a companion guide to the educational software 'game of life' simulation, "destination: earth" (tm).
(please note that this page will be repeatedly updated with new material.)
"do not place the words of gurus, ministers, priests, scientists, psychologists, friends - or my words - higher than the feelings of your own being ... the deepest knowledge must come from within yourself."
copyright (c) 1997 starman group
table of contents
forward
part 1. in the words of others
b. movies
c. destination: earth software description
forward
this companion guide to the destination: earth software game was written to help put the game player in an acceptable frame of mind to better understand what the game, and life in general, was all about. it is aimed at 'how to approach life' with joy, peace of mind and creative acheivement. yet, it is pragmatic, in the everyday sense of the word, and realistic in its portrayal of life in america.
it is also aimed at providing an alternative intrepretation to life that permits a healthier and more productive individual, thereby prmitting a healthier and more productive society and culture. just as western society is beginning to accept 'alternative medicine', it needs to begin accepting an alternative philosophy about life. i give it no name because the name is not important.
some of you may not accept any of this philosophy, let alone parts of it. in any case, playing the game will not be affected by the views of the player. the same pragmatic simulation will occur producing the same life experiencing events. however, what will be different will be the interpretation of the events.
as in 'real life', there is the same 'dualism' involved in the game -- heaven and earth, good and evil, spiritual and material. and, life goes on inspite of your intrepretations. which philosophy brings about the best in the individual?
all-in-all, it may help the reader find a better answer to his, and to every child’s question, of: why? why me? why did he die so young? why am i not rich? why can’t i be liked? why was i not choosen? the answer given here lies in the title of this guide: “all things are possible: but not probable, it depends...” and what it does require is that the individual take responsibility for his life, not the government, ot society, not others.
part 1, "in the words of others" introduces the philosophies, thoughts, concepts, beliefs, etc of others more well-known than i am. it is an attempt to introduce this alternative view of life. these views may be difficult for some to grasp and understand, that's ok. there is no 'miracle' light that turns on, just a 're-alignment' of old beliefs into new, more acceptable and effective beliefs. as psychologists would agree, it took time to develop the old beliefs, it will take time and effort to generate new beliefs.
remember: "knock and the door will open ... seek and ye shall find"
part 2, "random thoughts" attempts to provide a different view or interpretation to everyday events and happenings, based on part 1 ideas. it will definitely not please everyone. it does not accept the common viewpoint or explanation. it does not provide 'politically acceptable' views because someone says this must be so, although the view itself is false.
it is generally accepted that if a person lives in a world of false beliefs and delusions, he will develop all sorts of maladies and psychological hangups. and if this occurs on a large scale throughout society, so will society, as a whole, develop maladies and psychological hangups. just look around you!
society creates its own myths that it finds acceptable and that people want to believe in, but are simply not true. "living a lie" its called.
it's time for an alternative philosophy of life.
george k. staropoli
march 1997
p. s. the cbs sunday tv show "touched by an angel" is an excellent informational source.
"be ye as little children".
"for while the physical begins at conception, the spiritual and mental is as the first breath taken into the physical -- that becomes then a living soul ...".
"the goal ... is that each soul be a conscious, co-creative companion with god ... as put in the cayce readings, 'each soul is to know itself to be itself ... yet one with that creative force'.
"after creation, souls needed to experience their individuality ... once souls entered into three-dimensional counsciousness they began to use their free will to create thought-form images that served merely to distract them or to satisfy confused aims ... instead, we could say that the fall was in a forgetting or a misunderstanding or a rebellion.
"the soul's mission is known to the individuality, and can be lived only when one is in touch with this aspect of oneself ... your soul came into the earth with an ideal, an intention to manifest a particular state of counsciousness; it is often referred to as a mission in life".
"the individual self, deluded by forgetfulness of his identity with the devine self, bewildered by his ego, grieves and is sad. but when he recognizes the worshipful lord as his own true self, and beholds his glory, he grieves no more ...
he who, brooding upon sense objects, comes to yearn for them, is born here and there, again and again, driven by his desire. but he who has realized the self, and thus satisfies all hunger, attains to liberation even in this life."
"while contained in your mother's womb, you were one with her; whatever your mother experienced you also experienced.
"you had a hand in the development of your childhood environment. you chose the circumstances. this does not mean that you are at the mercy of those circumstances. it means that you set the challenges to be overcome, set goals to be reached, set up frameworks of experience through which you could develop ...
"there is some information necessary to physical survival that must be taught and handed down from parent to child ... because the specific conditions of your environment are so various. so it is necessary that the child accept beliefs from its parents.
"the beliefs that you receive, therefore, are your parents' conceptions of the nature of reality. they are given to you through example, verbal communications ..."
"this sharing of mutual ideas not only protects the new offspring from dangters obvious to the parents; it also serves as a framework within which the child can grow."
"you were born in a state of innocence. as you began to explore the outer world and its objects became fascinating, you tied your happiness to them. you became addicted to the world, as you remain, because you were no longer fulfilled in that simply way a baby is".
children possess a certain innocence about them. why? because they have not yet formed habits, concepts or beliefs about reality. what many regard as real is just a result of their beliefs: "all men are bad". "you must be vicious to succeed". these are just beliefs about reality and not reality itself.
children have not yet fully formed these concepts, beliefs or behavioral habits. they see things with a clarity denied most adults. so, unlearn your habits and beliefs and be as little children.
"render unto ceasar what is ceasar's and unto god what is god's"
"despite all 'realistic' pragmatic tales to the contrary, the natural state of life is one of joy, acquiescence with itself -- a state in which action is effective, and the power to act is a natural right."
what is life?
life is a challenge . . . meet it.
life is an opportunity . . . take it.
life is a mystery . . . solve it.
life is a goal . . . achieve it.
life is a game . . . play it !
... starman
"you re given the gift of the gods; you create your own reality accoeding to your beliefs. yours is the creative energy that makes your world."
"you are here to use, enjoy and express yourself through your body. you are here to aid in the great expansion of consiousness. you are not here to cry about the miseries of the human condition, but to change them when you find them not to your liking through joy, strength and vitlality that is within you; to create the spirit as faithfully and beautifully as you can in flesh."
"you must accept the idea completely, however, that your beliefs form your experience. discard those beliefs that are not bringing those effects you want. as it took awhile for the unsatisfactory beliefs to become materialized, so it may be a time before you see physical results ..."
"... you will realize that you have many more avenues open to self expression and fulfillment than you have been using. these probable achievements will lie latent unless you consciously decide to bring them into being ... the intensity of your desire brings them into your experience."
"it is the energy projected by an individual's own mind which creates his experience.
"since all our behavior is an extension of what is held in the mind, it is necessary to set the mind in right order so that it contains only positive energy to be rightly manifest in our lives. carefully choose your thoughts, emotional reactions and words ..."
"and unless the activities, the thoughts are continuously constructive, and the experience well-balanced, the entity cannot, will not fulfill the purpose for which it came into the present experience ..."
"as a man acts, so does he become. a man of good deeds becomes good, a man of evil deeds becomes evil. a man becomes pure through pure deeds, impure through impure deeds.
"as a man's desire is, so is his destiny. for as he desire is, so is his will; as his will is, so is his deed; and as his deed is, so is his reward, whether good or bad".
"before one is born, one's mind is pure and formless. as the pressures of life shape and structure our mind, they crete rigid and distorted thought patterns. in this way we lose our ability to perceive and experience the reality of our life."
"each player must accept the cards life deals him or her. but once they are in hand, he or she alone must decide how to play the cards in order to win the game."
your sojourn on earth can be likened to joining the national football league. you can be a joe montana, or just an average player. you can be on a winning, a losing or some other team.
your teammates are like your family and friends. the other teams represent the environment and society. you can be in an "easy" conference or in a "difficult" conference.
in any event you came to play. so do your best!
the thought came to me that all of us communicate with another
dimension, another reality, everyday. it’s called thought, intuition,
mental, emotional, psychic, psychological.
as much as scientists try to locate a thought or an emotion somehere in the brain, they can’t. they can cause emotions and thoughts to occur by electrically stimulating parts of the brain, but they still can’t point to an emotion or thought and say “aha, there it is!”. they simply turned on the “transmitter” that produces thoughts and emotions, but they have not found any of these.
in the same way a radio transmitter/receiver produces sounds when the appropriate electrical signal is applied, the brain is just a transmitter/receiver of thoughts and emotions which, like a sound, exist in a different medium or dimension.
"your life is not a real life. if it were, you would have been
given further instructions on where to go and what to do."
"cats were put on this earth to show that not all things have a purpose."
"... men ... dwell in a field of probabilities, and their paths are not determined. the vast reality of probabilities makes the existence of free will possible.
"you could not make choices at all if you did not feel impulses to do this or that ... impulses are urges to action. in those areas where you cut down on your impulses ... you close down probabilities, and prevent new beneficial acts that of themselves woulsd lead you out of your difficulty."
"through the characteristics of the brain, events that are of nonphysical origin become physically valid. . . you do indeed form the appearance that reality takes through your conscious beliefs. those beliefs are used as screening and directing agents, separating certain nonphysical probable events from others, bringing them into three-dimensional actuality."
"in your terms probable events are brought into actuality by utilizing the body's nerve structure through certain intensities of will or conscious belief. . . you will realize that you have many more avenues open to expression and fulfillment than you have been using. these probable achievements will lie latent unless you consciously decide to bring them into being."
"[each of] you, with your beliefs and intents, tell your inner ego which of an infinite number of probable events you want to encounter.
"on these other levels the child knows ... of its contemporaries born about the same time. each person's 'individual' life plan fits in somewhere with that of his or her contemporaries. those plans are communicated one to the other, and probabilites instantly set into motion ... for instance, individual a will meet individual b at a marketplace 30 years later -- if it fits in with the intents of both parties."
"you and i are infinite choice-makers. in every moment of our existence, we are in that field of all possibilities where we have access to an infinity of choices".
in other words, most of us -- even though we are infinite choice-makers -- have become bundles of conditioned reflexes that are constantly being triggered by people and circumstances into predictable outcomes of behavior. ... most of us, as a result of conditioning, have repetitious and predictable responses to the stimuli in our environment."
"... so usually there is a lag, a lapse in time, during which your beliefs cause material actualization ... as it took some time to build up your present image with its unhealthy aspects, so it may take time to change that picture. but concentration upon the present unhealthy situation will only prolong it."
"you perform habitually in certain manners as a result of your beliefs. now if you willingly change some of those habits then you are also getting the message across. you must ... make some symbolic move that shows you are willing to accept change. you must respond to your new beliefs ..."
"if we can reconstruct one's mind and restore its original, positive and innocent quality, the event's of one's life ... will also be positive".
"radiating one's inner harmony and positively influencing one's environment is a real service to the world and to oneself."
"trust in trust; have faith in faith"
"men a born to succeed, not to fail."
"our greatest glory consists not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall".
"truly for some it is not written. they will write it themselves".
"the greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitude of mind."
"never give in. never. never. never."
"victory belongs to the most perservering."
"if you observe someone going through an extremely difficult life experience ... it may mean that they are a very strong and courageous person, and natural law is returning large amounts of their misqualified energy all at once. if you observe someone having a relatively easy-going life ... it may mean that they are a very weak person and can't withstand any more neagtive energy than that at one time."
"there is no security on this earth, there is only opportunity."
roughly 10% of the players will develop a drug problem or aids (not every 10th player). how does a counselor handle this event? perhaps a simple: "did anyone ever expect 'player' (assuming a group is playing at one time) to get aids or die from drugs?" and then lead into a related discussion.
as for the 'player' who died froma drug overdose, he/she would probably give the same real-world answers "not me, i would never have used drugs". a suggestion would be to ask the 'player' if he had ever been curious, or would have tried some just to see, or would have done so if 'player x' would have asked him to do so, etc. your obvious reply is: "that's what all real-world drug users say and they die in the real-world ... 'i thought i'd never get hooked'".
an interesting question could be posed: "ok, which one of you (players) gave 'player' the drugs or introduced him to drugs?" "do you feel responsible for his death?"
perhaps an effective technique would be to review the success and progress of other players for comparison purposes with those who don't have these problems.
finally, you can ask the 'player' if he/she wishes to be 'born again' and start a new life, a better life. (or some other means to continue the game for the 'player'). and then use the new life as a 'look what could have been if you didn't take drugs in your prior life/play'.
the "inner" and the "outer" are basically what deepak chopra refers to as "self-referral" and "object-referral". we could also say: internal and external, mental and material, or 'my responsibility' and 'not my responsiblity'.
this is a serious societal conditioning, brought to us from the government that wants to 'take care of us' and our desire for an easy life -- the 'me first generation'. it is also the result of a failure by the appropriate institutions to guard us against this harmful attitude -- the school system and our religions.
it is only when the individual accepts his life as his own responsibility can society remain healthy. but this was, and is, difficult when our institutions fail to provide meaningful answers to the very emotional question: why? we are too quick to point to the government, the pill in the bottle, the drug in the needle, rather than to help the individual look inward to find the answers that are meaningful and relevant to the individual.
the game puts the individual as the player -- events are happening to him. the focus is what do you want to do, and here's the consequences of that decision. it's nobody else's decision -- you must act. the alternative philosophy in part 1 is provided, with non-judgmental, neutral answers, to help the player. no guarantees, no rosy futures or "quick fixes" are supplied because the individual says "ok, i see the light" or some other similar attitude. the alternative philosophy offers, in essence: "you must pay the piper", or "what goes around comes around"; or it's simply the neutral, non-judgmental law of karma. therefore, the game causes the player ask questions and the philosophy causes the player to look within, to seek the 'inner' for answers.
only when we begin to accept alternative beliefs about life that provide healthy, constructive answers can the individual, and society, grow. and acceptance begins with looking inward, internalizing and, yes, it does involve a change in beliefs.
the "me-first" generation. it looks to self-satisfaction and whatever accomplishes that is good. "if it dosen't affect me directly, who cares!" but society is a surrender, a comprimise -- like a good marriage -- for the good of the mutually beneficial relationship of all concerned. we act for the common good, which will also be good for the individual.
if we continue to pursue what lawyers would like us to -- "fight for your rights" -- we have put "me-first" before society. all sorts of rights are proclaimed and we are too willing to grant them. society has this unhealthy belief of "pork barrel" -- you give me and i will give you, maybe. it is an unhealthy belief system and unfortunately, the culture and not a sub-culture.
why are people isolated you may ask? why do few people come to the help of others in distress? "not me! what's in it for me? not my problem". all this stems from the belief system of "me-first".
a sub-culture, as its meaning is used in this guide, is a shared or common collection of beliefs, and resultant values and behavior patterns. it is a 'group-think' that we see in business social organizations as its character or philosophy, usually an extension of the ceo or 'founding fathers'. it has its own social organization.
an individual is a part of several, over-lapping sub-cultures. his family is a sub-culture, his school or business is another as well as any 'clicks' within the school or business environment. so is his politics and his sport or hobby interests. the local teen gang and the larger mafia are examples of sub-cultures.
in our everyday life we are not conscious of the impact of these many sub-cultures and how they influence our behavior. these belief systems form our reality -- repeat -- these belief systems form our reality! what the drug user believes in is 'feeling good', 'being a cool musician', or simply 'sticking it' to society or his parents for whatever reason. this is real to him! this is what he believes in! death is not real to him. hurting his parents or others has no value to him, either.
no amount of discussion or persuasion can change his actions or beliefs. the addict only changes after an event forces him to look within and he realizes what is happening to him. and that is: he is not reaching his goal of feeling good because he will eventually die and, in the meantime, the agony is too much. (to say that it's not a belief but the biochemical influence that causes his behavior misses the point of initial addiction).
a long-term solution to this problem, and to many others within our society, is to recognize the unhealthy sub-culture for what it is, make people consciously aware of the dangers and provide remedial and counter-active beliefs. in short, change the belief system by looking inward.
americans suffer from myths -- beliefs about ouselves, now or in the past -- although we don't admit to it. we believe that we are rational, objective and a fair and just people. myths, on the other hand, are not rational and therefore do not and cannot govern our behavior. but this belief, itself, is a belief about reality, not reality. it is, however, a 'positive' myth.
there are positive and negative myths. a 'positive' myth represents an ideal, a striving for a higher standard. a 'negative' myth represents a denial of a negative aspect of our life or culture.
we don't possess an inner evil or hatred in regard to these negative myths. like positive myths, they are just an example of habitual behavior on a mass level, call it 'societal conditioning' if you will, that unconsciously determines our behavior.
1. "equal justice under the law"
(why not have public defender budgets equal that of the opposing party in a court suit, so both parties can have equal representation)
2. "all men are equal"
(derived from 'all men are created equal')
3. women are equal to men.
(this is an obvious distortion, but deeply engrained -- in some ways yes, even
superior, but not quite equal physically)
4. we are not racist.
are we racist or just plain indifferent to the problems of others? does indifference create racsim?
most people have their own personal problems and are not too happy to bear the burden of other people's problems, like those of the blacks. they probably get even more upset when they feel that they are forced to give up something of theirs or if some other group gets preferrential treatment for its problems.
no, they are just indifferent to groups and arguments of others to make amends
at their expense. the blacks are not asked to move into nob hill or
martha's vineyard by the proponents. just into the average folks' neighborhood.
when the well-to-do complain, the same ones seeking redress, when they are
asked to make room for blacks, is this then racism or economics? or just lack of
commitment?
most religions and new age thinking speak of a return to oneness, to an eternal super-consciousness; a return to god , the supreme being, all that is as the purpose of life. this common thread can also be viewed as raising one's level of consciousness from the dark ages of racial and religious intolerance, violence and atrocity to higher levels of awareness; such as, a more cosmopolitan and wordly outlook on life and an awareness of brotherhood and a respect for the environment. what we are really talking about is an increase in our level of attention and corresponding responsiveness. we attend to that which is important and has meaning or value to us.
so, from who we are and where we are, our individual purpose is to increase our conscious awareness to that of oneness with a supreme being. this is the highest level of purpose. within each lifetime we have sub-goals to reach on our way to the ultimate oneness. this is because life is so complicated and we have much to learn, to become aware of, in so many areas. and each of us has learned certain things during prior lifetimes, our collective experience or soul, and have other things yet to become aware of. that's what makes us different and march to different tunes, so to speak.
how can corporations justify their marketing and/or products knowing that they promote or cause negative and detrimental conditions in society? forget about tobacco, what about fatty hamburgers and french fries that we all love so much? yes, we are free to choose and they don't 'make' us buy their products, but they certainly don't make it easy!
no one seems to be aware, or really care to put the effort in, of the large scale changes in society that must be addressed and corrected. like good old virtues of discipline, perserverence, integrity, character and decent morality. it is sad that our president, the first 'baby-boomer' president, feels that he dosen't need to be morally and ethically above reproach, so long as he hasn't violated the 'technical' aspects of the law.
why do we have to lock up our baby carriages and are afraid to leave them out in the street while we eat in a restaurant? this is a condition of our society that we have accepted and needs to be corrected.
appendix a. bibliography the seth books --
the nature of personal reality, jane roberts, 1980
the individual and the nature of mass events, jane roberts,
1981
tao, ni hua-ching, 1979
the way of the wizard, deepak chopra, 1995
the seven spiritual laws of success, deepak chopra, 1994
discovering your soul's purpose, mark thurston, a.r.e. press, 1984
(based on the cayce readings of the 1930s)
edgar cayce's story of the origin & destiny of man, lytle
robinson, 1972 (based on the cayce readings of the 1930s)
take charge of your life, patricia diane cota-robles, 1983
the upanishads, circa 3000 bc
b. movies
starman, 1984
resurrection, 1980
"finally, an intriguing entry ... a software program called destination: earth ... i encourage my more computer-literate readers to give it a try."
the value of family by dr. ruth westheimer and ben yagoda.
life is a box of chocolates . . .
teens, test drive your future --
one of a number of possible futures
an exciting, educational game simulating growing up in america !
you are just 17 years old, in high school & your life is before you.
what will become of you?
marraige? kids? wealth? fame? or failure?
will you fall victim of aids or drug abuse??
learn to take control of your life!
ideal for parents & job/career counselors to work and discuss with teens
is a game of life. the scenario begins with your return to life on earth for another round of physical existence -- just like another inning or period in sports. at age 17 you are given certain qualities, abilities, traits and conditions; such as, intelligence, race, sex, interests, education, activities and personality. you can change these very important attitudes, interests, activities and goals as life goes on. your status in the multi-dimensional sixth universal sphere will be affected by how well you perform on earth.
life on earth is divided into 6 "dimensions" --
as in life, you will be presented with appropriate, randomly generated events and conditions beyond your control for you to deal with. from time to time you will need to make important decisions affecting your progress. more than one player can play and progress can be compared using the numerous measures and scores that are appropriate.
comparison with our overall statistics is shown. annual financial graphs can be viewed that show your income, assets and net worth.
may the force be with you !