Testing the Spirit

I apologise for the infrequency of my blogs but perhaps many of you find those already published are helpful and even return to them from time to time.

Today I want to discuss an aspect of Spiritualism which is talked about all too infrequently these days – days when many people involved seem to fall over themselves to accept that anything that is claimed to come from spirit is not only genuine but also infallible. I refer to the cautionary words of early Spiritualists to “always test the spirit.” There is every reason to follow this advice because just as there are good and bad, even mischievous, people here on earth, so it is in the spiritual world. Passing to spirit does not immediately change one’s character – that can often take many of our years to achieve. Therefore, it behoves us to satisfy ourselves of the genuineness of both the personality and the words of those claiming to speak to us from spirit, no matter what type of mediumship is used.

This is particularly the case where claims are made that the person speaking from the spiritual world is someone who was famous whilst on earth. The problem in accepting that a person speaking is who they claim to be is that so much detail is on public record about famous people that most information given for identification purposes can be gleaned by the medium from various publications. By saying this I am not accusing mediums of deliberately misleading us but they could, quite innocently, be giving information they have previously read and which their conscious mind may well have forgotten. It is also the case that sceptics will never be slow to use this argument and as usual will not concern themselves with testing the medium’s veracity. It is for this reason that many helpers and guides speaking from spirit, say their names are unimportant. However, there are occasions when formerly famous people do want their names known to the listeners. This happened to me as a trance medium on one occasion and it might help understand the point I am making if I relate what happened.

Some years ago I became aware that Arthur Conan-Doyle the famous author and Spiritualist wished to speak through me when I was entranced. My initial reaction was,

“No way! So much about you and your life is on public record people would not be willing to accept you as bona fide.”

So far as I was concerned, that was that but some months later I attended a course at The Arthur Findlay College run by Maureen Murnan. Knowing I was a trance medium, Maureen asked me one day to demonstrate in front of her students. There was one young lady there who was an artist and interested in developing Psychic Art. Maureen asked her that while I was demonstrating, she should draw any person she felt was present with me. Conan-Doyle didn’t speak because of my reservations but nonetheless the young lady drew an almost photographic likeness of ACD even though she claimed never to have heard of him or to have read any of his books.

I was impressed by this but said to ACD,

“My attitude is still the same – you are just too well known for me to risk it.”

Things continued as before until about a year later I was working in Phoenix, Arizona and on one evening demonstrated trance. Again Conan-Doyle did not speak but he must have been around because during the supper which followed the demonstration, my hostess, Janet Tisdale, who is a working medium and was present at the demonstration said,

“By the way who is Doyle? He was with you tonight even though he did not speak.”

That convinced me! I capitulated and since then he has spoken through me in trance many times. He always introduces himself by saying, “Doyle here” and he speaks a great deal about working with a group in the spiritual world who focus on encouraging earthly Particle Physicists to extend their researches, particularly into the number of dimensions which exist in the universe. Doyle says the researchers are right in their assumptions that there are many more dimensions than the four at present accepted by physicists. What, he says, they do not know yet but will discover, is that most of the additional dimensions are non-physical. He believes that by proving this to be the case through their research, particle physicists will bring about a huge change in public perception. Their findings will convince large numbers of people of the existence of the spiritual world and the continuance of human life beyond what we call death, than have so far been convinced by the work of mediums. This is the reason he has attached himself to the group in spirit.

I hope my explanation convinces you that it is not only possible to “test the spirit” but that it is desirable and sensible to do so. Bear in mind that Spiritualism has long claimed to be a science and not just a religion and a philosophy. Such “testing” follows the scientific approach favoured by the pioneers of Spiritualism.

Testing the Spirit

I apologise for the infrequency of my blogs but perhaps many of you find those already published are helpful and even return to them from time to time.

Today I want to discuss an aspect of Spiritualism which is talked about all too infrequently these days – days when many people involved seem to fall over themselves to accept that anything that is claimed to come from spirit is not only genuine but also infallible. I refer to the cautionary words of early Spiritualists to “always test the spirit.” There is every reason to follow this advice because just as there are good and bad, even mischievous, people here on earth, so it is in the spiritual world. Passing to spirit does not immediately change one’s character – that can often take many of our years to achieve. Therefore, it behoves us to satisfy ourselves of the genuineness of both the personality and the words of those claiming to speak to us from spirit, no matter what type of mediumship is used.

This is particularly the case where claims are made that the person speaking from the spiritual world is someone who was famous whilst on earth. The problem in accepting that a person speaking is who they claim to be is that so much detail is on public record about famous people that most information given for identification purposes can be gleaned by the medium from various publications. By saying this I am not accusing mediums of deliberately misleading us but they could, quite innocently, be giving information they have previously read and which their conscious mind may well have forgotten. It is also the case that sceptics will never be slow to use this argument and as usual will not concern themselves with testing the medium’s veracity. It is for this reason that many helpers and guides speaking from spirit, say their names are unimportant. However, there are occasions when formerly famous people do want their names known to the listeners. This happened to me as a trance medium on one occasion and it might help understand the point I am making if I relate what happened.

Some years ago I became aware that Arthur Conan-Doyle the famous author and Spiritualist wished to speak through me when I was entranced. My initial reaction was,

“No way! So much about you and your life is on public record people would not be willing to accept you as bona fide.”

So far as I was concerned, that was that but some months later I attended a course at The Arthur Findlay College run by Maureen Murnan. Knowing I was a trance medium, Maureen asked me one day to demonstrate in front of her students. There was one young lady there who was an artist and interested in developing Psychic Art. Maureen asked her that while I was demonstrating, she should draw any person she felt was present with me. Conan-Doyle didn’t speak because of my reservations but nonetheless the young lady drew an almost photographic likeness of ACD even though she claimed never to have heard of him or to have read any of his books.

I was impressed by this but said to ACD,

“My attitude is still the same – you are just too well known for me to risk it.”

Things continued as before until about a year later I was working in Phoenix, Arizona and on one evening demonstrated trance. Again Conan-Doyle did not speak but he must have been around because during the supper which followed the demonstration, my hostess, Janet Tisdale, who is a working medium and was present at the demonstration said,

“By the way who is Doyle? He was with you tonight even though he did not speak.”

That convinced me! I capitulated and since then he has spoken through me in trance many times. He always introduces himself by saying, “Doyle here” and he speaks a great deal about working with a group in the spiritual world who focus on encouraging earthly Particle Physicists to extend their researches, particularly into the number of dimensions which exist in the universe. Doyle says the researchers are right in their assumptions that there are many more dimensions than the four at present accepted by physicists. What, he says, they do not know yet but will discover, is that most of the additional dimensions are non-physical. He believes that by proving this to be the case through their research, particle physicists will bring about a huge change in public perception. Their findings will convince large numbers of people of the existence of the spiritual world and the continuance of human life beyond what we call death, than have so far been convinced by the work of mediums. This is the reason he has attached himself to the group in spirit.

I hope my explanation convinces you that it is not only possible to “test the spirit” but that it is desirable and sensible to do so. Bear in mind that Spiritualism has long claimed to be a science and not just a religion and a philosophy. Such “testing” follows the scientific approach favoured by the pioneers of Spiritualism.

The Brain, Intelligence And Consciousness: The Spiritualist View by George Nicol

I have recently been sent this fascinating and well explained insight into human consciousness and the role that the brain plays - I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Lionel

In truth, the brain has no intelligence or consciousness – nor is the brain the seat of consciousness, thought, memory and emotion. The brain has no more intelligence – nor does it have any more consciousness, thought, memory and emotion - than a piece of wood, a lump of metal or any other material object. Just because the brain is an incredibly complex organic machine this does not mean that it initiates and is the source of intelligence.

Complexity does not confer intelligence; rather complexity provides the means through which intelligence can be expressed. This applies just as much to physical machines as it does to organic ones.

It is true intelligence etc manifests through the brain and that intelligence is associated with the brain and brain activity, but these things in no way indicate the brain itself is intelligent and conscious. Yet people declare precisely that.

As intelligence derives from a non-physical source and as it manifests through the brain and is associated with the brain, the brain is a conduit for and is the physical counterpart of the intelligence. The brain is merely like computer hardware through which software works and operates.

In fact, the brain and the body are analogous to computer hardware, which, like them has no inherent intelligence. The brain and body provide the means through which the non-physical intelligence can manifest on the physical plane. When the individual passes into spirit at the time of death, the non-physical intelligence no longer requires the brain and body in order to express itself.

Let me assure you that although the physical is required for intelligence, consciousness, thought, memory and emotion to be expressed by those who reside on the physical plane, the physical is not required in order for intelligence, consciousness, thought, memory and emotion to be expressed by those non-physical spirit beings who do not reside on the physical plane. Communication with departed souls who obviously no longer have physical bodies proves that that is so.

Let us remember two things: 1) that departed souls/spirit people who reside in the spirit world and we human beings who reside on this earth plane are both spirit beings; and 2) that the only difference between departed souls/spirit people and ourselves is that we have physical bodies while they do not. That is the only difference between us. Yet, not having a physical brain, a physical body and the organs that go with it, does not in any way prevent departed souls from expressing intelligence, consciousness, thoughts, feelings, and emotions. Indeed, departed souls can express even greater intelligence, consciousness, knowledge, memory, thoughts, feelings and emotions without having physical brains and physical bodies than they ever could when they had these things.

It is because they do not have and it is because they are not encumbered by physical brains and physical bodies that allow them to express those things better. You see, even though the brain and body are extremely complex processing machines they are not capable of expressing the full extent of non-physical consciousness and intelligence. The dulling and earthing effects of the physical brain and body - no matter how healthy, developed and refined – prevent the full expression of the non-physical vibrations. When this physical ‘interference’ is removed at the time of death, so too are the dulling and earthing physical vibrations removed, allowing a greater non-physical consciousness and intelligence to be expressed.

The disencumberment of the self from the physical vibrations of the body allows better access to memories and information, and better connection to higher spiritual vibrations. That is what allows beings in spirit to do things in spirit they could not do when they lived on the earth plane. This should not lead you to believe, however, that departed spirit beings suddenly become the fount of all knowledge and wisdom. As intelligence is a function of the state of spiritual vibrations they will know more and have access to more but they will not know all or have access to all.

The mind, soul and spirit are analogous to the intelligence provided by computer software. The brain – as we noted above – is analogous to computer hardware. Like the brain, computer hardware has no intelligence – it only and can only express the intelligence of the ‘software’ that connects to it and manifests through it. Like the brain, the more developed and advanced the computer hardware, the more and the better the intelligence it can manifest. However, no matter how developed and advanced the brain and computer hardware are, they can only express intelligence in accordance with their degree of development and advancement. Greater intelligence cannot be expressed unless development and advancement are increased. Here we see how the physical limits the expression of the non-physical.

The state of health of the brain and computer hardware and the condition of their architecture have an important effect on the expression of the non-physical. If the brain hardware suffers disease or damage, it can no longer express the desires of the mind, soul and spirit as well as it could before such disease or damage occurred - and when the hardware of the body declines to a certain point it cannot express the software at all and death must occur.

Any reduction or change in intelligence that occurs, however, is not due directly per se to damage to the brain and its structures, rather it is due to such damage preventing and/or distorting the incoming non-physical intelligence from expressing and manifesting correctly. Basically the damage does not allow the non-physical intelligence to govern properly.

Clearly then, if the above limitations and restrictions are removed, then intelligence can manifest and express normally once more. If the damage to the brain and its structures and functions can be completely healed then intelligence can manifest and express normally. As healing, normality and health progress, so too can intelligence manifest and express. As the brain develops, advances and evolves, limitations and restrictions still - and must - exist, but more and more of the non-physical intelligence can manifest.

Let me make it quite clear that the brain and spinal cord are miraculous machines but they do not have inherent intelligence nor do their incredibly complex forms cause intelligence and consciousness to come about. Such thinking derives from materialist thought; but in my opinion, it is completely incorrect. I must confess that it is a great cause of irritation to me when people declare that the brain, which is merely associated with intelligence and consciousness, is the cause of intelligence and consciousness.

It seems to me that there are many myths and misconceptions about the relationships of the body, mind, soul and spirit that are still held by twenty-first century people who think they have the correct answers for just about everything in creation but who, in fact, know almost nothing about it!

People, for instance, say that the body has a mind, soul and spirit - but it is really the case that the mind, soul and the spirit have a body. The body is actually a creation and a condensation of the mind, soul and spirit – not the other way round. The body exists because of the mind, soul and spirit. The mind, soul and spirit do not exist because of the body. They can easily exist without the body but the body cannot exist without them. When an individual dies, the body reaches the end of its finite existence while the eternal mind, soul and spirit continue to exist. At the time of death the physical and non-physical aspects of the self go their separate ways - but it is not so much the case that the body discards the mind, the soul and the spirit, but rather a case that the mind, the soul and the spirit discard the body. When this occurs the physical body is like the pupa that has been discarded by the butterfly because it has served it purpose and is no longer required.

The fact is, at the time of death, that which is permanent and eternal, the mind, soul and spirit, discard that which is temporary, the body. The former persists while the latter obviously does not and should not. This is what spirit and nature decree should happen. It is as it is meant to happen. Yet, it so often happens in this world that people will maintain focus on the dead body and discard the mind, soul and spirit. This is not what is spiritual or natural. It is akin to throwing out the baby and retaining the bathwater. It is akin to retaining the garbage and tossing out the family jewels. Such is the way of the materialist, the spiritually unenlightened and the way of those who place value on things that have no true value – or perhaps I should say have no more value. The spiritually enlightened, however, will discard the body at the time of death, dispose of it, turn their backs on it, forget about it and never give it a second thought thereafter. This is what one does with things that have served their purpose and no longer have value. Do you not do similar things and have similar thoughts when you cart out the household garbage for removal on garbage collection days?

I must confess to you that I sometimes feel I have little or nothing in common with other people – and there is nothing that heightens that feeling more than when I experience people valuing things that have no real value. Indeed, it seems to me that the less real value things have, the more the people in this world seem to value them. Yet, spirit and things of the spirit – the things of true value – they give lip service to and value not at all. Such is the way of the materialist.
It probably has not escaped your notice that most of what I have written above is very different to orthodox and conventional views. This is because the views I espouse derive from the ‘heretical’ and non-conventional views of spiritualism, which the spirit guide, Silver Birch once declared to be the antithesis of the views of materialism, the more orthodox and conventional views.

Using computer analogy, death occurs when all of the following conditions occur: a) when all the computer’s software is permanently removed from the computer hardware; b) when that software – or indeed when any other software - can no longer be re-installed on the hardware, and c) when the computer hardware and all of the components of that hardware no longer function and can by no means be made to function. When the above three conditions occur, we have a state that is analogous to the death process which we – and other living things – must undergo at the time of death.

When we die, the soul and the spirit that animate the physical body permanently depart from the body and can by no means be ‘re-installed’ in the body any more. If the soul and the spirit can be re-installed in the body then the individual concerned has not died – even though they or others later claim that they had.

Let me just remind you that dying is a gradual process that usually occurs over a three day period. However, a very sick person can undergo the dying process long before they actually pass over. Because death is a process, it is not something that is completely over in one moment of time. It is true that the soul and spirit that animate the body do depart at the time of death but all the spiritual essences that are associated with the physical body during the physical existence take about three days to completely withdraw. If it were so that all such spiritual essences withdrew immediately following death then no tissues or organs harvested from dead bodies could be used in transplant operations because they would lack the required life essences that would make them viable.

Instead of death, what we really have is a constant spiritual, mental and physical change, transformation and development and this is essential if spiritual perfection of the soul is to be achieved. Without change perfection cannot be achieved. Spirit knows the importance of change and it is the will of spirit that change must occur in life – but unfortunately people do not always welcome it and appreciate the importance of change. Many people would seek to maintain themselves eternally on this earth plane to avoid change. However, possessing such thoughts and making attempts to bring this about opposes nature and opposes the will of spirit. Their thoughts are not right as they seek to live contrary to nature and its laws. By seeking physical continuity they seek to destroy the cycles of life and death and by doing so create almost a state of stasis where there is severe spiritual retardation and lack of growth. When people seek to maintain their physical existence eternally, they in effect say that it is they, not spirit, who know what is best for them. Unfortunately that is not the case because spirit always knows what is best and therefore if the individual wants to get the best out of their existence they should attune their will to the will of spirit.

With materialism and spiritualism we have two isms that are not merely different but two isms that are diametrically opposed. They are indeed mirror images of each other. Spiritualism, the philosophy, focuses – or should focus – more on spirit and the things of the spirit and less on matter and the things of matter. In spiritualism, matter is not unimportant. Let us be clear about that. Indeed, it is very important – but it is always relatively less important than spirit. Matter is important only because matter and the things of matter promote spirit and the things of the spirit. Materialism, on the other hand, focuses more on matter and the things of matter. Materialists may not even acknowledge the existence and importance of spirit but spiritualists always acknowledge the existence of matter though they do not always give it the appropriate value. Spiritualism says that spirit creates the mind and that the spirit and mind combine to create matter. Materialism, on the other hand says that matter creates the mind and consciousness and that the mind creates – or should I say, fabricates - spirit.

I must admit it puzzles me greatly how even extremely smart people can possibly believe that matter can create and possess consciousness. I can believe that organic complexity is required for expression of intelligence but It puzzles me how people can believe that intelligence is created by organic complexity. It perplexes me that they can possibly believe such things while simultaneously vehemently rejecting and finding so utterly untenable the belief that spirit creates the mind and the mind creates the body. I can understand how materialists might place less importance on spirit but I find it very difficult to understand when they so often completely reject its very existence and influence.

Fascinating Week at The Arthur Findlay College

My sincere apologies for not blogging for so long but much has happened in my life in recent months. Suffice it to say I am back in England now, living in the fair city of Norwich and looking forward to taking up teaching again.

I have just been told about a fascinating week in January 2012 at The Arthur Findlay College in England. Anyone who is at all interested in the scientific investigation of all forms of mediumship should go along. It is expected experts and lay people will be numbered among the students on this week. They will be working alongside established mediums trying to understand more about how mediumship works and under what conditions it works best. The mediums working on the week include David Thomson from Australia whose materialisation mediumship has been the cause of much discussion among Spiritualists the world over.

For more information and an application form please visit:-

http://www.friendsofstanstedhall.com/html/agm.html

Mother Earth - Earthquakes & Tsunamis

I know you will all be praying for those dear souls in Japan and elsewhere who have and are suffering from the devastating effects of recent earthquakes and other natural disasters. A dear friend of mine sent me a blog by Caroline Myss which is about the most reasoned and compassionate piece I have ever read on this subject. I fully agree with all that she says and thank her for putting her thoughts on the Net.

Lionel

Hi Everyone,

As we all know by now, the Earth has shifted once again. Just the slightest change from deep beneath the waters, a crack in the fabric of her lining, and islands quake while tsunami waves rush across shore lines. We awake believing the world - our world - is stable, only to learn again and again that this Earth is as much a living, breathing, moving, active instrument of life as we are. It is the grandest live organism we shall ever encounter, this wondrous Being that sustains us each second of our life. Weeks ago, a cyclone of unprecedented size hit Australia and an earthquake shortly afterwards moved the ground beneath Christchurch, New Zealand. Buildings fell like toys, leaving much of the town in pieces. Who knows what the final death toll will be in Japan? It would appear that the pace as well as the intensity of long predicted earth activity and climate change is accelerating. Like many people familiar with prediction-oriented literature, all sorts of reasons can be put forward as to why the earth goes through a period of increased seismic activity. Scientists will come up with "scientific" data, as expected. From my point of view, if they were so knowledgeable in the first place, the massive abuses to the earth would have never taken place occurred because they would have used their scientific data to protect the Earth. They're great at riding the caboose on the train of environmental change and unfortunately the few who have had the courage to attempt to direct the engine have been thwarted by corporate and political interests who insist that all data suggesting even a hint of climate change activity is a liberal conspiracy.

On the extreme other side, I have heard many people make the comment that, "Mother Nature is angry", and that's why these events are happening. I'm not all that certain that Mother Nature functions from the same emotional system of "anger-vengeance/love-reward" that human beings do. I certainly hope not. Given that Mother Nature was an active, alive force long before we occupied this planet, I suspect that She is far more of a cosmic system of intelligence, transcendent of emotions such as anger or vengeance. Rather, if anything, I suspect that the way to understand Mother Nature is best found through the study of the Tao - the study of the laws of balance that essentially govern the activity of Nature. When Nature is out of balance, the system itself will initiate whatever action it must take in order to reestablish an environment capable of sustaining all life - not just human life, but all life. Within the realm of Nature, all life is equal. Life is precious because it is life, not because it is human life or wealthy life or educated life or young life, but because it is life.



We are now living at a time when all cycles and systems of life are out of balance, including our system of perception itself. We do not "perceive" life clearly at all and thus, we as a society make choices that are based on endless illusions. And illusions lead to disasters. There was a time not so long ago, for example, when human beings walked more humbly on the Earth and under the Sun, the Moon, and the stars. Before the "Age of Reason", a person walked into a forest filled with the awareness that the forest was as aware of him as he was of it. He shared the ground with the forest and all the creatures who lived there. They were not his for the taking, for the slaughtering, for dominating. In times gone by, people lived in a type of consciousness in which even the slightest movement of the wind meant something - perhaps heaven was piercing the veil between dimensions, speaking in a soft breeze, moving a branch or a leaf in order to communicate a message, or a warning, or signal its approval. The stars that filled the sky at night were not just pretty, shining objects, but proof of a celestial homeland, the blanket of the Divine covering humanity. Every living creature had purpose and meaning, a place in which it was given a natural dignity because it was created by a God no one doubted existed.



Of course human beings were still human beings in those days before the Age of Reason introduced a love of logic and a God who (obviously) had scientific reasons up "his" celestial sleeve for why all things happen as they do in this whole, big, universe. Civilization was also a dark and dreary place back then, with disease and the plague, and endless wars....oh wait, am I describing then or now? Oh, I'm describing their version of then, not ours. Though they also had war, and they also had epidemics, and they also had starvation, what they did not have that has driven our civilization to the brink of madness is an epidemic of narcissism blended with an epidemic of blind doubt about the existence of the cosmic structure that holds together this fragile place called Earth. Back then, no one doubted the existence of this invisible reality. Today, that doubt is an epidemic and the absence of respect and reverence for the Earth is reflected in the choices governments and corporations make as well as individuals.



Is Mother Earth angry? Don't be silly. A cosmic force hardly gets angry. But a cosmic force does, will, and is seeking balance, just as your individual body seeks balance when it has been struck with a toxin. What is the difference?



The Earth will continue to have an increase in earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, droughts, and whatever else is required to reestablish balance in Her environment. She is a living organism that is, in effect, re-booting Herself. Only the human community has the idea that we somehow live apart from the Earth, that the Earth does not respond to our breathing, to our thoughts, to our actions. It's incomprehensible, to be sure, to even hold such a perspective. But the Earth is that sensitive. Recycling, I assure you, is not enough. Consider the Earth as a family member instead, as a Being that sees you as clearly as you see it. And you are on the "earth" as much when you are standing in the midst of New York City or London as you are in the middle of a forest. You are still "on the earth". Standing on concrete or in a building does not make it any less "earth" except if you hold to the perception that what qualifies for the "earth" is out of the city in green or desert nature. But that's an illusion. How can you ever be off or away from the "earth"? It's precisely that perception - that Nature is in the country but not in the city - that maintains the illusion of separateness. You may prefer to be in the country but you always on the Earth.



Having said all this, let me turn to matters of the loss of human life. While earth shifts are essential for the Earth to survive, they are tragic for us. They result in enormous loss of human life and we must all hold in prayer the souls and the families of the people of Japan. The fear, pain, and grief of the thousands of people is unimaginable. We learn from this tragedy once again that the life we awaken to each morning may well be completely different by the end of the day. We kid ourselves by telling ourselves that we are in charge of the length of our lifetime. We are not. We must treat each day as a gift as well as every person dear to us. We learn from this event in Japan that we can be with the Japanese community of people through prayer, through email, through FB in an instant. We are truly learning an enormous cosmic truth: We are one. And we are meant to use that truth: Pray together, heal our fellow human beings together, and heal our beloved Earth together. Put your soul to work.



Love, Caroline

Ego (Eckhart Tolle “A new Earth”)

When the ego is at war, know that it is no more than an illusion that is fighting to survive. That illusion thinks it is you. It is not easy at first to be there as the witnessing presence, especially when the ego is in survival mood or some emotional pattern from the past has become activated, but once you have had a taste of it, you will grow in Presence power and the ego will lose its grip on you. And so a power comes into your life that is far greater than the ego, greater than the mind. All that is required to become free of the ego is to be aware of it, since awareness and ego are incompatible. Awareness is the power that is concealed within the present moment - This why we may also call it Presence. The ultimate purpose of human existence, which is to say, your purpose, is to bring that power into this world. And this is also why becoming free of the ego cannot be made into a goal to be attained at some point in the future. Only Presence can free you of the ego, and you can only be present NOW, not yesterday or tomorrow. Only Presence can undo the past in you and thus transform your state of consciousness.

What is spiritual realisation? The belief that you are spirit? No, that is a thought. A little closer to the truth than the thought that believes you are who your birth certificate says you are, but still a thought. Spiritual realisation is to see clearly that what I perceive, experience, think or feel is ultimately not who I am, that I cannot find myself in all those things that continuously pass away. The Buddha was probably the first human being to see this clearly, and so anata (no self) became one of the central points of his teaching. And when Jesus said “Deny thyself,” what he meant was: Negate (and thus undo) the illusion of self. If the self – ego – were truly who I am, it would be absurd to “deny” it.

What remains is the light of consciousness in which perceptions, experiences, thoughts and feelings come and go. That is Being, that is the deeper, true I. When I know myself as that, whatever happens in my life is no longer of absolute but only of relative importance. I honour it, but it loses its absolute seriousness, its heaviness. The only thing that ultimately matters is this: Can I sense my essential Being-ness, The I Am that I am at this moment? Can I sense my essential identity as consciousness itself? Or am I losing myself in what happens, losing myself in the mind, in the world?

The foregoing is worthy of careful study and places a totally new emphasis on the words inscribed above the Temple of Apollo at Delphi in ancient Greece: “Man, know thyself.” The Greek words reproduced on a stained glass window are shown above. Lionel