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Chapter 1

Fundamental Premises

The new, energy-based paradigm we spoke of in the introductory chapter is, in fact, not so new, after all. Many Eastern philosophers, mystics, and scientists have long espoused an understanding of creation as a sea of energies in motion, existing on many different levels of frequency. While leading-edge physicists may embrace a compatible view of reality, the predominant mind-set of our times is still based on an understanding of reality more closely related to the physics of the 19th century rather than the 21st. Although tempted, I will not launch into a dissertation on this complex subject. You may wish to refer to writers such as David Bohm, Michael Talbot, Fred Alan Wolf, and Deepak Chopra [For details, see our reading suggestions in the Appendix.] who have built a convincing case tracing the lines of thought -- and demonstrating the convergence -- of ancient Eastern and modern Western views of reality.

Review of Basic Premises

To lay a foundation of understanding for our purposes, a condensed review of some of the basic premises of metaphysical teachings is in order. If you are a novice in the study of metaphysics, you would be well advised to go over this section more than once, and to give yourself time to think through its implications.

Let us begin with a simple definition: What is metaphysics? The American Heritage Dictionary has the following to offer: “The branch of philosophy that systematically investigates the nature of first principles and problems of ultimate reality. Metaphysics includes the study of being (ontology) and, often, the study of the structure of the universe (cosmology).”

For our purposes, we would add that we are not interested in metaphysics as a mental exercise motivated by a desire to fill books or gain tenure. We call our work “applied metaphysics”: We strive to truly understand, apply and live the principles we espouse. The ultimate test of a philosophy is not its logical consistency and irrefutability, but a very simple question: Does it work?

As we have been shown, there are a limited number of Universal Laws that are rather simple. (This is not to say that they are readily understood by the human mind). Here are some of the truths as we understand and have experienced them:

(1)There is order in the Universe. The infinite number of forms and appearances are but variations of an underlying theme. There is uniformity in diversity.

(2)All of creation is vibration or “patterned” energy that can be perceived and described as light, sound, or a sensation of vibration.

(3)There is an infinite number of “frequencies” that comprise the totality of creation.

(4)The material world is just one level of reality. Just as the visible colors or audible tones are only segments of the full spectrum of light or sound, so is the material world only a segment of the totality of creation.

(5)All of creation originates on the subtle planes. Material creation is a manifestation of subtle vibrations originating on the higher planes and then transformed into denser material vibrations. A good metaphor for this manifestation process is the transformation of H2O from humidity to vapor to water to ice, a condensation or “crystallization” process.

(6)“As above, so below” -- as in heaven, so on earth. Macrocosm and microcosm are analogous to one another in their essential constitution, evolution and mode of operation. Again, there is uniformity in diversity.

(7)Time and space are not what they seem to be. Our perception of time and space is bound to the human level of awareness. Once we transcend this level of awareness, the limits of time and space that appear so real to the human mind dissolve. (This is a vast and complicated topic, which we will set aside for the time being.)

(8)All is connected to everything, and all is affected by everything. There is oneness, despite the illusion of separation.

(9)All of creation stems from Infinite Source, and all that exists remains a part of it. The concepts of “good” vs. “evil,” “God” vs. “the devil” are based on the illusion of separation.

(10)Change is the order of the Universe. We are constantly changing and evolving, and that is true both for the macrocosm and the microcosm.

For those of you who are not used to thinking in abstract metaphysical terms, please be patient with yourselves. You may wish to go over this condensed version of “Metaphysics 101” a few more times before you have a better understanding of its implications. We also recommend titles for further reading in the back of this book.

We Are Living in a Time of Radical Change

We are, indeed, living in interesting times. A tide of change is washing over every fiber of our being, touching every strand of the fabric of life as we know it. This change we are participating in goes to the root of our thinking, feeling, and mode of operation; thus, it is truly radical [“Radical” is derived from the Latin word for root, radix.] in its nature and scope.

Many attempts have been made to explain the underlying dynamics of this time of transition from a metaphysical perspective. Once again, we will try to give a condensed and necessarily simplified outline of our understanding.

(1) While the Creator is beyond duality, Creation exists only within duality. This duality can be thought of as yin and yang, male and female, negative and positive, light and darkness, etc. Another way of understanding the essence of Creation is to conceive of it as the friction between two forces, the forces of expansion and contraction. In the emotional domain, the force of contraction in its most fundamental expression is experienced as fear, and the force of expansion in its most fundamental expression is experienced as love. In the mental domain, contraction corresponds to judgment, separation, “ego,” etc. Expansion corresponds to acceptance, oneness, and surrender of “ego.”

(2) The Universe is changing its balance of expansion and contraction in a cyclical manner (it is breathing in and out, so to speak). These cycles span long periods of time (according to some belief systems, about 26,000 years). After a long cycle of contraction, we are now at the beginning of a period of expansion.

(3) For a long time, life on planet Earth was dominated by an excess of “masculine” or yang energies. It is time for a rebalancing and the reemergence of the “feminine” or yin energies.

(4) Astrologically speaking, our solar system as a whole is moving from the Piscean age, which lasted about 2,000 years, into the age of Aquarius, which brings with it a major shift in the prevalent energies. While most of us may have heard these terms, none can truly comprehend what this process entails. In what may be called a huge cosmic experiment, planet Earth -- and with it, all of humanity -- is moving into uncharted territory, creating a new reality for all.

Let me try to summarize the changes in a nutshell: The Piscean age was characterized by (1) fear, e.g., fear of lack or loss of love, power or material possessions; (2) manipulation of relationships, one’s own personality, one’s circumstances, or the environment; (3) dominion over nature, animals, and fellow humans.

The Aquarian age is characterized by (1) trust based on one’s connection to Source; (2) equality among all living things; (3) love and acceptance of self and others instead of judgment; (4) freedom of all to live life as determined by their own nature, i.e., as a full expression of their Totality.

This brief characterization of the different ages cannot do justice to the complexity of the many levels of change that we are currently undergoing. After all, this transition leads us into uncharted territory. But from the little that has been said so far, you can see easily that moving from the old mode of operation into the new is nothing short of radical. And you can also assume that the transition will not always be smooth and easy -- neither for Mother Earth, nor the humans dwelling upon her.

It is Time for a New Paradigm

Another characteristic of the times we live in is the significant increase in higher-vibrational energies permeating this part of the universe with ever-increasing intensity. In fact, these higher-vibrational energies are the driving force behind the radical changes described above. The influx of higher vibrations accelerates the frequencies prevalent on the earth plane. Consequently, the gap between material and non-material levels of vibration is diminishing. The veil that used to separate the two domains is thinning and becoming increasingly more permeable. Thus, more and more human beings are becoming aware of the multidimensional nature of reality. Concepts such as energy fields, auras, spirit communication, intuitive perception, healing energies, etc., are gradually entering mainstream consciousness.

A new view of reality demands changes on many levels, including the way we approach physical and emotional healing. When medicine discovered the microscopic levels of reality, such as the cell, genes, microbes, and bacteria, the practice of medicine had to change drastically. We are now at a similar juncture in the practice of the healing arts. We can no longer ignore the many dimensions of our being that transcend earth-plane thinking and perception. It is time to recognize that we are more than what, for a long time, we thought we were, specifically in the Western world. It is time to remember and honor the fact that we are multidimensional beings of Light having a human experience. Hence, it is time to accommodate our mode of operation as healers to this realization and to the new realities of the Aquarian age.

In our work as energetic healers, however, we are not merely asked to adjust to the new realities in a passive fashion. We are given an opportunity to assist in bringing these new realities into full expression on the earth plane. We do not subscribe to the concept of a “mission” assigned to an individual incarnating on planet Earth. We do believe, however, that we incarnate into a certain time and place based on choices we have made on the level of our Higher Self. [The term “Higher Self” will be explained in the following chapter.] If we listen to our heart, we can know what those choices were and how to play our chosen part in the birthing process of a new age.

Chapter 2

The Multidimensional Nature of Human Beings

Very few human beings fully understand their true natures while living in a physical body. This is not completely surprising. During a physical existence we are very much caught up in the world of appearance as perceived with our five senses and interpreted by our human mind. It is as if we feel locked into one FM radio station, forgetting that our receiver could also pick up AM, short wave, CB and ham radio frequencies, if only we chose to change the dial.

From a metaphysical perspective, however, who we are in our essence is not limited to what we are perceiving with our senses or thinking in our minds. Let us briefly review some basic assumptions about the nature of human beings.

(1) We are not limited to what we appear to be. Human beings are more than the sum of their body parts, more than a biological organism made of skin and bones.

(2) The human body can be understood as a condensed cloud of “patterned” energy. The physical body is only one segment of the full spectrum of vibrations that comprise the totality of our being.

(3) In addition to the physical body, human beings are composed of interpenetrating energy fields of lesser density, often identified as emotional, mental, and spiritual bodies.

(4) There is no real separation or delineation between the energy fields that are “ours” and those that are “not ours.” All is interconnected. All energy fields have an effect on all others, within our material and subtle bodies as well as beyond.

(5) We are constantly “communicating” and exchanging energies with the energy fields around us and within us through our “subtle anatomy” such as the aura, the chakra system, and the meridians (see below for details). We are, in other words, like radio stations that receive and transmit constantly on many different wavelengths.

When we perceive the true nature of the human being to be a multidimensional energy field without fixed boundaries and in constant communication with surrounding energy fields, we can understand more easily how and why we are inevitably affected by changes in the prevailing frequencies. Likewise, we can also understand how our own energy fields affect all others. As we stated above, “all is connected to everything and all is affected by everything.”

More About the Human Energy Field

Although the human energy field is not visible to the physical eye, it can be perceived by all of us, to one degree or another, when we open ourselves to our inner vision. Here are some of the basic facts about the human energy field.

Chakras

Human beings can be likened to radio stations that are constantly broadcasting and receiving information. There are specialized centers in the human body that function not unlike satellite dishes, each specializing in a certain frequency. These centers are most commonly called by the Sanskrit word “chakra,” which means “wheel of light.” In addition to “communicating” with the sea of energies surrounding and penetrating each human form, the chakras play an important role in orchestrating the flow of energies in the physical and the subtle bodies. Generally speaking, the chakras give life force to the organs and glands within their physical and functional proximity. For optimal health on all levels, it is important that all chakras be open and spinning at their respective frequencies in harmony and balance. If the chakras are no longer providing an entrance for life force into the physical body, the physical body ceases to function.

Auras and Subtle Bodies

In addition to possessing a physical body we are surrounded and penetrated by energy fields customarily called “auras” or “subtle bodies.” These fields can be photographed and demonstrated in various ways. Auras are of varying frequency, color, form, and degree of expansion, constantly fluctuating in some regards while stable in others. To use a spatial metaphor, one could think of the aura as a set of Russian stacked dolls. This metaphor is to some degree misleading, however, as each layer interpenetrates all others, just as radio waves coexist in the same space.

According to the various teachings and traditions, the subtle bodies can be classified by frequency (for instance, etheric double, lower and higher astral bodies, etc.) or by function. We have found it helpful to distinguish functionally between our physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual bodies. For optimal health on all levels, these bodies need to be fully developed and in alignment and balance with one another.

The Meridian System

The basis of all Eastern traditions of healing is some concept of life force. This energy is called “prana” in the Indian tradition, and “chi,” “qi,” or “ki” in the Japanese and Chinese traditions. The latter is best known in the West for its system of energy channels (called meridians) that are the “anatomical” basis for the practices of acupuncture and acupressure. Most, but not all, of the more than 1,000 acupuncture points are located on one of the 14 meridians that form a complex network of energy lines throughout the body. Direct manipulation of the flow of energy through insertion of needles, pressure, or the burning of herbs (moxibustion) has long been the focus of traditional Chinese medicine. More recently, the meridian system has come to prominence in various Western healing arts, such as Applied Kinesiology (AK), Neuro-Emotional Technique (N.E.T), Touch for Health, and the like. Over the past decade or two, in the field of psychotherapy, we have seen the emergence of many treatment methods that are based on the meridian system, including Thought Field Therapy (TFT), Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), or the Tapas Acupressure Technique (TAT). [We will discuss these techniques in greater detail in Chapter 22.]

Other Maps of the Human Energy Anatomy

In addition to the terms and concepts introduced in the paragraphs above, there are numerous other systems and traditions that deserve to be acknowledged. To name a few, there are the energy lines posited in Reflexology or reflex zone therapy and the complex systems underlying the practices of Polarity therapy or Jin Shin Jyutsu. In fact, each healing tradition seems to have developed a somewhat unique map of the territory. To draw a parallel, an orthopedic surgeon is likely to focus on different aspects of the anatomy than would, for instance, an internist, endocrinologist, or neurologist. This is not to imply, however, that the anatomical charts of a neurologist are incompatible with those of an orthopedic surgeon. They are simply different aspects of the whole.

For the practitioner of Psychoenergetic Healing, the chakra system appears to be the most relevant part of the human energy anatomy. Thus, we will discuss the major chakras in greater detail in a later chapter. In addition, the meridian system, which forms the basis of various tapping and acupressure techniques, is also very useful. Since all is energy, we should not rigidly adhere to one system at the exclusion of another; all the various maps may be useful in navigating the many layers of the human energy field.

Our Totality: Beyond the Human Energy Field

We have said that a human being is more than an organism of flesh and bones, and we have discussed some basic ideas about the human energy field. But there is more: There are major portions of what we are in our totality that go beyond the human energy field. In fact, the human portion of our being is just a minuscule fraction of our totality. It is no more than a single cell [This metaphor does not imply that the human portion is insignificant. As the recent advances in cloning have illustrated, a single cell contains all the information needed to form a complete organism.] in a huge organism. These aspects of our totality have been addressed by many names, such as our “Divine Essence,” our “God-Self,” or our “Higher Self.” As beings of light, human beings exist on many planes or levels of vibration simultaneously, with only the lowest frequencies bound to time and space. Our totality comprises light in its lowest vibration (the physical body), light in its highest vibration (our oneness with the Infinite Source), and many frequencies in between. For the sake of simplicity and convenience, let us call those aspects of our totality that transcend time and space and exist on higher-vibrational levels our Higher Self. The Higher Self contains the essence of our existence since the beginning of time; it is the mastermind behind all of our experiences; and it is the direct connection to Infinite Source.

All aspects of our totality are in constant communication. This interchange, of course, is strongly influenced by the receptivity and permeability of our subtle bodies. The greater the balance throughout our human energy field, the easier it is to be in harmony throughout all our totality.

Chapter 3

The Grand Scheme, Reincarnation, and Karma

The Grand Scheme

In the previous chapter we touched on some fundamental questions: What is the nature of the era we are living in? What is the nature of human beings? In our quest to sketch the larger picture we shall not shy away from the question of the purpose of the human experience. Of course, there are many attempts to give an answer, some more definitive than others. Our own version of the “grand scheme” could be outlined as follows:

First, we acknowledge that we cannot fully comprehend with our human mind the purpose of life in general or our experience of it. Our mind is simply not capable of comprehending a reality that goes far beyond the limits of the mind. If we wish to grasp even the shadow of an answer we need access to our Higher Self. Through our Higher Self an answer may be “known,” even if our mind cannot grasp or communicate it. Thus, we can only talk about the grand scheme in approximate terms.

Our totality spans the widest possible range of frequencies, from oneness with Infinite Source to the greatest sense of separation from Infinite Source that we could imagine. No animal would ever feel as separated from Infinite Source as most human beings do. The hallmark of the human experience as we currently know it is this sense of separation. We have “forgotten” that we are, in truth, connected to One and All and, even more, that we are one with One and All.

Human life could be called a grand experiment in consciousness. While all life is imbued with consciousness, human beings are unique insofar as they have chosen to cultivate a frequency of consciousness that is mired in the illusion of separation. The more we suffer from the consequences of this illusion, the more we are driven to rediscover the oneness we have seemingly lost. All human experience is designed to afford us an opportunity to find again what has, in truth, never been lost.

In this mind-boggling experiment in consciousness, we are co-creators who have been given the right to exercise free will. We can venture as far away from Infinite Source as we choose, but we can never be apart from Infinite Source. This setup makes for the most interesting and abundant manifestations of maya, or cosmic illusion.

And this may be about as far as our human mind will take us. Why is there life? Why is there consciousness? Why is there maya? It just is . . . .

Reincarnation

If the purpose of human experience is to return to an awareness of our oneness with Infinite Source, it would be a cruel joke if we had only one lifetime to reach that goal. No matter how long we may live, most of us don’t even come close to such a realization. And how could we experiment with the myriad consequences that result from a consciousness of separation if a mere 50 or 80 years were all we had? Obviously, our version of the grand scheme would make little sense without the concept of reincarnation.

Let us describe our understanding of this concept in simple terms: The eternal portion of our totality, which we called Higher Self, delegates an offspring of itself to go to school on the material plane in a human body. In the classroom called “life,” each being undergoes a learning process according to an individualized curriculum. The principal in this school is the being’s Higher Self, which supervises the curriculum in collaboration with higher-vibrational beings (the superintendents, so to speak) and in accordance with the laws set forth by Infinite Source (the legislature). The principal respects the free will of the student but insists on the supreme goal of learning and growing. If a student refuses to learn a lesson, the same lesson will be presented to him or her again and again in various versions and guises -- until the student is tired of avoiding growth, and decides to tackle the lesson.

Most of us are inclined to avoid growth and change, even if our resistance comes at a high price. Only when the pain becomes intolerable are we willing to do our homework and learn our lessons. The prevalence of learning through painful experiences, of course, is not due to some cruel divine law; it is simply the consequence of our habits and our “forgetfulness.” Our Higher Self is primarily interested in our progress as student in the school of life, and not so much in our comfort. Like a wise and benevolent parent, the Higher Self orchestrates experiences for the student that provide the greatest growth opportunities for the highest good of all -- even if the student fights it tooth and nail.

Obviously, no student enters the school of life as a blank page; we all bring some characteristics, dispositions, and attributes with us as we enter this plane. (Parents who have more than one child may not need to be convinced of this assumption.) Not only do we bring innate characteristics to a new embodiment, we also subscribe to a comprehensive curriculum for that particular lifetime. Both are intricately intertwined and in no way accidental. [Obviously, we do not believe in the idea of a genetic lottery. Our phenotype and personality traits are not the expression of a random recombination of DNA but of a finely crafted blueprint designed on the higher planes. The concepts of “coincidence” and “randomness” are convenient and widely-accepted excuses for a lack of true understanding.]

What we are is determined by what we were and what we shall become. Using the school metaphor again, whether we go on to learn 11th grade math is determined by our performance in 10th grade math and our aspirations for our educational future. Eventually, all students have to master all subjects, but each one completes the curriculum in a unique order and at a unique pace.

It requires numerous incarnations through eons of time until we have learned enough to graduate from the school of life on earth. To be precise, we don’t really learn anything new, we only learn to remember what we already know. Our graduation from a life in a human body, however, is not the end of the “grand experiment in consciousness.” In fact, there is no end to the expansion of consciousness -- just as there is no end to the expansion of the physical universe.

Karma

While each student has been given free will, the school of life only seems to be anarchic. We learn our lessons within the parameters of the Law of Karma, also known as the Law of Cause and Effect or the Law of Balance. Most religious traditions have based their ethical reasoning on some version of this law (for instance, “whatever a man sows, that he will also reap” (Gal 6:7) or the Golden Rule). According to such teachings, it is how we use our free will -- i.e., the intent behind our thoughts and actions -- that is the deciding factor in producing “good” or “bad” effects at some later day in one’s life, at the time of judgment, or in another lifetime, depending on the specific religious tradition.

While such reasoning may be legitimate in the context of an effort to give ethical guidance, it may also be somewhat misguided. A slightly more neutral, less value-laden interpretation of the Law of Karma sees it only as the Law of Balance, providing us opportunities to “experience the other side,” accepting all experiences and rejecting none. This viewpoint would deny that there are “good” or “bad” experiences, and affirm that there are only opportunities to learn.

Which interpretation is right? While all experiences are part of the grand experiment in consciousness, and thus all are principally neutral and valid, from a human point of view some causes and effects are clearly more pleasant than others. We should not forget, however, that the goal is learning, not comfort. And as students of life, we know that our most painful experiences often prove to be our best teachers.

One could also think of karma as referring to debits and credits on our cosmic bank account. This perspective includes “good” karma as well as “bad,” the latter being the kind of karma that most would be concerned with in this context. We design each incarnation based on a balance sheet that lists imbalances with certain other individuals that we intend to address during a specific lifetime. This purpose is one of the factors entering into the design of a lifetime’s curriculum. Another factor would be the spiritual and karmic agreements with other souls that our Higher Self negotiated on the higher planes prior to our incarnation. These may be agreements to help a fellow soul advance on his or her spiritual path or to provide opportunities for learning and balancing of karma for others.

Just as a businessman does not expect debits and credits to balance at the end of each day, but rather is striving for a balance over a longer period of time, so human beings do not reach a karmic balance within one lifetime. Instead, the karmic balance is being achieved over many incarnations. If we observe seeming injustices -- some “get away with murder” while others experience inexplicable suffering -- we should remind ourselves that ultimately, all is in perfect order. Lest this more “objective” view sounds callous, we should keep in mind, of course, that wisdom and compassion in the face of suffering -- seeing yourself as one with all others -- are of utmost importance.

Furthermore, we should try to look beyond the human preference for comfort that underlies our judgment of events as “good” or “bad.” Just as eating ice cream and pastries every day is more pleasant than healthy, having a lifetime of ease and comfort may not truly be for our highest good. It is wiser to relinquish all judgment of what is “good” or “bad” for us or others, as we can never truly know a person’s karmic agenda or what is for that person’s highest good.

We would misunderstand the Law of Karma if we equated it with some version of the Old Testament’s rule: “. . . as he has done it shall be done to him, fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth” (Lev 24:20). Correctly understood, there is no element of vengeance or punishment in the Law of Karma. Karmic law does not “condemn us” to live down the consequences of our actions. Indeed, the karma we decide to live out in a certain lifetime is based on choices we make on the level of our Higher Self, which decides what lessons we need to learn for our own soul growth and greater understanding.

Our human mind cannot fully comprehend the karmic choices that we make on the higher planes. We simply need to trust that all is designed to advance us on our paths. We can, however, work toward transcending our karma by actively pursuing the lesson we have set out to learn. Once we learn the lesson, once we heal the issue we have had, within ourselves and/or with another person, there is no need to perpetuate a particular karmic drama. When a student has learned the material, he or she can move on.

Balancing of karma with another person may occur solely on the higher planes. Restitution or balancing on the material plane is not necessary. As the veils between the higher and lower planes are lifting, access to the higher planes can be achieved ever more easily. This now allows us to heal and release much of our karma in other ways than the path of suffering that seemed so inevitable in the past. We are, indeed, at the threshold of a new time that allows us to close the books of the past. More easily than ever before, we now have the opportunity to choose to leave our karma behind and begin a new book altogether, rather than add yet another chapter to the old story.

Chapter 4

Co-creation and Manifestation

Many have heard the formula that “you create your own reality.” While this has become a mantra-like staple of New Age thought, it is an idea not well understood. When we find ourselves in a painful situation, we may doubt that we really chose to experience such pain. No matter what we proclaim, when we become really miserable and uncomfortable, we tend to see ourselves as victims of adverse circumstances or actions, feeling that others have wronged us, by life, or by God. After all, who would have chosen to go through such an experience?

And yet, there are no victims, we do have free will, and we are the creators or our own reality. The choices, however, aren’t necessarily conscious choices of our human mind. These choices may have been made in other lifetimes or before we entered this incarnation. Or they may have been made by our Higher Self in the interest of balancing karma or progressing in the school of life. Remember, comfort is not an important concept for our Higher Self -- but soul growth and expansion is.

It is the Higher Self that chooses a set of parents, relatives, and the time, place and circumstances into which we incarnate. Although some may argue that such a setup places limitations on our choices, there is still ample room for choice all along the way. In fact, in every moment we determine the level of frequency of our thoughts and feelings, and there are myriad opportunities to choose actions, thoughts, feelings, and intentions. And each choice has consequences, whether they are limited to the subtle planes or manifest on the material plane. Rather than thinking in terms of “predetermination,” it would be more fitting to speak of a “context” in which the human mind operates and chooses at each moment -- in concert and continuous communication with our Higher Self and the human minds and Higher Selves of others.

So far we have only spoken of choices, as if we had been placed in a giant supermarket with the task of choosing our menu, to the best of our abilities. But this is still a limited concept. To stay in the picture, consider that we are actually co-creating the supermarket itself! Let me try to explain this idea in a metaphor: The world around each individual is like a hologram, or a movie, projected from the center (the individual) onto a spherical screen around that individual. It is part of the grand scheme that we tend to have little awareness of our role as projectionist in the center of our own personal movie theater. Instead, we perceive things as going on “out there” on the screen like a child who gets caught up in a dramatic movie. In reality, the movie originates in the projectionist’s booth -- not on the screen where we see it happening.

In a previous chapter, we stated that all of creation is vibration, or Light, and that we are indeed beings of Light. Keeping this fundamental premise in mind, let us continue with the “movie theater projectionist” metaphor: Instead of using light from a light bulb, we use the Light coming from Infinite Source through our Higher Self. Instead of mirrors, prisms, and a strip of celluloid, we use the human energy field, especially the chakras, which can be likened to lenses overlaid with a stack of transparencies, or movie frames. Each chakra contains information imprinted upon it through present and past choices and experiences. We filter the Light coming from our Higher Self through the human energy field and project it onto the screen around us, thus creating our own personal movie experience.

To illustrate this process, let us briefly describe the past life experiences of a 15-year-old male client. This young man had an extensive history of injuries to the head through accidents, dog bites, etc. Initially, he was reluctant to explore what may have been the underlying energetic pattern that resulted in repeated injuries to the same body part. With a little bit of encouragement while working in Inner Space, he was ultimately willing to look into the matter and soon entered a time stream of a recent past life [We will discuss the topic of past life trauma in Chapter 17.]. In that lifetime he was a soldier who was killed on the battlefield by shrapnel that had struck his head. He was able to receive very clear images and to go back to the time preceding his lethal injury. I asked him to perceive his energetic body in that lifetime, and he noticed that the head region showed significant energetic disturbances even before he sustained the head injury (stemming from experiences we do not need to explain at this point). He then stated that it seemed as if the shrapnel had been magnetically attracted by the negativity in his head region. Thus, what looked like an “accident” from the outside was actually a manifestation of an energetic disturbance from within.

The observation of this 15-year-old client is by far not singular. In fact, many of our clients are able to perceive repetitive patterns of energetic disturbances through several lifetimes, often resulting in injury or death in past lives and repeated injuries of the same body region in the present life. This observation illustrates that we are indeed the creators of our experiences, and that manifestation originates first on the subtle planes -- which is, of course, one of the most central metaphysical tenets.

Chapter 5

Toward a New Paradigm of Healing

This book is about “healing,” and it is time to examine and define what this means from a metaphysical perspective (the clinical and technical details will be discussed in the main body of this book). Healing simply means to shift the balance of energies within an energy field (human or otherwise) toward harmony and higher vibrations, or, conversely, to reduce the prevalence of disharmony and lower vibrations. As there are no “empty spaces” in an energy field, one shift goes hand in hand with the other.

Having given this fundamental definition, we can move on to some basic points about healing:

(1) All illness and dis-ease, be it mental, emotional or physical, is an expression of an energetic imbalance or disharmony. As all manifestation “steps down” from the subtle to the denser levels of vibration, the presence of a disease indicates an imbalance on the subtle levels.

(2) Healing is a manifestation of increased balance and harmony; as with all manifestations, it, too, originates on the subtle planes. There is no essential difference between physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual healing.

(3) Higher levels of vibration are more harmonious and thus more healing than lower levels. Higher vibrations can be experienced as love, joy, peace, happiness, forgiveness, gratitude, bliss, etc. Lower vibrations are associated with the experience of anger, depression, fear, guilt, shame, greed, etc. The highest levels of vibration are customarily called the spiritual levels.

(4) Effective healing occurs when a more harmonious energy field interacts with a less harmonious frequency, resulting in a transmutation from lower to higher frequency.

(5) An effective healer is someone who channels or emits more harmonious energies and facilitates the transmutation process. Likewise, an effective healing agent is something that emanates more harmonious energies (such as an undisturbed natural environment), something we charge with thoughts of healing (such as a medication or a placebo), or something that contributes to a greater degree of balance (on the physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual level). Effective treatment aims to transform the barriers that were put in place between lower-vibrational energies (for instance, fears) and higher-vibrational energies such as trust or peace, so that the latter can transform the former.

(6) Not all treatment is healing, and not all healing results from treatment. All we need to do to achieve healing is to allow the perfection that already exists on the highest levels of our being to “percolate” down to the level that holds the imbalance. Ultimately, all healing is self-healing.

(7) All healing is possible. If we think of the physical, emotional and mental bodies as clouds of “patterned” energies, there is virtually no limit to the creation of harmony. In other words, nothing is “written in stone,” as all is in flux and constantly changing, similar to clouds in the sky.

(8) Healing may take many forms; it is unique for each individual and situation. The healing process occurs on many levels simultaneously. Although we often have preconceived ideas about the desirable outcome, our human minds are not equipped to accurately judge the outcome of a healing process as “success” or “failure.”

(9) Healing is an ongoing process. Just as our physical cells are continuously breaking down and continuously being repaired, so is energetic healing a never-ending process. The notion that you are either healthy (i.e., health defined as the absence of any diagnosable disease), or sick (defined as the presence of a diagnosable disease) is simplistic and mistaken. Emotional, physical, or energetic health is a matter of degree, not an either-or dichotomy.

(10) Given humanity’s level of evolution at this point in history, all of us carry a certain degree of imbalance and disharmony, reflected in a disturbance of the flow of subtle energies throughout the human energy field. Thus, all of us are in need of healing, on one level or another.

As we stated earlier, our corner of the universe and all that is within it are moving toward a higher level of vibration, which makes higher-vibrational frequencies ever more readily accessible. Future advances in the healing arts will be achieved most effectively by using those energies in a systematic manner that hold the greatest healing power, such as love, joy, peace, forgiveness, gratitude, bliss, and other spiritual frequencies.

We predict that during this period of transition, we will be observing more and more illnesses and dis-eases that will not respond well to treatment limited to gross material frequencies, such as the prescription of pharmaceuticals. As the health care establishment will find itself increasingly overwhelmed and impotent, practitioners who use higher-vibrational approaches to healing will be increasingly in demand.