Not I’s

 Not I’s are fortune tellers. They have been called familiar spirits, soothsayers, and various other exotic names.

There are two factions we refer to as A and B. They are in total disagreement. What they disagree about is which series of false  suggestions they sell to I to relay to X. 

They each pretend to knowledge of right and wrong, good and bad, what is best and full knowledge of the future. Knowledge of everyone’s motive. Of course, in total disagreement about each of these and all totally false.

They must be invoked, asked, prayed to in order to start them into action.

The formula for invocation is:

I want to do the right thing

I want to be sure and do this right

I sure don’t want to make another mistake

I want to do this all on my own

I want to do what is best

I just don’t want to get hurt

I just want to be sure I’m doing the right thing

I wonder if I did it right

I wonder why he or she did that

Why did that happen?

And all other unanswerable questions

Remember Not I’s must be invoked to start their nefarious work 

The Falacy

 That total gratification of the senses equals contentment both physical and psychological.

All gratification is partial. Physical gratification can be 90 to 98% but it is very temporary. Psychological gratification is 0 to 10% and they are not even temporary. 

To see that satisfaction refers to a state of the senses-physical and psychological-and that contentment refers to a state of being.

This is the way it is and I am thankful that it is this way. I am content to be dissatisfied.

I am enthusiastic to experiment in various ways to get partial and temporary gratification. Some experiments I will flush, some I will use again and some I will modify.

The great falacy is that:

I must be totally satisfied to be contented.  

Excerpt from reel to reel tapes July 1983

Would that be a pretty good “good” to have to you? (No) That wouldn’t be if you had total charge of it? That wouldn’t worthwhile to you would it? (No not to me) But if you could have charge of your world that you could have it all just, (well I would not have things like starving children) well that’s not in your world, this is your world I’m talking about. That’s their world. But if you was in charge of everything in your world, you could have it pretty well couldn’t you? Cause you could have anything you wanted is that right, huh? 

 You would have it pretty well couldn’t you? Is that right? And before you could have charge of everything in your world you’d have to start with I am doing this instead of blaming me or Joe Blow or Charlie Cartrocks or somebody else wouldn’t you? Cause if you blame you can’t have charge of it could you? Because you’ve given me the authority to run your world if you blame me. Huh? Is that correct? So the first thing is as long as we blame someone we have made an authority, haven’t we? Cause if I blame you for my attitudes I have made you my authority, is that right? Huh? Is that correct? And then if I have made you my authority I’ve given you my power to control me and my circumstances over to you, and you probably don’t even know it, so it’s probably thrown in the trash can, you wouldn’t even use it, is that right? And hear I’ve thrown my power away, and you’ve got it, and you don’t even know you have it so it’s wasted, isn’t it? So as long as man blames the environment he is an effect of the environment and he’s made the environment his boss, it’s his authority. You see man was given Dominion and authority over all things, and the first thing he wanted to do is get rid of it, he wanted that not this, and he had this so he immediately begin to give it away didn’t he? Huh? I wonder if the good that we can conceive of is to be entirely in charge of my world. That would be a start wouldn’t it? And before you could have entire charge and have no authorities over me, total freedom, therefore I would have nothing controlling me, I would have to start with maybe I am doing this. And then maybe I would have to know what I am doing, so possibly if we started with a question like, “What am I doing?” We would begin to catch around. Maybe what I’m doing is giving all my power away, and making you my authority, and blaming you for not taking good care of it. 

From notes

 See the necessity of staying awake. Danger does not come from the outside but from within.. I AM THE DANGER. “My” basic misconception is the idea that “all my difficulties” arise from without, from outside of me”. Something or someone else is to blame. I am awake to others in an attempt to gain what they gain and escape what they escape (or don’t gain or don’t escape) so I won’t feel inferior, but “I” am asleep to “I” and the behavior “I” indulge in.Outside psychological danger is only a daydream I’ve made up, a serial movie that I create. 

No matter how I tag it, I still refuse to be responsible because I do not study and understand “I”. I still am protecting the beliefs that I accepted and are accepting. Because I refuse to be responsible, I still believe that others can “make me mad”, that others can “worry me”, that others are the problem, that an anthropomorphic image is in charge and will take care of me, that I am a good kid and everyone else is pure trouble. Fine, as a sleeping conditioned machine I am all that. As a living being, I can behave (act, play a role) as if I am limited and tied to all these misconceptions, but I can SEE that only unconscious machines can operate and destroy themselves in this fashion. As a living being, I can be responsible to see these beliefs, to understand that I am in charge, to take the responsibility and to be responsible. I am doing it all, only I can do it all. I AM THE ONLY ONE WHO HAS THE POWER TO DO THE THINGS THAT I BLAME OUTSIDE FACTORS FOR. Those elements have no power, I try to force it upon them in my sleeping state. I see that I AM the power, therefore no outside persons can have any influence on me, nor can they be “good” or “bad”. There can be no opposites, there is only power which is, neither good nor bad, male or female, but totally neutral. 

I blame my feelings (as outside entities) for how I behave. Feelings are daydreams, I can only ‘feel’ when I am asleep. In an awake state, I have sensations but not feelings, not emotions. I must create feelings and emotions by passing sensations through the screen of conditioning, through the ‘transformer’ the 1st decision which distorts the sensations.

I, the intelligence, am the power. Feelings are the hangovers of infancy, Santa Claus, hob goblins, etc. The only way I can be aware of ‘my’ beliefs, (my feelings) are to see them act in relationship to the moment of of experiencing. 

I am the only one who has power in relationship to ‘I’. I am the problem, I can be the joy. However, I am the power, I do create the ‘feeling’, I make the stress. When I deny this, or refuse to look at it, I am playing (unconsciously) the role of the sleeping dying being. 

As long as I believe that my feelings occur through you, from you, or because of you, I can see no necessity to stay awake. 

Teaching ideas/cards

 We will have NO problems if we don’t make anything important. 

There is no truth to the 7 basic decisions. They are all lies.

If we are finding fault, we are looking through a misconception. 

The four questions:

What am I?

Where am I?

What’s going on here?

What can I do?

Provide true perception and feeling. Energy is generated. The body regenerates. We are renewed. Energy flows properly

From Teching ideas/cards

 Prime misconception. That I can live on planet earth without being disturbed.

I refuse to react to other people’s reactions.

We are sowers of seed. What kind of seed do we sow?  Peace? Love? Joy? Our mood, attitude is our seed. We live in that which we radiate.

From Headlines

 When one is aware that one is being manipulated constantly by the four dual basic urges, one is aware that all one really wants is to be in a state where one is not manipulated by the four dual basic urges.

From Headlines

 Agape is being aware that whatever he or another is doing, has done, or will ever do, at the moment of doing the act, he feels he is right, proper, and justified. This criteria, of feeling right, proper, and justified, is what is used when one performs an act. One cannot blame another, criticize another, feel guilty himself if one is aware of and is in the state referred to by the word agape.

Without agape one is really not human, much less a spiritually evolved man.

The nature of struggle, conflict, and resistance

 A The three questions of torment

1. Did I do “right” when I did so and so. (Past)

2 Am I doing “right” by doing so and so? (Present)

3 Will I be doing “right” if I do so and so? (Future)

B Attempt to change self

1. Self, with a small “s”, is our feeling about things.

2. We did not create ourselves, nor can we change ourselves. 

3. We can change our responses—X will change the self.

C The fallacy of being bound by “should” and “oughts”

1. The “shoulds” and “oughts” can be valuable to show us what might be to our advantage. 

2. The “shoulds” and “oughts” might then become “coulds”.

D The meaning of being “out of time”

As a car gets out of “time”, so do people get “out of time”.

1. Their attention is directed to what was or what will be, thus missing the experiment of this moment, of what is.

2. They are in a constant state of worry, struggle, conflict, and resistance about wasting time. 

3. There is a mental preoccupation with the past and the future, living half numb to the reality around them,

E The futility of trying to live in the past and the future.

1. There is nothing we can do about the past. 

2. By looking at the past, we judge what was then, is now.

3. Once we think we “know” someone or something, we close our minds to the thrill of discovery.

4. We look to the future for our “happiness” and tomorrow never comes.

From Salt Lake City workshop tape 2

 So the degree team never bothers you as long as you are conscious that all of these things are just possibilities for you to have a challenge - to see if you are asleep or conscious. Now this is the whole idea of initiation. It is to initiate us out of childhood and into adulthood. Somebody said that when I was a child, I thought as a child, spoke as a child, and acted as a child. But when I became a man, or when I was initiated into adulthood, not just grew up by a number of years, but I was initiated into it, then I began to think, act, and behave like a man. So this is the whole idea of initiation is for us to see that all of these degree team people, we are so gritched about, are degree team people.

Excerpt from Andrew and the clowns

 From Tape 42 Andrew and the clowns (see Marsha Summers page for full tape) 

But in the circus, he begins to see it in a different light because it was exaggerated. They had on clown suits, which says this is a parody of everyday existence. If you have ever observed clowns, you will see their basic technique of producing laughter is that they take insignificant events, and make them very very important. And as we wander about observing all those wonderful people, who are conditioned, we can observe that "I" is sound asleep, and that those make up the greater population. They have never had the opportunity to wake up because they have never questioned the purpose of living. Without questioning, they don't get the opportunity. They go on and on year in and year out. EVERY CONCEIVABLE KIND OF EFFORT IS MADE TO MAKE THEM COMFORTABLE, BUT NO EFFORT IS EVER SPENT TO WAKE THEM UP. IT IS ALL BASICALLY TO TRY TO PUT THEM TO SLEEP. You see, if they are disturbed or upset, then what we want to do is make them comfortable, so then they will sleep. Of course in their sleep they may have nightmares, and they get a little violent here and there--maybe very violent, but it is not due to intention. It is not due to evilness in the person. It is due to conditioning, and as we understand that this conditioning comes in two versions, one from the very early establishment of the being, to stick up for his rights, to complain, and to blame, and from the other side, which was conditioned from the environment, to control him and make him what be what is called 'good," to be non disturbing to others the two sides setting this conflict into existence. 

Magic Valley -

 RECAP

Thus having seen that”I” am an alien in a beautiful world of beings who are in a state of waking sleep, “I” realize that “I” have an inner urge to mimic that which “I” am around all the time. Since we have gathered to work together for the purpose of maintaining, enhancing and expanding consciousness, we will practice the Art of Being Conscious—ABC’s of the new life. The art includes architecture, which is to understand relationships, the way things are really laid out. This art includes building, to put things together properly. The art includes co-operating and using that which is built. These are the requirements of a craftsman in the ABC’s of awareness, the ART OF BEING CONSCIOUS through Architecture, Building and Co-Operation. Appropriately, this college is planned to provide schooling in the “fine arts”, and the finest art is that of being.

To perfect any art requires practice. We are dealing with an art that involves survival—which is staying  conscious. We can ask those working with “I” to remind me when they see me dropping into the spell of mimicry. We can practice the four ingredients outlined above for six months. We will then meet and discuss the next steps to be taken, if any, at that time. 

The outward work to be done at the college is symbolic of the inner purpose we have of being here. The buildings have been asleep for some time. The outside shows signs of aging. The interior, which is not seen by the passerby, is in a deplorable state of disintegration. As the outer and the inner work of salvation is accomplished, so will the outer and inner work of consciousness proceed. Our purpose is to salvage that which was lost, passing from death to life. No matter what we do here, if we are not being conscious, are efforts and attainments are as the rattling of empty beer cans. 

The first experiment—agape—is known only as inner function. However, the other three, (1) being considerate, (2) being harmless and (3) having an harmonious mood, are essential for the tolerance and endurance of those people among who we dwell. There is a danger of being exposed as the real aliens we are, which will arouse the reaction of hate common to all who have reason to be afraid. In the past, many aliens have failed this test and were executed. The point is—AVOID HEEDLESSNESS.

Magic Valley contd.

 1. AGAPE.

    As in any locality, the ‘natives’ feel very comfortable and secure there because of the depth and strength of their agreements. All of them feel that everything they do is right, proper and/or justified. They can become very upset at any suggestion to the contrary. We may know that other behavior and ideas are right, proper, and or justified, but these ideas would be in serious conflict with the ideas, rules and training of their world. 

Therefore, we are in a particularly favorable place to practice agape at all times, consciously. 

2. CONSIDERATENESS.

    People want to be non-disturbed in their manners, customs, likes, dislikes, beliefs and so forth. They become highly irritated if any of these are threatened. Therefore, since we are Aliens here, one of the things we can experiment doing is to be consciously considerate and to pay attention to their manners and customs. In this experiment, we will be considerate without expecting them to be the same.

3. HARMLESSNESS.

     One of the major preoccupations of the people in the world we are in is the ‘need’ to escape being responsible for ‘I’ in every way. They feel that ‘I’ is a victim of many things, which give them the comfortable illusion, they suggest to ‘I’ and each other that ‘I’ owns aspects of self, occupations and things—instead of being. Since this need to escape responsibility keeps them in a state of conflict, struggle, and resistance, we observe that they are in the process of destroying themselves. We can experiment with observing their need to escape responsibility and be harmless ourselves by not joining them in the deadly game. As we find it necessary to associate  with them, we will remain conscious and not pick up the illusion of fragmentation of the “I”. In other words, we will be wise as serpents, which is to WATCH  EVERYTHING, and to be harmless as a dove, which is to NEITHER AGREE OR DISAGREE — just make cooing sounds.

4. HARMONIOUS MOOD.

    In as much as we arrived in this Alien world poorly equipped  in either ability or any other means to survive, we have found people to be helpful and compassionate to provide for us until we are relatively capable of making some contribution. We do not know the basis of their graciousness, whether it is love, fear, guilt, unconsciousness, or whether they think we are one of them, but there is one thing we can certainly do at all times. that is to contribute to a pleasant, harmonious mood.

Thoughts for the fall 1971 Magic Valley Workshop

BACKGROUND OBSERVATION

Whenever a person disclaims agreement with the ideas, ideals, purposes and leaders of any institution, he becomes an alien to that institution. An institution is something which has been instituted by man according to his purposes, ideas, ideals, and standards. Institutions draw their strength from forces generated by agreement. Through collective agreement about what is good and bad, right and wrong, important and unimportant, the supporters of an institution seek psychological security and safety. To protect and uphold the institution, it's leaders must have police power to punish, banish, extract fines and so forth. Since the unity of their agreement is based upon a belief in their definition of reality, they feel that anyone who does not agree with them still knows what is right but thinks and does wrong anyway. Thus, the basis for the very existence of the institution is anti-agape, which is to think in opposites,  judge everyone and everything as good or bad, feel compelled to want everything changed in accordance with their agreement of reality. In their zeal to help everybody be 'saved' from evil, the institution promises that it can provide special benefits which will protect them from future sorrow and guarantee eternal peace and happiness- later. Through the strength of their common agreement, the members look upon the institution as something more important than the individual. At this point, the institution has become a principality--an entity greater than life.

Some of the more common institutions are those of nations, governments, political parties, churches, businesses, marriages, families, communities, and even schools. When a member of an institution comes in contact with certain ideas about the Real World and begins to experiment with them to see if they describe accurately what he can experience, he will find the anti-agape is merely an illusion and not based upon a fact. He discovers that his confidence in the reality of anti-agape was only through agreement. As soon as he makes such a discovery, he is suddenly alien to the institution and the agreements which he formerly lived by and for. He begins to experience a deep change in his life. He is both dying and being born. He is literally leaving his old world just as a seed dies to the seed world and is born into the plant world, or a pupa dies to the cocoon world and is born into the moth world. He is being born into the real earth world as he dies to the world of the womb, where everyone is trying to regain the non disturbed state. In his dying to the conditioned world of anti agape, he starts to be born into the world of agape, which is conscious understanding and true love. 

Once an individual is alien to his old way of thinking, he cannot stop. He must go further, whether he wishes to or not. He can proceed by forming new beliefs, assumptions and conclusions, but if he does, his life will lead to violence, for he will have something to prove and something to defend. On the other hand, he can proceed slowly by experiments, keeping in motion, accepting difficulties as challenges, stimulated by interest rather than needs. This is the way of a wise man. Therefore, it is possible that we may find it worth while to have four basic experiments. (to be continued)

 

What’s going on here vol 2 no.1

 Attention

It has been observed for some time that one of the valuable keys to a higher level of being is awareness of directing attention. The vast majority of individuals are unaware of the value of directed attention. 

Attention is attracted by a multitude of stimuli; some noise attracts the attention and some Not-I says “That is totally unnecessary” and the emotion of anger arises; a few minutes later a musical melody attracts the attention and the person starts tapping in time to the music; then on the radio a news item attracts the attention by stating that AIDS is epidemic and fear arises. This goes on all day. Never once was the attention consciously devoted to any purpose or idea long enough to actuality anything. 

It has been said that one becomes what one pays continuous attention to. Do you suppose that when one doesn’t pay attention to anything that one becomes nothing?

Let us visualize for a little while the activity of paying attention to thinking and acting, health, wellbeing, enthusiasm, thankfulness, paying attention to the need of of many about us for attention, approval, and appreciation. It takes very little attention to see a need and supply that need. This little exercise of visualization will show possibilities of service few have noticed. 

Now is the time to focus the attention and act upon the little outline above. In a very short time one will experience a higher state of being, expressed in many ways. 

The attention is to be focused outward at all times. Any in-turning of the attention results in an ever lower state of being. The person with total attention on self is what is referred to as psychotic; on the other end of the scale is a person who’s attention is totally turned outward. This person is called anything from a mystic to a super successful person, depending on what outside area the attention is focused on.

This is an experimental that is of great value to pursue. May you experience the joy of it. 

Teaching ideas

 137. Once a decision is made with feeling, it is the rule of attitude-action until recognized and unmade or re evaluated. It is not what happened to us but the decisions that were made about what happened.

138. If we are finding fault we are looking through a misconception. 

139. The awareness owns nothing. It is an a server and reporter ONLY. X renders Not-I’s inoperative, when they are observed and reported. They cease to be conditioning. They cease to operate the body.

140. Putting oneself in a good light could be called lying.

141. All the teaching is in four words:

         Self-knowing, which never ends

         Faith- which never completes

         Grace- which is without end

          Love- which is boundless

142. Every inch of life is the spiritual work.

143. The price of liberty is eternal vigilance. 

144. Are we brave enough to dump all authorities? If we are going to be free individuals we first get rid of authorities. If we have authorities, we will have conflict.