1. Welcome to Issue #157 (February 2006) of MIND CHATTER, the e-mail newsletter of Centerpointe Research Institute: http://www.centerpointe.com. Mind Chatter is published once a month, on or about the 16th of each month. Please send Mind Chatter to a friend, and please send us your questions, comments, and suggestions. ................................................................................ 2. If you would like to unsubscribe, you can manage your account via the link at the end of this newsletter. (But please don't. We like you and we want you to stay.) ................................................................................ 3. In This Issue // MindQuotes (scroll to #5) // A few recommendations that may benefit you (scroll to item #6) // Feature Article Do You Believe In Magic? -- Part 2 by Bill Harris, Director (scroll to item #7) // Glowing Testimonials of the Month (scroll to #8) // Book Review (scroll to #9) Stalking the Wild Pendulum: On the Mechanics of Consciousness by Itzhak Bentov Review by Marc Gilson // Important Announcements (scroll to #10) ................................................................................ 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. ................................................................................ 5. Mind Quotes You never find yourself until you face the truth. - Pearl Bailey I've been absolutely terrified every moment of my life--and I've never let it keep me from doing a single thing I wanted to do. - Georgia O'Keefe The chief cause of failure and unhappiness is trading what we want most for what we want at the moment. - unknown No man is free who is not master of himself. - Epictetus (Greek philospher, c. 100 C.E.) ................................................................................ 6. Ancient practice tied to amazing health benefits... Want to live longer? Meditate! Unless you've been living in a cave lately, you must have seen some of the recent news about the health benefits of meditation. It's everywhere... * An article published in the American Heart Association journal, Stroke, recently reported that meditation can reduce cholesterol buildup and the associated risk of heart attack and stroke. * And another study found that meditation reduces the death rate among the elderly. * The National Institutes of Health reports that regular meditation reduces chronic pain, anxiety, high blood pressure, cholesterol, and cortisol (sometimes called "the stress hormone") production. * A University of Wisconsin-Madison study discovered meditation boosts brain function and the immune system. * A recent issue of the American Journal of Hypertension featured the results of a study showing a significant lowering of blood pressure in a group of meditators compared to a control group of people who didn't meditate. The study also reported a 23% decrease in usage of antihypertensive drugs between the group of meditators and the other group. * A Harvard study also concluded that regular meditation can reduce pain, lower blood pressure, and cut production of the stress hormone, cortisol. * The most recent study by The American Heart Association shows heart and artery health improved 69 percent in test groups practicing meditation. And this is just the beginning. Practically every time you turn around there's another study documenting and supporting fantastic health and wellness benefits of meditation. So, what's the quickest way to actually achieve these amazing benefits? If there's a downside to meditation it's this... Traditional meditation can take years, even decades to master. The Holosync Solution changes all that. Holosync uses advanced scientific technology to induce deep states of meditation virtually at the push of a button. Most regular users of Holosync report fabulous results in weeks rather than years. Try Holosync for yourself-for FREE! Click visit http://www.centerpointe.com/demo/ to get a FREE Holosync demo CD so you can see for yourself how this powerful technology can improve your life. Here's an even better idea. Go ahead and order Awakening Prologue (the first level of The Holosync Solution) and get started with the real thing. With our One-Year 100% Iron-Clad Guarantee, you can do so with no risk whatsoever. Use Holosync for up to a full year and enjoy all the powerful and lasting benefits this kind of meditation brings you. And if you decide that Holosync isn't everything we promise, simple let us know and you can return it for a full refund. It's just that simple. If you have any interest at all in increased health and vigor, increased longevity, lower blood pressure, peace of mind, and all the other great benefits of meditation, at least give Holosync a try. Remember you can get a FREE demo CD by going to +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ http://www.centerpointe.com/demo/ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ And to learn all about the science behind Holosync, check out our extensive articles section here: ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ http://www.centerpointe.com/about/articles.php ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ** // ** When I actually SAW my brainwaves, I just about fell off my chair!... I recently experienced something so incredible--something that affected me in such an amazing way--that I just had to tell you about it. If you're at all serious about your emotional and spiritual growth, this is going to absolutely blow your mind! Here's what it's all about: I recently had the good fortune to meet an amazing man. Dr. James Hardt is probably the world's greatest expert on human brain waves, their connection to various beneficial states (especially all kinds of spiritual states), and--this is the best part!--how, using a very sophisticated form of brain wave biofeedback tested over 30 years, you can learn to create states of happiness, joy, feelings of connection and love, and many other beneficial mental, emotional, and spiritual states, at will. A couple of months ago, I traveled to San Jose, California to attend one of Dr. Hardt's alpha brain wave trainings. The purpose of the training is to use feedback from your own brain to learn how to intentionally make lots and lots of alpha waves, associated with... ...meditation, creativity, emotional healing, incredible joyfulness, and a lot more! The first morning, electrodes were gently attached to certain key locations on my head. I entered a sound-proof booth and sank into a comfortable chair. Speakers on either side of my head played back special tones, one for each electrode location. These tones, and the music they created, came from alpha waves... ...created by my own brain! When I made more alpha waves, the tones became louder. When I created less alpha, the tones became quieter. Over the seven days of the training, this feedback allowed me to create more and more alpha waves, and as I did so... ...I began to feel more and more joy...more inner peace...and more and more connection to the universe! It was amazing. All the training participants had profound meditative and spiritual experiences, which Dr. Hardt helped us understand. Emotional and spiritual issues needing resolution came to the surface, and Dr. Hardt showed us how to resolve them (which is much easier when you're making a lot of alpha waves). As issues were resolved, we were able to make more and more alpha, and our experience of joy and connection... ...increased and increased and increased! By the end of the week, everyone was transformed (more about that below). Dr. Hardt, over 30 years, has trained Zen masters (who told him his training was better than Zen because, unlike with a Zen master, your brain can give you feedback every second!) and other advanced spiritual seekers. He's also trained high-level Special Forces troops...business and artistic geniuses...and people like you and me who are interested in rapid spiritual and emotional growth. Dr. Hardt has published his findings in peer-review journals and is considered to be the world's most respected authority on brain wave biofeedback training. As you know, I already know a lot about brain waves and spiritual states, but Dr. Hardt had a lot to teach even me! Here's something that I found to be particularly amazing: The Alpha I brain wave training I attended teaches you how to make the same brain waves made by those who have practiced Zen meditation (or something comparable) for 21 to 40 years or more--but it does so in just seven days! Dr. Hardt's brainwave training is a huge shortcut! Sounds good, but do the changes last, you ask? Yes, they do. Studies show that those who have taken this training are making even more alpha waves a year later! Just as with Holosync, this training creates a momentum for growth that continues long after you stop. The trainings are small, with lots of personal attention--a maximum of 5 students per training. Two people in my training arrived depressed and confused about their lives, and with a significant amount of emotional baggage (in one case, quite severe emotional baggage). At the end of seven days, though, these two looked and behaved like the long-time Holosync users I see at Centerpointe retreats. They were happy, bubbly, focused, joyful, and radiant. They smiled. Their posture was more confident and their attitude upbeat. They looked you in the eye when they talked to you, whereas before the training... ...they could not do so. I've kept in touch with both of these people, and the positive changes they experienced have definitely lasted--even accelerated--in the couple of months since the training. Would you like to know what happened for me? I thought you would! When I arrived at the training, I was coming out of a period where I had been working 16-hour-days (working on the lessons for my three online courses) for over a year and a half. I was, quite frankly, pretty wiped out. I handle stress very well, but even so, I was pretty worn down. I left the training renewed and uplifted, and with even more awareness about how I create certain parts of my life. As you may know, I already have a very high awareness of these things, but this training accentuated that awareness--a lot. In a word, it was remarkable. But something even more amazing happened for me at the training. Check this out: On Day 5 of the training, I began making huge amounts of a very unique type of brain waves Dr. Hardt identified as those signifying... ...huge amounts of kundalini energy! You may know that in traditional yoga and meditation schools, kundalini is the spiritual energy lying dormant (in most people) at the base of the spine, and a "kundalini awakening" is an incredible spiritual event. When awakened by spiritual practices such as meditation, this energy travels up the spine, moving through and awakening each of the chakras--awakening various spiritual energies and abilities. Based on Dr. Hardt's 30 years of research, it turns out that kundalini energy has a very specific brain wave signature! And, on Day 5, I began to make LOTS of it! (I was supposed to be making alpha waves, but who cares!) As I experienced the brain waves of kundalini, I also experienced incredible bliss! Dr. Hardt also told me that the small number of people he has studied who were able to create such kundalini brain waves all seem to have the ability... ...to manifest anything they want in life! If you'd like to see what the brain waves of kundalini energy looks like, click here to view a portion of my EEG record from Day 5: http://www.centerpointe.com/kundalini All spiritual states have brain wave signatures! In fact, Dr. Hardt has identified the brain wave signatures corresponding to many spiritual states and stages of increasingly advanced meditation, including states of egolessness, out of body experiences, profound visionary experiences, and even the brain wave signature of the ability to make halos! But that not all! It's what Dr. Hardt has done with these "spiritual brain wave signatures" that really has me excited! Here's what he did: Once Dr. Hardt observed certain high spiritual states in the brain waves of Zen masters and other advanced meditators, he was then able to design specific biofeedback training programs to teach others how to create these same states--often in as little as seven days! (It often takes several decades to learn to experience these high states!) Once you complete the Alpha I training I attended, you can take Dr. Hardt's Alpha II training. In this more advanced training you gain the ability to exercise even more control over which part of the brain is generating alpha (yes, it makes a difference), while also further increasing your ability to create more. After Alpha II, you can take Dr. Hardt's Theta I training where you learn to make what he calls mystical theta (very different from sleep theta). I'm told that in the Theta training trainees experience some very profound spiritual states. Then, you can take the more advanced Theta II training. There are also Delta brain wave trainings (this is where you get into learning how to make the kundalini brain waves I was making) and Dr. Hardt even has trainings where... ...you and a partner learn to make brain waves together (what Dr. Hardt calls Shared Feedback)! As you can probably tell,I'm very excited about all of this. In fact, along with Holosync, I consider Dr. Hardt's work to be perhaps the most ground-breaking work in spiritual growth on this planet. Here's why biofeedback is so powerful: From the time you were an infant, everything you've learned has involved your ability to receive feedback about your progress. When you first learned to walk, or pick up an object with your hand, you could see and feel what was going on. This feedback allowed you to refine your technique until you could do the task perfectly. Can you guess which part of you does NOT receive feedback about how it is doing? That's right. It's your brain wave activity. But what if you could receive feedback about your brain wave activity? What if you could receive direct feedback telling you when you were making the beginnings of high spiritual states, happiness, joy, heightened creativity--or any other state? With that feedback, you could also quickly master these abilities, too. And that's exactly what happens in these trainings. In fact, Dr. Hardt is fond of saying, "The introduction of feedback to any system will elevate that system to a higher level of functioning." Do you see how exciting this is? Dr. Hardt has spent the last 30 years creating the most sophisticated technological methods for giving the brain direct and accurate feedback about its electrical activity. Since that electrical activity is directly related to your happiness, the amount of joy you experience, and the level of spiritual connection you feel in any given moment... ...Dr. Hardt's trainings will dramatically accelerate your ability to create all of these things, and a lot more! And, in my opinion, when used in conjunction with Holosync, these trainings are even more powerful! If you aren't super-excited about this by now, you probably just don't care that much about your spiritual growth. But if you are excited--as I certainly am--you'll want to check out Dr. Hardt's website and then give him a call to find out when his next training will be. When you visit his website (www.biocybernaut.com) be sure to read his description of his own first experience with biofeedback, where he had an incredibly profound spiritual experience. This description is called "A Tale of Self-Discovery", you can find it through the Site Map link on his site--and, I guarantee you... ...it will blow your mind. There is one drawback to these trainings (other than having to deal with the fact that your life will change dramatically in just seven days). First, because the trainings involve incredibly expensive and proprietary computer and equipment systems developed by Dr. Hardt and his colleagues over 30 years of research, and because Dr. Hardt can train only five people at one time, the costs of delivering these trainings are unfortunately fairly high. On the other hand, what price can you place on the ability to learn, in just seven days, how to make the same brain waves as a Zen master--and to deeply feel the happiness and joy I believe are your birthright as a human being? Not to worry, though, because I figured out a way for you to save 20% on your tuition. Here's how: Dr. Hardt would pay me a 20% affiliate fee for each person who takes his Alpha I training because of my recommendation. However, to help you take advantage of this incredible training and everything it will do for your happiness and your spiritual growth, I'm going to give you the 20% fee if you take Dr. Hardt's Alpha I training during July, August, or September of this year. That means you get 20% off the regular tuition. Please, right now, visit Dr. Hardt's website (www.biocybernaut.com). There's a ton of fascinating information about biofeedback, brain waves and how they relate to spiritual states, and a lot more. After you educate yourself, give Dr. Hardt a call (use the Training Center phone number listed in the "Contact" section) with any questions and to find out about training dates (the phone number is on his website). When you call, be sure to tell him you are from Centerpointe and that I sent you, as this will save you a significant amount of money. (I want to be clear that I'm taking no money for recommending this--I'm doing it solely because I strongly believe in it.) Here's another way to make it financially easier to participate: Dr. Hardt has arranged a special program with Wells Fargo Bank, specifically created for those who attend his trainings. This program will allow you to finance the entire amount of the training at very reasonable terms. You can ask Dr. Hardt about this program when you speak to him. Or, try the 2-Day Sample... Finally, if you're not sure about the 7-day training, and want a "taste" before you decide, there is also a 2-day "sample" you can take at a much-reduced cost. And, at the conclusion of these two days, you can opt to continue with the full training if you want to and apply the entire 2-day fee to the full training. Finally, Dr. Hardt fully guarantees the 7-day training. If, at the end of the 7th day you don't think it delivered everything you were promised, and a lot more, just tell Dr. Hardt before you leave the training facility, and he'll give you a full refund. Even if you're unsure, please visit www.biocybernaut..com. At the very least, I want you to have the education you'll get from this website. When you get there, I suggest that you read the whole site (though there's a lot to read). I did. At least be sure to read "A Tale of Self-Discovery", Dr. Hardt's description of his first experience with brain wave biofeedback. Then, call Dr. Hardt (again, use the Training Center phone number listed in the "Contact" section of the website) with any questions. Be sure to tell him you heard about this from Bill Harris and Centerpointe. If you're at all interested, please move quickly, though. Because the trainings are small, and because many spots in upcoming trainings are already taken--and because I'm telling a LOT of people about this--act now before the trainings are booked up beyond the three months during which you can receive the 20% discount. And finally, after you take the training, please write to Centerpointe and tell us about your experience at the training! So, go visit www.biocybernaut.com right now, while you're thinking about it! Be well. Bill Harris PS: Don't forget, I believe in this so much I've arranged to give you a 20% scholarship if you decide to take Dr. Hardt's Alpha I training during July, August, or September of this year. Don't wait. Go check out www.biocybernaut.com right now, and when you call be sure to tell him that you heard about it from me, so you can get your scholarship. ** // ** Moment by moment, you create exactly how you feel, what happens to you, and what you attract into your life... Unfortunately, you're probably doing all of this on autopilot... I want to show you how to create the exact life you want-- inside and out! Here's how to experience a FREE preview... I know that many people may have promised that they can teach you how to create the life you want. I promise you that I really can--and have for thousands of people. I've also arranged for you to be able to experience a sample of how I do it, FREE. So, here's a very special opportunity for you...something that can totally turn your life around. And, it could be worth a considerable amount of money to you, as well. Just for a moment, imagine: WHAT IF you could be IN CHARGE of what happens to you--including your feelings and emotions and other internal states, as well as your external results?... Wouldn't that be a lot better than waiting for life to "just happen," where you sometimes get what you want, and sometimes you get what you don't want? Are you willing to learn exactly HOW you can do this? For the last year and a half, I've been teaching three 12-lesson online courses called the Life Principles Integration Process, or LPIP, that teach you all of this, and more. I've received thousands of emails and letters from the people in these courses telling me how what they've learned has transformed their lives, even saved their lives. (You can see some of the comments people have made below.) So more people could afford the LPIP courses, and as an introductory offer, I'm offering them for an incredibly low $249 per course. And, if you sign up for all three, I'll give you the third course for FREE. This actually made each course $166 each, about $13.83 per lesson. If I taught the LPIP material in seminar form, it would probably take at least ten long intense days to teach each course. And with all the personal follow-up I include I'd have to charge several thousand dollars per course for you to attend. And even at that lofty price, it would be worth it, I promise you. Not only that, there is an iron-clad money back guarantee on these courses. Take the course and do the homework, and if you don't think this is the most transformational experience you've ever had, I'll immediately refund your entire tuition. In other words, you have nothing to lose but whatever ways you have been automatically creating what you don't want in life. I will warn you, though. These LPIP courses are not your typical pablum-filled feel-good seminars where you feel high at the end but realize three weeks later that little if anything really changed. If you take these three courses, EVERYTHING will change--and, for the better. Your life will be transformed. You will have all the tools you need to be in direct control of your life--your feelings, your internal state, your external results, your behavior. And, you will gain a huge insight into who you really are, why you're here, and what life is all about. Plus you'll learn, step-by-step, the exact strategies, internal and external, used by the most successful people in the world to get anything they want. And, I'll show you how to make sure you use them and make them work for you. And, as I said, if you don't get what you want from these courses, for any reason, you can get a refund. I'm taking all the risk, other than your time investment in actually doing the lessons. If you're not serious about changing your life, if you aren't willing to do what it takes to operate at the highest level and really be happy, peaceful, and successful ALL THE TIME, this isn't for you. But if you're serious, if you're sincere, these three courses will utterly and completely change your life. Here's a huge and very unique benefit you'll get from these LPIP online courses: In addition to everything else, all LPIP course participants get unlimited email access to me for any questions they have about course content. I answer every one of these emails personally--no staff members are involved--and some of my answers, when necessary, are sometimes three, five, even seven pages long. I put everything into this course, because I really, sincerely want you to get everything I'm promising. You though, have a part in the success of these courses--in fact, a big part. I don't wave a magic want over you and change you into a happy, peaceful, successful person in complete control of his or her life. I just tell you how to do it, and give you an easy way to make the change. Because I have such a huge personal time investment in answering all your questions, I want to make one thing very clear, though. Please DO NOT take these courses unless you're willing to do your part. I do not have the time to waste on those who aren't sincere and aren't willing to pay the price to create the internal changes they want. But if you ARE sincere, and you really do want to change your life, I want to show you how to do it, and I will take you, step by step, through everything you need to know. You CAN create an entirely new life for yourself, regardless of your past or present circumstances. You can read more about each course and what it includes, and even listen to a free preview lesson, just by visiting the url below: http://www.centerpointe.com/life/preview So please, go listen to the free preview lesson, and if you really are ready to change your life, enroll in this amazing courses risk-free. I look forward to having you in these courses and showing you that the possibilities for what your life can be really are limitless...regardless of your present or past circumstances. Just visit http://www.centerpointe.com/life/preview to listen to the free preview lesson and to take advantage of the old low price before we're forced to raise it on March 1st: ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ http://www.centerpointe.com/life/preview ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Be well. Bill ................................................................................ 7. Feature Article Do You Believe in Magic? Part II by Bill Harris, Director As I suspected it would, my article in last month's Mind Chatter "Do You Believe in Magic?" stirred up a lot of people. As you probably know, I sent out an apology by email to everyone who subscribes to Mind Chatter regarding my comments in that article about Bob Doyle. In case you did not receive or read that email, I highly suggest that you read it (see the sidebar beginning on this page). Not only does it contain some important qualifications to my comments about Bob Doyle, it contains significant additional explanation of what I meant by "believing in magic" and why doing so is not the way to get what you want. In this article, I'd like to expand on this idea of believing in magic a bit more, because I see so many people who struggle to create what they want in the world and, what I call believing in magic is largely responsible for their struggle and their inability to get what they want. By way of doing that, here is a letter I received regarding the last article, and my response. Bill, I read your theory about manifesting and was about to agree with you until I remembered a couple of things which I think are important. First, your model of manifestation seems strangely tied to the traditional, Anglo-Saxon notion of a work ethic -- you get what you pay for. I find it difficult to think of the vast Universe doing that kind of accounting. Secondly, where does the idea of "grace" fit in your model--by "God's grace be it done unto you." (to paraphrase)--there does not seem to be any concept of payment or prepayment. Grace as I understand it is simply the result of being part of God's spiritual family. Gifts are given for no apparent reason--earned or not. I do agree that we need to continually challenge airy, fairy, shallow thinking that is sometimes attributed to those without a deeper understanding of "New Age" thought. Yours Truly, Bob R. Bob, But you DO get what you pay for. All you have to do is look around you to see that this is true. And it makes sense that it works this way. Why should one person get less than what their contribution deserves, while another gets more than their contribution deserves? Just evoking something you see as a negative, the "Anglo Saxon work ethic", and connecting it to the Law of Attraction does not revoke that law. I actually find it difficult to imagine a universe WITHOUT this kind of accounting. Should people not be compensated based on what they contribute? Would it be fair if compensation was random, irregardless of what contribution a person makes to the world? Would it be fair if someone who contributed a lot received less than someone who uttered certain magic spells? And ultimately it doesn't matter what we think about it, the universe works in this balanced manner. Even if we didn't think it was fair, it happens to be true that you get what you give out. And, there is real data to confirm this. I work in an arena where I help people improve their ability to create what they want in life which, among other things (emotional and spiritual health, for instance) includes improving material abundance. So do many of my good friends, people like Jack Canfield, John Assaraf, Marshall Thurber, Chris and Janet Attwood, Harv Eker, and many others. Being in that business, we pay attention to what works and what doesn't. We study successful people to see how they do it, and then adopt (and teach) what we've found really works. Believe me, there IS a direct relationship between what a person gives and what they get. This is why Emerson said that the universe's books are always balanced. This isn't, then, an expression of Protestant Work Ethic, it's an observation about the universe. It's the basis of what every success teacher worth his salt teaches, including Napoleon Hill, Mark Victor Hansen, Jack Canfield and, me. You might want to take the time to read Emerson's famous essay, "On Compensation." (http://www.rwe.org/works/Essays-1st_Series_03_Compensation.htm) I've read it many times, spaced over thirty years, but I went back to read it again before writing this so I could find a few of my favorite passages to share with you in this article. I was surprised to find that reading it actually brought tears to my eyes--partly because Emerson is such a magnificent communicator (his eloquence reminds me of Martin Luther King, Jr.)--but also because what he describes is so touching and such a clear expression of the magnificence and awesomeness of this universe and the indescribable privilege of being a living human being. Here are a few passages from that essay (the italics are mine): A perfect equity adjusts its balance in all parts of life. The dice of God are always loaded. The world looks like a multiplication-table, or a mathematical equation, which, turn it how you will, balances itself. Take what figure you will, its exact value, not more nor less, still returns to you. Every secret is told, every crime is punished, every virtue rewarded, every wrong redressed, in silence and certainty. Another: Benefit is the end of nature. [Here is your "Grace".] But for every benefit which you receive, a tax is levied. He is great who confers the most benefits. He is base and that is the one base thing in the universe to receive favors and render none. In the order of nature we cannot render benefits to those from whom we receive them, or only seldom. But the benefit we receive must be rendered again, line for line, deed for deed, cent for cent, to somebody. Beware of too much good staying in your hand. It will fast corrupt and worm worms. Pay it away quickly in some sort. And perhaps one of the most exquisite paragraphs ever written: Men suffer all their life long, under the foolish superstition that they can be cheated. But it is as impossible for a man to be cheated by any one but himself, as for a thing to be and not to be at the same time. There is a third silent party to all our bargains. The nature and soul of things takes on itself the guaranty of the fulfillment of every contract, so that honest service cannot come to loss. If you serve an ungrateful master, serve him the more. Put God in your debt. Every stroke shall be repaid. The longer the payment is withholden, the better for you; for compound interest on compound interest is the rate and usage of this exchequer. There is a reason why the following proverbs and sayings have survived for hundreds and in some cases thousands of years. Proverbs that survive do so because they reflect reality, in this case the reality is that there is a price for everything, and that you must pay it: Tit for tat; an eye for an eye; a tooth for a tooth; blood for blood; measure for measure; love for love. Give and it shall be given you. He that watereth shall be watered himself. What will you have? quoth God; pay for it and take it. Nothing venture, nothing have. Thou shalt be paid exactly for what thou hast done, no more, no less. Who doth not work shall not eat. Harm watch, harm catch. Curses always recoil on the head of him who imprecates them. If you put a chain around the neck of a slave, the other end fastens itself around your own. Bad counsel confounds the adviser. When you give something, what you get in return isn't always of a material nature. It depends what you give. As John Lennon said, "The love you get is equal to the love you give." Mother Teresa, for instance, did not give material things. She gave love and comfort. As a result, she was loved and comforted in turn. So you can wait for grace if you like. And, you may get it. But as Emerson reminds us, if you receive without having given, there still will be a price to pay, and paying later adds interest to the debt. This is why those who win big in the lottery are almost always broke again within a few years. They have not paid the price to have all that wealth, and as a result it finds a way to leave them. People turn to me for help because they perceive that I have some expertise, some wisdom. Some of this is due to the fact that I have created happiness and prosperity in my own life, despite some huge, and in some cases terrible, challenges. It is also because I know many, many people who are also successfully creating prosperity and success. You can trust me or not, but all the people I know who are prosperous and successful have given to the world in one way or another, and to the degree they have, wealth and goodness and fulfillment have come back to them. On the other hand, I receive letters every day from people who struggle to make ends meet, who never have enough, who seem to have the worst possible "luck" when it comes to money and prosperity. If they do accumulate some wealth, they somehow lose it. Not all of these people are believers in what I have termed "magic," but a great deal of them are. On the other hand, none of the friends I have who are prosperous would think of wanting riches without having paid the appropriate price, because they know how the Law of Attraction works. You get back what you give, and when you get without having given first, there is still a price to pay. It's your life. You can live it any way you want. You can wait for grace. You can wish, hope, visualize, and "raise your vibration." You can "put it out to the universe" continually. But unless what you put out to the universe has value, you won't get anything of value back. And why this aversion to what you call "the work ethic"? Are you looking for something for nothing? I hope not, because I have seen from long experience, of my own and many others, that this sort of wish is never fulfilled, and I want you to have what you want. As you say, God takes care of us, yes, but to have abundance you must give. You must pay the price. I say this not to chastise anyone, but to alert you to the fact that prosperity isn't difficult to attain. But to attain it, you must create value for others. There is no other way. You don't necessarily have to work hard, or for a long time. If you can create value in a second, with little effort, that value is just as good as the value created by decades of difficult and effortful work. If you want grace, you must put yourself in its path, and the way to do that is to figure out how to be of value. To receive love, give love. To receive wealth, give something of value to others, because wealth is crystallized value. And the most amazing thing of all is that the giving of value to others, in and of itself, turns out to be the greatest reward of all, even without the compensation that will inevitably follow. If you want a fulfilling life, focus on how you can be of value, and take action to do so. If you do, everything you want and need will come to you, as surely as water runs downhill. There is more to be said about believing in magic. In the next issue of Mind Chatter I want to discuss where the belief in magic comes from developmentally, to give you a larger perspective on this subject, and to give you some ideas about how to move from a developmental stage that believes in magic to one where you can create everything you want in life. Be well. Bill Harris --- I made a significant goof in the January issue of Mind Chatter, and this short letter to you is to set the record straight. Please take a moment to read it. As you probably know, the most recent issue contained an article titled "Do You Believe in Magic?" in which I described why you cannot create money--or any other kind of success--merely by wishing, hoping, "raising your vibration", or through any other kind of "New Age magic." To create wealth, or to achieve anything, there is always a price to pay. In some way you must provide something of value to the world, which always involves taking action. Wishing and hoping alone will not do it. I was moved to write this article because I see so many people struggling financially, unsuccessfully using what I call "magic" in the hope of creating money or other success, and who really need to know what really works. I feel bad when I see these people going in circles using methods that clearly do not and will not work. The motivation to write the article NOW, however, was a letter I received from a woman who was taking a course called Wealth Beyond Reason created by a man named Bob Doyle. I was not too kind to Bob and his course in my article, and I have to confess that I should have done a little more research before I opened my big fat mouth. Instead, I relied on what the letter writer told me about the course, and based on that, made some incorrect assumptions. In doing so, I did Bob Doyle and his Wealth Beyond Reason course a disservice. So let me state that Bob does NOT advocate methods that I would describe as "believing in magic," and in fact, now that I have looked it over, his course looks very good to me. People who take my Life Principles Integration Process online courses--which deal with the subject of creating success in the world, along with many other topics--sometimes misinterpret what I say as meaning that all you have to do is "focus your mind" and what you want will come to you. It's clear to me now that the letter writer was, to some extent, misinterpreting Bob's course material, just as people sometimes misinterpret mine, and instead of looking at the course before I opened my big mouth, I took her interpretation at face value. I spoke to Bob Doyle yesterday, and we had a very nice conversation, in which I apologized and also gave him some business help with his website. So, I want you to know that I think Wealth Beyond Reason is a good course for anyone who wants to learn how to create money and success in the world. Bob has a good handle on how that is done, and his course is very reasonably priced. Plus, he gives you a ton of valuable extras with the course, including a copy of Joe Vitale's great book The Attractor Factor. If you are interested in this subject, here is Bob's website: http://www.wealthbeyondreason.com/ One more thing before I let you go. I knew that my article about not believing in magic would be controversial. I knew that it would stir up a lot of people. Many people really do believe that prosperity and success can be achieved just by thinking, wishing, believing, hoping, "putting it out to the universe," and other such nonsense. Well, just as I suspected, it WAS controversial, and I am already getting a lot of mail about it. Below is one such letter, and my answer, which I think clarifies and expands on what I was saying in the article. Dear Bill, After listening to lesson 1 and 2 [from your first online course] and reading your article about magic in Mind Chatter, I want to ask you something about the "taking action part". First, I believe it. However, I have (on your advice, I think) also taken the Sedona Method course and read a lot about Lester Levenson [creator of the Sedona Method]. He said that if one has reached a certain state of awareness or consciousness, he could sit in a cave and wish for something and it would just come to him, no action needed. What's your opinion about that? Stefan Stefan, Good question. If you can pull it off by doing it Lester's way, do it. I would suggest, though, that you begin with the basics of taking action and providing benefit to others. There is a price to pay for any outcome you desire. The person sitting in the cave has PRE-PAID that price. Though it doesn't look as if he is paying any price or doing anything, he either is or has paid it. There is no way to get anything in this universe without in one way or another paying the price to have it. I'm trying to wake people up to the idea that you MUST pay this price. That's all. The best and easiest way to pay it is to take action and to do something that is of value to others. Action is essential. As they say, "pray and move your feet." I am able to manifest, very quickly, almost anything I put my mind to. I can do this partly because I continually take action and do things that benefit others. But the reason I can manifest what I want almost INSTANTLY is because I have taken so much action (mental and behavioral) for so long that I have built up what you might call "a huge bank account" with the universe. I can draw on that account whenever I want something. In other words, I have paid in advance for those things I want to manifest. This is what Lester was talking about. It's like having money saved up. I have given value to the universe in various ways, and now the universe pays me back when I want something. And, I keep giving more value to the universe all the time, because I've found that it is a very fulfilling thing to do, in and of itself. Because of this, my account is always growing and I'm always way ahead. Some people call this "being aligned with the universe." When you are doing something for the good of others, the universe lines up behind you and helps make it happen. But you have to DO something. This is partly what I meant when I said in my Mind Chatter article that to make money you must give others something of value first. Lester Levinson did all kinds of things that were of great value to a lot of people. In this way he built up a huge account, just as I have. Once he did that, he COULD sit in a cave and manifest things, because he'd already paid the price. In some ways this IS related to consciousness, but I think it is even more related to having pre-paid the price necessary to be able to manifest what you want. The problem I have with people who are trying to sit in their cave and manifest things is that they have not created the "bank account" with the universe that is needed if one wants this sort of creative power. Lester knew how to create such an account, and did create one, which is why he was so spiritually (and materially) powerful. I'm trying to show you how to be powerful in the same way, but you MUST pay the price to get that way. There just isn't any other way. You might say that this universe keeps a set of books and, as Emerson said in his essay On Compensation, "the universe's books are always balanced." Unfortunately many people who are NOT powerful in their ability to manifest are out there teaching people how to do it, and they actually have not done it themselves. They've just read about it and don't really understand it from experience. As a result, the people who hear them become confused. I promise that if you apply yourself to REALLY learning and mastering what I'm teaching in my Life Principles Integration Process online courses [visit www.centerpointe.com/life/preview for more information and to listen to a free preview lesson], you will be able to manifest whatever you want in life, inside and out. I'm not kidding about this. However, there is a price to pay to get to that point. You have to master your ability to focus your mind, intentionally and consciously, and stop allowing your mind to run along on autopilot, focusing unconsciously on this and that and running all over the place. This takes some work. I am showing you the easiest way to learn how to do this, but unfortunately few people really want this ability badly enough to do what it takes to have it. So, how much do you want it? Are you willing to pay the price? I hope so. How to do it is sitting right in front of you, but you have to take the reins and be willing to do the work. Done right, it's fun work, but there's no getting around it--if you want to manifest anything, there is a price, and that price involves creating something of value for the universe. Be well. Bill ................................................................................ 8. Glowing Testimonials and Letters I have been a member for 3 years now, on Awakening Level 4 and taking your course. Back in late July I had several incidences happen causing an emotional dominoe effect. Initially, I spoke with Dr. Taub, but being in the financial situation I'm presently in, she turned me over to Nancy. There aren't enough words of praise for you and your people. Insightful, caring, compassionate, spiritual, and obviously very well trained. Dr. Taub got the ball going, but it was Nancy who helped me carry that ball to completion. She helped me to get in touch with my unconscious storage symbols behind what I like to call my unconscious buttons and for the first time in my life I can honestly say and think and feel that I'm going to be able to live the life I came here to live and finally be able to share that with others. Please consider this my testimonial for Nancy and her methods for helping others and my soulfelt thanks for being there for me and the thousands of others who you and your staff have helped and I know will continue to help in the future. Light, Life, Love & Laughter Luanna ** The more I evolve, the more strongly I see and believe that Holosync is still light years ahead of any other method of personal/spiritual/psychological development. Your model of folks having a stress threshold, and that ALL dysfunctional feelings and behaviors stem from being pushed over this threshold is brilliant, and I have not found too many exceptions. Increasingly I see that it is not the content of folks' past traumas that are the problem, but the the effect of that trauma in lowering their threshold. Dr. Eric Robins ** Since I breathe a deep and sincere thanks to you almost every day of my life I'm taking this opportunity to convey it in words. I'm such an altered person since I began your holosync--altered in ways I never dreamed possible. Know that my gratitude beams your way on a very regular basis with only the best of wishes. Gillian ** For the past ten years or so I'd been seeking a breakthrough personal growth solution. If I'd list the names of the famous gurus, coaches and success experts whose (very expensive) seminars and retreats I attended, and whose products I filled my mind with, you'd recognize all or at least most of them. Unfortunately, in spite of my dedication and commitment, none of these otherwise well-meaning approaches produced a permanent shift in my awareness. It wasn't before I chanced upon Centerpointe's Holosync mediation technology and in addition started to study and apply the material Bill Harris teaches in his online personal growth course, that I finally, finally, FINALLY understood why all other approaches had fallen short. I'll tell you the secret. It is this. One, none of the gurus and experts provided a long-term approach. Two, none of them followed up their clients personally. Three, and most important, their approaches DID NOT DIG DEEP ENOUGH INTO THE PSYCHE to produce lasting change. The approach Bill Harris takes, however, satisfies all three criteria. You will get a long-term solution. You will get personal attention from Bill himself. And Bill's more enlightened and integral approach WILL prod you deep enough to give you the permanent shift you so yearn for, given your own commitment. I therefore strongly suggest that you do two things, and do them now. One, go to the Centerpointe.com website and order the free demo. Two, once you're in the program, take the online course. You will be glad you did. And you are safe to trust me on this one. Tom ................................................................................ 9. Book Review Stalking the Wild Pendulum: On the Mechanics of Consciousness By Itzhak Bentov 1977 E.P. Dutton 1988 Destiny Books (Currently Available Paperback) Review by Marc Gilson ***If you would like to read more about or order this book click here: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0892812028/centerpointer-20 When I first began reading Bentov's Stalking the Wild Pendulum I had no idea the time that the book was written almost 30 years ago. Had I known that I might not have bothered to read it, thinking the material was simply far too outdated to be relevant. After all, the dominant theories in the field of consciousness studies live brief lives before being replaced by a newer or more refined concept. What was accepted as objective knowledge just ten years ago about ideas like "mind, "consciousness," "memory," etc., are today barely remembered relics of a rapidly evolving science. But if I had ignored Bentov's book, I would have missed out on one of the most profound and influential books I own regarding our understanding of the nature and function of consciousness. This book was not only ahead of its time when written, but most thinkers in consciousness studies are still working to catch up with Bentov decades later. Regarded by his most of his colleagues as a bona fide genius, Bentov was something of a scientific savant, having never received much in the way of formal education, scientific or otherwise. In fact he was expelled from kindergarten at the age of four and, as he admits, "never managed to resume normal studies since, not to mention graduating from anyplace." Yet Bentov demonstrated an understanding of complex and diverse topics related to consciousness and physics with a much deeper and broader scope than most of his highly educated colleagues (perhaps, it's been speculated, because his knowledge of science developed outside the influence of the orthodox paradigms). Bentov's untimely and tragic death in 1979 marked an abrupt halt to a career which, with time, would have certainly made him a household name. If you aren't familiar with Bentov, a reasonable comparison might be made to Richard Feynmann. Both men were driven by a simple, almost obsessive desire to learn the inner workings of things. Both relied heavily on humor and common sense to describe otherwise dauntingly complex ideas. Both were decidedly unconventional in their approach. But whereas Feynmann dissected old radios and atoms, Bentov worked to develop a kind of anatomy of consciousness. In Stalking the Wild Pendulum, Bentov uses his considerable wit and wisdom to take the reader on what one reviewer called, "a brilliantly executed theoretical romp through the universe." For Bentov, the universe is comprised of sound vibrations, light rays, subtle energies, and packets of consciousness. These elements, and others, make up the paints and brushes with which Bentov creates a stunning portrait of the universe. Among the ideas Bentov discusses in Stalking the Wild Pendulum: that our brains are thought amplifiers, not thought's source; that the universe is a hologram, as is the brain; that we can instantly reclaim any information ever known. These ideas of the non-locality of consciousness and the holographic nature of the brain, while not necessarily mainstream science, are now commonly discussed issues in the field of consciousness studies. But it was Bentov's work that brought these kinds of issues to the forefront of consciousness exploration and made them worthy of consideration using well-constructed reasoning and inspired speculation. Bentov is clearly viewed as a "fringe scientist" by the more established scientific community. But, as Bentov's friend, William A. Tiller pointed out in the book's Preface, "The present scientific establishment has grown somewhat fossilized by its current 'world picture' and is locked into a view of reality that has outlived its usefulness." Bentov must be credited, at least in part, with bringing a fresh and striking view of the universe to that "fossilized establishment," and with producing a remarkable theory of mind and matter. It would be a mistake to think that Bentov is merely repackaging fringe metaphysical notions of mind and energy into a pseudo-science. His work is founded on solid, common-sense reasoning. But Stalking the Wild Pendulum reads less like a scientific treatise and more like an adventure of the mind. Einstein once said, "Imagination is ultimately more important than knowledge." No one embodies and applies that maxim better then Bentov. His tools of teaching are clever analogy, compelling metaphor, and--unexpectedly perhaps--his own cartoons and illustrations. Those who have already read The Tao of Physics, by Capra, or The Dancing Wu Li Masters, by Zukav, will notice the influence of Bentov's work in those popular works. Of particular interest to Centerpointe Participants is Bentov's explanations of the nature and ability of sound waves to influence matter and mind, as well as a superb discussion on the concepts of rhythmic entrainment, beat frequencies, and holograms. Bentov also discusses the role of meditation as means of opening a channel of awareness capable of tapping into the vast knowledge of the entire universe. Bentov clearly understands meditation to be potentially transformative on all levels of human existence. Unlike many contemporary authors in this field, Bentov manages to seamlessly integrate some rather innovative ideas about the nature of consciousness with our still evolving knowledge of quantum physics. With the influx of books about consciousness research of late it's easy to get lost, intellectually. Among the quantum physicists, eastern mystics, unified systems theorists, neuroscientists, and self-help gurus, all seemingly intent on revising our ideas of mind, it's often difficult to sort out one theory from another. Bentov stands out among them, not only for his theories, but also for the imaginative and unique manner in which he expresses them. Indeed, anyone interested in consciousness, quantum, or the nature of the universe will find Stalking the Wild Pendulum challenging, enlightening, entertaining, and often dazzling. ***If you would like to read more about or order this book click here: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0892812028/centerpointer-20 ................................................................................ 10. Announcements 1. Six Spots Left For Spring Retreat! Space is running out for Centerpointe's spring retreat, held at The Omega Institute at the Crossings in Austin, Texas from April 9-15, 2006. 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 The Omega Institute. 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: +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ www.centerpointe.com/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: +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ www.centerpointe.com/retreats +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Or, you can call retreat coordinator Katie Sparks at 503-906-6027 to learn more about Centerpointe's retreats. =//=