THE SPIRIT DIMENSION OF META

PART II

Neuro-Semantics, as a field, is about performing our highest and most exciting meanings. To perform our highest meanings speaks about our beliefs. It speaks about the beliefs that inspire us, the meanings that energize us with excitement. So as a discipline of modeling experience, we use the tools of Neuro-Semantics to understand our beliefs about the higher dimensions of life, what we call the realm of “spirit” and the “spiritual” state. We can do that because we know that it is beliefs all the way up, beliefs about beliefs.

In this Neuro-Semantics has no commitment to any one form of spirituality; it has no alliance with any religion, although people of many religions and beliefs do use the models and processes. Conversely, we can also use Neuro-Semantics as a modeling tool to evaluate the health or unhealth, the accuracy or inaccuracy, the quality or lack of quality, the value or lack of value of beliefs, belief systems, forms of spirituality, and religion.

How do we go about doing that? First we establish our criteria and make them explicit. Of course, as we do, we acknowledge that whatever we set as our standards, values, and understandings are our maps about such. There is no infallibility although popes of all sizes and shapes are constantly attempting to claim infallibility. No map is the territory. Maps, even invisible mental ones in our heads are just maps. And a map is only as good as what it enables us to do things and facilitates the journey that we want to make.

This distinction enables us to identify the primary thing that turns any belief toxic. Namely, believing in our beliefs. Believing and even having layers of beliefs about our beliefs is one thing, but believing in the ultimate reality and absolute rightness of our beliefs is another. That’s what creates fanatics and fundamentalists. And a fundamentalist fanatic is a very different creature from a person whose beliefs keep him or her opens, curious, explorative, in dialogue, fallible, and modest. It is not belief or believing that separates people, that separates a scientist from a religious person, that separates an atheist from a religious person. We are all believers. The scientist believes in the scientific methodology, the atheist believes in the presence of no God.

When it comes to beliefs and belief systems, we all have them. In fact, we have hundreds, even thousands of beliefs. We have beliefs about ourselves, others, the world, business, wealth, health, criticism, fun, holidays, etc. Whenever we confirm a thought about anything, we begin to believe. We believe that such is “the way it is.” [see Sub-Modalities Going Meta]

We do not just make pictures in the theater of our mind and then add sounds, smells, tastes, and sensations, we have higher level ideas about those images— what they mean, what they suggest, what they demand of us. Beliefs don’t even have to be true to be believed. How about that? How many things have you believed that you now know were not true at all? How many stupid, false, and limiting beliefs have you experienced? What have you believed that stopped you from following your vision, from being true to yourself, from taking chances, from speaking up, etc.?

And because we all believe, we are all religious. We all have ideas about life, about the universe, about purpose and destiny. And those beliefs, those assumptions, guide the way we live our lives. Do we believe in values, morality, ethics? Do we believe in being fair, loving, good, and kind? Do we believe in responsibility, choices, consequences? Beliefs can be ferreted out in behaviors. That is, we can start with a list of our behaviors, the things we do, the way we spend out time, energy, and money. The way we relate, talk, run our business, exercise, eat, etc. and we can backtrack to the beliefs that drive our lifestyle.

Beliefs are not only confirmed thoughts but are also the things of importance that we value. Do you exercise and eat heathy? I bet you not only believe in health and fitness, I bet you value such as a critically important facet of life.

When begin believe in our beliefs, our beliefs become toxic. Believe your beliefs and you close your mind, end the exploration, and become a fanatic. Now, you may even refuse to use the term “belief,” and just say, “I don’t believe that, I know it.” This has been and continues to be one of the greatest dangers facing mankind— politically and internationally. It was bad enough that Hitler believed in his racist ideas. But worse, he believed in his beliefs. That’s what made him a fundamentalist and impossible to work with.

The belief system of the fanatic then has this structure: he believes in his beliefs. This is true for Moslem fundamentalists, Christian fundamentalists, science fundamentalists, political fundamentalists, environmental fundamentalists, etc. It is the attitude or spirit of assuming one is absolutely right and that being right gives one the right to impose it on others.

Now something else tragically occurs. As the believer is no longer believing so much in the object of the belief, but the belief itself. The person now believes in his ideas, creed, mental maps than the object of the belief, even God. This is a form of idolatry. The belief is valued more than anything else, more than love, compassion, responsibility, ecology, kindness, equality, dignity—for the fundamentalist nothing is more important than the survival and expression of his belief.

Fundamentalism used airplanes as missiles on Sept. 11. Fundamentalism bombs abortion clients to kill doctors for killing. Fundamentalism fed the intolerance of Hitler, Mussolini, Saddam, and every other dictator. Fundamentalism ruins marriages, destroys businesses, and sabotages communication.

What frees us from that kind of fanaticism is the realization that our beliefs are beliefs— fallible maps conceived in a fallible brain. When you know that, instead of believing in your beliefs, you’ll keep an open mind to exploring the foundational facts, exploring with a humble attitude that you could be wrong, and dialoguing with others to discover what others know that you don’t.

I learned a trick for separating the fanatics some years ago. I lived in town where almost weekly someone was knocking on my door wanting to share their beliefs, to give me their pamphlets, and show me the truth. “Great!” I’d say. “Come right on in, if you can be wrong and are willing to have an open-mind and dialogue with my truth as well. I’ll be open-minded to your truth to the extent that you could be wrong. So, if you could be wrong in your beliefs, step across this threshold.”

Talk about a way to stop a fundamentalist cold in his steps! Typically, because I set the frame, if you could be wrong step across the threshold and let’s explore, they would stay outside and argue that they are right, no question about it. “Absolutely?” I would ask. “Totally and completely and you know the absolute truth and you could not be wrong?” Some would hesitate but eventually nod yes, others were ignorant enough about their own ignorance and fallibility to say, “Yes, of course.” Ah, they believed in their beliefs!

I would then dismiss them. “I’m not interested in talking to an infallible god this morning, I was kind of hoping for a good fallible human being. If you ever step down from being an infallible know-it-all pope and embrace you own ignorance, come and see me.”