The Joseph Perspective: Safely negotiating the spiritual minefield

Key themes from the Communications books illustrated by examples from 40+ years of mediumship.

Nine: Safely negotiating the spiritual minefield

Scary, isn’t it? You wish to tread a spiritual path. You’re earnest; eager… you want to discover and understand philosophies and techniques that will enable you to change yourself (and, ideally, this world) for the better and, in reaching out for spiritual help and knowledge, you suddenly find yourself bombarded by a bewildering kaleidoscope of choices and terminology, much of it contradictory and some of it offered by convincing personalities claiming to be able to provide exactly what you are looking for…

Make no mistake – the road to spiritual enlightenment is a dangerous place where many traps have been set in the undergrowth to snare the unwary. Spiritual neophytes are easy prey, entering as they do a nebulous new world – a completely new way of thinking and acting. Naturally and understandably they turn in trust for guidance to those purporting to have a history of involvement in the elevation of consciousness, believing each and every ‘spiritual teacher’ has just got to be coming from the right place…

If only there was some kind of ‘spiritual geiger counter’ that could be employed by those seeking grounded, sensible, and just plain right esoteric knowledge, enabling them to determine at every stage of their journey whether what they are being told and asked to believe is beneficial for them and the world… something that could sort the wheat from the chaff, as it were. Fortunately, there is – and the amazing thing is that this priceless piece of equipment is not ‘for sale’ exclusively via some website, nor is it displayed at any stall at any mind/body/spirit event, but it is yours by right now, today and has been within you since the day you were born. It’s called your ‘heart-mind’, and I’ve relied on its expert guidance for the best part of forty years. I used it to negotiate many of those aforementioned (and at times very convincing) traps that snapped at my heels when first setting out on my spiritual journey, and I consult it daily to determine that the choices I make on behalf of myself and others are sound, kind and harmonious.

The heart-mind is an aspect of our spiritual make-up that Joseph is emphatic we should recognise and use at all times to ‘test the spirit’. The following question, highly relevant to today’s topic, was put to him at one of our trance sessions:

‘Joseph, we all talk to God [substitute ‘the Divine’, ‘Creation’, or whatever concept you are comfortable with when describing the force that links us together and flows through everything] in our own way, but what is the best way to actually tune into God and know that the link is the strongest link possible?’

Here’s Joseph’s answer, incorporating a simple meditation to help you achieve that special heart-mind state: 

‘We have to go back to the principle, to the reality, of you having two minds. You have a mind in your head that is influenced by the Field*. You have a mind in your heart that is influenced by your soul and your connection to God. Therefore, in praying to God and requiring a result – requiring guidance – you need to think not from the head but from the heart.

‘You need to make an agreement with yourself that each day you will spend a few minutes thinking from the heart-mind.

‘How do you do that? You do that by retreating from the head-mind, by switching off the effects of the head-mind. You sit, you become quiet, you ask for protection from God – and your mind will be crowded with a million and one things and sights and sounds and sensations. You then see yourself retreating from those sights and sounds and sensations and taking a path – perhaps through a golden cornfield that leads you gently down to an oasis or a well that is perfectly still. And behind you, as you walk down that field, is your physical mind, getting fainter and fainter – you cannot hear the sounds, you cannot see the sights, you cannot feel the sensations or the demands. You can only see this beautiful, still pool of Light, and, under a perfect blue sky and surrounded by the golden corn, you sit down at the edge of this perfect, vast, deep, still water.

You look into it and you know that you are now contacting God from your heart. And then you ask, ‘Father, am I right?’ and look into the pool and see the reflection of yourself and look into your eyes and the answer will be there: yes or no.

‘Do I need to modify my plan – yes or no?

‘Do I need to work with You today – yes or no?

‘Are the feelings I have while I am not operating from the heart-mind true or false? Are they there or not? Are they illusion or heart-truth?

‘And do not expect instant answers but expect to have to go to that well, to that pond, on a daily basis whenever there is something troubling you, whenever you need an answer, because you will always get an answer once you are used to tuning in. And you will either see that answer in your reflection or you will sit there on the edge of that pond with your eyes closed in your imagination and you will hear your own voice say yes or no, or you will feel yourself say yes or no. You will feel it – not just say it, not just think it – butfeelit!

‘And you will become used to contacting you; to making friends with you; to operating from the centre, from the source. The promptings of the heart-mind apply in all areas of life: in business, in relationships, in healing, in having peace of mind, in knowing how to work spiritually.

‘The heart-mind answers all.

‘Do you feel, do you think that God would leave you here without a connection back to Him?

‘Ah – men and women over the years have said: “This way lies God! I will connect on your behalf. I will connect through the physical mind and through praying for you on your behalf to God.” Avoid those ladies and gentlemen! You will connect with the God-within because you are the God-within,and, therefore, as the God-within, you have access to all knowledge. You know in every situation what to do – it is just that the head-mind masks the promptings of the heart-mind.

‘Having sat by your still, wonderful, deep, peaceful pool for as long as you wish, you can retreat back up through the cornfield and bring out into the physical mind the gold light of that cornfield, the blue of the perfect sky and the peace you have discovered from your heart. And then, because you are operating again from a combination of heart and mind, trust what you have been given. Trust what you have been given! Put it into practice. Try it out. And you will see that time and again you are right because you cannot be wrong. Only your mind can be wrong. The ‘you’that is you can only be right in the circumstances that come to you for you and the good of others.

‘We are coming to a time when people must trust, must consult the heart-mind, because the heart-mind gives access to the greater self, and the greater self can see and hear; the greater self knows what to do on a God-level, knows how to put things right, knows how to comfort, knows how to counsel, knows what to do in every situation, and also how to repair you. When you are depressed, when you are down, when you are ill, the energies from the heart-mind can repair you, will repair you, time and time and time again – a limitless and endless source of comfort.’

There’s not much more I can or would wish to add to Joseph’s insights, except to ask you to consider this when approaching information expressed through the diversity of individuals, groups and literature on offer to you as a spiritual seeker: If it’s complex, it isn’t coming from the right place.

Why would God reveal His/Her/Its plan for you and creation via complexity? Why would the Divine, who wants you, His child, to understand more about Him, about yourself and about the way creation works; wants you to realise your potential, grow, and exhibit more of your spiritual capability, offer teaching and knowledge in terms you cannot understand? Would you, in love, hide things from your children and explain things to them in double-talk? Of course not!

Here’s Joseph on the subject of evaluating his, or any other communication purporting to have originated in higher realms:

‘Always go within; always test what you are being given and, if it comes up short, if it is too complex, if it does not contribute to a change in global experience for the better – throw it out!’

Don’t be afraid to daily ask the Divinity at the heart of you for protection, for guidance, and to be your constant companion and instructor in all spiritual seeking. Recognise, activate and improve your heart-mind connection to God-consciousness, take notice of and act upon your intuition, and you will know in every circumstance exactly what to do – or what not to do – next.

You have a permanent connection within to the Divine. Everything that you encounter outside of yourself on your spiritual journey can and should be taken to that source on a regular basis for examination and evaluation. Trust and nurture that link – rely on it and grow used to the gentle way in which it works to answer your questions and you never, ever need worry about taking a false step as you evolve spiritually.

I’ll conclude with some appropriate observations from Joseph:

‘Can I suggest that you spend time silently with yourself? Can I suggest that at each point you switch off each thought and attempt to move your consciousness – the real you – from here [pointing to the head-centre] to here [pointing to the heart-centre] and to listen in silence – not in complexity. And there you will find your answers.

‘There is nowhere else I can lead you to for answers because nowhere else exists for answers except there. Be still. Be quiet. Listen to yourself. And if what comes to you from the heart-centre throws out everything I have said that is fine, that is wonderful! But listen there. Become reconnected to your Divinity and you will find that the answers are simple – not complex.

‘The mind is complex. The mind throws up smokescreens. The mind will tell you that black is white and white is black.

‘The heart is knowing – the mind is wondering.

‘Get to the point of knowing. Become silent …throw out the books …throw out the concepts …become silent …listen to the real you …ask to connect to God …and see what the heart tells you.

‘That is the starting point.’

* The ‘Field’ of human consciousness we, as spirits on earth, are surrounded by and live within. The Field is actually created and maintained by us, but we have lost sight of this fact. It exhibits, and seeks to perpetuate in us, a negative charge and outlook.