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"I called the world of appearances, illusion. I called my eyes and tongue chance. Now, it is over; I have awakened. I have, indeed, awakened and have only been born today."
     Hermann Hesse - Siddhartha

Brad's Statement of Intent : To Involve the Reader/Viewer intellectually, aesthetically and spiritually to "remember" their true selves, their underlying essence, that is always childlike in its qualities. This will be done through Universal Truths, Metaphorical or Transpersonal Art, as well as varying psychological and philosophical practices. These pages are a part of the socio-psychological paradigm shift going on worldwide right now.


This is not New Age crystal chanting, etheric-guide, out-of-body, hoopla, but psychology and spirit, i.e. transpersonal, at its most cutting edge.



This web site has been created to herald the coming awakening.

What this web site will help in doing is expedite this awakening, and to get people - those predestined for the awakening - to:
     1. Break free from their conditioned trances by simply becoming aware of what those trances      represent - "All change comes through expanded self-awareness" Jung
     2. Understand our completion - all we need to know to complete ourselves lies within us all      now; or, as the Buddha said, "Be a lamp unto your own feet. Do not seek outside yourself".
     3. Remember and nurture our profound childlike essence.

So, as this web site develops, we will discuss the ten illusions that bind one to the unawakened self. We will discuss the varying trance states that one goes in and out of continuously. We will discuss the false personality as it occurs on the enneagram … all (illusions, trance states and false personalities) that keep us from knowing our true selves - what is referred to often as our higher self or essence.

Why is this important? Because if you remain, as the majority of people will, in these false personality trances, you really have no connection to your true, underlying soul or essence. Your are a mere automaton. A stimulus/response robot. Exhibiting little more than an acquired or learned behavior pattern, over and over and over again.

We will discuss elements of the Perennial Philosophy, American Transcendentalism, Ericksonian hypnosis and Transpersonal psychology … but most of all our focus will be on the simplicity of the childlike essence. Through the writings of Abraham Maslow and Ashley Montagu, many of you will begin to awaken and remember that the "self-actualized" individual, i.e. one who becomes more integrated, more expressive and spontaneous, more creative, more humorous, more ego-transcending in essence, becomes a child again.

Isn't this what T.S. Elliot alluded to in his poem, "We will not cease from our explorations; yet, when we do come to the end of our exploring, we will have arrived from where we began and know it for the first time". Isn't this what Christ meant when he said, "I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the Kingdom of God like a little child will in no wise enter in". (Mark 10: 14-15) … and surely this is exactly what Zen master Takuan meant when he said, "The essence of Zen can be found in a child's heart"?
Since we will be dealing with varying aspects of metaphorical or transpersonal art, which I simply define as: "Art, beyond the five senses; back to pure mind and spirit". Perhaps this would be as good a time as any to give you a visual representation.


A Child's Universe
 To an infant the world is without boundaries. Their reality is as expansive and unlimited as their imaginations. Their beliefs have not, as yet, been constricted by fears or social norms. They are in a state of bliss where miracles come undifferentiated. It is no more astounding to, say, talk to an invisible friend than it is to see an angel fish suddenly appear before their curious eyes. In this state, all things are possible. There are no limitations.

The Essence of the
Childlike Spirit Transcends
Lower Self
For me this is simply a visual metaphor that accompanies the transcendent spirit back to pure essence: fearless and responsive. And, as we will discuss through varying writings, it is always childlike in nature.

The Essence of a Child
Two children, their hearts filled with wonder and awe, stare toward a distant horizon, while monarch butterflies, like fluttering beams of hope, move out and around them toward a large amber moon... and there stands a solitary unicorn, portraying their deepest hopes realized.

This picture deals with pure potentiality. It exemplifies the manifestation of the ideal through the portrayal of hope and belief, "And I say to you that if two of you agree on Earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in Heaven." (Matthew 23: 25-26).


This is not mere idealism; this is a truth that is unfolding and manifesting in this age, more so than any other. Maslow's B-values of the self-actualizer is an indication of this return to innocence. Among these was the need for
     1. Aliveness or spontaneity
     2. Simplicity
     3. Playfulness (fun, joy amusement and humor)
     4. Uniqueness (not bland uniformity)
     5. Goodness (justice and benevolence)
to name just a few.


Babe in the Woods


In Maslow's A Psychology of Being (1968), he warns how delicate this childlike essence is and why the majority of us will never experience its bliss... "(it is) easily overcome by habit, cultural pressure and wrong attitudes toward it." Page 4, point 7. Obviously why such a small percentage reconnect to their underlying essence.

This is not to say that there is absolutely no chance that you and I can't achieve some element of profound bliss and reconnect with our childlike essence - our true selves. But the road is arduous... and slippery.

In my developing manuscript, Waking and Remembering (a Journey Toward Self-Transcendence), under the heading The Perennial Philosophy, I give the three major characteristics comprising this ancient philosophy that is at the heart or core of all major religious beliefs. They are:
     1. We are spirit beings incarnated in physical form; possessing immortal souls
     2. There is a force or energy beyond our comprehension that we are evolving toward
     3. This force or energy is one of benevolence or love


Freedom


In order to get into this realm of transcendent spirit one must have already developed and/or acquired the positive characteristics of a healthy child, i.e. adventurous, caring, curious, considerate, creative, enthusiastic (coming from the root word entheos - God within us), friendly, giving, helpful, honest, humorous, imaginative, innovative, intuitive, joyful, kind, loving, loyal, playful, resourceful, sincere and trustworthy.

If after the age of twenty-five you have still retained a modicum of these traits, by all means, read on. If you have pretty much given up on yourself and the world, don't despair … at least you are reading this link. And, if nothing else, that does show a distinct curiosity, (one of the childlike attributes).

But now it is time to have a little fun: some creative, humorous, playful fun. As an artist it is time to "hawk my wares". The images you will be seeing (including the above illustrations) are all being sold as 8" x 10" prints on heavy 65# card stock. These are signed/limited edition prints that I'm selling directly, so the price is not $20 or $30, but a mere $5 each. (Minimum order two prints, plus $2 - no matter how many ordered - for shipping and handling) … and, yes, when I update this link I will be sharing with you how to dehypnotize yourself from the trance of self-forgetting and what steps to take to reconnect with your true self.



All orders: Please send check or money order only to SolidHeart, PO Box 423, Mentor, OH 44061-0423. Allow 2-3 weeks for delivery.