Transformation
Beauty in transformation
Listen:
Essence presented as transformational meditation music by Deborah Martin-Lemmon
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“One sunny day, the cocoon came unsealed.
Magically, a butterfly was revealed.
Seeing this miracle with my own eyes,
of caterpillars becoming butterflies,
brings real hope of the possibility
of the total transformation of me.
Quote from a poem, Metamorphosis, by
Marcia “Butterflies” Katz
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The nature of transformation
Everything in the universe and our world exhibits cycles, seasons and change. Leaves turn color in the fall; moisture may become snow, rain, fog or humidity with temperature fluxes; tadpoles to frogs and both rocks and stars age and decay into dust. Humans are not exempt as the inspiring words of the poem above reminds us. Obviously we move through physical growth; perhaps family marked your height progressions on the wall when you were young. All you need do is look in the mirror to confirm that physical alteration is still happening. Your thoughts and your beliefs also develop. Jean Piaget with his lifetime research on childhood cognitive development defines this process with great detail. He also reported that the children were unaware of their cognitive adjustments over time and were willing to argue that change in cognition ever occurred. The research with this human nature to contest unconscious amendments is further revealed in a plethora of psychology books like The Elephant in the Brain by Kevin Simler and Robin Hanson. More of a mystery to self-awareness in modification by our evolutionary mandate reported by authors like Robert Kegan, In over our heads: the mental demands of modern life, and presently the books by Jonathan Haidt. Change on all levels is perpetual but most of the time we humans ardently deny the course.
My story of life
All that we humans need is a story. “I know” means “I know my story, it is a little self-centered but it is the truth.” We need a story to make sense of the world and we compare the experience now with our memory of what has transcribed before to locate ourselves in a map to mark the space “here now.” Surrounded by a past and a future we can identify our situation, anticipate what will happen next and decide what course of action to take. Our first story, perhaps offered by family and culture, we tend to believe as “me.” We might say that is your personality but it is really a story you believe to be truth and you act as if it is gospel. We have all heard people say, “That is the way I am.” Their statement doesn’t indicate much desire to change or even consider change and that is consistent with all belief systems. Because you “fully identify” with the considerations in the belief you perceive them true and of value to you. None of this is congruent with the fact of constant change everywhere in the universe.
The rules of the game
I “feel” therefore I am; a traditional human internal philosophy. If this line of thinking produces a sense of validity, then anything external you fully identify with must also be true and everything associated worth being. This game may be an illusion but so is Monopoly, and we play it. Have you ever seen that hotel on Park Place? You love your pet and if the pet is an illusion you could also be an illusion. The truth is you just landed on my Park Place and you will need to find your pet a new home. Yes, Monopoly has a set of rules and a playing field but humans operate from a belief, struggle with structure (rules), anchor into social links within their circles of influence and think they have a plan. You are in the game folks.
Simply a state of mind
In life you don’t move a token around a board but navigate by changing states. Since states are learned you recall what state you believe to be appropriate for this event and time. Being at work is a different state of being then out with friends or home just relaxing. The secret to quality of life is being in the proper state for the moment now. Actually, state changing is quite simple and normal for humans. A state is like a template, all the assets are bundled and readily available when you activate. We might call them moods, head space, state of mind or “the right space.” The glitch is disassociating with those beliefs (truths or phobias); anything you identify with and/or label as real that will not tolerate transfer into an improved state. We zoom in on the conviction we hold sacred; it become enlarged and you see it clearly but nothing else in contrast. Without a range of subjective variations you are left with only one valid perspective, the object of your attention. I know it is silly because anything you observe cannot be you by definition. When you place your attention on “objects” void of your energy you lose this secure reference from sensory (I feel it). Not being present is the state of being powerless to choose.
An offer of training
It is not impossible to change the game and awaken “you” to a position of power. Power defined as a force, you express as you the decision maker, rather than someone just reacting to life events. This first decision, of course, is to distinguish what state to operate from. I believed this could be accomplished and established a program for transformation. We know that if you gather a group of people with a commitment to meet regularly over a period of time this obligation will invoke their presence (i.e., “I will be there”). Next you systematically expose this group to various different structures predominant in ancient traditional belief systems; these retired systems don’t possess the complexity needed to function today but their elements of human state changes are still authentic. Observation of the simplicity of the process will afford the students with their automatic human comparative mode to reevaluate their systems, not to make their systems wrong but to include self in the relationship. They would not need to be aware of the process because subconscious does the reevaluation and secures their renewed relationship to power. This program of discovery would also not need to be a form of personal therapy. It could be fun and invoke the energy to do the work as a group from metaphors like the ones found in these mystical and esoteric tales. Once enabled, the students update their human game of changing states but without the need for overbearing control (self-discipline) and some type of forced guidance (accountable task). They would increase their levels of discernment and perceive more depth from each state. The vision is to generate in each state a level of being where our presence is of service, not by doing but by being. This caliber of expression is not a new state but a more mature or deeper state. I did design and teach this program for 15 years but I’m retired now. I have students that have learned, enriched and teach the same basic concepts. Perhaps improved and perhaps near you. Please e-mail me and we may chat about the potential of someone in your area for training. (Chriss@wizardscache.com).
The gifts from the wizard are a demonstration in nature, they are not truth but true by assignment which is the source of nature. In response to change we become something changed and appear somewhere changed. Human is a state of creation, a connected group with a location.
(Check out Marcia “Butterflies” Katz’s poems and cookbook—a lady with a mission)
