Jeff,

I do not think and did not mean to imply that Paul Scheele presents himself as an enlightened sage. Despite the fact that he does not, despite the fact that he takes pains to indicate something to the contrary (you'll notice how he willingly discusses his own flaws and trials), people are more than willing to put him up on that pedestal. This is not good for anyone involved. That's my point of view.

Beliefs are not some things you get rid of.

People think and believe as they do because of the information they have available to them.

When I was a child and believed in Santa Claus, I did so because I had a limited amount of information available to me. My parents were actively engaged in a conspiracy to fool me. My dad left out cookies and milk for Santa and a bowl of water and carrots for Rudolf. At some point during the day, my dad took pains to get me to notice the empty glass of milk and a left-over half-eaten cookie. "Look at the nibble-marks on the carrot," my dad said, "have you ever seen the marks reindeer teeth make?"

I felt funny about all that when that happened, because my dad's performance was exaggerated and he was just a little bit too eager for me to notice all that. He also made a big deal about leaving those items out for Santa. That was the clue for me that something was amiss. If he had simply made no big deal about it, and maybe my mom made a bitter off-hand remark about Santa not cleaning up after himself, they might have had me for longer, but I figured it out.

I learned that my dad drank the milk and ate the cookies. He nibbled on the carrots and threw out the water. Mom and Dad bought the gifts each Christmas. While I was being fooled, I had a nagging feeling about it all. That nagging feeling led to inquiry and active disbelief.

Was my belief in Santa Claus removed? You could think of it that way, but you would be thinking like a simpleton if you did. Beliefs are conclusions we draw from experience. When the frame of the experience changes, the conclusions change. Beliefs aren't removed. The memory of the old way of perceiving is still there. With new information, however, you just can't believe what you used to. Nothing is removed, rather something is added.

When you see a magician's trick you might be totally fooled if you're a kid. Other kids did not like the fact that I was the one who looked for the trick and made it obvious by blurting it out once I found out how the magician did it. I was surprised when I found that many people would rather be fooled than to figure out or explore the truth.

What happens to the belief in the magic when you find out how the gag is enacted--that the dove flying out from the frying pan was hidden in a section under the lid that the magician tried to keep from your view? That the flourishing gesture with one hand was supposed to keep your awareness away from what the other one did?

Well, like the milk into the newspaper, it doesn't disappear. It exists within a context of new information, new understanding, and fits differently because of it. The notion is there, it just bears a different relation to the truth. Once you see that the milk went down a tube and into the magician's sleeve, it's apparent where it is, how everything all fits together.

I get a lot of nagging feelings about some of the more "magical" stuff in these courses. It sure feels good to believe some things. Doesn't it? Kids love to believe in Santa Claus. Maybe some people need to believe they are all powerful gods in order to muster up the courage to act? Maybe they need some opiates to get themselves going? Well, ok. But I'd like to think we're adults. I find it better to simply make the best with what you got. simply As human beings, simply using material resources so much is possible. So much. You don't really need mental tricks and sleight of mouth using outrageously questionable notions and spirituality. If that's your thing, fine. But it really isn't necessary. Santa Claus doesn't deliver your gifts on Christmas, at is isn't a magical super-power that brings you the things you want in life. It's your nervous system noticing information in the world and your brain processing it. It's your intelligence to figure out how to get what you want, your resourcefulness, and your actions that are responsible.

Maybe things seem to "happen" magically because you notice them? Maybe you sensitized yourself because you became clear on what you want and expected it to happen? Maybe expectations are powerful? Not magically powerful, just practically. You see things because your expectation to see them puts you into a heightened state of responsiveness to a certain category of stimuli. No need for notions about oneness with the universe and sending out thought forms into the ether and all that.

It's possible that this is what is occurring, but in my view it is very unlikely.

We don't manifest a la the shoemaker and his elves. We manifest from paying attention, having the courage to try and act, and being persistent. No added mysticism necessary.

Is that an impoverished view? Well, the fat has been cut off, but the meat remains.

In terms of fooling yourself, I think the Subgeniuses have a good philosophy. Go ahead and pull the wool over your own eyes if you want ... just know what you're doing and remember that you've done it.

[This message has been edited by babayada (edited October 16, 2004).]