There are many forms of negative emotions within the human: we are born with an inbred survival mode of fight-flight and the autonomic nervous system ensures we react real quickly and run even faster! Nonetheless, in this day, this age, many carry fears, guilt, envy, jealousy, feelings like this. Some are from this life, and perhaps, some we have carried over from a past life. To take up our inherent god-strength within and live fully human-fully alive, we can take steps to discard emotions and reactions that don’t lead to our growth, our inner freedom. Here, Part 1, we examine symbols to eliminate negative emotions.
Symbols to Use to Eliminate Negative Emotions
Fear
Fear seems to be one of the most crippling emotions and people will go to great lengths to try to be rid of it, yet they often report that it is extremely difficult to eradicate, perhaps because it is so pervasive. There are as many causes of fear as there are people in its grip and we have been shown several different methods to track down the origin.
Most frequently fear stems from childhood traumas, in which case we ask that the person seeking release be taken back in memory to the root cause or causes. As I have mentioned before, an authority figure such as Christ, Sai Baba, or a personification of the Higher Consciousness (which we call the High C) may be called upon to accompany the person back into the traumatic incident to reassure and heal the child who still lives on within and who was once involved in the fear-producing experience. Sometimes, as in the case of my own fear of heights, the original cause lies back in a past life experience rather than in the present life, and was brought over as an unconscious memory.
Very often people report that they suffer from intangible fears which are even more frightening just because they are intangible, and fear of the unknown is one of the most prevalent forms of fear. For this type of fear we often use the corridor of doors and lead the fearful person to the door marked ‘Fear’ and thus help him to discover the cause.
Another useful method is to instruct the person to use the Figure Eight by placing either a specific fear or a symbol for fear, instead of a person, in the opposite circle to the one he occupies. This is often sufficient to stop intrusion by fear, especially if it is being picked up like an infection from someone else.
A helpful method to dispel fear of a special future event or activity, is the dress rehearsal. If the person with whom we are working is experiencing fear at the prospect of having to do something, or face someone, we first relax him, and then take him a step at a time through a rehearsal of the future event he is so dreading to face. We suggest that he ask to be shown all the various traps or problems which might possibly be involved and take him by surprise, and that he be shown how to deal with them ahead of time. Sometimes most surprising insights come out of such a session and many people report that they find they are so much more relaxed and self-assured when the time arrives for the actual confrontation that they invariably sail through it unafraid. This method is helpful when someone wishes to ask his boss for a raise, needs to fire an employee, or confront someone about a fault. It can also be used as preparation for giving a lecture or speech, taking an oral examination, or appearing at a trial. It is a most useful preparation for taking part in a play or presenting a proposal. Sai Baba had a wonderful little story to illustrate his solution for dealing with fear of a wild animal or dangerous person. He advocates calling on, or recognising the God Force within the person, animal, reptile, or other attacking creature, as it will respond very differently when that part is being called on and activated.
Here is his story in full:
‘There was once a guru who told his disciple that God was in everything. The disciple believed the statement. That very day there was a royal parade. The king was the centre of attraction riding on an enormous elephant. Ignoring the rules of safety for such parades, the disciple planted himself firmly in the path of the royal elephant, and paid no attention to the cries of waming that he would be trampled to death. Upon reaching him, the elephant lifted him and put him safely to one side. The disciple went to his guru and complained that although God was in both the elephant and himself, he had been unable to remove the elephant from his path and that, on the contrary, the elephant had removed him. The guru explained that it was merely a matter of the elephant having greater physical strength. He told the disciple that, had he not been looking at God in the elephant, the beast would have killed him just as a matter of ordinary work. However, since the disciple was looking at God in the elephant, God had lifted him safely out of harm’s way. No animal, not even a cobra, will harm the person who sees God as the essential reality of the animal or the snake. The same is usually true as regards dangerous men, but there are some exceptions here because of karmic implications.’
I can vouch for the efficacy of calling on Baba as a symbol of the High C to dispel fear. When my husband I were hijacked one year on a flight from India to England, I called on Baba and could not have been more amazed to discover that there was not a particle of fear anywhere in me, even though my conscious mind was reasoning that I should be filled with fear at being confronted by two villainous-looking Palestinians who were keeping us all covered with machine-guns while they wired the plane preparatory to blowing it up.
Even after having been taken through one or more of the above exercises, some people still feel oppressed by fear and often say that it seems to lie deep within them, and that they have a fear of fear itself. For this situation, we have been given an exercise which we call the Jack.
The Jack for Fear
One day we had been asked to work for a woman who was so full of fear that she could barely function in her daily life. As I relaxed into the reverie state I could see this woman very clearly, even though she was unknown to either of us who were working together that day. I could also distinctly see the fear inside of her like grey cobwebs or wisps of smoke. I started to reach out to try to take hold of some of it but discovered that it was slippery and, as soon as I thought I had hold of a strand of it, away it would float into another part of her. As I persevered, it floated further, so I asked help from the High C for a solution and received the direction to reach up above my own head and pull down what I would find there.
I did this mentally and discovered that I had taken hold of an object which looked like a jack from the children’s game of that name except that this one was formed out of light, with the many rays emanating from a central ball of light. I was directed to pull it down so that it was level with my solar plexus and about six inches from my body. Then I was shown that the very centre of it was like a black hole, which had the ability to magnetically attract fear and pull it into its depths where the fear would be annihilated immediately. All I had to do was to allow the fears to come to my mind, verbalise them, and then literally let go of them, allowing the jack to draw them out and in to its centre.
We were told that this exercise was being given for use by anyone desiring to be rid of fear. So it was described to the woman who had asked for help, as follows:
1. Imagine that you are reaching up above your head and touching a large jack (three-dimensional cross) like those used in the children’s game. This one is composed of gold light, and the points are like rays of light.
2. Pull it down as if it were on a pulley like some lamps suspended from the ceiling.
3. Bring it down to about six inches away from your body in line with the solar plexus or diaphragm.
4. As you breathe out, consciously let go of any fear of which you are aware, or just fear in general. It will be magnetically drawn into the middle of the jack which will, like a ‘black hole’, negate it.
5. As you breathe in, consciously breathe in more light emanating from the points of the jack to replace the fear which you have dispelled and to heal the old trauma which caused it.
6. When you finish each exercise period, push the imaginary jack up above your head on the pulley, ready for the next time you may need it. While you are using it you can let go of any specific fears as they come to mind.
It may seem like a child’s game, but it is intended to impress the subconscious part of your mind which is childlike, and not the rational conscious part.
She reported back the next day that she had had a very strong reaction the first time she used it. Her whole body shook violently as she began to release her fears, but she was not afraid as the accompanying feeling of relaxation was more complete than she could recall ever having experienced before, and she slept soundly that night for the first time in years. She has continued to use it whenever she feels the fear returning and finds that in this way she can easily trace it and let go of it quickly before it has had time to take hold of her again.
We have given this exercise to many others who have had this problem. All of those who have really used it conscientiously have reported very positive results.
Guilt
Guilt is another paralysing emotion which is very common and hard to release because the person who carries it is often unconscious of the cause. Like fear, the roots are often deep-seated and reach back into childhood, frequently resulting from overly strict parents who dealt out punishment which was too severe to fit the crime. Sometimes the section in the puberty rites meditation involving forgiving and asking forgiveness from the parents is sufficient to dispel the burden of guilt if it is related to the parents in any way.
There is also the possibility that guilt stems from a past life and has been brought over into the present one, in which case it can be traced back and faced, and absolution requested and received from the authority figure, or High C. Such a discovery can be most helpful in uncovering some of the old karmic debts which the person has incurred and they can then ask to be shown how best to work them out in his life.
If the guilt is caused by a conscious act, it is often that guilt which eventually drives the person to make the first step towards making amends. Then he may go a step further and, by an act of the will, determine to avoid repeating that particular mistake, asking for help from the High C to do so. In such cases, the guilt has served a purpose, for without it, the person would not be sufficiently aware of his negative behaviour to start to remedy it.
Some people feel guilty, not because of any act of their own, but because other people have made them feel guilty for some reason. Some of them say that they feel guilty just being alive, and we have found that this often ties in with the parents and can even go back to birth, especially if the mother died in childbirth or was rendered an invalid as a result of giving birth to the child. Many parents fail to realise that even a tiny baby can pick up negative emotions, particularly rejection and blame. Both of these directly attack the sense of security which is so desperately needed when the child first enters this strange world after being in the security of the womb for nine months.
Another cause of guilt is the disappointment of the parents over the sex of the child, a very common reaction and one that is often continued well into the child’s life. The result is that the child feels that he is a mistake or a disappointment to his parents. In such a case, the guilt can often be relieved by having the person invoke the High C or other authority figure, and together go back in memory to the guilt-laden incidents and ask to be forgiven or granted absolution for himself or the parents. An imaginary ritual bath following this visualisation will enhance the feeling of being cleansed.
However, even after the cause of guilt has been found and the forgiveness accepted, it is sometimes still hard for people to let go of an overlay of guilt, especially if it has been carried for a very long time and has become a habit. In such cases, we introduce an exercise we call the ‘wet-suit’.
The Wet-suit for Removing Guilt
This exercise came forth during work for someone who had been haunted by a vague, but no less heavy, feeling of guilt which he had been unable to shed despite the many methods he had tried in order to release himself from it.
As I looked at him on the inner level, he appeared to be clad in a shiny black wet-suit which reminded me of those wom by surfers. It fitted him like a second skin, constricting his movements and preventing him from breathing freely.
As soon as he was relaxed, I asked him to look down at himself to see if he could see this black covering over his entire body. He became very excited and said that he certainly could not only see it but feel it, and that it exactly matched the way he felt all the time—restricted and closed in.
I asked if he would like to be shown how to remove it and he fairly leapt at the chance. So I led him a step at a time to free himself from this unwanted covering, helping him with those parts which were difficult for him to reach. In his case, he could not remove the wet-suit all in one piece, but had to cut off a small piece at a time, naming the cause of each part as he proceeded. When he had finally succeeded in removing all of it, he had a pile of black scraps at his feet.
I asked him how he should destroy the scraps so that he would never be tempted to put those particular pieces back in place again. His reply was immediate: he would pour acid over the pile and, as he went ahead, I warned him to be sure that every shred was eaten up by the acid and that none were overlooked in his excitement over the opportunity to dispose of them. He worked hard and finally announced that every shred had disappeared without leaving even a stain.
I then suggested that he might like to take a shower or swim to wash off his entire body which had been covered by the wet-suit for so long. He chose to swim in the ocean so that the salt water could not only cleanse his body but stimulate and refresh it. I encouraged him to swim, splash and jump around to express his new-found freedom. He was really able to let go and romp in the water, so I suggested that he could also run up and down on the beach to expose his body to the sun and air and to further impress upon himself that he was now free.
At last he reported that he was tired and had collapsed. While he rested, I recommended that he check himself daily for a week, and thereafter once a week, to be sure that he had not taken back any parts of his old habit. I explained that should he see any evidence of the wet-suit, he could remove it immediately, pour acid over it, wash himself off in the ocean and air out his body as he had just done in the reverie and that it would take only a few minutes to do this once it had been removed the first time.
He later reported that he found he was able to recognise when he had accumulated a new layer of guilt and was able to rid himself of it at once after checking to see what had caused him to assume it again.
Jealousy and Envy
These two negative emotions are similar and are often confused in peoples’ minds, but there are distinct differences between them. They both stem from greed and selfishness and are linked to desires and attachments.
Jealousy springs to life in a person when he is faced with the possibility that someone may take something or someone away from him which he values. He then tries hard to guard what he considers his property, hating the one who threatens to rob him. Envy is born of lust, and tempts a person to reach out to grasp something belonging to someone else which he covets. These two emotional reactions are closely linked, as one person jealously guards his possessions, while the other envies him for owning them.
The underlying greed common to both is one of the most constricting emotions. It impedes the natural flow on all levels: body, mind, emotions, and spirit, and also affects those around the greedy person. Greed signifies holding on, rather than letting go and flowing with the basic rhythm of life.
The first task in dealing with these negative emotions is to try to determine what triggers them in a person and whether they are the result of basic character weaknesses or of circumstances or childhood experiences. In some people they can stem from insecurity and a desperate need to hold on to people or objects for support and comfort, rather than seeking security from the High C. If this is the case, the Figure Eight can be used around the person and a symbol representing whatever he is tempted to hold onto so tightly that he fears it will be taken from him. This exercise will lessen the hold and he can then be taken into a session to release himself from his crutch and make contact with the High C.
Symbols representing envy, greed and jealousy can also be handed over to the personification of the High C, or destroyed by burning them in the torch, or the eternal flame.
The Worm in the Apple
Because the emotions of envy and jealousy create such serious problems for so many people, my daughter and I asked during a work session if we could be shown a symbol to help people to eradicate them.
I was startled to be shown a beautiful, shiny red apple which looked perfectly developed and ripe. I was directed to look inside it and not be fooled by its outer appearance. When I did this, I was shocked to see that a worm had burrowed deep into it and had eaten its way to the very core, reducing the apple to a hollow shell. We then understood that jealousy and envy, like the worm, both borrow deep into a person’s heart until it, too, becomes empty and hollow, just as I had seen the apple.
I next saw a big, fat, puffy red heart, like those on some Valentine cards, and was shown that anyone desiring to rid himself of these negative e_motions should visualise this as a symbol of his own heart. He can then be helped to cut or dig down into it with whatever instrument he is shown to use, until the worm is exposed, and he can lift it out and exterminate it in any way he likes.
The worm must be replaced by something which the person chooses as a symbol of love and generosity. These symbols vary with each person and range all the way from maraschino cherries and strawberries to cupids, angels, lotuses, and lights. An important part of the process is for each person to discover the most meaningful symbol for him and not copy others. When found, the symbol can be used as a daily visualisation to impress his subconscious mind with the new message of love, replacing the old envy and jealousy.
Afterword:
These symbols have been in use since ages. They have been given by the Higher Consciousness of all humans. They are accessed by millions daily, and used multiple times daily. You will understand that these symbols are robust, strong and effective when utilised as given above. They are not frivolous imaginings, they are given to help people manage their lives, come to self-awareness and master the mind. The mind is the servant, who takes notice of and absorbs the higher energy – frequency – vibration of these symbols. They are the gateway to the higher dimensions, the 5th and up.
