For many, it may seem that because the Art of Ascension is based on Praise, Gratitude, Love, and Compassion that it is a form of Positive Thinking.
Here’s a question for you: If we have repeated thoughts about ourselves and our world that do not serve, will thinking positive thoughts help? In short, it is like putting a band-aid on a large festering wound. Maybe a story will explain more.
My experience of trying to think positive!
If you know me, you may have heard me talk about my early attempts on my spiritual path. Someone I respected informed me that their church practiced “fasting from negative thinking” on Fridays. I thought, “Wow, what a great idea!”
So, the next Friday, I began. This was an eye-opening experience for me! Within 30 minutes of arriving at work that first Friday morning, my anxiety level was nearing maximum tolerance level, trying NOT to think negative thoughts, but only positive thoughts! I had to call off the project the first Friday by 9AM.
But don’t call me a quitter! Second Friday, I began again with similar results. However, I noted that most of my thought life was centered around problems!
I don’t know how many weeks I endured this before my health caved in. My health had already been problematic. I finally decided to work with a naturopath physician, change my lifestyle as needed, and begin to work toward wholeness. She diagnosed me as a chemically sensitive person, allergic to everything!
It was still a few years after my experience in “positive thinking” before I found the practice of the Art of Ascension. After learning the practice and recognizing the power of the practice of Ascension, I realized that I had set my “little self” up as the judge and jury of my life, my thoughts, etc. My body listens in to all thoughts and attempts to live up to all those thoughts. How could it not be confused? After all, “what is pure?” in this world. How would anyone know if all your food, air, etc., has no contaminants? So, my body began to reject everything as impure, not positive.
Positive Thinking vs transcending thought
The purpose of the Art of Ascension is to take us beyond all thoughts, to a direct experience of the “Peace that Passes Understanding” deep within. Every time we use the techniques, it takes our awareness to the Source of All Thought, the Ascendant. (We use the name Ascendant to allow ourselves to have a new experience of the Creator of the Universe, the Source of Unconditional Love, Harmony, Bliss. It’s not important what we call it. But it is important that we have our own experience of it. Thinking about God or accepting information from others about the nature of God does not give the same result as experiencing the Source directly.)
I’ve heard psychologists and “spiritual leaders” say things like, “replace every negative thought with a positive thought.” From my experience of positive thinking, it just put me in a battle of thoughts. I just battled one thought with another and attempting to repress what my “little self” considered negative, which consisted of not only thoughts but emotions. In fact, the first time I saw my naturopath after learning the Art of Ascension, she saw a big difference. For 3 years, we had followed a number of procedures designed to alkalize my body. All failed. As soon as I learned the Art of Ascension, my body finally tested alkaline.
As Einstein noted, “a problem cannot be solved from the level it was created.”
Rather than battling our thoughts, with the Art of Ascension we move beyond the mind, beyond thoughts to have a direct experience of our Source. It is difficult to describe in words, but Rumi’s poem speaks well of it, “Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and right doing, there is a field. I’ll meet you there.” It’s what you have been waiting for your entire life. This is where transformation truly begins.
Here’s a video about “Toxic Thoughts” and how the Art of Ascension can retrain the mind by cultivating a new mind.
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