Glossary of Terms – Michael, Stephen & Consortium

Abstractions – A term which means ideas rather than actual things. These reside in the mind or mental body or Intellectual Center. Quite frequently, abstractions are unique to the individual and may take the form of beliefs, ideals, or world view. Abstractions assist us in formulating the metaphysical or theoretical properties we perceive to be in operation.

AGAPE – the Greek word meaning universal brotherly love, and as adopted by the Roman Catholic Church as God’s unconditional love. Used in the Michael Teaching to indicate a space where total acceptance of oneself, others, and life conditions can liberate a person from the condemnation of judgment, and bring about a cessation to the disharmony that evokes enmity and war.

Amore Propre = Appropriate and health, respect, compassion, love, value and self preservation of the type that creates the reservoir within where love of all kinds can be generated and nurtured. When a person has a full measure of these sharing it with others is both easy, fulfilling, and does not tax individual.

Agreements vs Commitments – Agreements are you setting yourself to conform to a behavior or action. A commitment is a large more omnibus dedication to an attitude that may include an entire series of actions, ways of thinking, and ways of being. There are 3 ways to handle an agreement: keep it, break it or change it. When a commitment is made it is contingent to a person being devoted to an entire range of attitudes and behaviors that elicit specific emotions.

Beliefs – Emotionally charged thoughts, almost always learned from an exterior source. Beliefs may be funded by repeated experiences which are viewed from the same lens.  While Beliefs a thought form by design, what gives them staying power is the intensity of the emotions associated with them. Since Emotions = energy in motion, realize that an electromagnetic charge suffuses a belief to give it stationary orbit in the Psyche. Only when a belief of equal or greater charge dislodges or discharges the energy of a belief can it change or be eliminated.  Hence, positive thinking cannot ever replace a negatively charged belief. Only new experiences associated with emotions of love, healing, enjoyment, or fascination will accomplish this purpose.

Behavioral Preference Mapping(BPM) – Using the FIRO measuring tools of Dr. Wil Schutz, these four attributes of peoples relating to each other in teams can reflect underlying preferences that make for either smooth or strained interactions. However, using these tools we can show that many of the meanings (or motives) that people project about each others behavior has no deeper motive than an individuals temperament expressed in these elements of behavior.

• Inclusion – What is your comfort level for being with people? Who and what do you include, how much and how often? How much do you want others to include you?  Related to issues of Significance and Self-Esteem as expressed in boundaries and personal space. This element correlates with Overleaves on the Expression Axis.
• Control – Refers to the degree of influence you require over people and circumstances to feel comfort, safety, power, or a degree of competency to take action. Related to personal competency and the need to dominate others.
• Openness – How much do you reveal genuinely vulnerable parts of yourself? Openness therefore is has the substrate of how loveable you perceive yourself and how loved you feel toward and by others. This factor is directly related to the formation of true intimacy with others, but also intimacy in sharing with yourself.
• Adaptability – To what degree are you able to shift, adapt, cope, or alter a way of acting.

Communication Styles and Understanding– In my approach, I use four styles of communication as a broad base to describe groupings of behavioral and emotional strategies that some employ in their interactions with others.

• Dynamo – Director – Tends to be naturally forceful. Speaks.
• Relator – Supporter – Tends to be more placating. Listens.
• Reserved – Aloof – Listens and categorizes but might not respond.
• Inquirer – Interrogator – Speaks but listens to those things that then to validate their point of view.

Constructs – The way the Intellect gathers ideas together into a concept and then gives it a psuedo-form for the purpose of useability. These are not objects in time and space per se, but rather objects or containers which help us understand something larger. For instance, almost all the terms associated with metaphysics, mathematics, physics, psychology and religion, are abstract concepts given a name, a function, and a location. Things like Ego, ID, Shadow, Defense Mechanisms, are inferred by observation and a meaning projected onto those behaviors.

Character & Self Esteem – Character or Temperament is at the center of the Nurture vs. Nature debate. Some feel that character is something that is built or formed from one’s life experiences. Others believe that our temperament is a function of some preset genetic traits that cause us to express ourselves in some predictable pattern of response. It is my belief that while we begin with Nature’s blue print, cognition and self awareness enhance our ability to exert influence over our circumstances which empowers us to mold ourselves in-spite of instinctual dictates. Such focus and determination represent a kind of personal power that is at the heart of what most people refer to a self-esteem. Thus, the greater awareness we have and exercise that with deliberate intention, we change at our volition, not merely that of Nature. This is self esteem.

Ego – Within the Michael Teaching it has been called “false personality.” However, since the term Ego has become so ubiquitous in the annals of psychological and spiritual terminology, its adoption is useful but does require clarification. Sigmund Freud coined the term to mean the adult, integrated or balanced aspect of the Psyche. It is the moderator between the drives of ID (inner child and animal self) and the Super Ego (the inner Parent or voice of authority and morality). The moderating elements are present in this contextual use of the term Ego, but with one major addition: the Ego does not know a “spiritual self” or Essence, it can only view itself in the body with no other life than the one it governs in the present. Michael’s use of the term Ego then, is more similar to Carl Jung, in that it is the dominant aspect of the body complex and name identity and social moderator. This aspect operates as an aspect of a total personality, or sub-personality, and within Michael’s constructs called the Control Sub.  When one is said to be “egotistical”, that states generally corresponds to the Chief Feature CF of Arrogance, being activated and lording in a superior fashion over others. But Ego is charged with the protection of the personality and may engage whatever protective behaviors it deems necessary to do so. Often unconscious and reactive as those strategies may be and thus an unseen personal truth for the psyche, on other occasions those behaviors are deliberate and cultivated executed with precision in specific circumstances. Thus, when we Michael/I refer to Ego, we are not condemning a part of your unique HES, but rather identifying that actor which might be on the stage of your Soloverse dominating the scene at a given moment. And since, the process of separation internally occurs with one aspect of the psyche being at war with another aspect of itself (non-acceptance); Michael advocates the stance “make your Ego your Amigo”. But just like a pet, keep it well fed, well disciplined, and give it love but not run of the house. Sometimes, it is useful, health, good, restorative and builds trust with the Ego to give it reign in circumstances that is was designed to assist. Remember, you are not your Ego! It is a part of you and one that you are responsible for.

Emogic – The logic of the emotional center. Reasoning flavored by instincts, emotion, and moral intuition. Not restricted to facts alone, but including an awareness of one’s relationship and interpretation of them and the circumstances in which they occur.  As mentioned in The Structure of Scientific Revolutions by Thomas Khun, even the most scientifically astute who pride themselves on objectivity are often completely oblivious to the selective nature of their perceptions. Bias, prejudice, and ignorance collude with familiar and accepted patterns of thought to justify even the most ridiculous conclusion, but one that falls in line with a potent personal or social norm, belief, agenda, world view, is often dismissed as trifle, inconsequential or completely ignored. Emogic, I assert as well, is the standard of reality from which we all actually operate; to one degree or another. The key is not to pretend otherwise, but to be ardent in acknowledging, with as much truth as one can, ones own filters and factor their influence into an analysis. Emogic is not bad or wrong, it merely is. However, it is the Intellectual Center in Arrogance which might summarily dismiss the concept as irrational. Art and new paradigms all always incommensurate (one cannot foretell the next) with existing knowledge. Rationale, like Emogic, always begins with what premises one begins with and then what steps or blueprint is asserted into which they fit. In short, always subjective. Just think of how many Vulcan’s in Star Trek reach opposite conclusions using seemingly impeccable logic?

Etheric Material – The “Ethers” is the stuff of invisible matter which forms the entirety of our universe. It can be converted into the constructs of our reality, individual and joint, to provide us a playing field on the Physical Plane. Available on all planes of existence,  Ethers are an older term for plasma or undifferentiated energy in the Universe.

Excellence – Continued striving toward the best output one can create beginning with themselves. Change and modification is the key to excellence and the humility to realize the signs when your adaptation is necessary. While commitment is an essential aspect toward the achievement of ever improving output, perfectionism is its nemesis. Perfection is the purview of God, excellence is the striving of Humans.

Getting Gotten – An experience of an internal shift of attention where ones reactions, and often understanding, change instantaneously. It cause a physical reaction to words or conditions that consciously or sub-consciously validate a deep personal truth. A “hick-up” that causes an immediate relocation to another emotion, thought image, or sensation of a previous time or place. In such a state, it is common for a person to experience a sudden rendezvous with a moment of being truly heard and understood by another. One might say “I got gotten” as a statement implying that their intent and the phrasing of it so closely reverberate with an innate or intended meaning, that it is common one might have an immediate an noticeable reaction. Metaphorically, at that moment any log jam or stuck gears will have moved; perhaps minimally and in other cases with maximum significance initiating moments of great inner movement. These sudden changes can be very profound. To the well defended belief or strategy, these can seem like being “outed” or “humiliated” into public scrutiny. One of the main tools of the No Fault Communication.

GROK – A term coined by author Robert Heinlein to refer to an experience of being understood or comprehended so deeply that the resulting state was a life changing realization. Called the “ah-ha” experience colloquially, or “the peak experience,” by Abraham Maslow, these events occur when a core context has got gotten (see above). It is common for a person to experience a sudden rendezvous with this moment when they experience a systemic relief of being truly heard and understood. These changes are often sudden and can be very profound. Mentioned above, a synonym for this idea is the phrase “getting gotten.”

Human Energy System (HES) – The combined amalgamation of influences that form a Psyche. These would include: the physiology, brain function, the Overleaves predispositions, Soul Age, etheric influence including Karma, psychic talents or limitations, and the proportion of emotional energy occupying a given moment in time.

Juice – A euphemism referring to the intensity of an emotional charge held by an individual, toward a situation, notion, or another person. When we say that some thing or event hold high juice for us, it implies that we are very attached, committed, affected, or protective of it. Low juice is on the other hand, that which we have little investment in and/or is therefore less meaningful to us.

Knowledge Levels and Stages of Learning

• Unconscious Incompetence
• Conscious Incompetence
• Conscious Competence
• Unconscious Competence

Leadership: Attributes and Examples – There are many styles of leadership defined in business literature. For this definition, the key aspect of leadership has less to do with position authority and more to to do with the ability to demonstrate competence, generate respect from others, and create motivation within themselves and others that contribute to the well being of the organization or family. Such a leader was Abraham Lincoln.

Meta(ness) – A state of emotional expandedness and intellectual clarity that one learns to invoke where one can detach from the shocks cause by strong emotion directed your way. This state is not achieved through numbness, nor pretending. Rather, it is an outgrowth of knowing that no words ultimately define us and hence allow us to listen to others beyond the levels of the verbiage.

Metaphysics – Often confused with the idea of Spirituality and the New Age itself, the word meta is Greek meaning above or behind and invisibility is also implied. Hence metaphysics is speculation about what goes on behind or the hidden design behind the physical plane. Religion especially and scientific theories to a degree are metaphysical speculations about the operations and properties that cause the effects we feel in our corporeal bodies or within the manifestation of events and perceptions referred to as reality. Spiritual leanings may not necessarily focus on the metaphysical properties which serve as the suggested blueprint of reality. Instead, the path may simply be entering the higher realms (Higher Centers) to acquire a peace, strength or stability.  For me personally, I’ve turned a widely known adage on its head “as below, so above.” Why? Because the physics (of the Physical Plane) is what we are here to play with and can have tangible interaction with or proof of its existence. Thus, any metaphysics must acknowledge the true starting point for the postulate “as above, so below” begins with what we see and touch with our senses.

Nexus: A global event where the TAO intervenes and collapses or creates new parallels realities. These occurrences signify a time for reorganization of possibilities makes for a new options but also closes others. It is important to note that these shifts are subtle to individuals and are noticed to those attuned to their Instinctive Center “sensing” a shift in perspective or circumstances or attitude. On the larger stage of human interaction, the rise and fall of events or trends frequently happen or shift because of a Nexus moment. In Chaos theory, these are referred to as bifurcations.

Overleaves or Michael Teaching Archetypal Personality Traits – Based on a matrix of 7 primary types and 7 categories each with 7 options, the Michael Teaching Overleaves represent the names given for the building blocks of human personality. However, these qualities as energy signatures are embedded in every aspect of existence.

• Role: The Central and enduring “type” that a person’s core character derives from.  i.e. Who
• Goal: The Motivator. Setting ones intention upon a road of what to learn.  i.e. What
• Attitude: The Approach: The frame of reference one will view life and intellectually assess it. i.e. Why
• Chief Feature: The stumbling block. Defense strategies based in a category of existential fear. i.e. When
• Mode: How one engages behaviorally and stylistically. It is the method you do life actions with. i.e. How
• Centering: The way we detect input from the world and process within ourselves. i.e. Where
• Body Type: The physical container in which the Personality is housed and nurtured. These qualities combine to form a composite appearance of race, height, and other features to create an impression with others.
• Frequency: The pace or rate of speed your actions are geared to. Measured on a scale from 1- 100,

Personal Truth – Relates to the unique experience and interpretation thereof that formulated in an individual psyche. One might say it acts like a multilevel algorithm in the circuitry of the individual. That “truth” may actually be factually incorrect or based upon adopted belief, but the amalgam of neural receptors which form that cognition and sensory response is so real to the individual as to possess a significant meaning. Denial of personal truth or avoidance of it, without knowledge of its tendrils into your psyche cause unexpected reactions, usually defensive, which tend to reset ones habits back to it current settings. When a person “gets gotten” on their personal truth, the automatic reset mechanism becomes disconnected, temporarily at least, so that new instructions, beliefs, options, or facts may be factored into that person’s mind.

Paradigms and Contexts – These two ideas I use interchangeably to represent a set of beliefs conditions which have to them thoughts, emotions, situational cues, and strategies to cope with these elements that are often invisible to us. Yet, it is our personal contexts that often actually run the background assumptions for which we form our world view. In No Fault Communication™, we are actively rooting out these unconscious and seldom tended to paradigms that can actually control the tenor of our interactions.

Physics of Emotion© – There is a unique alchemical concoction that leads a person to unique outcomes. Often a inner conflict arises when one becomes aware that one has several emotions, attitudes, beliefs and strategies about a thought or the situation that generates it. All at the same time! This traffic jam of colliding experiences can best be cleared by verbally naming the parts of what is happening. Thus it can help deconstruct the situation and allow for different conclusions and therefore different behavioral options and choices.

Precision Mirroring© – A technique for precision listening and deciphering the various aspects of a communication. This skill is central to the No Fault Communication™ approach to communication.

Principles – Those ideas and concepts that are genuinely valued and accurately reflect the real objectives and motives of those who assert them. Contrary to popular belief, principles and behavior are generally reflective of each other and congruent. Which means, it does not take a huge leap of logic or explanation to see how ones actions are described by ones principles. Distortions between principles and behavior create disharmony and disintegrity.

Psyche – See HES

R.A.D.E.  – A Rigorous Analytical Discernment Experiment. This activity helps you to engage the mind in challenging an assumption that is particularly intransigent. One form of this is the “worst case scenario” game. It means posing questions and noticing what emotions come up around each situation. Then consider the actual probability of the event each event happening and the consequences upon you. If you walk through all of them, there is a tendency to have dislodged or disempowered the charged viewpoint. This may lead to a more basic underlying belief which held it in place. From that awareness, healing can begin.

Safety – A condition of non-threat or reprisal. Unlike the concept of security where one is defended against attack, safety opens us to the willingness to state our truth even when we ourselves deem it distasteful.

Self-Validation – The principle of body truth or ground truthing. In some cases the information might be “wrong” factually but correct for the karmic or preferential aspect of the individual.  One must be careful to notice a phenomenon called “truthiness” a concept which Comedian Stephen Colbert resurrected to indicate something which might sound close to an actual thing, but is distorted or manipulated in some way.

Shadow – Shadow is a term utilized by Psychologist Carl Jung to refer to those aspects of our behavior and beliefs which are unconscious to an individual. Not inherently evil or destructive, they form patterns which are out of one’s perception of Self. Perhaps Thoreau’s quote best sums it up. “Every man casts a shadow; not his body only, but his imperfectly mingled spirit. This is his grief. Let him turn which way he will, it falls opposite to the sun; short at noon, long at eve. Did you never see it?

Soloverse – The universe of one! Whatever might characterize as the psyche of the individual, only experience directly encountered or engaged by that individual may be analyzed first hand. It is within this domain that we might call any range of sensation, contemplation, or spiritual receptivity or perception which happens uniquely within one’s own Soloverse.

Soul Age (s) – A theory based on the principle of metapsychosis – meaning that a consciousness is recycled via multiple incarnations or reincarnation, for the purpose of expansion of awareness, acquisition of experience, and development of wisdom. A 35 Step process which spans numerous lives, the principle periods are segmented metaphorically labeled to emulate a single life. Thus, you have Infant, Baby or Child, Young or Adolescent, Mature or Adult, Old or Elder, Soul Ages. Within each of these are phases  of increasing complexity or levels called Soul Levels.

Sub-Personality(s) – A emotional/behavioral patterning that responds to certain situational cues.  These aspects evolve over time and are carried from life-to-life. Each is capable of a perception rooted in a particular “soul age” and thus may explain some aspect of belief or reaction that seems younger that your actual soul age. Groups of behaviors, abstractions, beliefs, and historic experiences that have morphed together in ways that act as a sub routine. Once activated they tend to take over and engage with prescribed ways of interacting. These occur seamlessly in an integrated personality but will be witnessed as radical and sometimes bizarre shifts in a person who is not well adjusted. Many schools of thought have defined sub personalities in various ways. Noted family Therapist Virginia Satir called them our “many faces” implying that we engage in patterns with specific people or in particular circumstances which have “cues” that trigger the presence of a specific Sub. This process is largely habitual and has some aspects of karmic tendencies.  Psychosynthesis by Roberto Assagioli built upon notions of Freud and Jung mentioning that “ego states” might be very specific. The method called Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) talks about “parts” which may seem to function in influencing the choices we make. The Michael Teaching’s view of Sub personalities would suggest that these aspects (defined in Sub Personalities) have flavors of both Soul Age and Overleaves qualities which each person possesses. Maturity and diversity of Sub personalities vary within each individual although general function are similar and each serves a similar purpose for protecting the individual. However the style or strategies that an individual’s specific sub personality may employ varies according to the unique imprinting, culture, Soul Age, and karmic dictates embedded in that person.

Systems Approach to Power – A system is set of interdependent processes of that interaction within an environment. Environments can be biological like the atmosphere and the interaction with geography and weather; or they can be of more human origin like the conditions created within a company, family, group or team. Each has a climate which hangs in the background and makes interactions either conducive or prohibitive to certain outcomes. Power in a system is interactive and shared. In human collectives, power is often mistaken as authority or dominance. Yet, power in my view of situations is located in any person or aspect or situation that can influence the rest. So, the real trick in making a system create results in the way that you predict or desire is to make sure that everyone has the necessary power flow required as input to produce their output.

World (as distinguished from planet Earth) – Using the term world is not equatable with the biology of or actual reference of planet Earth. World, as philosopher Soren Kierkegaard pointed out is the idea of our thoughts, perceptions, and beliefs we hold or ascribe to one’s condition about life.

World Truth – (as pertaining to Collective Reality and the Physical Plane) – Falling between Michael’s concepts of Personal Truth and Universal Truth;  ideas related to human concepts like governance, duality, and dominance, to name a few.