Because of Your Belief

To the best of my memory, it was late July of 2012 when I arrived in Hope, British Columbia on one of my long solo motorcycle trips. I would be staying there for two nights before heading to Vancouver Island. The next morning, I decided to take a day trip to Kelowna. It was there, in a Chapter’s Bookstore, that I purchased The Kybalion; a book about the Hermetic philosophy of ancient Egypt and Greece. When I was back at my motel and beginning to read, the The First Principle of Truth soon caught my eye:

“THE ALL IS MIND; The Universe is Mental.”

Can you imagine my reaction? This very real guy named Art Russell had just read that he, his motorcycle, the highways, the motel, the province, etcetera, were all mental. You guessed correctly, I thought the book was mental! But, wait; let’s be willing to investigate deeper knowledge. As I continued reading, parts of the book began to make sense. The book explained that the All in All, which is the Substantial Reality, or Spirit, was all there was and, still, is. If the All in All was the Divine Foundation, that meant that It (God, Source, Consciousness) had no-“thing” other than Itself out of which to create objects. A “material” world didn’t “exist” until the All in All imagined it. The Kybalion was describing an event that’s similar to the account found in Genesis 1:3: “And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.” During the coming years, as Awareness of my true Self began to shine more brightly, I found the following in other books:

“What you are seeing and hearing right now is nothing but a dream.”

(The Four Agreements, by Don Miguel Ruiz)

***

“Consciousness is the one and only reality. All phenomena are formed of the same substance vibrating at different rates. Out of consciousness I as man came, and to consciousness I as man return.”

(Prayer, The Art of Believing, by Neville Goddard)

***

“You are what you think; you attract what you think; your life is a product of your thought and beliefs; and nothing in the world can change this fact. To alter your life the only single course open is to alter your thinking.”

(Three Magic Words, by U. S. Andersen)

***

“There is but one consciousness in the universe able to think; and when it thinks, its thoughts become objective things to it.”

(The Master Key System, by Charles F. Haanel)

***

“People can gain control of themselves and their environment because they have the power to influence their own subconscious minds, and through it gain cooperation of Infinite Intelligence.”

(Think and Grow Rich, by Napoleon Hill)

***

“As you think about the world, so will you see it. According to Pure Knowledge, the universe does not exist at all. This worldly manifestation is the doing of the Self. This is all imagination.”

(From Amrut Laya, The Stateless State, by Shri Sadguru Siddharameshwar Maharaj)

***

“For human beings, world and self seem to be solid objects, time and space seem to be a rigid always-existing platform. This occurs for enlightened people and for unenlightened people. However in the case of the enlightened person, a paradigm shift, a shift of interpretation, has occurred.”

(The Science of Enlightenment, by Shinzen Young)

***

“The Self is the witness. It is all-pervading, complete, singular, free, non-choosing, non-doing, unattached, desireless, completely peaceful. The world is an illusion, a projection.”

(Ashtavakra Gita, translated by Janki Parikh)

This content won’t be understood as long as we insist on believing that you’re the “person.” That’s part of story time. When we cast aside our assumptions about identity, we discover Truth; and it will, indeed, set us free. We are Consciousness dreaming a human experience. The great master Jesus knew his true identity (“I and the Father are one.” – John 10:30) and so, too, may we:

“Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.”

(John 14:12)

The use of the dream-state analogy makes this article much easier to comprehend. When you fall asleep at night and merge with a dream, perhaps of sailing over a vast ocean, it seems to have very real objective existence. You see the spray of the waves, hear the seagulls cry, and feel your sailboat list with the force of the wind. But, when you merge again with waking-state “reality,” you realize that the waves, the gulls, the sailboat, and the wind were all rendered by Consciousness. The same principle applies here and now. So I ask you, “What “works” would you like to dream possible?”

Dare to Dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

P.S. Please share this article if you enjoyed it. If you’d like to view my latest book (This Taste of Flesh and Bones), press here. My YouTube videos can be found at Think2wice@I-Am-Aware. May the content of either or both help you along your spiritual journey. “Thank You” & “Note to Publishers” 🙏🏻🧡

The Life of Your Dreams

It was the last day of The Life of Your Dreams Exhibition for the current year; and Matilda, who had just turned thirteen, was so excited to see it. As she approached the grand entrance, her hand that was holding her ticket began to shake noticeably, in rhythm to the flutter within her chest. She had purchased the ticket from a scalper who had assured her that it was real. When the two persons in front of her had shown their passes, she nervously stepped forward to the grey-haired man who was checking tickets. He was wearing a name tag that read Noel the Gnostic. With a kind smile, he accepted her ticket and slid it beneath a scanner. A second later, he and Matilda heard a loud “Buzzz,” and the machine spat out “D-E-N-I-E-D” in a monotone digital voice.

“I’m sorry, Miss,” said the kindly man, “but your ticket is a fake. The price of admission is a real one.”

Suddenly, the pressure was too much for Matilda, and she began to sob.

“There, there, Miss,” said Noel, as he leaned down and handed her a tissue. “Come with me, and I’ll explain a little more.” As soon as a replacement employee had arrived, he guided Matilda toward a quiet cubical nearby.

“Honestly, Sir,” said Matilda, “I paid for my ticket. I thought it was good.”

“I understand,” said Noel, “but the ticket isn’t real. When I placed it under the scanner, the message that popped up on the screen was Hope instead of Faith.”

“What’s the difference?” asked Matilda, as her sobbing subsided.

“Well,” began Noel, “the price of admission to The Life of Your Dreams is faith. We must believe with all of our heart and absolutely trust that our desires will come true. Hope, on the other hand, is more like an idle wish. It lacks true power.”

Matilda was beginning to see the difference. “I guess I was just hoping,” she said.

“That’s understandable,” said Noel. “This life is an apparent journey, and we’re meant to learn from it. Would you like some friendly advice about how to make your dreams come true?”

“Yes, please,” said Matilda, as a tremor shook through her body.

“It’s much easier to switch from hope to faith when we truly know What–not who–we truly are. You may not realize this yet, but you’re actually an unlimited co-creator of your life. You’re a walking and talking spark of God. What you believe can–and will–manifest in your reality when you persistently envision your desire as Now–already–achieved. Every night before you fall asleep, imagine your desire in living detail. The best technique is to think from the end; which means feeling as though your desire is fulfilled. Use as many of your senses as possible; see, hear, smell, taste, and touch your desire in your imagination. The thoughts that we repeatedly impress into our mind are like seeds planted in a garden. Given time and faith, they’ll grow into the events and circumstances of our life.”

“Really?” said Matilda, with an innocence that touched Noel’s heart deeply.

“Yes,” he said, “absolutely.”

“Thank you for telling me,” said Matilda. She was about to turn and walk away, when Noel tapped her gently on the shoulder and gave her a twenty dollar note. “Here,” he said, “please put this towards your ticket price for next year. I’ll be here, waiting to see you.”

***

Dear Readers: Our experience, of ourselves and the world, appears only within Consciousness. This so-called “reality” occurs in much the same way that events seem to occur within our nighttime dreams. To inspire you to keep the faith in the achievement of your desires, I offer the following quotes from Neville Goddard, who was a Barbadian-born mystic, author, and interpreter of Biblical truth:

“God in you creates and sustains your world by the use (or misuse) of your human imagination.“

***

“Things have no reality other than in consciousness. Therefore, get the consciousness first and the thing is compelled to appear.”

***

“The world which is described from observation is a manifestation of the mental activity of the observer.“

***

“Imagination and faith are the secrets of creation.“

***

“God is your consciousness.”

***

“As in the subconscious, so on earth.“

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Tale of a Coffee Maker (Audio)

Dear Readers,

As you’re well aware, sometimes life’s challenges can weigh heavy upon us. In this “article,” I offer the audio version of one of my original posts, which I hope will inspire your to keep going. I believe in YOU and your innate power and ability.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

The Fraud Called “Death”

The title of this article isn’t intended as click bait, nor am I attempting to instill a belief system about death. I’m employing the title because it relates to my direct experience of life, itself. Let’s begin with the following stanza from The Psalm of Life, by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow:

Life is real! Life is earnest!
And the grave is not its goal;
Dust thou art, to dust returnest,
Was not spoken of the soul.

So, Mr. Russell, “How can you possibly claim that death is a fraud, especially when we see evidence of it on a daily basis?” If that’s what you’re thinking, please know that I “hear” and respect you. Out of love, I humbly offer the following: I’m not denying that bodies die–obviously, they do. Anything that has an apparent beginning will also have an apparent end. To make sense of the information I’m sharing, it requires that we investigate the essential nature of our “Being”…beyond the superficial assumptions that we’ve been conditioned to accept as true. If we believe (as the majority do) that the sum of all that we are is contained within the body-mind, this article may not only seem insensitive, but also the product of a delusional mind.

Our investigation of our “I”-ness (that sense of “me” which knows our experience) requires that we challenge a collective set of beliefs to which the masses currently subscribe. You may or may not realize that Science can’t explain how biological processes give rise to consciousness. Why? Because Consciousness doesn’t arise from them. Science also states that matter, as conceived by humankind, has no independent existence–it’s actually rendered by the mind. In 1911, Ernest Rutherford proved that atoms, which were once believed to be the foundational “stuff” from which things were made, are actually 99.999% empty space. The following quote from Max Planck, a great theoretical physicist, adds to this understanding:

“I regard consciousness as fundamental. I regard matter as derivative from consciousness. We cannot get behind consciousness. Everything that we talk about, everything that we regard as existing, postulates consciousness.”

The key to understanding more about the nature of death is by knowing more about the “reality” in which we apparently live. We never perceive a discrete “world.” We perceive perception–in a similar way that we perceive a “world” in our nighttime dreams. Could it also be, therefore, that the waking-state “world” is made of the same dream stuff? In Who Am I?, the following question was asked of Sri Ramana Maharshi (a realized sage who awakened to his true nature at sixteen):

Are you daring enough to challenge the current interpretation of “reality?” Could Consciousness, indeed, be fundamental and Universal? Is it not true that before you can have any experience that Consciousness must be present? To lend credibility to the information I’m sharing, I offer the following five quotes, which I’ve collected during years of reading:

(From I Am That, Talks with Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj):

(From Open Secret, by Wei Wu Wei):

(From The Abundance Book, by John Randolph Price):

(From The Physics of Consciousness, by Ivan Antic):

(From A Course in Miracles, by Helen Schucman):

Several years ago, I remember reading the following: “We’re not human beings having an occasional spiritual experience; we’re spiritual beings having occasional human experiences.” I actually scoffed at the idea; but such only revealed my own lack of understanding. Could this explain why ancient Grecians inscribed “Know Thyself” on the frontispiece of the Temple of Apollo in Delphi? Yes, most certainly.

To have any experience–of a world, a cup of coffee, or our body-mind–awareness must be present. How else could we ever know anything? The linchpin of our Being is Awareness. We are That in which the body and the mind appear. Yes, the body dies; but we never were what appeared. We are That which can’t be known via the senses. Buddha referred to It as emptiness. This dramatic change in the way of interpreting reality is often referred to as The Shift.

The body-mind arises out of Consciousness. Through misidentification (which is still being preached by those who believe in a materialist model of the world), we–Spirit–are relentlessly conditioned to believe that we are nothing more than name and form. We are so much more! We are Awareness, having an apparently human experience. It’s impossible to be separated from That which we actually are. It’s why Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj stated:

“You can only be what you are in reality. You can only appear to be what you are not.”

I support this through the following verses from the Bible:

(Psalm 46:10):

“Be still, and know that I am God:

I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.”

(Isaiah 45:5):

“I am the Lord, and there is no other;
apart from me there is no God.”

Consciousness is the only reality. There’s only one “I Am.”

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

The Spirit of Four-Minute Focus

Note: This post is a revamped edition of the first article that I posted on my blog, on January 17, 2016. I hope that it will inspire you to turn within and activate more of the innate greatness that’s the real YOU.

***

Until May 6, 1954, a mile had never been run in under four minutes. Think of it: under four minutes to run 1,760 yards, 5,280 feet, or 1609.34 meters. That a human can run that distance, that fast, is still an amazing feat. The math works out to an average of fifteen miles per hours.

At the time, the idea of running a sub four-minute mile was inconceivable to most people. The human body was believed incapable of moving that fast; as though opposing forces were shouting “impossible!” and that we had to listen. That assumption stood as a seemingly solid and unbreakable barrier until it crumbled under the will, belief, and ability of one man–Roger Bannister; who ran a race that was fueled by the indomitable power of his spirit. His world record of 3 minutes 59.4 seconds was set at Iffley Road Track in Oxford, England.

There’s a rumour that I’m going to use for the purpose of this article; and it doesn’t matter one whit if it’s true. Years ago, I read that in preparation for his famous run, Roger wrote a time–sub four minutes–on a slip of paper and placed it in his shoes.

Imagine how keeping his desire close

and being reminded of it

could motivate him to achieve his goal.

You, too, can write a note to yourself, about any desire that you choose. It’s important to be specific and clear. By doing so, we bring our intention to life. We’re not leaving our life to fate; we’re writing our own destiny! For this technique to be effective, ensure that you read your note (goal card) every day, with an attitude of calm and receptive faith. If the logical mind comes knocking, don’t open the door.

For those of you who may wonder how doing what I’ve just described could possibly make any difference, please know that I “hear” what you might be thinking. We’ve been conditioned to believe that we must be extremely fortunate, born lucky, or work extremely hard to achieve our goals. But such is not actually the case. In support of this, I offer the following quote, which is attributed to Andrew Carnegie, who was one of the wealthiest men in the world:

“Any idea that is held in the mind, that is emphasized, that is either feared or revered,

will begin at once to cloth itself

in the most convenient and appropriate form available.”

When the quote is interpreted through the materialism lens of “reality,” the part about an idea “clothing” itself in form seems ludicrous. The KEY of understanding the principle of deliberate manifestation is to know your true Self (beyond the ego) and realize the following:

Awareness is all that there is. Every person, object, and event is made of Awareness. It’s impossible to have an experience in the absence of Awareness. Such explains why the nature of the thoughts and feelings that we entertain is so important. They’re the mental blueprints for our life.

Now, I ask you: What will you write on your goal card? Would you like to lose a few pounds? If so, write an affirmation, phrased in the present tense, and assume you’re at your ideal weight NOW. If it’s financial prosperity that you desire, write that affirmation and assume you’re that rich NOW. Make it your habit to read your goal card when you first awaken in the morning, and before drifting off to sleep at night. These are the times of day when our subconscious mind is receptive and highly impressionable. Believe that you have your desire NOW—because NOW is all that we ever experience. The past and the future are only concepts. So what’s your desire? Better health? Greater success? Loving relationships? You know what to do.

Based on the title of this article, I also suggest setting aside a minimum of four minutes each day to envision your goal in as much sensory vividness as possible. Imagine a scene that implies that your goal has already been achieved. By doing so, you’re planting a seed of intention in the garden of your mind. Through gentle but persistent repetition, the subconscious mind will accept your new belief and prompt you to act upon intuitive nudges. The more that you trust, the closer you’ll move toward the fulfillment of your goal.

In case you’re curious, Roger’s record for a sub four-minute mile lasted for only forty-six days before it was broken by John Landy, on June 21, 1954. So, where does the world record stand now? Has it been lowered by a few more seconds, or a minute or two? According to Chatgpt, the current record for a human running the mile was set on July 7, 1999 by Hicham El Guerrouj of Morocco. His time stands at 3:43.13. This didn’t happen by chance.

The mysterious power of belief was involved…every…step…of…the…way.

Special Note: To add to your understanding about the nature of our “reality,” I recommend reading some or all of the following articles in my blog. They contain information that supports what I’ve already shared. Here’s list of titles, with links that lead directly to the articles:

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Choices from “I Am” Now

Hello Everyone,

Please step out of time and join me–here and now–in the glorious beauty of our true nature. We are so much more than the person we “think” we are. I offer you my latest video:

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

P.S. Please share this article if you enjoyed it. If you’d like to view my latest book (This Taste of Flesh and Bones–released September 8, 2020), press here. My YouTube videos may be found through this link. May the content of either or both help you along your spiritual journey. 🙏🏻🧡

“Thank You” & “Note to Publishers”

“As In Heaven”

In this article, I share a video that I just released on my YouTube channel. The content of it may be new to some viewers who are still functioning under the Newtonian paradigm of reality. I hope that you will find the content helpful.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

“Thank You” & “Note to Publishers”

Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled

In this article, I’m going to offer my interpretation of the words (borrowed from John 6:1) that serve as the title:

“Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.“

In my opinion, the message is intended not only to help us be more at ease with circumstances in the apparent world; but also to offer guidance as to how to achieve what we desire to manifest. The majority of the world’s population is existing in their mentality; therefore, if their mind judges circumstances as favourable (based upon interpretation of outer circumstances), they feel happy. Conversely, if outer circumstances are judged unfavourable, they feel unhappy. Such is a rocky and tumultuous way to exist, because the perspective of the “person” is dependent on the mercy of circumstance. Although this may seem challenging to believe, it’s vital to understand that the apparent outer conditions are a reflection of our inner state.

The second part of the passage–“ye believe in God, believe also in me“–is also significant. I offer that this is another way of saying that “I and the Father are one.” Jesus was basically relating that he was in the Father (because he descended from Him) and that the Father must, therefore, be within him. When we extrapolate this, it’s only logical to conclude that the Father must also be in us. How could the fruit not have the nature of the Tree within it?

With regard to the Law of Attraction, it’s important to understand the differences in the approaches to manifesting our goals: If our habitual focus is outward, toward the apparent world, we will most likely assume ourselves to be the “person” working toward the manifestation of our desire. This would be the prodigal approach; in which we erroneously believe that we live and move and have our being of our own accord. When we re-cognize (know again) ourselves as Spirit (aka Consciousness), we realize that everything (including our body-mind) is actually an appearance within Consciousness. From this vantage, we realize that to manifest we must hold our heart’s desire firmly in mind and imbue it with the feeling of having already been achieved. As Neville Goddard advised, we visualize our desire “from the end,” meaning achievement. The way toward our desire’s apparent manifestation will be revealed. All of this occurs while we remain in a state of flow as the witness; watching as our body-mind steps across a bridge of incidents. As will be obvious, there’s a world of difference in the approaches. The scriptural passage below, borrowed from Mark 11:24, reinforces the second approach, which relates to the Truth of our being:

“Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray,

believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.“

Putting this together into a system that makes sense about the Law of Attraction is much easier to understand when we recognize That which we actually are. All objects, including persons, are created by the mind. Just as Infinite Living Mind creates images and events in the dream state, so It also does in this–the waking state; which majority of beings mistake as reality. In Truth, we are Spirit, dreaming an apparently human life.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

“Thank You” & “Note to Publishers”

The Healing of Jim McBrown

“It’s not looking good, said the doctor. “We’ve found something suspicious on the MRI. Jim, who was sitting across from the doctor, suddenly became pale as he attempted to process the news. Further tests in the coming week would confirm a diagnosis. Treatment began as soon as possible. One night, after Jim had spent a long day in hospital, he fell asleep; and while he slept, the following was revealed through what he would later refer to as The Voice:

***

“You are consciousness,” said The Voice. “You are of the same nature as I Am That I Am. You are neither the body nor the mind. The body has become ill because you are holding negative emotions that have not yet been processed in a healthy way. The greatest power is spiritual power. It flows from the highest gradient downstream–much like water–to the lowest. That which Spirit habitually envisions (especially if imbued with great feeling) flows down through the mind and is made apparent as matter. This applies to what humans label good and bad. If you let go of that which is negative, there will be room for That which is positive to heal you. This is the reason for the account of Job, in the Bible:

“For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me,

and that which I was afraid of is come unto me.”

“Job experienced such tremendous suffering because he always focused on the negative. To him, his apparent world was always wrong. Trust, me,” said The Voice, “I speak truth unto your ear. Please listen again to scripture which has revealed the veracity of that which I share:

Mark 9: 23: “Jesus said unto him,

If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.”

As Jim was rising from the drowsy wispiness of sleep, he again heard The Voice: “If you pay more attention to what is right and good within–trusting upon me–then such will appear within your world. I will give unto you that which you believe.” The last words that Jim heard were these: “Let not your heart be troubled.”

***

In the coming weeks, Jimmy continued to have treatments; but a change had occurred within him. He knew that if he focused upon his vision of healing it would be so. He didn’t have to know the way that such would occur. The treatments progressed and somehow, Jim realized that–whatever happened–all would be well.

Note: This article is not intended to convince anyone of any course of treatment during an illness of the body or the mind. It’s intended only to provide spiritual inspiration that is supportive of healing.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With warm regards,

Art

“Thank You” & “Note to Publishers”

Pointing To Truth

In today’s article, I offer several quotes from various authors and deep thinkers that point to a different reality from that which the majority of persons assume to be true. Perhaps some, or all, of these quotes will resonate with you, or inspire you to investigate your essential nature beyond name and form:

“The world as seen only exists in the mind of the observer. It has no independent existence.”

– David R. Hawkins.

“This world, with all its animate beings and inanimate objects, is nothing but the creation of the mind. When the activities of the mind cease, there is no world, no duality. There is only God.”

– Gaudapada

“Every phenomenon that exists is a creation of thought.”

– Huang Po

“The truth is that God is the mind and life of the individual. God is the only I.”

– Joel Goldsmith

“Your Self without ‘you’ is the one you seek.”

– Mooji

“God is man’s consciousness, his awareness, his I Amness. The drama of life is a psychological one in which we bring circumstances to pass by our attitudes rather than by our acts.”

– Neville Goddard

“What we achieve inwardly will change outer reality.”

– Plutarch

“The universe is a mere appearance and the ego-sense is a mere concept.”

– Ramesh S. Balsekar

“There is no difference in our actual experience between the substance of the apple that appears in memory and the substance of the apple that appears in ‘real time.’ Our only knowledge of both is made out of mind–out of seeing, touching, smelling, and tasting, and the substance of mind is only Awareness.“

– Rupert Spira

“Everything is in consciousness, nothing else.“

– Shri Ranjit Majarah

“Thought creates the world. Thoughts bring things into existence.”

– Sri Swami Sivananda

“Phenomena only ‘exist’ in the mind that perceives them.”

– Tibetan Book of The Dead

“No thought of form can be impressed upon original substance without causing the creation of that form. A human being is a thinking center and can originate thought.”

– Wallace D. Wattles

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

Think2wice

CONSCIOUSNESS, SPIRITUALITY, & LAW OF ATTRACTION

Category: Empowerment

Because of Your Belief

The Life of Your Dreams

Tale of a Coffee Maker (Audio)

The Fraud Called “Death”

The Spirit of Four-Minute Focus

Choices from “I Am” Now

“As In Heaven”

Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled

The Healing of Jim McBrown

Pointing To Truth

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