Section Gamma  Lesson Two: The Power of Habit  A Gift of Mind  As we begin to reexamine each and every content of our mental houses, it is critical to establish some preliminary new ideas about the mind itself.  "...new ideas about the mind" has to lead to new ideas about ourselves and the world around us. How these "ideas"' resonate with our spiritual nature will be the test of their worth.  The mind, as we now know, is a truly incredible resource. It is a separate entity from spirit, although they interact. The mind is strictly a physical manifestation, an accouterment of the human physical experience. It has many functions, all of which are to serve spirit. It operates as a location, to focus spiritual consciousness in the physical. It serves as a receptacle, to receive creative insight from spirit and to store any and all mental tools (beliefs, ideas, and skills ---gems) which allow its expression. It functions like a computer, connecting, processing and organizing information to continuously refine the mental tools. And finally, it operates like a converter to manifest in the physical, those events, opportunities, and experiences which are spiritually desirable.  The "Mind" observing itself, gains "insight" to itself. In doing so, it illustrates that true knowledge is found with-in. There is a difference between being occupied with just ourselves (i.e. our particular relationship with the physical and mental world around us, including our physical bodies and mental achievements) and a deeper understanding of our Spiritual nature and reflecting through the use of our minds and bodies. The former is a bit of a dead end, while the latter opens a door to unlimited possibilities.  We also know that the mind can inadvertently get in the way of spirit and utilize any of its abilities against their intended purpose. This is the price that comes with free will. Humans have the choice of creating the mind in its entirety. Any reality can spring from the position of mind. But such choice, for the most part, is now lost as existing ideas from mass consciousness are foist upon the mind in childhood which severely limit its abilities by focusing it upon one declared "true" reality. One of the most powerful ways that this happens is through the computer-like function which creates preprogrammed sequences of thought and action, known as habit.  Just as we can program our computers to perform certain tasks automatically when we turn them on, so we are programmed by the society which uses us to conduct our lives within the defined limitations. Institutions exist to make sure that conformity is rewarded and non-conformity punished. One might conclude that without such, there would be chaos. But, in fact, one extreme is as inappropriate as the other.  Habit is a truly wonderful, mental capability. It is the ability to store and repeat an effective tool, skill or strategy so that it can be used time and again, rather than having to create a new approach each time. Habitsare developed through conscious effort, through developmental learning experiences, just like a computer programmer chooses what software and data to input. (The programmed physiological responses and processes of the brain that run the body, are not included in the category of habit as it is being defined).  Just as our "habits" sometimes take us to places we don't intend to go, such as when we plan to vary a pattern of travel but end up following the established one instead. (We start to go to the grocery store but end up on the road to the post office.) Changing a "habit" or ingrained pattern of behavior, requires intent and attention and, above all, repetition.  Habits are choices, purposely added to mind and carried out by the physical brain through its electrical chemical synaptic activity. Habits are learned, being impressed upon the blank mental slate from the moment of birth and throughout the lifetime. Learning good habits is purposeful self-development that facilitates spiritual expression. Ideally, habits should only be created under the direction of spiritual intention and altered the moment they diminish in their effectiveness.  Most of us have habits that we believe are beneficial to ourselves, even though, when they are carried to excess, we are the last to recognize and accept the fact. In examining our "habits" the guideline might be, "Does this activity (physical or mental) do anything to enhance my physical, mental and spiritual well being?" When it is doing just the opposite, we should know it's time to change.  Habits can be so well ingrained, certain functions can happen simultaneously within the mind and consciousness need not even be disturbed. This ability allows humans to do many things at the same time, while focusing their attention upon that which is necessary and allowing the mind to do other things on "automatic pilot".  My son was recently trying to do just that when he made a left turn into an oncoming vehicle. He and the other driver were alright, but his vehicle (less aware of what the programmer was doing), suffered for it. His pride had a few dents in it, also.  There are two main types of habits, mental and physical. A mental habit is a sequence of thought, like a computer macro, which rapidly goes through a series of steps to complete a desired action, without the conscious involvement of the operator at each interim step. One thought or feeling triggers the pattern and consciousness is only aware of the result---if even that. The result has to be above or below existing expectation to elicit a feeling to focus the awareness upon the habitual effect. If the mind paints a reasonably accurate portrait of the external world, expectation is often met habitually so that consciousness is bypassed entirely.  I remember reading somewhere that 80-90% of our thoughts in a day are the same thoughts we had the day before. This seemed to be quite true. We may see someone or something that triggers an established belief and the thoughts associated with that belief/experience will run the memory, like a cassette tape. It's only when we alter the content of that "tape", that our thought experience will change.  Mental habits automatically associate former experiences, existing beliefs, expectations and information with incoming information, to sort, classify, and find meaning in each experience, quickly without much conscious effort. Humans rely heavily upon mental habits to be versatile and successful in need-meeting challenges in a wide variety of situations or cultural environments.  It could be presumed that if our existing beliefs and expectations were of high spiritual quality, not only would our view of our world be altered, but the effect we have on our reality would also be improved.  Attitudes are mental habits. They are preformulated judgements about incoming stimulus which can help automatically classify and respond to incoming information. Attitudes are intimately connected with the emotional system. Attitudes connect existing beliefs to similar, previously judged, experience. Attitudes which are in accordance with spiritual intention are wonderful things to have. Attitudes that are not aligned with spirit can be very detrimental. If left unexamined, they can reinforce inaccurate information and behavioral responses.  Ever heard the phrase, "You've got an attitude problem." It is usually uttered by people who have "attitude problems" of their own. Attitudes are like the expressions we wear on our faces. They almost immediately broadcast our inner state of mind. If you don't think so, try walking a block on a busy street with a smile on your face and the next block with a frown. Watch the feedback you receive from those you meet. Like attracts like.  Choices of action are often based upon attitudes. For example, the attitude that the world can be made into a wonderful, safe, accommodating and just place will most likely motivate actions which will ultimately make it that way. On the other hand, an attitude that is defensive, pessimistic, and competitive, will most likely lead to actions that create further individual and emotional chaos.  Could it be that simple? Whyyyy not! If we truly do create our own reality, than the attitudes we bring into that state of mind will likely be the ultimate governing factor.  Physical habits are motor skills which are patterns of muscular movement that bring about a desired goal. Walking is a learned series of balanced movements which becomes a habit. Playing a musical instrument or excelling in athletics or dance are all based upon the formation of physical habits. Each and every such pattern of physical movement which creates spiritual expression is a highly desirable commodity.  Some years ago there was a very popular book titled "Psycho-Cybernetics". One of the points of this book was that the mere imagining of an activity produces the same result as physically doing the activity. One could improve ones physical skills by rehearsing them in one's mind. It would stand to reason that this could work in both directions. Positive thoughts produce "like deeds" and positive deeds produce "like thoughts."  Habits can greatly assist humans to take on tremendous challenges and juggle many activities simultaneously. This can allow for multiple outlets for spirit to maximize its expression. For example, think about when you are driving to work, or to some other environment in which you can satisfy your needs. Perhaps your spirit finds pleasure in music so you are listening to your radio. Your mind is thinking about a task that awaits you at your destination. You are strategizing for the hours to come, as well as reflecting upon events earlier in the day, you are navigating traffic, and perhaps even drinking a cup of coffee.  Imagine what kind of concentrated power we could achieve if, instead of indulging in all those diverse thoughts at the same time, we could be thinking of just one desired goal or personal insight. Eureka!  Then suddenly, a particularly pleasing song from your past comes on the radio and you begin to sing along with it. As you are singing, you suddenly remember a project that you did not finish the previous day. You then immediately begin thinking about what you are going to do to complete the project as soon as you get to work. But the mind is so adept in its use of habits that you do not even skip a beat of the song you are singing as these other thoughts intrude into your consciousness. Indeed, your singing has gone on auto-pilot, as has your driving and your consciousness is free to receive other insights and thoughts. If someone should suddenly cut you off in traffic, your consciousness would immediately be returned to the focus of driving, allowing you to take defensive action. All this is possible due to the mind's ability to operate through habit.  Amazing, aren't we!  Habits of Defense: The Self-Preservationary Impulse We know now that the hardwired defense responses exist in the body to ensure human survival. Defensive action which avoids a car accident is an excellent example of when this response is effective and appropriate. Defensive responses that honor, protect and maintain the boundaries of spirit are essential and many are hardwired into the body. But body defenses can quickly generalize to mind, if the critical boundary between mind and spirit is not recognized and scrupulously honored. Until now, the self has been a mishmash of mental, physical and spiritual processes all lumped together. Defense responses of mind have become an accepted part of human experience. But they are not innate. They are formulated exclusively through learning and reinforced through habit. They lie within the realm of willful control and are resolvable.  Programmed belief systems can "defend" the mind against broader and more enlightening concepts which, when allowed to become part of a new paradigm, can lead to greater control over our own destiny. In other words, when not initiated to think otherwise, we can override limiting concepts and expand our reality to a far larger extent than is normally perceived. Even when we have been so "initiated", we can reformulate ourselves through an act of Free Will.  Humans do not need to concern themselves terribly much with gaining conscious control over the hardwired defensive responses that protect spiritual emotional boundaries; they will come naturally when allowed. But, it is essential to guard against habitual defenses. (Fight and Flight responses) that protectboundaries of mind. For it is the ever-evolving habits of mind that will direct and control the alternate, beneficial, developmental (Right) and expressive (Light) responses. Besides, any situation that is dire enough to invoke physical survival responses probably warrants them anyway.  New mental and philosophical concepts that are automatically met with Fight or Flight responses, are seldom given a fair hearing by our cultural-minded nature and, consequently, we end up running in place for too much of our physical experience in this plane.  It is the defensive habits of mind which now need to be addressed with a more detailed focus. Since there has never been an accurate understanding of the spiritual emotional sense, there have arisen many external dictates and ideas within the Mind of Man which perpetuate the development of defense habits of mind. We now know the goal of mind is to expand and never to defend and preserve, yet defense is the hardwired automatic motivation. The hardwired response, however, can be overridden by purposeful habit development which counteracts self-preservationary impulses whenever the true need is to develop mind. These mental defenses, however, cannot be counteracted until they are clearly identified.  Choosing outside information that only reinforces the Mind of Man attitudes, only leads to mental stagnation. Along with the act of reprogramming ourselves, comes the responsibility to do so with the full opportunity for guidance by Spirit. To the degree that we are willing to trust in our Spiritual nature, we will be able to expand the rest (physical and mental part) of our nature. This is what is meant by "surrendering to the Divine".  The basic defensive responses of Fight and Flight can take many forms in the realm of mental habit. But there are several clearly "human" patterns which can be readily observed. They are counter to spiritual intention; they violate the response rules; they keep the motivation and behavior in a mode of competitive self-preservation; and they must be consciously eliminated to restore maximum progress upon the Destiny Path. They can now be known as the Eight Deadly Habits.  The Eight Deadly Habits  The eight deadly habits can be seen in actions throughout human history---in wars, in political, judicial and social trends, in art forms such as literature, poetry, dramatic theater and film. They can be seen as factors which underlie rules, codes, mores, religious tenets and even laws. They each perpetuate relationship breakdown, severing human connection. They offer evidence of man's "innate immorality" and "sin" and "evil" capacity. But they are not part and parcel of a spiritually intended human nature. They are choices and mental habits which are imparted without conscious intention and left unchecked. Such habits almost always temporarily satisfy one or more of the spiritual needs, but always at the expense of another---creating further spiritual pain. They can and should be reversed. Each of these patterns only occurs if the rules of response are broken (Right>Light>Fight>Flight). They occur when Flight and Fight come before or in place of Right and Light responses. But since they are so habitual, so prevalent and so accepted, they require special mention.  Even our "classic" works of literature are founded upon these habits. It is for this reason that their imitation is so habitual. The flawed precepts are held as the ideal and until these precepts are fully examined, they can not be corrected.  Resistance  The first four deadly habits fall into the broad category of resistance. This is the wrongful tendency to preserve mind, which springs from the rightful tendency and innate impulse to preserve spirit and its body.Resistance disallows the mind to even receive the spirit's incoming information necessary to right itself.Resistance is tantamount to keeping the doors to the mental house firmly closed, so that nothing ever comes into the receiving room, let alone the spiritual judgment room. Resistance is essentially the Flight Response which seeks to avoid or escape any incoming information which may cause pain.  Maintaining the status quo is more comfortable than moving beyond the confines of the familiar. But unless we are willing to stretch our minds beyond these "familiar confines", we will remain childlike in a controlling environment.  But as we know, such spiritual pain is a necessary signal pointing to that which needs to be altered in order to accommodate, develop and express the spirit. Humans are quite hearty indeed when it comes to pain.But the highest levels of fear and anger are only experienced when faulty ideas---slivers---remain protected within the walls of the mental house due to resistance. The small levels of necessary growing pain are very easy for humans to handle. They can even be invigorating. Unfortunately, through habit, all pain gets lumped together and a defensive posture of avoiding all pain sets the stage for resistance.  We're familiar with the phrase "Don't worry - Be Happy!" In our society, happiness is defined as that which detracts from pain of any kind. Not that "worry" contains the automatic solution to any pain we might be burying. By itself, it seldom accomplishes anything. However, it does act as a signal that the issue causing one to worry, has to be examined in depth, until it can be resolved and proper responses can be contrived.  Resistance is the antithesis of open acceptance. It comes in many subtle forms. We have already discussed the concept of denial and how certain things are simply not admitted into the consciousness. Denial, of course, is synonymous with resistance. To truly communicate the depth of its insidiousness, we will point to some major forms of denial which may make the concept more readily recognizable in everyday thought and action.  Resistant Escapism  The most common form of resistance is escapism.Escaping the challenging situation immediately removes the pain, for the consciousness is quickly refocused. Of course, escapism is often necessary and healthful, when willfully and rationally chosen and utilized sparingly. For example, in the modern world, humans scramble about directing their energies in many different directions in order to juggle their need-meeting responsibilities in a crazy man-made world ill suited for spirit. This can be physically and mentally exhausting and certain "down times" are necessary to maintain the physical health of the body.  There are people in our society today who don't truly know the meaning of "down times". We refer to them as workaholics and sometimes envy the result (monetary profit) of their lifestyle. This is a short term view, as most of them end up finding escape in ways that they neither contemplated or desired.  In such cases, a little escapism into the physical and mental realms of relaxation are good choices. This is why universal patterns of work schedules have been adopted in varying forms across human civilizations. Days off, break periods, and vacations are commonly understood to be healthful and necessary. The underlying reason is that spirit requires certain changes in routine, alterations of experience, time to refocus and reevaluate the goals and strategies of mind. Such periods should always follow times of intensity in order to maintain the spiritual balance required and ensure physical health.  The Judeo-Christian Bible tells us that even God had the good sense to take a break on the 7th day. My wife reminds me that I once said that doing something different can serve as a relaxant, and usually finds something for me to do on my day off.  Escapism is always driven by the self preservationary impulse. When the mind and body are overtaxed, the spirit cries out through its feelings that down times are necessary for health and maintenance of the body---self preservation. Feelings of exhaustion, distress and fatigue are all signs from the spirit to slow down, relax and reflect. Remember, spirit is encoded in body to safeguard and protect its physical and mental needs. Spirit has ensured survival in this manner throughout the history of humankind. Such urges from the spirit are to be heeded immediately so that mind and body are given the care they deserve.  When I was young (and maybe this still exists), there were devices placed on school buses that prohibited the vehicle from being driven faster than a certain speed, maybe 45 miles per hour. However, a clever bus driver usually found a way to "slip the governor" and exceed the speed when appropriate. Humans are clever at that kind of thing, sometimes to a fault.  Another very useful aspect of this retreat mechanism is to ensure that the mind will not be overwhelmed by an overpowering challenge. This is the innate tendency to deny that which is exceptionally disturbing to one's sense of order, justice and meaning. Any daunting task or challenge can be approached with much more vigorous action if there is an optimistic, but perhaps less realistic understanding of the challenge at hand. In such cases denial allows the mind to parcel out a huge challenge or mental shift into smaller parts. With this strategy, the mind can still utilize existing skills while slowly conquering tremendous challenges. It is not unheard of for a human to utter, "If I had known how hard this would be, I never would have tried in the first place. But now I'm glad I did". At certain times, shielding oneself from such intensity motivates the courage necessary for monumental accomplishments.  What I'm doing here is a good, personal illustration. Yet, how much would ever be accomplished if we could see far enough into the future to encompass all that might be involved in a task. For this reason "Ideals" must be nebulous while 'ideas' are more specific.  These are the "good" types of escapism. They maintain and protect spiritual boundaries. They are the kind necessary to ensure that spirit in flesh can handle the pace and expectations of the mind. Spirit will always direct these actions, in ways that maintain fulfillment of all the needs, as well as the protection of the physical form. The accurately interpreted feelings of spirit will motivate appropriate escapes. This type of self preservation will ensure that the mind does not get overly ambitious and overtax the limitations of the body.  When in doubt, seek the insight of someone who is close to her/his feelings, observe the person's life style and see what can be learned from it. Males tend to have more difficulty getting in touch with their "feelings", but, there are plenty of females around who are ready and willing to help.  The other type---the deadly type---those to be extremely cautious about, are directed by mind. It is essential to be aware of the difference between these two types of escapism. Remember: Self-preservation, hardwired to protect boundaries of spirit, also generalizes to the boundaries of mind unless humans specifically reinterpret certain feeling signals. Mental escapism allows ideas to remain in the mind which limit the spirit, setting the stage for huge life strategies to be built upon faulty foundations. Escapism denies comprehension of experience which opposes the existing framework of belief. This occurs when items are in the "Gem Room" which have never been willfully and consciously sent through the "Spiritual Judgement" chamber. This is the type of escapism to avoid altogether. But at a minimum to ensure it never becomes habitual.  Put in a less convoluted way, we would be well served to reflect upon our thoughts on a regular basis, to listen through meditation or reflection; to examine the words that come out of our mouths---especially those habitual expressions; to examine the reactions of others to what we say. Progress in spiritual evolution should be as regular as eating and sleeping, and just as habitual.  On the surface it may sound difficult to tell the difference between good and bad escapism. But there are several ways of distinguishing between the two. First, different emotional feelings will be experienced.When spirit is asking you to slow down and escape briefly, or to rethink a strategy into smaller more manageable portions, the feeling will relate to unmet needs. This will be clear. You will feel that some needs are being met at the expense of others and that it is time to reflect and reprioritize to ensure that you are on the best track for maximum spiritual development and expression.  You may find yourself meeting the demands of your job while compromising the emotional needs of your family. This might not be an easy realization to come to. Don't rely on the world around you to lead you to that insight. Any T.V. series that pointed that out would soon lose its sponsorship.  These types of signals will be callings from your spirit to make needed mental and physical changes. They will be the specific feelings of spirit (anger, sadness, or fear) or the bodily feelings of physical and mental fatigue. If the feeling is simply the anxiety of a growing pain, or any of the emotions of mind (guilt, shame, embarrassment, etc.) then escapism is not the optimal response choice. This is also true of inaccurately appraised spiritual feelings, when misperceptions of mind are truly the source of the imbalance. Spirit is a hound dog when it comes to tracking down and directing attention to those thought-habits that are in need of correction. The hunter need only trust and know that, in the end, the prey (responsible thought) will be found and sufficient attention will be directed to it, especially now that we have been given the benefit of these 'Lessons'.  The second way to tell, is that choosing escapism inappropriately will bring additional negative feelings of spirit after the fact, to indicate this wrongful choice. If escapism is chosen to avoid necessary learning experiences then one's world will contract rather than expand. For instead of developing more and more ways for spirit to find expression, this erects emotional boundaries of mind that narrow the mental comfort zone. Such contraction is frustrating to spirit and brings further dissonant feelings such as boredom and fear. Boredom indicates spirit is confined and seeks new adventures and experiences. Fear will be experienced at the thought of environments and challenges for which adequate skills have not yet been developed. Guilt is also experienced, as well as envy, when others who have risen to such challenges, model their successes and the self feels threatened by comparison. Through these feelings, the spirit is saying: "You can do that too! Get busy!"  In a competitive environment where it seems like everyone is competing for everything - even love, our feelings of self-worth are often allowed to become distorted to the point where it seems that loving ourselves for our spiritual values puts us in a less-valued state in our society. This is a "short-term" view and, if allowed to play itself out, will become self-evident.  True resistant escapism is always in direct response to emotional pain. It becomes habitual quite quickly, due to the self-preservation mechanism and lack of human understanding of how to heed the voice of spirit. When escapism is habitual, it becomes quite unconscious and comfortable. Escapism can become such an ingrained habit that potentially painful situations are avoided altogether to maintain that comfort. Of course, this means that instead of freedom and ever-expanding arenas of activity, the world becomes narrow and limited to existing environment and challenges that can already be met in familiar ways. Resistant escapism frustrates the need for freedom, development and expression. It can also frustrate the need for spiritual connection if the tendency actually keeps individuals from interacting with each other. There are far too many individuals with habitual strategies of escapism. Many band together in groups who stand firm against the world with rigid "cultlike" mentalities which are closed to experimental input.  We find these "cultlike" groups everywhere. They exist under the virtuous labels of family, fraternity, culture, church, lifestyle, corporate, sexual orientation, cooperatives, guilds, etc. Wherever there is the effort to organize people in groups of like beliefs or values, there is the further tendency to close down the minds of those in such groups and steel its members against the views that tend to expand the limited view of the members.  Just about anything can become a habit of escape. Even positive pleasurable experiences if sought in direct response to emotional pain can become habitual derailers. Any behaviors which are pleasurable and fulfilling are ripe to become possible escapist habits.These include: eating, working, playing, making love, reading, watching television, hobbies, computing---virtually anything. Then of course, there are the more obviously insidious escapes into alcohol, nicotine, and other drugs. Many obsessive, compulsive and addictive behaviors are rooted in resistant escapism.  ...and here we thought all those things we seem to enjoy doing so (too) much, were really just our way of getting pleasure out of life. It turns out that when we take those "pleasures" to excess, we are probably doing so because we want to avoid another activity that might challenge us to face those things and people that have defeated us.  The line can be drawn between healthy and unhealthy pleasure by determining the spirit in which the choice is made to partake of them and by watching for the subsequent emotions they bring. If the response rules are always followed, such strategies will be recognized and eliminated from the house of mind. Resistance is an insidious habit. Resistance is the choice to deny life and human experience. Its deadly pattern can take root in several alternate forms.  Most of us live in an environment where there is so much of this type of situation going on around us that we accept it as not just normal but natural and, consequently, adaptable behavior. What we are also exposed to is the consequences of this state. Once we begin to be able to see the connection between the patterns and the negative consequences, we will start on the road toward leading more enlightened lives.  This discussion will continue to expose the deadly habits, but resistant escapism can be well disguised. It is also the first deadly habit which sets the stage for others to follow suit, perpetuating a destructive cycle of self-preservationary action. It is first suggested that you begin examining your daily actions and expose each act of resistant escapism. This shall be a beginning step along the path of developing replacement habits.  Don't despair. Help is on the way.  Resistant Defensiveness  The second deadly habit keeps important information on the outside of mind by bouncing it back with defensive thoughts and comments. These can take many forms. But each is designed to minimize or deflect any emotional feedback information which could be considered painful---even a minor anxious, growing pain. This can become so habitual that nearly all suggestions and offerings to Light are deflected and self-development comes to a near halt.  This is not hard to spot. We all know people (maybe many of our friends) who have developed a rather flippant attitude toward life in general. We can recognize this "characteristic" because we have developed a certain amount of it in ourselves.  Many perspectives, although quite valid, can serve to stop incoming information contrary to existing mindsets. Simple acceptance of incoming information ensures that each piece will have its fair hearing in the Spiritual Judgment room of mind. Rationalizations are wonderful tools of deflective defense. Self righteousness is a very successful defense, as is suspicion, prejudice, justification, explanation and self-deprecation. These are all seemingly innocent acts which are forms of mental resistance that keep incoming information at bay. They refuse to accept accountability of situations that arise. They keep potentially painful information safely hidden outside the walls of the house of mind, by insisting that the source of the problem exists externally.  It has been observed that we truly see "ourselves" in the circumstances and people around us. This reflection can often be rather painful. In an effort to avoid that "pain", we begin to take a mental sedative in the form of altered thinking habits. We practice on a mental level what much of society practices on a physical level. We take a psychological "aspirin".  Mental receptivity is essential for self development.Allowing in feedback information, no matter how painful, is the first step to heeding and acting upon the voice of spirit---living in the light. It is crucial to honestly observe your interactionary behavior and carefully note whether or not any thoughts, actions, or comments seek to deflect information rather than allow it in. Resistance defense maintains mental boundaries by keeping the conscious focus upon existing ideas so that incoming information is simply not absorbed or even heard. Such defense habits comprise a great deal of "normal" human interaction. They can be quite subtle but every bit as detrimental as the most dramatic forms of escapism.  Of course, in a competitive (combative) world, this can seem like making oneself vulnerable to the insensitive aggression of the less aware in our environment. However, understanding what's going on, goes a long way in helping us cope with the initial pain that comes with letting down one's guard long enough to see the absurdity of the "game".  Resistant Self-Deception  By far the most insidious habit of resistance is that of self-deception. This is the simple act of lying to one's self and pretending that certain experiences are simply not occurring. Self-deception keeps the bad feelings at bay by blatantly denying the reality of the experience.  We might also call it "Selective Forgetfulness". It may sound odd to suggest such, but what this characteristic comes from is a genuine lack of self-love. If we cared about ourselves to the degree we should, we would apply our greatest sense of honesty to ourselves, not in a harsh, punishing fashion, but with the degree of love we know we deserve.  One of the most effective ways to deceive one's self, is to tell lies to others. In fact, every act of deception, every spoken falsehood, whether harmless or violent, is an act of self-deception. At its source, a lie seeks to convince all concerned that circumstances are not as they are. To bear false witness is to exploit the vulnerability of human mind, both its unlimited capacity to create reality and its helpless reliance upon external sensory information. Deception is a violation of the trust necessary for civilized, cooperative living. Of the broadly accepted religious commandments, this is the most spiritually legitimate.  Governments and other social institutions often justify deception by following the rationalization that "the end justifies the means". In the name of this false presumption, many an organized society has descended the slippery slope of immorality. When mistrust comes between the government and the governed, chaos on many fronts creeps in.  Although the power of creative reality is such that creative visualization can actually alter probable events, there is a huge difference between creative thought and self-deception. Creativity fully acknowledges the degree of challenge necessary to obtain a desired result. It allows in all information signals and utilizes them to build the best mental skills to make it actual. Deception seeks to minimize the challenge or get around it in a lazy sub-spiritual attempt to reduce the necessary effort. Even "little white lies" are deceptive and dishonoring. They ignore the impetus to honestly express and are best converted to honest truths, couched in the most compassionate and cooperative terms, and offered as Light Responses.  We are nearly all susceptible to flattery, to one degree or other and we are all tempted to use it to make a good impression. The problem is that it creates weak links in our social fabric when it has only a superficial intent. When we truly care about others (and, again ourselves), we put more thought and effort into our communications and, consequently, get more lasting results.  All forms of resistance share the common goal of leaving the incoming information outside the mental door so that any pain can be avoided. These habits can bring human evolution to its knees. But resistance is not the only problem. For information can be allowed in, "truths" imparted directly into the gem room without having gone through the spiritual advisory. This inserts slivers and allows them to drive the actions and minimize the choices of its master. These slivers are allowed to fester and bring the next class of deadly habit---resentment.  There are certain professions in our society that have managed to score high in the arena of public contempt. I'll leave the reader to surmise what they might be. Suffice it to say that the art of slipping half-truths in with falsehoods, as Lincoln said, can not "fool all the people all of the time".  Resentment  Once the faulty ideas have been allowed into the mind, they continue to frustrate the spirit. Like resistance keeps things out, resentment holds them in. The beauty of the spiritual wisdom, however, is that it responds to slivers pronouncing its negative judgment upon them through feelings of emotional pain. So even though these ideas have bypassed the conscious judgment process, they are still subject to its safety-net effect. Thus, the negative feelings will build into a new energy called resentment.  The key to taking advantage of this "safety-net" is in establishing a willingness to open oneself to these feelings and desire to become more aware of them. This is simply an act of intent, one that will never be rejected by our Higher Self.  This condition allows the individual to harbor ill will toward the falsely identified source of his or her troubles, never considering the possibility that a change within self is necessary, nor utilizing their rightful power. This habit springs from lack of understanding of the personal will power and the flexibility of mind. Resentment is counter to spiritual intention, it is competitive and self-preservationary, so it creates further pain. This energy builds and haunts the mind and creates victim-like events to bring the slivers to the attention of the master of the mental house.  With an understanding that we truly create our own reality, comes the further awareness that "reality" is not the creation of someone or something else. As this awareness becomes our reality, so also does our sense of responsibility for what we are and what we experience.  Resentment is a lingering feeling of frustration which prompts new ideas to counter them. Oftentimes, instead of removing the first slivers, new ones are added like a scaffolding of mental explanations for one's woes. Oftentimes other people or situations are cited as responsible for the unpleasant events in a given person's life. When there is a perception of an external limitation, spiritual anger will be experienced. Resentment allows the anger to stew inside when one insists an outside source is responsible for an inside problem, bringing further negative outcomes.  Breaking this ongoing pattern is essential to our spiritual growth and the process begins with our understanding of it and ends with our realization and practice of a more evolved approach to our life circumstances. This is a natural process which we elect to put into motion. We progress at our own desired pace, a pace which accelerates as we begin to see the benefits more clearly.  Resentful Blame  Eventually this resentment will bring about mental changes. But most often, it brings further faulty explanations for bad events and assigns distorted "meaning." This type of psychic finger-pointing is another of the deadly habits. It is known as blame.  For many people, when bad things happen, they immediately look around for someone to blame. If anything suggests a "non-responsible" belief mode, this does. It is the precursor to the greatest state of unhappiness.  Feelings of anger, guilt, envy, anxiety, or shame often motivate a blaming response. The act of blame is a maladaptive Flight Response in which the external realm is held accountable for internal problems. To blame, is to think that it might be due to Karma, or the weather, or the configuration of the stars, or the secret government, that things are not going as the individual plans. Such finger pointing can bring temporary postponement of feelings but never true spiritual fulfillment. For the underlying dissonance always remains, creating further negativity in feeling and experience.  Once adopted as a habit of thought, there is no way out. Every experience in potential or in fact, is already assigned to a "blame" culprit. The very detachment from personal responsibility, detaches us from the awareness of our creative capability. We become the ultimate victim.  The tone and personality of the habitual blamer, will be angry, frustrated, impotent and often a martyred victim. There will be ongoing helplessness, disempowerment and negative emotions since the problems will never be adequately addressed. Modern society often promotes blaming, with its fault-finding judicial system and general misconceptions regarding the mind's potential to create reality.  Not only does it promote it, it very often rewards the victim monetarily. There is a whole industry built up around the concept of compensation for the unfortunate experiences of life. Yet, if these experiences were truly examined, such would probably be found to be of one's own making. Unfortunately, what that non-responsibility ultimately leads to is irresponsibility.  In sum, resistant blame is counter-productive. It defends internal limited mindsets by creating false external limitations. The appropriate response to any true external limitation is the Light Response, wherein cooperative alternations to the situation are achieved. This could be through persuasion of another person whose limited perspective does not honor nor accommodate your needs. Blame, however, does nothing but ensure further limitation.  Limitation is in contradiction to creative potential, the latter being the truly spiritual quality of our nature.  Hostility  With continuing habits of resistance to incoming feedback, resentment grows into contempt---and the next deadly habit hostility. With this shift, a permanent assessment against another person or situation is incorporated into the mind. Eventually the energy will build to the point that genuine hatred will be felt toward those who have been blamed. This will allow the formation of certain strategies to counteract the evil efforts of the agitator, no matter how unrealistic this assessment is in the perspective of others.  How much buried hostility is there prevalent in our society today. Most of it remains just below the surface and does most of its damage by imploding upon the carrier rather than person against whom it is felt, because we live in a so-called "civilized" society. Yet, it eventually does take it toll, if not against someone else, most certainly against oneself.  The harboring of ill will toward another does nothing but channel that energy inward and disrupt the natural flow necessary to maintain positive balance and physical health. But the energy continues to build since the actual source of the problem has never been addressed, ushering in the next class of deadly habit.  Psychologists and clerical people may talk about the damage caused by buried feelings of hostility, but the solutions for dealing with it usually aren't offered until after it has caused us serious problems. That may be because hostility, when harnessed and organized, can be quite beneficial in times of organized conflict.  Revenge  When the lingering resentment and hostility builds to unbearable proportions, some external outlet is necessary to ensure self-preservation. The remaining deadly habits fall into the category of external venting and seeking revenge upon the blamee. Blaming and hostility lie in the mental realm---revenge takes the Fight Response into the physical realm. To think it is one thing, but to further act upon hostility is quite another. Many reprehensible and evil acts follow the habitual motive to get even.  The above gives motive to the admonition to "turn the other cheek", since the "eye for an eye" suggestion usually serves to exasperate matters and quite often leads to accelerating violent physical acts and the predictable consequences.  Revenge often seeks to lower another to a less intimating level of comparison. Revenge is to inflict pain back upon the one that has been assumed to have caused it. It is the urge born from hurt to hurt back.When the spirit feels lowly and small, trapped within its mental straight-jacket, the feelings can prompt changes which bring others down to the low and small position rather than elevating the self.  It becomes a matter of relativity, making oneself feel better by making someone else feel worse. Hostility carried within for too long a period, becomes a habit of thought that is reflected toward just about everyone in one's immediate environment, to the extreme point that the environment must become restricted to protect society. Revenge always directly springs from anger which often grows from unexamined and misdirected feelings of guilt, envy, anxiety or shame. But this form of angersprings from the limitations and expectations of mind, rather than any valid external obstacle. As long as the human race continues, there will always be plenty of opportunity for people to be hurt by others. Whether the hurt is one from misconceived ignorance or comes from a deliberate act of aggression, pain upon human interaction is inevitable.  What, than, could change this? It would likely have to be something that would "enlighten" this human race to the point of understanding that we truly do create our own reality and are responsible for not only what we think, but for the consequences that ultimately result.  Vengeful Gossip  Revenge can often masquerade as seemingly harmless acts and comments. It starts with small external comments, remarks, and suggestions, not directly focused upon the source. Gossip is a form of revenge. Often times when one is hurt by comparison to another, no matter how mildly, it is often the act of choice to belittle that person behind their back. This is an act of cowardice which does not clear the air with the person believed to be at issue, but rather allows the gossip to feel escapist pleasure in the position of power that their words assume. The initial painful feeling should have instead motivated an inward reflection and the addition of a conscious goal to either gain the desirable quality, or a mental shift to truly accept the impossibility of doing so. With this type of internal adjustment, future situations are not likely to invoke the same feelings.  We are all susceptible to this temptation, probably because it is so prevalent and easy to indulge in. We often poke fun of those who indulge in gossip to an excess, but we encourage these people by listening to what they have to say. The reaction to this type of behavior might start with an uneasy feeling when we are exposed to it, followed by resistance and a disinclination to pass the "gossip" along.  For example, a woman feels envy upon meeting another who is a particularly beautiful and an accomplished artist. With this feeling, the spirit within is suggesting "you can do that too!" Instead of bad-mouthing the artist, the woman commits herself to practicing and studying ways to express her own artistic talent. Such an adjustment should not include trying to convince herself of her own inferiority by comparison in the beauty department. The physical embodiment is part of spirit and cannot, nor should not, be changed, defiled, or rejected for any reason. Certain physical forms are often chosen for specific purposes aligned with the Destiny Path. Adopting the freeing attitude of developing all those talents and abilities that can be brought forth and accepting the physical form as is, is the most beneficial strategy. Remember, the spirit as well as its body, its appearance, its needs and desires, cannot be changed by anything mental. Only the mind can change by adding new ideas, strategies, perceptions, values, and skills.  We are all examples to each other, for better or worse. How we react to others with better looks or greater talents or higher paying jobs or larger houses or more expensive cars, is directly conditional to our own sense of worth and self-love. The greater the latter, the less we are threatened by those who might have something we don't have. Knowing that we can and do create our own reality, can spark an ambition that will reinforce that belief.  It takes particular strength of spirit to reject the many judgmental ideas from mass consciousness regarding the human form, its appearances and processes. Existing society prompts many envious feelings. Certain unrealistic standards are foist upon individuals and accepted, pitting mind against spirit. Such an act always leads to further emotional pain and self-depreciation and eventually depression. If such ideas are not rejected, unrealistic comparisons are inevitable, eliciting negative emotions. Such feelings when misunderstood, motivate escapism and vengeance instead of the necessary self-development (a Right Response).  In a competitive society, the need to "win" or be the best, carries with it the brutal consequences of not being the best with the most. We have a choice. We can either play by the rules that our particular society aims to impose, or we can establish our own rules and sidestep the negative aspects and stresses that lead away from spiritual evolvement, and begin to create a fuller life for ourselves.  Eventually, even the most adept practitioner of vengeful gossip will need a more direct outlet. The anger will continue to build until it is expressed. The emotional system is such that the spirit will never be satisfied until the actual source of the dissonance has been addressed. And, of course, the mind can declare what that source is, depending upon its contents. It will decide the source of dissonance, whether it be right (in accordance with spiritual intention) or it be wrong (as perceived through a distorted mental lens) due to continuing resistance.  Awareness of a particular characteristic is the first step. Dealing with the characteristic is the next and most crucial step. To make the positive choice requires going within ourselves and tapping the guidance we know comes from our "higher" selves.  But right or wrong, if the mind is utterly convinced in its belief, the spirit will motivate external changes upon the source directed in the Fight Response. Although this will perpetuate survival, it is not appropriate unless the response rules have been observed. In the situation of building resentment, all behavioral motivations are based upon faulty information that has never been fully examined, acknowledged or understood.  This is the ultimate challenge, establishing a perspective based upon as much truth as one can uncover and deal with. This is also the road to compassion and understanding and, of course, spiritual growth.  Vengeful Aggression  If the mental corrections are still not made, eventually the energy will build into direct expression of anger against the persons or situation believed to be at issue. This is known as the deadly habit of vengeful aggression.  In recent history we saw an example of where "Deadly Habits of Self-Preservation", if not corrected, can lead. The young men who perpetrated the crimes in Colorado were most likely subject to negative treatment which resulted in their banding together and contemplating some vengeful reprisal.  Such aggression can take the subtle form of passive aggression, or it can be more direct. But in each case, the anger is directed outward before any internal work has occurred. For example, in the case of the enviable woman, the envious one might make some back-handed complement which actually insults or judges the woman harshly. Such as, "Your use of color is surprisingly sophisticated".  At this stage, the "aggression" is limited to words, but when such become damaging weapons, an escalation is in progress. Where it leads is up to the recipient as much as it is the perpetrator.  Vengeful aggression is successful at venting the emotion, for it does indeed address the perceived source of the problem. But it has violated the response rules; it serves only self-preservation, and it is only a temporary fix. The true source of the problem lies within the beliefs and limitations of mind, not in the external other or situation. Nevertheless, with pent-up emotion, humans will inevitably lash out at those whom they have blamed.  When adolescents are stretching into adulthood, they are often mimicking the patterns of behavior they have witnessed as children. For better or worse, adults are the ultimate educators of the young through the use of example. Adolescents are prone to see the negative and incur the wrath incorporated within it, because of their need to be contrary at that age. Thus, do they cling together and emphasize their rebellion.  These mini violations upon another generally remain in the verbal realm. They are serious enough in their effects. But when enough emotional energy is accumulated, there will be an external explosion in the physical realm of much greater significance.  Alas, the violence we are seeing in schools is a reflection of a society in need of greater self-examination. Unfortunately, what is likely to follow is only a form of greater restriction and less communication and trust. Vengeful Violence  This is the deadly habit of vengeance violence. It is due to vengeful violations that laws and punishments have arisen. It is the source of the human reputation for evil capacity. It has become accepted as an inevitable human action, although it is truly a habit born of ignorance within a misguided mind, that is learned and can be unlearned.  One could write volumes about what has been happening in the news lately. In eastern Europe, people are wreaking violence against those who are wreaking violence against others. In Colorado, fantasy violence turned into reality violence, carried to an extreme. But it is Capital Punishment which serves as the most legitimate form of vengeful violence today. Examples teach and behavior can be learned or, as stated above "unlearned".  When anger is vented physically upon another person or a group of people, this is the ultimate maladaptive, anti-spiritual human act. It obliterates any semblance of cooperation and reduces everyone involved to self-preservationary stances. What is truly evil, is that vengeful violation can be taught as perfectly respectable and necessary. Beliefs can be instilled which manipulate the emotional fight and flight responses to gain certain ends. Fear and anger can be invoked and marshaled by strong and charismatic leaders to gain compliance and participation in quite heinous acts.  Meanwhile, even a civilization that has been exposed to a spiritual philosophy including such admonitions as "Love God with All They Heart and Thy Neighbor as Thyself" and "When smitten on the right cheek, turn the left also", or words to that effect, can easily be swayed to use the act of violence in dealing with violence, as a first choice rather than a last choice.  This can be done with such effectiveness, that the anger may not even be associated with the act itself. Instead, temporary feelings of loyalty connectedness, and the fulfillment can come from committing atrocities while following advice of such a master. Thus it is essential to become a powerful master over one's own mind.  Modern weapons of war allow those who use them to never see either those against whom they are being used or first hand viewing of the consequences. We have made violence such an abstract act that we have to create fantasies to be imitated through movies and T.V. portrayals. The mind that blindly follows is the most dangerous of all.  Not much needs to be mentioned about vengeful violation, since human history speaks of its peril endlessly. But it is essential to make the connection between mental resistance and where it leads. It is also important to know that it is spiritually necessary to vigorously defend one's self against such violation by another. If Light Responses are insufficient, turning the other cheek against a motivated violator will not suffice. This is when a Fight Response for self preservation of spirit is in order. Until civilization becomes just that, this will be the case. In time, as more enlightened ideas are incorporated into mass consciousness, there shall begin a trend of fewer and fewer violations.  There is a clear difference between violence to protect and preserve one's physical existence and acts of random violence in reaction to damage to one's ego or as dispute resolution as a first choice. We can and must transcend this mentality for the benefit of all future generations.  In the current state of humanity, it is imperative to draw attention to the fact that each of the deadly habits are just that, unconscious, repetitive acts that bypass the consciousness and wreak havoc upon individuals and humanity.  If this is not self-evident in today's world, it probably never will be.  The Cycle Of Resistance  What is most devastating to human purpose, progress and evolution, is that the eight deadly habits combine together into a vicious and self-reinforcing cycle of behavior. This is when the emotional signal sounds, informing the mind that spirit is frustrated. This signal is met with some form of resistance, in which the feedback is not allowed into consciousness and the message of the spirit is lost. When this is allowed to occur, the original problem remains and the emotion lingers causing further agitation and motivation to fight and take flight.  Through whatever technique is appropriate, time needs to be set aside to contact the inner voice. It is only through a concerted effort to listen to our spiritual nature that progress can be made in altering the "habits" that permeate our society and lead to the least valued circumstances.  As long as the emotion remains blocked, the energy will build, allowing the mind to haphazardly make assumptions that assign meaning where none truly exists. The building emotion is held as resentment, and eventually expressed outward in some form of vengeance against the assumed source of the problem. Whoever is the target of the vengeance will, of course, respond to it in some way. If this response is resistance and the mind is not righted to accept the limitations of the vengeful one, the habit would be to return the vengeful favor. This second vengeful act will most likely be experienced as negative feedback, provoking further emotional pain within the original person. Again, the pain may be met with habitual resistance, then resentment and with vengeance, cast back upon the other.  Breaking this chain of action and reaction can only begin when society is clearly led to understand how to put into practice those alternatives that have been previously mentioned, beginning with the most spiritual and adopting the least idealistic as a final alternative. This can be done.  The anger will bounce back and forth between the two like a Ping-Pong ball in a deadly game of self-preservation. This is an incredible expenditure of energy. It diverts the attention away from stated goals and allows the entities to spin their human wheels---to while away their potential and live in pain and frustration, as well as allowing the creation of a hellish world. We can witness the consequences of a game gone out of control simply by turning on our television set in time for the evening news.  Sadly, this is how more humans operate than not.Civilizations are based upon this cycle of behavior, in the "knowledge" that this is the extent of human potential and that their only purpose is one of self-preservation. This is why systems of external control have arisen. From religious moral dictates, all the way to lengthy legal codes, such external controllers of the evil human exist in each and every grouping. These "truths" of mass consciousness continue to perpetuate the learning of the habitual cycle of self-preservation. It is no wonder that humans born into such structures learn to rely upon external control. With such ingrained truths, the concept of internal control is foreign, and the concept of internal guidance, innate morality, and spiritual intention even more so. These "truths" are the seeds that grow into habits of human disempowerment.  Also, sadly, there is evidence that when humans do weaken and do those things that reflect a low sense of respect for others and themselves, it is used as simply confirmation that unless external organizations gain a greater degree of control, society will continue to deteriorate. In fact, just the opposite is true. There are simply not enough weapons nor police to maintain proper order if there is no inner recognition of the spiritual value of ourselves and others.  To weed these habits from the mental garden is the first step to re-empowerment. This cycle is learned. It can---and must ---be unlearned. For it is essential to reconnect with the internal guidance and begin to live as fully functional human beings.  While our public education institutions are prohibited from teaching a particular religious set of dogmas, there is nothing to prevent them from teaching self-love and respect and suggesting that students look upon others with a like-minded attitude. I would be hard pressed to find such an ideal to be in contradiction to the teachings of any religious organization.  To break the habits and stop the cycle, the answer is human purpose. Resistance is learned and becomes habitual only because there is no understanding of the message of emotion. The self-preservationary impulse overtakes mind and body. Acceptance is the antithesis of resistance. Acceptance based upon clear knowledge and faith in human purpose is the counterpart habit needed to replace resistance.  It appears it is time for an "upgrade" in our collective attitude toward the human race as a whole. This can begin individually and move out from there. There are few, if any, human beings who are totally lacking in some admirable quality. If we can find these qualities within ourselves, we can find them in others. Given voice, these qualities can become stepping stones to an advanced collective. When a human being understands that the true purpose is self-development and expression, each situation is interpreted through this lens. Self preservation is seen for what it is---limiting. Each daily occurrence becomes highly significant and each piece of incoming information is welcomed with open mental arms. For each moment of each day can allow the opportunity to self-develop; to adjust the mind in concert with the incoming information, rather than to resist its validity.  This is a tall order, but not an impossible achievement. Habits of thought are simply those which begin with a single step and turn into a comfortable stroll.  This continues to broaden its boundaries, adding gems to the ever-expanding mental house. With each successful act of self-development comes a counterpart potential for additional self-expression. With each act of self-expression comes the resonance of fulfillment in Universal Joy. This is living in the light. This is living on purpose. This is the human experience as the Creator intended it to be.  While this is near the end of this Lesson, it can be the beginning of a new world.  Breaking the deadly habits will take serious effort, but progress can flow quickly and naturally when the focus remains upon purpose. We can now discuss the more positive habits that are developed in concert with spirit that foster the maximum levels of human joy possible in earthly experience.  Table of Contents