AS I SAID IN THE LAST CHAPTER, before we get into the practical advice and technique section of this book, I first want to clear the ground of any misconceptions you may have about what it means to be a spiritual person. I do not want to get into a lengthy debate with myself (or you) here, so I will assume you are prepared to at least consider what I have to say. Therefore, I will provide a short list of misconceptions, without argument or justification. If you want confirmation of the truths I tell you, you can get it by just asking for it (see the section on communicating with Spirit later in this book). Put the question out to the universe and Spirit will provide.

Of course, I realize there may be some resistance to what I have to say here. Some of you may be just starting out, you may be coming from dogmatic backgrounds, or you may not have a big picture view yet, so it may not be immediately clear why I identify one idea or another as a misconception or error. If you do feel yourself resisting (but you still want to move forward), don't fret too much about it. Don't kick yourself over it. You can let go of your resistance whenever you feel comfortable doing so. I'm not asking you to throw all your old ideas out and operate on blind faith. I'm also not threatening you in any way (i.e., you're not going to burn in hell or be reborn as a slug for not "following the rules"). I'm just asking you to try these ideas on for size for a bit and see if they don't lead you towards an obvious awakening, an easily recognizable expansion of consciousness. If you find these ideas are not leading you towards a positive spirituality and a positive empowerment, feel free to stick with what works for you. You can always come back and try it on for size at a later date.

The door will always be open.

However, I will say this: No matter what you do, it is important to understand (even at this early stage) that your ideas about spirituality determine your experience of spirituality and even your experience of life. If you believe in a spirituality of judgment, damnation, competition, struggle, and strife, don't be surprised if you experience these things in "reality." You create the world around you through the ideas that you have in your head. If you have "old world" ideas and old world spiritual conceptions, you will create, live in, and die in an old world of duality, conflict, and strife. You can do that if you want. However, if you want to awaken from that old world nightmare and see what's really possible, read on. This is the way forward.

Misconception One: Being Spiritual means you are broken. You are damaged in some way. You need to be fixed. You ate some bad fruit and were thrown out of The Garden. You are a bad little boy or girl and you don't listen. You are full of sin and need to be constantly directed and punished. You are souls in bodily evolution (or is that bodies in soul evolution?) and you must struggle through lifetimes of pain and despair in order to attain perfection of DNA, of spirit, of whatever. You are children, sinful, dirty, disgusting, un-evolved, and descended.

Well, listen... I'm here to tell you, these things are not true.

Here is the truth:

• You are not descended from apes.
• You are not souls in training.
• You are not evolving from mud.
• You are not broken angels.
• You are not weak.
• You are not sinful.
• You are not cast-outs from The Garden.

In fact, you are not broken in any way and you are certainly not in any need of salvation.

The real story, which I talk about in more detail in subsequent books (and also see The Parable of the Garden at the back of this book), is much more glorious and grand than all that nonsense. The real story is you, me, and everyone on this planet are on a mission. The real story is, we have undertaken a Divine task. We are working on God's Plan and in order to accomplish that plan we have, for a long time, been walking around in "darkness." We have had a "veil" placed on our bodies' minds that has prevented, up until now, more than ten percent of our full spiritual consciousness from entering the physical body. In other words, we have been asleep, but for a reason!

Now, you don't need me to tell you, it has been a tough slog. We have had to put up with a lot of shit and abuse while sleeping through our mission.

I will be the first to acknowledge that.

We have endured the pain.

However, no sense in getting worked up over it. It will be worth it; you'll see. As we will find out, the thing that we have accomplished, the thing that we have worked towards, the "ascension of the universe," as it is called, is grand, glorious, magnificent and definitely worth the trouble.

You'll see.

Misconception Two: Spirituality is like one big test so you better study, work hard, do your homework, polish your shoes, clear your karma, learn, evolve, hope, and pray that when the time comes for judgment you will pass "the test" and be found worthy, strong, intelligent, good, genetically fit, or whatever.

But listen...

You can give that nonsense up right now.

The truth is, your life is not a classroom, this earth is not a school, and your goal is not to pass some kind of cosmic final exam. The truth is, you are not on this earth to prove your worthiness or win your way back into God's good graces. The truth is, you are not here to pass some karmic test or learn to be good little boys and girls. Spirit exists forever and when you die you are not judged, stamped, and sent to the "appropriate karmic level." When you die, all that happens is that you take another body (or not, depending on what you want to do) and are reborn into a situation of your choosing.

It is important you understand this, so pay attention.

• Nobody makes you take a body.
• Nobody tells you where to incarnate.
• Nobody sets a plan for you.
• Nobody judges your sins and nobody (not even God) tells you where to go, what "lessons" to learn, or what you should experience.

As immortal Spirit, whatever you want to do, wherever you want to go, whatever you want to experience, and whomever you want to be is your choice.

No judgment.

No strings attached.

It's all up to you.

It's all within your power. So, keep this in mind and, from this point forward, make the choices that are right for you and the ones you love.

Misconception Three: Being spiritual means being submissive. Spirituality requires submission to an authority figure of some sort. Bow low and be humble, little one. Submit and be good little lambs. Do what you are told or old St. Nick will bring you what you deserve on Christ's Birthday. Do not disobey or St. Peter won't let you in through the Pearly Gates. Do not rebel or you will be cast out. Do not sin against God or you will be damned to eternal hell fire.

Rubbish. Rubbish. Rubbish.

Truth is, doing what you are told doesn't make you a spiritual person, a good person, or a holy person.

It doesn't make you a bad person, either.

It just makes you a person that does what you are told to do for whatever reason that is.

That's all.

It goes no deeper than that, so don't expect some kind of reward or punishment for following authority, or not. You create the reality you experience through the choices you make and you (and others, of course) live with the consequences of your choices. It is as simple as that.

Now of course, this doesn't mean you can go out and do whatever you want to do. You have to remember that your actions, even your thoughts, have consequences for you, for others. It's always your choice; but, take responsibility for ALL your actions. You are not children. If you want to go jump around in the mud, be prepared to do your own cleanup work. Take responsibility! Own up to your actions. If you get drunk, get behind the wheel and kill somebody, you're responsible. If you push a button that drops a bomb that kills a thousand people, you're responsible. If you hurt your spouse, or damage your children emotionally, physically, or spiritually, you're responsible. If you muck up someone else's life because of your action (or inaction), you're responsible.

If you do that, you have to make amends.

You have to atone.

Now, if you want my advice, you want to avoid making messes and mucking around with others lives because, bottom line, you're responsible for the messes you create. As you wake up, you will feel yourself accountable for cleaning up and you will not make progress forward until you accept responsibility and atone for your "sins." Believe me, you can save yourself a lot of head banging if you stop making messes immediately.

Remember, it doesn't matter whether you are following authority or not. It is the consequences of your actions that you are responsible for. If you take actions that are hurtful to others, then you've hurt others. If you make a decision that leaves people homeless, if you start a war and drop a bomb, if you encourage a crusade, if you steal from the poor, if you rape a child, you've hurt somebody.

Of course, no fully conscious immortal soul is going to stand in judgment of your actions, but at the same time, as you wake up, we are all going to expect you to clean up the messes that you've left. If you want my advice, instead of living in fear of punishment and/or anticipation of reward, instead of worrying about doing what the authorities tell you to do, start paying attention to the real impact of your actions.

And don't get me wrong. I'm not wagging my finger at you here. I don't want you to dwell on what you've done in the past or feel guilty.

The past is done. Atone in equal measure to your "sin," atone until that "little voice inside" says you're done, and then forget about it and move on. That's all. From this point on, stand up, take responsibility for your actions, and do the right thing.

Do more than "do unto others."

Uplift, heal, and empower this planet and the people on it. Not only will this help you speed through your own awakening process, but you'll feel a whole lot better about yourself and the world you live in. I guarantee it.

Misconception Four: Being spiritual means karma, judgment, damnation, and retribution. There are consequences for failure. If you mess up, you're going to be punished. If you screw up, you'll go to jail (hell). You'll be put into a work camp. You'll go to purgatory. You'll be karmically reborn as a slug or maybe (as I heard one catholic priest say on television once), your soul will be snuffed out and your naughty little existence terminated like the worthless piece of cosmic turd that you are.

Snake Oil!

The truth is, there is no such thing as hell or purgatory.

Even the idea of it is senseless.

There is no gatekeeper at the Pearly gates. St. Nick isn't keeping a list, he's not checking it twice, and he certainly doesn't care whether you have been naughty or nice.

The truth is, your worst enemy, the person that you hate the most, the person who has done you wrong a million times through ten hundred thousand lifetimes retains, even now, even after death, exactly the same rights and privileges as you do. It simply doesn't matter what you think about them or what kind of "justice" you think exists in the universe. It ain't gonna happen. We all retain exactly the same rights, privileges, and entitlements no matter who we are, what we've done, or where we've been.

Now, if the thought of this makes you angry, tough.

Hatred and anger, the desire for vengeance, the need to see somebody else in pain, these are the nightmares of a sleeping body. They don't belong in a fully awakened existence.

They won't fit.

In fact, the two are mutually exclusive. You see, your spiritual consciousness is all about love and inclusion and expansiveness and giving. The truth is, your higher self is a glorious beacon of light and love and it cannot abide the negativity of this world. The truth is, our higher self cannot get close to all the negative nonsense we keep percolating in our noodles. If it does, it burns. Therefore, bottom line, if your mind is full of hate, judgment, hierarchy, and suffering, you won't be able to wake up. Your consciousness won't be able to enter. It would simply be in too much pain.

Sorry to say, but that's the way it is. As long as the Jews hate the Arabs and the Arabs hate the Americans and the Americans hate Al Quaeda and we all hate each other, nobody is waking up. It is impossible. With that much hatred (and fear, for that matter) floating around, ten percent is about as much pain as your soul can handle. If you want my advice, let go of hatred, anger, vengeance, judgment, and ideas about wrath and damnation and let the healing begin so that consciousness may enter and blossom.

Let negativity go.

Release yourself.

"Let him who [is without sin] cast the first stone" yada, yada, yada.

Forgive and forget.

Golden rules to be sure - deep guidance designed to help you awaken swiftly into full consciousness.

Misconception Five: Spirituality requires sacrifice and therefore you are going to have to put up with a lot of nonsense in your lifetime if you want to pass "the tests." Suffering and poverty, work and despair, pain and disease, war and violent death are good things for you. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. You are being tempered in "the fires" of creation. You are a diamond in the rough, a soul in training, so accept and sacrifice.

But, do I have to say it?

Just in case, I will.

Bullshit!

Truth is, God and Spirit are magnanimous, loving, and expansive. Truth is, there is nothing in any spiritual contract or cosmic document that requires you to put up with any nonsense at all. You don't have to have a disease, you don't have to die early, you don't have to be poor, you don't have to be oppressed, and you don't have to die of starvation (especially considering the abundance of food available on this planet).

God (or god) doesn't want that.

Your higher self doesn't require that.

It's not necessary, not even in the context of the mission we are on.

It just doesn't have to be, so wake up and make a change.

If you find you are putting up with "stuff," I recommend you take steps to stop it. Exercise your God-given right to put your foot down and say, no more. Compromise in a healthy and mutually respectful relationship is one thing, but nobody, not even god, requires you to suffer. Like any psychologically healthy and loving parent, god would rather see you joyful, healthy, and alive than in any kind of pain, prison, or purgatory.

So fix what's wrong.

Say to yourself and the world, "No more!!"

Enough, as they say, is enough.

Misconception Six: It has something to do with how smart you are, how rich you are, how famous you are, how accomplished you are, or how powerful you are. It has something to do with how hard you work, how far you get, or how high you attain. It is a question of your worthiness, of your utility, of your usefulness. Did you listen in school? Did you follow orders? Did you accept and sacrifice? Are you a good boy or girl? Well, then, you'll be rewarded, some day, maybe after you're dead.

But no, no, no, a thousand times NO.

Being spiritual has nothing to do with how smart you are, how rich you are, how much you attain, how hard you work, or how much you achieve.

It is not about purification, evolution, alchemical transformation to some shiny, but ultimately useless, mineral, or anything like that.

It simply doesn't matter who you are or what you've done. You are no more worthy of health, happiness, wealth, prosperity, and peace than the homeless, jobless, bathless person in the streets of your hometown. In the eyes of God, in the great Unfolding of Spirit, we all deserve prosperity, happiness, peace, love, and desire-no matter what.

To have anything else, to allow anything else to exist, is an affront to our collective divinity. We have accepted it while we've been sleeping, but now that we're waking up, we'll have no more of that nonsense.

Misconception Seven: Being spiritual is about how "pure" you are, how "egoless" you are, how well you get into a lotus position, how many mushrooms you eat, how well you understand integral philosophy, how many books you've read, etc.

Oh, my gosh!

Insert any sort of "it's about" clause that you want here, but I'll tell you, whatever you think it means to be spiritual is probably wrong because, and here's the big revelation, being spiritual is about nothing at all. The truth is, you are spiritual without even trying. You are already an amazing spiritual light in creation and you don't even have to drag your butt out of bed to be that light.

• You don't have to do a darn thing.
• You do not have to prove anything.
• You don't have to be anybody.
• You don't have to go anywhere.
• You don't have to serve anyone.

Truth is, nothing that you or I or anybody can say or do changes that fact.

Nothing you say, no mountain you climb, no valley you low, no person you kill, no poor man you spit on, no king that you worship, no good deed that you do, nothing in this great omniverse can make you less than the divine spark of light that you already are.

Truth is, every stinky orifice on your body, every smelly hair beneath your arm, every dirty tooth in your mouth, every etched-in wrinkle on your face, every fuzzy split end on your head, everything about you screams your spirituality and your divinity. Just like going to sleep at night doesn't make you any less of a human being, being "spiritually asleep" doesn't make you any less spiritual. It just means you are asleep.

That's all.

And you know what?

I got great news for you.

The nice thing about all this is, once you get through all these misconceptions and the associated feelings of guilt, shame, unworthiness, and inability that have been programmed into you by "The System" of this earth, you'll find it extremely easy to throw off the cloak of sleep, return to full consciousness, and fix everything that's wrong in your world. All you have to do to get started is put aside the nonsense in your noodle put there by people who don't want you to see your beautiful inner light. So wake up eh. Put aside the nonsense, quit living your life in "darkness," and recapture the awesome glory and light that is you fully awake.

That's all there is to it.

It is not that hard, and in the rest of this book, and, in fact, in all my books, I will assist by providing techniques and information that will help you take not only your first steps, but even your intermediate and advanced steps towards full consciousness. I'd like to start in the next two sections by looking at a couple of things that are important for your spiritual awakening - breathing and visualization. Following that, we will cover other topics like intent, protection of your "spiritual space," conversations with your soul and other important spiritual things like that.

I'm hoping it is going to be an exciting journey of awakening and empowerment for you.
So let's now waste any more time, shall we?

Let us begin.