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In January 2008 Charles wrote a comment on the article 'Integrating the Dreamtime Body'. I would like to share this response with you, for several reasons. First of all there is this mix-up that I keep on making between Bruce Moen (see Gibbon in the Sky with Diamonds who experimented with exploring the realms of consciousness through the use of imagination), and Robert Bruce.
Who is Robert Bruce? It's not King Robert I, the King of Scots, who lived between 1274 and 1329 (see image), but it is someone who is into the exploration of the astral realms. There is this site called 'Astral Dynamics which seems to deal with the Robert Bruce, Charles is talking about. You can even see a video introduction of this Australian man. It might be interesting to delve into the topics that he discusses some day.
Another reason for posting this email is that it adds to the discussion on the Desteni material as far as their focus on the 'loss of mind' is concerned. How does the concept of the 'dispassionate observational mode' fit in? Robert Monroe was very well trained in this kind of observing and I think it is a very useful mode of exploring the realms of consciousness. But this cannot be called a 'lulling' of the mind, it is more like using the mind in a certain constructive way.
Charles also describes what perhaps some of the destenian people are referring to when they talk about 'being the self'. He also questions the destenian aim of wiping out emotions and thoughts. So, here we go:
"In Robert Bruce's online course in Astral Projection, the same breath awareness exercise advocated by the Desteni people is described. It is combined with staring at the second hand of a timepiece as a ten minute daily practice, bringing the attention back to the sweep of the second hand when the mind interrupts with internal visual scenarios or auditory thoughts.The ostensible purpose is to develop the ability to switch to a dispassionate observational mode when exteriorising the dream body, when disturbing though harmless phenomena can occur which might cause an emotional wobble which could cut short the experience.Robert also describes using the inbreath in another mode, as an energy accumulating measure when directed to the navel chakra.
In the Clairvision school, the same exercise, this time centred on attention directed to the flow of air in the windpipe at the thyroid area is used in combination with a couple of simple techniques to go deep into a very active state of visual remembrance. Various scenarios from the present life and possibly other lives are experienced, also scenes which can be quite astonishing and could not possibly have been experienced in a physical format. Emotional catharsis is not unusual.
The Higher Balance Center, headed by Eric Pepin, also posits the same simple attention to the inbreath and outbreath, in this case, directing the inbreath to the chakras at the navel, heart and forehead in sequence as an energy fortifying and consciousness expanding measure.
I hope this hasn't ben too long winded! The point I am trying to illustrate is that the Desteni people have no copyright on this technique, which has been well known for centuries, also in the Eastern schools. The impression I have of its beneficial effect is that by silencing the activity of the mind for a little while on a regular basis, the pristine internal state of being may be experienced. This I surmise, rises up from the heart area and brings with it insights and in my own case, though I'm a bit lazy about regular practice, an occasional change in the way the humdrum environment is perceived, even just walking along the street, as if the outward appearance of things was a shield barely concealingsomething ineffable that shines through.A very pleasant experience.
As regards the conscious mind,character and emotions, these are essential to living, working and surviving in this physical world.To diss them is as stupid as saying you don't need feet to walk around. Our original state may or may not be undifferentiated awareness. I don't think we are here to experience that on a continuous basis, or what would be the point of incarnation anyway?
Best regards, Charles".
Charles also recommended an interesting description of the work of an English medium, Dr. Drake Peterson who after a certain encounter never again connected with the astral realms again. The title of the page is 'Spiritualist Session goes Terribly Wrong'.
