Bill Bockus: The Universe: Theoretical Physics for the Young Adult. (8)
Summary
* "The Power of Focus."
* Skills for Creating on Expanded Levels.
* Physical, Mental, Emotional and Spiritual Skills for the serious Creator.
* Brain Wave States and Creativity.
* How Creative Personalities Create.
* Higher Senses.
* Disclosing One's Truth.
* Our Inner Psychic Child.
* Great art works uplift us with higher powers.
* Artworks have Creative Magic.
* "Mandala."
* "The Universe Responds."
* The Creative Force impels us towared a creative lifestyle.
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The Power of Focus
It's 3 AM. I'm in Idaho Falls at the Eastern Idaho, Regional Medical Center ER with a severe nosebleed. Hours later, I'm ready to go home, but whenever I stand up I start losing consciousness. Previously, when I fainted, I'd often enter an altered state of awareness and receive spiritual insights. Right now, I'd rather pass out than suffer the nausea and vertigo of being only half-conscious. To avoid falling and hurting myself, I reach towards the floor with one hand, mumbling that I'm about to faint, but the nurse holds me up by the other arm and calls for a wheelchair.
"You don't have to faint." she says firmly. "Just pick out a dot in one of those tiles and stare at it; concentrate on it__ place all your mind's attention there."
She doesn't understand. I want to go to the "other side" and have my "peak experience". But she continues holding me up and repeating how I must focus on that stupid tile. Finally, realizing this is getting me nowhere, besides prolonging the discomfort, I do what she suggests, and to my amazement, the nausea and dizziness immediately vanish.
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Using both Intuitive-Inspiration and Intellectual-Expressive Modes of the Creative Process, we develop abilities vital to achieving excellence in any matrial field. These Creative Skills, owever, prepare us to manifest life's necessities on expanded levels, to draw upon and enhance aspects of our entire organism __physical, mental, emotional, energetic and spiritual__ unlocking life purposes, refining our inner lives and preparing us for Part II: Basic Inner Technologies that can raise our consciousness.
When attuning to the Force within, First Enlightenment Stage individuals awaken an inherent creative drive. In the Inspirational Mode, our physical senses become keener, awakening creative skills. Can we, simply by shifting our Focus, change our perceptions of reality? Can something as simple as Attention either keep us in the present stateor transport us to a higher state of awareness? The nosebleed episode above suggests it can.
As we engage in art, we first try to become skillful with tools and equipment. During this stage, most artists strive to make the artwork look "real". The invention of the camera, however, devastated painters' incomes at the end of the nineteenth century. Some began abstracting subject matter from the very act of painting itself. No longer concerned about making their art look "real", they stopped imitating nature, although nature remained a primary Inspirational source. In impressionistic or abstract designs, the forms, colors or lines were only suggested, inviting viewers to complete the work of art with their own minds.This required Imagination, Visualization, Independent Judgment and Risk Taking.
Some painters moved beyond realistic judgment to express their personal views of the outside world. Realists see the outer surface appearance of things as their truth, Impressionist see truth in the illusory play of light, while Abstrationists believe truth lies in our inner impressions or experiences of the subject; the more they can simplify the subject matter, the more freedom of expression they enjoy. Whether we Focus on the objective or the subjective as creators, our task is to portray the world either as we perceive it or as we desire it to be. We have succeeded when we produce Expressions that deliver our personal truths, feelings and beliefs about life.
However we chose to express ourselves, certain Creative Skills need to be learned. in preparation for Basic Inter-Dimensional Technologies. (Part II.) These skills can be acquired by anyone having a passion for regular practice. Although they spring from engagement in creative activities__ music, painting, theater, dance, writing, sports, prayer, scientific innovation, meditation, ritual, teaching or healing, etc.__ when approached with an open mind, they have a broader side to them.
Physical Skills
We move forward one step at a time. The Creative Process wanders; it stops to explore, falls down, looks back to see why it fell, intuits a better way, and then gets up again. The major Physical Skills needed by the serious creator are Movement, Timing and Discipline. (These are explained in Archives. Timing is discussed in greater depth in Chapter 6.)
Mental Skills
Every creative act__ prayer, manifestion, healing, painting, sports, music, science, etc.__ always occurs on more than one plane of mind. Intuition-Inspiration dwells in the right brain hemisphere and Intellect-Expression in the left.. In Chapter 1, the alternation of Intuitive-Inspirational and Intellectual-Expressive Modes was used while painting a watercolor. Any creative act requires the two be balanced for the duration of the specific task. The Mental Skills used in creating are Imagination, Visualization, Attention, Attitude, Harmony, Discernment, Detachment, Organization, Unstable Equilibrium, Repatterning, Intention, and Perceptual Flexibility. (See Archives for definitions.)
Emotional Skills
In youth, I daily dreamed about “becoming” an artist. Dramatic changes occurred when I dared to declare, “I am an artist”. Creative activities flowed more smoothly. The more serious I became about my work, the more real it seemed___ the more real I seemed. The dark periods in life create wombs into which new skills and growth in awareness can flow. They can be uncomfortable, even horrendous while they happen, but when all the fussing and sniveling die down, we find a disguised blessing. The Emotional Skills used in Creative Work are Unconditional Love, Joy, and A Willingness to Risk (See Archives .) We will be learning how to evoke these Emotions at will in Chapter 5.
Spiritual Skillssiritual Skills.
Creative Skills of Intuition, Meditation, a sense of Oneness, Appreciation & Gratitude with everything we see, plus the ability to enter various Brain Wave States at will are vital to both artistic skills and to our consciousness evolution. They entrain both the masculine left-brain and the feminine right-brain, help us mature sexually and can finally lift us beyond our “adolescent” stage. We then automatically attract information on how to lift creativity to even greater heights; then we anchor it to Earth by offering it to the outer world. Additional Spiritual Skills necessary to both artwork and spiritual creativity are Resonant Vibrations, the Law of Attraction and Trust. (See Archives).
Brain States & Creativity
The beta brain wave state relates to everyday waking awareness and our logical, reasoning mind. Beta waves vibrate at levels of 14 cps (cycles per second) or more. “We have all four states of mind__ alpha, beta, theta and delta__ going on in us at all times. We can, however, Focus awareness at any one of these levels, causing the majority of our brain waves to vibrate on that level of choice.” (13)
Beta and alpha brain waves are both closely related to creative endeavors. Right-brain modes: Alpha states__ daydreams, intuitions, dreams, visions, prayers, holistic perceptions__ are frequently labeled the “artistic brain state”, in contrast to the logical, reasoning, more sequential left side of the brain. Alpha can interpret and blend vast amounts of seemingly unrelated bits of information into broader views in less than a second. Many of the New Children born into our world recently live primarily in the alpha state:
An Indigo grandson participated in a university sponsored think-tank experiment at his high school. A problem was proposed__ one over which a team of college teachers and students had labored for three weeks. My grandson had the answer in ten minutes, stating the experiment indicated that "The effect occurred before the cause". When asked how he was able to arrive at this conclusion so quickly, he suggested his musical training allowed him to “think in different ways”.
Serious creative work can propel us into higher brain wave states including: " a sense of close connection with the work, a sense of timelessness, mindfulness, difficulty in using words or understanding spoken words, a feeling of confidence and a lack of anxiety, a sense of close attention to shapes, spaces and forms that remain nameless.” (4)
Oddly, alpha state, the subconscious Inner Psychic Child, is even more alert than the daily beta mind. Our memories reside in this subconscious alpha, including the beliefs programming our views of who we think we are and the reality we’re currently experiencing. They form our personalities. (13)
The right brain hemisphere holds what many call the "sixth sense". Many artists manifest spontaneous, powerful paintings by relying on their Inner Psychic Child__ their subconscious__ which brings awareness of the power within and encourages trust in themselves. We come to not only believe, but also to know from first-hand experience, that all life is connected. In the Piscean Age, we operated with a strong belief system, from faith; but in the Aquarian Age, we operate from a knowingness that arises from direct experience with the Creative Force
Creativity is also alive in sports, through unity of body, mind, emotion and spirit. “Witness the unpredictable moves of great basketball players, the surprising ring strategies of inspired boxers, the novel movements of great gymnasts and dancers".... "To explore the terra incognita of our latent capacities, we must love adventure, complexity and strange territory.” (9)
Athletes often describe this expanded state of awareness as being “In the Zone”. Tai Chi was taken up by Robert, “The Chief”, Parish of the Charlotte Hornets to increase his proficiency on the basketball court. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar studied yoga. Michael Jordan of the Chicago Bulls spoke about being in "The Zone" after a game against the Portland Trailblazers__ game one of the NBA 1992 Finals, when he scored thirty-nine points, including six three-pointers. “Whenever this feeling comes”, said Jordan, “you just cherish it. What it feels like is you’re out there by yourself. When I got in that rhythm, it was like__ a force.” (6)
The myth of the artist being selfish, arrogant or aloof comes from her appearance and behavior when in The Zone__ the right brained, alpha, intuitive state. Her close Focus on the work and temporary inability to converse or to understand what’s said to her makes her seem aloof and disconnected from ordinary life situations. She is. She seems detached; but if her work will uplift or benefit other humans, society or even the planet, it's hardly selfish.
The Creative Personality.
The artists interviewed for this book generally led full lives, shared themselves with others, found nourishment in family, friends, the workplace and community, and valued their connection to humankind. They are responsible people who use their innovative gifts in many areas of life. Most artists set time aside to be in the Zone regularly, because they understand the importance of that inner, creative connection. They often express gratitude for the privilege of creating their arts and for living on Earth in these currently "interesting" times.
An overwhelming 90% interviewed applied the principles of what they discovered through artwork to other areas of their lives. About 10% were happiest while creating, feeling alive and enjoying life more. Others used art to relax, to find peace by being at one with Spirit, Earth or Universe. Still others used art to develop and keep their individuality... “producing what I liked, rather than what someone else said I should.” A professional painter said, “You really don’t need to wait for the right mood__ with practice, you can learn to turn on the creative juices at any time.” In Chapter 4, we'll discuss how to do this.
Creative people exhibit their male and female natures in equal amounts, having integrated both left and right brains. Creative men are manly, yet nurturing, compassionate and intuitive. Creative women are girly, but independent, take action when necessary and usually lead their peer groups. Both genders seek increased complexity, rather than choosing the paths of least resistance.
Creative persons are childlike, but never “childish”. They can stay in touch with their inspirational sources for long periods One evolved artist exclaimed, ”I don’t have to do it all by myself; I ask for help from higher powers, and I get it!” Many artists knowingly, or unknowingly, channel their artworks from higher sources. Most of my own paintings were channeled.
Learning to feel good about expressing their individuality without receiving open appreciation was a major lesson for some: “We may not be perfect, but we must keep striving toward higher levels anyway.” Many repeatedly tried to create works they thought they couldn’t achieve until there was no more reason to fear or be jealous of others. Overcoming envy and fear released them from the tensions of the productive process.
Innovative individuals are alert to their emotions and often follow feelings more than logic. Excitement and ecstasy are common for socially-minded artists. When passion flows freely, Universe reciprocates with surprising moves and fantastic outcomes. Unique experiences included caring for a grandchild and “‘being the brush’ that helped her respond positively; feeling fulfillment and joy through acting as a creator.” Bliss blossomed from being able to offer beauty, compassion, honesty, kindness, understanding or assistance to the downfallen. (See Archives for more)
Higher Senses.
Many artist respondents were obviously spiritually aware. They admitted that in their greatest works they radically transcended everyday reality, connected with something far greater than the self and invited higher powers into their work. The Mongolian professional artist, who channeled much of her work, confided, “Sometimes I painted as if the artwork were already completed on a higher energetic level, and my physical body and mind were only instruments bringing it into solid form. When I could perceive nothing more to be done for the work, I would stop. It seemed as if only ten or fifteen minutes had passed, but the clock would show it closer to two or three hours. I'd look at what lay on the watercolor paper before me. My eyes would fill with tears, my heart beat joyously, over-flowing with gratitude for the privilege of delivering that elegance into physical reality__ and for the sheer ecstasy of being alive in this moment and this place.”
Modern art and music become ugly when they portray things no one likes to see or hear. But great art expands the heart and can be experienced on many levels, no matter how little art appreciation the viewer has absorbed. Establishing creative outlets and sharing techniques with others bring feedback from the environment and evoke trust in both self and universe.
Originality births out of unrestrained explorations of concepts, emotions and techniques. To be truly original, we express strictly according to the most personal or unfamiliar parts of our beingness. And if we don't find joy in our work, we will seldom go beyond what others in our field have already produced__ neither will we have the incentive to hang tough and keep trying when the muck deepens in those unexplored territories. And those who no longer__ or never did__ absolutely love what they do, will stop creating and evolving once they reach preconceived ideas of how much money or recognition they originally hoped to achieve.
Mandala.
Watercolor is my painting medium that summer I enroll in crystal healing classes at Grand Institute, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming. Our instructor, Dr. Marcel Vogel, continually stressed the phrase: “Water links life to Earth.” He taught us to vitalize things around us with our essence. Any of us can Focus on a spot on the land and Imprint it with our mind or a crystal, much as animals do with body fluids, or as a painter does with his medium on canvas or paper. Sensitive persons can sit, lie on or touch that spot__ or reach out towards it __and feel the artist's essence.
Both quartz crystals and human bodies are vessels that attract and store Energies. “Records are written in stone”, announced Dr. Vogel. Ancient artists of Egypt, India, Sumeria, the Yucatan or the Andes lay hands on their stone artworks and pulsed instructive messages into them. Thousands of years later, anyone touching those artworks can still intuit their messages. With appropriate training, we too, can receive, cohere, intensify and project energies into our artworks or any matter. (These method will be offered later.)
As he demonstrates transpositions of the human body’s subtle energies to me, Marcel predicts: “You will be teaching this through your artwork”. Later, he tells me how to structure and program the water for my paintings. Structured water can be charged with messages that are later transferred to paper, pigments and viewers__ or to human bodies when healing. (Chapter 12).
Home again, I create mandalas__ paintings in a circular form__ based on a client’s astrological birth chart. Sacred Geometry shapes and proportions included in these works can enhance contemplation or meditation. Mandalas aid the viewer to connect with higher powers, integrating physical, mental and emotional parts of self into a more coherent personality. Mandalas are pictured throughout this text.
After studying the inherent energies of natural materials, I used them to paint the mandalas. Natural ox-hair or sable brushes with wooden handles and pristine spring water from Idaho’s Craters of the Moon entrained the artworks with pure energies. Paint pigments__ ground up minerals__ received and grounded the water’s messages, bonding with the pure cotton-rag paper.
A study of the Kaballa as taught by the Brotherhood of Light correlated astrological symbols and geographical locations with color, plant materials, minerals or gemstones, using sounds and significant imprinting principles. These are programmed into the paintings with crystal techniques. I want to use the Four Elements: Earth, represented by the pigments and paper; Air, which dries the watercolor medium; Water, holding the intended emotions, and Fire, representing the painter’s intentional thoughtforms. A fifth element, Ether__ the energetic fabric of space__ The Creative Force Field__ carries the potentials for inspired self-organization and manifestation.
I also wish to include the Four Kingdoms of Nature: mineral, vegetable, human and animal. The first three are easy. I already know the zodiac sign correspondences to the paint pigments, to the plant forms and to the viewer whose birth chart is being interpreted. But nowhere can I find information as to the animals relating to all twelve zodiac signs.
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The Creative Force Field Responds
At the Grand Institute crystal healing classes, I exchange tales about metaphysical and spiritual experiences with Lori, a Utah shamaness. Months later, at the Los Angeles Crystal Convention, she is drawn to the booth of Sun Bear, a Native American. He smiles, and says, “I have something for your friend” handing her a copy of his book, “The Medicine Wheel: Earth Astrology” (15) He tells her to give it to the friend who is looking for this information, insisting it be free of charge. Lori knows I’m an astrologer and interested in Native American Lore, so she accepts. After she mails it to me, I find it reveals the totem animals relating to all twelve zodiac signs.
Yes, Inner Psychic Child-subconscious can attract the highest and best to us, as well as negativities. There is far more to this First Enlightenment business than just sensing the Creative Force at work in the world. By invoking both Intellect and Intuition__ while painting, or NOT while painting__ by letting materials or new situations find their own way to be__ a whole new type of form can come into being. (Figure 1: “Uranus Rising” mandala.)
Symbols are fourth dimensional screens through which we view the mystical nature of our being. Our personal essence forms a brilliant pattern of energies pictured in auras, astrological wheels and mandalas. Ancient, powerful effects lie hidden in sacred mandala symbols. The circular chart or painting reacts profoundly upon both its maker and its viewer, confirming that humans are basically energy beings.
"At the same time, it seems that the works of art themselves begin to carry, emanate and transmit a numinous healing energy, being charged and encoded with the activated spiritual, mental and emotional energy of the artist".... "what quantum science calls ‘entrainment’ begins to take place. When a system comes into harmony within itself and becomes ‘coherent’ (of a unified resonance), it"... "gains the capacity to ‘entrain’ or pull after itself another system which may be out of harmony or ‘out of phase’.” (16)
Each of us is an incredible reservoir of creative energy. Everything impacts our senses, and we can choose what effect that impact will have on us. We can plod through life lost in a fog of numbing daily routines and difficulites, or we can be aware of our local environment and use that awareness to nurture a new reality from within.
Creative people are far more than just generators of aesthetic handiwork and fantastic actions. We may never win recognition or receive a dime for our work__ that’s not imperative in the larger scheme of things, for on higher levels, it’s the striving, the learning__ not the result__ that counts. Nevertheless, the Creative Skills we develop can carry us through a lifetime of beauty, richness and fulfillment as we radiate energeic nourishment to all who thirst for it.
Any spiritual or artistic discipline stimulates the brain to disclose the truth about oneself. But that’s not enough__one must live that truth, as well. Dr Paul Ray’s company, American Lives, does market research on opinion polling. (17) He sees the American population divided into three sub-cultures: 1) the traditional or “religious right”, 2) the “moderns” who focus their tunnel vision on earning and spending more money, and 3) the “Cultural Creatives”, a growing group whose interests include altruism, environmentalism, global consciousness, women’s issues, spirituality and self-empowerment. (www.wisdomuniversity.org/cultural-creatives.htm)
These are not “New Agers”, but they are optimistic and have a strong social conscience. They are careful consumers.They live a different sort of life, choose authenticity over fakes or media hypes, pay less attention to TV or advertising, read many books and attend cultural events and workshops. Many produce or engage in arts or crafts as well. Cultural Creatives prefer real experiences over second or third-hand information and over collecting material goods.
When a First Enlightenment Stage individual attunes to his Inner Psychic Child-subconscious, he begins to sense that he is leading a double life: the everyday outer life, and a mysterious, enticing inner life. His mind, body and feelings seem to re-order themselves into new forms of energy and harmony, as if they, too, are artistic mediums. When a truly committed individual opens to the Creative Force that inspires, transforms and makes everything new, he one day realizes without a doubt, how Creative Skills lift him far beyond material possessions__ and absolutely impel him to apply them to fashioning a more creative lifestyle, as well.
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Chapter 2: Credits
(7) Wakefield, Dan. “Creativity: Inner Spirit as Muse”. Audio. Laura Lee Radio Show.
(6) Wakefield, Dan: Creating From Within Spirit: Living Each Day as a Creative Act. 1996. Ballantine Books, Random House, NY, NY.
(8) Bockus, Bill. The Universe: Theoretical Physics and Astronomy for the Young Adult. 2000. Print Place, 1943 Coolidge, Altadena, CA. 91001
(9) Murphy, Michael. The Future of the Body: Explorations Into the Further Evolution of Human Nature. pg. 120, pg. 562
(* footnote, pg. 581). 1993. Jeremy P. Tarcher, Inc., 5858 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 200, Los Angeles, CA. 90036.
(10) Arguelles, Jose’. The Mayan Factor: The Path Beyond Technology, pg. 55. Inner Traditions * Bear & Company, P. O. Box 388, Rochester, VT 05767- 0388. www.gotoit.com
(11) Diaz, Adriana, Audrey Flack. Freeing the Creative Spirit: Drawing on the Power of Art to Tap the Magic and Wisdom Within. 1992. Harper Collins Pub., 10 East 53rd St., New York, NY. 10022.
(12) Iasos. Inter-Dimensional Music, 33 Varda Landing; Sausalito, CA 94965. 415-479-0700.
(13) Probable Future Corp. Remote Viewing Audio Tape #1: , 6574 N. State Rd.7, Suite 154, Coconut Creek, FL 33073-3617.
(14) The Mountain Astrologer. Aug/Sept, pg. 17. 1997. P.O. Box 970, Cedar Ridge, CA 95924
(15) Sun Bear and Wabun. The Medicine Wheel: Earth Astrology. 1980 Prentiss-Hall Press. New York, NY.
(16) International Journal of Healing and Caring Newsletter. Jan/Feb. 2003. www.holistichealingresearch.com
(17) Ray, Dr. Paul. “Cultural Creatives”. Laura Lee Radio Show. Audio Cassette. www.lauralee.com
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