Self-Observation
Efforts to farm ourselves that disregard the distinction between our physical body, personality, and essence, will only augment their imbalance. True change—change on a proper foundation—can only be brought about by bringing these three mechanisms into harmony. So we must learn to work on them simultaneously, which means acquainting ourselves with each of them as intimately as possible; we must learn to observe ourselves.
Observing our three bodies in real time is possible because each expresses itself through specific functions that are, in varying degrees, active all the time. The physical body expresses itself through movements and sensations; personality through thoughts; and essence through emotions. So by learning to observe our postures, our thinking patterns, and our emotions, we are laying the ground for observing our three bodies. In truth, the relation between these functions and their respective bodies is more complex because they often overlap, but this generalization is sufficient to begin self-observation.
We must learn to observe how each of these functions is triggered in any given moment, by an internal or external stimulus. In doing this, we will begin to see how they influence each other, how they compete with each other, and how they color our perceptions. And just like someone new to farming starts with land that is mostly weeds and brush, so should we expect to observe mostly useless and inefficient functioning. Our movements are full of unnecessary tension; our thoughts race associatively and uncontrollably; our emotions swing radically with no obvious cause or relation to outward stimuli. This is our acreage, a plot of land that must first be cleared before it can yield any useful crop.
Our functions are so habituated to manifesting without any awareness, that at first we can only manage brief moments of self-observation, even with great effort. This should not discourage us. Anything of value comes at a price. Working with other practitioners helps overcome this difficulty. As the group pools together its observations, things we couldn’t see before become obvious. The observations of others give our own self-observation direction. The better we know what to look for, the better we learn to observe.
One helpful aid for self-observation is the STOP exercise. Throughout a few consecutive days, we are sent randomly-timed STOP commands meant to catch us immersed in our daily activities and to remind us to observe ourselves. How is my posture? What am I thinking? What impulses and feelings are driving me?
As our ability to observe ourselves improves, the prospect of correcting or eliminating each useless movement, thought, and emotion, may seem daunting. Fortunately, with experience we will find this mostly unnecessary. Self-observation will itself prove to be the change we seek. Just as burning firewood generates heat, we will learn to use our functions as firewood for self-observation. By working to keep a constant eye on our physical body, personality and essence, we are, unwittingly, giving birth to a new body. Impartial self-observation is not sensing, thinking or feeling. It is the manifestation of an altogether new function that can grow to govern the other three. This teaching calls this new body the Master.
 ABOUT THE SCHOOLOur projects are undertaken with the understanding that a school must give back. It must harness the talent and resources of its members to form an expression that can outlast them.Learn more about the School of the Old New Method |
 ABOUT THE FOUNDERI had no structural foundation at my disposal, no institution, no location, no following—only the conviction that these truths were pertinent to contemporary seekers… Drawing inspiration from the agricultural metaphor embedded in ancient wisdom, I arranged the central concepts into twelve monthly labors, creating a yearly cycle of symbolic cultivation tasks… Soon, a hundred people committed to practicing this cyclical teaching on a regular basis. This was the beginning of my school.”Read the full autobiographical note by Asaf Braverman  ABOUT THE TEACHING Nature develops us only up to a certain point and then leaves us unfinished, just as it creates wheat but not bread, milk but not butter, grapes but not wine…Learn more about our teaching |
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| www.evolutionaryleaders.net/opportunitiesWelcome to the Evolutionary Leaders new portal to OPPORTUNITIES – upcoming events, courses, journeys and more, all led by members of the community of Evolutionary Leaders. Check in often when you’re looking for new, exciting experiences to empower your contributions to the conscious evolution of humanity!Here are some of the opportunities for the coming month:February 1 Death is Not the End – with David Lorimer February 2 Candlemas Gathering – with Joan Borysenko February 6-8 Embody the Goddess: Women’s Empowerment Retreat – with TanjilaFebruary 7 Global Women’s ConnectFest Congress – with Rev. Laura M. George, J.D. and Chief Phil Lane, Jr. February 16-20 Creating on Purpose – with Anodea Judith Also: Coming Home to the Goddess online course with Anodea JudithFebruary 16-May 16 Spiritual Mentoring Program with Neale Donald WalschFebruary 19 for 8-Weeks Experiencing ProSocial Spirituality – with Rev. Diane Berke February 20 The Golden Rule: Foundational Ethics for Contemporary Times – with Audrey Kitagawa, Mussie Hailu, Jonathan Granoff and Christina Tobias-Nahi February 20-22 Unity Earth Symposium V February 21 Global Coherence Pulse: The Graces of Power – with Shamini JainFebruary 27 The Global Circle of Light for the Animal Kingdom – with Jon Ramer Look for more enticing opportunities at www.evolutionaryleaders.net/opportunities |
Peter Russell Jan 26, 2026 Peter Russell and Eckhart Tolle explore the nature of consciousness. The conventional scientific view treats it as a byproduct of brain chemistry. Peter claims there are actually two questions here which get confused. 1. Does the brain determine the changing experiences that arise in consciousness – the “contents” of consciousness? 2 Does the brain create the ever-present faculty of consciousness itself? He proposes that the confusion is exacerbated from our use of the word consciousness as a noun – some “thing” we can know. Instead, it is better to treat it as a verb – “knowing.” The permanent quality of being that knows our ever-changing thoughts and experiences. Eckart Tolle has now written a delightful forward to Peter’s latest book “How to Meditate Without Even Trying” (Publ March 24, 2026) https://peterrussell.com/HMWETbook/ See also https://www.peterrussell.com/
\Portals of Perception Premiered Dec 12, 2025 Portals of Perception At Portals we have been tracking the ending of one epoch and the birthing of a new one, asking: how do we navigate these major transitions and thrive in the liminal space of not knowing? For this conversation, Aviv Shahar brought together Sarah McCrum and Jeff Vander Clute to explore what can be realized at this threshold moment. Jeff is an author, mentor, and “coach from the future”, and Sarah is an energy master, author, educator, and innovator. Two strong themes emerge throughout the dialogue: breakdown and breakthrough. What is clear is that the decisions and efforts we make today can ease the road ahead and bring us closer to our collective future, one in which what now seems unimaginable suddenly becomes possible as we enter an age of miracles. This Epochal Moment: The Decision Has Been Made to Evolve 00:00 Introduction 07:47 Everywhere an Existential Threat 17:27 Breakdown and Breakthrough 31:25 How we Navigate Now 40:42 3 Processes at Once 59:39 Are We Going Through an Initiation?
New Thinking Allowed with Jeffrey Mishlove Jan 31, 2026 Glenn Aparicio Parry, PhD, is author of Original Thinking: A Radical Revisioning of Time, Humanity, and Nature. He is the founder and director of the Circle for Original Thinking, a think tank based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He was also given the name Kizhe Naabe (Ojibwe for “Kind-Hearted Man”) and is author of Original Politics: Making American Sacred Again. His newest book is Original Love: The Timeless Source of Wholeness. He discusses the impact of the Indian Removal Act of 1830. Glenn explains the origin of the American liberal and conservative traditions in the war of pamphlets between Thomas Paine and Edmund Burke. Over time, both liberal and conservative positions tend to reverse. Many examples are provided. Parry reveals the influence of Native American culture on the nineteenth century feminist movement. New Thinking Allowed host, Jeffrey Mishlove, PhD, is author of The Roots of Consciousness, Psi Development Systems, and The PK Man. Between 1986 and 2002 he hosted and co-produced the original Thinking Allowed public television series. He is the recipient of the only doctoral diploma in “parapsychology” ever awarded by an accredited university (University of California, Berkeley, 1980). He is also the Grand Prize winner of the 2021 Bigelow Institute essay competition regarding the best evidence for survival of human consciousness after permanent bodily death. He is Co-Director of Parapsychology Education at the California Institute for Human Science. (Recorded on June 1, 2020)
They have their convictions; we have ours
Feb 01, 2026
Life isn’t mostly about what’s happening; it’s about who we choose to be in the space of what’s happening. In the face of the extraordinary assaults on our democracy now taking pace, our attitudes and behavior can express the following: We Do Not Consent.
Hear that, Steven….?
