For years I used to think I was a dog. Then I went to a psychiatrist and he soon put things right”.
“So how are you now”? asked a friend.
“Fine. Feel my nose.”
Just Stop It! — To see this classic skit with Bob Newhart: >>>Click Here Though beware, there may be more truth in it than first appears.
An unexpected event in my twenties plunged me into years of clinical depression, chronic anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder. Although this triggering event was nowhere near the level of horror that many people experience and somehow have to deal with, it was traumatic enough to move me into a very dark place emotionally. The reason I have written this story is not simply to talk about what happened, as that in itself is not important, what does matter is that I overcame these emotional problems, and how I did so.
After years of reading self-help and positive thinking books, always hoping, unsuccessfully, to find strategies that would teach me how to cope with life, I finally made the discovery that changed everything for me.(No, I haven’t found religion, any bizarre cult, radical diet or anything else of that ilk.) The two books which set me back on the path to sanity are “The Power of Now” and “A New Earth”, both written by Eckhart Tolle, a man who overcame his own inner torments and is now an inspiration to millions around the world.
Although Eckhart Tolle’s books are spiritual and he refers to a number of religions and traditions, his message is not allied with any specific one. So far I have only managed to integrate a small percentage of his principles into my life, but it has been enough to initiate huge changes. It is not an “all or nothing” approach. One of Eckhart Tolle’s major themes is explaining how to overcome destructive thought patterns and attitudes, as well as the importance of living life in the present rather than being burdened by the past and fearing the future.
As Tolle says, his message is not new. However what I feel he does do differently is explain each idea very clearly and logically without any vague and “airy fairy” language to confuse what he is attempting to get across. I had seen many reviews of Eckhart Tolle’s books on the internet (“Amazon” on-line bookshop) by people who said reading these had radically changed their lives for the better. I thought it would be very interesting to hear the stories behind these changes and that’s what motivated me to write about my own experiences – to illustrate just how much Tolle’s teachings can alter one’s whole outlook on life.
From the introduction of: On The Right Track by Jenny Barrett
At a recent retreat with a group of people interested in living freely, unencumbered by past definitions of themselves, a revealing exercise was discovered. When a person said their own name and then said what that name meant to them, self-definitions from childhood were exposed. Usually, if not always, these definitions of themselves were negative to at least some degree. Even if names had been changed, the old name still had hidden power, and hidden power is the most insidious.
Many of these intelligent, bright, aware adults were carrying old burdens of negative self-identification within them. When a friend repeated the question, “What is your name and what does it mean?” layers of excess mental and emotional baggage could be recognized and dropped.
Naming is an extremely useful aspect of human intelligence. With naming we are able to make important distinctions. Distinctions are necessary for our survival, as well as mental and emotional growth and well being. With more sophisticated naming we develop more subtle and sophisticated distinctions. But great powers often come with a high cost. As we develop our ability to make distinctions and generate names, we usually lose sight of the connection between things.
And this is a tragic loss, a loss that generates dissatisfaction, restlessness and worse.
Names accumulate meanings associated with their owners. Over time, derogatory meanings can become embedded in our self-identification. We begin to believe that we are what our names, or labels, say we are. Even if we rebel against them, our names can seem like a kind of map of our persona, a map that defines how we are separate from others.
In the willingness to inquire into one’s own name, and with that inquiry the willingness to face unpleasant feelings, there arises the possibility to see through the name. We can see that the name has no substance by itself. We can see the unreality of the name per se, while the reality of oneself remains constant.
How burdensome these labels and distinctions are finally. All along didn’t you know your name didn’t describe who you are? And yet we spend much of life trying to accept a name as the symbol of our identity, or rebelling against one name and taking another in hopes that perhaps the new name will be a true description of ourselves. Some of us take animal spirit names, we accept names from our gurus (I did), and we have secret, special lover-given names that feel more like a fit for us.
But if we tell the truth, no name can contain our true identity. Once we stop trying to name ourselves, and others, there is an obvious yet thrilling discovery. We are not actually discrete from one another, or from the “mountain” or “the ocean” or “the sky” or any other part of our universe. What were important distinctions for survival and power aren’t needed at all in self-reflection.
As Alfred Korzybski pointed out eighty years ago, “The map is not the territory.” If you only know the map you won’t experience the territory. If we try to fit ourselves, and others, into maps and labels, we will miss the essential thrill of being aware of ourselves as inseparable from all life forms.
Why not try this game with a friend? One of you asks the other, “What is your name and what does it mean.” Repeat this question for ten minutes or so before switching roles. When you are asking the question, be sure to include nicknames, and even hateful names you have been called. You can discover for yourself if you want to keep carrying around any old heavy baggage associated with any name at all.
by Gangaji — from her latest post on the >>>Huffington Post Blog
You may be wondering why The Seer hasn’t been updated for a few weeks, but Pete (the editor), had suddenly to go into hospital for another corneal transplant and is only now back ‘in the saddle’ so to speak. Thankfully, the operation went better than expected and, for the time being at least, he has enough useful eyesight to work with the computer etc. thanks to some helpful adaptive technology. The loving support expresed by many fellow seers at this time has been greatly appreciated by both Pete and Pearl.
You will also be aware that we have just moved this blog to a new host at name.com The new blog URL is clearsightblog.net The WordPress program has been updated to the latest version and future versions will now be updated automatically. We hope you like the new theme and the extra features expertly installed by Dave at Blue Cat Systems.
Also, if you’ve been a Peter’s Pearls subscriber, you’ll be wondering why these daily inspirational emails suddenly ceased on or about May 8th. Unfortunately, this was because the ISP that hosted our list and mailing program lost the list when they were upgrading their server … and, unbelievably, they didn’t do a backup before attempting this manoeuvre.
We may be able to partially restore the service with an old 2006 list, but this will inconvenience some past subscribers and miss many current ones. If you want to get back onto the list again, please go to: >>>Peter’s Pearls for further information and advice. Thank you for your patience.
“When I say I am I don’t mean a separate entity with a body as its nucleus. I mean the totality of being, the ocean of consciousness, the entire universe of all that is and knows.”
~ Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj
Gurukula friend and coordinator of the Headless group, Sam Blight, was interviewed via Skype recently by US Never-Not-Here TV show host, Richard Miller. Owing to technical problems with the Skype transmission, they froze the video and that enabled clear sound reception.
Sam’s explanation of the Headless Way was one of the crispest, no-nonsense expressions I’ve heard and was obviously shared from personal experience — well worth a listen. The interview is accessible >>>HERE.
Wide-eyed with wonder, the lad clapped his hands excitedly: “Do it again, Daddy, do it again.”
Fathers Day is celebrated in the US on Sun. June 21st (Sept. in Oz). Spiritual mentor, Greg Larsen, who has just created a new music video with a powerful message about healing the relationship with our fathers — it’s entitled: Better Friends.
You can view the video on >>>Greg’s Web site. Greg says this entire project came about from following Eckhart Tolle’s advice to reflect on this question: ‘how is life calling me to serve?’
As I was not familiar with the outback area, I became lost and being a typical man, didn’t stop for directions. I finally arrived an hour late. I saw the backhoe and the crew who were eating lunch but the hearse was nowhere in sight.
I apologized to the workers for my tardiness and stepped to the side of the open grave where I saw the vault lid already in place.
I assured the workers I would not hold them up for long but this was the proper thing to do. The workers gathered around, still eating their lunch. I played out my heart and soul.
As I played, the workers — tough as they were, began to wipe stray tears at their eyes.
I played and I played like I’d never played before, from Going Home and The Lord is My Shepherd to Flowers of the Forest. I closed the lengthy session with Amazing Grace and walked to my car.
As I was opening the door and taking off my coat, I overheard one of the workers saying to another, “Sweet Jeezuz, Mary’n Joseph, I never seen nothin’ like that before and I’ve been putting in septic tanks for twenty years!”
