Are You Ill? Or Just Evolving?

by Margaret Stephens

©2002 Margaret Stephens

Although laughter is often the best medicine, people who are debilitated by the symptoms of fibro- myalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome might think that a joke about their condition is a cruel use of humor.

But we who are familiar with the daily struggle to function often find that a good laugh at our own expense is the best antidote —just what the doctor ordered! — to help bring a new perspective into the relationship with our disobedient brains and bodies.

By sharing my personal story and the results of many years of spiritual study, I am asking you to consider ideas that might be unfamiliar about the cause behind the growing number of people who have been diagnosed with auto-immune and neurological dysfunctions.

I ask you to consider that the pain, fatigue, and physical disruptions associated with chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia are indications, on a massive scale, that the human kingdom is evolving from a level of consciousness focused only in the intellect to a consciousness that is expanding into the level of the intuition.

The effort of the brain and the neurological system to coordinate the transition from one level of consciousness to another could be compared to the task of a commander-in-chief who is trying to lead, organize, and vitalize the troops—millions of little points of light within the cells and atoms of the body—toward a common objective.

My story began in 1989 with the breakdown of many physical and cognitive functions following a severe case of mononucleosis. None of the systemic dysfunctions were found to be caused by any disease known to the medical community at the time. In 1992 I received a “default diagnosis” of chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia. Since that time I have tried a wide variety of treatment methods—from antidepressants to B-12 shots to behavior modification techniques to physical therapy—all meant to increase stamina and relieve chronic pain and debilitating fatigue. Some treatments were helpful, but none were curative, and I became intimately familiar with the meaning of chronic.

Coincidentally, (or not!) I have been a serious student of ancient wisdom concepts since 1977 when I began to practice TM (transcendental meditation) and to study many books written about spirituality and the spiritual sciences. Authors such as Helena Blavatsky, Alice Bailey, Rev. Carol E. Parrish, Jane Roberts, Torkom Saraydarian, Manly P. Hall, A. E. Powell, and Dr. Douglas Baker—to name but a few—became my constant companions and gave me many insights even as I watched my previously fine cognitive abilities deteriorate and my once resilient and active body say: “No more.”

In 1992 I enrolled in Sancta Sophia Seminary, and as I continued to meditate, read, observe, and ponder, I began to wonder: “What if the multi-system disruptions and dysfunctions that characterize both of these diagnoses could be indications of the evolutionary unfoldment of consciousness rather than a regressive process that will inevitably lead to a more limited level of functionality?”

This notion so intrigued me that I chose to write my master’s thesis about the relationship of the symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia to the evolutionary processes known as transformation, transmutation, and transfiguration. An explanation of transformation, transmutation, and transfiguration might be helpful:

Transformation refers to purification of the physical and the emotional bodies to such a degree that the first major advancement in consciousness can be successfully achieved. At the time of the transformation or first initiation, twenty-five percent of the matter of the body has been transformed to vibrate at the frequency of the atomic sub-plane. During this process, a portion of the slow-moving fire of matter has been raised to the more rapid vibration of solar fire.

Transmutation or second initiation occurs when fifty percent of the matter of the physical, emotional, and mental bodies has been raised to the vibratory rate of the atomic sub-plane. At this time, potent solar fire flows into the three personality vehicles as the personality becomes aligned with soul.

When seventy-five percent of the matter of the three-fold personality has been stimulated and raised to the atomic sub-plane, Transfiguration, or the third major advancement in consciousness, can occur. At this time, the electric fire of the higher spiritual triad pours into the personality triad, thereby releasing and amplifying the light of the atoms within the lower three bodies: the physical, emotional, and mental vehicles. Transfiguration or the third initiation is actually the process of creating a new vehicle of expression for the spirit within, at which time soul infusion is accomplished.

In his extensively researched book, The Future of the Body, Michael Murphy, co-founder of the Esalen Institute in California, suggests that the forces of evolution are pressing against human physical forms and psychological structures in an attempt to “shift the collective from realization to actualization.” 1

Spiritual writers such as Alice A. Bailey and Rev. Carol E. Parrish-Harra suggest that the challenge before the mass of humanity today is to successfully take the first major advancement in consciousness (Transformation or the first initiation), that a smaller percentage of humanity is being challenged to take the second major step forward (Transmutation or the second initiation), and that an even smaller number of humanity is moving toward Transfiguration or the third initiation.

It is also suggested that the forces of evolution have increased the stimulation that is being focused upon the Earth in an effort to help humanity successfully take its next leap forward in consciousness. We have only to observe the phases of the moon each month to understand the potent effect that stimulation from extra-planetary bodies has upon planetary life. Today scientists know that the magnetism of the moon draws and controls the tides of the Earth’s oceans. Perhaps less well known is that the magnetic pull of the moon affects all living beings— animals, plants, and humans—whether or not that influence is recognized consciously. The growth and migration of many animals is timed to lunar influence.

Throughout the ages farmers have known that the planting, pruning, and cultivation of crops is greatly enhanced when the effect of lunar rhythms is recognized. In the human kingdom, the moon influences the human psyche and increases the vibratory rate of the etheric body—the subtle energy body that connects the dense physical body with all the more subtle planes of existence. Each month many people experience the heightened magnetism of the moon as a direct, physical sensation that “makes them, on the positive side, more physically speedy and energized, and on the negative side, more anxious and nervy.” 2

The vibratory rate and condition of the etheric body is extremely important because not only does it connect the physical body with the higher realms, it also acts as a protective filter between the dense energy of the material planes and the fiery energy of the subtle worlds. This fact is especially important in relation to the human brain, nervous system, and glandular systems. William Bloom, author of Sacred Times, writes:

The human brain, the nervous system, and the glands which feed the endocrine system are all interwoven and protected by etheric webs. These webs, which are similar to spiders’ webs, act as protective filters, blocking or toning down energy from the more subtle, higher-vibrational inner planes. This means that no inner-plane energy or information can anchor down into the human body, particularly into the brain, nervous and glandular systems, without passing through the etheric webs. More than that, the different regions of the physical brain itself, each with its own specific function, are divided from each other by etheric webs. . . . This is vital to mental health, particularly in the areas of the brain which are concerned with unconscious and subconscious dynamics . . . 3

The brain is the bio-computer that regulates all systems of the human body, and like any computer, the brain requires command input for it to function. The question that has yet to be answered to the satisfaction of the physical sciences community is, “Who is doing the data entry?”

Spiritual science suggests that the quality and quantity of energy received from the subtle planes through the etheric body and the chakra system directly affect the command centers within the brain and that the various glands and systems of the physical body respond either to commands that are harmonious (we experience balance and a sense of well-being) or to commands that are conflicted (we experience imbalance and quite often dis-ease).

Through the discovery of fossilized remains paleontologists have demonstrated that the evolution of one species into another is often achieved by the mutation of certain members into a new form that is better suited to new planetary conditions. Yesterday it was the dinosaur, but today it is the human being who is being stimulated to adapt, change, and mutate into a form that is perhaps a more suitable vehicle for the expression of the more refined and fiery incoming energy.

In his book, A Brief History of Everything, Ken Wilbur examines the course of evolution as the unfolding manifestation of spirit and suggests that there are recurring patterns, known within the subculture of esoteric understanding, that have much to teach about the “predicament of our world—and the direction we must take if ‘global transformation’ is to become a reality.” 4 He writes:

Spirit is present at each and every stage of the evolutionary process, as the very process itself. As Hegel would put it, the Absolute is ‘the process of its own becoming; it becomes concrete or actual on by its development.’ . . . This transformation is already proceeding, with or without you and me, but if we want to get on board, if we want to consciously find these evolutionary currents operating in our own being . . . if we want to consciously join Spirit-in-action . . . we will want to talk about . . . how this coming transformation—and the higher spiritual stages—will appear and manifest . . . 5

In the past, conscious participation in the evolutionary process was only possible to those who lived and studied in seclusion at the great temples of initiation.

But today the human family is being asked to participate in this global transformation, not within the safety of a secluded environment, but by transcending fear and limitation within the stresses and responsibilities of everyday life. Modern writers call this process of change/adaptation/and mutation the awakening or ascension process and often refer to it as building the light body.

Depth psychologist, John Welwood, suggests that the “movement from personality to being, leading toward liberation from the prison of the conditioned self” is relatively easy to achieve compared with the transformation that is required to “draw this realization to penetrate the dense conditioned patterns of body and mind, so that the spiritual can be fully integrated . . . and the personal life can become a transparent vessel for ultimate truth or divine revelation.” 6

Although the medical community has not yet found a consistent cause for chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia, research shows that the majority of people affected by these disorders have experienced a stressful event or undergone some viral-like process in the year before the onset of symptoms. Many of the people interviewed for my thesis research also said they had experienced a severe case of the flu after which they were never the same.

In the purification process required to create a lighter and healthier body, the physical and psychological effort needed to transcend old fears and outworn patterns that loom as barriers to achieving the first (Transformation) and the second (Transmutation) initiations creates a great deal of stress. During any stressful situation and especially during emotional clearing, the endocrine glands (hypothalamus, pituitary, pineal, adrenals, and gonads) are greatly overworked when deep-seated fears and repressed memories are triggered. When we experience emotional or physical stress, our hormone production becomes erratic.

If stress occurs on a continuous basis, some hormones are depleted or wiped out completely while others are over-produced. The results are symptoms of weight gain, aching joints and muscles, short-term memory loss, persistent fatigue, low-grade fevers, word searching—all of which are associated with the symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia.

What if chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia are not diseases but are an indication of the success of the evolutionary process of transformation?

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is described as an “enigmatic, potentially disabling, complex, multidimensional systemic process” whose manifestations “most likely involve a complex interplay of multiple systems, in particular, an unregulated immune system, affecting and being affected by the neuro-endrocrine system and the HPA [hypothalamic, pituitary, adrenal] axis.” 8

Students of ancient wisdom know that the endrocrine glands are the densification of the seven chakras, a Sanskrit word meaning “wheel” or “disk.” These wheels are stacked in a column of energy from the base of the spine to the top of the head, and each one serves as a focal point to receive, assimilate, and distribute energy. Those familiar with spiritual science know that the three centers in the head are especially important in the process of initiation and that with each expansion of consciousness and associated increase in the percentage of atomic matter of the body, there is a corresponding increase in the intensity of light within the head centers.

It is especially interesting to note that in addition to chronic pain and overstimulation of the central nervous system, people diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia often report a pattern of non-restorative or interrupted sleep called the “alpha-EEG anomaly, in which one can fall asleep without much difficulty, but stage four deep-level sleep is constantly interrupted by bursts of awake-like brain activity.” 9

Because the physical body receives extensive repair and renewal of cells, muscles, and tissue during this very deep non-REM or delta level of sleep, it’s not surprising that debilitating fatigue and a cumulative breakdown in the healthy functioning of a wide variety of body systems often accompany the above-mentioned pattern of non-restorative sleep.

Perhaps the increase in the intensity of the light within the head centers that occurs during the process of initiation affects the body’s ability to accurately recognize when it is night (sleep) and when it is day (awake).

In her book, The Highly Sensitive Person: How to Thrive When the World Overwhelms You, the author interviews research psychologist and psychotherapist, Elaine Aron, who says that high sensitivity is not an abnormality but a normal state that is shared by fifteen to twenty percent of the population. According to Aron, highly sensitive people share a number of characteristics such as strong reactions to external stimuli especially noise and light, high arousal by new or prolonged stimulation, uncommonly sensitive nervous systems, a more reactive immune system, and brains that differ from those of other individuals. She writes: “Studies have shown that they have more activity—and blood flow—in the right hemisphere of the brain. . . . They often have decreased serotonin levels . . .” 10

The esoteric understanding is that spiritual practices such as meditation and contemplation stimulate the activity of the right side of the brain, resulting eventually in the left hemisphere’s ability to consciously access the creative functions of the right hemisphere.

MRI imaging of patients diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome shows that “most of the marked abnormalities were manifested in the frontal lobes and brain stem. . . . The CFS group showed a significant hypo-metabolism in right medio-frontal cortex and brain stem in comparison to healthy controls.” 11 This scientific documentation of increased activity and alteration in brain function not only supports the ancient wisdom statement that the true purpose of science is to prove the existence of the inner reality but also presents tangible evidence that human glands, organs, and body systems are being stimulated by a cause that is as yet unknown to the majority of people.

Students of the spiritual sciences understand that the cause of this stimulation is the evolutionary impulse that is urging the human kingdom to take its next great step forward in consciousness.
A result of the increased activity between the left and right hemispheres of the brain will be the creation of the pre-frontal lobe of the brain that will bring greater sensitivity, sharpened mental perceptions, and latent soul powers into everyday consciousness.

Rev. Carol Parrish, who is well-known as an expert in the science of meditation, suggests that the pre-frontal lobe will be built as a result of increased stimulation to the right hemisphere, which then creates an increase in the electrical impulses that flow back and forth between the two hemispheres of the brain. Within the next two hundred and fifty years the human head will become elongated, have a higher forehead and a “pronounced buddha bump, the senses will become more refined, and the human family will become conscious of the more subtle worlds.” 12

Both the spiritual and the physical sciences agree that the development of the human brain documents the expansion of human consciousness and ability. The reptilian brain was the first part of the human brain to develop, followed by the paleo-mammalian brain, and later by the neo-mammalian or cerebral brain, known also as the neo-cortex with its unique left and right hemisphere functions. It is also widely known that large areas of the human brain are not in use at present, but the potential exists for additional growth.

Research has shown that the brain of a person with significantly low intelligence is almost without convolutions, while the brain of an intelligent person has many convolutions. 13 Study of the human brain has also indicated that when the intelligent person continues to learn and to reason throughout the lifetime, the convolutions of the brain are multiplied and deepened resulting in increased brain area and abilities. 14

An understanding of the relationship between the brain and the nervous system, from both an exoteric and an esoteric viewpoint, is important to the person who is trying to attain a degree of wellness, which is defined as the optimum harmony and balance one can realize at the present moment, even during chaotic transition periods that naturally accompany growth, change, and adaptation.

John White, editor of The Highest State of Consciousness, says: “enlightenment seems to involve a repatterning of neural networks and in the process our multiple brains become one brain.” 15 Thus the neo-cortex (the thinking-intellect) and the limbic/reptilian system (the feeling-emotion) and the medulla oblongata (where the vagus nerve arises) achieve a new mode of intercellular communication that results in a new state of consciousness.

The autonomic (or involuntary) nervous system is a double chain of nerve ganglia in front of each side of the vertebral column. This double chain of nerves leads from the spinal cord and brain to the glands, blood vessels, viscera, heart, and smooth muscles, controls their involuntary functions and is responsible for the maintenance and well-being of our physical body under the direction of the subconscious and instinctual nature.

The brain is the principal center of the voluntary nervous system that through its connection to the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, larynx, and other means of sense perception, adjusts humanity to the outer world.

According to Manly P. Hall, animals have twenty-eight pairs of spinal nerves that belong to the sympathetic nervous system, while the human spinal cord has thirty-one pairs that convey motor impulses from the brain to the voluntary nervous system. He suggests that “spiritualizing the last three pairs of nerves will enable man to contact a higher force than he is aware of today.” 16

Dr. Douglas Baker suggests that “of the twelve cranial nerves, none is more important in spiritual work and in the transformation process than the tenth, the pneumogastric (or vagus) nerve, rising in the medulla in the brain, extending to the lungs and stomach, and mirroring the pathways of the sympathetic nervous system.” 17 Baker and Hall agree that two powerful chakras connect with the vagus nerve: the heart center and the root center at the base of the spine.

During the process of initiation and as the matter of the body vehicles is being transformed into a higher vibratory rate, the fiery core of each cell is stimulated and awakened until the fire of matter is raised from its dwelling place in the root center (chakra) to meet the fire of the soul in its home, the heart. Transformation and Transmutation continue until, eventually, solar fire is raised to meet the electric fire of spirit.

Dr. Baker says that the disciple is a spiritual embryo who must grow new equipment for perception of the inner worlds and for dealing with higher energies. He also suggests that the vagus nerve is the “physical organ that bears the main brunt of these fiery intrusions, that the vagus nerve provides the main physical channel for the conducting of Fire into the substance of the tissues themselves, and that the region of the vagus would be the main site where transformation of atoms of low order . . . into atoms of high vibration . . . would occur.” 18

There is often a period of chaos and adjustment within the seven energy centers and within their outer correspondences, the endocrine glands, during the process of ascending from one level of consciousness to another. When the more refined and fiery vibration of the new incoming energy meets and interacts with the outgoing denser energy, this exchange creates an alchemical reaction that often results in disruption, disintegration, and temporary dysfunction of the chakras and their outer correspondence, the endrocrine glands, before a new state of equilibrium can be successfully achieved.

While it is true that the interplay between the denser vibration of the fire of matter and the more refined vibration of the fire of the soul creates reactions that are at first disruptive, this interaction eventually results in the release of a new radiance not only within the consciousness but also within its reflection, the physical body. At that time, the physical body becomes irradiated by the light of the soul.

The fundamental questions become: How can we help our bodies handle the stress that results from this fiery stimulation, and how can we develop new ways to cope with the chaos of transition?

I believe it is important to find a physician who is familiar with the most current research and recommended treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia. Many people with these diagnoses have become defensive because of previous unpleasant experiences with the medical community or with their own family and friends who find it difficult to understand why the patient is no longer able to participate in family, social, or work life. A doctor who can clearly convey to the patient that the clinical characteristics of fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome are not imaginary or symptoms of psychological dysfunction is needed to reassure the patient that together they can develop a plan which might alleviate the most distressing symptoms.

A physician whose attitude is positive, empathetic, warm, and caring contributes greatly to the psychological well-being of the patient who needs to understand and accept that, although pain is likely to be a part of life for the foreseeable future, together they can find a way to help focus the patient not only on the symptoms but also on learning how to become as functional and active as possible.

Working with a qualified counselor to deal with the stresses related to the process of moving beyond familiar but outworn patterns into the new and unknown can also be helpful to the patient.

Relaxation and alignment techniques such as meditation, physical therapy, and gentle massage often bring relief to painful tissues and muscles.

A lighter diet, more rest, lots of fresh air and sunshine, vitamins, supplements, and homeopathic remedies such as flower essences can have a beneficial effect on the body systems and bring a new sense of well-being.

Molly Sheehan, owner of Green Hope Farms, describes the important relationship between the flower essence made from the orchid named Titan and the process of transformation:

Titan . . . for the healing and strengthening of the immune system so we can mutate into these superhuman bodies. The transformation process underway on earth means that we either grow with the light into these light bodies or suffer from breakdowns in our immune system leading to disease or death. . . . Not only will Titan support our transformation to these bodies by strengthening the immune system but it will also support the transformation by strengthening our parasympathetic nervous system especially brain synapses. Our brain firings are changing rapidly because a light body necessarily works differently than a dense human body. 19

I believe it is vitally important to understand that the stresses related to the natural processes of Transformation, Transmutation, and Transfiguration are not to be fought or feared but to be celebrated as an indication of the success of the evolutionary impulse that is impelling the consciousness of the fourth kingdom in nature, the human family, to expand and become the fifth kingdom—the kingdom of soul upon Earth.

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FOOTNOTES
(clicking on the note takes you back to the article reference)

1. Michael Murphy, The Future of the Body (Los Angeles: Jeremy P. Tarcher, Inc., 1992), book jacket.
2. William Bloom, Sacred Times (Findhorn, Scotland: Findhorn Press, 1990), 62.
3. Ibid., 63
4. Ken Wilber, A Brief History of Everything (Boston: Shambhala Publications, Inc., 1996), xii.
5. Ibid., 82, 301.
6. John Welwood, “Embodying Your Realization: Psychological Work in the Service of Spiritual Development,” Pathways (April-June 2000): 17–18.
7. Samuel Shor, MD, “Update into the Pathogenesis of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome,” Journal of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (July 2002): 2–3.
8. “Name That Muscle Pain,” Women’s Health Connections, vol. 3, no. 6, (February/March 1996): 2.
9. Maggie Oman Shannon, “Overwhelmed by the World?” Utne Reader (November–December 2000): 90–91.
10. Shor, “Update,” Journal of Chronic Fatigue: 12.
11. Carol E. Parrish-Harra, Adventure in Meditation, vol. 1 (Tahlequah, OK: Sparrow Hawk Press, 1995), 5–9.
12. Michael D. Lemonick, “Was Einstein’s Brain Built for Brilliance?”; Time Magazine, 28 June 1999, 54.
13. Ibid.
14. John White, ed., The Highest State of Consciousness (Garden City, New York: Doubleday-Anchor, 1972), 35.
15. Manly P. Hall, Man, Grand Symbol of the Mysteries (Los Angeles: Philosophical Research Society, Inc., 1972), 202.
16. Douglas Baker, The Jewel in the Lotus, 5th ed. (Herts, England: Baker Publications, 1995), 224–225.
17. Ibid.
18. Molly Sheehan, A Guide to Green Hope Farm Flower Essences (Meriden, NH: Green Hope Farm, 1997), 122–123.