The Seeker’s Guide to Soul Contact
By
J J Dewey
Check out this introductory video HERE
Introduction
A Course in Miracles (ACIM) was an inspired course leading to the healing of grievances and the discernment of the real from the unreal. Since it was published there have been many others who have written about it plus several attempts to produce similar material.
Overall, though, ACIM remains the gold standard for this type of presentation.
As I was contemplating the course I realized that this basic method could be used to teach about a number of subjects and is especially applicable to anything related to the raising of consciousness.
During my many years as a spiritual teacher I have found that a subject that has raised many questions has been that of soul contact. Soul energy is that which is produced through the interplay of matter and spirit. Focusing on this midway point then opens the door to the kingdom of souls, where dwells our Solar Angel or the higher or God part of ourselves.
Many seekers desire strongly to be able to make higher contact, but just do not know concrete steps that can be taken to achieve this. Because the need is there it becomes obvious that a step-by-step course could fill the vacuum.
Unlike A Course in Miracles and other similar works this will not be a channeled book, though I will do my best to focus on my own soul contact as I write.
Perhaps a parable will illustrate the great endeavor ahead for those who seek true soul contact.
Parable of Soul Contact
Imagine in the beginning that there is one central broadcasting station for all programs and life experiences. This is called SPIRIT.
Then there is a medium through which all broadcasts are transmitted. This is called SOUL.
Finally, we have the possibility of instruments or vehicles which can pick up that which is transmitted.
When humans began their long period of evolution they started with no instruments at all except for a computer program that we call instinct, which is built into them. This computer program was created at the Central Broadcasting Station (Spirit) and planted in humans to make sure they can survive until they can consciously tune in and receive.
Individuals ran on this program for many lifetimes and slowly, by trial and error, began to realize that the program did not answer all of their needs. Meanwhile the Central Station continues broadcasting and the waves pass through them, but until they develop a receiving instrument they cannot clearly intercept the higher communication.
Then every once in a while, when the individual was still, he sensed that there was more than the program, that there is new material of which to become aware. In his moments of stillness he thinks he feels the vibration of the broadcast (soul) passing through his body. The feeling is so slight that the first few times he senses it he dismisses it as his imagination, but, finally, he becomes convinced that there has to be something more out there. He is now weary of just running on his preprogrammed material and reasons that if indeed there is a Creator out there then there has to be more to receive, or life would not be worth living and he should just self destruct.
As the seeker bumps into dead end after dead end, because of the limits of his program, he decides to take a chance and attempt to construct some type of receiving device to receive the Central Broadcast that he has dimly sensed.
Then for a long period of time he experiments with hundreds of mechanical listening devices that he attaches to his ear. Some of them amplified noise and regular sounds, and there were many times that he thought he was hearing from the Central Station, but time after time he learned that he was deceived. Several times his friends, who thought he was crazy, played tricks on him. Another time a charlatan passing through town deceived him and then there were many times that other men claimed to have made the breakthrough. These beastly men claimed that only they could receive from the Central Station and if anyone wanted to know what the broadcast was they alone could be trusted to reveal it.
The seeker continued to search but there were many times he doubted himself and thought that maybe he was crazy for trying to receive from the Central Station because of the ridicule he received from his friends and developing authorities who claimed that only certain appointed ones could ever receive.
The man made many mistakes and had many self doubts, but the idea of the search never completely left his mind, and one day, as he was in contemplation under a tree, he saw a tremendous bolt of lightening strike in the distance.
After the strike a large amount of electricity filled the air and it seemed to the guy that for a short moment he was sensing the broadcast waves. It seemed as if he saw things in his mind and heard things with his ears that he had never experienced before.
After the storm subsided the man roused himself with joy for he realized that he had found the missing ingredient for reception, which was electricity (soul energy).
The man went back to his workshop and gathered together all the physical materials that did not seem to work before and experimented by adding the element of electricity to them. Finally, after much work and frustration the man put together a primitive radio receiver. There was a lot of static, the sound was bad and sometimes it worked and sometimes it did not, but, finally, he was sure that he was receiving something, for the words were clearly meaningful.
He still did not trust his instrument completely because in the past he had been deceived by people playing tricks on him and perhaps this was another deception. He listened to the broadcast in private and tested it again and again and finally concluded that no deceiver could come up with such new and refreshing material that was not in his original program.
Upon concluding that he was truly receiving, he had so much joy that he decided to share his good fortune with his friends. He took his receiving instrument and showed it to his friends. They were curious and asked for a demonstration. The man turned it on and after some static he heard a couple of sentences come through.
“There it is! Did you hear that?”
“Hear what?” said his friends. “All we heard was a bunch of noise.”
The man was beside himself. His friends must have not been paying attention. “There it is again!” he said.
“What do you mean?” said his friends. “All that is coming across is just noise. We think this quest of yours has scrambled your brain. Perhaps you need professional help.”
At this the man realized that only he could hear the words on the receiver, that for some reason the instrument was in tune with him and that each person would have to eventually create his own medium of reception.
Night after night the man listened to his new device and wrote down the information. Then after a period of time another idea occurred to him:
“I know how I can prove beyond any doubt that I am receiving from the Central Station. I will take some of the material I have received and share it with others. Then when they contrast the new material with all the other worn out programs in circulation, the people will become convinced that I am a true receiver. Then all they have to do is follow the plans I have for instruments and they can then receive everything I do without my help.”
He was enthused about this plan and immediately began teaching the words of Light to all who would listen.
But alas, he was alarmed and disheartened by the reception. Many of his closest friends thought that this new material was not as good as the old program and that even the charlatans had more to offer.
The man did not give up and he taught others, but their leaders pointed the finger of scorn at him and told their followers that he was an agent of the devil, and the people turned on the man and he was lucky to escape without injury.
Then the man retreated for a long period of time into his quiet chambers and concluded that if no one else was going to benefit by his discovery at least he would. The first thing he did was to work on his receiver, and after a period of time he was able to eliminate the static and blank periods so the broadcast came through loud and clear on a consistent basis. But he did not give up here. He continued to experiment until he developed the equivalent of a primitive black and white TV. It had such a small screen and so much snow that images were difficult to make out, but he continued working until he had a larger screen with clear images and sound.
Then he realized that color would add even more beauty to his learning pleasure and that was also perfected.
Finally, everything was fined tuned and the man learned and learned and learned until he felt he was about to burst at the seams with knowledge. He reached a point where learning was no longer important. What good was all this knowledge if he had no one to share it with?
The big question was with whom could he share his knowledge? Everyone seemed to be satisfied with either their original program or with the teachings of illusion. What was he to do?
The man sat silently for many moments in front of the TV contemplating the answer when he heard the Words of Light come through loud and true.
“There are others.”
The man perked up. Over his transmitter he heard the answer. Why didn’t he think of this before? There has to be others who have made some type of receiver and they have also retreated into a solitary space because of rebuke from their peers.
The man then went on a quest to find others like himself who have been receiving from the Central Station. “How will I find them,” he asked himself? And then a plan came to his mind.
“I will go forth again and teach things that do not conflict with the program of the ordinary people, yet I shall plant within these teachings higher knowledge that will pass over the heads of all but the other receivers who can also comprehend.”
The man then went out into the world and taught to all who would listen his parables of hidden meaning, and sure enough there were other receivers with eyes to see and ears to hear who recognized certain words and concepts they had themselves received from the Central Broadcasting Station. As they recognized that this man was no ordinary teacher, the other receivers began to gather with him. As they gathered they all discovered that they had all built receivers of different grades and qualities. Those with better receivers began to help and instruct their brothers and sisters so all who desired could receive with the quality and picture that was desired.
Finally a potency of force was built up so that even those with no receivers began to believe that reception was possible, and the numbers of the receivers began to multiply.
After a period of time, the unexpected happened. As the receivers were all gathered together in one body a message of great Wholeliness came to them all from the Central Station.
They heard a Master speak these great words: “The time has come that the sender and the receiver become One.” They then heard the words of most hallowed instructions that could not be written.
Those who followed the words blended with the Central Station and the Central Station Blended with them in Oneness. Now they discovered that it was no longer necessary to have an instrument of reception, for the Spiritual Center was now in them and they were in the Center. They could walk among humanity and teach all things or they could explore new worlds. All things were now theirs and their joy was full.
The Seeker’s Guide to Soul Contact
Day 1
Who or what am I?
Many there are who agree with the atheist scientific approach that all the ingredients of our makeup came from physical matter interacting with the various elements to produce our bodies, our feelings, our thoughts, self awareness, our personalities and intelligence.
For those taking this approach we merely seem to be our bodies, end of story.
A true seeker takes a different approach. He perceives that there is more to life than a physical body and the chemical reactions taking place therein. He knows he has feelings, his own thoughts, a distinct personality and is aware of self. Even without having a supernatural experience for verification, he seems to have an inner knowing that tells him that he is much more than a material body. When he looks within he senses that there is a dweller within the body which is his essential self, but what this dweller is seems a great mystery to many. Others go by cut-and-dried answers supplied by their religious authorities.
For the purpose of this lesson the student should drop every thought and belief that he has ever embraced, become as a little child and approach this subject as if he were learning of it for the first time. Go by the one thing you know for sure: within your body is a conscious intelligent dweller.
Today reflect on this dweller, what it is and what is its relationship with the parts of the whole. Keep this thought in your mind throughout the day. Whenever you get a moment to pause and think, dwell on this and contemplate the answer to the question: Who or what am I? Make mental, or even physical notes, of the thoughts that manifest.
NOTE: For further exploration on this subject read The Immortal, Book I, which explores this very question. You can read it free HERE.
For further reading on soul contact go to Google and paste this in for searching:
“soul contact” site:freeread.com
Day 2
I see my body for what it is
An important step is to realize that you are not your body. This realization goes beyond a mere acknowledgment of fact. Theoretically, accepting a fact in your mind does not always result in realization. To realize the truth behind a fact requires contemplation and thought, which leads to verification through experience.
Until realization comes, the seeker tends to over-identify with the body even though he may accept the fact that he is not the body.
The owner of a body is a little like the guy who invested all his savings in a classic car that becomes his pride and joy. He has placed so much attention on that car that it has seemed to become a part of who he is.
Many are like the classic car owner in that they over-identify with their bodies, even if they factually know there is life beyond the body.
Seeing your body for what it is will help move your thinking on your body to its proper place.
Like a car that is not you, but with which you may identify, your body is a creation, a vehicle that you use. When the guy in the classic car drives through the neighborhood everyone knows who the driver is the moment they see the car. Likewise when friends see your body they know who is inside directing it.
Your body is not you but is a great creation assembled by divine intelligence of which the real you is a part.
Scripture speaks of the body as a temple of God and indeed it is. Symbolism for the entire universe is contained therein and even the tiniest cell represents intelligence beyond that which has been manifested by scientists since the beginning of this planet.
You helped design the finished product, which is your body, and the changes in your consciousness since birth are reflected in changes in your body.
Your body represents the portion of your consciousness that incarnated here on the physical plane. Go to a mirror and look at your whole body. What you see is what your limited human consciousness has molded.
Next, look a your face. This reveals your intelligence and character.
Finally look deep into your eyes. This represents a doorway to the highest part of yourself. When you look into your own eyes you sense that, even though your body is a grand creation, you are something else. You are much more than a body. Indeed, the eyes are a window to the soul.
Your body is a vehicle that you are using, but it is not you any more than your car is you. Even so, it is a symbol of your intelligence and consciousness and can give you clues that will guide your consciousness back to your true self.
For today’s assignment try to arrange three times that you can be alone to look in a mirror for several minutes.
First look at your face and ask, “What kind of person am I? Am I friendly, loving, kind…? If I met someone like me would I like to be around them? What changes do I need to make?”
Now look as deeply as possible into your eyes. This should be your main focus of the day. As you look in your eyes see a divine presence of which you are a part. This presence is your true self and is much more loving and intelligent than you are in this limited condition. Look and feel that there is more, much more than the limited life you experience in the body.
Day 3
I see this world for what it is
Just as your body is not the real you, this world is not your real home. It is merely a vehicle for experience and exploration that you use in this limited existence.
You are not your body and neither is your home here. All true seekers feel their true home is elsewhere.
This world is a shadow, or a distorted reflection of your true home. In your true home everything is as it seems but in this world there are illusion, lies and great deception that permeate humanity. Distortion comes to you through your media, from your teachers and in your relationships with others as well as from your own self. Many things you have been told are not true. Many things that you believe are not true. Much of that which you see and hear today is not true.
This world requires constant vigilance from the seeker to sort out truth from error, but this is not the case in your true home. In your true home you have beloved friends who never deceive you. You have teachers who only want you to see truth in its purest form. There you see eye-to-eye with other souls and experience joy in relationships. No one seeks to distort and deceive.
In your true home lives a higher part of yourself who is linked to all other selves who are linked to God. In this world it appears the link is severed and we are on our own. This thought itself is a great illusion. This illusion exists because you are a reflection of a higher part of yourself who has forgotten its true identity and true home. You are like one in a dream who is not aware he is dreaming. If the dreamer becomes aware he is dreaming, he realizes that he belongs in a greater reality that created the dream.
You are a dream of the soul. It is not time yet for you to awaken, but it is time to become aware of your dream so you can see the illusions in your dream. When you see the illusions and are aware of the dream, you can then enjoy the dream and assist those who are deceived and depressed by the dream. You can help them understand that they are not alone, but are linked with their true self and other souls.
First you must secure this link for yourself. The memory is so blocked that it will require significant attention and effort on your part to secure it. This you can begin to do by using the power of your divine imagination. Today you will use this power not to extend a fantasy, but to see the real. When you imagine the real again and again the link becomes real and you will be aware of your true home and true self even as you live here in this world of distortion.
Here is your assignment.
Imagine a world where there are many colors brighter, living and more vivid than anything you have seen here. Imagine breathtaking beauty everywhere you look.
Imagine a world where it is impossible to deceive, a world where love abounds and serving your neighbor is as important as serving yourself.
Imagine a world where all are friendly, yet you have great joy associating with a circle of intimate and ancient friends who know you intimately and take joy in your progression. Imagine a reunion with them and embracing them with great love.
Imagine a world where you can communicate with complete understanding. No one will accuse you of saying that which you did not intend to communicate.
Imagine a world where teachers filled with light and love are always available to help and assist you.
Imagine a world where all knowledge is stored and you can access it when you are ready.
Now close your eyes and see a thread of light extending from your inner mind slightly upward linking you to this world. Now see that your consciousness can move upon this light and explore. Someone is there waiting to welcome you home.
Try to do this exercise three times today.
Day 4
I am not my feelings
We have established the fact that you are not your physical body. This is a fact fairly easy to accept for those who believe in an afterlife, but even for them it is difficult to let go of our attachment to the body. For instance, when sick the person may say, “I am sick” when the “I” is fine, but it is the body that is out of harmony.
Letting go of attachments to the body is difficult, but the problem is multiplied with the feeling or emotional nature.
Just like the physical body is a vehicle made of material matter, even so do we have an emotional body also made of matter but of a higher vibration. This emotional or astral body vibrates in and out of tune according to how it is played with the mind. When out of tune it will respond with anger, jealousy, hate, depression and other negative feelings. When in tune it will provide you with happiness, a sense of well-being, excitement, passion, carnal love and many other amplifications of desire.
When you feel these emotions it seems that they are you, but they are not you. They are sensations created in your astral body similar to sensations created in the physical. Just as you can be tickled to create a physical sensation your emotional body can be touched in different ways to create emotional sensations. One might say that when you tickle the emotional body with humor you get laughter or levity.
It is important that you not only see this truth on a theoretical level, but come to realization on it. The seeker must learn to see the feelings with detachment. The easiest emotion to do this with is anger. We are happy to identify with positive emotions such as romantic love and happiness, but some of the negative ones cause us to naturally distance ourselves.
Anger is a good example of this. Many times when people express more anger than appropriate they will have this thought: “This is not me.” In other words, many realize upon expressing too much anger that those emotions are not a real part of themselves for negative emotions do not represent their self-image.
Which leads us to this conclusion. If you are not your negative emotions, then you are not your positive ones either. Both sets of emotions are characteristics of a vehicle made of astral matter that you use in this life. It is your symbolic car that you use to navigate through the world of feeling. You are the driver, but not the emotion itself.
Since anger is a powerful emotion from which it is natural to distance ourselves let us create today’s exercise around it. Think back to a time when you were very angry. Go back in the past and try and relive it. As you do this you will sense the anger within you almost as if it were not you, but another life form trying to express itself. Even when your mind saw that the need for anger had passed you still felt that fire burning in your breast making you feel like screaming. It took self control on your part to not fully obey the emotion.
You did not realize it at the time, but that emotion was composed of elemental lives that have nothing to do with your real self. It is separate from you, but you have power to stimulate it or to quiet it down. You are the driver.
Sooner or later you will feel anger again. It may not be today, but the time will come. When it does visualize yourself stepping out of your body and becoming an observer of what is going on. If you truly become the observer you will not only see, but realize that your emotions are not you, but something you use to navigate in this world of illusion.
Day 5
I use my feelings; my feelings do not use me.
Your feelings seem to have a life of their own and in a sense this is true. This creates a competition for dominance in the body. Who is in charge? Is it you, the dweller, or is it the feelings pulling on the dweller?
The feelings and desires of the astral body are always seeking to have their way and do all in their power to pull you in the direction they want. The problem is that if you yield to the desire nature that it will always go to excess. It will make you eat too much and have no discernment as to what is good for you and what is not. It will cause you to express too much emotion at one time and then suppress too much at other times.
The feeling nature lacks your basic intelligence and power of judgment so turning your life over to it causes you to attempt to navigate the path of life with no steering wheel.
If the consciousness you see as yourself does not take control of the feeling nature then the feeling nature will assume control and produce such great static between you and the world of spirit that soul contact becomes difficult, if not impossible.
The assignment today is to ask and contemplate the answer to these questions throughout the day:
Who is in charge – me or my feelings?
In what areas of my life do my feelings dominate and where is it that I dominate my feelings?
Where am I weak and where am I strong?
Are my beliefs the product of my feelings or my thoughts?
How will my life change when I use my feelings instead of them using me?
Day 6
My feelings hide the light of the soul.
Visualize the earth on a sunny day basking in the rays of the sun. Then see times that storms arise with clouds, dust and mists that block the sun and turn the skies dark.
The earth is a symbol of you and the sun is the light of the soul. The storms are symbolic of your feelings.
This illustrates a truth that must be absorbed. No matter how often your feelings seek control and create inner storms that block the light, the light is always there and never fails – just like the sun continues to shine beyond the storms no matter how fierce they may be.
In the days of Jesus a great storm arose which blocked the sun and put great fear into the hearts of the disciples on the ship. They approached the Master exclaiming, “save us, lest we perish.”
He who had control over the emotions and had stilled them to perfect peace extended that peace and spoke to the out of control storm saying, “Peace … Be still.”
Had he not already spoken those words to his own feelings he would have had no power over the storm. The disciples had no power over the storm because their feelings were as disturbed as the storm itself.
To bask in the light of the inner sun the seeker must follow the example of the Christ and assume power over the emotions to the extent that he can command them to be at peace and to be still so they will not interfere with seeing the inner light.
Obtaining this power is not something the seeker will accomplish overnight, but it is important that he see the end result of this. If he knows that the reward is great then he will be motivated to become a master of his feelings.
Students who read this will be at various stages of mastery over the feeling nature, but all are subject to emotional storms that block the sun. Even Jesus allowed an emotional storm to manifest within himself as he chased the money changers out of the temple. This was not an unwanted storm but an example of right use of emotion. Nevertheless, in that state he could not have calmed the seas, but being a master all he had to do was withdraw and still himself again and in a short order he could have calmed the storm again.
Even so it is with us. No matter how advanced we think we are there are circumstances that can call forth powerful emotions. Sometimes it is right to allow them to manifest if the end is good. Usually it is best if they are controlled and remain still.
When your emotions are stormy for whatever reason it is important that you detach yourself from them, see yourself as the observer and speak to them saying, “Peace … Be still.”
In today’s assignment the seeker is to look within and examine his feelings and ask these questions.
Are all past storms within me stilled or are the waters still choppy? Are the winds still in motion and the sky yet overcast hiding the sun? Can a full-fledged storm beyond your control break out any moment?
Are you fearful about money, the political situation or some relationship? Do you hold hostile feelings toward another?
Tune into your feelings throughout the day and try to honestly assess their state and then say the words of Christ, “Peace … Be still.” Allow about ten seconds to lapse between the two affirmations.
After you say these words pay very focused attention to feeling the peace and the stillness.
Attempt to do this three or more times today.
Day 7
I will examine my feelings today
If the disturbed emotional nature obscures the light of the soul then it is a wise step to examine one’s emotions and discover any problems there. Those who identify with the feeling world make little effort to discover emotional blockages for they feel that their feelings are who they are and few want to change their essence.
When the seeker realizes that he is not his feelings, but they are merely a vehicle he uses then he is more likely to make changes for the better. After all, most would be happy to trade in their old car for a newer and better model.
To discover emotional blockages the seeker must look. Here are some feelings that can manifest and block out the light of the soul.
(1) Selfish desire love. This is a love that seeks to possess rather than to serve.
(2) Grievances held from lack of forgiveness or feeling hurt.
(3) Anger, irritation and resentment not harmlessly released.
(4) Fear – honestly face them all.
(5) Inflated self importance in relation to others
(6) The feeling of being a victim
(7) Jealously
(8) Depression and discouragement
(9) False humility
(10) Feeling overwhelmed, alone or abandoned.
This is not a complete list but merely presented to give you ideas of what to look for.
Your assignment to today is to examine your feelings from the viewpoint of the observer. Ask yourself which feelings are active and blocking the light of the soul and which ones are not.
The problem here is that the feelings that create the greatest problem are often the most difficult to truthfully face. Therefore, do your best to examine the whole range of your emotions and identify those that create the most interference.
When you discover a feeling that seems to create interference focus on it and say:
“The love of God radiates on this feeling and brings me peace.”
Again, three times a day is recommended, but be sure to get in at least one good review.
Day 8
I will find my grievances
All negative emotions can create internal stormy weather that can hide the light of the soul. Fortunately some of them are temporary, such as anger or irritation. You may become quite angry if you lose some important files on your computer, but will do your best to compensate and after a short while the anger is gone. While in the state of anger your power to focus on the inner light is greatly reduced. When the anger has passed then you are able to focus again.
Ideally the seeker would never get angry, but everyone does feel this emotion now and then. The important thing with anger and other negative emotions is to not let them get out of control and channel the energy in a harmless direction until it is diffused. It is important to avoid frequent negative emotions for if they reoccur too often the seeker will never have the peace necessary to establish soul contact.
A negative emotion that stands out from the rest is grievance. What makes it different is that, once embraced, the grievance has a continual effect. Anger, irritation, jealousy and others come and go, but once a grievance is held there is no relief. Even when you are not thinking of it this emotion continues working in the background of your feelings. The seeker will never attain the peace necessary for full soul contact as long as a grievance is held.
The seeker cannot neutralize grievances unless he realizes what they are so let us define what a grievance is.
A grievance is a hurt feeling that affects the emotional body. The hurt and pain manifests because of something considered injurious or wrong that someone else did to you. The wrongdoing could range from something small like a minor insult to something devastating such as a betrayal of a loved one.
It matters not that the cause is big or small for if a grievance manifests then the seeker has a major obstacle that blocks out the light of the inner sun. Therefore, we must deal with the finding and dispelling of all grievances.
The first step is for the seeker to find any current grievance within his breast. One of the problems with doing this is that many have held grievances for so long that the effect of it seems normal now. It seems to have gone, but perhaps your new normal has adjusted to it so, even though it lives on in the background, it seems to not be there.
In my college days I had a room next to a busy street. There was a constant noise from cars and trucks passing by and this really bothered me for a couple days. Then I adjusted to the interference so it didn’t bother me at all. But when I slept somewhere that was quiet I then noticed the difference.
Even so, the seeker may have adjusted to the interference of various grievances and seems to have adjusted to them. He will not realize the effect they have on him until they are faced and diffused. Then when he encounters real emotional silence he will be surprised at the difference.
Today’s assignment is to reflect on your life from your earliest memory to the present and recall all the emotional hurt that comes to your mind. As you find these grievances ask yourself if you have completely let them go or do they still have an effect on you. Is it still discomforting to reflect on them? If so maybe you have not let them go.
After you arrive at the present reflect on the people in your life now. Is there anyone who has hurt your feelings? Does that hurt still linger?
Identify as many grievances as possible so the next step can be taken.
Day 9
The Two Grievances
There are two kinds of grievances. The first is where the mind and emotions participate together and the second merely involves the emotional self, separate from the mind. When the mind does not participate then the grievance is accepted by the emotional self, but not the mental.
It is thought by many that the cause of all grievance is a lack of forgiveness and that by forgiveness the problem will be solved.
It is true that forgiving or realizing there is nothing to forgive will help to alleviate the first type of grievance where the mind is involved, but it will do little to help in the second.
The reason for this is that the emotional body has a primitive mind of its own and some of its feelings are generated independent of what your mind thinks. Thus deciding to forgive or let the grievance go will not work when your emotional intelligence will not cooperate.
To aid with understanding let us look at examples of the two kinds of grievances.
Grievance, Type One:
Jim was in a car accident where Bob was the driver. Bob took a corner too fast and they crashed landing Jim in the hospital suffering several broken bones. Bob just had a few scratches.
In that painful state Jim’s mind blamed Bob and calculated good reasons for doing this. In this case the emotions followed the reasoning mind and a grievance developed. Bob visited Jim and profusely apologized, but to no avail. Jim continued to blame Bob and held on to the grievance.
Grievance, Type Two
Jill just finished her first attempt at poetry. She put her heart and soul into what she thought was a beautiful poem. She visited her best friend Joan and read it to her thinking she would appreciate its depth.
Joan did not seem impressed at all and said it not only sounded a bit corny, but some of the English needed correction. She grabbed the poem, and made changes with red ink and handed it back.
Joan thought she was doing her friend a favor, bur poor Jill’s emotional self was devastated. She returned home without responding to Joan’s criticism and corrections.
Laying in bed that night Jill realized that her feelings were suffering a major hurt. She tried reasoning them away, saying to herself, “Joan was just giving me her honest opinion. She is entitled to do that. And her grammar corrections were spot on. She didn’t mean to hurt my feelings so they should not be hurt, but they are hurt and I can’t seem to let them go.”
In this second example the mind does not see any reason to hold a grievance, but a grievance is still held. Jill proclaiming that she forgives Joan does nothing. The grievance remains. The emotional body has taken control and decided to harbor offense and will not let the mind talk it out of the pain it is nourishing.
For your assignment today reflect again on all the grievances you can recall, past and present. As you review them attempt to figure out whether they fit into Type One or Type Two.
Meditate on how one can find release from the two types and how the approach will be different.
Day 10
I will change my mind today
Now that you have done your best to identify both types of grievances you must take steps to neutralize them. To do this the seeker must start with the mind for both types. The reason we start with the mind with Type Two (emotionally based grievances) as well as Type One is that the mind may hold a subtle, but unrecognized grievance. You may think you have forgiven your father for what he did to you but maybe there still lingers a residual grievance in both your mind and emotions. Maybe you have not yet justified forgiveness in your mind.
Therefore, the first step for any grievance is to make sure the mind is not harboring any condemning thoughts toward others.
Reprogramming the mind requires a logical argument in a new direction. One has to examine how it is thinking now and talk it into changing its mind.
Let us take the accident with Jim and Bob. Jim’s mind enhances the grievance because it is thinking like this:
“Bob was driving carelessly. If he had been paying attention the accident would not have happened. Bob knew better than to take that corner so fast. The injuries I suffer are totally Bob’s fault and he should suffer and pay. As it is, he only had a few scratches and is not suffering at all.”
Notice the general trend of thinking which is basically this: The guy who seemed to cause the grievance is not suffering enough and needs to suffer more.
Fortunately for you, your mind is programmed by your conscious self. You merely have to make definite decisions about the direction of the programming.
Suppose you are Jim and want to release your friend from your condemnation. What do you send to your mind to change its program?
First Jim would start with the obvious. Bob has apologized and feels bad about the accident. He didn’t mean for it to happen.
Jim then thinks of the times that he was careless but was lucky enough to not have an accident that injured someone. There were a number of times it could have happened and then someone would have a grievance toward him. Jim could have been in Bob’s shoes numerous times in his life.
This type of reasoning is helpful, but it often is not enough, so Jim must go further. He must explain to his mind that holding a grievance toward Bob, not only hurts Bob, but hurts himself. Nothing good is accomplished by the grievance. Not only does the grievance cause emotional hurt to Jim, but it is physically dangerous.
Why?
Because a grievance causes blockages of the vital life energy which can lead to all kinds of physical debilitation and disease. It is not worth holding it for this reason alone.
But most important for this course is that a grievance places dark clouds between the seeker and the light of his own soul. The heavens will seem to be tightly closed to him who holds a grievance.
The seeker has a lot of logical ammunition to convince the mind to let the grievance go. There is no benefit in keeping the grievance and many benefits to letting it go. When this is realized no mind can make a case for keeping the grievance.
The assignment today is to examine any grievance that may still have an effect on you and reason with the mind about it, similar to what we have done here. Then end with this affirmation:
“There is no logical reason to keep the grievance. I have everything to gain and nothing to lose by letting it go. I now release it to be gone forever.”
For successful reprogramming you may need to apply this exercise a number of times.
Copyright by J J Dewey
For more of this series click on the desired links below:
Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14, Part 15, Part 16, Part 17, Part 18, Part 19, Part 20, Part 21, Part 22, Part 23, Part 24, Part 25, Part 26, Part 27
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