Unlearning & Conditioning

By Dr. Stewart Bitkoff

Traveler: It is said that in order for the spiritual traveler to reach their goal, first they
must unlearn much of what they have been taught. What is meant by this?
Master !ach person"s consciousness is a mosaic# a series of shifting patterns. Some
thoughts arise from our biologic nature, directed at physical survival and caring for the
body. $ther thoughts are tied to emotions and e%pressing our self in the world. Still
others arise from specific operating principles, beliefs and rules of conduct prevalent in
our society. &hese codes and unwritten rules are necessary to maintain social order and
daily life. In many ways, these thoughts form the fabric of each day and allow for orderly
social patterns.
Similarly each religion, school and formal institution has a set of operating principles
which are transferred and in some cases indoctrinated into members# these being
necessary for the survival of that institution.
In helping the spiritual traveler reach what lies beyond ordinary consciousness and
thought# that is, the assumptions and values we have about living in our society and what
is re'uired to do this effectively# these patterns must be e%amined and suspended, so they
can be temporarily disarmed and pushed aside for a time. Sometimes this pushing aside
occurs within specific e%ercises, other times, through personal e%amination and
introspection# this being done so that the spiritual traveler can go within and e%plore
deeper and more lasting levels to consciousness
(any times, our daily thoughts are filled with notions and ideas about things that are
simply not true and have been proliferated by a specific societal entity so they can
prosper at the e%pense of another.
Traveler I am getting confused. )an you provide e%ample of thoughts or ideas that are
proliferated by an institution that may not be true?
Master: &he task of the spiritual traveler is to become master of their own thoughts,
so they can use and operate another level of consciousness that lies beyond ordinary
thought. (any times the things we think about, which are effected in the main by strong
institutions and leaders within our society, serve as snares or chains that hold us back
from doing what we need or wish to do.
*or e%ample consider the notion of infallibility# that someone in power is always correct
and acting in our best interest. &his may or it may not be true. Similarly each society
sets+up a series of written and unwritten rules or operating procedures which become
e%pectations and codes of conduct. Sometimes these are useful and sometimes they are
not. ,ow about the idea of nationality# our country is better than yours. $r the notion our
sports team is better than yours. Is it better simply because it is ours?
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.nother e%ample, consider the child who grows up wishing to become a musician and is
not interested in math, science or working in a business setting. In school they will be
told it is best that they learn what everyone else is learning, because these identified skills
are necessary for everyday life. /et the child"s heart is not in this, wishing only to pursue
the dream of making beautiful music.
$r take the e%ample of a religious body that maintains that their way of worship is the
only way# yet as a believer looks about there are hundreds of religious forms and after
'uestioning is told you have to have faith that our way is best.
Because of the inherent conflict in each of these situations, due to the relative importance
of specific ideas, this makes it very difficult for the spiritual traveler to go beyond these
surface levels of consciousness. &he traveler is in conflict, and until this clash of
emotions is resolved, very little inner development can occur. .s discussed earlier,
everyday thoughts have to be pushed aside, or stilled for a time, so something else
operating on a deeper level may come forward.
0lease understand, the conflicts identified above as e%amples, depending upon the
traveler, may take years or moments to resolve# the point of our discussion is to help the
traveler learn to monitor their thoughts, e%amine assumptions and identify when
indoctrination is operating so they can go deeper temporarily suspending specific ideas.
Before you can learn to still potentially troubling thoughts, first you must conceive of it
as a possibility. &his process, we term, unlearning.
We all have to live in society# we are social beings. $ur way is to teach travelers how to
access what lies beyond everyday levels of consciousness. &o do this effectively,
travelers must understand how their thoughts operate, when they are based upon false
assumptions and when they are consciously engineered and manipulated by others. &his
learning is not intended to remove e%isting thought patterns or replace them with others,
but to allow the higher consciousness to come forward.
Discussion: Conditioning & Spiritual Studies
In varying degrees, each traveler is a product of their culture and environment#
conditioned to want and think specific things which the overall culture indicates as
important. &his is neither good nor bad# it is a matter of effect. ,ow does wanting one
thing and not another effect your life and is this really what you want or something which
has been engineered into you to desire or fear. &hat is the 'uestion which must be
considered how does believing one thing and not another effect your life, choices and
consciousness?
*or the spiritual traveler, it is important to recogni1e and when necessary disarm the
effects of conditioning, so, that another level of consciousness may operate. When we
are busy thinking certain thoughts and worrying about others, typically, the higher
consciousness is dormant below the surface. 2evels of 3inner noise" or emotionality
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keep our higher consciousness from emerging.
)onsider this e%ample and its effect upon daily consciousness. (ost religious and
spiritual systems indicate that the traveler must believe and act in specific ways# while
this position is a necessary component in all learning, some systems insist theirs is the
only 3true system#" and unless the traveler accepts all teachings, they are doomed to
failure and may be banned from the system.

What of the traveler who has a 'uestion about specific teachings and is given the above
response? )onsider the energy, both emotional and intellectual, e%pended trying to
resolve this conflict# while part of this manipulation is intended to control and proliferate
a specific belief system + the real problem, in terms of accessing higher knowledge, is
that while all this 3noise" is going on in the traveler"s head+ another dimension cannot
operate. While a specific teaching is working on a surface level, trying to control specific
beliefs and behaviors, nothing of a real inner value can occur.
In our western culture, most of us have been taught that capitalism, with its value of a
free market economy with little governmental control, is the best system. 5ow it may be,
however, by adding the value 3best" this negates, on some level, other economic systems,
which may also have something of value. .dditionally it conditions and controls the
traveler not to look at other systems too closely, and subtly suggests that they are doing
something wrong, when making in'uiry into other systems or challenging the present
one.
In the process of unlearning or e%amining the effect of conditioning, what the spiritual
traveler is trying to accomplish, is to reach a mental posture, relatively free of
emotionality, where they can e%amine different values and systems# and temporarily free
self, as necessary, from the psychological effect imposed by living in all social groups.
Within our society, most institutions operate using 3either" 3or" frames of reference# this
'uickly translates into a 3good or bad" mentality, with a 3you are with us or are against
us" posture. .dditionally in these systems, fear and reward are the motivating carrots# and
individual in'uiry is minimally supported or encouraged.
&o rise above these effects, the spiritual traveler must learn to recogni1e when
conditioning and mental engineering is operating# temporarily pushing aside these mental
effects, and allowing higher consciousness, which has been prepared through a period of
focused training, to come forward.

Thoughts to Ponder
$ften we are like small children playing with the sand castles of our imagination.
&rue reality is only evident when we are not connected, emotionally, with the
emerging pattern. &his emotional attachment blocks our vision and we live in a
private world of fantasy.
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Spiritual Sight+ &hat which is permanent is seldom known to the senses. It must
be perceived by another capacity. 7ntil this capacity or organ of perception is
awakened, we are like heedless children playing with fire. Sooner or later our
actions create problems for us.
&he completed individual, or enlightened one, is able to temper their e%pectations
with reality. $ften it is our reaction to daily events and not the events themselves
which pose the lasting problem.
We must learn to view and accept what is present# not what we want or e%pect to
be present. By clouding reality with e%pectation and desire we shift off center.
&his lack of balance, in turn, prevents us from perceiving what is before us.
&his capacity or necessary 3attitude" to view what is actually present may be
learned. It is the birthright of humanity and is taught to those who are capable of
using it in the proper way. &his spiritual sight is a matter of function# it becomes
available so it may be used to benefit others. By learning to view what is actually
present, we are then able to perceive higher or spiritual realities which manifest in
this realm.
Quotes to Consider
,e whose undertakings are free from an%ious desire and fanciful thought, whose
work is made pure in the fire of wisdom he is called wise by those who see.
+ Bhagavad+8ita
$ne"s own misdirected thought can do one more harm than an enemy or an ill
wisher.
+ Dhammapada
Action for the Day
$ne antidote to unfulfilled e%pectation is to practice gratitude. *ocusing on what
you have, as opposed to what is lacking# this practice lifts the soul higher.
2ist five things9people you are grateful to have in your life. )onsider why you
en:oy having them as part of your life. 5e%t consider what your life would be
like, if they were not present.
*or the most part the mind can only keep one thought in it at a time. ;emember.
Whenever you can, fill your mind with :oyful, positive things. 5ot :ust thoughts
about things you desire or want# which may or may not be fulfilled.
<&hen which of the favors of your 2ord will you deny?=
+ >oran
?
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