INNER CONNECTIONS

THE DAILY BREAD:  The R. D. Laing Connection.

In 1971, whilst attending Sydney Boys High School, I  attempted to read Ronnie Laing's first book, The Divided Self.  Just mentioning the title of this book (which I later found out was the name,  that the 19th. Century American philosopher and psychologist William James,   gave  to  one of  his own  lectures - published in a book titled,  The Varieties of Religious Experience - is enough to bring back all the excitement and freshness of that time; the excitement and freshness of that exhilarating first bite of the Forbidden Apple of the Tree of Knowledge!

It is no ('mere') co-incidence that at that time I was also making my first explorations into that other field of knowledge, curiously akin to the first;  reductively  referred  to as 'carnal' (from the Latin word for 'flesh').  All  True Knowledge  is essentially - Knowledge of The Difference.  

To return to The Divided Self,  I must admit, at that time I didn't really understand it!  This does not surprise me.  It was enough to at least try to understand what Ronnie was on about!

It was also enough to be seen to be 'reading' this book; along with other such 'in' books as Timothy Leary's The Politics of Ecstacy;  R. D. Laing's 1967 book, The Politics of Experience;  Herman Hesse's Steppenwolf -  my favourite Hesse novel - Narziss and Goldmund; and of course Aldous Huxley's  Island.

I had no idea at that time that I would in a few years find myself in London, living in a 'Laingian' psycho-therapeutic community!

More specifically, I lived for a total of approx. 3 and a half  years  in one of The Philadelphia Association's  Community Houses in London. The house that I lived in was located at 74 Portland Rd. Holland Park, West London.

Dr. Hugh Alexander Crawford was the 'house therapist' at this particular therapeutic community; and was perhaps Ronnie's closest colleague at the time (1976-1979); he was certainly 'on a par' with Ronnie in terms of psychotherapeutic 'acumen.'

I wholeheartedly believe that Dr. R.D. Laing was a truly 'spiritual' person.

Dr. Hugh Crawford, I believe, was a 'spiritually advanced' person. He may even have been a 'sixth-plane saint.'  More particularly, a 'salik-like pilgrim' of the sixth plane of consciousness. (for detailed descriptions of all types of 'god-intoxicated' souls, as well as other categories of  'spiritually advanced souls',  see Dr.William Donkin's Magnum Opus - The Wayfarers).

I also believe that Hugh was a direct agent of Avatar Meher Baba. He revealed this to me in a number of ways.  Firstly, in his handling of so-called 'schizophrenic' and 'psychotic' individuals.  He treated  them with the same respect and reverence that Meher Baba treated the 'masts' of India.

He made only one direct statement that I am aware of, in September 1979,  to the effect that he was actually doing the very same work with us that  Meher Baba was doing with the masts of India and elsewhere.

This disclosure came as a surprise to perhaps everyone but myself!

We were seated around the long table in the downstairs kitchen at 74 Portland Road, on a Monday or Wednesday night, when apparently 'out of the blue'  Hugh made this pronouncement.  Most of the residents who were present on that occasion did not seem to have any idea of what he was talking about, however, I immediately recognised the significance of Hugh's words; although, I must say, I was also somewhat 'taken aback' as Hugh had never so much as hinted to me that he even know of the existence of Avatar Meher Baba!   And this, in spite of the fact that two years earlier in November, 1977,  I had contacted the Meher Baba Association at Eccleston Square, London and  made no attempt to conceal the fact.

I would be wearing my black velvet jacket with a Meher Baba 'button 'on  the lapel, with a photo of Baba on it;  Hugh could not have missed it!  However, he said nothing, and gave no other indication over the next two years!

I can understand this apparent 'non-acknowledgement' now.  There is an Eastern (perhaps Sufi) tradition of not revealing ones inner connection with (GOD) 'The Beloved.' It is also instructive to note that this was perhaps Hugh's last contact with us as a group. He soon after suffered a heart attack which presaged his 'passing' about nine months later - (see Rembering Dr. Hugh Alexander Crawford on his 88th. Birthday).


This experience in London completely reset my whole attitude towards the question of  'mental health' verses 'mental illness.'


Ronnie Laing himself  had proposed a revolutionary new treatment approach to the so-called 'mentally ill.'

There is a very interesting, and I believe crucial connection between Avatar Meher Baba's work with the 'mad' and 'masts' and Dr. R. D. Laing's work with so-called 'schizophrenics' in London during the 1960's and 70's.

This connection could not be more transparent - the first 'ashram' or 'psycho-spiritual' community that Laing set up was in the very same building in East London  that Mahatma Ghandi was staying in when Meher Baba visited him in 1931!  Namely, Kingsley Hall.

For five years between 1965 and 1970, Kingsley Hall was not only a refuge and sanctury for persons undergoing extreme mental distress and acute personal transformation, but also served as a contact point for everyone interested in the 'counter-cultural' revolution which was currently taking place in London in the 1960's.

It will probably come as no surprise to you that I attribute this rapid unfolding of human creativity and spiritual wisdom to Avatar Meher Baba. And more specifically to the precise nature of the Most Intensive Work  that He was engaged in at that time - that is, His Universal Work.







MeherStar 

INNER CONNECTIONS

Tuesday, 18th. September, 2012.

THE DAILY BREAD:  The Adrian Rawlins connection.

I first re-met Adrian in this my present life in February, 1972. This meeting took place in the kitchen of a terrace house in Rozelle, Sydney, that  I was sharing with a number of others.  I guess it was a fairly typical 'hippie style' (impromptu) 'community' of the time.  During the remainder of 1972, I had ample opportunity to visit and stay at many other such 'communities.'

What occurred to me after residing at this Rozelle address for a few weeks was to radically change the possible, and perhaps probable course of my life. I returned 'home' one day to the usual situation of people getting stoned on grass, etc., attempting to cook something to eat, and so on. However, this particular evening there was something strikingly different happening. There, seated in a chair in the kitchen (visible from the hallway) was the 'larger than life' presence of  - somebody. There was, however,  something altogether different about this particular 'somebody.' .

I was immediately introduced to Adrian.  It was a most 'informal' and unique introduction: we needed no introduction.  I was at that time approx. 17.5 yrs. old. This would have been the average age of residents living at this address at the time.

I shall not go into any further detail at the present time, regarding this first meeting,  other than to say that through this meeting with Adrian, I was re-introduced to Avatar Meher Baba.

I now believe that I probably met Meher Baba in person in my last re-incarnaon. This would have been in the 1930's in London. Whilst in London, in November, 1977, I met (re-met?)  Delia De Lion and Fred Marks.

However, the inner connection was re-established consciously, for the first time (in this present life-time) through Adrian in February, 1972.

It may be useful to remind my readers that at this time (early 1970's) it was a common theme to attempt to 'expand' ones consciousness -  usually this took the form of utilising a variety of  'chemical keys,'  the most prevalent of  which was cannabis.  However, there was a fair bit of LSD,  Psilocybian mushrooms, etc. The aim was to increase ones consciousness; to achieve a higher level of consciousness.

However, it quickly became apparent to me upon meeting Adrian for the first time, that one did not necessarily need to utilise chemical means to achieve higher consciousness; and that this higher consciousness could be a lasting achievement.  From the moment that I first met Adrian ,  I  experienced this natural 'spiritual high' for myself, upon making the inter-personal (and 'transpersonal') connection! This was indeed something new to me at that time!

 I  have had many opportunities to explore this phenomenon, as well as its precise meaning for me;  in various contexts, and with various other persons, in the interviening  years.


I think it appropriate here to quote from Avatar Meher Baba's Discourses (7th. edn.,p.186) in relation to the fact that all human persons are constantly 'inter-acting' inwardly all the time, irrespective of whether they are aware of this or not: "Those who have even a preliminary acquaintance with the structure and laws of the inner spheres of existence know that complete isolation of human beings is a figment of the imagination."

".....Whether they desire it or not, all persons are constantly acting and interacting upon each other by their very existence, even when they do not establish any contact on the physical plane." (ibid.,p.186).

The  above description  of 'inner connection' and  'inter-action' on the inner planes of existence coincides exactly with my own description of Soul Alchemy.


As I have mentioned previously, it was sometime in late February that I first 're-met' Adrian in this present life-time. I have many  clear memories of my experiences of companionship with Adrian from 1972. One such experience from that time is of the Easter Weekend in 1972, whilst travelling in a V.W.  'combie' van from Sydney to Byron Bay. We stopped off at a Zoo on the Pacific Highway, near Coffs Harbour.I had not as yet read or rather, attempted to read Meher Baba' s book God Speaks, except for the first few pages of Part-1: Titled, States of  Consciousness:  "All souls (atmas) were, are and will be in the Over-Soul (Paramatma). Souls (atmas) are all One. All souls are infinite and eternal. They are formless. All souls are One; there is no difference in souls or in their being and existence as souls. There is a difference in the consciousness of souls; there is a difference in the planes of consciousness of souls;there is a difference in the experience of souls and thus there is a difference in the state of souls." (excerpted from God Speaks; Meher Baba,  p. 38, 1972, edn. Dodd Mead, New York).

To  return to my anecdote,  It was still quite hot travelling up the coast in early April, 1972, so we decided to take a break, and check out the local zoo, with all it's wondrous creatures of the various   'Kingdoms' of evolution. Most memorable of all  (on account of Adrian's inter-action with this particular creature) was the large White Cockatoo, in a not so large cage. We stopped to 'have a chat' with this  creature in an un-natural (human imposed)  state of captivity.

























MeherStar.