Chapter Seven
On Invoking Presence
All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players
We approach again the process of invoking our presence.
This time E.J. Gold is presenting a different slant on the ways and means of penetrating such a critical process.
Let us look at the second paragraph of this chapter:
“It can easily be seen how everyone can play his or her part either voluntarily or involuntarily, either well or badly, but if we are players on a stage, for whose benefit is this eternal, perpetual performance…?”
If we look at a regular theatrical performance there are many participants playing various roles. There is the author – we don’t always know who that might be. There are the actors on the stage, and there are the members of the audience.
The author may or may not have an exact plan of producing such a literary work, sometimes they say the “piece writes itself.” The actors consciously attempt to follow the words and actions presented by the author. The audience watches … and at times reaches a point of ‘suspended disbelief” – they allow them selves to be carried into the wonder of the production. Wonder at times drives the process.
As we talk onto the World Stage, we enter into the process as an author, as an actor and as the audience as well. If we allow ourselves to be swept into our activities, helplessly and involuntarily, we have little faculty to observe and sense the Wonder of each moment.
Thus, E.J. continues – “Under certain special conditions.. it is possible to temporarily or momentarily artificially lift the phenomenal veil… – For the moment, as least, … one is free to accept new categories of visions and ideas, new lamps for old…”