Based On Assumption

The quality of our experience within so-called “reality” depends upon one assumption that is rarely, if ever, questioned. The assumption is this: That apparent “things” have existence apart from the mind in which they are seen. Because of this, we exhibit great confusion about our essential nature (which is Spirit) and the actual substance of the “world” in which we live. Believing our little “i” to be made of flesh and bones, we must assume that it requires a physical world made of “matter” in which to live. To this, I offer the following quote from an advanced-level law of attraction book entitled The Master Key System by Charles F. Haanel:

“All things have their origin in mind, and appearances are the result of thought. So we see that things in themselves have no origin, permanency, or reality. Since they are produced by thought, they can be erased by thought.”

Our instinctive reaction to this will most likely be as follows: “But, I can see myself; I can feel myself; I know that I am real as the body-mind.” At one time, I would have definitely agreed; but I can no longer. Having recognized true Self, I now realize that my body-mind is an appearance within Consciousness only. In spiritual terms, this is sometimes referred to as waking from the delusional belief of personhood. Let’s stoke this spiritual fire through the following quote from Neville Goddard and one of his wonderful books entitled Neville Goddard’s Interpretation of Scripture:

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

Let me be clear: This is not to say that things are not real; only that they are not absolutely real in the way that most readers may currently believe. An apparent person crossing the street who is struck hard by a car will still experience an injury and feel pain. The example of a desert mirage is often related; for although we know the mirage is not real (in the absolute sense), it still has an apparent reality within consciousness.

This glorious incarnation is an unparalleled opportunity to truly KNOW THYSELF. To awaken to true Self is to realize that our apparent human life is being lived within the waking state; which the majority of Beings erroneously assume to be foundational reality. Through comparative contemplation, we can realize that apparent matter, buildings, and persons are also experienced within the dream state. They must, however, be rendered only via the activity of the mind; for there is nothing other than mind from which they could be made.

With this knowledge, does the well-known placebo effect (in which an inactive ingredient within a pill yields a positive effect) now make more sense? Our beliefs (whether good or bad) that are habitually impressed upon the subconscious mind will be expressed as our apparent circumstances. Through more understanding, of ourselves and the way that creation occurs, we can deliberately choose our focus wisely and, thereby, attract the best outcomes 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–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”

Muscleman Joe

Muscleman Joe was “the man” at his local gym, and knowing that filled him with quiet pride. He had dedicated a major amount of his time and energy to achieving that status. All of the other weightlifters and bodybuilders, both male and female, considered him as the epitome of their sport. He possessed the strength, bulk, and definition that made the majority of them stand back in awe. He was the king of the chest press, squat, and deadlift. He had lost count of the number of first-place trophies that he’d won at various competitions.

In Joe’s mind, he (not surprisingly) held a crystal-clear image of who he thought he was. In his mind’s eye, he imagined himself as a successful bodybuilder, a veritable physical legend. Unbeknownst to Joe, however, his mind contained various other images, which (having been unwittingly impressed with feeling into the subconscious mind) were creating their effects. Like the greater unseen portion of an iceberg, these contents were causing other areas of Joe’s life to sink like the Titanic. His personal relationships were filled with conflict; his financial debt load was heavy; and his career path always veered from success.

One night after leaving the gym, Joe got into his truck and attempted to start the engine. Instead of hearing the familiar sound of a cranking engine, however, all that he initially heard was silence. It seemed to envelope him and force him to remain still. Within a few moments, he became even more bewildered when he heard a soft voice utter the following words:

“You’ve been attempting to live a lie, Joe. Mistakenly, you believe that you are a physical bodybuilder. Given the conditioning of your environment, it’s understandable that you would believe that you are a person and, therefore, the doer; but such is an erroneous perspective. There is only one doer, Joe, and I Am That. Despite appearances to the contrary, I Am the One who lifts the weights…through you. I also beat your heart and breathe your lungs. To improve aspects of your life that you currently deem a failure, you must change the nature and quality of your thinking. There is no other way.”

When the message from the voice ended, Joe shook off his disbelief at what had occurred and pressed the starter button again. The car’s engine started without hesitation. Shaken with puzzlement, he then slowly drove home and soon fell into a deep sleep that lasted all night long.

***

In the coming months, Muscleman Joe began to flex spiritual government of his mind. Meditation and visualization became a regular part of his daily routine. Just as he deliberately chose which foods that he included in his diet, he learned to deliberately choose which thoughts he allowed entry into his mind. No longer did he dwell upon negative circumstances. It became his ingrained habit to remain strong in his true power; to seek opportunity in every situation. By embracing a new vision for his future (through persistent positive thoughts, imbued with the feeling of having already achieved his goals), he finally turned his circumstances around. In fact, in some circles he is now better known as Spirit Man Joe.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

“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 flat 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 scanning machine, 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 are actually an unlimited co-creator of your life. You’re a walking and talking spark of God. What you believe can–and will–manifest when you persistently envision your dreams as being–NOW–already achieved. Every night before you fall asleep, imagine what you desire in living detail. The trick is to think from the end, which means to feel as though you already have the results that you desire to experience. 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. What we impress into our mind will eventually 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 continue to have faith in the achievement of your desires, I offer you 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

“Thank You” & “Note to Publishers”

Pink Elephant Begone!

Early in Helen’s study of the law of attraction, she learned the importance of thinking properly, especially when it related to manifesting the results that she desired. She remembers reading about the example of a pink elephant: that we can never rid ourselves of a pink elephant by thinking of it. Of course, the lesson has nothing to do with a pink elephant, but everything with the principle related to it. Helen realized that to rid herself of unfavourable conditions in her life–the illness, poverty mindset, and lack of success–that she much focus on their apparent opposite. She knew that to attract what she desired, she must claim it (through feeling-imbued imagination) as–already–being hers NOW. As a result, she began a daily visualization practice that she still continues to this day.

To understand the law of attraction more clearly, Helen had to realize that we, as apparent humans, are not actually observing an independent, stand-alone reality (for no such reality exists!) and that we are co-creators of it. Her teacher repeatedly emphasized that the mind is the creator of everything. The following two quotes also helped to deepen Helen’s understanding:

“The Universal Mind that flows through everyone knows no limitations or lack, and nothing is impossible to it. Its great dominant characteristic is creativeness. Since it is all knowledge and all substance and all power, indeed, the only thing it does is create. And it creates exactly what the mind of each individual thinks into it.“
The Magic In Your Mind, by U. S. Andersen

***

“Things have no reality other than in consciousness. Therefore, get the consciousness first and the thing is compelled to appear.”
Neville Goddard’s Interpretation of Scripture, by Neville Goddard

***

It took months of meditation to arrive at a deeper knowing of her true Self, beyond name and form; but Helen finally understood that “her” true “I” was Universal Consciousness. Her so-called personal self (the body-mind) was actually created via Consciousness, as is everything else.

***

What about you, dear readers: Are you attempting to get rid of poverty, illness, and failure by focusing your attention upon them? If that’s the case, you might be wise to take a look around your living area. It’s highly probable that there’s a pink elephant standing somewhere nearby. You get rid of it by visualizing that which you desire, not what you don’t.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

“Thank You” & “Note to Publishers”

Observations of Terah

In a distant galaxy, far far away, there is a planet named Terah with a population of almost eight billion people. The people, who are of various races, colours, and creeds, live in compartmentalized sections of land called “countries” and usually consider themselves to be quite civilized; that is, when they aren’t waging war against one another in the name of keeping the peace. Terahlings are usually quite proud of themselves; for they believe they have advanced from the dark ages. Ignorance, however, can be a tricky beast to wrestle, because we are often unaware of its presence. This is the case with the majority of Terahlings, who, for reasons unknown, choose to turn a blind eye to the following:

***

Despite the discovery in 1911 by Ernest Rutherford (one of Terah’s acclaimed scientists) that atoms are actually comprised of 99.999% empty space, the citizens of Terah continue to believe that they live upon a planet made of solid stuff called matter, which they assume to exist independent of consciousness. No amount of logic-based arguments can sway their population from the reports of their senses.

***

Despite passages in one of their Holy books called the Bible, which states (in Acts 17:28) “for in Him we live and move and have our being,” Terahlings continue to believe that each of them is, indeed, a separate source of consciousness. Their argument is that it certainly feels that way. That David Chalmers, who is a noted philosopher and cognitive scientist, coined the phrase “the hard problem of consciousness” to refer to the unprovable assumption that neuronal processes of the brain give rise to consciousness seems trifling and unimportant.

***

Despite the best efforts of sages and saints of Terah, who claim that the “reality” of their lives actually occurs in the Waking State (which is similar to the well-known Dream State, in which people, objects, and events are also experienced), the majority of Terahlings choose to ignore such reports and continue to believe in their autonomy as “persons.” The irony is that by doing so they are denying the existence of the Creator that is the very Source of their life.

***

Despite evidence from science (The Double-Slit Experiment), which strongly suggests that mind is directly related to apparent objects experienced in consciousness, and that a world independent of consciousness cannot be proven, Terahlings continue to deny their divinity as co-creators with Infinite Living Mind and assume themselves to be mortals of flesh and bones.

***

The majority of Terahlings are actually prodigal, without being aware that such is the case. In the well-known Biblical account of the prodigal son, the son turned away from The Father (his Creator) and spent his inheritance with his attention facing outward, toward the apparent world. When his suffering related to the perspective of being a “person” became too great, the son finally turned his attention back toward The Father, which symbolizes turning his attention within, to the Truth of his Being. That same opportunity to investigate their essential nature is available to all citizens of Terah NOW.

By last account, life is much the same for the citizens of Terah–strife, conflict, mass shootings, selfishness, greed, and war. Of course, there is also a lot of goodness occurring on Terah; but for some reason, that doesn’t often get reported. One noted university professor of Terah, who preferred to remain nameless for the purposes of this article, stated, “Do you have any idea how much it would cost to rewrite all of our history books…and tell the Truth?! Don’t be insane!” Please note; any similarity to the situation on Earth is ~~purely~~ coincidental.

Dare to Dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

“Thank You” & “Note to Publishers”

Lock, Stock, and Barrel

The expression “lock, stock, and barrel” is commonly interpreted as the following: the all, entirety, or completeness. Initially, it referred to the three major components of a gun. This article has nothing to do with guns, but it has everything to do with knowingly recognizing our essential nature.

***

How completely gullible “i” was; so completely trusting. I believed the story of “Art,” lock, stock, and barrel. Until a few years ago, I assumed that all of “my” life events and circumstances were, indeed, factual: that i had been born to Katherine and Walter Russell. If asked about my upbringing, i would have shared about being raised in a rural setting, with two loving sisters and wonderful parents. We were rich, indeed, in family. How fortunate we were to love one another so whole heartedly.

Major details, accumulated along Art’s way, would include travel, adventure, writing, paramedicine, marriage, children, and divorce. Of course, there would be other minor occurrences, labelled either good or bad, that I accepted blindly and dealt with as effectively as possible. There would be suffering, too, both physical and mental; but I’m grateful that such caused me to go within and question my uninvestigated assumptions.

Liberation, aka enlightenment, means to be freed from the belief that you are the person. To awaken to the recognition of our essential nature, beyond name and form, is much similar to the way that a person awakens from a nighttime dream. When daylight dawns, the majority of persons yawn and stretch, and believe that they are now in foundational “reality.” We accept that the events that occurred whilst our body-mind slept were only dream happenings; that the scary dragon of our dreams wasn’t actually real (in the usual sense of the word), and neither was the daring rescue from the skyscraper, or our parched drama in the desert. We assume, however, that our morning coffee and a shower are very real, indeed. In actuality, it is all a grand illusion (as is this, right now); produced, directed, and created by the one-and-only Infinite Living Mind.

Little did I realize at the time, but by not realizing That which I truly Am, karma would decree that “i” would figuratively shoot myself in the foot repeatedly. I’m sorry to say that “others” were occasionally wounded. With this knowing, we are wise to remember that this–even the reading of this article–is occurring within the framework of a dream. This Spiritual knowing confirms what science realized about apparent “matter” more than a hundred years ago–that it cannot be said to exist independent of the mind that perceives it. As we recognize our essential nature in increasing numbers, our collective dream experience will reflect that positive energy. Each delusion that falls away allows me to knowingly see more clearly That, which I truly Am. More importantly, it also allows me to know the The Greatness That Is You.

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

“Thank You” & “Note to Publishers”

Birthday Assumptions

On my apparent birth date, “i” (baby boy) was consciously unaware that such was the donning of a costume named “Arthur” that “i” was destined to wear. In a continuous display of magic, that costume of flesh and bones transformed from baby to infant–to child, teenager, and adult. At birthday after birthday, cakes with lighted candles were placed before me; and “i,”–so fortunate–silently affirmed my future wishes. To have questioned any, or part, of these celebrations as unreal would have seemed ludicrous. Just one finger held to a lighted candle would have verified the facts. Here, though, is a passage from Hebrews 11:3, which might help us investigate those apparent facts more closely:

“Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God,

so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.”

What do you think that this passage means? How very strange to state that “things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.” The passage means that objects, persons, and the world have no independent existence, apart from the mind that perceives them. They are made of, and known by, the only Substance that is: Consciousness.

When we assume ourselves to be a relatively long-lasting “self” in time/space, the weight of personal history labelled mine often becomes burdensome. Due to ignorance of our essential nature, we attempt to carry our experiences, instead of allowing them to flow to, and through, us. Because of this attachment, even the pleasant past memories related to family and friends may give rise to suffering; especially if they are no longer currently present. In our blind assuredness that we know all there is to be known, we unwittingly invite suffering to come and visit. Too often, it comes to stay.

Until a few years ago, I assumed everyone and every object in the apparent world to be as real as real could be–that they were discrete and independent of my mind. How could I have possibly known that my body-mind is actually a character in a dream of my own making? When we experience nighttime dreams, we naturally assume that our character and the dream are real. The food in our dreams is hot and spicy; the beverages cool and wet. A high mountain peak is covered in snow; a desert, filled with sand.

It is only when we awaken that we realize that all was but a dream.

This, dear friends, provides a major clue to a deeper understanding of our essential nature. We may know life, stripped bare of assumptions, here and now. Is it not so, that the reading of this article, could also be occurring within a dream? If not, how may we be certain? Is it not possible that the mind that weaves our nighttime dreams could also be creating our daylight world? What if there was only One Knower/Creator that was dreaming our various roles? Could it be that the Creator searched the world over–seeking “others” to play our apparent roles–but found no other than Itself existed? Such would imply that “i’ was God incarnate. So, too, are you.

Dare to Dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

“Thank You” & “Note to Publishers”

“Spelling” Success

In the following fictional account, I share real tips that I hope will help you experience more success in your life, both personally and professionally. As the title suggests, it relates to casting “spells:”

***

Kate and Sloane, who are now forty-three and forty-five respectively, first met when they were young children. They liked each other immediately and soon became best friends. During the long hot days of summer, they enjoyed spending time together as often as possible. They took great joy in sharing their secret dreams of success–of countries they desired to visit, businesses to start, and possessions to acquire. Excitedly, they would high-five each other and exclaim, “Yes, we can do this!“

When they were in college, the difference in their approaches to life became evident. Although both of them faced challenges, Kate somehow managed to surmount them fairly easily. Sloane’s life was filled with struggle–with his grades, part-time jobs, and relationships. Undaunted, he vowed to work harder to achieve the success he deserved. Over time, their friendship slowly drifted apart. Their lives diverged in other ways, too. Kate did, indeed, achieve the success she had envisioned; Sloane, however, did not.

From a law of attraction perspective, the difference in their level of achievement resulted from the ways that they were spelling success. Whether we realize this or not, everyone is casting “spells” via our habitual thoughts, feelings, and actions. Kate happily performed her work “from” the perspective of already being successful. She was living her passion, which made it natural to feel successful. This was the paradigm (pattern, or example) that she carried within her wherever she went. Sloane, on the other hand, performed his work with the dream “of” one day being successful. He reasoned that if he worked hard enough, he would finally achieve his dreams. The subconscious paradigm that he mentally carried was of his self-proclaimed past failures. He talked about them frequently. Kate had mentally claimed her success, before it manifest; Sloane was mentally chasing success that he hoped to experience in the future.

***

The reason for the varying degrees of success experienced by Kate and Sloane is related in the following passage from Matthew 13:12:

“For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance;

but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”

“Whoever has” refers to those who have claimed their success and prosperity in consciousness (in health, wealth, and relationships) and, thus, carry it with them in the core of their Being. “Whoever does not have” refers to those who carry subconscious paradigms of failure and poverty.

This message is echoed in the following passage from Proverbs 23:7:

“For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.”

If you’re seeking success (as you, yourself, define it), you might consider asking yourself the following question: Do I already possess my success at the core of my being, or do I hope to experience it in the future? Just for the record, no one has ever experienced the future; in other words, “you can’t get there from here.” We live eternally, now.

Dare to Dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

“Thank You” & “Note to Publishers”

Notes From Beyond

In the spring of 2019, I was drawn to purchase “I Am That,” which is considered a spiritual classic. At the time, I was consciously unaware that its content would play such an important role in liberating “me” from “my” life. The book, which relates the wisdom that Sri Nisargatta Maharaj shared with seekers of Truth, has a bold and highly recognizable design–a bright yellow border that surrounds a black inlay, with the title “I AM THAT” in the center. After I finished the book, I immediately began successive readings in which I highlighted quotations that resonated with deep meaning, such as the following:

“Both sleep and waking are misnomers. We are only dreaming. True waking and true sleeping only the gnani [sanskrit, “wise” or “sage”] knows. We dream that we are awake, we dream that we are asleep. The three states are only varieties of dream state. Treating everything as a dream liberates.”

From the materialist paradigm (example or pattern) of reality, the quote will seem ludicrous. After all, this world is real, and we know it—or do we? What could Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj possibly have meant? That we would be perplexed by, or totally discredit, his message is understandable; for we have little or no way to process it. Since our apparent birth, we’ve been conditioned to believe that the “world” in which we rise and shine is comprised of solid matter. However much that we assume this, science has been unable to discover “matter” that exists independent of mind. Perhaps the following quotes will help shine more light on the nature of the world and our essential Being:

“The mind is the creator of everything.”
The Law of Success, by Paramhansa Yogananda

***

“Phenomena only ‘exist’ in the mind that perceives them.”
The Tibetan Book of The Dead, by Sogyal Rinpoche

***

“All your body sensations, all your visual and audio input, the body itself, all the objects in the room, all the objects in the sky, everything–it all exists in aware [Consciousness].”
Liberation Is, by Salvadore Poe

“It is not the body that contains Awareness and separates it from the world, but rather our true body, Awareness, that contains the body, mind, and the world.”
The Intimacy of All Experience, by Rupert Spira

***

“If you understand that this is all illusion, the body, mind, and all that you see and perceive, then I can say you are on the right path, and you’ve understood yourself.”
Illusion vs Reality, by Shri Ranjit Maharaj

***

“This world is a play of the mind.”
Thought Power, by Sri Swami Sivananda

***

“The Absolute [Consciousness] is the only reality, all else is unreal.”
Teachings of Ramakrishna, by Sri Ramakrishna

***

“The world which is described from observation is a manifestation of the mental activity of the observer.”
Neville Goddard’s Interpretation of Scripture, by Neville Goddard

Humankind’s understanding of the nature of reality has been erroneous for hundreds of years. Do not the occurrences in nighttime dreams seem very real–until you awaken? Such is the case with the continuing drama of “our” life in the waking state. So-called “matter,” our body-minds, and all apparent objects only exist in Consciousness. The brain does not give rise to consciousness (the hard problem of consciousness) ; consciousness gives rise to the apparent brain. Yes, dear readers, this means that YOU are dreaming the reading of this article right now. We are Spirit, eternal, having an apparent human experience within the Divine Matrix. Have you been told stories to the contrary?

Dare to Dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

“Thank You” & “Note to Publishers”

Visits From “Art”

The purpose of this article is not to ramble on about “Art” and his apparent life. We’ve all heard enough “then-i-did-this” stories to realize that they usually, if not always, become quite boring. That is not to say that I do not love “Art” or appreciate his apparent journey; I do. It’s just that if we desire to recognize (know again) the Truth of our Being, it’s important to gain and maintain figurative distance between true Self and the character who you’ve erroneously assumed yourself to be. Most persons do not; and as a result there is the experience of suffering, both personally and collectively.

Physical, mental, and emotional suffering is related to a variety of circumstances; but despite the variety, all apparent suffering shares one root cause: our ignorance-based identification with the character that is masquerading as “you.” This identification is understandable, because from Day 1 of our appearance, we are conditioned to believe that we are the person of name and form that is experienced. The truth is that we are not.

We may illustrate this point by imagining that we are a court lawyer (true Self) who–day after day, year after year–is forced to defend the same defendant (our character) as though “our” very life depended on it! The defendant and we seem so closely united as to appear inseparable. On some days, it’s relatively easy to arrange bail for our character (which gives rise to happiness); on other days, it’s impossible to escape a harsh sentence (which gives rise to unhappiness). This is the human condition. It manifests as experiences that alternate between pleasure and pain.

For persons who experience the suffering related to identification with the egoic character, please know that there is a solution. It’s called enlightenment; which means to awaken from the dream of personhood and, thus, be liberated from identification with our character. It can happen in much the same way that persons awaken after sleep and realize that the events that occurred during the dream state were only dreams. It’s important to realize that true enlightenment refers to freedom from the perspective of the person, not as the person. No person ever becomes enlightened.

Regarding the title of this article, Visits From Art refers to remnant energies related to my character “Art” and his attempts to impress me with his realness. He and the apparent world are not absolutely real; they are both rendered in the waking state (termed reality by most persons), by the same Infinite Mind that creates dreams in the dream state. Occasionally, my character still whispers, or demandingly cries, that life must bend to “his” will. A few years ago, knowing Awareness was freed from Its delusional identification with “Art;” and the feeling of freedom and expansion that followed has been, and is, amazing. Now, when the imposter (Art) comes to visit, the natural tendency is to become still and settle knowingly in, and as, Truth. So, too, can YOU. You are not the body-mind character that has been suffering. True Self is immortal and infinite.

***

For those who are earnestly eager to recognize true Self, you might find my YouTube presentation beneficial. I’ll leave you with a quote from Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, and his spiritual classic entitled I Am That:

“To be a person is to be asleep.”

Dare to dream (and care for one another).

With heartfelt regards,

Art

“Thank You” & “Note to Publishers”

Think2wice

CONSCIOUSNESS, SPIRITUALITY, & LAW OF ATTRACTION

Category: Idealism

Based On Assumption

Muscleman Joe

The Life of Your Dreams

Pink Elephant Begone!

Observations of Terah

Lock, Stock, and Barrel

Birthday Assumptions

“Spelling” Success

Notes From Beyond

Visits From “Art”

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