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"Science of Life, Truth, Love, Substance and Intelligence.  Outside of metaphysics the world is seeking for its life by physical performances; working at machinery, books, commerce, cooking, washing, eating, governing one another, employing one another, killing and using animals, wearing flesh and bones [and working its self] into the grave to make a living.  But the whole system of living by material efforts is wrong.  'Turn unto me for why will ye die?' said the Spirit.  Death is the reward of hard effort to live by material actions.  If you will look into the Science of Spirit you will see that your life is meant to be lived by the Science of God [GOD] and not by the science of matter." [Brackets added; Hopkins, 1920, page 14]

Mysticism:  those practices and the acquired body of Spiritual information that has existed since the emergence of human C/consciousness.  The  Transformational discipline of Mystical practices to acquire the Knowing that empower the world's Spiritual Masters, or Adepts, to acquire Wisdom.  Wisdom displaces mere knowledge but can only be acquired beyond the worldly limits of the material senses and ego owned intellect. Every great contributor to human advancement has his/her Wisdom roots in Mysticism,  Not only the charismatic figures of the worlds great religions, but many secular practitioners, H.P. Blavatsky, Henry Ford, Charles Lindberg, Einstein, Mozart, Shelly, Burns, Hobbes, the other classical writers,  Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Chopin, Schuman, and on and on and on.  [see Table of Mystical Succession draft]

Religious Fundamentalists  have pejoratively condemned Mysticism and improperly defined it as Satanic. This is because they are both ignorant of its practices and its enormous contributions to the quality of human life, and because they are trapped in their literal interpretation of materialist Scripture.  Thus they are condemned to exist in continued ignorance by their sectarian practices of "group think"  to which they slavishly adhere. There is much in the MP that will clarify these assertions.  Far from the truth, these fundamentalist claims have no validity in the Metaphysics of either Mysticism or Christianity.   These false claims are "noise" in the system which hinders the neophyte pilgrims who are attempting to enter into the Path of Spiritual awakening.

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GOD-God-god:

GOD:the ultimate all inclusive Universal source of Spiritual energy and information, in the Qabbalah, AINSOPH.  This GOD transcends the limits of the human senses and cannot be directly known by any intellectual or even Spiritual activity no matter how intense or devoted.

God:  this term is used to exclusively refer to the Judeo Christian anthropomorphic "God of our fathers." This God is endowed with all the human weaknesses of anger, vengeance, capricious judgment and manipulative arbitrariness.  No "God" invested with properties such as these is worthy of worship in accordance with the Principles of the Mystical Paradigm.   The idea of such a God, living above the sky, wrecking damage on vulnerable humans and the earth's life forms, and arbitrarily or for vengeance, causing horrendous "Acts of God," is unworthy compared with the concept of a Universal GODof TRUTH whose dispassionate PRINCIPLESare slowly being revealed to all of human kind.
god: a general reference to all forms of a supernatural force that can intervene in human affairs.

For a further, more metaphysical discussion, See also GOD

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The Expressions of Human C/consciousness in the Mystical Paradigm:
To communicate the nature of this hierarchy of Spiritual Intelligence, special use of color and capital letters help create the following definitions.

Note that in OT/MP there are four kinds of "C/consciousness" as follows:
(1) consciousness (biological small "c") is the very limited consciousness of the material biological systems that are programmed within narrow limits to carry out their assigned functions.  Some scientists are examining consciousness factors within the microtubals within neurons of the nervous system (Hameroff & Penrose, 1996).  The MP will not be concerned with the details of this level of consciousness.   

(2) consciousness (intellectual, small "c") is created and directed by the ego and its slave the intellect. This is a limited mental consciousness that refers to all the worldly and material experience that you consciously know, think, believe, and are aware of in your mind.  It includes the boundaries and limits to your seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling, feeling and thinking.  It also includes that information which has become temporarily unconscious, but which can be recalled under certain conditions. While something may not be "on your mind" at the moment, it can become accessible under some kind of social or mental influence. Then that repressed memory, thought, value, concept or idea can be recalled to your  mental consciences.

The Mystical Paradigm (MP) is concerned with elements of TRUTH that are not simply in the unconscious to be  recalled. The MP is concerned about that which is entirely out-of-consciousness and not accessible to any normal thought, but which may appear disguised as symbols or metaphor
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(3) Consciousness (Spiritual, Capital "C"): refers to Spiritual awareness that transcends ordinary (mental) consciousness. This Spiritual Consciousness (resident in the Supraconsciousness) is such that a person has access to Intuition and the Wisdom found only in the enveloping higher energy-information realms of Spiritual Truth. It is an optimum state that awakens your awareness such that you can Know the relevant scheme of things. This kind of Consciousness can be achieved by anyone willing to exert the proper effort, discipline and time to develop meditative prayer and Spiritual focus, but this is not a trivial task.

The spelling of "Consciousness" with a capital C is always with reference to the Spiritual capacity of a person. The term Consciousness, always implies that the Consciousness being referred to has to be empowered from the Intermediate Spiritual Realms that transcends the person's limited and limiting ego owned mental "consciousness," and that subset of that mental consciousness that is called the "unconscious."  The "unconscious" is in fact already resident in the the consciousness of the ego intellect, but overt awareness has been repressed by one or more of a variety of factors.  Removal of these limiting factors by various interventions can restore selected elements of unconsciousness to consciousness.  However, complex and detailed memory exists only in the Intermediate Spiritual Realms. [see Non-local Intelligence] Unknown to most persons today, one can argue persuasively from this paradigm that a poor memory is a Spiritual defect. [Fillmore]
...
 C/consciousness (spelled with both a Capital and small "C/c"):  where this convention is used, the referent or meaning includes the entire range of C/consciousness, from sense limited mental consciousness, through the Spiritually informed Consciousness.

(4) CONSCIOUSNESS: (SPIRITUAL, ALL CAPITALS): refers to the absolute UNIVERSAL Spiritual awareness which in Metaphysics is resident as the SUPRACONSCIOUSNESS, and is also called ONE, TRUTH, or BEING, or the MIND OF GOD.  This state cannot be directly known by any human intellect (or collection of intellects) no matter how Spiritually advanced. All of the C/consciousness of all living systems, and more, are collectively and UNIVERSALLY incorporated into this largest possible and unnameable CONSCIOUSNESS. In science, this ephemeral state is referred to as the Invariance, or the Implicate Order, or in the Metaphysics of the MP, as TRUTH, or the I AM THAT I AM, or the PRESENCE, or simply,GOD.

The "Word:"  In John 1:1, is found in the Aramaic language of Jesus as the word "Mithra" which when translated into English means "mind essence" or "mind energy."  (Neteler, 2002) It is related to the Greek equivalent word "Gnosis" (Nous) or the "Knowing"  This Nous in Gnostic teaching represents the Consciousness that Jesus expressed as the Christ, or the Mind Essence of Jesus.  This "Mind was also expressed through His immediate Disciples and original Apostles, and since then, in a decreasing number of "Sainted" individuals across the intervening era.  [Ref discussion of how the Apostolic successors eliminated these Gnostic concepts from the early church during its first 500 years.]

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Avatar:  a fully developed Soul that cannot be compromised by its ego's overlays of the senses.  Such individuals have fully achieved a Spiritual awakening, and have no further adverse Karma to resolve.  The enter into earth life solely to serve is Spiritual Masters to guide humanity to and along the Spiritual Path.  Such historical persons include, Jesus, Pythagoras, Buddha, Lao Tse, Plato, and others. [See Table of Mystical Succession for a list of such Spiritual achievers, although few on that list have attained the full status of Avatar.]

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"I am also betting that scientific discoveries in his new millennium will substantiate the rich inner world of consciousness all share is more than just a neuro-physiological epiphenomenon.  I'm betting that , before too long, we will understand how consciousness, at a fundamental level, creates matter, not vice-versa.   This view has roots deep in the ancient mystical traditions , but is currently heretical to modern science."    Haisch, 2006

GOD, [AINSOPH,orTHE TOTALITY OF COSMIC TRUTH: Super Consciousness (Cosmic Truth) & ego](a continuum):
contains all Spiritual Levels as the Super Consciousness (or Supra Consciousness): The embracing dimension of higher Consciousness (also labeled SuperOrdinate Mind, or Spiritual Intelligence) are the same concept as Plato's "Forms," or "Eternal Verities," or the General Systems Theory concept of "Invariance," [Ashby, 1974] and  the "Implicate Order" as conceived by David Bohm [1980]. The implicate order (Reality) exists above and beyond the conscious level of the senses.  At the level of Gaia (Spiritual name of the earth,) this level of Spiritual Consciousness embraces the various lower levels of biological consciousness collectively called the biosphere. The larger embracing Spiritual Realms of Consciousness (Reality) has been named the Noosphere. [see Teilhard de Chardin, 1959]

From this invisible Realm of TRUTH, the visible "explicate order" is constructed.  This TRUTH also contains Carl Jung's concept of archetypal shadow ["details"] which helps create our sensate world of illusion,  This sensate reality is defined and limited by the five senses and their ego driven intellect (mind.)  The Super Consciousness exists beyond the limited sensate capabilities of the Spiritually unilluminated human being. GOD, the name for that which cannot be named (cannot be bounded by human thought)  is the inclusive WHOLE of all intermediate levels of the Super Consciousness.

GOD: or "I AM WHO I AM" [Exodus 3:14]; GOD equals ONE, BEING, UNITY, (always in all capitals) to represent the unnameable, indescribable, MASTER INTELLIGENCE or MASTER FIELD OF CONSCIOUSNESS, or TRUTH, or THE LAW. GOD is the ultimate integrating and unifying POWER, the all pervasive UNIVERSAL PRESENCE and force that IS the COSMOS.  GOD manifests as, in, and through each of us, and all matter in the Cosmos.

The Term "GOD" is an unsuccessful effort to name what cannot be named.   Any name creates an illusion that something is bounded when not perceived.  It is an effort to conceptually grasp and label a boundless concept.  Some accounts acknowledge this limit by refusing to use a name, or by special spellings, e.g., G*d.  This is because any name defines and limits the object or process named when in TRUTH, "GOD" is beyond bounding or naming. Therefore:

"No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him" [John 1:18  NKJV].

"No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart who has made him known. [John 1:18 NRSV]

"No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us. [1 John, 4:12 NRSV]

This is the GOD of the Mystical Paradigm. This term GOD as used in this book represents the accessible portion of the SuperOrdinate Intelligence, the Master Source of  Love, Power, Truth, Supply, and Wisdom in which we are embedded, in which we exist, which exists in us, which works through us, and with which we are ONE (as "the dewdrop slips into the shining sea." Sir Edwin Arnold, The Light of Asia.)

In OT/MP, our individual potential to fully experience our relationship with GOD depends upon the degree of unfoldment of our Spiritual Consciousness, not on the capacities of our intellectual consciousness. As you come to understand the metaphysical dimensions that support this statement, you will find a major clue for understanding how the implications of OT/MP can become relevant and useful for you.

God: an external being that is believed to exist apart from us.  This normal capitalization refers to all of our Judeo-Christian religious concepts of an anthropomorphic (human like male,) a supernatural, all powerful, sometimes loving, but often an intimidating and potentially threatening, wrathful, capricious and vindictive being.   Individuals of low Spiritual Consciousness can imagine that they have a personal (father-daughter-son) relationship with this God.  This manipulative and demanding being allegedly directs humanity and the events of the earth, often in a capricious and vindictive manner.  The Mystical Paradigm rejects this limited and sometimes destructive concept of a higher power which is corrupted with human values and limits.  Blavatsky, in her magnus opus, The Secret Doctrine, has commented critically about this Judeo- Christian definition of God:

"The personal God of orthodox Theism perceives, thinks, and is affected by emotion; he repents and feels "fierce anger.  "But the notion of such mental states clearly involves the unthinkable postulate of the eternality of the exciting stimuli, to say nothing of the impossibility of ascribing changelessness to a Being whose emotions fluctuate with events in the worlds he presides over. The conceptions of a Personal God as changeless and infinite are thus unpsychological and, what is worse, unphilosohical." [Blavatsky, 1888/1988, Vol. I, footnote,  page 2.]

Return to jump point in Intro, Part 2  of  3

The Presence: that portion of GOD within us to which we can have Conscious access.  The MP's perspective of our unbreakable link with GOD emphasizes the underlying, energizing, and creative force and Spiritual intelligence within us which is our personal Soul. The individual Presence is that portion of GOD manifesting as our individuated Soul, around which is constructed our externally directed personality. This Presence is localized within us as a portion of the ONE in which we are all embedded. We exist both within GOD the creator, and as co-creators with GOD who manifests through us as we become aware, open, and responsive to that Presence.

 I say, “You are gods, children of the Most High, all of you; nevertheless, you shall die like mortals, and fall like any prince.” [Psalm 82:6-7]

"Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, “You are gods”’? [John 10:34]

Therefore, GOD does not have what we want. GOD IS what we want, but only through a Conscious reunion at the highest level of our Spiritual Consciousness that we can manage.

OT/MP is devoted to empowering you to relate more effectively to, and benefit from, the Spiritual Source that is your personal channel to GOD's ever present and ever accessible manifest Truth.

[See definitions of CONSCIOUSNESS/Consciousness/consciousness.]

Truth (First Letter Capitalized):  That portion of TRUTH that lies within the intermediate SuperOrdinate plains of matter-energy-information and intelligence, and which is accessible to human Consciousness, but only by those who have perfected the discipline of Meditation in The Silence. [Psalm 46:10].  Truth is that portion of TRUTH that can be known by an advanced Spiritual Consciousness. Thus a "Truth" student is a person who seeks to Know GOD by means of an inner Meditative discipline applied through Metaphysical Principles, rather than only by means of an externalized intellectual discipline.  Truth is only made Known by Spiritual discipline through access to the Super Consciousness.

truth (without unconventional capitalization): The common use of the term is found in the daily vernacular associated with the ego driven sensate intellectual consciousness which has no metaphysical significance.  This truth is what the rational mind can defend as its reality, and is found expressed as the visible laws of science and behavior.  The less one has access to his/her Spiritual Consciousness, the more one is trapped in the ego owned intellectualized reality.

intelligence, or the ego intellect, is the combination of your memory and logical mind that is managed by your ego and which is limited to work within the scope of your sensate consciousness. Thus, without a developed Spiritual Consciousness,  you are inherently limited to an illusory and error ridden  ego owned and managed  reality as defined and and bounded by your five senses and accessible memory.

The original teachings of Jesus as practiced by the original apostles and their immediate successors who were called Gnostics.  They were descended in the first Century  along with three other major groups: the Ebionites, the Marcion School, and the Proto-Orthodox Christians, that competed for dominance. [See note for details]  The latter eventually prevailed because of their ruthless oppression of the Marcionites, Ebionites and the Gnostics [Ehrman, 2002.]  Apart from the persecutions of the Gnostics, because the dynamics of practicing the discipline that empowers the Gnosis was so demanding, the teachers and custodians that followed the original Apostles and their disciples in succeeding generations of dominating Proto-Orthodox Christians steadily became mostly devoid of the capacity for demonstrating the True Gnosis. This condition was exacerbated by the rapid expansion of followers of the new Christian teachings.  So many persons desired membership such that the need for apostles could not be served by persons fully qualified with access to the innate Gnostic discipline and skills of the founders.  Thus the Christian church slowly became transformed from presenting a Spiritual emphasis to an intellectual one as a church culture.

Then, under the direction of the ego, and its capacity for ruthlessness, those apostolic successors who were overcome by the influences of their ego intellect and its need for power and control, steadily succeeded over the first 500 years of the church in wresting control from the original Christian Gnostics (e.g., Marcion, Valentinus, Basilides, Simon Magus, Origen, etc.)  During this period of transformation from Gnostic practices, the apostolic successors steadily opposed and denigrated the Gnostic practitioners and their teachings as they placed themselves in the role as sole intermediaries between God and man (a supreme ego power trip.)  [See church polemic against the Gnostics. Reflect on writings such as these when you encounter the "words have no meaning demonstration in Dialogue 3]

As early as the first century CE, the new bishops increasingly managed a ruthless campaign to remove the threatening presence of practicing Gnostics who taught and demonstrated that GOD was Universally present, and that (as Jesus promised) each person had direct access to the Power and Wisdom of GOD through the Gnosis, or the Presence of GOD within themselves. Gnostic practices taught no need for human intercessors for a practitioner to engage and benefit directly from The Presence and Power of GOD that is always accessible within each of us.  This was a direct challenge to the new bishop's ego driven need for power and control of their congregations that consumed the later apostolic successors, and eventually the Christian church and its sectarian offspring.

Under the control of their Spiritually empty egos, the established clergy in the first centuries of Christianity were threatened by any continuing demonstrations of True Gnostic capacities, or any Spiritual capacity not approved by the developing dogma of their church.   By the year 500 CE, the Gnostics had been either exterminated or driven into secret societies where their practices could no longer influence the approved Christian congregations. Because "Truth will out," they established the Inquisition to ferret out and destroy any emergent resurgence of Gnosticism.  Then the "victors" rewrote the history and teachings of the church and through their anti Gnostic polemic, defamed and discredited the Truth of the Gnostics to anathematize them and their teachings.  To this day, many establishment Christian churches remain threatened by and compelled to ridicule and discount the current revival of Gnostic teaching and practices (e.g., through, New Thought Christianity, and the Gnostic Society in America) which they pejoratively mislabel as "cults."

To this day the evils perpetrated by those early and subsequent church leaders who directed and implemented the Gnostic persecutions continue to manifest as evil Karma within the heirs to the Proto-Orthodox Christian church. This is evident by means that ought become clear during your engagement of Dialogue 6, on Karma and Reincarnation.

NOTE:  there is additional detail on the removal of the Gnostics by the Apostolic Successors  presented at the end of the third introductory dialogue. [link]

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Here are some simple criteria to evaluate the Spiritual health of any religion or organization:
   

Problematic religions can do little to expand one's Spiritual Consciousness, and nurture one's Spiritual unfoldment and freedom.   Rather, they often have the opposite effect. They are often divisive, promote a concept of in-group (trusted members) versus out-group (all others.) They tend to set people on each other, even family members, and alienate them from each other. They frequently cause Spiritual injury to those caught up in its culture.  They are directed by the ego intellect to sow guilt and bind, rather than to follow the Heart and practice Love, forgiveness and liberate.  They promote "group-think" (an Orwellian concept) and are closed to information outside their group.  This is related to low HIP (concrete) consciousness in OT/MP,  rather than the opposite, group Wisdom (abstract HIP.)

Spiritually healthy religions are guilt free, and liberating of the Holy Spirit within.  They nurture, enhance, and empower a member's Spiritual Consciousness. They act the out-picturing of Love to heal division, and promote Wholeness and harmony across ego defined intellectual and emotional boundaries. The apply prayer and meditation in The Silence to form a more perfect Unity with GOD, not to achieve worldly ends.  Therefore, a Spiritually healthy religion heals and improves its member's emotional health.  Such religions are tolerant of the presence and practices of other religions so long as another religion does not try to apply their faith to shape political doctrine, public laws and policy, in accordance with their beliefs, or to force proselytizing by any means whether direct or subtle.  A Spiritually healthy religion does not try to manipulate or enforce their own beliefs and values on others outside their faith group.

NOTE: OT/MP does not evaluate the Spiritual validity of any religion or believer in terms of this table.  OT/MP does vigorously oppose the political actions of any religion directed to impose its will on those outside its in-group whether through politics or by any means. The Pilgrim working her/his way through OT/MP will decide where any individual or religion of interest to them falls on the continuum of Spiritual validity and health as suggested by the table.

[see Spirituality]
[extrinsic religiosity and intrinsic religiosity are defined in an advanced draft sub dialogue on C/consciousness  (within Dialogue 1) ]
[see religionist]

Return to jump point in Intro Dialogue, part 3 of 3

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religionist/religiosity: the Webster definition is simple. It defines a religionist as: "a person adhering to a religion." But the definition in OT/MP is more complex. The Webster definition applies to the extent that by adhering to a religion, which according to Webster is, "the service or worship of God or the supernatural," a person subjugates one's self to the tenants of that belief system they have adopted. [ref OT/MP's definition of religion]

In OT/MP, a "religionist " acting through their religiosity, is defined as one who support as the end goal, the intellectualized trappings of belief,  including dogma, doctrine, ritual sacraments, norms and expectations for behavior, but who in doing so are also by their actions (works,)  devoted to materialistic and political goals and objectives.

Rather than focus the energy and consciousness of their adherents to activities related to Spiritual development [See definition of Spirituality], they tend to invest themselves in secular and sectarian goals and politics.  Here we find some the practices and values of right wing Christian zealots, the fundamentalists and evangelicals.  The seek to infect the laws of the land with their religions values and rules, to impose their beliefs on others by law, and if necessary and possible, by force.  They do this in spite of the overwhelming evidence that Jesus was a liberal.  When the teachings of Jesus are implemented by means of social policy and practice, you will find the liberal agenda [See Evidence] Sometimes the religionists invest in sectarian warfare, actively opposing and discriminating against any other religious or social view that threatens their own.  Sometimes they invest in intra-religious warfare, i.e., within their own sect, a struggle for power and control.  [example]

Our social mythology holds that religious values and beliefs are intended to guide, uplift and inspire one to Spiritual growth. But under the control of a religionist, they often apply their credibility and authority to betray this goal, and replace Spiritual goals and nurturing with "Satanic" [definition] or  material and political values and goals related to power and control.  Satanic goals relate more to the the politics of defending, and expanding their sectarian and secular power and control over others as guided by their religious belief system.

The fundamental goal of religionist guided faith groups promotes the politics of sectarian and secular values with the effect that goals oriented toward Spirituality must give way because the two are inherently incompatible. Religionist values energize their member's fears which they link to those political interests which drive their quest for power and control over others.  Such goals and objective are contrary to and incompatible with acting only to bring Spiritual awakening and enlightenment to their followers.

In the Mystical Paradigm, religion's original and only legitimate purpose and potential is to bring forth, inspire, and nurture humanity's latent Spirituality.  The ideal is to transform the latent qualities of Spiritual potential into a quickened, empowering and Loving and Compassionate Consciousness which acts to improve the quality of life for those who participate. Any organization of Spiritually grounded individuals exists to serve its members through Agapic Love,  [defined in dialogue 7] and thereby to inspire their members by example to serve others and nurture and live the Spiritual life for themselves.

NOTE: A tragic example of extreme religionist practices recently surface with the publication, after 51 years, of a secret Vatican document that ordered all priests and bishops of the church (151 dioceses in America alone,) on pain of excommunication, to repress any allegations of sexual abuse by priests, and to hold secret internal courts.  It provided guidance on how to suppress any threatened public statements made by any victims who alleged such abuse. [source] This religionist policy was enforced by the church without regard to the Spiritual integrity of the faith, and the betrayed emotional needs of thousands of abused victims and their families.

Regarding cults:  OT/MP does not support or promote, the formation of cults for any cause because they are inherently destructive. .  Members of any religion or Spiritual movement that is not a cult will demonstrate the following qualities:

its members are free to come and go without prejudice,
their leaders will not judge the non politicized faith teachings or practices of any other religion or movement with hostility or contempt
members are encouraged to form their own individualized understanding of the basic teachings within the faith,
its organizations avoid and are removed from serving or attacking the politics of the world, i.e. while they may support programs and practices that have the possibility of bringing Love into the world, they do not advocate for or against any particular candidate or party,
members are guided to constantly revisit and revise their beliefs as their C/consciousness of Spiritual Truth expands.
members are not required to divest themselves of their resources, or be made economic, emotional, or literal slaves in support of their faith group, nor is coercion or guilt used to promote contributions,
management is by consensus, not by autocratic enforcement
do not make a member's acceptance conditional upon the member unquestioningly adhering to the dogma and tenets of the faith group as promulgated by its controlling leadership.

The truly Spiritual religion attracts its members solely by the evidence of its intrinsic power, Wisdom, Love, compassion, meaningfulness, beauty, integrity and modesty. But it only attracts those equal to and ready to reach for, and discipline themselves to achieve such goals, those with eyes to see and ears to hear. A Spiritually valid religion cheerfully and loving releases its members to other religions when such a member believes that another faith group can better serve his/her the ongoing Spiritual growth.

All religions will have individual leaders and members representing both religionist or Spiritual qualities. OT/MP, does oppose any aspect of a religion that manifests religionist goals and actions intended to force others to accept or live by their beliefs and values.  Let each Pilgrim apply the Principles of OT/MP to judge for  themselves what is the dominant quality and Spiritual integrity of any religion or person of interest to them.

Return to jump point in Intro Dialogue, part 3 of 3

By the criteria that defines a Spiritually healthy religion, as defined within OT/MP, Islam, as demonstrated by the works of its zealot adherents, is Spiritually empty and even evil [definition].  [more details:  Why The Koran is The Manual for Militant Islam]

Return to Jump Point in the Notes page

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A Spiritually oriented value system is the opposite of an ego oriented value system.  This Spiritual potential is indicated by a person's behavior which reflects the state of their awakened Spiritual Consciousness. High Spiritual Consciousness is evident in people who are ordinarily Loving, giving, nonjudgmental, compassionate, kind, patient, gentle, modest, and happy.  The live without fear.  Others are drawn to them.  Their validation of self is internal, not external. Consequently they are devoid of the need to seek validation or approval by others or by a cause.  They need not dominate others, nor do they seek to acquire ego gratification or personal power for the purpose of gaining respect, wealth, political advantage, or to control others. Others are drawn to them.  [Ref the Parable of the Nullbenign and The Buddha Child]

Spiritual Truth, once recognized, can only be welcomed. Only error and lies must be argued, forced, coerced. manipulated, and/or protected by rules, manipulated guilt, enticement, and intimidation. Spiritually directed persons do not need the approbation and approval of others to be confident or at Peace.

Spiritually awakened persons are normally disciplined, quiet, and studious. They can be found actively enlisted in various services to others, for the joy of it, not for the recognition or benefits of it. They tend to be practiced in the creative arts. They do not need to proselytize, control, or attempt to force their empowering personal faith on any other.  Instead, their life is a demonstration of their faith, however rudimentary or modest their Spiritual capacity.  Nor do they attempt to hold others to the requirements of their own faith. Instead, they present themselves as a living testament, as a model of the power and majesty of their own fulfillment of Spiritual Consciousness.  This power constantly works in and through them as an individual.   In the world of materiality, they are survivors.

While all religions purport to have their members achieve this goal of Spiritual growth, such is not always demonstrated as fact.  There is a simple litmus test to determine whether the practitioner of any religious group or practice is worthy of the label "Spiritual" in its values and behavior, or whether they deserve to be labeled as "religionist."  The Test?  Behold their works. [James 2: 14-26] The Spiritually endowed religion or person will be found as an activist in making Love visible in the world.  They will be of Loving peaceful mien.

Spirituality is not the same as "religiosity" and the two are defined by clear differences in the Mystical Paradigm.

See also: [definition of religion]   [definition of religionist]

Return to jump point in Intro Dialogue, part 3 of 3

Tithe--A tenth part. In the Old Testament the tithe or tenth is mentioned as a reasonable and just return to the Lord by way of acknowledging Him as the source of supply.  [Source:  (Lev., 27:30; Deut., 14:12) The Hebrews are commanded to offer to God the tenth part of the produce of the fields, of the fruits of the trees, and the firstborn of oxen and of sheep ]

Tithing--Giving a tenth of one's supply to God and His work. Tithing is a tacit agreement that man is in partnership with God in the conduct of his finances. This leads to confidence and assurance that whatever is done will bring increase of some kind. "Give, and it shall be given unto you" (Luke 6:38).  Tithing, which is based on a law that cannot fail, establishes method in giving. It brings into the consciousness a sense of divine order that is manifested in one's outer life and affairs as increased efficiency and greater prosperity. It is the surest way ever found to demonstrate plenty, for it is God's own law and way of giving. "Freely ye received, freely give" (Matt. 10:8). [Fillmore, 1959]

Tithe,  the four "Ts" are; Tithing = the giving of Time, Talent and Treasure.  Tithing is the Spiritual practice of giving back to GOD 10 percent off the top of all of one's income earned as provided by GOD.  GOD is the only SOURCE of one's prosperity, supply and abundance.  Tithing also requires an equivalent giving of one's time and talent. The Tithe is typically given only to nourish those resources in one's life that provide for one's Spiritual health and growth. [ Smith, 1992]
 

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Non local Intelligence (NLI): our basic intelligence is a product of the bio-chemical structure of the material nervous system and is owned and operated within the limits of the ego intellect. But the concept of NLI lies outside of the biological body, and within the higher levels of Spiritual Information and energy. This concept was contributed by Larry Dossey, M.D. [2001, 1995]   NLI holds that the locus of human intelligence and memory is not solely within the individual's brain and nervous system, but is collocated as a portion of the higher energy planes within which the body is embedded as a networks of energy-information fields within fields. [recall or refer to the "we are ONE" demonstration in Dialogue 1 on Consciousness]  OT/MP refers to this encompassing Spiritual Realm by various related terms: e.g., as the Supra System, Cosmic Field, GOD FIELD, Supra Consciousness, or SuperOrdinate Intelligence / Energy-Information Fields.  One's competence in applying logic is limited to the material intelligence of the body, but Wisdom is dependent on access to the higher energy fields of Spiritual Consciousness. [see also Fillmore, 1953, pp 89-90; Fillmore established a metaphysical concept of NLI as a Spiritual phenomenon early in the 20th Century.]

In this NLI paradigm of intelligence, the bio-chemical brain and nervous system of the individual resonates within these embracing Spiritual fields of Intelligence, like a delicate glass whose natural frequency of its matter resonates to the sound vibrations emanating from a tuning fork or musical instrument. By the same rules, the coherent energy of the Super Consciousness "informs" the sensate human consciousness to the extent it has prepared itself and is open to receive it..

Such influences can only be welcomed (not commanded, rationalized, or manipulated) by a Spiritual Consciousness while in a state of deep Meditation or Prayer. The history of these interactive transactions and the information that remain accessible in this embracing Supra System Network (in memory.) This history is integrated by the human C/consciousness as the experience of sensate memory, knowledge, and insight. The effective presence of this Spiritually directed relationship as implemented in the world is recognized by observers as Wisdom. [see also the energy model theory of NLI]   When our leaders are bereft of Wisdom, it matters not how brilliant, experienced, or connected they are.  Our nation is at a peril whose nature and threat is only recognized and appreciated by the Spiritually advances, e.g., see today's political headlines.
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baal: the god that was worshipped by the Phoenicians.  From Fillmore:

"Baal means lord, and it was the besetting sin of the ancient Hebrews to apply this title to things formed [sense created material illusion] instead of the formless [Spiritual] ...All concepts of God as less than universal mind are Baal." [1959]  [MBD] See also "Gnosis."

Peck's Applied Definition of Evil in OT/MP:  Because of its relevance to the nurturing of children, and its existence as a principal root that nourishes the power monger, I use as my principal expression of evil as affects children in this work, that  definition offered by M. Scott Peck, M.D. [1983.]   By his definition evil is not simply making destructive mistakes, even egregious ones, but rather the willful refusal to acknowledge responsibility for harmful actions even when in error.  I offer this extended discussion because Peck's work is devoted to family therapy and relevant to raising children which is a priority application for OT/MP.  This definition may be compared with the evil created by the dynamics of the "Obedience to Authority Syndrome" [Milgram, 1974] as discussed in Dialogue 5, on power and control.

There are parents (as only one example) who sometimes slow torture their children by enslaving them with a kind of all consuming selfish and debilitating possessiveness. This, they proclaim to their children, the world (and to themselves,) is love.  Peck emphasizes the crucial role of parents in influencing children, not by what parents say, but by what parents do:

 "Raised without love, children come to believe themselves unlovable. We may express this as a general law of development. Whenever there is a major deficit of parental love, the child will, in all likelihood, respond to that deficit by assuming himself to be the cause of the deficit, thereby developing an unrealistically negative self image." (Page 60)

 "When a child is grossly confronted by significant evil in its parents, it will most likely misinterpret the situation and believe that the evil resides in himself." (Page 62)

Peck points out that even the adult experiences confusion when confronted by evil, and he asks the reader to imagine what it must like to children, whom he states experience their parents as gods, even when the child is acting out against them in rebellious adolescence. But then the most disturbing aspect of Dr. Peck's thesis is stated:

"If the parents are cruel and unloving or if the childhood is otherwise traumatic, however, it is believed that the infantile narcissism will be preserved as a kind of psychological fortress to protect the child against the vicissitudes of life...children may become evil themselves in order to defend against the onslaughts of parents who are evil. [p 81]

 The child, when confronted with a narcissistic parent (or when embedded in similar societal elements,) becomes an expert in survival and quickly learns to discern the rules of pretense, e.g., gifts given without love, or any conditional offering as love. It is an axiom that most unloving parents often find it necessary to maintain a pretense of love.  Children who are confronted with the consistent actions of such a parent day in and day out are vulnerable to mental illness.

 According to Dr. Peck, mental health requires that the human will submit itself to a cause higher than itself.

 "To function decently in this world, we must submit ourselves to some principle that takes precedence over what we might want at any given moment."  [p 162]

But a child who is forced to cope with the chronically self serving needs of a narcissistic parent never learns to recognize a cause higher than self-serving human needs, especially the narcissistic need to manipulate others to get what one wants and needs.  Thus, instead of thinking of service to others, they begin to yearn for escape from the narcissistic parent in order to exclusively serve their own needs. Such an unfortunate child only learns, because children learn mostly what they are shown, to devote their own lives to the service of their own needs.  The needs of others, let alone a higher Cosmic cause, never become part of their working consciousness.  The stage is set for them to repeat the tragedy created by their own Spiritually impoverished parent(s).

 But the problems for a child that are created by a narcissistic parent are further perpetuated by the effects of their actions on others.  A narcissistic person can not accept responsibility for adverse conditions they themselves have created.  They project their own definitions of problems onto others.  For a child caught in this trap, not only do they accept the burden of parental criticism, they have this fear persistently affirmed by the chronic demands and accusations of their parent.  The world of such a helpless and vulnerable child does not take long to become filled with anxiety and loathing.  Their conscious rage at the culpable parent becomes internalized and unconscious, to be reenacted and discharged upon all who touch their lives.  They become unable to love, unlovable and unloved. Should they have children come under their control, the cruel fate of such hapless descendants is already set.  History repeats itself.

Therefore, per the above discussion, evil comes into the world by influences which are related to the chronic absence of Love (even without the added presence of chronic punishment.)  Such conditions inflict profound psychic damage on growing children.  The root of this evil lies in contributing to the permanent narcissism of the afflicted child which becomes the way of life as the child becomes a parent.  Thus, like the Greek tragedies of which Narcissus was a part, there arises an endless cycle in which the evil parent creates evil children who themselves become the evil parents of tomorrow.

 But all need not be lost to such victim children if they can be caused to enter therapy.  There are possibilities for positive interventions in the recognition and correction of evil wherever it is found. Consequently, as Sorokin concluded, the hope of correcting evil lies in a child finding unconditional Love while still young. Peck also states:

"The healing of evil-scientifically or otherwise-can be accomplished only by the love of individuals.  A willing sacrifice is required. The individual healer must allow his or her own soul to become the battleground.  He or she must sacrificially absorb the evil." [p 269]

However, even though one may find a cruel fate in the quality of their upbringing, after being born into an adult world of a manipulative and punishing adult, there are ways out. MP will propose some in Dialogue 6 On Love.  Relate this definition to the discussion of prejudice found in the work of Adorno et al (1950) as discussed in Dialogue 5 on the dynamics and corruptions of power.

"'Satan' is the 'Devil,' a state of mind formed by man's personal ideas of his power and completeness and sufficiency apart from God.  Besides at times puffing up the personality,  this satanic thought often turns about, and after having tempted one to do evil, discourages the soul by accusing it of sin."  [Fillmore, MBD]

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"For now we see in a mirror, dimly,  but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known.[1cor 13:12]

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[NOTE: there is a semantic difference in Hawkins use of the term "Power" as a Spiritual element of Consciousness, and my use of the term power in my discussion of agendas, the first ego overlay on consciousness.  My use of the term power, as in power monger, and power agendas relates only to the ego level of consciousness, not to Power at the Spiritual level of Consciousness, which is why I use the color coding to emphasize the Metaphysical differences.]

Hawkins uses the term "Power" to mean the energizing force in the Implicate Order (Super Consciousness or Akashic Energy-Information Field) above 200 as being Spiritually energizing, correct, healing, healthy, and potent.  Energy levels below 200 must operate from the ego's imposition of fear oriented "force" which is imposed upon explicate order of the sense limited reality.   That we are currently trapped as a society in levels mostly below 200 helps to explain the chronic array of personal and social problems now consuming our nation.

A major assertion of this model is that the Spiritual energy present in advancing levels of Consciousness is exponential (logarithmic.)  That is, the Spiritual energy emanating from a person increases by powers of ten. Each advance in a score, e.g. from 200 to 250, is ten times greater than the energy at the next lower score. This means that it takes fewer individuals to reach the higher Spiritual levels and their access to Power to overwhelm the cumulative negative energy emanating from the greater number of individuals at the lower materialist levels that are limited to the use of force.

The evidence for this claim is found in the history of the Power of Jesus, Buddha, Laotse, and other Spiritual illuminates.  These have mobilized vast numbers of individuals to embrace and propagate their teaching, even in the face of violent opposition by establishment power structure, and the destructive contributions of their own, ego dominated, human organizations, e.g., the Christian churches.  Of course, there are the detractors of Diamond and Hawkins, but because these are so technical in nature, these are not presented in OT/MP.  The overall principle is sufficient and worthy as being illustrative of the dynamics of OT/MP.

Humanity is steadily advancing in Spiritual Consciousness. The 200 level is a point of transition where mental awareness finally becomes more empowered by Spiritual Consciousness than by fear.  This is the point in consciousness where force is first recognized for the limits and danger it contributes.Power, in the Implicate Order (Spiritual Consciousness,) is recognized as the Spiritually empowering goal.

One only "perceives" something when it appears to be outside of one's self, i.e., defined by the physical senses and not in the Spiritual Super Consciousness. However, when the "something" originates from within, it is spoken of as "Knowing."One must "Become" and live at or near the 500 level of Love for Knowing to become a way of life.There is a quality about having a Mystical experience (becoming One with Love) that is so unique, personal and beyond language or symbols, that most folks keep any such experience to themselves.  The well documented NDE (Near Death Experience) is such a profound Spiritual event. This has been especially true in past generations when those blessed by such experiences were ridiculed if they dared try to share it with anybody, even loved ones. Imagine having such a profound, transcendent,t and enormously beautiful experience and then having it dismissed, denied, or mocked, especially when it is dismissed or mocked by a religious leader [Note], or by someone you love or trust.  Hence the scriptural advice, "Cast not pearls before swine."

But your effort to advance along the Hawkins' scale can eventually yield the achievement of Spiritual Transcendence.  This will will put you in touch with some very good company--such as the great Masters: Buddha, Laotse and Jesus and the numerous Saints of all faiths. In addition, there are numbers of ancient and modern Mystical giants in the arts, letters and science who have also demonstrated this Presence: e.g., Pythagoras, Plato,  Mozart, Beethoven, Pascal, Coleridge, Bacon (Shakespeare,) Libnetz, Thoreau, Tyndale, Emerson, Blavatsky (and others associated with the Theosophy Movement,) the Fillmores (Charles and Myrtle,) Edison, Hall, Lindberg, Wordsworth, Henry Ford, and even ancient and modern warriors, Alexander the Great, General George Patton,  Edgar Cayce, and even athletes such as Ben Hogan (the golfer,) and thousands of others are members of this rare "club."  But most members of this club have always kept a low profile and seldom speak about, let alone share, their Mystical capacities and activities.  One cannot speak of, let alone share the ineffable.   [ref Table of Mystical Succession]   [Definition of force used in contemporary conflict resolution applications]

Additional information can be found in the advanced discussion on Consciousness in Dialogue 1,  five Models of Consciousness.

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Gaia (Pronounced Guy'uh): the soul of the earth, that which is its own master intelligence. We are immersed in GAIA as a part of our Spiritual SupraSystem (the larger system of living intelligence in which we are embedded and to which we must relate.) Within GAIA,  human life flourishes as a subsystem called humanity within which we are all ONE. [as defended in Dialogue 1] We must manage our relationship with it harmoniously, or we first suffer (and this has only just begun,) and then we perish. The suffering is already evident in the third world, and is experienced as AIDS and other "anomalous" infectious and resistant diseases that are beginning to emerge. In human affairs we experience GAIA's increasing distress as increasing mental and physical illnesses, distress and wide scale overt social violence. This too has only just begun. This thesis is developed in the Introductory Dialogue, part 2 of 3]  [See: Gaia Hypothesis]

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Stranger: metaphysically, that challenge to an established consciousness that stimulates the ego and its intellect to take defensive action.  This action can be denial of the stranger's relevance, redefining the stranger to be something acceptable that it is not, or conspiring to neutralize, entrap, or destroy the stranger.  The "stranger" can be any novel concept, person, opportunity, threat or condition with which the ego intellect has no prior experience or frame of reference.
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Example: The impeachment of President Clinton for his consensual sexual indiscretions with a White House intern (Monica Lewinsky) represents only one classic and sorry example.  In conducting their virulent hate campaign, the groinick members of congress, and those voters of like mind whose support energized and validated them, entirely set aside the considerable achievements of President Clinton and his other positive character qualities that clearly served the best interests of the United States.  They refused to recognize that such an indiscretion, however reprehensible to them, is a private matter between Clinton, his family, and his God.

The need to maintain rational balance and fairness in public debate are not burdens for a groinick, they are impediments.  Having been forced by the groinicks, Clinton's choice of denial to protect his family and his career from the sad truth is one that few (near zero) in his position would have the will to avoid. In order to impeach him for political convenience, the groinick right discarded his documented economic success in achieving a balanced budget, his near elimination of the national debt, his creation of widespread employment stability, his effective international peace initiatives (e.g., Israel and Palestine,) and the widespread international respect he earned from a wide variety of world leaders. Instead they castigated him and conducted his impeachment on these specious self serving religious grounds.  Where is so called "Christian charity" in all this?  So much for Jesus' teachings regarding Christian love, charity and forgiveness. Groinick activism in any political movement is not in the best interest of America.

Notes:
(1) Visit a recent example of typical groinick activity to smear the Kerry campaign in Massachusetts. [Go to: example]
(2) Visit a recent example of typical groinick activity, this in the form of a malicious e-mail against Ms. Kerry  [Go to: example]
(3) Visit recent examples of groinick activity directed at John Kerry [go to example]

A groinick can be expected to typically suffer under the burdens of a concrete HIP personality[Dialogue 4,] and a low Spiritual Consciousness.  Groinick political leaders cannot succeed in there nefarious schemes without the sympathy and backing of a significant number of supporting groinick mentalities and their coalitions in the electorate.  Their presence is dangerous to the health of a democracy.   This groinick capacity and presence in the electorate is an indicator of a nation's anemic or absent Spiritual (not religious) Consciousness, and the status of its Spiritual Health.  Riding on the horse of righteous indignation, there is nothing moral or righteous in the groinick's agenda. While their agenda may serve a sectarian religious legitimacy, it is far from serving a Spiritual legitimacy. The groinicks are driven by an unprincipled and ruthless lust for power. Consider the future of America when there are a sufficient number of groinick mentalities to carry elections.  We appear to be very close to that condition.

Return to jump point in Intro Dialogue, part 3 of 3

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Thus they are more likely to experience fear and react emotionally to uncertainty or perceived changes in their environment.  The extent of their emotional reaction is in direct proportion to the extent the threat appears to affect their needs. They tend to resist new ideas. However, in a slow moving and stable social and information context, they can best adjust, and once settled in a stable situation, they make predictable and reliable associates. The Consciousness (i.e. Spiritual) potential of such people is vulnerable to remaining low.  Compared to an abstract person's concept of an inner empowering experience of GOD, concrete persons tend to believe that God as an externally located, potentially malevolent and punitive directing power to which they see themselves as subservient and vulnerable. They are attracted to simplistic religions where all uncertainty has been cast out or reduced by simple and fixed interpretations of scripture.,  The responses are limited to relatively simple declarations of reality expressed as their absolute opinions. In this mind frame, a stranger will be quickly defined as either in or out of their in-group.  The Consciousness expanding potential of such concrete persons is low.
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abstract HIP: people live in a rich world of possibilities. Rules are few, flexible and utilitarian. They are oriented toward internal control and are intrinsically motivated. They take personal responsibility for how they relate to what is "out there" and see solutions and opportunity within themselves.  They have discovered the power within themselves to shape or remove adversity or uncertainty in support of their needs.  [Butterworth, 1968]  They experience less stress in the face of uncertainty and are more likely to take appropriate action to address it. They are more creative, responsive and have less difficulty in a changing a fixed undesirable environment. However, they often become bored and restless in an information impoverished environment. OT/MP asserts that these abstract HIP qualities are derived from enhanced Spiritual affirmation rising from a loving, nurturing, and shaping upbringing, one that is rich in information about the world, where many options are available for choice, and which nurtures their access to an internally oriented higher power, The Consciousness expanding potential of such abstract people is high.

Return to jump point in Dialogue 3: Communication
 
 

HOW TO INTERPRET THE FIGURE
Study this figure quietly.  Do not rush. The path of meditative discipline moves from the lower left of the figure, from "Normal State of Attention," up the diagonal line to culminate at the top right, labeled UNITY, (or in Buddhism, called Samadhi or Bliss)  The discipline required to achieve this advance is progressively demanding.  Note that the focus of concentration in the lower half of the path is external, directed to defeat the distractions of your senses, emotions and intellect that arise from giving attention to external conditions.

These areas of mental focus are only to prepare the body and mind to pass through the demanding barrier of the senses and intellect to achieve a stable state of peaceful concentration. The desired mental condition empowers an internal focus of the mind where true Meditation begins.  That point begins where we cross the boundary from external to internal focus.  Because this level of Concentration is so intense, and we are no longer aware of thinking or feeling.  This point and beyond has been called "The Silence."

The pilgrim who persists on this path then passes through seven progressively demanding levels of Spiritual Concentration to genuine Meditation and achievement.  The levels conform to the seven energy-information chakras of the body, and the seven corresponding Spiritual Bodies.  In order to to experience "Divine Guidance (Wisdom)," the student must first acquire sufficient discipline and persistence to qualify themselves to successfully enter Level 1.  But a serious sustained effort will promote desirable results in decision making even before this achievement.

In your progress through OT/MP, you are encouraged to pause at key points and begin to apply the technique suggested by this figure. Such places can occur to you spontaneously when you intuitively sense a possible break through of C/consciousness. The normal momentum to finish a task or reading is destructive.  When this state of positive expectation first enters your intuition, do not deny it by pressing forward. Let go, relax, and rest in the possibilities that may surface.  Such places are likely to be found at the end of an allegory, parable or metaphor, or their interpretation.  Other places, can be at certain logical break points in the dialogues.  Trust yourself to Know. Empower that trust by responding to allow your hunch to work in meditation. Be patient. Be Peaceful. Be persistent. By these means you nourish that potential for the inner Presence to function in your behalf, for your intuitive Inner Power to grow.

[Guidance for developing the "Insight Meditation."]
[For details in the practice of meditation, see the special section on meditation in the dialogue on consciousness.]
 
 

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Paradigm:  As used in OT/MP, a paradigm, pronounced pair' uh dime, is your:

ego controlled mental model of reality as defined and limited by and for your intellect, a model which guides and directs your values, beliefs and actions;
mental consciousness that is the thinking "you;" the
"I am" that defines, conceptualizes, shapes your personality and guides all that you present to the world,
sense and definition of self and the knowing and feeling sense of the material reality you perceive; it is
that which justifies and explains to your "self" all that you think, feel, know, and do.

A Mystical Paradigm, is only derived from a Spiritually directed Consciousness that has been informed by data and information that are resident in the Spiritual Realms.  These Realms lie well beyond the limits of the ego owned intellect and its five material senses (sight, sound, smell, taste and touch.)  In the MP, "Mystical" means to be derived from sources beyond the limits of the conscious mind and the ego owned and managed material world.  This intellectual world of the ego can only be defined by the five physical senses to which the ego owned and operated intellect is is bound. Spiritual Consciousness empowers a person's paradigm to become flexible and responsive to this intuitive guidance and insight and transcend the limits of the ego intellect. This is a desirable condition that improves one's potential to create or exploit opportunity and cope more effectively with threat, challenge, complexity, stress, and uncertainty.

But a Spiritually anemic person (or any human system)  is mostly influenced by the primal needs of its ego and its slave the intellect.The person (system) must first develop sufficient discipline in Meditation and reflective Prayer because the intellect's source of information is limited to evidence in the material world.   Further, their materialist paradigm is especially resistant to the discipline of Spiritual Concentration which threatens the ego's need for absolute control of its intellect.

To the extent that each person's paradigm is different from another person's paradigm, when facing a common threat or challenge, interpersonal (inter system) conflict is likely. When the need for cooperation and collaboration are essential, miscommunication, confusion, conflict, and stress are increasingly possible unless there is a Spiritual dimension guiding the relationship.  But to share a Mystical Paradigm, is to create the common ground required to nourish one's material consciousness with Wisdom and Intuition.  These gifts create the conditions that promote the collaboration and cooperation required to reliably address any common threat or opportunity.

Transducer:  A substance or device, such as a carbon crystal, piezoelectric crystal, retina of the eye, bones of the inner ear (hammer, anvil, stirrup,) microphone, radio, television set, or photoelectric cell, that converts one form of input energy-information into some other form of output energy-information.  The most sophisticated transducer in the Mystical Paradigm is the human body which transforms data in the Spiritual energy-information realms into the experience of reality.  The result is experienced as C/consciousness.  Individuals have differing levels of competence in navigating R/reality as determined by their evolved Consciousness capacity.  [See non-local intelligence]

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system: A set of independent but connected components which must work interdependently in order to achieve a common goal, a goal larger than the goal of each component alone. This heightened potential is often spoken of as synergy, i.e., the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, e.g., a human being which is made up of a variety of subsystems, e.g., heart, liver, nervous system, brain, kidney's etc.,  manifest as the values, behavior, and achievements of a single human life.  Synergy is demonstrated when the products of the whole are greater than the sum of its parts.
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human system: In OT/MP, the term "human system" is used when any given level of complexity is not intended to be specified. Then what is being said about it should be taken to mean that the comment or observation can be equally applied to any specific level of system complexity:  individual, group, organization, or society.  The reference can apply across all levels of system complexity from that of the individual, through a family, a group or coalition, organization or institution, to systems of governance at all levels, through the national society taken as a whole, and finally to include international systems of societies.
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living system: James G. Miller, 1978

In the above table, the examples are given only for the human body (organism level.)  A similar table exists for each of seven levels of increasing matter-energy system complexity as arranged by Miller: i.e., cell, organ, organism (body,) group, organization, society, supranational society. Miller's 1102 page book is a tour de force of data and research findings supportive of his paradigm which were exhaustive through the year of publication in 1978. A few subsystems at some levels of organization remained poorly defined at that time.  But Miller compiled an complete list of hypotheses and his confidence level for each of them that research had already validated, or that he believed would eventually support the hypothesis.  [short bio.]  [ISSS Living Systems Special Interest Group]   [ISSS Home Page]

In addition to being able to live, grow and procreate, every a living system must also have the qualities of DSE(DETECT-SELECT-EFFECT). These functional divisions permit a simplification of the information component of Millers 19 critical subsystems that also define every living system regardless of its appearance.  The DSE model was provided by Alfred Kuhn as used in OT/MP (re DSE, Kuhn, 1974) :

(1) D = being able to detect a system's relevant ecology,
(2) S = select the required coping strategy from among alternative possible strategies, and
(3) E = effect interactions with the ecology to control those parts of the ecology it must manage in order to survive and thrive

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Notice this phenomenon in organizational dynamics. Here is a major reason why human systems (individuals, groups, organizations) sometimes (or often) make and ignore the evidence of bad decisions. Their ego involvement demands that they be protected from the experience of "blame" or "failure."  Yet they experience emotional stress, ignore rising social problems, demonstrate an absence of compassion, and accept limited or incompetent policy making. They look outside of their ego self for scapegoats.

Holistic thinkers are at an advantage in observing and interacting with any complex environment. Rather than assessing isolated concepts, evidence, or facts as being complete within compartments of experience, or as disconnected events, the Holistic thinker will think of them all as participants and contributors to a complex interacting continuity of connected systems. They do not lose sight of the big picture while concentrating on the details.  For success in such activity they require a viable Spiritual Consciousness.

A person's ability to detect and creatively isolate (for any pragmatic reason) a subsystem of any kind, and their ability to recognize and integrate the complexity of any system is most influenced by and thus dependent on their level of Spiritual Consciousness, not their intelligence.  Many will reject this assertion because the capacity to understand its defense is out-of-consciousness for them.  Therefore, these crucial interacting links may literally not even be visible, let alone accessible to them by any normal process or activity of their intellect. In the vernacular of today, one would say that its "not in their computer."
Return to jump point in Intro Dialogue, part 2 of 3

Where any complex concepts and initiatives are at issue, OT/MP argues that Meditation is an important tactical skill that is required to facilitate a student's understanding of any Holistic or systemic concept. This is because that Holistic information is already in the Spiritual Supraconsciousness of the student waiting to be released, called out, or recalled.
Return to jump point in Intro Dialogue, part 2 of 3

The resolution of uncertainty requires the presence of information being imposed upon the raw structure (data) as defined in the following sequence. [see definition of information in the sequence below, based on the intervening definitions of structure and data.]

disinformation: deliberate lies and distortion of data and factual material, or the implications of such material, in order to deny or confuse the actual conditions of Truth for the purpose of misleading, confusing or blocking others from being correctly informed about the that Truth....

denotative meaning: the cognitive (mental) label derived from associating the word or symbol with the actual referent event, or thing, or process that is evident in the sensate world of experience, and for which the subsequent presence of the symbol in a person's consciousness evokes recall of the experience and its label or concept.
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connotative meaning:  that emotional overlay of feelings encoded with the denotative meaning of a word or symbol and which becomes permanently associated with it. This association is learned and derived from the original pattern of referent experience,  especially after repeated associations.  When the word or symbol calls up the denotative referent experience, it also calls up the associated connotative emotions and feelings which are packaged with it.

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General Systems Theory (GST): the paradigm was first formulated by Bertalanffy [1968],  GST is the systematic study of systems and their relationships according to a general theory that is based on their congruence, or mathematical matching of system structure and processes (parameters and variables [definitions].) GST principles show that all systems are congruent when they follow the same universal LAW regardless of their system's complexity or appearance to the senses. That is, they follow the same P/principles even though their structure may appear different to an observer or may be described differently by using different nomenclature (e.g., the structure and processes of a cell compared to the structure and processes of a formal organization.)

The International Society for the Systems Science is the major custodian devoted to insure the ongoing development and application of these ideas.  [Contact for Spirituality Special Interest Group: c.h.smith@verizon.net] [ISSS Home page]

James G. Miller articulated the details of "Living Systems Theory" by showing through a massive compilation of all relevant research at that time [Miller, 1978.]    He argues that there are 19 critical subsystems that are always present in any system as a definition of "Living."  He documented a hierarchy of system complexity in accordance with Bertalanffy's principles.  This hierarchy is:  the cell, organ, individual (body,) group, organization, society (nation), and international systems (e.g., UN, Organization of American States.)   Each of these kinds of systems regardless of their level of complexity include the presence of all 19 critical subsystems. Examples include: cytologists at the level of the cell, physicians and psychologists at the level of the body, sociologists at the level of the group, analysts at the level of the organization, political scientists/economists at the level of the society. [ref Living Systems]

Before the GST (LST) paradigms, scholars at each level of system complexity were limited in their understanding of their systems of interest because of the differences in nomenclature they used to describe their respective systems. As specialists, they were unknowingly trapped within their compartmentalized disciplines. This breach in continuity also limited the generalizability of the principles they developed and applied.  Now each scholar and practitioner specialist can transcend their specialty area and, independent of the different jargon and principles used at the different levels of system complexity, identify the profound common relationships found within and among system behaviors that had been hidden under the old compartmentalized disciplines.

OT/MP simplifies the complexity of the Miller model by using three generic aspects of a Living System. These are combined subsystems within each system that create the following essential functions as required to sustain life: Detect (what is happening,)  Select coping strategy from a range of options,) and Effect (take some kind of coping action, or implement a DSE process.)  Proposed by Alfred Kuhn. [1974] [Refer to detailed definition of DSE.]

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Degrees of Freedom (DF):  in OT/MP, DF is a count of the number of possible options that are accessible in a person's consciousness.  The more options the greater the degrees of freedom to detect, select (decide from options,) and to effect (act out) interactions with the relevant ecology.   A mechanical analogy is a train that can only move backwards of forwards on the track that constrains its movements (1 DF), or a car that also moves left or right (2-DF), or a helicopter that can also move up and down (3-DF.) The concept is more fully developed it Dialogue 4 on HIP (Human Information Processing.)
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PCC (Premature Cognitive Commitment):  a concept used by Deepak Chopra.  It describes the closing down of the mind to any further possibilities after it has concluded that the present conditions or tactics are "the last word."   The resulting inability to consider any innovation or alternative strategies denies the system the opportunity to expand its Real DF (Degrees of Freedom) in order to try alternative behaviors so as to resolve a problem or dilemma, or to exploit opportunity.  Thus it remains unknowingly trapped in the status quo, no matter how unsatisfactory. [web PCC resources]   OT/MP refers to this condition as, "frozen consciousness." Person's of low HIP tend to be vulnerable to mistakes arising from this condition.

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parameters vs variables: a parameter is an element in the structure of a system that is relatively fixed and unchanging.  A variable is an element within the parameters of a system that is relatively dynamic and changing.  Variables tend to function within the parameters of any system.  Variables (sometimes called Dependent variables in research) must respond to changes made to the parameters (sometimes called Independent variables in research) of a system.  A trivial example, but which illustrates the concept would be a building.  The parameters of the building are its structural dimensions, the nature of its composition, the arrangement of floors, walls, doors and ceilings, and the layout of the electrical and plumbing subsystems.  The variables associated with the parameters of a building would be the kinds of people who come and go, the kinds of services and products provided by the function of building.  In the world, the variables associated with the parameters that define a supermarket are different in systematic ways compared with the variables found in a structure whose parameters define it as a garage, theater, stadium, medical center, or office building.

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Law of Requisite Variety (Ashby's Law):  Any system of interest that is attempting to cope with any other system in its ecology must have at least equivalent or more complexity in its detecting-selecting-effecting (DSE) subsystems.  To the extent that the system of interest has less variety or complexity than the DSE of the system or systems with which it must interact to survive, the more pathological its behavior will become until it is defeated or disintegrates in its futile effort to cope with the superior system.

Examples: a chess master cannot be defeated by a novice chess player; armies of equivalent size and determination will be defeated by the army with superior technological sophistication in a pitched battle;  an army that is prepared and trained to only prevail in pitched battles, will fall to the complex, persistent, and random attacks of a large and determined insurgency; the company with a marketing strategy more capable of detecting the subtleties of the market will acquire more sales than a comparable company with less such capacity to detect and analyze the same market; persons endowed with a greater C/consciousness of their Spiritual Truth will cope with greater effectiveness and satisfaction in a given reality than a person with less such C/Consciousness.

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logic, deductive vs inductive:  Two principle systems of logic are used in western thought, deductive and inductive.  Deductive logic follows a pattern of assembling pieces (infer from particulars) to estimate the whole. Example:  Suppose that we are not sure how 'A's" relationship with "B" is defined. But we know that if "A" has a relationship that is defined by elements of "C," and if "B" also has a relationship that is defined by elements of "C", then all other factors being controlled, we can deduce that "A" will also have a relationship with "B" defined at least in in part by the nature of his/her/its relationship with "C."

But Inductive logic proceeds from our a priori knowing the characteristics of the whole (infer from a general principle.) This knowledge then permits us to estimate the characteristic of its parts. Example:  Given a table with mats used as place settings, one can inductively conclude that the table is continuous (i.e., without holes) under the mats.  But induction is conditional in knowing the context of the whole. Compared to normal experiences with most tables whose top surfaces are continuous, a table found in a broadcast studio has increased probability of mats being used to cover unused microphone, cable, or other holes drilled in the otherwise continuous table. The important point here is that inductive knowledge requires the capacity for Holistic thinking, and must be empowered by a Wholeness derived from and limited by the scope of an observer's Spiritual Consciousness.  But deductive logic is limited to function within the scope of intellectual consciousness.
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Note: logical positivism (logical empiricism): the philosophy that drove science into the current era and dominated most of the 18th through the 20th century. It assumes that everything can and must be deduced only from what is detected and known by the senses, and thus can be confirmed or refuted by controlled (scientific) experiments.  It further assumes, that metaphysics and the activities that follow from it, including the presumption of forces or Realities beyond detection of the senses, or their extension through technical prosthesis, cannot exist.  Thus it follows that the Spiritual Metaphysics which is the foundation of OT/MP, when it cannot be proved within the rules of logical positivism, is meaningless. However, current scientific findings in the study of prayer, Karma and Reincarnation,  and other paranormal applications contradict that presumption.  Deepak Chopra has referred to this system of logical positivism as "the superstition of science." [1990]

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The following model (based on A. Kuhn, 1974) is intended to facilitate your ability to interpret the complexity of events occurring in various areas of your life as they support or threaten your needs:  e.g., at school, home, work, social group's politics, and so on.
The 19 critical subsystems of every living system as identified by Miller, 1978  that are a required part of every living system is too cumbersome to apply to OT/MP. In the adjacent figure, a simplification of Miller's basic concept was provided by Alfred Kuhn's book, The Logic of Social Systems. His functional simplification of Millers 19 critical subsystems involves the incorporation all 19 of the subsystem into the three following foundation processes that are found in every living system:
detect: combines all five sensate (sensate = sight, sound, touch, smell and taste) subsystems that collect external information as may be required to serve its agendas,
select: all subsystems that contribute to the decision making process by which one combines perception and memory to assess the information significance of detected data.  The information is then filtered by and mapped to the agenda which the assess the most appropriate available response. This process also biases the system as to what to expect to detect making it vulnerable to overlook important data.
effect: transforms decisions into action, incorporates all subsystems that act to permit the individual's transactions with the perceptual world by physical movement and speech.

DSE:defines the ongoing interactive sensate process among all Living Systems. DSE is the continuous process of a system to detect, select, and effect ongoing transactions with its immediate biological and social ecology as contained within the larger embracing ecosystem (suprasystem.)

[If the following discussion becomes too technical for the reader of the dialogues, this following details of DSE may be skipped]

The above figure suggests how the DSE processes can be understood to be an ongoing dynamic operation within each individual. The next step is to see the how DSE process with its internal filters (the three ego overlays on consciousness) of agendas, communication, and HIP, may be seen to interact among systems of increasing complexity.

Note that in the above examples, the analyst is free to change the perspective from the system of interest as presented, to make one of the adjacent systems the system of interest instead.  The goal is to choose a perspective that facilitates understanding to resolve the problem or conflict.  Anyone (e.g. a mediator, consultant) attempting to understand what is happening within a human system of any kind or complexity should develop the skill of being able to flexibly apply the MP's Holistic model not only to individuals, but to coalitions, departments, and all relevant human systems of increasing complexity.

The observer can draw the boundaries to define a system of interest (focus) as appropriate to his/her objective within the embracing social or institutional ecology in which the system of interest functions. For example, mediators in a custody dispute scenario have a wholly different context than mediators dealing with organizational or international economic or conflict scenarios.  Nevertheless, the process works exactly the same in principle regardless of the complexity of the system and can be used by an astute mediator or analyst in the role of consultant to tease out the power relationships and communication linkages among subsystems and their adjacent systems.

As the consultant or mediator is presented with the alleged facts and information claims regarding the system of interest's position relative to the issues of a dispute, [definition of mediation terms] he/she can assess the dispute from the perspective of a chosen "system of interest. " Some number of adjacent systems will cluster around the chosen system of interest.  For example the "system of interest" can be a department located in its "suprasystem" such as an agency, corporation, school, or other institution.  Adjacent systems can be the individual functionaries in a department, two of whom are in conflict, one of whom happens to be the manager of the department. However, an analyst, for the strictly pragmatic reason of more accurately reflecting the interactive patterns of the dispute or problem, could choose either the "manager" or the entire department as the system of interest around which cluster the individual staff (subsystems) or other departments (adjacent systems) within the overall organization (suprasystem.)

The art of Holistic (systems) thinking lies in the ability of the analyst to actively listen to the description of the conflict, issue, or problem, and then define and interpret the decisions, language, and other actions among the participating systems and subsystems.  These will relate to the power relationships and the needs of the disputants creating the elements of the dispute. The role of the overlays of consciousness (three traps of mind) are thus revealed.  They provide clues to awakening awareness of these relationships in the consciousness of the system's actors (participants) in the scenario. By understanding the power relationships among the "actors" in serving their agendas and energizing the issues, one can see the interplay of needs and values. The nature of the DSE process of each "actor" in the "scenario" is chosen to protect or advance the support for their needs and values.  Once needs are met, the issues disappear.

At each stage of advancement, as intellectual consciousness expands, the technical extensions of our DSE processes become more refined, more elegant, more sophisticated, and more potent. Our effecting capacities unfold from crude pounding and shaping instruments to sophisticated engineered machinery, some of the most high tech must operated in "clean rooms."  Now we have nano technology, infinitesimally small machines that can literally be grown, like plants, in incredibly exotic labs.

Out detecting capacities have increased from listening to the sounds transmitted through the ground and signs in nature, to ear horns, to crude eye glasses that became contact lenses; to broadcast technology, radar and the Hubbell space telescope.

Our selecting capacities expand from finger counting to the abacus in primitive times, to mechanical calculators of increasing subtlety and sophistication, to simple vacuum tubes at the beginning of our electronic era, to transistor technology, to printed circuit board where all elements of the circuit are printed in layers and increasingly miniaturized to be self contained in a single chip.

In this manifestation of increasing intellectual consciousness that has produced our technology today, there has been no corresponding expansion of our Spiritual Consciousness.   Although ample evidence suggests that the handful of men and women who spearheaded the advance of our technology were guided by information from the higher Spiritual Realms, the mass of us remain oblivious to those Realms.  We remain oblivious to the dire consequences that already proceed from that defect.

As our technology has become more and more sophisticated, that evolution has demanded increasing specialization of our technocrats in order for them to cope with the complexity of it.  They focus on increasingly narrower aspects of their specialization.  They are oblivious to factors affecting the power politics that define and determine the health of the social and biological ecosystems their technology is intended to serve.  As technocrats, they have shunned liberal education and have increasingly lost their ability to grasp the Spiritual whole. When this lack is mixed with the inflamed egocentric potential of the human greed in the absence of Spiritual Consciousness, this ignorance and arrogance has become a tool of the power mongers. From this recipe, disaster looms ever closer in our future.

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DSE: (DETECT-SELECT-EFFECT): A sense managed transactional process by which every living system: (1) Identifies or detects its relevant environment, (2) Then selects by remembering, thinking and choosing its actions and responses from a set of alternatives in accordance with its personal paradigm of that reality, and finally (3) effects or acts to impact on relevant adjacent systems.

Such actions, in the context of one's agenda, are intended to implement some kind of protective or productive interaction or exchange with other relevant systems. Human systems are empowered when this process can be made visible to all participants in it. Every living system is in some kind of productive DSE transaction with its Suprasystem, its subsystems, and with every other relevant adjacent system. By being able raise to mental consciousness the full complexity of these networks of living systems, one copes and survives more effectively. However, only through an unfolding Spiritual Consciousness can the behavior of one's Self and these other systems of interest be comprehended in their relationship to Spiritual Truth. When you fully comprehend and function and purpose of this definition, then you are beginning to approach access to the power of the Mystical Paradigm. [See technical discussion]
 
 

Wisdom, Knowledge, Education and Training:
these are based upon the a priori presence of conditions defined by:
structure, data, information and communications  which then manifest as:
knowledge: the most rudimentary and mundane concept in consciousness, and depends on the system's capacity to acquire and remember accumulated facts, applicable theory and practice, and memory of principles, and then to apply these in the context of cultural and personal experience.

training:  builds upon the application of knowledge applied and limited to specific skills (behavior.)  It is the second most mundane level of acquired consciousness.  It only involves one's capacity to apply a narrow range of basic facts, information, and knowledge with behavioral skills in the performance of a task, even a complex task.

education:  prepares one to apply knowledge in a systematic and comprehensive way, but in the context of and with reference to a larger framework of cultural and social values. Education adds the capacity to detect, acquire, catalogue, store, recall and implement information organized as knowledge to further serve and enhance those larger values

Wisdom:  is Knowing the relationship among one's knowledge based decisions within a complete (Holistic) embracing frame of a Spiritually derived and relevant knowledge base which is anchored in the Suprasystem. This reference point in OT/MP is called Truth.  Wise decisions are only informed within the context of an awakened Spiritual Consciousness, i.e. that framework of higher Spiritual Truth which embraces the Spiritually Conscious mind. For a relationship to the Spiritual concept that underlies Maslow's "Self actualization," see the descriptive piece, Toward Wisdom by Copthorne Macdonald.

Transcendent Knowing:  like Edgar Cayce and some NDE (Near Death Experience) or out-of-body travels, this state involves literal Conscious visitation of sites and experiences outside of the body's physical location, and the accurate reporting or recollection of the experience after return from the higher Spiritual realms.

.......NOTE: Return to your jump point from "Definitions" on the mediation main page by clicking on the link at the end of these definitions

needs/values, versus wants, interests, position, and issues:
In examining other current approaches to Mediation training, you will find the terms "Position" and "Interests" frequently used, while the terms "values" and "needs" are not found as often as core elements of the principles of mediation.  The differences among these terms are:

"needs" as used in this approach to mediation, are based upon the Maslow hierarchy upon which a considerable body of research grounded knowledge and commentary has been built.  This knowledge base is of enormous utility to mediation principles and practices. The depth of insight thus afforded to an informed mediator is why a Spiritually grounded approach to mediation keys on focal points closest to one's Spirituality.  These points are related to underlying needs and values as the ground for negotiation, and not on the intellectualized surface structure of wants, interests, issues, and positions that describe the dispute.
"wants": are the intellectualized description of factors that undergird the issues of conflict,  but "needs" exist as part of  the fundamental nature of all human beings, the greatest but most subtle and inaccessible of which is the usually unconscious need to Consciously reconnect with our Spiritual Source

NOTE: "needs" should not be confused with "wants" which are synonymous with "interests" in this model. There are many things a person may want that are not synonymous with needs. "Wants" are associated with the pleasurable and convenient conditions of life.  We may "want" a new house in a desirable part of town, but the "needs" that are likely served are shelter, security, and status.  We may want highly sweetened food because of its pleasant, but the actual biological need for sugar is minimal. We may want to earn more money, but the needs that are served are those conditions of security, affirmation, belonging, and stimulation that are believed to be bought with it.  We may want a "significant other" in the form of a "meaningful"  relationship but the need that is served is a surrogate for a fundamental (Spiritual) affirmation in the form of validation of one's own worth by another person. We may "want" or covet a position of political or institutional power, but the need that is served is our ownership of power and control over the factors affecting our security, identity and the degrees of freedom.  These are required for us to act effectively in our own behalf, i.e., defend  and advance support for our needs. The desire (want) for power and control over others for its own sake is a pathological expression of a basic need to control factors that serve our legitimate needs.

But the primal Need of all needs is the yearning for restoration of our lost memory of our eternal Spiritual Link with GOD.
[Defense of this assertion is developed in the main section of OT/MP, Dialogue 1: Consciousness]

"issues:"  intellectualized factors defining the focus of a dispute about which the unilateral arguments, claims and counter-claims of the disputants are clustered.  Issues are the disputed intellectualized conditions between or among those in conflict based upon their perception of how their wants are being served, blocked, or threatened by those with whom they experience conflict.
"positions:"  the array of logical arguments, rationale and "facts" that define the perceptions of the conflict for each disputant, and which are used to justify their unilateral claims and solutions in expectation of resolving the issues on their terms.
"interests:" that set of intellectualized conditions in a disputant's perceived reality, as demanded by the disputant because he/she believes such conditions will satisfy his/her wants, and thus resolve the dispute on their terms.  Regardless of their "position" in a dispute, i.e., the intellectual presentation of their "interests" by which they justify their claims, all disputants are actually energized by their unconscious goal to defend or enhance support for their underlying needs. Interests will differ among individuals, but needs do not differ among individuals.  Needs are primal to the state of being human.  They are shared as a common definition by all of humanity.  Needs become the fundamental points of emotional and Spiritual contact, or the common ground through which all disputes can be addressed, reconciled, and healed.
"feelings:" are the link between issues, wants, interests and the underlying values and needs that actually energize the dispute.  Feelings express as the emotional condition of the body-mind as to the how an experience either supports or challenges one's values as these defend and advance support for one's needs.  Feelings are used by a trained mediator to follow the emotions associated with words and other behavior to track the issues presented by a disputant to the values that in turn reveal the underlying needs that are responsible for them.  When the feelings are identified for each disputant and made visible to them, and their links to their values clarified, then a common ground can be found to resolve the dispute..
"belief:"  a belief is a state of mind that accepts or trusts that a certain condition or array of conditions are present in the world of experience based on the processing of the rational intellect.  A belief does not require verification in experience.  A person may "believe" that they can land an airliner in an emergency, but the don't "know" that they can do that until they have done it. A belief is not necessarily the same as a value unless it meets the tests described below under the definition of "value."
"values:" the consistently chosen, wired-in investments of an individual's energy and commitment to behaviors they know or believe will support and serve their needs, and  and which express as language and other behavior. They are visibly expressed as consistent behaviors because a person has learned, knows, or believes that by investing their energy in those activities we define as their values, their fundamental needs are most likely to be met, defended, and advanced.  Values are defined and develop in accordance with how their needs have been reliably met.

The need driven values determine how and why the person's interests (wants) will be formed and positioned with respect to what they then define and argue as an issue.

To be accepted as a "value" a behavior must be: (1) chosen from among competing alternatives, (2) consistently repeated, (3) publicly affirmed, (4) publicly defended, (5) advocated to others as a "good" or "bad."  I may "believe" that vitamins are good for me, but I cannot claim that I "value" them until I meet the tests that define a value.

A competent mediator is alert to these crucial differences when they are clustered around a conflict scenario.

In the MP's Spiritual approach to conflict resolution (mediation), the intellectualized surface structure of conflict that is made up of expressed issues, wants, interests, and positions stated by the disputants is only used to reveal and make visible to the disputants, their relationship to the underlying primal needs that are challenged as the cause of the dispute, and which energize the dispute.  Only by such insight can a satisfactory and stable resolution to conflict be achieved.

A scenario includes the dynamics described by the behavior of any system of interest (person, group or family, organization.)  The scenario is analyzed to isolate or highlight those activities which are a part of the conflict from all other events that may also be present, but which not relevant to a conflict. Within any given scenario, persons who have major functions or roles in the events that define the scenario are called "actors" to distinguish them from other persons who may also be present but who are not relevant to the analysis.

An example of a scenario would be an episode of conflict at work. Of all the activities going on at the time of conflict, only those activities associated with the conflict are defined as the scenario. Within the conflict scenario, there may be staff persons who, while present, are not caught up in or contributory to the conflict. Therefore, only those staff who are directly or indirectly involved or contributory are referred to as actors.

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Poweris released through Spiritual Consciousness.  Force is empty of Spiritual Consciousness.

This distinction is preferred as being more consistent with the Metaphysics of OT/MP.   Unfortunately, the terms power and force are used so interchangeably everywhere outside of OT/MP that much confusion would abound to try to enforce the distinction throughout OT/MP at the present time.

External Control:  the system (person) believes that the power to control the events in its life exists outside of themselves and is thus vulnerable to the pathology of learned helplessness.  The tendency follows to apply force on external matters that may not be relevant to a solution for their problems,

Internal Control:  the system (person) believes that the power to control conditions that affect their life resides within themselves, and is thus able to alter the course of events and conditions that affect their life.  Such persons are empowered to alter the conditions that affect their life and goals.

Therefore, when not discussing the details of the Hawkins' model, the term power is also used interchangeable with force.  Within OT/MP in terms like "personal power," "power markers,"  "power amplifiers,"  "power brokers," and "power mongers" should be assumed to actually refer to the capacity for the systems capacity for internal control leading to external resolution of detected challenges.  The term "Power," when capitalized and in blue implies that it is Spiritually formed and directed. and transcends control by the ego intellect.

.Levels of Biologically Determined Dominance in a Social or System Hierarchy:
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Alpha:  the creature, person, or system that is most endowed, capable and willing to dominate all others in their social milieu. In the allegory of the baboon society, yang represents alpha as the principle of dominant maleness, while yin represents alpha as the principle of ultimate femaleness.
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Beta: A creature, person or system that is most driven to ascend to the status of alpha, but not sufficiently endowed or developed to successfully impose his/her will on the controlling alpha or betas in their group(s).  The young baboon, yat, as aspirant to the role of alpha, fulfills that role in the baboon society allegory.
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Omega:  a subordinate follower or that creature, person, or system less endowed with the will and capacity to impose dominance, or is without the conditions required to impose sufficient dominance to overcome and control the alpha or competing betas in their group or system.

"the law" is the human contrivance of rules and regulations for managing human relationships. The less aligned "the law" is with the Spiritual LAW, the less workable it will be and the more damage it does as is clearly evident in current human affairs.
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money:a power bearing indicator called in the MP a "power marker". A major concept in the Mystical Paradigm is: money = power. In this web book, money is relevant as a direct measure of personal power.Money is generically defined as an indicator (marker) that gives its possessor license or  permission to act in their own self interest. This book is not interested in money as a medium of exchange nor the rich body of traditional mythology masquerading as science, called economics, that purports to analyze it. Instead, the Mystical Paradigm uses money as a power marker to track the use and pyramiding of personal power by those devoted to such goals. Such systems or persons include the power broker/mongers and their institutional extensions.
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"control:"  is the physical or social mechanism for exercising one's own freedom to protect, exploit, and further control or acquire personal or institutional power. This includes the freedom to control the power of others through rule of law, negotiation, manipulation, intimidation, or by direct or indirect force and coercion. Thus "money" in its various forms is the power marker which modern American materialistic society serves as the staff and stuff of life. In Spiritual terms, money is one modern manifestation of baal. [definition]
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power marker:  any recognizable tangible symbol, icon, or condition possessed by the owner that is recognized to empower its owner  (under duress of force) to demand and acquire any law, product, service, circumstance, condition, loyalty, or benefit of any kind.
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power markers as "money:"  examples of power markers include: all forms of authorized symbols for economic exchange, e.g., coins, dollars, yen, pounds, stock, bonds, promissory notes, title to property (real or personal,) a license to perform services, or to compel others to give money, or any other official document that gives authority to the bearer to enforce actions and/or force compliance, or the labor or freedom of others.

When protected by the rules and regulations of the civil and criminal law, money gives freedom and license for its possessor to dominate and control the lives of others.  It permits one's own self indulgence in working the levers of social power. Clarifying the relationship between personal power (the use and abuse of power markers) and Spirituality is an important goal for OT/MP.

The greater the power addiction and orientation of a person to power, the more vulnerable to Spiritual impoverishment. Persons devoted to control (controlling personalities) are denied their ability to release their fear, and thus they are denied access to Love, peace, and the ability to meditate. Thus they are denied to Know Mystical experiences.

"Then Jesus said to His disciples, 'Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.'” [Mat 19:23-24]

But in this web book, "power amplifier" will frequently refer to some kind of systematic use of other human beings (including  when they are organized as businesses, corporations, social movements, or other goal directed social systems.) Social power amplifiers are applied in order to extend one's control in order to manage and acquire money (power) directly or the institutional systems that garner money.  In this sense, people who do work for another person are power amplifiers for her/him. Any business is solely for the priority purpose of serving as a power amplifier for its owner. Likewise, corporations are power amplifiers for those who "own" them, and they generate their rewards in  various forms of money (power). Obsession with personal power in all of its forms severely impedes an individual's Spiritual unfoldment.

Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

Their obsession is to take over control as much of their systems of interest (e.g. corporation, government agencies or the government itself) in order to control as many regulatory and operational functions as they can get away with. They then use this control to further manipulate and control those resources and talent that lie beyond their direct control.  Then if they see the opportunity, they move on to acquire control over international corporate systems and governments through the use of lobbies and direct purchase of the loyalty of government officials and politicians presumably elected to serve the larger public interest..

This is the current trend in national and international commerce and politics.  This dynamic has become a serious problem for our future economic and other freedoms in the United States at the turn into the 21st Century. Useful knowledge of even the existence of these trends, let alone the dynamics of the process, and the negative portent of such activity for our economic health and political stability remain outside the consciousness of most voters, and those workers who unwittingly nourish these power mongers with their talent and apathy.  A goal of OT/MP is to address and remedy this ominous lack.

Power brokers and power mongers have access to, or are in a position to control, through political processes,  the creation, implementation and enforcement of the rules by which people and their power amplifiers must function. This is a primary goal for those who crave power (power mongers.) The empty relationship of these power mechanisms to human Spirituality will be developed in Dialogue 5. OT/MP describes the endless contest between the mentally and emotionally driven human power agenda and its destructive portent when amplified by greed and ruthlessness. To enter such a state of being requires one be Spiritually impoverished. The depth of the chasm is revealed when the relationship to personal power is placed against the unfoldment of Spiritual Consciousness that lies beyond the limits of mental consciousness of the individual. [ref to the Epilogue and its allegory]

See also the Hawkins' Model of Consciousness that deals with power and control