their shoes and see things from their point of view。
To use the Instant Consciousness Doubler； you consciously feed the situation
in through the programming that you use when crystallizing your perception
of your own feelings and actions。 In many situations this can instantly double
your perceptiveness and wisdom in responding acceptingly and lovingly to
everyone around you。 Almost every time you feel irritated or angry； you are
simply alienating yourself from another person who is probably doing exactly
the same thing that you’ve done thousands of times and which you may
have accepted fully in yourself。
Suppose； for example； you ask someone to do something for you and he
replies in an irritated way； “Why don’t you do it yourself？” When these
words e in through your auditory nerves and are fed into the interpretive
sections of your bioputer； you are very likely to experience a threat to
your Power Center。 This is the point at which you use the Instant
Consciousness Doubler。 You can say to yourself； “There have been many
times when I’ve been annoyed when someone asked me to do something。
Perhaps I was busy。 Perhaps I felt that they could do it easier and better than
I； and they should not be asking me in the first place。 Or perhaps I was tired。
Perhaps my addictions were at that moment keeping me from loving them
enough to want to be helpful。 I can furnish myself with dozens of reasons for
not wanting to help people when I’m asked to。”
When you use the Instant Consciousness Doubler； you give other people the
benefit of all the inside understanding that you use to forgive yourself when
you respond in an alienating way。 And so instead of being angry when
someone refuses to help； you use the Instant Consciousness Doubler to
perceive it in a broader perspective that lets you accept it and love the person。
This helps to free you from the dualistic programming that is used for
perceiving the actions of “other” people。
The Instant Consciousness Doubler helps us realize that there are no “others”
in this world。 All of us have shared the same feelings； the same problems of
being dominated by our security； sensation and power addictions； and the
same needs for love and oneness。 When we experience this with here…andnow
awareness； could we feel anything but love and acceptance for all of our
brothers and sisters？
Chapter 17
Your Rational Mind
For most people； life is a battleground between the outside world and their
security； sensation； and power…dominated egos。 To experience the beauty of
life； it is necessary for one’s mind to return to the gentle calmness that most
infants enjoy much of the time。 To continually appreciate your life from the
Fourth； Fifth； or Sixth Centers of Consciousness； you do not have to train
yourself to the point where thoughts do not spontaneously occur and there is
no random stream of consciousness。 However； the urgency； stridency； and
insistency of your stream of thoughts must be slowed down to the pace of a
very light breeze that gently moves the leaves of a tree instead of a forceful；
gusty wind that whips and bends the branches back and forth。
When you were born； you had very few emotion…backed demands。 Some
milk when hungry was the main one。 Since that time； you have programmed
yourself with hundreds and hundreds of emotion…backed demands that have
nothing to do with physiologically maintaining your life。 Most of these
addictions are concerned with the social dance of living out the various roles
we emotionally attach ourselves to。 An emotion…backed addictive model or
expectation is like an inflated balloon that you always keep with you and that
you have to constantly guard to keep someone from popping it。 While your
ego is busy mistakenly trying to protect you by automatically triggering your
security fears； sensation longings； and power angers； your rational mind
churns away trying to do its part in support of the ego。 It furnishes reasons
why you are “right” and the other person is “wrong。” It manipulates and
schemes to help you live out your model of “success” in the various roles and
dramas with which you are identifying yourself。
As you grow toward higher consciousness； you begin to realize that all of the
fear； grief； and anger that you experience is simply a teaching that the world
is offering you to help you free yourself from this hollow dance you are
doing。 The world is giving you the experience that will help you develop and
insight into the mechanical way you are acting out various addictive roles。
Every feeling of alienation； resentment； distrust； or irritation with anything
anyone does or says should be viewed as a reminder that you are not
consciously playing the game of your life。 The world is telling you that
Life is just a game we play
and there is no special way！
Your ego and your rational mind labor under the harsh programming that
there is a certain special way the world should be and the people around you
should act and it is up to your rational mind to put it all aright。 When your
life presents you with something that does not fit your addictive models； your
ego sparks the rational mind into an insistent； grabbing chain of thoughts。
Simultaneously the ego triggers negative emotions such as anxiety or
resentment。 Your heart begins to beat faster； and adrenalin and other
hormones are introduced into your bloodstream。 This psychosomatic turmoil
feeds back into your rational mind and sparks even further activity。 Unless
you understand how your consciousness works； you accept this turmoil as
something “important” that must be attended to in order to make your life
work。 As you bee more conscious； you develop the ability to let your
rational mind do its thing without automatically taking you into a burst of
emotional turmoil that makes you try to manipulate and coerce the outside
world to fit your expectations。
For example； when you have no perspective on the activities of that trio
consisting of your addictive programming； your ego； and your rational mind；
you automatically get angry if someone criticizes you。 When your Power
Center of Consciousness no longer operates to generate your response； you
begin to have a choice of what to do and say when someone criticizes you。
You may wish to just quietly hear what they say and express appreciation for
their caring enough to give you the benefit of their thoughts。 It is not always
necessary for you to agree or disagree just receive what is offered and use
what you can use and let the rest pass by。 You may wish to discuss or clarify
people’s criticisms and suggestions。 You may wish to ask them to help you in
some way and they may be willing to put energy into what they are
suggesting。 You may wish to tell them that you have already considered
acplishing what they are mentioning； and you just simply made the
decision to do it the way you have done it and “that is where it is at” right
here and now。 In other words； when you are receptive and conscious； rather
than hyper…reactive and irritated； you have a choice of responses。
This instant； automatic alarm system （in which your programming； ego； and
rational mind create an emotional feeling of urgency） was designed to bring
our ancestors through the perils of jungle life。 Unless you are confronted with
a situation involving immediate physical injury or a threat to your life； the
optimal solution to any “problem” is usually found best by harmonizing your
energies with the energies of the world around you。 And to flow
harmoniously in an “us” consciousness （instead of a “me vs。 them”
consciousness）； it is necessary to be quiet enough to get in touch with the
insight and perceptiveness that will always e to you when you uplevel
your addictions to preferences。
As you bee more and more proficient in using the Pathways； you begin to
see clearly the game that your rational mind has been playing on you。 You
will see the way that it gets pulled into the act by both your addictive
programming and your ego to produce long chains of critical； alienating
thoughts。 And you learn to label these thoughts that you generate when you
are upset as pure nonsense。 You don’t acce