What the Bleep Do We Know?
An Interview with
Rebecca Skeele, MA, MSS
By Rev. Maggie Duval
La Luz del Alma Spiritual Science Center
La Cienega, New Mexico
In an effort to continue to find new ways
to put the tenets of Spiritual Science into action rather
than just keeping the concepts at an intellectual level,
I'm seeking out masters of manifestation to provide inspiration
and guidance for budding Spiritual Scientists.
With the release of the groundbreaking film, What
the #$BLEEP*! Do We Know?, many are excited
to further explore the concepts posited in the film.
Rebecca Skeele is
an author, counselor, life coach and ordained minister
who presents seminars internationally on personal growth
and practical spirituality. In private practice since
1990, she holds masters degrees in Applied Psychology
and Spiritual Science (Peace Theological Seminary and
College of Philosophy in Santa Monica, CA).
I interviewed Rebecca on October 8, 2004,
to explore the film and Spiritual Science.
Rebecca, besides being a life coach,
author, speaker and workshop facilitator, you also have
a Masters in Spiritual Science. Would you please explain
your understanding of what Spiritual Science is?
The definition of a Spiritual Scientist is multifaceted,
but basically it's a state of being a compassionate neutral
observer in areas of thought, consciousness, behavior, and
imagination so we can attune and align with God. A Spiritual
Scientist uses neutral, intellectual discernment combined
with heart "knowing" to allow truth to emerge as an ongoing
revelation.
The Spiritual Scientist uses everything for
learning, growth and awareness, looks for the good in all
things, works masterfully with the human nature, lives in
the present with intention, takes full responsibility for
everything in their life, and develops multidimensional
awareness as a divine being.
There's a physical, emotional knowing, but there's
also an immediate, direct knowing when you learn to clear
yourself as a channel to allow connection to God, which
allows intuition to emerge gracefully and with ease.
The hallmarks of Spiritual Science are intentionality,
observation, choice, self-responsibility and an undying
curiosity to check things out and test your "theories" (the
scientist).
We learn to become Christed - or able to overcome
the world by overcoming the lower nature/self. In other
words, you're able to "be in the world but not of it." Unfortunately,
the Christ spirit has become identified with just one historical
personage, rather than the many throughout history who have
achieved this state.
For those who've not yet seen What
the #$BLEEP*!, would you give us a summary of the film
and what its message is?
It's a film that uses experts from different
fields: scientists, spiritual leaders, philosophers, and
health practitioners to explain consciousness and why we
do what we do over and over again. This film poignantly
demonstrates that we have choices. And it explains in proven,
scientific terms how we create reality and what goes on
in life.
By utilizing humor and hope it shows us the
power we have -- and if we begin to tap into it, we're not
only creators but cocreators. It does a great job of shattering
the myths we hold on to of what God is. God is more impersonal
than we think - that is, God isn't keeping score to exact
punishment - we are the ones who create this punishment
and keep us there.
I've heard some people make the
comment that, "Oh, this stuff is old hat. I've heard/read/seen
it before." How is this film different from what's come
before?
Because it's scientifically based! It's very
exciting because you can point to something concrete. This
is one of the beauties of the film. This is what I emphasize
and want to bring forward!
To me this "been there" approach to spirituality
is really self-sabotaging. The revelation in every moment
is, "Well, okay, but are you living it yet? What are you
doing with your life? Do you have joy in every moment? Do
you carry the consciousness of loving and blessing and do
you bless all no matter what's going on?"
When you say "Oh, I know that," then a door
shuts! Because your knowing today is different than yesterday.
Knowing is here and now - right now! I'm always looking
for those opportunities to see things with new eyes - because
then things shift, and you have a new opportunity to see.
Shutting down is fear and ego based.
The film's protagonist, Amanda,
starts experiencing her life unraveling and falling
apart. Is this an example of the 2x4s you talk about
in your book, "Make It Heaven?"
Actually I would say Amanda's 2x4 is her husband's
infidelity. And her reaction (her hell) is to go into the
story playing over and over in her head, becoming a victim
to it, giving up, staying in the pain, and trying to numb
that pain with her addiction to anti-anxiety pills. This
is the human nature/reaction - to want to numb, avoid, and
depress ourselves.
But the universe was not going to leave her
alone - it keeps bringing in alternatives - choices - to
open her up to what she wasn't seeing. For example, seeing
her own wedding (movie in her head) rather than the wedding
she's actually there to photograph (and her subsequent negative
reaction to it - thinking the groom is messing around with
a bridesmaid ala her husband's infidelity with a wedding
guest). Her boss admonishes her that "too many memories
are clouding her vision," and she acts as if today is still
affected by yesterday.
We walk around in our stories, and until we
get through them, we cannot live in an intentional reality
and move into cocreation with God. Interestingly though,
the universe concurrently continues to show us opportunities
to bring it forward, trying to find the key that will unlock
our comprehension and shake us out of our self-hypnosis.
Being a Spiritual Scientist means we're able
to watch our stories, because it takes more than an affirmation
pasted on our refrigerator to change reality. We learn to
become compassionate observers rather than viewing ourselves
through a judgmental lense. We learn to become masters at
instantly shifting that perception in the moment. You can't
vanquish these thoughts forever - they're part of the human
condition - rather, you become hyperaware and ever-vigilant,
dancing nimbly and masterfully through life's ups and downs.
It's "being in the world but not of it."
In the film when Amanda is in the
train station, she's intrigued by panels illustrating
Dr. Masaru Emoto's work of the effect of emotions and
thought on water molecules...
Obviously his work is profound in itself just
to show the affects of positive and negative on water molecules.
We're 70% water and the most important implication is the
effect of thought and emotion on our health. We're obsessed
with health and being dis-ease free, yet it's worth pointing
out the fact that it's all interconnected. Now, I don't
think people who are ill have failed spiritually. Dis-ease
shows up on the level where spirit can get our attention.
For many it's through the body. And for a Spiritual Scientist
dis-ease on any level is not a punishment - but an opportunity
for learning, growth and deeper connection to God.
When I saw Dr. Emoto speak in Santa Fe recently,
he demonstrated the effect of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony
on a water crystal. The crystal began to expand - which
is what happens when we open to divinity. If you get into
spiritual phenomena, there's an element of expansion. As
we move into a new reality/space, we move into the greater
Universe and love. Both demonstrate expansiveness.
As the angel points out to Amanda, "Makes you
wonder, if thoughts can do that to water, imagine what our
thoughts can do to us."
Conversely, let's skip to the mirror scene where
she's venting her self-loathing and striking her image with
her fist and smearing it with toothpaste. But then the "angel" appears
for the second time repeating the "makes you wonder" line
and her consciousness shifts and she begins drawing hearts
and I love yous all over her body. What was the shift? It
was the heart opening - but how and why did it open?
Well, when the mind is presented with so much
expansive material, and things happen to blow up the hardwiring,
the heart is the only thing that can handle it - it's what
steps in and opens up to take up the overflow - the heart
expands - letting the love flow through.
This shift can happen so quickly due to catastrophe,
an illness, the death of a loved one, the loss of livelihood,
etc. We literally lose our bearing, and the world turns
upside down. This becomes an opportunity to open the heart.
Early in the film, Amanda's "story" was a victim
story, but later she moved into the heart opening - or said
another way, she moved from living through her lower nature
into living through her higher Self. The purpose of human
nature is to maintain the status quo while the Soul's (or
Higher Self's) agenda is growth, expansion and revelation.
Another scene in the film that is
intriguing is the concept of not being able to "see" something
until you have some sort of historical reference point
for it, as evidenced by the bit about the Caribbean
Indians not being able to see the Spanish ships coming;
and its not until the tribal shaman notes the ripples
in the water that he is able to construct a framework
for the new paradigm. Would you please elaborate on
this?
First of all, all of us have had situations
and circumstances in our lives we thought were one way,
and they turned out to be another way. We misperceived.
All of us have experienced this. Another example of this
is when we have a belief, "There's not enough love/money," or "I'm
not good enough." What if when we examine this belief we've
created, nurtured, lived out all our lives we discover once
again that we've misperceived? What if it's untrue and the
reason it is recurring over and over again is to get us
to look from a different point of view?
I believe there's a part of us inside - the "inner
guide" - that's saying "Look, Beloved, there's a greater
thing you're not seeing here. That limiting belief you keep
running isn't the truth. Let it go!"
But letting go is threatening to us - because
the human nature wants to maintain status quo. This lower
nature says, "Don't take it away; it's what is "protecting" me!" So
we have to be willing to work with this part compassionately
yet firmly and say, "I'm ready and willing to see the greater
truth."
The unseen "ships" in the movie are an example
of how we can open to the possibility in each moment that
there's a bigger picture, another greater reality, present.
When dealing with a difficult issue where we
might be very angry, we can be intentional in our outlook
and depolarize it - offer peace - and the anger has nothing
to do but dissipate. To put it simply, we choose love instead
of fear (fear is at the root of anger). If I move out of
right vs. wrong, black vs. white thinking (i.e. someone's
got to win or lose), I can move out of that position and
take one of "I'm going this way - you do what you need to
do" Then there's no "against ness."
In so many ways we try to abdicate self-responsibility.
It takes a lot of courage and strength to face ourself.
This is why Spiritual Science is so "challenging." Many
are drawn to Spiritual Science because they glimpse the
possibilities, but aren't ready to do the work. But it's
okay - each soul is doing what it needs, when it needs,
and how it needs.
The aficionados of this film and
are clamoring to find ways to practically implement
the ideas explored in it. Can you suggest some techniques?
Yes. First, work with intention. Second, become
a compassionate observer and allow yourself to go into your "hardwiring" to
break up the stagnation and allow your heart to open. Third,
practice opening the heart: take a workshop, practice some
sort of devotion, explore and emulate a spiritual teacher,
do service, enjoy prayer, see an inspirational movie, become
aware, and ask for help in opening your heart. Have the
intention that "I no longer want to live in constraint.
Is there something greater here? How do I move into it?"
With Spiritual Science we can examine victimization
with discernment, and become ruthless with laser-like precision - Kali-like
energy - in cutting through our stories to the truth. We
can rewrite our own cocreation story.and create new life
affirming stories.
Another big thing to learn is self-forgiveness.
The way we've victimized ourselves is with shame and self-blame.
You need to decide that you're not going to continue to
beat yourself up for behaviors you entered into when you
didn't know any better. If you revisit what you've done
in your life, you realize that ultimately it's all been
done out of self-preservation (again, the human nature maintaining
the status quo). With self-forgiveness, I call upon the
part of me that's greater - my divine nature - and open
my heart to myself. My divinity sees me in loving no matter
what. Forgiveness means letting go, which is a major key
for becoming a spiritual scientist.
In addition to your book, "You Can
Make it Heaven, How to Enrich Your Life with Abundance
and Loving," do you have any suggestions for books our
readers might check out that illustrate the themes explored
in this film further?
Heaven begins with my story of the human nature/2x4/victimization.
Then the book presents what we have to look at to liberate
ourselves: (1) our story, (2) how our mind looks at things
in black and white, (3) becoming aware of how much fear
runs our lives, and (4) look at how we play games to stay
small.
As a Spiritual Scientist we use the tools of
the compassionate observer and observe where we place our
loyalty. When the Ten Commandments states, "Thou shalt have
no other gods before me," those 'gods' become people, situations
and circumstances that rule our lives: our environmental
sensitivities, our chronic fatigue, the childhood abuse,
etc. I am not downplaying these, rather, highlighting how
we give away our loyalty and allow these crises to define
us. We worship them - they become the story of who we are.
Even if we are miserable and suffer we hold on to them.
Becoming a Spiritual Scientist requires you
to cut away that which no longer serves you. It's only THEN
that you can live an intentional reality. This is when we
become a scientist of our life.
Becoming a Spiritual Scientist establishes your
divinity as a major player, not a back seat driver. The
playing field shifts. As you set a clear intention to cocreate,
ego/personality needs and desires align with the highest
good. You embrace the unknown and replace control with growth,
expansion and revelation. Accepting and cooperating with "what
is" takes inner strength, patience and willingness to allow
the divine hands to mold and shape you into what is not
yet seen.
For more information about Rev. Maggie
Duval please visit http://www.nondenominationalweddings.com
or to learn more about La Luz del
Alma Spiritual Science School & Center please visit:
http://www.spiritualsciencechurch.com.
© 2004, Rev. Maggie Duval. All Rights Reserved.
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