Love Vs. Fear

I was talking with someone about love and fear today.  He made the comment that it all comes down to love and fear and I agreed.  I then said that love was the only real thing I knew of.  Love is eternal and comes from God, fear is transient and frequently relates to earthly, material things.  Both are feelings and the actions that result.  However, if a person acts in the presence of fear (courage), the fear dissolves and goes away, like elusive vapor.  If one acts in the presence of love, it gets stronger and spreads.  It also feels a lot better and more real!

Comparisons

Maria, my wife, and I took a ride to a forest service area near Sunset Crater and Wupatki National Monument, for a short hike and period of outdoor meditation.  On the way there we passed a dog that was dead and on the side of the road, having been hit by a car.  It was being eaten by another dog, a chilling scene.  We drove past the lava fields to a place where the pine trees were bent and gnarled, in large part because of the frequent strong wind.  The trees also showed evidence of lightning strikes and the resulting fires.
When I began meditating, I was communicating to the trees an acknowledgment of how hard their life was.  What I got back, loud and clear, was that “it is what it is” and that “comparisons are useless”.  As it says in the poem “Desiderata” by Max Ehermann, it is best not to use comparison and just peacefully accept what is.

Living the Truth

The theme of a dream I had several years ago was “You’ve got to remember, it won’t work if you don’t tell the truth”.  In the dream I ended up speaking those words forcefully and repeatedly to a group of aliens who wished to show earthlings that the aliens were friendly and not a threat to earth.  I wanted to convey to the aliens the importance of people knowing who they really were, if they wanted to accomplish their mission, that if the people on earth did not know the truth about who they were, their mission would fail.
In my case, I would like to show people the healing power of God/love and how it can change their lives, as it has changed mine.  Part of me would like to talk about this from within a monastery or on a stage sitting next to a Bird of Paradise flower, but that would not be real, the day to day truth which I live.  What I mean is that part of me would like to live a simple ideal life that would not make it difficult to live my truth, rather than the complex, challenging life I lead.  Living a normal life and writing a daily journal feels more real, so I have joined the ranks of the quiet ones who behave similarly.

Location of Consciousness, Part 2

During the recovery meeting this morning, I was reminded of Occam’s razor with regard to the location of consciousness.  Occam’s razor states that the simplest explanation is usually the right one.  I learned that guiding principle during college and I also learned “treasure your exceptions” since that is where the learning is.  I tend to use both of these principles frequently, especially to cut through personal biases that keep me from the truth.
I have used both of these principles with regard to the location of consciousness.  Over the centuries people have reported numerous instances of disassociation, when the location of their consciousness has shifted to a location out of their physical body.  There have also been reports of near-death or after-death experiences that also involve a change in the location of consciousness.  Personally, I have experienced both.  It is certainly possible to come up with various explanations for any of these experiences, which people have done.  However, in my opinion, the simplest explanation is that consciousness is not exclusively located in the brain.
I spent the rest of the day relaxing, sorting and meditating.

Sensing the Aura

I encountered several people telling conflicting stories about each other today, a situation that I have encountered many times before.  I was also being asked to sort through all of this, in order that appropriate action might be taken.  It was frustrating and I just took my best guess and went with it.
Each of us project an energy field around us that does not lie or manipulate, which some people see as an “aura” and I can feel but not see.  It is a bit different for each individual, much like differences in facial expressions or body type.  As a result of the differences, I have to get to know a person in order to discern what is being communicated through their aura.  That is the only way I know of to sort through the conflicting stories I speak of in the preceding paragraph.

I was talking to an individual today and sensing his energy field, as a part of the deep listening I do when really connecting with the person I am talking to.  In order to do this level of listening, it has to be totally selfless, without ego involvement and based on love and compassion for the person I am speaking with.  Fundamentally, I need to first resolve my own issues and/or get them out of the way.  I was able to do that successfully in this case.  In the process of switching topics I could feel his energy field switch also, which was quite remarkable for me.  I also checked it with him and though the switch was totally subconscious and involuntary, he could feel it too.

Information From the Other Side

One of the things that I experience frequently, often daily, is that spirits or the inhabitants of the spirit realm, sometimes called the other side of the veil, are very careful about the information we have access to from that realm, in a very loving and protective way.  I have also noticed the same thing in various writings over the centuries.  Some people are/were aware of the limitation, some were not.  I have a deep respect for the limitation and have no desire to push against those limits.  I can feel the loving and wise intent behind them.  The restrictions are lovingly put in place by entities far wiser than I am, much the way a parent restricts the information given to a small child, until they are ready to make use of it.

White Lies

In my view love is always honest and acting out of love always increases the integrity of the universe, very simple.  This view also flies in the face of the belief that “white lies” are necessary and that to tell the truth in some situations is cruel or harmful, which was mentioned in the men’s group tonight.  White lies are generally ways of avoiding the truth or its consequences, an approach that seems quite reasonable in a superficial relationship like employer to employee or passing conversations on the street, and I tend to use diplomacy in those situations.  When I do tell a white lie in more intimate situations, I generally go back and apologize, thinking that the people I care about are worth more than that.
My position is that it is possible to tell the truth, do it gently and lovingly and not be harmful in any way.  For example, if asked “do you think my outfit is attractive” when you do not think it is, to respond with a simple “no” could be harmful and would not increase the integrity of the universe.  It is also possible to respond with something like “I generally find you attractive but I do not like that particular outfit”, being honest without causing harm.  Another honest response could be “I think it best not to answer that question since I have unreasonable and unrealistic beliefs about appearance and/or body type that come from my upbringing/culture and have nothing to do with you”.  Admittedly, either of the more loving responses would potentially lead to a more complicated discussion.  However, either of those response would also lead to greater intimacy and growth.

Changing Attitudes & Behaviors

In terms of behaviors and attitudes, I have been stuck, relatively immobile, most of my life, though not recently.  My stuckness was not due to my upbringing, low self-esteem, intellect or any of a number of other things which I originally thought were the cause.  It was due to the fear of change, a lack of trust and faith.  I have, more recently, changed my attitude to that of love and faith with the result that the fears have dissolved.  Change and fluidity have become a part of my life and I enjoy the situation, it feels more natural.
Several people in my life are also stuck in lives that they either don’t enjoy or that they are actively trying to get away from.  One way to do that is to simply punch through the fears and change.  Another way is to first work on increasing the feelings of love and faith and then change.  I use the latter and find it more successful.

Love, Peace, Connectedness and Compassion

I realized today, that I am losing touch with the drama of the human experience.  Because of my connection with God, I inhabit a world of love, peace, connectedness and compassion.  It is an absolute world so there is no corresponding apathy, hate, fear, feeling of chaos or loneliness, it is a bit strange.  The drama that has been present most of my life is gone, other than in memory, and occasional lapses, which keep me alert.  I still also hear the chatter of my brain at times, but for the most part I enjoy doing nothing, as I did yesterday.
In addition to enjoying being quiet, doing nothing and simply feeling at peace, there are many related benefits.  For example, I feel little or no need to prove myself or justify my actions, I am content being Charlie.  Another example is that I am preparing to lead a retreat and I passionately want people to grow as a result, but what form that takes makes little difference.  The retreat could simply stir up negative thoughts, resulting in them resenting me and ultimately the retreat would still lead to their growth.  A third example is that my future path is totally up in the air and I am good with that.  Understanding is not required!

Healing

Today I ended up talking and thinking about the options of talking about versus holding something inside and not talking about it.  I have done both, numerous times.  Holding something inside feels the same as trying to close up a physical wound before it is ready, it swells, gets more painful and festers.  The pain and hurt do not heal.  On the other hand, talking with a trusted individual, who will simply listen, rather than trying to fix or correct me,  permits healing.  A scar may remain, but things feel better and it is possible to move on with life, unencumbered.

The latter is a love based approach, the former is fear based.  Having tried both, I prefer the latter.