“That which speaks to us from higher, more distant realms comes clothed in secrecy and mystery.”—Henry Miller, Time of the Assassins

  When Miller strove to be a ‘writer’ he could be atrocious. But when he lost himself, when he flew off the handle and became one with the typewriter so to speak, which was the majority of the time I must add, he was an inspired Word-intoxicated virtuoso. 

  Word-intoxicated in both senses of the phrase, I would add.

  But I do have a problem with the above quote. Not that it isn’t inspired nor authentic words from the fingers of a Shaman-Type; they are and the message is simple, straightforward, and rich with meaning. 

  It’s just that I’ve had enough of the notion of the ‘secrecy and mystery’ issuing from ‘higher, more distant realms.’  

  That picturing of Life’s Truths in remote quarters, realms or dimensions has been and remains grossly misleading. Extremely profitable for charismatic charlatans, but misleading all the same. 

  For we are One with Life. Full participants in it. 

  We are the Truth. 

  Only most of us are engaged in the crucial tasks of earning a living and providing for ourselves and family. That requires brainwork and know how. Insufficient time is left after work and the responsibilities of family for this sort of abstract psycho-spiritual inquiry into ‘secrets and mysteries.’ 

  In the old days we’d attend church once a week and receive a dose of institutionally authorized Truth. One that naturally emphasized its own version of revealed distant, higher-realm-sourced Truth. 

  Nowadays those churches have faltered and our communities are in disarray. The temptations and allures of modernity have all but drowned out the church’s distant higher realm message as well as the Living songs of coherence our Shaman-Types might be singing. 

  And add to that our potential Shaman-Types who’s role is to bridge the abyss between the ‘secrecy and mystery’ of the Oneness of Life and our workaday selves have all been raised on such misleading misconceptions of its remoteness. 

  They are lost and as a consequence we are in a bit of a bind. 

  Until a new breed of Shaman-Type finds itself and the Life which is inherent in that self we will all continue to struggle. 

  Have faith though…

  That redemptive day will come!….