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1995 Essay Number One

THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD

"I am ashamed to see what a shallow

village tale our so-called history is."

... Ralph Waldo Emerson

When I use the word history, I do not mean, as you might think, a chronological tale of the events and deeds of men and countries of

the past. As I have already mentioned, I have seen that the past, the

present, and the future are merely different aspects of the eternal

"now", so tales of the past have for me a different meaning. What is

really happening in the world is that mankind, collectively and indi-

vidually, is accumulating experiences for the purpose of growth in

understanding. When these experiences are set down in writing,

or discussed verbally, they become a "historia", a word by which

those wise Greeks meant a learning by inquiry, or knowledge. If we

If we were to try to put down in writing the accumulated knowledge

of the world, this would be a long essay indeed, so for that you will

have to conduct your own life-long inquiry.

That is not half the problem, however. You may find this

difficult to comprehend, but the simple truth is that every thought,

every deed, every change set in motion by every man, woman, and

child on earth begins a chain reaction that creates its own "history".

The net result of this situation is that there is not one sequential

history of the world's experience, but an infinite number of them

that is endlessly and exponentially expanding. Because the conscious

mind is designed to think in a linear fashion, we only "remember" one

of these tracks at a time, so each of us has a "life" that consists of

the choices we have made and their results.

This subject is worthy of a whole book of its own, and that is not

my intention here, so we will save it for another time. Let us proceed

with a discussion of the histories that have been recorded, and are

generally accepted as facts or legends. Even these are woefully

limited when it comes to accuracy, because our egos won't let us

believe that it is possible that other "past" civilizations might have

been more advanced than our own. We tend to see only what we

want to see.

One can learn enough, however, by a thoughtful analysis of the

story of the last 5,000 years or so of popular history. The important

lessons of life exist in microcosm every day if we but look for them.

The same is true of the lives of nations. There is more than one kind

of history, of course. We could separately discuss natural history,

religious history, or political history, for example, but they are all

intertwined in the story of mankind, and there are some basic truths

that always apply.

It should be obvious to everyone that all life is cyclical. Even our

conscious minds and their attendant five senses will tell us that every

living thing comes into being, has its physical "life", and then passes

on. Some of these lives are longer or shorter in earth time than

others, and some seem to include more significant events. This, of

course, is only on the surface. A great deal more is happening than

is observed by the physical senses.

All of this can be said of an individual human being, and it is

equally applicable to a family, a clan, a city, a nation, or even a

"great" civilization. All have come and gone, and will continue to do

so. The last time I was here, we saw the end of a Roman civilization

that had existed for eleven hundred years. There was great nobility

in Rome, and great learning, but in the end it was overcome by its

own complacency and senescence.

There is nothing wrong with this system. The objective of human

life is not to build great eternal cities or civilizations. The earth is a

school of experience, and building, tearing down, and building up

again are the ways in which we all learn. The mini-world you are now

calling "Camelot" did not last very long at all, but look at the lessons

that were learned and are still being learned by everyone who loves

the legends of Arthur and his knights. There was great power there,

too, and it is possible that it may never be forgotten. I am proud to

have been a part of the story.

POLITICAL HISTORY

Most of the records we refer to as political history are concerned with the endless shifting of power or influence between individuals or groups of people. One monarch or society will control a portion of the earth for a time and then other persons or system will take over. Sometimes this is an improvement, sometimes not, depending on the quality and the motives of the people involved. The resulting disagreements and the methods used to resolve them are the stuff of history. Everyone included in these dramas has a golden opportunity to learn much from their involvement. Many do. Alas, many others who are focused solely on themselves do not learn much at all. We must always remember, however, that the beauty of all creation lies in its diversity. A governmental system or mode of living that works well for one group will not necessarily be effective with another. There have been many whole societies of people who had a style of life that was working well and making progress, but who were swallowed up completely and vanished simply because a larger, more powerful group wanted to use their land. There have been no perfect utopian societies and there probably will never be any on this earth because people are not perfect. We are all growing children. We are selfish, short-sighted, and we make mistakes. We are also noble, beautiful, and ultimately bound for glory. The great civilizations have always appeared when many tried to express this nobility, and most disappeared when the vision faded. But history is not really about great and small civilizations. It is about great and small people. Societies of people merely reflect the qualities of the individuals included in them. The history of the world is still being written, just as it was in Britain when Arthur was living, and just as it was 10,000 years before that. The process will continue for the next 10,000 years and beyond. Just as in a great school of learning, some classes will achieve more than others, but all will learn. Some of history's lessons have been very hard, and the students endured much suffering. It did not need to be so. My main role in Arthur's time was to be his teacher. He was a wonderful student, and by applying his lessons, he helped alleviate much of this unnecessary suffering. It is my hope that these "lessons" I am now writing will do the same. NATURAL HISTORY AND RELIGIOUS HISTORY A "natural" history of the world would attempt to find a beginning, and trace the development of all natural phenomena and/or living species up to the present time. Your empirical scientists are working hard on this story, and have uncovered some very interesting facts. The simple truth is that, just as individuals or civilizations come and go in time, so do worlds. It merely takes a little longer. Confusion arises because the human spirit is not bound by the rules of time, and always has trouble figuring out the relationship between time and "eternity". And, of course, demanding a beginning to a timeless process dooms the search to almost certain failure immediately. This dilemma gives rise to "religious" history when men try to discover their true nature outside of time. Because, as we have mentioned, the fundamental rule of all creation is diversity, man in turn always creates a variety of diverse religious beliefs. All are valid for the individuals involved, and all will lead to the same end - the final unification of each "separate" human spirit with the universal one, by whatever name it is called. Nature provides this answer most clearly. Consider this: There is only one SUN for this world, and it is seen and felt by all people every day. It is the source of the natural life of the whole world, though it is called by a different name in each language. There is also only one source of humanity, though it has many names. Even the "messiahs" or "messengers of God" that appear in many religions are all the same SON appearing in diverse forms to suit the time and place. It is amusing that men choose to argue about them, rather than appreciate that oneness.

Whether one elects to explore histories that are natural, religious,

political, or are some other facet of the story of mankind, a persistent

inquiry will always impress the student with the similarity of repeating

situations. There is outward diversity, of course, but human nature

changes very slowly, so we tend to make the same mistakes over and

over. There have always been good leaders and bad. Wars have

always caused suffering. Prosperity has come and gone, but

"happiness" has always depended on the small pleasures in life and a

knowledge of man's true nature.

I see little difference between the 21st century and the 6th

century in these matters, and this tells me that it has probably always

been so, and will continue to be as long as there is a world for us to

inhabit.

... Merlyn

Essay Number Two

LAW AND POLITICS

When Camelot was born, it was into a time and place that has very

little social order. For some reason, the small island that you now call Britain (or England) had a powerful appeal to a great many people who

not only wanted to live there, but to dominate it. The Picts in the north,

the Celts in the west, the Angles and Saxons in the east and south were

all interested in expanding their lands by taking over the part of Britan-

nia that had recently been abandoned by Rome. And of course, there

were still many Britons living there.

The resulting chaos created a great many disagreements that soon

became open warfare. It took more than 100 years to reestablish some

kind of meaningful order and unify the land, and this was only accomplished

after much bloodshed. At that point, however, the job was only half done.

Having arranged a tentative peace among the diverse factions, the next

step was to set up some sort of arrangement that would maintain that

peace and offer all the residents an opportunity for fair treatment.

Alas, this step failed to produce permanent peace, and anarchy

returned in another fifty years. Obviously it is much more difficult to hold

a peace than to win a war. Why this is so tells us much about the nature

of humankind, and will be the subject of another one of our essays. But

this discussion is about the most common and accepted way of dealing

peacefully with endless disagreements. Man has always, as soon as a

community was set up, endeavored to create a system of governance

and appropriate regulations to maintain order.

In a small clan or tribe of a primitive nature, this is usually accom-

plished simply by the dominance of one person of superior skill or wisdom

who makes the rules and enforces them with a handful of assistants.

When the community reaches a population of hundreds, thousands, or

even millions of souls, however, the divergence of objectives has never

been controlled this easily. An endless assortment of "governments" have

been attempted with varying degrees of success, and curiously, even that

fact generated serious arguments about which form of government was

best. It seems that man just loves to disagree, and will even argue about

the nature of debate.

What can be done about this situation? In a word, nothing. Nothing

is very often the best thing to do. Conflicts are generally escalated by any

and all attempts to apply an external set of often ill-fitting rules to every

situation. It is not easy, however, to just stand by and watch the suffering

that can be caused by only one individual who refuses to consider the

welfare of his neighbors, or even his own family.

As in the case of Camelot, the first step is often to subdue the person

or group of persons who are upsetting the general welfare. We all know

that you cannot make a stubborn mule behave until you get his attention,

and the same applies to the worst cases of human malevolence. Having

done that, what should be our next - more difficult - procedure?

There are at least two places we might look for the answer to this

question. The first is the natural world. It is obvious to most of us that

a system of regulation and control has been arranged by some intelligent

source that operates in the realms of plants and animals. A close exam-

ination of these societies and how they are structured and managed

might keep us from trying to accomplish objectives that are so far from

the natural order of things that they are doomed from the start.

The second source of enlightenment might be mankind itself. As

mentioned, many forms of government have already been attempted, so

we can study our own historical records to find our which have been most

successful, and why.

Before beginning either of these investigations, however, we should

take one prior step. Man's biggest problems, whether individual or societal,

can always be traced to the fact that someone is not playing by the rules

of the game. We have always invented games - it is the nature of man to

do so, and when any game is created, the first necessary step is to set

forth the rules of that game so that all the players know them, and can

play accordingly. Human life is such a game, which is why we keep trying

to duplicate it in microcosm. it has rules. It has an objective. As in all

games, the best players - the winners - are the ones who best understand

the rules and the objective, and apply them most skillfully.

Throughout history, there have been countless individuals who have

made it their business to learn what man's true nature is, and the rules

and objective of human life. Most of them tried very hard, by teaching and

example, to help others understand. We will either pay attention to these

examples, or continue to struggle vainly to win the game with ineffective

strategies.

Having said that, let us briefly examine our possible sources of help.

(1) The world of plants and animals, for instance, is a good model for

us, if not a perfect one. After pursuing the best quality of life available

and totally immersing itself in its own nature (both good ideas), a plant

or an animal concentrates on doing what is best for the survival of the

species. Sex, animal instinct, and evolution are some of the methods used

to accomplish this purpose. We who are possessed of levels of imagination

and reason that these other forms do not share, do not have to worry

about our ultimate survival, either as individuals or as a species. We

cannot lose our self-hood, we can only focus it on different levels of

creation. We should use our power of reason to select only that natural

behavior that truly benefits mankind, but does not totally disrupt the

worlds of flora and fauna.

We should adopt the natural process of "cooperative diversity" that

we see all around us. Mankind is most interesting when it is diverse.

There is no reason to quarrel over our differences - we should revel in

them. A simple basic policy of "live and let live" with appropriate guide-

lines will always work best in the long term. Over-regulation designed to

create uniformity is ultimately destructive to progress, and must be avoided.

(2) The above fact has been demonstrated over and over again in

man's history. Whenever excessive regulation has appeared in the form

of despotism or repressive governments, the final result has been

revolution, civil war, or some other violent upheaval. The individual spirit

of man will not long tolerate being deprived of expression.

The actual form of government is not the critical issue. Different

forms will work effectively in different circumstances, but the fundamental

rules of humanity cannot be violated with impunity. Every single human

being born on this planet has the right, nay, the obligation to express his

or her own individuality, as long as that expression does not interfere with

another's right to do the same. That is the only law that is really needed.

All other laws and regulations are merely designed to implement that one,

and most of them should be eliminated. Creating vast organizations for

the purpose of overseeing man's activities is a monumental waste of

energy that is never found in the natural world. When it comes to law and politics, less is definitely more.

We are aware that you who are present in the 21st century feel that

you have made giant technological strides, and that your civilization is far

too affluent and complex to adhere to simple rules. What most of you do

not know is that the earth has been home to many other cultures in the

past that were more advanced than the current one, and all of them have

passed into obscurity, as will yours. There are voices among you who are

now expressing concern for what your technology is doing to upset the

ecological balance of the earth. Rest assured. The earth will be here,

alive and well, long after you are gone. The imagined damage that you

are doing will be adjusted for, and the laws that govern the earth will see

that the proper corrections are made.

It is only important that you realize this, and that whatever laws you

enact are in accordance with the natural order. You may create and age

of renaissance, an industrial age, or an information age. Any direction

mankind takes is within the capacity of the earth to accept. Your immed-

iate future may appear to the separate ego as a crucial issue, but in

reality, the only thing that matters is the timeless growth of all life, human

or otherwise.

Whether we have good or bad laws, or good or bad governments is

ultimately not very important. What counts is our motivation: Have we

tried to make the earth a good home for all its inhabitants, or haven't we?

Laws and politics that strive to accomplish this end will produce positive

results. Those that have narrow, selfish objectives will simply impede

mankind's progress, generate unhappiness in the process, and in the end,

fail.

... Merlyn

CONVERSATIONS - ABRAHAM LINCOLN

We are so fortunate because we have just met a remarkable individual who, in a recent important

life on Earth was named "Abraham Lincoln". No doubt you have heard of the 16th president of the

United States. He was almost single-handedly responsible for keeping those states united at a crucial period in the nation's growth. He still has a lot to say to us about unity.

MERLYN: I've heard you referred to as "Honest Abe". What do you think of that?

MR. LINCOLN: The truth is I thoroughly disliked the name "Abe", and those who knew me well would

never use it. Perhaps my efforts to be honest were notable only because there were so many others in

my profession who didn't think it was important. I did think then that honesty was a very important trait,

and of course I still do. I had resolved to be an honest lawyer then, and believed that if one could not

be an honest lawyer, he should just be honest without being a lawyer.

MERLYN: What made you become a politician?

MR. LlNCOLN: Well, that's a long story. At the ripe old age of 23, I actually ran for the state legislature

in Illinois. I lost, but a couple of years later, after I had made a lot more friends and ran a business in

New Salem for a while, I tried again and this time I made it to the state capitol in Vandalia. I was pretty

good at public speaking already, but you couldn't live on the three dollars a day we were paid, so I

spent three more years studying law books so I could pass the law exams and become a lawyer, too.

That got me to Springfield, which had become the new state capitol, and I ended up serving four terms

and got appointed to the Whig party's State Central Committee. I guess I was just supposed to do that.

MERLYN: Since your assassination you have become generally regarded as one of the greatest

leaders your country ever had. Did you set out to do that, or did it just happen?

MR. LINCOLN: If indeed I did accomplish any great deeds, it was because the need for them was

thrust upon me. I did, of course, seek to become the president, but the nation was already headed

toward a civil war when I got the job, and I was unable to prevent it. During the war, I believe I was the

most unpopular president the country had ever known. I lived with rumors of abduction or assassination

from the moment I was elected. Threatening letters arrived in my mail almost every day. I made up my

mind that there wasn't anything I could do about that, so I just got on with my job, while some others

tried to protect me. My job, or my immediate objective became to save the Union because I believed in

its nobility. I wasn't trying to destroy slavery until I realized that its abolition was absolutely necessary.

MERLYN: What did you really think about the slavery issue?

MR. LINCOLN: It's obvious to us now, isn't it, that i's ridiculous to think that one man could or should

be the "owner" of another. Even then, I believed that if slavery wasn't wrong, then nothing was wrong.

Changing the situation wasn't quite that simple, though. Slavery was a huge part of the southern state's

prosperity, and even in the north where it was illegal, there was considerable prejudice against black

people. Those who wanted to abolish slavery altogether were a very small minority. My personal

attitude was always that all men should be free, and if any should be slaves, it should first be those who

want to be, and second those who want others to be. Whenever I heard anyone arguing for slavery, I

wanted to see it tried on him personally.

MERLYN: Do you believe, like the writers of the American Declaration of Independence, that all men

are created equal?

MR. LINCOLN: I think those authors meant to include all men, and women too, but they did not mean

that everyone was equal in all respects. They did not mean to say that all were equal in color, size,

intellect, moral development, or social capacity. They distinctly defined in what respects they considered

all men created equal - equal in "certain inalienable rights, among which are life, liberty, and the

pursuit of happiness." That is what they said, and that is what they meant.

MERLYN: What advice would you have for the politicians in the 21st century?

MR. LINCOLN: Now that is a big question. The issues they face are not local, or even national. What

I see now is a "world" union that is trying to self-destruct through a global civil war. The leaders must do

everything in their power to prevent that, but just as in my time, the real issue is a moral one. From our

perspective, we can both see that the only real answer for any country, or the whole world, is to get

everyone to realize that we are all in this together. Unless the true objective of leaders is the welfare of

everyone, as well as every other living thing, the world needs different leaders, or it will not survive.

CONVERSATIONS - PEACE PILGRIM

One meets very interesting people in the realms beyond time and space, and some of

the most interesting are folks who have also been unusual while they were active in the

relative world of the planet Earth. In the coming months of 2011, I plan to share some of

my conversations with these people with you who are now on Earth and kind enough to

join us at www.merlynsworld.com.

This is the first of such conversations. Some of you may even have met this fascinating

lady who is my partner in this conversation. She was (literally) walking the earth until her

abrupt passing over in A.D. 1981. She had abandoned her given name in 1953, and thereafter

was known only as "Peace Pilgrim".

Her amazing life is a lesson for all of us who profess a desire for a more peaceful world.

She lived her belief in the cause of peace, and her vow was "I shall remain a wanderer until

mankind has learned the way of peace, walking until I am given shelter, and fasting until I am

given food." For 28 years, she was a walking prayer in all 50 states of the U.S.A., and her

story has been immortalized in a book that bears her name. If you too want peace, please

Post Office Box 1295, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501)

The following is an excerpt from our conversation about the power of thought:

Merlyn: Please share with us what you have learned about our thoughts.

Peace Pilgrim: "If you realized how powerful your thoughts are, you would never think a

defeatist or negative thought. Since we create through thought, we need to concen-

trate very strongly on positive thoughts. If you think you can't do something, you

can't. But if you think you can, you may be surprised to discover that you can. It is

important that our thoughts be constantly for the best that could happen in a

situation - for the good things we would like to see happen.

I have met some "new age" people who had heard some prediction of disaster

and were actually concentrating on that. What a terrible thing to do! Why, we're

creating every moment of our lives through thought, and we're helping to create the

conditions around us.

When you hear of any predictions of disaster there's a reason for it. The reason

is that you are to throw the entire weight of your positive thought in the opposite

direction."

Merlyn: Do you mean that our thoughts literally create our reality?

Peace Pilgrim: "Every good thing you do, every good thing you say, every good thought

you think vibrates on and on and never ceases. The evil remains only until it is

overcome by the good, but the good remains forever."

Merlyn: What is it like to constantly walk in unfamiliar places all alone?

Peace Pilgrim: "There was a time when I was walking out of town at sunset and a well-

to-do couple in a big house called me over. They had read about my pilgrimage and

felt it was their Christian duty to warn me that ahead on the way lay a very wicked place called 'South of the Border'. They just wanted to warn me not to go near that place. They did not offer food or shelter, however, so I walked on for several hours.

It was a very dark night with a heavy cloud cover and all of a sudden it started

to rain. Big drops were coming down, and I was carrying a lot of unanswered mail.

I looked for a place where there might be a shelter and nearby I saw a combination

gas station, restaurant, and motel. I ducked under the roof over the gas pumps and

started to put the unanswered mail into the front of my tunic so it wouldn't get wet.

The man from the gas station came running out and said, 'Don't stand out there in

the rain, come into the restaurant.' The man in the restaurant said, 'Oh, we read all

about you, and we would like to offer you a dinner or anything you want.' By that

time I realized where I was. I was in 'South of the Border'.

The man from the motel was sitting across from me and he gave me a room for

the night. They also gave me breakfast the next morning.

There may have been gambling in the back room; something was going on in

there. But they treated me in a much more Christian manner than those who warned

me against them. It just demonstrates my point that there is good in everybody."

Merlyn: What can one person do to create peace?

Peace Pilgrim: "Be a sweet melody in the great orchestration instead of a discordant note.

The medicine this sick world needs is love. Hatred must be replaced by love, and fear

by faith that love will prevail."

"Don't ever forget who you are. You cannot be where God is not."

He who has ears to hear. let him hear,

... Merlyn

Essay Number Three 1

WAR

In Britain, when I was there, we had a word that was spelled

WERRE, and the Germanic people's word was WERRA. These words

meant confusion, discord, or strife. In your modern world, the word

is usually spelled WAR, and it applies to discord or confusion that has

escalated to an armed conflict between two or more groups of people.

To be sure, we had plenty of armed conflict in Britain in those days,

and the rest of the world, as well. Just as now, some of it was organized,

declared warfare, but some it was simply the result of stronger groups

trying to steal land or wealth from smaller or weaker groups of people.

Much conflict was, and still is, the result of just plain bullying.

We might, however, consider another aspect of the discord and

confusion that lead to war. Let us imagine for a moment that society

as a whole is represented by a human body that is made up of millions

of cells. If a number of cells in one of the body's organs begins to

malfunction for whatever reason, the body begins to feel the effects of

this dis-ease, and usually will develop some undesirable symptoms.

Often a generally and healthy body will begin to combat this

symptom or dis-ease with its own natural remedies of a chemical nature,

setting up a conflict in one or more of the body's systems. If there are

sufficient energy resources to counteract the negative effects of the

imbalance, then the condition will be kept under control, and might

eventually return to normal.

If, however, the body has a shortage of physical, mental, or

spiritual energy, the problem could easily escalate to a larger difficulty

affecting the other systems. Left unchanged, the final result might even

be serious illness or death. The analogy is obvious. The same thing

happens in the "body" of a society on a larger scale. The cells are

people, and society's disease is caused by the imbalance and resulting

conflict among those cells.

As we have observed elsewhere, imbalance is part of the basic

nature of creation, so it is unlikely that we can (or should) eliminate it.

What we need to do is control it, so society's inevitable differences do

not escalate into armed conflict. It is not necessary that they do, but

it has been our experience that some levels of society almost seem to

need fighting and/or bloodshed to learn their lessons. At any given

point in time, the world is home to vast numbers of people who have no

interest in (or aptitude for) philosophy and argument, but are fascinated

by hand-to-hand combat.

To people (usually men) like this, a contest of wrestling or boxing

or swordplay, or some other form of direct confrontation is critical to

the expression of their self-hood. It is a small step from a duel with

fists to a duel with swords or pistols. To many, it is as much a form of

entertainment as a way to settle differences. What is to be done with

them? Shall we make them sit in a classroom and learn why fighting is

evil? How will we force them to do it? Who will make them?

These same men, when their country or way of life is threatened

by another country or group, consider it a debt of honor to stand up and

defend themselves with any means available. If the threat is a large one,

they will band together and challenge the aggressor as a group, and feel

proud to do so.

The results of this escalation are ever more efficient and deadly

forms of combat, based on the concept that the "enemy" must be

discouraged at all costs, even if it means his life or yours. Where did

this idea come from? Why do most men and many women think this

way? The answers to these questions can only be found by discovering

the very nature of mankind. The souls that attend the school we call

Earth, like students in any educational system, are at widely varying

levels of physical, mental, and spiritual development, but all have one

thing in common. They have chosen with their own will to experience

life on earth in a quasi-animal form.

Even though the mind that animates this highly developed animal

body is capable of mental feats that no other animal can perform, it is

still limited by many of the same characteristics of the animal kingdom.

Here is the problem. One of the primary rules in the plant and animal

world is survival. This rule was in place and operating efficiently before

man ever got here. Having inhabited this world, we are now part of it,

and are caught up in the survival game.

As long as man persists in seeing himself as a mere physical being,

he will be forced to try to maintain that physical form by defending it

against all attacks, whether from plant, animal, or fellow human. There

will be no end to conflict among humans until all remember that their

true reality is much greater than that which appears to the five physical

senses, and it cannot be lost. This realization would result in such a

drastic change in the collective consciousness of man that even the need

for conflict would be eliminated.

In the meantime, as it has been said, "all that is necessary for the

triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing". There are more heroic

acts of unselfishness in one short war than in many decades of peace.

It may be that a man who gives his life to protect his home or his

family is performing the only noble act of his entire life. What matters

most are his motives. In any case, he has not lost his life - merely

shifted it to focus on another level. We need only remember that there are many ways to learn. Obviously it would be better if all of life's lessons could be learned in a peaceful setting, but they will be learned regardless. War is merely one of the cruelest teachers.

There is one more aspect of conflict that should be remembered.

The concept is truly understood by very few, and employed by fewer,

but it represents the ultimate antidote for the disease called war.

Someone once coined a phrase, "What if they gave a war, and no-one

showed up?". Would there still be a war if there was no-one to fight it?

One of the best ways to determine if any course of action is correct or

not is to ask ourselves the question, "what if everybody did?". This

simple little trick will often shed immediate light on some very sticky

"should I or shouldn't I" questions. When applied to the dilemma of

whether or not to fight a war, "what if everybody did" makes it obvious

that it would always be better if no-one showed up to the battle.

What is the alternative, however? If there is clearly an aggressor,

and this "bully" is clearly wrong, how does one avoid a confrontation?

The only other solution is to wage peace. Passive inaction will only

result in the loss of one's freedom or life. The situation requires some

sort of action, and the action must be powerful enough to ward off the

pressure from the instigator of trouble. There is a force that answers

this description, and it is all-powerful, but badly misunderstood. In the

same way that a strong antidote to a chemical poison will neutralize and

eliminate the effectiveness of that poison, a strong and concentrated

application of positive energy will neutralize aggression.

In order for your enemy's negative action to affect you, it must

make a connection with the proper reaction. This is simply an electrical

process. If one's response to an aggressive act is fear, outrage, or

violent resistance, then the aggressor's energy is reinforced, and for a

time at least, becomes stronger. Only negative results can come from

negative input. Peace in the world will be obtained only when there are

so many individuals performing acts of good will, alone or together, that

the destructive thoughts and actions of the minority will be overwhelmed

by the force of the many, and rendered ineffective. In this situation, a

leader who attempts to gain personal power by selfish dominance of

others will find himself with no followers. An individual who attempts to

force his will on someone else by cruelty in any form will be picked up

and carried by so many people offering kindness that he will forget what

he was trying to do.

Fire can be fought with fire, it is true, but the result is merely a

larger area of destruction. It is much more effective if a large enough

supply of water can be found and brought to the blaze before it gets

out of hand. The powerful force of goodness can be called God, or

Love, or some other name, but the name is not important. It performs

the same service by any name. Water (or goodness) will not only

extinguish the fire, it will wash away the ashes, replenish the ground,

and nourish the entire world.

Essay Number Four

MEDICINE AND DRUGS

As in many other subjects, an understanding of medicine will

be greatly benefited by a brief study of the origin of the term. To

begin with, it should be clear to most scholars that the prefix "med"

when applied to any word suggests balance, or a moderation between

extremes. This condition is the key to the application of all forms of

med-icine, or med-ical treatment. The intention of any treatment is

to produce a balance among the various forces active within a human

being or other life form.

In the Roman world, a practitioner of the healing arts was called

a "Medicus" because his objective was to restore a healthy balance in

his patients. This situation has not changed. Any physician is aware

that a healthy body or mind is one in which the various forces involved

are in balance, and all medical treatments are aimed at that end.

There are countless reasons why a human being might not be

in a totally balanced state, and the truth is that perfect balance almost

never exists in the three-dimensional world. It is the very imbalance of

the world that generates its movement, or life. For this reason, there is

probably no such thing as perfect health. We are not required to reach

perfection, only to seek it, whether physically, mentally, or spiritually.

These three aspects of the human form are most assuredly inter-

related. It is virtually impossible to maintain a healthy physical body

if the inhabiting mind or spirit is out of balance, or vice versa. If we

begin with the generally accurate assumption that a human being

exists on at least three primary levels, commonly referred to as

physical, mental, and spiritual, and that perfect health results from a

balanced condition on all three of these levels, we are on our way to

an understanding of the whole subject of health or illness. Of course,

the possible variations in this combination of forces are limitless when

applied to the millions of individuals inhabiting Earth at any given time.

This means that the exact nature of imbalance in any one person

may not be readily apparent unless one has a great deal of information

on all levels. There have been some health practitioners through the

ages who have had a remarkable ability to work in all three areas

simultaneously, but very often this approach is not even considered,

much less attempted.

In studying man's medical history, we are more apt to find an

endless list of specialized techniques involving treatment on only one

level at a time. In most cases, these treatment effect only a tempo-

rary cure of the imbalance, or no results at all.

If we use an analogy with the musical world, we could imagine

a human as a three-note chord, or triad, which if all three components

or "notes" are perfectly in tune, produces a pleasant musical sound.

If one of these three notes of the triad is out of tune, then the result

is a discordant sound far less pleasant to the ear. Carrying the

analogy one step further, we can assume that if many of these dis-

cordant triads are played simultaneously, the resulting cacophony is

almost painful. This is a simple example of why there is usually a

great deal of discord in the world.

The real question, of course is: What can be done about illness

and discord? What are their specific causes, and what are the most

effective treatments? Because of the endless variety already mentioned,

this is obviously not a simple problem. In fact, we might tend to be

somewhat overwhelmed by its complexity unless we can find some

basic rules to apply. Through the ages, many have applied themselves

to these problems, and much progress has been made. Much more,

however, is yet to be done. Let us see if we can shed some light on

a subject that is still hidden in deeps shadows of ignorance.

***

If we go back to our musical example for a moment, we can

use the picture of a keyboard such as the one found on any piano,

as a symbol for a long succession of different rates of vibration which

produce different sounds. The entire realm of creation is similar, in

that it is an endless collection of different vibratory rates, only a few

of which are obvious to those whose attention is focused solely on

the physical world. Think of our five senses as receptors for five

adjacent notes in the center of a keyboard that extends infinitely in

both directions.

Now imagine another set of receptors in the next octave above

the one just mentioned. This second set may have more than five

notes in it, but it still only responds to its own specific vibrations.

They are every bit as "real" as the five in our first example, but they

are beyond the capability of the first set, representing the physical

world, to notice.

The very nature of vibrations, however, is that different

frequencies tend to interact. Anyone who has studied the effects of

low-frequency sounds inaudible to the human ear can tell you that

with enough intensity, these vibrations can cause serious symptoms

of illness, and even death.

Even a child studying science in school is quickly aware of the

fact that our entire creation is nothing more than energy vibrating at

different rates. That which we refer to as physical is merely the

merely the collection of vibrations that is being received by our

physical senses. Without digressing into scientific jargon, we will just

point out that there is most definitely a point in the vibratory scale

where vibrations we refer to as "thought" are interchangeable with

the basic building blocks we refer to as "matter".

I will repeat that, because it is of tremendous importance to our

understanding of the world. AT A CERTAIN LEVEL, THOUGHTS AND

MATTER ARE LITERALLY INTERCHANGEABLE. This process takes

place constantly in our own physical bodies without our conscious

minds ever being aware of it. It is not unusual. It is a basic fact of

our reality.

What does this mean to the world of medicine? Well, for one

thing, it means that some patients who are given a "placebo" with no

obvious medicinal value and told that it is a powerful medicine, will

often respond with a dramatically improved condition. It also means

that many people who are subjected to repeated suggestions of illness

will often become ill with no apparent physical cause.

It means that the same medicine given to a variety of people

with the same symptoms of illness will often produce widely varying

results. It means that unexplained "remissions" can (and do) often

take place in persons with serious physical problems, because of a

change in their mental or spiritual vibratory level.

It means that the process works in all directions, and that a

person who physically abuses him/herself with drugs, alcohol, over-

eating, etc. will probably suffer the consequences of an unhealthy

mental condition as well as bodily harm.

It means that the belief in a system of treatment is often of

more importance than the treatment itself. Whether the treatment of

a disease condition is drugs or some other form of therapy, the mental

attitude of the patient (as well as that of the collective consciousness

of society) is critical.

It is important that human beings learn to distinguish between

"curing" and "healing". Curing is what is needed when the disease or

trauma has a fairly obvious cause, and the condition can be taken care

of with a short-term treatment program. The common cold usually

lasts about seven days whether treated or not. Broken bones can be

reset and stabilized until rejoined. Lacerations of the flesh can often

be cured by sewing the damaged flesh together and treating for

possible infection.

If one is to be healed, however, of a chronic or life-threatening

condition, then a completely different approach is required. The cause

of these conditions is usually not physical at all, and physical treatment

can be largely ineffective. Health is a condition that goes far beyond

the absence of illness. The business of medical treatment will not be

very efficient until it becomes true health care, not just dis-ease care.

The emotional or spiritual self responds positively to uncon-

ditional love, whether self-love or the love of others, including one's

"God". The mental self heals itself by positive, uplifting thoughts, and

most of all by a sincere belief in the possibility of wholeness and

perfection. The physical self, being a product of the other two selves,

becomes healthier by the progress of the spiritual and mental forces,

as well as the application of physical influences in the form of medicines

or other external treatments.

A comment on the subject of drugs:

Some substances, based on their chemical composition and the

prevailing beliefs about them, have profound physical and/or mental

effects on animal forms when applied either internally or externally.

Much attention is given to their production by some segments of the

medicine business, but it should be obvious that the reaction to drugs

varies widely from individual to individual. In general, the results of

drug therapy are more often physical or mental dependence on the

drug than any type of permanent healing.

The origin of the word drug is not very helpful, since it comes

from the Dutch word "droog", which simply means dry. It refers to

the fact that most medicinal substances were at one time prepared

from dried herbs, and so were called "droogs".

An amazing number of people in the 20th and 21st centuries

have become physically or mentally dependent on drugs of all kinds.

There are stores everywhere with large signs proclaiming the sale of

DRUGS in large letters. Tremendous importance is placed by this

society on the curative powers of these substances, many of which

are now manufactured in chemical laboratories.

What is needed, of course, is a chain of establishments that

promotes healing, instead of curing. Treatments with chemicals

would only be a small part of this program. Thankfully, we can see

a strong trend in this direction as more and more people are

realizing the importance of treating the whole individual instead of

just the physical form.

Some of history's most notable lives have been lived by un-

selfish souls who spent their life treating, counseling, and caring for

and about the "sick". Since we are all imperfect, and therefore all

sick in our own way, it is everyone's responsibility to be in the

medical business of constantly working to restore our own balance,

and hence the harmony of the world.

... Merlyn

Essay Number Five

EDUCATION

In the language of the Roman civilization, now called "Latin", the word ducere

means to lead, draw, or bring. When preceded by an E, meaning "out", the word

educare refers to bringing or drawing out. The English word educate means the same

thing, but somehow this fact has often been overlooked in the process of education. If

something is to be brought out, then by implication, it must been there (perhaps hidden)

in the first place. "Educators" who begin with the assumption that their students know

absolutely nothing, and that the external application of vast stores of information to an

empty mind will produce an educated human being are doing a vast disservice.

Having said this, we must now admit that very often what is lacking in the pupil is

discipline, not intelligence, and therefore processes like rote learning and dull repetition

become necessary in the beginning. In addition, it is true that a conscious mind, being

part of the brand new body of an infant, is in many ways like a slate that has been wiped

clean in preparation for new instruction.

What must not be forgotten, however, and indeed is never omitted by the best

teachers, is the fact that each new student is merely another unique representation of a

universal mind that already possesses all information. The process of education then

becomes one of awakening, rather than creation. All those who attempt to teach know

that some students are far easier to awaken that others (often literally, as in a lecture

hall) and that is why teaching is a profession.

One more thought as an introduction to our subject: Education is the sole purpose

of human life! The reason we are here in the first place is to gather experiences that are

unavailable elsewhere, and thereby to learn and grow. The creative force, by whatever

name it is called, is all about growth. That should be made obvious by a simple observation

of the natural world. The only that is never tolerated for long in the world is the "status

quo". We must learn and change, or we do not exist. That means that those who are

involved in the formal teaching process are in the noblest profession of all. But, in fact,

we are all teachers, as we are all students. It is inherent in our nature that whenever we

have learned something new, we immediately want to share it with someone else.

What is learning? How do we learn? We know that all of us are constantly learning,

often in spite of our efforts not to, but what is really happening? It is generally agreed

that learning takes place in an area referred to as our mind, so let us try to determine

what that mind is. The Anglo-Saxon word that meant memory or recollection was gemynd,

and that is where the English word mind came from, so we can assume for this discussion

that our minds are at least storehouses of memories and information. That seems to be so,

but is that all a mind is? Well, my mind appears to be capable of working with stored

information as a potter works with clay. This seems to indicate that minds are processors

as well as storers.

Sometimes an "idea" which is the fruit of the mind, seems to come from nowhere,

but is instead the result of the processing of stored information in a new and different way,

giving us an unexpected result. This aspect of mind that produces new results is often

referred to as creativity, because it appears to be making something entirely new from

mental fabric. So now we have three qualities of mind: (1) Memory, or recollection,

(2) Processing, and (3) Creativity. The job of the educator must be to improve the minds

of their pupils in one or more of these areas. All good teacher do precisely that.

One more characteristic of mind, if we are talking about what is called the conscious

mind, must be discussed. The real function of a conscious mind is that of a liaison, or go-

between, that creates a link between the universal mind that knows everything and the

outward world of experience that is ever-changing. We are over-simplifying here, because

in reality there are more levels of mind than this, but this image will suffice to make our

point.

If one looks at a tree in its entirety, one sees a trunk between roots that burrow in

the earth and branches that reach for the sky. This tree is a perfect symbol for a whole

human being. The body of a man is sometimes referred to as his "trunk", and the sap,

or life-blood (or mind) of this trunk reaches both into the earth and sky. It is a funda-

mental error of much education that all concentration is on outward or empirical infor-

mation. That is the same thing as a tree that has only roots but no branches, and is

doomed to fail.

A conscious mind is designed for, and is capable of, looking in all directions for

information. We are supposed to be aware of the world of our outward experience, but

equally conscious of our connection to the source of our creativity. Unfortunately, in the

process of daily living, many have forgotten to do this, and so have lost the ability to see

the other levels of mind merely through lack of practice.

So this becomes the fourth and perhaps the most important role of the teacher: to

make the student aware of his or her true nature so that a more complete and fulfilling

life results. This is very difficult if the instructor has never been given the information in

the first place. The effect of the missing data is cumulative, and can result in a downward

spiral that continues for many generations. I recall a time that I believe you now call the

"dark ages" when many lost sight of their source and the world suffered accordingly.

We need to be aware of one more quality of mind. Mind is the builder. Mind is the

creator. Mind is the seed from which springs the form of life. It is never the other way

around. As all buildings originate in the mind of the architect, so all outward forms are

born in the universal mind. That is why it is so important that we are in touch with this

source. A mind has limitless creative possibility, and makes no basic distinction between

that which we think of as good or bad. Our minds are like flashlights that shine in the

dark and can only see what they are aimed at. If they only see negative possibilities,

that is what they will create. More successful students, and thus a better world, will only

result from minds that are trained to see properly.

Everyone knows that the delight of this world is its diversity. Endless variety is truly

the "spice" of life. No two people have ever been or ever will be exactly the same. That

is as it should be, and that is what makes the process of education so challenging. Even

though, however, students vary greatly in their capacity for learning certain subjects, they

are all connected to the limitless source of all knowledge, and if led to be aware of this

connection, often will burst into life like a flower before the startled eyes of their teacher.

It is the profession of the educator, but the responsibility of everyone, to see that

the harshness of life's lessons is reduced wherever possible. If one is intellectually con-

vinced, for instance, that war is ridiculous and destructive, then the actual experience of

war is no longer necessary for that individual. Or if a mind is totally aware that the

consciousness of each cell in the body responds to thoughts that are endlessly repeated,

then there is no more need for illness in the body to teach this lesson.

The world is nothing more than a great school for the development and shared

experience of endlessly diverse minds. It is up to us to determine whether our memories

of attending this school, once we have graduated, will be fond ones.

... Merlyn

Essay Number Six

RELIGION

Ah yes, religion. One of the two most dangerous topics of conversation in polite company. Why must there be such disagreement over a subject that

seems so benign? Even when a group of like-minded people join together in

some common form of "worship" of their chosen deity, the group invariably

divides into factions when it becomes large enough.

Many times these divisions between believers have become ill feelings,

and in extreme situations have generated wars of long duration. At any rate,

even a simple discussion of the topic often develops into some rather passionate

pronouncements by one or more of the participants. It seems to be very

difficult for those who have a serious interest in religion to adopt a live-and-

let-live attitude.

How many visionaries, mystics, philosophers, and teachers have been

martyred through the years merely because their ideas were unpopular with

someone else? How many have been imprisoned when publicly announced

religious views collided with the current political powers? Obviously this is an

important matter to many people it it generates so many deep feelings, whether

these feelings are loving or militant.

Of course there have always been many for whom an organized form of

worship held no interest whatever. It may be fairly said, though, that nearly

everyone who reaches any stage of maturity has his or her own god or gods,

worldly or otherwise.

Can we hope to reconcile all these divergent points of view? Does it

matter if we do? Where might be the common ground that would heal some

of these differences, if only to alleviate some of the suffering caused in the

name of religion? We have spoken before of the endless diversity of the

creation we call home. Let us now examine some of the similarities that are

apparent in our world and our beliefs. There is much that is consistent in the

universe. Perhaps that is an indication that there really is an intelligent creator

at work here.

Looking at the physical world, we must conclude that everyone on earth

has been born under the same sun, and that other physical phenomena like

gravity, etc. apply equally to all individuals. The creator obviously plays no

favorites when it comes to physical laws. Separation according to skin color

or general appearance is simply a matter of human custom or convenience.

Earth, and all the other planets in our system, follow their orderly paths

consistently, and the optical illusion we call "sunrise" has looked the same to

everyone who ever saw it.

The animals and plants that inhabit the globe seem at times to have a

rather chaotic existence, but when closely inspected, are found to be operating

according to very consistent rules. There is evolution and adaptation going on

constantly, and the food chain, when not interfered with by men, works

exceedingly well.

When astronomers and astrologers have looked at the stars, they have

nearly always found them to be in the same places as they were in relation to

each other. Space travelers can depend on the fact that their destination will

probably be there when they arrive. In short, there is no disorder anywhere

in the universe, only confusion arising from our own lack of understanding of

what is really going on. Even the madness and discord that man causes

himself has its purpose, if only to make us ask ourselves, "why is this

happening to us?

Which brings us to religion. Why indeed do all these upsetting things

happen? Are we totally in the grasp of some cruel, tyrannical creator who

demands subservience and metes out punishment to the disobedient? Or,

on the other extreme, are we in charge of our own destinies and completely

responsible for our own discomfort? For that matter, what makes us think

that we deserve anything better?

Here again we can observe some order in the chaos. Every one of the

organized religions of the world holds the belief that man has another home

or another state of being that is not subject to the rules of this world. All of

us seem to have the subconscious suspicion that we don't really belong here,

and that perhaps we'll find out more about our true nature when we die.

Let us digress. Where did this word "religion" come from, anyway?

the prefix re, when applied to any word, implies that something that was

experienced once is happening again, so what is re-ligion? We find that in

the language called Latin, the word ligare meant "to bind together", and that

even in English, the word ligature is used to describe the tying up of wounds

caused by damage or surgery. Well then, if something is re-bound together,

or re-tied, then it must have been unified in the first place, or it wouldn't have

to be re-joined.

So when we talk about religion, we are really discussing the reconnection

of two things that were originally one, but have somehow become separated,

or at least appear to be so. This, then, is another area where there are many

similarities among seemingly divergent views. Man, at an instinctive level, is

aware that each individual is part of a larger whole, and so every organized

re-ligion has its own expressions for this situation.

The saviors, saints, role models, messengers, messiahs, etc., who

represent these religions all had similar messages. Each in his or her own

way has tried to make anyone who cared to listen understand this relation-

ship. The crux of this idea seems to be that the separation and the sense of

individuality we all feel is merely an illusion, and a temporary one at that.

When we voluntarily give up the notion that we are only responsible to our-

self, then we begin to be aware of and experience the connection to the

creative force that was there all the time.

My own experience has proven to me that the potential for each of us

is limitless because of that connection. The "magic" that I have been accused

of, like the "miracles" performed by the saints, is nothing more than a truer

expression of the real abilities that all of us have. When we are here on earth,

we are like actors who are playing a specific role. Like any well-crafted play,

earth life has a way of temporarily captivating our attention so that we forget

the larger life we have as eternal players. This is as it should be. An actor

cannot perform well at all if he is not concentrating on his current role.

But when the play is over, if a performer has done well, the audience is

better for their experience, and he has added to his maturity as an actor. Each

role is important because it is part of the larger drama that is creation. Each

role is also important because it is temporary, and if it is not played well, it

can be performed again and again until it is mastered.

I have been fortunate enough to have been a long-time observer of this

process, and can vouch for the fact that the re-ligion of mankind is still

operating as planned. We are all merely sojourners who have wandered away

from our home, and are slowly fining our way back. I will see you there.

... Merlyn

Essay Number Seven

INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY

In my preface to this little collection of my observations, I made

the comment that the most important quality in human life was a

sense of individual responsibility. Why did I say that? It's simple.

Having the luxury of a long-term world view makes is obvious that a

large percentage of mankind's problems have begun with someone's

irresponsibility.

What does it mean to be responsible? Only this. It begins with

an understanding that every action - indeed, every thought - of every

individual in the world has an effect on the world. The effect is very

much like the circular ripples caused by throwing a pebble into a pond,

and when many pebbles are thrown, the effects are overlapping and

interacting, just as the intersecting circles create many waves. A thought

or an action with a negative intent cannot fail to have a negative result

any more than jumping off a cliff will fail to result in a fall.

When people make the assumption that acting in a wrongful

manner will not end in some form of discomfort returning to them, they

are merely demonstration their lack of understanding of how the world

works. It is very important that children are taught this lesson at an

early age, because many are allowed to grow with the idea that they

really might avoid the pain that results from treating others badly.

The beauty of this system is, of course, that right thinking and right

action also have their own automatic rewards. When the earthly

element of time is factored in, it becomes clear that no correctly

motivated mental or physical efforts are ever wasted.

Withing the framework of the drama that is called human life,

every player is , and always will be, held accountable for his or her own

performance. Those who perform will are granted better roles with

either more enjoyment or more growth-producing challenge. Those

who waste their opportunity with destructive thoughts or behavior will

be re-taught the lessons of life with ever increasing severity. There is

no other way.

Having said all this, how can we understand what it means to be

responsible, and to whom are we all accountable? It is really not as

difficult as it seems. One very simple test that we can all apply when

trying to discern the rightness or wrongness of any action of our own

or others is to ask ourselves the question: "What if everybody did?"

It doesn't always work, but it's amazing how often this simple question

will make the correct path very clear.

Should I take something which does not belong to me? What if

everybody did? Should I go out of my way to help someone in trouble?

What if everybody did? Should I start a fight (or a war) with people who

do not see things as I do? What if everybody did? Should I constantly

express my appreciation for those who have shown me some kindness?

What if everybody did? Should I become annoyed and complain loudly

if someone does not treat me with the respect I believe I deserve?

What if everybody did? Should I love and show concern for the children

of others? What if everybody did? Should I ignore the right to happiness

of people I do not think of as my equals? What if everybody did?

Should I forget about my own troubles once in a while, and try to make

someone else's life better? What if everybody did?

The civilized world as we know it is made up of an infinite collection

of individual thoughts and actions. It is made better or worse by the

quality of every one of these, and it will only improve as more and more

of its tenants understand this and act accordingly.

There are other obvious clues to the importance of our own

individual efforts. The lives of others, famous or little known, are often

wonderful examples of the effect of one or another course of action.

We can all learn from others mistakes or their successes if we will heed

them. The chances are very good that the life decision facing each of

us has been faced many times in the past by someone else, and with a

result that has been positive or negative, and recorded or remembered

somewhere. We can, and do, use these examples all the time to

adjust our own behavior.

If, as we have seen, we are merely here to grow in understanding

and to help others do the same, then that process of growth takes place

whether one's decisions are good ones or bad. Why then is it important

that we make good decisions and always try to perform correctly? The

answer is that we are engaging in this process collectively. We are all

in it together. If we cause a problem, it is a problem for everyone, not

just for us. We are answerable to the whole of creation for everything

we think or do. Some of us like to use the Anglo-Saxon word for good

to describe this whole creation. We call it "God".

It is God, or good, depending on how you say it or spell it, but

whether or not we see this good depends on our own thoughts,

attitude, vision, and action. "God" is only invisible to those who are

not trying to find it. They are "responsible" for their own blindness.

That is the ultimate individual responsibility: that each one becomes

aware of his or her own God-ness, and begin to act accordingly.

Creation, for all practical purposes, operates as if it were a

business of infinite size called " God and Sons". The founder reserves

the right to make the basic underlying business decisions that determine

the nature of the enterprise. Things like constant change, unity that is

supported by mutual concern (love), mathematical precision, multiple

levels of awareness, etc., are some of the fundamentals of the business,

and are fixed. Within this framework, the "Sons" are allowed to make

an endless variety of decisions that create the ebb and flow of daily

activity. All of us are participating in the operation of this creation

business whether we realize it or not. We are responsible for all the

changes, good or bad. That is why it is the most important thing for

us to know.

The illusion that we are all separate, and that there are so many

of us generates the feeling that none of us is important enough to have

any effect. Nothing could be farther from the truth. It was once written:

"No snowflake in an avalanche feels responsible". Every single one is.

... Merlyn

MERLYN'S ESSAYS

FOREWORD

I'm back. Heaven only knows why. I suppose I knew all along that it would happen, but I kept hoping that it would not be necessary.

It has been almost fifteen hundred years since I was here last, and

there certainly have been a lot of changes. Technological changes, I

mean. Everyone is moving faster, communicating faster, and even

multiplying faster, but I wonder if there is much change in the things

that really count, like tolerance, forgiveness, kindness, character, and

that most important quality of all, individual responsibility.

When I left, I thought that we had made some progress. Some new

ideas had been introduced, like "right makes might, a man in innocent

until proven guilty, women have the same rights as men, all men are

equal - their skin color or religion is irrelevant', etc. We had taken a

pretty primitive society and calmed it down a lot, to the point where it

seemed that most people would be able to live their lives and chase

their dreams without constant pressure and harassment from power-

hungry leaders who wanted to own instead of lead.

Well, here we are again. Everyone fighting over their own little

piece of turf, and the organized religions of the world, who ought to be

solving the problem, are still trying to build their own kingdoms and

slice off their own piece of the pie. I'm going to try again. Not with a sword this time, but with a pen. Someone along the way said that pens are mightier than swords. We shall see. The world will learn, all right. It is merely a question of how painful the lessons will be.

I have had a lot of time to think in the past fifteen hundred years,

and I have been paying attention to the world, even though I wasn't

here, in the way that you think of being "here". If I told you where I

have been, most of you wouldn't believe me anyway, so I suppose I will

just offer some observations that I have made along the way. There's

a lot to be said for several hundred years of experience. The last time I

was here, they called me a "magician". I confess that I just let them

think I was, because I got more attention that way. The truth is,

anybody can be a magician if they put their mind to learning how to do

things for as long as I have.

"Magic" is everywhere. Every new infant that is born is a miracle.

Every sunrise is a wonder. If one but seeks to learn the source of these

"normal" phenomena, one will also find the way to perform many

smaller miracles. Actually, the only slightly unusual ability I have is

that on occasion I am able to clearly see the probable future result of

what is currently going on. I've spent so much time predicting the

"future" that people used to say that I was living backward in time.

That's ridiculous, of course. What I did was simply locate a level of

consciousness where time is not a factor. Past, present, and future are

really simultaneous anyway, so if we know where to look, we can all see

into the future. I hope I can be some help to the people who will be on

earth during the "21st" Christian century. It should turn out to be more

fun than the 6th century was.

There are, no doubt, those of you who will disagree with what I have

to say on my chosen subjects. That is perfectly all right. The world

would be a dull place indeed if everyone always agreed with everyone

else. You needn't see the world from my point of view at all. I merely

ask that you hear me out. Check your preconceived notions at the door,

and step into my world with an open mind. My perspective has been

widened considerably since I have been able to recall several lifetimes

on earth, as well as a good deal of what went on between them.

Therefore, you may be somewhat surprised by some of my observations.

If you will but persevere and remain patient with me throughout this

whole collection, you may discover at last that your own view has been

expanded.

The plan is this. I will take a variety of subjects that are matters of

universal concern nowadays, just as they have always been, and try to

shed some new light on them. The form is one that I believe you now

call "essays". They will be short, confined to one topic, "Merlynized" by

my view, and will by no means be a complete discussion of all the

possibilities. This is a time-honored means of communication. There

have been essays ever since the beginning of the written word. I

recall being forced to read them and write them when I was a youth

pursuing my own education. I will sincerely attempt to make this

collection interesting enough so that most of you will not require being

forced to read it.

Here is one of my own favorite excerpts from an essay of my friend

Aristophenes, who lived on earth from 450 to 385 B.C. (in your terms).

"Quickly, bring me a beaker of wine, so that I may whet my

mind and say something clever."

... Merlyn

CHAPTER ELEVEN

REINCARNATION

"It is no more remarkable to be born twice

than it is to be born once."

... Anon.

All right, let's get this straightened out if we can. Now that we've cleared

up some of our thinking about religious preferences, maybe we can see that it

really is no more remarkable to be born several times than it is to be born once.

In a way, it's sort of insulting to A.T.I. to assume that "He" can't accomplish this.

The truth apparently is, however, that most of us have been here, or will be (in

terms of time) hundreds of times. Of course the whole truth, since there really is

no such thing as time, is much more complex than that, and we are not prepared

to go into that right now.

For most people who are new to the concept of multiple earth experiences,

the idea creates more questions than answers. For instance:

* Why can't I remember other previous earth "lifetimes"?

* Who is this "us" we are talking about?

* Why doesn't everyone believe this?

* Where do I go when I'm not here?

* What about heredity?

* Could I "come back" as an animal?

Etc.,etc.,etc.

If you have read this far, no doubt you have already come up with some of

your own answers to these and other similar questions you may have thought of.

Many of you, I assume, have been raised in a religious group where this is not a

difficult concept, or you have been reading some of the many other excellent

books available on the subject. There is no shortage of available information,

and most of it is helpful to our understanding. I would just like to use this chapter

to summarize some of the ideas I have found useful in my own life-long study.

Probably the first concept we need to be clear on to get some idea of how

reincarnation works is one we have discussed earlier - time. As we have noted,

the idea of time as a measurement of change is related to the 3-dimensional

energy level we inhabit when we are here on earth or at least in the area. This is

difficult for the conscious mind, a tool for earth, to work with, but as far as the

soul-entity is concerned, there is no such thing as time.

If that is so, then the idea of "sequential" lifetimes goes right out the window.

If there is no time, then there is no sequence. To our minds, there is definitely

the appearance of linear, one after the other, sojourns here on earth, but in

actual fact, they are all simultaneous, and because of that, they have constant and

immediate effect on each other. What is happening in our "current" experience is

altered by what is going on in our "past" and "future" experiences, and vice versa.

Students of reincarnation usually refer to this relationship as "karma", a

Sanskrit term that basically means that we reap what we sow. We just need to

get it through our heads that the "sowing" is going on at many levels at all times,

and so are the results of our input.

Far too many people, when they become aware of the "many lifetimes" idea,

are preoccupied with only the experiences they have had on earth in "previous"

lives, as though that will explain everything they do (or have) now. Doing that is

not a great deal more helpful than just paying attention to what we have done

while growing up here in this time and learning from that experience. It's the

same concept, but on a larger scale. It's far more complicated than that.

I suppose it is acceptable to be proud of something that our soul accom-

plished in another visit here in earth's past, but our current trip is the one we

should be concentrating on. We obviously haven't learned all we can learn here

yet, or we wouldn't still be here. Perhaps the Creator's view is more like, "What

have you done for me lately?'. The seer Edgar Cayce, who seemed to be able to

view all of an individual's earth history at a glance, often used the phrase: "The

entity gained in that existence", or "the entity lost in that existence". Obviously

the process is bigger than it appears to be.

Good "lifetimes" and bad "lifetimes" to a soul are something like good days

and bad days to a human being. They are all part of a timeless learning experience

that we share. What's more, we must realize that the days spent inhabiting a

human body during one of our trips here are only a small part of the puzzle. Earth

lives are very much like the hours we spend here in school classrooms. At the

end of each school day we go home to our real life and try to assimilate and apply

what we learned at school.

Some days we learn a lot, but as you can tell by the condition of our society,

many students are learning very little, and some are not paying attention at all.

Apparently, this is a long drawn out process, even if we only count years and

forget the eternal NOW. Why don't we take a few pages here and consider some

possible answers to the questions I mentioned at the beginning of this chapter?

That should give us some idea of the mechanism of reincarnation, and the rest

we can obtain with our further study.

Question #1 Why can't I remember other earth lifetimes?

It is only our "conscious" mind that cannot remember other parts of our

existence, for several reasons. The conscious part of our mind is a tool designed

for use along with our physical body to experience and work with the three-

dimensional realm we are now focused on. It was created at the same time our

physical body was, and as such it is sort of a clean slate to be used in the here

and now. It doesn't need to remember anything else to do its job, and probably

would be hampered by too much data if it could.

All of the information is always there at the sub-conscious level, and is often

recalled vividly during dreams, meditation, or hypnosis, which can bring the

memories to the conscious surface. This can definitely be helpful when the

conscious mind has developed to the point where it can deal with the new aware-

ness, but only then. If we think of our present personality as a role played by the

soul in the same way that a professional actor plays many roles, we will realize

that vividly remembering every other role played (past or future) while trying to

play the current one could be very confusing. Previous roles provide valuable

experience for the actor, and should make him more competent each time, but

concentration on each one in its turn is critical to a good performance.

The beauty of this creation is that every role we play here on earth or else-

where is a brand new one that has never been played before. There has never

been another personality exactly like you or me, and there never will be. We are

each creating brand new experiences, and thus new memories, all the time. On

other levels we can view them all, but not on this one unless we really need to.

Question #2 Who is this "us" we are talking about?

We have already covered this question at some length, so we needn't spend

much time on it here. We just need to remember that what we usually think of

as "us" is really the temporary personality that is the role we are focused on.

That's not really who we are, only one aspect of it, and in fact all of us are playing

many other roles on other levels, or even on earth, at the same "time".

The "us" that we really are, however, is infinitely powerful, and since power

tends to corrupt human personalities, we are not consciously aware of our true

nature unless we make a sincere effort to gain that awareness. That is how it is

supposed to work. Unfortunately, we are also capable of short-circuiting the

process with drugs or other misguided efforts, which usually results in the chaos

that goes with misused power.

It is also important to remember that we are not just the animals that we

seem to be. We are part of nature while we are here to be sure, because we are

inhabiting a highly developed animal form which allows us to function in a world

full of animals, but identifying totally with this form gets us in a lot of trouble.

Animals have a lot to teach us about quality of life, if we will try to learn from

them instead of exploiting them, but animal instincts are necessarily concerned

with survival, reproduction, and social organization, all concerns of three-

dimensional earth. We are here to help that process and learn from it, but not to

become totally immersed in it.

Earth experience is not less important or "lower" on the scale of conscious-

ness than other energy levels as some would have us believe, but it is somewhat

counter-productive to take the survival instinct to the level of warfare, and the

reproductive urge to sexual madness. Social organization becomes tribalism and

belligerent nationalism when over-done.

Question #3 Why doesn't everyone believe this?

A lot of people do. The ones who are unaware of the rather obvious facts

in the matter are the victims of misinformation that has been given them from

their childhood. They are in the position of those who used to steadfastly believe

that the world was flat in spite of the mounting evidence that was proving other-

wise. As we have already seen, our conscious minds are capable of inventing

all kinds of strange ideas in a effort to establish and maintain dominance over

ourselves and others as well.

If one really wants to determine the truth about any subject under question,

it is necessary to access a more dependable level of consciousness. Aladdin was

unable to solve his problems until he rubbed his magic lamp and the genie

appeared to offer assistance. This famous children's story is just an allegory

wherein the genie (or genius) in all of us (our sub-conscious mind) is available

by rubbing our lamp (giving it our attention). We do this all the time. We call it

inspiration, or creativity, but most of us don't pay enough attention to our genie

to make good use of it.

When accessed, the sub-conscious mind of anyone will unfailingly confirm

the existence of other levels of energy as well as make us aware of some of our

other experiences on earth or elsewhere. In some ways, the sub-conscious mind

can be thought of as the mind of the soul in the same way that the conscious

mind is the mind of the body. That's an over-simplification, but it's a good place

to start.

For those of you who were brought up, as I was, with the narrow view of

the organized Christian church, it will be necessary to make a sincere effort to

open your mind and look for some new information. In the early years of the

Christian era, the organization was so determined to distance itself from the other

religions of the time that a lot of basic truth was simply dropped or removed from

the accepted teachings. It is very unfortunate, but most of the omissions were

deliberately done for the purpose of controlling a large number of un-educated

people. There is really no conflict whatever between the idea of multiple earth

lifetimes and real Christianity, which is a personal matter, not an organizational

one. If we think about it, we realize that many "lifetimes" in a timeless situation

puts everyone in touch with the eternal "Christ", so the church should be happy

with the idea.

Question #4 Where do I go from here?

It depends. There is a famous line from the new testament of the Christian

Bible where Jesus is quoted as saying, "In my father's house are many mansions".

This is a very strange translation. Houses do not contain mansions. It's almost

as if the editors were trying to be obscure. The meaning of the original remark

was probably something like, "the universal creation is infinite - there's a place in

it for everyone.

There is structure in this creation, however, in spite of the confusion in minds

of the chaos theorists. All life is purposeful, and therefore wherever our true self

goes in creation, there is a reason for it to be there. Some of the difficulty we have

in jumping from one level to another arises from the fact that the rules are diff-

erent depending on the game we are playing. Here on earth, we are subject to

the limitations of time and space, for instance. Elsewhere we are not. At the

points of transition like "birth" or "death", this may take some serious adjustment

for those with a limited view.

Where you or I go when we leave the earth depends to an extent on where

we were before we came here. All of us seem to be at different levels in the long

process of soul education, so we are not all taking the same courses in the school

of life. Here again we are forced to over-simplify, but apparently we each have

our own teachers and classmates in this school and are constantly being helped

and guided by others who are more advanced, and concerned with our progress.

That's reassuring, and it seems to be constantly true.

Since in a timeless reality there is really no hurry, there are also rest periods

or "recesses", which might correspond to the Christian view of heaven, to allow us

to rest and recuperate between lessons. Some of our lessons are more difficult

than others, and from what I've heard, earth is a tough school. There's a lot to

be learned here, so those of us who are attending need all the help we can get.

One thing is very important for us to remember. In a universe where mind

is the builder, the possibilities are infinite. We can create with our minds and

attitudes a complete range of environments from the worst hell to the most

glorious heaven, and it's our choice. We will all spend most of our existence in

the company of other souls who have similar characteristics as our own, so it

behooves us to watch our attitude. No matter where we go, like still attracts like.

An environment full of mean-spirited souls in a timeless situation is by definition

an eternal hell.

I would like to offer some alternative reading at this point that will give some

wonderful examples of how the system works if you choose to read it. There are

at this time many fine books being written that will help our understanding. These

are only a few examples:

By author: Brian Weiss, M.D. (1) Many Lives, Many Masters

(2) Messages From the Masters

By author: Michael Newton, PhD. (1) Journey of Souls

(case histories of life between lives)

(2) Destiny of Souls

(more case histories)

By author: Gina Cerminara, PhD. Many Mansions

By author: Thomas Sugrue There is a River

(biography of Edgar Cayce)

All of these books, along with many others, are uplifting and inspirational.

They will not cause us to abandon our religious upbringing, only to see through

some of the superstition in it, whichever one it is.

Question #5 What about heredity?

By now, most of you have already figured out your own answer to this

question. Certainly there are hereditary influences in human life, but they apply

only to the animal portion of our reality. Earth has its own rules, and while we

are here we are at least partially subject to them. The extent to which we are

influenced is determined by how much we allow our minds to identify with our

primate instincts instead of our soul's plan. It's always a compromise.

When we, along with our helpers, selected the parents we were to have in

our present sojourn, we accepted the heredity, social situation, and prior

relationships that went with it. All of these factors, and more, were part of the

role we assumed when we decided to be born, and they all have their own

limitations. Our life consists of what we do about the role we have chosen. We

can be a victim of our heredity and our environment or we can view them as

challenges and use them. It's up to us.

Question #6 Could I come back as an animal?

I suppose you could if you wanted to, but why would you want to? If we

look at nature, which is a microcosm of creation, we observe a vast and ever-

changing variety of life forms. The changes in the animal and vegetable kingdoms

have sometimes been referred to as "evolution", because there seems to be

constant adaptation to outside circumstances. This is another over-simplification

based on our limited viewpoint. The process is much more complicated that that,

and involves changes at all levels of consciousness we are not normally even

aware of.

The consciousness we call "human" is only one of the endless types available,

and is also constantly developing in many directions at once. The level of energy

we call "animal" is not the same arrangement. It has its own strengths and weak-

nesses which are not the same as ours. We can learn to identify withe earth's

animal forms, and even to communicate with them much better than we do,

which would be to our advantage, but it is not necessary to become one of them

to do this.

There are myths in our historical writings that refer to half-human, half-

animal creatures or "Gods". This is part of our racial memory, because these

experiments actually took place at various times in the "past". There is no

recent evidence of this happening, because our species has chosen to go in a

different direction. At this point, even though we look and act like the animals

in many ways, and should be identifying with earth's nature instead of trying to

manipulate it, we are not really animals, and there is no particular advantage in

trying to be one.

The entire story of man's interaction with this planet, which really involves

our whole solar system, is an epic tale in which every answer raises new

questions. It is called life, and it is not static. The process is always going on,

so there is no such thing as having all the answers. If we ever new it all, then

the game would be over. Those of us who were brought up in the so-called

western world would need to pull our heads our of the sand and see the larger

picture, however. Limiting our view of human life to one short visit here makes

it impossible for us to gain much understanding of humanity's objective, and if

we don't learn the rules, we will never play the game very well.

CHAPTER TWELVE

HEALTH CARE

"You cannot help men permanently by doing

for them what they could and should do for

themselves."

... Abraham Lincoln

Q: What is a chapter on health care doing in a book about individual responsibility? A: It belongs here, and we almost couldn't wait to get to it.

For many years, my wife has been employed in the business known in

this country as the "health care" business, and we have had countless discussions

on the subject. The way the business is often run, it should more fairly be

referred to as "sick care" instead of health care, because the business depends

on a steady supply of sick people to survive. Healthy people don't need care.

What is a healthy person, and who is responsible to see that he or she

stays that way? Let us begin by coming up with a proper definition for the word

"health", so we know what we are talking about. Then we can perhaps determine

proper responsibility.

If you dig out your dictionary and look up the word health, you will find

that the root of the word is the Anglo-Saxon word "hal", which meant "whole".

The A.S. word "haelth" meant "wholeness". Interestingly, there appears to be

only a subtle distinction between this meaning and the actual meaning of the

word religion, which we already know means to re-connect something that has

come apart, or in effect to make it whole.

Many times and places in man's history, we have had "Temples" of learning

that offered both health care and religious training in the same environment

because the leaders or teachers understood this connection. Their objective was,

and our own health care system is gradually and inevitably returning to the same

objective, to help their "patients" become whole human beings. If you have read

this far, you know that our own description of a whole human being includes at

least three different levels of energy (physical, mental, and spiritual), and with-

out attention to all of these levels, there can be no effective "health" care.

The importance of this idea may seem obvious to most of us, but under the

constant pressure we have to focus mainly on our physical reality, it's amazing

how many times we all overlook the obvious. Even a common cold has an

effect, and actually a cause, in our mental and spiritual bodies. How many new

and completely equipped training facilities do we now have that are devoted

almost solely to to helping us develop strong and healthy bodies, and how much

more effective could they be if they offered mental and/or spiritual training under

the same roof?

In the end, however, no facility, no matter how complete its program is,

can improve the health of someone who doesn't care enough to try. The final

deciding factor in our own improvement or lack of it is still our own will. If we

don't want to "get better", or grow, we won't have much success. It is not the

organization that builds the gym, the hospital, or the church that determines

our progress toward wholeness, it is us, and we do it one person at a time, and

one day at a time.

At the present time in this country (U.S.A.), an from what I read in the

news, most of the rest of the world too, we have a crisis in the business we call

health care. The system appears to be badly in need of repair, and the matter

is discussed at great length from every home all way to the halls of government.

` Nobody seems to know exactly what to do about it, but we all agree that we

should be doing something.

Most of what we call health care takes place in a doctor's office, a clinic, or

a hospital, and it is to one of these places that many people run when they or a

member of their family appears to be ill. We are encouraged endlessly to do so.

"See your doctor" is the apparent answer to every human malady, or even the

suspicion of one. We are told by very well-meaning sources that we should see

a doctor on a regular basis even if we are in good shape, because there is always

the possibility that we may be suffering from some condition we don't even know

about.

George Burns, one of our much-loved comedians who recently died at

around age 100, was supposedly still smoking cigars and drinking martinis

regularly in his nineties. When asked what his doctor thought about this, he

liked to quip, "my doctor is dead". How much of this is fact and how much is

humor is unclear, but it's possible that his light-hearted approach to life did

contribute to his longevity.

I mentioned earlier that my wife has spent many years working in the

health care business. Several of these years were spent running an office in a

large suburban clinic with several doctors on the staff. She often observed to

me that at least half of the patients who came through the doors probably didn't

need to be there, and the quality of the care offered by the doctors would have

gone up considerably if they hadn't been required to keep their office calls down

to 15 minutes or less to accommodate the traffic.

Of course, that works both ways. The organization, which was owned by a

large hospital, was trying to make a profit, so they wanted to see as many

patients as possible whether they needed to be there or not. This resulted in an

advertising campaign that encouraged everyone to come and see the doctors as

often as they could. To complicate the situation, a third party is included in the

business for the purpose of handling the unpleasant matter of the cost of all this

care. The public buys "insurance" to pay the medical bill because it is often a

large one, and inconvenient or even impossible to handle individually.

The result of all this organization and promotion is inevitable. The more

people (and regulations) that are involved in the process, the less the individual,

whether a patient or a provider, feels responsible, and we haven't even begun to

talk about the huge business of selling medical equipment and/or the products

we lovingly call "drugs". The drug business is a whole other matter. This is not

true of the whole world, but it is difficult to drive down any main street in any

town in America without encountering a store or two that is fronted by a large

sign that says DRUGS. A newcomer from a distant planet would get the im-

pression that we are a nation of "junkies", and he might be uncomfortably close

to the truth.

If we are sounding critical of Western health care, at least we have a lot of

company. Picking on the business seems to be a national sport, and of course

some of the criticism is justified. Some is not. Helping each other should always

be one of our main concerns, and in theory at least, that's what health care is

all about. It is in the actual practice of caring that we encounter the weaknesses

in our nature, and we start to lean on each other for the care we should provide

for ourselves or for the income we get by providing this care for others.

What is the bottom line here? What is wrong with our system? What is

wrong with us? The answer is in the questions. We are the system. We cannot

fix an organization or a system without fixing its component parts, which are us.

If we as patients will not accept the responsibility for our own good health, then

we automatically create "providers" who will inevitably be looking out for their

own interests while taking care of us. It is not the system that is at fault. What

is needed is a fundamental change of attitude by everyone involved.

Some drugs, some doctors, some hospitals, some yoga classes, some

gymnasiums, some mental health facilities, etc., etc., might be necessary and

beneficial. How many? That depends on you and me. How much of our lives

is our own, and how much is improved or even enriched by sharing our "troubles"

with someone else?

By virtue of our human-ness, we are all "sick". We are also all perfect the

way we are. Our troubles, individually and collectively, are our life. If we can

teach ourselves and our children to see the big picture, a lot of the physical and

mental difficulties we create will just disappear like a cloud in the sunshine

because we don't need them anymore. "Haelth", or wholeness, is what we are

all looking for, and it is there inside of us all the time. We just need to stop

looking outside for it.

We commented earlier that while my wife was in charge of a clinic office

she observed that at least half of the people who came through the door

looking for treatment didn't need to be there. In medical parlance, deciding

who needs treatment and who doesn't is called "triage", and it is a decision that

is made by someone with medical training, like a doctor or a nurse. Obviously,

` the job of medical office personnel is simply to process everyone comes in and

see that they get to consult with a doctor, or at least a nurse. That is what

happens.

In actual practice, triage decisions are originally made very often by the

patient themselves when they begin to think they need to see a medically

trained person to help them solve a real or imagined physical problem. Many

people, myself included, will put off or avoid altogether seeking medical help

as long as possible for any condition that does not completely incapacitate them.

At the other extreme are the ones who immediately call the doctor's office or

run to a hospital emergency room for the slightest problem, or even the suspicion

of one. Those of us who are not in the medical profession would be amazed to

learn how many people fall into this latter category, and in general, they are the

ones my wife's comment refers to.

It's entirely possible that either extreme is incorrect. Consultation with a

medical expert is often the quickest way to alleviate a curable condition, so

seeking help early is not necessarily a bad idea. Since we are all different in

some ways, the right thing to do about our health is not the same for all of us,

but there are some general guidelines we can use that would not only keep us

in better shape, but go a long way toward clearing up some of the problems of

the medical business.

The first thing we all need to keep in mind is that from the minute we

arrive here on earth as infants, we are all dying. It is merely a matter of when

and how. We are just visiting here, and often our visit is very short in terms of

earth time. If we make the mistake of identifying our whole reality or our self-

hood with our temporary animal form, we automatically begin to make decisions

about our health for the wrong reasons.

Incidentally, the term "triage", which refers to these decisions, originally

came about because of wartime situations involving many combatants on both

sides who were so badly wounded that they probably would not survive even if

treated. Someone was assigned to sort them out from the ones who had a

chance of being saved. There simply was not enough time or medical help

available to work with everyone, so the worst cases were just allowed to die so

that others could be helped. There is nothing like a war to remind us of the

impermanence of human life.

The point is that we are not supposed to be only thinking about the number

of years we can spend here, or even only about the physical condition of the

bodies we inhabit, which are temporary at best. Our primary concern is supposed

to be about the reason we came here, the quality of our life, and the lessons we

are here to learn. These are mental and spiritual matters, and become a

permanent part of our soul's history. The interesting thing is that proper attention

to these matters will usually also produce a healthier physical body because of

the interaction.

There is a gentleman named James VanPraagh who has, according to his

own research, spent many lifetimes on earth in spiritual pursuits, including his

current one, and as a result has developed the sensitivity that allows him to

function as a "medium" between those who are here and those who have left.

Unfortunately, there have been a lot of "mediums" (media?) in this world, both

real and completely dishonest, so the information produced by them is always

suspect. Mr. VanPraagh has been busy both in public and in private sessions

with thousands of people by now, however, and the consensus is that it is

impossible to doubt his sincerity, and his communications are frequently

astounding and very moving.

He has also written some books about his work, and in a recent one called

"Reaching to Heaven" he makes the observation that everyone, after passing

through the door we call "death", ends up with a perfect "body", no matter how

damaged their earthly one was. This phenomenon has been reported over and

over again by those who have been able to communicate. A mental body,

operating on a mental plane, has the same abilities as a physical body operating

on a physical plane, with even more flexibility and effectiveness.

He wryly observes that we spend an awful lot of time here on earth trying

to produce perfect bodies that are ultimately going to fall apart anyway, only to

be replaced by a perfect one. At the same time, we ignore the development of

qualities like patience, kindness, and unconditional love that are going to stay

with us even beyond this life. The personal problems or attributes that we

develop here become a permanent part of our soul's history (karma?), and will

continue to uplift us if they are positive or hold us back if they are not.

Another thing that we must never forget, and we need to pass it on to

every succeeding generation, is the relationship between the various bodies we

all have. There is constant interaction going on from our birth to our death

between all the energy levels of our reality. Those who believe that they can

create a healthy physical body with only proper diet and physical activity and

ignore the negative input of their mind are doomed to failure. Others who

concentrate only on mental, or even spiritual matters, which are the source,

are very apt to find their physical bodies suffering from the neglect.

While it is important to remember that the roots of our tree of life are at

the energy level we are calling spiritual, and that our mental and physical selves

grow forth from these roots, it is our opinion that we are mistaken if we then

assume that the spirit is more important. The only difference between all the

energy levels on which we live is vibrational frequency. Which note in a musical

scale is the most important? The question is meaningless. Without all the notes,

there is no music.

We cannot say that our spirits are "holy" (or whole) and our bodies are not.

They are made of the same stuff. If any of it is holy, then it all is, and should be

treated accordingly. Of course, there are those among us who say that none of

the creation is holy, or even meaningful. They say this because they have

allowed their thinking mechanism to take over their entire concept of reality,

and they are no longer in contact with the other levels, so they cannot see them.

It is the worst kind of tunnel vision to conclude that the only reality there

is, is what we can perceive with our eyes, hear with our ears, or touch with our

hands. Even our minds know better than that, or we would not have created

half of the technology we have that depends on unseen forces. In the same way,

it is folly to assume that because we cannot immediately understand a creative

force that operates outside of time and space, then it doesn't exist. We cannot

pick up television pictures with our minds, either, but that doesn't make us

claim that there is no such thing as television. We can go out and buy a TV set,

but even that won't work if we don't plug it into a power source and turn it on.

How can we expect to be whole human beings if we are ignoring the

development of most of our potential in favor of only those few possibilities that

we can see, hear, feel, or figure out with a cursory examination? To really

understand health care, we have no choice but to look at the larger picture.

It may come as a surprise to many people, but there are a lot of folks born into

this world who have no intention of living a long and/or healthy physical life.

That is not why they came here.

The time-less soul-entity that becomes a temporary human being is really

only interested in the ultimate growth, by experience, of the complete package.

If this progress, or even the progress of other human companion entities can be

helped by a short earth life or a severe illness, then this course is often chosen.

How can anyone learn to be a selfless care-giver if there is no-one else to care

for? We are all in this together, and we are supposed to be helping each other,

not fighting or sitting around feeling sorry for ourselves.

Physical health gives us a wonderful opportunity to fully experience and

enjoy the earth, and we should be helping each other attain it. Many people

are, and their efforts have great nobility, whether professional or not. But a

healthy body or even a long earth life is not supposed to be the most important

factor in our lives, and if we make the mistake of thinking it is, we will ultimately

be disappointed. Anyone who has ever prematurely "lost" a loved one who left

earth behind and went on their way knows the pain this can cause when viewed

only from the earth's perspective. Our task is to enlarge that perspective, which

is the only way to alleviate the pain.

CHAPTER TWELVE IS COMPLETE

IT WILL BE FOLLOWED SOON BY A "SUMMARY" OF THE BOOK

THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST

INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY

SUMMARY

The subtitle of this book is "A Primer for a Successful Life". That's

exactly what it is, a primer - a very simple textbook. A million details

have been left out, but not because they were not important. They just

wouldn't fit into this book. You won't find samples of English literature

in a first grade reader, either.

In the introduction, we said that our objective in writing this book was

to help a few other people clear up their thinking about who they are, and

what to do with their life. We certainly hope we have done that. Every

one of the ideas expressed in these twelve chapters was aimed at that

goal.

What was left out is a great deal more profound and amazing than

what was included. We truly are all part of an awesome and endless

collection of universes where our possibilities have no limits. The facts

are far beyond the little I have tried to say here. The word "magic"

comes to mind, because when we truly look at the creation with an open

mind, that's what it seems to be - magic.

In the physical world, every sunrise is magic. Every birth is magic.

So is every death. Every idea that becomes physical reality is magic.

Every breath and every heartbeat is magic. They happen without our

even thinking about them. If we cut our finger, it heals up with the

same magic that created the finger in the first place. It's all magic.

Ask any child. They all believe in magic. Adults have merely learned to

be cynical, so they've forgotten the magic part.

Webster's Dictionary: MAGIC. "Any mysterious, seemingly

inexplicable or extraordinary power or influence, as the magic

of love."

There is one little piece of information that was discussed a lot here,

but never put into just a few words, like one of our "rules" for living.

It should have been. It sums up everything I've been saying, so I'll add

it here. We need to repeat this over and over to ourselves so we never

forget it.

"YOU MAKE YOUR OWN REALITY"

Again: "YOU MAKE YOUR OWN REALITY"

Let it sink in. It is the ultimate personal responsibility. Let's all get

it straight. We are all making our own life. Nobody else is doing it to us,

no matter what it looks like. We are not victims, we are creators. How

do we do this? With magic, or better still, with our imagination. It's the

same thing.

How does the magic work? Any attempt to really answer that ques-

tion would probably take several more books, but here is the simple

answer in a few sentences.

Whether or not we pay any attention to it, there is a level of energy in which we all live that is beyond time and space. It consists of every single possible result of every thought we ever have or every act we ever perform. It is an infinite reservoir of potential, and we simply select from it with our imagination, our intentions, and our repeated conscious thoughts. Whatever we concentrate on we create, whether we want it or not. We just plant the seeds, wait, and sooner or later the physical result appears.

It is the ultimate fabulous magical gift of our reality. We can use it

however we want. The only catch is that we are RESPONSIBLE for our

choices. We do not want to believe this, but it is absolutely true. Every

aspect of our lives, from our health, to our finances, to our love life, to

the weather and our participation in "natural disasters", and ultimately

the time, place, and method of our own death, are all of our own making.

If we say, "I don't believe that - we are victims of our environment

and we are all sinners", then that is the reality we create. It works like

a (magic) charm. We all become victims and sinners, and then we say,

"See, I told you".

What kind of a world do we want to live in? It's our choice, and our

responsibility.

***

"In each person the imaginative world, its force

and its power, merges into historical reality. In each

person, the ultimate and unassailable and unquenchable

power of All That Is is individualized, and dwells in time.

Man's imagination can carry him into other realms, but

when he tries to squeeze those truths into frameworks

too small, he distorts and bends inner realities so that

they become jagged dogmas."

... Seth

"The Individual and the

Nature of Mass Events"

WHAT DO YOU REALLY BELIEVE?

belief', n. "an acceptance of something as true".

The following is from the 9th chapter of the gospel of Matthew in the

RSV translation of the Bible:

... a ruler came and knelt before him, saying, "my daughter has

just died; but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live." ... a woman who had suffered from a hemorrhage for twelve years

came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, for she said

to herself, "If I only touch his garment, I shall be made well."

Jesus turned, and seeing her, he said, "Take heart, daughter; your

faith has made you well", and instantly, she was made well.

... when Jesus came to the ruler's house, ... he went in and took

her (the dead daughter) by the hand, and the girl arose.

... two blind men followed him, and came to him. Jesus said to

them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?" They said to him,

"Yes, Lord". - and their eyes were opened.

This is from " The Biology of Belief", by Bruce Lipton, PhD.

A Baylor School of Medicine study, published in 2002, in the New

England Journal of Medicine evaluated surgery for patients with severe,

debilitating knee pain. The lead author of the study, Dr. Bruce Moseley,

"knew" that knee surgery helped his patients: "All good surgeons know

there is no placebo effect in surgery." But Moseley was trying to figure

out which part of the surgery was giving his patients relief. The patients

in the study were divided into three groups. Moseley shaved the

damaged cartilege in the knee of one group. For another group, he

flushed out the knee joint, removing material he thought to be causing

the inflammatory effect. Both of these constitute standard treatment for

arthritic knees.

The third group got "fake" surgery. The patient was sedated,

Moseley made three standard incisions, and then talked and acted just

as he would have during a real surgery - he even splashed salt water to

simulate the sound of the knee-washing procedure. After 40 minutes,

Moseley sewed up the incisions as if he had done the surgery. All three

groups were prescribed the same post-operative care, which included an

exercise program.

.. Yes, the groups who received surgery, as expected, improved.

But the placebo group improved just as much as the other two groups!

Despite the fact that there are 650,000 surgeries yearly for arthritic

knees, at a cost of about $5,000 each, the results were clear to Moseley.

"My skill as a surgeon had no benefit on these patients. The entire

benefit of surgery for osteoarthritis of the knee was the placebo effect."

This is also from Dr. Lipton:

"Our positive and negative beliefs not only impact our health, but

also every aspect of our life. ... Your beliefs act like filters on a camera,

changing how you see the world. And your biology adapts to those

beliefs. When we truly recognize that our beliefs are that powerful, we

hold the key to freedom."

______________________________________________

In the above examples, what is the common denominator? Is it

not the firm belief of the "patient" in the ability of the physician or the

healer? Those of you who are convinced that the New Testament of

the Bible is an accurate historical record have no choice but to accept

the fact that the man Jesus knew what he was talking about when he

said "Your FAITH has made you well", or "Do you BELIEVE that I am

able to do this?"

Two thousand years later, Dr. Lipton's studies show that nothing

has altered the importance of belief since then. He has repeatedly

demonstrated in his laboratory that every cell in a human body has

awareness, and will respond immediately to the mental attitude of the

body's host. The medical profession has long known about the placebo

effect, where physical problems sometimes disappear when treated

only with a "sugar pill" if the patient believes that it is medication.

Unfortunately, not very much research has ever been done to discover

how or why this can happen, even though that information has always

been available.

In the realms outside of time and space, it is much easier, and

fairly obvious that one's thoughts and core beliefs create one's reality,

because it happens immediately when the belief changes. On earth,

in most cases, there is a time lag between the acceptance of a new

belief and its appearance in the physical world, so a commitment is

usually required.

There is also very often a marked difference between what we

say we believe, and what truly is our core belief. Some, for instance,

are fond of repeating "affirmations" of belief to create a new situation

in their life. The fact that they constantly repeat these statements is

proof that they don't believe what they are saying. Their core belief is

that something is wrong, and the Universe faithfully responds to that

attitude so the problem persists until the belief changes and the

affirmations are no longer needed.

How important is this awareness? It just might be the most

important thing we can ever learn. Much more can be said about the

role our attitudes and intentions play in our lives, and we plan to return

to the subject again. Until then, consider this: There are many so-called

"religions" in the world, and always have been. Is it not possible that

what makes each one of them valuable or effective is the depth of

belief in their practitioners? If the details of the faith are incorrect or

always changing, what really might be the only important thing is the

beliefs of the faithful and what they do about them.

... Merlyn

January 2015

CONVERSATIONS - WILLIAM JAMES

1842-1910

William James became one of the most influential philosophers of his time.

A physician, an educator, and a Harvard University psychologist, he was famous for,

among other things, his thorough investigations of metaphysics, and authored many

books, most notably, "The Varieties of Religious Experience", which was based on his

lectures at Edinburgh University in 1901 and 1902.

Merlyn: What a privilege to meet you, Dr. James. Your life-long investigation into the

mind of mankind truly blazed a trail for many who followed after you.

W.J.: It's a pleasure to meet you also, Merlyn. I must confess that many of us truly

doubted your existence while we were laboring under the limitations of time and space.

My searching, while there, was almost an obsession I could not resist. Every satisfactory

answer I discovered simply seemed to raise many more questions.

Merlyn: Have you been more successful since then in answering some of them?

W.J.: One thing that is clear to me now that I completely overlooked then is that, for

humans, only the proper blend of intuitions and intellect can provide true vision or

understanding. The meaning of the universe remains invisible to the intellect alone, and

actually becomes less apparent the more it is examined in a conventionally scientific

manner.

Merlyn: Using your intuitions and powerful intellect now, what is your impression of our

universe?

W.J.: I would like to compare this universe to a model of a multidimensional work of

art, rather than a mechanical machine. Definitely, it is a work of art in progress which

is constantly changing, and with a plan beyond the understanding of any human artist.

We are, while alive, within and a part of this production, and all the categorizing in the

world will not reveal its meaning.

Merlyn: What about the Artist who is creating this universe? Have you found yourself

closer to our creative source since you have been here?

W.J.: I have not yet encountered a conventional "heaven", or glimpsed the face of God,

but I certainly feel that I live in a psychological heaven by earth's standards. Everywhere

i sense a "presence" that is well-intentioned, gentle, powerful, and all-knowing.

Merlyn: You spent your life trying to understand the mind and the purpose of mankind.

Have you any new insights in that regard?

W.J.: I'll say. It's obvious now that every person, living or "dead", is a unique and

perfect materialization of this loving presence. Each one of us is himself or herself, and

an agent for the universe at the same time.

Merlyn: How can we become more aware of this wonderful presence you feel?

W.J.: I suspect that it reveals itself exactly according to the attention one accords it.

This presence is everywhere, and responds to each of us, but like a summer day, it is a

delightful medium, and it is quite possible to take it for granted.

Merlyn: I'm wondering if you ever despair about the destructiveness of some humans.

Do you still see evidence of evil?

W.J.: You know, I realize now that destructiveness is simply the inadequate expression

of a good intent. This atmospheric presence I feel ever seeks the most creative,

expansive, loving expression in such immense terms, that it is nonsense to give it human

characteristics. To say that evil acts are just malfunctioning good would have sounded

unbelievable in my lifetime, but the truth I see now is that there is no evil to contend with.

We are left only to examine the nature of man through its best and not its worst

interpretation.

_________________________________________

Merlyn: Dr. James graciously agreed that we should continue our conversation when

he found that I planned to share it with many who are now experiencing time and

space. Please stay with us, and we will try to see that happens.

May 2017

UNDERSTANDING DRUGS

We recently discovered a pamphlet written in 1971 and entitled:

DIMENSIONS OF UNDERSTANDING ABOUT DRUGS

by Robert K. Townley

Mister Townley was obviously qualified to create this pamphlet.

Here are the facts "about the author"

"Robert K. Townley is a graduate of Temple University, and also holds an M.A.

degree in counseling from Michigan State University. He has done further graduate

work at Columbia University and Merrill Palmer Institute.

Mr. Townley has had considerable experience with problems of drug abuse in

schools, churches, and mental health clinics. He has served as Director of Programs

for Detroit's Drug Abuse Clinics and is consultant to groups establishing drug educa-

tion programs and treatment centers."

We find it significant that the information in his pamphlet is even more relevant now in 2017 than it was in 1971. Are we making any progress here? The following is the complete text of his pamphlet.

____________________________________________________________

"Send not to inquire who the drug user is ---

The drug user is you and me."

Paraphrasing this oft-quoted passage should give a new

perspective to the drug picture. The first consideration in

facing the drug problem is that drug use is a way of life

for most people in our society.

We are all drug users ---

Do you drink coffee, tea, or Coca Cola?

You are a drug user ---

Do you take aspirin, anacin, of Bromo Seltzer?

You are a drug user ---

Do you take tranquilizers, pain relievers, or the little blue

pill that makes you feel young again?

You are a drug user ---

Do you smoke cigarettes, or drink alcoholic beverages?

You are a drug user ---

Our Society has grown up with the idea that there is a pill for

every pain, and nobody should have to suffer any discomfort.

Illegal drug use today is a logical extension of this philosophy

and practise.

Which Drugs?

From your own reading about the drug problem, what do you

believe is the most popular drug of abuse?

What drug causes the most brain damage?

What drug has the greatest number of addicts?

What drug produces the most psychotics?

What drug contributes most to crime?

The answer to all these questions is the drug alcohol. Yet when most

people discuss drugs and evince their concern about drug abuse, the conversation centers not around alcohol, but heroin.

There are about 500,000 heroin addicts in the United States,

compared to more than 9 million alcohol addicts. There are

more alcohol addicts in the San Francisco Bay area of

California than there are heroin addicts in the entire nation.

With heroin .....

Crime is committed because the drug is illegal, not because

the nature of the drug induces criminal behavior. Heroin is a

tranquilizer. The addict is passive under the influence of the

drug. He may steal or commit other crimes to support his

habit only because heroin is illegal and therefore expensive.

The heroin user who commits crimes does so not because

of the nature of the drug. He does so because of the nature

of the law.

With alcohol .....

The very nature of the drug alcohol induces anti-social

behavior in many people. Alcohol inhibits judgement and

relaxes the control centers of the brain. Because this is true,

alcohol may contribute to violent, destructive behavior.

The alcohol user who commits crime may do so because of

the nature of the drug itself.

Responding to the heroin problem, society .....

* condemns the user of heroin,

* panics over the number of users,

* appropriates vast sums of money for law

enforcement programs.

At the same time .....

Alcohol is glamorized. The alcohol industry is permitted to

spend more than a million dollars a day to advertise its

product. The wheels of our social functions continue to be

lubricated with the drug alcohol.

In addition to alcohol, other legal drugs continue to take their toll

almost unnoticed.

There are probably as many barbiturate addicts as heroin

addicts in our country today. People become addicts and

remain addicts on legal prescriptions given to them by

their physicians.

Common aspirin is the most frequent cause of drug-induced

disturbances among millions throughout our nation.

More than a million people a year die prematurely because

they smoke cigarettes.

The point of these references is simply to underscore the fact that .....

* if we are to deal realistically with the drug problem,

* if we are to put the drug picture in proper perspective,

* we must recognize that our entire social system

social system is drug dependent.

It is necessary to face the fact that drugs are not simply a problem

of the ghetto or a new device dreamed up by the youth of our generation.

We are a drug-dependent society. We must all acknowledge our

involvement in drug use. This is absolutely essential if we are to

deal objectively, realistically, and effectively with drug abuse.

"Drug Abuse"

Another dimension of the perspective we seek lies in our concept of

what constitutes "drug abuse".

The term "drug abuse" is often a scare phrase, loaded

with panic by those who profit by playing upon our fears.

We respond to it like a fire bell in the night. In our alarm

we recklessly .....

* spend money,

* delegate police power,

* initiate drug propaganda in the

name of education,

* wring our hands in dismay,

without identifying the problem

or dealing with the basic issues.

In this reaction, we reflect the same characteristics the drug abuser

displays, seeking easy solutions to complex life situations. To

understand what constitutes "drug abuse", we must first develop a

more constructive way to think about drugs.

Most of us think of drugs in one category -- as an escape

which "other people" use. Or, we think of drugs in two

categories -- legal and illegal as though --

* all legal drugs are beneficial and good, but

* all illegal drugs are harmful and bad.

A more positive approach to drug abuse would be first to think of all

drugs as drugs, disregarding whether they are legal or illegal, or

whether we use them or someone else does.

Accepting this principle, we may then consider all drugs

in terms of .....

use abuse dependency.

In this context, we can recognize that .....

* all drugs can be used,

* all drugs are subject to abuse,

* most drugs can produce dependency,

either psychological, physical or both.

To use a drug means simply that .....

occasionally, from time to time or regularly, one may use

a drug, but that drug use is not harmful in any way.

To abuse a drug means .....

to use a drug, any drug, to the degree that it impairs the

mental or physical health, limits productivity, growth, or

human potential, produces anti-social behavior or causes

financial problems.

Dependency can involve both physical and psychological factors.

To become physically dependent means that the absence of the

drug produces actual physical illness. Psychological or emotional

means one uses a drug to the extent that the absence of the drug

produces irritability, restlessness, boredom, frustration, and lack

of meaning or purpose in one's life.

Putting the drug picture into proper perspective becomes disturbing

when we see that .....

* all of us use drugs to some degree, and

* many of us are physically or emotionally

dependent on drugs of some kind.

Unless we are ready to deal with the situation from this point of view,

we are in no position to make a constructive contribution to rehab-

ilitation or our drug-prone society.

MORE THAN FACTS

To deal creatively with a drug-prone society requires more than information

about drugs. We must attempt to create a mood of understanding. We need

honesty, to admit our own involvement with drug use and abuse, as well as

the honesty to look at our motives and fears,

* our haunting anxieties about our failures as parents,

* our jealousy over the freedom of youth,

* our guilt over some of these feelings, and

* our frustration and anger over our helplessness

to stop drug use.

Honesty will help us to admit that our judgmental attitudes, punitive laws,

and the extension of police power probably say more about out prejudices

than our understanding. We must begin to ask questions such as ....

Why are our laws not working?

As strict and punitive as they are, present laws are not controlling the heroin

traffic and related crimes. From its source in Turkey and Thailand to the

streets of Detroit and Chicago the heroin traffic is permitted to exist by the

federal government and local law enforcement.

The federal government, for political reasons, refuses to halt

the traffic at its international sources. On the local level, police

often provide heroin to the addict to maintain contacts for

information in the underworld.

Not only does the current heroin law seem to produce more crime on both

sides of the law, but the law system related to other drugs tends to

produce a general breakdown in respect for law and order among large

segments of our population.

The governor of Michigan, in a recent message on drug abuse to the state

legislature, said, "By making felons of an increasing number of our youth,

we undermine public attitudes toward the seriousness of all the felonies.

For some people, jail sentences involving the threat of sexual assault or the

association with hardened criminals may be of greater danger than the

potential danger of the drug involved.

Surveys on the high school and college campus make it clear that present

laws are not effectively limiting drug use. However, the present law does

serve to prevent quality control of drugs. Consequently, the greatest danger

of illegal drug use is from poisoning or over-dose. If the illegal drug user

simply got cheated, we might say that it served him right, but even the

sternest advocate of strong laws will admit that a psychotic break from an

over-dose of acid, permanent deafness from impurities, or death from

strychnine is too tragic a price to pay for a rebellious fling or a serious search

for some new insight, however misguided society may think that search was.

All this raise one more basic question ..... How far should the law go in

protecting the drug user from himself, and how inclusive should the law be

in this respect? An emotional, rational conclusion based on known infor-

mation of the dangers involved would mean that the penalties for over-

eating, smoking cigarettes, and drinking alcohol would have to be more

severe than the penalties for such things as smoking marijuana. Most would

agree that even 90 days in jail for overeating would be a bit severe.

A FINAL DIMENSION

Perhaps the final dimension of the drug dilemma is recognizing that drug use

is symptomatic. Something is radically wrong with our society. Like the man

who will not go to the doctor because he is afraid he has cancer, many of us

steadfastly refuse to deal with the hardest question of all ..... What is wrong

with the American way of life?

All of our lives we have been taught that killing is wrong. Yet for more than a

quarter of a century we have systematically trained our young men to fight

and kill as they come of draft age. Is it possible that the only way we can

endure the pain and guilt of this contradiction is to sedate ourselves with drugs?

Our present economy can survive only as long as people buy things they do

not need. Therefore, it becomes the business of advertising to create an

insatiable appetite in the American people. Is it possible that this appetite is

part of the craving that drives large segments of our population to seek

satisfaction in drug use?

Is it possible that an education system which is more concerned with the

accumulation of facts than the process of thinking leads the restless mind to

seek expansion in drugs? Is it possible that the powerlessness, poverty, and

injustice felt by our youth and other subcultures is too frustrating? Is it

possible that the loneliness and alienation growing from our impersonal

technology is more than we can bear?

IN CONCLUSION

Whatever the reasons, we are all drug users. Most of us are drug abusers.

All of us are part of a society whose values fail to fulfill the human spirit.

We will be able to deal creatively with the symptoms of drug abuse when we

can see .....

* the Hippie,

* the heroin user,

* the pot smoker, or cigarette smoker,

* the cocktail drinker, or

* the tranquilized housewife .... as a product of our society. A person searching for meaning,

attempting to escape from frustrations, hungry for attention .....

a person looking for a way to live in the social order which we have all helped

to produce. A brother or a sister trying to cope with the American dream.

Then we can say to them .....

"You and I have done this together. - Let's see what we can do about it."

_____________________________________

Have we improved the situation since 1971? ------ Merlyn

June 2017

I WISH A WORLD

I wish a world ...

* I wish a world where being unconventional is OK; prejudice and bigotry will melt away

so acceptance and kindness can reign.

* I wish a world where every human being would do at least one random act of kindness every day.

* I wish a world where we wear our differences like medals proudly and courageously - in my perfect

world our differences are celebrated.

* In the world I wish, people strive to be themselves, never hiding their individuality in order to fit in.

* Relax! I wish everyone would just take a breath and relax.

* My wish is for a world with endless naps and time is frozen just waiting for you to wake up.

* I wish for a world full of food ... lots and lots of food.

* I wish a world where hate disappears from the English language and is replaced by love.

* My wish world is one where I can respectfully disagree with others, and they do the same for me.

* I wish a world where nobody's a jerk!

* I wish a world where "I" wasn't in the word anxiety.

* In my wish world, the color of your skin doesn't matter, but your character does: one where

everyone has the courage to stand up to bullies.

* How about a world where the Detroit Pistons win a championship?

* I wish a world where everyone could dunk!

* I wish a world where sports were easier for short people.

* I wish a world where equality spreads beyond the boundaries of the sports field - a world where

men and women are finally equal.

* I wish a world where aren't judged by the shape of their bodies, but by the size of their brains.

* Where the LGBTQ community are accepted as equals - where everyone is always welcome.

* I wish a world where global warming doesn't exist. A world with sharp, snow-filled winters, and

bright skies unclouded by smog.

* I wish a world where we will always be free to explore a living Great Barrier Reef.

* In my wish world, clean air feeds thriving forests, so that all kids, teens, and adults have the

opportunity to go to camp.

* Where global warming doesn't exist, we stay committed to protecting the environment, and the

radiance of the earth survives, and I can breathe clean, pure, puff-up-your-lungs air.

* I wish a world where nobody will ever miss the sunset.

* I wish a world where waking up in the morning was easy ... a world where the bus doesn't come

in the dark.

* Sleep! I want to sleep as late as I please!

* I wish a world with unlimited Taco Bell nachos ... Yum!

* How about endless Pasta? Healthy candy?

* I wish a world where people would actually look up from their phones ... where kids are more

interested in the world around them than the 6-inch screen in their hands.

* I wish a world that values truth ... where ignorance is non-existent.

* In my world, people persevere.

* I wish a world where people would stop being afraid of what could go wrong .. rather think about

what could go right.

* I wish people had the guts to say what they think.

* I wish a world where adults actually listened to kids and what they have to say.

* I wish a word with no regrets. I want to live in the moment - not the past.

* I wish a world where wars were just rock, paper, scissors.

* A world that doesn't ignore starvation and famine.

* A world that remembers and learns from its history.

* A world where peace isn't just an emoji.

* I wish for a world that is safe from the dangers of terror and violence, where all humans

can live in peace.

* I wish a world where it's possible to laugh at least once a day.

* I wish a world where every step leaves a trail of happiness behind you.

* I hope for a world where everyone gets the opportunity to make their dreams come true.

* I wish ... This world.

... we can do this ... Merlyn