Section Delta  Lesson Three: Implications for Human Development The Developmental Responsibility  The implications of spiritual reconnection also have impact upon how humans view the developmental cycle. Although the body goes through a recognizable growth pattern and most societies deem an age of "adulthood," there is no magic point where the development stops. Never. Indeed, mental development continues on a daily basis throughout each day of the entire life.  This should lay to rest the myth that age is a deterrent to mental and spiritual development or that there is some point in our lives where we have reached a spiritual peak. The point and purpose of physical existence is to enhance the process by which we evolve spiritually. Further, it can be presumed, our spiritual evolution should have a positive impact on our mental and physical progress, as well.  But the growth cycle that continues does not do so automatically. It happens deliberately at the direction of the human being---for it is growth within the realm of mind. The true mark of adulthood is the acceptance of, the accountability to, and the active participation within one's own continuing mental developmental processes. Each human being has the power to expand the mind and hone it to the maximum fulfillment of spirit, or to resist change altogether and maintain narrow boundaries of mind. Of course, the latter choice will lead to further emotional pain, for it will delay the desired spiritual expression.  As the world around us appears to be changing at an accelerating pace, there is a strong temptation to react and retract, keeping those ideas we are comfortable with and declining to consider those which don't fit with our lifelong belief system. The decision to do so will not only stifle the possibilities of spiritual growth, but will result in the "emotional pain" of isolation, with all of its ramifications.  It is crucial to recognize that a choice of resistance to mental development, will lead to discomfort in any arena outside the boundaries of mind. Such a person will be imprisoned within a limited familiar home-base locale, where routines and distractions mediate experience. Outside the boundaries of habit and routine, there will be stressful life experience. A static mind will prompt feelings of being out of control and the anxiety of not knowing how to handle situations and events. The feelings will be subtle or quite dramatic, but they will drive actions from just beneath the awareness. There will be pain of sadness, guilt, shame, anger, fear and any other subtle shades of unpleasant feeling tone. If these signals are continuously ignored, it becomes too painful to even venture about in the world. The personality can harden into habits of thought and action that defend, retreat, and reject other human beings. There will be no mistaking the less spiritually fulfilled human beings, for they will not be happy nor attractive. Their pain will be difficult for others to be around.  Some of us may have the unfortunate experience of knowing the type of people described above. They live as examples in our lives of what can result from mental stagnation.  It is also crucial to recognize how mind, complete with its boundaries, will create the life events to match its contents. A reality conducive to each and every limitation will most certainly manifest, along with the painful signals to point them out. If not corrected, such events will prompt further actions of flight and escape, in a self-perpetuating cycle which further narrows experience. Creating the illusion of escape from spiritual pain is only that---an illusion.  We create our own reality, even (and especially) when that reality is our own illusion. Once created, we are bound to live within its limitations until or unless we voluntarily elect to do otherwise.  Even if defending mental boundaries narrows the world so that all people are avoided, a completely solitary life is nearly impossible in the modern world. And even interacting with one person with broader mental boundaries will challenge the limits and signal a subtle negative feeling and motivate further avoidance. Such avoidance is an act of body wherein the mind has abdicated its choice and even its conscious awareness of its own motivations, since its existing beliefs are insufficient, yet considered otherwise. Of course, rather elaborate resistance strategies can exist wherein nearly everything is rationalized to exist within the limitations of mind, but the feelings will never go away. Nor should they, because they reflect the integrity of spirit and its intentional contrast between the actual physical arena of successful expression and the unlimited one that is divinely desired. Creating a mental fantasy about one's physical level of expression is simply that---a fantasy.  While a 'fantasy' may have the power to hold us within the confines of our beliefs, it does not have the power to make us feel good about it. In fact, the power to make us feel uncomfortable about it lies within our true essence, our spiritual nature.  Although resistance can become a lifetime strategy, the spirit yearns for self-expression. And the more the better. The level of individual spiritual expression achieved will relate to the overall expansion of universal Spirit. The spiritual path is far more rewarding than the temporary relief from pain the avoidance provides. For just as pain from spiritual frustration will linger, the rewards of spiritual expression are everlasting. In fact, the more the spiritual expression, the easier the physical experience will be in current as well as alternate lifetimes, past, present, and future. The resonance of spirit within flesh is a feeling that will be clearly recognizable within alternate existences, helping that individual to reconnect with inner guidance and to find fulfillment.  The key to breaking the hold of self-imposed restrictions of our spiritual growth, may well lie in any form of creative activity. It can open one up to greater possibilities of expression while boosting our very thought patterns to new horizons.  Development and "Karma"  There are many beliefs within mass consciousness that set forth conditions of an afterlife complete with elaborate declarations about the meaning within "serial lifetimes". They often seek to explain mysterious unexpected events, or justify the unjust, by drawing cause and effect relationships between the current and "previous" lifetimes. In doing so, they often mistakenly declare that the control lies outside of the human mind.  Each time we observe a system of thought that suggests that our conduct is a result of astrology, genetics or (in this case) past life karma, we are seeing an encouragement toward non-responsibility for our current actions and a disparagement of free will in the creation of our own reality. These "systems" are engineered to appeal to the emotionally immature level that is fading out of our collective paradigm.  The Law Of Karma can be better understood not just as the force that creates the outcomes of divine evaluation and spiritual justice---but as a force that lies within, and can be utilized to the advantage of an enlightened mind. The mind creates life events and experiences through its present beliefs, which are constantly evaluated by spiritual feeling signals. If its beliefs promote disunity within self and disconnection with All That Is, the life will be reflected as such---complete with ever more powerful painful signals so that corrections can be chosen. The term karma captures the inevitability of repeated cycles of creating frustrations until understanding the nature of ones own creative power is attained. Development in its grandest sense is learning to harness the creative power of will energy.  Thus, "karma" becomes simply a part of the installed feedback system that operates in our daily lives, but when ignored, is extended to our next experience in the physical.  The crucial understanding is that beyond space/time, the moment of all correction is in the present moment, with the goal of divine balance met through eliminating any pain-inducing belief structures. When such changes are affected by any given portion of the entity, emotional energy surges are felt within all aspects of the entity. Each physical incarnation will experience "good luck" and joyous floods of insight and spiritual resonance. Thus, "what goes around" emotionally "comes around" to all aspects of the entity, for joyous resonance and full creative empowerment is the way of Divine Justice. It is only because of the lack of understanding within any given mindscape that such events are thought to come from outside of the self, or as some form of external judgmental punishment.  Part of comprehending this principle involves understanding the complete ramifications of our nature by placing ourselves outside the box of "time/space" and realizing that each of our incarnations is existing on the same parallel with the other.  The stronger the presence of spirit has been within a given physical existence, will make it correspondingly less likely to become mired within the limits of illusory reality and Mass Consciousness for any aspect of the entity. Thus, those that postpone the fulfillment of spirit and resist the needed development of mind, will continue this postponement in alternate physical existences. There is no escaping the nature of spirit to seek fulfillment and expansion---no matter how many life experiences it takes.  Because we elect to operate in an environment of time/space, we must accept the illusion as functional reality. However, the closer we get to connecting with our spiritual nature, the more free we become of the physical laws, i.e. action and reaction.  On the other hand, if acceptance, accountability, faith in spirit and personal empowerment are the main life strategies, life becomes an ongoing learning process. The entity is challenged to attain the maximum number of strategies and skills to allow spiritual expression in as many environments as possible. Rising to the challenge is rewarded by the spirit's joyous feelings. The better equipped the mind, the more active expression can happen. Imagine a mind expanded as far as the physical horizon, as far as the eye can see. A mind filled with a rich collection of ideas and finely honed strategies for interaction with spirits with all variations of mental expansion in all arenas within that boundary. Imagine further, a mind as wide as the earth, wherein comfort is experienced in any and every location, any imaginable group, with any imaginable doctrine. Such a mind is indeed enlightened, aglow with spirit and the predominant feeling in each interaction is joy.  This would seem to be our true destiny, to grow mentally and spiritually, not only to the limits of all that this earth has to offer, but to unlimited boundaries of the existence, itself. Once we get the hang of what these Lessons have to offer, that goal becomes not only imaginable, but attainable as a God given right.  Such a person enjoys tremendous mental, physical, and emotional freedom. There would be no culture-shocking experiences that could not be handled while meeting all three purposes. Such a person would exhibit very few self-preservationary actions or deadly habits. Instead, the life-giving habits, the rich and numerous skills, the human compassion, and humor would be used to minimize creating pain for others, and light would exist in every human interaction. Such a mind clearly focuses and best utilizes its will energy attracting and creating events matching the breadth of mind. Such a mind can create far more rich and rewarding events than most humans now imagine, as well as recover its own untapped abilities. As mind expands, life expands in kind. As each life expands, universal spirit expands and fulfills Divine Intention.  If we can grasp this picture and make it our own, we can and will become all that it promises. The pace of progress toward this end is ours to set.  It will be easily recognizable when such expression has been achieved, both from the inside and from the outside. From the inside, joyous resonance with spirit is experienced consistently, life is meaningful and filled with loving, productive interactions. From the outside, there is a distinct glow of spiritual presence within the eyes, and actions which show the fearless loving bond with each and every human being. Such a person recognizes each day, indeed each moment, as an opportunity to further refine the mind and to live and act in ways that leave the personal expressive mark upon the world, their unique spiritual expression. The world notices the departure of such entities, for it recognizes their valuable contributions and even Mass Consciousness feels its own lack by comparison.  We know of such people. We have seen religions built around them. We are such people, in potential.  Development and Divine Judgment  Human concepts of life assessment by deities are also related to the developmental responsibility. If there are to be any after-life judgmental processes, they will relate directly to the level of spiritual fulfillment and expression rather than any conditions that human religions have set forth. It would be far more useful to embrace the fact that this judgment is ongoing throughout the life course ---for indeed this is the case. It would be far more pleasing to the Creator if free will were utilized in each moment, in ways that meet all three human purposes, than for humans to limit themselves within rigid man-made doctrines and guidelines. For the spirit speaks its evaluations through feeling signals of pleasure and pain each moment of every day, leading humans to divinely intended, purposeful actions.  Because it is so tempting to do so, I am going to return to the analogy of driving the car. Suppose that instead of making course corrections with the steering wheel of our auto on a moment-by-moment basis as we drove down the road, we make those corrections once a week or at the end of the trip. Under the latter conditions, driving would become much more problematic. It would stand to reason that when we are "steering" our way through physical life, we would want to utilize a system that was as immediately responsive as possible, would it not?  Anyone wishing to know the evaluative judgment upon themselves from the Creator can have it at any time, simply by acknowledging their level of pain. Anyone wishing to please the Creator, or to do "His work" can readily do so by designing a mind which reduces pain and actively expresses the spirit in ways that reduce pain for others as well.  We now have satellite technology that allows us to know where we are in our automobiles at any given moment. Knowing where we are spiritually at any given moment, is an inherent "technology" that has been in place at least as long as we have been in "this" place.  Thus, the responsibility for human development falls to the individual. Instead of waiting for development to happen as automatically as a body maturing, the mind needs active, purposeful, hands-on application of free will. It requires unfailing self-honesty, heeding the voice of spirit, and understanding of the trinity of human purpose. It requires designing strategies for daily living that allow all three purposes to be fulfilled within each action.  It requires bringing us into the modern world in a much broader sense than we have done, so far, technologically. It does not require the acquisition of any new, expensive equipment. It simply requires an understanding and appreciation of what we already have.  It's Never Too Late  The beauty of the natural system is that no matter how long a human being has lingered in resistance and emotional pain, each day brings a new opportunity to totally redesign the life. There is no need for any human being to suffer in darkness even one moment longer, once they possess the self-empowering knowledge of the spiritual light within.  The above is a reflection of the resilience of human "spirit" and how, with a combination of knowledge and intent, we can alter the patterns of thought that can remake us into what we wish to be.  There have been amazing examples of humans who have had life changing experiences and have undergone dramatic alterations in personality. Complex, house-of-cards belief systems, defended and strengthened by years of resistance, can come tumbling down with liberating, enlightening purposefully chosen changes of mind. Many limited minds have unknowingly created dramatic illnesses, personal crises, even near-death experiences for themselves to reconnect with spirit. But such drama is not necessary. Nothing is set in stone except that which is chosen, yet lies outside the owner's conscious awareness. The spirit constantly points to such slivers with feeling signals that beg for learning more wholly successful strategies.  As we acquire this "future-altering" knowledge, we can put into motion a process within ourselves that will result in an openness to change. This can be done with a simple, but sincere request to our spiritual nature, our higher selves, if we wish. We can open the door to our new existence and absorb the information at whatever pace we feel comfortable with. We have already started opening that "door" when we opened our minds to this information.  Indeed, cosmic awareness begins with internal awareness. It connotes the broadening of the mind to become aware of the meaning within each moment of life experience. It means freely choosing to sculpt the mind until it can direct the actions which can best express the spirit. Once the limitations are removed from mind, many yet untapped abilities can begin to emerge. Once awareness of the meaning has been attained, the individual can set about immediately making the desired changes to create the life events that will bring the maximum level of self expression. The mind has just begun its possible expansion. Tremendous empowerment awaits the species as entities develop mind so that it reflects spiritual intention. Dormant brain functions can open wide to the mind's true and astounding potentials. This is the most direct route from here to there.  Just as the computer opened possibilities of efficiency that had hardly been dreamed of a century ago, so the potential of the human mind is capable of this kind of progress and a great deal more. "As we conceive, so we achieve" may sound trite, but the fact is, most of the profound guidance given to humans has been expressed in the simplest of terms, ex. "Love God with all thy heart and they neighbor as thyself". What better formula for optimum human relations.  Indeed, the human examples of directly accessing universal consciousness continue to dwindle. Those pioneers, seeking wisdom through adventures in consciousness that set aside individual mind, cannot help but be stymied by the interference of mass mind. For the energy networks of mass consciousness permeate in ever increasing densities, as humans continue to produce cultural creations without the direction of spirit. Instead of accessing universal consciousness as directly as some cultures have in days gone by, the density is now much more difficult to permeate by spirit without the help of mind. It is now imperative to actively access universal consciousness through developing the individual mind at the direction of spirit as divinely intended.  This may sound like an overwhelming challenge, considering the near omnipotent force we appear to be up against. However, this "force" is not built on spiritual truths and, as such, is most internally weak. To alter the program of a secure system, you sometimes must find the built-in back door. These Lessons are that "back door".  Armed with the knowledge of these Lessons, humans can begin active development immediately. Each moment becomes an opportunity to identify slivers and remove them. Free will can never fully operate as long as slivers exist within the realm of mind. Slivers must be removed first from individual minds. Then the clear thinking, unlimited spirits can offer light responses which can remove them from mass consciousness. Once this finally occurs, newcomers to the physical experience will enjoy far less limitation and pain, and a far more instant and lasting connection with the direct voice of spirit.  Using the computer as an example, again, built into the program of Microsoft Office (and in particular 'Word') is the ability to check one's spelling mistakes and not only correct them but to plant that "correction" into the system so that the next time one makes the same mistake, the computer will correct it automatically, without the user even being aware that it is being done. We also have that capability and much more.  Self Evaluation - Getting Started  To get started it is essential to know the learning cycles and get comfortable with each part. In brief summary: We know now that the Divine Spirit desires both biological destiny of body and free will of mind for a full and complete human experience. We know that individual spirit is not separate from Divine Spirit. Individual spirit communicates divine intentions to both mind and body through human feeling signals. We know now that at every moment the actions are driven by motives of mind and body relating to their specific purpose and are mediated through human needs.  As we better know and understand the above, our actions on all levels are carried out with a greater degree of confidence. We "know" that as we continue to act, what we are learning is to improve the quality of our actions.  The needs are the divinely designed, unchanging motives of body and need never change or even be questioned. But the motives of mind---the basic knowledge and understandings of life, the strategies for action, the plans and expected outcomes---are based upon the current mindscape which must constantly change. The feelings which accompany each action inform the individual of exactly how well that action, and its underlying beliefs, have accomplished the purpose of spirit. Having knowledge of the needs and purposes provides a context within which to analyze each feeling signal and know which correction it suggests. If the right response is needed, the mind can then identify and rethink the beliefs and strategies, remove slivers, add skills, and try again. It can purposefully react in corrective ways that meet all purposes, not simply those survival purposes of body. If the sliver lies in mass consciousness, then a light response is needed in which it is rejected and actively removed from the world.  The heart needs to pump as our internal organs need to carry out their responsibilities to keep our physical being running smoothly. These involuntary actions need not require the attention of our consciousness. However, our mental functions are the ongoing activity that guides us in an ongoing fashion, to refine our course of activity with new awareness of our effect upon the world we live in, with the further understanding of our creation of that world.  With enlightenment, comes the awareness of this cycle and the sensitivity to feel the most subtle of feelings in self and others. With this level of sensitivity, corrections can be made at the very seed of a limitation, solving it before it even takes root. But best of all, as slivers become fewer and fewer, this level of sensitivity brings joyous feelings and positive, purposeful movement along life's path.  There are many women (and many fewer men) who are talented in relating to the world in ways that express the content of the above paragraph. Add to this the confidence (the male contribution) that comes with knowing that we can and do create our own reality, and a sense of peace and natural happiness is bound to follow.  The best starting point to assess the current level of development is to take a look at how well things are going in general. The rule of thumb for evaluating one's development, is to note the level of pain in one's life.The level of negative emotion experienced is the best measure of how well the spirit is faring in its physical existence. For emotional pain reflects its level of frustration and lack of movement.  This is where emotional pain (like physical pain) can serve the positive purpose of educating us along the road of evolution. If we can accept that this "pain" is nothing more than a learning tool and use it to our best advantage.  True adulthood is to maturely embrace the developmental responsibility by recognizing, becoming accountable to, and making corrective changes for each and every bad feeling experienced. Adulthood is the ability to accept and adapt to the events that occur, and to ultimately take accountability for their creation. It is to ensure that the purposes of body do not override the intentions of mind with its hardwired responses of fight and flight, which cause disconnection and violation. It is to actively self-correct through right responses and to actively express its empowering discoveries through light responses in the physical world. Adult behavior is to allow each human being the respect and dignity of evaluating themselves in a like manner, without judging their progress or comparing it to the progress of others. With these commitments, one can then embark upon the continuous examination of how well the needs of body are being met at any given point by the strategies of mind.  We are meant to feel good about ourselves and the world around us.We were not placed in this physical environment to suffer so that we can be happy later. That is a planted sliver. Our next responsibility is to rise beyond "judgement" to "discernment" in how we view ourselves and other human beings of all walks of life.  Awareness of Needs  A crucial component to developing inner awareness is becoming familiar with one's needs. The universal needs present themselves uniquely in each person's life. To understand exactly how each is played out upon life's stage will be a tremendous aid in identifying the exact source of emotional pain. The choices of partners, profession, and recreation all provide clues to how beliefs are currently meeting needs, as well as shedding light on those needs which are less fulfilled. Even better indicators, are those choices and habits that might not be good ones by external definition---the compulsions, the addictions, the habits that feel good in the moment, but prevent humans from meeting their long-term goals. These are the need-meeting action choices which are driven by faulty beliefs that are often outside the conscious awareness, or those driven solely by bodily responses. Identifying needs can be accomplished then from both good and bad experiences and can allow adults of any age to understand and take control of their current developmental challenges.  This might appear to be somewhat confusing and difficult, but by keeping in mind that whatever action we take out of habit or choice, carries with it an experience of joy, or an absence thereof, we can begin to come to terms with our gems and slivers.  We know now that the human needs drive humans to serve their three purposes. Beliefs are formed based upon need-meeting experiences. Nothing should be in the mind except that which has helped to meet the needs. However, this does not mean that every belief ever adopted is worth having. Developing the mind is like building a wardrobe. Beliefs are like clothing that suit the occasion, the climate and the tasks at hand. The moment the belief is no longer sufficient, it will elicit emotional pain when it is worn in public. Likewise, any belief that is a classic, that serves all three purposes, will never go out of style by eliciting emotional pain in any environment. These are the gems to collect and share with the world. The old outdated beliefs never reused can simply rot away on old hangers in the mind for lack of use. Memory is very flexible this way.  In order to fit in socially at a particular age, in a particular environment, we might elect to adopt a belief that is not the best for our long term interest. Because it is momentarily, socially acceptable, we enjoy the pleasure it provides. Later, when we come to realize that this "belief" is less accepted, we have difficulty putting it aside. Teenage smoking could be an example of this.  But any garment of belief can be donned at any moment, depending on the need-meeting requirements of the situation. The enlightened adult will automatically tailor the beliefs as needed. A belief may have been adopted that was useful in some past situation that is no longer applicable, served a purpose at the expense of another, or is could be a piece of cultural knowledge that limits or rejects some aspect of human nature. Any of these kinds of beliefs become slivers, red-flagged by emotional pain. The needs themselves, when examined at any point upon the life path, will provide patterns to assist the tailor in all such mental redesign.  A racial attitude that served one well in one decade, might cause embarrassment in another. Just as we shift the type of clothing from one period in our life to another, so we shift our beliefs from one stage to another, even though the shift may be a difficult one to make.  Accessing Core Beliefs  We have just discussed how early enculturation can set the mental stage, in both good and bad ways. The early learning experiences will fill the mind's closets with garments of belief. Any painful belief still employed from childhood, will offer a potentially dramatic opportunity for learning and self empowerment. There is a common myth that access to these beliefs is difficult, if not impossible, without advice and counsel from therapists.  A myth no doubt fostered and encouraged by those established in the trade. It follows in the footsteps of the "fire brigade" mentality of the medical profession. These "Lessons", if taken seriously, might be considered a threat to many established professions.  But this myth has endured not because such beliefs are truly inaccessible, but because they are often carefully defended and protected from examination. These core issues are at the center of very complex edifices of belief and lie hidden from the conscious awareness by years of resistance and defensive habits. It is simply that if the mind has certainty about any belief, it no longer needs to look at it. Certainty is not a desirous aspect of a dynamic ever-changing mind. Simply looking at those steadfast certainties with newfound self-understanding will be very enlightening. It is not necessary to spend hours upon a psychoanalyst's couch revisiting childhood to find these sources, particularly if there are slivers within the belief systems of such therapists, or if they seek to create a market for dependence upon their services.  A closed mind is also a stagnant mind, which is at total variance to the dynamics of everything we observe in the physical universe. With proper intention, we have the full capability of getting to know ourselves to a much better degree than anyone else, even those in a professional capacity, trained and skilled in doing so. These "dependence upon...services" as a part of our social-economic complex is a subject that much could be written about. However, in this particular context, I will refrain from elaborating. Suffice to say that a goodly portion of how most of us make our living is (or has been) tied to a mindset that does not wish to upset the status quo.  This is a misguided approach, unless the therapeutic helper is offering self-liberating and empowering information such as that contained in these Lessons. Far more damage than good can come from delving into the supposed dark recesses of one's "subconscious" mind for hidden and repressed experiences and memories, or covering emotional pain with chemical prescriptions.  For any problem that exists, any sliver held in the mind, will surely present itself in daily living. Any garment that is not needed will never be taken from the closet and will naturally fade from memory. More enlightened therapeutic approaches already embrace this universal truth, and look to the present life events for clues of the faulty contents of mind. What they do not yet know is how easily the accompanying emotional cues lead to these sources.  These "Lessons" are no quick and easy solution to what may ail us in the three categories we are discussing. Anyone who has read this material so far, should agree with that statement. But this material is setting us up for a more willing acceptance of the help we can provide for ourselves.  When humans begin to embrace the voice of spirit, they reclaim an internal guidance counselor far superior to even the most revered doctors of mind. All the information they need will come straight from the signals of spirit, through the feelings of pleasure and pain. From there, they will immediately examine the situation that has just occurred and see which needs and which belief systems are involved. The logical, organizing, and deductive powers of mind can be utilized to think through new strategies which can replace the old. Recognizing the meaning of emotional signals alone can immediately bring awareness of strategies that deny, defend, or resist the reality of a given situation---many of which create the problems that arise in daily living.  There is a spiritual admonition to "Know Thy Inner Self". There is no further instruction to go outside of ourselves and find others to carry out this directive, because such "instruction" is not necessary. It would be like a pianist finding someone else to play the keys of his own piano.  A good starting place is to first examine the daily life events for any situation that invokes the feeling of joy. We know now that joy is the spirit's song telling us that plans worked out even better than we had expected. It is the signal from spirit that needs have been met at even higher levels than we'd hoped. This feeling tells the mind that something just worked, and worked very well. It asks the mind to do more of this, and to come up with other similar strategies that allow this feeling to come more and more often. The feeling of joy can relate to any of the needs. Identifying and establishing a lifestyle filled with healthy pleasures can reduce pain levels substantially, as well as reduce the motivation toward unhealthy momentary escapist pleasures.  So many of the "pains" of life are dealt with through the use of the "escapist pleasures" that it is not difficult to spot those in our society who are in the most emotional discomfort.  But the most revealing and urgent feelings will be those that hurt. Each will be connected to one of the innate needs of body. Many unnecessary limitations exist within every cultural tradition which deny legitimate human need-meeting choices. It is important to keep in mind that truly adult choices of mind do not accept unnecessary limitations placed upon the desires of spirit, no matter how convincing and culturally accepted. The choices for some may not be the choices for others, and the Divine right of free will is the gift of the Creator. To date, many activities which are judged as unacceptable, or morally wrong by some are, in fact, very legitimate choices according to spirit. Any activity or lifestyle that meets all three human purposes without violation of another is a perfectly acceptable choice. It will prove itself as such by not invoking painful feelings.  If it makes you feel good (doing no harm to anyone else) and continues to do so, even after you've completed it, such would suggest that spirit finds no fault in the activity. Traditional moralists might take issue with such a statement, but constricting codes of morality are examples of a static state of mind and, again, in contradiction to a dynamic universe.  The positive and negative emotional cues will paint a picture of how well the needs are currently being met. The key to the most broad and inclusive development is to maintain a balance between and among the various needs. Some can be postponed for long-range goals, while others come to the fore. But in a larger sense, all must be met in a balanced way, or there are likely to be telltale signs in patterns of behavior. We now know of the meaning within events that are attracted and the challenge of finding the limiting beliefs which empowered them. And of course, the telltale feeling signals of spirit accompany each such experience, so that we can make corrections.  If we attract what we fear, it is a necessary part of the process to encourage us to conquer these "fears" by seeing them for the slivers that they are.  Needs And Life Stages  The universal human needs drive actions and the actions result in learning experiences. A learning experience imparts something into the mind of the learner, right or wrong, good or bad. Some vestige of the experience stays behind in memory to provide information for future strategies. When these pieces of lingering information are not passed before the spiritual adjudicator, they become foundations for related beliefs, creating quite complex ways of thinking and acting, which may very severely limit the spirit. The earlier the sliver is allowed in, the more important it will be to find it and remove it and all of its relatives. When such basic foundational beliefs/slivers are removed, there can be quite dramatic life changes, all resulting in additional enlightenment and empowerment.  There is a process in place and operates in the general course of living one's life. How we use this "process" to best benefit ourselves is a choice we can make at any moment, and do.  They will each relate to needs, and will correspond to what have been called life stages. There have been many ideas set forth about the stage of human development beyond the early years, the most famous of which is the inevitable "mid-life-crisis". The age-groups for stages offered here are very loose and general, for there are no truly universal patterns. The progress of each individual is solely dependent upon the free will and choices of mind. Also, the human body can live a great deal longer than is currently the expected norm.  There is a tendency to judge people and decide where they should be at a particular stage in life. Parents are most prone to do this with their children. We forget that there are no absolutes in the process of growth. Economic success, for example, can exist alongside of emotional failure and vice versa in another period of one's life.  But looking to the milestones of life for relational patterns can greatly increase self-understanding and development. Most important is the common thread between them---how they relate to human needs. By grand design, fulfilling the needs of the body is the stepping stone to purposeful living. The needs will motivate all three purposes, yet the beliefs of mind may only allow them to be partially met. In such cases, body might take over with self-preservationary responses to meet the needs temporarily in ways that go against long-term goals or other needs. For an adult body cares less about connection than it does freedom and power, if the prevailing conditions for connection compromise them. Oftentimes, choices of mind force the body to choose and its prime directive is simply survival.  The mind may wish to take a certain risk in order to gain its concept of freedom and/or power, but the body (concerned with survival of the physical) will override the minds decision with the emotional override of fear, altering the decision to take an unnecessary risk.  All needs will be apparent at every life stage, but over the lifetime, there are periods where certain needs take center stage. They are punctuated by periods of self-reflection which are meant to foster corrective action for debilitating patterns that have emerged over time. The individual is intended to be able to notice patterns of frustration, long-range moods, learning personality traits and attitudes which bring emotional pain that has emerged from slivers that have not yet been corrected. There is a spiritual significance in the number four. There are four-day, four-month and four-year cycles in which the spirit will allow certain building up of frustration, and then a necessary venting. These cycles are intended to draw attention to the cycle of human action, the feeling signals and how the beliefs are at the core of any problem. Each cycle offers a pattern that the need for meaning motivates the individual to notice and explore.  This might take the concept of a "leap year", which occurs every four years and reduce it down to the "month" and "day" periods, making it a normal part of the natural cycle of things, adding credence to this suggested system.  For each day provides a chance for a new beginning, and the needs interact over the life course to bring conscious awareness of the developmental challenge. We will now discuss each of the needs and how their frustration presents itself in certain patterns and life experiences. This information can further assist in the individual's development process, with additional methods to find and correct mental slivers.  There is no period in our lives that does not allow us the opportunity to explore and expand our nature, on all three levels.  Earliest Years: Trust & Connection  The first to consider is the connection need. We have just discussed the infant vulnerability, the enculturation process, and the early developmental challenges. The earliest of developmental milestones includes the primal connection with the world and trust that it will accommodate efforts by the individual. If the child survives neglect or abuse, there will be incompletions and lingering doubts about the depth of a loving connection. They will manifest in situations of fear, mistrust, and a lack of faith. This sliver will be built into the very definition of the intimate relationship, affecting communication, cooperation, and intimacy. Not all such humans will become criminals and outcasts, but all subsequent relationships will be affected to some degree by such slivers.  When children bear children and begin the rearing process without the emotional development and support necessary to practice the type of dedication that a parent owes a newborn child, the consequences are long term and difficult to reverse. The status of parenthood needs to be elevated in every society, to the point that the society supports and favors the same highest possible level of support for all its citizens.  The unmet need for connection will become a prime motivation, even exaggerated in ways that a neediness and fear of abandonment will drive the individual to neurotic actions to keep such things from happening. Strategies of deception, people-pleasing, and avoidance will replace the faithful and trusting intimacy necessary for communication and love. Yet the very beliefs that base the fears, will motivate actions that will most surely manifest abandonment and loss situations.  No amount of superficial financial aid can replace a deep appreciation for and broad understanding of those values that make for complete and natural parenting. Without the latter, the former is simply ineffective.  Thus, life situations that arise can provide additional clues to expose the underlying beliefs. There are no accidents. Each event will accurately reflect the beliefs of the mind that called it forth. Events which affect relationships are likely signs to examine the strategies for meeting the connection need. Divorces, breakups of partnerships, scrapes with the law, even very dramatic, complex loss situations will be manifested---all so that the connection need can be noticed and met within all three human purposes.  In an ironic fashion, those negative experiences that we have in our relationships with other human beings are the signposts along the way that can direct us in our struggle to overcome the handicaps given to us in the earliest stage of our lives. We need only begin to appreciate them for what they are.  Fear, ranging from mild anxiety to blinding fright will characterize this unsatisfied developmental need. Fear of vulnerability and abandonment might be buried quite deep within layers of avoidant strategies, bravado, or image, but it will surely be there, interfering with each and every intimate relationship. It will also interfere with normal day-to-day cooperation among humans. For underneath the surface beliefs will be the nagging "truth" that others will take advantage of you if you choose to fully trust and cooperate. Evasive actions will be taken to ensure the vulnerability is never exposed, or angry explosive rejections will create chasms between "us and them". But, of course, true connection and intimacy and the joyous loving rewards of spirit will remain at bay.  Because the understanding of our world, as presented by our media, is so saturated with stories of those who take advantage of the trust people place in others, the effort to alter the atmosphere of cynicism will take more than a recognition of the problem.  Ages 1-20: Freedom & Power  Another early formative belief is how one views their freedom of movement and personal power. A faulty belief structure regarding one's freedom will result in angry rebellion and a lack of ability to adapt and cooperate within normal, non-threatening constructions and guidelines. Slivers regarding one's power will result in a motivation to over-control self or others, or to resist any form of control placed upon themselves. Slivers can spring from early life experiences that lack freedom or opportunity to learn that one's destiny is their own. Over-controlling parents, rigidly limiting worldviews, and lack of just and equal opportunities, can all convince a human that one must compete and win, lest someone dominate and control their choices. This strategy sacrifices true connection and cooperation, and limits life's purpose to that of self-preservation.  The well-meant tendency to protect children can result in a parent believing that if something bad happens to a child, he/she will be regarded as failed parents. Thus, the greater the control of the child, the greater adherence to self-preservation, which eventually passes on to the child's view of the world, along with all its consequences.  Instead, the early learning experiences must deliver the gems that each individual is the sole determinant of their life experience. First, there must be a healthy separation or sense of individual identity within the context of connection with others. This is a healthy sense of self value and respect offered by the world, a rightful assurance of mental and physical freedom. Second , there must be a sense of accountability for one's actions, with the understanding that one takes the initiative to make things happen and then takes responsibility for what has happened. And third, that the effort to honor the inner destiny is always put forth to live fully, to create and express their unique gift.  Freedom, responsibility and the capability of creativity are the linchpins that form the foundation of true adult behavior later in life.  Together, these gems meet power and freedom needs and manifest into a strong sense of self-purpose, a solid work ethic, and an inner reward system to allow efficient success in purposeful living. Without them, there will be feeling experiences of doubt, guilt, shame, inferiority, and lack of self-esteem. The events and patterns of life will be those of dependency, blaming, lack of faith, resistance to learning, an exaggerated longing for external approval, and a general lack of self-sufficiency.  If one looks at the lives which reflect the latter "events and patterns", described above, and examines the life of these individuals from early childhood to adulthood, the environment of their growth should be connected to their current state of mind, in most cases.  These primary needs for connection, freedom, and power are best accommodated by developing successful strategies of mind during the first two decades of life. This is the period that is normally considered childhood, adolescence, and the teen years, which mark the successful transition into adulthood. This period varies, depending upon the complexity of the culture, with some systems instilling the basics much earlier. Disruptive, chaotic and non-accommodating experiences will leave need deficits, faulty beliefs and strategies, and their telltale actions and feelings.  It would seem that the more complicated the lives of the parents, the less attention given to the rearing of children. When a lack of care and guidance evolves, so also does a lack of understanding of self along the line of the three categories listed in an earlier paragraph.  When one is seeking enlightenment and empowerment, looking to these fundamental needs can be a most beneficial approach to ongoing development of mind. For most every human being, born of the modern world cannot help but be influenced by the many slivers held within mass consciousness. It can be extremely beneficial to look to problems in areas of intimacy, control and self-confidence to identify and correct any limiting contents of mind.  The earlier in one's life that this effort is made, the more easily the corrections of mind can be put in place. The younger the branch, the more easily it bends. Grandparents who have come to these new realizations have a greater opportunity of planting the proper gems than parents, involved in the responsibilities of economic support, so seemingly required in today's society.  Independence, Creativity & Early Adulthood  In early adulthood, the 20's and 30's, each of these fundamental need-meeting strategies will be called upon during the primary choices of partnership, professional direction, and the starting of a family. Dreams are declared, plans are made and alliances are formed. Problems and issues that arise during this time period can call to light the early slivers. Parenting one's own children offers a second chance to purposefully instill the most rewarding mental landscape as previously discussed.  In other words, young adults can endeavor to identify the virtues and shortcomings of their parents and vow to live the best possible lives they can, as well as exercise and pass on the gems they have identified.  But parenthood also provides an opportunity for a rebirth of sorts. A mature commitment to self-development can allow the young adult to analyze and recreate within their own mindscape those desirable traits they seek to offer their children. If there are any emotions connected with the parents of those now parenting themselves, these can be excellent clues for the need to address these issues. This time period can provide an opportunity to review the early years with compassion, forgiveness, and faith in spirit.  In the most natural of settings, parents of different generations can compare perspectives, exchange views and, where it is agreed that mistakes were made, find a healing that will surely benefit the next generation to follow.  Then, toward the end of early adulthood, there will come a time of settling into making conscious choices and productively creating. The plans will be carried out during this period. The need for creativity will come to center stage. The spirit will yearn for purposeful living and producing something lasting and meaningful. This will be the time when the urge to start a family will come to the fore, if it has not already. Biological clocks will begin ticking and life will be examined for additional outlets for creative impulses. The urge to make something of one's life will dominate.  At this point, young men and women will marry, settle down and begin to create future versions of themselves, in a secure environment where both are devoted to the making of a better world. Also, at this point, their parents will sound a great sigh of relief.  If creativity is stifled within the lifestyle choices, the need will manifest in other ways. Hobbies and artistic outlets can be helpful when added to the primary profession, as long as they don't become escapes themselves. Any strong compulsion to do something shows that it is meeting a need. If the creativity need (or any need for that matter) is stifled, that emotional energy might be channeled into any other type of need-meeting or escapist activity.  Adopting that which will serve as an outlet for the creative need, making time for it and keeping it as one's own, can serve as a stabilizing force in the day to day burdens of responsibility.  This stage of life is a good time to ensure that balance is attained between and among all needs and purposes. A telltale sign of emotional frustration will be any one activity or tendency that takes more time than its products might warrant. Of course, the destructive activities are already acknowledged as those to eliminate, but some positive ones can also begin to go beyond their own needed purpose if balance is not achieved. An analysis of one's daily time schedule measured against its effectiveness for meeting each need and serving each purpose can be an excellent way toward improving balance.  There is a temptation in modern society to invest an excessive amount of our time in the source of our income, in other words, too many of today's young and middle aged adults are evolving into work-alcoholics. While the monetary and prestige rewards result, the spiritual loss down the road will be most difficult to retrieve.  Midlife Evaluation: Meaning & Esteem  Then will come a period of self-reflection and life analysis. During the 40's, 50's, or even the 60's, the inner urge for meaning will come to the fore to analyze and evaluate the first half of life. Emotional frustration in many areas will become less tolerable as the spirit yearns for purposeful living. Feelings of sadness, loss of hopes and dreams, and general discontent will motivate new beginnings. If continuous self-development has not been occurring, the level of spiritual frustration will build until perhaps some crisis event forces the issues to center stage.  The conventional term for this condition is "mid-life crisis". It's usually described as that point in one's life when one realizes that he/she is not likely to realize that earlier ambition because the price was too high. These are usually materialistic goals because spiritual goals do not have this type of defined limitation.  A revisiting of early dreams and an assessment of what went wrong are now in order. Self esteem and confidence should be propelling one along the destiny path at this point. Life revolves around successful relationships, professions, community leadership roles, active parenting and other creative pursuits. If the professional avenues are not creatively rewarding, new challenges might be assumed. This will be a time when mental and physical tolerance for unhappiness is particularly low, and conscious, purposeful changes must be made.  We reach that certain stage in life when we realize that the opinions that others have to offer about us and what we want to achieve are not anywhere as good as what we know internally. This is when we begin to develop greater faith in our own judgment and, more importantly, our instincts.  In fact, physical malady and illness might present itself as the body's way of expressing its emotional frustration of any unmet need. The body can assume exaggerated or weakened immune responses, create tumors, or otherwise scuttle itself if emotional frustration has become a daily reality. Special care and attention to the maintenance and respect of the body is particularly important. Such physical clues can also shed light upon the underlying belief sources and need deficits. Information of this nature is readily accessible, should humans choose to analyze their own needs, their strategies for meeting them and how well they feel they are being met.  Our physical bodies do communicate with our mental and spiritual natures on a regular basis. Anyone who has ever read the writings of Louise Hayes is familiar with this concept.  The Golden Years  Upon retirement from workaday activities, there will come a time for reflecting. Although it is never too late to make dramatic changes in one's life, with the Golden Years comes a certain acceptance about how the life has unfolded. The spirit still yearns for development and expression, but it relaxes a bit. It recognizes the inevitable ending to the life and accepts the inevitability of certain limitations of mind, yet it desires a great deal of reflection at this point. This will be a time to find patterns of meaning, the gleaning of wisdom from the life experiences and expressing them in new ways.  At such a milestone in a life, one can choose to wind down and turn off, or like any other milestone, i.e. graduation, marriage, parenthood, it can serve as a beginning of a renewed adventure, with certain limitations and certain earned comforts.  The Golden Years are a time of peaceful reflection and sharing of wisdom. They enjoy the maximum level of remembered experience, wherein generations can be seen and the major patterns of life lie before the mind of experience. It will be a time for tremendous connection with loved ones and with the world. It will be a time of powerful leadership, wisdom and guidance for the most spiritually fulfilled. There may never be an official period of retirement, yet the activity level and participation takes on a more guiding rather than driving role.  This would result in a period of adjustment both for the one in this new environment and for those who have not yet reached that point, as each views the other with revised feelings.  Or, it will be a time of pain and despair, if deadly habits have survived this long. There will be a necessary isolation from humanity, even misanthropy if a measure of spiritual peace has not been attained. The stereotype of the crotchety old person captures such a path. The particular patterns of emotion will still offer a wealth of self-evaluative information, and it will spill over onto others as the elders become ever more dependent. This is a time when younger generations can play active roles in the reopening of minds and fostering purposeful living in their own parents.  The role that the "older" will play in relation to the "younger" can be one of positive example and one of negative dependency. With more leisure time on hand, dormant interests can now get the attention they deserve. On the other hand, self pity can make one most unattractive to be around. Free will is still in place.  Death & Dying  The final stage of life is the transition from the physical realm and is known as death. Human beings are meant to be aware and in control of the time to let go of life. An enlightened mind will intuit the coming event and allow sufficient time to wind down and achieve closure on any life projects. (When the species evolves in its mass enlightenment, death itself will take on new meaning.) In the present world, this final stage is a time of the most profound need for meaning, and of attaining a spiritual connection.  We will come to understand that there is no "death", in the sense that we now view it. It will be regarded more as a transition experience, not frightening or threatening, but as a "birth" into another state of being.  The death process need not be fearsome or painful, or resisted. Yet, limiting beliefs and misguided cultural traditions and technologies of prolonging life at all costs, have virtually redefined it. Instead, the process can be a joyous culmination of the life experiences, the opportunity for accomplishing a final and everlasting connection with loved ones, replete with any ceremonial, ritualistic or traditional trimmings imaginable by the individual.  The perfect death would be one that can be planned for and can include those connections and conversations that bring closure to that which might need healing or awakening before one's final departure. It should be a chance to make the experience as painless for those to be left behind as is possible.  The final period of life will offer a mental flexibility in ways likened to the plasticity of consciousness upon the birth. The dream-world will become more significant as the mind experiments with altered states of conscious focus. Individuals who practice and become comfortable and gain a degree of conscious control during dream adventures can aid their transition. The mind might slip in and out of its normal focus quite often, as the spirit flexes and alters its vibratory rate, in preparation for its journey home.  Those less enlightened souls remaining in the physical might view the departing person's state as being delusionary when, in fact, it is simply part of a preparatory experience designed to aid in the transition. It can also be regarded as a "window" into the next state of being, valuable to both the departing and the remaining.  The current mass consciousness in most cultures promotes the denial of the death experience altogether. Etiquette books suggest pretending that health will be restored in even the gravest of cases. But such advice wastes a powerful opportunity for humans to reach out and to achieve closure and reconnection, and especially to heal old wounds with compassion and forgiveness. This provides emotional rewards to all involved, for if such is not achieved, the ones left behind are to linger in guilt, fear, anger and sadness noting their spiritual frustration. The entity passing on, however, will leave behind the limitations of mind that created the life experience. The experience will broaden as consciousness becomes reoriented. The spirit returns to its unrestricted arena beyond time/space, but in which spiritual wisdom and feeling tone remains everlasting. Communications expressed to the dearly departed enveloped in love energy will most certainly be received.  Knowledge about the next stage of "life" is so poorly explored that the fear connected with the "death" concept is bound to remain. Were the subject more accepted, it is likely that those remaining in the physical would be experiencing more contact and helpful communication from those who have gone on.  Loved ones left behind experiencing any lingering pain can attain closure by promptly utilizing verbal or visualization techniques enveloping the communications and images within love energy. Faith in spirit, compassion and forgiveness can allow each and every painful memory to be replaced by more spiritually desirous understandings and interpretations of interactions with the departed one.  We, in this physical state, have daily opportunities to resolve unfinished "business" with those who have gone ahead of us. We need simply make such our intent, utilizing our senses to express that which we feel, toward that end.  The essence of each stage of human development is the challenge to attain life strategies and activities that allow purposeful living. At every point in life, embracing developmental responsibility and all that it implies will keep the individual upon the Destiny Path. Understanding the unique purposes of body to survive, of mind to learn and create, and of spirit to express, can guide each decision to consciously, purposefully and cooperatively act rather than unconsciously, indiscriminately, and competitively react. Understanding how the six universal needs move the body and mind toward purposeful choice of thought and action can provide information in each moment that will allow for maximum happiness and spiritual fulfillment.  Knowledge brings us the power to create with intelligent and compassionate purpose. We are most content when we are exercising our free will in this creative posture.  The life-course, however meaningful to its owner, beyond time/space has its own brand of significance. The past, as humans think of it, matters not to spirit in the grandest scheme. It matters not how the early development proceeded, even if there were serious violations, injustices and lacks of freedom and opportunity, that the urgings of spirit could not correct at the time. For each entity has the power in every moment to develop and even re-invent the mind. It matters not to spirit the prior levels of frustration and pain, the amount of misguided thoughts and actions, or even the enduring personality patterns that have emerged from such limitations. Development and renewal awaits in every moment.  What does not matter to "spirit" should not be of primary importance to us either. What is past is truly past and each new day in this physical environment is a first day in our ongoing existence.  What does matter is that spirit is eventually heard. This can occur at any point along the life path. To begin immediately to allow the feeling signals to lead the mind to its most ingrained, foundational beliefs for an audience with the spiritual adjudicator, is to reclaim the willful design of mind and to honor the spirit. The spirit patiently awaits its opportunity to begin to live.  All this should give new meaning to the Christian prayer: The "Our Father" However, it does require that we understand that the "Father" referred to is, in fact, our own spiritual nature, waiting to be expressive. One has to presume that since "spirit" exists outside of the confines of physical time, patience is a virtue that is much more easily exercised. Accepting developmental responsibility can offer just that. With understandings in place regarding what it means to be human, we can now proceed to discuss, what it means to be human among other humans in Earthly experience. Table of Contents