CROW CALLS No. 5

The Spirit Body
(after the Yaqui Tribe teachings of Carlos Castenada) The spirit body is a subtly self-luminous energy field that completely surrounds any physical object, but is much brighter and larger around living organisms. The physical body is surrounded by a spirit body made of light, which has three main functions: protection, communication and connection. The innermost layer extends from the skin outwards from 1/8 inch to about an inch and a half, and appears white or pale blue. This duplicate of the physical body grows to maturity with the physical body and deteriorates with it after death. Its energy is constantly being left on everything that is touched and extended to everything and everyone that is thought about.

The second layer of the spirit body extends from the inner layer to three to eight inches all around the body, and is more misty in nature. This second layer is rich in pastel colors. Any potential disorder of the physical body will show up beforehand in the spirit body, and can be effectively dispelled with cleaning techniques before they show up in the physical body. Clarity of color is the most important indication of health; any muddiness or brownish cast to the spirit body is a sign of an impending trouble and should be eliminated. Holes in the spirit body mean the person has been wounded by some form of negativity and must seek healing; no spirit body means the person is preparing to die soon; and a rapidly whirling spirit body signifies a Medicine Person.

The spirit body is divided into two halves: the right side encompasses everything the intellect can conceive; the left side is a realm of indescribable features. The left side is always comprehended by the whole body. The front plate is a hardened part of the spirit body, which wards off the life force and the energies of other beings. It comprises about 1/5 of the spirit body. The gap is a fist-sized bowl-like depression at the level of the navel. The power of the Will emanates from the gap. The life force beats against the gap ceaselessly from birth, and gradually the gap opens wider -- until finally it cracks open the whole spirit body and the Spirit rushes out and is reabsorbed. The focal point of consciousness is an intense point of brightness high up near the crest on the back of the spirit body in the band of awareness. This point indicates by its position which world is being experienced by the individual. The band of awareness is an amber colored vertical band on the right side of the spirit body; it represents the range of consciousness states available to man, and makes up about 1/10 the thickness of the spirit body.

The majority of people have their fields of energy divided into two parts. When the pressure of the outside spiritual energies bear down on the energies inside, which are always in motion, and makes them stop moving, the spirit at that moment is fixated by awareness. The trick of awareness is to let the fixating energies merge with what is inside us. If we let that happen we become what we really are -- fluid, forever in motion, eternal. The degree of awareness of every individual sentient being depends on the degree to which it is capable of letting the pressure of the outside spiritual energies carry it.

The Light of Life The Universal spiritual energies are an infinity of bands of light filaments. Organic beings are bubbles that grow around a group of luminous filaments. There are 48 great bands of energies in the earth: 40 bands generate only organization, 7 bands produce inorganic bubbles of awareness, and 1 band produces organic life. Three giant bundles of energies criss-cross the 8 great bands and bestow awareness; in the organic band the pink bundle belongs to plants, the peach belongs to insects, and amber belongs to man and other animals. Organic beings have a spirit body full of motion, inorganic beings have spirit bodies with no motion, and organization is made up of rigid spirit bodies without awareness, which hold energies. All living creatures have a pale yellow glow. Animals are more yellow, humans are more white. A Medicine Man is amber, like clear honey in the sunlight. Some Medicine Women are greenish; they are the most powerful and the most difficult. Average human beings are like eggs. Medicine Men change not only the color of their spirit body but the shape. They are like tombstones, only round at the ends. The consensus world humans make for themselves is made up of two bands: one is the organic band, the other is only structure. The other 46 great bands are not a part of the world humans normally perceive. Some beams of light-energy criss-cross the Earth, fixed into a pattern. This pattern coincides with hundreds of points in the spirit body. The most important of these points is located about a foot away from the stomach, 40 degrees to the right of an imaginary line shooting straight forward. This is a center for spiritual awareness.

Human beings are frail creatures composed of many layers of light energies. Jolts of any kind separate those layers and can even cause death. Jolts are always separating the layers, and when human beings are injured, their spirit body begins to peel like an onion. The pressure on consciousness from consensus reality brings the layers together again. The center of human spiritual energy is always pushing out, and that loosens the layers. Medicine Men do their best to keep their layers closed until their consciousness becomes continuous and the center no longer pushes out.

The Work of the Spirit Body The spirit body has the ability to perceive everything at once. Our everyday consciousness does not normally recall this perception because we are unable to synthesize it into a linear sequence that will make sense to the intellect. The task of remembering, then, is properly the task of joining and reconciling these two distinct forms of perception into a unified whole. Awareness is divided into three types of perception, or attention. The first attention is 'hooked' to the everyday world we know, the realm of sensory experience. The second attention is hooked to the spiritual realm of the spirit body. The third attention is hooked to Eternity. Only by learning to store extra personal energy, withdrawing our consciousness from the senses, and overcoming our desire for sensory experience and the accumulation of memories (stored energy) of this world, can we break the barrier of perception.

First, curtail self-reflection; cease the inner dialogue by willing it to stop. Once inner silence is reached, a repetitive sound will help to move the focus of consciousness from the physical to the spiritual. Internal dialogue keeps the consciousness fixed; once silence is attained, everything is possible. This begins with a command given to oneself; the command is then repeated until it becomes the Spirit's command, and then the focus of consciousness shifts, accordingly, the moment one reaches inner silence.

Spirit is experienced with the eyes, not the reason. The eyes summon the Spirit with their shine, by focusing on the spirit body. The feeling of Spirit comes to the eyes from the solar plexus and makes the head shake almost imperceptibly. After attaining the awareness of the spirit body, the final attainment is accomplished by experiencing the trauma of 'losing' contact with our everyday world and 'creating' another world under the onslaught of necessity without outside help, before one 'hits the bottom of the Abyss.' At the moment of Crossing, one enters into the third attention and the body in its entirety is kindled with knowledge. Every cell at once becomes aware of the totality of the body. The place of the Dome is where Medicine Men who leave this world end up.

Building the Spirit Body Inhale through the mouth to the count of eight, and expel through both nostrils for eight; repeat several minutes at a time, and each day gradually increase the count. When it is comfortable to do fifteen, add the visualization of a sphere of white light with you in the center. As the visualization is mastered, increase the diameter of the sphere to a comfortable size. Now visualize a sphere of white light above the head while standing facing north. Visualize and feel a stream of white light move downward through the crown to blossom as a sphere of white light at the throat. Then, visualize the stream of white light moving downward to blossom as a sphere of white light at the solar plexus. Then visualize the stream of white light move downward to the genitals and blossom as a sphere of white light there. Finally, visualize the stream of white light move downward to the feet and blossom as a sphere of white light beneath the feet.

Now draw the white light out of the sphere above the head and down the left side to merge with the sphere at the feet. Then visualize stream of white light moving up the right side to the sphere above the head. Now reverse directions and see the white light moving down the right side, across the soles of the feet and up your left side. Now visualize the stream of white light moving out of sphere above the head and down the front to your feet. Then see the stream of white light moving up the back to merge with the sphere over the head; then reverse directions, and finally, do all directions at once.

Negativity or low energy can erode the effectiveness of humans and leave them wide open to any energies that come their way, resulting in tension, depression, sudden pains, unpleasant odors, accidents or sickness. The primary source of this negativity is other people. Humans can increase their energy by listening to music they like, reading something that inspires them, asking for spiritual guidance, taking a shower, rinsing their hands in water, and sleeping with their head to the north. Normally, the size of the spirit body is determined by vitality, brilliance by spirituality.

Seeing the Spirit Body Sit against something so that you don't have to hold yourself up, in front of a mirror so that you can look at your reflection on a clear background without anything to distract you. The lighting should be subdued. Don't make your preparations too elaborate; once you get used to seeing the spirit body, you can see it easily in almost any level of light. Sit comfortably in front of your mirror and pick out a spot about six inches above your head and two feet behind you. Stare intently at your chosen spot in space, but with your peripheral vision watch your spirit body around your head and shoulders. In five minutes or less, you should see at least a thin line of white or pale blue outlining your head and body. This is the first, or inner, layer of your spirit body. With a week's practice of ten minutes twice a day, you should easily be seeing subtler layers of light extending from one to several feet in an egg shape around your body. Regular practice will add the sensations of color to your vision of the spirit body.

Spirit Body Color Chart RED - red indicates force, vigor and energy. Dark red indicates high temper, domineering and quick to act. A lighter red indicates a nervous, impulsive, very active person, probably self-centered. Scarlet indicates an overdose of ego. Pink or coral is the color of immaturity; in adults it indicates delayed adolescence. In all cases with red, there is a tendency to nervous troubles.
ORANGE - orange is the color of the Sun. It indicates thoughtfulness and consideration of others. Golden orange indicates self-control, while brownish orange indicates a lack of ambition and a don't care attitude. Such people may be repressed or just lazy.
YELLOW - golden yellow indicates good health and well-being. Such people take good care of themselves, don't worry and learn easily. Good mentality is natural to them. They are happy, friendly and helpful. If the yellow is ruddy, they are timid. If they are redheads, they are apt to have inferiority complexes and be indecisive.
GREEN - emerald green with a dash of blue is the color of healing. It is helpful, strong and friendly, seldom domineering. As it tends towards blue it is more helpful and trustworthy. As it tends towards yellow it is weakened. A lemony green with a lot of yellow is deceitful.
BLUE - blue is the color of the Spirit, the symbol of contemplation. Pale blue indicates little depth, but a struggle toward maturity; this type tends to have many personal problems. Aqua is the color of those who try harder. Those with deep blue have found their work and are immersed in it. They are apt to be moody and are almost always unusual persons, but they have a spiritual mission and they steadfastly go about fulfilling it.
INDIGO & VIOLET - indigo and violet indicate seekers of all types, people who are searching for a cause or a religious experience. As these people get settled in their careers and beliefs, these colors usually settle back into deep blue. Those who have purple are inclined to be overbearing.
WHITE - white is the balance of blending all colors.

Increasing Energy in the Spirit Body Throughout our life, some of our vital energies become encrusted on the shell of the spirit body and are no longer available to us. A series of physical movements can break up these energies and allow them to be reabsorbed and available for use, enhancing awareness and vitality. This extra energy allows us to project the spirit into the unknown. Regular use of these exercises will break up the encrusted energy, at which point the movements will become suddenly easy. In this way, you will be able to enter into the inner silence and make use of the freed energy. The result will be the shutting off of the internal dialogue and the projection of the spirit. When practicing the movements, one must avoid currents of air because they can have a deleterious effect of a perspiring human body. Also, the practice of the movements should be completely separate from other everyday sounds, such as conversation, radio or TV, music, etc. The movements should generally be performed in solitude and silence.

All movements begin with the left side of the body and must be repeated an equal number of times with the right side. The feet should be apart for a distance equivalent to the width of the shoulders, with the knees and arms slightly bent. The back muscles of the legs should be tensed, which is very difficult. The thumb must be kept in a locked position, folded over the edge of the hand, because at its base are points that regulate the flow of energy in the body. When the hand is made into a fist, the little finger is raised to prevent an angular fist along the knuckles. This raises the fourth and fifth fingers, which increases general well-being. When the hands are open, they should be fully extended so that the palm is flat.

The movements re-deploy energy to the six centers of vitality: 1. liver and gall bladder, 2. pancreas and spleen, 3. kidneys and adrenals, 4. hollow spot at base of neck on front, 5. around the womb, 6. top of head. Inner silence is the matrix for silent knowledge, which occurs when the spirit body becomes energized and awakens. Then, one can move one's consciousness to any of the 600 spots in the spirit body of man that are the gates to other worlds.

The technique of stirring up energy in the spirit body is dependent on the fact that in terms of energy, the spirit body is really two bodies, one on the left side and one on the right. The left body energy is more turbulent and aggressive, moving in undulating ripples and projecting waves of energy outward. The right body energy moves like water inside a tank being tilted back and forth. There are no ripples in it, only a continuous rocking motion. At a deeper level, however, it circles in strong spiraling riptides. This energy is the same as that at the top of the head.

First, energy is stirred up around each body separately. Start with movements of the arms, swinging them in large circles. These movements should start at the hip and circle up and around, back to the body in several slow motions. Then, the arms are moved in a straight line sharply to strike at and shatter the energy scooped up by the circling movements. The muscles should be held stiff during this exercise, and the circles should be done progressively all around the luminous body. In these exercises, the arms do not cross the center line of the body.

Then, energy is exchanged between the two bodies. Energy should be pulled and dragged back and forth from one side to the other in front of the physical body, so that energy from one side is deposited on the other side. Next, scoop energy with one hand and smash it with the other. All exercises should be performed first with the left side or left hand or foot, then with the right. Afterwards, motion with both simultaneously can be carried out.

Free energy in the spirit body tends to sink to the bottom, so it needs to be stirred up with movements of the feet and legs. In these practices, vibration loosens the encrusted energy in the spirit body, while pressure disperses the energy into the centers of vitality. After energy has been reabsorbed from the spirit body, meditation should proceed by lying down and placing a light weight on, above or below the navel. This engages the totality of one's energies and helps to shut off the internal dialogue.

One must learn to change routine behavior. Routine behavior traps our energy, while unusual behavior will gradually free some of that energy and build it up in the spirit body until it is sufficient to allow consciousness to change its focus. This practice will lead to being "in the world but not of it." Any behavior that breaks from routine causes an unusual effect on our total being. That unusual effect is what Medicine Men seek, because it is cumulative. If unusual behavior is practiced systematically and directed wisely, it eventually forces the assemblage point to move.

Medicine Breath This basic technique allows you to reabsorb your projected energies and eject those energies you have lodged in you from others. Unless you retrieve the filaments you have left in the world, and reject those that others have left in you, there is no possibility of attaining freedom. You need to free enough energy in order to pass the Guardian of the Gate. The first stage is a brief recounting of all the easily remembered incidents in your life. The second stage is a more detailed recollection. The key element is breathing. Reducing stimulation of the body through sensory deprivation makes remembering easier; then breathing will foster deeper and deeper memories. The process of remembering begins with a breath.

Write down a list of the events to be relived. Take your initial breath by beginning with your chin on the right shoulder and slowly inhale as you move your head over a hundred and eighty degree arc. The breath terminates on the left shoulder. Once the inhalation ends, the head goes back to a relaxed position. Then exhale looking straight ahead. Then take the event at the top of the list and remain with it until all the feelings expended in it have been recounted. As you remember the feeling you invested in whatever it is that you are remembering, you inhale slowly, moving your head from the right shoulder to the left. The function of this breathing is to restore energy. The spirit body is constantly creating cobweb-like filaments, which are projected out of the luminous mass, propelled by emotions of any sort. These projections drain energy from the spirit body. By breathing from right to left while remembering a feeling, you pick up the filaments you left behind. The next immediate breath is from left to right and it is an exhalation. With it you eject filaments left in you by other spirit bodies involved in the event being recollected.

Storing Power One should constantly store power. Women can gain energy from the Earth by rolling on the ground; men must lay on their backs with their knees bent so the soles of their feet touch each other, and their arms are extended laterally with forearms raised vertically and the fingers clawed in an upright position. One of the first concerns of the warrior is to free enough energy in order to face the unknown. Ritual behavior is repetitive and forces the first attention to free some energy from watching the inventory of consciousness, so the consciousness loses rigidity. Self-importance consumes the greatest amount of energy. An increase in energy will eventually result in a change of the focus of consciousness, and one will become aware of spiritual power. Such a shift in consciousness is marked by a change in the light: in the daytime, light becomes very dark; at night, darkness becomes twilight. If you become trapped by your vision, move the eyes in a circular motion to loosen the focus of consciousness so you can escape from other forces. Increasing energy is necessary for the art of dreaming.

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