Q: I've been through your book once (too fast probably) and now I'm beginning again. Almost as soon as I started the book, all kinds of intense "opportunities" began to happen. They have kept on coming with more experiences and more intense experiences than I have ever had before in 12 years of meditation and 16 years of sobriety. What's bothering me is that I'm doing things like having fender benders, I wrecked my knee in a bike accident. All kinds of upheaval and growth in my marriage and some stuff that seems like I'm totally checked out! But believe me I feel awake. I'm not missing a thing!!Ok any comments would help right now. I'm doing al-anon a lot which helps but I feel totally kind of blasted out.
A: No matter how I stress that this procedure is real - that the impacts of placing one's attention [even just through reading text] upon our unintegrated emotional predicament impacts our life experience, still, we do not listen. Maybe this is because we have no point of reference in this world for what the word 'real' really implies... We hurry through the book thinking it is yet another quick-fix, despite all the guidance and recommendation to behave responsibly as we approach this work. This is not a game. This is not another New Age toy for metaphysical entertainment. This procedure is something real which has a real impact. It does not serve us to allow our neediness to cause us to crash about unconsciously in our life. Your unfolding experience when picking up this book, no matter how it unfolds, is your teaching. Where else are you dashing through life as a means to an end? Ask yourself this allow yourself to be shown. Where else are you unconsciously crashing into experiences because of needy [knee-die]desperation? Ask yourself this and allow yourself to be shown. When we follow the instructions of The Presence Process as are clearly given in the book [as in "do not hurry through this text" - "allow time for integration", etc.], our experience is much smoother than if we barge through it, ignoring the clear guidance not to do so, and trying to get everything resolved in the time it takes to speed-read the book. Just about everyone I have spoken to who becomes overwhelmed after entering the procedure - or even from just reading the text - have one thing in common: An intent to resolve everything as soon as possible. Such intent denies us of gentleness, manageable rhythm, and is a testament to our lack of responsibility for our overall experience. Yet, the consequence of such behavior and intent is in itself "our teaching". Our experience as we move through The Presence Process is a microcosm directly reflecting the macrocosm of our entire life experience. Initially, none of us go through The Presence Process differently than the way we are currently approaching our overall life experience. An impatient person does not go through this procedure patiently. Accordingly, the manner in which we make our journey through The Presence Process becomes in itself a teaching - a clear mirror showing us exactly how we are living our day-to-day lives. Learn from these lessons and the unconsciousness gradually dissolves. Ignore these lessons and we continue banging our head against the wall. This is pure physics! It does not serve us when we allow desperation to drive our healing - because then the outcome is desperate. How could it be any other way?
Now, stop, take a breath, and continue as if you are on a journey that has no end. How differently would you approach this procedure if you knew you would be applying what it reveals for the rest of your life? Because you will. It changes us forever. Would you still hurry if you took the word 'forever' seriously? This does not mean the procedure caused these incidence you speak of. The procedure is neutral. Blaming the procedure for accidents within our life is like blaming guns for crime. We always receive exactly what we require to slap us into wakefulness - especially if it is a slap which most serves us. The universe is extremely generous and graciously abundant in this matter. I used to barge through everything too, using every experience as "a means to an end". But there is no end - so where do we think we are rushing to? Relax. Take care of what is right in front of your right now with as much care and gentleness as possible. This is all we require mastering. The rest takes care of itself.
