The Politics of the Ego/Hate. The dua listically structured ego propagates itself by a positionality that
tends to see everything in te rms of perpetrator/victim (the classic
relativistic Karl  Marx error). By virtue of an arbitrary positio nality , it
splits events into opposites, and the consequent blame that occurs may be
directed inwardl y as guilt or projected outwardly as hate and paranoia. Thus, th e ego is judgmental and unwittingly becomes its own victim. If it
hates, it feels unconsciously guilty for violating truth and may repress the
accumulated guilt, which adds more ener gy to the projected hatred. As
will be discusse d in a later chapter , this also contributes to the level of
fear , for what the ego projects out, it unconsciously expects to return. Despite its devices, the ego cann ot escape consequences, whether it turns
the attac k within or without. The  inherent fallacy of ego position  is that it
is no t actually the real person who feels guilt or hate, but only  the ego
itself. Th e real Self is unaf fected because truth is immune to fals ity . Thus
the hate/guilt game is operationally just internal politics in which
dif ferent voices seek to dominate and win over one’ s allegiance. The ego is envious of that which it intuits as being superi or to its
limitations and thus readily hates and denounces what it cannot
understand. It has a vested interest in making wrong or denigrating whatit canno t comprehend. Thus, the skeptic subtly hates spiritual truth or
higher consciousness and its values (love, truth, Divinity , beauty). Hatred
for purity or aes thetics is expressed by obscenity and gross vulgarity , as
well as by des ecration (destr oy the Pieta , de file femininity , insult
erudition, defame integrity , etc.). Much purported criticism (masquerading as ‘free speech’) is thinly-
disguised, envious hatred accompanied by rationalized justification in
order to  diminish guilt. Ideological hatred fuels public debate on almost
every topic or issue in current society , from which the ego derives what it
perceives as gain in the form of attention. Hatred often takes the  form of
projecting guilt via blame. Analogously , the politics of the ego have their counterpart in society ,
which is  very preoccupied with blame. While individuals do pla y a part,
unfortunate events will often represent a failure of the underlying social
process itself due to policies tha t are innately fallacious. While p unishing
the guil ty culprits satisfies the public, it usually shortchanges society
because the resolution is discovered by examining the underlying
process itself. Guilt that stems from some p ast poor judgment is overcome by the
devices of reparation, confessio n, and moral rededication, as well as by
compensation from good works (the process of ‘undoing’). Humility
helps recovery with the admission that a portion of the guilt stems from
pride, e.g., “I shouldn’ t have made that mistake.”
There is  an error in the word ‘should’, which represents the hyp othetical. The hypothetica l is never reality and is actually an idealized abstraction. The hypothetical therefore represents a fantasy . Personal past history represents  the best that one could actually do then
under given circumstances, which included one’ s perceptions and
emotional menta l states at the time. Mistakes can have a positive ef fect
because they serve the maintena nce of a realistic humility . The  ego is a
defective compass that often gives wrong directions. When one considers
the degr ee of its limitations, it is a wonder that anyone survi ves long
enough to even make mistakes. A study of the  history of civilization quickly reveals that not only
individuals but also great multitudes have fallen and died as  a directconsequence of the human mind’ s inability to discern truth from
falsehood. Millions of people, whole countries, and even generations of
citizens are repeatedly devastated by false beliefs, illusions, delusions,
and the failure to recognize nonintegrous leaders. Thus, Mackay’ s
famous Extraor dinary P opular Delusio ns and the Madness of Cr owds
has been in constant print since 1841. Because the evolution of consciousness, both individually and
collectively , is progressive, the  past, by selection, appears to compare
unfavorably with the present. Lessons can be learned only by the
unfolding of experience over a time continuum; thus, there is always
more that hypothetically could be known. In reality , one cannot know at
age twenty-five the information that is accrued by age fifty . Everyone
thinks, “If I had only known that, I would have done it dif ferently .” Thus,
with humility , it can be see n that every given moment includes
limitation. What  we were is not what we are now . Mistakes are  intrinsic
to the learning process, which is the fate of the human condition itself. Because the mind’ s awareness is limited, it compensates by substituting
presumptions (an educated guess) and therefore, operationally , choices
and decisions are based on th e seemingly best option, as s tated by
Socrates’ dictum. Spiritual guilt is the consequence of morality , ethics, and religious belief
systems, which, although they contribute to guilt, also include time-
honored process es for the alleviation of and recovery from guilt, such as
confession, for giveness, penance, and the renewal and rededication to
spiritual principles, as well as good works, selfless service, and
humanitarian ef forts. Guilt can be put to good use as a motivator for
change for the better . Reasonable guilt is also evidence that one does
have a conscience, and therefo re, one is correctible. The ps ychopath
lacks such an a sset and therefore blindly goes on, making the same
mistakes over and over , thereby sinking lower and lower . The sp iritually-
oriented person can therefore be thankful to have standards to  live by
that can serve as realistic inner guides to behavior . ‘The Ego-Ideal’. Another structur e of the psycho logical ego was termed by Freud as ‘the
Ego-Ideal’ (in contrast to the I d of repressed animal instincts and the
superego, or conscience). This mental mechanism is composed ofadmired, hoped -for and wished-for idealized standards, go als, and
identity . It is what one plans and hopes to become. Idealized figures
become introjec ted as models and therefore inspirationally subserve
ambitions and life planning. Achievement o f these ideals brings increased self-esteem and
satisfaction, but  alternately , failure to live up to expectations can also
result in guilt. U nrealistic self-expectations thus have to be per iodically
revised s o that they do not become oppressive. Holding a goal in  mind is
inspirational and  is actually helpful to its accomplishment, because what
is held in mind tends to actualize. However , it is a mistake to attack
oneself with guilt for failing to achieve the ideal. Upon examination, it
will be frequently discovered that it was not really the goal that was
desired but the satisfaction that was associated with it. Every moment simultaneously includes both options and lim itations. These encompass the overall consequences of karmic factors collectively
expressed as the totality of the  circumstances of one’ s life inheritance
and situation. The ego/self is linear and therefore subject to limitation
and hindrance. Recognition o f this human dilemma can result in
choosing spiritu al rather than material goals. (“Y ou can’ t take a  U-Haul
to H eaven.”) The dictum, “Stor e up treasures in Heaven rather than on
Earth” is helpful to remember . In the long run, the consequences of
merely being kind to others and all of life have far greater  positive
consequences than worldly success, which is temporary and eventually
lost. It is beneficial to periodically reassess goals and ask whether they
are r eally important or just the consequence of egotism. Succe ss in any
venture is simply the automatic consequence of being the best that one
can be as a lifestyle, without looking for gain. In recovery from guilt, prayer and rededication to spiritual values are
extremely helpful as is the co mpassionate realization that the human
condition is dif ficult at best for everyone despite appearances. The Pr oblems of W orking Thr ough Guilt or Moral Defects. Guilt is a func tion of the nor mal superego, or conscience, and is a
mechanism of restraint to counterbalance the animal instincts and
impulses of what Freud termed the ‘Id’, which is composed of very
primitive repressed instincts, including even the killer impulses.While an excess of guilt calls for correction, its total absence is more
serious and is generally a con sequence of a congenital pathological
condition that leads to various forms of criminality and psychop athology ,
as are seen in serial killers, psychopathic personalities, or in politics as
malignant messianic narcissism. In n ormal people, there are n ormal mechanisms of guilt that act as
deterrents to selfishness, cruelty , or predatory impulses. The useful
aspects of guilt include regret, restraint, and corrective self-criticism,
which are all c omponents of responsible morality and ethics. These
aspects of the conscience counterbalance the extremes of egotism that
are exh ibited by the criminal/psychopathic personalities. W ithout
restraint, the normally repressed, very primitive impulses of h atred are
let loose on society as the killer , the rapist, the pedophile, the serial killer ,
and the mass m urderer . All these conditions calibrate at consc iousness
levels of  approximately 30, or even lower . Because of the bizarreness of
the expr essed be haviors, such persons have been classically referred to
as ‘poss essed’ (i.e., by evil). They are thus dominated by levels of
consciousness that have been characterized as ‘lower astral’. These d isorders are often diagnosable as early as age thre e by the
characteristic inability to delay gratification, to learn from experience, or
to anticipate consequences. These disorders thus far have proven to be
incurable, and their clinical co urse is one of recidivism and  chronic
criminality as a lifestyle. If the disorder is also accompanie d by an
adequate intellect, it may take the form of corporate fraud or even
pathological dis tortions of religion that are then used as camou flage for
predation. This is seen in bizarre cults or aberrant distortions of
traditional religions that become cults by nature and even lead to
individual as well as group suicide or the killing of innocents in the name
of Divinity . Another variant is seen in the  compartmentalized split personality in
which th e norma l side is present ed to society , and the concealed predator
side acts out as a double agent, espionage agent, or traitorous informer . In it s major pol itical expressions, the disorder is also seen as m essianic
narcissistic megalomania that, when severely threatened, calls for the
killing of even lar ge numbers of countrymen (Nero, Hitler , Hussein,
Stalin, et al.) The Balance of Guilt. As is obvious from the foregoing, the absence of guilt is a condition
more severe than its opposite of excessive guilt. Its absence leads to a
form of mental disorder that , a century ago, was termed  ‘moral
imbecility’. In contrast, the hypertrophic conscience is associated with
scrupulosity or obsessive-compulsive disorder in which the person lives
in fe ar of guilt over even minor trivia, such as making just a normal
mistake. In spiritual evolution, guilt is recontextualized so that it results in benefit. It needs to be reframed as cauti on and seen as a safeguard against being
dominated by destructive impul ses. It is later represented as the wisdom
of m aturity and is the ethical ba lance to self-centeredness. Thus, guilt is
transcended wh en it has be en recontextualized, harmonized, and
balanced with responsibility and conscientious, internalized morality . Guilt can then be accepted when it is recontextualized as being
protective, a safeguard, and a mechanism of learning. Guilt is  unpleasant because it is associated with loss of love and
disapproval of internalized par ental figures, along with loss of self-
esteem. It is often used as a too l to control others (‘guilt monge rs’). It is
also sym bolic o f rejection, disgrace, and loss of status. From religion, it
becomes closely associated wi th sin and fear of the God w ho threw
Adam and Eve o ut of the Garde n of Eden, which marked the onset of the
historic origins of the karma of simply being a human and thus prone to
error and defiance of Divine authority . Upon examination, the error
appears to be on e of uncontrolled infantile curiosity , so the serpent was
successful in tempting the curious inner child who is gullible and naive. A useful interpretation and use  for guilt is respect for parameters and
boundaries. Thereby , guilt and fear are matured into caution and wisdom. This results in respect for mor al precepts and boundaries that replace
guilt and  eventuate as character traits that support survival, success, and
happiness. The ego  also hates those who m ake it feel guilty , which contr ibutes to
immature hatred  of all authority that is then misperceived as being
arbitrary , authoritarian, and repressive instead of benignly pr otective. Because guilt is viewed as painful, another mechanism to avoi d it is by
denial a nd projection of responsibility onto others via blame, whichameliorates the  pain of the conscience and, in addition, justifies
externalized hatred that otherwise might have been used to attack the
self. Soc iety is therefore eager to accuse and af fix blame, and it  searches
endlessly for guilty culprits upon whom blame and hatred can be
guiltlessly projected (e.g., the paradox of ‘hating sin’). Unconscious Guilt. In norm al persons, deviation from truth and honesty results in the
accumulation of guilt that is th en repressed because of its unpleasant,
painful n ature. Thus, over time, a sizable reservoir of guilt accumulates,
which escapes attention or awareness unless discovered by periodic,
fearless inventor ies. This is a very common condition that contr ibutes to
social di scord an d contention. Moral/ethical lapses are often excused by
rationalization, but the unconscious mind is not fooled by deception and
innately knows when it is being lied to by self or others. A comm on social source stems f rom the current proclivity for persuasive
politicalization of all aspects of society that then requires rationalized
justifications. This results in distorting evidence that would weaken the
positionality . An example would be the ar guments against any reference
to relig ion or Divinity in pub lic. The ar guments ‘against’ cite the
constitutional “m ake no law respecting an establishment of a religion,”
but t hen purposely do not finish the cited sentence that goes on t o say “or
prohibiting the free exercise the reof.” The Constitution is Deistic but not
theistic, a major dif ferentiation. The presentation  of half-truths i n order to win a position is rat ionalized
and the guilt suppressed. Examples abound regarding opposition to
social programs that opponent s purposely fail to report are strictly
voluntary , or the support of perpetrators’ rights that ignore the rights of
victims. Accumulation of social guilt eventuates as overt projected
accusations or vilifications that then require further justification
reinforced by further subtle distortions and elaborate rhetoric. Guilt an d hatred  are ameliorated by the acceptance of the limitations of
the e go/mind with its inherent s tructure and operational defects. Instead
of hatred, it becomes sad to see people destroying their own live s as well
as the lives of o thers. It is also  quite apparent that there is no profit in
hating them. The capacity for for giveness arises from accept ing withhonest humility the limitations inherent in the human condition itself,
which is, after all, merely on a learning curve of the evo lution of
consciousness. It was only in the last twenty years that the overall
consciousness level of mankind even crossed over the level of T ruth at
200, and seventy-eight percent of the world’ s population still calibrates
below 200, (forty-nine percent in America). Guilt and the Pr ocess of Spiritual Evolution. Spiritual aspiran ts often ask wh ere to begin the inner work and how to
proceed. First, there is usually a period of acquisition of spiritual
knowledge through study , by visiting spiritual groups, or attending
lectures, meetings, or retreats. Then begins the focus on the inner journey
of self-e xploration that, to be successful, should have some overall
direction rather than proceeding in sporadic fits and starts that all too
often result in discouragement or abandonment of the project altogether . V ery imp ortantly , before taking an inner moral inventory , it is essential to
become knowledgeable about on e’ s own conscience and how it operates. It is important for it to become benign and be utilized constructively , for
if no t re contextualized, it ends up with self-blame or an increase of guilt,
shame, or the lo ss of self-esteem. It must be clearly seen that a ll defects
are intrinsic to the ego structure itself, which is naive and u nable to
discern appearance from essenc e. It actually does not have the capacity
to know truth from falsehood about either the world or the personal self. It is best to speak to the inner conscience and commit it to bec oming a
useful ally and teacher rather  than a sadistic self-perpetrator . It is
important to decisively bind its purpose to be educative. One must make
a decision that a  mature conscience is a useful tool and a help ful guide
with which one is in accord by the choice of one’ s own will. By exercise
of the will, the conscience can then be prohibited from becoming just
another self-indulgent, wallowing-in-guilt, paradoxically egoistic
perpetrator . It is good to be aware that wearing sackcloth and ashes may be
melodramatic, but it is useless to the world or spiritual integrity and is
actually a sly self-indulgence. Guilt can be replaced with just a decent
regret as  an inherited human limitation, in contrast to which perfection is
an equa lly unrealistic idealization. Guilt is alleviated by acceptance oflimitation that, in turn, is a positive consequence of humility . Thereby ,
guilt can be rejected as merely another form of self-indulgence. Self-honesty requires courage, humility , patience, and compassion for
the i mmature aspects of the con science, which, after all, arose o riginally
as a  product of childhood. Therefore, it has a tendency toward
exaggeration, or alternately , to being dismissed if it stands in the way of
impulsiveness. The task is to honestly acknowledge inner defects or
faults of character without trigg ering guilt attacks of self-hatred, anger ,
or resentment of self or others. The ego /mind is a learned set of behaviors, and the ultimate g oal is to
transcend its programming and functioning by virtue of the power of the
Radiance of the Self, which recontextualizes life benignly . The Presence
of the Self is experienced as  compassion for all of life in all its
expressions, including its evolution as one’ s personal sel f. As a
consequence, for giveness replaces condemnation, which is a si gn that it
is no w safe to proceed deeper into serious inner inventory witho ut undue
stress. The above process represents th e collective wisdom of the total ity of the
very suc cessful twelve-step sel f-help groups, as well as others. It also
represents the basic premise that  is followed in in-depth analysis , such as
psychoanalysis, where the basic rule is to always approach the
exploration of intrapsychic conflicts first from the side of the superego. It
is al so h elpful to  remember that the world benefits from wisdom and not
from hatred, blame, or guilt. On the road of inner discovery , one comes
across memories and events that are deserving of regret and simply result
in the decision to do better . Another very useful tool in spiritual and therapeutic work is a sense of
humor to  of fset the downside of the worldly theater of the absur d and its
outrageous slings and arrows. Humor is the consequence of seeing
through the illusions of paradox. While th e great teachers taught that the basic human defect is ignorance,
it is  even more  helpful to see  human limitation as naïveté, which is
primarily a shortcoming. W ith adequate preparation, inner work and
rigorous self-honesty can be taken on safely without falling into shame,
despair , hopelessness, self-condemnation, depression, or loss of self-esteem. As the crook remarked when caught red-handed, “W ell,
nobody’ s perfect, are they?”
While w orld religions have formal periods of penance and self-
examination, these tend to become compartmentalized and also viewed
as unpleasantly somber . Mature spiritual work results in rewarding
growth and education that lead  to greater happiness and joy . Penance
tends to be episodic; spiritual growth is permanent. Theology and Guilt. Humankind is a progressively evolutionary species whose origins were
very primitive and ignorant of r eality . The theological beliefs of ancient
civilizations were therefore birthed out of the myths of uneducated
imagination that  included a preponderance of negativity in accord with
the prev ailing low levels of con sciousness. The allegory of ‘Adam and
Eve’ cal ibrates at 70, and the idea that man was ‘born in sin’ calibrates at
a level of truth of only 30. Divinity was perceived as oppressive and
frightening. An alternate view that stems from consciousness research is that humans
emer ged as basically innocent but ignorant, which calibrates at 200. In
contrast, there is the view of man as expressed by Socrates tha t all men
are intri nsically innocent becaus e they can only choose to do what they
perceive as the good, but they a re unable to discern the true good from
the f alse illusions of the world. (Socrates’ statement calibrates  at 540.) Extensive resear ch, as well as clinical and spiritual experience, history ,
and investigation, corroborate the truth of Socrates. Because man lacked the capac ity to discern truth from falseh ood, the
system of good and bad was instituted, which was pragmati c and of
social value for children and for the lar ge segment of the populous that
calibrates below  200. Because the nonevolved or immature lack a sense
of spiritual/ethic al/moral standards, they are guided by ‘rules’ of ‘good
and bad’ . Below consciousness level 200, there is no concern for others,
and the refore, ‘good and bad’ dictums substitute for the lack of
awareness. Wha t is tempting to the nonintegrous would not even be
thinkable as an option to people who are more evolved (e.g., t o murder
someone for their money , etc.). Crime is related directly to the personal
level of consciousness (inmates  in prison calibrate at an average of 50).Thus, guilt serves as a valu able function collectively wh ere it is
appropriate as a social counte rbalance to the acting out of primitive
instincts. There is  a similar value to good/bad guilt in children who also lack a
sense of reality (e.g., it is ‘bad’ to squeeze a newborn kitten ). In this
case, gu ilt has its positive asp ect as an inhibiting counterbalance to
unrestrained, pri mitive instinctual drives of the nonevolved ‘unc ivilized’
ego. In more mature persons, instinctual primitive drives may unexpectedly
break through defenses in the f orm of impulsivity that is later regretted
or se en as a foolish mistake and therefore a helpful warning to be more
aware of a trend that results in mistakes in judgment. Maturation is a life-
long pro cess, and, as the old saying goes, “The gray hairs of age have
been earned.” Some degree of remorse and regret over past errors is
inevitable, contr ibuting to the development of compassion for self and
others. T o make allowance for human error is indicative of a more
benign, realistic conscience. The Dualities of Guilt and Hate. Because the consequences to self and others can be extensive, guilt and
hatred, whether directed within or projected onto others, necessitate
serious attention. In return, the rewards from experiencing increased
degrees of happiness are gratif ying and experientially well worth the
ef fort. The relinquishment of guilt and hatred is a major benefit at all
levels of life as  these ego pos itions are corrosive to self an d others. Resistance stems from the secret pleasure the ego derives from
negativity .CHAPTER 3. Apathy . (Calibration Level 50). Intr oduction. The leve l of Apathy is characterized by neglect, indif ference, poverty ,
and in more sev ere degrees, by despair and hopelessness. The world and
the future look bleak, and pathos is the theme of life. It is a  state of
helplessness, and  its victims, needy in every way , lack not only resources
but also the ener gy to take advantage of what may be available. Unless
external ener gy is supplied by c aregivers, death through passive suicide
can result. W ithout the will to live, the hopeless stare blankly ,
unresponsive to stimuli. The eyes stop tracking, and there is insuf ficient
ener gy left to even swallow prof fered food. This is the level of the homeless  and the derelicts of society . It is also the
fate of many of the aged and ot hers who become isolated by chronic or
progressive dise ases. The apathetic are dependent; they are ‘he avy’ and
feel like  a burden to those around them. They represent the human
expression of the tamas of the classic Hindu gunas (qualities) of the
trilogy of tamas (inertia, resistance), rajas (high ener gy), and sattva
(peace) that are innate to the world. Society often lacks suf ficient motivation to be of any real help to cultures
or in dividuals at this level and sees them as drains of resource s. This is
the level of the streets of Calcutta, where only the saintly , such as Mother
T eresa and her followers, dared to tread. It is the level of the
abandonment of  hope, and few  have the courage to really look into its
face. Clinical. Unrecognized ap athy in the form of inertia is at the core of many social,
as well as personal, problems. The failure of bureaucratic/governmentagencies to ‘take care’ and assume responsibility can also result in mass
catastrophes. Ex amples abound of failure to act or function, such as
unpreparedness prior to Pearl Harbor , being ‘blindsided’ in the Korean
W ar , warnings prior to 9/1 1 an d other al-Qaeda attacks, lack of action
after the USS Cole bombing, un preparedness of the military for the Iraqi
war , belated response to hurricane Katrina, and others. Apathy i ndicates very low availability of ener gy and interest. Th is can be
endemic in cultures and regions, including metropolitan and poverty
areas. Laxity or indif ference may be culturally carried by even subtle
means. “What’ s the use?” is an infectious attitude. Sloth is included as one of the seven deadly sins because it is a rejection
of God’ s gift of life and is self-indulgence without love. In this state,
there is no concern for the welfare of others or even appropriate concern
for the quality of one’ s own life. The same attitude is then proje cted onto
God wh o is seen as rejecting, unavailable, and uncaring. The waste of
one’ s life results in a concept of God as indif ferent, condemn ing, and
unavailable. This leads to hopelessness and pessimism. Apathy is often the basis for passivity and self-condemnation, resulting
in low self-esteem and self-image. The feeling of worthlessness
reinforces negative social attitu des and behaviors that result in poverty
and low  quality of life. Hopele ssness leads to further decline, which is
then used as a face-saving rationalization. The core is that responsibility
is re jected and r eplaced by a chr onic victim mentality that seeks to avoid
the real issues by projecting the supposed source to the external world,
which is  then comfortably blamed as being the ‘cause’. The dualistic
split of victim/perpetrator is further reinforced by current ‘post-modern’,
relativistic social theories that perpetuate the illusion. Poor p arenting is relatively influential in establishing early-life
behavioral patterns in which there are a lack of love and ordinary
motivating beha vioral factors. This results in an inadequate inne r reward
system and low self-esteem, and discouragement compounds the
problem. Althou gh the ‘ego-ideal’ may develop and heroic figures may
be a dmired, the inner convictio n is that the idealized is not obtainable
due to hopeless ness and skepticism. The normal person receives some
recognition for ef fort in trying,  even if they fail. The hopeless person
sees no point in even attempting a higher level of functioning. The ene r gy attra ctor field of ap athy draws to it other expressio ns in the
same low ener gy field (the well-known ‘broken window’ principle),
which re sults in an overall depressing social milieu that breeds crime and
poverty . The apathetic condition indicate s impairment that results in resorting to
face-saving excuses. It may also result in hypochondriasis, chronic
invalidism, and a self-centered personality that is passive, nonfunctional,
and seeks dependent relations hips. The comfort of drugs may also
provide escape from the inner barrenness. When the temporary drug-
induced euphoria subsides, the return of the downside becomes
intolerable, so the drug dependence is not just an addiction but also a
lifestyle. The self-perpetuating downward spiral may result in desperate
attempts to survive, including clinging to abusive relationships. Self-
condemnation is projected onto  God and society which are therefore
blamed for the condition. The core  of the disorder is identifiable as the inability or refusa l to take
personal responsibility , which results in guilt, shame, and low ener gy that
may end up as homelessness, vagrancy , and social dependence. Lack of
life skill s leads to periodic desc ents into severe depression, which may
result in suicide. T ranscending Apathy . Apathetic moments or even periods of time may occur temporarily in
almost a nyone’ s life in which th ere are times of ‘downs’ and feelings of
discouragement. The lifestyle itself becomes a denial of the val ue of life
and of Divinity as its source. The only way out of this impasse is via the W ill, which alone  has the
potential power to compensate for the lack of intrapsychic ener gy . The
W ill, which is spiritual in nature and origin, is not to be confused with
‘will po wer ’, which is only me ntal and psychological. In an apathetic
state, the  person al will is weak and inef fectual. This can be tra nscended
only by the invocation of Divine W ill, which calibrates at 850 and has
the pow er of regeneration. While the ego/self routinely takes credit for
survival, its true source is the presence of Divinity as Self. It is only
because of the S elf that the ego  is capable of being self-sustaining. It is
only a recipient of life ener gy and not its origin, as it believes. Divine entreaty may or may not result in a desired outcome because, to
the Self,  adversi ty , or even physical death, may be the only way to defeat
the ego. T o the S elf, surrender of the personal world or the phys ical body
may be the requisite for the tr ansformation of the soul. Thus, in this
seeming paradox, defeat to the ego/mind/body entity is, in actuality , the
sacrifice of the temporary for th e permanent (evolution of the s oul) and
therefore a karmic gain. While th e perso nal will only c alibrates at the same level as does the
person (extreme ly weak in the state of apathy , at approximately  30), the
W ill calibrates at a very powerful level. These are the conditions that
illustrate the dynamic forces behind the truth that ‘man’ s calamity is
God’ s opportunity’. The inv itation to Divinity , for example, is well demonstrated by the
twelve-step groups in which the initial steps (paraphrased) are, “W e
admitted we were powerless over our lives, and only God could relieve
us o f our insan ity .” By the admission of personal powerlessness and
turning a way fro m the ego, the decision is made to turn one’ s life over to
God. This is fo llowed by a fearless moral inventory and then  seeking
guidance throug h prayer and the establishment of a daily spir itual life
pattern ( T welve Steps and T welve T raditions , 1996). The above process has been proven to bring about recovery from a whole
gamut o f very dif ficult, hopeless human problems in millions of people
worldwide for many decades. T he transformations that result are often
described as miraculous becaus e of their degree. This simple program
originally began in Oxford, England, and was brought to the United
States by Rowland, the hopeless patient of the famous Swiss
psychoanalyst, Carl Jung, whose own honesty helped Rowland hit
bottom when he said to him, “A las, neither I nor my art can help you,
and your only hope is to throw yourself wholeheartedly into a spiritual
program, for it is recorded in history that, although rare, recoveries have
occurred under those circumstances.” Eventually Rowland’ s dramatic
recovery set the paradigm for w hat is now the worldwide T we lve-Step
movement, as well as other fa ith-based programs, and has even been
ef fective in thirty-five percent of cases of extremely hardened chronic
criminals. Apathy is at the core of many seemingly hopeless conditions  that are
beyond the capacity of the hum an will or society to resolve. R ecovery
from any of thes e apathetic conditions is strengthened by participation in
spiritual groups because their overall ener gy calibrates at 540, the level
of U nconditiona l Love, which is rare in the overall popula tion (0.4
percent). Another nonspiritual but strong program devoted to recovering and
improving one’ s life by strictly accepting responsibility was
demonstrated by “est” (Erhard Seminars T raining) at calibration level
400. The technique was one of constant confrontation with
irresponsibility and the canceling of all excuses, rationalizations, and
evasions of it. In what is seen as apathy , there is actually a strong internal resi stance as
a subtly  disguis ed pride and eg otism described as “I can’ t” or  “I don’ t
want to. ” The persistence of the  ego is so strong that it frequentl y takes a
mass catastrophe, such as war or an earthquake, to confront it to the
degree t hat it is willing to surrender . Thus, by collective karm a, whole
groups a re drawn to specific si tuations that may appear as catastrophic
yet hold unseen karmic benefits. Accidents. The infinite field of conscious ness is All Present, All Powe rful, and
includes All of E xistence. Thus, nothing can possibly happen outside its
infinite domain because it is the  Source of Existence. W ithin thi s infinite
field of power , there are decreasing levels of ener gy fields. As they are
expressed progressively in form  (linearity),their relative power decreases
all th e w ay down to the individual. The giant field could be compared to
an imme nse electrostatic field in which the individual is like a char ged
particle that, because of the infi nite power of the field, is automatically
aligned within the field accordi ng to its individual ‘char ge’. Th e char ge
of the karmic spiritual body is s et by intention, decision, and alignment
by inten tion. It appears to naive perception that what is not intellectually
explicable seems to be ‘accidental’, especially when the event is
unpredictable. Inasmuch as the infinite field of consciousness is
unlimited in dimension, nothing can happen outside of it. All th at occurs
within i t is under its influence , and therefore, nothing ‘accidental’ is
possible in Reality . Apathy in the Normal Individual. Periods of apathy are recurrent in almost everyone’ s life as a temporary
and transitory phenomenon. T o the spiritually oriented, the self-searching
to the core of the phenomenon to understand its origins results in a
positive outcom e. Apathy in the normal individual usually applies to
certain a reas of life that have be en neglected, resisted, or for w hich one
has refused responsibility . These also express as aversions and attractions
that, upon investigation, turn o ut to be based on illusions. Almost any
resistance, avers ion, or illusion can be dissolved by complete and total
surrender and the willingness to relinquish illusory goals. Operationally ,
this can be described as surrendering the linear (the ego) to the nonlinear
(Divinity). Passive/Aggr essive Dichotomy . Shame, apathy , and guilt are all forms of aggression against the self by
attack with self-hatred, accusation, and negative judgmentali sm. The
alternate sides of these mechanisms are used in the defensive maneuver
of proje cted, externalized hate and blame. Apathy is also a  form of
resistance to the maturation proc ess and is a way of negation an d refusal,
i.e., concealed stubbornness. W ith these mechanisms, personal responsibility is again denied, and
otherwise seemi ngly normal individuals may periodically altern ate with
extreme aggression toward othe rs. When the worm of self-hatred turns
from at tacking the self and is directed externally , it expresses as
vituperation, ma lice, malevolen ce, slander , and even public vilifications
that can be extreme. Self-hatred direc ted externally calibrates very low because it is a denial
of truth at a de ep level and se condarily destructive to societ y and its
standards. This externally directed aggression finds social approval and
is therefore expressed in war , gang criminality , terrorism, environmental
arson, crowd violence, the Ku Klux Klan, etc. These projections can only
be p ossible if th e conscience is either absent, such as with a psychopath,
or assuaged by rationalization (liberationists justify revenge, ‘holy’ or
political wars, etc.). The nee d for justification is served by harboring grudges, distorted
interpretations of society , and ‘injustice’ collecting. When this
psychological mechanism operates in a charismatic leader , thousands or
even millions of people perio dically die. This syndrome is termed
‘malignant messianic narcissism’ and is described in detail in T ruth vs.
Falsehood (see Chapter 15). The extreme pathology of such leaders is
obvious from the willing slaughter of their own countrymen who are
hated and seen as ‘dogs’, cannon fodder , or ‘deserving of death’. Such
distorted person alities despise love (therefore, women), seeing it as weak
and displaying internally feared vulnerability . When these projected
mechanisms cannot be acted out, there are inner conflicts in
consciousness, and the end of such messianic leaders is often by suicide. These sa me me chanisms opera te unconsciously , but to a mor e limited
and attenuated degree, in publicity-seeking, hostile personalities who
publicly make poisonous remarks and slander public figures through
false accusations and distortions of events. In psychoanalytical terms, intense negativity is disowned by projection
in o rder to kee p the illusion o f the innocent ‘good me’, de spite the
transparency of  the camouflage to the public. The consequence of
dishonesty is often pomposity and seeing oneself as superior to others. The ego also incorporates spiritual images and concepts to bulwark its
defenses that thereby become distorted into their exact opposites in order
to justify the slaughter of infidels, nonbelievers, heretics, etc., who
therefore ‘deserv e’ to die. The projection of self-contempt for perceived
inner w eakness was dramatic ally acted out by the Japan ese with
American prisoners and in Manchuria and China when they su mmarily
executed enemy soldiers who surrendered. The very low ener gy fields ma y be rationalized by the intellec t, which
then see s pseudo religious distortions as truth and bizarrely praises
martyrdom and suicide. Hari-k ari is a classic example of externalized
acting o ut and dramatization of what would be repressed as internalized
conflict in ordinary , healthy people. Intrapsychic repression of una cceptable drives and conflicts depletes
psychic ener gy that is unavailable for normal adaptational operations. This res ults in apathy expressed as exhaustion, feeling tired and below
par , and the lack of pleasure in living (anhedonia). Lack of pleasure  through normal means may be artificially com pensated
through various addictions. When escapism is blocked or unobtainable,
the inner depression returns, which may result in acting out and
desperate measures of avoidance. Many actually choose to die rather
than fac e the inner conflicts an d own the responsibility for either the
conflict itself or for seeking help and resolution. The progressive downward spiral often eventually leads to a
confrontational social crisis, such as arrest, divorce, losing one’ s job,
bankruptcy , hospitalization, and homelessness. Therefore, conf rontation
is on e of the positive consequences that arise from seeming c alamities
that are frequently lifesaving and rescues in disguise. Statistically , the most successfu l resolutions to these types of recoveries
from pathological life patterns are through faith-based groups, as self-
honesty is a dif f icult, if not impossible, process for most people  without
strong promptin g. Recovery requires strong support plus exp erienced
know-how , and the example of recovered members tends to di scourage
denial as do th e insistence on moral integrity and the adm ission of
character defects without wallow ing in guilt. In addition, helping others
is beneficial and increases self-esteem. Although strictly psychological measures may sometimes be temporarily
beneficial, these disorders are usually chronic, and the recovery requires
programs that are intrinsically spiritual in nature, as they address  the core
of th e issue and see psychological and behavioral problems as se condary . The underlying and deep-seated  self-hatred requires a therapy of a very
high con sciousness calibration level, such as that of Unconditional Love
at 540. Psychological measu res that calibrate in the 400s have
insuf ficient power to actually bring about an inner healing. The healing
process requires an advisor , sponsor , or counselor to provide guidance
and serve as an example to identify with, love, and respect. In the
decades-long experience of suc h groups, only a recovered member has
the requisite authority that inst ills respect and therefore a therapeutic
transference or identification. Through this mechanism, love returns in
an acce ptable form, and its acceptance is facilitated by realistic,
spiritually integrous humility . Spiritual humility should not be confused with its social interpretation as
‘humiliation’. Paradoxically , the spiritually humble cannot be humiliated,and therefore, faults can be acce pted without loss of self-esteem. Owning
one’ s ow n inner flaws allows f or nonjudgmental respect for others and
opens the door to compassion for all humanity . Apathy versus Motivation. Human behaviors can result from being instinctually driven or ,
alternately , from  being attracted to or motivated by positive, idealized
goals. The Freudian ‘ego ideal’ is the internalization of admired
qualities, achievements, or heroic figures that are inspirational and
represent possibilities for growth and development. The admired figures
are sele cted in  accord with the individual’ s prevailing level of
consciousness so that each level characteristically tends to have its
commensurate inspirational leaders. Lack of such an internalized figure
can stem  from poor or absent p arenting, or lack of self-esteem or sense
of perso nal worth that leads to  expectations of failure, pessimism, and
the ‘amotivational syndrome’. The buil ding of self-confidence  is usually best done step-wise in small
increments, aide d by motivational encouragement. A negative se lf-image
may be compounded by past failures or criticism by peers or parental
figures, resulting  in attitudes of  “I can’ t” or “I’m not worth it.” The old
adage, “If at first you don’ t succeed, try , try again,” falls on deaf ears as
apathy is usually defended with many rationalized excuses and
justifications in order to avoid shame. In some expressions, apathy may
be conse quent to clinical depression due to faulty brain chemistry that
requires antidepressants to correct the imbalance, at least temporarily , in
order to reor ganize the psyche. The clas sic coun terbalances to apathy and negative self-image are ‘faith,
hope, a nd charity’. The benefit of helping others is very well
demonstrated throughout society , whether it comes about through choice,
inspiration, or even coercion. Often, for those who have fallen very low ,
even just caring for animals can serve as a very good start, as is
demonstrated by the seeing-eye-dog training programs that have been
very successful in populations of chronic recidivist prison inmates, some
of whom  even choose to stay o n past their dischar ge date to complete
their wo rk with their assigned d ogs. Apathetic geriatric patients perk up
if th e nursing ho me provides pet dogs. Current research indicate s that the
mere owning of a pet decreases the levels of depression and hypertensionand has a positi ve ef fect on health overall. Therefore, caring for other
living be ings is therapeutic as i s exhibited by hopeless alcoholics when
they beg in to help newcomers and dejected athletes recover from a
defeatist attitude by the sheer act of encouraging other team members. In sp iritual work also, group pa rticipation remotivates as a consequence
of the group’ s intrinsic spiritual ener gy . Thus, ministerial or ganizations
serve a great purpose, as do m entors, trainers, motivational speakers,
humanitarian or ganizations, the  cler gy , and inspirational teachers. The
average person usually has some limited areas of apathy , at least for
periods of time, that are areas of neglect due to economy of available
time and ener gy or interest. Spiritual apathy is also quite common as an expression of avoidance and
reluctance to face inner confli cts that thereby become a det errent to
progress and growth. These dela ys can be expected and also traversed by
prayer a nd the inspiration innate to active spiritual groups. Motivation is
aided and augmented in almost any human endeavor by having a mentor ,
confidant, or trusted friend. Ap athy is often the result of isolation and
cured by  involvement in and th e activity of positive relationships that
provide a source of caringness. Apathy is indicative of the absence of
love, wh ich is its most powerful antidote. This may be situational or the
consequence of rejecting love due to egocentricity or very low self-
esteem resulting from lack of love and nurturance in early life. T o c hoose love for God activates the love of God by prayer and worship. Therefore, despo ndency may be the very trigger that opens the door to
the eme r gence of spiritual interest and progress. Many have found God
only in the pits of hopelessness  and despair . The ego is so strong that
sometimes only severe ‘hitting bottom’ is a strong enough stimulus to
activate the willingness to surrender allegiance to the ego’ s domination. When ac tivated, the spirit within is renewed, and apathy is replaced by
hope. T o  ‘pray ceaselessly’ may be the only option available to work
through some severe or prolonged periods of karmic debt. It is
sometimes refer red to as a ‘test of faith’, which is best trav ersed by
conviction that ‘this too shall pass’, and “They also serve who stand and
wait.” 
Apathy , like any other obstacle on the evolutionary path, is resolved by
acceptance rather than denial . Spiritual apathy can be helped byreexposure to basic spiritual tr uths, such as provided by scr ipture or
spiritual literatu re. Reflection and meditation on verses, such as those in
the Ninety-first Psalm or other favorite passages, often reactivate
inspiration beca use of their innate high consciousness ca libration. Reinspiration is also often consequent to repeating favorite prayers,
hymns, or the playing of classical music in beautiful surroundings. Music o f high calibration presents an ener gy field directly that bypasses
the intellect and negative mentation. Music that calibrates over 500
(listed in Chapter 9 of T ruth vs. Falsehood ) has an uplifting ef fect. It can
vary all the way from the score of River dance to classi cal mus ic, the
stirring skirl of the bagpipes of the Scottish Black W atch, or even the
irresistible music of the Bee Gees. T ransient apathy can indicate resistance to facing some inner personal
defect, which is most rapidly overcome by direct admission and
acceptance. Th is reactivates spiritual movement instead of being
stultified. Even avoidance can be countered by accepting the fa ct that it
is cu rrently operative (avoiding the denial of denial). One can c hoose to
avoid an  issue consciously inst ead of being at the ef fect of it  through
avoidance. This  alternative opens the option to just not deal with the
issue cu rrently and choose instead to take a vacation from it via what
could be  viewed as ‘therapeutic escapism’, such as going to the movies,
taking a vacation, going on short trip, etc. Acceptance by conscious choice has a dif ferent consequence from
unconscious denial. Self-care is an integrous intention when done
consciously . It is an exercise in  developing self-love, especial ly if it is
dedicated to God. It is sometim es necessary to rest and recuperate in
order to become rejuvenated. This is one of the functions of play and
recreation that serves retrenchment rather than just self-indulgence. The Dualities of Apathy . As w ith other le vels, positionalities express as dualities of attraction and
aversion that have to be worked through, assisted by prayer and often the
assistance of others.CHAPTER 4. Grief. (Calibration Level 75). Intr oduction. This is the leve l of sadness, loss, and despondency . Most people have
experienced it for periods of time, but those who remain at this level live
a life of constant regret and de pression. This is the level of mourning,
bereavement, an d remorse about the past. It is also the level of habitual
losers and those chronic gamb lers who accept failure as part of their
lifestyle, often resulting in the loss of jobs, friends, family , and
opportunity , as well as money and health. Major l osses in early life m ake one later vulnerable to passive
acceptance of grief, as though so rrow were the price of life. In Grief, one
sees sadness everywhere—the sadness of little children, of world
conditions, and even the sadness of life itself. This level colors one’ s
entire vi sion of existence. Part of the syndrome of loss is the  sense of
inability to replace what is lost or what it symbolized. There is a
generalization from the particular , so that the loss of a loved one is
equated with the loss of love itself. At this level, such emotional losses
may trigger a serious depression or even death. Though Grief is the cemetery o f life, it still has more ener gy t o it than
does Ap athy . Thus, when traumatized apathetic patients begin to cry , we
know they are getting better , for once they start to cry , they will eat
again. Clinical. Grief is a universal human experience that is dif ficult to either view or
go t hrough because of its com monality and emotionality with which
people a re only  too familiar . In  minor degrees, it can be expressed as
regret, but when major , it can be incapacitating and overwhelming. The univ ersality of the experience is due to the structure and nature of
the ego, which misperceives t he source of happiness as ex ternal or
emotional and imbues it with s pecialness. In reality , the only source of
happiness is from within, and its mechanism is intrapsychic and internal. When a desired object, situation , or relationship is obtained, the  internal
mechanism goes into operation with the satisfaction of that desire
because the object, person, or condition has been imbued with special
qualities. The value is in the eyes of the beholder or of the perceived and
is not intrinsic to the desired ob ject or person itself. Therefore, grief is
linked to desire as well as ownership. Society collectively assumes that certain conditions, objects, or qualities
are v aluable, and this agreement af fects personal choice. The spiritually
evolved person who has few wa nts or attachments is relatively immune
to grief,  as the experience of the source of happiness origina tes from
within and is not dependent on externals. If the source of happiness is
acquired through ego mechanisms, it is based on imagery , belief systems,
and projected values rather than on Absolute Reality itself, which is
invulnerable to loss. Objects , qualities, or relationships become
overvalued by virtue of the mechanism of attachment and the ensuing
projection of value. The more sp ecialness projected onto the relationship
with the desired object or person, the greater the potential for grief and
loss. Fe ar of loss contributes to dependent attachments as well as
materiality or social attributes, such as money and fame. Happiness is the inner psychological reward for achievement of
externalized goals as a self-reward system, and the error is to think that
the source of happiness is due to the ‘out there’ instead of originating
from within. The prototype is the set-up by the process of e volution
itself. In  that primordial, as wel l as later life, animal life forms were not
self-ener gizing but depended on  external sources of ener gy that could be
found through search and trial a nd error . Thus, the biological me chanism
was set up as need-search-trial and error -find-reward. In h umans, the same pattern pe rsists at consciousness levels below 200
(see Brain Function chart in Chapter 9). Acquisition is basically animal-
instinct survival, which depends upon the ‘getting’ of mate, food,
territory , shelter , dominance, and control. Thus, to animal inst incts, the
source of happiness is programmed as coming from ‘out there’. It is
therefore ‘gettable’ and consequently subject to loss. W ith mating andanimal b onding, this extends to mates and group members. Gri ef can be
seen on the animal level in the reactions of wolf packs, elephant herds,
and monkey , ape, and gorilla colonies that go through the grieving
process. The externalization of perceived sources of happiness leads to
attachments an d the emer gence of control as a major survival
mechanism, along with the desire for status and its symbols of security ,
and therefore, materialism. Spiritual Orientation. Not uncommonl y , major loss results in turning to religion and spirituality
for h elp and answers. Emotionally , people find solace from sympathetic
support, prayer , and returning to religious practices. Loss therefore
provides an opportunity for increased intention to reevaluate spiritual
principles and put them into ac tual practice rather than just intellectual
appreciation. A lo ss is at first an unwelcome event because it is disrup tive and
emotionally intrusive. The initial response may well be both shock and
resentment, or even disbelief. Emotional storm demands ener gy and
attention at a time when ener gy is low , resulting in anger . Processing the
crisis is helped by focusing on certain inner realities and transcending
their inherent limitations. There are anger and resentment , as well as fear at loss of control when
loss is involuntary and unexpec ted. Disruption of life by the unexpected
also creates anxiety at the forced  readjustment, which may require major
decision making. It is well to know that spiritual research indic ates that
all s uf fering and emotional pain result from resistance. Its cu re is via
surrender and acceptance, which relieve the pain. During the process, it will be noticed that the emotional pain of loss is
not steady or continuous but comes in waves that can be diminished by
consistent nonre sistance and surrendering continuously to Go d. While
the illusion that one is surrend ering the loss of a seemingly essential
person, object, desire, goal, or q uality , one is actually processing the pain
of disruption of the attachment; the ‘what’ one is surrendering is actually
just the attachment itself. A basic truth to be realized in the process isthat ther e is no possible, actual  source of happiness outside one’ s self. Loss really brings long-standing illusions to the surface, alo ng with
opportunities to lessen its dominance in the psyche. The eg o has a
multitude of attachments to beliefs, slogans, objects, people, titles,
money , conveni ences, entertainment, furnishings, sentimental tokens,
and mem ories of all the above . The ego/mind cherishes that which is
temporary and transitory becaus e it is valued as ‘special’ and therefore
sees it as a ‘source’ of happiness. Paradoxically , lo ss is simultaneously freedom and the opening of new
options. Loss services inner adaptations and qualities that represent
opportunities for growth. Simultaneously , the mind regrets and would
like to undo cha nge and return to the comfort of former circum stances,
but evolutionar y development al growth is insistent. Therefore, the
resentment is in having to c hange. Change may be a source of
anticipatory plea sure if it is chosen and a source of resentment if it is
resisted. Attachments are to the present and the anticipated future, as
well as a clingin g to the past. All these positions are illusory fo r there is
never a time ot her than the present moment, and no one exp eriences
either the past o r the future, ex cept in their imaginings and m emories. The only source of happiness that is realistically based is in the present,
and that which is in the present is not subject to loss. All forms of l oss are a conf rontation to the ego and its survival
mechanisms. All aspects of human life are transient; therefore, to cling to
any aspect eventually brings grie f and loss. Each incident, howe ver , is an
opportunity to search within for  the source of life, which is ever  present,
unchanging, and not subject to loss or the ravages of time. Grief or  loss, like any stressful s ituation in life, can be seen as a  valuable
growth opportun ity and a time for reassessment of values and goals. If
this is followed , eventually it i s possible to let go of all atta chments,
including belief systems, and experience the source of happiness that
emanates from within. Attachments. Attachment is the process whereby the suf fering of loss occurs,
irrespective of what the attachment is to or about, whether internal or
external, whether object, relationship, social quality , or aspects ofphysical life. The ego perpetu ates itself by its elaborate ne twork of
values, belief systems, and pro grams. Needs thus arise that g ain more
ener gy as they become embellished and elaborated, sometimes to the
point of fixation. The source of pain is not the belief system itself but
one’ s attachment to it and the inflation of its imaginary value. The inner
processing of attachments is dep endent on the exercise of the will, which
alone has the power to undo the mechanism of attachment by the process
of su rrender . This may be subje ctively experienced or contextualized as
sacrifice, althou gh it is actually  a liberation. The emotional pain of loss
arises fr om the attachment itsel f and not from the ‘what’ that has been
lost. It is  dif ficult at  first to surrender attachments and belief syst ems that
have be en reinforced socially by agreement, such as wealth, success,
fame, beauty , and others. All these represent the same concept that some
kind of an ‘add-on’ to what ‘is’ will bring greater happiness. Aside from
the p rocess of at tachment, the other concomitant to the ego’ s me chanism
is its belief in ‘having’. Consciousness research reveals that reported degrees of happiness are
concordant with calibrated levels of consciousness rather than with
externals. By consciousness level 540, reported levels of happ iness are
close to one-hundred percent. The Illusion of Possession: ‘Having’ and ‘Mine’. Grief ha s to do with loss, and lo ss implies prior ownership and a special
relationship. T he idea of ‘mine’ or ‘my’ denotes a unique
contextualization and meaning that is a product of the ego’ s dualistic
style of mentation by which a separate ‘I’ is magically bonded (in
fantasy) to an ‘it’ or a ‘you’, an d thereby to some quality , posse ssion, or
person. For example, a watch is  merely just an object, but with claim of
ownership, it is now imbued with a unique, special quality called ‘mine’. What was just ‘a’ watch now becomes ‘my’ watch and thereby magically
transformed. When this is emphasized, it becomes ‘my favorite watch’. By this process, attachment, control, fear of loss, and sentiment are now
added to the composition of the unique quality of specialness. One can
really see that th e stage is now set for tragedy , which occurs if  a person
thinks th ey have  lost ‘my’ watc h rather than just ‘a’ watch. It becomesobvious that the moment possession and the idea of ‘mine’ are
introduced, bondage arises. The em otional char ge can be loosened by realizing that ev erything
actually belongs only to God an d that humans only exercise stewardship. In the world, ownership is a tra nsitory specialness, and value and worth
are only in perception, conceptualization, and legalities. Accompanying possession are other attachments of the ego, such as
pride, feelings of security , and sensory pleasure. The feeling of happiness
is i nitiated by the satisfacti on of an inner want that releases
neurotransmitters in the brain, such as serotonin and endorphins, that are
the consequence and concomitance but not the source of the experience
of happi ness itself. All sociological/psychological studies of h appiness
confirm that religious or spiritually-oriented people are generally happier
all the time, no matter what the circumstances. (W ellas, 2005). Pr ocessing out Negative Feelings. W ith loss, the spiritual proces s of nonresistance and surrendering is
ef fective (however , it is not a suitable process for those emotional states
that calibrate lower than 75,such as depression, guilt, and apathy).A
spiritually-oriented person values all of life’ s experiences and s ees each
one as an opportunity to evolve spiritually . The technique of processing
out involves very simple steps that all depend on willingness  and the
capacity to surrender . 1 . Stay with the fe eling and stay focused on it unswervingly . Rea lize
that all pain is d ue to resistance. The suf fering of loss stems from
the attachment and specialness. 2 . Be willi ng to become immersed in and surrender to the feelings
without avoidin g them. Notice that they come in waves and that
surrendering to the most inten se waves tends to decrease their
emotional severity . 3 . Ask God ’ s help and surrender the personal will to God. (It is helpful
to read the Ninety-first Psalm or other favorite spiritual passages.) 4 . Be willi ng to endure and suf fer out the process. If not resiste d, it
will process itself out and come to an end.Although the suf fering of loss is triggered by a specific event, th e painful
emotions of attachment have ac tually arisen from multiple sources over
time, an d there  may be more of it below the surface than was first
suspected. Thus, each loss actually represents all loss, for the experience
is o f loss itself and not just t he specific event that brought it up to
awareness. A helpf ul source of strength during the processing out of painful
emotions is to identify with all of humanity and realize that suf fering is
universal and innate to the p henomenon of being human and the
evolution of the ego. Nonattachment versus Detachment. This is an important distinction , and failure to understand it can lead to
important spiritual error . ‘Detachment’ is an ongoing process that,
unfortunately , can lead to  apathy and emotional flatness,
noninvolvement, and indif ference. It can also result in passivity and loss
of intere st in life. There are misunderstandings of spirituality t hat teach
that even  love is an attachment,  which is a misconception, for love is an
aspect of God; possessiveness is an aspect of ego. An i ncorrect understanding of the pathway of negation can res ult in the
sterility of the ‘V oid’ or ‘Nothingness’. While the V oid is an impressive
spiritual experience (cal. 850), it is not the Ultimate State, which,
correctly , is that of Allness. Th is arises from a misunderstanding of the
teachings of the Buddha. ‘V oid’ means nonlinear and the absence of
‘thingness’, or linearity . Beyond V oidness is the ultimate, all-inclusive
nonlinear reality  of Allness. The subjective experience of the V oid,
although very impressive, is considerably dif ferent from the Reality of
the state of the Presence of God as Allness, including the very major
quality of Infinite Love itself (see Chapter 18). Resolution. The pain of processing out personal loss is lessened by an
emotional/philosophical accepta nce and realization of the overa ll reality
of the human condition itself, which is shared by everyone: 
 1 . Everything in the human domain is temporary , transitional, and
evolutionary . 2 . Nothing can really be ‘owned ’ or ‘mine’. All relationships are
temporary and arbitrary . Legality af fords only rights of control. 3 .
_OceanofPDF.com_Transcending_the_Levels_of_Consciousness__-_David_R_Hawkins.txt
Summarize the following text section accurately and concisely. Maintain specific details and numerical information, and use anti-repetition mechanisms:

        The Politics of the Ego/Hate. The dua listically structured ego propagates itself by a positionality that
tends to see everything in te rms of perpetrator/victim (the classic
relativistic Karl  Marx error). By virtue of an arbitrary positio nality, it
splits events into opposites, and the consequent blame that occurs may be
directed inwardl y as guilt or projected outwardly as hate and paranoia. Thus, th e ego is judgmental and unwittingly becomes its own victim. If it
hates, it feels unconsciously guilty for violating truth and may repress the
accumulated guilt, which adds more ener gy to the projected hatred. As
will be discusse d in a later chapter, this also contributes to the level of
fear, for what the ego projects out, it unconsciously expects to return. Despite its devices, the ego cann ot escape consequences, whether it turns
the attac k within or without. The  inherent fallacy of ego position  is that it
is no t actually the real person who feels guilt or hate, but only  the ego
itself. Th e real Self is unaf fected because truth is immune to fals ity. Thus
the hate/guilt game is operationally just internal politics in which
dif ferent voices seek to dominate and win over one’ s allegiance. The ego is envious of that which it intuits as being superi or to its
limitations and thus readily hates and denounces what it cannot
understand. It has a vested interest in making wrong or denigrating whatit canno t comprehend. Thus, the skeptic subtly hates spiritual truth or
higher consciousness and its values (love, truth, Divinity, beauty). Hatred
for purity or aes thetics is expressed by obscenity and gross vulgarity, as
well as by des ecration (destr oy the Pieta, de file femininity, insult
erudition, defame integrity, etc. ). Much purported criticism (masquerading as ‘free speech’) is thinly-
disguised, envious hatred accompanied by rationalized justification in
order to  diminish guilt. Ideological hatred fuels public debate on almost
every topic or issue in current society, from which the ego derives what it
perceives as gain in the form of attention. Hatred often takes the  form of
projecting guilt via blame. Analogously, the politics of the ego have their counterpart in society,
which is  very preoccupied with blame. While individuals do pla y a part,
unfortunate events will often represent a failure of the underlying social
process itself due to policies tha t are innately fallacious. While p unishing
the guil ty culprits satisfies the public, it usually shortchanges society
because the resolution is discovered by examining the underlying
process itself. Guilt that stems from some p ast poor judgment is overcome by the
devices of reparation, confessio n, and moral rededication, as well as by
compensation from good works (the process of ‘undoing’). Humility
helps recovery with the admission that a portion of the guilt stems from
pride, e. g. , “I shouldn’ t have made that mistake. ”
There is  an error in the word ‘should’, which represents the hyp othetical. The hypothetica l is never reality and is actually an idealized abstraction. The hypothetical therefore represents a fantasy. Personal past history represents  the best that one could actually do then
under given circumstances, which included one’ s perceptions and
emotional menta l states at the time. Mistakes can have a positive ef fect
because they serve the maintena nce of a realistic humility. The  ego is a
defective compass that often gives wrong directions. When one considers
the degr ee of its limitations, it is a wonder that anyone survi ves long
enough to even make mistakes. A study of the  history of civilization quickly reveals that not only
individuals but also great multitudes have fallen and died as  a directconsequence of the human mind’ s inability to discern truth from
falsehood. Millions of people, whole countries, and even generations of
citizens are repeatedly devastated by false beliefs, illusions, delusions,
and the failure to recognize nonintegrous leaders. Thus, Mackay’ s
famous Extraor dinary P opular Delusio ns and the Madness of Cr owds
has been in constant print since 1841. Because the evolution of consciousness, both individually and
collectively, is progressive, the  past, by selection, appears to compare
unfavorably with the present. Lessons can be learned only by the
unfolding of experience over a time continuum; thus, there is always
more that hypothetically could be known. In reality, one cannot know at
age twenty-five the information that is accrued by age fifty. Everyone
thinks, “If I had only known that, I would have done it dif ferently. ” Thus,
with humility, it can be see n that every given moment includes
limitation. What  we were is not what we are now. Mistakes are  intrinsic
to the learning process, which is the fate of the human condition itself. Because the mind’ s awareness is limited, it compensates by substituting
presumptions (an educated guess) and therefore, operationally, choices
and decisions are based on th e seemingly best option, as s tated by
Socrates’ dictum. Spiritual guilt is the consequence of morality, ethics, and religious belief
systems, which, although they contribute to guilt, also include time-
honored process es for the alleviation of and recovery from guilt, such as
confession, for giveness, penance, and the renewal and rededication to
spiritual principles, as well as good works, selfless service, and
humanitarian ef forts. Guilt can be put to good use as a motivator for
change for the better. Reasonable guilt is also evidence that one does
have a conscience, and therefo re, one is correctible. The ps ychopath
lacks such an a sset and therefore blindly goes on, making the same
mistakes over and over, thereby sinking lower and lower. The sp iritually-
oriented person can therefore be thankful to have standards to  live by
that can serve as realistic inner guides to behavior. ‘The Ego-Ideal’. Another structur e of the psycho logical ego was termed by Freud as ‘the
Ego-Ideal’ (in contrast to the I d of repressed animal instincts and the
superego, or conscience). This mental mechanism is composed ofadmired, hoped -for and wished-for idealized standards, go als, and
identity. It is what one plans and hopes to become. Idealized figures
become introjec ted as models and therefore inspirationally subserve
ambitions and life planning. Achievement o f these ideals brings increased self-esteem and
satisfaction, but  alternately, failure to live up to expectations can also
result in guilt. U nrealistic self-expectations thus have to be per iodically
revised s o that they do not become oppressive. Holding a goal in  mind is
inspirational and  is actually helpful to its accomplishment, because what
is held in mind tends to actualize. However, it is a mistake to attack
oneself with guilt for failing to achieve the ideal. Upon examination, it
will be frequently discovered that it was not really the goal that was
desired but the satisfaction that was associated with it. Every moment simultaneously includes both options and lim itations. These encompass the overall consequences of karmic factors collectively
expressed as the totality of the  circumstances of one’ s life inheritance
and situation. The ego/self is linear and therefore subject to limitation
and hindrance. Recognition o f this human dilemma can result in
choosing spiritu al rather than material goals. (“Y ou can’ t take a  U-Haul
to H eaven. ”) The dictum, “Stor e up treasures in Heaven rather than on
Earth” is helpful to remember. In the long run, the consequences of
merely being kind to others and all of life have far greater  positive
consequences than worldly success, which is temporary and eventually
lost. It is beneficial to periodically reassess goals and ask whether they
are r eally important or just the consequence of egotism. Succe ss in any
venture is simply the automatic consequence of being the best that one
can be as a lifestyle, without looking for gain. In recovery from guilt, prayer and rededication to spiritual values are
extremely helpful as is the co mpassionate realization that the human
condition is dif ficult at best for everyone despite appearances. The Pr oblems of W orking Thr ough Guilt or Moral Defects. Guilt is a func tion of the nor mal superego, or conscience, and is a
mechanism of restraint to counterbalance the animal instincts and
impulses of what Freud termed the ‘Id’, which is composed of very
primitive repressed instincts, including even the killer impulses. While an excess of guilt calls for correction, its total absence is more
serious and is generally a con sequence of a congenital pathological
condition that leads to various forms of criminality and psychop athology,
as are seen in serial killers, psychopathic personalities, or in politics as
malignant messianic narcissism. In n ormal people, there are n ormal mechanisms of guilt that act as
deterrents to selfishness, cruelty, or predatory impulses. The useful
aspects of guilt include regret, restraint, and corrective self-criticism,
which are all c omponents of responsible morality and ethics. These
aspects of the conscience counterbalance the extremes of egotism that
are exh ibited by the criminal/psychopathic personalities. W ithout
restraint, the normally repressed, very primitive impulses of h atred are
let loose on society as the killer, the rapist, the pedophile, the serial killer,
and the mass m urderer. All these conditions calibrate at consc iousness
levels of  approximately 30, or even lower. Because of the bizarreness of
the expr essed be haviors, such persons have been classically referred to
as ‘poss essed’ (i. e. , by evil). They are thus dominated by levels of
consciousness that have been characterized as ‘lower astral’. These d isorders are often diagnosable as early as age thre e by the
characteristic inability to delay gratification, to learn from experience, or
to anticipate consequences. These disorders thus far have proven to be
incurable, and their clinical co urse is one of recidivism and  chronic
criminality as a lifestyle. If the disorder is also accompanie d by an
adequate intellect, it may take the form of corporate fraud or even
pathological dis tortions of religion that are then used as camou flage for
predation. This is seen in bizarre cults or aberrant distortions of
traditional religions that become cults by nature and even lead to
individual as well as group suicide or the killing of innocents in the name
of Divinity. Another variant is seen in the  compartmentalized split personality in
which th e norma l side is present ed to society, and the concealed predator
side acts out as a double agent, espionage agent, or traitorous informer. In it s major pol itical expressions, the disorder is also seen as m essianic
narcissistic megalomania that, when severely threatened, calls for the
killing of even lar ge numbers of countrymen (Nero, Hitler, Hussein,
Stalin, et al. ) The Balance of Guilt. As is obvious from the foregoing, the absence of guilt is a condition
more severe than its opposite of excessive guilt. Its absence leads to a
form of mental disorder that, a century ago, was termed  ‘moral
imbecility’. In contrast, the hypertrophic conscience is associated with
scrupulosity or obsessive-compulsive disorder in which the person lives
in fe ar of guilt over even minor trivia, such as making just a normal
mistake. In spiritual evolution, guilt is recontextualized so that it results in benefit. It needs to be reframed as cauti on and seen as a safeguard against being
dominated by destructive impul ses. It is later represented as the wisdom
of m aturity and is the ethical ba lance to self-centeredness. Thus, guilt is
transcended wh en it has be en recontextualized, harmonized, and
balanced with responsibility and conscientious, internalized morality. Guilt can then be accepted when it is recontextualized as being
protective, a safeguard, and a mechanism of learning. Guilt is  unpleasant because it is associated with loss of love and
disapproval of internalized par ental figures, along with loss of self-
esteem. It is often used as a too l to control others (‘guilt monge rs’). It is
also sym bolic o f rejection, disgrace, and loss of status. From religion, it
becomes closely associated wi th sin and fear of the God w ho threw
Adam and Eve o ut of the Garde n of Eden, which marked the onset of the
historic origins of the karma of simply being a human and thus prone to
error and defiance of Divine authority. Upon examination, the error
appears to be on e of uncontrolled infantile curiosity, so the serpent was
successful in tempting the curious inner child who is gullible and naive. A useful interpretation and use  for guilt is respect for parameters and
boundaries. Thereby, guilt and fear are matured into caution and wisdom. This results in respect for mor al precepts and boundaries that replace
guilt and  eventuate as character traits that support survival, success, and
happiness. The ego  also hates those who m ake it feel guilty, which contr ibutes to
immature hatred  of all authority that is then misperceived as being
arbitrary, authoritarian, and repressive instead of benignly pr otective. Because guilt is viewed as painful, another mechanism to avoi d it is by
denial a nd projection of responsibility onto others via blame, whichameliorates the  pain of the conscience and, in addition, justifies
externalized hatred that otherwise might have been used to attack the
self. Soc iety is therefore eager to accuse and af fix blame, and it  searches
endlessly for guilty culprits upon whom blame and hatred can be
guiltlessly projected (e.
The ego propagates itself by splitting events into opposites and projecting blame, leading to guilt, hate, and paranoia.
What is the primary function of the ego, according to the text?
Excessive guilt can lead to a downward spiral, resulting in self-condemnation, shame, and loss of self-esteem.
What is the consequence of excessive guilt, according to the text?
Apathy can be a result of poor parenting, lack of self-esteem, or a sense of hopelessness.
What is the primary source of apathy, according to the text?
The ego is a defective compass that gives wrong directions, whereas the Self is unaffiliated and immune to falsehood.
What is the difference between the ego and the Self, according to the text?
The text suggests that apathy can be overcome by accepting one's limitations, recognizing the futility of trying to control the external world, and surrendering to the present moment.
What is the recommended approach to overcoming apathy, according to the text?