Stupidity-How Stupidity Can Help Us Wake Up!

What you are about to read may strike you as cynical or negative in some way. It is not meant to be so. In fact, it is a necessary discussion to have if you are at all interested in awakening, discovering your Inner Shaman, breaking free. So, please put up with what you might consider to be insults to the human race for a few minutes, they are necessary. They apply to each of us, no matter how enlightened or clear-headed we think we are. This applies to me, to you, to all of us who have lived in a human body, are here now, or will be here in the future. Here goes!

Human beings can be phenomenally stupid, massively concrete, so dense that it seems there is no penetrating their dark thickness with even a tiny glimmer of light. If you doubt this then consider the following. After hundreds of thousands of years, despite having direct experience millions of times over, the bulk of the human race is unable to make the connection between what they think or feel, and what actually happens to them. They simply are not willing to see that they create consequences through their intentions, thoughts, and feelings.

Despite millions of opportunities to see the light, the vast majority of humans are completely unable to see that what they resist becomes stronger and more intense. Wars on other countries, wars on crime, the war on drugs, and the many things we make war on only make the problems worse in the long run. In addition, violence, force, war, and inflicting pain are still considered viable ways of getting things done even after the absolutely clear evidence millions of times over that these activities result only in egregious suffering and pain that may take generations to overcome. Most importantly, people are not able to see, despite all the evidence, that resistance to anything not only creates persistence of it, but what they resist they actually become. Resist evil terrorists and end up being the ones who torture and inflict horrendous abuse on other human beings. Resist drugs and become a drug addled country with a massive pharmaceutical industry creating massive addiction to their own legalized products. Not convinced yet? OK, consider this. Despite the fact that much of our human activity basically amounts to shitting in our own nest, squandering our resources, destroying the fragile planetary system for monetary gain, ruthlessly plundering the planet to live in ways that are completely unsustainable, we don’t learn, we don’t stop, we don’t even admit it.

I could go on and on but if we don’t realize by now how absolutely ignorant, foolish, absurd, crazy, and stupefyingly recalcitrant, stubborn, and unwilling to learn we humans are, then we probably won’t period. Until we do there is no possibility of salvation because we are engaging in a human beings favorite sport, denial. Denial results in projection, “you are at fault, not me.” This denial is unacceptably foolish, and wrong-headed. Not that we should turn blame on ourselves because that too is utterly stupid resulting in needless suffering and indulgent drama. All we need do is look at the stupidity, chuckle, shake our heads and say “Yep, pretty stupid. Better wake up.” Now let us turn to the bodies we simians use to move around in.

The simian bodies that we occupy are brutish and dense no matter how much we pretend to be genteel and refined. They cast off millions of waste particles every moment and usually one or more times a day cast off whole piles of stinking shit. These bodies are seas of parasites, bacteria, viruses, and corruption that stink to high heavens if we don’t wash with regularity or cover up with scents, perfumes, and colognes. Most medical doctors know all this but choose not to focus on it for too long or they would not be able to stand it.

These simian bodies that we live with are constantly busy dying until one day they collapse into a disgusting heap of putrifying dead flesh that if allowed to, would erupt into a fountain of maggots, flies, and bacteria that would consume the last identifying characteristics that we were ever a human being. Can you deny that this is so? “No,” you might say, but “that is unfair, that is not all there is to us. What about beauty and art and the great accomplishments of humans and so on? We are made to the image and likeness of God and we soar with the angels.” Hmmmm, sorry; Not as humans we don’t. Let someone die, leave them to decay and the same thing happens to each of us, Aristotle, George Washington, Leonardo Da Vinci, and Marilyn Monroe, whoever we want to name. In fact it is not our humanity that soars. Our humanity is the problem. Our humanity is what makes us unutterably stupid, pigheaded, self destructive, greedy, arrogant, impatient, martyred, and sniveling like Gollum in Lord of the Rings. Our humanity stemming from these mammal bodies is what is destroying our planet, destroying each other, hurting, maiming, pillaging, raping, burning, and suffering. We are every bit as territorial and violent as the monkeys in the zoo and infinitely more dangerous. You cannot deny it. It is so. No one wants it to be so, but it is.

You might say, yes but I have heard that some saints don’t corrupt after they die? Fine, have you seen one lately. The fact that it is so rare points to the general rule, our bodies tend to be just dirt bags and food for maggots. Even all those saints took shits, peed, and scratched in unnamable places.

Now if you are still with me after that onslaught, here is the good news. Our humanity is a figment of our collective imaginations. We made it up. We made up all the putrid decay, the corruption of the body and the viruses too. I know what you are probably thinking. That seems impossible. Too far out to even consider. But it’s true. We made it up. Our friends the quantum physicists have observed that when we get down to the smallest particle of matter, the quark, we can no longer find smaller particles but instead we find strings of pure energy powering up the universe. In other words there is nothing physically there any more but pure energy. The universe therefore is a projection utilizing pure energy to power it up and what is behind that energy is what is now the investigation of physicists. What they will find ultimately is the source, universal love, yet how can love be at the source of this disgusting projection? That is a question for a different article so let us continue on our track here.

Philosophers and scientists have speculated that in an infinite universe there are infinite possibilities. In that infinite number of possibilities is the very real possibility that this world we are experiencing was made up, created as a game. In fact, once again according to quantum physicists, it is more than a remote chance. It is in fact highly probable, way more probable than chance. Already we have prototypes of virtual reality games that create worlds that seem real. Imagine what these virtual reality games will be like after they evolve for a couple more centuries. What about civilizations in our galaxy or other galaxies that have had millions of years to perfect very advanced virtual reality games of their own? Imagine what those are like. They are perhaps like the holodeck of star trek fame where you can go and experience anything you want for awhile so you can learn. How is that different from what you and I are experiencing now? It is not. We have no way of proving that we are not involved in a virtual reality sequence made up by very advanced beings. Are those beings us?

Being human is a game, a very real seeming game. We can call it the human game and we play it for a while to find out what it is like to be Spirit pretending to be human. Who in their right mind would want for this game to last for more than a while? Does that mean this world is an illusion? Good question. I am not sure it serves us to explain this experience away as only an insignificant dream. When a game becomes very real we experience it as real; AS REAL. In the largest context, that of Spirit, the game is not actually real because the only thing that is real is the undivided “All That Is,” Spirit. Parts of “All That Is” are not technically real and do not exist apart, could never exist apart, will never exist apart. They are pretend.

What in our own experience is real, is Essence, the Inner Shaman, whatever we want to call it because this is the only thing that has the capacity to be Spirit at all times with no fragmentation. That is what makes humans appear to soar, to achieve great heights, to be filled with light, love, and extraordinary awareness. A human body, being a part of the whole, cannot actually exist apart from the whole. It can only participate at the level of projection, or in other words a game. That is all it will ever be able to do. Let Spirit flow through it for a while and aaahhhhh, now there is the possibility for greatness, for beauty, for magnificence. However, if we don’t include Spirit, “All That Is,” then we are doomed to play the game out of the basement, with low frequency concreteness, fragmentation, and total stupidity; Not pretty, quite ugly in fact. Think of the results of that way of playing the game, a battlefield after the battle with bodies all torn apart and limbs everywhere: horrible but fortunately just a dream projection, a very stupid dream that unfortunately we have dreamed over and over ad nauseum. Anybody for a new dream yet?

Now believe it or not I do not mean to denigrate the human body here. I’ve only been pointing out a few well-ignored facts. Our mammal bodies are innocent bystanders in this game. We dreamed them up as vehicles, what shamans call the hollow bone, or we could call them an empty vessel containing a cargo. That cargo could be sewage or fly infested trash, toxic or radioactive waste perhaps, or what have you. The cargo is whatever we choose it to be, false personality or essence. When the cargo is essence the body is in top form and when the cargo is false personality the body goes to shit pretty fast. This is our choice. Look around and you will readily see the choices most people make. A cargo of false personality is called aging, deterioration, heaviness, and oxidation. A cargo of essence is called radiance, lightness, brightness, vitality, and health.

Now I have worked with a great many people over the years and there is a major self-destructive pattern I have seen over and over. This pattern is what I call rebellion. Unfortunately many folks have been raised in the context of fundamentalist religions or have ben imprinted with severely restricted belief systems that make them feel bad about enjoying their own bodies. This is another example of insane stupidity. Hasn’t anyone noticed the predictable consequences? All that crap about denying the body only leads to two things, misery and rebellion. Misery is not being able to enjoy your body. Rebellion is what many people do in reaction to misery, always have and always will. “Nobody is going to tell me what I can or can’t do with my simian body. I can do whatever I damn well please with it. Watch me.” So they eat voraciously, drink heavily, take all manner of destructive artificial drugs, screw everything in sight, and completely trash the poor body. The body was innocent from the beginning and didn’t deserve this treatment. Imagine a poor puppy that is chained up and subjected to serious mistreatment. This makes us both sad and angry to contemplate but it is exactly what most people do to their very own mammal bodies that are no different from a chained puppy, chained by beliefs. Yet it is quite possible to live in a fun way and enjoy the body with its senses and pleasures and not trash it. Treat your horse well and it will be a good ride.

There are really only three ways to perceive our reality. One is that there is only essence and nothing else exists. The next way of perceiving is that nothing exists but physicality, Spirit being just a figment of our imaginations. The third way of perceiving is that both are true in some kind of strange entangled dance. You can choose which one you believe is the real deal. The greatest minds amongst us, the great masters, mystics, and saints, however, all agree. They say that there is only Spirit and nothing else actually exists. The other possibilities are just too problematic and don’t hold up under the scrutiny of an awakened master’s understanding. I don’t know about you but I am inclined to go the way of the masters on these matters. Who am I to take exception? They are my teachers.

Remote Healing

Each month, around the new and full moons, Jose, Lena or Anna leads a remote shamanic healing session. These approximately 30 minute sessions are designed to be experienced in a quiet, safe place free from distraction. Even if you cannot join live they can be very powerful, and always include a good clearing and beautiful icaros. Recording access is included for a short time afterwards. See the product description for dates and times.

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Historically there have been great minds that because of their partial grasp of the truth have led the human race down inspiration but terrible pathways. Aristotle, Saint Paul, Adam Smith, and Karl Marx were all brilliant minds. Perhaps these folk’s thought processes helped to provide important stepping-stones for the human race, perhaps not. Enlightened masters differ from great minds. The difference is that they operate from the heart and the brain is a servant to them. That is how they come upon the truth. Great minds tend to be all brain but with a reduced heart. That is how they can come up with brilliant ideas that seem so rational but are really just new forms of idiocy that we all seem to follow, not knowing the difference. The heart is the super highway to big mind, “All That Is” and the brain is just a little frontage road. That is the difference.

To know the truth it is important that we look unflinchingly at what is so. It does not hurt us to do so. We can still immensely enjoy eating our food and making mad, passionate love and at the same time know that the physical body is a device made of dirt from our planet which is itself a projection of the mind. The fleshy body is all OK, fun, nothing to deny and it is only a vehicle, not who we are, for we are the vast context that plays all these games for a little while.

In the next forty years or so we humans will be forced to contemplate the consequences of our stupidity. Many will see more clearly, have a change of heart, and become somewhat awakened in the process. Some will cling to their stupidity, simply unable or unwilling to see the reality of the consequences of disastrous choices, and they will suffer even more unpleasant consequences as they are marginalized and cast out of power. Between 2052 and 2072 it is possible that stupidity will become unpopular for the majority of the human race. Listening to Essence will become more the rage and the world will reap the benefits of a more awake perspective. The crazy repression of the human body will evaporate and people might even learn to enjoy their temporary bodies without having to trash them in rebellion. In the process many people will become more beautiful without having to resort to artificial means to look young and fool everybody. In other words there can be a powerful renaissance along with a paradigm shift. War could become unimaginable. The dawning awareness that focused thought and intention creates reality could spread as a popular perspective and people could begin to understand that resistance to anything is futile. People might begin to understand that there is a high road and there is a low road and the difference between them is the difference between living in heaven or hell. Of course stupidity will still rear its head in moments of forgetfulness but fortunately many people will point it out instantly and everyone will have a good laugh as they discard the foolish idea as a possibility. Or not. That is the choice. If not then we go the slow, slow route to awakening.

Nature will take care of itself in the long run, the very long run. In hundreds of thousands of years we will eventually outgrow our stupidity and become wise and then enlightened. When we step into enlightenment it will be as if no time had passed at all, so there is no problem in the long run. This is the course we might take if we continue to be lazy. However there is a different option, a different course we can take that will eliminate and endless amount of imagined suffering if we so desire. What is it?

Actually it is quite simple. It requires that we catch the wave, the great opportunity available to us at this time, the portal of change that has opened for a little while. This other option demands that we simply open our eyes, open our minds, and open our hearts and we do the shamanic thing and SEE. We simply look at what is so and say “OH SHIT!”, or something like that. The great teacher Krishnamurti once said that if you truly look at something with the intention of seeing the truth you will completely grasp it. You will see that the glass of poison you are drinking is going to kill you and you will immediately stop and not drink of it again, because you know without the shade of a doubt that it is poison. Once you see that, you are forever changed. His wisdom applies to us in these times. He was trying to tell us the way out of stupidity. You open your eyes and you see and you know and that inspires a different choice. Or you can continue to make the choice to lie to yourself. This is the strategy of a fool and a coward, unless of course you are too immature to know better.

So does that mean you rush around screaming “POISON, POISON, EVERYBODY STOP.” No, that is unnecessary and foolish. Everyone is tasked with learning this for themselves. You simply see it for yourself and that is enough to start a revolution from within. You stop drinking poison and you start seeing what is so and acting accordingly. You become a role model. From this modest beginning the world transforms surprisingly rapidly because now is the time when the portal is open and big things are afoot. Your every act of kindness is multiplied a million times. Your every thought of gratitude is multiplied as many times and so on. You can put away worry. When did that help anyway? You pursue goals that bring you joy no matter how modest. You find the energy leaks and eliminate them. You forgive with regularity, especially yourself, and you bless the people you deal with. You say goodbye to blaming and judging and you look for signs of Spirit everywhere and especially in the most unlikely places. You walk in beauty and you beautify whatever you can. You walk the shamanic path, the path with heart, and you behave like people will behave when the world has changed dramatically for the better. That’s it. Have a good time.

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José Stevens

José Luis Stevens, PhD is the president and co-founder (with wife Lena) of Power Path Seminars, an international school and consulting firm dedicated to the study and application of shamanism and indigenous wisdom to business and everyday life. José completed a ten-year apprenticeship with a Huichol (Wixarika) Maracame (Huichol shaman) in the Sierras of Central Mexico. In addition, he is studying with Shipibo shamans in the Peruvian Amazon and with Paqos (shamans) in the Andes in Peru. In 1983 he completed his doctoral dissertation at the California Institute of Integral Studies focusing on the interface between shamanism and western psychological counseling. Since then, he has studied cross-cultural shamanism around the world to distill the core elements of shamanic healing and practice. He is the author of twenty books and numerous articles including Encounters With Power, Awaken The Inner Shaman, The Power Path, Secrets of Shamanism, Transforming Your Dragons and How To Pray The Shaman’s Way.