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Iron Curtains Of The Mind
By
Diane Kennedy Pike
The metaphor of the
Iron Curtain was in the forefront of my consciousness throughout our journey
in what I had thought of as Eastern Europe. I realized that for close
to half a century, these countries were cut off from normal relations
with the West. During that time, they became a mystery to us. It was easy
to respond with indifference, or fear, or distrust, or just plain awkwardness
to these peoples, because they were unknown entities.
I kept thinking how a similar iron curtain of the mind cuts us off from
our true identity and makes inner wisdom and spirituality a mystery.
The Iron Curtain in our minds is formed by the illusion of separateness.
Our nervous systems are not yet sufficiently evolved to enable us to perceive
directly the energy world in which we live. Consequently, we relate to
images of the energy world held in our psyches. The images appear to have
outlines against a background of "empty space." It seems as
though our world is made up of a myriad of discrete, separate "things."
Each of us is one of those "things."
This is the root of our illusion of separateness. We are unable to perceive
that every "thing" is actually a field of energy, integrated
in larger fields. Fields within fields within fields, all sustained in
one large unitary field. In other worlds, we are ignorant of our true
nature as humans and of our place in the Whole.
As we traveled through lands that suffered under two major totalitarian
regimes (Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union) in the last century and who
were witness to almost inconceivable atrocities and suffering, I kept
thinking, "These events could come about only because of the Iron
Curtain in our Minds."
For example,
Hitler visualized the creation of an Aryan Society that would be "pure"
because he would have exterminated all "lesser" elements: Jews,
Poles, homosexuals, the mentally ill, criminals, Seventh Day Adventists,
Gypsies, political dissenters, free thinkers, intellectuals, etc., etc.
He could only conceive such an idea because the iron curtain in his own
mind was so powerful that he believed he was separate from those people.
He did not understand that his own life and death were intrinsically interwoven
with those he called "lesser."
In fact, all prejudice against others -- all fear and distrust -- is a
response to the illusion that others are different from us in some fundamental
way. That misperception of our true identity is also a result of the Iron
Curtain of the Mind.
Because our attention is focused on the images projected on the "solid"
curtain, we believe ourselves to be the image of ourselves, rather than
recognizing that we are the consciousness that forms, sustains, and interprets
those images. If we knew that we are the power-to-be-conscious, we would
recognize that there is no essential difference between any other and
us.
As I heard the histories of wars and pillaging, of forced conversions
to Christianity, of exterminations of millions of people, of suppression
and persecution and brutality, I kept thinking, "This is due to our
ignorance. We do not know [ital]who we are and we do not know that we
are part of one whole."
I returned to the States with a renewed commitment to teach the Wisdom
in the most effective ways I can find. I want to help lift the Iron Curtain
of the Mind for all those who are ready to discover their true nature
and to live in the reality of the energy world.
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