On Eating Crow, and the Four Levels of Knowing

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It's OK not to know, until you do know --and you will know; 

the Universe always answers questions we throw at it, 

just (sometimes) not at our desired rate of response.  

It may be days, weeks or even years before the answers 

reach us.  But they reach us.

Mmm, mm.  Dig in.

        John Ellis, an affable, congenial drawing teacher I had in college, lectured one day about The Four Levels of Knowing.  He applied the concept to drawing, but I have found that in fact, it is applicable to all of life, really.  In all things there are levels of understanding, some shallower, some deeper.  In my travels through The Rabbit Hole, I have found this a very helpful philosophy when it comes to the metaphysical world, where like Alice, one confronts people and phenomena that all seem quite hard to believe.




         As I look back and review my beliefs before and after accepting that said world even existed, I could see how I have unwittingly transitioned through each of The Four Levels of Knowing.  Each new day brings a new thing I didn't know before, reminding me that I will never know it all.

         Things I thought I knew about the metaphysical world, all the seemingly "intelligent, sensible" stances I thought for sure I had been taking, often turned out to be totally incorrect, based on faulty, unstudied information, and resulting in glib conclusions.  Crow tastes bad, and I, unfortunately, have eaten a lot of it.

        If nothing more, at least I've learned to suspend judgment, to be OK with knowing that I don't know --that, within itself, is an art, a valuable skill that will serve one well in the long run.


       

Level One: Not Knowing, and 

Not Knowing You Don't Know

        Seriously, I think most of the world fits under this category.  And of the four, this is probably the most dangerous level, the one that's behind most of the bad things we humans do to each other. We don't take time to examine what we think we know about others; we just act.  Those of this category are the know-it-alls who know absolutely nothing at all.

        It's hard for one to even respond to a person like this.  Good advice for dealing with such is the line from Sting's song, Englishman in New York that goes:  "It takes a man to suffer ignorance and smile."  Some things you can't teach, and some people you can't reach.  Such are those of Level One.

        At this level, in the lighter side of the spectrum there may be people who, for instance, wax on and on about things such as economics or politics, without really knowing one iota of the deeper meanings and issues involved.  They have an answer for everything, and it's always an unstudied, nonfactual, emotional answer.  The saying, "ignorance is bliss" applies to them.

        On the heavier side of the spectrum, however, may be racists, religious persecuters, chauvinists, homophobes and a host of other bigots.  The consequences of their ignorance include some of the darkest moments of human history, ever.

An Out from Level One

        But experience is the best teacher, as they say.  And sometimes, destiny offers an out for the ignorant, a chance to turn it around.  I've had the good fortune of such an opportunity, many times.  For instance, I was ignorant about mediumship some years ago.  I didn't think it was real.  I went so far as to believe people who purported to communicate with dead people were all fakes, and should be ashamed of themselves.  God was gonna' get 'em.

        The only mediums I had seen in the media were James Van Praagh and John Edward --mostly James, as John was still a new to me.  The more I saw them on TV, the more frustrated I got.  I didn't understand it, but I didn't take the time to investigate it, either.  Instead, I drew an unstudied, nonfactual, emotional conclusion --typical Level One Knowing.  Ever been there?

        Lo and behold, the irony of fate would have it that I would get a sort of mini-reading from James himself.  Part of the reason I had obtained a series of readings from a variety of readers was because I seemed to be seeing and communicating with dead people.

        Most notably, I had been repeatedly seeing one particular family member, who had died long before I was born.  The mediums I met with described her appearance, and the exact words she had been frantically saying to me for weeks (that I'm supposed to be doing spiritual work, etc.), word for word, even mimicking her gestures.  I was shocked anyone else could see what I had been seeing, and that furthermore, it was undeniable: I, too, had mediumship ability.  I'm one of them.

        Perhaps you could imagine how crunchy I felt.  Try to remember a time when you were in judgment of a certain group, only to discover you too were part of the same group.  Maybe it's something you said you'd never do, a place you said you'd never live, a kind of person you said you'd never date, whatever.  Suddenly, you wake up one morning, and you're one of them.  It's a jarring feeling, like suddenly falling down The Rabbit Hole.  You have to re-evaluate everything you thought you knew about yourself and the world around you, redefine your life and everything you've ever done or will do.  Like Neo in the Matrix, you've taken the red pill and realized you're not who you thought you were.

Bob Olson has made a career 
of investigating the  paranormal, 
testing things out for himself.  He still 
considers himself "an open-minded 
skeptic,"  which is a hallmark of 
Level Two, discussed below.  
www.afterlifetv.com

         It's one of the biggest plates of crow I've eaten to date.  I felt such remorse.  I got on the message board on his website, and posted a message about my recent discovery about myself.  I wrote that I knew he didn't respond to message board posts, as noted on his site, but I wanted him to know how sorry I was for saying the things I said, for just generally sending him bad energy all those years, for all the criticism I had for mediums who were sharing their ability with the world, trying to help.  I advised people that it's OK to be skeptical about things they don't understand, just stay open-minded at the same time, 'cause you never know. 
        
        Next thing I know, James himself posted a reply.  I knew it was him, because even though his policy is he doesn't generally reply to posts, if there's a reply saying it's from him, it's from him.  He wrote something to the effect that it's OK, we are all learning, and that he's just happy for all the people I will one day help using my abilities.  I'm thinking like, no way.  At the time, it was still unfathomable to me that I would ever go into anything like this line of work.  It would be several years yet before it would actually happen.  Nevertheless, his prediction was right, and after I do readings sometimes, I remember his words.  I'm glad he suffered my ignorance with a smile. 

Level Two: Not Knowing, but

Knowing You Don't Know

        This level leaves room for further growth.  It has a humility factor built into it that is rather ...character-building.  As such, most people don't like being here, because you don't get the instant gratification of instant elucidation.  For example, a concept or skill may take years to understand, let alone your having some semblance of mastery over it.  And even when you think you know all the parameters of a thing, you still discover new things about it.  So you have to be OK with knowing that you don't know it all.  The ego is incredibly arrogant and spontaneously thinks it knows it all, so it needs conscious reminders from time to time.

         The experience with Van Praagh, and similar crow-eating experiences in my life, vividly taught me not to throw a blanket conclusion on things I don't understand, saying "that's fake," no matter how farfetched they may seem to me initially.  I might be skeptical, but it's an open-minded skepticism, and I suspend judgment.  It's OK not to know, until you do know --and you will know; the Universe always answers questions we throw out to it, just (sometimes) not at our desired rate of response.  It may be days, weeks or even years before the answers reach us.  But they reach us.

        "When is this going to happen?" is a common question in psychic readings.  People want to "prepare," etc.  While some will, many readers won't give you timelines on events.  They see the energy of it, know it's coming, but that's it.  The mystery could be excruciating.  I've heard some of the top readers in the industry, sharp-shooters who could read anything, respond on radio shows with, "I don't know.  I'm not getting anything on that."

        Realize that this same thing is something they too have to live with in their own lives.  So, if you get that response in a reading, don't push it.  Don't scream down the reader's throat, or demand your money back ...like your drama is going to change anything.  Tuck your ego back in, stop slapping everyone around with it, and just accept that with some things it's best to wait and see.  If nothing else, congratulate yourself for having arrived at a Level Two Knowing, and leave it at that.  lol


 

Level Three: Knowing, but

Not Knowing You Know

        An example of this might be when you have innate abilities in something, but don't know you do,  as was the case with me as I wrote above.  I didn't (consciously) know what I could do, but I believe my Higher Self knew all along.  That's why all the other readers around me were picking it up.  It was right there in my energy field to "see."  Sometimes in a reading the reader will tell you that you will write a book one day.  That outcome is already visible in your energy field, though you didn't perceive it.  At the moment you hear the reading, you have no desire to write a book.  Later, something extraordinary happens in your life.  Suddenly, you then feel compelled to write a book about it.

Your dreams are a valuable source of
of information you don't (consciously)
know that you know, so pay attention
to them.  Above is a replica of a small,
3,000-year-old sculpture found in an
ancient "Dream Temple" of Malta,and
is thought to represent an oracle who 
obtained her readings through dreams.

        Another example might be you experience a disturbing intuitive hit about something, and don't know why.  Your rational mind is telling you one thing, but your intuition says the opposite.  For instance, you start a new job, and in your head it's perfectly right for you, but every time you step into that office your stomach does nauseating somersaults, and your head feels throbbing headaches bordering on migraines.  Eliminating any environmental factors that may be making you sick, most likely the subconscious (or some might say, superconscious --whatever) part of you knows it's not right for you, though the conscious part of you doesn't know you know this.

        You could probably think of other examples of this level of knowing. 

Level Four: Knowing, 
and Knowing You Know

Though beaten, enslaved, and told 
he was less than human, Frederick 
Douglas knew differently.  He knew he 
was worthy of dignity and entitled to a
productive, fulfilling life.  He acted 
on this knowledge, which resulted in 
his being instrumental in helping others
attain freedom in their lives.

        This level of knowing puts the greatest stamp on our lifetimes.  It shapes what we will be remembered for when we're gone.  We begin, perpetuate and end karmic cycles based on how we handle that which we know we know.  At least with Level Three, there's still wiggle room to play dumb, but not so with Level Four.  Once you know why you're here, and what you're supposed to be doing, you're out of excuses.  The famous people whom we consider great in the world, are our heroes because they had the courage of their convictions to act on what they knew they knew.

        Knowing, yet acting like we don't know, has karmic consequences.  For one, we could miss out on our life purposes, the mission for our incarnations this lifetime.  We can fool others, but we can't fool our Higher Selves, that part of us aligned with the Universe, with Creator, with our highest ideal of existence, whatever that may be.  Secondly, if we don't act on what we know we know, we will simply come back to the Earth Classroom, surrounded by the same circumstances, faced with the same tests, confronting the same godawful irritating people, having to do it all over again.  You ain't gettin' out of your life lessons, my friend.  And the main lesson is always how to love, easier said than done sometimes.

         In American history, Frederick Douglas, the escaped slave who went on to become a great speaker, author, and social activist could have stayed in the UK during an extended visit, as he had been treated with great respect there.  He could have enjoyed accolades, the freedom from worry, the freedom from racism, for the rest of his life.  But nevertheless, at a dangerous time before slavery was abolished, he came back to the United States to fight it, so that others could enjoy the freedom he tasted.  He continued this fight until his death.  He knew he'd come to Earth in his lifetime to do that work, and he did it.

Great pecs, Charlton.  We often think of Moses 
with a beard and sandals, looking all prophetic 
and such.  It's easy to forget that prior to that 
gig, he had been raised as a prince in the house 
of Pharoah,the adopted child of a Hebrew slave.
He had been thoroughly schooled in all Egyptian 
magical arts and sciences, what some might 
consider witchcraft today in our culture.  

Years later, when he returned to Egypt to 
challenge Pharoah and his staff of royal 
magicians, no other Hebrew but he had been 
better-suited for such a  job, due to his unique 
upbringing. So, like Frederick Douglas, this 
child of a slave had been become an unlikely 
liberator of mankind.

Nothing in your life is a coincidence.

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        In the biblical story of Moses, this adopted son of an Egyptian princess could have stayed in his palace and enjoyed the luxuries and power endowed to him for the rest of his life.

        He instead acted on what he knew he knew, and his life's work resulted in the liberation of his Hebrew brethren.  He knew he'd come to Earth in that lifetime to do that work, and he did it.

        Comedian Jim Carey shared how he arrived at his realization, at quite a young age, that it is his purpose in life to do comedy (see this post).  His mother's illnesses and depression were his catalysts, and he wanted to do for her on a small scale, what he now does for us on a large scale, that is, make us laugh.  He knew he'd come to Earth this lifetime to do this work, and he's done it.


        May those of us who know that we know, make the absolute best possible use of that awareness, while we have time left in this lifetime to do so.  Thanks for reading.


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