numerous Acts of Kindness as the Many Petals Opening on the Lotus Loving is allowing the simple acts of kindness to yourself and others. Henry Goudge, father of the popular English author Elizabeth Goudge, gave a clear directive on his deathbed, “In the end dear, what matters is the loving.” As my daughter, Karen Petersen, says, “Live simply, love generously, care deeply, speak kindly.” And I would add, be grateful, tickle your funny bone and laugh loudly and often.

If the Lights Do Go Out…

158

Buddhist religion prophesizes that only when utter darkness has shrouded the world will the next realized Buddha, called the Maitreya, come. Don Alejandro Cirilo Perez Oxlaj, President of the National Council of Elders Mayas, Xinca and Garifuna, says that there will be a long period of total darkness when there is a change in the sun. The amount of time of darkness varies according to different traditions. Don Alejandro has said it would be thirty‐six hours. This may or may not happen, but it stands to reason to emotionally prepare for it. The Egyptian Mystery Schools and others had the tradition of doing several days of initiation in complete darkness, so should the sun be blocked out, use this time to prepare to go into a dimension that is life supporting. Should this happen, think of the time as your opportunity for initiation. Shift to an energetic sensitivity where you can interface with the vibrations that Higher Intelligence provides. Turn within should our world becomes destabilized through earthquakes, tidal waves, political upheaval or even a wobbling of the planet on its axis. In midst of darkness or utmost external disequilibrium, find the higher information that is being communicated to you. Breathe through fear and terror and listen to the teachings that are being provided from a higher Source.

The Feather of Maat—A Metaphor for Justice

Hathor Egyptian Stone Carving

The Hathors are a group of interplanetary dimensional beings who speak through sound healer Tom Kenyon to give information on the Ascension process. The Hathors are masters of love and sound from an ascended intergalactic civilization. They report that the pineal operates like a cosmic antenna, allowing impressions,

159

information and energy from the light realms of being. The Hathors give visualizations on how to elevate your energy body and move into other spiritual dimensions which they call timelines at the web site tomkenyon.com. They also give sound tunings for healing available for MP3 players or as CDs. We humans definitely are a feeling species and most of us are trying to figure out our feelings. The Hathors say that through feelings and choice, humans can follow their intuition to lock into a dimension where all life and the earth are honored. Living a life of loving kindness and gratitude is the best assurance to take you into that dimension. The Talmud has long said, “The highest form of wisdom is kindness.” The Hathors remind us that we have free will to do with as we choose. They describe an ancient Egyptian practice of Maat, the goddess of truth, moral integrity and cosmic order for the Universe, called the weighing of the heart after death which took place in the Halls of Judgment:

“…there was a goddess called Maat, who held a set of scales, and upon death, the heart of an Initiate would be placed upon the scales, and a feather would be placed on the other side. If the heart was as light as a feather, the Initiate would be given entrance to the heavenly worlds—meaning higher states of consciousness. But if the heart was laden with negativity, regret and sorrow, the Initiate would have to return to the lower worlds.”

Valley of the Queens, Egypt. Dynasty XIX 1270 B.C.

Goddess Maat kneels with wings extended paying homage to the Goddess Hathor seated on a throne. Maat is the Goddess of Truth and Justice established by the Creator‐God at the beginning of time.

160

According to Egyptian tradition, the spirit of Maat appears now and then in our world to reestablish order. The Scales of Justice swing back and forth with the balancing. So do a personal assessment. How much does your heart weigh? Heaviness is transformed into light (another meaning of the word light) by the quality and quantity of your loving. If your heart is heavy, you have some work to do. It’s not too late. Step up the constancy of intentional prayers and rituals that increase the illuminating Presence within. As the world heats up, hurries up and rages up, you have the opportunity to decide how heavy your heart is, how clear your conscious is and what future you want to live out. The quote of “The choice is always yours,” from Aldous Huxley years ago remains even more true today. We human have an exacting attribute which can lead us to destruction or salvation. Our DNA programming allows us the ability to think, decide and act—free will can be a bane or a boon as we move into the future which is ratcheting up in speed and intensity. Robert Cox quotes the Egyptian Pyramid Texts written 2400 BCE as saying, “A stairway to the sky is set up for me… that I may ascend on it to the sky.” Whether your Ascension process is a stairway, intense prayer, the sipapuni, the Merkaba or an inter‐dimensional portal, go to that archetype as a healing vibration that will take you there. You’ve been working for it, toward it for many incarnations. You are being called to something you never imagined possible but that is already within you; that portal is already in your programmed destiny. For what is ascension but consciousness returning to itself?

Coherence is to Make Whole Again Doing a ceremony to find coherence will be helpful if there is a period where the sun appears to be dark. Call in your guides and ask that all that happens to you be only for your best and highest good and for all concerned. Calmly put intentions of protection from any dark energy around you. Remember that you are an open informational system capable of taking in light. Light dispels the darkness. Think of how the pineal gland produces melatonin, harmine, pemoline and DMT, beneficial hormones which will speed your spiritual growth during times of darkness. No matter the chaos that ensues in the outside world, spend some time in gratitude each day. Disentangle from fear thoughts and other chaotic information that the ego tries to force on you. Soften, open to the loving Presence, and send your intention for

161

evolutionary growth to the pineal area. Allow an intention for your body and auric field to become more luminescent through the opening of the pineal gland. Focus on something or someone that you love and feel grateful for. Let the love for creation expand as you recognize how far you have come in spiritual growth. Remind yourself—of your choice to become a being of purity and love. Repeatedly send out healing intentions bringing yourself back to coherence using the love in your heart. Remember, the energies of love are always stronger than fear. Concentrate on light being turned on between your eyebrows—that light in and around the head shown as a halo in pictures of saints. Cross your eyes slightly and gaze inward at your pineal visualizing it becoming luminescent. Be mindful while paying attention acknowledging that all is in God. Hold that gratitude attitude of knowing at a deep level that you have the intelligence and consciousness to weather whatever comes. Talk to that information stored in your cells that is connected to the Divine Blueprint. Fire up those memories aligned to your soul that lie buried within you waiting to be called forth. Draw prana from other dimensions to support your body taking on the frequencies of the light. The Zero Point Field with its lifesupporting prana is everywhere. The prana comes direct from the sun; even if you cannot see it, know that it is still there. Call to the One within you—you and God are One. Exercises such as this one charge the energetic circular loop between heart and head chakras. We are luminous beings as described by the Buddha, “The mind is luminous, but is polluted by the toxins that are dumped into it.” Healing exercises help clear toxic energy of this and other life times so that we can return to our true state. The opening of the heart chakra leads to the opening of the luminance within the Third Eye and this in turn increases the vibratory opening of the heart as Proverbs 15: 30 reminds us “The light of the eyes rejoiceth the heart.” The Hathors speak lovingly giving us reassurance for these uncertain times,

“As always, even in the midst of such great difficulties as you now face, we hold a higher vision for you, the human family. We see your hidden greatness, even though you may not see if for yourself. We hold a light in this hour of darkness. It is just a reminder of the great light that you hold within yourself. It is time to free this light within you. Future generations will be blessed by your ascent. May it be so.”

162

And the bible verse written centuries ago from Ephesians 5:8 states the same message: “For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord; walk as children of the Light.” Find the radiance that lies within you and send it out, first to your aura and then to the rest of the word and the Universe. We are meant to be luminous beings. Luminosity is the way to go!

The Human Body as Ethereal, Luminance Energy

We are Never Alone There are many interplanetary forces working with you and with our species overall but you are making choices which affect the group collective. Profound opportunities abound during this bridging time as the feminine energy breaks through into our planet. Ready or not, here they come! For it is at the times of chaos that great creativity in the human psyche can come forth. Marcia White explains,

“When these changes come, you will have more teachable moments. The most teachable times may come when people are fearful and lost, when there is chaos and dissolution. At these all‐is‐lost moments, people may be better able to listen.”

If the world’s infrastructure should fail, there will be countless teachable moments! No matter what the state of the world, you are still left to choose and create those principles that will guide your life. Whether you make choices out of fear or love is up to you. The practical thing seems to be to get the resulting confusion and free‐floating anxiety cleared out so that you can make more efficient and loving choices.

163

We are Multidimensional Beings

As people of the One Heart, we follow the light. The bible verse from Job 38:19 asks, “Where is the way where light dwelleth? And as for darkness, where is the place thereof?” Both of these places are found within the sacred space of the human heart. We have the great capacity to transcend the darkness rendered by the shadow and find our purity. Our bodies have the physiological and chemical abilities to produce light. Again, from the bible, this time from Proverbs 4: 18: “The the path of the just is the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.” We are under instruction on how to prepare for this important stage in world history by making our hearts pure. Perhaps we are in an incubation stage, awaiting instruction! We are not alone. There are true teachers of great light and love here to guide us. You can find them as they only speak words of love. Teachers of Truth follow the intention of the bible verse, 1 Corinthians 16:14, "Let all that you do be done in love." Releasing old fears, rigid thinking and prejudices through cultivation of self‐growth and spiritual deepening will help lighten the shadow load on our psyches. This release can be a sloughing‐off process as your inner vibrations change. Cultivation of the coherence that is inherent in our hearts will take us to those other dimensions that are waiting for us. Many people believe that there is no time or no space but just a Matrix of Consciousness of which we are a part. There is a belief that other aspects of our being are already existing in other dimensions unknown to us—that we are multidimensional beings living in not only this reality, but in others. If so, the destruction of the physical earth would mean that you as an energetic force could move somewhere else—called home so to speak. Instead of that “old‐time‐religion,” give us that “old‐time‐portal” in order to reconnect with multidimensionality and incarnate into other aspects of ourselves. With our inherently evolving genes, we have the electromagnetic and chemical means for the human DNA to continue. We are being assisted through interplanetary forces to connect with the vibration that supports love through remembrance of who we are. We are children of Heaven and Earth; of above as well as below. We can learn to open our hearts, crown chakra and consequently our Third Eye to connect into the information we need for choosing our future. That is our healing.

164

Co‐Creation is the ascent of matter incorporating back into Spirit to return to Source. As a Pure Heart being, you are a conscious participant in this exciting time as to what will come. As Melchizedek says, “Love is our way home.”

Spiritual Longing, CoCreation and Opening your Potentiality

Put yourself in a quiet space and drop into the longing of your heart to be real and whole. Focus on creation and put your energy into the joyous evolution. Keep the illumination of your Third Eye present in your mind while you drop into the longing of the loving energy of your heart of hearts. In the past, my thoughts, beliefs and ego defenses have defined who I am. I am not my thoughts. I am not my fear. I am not my judgments. I am not my mind. I am not my body. I am much more than my thoughts, beliefs and ego defenses. I am more than the emotional charges around any problem, issue or pattern. I open my heart to what is being presented to me at each moment. I accept the reality that is present in my life at this evolutionary time. I am thankful for free will and freedom of choice. I am a soul in progress propelled by my DNA changes. I reremember who I am and claim my Divine Being. I open to the Universal Life Force of healing energy. I open to the infinite sources of wisdom and guidance. I ask to be fully conscious and compassionate towards all others and myself. I ask that all my chakras be set at the correct vibration of my soul. I acknowledge that I am a CoCreator with Source. I open my heart fully in love to myself and my connection to the Divine. I embrace the wholeness of all and the God within. I am grateful for this life and this process of evolution that leads me to God. I give thanks that I AM a part of the single, unifying, all encompassing Unity. See radiant light moving out from your body as a glowing aura. Hold your awareness on opening the floodgates of light letting it flow and circulate out from your body. Connect your heart with the glowing light of the sun. Feel the connection to the power

165

of the radiant sun beating within your heart. You are more than this little lifenegating ego and defense body mass, you are the connection between heaven and earth. You are Creation itself. Picture piercing the darkness and lifting yourself up to a new dimension. See the bigger picture: you are helping create a new collective future.

This is the Eleventh Hour

We of the pure hearts can resonate with the words of the biblical prophet from Proverbs 4: 18 who said. “But the path of the just is the showing of light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.” We are finding our path to the next dimension. Here are sensible words given to us by the Hopi Elders of Oraibi, Arizona, Hopi Nation to prepare us for upcoming events:

"You have been telling the people that this is the Eleventh Hour. Now you must go back and tell the people that this is the Hour. And there are things to be considered: Where are you living? What are you doing? What are your relationships? Are you in right relation? Where is your water? Know your garden. It is time to speak your Truth. Create your community. Be good to each other. And do not look outside yourself for the leader. This could be a good time! There is a river flowing now very fast. It is so great and swift that there are those who will be afraid. They will try to hold on to the shore. They will feel they are being torn apart, and they will suffer greatly. Know the river has its destination. The elders say we must let go of the shore, Push off into the middle of the river, Keep our eyes open, and our heads above the water. See who is in there with you and celebrate. At this time in history, we are to take nothing personally. Least of all, ourselves.

166

For the moment that we do, our spiritual growth and journey comes to a halt. The time of the lone wolf is over. Gather yourselves! Banish the word struggle from your attitude and your vocabulary. All that we do now must be done in a sacred manner and in celebration. We are the ones we've been waiting for." Ours is not the only reality. There are vast dimensions of consciousness out there and as a human, you are already existing in several of them. You are here now to remember the vibrations of your higher inter‐dimensional aspects. To find these loving realities, keep in touch with the longing of your heart which is connected to your soul’s purpose and the Greater Mystery. Love is the way to ascend.

167

Resources Bailey, Alice. Esoteric Healing. New York: Lucis Publishing Co. New York, 1953. Buber, Martin. I and Thou, Charles Scribner’s Sons, New York, 1958. Brodie, Renee. The Healing Tones of Crystal Bowls: Heal Yourself with Sound and Colour. Aroma Art, Ltd. Vancouver, Canada, 2000. Cherry, Joanna. Ascension for You and Me. Mt. Shasta, CA. Ascension Mastery International, 1985. Childe, Doc. Freeze Frame: One Minute Stress Management. Planetary Publications. Boulder Creek, CA. 1998. Church, Dawson. The Genie in your Genes: Using the Stunning New Breakthroughs in DNA Research to Generate Peak Health. Energy Psychology Press, Santa Rosa, CA, 2009. Cirlot, Juan Eduardo. A Dictionary of Symbols. New York. Philosophical Library. 1971. Cox, Robert E., The Final Event: Dawn of a New Age of Truth. 1st World Publishing. Fairfield, Iowa, 2009. Cox, Robert E., The Pillar of Celestial Fire: The Lost Science of the Ancient Seers Rediscovered. Fairfield, IA: Sun star Publishing, LTD. 1997. Craig, Gary. EFT for PTSD. Energy Psychology Press, Santa Rosa, CA, 2009. Dixon, Jana. Biology of Kundalini: Exploring the Fire of Life. Lulu Publishing. 2008. Eden, Donna. Energy Medicine. (2nd edition) New York: Tarcher/Putnam. 2008. Feinstein, David, Eden, Donna and Craig, Gary. The Promise of Energy Psychology: Revolutionary Tools for Dramatic Personal Change. New York. Tarcher/Penguin. 2005. Gallo, Fred. (Ed.) Energy Psychology in Psychotherapy: A Comprehensive Source Book. New York, Norton. 2002.

168

Gendlin, Eugene. Focusing. New York, Bantam Books, 1978. Goldman, Jonathan. Healing Sounds: The Power of Harmonics. Rockport, MA, Element Books, Inc. 1992. Lane, Jim. The neurochemistry of counterconditioning: Acupressure desensitization in psychotherapy. Energy Psychology: Theory, Research and Treatment 1(1).2010. Lansdowne, Zachary. The Chakras and Esoteric Healing. York Beach, MA. Samuel Weiser. 1986. Laskow, Leonard. Healing With Love. 1992, 2008. Namka, Lynne Your Quick Anger Make Over Plus Twenty Other Cutting-Edge Techniques to Release Anger, Tucson, AZ. Talk, Trust and Feel Press. 2009. Narby, Jeremy. The Cosmic Serpent: DNA and the Origins of Knowledge. JeremyTarcher/Putman, New York 1999. Radin, Dean. Entangled Minds: Extrasensory Experiences in a Quantum Reality. New York: Paraview/Pocket Books/Simon & Shuster. 2006. Spigarelli, Jack. Crisis Preparedness Handbook: A Comprehensive Guide to Home Storage, Updated Second Edition. Alpine, UT. Cross Current Publishing. 2002. Thind, Bhagat Singh. Science of Breathing and Glands. Spiritual Science Foundation, Malibu, CA. 2009. Waters, Frank. Book of the Hopi. New York: Penguin, l977. Wesley, Rowels, James. How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It. New York. Penguin Group. 2009. Zahourek, Rothlyn. Intentionality: The Matrix of Healing. Verlag: VDM Dr. Muller Akiengesellschraft & Co., KG, Deutschland. 2009.

Web Sites Alchemy www.alchemywebsite.com/

169

Ask and Receive www.askandreceive.org/ Janna Dixon biologyofkundalini.com/ The Hathors: Pineal Dimensional Attunement, Ascension Codes, sacred Chants and White Gold Alchemy CDs. www.tomkenyon.com/ Christine Hoeflich Activating 2012: A Practical Guide to Navigating 2012 with Confidence and Clarity e‐book www.WhatEveryoneBelieved.com/ Institute of HeartMath www.heartmath.org. Research on heart intelligence‐‐the link between emotions, heart‐brain communication and cognitive function. Leonard Laskow www.Laskow.net Bruce Lipton Brucelipton.com Drunvalo Melchizedek www.spiritofmaat.com/archive/maglist.htm/ Ellie Crystal Metaphysical and Science Website www.crystalinks.com. Jeffery Thompson. Alpha Relaxation System, Theta Relaxation System 2.0, Gamma Mediation System 2.0, Awakened Mind System and Healing Mind System the relaxationcompany.com/ Evan Vorley www.AlchemyRealm.com www.multidimensionalbeing.com/ Spiritual Audio CD’s and tapes www.soundstrue.com/ James Wesley Rawles Survivalblog.com/ Ken Wilber www.integralinstitute.org/

Documents

Love is the Way to Ascend