For the few intrepid explorers of the mountain of consciousness who wish to
go to the top （which in the Living Love Way we call the Seventh Center of
Consciousness）； even preferences must be reprogrammed。 The same tools of
mindfulness that enable one to get rid of addictions can be used to eliminate
preferences。 But one should realize that just as the ability to skillfully play
the Brahms violin concerto is extremely rare and attainable only by a few
people； the ability to reside in the Seventh Center of Consciousness is unusual
today。 Enjoying life in the Fourth through Sixth Centers of Consciousness is
something that almost every one of us can do when we are sufficiently fed up
with yo…yoing between pleasure and pain and are determined to use the Five
Methods to get free of the addictions which keep us from continuously
enjoying life。
At the Seventh Center of Consciousness even the fluid self boundaries
disappear。 As water evaporates； it bees a transparent vapor。 Similarly； at
the highest level of consciousness； the experience of “self” bees a
transparent vapor that does not affect perception or dam up the intuitive
wisdom that is within each of us。 As our perception of “self” or “somebody”
disappears； we bee “nobody” which then lets us be in an unitive space
with everybody。
And so； step by step； we climb the mountain of consciousness。 We find the
path that most beckons to us and then we let the cosmic energy within each of
us impel us toward the loftier regions where serenity； unconditional love； and
fulfillment await us。
Chapter 19
How to Recognize Your Addictions
Since the Living Love Way to Higher Consciousness is based on gradually
eliminating your addictions； it is most important that you learn to
automatically spot them in your moment…to…moment flow of consciousness。 A
year contains 31；536；000 seconds each of which offers you an opportunity
to grow in consciousness。 How fully you benefit from these thirty…one million
opportunities is up to you。
You can recognize an addiction by your awareness that your bioputer is
using emotional programming to make you irritated； angry； jealous； confused；
tired； bored； defeated； fearful； resentful； or upset in one way or another。 Once
you are well on your way to reprogramming your more gross addictions； you
may then bee aware of your subtle addictions。 A subtle addiction does
not get you upset emotionally but with a subtle addiction your
consciousness is preoccupied with the addiction for a period of minutes；
hours； or days。
We may kid ourselves that we are thinking profoundly and continually about a
subject； but we’re actually churning away most inefficiently and ineffectively
and diverting energy and consciousness that could be more optimally used。
As you grow into higher consciousness； your here…and…now broad…channel
perception and your relative freedom from having your consciousness
dominated by addictions will intuitively give you the wise and effective
answer to any problem。 As you work toward the higher levels of
consciousness； you will find that “thinking” （juggling words； hypotheses； and
ideas centering around a problem） is usually not the way to find the optimal
solution to your problems。 A free； undominated awareness that is highly
attuned here and now to the people and situations around you will best enable
you to benefit by the wisdom that is waiting to be tapped in your
bioputer。 Your problem is to get at the wisdom that you already have
but which is now inaccessible due to your security； sensation； and powerdominated
consciousness。
One of the obstacles we must overe to grow into higher consciousness is
the “Spiritual Lawyer” phase。 When we first begin our journey and really see
the job of reprogramming that awaits us； our ego will experience a threat
because of a necessity to change certain lifetime habits that keep us on lower
consciousness levels。 But then once the ego gets familiar with the rules of the
game； it learns how to distort these rules so that we can rationalize our
avoiding the Twelve Pathways and other tools for consciousness growth。
Let us suppose that you annoy yourself when someone asks you to repeat
something you just told him。 Your ego puts your consciousness on the power
level by introducing the thought that if the other person had given you enough
of his attention and realized the importance of your worlds； he would have
been able to hear you clearly the first time。 Your ego then tells you that it is
important that the other person learn to respect you enough to pay attention
when you speak。 You are showing your irritation in order to help him
develop better habits of attention。 Your ego at that time does not permit you
to remember that your uptightness is a sure sign of an addiction （in this case a
power addiction） and that you are creating duality and alienation between
yourself and the other person。 All of us from time to time ask people to
repeat what they have said。 And so the other person is just doing something
that all of us have often done。 If we were responding from the Love Center
of Consciousness； we would feel no irritation and simply repeat the
information asked for。
Your ego may find that it can continue to operate as usual and protect the
Power Center of Consciousness by twisting some of the Pathways。 During
the very moments when your curt tones are creating alienation and separation
because you are treating another person as different from yourself； your ego
can be telling you that you’re really doing the other person a favor by giving
him a chance to use the Third Pathway： “I wele the opportunity （even if
painful） that my minute…to…minute experience offers me to bee aware of
the addictions I must reprogram to be liberated from my robot…like emotional
patterns。”
Your ego might even summon up the Twelfth Pathway to justify the duality
that you are producing by telling you that you are an awakening being who is
here to teach your friend to listen more consciously to your words of wisdom。
But； of course； this should be seen as a distortion of the Twelfth Pathway。
This Pathway does not place on you the burden of playing God for the benefit
of other people！ Rather； it tells you； “I am perceiving everyone； including
myself； as an awakening being who is here to claim his or her birthright to the
higher consciousness planes of unconditional love and oneness。” You love
and serve an awakening being by doing what he or she asks you to do。 If
someone asks you to repeat something； you repeat it。 In other words； you
treat him as a being who is here to help you bee aware of your addictions
and get free of them。 You avoid letting your ego pump you up into a pseudoguru
who is authorized to dominate or teach others。
When your consciousness is dominated by the lower three levels； it is the
natural flow of your personality that will best teach other people。 It is most
important that you realize that any attempt to play God and consciously teach
others by deliberately and intentionally giving them dualistic experiences may
retard your consciousness growth。 It will create alienation between you and
other people。
As you grow into higher consciousness levels； you will intuitively feel when a
person is open to instruction in consciousness growth。 You will either wait
until you are clearly aware of this openness or until you are asked to act as
teacher。 And even then you tell people only the things they are ready to hear
and can understand with oneness。 If they begin to get restless or show
continual irritation； you will know that you are not operating from a higher
consciousness level that gives only what the other person is prepared to hear。
When the requirement of “readiness to hear” is met； that which is given is
received so naturally that the person almost feels as if he thought of it himself。
In fact； his readiness creates the experience of learning as much as the
information of the “giver。”
Always remember that the Twelve Pathways will gradually and continually
lead you into pletely peaceful and loving spaces no matter what people
do or say around you！ If you prefer that something be different from the way
it is； you work from the certain knowledge that love and expanded
consciousness are absolutely enough to lead you to the optimal enjoyment of
your life。 Your striving； pushing； and dominating can only make surface
changes in the way people feel and act。 You need to deeply recognize that
these superficial changes are usually obtained at a heavy price in alienation
and unhappiness。 Your forcing usually brings only temporary changes on the
surface of behavior。 Since real love requires the unconditional acceptance of
another person； you are showing that you do not love him because there are
conditions he must fulfill before you can love him。
When you can love a person only if he or she is able to act in a fashion that
fits your addictive programming； you are treating the other person as an
object to be manipulated。 When you were growing up； you probably
experienced a lot of dominating behavior from your well…meaning parents。
You now have ego…backed programming that addictively resists dominating
“intrusions” into your life。 Of course； as you grow into higher consciousness；
you reprogram even these power…resisting addictions； so that dominating
behavior on the part of another person is understandingly seen for what it is
his entrapment in the Third Center of Consciousness。 Thus you select the
munications you find useful； and let the rest quietly go by and most
importantly； you no longer mirror another person’s addictive “stuff。”
It is important that you deeply perceive that love and expanded consciousness
are pletely enough to give you everything you need in your life。 For
example； if you like your coffee cooled before it is given to you to drink； you
can use a dominating impatience to “help” your friend remember to put a little
water into your coffee so that you can drink it as soon as you get it。 If he or
she forgets； you may show irritation to help him or her remember but in so
doing you will disturb your peace and serenity。 You will also disturb his or
her peace and serenity。 And you