Category Archives: Spirituality

What the Bleep do We Know?

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What the Bleep Do We Know!? is a fun movie that is part story and part documentary.  It features two of my favorite scientists, Candace Pert – the person that discovered the opioid receptor, and William Tiller – a Standford physicist that presented an obscure proof at a conference I once attended.

The movie is colorful and presents good information about addictive processes, especially how our body reacts to outside triggers.  It demonstrates how habitual patterns of feeling sorry for ourselves or craving the rush of sexual energy can set us up to create situations in our lives to supply the chemicals our body produces, much like a drug addict getting a fix.  No need to inject, we make our own chemicals.

This is powerful example of how habitual patterns create our reality in a subtle way.  The underlying message is a common spiritual theme.  To be free of conditioned responses we need to break free of the limiting beliefs or programs that our system continues to run in the background.  Breaking free allows for true choice in our actions.

Along with the great discussion of physiology the movie does a nice job of talking about how quantum physics explains our reality.  Yes, we are really not touching the ground when we stand on it.  The things we think are solid are not really solid.  We, and the things are mostly space.  We can consciously create our reality (and we already unconsciously create it).


Kumare

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Kumare is a documentary about a fellow from the East Coast that comes to Phoenix and pretends to be an Indian Guru.  Once he has collected together a group of followers and indoctrinates them in his spiritual path, he does an unveiling where he reveals his true identity.  Kumare’s message is that we all have the answers wtihin us and don’t need external teachers to tell us what to do.

In this interesting and complex film, Vikram Gandhi, the filmmaker and star, asks the question, “What does it take to be a spiritual teacher?”   He finds out that the “phony” methods he uses seem to create true change in the people he works with.  While some may claim that he was an “unrecognized” spiritual teacher to begin with, it may also be true that change is dependent on the person and their intention, not the teacher and not the methods. 

This is much like the conclusions of the counseling curriculum I just completed.  No psychological method has been shown to be more effective than others, however, counselors that are empathic and demonstrate unconditional positive regard are.

 


Dark Retreat – Preliminary Thoughts

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I first came upon the idea of doing a “dark retreat” when I started exploring a nighttime practice.  The instructions, as I have talked about before, are quite simple. One simply visualizes a white “A” at one’s center and relaxes into it. The target is to stay aware of the “A” as one falls asleep.  If you can do this you have the full presence of state of natural light. (Whatever that means.)  This allows you to be aware as you sleep and to be able to easily recognize when you are dreaming.  Hence, your dreams are lucid.

Now if you can do this, great!  If not, Namkhai Norbu suggests a dark retreat may be useful in developing this level of contemplation.  This recommendation spurred me to put “dark retreat” on my bucket list.  I have not yet investigated what the retreat involves, but I know that is requires pitch darkness for at least twenty-four hours.

There is one room in my house that has no windows.  That is a small bathroom. Perhaps that would suffice for twenty-four hours, but it doesn’t really have enough room to lay down in. Ideally, I would have access to that bathroom and the living room.  And since there isn’t a door between the kitchen and the living room, I might as well throw in the kitchen.

Window foam insert for dark retreat

Preparing for a dark retreat by creating foam inserts for the windows. These will be covered with opaque plastic or blackout fabric.

It has been interesting for me to think about what it would take to get my house completely dark.  And beyond that, what activities would need to be given up to maintain darkness.  For instance, while I could turn off the light in the fridge, cooking anything will always emit light.  Or if I want to just adjust my thermostat the light will go on.   And many of you know my attachment to my swamp cooler this time of year.  I hate to give it up, but it requires the incoming air to be vented.  An opening to the outside that doesn’t allow light in may be difficult to devise.

The first step will be devise a way to get the house dark.  The second step will be to plan my lay out of things so that I can find what I need in the dark.  No reading labels during the retreat!  And with no clock to consult, how will I know when I am done retreating?  I imagine I could figure out day from night by temperature changes.  My walls get warm when the sun comes up.

What else will I need to do to prepare?  What would it take for you to do a dark retreat at your place?