Lucid Living » awareness

Is it all an illusion?

Ryan — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 21:00:01 +0000

A refreshing reminder that this is NOT an illusion. Do not attempt to adjust your TV sets. The manifest world is coming in crystal clear and ultimately not separate.

Byron Katie Workshop

jennybe — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 15:00:45 +0000

… ‘I’m not good enough’ … ‘Life isn’t fair’ … ‘There is too much to do’ … ‘He should love me’ … ‘I need to get it right’ … ‘There is something wrong with me’ …

Who Would YOU Be Without Your Story?

Join Jenny Bergkvist (part of the Byron Katie’s accredited facilitator programme) and Mike Larcombe (Clinical Psychologist) to do ‘The Work’.

BYRON KATIE’S ‘THE WORK’

The Work is a meditation that helps bring clarity whilst supporting the development of an open, peaceful mind. It is a powerful process which will help you to identify, question and radically shift your stressful thoughts and beliefs about life, other people, and yourself.

VIOLET HILL STUDIOS

6 Violet Hill, London, NW8 9EB

Sunday, 16th August – 10.30am to 5.00pm

FRIENDS MEETING HOUSE

120 Heath Street, London NW3 1DR

Saturday, 22nd August – 10.00am to 4.00pm

Who Would YOU Be Without Your Story?

Join Jenny Bergkvist (part of the Byron Katie’s accredited facilitator programme) and Mike Larcombe (Clinical Psychologist) to do ‘The Work’.

BYRON KATIE’S ‘THE WORK’
The Work is a meditation that helps bring clarity whilst supporting the development of an open, peaceful mind. It is a powerful process which will help you to identify, question and radically shift your stressful thoughts and beliefs about life, other people, and yourself.

VIOLET HILL STUDIOS
6 Violet Hill, London, NW8 9EB
Sunday, 16th August – 10.30am to 5.00pm
&
FRIENDS MEETING HOUSE
120 Heath Street, London NW3 1DR
Saturday, 22nd August – 10.00am to 4.00pm

For details about ‘The Work’ visit Byron Katie’s Website

For information or to book a place contact Jenny on 07779 620 470 or opentotruth@gmail.com

Fee: £50 per day or £80 for both – No previous experience necessary

Unbridled love

Veronika — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 06:26:22 +0000

Email from Paul:

You say:

I am looking forward to the next segments of your replies

I wasn’t planning any, but now….

relationships and religion are such destructive forces on the planet, and, your expression and invitation to look beyond what we normally experience really resonates.

Great!

As you say, it might feel ‘normal’ to you, yet for most it is completely revolutionary!

Absolutely normal. Just a fact. ‘My eyes have been opened.’

And, it is one thing to ‘know’ all this and yet another to ‘live’ it in daily life!

Oh yes. So many talk about it yet very few live it.

Radical, Revolutionary? No — just the facts.

If any organization was run with the same success rate as relationships it would not last very long would it. But we do not want to be alone. We want, want, want it to work. So we ignore the facts and figures. So how to share the information in a way so that at least a little will trickle in. Isn’t it all obvious? On one level or another, are not most men and women at war with each other most of the time? Long white dresses, wedding bells, smiles, and tears. Lovely. A day to enjoy. Truly. And what a farce! Divorce already on the horizon. Even before the honeymoon is over — when the chemicals have settled, both will often be wondering what they have done — having to live with this person “until death do us part.” And the divorce process! What was thought to be love is often recognised as hate. Two sides of the same thing. That is another level.

Please take this into consideration: Over the last forty years I have counselled many thousands about their relationships. People have told me what they have never told anyone — let alone their partners. Many, many women have told me that they knew it was not going to work — even before they walked down the isle. Let’s take a look at two aspects. They are related: Freedom and commitment. You know this — if you do not feel free then you feel restricted. Some people do like it that way. They are given their boundaries so do not have to make any decisions. Zombies. After trying every trick to control some couples even agree to a level of sexual freedom — anything except intercourse — and love. What a way to live — only loving one! The whole thing depends on what you want out of your life. If you want the absolute maximum potential that is possible for a human being then there is only one way — absolute freedom — to live your life, unconditionally, in each moment. It is called ‘living.’ Once you have matured, even a little, absolute freedom does not mean running around having sex with everyone to whom you feel some sort of attraction. When you are young is the time to do that. Get lots and lots of experience in your youth. Get that basic ‘impulse’ and the reaction to your restrictive upbringing out of your system. Commitment. An honest person cannot make an honest commitment. Not possible. They can make a promise in the moment for the moment, but not for the future. When you make a commitment you are basing your promise on the conditions of the moment — the situation; who you are; who they are. And things change. All the time. In fact one way of describing the process of life is change. Everything, every single thing is moving, changing, disintegrating, reforming. The rock looks very permanent — but it under an electron microscope and all there is to see is movement. So you change, they change, the situation changes — but you want to try and hold on to the past? Insane.

Oh there is so, so much more — and that will do for now.

Sending unbridled love…
Paul

Do “The Work” with Mike and Jenny

jennybe — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 16:32:04 +0000

? ? ? ? ? Who Would YOU Be Without Your Story ? ? ? ? ?

Join Mike Larcombe (Clinical Psychologist), Claire Ryan and Jenny Bergkvist in a weekend workshop BYRON KATIE’S ‘THE WORK’. The Work is a powerful process which will help you to identify, question and radically shift your stressful thoughts and beliefs about life, other people, and yourself. The Work may change the way you live your life.

CHUDLEIGH KNIGHTON VILLAGE HALL

Saturday 20th June 10.30am to 5.00pm

Sunday 21st June 11.00am to 4.00pm

Fee: £80 (concessions available); no previous experience necessary

For details about ‘The Work’ visit Byron Katie’s Website http://www.thework.com

For information or to secure a place on this workshop contact Mike on:

01626 836357or e-mail; mike@jlarcombe.wanadoo.co.uk

Who Would YOU Be Without Your Story?

when? Saturday 20th June 10.30am to 5.00pm, Sunday 21st June 11.00am to 4.00pm
where? Chudleigh Knighton Village Hall, Devon
costs? £80 (concessions available); no previous experience necessary

want to join? Please call Mike 01626 836357 or send an email to mike@jlarcombe.wanadoo.co.uk.
not sure? If you are unsure or have any questions please contact Mike or download this flyer: Devon-TheWork

For details about “The Work” visit Byron Katie’s Website

On being a fulfilled human being …

Veronika — Thu, 21 May 2009 16:24:53 +0000

Email from Paul:

One thing that has been coming up quite strongly is the subject of how we live our lifetime. In one way it does not seem to matter at all, and in another way there does seem to be a wonderful opportunity. That wonderful being Gurdjieff is quoted as saying that humans are not born with a soul — they have to earn them. It may not seem all that obvious, but check it out — most people live a life more inclined to negativity and compliant rather than being grateful and open to opportunities. Living that way has unpleasant consequences. And even in the complaint there is rarely creative suggestions for alternatives. Like the reviewers who always finds something negative to say — but never even attempts to write, paint, or produce anything creative of their own.

Compliant is not responsible. Most humans seem allergic to being responsible. (Being responsible is a vast subject.) I see the ‘ultimate’ as being a fulfilled human being. Most so-called successful people do not seem happy or fulfilled. Take a look at most of the lives of so-called successful people! Check the docos on the lives of the rich and famous. Mostly, tragic.

Anyone can be successful — at anything. A bit of aptitude helps make things easier, but anyone can do anything they want to do — if they want it enough. The main ingredient is not skill, it is perseverance. Skills develop with perseverance. Want it enough? Prepared to put enough energy into getting it? — You got it. Success is empty if it is not grounded in being a fulfilled human being. Fulfilled human being? Honest; sincere; truthful; open; available; grateful; available; unknowing; unconditional. Once you have realisation that you are a fulfilled human being successful at anything else is just a bonus.

So how about being a fulfilled human being. You can start right now, wherever you are, whatever you are doing, alone or whoever you are doing it with. Present, open, unconditional — with a smile?

Did I make it clear? Not what you have ‘accomplished’ on the outside, but connecting with that inner harmony that is you/the whole. Lovely.

sending love …

Paul

Anger – a major subject

Veronika — Thu, 21 May 2009 15:59:39 +0000

Email from Paul:

A broad description of one aspect is that anger masks fear. Almost everyone has fear, so almost everyone has anger.

Anger is a poison to the whole body/mind/emotional system, and as the body is a self-healing system it tries to get the anger out and away anyway it can, as soon as it can.

As the ego feels humiliated if it has anger, it does not like to admit it has the residual anger — so it looks for circumstances where it feels as though it is justified for discharging the anger — usually at someone or something else. The other person/thing is seen as the cause of the anger. Not so.

It is not realised that everything we see and thus experience is a projection. If we are judgemental we assume everyone is. “Judge ye not less ye be judged.”

If you are one of the rare people who do not have residual anger you will not be able to be angry. Ever. About anything or anyone. Even if you want to. It is is not there, so it cannot manifest.

Often angry people get very angry about people who get very angry angry — and feel justified doing so. Their anger is okay, the other’s anger wrong. Silly eh.

Shouting at someone for shouting is a bit daft isn’t it. But the mind always finds a justification for its actions. Has to — or it feels humiliated.

We do not get angry at a lie. Doesn’t sound true does it. Feels as though we have just cause for being angry if someone is lying about us. Is not so. We get angry when, at some level, we feel guilty — because we know it is true and do not want to face the fact. Guilt is the other side of anger. And anger the other side of guilt.

Check it out. If you are angered by something, stop, take a look. No matter how small, does the thing out there that is angering you have any seeds in you? The answer is yes. If you have seen that part of you and accepted it you will not feel anger at the other person, you will feel for them.

In one part of the bible it says something like: An eye for an eye, and tooth for a tooth. Good business for dentists and optometrists! Jesus says turn the other cheek. As with many of the quotes from Jesus there is a depth to this that is not usually realised. It is not about being passive, it has a much deeper meaning.

Once you have seen your anger, accepted it and stopped supporting it you will start to feel free. Very free. Wonderful feeling. Check it out.

sending love …

Paul

Unlimited!

Veronika — Tue, 19 May 2009 16:54:03 +0000

Email from Paul:

We have been programmed to believe that once we have attained our goals we will be happy. We continue to believe in that belief even though there is no proof that it is so. To the contrary in fact. But we do not want to admit this, otherwise, we are not in control — plus, what is there to live for! This is the way it is.

We do not feel fulfilled with anything on the outside because — they do not bring us what we really would like — the feeling of safety, security, and predictability. Even although no one we know feels safe and secure we continue to believe it is possible. The reason we do not feel safe and secure is because these states do not exist in this dimension with our present level of consciousness. Nothing is safe, nothing is secure and nothing is predictable. That is the way this dimension is. And we have designed it that way.

We are not here for a vacation — this is a learning/evolving dimension. We are not here just to observe, we are here to participate. We are here to experience. We are here to live. We are here to experience everything that we need to experience in order to evolve. If a species does not evolve it dies out.

As humans we have endless possibilities. That is what we are here for — our possibilities. We can be anything. We have the capabilities of a savant if we want to develop them. We can do, be anything that we can imagine — and more, much, much more. It is is up to us. There is no limit.

The suggestion is — live. Be honest and look at what you would really like to be doing, where you would like to be doing it, and with whom. Don’t wait. Almost everyone dies, and more importantly, lives with, regret. There are awful things happening on this planet — and it is a wonderful place. Disconnect from all ideas of restrictions and find, think, say, act your truth. And have fun.

sending love …

Paul

Visit from my former self

Ryan — Wed, 06 May 2009 17:54:09 +0000

I have had a visit from my former self, the self of my youth. He has touched me and bestowed upon me some of his benevolent attributes that have for one reason or another waned a bit in the last few years, his zest for life, his uncompromising idealism, his intuitive sense of Goodness, his trust in Life. He reminded me that I have a dream and a life-purpose. He reminded me that my joy is realizing this dream. He reminded me that he is still very much alive and present now. He playfully mocked my growing older, the solidifying of my thoughts and beliefs, my cherished cynicism and skepticism. He poked at the idea that I was an adult and that I knew something of the world. Ha! We both had to laugh. He told me that it was okay that I had gone away for awhile. He was happy to wait for me and overjoyed at my return.

I am compelled by an ideal, a vision of utopia. I am certain of its possibility. I can sense its existence in our future. The details are obscure but the general impressions, I believe, we can all feel in our hearts, compassion, love, care, fun, excitement, joy, interest, play, further, higher, deeper, wider. The fact that we’re not even close to this utopian vision is irrelevant. The fun is in getting there.

After having just spent a couple weeks living in a version of this utopia I am enthralled with the challenge of creating it, producing it, divining it, downloading it into this bizarre and crazy world in which we live. What does that entail? How do we begin?

It begins, I feel, with a shared vision, some common ground on which we all agree. There is a way of being together that has been evolving amongst many of us which is necessary for the foundation of any utopia, honesty, care, love, the dissolution of the separate self and the realization of the One. As we begin to loosen the hold on our significant relationships and our desires for certain outcomes and as we begin to come together for the sake of the whole we are freed and the utopia of the future is freed, as well, to come rushing toward us at faster rate.

Having just returned from one of my favorite and enlightening experiences, the group in Harbin Hot Springs, I wanted to share a few things that I am feeling particularly passionate about right now.

What strikes me and captivates me about the process of the group is not so much what happens but the potential of what could happen. The possibility that is magically inherent in the way in which we are with each other. There is an aspect of this process that I believe is unique. I have not seen it occur in this certain way in any other group or process in my limited experience.

Those of you who have a connection in some way to the sharing groups may know what I’m talking about. There is a quality to our being together that I have not seen or felt anywhere else and that is because the ethos of the group allows for all aspects of our being to be free. There are no restraints on our emotions, our communication, our sexuality, our intellect, our expression of love and intimacy. Now there is “stuff” around the culture of the group, for sure. But, what I love so much about the process is that built into it is a naturally self-transcending mechanism. That we continually cleanse our individual and collective relationships by simply being honest with each other about what we think and feel is self-transcending. It clears the road so that who we really are is free to emerge and evolve.

And the group itself is emerging and evolving. What we have created is alive. Each time we return to it, each time we tap in to the collective energy of the group it has grown. It grows when one person has a realization about themselves and it is witnessed by the group. When I change, my relationship to you changes and we all reorganize around this new development. If we are tuned in to the field of the group and I have an insight, we all have the insight. It is transmitted instantly.

I have never come across a way of being together quite like it, the honesty, the openness, the love, the caring. When I had the impulse to start this group in London six years ago I just wanted to find a way to support my own newly found shaky realization of this new way of being. I know now that it has become my life no matter what. This way of being is a part of me forever. I see the group as an incredibly precious thing. My passion now is to support the group, as a living entity, to stabilize. In a way it has. And yet, I also see that it is a fragile, newborn thing. It could disintegrate very easily. If a few of us left town it’s over. That’s okay. If it’s over it’s over. But if it continues and continues to grow, it seems to me, that there is an unbelievable potential gift for all of us and the world we live in.

I am writing all of this because I would like to encourage you all to come and contribute to this amazing, precious, living process, an integral piece of our potential utopian world. Come to the groups, for sure, but, more importantly, to make it your life. To make honesty, transparency, love and care your life. Not a hobby. Not a once a week/month/year affair but your life! What we have is subtle and profound. If you recognize that don’t sit on the sidelines! Engage! Be daring! Come and play! Support! Endeavour to create the world you want to live in!

With enormous love!

Ryan