Pages 66-82       Lessons of Enlightenment

Section Beta

Lesson Two: The Emotional Behavior of Humanity

Emotional Motivation

Throughout human history, despite many sage offerings, the mystery of human behavior remains just that. What motivation could possibly underlie human behavior and explain the many differences as well as the similarities? What could motivate the orderly, cooperative, altruistic and moral behavior, as well as the chaotic, competitive, heinous and the evil acts of humans? Why humans do what they do seems unfathomable. This is particularly true if one believes humans to be a good and capable lot.

Maybe our problem is how we define the term 'good and capable', or rather why we should presume that it is natural and normal for humans to arrive at this state, without straying from "the path" in the process of learning the value of being in this state. Nothing in our environment is created in a perfect form. Not the clothes, the jewelry, the vehicles we drive, the children we raise. Each starts with raw, unrefined material and ends up being the consequence of much human effort.

We now have certain understandings that hint at the truth. So we shall go straight to the heart of the matter. All human behavior springs from emotional motivation.

" emotional motivation" ...These two words describe energy and direction. Both are essential ingredients of any type of progression.

The "good" behavior flows from spiritual intention. It is purposeful in pursuit of self-development and expression. It utilizes all human faculties for their intended purpose. The "bad" behavior is absent of spiritual intention, except that of basic self-preservation. It is undertaken without utilization of human ration. It is the by-product of the misunderstandings of the emotional feedback system. It is incidental, if not accidental.

One of the great puzzles is how people who pride themselves on their state of moral superiority, usually founded on attendance at a religious service with consistent regularity, can still indulge in behavior that contradicts "spiritual intention". The key might just lie in the word "pride", a sliver to the Mind of Man.

If each and every human act is examined within the framework of understanding that these Lessons impart, it shall become apparent that emotion is at the very core. It will be fairly obvious that humans approach that which brings pleasure, and avoid that which brings pain. Of course, the avoidance of pain has become the dominant motivator since very few countries even claim to afford humans the right to the "pursuit of happiness". Avoidance of pain is at the root of every act that takes humans from their intended course, it is at the root of every evil act. It can be extremely subtle in avoidant self-deception, or it can explode upon the world in atomic rage---hardly an application of a rational self-preservationary strategy.

Why do we indulge in and support military action against another group. We usually act out of fear of losing something which would cause us discomfort or "pain". It might be oil or real estate. It can even be abstract things like self-image. Whatever it turns out to be, it is it usually based on the fear of loss, which we feel emotionally, if not physically.

It is merely due to the lack of rational interpretation and rational response to the emotional signal that self-preservation has become the norm. With this understanding, humans can examine their own behavior, identify the motivational feelings, and trace them back to the gems and slivers upon which they operate. They can readily see which behaviors were motivated by self-development and expression, or those that were motivated by self-preservation. This is rational use of the emotional feedback. This is utilization of the undiscovered sixth sense. This is living on purpose, in spiritual intention.

The development of our "sixth sense" would seem to be directly related to our "feelings". As we become more aware of the value of this capacity, we begin to see more harmony in our lives, more coordination in our relationships and activities. It can be subtle at first, but it eventually becomes more apparent, until it becomes the norm versus the exception.

Now is the time for humans to successfully live on purpose. Until now there has been relative darkness. The light that shines the way is human feeling. But in order for humans to fully embrace this newfound ability, there are further clarifications necessary. For it has become habitual to act within the system in ways that grossly misuse it. And there are many slivers within Mass Consciousness that accept, even promote such misuses. The solutions to problems inherent in human cultures can only come from within individuals as they remove the source from their own lives, inside and out. So the individual subtleties of emotion that humans face must now be examined.

This is the point of these Lessons, to examine a state of being, to define its flaws and to move toward corrective action. In the end, it is only a shift in perception that should result in growth in a more rewarding direction.

The subtleties yet to be discussed lie in the corrective response part of the feedback cycle, the behavior itself. This is where the rubber hits the road. Right use of emotional feedback can provide lifelong, moment-to moment spiritual guidance. This means that certain feelings will suggest certain behaviors. But the benefits of such guidance are contingent upon effecting the optimal corrective response. For optimal corrective responses are within spiritual intention, and all others are merely self-preservationary. Wrong use of the system is abundantly evident in certain "evil" motivations. It's easy to see how angry violent behaviors can wreak havoc. But some detrimental human motivational habits are well disguised. To expose them, we now turn to the responses as they operate in the modern world.

It would be possible to become as adept at living in a spiritually guided manner as we who drive have become adept at moving about from point to point in a vehicle, without doing harm to those around us and achieving our point of intention without incident.

Recall that all corrective responses can be made to either the internal or external realms. An internal change is applied to the mental landscape. An external change is a behavior acted upon the external world, the physical or social landscape. The response choice is how humans effect evolution. Internal changes are how humans acquire culture. It is how they self-develop, learn and adapt to their world. External changes are how humans create culture and express their internal contributions in the external world. Certain choices will be optimal and empowering, others will be detrimental, causing individual and social chaos and slides from the intended evolutionary tract.

Again, I would apply the metaphor of operating a vehicle in a safe and intelligent fashion. In fact, not only do humans keep refining the vehicle but expanding our technology and aiming at more distant points in our environment. Where we commit errors, we self-correct our behavior, in most cases. Our intent is always to make ourselves more safe and surviving in order to keep living and evolving.

Mistakes of response choice will create further symptomatic pain. This is the spirit's way of calling attention to mistaken choices of action and beliefs. We will now discuss the uses and abuses of all responses in both internal and external realms.



The Approach Responses – Right & Light

The approach responses naturally follow positive emotional signals and are very intuitive. It is quite natural to approach that which feels good, to reinforce those ideas and strategies that satisfy the spirit. It is inherently rewarding to promote situations and relationships that are spiritually fulfilling. All optimal approach responses result in self-development and expression, as the spirit intends for them to be.

There was an expression out of California some years ago that went: "If it feels good, do it!" Moralists thought it was just a reflection of the loose life style of the times. In some ways, I suppose it was, but on a deeper level, it reflects the above paragraph as a guideline to our higher development.

Approach responses can also be in answer to painful, negative emotions. In a modern world, approach responses are often preferable to the self-preservationary avoidant responses which are hardwired. The approach responses are about acceptance. What they have in common is that each is an open approach in acceptance of a situation without resistance. Approach responses are the path of least resistance. There are two basic approaches, they are the Right and Light Responses.

There are significant points in the history of mankind when the act of non-resistance has had a greater impact for good than military action and violence has ever had. These were moments when a portion of mankind was at its finest.

We have already introduced the Right Response. These are self-developmental approach responses that are effected by the internal mental realm. Most Right Responses are approach responses---all adaptive ones are. This is when current ideas, skills and strategies are upgraded to provide maximum need fulfillment. Self development is learning, but only learning in ways that promote the needs of the spirit.

What we learn from actions that result in positive "self develop" can and does become a part of our hard wiring, to the point that the course of our lives becomes both smoother and broader.

Although the Right Response is very functional and optimal in many cases, as with any response, it can also be abused. But basically, the only mistake that can be made with the Right Response results from the misinterpretation of an emotional signal. If there is no clear boundary between the spiritual and mental realms, the person might "approach" an idea of mind as if it were a directive of spirit. This is when cultural knowledge is confused for (and is in conflict with) natural knowledge. This is learning something that is limiting to the spirit, the introduction of a sliver.

Any action that is a gem (rather than a sliver) is easily recognized by how much natural joy it brings to those involved. If it is spiritually uplifting and results in better relations between human beings, than it would likely be spiritual in origin.

Another way of thinking about it, is the misuse of the Right Response pits the Cultural Self against the Genetic Self. This is illogical and will never work, for the Genetic Self represents the embodiment of spirit and cannot---nor should not---change its essence. The specific pains of this symptom will be fear, self guilt, self blame, sadness and eventually depression. Individual mental and physical ills ultimately result when this mistake is allowed to remain.

We are burdened with many attitudes that exist in the "Cultural Self" and originated in the religious, political and economic institutions as instruments of control. To free ourselves to practice the "Right Response", we have to examine the motivation behind those attitudes.

With this error, the sliver which has been introduced into the mind further frustrates the spirit. This sliver will make its presence known through increased emotional pain. In this case, anger. Anger is indeed the signal of a frustrated spirit, stifled from its expression. But as long as the person continues to empower the belief, this in effect, turns the anger inward against the spirit, causing increasing levels of anger. Then the person must find escapes or safe ways to vent the anger.

Anger unexpressed is like hot air in a balloon that continues to get hotter. At some point, the balloon will destroy itself. By flipping our perspective (the balloon) a full 180 degrees, we can allow the anger (hot air) to escape out into the universe and refill our balloon with more stable (enlightened) air.

For example, one human culture has a truth regarding the relative inferiority of women. This belief is interwoven throughout many of the traditions of these people. This belief serves to meet the power and control needs of men (who generally lack such freedom as fringe members of a more mainstream culture), by domineering the woman of their group. This creates emotional dissonance within the women of this group, for it denies the integrity of their spirit.

There are many areas in many cultures where one group exaggerates its own importance at the expense of another group. It is only when it is accepted that each human being is a reflection of divine spirit that this attitude and this practice will fade from the current paradigm.

Being female is a choice of the spirit and one that cannot, nor should not, be changed or minimized by any cultural dictate. They react to this frustration with anger toward themselves which further perpetuates the belief. This feeling is experienced as shame and is even institutionalized as "feminine shame" for their inherent "dirtiness". They have customs such as washing men's clothing in separate pots so they are not defiled by the "dirt" from female garments. They must also cover their faces when men other than their husbands enter the room.

The beliefs instilled in the minds of children are the most difficult to alter, but once looked upon from the full understanding of the reasons they were so instilled, the pace by which they can be revised can accelerate.

The women of this culture are unhappy. But instead of rejecting the belief, they have developed an outlet for the continuing frustration. They have traditional poems which they utter frequently whenever a negative feeling arises. These poems communicate their hurt as well as their sanctimonious religious standing from being such wonderful martyrs. Yet they continue to perpetuate the very ideas that keep them frustrated, for the slivers are deeply ingrained in their worldview.

There is a more common practice in our society, carried out with religious zeal. It involves the saying of repetitious prayers in the conviction that the more they are repeated the greater will be the reward in the next state of being. Unfortunately, it only tends to compartmentalize one's spirituality, while relationships with others are free to follow a less charitable course.

Placing a belief of mind above the dictates of spirit may seem like a silly and unlikely option in more mainstream cultures. But in every culture, there are ideas which ask just that of their members. For there are many perfectly acceptable ways of meeting spiritual needs that are deemed socially unacceptable or even taboo. This is why it is crucial to understand that correct use of the Right Response seeks only to change the mind to accommodate the needs of spirit. Humans should never respect or follow guidelines within any world view that rejects, or worse, defiles a perfectly right and just spiritual need.

All institutions must capture and maintain the respect of its members if they are to sustain an existence that compliments the spirit. Those which don't are doomed to ultimate failure and decay.

Errors of this response are not likely, however, if the distinction is clear between spirit and mind. And for the most part, the Right Response is a very good choice of approach. In fact, it is the recommended first choice option to all emotional signals. This approach ensures that ration has been applied to the situation, that the entity has first examined the mind to see if learning is necessary. Once this has been done, if there are still negative signals within similar situations, then other responses will then be appropriate. But this cannot be known without first trying to effect these internal self-developmental changes.

Any planned course of action or any commitment to belief will need to be examined internally until the full acceptance is felt and our spiritual nature is comfortable in its being.



The Light Response

The other kind of approach response seeks instead to change the external world to restore the balance. Self expressive approach responses are actions in the external world that seek to share wisdom, creativity or otherwise contribute to the outer environment. They are acts of simple communication, persuasion, compassion, altruism, or any method of creative expression. It is an act of taking who you are to the people. We shall call this approach, the Light Response . For this is the way humans offer their individual light to other spirits to which they are connected.

We all have the opportunity to do this, each time we come into contact with another human being. We can all be healers in a variety of ways. If we sense that the clerk in the check-out line looks a little tired or depressed, a kind word or a compliment can make a difference. It costs us nothing but it makes more of a difference than a "money-valued" gift.

Light responses are always offering the ideas, tools, skills perspectives and help which promote the self-development and expression of others. It is the exchange and sharing of gems. It is the spiritual expression of the innate cooperative capacity which reflects the fulfillment connection need. The underlying assumption of this choice is that this is surely a cooperative, win-win situation, where both parties can benefit from this response. It is the exchange and sharing of feedback when one person sees something in the other of which they are unaware and would benefit from understanding. This is actually an approach to a negative emotion, one vicariously experienced within another. The Light Response is offered with respect and compassion in the genuine desire to contribute to the well-being and happiness of the received.

In a world environment of too frequent violence, it is apparent that diplomacy is a "fig leaf"' upon the body of collective intelligence. We fail in our efforts to resolve problems on an international scale because we have such limited experience in communicating with each other on a local scale. The same problems that stir the planet are macrocosms of those issues that divide us as family, friends and neighbors. The above paragraph points to a way beyond this. The "exchange" possibilities mentioned above are now possible through this very median, for those who would elect to use them.

For example, a child observes another child during a baseball game. He sees this child's frustration at the fact that he cannot seem to strike the ball with the bat. The first child, who is emotionally healthy and empathetic, feels this pain. He knows he has some information that he has gained that can solve this problem. His response to the feeling is the expressive approach, the "Light Response". He feels the spiritual impetus to offer his help. Thus, he approaches the child and respectfully suggests that he can give the child some pointers if there is consent. If even one helpful idea is exchanged, both children will experience a positive emotion. This pleasure will signal that the receiver has accomplished spiritual development, and the giver has accomplished spiritual expression.

Too often, the Little League parents will be so obsessed with making sure that their own child stands out in performance of the needed skills that they will fail to encourage their child to adopt this more charitable type of conduct. With the monetary rewards of success in sport skills being so large, a child that is particularly skilled at something is rather encouraged to center upon himself and thus regard his teammates as possible threats to his own success. What's wrong with this picture?

A key understanding is that the Light Response must only offer ideas which remove existing limits. They must be consensual and respectful of the existing emotional boundaries. This type of approach basically communicates: "I feel your pain, can I offer some light?" Although this may sound schmaltzy to the modern mind, it communicates connection, respect, compassion and an invitation for growth, without provoking the defenses. For specific words to use, some alternative suggestions: "I hate to see you struggling, can I offer some help?" Or even, "Can I help here?

These are not complicated suggestions, and the consequences of such a simple act can have exponential effects. It is akin to the metaphor of lighting a single candle and the flame from that "candle" being passed along until we have enlightened the whole world. There is no sacrifice on the part of any "candle" which passes its flame along. Like the journey of a thousand miles that begins with a single step, we each have an opportunity on a daily basis to take that "step".

Of course, if the receiver does not desire your "light" and permission is not granted, then your job is done. Whether or not the receiver is in a ready, receptive state, you have achieved your needed spiritual expression. Emotional boundaries which create the defensive, self-preservationary responses must be compassionately respected. Regardless of the receptivity, the gesture itself is spiritually desirable. At minimum, it gives the person pause for thought and bolsters the idea that humans are good and caring. A person who initially rejects such offerings of light, will be all the more receptive to the next expressive gesture. Each such gesture wears away at maladaptive beliefs that hold humans to be less than compassionate, caring, connected, trustworthy and "good".

In our initial efforts to step beyond ourselves and offer help to those around us, we might be met with a non-response or, sometimes, open rejection. This can be used as our excuse to refrain from further efforts. Maybe such a gesture on our part, might be deemed by those who know us as being out of character. (Trying it on a stranger may be safer.) But with time and persistence, the other person, if not accepting of our offer of help, might be a little more open to the effort of someone else. The response we get from those who know us might be a more enlightening lesson than we are prepared for, but it could be the most valuable lesson we need because it gives us a valuable insight on how we are perceived by those who know us best.

The Light Response also works in the reverse. It is often highly desirable to ask others to share their light, to seek advise and counsel which can precede a Right Response. This is an optimal combination of internal and external self expressive and developmental response to emotional signals. Of course, respect, consent and cooperation are still required.

God protect us from presuming that we have all the answers to everyone else's problems. Who among us would presume to be so perfect. Those who care about us (or even those who don't) could well have insights about our habits and character that could end up being valuable gems in the crown of our behavior. Also, it can be conceived as a compliment to someone when you ask them for their help.

There are also mistakes made when choosing the Light Response. There are rampant examples of those offering "light" when it is not desired, and when it, in fact, adds limitation. Any true act of light broadens opportunity and expands emotional boundaries. Many religious proselytizers seek to change the world to meet their mental portrait instead of the reverse. There is often an arrogant and self-righteous attitude that lacks compassion, is disrespectful and downright backward. The same is true for political parties. Humans should always ensure that they take in as much light as they seek to give out, lest they simply be maintaining their own emotional boundaries rather than expanding them. This is the reason why the world experiences social and political gridlock and holy wars continue to be fought.

In a sense, this is why all wars are "religious" wars because they result from a difference in belief systems, whether they be based on an interpretation of the nature of God, or an economic philosophy, or a political style of government or even a perceived threat to any of the above. The above paragraph, when truly understood and accepted, could probably avert most of the military confrontations on this planet.

We have only discussed the approach responses, and have already encountered the source of many human ills. But for the most part, approach responses are still fairly easy to use appropriately. It is a good rule of thumb to go ahead and act upon positive feelings, as well as compassionate negative ones. For those approach impulses will lead to learning, whether or not the road may be bumpy along the way. With honest evaluation of the feelings, the feedback they provide, and a timely corrective response, diversions from the intended path can be quickly rectified.

There are times when the only way we are able to learn the lessons we need to learn is to experience the consequences of a negative act. It is the higher part of ourselves that must lead us to polluted waters, so to speak, in order for us to appreciate the "pure". This might seem cruel at times, but it is intended to give us that experience necessary to correct our course. We know this is true of children and certainly nearly all adults carry remnants of childish behavior.

The more ominous aspect of the approach response is when humans approach in order to avoid. If certain needs are not met to an adequate level, it often becomes an automatic tendency for humans to approach to create pleasure to escape pain. When this is the case, we are no longer in the realm of approach responses. We are no longer in self-developmental mode, we are in the realm of self-preservation.

This could be akin to the all-too-well-known "one night stand". Seeking pleasure on a momentary basis in order to avoid the emotional pain of being unconnected. It is the equivalent of taking a drug to quell a physical or mental need, be it an aspirin for a headache, caffeine for a boost, or something stronger and taken to an uncontrollable degree.

We have just learned how mistakes in approach responses can cause certain individual and social ills. But these mistakes of self-development and expression are relatively harmless in comparison to the mistakes of self-preservationary responses. We can now turn to the most insidious of the response choices, the avoidant response.

I can hardly wait!



The Avoidant Responses

We have briefly introduced the Fight and Flight Responses, but now we shall delve into their complexities. They are still valid responses to specific circumstances at particular times. But for the most part they are grossly over-used, resulting in nearly every remaining individual and social ill experienced by human beings.

To that degree, we are limited. But this limitation is by choice. We have creative capabilities that are yet to be tapped and this material is designed to do just that.

Avoidant responses are about resistance. They refuse to accept a situation as reported by the emotional signal. Resistance to objectionable ideas which defile or reject human needs is a good and necessary response. Resistance is still a useful tool, but one with a sharp double edge. In learning situations, avoidant responses can wreak havoc and throw humans from their evolutionary path.

There are ways to avoid "learning situations". It begins by avoiding human contact wherever possible. Or one can be so self-absorbed that adverse experiences have little impact on our personal growth. We all know people like this and some of us have seen them in our mirrors.

In receiving the Light Responses from others, avoidance closes doors to opportunity. But avoidance also fosters more sinister and nearly universal human ills. Avoidance (not money) is perhaps the root of all evil.

We can not experience what we choose to avoid.

Take particular note of this information, for recognizing and consciously controlling these responses in your behavior will be tremendously liberating and greatly rewarding.

What follows are the particulars to the above admonition. It could carry us to levels we haven't even considered before now.

Part two of this Lesson