17 THE BODY HAS A MIND OF ITS OWN

When we returned from our walk, the focus of our discussion turned to resonance and the mind. I explained that the Law of Resonance is a law that governs all energy fields and is the law of energy exchange.

"What is resonance?" Richard asked.

"Imagine I hold up a middle 'C' tuning fork and bring a second, vibrating middle 'C' fork near it. What will happen?"

"The first fork will vibrate; I remember the experiment from physics class in high school," he answered.

"What if I introduce a vibrating fork tuned to 'F'?"

"Nothing happens," he chimed in. "The two forks are vibrating at different frequencies, therefore are not in tune with each other. The first fork will register nothing."

"So, if there is no resonance—there is no energy exchange! Only when two fields are in tune or in harmony with each other is there an exchange of energy between them. When they enter each other's sphere, the stronger field transfers some of its energy to the weaker field, which is strengthened. This is the same law that governs the function of the mind," I added.

"What do you mean, governs the mind?" he quizzed.

"Let's demonstrate," I suggested.

"Don't think about the color of your car," I instructed. He looked a little puzzled. "What are you thinking about?"

"My blue car—resonance, I suppose?"

"Couldn't be anything else," I interjected.

"I could have decided to think about something else if I had wanted to," Richard shot back.

"Yes, but not without first deciding not to think about your car—which is thinking about your car," I said with a grin. "With my words I set up an energy field. Imagine your mind is like a filing cabinet and you have a file on 'cars.' My words resonated that file in your mind. In the same way that the tuning forks resonated and interchanged energy or information, your mind was stimulated into 'thought' about your car. This action is not thinking at all, but simple resonance. It is the law that governs every process in the mind. Words are a frequency put out by the human voice. Our words resonate all information of similar frequencies in the mind that hears them. I call this the file folder effect. Let me lay out that idea.

"All information that relates to any particular topic is stored in a 'file,' so to speak, with like information. When you fire one set of brain cells in the file, it sets up an energy field that tends to cause every other brain cell in that file to fire.

"In my workshops, I demonstrate the File Folder Effect by asking the audience to answer a question and shout their answers loudly enough to be heard. I then ask, 'What is the Lone Ranger's horse's name?' Throughout the audience I usually hear 'Silver,' the horse's name, 'Tonto' and 'Trigger.'

"I can see the audience responding in that way, michael, but I don't understand what that has to do with resonance."

"When I asked the horse's name each mind's file on 'old westerns' resonates as a result of the vibration set up by my voice. Every mind delivers its internal reality which is dependent not on my words, but on what my words resonate in each person in the audience. The same words are heard by every person but the reality triggered is totally dependent on what is stored in brain cells and which answer is closest to the surface in the resonated file. The reality perceived always comes from the content of the listening mind, just like the meanings we give to life.

"The Law of Resonance says that some of the energy of my voice transfers to the listener's brain cells containing realities about Silver. When the brain cells receive this energy, they fire and set up an internal vibration in that file. Every other brain cell in that file is then energized and tends to fire, hence Tonto and Trigger become possible answers, an expression of the File Folder Effect .

"If in our file on 'old westerns' Tonto or Trigger is closer to the surface than Silver, that becomes our answer, even though it is not directly related to the question. Some people actually call this automatic response mechanism 'thinking'! I suspect we would be amazed if we knew how many people's entire lives are governed by this process, governed and limited by the body's mind.

"The File Folder Effect is not thinking, it is only information firing in brain cells. It is information cycling in the body's mind in response to input—words, images, symbols, impulses or sensations.

Richard seemed intrigued with this concept and leaned toward me as he spoke. "Do you mean that anything that triggers brain cells can be a catalyst to the File Folder Effect ?" he asked.

"Yes, and if we are run by that effect, we are run by the past. Recall that removing realities from a mind is called Forgiveness and is the key to taking charge of your life. Developing the skill of managing the output of the mind makes one the operator of his or her own mind.

"Richard, have you ever done anything you did not want to do?" I asked.

"Unfortunately, more often than I care to admit!"

"Why?"

There was a moment of hesitation before he spoke. "Fear, I guess. I didn't know any better, or maybe anger, a number of reasons, I suppose."

"The only reason we ever do anything is because we have a reality in our minds that guides us to do that particular form of behavior. A young boy, with limited realities in his mind, might smash a valued antique. Is the child destructive? No. He simply does not have the realties in his mind to guide him in what we consider the proper handling of something fragile."

Richard thought for a moment and made an insightful observation. "You mean, if he were told repeatedly, as a result of not knowing how to handle something, that he was bad and destructive, those words might build a reality into his mind? My God! That reality might actually drive him for his whole life?"

"If the child did not have access to the tool of Forgiveness and undo that reality, chances are he would be destructive for life, buying into the belief that he was born bad. Of course, there is no such thing as a bad child, but many 'bad children' are the product of parents and a culture who don't know any better nor understand their role in structuring the realities in a child's mind. The world would change overnight if the media comprehended and took responsibility for the realities they pump into children and the goals they present to innocent minds."

KEY THOUGHT—The mind is only capable of responding with whatever has been programmed into it. We can dismantle the realities that do not serve us by learning to Forgive.

He looked shocked. "This explains a lot of the violence and crime in our world. There is a saying that goes something like, 'It takes a whole community to raise a child.' It sounds to me like every interaction with the whole community has an influence in building each child's realities. That is an awesome responsibility.

"I used to think that parents who guarded carefully what their children did and with whom their children had contact were overprotective. Perhaps they understand the potential contribution the community makes in building their child's reality structure. This explains a lot about why children who have no contact with a healthy community, be it school or in a neighborhood, get into trouble. I'm going to do something about delivering what I have learned here today to children, schools, parents and teachers, michael." He sounded determined.

"We will be delighted to support your effort in any way we can, Richard. Many people who study this work become teachers of it. We invite anyone who feels it is their purpose to teach these tools to do so and to assist us in fulfilling our family's commitment of making these tools available to every mind on the planet. Let's look at the next phase in understanding the File Folder Effect .

"Words can be used to trigger files and realities, and 'hook' them together, so to speak. How long does it take to key realities together so they fire in concert with each other? Don't think about a purple alligator. Silly example, but if I see you in a week, a month, or year, and say 'Don't think about a purple ___________,' what will your mind fill in the blank with?"

[Book contains graphic illustrating how files are connected in the mind.]

"Alligator, of course, but I probably won't even remember that a year from now," Richard chided.

"That may be true, but it illustrates the point. One of the things that puts an event into long-term memory is emotion. Repetition will drive the energy even deeper into the mind. Let's look at an all-too-typical example. Imagine, over the first decade or two of life, a young boy is taught, through being yelled at and punished, the conflicting thoughts that 'sex is dirty' and he should 'save it for the one he Loves.' Considering the File Folder Effect what results would you expect to see from those links in a mind?"

"Sounds like fertile ground for insanity," he blurted out.

"You got it! Until he can Forgive conflicting realities in his mind, anything that resonates sexuality will trigger: 'Sex is dirty, save it for the one you Love.' The resultant flow of realities will probably leave him in confusion because hooked into those files, whenever they are resonated, are guilt, conflict and punishment. Do you see why negativity and punishment come into a marriage and violence results? Many people try to stay in control so they can live 'happily ever after,' which is another thought keyed to relationship. All this adds up to more and more confusion. Each of the main realities in these files is highly emotionally charged and linked together. What chance do you suppose that person has of a good marriage? What do you suppose the resulting reality flow will be in a spouse's mind, considering the File Folder Effect ?"

"I suspect it will be pretty crazy, like I've been in my marriages," he replied grimly.

"Precisely! Confusion will be the result. Suppose we get two people in a marriage, each with similar realities, and they continuously resonate these kinds of brain cells in each other?"

"You mean like my marriages? Bedlam! It's insane! Divorce, pain, hatred and revenge. It's like being at war!" Richard wept in grief and rage. I sat quietly and held the space of Love as he processed through profound emotion.

KEY THOUGHT—The more we are able to presence Love for each other, the faster our healing proceeds.

I admired his courage in facing these buried issues. I thought about how so many of us have to be up against the wall before we are willing to confront ourselves. I suspect that is because we've been trained to numb our pain to the point where it takes a major crisis to break through our drugged state and get our attention. I reassured him it was safe to feel what was coming up and that facing these issues was how his healing would happen. Richard expressed his relief and confided that he had not felt emotions so deeply since he was a child. His face took on a radiance as some of the sorrow it had reflected earlier ebbed away.

We extended our example as we wondered what a couple living in a cabin in the woods would go through in adjusting to each other. Richard shared, "From my experience with intimate relationships, even that would be difficult."

I suggested we look at the same couple in the middle of New York City, dealing with each other and the complexities of their interactions. "Now compound all of that by adding the File Folder Effect which is exaggerated by all the stimulation of a metropolis.

"In the city, their senses are bombarded by movies, television, masses of people, magazines, newspapers, billboards, advertising in stores and on taxicabs and buses. These media continuously impale each spouse's mind with both subliminal and overt images of fear, guilt, sex, violence, hatred, drug and alcohol use and abuse. If their minds contain highly charged emotional realities connected to any of these issues, and they are continuously being resonated into activity, how sane can they be? Is it any wonder people turn to drugs and alcohol to cope?"

"This is overwhelming, michael! You are describing my life, and the life of almost everyone I know. I'm feeling like this is so big that we could never change it!" Richard said emphatically.

"That sounds like the world's brainwashing which says, 'You're powerless over what is happening. You're only one person, why don't you just give up and go along with the program.' I invite you to consider that the only part you need to do, Richard, is your own. You have as much power as any human being who has ever lived. You are capable of breaking through and making changes both within and without!

"The first step in convincing people change is impossible is to persuade them that pain is normal—it is not! Due to the File Folder Effect, once pain is accepted in a mind, it can be hooked up to any reality in that mind through the use of words and images—and any image that pain hooks into, it distorts! The more powerful the medium delivering the message, the greater is its potential for distorting the mind's output.

"Richard, just as you must look inside yourself if you want to heal, I'm suggesting we each must look at how we, as human beings, have created the insanities in our world. I know it starts to look overwhelming as we dig into these issues, but overwhelm is just a stage in the healing process.

"The issues we've been speaking of are at the root of the abuse we do and the abuse we experience in our relationships, our families, our communities, and our world. They are the source of the confusion that leads people to acts of violence, divorce, hatred, vengeance, crime and war. We must change these dynamics in ourselves if we are to thrive, which is what we are designed to do."

"You've lost me. I don't even know what you are talking about! How do you change dynamics that are so deeply ingrained?" he asked.

" Forgiveness! This tool of healing allows us to remove distorted realities from our minds. I'm talking about dealing with all the realities we have accepted that lead to confusion. So many people have bought into the 'Sex is dirty, save it for the one you Love' and other insane lines of thinking, that relationship and family seem doomed in our culture. True Forgiveness of all painful realities is where our healing lies. If we refuse to do our healing work, we can be easily manipulated and controlled by anyone who knows how to push our buttons.

"I'm referring to having the basic skill of removing realities that do not serve us, and at the risk of sounding patronizing, Richard, the overwhelmed feeling you have is exactly my point. We've resonated all those realities inside of you during our conversation today. Notice it is a beautiful autumn day and we are safe and secure on our deck in the Ozarks. We even have clean air to breathe. The only difference between the beginning of our conversation and now is the realities that have been resonated in your mind. Notice, nothing has changed in the world. The only thing different is what has been stirred up in your mind. You are in overwhelm only because of that. This is the beginning of some deep processing which will probably continue for months to come. A little overwhelm is to be expected."

"Okay, I can accept that, but I don't understand what is happening. Why all the confusion?" he asked.

"Richard, the nature of thoughts is energy and they follow the laws of energy. I suspect they have both wave and particle properties, much like light. If I shine a red, a blue and a green light on a plain white surface, what will you see?"

"I'll see a red, green and blue light reflecting off the surface if you shine them one at a time, or, if you shine them all on one spot, there will be a mixing of the colors," he answered with raised eyebrows and a puzzled look.

"Bear with me, there is a point to this," I offered. "When realities are resonated in a mind, their properties are much like the light. If they surface, one at a time, like the single light shining on a spot, there will be clarity in the thoughts behind that reality and confusion will be impossible. However, if several conflicting realities try to surface simultaneously, like the three lights shining on one spot, there will be a mix—a confusion in the thoughts that generate the conflicting realities.

"Richard, I've become aware of a few issues for myself to work out and heal from today's conversation. I'm sure we have fired some realities for you to deal with in our interaction. Until you remove the conflicts, and clarify your reality structure for yourself, confusion will tend to be the result of such a process."

"Well, the File Folder Effect is taking its toll on me at this moment. If a conversation such as the one we are having stirs up this much feeling, what chance does the average person have in life?" Richard asked.

"Most people don't allow the space in their lives to look this deeply into themselves. They keep themselves drugged and on the run with no time to feel their feelings. If hidden feelings surface during dinner, another scotch or serving of a sugar-laden dessert will take care of keeping those feelings suppressed. If the drugs from the night before slow their waking process in the morning, people often jump start themselves with caffeine, nicotine and/or sugar. This behavior is so prevalent it is not recognized for what it is—addiction and suppression. Busy-ness is another of the drugs used in our culture to avoid looking at our issues.

"Layers of confusion will surface as you do your work and that is desirable. As conflicting realities surface and you forgive them, new levels of clarity and empowerment will come. This will happen if you do not use your energy or drugs to avoid, numb out and stuff what you don't want to see. Healing will occur, instead, if you deal with and release the painful realities and let go of the burdens that most people suppress and keep hidden."

"You resonate hope in me, michael. It looks like a giant task, but the other way of living hasn't worked, so why not do it differently?" Richard's energy seemed to lighten a little and I asked him why. "Well, even though I've dug myself into a pit, I think I'm starting to see a way out. I'm grasping the cause and the solution to the insanity that I have experienced all my life. I'm seeing a light at the end of the tunnel, and this time it's not an oncoming train. I think I can actually get a handle on what has happened," he said enthusiastically. "I might even be able to create a decent, Loving relationship with this understanding and these tools."

KEY THOUGHT—We must reach the point where we can change our present in order to change our future.

"The goal of this work is to empower people to become conscious of everything in their lives. People who are not conscious operators of their own minds can be programmed by others to react with any reality in response to any situation.

"When it comes to deciding whether or not to do your work, Richard, what else is there to do? Once you see that your whole life flows from your inner dynamics, how else can you proceed but to commit yourself and move forward?"

"I could see myself just sinking into oblivion, becoming a hermit in Wyoming. I could just quit!"

"True, but that would say to me that you didn't really hear or develop enough brain cells to see that there is something you can do about your life and about the world. It is not unusual for me to hear from people who attended one of my workshops ten or fifteen years ago. They often tell me they thought I was nuts back then, but a phrase or an idea stuck with them. Then they saw examples of that idea often enough that things finally clicked. They decided they had to know more about the principles of this work.

"It's like the parable of the sowing of the seeds. Even if one does not do his or her 'mind gardening,' sooner or later these ideas take hold sufficiently to form sensible realities in a mind. This work is innate knowledge for people. I'm not teaching them anything they don't already know. It's just a matter of the inner Truth breaking through the layers of insane realities that have been accepted in the mind. Once you clear up the twisted ideas and clean out the corrupted files, this work becomes natural.

"This information should be kindergarten stuff, conversations children have on the playground, yet it is all but missing from our culture," I said. "The absence of an understanding of Love is the reason it is so rare, I suspect."

"Let's look at some of the questions you asked earlier about Love, Richard."