Being Spiritually Present

[pogi]

In studying for my lesson on personal revelation yesterday for young men's, I had a powerful realization (for me anyway) of the imperative of being spiritually present.  One of the great lessons that I learned from Lawrence Freeman (Benedictine Monk) when I was studying his teachings on contemplative prayer is that of being spiritually present in the here and now.  He taught that man spends much of his time living in the past in regret or worrying about the future, and very little time living mindfully in the present moment (very Buddhist teaching).  When we are living in regret of the past or worry about the future, we are blind to God who is always in the present moment.  When we shift our attention to the present, that is where we will always discover God - present in our hearts. 

With that as a backdrop, the scriptures came alive to me yesterday as I studied a simple, ordinary phrase in the scriptures.  I was surprised at the frequency of its use in scripture.  It is a phrase that probably does not get much attention and is often over-looked, but when viewed in the light of teachings on being spiritually present, it is perhaps one of the most powerful phrases in all of scripture.  The phrase is "here I am". 

Let me share some passages.  The first is in the garden of Eden:

Quote

 

Genesis 3:8-10 - And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden.

And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?

 

That is a powerful rhetorical spiritual question we all need to ask ourselves.  "Where art thou?" 

Let me show you how other's have answered in scripture:

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Genesis 22:1 - And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. 

Quote

Genesis 22:11 - And the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. 

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Genesis 31:11 - And the angel of God spake unto me in a dream, saying, Jacob: And I said, Here am I. 

Quote

Genesis 46:2 - And God spake unto Israel in the visions of the night, and said, Jacob, Jacob. And he said, Here am I. 

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Exodus 3:4 - And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.

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Acts 9:10 - ¶And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord. 

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Samuel 3:4, 10 - That the Lord called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I.  And the Lord came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth.

 All of these are scriptural examples for us of being open in the present moment before God and responsive to the voice of his spirit.  Another good example f being spiritually present:

Quote

Acts 10:33 - Immediately therefore I sent to thee; and thou hast well done that thou art come. Now therefore are we all here present before God, to hear all things that are commanded thee of God. 

The power of this realization is that when we are spiritually present in the here and now, we learn that God will respond in like manner:

Quote

Isaiah 58:9 - Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am.

Think of how powerful that is for God to respond, "here I am"!  Think of what that means!  God is here...right now...in your heart...waiting for you to be present with him in the holy of holies of your corporeal tabernacle - your heart.  To give this phrase a little more depth and meaning, consider the next passage:

Quote

Listen to the voice of Jesus Christ, the Great I Am, D&C 29:1 (D&C 38:1; 39:1).

Here I AM.  Or, here is I AM!

When we come out of spiritual hiding as Adam in Eden, and respond to the ever present call of the Lord with "here I am", He will respond in like manner, "Here I AM" in your heart - where I always AM. 

For discussion, what are some things we can do to remain spiritually present and responsive?

  

[Robert F. Smith]

5 hours ago, pogi said:

................................ I had a powerful realization (for me anyway) of the imperative of being spiritually present.  One of the great lessons that I learned from Lawrence Freeman (Benedictine Monk) when I was studying his teachings on contemplative prayer is that of being spiritually present in the here and now.  He taught that man spends much of his time living in the past in regret or worrying about the future, and very little time living mindfully in the present moment (very Buddhist teaching).  When we are living in regret of the past or worry about the future, we are blind to God who is always in the present moment.  When we shift our attention to the present, that is where we will always discover God - present in our hearts. .....................................  

Baba Ram Dass (Dr Richard Alpert), Be Here Now (Lama Foundation, 1971), made much the same point as a yogi.

[Eek!]

6 hours ago, pogi said:

In studying for my lesson on personal revelation yesterday for young men's, I had a powerful realization (for me anyway) of the imperative of being spiritually present...

man spends much of his time living in the past in regret or worrying about the future...

scriptural examples for us of being open in the present moment before God and responsive to the voice of his spirit...

For discussion, what are some things we can do to remain spiritually present and responsive?  

I think you are spot-on with your observation that God is experienced in the present. Thank you for finding so many examples of that!

The following is just my opinion.

Unfortunately we have many negative perceptions (with a common underlying theme) which are barriers to being spiritually present and responsive.

Perhaps we feel ashamed, guilty, and/or forever tainted because of something we did.

Perhaps we believe some choice or some event has forever robbed us of the happiness we could have had.

Perhaps we believe God wills for us to be hurt, maybe as a test.

Without correcting the central underlying mistake, it would take superhuman willpower to fight all these battles and “be here now” with any consistency.     

The common thread running through these dark thoughts and a thousand others like them, the central underlying mistake, is fear. We believe we have good reason to fear God, to fear for our souls, to fear what could have been is forever lost, to fear that God does not have our best interest at heart (though we're probably afraid to use those words).

We cannot dispel fear from within a thought system that relies heavily upon it. We will have to go outside the box. The old wineskin cannot hold the new wine. To use more modern wording, a paradigm shift is called for. Not an outer change (like a new religion), but an inner change.

There is a perspective from which is seen no past regrets, no future fears. Here's a hint: What is the opposite of fear?

Obviously where I'm going is a far cry from rattling off a few “things we can do”. I may have already gone outside of people's comfort zones.

Pogi, I will stop now if you want me to. But I hope you're at least curious!

(Edit:  Not sure why my post cannot be "liked".  Perhaps I'm on probation.)

Edited May 8, 2018 by Eek!

[mfbukowski]

12 minutes ago, Robert F. Smith said:

Baba Ram Dass (Dr Richard Alpert), Be Here Now (Lama Foundation, 1971), made much the same point as a yogi.

Lol, I was about to make the same point, unsurprisingly.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Be_Here_Now_(book)

In my way of seeing the world as direct unmediated experience when and if possible the key is allowing yourself to be present to reality (experience)

"Being present" in various ways is also a recurring theme in Phenomenology of course as you know.

 

[mfbukowski]

One key I have found in meditation but as is clear on this board I have not mastered it yet.

It is essentially responding to attacks and criticisms instead of reacting to them

We LDS often hear the difference between ACTING and Being ACTED UPON all the time and I think this is the key to being present as well.  When we are being acted upon, someone or something is "pulling our strings" and is in control of us.

Fear is a symptom that we are being acted upon rather than acting, and we see often also in LDS literature the idea of not being "molested or made afraid"

If you google "fear not LDS" you will get a phenomenal amount of quotes pointing you to talks with this theme

Contrasting reacting to responding, one who responds retains their center and acts properly in the presence of fear or being attacked- the response is quick and proper, balanced and emotionless, one responds with equal opposing force with truth and without guile or ego, or the desire to harm above what is absolutely necessary.   So much of martial arts takes this idea forward too- note again the Eastern philosophy reference.

We in the west have much to learn about being present spiritually but I think the LDS references are WAY ahead of other Westerners.

In mindfulness meditation one learns how to notice thoughts and temptations and other influences which attempt to control us by making us react, at which time we are being acted upon and not an actor

Being present means we are acting appropriately and remaining in control at all times, and not pushed out of our center

We are also free of past mistakes and not fearful of the future or overly obsessed with making our will come about.  We are open to God's will for us and do not place our will over what God has in mind for us.

[SouthernMo]

@pogi

Thank you for bringing this up.  As a student of stoicism and mindfulness, this insight you shared was powerful.

[pogi]

9 hours ago, Eek! said:

Without correcting the central underlying mistake, it would take superhuman willpower to fight all these battles and “be here now” with any consistency.     

The common thread running through these dark thoughts and a thousand others like them, the central underlying mistake, is fear. We believe we have good reason to fear God, to fear for our souls, to fear what could have been is forever lost, to fear that God does not have our best interest at heart (though we're probably afraid to use those words).

We cannot dispel fear from within a thought system that relies heavily upon it. We will have to go outside the box. The old wineskin cannot hold the new wine. To use more modern wording, a paradigm shift is called for. Not an outer change (like a new religion), but an inner change.

There is a perspective from which is seen no past regrets, no future fears. Here's a hint: What is the opposite of fear?

Obviously where I'm going is a far cry from rattling off a few “things we can do”. I may have already gone outside of people's comfort zones.

Yes, fear is like the chains of hell that keep us from progressing and keeps us in spiritual hiding.  Fear of what though?  When I have gone deep into my personal fears, I have found that fear is only a manifestation of something even deeper rooted.  I am going to make a fairly bold assertion that the single greatest barrier to spiritual progress is precisely what we see played out in the garden of Eden - fear of exposure.  This fear is based in false beliefs about self, God, and others.  Without changing these beliefs, we will never be able to be vulnerable enough to love in a truly intimate and healing way.  We will never make ourselves present with God and others, but will remain in hiding.  

The question is, how does one change these core beliefs?

9 hours ago, Eek! said:

Pogi, I will stop now if you want me to. But I hope you're at least curious!

(Edit:  Not sure why my post cannot be "liked".  Perhaps I'm on probation.)

Not at all, keep going!  Great stuff!

P.S.  I was able to like your post. 

[Eek!]

36 minutes ago, pogi said:

Yes, fear is like the chains of hell that keep us from progressing and keeps us in spiritual hiding.  Fear of what though?  When I have gone deep into my personal fears, I have found that fear is only a manifestation of something even deeper rooted.  I am going to make a fairly bold assertion that the single greatest barrier to spiritual progress is precisely what we see played out in the garden of Eden - fear of exposure.  This fear is based in false beliefs about self, God, and others.  Without changing these beliefs, we will never be able to be vulnerable enough to love in a truly intimate and healing way.  We will never make ourselves present with God and others, but will remain in hiding.  

The question is, how does one change these core beliefs?

Not at all, keep going!  Great stuff!

Thank you!

I think your analysis above is absolutely correct. 

I'll post an in-depth reply later, still working on it. 

36 minutes ago, pogi said:

P.S.  I was able to like your post. 

So I see... glitch in the Matrix, perhaps? 

Edited May 8, 2018 by Eek!

[pogi]

10 hours ago, mfbukowski said:

One key I have found in meditation but as is clear on this board I have not mastered it yet.

It is essentially responding to attacks and criticisms instead of reacting to them

We LDS often hear the difference between ACTING and Being ACTED UPON all the time and I think this is the key to being present as well.  When we are being acted upon, someone or something is "pulling our strings" and is in control of us.

Fear is a symptom that we are being acted upon rather than acting, and we see often also in LDS literature the idea of not being "molested or made afraid"

If you google "fear not LDS" you will get a phenomenal amount of quotes pointing you to talks with this theme

Contrasting reacting to responding, one who responds retains their center and acts properly in the presence of fear or being attacked- the response is quick and proper, balanced and emotionless, one responds with equal opposing force with truth and without guile or ego, or the desire to harm above what is absolutely necessary.   So much of martial arts takes this idea forward too- note again the Eastern philosophy reference.

We in the west have much to learn about being present spiritually but I think the LDS references are WAY ahead of other Westerners.

In mindfulness meditation one learns how to notice thoughts and temptations and other influences which attempt to control us by making us react, at which time we are being acted upon and not an actor

Being present means we are acting appropriately and remaining in control at all times, and not pushed out of our center

We are also free of past mistakes and not fearful of the future or overly obsessed with making our will come about.  We are open to God's will for us and do not place our will over what God has in mind for us.

This stuff is better then gold. 

Self mastery is ironically best attained through letting go of control and being submissive to the spirit, as you mention in your last sentence.  This is not the same as being "out of control", but is a willful submission.  So much of our lives we try to control the narrative.  This always leads to the inevitable conclusion that we are really out of control when we do so.  But when we learn to open our ears and hearts, we will discover a different narrative already written that we can take part in if we so choose .  It is all about living in the narrative of the spirit rather than reacting to the narrative of the flesh.  When we willfully let go of control, we will find a freedom to act from our spiritual core rather then being acted upon by our natural man instincts. 

"Fear is a symptom that we are being acted upon". 

That is an outstanding line!  

[cinepro]

There is a current trend towards "mindfulness", and it's something I'm trying to practice more.  There's also a greater recognition of the effect smart phones can have on us as far as paying attention and experiencing a situation.

From a Church perspective, I think it's easy to see that no one is going to feel the spirit if they're on their smart phone during a meeting.  And how would the stories of Samuel of Joseph Smith have been different if they'd had smart phones?  I'm guessing neither would have heard the call.

In the end, a lot has been made about the power the internet has had against the Church (most obviously through the dissemination of Church history and pornography), but history may show that it was the proliferation of the smart phone and the subsequent inability of people to "be still" during Church and learn and feel the spirit that was Satan's greatest tool.

 

[rongo]

3 minutes ago, cinepro said:

There is a current trend towards "mindfulness", and it's something I'm trying to practice more.  There's also a greater recognition of the effect smart phones can have on us as far as paying attention and experiencing a situation.

From a Church perspective, I think it's easy to see that no one is going to feel the spirit if they're on their smart phone during a meeting.  And how would the stories of Samuel of Joseph Smith have been different if they'd had smart phones?  I'm guessing neither would have heard the call.

In the end, a lot has been made about the power the internet has had against the Church (most obviously through the dissemination of Church history and pornography), but history may show that it was the proliferation of the smart phone and the subsequent inability of people to "be still" during Church and learn and feel the spirit that was Satan's greatest tool.

One of my "quote of the days" I use with students is from Blaise Pascal (religious mathematician and scientist): " All human evils stem from this: the inability of a man to sit still in a room." 

He said this centuries before modern electronic distractions. 

I agree with you that the worst carnage from smart phones isn't even the low-hanging fruit of pornography and sowing doubt. I think it is the destruction of attention span, the addiction of constant stimulation, etc. that destroys ability to think and "be still." I think this is wreaking havoc on intellectual and spiritual things with rank-and-file "active" members, let alone humanity at large. 

[pogi]

33 minutes ago, cinepro said:

In the end, a lot has been made about the power the internet has had against the Church (most obviously through the dissemination of Church history and pornography), but history may show that it was the proliferation of the smart phone and the subsequent inability of people to "be still" during Church and learn and feel the spirit that was Satan's greatest tool.

27 minutes ago, rongo said:

One of my "quote of the days" I use with students is from Blaise Pascal (religious mathematician and scientist): " All human evils stem from this: the inability of a man to sit still in a room." 

He said this centuries before modern electronic distractions. 

I agree with you that the worst carnage from smart phones isn't even the low-hanging fruit of pornography and sowing doubt. I think it is the destruction of attention span, the addiction of constant stimulation, etc. that destroys ability to think and "be still." I think this is wreaking havoc on intellectual and spiritual things with rank-and-file "active" members, let alone humanity at large. 

Excellent points!

It reminds me of one of my all time favorite scriptures:

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Psalms 46:10 - Be still, and know that I am God.

We are too often caught up in the distractions of the world, but the Lord is not to be found there:

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1 Kings 19:11-12 - And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake:  And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.

The still small voice requires us to be still, in order to know that God is - to hear him respond, "Here I am" (Isaiah 58:9).

[mfbukowski]

3 hours ago, pogi said:

This stuff is better then gold. 

Self mastery is ironically best attained through letting go of control and being submissive to the spirit, as you mention in your last sentence.  This is not the same as being "out of control", but is a willful submission.  So much of our lives we try to control the narrative.  This always leads to the inevitable conclusion that we are really out of control when we do so.  But when we learn to open our ears and hearts, we will discover a different narrative already written that we can take part in if we so choose .  It is all about living in the narrative of the spirit rather than reacting to the narrative of the flesh.  When we willfully let go of control, we will find a freedom to act from our spiritual core rather then being acted upon by our natural man instincts. 

"Fear is a symptom that we are being acted upon". 

That is an outstanding line!  

Aw shucks. 😏

[mfbukowski]

2 hours ago, rongo said:

One of my "quote of the days" I use with students is from Blaise Pascal (religious mathematician and scientist): " All human evils stem from this: the inability of a man to sit still in a room." 

He said this centuries before modern electronic distractions. 

I agree with you that the worst carnage from smart phones isn't even the low-hanging fruit of pornography and sowing doubt. I think it is the destruction of attention span, the addiction of constant stimulation, etc. that destroys ability to think and "be still." I think this is wreaking havoc on intellectual and spiritual things with rank-and-file "active" members, let alone humanity at large. 

True Confessions:

Just last night I got up from my chair to raid the refrigerator, and walked through the house.  Four adults in the house, each one was in a different room, alone, on various devices.

I got my snack and returned to my separate room, alone, and continued with  my computer.

Something is VERY wrong with this.  I used to make fun of Millennials for doing this.

So much for Family Home Evening.   Well we WERE at home!...

[Eek!]

12 hours ago, pogi said:

I am going to make a fairly bold assertion that the single greatest barrier to spiritual progress is precisely what we see played out in the garden of Eden - fear of exposure.  This fear is based in false beliefs about self, God, and others.

Remember, this is all just my opinion.  But I totally agree with you. 

Let me bring in an idea which fortunately is not foreign to Mormons:  Not everything taught in the scriptures is the highest level of truth on the subject. Sometimes a lesser concept is taught because that's what will do the most good for that audience, and then somewhere else the higher concept is taught.

One other idea is worth mentioning: It is not uncommon for there to be multiple levels of teaching within the same few words.

Okay, back to the question I asked above:  What is the opposite of fear?  Love.  Love is the opposite of fear.  Perfect Love, to be exact:

“Perfect love casts our all fear.”  This may be the highest teaching we have on the subject.

[“Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” is a lesser teaching, a schoolmaster law.  It is not incorrect, but “fear of the Lord” is only the BEGINNING of wisdom!  Cultivate wisdom and at some point we arrive at Perfect Love, which casts out ALL fear.  And THAT is the higher teaching.]

Are love and fear really incompatible?  Can you love that which you fear?  You can probably think of someone you feared as a child, yet you still loved them.  But did you love them completely, with all your heart and soul, without any reservations anywhere in your mind?  Probably not. 

How many fears does Perfect Love cast out?  All of them.  Even the fear of having everything about you exposed. 

Where else does the word "love" show up?  How about the First and Great Commandment:  “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all they heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.” Notice the word “all”appears three times.  In other words, “completely and without any reservations.”

Would Jesus give a commandment that is impossible for us to keep?  Of course not.

Is Jesus ignorant of the fact that we cannot love completely and without reservation that which we fear?  Of course not.

SO, the ONLY WAY we could reasonably be expected to obey the First and Great commandment is, if we truly have NO VALID REASON to fear God!

THAT is the great secret, the higher level teaching, hidden within the First and Great Commandment!  Everything that tells you otherwise is a schoolmaster law, a lesser teaching, and not the highest level of truth on the subject.

How can it be true that we have nothing to fear?  Let me offer a very imperfect analogy:

Imagine you are playing a video game, a very realistic and engrossing and highly educational video game.  You are so drawn into your character in the game that when he is attacked, you think that YOU are attacked. When he is hurt or wronged, you think that YOU are hurt or wronged.  When he is in peril, you think that YOU are in peril.  From beyond the game, a voice of wisdom reminds you of your true nature and says, “Fear not them that kill your video game character...”  You have been perfectly safe and perfectly loved all along.

Perfect Love casts out all fear... all fear for your soul, all fear for anyone else's.  All fear that you are unworthy of perfect love, all fear that you've been cheated.  All fear that you have truly harmed anyone, and all fear that you have been truly harmed.  No past regrets, no future fears.  No fear of man, no fear of God.  There is a brighter world where perfect love has cast out fear, a world that's just a truly present moment away.

12 hours ago, pogi said:

The question is, how does one change these core beliefs?

I don't expect anyone to buy into this paradigm just based on an internet post, but it might not hurt to run the Alma Chapter 32 test on it.

Also, twenty-something hours ago in another thread, Kenngo1969 posted something that I think is brilliant:  "Given the limits of human attention, perception, cognition, reasoning, communication, and so on, essentially no one sees the world as it is; rather, he sees it as he is."

The implication is this:  Change your mind and you change what you see; change what you see and you can change your world.

So here are a few statements that can be used to shift the mind's focus from this level to that higher level (don't worry if they don't make sense on all levels just yet - the "making sense" part is more of an experience than a persuadedness, and these statements are kinda like invitations):

“Perfect love casts out all fear.  God's love for me is perfect love, and He is not mistaken.  Therefore, I have no reason to fear.”

Whenever you meet someone who pushes your buttons, this is a golden opportunity for rapid advancement.  You might speak this to him in your mind:  “God's love for you is perfect love, and He is not mistaken.  I would see you as God sees you.”

When a thought comes along that speaks fear to you, you might meet it with:  “This fearful thought must be based on illusions because God's love for me is perfect love, which casts out all fear, and He is not mistaken.”

As we practice removing the barriers to love's awareness, our paradigms gently shift. 

This has all been just my opinion. 

Edited May 9, 2018 by Eek!

[pogi]

12 hours ago, Eek! said:

Remember, this is all just my opinion.  But I totally agree with you. 

Let me bring in an idea which fortunately is not foreign to Mormons:  Not everything taught in the scriptures is the highest level of truth on the subject. Sometimes a lesser concept is taught because that's what will do the most good for that audience, and then somewhere else the higher concept is taught.

One other idea is worth mentioning: It is not uncommon for there to be multiple levels of teaching within the same few words.

Okay, back to the question I asked above:  What is the opposite of fear?  Love.  Love is the opposite of fear.  Perfect Love, to be exact:

“Perfect love casts our all fear.”  This may be the highest teaching we have on the subject.

[“Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” is a lesser teaching, a schoolmaster law.  It is not incorrect, but “fear of the Lord” is only the BEGINNING of wisdom!  Cultivate wisdom and at some point we arrive at Perfect Love, which casts out ALL fear.  And THAT is the higher teaching.]

Are love and fear really incompatible?  Can you love that which you fear?  You can probably think of someone you feared as a child, yet you still loved them.  But did you love them completely, with all your heart and soul, without any reservations anywhere in your mind?  Probably not. 

How many fears does Perfect Love cast out?  All of them.  Even the fear of having everything about you exposed. 

Where else does the word "love" show up?  How about the First and Great Commandment:  “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all they heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.” Notice the word “all”appears three times.  In other words, “completely and without any reservations.”

Would Jesus give a commandment that is impossible for us to keep?  Of course not.

Is Jesus ignorant of the fact that we cannot love completely and without reservation that which we fear?  Of course not.

SO, the ONLY WAY we could reasonably be expected to obey the First and Great commandment is, if we truly have NO VALID REASON to fear God!

THAT is the great secret, the higher level teaching, hidden within the First and Great Commandment!  Everything that tells you otherwise is a schoolmaster law, a lesser teaching, and not the highest level of truth on the subject.

How can it be true that we have nothing to fear?  Let me offer a very imperfect analogy:

Imagine you are playing a video game, a very realistic and engrossing and highly educational video game.  You are so drawn into your character in the game that when he is attacked, you think that YOU are attacked. When he is hurt or wronged, you think that YOU are hurt or wronged.  When he is in peril, you think that YOU are in peril.  From beyond the game, a voice of wisdom reminds you of your true nature and says, “Fear not them that kill your video game character...”  You have been perfectly safe and perfectly loved all along.

Perfect Love casts out all fear... all fear for your soul, all fear for anyone else's.  All fear that you are unworthy of perfect love, all fear that you've been cheated.  All fear that you have truly harmed anyone, and all fear that you have been truly harmed.  No past regrets, no future fears.  No fear of man, no fear of God.  There is a brighter world where perfect love has cast out fear, a world that's just a truly present moment away.

I don't expect anyone to buy into this paradigm just based on an internet post, but it might not hurt to run the Alma Chapter 32 test on it.

Also, twenty-something hours ago in another thread, Kenngo1969 posted something that I think is brilliant:  "Given the limits of human attention, perception, cognition, reasoning, communication, and so on, essentially no one sees the world as it is; rather, he sees it as he is."

The implication is this:  Change your mind and you change what you see; change what you see and you can change your world.

So here are a few statements that can be used to shift the mind's focus from this level to that higher level (don't worry if they don't make sense on all levels just yet - the "making sense" part is more of an experience than a persuadedness, and these statements are kinda like invitations):

“Perfect love casts out all fear.  God's love for me is perfect love, and He is not mistaken.  Therefore, I have no reason to fear.”

Whenever you meet someone who pushes your buttons, this is a golden opportunity for rapid advancement.  You might speak this to him in your mind:  “God's love for you is perfect love, and He is not mistaken.  I would see you as God sees you.”

When a thought comes along that speaks fear to you, you might meet it with:  “This fearful thought must be based on illusions because God's love for me is perfect love, which casts out all fear, and He is not mistaken.”

As we practice removing the barriers to love's awareness, our paradigms gently shift. 

This has all been just my opinion. 

Thanks for your thoughts. 

It has been my personal experience that head beliefs and heart beliefs do not always get along.  I can be entirely convinced in my mind that something is safe, and yet when I try to walk forward on a path that I know in my head is right/good/safe, my heart stops me dead in my tracks in fear.  For example, loving another person in a truly connected, intimate, and vulnerable way (in perfect love).  We all have built up walls around our heart to some degree or another, and the only way to perfect love is to tear down those walls.  The walls are there for a reason though.     It seems to me that the one thing that we all desire the most and that can save us from fear and isolation, is the same thing that we are often the most afraid of - love.  It is a total catch 22.  It seems that the only way to experience freedom from fear through perfect love, is to walk straight into the heart of the fear itself.  The only path to perfect love, is through the door of fear. 

Behind the wall the heart is safe, but numb.  The antidote to numbness is to expose the heart from behind the wall.  Only then can a person feel perfect love - but along with that absence of numbness - pain.  The trick is learning to accept and embrace pain as the other side of the coin of love.  It seems to be inescapable.  Where there is the greatest love, there is also the greatest potential for pain.   Christ could only ascend to the highest high because he first descended to the lowest low.  God himself weeps in emotional pain in the scriptures, because he loves us perfectly.  A perfect love might cast off all fear, but it does not cast off all pain...and in a difficult irony, that is what people are most afraid of.  The trick is to embrace pain in a yin and yang fashion.  Not easy, but necessary. 

[RevTestament]

42 minutes ago, pogi said:

Thanks for your thoughts. 

It has been my personal experience that head beliefs and heart beliefs do not always get along.  I can be entirely convinced in my mind that something is safe, and yet when I try to walk forward on a path that I know in my head is right/good/safe, my heart stops me dead in my tracks in fear.  For example, loving another person in a truly connected, intimate, and vulnerable way (in perfect love).  We all have built up walls around our heart to some degree or another, and the only way to perfect love is to tear down those walls.  The walls are there for a reason though.     It seems to me that the one thing that we all desire the most and that can save us from fear and isolation, is the same thing that we are often the most afraid of - love.  It is a total catch 22.  It seems that the only way to experience freedom from fear through perfect love, is to walk straight into the heart of the fear itself.  The only path to perfect love, is through the door of fear. 

Hence, the serpent of brass on the staff, that the children of Israel were to look upon to be saved from the poisonous serpents.

[MormonMason]

Practice of the Presence of God.  Or something like that.  I recall that book.  Very useful.  I lost my copy many years ago and wish I still had it.

[SteveO]

Why oh why can't we have more threads like this?  Really good.

 

I've been struggling for a while now trying to make my prayers more meaningful.  A while ago, I had a thread asking for input in adding more purpose in prayer.  Given the subject of this thread, how would we be in the present with prayer when so much of it is reflection on the day and voicing concern for tomorrow?  Is meditation/a moment of quiet reflection a needed part of daily prayer that is often overlooked?

[MormonMason]

9 hours ago, SteveO said:

Why oh why can't we have more threads like this?  Really good.

I've been struggling for a while now trying to make my prayers more meaningful.  A while ago, I had a thread asking for input in adding more purpose in prayer.  Given the subject of this thread, how would we be in the present with prayer when so much of it is reflection on the day and voicing concern for tomorrow?  Is meditation/a moment of quiet reflection a needed part of daily prayer that is often overlooked?

Sometimes, instead of rote prayer or thinking about tomorrow, it is pleasing to God for us to do nothing but thank him and praise him for what he already has done.  If we do that frequently enough we can grow much closer to God than otherwise.

[pogi]

On 5/9/2018 at 11:03 AM, RevTestament said:

Hence, the serpent of brass on the staff, that the children of Israel were to look upon to be saved from the poisonous serpents.

Interesting.  Can you expound on that?

[RevTestament]

6 minutes ago, pogi said:

Interesting.  Can you expound on that?

Well, the Lord commanded Moses to make a brass serpent on a staff. Num 21:9. That in itself seems unusual. The Church has taught that this represents Christ. I have never viewed the serpent as Christ. Christ went up on that staff or tree in defiance of fear of death and humiliation - thus, He was overcoming that in order to save us, and teach us not to fear death, which is represented in the serpent. The serpent is the quintessential scriptural representation of fear and death, and what Satan tries to use to stop us. Asking the people to look upon it in order to be saved from death, was an exercise in them overcoming their fear of death. To walk through that door. The staff is representative of the crucifixion of Christ and the word of God. Being bitten by a serpent is representative of sin. When we learn to lay our lives down for others without fear for ourselves, then we are being like Christ. Society usually calls such persons heroes, but there are many willing to do just that, but who have not had to do it in order to save the lives of their loved ones or friends. Once we do not fear death, then we are truly free to fully love - fear for ourselves will not hold us back. Then we are willing to follow Christ, wherever that journey may take us. That is being made perfect in love.