Mastery Journal is the international ezine dedicated to mastery in Qigong, Internal Arts and life.

1. VOLUME 1 • ISSUE 2 February 2011
Mastery Journal
The International Ezine on Mastery in Qigong, Internal Arts, and Life
Introduction to a Life of Daoist Play Qigong and Reality
Mark Johnson Gary Giamboi
Does Mastery Lead to Enlightenment? The Great Epidemic Part I
Lama Tantrapa Paul Levy
Tai Chi and Snow Shoveling Qigong and Creativity
Violet Li John Munro

2. February 2011
Volume 1 Issue 2 Dear Mastery Journal Readers,
Letter from the Editor
Articles
Can we enjoy our lives more fully
Introduction to a Life of Daoist Play by learning to perceive reality more
Mark Johnson objectively? The quest for a greater
quality of life seems to motivate most of the masters in
Does Mastery Lead to Enlightenment? most arts, be that Yoga, Qigong, or Martial Arts, which
Lama Tantrapa may be a spiritual quest at the same time. Indeed,
Tai Chi and Snow Shoveling knowing whether an objective reality exists outside of
Violet Li our consciousness or we subjectively dream it up can
affect every aspect of our lives. This knowledge can
Qigong and Reality provide us with wisdom to think, act and respond to
Gary Giamboi life in the most empowered way.
The Great Epidemic Part I
Paul Levy
This issue of Mastery Journal presents two seemingly
Qigong and Creativity opposing perspectives on reality. Do we dream
John Munro up our reality moment by moment or does it exist
independently of us? This is a test for resonance that
How to Join the every one of our readers has to undertake in order to
find out one’s personal truth. This relativity of truth is
International Qigong Community another challenging topic to wrap our minds around.
Academy of Qi Dao Website
The Secrets of Qigong Masters
When we focus on the real essence of our arts,
Online Audio Broadcast
which is the flow of energy, rather than on external
Qigong Network Social appearances or forms, we become more masterful
Networking Interface in our respective arts. Contemplating on the essence
can inspire us to understand the true nature of
Twitter, Facebook, Meetup, LinkedIn reality… But nobody, even the greatest of all masters,
has the definitive answer whether there is such a
The Flow Show
thing as objective reality. We must arrive to our own
conclusions not by following the logic of other people,
but by testing, comparing side by side and recognizing
which belief system allows us to live more fully and
Brought to you By: powerfully. How would you like to live your life?
Namaste,
Publisher: Lama Tantrapa
Production Designer: Thomas Pamelia
The Cover Photo: Kali Tara
Lama Tantrapa
Copy Editor: Lucas Meyer
Information is correct at press time.
Mastery Journal is published monthly by the Academy of Qi Dao in
Portland, Oregon. Signed articles do not necessarily reflect the official
company policy © 2011. All rights reserved. Reproduction in part or
whole without permission is prohibited.

3. Introduction to selflessness and any other quality listed above, there is
no real Divinity or Divine Play. I chose those particular
aspects of the Divine because they are most often absent
a Life of Daoist in people who are trying to be spiritual or trying to
appear spiritual to themselves and others. Are all those
qualities present in your life? Why not?
Play Play is also a perspective, and perspectives create our
Mark Johnson world. Years ago, eclipses of the sun caused mass panic.
Today, people go out of their way to view them. Same
I was fortunate enough to have known many of the phenomena, different perspectives, different reactions.
great spiritual teachers of the last half-century. They The way we respond to things largely determines the
represented almost every major religious tradition, but quality of our lives, so imagine how our lives would be
I spent the majority of my time with Vedantists, Zen enhanced if we were in a constant state of Play. I have
teachers, and especially Daoist masters. My mentors are also observed that growth happens most easily when
the treasures of my life, for it was they who showed me one is Playing. It seems to be a fundamental survival
how to Play. My present identity as a low-to-middling instinct and my learned friends assure me that it is a
incarnation of the Divine was nurtured by their endless necessary ingredient in maintaining the neuroplasticity
patience, attention and love over long periods of time. of our brains.
Everything of value in my While life seems to flow effortlessly for people who can
life came through them truly Play, that does not mean there are no challenges
and if there is a common in their lives. It is just that they are not as bothered by
theme to their divergent adverse circumstances because they are not so strongly
spiritual traditions, it is this: attached to their egos. The size of your ego doesn’t
regardless of what you are matter. What’s important is
doing, life can be Play. Filling how strongly you are attached
out your income tax can be to it. It is often more difficult to
a playful experience; you transcend a small, restricted life
can relax and enjoy chaos than a more expansive one. A lack
and confusion; and you can of attachment to ego is one of
even accept suffering and the foundations of living a life of
death without losing your sense of lightness and being Play. Everyone has the potential
centered. Play, in other words, is not so much about to transcend ego without denying
what you do; instead it arises from your perspective and it or trying to crush it. Only a few
your sense of who and what you are. people in any era completely
succeed, but they do exist.
The kind of “Play” I refer to (Play with a capital “P”) is
certainly not the play of the idle rich, nor is it limited Play is also knowing the instant-by-instant delight of
to throwing a Frisbee around on a fine summer day. A pure being. A spontaneous person dances for the joy of
child is incapable of this kind of Play for children know dancing and for no other reason. Joy is like a good wine
nothing of time or consequences. The kind of Play I am and as my often-inebriated uncle used to say, “Wine
trying to encourage can only be manifested by a mature complements a good meal, and a bad meal demands it.”
adult who reflects and embodies the playfulness of the If you don’t like your present life, then change it until
universe in its many expressions of spontaneity, novelty, every moment is Playful, joyous and sacred to you.
mystery, miracles, paradox, synchronicities, humor and
“being in the zone.” If there is an absence of love and

4. In its highest expression, Divine Play occurs when you How do I know these things? I was speaking with the
participate in the co-creation of the universe. Similar to Divine just the other day and she verified everything I
states of lucid dreaming, where dreamers are aware they have written. Finding and living with people who manifest
are dreaming and decide to have fun with the dream, playful qualities was always a priority for me and my book
a person in a state of co-creation experiences every is filled with the lessons I learned from each of them.
action as being an effortless, natural response to every
circumstance. Within that state, there eventually arises
the realization that everyone and everything is oneself To read about the lives of the Buddha, Lao Tzu, Moses,
and that everything one does is done to oneself. That Jesus, Mohammed, Zoroaster, Milarepa, the Holy Mother,
Ramana Maharshi, Gandhi, Mother Teresa and Martin
Luther King Jr. is inspiring in itself, but to have lived with
such people and cultivated oneself under their tutelage
is quite another matter. How would you feel if you had
lived in Jerusalem at the time of Jesus and never met the
guy? What a tragedy it would have been to have known
the Buddha personally, but, due to religious prejudice
or tunnel vision, that person would remain closed to his
message of compassion. Seeking the counsel of those you
deem wise and truly loving is a great way to live.
all-encompassing state of identity with the Other is the It is even better to BE wise and truly loving yourself. What
origin and foundation of love and compassion. When that makes you think you are not one of those
realization becomes an abiding state, you are expressing remarkable souls right now? I had no idea
yourself from the depth of your being. of my inner spiritual potential when I was
young. It is never too late to recognize
The connection between Play and the Divine first your innate Divinity, so real-ize it (make it
occurred to me while I was reading Krishna Dharma’s real) by any means that is natural to you.
retelling of the Hindu epic The Mahabharata. The poem Just be sure that your path is integrated—
refers to the manifest world as the “Lila” or Play of the that your body is healthy, flexible, and
Lord and asserts that we in our essence are Divine. If energetic; your emotions are appropriate to the situation;
the core of our being is Divine and everlasting, and if the your mind is alert, curious, and clear; and your spirit is all-
Divine is constantly Playing, I wondered, then why aren’t embracing and tranquil. While these facets of your being
we? are in the process of integrating with one another, use
your mature ego to create benefit for all beings.
This world is not a cosmic mistake, nor should it be a
veil of tears to be endured and transcended as soon as I was fortunate to have 20 years of intense self-cultivation
possible. The Divine loves to manifest and Play. When we under a powerful Chinese Daoist Wizard in the seventies
live life as Play, the world becomes a Divine Playground. and eighties. That era with my teacher includes a year
in Taiwan and the remarkable circumstances of bringing
him to the United States. We then trained in the wild
and dangerous hills of Malibu, California, in Tai Ji,
acupuncture, Daoist exorcism, spiritual sexual practices
and how to integrate our three energetic bodies: the
physical, the bio-electrical and the Auric bodies.
I studied Feng Shui and how different psyches are formed
by the topography of their locale.

5. I have taught Tai Ji to famous contemporary actors
and actresses. and my most recent attempts
at transcendence have come
through ultralight flying. I want
everyone to know why nature and
enlightenment are both overrated
and, conversely, why reincarnation
is underrated and how it is an
important factor to a life of Play.
If an ordinary person like myself can Play in every
instant, then surely you can too. I am hoping you will
recognize this place within yourself and allow it to
expand. To the extent my life has gone beyond the
norm, I hope it inspires you to take the plunge into
the unknown in your own life. Think of my story as
a spontaneous tour and initiation into a life of Play.
So now, join the cosmic court jester and universal
trickster as I meander my way to and through a life
of Play. Let the mystery, magic and miracles begin!
Please download my book Life as Play for free by
clicking the image below to learn more about my
teachings.

6. While with them, his Qigong healing abilities were
Master of recognized so he was asked to return to do healing
for the cast and crew of “Rumble Fish”. Mark’s
students included Tom Cruise, Nicolas Cage, Patrick
the Month
Swayze, Mickey Rourke, Ralph Macchio and many
others. Since 1983, Mark has founded Integral Tao
Centers in New Mexico, New York, and California
where he now resides. He is a certified Tai Chi
Mark Johnson tournament judge and has officiated nearly 50
tournaments in the past 12 years. He has produced
three videos/DVDs: Tai Chi for Healing,Tai Chi for
Women and Tai Chi for Seniors which is the highest
There is only a handful selling Tai Chi video in the country (almost a million
of Westerners with copies sold and counting).
Mark Johnson’s training
in so many Chinese
disciplines. In addition to
Tai Chi instruction, Mark
specializes in Qigong
(which is self healing
through movement), Feng
Shui (which is the study of
the energies of an area),
the I Ching (which is China’s ancient classic on how
things change) and Chinese calligraphy. Mark has
integrated these disciplines in creative ways for over
40 years.
He started his Chinese studies in 1970 when he
joined the I Ching scholar, Khigh Dhiegh at the
Taoist Sanctuary in Los Angeles. During his 4 year
stay at the Sanctuary, he studied the I Ching,
Taoism, Yang style Tai Chi Chuan and the Chinese
language. In 1974 Mark relocated to Taiwan to study
acupuncture. While in residence there, he studied
with several highly respected Taoist Masters. After a
year in Taiwan, Mark moved to Malibu, CA where he
continued his Taoist training for 8 more years. During
that time, he learned 3 Taoist styles of Qigong Tai
Chi and the 8 Treasures. He also studied advanced
I Ching, Feng Shui, Calligraphy and enhanced his
natural healing abilities.
In 1982, Mark taught Tai Chi to Francis Ford Coppola
and the cast and crew of the movie “The Outsiders”.

7. Listen Live
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Help us Transcript
Secrets of
Qigong Masters
Radio Show
Mondays 6:00 pm PST (9:00 pm EST)
As the host of this enlightening talk show, Lama Tantrapa interviews prominent
experts in the fields of Oriental Medicine, Energy Healing, Meditation, and Internal
Arts. He also shares his unique perspectives on the principles and applications of
energy awareness.
Join us every Monday at 6:00 pm PST (9:00 pm EST) for a friendly and mindful
exchange of ideas and “secrets of the trade.” Call in during the show with your
most burning questions for our guests at 347-327-9635 or email us at
qigongmasters@gmail.com.

8. Does Mastery difficult to tell apart from showing off or bragging.
However, a really clear distinction can be drawn between
expressing mastery and showing off: the former requires
Lead to no desire to impress anyone or impose your power onto
others, while the latter is often fueled by exactly those
desires. How else can you tell them apart? In the art of
Enlightenment? Qi Dao that I practice and teach, we learn to distinguish
between the modes of “having” and “being,” which can
be applied to many different arts, sports and aspects of
Lama Tantrapa life in general.
Do you want to know how to become truly happy and For example, on the most basic level of Qi Dao studies,
spiritually awake in this lifetime? Believe it or not, I am you learn to experience the shift from the mode of
not talking about achieving fame or fortune (although “having attention” to the mode of “being attentive.” I
they may turn out to be nice side effects of you mastering am sure that you have encountered many people in your
this knowledge), but something much simpler – life, who were stuck in the mode of “having attention.”
improvement. If you are like most people, it is not even Was it fun to hang out with such friends or be in
important for you to be better than others or have a long intimate relationships with those constantly seeking your
list of achievements that would prove that you are a attention? I am sure that you felt drained and frustrated
master. Just feeling that you are better off today than you after spending time in the company of such people. This
were yesterday is the simplest thing that can bring forth is because they actually used you as one of their energy
lasting happiness and fulfillment. Obviously, different sources. There is a well-known Chinese expression
people have different levels of ambition and drive to Yi Dao Qi Dao, which can be loosely translated into
succeed. English as Where awareness or attention goes – energy
flows. Simply put, many people have no idea about the
tremendous energy resources within themselves, so they
unwittingly act as “energy vampires” sucking the vital
However, if you happen to have one of those really force from other people by attracting their attention (and
driven, type-A personalities, I have another, even more thus energy) with their behaviors, attires, cars, etc.
intriguing solution for you. If you have a passion for any
particular art, learn how to do your personal best each
time you are at it. I am not talking about merely polishing
your skills but developing a real mastery of the art. Without being attentive, there is no way to learn
Remember, I am not asking you to compete with anyone anything, since you cannot even remember any of those
or even compare yourself to others involved in your art things you did not pay attention to. Becoming more
form. Competition may be used as a fun motivational attentive clears the way to more advanced levels of Qi
tool that can keep you excited to do your best on a more Dao studies, because being attentive is a prerequisite for
consistent basis. Without comparing yourself to others, learning at a much greater speed. You can quickly gather
you may feel as though there is nothing to strive for and a significant amount of knowledge and may eventually
no role models to follow; however, mastery is something arrive to the point of being able to see the possibility of
much more subjective and internally motivated, requiring shifting from the mode of “having knowledge” to the
no comparison to anyone, except to yourself and the way mode of “being knowledgeable.” Having learned how
you performed in the past. to experience the initial transition from the mode of
“having” to the mode of “being” in regard to attention is
the key to the next level of transformation. This is how
you can become capable of knowing many things without
Of course, if you wish to be recognized as a master by relying on the past experiences or accumulated data,
others in your area of expertise, you would need to be which is usually referred to as being intuitive. Consider
able to demonstrate your mastery, which is sometimes that our art can train you to act and think as though you

9. are highly intuitive, or even psychic, while being also able dreams. In fact, at that point, there is another transition
to explain the origins of your intuitive knowledge and associated with the highest level of mastery associated
teach it to others. with shifting from the mode of “having dreams” that
you can manifest easily and elegantly to the mode of
“dream being,” which means becoming the one, who
Since knowledge is power, as it were, this step in your knows that, just like in your night dreams, the dreamer
personal development may enable you to step up to and the dream are inseparable. You can eventually arrive
the next level of mastery, where you learn how to shift to the level of self-realization, where you no longer try to
from the mode of “having power” to the mode of “being manifest your dreams, as you recognize that you cannot
powerful.” This transition has apparently proved to be “have dreams” by remembering that, whenever you are
quite challenging for numerous gurus and so-called dreaming, you are one with the whole dream world. And
masters of various disciplines. It is mesmerizing and this realization applies not only to those dreams that
outright addictive to have a lot of power over others or you have at night, but also to your daydreams, as well
to be able to manipulate the events in your life, or even as to the big dream called your daily life. This is where
the flow of human history, at will. One of the reasons things become particularly interesting, since you may
why so many masters get stuck in the mode of “having see that “being one with everything” and “being totally
power” is exactly due the fact that it is very difficult to in the flow” are exact same metaphors that are used to
figure out how to become powerful without mastering describe enlightenment. That is why it is also known as
the previous steps. There also may be little external spiritual awakening.
motivation to simply enjoy your power without feeling a
need for confirmation or even admiration of others. You
might be familiar with some examples of power-hungry Now you can see how the seemingly simple suggestion
individuals, who possessed some formidable influence, to be attentive may actually lead you on the path of
authority and power, but turned out to be miserable and enlightenment. Notice that I don’t call it the “path to
destructive. enlightenment,” because spiritual awakening is not a
one-off event, but rather a continuous process with its
own ups and downs. As they say, even after the most
In Qi Dao, there is a wonderful tradition of receiving an profound awakenings, we usually tend to fall asleep
initiation into the practice of Empowerment that enables again, so we continue learning how to be more and more
you to feel the flow of Qi in your body and around it, awake in this awesome dream called life.
as well as to be in the flow. This unique practice is so
profound that it serves as the cornerstone of the majority
of the advanced practices and applications of our art. It
also teaches you to surrender to the flow of Qi, rather
than trying to control or direct it according to your ideas
about where and how it should flow. Once you know
how to use the infinite power of this flow instead of your
individual force, you get close to transforming yourself
into a powerful master who is no longer concerned about
showing off or even proving his power. This is when you
begin to feel the power that requires no confirmation,
validation from others, or comparison to anyone else’s
power, because it is not really your own power, but the
power of the whole universe that flows through you.
The most advanced and sophisticated level of Qi Dao
practice empowers you to learn how to live your

10. Lama Somananda Tantrapa
is the 27th lineage holder
of Qi Dao, also known as Ti-
betan Shamanic Qigong. He
has been practicing Qigong,
Dream Yoga, Meditation,
and Internal Martial Arts for
over thirty five years, pri-
marily trained by his Grand-
father who was the paragon
of the Russian Martial Arts
and Qi Dao Grand Master.
His background is complex enough to include serving in
the Soviet Army’s Special Forces, being kidnapped in the
Ukraine and surviving several near-death experiences.
Lama Tantrapa was ordained as a Buddhist monk in three
different orders and initiated into Subud spiritual brother-
hood. In addition to being a Tibetan Bon Lama, he stud-
ied with a number of Qigong and kung-fu masters, great
teachers of Yoga and meditation, as well as Native Ameri-
can, Hawaiian and Siberian Shamans. He is also trained in
Cultural Anthropology, Meta-coaching, Hypnosis and NLP.
When living for two years on a small tropical island in the
Pacific, 7000 miles away from the majority of his students
and clients, he pioneered a novel method of conducting
Qi Dao sessions over the Internet called Qigong Coach-
ing. In the last decade, he has provided wellness, peak
performance and life coaching to thousands of people of
all ages and from various walks of life. He is also a bestsell-
ing author of several Qi Dao books, executive producer
of the film Qi Dao – Tibetan Shamanic Qigong, creator of
CD albums Qi Dao Initiation and The Art of Being in the
Flow, publisher of the Basic Qi Dao Home Study Course
and other multimedia learning materials available at www.
qidao.org.
In addition to being the publisher of Mastery Journal,
Lama Tantrapa is also the host of the Internet Radio talk
show The Secrets of Qigong Masters that you can enjoy at
www.blogtalkradio.com/qigongmasters.

11. Tai Chi and Chen Style Lao Jia (Old Frame) Er Lu (Second Routine).
Remember to alternate the process on the other side to
keep it even.
Snow Shoveling Chen Style lineage holder Grandmaster Chen Xiaowang
Violet Li was born into an impoverished family. Furthermore,
his family was blacklisted during the Chinese Cultural
When I rolled out of bed, looking out the window, I saw Revolution. He started to work in factories at the age of
there were another three inches of fresh snow on top of 13 to help support his family. He utilized the work as a
the two inches of old snow, which had at least one inch of way to train himself. It was said that he maneuvered and
ice underneath it. The regular snow shovels are useless accumulated Qi while sawing wood. He used the Tai Chi
to deal with the situation. The snow shoveling service method to step the mud to mix the clay for brickmaking.
cannot come soon enough -- not to mention that they are Doing this type of hard work, he built up his leg muscles.
expensive and couldn’t even get rid of the ice last time
we called. If this is your situation, what are your options:
do nothing and wait for everything to melt or shovel it
yourself? In Tai Chi in Your Life,
Dale Napier encourages
people to incorporate
Tai Chi fundamentals
Well, take a deep breath. Do a few reps of the Tai Chi into daily life. Tai Chi
warm-up routine, especially including the shoulder definitely helps me with
rotation, waist turning, and knee circling. Practice a few snow shoveling.
simple silk reeling routines for 5 to 10 minutes. Maybe
do a Wuji standing and meditate 5 to 10 minutes so your
mind is calm, your body is relaxed, and your hands and
feet are warm. Layer yourself well with long johns, sweats, Bend the knees (Qu Qi),
and a coat. Put on a knit cap and a scarf if needed. Get relax the hip joints (Song
out a garden shovel with a straight blade. Step into the Kao), turn the waist (Zuan
snow with a pair of boots with good traction. Yao), root, and move Qi.
Voila! The snow is done.
The shoveling went quickly; I was energized after this Tai
Chi exercise. The best part was that I was neither bored
The left hand holds the handle while the right hand nor tired.
grabs the middle section of the shovel staff. Bend your
knees. Sit your Kuas (Hip Joint or groin muscle). Shovel
underneath the pile of ice and snow while shifting your
weight from the left side to the right. Slightly turn your Wait, we are not done yet. You need to warm down after
body and shift your weight to the left, then sink your Qi the shoveling. Do the following once you get inside the
while the shovel is still underneath the pile. As you lift house.
the shovel up with snow and ice on it, let the internal
energy (or Qi) raise from the feet, transport through
the legs, hips, waist, back, shoulders, arms, and each of 1. Rub your hands together for at least 30 times. Use
your hands. Throw the snow up. Make sure you shift your hands to massage your knees. Do it slowly
your weight from left to right. Use your waist/core to and gently. Circle one direction first then reverse
turn your body to the right side. With these combined the process.
motions synchronized, the snow will be thrown sideway.
Sometimes the snow and ice can stick to the shovel. To 2. Stand on the left leg, pick up the right foot and
get rid of them, twist your wrists at the very end of the bend the knee backwards and up. You can stretch
throwing motion. That is when your Qi reaches the out the ligament on your right knee, and hold
extremity. This will cause a jerking motion which forces for a few seconds. Change side. You can do this
the snow and ice out. The entire lifting movement is multiple times until your knees do not feel sore.
very similar to “Cannons in a Series” (Quan Pao Chui) in

12. 3. Take a big step with the right foot forward. Bend
the right knee so it is directly above the right
ankle -- make sure the right knee does not pass
the right toes. Keep the left leg straight. Make
sure your upper body is in an upright position.
Hold for a few seconds and make sure that your
left groin muscles stretched out. Then change
sides. Again, you can do this multiple times so
your lower back feels relaxed. You may not have
sore lower back if you sit Kuas properly during the
snow shoveling.
4. Change your clothes if they are wet from
sweating.
5. Brew your favorite tea in your favorite teapot or
pour a glass of red wine in my case.
6. Sit in front of the window and marvel at the
snowdrift.
7. Say softly to yourself, “That’s my trophy for the
day” and smile!!!
Violet Li, MBA is an award-
winning journalist, certified
Tai Chi instructor, and
certified Heart Zone Trainer.
She has studied Tai Chi and
Qigong with many masters
and teachers, including Ming
Busalaki, Jesse Tsao, Chen
Zhenglei, Yang Zhenduo, Wu
Wenhan, Ma Hailong, and
Sun Yongtian. She has taught
Tai Chi, Qigong and cardio fitness programs to different
demographic groups.
Her passion for these disciplines motivated her to
write articles on the related events, people, theories,
techniques, practices, and health benefits. Violet writes
locally as the St. Louis Tai Chi Examiner and is the author
of over 170 articles on Tai Chi, Qigong and Fitness for
with tens of thousands of readership from more than 20
countries.

13. Qigong and think of it as a set of breathing exercises coupled with
some form(s) of movement that is designed to improve
our health.
Reality
Gary Giamboi It is actually much more complicated than that.
Most of us want to believe we have the, or at least a Let’s take a minute to examine why Qigong is associated
correct view of Reality. For the purposes of this article, with breathing.
let’s assume Reality is very simple.
The Way Things Truly Are.
Thousands of years ago people did not know oxygen
existed. They could not see it or what it did. However,
they could see and experience the act of inhaling
Now before some of you who understand quantum something in and exhaling something out.
physics (much better than I do) say that we have no way
of knowing certain things, I say so what? No matter what
the probabilities are, they are what they are regardless
This something appeared to be intimately associated
of whether or not we understand what they are or what
with living because when you stopped inhaling it, you
they truly mean.
died. Therefore, the ancients surmised we were inhaling
energy we needed to continue living. It was called Qi
(Chi).
In my humble opinion, something has to understand The
Way Things Truly Are. There is no way to get certainty
from uncertainty unless the uncertainty is only uncertain
We were seen as exhaling used or bad Qi (Fei Qi).
to those entities that call it uncertainty.
However, this was generally not given as much
importance as the Yang (Cosmic) Qi we inhale.
Luckily for us, those unknowing entities are not the ones
who make things happen!
Later, after the existence of oxygen and its importance
became accepted, the word Qi came to mean breath or
air, while still meaning Cosmic and/or Life Force Energy.
Another way of looking at this is to say that quantum
physics is not our Personal Reality. It may affect how
our Reality works, but the rules that govern our Personal
Qi is seen as having two aspects: Yin and Yang. They are
Reality are not quantum in nature.
the two complementary poles of the same thing.
The end result of what I have just said is that if Things can
Yin is feminine, cooling, solid, condensing. Yang is
only be One Way, then what is true for Qigong must also
masculine, warming, fluid and expanding. When energy
be true for every other modality which claims to do or
manifests as matter, it has more Yin characteristics.
accomplish the same things.
When energy manifests as heat, it has more Yang
characteristics.
Most people who are familiar with Qigong (Chi Gong)

14. Gong is translated as skill. Therefore, Qigong is Energy
Skill.
Sometimes we call this living in a different time or
space Day Dreaming. However, any time we put our
consciousness anywhere except in our here and now, we
Since the Universe is always working to balance its Qi, are not living our present moment in Reality.
and the highest goal of humanity is seen as harmonizing
with Nature, the less impact your energy has upon the
Universe, the higher your level of Qigong.
Did you notice that I did not just say …we are not living in
our Reality.
This ideal becomes complicated when we may have the
choice to try to correct imbalances in the Universe’s
harmony created by other people’s imbalances. This is because I believe it is literally almost Impossible
not to live in Your Own Personal Reality. However, where
should we draw the line between what is an acceptable
amount of deviation between The Way Things Truly Are
However, the purpose of this article is not to discuss and the way we perceive things to be?
the moral or ethical implications of Qigong. It is only to
discuss its basis in Reality.
Almost everyone believes there should be as little
deviation as possible. Yet most people get around this by
Qigong employs various Physical, Mental and Spiritual refusing to acknowledge how much they color The Way
means to balance our Qi or Internal Energy. Physical Things Truly Are just to suit their own personal agendas.
movement, breathing, mental manipulation, spiritual
purification and/or any combination of these four actions
are employed in most forms of Qigong.
This brings us to the second grouping of Qigong exercises:
Inner Cultivation.
These four actions can be grouped into two
classifications: Active Exercise and Inner Health
Cultivation. Inner Cultivation can be described as regulating and
purifying your Heart, which governs your Consciousness,
Thinking and Spirit.
Active Exercise is best described as a Mind-Body Exercise.
This means that aspects of every action are consciously
controlled. In order to do this, you must consciously The more you can purify your Heart, the less you will
determine and constantly adjust your posture, your color Reality.
breathing, your thoughts, your emotions and your
actions.
Active Exercise gives us the strength of body and mind to
accomplish the more difficult tasks of Inner Cultivation.
By the way, I cannot fathom performing any action that is
not a Mind-Body Action. Our lives in this Reality are short
enough without giving up any of our finite number of
moments which are based in this Reality to live in some In Yoga, the equivalent of Qigong is some combination
other reality based in a different space and/or time frame of Asana and Pranayama. However, in the eight limbed
invented by our minds. (or steps of) Raja Yoga the first two limbs are the Yamas
and Niyamas or, loosely translated, Restraints and

15. Observances. Which means Yoga starts with the process Therefore, Qigong and Pranayama must work the same
of purifying one’s Heart. way regardless of how they describe their own processes.
The principles upon which they are both based must be
the same.
Like Qigong, Pranayama is also an energy skill and can be
translated from the Sanskrit as “Energy Restraint.” Like
Qi, Prana also means “Energy, Breath or Life Force. And the bottom line is: They do!
Asana or the stretching poses which most people often They have the same goal: to balance the opposite
associate with Hatha Yoga is the third limb of Raja Yoga. polarities in our Internal Energy system, to come to
Pranayama is the fourth limb of the eight limbs of Raja Balance and Harmony.
Yoga.
One of the confusing points one will notice when trying
As in Qigong, the physical practice of Yoga normally to compare the two systems is that the Chinese describe
precedes the energy practice. This rule is followed to energy using only two terms: Yin and Yang. Whereas
make sure that: the Yogis describe energy as has having three Gunas or
qualities: Rajas, Tamas and Sattva.
1) There is enough energy in your internal system to
accomplish what needs to be done without taking The confusion, in my opinion, is not warranted. All
energy from the more mundane life processes. one has to realize is that Tamas corresponds to Yin. It
is cooling and more stationary. Rajas corresponds
2) The energy system is prepared to handle the to Yang and is warming and more fluid. Sattva is the
additional demands placed on it by the new Sanskrit name for the state of balance between the two
practices. opposites. The Chinese do not make this condition called
3) The Will Power is strong enough to regulate the Sattva or energy balance between Yin and Yang a third
stronger flow of the additional energy. unique property or characteristic of energy.
4) The Will Power is strong enough not to let our
emotions and desires run wild due to the increase For example, the Yogis’ view of our energetic body has
in energy, especially sexual energy. three nadiis or meridians running up the center of our
back: the Ida, the Pingala and the Sushumna.
Now let’s get back to Reality.
The Ida is our Moon channel and is cooling or Yin.
The Pingala is our Sun channel and is warming and
Since I do not think Reality changes when one crosses the Yang. The Sushumna is the channel where only pure
Himalayas, Things must be the Same Way in both China balanced energy flows. It is neither warming nor cooling.
and India. Indeed, they must be the same everywhere, Therefore, this energy does not change what it comes
but let’s stick with these two ancient and seemingly into contact with. However, it can be changed by what
different cultures and modalities. comes into contact with it.

16. The goal of balancing our Internal Energy can be two effects will work to counteract our contraction
reduced to balancing the forces of contraction and and cooling.
expansion which are always at work in our Body, Mind
and Spirit.
If we are determined to contract or cool down in spite
of our rising internal pressure and temperature, we
When we are neither expanding nor contracting must apply more and more energy and/or force to
Physically, Mentally or Spiritually, we are in harmony continue to do so.
with our surroundings. We will have no effect on it.
As you can see, both of these possible scenarios have
When we are expanding or warming, our a high probability of being damaging to our reserve of
surroundings must contract and withdraw from the Internal Energy.
new space we are occupying and/or it must cool
down to offset our warming up. It must also give up
whatever we are absorbing in order for us to expand. Qigong is meant to help us keep these forces in
Balance. So is Yoga.
Of course, if we are expanding without absorbing
anything, we will weaken ourselves by lowering our For the rest of this article, I will focus on the part of
internal pressure and temperature, or we will weaken Qigong which is concerned with Active Exercise.
ourselves by using too much Internal Energy just to
keep our Internal Pressure and temperature constant
and/or high enough to sustain our expansion.
For example, most of us associate Yoga with
stretching. However, not even most would-be yogis
realize that in order to safely stretch one part of their
Both of these conditions will necessitate using more body, another part must contract. Forcing one part of
energy to keep our internal pressure and temperature your body to expand more that its opposite part can
high enough to sustain our expansion. contract is a prescription for injury.
Both of these conditions are deleterious to our health Even if no injury results from stretching in this
and well being. manner, you will still be subjecting yourself to an
imbalanced energy flow for at least the duration that
you hold the stretch or asana.
If we are contracting or cooling, our surrounding must
expand to fill up the void we are creating or heat up
to counteract our cooling. Likewise, our surroundings The proper and safe way to stretch is to balance both
must absorb anything we maybe be giving off as we sides of your body. When doing a forward bend, the
contract. proper way to expand forward and down is to pull
yourself down using your abdominal muscles and
hip flexors while letting the back naturally expand
If we do not give up anything as we contract, our upwards.
internal pressure will rise and this can cause damage
from within. If our internal pressure rises, this in turn
will cause our internal temperature to rise also. These

17. Contracting your abdominal muscles can make your Have you noticed that no one gets tennis fingers, tennis
back expand if you project the energy you received hand or tennis wrist. They get tennis elbow. It is no
from contracting your abdominal muscles into your coincidence that the fingers, hand and wrist all line up
back via your Ming Men, which is the area directly with the racket and the direction of the returning force.
behind your naval center. The Ming Men area It is at the elbow where the force must make a 90° turn
corresponds to the Manipuri or Third Chakra. up the arm that the problem occurs. This is because
the tendons at the elbow must stabilize the elbow from
a 90° shear force.
Another example of these Universal Principles at work
can be seen in something as seemingly unrelated to
Qigong and Yoga as Weight Lifting. Tennis elbow is a classic case of developing a problem
because we can project more force than we can absorb.
We have all at least seen weight lifters using external
supports to help them lift heavier weights than they For me, the truest test of a modality and its principles
can lift without the supports. These supports can be a is its Universality. Qigong’s concept of Harmonizing Yin
weight lifting belt, a bench, wrist straps, etc. and Yang is truly Universal.
Everything we may need to be or do can be
accomplished using this Principle.
If these weight lifters try to move the same amount
of weight in any context other than these or similarly
supported ones, they may have a real problem.
They have made certain parts of themselves capable
of producing more expansion or absorption, whichever
is the lifting part of the action, than they can safely
project or absorb into the other parts of their structure.
Therefore, if they try to lift a heavy piece of furniture or
push a heavy truck without the structural supports they
are use to, their now unsupported parts may fail due to
the unaccustomed stresses.
Let’s move further a field and look at tennis elbow. This
occurs when a tennis player is able to project more
force into the tennis racket than his elbow can absorb
back. This may sound silly, but you can’t get tennis
elbow by just by swinging the racket in the air even if
you use the same amount of force used in a game.
You can only get it when you hit the ball. This is because
the act of projecting force into the ball also sends an
equal amount of force back into the racket and you.

18. Gary Giamboi founded The Institute of Asian Arts in 1994
in order to continue the tradition of discovering, nurtur-
ing and passing on the wisdom of the ancients. He began
his Eastern journey in 1969 and has had the unbelievable
good fortune to have become a disciple and personal
student of four World Class Masters
He has achieved the Rank of Master Level Instructor in
Qigong, Taijiquan, Ninpo, Jujutsu, Asayama Ichiden Ryu,
Kenjutsu and Yoga in world recognized organizations. He
is also certified as a Personal Trainer, as a Pilates instruc-
tor, in Ohashiatsu, in Thai Yoga and has several other
lower rank Black Belts in various martial arts. He special-
izes in finding the common thread of Truth in All of these
Arts, because at the end of the day “Things Can Only
Work One Way.” Even though they use different systems
of Internal Energy, Yoga works in China and Acupuncture
works in India. Each contains a piece of The Truth or The
Way Things Are. It is up to each of us to find as much of
That Truth, That Way and live by it as closely as possible.
Gary has taught and demonstrated Martial Arts, Qi-
gong, Yoga and Fitness Training in the USA, Japan, China,
Canada, UK, Belgium, Germany, and Ireland. He has sev-
eral articles published a total of over 64 times on various
web sites and blogs, produced 2 DVDs on Qigong, 1 on
Taijiquan, 2 on Yoga, 1 on Balance and a Point by Point
Relaxation CD. He also has two books nearing publication
and several new DVDs coming soon. His web sites are
www.Genbukan.biz and the new
WWwww.Secrets-of-Yoga-Qigong.com

19. THE As if performing a magic ritual, in exploring wetiko,
we first have to invoke its spirit and enter into a
relationship with it. We must contemplate and engage
GREATEST wetiko as objectively as we are able, as if it exists
outside of ourselves, lest we get too mixed up with
EPIDEMIC
the object of our contemplation. Due to its unique
psychic origin, the epidemiology of wetiko is different
than any other disease. An intrinsic challenge to our
KNOWN TO investigation of wetiko is that it is incarnating in the
very psyche that is the means of our investigation.
HUMANITY:
Aware of this conundrum, Forbes explains that he is
attempting to examine the disease, “from a perspective
as free as possible from assumptions created by the
PART 1 very disease being studied.” If we are not aware of the
frame of reference through which we are examining
wetiko, our investigation will be tainted by the disease,
Paul Levy obscuring the clear vision needed to start the healing
process. Studying how wetiko disease manifests in
others, as well as takes over a certain part of our
In the book Columbus and other Cannibals, indigenous consciousness, will help us to see it more objectively.
author Jack D. Forbes lucidly explores a psychological Seeing this psychological malady manifesting in the
disease that has been informing human self-destructive world is the looking glass, through which we can
behavior that Native American people have known potentially recognize this illness arising within our own
about for years. After reading his book, it was clear to minds.
me that he was describing the same psycho-spiritual
disease of the soul that I wrote about in my book,
The Madness of George W. Bush: A Reflection of our After evoking wetiko, in order to study it as objectively
Collective Psychosis. I introduce the idea that from the as possible, we have to hermetically seal it within an
dawn of human history our species has fallen prey to a alchemical container. This ensures that its mercurial
collective psychosis, which I call malignant egophrenia. spirit doesn’t seep back into the invisibility of the
Speaking about this very same psychic epidemic, unconscious, where it would act itself out through
Forbes writes, “For several thousands of years human us. Jung continually emphasized the importance of
beings have suffered from a plague, a disease worse developing a container or vessel, in which to catch
than leprosy, a sickness worse than malaria, a malady troublesome spirits like wetiko. He writes, “Therefore,
much more terrible than smallpox.” Indigenous people if anything is wrong, take it out of its place and put
have been tracking the same psychic virus that I call it in the vessel that is between your neighbor and
malignant egophrenia for many centuries and calling yourself… For love of mankind, create a vessel, into
it “wetiko,” a Cree term referring to a wicked person which you can catch all that damned poison. For it
or spirit terrorizing others. Professor Forbes, who was must be somewhere – it is always somewhere – and
one of the founders of the Native American movement not to catch it, to say it doesn’t exist, gives the best
during the early sixties, says, “Tragically, the history chance to any germ.” Wetiko is an elusive spirit that
of the world for the past 2,000 years is, in great part, is tough to pin down. At the same time, it is critical
the story of the epidemiology of the wetiko disease.” that we attempt to delineate its properties. Unlike a
Wetiko/malignant egophrenia is a psychosis in the true physical virus, wetiko cannot be isolated materially, but
sense of the word as being a “sickness of the soul or its characteristic signature can be detected and seen
spirit.” Though calling it by different names, Forbes and in the peculiar operations of a psyche that is under its
I are both pointing at the same illness of the psyche, spell. Failing to recognize the existence of this malady
soul and spirit that has been at the root of humanity’s – saying it doesn’t exist – allows this psychic infection
inhumanity. to act unrestrained. Being always somewhere is to be
nonlocal, which means that it is always around, even

20. potentially, or especially, within us. In calling forth the Forbes continues, “this disease, this wetiko (cannibal)
spirit of wetiko, we create the container, in which we can psychosis, is the greatest epidemic sickness known to
study this disease, so as to understand what in fact we man.” We, as a species, are in the midst of a massive
are dealing with, see how it operates out in the world, in psychic epidemic, a virulent collective psychosis that has
others, and within ourselves. In order to come full circle been brewing in the cauldron of humanity’s psyche from
in our contemplative exercise/exorcise, we have to turn the dawn of human history. Like a fractal, wetiko operates
our contemplation inwardly. As if in a dream, where the on multiple dimensions simultaneously – intra-personally
inner field appears to be without, we can recognize that (within individuals), inter-personally (between ourselves),
wetiko that we have been tracking out there, outside as well as collectively (as a species). “Cannibalism,” in
of ourselves, is a reflection related to the same process Forbes words, “is consuming another’s life for one’s own
within ourselves. Encoded in the symptomology of wetiko private purpose or profit.” Those afflicted with wetiko,
is a revelation, something that is most important for us to like a cannibal, consume the life force of others – humans
know. and nonhumans – for private purpose or profit, and
do so without giving anything back. One example that
symbolizes our self-destructive, collective madness is the
A DISEASE OF CIVILIZATION oil companies’ destruction of the Amazonian rainforest,
the lungs of our planet. This is literally a full-fledged
revelation showing us what we are doing to ourselves.
Another example symbolically illustrating wetiko in action
Wetiko/malignant egophrenia is a disease of civilization, is Monsanto genetically engineering terminator seeds
or lack thereof. To quote Forbes, “To a considerable that do not reproduce a second generation, thus forcing
degree, the development of the wetiko disease farmers to buy new seeds from Monsanto for each year’s
corresponds to the rise of what Europeans choose new crop. This makes survival for many poor farmers
to call civilization. This is no mere coincidence.” The impossible, which has triggered a wave of suicides among
unsustainable nature of industrial civilization is based farmers, as Monsanto grows richer in the process.
on, and increasingly requires violence to maintain itself.
Genuine civilization, in essence, means not killing people.
Referring to the lack of civility in modern society, when
asked what he thought of Western civilization, Gandhi “The overriding characteristic of wetiko is that it
is known to respond by saying, “I think it would be a consumes other human beings, that is, he is a predator
good idea.” It makes sense that native people would and a cannibal;” as Forbes puts it, “This is the central
know about malignant egophrenia, as they were both essence of the disease.” Those infected by wetiko turn
oppressed by modern civilization although weren’t, at into predators out of touch with their own humanity,
least initially, under its curse. Being under the sway of unable to see humanity in others. Instead, they relate
modern civilization can feel like something foreign to to others either as potential prey or as a threat to their
our nature is being imposed upon us, as if we are living dominance. As if a different breed of people that is more
under occupation. Modern civilization suffers from the like a predatory animal than a human being, someone
one-sided dominance of the rational, intellectual mind, fully taken over by the wetiko psychosis consumes others
a one-sidedness that seemingly disconnects us from lives, physically, emotionally, psychically and meta-
nature, from empathy, and from ourselves. Due to its physically, beyond just the material body and physical
disassociation from the whole, wetiko is a disturber of possessions to the level of meaning itself. Wetikos are
the peace of humanity and the natural world, a sickness the anti-artists of our culture, embodying the opposite
spawning aggression and inciting violence toward living of what creative artists do. Unlike an artist, who
beings. Wetiko promotes humanity’s inhumanity. This creates life-enhancing meaning and enriches the world
psychic virus informs and feeds the madness of so-called without robbing others, a wetiko takes and consumes
civilization stirring up madness within each and every one without giving anything back, continually draining and
of us. impoverishing the planet of resources.
We are currently in the midst of the greatest epidemic

21. sickness known to man. Many of us don’t even realize itself throughout the field, it must let the host live long
this, as our collective insanity is so pervasive that enough to spread the virus. If the host dies too soon, the
it has become the norm. Our collective madness bug would be prematurely evicted and would suffer the
has become our filter of perception, as we see and inconvenience of having to find a new residence.
interpret the world through it, rendering our madness
invisible, thereby unwittingly colluding with the
collective psychosis that is wreaking incredible death
Like a cancer of the mind that metastasizes, in wetiko
and destruction on our planet. Being transparent, our
disease, a pathological part of the psyche co-opts and
madness is not apparent, i.e., not visible. Our collective
subsumes all of the healthy parts of the psyche so
psychosis is invisible to us, as it expresses itself both in
as to serve the pathology. The personality then self-
the very way we are looking, as well as in the ways we
organizes an outer display of coherence around this
have been conditioned not to perceive. Due to such a
pathogenic core, which masks the inner dysfunction,
cloak of invisibility, we don’t see our madness, a psychic
making it hard to recognize. In a psychic coup d’etat,
blindness which makes us complicit in the creation of our
the wetiko infection can usurp and displace the
madness.
person, who becomes its puppet and marionette. Like
a parasite, the wetiko virus can take over the will of
being more evolved than itself, getting it enlisted into
Many of us can’t fathom the level of evil, to which full- serving its nefarious agenda. Once the parasite becomes
blown wetikos have fallen prey, and which they are sufficiently entrenched within the psyche, the prime
capable of. Our lack of imagination of the evil existing directive coordinating a person’s behavior comes from
in potential in humanity is a direct reflection of a lack the disease, as it is now the one calling the shots. Just
of intimacy with our own potential evil, which enables as someone infected with the rabies virus will resist
the malevolence of wetiko to have nearly free rein in drinking water, which would flush out the infection,
our world. In our psychic blindness we are complicit someone taken over by wetiko will not do anything that
in the spreading of the wetiko psychosis, whose depth might help them get rid of the disease. Wetikos are
is beyond the capacity of words to fully describe. Evil phobic towards the light of truth, which they avoid like
paralyzes the ability to language our experience, creating the plague. In advanced stages, this process takes over
a seemingly unbridgeable gap between language and the the person so completely that we could rightfully say the
event it is supposed to describe. Rendered speachless, person is no longer there; they are just an empty shell
we create a new language that is universal and carrying the disease. In a sense, there is just the disease,
transcends itself, a language known as art. operating through what appears to be a human being.
The person becomes fully identified with their mask,
their persona, as if there is no one behind the mask.
A PARASITE OF A DIFFERENT ORDER
ALIEN INTRUSION
When people are infected by wetiko, Forbes writes,
they are “the host for the wetiko parasites.” The wetiko
germ is a psychic tapeworm, a virus of the mind. Just like Speaking in his own language about the predation of
certain computer viruses or malware infect and program the wetiko virus, the spiritual teacher Don Juan, the
a computer to self-destruct, mind-viruses like wetiko can hero of Carlos Castaneda’s books, mentions that the
program the human bio-computer to think, believe and ancient shamans called this “the topic of topics.” Don
behave in ways resulting in our self-destruction. Wetiko Juan explains, “We have a companion for life… We have
is a virulent, psychic pathogen that insinuates thought- a predator that came from the depths of the cosmos
forms into our mind that, when unconsciously enacted, and took over the rule of our lives. Human beings are
feed off of and ultimately kill its host (us). It doesn’t its prisoners. The predator is our lord and master.” This
want to kill us too quickly, however, for to successfully sounds just like the state of affairs being pointed at in
implement its agenda of reproducing and propagating the Bible when, for example, The Gospel of John refers

22. to the devil as “the ruler of this world” (14:30; 16:11), and a brute compulsion born out of terror, as it continually
Paul speaks of Satan as “the god of this world” (Cor. 4:4). has to feed itself so as to postpone its ever-approaching
The Gnostic Gospel of Phillip, talking about the root of death. Don Juan continues, “Through the mind, which,
evil that lies within all of us, makes the similar point that after all, is their mind, the predators inject into the lives
unless this evil is recognized, “It masters us. We are its of human beings whatever is convenient for them [the
slaves. It takes us captive.” (II, 3, 83.5-30) Speaking about predators].” Cloaking itself in our form, this predator gets
the predator, Don Juan continues, “It has rendered us under our skin and “puts us on” as a disguise, fooling us
docile, helpless. If we want to protest, it suppresses our to buy into its false version of who we are. (This is why the
protest. If we want to act independently, it demands that shortened name of Malignant Egophrenia is ME disease,
we don’t do so.” It is striking how Don Juan’s description referring to a distortion of our identity). Instead of being
of the effects of these predators is being enacted in in our power and serving ourselves, we unwittingly
our increasingly militarized society, as our freedoms (literally being out of our wits) become the servant of
and liberties get taken away step by step. It is as if an the predator. Instead of being a sovereign being who is
inner, invisible state of affairs existing as a yet unrealized creating with our own thoughts, we will then be created
archetypal pattern deep within the soul of humanity is by them, as the predator literally thinks in our stead.
revealing itself through the outside world.
Speaking of the predator’s scheme, Don Juan says, “it
To quote Don Juan, “Indeed we are held prisoner! This proposes something, it agrees with its own proposition,
was an energetic fact for the sorcerers of ancient Mexico.” and it makes you believe that you’ve done something of
Don Juan is referring to an energetic fact that I imagine worth.” It is as if there is an alien other, a metaphysical
most of us can relate to; i.e., there is something within entity which is subliminally intruding its mind into ours
us that stops us from expressing our true creative genius in such a way that we identify with its point of view and
and attaining our full potential. These predators are “time forget about our own. Don Juan refers to this situation
bandits,” robbing us of the precious hours of our lives, as a “foreign installation,” as if some alien race has set
as if we are wage-slaves on a prison-planet “doing time.” up a space station inside of our minds. This is exactly
Deepening his description of these predators, Don Juan what the Gnostics – the ones who know – are pointing
elaborates, “They took over because we are food for at, when they talk about alien predators called “Archons”
them…we are their sustenance. Just as we rear chickens infiltrating and subverting the workings of our mind. To
in chicken coops, gallineros, the predators rear us in the extent that we are not conscious of this alien take
human coops, humaneros.” The wetiko virus particularly over of our psyche, we become drafted into the predator’s
flourishes in overpopulated cities, where people are sinister agenda, unwittingly becoming its slaves. This state
“coop-ed up.” When we buy into group-think and are of psychological warfare within is mirrored by the sinister
indoctrinated into the herd mentality, we become like psy ops (psychological operations) being instituted by the
sheep that are being led over the edge of a cliff, or cattle powers-that-be in the outside world.
that are being raised to be slaughtered.
VAMPIRES
Don Juan continues, “The predators give us their mind,
which becomes our mind.” It is as if these predators are
in competition with us for a share of our own mind. The
Forbes writes, “The wetiko psychosis is a sickness of
predator shape-shifts and assumes our form, and if we
the spirit that takes people down an ugly path with no
are unaware of its masquerade, we will identify with its
heart… After all, the wetiko disease turns such people
invasive thought-forms as if they are our own, and act
into werewolves and vampires, creatures of the European
them out. We will mistakenly believe that we are acting
nightmare world, and creatures of wetiko’s reality.”
on our own impulses, with our best interests in mind. This
Werewolves and vampires are shape-shifting creatures,
predator, Don Juan continues, “fears that any moment its
symbolic representations of the horrific potential within
maneuver is going to be uncovered and food is going to
all of us to be taken over by and act out the archetypal
be denied.” The wetiko predator has an inner necessity,

23. shadow, regressing to an archaic level of the psyche
and become like a predatory animal, an inhuman
creature. When these psychic energies break through Lacking a sense of soul, wetikos are efficient
into consciousness without being mediated through machines, dedicated to preserving and serving the
consciousness, Jung writes, “they sweep everything state, which, to quote Forbes, “is itself a creature
before them like a torrent and turn men into of the wetikos who have seized control of its power
creatures, for whom the word ‘beast’ is still too good apparatus.” A full-fledged wetiko has become a
a name.” robotic automaton, conditioned to react to certain
stimuli like a reflex. They have become part of
the machine, with neither spontaneity, creativity,
originality, nor free thinking programmed in. De-
Vampires, considered to be the darkest creature of humanized, wetikos have lost touch with any sense
evil’s arsenal, have haunted our imagination for ages, of aesthetics, of appreciating the inherent beauty of
as they are representatives of a living process that life, and have become an-aesthetic, i.e., anesthetized
exists deep within the human psyche. A vampire and numb to what it is to be a human being. The
is not a human figure, but rather a being, who has emissary of an authoritarian, militarized, patriarchal
lost its soul. Or if it hasn’t lost its soul, its soul has culture, the wetiko disease breeds fascism, and terror.
been damned, which is a soul that is lost. Either way, To quote the great healer Wilhelm Reich, “Fascism
there’s something missing. Isolated from the world, is the vampire leeched to the body of the living, the
it has lost any connection with the part of itself that impulse to murder given free rein.” Fascism is the
is related to everything else; from its point of view, outer, collective political expression of an individual’s
the world exists simply for its use. Although it has ravaged inner landscape that has been crippled and
lost connection with its heart and soul, a vampire suppressed by the authoritarian civilization.
hasn’t totally lost its mind (although the original mind
is gone), as vampires often have clever and incisive
intellects that cloak their pathology, making their
disease hard to see. This is similar to how a crazy Like in a vampire, in full-blown wetikos, there is
person may have a brilliant mind as well, a genius that nobody home, which is one of the reasons why,
can hide the extent of the illness, making the malady symbolically speaking, vampires have no reflection in
hard to recognize. The sharpness of vampire’s mind, a mirror (which, mythologically speaking, is supposed
instead of being devoted to gaining insight into their to reflect back the image of the soul). Full-blown
malady and healing from it, however, is used for the wetikos are empty to the core, so there is nothing to
propagation of the virus. reflect. Inwardly there is just a void, a devouring black
hole that is feeding on the universe. Their atrophied
soul has been emptied out like a piece of wood
hollowed out by psychic termites. Full-blown wetikos
As in the case of a vampire, in which death takes are so compulsively possessed by the consciousness-
living human’s form, wetiko is ultimately not a living negating form of the unconscious, that they have lost
organism, but rather, a living manifestation of death. the ability to self-reflect, which philosopher Hannah
Wetiko, like a virus, is dead matter; it is only in a Arendt claims is one of the primary characteristics
living creature that the virus acquires a quasi life. of evil. Unable to self-reflect, they can no longer
Members of the living dead, vampires are neither access within themselves the faculty of the psyche
truly alive, nor truly dead. Like vampires, full-fledged the negativity derives from. One of the reasons we
wetikos have forfeited their humanity, becoming can’t see vampire’s reflection in a mirror, however,
conduits for the impersonal and depersonalizing is because our own inner, unconscious vampire
wetiko virus to incarnate through them. They are obscures the reflection, which is to say that the
living portals, openings in the third-dimensional fabric unacknowledged specter of our own shadow gets in
of time/space, through which this contagious, higher- the way.
dimensional virus can spread itself in this plane, both
locally and non-locally.

24. A vampire is also supposed to cast no shadow, as and are able to skillfully navigate our way through,
it cannot stand sunlight. Not being a living being, a can serve to further strengthen our connection
vampire has no substance. Only a thing of substantial with the light of lucidity, hone our skill of creatively
existence can cast a shadow. Vampires can’t cast transmitting our realizations, and cultivate more
a shadow, however, because they are the living open-hearted compassion. It is as if these psychic,
embodiment of and identical with the archetypal nonlocal vampires are guardians of the threshold of
shadow. A shadow casts no shadow of itself, as the evolution.
shadow itself has no substance. There are benefits
that accrue to the vampire because of its ability to
not cast a shadow – it is then easier for the vampire
Just like vampires, full-blown wetikos have a thirst
to hide its true identity, move in the hidden shadows,
for the very thing they lack – the mystical essence of
become invisible, and be able to prey on people.
life – i.e., the blood of our soul. In consuming other
Not casting a shadow, the vampire, a shape-shifter
human beings, wetiko disease is a psychic eating
who is a master of camouflage and disguise, is able
disorder, in which the stricken psyche consumes
to easily seduce and entice the unaware, entrapping
other psyches and, ultimately, itself. Wetiko is thus a
them using their mental shadows and blind spots.
soul-eating disease. Savaged by the ferocity of their
This is to say that disowning of our shadows can
unending hunger, full-blown wetikos have become
lead to vampirism. The vampire archetype gets
possessed by an insatiable craving that can never be
activated within us when we turn our backs on our
filled. This vampiric feeding is an unholy parody on
own darkness, rendering our shadow invisible to
the self-renewal of life. This perverse inner process is
ourselves. We can’t see vampires because we have
manifested collectively by the consumer society that
chosen not to see those aspects of ourselves that are
we live in, a culture that continually fans the flames
most like the vampire.
of never-ending desires, conditioning us to always
want more. As if starving, we are in an endless
feeding frenzy, trying to fill a bottomless void. This
In addition to the weak and defenseless, vampires process of rabid, obsessive-compulsive consumption
seek out people who are on the verge of a quantum, is a reflection of a shared inner sense of spiritual
evolutionary leap in consciousness, but have not yet starvation. The entity of the global economic system
fully integrated their realizations. These individuals itself is a symbol of out-of-control wetiko disease
are in an energetically sensitive and charged doing its business.
condition, and their openness and vulnerability
invites the vampiric entities to help themselves and
gorge on the light of their expanding awareness.
Viruses like wetiko are all about copying themselves.
The strategy of these predators is to distract us so
A virus can’t just replicate itself, however, it has to
as to keep our attention directed outwards, thereby
use some other vehicle as its means of reproducing
stopping us from finding the light within ourselves,
itself. They need us to be their birthing chamber.
which would kill the vampires. If we hold up a mirror
To the extent we are not aware of their ploy, these
and reflect back the insanity being exhibited by those
higher-dimensional spirit parasites put us on,
stricken by the wetiko psychosis, we run the very
wearing us like their third-dimensional space suits.
real risk of being accused of being the ones who
These psychic vampires are compelled to replicate
are crazy. If we do manage to connect with the light
themselves through us so that we can then pass on
within ourselves and try to share it with others, these
and transmit the infection to others. This process
nonlocal vampiric entities (what I have in previous
is analogous to when someone is infected with the
articles called “nonlocal demons,” or NLD), not
rabies virus. In advanced stages of the disease, a
bound by the third-dimensional laws of space and
rabid animal will be taken over by the irresistible
time, will try, via their connections to the nonlocal
urge to bite other creatures so as to pass on the
field, to stop us by influencing other people to turn
virus. People taken over by the rabies virus are a
against us. This process can destroy us, or, if we
living, frothing symbol of what the wetiko virus does
have the meta-awareness to see what is happening
in its full-blown virulent stage.

25. People taken over by the wetiko virus usually don’t
suspect a thing about how they have been conned.
In a vampiric lineage, the wetiko virus’s self-propagation The wetiko culture offers no incentive for them
is accomplished through the medium of the family to self-reflectively speculate upon their depraved
system, as the legacy of abuse (be it physical, sexual, circumstance; on the contrary, the non-local field
political, emotional, psychological, or spiritual) gets configures itself to conspire, enable and further
passed down, both individually and collectively, cultivate their psychosis. When someone is a full-
and transmitted over generations. It is through the blown wetiko, the field around them torques so as to
traumatic shattering of our wholeness that wetiko protect, collude with, and feed into their psychosis in
passes its distorted code into the body-mind of another a way that entrances others around them. Once under
generation. As if under a curse, our species has been the wetiko spell, people lose the capacity to recognize
suffering from an inherited, collective form of PTSD the wetiko pathology in others. In a situation of group
(Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder). Remaking their narcissism, wetikos at different stages of the disease
victims in their own image, the wetikos’ victims join the assume particular postures and roles relative to each
legion of the damned, themselves becoming holders other so as to protect and shield themselves from their
of an unholy lineage. This curse will continue until own insanity and darkness. They feed and reinforce
we intervene in the spreading of this vampiric mind- each others’ narcissism because it enhances their own.
parasite, and the chain of never-ending abuse is broken. Speaking about the type of person who is typically
susceptible to fall prey to the wetiko virus, Forbes
writes that it is usually those “whose strings are pulled
HIGHLY CONTAGIOUS by others or who follow a life-path dictated by others.
Thus they are ripe for the wetiko infection.” Not in
touch with their inner guidance, they project authority
outside of themselves and become very suggestible to
Speaking about wetikos, Forbes says, “they are insane
the consensus opinion of the dominant pack. Losing
in the true sense of the word. They are mentally
touch with their own discernment and ability for critical
ill and tragically, the form of soul-sickness that
thinking, the afflicted join the mindless herd, whose
they carry is catching.” Wetiko psychosis is highly
members co-dependently enable each other to uphold
contagious, spreading through the channel of our
their shared version of the wetiko world. Their group
shared unconsciousness. Its vectors of infection and
consensus about the nature of reality gets increasingly
propagation do not travel like a physical pathogen.
harder to sustain as time passes, however, as, like a
This fluidly moving epidemic reinforces, feeds off of
house of cards ready to collapse at any moment, their
and into each of our unconscious blind spots, which
vision of the world is fundamentally illusory. Strangely
is how it non-locally propagates itself throughout the
enough, people under the collective enchantment
humankind. In wetiko, there is a code or logic which
of wetiko become fanatically attached to supporting
affects/infects awareness in an analogous way to how
an agenda that oftentimes is diametrically opposed
the DNA in a virus passes into and infects a cell. People
to serving their own best interests. This is an outer
who are channeling the vibratory frequency of wetiko
reflection of the inner state of being under the sway of
align with each other through psychic resonance to
the self-destructive wetiko parasite.
reinforce their shared agreement so as to uphold their
deranged view of reality. Collaboratively supporting
their mutual psychosis, groups of people drawn
together by the unconscious can potentially become a It is as if there is an evil spirit that has taken up
socio-political force to be reckoned with. When a group residence in those taken over by wetiko. They are
of people are in agreement about anything, whether it unwittingly being used as instruments, as covert
is true or not, their alignment with each other exerts a operatives of this darker spirit to proliferate itself in the
contagious, magnetic force field that attracts and sways wider field. Wetikos’ secret agents are not even privy
the unaware. to their secret mission themselves. As is true for any of
us, when we are taken over by something other than
ourselves, carriers of wetiko don’t know how possessed