Gateway Project: French Translation of the CIA Document

This is a machine translation by DeepL of the CIA document, from English to French.
Here is the original document: https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/CIA-RDP96-00788R001700210016-5.pdf
The missing page 25 comes from this site: https://www.vice.com/en/article/v7e4g3/found-page-25-of-the-cias-gateway-report-on-astral-projection

IAGPC-0
Approved for release 2003/09/10: CIA-RDP96-00788R001700210016-5 DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY
US ARMY OPERATIONAL GROUP
US ARMY INTELLIGENCE AND SECURITY COMMAND
FORT GEORGE G. MEADE, MARYLAND 207SS

9 June 1983

SUBJECT: Analysis and Evaluation of the Gateway Process
TO: Commander
U.S. Army Operational Group
Fort Meade, MD 20755

1. You tasked me with providing an assessment of the Gateway experience from the standpoint of its mechanics and practicality. As I undertook this assignment, it quickly became evident that to evaluate the validity and practicality of the process, I needed to do enough research and analysis to fully understand how and why the process works. Frankly, sir, this proved to be an extremely complex and challenging task. Initially, based on conversations with a physician who underwent Gateway training with me, I turned to the biomedical models developed by Itzhak Bentov for insights into the physical aspects of the tile process. Then, I had to draw on various sources of information regarding quantum mechanics to be able to describe the nature and functioning of human consciousness. I needed to construct a scientifically valid and reasonably lucid model of how consciousness operates under the influence of the hemispheric synchronization technique employed by Gateway. Once that was done, the next step was to use theoretical physics to explain the nature of spacetime and the means by which expanded human consciousness transcends it to achieve Gateway’s objectives. Finally, I again found it necessary to use physics to bring the entire phenomenon of out-of-body states back into the language of physical science, to remove the stigma of its occult connotations and place it in a frame of reference suitable for objective evaluation.
   
2. I began the narrative by briefly describing the fundamental biomedical factors that affect related techniques such as hypnosis, biofeedback, and transcendental meditation, so that their goals and modes of operation could be compared in the reader’s mind to the Gateway experience as the model of its underlying mechanics was developed. Additionally, this introductory material is useful for supporting the conclusions of the article. I note that sometimes these related techniques can provide useful entry points to accelerate movement toward the Gateway experience.
   
3. Niels Bohr, the renowned physicist, once responded to his son’s complaints about the obtuse nature of certain concepts in physics by saying: “You’re not thinking, you’re just being logical”. The physics of altered human consciousness deals with certain concepts that are not easy to grasp or visualize exclusively within the context of ordinary “left-brain” linear thinking. Thus, to paraphrase Dr. Bohr, some parts of this document will require not only logic but also a touch of right-brain intuition to achieve a complete and comfortable understanding of the concepts involved. Nevertheless, once that hurdle is crossed, I am confident that their construction and application will withstand the test of rational criticism.
   
4. Paradoxically, after making so much effort to avoid trying to make judgments based on an occult or dogmatic frame of reference, I ultimately found it necessary to return, at least briefly, to the question of the impact of the Gateway experience on common belief systems. I did so because, even though it was essential to avoid trying to make an assessment within the context of these systems, I felt it necessary, after completing the analysis, to emphasize that the resulting conclusions do not impinge on the fundamental mainstream of Eastern or Western belief systems. If this point is not clearly established, there is a danger that some people will reject the entire concept of the Gateway experience, mistakenly believing that it contradicts and is therefore alien to everything they hold to be right and true.
   
5. This study is certainly not designed to have the last word on the subject, but I hope that the validity of its basic structure and the fundamental concepts on which it rests will make it a useful guide for other USAINSCOM staff who must undergo Gateway training or work with Gateway materials.
   
   Wayne MCDONNELL
   LTC, MI
   Commander, Det 0

The Gateway Experience: Hemispheric Synchronization in Perspective.

1. Introduction. To describe the Monroe Institute technique for achieving altered states of consciousness (the “Gateway Experience”) involving the synchronization of the cerebral hemispheres or “Hemi-Sync,” the most effective way to begin is by briefly describing the basic mechanisms underlying similar methods such as hypnosis, transcendental meditation, and biofeedback. It is easier to effectively describe what Gateway is by starting with a brief description of related techniques that share some common aspects with the Gateway Experience but are nonetheless different. In this way, we can develop from the outset a frame of reference that will provide useful concepts for explaining and understanding Gateway by comparison as we proceed.

2. Hypnosis . According to the theories of psychologist Ronald Stone and the biomedical engineering models of Itshak Bentov, hypnosis is, in reality, a technique that allows one to gain direct access to the sensorimotor cortex and pleasure centers, as well as to the lower (emotional) brain parts (and associated pleasure centers) on the right side of the human brain, after successfully disengaging the stimulus-filtering function of the left brain hemisphere. The left brain hemisphere is the self-cognitive, verbal, and linear reasoning component of the mind. Its function is to filter incoming stimuli by categorizing, evaluating, and assigning meaning before allowing passage to the right hemisphere of the mind. The right hemisphere, which functions as the non-critical, holistic, non-verbal, pattern-oriented component of the brain, appears to accept what the left hemisphere passes on without question. Therefore, if the left hemisphere can be distracted by boredom or by being reduced to a drowsy, semi-sleep state, external stimuli, including hypnotic suggestions, are allowed through unchallenged into the right hemisphere where they are accepted and implemented directly. This can result in an emotional reaction originating from the lower brain region, sensory/motor responses requiring cortical involvement, etc. The sensory and motor cortices of the right brain hemisphere contain a sequence of points known as the “homunculus” that correspond to points on the body (see illustration 1, next page). Stimulation of the corresponding cortical area causes an intermediate response in the associated body part. Therefore, inducing the suggestion that the left leg is numb, if it reaches the right hemisphere unchallenged and is sent back to the appropriate sensory cortex area, will result in an electrical reaction that causes the sensation of numbness. Similarly, the suggestion that the person is experiencing a general feeling of happiness and well-being will be directed to the appropriate pleasure centers located in the lower part of the brain or in the right hemisphere’s cortex, thereby inducing the suggested euphoric feeling. Finally, suggestions such as those telling the hypnotized subject that they enjoy enhanced concentration or memory powers would be processed in the right hemisphere by accessing an unused information storage capacity, normally held in reserve due to the left hemisphere’s selection and control processes. This aspect will become significant in the context of the Gateway process when examining how hypnosis can be used to accelerate progress in the early stages of the Gateway experience.

Fig A: Homonculus

Fig. B: The motor and sensory cortex, the third ventricle, and the lateral ventricle

Fig. C: View of the third ventricle and lateral ventricle in the context of the associated brain structure

Source Illustration 1: Bentov, Stalking the Wild Pendulum

3. Transcendental meditation. In contrast, transcendental meditation works in a completely different way. In this technique, intense and prolonged concentration on the process of drawing energy up the spinal cord ultimately results in what appears to be the creation of stationary acoustic waves in the brain ventricles, which are then transmitted to the gray matter of the cerebral cortex, on the right side of the brain. According to Bentov, these waves “will stimulate and eventually ‘polarize’ the cortex so that it tends to conduct a signal along the homunculus, starting at the toes and moving upward”. Bentov’s bio-medical model, as described in a book by Lee Sannella, M.D., titled Kundalini-Psychosis or Transcendence, stipulates that the stationary acoustic waves result from the modification of heart sound rhythms that are occasioned by prolonged meditation practice, and that they trigger sympathetic vibrations in the walls of the fluid-filled cavities comprising the third and lateral ventricles of the brain. Furthermore, according to Bentov: “The blissful states described by those whose Kundalini symptoms have completed the full loop along the hemispheres can be explained as self-stimulation of the brain’s pleasure centers caused by the circulation of a ‘current’ along the sensory cortex”. Bentov also notes that “the fact that most described symptoms begin on the left side of the body indicates that this is primarily a development occurring in the right hemisphere”. Although a period of meditation involving intense concentration and practice for five years or more is normally necessary to “raise the Kundalini,” Bentov claims that exposure to mechanical or acoustic vibrations on the order of 4 to 7 Hertz (cycles per second) for prolonged periods can have the same effect. Bentov cites as an example “the repeated driving of a car whose suspension and seat produce this range of vibrations, or exposure for long periods to these frequencies caused, for example, by an air conditioning duct”. He also notes that: “The cumulative effect of these vibrations may be able to trigger a spontaneous physio-Kundalini sequence in sensitive individuals who have a particularly sensitive nervous system.”
   
4. Biofeedback. The third method of altering consciousness that will be briefly described is biofeedback. Biofeedback is somewhat unique in that it uses the self-cognitive powers of the left hemisphere to access right brain areas such as the lower cerebral, motor, and sensory cortices and the pain or pleasure centers. Instead of suppressing the left hemisphere as in hypnosis, or bypassing and ignoring it as in transcendental meditation, biofeedback teaches the left hemisphere first to visualize the desired outcome, then to recognize the feelings associated with the experience of the right hemisphere successfully accessing the specific areas of the lower cerebral cortex, pain or pleasure, or other areas, in the manner necessary to produce the desired result. Special self-monitoring devices, such as the digital thermometer, are used to inform the left brain when it is succeeding in getting the right hemisphere to access the appropriate area. Once this is done, the left brain can then repeatedly ask the right brain to re-establish the pathways involved in such a way as to produce the same external, objective measures of success. In this way, the pathways are reinforced and strengthened to the point that left brain consciousness is able to access the appropriate right brain areas using a conscious request mode. For example, if the subject wishes to increase circulation in the left leg to speed healing, he may focus with his left brain on achieving this result while carefully monitoring a digital thermometer attached to the left leg. When the concentrated effort begins to bear fruit, the digital thermometer records an increase in the temperature of the left leg. At that moment, the subject can mentally (left brain) associate the sensations felt with the result achieved and begin to place emphasis, through memory recall, on the same process in order to reinforce it through affirmation and repetition. In this way, pain can be blocked, healing can be enhanced, malignant tumors can apparently be suppressed and eventually destroyed, the body’s pleasure centers can be stimulated, and a variety of specific physiological outcomes can be achieved. In addition, biofeedback can be used to significantly accelerate the achievement of deep meditative states, especially for beginners who have no experience with meditative techniques and whose progress in this methodology is enhanced by effective visualization and external, objective affirmation. Displaying the subject’s brain waves on a cathode ray tube has been shown to be a laboratory-validated method that allows subjects to quickly learn to place themselves in states of deep relaxation characterized by the kind of tranquility and singular mental focus associated with advanced meditation.
   
5. Gateway and Hemi-Sync. Now that we have briefly described the basic mechanisms of the major techniques for altering or expanding consciousness that share some of the goals and/or methods employed in the Gateway Experience, we can focus on what this technique actually involves. Fundamentally, the Gateway Experience is a training system designed to enhance the strength, concentration, and coherence of the amplitude and frequency of brain waves between the left and right hemispheres, in such a way as to alter consciousness, moving it outside the physical sphere to ultimately escape the restrictions of time and space. The participant then accesses the various levels of intuitive knowledge that the universe offers. What differentiates the Gateway Experience from forms of meditation is its use of the Hemi-Sync technique, defined in a monograph by Melissa Jager, a trainer at the Monroe Institute, as “a state of consciousness defined when the EEG patterns of both hemispheres are simultaneously equal in amplitude and frequency”. Although Hemi-Sync appears to be rather rare and short-lived in ordinary human consciousness, Melissa Jager states that: “The audio techniques developed by Bob Monroe can induce and maintain Hemi-Sync with the Institute’s basic Focus 3 tapes,…” She also notes that: “Studies conducted by Elmer and Alyce Greene at the Menninger Foundation have shown that a subject with 20 years of Zen meditation training could consistently establish Hemi-Sync at will, and maintain it for more than 15 minutes. Dr. Stuart Twemlow, psychiatrist and associate researcher at the Monroe Institute, reports that: In our studies on the effect of the Monroe cassette system on brain waves, we found that the tapes encourage the concentration of brain energy (which can be measured like a light bulb, in watts) into an increasingly narrow “frequency band.” This concentration of energy is reminiscent of the yoga concept of concentration, which can be translated into Western terms as “one-pointed thought.” Dr. Twemlow continues by observing that as the individual listens to the tapes beyond Focus 3, “…there is a progressive increase in the size of the brain waves, which is a measure of the energy or power of the brain.”

6. Lamp or laser: Melissa Jager uses a metaphor to help clarify the process involved in using Hemi-Sync in the Gateway Experience. She emphasizes that the human mind in its natural state can be compared to an ordinary lamp that expends energy in the form of heat and light, but in a chaotic and incoherent manner, dispersing its energy over a wide area with rather limited depth. In contrast, the human mind subjected to the discipline of Hemi-Sync acts like a laser beam that produces a disciplined stream of light. The energy flow is projected with total coherence of frequency and amplitude, so that the surface of a laser beam contains billions of times the concentrated energy found in a similar surface on the sun. Gateway proceeds from the principle that once the frequency and amplitude of the human brain are made coherent, it becomes possible to begin accelerating them so that the human mind soon resonates at increasingly higher vibrational levels. The mind can then synchronize with more sophisticated and rarefied levels of energy in the universe. The mind, when operating at these increasingly high levels, is assumed to be capable of processing information thus received through the same fundamental matrix that allows it to make sense of ordinary physical sensory data, in order to obtain meaning in a cognitive context. This meaning is generally perceived visually in the form of symbols, but it can also be perceived as astonishing flashes of holistic intuition or even in the form of scenarios involving both visual and auditory perceptions. The mechanisms by which the mind exercises the function of consciousness will be discussed in more detail later in this document.
   
7. Frequency Following Response : To achieve synchronization of the cerebral hemispheres, the Hemi-Sync technique takes advantage of a phenomenon known as the Frequency Following Response (FFR), which means that if a subject hears a sound produced at a frequency that emulates one of those associated with human brain function, the brain will try to mimic the same frequency pattern by adjusting its brain wave production. Consequently, if the subject is in a state of full wakefulness but hears sound frequencies that approximate brain wave production at the Theta level, the subject’s brain will strive to change its brain wave pattern from the normal Beta level to the Theta level. Since the Theta level is associated with sleep, the subject in question can go from a state of full wakefulness to a state of sleep (provided they do not consciously resist it) as the brain strives to adapt its wave frequency to what it hears. Given that these brain wave frequencies fall outside the spectrum of sounds that can be heard in pure form by the human ear, Hemi-Sync must produce them based on another phenomenon known as the brain’s ability to deduce “beat” frequencies. If the human brain is exposed to a frequency in the left ear that is 10 Hertz below another audible frequency played in the right ear, instead of hearing either of the two audible frequencies, the brain chooses to “hear” the difference between them, the “beat” frequency. Thus, taking advantage of the FFR phenomenon and using the “beat” frequency technique, the Gateway system uses Hemi-Sync and other audio techniques employing the FFR phenomenon to introduce a variety of frequencies that are played at a practically subliminal, marginally audible level. The goal is to relax the left hemisphere of the brain, place the physical body in a state of virtual sleep, and bring the left and right hemispheres into coherence under conditions designed to promote the production of brain waves of increasingly high amplitude and frequency. Audible and possibly subliminal suggestions from Bob Monroe accompany the various brain wave frequencies, which are sometimes associated with other sounds such as the surf of the sea to mask the sound frequencies when desirable. In this way, Gateway strives to provide the subject with the tools that will allow them to alter their consciousness based on their own will over time, through the repetitive use of the tapes, in order to access, by intuitive means, new categories of information that are not available to ordinary consciousness.
   
8. Role of resonance. However, cerebral coherence through training with the “rhythmic” frequencies introduced by stereo headphones is only part of the reason why the Gateway system works. It is also designed to achieve the physical stillness characteristic of deep transcendental meditative states, which results in a complete modification of the fundamental resonance pattern associated with the sound frequencies produced by the human body. Yoga, zen, or transcendental meditation, if practiced long enough, will produce a change in the sound frequency with which the human heart resonates throughout the body. According to Bentov, this change in resonance results from the elimination of what the medical community calls the “bifurcation echo,” so that the sound of the heartbeat can move in a synchronized manner up and down the circulatory system in a harmonious resonance about seven times per second. Bentov describes the role of the bifurcation echo as follows: “When the left ventricle of the heart ejects blood, the aorta, which is elastic, bulges just beyond the valve and causes a pressure pulse that travels down the aorta. When the pressure pulse reaches the bifurcation in the lower abdomen (which is where the aorta splits into two to go into the legs), part of the pressure pulse bounces back and starts to go back up the aorta. If, in the meantime, the heart ejects more blood and a new pressure pulse comes down, these two pressure points will eventually collide somewhere along the aorta and produce an interference pattern.” By placing the body in a state of sleep, the Gateway tapes achieve the same goal as meditation, in that they put the body into such a deep state of relaxation that the bifurcation echo slowly fades as the heart reduces the force and frequency with which it pushes blood into the aorta. The result is a steady, rhythmic sine wave that reverberates throughout the body and rises to the head in sustained resonance. The amplitude of this sine wave, measured with a sensitive seismograph-type instrument, is about three times the average volume of sound produced by the heart when it is functioning normally.
   
9. Brain stimulation. Bentov’s biomedical model shows that this resonance is of considerable importance since it is directly transmitted to the brain and impacts it. The resulting vibration is received and transmitted to the brain itself through the fluid-filled third and fourth ventricles located above the brainstem. An electromagnetic impulse is then generated and stimulates the brain to increase the amplitude and frequency of brainwaves, as observed by Dr. Twemlow in his research on the effects of the Hemi-Sync tapes. Furthermore, the brain is contained in a watertight membrane called the dura mater, which is itself cushioned by a thin layer of fluid between the dura mater and the skull. When the coherent resonance produced by the human heart in a deep state of relaxation reaches the layer of fluid surrounding the brain, it creates a rhythmic pattern in which the brain moves up and down about 0.005 to 0.010 millimeters continuously. The self-reinforcing nature of the resonant behavior explains the body’s ability to maintain this movement despite the minimal level of energy involved. Thus, the entire body, based on its own micro-movement, functions as a tuned vibratory system that transfers energy in the range of 6.8 to 7.5 Hertz into the Earth’s ionospheric cavity, which itself resonates at about 7-7.5 Hertz. Regarding this process, Bentov states: “This occurs at a very long wavelength of about 40,000 km, roughly the perimeter of the planet. In other words, the signal from the movement of our body will travel around the world in one-seventh of a second through the electrostatic field in which we are immersed. Such a large wavelength knows no obstacles, and its strength does not attenuate much over great distances. Naturally, it passes through just about everything: metal, concrete, water, and the fields that make up our body. This is the ideal medium for transmitting a telepathic signal.”
   Therefore, the Gateway process is designed to relatively quickly induce a deep state of calm in the nervous system and to significantly lower blood pressure so that the circulatory system, skeleton, and all other physical organs begin to vibrate coherently at about 7-7.5 cycles per second. The resulting resonance creates a steady, repetitive sound wave that propagates in consonance with the Earth’s electrostatic field.
   
10. Energy training. As the body is transformed into a coherent oscillator vibrating in harmony with the surrounding electrostatic medium, the specific exercises included in the Gateway tapes instruct the participant to build up the energy field surrounding the body, presumably using the energy of the Earth’s field that the body now entrains due to its ability to resonate with it. The body’s energy field thus becomes homogeneous with the surrounding medium and facilitates the displacement of the seat of consciousness into the surrounding medium, partly in response to the fact that the two electromagnetic mediums form a single energy continuum. Thus, the same process that brings the brain to focused coherence at increasingly higher frequency and amplitude levels in order to entrain analogous frequencies in the universe for data collection also promotes the enhancement of bodily energy levels to a point adequate to allow the subject to experience out-of-body movement when ready to do so (more on this later). Furthermore, by resonating with the Earth’s electromagnetic sphere, the human body creates a surprisingly powerful carrier wave to help the mind communicate with other human minds also tuned in.
    
11. Consciousness and Energy. Before proceeding with our explanation, it is essential to define the mechanism by which the human mind exercises the function known as consciousness, and to describe the manner in which this consciousness operates to deduce meaning from the stimuli it receives. To do so, we will first examine the fundamental character of the material world in which we conduct our physical existence, in order to accurately perceive the raw material with which our consciousness must work. The first remark that imposes itself is that the two terms, matter and energy, tend to be misleading if considered as indicating two distinct states of existence in the physical world as we know it. Indeed, if one considers the term “matter” to denote a solid substance, as opposed to energy, which denotes some force, the use of the first term is quite misleading. Science now knows that the electrons orbiting in the energy field surrounding the atom’s nucleus and the nucleus itself consist only of oscillating energy grids. Solid matter, in the strict sense of the term, simply does not exist. Rather, the atomic structure is composed of oscillating energy grids surrounded by other oscillating energy grids that orbit at extraordinarily high speeds. In his book “Stalking the Wild Pendulum,” Itzhak Bentov gives the following figures. The energy grid composing the atom’s nucleus vibrates at about 10 to the 22nd power Hertz (meaning 10 followed by 22 zeros). At 70 degrees Fahrenheit, an atom oscillates at a rate of 10¹⁵Hertz. A whole molecule, composed of a number of atoms bound together in a single energy field, vibrates at a frequency of 10⁹ Hertz. A living human cell vibrates at about 10³ Hertz. What should be retained is that the entire human being, brain, consciousness, and everything else, is, like the universe surrounding it, nothing more nor less than an extraordinarily complex system of energy fields. The so-called states of matter are in fact variations of the state of energy, and human consciousness is a function of the interaction of energy in two opposite states (motion vs. rest) described in the following paragraph.
    
12. Holograms. Energy creates, stores, and retrieves meaning in the universe by projecting or extending itself at certain frequencies in a three-dimensional mode that creates a living model called a hologram. The concept of a hologram can be understood more easily using an example cited by Bentov in which he asks the reader to visualize a bowl filled with water into which three pebbles are dropped. The ripples created by the simultaneous entry of the three pebbles radiate outward
    toward the edge of the bowl; Bentov asks the reader to visualize that the water’s surface is suddenly frozen so that the ripple pattern is preserved instantaneously. The ice is removed, leaving the three pebbles at the bottom of the bowl. The ice is then exposed to a powerful, coherent source of light, such as a laser. The result will be a model or three-dimensional representation of the position of the three pebbles suspended in the air. Holograms are capable of encoding so much detail that it is possible, for example, to take a holographic projection of a glass of marsh water and observe it under magnification to see small organisms not visible to the naked eye when examining the glass of water itself. The concept of holography, despite its scientific implications, has only been known to physicists since the underlying mathematical principles were worked out by Dennis Gabor in 1947 (he later received the Nobel Prize for his work).
    Laboratory demonstration of Gabor’s work only took place years later, after the invention of the laser. As biologist Lyall Watson explains:
    “The purest light we have is that produced by a laser, which emits a beam in which all waves have the same frequency, like those produced by an ideal pebble in a perfect pond. When two laser beams touch, they produce an interference pattern of light and dark ripples that can be recorded on a photographic plate. And if one of the beams, instead of coming directly from the laser, is first reflected by an object such as a human face, the resulting pattern will be very complex, but it can still be recorded. The recording will be a hologram of the face.”
    
13. The fragment encodes the Whole. It is also important to note that even if we drop our frozen hologram of the ripple pattern on the floor and break it into many pieces, each individual piece will recreate the holographic image in its entirety. The smaller the piece, the blurrier and more distorted the resulting holographic projection would be, but it remains true that a whole projection would be made. The key to creating any hologram is that moving energy must interact with energy at rest (non-movement). In the previous example, the pebbles represent energy in motion while the water (before being disturbed by the pebbles) represents energy at rest. To activate or, in fact, to “perceive” the meaning of a hologram, energy (in this case, a coherent light source such as a laser beam) must pass through the interference pattern generated by the interaction between moving energy and energy at rest. In the simple example given by Bentov, this condition was met by holding the interference pattern frozen in front of the coherent light to project the three-dimensional holographic image (its “meaning”) into space. As Marilyn Ferguson, editor of the Brain/Mind Bulletin, says:
    “Another characteristic of the hologram is its efficiency. Billions of bits of information can be stored in a tiny space. The pattern of the holographic [photograph]… is stored all over the plate.”
    
14. The matrix of consciousness. The universe is composed of interacting energy fields, some at rest and others in motion. It constitutes in itself a gigantic hologram of incredible complexity. According to the theories of Karl Pribram, a neuroscientist at Stanford University, and David Bohm, a physicist at the University of London, the human mind is also a hologram that attunes to the universal hologram through an exchange of energy, thereby deducing meaning and achieving the state we call consciousness. Regarding expanded or altered states of consciousness such as those used by Gateway, the process works as follows. As energy travels through various aspects of the universal hologram and is perceived by the electrostatic fields that make up the human mind, the transmitted holographic images are projected onto these electrostatic fields of the mind and are perceived or understood to the extent that the electrostatic field operates at a frequency and amplitude that can resonate with the energy-carrying wave pattern passing through it and thus “read” it. Changes in the frequency and amplitude of the electrostatic field composing the human mind determine the configuration and thus the character of the holographic energy matrix that the mind projects to intercept meaning directly from the universe’s holographic transmissions. Then, to make sense of what the holographic image is “telling” it, the mind compares the image it has just received with itself. More specifically, it compares the received image with the part of its own hologram that constitutes its memory. By recording the differences in geometric shape and energy frequency, consciousness perceives (see illustration 2, next page). As psychologist Keith Floyd puts it:
    “Contrary to what everyone knows, it may not be the brain that produces consciousness, but rather consciousness that creates the appearance of the brain…”

Illustration 2: Energy Grid of Consciousness
Left Hemisphere — Consciousness Grid
Functions as the mind’s computer software to reduce data received from the right hemisphere into verbal symbols and concepts.
Right Hemisphere — Consciousness Grid
Reduces the three-dimensional holographic image into a two-dimensional “yes/no” (“go”/”no go”) form.

15. The brain in phase: The process of consciousness is more easily envisioned if we imagine the holographic input with a superimposed three-dimensional grid system, so that all the energy patterns it contains can be described in terms of three-dimensional geometry, using mathematics to reduce the data to a two-dimensional form. Bentov states that scientists suspect the human mind operates on a simple binary “go/no go” system, as do all digital computers. Therefore, once it has superimposed a three-dimensional matrix onto the holographic information it wishes to interpret and has mathematically reduced that information to a two-dimensional form, it can process it completely using its fundamental binary system, just as any man-made computer can process volumes of data and perform various comparisons between data and information stored in its digital memory. Our mind works the same way, perceiving only by comparison. Bentov formulates this proposition as follows:
    “In expanded states of consciousness, the right hemisphere of the human brain, in its holistic, non-linear, and non-verbal mode of functioning, acts as the primary matrix or receiver of this holographic input, while the left hemisphere, by functioning in phase or in coherence with the right brain, provides the secondary matrix through its computer-like, binary mode of functioning to further filter the data by comparison and reduce it to a discrete, two-dimensional form.”
    
16. Evaluation. To the extent that Gateway succeeds in refining the energy matrix of the mind, it succeeds in expanding or modifying human consciousness so that it can perceive without recourse to the intercession of the physical senses, so that an ever greater part of the universal hologram (which is not, of course, accessible through sensory perception) can ultimately be perceived and understood. Marilyn Ferguson wrote that the theories of Pribram and Bohm “seem to account for all transcendental experiences, paranormal events, and even the ‘normal’ perceptual oddities…”
    She goes on to say of Pribram:
    “Currently, he proposes an astonishing and comprehensive model that is attracting keen interest among those intrigued by the mysteries of human consciousness. His ‘holographic model’ marries brain research to theoretical physics; it accounts for normal perception and, simultaneously, lifts paranormal and transcendental experiences out of the realm of the supernatural by explaining them as part of nature.”
    “Like certain strange discoveries of quantum physics, the radical reorientation of this theory suddenly makes sense of the paradoxical words of mystics through the ages”.

17. Self-cognition. To complete our description of the process by which the mind attains and exercises consciousness, we must also describe the mechanism that accounts for the aspect of human thought that differentiates it from the consciousness of plants or animals, namely, self-knowledge. Not only does man know, but he knows that he knows. He is able to track the process of his own thinking and remain conscious of it. Moreover, he can carry out a comparative evaluation, assessing the functioning of his thought processes against various “objective” norms he has adopted. Human consciousness can do this because it has the ability to duplicate aspects of its own hologram, project them outward, “perceive” this projection, compare it with the memory aspect where its norms for evaluating its own hologram are stored, and measure or “sense” the differences using three-dimensional geometry, then the binary “go/no go” impulse to produce verbal cognition about the self.
    
18. The space-time dimension. So far, our discussion of the Gateway process has been relatively simple and easy to follow. Now the real work begins. The Gateway involves more than merely perceiving aspects of the universal hologram that are accessible within the space-time dimension as we know it. Explaining how and why human consciousness can be brought to transcend the limits of space-time is the next task to tackle. To do this, we must first understand what time and space are in order to grasp how the dimension they constitute can be transcended. Physicists define time as a measure of energy or force in motion. In other words, it is a measure of change. However, for energy to be in motion, it must first be limited in some way within the confines of some sort of vibrational pattern, so that its confinement gives it the ability to be contained in a specific location that is distinct from other locations (space). Energy that is unconfined is a force without limits, without dimension, without limits of form. It is infinite, cannot move because there is nothing beyond infinity, and therefore lies outside the dimension of time. It is also beyond space, because that concept implies that a specific form of energy is limited to a specific location and absent from other locations. But if energy is in the state of infinity, there are no boundaries, no “here” to differentiate from “there,” no notion of zone. Energy at infinity means energy uniformly extended without limit. It has no beginning, no end, no location. It is a conscious force, the fundamental and primary power of existence without form, an infinite state of being. Energy in infinity is said to be completely at rest and, consequently, cannot generate holograms as long as it remains totally inactive. It retains its inherent capacity for consciousness in that it can passively receive and perceive the holograms generated by energy in motion in the various dimensions that make up the created universe, but it cannot be perceived by consciousness operating in the active universe. Energy in this state of inactive infinity is called by physicists energy in its absolute state, or simply “the Absolute.” Between the Absolute and the “material” universe in which we live our physical existence lie various intermediate dimensions that human consciousness can access in altered states. Theoretically, human consciousness can continue to expand the horizons of its perceptual capacity until it reaches the dimension of the Absolute, where perception stops because the Absolute does not generate holograms of itself or about itself.
    
19. The intermediate dimensions. Since the Absolute is a conscious energy in Infinity (that is, without boundaries), it occupies all dimensions, including the space-time in which we have our physical existence, but which we cannot perceive. It covers everything, as do the many gradients or intermediate dimensions that the energies of the universe traverse to reach their home in the state of infinity (the Absolute) and return from it. To enter these intermediate dimensions, human consciousness must focus with such intense coherence that the frequency of the energy pattern composing that consciousness (i.e., the output of brain waves) can accelerate to the point where the resulting frequency pattern, if displayed on an oscilloscope, would virtually resemble a continuous line. Achieving this altered state of consciousness opens the way to perceiving dimensions other than space-time, due to the application of a physics principle known as the Planck distance.
    This is an aspect of quantum mechanics that applies to the fact that any oscillating frequency (such as a brain wave) reaches two points of complete rest that constitute the limits of each individual oscillation (i.e., the upward or downward movement). Without these rest points, an oscillating wave pattern would be impossible since rest points are necessary to allow the energy to change direction and thus continue to vibrate between rigid limits. But it is also true that when, for an infinitely brief instant, this energy reaches one of its two rest points, it “exits” space-time and rejoins infinity (see illustration 3, next page). This critical exit from space-time occurs when the oscillation speed falls below 10^-33 centimeters per second (Planck distance). To quote Bentov: “…quantum mechanics tells us that when distances drop below the Planck distance, which is 10^-33 cm, we enter, in fact, a new world.” To return to our case, the wave pattern of human consciousness reaches such a high frequency that the pattern of “clicks” is so close together that there is virtual continuity. Then, a part of this consciousness is postulated to establish and maintain its information-gathering function in the dimensions located between space-time and the Absolute. Thus, when the almost continuous “click” pattern establishes itself in continuous phase at speeds below the Planck distance, but before reaching the state of total rest, human consciousness crosses the mirror of space-time in the manner of Alice beginning her journey to Wonderland. The Gateway Experience, with its associated Hemi-Sync technique, is apparently designed, if used systematically and patiently, to allow human consciousness to establish a coherent perception pattern in dimensions where speeds are below the Planck distance. This holds true regardless of whether the individual exercises their consciousness in their physical body or does so after separating that consciousness from the physical body (what is called the out-of-body state mentioned earlier).

Source Illustration 3: Bentov, Stalking the Wild Pendulum
The Absolute in infinity
Upper zone: “Disconnected” portion of oscillating energy traversing intermediate dimensions → Planck distance (10⁻³³ cm)
Central zone: Portion of the oscillating energy pattern in space-time
Lower zone: “Disconnected” portion of oscillating energy in intermediate dimensions → Planck distance (10⁻³³ cm)

20. Subatomic particles. The behavior of subatomic particles provides an interesting example of the “click” phenomenon mentioned in the previous paragraphs. In an article prepared for Science Digest magazine, Dr. John Gliedman mentions how subatomic particles communicate with each other once their energy fields are entrained following a collision. The communication in question is, of course, postulated to occur during the “click phase” in the oscillation of the energy fields comprising the subatomic particles involved. It is this cause that explains the cross-communication at what, in terms of space-time speeds, would seem to involve speeds faster than light. In reality, Einstein’s theory of relativity is not invalidated, but the communication in question takes place outside the space-time dimension to which the theory of relativity is strictly confined. More specifically, Dr. Gliedman tells us: “Quantum theory postulates a kind of long-distance Siamese twin effect when two subatomic particles collide and then take different paths. Even if the particles are at opposite ends of the universe, they react instantaneously to each other’s actions. In doing so, they violate relativity’s prohibition on exceeding the speed of light”. Indeed, regarding attempts to quantify knowledge about the behavior of energy in dimensions seemingly outside space-time, Bentov speaks of “…brave physicists working on hypothetical particles, called ‘tachyons’, which can travel at speeds greater than light. The speed of tachyons starts just above the speed of light and extends to infinite speeds”.
    
21. The intermediate dimensions. Now that we have established the legitimacy of the claim that the energy forms making up consciousness can move beyond the space-time dimension, we must turn our attention to the energy forms that inhabit these dimensions between space-time and the Absolute. By doing so, we can better perceive the shape that “reality” takes when we encounter it in these intermediate dimensions. In this context, Bentov tells us that:
    “The cause-and-effect relationship between events is broken; movements become jerky rather than fluid. Time and space can become ‘granular’ or ‘chunky.’ Perhaps a chunk of space could be traversed by a particle of matter in any direction without being necessarily synchronized with a chunk of time. In short, a pair of events will occur either in time or in space, the pair being connected not causally but by a random fluctuation.”
    What Bentov means is that within the space-time dimension, where the two concepts apply in a generally uniform manner, there is a proportional relationship between them. A certain amount of space can be covered by energy moving as particles or waves in a certain time and at a specific speed, practically everywhere in the space-time universe. The relationship is clean and predictable. However, in the intermediate dimensions beyond space-time, the limitations imposed on energy to put it into an oscillating state are not uniform as they are in our physical universe. A myriad of distortions and incongruities are therefore likely to be encountered, so that our neat and tidy assumptions about the relationship between time and space as we know it in this dimension do not apply. But more importantly, access to the past and the future is opened when the current space-time dimension is abandoned.
    
22. Special status, out-of-body experience. Although human consciousness can, with sufficient training, transcend the space-time dimension and come into contact with other energy systems in other dimensions, the entire process is significantly enhanced if this consciousness can be detached to a large extent from the physical body before such a connection is attempted. Once an individual becomes proficient in the technique of out-of-body movement and reaches the point where they are able to exit space-time while out of their body, they gain the advantage of ‘clicking’ a portion of their enhanced consciousness while starting from a base located much closer to the dimensions they wish to communicate with. In other words, since they start from a much ‘higher’ point, to use a space-time analogy, the part of their consciousness involved in the ‘click’ will have much more time to interact with the dimensions beyond space-time, because it will take less time to traverse the intermediate layers. Moreover, once the individual is able to project their consciousness beyond space-time, that consciousness will logically tend to adapt its output frequency to the new energy environment it is exposed to, which greatly increases the extent to which the individual’s altered consciousness can be further modified to achieve a much higher point of focus and a much more refined oscillation pattern. Consequently, a self-reinforcing process should ensue, whereby the further the consciousness in the out-of-body state can be projected beyond the space-time dimension, the more its energy output level will be enhanced, thus fostering the potential for even farther travel. The provisional conclusion to be drawn is that the out-of-body state can be seen as an extremely effective means of accelerating the process of consciousness enhancement and interfacing with dimensions beyond space-time. If the practitioner of the Gateway technique has the choice to focus on achieving and utilizing the out-of-body experience rather than concentrating all efforts on expanding consciousness exclusively from a physical base, the former seems to promise much faster and more impressive successes than the latter.
    
23. The Absolute in perspective. It may be useful at this point to pause and recap the main aspects of our intellectual journey from spacetime to the realm of the Absolute. We have spoken at length about the incredibly complex hologram that is created by the intersection of energy patterns generated by all dimensions of the universe, including spacetime. We have noted that our minds are energy fields that interact with various aspects of this hologram to extract information that is ultimately processed by the left hemisphere of our brain to reduce it to a form we use for the process we call thought. We have suggested that this hologram is the finite incarnation, in active, energetic form, of the infinite consciousness of the Absolute. That is the title we have given to this vast reservoir of energy in a state of perfect rest upon which the physical universe is superimposed, and from which it originates. To describe this, Bentov uses the analogy of a very deep sea, comparing the calm depths of the sea to the dimension of the Absolute, while attributing the turbulent waves of the storm to the physical universe familiar to us. The slightly agitated ocean currents found between the turbulent surface and the utterly calm depths represent energy coming to rest (i.e., approaching infinity) or emerging from rest.
    
24. From the Big Bang to the Torus. Starting from the widely accepted theory of the “Big Bang,” Bentov presents a conceptual model describing the evolutionary process of spacetime and the relative position of the universal hologram. This hologram is often called a “torus” because it is thought to have the general shape of a huge self-contained spiral. Basing his thesis on recent studies concerning the distribution of quasars (quasi-stellar objects), and starting from the principle that in the universe, the smallest processes tend to be mirror images of the largest (e.g., the pattern of electrons around the nucleus of an atom mirrors the way planets orbit their sun, etc.), and drawing on the observed ability of quasars to eject highly concentrated beams of matter from their interior in a controlled, non-concentric version of the “Big Bang,” he envisions a similar process occurring during the creation of the universe (see illustration 4, next page). Noting that galaxies north of our own galaxy are receding faster than those to the south, and that those to the east and west are apparently farther away, Bentov sees this as substantial evidence that the jet of matter that developed into our universe looped back on itself, eventually forming an ovoid or egg shape. According to him, the “matter” of our universe takes the form of an ovoid after being ejected from a core of highly compressed energy through a “white hole.” At the end of its journey to the far end of the ovoid, it departs through a “black hole.” In such a model, time is seen as a measure of the change that occurs as energy evolves into newer, more complex forms as it progresses along the distance from the white hole side of the core, around the shell of this “cosmic egg,” until it enters the black hole. In other words, when energy—expelled from infinity and confined within limits by the consciousness of the Absolute—takes on form and motion after being ejected from the white hole at the top of the egg, time begins to measure the cadence of that evolutionary movement as “reality” travels around the shell of the egg on its journey toward the black hole at the other end of the egg.

Fig. A: Photograph of a quasar emitting a jet of matter

Fig B: Diagram of the cosmic egg

Diagram captions:

• Direction of Evolution of Spacetime (upper arc, with arrows)
• Universal (upper inner oval area, with circulating arrows)
• Black Hole (central point)
• White Hole (central point)
• Core (center)
• Hologram (lower inner oval area)

Right side annotation: Point where the flow of Spacetime turns back toward the opposite pole of the ovoid.

Fig C: Stylized representation of a simple torus

Source Illustration 4: Fig A & B: Bentov, Stalking the Wild Pendulum. Fig. C: Purce, The Mystic Spiral

25. Our place in time. The observed distribution of galaxies suggests that our particular universe is located near the top of the egg, at the point where matter begins to fall back on itself, which explains why galaxies to the north are moving away faster as they are drawn into the flow of matter falling toward the end of the cosmic egg (see illustration 5, next page). Above this cosmic egg is the Absolute, which sustains the radiant core from which the first jet of matter originated. As the flow of matter moves around the ovoid toward its destination, the black hole, where it will be reabsorbed into the radiant core and then into the Absolute, it generates the interference pattern inside the cosmic egg that constitutes the universal hologram or torus. Since the torus is generated simultaneously by matter in all phases of “time,” it reflects the development of the universe in the past, present, and future (as it would be seen from our particular viewpoint in a phase of time). By reflecting on this pattern, it becomes possible to “see” how human consciousness brought to a sufficiently altered (focused) state could obtain information concerning the past, present, and future since they all exist simultaneously in the universal hologram (in the case of the future because all consequences of the past and present can be seen converging in the hologram so that the future can be predicted or “seen” with total accuracy). Furthermore, it is possible to see how the implosion of energy patterns crosses and recrosses to create an incredibly complex, spiral-shaped, four-dimensional hologram or torus, reflecting the evolving multidimensional pattern. All movements of the energies that make up the universe leave their mark and tell their story through time.

Source Illustration 5: Bentov, Stalking the Wild Pendulum

26. The quality of consciousness. We noted earlier that the out-of-body state involves the projection of a large part of the energy pattern that represents human consciousness, so that it can move freely in the earthly sphere for information gathering purposes or into other dimensions outside space-time, perhaps to interact with other forms of consciousness within the universe. Consciousness is the organizing and sustaining principle that provides the impetus and direction to set and keep energy in motion within a given set of parameters, so that a specific reality results. When consciousness reaches a level of sophistication such that it can perceive itself (its own hologram), it reaches the point of self-recognition. Human beings have this heightened form of consciousness, as does the Absolute, but in the latter’s case it is a function of the energy and the quality of consciousness associated with it in infinity (omniscience and omnipotence in perceptual unity). When energy returns to a state of total rest within the Absolute, it returns to the continuum of consciousness in the unlimited and timeless pool of perception that resides there. Thus, the more complex an energy system is in the “material” state, the more consciousness it possesses to maintain its reality. Our consciousness is therefore that differentiated aspect of universal consciousness that resides in the Absolute. It is the source of the organization of the energy patterns that constitute our physical body, but it is distinctly separate from and superior to it. Since consciousness exists outside of reality, beyond the limits of space-time, it has, like the Absolute, no beginning or end. Reality has a beginning and an end because it is delimited in space-time, but the fundamental quantum of energy and the consciousness associated with it are eternal. When reality ends, the energy that composes it simply returns to infinity in the Absolute.
    
27. Consciousness in perspective. Having established that human consciousness is capable of separating from physical reality and interacting with other intelligences in other dimensions of the universe, and that it is both eternal and destined for an ultimate return to the Absolute, we are confronted with the following question: “What happens next?” Since memory is a function of consciousness and therefore shares the same eternal nature as the consciousness that accounts for its existence, it must be admitted that when consciousness returns to the Absolute, it carries with it all the memories it has accumulated during its experience in reality. The return of consciousness to the Absolute does not imply the extinction of the separate entity that consciousness organized and sustained in reality. Rather, it suggests a differentiated consciousness that merges with and participates in the universal consciousness and the infinity of the Absolute without losing the distinct identity and accumulated self-knowledge that its memories confer upon it. What it loses is the ability to generate independent thought holograms, since this can only be done with moving energy. In other words, it retains the power to perceive but loses the power to will or choose. In exchange, however, this consciousness participates in the infinite and omniscient continuum of consciousness, which is a characteristic of energy in the eternal present. Therefore, it is fair to observe that when a person experiences the out-of-body state, they are in fact projecting that eternal spark of consciousness and memory that constitutes the ultimate source of their identity, allowing it to play and learn from dimensions both inside and outside the space-time world in which their physical component currently enjoys a brief period of reality.
    
28. The Gateway Method. After placing the Gateway experience in context by proposing a structural framework for how and why it seems to work, and after showing what it is intended to accomplish, the time has come to examine the specific techniques that make up the Gateway training process. These techniques are designed to enable the user of the Gateway tapes to manipulate the high-energy states that can be achieved if the user continues to work with the tapes for some time. The time required to reach advanced energy states and to fully harness the techniques varies from individual to individual. The sensitivity of one’s nervous system, one’s general state of mind, and the degree of ease one may have acquired in related techniques such as transcendental meditation are all relevant factors that influence how quickly one can expect to progress. The Gateway process begins by teaching the participant to isolate outside concerns in a visualization device called an “energy conversion box.” Next, the participant is introduced to a method that encourages their mind and body to strive for a state of resonance by vocalizing a single sound, a monotonous, prolonged hum that causes a sensation of vibration, particularly in the head. They engage in this “resonant tuning” by humming along with a chorus of such sounds that are contained on the Gateway tape. Next, the participant is exposed to the Gateway affirmation and is encouraged to repeat it to themselves as they hear it on the tape. This affirmation is a statement that the individual realizes they are more than just a physical body and that they deeply desire to expand their consciousness.

29. Introduction to Hemi-Sync. After that, they are exposed for the first time to the Hemi-Sync sound frequencies, and are encouraged to focus on and develop an awareness and appreciation of the feelings that accompany the resulting brainwave synchronization. Next comes the technique of progressive and systematic physical relaxation while the Hemi-Sync frequencies are expanded to include additional forms of “pink and white” noise designed to bring the physical body to the virtual threshold of sleep as well as to calm the left hemisphere of the mind while elevating the right hemisphere to a state of heightened awareness. Once all of this is achieved, the participant is invited to imagine the creation of an “energy balloon” composed of a flow of energy starting from the center of the crown of the head and extending in all directions down to the feet. The energy involved in this flow then rises back up through the body and returns in the pattern of the balloon. The “energy balloon,” which creates a pattern reminiscent of the cosmic egg discussed above, not only enhances the flow of bodily energy and encourages the rapid achievement of an appropriate resonant state, but is also designed to offer protection against conscious entities possessing lower energy levels (which the participant might encounter should they achieve an out-of-body state). It serves as a precaution in the unlikely event that the participant’s first out-of-body experience involves a direct projection beyond the earthly sphere.
    
30. Advanced Techniques. Having attained Focus 10, the participant is now ready to strive for a state of consciousness sufficiently expanded to begin interacting with dimensions beyond those associated with their experience of physical reality. This state is called Focus 12 and involves conscious effort on their part as additional forms of “white and pink noise” enter the audio stream directed into their ears from the Gateway tape. Once the participant has reached this state of greatly expanded awareness, they are ready to begin employing a series of specific techniques or “tools,” as the Monroe Institute calls them, which allow them to manipulate their new expanded awareness in order to obtain practical, useful feedback to foster self-discovery and personal development. The specific techniques involved are described individually below.
    
    A. Problem Solving. This technique involves identifying the fundamental problems the individual wishes to resolve, filling their expanded awareness with their perception of these problems, and then projecting them into the universe. In this way, the individual calls upon what the Monroe Institute calls their “higher self,” that is, their expanded awareness, to interact with the universal hologram in order to obtain the information necessary for problem resolution. This approach can be used to resolve personal difficulties, technical problems in physics, mathematics, etc. Responses to the problem-solving technique can be received almost immediately, but they often result from intuition that develops over the following two or three days. Often, the answer comes as a sudden, holistic insight, in which the individual discovers they simply know the answer in all its ramifications and context, sometimes without even being able to express their new perception in words, at least initially. In some cases, the answer may even come in the form of visual symbols that the individual “sees” with their mind while in the Focus 12 state and must interpret after returning to normal consciousness.
    
    B. Patterning. This technique involves using consciousness to achieve desired goals in the physical, emotional, or intellectual realm. It involves concentrating on the desired goal in the Focus 12 state, extending the individual’s perception of that goal to the entirety of their expanded awareness, and projecting it into the universe with the intention that the desired goal is already accomplished, intended to be realized within a specified timeframe. This particular methodology is based on the belief that thought patterns generated by our consciousness in an expanded state of awareness create holograms that represent the situation we desire to create and, in doing so, establish the basis for the actual achievement of that goal. Once the hologram generated by the thought of the sought-after goal is established in the universe, it becomes an aspect of reality that interacts with the universal hologram to bring about the desired goal, which, under other circumstances, might never occur. In other words, the patterning technique acknowledges the fact that, since consciousness is the source of all reality, our thoughts have the power to influence the development of reality in space-time as it applies to us, if those thoughts can be projected with adequate intensity. However, the more complex and radically removed the sought goal is from our current reality, the more time the universal hologram will need to reorient our sphere of reality to accommodate our desires. Monroe trainers caution against attempting to force the pace of this process, as the individual might succeed in dislocating their existing reality with dramatic consequences.
    
    C. Color Breathing. The next technique, called color breathing, is designed to use the expanded awareness and highly focused attention associated with the Focus 12 state to imagine various colors in a particularly intense and vivid manner, and use them to resonate with the body’s own energies and, in turn, activate them. Fundamentally, in terms of practical application, it is a healing technique designed to restore the body and enhance its physical capabilities by balancing, revitalizing, and retuning bodily energy flows, resting on the principle that altering one’s resonance pattern constitutes an electrostatic field for one’s own use. The different colors imagined in the technique signal to the mind the frequencies and subsequent modifications of bodily energy flows. It is well known that color has the ability to affect the human mind, and the effectiveness of color in certain types of healing is a demonstrable fact. For example, applying intense blue light to an area of physical swelling results in a relatively rapid and easily observable reduction of the swelling, whereas red and, to a lesser extent, yellow have the opposite effect. However, in the Hemi-Sync application of the technique, external light sources are not involved; rather, the mind is the sole agent of healing and revitalization.
    
    D. The Energy Bar. Magic wands and enchanted scepters are part of the folklore and occult practices of many cultures. The scepters, staffs, and maces carried by monarchs and high priests appear so frequently in the history of bygone eras that one might think these objects are at least aspects of a certain type of archetypal symbol that the human mind seems to appreciate, perhaps quite subliminally. Be that as it may, the energy bar tool technique involves envisioning a small, intensely pulsing point of light that the participant charges in their imagination with enormous energy until it is virtually throbbing. The participant then shapes this point into a sparkling, vibrating cylinder of energy, which they subsequently use to channel the force of the universe toward specific parts of their body for healing and revitalization purposes.
    
    E. Remote viewing. Furthermore, the energy bar is used as a portal to initiate a follow-up technique called “remote viewing.” In this context, the participant transforms their energy bar into a swirling vortex through which they send their imagination in search of new, enlightening ideas. The apparent purpose of the vortex symbolism seems to be to capture the subconscious’s attention and relay instructions about what the participant wishes to do, but in terms of non-verbal symbols that the right hemisphere of the mind can comprehend.
    
    F. The living body map. This technique amplifies the effect of the energy bar tool as a means of healing specific areas or systems of the human body. The participant imagines their body’s configuration, and then the various major systems, such as the nervous system and the circulatory system, are visualized in appropriate colors, within the confines of the outline held in the imagination. The energy bar tool is then used to energize, balance, and heal in the manner desired by the participant. During this process, the participant visualizes various currents of colored energy flowing from the tool toward the organ system or area where revitalization or healing is being applied. Since colors result from different wavelengths of light—that is, energy at different frequencies—this technique operates on the principle that, as the human body is composed of energy, it can be vitalized and healed by applying additional energy, provided the energy is delivered in the appropriate form.
    
    G. Focus 15: Time travel to the past. All the previous techniques are carried out at the expanded state of consciousness known as Focus 12. However, the time travel to the past technique involves a greater expansion of consciousness through the inclusion of additional sound levels on the Hemi-Sync tapes. Some of these sounds are likely just an intensification of the basic Hemi-Sync frequencies, designed to further alter the frequency and amplitude of brainwaves. Other aspects of the added sound patterns seem intended to provide subtle, almost subliminal suggestions to the mind about what is desired through expanded consciousness, in order to support the verbal suggestions and instructions also contained on the tape. Even the instructions are highly symbolic, with time visualized as an immense wheel in the universe with various spokes, each providing access to a different part of the participant’s past. Focus 15 is a highly advanced and extremely challenging state to achieve. It is likely that fewer than 5% of all participants in any given Gateway experience manage to reach the Focus 15 state during the approximately seven days of training. Nevertheless, Monroe Institute trainers assert that with sufficient practice, achieving the Focus 15 state is possible. They also claim that not only can the individual’s past history be examined by those who have reached Focus 15, but other aspects of the past with which the individual themselves have had no connection may also be accessible.
    
    H. Focus 21: The future. The last and most advanced of all the focus states associated with the Gateway training program involves moving beyond the boundaries of space-time, as with Focus 15, but with the aim of discovering the future rather than the past. The individual who has achieved this state has reached a truly advanced level. Except under unusual circumstances, it is likely impossible to attain, except for those who have conditioned themselves through prolonged application of meditation or for those who have practiced long and hard using the Hemi-Sync tapes over a period of several months or even years.
    
31. The out-of-body movement. This remarkable phenomenon is only discussed in detail last, because of the interest it arouses and the special circumstances surrounding its achievement. The Monroe Institute insists that the Gateway program was not established solely to allow participants to achieve the out-of-body state, nor does it guarantee that most participants will achieve it during their training at the Institute. Only one among the many tapes that make up the Gateway experience is devoted to the techniques involved in the out-of-body movement. Basically, these techniques are simply designed to make it easier for the individual to achieve the out-of-body state when their brainwave patterns and personal energy levels have reached a point where they are in apparent harmony with the surrounding electromagnetic environment and they feel they have reached the threshold where separation is possible. To facilitate the achievement of the out-of-body state, Bob Monroe, the founder of the Monroe Institute, is quoted in a recent magazine article as saying that, to help the participant, the particular Hemi-Sync tape concerned with this technique uses Beta signals of “about 2877.3 CPS” (cycles per second). Since 30 to 40 CPS are considered the normal range for Beta brainwave signals (those associated with the waking state), it is clear that the Monroe Institute is convinced that the same heightened state of brainwave frequency that promotes altered states of consciousness is also an important consideration in helping to achieve out-of-body states. The techniques used to separate from the body involve simple maneuvers such as exiting, lifting oneself like a telephone pole; the individual separates rigidly, head first (so that they end up at attention at the foot of their physical body) and sliding out from one end of the body.
    
32. The role of REM sleep. Interestingly, Bob Monroe informed the Gateway class that ended on May 7, 1983, that one of his former trainers operating in Charlottesville, Virginia, discovered that he could guarantee out-of-body movements by bringing participants into a state of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and then using the Hemi-Sync tape technique. This could well be because most people, if not all, are reputed to find themselves in an out-of-body state during REM sleep. REM sleep is the deepest possible level of ordinary sleep and involves a complete disengagement of the body’s motor cortex functions from the neck down and a near-complete suppression of consciousness in the left hemisphere of the brain. This has the effect of putting the body in a state of total immobility with respect to the skeletal muscle structure, thus promoting the deep rest state necessary to eliminate the bifurcation echo. Furthermore, it leaves the right hemisphere of the brain free to respond to the instructions and suggestions contained in the Gateway tape. However, the use of Hemi-Sync tapes at this stage may be less a factor in achieving the out-of-body state than a matter of focusing the brain enough for a residual memory of the natural achievement of an out-of-body state to be carried into the waking state. Indeed, one might even postulate that some dreams associated with deep levels of sleep are actually functions of the same type of altered consciousness involved in interacting with the universe that plays a role in all the states of Focus 12, 15, and 21 described above. The difference between these states and the state of mind in REM sleep seems to be that the left hemisphere is almost totally disengaged in the latter experience, so that the memory of what was achieved in altered states of consciousness cannot generally be retrieved by conscious desire, because the left hemisphere has no knowledge of its existence or its location in the right hemisphere. It is true that some people can be trained to remember their dreams in REM sleep through intense waking-state conditioning, but even that may be more a function of establishing pathways in the right hemisphere that the left hemisphere can access after returning to the waking state than an indication of specific conscious involvement of the left hemisphere during REM sleep. In any case, the three conditions apparently required to voluntarily induce an out-of-body state in most individuals seem to be the following: (1) achieving a state of deep calm in the body, so that the bifurcation echo fades and a resonance at about 7 Hertz is established, (2) synchronizing the two brain hemisphere wave patterns, and (3) subsequently stimulating the right hemisphere of the mind to achieve a state of heightened alertness (which, of course, interferes with brain hemisphere synchronization, but not before sufficient levels of enhanced frequencies have been established to help achieve the out-of-body state).
    
33. The potential for information gathering. The information-gathering potential of the out-of-body state seems to attract the most attention for developing practical applications of the Gateway technique. Unfortunately, although the out-of-body state can apparently be achieved by many people without excessive expenditure of time or effort, the goals to be achieved are currently limited by the fact that, although individuals in this state can travel anywhere on an instant basis, whether in the earthly sphere or in other spheres, the distortion of information in the former context remains a major concern. To date, according to one of the trainers at the Monroe Institute, many experiments have been conducted with individuals traveling from coast to coast in the out-of-body state to read a series of ten computer-generated numbers in a university laboratory. Although most of them acquired enough digits to show that their consciousness was present, no one has ever succeeded in reading all ten digits correctly. This seems to be due to the fact that the physical reality of the present is not the only holographic influence that the individual may encounter in an out-of-body state. There are also energy patterns left by people or events that have occurred on the same physical site as the one being observed, but in the past rather than the present. Furthermore, since thoughts are the product of energy patterns and energy patterns are reality, it is also possible that individuals encounter thought forms in an out-of-body state that blend with physical reality and are not easy to differentiate. Finally, as Melissa Jager writes, there is another potential problem in that holograms can be viewed pseudoscopically, that is, reversed or inverted, just as they can be seen in correct perspective. Some of the distortions that occur may ultimately be attributed to this cause, because in the out-of-body state, an individual may perceive holographic energy patterns emitted by people or things interacting in space-time reality in a somewhat distorted form.
    
34. Considerations on belief systems. In 1967, Alexandra David-Neel and Lama Yongden wrote a book entitled “Secret Oral Teachings in Tibetan Buddhist Sects,” from which the following quote is taken:
    “The tangible world is movement, say the Masters, not a collection of objects in motion, but movement itself. There are no objects ‘in motion’; it is movement that constitutes the objects that appear to us: they are nothing but movement.
    This movement is a continuous and infinitely rapid succession of flashes of energy (in Tibetan ‘tsal’ or ‘shoug’). All objects perceptible to our senses, all phenomena whatsoever and whatever their aspect, are made up of a rapid succession of instantaneous events.”
    The classic description of the universal hologram is found in a Hindu sutra that says:
    “In the heaven of Indra, it is said that there is a network of pearls so arranged that if you look at one, you see all the others reflected in it.”
    I quoted this one because it shows that the concept of the universe that at least some physicists are beginning to accept is identical, in its essential aspects, to that known to the scholarly elite of certain high-level civilizations and cultures in the ancient world. The concept of the cosmic egg, for example, is well known to scholars who are familiar with the ancient writings of Eastern religions. The theories presented in this document are not in contradiction with the essential principles of the Judeo-Christian tradition either. The concept of visible reality (i.e., the “created” world) as an emanation of an omnipotent and omniscient divinity that is completely unknowable in its primary state of being. The Absolute at rest in infinity is a concept straight out of Hebrew mystical philosophy. Even the Christian concept of the Trinity shines through in the description of the Absolute as presented in this document. The description of energy completely at rest, in infinity, corresponds to the Christian metaphysical concept of the Father, while the infinite self-awareness residing in this energy and providing the driving force of will to set a part of this energy in motion in order to create reality corresponds to the Son. This is so because, to achieve self-awareness, the consciousness of the Absolute must project a hologram of itself and perceive it. This hologram is a mirror image of the Absolute in infinity; it exists always outside of time and space, but it is one step away from the Absolute and is the real agent of all creation (all reality). And the eternal thought or concept of self that results from this self-awareness is at the service of the Absolute, the model around which the evolution of space-time revolves, ultimately to achieve a reflection and union with Him. This thought model, which perfectly reflects the essence or “spirit” of the Absolute, corresponds to the Christian metaphysical description of the Holy Spirit. Finally, our description of the universal hologram, the Torus of creation and evolution, is neither new nor original. Its use as a figure of the universe, of creation developing in evolution, is found in various stylized representations in virtually all religious systems of antiquity, whether of Eastern or Western origin. Whether it is the stylized labyrinth once popular in the Hellenic world, the spiral version of the Hebrew tree of life or its Hindu equivalent, or the Chinese spiral of the four powers, the ultimate meaning is the same. Mystics throughout the world, it seems, have perceived the universal hologram in the same spiral form and have incorporated this intuitive knowledge into their religious writings from antiquity to the present day.
    
35. Limits of the left brain. Twentieth-century physics seems to revisit intuitions that belong to humanity as far back as written records can take us. The only difference is that twentieth-century physics uses a left-brain, linear, quantitative reasoning style to approach the same knowledge that the mystics of old apparently acquired in a holistic, intuitive, right-brain style. As a tool in the hands of our left-brain culture, the Gateway appears to be a promising method for achieving the kind of intuitive, holistic interface with the universal hologram needed to provide the context that thinkers like Einstein sought in their efforts to discover a unified field theory in physics. For people in our profession whose concerns revolve around strategic, tactical, and management form and system issues, access to a new world of intuitive self-reflective perception would seem to offer, in the long run, the means to know in a truly objective way. Indeed, the limits that our personal cultural and psychological subjectivity imposes on balanced perception and objective logic when we use the left-brain mode of thought could be offset by the holistic form of perception associated with altered states of consciousness. To the extent that we succeed in fully perceiving ourselves in the context of the part of the universal hologram that is a reflection of ourselves, we free ourselves from the prison of subjectivity.
    
36. Self-knowledge. For the mystical philosophers of old, it was obvious that the first step of personal maturity could be expressed by the following aphorism: “Know thyself” For them, a man’s education came first and foremost through the pursuit of an introverted goal, so that he might learn what lies within him before attempting to approach the outside world. They rightly assumed that man could not effectively assess the world and deal with it until he had fully understood his personal psychological balance. The information provided by twentieth-century psychology in this context, through the use of various types of personality tests, seems to be a revalidation of this ancient intuition. But no personality test, or series of tests, will ever replace the depth and fullness of self-perception that can be achieved when the mind sufficiently alters its state of consciousness to perceive the hologram of itself that it has projected into the universe, in its proper context as part of the universal hologram, in a totally holistic and intuitive way. This seems to be one of the promises of the Gateway Experience, in its ability to provide a portal through which, based on months or even years of practice, the individual can succeed in their quest for self, personal effectiveness, and truth in a broader sense.
    
37. Motivational aspect. It is a step-by-step procedure that involves repetitive practice of the techniques concerned, using each new insight as a means to penetrate deeper in the next session. But the pace of progress is so much faster with the Gateway approach than with transcendental meditation or other forms of mental self-discipline, and its horizons seem so much wider; that the discipline required to practice it seems to be within reach of even the average individual: impatient, skeptical, pragmatic, results-oriented. Unlike yoga and other forms of Eastern mental discipline, Gateway does not require infinite patience, total personal submission, and faith in a system of discipline designed to absorb all of the individual’s energies for most of their life. Instead, it will begin to produce at least minimal results in a relatively short time, so that sufficient feedback will be available to motivate and energize the individual to continue working with it. Indeed, the speed at which an individual can hope to progress seems less dependent on the number of hours spent practicing than on the speed at which they are able to use the knowledge gained to release anxieties and tensions in both mind and body. These energy blockages seem to be the main obstacles to achieving the enhanced energy states and concentration of mind necessary for rapid progress. The more compulsive the individual, the more “stuck” they are initially, the more barriers they will encounter in reaching a deep or immediate experience, but as insights begin to come and blockages start to dissolve, the way forward becomes increasingly clear and Gateway’s value shifts from a matter of intellectual evaluation to a matter of personal experience.
    
38. Conclusion. There is a solid and rational basis, in terms of physical science parameters, for considering Gateway plausible with respect to its essential objectives. Intuitions, not only personal but also of a practical and professional nature, seem to be within reasonable expectations. However, a step-by-step approach to entering the Gateway Experience in accelerated mode seems necessary if the time required to reach advanced states of altered consciousness is to be brought within more manageable limits for establishing an exploitation of Gateway’s potential on an organizational scale. The most promising approach suggested in the previous study involves the following steps:
    
    A. Begin by using the Gateway Hemi-Sync tapes to enhance brain concentration and induce synchronization of the hemispheres.
    B. Then add strong REM sleep frequencies to induce left-brain quiescence and deep physical relaxation.
    C. Provide hypnotic suggestions designed to allow an individual to induce a deep self-hypnotic state at will.
    D. Use self-hypnotic suggestion to achieve increased focus and motivation to progress quickly through the Focus 12 exercises.
    E. Then repeat steps A and B after using the self-hypnotic suggestion that an out-of-body movement will occur and be remembered.
    F. Repeat step E to achieve conscious control of the out-of-body state. Modify the hypnotic suggestion to emphasize the ability to consciously control out-of-body movements and maintain them even after the REM sleep state ends.
    G. Address the objectives of Focus 15 and 21 (escaping space-time and interacting in new dimensions) from an out-of-body perspective.
    H. Use the multifocal approach to solve the problem of distortion in terrestrial information-gathering trips. This approach involves using three individuals in an out-of-body state, one seeing the target object here, in space-time, another seeing it at focus 15 as it slides into the immediate past, and the third seeing it at focus 21 as it slides into the immediate future. Debrief all three individuals and compare the data gathered from the three viewpoints. If care is taken to ensure all three leave their bodies together, in the same environment, their consciousness energy systems should resonate in sympathetic oscillation. They can tune into the same target on different planes (dimensions) with greater efficiency.
    I. Encourage the pursuit of full self-knowledge in all individuals involved in the aforementioned experiences to enhance the objectivity of out-of-body observation and thought, and to eliminate personal energy blockages that may hinder rapid progress.
    J. Prepare intellectually to react to possible encounters with intelligent, non-corporeal energy forms when space-time boundaries are exceeded.
    K. Organize groups of individuals in focus 12 state who unite their altered consciousnesses to construct holographic patterns around sensitive areas to repel any unwanted non-corporeal presences.
    L. Encourage the more advanced Gateway participants to construct holographic models of success and rapid progress for colleagues who are more advanced, to help them progress in the Gateway system.
    
    If these experiments are carried out successfully, it is hoped that we will truly find a gateway to Gateway and to the realm of practical application for the entire system of techniques that compose it.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

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