Re: [good answer!

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Subj: Re: Fwd: A Perplexed Question 

Date: 4/23/03 9:21:29 AM Pacific Daylight Time

From: <A HREF= " mailto:rmsmoley@... " >rmsmoley@...</A>

To: <A HREF= " mailto:IonaDove@... " >IonaDove@...</A>

Sent from the Internet (Details)

Dear Alice,

Thanks for sending this along. This is an interesting question. What occurs

to me is as follows: Initially, one may become involved with the esoteric

path through reading, speculation, or fantasy. There is an attraction to

the world of the unseen without knowing what it really is--at least in any

kind of conscious way.

And then there is a point at which experience begins to lock in; one

realizes that this is not just fantasy, that it " really works, " and that it

can and will take one into unknown terrain. Usually this creates a reaction

of fear; survival reflexes take over, and one tries to shut out the very

thing one was trying to open up to. I believe this is what is sometimes

known as the confrontation with the Guardian of the Threshold (though I

also believe this has many different levels and can take many different

forms).

If one has sufficient courage and consciousness, one meets this challenge

and passes through. If not, one pulls away and shuts down. One form this

shutting-down can take is the reaction described below: to take refuge in

various forms of fundamentalism and decide it is all " evil " or " occult " or

whatever name you like. Another form would be scientific fundamentalism: to

decide it is all " nonsense " or " superstition. "

This can leave an individual standing before a closed door for years, or a

decade, or a lifetime.

Please feel free to pass this on with my kind regards to anyone you think

may be interested in it.

Love,

R.

>

>--- Joe Matera wrote:

>> My girlfriend and I were having a discussion

>> yesterday and something she said has got me thinking

>> and quite perplexed so i thought I'd see what the

>> list thought about it and your views.

>>

>> Why is it that somebody who say is well versed,

>> educated and throughly understands an Eastern

>> religion or as a matter of fact any sort of

>> spiritual discpline can come into contact with an

>> extreme fundamentalist or charismatic messiah and

>> all that knowledge, understanding and sound logical

>> thinking can get thrown completely out the door and

>> the person can start to believe the most illogical

>> and most bizarre beliefs? I always thought that if

>> somebody is secure in their spiritual beliefs then

>> no matter what any body says they would never feel

>> the need to drop their belief, but it seems it

>> happens alot.

>>

>> I had a friend who was well educated (doctor) and

>> taught me a lot of things regarding esoteric

>> literature and was one of the most spiritual people

>> I have ever had the good fortune to meet and

>> befriend, about a year ago he came into contact with

>> a 'charlatan' who convinced him that the esoteric

>> and occult was evil and sinfull and now he has

>> disowned his past and now says that what he taught

>> me was all wring. I don't believe that and can't

>> undertsand his attitude thus why my discussion with

>> my girlfriend came up.

>>