The Reconnection

[Bornonthecusp]

Hi ya'll, so I'm reading a book called The Reconnection by Eric Pearl, it's a really fascinating look at a regular guy suddenly becoming a healer, pretty much over night. And I'm just at a bit in the book where he talks about the rituals involved in spirituality being based from fear e.g. crystals, healing bowls (bowls of salt water, i think they're called healing bowls), calling on guides/angels etc. And he says how they're disguised fear based practices. And I think he has a point, if they come from Love as I assume we're all aiming for, then am I the only one that's felt lack when I forgot to meditate, or if I've forgotten to put my crystal of the month in my pocket? If we're always connected to this all seeing universal power (and I believe that we are) then surely it just makes sense that belief alone would be enough? What does everyone think? Has anyone read it? He also has something interesting to say about evil which when thinking of non-duality makes sense to me...

[Baile]

Originally Posted by Bornonthecusp

And he says how they're disguised fear based practices.

Yes, but I would say it depends almost entirely on the mindset of the individual. If the individual undertakes spiritual investigation from a place of superstition, then you are correct. Superstition is fear-based.

Example I discussed a few days ago: Someone had a vision of a black cat. There was an initial fear it was a portend of something scary or bad. I pointed out that, no, there is nothing to fear and black cats aren't evil, that's just superstition. Nevertheless, one can happily investigate what "black" and "cat" means to them personally, and why they happened to have a vision of such at this particular time in their life.

Originally Posted by Bornonthecusp

If we're always connected to this all seeing universal power (and I believe that we are) then surely it just makes sense that belief alone would be enough?

Yes exactly. If this was your own observation and conclusion, that was quite a relevation you had!

[Shivani Devi]

One of the most difficult things to understand about human beings, is how they need to judge and label everything according to unique cultural perspectives to be comfortable with conformity and continuity.

What may be a "fear based practice" for one person, could be a "Faith based practice" for another, and the only thing that has changed, is the angle of perception, however, humans also like to believe that their own individual perceptions are "true" while any other perception is "false" simply because they cannot see it that way.

Humans are also very proud and stubborn, in that even if the alternate perception is shown to them, they will still refuse to acknowledge it, because that means accepting the fact that they have been wrong or incorrect all this time...and that is seen as a fate worse than death. It takes a special breed of person to admit when they are wrong and most cannot because their ego won't let them, so living in denial is the only way they can actually live with themselves.

[Bornonthecusp]

I hear you guys, I can see how it is totally individual, and down to the meanings and perceptions of that individual. It was a wake up call for me because I was practicing from a place of fear, the fear of reverting back to my unhappy self. So much so that I would worry if I hadn't meditated in the morning and feel like a failure whereas now I realise, my beliefs being based in fear were the actual issue. If I'd had faith that I was enough and OK, I would've felt fine. Thank you both for your perspectives, I've learned a lot. I swear not a day goes by, I don't stop learning. I'm wishing you both well, thanks again.