I very much enjoy Bikram yoga sessions once a month. I often have great inspirations as a direct result of one of these 90-minute sessions of intense 105-degree heat. I go in with a clear intention every time and invariably get some rich, and sometimes unexpected realizations dealing with this intention. Below is what I wrote after two particularly rich sessions last year. The first deals with the concept of "the chosen one," while the second one tackles the question "what is evil?"
April 27 Bikram class: The chosen one. So many people are looking for the chosen one to save them, whether it be Christ, the Messiah, the knight in shining armor, or ETs coming to rescue us. They are ready to surrender their power to this chosen one who will then lead them out of their troubles and into the promised land. In surrendering to the chosen one, they then no longer have to take personal responsibility for their lives, as the chosen one takes on the responsibility and shows them the way. They have only to follow what the chosen one who tells them what to do.
At the same time, many of us have a part within that believes in some way that we are the chosen one. We have the all answers. And if only others would follow us, our lives and world would be saved. Yet when confronted with the possibility of stepping into positions of great power, the fear of shouldering all that responsibility for others can be daunting. And the fear of somehow misusing that power, as has so often happened, can cause many to shrink from taking on greater power.
I know the desire to both follow a chosen one and to be the chosen one are alive in me. And yet what I know on a deeper level is that I am the chosen one. Every one of us is the chosen one! When we open to the amazing process of co-creating our world with all around us, every one of us is special and chosen. Every one of us is a powerful creator and a unique aspect of the divine exploring itself through us. On the deeper levels, I know it's not about giving up or taking power and responsibility. It's about being in the sacred flow of life and dancing with the divine in ever more expanded ways.
Some people are clearly more talented and gifted than others in some ways. I know that I have both been given and developed amazing talents and wisdom over the years. In particular, I am able to see and experience the interconnectedness of all of us much more than most people. It is very easy for me to see the divine in everyone and every thing. I am also rare on this planet in my unwavering commitment to what's best for all. Yet this does not make me any better than anyone else, though it does seem to allow me to play a bigger role than most people here are playing.
May 17 Bikram class: I went in with two intentions. One was to explore the Satanic forces in life and what I can do about this. The other was to explore more my powerful and amazing connection with Zora. And wow!!! I got some deep, rich answers to both!
I saw clearly that the Satanic forces are a manifestation of a vast field of repressed energy that vibrates largely unseen beneath the surface of the energy field of the collective consciousness in our world. So many people have avoided and suppressed their own shadow here that it has ended up giving great power to the largely unmonitored and unchecked collective shadow of our world. This conscious denial and repression of the shadow over the centuries has caused it to become very separate and hidden from the consensus reality created by the vast majority of people on our planet. This is at the root of most of the craziness that I and others have uncovered in our research.
Due to this polarization of light and shadow, the shadow realms here have grown and manifested in a wide variety of strange and scary forms, from government mind control programs to the many and varied secret societies, and even to Satanism where all values are turned upside down: bad is good and good is bad. Yet very few are aware or even want to know or talk about any of this.
I was thrilled in this exploration to find that I could easily dive into this unconscious energy field and connect with the beings there. I saw that these shadow forces are merely repressed expressions of the divine which want to explore existence and to play and have fun, too. It's just that because of the way they have been cut off from the greater conscious part of the collective, their vision of play and fun has become quite distorted -- extremely distorted and at times even violently destructive.
Diving into this collective shadow during the Bikram session, I found I could establish a clear connection with these shadow energies and beings. As they could see that I value the shadow energies as an expression of the divine, and that I don't judge any of them individually as beings, I was welcomed into their field. I even saw how I can invite them to have more fun by playing consciously and exploring other ways of connecting which include both shadow and light.
I did make clear to them my boundaries around supporting only what's best for all. I communicated that I would do my best to stop any violent or clearly destructive behavior. Yet I showed them that I very much welcomed connecting with them within these boundaries, and I was thrilled about creating new and exciting possibilities for them and for those in other realms who are beginning to awaken to expanded awareness of the value of both the light and shadow.
Many of these shadow forces have consciously repressed their own light, just as the light forces have repressed their own shadow. Both sides have thus lost some of the rich spectrum available for playing and exploring in this cosmic drama. The shadow forces with which I connected saw how I am having so much fun playing full out in the realms of both light and shadow and were interested in learning how to do that. I communicated to them that I suspected they were somehow a polarized reflection of the repressed side of the people they despised, and vice versa.
The old paradigm polarization of light and shadow is gradually shifting as increasing numbers of people on our planet open both to the personal and to the collective shadow. When we both individually and collectively welcome the shadow as a long lost friend and potent teacher, it becomes less distorted and separate from the collective consciousness of this world.
The shadow is now increasingly integrating with the light in a beautiful dance. I want to invite all who are interested to join in the fun and meaningful explorations available when we have the courage to learn to dance with both the light and the shadows within ourselves as individuals, and within the collective of which we are a part.
I then saw an amazing connection with Zora in all of this. Zora is a shadow dancer. In the pursuit of her own healing, she has been willing to dive deep into her own shadows -- particularly in her intense journey work -- and come out shining and vibrating in an exciting new and transformed state. She is much less afraid of and more comfortable with the shadow realms than most people. I sense that she and I can be powerful shadow dancers inviting people to see the power and joy of dancing with both the light and the shadows, and also inviting the light and shadow energies to dance, to play, and to transform with us. Wild stuff!!!
Having spent 25 years embracing the concept of positive thinking...like attracts like... present positive thoughts manifest future positive events, this subject is new to me. I am intrigued. I look forward to similar posts from you, Fred.
Love, light, and shadow,
Noa
I believe New age spirituality is not spirituality at all and is actually the religion designed by the PTB...I find it funny that those who believe they are working against the PTB often support there religion and in essence work for the PTB...this is how "good" guys can act "bad"...in the same way that those who are obsessed with aliens and disclosuer are actually the same people who prevent the aliens from being able to visit us...aliens are not "better" or there to be worshipped as Fred states above...but yeah the people who think they serve often through good intention but misinformed knowledge are the problem they believe they are fighting to heal....it's just how it works.......
"One does not become enlightened imaging images of light but by making the darkness conscious, the latter however is uncomfortable and not for all"...Carl Jung
calling something 'New Age' since most often we are speaking of things like yoga, herbal medicine, meditation, astrology, chanting/toning/drumming~when more often than not the subject has been around for centuries and in a myriad of cultures. I guess I wonder what constitutes 'New Age', Jez. I don't care for the term.
I don't consider people that are religious to necessarily be spiritual or vice versa. No attempt to be judgemental of anyone or anything, I guess my perspective resembles the mansion with many rooms.We each walk the path from birth to transition alone even though we hopefully learn to walk it as One, and sharing with others along the way. Each experience is as valuable and viable as the next whether we see it from our limited viewpoint as such or not.
Whether someone elses practices are religious or spiritual to me or not is irrelevant, what works for me may not work for them either. Is a day spent in Bible study more relevant than a day spent in the woods? Not necessarily. If someone viewed my departure from the mainstream fundamental religious upbringing of my youth to the practices that enrich my soul and spirit at this time in my life as 'New Age' I guess I'd have to smile, but I wouldn't agree that I'm being lead around by the power elite or that they have a religious/spiritual agenda that even remotely resembles the one of my own constructs.
As I move through year to year in this physical body, my spiritual body becomes less and less tied to what beliefs have passed away and I more easily learn to leave them there where they belong, in the past. I find little time to worry about the ptb, as worry is wasted energy and changes nothing.
Oh and, fighting doesn't heal anything. To healing and pure Spirit. Namaste. kristyne
Having followed several "new age" or "new thought" "religions" for 25 years, I agree with you, Krystine. Their teachings are positive, practical, and uplifting. The emphasis is on oneness and our connection with God Source... one that is more in line with indigenous cultures than with traditional church values. Meditation plays a key role. All groups I've been associated with are distinctly different from both mainstream religions and many other accepted paradigms.
At no time has the subject regarding the Powers That Be (PTB) or maintaining the status quo been part of the lessons. On the contrary, people are encouraged to think for themselves!
Being "bad" is neither encouraged nor condemned. Instead, "sin" is seen merely as turning away from the light that is within each one of us. You don't have to suppress negative tendencies or feelings. It's just that basking in the light feels so much better... because it's the stuff of life!
If one is open-minded, one might be surprised to discover value in these teachings.
From Love,
Noa
First, thank you Noa for putting words to ptb.
It seems that with Puritanism "character" became defined in the context of morality. The shadow side, so much a part of theater from ancient Greece through the renaissance was suppressed. I think that what arose from that were things like "positive thinking," with which we came to believe that we could use will power to form "character." Shadow was denied and what Ken Wilbur described as the Post Modern Ego became what might be the greatest challenge we face today as there is no perceived accountability for actions since there is no shadow is seen.
Anyone remember that radio show years ago about the shadow. It would start off with this deep mysterious voice: "Who knows what evil lurks in the heart of men? and then came the answer. "The shadow knows."
What a great thread, Fred. Thanks for posting
New Age
New Age spirituality often makes references to mythological representations of the Earth, Moon, and outer space; the term New Age refers to the coming astrological Age of Aquarius.[1]
The New Age movement is a non-religious Western spiritual movement that developed in the latter half of the 20th century. Its central precepts revolve around "drawing on both Eastern and Western spiritual and metaphysical traditions and then infusing them with influences from self-help and motivational psychology, holistic health, parapsychology, consciousness research and quantum physics"[2] in order to create "a spirituality without borders or confining dogmas" that is inclusive and pluralistic.[3] Another of its primary traits is holding to "a holistic worldview,"[4] thereby emphasising that the Mind, Body and Spirit are interrelated[1] and that there is a form of Oneness and unity throughout the universe.[5] It further attempts to create "a worldview that includes both science and spirituality"[6] and thereby embraces a number of forms of science and pseudoscience. The scientific community has debunked many New Age beliefs.
According to author Nevill Drury, the origins of the movement can be found in the 18th and 19th centuries, particularly through the works of the esotericists Emanuel Swedenborg, Franz Mesmer, Helena Blavatsky and George Gurdjieff, who laid some of the basic philosophical principles that would later influence the movement. It would gain further momentum in the 1960s, taking influence from metaphysics, self-help psychology, and the various Indian gurus who visited the West during that decade.[7]
The New Age movement includes elements of older spiritual and religious traditions ranging from atheism and monotheism through classical pantheism, naturalistic pantheism, and panentheism to polytheism combined with science and Gaia philosophy; particularly archaeoastronomy, astronomy, ecology, environmentalism, the Gaia hypothesis, psychology, and physics. New Age practices and philosophies sometimes draw inspiration from major world religions: Buddhism, Taoism, Chinese folk religion, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism; with strong influences from East Asian religions, Gnosticism, Neopaganism, New Thought, Spiritualism, Theosophy, Universalism, and Western esotericism.[8] The term New Age refers to the coming astrological Age of Aquarius.[1]
And I guess people just need to understand that just being positive and focusing on the light is not spiritualism, it is a self serving projection of a false reality....self serving because as people have stated here, they do it because it makes them feel good....which is fine but call a spade a spade...
People can be and do anything they want, I don't care, every path is valid, I'm merely pointing out that many people call things spiritual here that are not spiritual...I think that becomes confusing and unintentionally manipulative to people who do not know what spiritualism really is....
From the viewpoint of unity, light and shadow are not two but one. Shadow is the background that shows us just how beautiful the light is, but light would not be visible if it did not contrast with darkness. Neither has meaning without the other. Seen from the perspective of the Light, there is nothing evil but only experiences that draw us away from the light. Those experiences tend to be unpleasant, driving us eventually back to the light. To the Light, it's all good. That is, all things work together to produce an ultimate good result, which is to return us to the Light. In the Bible, this is Romans 8:28--all things work together for good. In the Mundaka Upanishad, all spokes connect to the same center, the Lord of Love. No spoke can be thought of as bad or unnecessary because if it were not there to connect to the center, the wheel would break, or at least be incomplete.
To us, some actions, some events appear evil, but to the Light, all of it leads to the Light and therefore all actions are ultimately good. Need a concrete example? Here's one:
A "bad" relationship with a coworker made work miserable for both of us. Some of her actions and some of mine were clearly unkind, what one might call evil or sinful. But the misery boosted me into a new level of spiritual searching that ultimately led me to deep insights and reconciliation with the coworker. Evil actions on both sides eventually produced a positive result.
Regarding Christian churches, please don't be too quick to judge. I have attended a number of Christian groups where people talked freely about the dark paths they were on and the struggles they still have, but in finding faith, they were finding a way out of the darkness and into the light. They found in their church a hospital that helped them apply light and healing to wounds they received in the darkness.
From our limited individual perspective, we may see something as evil or dark, but it all points and leads us back to the One Consciousness that includes us all and all of our actions, the one Lord of Love in whom there is only wholeness and harmony despite any temporal/temporary appearances to the contrary.
I hope this makes some sense. I can "see" it with the heart, but it's very hard to translate into words. :-)
Chuck
just being positive and focusing on the light is not spiritualism, it is a self serving projection of a false reality....self serving because as people have stated here, they do it because it makes them feel good....
Spiritualism is a 'religion' involving the use of mediums to channel information from those who have crossed over or transitioned, which has little to do with being positive and focusing on the light. If those two things could make us 'Spiritual' we might live in a much different world, because many are doing just that already. Does it make you feel good? Maybe, but I find it highly likely that living a life in service to others and the Highest Good of all of us has the potential to make us feel even better, though feeling good is not the reason to do so.
Spirit, is what animates us or breathes the very life into us, closely connected with 'soul'- maybe some of us use the terms interchangeably. I think we're here on this planet in this phase of existence to allow soul and spirit growth, both on an individual level and a much larger 'community consciousness' and 'cosmic consciousness' level.
Be cautious of labels, if time is only relevent from our limited perspective, what's new or old? and what's self serving or self-lessly serving? We are all One. Just thoughts. Namaste. Kristyne
Focusing on the light or being positive is not just wishful thinking. It is the power behind answered prayer. It is us co-creating with God. It is what lightworkers and other healers are using to successfully heal people and the earth. It's what causes miracles. It's what happens when we practice Ho'oponopono, breathe sacred love, or any number of similar practices. In doing so, we are all channels of the light.
Everything is vibration, including our thoughts. Most of us don't realize the power we have. The power to change the environment with one's thoughts has been documented in Quantum Physics when a particle acts like a wave when it's observed. The same phenomena can be seen with the placebo effect. Scientists know they must use double-blind studies to test new drugs because if the person administering the drug knows which pill is the placebo, it affects the outcome of the test.
Feeling good is an indicator that you are tuned into Source and are moving in the right direction... just as a bad feeling in your gut can tell you that something is wrong. That's why doing selfless acts feels good. And there's nothing wrong with feeling good.
From light and love,
Noa
Hi Noa,
I would more say that everything is thought, including vibration....vibrations can only exist in the physical universe, they require an element of time and space, a medium in which to vibrate.....where ever the creator exists,in the "nothing", there is no time and space, hence no vibration....only thought...or consciousness....
L
Jez
Interesting insights Fred.
In your description, is 'the shadow' a synonym to 'evil'?
I ask because as I mentioned in the
http://www.gatheringspot.net/video/political-activismcover-ups/wishing-i-had-seen-pnac-document-911
thread, I've run into something that is not "cute and cuddly" and can be bargained or compromised with because its modus operandi is deception.
In any case, thanks for the perception. I'll keep a look out during my meditation periods. I'll be non-judgmental and see what my experience shows me.
Namaste.
Bob
I would say that the Creator is the source of all vibration, which is ominipresent.
Greetings Fred, et al....
Nice to read your thoughts on these two topics...it's been a long long time since I gave consideration to a 'chosen one'...there may be a chosen one in each of us if we WILL it to appear....but I have my doubts. We seem too consumed with survival or pleasures to worry about the masses. Still, some of us do try to help others along the path of life. IMHO you are one of those people and I thank you and appreciate your efforts for all these years. Saw your piece on NDE in my email this morning and it took more than a hour to navigate away !!
As for evil, there are many forms...and I see it more and more ...good people with bad ideas...outright evil people, sects and cults , corporations and associations, ....it's quite rare to find goodness anymore. Still, we keep seeking the good in man, and hope someday it manifests among us as a people. I look forward to the day we can love one another, and trust one another, and move amongst one another without fear. All in good time.
Take care all.
Blessings.
Dave
Hi Bob,
The shadow is not at all the same as evil to me, Bob. The shadow is the places we keep hidden both inside of ourselves, and collectively in the world. It's the places most people are afraid to look at, like a lot of the information on WantToKnow.info. By shining light on those shadows, we can then work with them and invite them to transform. It is some of the most profound work I've been involved in. You take care and enjoy the day.
With sacred love and warm wishes,
Fred
Berry posted this on facebook, I think it fits here....
Yes, it does fit. Thanks for that, Jez.
Fred, thanks again for that wonderful post. I keep coming back to this topic because it strikes something deep in me.
About the chosen one, we are all the chosen one in the sense that every single being/consciousness contributes to the whole, whether they choose to actively do good or not. That is, we are all contributing to the Light, even if we do nothing, and cannot help doing so. It is the nature of unity that we all participate and contribute to the ultimate good. So it is true that each of us is the chosen one, contributing to the One in our own unique and wonderful way.
About the shadow, a wise teacher taught me to "embrace everything, reject nothing." The shadow is a hidden part of my psyche that I don't usually consciously examine, but because it is me just as much as any other part of my being/consciousness, I want/need to embrace it, acknowledge it, and love it. Paradoxically, that same teacher treated the ego as an enemy, referring to it as insidious and even encouraging students to give it an insidious name. It was a teaching I came to view as mistaken because my ego, despite its ability to deceive and misguide, is also a beloved part of my being/consciousness and needs to be embraced as it is. When we can embrace all that we are, we become an integrated whole. This leads us to become a living expression of the love that powers the universe, loving ourselves fully, and in loving ourselves, we also start to learn how to love all who are, all that is.
A wise man once said the most important principle is to love your neighbor as yourself and to love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength. The most essential concept in that principle is love, the next is to love yourself, then to extend that love to all others, and finally to love God or the Source Consciousness in which all being/consciousness exists. When we learn and live these principles, we become a wonderful holographic reflection of God/Consciousness spoken of in the video that Jez referred to in an earlier post. When others see us, they see the One.
Chuck
Thanks, Chuck, for your warm words, and for everyone's comments here. Fascinating stuff! And chuck, I very much agree that if we make the ego an enemy, we're just creating another enemy. I find that when I work with my ego, it is actually amazingly willing to transform with me. The ego can expand, just as I do. Thanks to all of you for joining me in this incredible dance of consciousness,
With lots of love and joy,
Fred
Great post Fred - thanks. For me - I see this whole issue as one of Balance. It seems we have been dropped off in a reality that embraces polarity and that 's just the way it is. So we spend our whole lives struggling to regain balance in an environment that does not support it. And thus we have imbalance everywhere - and that includes a separation of light and shadow.
I look at this way. If we are all coins sitting on a table - we are either heads up or tails up - and that's what people see of us. Of course we know that we are both sides of that coin - but on a two dimensional table - there is no way to reveal this in any way except as a fleeting glimpse - as the coin spins on its edge for instance.
In order for a more balanced view - we would need a different environment for the coin - like one of weightlessness in 3D space. So what we are doing here is learning that the coin has an edge - one that we didn't even recognize - so that when we move on into the next reality - we will know what to do with that information. In the meantime - I would not expect any big balance between the polarities to occur, as that would be like asking a spinning coin to continue spinning perpetually defying the physics of our space here.
That doesn't mean we shouldn't still spin the coin! As doing so gives us a sense of where we are going eventually. We need to experience this "balance" even if fleeting, as a way of connecting to a greater reality of self. Soon enough - we will be in a permanent state of balance in a reality that does not support polarity - and in that sense, will not support US unless and until we know what that state IS.
Thanks for that great analogy, Jeff. And yes, I also find that balance is a key here. When we stop separating light and dark into good and evil and look for the value and understanding available in all parts of this divine play, things shift and we can transcend duality and develop a more holistic view of our lives and world.
With much love, joy, and gratitude,
Fred
Jeff, I like the extended analogy and the wise comment about balance.
Chuck
Really, I don't get this idea that we can cozy up to the "shadow" and make nice with it.
I do understand "embrace everything, reject nothing.", but that is only to become aware of the perception machinery that keeps us where we are, and therefore be able to liberate ourselves from the cruel illusion that keeps us here. The reason is that evil works only when we believe that we are following our true self's instructions when we act, as opposed to following the dictates of an alien and un-natural source of awareness.
By definition, the ego is a "false self". (I can see how the ego is being built in my grandchildren as they grow up. But I'll go into that at some other string)
I would agree with Chuck's instructor about "that same teacher treated the ego as an enemy, referring to it as insidious".
"in·sid·i·ous1. Proceeding in a gradual, subtle way, but with harmful effects: "the insidious effects of stress". 2. Treacherous; crafty: "an insidious alliance".
Evil does not work like in Star Wars... "Come to the dark side Luke. You can't resist it." or something like that. That would never work because we are, by Nature, good, innocent, beings.
Evil works gradually, in subtle ways, to make us believe that what we do is absolutely legit and rightful, "You are OK", "you have a good justification for doing what you do", even though, in reality, we could be committing a great crime against humanity, against our brother. Or it could be as "simple" as slapping a child because my priest said "Spare the rod, spoil the child".
Do you think that the people who think they are managing the affairs of the world know they are doing evil things to people? Of course NOT! They believe they are doing what is best for what they perceive is "good for humanity" even as it only benefits themselves. (Their concept of what is good, apparently, does not include the whole human brotherhood.)
So, I don't understand what "I want/need to embrace it, acknowledge it, and love it." means. It seems wrong to me.
I used to smoke a lot of cigarettes some time ago. I tried to quit many times. One time as I was having the craving to smoke while I was meditating, I "saw" a creepy figure in my head, crawled up in a ball in a corner of my mind, telling me to go ahead and smoke. It was something like Gollum, of the 'Lord of the Rings' story, only this was more wrinkly and totally black. By comparison Gollum was cute. It had an evil smile on him, and I got the clear impression that it wanted me to die.
After this incident, anytime I got the urge to smoke, I knew where that 'urge' was coming from, so I didn't follow it. The malignant habit was broken.
Evil DOES exist. And it is NOT our friend. And as I've said before, it DOES bring a lot of pleasure and a sense of power... but it's illusory.
"What sense does it make if we gain the world but we loose our soul?"
Discernment... that is what we need brothers. There are choices and actions we need to make. We are not "off the hook" yet.
Namaste.
Bob
I'm with you, Bob. I'm trying my best to understand this "shadow" side that Fred and others talk about here. I've been looking within myself and addressing any "dark" tendencies I have, hoping it will somehow bring balance to this monster that runs rampant in our world... but I don't really get it. There is nothing inside me that could commit their unconscionable acts.
Unlike you, Bob, I think they must know on some level what they are doing is wrong. Perhaps they don't see it as selfish, but how can any sane people intentionally do all they can to eradicate everything life-sustaining on this planet without realizing it's immoral?
Maybe I just answered my own question.
Noa
Bob, I apologize ahead of time for not being able to spend much time right now responding to what you so thoughtfully wrote. So here are just a few thoughts of mine.
I think there's an inherent problem in the good/evil dichotomy that is ingrained in or western view of things. You say that we're by nature good, innocent beings, and I tentatively agree (tentatively because I'm not 100% on board with the terms you use) in that at the most fundamental level of our being, or nature is pure and unstained (to use Buddhist-like words). And we're all the same at that level (hence the Unity). But we have varying degrees of darkness (ignorance of our fundamental nature) piled on top of that essential purity that may cause us to do foolish, hurtful, or even "evil" things. So, I think it's more to the point to use "ignorance" instead of "evil" because the latter has damnation and hellfire attached to it. (I'm reminded of the word "sin", which also has damnation and hellfire associated with it -- that's what the church did for us. The original word was just a Greek archery term. If you missed the target at a match, they called out, "sin", which simply meant that you missed the target. Big deal; shoot again.)
Did you read the very recent post about the Wetiko psychosis material by Paul Levy? He treats exactly this matter of the shadow part of ourselves -- individually and as a culture -- and what it means. (He has had extensive and deep personal experience of this.) He shows why what you said about the evildoers not knowing they're doing evil is true, and how it happens. And part of what happens is that we (the evildoers as well as we ourselves) aren't acknowledging the shadow part of themselves (ourselves) -- that is, the part that is ignorant of the essential pure nature and then acts harmfully out of that ignorance. When this reaches really harmful levels, it's bound to have the label "evil" attached to it. We tend to not want to own that shadow part in ourselves, then consequently project it outward onto someone else, and then attack the someone else as being evil. And there's the good/evil dichotomy acted out. If we own the dark stuff, then the dichotomy and all of the harm caused by it is mitigated, if not avoided altogether.
Oh, I forgot. The Paul Levy article(s) are here: http://www.awakeninthedream.com/wordpress/?page_id=183 . Parts 1, 2, and 3 are listed in reverse order. If you haven't looked at them, I highly recommend that you give them (or at least the first one) a read. He's one of the clearest seers and deepest thinkers I know of.
Last thought: So how do we regard the shadow stuff, whatever you call it? What rings true for me is just being aware of it just like all other phenomena. If action is necessary to avoid its negative effects, then we take it. But it doesn't seem useful to get caught up in a good vs. evil drama (except that it can be entertaining). Buddhists would say that the truth of things is beyond good and evil (and all dichotomy) anyhow. There's a Dylan Thomas (I think) line that I've adapted for this post. It goes something like this: "Cast a cool eye upon good, upon evil, Horseman, pass by." (His words were "life" and "death," respectively.)
sane,,and/or, who says it s immoral , it s all just part of the game
Thanks for the info Bob. I agree with you about the concept of "damnation". It doesn't exist and it is used only for the purpose of control by fear... "I'll show you how you can be saved", "Yes father, tell me what I need to do", "10% tithing? Yes, of course, but save me, save me!", and so on and so forth.
To "embrace our shadow" I also agree. That aspect of our personality is called "shadow" only because the "light" of awareness has not shined upon it. So the act of "embracing" the shadow is only for the purpose of finding out the source from which that impulse to act is coming from, at which point we have the free will to not obey it, or go with it. If we reject that part of our personality and not look at it, not "embrace" it, we will never find out the source of that desire, and we keep acting upon it because we think "That is just me, I have a good justification for doing this, and there is no reason to stop doing that" and that kind of thinking has its origin in the very source of what we call the shadow.
I have read Levys works, and I agree that he has very many brilliant insights. In his article THE GREATEST EPIDEMIC SICKNESS KNOWN TO HUMANITY he talks about this virus like entity which he calls "malignant egophrenia" and Jack D. Forbes, an indigenous author, call the "Wetiko virus" and they liken it to something like an outpost of an alien culture, maybe even extraterrestrial, in our mind, from which the insidious impulses for us to act in anti-social, destructive, or inappropriate forms come from.
Fortunately, the cure for this disease is simply awareness. Shine the light of awareness on the shadow and it will disappear. Pay attention to where our impulses to act come from, and then we can use our free will. Without that awareness, we are simply robots following commands from one or the other side of our minds, sometimes beneficial to our social setting, sometimes not.
I believe the injunction "Know thyself" points to this practice.
It is also the reason why we can not judge our brothers. We wouldn't judge someone for having a fever, would we?
And Noa, I too don't get this thing about the outside world being a reflection of my shadow side. I tried one time to find Bush and Cheney aspects in me and I only succeeded in becoming nauseous. So, there may be some truth to that, but it's probably not quite so literal. Maybe when we reach the awareness level of Buddha it will become clear. For now I just treat it as a theoretical possibility. I think the best practice is not to judge. I mean, we are members of a fantastically enormous biological/spiritual being who is going through some kind of transformation and we don't know what it is. It could be that these people we normally judge as "bad" are like enzymes in the organism, a catalyst in a chemical reaction, and without their "evil" acts the chemical/biological reaction of the rest of this being's body, vital to the transformation process, would not occur. They are probably perfect in their imperfection.
Who knows. This is probably one of those unknowable unknowns. Better to focus on discovering who we are (personally). It's a lot more fun. (Did you know that knowing yourself is bliss? That's something to look forward to, no?)
Namaste.
Bob
Thanks for this stimulating conversation. For me, it is essential to differentiate between people and behavior. In our core, I believe every one of us is divine. But everyone of us also screws up at times and behaves terribly. Evil might be when someone consciously behaves in a which they know will harm others and benefit themselves. We all know this happens. Yet is the person who behaves in this "evil" manner in their core an evil person?
For me, the answer to that is a clear no. Everyone in their core is divine. We are all holographic aspects of All That Is. Yet behavior clearly can be very destructive. So I choose to do my very best to expose and stop all destructive and disempowering behavior. Yet even as I do this, I try to honor the divine core of the person committing that behavior and encourage them to come back to the divinity that they are. Thanks to all for sharing their thoughts here.
With lots of love and warm wishes,
Fred
simpler way to sum it all up Fred..Originate in the light, stray from it, find your way back,as many times as it takes,and realize that everyone else is doing the same thing.....I like the short version,,Thanx for the great thread
Another simple explanation. Is there a part of you that resists seeing certain "negative" characteristics in yourself? Those characteristics are the shadow. We are often blind to them, but an easy way to "see" them is to notice what you judge in others. You dislike someone because he's arrogant? Hmmm. Maybe at some level, you are arrogant. Hate the rich? Maybe at some level you are greedy or egotistical and jealous of their wealth or power.
Your shadow components that you don't see and accept have the potential to control you. The teacher who gets arrested for pedophilia probably denied it in himself until it gained such power that he couldn't resist it.
How can you prevent this? Know thyself. Love yourself even with your negatives. Look at them and embrace them (in yourself and others), even though you wisely avoid indulging them if they are harmful to self or others. Talk them over with someone if it will help you let off steam. We all have our negatives, but as long as we accept them without indulging them, they do not make us "evil," just human.
Chuck
I think this fits here...
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";}
From http://www.weboflove.org/neardeathexperience
Mellen-Thomas Benedict is an artist who survived a near-death experience in 1982. He was dead for over an hour and a half. During that time, he rose up out of his body and went into the light. Curious about the universe, he was taken far into the remote depths of existence, and even beyond, into the energetic void of nothingness behind the Big Bang. Eminent near-death experience researcher Dr. Kenneth Ring has said, "His story is one of the most remarkable I have encountered in my extensive research on near-death experiences."
It was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. It was like all the love you've ever wanted, and it was the kind of love that cures, heals, regenerates. I was ready to go at that time. I said "I am ready, take me." Then the Light turned into the most beautiful thing that I have ever seen: a mandala of human souls on this planet. I saw that we are the most beautiful creations – elegant, exotic ... everything.
I just cannot say enough about how it changed my opinion of human beings in an instant. I said/thought/felt, "Oh, God, I didn't realize." I was astonished to find that there was no evil in any soul. People may do terrible things out of ignorance and lack, but no soul is evil. "What all people seek – what sustains them – is love," the Light told me. "What distorts people is a lack of love."
The revelations went on and on. I asked, "Does this mean that Humankind will be saved?" Like a trumpet blast with a shower of spiraling lights, the Light "spoke," saying, "You save, redeem and heal yourself. You always have and always will. You were created with the power to do so from before the beginning of the world." In that instant I realized that we have already been saved.
I went over to the other side with a lot of fears about toxic waste, nuclear missiles, the population explosion, the rain forest. I came back loving every single problem. I love nuclear waste. I love the mushroom cloud; this is the holiest mandala that we have manifested to date, as an archetype. More than any religion or philosophy on Earth, that terrible, wonderful cloud brought us together all of a sudden, to a new level of consciousness.
Knowing that maybe we can blow up the planet fifty times, or 500 times, we finally realize that maybe we are all here together now. For a period they had to keep setting off more bombs to get it into us. Then we started saying, "we do not need this any more." Now we are actually in a safer world than we have ever been in, and it is going to get safer.
So I came back loving toxic waste, because it brought us together. These things are so big. Clearing of the rain forest will slow down, and in fifty years there will be more trees on the planet than in a long time. If you are into ecology, go for it; you are that part of the system that is becoming aware. Go for it with all your might, but do not be depressed or disheartened. Earth is in the process of domesticating itself, and we are cells on that Body. Population increase is getting very close to the optimal range of energy to cause a shift in consciousness. That shift in consciousness will change politics, money, energy.
I had a descent into what you might call hell, and it was very surprising. I did not see Satan or evil. My descent into hell was a descent into each person's customized human misery, ignorance, and darkness of not-knowing. It seemed like a miserable eternity. But each of the millions of souls around me had a little star of light always available. But no one seemed to pay attention to it. They were so consumed with their own grief, trauma and misery. But, after what seemed an eternity, I started calling out to that light, like a child calling to a parent for help. Then the light opened up and formed a tunnel that came right to me an insulated me from all that fear and pain. That is what hell really is.
So what we are doing is learning to hold hands, to come together. The doors of hell are open now. We are going to link up, hold hands, and walk out of hell together.
nde better. I was "blown up" in 1981 in a chemical explosion outside a paper mill. My body was flung into the air, and away from the explosion,and I saw it land face down on the pavement from above..I went into the light above,(that is all there was), but don t remember much, as when I came back, I was on fire, and that tends to bring you back into the present..You know the feeling when you "fall" back into your body from a dream ,or someone coming into the room ? It was like that times 100,,and throw in the fire ! ha!..Only bits and pieces have come back over the years,at relevant times..I never found out how long I was out,but I believe that leaving out of violent trauma can dampen the experience,then, coming back amidst it takes even more away from it...Oh Yeah !, I am on fire!,,Thaaats where we left off! ha! I also believe that I lacked the desire for those answers at the time, as I was 21,and felt I had alot to do here...
Thanx for the link. I have heard a story almost ditto to his, but it was not from a nde,and they left out the vision of hell..I am going to track that one and watch it again,I have it on a documentary..He was just a powerful meditator,(if that is a word), and crossed that line....
Benedict s version of hell is pretty much what I had always figured it to be,self imposed
Wow, tscout! That's an intense story. I've always thought being burned would be one of the worst ways to go. I can understand how the intensity of the overshadowed your memory of the NDE. Thanks for sharing, and I'm glad you made it through that one. Enjoy!
With sacred love and warm wishes,
Fred
This post by FairyFarmGirl http://www.gatheringspot.net/topic/general-discussion/new-earth-part-1-integrating-dark-and-light-create-third-christ-consciousne helps me to finally understand this concept of reconciling good and evil. What do you think?
Noa
Thanks for the recommendation, Noa. The link somehow is not complete. And when I did a search on our search engine, I found out it's not working. Hopefully Andrey can fix that soon. My apologies to anyone who has tried to use it. Can you copy the link again, Noa, and make sure it is complete? I look forward to seeing the post. Thanks, and you take care.
With much love and warm wishes,
Fred
Here's the link again. I know the URL looks like it was cut off, but it is an exact copy from that page.
http://www.gatheringspot.net/topic/general-discussion/new-earth-part-1-integrating-dark-and-light-create-third-christ-consciousne
If this link doesn't work, you can access the page by searching the forums for "Integrating dark and light." Click on the post entitled New Earth Part I.
Thanks for that link, Noa. The two links look the same, so I don't know why the first doesn't work and the second does.
And yes, I resonate with what is presented on that page. I believe that every being in existence originates from the divine and on the deepest levels there is no evil. That said, there most certainly is subjective evil which is important to deal with.
For me, the outer is a reflection of the inner, so when I find myself in judgment of anything in the world these days, I do my best to find what that is reflecting in myself. I have found this to be a very powerful and transformational practice. You take care.
With much love and warm wishes,
Fred
That is such a powerful point of focus Fred. I imagine if everyone were looking inward every time they were compelled to project outward there would be absolutely no time for strife and war, etc....
subjective projection of evil would disappear in the illuminating alleviating process...
When the student is ready, the teacher appears. "Coincidentally," I just stumbled upon this article by Paul Levy http://www.awakeninthedream.com/wordpress/?p=168
Paul Levy writes a series of articles on George W. Bush. Each of them addresses the necessity of recognizing the dark archetype within ourselves. http://www.awakeninthedream.com/wordpress/?p=42
So, was it Carl Jung who first brought this concept to the surface?
Noa
I love Paul Levy's work and highly recommend it to anyone here. He is an incredibly deep, wise, and inspiring mystical being. Thanks for mentioning him, Noa. Have a great one!
With abundant love and joy,
Fred