1. Welcome to Issue #142 (November 17, 2004) of MIND CHATTER

Mind Chatter is published once a month, on or about the 16th of each month.

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2. Please send Mind Chatter to a friend, and please send us your questions, comments, and suggestions.

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3. In This Issue

* MindQuotes (scroll to #5)

* A few recommendations that may benefit you (scroll to item #6)

* Feature Article
My Uncommon Comments About the Election and the State of the World
by Bill Harris, Director (scroll to item #7)

* Glowing Testimonial of the Month (scroll to #8)

* BOOK REVIEW (scroll to #9)
The Secret Teachings of All Ages
By Manly P. Hall
Reviewed by Marc Gilson

* Important Announcements (scroll to #10)

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4. MIND CHATTER contains articles about:

*How you create your life--and how you can stop unconsciously creating experiences and outcomes you do not want, and instead begin to create exactly what you do want

*Personal and spiritual growth in general

*Meditation (high- and low-tech)

*Recovery from emotional trauma

*Pretty much any other subject I get excited about and want to write about. After all, it's my company and my newsletter, and I can do whatever I want with it. So there.

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5. Mind Quotes

Luck is when opportunity knocks, and you answer.
- unknown

The journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.
- Lao Tzu

Either you run the day or the day runs you.
- Jim Rohn

Destiny is not a matter of chance but of choice. Not something to wish for but to attain.
- William Jennings Bryan

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6. Something important for everyone who wants a close, loving, conscious relationship...

You can still participate in a relationship tele-seminar by internationally known relationship experts Gay and Kathlyn Hendricks.

This telephone seminar does not cost anything.

Gay and Kathlyn and I have become very good friends over the last year, and because their new book, Lasting Love (Rodale Publishers), hit the bookstores a few months ago, I convinced Gay and Katie to do a free tele-seminar for Mind Chatter subscribers about the new information they've discovered about how to create close, loving relationships that really work. (Yes, it is possible.)

Two kinds of people will greatly benefit from this free seminar:

1) Those who want to make their current relationship into a GREAT relationship...

2) Those who aren't in a relationship right now--or even those who may have "given up" on relationships--but really would like to find Mr. or Ms. Right and create a relationship that really does have all the love, intimacy, and companionship you've always wanted.

This is practical, cutting edge information that the Hendricks have successfully taught to thousands of singles and couples who wanted to stop the merry-go-round of conflict, fighting, and lack of closeness, and create relationships the way you really want them to be.

Gay and Kathlyn Hendricks have appeared on Oprah twice, they've been on Good Morning America, Larry King, and many other television and radio programs, and they've published many best-selling books, including the classic, Conscious Loving.

Gay and Kathlyn are super teachers, and in this seminar they will explain some key concepts that really will make a huge difference in your current relationship (even if you're the only one in the relationship who uses them).

Again, this seminar is 100% "no charge" to you, so there's no reason to not participate if you're even remotely interested in creating a close, loving relationship.

Here's how to participate:

1. Go to http://www.therelationshipsolution.com/teleseminar/

2. Type in your name and email address.

3. Click "submit."

You'll then receive the telephone number to call, along with the passcode to key in once you're connected to the call, by email.

Then, all you have to do is call in about 2 minutes before the seminar and enjoy listening to two of the world's top relationship experts in a private, no-cost seminar I've arranged for them to teach, especially for you.

There is a limit the number of people who can participate, so please register right away.

Here's the link again to sign up: http://www.therelationshipsolution.com/teleseminar/

Remember, this great seminar by Gay and Kathlyn Hendricks is my gift to you. Enjoy! And please feel free to send the link to all your friends.

**

I want to show you how to create the exact life you want--inside and out!

Yes, it is possible. I know you've probably been told that you can create your own reality by plenty of other people, but I really do know how it's done, and I know how to show you how to do it, step-by-step. This is not something you do overnight, and it does involve some effort on your part, but I'll tell you it is VERY possible, and you really can do it. And, it's well worth the trouble to learn.

Unless you're new to Mind Chatter, you know that about sixteen months ago I started a series of teleconference lessons--three courses, of 12 lessons each--collectively called The Life Principles Integration Process. Now over 2,436 people are participating in these courses, and people in these courses are experiencing huge positive changes.

These courses are now available in a very inexpensive and very easy to use on-line form.

Here's the idea: Whether you know it or not, you are creating your internal and external reality (if that doesn't seem to be true, it's because you're doing it, for the most part, unconsciously and automatically, outside your awareness). When you live this way, part of the time you will get what you want and part of the time you won't--but it's not always clear why.

If, however, you can learn to operate the part of you that creates your internal and external results, and do so consciously and intentionally, you really can create whatever you want.

I can teach you how to do this. In fact, I GUARANTEE that I can teach you how to do it--if you're willing to learn.

This is NOT the same old stuff you've read about in all those books about "manifesting your dreams" and so on and so forth. I promise that if you take these courses, you will have a huge "ah-ha" about your life and how to create what you want, both inside and out.

You can take the courses on your computer, either by audio-streaming, or by downloading the calls to listen to later or to burn onto a CD.

In addition, I am making myself personally available, by email, to answer any and all questions you have about anything during the course. This means unlimited email access to me for any questions you have.

You do not need to be a participant in The Holosync Solution to take these courses, by the way.

I've made these courses VERY inexpensive. If I had to teach this in person, in a seminar or retreat, it would cost a few thousand dollars. Instead, the cost is a small fraction of that.

What's more, I've created a free preview lesson, so you can find out what it's about with no risk.

Here are a few emails I've received from people in the course:

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!!!!!!! The first lesson was worth the price of this course, and more. I have heard and read similar material before, but somehow you manage to present it so that it gets through in a powerful way. I simply can't tell you how grateful I am to you-and you're plenty funny!
--Jean M.

*
Wow, you are not kidding when you say you really want to help. I knew that already though. Thank you so much. You, your program, and your teachings have changed my life completely -- much needed.
--Lee

*
You really know your stuff! Razor sharp.
--Andrew

*
Wow! I'm impressed by all the time and energy you are putting into this course. Thank you!
--Ellen

*
I absolutely love your impeccable program. You've summed up just about everything that I've heard from many other tapes and books, but they did not hand you the formula for the answers the way in which you did. I feel that there are many thousands of beings who are truly grateful for all that you have gone through to bring about such change for so many. May we all find the joy and blessings that you have come to live. Bright Blessings,
--Janet G.

*

So please go listen to the FREE preview lesson, which is available now for you to listen to online. This free lesson contains some great stuff, so please go listen to it.

It really is possible to master the ability to create whatever you want in life, both inside and out. For more information about the course and to actually listen to a FREE preview lesson, click here:

http://www.centerpointe.com/life/preview

I'd love to get an email from you in a few weeks telling me how much YOU have benefited!

Be well.

Bill

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7. Feature Article
My Uncommon Comments About the Election and the State of the World
by Bill Harris, Director

In this issue of Mind Chatter I intended to begin a series on Spiral Dynamics, which was the topic of my November 4th presentation at the United Nations. However, I'm hearing so many strong feelings about the election and the world situation that I thought I would give you my thoughts on what I see and how to deal with what's happening in the world.

In the next issue I will begin this series on Spiral Dynamics.

Before I get to the election itself, I want to make a few preliminary points to lay the groundwork for what I want to say. I will venture to guess that my analysis of what is going on will be unlike anything else you have read on this subject.

It's going to take me a few minutes to get to my point, so bear with me. It will be worth it.

As those of you who've been with me for a while know, my belief is that anyone, regardless of their past or present circumstances, can be happy and peaceful. Happiness and inner peace only look as if they are dependent on outer circumstances.

I've spent a considerable amount of effort over many years teaching a number of principles that when applied to life allow a person to be happy and peaceful regardless of what is going on around them.

However, in order to work, these principles must be APPLIED. All too often I find that people agree with these principles in theory, but fail to apply them in actual situations where they would make a real difference in their experience of life. What is happening in the world offers such an opportunity, and from what I can see nearly every seeker I know is throwing the opportunity away.

My basic premise is that your true nature is happiness and inner peace. By focusing your mind in certain ways you can create unhappiness, suffering, stress, and resistance, but these negative states are created by you, not by what is going on around you.

If the process by which you create these internal states (and their external results) is unconscious--which it is for most people--it will seem as if outer circumstances are creating the way you feel and the outcomes you experience.

I'm assuming that all of you are on some sort of a personal growth/spiritual growth path. You want to evolve spiritually. To really make progress, you must be willing to actually apply the principles I've shared with you to real situations. Some "real situations" are easier than others in this regard. Obviously, what is going on in the world qualifies as "more difficult."

I want you to realize, however, that the more difficult a situation appears to be in terms of applying the principles for conscious living, the greater the potential evolutionary progress. Most people can apply the principles, with a little effort, to the easy situations. However, it's the more difficult (or, rather, seemingly difficult) situations that matter the most, and it's for these situations that these principles were made.

Let me back up and explain some basics about the universe we're a part of, and then explain how they apply to the present situation.

I know I haven't mentioned the election yet, but bear with me. You will be rewarded.

Everything in this universe is vibrating. Vibrations are waves, in which there is a peak, followed by a trough. The wave goes up, and then it goes down. Now you see it, now you don't. All vibrations involve a sort of "on" then "off" dynamic. Sound, for instance, is really made up of sound/silence. If you could slow a sound down, or actually look at the waves, you would hear/see the intervals of silence alternating with the sound. All sound is really sound/silence. If you could look closely at light, you would see the same sort of thing: all light is actually light/dark. Photons are little packets of light. First there is a photon, then there is no photon, then there is another photon, and so on. All light is really light/dark.

The same could be said for solids and space. Every solid is really an alternation of solid and space. As with sound, which appears to be "all sound" without the intervening silence, or light, which appears to be "all light" without the intervening dark, solids are really solid then space then solid then space, but moving so fast it appears to be all solid, as when a revolving fan blade appears to be a solid disk.

All the events in the universe behave in this same "now you see it, now you don't" wave-like manner. Things exist, then they don't exist. Day changes to night, then back to day. Life alternates with death. Feeling good alternates with feeling bad. Health alternates with disease.

Everything in the universe vibrates, and this vibratory nature is expressed on the sub-atomic level, as with electrons and photons and the like, and it exists on the more gross level, as with day and night, life and death. And, it even exists on a more abstract level, as in the vibration between good and evil, here and there, up and down, and so on.

The big (yet actually very obvious, once you think about it) secret is that no one has ever seen a wave with a peak but no trough. No one has ever seen life without death, or up without down, or good without evil.

All of these things are really one thing. They exist in relation to each other and ONLY in relation to each other. You cannot have things be all "up," because up requires down for its very existence.

What does this have to do with the election or the situation in the world?

I'm getting to that. But please follow my logic.

If you realize that everything vibrates, and that every peak must have a trough, some very interesting things follow. Have you noticed that many people (maybe even you) have a tendency to want things to be a certain way? Perhaps you would like everything to be "good." Perhaps you want to have life but no death. Perhaps you want day but no night. Perhaps you want peace but no war.

Humans, at least up to a certain stage of spiritual development, have a strange way of wanting half of certain parts of certain vibrations to not exist. Alan Watts called this The Game of Black and White, with the additional rule that "White Must Win."

Playing White Must Win is like wanting everything to be up, or everything to be good. It's like wanting it to always be day, without night, or wanting there to be life, with no death.

Unfortunately, in the universe we inhabit, this isn't possible. This universe is a universe of vibration, and in every vibrating wave there is a peak and a trough. There are no exceptions to this.

Here's another key point, and this is one of those things that people will agree to in theory, but have trouble with in practice. Humans have a way of picking one side of the vibration, either the crest or the trough, the up or the down, the on or the off, and deciding that it is good or desirable, and then labeling the other side as bad or undesirable. What is more, for every person who thinks up is good and desirable, there is someone else who thinks down is actually the real part of the vibration that is good and desirable.

In other words, which part of the vibration is good and which part is bad is arbitrary, and this is decided by social convention. If everyone else in your group agrees that up is better than down, and that everyone who is down should be shot or incarcerated, then everyone (other than a few rebels) agrees. Not only that, once this social consensus has been agreed upon, few if any people ever question it, or notice that whatever part of the vibration chosen as good or bad was arbitrary.

Why do I say it is arbitrary? Because, first of all, for everyone who thinks up is better than down, there is someone else who thinks down is better than up. Each is convinced that they have the truth, and each has piles of "evidence."

Second (and this is a secret, so don't tell), nothing is intrinsically bad or good. Nothing. Such qualities are projected onto what is. Not one thing in the universe actually means anything or has any goodness or badness INTRINSICALLY.

We add these qualities, socially agree that they are true, and then forget that we added these good/bad, right/wrong meanings.

So, looking at the big picture, life is full of problems. Every one of them, though, involves making one part of the vibration wrong, undesirable, bad, or evil, and the other side good and desirable.

When you look at the enlightened master, you see that, for him, life isn't a problem, even though in your world problems of every kind are all over the place. You can hardly move without tripping over one. You assume that the enlightened master has solved the problem of "off"--that he has figured out a way to win at the game of White Must Win. He must have, since he is peaceful, happy, secure. There is something so solid about him. Nothing seems to move him (or her) off center.

However, this assumption would be WRONG. The enlightened master certainly is peaceful and happy and centered and unflappable, but it isn't because he has conquered the down side of the up/down vibration. It's because (shhh--this is also a secret)...

........he's realized that down isn't a problem. He knows that down is only a problem if you make it a problem, if you resist it's existence.

Let's take this one more step. I hope you're sitting down, because this is an even bigger step than the fact that things do NOT have intrinsic qualities.

Up and down, on and off, good and bad...

........don't exist.

They are artificial, conceptual distinctions created by the mind. They do not exist in reality, however, any more than there is a real line dividing the United States and Canada.

Ken Wilber wrote an entire book about this, called No Boundary. In this book he describes something that is basic to Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, and every mystical philosophy of every culture. There is no real boundary between on and off, up and down, or good and bad. To make these distinctions is entirely conceptual.

And, both sides of each of these pairs of so-called opposites needs each other. They depend on each other for their very existence. They are one thing, one process. You cannot have one part without the other, and in fact the whole idea of chopping each process into two parts is a conceptual illusion, just like the US/Canada border isn't really there. Just as buying and selling are one process, where you must have both or nothing at all, in the same way good and bad are one process and neither can exist without the other.

When we resist one part of these pairs of opposites, as if it could possibly be independent, as if it could possible be "defeated" when it's really necessary for the other side to exist at all, we create suffering for ourselves. In fact, all suffering (just ask the Buddha) is caused by being attached to some part of what is being different than it is.

So let's summarize, and then I'm going to apply what we've learned to the world situation and the election--and to your happiness and inner peace.

***First, the universe and everything in it vibrates, and these vibrations go from one pole to the other, up and down, off and on, black and white, peak and trough.

***No one has ever seen a peak without a trough, or an on without an off. They go together and are, in fact, one thing. In fact, dividing them into these poles is itself arbitrary and conceptual, and therefore not a real distinction. No one has ever seen, and no one can ever hand you, an "off" or a "down" or any side of any of these distinctions. The sides of these distinctions are IDEAS, and nothing more. They are not REAL. Any qualities you think they have, you made it up. You might have a lot of social agreement about what you made up, but that doesn't mean it isn't made up.

***People arbitrarily decide that one or the other side of each of these pairs is desirable and the other isn't (and then forget that they added this distinction, which is NOT intrinsic to the situation). Once a person takes sides, their point of view very often seems SO compelling that the other side seems criminal and insane.

***People then resist, even hate, the side of things they have termed off, down, bad, black. When they do this, they create suffering--sometimes extreme suffering--for themselves.

***And, often, as a result, they project this suffering, in the form of anger and blame, sometimes even violence, onto those who do not agree with them. Which creates more suffering, both for themselves and potentially for those they are blaming (unless those who are being blamed know the secret and decide not to buy into the game).

So, what does this have to do with the election, and the state of the world?

Many of you are angry or unhappy about the election. I hear it all around me. I get emails asking me to man the ramparts and fight for the good cause. Black, off, down, bad, evil--whatever you want to call it--won the election. Calling those who like the election results stupid or evil is just projecting your anger onto the "other side." If your "side" had won, those people you're now calling stupid and evil would be calling you stupid and evil. In fact, when Bill Clinton won, that's exactly what they did.

Both sides, in turn, have been playing White Must Win, each side with their own idea of what constitutes White, what constitutes The Truth. (Both ideas of what is White are, however, entirely arbitrary.) Now you can play White Must Win if you want to. However, one of the rules of White Must Win is that part of the time it doesn't, and when that happens, you suffer.

And I do see many of you suffering, in some cases A LOT.

Now suffering can be a great game, and part of life is to really get into the game and play it to the hilt. You are totally free to respond to "what is" in any way you want. That's what makes all the games of being human so darned fun. However, I want to point out a couple of things about the game of suffering, the game of White Must Win. First, you don't like to suffer. Remember? It doesn't feel good. If you're suffering over what happened, you're probably doing it unconsciously and automatically. You're probably forgetting that you actually create your own reality, and that you could create it in another way if you took the reins of your mind and operated it intentionally and consciously. I mean, really, would you consciously create suffering for yourself, if you knew what you were doing?

You could, however, choose not to suffer, no matter what happens. This, by the way, is exactly what the enlightened master does. Even if he decides to join in and play White Must Win (since it is an exquisite game, and can be a lot of fun if played as a GAME rather than as if it was serious and real), he will not get into suffering over it. He may feel compassion and empathy for the suffering of others, perhaps, but he will not get into his own suffering, because he knows the secret: that on and off are the same, that neither White nor Black can win, since they are two sides of the same coin and depend upon each other for their very existence.

All over the place I hear people, including a number of noted personal growth leaders who claim to be highly evolved conscious beings, clamoring for people to "take sides, defeat the evil ones." "Lock and load! Man the ramparts!" This is a very unconscious point of view, and one that leads to polarization, separation, conflict, and suffering for everyone who buys into it.

Now please don't misinterpret what I'm saying. I am NOT (that's N-O-T) saying don't do anything. (Do NOT write to me accusing me of saying that you shouldn't do anything about the suffering you see.) I'm not saying don't take action. If there is some course of action you see that you think will improve the world, by all means act. If you see suffering in the world, act to alleviate it.

However, acting from fear and anger, which is what I'm hearing all around me, does not alleviate suffering. It would be a complete coincidence if what you did when in that state of mind actually created any kind of improvement in the world. On the other hand, when you know the secret of how the universe really works, when you know that up and down, on and off, black and white, are all one thing, and that both sides are necessary, when you know not to resist down and cling to up, you can remain centered and peaceful and you'll know just what to do to really make a difference.

But this is not the White Must Win kind of change that assumes that one side of the vibration should--or could be--defeated. It's real change, the kind that really does alleviate suffering and brings things closer instead of creating more suffering and more polarization.

Here's what I see going on in the world:

As I said, everything in the universe is vibrating. One example of this vibration, operating on a grand scale, is a movement from positive social mood to negative social mood and back again, over and over. According to those who study such things, social mood peaked in 1999 or 2000. Now we're in the descending part of the wave, where social mood moves toward the negative pole. When this happens, conflicts increase, anger increases, polarization increases. Social groups feel more separate from each other and begin to attack each other. The polarity between good and bad, Black and White, on and off, seem to be wider (though remember that they're really illusory to begin with).

Darkening social mood also manifests in the arts (more horror movies, for instance, including torture themes and other violence), in social popularity (social heros and icons of good times, such as Martha Stewart, or corporate CEOs, become anti-heros), and in every aspect of society. (I know, you never liked those corporate CEOs in the first place, but they were pretty darned envied and emulated by a lot ofpeople in the 90s--now they're demonized.)

In the coming years you can expect increased tension and conflict between Liberals and Conservatives, racial groups, social and economic classes, countries, genders, religions, labor and management, and many other groups. You may see severe economic problems. You may see war and other violence. You will probably see a lot of suffering. In the last major down cycle, in the 1970s, we had assassinations, riots, protests, war, strikes, a Presidential resignation, and many other symptoms of conflict and polarization. This is what happens when social mood moves toward the negative pole. As social mood becomes more negative, the news you see and hear will reflect it, partly because people's minds are on the negative and the networks will give them what they want, and partly because there really will be more suffering to report.

You have a choice in all of this, believe it or not. You may not be able to control the swings of social mood, which are huge movements involving literally billions of beings, and have been happening since the beginning of civilization. But here's your choice: you can follow the herd instinct, get angry, and take sides--and contribute to the problem. There will be plenty of different sides on plenty of different issues, so there will be many opportunities to do this. You can become fearful, angry, feel separate from others, and feel righteous about what you think is--or should be--"up". You can allow how you feel and what you do to be driven by what happens around you if you want to. You can be a herd-driven automatic response mechanism if you want to. It's your choice.

This, however, is what the unconscious person will do. This is also what the person who ends up suffering will do. Unfortunately, this person, well-intentioned as they might be, will add to the suffering of the world.

Or, you can see through the game, and refuse to take sides. You can realize that all the polarization is an illusion, that both sides are really one thing, and that the whole show is driven by the illusion of opposites and by increasingly negative social mood as the wave goes down. You can decide, however, not to unconsciously and automatically run with the herd. You can, instead, remain centered and allow your inner peace and happiness and equanimity come from within. You can decide to be like the enlightened master, who knows the secret of how the universe operates and refuses to create in his mind a polarized universe of separation, with all its symptoms: anger, fear, anxiety, depression, sadness, conflict, hatred, and violence.

But what about suffering? What about the wrongs of the world? Yes, there is a lot of suffering in the world. As for "wrongs," that's a projection, as I explained above, so let's just talk about what to do about the suffering. As a conscious, compassionate seeker, when you see suffering, here's what you do:

1) Get centered. Stop playing White Must Win, because that game creates more suffering. When you come from anger and fear, you can't really see the world the way it is, and therefore can't really help.

2) From from that centered place, you'll know exactly what to do in order to have a real impact on reducing the suffering of others.

3) Act. Take action. What you do may even be the same action you would have taken when you were angry and in the polarized place (though I doubt it). Whatever you do, it will be coming from a place of conscious awareness instead of unconscious, automatic, polarized reactivity (i.e., White Must Win). As a result, you will be peaceful and happy as you do whatever you decide to do, and in behaving consciously you will have the greatest chance to actually decrease the amount of suffering in the world instead of increasing it.

You may have noticed that the Dalai Lama isn't ranting about the election or the state of the world. I'm sure he feels intense compassion and empathy for all those who are suffering, but because he isn't in polarized resistance, because he isn't playing White Must Win, he doesn't personally experience the symptoms of separation. And, because he is centered in himself, his actions are appropriate and actually do alleviate suffering. But he isn't calling for people to man the ramparts, take sides, or smash the "other side." He isn't calling one "side" stupid, or evil. The Dalai Lama knows the secret, so he remains peaceful and is able to take conscious, purposeful action to reduce the suffering he sees around him.

I'm doing my best to do my small part to reduce the suffering in this world, by spreading Holosync and the principles I teach. Hopefully, it's making a difference. But I especially want it to make a difference for you. For that to happen, you have to step out of the world of separation and polarity, and stop playing White Must Win.

Unless, of course, you like the game. It is, after all, your life.

So yes, the world is in a sorry state. Many beings are suffering, and I fear that before this cycle of negative social mood is over many more will suffer. Most are suffering because they don't know any better--they have little conscious awareness of how they create their reality. You, however, can't use that excuse. You DO know how you create your reality, if you've been with Centerpointe for any length of time. You can follow the herd and take sides and angrily demonize those on the "other side" and be part of the problem if you want to. I hope you will step out of The Game of Black and White, though, and join me in taking more conscious action based on oneness, not polarization.

Yes, most world leaders (on both "sides") are corrupt and unconscious. From what I can see, all of them (some more than others) are looking at the problems of the world from a very black and white and simplistic point of view. Some don't even care about the problems of the world and are instead busy robbing the common people and each other. They, too, are playing The Game of Black and White, but in a multi-hued and complex world that demands a higher level of awareness in those who govern it.

In my opinion, as social mood darkens there will be a world-wide upheaval that will signal the end of such simplistic (and often corrupt) leadership. Out of the ashes will come new leaders who are more highly evolved, who can handle the many variables, the increased complexity, of today's world. In my upcoming series on Spiral Dynamics I will describe the developmental stages the world has gone through, and make some educated guesses about the stages to come.

In the meantime, by all means, act for change. Absolutely, act for change. But do it from a place of centered, conscious awareness of what is, rather than the unconscious, us vs. them lack-of-awareness that I see and hear all around me. See those who are unconscious and reactive from a place of compassion. Be part of the solution, not part of the problem.

This is your opportunity to actually apply these principles to real life. If you believe in oneness and harmony, here's your chance. Don't miss it up.

Be well.
Bill

[If you found this article helpful, please send a copy of this issue to a friend!]

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8. Glowing Testimonials and Letters

I have been on the 2nd level, the first level where I recorded affirmations, for just a few weeks now....I can now face and process deeply areas of my life that I could not understand or even approach (without feeling nuts) before.

Sometimes, many times, I'm amazed at the degree of peace and acceptance I can feel and amazed at the new views (and questions) I have about life now that some of the old mental entanglements seem to be melting away faster than cotton candy. Before Holysync, these "mental entanglements" resisted many and good efforts.

--Caroline

**

Can I just say how wonderful this program is? I am only into my third week, but boy, what a difference it has made. I can honestly say that when I finish the hour meditation (the Dive and the Immersion - 1 hr), I finish with a smile on my face. I am happy everynight when I go to bed, and I am happy every morning when I wake up. I wake up with the first thought being "I love life, gee it's great to be alive." I have so much energy throughout the day, and for some reason I get excited. Why, I don't know, but I am certainly letting it be for what it is.

I have a deeper insight to myself, as well as others. I often take things in my stride without becoming stressed. I remind myself that things happen for a reason, and to just let it be and to observe it. I am more positive within my way of thinking and more positive and encouraging with other people. My friends have definately noticed a difference in me. When they ask how I am doing, I can now reply with " I am doing great" because I truly feel that way.

My daily routine has completely changed. I exercise everyday, I do my meditation of an evening just before I go to bed , and I am eating properly. I have a bounce in my step, and manage to find time to complete all tasks that I have set for the day, without even rushing. I take my time and enjoy it. I soak it up. I look forward to my meditation every night.

--Nicole

**

Dear Bill

I feel that I just have to write to you 14000 km away because I have to say thank you for your wonderful Holosync program. It seems so weird that I am thanking someone from the bottom of my heart that I have never even met and am unlikely to ever meet. Yet I owe you so very much I can't begin to explain it.

My life is turning around from stress and anxiety to one of a relaxed, happy person who everyone around me regards as almost the life of the party. It is totally unbelievable, but true.

I am a teacher and used to be gaunt and stressed, always super organised because I was afraid of the consequences of letting things unravel a bit, always wondering why life has to be so hard, etc etc etc. Always so insecure, always living in the hope and a prayer that tomorrow might turn out better, obsessive and overwhelmed.

I am currently on Awakening Level 2, first sub-level and I have not missed a day of Holosync since 7 October 2003 when I started.

I no longer stress, I am happier, more relaxed, I feel better about myself, I let things unravel now and it doesn't bother me because I know I am doing a good job anyhow. I laugh and joke all the time and people around me think I'm totally crazy and laugh along with me. I wouldn't have believed such a thing could happen, but it has !! I am sailing through the school year practically without a care and my students and I both have a great time together. I love them and they just seem to love me back.

My creativity seems to have increased also in music, writing and poems and I no longer get that sick feeling if I have a late night. Sleep doesn't seem as crucial because I am probably using less energy stressing all the time.

Anyway, thanks for giving me the opportunity of saying all this to you. I can't contain myself any longer. I only wish I could meet you and shake your hand and give you a big smile and a bear hug (which you probably wouldn't enjoy at all) for all you've done.

--Peter

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9. Book Review
by Marc Gilson
The Secret Teachings of All Ages
By Manly P. Hall
1928 - 1988 Philosophical Research Society

Manly Palmer Hall (1901 - 1990) has been called many things: "Modern Sage," "Scholar of the Arcane," "Wizard of Philosophy." Author of over 200 books on astrology, Christianity, philosophy, ritual, Paganism, dreams, mysticism, and more, Hall's best known work is The Secret Teachings of All Ages. As ambitious a title as it is, the book is very nearly worthy of it. Secret Teachings is an encyclopedic, artful, and almost endlessly deep volume primarily focused on Masonic, Hermetic, Qabbalistic and Rosicrucian symbolic philosophy.

On the surface, such a book could be expected to appeal to a very select few. However, to thumb through this massive, beautiful book is to be drawn into the fantastic imagery and compelled by the sheer breadth of the material. Though focused on four main philosophies, Secret Teachings includes material on virtually every major (and many minor) school of philosophy, both eastern and western. From ancient Greece and Egypt through the alchemists of the middle ages, to Native American symbolism, the book contains an almost overwhelming amount of information. With dozens of diagrams, charts, and tables illustrating a colossal scope of ancient and modern esoterica, the book is immensely "browsable." It's no wonder the book has found a prominent place on the bookshelves of students and masters of spiritual and religious studies for 75 years.

Much of the aesthetic beauty of the book comes from the exquisite full-color, full-page illustrations by J. Augustus Knapp (note that some paperback editions of the book do not contain all the original diagrams and illustrations). Knapp collaborated with Hall to contribute over 50 truly striking images depicting such diverse subjects as the Oracle of Delphi seated on her golden throne within the Delphic cave, Paracelcus performing his alchemical experiments in his study, and the courtyard of the Israelites Biblical Tabernacle as described in the Old Testament.

While the art within the book is enough to keep most readers occupied for hours, the information compiled and composed by Manly Hall would demand months, perhaps years of consideration to fully appreciate. This is a heavy slab of a book. But not a page is wasted; each is spent wisely with a clear focus on the history and meaning of its topics. Hall might be said to be "dry" at times in terms of style, but his personal passion for his subject is reflected throughout the book and makes each entry absorbing and meaningful.

As remarkable as the book is, what may be more remarkable is the man behind it. Before becoming an international authority on esoteric wisdom and mystery schools, Manly P. Hall lived the life of a Wall Street businessman. During this time, he witnessed what he called "a senseless tragedy:" the suicide of a man who lost his money in America's financial ruin of the 1920s. It was this event that confirmed in Hall's mind the belief that excessive focus on material wealth often led away from happiness, contentment, and fulfillment in life, and that the ancient spiritual traditions were in danger of being relegated to obsolescence. In effect, he saw an imbalance between the spiritual and material well-being of "modern man," and dedicated the rest of his life to righting that balance through an emphasis on spiritual wisdom.

In the preface to the Diamond Jubilee Edition of the book, Hall issues his own very simple argument for the importance of studying spiritual literature:

"To avoid a future of war, crime, and bankruptcy, the individual must begin to plan his own destiny, and the best source of the necessary information comes down to us through the writings of the ancients."

Further, he says:

"My fleeting contact with high finance resulted in serious doubts concerning business as it was being conducted at that time. It was apparent that materialism was in complete control of the economic structure, the final objective of which was for the individual to become part of a system providing an economic security at the expense of the human soul, mind, and body.

I felt strongly moved to explore the problems of humanity, its origin and destiny, and I spent a number of quiet hours in the New York Public Library tracing the confused course of civilization. With a very few exceptions modern authorities downgraded all systems of idealistic philosophy and the deeper aspects of comparative religion. Translations of classical authors could differ greatly, but in most cases the noblest thoughts were eliminated or denigrated. Those more sincere authors whose knowledge of ancient languages was profound were never included as required reading, and scholarship was based largely upon the acceptance of a sterile materialism.

Fortunately, since contemporary scholarship had little regard for the wisdom of the past, there was no premium on the earlier texts. As a result I assembled a fair collection of the works of those forgotten sages to whose labors the world owes a tremendous debt of gratitude."
To peruse this monumental and important work and then learn that in matters of esoteric wisdom and comparative religion Manly P. Hall was entirely self-educated is to be confronted with one of the most amazing aspects of this story. Hall was a completely self-taught scholar in the truest sense of the term, with no formal training in any of the subjects he wrote about. Once asked how, without any conventional training, he was able to assimilate such a tremendous and diverse degree of spiritual and religious information, Hall remarked, "It is, of course, easier to know, than to know how you know." At times, Hall himself seems as mystical as those he chronicles in his work.

In 1934, Hall founded the Philosophical Research Society, which today continues to disseminate Hall's many books and lectures, along with those of others. (http://www.prs.org/). While perhaps more appealing to dedicated students of esoteric thought, even those with a passing interest in the history and meaning of the world's spiritual traditions will appreciate the richness and depth of this remarkable combination of literature and art.

A few final words about The Secret Teachings of All Ages: The book is available today in many different editions. One is designed as a "readers edition," which means a less expensive, more compact and manageable volume compared to the rather hefty coffee-table-sized versions. But if you're a collector, I encourage you to opt for one of the larger editions to fully appreciate the artistic quality of the book. Expect to pay between $54.95 (a 9x13 inch paperback edition, and the one used for this review) and $185 for the larger hardcover Diamond Jubilee edition which makes a handsome library heirloom. To review the various editions available through the Philosophical Research Society (as well as a complete table of contents from the book), visit http://www.prs.org/secret.htm.

For the more affordable reader's edition, visit: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1585422509/centerpointer-20
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10. Announcements

A. My speech at the United Nations (for the UN Values Caucus) was a big success, and may even lead to a similar presentation for the city government in New York. We did record the talk, and at some point I'm sure we will make available the recording. In the next issue of Mind Chatter I will begin a series of articles on the topic of my UN talk, a developmental model of individual and societal values called Spiral Dynamics.

My meeting in New York that evening with area Centerpointe participants was also a big success, with over 250 people in attendance. Thank you to everyone who attended! We also recorded this talk, which will also be made available sometime soon.


B. Our next Centerpointe Retreat at Glen Ivy Hotsprings and Spa is approaching...

The dates for Centerpointe's Spring Retreat, at Glen Ivy Hot Springs near Los Angeles, are April 5-11, 2005. Though it's filling up, there still are spots available.

If you have a big issue you'd like to resolve, if you're in a transition period in your life and you just can't seem to complete it, or if you just want to take things to a higher level--one where you understand more completely how you're creating your life--please, do yourself a favor and come spend a week with me at Glen Ivy Hot Springs.

I promise that you'll have an incredible experience you'll never forget.

I tell people they'll receive six months of growth in just 5 days at these retreats, but they keep improving every time, and people now tell me they're received much more than that.

I tailor each retreat to the needs of the specific people who attend (which means YOU). My goal is to help you see the ways you may be unconsciously and unintentionally creating your internal and external reality, and how easy it actually is to consciously and intentionally create the life you want, both inside and out.

This is your chance to make a big change, and to work with me personally.

So click on this link for more information:
http://www.centerpointe.com/index.php?page=retreats

And, I guarantee results! Here's the guarantee: Attend the entire retreat. If by the end of the retreat you don't think it was the most incredible growth experience you've ever had, just see me before you leave, and I'll refund your tuition.

You do not need to be a program participant to attend (though most people who attend are). (And if you're not a program participant, why the heck aren't you? Quit procrastinating and join.)

Click here for more information:
http://www.centerpointe.com/index.php?page=retreats

Or, call us between 9:30 and 5:00 Pacific time, M-F, at 1-800-945-2741 or 503-672-7117.

Here's what some of the participants from this year's retreats have said:

The greatest benefit I got from the retreat was the realization that I am in control of things and there's nothing wrong with me. The future looks very bright if I'm willing to put in the work, and I certainly am!

In a lot of ways this was the greatest week of my life.

John

**

The doors (of my previous view of who I was and what I could not do) were not only blown to bits, they are no longer anywhere in sight. I am now leaving with clarity and vision for my next steps forward in my life.

Adeline

**

I'm even more convinced that Holosync and Bill's material is the most profound spiritual process I have found. If someone truly wants to "blow the doors off," the retreat is the place to go. The work is very deep and very powerful as long as you are willing to really engage in the process fully.

Maya

**

I really appreciate your dedication to helping others (including me) achieve personal growth in their lives. You do so out of a passion and true interest in helping others; it is your calling. Having met you, I experienced a truly multifaceted (point of consciousness) - music, flying, intellectual, fun & love. It is my pleasure and benefit to meet you personally. I hope that we connect again soon. Many Thanks,

John

**

Since the retreat, my life has been filled with moments of deep joy I had not previously experienced. These moments happen frequently and leave me with an outward smile and a profound peace. I feel as if I am glowing and radiant inside with joy.

I'm not sure exactly what happened to me at the retreat, but I know my life is different. Something is healed and life is joyful. Thank you for providing the environment, the people and the teachings for this to take place. And thank you for taking me on this wonderful journey of a life of delicious surprises.

Take care-
Anne

**

I did have a very positive experience at the retreat and plan to return next year, hopefully with my husband. As I mentioned in the closing remarks, I laughed a lot, and I felt joy and a real connection to others despite only knowing them a little or not at all. I was able to drop the separateness (being different, better, or worst, or just separate) that I usually identify with/carry around. How liberating!

I really appreciate, as I dive more deeply into the Life Principles Integration Process how much you've integrated and explained in these lessons with such clarity and depth. It's taken me years of practice (~18 years) and a lifetime of dharma talks to have a basic understanding of some of these principles. You clarified so much in just a few lessons.

Colette

**

Thank you from my heart for your words of wisdom and mostly for your kindness and love. Thanks for the chance to open my heart wider and feel love flowing from almost 60 hearts during our retreat! We call this retreat "Circle of LOVE"!

I was in blessing condition after the Retreat, than in chaos state (with pleasure!), now I am feeling growing process and enjoying that! Thanks for my jump!

You are doing amazing job, Bill! I am sure this is REAL help for people! I am ready to send information about Centerpointe to everyone in my mailing list. It will be nice to get from you idea how to do it the best.

I would like to send my daughter to next retreat! It will be my birthday gift for her!

Love-
Alla (from Russia)

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