Dear Barry,

I assume that this response originated with you. I have given much consideration to this and contemplation of it, for I weigh your words out of respect for the consciousness behind them. Here is what I have concluded about channeling, at least for now and from my present state of consciousness. Please note that I make these statements based on the entirety of my life experience both outwardly and inwardly.  Others may agree or disagree and that is not important.

For whatever is truth for an individual lies solely in the domain of that individual. The spiritual purpose for communication within any bandwidth of consciousness is to allow Souls with different perspectives the experience of interchange. In so doing, Soul gains the ability to expand Its perspective and the degree of life which It is able to embrace. Ultimately Soul gains virtue through learning to live in harmony with all points on the circle of awareness and becomes one with the center or the One within the many.

There is a vast difference between information, knowledge, wisdom and truth. Those on this list are well aware of the emptiness of information and seek greater knowledge about ORMUS through replicatable methodologies and coherent agreement. Certainly, science derives its hypotheses both from observation of nature's laws and from creative inspiration where pieces suddenly coalesce into a "sum which is greater than its parts."

One could effectively argue that the presence of ORMUS was recognized from the movements and adaptations in a variety of circumstances, giving rise to a hypothetical construct which, through subsequent experimentation and physiologic impact, has demonstrated continuity of character and thus existence. The ancient alchemists examined the laws of nature, both within themselves and in the world around them, and upon finding correlative processes, attempted to discover the outer source while surrendering to the inner transformation which naturally followed.

They employed Divine Metaphor and strove to communicate to their Creator their willingness to become that which they were seeking. In doing so, they practiced surrender to such a degree that they no longer could separate their outer actions from their inner commitment to the Philosopher's Stone. Hence, their objective was to both find the stone and become it. In the truly arcane circles, even within the outer ring of alchemists, there existed a core of beings who underwent the critical process of spiritual alchemy and were transmuted from the baseness of human consciousness into the golden hearted purity of the Divine. Much like us, their journey required that what was not here penetrate what is here. We seek to stabilize within the arena of our physical plane and human consciousness the ORMUS, whose existence is in this world but not of it.

Here we move directly into the question at hand which solves the paradox of channeling. Consider that all truth resides within the heart of our Creator. Thus, all that we observe and all that we say are merely attempts at articulating through the screen of our own consciousness, the basic truth of existence, I am that I am. In this sense, no matter who is speaking, that individual is serving as the vehicle for truth from the level at which they function.

Have you ever noticed in a room full of people that when an individual stands up to speak, the room is suddenly filled with his consciousness. Thus, the same words spoken by two different individuals will touch us in different ways. The one with the more encompassing state of consciousness will penetrate more deeply as their consciousness has deeper roots. So, we arrive at our thesis. What is the difference between information, knowledge, wisdom and truth. In understanding these differences, we may gain greater insight into the question of channeling.

As mentioned before, the purpose of communication is to facilitate the process of understanding. Yet, true understanding is not possible without concomitant experience. In the case of information, it is normally understood through the process of mental and emotional reaction as we ascribe characteristics to the information based not on the information but our reaction to it.  Hence, many refer to this world as the world of illusion or Maya as we each interpret information according to the concepts we have about life, ourselves, others and even the situation to which the information refers.

Knowledge is possible to understand through mental processing, yet the individual often screens it in order that greater comfort exists within himself between what he learns and what he believes. On the other hand, wisdom can only be acquired through actual experience where what one reads, hears or idealizes is actually demonstrated in the furnace of life. Please note that the metaphor of furnace was not accidentally chosen as the ancient alchemists who practiced the esoteric form well knew. We must leap into the furnace in order that we and the flame become one. It is the only way to melt baseness and extract the gold which lies at its spiritual root. Here we have the source of the metaphysical phrase, "the burning off of karma."

Now, please consider, and I ask you to grant me your spiritual ear, that one who moves into a trance, lays the conscious mind aside and allows another entity to enter in and assume command over the vocal cords, does not, through the mere process of words passing through them, enter into the experience and demonstrate the application of anything. Thus, they do not have the experience of choice where the proper application of a life principle demonstrates their mastery over it.

 As the whole purpose of life is experience, they have demonstrated only their ability to enter into a trance. Please note that consciousness is undifferentiated. It is only we, in the illusion of separateness, who differentiate it. And yet, please consider it can only be differentiated through us as we are here to serves as "masterful" co creators in those planes upon which we have residence and upon which we dwell. Thus each of us, can moved into a trance, lay aside the objective mind and move out of the trance into the awakened state of Soul.

Here is the difference, for in this state we gain experience and receive not knowledge but those precise divinely applicable seeds of truth, much like we would contact the net and download software, which we experience directly as Soul and then await its penetration through proper preparation and experience into the human consciousness. Then, we are presented with a choice as life is literally configured (I know that many if not all of you have seen evidence of this synchronicity in your life) to allow us the opportunity to demonstrate mastery over what we received and experienced as Soul. Here, in the crucible of life, we acquire wisdom when we become the knower who through demonstration has become one with what he knows.

Although, as many of you have mentioned, there is great value in what Jane Roberts allowed Seth to communicate, Jane Roberts would be the first to acknowledge that she was a third party to all of this, and often, if not always, completely unaware until she read the transcript or heard the tape. Then, she was experiencing only the richest of information and perhaps some knowledge. It was Seth who had knowledge of what he spoke. Even that entity, whether one being or a compilation of beings,  was not demonstrating the application of truth in his own life, irrespective how exact and applicable it was to a body of knowledge.

It was simply knowledge. Yes, it has value and will lead many to an even greater awareness of themselves. However, it will also divert their attention from seeking and finding their own truth through the inner resources which are available to each of us. It already has, as many attend these study groups and accept and vocalize this knowledge, which has little basis in personal experience. Knowledge is a wonderful thing and can help so many of us live lives of greater comfort. There is however, the other side of knowledge, the facet which lead many alchemists to focus on the outer transmutation of metal and not the inner transmutation of themselves. This is the paradox of the search for truth through mental processes or knowledge. One always is faced with the possibility that the acquisition of knowledge will prove so intriguing that its root desire, the realization of Self and of God, will be forgotten and delayed. Yet, this is perfect, for how else can Soul learn what It is until It fully experiences what It is not.

With much goodwill,

Stephen
 
 

WhiteGold Moderator wrote:

> Dear Stephen,
>
> At 11:43 PM 1/25/2002 -0700, you wrote:
> >
> >Date: Fri, 25 Jan 2002 22:43:36 -0500
> >From: Stephen
> >Subject: Re: WhiteGold: Josephon's Junction
> >
> >Most of my information is from some
> >channels that I respect.
> >
> >
> >Hi,
> >
> >I am curious about something which you may be able to clarify. My
> understanding
> >of
> >channeling is that the individual goes into a trance and then allows a
> >disincarnate
> >entity to use his body, mind and vocal chords. During this cycle, the
> >individual is
> >not conscious. What is puzzling to me is that people seem to assume that the
> >mere
> >act of dropping the physical sheath and living in another level gives a being
> a
> >heightened awareness and greater access to truth. Is it not possible that many
> >who
> >still occupy the physical body are of a far greater consciousness? Why then do
> >so
> >many use channeled information as a reference as if it was based on science or
> >even
> >the experience of the individual who is speaking the words. What is the basis
> >for
> >respecting the opinion of a non physical entity?
> >
> >I have heard Barry refer to the writing of Seth as if comparing something
> >someone
> >said to a source of substantiated truth. Has anyone considered that those
> >entities
> >who are disincarnate have specific responsibilities within their own world for
> >their continual unfoldment and preparation for their next physical cycle?  Is
> >it
> >possible that they simply seek recognition and enjoy the adulation and
> credence
> >that those still in the physical give to their words.
>
> Like all sources of information, I think it is important to verify information
> from non-physical sources.
>
> Seth is somewhat unique, as a "channelled" entity, in several ways. Seth was
> the first channelled entity that I know of to discuss scientific concepts in
> great detail. I think that the Seth information from Jane Roberts may even have
> defined and set the first standard for channelled information.
>
> The Seth material is also unusual in that there are several well-known
> scientists who have associated themselves with it. Fred Allen Wolf, a well
> known physicist and the author of a number of popular books on physics, wrote
> the forward to Norman Friedman's book "Bridging Science and Spirit - Common
> Elements in David Bohm's Phsycis, The Perennial Philosophy and Seth. Friedman's
> book compares many of Seth's most original concepts to concepts of modern
> physicists and concludes that there is a great deal of support for most of
> Seth's concepts in the theories of modern physicists.
>
> I had some correspondence with Matti Pitkanen, a physicist in Finland, a few
> years ago on certain of Seth's more unusual ideas about time and probability. I
> think that we concluded that there was a gread correlation between Matti's
> mathematical models and Seth's statements. You can read the bulk of this
> correspondence at:
>
> http://www.OrmusMinerals.com/mattiseth.htm
>
> Other scientists who are "fond" of Seth include Stanley Krippner, PhD and
> Michael Talbot (the author of "The Holographic Universe" who wrote: "To my
> great surprise and slight annoyance, I found that Seth eloquently and lucidly
> articulated a view of reality that I had arrived at only after great effort and
> an extensive study of both paranormal phenomena and quantum physics."
>
> My experience with Seth was quite similar to Michael Talbot's.
>
> Many of the concepts that Seth described relate strongly to my understanding of
> the ORMUS materials. I have collected some of my writing on this subject in a
> web page which can be found at:
>
> http://www.OrmusMinerals.com/Consciou.htm
>
> You are certainly right about trusting channelled information simply because it
> comes from someone in a trance. For me, the information has to be congruent
> with my own inner knowledge. With that caveat the Seth material resonates very
> well with what I know from within.