Mind Chatter #174 (July, 2007) (PDF) - Centerpoint Research Institute

ISSUE #174 JULY 2007INSIDE THE BLACK BOX:HOW YOUR INTERNAL PROCESSES CREATE YOUR LIFEINCLUDES:THIS MONTH’SMINDQUOTESPARTICIPANT LETTERSIMPORTANTANNOUNCEMENTSLIFE PRINCIPLESIN PRACTICE$8.99 US/$13.99 CANCENTERPOINTE.COMCOACH’S CORNERSACRED SPACINGBY MARC GILSON

JULY 2007Welcome to Issue #174 of MIND CHATTERMind Chatter is published once a month, on or about the 16th of each month.Please send Mind Chatter to a friend, and please send usyour questions, comments, and suggestions.If this issue has been forwarded to you, and you’d like to subscribe toMind Chatter, visit http://www.centerpointe.com/newsletter. To view the MindChatter archives, visit http://www.centerpointe.com/newsletter/archives.php03 MINDQUOTESShort quotes from various sourcesoffering succinct nuggets of wisdom04 ANNOUNCEMENTSCreate the Exact Life you Want!07 INSIDE THE BLACK BOX:HOW YOUR INTERNAL PROCESSESCREATE YOUR LIFEBy Bill Harris, Director12 READERS’ VOICES13 LIFE PRINCIPLESIN PRACTICE14 COACH’S CORNERSacred SpacingBy Marc Gilson»MIND CHATTER contains articles about:How you create your life—and how you canstop unconsciously creating experiences andoutcomes you do not want, and instead beginto create exactly what you do want2 MINDCHATTER July 2007»»»»Personal and spiritual growth in generalMeditation (high- and low-tech)Recovery from emotional traumaPretty much any other subject I get excitedabout and want to write about. After all, it’smy company and my newsletter, and I can dowhatever I want with it. So there.

MINDQUOTESTake your life in your own handsand what happens? A terriblething: no one to blame.When an inner situation is notmade conscious, it appearsoutside as fate.—C.G. Jung—Erica JongThe unconscious wants truth. Itceases to speak to those who wantsomething else more than truth.—Adrienne RichLook and you will find it - what isunsought will go undetected.—SophoclesMINDCHATTER July 20073

AnnouncementsYou can resolve that big issue youve been struggling with...The amazing 5-Day Transformationfor those who don’t have time to waitfor tremendous change!Only six spaces remain for our fall retreat.Though I knew it was going to happen, it still wasquite shocking.I’m used to seeing people leave Centerpointe retreatsexperiencing a huge transformation, but as people left ourlatest retreat, something was different—very different.Though a part of me expected it, I was still awed bywhat happened. Person after person approached me as theretreat ended and said, “You changed my life”... “I don’tknow how to thank you”... “This was the missing piece forme”...“I can’t thank you enough.”WHY IN THE WORLD DID THIS HAPPEN?I’ve been getting tremendous positive feedback aboutthese retreats for many years, but never anything like this.Why was the feedback even more positive?Here’s what I think: in addition to all the otherpowerful things we do at the retreats, I completely changedthe material I present to reflect the Nine Principles forConscious Living I teach in my Life Principles IntegrationProcess® online courses.This material describes how we create unhappiness andsuffering and how we can create happiness and inner peaceinstead. Because this description is so clear, everyone who heardit (and practiced it during the retreat) had a huge shift.I PROMISE THAT THE SAME THINGCAN HAPPEN FOR YOU...If you’ve ever thought of attending a retreat...or comingto your 2nd or 3rd retreat...NOW would be the time tocome. Here is one person’s description of what happens atthese retreats:“There’s no way to really describe it. It was intense, emotional,hilarious, intimate, fun, exciting and overwhelming all at thesame time. Most wonderful was being part of a group thataccepted, supported, listened, laughed and cried with me. Wearrived carrying different bags but left singing the same tune,and manifested such respect and love for one and all.“It was like falling in love with 50 people at the same time.Each so different and yet the same. It sounds impossible andperhaps that’s why it was so special—being with a group ofhuman beings that most people only read about but never getto truly immerse themselves in.“I learned a lot about myself and how I interact withothers. I learned that being vulnerable, being open and sharingwith others takes tremendous courage. So I want to thank eachand every one of the participants and the staff because eachone took the necessary risks to create that tremendous groupdynamic at the retreat.“If anyone out there is wondering about going on the nextretreat, stop wondering and just do it. It just might changeyour life.” —Mickey R.At a Centerpointe retreat...» You’ll experience a true quantum leap—taking everything to a higher level...» With some of the most experienced “personalchange coaches” in the world, you’ll experiencea profound shift in that life issue you so much4 MINDCHATTER July 2007

want (and need) to change...» You’ll meet other Centerpointe participantswho may become lifelong friends...» You’ll “get” what “it” (and your life) is all about, and...» You’ll experience some “industrial strength”Holosync, pushing you to new levels of personalgrowth, positive change, and deeper self-awareness.I’m at a loss to precisely describe what happens andwhat it feels like, but I’ll tell you this........IT FEEDS A DEEP PARTOF EVERY PERSON WHO ATTENDS.This experience of unconditional positive regard, justby itself, creates tremendous change—not to mentioneverything else that happens at a retreat. (No one, I hastento add, is forced to open up or be close to others, but youwill feel safe doing so, and you’ll find yourself feeling gooddoing so.)HERE’S ANOTHER BIGREASON FOR COMING...As he has at retreats since 1992, performer/songwriter/oldsoul/recording artist/genius/amazing humanbeing Michael Stillwater—who participants describeas spellbinding, entrancing, heart-opening, and aweinspiring—willbe there. I couldn’t imagine a retreatwithout Michael’s love and talent.Michael is one of the funniest human beings I know(every year he composes several absolutely hilarious songsspoofing me and Centerpointe that have everyone rolling inthe aisles), and he’s one of the most talented song writers andperformers on the planet (really). He was asked to performat the 9/11 Memorial Service in Washington, D.C., andhas the ability to help people touch the deepest parts ofthemselves. I know you’ll find meeting him to be......ONE OF THE MOST AMAZINGEXPERIENCES OF YOUR ENTIRE LIFE (REALLY)!On the last evening we’ll have a big celebration to bringeverything to a climax. These end-of-retreat celebrationsare always awesome, and I’m sure this one will be, too!In fact, my commitment is to make each retreat evenbetter than the last one—which means you’re sure to havean incredible experience!THIS RETREAT COULD BE AREAL TURNING POINT IN YOUR LIFE...You’ll leave the retreat renewed and changed. If there’ssomething that’s been difficult for you to resolve in yourlife, or if you just want to move to a new level in yourgrowth, this retreat could be the turning point—as it hasbeen for nearly everyone who has attended.You don’t have to drive, work, cook, problem solve,take care of others, or do anything except meditate, openyour heart, heal your past, take charge of your life, let goof what’s been holding you back, make new friends—and,move your life to a whole new level.YOU REALLY CAN EXPERIENCE 6 MONTHS(OR MORE) OF GROWTH...IN JUST 5 DAYS!I know this sounds like an outlandish promise, but it’sabsolutely true.PEOPLE RAVE ABOUT OUR RETREAT STAFF...Even if this were all, this next retreat would be incredible.But, in addition, I’m absolutely thrilled to again have Dr.Beverlee Marks Taub, Ph.D. (“Dr. Bev”), as part of theretreat staff.I’ve known and worked with Dr. Bev since 1985.She helped me create the original Centerpointesupport materials, and is one of the country’s most toptransformational therapists.I’ve seen Dr. Bev help resolve difficult and longstandingissues in a single therapeutic session. If you need abreakthrough, she will be available to help you achieve it.Here’s what Dr. Bev said after a previous retreat:“Bill Harris has swirled together a magical mix oftechnology, supportive staff and evocative processes, whichprovide a safe crucible for the changes waiting to happen.“Participants know at a deep level they are safe. The grosserelements of psychic and emotional debris are thrown off, revealingthe pure gold of the true authentic self, waiting to be reclaimed.MINDCHATTER July 20075

“Bill is the Grand Master of this whole show. Part scientistand part irreverent talk show host, he penetrates the collectivesocial facade, and gets everybody laughing about the riotous‘stuff’ we all have and take so seriously. He wields his precisiontechnology like a laser and knows just how and when to godeeper or to lighten up.“Bill says in his commentary on the process that five dayson retreat provides six months of transformational growth.Because I saw physical, emotional and spiritual evidence tosupport this claim, I now believe this is true.”Internationally known therapist and workshopleader Doris Laesser will also be there. Doris has beenin private practice for two decades, working at UniversityChildren’s Hospital in Zurich, as a lecturer at the Institutefor Psychology and the Fritz Perls Institute, and has beena workshop leader at the Cortona Conference in Italy forthe University of Zurich.And, Mariah Wentworth and Jean Greene, our two“body specialists,” will be there, leading us each day inmovement and stretching and giving......INCREDIBLE MASSAGES.So please, come to the retreat. You’ll have a tremendousexperience, you’ll learn a lot, you’ll dramatically accelerateyour growth, you’ll listen to some very powerful Holosyncsoundtracks, you’ll meet a lot of great people, and you’ll......LEARN SOME EXCITINGNEW THINGS ABOUT...YOU!The cost for tuition is only $2097 (lodging notincluded). This includes several meditations per day, allpresentations, and lots of attention from me and from theincredible growth coaches we’ve invited.Here’s my personal guarantee: If, at the end of theretreat, you don’t think it was the most transformativeexperience you’ve ever had, just come see me before youleave and I’ll refund your tuition.I make this guarantee because I know if I can just getyou there......SOMETHING WILL HAPPEN THATWILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE FOREVER!Please act quickly, though. There are only 6 spaces leftin this upcoming retreat. For the last several retreats, it’sbecome common for us to turn people away. So if youwant to be at this next one......PLEASE LET US KNOW RIGHT AWAY.To reserve your spot, we need a $495 deposit, payablewith Visa, Mastercard, check or money order. Please notethat this deposit is not refundable, unless we cancel theretreat. The balance of your payment will be due 45 daysbefore the retreat begins. For more infomation go to:http://www.centerpointe.com/retreatsOr call us at 1-800-945-2741 or 503-672-7117.So that’s it. Please come. You’ll be shaking your head inwonder when it’s all over, just as I was after the last retreat.You really can make tremendous progress with—even totallyresolve—that big issue you’ve been struggling with. I’m reallyexcited to finally meet you in person, and I know you’llenjoy meeting the other participants.Only six spots remain. To avoid the possibility ofmissing out, please call or write now to reserve your spot.See you there!Regards,William Harris, DirectorP.S.: Don’t forget: there is a 100% money back guaranteeon this retreat. I expect it to fill up fast, so reserve your spotright away. Spending five days with Michael Stillwater andDr. Beverlee Marks Taub and Doris Laesser (and me!) isworth the price of the retreat all by itself, so don’t delay!Reserve your spot now by calling 1-800-945-2741 or503-672-7117. Or send your deposit to: CenterpointeResearch Institute, 1700 NW 167th Place, Suite 220,Beaverton OR 97006. You can also reserve your spot byfaxing your name, address, and credit card number withexpiration date to 503-643-3114.6 MINDCHATTER July 2007

Feature ArticleINSIDE THEHow Your Internal Processes Create Your LifeBY BILL HARRISDoes life, for the most part, “just happen” to you? Howmuch of what happens in your life seems to be underyour control? Are you creating your life, or is it creatingyou?Though you’re probably not aware of them, certain internal thinking processes(what I call your Internal Map of Reality) generate several key aspects of your life: 1)nearly all of your internal feeling experiences, 2) your behaviors, and 3) the peopleMINDCHATTER July 20077

feature articleand situations you attract into yourlife, or become attracted to.Whether your emotional statesare positive or negative; whether yourbehavior leads you to what you want,or what you don’t want; and whetheryou attract people and situations thathelp you experience what you want,or what you don’t want, everythingbegins with your Internal Map ofReality. It’s the software that createsyour life—though unlike mostsoftware, you can rewrite the codewhenever you need a different result.In doing so, you can create whateveryou want in life.Yes, it often seems as if whatyou feel, how you behave, and whathappens to you is largely drivenby your external circumstances.However, there is substantial evidencethat almost everything you experiencebegins with certain internal thinkingprocesses—processes you can learn todirect.If you’re unaware of how yourInternal Map of Reality works(most people are), you’ll create yourexperience of life, to a large degree,automatically, as if on autopilot.With a little bit of practice, though,it’s possible to become aware of theseprocesses and learn to operate themintentionally. In doing so you gainan amazing degree of control overwhat happens in your life. In fact,those few individuals who mastertheir internal processes, and use themintentionally, could be called trueMasters of Life. They represent thetiny fraction of humanity who areable to intentionally create whateverthey want in their external world, aswell as what happens in their internal,feeling world.You can be one of these people,regardless of your present or pastcircumstances. There is, of course, aprice to pay to achieve such mastery,but paying it can actually be enjoyable.And, the rewards are huge..A few aspects of your Internal Mapof Reality are inborn. Most, though,are learned, and entirely under yourcontrol. Most of how your Map ofReality was formed happened duringchildhood, representing your bestattempt to resourcefully deal withthe unique set of circumstances youfaced in your family situation. Then,as long as this Internal Map continuesto operate, it automatically shapes therest of your life. You can, however,take that Map off of autopilot andconsciously and intentionally reshapeit. And, in doing so, you can takecharge of your life.An Internal Map of Reality canwork well even if it is operatingautomatically. A positive childhood,with positive mentoring and theprotection of loving and supportiveparents, leads to a positive andresourceful Internal Map of Reality.If you have such a Map, you willtend to focus on possibilities and findways to manifest them. You will moreoften than not experience positiveemotions, and be more likely tobehave in resourceful ways. You willalso more often attract or be attractedto people and situations that will helpyou create the outcomes you want.A less-than positive childhood,however, without such mentoringand protection, and possibly withsome amount of emotional traumaor abuse, will lead to a much differentMap of Reality, one that will generatemore negative results. If you havesuch a Map, you will experienceunpleasant emotions more often.You will tend to behave in lessthanresourceful ways. And you willattract, or be attracted to, peopleand situations that will quite oftenhelp you create negative results andoutcomes.Your Map of Reality couldbe at one of these extremes, orsomewhere in the middle. The rangeof possibilities, and the exact detailsof each Map, is unlimited. Whateveryour Internal Map of Reality, though,it will generate your results in life.An unhealthy Map of Reality willtend to focus on how to be safe inwhat seems to be a dangerous world.If you have such a Map, much ofyour attention will be directed towardavoiding danger, whether physical oremotional. Positive possibilities willseem less real, or non-existent. Youwill feel good less often. You willgenerate more negative than positiveemotions. You will behave in a lessresourceful manner. Ironically, youwill often attract the very dangersyou seek to avoid.A HAPPY CHILDHOODISN’T ENOUGHObviously a positive childhoodis preferable to a negative one. Butwhether positive or negative, there isan even more important distinctionwe could make about your InternalMap of Reality: whether you areconsciously aware of how it operatesand how it creates your life, and areable to operate it intentionally, orwhether it operates automatically,outside of your awareness.If you are unaware of how your8 MINDCHATTER July 2007

feature articleInternal Map creates your resultsand experience of life, you won’t seeand therefore will be unable to takeadvantage of an almost unlimitednumber of additional choices—choices that could be used to createdifferent (and potentially better)results. Even if your Map of Realityis generally positive, you will stillbe operating within a narrowrange of possibilities. Thoughbetter off than a person withan unhealthy Map of Reality,you’re still exercising only afraction of your potential.There are, then, twopotential challenges to creatinga resourceful and fulfillinglife. The first is an unhealthyMap of Reality, created by adysfunctional childhood. Thesecond is a lack of awareness ofhow that Map automatically createsyour life. Luckily, because InternalMaps can be changed, both problemsare solvable. If you are willing to putforth a certain amount of effort, youcan become aware of how your InternalMap works, and learn to operate itconsciously and intentionally. Thisallows you to take charge of three keyaspects of your life: how you feel ineach moment, how you behave, andthe people and situations you attractor are attracted to.When you learn to operateyour Internal Map intentionally,your feeling life changes. Insteadof reacting to whatever happensaround you, you can decide toexperience happiness, inner peace,motivation, enthusiasm, compassion,imagination, focus, persistence,insight, love—or any other emotionor feeling state. One aspect of yourInternal Map of Reality are whatcognitive psychologists call strategies.Strategies are certain combinationsof internal representations (a fancyname for thoughts) that lead to thefeeling states (and, also, the behaviors)you experience in each moment.Right now, it’s very likely that yourcognitive strategies are runningalong automatically—which meansthey are creating your feeling statesautomatically. You can, however,learn to operate them intentionallyand, in doing so, decide how to feelin any moment.If you’re like most people, it canseem as if emotions “just happen”,that they suddenly come over you,completely unbidden and out of theblue. Or, that feelings are caused bywhatever is happening around you.Someone cuts in front of you onthe freeway, and you feel angry, orscared. Despite appearances, though,your Internal Map of Reality is thereal source of your feelings. Externalcircumstances provide a trigger, butit’s what you do with that trigger thatdetermines your emotional response.When you direct your attentionunconsciously and automatically(based on how your Internal Mapwas pre-set during childhood), youhave little if any control over youremotional responses. Instead, youexperience certain pre-programmedfeeling states over and over,automatically. No wonder it seemsas if your feelings come unbidden,or that they are caused by externalcircumstances. When you learn toIf you are unaware of how yourInternal Map creates your resultsand experience of life, you won’t seeand therefore will be unable to takeadvantage of an almost unlimitednumber of additional choices.operate your Internal Map consciouslyand intentionally, though, you canchoose your emotional response,regardless of circumstancesSecond, learning to operate yourInternal Map of Reality consciouslyand intentionally allows you to takecontrol of your behavior, to act inpurposeful ways that lead to theoutcomes you want. Actions beginin the mind, and when your internalprocesses are intentional, your actionswill also be intentional. Intentionalactions then lead to intentionalresults. Even when actions don’tturn out the way you hoped, yourintentional and conscious controlover your Internal Map allows youto turn challenges and obstacles, andwhat looks like failure (as the clichésays), into opportunities.Not all actions begin with athought. 1 Most purposeful action,MINDCHATTER July 20079

feature articlehowever, does begin with a thought,with a focusing of attention. You getup from your chair to answer thedoor because the doorbell focusedyour attention in a certain way,which generated certain thoughts(and possibly certain feelings), whichthen generated your behavior. Howyou focused your attention createdan internal state (motivation) thatled to action.When focusing is automatic, thebehaviors generated will obviouslyalso be automatic. On the otherhand, the more intentionally andconsciously you use your InternalMap, the more likely you’ll generateresourceful, intentional behaviors.Finally, your Internal Map ofReality drives a third key aspectof how you create your life—thepeople and situations you attract orare attracted to. With an InternalMap operating automatically, ina certain way, you will notice andbecome attracted to certain peopleand situations. Set it up in anotherway, and the cast of characters andsituations will change. If you canlearn to change your Internal Mapdepending on the outcome you want(instead of just putting up with thepre-set outcomes you automaticallygenerate with an unconscious Map ofReality), you can intentionally attractthe people and situations you needor want in order to accomplish yourobjective—whether it’s a feeling, abehavior, or a particular outcome inthe world.Your Internal Map of Realitygenerates certain verbal and nonverbalcues. These cues cause othersto notice (or fail to notice) you, or tobecome attracted (or not be attracted)to you. Based on these cues, peopleare led to become involved with youin some way, or to not notice youat all. In many ways, life consists ofa complex matrix of cues, some wesend out and others we receive, allregulated by our Internal Map ofReality.In a similar way, you notice andbecome attracted to other people orto certain situations, based on howthey mesh with what your InternalMap of Reality has been pre-set tocreate.It’s as if our Internal Map ofReality has a script, and it finds thecharacters and situations you need inorder to create that script in reality.The script could be a drama, acomedy, a tragedy, or a success story.Your life, however, does not need tobe script-driven. You can step outsidethe world of automatic, scriptedoutcomes. Your Internal Map, yourlife script, is not set in stone. Youcan, with a little effort, rewrite it,or even give up living a pre-scriptedlife and instead create an intentionallife. As Dr. Eric Berne, the creator ofTransactional Analysis and a pioneerin script theory once said, “You canclose the old show, and put a new oneon the road.”You do this by learning how yourInternal Map works, and noticingwhat it is currently creating. Next,you notice previously unnoticedchoices, notice which are the mostresourceful, and begin to exercisethem. If your Internal Map of Realityis operating under your conscious andintentional control, you can actuallychange it on the fly. In doing so, youcan generate any result you want.These three things—how you feel,how you behave, and the people andsituations you attract into your life—determine most of what happens toyou. Yes, genetics plays a role, and,yes, there are random acts in theworld. And, other people are acting(though usually unconsciously) withtheir agenda, which may conflictwith yours.Even so, once you take chargeof your Internal Map and learnto operate it consciously andintentionally, genetics, randomacts, and the potentially conflictingdesires and actions of other peoplebecome, in almost every case, a nonfactor.When you take charge of yourInternal Map of Reality, you find away to overcome any problems ofgenetics, you avoid the people andsituations that might thwart yourintentions, and you find ways to avoidmost negative random acts, and turnthe others into opportunities.WHAT YOU FOCUS ON, YOU CREATEA fundamental characteristic ofyour Internal Map is its ability todetermine what you pay attentionto (and also, as a result, whatyou disregard, overlook, or deletefrom your attention). What youpay attention to supplies the “rawmaterial” used to generate feelings,behaviors, meanings, decisions, and1 Some actions—some fear responses, for instance—are generated by more primitive parts of the brain, and are more properly described asreactions because the behavior happens a millisecond before our cognitive response to it, and is therefore not under voluntary control.10 MINDCHATTER July 2007

feature articleother aspects of your moment-bymomentexperience of life.On the other hand, you cannotuse what you are unaware of to createyour life. In a practical sense, it doesn’texist. If you are unaware of a possibility,it doesn’t exist. If you are unaware ofcertain information, or certain people,neither are available to you. What youpay attention to exercises a powerfuleffect on what happens in your life.If how you pay attention happensautomatically, because your InternalMap is running on autopilot, yourchoices are limited. If, however, youcan intentionally pay attention tothat which helps you create what youwant, you can create any internal stateand any external result.Why is paying attention, and whatyou pay attention to, so powerful?Research indicates that whenyou repeatedly focus attention ina certain way (for instance, whenyou repeatedly focus your attentionon an idea, a feeling, a meaning, oran outcome you want), or when werepeatedly take certain actions (aswhen we practice or rehearse a certainskill), the brain actually devotesadditional neural real estate tonoticing, processing, and actualizingthat idea, feeling, meaning, outcome,or skill.This leads to a rather startlingconclusion: what you repeatedlyplace your attention on, you tendto create in reality. What is more, inthe midst of an infinitely complexand often confusing world, withbillions of other people setting out toattain ends which may often conflictwith yours—the one and only thingyou really have complete and totalcontrol over is how you focus yourattention, what you focus it on. (Thiswas the message of the popular film,The Secret. Unfortunately, The Secretimplied that focusing your mind isall you need to do, that creating whatyou want is somehow magic. As wewill see, focusing your attention onwhat you want is a crucial first step,but there is much more involved.)The part of the brain involved inthe finger dexterity a concert pianistneeds to play Rachmaninoff’s ThirdPiano Concerto, as well as the partof the brain that allows her to makethe minute auditory distinctions thatenable her to play it well, are manytimes larger than the same partsof the brain in persons who havenever practiced the piano or receivedmusical training. By repeatedlyfocusing attention in a certain way,and by repeatedly taking certainactions, the concert pianist developswhat seem to the rest of us to bealmost magical powers.This mechanism works formore than motor skills or auditorydistinctions, though. Wheneverwe repeatedly pay attention tosomething, it grabs additional brainreal estate, and as this happens webecome better at it. This is truewhether our focus involves feelings,actions, or any other human activity.Scientists recently studied Buddhistmonks, some of whom had spent upto 50,000 hours practicing a specialmeditation designed to increasefeelings of loving kindness andcompassion. The part of the brainthat generates such feelings was manytimes larger in these monks than inpersons who had never meditated,and, as a result, these monks actuallyare more compassionate.The simple—and perhapsobvious—truth is that when yourepeatedly focus your attentionor repeatedly practice doingsomething—mentally, emotionally,or physically—you get better at it.Once you learn how your InternalMap of Reality works, and practicechoosing how to operate each partof it, you will become a master ofyour mind. As this happens, theparts of your brain that intentionallycreate how you feel and behave, andthat intentionally attract or becomeattracted to certain people andsituations, will become increasinglybetter at doing so. In that way, youcan master your life.If, on the other hand, yourmethod of determining what to payattention to continues to operateautomatically, without intentionalchoice on your part—if you continueto automatically pay attention in thesame way, to the same things—yourbrain will continue to devote moreneural real estate to paying attentionunconsciously, and you’ll continueto create your life on autopilot, forbetter or worse.Centerpointe’s Life PrinciplesIntegration Process (LPIP) is a step-bystepmethod for mastering your InternalMap of Reality. To experience a freepreview lesson, just click here:http://www.centerpointe.com/life/preview/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// MCMINDCHATTER July 200711

eaders’ voicesYour support has been quick and helpful. I wanted tolet you know it has been greatly appreciated.I’m beginning to believe the centerpointe program is“the solution”; at least for me so far.(1) I’ve always had trouble working with computers.Now I’m starting to really understand some of the softwareI use.(2) I have enrolled in a swimming class even though Iused to be terrified of water.(3) I have flown in an airplane without fear...and thathas never been true for me.All this has happened in the first 2 months of using theAwakening Prologue. I still can’t believe it.Sometimes “The Mind” insists it’s all the result of aplacebo effect but it works for me. Nothing else has.I recently ordered Level 1 and am looking forward tostarting it in August-if I’m ready. As long as I experienceimprovements in my life, I’ll be looking forward toHolosync meditation programs at increasingly higherlevels.Note: Going through life as the Witness has beenchallenging but it’s beginning to work with minor thingsand that’s good news too.I thank Bill and his support team for improving mylife.PS: The neck pain/stiffness on my left side has goneand the temporary anger issues I had have significantlysubsided.—JONI want to thank you so much for the information andthe Holosync technology you have brought into my life.I’m a 14 year cancer survivor and in the past 14 yearshave been struggling to deal with the stress of my ordeal.Just in the last few weeks my connection to source andmy belief’s in myself have changed for the better. You’vetruely blessed my life and want to thank you for whatyour doing. I will stay in touch!—JEFFI’m writing to say thank you so much for the Holosyncprogramme. I’ve been on Awakening Level 1 for almost fourweeks now and I have to say that the hour of listening (andsometimes 90 mins when I can squeeze it in) is the highlightof my day. Initially, when I first began to listen to the originalCD I had a few rough experiences, sometimes I wanted torip off the headphones but this soon passed and now I’mloving it. Not only do I sink into a deeply, deeply relaxed statebut I find that I can do all sorts of physical and emotionalhealing when I’m ‘down there’. I’ve lost almost 18 poundsin weight since I started the programme, I’m eating less andenjoying food more. I’m more patient and tolerant and justmuch, much happier! I have more staying power in all thatI do and am becoming creative - I was totally unable to becreative at all but now I’m finding all sorts of ways in whichI can harness my new found gifts. Best of all is the peace inmy head - the ‘noise’, that constant chatter, has all but gone.What a pleasure not to wake up and dread the day. Onlyon level 1 so a long way to go but it’s so exciting and so lifechanging.Again thanks to all of you at Centerpointe—I’mgob-smacked! (Do you have that term in USA?)—AIDANI am so grateful for this Holosync program. My son andgrandson were recently shot at in their home in Aliso Viejoimmediately after the young man killed my sons neighbors.My son escaped serious injury as the window shattered inhis front room. The young man then committed suicide inhis own home down the street. This was on national tv andyou may have heard it in this way. I spent my time with mydaily cds and powered on gamma compassion for I wanted tojudge, to blame, to be very angry with this world and becauseof this help from these gentle prayers I am accepting the waythe world has me and am grateful for the gift of life that wasgiven to my son. I did not lose myself as is usual for me butrather gained and changed the painful frightened illusions ofmyself to be me and giving me added energy and compassion.I only pray that my son and all could one day benifit from thisprogram but would never at this time consider spending thetime it takes. I am grateful to spend the time as it brings peaceand allows me to become myself. Thank you for allowingme to thank you for I know that Centerpointe has brought amiracle of healing to this troubled world.—JEANNE12 MINDCHATTER July 2007

life principles in practiceLife Principles In PracticeMAKE IT UP, BUT KNOW WHAT’S REALThe problem isn’t that we make mental boundariesthat make it look as if there really are separatethings, it’s that we forget we’ve done it. If youwere watching a really grisly, scary horror movieand you totally forgot it was a movie, if youreally thought it was true, it would probablybe a horrifying experience. There is a differencebetween seeing a killing in a movie, no matterhow realistically portrayed, and a real killing, andthe difference is that you know the movie killingisn’t real.THE BEAUTY IN MEANINGLESSNESSThe universe is a meaningless energy, goingnowhere for no reason. But this isn’t a statementof despair. It’s a statement of awe andwonder. What a marvelous thing to be here, onthis rock ball, with all these other beings andanimals and plants and everything else, zoomingthrough space filled with these giant ballsof fire, grouped together in galaxies. Amazing.And then to be conscious of it all is anotherlayer of amazing. So again, we go back to thetwo realms—the realm of the mind and therealm of the natural world, of reality. If youwant to play in the realm of the mind, youcan have anything mean whatever you want,because all meanings are made up anyway. Or,you can look directly, without meanings, andsee things in all their naked glory.PEACE COMES WHEN YOU STOP FIGHTINGChange happens, but there is no one—noseparate entity—who changes. In a way, thewhole problem you perceive in your life is createdby the fact that you--as a separate entity—wantto change. You think there is a problem, youthink there is a separate “you” that could havea problem, and this makes it appear as if therereally is a problem. Freedom comes not fromsolving this illusory problem, but in realizing thatthere is no problem to begin with. Those who areenlightened are peaceful and blissful not becausethey defeated the parts of life they don’t like, butbecause they stopped fighting against them.SUFFERING DEPENDS ON “YOU”When all of this is dropped—all the classifyingand naming and adding of meanings—all theproblems we generally attribute to reality dissolve.Fear requires that something be other than you,outside of you, for you to be afraid of. Angerrequires something other than you for you tobe angry at. Anxiety requires something outsideof you, or something in “the future”—which,remember, is just a concept--to worry about.Grieving requires something outside, something“not you”, that you could lose. Longing requiressomething outside of you to want or cling to. Allof this dissolves—or at least the suffering thatusually accompanies it dissolves—when realityis no longer filtered through the mind.////////////////////////////////////////////////////////MINDCHATTER July 200713

coach’s corner» MARC GILSONSACRED SPACINGBy Marc GilsonMarc Gilson started his career at Centerpointe over 10 yearsago, when the office was still located in Bill’s basement.Since then, he has established himself as one of the mostknowledgeable individuals in the world of meditation,both traditional and technical. His expertise in the fields ofcoaching and neurotechnology have made him invaluable,and his natural wisdom and compassion for other beingshave made him the heart and soul of the Centerpointe office.One early morning, several years ago, a homeless manapproached me on a downtown street asking for fifty cents.He smelled of cheap wine and the stench that comes fromdays and nights on streets and under bridges. I reachedinto my pocket and realized I had no change; but I had afew dollars. I handed him two one-dollar bills, hoping he’dlet me get on with my walk. His eyes lit-up and he quicklyreached into his coat pocket and retrieved a small object.Looking into his grubby hands I noticed that it was a ringmade of thick copper wire with an empty mounting ontop. He explained that he had just made it the previousday.He handed it to me and had me hold it up in the mistymorning light.“See there,” he said pointing to the top of the ring,“that’s where the diamond would go!”I looked at him standing there, smiling at me proudlyfrom under his dirty gray beard. I smiled back, handedhim the ring, and began to walk away.“Wait!” he said. “It’s yours.”“Thanks,” I said, “but you keep it.”He stepped in front of me, “But this could be a diamondring, you know. All it needs is the diamond!” He held thering in front of my eyes as if displaying a priceless pieceof real jewelry. Then it occurred to me—it was indeed apriceless piece of jewelry.I smiled at him and said, “Well, it’s an original, isn’t it?”He put the ring in my hand and began to walk away.“There’s not another one like it!” he said as he headeddown the sidewalk.I called out, “Thank you,” and went on my way.I’ve encountered several such people before. But thisone man sticks in my mind. For him, the reality of nothaving a diamond to go in his ring was not a problem.Rather, he found happiness in creating a spot for thediamond—a place for value and beauty, a space forsomething of worth.He could have just made a simple band with noplace for a stone, since he had none. Or he might havesubstituted something for a gem, a marble or piece of glass.But his satisfaction came from his effort to make a spacefor something valuable, not from investing it with falsewealth or fake riches.I imagine that while he was making the ring he didso with a sense of the value and meaning of what he wascreating; a value and meaning far beyond what societywould usually define as valuable. And when he offered methe ring—nothing more than a piece of copper wire with14 MINDCHATTER July 2007

coach’s corneran empty mounting—I experienced that same meaningand value. Today I keep that ring with the empty mountingwith me at all times; it’s not for sale.I bring up this issue of “making a place for value”because it’s usually the first obstacle people encounterwhen attempting to meditate. People who begin TheHolosync Solution program sometimes have concernsabout spending the necessary time meditating withtheir Holosync soundtracks. They want the benefits theprogram has to offer, but how will they find the time andspace to do it? Meditating means making a place for value,setting aside time for solitude, contemplation, stillness.You might call it “sacred spacing.” And yes, it will requiretime and space. “But I don’t have time to meditate!” “Can’tI meditate on my way to work?” “Can I watch TV while Ilisten to my CDs?” It’s so easy to fill our time with otherthings; often things of less value than an hour of sacred,uninterrupted time.Meditation is an oil upon the rushing waters of ourhigh-velocity lifestyles. But therein lies its power. It doesn’tmix in. It isn’t something you do while reading the paperor balancing your checkbook. It doesn’t always fit neatly inbetween appointments, phone calls, or other activities. Itrequires sacrifice, devotion, discipline. Mainly, it requiresus to see value in emptiness. When we can allow ourselvesthe luxury of that hour without the habitual compulsionto fill it with something, we find ourselves in a differentworld; one where emptiness does not represent lack, butpossibility. Where silence doesn’t mean boredom, butserenity; where we are able to shed uniforms we wear toundertake our work and other responsibilities, and “justbe.” This cannot happen without the time and space wemust sometimes wrestle away from wild and freneticexternal pressures.Simple? Yes. Easy? Not for most of us. Most of us arenot used to stillness. We are not comfortable when it’s tooquiet. We really don’t know how to make a place for valuebecause we tend to fear the sacrifice of time necessary just tocarve out an hour or so each day. Not to mention, stillnesscan be, well, boring! But bear in mind that boredom isnothing more than the mind without its pacifier. It mighttake time for the mind to wean itself from the addictionof stimulus, but as the withdrawal passes, a new level ofcenteredness and harmony supplant it.Remember that a sacred space is not merely thephysical environment in which you meditate. It beginson the inside, with the commitment to yourself that thespace and time you make is, in fact, sacred. The countlessdemands on our time and energy may be important andnecessary to attend to. But the space and time you makewhen you meditate is for you and you alone, a preciousgemstone placed carefully in the center of it all.///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////MCMINDCHATTER July 200715