Finding the Voice

2004-9-17 05:44:00

Let us start with the last part of the current question:

"How do you know you are hearing the true voice?"

John Z writes:
I myself have experienced "good feelings", which were so close to the "real thing" (as you call it), that I could not tell the difference. It was only the passage of time, that showed me the error of my ways. I also know of others that have experienced similarly.

JJ:
This is indeed a major problem and John is two steps ahead of most seekers for just recognizing it. Many who hear any voice at all automatically assume it is from God and will follow it to the death without questioning.

John C gives good advice in finding the true voice:
But, I repeat, it is possible to learn how to tell the difference. It's like tuning a guitar string. You have to keep adjusting it. And, yes, you do need to look at the fruits. You always need to look at the fruits. But each time you look at the results of having followed what you thought was a spiritual prompting, you go back and look at the original prompting. Look at how you felt when the choice was right vs. how you felt when the choice was wrong. Use that feedback for the next time you are prompted to do something. One must do some fine-tuning until they get it right. We do have a promise: seek and ye shall find. It doesn't say seek and ye shall be left in doubt. There is certainty available to us.

JJ:
Good advice John. Let me comment on your last sentence: "There is certainty available to us."

This is true and I know you are talking about a certainty through the soul, but we must keep in mind that there are two types of certainty.

(1) A certainty about a conclusion that is not correct but based upon an embraced illusion. For instance, many people were certain that Planet X was going to show up last spring, yet it never came. They thought they knew, but didn't know that they not know.

(2) A certainty based upon true reality and spiritual contact. This falls in two categories.

(A) Logic and common sense. I am certain the sun will come up tomorrow. I have good reason to be certain of this. This person knows and reasons that he knows.

(B) Soul Contact: The person has broken through the veils that disguise the soul energy and finds and registers true spiritual contact. He finds this contact to be the most real and infallible source there is. Only his interpretations of it are subject to error.

This person knows and knows that he knows.

We all seek to know and know that we know so let us cover the points we need to know to arrive at this. We will make a list beginning with the first one today.

In this direction is a truism that I just added to the list which is:

"You find what you are looking for."

Question:
How is this a key to understanding why some people hear a deceptive voice?

Since we find what we look for then what do we need to look for to avoid deception?

All love that has not friendship for its base, is like a mansion built upon sand. Ella Wheeler Wilcox, O Magazine, February 2004