Interview by Irene Pielich, January, 2010, The Netherlands
Irene: In your teachings you speak about 'The Principles of Love and Truth.' Can you explain what you mean by this, and just what these Principles are?
Michael: Nothing in life is random. Our physical world is governed by the laws of physics, while the world of animals, plants and minerals is governed by the natural laws of Nature. Obviously, humanity is affected by both of these, but this is not enough for a species that is exploring its own mental, emotional and spiritual reality. As we grow more aware, we discover the self-empowering Principles of Love and Truth. Here are just a few:
Principle: We are Beings of Love, and through Love - not knowledge - we grow spiritually.
Principle: First and foremost, we are immortal spiritual Beings in mortal physical form.
Principle: Each human Being creates their own reality. This means that we cannot blame any other person for anything!
Principle: Most aware people believe that life follows the direction of our thoughts; it does not.
Principle: Life follows either the negative emotional reaction to our thoughts, or, in more aware people, the positive emotional response to our thoughts. In this way we unwittingly create the events and direction of our lives. In other words, we create our reality!
Principle: Love positively responds; Fear negatively reacts.
Principle: Love is not an emotion. Emotions are not Love.
Principle: We are Beings of Love and Light.
Principle: We are Beings of Intelligence and consciousness.
Principle: Unconditional Love is the only Love. Anything less is not Love.
Principle: We can live our lives far better with conscious intelligence than with subconscious intellect. But very few people do this!
Principle: The only place of life is in this moment, Now.
Principle: We can think our way out of the moment, but we cannot think our way into it.
Principle: Everything that we most value exists only in the moment; God, Love, Intelligence, consciousness, peace, joy, beauty, etc.
Principle: You cannot Love subconsciously. Love is conscious. Most people live 95% of each day subconsciously.
Principle: There is no subconscious way to access the Principles of Truth.
Principle: Most of the beliefs that shape the average person's life are based in illusion, not Truth.
Principle: All time occupies the same space. Thus, the past, present and future are with us in this moment.
Principle: You are as able to change the outcome of the past, as you are able to influence the future.
Principle: Where you focus your thoughts and emotions . . . energy flows. Creating your own reality!
Principle: Love who you are; Love what you are doing; Love who you are with. Good focus, great life!
Just this small list of some of the Principles of Love and Truth should be enough to illustrate to any person that we live in the pitfalls of illusion, rather than in the expanding consciousness of Love and Truth. History clearly shows that we are stuck in cycles of sameness, of endless repetition, rather than ascending the ever-new spiral of life into unconditional Love.
Irene: We are now entering 2010. As you know, a lot of people believe something is going to happen to humanity in 2012. I think that the change is already starting; it's happening NOW. Can you tell us more about this change we are in, and the Bigger Picture you see?
Michael: No matter what people think or say, 2012 remains as speculation. Personally, I hope that 2012 heralds huge change in our lives, because I happen to think that our human consciousness is becoming stagnant. We are deeply stuck in sameness, very poor health, and illusion.
In fact, I am one of those who actually believes that we are very rapidly becoming an endangered species. It matters not that our population numbers are increasing; this will simply hasten the end. We are a species so locked in unremitting violence that we are not going anywhere - as a species. Interestingly, as we develop our Love/spirituality, we are no longer locked in a species/mass consciousness event; we really do create our own reality!
However, I agree, change is already taking place in the human consciousness - but - sorry, there's always a 'but' - each person has to make the choice to be part of that change. And not choosing is a choice! It is the choice of self-denial. A really poor choice! My speculation is that 2012 may well precipitate us into making a choice; a choice between fear and Love. Let's look at this. Love has to be a "conscious" choice. It is the choice of trust, of knowing Self as an immortal Being, and that there is nothing to save. Fear will think only of survival, of fighting to save the body. Fear is not a conscious choice, it is a reaction - the choice of not choosing. Fear is ego driven, and fear is a traitor.
In many ways people are currently making these choices. Are you truly expanding and growing in consciousness? Or is your life basically more of the same, with yesterday continually repeating? Or is your life actually shrinking, with you going out less, meeting fewer people, avoiding being involved? The outcomes are obvious. If you are a person who is committed to growing in consciousness, who thinks loving thoughts rather than angry ones when receiving negative comments, and can smile at adversity, then you are a person who is already responding to the energy of Change.
Irene: On 17 April, in Arnhem, we will have the talk 'Pathways to Awakening.' Can you tell us more about this subject?
Michael: My public talks are always inspirational, and what I have to say comes from the moment, combining with the consciousness of the people who are listening. So what I write here is not necessarily what I will be talking about!
Today, you are either on the pathway to Awakening, or you are still living in the nightmares of illusion. It is said that humanity collectively went to sleep - there are many funny stories about this - but that we Awaken one by one. As an Awake person, I agree with this. As I live my daily life, seemingly doing as other people do, I observe the depth of sleep/unawareness that ruins the lives of so many people. Negative reactions to what is said, or implied, ruins people's lives. If you react, but can release that reaction fairly quickly, you are on that pathway. If you cling to resentment and anger - as is so common - you are not on that pathway.
If you continually criticise yourself in your thoughts, and judge yourself, you are on a path of self-destruction. If you do this, but are aware of it, and consciously trying to change your thoughts into a more positive pattern, you are on your pathway to Awakening. Your focus and intent go a long way to determining your direction in life. I have had people say to me that never criticising yourself is impossible. I do not criticise myself. I do not worry. I have forgotten what anxiety feels like. I experience inner-peace. Do I ever make a mistake, or wrong another person? Of course I do, occasionally. But I do not live with regret and guilt. I apologise, and it is done. Either the person accepts my apology, or they do not. That is their choice and I accept whatever the outcome. I do not continue with resentment or blame. I make peace in my own heart. If the other person is in their heart, they respond; if they are in their angry head, they react and reject. So be it. Life is not about not making mistakes; life is about offering redress for your mistake without self-blame, self-criticism, self-regret, or self-punishment.
The path to Awakening is, more than anything, the path of being aware and conscious of your moment-by-moment daily life. Add to this the Principles of Love and Truth: Love who you are, Love who you are with, Love what you are doing . . . and Awakening will find you when you least expect it!
Irene: For a lot of people, like myself, it is difficult to work with emotions. The difficult part for me is that if you ignore the emotions you feel, they become like a monster in you. If you are aware of them, you can give them some attention. But if you give them too much attention then that will be your focus, and the emotions will keep repeating themselves. Like you tell us: 'Where you focus, energy flows, and will get bigger.' It seems like a never-ending circle. So can you give me more insight on how to deal with emotions?
Michael: Emotions are certainly a complex bag-of-tricks. It is a known fact that you cannot solve a problem with the same consciousness that created it. This also applies to emotions. There are three levels to our emotions: lower emotions are about blame, self-righteousness, anger, resentment, criticism, judgement, etcetera. Midway emotions are about forgiveness, self-acceptance, caring and sharing, being aware of others, etcetera. Higher emotions are about peace, joy, self-loving, caring, serving, balance, never blaming, etcetera.
Okay, so these emotions you refer to that become like monsters are clearly lower emotions. You cannot fix lower emotions from or with a lower emotional energy. You give them attention from a midway or higher emotional level and, as I said . . . where you focus, energy flows. So you are pouring midway or higher emotions into the lower emotional problem; this changes it. During your day, be aware to focus from a midway emotional level. The only way lower emotional energy can affect you is if you are living from your lower emotional energy. If you feel a negative reaction, lift your energy to your heart centre. Be aware that you need to consciously choose to bring your energy from a midway or higher emotional focus. Subconscious living will always put you in the lower emotional centre.
Just for your interest, I will be giving a lot of focus to these 'three levels of emotions' during our 5-Day Intensive this year. Knowing about these centers, and knowing how to choose your emotions, is a huge leap along your path. It is a mistake to focus exclusively on our spiritual growth. We are holistic Beings, and true enlightenment is also holistic. True Enlightenment needs to include emotional completeness and mental balance, as well as the Realisation of Self.
Irene: I was talking recently about people in your family, or in your work, who don't want to be nice to you. You give them a compliment, but some people still keep on being angry, and are not nice. What can you do then? Particularly when it is your employer, and you need this job.
Michael: This is actually another emotional problem. The people who don't want to be nice to you are living on a lower emotional level. They cannot be nice to "you" because they are unable to be nice to "themselves." If you compliment a person in this lower emotional energy, they turn it into an insult. You need to remember that the thoughts of these people are a continuous muttering of what is wrong with other people, the world, the government, who is to blame and, worst of all, continuous self-criticism. How do you think a nice remark from you is going to suddenly change this?
If you have an employer who is like this, and you really want that job, then you have to understand something. You are there for the money, not to change your employer. This means you stay centred in your midway or higher emotions "with no expectation" of any positive response from your boss. If you stay centred as I have said, then your boss's negative comments will not affect you in any way. Actually, it is a good test for your own emotional growth. In time, your lack of a negative reaction may well affect your boss. Just keep smiling, positive and outgoing no matter what. Remember, self-mastery is about "you" rowing your own boat, not someone else rowing it for you! And there is no self-mastery without emotional balance.
Irene: Your new book "Through The Eyes Of Love - Journeying with Pan - Book One" is a different book than the books you wrote in the '90s. Can you tell me more about this difference?
Michael: Actually, it is "very" different. Book Two is even more different. To elaborate on the "difference" would take a lot of explanation, so I will keep it short. As you know, for many years Pan has been my guide. But what you may not have known is that I was always very uncomfortable with this. I struggled with the very idea of Pan for many years. Even though I am very metaphysically "out there," so also I am a very grounded, practical man. These two aspects of Self were in conflict for over twenty years. When Treenie, my late wife, went through her transition, I went into deep shock. However, within three days she was communicating with me. I was faced with a dilemma. If I accepted that this really was Treenie - and it obviously was - then I had to accept that Pan communicated with me in the same way. If I accepted Treenie, I had to finally accept Pan. Maybe shock helped, but I fully accepted them both. It felt like an old inner barrier collapsed, and my relationship with Pan was totally changed.
Through the Eyes of Love is a book about Pan, and Treenie, the person I was grieving, teaching me how to find unconditional Love. While Treenie was opening my eyes to our emotional levels, and Love, Pan was opening my eyes to Nature's inner world of energy, and Love. Needless to say, they succeeded, and my life and my experience of life changed completely.
Irene: In this new book you talk about Nature and the balance between 'order' and 'chaos.' Can you tell me more about this in a short answer?
Michael: A short answer is difficult, but I will do my best. Everything in our world is energy. Everything physical is energy; our thoughts are energy, our emotions are energy. Even information is energy. Energy rules, okay! Metaphysically, I have learned to see this energy. I have learned to metaphysically read it, to recognise an energy signature, to follow an energy trail, all metaphysically. Energy is a dynamic, but any dynamic has to have a condition that maintains the dynamic. With all energy there are three main factors; Chaos, Order, and Balance. Chaos is the engine that drives, while Order is the stability within form. Between Chaos and Order there is a tremendous torsion. Imagine a wet towel being twisted from each end in opposing directions - this is torsion. The torsion is the never-ending dynamic between Chaos and Order. Balance is when the torsion reaches its most favourable level. Balance is not common . . . especially in people.
