Phoenesse - Podcast Details

Shows

KeysKeys IntroductionHere are fascinating answers to a deep and wide variety of life-related questions. Such great soul-searching inquiries are answered through the specific questions that were asked at lectures and Question & Answer sessions—Q&As, as they were called—held primarily in New York from 1957 through 1979 by Eva Pierrakos. While Eva was the person who spoke, she did not claim to be the one who was speaking. Every two weeks, for over two decades, a group of people would gather with Eva, she would go into a trance, and a wise, caring and articulate being—who became known as the...2024-07-1302 min

KeysAbout the authors of KeysEVA PIERRAKOS, Author Eva was born in 1915 in Vienna, the daughter of the well-known Austrian novelist Jakob Wasserman. Driven by a private curiosity and a desire for deeper understanding of her world, Eva began to develop the gift of accessing an inner voice, at first through automatic writing and later by speaking in a trance state. In time, the inner voice took shape as the authoritative, insightful and loving persona of the Pathwork® Guide. Eva came to the United States in 1939 and continued her work in New York, giving Guide sessions and an ongoing series o...2024-05-0102 min

Get a Better BoatThe key to a happy marriage? HonestyAbout: How marriage works When my husband, Scott, and I met, we immediately had a common connection through our love for the Pathwork Guide. And indeed, in our marriage, it is the tools of this spiritual path that keep us walking straight together. Over our time together, Scott and I have come to realize something interesting. When we stepped into marriage, something new was created: the union itself. And now we both have the task of keeping this new entity alive. Although we are still two individuals, we now also work as a team. And often, when...2023-09-0812 min

Get a Better BoatPlaying the long gameAbout: Perseverance and trust The first time I picked up a Pathwork lecture, I knew I had found something special. The year was 1997, and by then, this material had already been around for a few decades. What I didn’t realize then was that the Pathwork Guide was playing the long game. And at the time, I didn’t yet understand that I, too, would now be playing the long game. All essays | Get a Better Boat We Can Heal | After the Ego • Blinded by Fear Real. Clear. series | Holy Moly • Finding Gold • Bib...2023-09-0710 min

Get a Better BoatFour hard lessons about immaturity and imagesAbout: How images color life experiences Things are amping up right now. Collectively, the world is experiencing an influx of energy that is helping to shimmy our images to the surface. For that’s the only way we’re going to see them and heal them. This influx, then, is coming to help us heal. We can no longer bury our heads in the sand—along with our immaturity and images—and hope things will just all work out well in the end. For there is a Lower Self script running in the background of every person’s life. An...2023-08-3021 min

Get a Better BoatSuffering? It's time to search for imagesAbout: Images and their importance “Here is a room full of people, and not one person is completely happy. There is not one person who would not want some kind of change...You may feel an unhappiness, unrest, disharmony, fear, insecurity, loneliness, yearning. All of you, my friends, including those who will read these words, have the power to change this if you want to.” – The Pathwork® Guide All essays | Get a Better Boat We Can Heal | After the Ego • Blinded by Fear Real. Clear. series | Holy Moly • Finding Gold • Bible Me This • The Pull • Pear...2023-08-2925 min

Get a Better BoatWhat’s hiding beneath our stories?About: Helping others through inner listening There is a spiritual law at work when we open up to someone else. Because in that moment, we are taking a risk and performing an act of humility. And becoming humble—as opposed to prideful—is very healing. In fact, one of the most harmful things we do to ourselves is to try to appear more perfect than we are. But the moment we show another person what’s really going on inside us, we will instantly feel relief. Even if the other person doesn’t give us a single bit of a...2023-08-2815 min

Get a Better BoatClosing the gaps in our awarenessAbout: Becoming aware of our faults For many, there’s a gap between what we say we want in life and what we’re actually getting out of life. Why is there this gap? And really, why bother trying to close the gap if, in the end, it seems like darkness will keep winning anyways? It may be helpful to realize that, no, darkness can’t win in the long run. The reason is simply this: the greater our darkness, or negativity, the lower our awareness. In other words, opting to remain in the dark about our own ne...2023-08-2711 min

Get a Better BoatHow inner obstacles let in dark forcesAbout: The deep impact of childhood wounds What’s wrong with having a few faults, you ask? After all, everybody has them! Or perhaps we think that since our faults aren’t as bad as someone else’s, they don’t matter so much. Too often we make allowances for ourselves, saying, “I’m not the only one doing this,” or “Surely others are doing worse.” Or we say, “the devil made me do it,” as though it’s just a coincidence that dark forces were influencing us. No, we’re the ones who open that door by ignoring our own hidden...2023-08-2619 min

Get a Better BoatLiving on the good side of lifeAbout: Aligning our will with God’s will Eons ago, long before the beginning of time, something bad happened. And in a nutshell, human beings—who were spiritual beings at the time—got in trouble. Our punishment was a bit like being sent to our room. In this case, we were sent into darkness. Which raises at least two questions: What did we do that was so wrong? And who handed out this dreadful punishment? All essays | Get a Better Boat We Can Heal | After the Ego • Blinded by Fear Real. Clear. series ...2023-08-2513 min

Get a Better BoatPaying attention: The life-changing process of waking upAbout: Sorting out the parts of the self Waking up means all parts of the human psyche work together to shift which part is in the lead. The part that needs waking up is the Higher Self. In most people, it lies dormant in the center of our being, rarely seen and seldom consulted. It’s not so much that our Higher Self is asleep, but we’re simply no longer aware of it. It’s patiently waiting for us to access it—to operate our lives from this deeper place within. All essays | Get a Better Bo...2023-08-2422 min

Get a Better BoatAfter isolation: Approaching the Great TransitionAbout: Waking up to our true self The great longing of all humanity is to participate in the life that follows after going through this transition. Meanwhile, in our ignorance, we fight this transition. Nevertheless, the longing always remains. Because the state of union is the natural state of all God’s creatures. And in that state, there’s no loneliness anymore. In our present state, however, many of us still feel essentially alone. In this state of isolation, the best we can hope for is a feeling that others are in the same boat as we are. Th...2023-08-2322 min

Get a Better BoatIt’s time to grow up: Maturing through stagesAbout: Moving into a new epoch As we enter a new era—the start of a new epoch, really—we are going through a time of crisis. But this is just a normal part of growing up. And ready or not, it’s now time for humanity to step fully into adulthood. Let's look at where we are heading next. All essays | Get a Better Boat We Can Heal | After the Ego • Blinded by Fear Real. Clear. series | Holy Moly • Finding Gold • Bible Me This • The Pull • Pearls • Gems • Bones • Nutshells Self. Care. series | Spilling the Scri...2023-08-2218 min

Get a Better BoatTwo Martin Luthers, two kinds of faithAbout: What salvation really means Before we begin on a healing journey in which we remove the obstacles that are blocking our inner light—remembering what Christ taught, which is that heaven is within—we can only believe with our ego mind. And belief as a mental concept has no spiritual value. All essays | Get a Better Boat We Can Heal | After the Ego • Blinded by Fear Real. Clear. series | Holy Moly • Finding Gold • Bible Me This • The Pull • Pearls • Gems • Bones • Nutshells Self. Care. series | Spilling the Script • Healing the Hurt • Doing the Work More | ...2023-08-2110 min

Get a Better BoatTaking the more mystical way homeAbout: The faster way to heaven within Just as Kabbalah is the mystical arm of the Jewish tradition, there is a mystical form of Islam called Sufism. It’s a bit harder to find a mystical path that dovetails with Christianity. A good candidate might be the path of Phoenesse, which is built on the profound teachings offered to humanity by the Pathwork Guide. This fits well from the perspective that both Phoenesse and Pathwork are Christic paths that don’t resemble Christianity at all. All essays | Get a Better Boat We Can Heal ...2023-08-2011 min

Get a Better BoatFrom believing to knowing: The trip of a lifetimeAbout: Personal experience becomes our proof Are the Pathwork teachings—and in turn, my Phoenesse writings—essentially a philosophy? Perhaps. For according to Manson, “Philosophy is the inquiry into our understanding of reality, knowledge, and how we should live.” Indeed, that describes the Pathwork teachings to a T. And believing isn’t part of the program. All essays | Get a Better Boat We Can Heal | After the Ego • Blinded by Fear Real. Clear. series | Holy Moly • Finding Gold • Bible Me This • The Pull • Pearls • Gems • Bones • Nutshells Self. Care. series | Spilling the Script • Healing the Hurt • ...2023-08-1909 min

Get a Better BoatThe Real Self vs the True SelfAbout: The reality of untruth In our quest to wake up, our mission is to travel the surprisingly long distance from our ego to our Higher Self. We could also call our Higher Self our Real Self or True Self. To reach our Higher Self, our ego will need to clear away the inner obstacles created by our Lower Self. Like our Higher Self, our Lower is part of our Real Self. But it is most definitely not our True Self. And if we want to wake up—to become enlightened—it’s vitally important we understand this d...2023-08-1708 min

Get a Better BoatA simple test for lifeAbout: Seeking connection versus separation When we align with anything other than our inner light, we create disharmony in the world. But equally important, we create discord within. For when we serve separation, we are no longer at one with our own selves. All essays | Get a Better Boat We Can Heal | After the Ego • Blinded by Fear Real. Clear. series | Holy Moly • Finding Gold • Bible Me This • The Pull • Pearls • Gems • Bones • Nutshells Self. Care. series | Spilling the Script • Healing the Hurt • Doing the Work More | Walker • Word for Word • Living Light • Spiritual...2023-08-1603 min

Get a Better BoatJewels in the heartAbout: Being present with what’s here now Judith Saly was communicating with Eva after she died. And Eva seemed to be saying that everyone there was wearing jewels in their heart. Some of these jewels were already polished and others weren’t yet. But nobody was hiding the ones that weren’t polished. Everyone went around admiring each other’s jewels, saying things like, “So this is what you still have yet to polish.” But it was all OK. The unpolished stones were just those that a certain spirit still had to work on. episode All essays...2023-08-1502 min

After the EgoWhat is Phoenesse®? The Guide offers profound teachings that are only valuable if they are put into service in understanding and unwinding our everyday disharmonies, both large and small. One has to actively apply the Guide’s teachings to be served by them. That’s really the key. But the lectures are long—roughly 10-12 pages each—and dense, so it takes some mental stamina to get through them. This is where Phoenesse can help. Inspired directly by the Guide, Phoenesse offers a fresh approach to these timeless...2020-12-2601 min

BonesEmotional Growth and Its FunctionTo be in harmony, we have to walk straight in three areas: physically, mentally and emotionally. All three sides of our nature must work together, like two people running a three-legged race, for a human personality to find unity through growth. Having any one area underdeveloped will have a crippling effect; it will take the entire personality down. Our feelings are often left in the dust… In every child’s life, there will be circumstances that are unhappy; disappointment and pain are the human common denominator…We each draw a similar conclusion: “If...2019-08-2224 min

Bones: Spiritual BasicsEmotional Growth and Its FunctionTo be in harmony, we have to walk straight in three areas: physically, mentally and emotionally. All three sides of our nature must work together, like two people running a three-legged race, for a human personality to find unity through growth. Having any one area underdeveloped will have a crippling effect; it will take the entire personality down. Our feelings are often left in the dust… In every child’s life, there will be circumstances that are unhappy; disappointment and pain are the human common denominator…We each draw a similar conclusion: “If...2019-08-2200 min

BonesThe Importance of Feeling All Our Feelings, Including Fear Our defenses work by blocking access to our emotions, so they choke off our ability to get to our feelings. We’re going to need to lower our weapons…Every tear not shed is a block. Every protest not spoken sits like a lump in our throat, causing us to lash out inappropriately. These feelings feel like bottomless pits... Feelings, which are moving energy currents, will change and transform as long as the energy is flowing. But freezing our feelings stops the movement and therefore stops life, making us feel lazy…When...2019-08-2231 min

Bones: Spiritual BasicsThe Importance of Feeling All Our Feelings, Including Fear Our defenses work by blocking access to our emotions, so they choke off our ability to get to our feelings. We’re going to need to lower our weapons…Every tear not shed is a block. Every protest not spoken sits like a lump in our throat, causing us to lash out inappropriately. These feelings feel like bottomless pits... Feelings, which are moving energy currents, will change and transform as long as the energy is flowing. But freezing our feelings stops the movement and therefore stops life, making us feel lazy…When...2019-08-2200 min

BonesThe Higher Self, the Lower Self, and the Mask SelfOne of the subtle bodies that every living being has is called the Higher Self, or divine spark. The higher one’s spiritual development, the faster these vibrations will be…Ever since the Fall of the Angels, our Higher Self has gradually wrapped itself in various invisible layers of more dense matter that is somewhere in between the density of the physical body and the Higher Self. Say ‘hello’ to the Lower Self… The Lower Self, which also varies from soul to soul, is made up of our faults and weakness, along...2019-08-2210 min

Bones: Spiritual BasicsThe Higher Self, the Lower Self, and the Mask SelfOne of the subtle bodies that every living being has is called the Higher Self, or divine spark. The higher one’s spiritual development, the faster these vibrations will be…Ever since the Fall of the Angels, our Higher Self has gradually wrapped itself in various invisible layers of more dense matter that is somewhere in between the density of the physical body and the Higher Self. Say ‘hello’ to the Lower Self… The Lower Self, which also varies from soul to soul, is made up of our faults and weakness, along...2019-08-2200 min

BonesIntellect and Will as Tools or Hindrances to Self-RealizationAn important difference between our superficial intellect and our real self is that we can direct, manipulate and govern the intellect using our will; we can’t do this with the real self. Of the two, the real self is the more intelligent one. We are so conditioned to put a laser-like focus on the use of our thinking ability and willpower that we believe we can reach self-realization through an act of sheer will; we think we can use our minds to develop spiritually…It’s our real self that connects with the living spirit...2019-08-2213 min

Bones: Spiritual BasicsIntellect and Will as Tools or Hindrances to Self-RealizationAn important difference between our superficial intellect and our real self is that we can direct, manipulate and govern the intellect using our will; we can’t do this with the real self. Of the two, the real self is the more intelligent one. We are so conditioned to put a laser-like focus on the use of our thinking ability and willpower that we believe we can reach self-realization through an act of sheer will; we think we can use our minds to develop spiritually…It’s our real self that connects with the living spirit...2019-08-2200 min

Bones: Spiritual BasicsThe Origin and Outcome of the Idealized Self-Image There’s a direct correlation between being unhappy and not believing in ourselves; our self-confidence takes a hit that is proportional to how badly we feel. Our idealized self-image is supposed to avoid all that by supplying the missing self-confidence. This, we think, by way of our unconscious reasoning, will lead us straight down the road to pleasure supreme… We simply can’t be more than we really are in any given life situation…What we can do is have a genuine desire to better ourselves, which leads to accepting ourselves...2019-08-2200 min

BonesThe Origin and Outcome of the Idealized Self-Image There’s a direct correlation between being unhappy and not believing in ourselves; our self-confidence takes a hit that is proportional to how badly we feel. Our idealized self-image is supposed to avoid all that by supplying the missing self-confidence. This, we think, by way of our unconscious reasoning, will lead us straight down the road to pleasure supreme… We simply can’t be more than we really are in any given life situation…What we can do is have a genuine desire to better ourselves, which leads to accepting ourselves...2019-08-2218 min

Finding GoldSelf-EsteemWhen we’re in a bad space with rock-bottom self-esteem, we tend to compound the error of feeling unacceptable, destructive or negative with thinking things are fixed—and this is the way it’s always going to be. But in reality, life is fluid. We’re alive, ergo, we’re fluid. But through our ignorance of this truth, we enclose ourselves in rigid enclosures, trapped in a box where we think we must stay forever. And we can, in fact, stay in our own prison for a very long time. So we...2019-08-2200 min

Bones: Spiritual BasicsHow and Why we Recreate Childhood HurtsChildren have more than just a desire to be loved; they want to be loved exclusively, without any limits. In other words, every child’s desire for love is unrealistic…Since they seldom receive an adequate amount of warmth and mature love, children remain hungry for it throughout their whole life…Essentially everyone—even the most diligent spiritual seekers—overlooks just how strong the link is between the unfulfillment of our childhood longings and our present-day problems. This isn’t just a nice a theory… They may not have been...2019-08-2200 min

BonesHow and Why we Recreate Childhood HurtsChildren have more than just a desire to be loved; they want to be loved exclusively, without any limits. In other words, every child’s desire for love is unrealistic…Since they seldom receive an adequate amount of warmth and mature love, children remain hungry for it throughout their whole life…Essentially everyone—even the most diligent spiritual seekers—overlooks just how strong the link is between the unfulfillment of our childhood longings and our present-day problems. This isn’t just a nice a theory… They may not have been...2019-08-2217 min

Bones: Spiritual BasicsImages and the Deep, Deep Damage They DoFrom practically the time we were born, we have been creating our own impressions about this thing we call life. The only problem is, most of the time our conclusions are wrong…They are based on a certain limited child logic, but they are nonetheless in error. As we grow up, these wrong conclusions and the attitudes they spawn sink out of our awareness where they set in and start molding how our life will look…The word the Guide uses to refer to these wrong conclusions is an “image”… When we...2019-08-2200 min

BonesImages and the Deep, Deep Damage They DoFrom practically the time we were born, we have been creating our own impressions about this thing we call life. The only problem is, most of the time our conclusions are wrong…They are based on a certain limited child logic, but they are nonetheless in error. As we grow up, these wrong conclusions and the attitudes they spawn sink out of our awareness where they set in and start molding how our life will look…The word the Guide uses to refer to these wrong conclusions is an “image”… When we...2019-08-2214 min

Bones: Spiritual BasicsOur Habit of Transferring our Splits onto EveryoneWe’re here because planet Earth is a perfect match for the negativity remaining in us; it offers conditions compatible with our inner landscape, our inner splits. We’re confused about reality and we have a headful of crazy concepts…Where this prevails there’s always conflict, due to split concepts that divide the psyche and don’t arise from the truth …So Earth is nothing more and nothing less than a classroom for people with splits. Take a look around and we can see the opposites of duality everywhere: man...2019-08-2200 min

BonesOur Habit of Transferring our Splits onto EveryoneWe’re here because planet Earth is a perfect match for the negativity remaining in us; it offers conditions compatible with our inner landscape, our inner splits. We’re confused about reality and we have a headful of crazy concepts…Where this prevails there’s always conflict, due to split concepts that divide the psyche and don’t arise from the truth …So Earth is nothing more and nothing less than a classroom for people with splits. Take a look around and we can see the opposites of duality everywhere: man...2019-08-2214 min

Bones: Spiritual BasicsFinding Out the Truth about Ourselves, Including Our Faults If we apply these teachings to our lives, they will work for us in finding out the truth. There is nothing we must believe…If we want to become capable of experiencing genuine happiness, we must learn how to course-correct back into alignment with spiritual laws… None of this can happen by merely concentrating on our outer problems. We must look deeper and find the corresponding inner problems, which always, always, always are the cause of the outer ones… Expressing our love for God in our beautiful prayers and profound meditations is...2019-08-2200 min

BonesFinding Out the Truth about Ourselves, Including Our Faults If we apply these teachings to our lives, they will work for us in finding out the truth. There is nothing we must believe…If we want to become capable of experiencing genuine happiness, we must learn how to course-correct back into alignment with spiritual laws… None of this can happen by merely concentrating on our outer problems. We must look deeper and find the corresponding inner problems, which always, always, always are the cause of the outer ones… Expressing our love for God in our beautiful prayers and profound meditations is...2019-08-2226 min

Bones: Spiritual BasicsThe Ubiquitous Faults of Self Will, Pride and Fear There is one fundamental quality that is the core element of who we are…This means that each one of us have kept a kernel of perfection—our original nature—basically intact in our core essence, although it’s now covered by the Lower Self and layer upon layer of imperfections. So we have two missions. One is to sense what our basic light is, and the other is to realize how these three buzzkills of self will, pride and fear collude to cover it up… They are the fundamental...2019-08-2200 min

BonesThe Ubiquitous Faults of Self Will, Pride and Fear There is one fundamental quality that is the core element of who we are…This means that each one of us have kept a kernel of perfection—our original nature—basically intact in our core essence, although it’s now covered by the Lower Self and layer upon layer of imperfections. So we have two missions. One is to sense what our basic light is, and the other is to realize how these three buzzkills of self will, pride and fear collude to cover it up… They are the fundamental...2019-08-2216 min

BonesHow Pleasure Gets Twisted into Self-Perpetuating Cycles of PainSelf-perpetuating cycles of pain are what result from the conflict created when two creative forces go in opposing directions inside us…Naturally, everyone’s favorite direction is toward the light…But in reality, this is a world in which there are forces that oppose the light… Take, for instance, the physical level. The entire physical being is striving for health and wholeness. When there’s a disturbance that pulls the other way, we feel pain…If we were aware that in addition to our desire for health, we have a hidden...2019-08-2220 min

Bones: Spiritual BasicsHow Pleasure Gets Twisted into Self-Perpetuating Cycles of PainSelf-perpetuating cycles of pain are what result from the conflict created when two creative forces go in opposing directions inside us…Naturally, everyone’s favorite direction is toward the light…But in reality, this is a world in which there are forces that oppose the light… Take, for instance, the physical level. The entire physical being is striving for health and wholeness. When there’s a disturbance that pulls the other way, we feel pain…If we were aware that in addition to our desire for health, we have a hidden...2019-08-2200 min

BonesOvercoming our Negative Intention by Identifying with our Spiritual SelfAs we slowly but surely make progress on our path, we become more alive and more honest in our feelings and ability to relate. We “sacrifice” old reactive patterns and discover that nothing good has been given up and plenty has been gained. It’s hard to remain skeptical. At some point in our journey, we are going to run into a wall of our previously concealed but now plenty-conscious negative intention. In our whacky, mixed-up psyches, we unconsciously want whatever it is we fear…Further, whatever we experience, we also unconsciously want...2019-08-2223 min

Bones: Spiritual BasicsOvercoming our Negative Intention by Identifying with our Spiritual SelfAs we slowly but surely make progress on our path, we become more alive and more honest in our feelings and ability to relate. We “sacrifice” old reactive patterns and discover that nothing good has been given up and plenty has been gained. It’s hard to remain skeptical. At some point in our journey, we are going to run into a wall of our previously concealed but now plenty-conscious negative intention. In our whacky, mixed-up psyches, we unconsciously want whatever it is we fear…Further, whatever we experience, we also unconsciously want...2019-08-2200 min

BonesHow to Use Meditation to Create a Better LifeMore whole is more happy. Our goal, then, is to use meditation to unify our whole selves, folding in the split off aspects of the Lower Self that remain in separation. Consider the truth that whatever is inside, no matter how painful it might be, cannot be avoided, but rather must be expressed and released. And that, friends, is what meaningful meditation is all about. Our beings are steeped in a potent and highly creative substance, called our soul substance…We can think of the soul substance like a giant receptor site. The more we are...2019-08-2237 min

Bones: Spiritual BasicsHow to Use Meditation to Create a Better LifeMore whole is more happy. Our goal, then, is to use meditation to unify our whole selves, folding in the split off aspects of the Lower Self that remain in separation. Consider the truth that whatever is inside, no matter how painful it might be, cannot be avoided, but rather must be expressed and released. And that, friends, is what meaningful meditation is all about. Our beings are steeped in a potent and highly creative substance, called our soul substance…We can think of the soul substance like a giant receptor site. The more we are...2019-08-2200 min

Finding GoldSelf-Alienation and the Way Back to the Real Self This state of self-alienation we are in—where we are truly not our real selves—is so pervasive, we don’t see the symptoms of it. We think we’re just being “normal.” Well, it may be normal but it’s certainly not natural to find ourselves feeling trapped in situations that are outside our control. This state of helplessness is a red flag that there’s an underground conflict—a problem in our soul. Naturally, you might say, anyone would experience self-alienation if they had...2019-08-2200 min

Finding GoldLaziness as a Symptom of Self-Alienation We think that being lazy is a garden-variety fault. But we need to look deeper. It’s not something we can command away with our sheer will. But it can be tackled by taking on self-alienation. Because when we’re anchored in the center of our being, we will not be lazy. We will not feel apathetic. We won’t want to remain idle. We’ll savor our rest and relaxation, but that’s not the same as being lazy. We’ll have a zest for entering the full flow of...2019-08-2200 min

Finding GoldThe Importance of Forming Independent OpinionsUnder the weight of our emotional baggage, many of us are carrying around opinions that aren’t actually ours. For sure, these might be valid opinions, but if they aren’t our own, arrived at through our own mature thought processes, it is more harmful than holding a wrong opinion that we came to in an honest way. Surprising, huh? Sure enough, it turns out that an honest mistake trumps an opinion arrived at through weak reasoning and lack of courage. Let’s face facts: we’re fallible humans and we make mistakes...2019-08-2200 min

Finding GoldSelf-LoveAny truth can be distorted into an untruth. This is, hands down, one of the most powerful weapons of evil. Complete untruth is not the problem. But take something true in one setting and apply it over there, where it doesn’t belong—especially when it’s set up as a rigid rule—and we’re in dangerous territory. In this way, any truth can be bent into a distorted extreme that makes the truth null and void. And so it is too with self-love. There’s a healthy version of...2019-08-2200 min

Finding GoldIdentification with the Self If we grow up and don’t develop identification with the self, we will create substitutes for the parents we originally identified with. Often we will find, not an individual, but a national, religious or political group. It’s possible we will find a minority group to identify with so we can rebel against the majority. Conformity results from this need to identify with someone who is more powerful. This can also show up as nonconformity, especially if one makes too big a point of it. Ironically, a rebelling minority will believe that...2019-08-2200 min

Finding GoldWinner vs Loser: Interplay Between the Self and Creative ForcesLiving in this land of duality, we are continually harboring arbitrary either/or concepts. Some of these, we may not even be aware of. One of the most common ones, which causes one of our greatest limitations, is an attitude we hold about being a winner vs loser. In this way of looking at things, being a winner means being ruthless. We must be selfish, trampling and triumphing over others and belittling them. This leaves no room for being kind, considerate or sympathetic. Should such emotions be allowed, one would fear turning into a loser. ...2019-08-2200 min

Finding GoldSelf-Liking: The Condition for Universal State of BlissOur ability to land in bliss is directly related to our self-esteem—our ability to like ourselves. This equation must always come out even in the end. To the exact degree self-liking exists, happiness exists. Pencils down. But if self-liking is missing, the psyche can’t experience its natural state. When this happens, we are alienated from universal forces, and that sets up a barrier that prevents us from joining in with the great forces of the cosmos—ah, bliss. Matters not if we have a good and valid reason for not liking ourselves...2019-08-2200 min

Finding GoldIntensity: An Obstacle to Self-RealizationSo let’s dive into yet another way we unwittingly block ourselves from making use of universal power. It’s more like a soul climate we’re speaking of here. If we want to be compatible with this power, we have to have a state of mind that is totally chill—inner and outer relaxation. We’re not talking about being immobilized or lacking in energy. This isn’t the kind of relaxation that’s not breathing and responding. Au contraire. This relaxation is rhythmic and effortless, expanding and...2019-08-2200 min

Finding GoldApproach to Self: Self-Forgiveness Without Condoning the Lower SelfSo you may be wondering: what on earth does self-forgiveness have to do with self-confrontation? Great question. There is a deep but extremely relevant connection between self-hate, fear of punishment, fear of death and the disintegration of the cell structure that falls into a channel and then is attracted into a new form. It’s like this. Our thoughts are creations that have their own cell structure and their own matter, but it is of a density that is invisible to us. If we are living in a split-off reality, we are going to need to...2019-08-2200 min

Finding GoldBeing Values Versus Appearance ValuesThere are essentially two value systems governing all of us. Being values is one of them, and appearance values is the other. Let’s look at the ramifications of each. Most of us are operating on the level of appearance value most of the time. It takes some serious investment in personal work before we start functioning for the sake of what is, and not for the sake of what it looks like in the eyes of others. Appearance values aim at creating an impression. In their most crass form, these values are about...2019-08-2200 min

Finding GoldOuter Events Reflect Self-CreationOur self-imposed blindness removes us so far from awareness of self-creation that we really do become removed from what we create. Then our creations don’t seem to even be connected to our actions—the things we can control. This is painful. We feel we don’t deserve what’s happening and life is a frightening unpredictable place. We truly seem to be a victim of circumstance. This is the great human hoax: that we are victims. There is no more painful or deadly game. But there’s no resistance greater than...2019-08-2200 min

Finding GoldRight and Wrong Faith So many of us are sincere in our desire for spiritual development. But our faith is not whole. There’s this little smidge of doubt that says: “Is this really true? Am I not just making all this up?” What do we do with this? Job one is never going to be: push that aside. Such avoidance is done with the very best of intentions. We just don’t want to have these doubts. We hope that if we ignore them, they will go away. This whole idea that we can...2019-08-2200 min

Finding GoldOccupation with Self The Right and Wrong Way to be Selfish It really would be good to spend more time thinking about yourself, said no spiritual person ever. Because spiritual people know it is always way better to think about others. Occupation with the self only ever leads to one thing—being selfish. Right? It all depends on how we go about it. It really would be good to spend more time thinking about yourself, said no spiritual person ever. Because spiritual people know it is always way better to think about others. Occupation with...2019-08-2200 min

Holy Moly2 Ushering In Christ What is the time of year that is most associated with Christ? For most of us, that would be Christmas. It is at that time of year when the light of Christ returns with renewed force in remembrance of the greatest deed accomplished on this planet, ever. This light is so strong—so penetrating and so glorious—it creates rejoicing. There is such wisdom coming from this light. For wisdom and light are one. In human words, we call this “enlightenment.” So during this time of Christmas, the light...2019-08-1100 min

Holy Moly3 Jesus Christ: Must We? Through the work of self-purification, we will raise our level of consciousness to such a degree that we will be open for truth, about anything—including the truth about who Jesus Christ was and the role he played in the history of Creation.” width=”300″ height=”300″ />Naturally, the question arises, “So can we only get back to God and re-attain perfection by way of Jesus Christ?” The answer is this: Yes and No. It’s a paradox, but indeed, both answers are correct. Believe it or not, you...2019-08-1000 min

Holy Moly4 Submitting & Rebelling Christians Having parents who are strong and right gives children a sense of security in the world. So part of the reason Submitting Christians accept their parents’ religion is because it’s too frightening to think the parents were weak, or worse, wrong. Rebelling Christians, by contrast, find security in their rejection of their parents’ values. This makes them feel more superior, like their denial of Christ is more evolved. Well, in fact it is more evolved to deny the untruthful life-denying parts, but it is not more evolved to also deny the truths. 2019-08-0900 min

Holy Moly5 Grappling with Duality Everything about Jesus Christ, including the story of his life, the whole big reason for his incarnation—which we’ll get to—and his long-remembered teachings, is all about the fight for good. But if we’re going to talk about the good, we need to be willing to look at the bad. And suddenly we’re immersed in one of the biggest and perhaps the most badass battles of them all: duality. Duality is where the battle between opposites is waged. And this battle creates tremendous confusion in our...2019-08-0800 min

Holy Moly6 Facing Death & Finding Life The big enchilada we need to deal with—really get our arms around—is death. Even if our lives were no longer filled with our many little mini-dramas, in the end, physical death remains. And it’s a mystery. An unknown. No matter how much you think you know, it’s all conjecture. It’s our fear of death that creates the world of duality, this reality we live in. The one that says No to our longing for total fulfillment. Yep, death is a problem for us. So we need to...2019-08-0700 min

Holy Moly7 God & Creation The order in which these important topics are presented matters. It will be this: God, the Creation, the Fall of the Angels, the Plan of Salvation, and the War of the Worlds. Starting with God, what is there to say? He is great. He is good. He is beyond words. For us humans, it is not possible to know what God is. That said, he is both person and principle. Both are true. In his male aspect, he is Creator. As such, in the West, we experience God as a “him.&rdquo...2019-08-0600 min

Holy Moly8 Fall of the Angels So how did these foreign layers come into being? Through the Fall of the Angels—for another name for these pure Godlike beings, or Holy Ghosts, is angels. Note the phrase here: Godlike. We are not saying we are God. God is a being, and what we possess has many divine attributes, but not to the same extent as the substance of God himself. The only way we can reunite with God is if the part that is in us becomes purified and free. We can’t be one with God when we’re...2019-08-0500 min

Holy Moly9 Plan of Salvation Now let’s take a closer look at what salvation by Jesus Christ really means. “Salvation,” of course, is another of those blinking words. Consider that salvation means essentially that we are never locked out. Christ offers endless forgiveness and acceptance, so no matter what a mess we may occasionally make of things, if we ask for help in finding solutions, we will not receive a stone. Ironically, although few people realize the full significance of this, organized religion has almost completely misunderstood what salvation is. Many believe Christ died on the cross for...2019-08-0400 min

Holy Moly10 War of the Worlds After he died, Christ returned to the world of spirit. There he gathered up his army of a relatively small number of specialized spirits and went on to fight a spiritual war in the world of darkness. Once again, seriously? Does this not sound all too human? Well, where do we think wars come from? Wars on planet Earth are only an out-picturing of spiritual war. Of course, the mechanics of a spiritual war are not the same as here, but the essence is the same, nevertheless. A more detailed explanation of how it happened...2019-08-0300 min

Holy Moly11 Fighting the Good Fight OK, so Jesus loves us. Now what do we do with that? We can start by fighting the good fight of removing the barriers that prevent us from feeling this truth. Many of us have already strengthened our realization that this world is infused with God, but not so many have made personal contact with him yet. God became human, so it is possible to know him in this personal and loving way… Nothing is more painful and frightening to us than not being able to make the connection between painful life events and...2019-08-0200 min

Holy Moly12 A True Trinity If we ask to know ourselves, our lovability and the beauty of our true spirit, we shall have it. That is salvation. And Christ made that possible. As he said, he is the way, he is the truth, and he is life. This is a true trinity. After what he did, it was no longer futile to try. God understands what makes us tick, so he has already forgiven us for all the shameful stuff we do. He knows we have to go through our sins so we can recognize them and choose a different way. 2019-08-0100 min

The PullThe Forces of Love, Eros and Sex People may be confused about a lot of different things, but most of us are somewhat confused about love. And sex. And then there’s that erotic spark. What gives? The forces of love, eros and sex are actually three distinct forces, or principles. And they show up, or don’t, differently on all the various levels. Let’s see if we can sort them out. When it comes to bang for the buck, the erotic force is the most potent. It’s got momentum on its side and it creates...2019-05-1500 min

The PullA Venture in Mutuality: Changing our Negative Will Our soul substance is in constant motion; nothing that is living ever stands still. It moves and moves and moves. Then in comes an error in thinking—a misconception—which breeds negativity which breeds more error. Soul substance that has gotten trapped in error and our negative will becomes temporarily fixed. It grows stagnant. The challenge is to make that fixedness fluid once more. This stuff that has gotten stuck is made up of a combo of energy and consciousness. No atom on the planet doesn’t also contain consciousness. The whole...2019-05-1100 min

Bible Me ThisUnderstanding the Bible When it comes to understanding of the Bible, including the Old as well as the New Testament, it can be interpreted on many levels. The lowest level is the historical level. From this perspective, there are many errors and omissions, which one would expect. Next there is the spiritual and symbolic level, or what we might call the metaphysical level. And lastly is the psychological level, which may be the most useful for people today in our current state of development. This last level is present regarding everything mentioned in Holy Scriptures. And reading meaning...2019-05-1000 min

The PullAffecting and Being Affected It stands to reason that we affect others in a particular way when we operate from our destructive levels. And of course, we are likewise being affected by others who operate from their destructiveness. This topic of affecting and being affected is extremely important. If we’re being affected by another’s negativity, you can bet we’re sitting on some self-doubt and guilt; we haven’t faced all our confusions and destructive impulses yet. Yes, we might have swept the whole room, but we missed a few spots. This is...2019-05-1000 min

Bible Me ThisUnderstanding MythsPeople are often mistaken about understanding myths. Over half of us think of them as inventions, fantasies, fairy tales or lies. The real meaning of myth is quite different from this. But even if everyone could agree about this, religions would still be on different pages. Solve this and something else would get in the way. People are often afraid of letting go of their allegiances to things like religion and politics. The fear is that if we give up what we believe in, our personal safety somehow crumbles. And we just can’t afford to...2019-05-0900 min

The PullMen and Women In our original form, as we were first created, male and female were all rolled up into one. And when all us fallen beings are finished with this fabulous mystery tour, men and women will be one once again. In the meantime, as a byproduct of the Fall, we are separated and split. In general, the lower we are in our development, the more we are split into a greater number of parts. By the time we arrive here on planet Earth as human beings, our split is twofold. And so it is that we...2019-05-0900 min

Bible Me ThisMyth: Tower of Babel Entire books could be written just to explain this passage about the Tower of Babel, that’s how much is contained in it. For now, we’ll consider just one aspect of it, starting with the reference to “of one language.” Long, long ago, human beings were whole beings that were fully integrated and living in harmony within themselves—no conflicts and no contradictions. Our spirits weren’t these fragmented, scattered beings, like we are now. To say our current version of ourselves lacks single-pointed focus is an understatement...2019-05-0800 min

Bible Me ThisMyth: Adam and Eve The analogies and symbolism found in the Bible should not be considered as one-time historical events. They are being constantly recreated in our souls. If we think of Adam and Eve and what they represent, separating them from the distortions that human minds and human religions overlaid onto them, we can find the truth as it exists in them as well as in ourselves, right now. As we said, all our difficulties, hardships and feelings of enslavement that accrue from Adam and Eve leaving paradise are related to our fear of pleasure, our fear of...2019-05-0700 min

The PullThe New Man and the New Woman in Equality Fulfillment rests on a true state of equality. The minute someone feels superior over the other, the heart-gate slams shut. Respect evaporates. And the moment one feels inferior to the other, fear and envy and resentment will bar the door to love. The new woman is neither slave nor competitor. So she can love and her love will only enhance her creative self-expression. Then her creative contribution to life will expand her capacity for loving. And the wheel goes round and round. The new man won’t be shopping for a weaker...2019-05-0700 min

Bible Me ThisBiblical Passages Explained, Part One In this collection of biblical passages explained by the Pathwork Guide, we uncover hidden meanings and unravel many of the riddles of the Bible. • “He who wants to win his life will lose it. He who is ready to give it up will win it.” What does that mean? • What did Jesus mean when he said to Peter, “Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it; And I will give thee the Keys of...2019-05-0600 min

The PullThe Evolution and Spiritual Meaning of Marriage In recent times, we’ve made a giant leap forward in our understanding of the spiritual meaning of marriage. We are ready to shed old attitudes and create new conditions. We have set new standards and hold new moral values. Drastic changes are afoot. Women’s liberation, sexual freedom and a whole different approach to getting married are clear signs that a new consciousness is in the mix. If we view all this in the context of an overall evolutionary direction, we can grasp the inner meaning of these changes. In all evolutionary...2019-05-0600 min

Bible Me ThisBiblical Passages Explained, Part Two What did Jesus mean when he said, “Unless you eat of the flesh of the Son of Man and drink of his blood, he has no life in you”? Another saying of Jesus has been distorted as meaning injustice. From the words in Mark 4:25, which read: “For he that hath, to him shall be given; and he that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath.” What did Jesus mean? In the traditional Scriptures of Judaism and Islam, the texts are specific regarding the consumption of fish, flesh and fowl...2019-05-0500 min

Bible Me ThisCommandments Explained The Guide offers insight for deeper understanding through the following commandments explained: 2) Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image. 4) Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 5) Honor thy father and thy mother. 6) Thou shalt not kill. We can apply all of the commandments on all levels of our personalities. So this commandment, number six, is not just about the act of physically killing someone. The terms “life” and “death” apply to more than just the body. Thoughts and emotions, too...2019-05-0300 min

Bible Me ThisThe Truth of Reincarnation in the Bible The truth of reincarnation was on Jesus’ mind when he spoke of how we need to be reborn. It’s not hard to see that we will stagnate if we’re not constantly rediscovering and rebirthing aspects of our true selves as we do this work to know ourselves better. Physical rebirth is an unalterable component of this same process. It would be pure folly to assume that we could complete all of the development we need to do in one short life. This defies any logic and all common sense. So...2019-05-0200 min

The PullThree Aspects that Prevent Loving Notice though that our reluctance to deep loving communication goes beyond our fear of suffering and being hurt or disappointed. In fact, there are three further aspects we need to become aware of for why we say No to loving. Each of these three aspects that prevent loving can be found in most of us, but we may have a favorite that is more predominant. If none of them seem to apply to us, we need to look again and closely watch our emotional reactions. We’re bound to find that one or the other or...2019-05-0200 min

Bible Me ThisMeaning of Baptism What is the deeper meaning of baptism? It is easy to see the symbolic meaning of baptism by water and spirit. Water represents eternally changing truth that yet remains essentially unaltered over time, and the ever-flowing nature of our feelings. Spirit symbolizes the active principle of our thoughts and our will. We must give these human faculties over to Christ who symbolized what love means through his life and his death. Before a spirit can be reborn, it must repent. If we can’t recognize our own Lower Self, how can be...2019-05-0100 min

The PullLove Cannot be a Commandment As all psychologies and philosophies agree, love is the key to feeling fulfilled; it brings security and fuels our growth. Where there is no love, we will find disharmony, a result of not living in reality. Yet love cannot be a commandment. It’s a free, spontaneous soul-movement, not a duty. The more people try to love to be obedient or because their conscience demands it, the less they love; the vicious circle closes. Where love does exist though, there will be fulfillment. Said another way, when we experience a lack of fulfillment, it’s...2019-05-0100 min

GemsExpanding Our Awareness and Exploring Our Fascination with Creation There are three conditions needed for expanding awareness of our true identity as universal spirit: 1) We have to be willing to tune into it…The only snag is our own misperception that all this can be found only in a galaxy far, far away. 2) We will need to get up-close and personal with the parts of our consciousness that have gone off the deep end into negativity and destructiveness...Our problem is our mistaken notion that our life is a fixed mold we have been plopped into and must now learn to...2019-04-1600 min

GemsThe Evolutionary Process and Why We Can’t Stop It We may periodically have the universal dream of either riding on a train or being about to take a train, anxious that we may miss it, have missed it, or are getting off the train. So, do we follow the movement of the train, or do we stay behind? We have choices. We may not always make choices consciously, but we do always choose intentionally. For instance, if we choose to go on a path of self-searching, hoping to find more meaning in life, we are making a choice—just as we are making...2019-04-1500 min

GemsHow Consciousness Evolves Between Individuals and Groups The swing of the pendulum, alternately emphasizing individual and group consciousness, has been in motion since mankind first set foot on planet Earth. During each phase, we move to a higher level of development, leveraging what we have learned from the previous phase. Over the past few hundred years, the emphasis has been on the individual. We were learning certain lessons related to individual rights—we have the right to be ourselves, to be different, to not conform, and to become more self-responsible. As we turned the corner into the current century, this phase...2019-04-1400 min

GemsClaiming our Total Capacity for Greatness As we humpty dumpty our way down the road of personal healing, we will increasingly come to believe that it’s possible to resolve our inner problems; we can put ourselves back together again…Our own heretofore-unheard-of successes fortify us with courage to go even deeper, exploring inner nooks and crannies where evil lurks. Level by level we go, traversing a spiral configuration until the circles become so small they converge into a point… Then the way becomes so simple—we just walk out of the final turn of the spiral...2019-04-1300 min

GemsFacing our Deepest Fear and Unfolding our Greatest Longing It’s important not to push away our fears and longing when they surface; we’ll need to screw up the courage to feel the pain of our problems and turn toward facing our deepest fear. To be honest, that’s not what we usually do. We turn away and go on and on, one incarnation after another, dragging karmic ballast along with us. At some point, we’ve got to stop and face the music… Let’s see what it would mean for us to personally experience this...2019-04-1200 min

GemsFinding Balance Within Instead of Banking on Outer Rules Balance doesn’t come by way of a mathematical formula; it’s not a fifty-fifty deal. There are no simple rules. For example, what’s the right balance between sleep and being awake? While this will vary somewhat from person to person, nobody needs twelve hours of sleep a day. So it may outwardly seem out of balance to get eight hours of sleep followed by sixteen hours of activity, but in terms of inner balance, that sounds about right. The long and short of it: we have to look within to find the...2019-04-1100 min

GemsRolling with Change and Overcoming Fear of Death If we hindered the cycles of physical change by somehow constricting space for physical expansion, atrophy and finally death would occur. We would destroy life. The unseen aspects of an organism—the psychic, spiritual, mental and emotional levels—are no different. Yet humans carry with them a mass image—or a collective hidden belief—that says we should fear change, which then saddles us with overcoming fear of death. The notion perpetuated by this widespread belief is that there is security in not changing. This is not a namby pamby thing...2019-04-1000 min

GemsThe Pain of Injustice and the Truth About Fairness The pain of injustice contains much more than can be expressed by this word “injustice.” Because our pain is not just about injustice that is happening to us in the here-and-now. It includes a fear that we live in a world where destruction can happen—and there are no safety valves. It’s the fear that there’s no rhyme or reason to anything, and that nothing we do—good, bad or otherwise—will have any effect on the outcome. The pain of injustice distinctly results from feeling...2019-04-0900 min

GemsWhy Lazy is the Worst Way to Be The more we ramp up our commitment—and really mean it—and make an effort every day to find our blocks and distortions, the more energy and excitement we will feel. But if we focus on selfish ends, we’ll be more insecure, battling a frightening sense that life is meaningless. Here’s the vicious circle: life is meaningless, we push selfishly for minor fulfillments, we feel divorced from Christ, and life feels more meaningless. Then we wonder why we feel depressed in the worst way. Some of us have climbed...2019-04-0800 min

GemsSpotting the Tricks of our Ego and Getting Over Ourselves Awareness doesn’t just show up, served to us on a silver platter; we have to fight for it. It won’t come easy or cheap. But sticking with the isolated ego state is no picnic either. What stops us are the tricks of the ego used to keep its me-Tarzan mojo going… For starters, the ego will trot out every conceivable negativity known to humankind…We can bundle all these ugly traits under the triumvirate of pride, self-will and fear, which are the main ways the big, bad Lower Self...2019-04-0700 min

GemsFour Pragmatic Steps for Finding Faith and Addressing Doubt We often think of finding faith as having a blind belief in something we have no way of knowing…And indeed, if that’s what faith’s about, it would be right to discard it. For who wants to be stupid and believe in something that has no grounding in reality and can never be experienced as truth?... This perspective keeps us perched on a platform from which the only things that are real are what we can see, touch, know and prove. From here, we will never have to leap into...2019-04-0500 min

GemsSurrendering to the Double-Sided Nature of Duality People on a spiritual path of self-knowing like to use the word “surrender”. Those of us who aren’t capable of surrendering aren’t going to have much luck finding the core of our being—our divine nature. We won’t be able to love or truly learn and grow. We’ll be stiff and defended and closed off… One thing we need surrendering to is God’s will, because without that, we’re SOL…And let’s be clear, truth and God...2019-04-0200 min