Developing Natural Resistance

Avoiding the many negative aspects of life is not easy thing to accomplish in our often-hectic and overcrowded society. Under some circumstances, the best one can do is avoid as much negativity as possible and hope for the best. However, no matter how helpless or trapped one might be, a lot can be done to avoid potential neg. problems and develop some natural resistance.

While many of us cannot easily choose the way we live, we all have the power to choose the company we keep. We can avoid those whom clash with and lower our energies, and seek out those whom compliment and uplift us. Negative and critical people should be avoided and discouraged. Positive, caring and supportive people should be sought after and embraced.

Temptation cultivates desire. Unfortunately, modern advertising uses extremes of temptation to sell merchandise. This can instill unnatural ideals and expectations of life and what life should provide. As these ideals are rarely fulfilled, they can be replaced by deep-seated craving, guilt and a sense of failure. All of this can lead to unhealthy desire-ridden fantasy, which is a strong neg. attractor. Coveting, dissatisfied, guilt-ridden minds are wide open to neg. invasion.

Self-discipline is the way to self-mastery, happiness and life fulfillment. Lack of self-control leads to suffering; often aided by neg. influences. The only true happiness and contentment anyone will every attain in mortal life flows from inner peace and harmony. These can only be achieved by embracing spiritual ideals and living a wholesome, balanced, spiritual life. The road to achieving this is encapsulated in the Socratic saying: "Man, know thyself" -- which is the wisest single piece of spiritual advice ever given to humankind. The wholesome application of self-discipline, introspection, meditation, prayer and other positive life-empowering devices, in the long term, is the only way to achieve true happiness and contentment.

Unhappiness and discontent seed the mind with negativity. Most unhappiness today is caused by working in occupations one is not in tune with, and by associating with those people one is not in harmony with. Unfortunately, in our modern society, we sometimes become trapped in situations that seem to have no way out. It can be said that life is designed this way.

If one really looks at it, apart from the missing chains and guards, most of us are not much different from the slaves of old. We become slaves to society by voluntarily relinquishing our freedom and getting into debt. Once in debt and loaded up with social obligations, we are obliged to work in jobs we dislike (often, whatever one can find) in order to keep our families and possessions maintained. And of course, modern advertising always makes us want more than we can ever afford, thereby ever-increasing ones level of life debt slavery.

There is often no easy way out of set lifestyle situations. However, unhappiness can be minimized by accepting what life brings, and by looking for the lessons hidden within every situation. They are always there, albeit often obscure. Only when these lessons are recognized and taken to heart will any life situation change for the better. The physical body may be trapped in a situation with no realistic alternative. But the mind and spirit can never be trapped. These aspects of being can thrive under any circumstance, if one cultivates the right attitude.

The very best anyone can do to improve his/her spiritual life situation is to make the best with what is available. Self-improvement, as opposed to lifestyle quality change, is something anyone can undertake regardless of circumstances. A wholesome lifestyle with an active body and mind are things that can be cultivated by all. The essential ingredients are willingness to change and to improve ones life condition, regardless of circumstance, combined with the wholesome application of self-discipline to achieve long-term goals.

Your physical body is the temple that houses your bio-incarnating spirit, while it lives for a short time here in the physical dimension. The old saying "You are what you eat" is true in many respects.

The quality of ones thoughts, and ones susceptibility to neg. related problems, are significantly affected by diet. The best quality food and drink one can afford should be sought. Subtle energy body radiations, much like bodily secretions and odors, are affected by diet and exercise. These affect how one interacts with universal law, affecting ones inbuilt attractions and repulsions, including ones luck. These can attract or repel neg. problems. In a way, this is like how mosquitoes are attracted to people with high blood sugar. If these persons reduce their blood sugar levels through diet and exercise, their health improves and mosquitoes are no longer attracted to them.

For the average person, a wholesome lifestyle with sensible moderation in all things, will maintain a reasonable state of inner balance and health. However, for those prone to neg. related problems, more significant changes may be in order. A regime consisting of strict bioorganic vegetarian diet, total abstinence from recreational drugs, alcohol and all things negative, plus regular healthy exercise, can help a great deal. Personal bioenergy body development, challenging intellectual stimulation, plus regular meditation and prayer, are also advisable. The self-discipline necessary to maintain this regime also builds much-needed willpower muscle and strength of mind.

Diet and exercise alone will not solve neg. related problems. But a wholesome, balanced lifestyle will significantly reduce the likelihood of attracting negs in the first place. Good health, and a strong immune system to maintain it, result from inner harmony, achieved by the wholesome application of self-discipline over the long term. But one does not have to become a heath fanatic and miss out on all the good things in life. For the average person, this can be reduced to the concept of intelligent moderation, self-control and tolerance in all things.

Empowering The Self

The human mind and its ego are the two major aspects of human personality. They affect all aspects of life. These have a peculiar symbiotic relationship that, for most people, results in a lifelong war between what the mind/spirit wants and what the body/ego wants. The human ego has great power and influence over what the body does and what its capable of doing. But the ego is not too intelligent in its choices. Short-term rewards, instant gratification of desires, maximum comfort and minimal effort, are its primary motivations.

The human mind has little power but far more intelligence. The mind sees ahead and has long-term goals. It wants to be loved and accepted by all and likes to stay out of trouble. Much of childhood is spent training the ego to conform to societies rules. Learning what our society considers to be right from wrong, and conforming with socially acceptable behavior, is what keeps one out of prison.

The ego has often been likened to a dumb but powerful elephant, as compared with its much smaller but far more intelligent rider. The elephant (ego) is physically much stronger, so the rider (the mind) cannot force it to obey instructions. So the rider uses intelligence and places the elephant in situations where certain aspects of its existence come under the mind's control. Through the application of intelligence and perseverance, using reward and punishment, the rider slowly but surely trains the elephant to obey. In time, the elephant (ego) learns the best way to have its true needs fulfilled is to obey its rider (its mind).

The point of the above analogy is to show that a synthesis of ego and mind is required to gain control over ones life, to attain self-mastery. This is the key to everything that life has to offer, and the road to spiritual harmony and life fulfillment. The ego contains the bulk of ones inner strength, plus all the animal instincts and physical needs and wants. The mind contains the bulk of intelligence, plus all the higher emotions and spiritual aspirations. But when the ego is brought under the control of the mind, something truly wonderful happens. A life empowering symbiosis occurs. The great strength and willpower of the ego becomes an integral part of the mind, and the intelligence of the mind becomes an integral part of the ego. Together they can accomplish far more than they ever could apart.

Willpower muscles are much like the muscles of the physical body. They respond and grow progressively stronger with regular exercise. Developing willpower muscle requires patient application of small doses of self-discipline over the long term. The individual exercises are fairly easy in themselves, much like doing light repetitions with barbells. But long-term results are significant. This can be accomplished through a variety of disciplines, with dietary and exercise regimes being the most direct.

A strong human will provides good defense against neg. related problems. No matter what happens, a resolute human will cannot be compromised. It may get a little battered around the edges, but it will never be defeated. And fighting the battles of the mind are life strengthening experiences in themselves. If one does not fall in the process, the end results are always greater strength, stability and wisdom.

A lazy, undisciplined mind broadcasts an open invitation to any passing neg. If a mind cannot control itself, it is helpless to defend itself against unseen supernatural influences. Negs are less likely to interfere with self-disciplined people, simply because they are difficult targets.

The mind can be strengthened in much the same way as willpower: through regular, progressive exercise. There are many ways to improve the mind, but all involve the application of regular mental effort. Challenging the mind forces it to expand its capabilities. Learning, thinking and problem solving are the keys to exercising the mind.

One way to strengthen the mind is through learning new and interesting things. This can be anything: studying for a degree, learning a musical instrument, learning to play chess, or learning anything that is mentally challenging. A simple way to strengthen the mind is through memorization. Memorizing poems, Shakespeare, prayers, literature and facts is an effective way to exercise the mind. This also provides an opportunity to load ones mind up with good quality material.

The contents of memory, what is put into ones mind, affects the subtle energy radiations produced by the mind. This has a similar effect as the quality of the food one eats. Good quality material produces good quality energies that do not attract or interest negs. And the reverse of course applies.

The mind is a peculiar animal that sometimes develops peculiar problems. While good internal housekeeping, i.e., facing and dealing sensibly with problems, can do much to foster mental health and reduce the likelihood of neg. interference, sometimes expert help is necessary. An trained psychotherapist can help one unravel and heal ones internal problems. Seeking expert help should always be considered when problems arise that do not respond to personal efforts.

The quality of ones thoughts and fantasies are paramount to inner spiritual existence. They affect all aspects of spirituality. Self-discipline and intelligence can be used to censor and change learned thought patterns that have become habitual. Like developing physical, mental and willpower muscles, ones inner life can be brought under control and a wholesome spirituality developed. Intelligence and conscience are the tools we are all given at birth, to cultivate our inner selves into things of beauty, strength and wisdom.

Ones conscience is a wonderful teacher of spirituality, that is, if one listens to it. In essence, its like having a spiritual guide sitting on ones shoulder. Defying ones conscience defies the gentle influences of ones higher-self; that quietest of all voices. This defiance causes inner stress, guilt and disharmony, all of which are prime neg. attractors.

The best explanation of how conscience and higher-self guidance works, was given to me by an old priest in Sunday school, when I was all of nine years old. He said to imagine I had a little devil on my left shoulder and a little angel on my right, both whispering advice continually.

The little devil works through the ego, urging quick gratification of life's desires, wants and vices. Its pure selfishness, greed, cruelty and cunning. It will do anything to satisfy its desire, no matter whom gets hurt in the process.

The little angel works through the mind, virtues and higher emotions. It speaks for ones spirit, for ones higher-self, and for ones Creator. The little angel points out moral issues and the difference between right and wrong, warning us of potential consequences. It will help satisfy ones actual life needs and goals. But it would rather have us starve than see us steal bread from another. It is unselfish, kind, gentle and wise. This aspect of mind nurtures a high order of moral thought and spirituality.

Another way to look at the above, is to imagine that every vice attracts a little devil to support it, and that every virtue attracts a little angel to promote it. All religions and schools of spiritual discipline promote the ideal that one has to conquer all desires (to become desire-less) and to develop all virtues, in order to attain enlightenment.

Every time one listens to the little angel of conscience, and denies the little devil of desire, one grows a little stronger and wiser. The one ignored the most will grow steadily weaker and quieter. The one listened to the most will grow steadily stronger, louder and more in tune with ones inner self. Eventually, one of these spiritual influences will become totally silent.

But sometimes, just having a conscience is not quite enough, especially when we are young and naïve. As children, our parents and teachers discipline and teach us morality, caring for others, unselfishness, and the often-subtle differences between right and wrong. These are often taught with hard life lessons, provided through the natural reward and punishment process. But for those whom do not learn these lessons as a child, life has many other ways of teaching them, often far more painfully.

An old saying of mine: "God created the world to train the faithful" is most apt here. Life has an infinite variety of ways to train us. This process seems to continue progressively, life after life after life. Life's lessons, both good and bad, try to teach us to love our fellow beings and to treat them all as we ourselves would like to be treated: fairly and unselfishly, with kindness, love and understanding.

Going against life's lessons, which are dutifully pointed out by conscience, brings disharmony, pain and suffering into our lives. Learning and accepting these lessons in good spirit, having faith in God's eternal wisdom, is sage advice indeed. Living life moderately, good-naturedly and tolerantly of all fellow travelers, with a dash of good humor thrown in, even while struggling under life's slow, rich burden, is the very best advice of all for those aspiring to real spiritual progress.

For spiritual achievement to be realized, some form of hard-life testing is usually required. For example, one might lose everything one possesses to the trickery of thieves. Or a loved one may die, seemingly well before their time. Or one may be inflicted with painful medical conditions. Or ones luck may go bad and everything one touches goes wrong. Hardship may build upon hardship until one literally staggers under life's burdens. Unfortunately, when life treats people unkindly, they often believe God is punishing them. They could not be further from the truth. But if one has the right attitude, painful life testing will only last as long as it needs to last.

There are countless ways life can test us. Its only when the worst happens, when what one dreads the most actually happens, that one actually realizes the serious nature of life. This realization is inherent to real spiritual progression. Many people turn their face from God and all things spiritual at this time, saying "If there were a God, He would never let this happen". This is a profound denial of the greater spiritual reality. This is much like a child turning his/her face from a parent and saying "If you really loved me, you would not punish me." But sometimes parents have to be cruel to be kind.

But why should God not teach us hard life lessons, and why should He not test us sorely? If we do not fall by the wayside, we have the chance to make real spiritual progress? Unfortunately, many people turn inwards on themselves, often becoming bitter and twisted, seemingly to spite and punish God. Or they turn their wrath outwards and live self-serving hedonistic lives, with little love and consideration for their fellow creatures. When this happens, one fails a great life test, which one will probably have to repeat one day.

The above involves a shallow form of spiritual bargaining. One might be honest and say in ones prayers "I will love and believe in you God, just so long as my family and I are never hurt." To put it bluntly, this is a thinly veiled attempt to blackmail God. It shows spiritual shallowness and weaknesses that life will most surely attempt to purge, possibly with many lifetimes of suffering before ones lessons are truly learned.

Spiritual advancement has nothing whatsoever to do with the riches and possessions life provides one with, or the lack of them for that matter. This is a flawed spiritual concept of how life works. But this belief is quite natural for people living in opulent, materialistic societies. Life teaches and tests people with riches and success, just as it tests with poverty and failure. How one handles and lives through either, and what one does with what one has, is far more important than the number of zeros on ones bank balance. Ones spiritual worth can only truly be measured by the number of smiles ones Soul collects while its visiting here on Earth.

The only things that truly matter are matters of the heart and spirit, of all the burdens one has eased, and all the smiles one has put on the faces of ones fellow beings during ones life. These are the only things that really endure. These sacred spiritual treasures are of immeasurable life-transcending value. Nothing else in this life has much more than temporary lesson value.

There is an old saying that encapsulates these deep spiritual concepts: "No person shall pass through the gates of heaven unless they are leaning on the arm of someone they have helped along the way".

The above is why, when someone develops themselves to an exalted spiritual level, and they stand poised at the very gates of heaven, with all knowledge, wisdom and power finally within their grasp, with a host of angels waiting with a well-earned fanfare of triumphant welcome, true spiritual masters falter and weep. Turning back to their old world below, they finally realize that they cannot in all good conscience leave even one poor soul behind that they might be able to help.

Please do not make the mistake of judging peoples spiritual advancement by their wealth, nor by their psychic abilities. These do not prove spiritual elevation. Psychic abilities can be developed by anyone, with regular bioenergy work and psychic development exercises, maybe with some natural ability backing it up. Psychic abilities are things of the bioenergy body, not of the spirit. These are things any black mage can accomplish just as well as any saint.

However, while psychic abilities can be natural or developed, they can also be an offshoot of spiritual development. They form a part of the glamour and mystery of life. When they spring up as a result of true spiritual development, they sorely test ones mettle and worth. In themselves, these abilities are worthless distractions when compared with true spiritual evolution.

The wise spiritual aspirant shuns psychic abilities when they first appear. The Sanskrit saying 'Neti, neti' (not this, not that) encapsulates this aptly. In time, as more spiritual ground is covered, with wisdom and stability gained, these abilities return. But they are far stronger and more stable than they would have been, had they been taken up and widely used earlier. These abilities then add to the wealth of life tools available to the spiritual aspirant. They can then be used to help others, and to enhance mystical and spiritual practices. The glamour they generate is thus safely encapsulated by true spiritual intent. The damage they could do to the aspirant's path towards spiritual enlightenment is thereby overcome, for the benefit of all humankind.

Regular meditation (especially trance meditation) and prayer lower stress levels and progressively strengthen spiritual connections. In time, these connections begin positively influencing the subtle energy radiations produced through the act of living. In a way, a spiritual light shines down from above, bathing one in Holy light. This sign of higher spiritual connections, this shining light from above, helps overcome all neg. related problems.

Many people unrealistically rely on spiritual help arriving, by default, should they ever have need it. They like to believe this is their God-given right. But these same people often live with their faces turned away from God and all things spiritual. Waiting for the Ka Ka to hit the fan, before making ones first attempts at establishing spiritual connections, is most unwise.

Turning away from God and all things spiritual, because ones prayers are not instantly gratified, is a profound demonstration of spiritual naivety. I have heard people pray for the first time, out of desperation when all else fails. Often, the prayer goes something like this: "OK God, here's the deal: I'm in serious trouble and really need your help. If you help me out here I'll believe in you and join a church or something. But if you don't help me, then you can go take a jump in the lake, Amen".

Apart from the absurdly unspiritual implications of the above, experience tells me that even if these prayers were immediately answered, this type of person would soon turn their face from God again. This is human nature and old habits die hard. Its easier to explain away spiritual help as coincidence and opt out of such a bargain, than it is to make significant life changes.

Its often been said that prayer is talking to God and meditation is listening to God. Prayer said during meditation combines these two aspects, opening the way for more meaningful spiritual communications. More often than not, communications from above are composed of non-verbal psychic impressions and the stimulation of ones higher emotions. These are often difficult to make any sense of, but the feelings they produce are profound. But in time, as connections strengthen, these simple things become life-affecting outpourings of divine love, succor and sage advice.

The strongest defense anyone can have against neg. related problems is a close personal relationship with ones higher-self and ones Creator. One might call this Creator God, Allah, Buddha, Krishna, Mohammed, Jesus, Higher-Self, Guardian Angel or Great White Spirit; it does not really matter. This is a matter of cultural and religious circumstances, not of truth. Whatever name one uses to call upon The Creator of the universe, one is most assuredly looking in the same direction as everyone else.

One could be truly happy living in a tin shack on the beach, possessing nothing and living on fish and wild berries. One could also be truly happy wandering in a desert, living like an animal and slowly starving. No sane person would choose the latter. Even if, through circumstances beyond ones control, say famine or disease, one is sure to die, one does not have to spend what remains of ones life complaining bitterly about life's terrible sentence. One can instead spend ones remaining hours contemplating the meaning of ones life, while happily anticipating the coming transition into the afterlife.

To get the most value out of life's lessons, one should try and develop ones inner smile. One should strive to become a dispassionate observer of ones mortal life, while inwardly realizing the greater reality of spiritual existence. One must also realize that life is not always such a deadly serious matter. Sure, it has its ups and downs, its hero's and its villains, its joys and its sufferings, but if one has a good sense of the ridiculous and the right attitude, one can get through the whole thing almost sane.

In a way, developing the above attitude involves taking a few inner steps back, and observing life as if one were a character in a role-playing game. This may be drama, satire, tragedy, comedy, documentary, or like most lives, a mixture of all. No matter what the circumstances of a life, and no matter how tragically it might unfold and end, one should keep in mind that if one performs badly, one might have to repeat it all over again; maybe with some added difficulties throw in for good measure.

Music & The Arts

Music, the arts and culture can have a profound affect on ones inner and outer realities. Over time, regular exposure to the finer things of life changes the subtle energy radiations produced by the body/mind, elevating them to higher levels. This does not happen overnight, but with regular exposure changes will occur. Art, opera and classical music may not immediately appeal to everyone's tastes, but I have yet to meet anyone that could not find at least some works that appeal to them.

Developing a taste for classical and spiritual music helps build neg. resistance. Negs are repelled by the harmonies produced, and by the atmospheres these build in any area where they are regularly played. Classical music can also be used as an active countermeasure. I have yet to find a neg. that could stay active while, The William Tell Overture, and other such stimulating pieces, are played at high volume.

Books read, music listened to, movies seen, the art hanging on ones walls, all have long term effects on how one thinks and acts. These things are put into ones mind, like copying programs to the hard disk drive of a computer. The conscious mind may forget, or may only remember the essence, but subconscious and unconscious levels of memory remember every detail.

Good quality material fills our inner minds with beauty, grace and character. But bad quality material fills one with images and ideas that undermine ones sense of reality and spiritual truth. The lower the quality of the material, the lower will be the quality of ones subconscious environment, and the subtle energy radiations this generates. This has a direct affect on the dimensional interface, between personal inner-metaspace and outer metaspace. The shocking images and memories some low-quality material generates, provides a wealth of material negs can use to torment and obsess.

I am not in any way judging the broader-minded people in the world that chose to devour what I might consider to be poor quality material. It's a big world and everyone is entitled to their own lifestyle choices. However, I would like to point out that poor quality material, much like poor quality food, can have both subtle and not-so-subtle long-term consequences.

Improving physical, psychological and spiritual health, through a progressive course of wholesome self-discipline, and by embracing all that is good in life, while ever improving ones spiritual connections with ones higher self and ones Creator, are the most constructive things anyone could do to improve neg. immunity.

Churches, Worship & Baptism

Down through the ages, humankind have gathered together to worship God in His many forms. Deep inside us all, group worship is extremely natural. It can be an empowering spiritual experience. A church, any church of any faith, is a specially prepared and sanctified place for group worship. Joining a church and engaging in group worship enfolds individuals in the group mind and higher forces that church represents. Church life has many protective benefits when it comes to living a neg. free life. It does not matter which religion or church one chooses. All are looking in the same direction. All look to the same Divine Light that shines down on us all.

Baptism is a sacred ritual that dedicates people to God, bringing them under the spiritual protection of God. Unfortunately, in our modern society, many do not baptize (Christen) their children, thinking its a meaningless dogmatic exercise. But by all that I know, baptism is a wise thing to have done, for oneself and for ones children. Think on baptism as something like an anti-neg. inoculation. While this does not provide perfect protection, it helps reduce ones chances of catching neg. related problems.

The essential difference between baptized and unbaptized people is similar to the difference between Holy Water and tap water. Holy Water is dedicated to and therefore connected with higher spiritual forces. Holy Water has strong anti neg. protective properties. Ordinary tap water has only its natural protective properties.

Being baptized, attending church and bathing in Holy Water each day, will not offer perfect protection against all potential neg. related problems. For that matter, no single piece of advice or countermeasure given herein offers a perfect neg. free solution either. However, when combined and used intelligently these will provide significant protection.