Saturday, March 12, 2016

CT Step 72 - I am influenced by the mental environments around me. – Journal – CT Step 71


Today:  CT Step 72 - I am influenced by the mental environments around me. (MP3)

I am influenced by the mental environments around me. CT Step 72
Perhaps you doubt the power of the mental environment to influence you. If you do, today’s practice will be very helpful in showing you to what degree these environments do influence you and even control your experience.

It may come as no surprise here that the wise remain hidden. They are very selective about where they go, who they are with and what kind of relationships they establish with people. There is a very important reason for this. The wise are not indiscriminate. They know that wherever they are is important and has an impact upon them and upon others. They take this seriously. They are not careless in where they place themselves. They do not spend time in environments that are not supportive unless they have specific business in being there. They are sensitive. They know that the environment is powerful, and they respect this power.

Yet look at people around you. They go from place to place, they have experiences, and yet they do not recognize the impact of the environment upon them unless the situation becomes extreme. Sometimes they will say, "Well, this place feels very good," or "I don't feel comfortable here. I don't feel safe here." And they may respond, but often they do not. If they do not respond to an environment that is dangerous for them, this is the first sign that there is a problem. They have missed the first cue. The cues are being given, but people are not responding.

In addition to your practice in stillness today, practice upon the hour seeing where you are and how it feels to be there. But even beyond your hourly practice, take some time today--a few minutes here, a few minutes there, in different situations and in different environments--and see how it feels for you to be there. See what kind of response you have. Is it emotional, mental or physical? In time, you will learn to shield yourself from negative forces in the mental environment, but for right now you need to learn about the environments themselves. This will be the focus of today’s practice.

Practice 72:    One 30-minute stillness practice.
                         Contemplation practice.
                         Hourly practice.

Picture:  Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington County, Virginia. Flashing lights on a police car alter the mental environment for those arriving and departing. Is something wrong?



9:26 a.m. Sunday, November 4, 2001 – The mental environment – How is it that my soul survives in this Universe, given the expanses – local, regional, global, universal.

[Every boundary increases the complexity of relationships]

[U.S. Govt. – you can have boundaries locally but they can't interfere with movement, trade. Virus ideas of freedom clean to trade goods?] 11/9/01

1:10 a.m. Monday, November 5, 2001…

The mental environment I experienced today, home, UU, the office – then the highways – Reliance Rd, 11, 628, 55, I-81 – I-66 etc. Food Lion, Big Lots. Home is sometimes dominated by Cindy – but mostly it is my mental environment. That true too @ work. It still my environment. They are ready to serve knowledge.
The mystery of the mental environment will be under study us for a long time. We continue.

NNC


Note: If you’ve some interest, but this is the first time you’ve seen Steps, you should go to the beginning blog post. From here you will learn about Steps to Knowledge and can begin it on the day that makes sense; then progress as needed. Begin at the beginning.

If you do know about Steps, but have not done Steps twice completely, read the related materials, and have a sense of the direction of this study, you won’t get the experience. The Introduction begins:

“This is the Steps to Knowledge Continuation Training. It is designed to build upon the Steps that were learned in Steps to Knowledge to enable you to experience the grace, the power and the direction of Knowledge in your life and to become an expression of Knowledge in everything that you do. If you have completed the book, Steps to Knowledge, twice through and have followed the instructions as they were given without altering the curriculum in any way, then you are now ready to begin this more advanced study”.

If you are an independent student, that is certainly an option. Posts here provide a trail that may let you have a virtual companion when and if you want one. One may have to study alone, as I did in the beginning. There are other Steps students blogging their experience and you might find a person more like you as a companion, or use a number of such Steps journeys. There are options as well through the Free School of the New Message.

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