PRESENTING THE BLOG BOOK
CHAPTER NINE - MIND CONTROL
PART THREE - MIND CONTROL/ CONTROL OF CONSCIOUSNESS
FEATURING THE FINDING GOD ON THE TRAIN BLOG STORY
NOTES ON
ENLIGHTENMENT -
Quest For A Positive, Personal,
And Contemplative Spirituality
THE CRYSTAL PATH
BY G. BRYANT CRONK
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Continuing our journey on the spiritual train to the next stop, it is time to move on with the message, Part Three of the Finding God On The Train Story – Mind Control - The Control Of Consciousness, opening with an overview of the mind control message as received on the train. This review will then be followed with an outline of related approaches and supportive techniques, along with clarification and amplification of the material, providing valuable insights for utilizing this on your spiritual journey to enhance your connection with God.
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PART THREE MIND CONTROL - THE CONTROL OF CONSCIOUSNESS
CHAPTER NINE – MIND CONTROL
CHAPTER HIGHLIGHTS
HOUSE OF WORDS - SPIRITUAL POEM
MACY GRAY - BEAUTY IN THE WORLD – YOUTUBE LINK BELOW.
FACET ONE: CONTROL OF CONSCIOUSNESS
FACET TWO: MINDFULNESS
THE LOCAL MIND
FEATURING PARTICLE OF TOTAL CONSCIOUSNESS - MEDITATION GUIDANCE
FEATURING CONTROLLING THE MIND - MEDITATION GUIDANCE
FEATURING OPERATIONAL, SPIRITUAL, AND EGO MINDS - MEDITATION GUIDANCE
CONTROL OF CONSCIOUSNESS
FEATURING AS YOU SEE IT - MEDITATION GUIDANCE
MERELY A REFLECTION – DAILY POST
FEATURING MERELY A REFLECTION – MEDITATION GUIDANCE
NAVIGATING OUR THOUGHTS
FEATURING WHERE ARE YOU? - MEDITATION GUIDANCE
MANAGING MY PAIN-BODY
FEATURING MY PAIN-BODY SPIRITUAL POEM
MIND CONTROL APPROACHES AND TECHNIQUES
THE FLOW APPROACH
MEDITATION AND PRAYER
FEATURING RESET YOUR MIND- MEDITATION GUIDANCE
HOW MEDITATION AND PRAYER CHANGE YOUR BRAIN
HOLD ONTO YOUR THALAMUS
PART THREE MIND CONTROL - THE CONTROL OF CONSCIOUSNESS
MEDITATION, MINDFULNESS, AND THOUGHT CONTROL
AFFIRMATIVE PRAYER CARRIES THE MESSAGE
GO AHEAD – STIMULATE YOUR ANTERIOR CINGULATE
HOW ABOUT A NATURAL HIGH
THE LASTING BENEFITS OF SPIRITUAL MIND CONTROL
PERFECT MOMENT NOW – DAILY POST
FEATURING PERFECT MOMENT NOW - MEDITATION GUIDANCE
FEATURING PURSUING MINDFULNESS - AFFIRMATIVE THOUGHT
CLOSING NOTE ON ENLIGHTENMENT
FEATURING CONSCIOUS EXTENSION - MEDITATION GUIDANCE
CLOSING AFFIRMATIONS FEATURING MY MIND IS MINE
FEATURING PRESENCE OF MIND - AFFIRMATIVE THOUGHT
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PART THREE MIND CONTROL - THE CONTROL OF CONSCIOUSNESS
CHAPTER NINE – MIND CONTROL
HOUSE OF WORDS - SPIRITUAL POEM
We labor without success to manage
the insane mind – the center of all destruction
marketed as logical – rationale –
ethical – typical – sound.
We spend countless hours
trying to lasso our renegade
thoughts and verbal assaults.
How is the inflicted mind
capable of managing the inflicted mind?
Possibly through sleight of hand
or optical word illusion –
a house of visionary mirrors
profoundly distorting the world -
consciousness - and packaging
this mental phlegm as awakening.
Turn to the many varieties of you
and select the leader –
until you tire of the charade
and in desperation and final hope
address the true sanity of silence –
non-verbal – wordless –
profoundly sincere.
Turn off the dialog of non-sense
and listen without words.
Let’s have a little fun and a musical break before we delve into the mind and the control of consciousness, the theme of the message to be outlined in Part Three, including this chapter, and Chapters Ten and Eleven to follow. As you probably have noticed, I like to start each chapter with a song that I feel exemplifies the message I have received from God during my commutes to Washington, DC, on the train and that, in some way, provides us some general direction, the more upbeat, the better, in my opinion. I can envision a train car of morning commuters all up and dancing to Macy Gray’s - Beauty In The World - all shaking their booties as they chant - “there is beauty in the world, pick your diamond pick your pearl, there is beauty in the world, all together now.” And yes, Macy is right on target when she sings:
Listen to Download Above of Beauty In The World Or Download From iTunes
I know you're fed up
Life don’t let up for us
All they talk about is
What is going down?
What’s been messed up for us?
When I look around, I see blue skies
I see butterflies for us
The “they” in the song, to me, signifies our own thoughts, our minds, our egos lost in the negative until we call upon our Divine selves, our own Souls, and let ourselves become lost in the sound and the beauty of life, focusing on our own mental pearls or diamonds - remembering God is giving us “beauty in the world,” so let’s sing - all together now:
Listen to the sound and lose it
In sweet music and dance with me
'Cause there is beauty in the world
So much beauty in the world
Always beauty in the world
So much beauty in the world
Shake your booty, boys and girls
For the beauty in the world
Pick your diamond, pick your pearl
There is beauty in the world
All together now.
MACY GRAY – EXCERPT OF BEAUTY IN THE WORLD LYRIC
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33 As an archer aims an arrow, the wise aim their
restless thoughts, hard to aim, hard to restrain.
The Dhammapada Sayings Of The Buddha
Translated By Eknath Easwaran
Our ability to obtain Enlightenment – Heaven On Earth – living fully and authentically with joy, peace, love, and happiness, as outlined in Chapters Seven and Eight, hinges on the control of our personal consciousness. As the guidance instructs, this is accomplished by marshaling our thinking – reframing and replacing our often negatively focused thoughts with more affirmative and positive perspectives. The Crystal Path, fully defined in Chapters Five and Six, features the Seven Facets Of Consciousness – with the progression through each facet, or level of consciousness, coalescing to bring us closer to our own heaven on earth. Let’s briefly review the seven facets list, as outlined below, so we do not lose sight of what we are trying to accomplish.
F1: Master Mind Control – Control Of Consciousness.
F2: Live Mindfully – centered in the “now” – the present.
F3: Attain God Consciousness through direct connection
with God.
F4: Adopt the God qualities of loving-kindness, compassion,
empathy, etc.
F5: Clarify personal spiritual and physical life intentions.
F6: Marshal the mind, Soul, and self to cocreate with God.
F7: Live an Authentic Life – a life both fully alive in God
and living.
To prepare us for mastering the first two facets of the Crystal Path – F1 and F2 listed above, I have dedicated this chapter, along with the two upcoming chapters of Part Three, expanding the discussion introduced here with a practical focus on key mind control techniques and approaches we can readily apply and utilize to improve, not only our spiritual pursuit of happiness but also our secular day-to-day happiness and mental health. If we did nothing but incorporate the control of consciousness into our lives, we would take a giant step toward our spiritual and physical well-being. The intention of these two opening Crystal Path facets is expanded on briefly below. If needed, take a moment and return to Chapter Six for a fuller explanation.
FACET ONE: CONTROL OF CONSCIOUSNESS
Control of consciousness - mind control through right thinking –
reframing the ego to quiet the negativity, doubt, worry, and fear –
through belief and positive thought.
FACET TWO: MINDFULNESS
Being centered in the “now” – the present – mindful – leaving
the images and nightmares of the past behind while avoiding
the “what if” of future living. Fully alive in “nowfulness” where
God resides.
As I have outlined below, the summary of each of the “Finding” sections featured in Chapter Seven and Chapter Eight; Finding Joy, Finding Peace, Finding Love, and Finding Happiness – established the significance of gaining control of our individual minds and consciousness, with the aim of fostering a complete connection with God, through our Divine Self. Below, I have listed the key mind control points emphasized in these summaries to underscore the link between this work and the pursuit of spiritual enlightenment.
FINDING JOY – mastering the control of your mind, reframing your consciousness, and especially managing your ego.
FINDING PEACE – by gaining control of consciousness with the Divine Mind, the Operational Mind, and the Ego in sync, resulting in the absence of mental conflict, enabling you to fix your sights on connecting with the Divinity within.
FINDING LOVE - by working to harness your ego, overcoming your feeling of separateness – searching for similarities, commonality, and connection with the Divinity within each person you meet, seeing their potential and their possibility.
FINDING HAPPINESS – by clearing the way for being spiritually connected with God and your Divine Self through effective mind control.
As outlined above, the key challenge to gaining control of the mind and reframing consciousness, moving towards the lasting joy, peace, love, and happiness we all deserve, requires ongoing management and, in the end, the full cooperation of the ego. As we all know, the management of the ego, although doable with the right techniques and strategy, is not a simple task. To be successful, we will need to connect with God, or Universal Consciousness, through the Divine Self.
Universal Mind contains all knowledge… the Universe is impersonal.
It is no respecter of persons. It values each other alike. Its nature is
to impart, ours to receive." Dr. Ernest Holmes
The scientific community urged on from the research of Quantum Physics, and the realities of medical science have begun to address the possibility of a Universal or Nonlocal Mind. Although a molecular and nuclear physicist before his retirement, Dr. Henry Margenau, a distinguished Yale University Professor of Physics and Natural Philosophy, turned his sights on natural science. Margenau published his scientific/spiritual work, The Miracle of Existence, in 1984, where he coined the term Universal Mind, with Margenau proposing it included "perhaps every entity in the world." He went on to postulate the following:
If my conclusions are correct, each individual is part of God
or part of the Universal Mind. I use this phrase "part of" with
hesitation, recalling its looseness and inapplicability even
in recent physics. Perhaps a better way to put the matter
is to say that we are the Universal Mind but inflicted
with limitations that obscure all but a tiny fraction of its
aspects and properties.
Larry Dossey, M.D. - a fellow of the Dallas Institute of Humanities and Culture and former Chief of Staff of Medical City Dallas Hospital - author of Recovering The Soul – A Scientific and Spiritual Search has been a leader in the effort to investigate consciousness for the use of health and healing from a joint scientific and religious viewpoint. In his book Recovering the Soul, Dossey outlines the extensive scientific research pointing to the existence of a "universal mind or consciousness," which he refers to as the "Nonlocal Mind," suggesting the following about Margenau's use of the term Universal Mind:
Margenau uses the term "Universal Mind," which is equivalent
to our theme of the nonlocal mind. We have chosen the latter
throughout the book because it may contain neutrality that
"Universal Mind" may lack, the latter having become freighted
with many religious connotations through the years.
I believe Dossey is reacting to the frequent use of the phrase "Universal Mind" by New Thought practitioners and pioneers, as highlighted by the Dr. Ernest Holmes quote leading off the chapter, who used the term to explain global or God-consciousness. For the most part, I will side with Margenau and New Thought and choose to use "Universal" when describing this global consciousness or mind, but I will adopt Dorsey's term for our individual or personal mind – that is, "Local Mind."
You may be thinking that this all seems to be a matter of semantics, and you would be correct. Still, standard terms in the future will help both the scientific and religious communities find common ground for exploring these concepts as they scale the same mountain from different slopes. Remember Emerson's use of Plato's vision of the "Over-Soul" discussed in Chapter Three – New Thought Yesterday and Today – here it is now reappearing and being addressed by both the scientific and spiritual world. It is truly a fantastic time to be living. We will discuss the scientific and spiritual aspects of the Universal Mind or Consciousness in much more depth in upcoming chapters. But for now, let's explore what is happening in our minds.
THE LOCAL MIND
So, within each of us is a local mind or consciousness made up of our objective and subjective centers - vast and uncharted for the most part - and fully connected with the Universal or Nonlocal Consciousness. We are most likely to communicate with, tapping into the wisdom of this Infinite Universal Consciousness through our Local Consciousness. In periods of prayer, meditation, and silence, we are connected with our Universal and Local Consciousness, constantly communicating through our thoughts, dreams, hunches, visions, and imaginings. Let's use the following Meditation Guidance to describe this connection and, for that matter, the global relationship of all "sentient life," that is, all life able to perceive and feel things.
Local Consciousness, our mind - based on my guidance – is a subset or layer of Universal Consciousness, a part of the whole as outlined in the Meditation Guidance below titled Particle Of Total Consciousness, which I transcribed on a late Monday morning commute a few years ago. I remember being intrigued by the notion that "even a tiny particle of consciousness - a single cell of consciousness in the universal body is the total consciousness of God."
PARTICLE OF TOTAL CONSCIOUSNESS - MEDITATION GUIDANCE
Even a tiny particle of consciousness is the total
consciousness of God – the I AM. You are this,
an essential cell of God-consciousness forming and
manifesting the world into cocreated life and creation.
A single cell of consciousness in the universal body
and form of God - moving forward with the will
and destiny of particle energy - mobilizing and
energizing in harmony with this Universal Consciousness –
this Infinite Consciousness – this infinite awareness
we often call God, Source, Spirit, or Divine Mind.
On a universal level, all the cell particles of
Individual Consciousness - from what we know as
sentient life - formulate and mobilize the total
consciousness – the I AM of all consciousness.
Be aware of your essential nature – your connection
and contribution to the whole and be aware of its
significance. For as spiritually awakened, you contribute
to the full awakening of all intention throughout the
Universal Consciousness.
If you join with others who are still asleep within
the illusion of separateness and disjointed life,
you will slow the evolution of enlightenment –
the movement towards full awareness of God as God.
Ensure your consciousness is awake, ready, alive and
ready to bring forth life, power, and growth to the
universe of love and God.
NOE BY G. 10.30.2009 9:45 AM
This meditation guidance supports Henry Margenau's quote above, proposing that "each of us is the Universal Mind" and frames the connection of our local mind with the universal or nonlocal mind. It also describes each of us as a "cell of consciousness in God's universal consciousness and forms." I interpret this to mean all of the universal mind, God itself, exits within each cell of us and in all life. Instead of God existing in some Heaven in the sky, this guidance suggests God is embedded in our actual cells. The logical assumption is that we are made of God, and any particle of us is all of God.
I did not give this much more attention until I included this guidance in this chapter. As I read it over, I was captivated by the idea of oneness, a recurring theme of my meditations. But last night, I honestly had an epiphany of sorts reading this quote below from Dr. David Bohm, an Associate of Einstein's and one of the preeminent theoretical physicists of all time and former Professor of Theoretical Physics at The University of London. I quote from his book Wholeness And The Implicate Order.
Ultimately, the entire Universe (with all its "particles," including
those constituting human beings, their laboratories, observing
equipment, etc.) has to be understood as a single individual
whole, in which analysis and separately and independently
existent parts have no fundamental status.
David Bohm theorizes that each part of the Universe contains all the information present in the entire Universe itself. He proposes the Universe is constructed the same way as the photographic hologram, which enables light reflected through any part of the hologram, down to the smallest element, to reveal the whole picture. The term hologram means – the whole message. Bohm declares:
Deep down, the consciousness of humankind is one. This is a virtual
certainty because even in a vacuum, matter is one, and if we don't
see this; it's because we are blinding ourselves to it.
Reading Bohm's words gave me goosebumps as I realized that my guidance led me in the same direction as modern science, to the ultimate oneness of all life within God.
Understanding and enhancing this connection of local and nonlocal consciousness underscores the importance of building a pathway to God/Universal Mind, thus expanding our capacity to fully cocreate our lives with God, manifesting our heaven on earth. Furthermore, positively framing this local mind-controlling our local consciousness - allows us to grow and evolve in a creative mode rather than a destructive mode.
New Thought addresses the need for us to lead our minds positively and productively through positive thought, affirmations, visioning, and constant diligence when thinking. William James described the New Thought movement in the 1800s as the "Mind Control Movement," with its focus and belief that our thinking creates our lives through the spiritual Laws of Attraction, Mind Action, or Cause and Effect - thus evolving the negative aspects of our consciousness, primarily the ego. This mind control concept is expressed in the following Meditation Guidance.
CONTROLLING THE MIND - MEDITATION GUIDANCE
Enlightenment is discovered and emanates from a
controlled mind – a mind reframed, redirected, and
re-indoctrinated to cease interpreting reality as negative,
problematic and potentially dangerous. Instead –
developing a mind that moves to clarity through
non-interpretation – acceptance – purely allowing
reality to be reflected but not critiqued.
The controlled mind is filled with positivity,
the potential for good – abundance and growth.
Break down the ego by breaking down the concept
of separateness – distinctiveness – and move towards
oneness. As a result, Buddha moved beyond the chatter
and found peace.
Work to fill your mind with themes of success –
spiritual connectivity – hope, love, and joy.
Train your mind only to see a spiritual world guided
by your Divine Self – your purposeful self.
Divorce yourself from the consequences and live
within the joy of doing, living life now.
Know and understand all enlightenment is in
your head – in the control of your mind.
NOE BY G. 12.22.2010 9:50 AM
This chapter will focus on framing and discussing my message regarding this mind control – the control of "local" consciousness. I will also focus on what I feel is the only true psychology of positive consciousness - The Psychology Of Optimal Experience- often called "Flow" - introduced by Dr. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi from his original work at the University of Chicago and outlined in his bestselling books on Flow. I would like to begin this discussion by introducing the Meditation Guidance I received during my commute in March of 2008, which explains the interaction of three key components of our local consciousness - the Operational Mind, the Spiritual Mind, and the Ego.
OPERATIONAL, SPIRITUAL, AND EGO MINDS - MEDITATION GUIDANCE
Often we are caught in the grips of the Operational Mind –
the mind of details, plans, programs, tasks, and responsibilities.
The Operational Mind has a manager - the Ego – that directs
and motivates with the lure of future happiness, peace,
contentment, or pride. Or, if the Ego's work is not done or
done as directed, the punishment of pain, humiliation,
shame, guilt, self-doubt, loss, and in the end, even death.
The Ego uses a perverse form of Operant Conditioning to
reward and punish. Through the strength of fear, the Ego
works us into submission. Like lab rats in the Skinner Box,
we work for pellets of food and water. We will dance our
lives away for the rewards. Also, like the lab rat, we will
stop all behavior when we administer the electric shock.
The shock can come at any time, and when it does, we
remember the pain, magnify it, and do everything possible
to avoid the pain in the future.
Pleasure and pain, along with the associated fears linked to
each of the Ego's tools operating on the Operational Mind.
The Ego has learned and stored our schedule of positive and
negative reinforcement and uses it with our Operational Mind
to keep us on the right path – the path of Ego gratification
and continued existence.
Who or what is this Ego in our heads that we allow to control
the show? Is it us – yes - but it is also our combined authority
life forms – the parents, teachers, preachers, gods, or authorities
we have experienced. This collective authoritative self strives
to be us and now expects us to behave and be a certain way.
The Ego has expectations.
The Spiritual Mind is the true consciousness of the connected
Soul to Source. It is often pushed to the side or neglected
by our Ego and Operational minds - pushed away by fears
of the Ego's ability to punish. The Spiritual Mind is the "you."
in a spiritual world seeking connection and an understanding
of the madness generated by the universal ego control.
The Spiritual Mind is the observer's real "I in I."
For many of us, the Spiritual Mind has lost control of the Ego
and the Operational Mind – hidden from most of us the
Spiritual Mind is often compelled to sit back and watch as our
lives resemble runaway trains, speeding through the night,
or trucks with no brakes – careening down the hill - towards
an unpleasant end in self-destruction, disease, and depression.
The Spiritual Mind or Self or Soul is the Authentic Self and
waits to empower you to be the best you possible. It wants
you to evolve to an awareness of oneness, peace, and joy.
It is the self of Maslow's Self-Actualization. The mission on this
earth is to live an authentic spiritual existence in this abundant
world.
Set aside time for the Operational Mind, wrestle control from
the Ego, and focus on the Spiritual Mind. Nullify the Ego's pain –
accept the pleasure, pain, and fear as illusions - embrace them,
and they will no longer have control over you. When the reward
and punishment are no longer threats, you are free to live as
you wish.
Listen to the Ego and understand what it wants – instead,
replace the desire for operational success with spiritual success.
Merge the Ego and the Spiritual Mind to lead a "spiritual operational
life." Focus on connecting to the spirit and the reformation
of the ego to create corresponding spiritual values
that are not form-based.
Take a hard look at the rewards and punishments used by the
Ego and determine if they are worthy of following or fearing.
Accept all fear, punishment, rewards, and situations and focus on
having the Spiritual Mind become the focal point for your evaluation.
NOE BY G. 3.9.2008 7:50 AM
I recorded this meditation note on a Sunday morning in March 2008. I remember how I seemed to be transcribing for a long time and wondered when it would stop. This was the 24th note I had recorded, and I had still not told Ann that I was receiving and recording these communications for fear that she would think I was mad. But here I sat with four pages of what I considered dictation talking about the mind and the need to control it. I still wondered where this was coming from and if I was self-creating this, I certainly had an overactive subconscious. I was attending Unity Church in Fredericksburg at the time and coming up to speed with New Thought concepts and had been reading Eckhart Tolle's The Power of Now, so I had some frame of reference. I would record the meditation guidance and, frankly, not refer to it again for over a year.
For our purposes in accomplishing "Local Mind Control," it is essential to understand this cast of "mind characters" referenced and their roles in pursuing our spiritual enlightenment before we move on. So let's review these three voices in our heads and get to know them fully - comprehending their impact on our ability to control our consciousness.
The Operational Mind – is the center of the day-to-day functioning mind we use to get us up in the morning, keep us moving, plan and do our work, socially interact, achieve our goals, and live.
The Ego – is the taskmaster, motivator, critic, and enforcer, ensuring through conditioning our Operational Mind that we get what we need to succeed and survive. The voice in our head is rarely pleasing – prodding us to do better, get ahead, make our mark, and get our share of limited resources. This collective authoritative self knows what and how to do it, even if it means our ultimate destruction. The ego will use pleasure, pain, or fear to accomplish its plan for us, often taking on a life of its own, willing to do anything to succeed.
The Spiritual Mind—our Divine Self, our Soul—drives us to become who we are divinely meant to be: our true, authentic self fully connected with God. It has great potential, but with little muscle to get us to pay attention, it often becomes most vocal just before—or after—we drive ourselves to destruction.
With this foundation, let us explore our local consciousness more in-depth and how we might more effectively control it.
CONTROL OF CONSCIOUSNESS
Over the endless centuries of evolution, the human nervous system
has become so complex that it is now able to affect its own states.
A person can make himself happy or miserable, regardless of what
is happening "outside," just by changing the contents of consciousness.
The quote listed above is from Dr. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's book Flow – The Psychology of Optimal Experience based on his extensive research with over 8,000 subjects in multiple studies regarding their happiness, success, and peak experiences. In this book, Dr. Csikzentmihalyi explains his work and offers a theory of optimal experience based on the concept of "Flow." Describing it "as the state in which people are so involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter; the experience itself is so enjoyable that people will do it even at great cost, for the sheer sake of doing it." Dr. Csikszentmihalyi states – "People who learn to control their inner experience will be able to determine the quality of their lives, which is as close as any of us can come to being happy. It begins with achieving control over the contents of our consciousness." At its highest levels, "Flow" is the process of achieving happiness through the control of one's inner life.
As noted in Chapter Eight, in the late 1990s, Dr. Seligman began applying his work to create a theory of “happiness/well-being,” joining forces with Dr. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, incorporating his landmark research on FLOW: The Psychology Of Optimal Experience, to lay the research and theoretical base for the positive psychology movement.
Mind or consciousness control has been a significant theme in my meditation communication while commuting on the train over the past years. Each of us takes this sensory information and forms an image in our minds based on our interpretations of this perceived reality. These interpretations result from our societal conditioning or indoctrination - including our family values, culture, opinions, and beliefs about the world. These interpretations impact our perceptions or misperceptions of ourselves and the world.
The power we have to interpret our consciousness and override the reality of our senses is enormous. At the same time, the destructive forces of our ego can turn a neutral or even positive experience into a nightmare. We are amazed by those who grow stronger from adversity. At the same time, those who go down in misery while living in paradise confound us. The goal of my meditation guidance, and all of New Thought, has been to teach a straightforward lesson - we all have the power to interpret our reality and frame our consciousness for our greater good and the greater good of all humankind. This is exhibited in the following Meditation Guidance.
AS YOU SEE IT - MEDITATION GUIDANCE
Life is as you see it, and it is all subject to your interpretation.
If you see happiness, life is happy. If you see misery, life is
miserable. All are subject to your interpretation and definition.
Sentient life – conscious existence - can only be lived and
experienced through the framework of your mind and
perception.
Change the perception and interpretation and you impact
the thinking involved and your emotional response. The challenge
lies in the fact that the mind, with its penchant for negative
creative thought – and frames the worst-case scenario - is at the
center of the descending into a potential nightmare.
The Spiritual Mind – your Divine mind within you – your Soul –
is available to call you back to reason and see the completeness
and wonder in each event – good or bad. Work to see your life
and the subsequent unfolding events as gifts from God. If possible,
fully accept the learning experience of each event and situation.
Work on positive interpretations of your perceived reality –
for all of life is as you see it - see joy, feel joy, and experience
joy, or – see happiness, feel happiness, and experience
happiness. The more your Spiritual or Divine Mind controls
this interpretation, the more at peace you will be – and as
a result, the more authentic, real, and purposeful your
interpretation.
NOE BY G. 10.8.2009 7:25 AM
Over the years, my meditation guidance, commuting, and connecting with God on the train have stressed the theme that our lives are a direct reflection of our thinking and our ability to control our minds positively. As you can see from the blog post, I would like to share below that I have often struggled with this message.
MERELY A REFLECTION - MEDITATION GUIDANCE
DAILY POST ON ENLIGHTENMENT
I received this Meditation Guidance during a challenging time at work when I could not understand why it was happening to me. The answer I received seems to underscore our role in creating our own lives. We write the script, direct, and star in the movie we are now living. We need to revise our writing and live a better movie to change our lives.
MERELY A REFLECTION - MEDITATION GUIDANCE
Today, now, stop and realize that your life is merely a reflection
of your mind created by your thoughts and emotional energy.
Your desires – through thought are manifested for you in creative
union with God.
Understand God does not override free will and in the infinite
the goodness of spirit only wants to give you what you reflect on –
God does not judge the creative process but cooperates.
Today, you are the author and the protagonist of this drama
unfolding before you. God has no vested interest in the story
other than to assist in its creation. Change the script erupting
from your thoughts – redirect the plot, and the reflection
will change. You and only you have this power – this central force.
You may ask why am I suffering, and I would say you are
thinking, feeling, and living to suffer, and God - with the infinite
spirit of God and grace – is cocreating with you. God has given
you the Law of Mind Action – the Creative Mind - the law of
Attraction without editorial control – without censorship, since
you have and have been based on free will. So ask and truly believe –
God is giving thought - by - thought – by interpretation – unedited
– uncensored.
Look at the reflection of your mind as portrayed in your life
and ask why this story may be important to you. What does
it reflect about the vision of your life – what theme does
it suggest?
For in the plot and subplots, you may find the answer.
You must work to recapture your mind and control your ego
and your fears that are preparing you for the worst and
as a result, helping to manifest it in your story. Fear –
the lack of faith in positive outcomes or belief in a negative
ones must be understood and reframed.
Today, sit and think and draft the reflection you would
like to be manifesting – build the affirmations to support
this reflection and think of a new life.
NOE BY G. 1.30.2010 10:00 AM
You may wonder if we truly have the power to override this consciousness and frame our lives: how do I start when my thinking seems out of control at times? To accomplish this, we need to understand how to navigate our thinking.
NAVIGATING OUR THOUGHTS
They are forever free who renounce all selfish desire
and break away from the Ego - cage of "I', "me," and
"mine" to be united with the Lord.
The Bhagavad Gita – Translated by Eknath Easwaran
Control of consciousness is not easily achieved; if it were, we would have a world of peace and plenty. Instead, it takes effort to navigate through our thoughts, filter them, and listen to constructive rather than destructive guidance. To fully understand the complexity of this mind control endeavor, we need to address the central underlying component of consciousness - "Psychic Entropy." Our thinking, our consciousness, is not ordered and logical; it quickly becomes chaotic and negative when left on its own. To help us understand the normal state of our minds, I will introduce the term "Entropy," which Webster defines as "a process of degeneration marked variously by increasing degrees of uncertainty, disorder, fragmentation, and chaos." In his book Flow, Dr. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi theorizes that "Entropy is the normal state of consciousness – a condition that is neither useful nor enjoyable… the normal state of mind is chaos."
We often avoid "Psychic Entropy" or mental confusion because of our culturally defined roles, which structure our work and home life activities and thinking - clearly expressing our thoughts. So, for the majority of our day, we are simply and luckily living on automatic pilot. However, when the day is done, and we are left alone without any demands, the primary disorder of the mind reveals itself.
It follows random patterns, usually stopping at something
painful or disturbing. Unless a person knows how to give order
to their thoughts, attention will be attracted to whatever
is problematic at the moment.
Dr. Csikszentmihalyi suggests that people are eager to avoid this condition, filling their heads with whatever information is readily available. For many, television is the primary source of stimulation that efficiently structures their attention and avoids this Psychic Entropy but adds little to their enjoyment and development. Some would ask - how am I to know if I am listening to my ego or my Divine guidance when my head is filled with an endless loop of confusion? I would suggest writing down what you are thinking, and you will know in short order what aspect of yourself is talking about. First, this endless loop of chatter that provides the annoying verbal soundtrack of our minds stems from the activity of a handful of cells left over from the days when we were always at risk. Hence, the role of these hyper-vigilant cells is to point out danger on the horizon, running through a list of potential and even fictitious scenarios to keep us posted and alert.
The ego's domain ensures we come out on top, getting our share of the perceived limited resources available. The ego is adept at using the missteps and sins of the past and the fears and potential pitfalls of the future, or surprisingly at times, even the positive future possibilities if only we can make a few minor (usually significant) adjustments now. By recording the endless advice loop, you will become aware of a neurotic stream of consciousness working with both positive and negative reinforcement to mold your behavior. Notice that the ego does not function well when you start to meditate, practice mindfulness, and establish yourself in the present. We will thoroughly discuss how you can use these mindfulness techniques to your advantage shortly.
I find myself most vulnerable to ego control and, or Psychic Entropy when I am tired, frustrated, or disappointed with my life or when my defenses are not well fortified, such as when waking up in the morning. I often wake up to a series of significant issues in my life that my ego feels I have not adequately addressed or attended to, along with a list of potential problems for the day - usually courtesy of the Entropy. In one sense, the Entropy highlights the problem with the ego taking over to interrogate me regarding the resolution - letting me know the negative consequence of not resolving these issues quickly. In the past, I have gotten caught up in answering the what-if questions of my early morning interrogator; now, instead, I Golden Key each issue, asking for God to handle it, focus on my breathing, or center my thinking on positive aspects of my life. When I am not successful, I get up immediately and start my day.
One such morning, Tuesday, February 24, 2009, when I had not been successful with managing my ego, I was offered the following meditation guidance during my morning commute on the train to regain my balance.
WHERE ARE YOU? - MEDITATION GUIDANCE
When you are fighting a war with your negative mind centered on
the ego. You are back again, rethinking, judging, determining,
feeding perceptions and the pain-body. You are in a pit,
and you need to climb out and find hope and enthusiasm mentally.
If you are angry – scream. If you are sad, then cry.
If you are confused, seek clarity. You are no longer on the path –
you are filling up with fear and self-criticism, and you must
return to love and self-acceptance.
Go inside and try to understand the emotions leading
you in this direction. Ask what you need, what it is that
you want. Try to rest, for with rest comes strength. Be gentle
with yourself and love.
You do not need to meet others' expectations – stop trying to
please and instead seek your own pleasure – your own needs
and wants. Rest and reflect. There is no need for perfection.
Accept the flow of energy and look for enthusiasm. Move out
of depression and into joy.
NOE BY G. 2.24.2009
I was not doing well on this morning's commute. As you can see, this is advice from my Spiritual Mind, Divinely connected, not my ego. Notice the direction and its positive and loving guidance trying to revive me and bring me back to life.
We must answer this: Why is controlling our minds and escaping this Psychic Entropy so important? Likewise, is it even possible to break what appears to be our hardwired propensity for negative thought?
MANAGING MY PAIN-BODY
You will notice a reference to my "Pain-Body" in the Meditation Guidance above titled Where Are You? – a term introduced by Eckhart Tolle, spiritualist and best-selling author of The Power Of Now and The New Earth, who I have referenced in Chapter Three – New Thought Yesterday and Today regarding his groundbreaking internet sessions with Oprah Winfrey. The "pain-body" is the collective manifestation of all the pain, misery, and sorrow a person has ever gone through in their entire life. This is the inherited pain from a person's culture and family. Using the Toltec approach regarding the passing of the societal dream, the Toltecs would say that we have learned to dream the dream of the collective pain of our people, culture, religion, or nation.
Eckhart Tolle explains that our pain-bodies exist just beneath the surface of our consciousness. When connected through loss of hope, depression, or an intense negative situation, they move in to take over our consciousness. The personality of the pain-body is all negative, misery-driven, feeding on increasing its store of pain rather than lessening it. When it is in control, the pain-body is often like the drunk in a bar looking for a fight, who seems to enjoy having the life kicked out of them. Our pain-body is like a pain vampire who thrives on more pain - gaining energy from destruction and becoming more assertive. The amount of pain you are carrying depends on the amount of pain you have been subjected to in life. Tolle says that we meet their pain-body when our excellent lover turns mean and cruel for no reason.
Having survived a difficult childhood, I am extra cautious when my pain-body surfaces and have been able to push it back down with a good night's sleep. Ann says my entire facial expression changes, my brow furrows, and my smile disappears as the world becomes highly negative and hopeless for me. Although I know when I have slipped into my pain-body, it takes focused, positive mental effort to get out. Ann and I can recognize each other's descent, and when we resurface in a pain state, we will tell the other that they slipped into their pain-body.
I believe those clinically depressed or self-destructive have been captured by their pain-body and cannot get out until it is too late, usually when the crime or life destruction has taken place. I can only imagine the number of crimes that directly result from this phenomenon, resulting in a puzzled defense attorney making a point that the defendant was not themselves when committing the act. Collectively whole nations have slipped into their collective pain-body and, like Nazi Germany, have used it to create hell on earth. I implore you to get to know your pain-body and do everything possible to keep it in check and diffuse it in your life.
To manage my pain-body, I use the Sedona Method's releasing techniques formulated by Hale Dwoskin and thoroughly explained in his book – The Sedona Method - of the same name that I discussed in Chapter Four under Releasing Your Resistance. This is an excellent method for releasing your pain-body or any unwanted emotion or feeling daily or when you realize you are being affected. I also strongly encourage you to read Eckhart Tolle's excellent handling of this pain-body concept in his books The Power Of Now and The New Earth. Finally, here is my poetic interpretation of my pain-body, which, I think, brings home the point and offers an approach for releasing it through love.
MY PAIN-BODY SPIRITUAL POEM
I struggle with the body of pain, the memories of agony,
anxiety, grief, fear, and the cries of a lost child.
This pain-body is enormous - built limb by limb,
trauma by trauma, insult by insult into a sculpture
of wailing, moments experienced not forgotten –
alive and hungry for more.
I have pretended that the pain-body does not exist,
worked my consciousness around it,
carried out the tasks of life while handling it like an
overstuffed trunk. The pain-body has never gone away –
it inflicts each breath and, like a parasite, sucks
joy and enthusiasm from all life.
All else is crowded into the corner while the pain body
expands – day in and day out – it deflates the consciousness,
distorts, warps - each moment demanding – this tapeworm
grows and feeds on the Soul.
It is time to deflate this illusion of memories –
step behind the Wizard of Oz Pain-body and let my
consciousness take charge – comfort the lost boy –
and release this pain.
How do I proceed? Moving into the pain only feeds the beast?
I face the pain, accept it as a living entity, and focus on
releasing it – piece-by-piece – chunk-by-chunk.
I will make it malleable by focusing on all things positive.
I will lead with love, kindness, and release.
POEM BY G. 12.14.2007
MIND CONTROL APPROACHES AND TECHNIQUES
You may be thinking, so G. on the road to enlightenment, I need to master my Psychic Entropy, my ego, and my Pain-Body. Yes, you are right, it is a challenge, but I believe it is doable if we use the right tools and approaches. Dr. Csikszentmihalyi not only isolates the problem, but his research provides some practical methods for obtaining happiness through mind control. Likewise, the New Thought community, after two hundred years of wrestling with this problem, has developed a chest full of positive tools to assist.
In addition, many of the more established religious practices, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, and Taoism, have focused on obtaining Mindfulness and ego control for centuries. Lastly, this book, in its entirety, is primarily a guide to securing mind control and living an enlightened life by developing a direct connection with God. I will touch on some of these techniques within this chapter and Chapter Eleven. Then, I will elaborate on the essential topics as we proceed through Part Three.
THE FLOW APPROACH
To overcome the mental chaos associated with Psychic Entropy, the Flow research directs us to structure the mind with higher-level activities that will occupy time, help us grow, and allow us to get the most out of our lives; such as lifelong learning, creative arts, games, social service, languages, reading, and the simple art of conversation. The Flow research offers some unique and surprisingly simple but effective approaches to bring order to chaotic consciousness, such as "daydreaming – playing out a sequence of events as mental images." Daydreaming creates emotional order, allowing us to imagine different outcomes and work out emotional issues. As we will see, daydreaming could easily be tailored to conform to the New Thought envisioning that we will discuss in Chapter Eleven.
As useful as these techniques may be in dealing with the day-to-day avoidance of chaos and refocusing negative thoughts, Csikszentmihalyi suggests a significant additional step in controlling consciousness is necessary. We need to turn our lives into a unified "Flow" experience by living with clear objectives and rules of action, thus becoming involved and proficient. Flow research indicates that to do this, we need to give our lives meaning and purpose through a life goal or mission.
This ultimate goal must be compelling enough to order a lifetime's worth of psychic energy. This ultimate goal gives our life meaning and brings order to our minds by integrating our actions into a perpetual Flow experience. Csikszentmihalyi says that people who find their lives meaningful have a goal that gives significance to their lives - they have achieved "purpose." As a result, when an important goal is "pursued with resolution, the result is that harmony is brought to consciousness. Purpose, resolution, and harmony unify life and give it meaning – whoever realizes this state never really lacks anything else."
The spiritual guidance I have received while commuting on the train supports this notion and indicates that as we discover and live our true authentic, and purposeful spiritual lives, we obtain peace, joy, love, happiness, and overall contentment – creating our heaven on earth. An interesting note here is that Csikszentmihalyi explains this ultimate goal or purpose was in the past filled by a person's faith and goes on to say that today:
Many of us have to discover a goal that will give meaning
to life on our own without the help of traditional faith.
It is the goal and purpose of my life to reintroduce faith through a personal connection and relationship with God as a compelling and viable alternative when selecting an ultimate goal. Later in Part Three, I will fully clarify what I mean in a chapter focused on living an "authentic, purposeful life."
Let's take a moment to review some related research that expands on this perspective of Psychic Entropy provided by Dr. Csikszentmihalyi, examining its impact on our happiness and well-being. This current research defines our tendency to entertain this mental Entropy as "mind-wandering."
A human mind is a wandering mind, and a wandering
mind is an unhappy mind. The ability to think about
what is not happening is a cognitive achievement that
comes at an emotional cost.
Two Harvard University research psychologists offer the quote above, Dr. Daniel T. Gilbert-Edgar Pierce, Professor Of Psychology, and his doctoral student at the time, Matthew A. Killingsworth, based on their original 2010 research published in the Journal Of Science titled, A Wandering Mind Is An Unhappy Mind (Science 12, November 2010:932).
As described by Csikszentmihalyi's Psychic Entropy concept, this research also confirms that humans, unlike other animals, spend a lot of time thinking about what isn't going on around them: contemplating events that happened in the past, might happen in the future, or may never happen at all. Moreover, this mind-wandering appears to be the human brain's default mode of operation.
The premise for this study is that many philosophical and religious traditions teach that happiness is to be found by living in the moment. Practitioners are trained to resist mind wandering and "be here now." Furthermore, these traditions suggest a wandering mind is an unhappy mind. This new research, the authors say, seems to indicate that these traditional approaches are correct.
So to test this premise, Killingsworth developed an iPhone app, enabling the team to contact, at random intervals, 2,250 volunteers, ranging in age from 18 to 88 and representing a wide range of backgrounds, to ask how happy they were, what they were currently doing - subjects could choose from 22 general activities, such as walking, eating, shopping, and watching television - and whether they were thinking about their current activity, or about something else: then, subjects were asked to define this "something else" as pleasant, neutral, or unpleasant.
Respondents reported that their minds were wandering 46.9 percent of the time. As a baseline, no less than 30 percent of the time, during every activity except making love. The results showed the following:
- Mind-wandering appears ubiquitous across all activities. The study shows that our mental lives are permeated by the nonpresent to a remarkable degree.
- Mind-wandering is an excellent predictor of people's happiness. How often our minds leave the present and where they tend to go is a better predictor of our happiness than the activities in which we are engaged.
- Time-lag analyses conducted by the researchers suggested that their subjects' mind-wandering was generally the cause, not the consequence, of their unhappiness.
With this study, Gilbert and Killingsworth established that mind-wandering is our preferred fallback position when our clearly defined roles and pursuits do not fully engage us. At least 30 percent of the time, our minds wander during these activities. The catch, or better said, snafu, is that waiting for us when we start mind-wandering is our Psychic Entropy, ready to take us on the fast lane to a world of mental chaos, painful recollections, and negative thoughts. Nevertheless, it is easy to understand why mind control is essential if we focus our minds and proceed on our spiritual path.
As with most of our evolving mental faculties, there is a positive side to our mind wandering, as Killingsworth, in his TED talk, cited below, clarifies:
As human beings, we have this unique ability to have
our minds stray. This ability to focus our attention
on something other than the present is fantastic —
it allows us to learn and plan and reason.
A new science of mind-wandering seems to be in development, revealing the plus side of our meandering minds. Although mind-wandering may diminish our level of happiness, it may be a clear demonstration of the high capacity of our working memory – providing us with the ability to think of multiple things at once, as demonstrated in the following research link: Study Role Of Mind Wandering And Working Memory.
Time for mind-wandering may give us a creative boost when returning to an issue or task later, as outlined in the following research - Creative Boost From Mind Wandering. Mind-wandering might also play a vital function in helping us form memories. Taking a break, and encouraging some mind-wandering, may help us retain the information we have just learned, as noted in the following research paper, Impact of Rest On Learning and Memory. As with Psychic Entropy, we may not be able to eliminate our mind-wandering, but it can be controlled.
I strongly encourage all who want to explore this study in more depth to view Matthew Killingsworth's 2011 TED Talk at TEDXCambridge titled Want To Be Happier? Stay In The Moment, featured on the link that follows: Killingsworth's TED Talk - Want To Be Happier? Stay In The Moment. Like Csikszentmihalyi's work, Killingsworth's research is ongoing and stresses the negative impact of our human brain's default to mind-wandering/Psychic Entropy when not fully mentally engaged. Killingsworth shares his continued research into happiness using his app, Track Your Happiness, which allows participants to chart their feelings on a moment-by-moment basis. At the time of this TED Talk filming, the app had collected data from more than 15,000 people in 80 countries, who maintained their mind-wandering at a steady 47% of the time.
When your head is filled with this endless loop of confusion, courtesy of your mind-wandering teamed with Psychic Entropy, you might ask – "how am I to know if I am listening to my ego, my Divine guidance, or just obnoxious mental static: how do I navigate my thoughts?" I would suggest that the first step is to write down what you are thinking, and by doing so, in short order, you will recognize what aspect of your consciousness is communicating. Let's discuss what you might discover by doing this exercise.
What might we expect to encounter? The endless loop of chatter that provides much of the annoying verbal soundtrack of our minds, which starts as mind-wandering, then quickly sinks into Psychic Entropy, is thought to stem from the activity of a handful of cells leftover from the days when we were always at risk. So, the role of these hyper-vigilant cells is to point out danger on the horizon, running through a list of potential and even fictitious scenarios to keep us posted and alert.
RESET YOUR MIND - MEDITATION GUIDANCE
Reset your mind for success and understand that your negative –
fear-laden thoughts – through the Law of Attraction and Mind
Action will be reflected in your life. This is the process of
cocreation and manifestation. Since you are investing strong
emotions in your negative perspective, you speed the process –
for what is manifested with strong emotion is surely received
when presented by the Universe.
To break this cycle, you must reflect on positive, successful,
fulfilling, and meaningful outcomes, seeing these as possible
and expected. Expect good with intense emotion, and you will
attract and receive this good. This takes constant vigilance in
thought, action, and reflection. Reflect on the negative past,
the foibles of another time, and the Universe will bring this
past back to you.
Remember, through the Law, God wants to manifest your
strongly held desires and does not analyze, judge, or critique.
Remember Jesus' words – "Ask, and You Shall Receive."
So right now, you need to reframe every thought into positive
aspects – fully supported by strong emotions - and you will
begin to reframe the reflection of your mind, which is "Reality,"
into a positive force for success and abundance.
All of this is within your scope and your power
as you recreate your life.
NOE BY G. 4.9.2010 7:35 AM
MEDITATION AND PRAYER
Meditation and intensive prayer are forms of concentrated mindfulness that evolve and reframe personal consciousness and the local mind and solidify a direct connection with God. They are both excellent tools for mind control and the control of consciousness. Still, even more importantly, as we will discuss shortly, meditation in all forms changes the actual structural physiology of the brain - hardwiring a spiritual perspective and awareness.
There is no more powerful mindfulness tool than a regular meditation practice and affirmative prayer or the prayer/meditation hybrid now known as centering prayer. Chapter Four - Connecting With God On The Train- details my approach, including affirmative prayer and meditation. I believe meditation and prayer are essential for connecting with your divinity, establishing cognitive control of the mind, developing awareness, and reaching enlightenment – true heaven on earth.
At this point, we might ask, what came first - mindfulness or meditation? I would say, with some certainty, that the meditative practice came first, focusing on the breath, quieting the mind, and being centered in the present moment. Then - as the ancient mystics, gurus, and shamans, most notably Siddhartha Gautama, searched for heightened states of awareness, enlightenment, and a direct connection with Spirit -they slowly evolved into a daily practice of mindfulness.
The spirituality of the breath has been evident since the dawn of humankind. The Sanskrit word for breath is “prana,” but prana also means “life force” or “vital energy.” Thousands of years ago, the Hebrew mystics, the Kabbalists, practiced breath-centered meditation and prayer. Of course, most of what we have learned about meditation and mindfulness has evolved from the rich meditative traditions fostered by Hindu, Taoist, and Buddhist spiritual traditions. However, many religious traditions have utilized and encouraged the evolution of meditation; most noted being the tremendous Sufi mystics.
Although the mainstream Christian sects of the Western world have focused on prayer rather than meditation, the prayer activity of some Christian mystics, which focused on using songs, chants, reading texts, and adding bible verses, would undoubtedly be considered deeply meditative. In the 1970s, Friar Thomas Keating, a Trappist Monk, reintroduced the Christian contemplative tradition described in the fourteenth-century text, The Cloud Of Unknowing. Keating called this meditation-like practice - “Centering Prayer,” where a word that has a sacred meaning is focused on for twenty minutes or longer. Then, the practitioner sits with eyes closed, returning to their sacred word when thoughts intervene. Centering Prayer is a meditative practice. This has become a widespread practice in the Catholic world and is detailed in Keating’s excellent book - Intimacy With God.
As we have discussed, the evolving New Thought movement of the 1800s adopted a universal view of religious approaches, adding meditation as a central feature of their spiritual practice and affirmative prayer. Yet in the Western world, meditation remained an oddity until the late 1960s counter-culture movement reached out to explore alternative religious orientations and practices – adopting meditation, primarily in the form of “TM or Transcendental Meditation,” based on the Vedic tradition of ancient India, introduced with great success by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.
By 1973, there were eleven U.S. cities with populations of over 25,000, with one percent or more of their people practicing the mantra-based TM technique. In 1974, the Maharishi asserted during an interdisciplinary conference in Arosa, Switzerland, focused on consciousness research - that if only one percent of the population began to meditate, experiencing pure consciousness, the remaining 99 percent of the people would be positively affected. Not by anything done by the meditators but by their positive impact on pure consciousness.
Based on census data available from 1973, Maharishi’s claim could be tested on the eleven cities referenced above with the research conducted by Garland Landrith, a sociologist. He picked a control group of eleven other similar towns that did not have the one percent of TM meditators. Using the impact on the crime rate as the studied factor - the TM cities decreased their crime rate by 8.2 percent between 1972 and 1973, while the non-TM cities followed the national trend, their crime rates increasing to mirror the national average of 8.3 percent. As you might expect, there were many critics, but subsequent reviews of the data found the likelihood that the correlation between the rate of meditation and the crime rate was a coincidence; it was one in five billion.
This opened the floodgates for meditation-related research. Psychologist Michael Dillbeck, at the 1981 American Psychological Association Convention, reported results from 160 randomly selected U.S. cities; the pattern of association on the crime rate yielded precise results – increases in the TM percentage caused the crime rate decreases and were not just “correlated by them.” He later confirmed the same results in a study of eighty U.S. metropolitan areas. Since these initial studies, meditation and its impact on suicide, homicide, divorce, death, traffic fatalities, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, auto theft, unemployment, and pollution have been thoroughly researched and scientifically documented.
This has become known as the “Maharishi Effect,” and seems to underscore the positive global impacts of meditation and highlight the connected aspect of the universal mind. Again, I suggest a thorough reading of Dr. Larry Dossey’s book Recovering The Soul. Again, for an excellent review of the plethora of mindfulness meditation practices, I would refer you to the works of Jon Kabat-Zinn and Thich Nhat Hanh.
The positive effects of meditation go well beyond the potential global impact of improving humankind and universal consciousness. Using modern brain-scan technology enables long-time meditators, both spiritual and secular, including Tibetan Monks, Catholic Nuns, Pentecostals, and Zen Buddhists, to be scanned before, during, and after meditation brain-scans compared to non-meditators. Published research has documented that meditation and intensive prayer have positively impacted physiological and psychological problems, including depression, anxiety, high blood pressure, psoriasis, trauma, eating disorders, substance abuse, attention deficit disorder, liver disease, HIV, and cancer.
HOW MEDITATION AND PRAYER
CHANGES YOUR BRAIN
For an in-depth review of the impact of meditation, intensive prayer, and overall spiritual belief on the brain, I will focus on the groundbreaking research initially conducted by The Center for Spirituality and the Mind at the University of Pennsylvania. The Director of the Center, at the time, was leading neuroscientist Andrew Newberg, MD, Associate Professor of Radiology, who held secondary appointments in the departments of psychiatry and religious studies at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Newberg is currently the Director of Research at the Myrna Brind Center of Integrative Medicine at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. He is also a Professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine and Radiology at Thomas Jefferson University and teaches undergraduate courses at the University Of Pennsylvania.
Dr. Newberg is also considered the founder of a new interdisciplinary field called “Neurotheology.” He is co-author of the best-selling book How God Changes Your Brain and Why God Won’t Go Away: Brain Science And The Biology Of Belief. His most recent book, Words Can Change Your Brain, was published in June 2012. In 2014, Great Courses offered an overview of this research material, taught by Dr. Newberg directly, in The Spiritual Brain: Science and Religious Experience. I would highly recommend this innovative lecture-based approach for those who would like a first-hand overview of this research. Newberg has appeared on Good Morning America, Nightline, CNN, and ABC’s World News Tonight.
How God Changes Your Brain—Newberg’s book outlining the Center's research—will be the focus of our discussion on the physiological impact of meditation and intensive prayer. Newberg co-authored this book with Mark Robert Waldman, a practicing therapist and fellow at the Center for Spirituality who lectures on neuroscience, religion, and spirituality throughout the country.
As you have noticed, I have been referring to both meditation and intensive prayer in this section. I strongly encourage using both to control our minds and establish a direct connection with God. Therefore, we need to answer this question: Does this neuroscience research we are to review apply to both meditation and intensive prayer? But first, with the help of Newberg and Waldman, we need to clarify and define what we mean by meditation. What does it entail?
Meditation … defined as a contemplative reflection or
mental exercise to bring about a heightened level of
spiritual awareness, trigger a spiritual or religious
experience, or train the mind in a specific way.
As with all mindfulness techniques, meditation is an excellent vehicle for quieting our minds, focusing our attention away from the mind chatter and onto the present. As discussed, a few minutes focused on the breath brings us back to our center and clears our minds. Establishing a practice of meditating for even twenty to thirty minutes a day is like Olympic training for the mind, turning off the chatter and the ego, entering into the silence, and listening for the “still small voice” of whispered divinity in search of spiritual awareness, awakening, and enlightenment. I believe prayer works the same way, as do Newberg and Waldman, as outlined in their quote below:
We consider prayer to be a specialized form of meditation,
in which the practitioner makes a specific request to a spiritual
entity or presence…, but meditation usually refers to a longer,
more intense activity.
Let’s review some of these neurological changes resulting from meditation and prayer and determine how they might be effective in our pursuit of enlightenment, obtaining true joy, peace, love, and happiness—heaven on earth.
HOLD ONTO YOUR THALAMUS
Our first stop on this train ride is at the Thalamus – a pair of walnut-sized organs sitting in each brain hemisphere on top of the limbic system. These walnuts are known as the Grand Central Station of sensory processing. All thoughts, sensations, and moods pass through the Thalamus to get to other brain parts. But this tiny pair of walnut organs tells us what is real or unreal and connects feelings to our thoughts. For most of the population, the activity of both sides of the Thalamus is the same.
Newberg and Waldman point to the brain-scan study research that indicates those who have meditated for over ten years have “asymmetric activity” in their Thalamus; that is, one side of the thalamus is more active than the other when the subject is engaged in any contemplative activity. What does this mean anyway? Well, first, this asymmetry is also occasionally found in epileptics and schizophrenics, but these contemplative subjects showed no symptoms. Newberg and Waldman propose that the more you meditate on a specific object – let’s say, in this case, God – the Thalamus activates and reaches a point where it starts perceiving thoughts the same way it perceives sensations. For example, if we focus on God constantly, the more God will be sensed as real by the Thalamus.
But here is the twist: the impact on the Thalamus will be asymmetrical - thus appearing different from normal perception, but for advanced meditators, this asymmetric reality becomes their normal state of awareness. Now let’s realize this focus could be on God but on abundance, peace, happiness, joy, or love — you get my point. Following this logic, these thoughts would take on their own reality. Let us apply this to the frequent use of affirmations in prayer during our meditative sessions. Would we not be able to use this power of the Thalamus to reshape our thinking and reality. So the thalamus, says Newberg and Waldman, makes no distinction between inner and outer reality, and thus any idea, if contemplated long enough, will take on a semblance of reality. Your belief becomes neurologically real, and your brain will respond accordingly.
As you can see, pick your focus points and affirmations wisely, and through related meditation, including affirmative prayer, realize the benefits of the cooperative Thalamus and its asymmetric reality. This provides validation of the New Thought view that affirmations are an effective tool to change our thinking, control our minds, and alter the way we view our lives. We will cover the use of affirmations in more depth in the next chapter.
MEDITATION, MINDFULNESS,
AND THOUGHT CONTROL
I would like to take a few moments to recognize the efforts of the varied Buddhist religious communities throughout the world, who, by the propagation of their successful techniques and approaches for active and ongoing mind control, have certainly mitigated the level of human suffering for over 2600 years. As the quotes we have used in this chapter from the Dhammapada reveal, Buddha fully understood that our minds work haphazardly, bounding from thought to thought. Although these thoughts appear to come out of the blue, they are conditioned by previous thought patterns.
As we have discussed, Neuroscientific research has further clarified that the thoughts produced by our minds have been shaped by the history of our thinking, with our routine patterns of thought creating incremental but substantial changes in the way the brain is structured and the mind functions. Although these structural alternations make the brain more effective, we must also realize that wholesome thoughts create a propensity for more wholesome thoughts; unwholesome thoughts predispose the mind to produce more unwholesome thoughts.
Buddhist practice is structured to assist us in using this neuroscientific principle to our advantage. Our meditation practice shows us that we can choose which thoughts to entertain and develop and which to observe and release, thus, influencing the kind of thoughts we think about in the future. As we advance in our meditation practice, we can not only become aware of our thoughts as they arise and identify the kind of thoughts we are having, and once identified; we can make a conscious choice about how to handle them. Due to our conditioning, we will soon realize that a great majority of our thoughts are not conducive to our well-being. In the mindless state, our thoughts may be highly critical of others – and of ourselves.
I have read and studied numerous sources regarding mindfulness to support my own mind control efforts and prepare to write this chapter. Still, none has been as valuable and straightforward as The Great Courses lecture series titled Practicing Mindfulness: An Introduction To Meditation offered by Dr. Mark W. Muesse, Director of the Asian Studies Program, and the Director of the Life: Then and Now Program, both at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee. Dr. Muesse has a Ph.D. in the study of religion from Harvard University, with further studies at Wat Mahadhatu, Bangkok, Thailand; the Himalayan Yogic Institute, Kathmandu, Nepal; and the Subodhi Institute of Integral Education, Sri Lanka.
Dr. Muesse summarizes the Buddhist mind-control teachings available for taming our minds, carefully outlining the techniques the Buddhist mindfulness tradition has identified to harness harmful thoughts while assisting us with seeing why they are so problematic.
An unwholesome thought is one that is not conducive
to freedom and happiness but rather promotes
suffering. Conversely, wholesome thoughts diminish
suffering and foster happiness and freedom.
Based on Buddhist teachings, unwholesome thoughts – also known as unskillful thoughts – are connected to selfish desire, hatred, or delusion.
- Selfish thoughts are predicated on our appetite for pleasure, drawing
us to an act we believe will give us pleasure.
- Thoughts of hatred – repel us from people or situations we think
will cause us pain or make us feel uncomfortable.
- Deluded thoughts – are at odds with reality and result from our
failure to see ourselves or the world as they are. We can generate
grandiose thoughts about our own importance or worthlessness.
It takes practice and skill to identify these unskillful thoughts. To start practicing, whenever you catch your mind-wandering, examine the character of the thought that has captured your attention. The three chapters that comprise Part Three of this book are structured to assist motivated readers with beginning an effective program of addressing these negative thoughts. The urgency to change, of course, and frankly the danger of entertaining any thought that arises from selfish desire, hatred, and delusion, is its eventual effects on the shaping of our brains/minds.
Since Buddhist mindfulness tradition has a few centuries working at this task of relinquishing these unwholesome thoughts, let’s briefly review some practical ways to approach our errant thinking using: Replacement, Reflecting On Results, Redirecting, and Reconstructing,
- Replacement - the most effective method of disarming a harmful thought is to replace the unskillful thought with a skillful one: such as; focusing on a thought reminding us of the impermanence of the object of our desired action; rebutting a thought focused on hatred with the notion of friendliness and compassion; or countering a delusional thought with a thought based in reality.
- Reflecting On Results - contemplating the consequences of the unwholesome thoughts, such as the effects of holding these unwise notions, considering the kind of person you will become, or even the real world harm produced if you actually implemented the thought.
- Redirecting – simply diverting attention away from the unwholesome thought to something more beneficial or refocusing our attention to some other activity or thought process. We will discuss the technique of Golden Keying in Part Three, a technique for turning the problem over to God.
- Reconstructing – taking the thought apart to look at the antecedents, the motivations, the emotional underpinnings, the beliefs, how this thought evolved, and, if left unattended, the amount of pain it will eventually cause you and others you love.
With all of these approaches, Buddha would have us ask ourselves, is this the type of person we wish to be, that is, living focused on thoughts of selfish desire, hatred, and delusion. For now, let us venture on with these techniques that provide a well-tested framework for our mind reconditioning which will hopefully be augmented as we continue our discussion.
The point I want to make early on is that mind control – control of consciousness - starts in our own minds, based on personal or local consciousness, requiring that we must first be savvy enough to realize that our minds do not necessarily empower our existence, and quite truthfully, for many, maybe undermining it, draining it, destabilizing it, or destroying it. But, even if our minds are just fixating on intrusive thoughts that will not go away, or heightened self-criticism, or feelings of anger or hatred towards a person or some group, or baseless fears – mindfulness can help us take the first steps towards reclaiming our peace of mind and sanity, our mental liberation from suffering.
AFFIRMATIVE PRAYER CARRIES THE MESSAGE
In Chapter Four – Connecting With God On The Train - I clearly outlined my strong preference for the use of both affirmative prayer and meditation. As demonstrated from the neurological research on the Thalamus, the message conveyed to the brain in a meditative state has the most impact. Prayer, from my perspective, is our time to clarify with God what we want, need, or desire to happen affirmatively. In prayer, we are up to communicate, lay the groundwork, set the stage, and frame the request. During meditation, we give God a chance to provide us with guidance, feedback, and assistance we need. So to effectively communicate with God, we need to talk and listen. As I outlined in Chapter Four, this took me several months of meditating daily to discover.
Equally important to understand is that we also frame our expectations for our own subconscious mind during affirmative prayer by clearly outlining our expected outcomes as if they exist in reality today. Our subconscious mind then takes the positive affirmations as fact, framing them as reality in our mind, as we now understand, with the help of the Thalamus. In this type of prayer, we prepare God at the same time as we focus our own minds.
Also, in Chapter Four, I introduced the work of J. Douglas Bottorff, whose A Practical Gide to Meditation and Prayer suggests we need to affirm what we want and expect from our prayer requests. To accomplish this, I adopted Bottorff’s approach and have added a brief-phrase - “I affirm and establish now,” to my prayer requests. With this phrase, I not only affirm that my statement is true, but by adding “establish it now,” I am affirming with God that this affirmative prayer statement is now true and active. Hopefully, clearing up any confusion with God and, more importantly, my subconscious mind. Rather than praying, “I wish,” or “someday I would like,” or “if possible,” or “would you please make this happen,” I believe affirmative prayer structured around declarative statements, with clear expectations, is a more effective approach. As a result, the line “Affirm and Establish Now” gets added to most of my affirmations and requests to God.
The affirmations you personally use should be focused on your particular needs, wants, and desires, and I will offer some suggestions and examples in the upcoming discussion on the use of affirmations. But, again, for an in-depth discussion on how I use affirmative prayer, I would suggest a quick review of Chapter Four. I hope you can recognize the synergy present when using both affirmative prayer and meditation in tandem – clarifying our intentions with God and our own consciousness while opening ourselves up for guidance and direction.
GO AHEAD – STIMULATE YOUR ANTERIOR CINGULATE
Likewise, in the book How God Changes Your Brain, we are introduced to the meditative significance of the “Anterior Cingulate,” residing between the frontal lobe and the limbic system - inhabiting both hemispheres - whose job it is to act as a mediator between our feelings and thoughts. From a mind control perspective, the Anterior Cingulate is involved in social awareness and intuition. It is larger in women than in men, which gives a basis for why women are considered more empathetic and socially skilled.
Brain-scan research demonstrates that meditation and intensive prayer practices stimulate activity in the Anterior Cingulate, creating more empathy and becoming more sensitive to the feelings of others. It should then not surprise us that the two spiritual leaders who have, in my opinion, focused their message on the significance of love and kindness, that is, Buddha and Jesus, one was a master at meditation, and the other practiced prayer without ceasing. Newberg and Waldman go on to say:
meditating on any form of love, including God’s love,
appears to strengthen the same neurological circuits
that allow us to feel compassion towards others.
On the other hand, religious activities focusing on fear may damage the Anterior Cingulate, causing impacted adherents to lose interest in other people’s concerns, increasing their propensity for aggressive behavior towards targeted groups. Fear-based religions, Newberg proposes, create symptoms that mirror post-traumatic stress disorder.
The lesson offered by the Anterior Cingulate is this; we need to meditate and pray focused only on positive concepts – Newberg and Waldman suggest love, joy, optimism, and hope. I would suggest also adding in a healthy dose of peace, happiness, contentment, and confidence. Overall, the research shows that meditation and intensive prayer are good for the brain because they counteract our biological propensity to react to negative situations with animosity and fear. So let’s team up with the Anterior Cingulate in our pursuit of mind control and the control of consciousness.
HOW ABOUT A NATURAL HIGH
Let’s be honest: millions of people meditate each day or participate in related contemplative practices, such as yoga, without a religious or spiritual motive. They do it because it feels good. Newberg and Waldman site a study of individuals who practice “yoga Nidra” – a form of meditation in which a person maintains conscious awareness while remaining in complete relaxation. The yoga Nidra test participants that were studied increased their Dopamine levels by 65% during meditation. Since Dopamine heightens sensory imagery, generates pleasurable experiences, stimulates positive thoughts, and increases our sense of well-being in the world, this study shows that meditation is also a pleasurable form of mind control.
Studies have indicated that intense meditation has also been shown to impact Serotonin levels, with some reporting an increase, others a decrease. But overall, the widespread use of meditation in psychotherapy has been effective in the treatment of depression. Yoga that involves breathing and stretching has been shown to increase gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the brain by 27 percent, which is associated with lower levels of depression and anxiety. In addition, transcendental meditation, which involves a combination of relaxation, breathing, and a repetition of a symbolic word or sound, has been shown to lower the stress molecules – “epinephrine and norepinephrine,” explaining why many contemplative practices leave us pleasurably relaxed.
THE LASTING BENEFITS OF SPIRITUAL MIND CONTROL
Overall, Newberg and Waldman suggest spiritual practices, such as meditation and intensive prayer, alter the neurochemistry of the brain and, as a result, “bestow a sense of peace, happiness, and security, while decreasing symptoms of anxiety, depression, and stress.” Where does this leave us for mind control? We can evoke or suppress specific emotions and focus our thoughts in ways that biologically influence other parts of the body. We can voluntarily influence the non-conscious areas of the brain, contrary to the traditional view that this could not be done. This research outlined in How God Changes Your Brain provides the neuroscientific basis for achieving Flow in our lives by demonstrating our uniquely human ability to think ourselves into happiness or despair without direct influence from the outside world. Newberg and Waldman leave us with this quote:
Thus, the more we engage in spiritual practices,
the more control we gain over our body, mind
and fate.
We have only touched the surface of this impactful book, so please read How God Changes Your Brain for so much more. Likewise, this essential topic of faith and belief will be continued as we explore its effect on mind control in upcoming Chapter Ten - Controlling Fear, Worry, And Doubt. Let’s take a few moments to review what we have discussed so far.
MIND CONTROL – CONTROL OF CONSCIOUSNESS
The core purpose of this chapter has been to learn about the mind and our local or personal consciousness, so we may harness the positive power of the mind rather than be harassed by its negative aspects. The key message from the guidance has been the need to fully understand and control the often-competing components of our individual mind or consciousness - referred to as the Operational Mind, the Ego, and the Spiritual Mind. Overall, these mind control efforts center on managing our ego, integrating its focus to exist in sync with and assist with our operational and spiritual life efforts.
The Spiritual Mind, or Self, or Soul, represents our Authentic Self, which strives to empower each of us to be the best person possible; by fully utilizing our gifts, talents, and strengths and realizing our true purpose. It wants us to evolve to an awareness of oneness, peace, and joy. It is the self of Maslow’s “Self-Actualization.” Accomplishing this, along with our obtaining Enlightenment – Heaven On Earth – living fully and authentically with joy, peace, love, and happiness, as outlined in Chapters Seven and Eight, hinges on the control of our personal consciousness by marshaling our thinking – reframing our thoughts in a positive and productive manner.
Mastering mind control through the direct control of consciousness requires a thorough comprehension of all the many aspects of our local or personal consciousness;
- Realizing the connection of our individual or local minds to the universal or non-local, mindfully aware of how this expands our potential, power, and Divinity.
- Comprehending the interaction of the components of our minds – the Operational Mind, the Ego, and the Spiritual Mind, thus ensure cooperation.
- Harnessing the power of Flow to program our minds and our lives for Optimal Experience and happiness, rather than chaos and misery.
- Working to counteract and maneuver around Mind-Wandering, Psychic Entropy, and the Pain-Body, to ensure we are not lost in hopelessness and suffering.
We turned to the theory of positive consciousness, conveyed in the work of Dr. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi and outlined in his book titled Flow – The Psychology of Optimal Experience. We learned that at its highest levels, “Flow” is the process of achieving happiness through the control of one’s inner life. It begins with achieving control over the contents of our own consciousness. “Psychic Entropy” refers to the fact that our thinking, our consciousness, is not ordered and logical, but when left on its own, it quickly becomes chaotic and negative.
The Flow research focused on happiness, success, and peak experiences offers us an approach for dealing with “Psychic Entropy” or mental confusion, so we can master our consciousness, ensuring we obtain a state of Flow. To this end, an ultimate goal gives our life meaning, bringing order to mind by integrating our actions into a perpetual Flow experience. Csikszentmihalyi goes on to say that people who find their lives meaningful have a goal that gives significance to their lives - they have achieved “purpose.” The Pain-Body was introduced and described as the collective manifestation of all the pain, misery, and sorrow a person has ever gone through in their entire life. Added to this is the inherited pain from a person’s culture and family.
Although we have made substantial progress with this theoretical understanding offered in this chapter, it is only the first phase of Mind Control – we must learn to master and fully gain control of our fear, worry, and doubt, addressed in Chapter Ten – then become adept at applying the current mind control approaches and techniques, both spiritual and secular, offered in Chapter Eleven, to increase our well-being, positivity, and progress towards enlightenment.
It is the goal and purpose of my life to reintroduce faith through a personal connection and relationship with God as a compelling and viable alternative when selecting an ultimate goal.
PURSUING MINDFULNESS - AFFIRMATIVE THOUGHT
Let us focus our energies and attention on
pursuing mindfulness – the art of living
and fully enjoying the present moment –
the “now” as it unfolds throughout
the day, living within the present – alive –
engaged and attentive.
Let us keep our minds on the now –
the crest of the wave of life –
always with the unfolding – not wasting
our energy or thoughts on what
will happen next or critiquing what
has happened.
Let us clear our minds of fears of the
future or the “what if ” of the past
and find abundance and fulfillment
in the joy of the present where God
is waiting for us along with all the
good of life.
Let us live within this mindfulness
as Buddha taught and end-all
suffering, focusing on our breath
to bring us back when our mind
strays into the past or the future.
Let us be mindful – live this now –
and be refreshed! AT BY G.
Mindfulness has been a major topic of the Finding God On The Train Story Blog, and I would like to republish two of my favorite posts regarding mindfulness.
PERFECT MOMENT NOW - MEDITATION GUIDANCE
DAILY POST ON ENLIGHTENMENT
Let us continue with this week’s discussion of the Now and its central role in enlightenment. Jesus introduced the world to loving-kindness and a personal connection to God, but Buddha introduced the world to mindfulness – being completely alive in the present moment. I would like to start with a Meditation Note that I feel combines both approaches with a New Thought perspective that we are most likely to find God and ourselves in the Now.
PERFECT MOMENT NOW - MEDITATION GUIDANCE
Come to God at this moment – the perfect moment Now –
this moment coupled with each breath – clear – untarnished
– a clean seed for life to grow and develop.
Hold this in your mind - a portal – a connection to infinite
Divine love – Divine mind – and know this is where God is
waiting – in this perfect moment – this Now within each
beat of your heart and breath of your lungs.
Connect with this moment and savor its beauty – its texture –
its willingness to be cocreated into any joy, any emotion,
any experience you wish to create. Practice living in this
moment –mindful – and clear-minded of each sense, each
breath, each emotion.
Hold this jewel – this crystal perfection in your Soul and look
deeply into its reflection, and you will see God – the Divinity
within you – smiling and ready to move towards your heaven
on earth. See the face of God in the crystal jewel of this clear
moment and stay with it always.
The past is just a memory – disturbed – the future a premise –
equally distorted by a frightened mind – only Now – in Now –
with Now, will you truly find the way, the light, and the Divine.
Therefore, seek not in the tombs of the past or the dreams
of the future – seek only in the perfect moment – Now.
NOE BY G. 3.7.2010 9:50 AM
As we move on, I would like to offer the following poetic meditation guidance providing additional insight into how our minds are impacted by and interact with the larger, grander - Divine Consciousness.
CONSCIOUS EXTENSION - MEDITATION GUIDANCE
You are consciousness within a greater consciousness, a subset
of a Universal or God-Consciousness – the power and force of all
eternal existence alive in its knowingness – immersed in its
potential – more than alive – the edge of conception forming,
becoming, re-being – beating with a pulse of silent thunder –
breathing life in and out with waves of clear, fresh, fragrant,
existence.
You are the living essence of this consciousness – its voyager
in the world, its experiencer, its sensor of consciousness alive –
able to cocreate, propagate, and procreate more tentacles
of conscious awareness – capable of extending and reforming
the boundaries of perfect life alive. You are part of the flesh,
the cells, the sentient fabric of God-Consciousness – an extender
of God in form – a God all its own.
NOE BY G. 7.7.2011 10:20 AM
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CLOSING AFFIRMATIONS
As we discussed, affirmations are positive statements announcing to God – the universal mind – and to your subconscious mind how you view the world and what you expect to occur during the day or in your life. It is a powerful way to use the Law of Mind Action or Attraction to frame your reality and set positive expectations.
As I mentioned in the previous chapter, I enjoy writing affirmations so I can tailor them to my mood and life experience at the moment.
MY MIND IS MINE
My mind is mine - always positive, supportive, encouraging
and empowering - promoting my goodwill, development,
and confidence – expressing my skills, abilities, and talents –
expanding and growing my peace, joy, love, and happiness –
centering my thoughts on all I have now or will accomplish
in the pursuit of my magnificence. BY G.
This affirmation provides an excellent “mantra” – MY MIND IS MINE! - we may find it helpful when dealing with a bout of “Psychic Entropy,” when a brief phrase needs to be repeated until the mental noise abates—more on using short but effective affirmations in Chapter Eleven – Mind Control Approaches and Techniques.
Let’s close our work here with an Affirmative Thought to remind us to maintain a positive presence of mind.
PRESENCE OF MIND - AFFIRMATIVE THOUGHT
Let us today maintain the presence
of mind needed to stay focused on
what is positive, robust, and thriving
in our lives as we refuse to be caught
up in contemplating lack, scarcity, or
potential pitfalls.
Let our presence of mind refuse to be
waylaid by pointless thoughts of
confusion, doubt, or fear focusing
instead of the beautiful life we
have created and are now living,
its vibrance, its beauty, and its
purpose.
Let us bolster our positive presence
of mind today with our faith in all
that is good, appearing in our lives
when expected, knowing the grace of
God prepares the way for us to obtain
the joy, peace, love, and happiness
that is ours for the accepting –
ours forevermore!
AT BY G. 6.17.2013
CLOSING NOTE ON ENLIGHTENMENT
We have discussed the mind control of personal or local consciousness is essential for establishing a relationship with nonlocal or God-consciousness. This connection, or conduit with Divine Consciousness, is accessed through prayer and meditation, enabling the direct guidance at the center of our personal spiritual pursuits to be shared. The note below, titled, Conduit Of Consciousness, clearly conveys this message.
CONDUIT OF CONSCIOUSNESS - MEDITATION GUIDANCE
What does it mean to be a conduit of consciousness?
The path or approach to Divine connection is only
available through personal consciousness.
This connection is forged through centering the Soul
and with all other internal forces – expanding human
consciousness into the realm of Divine Consciousness.
It is an organized expansion accomplished through
silence, listening for the still, small voice within.
The guidance you seek is always available.
The answers have been prepared for eternity,
waiting for the intended interaction.
Often your mind inhibits this connection with
storms of thought, breaking up the signal and
leaving only static.
Allow the words to flow through you unaltered,
taking each one at a time, allowing it to find its
cadence and the meaning it strives to share.
No need to worry about missing the message
since it always lies in waiting for the proper time.
Realize that you, and you alone, are the conduit
of this message – since within God-Consciousness
all existence, all history happens concurrently
not sequentially, with past, present, and future
distinctions unnecessary since simultaneous
fact is conceivable and understandable.
All is always present in the perpetual now
of God-Consciousness. , within the silence,
listen for the message. It awaits your attentive Soul.
NOE BY 5.24.2013 11:30 AM
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