Something new, something true

“Here, they call you crazy. But in India, if you wake up one day and say, I just discovered I can talk to God, they’ll laugh and say, “Congratulations! What took you so long?”—Alan Watts

In case, you hadn’t noticed, there’s a lot of noise out there. So many podcasts. So many books and teachers and workshops. So many competing factions claiming their news is fact while the other guy’s news is a bunch of reindeer do-do.

It’s all a bunch of rehashed tropes stuck like old gum to the bottom of my shoe.

Surely there has to be a better method for separating the Divine Signal from the cultural din. Surely there’s an easier way to access the 24/7 Voice promised by the Course in Miracles?  

I wanted something new, something true.

And that’s when I heard about this crazy practice that was used in the early days of Alcoholic Anonymous. Long before the Big Book debuted, Bill W. and Dr. Bob, the founders of A.A., engaged in a morning ritual they called The Two-Way.

On a daily basis, using a pen and spiral notebook, they personally consulted with what millions of folks in 12-step programs today call their Higher Power. In fact, the meetings which are now the heart of 12-step programs were considered secondary to this daily get-together with the Dude.

In the end, Bill W. concluded the Two-Way was a tad bit too woo-woo (probably not his exact words) for general consumption so it was omitted from the final draft of the Big Book.

Being rather fond of woo-woo, I decided—what the heck!  Why not conduct my own experiment with the Two-Way?

What did I have to lose?  I hadn’t felt that “Oh wow! Oh wow! Oh wow!” feeling for awhile. My spiritual practice seemed to be flatlined.  What if the Two-Way could provide a way to tune in to a Higher Signal?

In the early months of my experiment, there was lots of gentle solace, lots of healing messages such as “Ya know, Pammy Sue, you’re really okay. Despite how you sometimes feel, you’ve always been deeply loved and wholly cherished.”  It was reiterated that Taz is happy, on fire with love and that whatever twinges of guilt I might still harbor should be wiped away. Like now.

Eventually, I started getting bits of incredible insight, brilliant ideas and, as you can probably tell from recent blog posts, a game-changing new outlook.  To say this odd, mystical practice has enlivened me is an understatement.

I’m sorta like Tigger, bouncing out of bed, eager to learn what new ideas will be dished up today.

The experiment is proving that when it comes to the joy and aliveness of spirituality, I was only scratching the surface.

So since you’ve asked and since you seem to be eager to give this new experiment-o-mine a whirl, it goes like this:

It starts with the following hypothesis:  Anybody who wants can have a two-way conversation with their Source. Anybody who’s willing to open their mind and pick up a pen will be rewarded with an intimate, personal connection with something a whole lot bigger than themselves.

The time frame for the experiment is thirty days because a) it takes a while to get the hang of it and b) it’ll probably take that long for you to trust it. Eventually, the voice will start telling you stuff that’s so uncanny, so valuable that you’ll never stop. I mean, we’re talking consultations with the Universe.

Here are the simple steps:

1. Set aside 10-15 minutes each morning before the day starts crowding in.
2. Get a journal (I once did a Ted X Talk on how a 25-cent notebook was the most important book in my library.)
3. Read something inspirational, a short passage, anything that touches your soul. No big surprise — I usually read a page from the Course in Miracles.
4. Spend a couple minutes in silence, reminding yourself that you are about to have a chat with the most holy, loving, wisest (albeit disembodied) voice in the world.
5. Using your imagination (this was something Carl Jung suggested to Bill W) and allow the voice to speak. Father Bill W, the AA historian I mentioned, suggests starting with a term of endearment. My Cosmic Concierge, for example, often calls me sweet little Pammy Sue.
6. Then let the words flow. Simply listen. And write.

You’ll probably doubt what’s being said at first and that’s okay. Just keep going. Just keep using your imagination.

I’ll probably add some instructions in the coming days. But for now, just remember, it is virtually impossible to do it wrong.

I’d love to hear from you in the comments section below.

Here’s to love and surrender and experiencing deep peace and joy.

#222 Forever!

Pam Grout is the author of 20 books including E-Squared, E-Cubed, Thank & Grow Rich and her latest book, The Course in Miracles Experiment: A Starter Kit for Rewiring Your Mind (And Therefore Your World)