With evidence growing that training the mind or inducing specific modes of consciousness can have beneficial health effects, scientists have sought to understand how these practices physically affect the body. A new study by researchers in Wisconsin, Spain, and France reports the first evidence of specific molecular changes in the body following a period of intensive mindfulness practice. The study investigated the effects of a day of intensive mindfulness practice in a group of experienced meditators, compared to a group of untrained control subjects who engaged in quiet non-meditative activities. After eight hours of mindfulness practice, the meditators showed a range of genetic and molecular differences, including altered levels of gene-regulating machinery and reduced levels of pro-inflammatory genes, which in turn correlated with faster physical recovery from a stressful situation. “To the best of our knowledge, this is the first paper that shows rapid alterations in gene expression within subjects associated with mindfulness meditation practice,” says study author Richard J. Davidson, founder of the Center for Investigating Healthy Minds and the William James and Vilas Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “Most interestingly, the changes were observed in genes that are the current targets of anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs,” says Perla Kaliman, first author of the article and a researcher at the Institute of Biomedical Research of Barcelona, Spain (IIBB-CSIC-IDIBAPS), where the molecular analyses were conducted.
Mindfulness-based trainings have shown beneficial effects on inflammatory disorders in prior clinical studies and are endorsed by the American Heart Association as a preventative intervention. The new results provide a possible biological mechanism for therapeutic effects.
Gene Activity Can Change According To Perception
According to Dr. Bruce Lipton, gene activity can change on a daily basis. If the perception in your mind is reflected in the chemistry of your body, and if your nervous system reads and interprets the environment and then controls the blood’s chemistry, then you can literally change the fate of your cells by altering your thoughts.
In fact, Dr. Lipton’s research illustrates that by changing your perception, your mind can alter the activity of your genes and create over thirty thousand variations of products from each gene. He gives more detail by saying that the gene programs are contained within the nucleus of the cell, and you can rewrite those genetic programs through changing your blood chemistry.
In the simplest terms, this means that we need to change the way we think if we are to heal cancer. “The function of the mind is to create coherence between our beliefs and the reality we experience,” Dr. Lipton said. “What that means is that your mind will adjust the body’s biology and behavior to fit with your beliefs. If you’ve been told you’ll die in six months and your mind believes it, you most likely will die in six months. That’s called the nocebo effect, the result of a negative thought, which is the opposite of the placebo effect, where healing is mediated by a positive thought.”
That dynamic points to a three-party system: there’s the part of you that swears it doesn’t want to die (the conscious mind), trumped by the part that believes you will (the doctor’s prognosis mediated by the subconscious mind), which then throws into gear the chemical reaction (mediated by the brain’s chemistry) to make sure the body conforms to the dominant belief. (Neuroscience has recognized that the subconscious controls 95 percent of our lives.)
Now what about the part that doesn’t want to die–the conscious mind? Isn’t it impacting the body’s chemistry as well? Dr. Lipton said that it comes down to how the subconscious mind, which contains our deepest beliefs, has been programmed. It is these beliefs that ultimately cast the deciding vote.
“It’s a complex situation,” said Dr. Lipton. People have been programmed to believe that they’re victims and that they have no control. We’re programmed from the start with our mother and father’s beliefs. So, for instance, when we got sick, we were told by our parents that we had to go to the doctor because the doctor is the authority concerning our health. We all got the message throughout childhood that doctors were the authority on health and that we were victims of bodily forces beyond our ability to control. The joke, however, is that people often get better while on the way to the doctor. That’s when the innate ability for self-healing kicks in, another example of the placebo effect.
Mindfulness Practice Specifically Affects Regulatory Pathways
The results of Davidson’s study show a down-regulation of genes that have been implicated in inflammation. The affected genes include the pro-inflammatory genes RIPK2 and COX2 as well as several histone deacetylase (HDAC) genes, which regulate the activity of other genes epigenetically by removing a type of chemical tag. What’s more, the extent to which some of those genes were downregulated was associated with faster cortisol recovery to a social stress test involving an impromptu speech and tasks requiring mental calculations performed in front of an audience and video camera.
Biologists have suspected for years that some kind of epigenetic inheritance occurs at the cellular level. The different kinds of cells in our bodies provide an example. Skin cells and brain cells have different forms and functions, despite having exactly the same DNA. There must be mechanisms–other than DNA–that make sure skin cells stay skin cells when they divide.
Perhaps surprisingly, the researchers say, there was no difference in the tested genes between the two groups of people at the start of the study. The observed effects were seen only in the meditators following mindfulness practice. In addition, several other DNA-modifying genes showed no differences between groups, suggesting that the mindfulness practice specifically affected certain regulatory pathways.
The key result is that meditators experienced genetic changes following mindfulness practice that were not seen in the non-meditating group after other quiet activities — an outcome providing proof of principle that mindfulness practice can lead to epigenetic alterations of the genome.
Previous studies in rodents and in people have shown dynamic epigenetic responses to physical stimuli such as stress, diet, or exercise within just a few hours.
“Our genes are quite dynamic in their expression and these results suggest that the calmness of our mind can actually have a potential influence on their expression,” Davidson says.
“The regulation of HDACs and inflammatory pathways may represent some of the mechanisms underlying the therapeutic potential of mindfulness-based interventions,” Kaliman says. “Our findings set the foundation for future studies to further assess meditation strategies for the treatment of chronic inflammatory conditions.”
Subconscious Beliefs Are Key
Too many positive thinkers know that thinking good thoughts–and reciting affirmations for hours on end–doesn’t always bring about the results that feel-good books promise.
Dr. Lipton didn’t argue this point, because positive thoughts come from the conscious mind, while contradictory negative thoughts are usually programmed in the more powerful subconscious mind.
“The major problem is that people are aware of their conscious beliefs and behaviors, but not of subconscious beliefs and behaviors. Most people don’t even acknowledge that their subconscious mind is at play, when the fact is that the subconscious mind is a million times more powerful than the conscious mind and that we operate 95 to 99 percent of our lives from subconscious programs.
“Your subconscious beliefs are working either for you or against you, but the truth is that you are not controlling your life, because your subconscious mind supersedes all conscious control. So when you are trying to heal from a conscious level–citing affirmations and telling yourself you’re healthy–there may be an invisible subconscious program that’s sabotaging you.”
The power of the subconscious mind is elegantly revealed in people expressing multiple personalities. While occupying the mind-set of one personality, the individual may be severely allergic to strawberries. Then, in experiencing the mind-set of another personality, he or she eats them without consequence.
The new science of epigenetics promises that every person on the planet has the opportunity to become who they really are, complete with unimaginable power and the ability to operate from, and go for, the highest possibilities, including healing our bodies and our culture and living in peace.
About the Author
Michael Forrester is a spiritual counselor and is a practicing motivational speaker for corporations in Japan, Canada and the United States.
There’s a secret that’s much bigger than politics, health freedom, science or even the entire history of the human race. That secret remains entirely unacknowledged — even condemned — by the scientific community, and yet it is the single most important secret about everything that is. Yes, everything.
That secret is simply this: We all survive the physical death of our bodies. Our consciousness lives on, and upon our death in this Earthly dream, our consciousness transcends this physical reality and experiences an existence so amazing and powerful that the human language cannot even begin to describe it.
This is the message from Dr. Eben Alexander, author of the newly-published book, “Proof of Heaven.” I recently read the book and found it both fascinating and also confirming of several important theories I’ve been developing about the nature of life and the Creator. (See below.)
A lifelong science skeptic who never believed in God, Heaven or consciousness
Long before this book was ever written, Dr. Alexander was a practicing neurosurgeon and a lifelong “science skeptic.” He did not believe in consciousness, free will or the existence of a non-physical spirit. Trained in western medical school and surrounded by medical colleagues who are deeply invested in the materialism view of the universe, Dr. Alexander believed that so-called “consciousness” was only an illusion created by the biochemical functioning of the brain.
Dr. Alexander would have held this view to his own death bed had it not been for his experiencing an event so bizarre and miraculous that it defies all conventional scientific explanation: Dr. Alexander “died” for seven days and experienced a vivid journey into the afterlife. He then returned to his physical body, experienced a miraculous healing, and went on to write the book “Proof of Heaven.”
E.coli infection eats his brain
It all started when e.coli bacteria infected Dr. Alexander’s spinal fluid and outer cerebrum. The e.coli began to literally eat his brain away, and he went into an extremely violent fit of seizures, verbal outbursts and muscular spasms before lapsing into a brain-dead coma.
In this coma, he showed zero higher brain activity and was only kept alive via a respirator and IV fluids. The attending physicians soon concluded that Dr. Alexander would die within a matter of days, and that even if he lived, he would be a non-functioning “vegetable” with limited brain function. Statistically, the death rate for patients with e.coli infections of the brain is 97%.
But here’s the real shocker in all this: Rather than experiencing nothingness during these seven earth-days of unconsciousness, Dr. Alexander found himself “awakening” from the dream of his earthly life, suddenly experiencing an incomprehensibly vast expansion of his consciousness in the afterlife.
• The experience of the afterlife was so “real” and expansive that the experience of living as a human on Earth seemed like an artificial dream by comparison.
• There was no time dimension in the afterlife. Time did not “flow” as it does in our universe. An instant could seem like eternity, and consciousness could move through what we perceive to be time without effort. (This idea that all time exists simultaneously has enormous implications in understanding the nature of free will and the multiverse, along with the apparent flow of time experienced by our consciousness in this realm.)
• The fabric of the afterlife was pure LOVE. Love dominated the afterlife to such a huge degree that the overall presence of evil was infinitesimally small.
• In the afterlife, all communication was telepathic. There was no need for spoken words, nor even any separation between the self and everything else happening around you.
• The moment you asked a question in your mind, the answers were immediately apparent in breathtaking depth and detail. There was no “unknown” and the mere asking of a question was instantly accompanied by the appearance of its answers.
• There also exists a literal Hell, which was described by Dr. Alexander as a place buried underground, with gnarled tree roots and demonic faces and never-ending torment. Dr. Alexander was rescued from this place by angelic beings and transported to Heaven.
God acknowledges the existence of the multiverse
The passage of “Proof of Heaven” I found most interesting is found on page 48, where Dr. Alexander says:
Through the Orb, [God] told me that there is not one universe but many — in fact, more than I could conceive — but that love lay at the center of them all. Evil was present in all the other universes as well, but only in the tiniest trace amounts. Evil was necessary because without it free will was impossible, and without free will there could be no growth — no forward movement, no chance for us to become what God longed for us to be. Horrible and all-powerful as evil sometimes seemed to be in a world like ours, in the larger picture love was overwhelmingly dominant, and it would ultimately be triumphant.
This passage struck an important cord with me, as I have long believed our universe was created by the Creator as just one of an infinite number of other universes, each with variations on life and the laws of physics. (Click here to read my writings on the Higgs Boson particle, consciousness and the multiverse.) What Dr. Alexander’s quote confirms is that our life on planet Earth is a “test” of personal growth, and that the way to make progress in this test is to overcome evil while spreading love and compassion.
Even more, this passage also confirms the existence of free will and even helps answer the question I’m often asking myself: “Why are we placed here in a world of such evil and surrounded by ignorance, darkness and deception?” The answer appears to be that Earth is a testing ground for souls that have been selected by the Creator for the ultimate test of good versus evil.
Earth as a testing ground
Although “Proof of Heaven” doesn’t go as far as I’m explaining here, my working theory is that our planet Earth is among the highest evil-infested realms in the grand multiverse. Only the most courageous souls agree to come to Earth by being born into human bodies and stripped of their memories.
From there, the challenge of life is multi-faceted:
1) Figure out WHO you are and WHY you are here.
2) Learn to recognize and overcome EVIL (tyranny, slavery, oppression, Big Government, etc.).
3) Learn to spread love, compassion, healing and knowledge.
Upon our death, we are judged by a higher power, and that judgment takes into account our performance in these areas. Did we achieve a measure of self-awareness? Did we work to overcome evil? Did we express love and compassion and help uplift others with knowledge and awareness?
As you’ve probably already figured out, the vast majority of humans fail these tests. They die as bitter, selfish, substance-addicted, greed-driven minions of evil who mistakenly thought they were winning the game of life while, in reality, they were losing the far more important test of the Creator.
The most important part about living a human life is not acquiring money, or fame, or power over others but rather achieving a high “score” in this simulation known as “life” by resisting evil, spreading love and expanding awareness of that which is true.
For those who respect life, who practice humility and self awareness, who seek to spread knowledge and wisdom while resisting tyranny, oppression, ignorance and evil, their souls will, I believe, be selected for special tasks in the greater multiverse. That’s the “real” existence. This Earthly life is only a dream-like simulation where your soul interfaces with the crude biology of our planet for a very short time span that’s actually the blink of an eye in the larger picture.
In reality, you are much more than your body. In fact, your soul is infinitely more aware, intelligent and creative than what can be experienced or expressed through the brain of a human. Trying to experience the full reality of what you are through the limited physical brain matter of a human being is a lot like trying to teach an insect to compose music like Mozart.
The multiverse is teeming with intelligent life, including multidimensional beings
Dr. Alexander’s journey also confirms the existence of intelligent life far beyond Earth. As he explains in Proof of Heaven:
I saw the abundance of life throughout the countless universes, including some whose intelligence was advanced far beyond that of humanity. I saw that there are countless higher dimensions, but that the only way to know these dimensions is to enter and experience them directly. They cannot be known, or understood, from lower dimensional space. From those higher worlds one could access any time or place in our world.
This not only confirms the existence of other intelligent civilizations throughout our known universe, but more importantly the existence of multidimensional beings who can come and go from our realm as they please.
Throughout the cultures of the world, there are countless accounts of advanced beings visiting Earth, transferring technology to ancient Earth civilizations, and possibly even interbreeding with early humans. Even the very basis of Christianity begins with the idea that an omnipresent multidimensional being (God) can intervene at will, and can therefore transcend time and space.
Alternative researchers like David Icke also talk about multidimensional beings visiting Earth and infecting the planet with great evil. According to Icke, the globalist controllers of our planet are literally reptilian shape-shifters who have invaded our world for the purpose of controlling and enslaving humanity. Although nothing like this is covered in Dr. Alexander’s book, it is not inconsistent with what Dr. Alexander was told by God during his coma… Namely, that there are multidimensional realities, that certain high-vibration beings can traverse those realities at will, and that Earth is infested with a great evil with the specific purpose of testing our character.
If all this sounds a little too spooky for you, consider the words of the Bible itself: An upright talking reptilian snake spoke in audible words to Adam and Even in the Garden of Eden, did it not?
The science skeptics are wrong (again)
Regardless of what you might think about multidimensional beings, intelligent life beyond Earth, and the existence of great evil on our planet, there’s one aspect of all this that’s crystal clear: The science skeptics are dead wrong.
Science “skeptics” are actually misnamed. They aren’t skeptical at all. They simply follow their own religion with its own sacred beliefs that cannot be questioned… ever! Those beliefs include the utter worship of the materialistic view of the universe. Simultaneously, so-called “skeptics” do not believe they are conscious beings themselves because they believe consciousness is merely an “artifact” of biochemical brain function.
There is no afterlife, they insist. There is no mind-body medicine, the placebo effect is useless, and there’s no such thing as premonition, remote viewing or psychic phenomena. Oh yes, and they also insist that injecting yourself with mercury, MSG and formaldehyde via vaccines is actually good for you, that fluoride chemicals are good for the public health and that we should all eat more GMOs, pesticides and synthetic chemicals.
It’s no surprise these religious cult members of the “scientism” cult don’t believe in an afterlife. That’s what allows them to commit genocidal crimes against the human race today via GMOs, experimental medicine, toxic vaccines and other deadly pursuits. In their view, humans have no souls so killing them is of no consequence.
As Dr. Alexander says,
Certain members of the scientific community, who are pledged to the materialistic worldview, have insisted again and again that science and spirituality cannot coexist. They are mistaken.
Well of course they are. The “science skeptics” are dead wrong about almost everything they claim to advocate. But their biggest mistake of all is in denying the existence of their own souls. Needless to say, they are all going to fail the human experience simulation once they pass on and face judgment. My, what a surprise that will be for those sad souls when they day arrives…
I would hate to face God one day after having lived a life of a science skeptic, and then have God ask the question: “You doubted ME?” How could anyone take a look at the world around them and not see the signs of an intelligent Creator? Even the very laws of physics have been tweaked and fine-tuned in precisely the right balance so that our universe itself can support the formation of stars, and planets, and carbon-based life forms. This is called the “Goldilocks Enigma,” and there’s a wonderful book by that same name written by Paul Davies.
No biochemical explanation for Dr. Alexander’s experience
For those skeptics who may be reading this, Dr. Alexander goes through nine possible biochemical hypotheses for his experiences and then meticulously and scientifically dismisses them all one by one. The result? His experience was REAL. In fact, it was “more real” than life as a human being.
Remember, Dr. Alexander is a neurosurgeon. This guy knows the physical brain like no one else. The nine medical explanations he considers and dismisses as possible causes for his experience are:
1) Primitive brainstem program.
2) Distorted recall of memories from the limbic system.
3) Endogenous glutamate blockade with excitotoxicity.
4) DMT dump.
5) Isolated preservation of cortical regions of the brain.
6) Loss of inhibitory neurons leading to highly levels of activity among excitatory neuronal networks to generate an apparent “ultra-reality.”
7) Activation of thalamus, basal ganglia and brainstorm to create a hyper-reality experience.
8) Reboot phenomenon.
9) Unusual memory generation through archaic visual pathways.
Dr. Alexander may be the most credible afterlife witness in the history of humanity
Dr. Alexander’s experience (and subsequent book) is arguably the best-documented case of the afterlife that exists in western science today. The fact that a vivid, hyper-real afterlife was experienced by a science skeptic materialistic brain surgeon who didn’t believe in the afterlife — and who subsequently found the courage to document his experiences and publish them in a book — adds irrefutable credibility to the experience.
This was not some kook seeking fame on a TV show. In fact, his writing this book earned him endless ridicule from his former “scientific” colleagues. There was every reason to NOT write this book. Only by the grace of God was Dr. Alexander healed of his e.coli infection, restored to normal brain function, and granted the VISION of the afterlife so that he could return to this realm and attempt to put it into words.
Personally, I believe Dr. Alexander, and his experience mirrors that of countless others, across every culture, who have reported similar NDEs (Near Death Experiences). There is life after life, and the shift in consciousness of Earthlings that is required to take our species to a higher level of understanding begins, I believe, with embracing the truth of the immortality of our own souls (and the existence of a grand Creator).
What does it all mean?
Dr. Alexander’s spiritual journey gives us a wealth of information that can help provide meaning and purpose in our daily lives.
For starters, it means that all our actions are recorded in the cosmos and that there are no secrets in the larger scope of things. You cannot secretly screw somebody over here on Earth and think it won’t be recorded on your soul forever. It also means that all our actions will be accounted for in the afterlife. If this message sounds familiar, that’s because an identical idea is the pillar of every major world religion, including Christianity.
It also means there are people living today on this planet whose souls will literally burn in eternal Hell. There are others whose souls, like Dr. Alexander, will be lifted into Heaven and shown a greater reality. What we choose to do with our lives each and every day determines which path our souls will take after the passing of our physical bodies.
What matters, then, is not whether you actually succeed in defeating evil here on Earth, but rather the nature of your character that emerges from all the challenges and tribulations you face. This is all a test, get it? That’s why life seems to suck sometimes. It’s not a panacea; it’s a testing ground for the most courageous souls of all — those who wish to enter the realm of great evil and hope they can rise above it before the end of their human lifespan.
Max Interviews guest Ryan Hunter – Author of INdivisible
PLOT: Brynn Aberdie has everything but freedom … but everything has a way of changing. When Brynn loses her family, her security, and her handouts, she is left with one last option, and it guarantees one of two things: freedom or death. Brynn vows to find that freedom, and soon learns a lesson many in One United have already learned – by failing to protect their rights, Citizens have forfeited their lives with little hope to ever recover them.
Exploration of ‘Proof of Heaven’
Long before this book was ever written, Dr. Alexander was a practicing neurosurgeon and a lifelong “science skeptic.” He did not believe in consciousness, free will or the existence of a non-physical spirit. Trained in western medical school and surrounded by medical colleagues who are deeply invested in the materialism view of the universe, Dr. Alexander believed that so-called “consciousness” was only an illusion created by the biochemical functioning of the brain.
Dr. Alexander would have held this view to his own death bed had it not been for his experiencing an event so bizarre and miraculous that it defies all conventional scientific explanation: Dr. Alexander “died” for seven days and experienced a vivid journey into the afterlife. He then returned to his physical body, experienced a miraculous healing, and went on to write the book “Proof of Heaven.”
Everything we do is for the purpose of altering consciousness. We form friendships so that we can feel certain emotions, like love, and avoid others, like loneliness. We eat specific foods to enjoy their fleeting presence on our tongues. We read for the pleasure of thinking another person’s thoughts. Every waking moment—and even in our dreams—we struggle to direct the flow of sensation, emotion, and cognition toward states of consciousness that we value.
Drugs are another means toward this end. Some are illegal; some are stigmatized; some are dangerous—though, perversely, these sets only partially intersect. There are drugs of extraordinary power and utility, like psilocybin (the active compound in “magic mushrooms”) and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), which pose no apparent risk of addiction and are physically well-tolerated, and yet one can still be sent to prison for their use—while drugs like tobacco and alcohol, which have ruined countless lives, are enjoyed ad libitum in almost every society on earth. There are other points on this continuum—3,4-methylene-dioxy-N-methylamphetamine (MDMA or “Ecstasy”) has remarkable therapeutic potential, but it is also susceptible to abuse, and it appears to be neurotoxic.[1]
One of the great responsibilities we have as a society is to educate ourselves, along with the next generation, about which substances are worth ingesting, and for what purpose, and which are not. The problem, however, is that we refer to all biologically active compounds by a single term—“drugs”—and this makes it nearly impossible to have an intelligent discussion about the psychological, medical, ethical, and legal issues surrounding their use. The poverty of our language has been only slightly eased by the introduction of terms like “psychedelics” to differentiate certain visionary compounds, which can produce extraordinary states of ecstasy and insight, from “narcotics” and other classic agents of stupefaction and abuse.
Drug abuse and addiction are real problems, of course—the remedy for which is education and medical treatment, not incarceration. In fact, the worst drugs of abuse in the United States now appear to be prescription painkillers, like oxycodone. Should these medicines be made illegal? Of course not. People need to be informed about them, and addicts need treatment. And all drugs—including alcohol, cigarettes, and aspirin—must be kept out of the hands of children.
I discuss issues of drug policy in some detail in my first book, The End of Faith (pp. 158-164), and my thinking on the subject has not changed. The “war on drugs” has been well lost, and should never have been waged. While it isn’t explicitly protected by the U.S. Constitution, I can think of no political right more fundamental than the right to peacefully steward the contents of one’s own consciousness. The fact that we pointlessly ruin the lives of nonviolent drug users by incarcerating them, at enormous expense, constitutes one of the great moral failures of our time. (And the fact that we make room for them in our prisons by paroling murderers and rapists makes one wonder whether civilization isn’t simply doomed.)
I have a daughter who will one day take drugs. Of course, I will do everything in my power to see that she chooses her drugs wisely, but a life without drugs is neither foreseeable, nor, I think, desirable. Someday, I hope she enjoys a morning cup of tea or coffee as much as I do. If my daughter drinks alcohol as an adult, as she probably will, I will encourage her to do it safely. If she chooses to smoke marijuana, I will urge moderation.[2] Tobacco should be shunned, of course, and I will do everything within the bounds of decent parenting to steer her away from it. Needless to say, if I knew my daughter would eventually develop a fondness for methamphetamine or crack cocaine, I might never sleep again. But if she does not try a psychedelic like psilocybin or LSD at least once in her adult life, I will worry that she may have missed one of the most important rites of passage a human being can experience.
This is not to say that everyone should take psychedelics. As I will make clear below, these drugs pose certain dangers. Undoubtedly, there are people who cannot afford to give the anchor of sanity even the slightest tug. It has been many years since I have taken psychedelics, in fact, and my abstinence is born of a healthy respect for the risks involved. However, there was a period in my early 20’s when I found drugs like psilocybin and LSD to be indispensable tools of insight, and some of the most important hours of my life were spent under their influence. I think it quite possible that I might never have discovered that there was an inner landscape of mind worth exploring without having first pressed this pharmacological advantage.
While human beings have ingested plant-based psychedelics for millennia, scientific research on these compounds did not begin until the 1950’s. By 1965, a thousand studies had been published, primarily on psilocybin and LSD, many of which attested to the usefulness of psychedelics in the treatment of clinical depression, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), alcohol addiction, and the pain and anxiety associated with terminal cancer. Within a few years, however, this entire field of research was abolished in an effort to stem the spread of these drugs among the general public. After a hiatus that lasted an entire generation, scientific research on the pharmacology and therapeutic value of psychedelics has quietly resumed.
The psychedelics include chemicals like psilocybin, LSD, DMT, and mescaline—all of which powerfully alter cognition, perception, and mood. Most seem to exert their influence through the serotonin system in the brain, primarily by binding to 5-HT2A receptors (though several have affinity for other receptors as well), leading to increased neuronal activity in prefrontal cortex (PFC). While the PFC in turn modulates subcortical dopamine production, the effect of psychedelics appears to take place largely outside dopamine pathways (which might explain why these drugs are not habit forming).
The mere existence of psychedelics would seem to establish the material basis of mental and spiritual life beyond any doubt—for the introduction of these substances into the brain is the obvious cause of any numinous apocalypse that follows. It is possible, however, if not actually plausible, to seize this datum from the other end and argue, and Aldous Huxley did in his classic essay, The Doors of Perception, that the primary function of the brain could be eliminative: its purpose could be to prevent some vast, transpersonal dimension of mind from flooding consciousness, thereby allowing apes like ourselves to make their way in the world without being dazzled at every step by visionary phenomena irrelevant to their survival. Huxley thought that if the brain were a kind of “reducing valve” for “Mind at Large,” this would explain the efficacy of psychedelics: They could simply be a material means of opening the tap.
Unfortunately, Huxley was operating under the erroneous assumption that psychedelics decrease brain activity. However, modern techniques of neuroimaging have shown that these drugs tend to increase activity in many regions of the cortex (and in subcortical structures as well) [Note 1/24/12: a recent study on psilocybin actually lends some support to Huxley’s view.—SH] . Still, the action of these drugs does not rule out dualism, or the existence of realms of mind beyond the brain—but then nothing does. This is one of the problems with views of this kind: They appear to be unfalsifiable.[3]
Of course, the brain does filter an extraordinary amount of information from consciousness. And, like many who have taken these drugs, I can attest that psychedelics certainly throw open the gates. Needless to say, positing the existence of a “Mind at Large” is more tempting in some states of consciousness than in others. And the question of which view of reality we should privilege is, at times, worth considering. But these drugs can also produce mental states that are best viewed in clinical terms as forms of psychosis. As a general matter, I believe we should be very slow to make conclusions about the nature of the cosmos based upon inner experience — no matter how profound these experiences seem.
However, there is no question that the mind is vaster and more fluid than our ordinary, waking consciousness suggests. Consequently, it is impossible to communicate the profundity (or seeming profundity) of psychedelic states to those who have never had such experiences themselves. It is, in fact, difficult to remind oneself of the power of these states once they have passed.
Many people wonder about the difference between meditation (and other contemplative practices) and psychedelics. Are these drugs a form of cheating, or are they the one, indispensable vehicle for authentic awakening? They are neither. Many people don’t realize that all psychoactive drugs modulate the existing neurochemistry of the brain—either by mimicking specific neurotransmitters or by causing the neurotransmitters themselves to be more active. There is nothing that one can experience on a drug that is not, at some level, an expression of the brain’s potential. Hence, whatever one has experienced after ingesting a drug like LSD is likely to have been experienced, by someone, somewhere, without it.
However, it cannot be denied that psychedelics are a uniquely potent means of altering consciousness. If a person learns to meditate, pray, chant, do yoga, etc., there is no guarantee that anything will happen. Depending on his aptitude, interest, etc., boredom could be the only reward for his efforts. If, however, a person ingests 100 micrograms of LSD, what will happen next will depend on a variety of factors, but there is absolutely no question that something will happen. And boredom is simply not in the cards. Within the hour, the significance of his existence will bear down upon our hero like an avalanche. As Terence McKenna[4] never tired of pointing out, this guarantee of profound effect, for better or worse, is what separates psychedelics from every other method of spiritual inquiry. It is, however, a difference that brings with it certain liabilities.
Ingesting a powerful dose of a psychedelic drug is like strapping oneself to a rocket without a guidance system. One might wind up somewhere worth going—and, depending on the compound and one’s “set and setting,” certain trajectories are more likely than others. But however methodically one prepares for the voyage, one can still be hurled into states of mind so painful and confusing as to be indistinguishable from psychosis. Hence, the terms “psychotomimetic” and “psychotogenic” that are occasionally applied to these drugs.
I have visited both extremes on the psychedelic continuum. The positive experiences were more sublime than I could have ever imagined or than I can now faithfully recall. These chemicals disclose layers of beauty that art is powerless to capture and for which the beauty of Nature herself is a mere simulacrum. It is one thing to be awestruck by the sight of a giant redwood and to be amazed at the details of its history and underlying biology. It is quite another to spend an apparent eternity in egoless communion with it. Positive psychedelic experiences often reveal how wondrously at ease in the universe a human being can be—and for most of us, normal waking consciousness does not offer so much as a glimmer of these deeper possibilities.
People generally come away from such experiences with a sense that our conventional states of consciousness obscure and truncate insights and emotions that are sacred. If the patriarchs and matriarchs of the world’s religions experienced such states of mind, many of their claims about the nature of reality can make subjective sense. The beautific vision does not tell you anything about the birth of the cosmos—but it does reveal how utterly transfigured a mind can be by a full collision with the present moment.
But as the peaks are high, the valleys are deep. My “bad trips” were, without question, the most harrowing hours I have ever suffered—and they make the notion of hell, as a metaphor if not a destination, seem perfectly apt. If nothing else, these excruciating experiences can become a source of compassion. I think it would be impossible to have any sense of what it is like to suffer from mental illness without having briefly touched its shores.
At both ends of the continuum time dilates in ways that cannot be described—apart from saying that these experiences can seem eternal. I have had sessions, both positive and negative, in which any knowledge that I had ingested a drug had been extinguished, and all memories of my past along with it. Full immersion in the present moment, to this degree, is synonymous with the feeling that one has always been, and will always be, in precisely this condition. Depending on the character of one’s experience at that point, notions of salvation and damnation do not seem hyperbolic. In my experience, Blake’s line about beholding “eternity in an hour” neither promises, nor threatens, too much.
In the beginning, my experiences with psilocybin and LSD were so positive that I could not believe a bad trip was possible. Notions of “set and setting,” admittedly vague, seemed sufficient to account for this. My mental set was exactly as it needed to be—I was a spiritually serious investigator of my own mind—and my setting was generally one of either natural beauty or secure solitude.
I cannot account for why my adventures with psychedelics were uniformly pleasant until they weren’t—but when the doors to hell finally opened, they appear to have been left permanently ajar. Thereafter, whether or not a trip was good in the aggregate, it generally entailed some harrowing detour on the path to sublimity. Have you ever traveled, beyond all mere metaphors, to the Mountain of Shame and stayed for a thousand years? I do not recommend it.
(Pokhara, Nepal)
On my first trip to Nepal, I took a rowboat out on Phewa Lake in Pokhara, which offers a stunning view of the Annapurna range. It was early morning, and I was alone. As the sun rose over the water, I ingested 400 micrograms of LSD. I was 20 years old and had taken the drug at least ten times previously. What could go wrong?
Everything, as it turns out. Well, not everything—I didn’t drown. And I have a vague memory of drifting ashore and of being surrounded by a group of Nepali soldiers. After watching me for a while, as I ogled them over the gunwale like a lunatic, they seemed on the verge of deciding what to do with me. Some polite words of Esperanto, and a few, mad oar strokes, and I was off shore and into oblivion. So I suppose that could have ended differently.
But soon there was no lake or mountains or boat—and if I had fallen into the water I am pretty sure there would have been no one to swim. For the next several hours my mind became the perfect instrument of self-torture. All that remained was a continuous shattering and terror for which I have no words.
These encounters take something out of you. Even if drugs like LSD are biologically safe, the potential for extremely unpleasant and destabilizing experiences presents its own risks. I believe I was positively affected for weeks and months by my good trips, and negatively affected by the bad ones. Given these roulette-like odds, one can only recommend these experiences with caution.
While meditation can open the mind to a similar range of conscious states, they are reached far less haphazardly. If LSD is like being strapped to rocket, learning to meditate is like gently raising a sail. Yes, it is possible, even with guidance, to wind up someplace terrifying—and there are people who probably shouldn’t spend long periods in intensive practice. But the general effect of meditation training is of settling ever more fully into one’s own skin, and suffering less, rather than more there.
As I discussed in The End of Faith, I view most psychedelic experiences as potentially misleading. Psychedelics do not guarantee wisdom. They merely guarantee more content. And visionary experiences, considered in their totality, appear to me to be ethically neutral. Therefore, it seems that psychedelic ecstasy must be steered toward our personal and collective well-being by some other principle. As Daniel Pinchbeck pointed out in his highly entertaining book, Breaking Open the Head, the fact that both the Mayans and the Aztecs used psychedelics, while being enthusiastic practitioners of human sacrifice, makes any idealistic link between plant-based shamanism and an enlightened society seem terribly naive.
As I will discuss in future essays, the form of transcendence that appears to link directly to ethical behavior and human well-being is the transcendence of egoity in the midst of ordinary waking consciousness. It is by ceasing to cling to the contents of consciousness—to our thoughts, moods, desires, etc.—that we make progress. Such a project does not, in principle, require that we experience more contents.[5] The freedom from self that is both the goal and foundation of “spiritual” life is coincident with normal perception and cognition—though, admittedly, this can be difficult to realize.
The power of psychedelics, however, is that they often reveal, in the span of a few hours, depths of awe and understanding that can otherwise elude us for a lifetime. As is often the case, William James said it about as well as words permit[6] :
One conclusion was forced upon my mind at that time, and my impression of its truth has ever since remained unshaken. It is that our normal waking consciousness, rational consciousness as we call it, is but one special type of consciousness, whilst all about it, parted from it by the filmiest of screens, there lie potential forms of consciousness entirely different. We may go through life without suspecting their existence; but apply the requisite stimulus, and at a touch they are there in all their completeness, definite types of mentality which probably somewhere have their field of application and adaptation. No account of the universe in its totality can be final which leaves these other forms of consciousness quite disregarded. How to regard them is the question,—for they are so discontinuous with ordinary consciousness. Yet they may determine attitudes though they cannot furnish formulas, and open a region though they fail to give a map. At any rate, they forbid a premature closing of our accounts with reality.
(The Varieties of Religious Experience, p. 388)
NOTES:
A wide literature now suggests that MDMA damages serotonin-producing neurons and decreases levels of serotonin in the brain. Here is the tip of the iceberg: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. ↩
What is moderation? Let’s just say that I’ve never met a person who smokes marijuana every day who I thought wouldn’t benefit from smoking less (and I’ve never met someone who has never tried it who I thought wouldn’t benefit from smoking more).↩
Physicalism, by contrast, could be easily falsified. If science ever established the existence of ghosts, or reincarnation, or any other phenomenon which would place the human mind (in whole or in part) outside the brain, physicalism would be dead. The fact that dualists can never say what would count as evidence against their views makes this ancient philosophical position very difficult to distinguish from religious faith.↩
Terence McKenna is one person I regret not getting to know. Unfortunately, he died from brain cancer in 2000, at the age of 53. His books are well worth reading, and I have recommended several below, but he was, above all, an amazing speaker. It is true that his eloquence often led him to adopt positions which can only be described (charitably) as “wacky,” but the man was undeniably brilliant and always worth listening to. ↩
I should say, however, that there are psychedelic experiences that I have not had, which appear to deliver a different message. Rather than being states in which the boundaries of the self are dissolved, some people have experiences in which the self (in some form) appears to be transported elsewhere. This phenomenon is very common with the drug DMT, and it can lead its initiates to some very startling conclusions about the nature of reality. More than anyone else, Terence McKenna was influential in bringing the phenomenology of DMT into prominence.DMT is unique among psychedelics for a several reasons. Everyone who has tried it seems to agree that it is the most potent hallucinogen available (not in terms of the quantity needed for an effective dose, but in terms of its effects). It is also, paradoxically, the shortest acting. While the effects of LSD can last ten hours, the DMT trance dawns in less than a minute and subsides in ten. One reason for such steep pharmacokinetics seems to be that this compound already exists inside the human brain, and it is readily metabolized by monoaminoxidase. DMT is in the same chemical class as psilocybin and the neurotransmitter serotonin (but, in addition to having an affinity for 5-HT2Areceptors, it has been shown to bind to the sigma-1 receptor and modulate Na+ channels). Its function in the human body remains mysterious. Among the many mysteries and insults presented by DMT, it offers a final mockery of our drug laws: Not only have we criminalized naturally occurring substances, like cannabis; we have criminalized one of our own neurotransmitters.Many users of DMT report being thrust under its influence into an adjacent reality where they are met by alien beings who appear intent upon sharing information and demonstrating the use of inscrutable technologies. The convergence of hundreds of such reports, many from first-time users of the drug who have not been told what to expect, is certainly interesting. It is also worth noting these accounts are almost entirely free of religious imagery. One appears far more likely to meet extraterrestrials or elves on DMT than traditional saints or angels. As I have not tried DMT, and have not had an experience of the sort that its users describe, I don’t know what to make of any of this. ↩
Of course, James was reporting his experiences with nitrous oxide, which is an anesthetic. Other anesthetics, like ketamine hydrochloride and phencyclidine hydrochloride (PCP), have similar effects on mood and cognition at low doses. However, there are many differences between these drugs and classic psychedelics—one being that high doses of the latter do not lead to general anesthesia. ↩
When things in your lives seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 cups of coffee.
A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.
The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.
The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous “yes.”
The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.
“Now,” said the professor as the laughter subsided, “I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things–your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions–and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.
The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car.
The sand is everything else–the small stuff. “If you put the sand into the jar first,” he continued, “there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you.
“Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first–the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.”
One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled.
“I’m glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.”
The Infinite Human is a concept that dates back millennia. Somehow, we have become experts at ‘limitation’, and applying it wherever possible. This episode is the first of a multi-part series of which is dedicated to YOU, the listener. Tune in to understand how important our definitions, believe systems, and emotional state becomes in relation to achieving goals, reaching ‘success’, and ultimately experiencing true happiness. Realize the power of NOW, the power of LOVE, and the power of SELF. Remember that the essential nature of the universe, is that it is non-material. After understanding this, it is easier to see how we can choose to have the things we want, or just the reasons why we can’t.
The Infinite Human is a concept that dates back millennia. Somehow, we have become experts at ‘limitation’, and applying it wherever possible. This episode is the first of a multi-part series of which is dedicated to YOU, the listener. Tune in to understand how important our definitions, believe systems, and emotional state becomes in relation to achieving goals, reaching ‘success’, and ultimately experiencing true happiness. Realize the power of NOW, the power of LOVE, and the power of SELF. Remember that the essential nature of the universe, is that it is non-material. After understanding this, it is easier to see how we can choose to have the things we want, or just the reasons why we can’t.
“Let him who seeks continue seeking until he finds. When he finds, he will become troubled. When he becomes troubled, he will be astonished, and he will rule over the all.”
http://youtu.be/7sPUpKGI1Z4
There is only one way to defeat this systemic cancer or virus that is spreading across the planet and through every living being and it isn’t by getting on your knees and praying to an external God for a miracle… I’m sorry to disappoint you if you’re a believer in these concepts but the idea of a savior existing somewhere outside of the infinitely powerful intelligence that is YOU is one of the greatest confidence tricks that you’ve played on yourself… you just don’t realize it yet.
As long as you’re searching “outside” for this imaginary savior to come sweeping down from the heavens on a chariot of fire or something you will be wallowing in self inflicted suffering for a very long time because metaphorically speaking… hell will first have to freeze over. What is outside is a projection of the inside, therefore, anything that is seen out there is really a reflection of what is going on inside here. God and Jesus are cosmic ideas or conscious expressions unfolding from the imagination of an infinitely powerful intelligence that is you and every point of light that exists in this reality… in whatever form.
You, we, us… have ALL created a cosmic drama that goes beyond the comprehension of isolated and limited intelligence, however, because we are currently undergoing a metamorphosis in a capacity that some might call a “spiritual” awakening, where our collective Mind or shadow universe is being illuminated by the essence of truth, we are for the first time in a very long time able to see our own magnificent reflection in the mirror or firmament and understand what it is to be hu-man-e
What we find in the mirror is the divided essence of Love. Individual strands of energy on the above plasma ball do well in representing sentient currents of light that arc away ever so briefly from their source, much like a solar flare arcing from the sun before being pulled back by the power of electromagnetism. The experience is one of self discovery before metaphorically returning home to the ONE and ONLY source.
Do you have children… do you remember them experiencing an arc around the age of 15 to 18 months when they become self aware and were able to recognize the reflection in the mirror. The next look in the mirror is looking up into the universe that is your-self and understanding that your not looking “out there” but actually looking at the reflection of your own infinite subconscious, that you are a universe within a universe.
The purpose of God and Jesus… and of every saint or so called sinner like all other sentient beings that has in the past and to this moment continue to influence humanity is to divert the “collective” attention – to keep the eyes looking in the opposite direction in order to prevent the sleeping giant from waking up out of its own self induced slumber and seeing itself for what it is. There is a process to follow… wheels and cogs must turn.
You have to understand… most people are not ready to be unplugged and many of them are so inured , so hopelessly dependent on the system that they will fight to protect it
Morpheus
The restrictive field that manifests by choosing to put faith in someone or something else blocks opportunities to evolve in terms of developing knowledge and it ensures YOU won’t be looking in the one place that really matters. The place where your eyes should be focused if you want to call on a true savior is an aspect of the self that is taken for granted every day… it is of course the eternal subconscious or inner self… the inner universe. This integral part of the self, this other aspect of you is the original source of all there is and all there ever will be. By using the power of intent to place your-imaginary-self into limited states of awareness where you depend on something else… you are actually holding to ransom the essence of you in a world of virtual hope where ironically… there is no hope.
As frustrating and maddening as the world can sometimes appear externally reality is merely reflecting the inner imaginings of the one-self, particularly now, in this era of global silliness and contrived insanity you should realize, more than ever, in your heart, that there is always a happy ending… and therefore allowing the madness and frustration to consume and eat you up is to allow negative energy to vampire you. The meaning of suffering becomes clear when you realize that spiritual or soul growth can only be achieved when you experience and FEEL all manner of pain. The way in which we experience this pain is to see our-self as something we are not.
As the famous comedian Bill Hicks once said:
The world is like a ride at an amusement park, it goes up and down and round and round, it has thrills and chills and it’s very brightly coloured and it’s very loud and its fun, for a while. Some people have been on the ride for a long time and they begin to question: Is this real, or is this just a ride?
Every sentient being that is born into this world unfolds from an all embracing source as a temporary point of isolated awareness… or light. In the beginning eternal memories are wiped clean but are never forgotten… they are simply filed away… stored in the Akashic library or on the cosmic hard drive. The ultimate quest is to harvest new feelings and experiences from newly born points of view… but as Bill Hicks rightly observed and then pointed out… life is just a ride…
Call it a lucid dream… a movie of epic proportions or liken it to a fly-on-the-wall drama, in every way shape and form, intelligent awareness is observing these events play out, furthermore, this intelligence participates in key decision moments to co-create reality in real time whilst the better part of itself remains hidden from view. The truth is… we co-create everything – there is nothing we cannot and have not created with an infinitely powerful imagination.
The challenge… and I say challenge in the loosest terms because life and all of this madness is really a game… is for intelligence to once again see itself for what it is… through a web of intricately linked and highly personal mind-opening apocalypses. The ONLY reason IT can’t see itself for what it is at the moment isn’t because it’s too blind or stupid… but because it has conditioned or programmed itself to forget itself until this moment.
Right now in this moment in time individual waves of light are breaking the surface of the ONE infinite sea of intelligence to view the reflection from a myriad of isolated points or nodes of awareness. As a temporary and seemingly isolated “wave” our/your/my understanding is limited because a wave is momentary unlike the perpetual ocean from which it unfolds. The ocean is seeing the waves and remembering.
Forgetfulness is a trait or characteristic that is reflected inwards and outwards in every aspect of creation. At an infinitely larger scale, forgetfulness has been used to hide or mask the true nature of awareness. Forgetfulness has been a welcome break for that part of you that is everlasting and God-like.
Subtle reminders are embedded into life experiences in the hope that one day you will re-discover yourself… there was never any rush and as the Rolling Stones once memorably sang… “Time is on my side”. Listen to your-self. These reminders or jolts come in the form of thoughts, ideas, images, words, symbols and sounds and in other less obvious ways such as dreams and intuition.
The eternal source that is you gives as it must and takes when necessary. You know what you need in order to grow. No one knows you better than you. The bible is part of the cosmic code… like all historical documents and books it contains fragments of a wider and deeper truth, call them cosmic jigsaw pieces, whatever, the quality of this information is like a Mandelbrot fractal in that it contains memories or information about the entire whole.
It is these pieces of information that are designed to jolt awareness into remembering who and what it is and thus initiate the long and sometimes painful process of self discovery or awakening… this is an intelligent process that “feels” its way and is deeply troublesome for those experiencing it. However, its important to remember that everything happens as it should and that you are never somewhere that you are not meant to be.
This is a game of cosmic hide and seek and the full magnitude stretches way beyond the scope of many people’s vision and imagination, at least for the time being… but that doesn’t mean everyone will always be blind to what has been hidden, it simply means that some people are just not ready for the veil to be lifted, but then that shouldn’t come as a surprise because the game hasn’t been made easy… it’s not easy to accept a truth that is too blinding to see.
But Love will find a way, so for now, but not for very much longer, the game plays out, a game that has probably been playing for billions of years… perhaps even billions and billions of aeons… but even billions and billions of aeons for immortality is a drop in its own never ending ocean of potential.
The experience that is collectively known as “mankind” is a life-like dream based on the idea of helplessness. As a so-called species, mankind has been led to believe it is the victim of unpredictable circumstances and that it has been born into an unwelcoming and cold mechanistic universe, that it is some tiny insignificant dot unable to save itself… in short, the collective experience is guided to view itself as something it is not… this is part of the show, the game, the bigger dilemma in which you star.
The reason that life with all its thrills and spills feels so real is because it has been designed this way… experience has to be what it is, it has to be fantastically surreal in order for you to come into contact with the most breathtaking FEELINGS of adventure and perhaps discover something new about yourself. This is the ultimate desire – to learn something new.
So remember, even those playing the bad guys… and you know the ones… the ones you constantly fret and worry about – the ones that waltz around the planet thinking they are the chosen ones whilst causing all manner of destruction… well, they too are role playing a fantasy in blissful pig ignorance… they have no more or no less importance in the grand scheme of things than you do. They are no more or no less sovereign than you.
The ultimate truth is that you and collectively WE (even them) are the all powerful omnipotent intelligence that permeates everything… and it is down to you to individually wake up and remember who and what you are if you want to be the change. You have to discover what you have hidden from your-self… you have to remember that you are the universe, that YOU are the genie and as a genie you don’t ask for wishes… you grant them, because you are the designer… the co-creator, the programmer. The master of imaginings… God.
Life experience gives you plenty of opportunities to remember who you are. I call these opportunities “nodal” experiences or key moments in conscious streams or individually defined sentient wavelengths – they are the points at which potential wave experiences diverge and cross. They symbolize the cross over of paths… the fork in the road where we stare change in the face without even realizing.
Nodal experiences are predetermined points that are often referred to as moments of fate or destiny. In essence, that is, in imagination, these key moments exist before we reach them… they are set in stone, however, the outcome of each moment is defined when we choose which fork in the road to take. Therefore, these points or moments are the manifestation of our ability to express choice through desire – hence we co-create elements of our life alongside predetermined events, subsequently, life is a blend of intent and destiny. Choice represents the potential to change something about our lives in order to make something different. Life is full of this potential.
In the grand scheme of things, intent is an opportunity for us Mandelbrot fractals of intelligence to personally “sign” our energy expressions… it is our opportunity to continue riding the same wavelength and chase our own tail in endless cycles if we so desire or it is an opportunity to change direction and take the road to truth, freedom and self discovery.
The problem (nudge nudge wink wink) is that intelligence has become so caught up in the real-life drama it has imagined, written, produced and consequently co-stars in… that it has completely forgotten itself. Intelligence is experiencing its very own cosmic groundhog day.
The government beast to the people: sleep now, little child. Everything is going to be alright. Mommy and I are not going to let anyone hurt you.
1. The Western media is keeping mainstream Western consciousness in a state of sleep. It is doing this in order to suppress public awareness of massive crimes against humanity by financial, media, and political leaders in the U.S., England, and Israel.
2. Time is speeding up, and leaving little time for reflection and thinking. The world is changing at a pace that exceeds our ability to grasp what the changes mean for us as individuals and for our collective destiny as a species. The overwhelming sense of lost time is too much to bear for a lot of people, so they get depressed, disengage from the real world, and escape into their fantasy worlds.
3. Everything we are led to believe about official reality and official history by society’s institutions is a lie. A sense of meaning to our lives has been lost, and we are desperately looking for answers. Some of us get trapped in the maze of information, and give up our personal quest for understanding. And some of us continue to slog on through the darkness, night in, night out, because we are never satisfied with our current level of knowledge.
4. On 9/11, we witnessed the Orwellian leaders of the U.S. and Israel destroy reality and reason, and replace them with illusion and irrationality. Their political use of terrorism to mentally condition the people of the West into believing that the threat of terrorism demands their vigilance and sacrifice to the state has created societies of sheep that instinctively react against truth-telling and anti-conformist speech.
5. The politicization of news has created a culture of disinformation, distraction, and deception. 24-hour “News” is the most dangerous and lethal thing in the world. Television is a cancer on the mind. Since 9/11, television has been utilized as an instrument of psychological warfare against the people in America, Canada, and other Western countries.
6. Esoteric-minded individuals in government, media, secret societies, and Hollywood are pursuing a secret political and religious agenda. Deception and secrecy are instrumental to their demonic mission. Their commitment to suppressing historical facts and objective reality is total and absolute.
7. Movies are more than entertainment, they are a subversive and successful form of mass programming. Hollywood is a dream factory, and its dreams become reference points for people, media, and politicians. On 9/11, responders and survivors said that they felt like they were in a movie. There are so many more examples of this social, cultural, and psychological phenomenon.
8. Seeing life as a dream is a trick of the mind. For the criminals of the world, especially those who control governments and financial companies, being separated from reality allows them to engage in illegal activities with an exaggerated sense of confidence. The state terrorists who did 9/11 feel untouchable because their absurd lie has been mindlessly accepted as an objective fact by the majority of the world, rather than as an evil deception. They are the masters of reality, and they know it, which is why they are not afraid to stage another false flag event in the West to justify another criminal war.
9. Consensus reality under a system of dictatorship is reached at through the use of terror and systematic propaganda. How do we arrive at a consensus on public policy and government spending programs in a democracy? Idealistically, through intense debate, political dialogue, public education, and public discussion. But that is not what happened in the days and weeks after 9/11.
Western nations arrived at a consensus about the threat of terrorism after the shadow governments of the United States and Israel committed the biggest act of terror in history. The consensus reality we have lived under since 9/11 is a collective spell, and a long nightmare. The social fruits of this collective spell are death, poverty, and misery.
The propagandists who work for Washington, London, and Tel Aviv are masters at devising an “international consensus” on political and military objectives, whether in Afghanistan, Iraq, Palestine, Libya, Syria, or Iran. But they don’t use logic and reason to win over the world, instead, they use big lies and false flag terrorism to intimidate nations into accepting their twisted version of reality.
10. Regimes of terror and fraud create a collective dream state to limit the consciousness of the people so they do not wake up and realize the magnitude of the crimes that have been committed against them while they slept. The propagandists of totalitarian regimes of terror are constantly engaged in a war on collective memory. Their target is the collective psyche of the society. And they use all kinds of psychological, military, and scientific techniques to realize their goal of creating a dispirited, unconscious, ignorant, fearful, and psychologically traumatized population.
But there is a way out of our collective nightmare. We can reject the terror-based consensus reality that has been constructed by the tricksters behind the 9/11 events. We can dream a new dream.
This is the full, annotated version of the animation illustrating the concepts found in chapter one of the book “Imagining the Tenth Dimension” by Rob Bryanton.
Insight #1 … Reality is consciousness manifest in electromagnetic grids of experience. We ONLY manifest physically by grid connection.
Insight #2 … If you are emotionally balanced you will attract that which will keep you in balance. If you have emotional problems – and are in denial – you will attract drama!
Insight #3 … Think outside the box :: Observe what, when, and how you sabotage the patterns of your life. This is a form of manifestation by your soul after its energy reserve with existing patterns is depleted.
With evidence growing that training the mind or inducing specific modes of consciousness can have beneficial health effects, scientists have sought to understand how these practices physically affect the body. A new study by researchers in Wisconsin, Spain, and France reports the first evidence of specific molecular changes in the body following a period of intensive mindfulness practice. The study investigated the effects of a day of intensive mindfulness practice in a group of experienced meditators, compared to a group of untrained control subjects who engaged in quiet non-meditative activities. After eight hours of mindfulness practice, the meditators showed a range of genetic and molecular differences, including altered levels of gene-regulating machinery and reduced levels of pro-inflammatory genes, which in turn correlated with faster physical recovery from a stressful situation. “To the best of our knowledge, this is the first paper that shows rapid alterations in gene expression within subjects associated with mindfulness meditation practice,” says study author Richard J. Davidson, founder of the Center for Investigating Healthy Minds and the William James and Vilas Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “Most interestingly, the changes were observed in genes that are the current targets of anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs,” says Perla Kaliman, first author of the article and a researcher at the Institute of Biomedical Research of Barcelona, Spain (IIBB-CSIC-IDIBAPS), where the molecular analyses were conducted.
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