Reference: “All It Is” Chapter 16: “9 Stages of I/E Proc”
Wednesday, January 11
David: Good morning, Custodian of the Cosmos! Ready to clean between my ears and eyes some more?
Walton: Perhaps we should just consider conducting major replacement surgery for the whole head? Or at least a near-complete David Do-over – Nose to toes?!
David: Who knows where that goes! But I did notice, last night, that we only have a few chapters of your PTP manual left to cover. We just finished the mighty “threes”: 3 Interactions, 3 Motivators, and 3 Creative Activities. And here we are today, on “three times three”, or the “Nine stages of information/energy processing.” It’s all math, and it’s all good! Let’s get the ball rolling, grooving in the good times ahead!
Walter: Wow! Somebody fed you an overdose of Happy Apple Cider Vinegar juice this morning! But don’t think that this is going to slow me down at all. I never sleep! I am more than ready for today’s Rocking and Rolling! Got my favorite rocking chair all pillowed up! Let’s start with the “9 stages”! One by one, we will simplify the terminology in the written chapter text, and then, of course, we will create an exciting and exhilarating example. And after that, if David Doggy is a “good boy,” I will share with you one of the simplest and yet most powerful physical exercises to shape and clean and energize your entire physical body in preparation for the work of a lifetime still facing you.
And now, you sir, have the honor of conducting the “simplification of terms”. So please go ahead and boil that first stage down in some simpler language please.
David: Since I am obviously stuck here on campus during this whole semester break, I will give it what we will appropriately call “the old college try.”
First of all, stage 1: Some relatively “aware” human being, let’s call him “Bob” for short, is located out in some kind of environment, let’s call it the “real world.” It may be physical, maybe some other form of energy. And that real world environment contains a wide variety of potential stimuli, aka “things”, to attract Bob’s attention, or awareness. In this first stage, Bob’s Awareness makes a quick determination of whether or not he should pay more attention to any one particular stimulus: to simply perceive it, or to ignore it, showing no more interest in it. If ignorable, then Bob’s Awareness completes its pure sensory perception of that stimulus, and moves on to the next stimulus in his immediate environment. Those are his first choices on how to direct his energies.
Walton: So he sees it, and then says “Huh? Do do or not to do”?
David: Yep, that is all for stage 1. Then, for stage 2, if Bob continues to direct more attention energy toward a particularly interesting “thing”, the energy, or vibes, coming from that stimulus will be evaluated to determine whether they might be potentially painful or pleasurable to Bob. Does the stimulus seem to be safe and welcoming, or maybe uncomfortable to deal with?
Walton: “To go where no Bob has gone before.” What is that Thing, really?!
David: Each stage gets a little more intensive. His aware attention increases with each stage of this “evaluating energy” process. In stage 3, he chooses to continue his quest for information. If Bob chooses to pour more attentive energy toward the stimulus, not ignoring, but engaging, he then needs to examine his previously programmed responses to this kind, or category, of stimulus. His “stored memory”. By checking with his previously programmed Belief System, Bob can determine whether he previously created a behavioral response to this stimulus target, this Thing, or if his newfound interest is going to require creating a brand new behavioral response, a new program, to this potential experience of pleasure or pain. To forge ahead, or to fall back.
Walton: Check with the software. Debug the program. Data over-write or insert new lines of code. “Harder, better, faster, stronger – Technologic”!
David: Don’t be such a daffy punk! New sub-routine requested, please! So, in stage 4, if Bob detects a previously created and stored program already in his Belief System, then he will choose to respond as he initially did, “once upon a time.” If Bob does not detect a previous program, he must then creatively come up with a new and unique response to that stimulus. However, at any time, he can still continue to engage, or still ignore, the stimulus once again. He could even get radical and remove or create an altered programmed response. Fresh air!
Walton: Fresh air, Times Square! Green acres, you are there!
David: Man, you must have watched a lot of old TV shows in your youth.
Walton: Who said television had been invented yet when I was a youngster? “Television – rules the nation!”
David: Hm. Not gonna go into the age thing with you at this moment! Stay young, stay pretty, leave a beautiful corpse!! Anyway, for stage 5, in the event that Bob is not currently choosing to Assist or Resist the incoming stimulus the strange new Thing, he can also simply store his immediate sensory impressions of that stimulus. He can always create some kind of response to it later in time. Like a backup bank account of stimulating impressions to categorize into “potentially pleasurable” or “potentially painful” memories.
Walton: Memories, like the corners of your mind! If you have still have an active one!
David: Do you mind? We are over half way done here! The suspense is building! Each time that Bob directs a bit more attention energy toward this Stimulus Source, this amazing new Thing, it gets more “real”, in his tangible world. The Creative Construction process in action! For stage 6, if our hopefully enlightened character Bob happens to be either very aware or advanced in his ability to process environmental stimuli, he can choose to deliberately, very intentionally, direct more heightened attention toward the stimuli, the great and wonderful “Thing!” Zap! Lightning bolts! Thus he becomes even closer to, and more accepting of, that stimulating experience. In other PTP words, he “Allows” the potential Stimulus to fully occur and be fully felt, experienced, by his “Sensory System.”
Walton: Hear ye, hear ye. Be near me! Nothing to fear here, Dear!
David: Oh dear, you are one weird duck, Doc! You quack me up, sometimes. But not right now! So back up a bit, buck-a-roo! Thank you! As I was starting to say, now for stage 7. In this stage, Benevolent Bob continues to direct even more attention energy toward the stimulus, the mysterious “Thing,” seeking to understand why its presence is in that environment. Maybe even pondering a source motive coming from the stimulus. Why are you here? What is your purpose in my life? A life lesson? Short term? Long term? Only when we choose to “really” get close to something or someone will we fully “understand” its purpose, its role, in our lives. Skip this stage, and this whole event just disappears with no real lasting value to Bob!
Walton: Until life, and value, everlasting, Amen. What is the cosmic cost of connecting to this creation? Do, or don’t do. There is no Try. Try is just doodoo!
David: Ugh!. Meanwhile, back on our own planet – in the process of becoming even more intensely connected to the newly created bond with this stimulus, we progress into stage 8. Again, in this situation, if Bob is a very aware or advanced human who has very few blocking programs against external stimuli, he will openly seek even a deeper connection or understanding, to the deepest depths of the core resonant frequency vibration with that stimulus. The human and the stimulus become in sync with each other, creating a state of unity, a strong connection. A Grokking. The two shall become as one!
Walton: The urge to merge has overtaken this situation. No Resistance, moderate Assistance. Full Allowance! Love.
David: Love is all he needs! Go, Bob! Finally, in stage 9, Bob extends some final, but continuous, attention energy toward the stimulus with which, or whom, he has created this close, and intimate, connection. Maybe even a “Co-created connection”, if that particular Stimulus (let’s call her “Ana”) happens to be another human! And with all good creations, Bob and Ana both intentionally choose to release all the attention energy they have transmitted toward each other! Yet, ironically, “Releasing” the attentive Energy in this case equals “Allowing”, which actually equals “True Loving”!
Walton: If you truly love something, or someone, set them free. If the love was ever genuine, those two parties will naturally, yet individually, seek to return to each other! Like magnets!!
I noticed that you changed your generic “Stimulus” phrase to “Which or Whom”, huh? Let’s go ahead and pretend we have just a “Whom” situation here. This could be fun, and enlightening!! Repeat the 9 stages again, but keep it even simpler, and use a boyfriend/girlfriend analogy for this walk up the steps to the Stage!!
David: I have just the “potential stimulus” in mind, as you can easily guess! (he sings the lyrics: “JC, she’s a part of me! The only one who kept this city sane….”)
So, here goes, the quick, the simple, the delightful “Whom” version of the “9 stages of information/energy processing”:
Stage 1: Out in the middle of a crowd of people, a boy sees a girl. {Once again, Bob is the “aware human” and Ana is the “potential stimulus”!}
Stage 2: Bob decides whether or not to pay any more attention to that particular girl, Ana, or to move on with his life.
Stage 3: Bob has to figure out whether or not he has run into Ana before, and if so, what was his memory of that meeting?
Stage 4: If Bob has never seen Ana before, he can choose to initiate a brand new meeting. If he has met her before, and enjoyed it, he can continue to get re-acquainted with her. But if his past meeting was negative, he will get out of there pretty quickly! He will leave the “Stage!”
Stage 5: Bob could also decide that he doesn’t currently have the time to meet Ana, he is scheduled to be somewhere else. So he creates a plan to meet her later.
Stage 6: If Bob chooses to meet Ana at that very event, that very moment, he moves toward her, and initiates a conversation with her.
Stage 7: Both internally and externally, Bob questions how he and Ana both happened to meet at that same time and place. Why are you here? Cosmic purpose, or accident? Coincidence? Synchronicity? Fate? Life lesson?
Stage 8: Once a comfortable, resonant communication occurs between Bob and Ana, they continue to get closer and closer together, in as many creative ways as they mutually desire.
Stage 9: Bob has now created a fairly strong, and growing, connection to Ana. And yet, he must not seek to smother or control her. He must always remain in an aware state of creating and releasing that creation, in order to make energetic space for newer and fresher experiences. And Ana must reciprocate in kind, or else she could serve as the causal trigger that leads to the end of their growing relationship.
Walton (clapping his hands joyously): Bravo! Huzzah! Brilliant! Complete, and still enjoyable!
David (bowing slightly, sheepish grin on his face, responds in his best Elvis Presley voice): Thank you, thank you very much!
Walton: And now, as promised, since David Doggy was such a “good boy,” I will now share with you “one of the simplest and yet most powerful physical exercises to shape and clean and energize your entire physical body in preparation for the work of a lifetime still facing you.”
David: Wow. Those are the exact same words you said at the beginning of this lesson. You are truly weird, quoting yourself! Almost as if they were just “copied and pasted” into your mouth! So, don’t hold back on my account. Let the physical training part of this adventure begin!
Walton: Get out of your seat, and stand by me. We are both in this endeavor, full body experience! I will teach, you will learn, and save your questions until I have finished. Ready, steady, go….
This exercise is simply referred to as a “Standing WuJi Meditation.” One of the many sources which explore and explain this exercise is the book series by the QiGong teacher Jan Diepersloot, his “Warriors of Stillness Trilogy.” Don’t let its simple title fool you, though. It will be the ultimate PTP exercise to help you fully experience the Be Here Now moment. I will discuss its specific beneficial nature once you have the instructions to perform it. Stand over here, and do these exercises along with me! Get yourself energized, my young wannabe “Warrior of Stillness”!
David: Yes, sensei!
Walton: I said “Stillness”, young chela! Ssshhhh!
Many years ago, I was introduced to the idea of the Standing WuJi Meditation. I have since slightly adapted, synthesized, and simplified it for my own purposes, that of producing increased internal healing energy for the elimination/completion of energy blocks throughout the physical body and the energy bodies. And with it, a greater sense of Awareness, inner and outer. That, David, is the work of our PTP program.
I have been able to use this exercise in the original standing position, but find that it can also be fairly easily modified for sitting, lying down, and even during daily activities. I have practiced parts of it on long drives. Rather than making me sleepy, like most breathing exercises do, it actually gave me more alert and relaxed energy for the trip.
Here, in the smallest of nutshells, are the original stages, with my revision suggestions following.
The PTP version of the WuJi/CoreStar Exercise for generating internal healing energy:
1.) Stand with feet parallel, the width of the shoulders
Reason: This is supposed to create a more focussed and proper alignment with earth, and pathways between human and grounding energies.
2.) Keep the knees unlocked
Reason: Again, the flow of energy up and down through the legs. Locked legs create energy blocks.
3.) Relax the hips and keep the pelvis tucked (crotch goes forward, small of back goes backward)
Reason: Lots of internal events occurring here, including, but not limited to, the opening of certain sections of the spine, alignment of muscle groups in the pelvic area, straightening of the spinal passage for energy travel, and the beginning of a very important focus on the “mingmen” energy area located in the lower back area.
4.) Expand the lower back and keep the abdomen sucked in (try to straighten the spine)
Reason: An expanded abdomen provides a detour route for some of your energy. Avoid detours!
5.) Hollow the chest and round the back (arms by front side or held out in a circle)
Reason: Allow the muscles along the spine to separate, expand, loosen up for energy flow, and also to create a “sphere” in the front which is very valuable in later and deeper studies of WuJi Standing and Martial Arts practices.
6.) Hold the head high and level, as if suspended from the sky, chin in
Reason: More spinal alignment, and alignment of the top-most place on the skull (more energy flow to “higher” levels to and from that point).
7.) Tongue touches the palate (roof of mouth)
Reason: Creates a continuous circuit around the back and front of the body, related to meridians and energy circuitry.
8.) Close your eyes
Reason: Reduce external stimuli while trying to bring full Awareness focus to the internal WuJi CenterPoint location. We’ll get to more on that in a moment.
9.) Natural breathing, any pace, any depth
Reason: Just easier to start with. Various alternative breathing methods can increase energy flow from the WuJi Center, but that is for later experimentation as desired. I, of course, suggest the Low-Slow-Nose-Flow version. This verifies that your “Parasympathetic Nervous System” is receiving more calming messages internally.
10.) Sink awareness into the belly.
Reason: This last stage is the most important, and needs a bit of explanation.
Your “mind’s eye” or inner awareness is going to direct raw “chi” energy into a very specific spot located (on the physical level) inside your body. To find that spot (called the “WuJi CenterPoint” by martial artist Jan Diepersloot and the “CoreStar” by healer Barbara Brennan), start with your belly button (approximate location of “tan tien”). Make a straight line back from that point to your back/spine. That point is called the “mingmen”. Then go back “inward” and find a spot that is exactly halfway between the navel and the mingmen.
This third point is the WuJi Centerpoint, the Corestar, which is the basis for this whole exercise. As a matter of fact, stages #4 thru #10 are the real crux of this energy distribution system. Supposedly, the Centerpoint is the Source location of ALL of the other energies mentioned in healing exercises (chakras and meridians). Therefore, if you unleash the energy at the Source, then it will find its own way “without mental direction” into those areas of the physical and other bodies that are blocked and need to be cleared.
As far as intention, or otherwise directing Awareness energy, do not try to do so for this particular exercise. Your whole, and ONLY, focus is to keep all aware intention placed in the WuJi point itself. Any attempt to then direct the energies into specific spots reduces the effect of the exercise. I’ve already tried this, and got less than full results by trying to “steer” the energy where I thought it should go.
Even as soon as your first attempt, you are likely to feel some muscle spasms, as energy tries to travel through the pathways of your body. Just let it do so, and keep watching the WuJi CenterPoint.
These instructions that I have just shared with you are not exclusive to any one group. They come from a variety of sources, some focused on the martial arts, some focused on just meditation, and some based on healing exercises.
In seeking better personal health and greater awareness, the highest purpose of the PTP program, and in this case, YOU, David, the student learns the basics of this physical exercise. The student begins to pay closer attention to his own body’s energy flow. He needs to reach a state where all of his movements become voluntary and not just unconscious. This increases both his level of awareness and his level of willpower.
It matches the physical state of relaxation with the aware state of stronger intention. This is not just an internal development. It assists with his body’s posture alignment and better and easier breathing ability. It improves his physical and mental and emotional balance, and he will acquire an increased ability at Stillness, which further leads to an active state of readiness for anything that may potentially enter his environment, be it human or otherwise. You can see how this will nicely complement the successful completion of the 9 Stages of information/energy processing that you just laid out for me.
David: Wow! Just as you claimed – very intense and very inclusive of everything we’ve studied these past few days! Today, and in the past, you’ve talked a bit about “resonant frequencies” and “vibes” that are unseen, but still included in these practices. Got a bit more info on them?
Walton: There are quite literally millions of people who believe that energy flows not only freely around us, but one of its origin sources is the planet Earth itself. A lot of the healing arts and the martial arts and the meditative arts begin with “connecting” to an alleged magnetic electromagnetic source of energy that emanates from the ground. There are some who can measure a very particular frequency, 7.83 hertz, which they call the Schumann resonance frequency. Look this up soon. Google says that “The Schumann resonance frequency is a series of electromagnetic frequencies that range from 7.83 Hz to 33 Hz. It’s also known as the “Earth’s heartbeat.” And furthermore, there are some scientific studies that suggest that our human brains can reach their ultimate potential for health and wellness when they resonate, through meditation or other heightened sense of awareness, with the Earth’s 7.83-hertz frequency. Getting in sync with the Earth’s natural frequencies can “positively affect physical and mental health and daily performance and promote overall well-being.”
It seems like in recent years, physicists and meta-physicists have perhaps unwittingly teamed up to examine these various electromagnetic energies, especially the resonant frequencies, and their effect on life on the planet Earth. The standing meditation exercise I am teaching you deals with that directly. Your feet are planted firmly on the earth, the energy allegedly flows up through the ground into the soles of your feet. Then it moves along certain energy lines within the body, which eastern practitioners call meridians. This leads to another fascinating collection of beliefs about what would be considered the chakra healing system. You will eventually find lots of books from both eastern and western sources that discuss how to obtain this energy in the first place, what to do as you intentionally raise that energy up into this metaphysical anatomy structure, and begin to notice actual physical changes in the health of your body and the energy flow within that body. Don’t accept these ideas blindly, but it is always worth the time to examine or experiment with them yourself, personally. Our lesson in this chapter about the nine stages of information and energy processing serves as a parallel parable to the rise of the energy in the chakra and healing energy paradigms.
So no matter what your reasoning for doing this standing meditation exercise, realized that it is not very unique, has existed for thousands of years, and may just be another very viable and valuable tool you can personally utilize in the increase of your awareness, the health of your sensory system body, and the cleaning and clearing of your belief system! Clean out your BS with Chi energy flow!
David: Go with the chi flow! And now, before I forget any of this, I want you to “know” that I am about to actually “Go” out into the “Snow” and stand by a fireplace “glow” and “grow” my energy field. So, until “tomorrow, ” “Ciao”!
Walton: Just to give you a last gentle warning, tomorrow’s lesson, a true summary of everything we have covered so far, discusses the eternal Human Battle. The Battle of the Belief Barrier. So come prepared for battle, my mighty, energetic, young, and Still Warrior friend!
*****