Phase 1 - March 26th
Session 12
Purpose:
Our last sessions will be used for:
- A final recapitulation and summary of what we have covered.
- Feedback on the process and experience of participants.
- Setting plans for further work together if desired.
Approach:
We will take the approach of looking at our process from three different points of view:
- Participants as individuals.
- All of us as a group working together.
- The perspective of someone (John H in this case) trying to facilitate this process.
Preparation:
Serious reflection on the process, apart from the personal experience of the content of the process.
Phase 1 Summary
We’ve covered a lot of ground in Phase 1, but the core of it can be summarized in the following steps:
- HYPOTHESIS: To take seriously, even if only theoretically to start with, the possibility that our likes and dislikes, attractions and aversions, agreements and disagreements control a significant part of our lives. That when the reactional parts of our centers respond to outside influences those reactions give us the illusion of having real experiences, real feelings, making real decisions and taking real actions. That the overstimulation of the centers with sensitive energy keeps us from noticing the lack of conscious energy that would enable us to see ourselves as we really are.
- DISILLUSIONMENT: To use study, reasoning, struggle and shared self-observations to see, beyond a shadow of a doubt, the terror of the situation, the truth of the situation beyond theory, that a life lived through reactions to like and dislike cannot fulfill our deeper possibilities and for the most part living such a life doesn’t even have anything to do with us, with who we essentially are. To become thoroughly disillusioned with living this kind of a life. To see it for the fictional life that it is.
- POSSIBILITIES: To form a new picture of our possibilities, even if only theoretically to start with, which goes beyond the reactional self to include the divided self, our essence, conscience, real consciousness and the possibility of forming a “true self”. To understand, at least theoretically, that this inner development has the possibility of using the personality as an instrument for action and manifestation coming from our true nature; instead of the current situation where personality pretends to be a master, when in reality it’s almost completely controlled by reactions to like and dislike.
- VERIFICATION: To use the methods of struggle, self-observation, sensing, breathing, meditation, conscious labor and intentional suffering, presence, sacrifice, surrender, grace, joy, etc. to verify for ourselves, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that this inner development is not only theoretically possible, but it will become a practical reality for us if we are willing to work toward this development in a balanced way. To verify the possibility and joy that comes from experiencing personality and consciousness as instruments of our higher nature.
- COMMITMENT: To make a solid commitment toward this aim of real, balanced inner development.
From the comments and observations made recently we appear to have made significant progress along this path. Speaking for myself, I can say that even though I have studied and worked toward this aim for 40 years, these last three months have helped me considerably to deepen my own understanding, practice, confidence and hope.
We will use our last session to review these five steps and consider possibilities for the future.