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INDEX

SUMMARY :

Freedom
Faith
Hope
Love
Pride of Self
Humility
Trust
Patience

Holy Spirit Guidance
Wait
The Masses
Actions
The Natural Alien

The Psychology of Winning
Meditation and Prayer
Responsible Assertiveness
Tai Chi

Energy Balancing
Spiritual Perception
Death

A> FREEDOM:
provides opportunities, options, hope;
it enables self-direction, choice, stability;
it demands self-responsibility, assertion and reverence.

Hope without Reality is simply Fantasy.
All things are possible with God, if they are constructive in result.

God is always available yet access must be sought through

reverence,
humility,
covenant to do better,
prayer,
meditation,
obedience to the Holy Spirit,
faith through test and revelation.

The Christian New Testament: Letter to the ROMANS -
Chapter 10: 10, 17
For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness;
and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
So then faith cometh by hearing, and by the word of God.

Chapter 14: 22, 23
Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God.
Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth. And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.

Christian New Testament: Letter to PETER - (1 Peter)
Chapter 1: 5, 7
Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Doctrines and Covenants
D&C 10:47
And I said unto them, that it should be granted unto them according to their faith in their prayers; ...

D&C 8:1, 18:19
... even so surely shall you receive a knowledge of whatsoever things you shall ask in faith, with an honest heart, believing that you shall receive a knowledge concerning ....
And if you have not faith, hope, and charity, you can do nothing.

D&C 17:1-3, 5, 7
Behold, I say unto you, that you must rely upon my word, which if you do with full purpose of heart, you shall have ... And it is by your faith that you shall obtain a view ... And after you have obtained faith, and have seen them with your eyes. you shall testify of them, by the power of God;

D&C 18:18
Ask the Father in my name, in faith believing that you shall receive, and you shall have the Holy Ghost, which manifesteth all things which are expedient unto the children of humanity.

D&C 29:6
And, as it is written - Whatsoever ye shall ask in faith, being united in prayer according to my command, ye shall receive.

D&C 88:118-126
And as all have not faith, seek ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom; yea, seek ye out of the best books of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith.

Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing; and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God;

That your incomings may be in the name of the Lord; that your outgoings may be in the name of the Lord; that all of your salutations may be in the name of the Lord, with uplifted hands unto the Most High.

Therefore, cease from all your light speeches, from all laughter, from all your lustful desires, from all your pride and light-mindedness, and from all your wicked doings. ...

See that ye love one another; cease to be covetous; learn to impart one to another as the gospel requires.

Cease to be idle; cease to be unclean; cease to sleep longer than is needful; retire to thy bed early, that ye not be weary; arise early, that your bodies and your minds may be invigorated.

And above all things, clothe yourselves with the bond of charity, as with a mantle, which is the bond of perfectness and peace.

Pray always, that ye may not faint, until I come.


C:> HOPE:
The Christian New Testament: Letter to the ROMANS -
Chapter 8: 24-27
For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope:
for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?
But if we hope for that we see not, then so we with patience wait for it. Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

Chapter 15: 13
Now the God of Hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

D:> LOVE:
The Christian New Testament, the Gospel of St. John
Chapter 13: 35
By this shall all humans know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

Chapter 14: 1, 14 - 18, 21, 23, 26, 27.
Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
If ye love me, keep my commandments.

And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him: for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost ("the Wind of God"), whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. Peace I leave with you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

The Christian New Testament, the first letter of Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians
Chapter 13: 1-6
Though I speak with the tongues of men and angels, and have not charity, I am become as a sounding brass (hard, hollow, loud) or a tinkling cymbal (small, background, passive, dainty). And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries (a mystic), and all knowledge; and though I have all faith (commitment, devotion and determination), so that I could remove mountains, and (still) have not charity (concern and benevolence towards others), I am nothing (before God).

Charity suffereth long (in tolerance, stamina, persistence), and is kind (empathetic, compassionate, willing to forgive);
charity envieth not (from greed, possessiveness, lust);
charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up (in pride),
doth not behave itself unseemly (in anger, sloth or gluttony),
seeketh not her own (out of dependency, insecurity, prejudice),
is not easily provoked (intolerant, impatient, perfectionist),
thinketh no evil (betrayal, fantasy, despair, hatred, vice);

Rejoiceth not in iniquity (deception, manipulation, revenge),
but rejoiceth in the truth (honesty, meditation, relevance).

The Christian New Testament, the first general letter of John
Chapter 3: 10 - 11, 15 - 19
In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother. For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love ane another. ...

Whosoever hateth (in persistent anger, revenge, rage, pride, intolerance, envy) his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. Hereby perceive we the love of God (the Way, as mentored by Jesus Messiah), because he laid down his life for us (to demonstrate the futility of violence and the spiritual strength of compassion and grace which leads to the integrity of the spirit and everlasting life): and (if we are also to live the Way as sons and daughters of God) we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren (as a demonstration of our strength of spirit through awareness and faith).

But whoso hath this world's (material and emotional and spiritual) good and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels (his capacity, possessions, knowledge, influence) of compassion (and benevolence, and understanding) from him, how dwelleth (can anyone see) the love of God in him?

My little children, let us not love in word (philosophy, law and statute, articles, proclamations, mottos, creeds), neither in tongue (debate, speeches, offers, promises, excuses), but in deed (actions, assistance) and truth (relevancy, honesty, assertiveness, Spiritual Guidance confirmed by experience, hope reinforced by grace, charity rewarded by the sensuous experience of the give/take of participation in life). And hereby we know that we are of the truth (reality - by its assurance to us with contentment), and shall assure our hearts (with stronger spiritual development) before him. ...

Chapter 4: 11 - 12
Beloved, if God so loved us (that each of us was worthy of that love or able to be graced by it), we ought also to love one another (for only God qualifies with the right to judge and not any one of us). No man hath seen God at any time (God did not come before us like a boss, leader, or parent - to chastise, negotiate, threaten, demand, force, deceive, manipulate, take credit for, or otherwise influence our choices). If we love one another (unconditionally - as to the offer of mentoring, advising, grace and forgiveness) God (in our reflection of the Spirit) dwelleth in us (as expressed by and evident through our actions), and his love is perfected (made stronger, matured, enriched) in us.

E:> PRIDE of SELF:
Church of Latter Day Saints: Doctrines and Covenants:
D&C 1:3-4
And the rebellious shall be pierced with much sorrow;
for their iniquities shall be spoken upon the housetops, and their secret acts shall be revealed.

And the voice of warning shall be unto all people, by the mouths of my disciples, whom I have chosen in these last days.

D&C 1:19
The weak things of the world shall come forth and break down the mighty and strong ones, that man should not counsel his fellow man, neither trust in the arm of flesh -

D&C 5:24, 28
Behold, I say unto him, he exalts himself and does not humble himself sufficiently before me; but if he will bow down before me, and humble himself in mighty prayer and faith, in the sincerity of his heart, then will I grant unto him a view of the things which he desires to see.

And now, except he humble himself and acknowledge unto me the things he has done which are wrong, and covenant with me that he will keep my commandments, and exercise faith in me, behold, I say unto him, he shall have no such views, for I will grant unto him no views of the things which I have spoken.

D&C 136:19-33
And if any man shall seek to build up himself, and seeketh not my counsel, he shall have no power, and his folly shall be made manifest. Seek ye; and keep all your pledges one with another; and covet not that which is thy brother's.

Keep yourselves from evil to take the name of the Lord in vain, for I am the Lord your God, ... Cease to contend one with another; cease to speak evil one of another.

Cease drunkenness; and let your words tend to edifying one another.

If thou borrowest of thy neighbour, thou shalt restore that which thou hast borrowed; and if thou canst not repay then go straightaway and tell thy neighbour, lest he condemn thee.

If thou shalt find that which thy neighbour has lost, thou shalt deliver it to him again.

Thou shalt be diligent in preserving what thou hast, that thou mayest be a wise steward; for it is the free gift of the Lord thy God, and thou art his steward.

If thou art merry, praise the Lord with singing, with music, with dancing, and with a prayer of praise and thanksgiving.

If thou art sorrowful, call on the Lord thy God with supplication, that your souls may be joyful.

Fear not thine enemies, for they are in mine hands and I will do my pleasure with them.

My people must be tried in all things, that they may be prepared to receive the glory that I have for them, ...

Let him that is ignorant learn wisdom by humbling himself and calling upon the Lord his God, that his eyes may be opened that he may see, and his ears opened that he may hear.

For my Spirit is sent forth into the world to enlighten the humble and contrite, ...

F:> HUMILITY:
The Christian New Testament, the Gospel of St. LUKE
Chapter 18: 9-14

And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:

Two men went up unto the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee (noble) and the other a publican (commoner). The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortionists, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice a week, I give tithes of all that I possess.

And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.

I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

The Christian New Testament, the first letter of Paul to Timothy
Chapter 6: 6-11
But godliness with contentment is great gain.
For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain that we can carry nothing out.
And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.

But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.

(A human who is "meek" is humble in recognizing her/his limitations, confident in knowing her/his capabilities, assertive in requesting guidance from the Holy Spirit, self-sacrificing in faith, trusting in the benevolence of God.)

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Doctrines and Covenants
D&C 35:19
Wherefore, watch over him that his faith fail not, and it shall be given by the Comforter, the Holy Ghost, that knoweth all things.


G:> TRUST:
The Jewish - Christian Old Testament, the Book of PSALMS
Psalm 118:8,9
It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in (individuals).
It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in (nations).

The Jewish - Christian Old Testament, the Book of PROVERBS
Chapter 28: 25, 26
He that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife:
but he that putteth his trust in the Lord shall be made fat.

He that trusteth in his own heart (intuition, rationalizations) is a fool:
but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered.

The Jewish - Christian Old Testament, the Book of the prophet ISAIAH
Chapter 26: 3 - 4
Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord JeHoVaH is everlasting strength:

H:> PATIENCE:
The Christian New Testament, the General Epistle of James
Chapter 1: 3 - 8
Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
But let patience have its perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and unbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering, For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Doctrines and Covenants
D&C 6:19
... Be patient; be sober; be temperate; have patience, faith, hope and charity.

I:> HOLY SPIRIT GUIDANCE:
The Jewish - Christian Old Testament, the Book of the prophet ISAIAH
Chapter 57: 20 - 21
But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.

The Christian New Testament, the Gospel of St. John
Chapter 4: 24
God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

The Christian New Testament, the First Epistle of Paul to TIMOTHY
Chapter 6: 6 - 12
But godliness with contentment is great gain.
For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.

For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

But thou O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, ....

The Christian New Testament, the General letter of JAMES
Chapter 1: 26 - 27
If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue (with tolerance, patience, empathy, compassion, forgiveness, faith, hope, charity, ...), but deceiveth his own heart (with authority, fantasy, envy, pride, despair, lust, addiction, revenge, rationalization, ...), this man's religion is vain.

Pure (spiritually-based and guided) religion and undefiled (remaining truthful and relevant) before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows (abandoned, toxic shamed, rejected, dependent) in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted (apart from participating in the deceptions and irreverence) from the (materialistic) world.

Church of Latter Day Saints: Doctrines and Covenants:
D&C 121:46
The Holy Ghost shall be thy constant companion, ...

D&C 130:22
... the Holy Ghost has not a body of flesh and bones, but is a personage of Spirit.
Were it not so, the Holy Ghost could not dwell in us.

J> WAIT:
Jewish - Christian Old Testament: PSALMS
Psalm 130:5
I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope.

Jewish - Christian Old Testament: PROVERBS
Chapter 20:22
Say not thou, I will recompense evil; but wait on the Lord, and he shall save thee.

Jewish - Christian Old Testament: The Book of the Prophet ISAIAH
Chapter 40:31
But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Jewish - Christian Old Testament: The Lamentations of JEREMIAH
Chapter 3:25-26
The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.
It is good that a man should hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.

K> The MASSES:
Jewish - Christian Old Testament: The Book of DANIEL
Chapter 12: 2, 3, 10
And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.

... Many shall be purified and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.



L> ACTIONS:
The Jewish - Christian Old Testament, the First Book of SAMUEL
Chapter 2:3
Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy come out of your mouth: for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.

The Christian New Testament, the First Epistle of Paul to the GALATIONS
Chapter 5: 14 - 26; 6: 1 - 10
For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. But if ye bite and devour one another, take head that ye be not consumed one of another.

This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.

Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these;

adultery,
fornication,
uncleanliness,
lasciviousness,
Idolatry,
witchcraft,
hatred,
variance,
emulations,
wrath,
strife,
seditions,
heresies,
Envyings,
murders,
drunkenness,
revellings, and such like:

But the fruit of the Spirit is

love,
joy,
peace,
longsuffering,
gentleness,
goodness,
faith,
meekness,
temperance:
--- against such there is no law.

And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. For if a man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For every man shall bear his own burden. Let him that is taught in the Word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things. Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

And let us not weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

The Christian New Testament, the General Epistle of JAMES
Chapter 2: 17 - 26
Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works and I will shew thee my faith by my works.

Thou believest that there is one God; thou doeth well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

Was not Abraham our (ancestor and mentor) justified by his works, when he offered Isaac his son upon the alter (as a demonstration of his trust in the Holy Spirit and belief in the benevolence of God)? Seeth how faith wrought with his works (God rewarded Abraham with guidance and power for his tribe and spared the life of Isaac) and by works was faith made perfect (confirmed, sincere, real, direct, true, strong, confident)? And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called a Friend (not slave, employee, master, or controller) of God.

Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them another (the wrong, a deceptive, by betrayal, from pride or despair, for the sake of insecurity) way (rather than receive their message with openness and respect, humility and patience)?

For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

M> The Natural Alien:
Exerpts from THE NATURAL ALIEN by Lorne Leslie Neil Evernden, 1985
(page 68)
The understanding of the world that technology requires of its functionaries ensures ... that, ultimately, people will be encountered ... as the present-at-hand. ... we do not use technology ... but are its functionaries. We live through it rather than with it. ... 'It is precisely because exploitative technology and the worship of allegedly objective science are the natural culmination of Western metaphysics after Plato, ....'

(page 69)
Understanding ourselves is the first task of ethics, and the ethics we derive will depend on our understanding of Being. ... And an understanding of ourselves and others is the fundamental task of thinking.

(page 92)
Instances of deviance from the norm, of predator overkill for example, seem always to be related to some impediment to perception. Weather or darkness may obscure the communication, as may the inbreeding which has made domestic animals functionally illiterate.

Such an animal has already forfeited all but the rudiments of subject-ness (positive self-esteem, positive self-awareness, positive self-dimension) anyway, and would have little to say even if it had the means to express it. Indeed, according to Erazim Kohak, 'deprivation of freedom is equivalent to destruction of subjectivity.' ... The domesticated animal is a creature stranded in a foreign world, a world of which it can never 'make sense.'

(page 93)
... big-city living and pornography, .... There is no way in this situation to remind the male of the woman's subject-ness (personality, spiritual essence, reverence of existence). In both these instances the woman is anonymous. She has no name; she is not a person. She has no past to recall in support of her claim, and in the case of pornography she has not even the power of speech by which to demonstrate her subjecthood. Her defences are removed as completely as those of the domesticated animal. ... Objectification is the second and essentially perverse action of the voyeur, along with his keeping his distance.
(The same also applies to human males and infants).

... organisms are centers of perceptions, drives and actions.
Animals behave as 'centers of doing and letting be,' and they declare their existence to the world ....

(page 132)
The context upon which all is dependent is that which we take for granted: the "is." It is 'that whereby all things are.' ... That very givenness, the 'is' of our existence, is the context that we ignore, that we cannot live without, and that facilitates and limits all we do (if we so choose). ... Man's freedom lies primarily in the choosing of his 'story,' rather than his actions within that story.

[The Korean language has no verb "to be": the norm which has allowed all English-speaking peoples to twist the dynamic of reality into rock hard finiteness. "To be" allows humans to fantasize that they can and do exist apart from their surroundings and to persuade themselves that they and the forms around them are not only finite but permanent.

This is the basis of the religion of objectivity, which like all religions declares that it alone represents truth and reality. As the foundation for much of what is called science, objectivity has become the most deceptive and manipulative lie of human communication. It is the religion of human authority based society: it presents the status quo as a given set of relationships which are not to be questioned; it calls for unquestioned and untested faith conditioned by cultural imprinting and modelling.

It is the intellectualized denial of the individual self to the will of the masses, or the mob, which preaches materialism. "To be" sums up the extent of present recorded human history, and, its repetitive examples of humanity's failure to accept and cope constructively with the reality within which it exists. If the Earth is not a "heavenly" existence for humanity, it is not the responsibility or outcome of the work of God - for humanity has made their reality of the world in denial of the spiritual.

Every truthful scientist, philosopher, and self-aware person acknowledges the dynamic reality of their own personality, of every other person, of every other living being, and of the components of the universe. Only a spiritually strong person has the self-confidence, self-direction, self-esteem, and self-dimension to demonstrate the continual sense of reverence, humility, compassion, forgiveness, hope, faith, patience, honesty and courage which such an awareness demands.

The retreat of humanity to the worship of "to be" or "is" demonstrates a fear, anxiety, insecurity, false pride, and cowardice of a lifeform which has been traumatized into co-dependent relationships have become the norm.]

(page 133)
To return to the Concise Oxford one last time, we find 'context' defined as 'parts that precede or follow a passage and fix its meaning.' That is, the meaning of the main event is set by those around it. It may be viewed in isolation (objectivity) but it cannot be understood in isolation. ... If one wishes to understand rather than simply isolate the object of attention, one cannot ignore the relationship entailed. Indeed, one might say that the relationships are the main event, and that we deceive ourselves in concentrating on the beings rather than on the relationship between them. In other words, the context of our lives is constituted by the network of relationships which we are committed to ...

... there is a temporal transformation of each individual into different social beings.
The world looks different at one age than another, not just because of the accumulation of experience, but because of the transformation of mood and meaning that places the individual in a slightly different context and makes him (or her) a different individual. Viewed in this way, an individual is not a thing at all, but a sequence of ways of seeing: a panorama of views of the world. Concentration on these relationships, and on relationship in general, clearly constitutes a substantial alteration in our understanding the individual.

(page 134)
Relationship is inevitable; it is a condition of existence.
But the context established and the meaning which can be discerned are conditional upon the kind and nature of the relationship. Given our social gestation, this is perhaps the most significant focus of concern, for the nature of the relationship established will determine the world-view that an individual will become. ...

... we are not in an environmental crisis, but are the environmental crisis.

(page 135)
... it is as if we subconsciously repress any notion of involvement or kinship. ...
It is as if we were neotenic beings, craving meaning but condemned to search for it through the imperfect medium of culture.

(page 138)
Within any context (pattern of relationships, habit, expectation, addiction) there is a self-consistency which affords us a sensation of truth (confirmation, reinforcement, certainty, projection).

(page 139)
Wonder is the absence of interpretation.

(page 140)
A prerequisite to wonder is loss of complacency.
Before anything can be experienced as wonderful, one must resist the temptation to dismiss it as nothing but something else, that is, as something 'un-wonderful.' ...

But the presence of explanation, even anticipated explanation, transforms the experience from wonder to quizzical bemusement or indifference.

(page 141)
To achieve a sense of wonder is to be continually surprised.
It is tantamount to suspending all assumptions. It is to start over again. ...
Wonder suspends cultural imperatives ....

The ability to change direction abruptly is given to only a few organisms, those with a rapid mutation rate and the one with an 'unfinished script.' For us wonder is a harbinger of hope, since it reminds us of our ability to suspend belief (expectation, assumption ...).

If what we are is entailed in the story we create for ourselves, then only a new story will alter us and our actions.

(page 144)
No shell seeps through to support a natural alien.
The contrivance which sustains his existence is an approximation of that vestigal shell which no longer emerges to shape and support his being on earth. It is the responsibility of each of us to examine it at intervals and see what manner of creature we have become. Are we really what we think we are? Does this form actually embody the creature that we will to be, or is it some grotesque mask that conceals us from ourselves?

Consider the following as examples of "contrivances" and their influence on the history of humanity. Each engenders a pattern of perception, assumption, expectation, truth - normative value. There are alternatives. Do you know what the alternatives are? If you are unaware of the alternatives, you have no freedom of CHOICE: you are a prisoner!

- authority
- materialism
- Communism - Capitalism
- ownership
 
- "is"
- "the"
-

N> The Psychology of Winning:
Exerpts from THE PSYCHOLOGY OF WINNING by Denis E. Waitley, Ph.D.
This is both one of the earliest and best produced self-empowerment tools which is easily available and reasonably priced. First released in 1968, over 1 million copies had been sold by the early 1990s with many of those being shared. Waitley describes and provides examples of what he has found to be the "ten qualities of a total winner." Half of these are attitudes and half are action qualities.

This is a 6 audiocassette self-learning course; it is one of several examples of information which has NOT been produced better in other formats such as film or videocassette. The course is described as "your 'listening journey' into the innerspace of your virtually unexplored and largely untapped mental potential ..."

A brief description of these qualities follows:

Positive Self-Expectancy
Positive Self-Image
Positive Self-Control
Positive Self-esteem
Positive Self-Awareness
Positive Self-Motivation
Positive Self-Direction
Positive Self-Discipline
Positive Self-Dimension
Positive Self-Projection

ATTITUDES

Positive Self-Expectancy:
The most readily identifiable quality of a total winner is an overall attitude of personal optimism and enthusiasm. Winners understand the psychosomatic relationship - psyche and soma; mind and body - that the body expresses what the mind is concerned with. They know that life is a self-fulfilling prophecy, that a person usually gets what he or she actively expects. Leadership - the ability to attract support and cooperation of people - is a natural by-product of positive self-expectancy. A winner's self-talk is, "I was good today. I'll be better tomorrow." Losers say, "With my luck, I was bound to fail."

Optimism and enthusiasm is an illusion unless you know that God wants you to be contented and constructive in your life; this does not mean getting what you always want. The more challenged a person is, the more opportunity that person has to develop attitudes, awareness, skills, and faith as strengths in preparation for future and present successes.

Positive Self-Image:
Winners are especially aware of the tremendous importance of their self-image - and of the role their imagination can play in the creation and upgrading of the self-image. They know the self-image acts as a subconscious life-governing device - that if in your self-image you can't possibly see yourself doing something, you literally cannot do it! They also know the self-image can be changed since the subconscious is incapable of differentiating between a real success and a success imagined again and again vividly and in full detail. A winner's self-talk is "I see myself changing, growing, achieving, winning!" Losers say, "They're my hangups, faults, and stupidities ... and I'm stuck with 'em."

The spiritually aware person recognizes that they have been imprinted with and provided with behaviour and attitude models by their family, friends, community, mass media, institutions - society. Such a person also knows that such authority, while well-intentioned, self-centred, or ignorant - represents a flawed authority. They understand that only if they can gain a personal, direct, and honest communication with God, they will receive the mentoring from an authority which is always correct - not for the purpose of immediate physical satisfaction, but for an eternal spiritual contentment.

Positive Self-Control:
The positive self-control of a total winner is acceptance of one hundred percent responsibility for causing the effects of his or her life. Winners realize they personally have the power to take control of many more aspects of their lives, both mental and physical, than were heretofore thought possible. They know that barring organic damage or congenital faults, self-control is the key to both mental and physical health and can contribute enormously to total well-being. Winners say, "I take the credit or the blame for my performance." Losers say "I can't understand why life did this to me."

Winners recognize that when they have difficulty attaining self-control, they must be humble enough to acknowledge that they have addictive attitudes and habits which have become the extension of personally or hereditarily experienced traumas. They know that with the grace of God and through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, they will find a way to release those burdens and take control of their present and their future.

Positive Self-Esteem:
Winners have a deep-down feeling of their own worth.
They know that, contrary to popular belief, this feeling of self-acceptance and deserving is not necessarily a legacy from wise and loving parents - history is full of saints who rose from the gutters and literal monsters who grew up in loving families. Winners are not outer-directed. Recognizing their uniqueness they develop and maintain their own high standards. Though they recognize the universality of fear and anxiety, winners don't give in to these emotions. Winning self-talk: "I do things because I'm that kind of person." Losing self-talk: "I'd rather be somebody else."

Winners know that they are loved by God and that if they seek to follow the direction which God wishes for them personally, with its day-to-day constancy or variation, that they will create a better world and by contributing to the harmony of the whole will increase they own sense of harmony with the whole.

Positive Self-Awareness:
Winners know who they are, what they believe, the role in life they are presently filling, their great personal potential - and the future roles and goals which will mark fulfilment of that potential. They have learned these things, and are constantly adding to their knowledge, through experience, insight, feedback, and judgement. As a result they can continuously not only "play from strength" in the game of life but also avoid errors and correct weaknesses. Their judgments are characterized by extreme honesty. They don't kid others and they don't kid themselves. Winners say "I know who I am, where I'm coming from and where I'm going." Losers say, "Who knows what I could do if only I had a chance."

The simplest, most direct, most constructive, challenging, creative, and focussed role which a human can adopt and follow is that of humbly requesting guidance and direction from the Holy Spirit. In other words, meditation and prayer are some of the processes by which the individual can "connect" with the Holy Spirit which is the communications up-link to God.

To follow such a Way of life is to have acknowledged the awareness and made the commitment that one is the son or daughter of God. That is, by following the mentoring guidance of God, one is ALWAYS assured that what one is doing is the most constructive CHOICE available.

ACTION QUALITIES
Positive Self-Motivation:
The positive self-motivation of total winners derives from two sources:
(1) their self-expectant personal world view, and
(2) their awareness that, while fear and desire are among the greatest motivators, fear is destructive while desire leads to achievement, success and happiness.

With this in mind, they focus their thinking on the rewards of success and actively tune out fears of failure.
Winners say "I want to ... and I can!" Losers say, "I can't because ...."

The spiritually-directed person knows that love, in the form of empathy, compassion, forgiveness (in return for sincere remorse), generosity, patience, tolerance, self-responsibility and respect - is the ONLY Way by which a more harmonious civilization and ecology can be attained. Such love is the most enduring motivator which humans can constructively experience.

Positive Self-Direction:
Winners in life have clearly-defined, constantly-referred-to game plans and purposes.
They know where they're going every day, every month, every year. Their objectives range all the way from lifetime goals to daily priorities. And when they're not actively pursing their goals, they're thinking about them - hard! They know the difference between goal-achieving acts and those which are merely tension-relieving ... and they concentrate on the former.
Winners say, "I have a plan to make it happen. I'll do what's necessary to get what I want."
Losers say, "I'll try to hang in there - muddle through the day somehow."

Spiritual winners know that planning provides a focus for and can define strengths and weaknesses which enhances success. They know that they have a CHOICE of following no plan, their own rationalized plan, or the plan which God has selected for them. Only God knows all the variables; by following the plan personally designed for you, success is guaranteed. What you make happen will frequently astound you.

Positive Self-Discipline:
Positive self-discipline is the ability to practice within.
Winners are masters of the art of simulation. Like astronauts, championship athletes, great stage performers, skilled surgeons and truly professional executives and salesmen, they practice flawless technique in their minds over and over again. They know that thought begets habit and they discipline their thoughts to create the habit of superb performance - the mark of the total winner.
Winning self-talk: "Of course I can do it. I've practised it mentally a thousand times."
Losing self-talk: "How can you expect me to do it? I don't know how."

Spiritual winners recognize that the human physical body reacts with habit during periods of challenge and that destructive or inappropriate habits of attitude and behaviour can only lead to loss. With the humility of this reality, they accept the challenge, with courage and persistence, in adopting an awareness of the importance of relevant response to demands.

Positive Self-Dimension:
Winners see their total person in such a fully-formed perspective that they literally become part of the "big picture" of life - and it of them. They have learned to know themselves intimately. They have learned to see themselves through the eyes of others. They have learned to feel at one with nature and the universe. And they have learned to be aware of time - their opportunity to learn from the past, plan for the future, and live as fully as possible in the present.
Winners say, "I live every moment, enjoying as much, relating as much, doing as much, giving as much as I possibly can."
Losers say, "I'm only concerned with me."

Spiritual winners know that the world does not exist simply for their selfish benefit. Rather, they acknowledge that there is a relationship between themselves and each aspect of the universe and that their management of that relationship contributes to the misery or pleasures of life.

Positive Self-Projection:
Winners project their best selves every day in the way they look, walk, talk, listen, and react.
They specialize in truly effective communication, taking one hundred percent of the responsibility not only for communicating information to, but also for receiving information from, every person they contact.
Winners say, "Tell me what you want, maybe we can work on it together."
Losers say, "There's no point in discussing it, we're not even on the same wavelength.

Spiritual winners know that they are not perfect yet have the CHOICE to improve. They know that with greater self-improvement in every aspect of their life, greater degrees of satisfaction and success will be achieved.

This program is available from:
Nightingale-Conant
7300 North Lehigh Avenue, Chicago, IL USA 60648 1-800-525-9000

Copies may sometimes be borrowed from your local library, through an inter-library service, from a human resources department, or, from a friend or relative.

O> MEDITATION and PRAYER:
There are a number of varieties of meditation and prayer; some are more effective than others. Both meditation and prayer are self-hypnotic; thus, their power rests in the ability of the individual to re-fashion the self into something either spiritually stronger, or weaker. Those with strength do and succeed; those with weakness, do and fail. Weak or strong, it's your CHOICE and your responsibility.

The goal of any meditative practice is to enable the individual into a state of consciousness which is open to insight and Spiritual Guidance and which effectively tunes out the consciousness distractions of human rationalism and intuition in addition to the non-threatening stimuli in the surrounding immediate environment. One cannot hear communicated wisdom if one's perception is confused, disoriented, or overburdened with tremendous quantities of noise.

Thus, the person who would be wise must be self-directed enough to develop the self-discipline and self-control necessary in order to attain a measure of self-motivated dominance over the material and emotional desires of the body in which their spirit resides. In other words, the person who wishes to receive spiritual communication accurately must be willing to tune his or her receiver to the station which carries the information which is sought.

Without such a focus, the individual may listen to many "stations", encounter much "static", and project much negativity from the reality of their persistent failure to find what is sought. Meditative practices seek to assist the individual in gaining the skill of being able to "tune in" to the intelligence of the universe - God.

As is true of many choices and options once they have been institutionalized and made available for the general consumption of the masses, modes of meditation can be enabling for the student of the spiritual, or, cumbersome presumptive tools which can misdirect and frustrate the person seeking to build strength in spiritual communication. Here are a few of the procedures which are best avoided.

• Proactive meditation is intended to enable you to disengage from materialistically centred thoughts and feelings. This style seeks to open the mind to a universally accessible non-human intelligence. Proactive meditation has a forward focus: you are opening your mind to receive guidance of which you have no current awareness and which you are likely not able to rationally understand until it is proven out in the future.
  
  

• Abusive meditation is a practice which seeks to penalize, negate, overlay, block out, or manipulate one's consciousness and is defensive and non-spiritual. This style seeks to deceive the mind into believing that the rationalized concepts promoted by the human mentor(s) is correct.

  This defensive or authoritarian meditation is an attempt by well-meaning persons to make the benefits of meditation available to everyone for the price of one's self-esteem, one's self-directedness, one's self-awareness. The human mentor assumes, or knows, that he or she has been able to reach a degree of spiritual communication; wants others to experience the freedom, joy and direction so provided; assumes that others can be made (as in "forced") to receive such communication; expects that a uniformity of approach can be economical and effective; presumes that what he or she has "learned" is universally applicable. This process is highly ego-involved: assumes, wants, expects, presumes - just the opposite of truly constructive meditative practices.

Procedures frequently employed by abusive meditation promoters include those demanding self-degradation, formal and social humiliation, starvation or malnutrition, drug or substance abuse, repetition of nonsense (unexplained or unintelligible) phrases and chants.

There is no singular meditative approach which is optimum for all persons.
Individuals are at different degrees in their awareness, have differing degrees of motivation, have different levels of self-esteem, bring different abilities and degrees of receptiveness with them. Some meditative practices are taught in radically different ways; others are confined to rigid rules. Frequently, an individual may benefit from participation in several meditative disciplines at once. Others may find that they are more confident and receptive in EITHER a solitary, or a group performed style of meditation.

During the development of one's spiritual abilities, one may find that they are drawn from one form of mediation to another; another may never find it advantageous, necessary or desirous to augment, modify or change their form of meditative activity. Muscle-testing may be used to define which form of meditative exercise(s) will be optimum for the individual in the present. If this direction is taken, it should be remembered that it is prudent to retest oneself from time to time to determine if changes would be advantageous.

Some styles of meditation include these:

magical incantation
prayer
rational assumption
ritual habituation
self-hypnosis
subliminal recordings
Tai Chi Ch'uan
visualization
yoga
Zen Buddhist forms, ...

Magical incantation is inherently both a common form and a spiritually destructive form of human meditation. To the degree that the individual has confidence (faith) in the ability for the incantation to provide the result which they desire - meditation is involved. That is, consciously or unconsciously, the person continues to tell themself that the incantation will work: they hope it will; they expect that it will; they would bet that it would.

None of these aspects encourages the individual to open their mind to either confirming or re-directing thoughts. Only confirming feedback is usually welcomed or heard. The motive for the use of magical incantations also reveals the essential evil (spiritual toxicity) of such practices. Typically, a magical incantation is utilized for the purpose of deceiving or manipulating - a friend, associate, enemy, God.

Some magical incantations are more easily identified than others.

Speaking foreign sounding and mysterious phrases while dramatically swirling one's hands and arms over a cooking pot and pronouncing the broth now capable of performing some miraculous benefit beyond that of a regular broth is obvious. Yet when a doctor or scientist proclaims that they have diagnosed your symptoms, that they have a cure for you, and, with authority, write out a prescription of odd sounding names for substances of which 80% are known placebos, and then affirms to you that you will be better - few persons recognize the essence of magic.

First, because of the authority sanctioned designation of "doctor", many individuals believe that this person is capable of knowing more about them in a few seconds than they can know themselves from their own life experience through past to present.

Secondly, when this sanctioned authority proclaims a diagnosis, few patients have the self-esteem to question why, seek a second opinion, or request some other form of confirmation - god-like authority and accuracy is presumed.

Thirdly, for many, it is the unintelligibility of the prescription which encourages their confidence and faith in the substance prescribed: they really don't want to know the reality; they have been conditioned to demonstrate blind faith.

Fourthly, if the person returns to the doctor in a continued state of illness, the patient is often made to feel that it is their fault that the "prescription" did not work. Now, with the "scientific magic" of more tests, more extensive background information, or annoyance - the doctor will often justify, by some form of rationalization, the prescibing of some stronger form of magic.

Because there is so little follow-up of patients in the modern "civilized" nation, if a patient does not return, the doctor assumes that his or her importance has "cured" the person. In reality, the patient may have given up trying to get better. The person may have gone to one or more other doctors in disgust. The patient may have died!

Throughout the modern, scientific, medical process, the individual is expected to assign their power of self to the sanctioned authority. If the authority is convincing enough in presentation to relieve the immune response anxiety-deadening concerns, the patient cures him/herself and gives the credit to the physician, and the process is termed a "confirmation of science"!

If the presentation proves to be inadequate, the patient dies, returns for another magical potion, or, becomes resigned to chronic illness, seeks another "magician", or, occasionally, begins to seek ways of self-empowerment. Beyond the field of repair surgery, few pharmaceutical drugs provide cures that would not be evident naturally through time.

Indeed, by alleviating or concealing symptoms, many make an acute illness into a chronic illness - and the persons continually ingests one or a variety of drugs for a long semi-permanent duration.

The more technical the society, the more reliance is placed upon magical incantations - though not all are verbal symbols. ANY theory or thesis is known to the spiritually-directed scientist to be the best current rationalized guess of what something means. Once institutionalized and presented to the masses with the sanctioned authority of persons with titles such as "professor," "scientist," "teacher," or "expert," - these best guesses are frequently assumed to be "laws."

This materialization of science magically converts rational fantasy into rationalized reality.
This spiritually deadening approach by a human-authority based culture effectively signals the citizens that no further degree of understanding of this particular aspect of reality is necessary, desirable, or sanctioned. Indeed, questions raised by those so aware and willing to so question are often met with ridicule and ostracism.

Frequently, human history shows that only after a preventable catastrophe or the death of one or more generations of authorities, does a more accurate and constructive truth become considered. Remember, it is not God which creates such catastrophes. Rather, it is the human pride of rational self-aggrandisement which blinds many to other real alternatives.

Also within the technologically-based society, devices which create "magic" frequently are provided with a status of authority. This idolization of mechanistic power and mass media enable a conspiracy to develop in which the masses invite their manipulation and deception, and, those possessing power, concern, and ambition willingly utilize such means to gain their ends.

How many times have you encountered a person who assumed that simply because a piece of information was presented in a newspaper, magazine, book, in a movie, on television, or over the radio - it must be true. Yet any serious investigation of such sources reveals that each has a notoriety for misinformation and inaccuracy - sometimes with a clear intent to deceive and manipulate; it's usually called persuasion, salesmanship, diplomacy, subversion, criticism, immediate news coverage, whitewash.

The more recent trend is the idolization of the computer.
Tell an average modern "educated" person that a computer has determined that something is the truth and few will question such a "fact." Yet a computer is nothing more than the ideas, assumptions and expectations of a few human individuals who have structured the software logic according to the structured hard-wired rituals which enable the conversion of human words into electronic signals and back again into human words. What happens when the master becomes slave to the slave?

Who screens the work of the slave to determine if the product is useful, relevant, truthful?

With the awareness and stimulation of a more global variety of information, the individual has increasingly been encouraged to feel responsible for, or somehow capable of relating to - all recorded events. This is clearly nonsensical and very effective in completing the dependency of the "informed" person on the slaves of technology. For the great majority of mankind, any real, effective, constructive benefit of their actions in support of humanity does not extend beyond their physical neighborhood.

That is, without a historical and cultural understanding of another country, your response to their needs is entirely rationalized - and often counterproductive. More humans have been diseased, killed, and abused by the well-intentioned efforts of technically informed individuals by whose experiential ignorance programs were effected. Spiritually, if you can't clean up the mess in your own home, and have not been asked to provide assistance by a person in need - why should you presume to know the answer for that someone else.

No, you don't have to be perfect before you offer help to others - but it would be constructive if you could listen to those others first and acknowledge their right to self-determination. Too often, and needlessly, epidemics are allowed to linger and grow in one's own country while frantic efforts are being made to help others with whom there has never been any personal contact and probably never will be any.

The person who would be god, frequently becomes the personification of evil spreading the puss from wounds sustained at home into other neighbourhoods to enable situations to fester rather than to be ameliorated and resolved. This is the repetitive human history of empire-building, exploration, missionary work, commercialization, technology transfer, peacekeeping. For every individual helped, ten have been destroyed.

Humans once learned to tie their own shoes first before running to play with the other children. This principle is dying out as more and more, humans and their political structures react to real and imagined developments rather than responding in a timely fashion. Immediate reactions are easily rationalized - and usually are destructive. Immediate RESPONSES are Spiritually Guided - and are always constructive.

YOGA :
The practice of yoga has been maintained for over 2500 years.
It comprises a variety of systems or schools of postures, breathing exercises, visualizations and movements which have demonstrated an ability to reduce emotional anxiety and muscular tension, promote a positive attitude and flexible mind, provide muscular rejuvenation, increased stamina, greater control of physical abilities, reduce digestive difficulties, increased power of self, and generally benefit the health of the individual.

The yogis studied animals and their habits ... how the snake breaths ... how the tiger relaxes ... how the bear hibernates .... They performed long duration experiments on the human body with the intent of deriving the benefits which they saw each particular animal had beyond those of the average human: a lithe body, a long life span, efficient breathing habits, a balance of lifestyle activities, low occurrences of disease, high degrees of responsiveness and awareness. They discovered that by mirroring some of these habits, humans could attain the benefits noted above.

Some forms of yoga are primarily practised in a solitary fashion while others may be practised in groups. Typically, such stances and movements are carried out in a quiet, relaxing surrounding, free of distractions and interruptions, and which affords a flat surface. The location should be warm but not hot. It should be free of drafts, dampness, distracting odours and provided with moderate lighting.

The following are some elementary PRANAYAMA (breathing exercises).
They are most effective if they can be practised daily at he same time in the morning or after the evening meal. It is often recommended that the meditations be undertaken with a stance which faces either the east or the north as magnetic field orientation does have an apparent influence. At least 20 minutes per day should be set aside if one is to gain the considerable benefits possible.

To enhance one's concentration and self-control, the participant takes a seated position in which the back is held straight and the legs are crossed in a position referred to as the Lotus Seat. Bending the knees, the feet are brought back close to the groin area of the body. The arms are allowed to relax at the sides such that they form a cradle with one hand resting on top of the other in one's lap with the palms both facing upward and the fingers relaxed and straight.

A variation of this pose is for the participant to sit with the weight of the body, at the perineum, resting on the right heel. If required in the beginning, the person may unfold the hands and extend them to the floor to assist in maintaining a balanced position. The gaze should be slightly elevated above the level of the eyes. The individual relaxes and tries to allow any concerns to drift away from their consciousness while they visualize pleasant scenes of an environmental nature: a blue sky, mountains, passing clouds, trees, animals. One's thoughts are allowed to flow through the mind without attempts to focus on, remember, analyse or reflect on them.

The intent is to feel the reverence of the reality of one's connectedness with all of the universe and to become more aware of the self. The physical position is held for a duration of 6 minutes during which only the eyelids and the ribcage should be allowed to move. Like any new habit, the individual often exhibits a poor degree of control and flexibility in the beginning and this should be acknowledged with the understanding that such difficulties and restrictions will lessen with practice.

Following the Lotus Seat exercise, the participant is then prepared to try a simple breathing exercise such as follows. Three breaths are slowly and evenly taken in a relaxed manner such that a light-hearted feeling comes over you. Pausing, you continue breathing normally so as to avoid oxygen intoxication from hyperventilation. Caution is advised for the initiate as over-enthusiasm may unduly strain the heart rather than increase its strength.

You then assert your will and desires.
Destructive thoughts and worries are sent from your mind and you assert your constructive wishes confidently and calmly and with persistence. In time, the ability to dispel conditioned negative thoughts and to generate a positive and open mind becomes increasingly easier and faster. By positioning two of your fingers in a particular manner or visualizing something of simplicity while performing this behaviour, you can additionally increase your control by providing a biofeedback cue for yourself. You may later be able to maintain or regain your composure with greater-than-usual speed and effectiveness during an instance of negative stress in a public or work environment by using this physical or visual cue.

Ultimately, this better enables you to respond to the reality you are in rather than reacting to it according to past and perhaps irrelevant patterns. This can assist in strengthening and building your skills of listening, empathy, supervision, leadership. You will only begin to recognize your capabilities when you have expended the energy to develop an awareness of and self-direction over the activities which can empower you yet remain weak and unknown to others.

Restraint in breathing increases one's awareness of automatic reactions and physical manifestations as accompany anxiety, fear and panic. Many people experience and are pushed along by such feelings without their awareness and into decisions which may not be relevant or constructive to the reality of the present. By restraining one's breathing by slowing it or pausing , one often feels certain muscles tightening with a sense of excitement ... the pulse may beat faster, and nerve and glandular functioning may become elevated. When you can no longer restrain your felt need for oxygen, take several deep breaths, slowly. Meditate - reflect and observe your responses and check your breathing gently. Now take 5 breaths and meditate as before. Meditation is effort. A rest position may be done next.

Lie on a flat surface breathing easily.
Cross your legs and open your arms as if you were surrendering your body to the pull of gravity. Let your mind relax in a deep solitude. Now you will feel a strange but delightful sensation of well being creep over you. Contentment ... peace ... This feeling will come from between your toes ... your fingertips and creep up to the small of your back. It is a marvellous sensation as if time itself were slowing ... almost standing still. It is quite a contrast to the swift pace of our daily lives. After a period of quiet, sit up again and imagine something beautiful.

If your powers of concentration are poor you will notice that your mind skips away and it will seem to chastise you for allowing yourself this playful leisure. Do not be severe with the mind. If you are firm and persistent it will soon return to the original desire. It is normal to find it difficult to order the mind after years of lax commands and allowing it to wander whichever way is easiest. Exercises are good if they are not overdone.

For the next exercise, sit in a comfortable position, legs crossed.
Breathe normally yet with rhythm. Look sharply about the room ... glance at the wall ... then the ceiling. Look upwards, then downwards ... look straight ahead and then out of the corner of your eye. The roll your neck about gently without attempting to overextend it ... first clockwise then counter-clockwise. Do each of these movements several times. Then relax and repeat.

Next, with your feet about 3 feet (a metre) apart, standing erect, raise your arms shoulder high. Bend down and touch the left toe with the right hand. Repeat this movement and then touch the right toe with the left hand. Keep the groin muscles tensed during these exercises so as to reduce the strain on your lower back muscles. If you can't touch your toes, reach only as far as possible. Your abilities will increase with practice. Repeat this toe-touching exercise about 10 times.

Finally, beginning in the corner of the room, squat down as if you were a cat on its haunches. Raise your arms directly in front of yourself at shoulder height. Commence to walk with quick duck-like steps. Notice the flexibility encouraged in the abdomen. At the completion of the maneuver, jump swiftly reaching towards the ceiling as a cat would if it were leaping to catch its prey. Repeat this exercise again until tired.

Eye exercises are also important.
Success in any endeavour cannot be achieved without proper rest to the muscles and brain.
There has to be rhythm which is a clever combination of energy and easy performance. You must learn to use the body to achieve maximum service and efficiency. For an experiment which will take about 2 minutes, do the following: Sit crossed legged but instead of placing the hands on the knees, place them over the knees so that the fingertips hang loosely.

The object of this experiment is to allow the magnetic current to flow from your body.
You are grounding some of your nerve energies. Awake or asleep, we are constantly sending out nerve impulses. We turn, twitch, twist. Our eyelids quiver. Our body is constantly active. The rhythm varies but the SELF is constantly active. Breathe naturally while watching your breath internally. Do you feel something leaving your body? through your fingertips? It may be only imagination, but can you be certain that imagination is a force, a power that is mysterious! You are losing nothing. You are gaining vitality. The spine is being replenished and discharged at the same time.

Another word of caution must be given here ...
Breathing and exerting energies or exercise as well as meditation have stimulating effects on our bodies and puts us within the circuit of a powerful force which is similar to electricity and gravitation. Yogis call it PRANA. There are certain breathings and positions which influence the mind. There are several chief nerve centres and there are 3 tracks of nervous energy. The 7 nerve centres are called CHAKRAS ... the 3 tracks are called NADIS.

... Our nervous system was created before the brain, which is only part of this system. ... Learn to live life rather than have life govern your existence. ... Concentration has healing powers ... our goal: PEACE, HAPPINESS, VITALITY.

[the above excerpt on Yoga is from the reference by John B. Collinherd]

PRAYER:
To pray is to hope, to wish, to thank, to acknowledge.

The manner in which most humans are taught to pray, by adult mentors and models, by religious leaders, and by instituted meditative processes is frequently either aggressive or passive, seldom assertive.

Aggressive prayer is by far the most common and the least spiritual.
In aggressive prayer, persons ask for - even demand, supernatural intervention in their lives. While most of the time these same individuals express no reverence for their god, minor acceptance of the principles which this god apparently represents, and no significant awareness of any covenant between themselves and this god, they expect this god to respect their demands without consideration.

Particularly when this individual feels rejected, abandoned, wronged, abused, dependent, impatient, betrayed, frustrated, anxious, confused, insecure, depressed, lustful or hateful - the prayer is a demand from their god for material salvation.

Aggressive prayer is often an expression of desire for money, power, love, a new house or car, a new job, sexual favours, conquests, winnings, recognition, health, forgiveness, strength. Either the request takes the form of "Please give me ...," "I want ...," "If you give me, I'll ...." or, the person may express "Why can't I have ...," "What do I have to do to get ...," "(You) damn that other person because ...."

This love-hate form of irreverent expression communicates to God that you consider God to be your slave: just ask and I'll do it." The expectation is that you have both a right and a justification to privilege either out of your sheer existence, or, because you have rationalized that you have "earned" a privilege. Unfortunately, for this pious and irreverent person, the universe seldom responds to these abusive expectations.

Just as human-based authority systems of relationships encourage the development of passive-aggressive communication and behaviour patterns, so also do aggressive and passive prayer processes support human-based authority structures. They do this effectively by distancing the individual from the spiritual realities of life and encouraging destructive co-dependencies.

Passive prayers are frequently taught by institutions which perceive themselves to be representative of the spiritual or to be privileged by the spiritual world. Their rationalizations include the assumption that if the ego of an individual interferes with spiritual expression, then the ego must be restrained, abused, imprisoned. In this authoritarian either-or perception, the individual has only 2 choices: self-denial and redemption, or, self-aggrandizement and condemnation.

In this process, the spiritual aspects of empathy, compassion, forgiveness, humility, remorse, relevance, hope, faith and generosity are denied as inconsequential. The approach is generally one of "You must hate yourself, in order to be loved." The difficulty with this approach is that a person who feels unlovable will often be encouraged to develop intense expressions of motivation.

Such an emotional dependency strengthens such feelings as desire, insecurity, need, anger, infatuation - into addiction, domination, greed, rage, lust. These, in turn, encourage the rationalization that something dramatic in action and piousness is required for salvation (acceptance) or that one is hopelessly lost, abandoned, and evil. The person is frequently driven into acting out a schizoid saint and devil role. The more hated and feared they become, the more they feel acknowledged as the evil person they have been persuaded to believe they are; the more accepted and rewarded they are by the status quo, the more they believe they have been acknowledged as spiritually rewarded.

In both situations, the individuals so directed become increasingly materially-centred and increasingly distanced from the spiritual. They have become slaves to human-based authority and, like well-mannered and subservient slaves, they are materially rewarded for their loss of identity and power to the master.

Is there another alternative?
Assertive prayer is the only form which is spiritual in context.
These prayers seek to affirm the benefits inclusive of life. Assertive prayers demand that the individual demonstrate positive self-esteem, positive self-expectancy, positive self-image, positive self-dimension and positive self-projection. Rather than expecting and demanding that God should provide something in return for one's perceived adherence to some institutionalized formula of righteousness, the assertive prayer acknowledges that God wishes for every individual to reach a point of spiritual awareness, personal fulfilment and contentment, and personal immortality.

With this acknowledgement, the person who prays assertively develops and has the faith that they deserve what God wants for them. That is, they pray by asking "What would you have me do?" rather than "What would I prefer to do?" In assertive modes of prayer, one becomes aware that a constructive solution and direction is often neither easily rationalized nor immediately understood. One becomes intimately aware that in spite of extensive study, devotion, learning, experience, and skillfulness, one's personal intelligence can never approximate the perfection of divine guidance.

To pray with a spiritual focus you can't want what you want, you can only want what God wants for you; anything else is an exercise in irreverence.

How does one pray assertively?
Everything that a person chooses to be aware of during one's conscious life can be approached with a positive, thankful and constructive attitude. You are going by car to a meeting and you seem to get red lights all the way. You thank God at each stop light for giving you a few extra minutes to collect your thoughts, to practice your presentation, to relax and reduce your negative stress, to ensure that you are going along the best route, to confirm on your radio that the route ahead is not blocked, to add currency to your presentation by noting an immediate event just broadcast, by being able to help someone who may become an important contact or who may return the favour in the future, ....

Whether the experience is constructive or destructive for you often depends on the degree of reverence which you bring to it. Others who arrive at the meeting may have had to experience a string of red lights also. If you arrive refreshed, alert, enthusiastic, friendly and positive - you will be accepted as well prepared, confident, dignified, authoritative - professional. The alternative is not a winner.

Sometimes it is that presence of God which makes the difference between whether you are at your best or simply pulling yourself along at your worst. There are hundreds of occasions every day when the individual can give conscious thanks to God for opportunities; some will initially challenge our creativity and openness; others will be simply obvious gifts - like the string of green lights all the way to the meeting.

Prayer as a Way of Life.
It is only a sense of false certainty that dictates that you will survive until tomorrow, that your alarm will go off on time, that your toilet will work, that you will have water to bathe with, that you will have electricity to prepare your food with, that you will have something to drink, ... the list is endless. For every facet, there are instances in which someone else does not have your advantage, your gift. If you wish, it is a simple rational projection to question, "Why should God provide me with these things when I never say thank you?" But what of the more harsh realities of life you may question.

You have been robbed and beaten.
First, it is an opportunity to thank God that you are still alive: others who have been robbed and beaten are not. It is an opportunity to assist the police in identifying the assailants and bringing them to justice so that others may not be harmed. It is your opportunity to try and understand what factors may have encouraged the thief to steal, and whether you were a particular target for some reason. It is your opportunity to show empathy, compassion and forgiveness IF the individual sincerely repents and offers to recompensate you in some relevant and meaningful manner.

It is your opportunity to empathize with other victims of crime and to offer them support and assistance after you recover. It is your opportunity to become more aware of your physical self and increase your stamina and strength. It is your opportunity to find out more about medicine, surgery, health, and self-care. It is your opportunity to do and experience may positive alternatives which many others may not have, or, which many others will convert into spiritually weakening and self-defeating aspects of victimization. Victim or survivor: it's your CHOICE.

You can CHOOSE what you will be a model of for yourself, for your family, for your associates, for your friends, for your society, for humanity.

P> RESPONSIBLE ASSERTIVENESS:
Very little was made available to the public regarding assertive behaviour until after 1976with the exception of some religious scriptures; the latter were usually re-interpreted by the institutions which adopted them. This fact stems from the self-empowerment which such communication provides to the individual, in opposition to the human authority based relationships which have been the basis of human recorded history. Even in 1996, most of the human population are either unaware of the choice of assertive communication, or, misunderstand it.

In order to brainwash and imprint the behaviour implicit to the orderly acceptance of human-based authority necessitated by mass population, leadership, politics, indebtedness, the military, institutions and bureaucracies - a mode of passive-aggressive communication is modelled, taught, rewarded, enforced and coerced upon the individual from birth to grave. Because assertive communication is the style which humans are born with and because its irresponsible and self-centred use reflects immaturity, it has been easy for adults in a mass society to rationalize the complete eradication of this mode of communication in their children.

The alternative, passive-aggressive communication, is the basis for the attitudes which have led to spousal and other forms of interpersonal abuse, co-dependency and addictive behaviours, enslavement and victimization, poverty, violent behaviours, rage, wars, and most human responses which end in failure, destructiveness, and loss of self-esteem. Of course all of these would not have been tolerated and so easily denied if there had not been some perceived benefit.

Desperation, panic, and selfishness have provided the basis for the acquisition of power, authority, wealth and prestige which often accompanies passive-aggressive communication. As long as there is mass society, necessitated by high densities of human population, passive-aggressive behaviour, and its destructive elements, will be required in order to provide some sense of security and orderliness to society.

What is Assertiveness?
Assertion involves standing up for personal rights and expressing thoughts, feelings, and beliefs in direct, honest, and appropriate ways which do not violate another person's rights. Assertion involves respect, whereas passive-aggressiveness assumes the acceptance of a power relationship between a dominant participant and a subservient participant. In the latter, the relationship is either accepted as presented, or, resolved through some manner of violence or coercion.

Typically, in the latter, an individual will respond in a dominant manner to some persons (elder, parent, leader, manager, owner, richer, general, president, chief, attacker) and in a passive manner to others (younger, child, follower, worker or slave, poorer, troop, citizen, member, victim). Little honesty and truthfulness is shared between the participants as each is continually either trying to avoid the coercion likely to evolve from a denial of the assumptions of the self-perceived or socially sanctioned dominant person, or, are trying, usually by deception, manipulation and subterfuge to assume dominance.

Responsible assertion involves mutuality, asking for fair play, and using one's greater self empowerment (confidence) to assist both oneself and others.

Why not assertiveness?
Losing other people's approval is usually a major issue for people who are often non-assertive because they have been conditioned to think of themselves as an extension of the acceptance of others. That is, they have been threatened with denial, exclusion, ostracism, abandonment, and penalty both directly and through the modeling actions of other individuals in the society surrounding them.

A major fear of people who are frequently aggressive is that they will become vulnerable and lose control over others and by so doing they will become controlled by others. This is a direct rationalization from the passive-aggressive imprinting which has conditioned them to perceive all interactions from the viewpoint of win-lose.

This perception has contributed to the disassociation of humans into males and females and children and parents such that each regards the other with intolerance, disrespect, and a feeling of isolation and abandonment. Highly destructive to the quality of intimacy, trust, and justice - a lack of responsible assertive behaviour and communication has encouraged co-dependent and addictive behavours which have proven to be economically productive, spiritually weakening, and health endangering.

What you may be missing.
A major reason for acting assertively is that it increases one's own self-respect, it encourages greater self-confidence, and, while others sometimes dislike the resulting self-directedness which one has, usually other people respect and admire those who are responsibly assertive, show respect for both themselves and others, have the courage to represent unpopular but relevant options, and deal with conflict openly and fairly. If you want your needs satisfied and your preferences respected, then you need to become responsibly self-assertive.

The benefits of responsible self-assertive communication include the following:

- improved understanding between yourself and others;
- greater success in personal achievements;
- more balanced and supportive family relationships;
- increased self-respect and self-esteem;
- a likelihood of survival in a difficult world;
- improved quality of intimacy;
- more effective opportunities for self-improvement;
- less potential for frustration, anger, rage and violence;
- happier, more integrated, and more productive lifestyle.

For those individuals who wish to empower themselves and the members of their family, there are now numerous books, cassette and video courses, skill-building sessions and mentoring facilities available. One of the most effective and most economical courses offered is a CareerTrack cassette package featuring Helga Rhode.

Whenever choosing an instructor, book, or course - try to determine if the approach advocated is RESPONSIBLE Assertiveness. Constructive communication is not a choice of one mode over the other; rather, it is the relevant use of each when required with the knowledge that responsible assertiveness is often the better choice. Whenever possible, learn assertiveness habits - you already have second-nature instilled passive-aggressive habits --- by attending group session practice learning workshops.

Q> TAI CHI CH'UAN:
(from the Introduction to the Revised Edition of Wen-Shan Huang's
Fundamentals of Tai Chi Ch'uan.

"In fact, if a group of people would be asked: 'What is Tai Chi Ch'uan?' each person would be right in answering: it is a system of: gymnastics - philosophy - rejuvenation - breathing - symbology - self-defense - changing body image - will training - therapy - dancing - meditation - mind expansion - energy balancing - and more. This versatility, combined with the ongoing evolutionary quickening of our awareness level ....

... a re-union of body and mind essential not only to the healing of most of our diseases, but also to the realization of that untarnished state of being which reveals the wonder of Body/Mind (reverence).

... Tai Chi Ch'uan which unites Body, Will and Imagination in a triangle of unsuspected power. ...

In the field of relationship, Tai Chi Ch'uan puts us in contact with the space outside and the space inside ourselves, making us increasingly aware that the quality of those two immensities and their relationship determines the quality of our life. ... we create our own individualized existence.

The most important factor in Tai Chi Ch'uan is the balancing of the two universal energies, Yin and Yang, positive and negative, substantial and insubstantial, soft and hard, Heaven and Earth and their eternal interplay. ... it becomes clear that the opposites need not be antagonists, indeed, are necessary to each other's balance.

The dawning realization emerges that the harmonious play and finally even the union of these two opposite energies are not necessarily the privilege of solitary mystics but a possibility for us all, living in a conflicting and bewildering world, here and now. What would happen if the harmony that Tai Chi Ch'uan can create was realized by even a minority of human beings on this planet? The urgently needed answer might be: survival - expansion - love."

Preston Kline Caye, Ph.D., in the Foreword, notes the following:

"... As Western man and his science break through barrier after barrier and penetrate deeper and deeper into the unknown, that which he seeks ever eludes his quest. Western man has sought happiness and security in external things; that is, things outside of himself. When man loses touch with the inner core of his being, he becomes lost on the periphery of reality in the world of change and circumstance. ...

Longevity, tranquility, and emotional maturity were outstanding virtues among these ancient people but are so grievously lacking in our modern 'civilized' life today. If one were to ask for a single word to describe the flowering Ancient Chinese life, it would be Serenity."

In his Introduction provided by Wen-Shan Huang, the following is stated:

"On the one hand, the mastery of the outer world, with a relative contempt for the inner, must inevitably lead to great catastrophe. On the other hand, the toll and havoc of compartmentalizing human activities into unrelated fragments, and of turning individuals into unharmonized spiritual, emotional, mental and physical selves, deliver us to the daemonic forces despite all outward forms of culture. The hope of humanity lies in the organic whole. The restoration of man to the harmony and integrity of his physiological and mental self will transform this universe. ...

At the very least, an individual's good health depends upon the free flow of vital energy to all parts of his organism. Unrestricted flow of this energy produces a balance or equilibrium of the tri-part nature of man."

From the main part of his Fundamentals, the following is extracted:

"In the first place, the whole system consists of 37 movement patterns which can be developed into some 108 postures. ... dynamic patterns of action flowing imperceptibly into each other like rising waves of a calm sea, yet retaining their individuality, continuity, and evenness as parts of an integral whole.

Movement starts from the feet (toes, soles, heels), ankles and legs, ascending along the spine (vertebral column) and concentrating around the waist - the main pillar and axis for sustaining the body weight and the body equilibrium. ...

Each movement also involves the alternate shifting of the body weight from one leg to another and is always synchronized with breathing. ...

It is the combined effect of activated nervous communication, stimulated blood circulation, intensified flowing and draining of the lymphatic fluid and integrated mental relaxation. ...

It is the basic principle of Tai Chi breathing, that we exhale whenever our hands are stretched, raised or pushed forward, and that we inhale whenever they are contracted, down or pulled backward. ...

Where achievement is attained, ... after each performance, we feel refreshed as if every cell in our body was charged with new energy. Our mind is harmonious and our spirit lifted. We feel a joy, a serene strength and a sense of tranquility within ourselves. Furthermore, we carry these newly acquired faculties into our daily activities. They increase our daily work efficiency, improve our mental alertness, and calm our nervous tension. ...

In short, the constant practice of this art and movement certainly increases the respiratory capacity, stimulates and stabilizes the nervous system, and improves the function of all the organs of the body. ... leading one to a new sense of harmony and the equilibrium of the Yin and Yang forces in the body. This is what is known as 'Tao', or the way of 'Life' ....

But Hui Neng's conception of meditation ... was not the art of tranquillizing the mind ... One-sided meditation is sure to tend toward quietism and death ... Meditation has nothing to do with mere sitting cross-legged in contemplation, as is generally supposed by outsiders ... it is, rather, acting, moving, performing deeds, seeing, hearing, thinking, remembering ....

With the knowledge of how to exercise properly and with the determination to discipline ourselves consistently, we acquire the possession of natural health, which would enormously increase our freedom and happiness or bliss. ...

Its flowing technique helps to: (1) concentrate the mind; (2) calm the disposition; (3) use the mind or consciousness to move the body without using awkward strength; (4) make the muscles pliant; (5) quicken reflexes; (6) improve the circulation; (7) make one alert and easy; and (8) accelerate the activities of other systems or organs. ...

It rebuilds one's spirit and body.
It can definitely change the weight of the body and take off the burden of fat that affects not only the individual's physical mobility but also his character. ... People suffering from neurasthenia, high blood pressure, tuberculosis, gastric and enteric diseases, paralysis, kidney diseases, etc., can all be profited by the practice. ...

In the striking technique of Tai Chi Ch'uan, the less force you use the better, the aim being to avoid reaction force of falling on one's own body. ... one should add force to the opponent's force in accordance with its direction, in order to effect the loss of his equilibrium (thus, it can only be used in a defensive and peace-promoting manner). ... its strategy is self defence is to wait for suitable opportunity with tranquillity, and to use the energy to neutralize rather than to strike or resist.

... in principle, what it emphasizes is non-aggression, non-violence, non-resistance, or non-opposition, and the overcoming of firmness with softness. It believes conflict of any kind inevitably leads to destruction of each creature. The fruit of conflict is only death. Love tends to destroy death itself and replaces it with eternal immortality. Hence in the system of Tai Chi Ch'uan, its spiritual dedication, dedication to a noble humanitarian cause, to the Cosmic Love, in the view of modern sociologists and psychologists, is one of the most important factors for the prolongation of life.”

What the field of Sentics has demonstrated is that almost any human, with some self-discipline and an open mind, can quickly learn to be aware of and to appreciate the emotion of reverence. In a like manner so also can humans learn to perceive their surroundings and their choices from a spiritual focus.

More scientific than science?
The spiritual approach as presented here is the most "scientific" means of reality perception available to humans. How can this be? "Science" as it was first defined and philosophically outlined, is the quest for truth by a process of acknowledgement of experience, correlated with all known historical factors, and, the consideration of all inter-relationships that can be determined to have relevance. A spiritual approach to reality, truth, decision-making - is one which acknowledges a universe-wide inter-relationship of all possible factors while also accepting an orderliness within those realities of universal patterns of inter-relationship.

In essence, the spiritual approach adopts the perspective that if a person could know all that could be known, an understanding of oneself, the past, the present, the future, and the relevance of choices - would be a simple and straightforward undertaking. Thus, the purest of scientific research can only be conducted from a spiritual approach. Yet much of what has come to be termed "scientific" has little spiritual basis, and, frequently, is anti-spiritual in its assumptions.

The great mass of scientific endeavour is Popular ("Pop") science.
Its proponents do NOT consider the wide-ranging inter-relationships which may exist with and beyond the immediate components of their investigations. Thus, it has become common, that in the name of science, unchallenged species of lifeforms have been introduced into new ecologies with the expectation that they would resolve a "pest" problem for humans. Repeatedly, the "solution" has been found to be worse and harder to control than the original problem.

Exchanging immediate benefits for long-term failure.
This degree of simple-mindedness has, by coercion, been able to force a rapid development of material lifestyle enhancing technologies and promote the aggregation of individual power into that of bureaucratic and conglomerate power. It is often decades later, that the long-term and difficult to reverse consequences of such "scientific" progress are discovered, and, often further decades before such destructiveness is acknowledged enough to initiate interest in reversing the destructive trend. For this immediate political and personal power, humanity has twisted the "pure" science approach to fit the "enterprise" science approach.

Enterprise science is that research which is carried out for one singular motive: material profit. To make it acceptable to the masses, it is rationalized as required, and to be worshipped, for a variety of deceptive aims. At least half of all such research has for decades been directed at the improvement and production of military devices - guns, planes, rockets, space devices, computers, automation, heavy industry, electronic communications, ....

All of this effort has been expended, as advertised, to benefit peace, freedom, economic sufficiency, disaster reduction, health improvement, and lifestyle enhancement. Yet the legacy continues to be one of a multiplication of wars, terrorism, social violence, anarchy, material dependency, income insecurity, increasing addictive behaviours, increasing disaster devastation, increasing chronic disease and the risk of worldwide epidemics, increasing personal and family relationship breakdown.

Was the promise ever relevant or have the masses simply been persuaded to follow human political and capital-based authority as infallible?

Survival benefit or survival risk?
In those areas of investigation and analysis where the public benefit was at odds with the potential for profit and self-abuse, pop science has been used to discover more efficient ways in which to deceive, manipulate, hypnotize, and encourage the would-be consumer into adopting habits which would challenge their independence and self-esteem. While billions of dollars have been "scientifically" used to enslave the individual with promises of material satisfaction and social acceptance, those who have warned of the dangers have been effectively silenced by ridicule, threat, and other coercive measures.

Such has become the power and blindness of the status quo that truly professional scientists have come to acknowledge that the acceptance of any truth which embarrasses the status quo will take at least a generation to be considered! The trend consistently demonstrated through known human history is that more constructive and more accurate scientific findings will NOT be considered until great numbers of individuals are either disadvantaged by, or, become a fatality of status quo pop scientific approaches. Can humanity afford such a luxury of denial and tardiness?

The hazards of denial.
With the human global population continuing to increase, ecological integrity decreasing, and the potential for catastrophe increasing - the numbers of individuals facing potentially fatal non-military experiences is increasing. "Mistakes" and inadequate and irrelevant planning - usually made on the strength of the rationalizations of pop science - are resulting in hundreds of thousands of deaths at a time when, if science was effective, there should be none.

The prospect is that by continuing this lucrative short-sighted, ethnocentric path of pop science, humanity may be entering an age in which such "innocent" errors result in the death of billions of persons - needlessly. This prospect has never been the result of spiritually-directed pure science.

Awareness = CHOICE = opportunity.
The spiritual basis of science, and the scientific benefit of a spiritual perception - is that there are no mistakes and no surprises. There is no wastefulness of repetitive experimentation to rediscover, refound, regurgitate the same conclusions which others have previously without finding acceptance within the material-biased authorities. Experimental procedure decisions and result publication is not decided according to whose name will be credited with the discovery or which company will make the most (or lose the most) money, or, whether political entities will be embarrassed by their former authoritative positions.

Implicit in a spiritual perspective of science is the primacy of such non-monetary factors as truth, relevance, honesty, humility, responsible assertiveness and self-sacrifice. Yet for such a basis of perspective to be acknowledged and supported by the masses, human history has demonstrated that those persons regarded as leaders must be willing to empower their citizens with an awareness of the benefits of a spiritual approach. Each leader must instill the self-directedness of a leader within his or her followers: to encourage them to mature.

It's your life; it's your responsibility.
The conclusions you draw from the report will be your own - and you will be responsible for them. You have been encouraged to develop a "scientific" mindscape in which you are aware of the relevance of choices and have the opportunity to develop your own skills for more accurate and constructive decision-making. Whether you die today, 3 years from now, or 80 years from now - you have an unusual opportunity to substantially contribute to the direction and quality of that future.

The Christian New Testament: the first letter of Paul to the Corinthians
Chapter 13: 8-9
Charity (benevolence to others) never faileth (to show one's heart, spiritual purpose): but whether there be prophecies (without charity) they shall fail; whether there be tongues (debates, rationalizations, expectations, gossip - without charity), they shall cease; whether there be knowledge (experience, history, theory, conjecture, philosophy, science, technology, myth), it shall vanish away (if it has no relevance through charity).

Chapter 14: 1-3
Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.

For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries. But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort. He that prophesieth speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church.



U> DEATH:
There are people who learn to fear death, others who grow to deny death, some who welcome death, and those who acknowledge death. Only one of these options is spiritual in focus.

Fear death and die!
Confusion, superstition, destructive modelling, and institutional imprinting can frequently promote a fear of death. Threats, guilt feelings, and fantasy are often employed by others to develop fears within humans concerning their death. Those fears often encompass misgivings about any continued existence after physical death or certainties of what terrors and penalties may wait for one.

Fear often encourages humans to react and reactive responses are frequently destructive in the short- or long-term. Fear is an emotion which produces physical changes in the human body, which if maintained for longer periods are capable of encouraging the development of disease, the weakening of the immune system, and the delay in health recovery. Fear brings you closer to what you want to avoid. Fear makes what you are unable to cope with ever present. Fear often discourages actions which can be constructive: relaxation, preparation, prevention, communication, openness, flexibility, involvement.

Invitation by denial.
For a person faced with a life-threatening circumstance or illness, denial serves only to hasten the probable. Denial is more intense than fear for it signifies that the person cannot cope with even the consciousness which produces fear. Denial is a form of emotional deadening. It is a cop-out; that is, it is a failure to acknowledge reality in the hope that reality is unimportant, or, that reality condemns one to a certain future. Denial is a perspective of the enslaved person conditioned to follow and expect a narrow status quo of dependency and selflessness.

It is a legacy of many human "civilizations" that the participant is educated to believe that all which is possible is defined by what human authorities can perform. This is disastrous when such "experts" prove to be incompetent within their field, as many do, yet continue to portray an image of authority. It has been and continues to be a reflection of the modern North American medical establishment that many doctors are incapable of diagnosing accurately and quickly anything beyond the most frequent of ailments.

It also continues to be a reality that those who most emphasize and portray the role of an authority in such matters are frequently those who are too proud to admit that often the patient knows more about the reality of their ailment than the doctor can surmise. Many patients have been told that their symptoms are not to be worried about, that they are only temporary and will go away, that a particular prescription will solve their problems, that it is simply a condition of one's getting older, or, that nothing further can be done.

Too frequently, a doctor will attempt to adjust for a lack of knowledge or skill by resorting to the running of numerous time-consuming and costly tests - the benefit of and context of is poorly understood by the doctor. These negative and incompetent approaches encourage the patient to assume a position of denial on the assumption that if the "expert" cannot treat what they have, they can do nothing about it. Chronic diseases allowed to fester and acute illness gone misdiagnosed and unacknowledged will hasten death.

Death, sweet death!
Beyond the reactions of fear and the insensitivity of denial, resignation is the rational answer for the spiritually weakened. The hoped-for expectation of death is often little more than a mask over irresponsibility. As long as the individual has the willingness and humility to request Spiritual Guidance from God there is the real hope of recovery from an illness, financial disaster, relationship breakdown, ecological catastrophe, or other risk of loss of identity.

The person who is still capable of making decisions and being aware yet decides to end their physical, emotional, or spiritual misery by suicide, surrender, or defeat is committing an error of pride. In placing themselves and their human-based authorities superior to a consideration of grace from God, they have acknowledged their own ultimate fallibility and weakness. They have determined to reject the guidance which could save and improve their life. Often this decision follows many years of indoctrination by their society in the belief that as individuals they are helpless, or, that as authorities they should already know all the answers.

Either option closes the door on personal intervention centred on individual requirements, ingenuity, and insight. The opportunity to help themselves and by doing so to potentially aid many others is cast away by this statement of pride - whether it be the pride of the individual or the pride of the culture. Pride is the strength which when tested becomes brittle and breaks. Like the ancient classics note: pride cometh before a fall. The fall from the grace of God is a CHOICE which you make. God never shuts you out.

Know, that you may live!
When a person is seriously ill, acknowledgement of the fact can enable them to set aside fear, denial and pride. If they have an accurate diagnosis, they will also be presented with a variety of treatment options. If these options are unacceptable, and constructive ones can be affirmed by meditation, prayer, or muscle testing - other options may be revealed by Spiritually Guided meditation, prayer or muscle testing. All individuals have the opportunity to develop spiritual skills.

For some, the task is more difficult than for others.
For some, the immediate benefit of a trusted and spiritually gifted (often by the virtue of their self-sacrifice and self-directedness) mentor may be advantageous. The most constructive avenue is preparation. Anyone who chooses can learn spiritual skills. Waiting until you need them before beginning that development is an acknowledgement of your willingness to fail. God waits patiently.
Contact is your CHOICE.

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