Peter, I have been struggling with this concept of love and living in the moment. Your comment, “Does the elimination of the ego and desire leave us so empty that we no longer expect or even ask for better?” especially struck me. In my particular situation, I am seeing a couple’s counselor with my girlfriend. This is my first real attempt at a healthy relationship and my first attempt since starting my Buddhist practice. There are certain key aspects basically missing from our relationship. Our friendship is very strong. The “in love” part of the relationship needs a lot of work. However, at almost any given moment I can say, “I am ok.” and that’s the truth. However, overall I am unhappy with my relationship missing these key aspects of a love relationship. I struggle to converge my desire and need for a truly healthy loving relationship with being ok with a friendship in the moment-to-moment of daily life. I want better. I have asked for better. I feel my ego is controlling this desire and at the same time, love relationships are based on certain factors being present. I am happy, yet not. UGH!

Peter, you’ve got to get into Gnosticism. It will satisfactorily answer all of your questions.

The New Age people are laboring under the impression that this world is about to change for the better. It is not, and I will tell you why. The power of the human Ego is far too great and it is pretty much impossible to defeat. Those having a ‘spiritual awakening’ have quickly realized that discretion is the better part of valour; they soon realise that it’s better to stay quiet about one’s experiences than risk being labelled insane and cause distress to one’s family. One also sees that those you hope will be sympathetic and offer help, (namely, the spiritual and religious figures such as priests) are as fast asleep as everyone else. My parish priest didn’t want to talk to me about my spiritual experiences and it killed my Christian faith. The reason that this ‘change’ isn’t going to happen is that people having a ‘spiritual awakening’ are often scared, confused and question their own sanity. Many are also contemplating suicide because they can’t handle the weird changes going on inside themselves. That is the REALITY, not the psycho-babble of the previous poster.

This isn’t a super hero film, like X-Men. No-one is going to go on TV to tell us all to come out of the shadows.

I can pretty much guarantee that Gnosticism will answer your questions regarding the ways of this world. Also, you should search out some internet dialogue with a person called Hidden Hand that took place in 2010. There are powerful people behind the scenes who wish to push this world into a negative polarity, and, truth be told, they are doing a great job of it. According to Hidden Hand, there is a coming ‘Great Harvest’. But don’t expect Yahweh to intervene, because the ‘soul group’ known as Lucifer did a deal with him to help humanity advance, and they want to get the hell off of earth. (Yes, Yahweh exists, he created the world, and he’s got a fierce temper, but he’s not the only god out there). I always thought that HH (commonly and incorrectly called ‘Illuminati’) was a load of made-up nonsense, until I started seeing them drop subtle hints about a ‘New Earth’ amid TV advertising (Christian D’or, in particular). When I put the pieces of the puzzle together, I realized that Hidden Hand was a real, worldwide cabal, and not some amateurish Dan Brown outfit. Of course, I would be thoroughly ridiculed if I said all this in mixed company, which is why the world is NOT GOING TO CHANGE!!!

Best wishes,
Tannhauser

I don’t think it’s about regression as much as it is about selling a dream to people that their lives will get better – think about stock market sentiments, business cycles which are hugely driven by expectations aka perceptions.

To bring “real” change in solid economic terms, legislation and employment opportunities, redistribution in society is something that will not happen overnight but reducing the apathy, hopelessness of having missed out on the moolah of globalisation is what we define as change in perception which is driven by internal re-assesment of present conditions and norms.