A Note from Neale...

Hello my wonderful friends...

What is it like to be in the Holy Experience? In such an experience one is defenseless. There is no need to defend because the experience of attack is not possible, nor is the experience of damage. There is only what is happening, what is now going on, but it is labeled neither attack nor damage by The One, hence, there is no need for defense, judgment, or forgiveness.

This is exactly what was experienced by Jesus when he was crucified on the cross. He understood that The One was doing this to Oneself, for purposes much higher and grander than that which was seen or understood by the Individuations of The One who stood in the moment, observing everything but seeing nothing.

When having an exchange with another, be sure that you are not standing in the moment observing everything but seeing nothing. Too often among human beings this is the case. Not only when people are arguing with each other, either. Sometimes this happens even when they are loving each other. Even when they are making love. They are observing everything but seeing nothing.

To have the Holy Experience, share the Holy Experience. Do this by sharing in the feelings of others. As you listen to what they are saying, do not repeat their own words back to them. Never repeat someone's own words back to them if you want to get closer to them. Do you think they do not know what they have just said? Or, if they do not know, do you think that they want this pointed out to them?

What they want is to be heard at the level of feelings. Therefore, instead of repeating their words back to them, say what you think they are feeling. This is Active Listening. A dialogue with an INactive listener could go something like this:

"You always come home late from work, even when you promise that you'll be on time for dinner."

"I do not always come home late from work. I was not late even yesterday. You always do that. You always make it worse than it is in order to make your point."

"I'm not making it worse than it is! You may have gotten home on time yesterday, but today is the third time this week you've been late!"

"Third TIME? I didn't even GO to work on Monday. I was sick, remember? You see what I mean? You don't even know what you're talking about."

"Okay! It was twice this week, three times last week! I don't have a calendar on my wrist. All I'm saying is that you're late again, and I'm tired of yelling about it."

"You're tired of yelling about it? I'M tired of yelling about it. Now I don't even want to EAT dinner. Forget it. I'll be in the den if you want to talk to me nicely for a change..."

Now that exchange could have gone a lot differently, if even one of the two people had been an Active Listener...

"You always come home late from work, even when you promise that you'll be on time for dinner."

"I see that you're disappointed that I'm home so late, and I'm really sad that you're disappointed. Is there anything I can do to make you feel any better?"

"This is the third time this week you've been late!"

"Wow, you're really upset."

"I am upset, and I'm sorry to be so upset, but gosh, this keeps happening all the time."

"I hear that you're sad, and even a little angry. I want you to know that I hurt inside when you're sad or angry. I love you."

"I love you, too. Could you please try to make it home on time a little more often?"

"I'll try. Sometimes the time gets away from me. I'll try to watch the time more closely. Thanks for saying you love me. I know that if you didn't, none of this would matter to you. It feels good to be loved that much."

"Well, I do love you, for heaven sake. So come on over here and sit down. It'll take me just a minute to warm our dinner."

This is just a simple example of what it is like to have the Holy Experience in an Everyday Life kind of situation.

The Holy Experience is when you give every person back to themselves. It is when you cause them to know who they really are. Namely, that they are important to you, that they are part of you. And that they are part of God. You treat them as if they were Godly, as if they were Divine.

This is the Holy Experience, made real.

Hugs and Love,