As the section on Exploration well shows, the trail blazers and pioneers who dare to step beyond the established norms of their various belief communities, are often viewed with suspicion, and may even be vilified or condemned.  Clearly people in rigid, dogmatic belief communities can be strongly motivated to defend their belief system against other competing systems.  History has documented a virtually non-stop cacophony of conflict between various groups who hold apparently-differing beliefs. In most cases — because our belief systems are so subtle, layered and interwoven — the true nature of any particular conflict has been a multi-faceted amalgamation of overlapping conflicts. We will not argue that conflict is always avoidable. Indeed it is inevitable, as history shows. But history show us examples of both healthy and unhealthy conflict resolution. Again, I remind the reader that our position is not a relativist’s notion that everybody has an equally-legitimate right to impose their personal or group “reality” upon others. Similarly, we reject the idea of a universal moral equivalency. Indeed the premise (or assumption) of the authors that true reality exists beyond any belief system that tries to describe it. It is a reality with inherent qualities of goodness, beauty and truth.  Being participants in that reality, we can grow in wisdom and understanding by constantly replacing the ill-fitting, semi-truths (or lies) that we find in conflict with models better-suited to the majesty of this created reality. Unfortunately, we may be called upon to fight for those “higher goods.”

But true awakening has a strange effect on the individual and their view and experience of conflict. The goal is no longer not about “winning” or “losing.” The goal becomes advancement of everyone toward fuller experience and understanding of the full reality and its goodness, truth, and beauty. This objective was the motivation for Plato to write and teach in ancient Greece. It has been the motivation of countless other wisdom teachers in every culture in human history too.  This ancient wisdom, called the Dao in some ancient eastern cultures, is deeply rooted in universal human experience. Aldous Huxley called it the Perennial Philosophy. 

.To the awakening individual, who begins to see errors they have made, there may be a temptation to start going around and pointing out errors they see in everyone else. This is a primary tactic of the ego-defender who does not want to awaken and emerge into the light, but to justify a shaky position. But when someone is sincere in seeking their own awakening into reality, there is no attack on others.  Judgement of persons is relinquished in order to foster common progress, although judgement is energetically applied to the ideas and beliefs themselves.  Plato portrays the dialogs of Socrates as textbook examples of the joining in collaborative investigation and inquiry for the purpose of advancing toward wisdom.  But the honest and open inquirer will certainly be met with opposition — often hostile — as was the fate of Socrates.   

Belief systems, motivations and agendas are not always lofty or universal. They are often narrow, self-serving and hidden.  Those who inquire directly when they notice that “something is off,” are likely to upset those who prefer to avoid discussion of apparent inconsistencies, hypocrisy or manipulation.  Throwing light on the truth can sometimes alienate associates and may even create deadly enemies. 

So what are we to do when we’re awakening, while many around us may still be asleep and may or may not want to be awakened themselves? This is a difficult issue. Anyone beginning to truly awaken and decoupling from the Belief System Myth is likely to feel compassion for others who are still trapped. Unlike a proselyte who has hopped from one belief system myth to another, the newly awakening person will not engage in polemic attacks to “expose” or “dismantle” other people’s sincerely-held beliefs. 

Our experience has been that the newly-awakened have been roused out of slumber by a personal experience of some kind — an experience that exposed flaws in their belief systems.  Because of that, they have a deep appreciation for the importance of sharing with others their experiences of an unexpected reality and how it changed them.  They try to encourage others to examine their own experiences more closely, especially those experiences that they may have felt compelled to discount, suppress, or repress, because it did not fit their mental models of reality. 

In this section, we intend to provide stories, ideas and suggestions to help the newly awakening to pursue their calling and embark on exploration IN THE CONTEXT of cultures, communities, families and individuals who may be disinterested, resistant or even hostile to their new openness to inquiry and unfolding truth. 

Obviously, an important strategy is to find companions who share similar experiences.  And fortunately, there are people like you everywhere.   As we develop this program, we hope to provide links to groups that welcome and support people in the process of awakening.  The next section, Resources, is a place to start with many suggested books, movies, music and other materials that will inspire and encourage you on this pathway to open and healthy belief systems.