12-27-2007, 12:00 AM
"I do not believe that silence itself can create such an explosive event.
I agree with Vrill that there is nothing in silence that can threaten us. Only the noise is threatening."
Don Juan said that stopping the internal dialog was the most powerful tool that he gave to Carlos. You are right in that it was coupled with certain other perceptual excercises or "not-doings" that added to the effect of questioning the validity of normal "everyday cosciousness."
When you go down the path of questioning the validity of the common description ofthe world, one though leads to another, so to speak. If you follow those ideas with the intent to stop the world you will eventually reach that goal. If you have the intent to keep your perception intact you will not allow those ideas to influence your perceptions.
But, that was the goal for me and others. To stop the world.
But to assume that silence is perfectly safe is not completely correct either. Both Gopi Krishna and my teacher had spontaneous opening of the Kundalini while doing an apparently benign meditaion. It almost killed them both. Both men's lives hung by a thread for months on end before they got it under control.
Both stopped the world during that process, yet their experiences went way beyond merely stopping the world.
If you read Gopi Krishnas account in "Kundalini, the Evolutionary Energy in Man", you will get a much better picture.
Granted, what both men described is a rare occurance, but that is, again, a case of how far a person takes the meditations/excercises.
"I do not believe that silence itself can create such an explosive event."
Maybe not, but these two men were doing the exact same meditation and had the exact same experience. Gopi Krishna in India in 1939 was meditating on the "Thousand Pedaled Lotus" above the crown chakra. That was a traditionally Eastern meditation. John Scudder in 1974 in the United States was doing the "Point" meditation above the crown chakra. That is a meditation of the Western Mystic School of thought.
The experience came as a complete suprise to both men. Though it is written about in both traditions.
So, yes, there was another element besides silence. It was what their minds were concentrating upon, coupled with the practice of silence.
As I said before, silence is perfectly safe and healthy for the most part. But what is your intent during the silence? Do you want to become one with God? It may suprise you that you must "pass through the fire" to get there. Do you want peace and health? You can have some of that.
Do you want to stop the world? That can also be accomplished.
As I have said before, stopping the world is an earth shattering experience. And a true "initiation." But it is
not the end of the road, only the beginning.
It may not even have to be endured. It may be that it can be gone around, so to speak. I do not know. I only know it happened to me. But then my only system of belief at that time was Don Juan's.
In the study of the Tree of Life there is the "serpent's path" up the tree and the "path of the arrow" or "middle pillar" as it is sometimes called. The middle pillar is said to be safer and balanced. More of a Mystic's way. The serpent's path is more the way of the magician. Unbalanced and dangerous.
Bob
I agree with Vrill that there is nothing in silence that can threaten us. Only the noise is threatening."
Don Juan said that stopping the internal dialog was the most powerful tool that he gave to Carlos. You are right in that it was coupled with certain other perceptual excercises or "not-doings" that added to the effect of questioning the validity of normal "everyday cosciousness."
When you go down the path of questioning the validity of the common description ofthe world, one though leads to another, so to speak. If you follow those ideas with the intent to stop the world you will eventually reach that goal. If you have the intent to keep your perception intact you will not allow those ideas to influence your perceptions.
But, that was the goal for me and others. To stop the world.
But to assume that silence is perfectly safe is not completely correct either. Both Gopi Krishna and my teacher had spontaneous opening of the Kundalini while doing an apparently benign meditaion. It almost killed them both. Both men's lives hung by a thread for months on end before they got it under control.
Both stopped the world during that process, yet their experiences went way beyond merely stopping the world.
If you read Gopi Krishnas account in "Kundalini, the Evolutionary Energy in Man", you will get a much better picture.
Granted, what both men described is a rare occurance, but that is, again, a case of how far a person takes the meditations/excercises.
"I do not believe that silence itself can create such an explosive event."
Maybe not, but these two men were doing the exact same meditation and had the exact same experience. Gopi Krishna in India in 1939 was meditating on the "Thousand Pedaled Lotus" above the crown chakra. That was a traditionally Eastern meditation. John Scudder in 1974 in the United States was doing the "Point" meditation above the crown chakra. That is a meditation of the Western Mystic School of thought.
The experience came as a complete suprise to both men. Though it is written about in both traditions.
So, yes, there was another element besides silence. It was what their minds were concentrating upon, coupled with the practice of silence.
As I said before, silence is perfectly safe and healthy for the most part. But what is your intent during the silence? Do you want to become one with God? It may suprise you that you must "pass through the fire" to get there. Do you want peace and health? You can have some of that.
Do you want to stop the world? That can also be accomplished.
As I have said before, stopping the world is an earth shattering experience. And a true "initiation." But it is
not the end of the road, only the beginning.
It may not even have to be endured. It may be that it can be gone around, so to speak. I do not know. I only know it happened to me. But then my only system of belief at that time was Don Juan's.
In the study of the Tree of Life there is the "serpent's path" up the tree and the "path of the arrow" or "middle pillar" as it is sometimes called. The middle pillar is said to be safer and balanced. More of a Mystic's way. The serpent's path is more the way of the magician. Unbalanced and dangerous.
Bob