Contraction Purification—Intensification—Release Expansion

Contraction

Purification — Intensification — Release

Expansion

from  Pulsations of the Creative Process #1

Martin Exeter   August 17, 1986

We are together in person. However this is only the case because we have been together in spirit. This association which we know in spirit permits us to participate in the natural movement of the creative process of which we have become increasingly aware. It need no longer be fantasy but is found to be real, moment by moment, as we allow this pulsation to move in our own experience of living. There is a pulsation in the creative process. I suppose you could say there are pulsations within pulsations. We may be very aware now, in this moment, of a pulsation which has brought us into this place: onto Sunrise Ranch and, in this present moment, into the Dome.

One could describe this as contraction. A contraction occurs for a purpose—not a humanly devised purpose. In a sense we do not know what that purpose is, other than that it is. So in this first experience of the contractive pulsation we have all been compelled to be here this morning. The pulsation of contraction was what factually brought us together—in spite of mental activity and emotional drags in other directions, we are nevertheless here. This would seem to be indicative of a magnetic force, of considerable power to move all this flesh into this one place this morning. Above and beyond that, for those who are here for the Central Council it has propelled each one over the miles and brought you all home in the external sense. This is not to say that we were not already at home in the spiritual sense wherever we may have happened to be. This pulsation, while it is reflected in form, is a pulsation of spirit; and those who are open in their hearts and minds to the movement of this creative compulsion naturally move. And the power of it is evident in this assembly this morning—so, contraction.

And here we are together to participate in what occurs by reason of the contraction. It certainly didn’t merely bring us into this configuration for nothing. There is a continuing character to the pulsation. One might designate the next aspect to it—seeing that we are presently aware of the contraction which has brought us together, factually—as the matter of purification. The sons and daughters of God are present here according to the number of you all. We are aware that satan hangs around as well. Human-nature attitudes and influences, mindsets, emotional tendencies, are all present also but, I trust, are given no authority to occupy hearts and minds.

In days of yore, according to the story in Job, satan was able to talk back to the Lord, and, as is customary with human nature, the backtalk is characterized by judgment. “Doth Job fear God for nought?” Do we offer ourselves to the creative process even though it may not benefit us personally? There is a magnetic attraction which sometimes, to begin with, is translated as though it meant personal benefit: if we give consideration to spiritual things we will be better off; we’ll have peace of mind; we’ll find a more successful way of living. All this comes into the mental consideration at the behest of satan. So satan comes also among those who begin to move in the creative process because, at least to start with, there is the thought that it’s going to be personally beneficial. It is presumably beneficial, in this view, to be more spiritual. It’s also going to be beneficial because I participate in something which includes other people, so I will have the support of others. And all this rather self-centered viewpoint is indication of the fact that satan comes along with the sons and daughters of God. But there surely comes a point—and I trust this may be the point for most here—when satan has no more say, no more authority, and there is no more attempt to make the creative process serve oneself.

The creative process only begins to put in a constructive appearance when there are those present who are willing to accommodate it. And it cannot be accommodated, for very long at least, if the reason for such accommodation is to suit oneself—accomplish something for oneself in the human sense. I trust that we are sufficiently mature spiritually to have no personal intentions or motivations for participation in the creative process, because if we do we won’t participate in it, that’s all! But to the extent that those things have been dissolved in our experience we have become aware of the reality of the creative process. It was just a belief before that, something in which some can believe and some disbelieve. This is all rather childish.

But where there begins to be spiritual maturity we share in the pulsation, which in this instance brings us together for a purpose: to participate in the continuing pulsation of the creative process—not to look things over and see “How is this going to benefit me?” It isn’t designed to benefit human beings. This is the attitude that has been prevalent in human nature: that everything was designed to benefit human beings. It certainly wasn't, and isn’t. It is because of this attitude that the world is the way it is, everybody trying to reap some benefit for themselves, individually and in various collective configurations.

As sons and daughters of God we present ourselves, body and mind and heart, to accommodate the creative process, whatever that may mean. And we can’t rightly say, “Well I didn’t think it was going to be this way. I don’t approve of this, I don't like it.” Who cares? If it’s the creative process, it’s the creative process—and there isn’t any other way to go. The variety of ways that human beings follow out in trying to benefit themselves, all of them end in nothing. They even band together to benefit groupwise, and that ends in nothing. There have been nations which have come and gone, empires that have come and gone, civilizations that have come and gone (and there’s one seemingly going right now), simply because all of them are based in this self-centered viewpoint that everything that is around, everything that is available to be grabbed, is for the benefit of human beings. Human beings are for the benefit of the creative process.

So there is the matter of purification to provide space in mind and heart, not cluttered up with all the bright ideas and the emotional stuffing that usually occupies what should be the holy place in individual human beings. Purification. This requires repentance—we’ve heard about that. Repentance is a constant thing. You may remember that this was portrayed rather well by the action of Job long ago when he constantly sanctified his sons. There is a need for participation in this aspect of the creative process which is ongoing. We well recognize there needs to be repentance from judgment—but repentance from human nature as a whole, and from all the mindsets and emotional states that characterize human nature. Repentance doesn’t mean saying, “Oh, please forgive me for this but I’m going to go on that same way.” There are levels of repentance necessary, repentance now—it’s always now, in this very moment.

What a shocking thing to consider in this collective gathering of beautiful people, that there should be the continuing necessity for repentance, so that there may be purification, sanctification, stillness—space for the spirit of the living God! What happens then? There comes what might be described by the word intensification. Where there is space to receive the spirit of God, the spirit of God comes. If there has not been the experience of that spirit it is not because it has been withheld but because there has been no space for it. Now there is the deliberate responsibility of providing that space—uncluttered, unjudging space—so that there is no distraction.

In this particular setting now there sometimes seems to be distraction because there are others around. There are so many distractions. What is actually happening now, in this moment, is that you and I are together alone. If there are others present insofar as you are concerned there are distractions. Of course it’s not just other people; it’s vagrant thoughts and different feelings which put in an appearance now and again, all distractions. There tends to be distraction, and people look around. I rejoice that so many of you look at me, because what is going on is simply between you and me, individually speaking. You are all very individual insofar as my awareness is concerned. There is also a collective picture. I am well aware of who is actually in communion with me and who is not. There is the human idea, very often, that one can be lost in the crowd. People like to do that—to feel that they are not on the spot, in other words. But when you come into this place you are never lost in the crowd.

We rightly share a one-to-one connection, moving through this cycle of pulsation in the intensification, to prove out whether a person can be trusted to be with the Lord—be right there, and stay there. It’s customary in human nature for minds to wander all over the place and feelings to go this way and that way; it’s considered to be quite all right. Wouldn’t it be just wonderful if there could be the intensification which establishes a one-to-one connection, and that we never waver from that? Is that possible for an hour? Well we’re going to find out, and week by week we find out.

When there is a contained intensification—radiation contained, something building up in intensity—then there comes a point naturally in the creative process, a point of release, an outpouring of radiation. The contraction, and what happens consequent upon that, is designed to fuse into oneness the facility which at the point of release will allow for the radiation.

In the recent Executive Council an analogy arose in the consciousness of those concerned, with respect to a magnet. That is a fused form which permits the radiation of a magnetic field. Without a magnet there is no magnetic field. This is described in the beginning of the Gospel of John when mention was made of the Word: “... the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Here is the magnetic field and the magnet. They are totally inseparable, and yet they are not the same thing. The magnet is useful because of the magnetic field; the magnetic field is useful because it allows the magnet to work. The concern has been to experience what is well symbolized by the magnet. We can’t have a magnetic field without a magnet, so that’s the first order of business, isn't it? Come together and allow the fusion to take place in the creative process, which is designed to permit what is symbolized by the magnet to take living form on earth. And this process we’ve had experience with—there begins to be the magnetic field. While we may follow out this creative pulsation in the way we’re doing, it is something that is happening altogether. It isn’t really as sequential as it appears, because there are pulsations within pulsations. We have a particular opportunity to follow out something here, if we will.

When there is a magnet there is a magnetic field; and the magnetic field, in our illustration, has effect upon iron filings; it has effect upon metal, which is capable of being magnetized. But the iron filings are not the magnet which produced the field upon which the iron filings lay themselves down. There is a distinction between the magnet, the magnetic field, and the iron filings—yet it is all one whole. When there is a magnet in this spiritual sense, there is a magnetic field and there is the attraction which is generated by that magnetic field for the iron filings, which would represent those who are capable of being magnetized. This doesn’t require judgment of anyone. Let the magnet be in place, let the magnetic field be in place, and everything else works itself out. Let it prove itself out. We find that where there is the fact of the magnet as it begins to put in an appearance, there is the fact of the magnetic field and that magnetic field is attractive to those who are capable of being attracted. Just let the field be there and you’ll find out. It isn’t a matter of like or dislike. It’s a matter of the real state of a person, and each one proves it out for himself.

This is what is happening in an increasing way now. It’s an electromagnet—there is a current flowing with respect to it, which is what produces the magnetism and extends the creative field in consequence. The current of life flowing through those who compose the magnet allows the magnet to be a magnet. And the magnet, being a magnet, has a magnetic field. Then the magnetic field, being a magnetic field, attracts what naturally is attracted to a magnetic field. This is the way by which, as it was so graphically put, the sheep are separated from the goats. And you don’t need to judge anyone. Let it work itself out. No judgment, no attempt to make it be any way other than the way it is—just a willingness to participate in the fused state of the magnet. We’re using this as an analogy. It's only an analogy; it isn’t the thing itself. Individually we are the thing itself, one way or another, sheep- or goatish. Our concern now, in view of the fact that we have found the creative process compelling us—here is the basis in form for what is required to extend that attractive radiation. But it isn’t all attractive; it’s repulsive too. What are you going to judge in that regard, when someone gets repulsed? One has to face facts, the way things are actually working and not the way human nature would like it to work—at all! That’s what’s going on.

So we participate in the natural pulsations of the creative process, but we begin to become aware of what it is that’s happening in any given moment. We have a particular collective responsibility here, over and above what is happening individually, to allow this fusion to occur, a fusion into what we have called a body. It’s a core body, something real, something not man-made, something not organized according to some human view. There are those who have been participating in what they would probably speak of as EDL and have thought of it as some sort of a human organization. Therefore they were in position to decide how it should be, because democratically, after all, the majority should determine how things should be. Don’t you believe it! Things are the way they are. The truth is. And we’d better like it—we’ll have to lump it anyway—and share in the awareness that personally speaking we have no life of our own, none whatsoever! That's a pretty tough pill to swallow by satan, and of course he chokes on it.

There is the creative process, and participating in that there begins to be the experience of what life is. Human beings in human nature have no faintest idea what life is. We’ve all of us had our ambitions, human ambitions—good ones of course; they wouldn’t be bad, oh no! So we have good intentions. Good human intentions have no value whatsoever. The creative process is moving. Let’s just move with it; and whatever it brings forth, that’s all right. We don’t stop along the way—“Well I didn't expect it to bring forth this; I don’t like this.” If that sort of attitude does occur, the individual hasn’t really been moving with the creative process, because it is found that when one is the creative process it’s delightful. It’s what human beings are always looking for—fulfilment—but you can’t get fulfilment in human nature.

We have had this opportunity now of participating in a creative cycle. A little intensity built up. Let it release—let there be expansion. Expansion is, all these aspects of the creative process are, invisible to start with. They are what goes on in heaven—what happens in spirit. What happens in spirit is reflected in form. But the form is secondary. It’s not the reason why one behaves the way one does. “Well if I behave this way I’m going to be healthy, I’m going to be wealthy, I’m going to be wise.” It doesn’t work. You participate in the creative cycle because you can’t do anything else. That’s the way it is. You have reached the point, presumably, where even mentally you have been able to see the futility of bucking it.

So, moving together in this creative process, we find ourselves participating in the various phases of the pulsation which is moving. And there is a very particular overall pulsation which relates to what is happening in this Central Council. This doesn’t mean that nobody else is participating. It’s the same pulsation that involves everybody, wherever they are. Some are aware of it, some are not—most are not. But we all share in that pulsation. Some share in this configuration and some share in that configuration; but the movement continues, and we rejoice that we may play our part in that movement easily, not because we are trying to figure it out or make it work but because we are sufficiently still, sufficiently open, have sufficient space in heart and mind to experience what it is that’s happening. And that is a wonderful thing.

I rejoice in the privilege of sharing this with you at Central Council, and with everybody else all the time, if there is a willingness to share it. But one must, of course, be willing. So this particular aspect of the pulsation has included the whole cycle, but looking at it in another way we could see that it is just the beginning of a continuing process in which all may share.

© Emissaries of Divine Light