Spirit in Nature; this phrase strikes me as almost redundant that one should even need to explain the presence of spirit in nature. The question arises as a result of the long trajectory of the materialistic paradigm that has caused society to see itself separate from nature. We are not. Human beings are living, breathing animals and part of the ecosystem of the cosmos, just as every other living thing. This idea of oneness in the cosmos isn’t a debate, and not only is it not a debate, but I’ll go one step further and say nature is the manifestation of spirit. Ergo, nature is spirit.

While that might sound like a bold statement, if we go back to the beginning it becomes very clear how this spiritual presence is evident. Accepting the Big Bang Theory, scientists are actively working to describe that primordial quantum field of potentiality and energy from which our universe sprang. Consciousness bore materiality. In the first initial moments, it wasn’t a material property, but light, that exploded into the universe.

Light is the fascinating link between the spiritual and the material. Light has no mass, no electrical charge, and no properties of rotation. The speed of light itself is what defines the limits of the observable universe of space/time. Light also has intelligence; it will follow the path of least resistance so it can most quickly get to its destination. This is known as the law of least action. We see this when we watch a sunset. The light from the sun is curving around the earth’s atmosphere to reach our eyes in the quickest route; much like a commuter would drive a few miles further to take the fast-moving expressway to avoid the city streets that are congested, and therefore slower.

Our universe was created with intelligence, as we can see from light’s many amazing properties. This spiritual source that seems so difficult to define can be found all around us. This energy field which is in a sense, pure spirit, became nature.  Nature is what connects us to that Spiritual Source and is our gateway to understanding the divine essence within ourselves and our connection to the Oneness.

As such, the real source of our sense of spirituality can be found in the natural environment around us. Does nature give us spiritual strength? Absolutely. Patients in hospitals that have rooms with a view of nature recover far quicker than those without a window or a view of a natural setting. Patients with dementia who have access to a garden have 30 times less behavioral problems than those without a garden. Students do better in retaining information and in their testing, than those without access to nature. Being in contact with the nature promotes healing, well-being and an overall improved state of consciousness.

Despite all the research supporting the importance of connecting with the natural outdoors, there is a growing disconnect from nature that raises serious concerns. As Thoreau says; “In wildness, is the preservation of the world.” As our truly, wild nature reserves are disappearing and we have less access to natural retreats, we risk being cut off from our Spiritual Source. If we think of the increasing number of people living in harsh urban environments with only traffic and cement to communicate with, it’s no wonder we are having a few psychological disturbances and wondering where the spiritual nature in our lives has gone.

I think this is one of the downsides of the technological revolution. Obviously, technology provides us with a lot of great tools, but the amount of time we spend with our devices, talking on cellphones, on the computer and watching television, means we are immersed in some kind of variation of electromagnetic wave energy that is bombarding our senses. This can’t be an altogether good thing.

I would encourage everyone to get back to nature. Walk down a street with trees on it, take a break in the park and get out of a city on the weekend. Find your personal full, magical connection with nature and tap into this powerful spiritual energy. According to the Gaia hypothesis, our earth is a living being, and like all living beings, energy is not equally distributed.

Just as our heart emits the most powerful energy from of our body, so the earth has its veins and arteries and own heart system. When we get to places that manifest these energy nodes, both in their natural beauty and with the flow of energy together, that combined affect is literally awesome. We are filled with this inexplicable sensation of joy and self-expression. We can sometimes literally feel Mother Nature’s love pulsating through us.

There are very significant points throughout the world that focus the flow of the earth’s energy and emit this spiritual essence. These special places can be found in numerous locations, and for me, Sedona, Arizona and Ibiza, Spain offer a perfect example of the earth’s stronger energy points.  Ibiza pulsates with a special feminine energy of love and compassion.

There are different sources of energy within these sacred spots. Animals and vegetation are energy transmitters, and it should be no surprise that water is a very powerful carrier of energy. Even our sense of beauty corresponds with these higher energy levels emitted by nature.

What is really exciting, however, is our ability to influence these energy levels within our environment. Our consciousness is producing nature with every thought, idea and action we make at every moment. Being aware of the quality of our energy is extremely important when we talk about individual and social transformation. If we can grasp the responsibility we have to emit positive, constructive energy, we can successfully transform the world.

To grasp this concept, imagine walking down a busy street, passing people every few seconds venting to their friends on a cell phone. These comments affect us, and their negative energy emissions are in the universe forever. Carelessly expressing negativity is the equivalent of throwing your litter on the highway. We are unconsciously polluting the nature of the quantum field with all the garbage our minds dump out on a daily basis.

In a year symbolizing new beginnings, let’s show a new level of respect and gratitude to the nature around us, connect with our spiritual source in a positive way and be present in the Oneness that envelops us in our daily lives as we seek out our very own special place in Nature.

- Emanuel Kuntzelman

Recently, I have been inspired by the book; “Measuring the Immeasurable; the Scientific Case for Spirituality,” published by Sounds True.  It is a compilation of articles supporting the scientific case for spirituality by today’s big names like Peter Russell, Marilyn Schlitz, Daniel Goleman, Bruce Lipton and Gregg Braden, to name a few. One article in particular that really caught my attention was “Gratitude, the Science and Spirit of Thankfulness” by Robert Emmons, in which he builds the case of gratitude being an important part of our growth in life.

For gratitude to be truly effective, we have to be detached from the expectations of reciprocation, or the sense of obligation in our gratefulness. Our feeling must be for the sake of gratitude in the spiritual essence.

In their studies on the importance of gratitude, two experiment groups were observed. One group kept a daily gratitude journal, recording all the things that happened during the day that they were grateful for – including positive states, alertness, enthusiasm and positive energy. The other group was asked to write down any daily interactions, including problems, challenges and frustrations in their journals for a series of months. Not given any prompts to include moments of gratitude, these journals were filled with content that mostly reflected frustrations. 

At the conclusion of the study, it was found that the group with the gratitude journals showed better sleep patterns, better health, and more positive psychological states of mind. As a whole, they were more loving, forgiving and enthusiastic than the other group. The gratitude group was also much more likely to support the statement that; “Life is a gift instead of a burden. I often reflect how much easier my life is because of the efforts of others.”

What really caught my attention was Emmons’ mention that in general, people with a monotheistic belief system exhibit more gratitude than those who do not believe in a creator. It seems that people who believe in the idea of a personal god or as some sort of anthropomorphic personality, father/mother image, have an easier time expressing their gratitude.  If a person has a personal dialogue with god, on a psychological level, it helps one express gratitude. We usually thank people, not abstract notions, for things. We don’t usually sit around saying “thank you” to the quantum field, for example.

This really got me thinking about this notion of gratitude, because in relation to my own life, I don’t believe in a personal god. I wouldn’t define myself as a secular Humanist, but I’m more of a spiritual Humanist. I do believe very strongly in the spiritual nature of the universe. To me, consciousness is a spiritual force and the field source of everything is, in effect, spirit and energy. This is the quantum nature of reality.  I believe in an evolutionary state of spirituality and deeply respect the Source and the marvels of the universe, and believe the purpose of the universe was to bring us to this point, to reflect upon our own consciousness.

Being a spiritual Humanist rather than a devout theist, I began to realize that perhaps I have been more limited in my ability to express gratitude. This made me understand that gratitude really is this driving moral fiber of compassion in the world. Monotheists connect this ability to express gratitude with compassion and moral values, because having a god to express this feeling allows one to really engage in compassion.

It really is a warm and natural way for the human psyche to connect our gratitude to a god image, like a “perfect image” to have a deeper and more profound innate need for expressing gratitude. I got so excited about this because it helped me conceptualize why, perhaps, the spiritual humanist and the secular scientist, who believe in the beauty and wonder of the evolutionary impulse, might not express the same emotional vigor as a theist.

As we evolve psycho-spiritually, we begin to understand that this personal god in heaven is a mechanism for the sake of the psychological needs of humans. But the more we understand consciousness, and quantum mechanics, the more awe-inspiring the universe becomes, without any need to formulate a personal god. Thinking of it in this perspective, I began to realize that with this profound, scientific understanding of spirit in nature that the spiritual humanist had plenty of reasons to express gratitude that could have previously been missing.

A lover of Nature can feel that same vital energy of true love without having to direct this emotion toward a god. So I began to practice gratitude throughout the day, whenever I had a spare moment to do so. It really opened up my heart and mind and embellished the state of my spiritual core. It put a coat of polish on it, and I think that I have been feeling psychically better with more energy as a result of practicing gratitude.

We’ve done ourselves a disservice of detaching compassion from science. If anything, it should be the opposite. The scientific observation of nature goes beyond the psychological need for god, and arrives at the depth of the true Spiritual Source. To embrace this experience of gratefulness within Nature, Emmons gives a technique to improve one’s gratitude called the AIM model of gratitude.  This acronym stands for:

A: Attention – Becoming aware of blessings we normally take for granted.

I: Interpretation – This is the conscious decision to see blessings instead of burdens. We are no longer victims of circumstances and are grateful beings by these interpretations.

M: Memory – When we need to draw on renewed strength, we can tap into positive, grateful memories. This is why religious traditions are so strong, but now it’s time for scientists to start creating their own memories of spirit.  Whether from a theistic or scientific starting point, we can all come to the same conclusion:  a sense of gratitude for the wonders of the universe enhances the quality of our lives. 

So, take aim, fine tune our attention and interpretation, and we can all express our gratitude to the spirit within Nature.  In return, we just might receive an unexpected reward in the sense of joy, especially if our thankfulness is sent unconditionally– not to appease any god, but simply to send our love out to the wonder of nature.  What we receive in return may have a whole lot to do with the state of our spirituality.

Astronomers around the world have predicted that 2012 will likely be one of the worst years for solar radiation.  The cycles of the sun’s activity are quite predictable and 2012 is definitely going to be an active one.  This has, in fact, already begun, and on the days following intense solar flares, there are physiological changes on earth.  On November 17^th, for example, I was particularly concerned about solar radiation because that was the day I gave a talk on “The Second Coming of Consciousness.”  It was a weird day from the start.  There was a large telecommunication blackout in Japan; our own computer network at CCI was down most of the day; everyone, myself included, seemed to be in a somewhat funky and agitated mood.  I did some research and realized that the effects of a large solar storm were reaching the earth.  The days before, on the surface of the sun, explosions had produced earth-sized flares bursting out thousands of miles into space.  And it was just reaching us, with extra radiation slipping through the normally protective shield of the earth’s magnetic field, making us feel rather strange.  Well, I meditated upon it all, and the talk came off better than the rest of the day.

When such days happen, and there will be plenty over the next year, the best thing to do is meditate as much as possible.  As we meditate, preferably in a group, we go beyond the agitated mental state produced by excess radiation and get acclimated to the higher energy, which can be used to our advantage if we are prepared to process it.  If we plug an electrical device made to run on 110 volts into a system based on 220, the device will quickly burn out.  That doesn’t mean that 220 is worse than 110; it just means the device needs to be adapted to handle the extra voltage.  Likewise the magnetic fields of our hearts and brains need to be ready to cope with the higher frequency radiation reaching us during these times.  To do this we need to relax, de-stress, meditate, and trust in the power of our collective action to give us the global coherence to convert the extra energy into positive action.

There is a lot going on cosmologically these days.  The earth wobbles on its axis, causing a 26,000 year cycle of the rotation of the constellations of the night sky.  This precession, as it is called, is now completing its cycle where the earth’s orbit directly aligns with the galactic center of the Milky Way.  At the same time, it just so happens that the earth is located 26,000 light years from the center of our galaxy.  Is it mere coincidence that the cycle of precession equals the light year distance to the center of the Milky Way?  Astrophysicist Paul LaViolette thinks this is the result of cosmic entrainment.  The immense energy produced at the core of our galaxy could very well be part of the cyclical system, causing the alignment of the earth with the galactic plane to occur at the same moment that potential superwaves of cosmic radiation are reaching us from center of the galaxy.  This seeming coincidence forms part of LaViollete’s “superwave” theory, and Mayan researcher John Major Jenkins tends to agree.  Here’s what Jenkins has to say:

“No known law exists to explain why the earth’s orbital plane should be locked to the coordinates of the Galactic Center, unless some kind of magnetic entrainment principle is responsible.  Statistically, it is very unlikely that this would be an accident; however, what seems probable here is that the Galactic Center is a giant field generator, to the degree that the rotational plane of our solar system naturally entrains itself to it.”

Could it be that the cosmos, whether by mere accident or divine design, has concocted a moment where the earth aligns with the galactic center just as a superwave of cosmic energy whacks us with full force?  There are many astronomers and scientists who think that may well be the case.  Adrian Gilbert and Maurice Cotterell postulate that even the Mayans knew about this.  They claim that the Mayan calendar also predicts this solar activity and link it to 2012.

And could all this be happening just when the earth’s magnetic field is weakening and cracking, potentially allowing bursts of cosmic and solar rays to slip through, jolt our hearts and brains, and shock us into a transformation of consciousness?  My view is that to some degree, all of this is actually happening.  As I said before, it won’t happen all of a sudden on December 21^st.  It is happening now, has been happening for a number of years, and will continue.  We are at the trough of the superwave.  We are crossing the galactic equator.  Our constellations have come full circle.  It is the dawn of a new era.  The frequencies of solar and cosmic radiation are increasing.  As you sit reading this, we are all being bombarded by the most potent transformational energy in history.  Be alert to it and ready to receive.  You cannot resist and you couldn’t sleep through it even if you wanted to.

It could be a turbulent time and shake things up a bit.  But, so what?—people pay to go on roller coasters at amusement parks.  The cosmos is providing this wild ride for free.  So, let’s relax and go with the flow.  Hold onto your hats and keep a strong stomach.  Eat right.  Think positive thoughts.  Cut back on toxic substances.  Get exercise.  And above all, entrain your mind to the new energy.  Meditate.  Ommmm…

A few book references:

The Mayan Factor, by Jose Arguelles

The Mayan Prophecies, by Adrian Gilbert and Maurice Cotterell

Beyond the Big Bang: Ancient Myth and the Science of Continuous Creation, by Paul LaViolette

Maya Cosmogenesis 2012, by John Major Jenkins

Galactic Alignment, by John Major Jenkins

The Mayan Calendar and the Transformation of Consciousness, by Carl Johan Calleman

In both the literal and symbolic sense, we are living in a time of great evolutionary change, and in my opinion, we can’t really talk about what the year 2012 means for us as a global community without addressing the Mayan calendar and its prophesies surrounding this momentous year.

There are many misconceptions that have accompanied these prophesies regarding Dec. 21, 2012. For those who have not spent much time reading about the extraordinary Mayan civilization and their calendar, I want to take a moment to emphasize the science behind this transformational time in which we now find ourselves, and the incredible knowledge the Mayans had regarding the cosmos and evolutionary cycles.

The first time the significance of 2012 came across my radar was back in the late 1980s. I was reading an article by José Argüelles, who was one of the first researchers to reveal the significance of the Mayan calendar and its 2012 end date. The Mayan civilization was very sophisticated, particularly in their knowledge of astronomy. Without the use of our modern technology and powerful telescopes, this ancient civilization was able to calculate our 26,000 year cycle within the Milky Way galaxy, and how the night sky is not fixed, or rather, how the earth moves 1 degree every 72 years in its relation to the constellations.

The fact that the Mayans were able to understand such subtle changes in the cosmos is a testament to their patience and respect for Nature and the heavens. Their calendar is based on years of meticulous observation, and their understanding of our evolutionary cycles is not to be dismissed. Even though the Mayan calendar abruptly ends Dec. 21, 2012, this doesn’t by any means signal an apocalyptic vision or end of times. It does, however, signal the end of a great cycle, a 26,000 year cycle, and the beginning of a new era.

Whether you believe in these prophesies or not, we have been given a symbol for transformational change, one we are already clearly in the midst of at the present time. The current processes of social organization and world economy are not sustainable. The industrial growth model of the past 150 years has to change, and why not choose this year, 2012, to say this is the time change really does take place? 

What does the end of a 26,000 year cycle have to do with global change? The important thing to understand is that we are currently crossing the center of the galactic plane and finding ourselves in a new position within the cosmos. If we think of this momentous event in terms of the changes we find when we cross the equator, we can see this could potentially create major shifts in perspective.

Despite the great significance based on the winter solstice of Dec.21, 2012 as the moment of large scale change, many astronomers say this singular “moment” could actually take place anywhere in an 18 year time span. The sun blocks part of our ability to measure our orientation with the plane of the Milky Way, causing room for error in the Mayans’ predicted timeline for when the earth will cross the threshold of our galactic equator. Rather than a specific date, this could have taken place anywhere from 1998 to 2016, so pinpointing one day is a little arbitrary.

Although Dec. 21 makes a fine date in terms of being a symbol in the great change of an era, I don’t think anyone needs to worry about going to bed on Dec. 20 and waking up the next day to see the whole world has changed overnight. I prefer to look at this year as the beginning of a transformation into higher consciousness, one where our society reorganizes into a global community based on principles of compassion and cooperation instead of our current pursuits of the separate self and the competitive struggle of the rugged individual.

Now what, we might ask, does this mean for us normal human beings sitting at home trying to get a grasp on personal transformation? In my lecture series and discussions of wave theories, I’ve described this as moving through the trough of a wave and literally changing directions in the evolutionary process. I think this is the time, or at least this is a good enough symbol, to say ‘now is our moment.’

When a wave does hit its trough and starts to move upward, everything changes, just as crossing the equator or the Milky Way creates a shift. The spiral energy reverses flow, and all the momentum of the materialistic age suddenly comes to an end. As we shift our momentum to ascend the opposite side of our evolutionary wave, we literally enter a whole new order of perception. We begin to see ourselves, and the purpose of our lives, in a completely new perspective.

If the old perspective was our obsession with the separate self and the search for meaning and enlightenment within the context of the psychology of the individual mind, the new perspective is a quest for meaning within shared experiences as they are perceived by others. No matter how deep of an understanding of the individual self we obtain, unless we find a way to share this information and make it useful to fellow humanity, it really has no meaning.  When we take action, network, and cooperate at a grand social level, this movement will take on more strength and more power bringing humankind together in the common understanding of compassion and cooperation for the good of the whole.

We all know in our hearts that this shift in perspective is the one, just, moral way to organize our society. Yet, for hundreds of years we’ve been locked in this material drive brought about from the need of physical survival and comfort and organization – which has been very useful in the natural process of evolution, but it has served its purpose. It’s time to find a deep social and environmental concern with planet earth, and give it the respect and love it needs as a true mother of humankind.

The shift in perspective depends on each of us to take action for compassionate change. It starts by reaching out to friends and family members, reconnecting and deepening ties, or patching up old grievances and misunderstandings to truly make our social circles loving and cooperative.

When we do this with unconditional compassion, and take action with an honest intention to share love and good will, we gain confidence to move further outward in our connection to the community network. Global change requires positive action and a commitment to the understanding that it is our moral duty to serve the global community, and figure out within ourselves what is the best way we can do this. What are our skills, talents, inclinations, and how can we best serve humanity and mother earth?

Once we get insight into our personal passions, then we can begin to dedicate ourselves to a new course of action to promote social justice, higher understanding, and cooperation between all of our fellow human beings. In this important year ahead of us, we must make 2012 as a symbol of a movement from the separate self to the holistic human, a shift from competition to cooperation and a global transformation from callousness to compassion. This is our singular moment in a momentous new year. 

Happy New Year!

At the close of 2011, the Greenheart Transforms book club participated in a wisdom gift exchange, sharing quotes, books and ideas. Inspired by that evening, I thought I would also share some words of wisdom from various people who have been masters for me as we embark on this transformational year in 2012:

George Leonard:  “How can I describe the kind of person who is on a path to mastery?  First, I don’t think it should be so dead serious.  I think you should understand the joy of it, the fun of it.”

And Joseph Campbell:  “When you follow your bliss—that thing that truly electrifies you—four things automatically happen:

• You put yourself in the path of good luck.

• You meet the people you want to know.

• Doors open where there weren’t doors before.

• Doors open for you that wouldn’t open for anyone else.”

As we listen to our own pieces of found wisdom, hopefully a new spiritual paradigm will arise.  And, going back to my own epiphany at the Book Club, and with all due respect to the great spiritual traditions, it is now, at the dawn of this Era of Transformation, high time that the interfaith dialogue moves onward and upward to a higher understanding of our Spiritual Source. 

The dialogue no longer needs to be about the common ground that our spiritual traditions share from their historical perspectives, but rather it should engage the uncommon territory where the world’s religions merge in a context of the emerging evolutionary paradigm.  But as we develop new wisdom for a New Era, beware of those who would speak the truth, because that’s what got us in trouble to begin with.

To explain, I have taken some liberties with a story from my favorite Sufi master, the Mulla Nasrudin:

“If you want truth,” the Mulla Nasrudin once told a group of Seekers, “you will have to pay for it.”

“Buy why should we have to pay for something like truth?” asked one of them.

“Have you ever noticed that it is the scarcity of a thing that determines it’s value?” asked the Mulla.

“How much, then, do we have to pay?” inquired the seeker. 

“I wouldn’t know,” said Nasrudin.  “I never tell the truth.  And anybody who does is a liar.”

Or, as the Kybalion states:  “All truths are but half-truths.”

Be wise, my friends, in this New Year of change and transformation, but also be happy, joyous and light.

This book focused on healing yourself and others with energy, as well as explaining the theories and concepts behind energy work. At times, this book seemed all over the place, but after going back to write my outline, I realized the connections and saw how valuable this information really was.

Some highlighted points:

• For energy work to be effective, we have to accept there is a human energy field, and that it carries all experiences, internal and external.
• When different people come into our lives, good and bad, we must look at them as teachers. The person that seems to be drawing our energy the most is a mirror of ourselves. Our task is to learn the lesson rather than resent the teacher.
• Detachment doesn’t mean we don’t care, but rather that we are detaching (letting go) from the fear of the outcome. Adra made a good point that this could also mean we are detaching from our ego and our attachment to how are ego will be rewarded or not through an outcome.
• We must be open and attentive to the guidance we receive from the universe every day.
• Quote from Peace Pilgrim: “I don’t eat junk food. I don’t think junk thoughts.”

Healing requires personal responsibility and taking action. Just like you can’t expect to run a marathon without training, you must work on yourself. The worst you could do is get caught up in the victim mentality. We might need to carry this burden to receive a spiritual healing.

More in-depth notes below…

The Human Energy Field:

• Electricity generated by living tissue creates an energy field around human beings that can be read by intuitives.  
• This energy field carries our internal (memories, belief patterns, superstitions) and external (past and current relationships, personal and professional, and profound and traumatic experiences).
• The force carried in our field directly effects new tissue that then emits a certain quality of energy – “Biography becoming biology.”

Symptoms and illness are directly related to some sort of energy issue in your life, issues made manifest in the body.

The way to understand the cause of our issues is through symbolic sight.

• Life challenges are lessons
• People are teachers
• Issues are reflections of yourself

 “..the person who seems to be drawing your energy is actually a reflection of some part of yourself.  Concentrating on the person…will not heal you, you will be sent more and more teachers, each more intense.  Your task is to learn the lesson rather than resent the teacher.”

Once you have identified the eternal truth associated with your ailment you can organize healing around learning from that truth.

Healing requires taking action

• Dedication and commitment
• Move through your wounds rather than live in them
• “Don’t waste time by thinking, acting or praying like a victim”

7 Universal Spiritual Truth and corresponding energy and physical systems

• Embodied by each of 7 Chakras as well as by the seven sacraments of Christianity and seven corresponding teachings of the Kabbalah
• Make up a road map for our life journey
• Violating these truths weakens our spirit and physical body while honoring them strengthens us

Diagram – pg. 79/ pg.96

Level 1: “All is One” – Tribal chakra, baptism and Shekinah

            We are interconnected to all of life and to one another

Level 2: “Honor One Another” – Partnership chakra, Communion, Yesod

            Act with integrity and honor in all of our relationships

            “Release compulsion to judge who and what has value and instead focus on honoring the person or task with which you are involved.”  

Level 3: “Honor Oneself” – Personal power chakra, confirmation, Hod and Nezah

            Develop self-esteem and self-respect

            “Have the self esteem to recognize that discomfort or confusion is actually directing you to take charge and make choices that will break you out of stagnation or misery.”

Level 4: “Love is Divine Power” – Emotional power chakra, marriage, Tif’eret

            Refine our capacity to love and forgive, ourselves as well as others

            Self love means caring for ourselves enough to forgive people in our past so that the wounds can no longer damage us

Level 5: “Surrender Personal Will to Divine Will” – Willpower, confession, Hesed and Gevurah

            Make contact with your divine purpose

            Making choices out of fear, even when they produce the desired outcome, will bring side-effects.  Better to make choices with a trust in Divine guidance.

Level 6: “Seek Only the Truth” – Chakra of the mind, ordination and Binah and Hokhman

            Continually reevaluate the truth and integrity of our beliefs

            Retrieve one’s power from artificial and false truths

            Detach to see true meaning free of subjective perceptions

                        Does not mean ceasing to care, rather you have quieted your fear-driven voices so that external influences have no authority

“I don’t eat junk food and I don’t think junk thoughts” – Peace Pilgrim

Level 7: “Live in the Present Moment” – Chakra of the spirit, extreme unction, Keter

            Be open and attentive to the constant guidance we receive each day.

Literal interpretation creates separation whereas symbolic interpretation brings us together.

If Rick Hanson is right, and I am sadly sure he is, and it takes 5 positive experiences to overcome one bad one, then we’ve got a lot of work to do!  In the workshop I did last summer with Rick Hanson, he talked about this and discussed the idea that the reason why the negative impacts us more than the positive might be due as much to cultural conditioning as it is to the hardwiring of the brain. 

This is a very important point and, in my view, and I think Rick Hanson shares it to some degree, is that part of the socialization process we have been exposed to—that which has its roots in the Protestant Ethic, the fundamentalist traditions and Buddhism included, silently implores us to think that we suffer because we deserve to suffer.  Experiencing, relishing and enjoying joy has been a bit culturally taboo because, well, I’m not so sure, but I guess we have programmed ourselves to think that we shouldn’t let ourselves have all that much fun.  There is, of course, the hard survival mechansisms that have been burned into our brains as well.  Once we touch a hot stove the learning mechanism leaves us with a powerful memory.  Whereas having a wonderful and joyful day is, unfortunately, more easily forgotten.

In his blogs and writings, Hanson has stressed the idea of TIG:  Take In the Good.  It is extremely important for us to do this in order to overcome the negative impressions we constantly receive.  To quote Hanson from the notes I took in his seminar:  “Just having positive experiences is not enough.  They pass through the brain like water through a sieve, while negative experiences are caught.  We need to engage positive experiences actively to weave them into the brain.  You can use your mind to change your brain to change your mind for the better.”

As to how we actually do this and put TIG into practice, Hanson recommends: 

1.  Look for positive facts and register them. 

2.  Savor the experience. 

3.  Let the experience soak in deeply into emotional memory.  

To conclude, Hanson also said two things that I really liked:

“Self-compassion is much more effective than Self-esteem.”

“Try to avoid being swayed by the Big Lie:  if you are hard on yourself then you are a better person.”

I have recently been trying to let that last lie evaporate from my memory.  I’m working hard to be light on myself. 

I am a big fan of geomancy, the ancient art of understanding the earth’s energies.  Somewhat like a Feng Shui for geography, geomancy also includes an appreciation for the earth’s ley lines and energy vortices.  In the wanderings of my spiritual search I have always tried to be sensitive to geomancy—seeking out those special places on the planet that called to me with earth energy and cosmic vibrations.  Since the 1970s, two of the spots that have geomantically resonated the most with me are Sedona, AZ for masculine energy, and the Mediterranean island of Ibiza, off the coast of Spain, for feminine energy.  In organizing transformative retreats, I have deliberately chosen places with this special energy.  For the last two springs we have enjoyed the wonders of Sedona, and now it is time to take our transformation to Ibiza.

Ahh, Ibiza, the crossroads of civilizations, where east meets west:  although geographically part of western Europe, it was originally settled by Phoenicians and Carthaginians; where north meets south:  it’s halfway between Barcelona and the coast of Algeria.  Ibiza is arguably the most internationalized enclave there is, with over 80 nationalities residing on this magical island.  What better place to experience the transformative process of 2012 than on this crucible of culture? For those who give any credence to the more apocalyptic interpretations of 2012, which I do not, they might be reassured that even Nostradamus listed Ibiza as a safe haven from the world’s turmoil in these times.  Whether or not it is endowed with the energy of the goddesses or the heart throb of the feminine principle, its natural beauty alone is enough to make even the most traveled tourist take a long look:  pine-covered hills rolling down to quiet coves lined with fishermen’s huts where the sea sparkles with the glimmer of diamonds in the sun.  Enjoy yourself in the comfortable accommodations we have chosen for this retreat:  an old palace of artsy suites located in the heart of the Unesco World Heritage site of the ancient walled city of Ibiza town, replete with rooftop pool and views of the harbor.  True to Ibiza, however, there will be time to get a little down and dusty too, listening to the original tunes of Greenheart music, meditating in the moonlight, snorkeling in the sea, and exploring the byways of this mysterious isle.

Join us for a trip through time and the experience of a life time.  We’ll start in the distant past, back in that Axial Age, when both Ibiza and modern human philosophy had their beginnings, and then we’ll take you up to a very finely tuned be-here-now moment of the present day transformation of 2012, and in the last few days we’ll move on into the future, where the leading edge of feminine energy will take humanity on a trip into a society of care and compassion.  In the island’s own beautiful transition from spring to summer, 2012, we’ll do our best to take all of our participants on a true transit to transformation, right through the Mayan’s cherished passage of Venus and into a brighter day for the future.  Join us in the birthplace of Greenheart, in a geomantic paradise that has captured my own heart, and share in the wonders of a new world to come.