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David Atkinson, Marilyn Gossen and Stan Howard in this workshop present important information about Chief Feature and its spontaneous periodic banishing during "moments of freedom." The art of "waiting not impatiently" is described and illustrated with examples, and a powerful exercise for working with moments of freedom is presented.
This talk, *Moments of Freedom*, explores brief, natural banishings of Chief Feature, the dominant psychological force that keeps individuals locked in automatic behavior. These fleeting gaps in conditioning allow for right action, objective art, self-remembering, and deeper esoteric work. The speaker explains how these moments arise, how they can be sensed, and how disciplined attention, breath control, and body posture can help recognize and extend them. The discussion also covers waiting as an art, the role of voluntary suffering, and how training can prepare individuals to act decisively when freedom arises. The talk concludes with practical exercises to cultivate awareness of these moments, reinforcing that all real work occurs only in these temporary states of liberation.
This talk presents a structured approach to recognizing and using moments of freedom, discussing how the influence of Chief Feature cyclically disappears and returns, offering brief windows of presence and clarity. These intervals are essential for esoteric practice, conscious action, and even the creation of objective art.
- These moments occur when Chief Feature temporarily vanishes, creating a brief state of clarity, free from habitual reactions.
- In these gaps, one can act consciously rather than mechanically.
- Esoteric schools, certain rituals, and specific architectural spaces are designed to extend these moments.
- True waiting is an art, different from patience.
- Esoteric waiting is a deliberate practice—an active readiness to catch a moment of freedom.
- Voluntary suffering is the process of using one's temporary freedom for conscious work rather than personal gratification.
- Breath, mentation, movement, and mood must align to catch the moment.
- Maintaining a stable posture and sensing bodily rhythms help detect these states.
- Conscious physical work (e.g., calligraphy, archery, theater, or stone carving) utilizes these moments effectively.
- All objective art and right action occur only during these temporary states of freedom.
- Sacred architecture (such as certain temples in Japan) and ritual practices are designed to minimize Chief Feature’s influence.
- Actors, musicians, and martial artists who master timing unknowingly operate within these moments.
- Chief Feature’s influence is cyclical—typically vanishing for two to three seconds at a time.
- Those trained to recognize these cycles can act within them, prolonging their effects through momentum.
- Electromagnetic fields, altitude, and certain geographical locations influence the frequency of these cycles.
- Eating a cookie only in moments of freedom—an exercise designed to develop awareness of fleeting states.
- The Orange Juice Exercise—training to take action only during a moment of freedom and stopping immediately when Chief Feature returns.
- The Perfect Circle Exercise—using movement and breath to align with temporary banishments.
- The legend of Tantalus is used as a metaphor—those who seek without catching the moment remain trapped.
- The need to pause before action is emphasized.
- If a moment of freedom is lost, one must wait rather than act from compulsion.
- Certain places on Earth have reduced Chief Feature influence (called PowerPoints).
- Buildings designed with sacred proportions can create temporary freedom zones.
- Schools, temples, and monasteries often utilize these locations for training.
- Presence is only possible during moments of freedom.
- The thread of these moments creates a continuity of being, even if Chief Feature returns in between.
- Mastering these transitions is essential for any real esoteric work.
The talk ultimately presents moments of freedom as the crux of esoteric work. Real action, objective art, and spiritual transformation happen only during these fleeting windows. The key is to train oneself to recognize, wait for, and act decisively within these moments—without attachment or hesitation.
"A surreal scene depicting a lone figure standing at the edge of time, where fractured golden threads weave together moments of freedom amidst an otherwise gray, mechanical world. The figure, poised in absolute stillness, waits at the threshold of an unseen force, sensing the fleeting banishment of an oppressive shadow behind them. In the distance, a temple constructed without nails, built only in alignment with sacred timing, shimmers with ephemeral light. Above, the sky pulses in a rhythm of presence and absence, reflecting the hidden cycles of perception and self-remembering. The image should evoke precision, timing, and the razor-thin line between automatic behavior and conscious action, capturing the elusive yet powerful nature of moments of freedom."