Extremely Different Guidelines
Topics:
“Every Dis-ease Is a Suggestion”
“Extremely Different Guidelines”
“Supportiveness Is Not Agreeing”
“Attention versus Concentration”
Thursday, April 30, 2015 (Private)
Participants: Mary (Michael) and Ann (Vivette), with a group in the background.
ELIAS: Good afternoon!
ANN: Buonasera! (Group laughter) I’m so suggestible. We’re in Italy, Elias. Did you know that? (Group laughter)
JOHN: He knows now.
ANN: And I’ve been drinking, so… (Elias chuckles) But anyway.
ELIAS: And what shall we discuss?
ANN: I’m just going to go… I don’t have a lot on the agenda, but I’m sure it will all work out perfectly. A couple things. I’m hoping you’re going to give me a yes or no answer to this question. There is this thing—it’s called Emergen-C—that I put in water that sometimes I drink. And I am wondering: sometimes I’ll have joint pain, whether it’s my wrist—sometimes it’s my wrist will hurt really bad or my knee. Is that Emergen-C doing it to me or is it something else?
ELIAS: Does the pain occur when you are…?
ANN: Well, I haven’t paid that much attention to find out. I think it may, sometimes. But I…
ELIAS: The reason that I ask that question is that for some individuals, high concentrations of vitamins can induce a reaction.
ANN: Okay. I think it is. I think it’s doing that.
ELIAS: And I would express that in your time framework these supplements generally incorporate high concentrations of vitamin C.
ANN: Yeah. They do.
ELIAS: Which with some individuals, with their body consciousness—in actuality with many—these high concentrations of those vitamins can create a reaction within the body consciousness. Not with everyone. And there are some individuals that I have suggested that they incorporate high concentrations or higher concentrations of certain vitamins.
ANN: Oooo! (Group laughter)
ELIAS: But not everyone.
ANN: So not me?
ELIAS: Correct.
ANN: I think that’s okay. So that’s probably… I’m going to watch that. All right. And then before I forget, I want to ask Arthur his—oh my god, I forgot his question! Hang on a second. Is his focus—this isn’t the word he used, but I think it’s what he means—mission like balance? Does he have a focus…? What’s the word I’m looking for? What’s the word I’m looking for?
FEMALE: Arthur?
ANN: Arthur. A focus… When everyone wants to know what their…
ELIAS: Intent.
ANN: Intent. Is his focus intent balance? And he just wants to know what you have to say about that. And I’m actually kind of curious, too, because I know balance is a thing for me.
ELIAS: Balance would be an expression for everyone.
ANN: Everyone. Anything in particular with Arthur? Arthur may… I may have to ask him later.
ELIAS: In relation to his intent?
ANN: Yes.
ELIAS: And I would express the same as I do with every individual, to evaluate what the theme of all of his experiences are in this focus from birth, not merely now. Every individual incorporates a theme in which all of your experiences are connected with that theme in some capacity.
ANN: Okay. I have just one quick one that I kind of thought about in the back of my head. So my grandmother had a sister named Virginia, which reminds me of Mary (Michael). Are they connected? I mean, everything’s connected. Are they observing of each other?
ELIAS: Counterpart.
ANN: Oh, they’re counterpart. And for some reason being at Mary’s house feels like being at my grandmother and my Aunt Virginia’s house—my Great-Aunt Virginia’s house?
ELIAS: Very similar energies.
ANN: So similar energies. Yeah. Okay. And then, now this subject. And I’m not quite sure what I want to discuss about this. And I’m feeling that this may unfold, talking about my son who was diagnosed with Lyme disease. And I think I’ve talked to you a little bit about this with you before. And now he’s starting to have a reoccurrence of the symptoms. So first of all, is this Lyme disease still present in his body?
ELIAS: (Pause) Curious that you opened this conversation by expressing how suggestible you are. (Group laughter)
ANN: I am! You suggested that to me!
ELIAS: What I would express is most individuals are very suggestible. With this particular physical manifestation, this dis-ease, that is a part of the suggestion. That once you contract the dis-ease, that it never completely disappears. And therefore there is the possibility of recurring symptoms, which can continue for years and years and years.
Now; as to the question is the dis-ease continuing within his body consciousness? Yes, for he creates that to be so. Is it an absolute? No, for it is a suggestion.
What I would express to you is every dis-ease is a suggestion. And when individuals accept that suggestion, they manifest the symptoms and the alterations and the dysfunctions of the body consciousness in relation to that particular physical affectingness, or dis-ease.
In this, it is not necessary for the individual to objectively know what all of the symptoms are. It is not necessary for them to objectively know what all the suggestions are. For it is a mass expression in consciousness and, therefore it is only a matter of the individual knowing that there are dis-eases or dysfunctions that are a possibility. It is not even necessary for them to specifically identify one.
ANN: Okay. So I have two parts—two questions or two parts. But I want to say one, but not have you address it until I say the second part, and then maybe you can address both of them. But the first thing, I’m saying for myself, I would like to help him eradicate that completely from his body if I can. I would like to be able to do that. That’s something I would like to do. Maybe he doesn’t want that to happen, but that’s just a statement that I want to talk to you about.
The second part is so... It’s really weird and I’m not even sure I’ve given it enough thought to unfold it, but obviously since my son’s been in middle school, he’s wanted to be a Marine. And I feel conflict between… I don’t know. I feel like I’m going to cry. But I feel conflict between… I don’t want him to do that. And then conflict in supporting him in what he wants to do, but the thought of him going and killing another person is so devastating to me. (Emotional) And I don’t want…
So I do feel a little bit split, between wanting to be a supportive person and, you know, whatever he wants to do, and everything’s okay and there’s no good or bad. But then this thought comes that… I’m wondering if this is wishful thinking on my part, but if you have Lyme disease you can’t get into the Marines. So I guess my question—which his plan is not to tell them that he has gotten Lyme disease and to try to go on—but one point, curious. Is he manifesting this Lyme disease because on some level he doesn’t want to go into the Marines? Or is that really wishful thinking on my part? So that’s kind of one question.
And I guess the other thing, I’ve never... I’ve thought about talking to you about this a lot, but just how to live with my son wanting to go into the Marines? And me thinking… like I remember you saying that when another human being kills another human being, it really changes who they are and we’re not set up to do that. And I don’t want that for him. (Emotionally) So I guess that’s kind of what I want to talk about.
ELIAS: Breathe.
ANN: I don’t feel… I feel like it’s a release. I feel like I’m okay with this, but I just… I guess since I never have said this out loud before like this to you, it’s just coming up now. Okay.
ELIAS: And that is acceptable. And you can cry. And in that, allow yourself to breathe. (Chuckles)
ANN: I know. Breathe. And that’s what I always tell my kids, breathe. Breathe.
ELIAS: And do not dismiss the crying. That is acceptable.
This is somewhat of a complex subject. Did he create this situation because he does not want to join this military organization? No. Did he create it in part in relation to your energy? Yes.
ANN: I know! Before you go on, can I say another thing? I feel when he was in high school and this wrestling team—which was hard for me to watch, these wrestling matches—he was in this match and he wanted to win it so bad. I didn’t want him to win and he didn’t win, and it devastated him. And I feel like I had a part in him not winning. Did I have a part in him not winning that match?
ELIAS: Indirectly. Not directly. Just as with this situation. Indirectly, yes, for you do incorporate an influence. And in that—as I have expressed previously, especially in situations with families or individuals that are closely knit with each other—yes, you are influencing. You all influence each other. And more so in family situations or friendships in which you are considerably interactive with another individual; yes, you are influencing. Are you generating the other individual’s choice? No.
This would be very similar to discussions that I have expressed in relation to animals. And individuals incorporate personal responsibility and they express the idea that they are responsible for an animal’s choice if an animal chooses to disengage or chooses to be generating some dis-ease or discomfort. Is it a reflection? Yes. Is it the other individual’s responsibility? No.
Your son’s choices are his choices. There are factors within his choices that are associated with you, for you do express an influence. And he allows that. And that is an important factor to understand or to recognize even if you do not understand it, is that other individuals will allow certain influences in relation to what they manifest, in regard to what their perception is of their relationship with another individual. Therefore, in this situation in relation to that indirect influence, yes, at times he does choose to alter a particular expression—not the entire direction—but he does choose to alter some facets of the direction in relation to his relationship with you, and knowing your energy and how certain expressions are affecting of you.
What is significant is that he does not entirely change his direction. He alters it, but he continues in his own direction.
In this, in relation to the military, no, his direction is not altered. And what I would express to you is even if he chooses to be secretive in relation to the dis-ease, he will not be successful. For in that, the examinations are too stringent and it will be discovered. This is a very obvious dis-ease. It is not a hidden dis-ease. And therefore it is easily connected to or recognized. Therefore, it would matter not whether he chooses to be secretive or not.
But I would express that there does remain a possibility that he could be successful in other branches of that same branch of the military. He could engage the Marines and not be in a combat situation. There are different branches of each military direction. And in that, it is possible that even with the dis-ease, that he could be successful in joining that military expression in a different capacity, which he may do. He may choose to move in that direction. And in his perception—not that he is thinking about it, but in his perception—that would be somewhat of a compromise and allowing himself to continue in his direction, but to also not be entirely disturbing to you, and therefore accomplishing in both directions.
There is a possibility that he would not be accepted. What I would suggest is if he genuinely incorporates a desire to be involved in that military branch, that he not attempt to be secretive. For if he does and that is discovered…
ANN: Yeah. That’s worse. Much worse.
ELIAS: Yes. And that would likely lead him in a direction in which they will not accept him at all. But as to you and your participation, what is important to recognize is that your guidelines are also valid. You are not responsible for his choices or his directions. In addition to that, regardless that you express an influence, it is his choice to move in conjunction with that and allow that influence or to reject it—and he can. That is always his choice, regardless of how strongly you may express.
Now; in that, that moves in the direction of another question or another situation of how you respond, in wanting to be supportive but very much disagreeing with certain practices. Once again, everything in your reality is a matter of perception. Every individual incorporates their own individual unique perception. There is no one official reality with one official perception that is the correct one. Every individual incorporates their own. And in that, their own individual guidelines are very influencing of what you generate in relation to your perception.
And I am very understanding of these types of differences and the passion that is expressed with them, and how strongly individuals move in those yes and no directions in relation to what they believe is right and wrong. And in that, it is difficult. It is challenging when you are presenting tremendous differences in relation to other individuals. I cannot comfort you in relation to expressing that another individual’s choices in those types of directions are wrong. They are not. They are a different perception.
ANN: I can… I’m actually okay with a lot of people having these different choices. I think the one thing that I have a hard time with is just the killing of another individual.
And I know there is no right or wrong. And I can… I think I am probably more easily to understand there is no right or wrong than most people. I don’t think that’s an arrogant statement. I think that’s… I feel like I am. But I do have a hard… There are certain things that I do… I have a hard time still on... well obviously, killing another human being is a hard one for me. A child molestation would be a hard thing for me. But most things are not that hard for me. But those two things are hard. And I even think that you have said that when you kill another human being it really fucks you up. You didn’t say that, but that’s my interpretation.
ELIAS: Yes. And I would agree.
ANN: So I don’t want my son to be fucked up. I’m sorry. (Laughs) So that’s kind of… But if that’s what he chooses to do, I mean, I’ll deal with it, but…
ELIAS: And how will you deal with it?
ANN: I would still love him and be as supportive as I can. And if it came to the… I would never want to exclude my children. I don’t think that would be helpful. But if it came to my sanity, I might. I don’t actually think I would, but… I say that, but I would deal with it by just knowing that is a choice he made. And I probably would go in my mind... to really absorb it, would probably go along the lines of this reality is not permanent, and if he does kill someone, him and that other person have a lot of other lifetimes and they’re still alive on something. That’s how I would probably... the route I would go to help myself. That is probably how I would go the road down.
ELIAS: I would also express to you that it is important to acknowledge and honor your own guidelines and to genuinely recognize that it is not necessary for you to agree with another individual’s choices or their direction. What is ultimately important is that YOU are not doing what you disagree with.
ANN: Right.
ELIAS: Therefore, in that, also acknowledging to yourself it is entirely acceptable for you to incorporate your opinion and to disagree and to express in relation to yourself and your own guidelines, that you do perceive certain actions as being right or wrong.
ANN: And to express with my son?
ELIAS: You can. Yes.
ANN: I mean, I kind of have, but…
ELIAS: Yes. For…
ANN: And that’s not not being supportive?
ELIAS: No.
ANN: So that’s my… That is a little bit of my confusion with wanting to support him in something that I really think is not good.
ELIAS: But this is the point, in that supportiveness to another individual is not necessarily agreeing with them.
ANN: Right. I understand.
ELIAS: If another individual that you express a closeness with was expressing in the direction of suicide—and you and I have discussed this—you do not necessarily agree with that. Being supportive is not changing you to fit what their choices are. Being supportive is not a matter of generating the judgments in either direction. Being supportive is the action of allowing the other individual to express themself in whatever manner they choose. And that is all. Not that you must agree with them. Not that you must like it.
ANN: When you say allowing them to express, is that basically hearing them? Listening to them?
ELIAS: Yes. Being their witness.
ANN: Being their witness, yes.
ELIAS: Being supportive…
ANN: Without judgment. Is it without judgment? It’s hard, when you don’t agree.
ELIAS: No. Not necessarily, for you do not disagree. Therefore you ARE generating a judgment. And in this, this is an important point, for this is what I continue to reiterate to all of you: you are not eliminating your belief systems. And duplicity is one of your belief systems, which is the expression of right and wrong and good and bad.
In that, that is not the point. You hold your judgments. You hold your opinion. You hold your guidelines of what is right and wrong and good and bad for you.
In that, there are some of those judgments that extend to actions in your world that you disagree with, that you do not resonate with. And in actuality it is as simple as that, that you do not resonate with it in this particular lifetime.
But in that, that is not the point. That is not even a matter of the subject of supportiveness. It is not a matter of eliminating any judgment. It is a matter of expressing that genuine witnessing of the other individual. And what is that? That is valuing that the other individual is important; they are valuable and that they are deserving. That you acknowledge their importance in their existence, regardless of what they choose, regardless of what they do, regardless of what direction they move in, and regardless of the differences and opinions. That beyond expressions, beyond choices, you see the individual in who they are and you value that. And that is important: that that individual is important. It is not a matter of whatever the judgments are, for they are not a part of the subject of support.
And that is the difficulty that most individuals express. They confuse support with agreement. And I have expressed over and over and over: agreement is not necessary to be supportive.
ANN: So this is the… What’s coming to my mind now, which I think this is like a big thing for me, is when I remember telling you I had this dream once when this woman cut me off and then I thought maybe she was angry at me or whatever because I cut her off. And you said to me, you don’t earn—whatever you said. You don’t earn that treatment. You said something else, but the essence was… So I took away from… No matter what we do, we’re not earning being unvalued. We are not earning, we don’t earn, we can’t earn being unvalued and we can’t earn being undeserving. Because that’s just it: We are valuable. We are deserving. We are important, no matter what we do.
ELIAS: Precisely.
ANN: So I kind of want to have all that seep in, but this is just a curiosity question. Did I… do I have a focus, then, that has been okay with murder?
ELIAS: Yes.
ANN: Really? (Laughs)
ELIAS: You can investigate. (Group laughter)
ANN: Can you tell me a time frame? I’ll investigate. I’m just curious that I had a focus that’s been okay with murder. It feels so different from me, that it would be a part of me. So I’m just curious about feeling something that doesn’t feel at all a part of me. So what time frame?
ELIAS: I would express that you incorporate several.
ANN: It would be Nazi, obviously. Nazi comes to mind.
ELIAS: One.
ANN: It would be all those, whatever, the Romans.
FEMALE: Never Canadian.
ANN: Never Canadian? (Group laughter) Really, so there are people who actually… I mean, I know the question is… the answer to this question is yes. I’m just trying to in this focus get my mind around there’s actually people okay and feel okay with murdering another person. And they’re not doing it because they’re covering up their feelings? They actually honestly... it doesn’t bother them at all? They’re not, like, hiding from themselves?
ELIAS: No.
ANN: Really?
ELIAS: In some situations it is an expression of an individual that lacks empathy.
ANN: Empathy.
ELIAS: And there are individuals in different focuses that choose that, in which there is a lack of empathy. And when you remove that factor, there is no emotional connection to an action such as murder or killing.
ANN: So that scares me, actually. That makes me nervous, for whatever reason—someone being in someone’s presence that doesn’t have that empathy. And I mentioned an individual before with you that I’d (inaudible) with that made me very nervous, because I felt that he didn’t have empathy. That’s frightening to me.
ELIAS: What I would express is in relation to what you are expressing in being frightened of another individual, an individual that chooses in any particular focus the lack of empathy would be less frightening than individuals that are fanatics.
ANN: That’s what you said before. You kind of… We’ve had this conversation and you said that before, and obviously I haven’t quite absorbed all that.
ELIAS: Individuals that move in the direction of expressing fanaticism are much more frightening. For they do incorporate that factor of empathy and they override it.
ANN: Interesting!
ELIAS: They convince themselves so strongly in relation to whatever philosophy they have adopted. It becomes so overpoweringly strong that they override that factor of empathy and move in the direction of justification to a tremendous extreme.
Anything—any expression, any action—in extreme is obviously unbalanced and is not necessarily beneficial. But in fanatical expressions, they are SO extreme that the individual becomes blinded to any other choice, any other direction, any other expression than what they believe. And THAT can be considerably dangerous, in your terms. Not only in relation to the individual themself, but once again—as we began this conversation with the suggestions—when individuals move in expressions of fanaticism, they are powerful. They express and project very powerful energy. And they solicit other individuals through suggestion in a very powerful manner. And that becomes very dangerous.
ANN: But that should be lessening with the shift, right? People being suggestible? Because they’re going to be paying attention to their own selves and their own authority and their own knowledge more and more?
ELIAS: Yes and no.
ANN: Not yet?
ELIAS: Definitely not yet. But I would express that that would be a yes and no answer, for there remain suggestions and suggestibility? Yes. The difference is the self-directedness of the individual and their choice to align with a suggestion or not.
ANN: So that wouldn’t… But if you have a choice whether you can align with a suggestion or not, I would think that would be less suggestible, right?
ELIAS: Not necessarily. To a degree, yes. I would agree.
ANN: Well, I’m just thinking, because you hear a suggestion and then you think about, instead of just going with it.
ELIAS: What I expressed in the beginning of this conversation was that many suggestions are expressed in mass energy. It is not even necessary for you to be objectively aware of what they are.
ANN: So would you say I am equally or more or less suggestible than I was a year ago?
ELIAS: Less.
ANN: I’m glad about that. I don’t know why I’m glad about that, but I’m glad about that. (Group laughter) For whatever reason, I like your answer! (Laughs)
ELIAS: What I would express to you is, in one capacity you are correct in your assessment. For the more an individual is self-directing, the less they would be suggestible. But I would also not move in the direction of generating a blanket statement, for some individuals may choose to not be as self-directing, intentionally. Therefore…
ANN: Yeah. Which is a self-directing choice. (Laughs) Yeah. I get it.
ELIAS: It would be. And it would also generate an openness for suggestibility that they would not necessarily intentionally choose. And that may be their choice of experience, for futurely, when you are shifted entirely and you are…
ANN: You mean like tomorrow? (Group laughter)
ELIAS: Perhaps. When you are self-directing and that becomes the usual, individuals may choose to be experiencing automatic pilot, for that will be the unusual.
ANN: Yeah. Yeah. I do know I still have automatic… At least I’m more aware of my automatic pilot than I used to be. That’s progress.
ELIAS: I definitely agree.
ANN: And I do know that I’m moving more into… like, I’ll think in the morning: Okay, I’ll just get myself into this place of feeling good. And I just practice doing that and how. But what’s brought into my awareness more is how I was on automatic pilot and not necessarily feeling good, but just not even thinking about it, and I’ll say, “Oh! I can actually do something about this.”
ELIAS: And THAT also is a very significant difference, for it involves feelings. And prior to this point, throughout your history, individuals have perceived feelings as an expression that you do not control, you do not dictate, you do not change. You are subject to.
ANN: Right. No, I have definitely had this awareness surrounding me, and more of like a playing around with how everything around me can be one way and I can be really “Ugh!” or “Ahhh!” That has been coming more and more into my awareness, of how the circumstances don’t matter. I mean, that no matter what the circumstances are, quote-unquote, that I really can choose how I feel about them. That is the power of that choice, and putting myself in that choice. And knowing that from that choice, then the circumstances will change—but I don’t worry about that. It’s just knowing that it happens.
ELIAS: Yes.
ANN: So that has been… I feel like I’m just really fresh in doing all that, but I like it. (Laughs)
ELIAS: Congratulations!
ANN: Thanks. Thank you. (Elias laughs) My gosh, I don’t know how much time we have, but I feel like lightening up a little bit, talking about something… How much time do we have left?
FEMALE: Well, according to John you have a meeting in eight minutes in the board room. (Inaudible) your phone here, on the sixth floor. (Group laughter)
ANN: Eight minutes. What’s fun?
JOHN: I might be late for that. Thirteen minutes.
ANN: Thirteen minutes! Talk about something… So, I went to… This was really good. Talking about feeling good, I had this twenty year anniversary lunch with the president and my boss and the vice-president, whoever these people were (Elias chuckles). I know who they are, but I don’t know their… I know their titles, yes, but maybe.
But anyway, I remember the day. So the morning, I just thought… I was… I just got myself in this really good feeling place and, you know, kept it. I was, like, nurturing this really good feeling place or whatever. And then we went to lunch and conversations started off fine or whatever. And then I was telling about the trip coming up and they’re like… and the group, and they’re asking me questions about the group. I didn’t mention channeling per se (Elias laughs) or that I was talking to you, but I mentioned a couple of things.
And then I just started to tell them about how I thought about life, and saying little things like, “You know, if someone really bothers you, what you do is appreciate everything you absolutely can about them, and then one of two things will happen.” Because I read this; I didn’t make this up. But I read it. And I tried it and it works for me. One of two things will happen: either this person will disappear from your life or the person will no longer bother you.
So I was telling them these little life things…
ELIAS: Or both.
ANN: Or both! Exactly. (Both laugh) Exactly. Or both. So I was just telling about these things that I had learned, whatever. And the president says… You know, we have this EYA University, they call it, where you can go in and teach or whatever—share whatever you have learned, whether it’s making new soap or whatever. He says, “Oh, you should think about doing it.” And I had thought about that before, maybe going in and sharing my life philosophies that I have learned over the years and… So that was kind of fun.
ELIAS: Excellent.
ANN: So I’ve come up… Let me just tell you this. So the theme, the title, of my little talk would be “Life Hacks for Ease and Magical Living.” Do you like it? (Laughs) Because life hacks are happening. It’s such a big thing right now, you know, life hacks. Do you know what I mean when I say life hacks? Do you know what that means? Life hacks—when people think of the easy way of doing something that… like bananas. People usually peel from one end. Now apparently you can peel from the other end and it’s easier. Just an easier way of doing it is a life hack.
ELIAS: Very well.
ANN: So “Life Hacks for Ease and Magical Living.”
ELIAS: Excellent.
ANN: So my four—and I was only going to come up with four—I have appreciation, awareness, concentration and compassion.
ELIAS: Now; define those.
ANN: Okay, so appreciation… Okay, let me… I can define them. I know I can. Whether or not I’ve got it all organized… So appreciation… Well, first of all, appreciation… I was going to say, like, if you appreciate something, I was going to kind of explain it like you remember when I was explaining something to you, I said a soft butter feeling? You know, you feel that softness. That’s not really appreciation; maybe that’s a loosening or an allowing. Would you say the soft butter is more of the allowing? Right?
ELIAS: Yes.
ANN: All right. So the soft butter is the allowing. And I didn’t even put that down. The awareness: I was just going to put as in paying attention. Awareness, paying attention and being… This isn’t what my talk was going to be; I’m just working on things with you. But the awareness was… So paying attention… Actually I’m going to write allowing, soft butter, so I’ll remember. The awareness—paying attention and there’s a little bit of allowing in awareness, I would say. A space. Paying attention: there’s a space, would you say? A space. Paying attention, awareness, there’s a stillness, in other words.
ELIAS: Presence.
ANN: Presence. Thank you! Elias, have I ever told you I love you?
ELIAS: (Laughs) Frequently. (Group laughter)
ANN: Awareness is presence. Concentration. Concentration: I guess I was just going to go in the direction of concentration of attention—attention and putting energy in the attention and bringing up the point of obviously there’s no negative, in the respect of what you’re putting your attention on and concentration on is... And you can know what you are creating by how you feel, by paying attention to your feeling. Go ahead. Say that word you’re going to say. (Laughs) I can work on it and I have…
ELIAS: What is the difference between concentration and attention?
ANN: All right. Attention. Okay. That’s good. What is the difference between concentration and attention? Concentration feels more directed than attention. Okay, so concentration… Okay, so concentration, just by the word itself, is more energy put into one area. Attention is directing of the energy. Close? Concentration feels more purposeful. Well, attention is purposeful, too. Concentration…
ELIAS: Is held.
ANN: Okay. So concentration is held.
ELIAS: And it does not require attention.
ANN: Really? Now that’s a new one for me. I did not realize that. Concentration does not require attention? You guys, that is… Is that big for you guys? It feels big for me. Concentration does not require attention.
FEMALE: I see that in a negative light.
ANN: No, I don’t see it in a negative light.
FEMALE: Okay, I see concentration negatively now.
ANN: Okay. You talk in your own session, because…
FEMALE: I will.
ANN: … I’ve got to digest this. Okay: Concentration is held.
ELIAS: Yes.
ANN: It does not require attention. Oh my god, you have got to explain that.
ELIAS: Very well. It could be in a negative or in a positive manner. Let us say that you hold a concentration that you are healthy.
ANN: Yeah! I think I do.
ELIAS: You are not necessarily paying attention to being healthy.
ANN: Paying attention to that. So concentration is like a bucket, maybe?
ELIAS: Concentration is held subjects. Therefore, you could generate a held subject in relation to an association, let us say, a negative association. Let us say that you express an association that alcohol is dangerous. It is an example. (Group laughter) Let us say that you incorporate an association, perhaps in relation to experiences as a small one, with individuals that consumed alcohol that became unpredictable, and therefore became dangerous. Therefore you generate an association that the consumption of alcohol in certain capacities is dangerous, or it can be unsafe.
Now; are you necessarily paying attention to that continuously? No. You may not be paying attention to it at all, objectively, and you may discover yourself in situations in other time frameworks in which you are participating with other individuals and consuming alcohol and it seems to you suddenly you become very uncomfortable with the individuals around you, and you feel unsafe. But not because of any of the actions that any of the other individuals are actually generating. You merely feel unsafe. That is a concentration on a subject.
ANN: So concentration is like a build-up of, maybe, associations, or…
ELIAS: It can be an accumulation, but it is not necessary.
ANN: It doesn’t have to be. It just could be one… So when you say concentration…
ELIAS: It could be a constant…
ANN: Is it like more energy in you or something? Or more…?
ELIAS: It is a constant.
ANN: A constant. Concentration: constant.
ELIAS: It is a subject that is held with a held energy that is a constant, and it does not require your attention to be affecting.
Now; you can be concentrating your attention also.
ANN: Yeah. On the subject.
ELIAS: On any subject. You can be concentrating your attention, and therefore you are combining the two actions, the two expressions, but they are not synonymous with each other.
ANN: If you direct your… Can you direct your attention to a different concentration? Like, can you alleviate or—I don’t know the word—but release a concentration by your attention and can put a concentration in a different direction, by your attention? So you can use your attention to move your concentration into a different direction?
ELIAS: Yes. Yes. Definitely.
ANN: Wow! So a concentration…
ELIAS: And all of that is awareness.
ANN: It’s awareness. So by being aware of your beliefs, your associations, your feelings—that’s how you find out what you’re concentrating upon, right? So your concentrations are actually contributing to you perception, right?
ELIAS: Very much.
ANN: So your concentrations are contributing to your perceptions, and to be aware of how you’re perceiving, you’re aware of your concentrations by being aware of your associations? Your feelings? Your actions? What you do?
ELIAS: First of all, you become aware by paying attention to what you are DOING.
ANN: Doing is the biggest one.
ELIAS: And in that, whether you are reacting or choosing, but you are paying attention to what you are DOING and evaluating what is motivating what you are doing.
Now; in that, it likely will involve some aspect of feeling.
ANN: All right. That was good. Now I’ll have to let that go through. (Elias chuckles)
All right, Elias. Well, we’re in Rome now, and remember I was having such anxiety. I’m not. It’s gone. (Group laughter)
ELIAS: And when in Rome…
ANN and ELIAS: … do as the Romans do!
ANN: And all roads lead to Rome, apparently, so… (Elias laughs) All right. So I’m going to say good-bye and John will say hello in a minute.
ELIAS: Very well.
ANN: I enjoyed it. Thank you.
ELIAS: Excellent. I express tremendous lovingness to you also and acknowledgement. You are being more supportive than you think.
ANN: Thank you.
ELIAS: (Chuckles) Until our next meeting, very soon, au revoir.
ANN: Very soon! (Group laughter) Au revoir, Elias. Or we should say arrivederci. Or ciao!
(Elias departs after 1 hour)
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