Seasons Greetings!
Over the Thanksgiving holiday I was reading an article in the November issue of Science of Mind, a guide for spiritual living. The article, written by three psychologists (Drs. Vieten, Schlitz and Amorok) from the Institute of Noetic Sciences, is titled “Seeing With New Eyes”. They indicated that over the last decade a research team from the Institute has explored in depth how people make deep, lasting changes in their lives. They wanted to know how people change their minds and alter their thinking, not just in small ways but also in ways that fundamentally shift our understanding of who we are and what we are capable of becoming. They explored what catalyzes these shifts and what factors make difficult, challenging, or painful experiences transformative rather than traumatic, leading to growth, healing, and wholeness.
The gist of their research revealed that big changes in life spring from changing things at the core -- altering our bottom-line view of the world and our place in it. In other words, when we change our worldview, changes in thinking, behavior, values, and priorities follow. They found that dramatic, long lasting shifts in consciousness spring from a fundamental shift in perspective. Transformation really means a change in the way we see the world and a shift in how we view ourselves. It’s more than a change in point of view. It’s a whole different perception of what’s possible.
Transformation in consciousness is something that opens a doorway or portal for us where suddenly there is a sense of possibility where there might have been none before. There’s a sense of having options where we didn’t perceive any before. Essentially there is a transformation of perception bringing new meaning and clearer purpose. The most fundamental change is within us allowing a profound shift in where we direct our attention and how we direct our intention. These moments can arise from experiences of awe, wonder or great beauty. They can also result from great pain, loss or suffering.
In their research, they found that while each person’s journey is unique, several common elements foster the kind of deep, profound and lasting transformation that shows up in real-world everyday life – in the way we treat people, in our capacities for gratitude and forgiveness and in our whole orientation to life and priorities. Some of the key elements that they discovered were:
1. Being a part of a like-minded, inspiring, and challenging community;
2. Continuing to access teachings through multiple ways of knowing – experiential, intellectual, kinesthetic, visual and auditory;
3. Having daily reminders in our environment;
4. A daily mind-body practice;
5. Making time for silence, solitude, and engagement with the natural world.
It was with the intent of providing opportunities to those on the path of personal transformation that I initiated a series of one-day Colloquiums commencing in January of 2006. These were conceived to allow men to gather in discussion about the salient and often challenging issues confronting them. In January of 2007 a series of Mindfulness Practicums was offered to teach practices that could allow participants to deal with their challenges in fundamentally new and productive ways.
The last Practicum of this year was facilitated for women. Mitch Roth and Clayton Norcross assisted me in holding the space for a select group of 14 women to do their Work. Many of the participants had father issues surface. One of the women wrote to me after the event and said that I could quote her: She expressed, “first of all, thank you for yesterday, I am looking forward to the next one. It was really nice to come together with women (and men) who also desire awareness, clarity and compassion in their lives, and it is always reassuring to know that I am not the only one who gets lost on that path.”
She went on to say, “I don't think about my dad very often (it may not seem like that to you, because you are the one I call when I need help). I have 100% intellectual closure and pretty solid emotional closure; sometimes life gives you a kick in the ass and you get a bad apple, so that was one of my bad apples and I accept that. But it is amazing how out of nowhere something can trigger that hurt little girl ‘I want a daddy’ feeling, and that feeling of being cheated. It was startling to me yesterday how many women had rebirthing experiences dealing with early deaths of their dads, dads who they adored and who adored them (and one of the women, who is in so much pain dealing with her dying dad). I have no idea what that feels like, other than the imaginings of my mind and the remembrance of daydreams of what I could do to make my dad like me when I was little, when I had no life experience to understand that it wasn't about me. Still today when I see people who have or had adoring relationships with their dads it hurts, even though I don't want it to and I beat myself up for it. So I decided that is OK, my daddy stuff is like a herpes virus that erupts from time to time and it is OK to feel bad.”
Speaking for the three men that had the privilege of supporting the women for the day, it was a very moving experience to be present to their healing process. It takes a lot of courage to be willing to enter into the deep work with people that are initially unknown to you but the women bonded readily and felt a sense of kinship as they related to each other and shared themselves openly.
The Men’s Center will host another series of one-day events at Holy Spirit Retreat Center. There will be another Sacred Path Practicum for women on Saturday, May 23rd and, prior to that, a day for men and women to look at their relationships on Saturday, March 14th. The next event for men will be a Symposium on Saturday, January 31st. It is titled, Healthy, Wealthy and Wise: Spiritual, Physical and Financial Fitness in the New Year. We will have some guest presenters who are experts in their fields. What better way to start the New Year than to look at your life with the intent to see yourself with new eyes and to review your attentionality and Intentionality to the details that are most important to you.
The word “Change” has been foremost in our minds as we have come through the election and now look forward to a new administration and a path offering different outcomes. What changes are you willing to make this year? The Sacred Path Community is here to support you on your journey of personal transformation to an expanded consciousness. Look below for further information about the Symposium and be one of the first to reserve your spot for the day.
Wishing you and your family a Happy Chanukah and a Merry Christmas,
Stephen
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