Harry Eisel Died, and left me a message from the other side(?)

 Ambo, If this story is so rich - so much like a lucid moment in God's dream (the dream we call "reality") - then it occured to me that it might be playing out in some way in your own, seemingly unconnected (to this story), life. Is it? 

Darrell

 Ambo, Funny how we have been conditioned to see "projection" as a kind of lesser, unworthy, thing. I have recently leaned toward thinking otherwise. Projection, like the brokeness I spoke of earlier, is something a particular mind must do. Universal truth (or perhaps more accurately, "universality", more a state or process than an object) cannot be held in a particular mind. But does that mean there is no way to universality?

No. The mind can reveal, through projection, as much truth as it might eventually "understand" (which I think means to "stand under", like me standing under the Mulberry tree, enjoying life's fruits). I have speculated that there seem to be 3 stages of learning: Access, Application, and Assimilation (3 "A"s). By assimilation, I mean assimilate it into one's whole life.

Universality would be an ultimate assimilation in which a particular "self" assimilates all selfhood, all sentient being. Or is it the self which is assimilated by a higher self? Doesn't seem to matter which way you say it, as either way involves an integration, or weaving, process. That is a later stage of learning anything. It is woven into your life and happens more-or-less automatically while you are, while you simply are who or what you are. The discrete skills or knowledge is woven into your overall being, and unfolds in a way that appears (and, in a way, is natural). But it was only natural after it was integrated into the wholeness of one's being.

And if the wholeness reaches its logical conclusion, the assimilation process replaces an individual self with grades of universal selfness, or the upper left quad subjective "I" associated with God-as-process and God-as-awareness/experience/observer. I think this assimilation level transforms matter into a state which is open to energy, or even is becoming more like energy. Perhaps all things are evolving from clumbsy matter into fine energy. That is a metaphysical speculation, but it seems to be a useful one.

If I think that, then it could be a self-fulfilling prophesy for a rigid closed self-as-individual-thing becoming more and more like a note in a whole symphony, a note which is no more separate from the symphony than the symphony is separate from the note. Each is integrated into the other (note and symphony), or, as I was saying, "assimilated" into each other. This may be where "richness" and "poignant-cy" occurs - in these states of integrations and mutual assimilation between whole and part.

As we approach such a state, we tend to call it "spiritual". And the more it becomes us, the more we sense non-dual reality as more real than dual reality. Learning or evolution eventually outgrows its own (dual, multiple) content, and becomes pure process in which the idea is the thing, and not a split-off signification of the thing. But then, "thing" would be more like a pure quality, like the quality of the color red, than a thing physically occupying a space or a time. Where and when is red? Not red objects - red, and nothing but red (a truth and nothing but a truth). 

While all this growth is going on, we are not there yet. Our particular mind cannot quite grasp (although it may sense during spiritual states, such as when I said to myself "How the Hella did we end up here?") the highest levels of integration/assimilation. So, we project the truthful kernel onto something "out there". Disowned from self? Only if we fail to take the next, assimilative, step and re-claim the projection. I sense God. Or we may say my holy spirit senses God. Then I project this sense out onto an image or some other "properties" of a God. But that is only my mind's projection of the spirit's inner sense of wholeness. So, if I don't let that projection be re-claimed by opening my heart to it (not blindly following it in a motoric sort of way like a physical slave) - if I don't love it - it cannot bring me to wholeness. As a projection, it may bring me, instead, to killing others who reject my projection (I see projection as being personified in lightening - built up energy pushing out in a narrow but powerful way). But if I open up to it, lower my physical (fleshly) resistence, and let it in, then it can bring the sensed wholeness back into me, in a way that transforms my flesh, or my limited concepts (which, to me, are the cognitive form of "flesh"). 

IMO, there is nothing lesser about projection. It is only lesser if there is also a failure to reclaim it. And you are reclaiming your projections onto my dream, and to my life-as-a-dream. You allowed me to project on you, and then you projected onto me, and we both reclaimed our projections enough to feel personal/spiritual growth. 

Thanks for projecting onto my story. Was it ever really "my" story? 

Below is my own kind of thought-map, or schema, from which the above ideas about projection came. Even those ideas about an energy principle of projection are...  well, a projection of my mind. Assimilating them into the larger context of all the other concievable (projected) aspects of mind-energy ("spirit"?) helps spread out the opaqueness and helps lower the resistence of the "thing" , until projection joins in with the whole happy family of other aspects of energy. This is an excerpt from my book, The Marketing of Virtue.  5 core virtues (as well as 5 characteristics of an optimal community) , 5 spiritual principles, and 5 spiritual energy "laws" are seen as all interelated, with "virtues" as more specific and concrete, "principles" as an intermediate level of abstractness, and energy laws as the most abstract (more universally applicable) expression of the 5 qualities. The "laws" are only introduced as lecture content of the founder of the new type of community devoted to growing virtue. This expression of the 5 things/qualities only occured near the end of the book, soon before his death. 

Excerpt: 

Todd was supposed to share his new insights about the 5 core virtues, how they tied into what he called "5 spiritual energy laws". He would be suggesting that there is an even more abstract level of understanding the 5 community characteristics, the 5 core virtues, and the 5 spiritual principles. 

   Even before the talk began, the Chorums were hooked by the recurring theme of 5 things. Although it may simply be the mind's preference for familiarity, or even a bit of superstitious thinking along the lines of numerology, both Jesse and Reeba liked the "5 thing". It was a pattern that was starting to weave itself into a group identity. Not that others who organized their thoughts primarily around 3 or 4 or 6 or 7 were any less accurate or "on" about their beliefs, or cognitive frames of reference, but that 5 was the number code for Allsberg. Not sacred, but kinda warmly familiar, perhaps a more-or-less arbitrary form that they gathered around, as though it had some sort of mythical, mystical, power to format each and every citizen's mental and spiritual energy - a kind of preferred musical key in which to perform their symphony, or the primary key (the priority field of data used as a main reference point for all other fields of data) in a computer spreadsheet. 

    In fact, the organizers of the event had even toyed with the idea of having the talk start at 5:00 p.m. sharp, in order to symbolize the group identification with the number 5, but decided that it would cause an undue hardship on members to get off work early and to rearrange child-care plans, etc. The meeting was scheduled for 7. That's no slouch either, when it comes to magical numbers! 

   Jesse and Reeba took their seats at about 10 'til. Todd was right on time, both literally and figuratively, with his speech. The elder Chorums were in a good place (and time) to here the meanings of the talk. The 5 spiritual principles were fresh in their minds from the WOW program which they had recently completed. Each of the 5 laws were easier to grasp when you could refer it to a principle. On a continuum of concrete-to-abstract, "principles" were somewhere between the concrete end, where  a "characteristic" or a virtue resides, and the abstract end where a natural "law" lives. So, the recent exposure to principles proved to be a valuable stepping stone for understanding the content of the following points. 

   Todd's talk was an elaboration of something he wrote soon after an epiphany he had while running one day. All but the law of attraction came to him at once, before finishing his run. He later added attraction, having deduced its role in reclaiming projections and in contributing to a sense and state of wholeness. Here is the concept paper which Todd used as an outline, and which he handed out to the audience in order to better follow along, as well as to use as a reference point to help formulate questions: 

  5 Laws of Spiritual Energy

Law of Wholeness    

    Spiritual energy seeks to express itself in an uninterrupted field. For the spiritual aspect of self, wholeness is the first priority. Wholeness may be achieved in a variety of interrelated ways. Experiencing your life as a whole journey, not interrupted by traumas or fears too terrible to face and work through, is one way to be whole. Another way is to open up and connect the essence of yourself with the life around you, such that you feel unified with life. 

    Another way is to connect with your own deepest self, or energy core, so that all your parts trace back to that “center”. A state of psychic balance is achieved. Another means to achieve a state of wholeness, centeredness, and balance is to open up to your whole mind all at once. This type of whole perception may also be attained with meditation by allowing your mind to project upon (see Law of Projection) an object or event that you experience as a whole. Seeing human beings as dynamic wholes, rather than as players in narrowly-defined roles, or as possessors of one-dimensional characteristics, is the humanistic way of using the law of wholeness. 

    Wholeness is related to awareness because an open and holistic mind has the ability to see more of the complete picture of an event - including your own attitudes and emotions that you bring to the “picture”.    

Law of Projection  

     To the extent that the matter, or “flesh”, in which the spiritual energy “dwells”, is neither transformed (see Law of Transformation) nor destroyed (see Law of Anti-bondage), then the spiritual energy is projected outward onto other matter or processes. Projection takes two main forms: positive and negative. 

    Positive projection manifests constructive energy patterns outwardly because they have not been clearly seen or embraced/understood within the parameters of the matter in which the spiritual energy is based. Positive projection is a way to get the energy form “out there” so it can be seen. 

    Once the energy form is projected, it can be reclaimed (via the Law of Attraction, see below) via one or more of the 5 senses. The material aspect of self then has a chance to be transformed (see Law of Transformation) into a state which better serves the spiritual goal of becoming whole. For example, seeing beauty around you can be a way of positively projecting the beauty of your spirit, so the “flesh” can comprehend. 

    Negative projection gets the high resistance energy (which tends to block wholeness) “out there”, into objective awareness/consciousness, where it can be “grasped”(understood) mentally, and can be addressed, worked on, processed, and corrected. For example, seeing evil or “ugliness” in the world can be a way of eventually re-addressing our own spirit’s contamination. In the challenge of facing it out there, we sometimes come to realize that “We have met the enemy, and it is us.” 

    The Law of Projection is related to the birthright, need, and virtue of Challenge because mental projections and human projects create interactive learning opportunities that hone our skills and test our understanding.

Law of Attraction

    Just as troops in battle send for reinforcements, the spirit attracts spiritual energy to help it achieve wholeness. There are two main kinds of attraction: 1. Attraction in the service of internal balance/wholeness, 2. Attraction in the service of external balance/wholeness.  

    For internal balance, we are attracted to spiritual energy which compliments our own. The saying “opposites attract” applies to attraction in the service of internal balance. A man may be attracted to a woman for her “softer” ways and qualities. These ways and qualities may counterbalance his aggressive, less sensitive, action orientation. A person with stress may be attracted to colorful flowers, in order to offset his or her feelings of “darkness”. 

    An example of attraction in the service of external balance is when people who have survived victimization are attracted to a support group to help each other face the victimization. People may pull together (and are attracted to each other in the group) in order to prepare to counteract the strength of their adversary/aggressor. 

    Attraction is related to friendship, support, and love, because it gathers up support, and usually involves a feeling of unity. In a community setting, attraction for the purpose of supporting each other (attraction in the service of external balance – to feel stronger, more secure) in order to deal with ongoing adversarial forces such as natural threat, economic threat, injustice, ignorance, lost human potential, and alienation will most likely translate into a sense of belonging and in an overall friendly atmosphere. Attraction in the service of internal balance - attraction which helps us feel more whole – is the basis for love. It tends to provide an even stronger “glue” than that provided by a sense of belonging or from an atmosphere of friendliness/neighborliness.  

Law of Transformation

    Like energy stored in a battery, spiritual energy is usually based in matter that functions as a container, such as a human body and mind. This container can be put to good use for helping achieve wholeness if it can be transformed into a vehicle, conduit, or vessel. The spirit’s attempt to transform the matter, or “container”, into a vessel is the Law of Transformation at work. In so doing, the matter is afforded a quality of meaningfulness. The Law of Transformation is related to the birthright, need, and virtue of purpose because it turns the “stuff” of human personality and body into a special “gift” to the community. It offers the person a sense of worthwhile selfhood, rather than identifying self as a mere thing/object. In a healthy community, each person is transformed into someone special. 

Law of Anti-Bondage

    To the extent that the matter/container isn’t transformed into a vehicle to promote wholeness, the spiritual energy will opt to destroy part, or all, of the container, in order to break free. The spirit will not be kept in bondage. 

    One way that the law of anti-bondage works in human beings is through self-destructive acts. An alcoholic may subconsciously work hard at hitting his or her “bottom”, in order to find a way out of the madness. 

     The Law of Anti-bondage is related to philosopher Heigel’s concept of  “antithesis.” 

Antithesis breaks up the old order, thereby allowing the creative process of  “synthesis” to move the individual or system toward the establishment of a new “thesis”, a new order. In terms of the community, anti-bondage is related to the birthright, need, and virtue of simplicity, because it helps people detach from the “baggage” of worldly possessions and concerns. This baggage may include our own thoughts that get in the way of accurate perception.

    The spirit may exercise the Law of Anti-bondage to break free of thoughts that interfere with wholeness. Various symptoms of mental illness may, at times, serve the purpose of allowing for mental restructuring. Meditative practices of detaching from thought by shifting to perceptiveness, receptiveness, “mindfulness”, or communing, can help community participants use the Law of Anti-bondage intentionally and consciously, in the manner of learning to “let go”.  

   A sense of wholeness accompanies such “letting go” so often that letting go (or “out with the old”) may appear to be one and the same as going directly to wholeness. But when a person is “stuck” in an attachment to a material thing, or is otherwise psychologically/mentally fixated, he/she must take that first step of letting go, before he/she can “let God” (or “let Wholeness”). The Law of Anti-bondage serves (and is closely related to) the Law of Wholeness, but is not identical to it.        

    Reeba and Jesse were certainly challenged by these rather complex ideas, but they got the gist, or spirit, of it, and they looked forward to assimilating these concepts into their world view. They, like Todd, were beginning to "think like energy", and the 5 laws seemed to be plausible characteristics of energy. It spreads out into fields of energy. It arcs out in the form of lightening or laser beams. It magnetically attracts. It transforms matter and allows matter to transform it. It can break free of matter in the form of explosions or fire, and it can exist somewhat independently of material objects. It has a characteristic of defying material "bondage". 

  And if spirit is at all like energy, then the natural laws would seem to apply to this form of mental energy which we call the spirit. Spirit would appear to be a deeper, purer, form of mind than regular thought or "ego", but a part of mind, nonetheless. Or, perhaps mind is part of spirit. Whichever way, they both seem intimately connected to something that, at the very least, closely resembles "energy". If we are going to be honest about conceptualizing spirit, energy seems the closest match we now have. 

   The next step may be to differentiate mental or spiritual energy from, say, electricity or combustible energy from gasoline. Electricity probably knows no love, nor has any thoughts. Mind, although a seemingly a form of energy, must be a special form which transcends the qualities of electricity or combustion.  Much to think about here, but Jesse and Reeba were willing to take it on - willing to leap into the waters of the relatively unknown. 

   They shook Todd's hands at presentation's end. They appreciated the many thoughts he had contributed to the lifestyle changes which they were now making. They hoped to pass along some of the torch which Todd held up that night, and had lit in his earlier writings related to the formation of this promising new community. 

Darrell