Shared Transformation
Imposters
Awhile back, a man boasting expertise in Kundalini offered me his services (for a hefty fee, of course). He sent me a brochure outlining the "ultra-high-frequency light and quasar sound-wave" energy- manipulation system in which he received his training. The brochure promised the electromagnetic treatments would give me an "improved sense of compassion" and "awaken anti-oxidants," among other benefits. God knows if there's anything worse than tired blood, it's snoring anti-oxidants. With this amazing "advanced therapy" -- and as easy for me as getting my hair cut -- I could have all my pesky Kundalini troubles whisked away. As the brochure explains, during training, energy is built up in the practitioner (much like muscles are built up in the bodybuilder or illusions are built up in the stage magician's act, I assume). This enables the practitioner "to separate the body's layers of energy, reconstruct them and then allow them to recede back into the body with corrected alignment." Wow! This is really advanced! And to think we were worried about scientists tinkering with genetics. Compared to reconstructing our energy layers, cloning is as natural as apple pie and quintuplets. Now I may be paranoid, but doesn't this separating and reconstructing business sound like a psychic version of "The Body Snatchers"? And do the patients have a vote on the blueprint for their restructured layers, or is this some kind of one-size-fits-all Stepford-wives production?
According to the literature, I could also take classes in such vital subjects as "Opposition Trilogy." This course would remove "the box that one bumps up against throughout life." Ouch! I tried to feel where the box might be imbedded in my own anatomy, and as far as I could tell, it seems to be under my clavicle (although that might be just gas). But not to worry. The treatments remove not only the box but lots of other stuff as well. Removing and restructuring seem to be their specialty.
Actually, I'd just as soon hold onto the box below my clavicle and get rid of a few moles on my back, but there is no mention of moles or unwanted hair in the list of things the energy treatments can remove. Apparently, the treatments work best with rectangular-shaped appendages. I'm not making this up. I wish I were. The moral of this story is trust yourself. If something sounds phony, 99% of the time it's because it is. If talk about opposition trilogies, cosmolification and cross-current transmissions from planet Xenon sounds like gibberish, guess what? The world is overflowing with bullshit, and the bull thrives when people feel intimidated or afraid they might not be understanding because it's over their heads. More likely, it's under your shoes. Wipe them off before you go back into the house.
Listen to your experience, to your intuition, to your gut-level instinct and to your heart. Wait until you hear them say "This feels right" before you hand over your money, your body or your mind. Don't be fooled by people who seem nice or who have a lot of credentials and degrees. There are plenty of nice, highly educated people who don't know squat, especially when it comes to Kundalini. The man offering me the energy treatments was warmly recommended by a very nice therapist with a master's degree.
And don't take me as an oracle either. Who knows, in a month from now I may be eating my words when I start bonking into that box beneath my clavicle.
-- El Collie
Callings: Finding and Following an Authentic Life by Gregg Levoy, Harmony Books, 1997. ISBN 0- 517-70569-9
This book could have been titled "A Handbook to the Soul." Exquisitely written, Callings is a verbal
symphony of inspiration and spiritual acumen. Short of having access to the Akashic records where you could look
up your name and read why you're here and who you are this time around, this book is an unsurpassed guide to self-knowledge.
The "callings" that Levoy speaks of are the many signs and beckonings from our dreams, physical symptoms,
past and present experiences, and the myriad events and details of our lives that spell out our true identities
and our sacred destinies. With rare insight, Levoy shows us how to listen to -- and understand -- the parts of
ourselves that have gone unheard, and how to unearth and embody the aspects of ourselves that need to be lived.
This is a profoundly healing book. It synchronistically came to me when I was at a nadir in my own struggle to
comprehend what Kundalini was asking of me. It triggered a major breakthrough which gave me answers I'd been seeking
all my life. Both patience and diligence are necessary to the process of self-discovery, says Levoy. Some realizations
may seem to fall out of heaven onto our heads, but others come only after much searching. Generally, the universe
makes us work to decipher the meaning of the messages we receive. We have to roll up our sleeves and dig down
to the bone marrow of our psyches to find out what we're really made of. Levoy is a master of clever, creative,
on-target guidance for clearing out our internal cobwebs and seeing clearly who has been waiting for us underneath.
Best of all, he manages to convey a wealth of spiritual wisdom without preaching. Instead, he speaks as a playful,
trustworthy friend on the path right beside us. Our souls could not ask for better companionship.
-- El Collie
© El Collie 1995