Among the many- varieties of communications media in the world. today, the one usually- considered to be of least importance, (in those rare occasions when it is considered at all, is the form of publication known as the "Mini-magazine." It has been defined as, "A publication issued at, more-or-less regular intervals, by some individual, group or organization which feels that it has something to say to the world, but has no other way to say it." The size of the Mini-mag is usually less than forty pages, and the circulation less than 10,000 copies. Each issue thus reaches only a microscopically small segment of humanity, and, in most cases, is totally- unknown outside of this tiny segment. They are devoted almost entirely to subject matter, and carry little or no advertising.

It is immediately obvious to any experienced publisher, that no such: magazine can ever return a profit, or even the cost of publication, to those who sponsor it. How then can we explain the simple fact that they do exist, in large and increasing numbers, at a time when magazines of world-wide publication are, one after another, passing into oblivion.

Magazines of large circulation are almost invariably the product o^ publishing concerns whose primary and basic purpose is to return a

2 UNDERSTANDING

financial profit to its investors. All management and publication policies must, in the final decision, be subservient to the basic purpose: If, in spite of having the best management available, a sufficient profit is no longer realized, the publication will cease to exist. ("My heart tells me to publish, but my head says suspend!")

A number of Maxi-mags have gone down the drain in the past few years, even though their circulation was in the millions, their subscription price had been doubled or trebled, and as much as three quarters of their entire space devoted to highly paid advertising matter. Still, the return was not considered sufficient to justify further effort, and the publications were allowed to die. How can we explain the continued existence of a magazine such as Understanding, now in the 16th year of uninterrupted publication, but which, in all those ,years, has never once returned, even the bare cost of printing? (If the editor had listened to his head instead of his heart, it would have died ten years ago!)

The vital need for the mini-mag results from the fact that the maxi-mag, being dependent upon profits for its very life, can seldom, if ever, be completely unbiased in its presentations. Every policy of publication and every article which it carries, must be considered in the light of its probable reception by the readership, but even more important, the reaction of its probable principle advertisers.

Thus the Maxi-mag must walk the narrow line that leads to profit, while the Mini-mag, knowing in advance that profit is forever beyond its reach, is free to engage in unbiased and unfettered communication with its readers.

——— ♦ ———

ON BEING AWARE

Part Two

(With the special permission of Janice Aurah Kramer we are privileged to offer this series of spiritual articles. They form a part of her "to be-published" book entitled: On Being Aware and Expanding Your Consciousness. The full text of this series (6-7 articles) may be obtained for a donation to cover printing and postage by writing to Miss Kramer, P.O. Box 26515, Edendale Sta., Los Angeles, Calif. 90028)

The five senses of man generally are used in a rather superficial

NOVEMBER, 1971 3

manner, and most of us use only a fraction of our brain's power. As you become more aware, you will find each of your senses increasing in power, both externally and internally. For example, think of a recent dream you had. Do you remember it being in black and white, brown tones, color or no color? Could you taste, smell, feel, and hear in the dream? Was any one sense more prominent than another? Is this generally true of all dreams or only this one?

Examine each of the senses individually, remembering that the inner and outer responses exist to whatever extent you have been using them. They'll develop further as you allow them to expand.

How well-developed is your sense of vision? Can you visualize pictures in your head at will? When you remember something from the past, do you visualize it. If something has been misplaced. can you "remember" where it is by tracing the events in your mind" Do your pictures come in clearly, or do you think or "feel" the images? Can you sharpen the image, hold it in place, go back to it? Is the image in color? When you create from an idea, can you see progression from the original plan in your mind? When you listen to someone speak, do you get a picture of what they are saying? Have you ever had an ESP experience? Mental telepathy? How do you explain these phenomena? Are you aware of the marvels and variations of your near and far vision? Check out this last point by examination of something right in front of you and then expanding to take in the horizon.

How sensitive is your hearing? Listen to outside sounds at this moment and relate what you hear. Are you adept at identifying noises? Look around and see things that are moving but have no sound. Can you reproduce that sound in your head? Can you hear your voice in your mind? Can you make it high, lore, sad. angry, happy? Can you distinguish the voice of your "conscience" or "inner master?" Do you talk to yourself when you need guidance to find what the different parts of self-positive, negative, and/or neutral as well as parent, adult, and/or child-feel you should do? Can you listen to the sounds of your own body? Tune into the sounds of silence. Can you listen to two conversations at once?

How conscious is your sense of touch? Can you pick up fine objects without clumsiness? Are you familiar with the touch of your own body? Can you distinguish objects with your eyes closed? Are many of your hand and body motions automatic or are you generally aware

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of movement? Can you feel the pressure of your body where you are standing or sitting now?

Is your sense of smell well-developed? Can you tell what is in a recipe by the smell of the various foods? Can you identify fragrances that you smell in the air? Can you smell something inside your head?

What about your sense of taste? Do you taste in your dreams? Do you enjoy the different foods you eat? Just swallow them? Do you appreciate new tastes or stay with the familiar? Are you aware of the subtle differences in quality of food taste-crunchy, stringy, mushy, and what else?

Are you aware as you thought you were? Think of how much more am-are you'll be tomorrow if you work on it today'. Take time to be aware. Find out things you've been doing, habitually, without being aware of the process. Think about process in each of the senses. Think.

——— ♦ ———

IMMORTALITY FOR INTELLECTUAL POTENTIAL

IF THE matter and energy of the universe remain constant, then it seems logical that an individual's intelligence does not necessarily die with him. It seems more probable that the individual's intelligence, which is represented as electrical energy, does not decay- with the rest of the body's matter but continues to exist, dissipating itself in the atmosphere. It resultantly seems feasible that if this sublimation of energy could be prevented, perhaps by a counter-acting energy field, the energy could then be maintained in a condensed field ready to be recombined with some other matter receptive to this type of energy, namely another brain. Conceivably, therefore, an entire generation could be created with greater "electrical brain potential" than the previous generation. This greater potential would allow for a greater resource pool for intellectual reasoning, thereby allowing each generation to build intellectually- upon previous generations.

When I speak of building intellectually upon previous generations, I do not refer to simply adding knowledge to knowledge. The continuing of information between generations is already accomplished by what we call culture. However, we still maintain the same level of intelligence with which we deal with this information. What I do refer to is the increase of what I have called energy potential to allow for a

NOVEMBER, 1971 6

higher level of comprehension. This increase in potential would allow us to deal with the same knowledge on a much higher level of integration.

Nature has utilized this concept of energy restoration by the process of evolution. However, in evolution the emphasis is upon the increased effectiveness and specialization of the receiver (i.e., the brain). What I am referring to is the increased effectiveness and specialization of the transmitter or the energy force.

To say that the brain has an electrical potential, of course, does not imply that there is an electrical current in the brain. However, there is activity which can be measured by transducers designed to change this activity into electrical impulse. Ill a project suggested in the above statements, the major problem would be to determine the type of energy involved. Once the type of energy is determined, it would then be possible to develop the means for storing and then subsequently transmitting that energy to another brain.

-- Lawrence Blaine

A TIME TO BE HEARD

(Report on a Youth Happening)

Let us don boots to span the thousand leagues

That lie between your heart and mine,

For who could know the treasure we might find

If our two hearts searched side by side.

Signal smokes and buffalo and old man's dreams-

Listen, brother, you may hear the sound--

Deep in his earth, fires burn and buffalo still run,

And you must know that earth is sacred ground.

The white robes of the prophet sear the page

And someone, from the moon, intones a prayer,

And somehow, somewhere from the ancient days

The poet speaks about the now and here.

-Homer Henderson

Listening to poems like the above being read, and to songs accompanied by the strumming of guitars, are gray haired ladies, fresh from their geraniums, sitting next to long hairs in their love beads and

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Indian head-bands. Beneath the chairs are feet wearing sandals, logging boots, moccasins, spiffy high heels, well groomed oxfords, shoes with no stockings, stockings with no shoes and some feet bare.

Some of these people gathered have come to listen and to watch. Many, eager and impatient or perhaps a bit nervous, are waiting for their time to be hard.

A young black boy with serious eyes and new suede boots is singing to the people about finding the human race and the need to express oneself. His name is Milt and lie tells the attentive group, "There are as many guitar players in Harlem as there are in Tacoma. They only need a place where they can be heard."

Chris pads forward in stocking feet, gets comfortable on the high stool and fires a heavy- message of introduction. "Music is about the whole world." He doesn't look at his audience as he sings, "A Message to the National Coal Board." It is a song he wrote about the one hundred and forty-two children killed by the slag heaps in Wales. The song drenches the audience with emotions of sadness and anger.

At times the microphone is irritatingly- scratchy and the guitars are tuned and re-tuned for an unprofessional length of time. As the audience grows, performers say hello to friends, family and strangers, as they stream through the front door of the Allied Arts Building. Photographers, poets and musicians are gathered here for the first time in a Living Poetry- Showcase.

"I know who I am. I think I have a plan," and messages like, "A man is a man, pockets full or empty," and "Walking the road of life, you need something in time of strife," give strength to some and enlightenment to others. There are many dimensions of ideas, talent, and emotion on and off the stage. This "showcase" is bringing people closer to understanding the hearts and minds of today's world.

An Alaskan poet in work shirt and logging boots expresses his feelings on garbage and air pollution. One of his lines, "Prison cannot lock up the mind," was repeated later by a song writer and musician with similar passion. "You be you and I'll be me," is well illustrated by the reflecting faces listening, all sharing and experiencing together.

In the audience are newspapermen, businessmen, leaders in the black community, teachers, writers, housewives and students; a living show-case of people united in their feelings and their talent for artful self-expression.

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Displayed upon the walls are photographs next to poems on parchment scrolls. Each creative effort compliments the other. A photograph of the decayed corpse of a marine in a coffin with a fresh lily on his chest, has next to it a poem entitled "Peace Talks."

Poetry is a "Now" language-the delicate art of communication. It can be a non-violent protest carefully laid on the world in pleasant packaging, or an expression of love. The message goes forth in poem, song and photograph without blocking freeways. or taking the form of protest rallies. Placing ammunition in one's mind can accomplish more than bombing buildings.

Jim sings, "The only way- out is from the inside."

The poems speak of love, death, sorrow and war. The photographs seem to grab one, reaching out and saying, "Look at me, listen to me, I have something to say." The black man speaks of his feelings of hope for the future. The Indian speaks of the sorrowful disappointments in the past.

A group called the "One Hundred Frogs," in a blasting finale sing, "Let the children fill the page. If we live by gasoline, by gasoline we're damned." It is a gospel song protesting the coming of oil to Puget Sound.

The Northwest with its beauty and tranquility, has produced gifted artists, but one wonders if it is providing them with inspiration only. Are communities providing a proper showcase for the talents of their creative citizens?

A flute is raised to the lips. A guitar resounds the beginning to a soft melodic plea. "A word spoken, needs an ear open."

-Bette Thompson

——— ♦ ———

CONSIDER THE CONCEPT

Happiness

Happiness in this world, when it conies, comes incidentally. Make it the object of pursuit and it loads us a wild goose chase and is never attained. Follow some other object and very possibly we may find that we have caught happiness without dreaming of it; but likely- enough it is gone the moment we say to ourselves, "Here it is!" like the chest of gold that treasure seekers find.

-Nathaniel Hauthorne

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EUROPEAN PILGRIMAGE - Part 7

Immediately after the Berlin lecture, we returned to Govik, in Sweden, where we spent several busy days preparing for the next stage of our pilgrimage. This began on Sept. 3rd when we departed for Halsingborg, in South Western Sweden, for a series of lectures sponsored by our friend Edith Nicolaisen. (As most of our readers know, Edith is the able and energetic leader of the first unit of Understanding in Sweden.) She had visited us in Merlin a few weeks before our departure for Europe, and we had become well acquainted. Her work centers principally around youth groups, with a series of instructional and inspirational programs, designed to prepare them for the many critical problems which they will inevitably face during the coming years.

Having checked into our rooms at the Hotell Vingarten, we visited Edith at her home, and arrived just in time for tea. (Edith's hospitality is so flexible that, regardless of the hour at which visitors arrive, they are always 'just in time for tea'.')

The following morning, Sept. 4th, we had a most interesting interview with Miss Britt Rengheden who writes for the Swedish newspaper Arbetet. The result was a very fine and remarkably complete article, entitled Peace is a By-product. Miss Rengheden did an excellent job of outlining the necessity of discovering and defining the `Area of Mutual Agreement.'

We lectured that night in Halsingborg, the next night in Malmo, Sweden, and on Sept. 6th at the Humelegaten Center near Helsingor, in Denmark. All of the talks were well attended and well received.

On Sept. 7th we left again for Wiesbaden, Germany, where we had been requested to take part in the production of a 90 minute motion picture and television film on the subject of the U.F.O. The film was taken at the University of :Mainz, where Prof. Wenke, a nuclear physicist and research scientist, made a partial analysis of the unidentified artifact which we have, for the past ten years, offered freely to any interested person or group, for study and evaluation. Since the spectrographic analysis was made only as a part of a television show, little importance was attached to the artifact, although the observers at the university were somewhat surprised at the nature of some of the elements and combinations found to be present in the test sample, and

NOVEMBER, 1971 9

requested that the entire artifact be left at the university for further tests.

Having contributed our bit to the German Television Industry, we returned once more to Govik, to prepare for the final leg of our pilgrimage which would take us to Finland, Holland, Belgium & England.

——— ♦ ———

A FABLE

A beautiful and interesting fable by Silacara Thero is given in the small volume: A Glimpse Into The Supreme Science Of The Buddha, written by Egerton C. Baptist. It goes like this:

Once upon a time there was a fish. And just because it was a fish, it had lived all its life in the water and knew nothing whatever about anything else but water. And one day as it swam about in the pond where all its days had been spent, it happened to meet a turtle of its acquaintance who had just come back from a little excursion on land.

"Good day, Mr. Turtle!" said the fish: "I have not seen you for a long time. Where have you been?"

"O," said the turtle, "I've just been for a trip on dry land."

"On dry land!" exclaimed the fish: "What do you mean by `on dry land?' There is no dry land. I have never seen such a thing. Dry land is nothing."

"Well," said the turtle good-naturedly, "if you want to think so, of course you may. There's no one who can hinder you. But that's where I've been all the same."

"0 come," said the fish, "try to talk sense. Just tell me now what is this land of yours like? Is it all wet?"

"No, it is not wet," said the turtle.

"Is it nice and fresh and cool?" asked the fish.

"No, it is not nice and fresh and cool," the turtle replied. "Is it clear, so that light can come through it?"

"No, it is not clear; light cannot come through it."

"Is it soft and yielding, so that I could move my fins about in it and push my nose through it?"

"No, it is not soft and yielding; you could not swim in it." "Does it move or flow in streams?"

"No, it neither moves nor flows in streams."

"Does it ever rise up into waves, then, with white foam in them?"

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asked the fish, becoming just a little impatient at this string of Noes. "No," replied the turtle truthfully, "it never rises up into waves that I have seen."

"There now!" exclaimed the fish triumphantly. "Didn't I tell you that this land of yours was just nothing? I have just asked, and you have answered me that it is neither wet nor cool, not clear nor soft and that it does not flow in streams nor rise up into waves. And, if it isn't a single one of these things, what is it, but nothing? Don't tell me!"

"Well, well." said the turtle, "if you are determined to think that dry land is nothing, I suppose you must go on thinking so. But any one who knows what is water and what is land would say you were just a very silly fish, for you think that anything you have never known is nothing ,just because you have never known it."

And with that the turtle turned away and leaving the fish behind in its little pond of water, set out on another excursion over the land that was nothing.

(The text may be obtained from Buddhist World Philosophy, Maha Publishing Co., Box 28, Three Rivers, Mich. 49093.)

——— ♦ ———

world report

How They Dance On Hot Coals

By Despina Paisidox, San Francisco Examiner & Chronicle, 9/12/1971

Not far from Thessaloniki, in the northern part of Greece, there is a village, Lagadas, famous for its special kind of people. Each year from May 21 until May 23, these people can dance barefoot over hot coals, keeping in their hands the ikon of St. Constandin. Old villagers say the ikon gives them strength, so the dancers don't burn themselves. To be able to dance over hot coals is not a matter of learning, they say, but of inspiration. A villager dances when he or she feels moved to do it.

The dancers say they feel no burning sensation but are thoroughly exhausted afterwards. Doctors have checked them after the dance and they have found no signs of burns.

Villagers who have great faith in St. Constandin may feel moved to

NOVEMBER, 1971 11

dance barefoot at his name day celebration, beginning May 21, to show gratitude for his bringing them the teachings of Christ.

They insist that they can dance only during this period.

Villagers set up the fire and then all the dancers, called “groaners," come together singing Christian songs, with the chief holding the ikon. One night before they dance they eat a special kind of meat, called Kurbani, and they sing many songs.

Outside observers tend to ascribe the feat to a form of self-hypnosis.

Electronic Money

(Science Digest, October, 1971)

A British expert has designed an electronic money card that would eliminate the need for cash, checks and credit cards. Your card would be charged with a certain amount of "impulses." You pay for an item by putting the card in a special register which decreases the number of impulses and records the transaction in a central computer. The idea will soon be tried at gas stations in England.

ESP Way to Reach Stars

Daily Courier, Grants Pass, Ore., Sept. 27, 1971

SAN FRANCISCO (UPI)-Astronaut Edgar D. Mitchell believes in the existence of intelligence life elsewhere in the universe and says extra--sensory perception-not a rocket ship-might be a good way to contact them.

Mitchell said he became interested in ESP after being "very dissatisfied with traditional philosophy and theology."

The 41-year-old Navy captain made the comments in an interview published in the October issue of Psychic Magazine.

Mitchell, a member of the Apollo 14 team which went to the moon in January, said intelligent life exists away from earth "and more than likely, in our own galaxy."

He said he was not sure a space program was needed to contact life on other planets. "If the phenomenon of astral projection has any validity, it might be a perfectly valid form of intergalactic travel and a lot safer probably than space flight."

Astral projection is a phenomenon whereby a person leaves his physical body, allowing his conscious being and senses to travel unlimited distances.

During his space flight Mitchell conducted an ESP experiment with four persons on earth.

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He did not inform National Aeronautics and Space Administration officials he planned the tests because "I was trying to keep it completely my- own thing."

The experiment was "very significant," lie said.

Flying Saucer Probed

Los Angeles Herald-Examiner, Sunday, Sept. 12 1971

WASHINGTON (UPI)-It was a dark, rainy night when a Mary-land farmer looked out over one of his fields and saw a "kind of disc-shaped object" apparently hovering above the ground beyond his home. The outline, he said, could be seen quite clearly- in the flashes of lightning. Otherwise, the farmer could see only the lights inside of, or attached to, the object.

That description is not from the dusty- archives of the Air Force's discontinued Project Blue Book of sightings of unidentified Flying objects. It is from the current files of the National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena (NICAP) which is alive and functioning, if not flourishing, in the nation's capital.

The described sighting took place at Westminister, Md., on Sunday, Aug. 1, and now is being investigated by one of NICAP's regional teams of volunteers.

UFOs in Skies

Chillicothe (Ohio) Gazette, Sept. 8, 1971

Two residents of Chillicothe, John Cunningham, 626 Allen Ave., and Don Stevens, 170 Him St., spotted two unidentified flying objects about 11 p.m. Tuesday, and reported the incident to the sheriff's office.

Radio Dispatcher Scott Barnes was sent to Adena, where he, the two residents and city police patrolman Terry Cunninghan witnessed the white-blue objects, with red flashers, moving southwest in a spinning movement.

Barnes radioed the Franklin County- Sheriff's office, which said there were no weather bureau balloons or Air Force craft in the Ross County area.

The UFO viewers switched their vantage points on several occasions. They were able to see the objects from Cabbage Hill, Brewer Heights, two miles west of Chillicothe on U.S. 35, the park lake, and finally from the Police Department, where two other deputies and a police-man were asked to confirm their reports.

NOVEMBER, 1971 13

Man Listens

By Walter Sullivan. New York Times, Sept. 13, 1971

BYURAKAN, U.S.S.R., Sept. 11-This week, for the first time since life originated on this planet, its most intelligent species met at an international conference to consider the possibility of communication: with intelligent life on other worlds.

The Russians revealed that last year they conducted experiments designed to intercept signals from any such distant civilizations. In one series a transcontinental network of stations received a number of simultaneous pulses of suspicious origin, but because of the pattern in which they occurred they are suspected of originating in the atmosphere.

Those attending the conference. sponsored jointly by the Soviet and American Academies of Science, included leading specialists in the origin of life, the development of biological data processing systems, cultural evolution, language, radio astronomy and electronics.

There was wide agreement, based on the latest astronomical and bio-logical reasoning, that great numbers of other worlds have probably developed along lines very similar to earth in its early history.

It was also agreed that life might exist on a certain percentage of these worlds and that on some of them such life might have evolved into an intelligent technological species. Since earth's own technology is developing at an almost explosive rate in terms of astronomical time scales, it is calculated that some of these technologies may have reached extraordinary capability.

Such civilizations in various parts of the universe could, it was thought, be trying to make contact with other civilizations. In a resolution adopted almost unanimously at the end of the conference today, it was suggested that the chances of intercepting such signals were sufficient to justify a serious search.

An interim committee was formed to organize a permanent inter-national group to coordinate research in this field.

Garbage May Power Rockets

(Grit, Williamsport, Pa.)

Smashed trash may soon be used to power U.S. spacecraft.

For the last year, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the United Technology Center at Sunnyvale, Calif., have been

14 UNDERSTANDING

investigating the possibility of burning garbage to provide rocket propulsion and keep space stations in the proper orbit.

So far, studies support the idea. Recently NASA awarded the technology center a contract to produce a dozen trash cartridges and a propulsion unit for testing.

Trash and garbage would be pulverized and compacted into cartridge form. Cartridges would be inserted into a small rocket motor case fitted with a nozzle and ignition system. On firing, trash would ignite with a liquid fuel.

The trash rockets would provide enough thrust to keep the space station on course, to offset course and velocity changes caused by docking spacecraft, and to maintain a proper attitude.

Under the 10-month project contract, the technology center will de-liver one thruster and 12 trash cartridges. If primary tests are acceptable, major research work will be planned for the device.

If the trash rocket is successful, it will not only power space stations, but will also provide a means to dispose of garbage generated by space station crews.

UFOS INTERNATIONAL

(From UFO News, Vol. 4, No. 9, Japan)

September 28, 1968, when I was flying across the Himalayas to Tashkent, over Pamirs, I spotted a strange flying object, shaped like a sausage, silver-white in color, with a ring of flashing orange lights vertically round the center. There also happened to be white lights at both ends. No other passengers on the plane seemed to notice it. It appeared to me only for a few seconds, then moved into cloud, moving much faster than the plane. It happened so quickly I was unable to take a picture, though I had my camera ready.

(James Kirkup, Fellow of the Royal Society)

(From Panorama, Vol. 9, No. 5, Australia)

August, 1.970, Five fishermen saw a flying saucer, shaped like a huge half orange, off the east coast of Tasmania.

The fishermen say they had a clear view of the object, hovering at about 150 feet, for more than two hours. They watched from two scallop boats anchored off Paddy Island, about two miles from the coast. Mr. Falmington, who saw the object, said it looked like a huge

NOVEMBER, 1971 15

orange. Two lights, like burners, shone from the underside. The fisher-men watched the object until ' :l0 A. M. when it rose to about 4000 feet and disappeared.

(From Panorama, as above)

August 1, 1970, at 6 P.M. Miss Anne Francis McDonald observed a large green ball with a slight yellow tint, which appeared hazy, yet luminous. The sighting lasted a quarter of a minute and was observed by 12 others in the same town.

The object passed from West to East, in front of and above the local wheat silo. It then began to fall slightly and the luminosity shut off just as though the light had suddenly switched off.

The weather was clear and the object much brighter than the surrounding sky. Its size made it too clear to be confused with any other object, it being the size of a football. It appeared to leave a slight trail behind it.

In view of the number of witnesses, who were going to work, it could hardly be termed an optical illusion and we find it hard to fit it into any other known natural phenomena.

Book reviews

Religious Philosophies of the Planets

(John Langdon Watts, Dixie Venus Books, Inc., P. 0. Box Venus 275, Port Orange, Fla. 32019, $1.50)

Religious Philosophies of the Planets is subtitled: How Our Brothers and Sisters from Outer Space Believe and Worship, as told to me by Mara La Aspara, whose home is on Venus.

The author, John Langdon Watts, came upon the information of the

16 UNDERSTANDING

text as a result of his endeavors to research the techniques of Edgar Cayce hoping to apply them to other fields than medicine. For this research he enlisted the aid of one of the foremost "deep trance mediums" of the United States. Much to the surprise of the group involved in the experiment, the voice that came through was from a spaceship (UFO) from "outer space." Having checked the veracity of the source the group posed a series of questions to these beings who are 2500 years in advance of earth's evolution, not only in technology but in spirituality.

The teachings given "were the very thugs that Jesus, the Nazarene, taught when lie was here on the Earth." It was suggested that a book pertaining to these religious philosophies be published "in such a manner that children might understand the expanded vision of God. which

The teachings given "were the very things that Jesus, the Nazarene, Chapter titles are: Who Are They?; Birth and the Soul; Circle of Life; Some Common Mistakes; Prayer; What is the Astral-Ethereal World Complex? and Karma and Accidental Death. The subject matter covers such topics as: Desire, its nature and consequences; God or Creative Energy; Man's incarnations from planet to planet; the true meaning of life; freedom of choice; soul ages; and life everlasting.

Religious Philosophies of the Planets is a small volume, its contents familiar to the long-time seeker of Universal Truth, but for the new aspirant it offers a simple, yet comprehensive, picture of the "true meaning of life." You may wish to share it with someone whose questions you may not have answered adequately nor persuasively.

——— ♦ ———

WHAT IS UNDERSTANDING?

Begin with this: to know yourself is to begin to understand others, who thereby increase their understanding of you.

To communicate is to understand. Communicate.

To truly desire to understand is to begin to understand the person, matter, condition or situation desired.

To pray to understand is to approach understanding; but prayer must have wings or feet provided by you to be increasingly efficient.

To understand another, listen to his words with the true desire to

NOVEMBER, 1971 17

understand them and him her. If you don't begin to understand you're not listening or being heard.

Love/Understanding is the law of magnetic attraction in the Universe which maintains its parts in their Divine-Law relation to one another. If you're not thus related to your environment and its inhabitants, you are imbalancing or contributing to imbalance. If your environment is sick you cannot be wholly well.

Understanding begins with you, me, our families, our political sub-divisions, extending gradually from you and me, endlessly in all directions. Not to seek beyond ourselves is to ourselves remain lost.

Understanding is love, graduated through acquaintance, friendship, cooperation, collaboration whenever indicated, listening and being heard, talking with intent to contribute and clearly transmit sincere motive, mutual understanding being the intent and desire.

Understanding balances you /he/him/it/they, exalting all. Understanding is a sincere attempt to expand consciousness, never wholly by yourself alone.

"Understanding'' is the best definition of "love."

"The love that passeth (or seeth through) understanding," is the love-understanding which Understanding, Inc., Understanding Magazine, Understanding Units and individual members, seek to awaken in all men.

Nations are no more different from one another than any two individuals. To understand the individual is to approach understanding of the nation, any nation. Each nation is an aggregate individual com-posed of its people.

Understanding units are forums for discussion. Discussion, even heated if positive, leads to understanding.

Individual members of Units and members-at-large are volunteer counsellors. They will listen to individual misunderstanding to the nearest member of Understanding, Inc., who will listen and comment as inspired.

-Arthur J. Burks

IMPLEMENTATION

If there are five of you, apply for a Unit Charter by writing to: Understanding, Inc., P.O. Box 206, Merlin, Ore. 97532.

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Bulletin board

Christmas Gift Subscriptions

With even the price of Understanding Magazine subject to an increase in the near future, due to constantly rising costs, we urge you to take advantage of our Special Christmas Gift Subscription Offer.

All Gift, orders received until December 15th will be honored at the special price of $2.00 for the year. A gift card will be enclosed with the December issue.

Remember members of your family, your friends, your local library or other organizations. They will be pleased to receive a reminder of your thoughtfulness each month of the year.

All orders should be sent to P. 0. Box 206, Merlin, Ore. 97532.

A Thanksgiving Prayer

Eternal Father on this blessed day of thanks we humbly- ask to be blessed and to give thanks for all blessings, and wisdom to express joy and faith in each day of our life.

We want to be needed and to feel the spirit of God within. And, to see God in each one we meet. In this we may feel in tune with God's love and in this we are unbound free spirits.

May we keep an open mind to see God's good in all things and to greet each day with Thanksgiving, with Joy, Prayer and Hope.

In the name of the Infinite One.

- Tahahlita

News From Orange, Calif.

Harry E. Woodward, President of Unit 7 of Orange, Calif., reports that two public lectures were sponsored by the Unit recently, with good attendance.

NOVEMBER, 1971 19 The first lecture featured Lawrence W. Foreman. author of Passport to Eternity; the second, Henry Maday, researcher of UFO phenomena. After a period of inactivity the Unit now plans meetings every other month. If you wish to be put on the Mailing List, please write to: Mr. H. E. Woodward, 12462 Merrill St., Garden Grove, Calif. 92640.

News From San Bernardino, Calif.

Mrs. Esther Ellsworth of Unit 71 of San Bernardino, Calif., writes that the unit "functions presently as the producer of twice yearly full day seminar programs. Understandorama, presented the 17th of Oct. this year was the 15th of the series. A mailing list of 1200 names has been compiled for seminar attendance. The membership is too widely scattered for monthly meetings."

:firs. Ellsworth also mentions that the Understanding Library at Morongo Valley serves a wide area, principally by mail. One project for the year has been to supply metaphysical books on loan to inmates of the California Institute for Men at Tehachapi. The books are sent through the Protestant Chaplain. "This has been a wonderful experience to find so many men desiring to rehabilitate themselves while in prison," writes Mrs. Ellsworth.

Gifts Received

Understanding, Inc., has recently been the recipient of two new books and a tape recording.

From Fawcett (1 Astro Plaza, New York, N. Y. 10036) has come a paperback entitled: Our Haunted Planet, by John A. Keel. (75c) From the Findhorn Trust (Findhorn Bay, Caravan Park, Forres, Moray, Scotland) have come two small volumes: Revelation, the Birth of a New Aye, by David Spangler, and God's Word, through Elixir. (No price given; perhaps a Donation is in order for copies.)

From Understanding Member, J. Golumski of Ontario, Canada, has come a 4 track tape recording of: "Red Stars Over Hollywood," and "Council of Foreign Relations."

We thank our good friends for adding to Understanding Libraries.

Aquarian Age Conference

Word has been received that the first Aquarian Aye International Conference will be held next February in Honolulu. Its theme will be Psychic Healing.

20 UNDERSTANDING

Among the speakers are Brad Steiger. Dr. Louis Gittner, "Komar" (Vernon Craig), Dr. Irene Hickman, "Mr. Psychic," Col. Arthur J. Burks, Wayne S. Aho, and Rev. Joseph V. Russell. William J. Finch will be Master of Ceremonies, and Conference Coordinator is James C. Farmer. The program will also offer a "healing stone" ritual by Hawaiian Kahunas, a rare treat.

If interested, write for details to: Janis C. Farmer, P. 0. Box 11288, Phoenix, Ariz. 85017.

CLASSIFIED DEPARTMENT

6c per word per insertion; 3 or more insertions same copy, 5c per word.

GREEN ACRES MOTEL and Trailer Park. Convenient to UNDERSTANDING meetings. Reasonable Rates. Air conditioned, family units, TVs, kitchens, laundry, complete trailer hook-ups. A Clean Comfortable Place to Stay, operated by an "Understanding" family. 1501 N. E. 6th St., Grants Pass, Oregon 97526. Phone: 503-476-3418.

ICI3 HANDBOOK-Use of iodine trichloride in nutritional therapy and' case studies in the restructure of personality. (IC13, or atomic iodine was discussed by the well-known EDGAR CAYCE.) Worth many times $14.95 postpaid. National Research Laboratories (NRL), Dept-10E, 905 Main, Cambridge, Mass. 02139.

CONVERSATIONS WITH THE BEYOND. Spirit Communication For the Millions. Science of Mind For the Millions. $2.50 each plus .25c postage and tax. 3 for $7.00. Heather Buckley. 4018 Rincon, Campbell, Cal. 95008. FOR CHRISTMAS-Irma Glen's new recording "CHRISTMAS MIRACLES NOW." Organ music and living stories of Christmas. LP-Stereo $4.95 each or 5 for $19.95. Californians please add 5% Sales Tax. Order from: Numinis Recordings, 1119 San Pasqual Valley Rd., Escondido, Calif. 92025.

BE THE FIRST TO KNOW current reports of UFOs; psychic phenomena: monster sightings; ESP research; predictions and prophets; latest ac-counts of unusual occurrences-all previously unpublished in books and magazines. Send your name to this leading author and each month receive pages from his research notebooks ABSOLUTELY FREE. Write to BRAD STEIGER'S NOTEBOOK, Box 139, Decorah, Iowa 52101.

——— ♦ ———

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CHRISTMAS SPECIALS

White Sands Incident - Dr. Daniel W. Fry (hardbound, reg $3.95) $2

Atoms, Galaxies and Understanding

Dr. Daniel W. Fry

(hardbound, reg. $3.00) $2.00 (softbound, reg. $2.00) $1.00 Cassette Tape (90 min.)-

Dr. Daniel W. Fry

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Memberships in Understanding

Understanding, Inc. is a non-profit corporation dedicated to the propagation of a better understanding among all the peoples of the earth so that they may live in harmony and be better prepared psychologically and sociologically for the space age.

Several types of membership are available to those who wish to support our endeavors either with dollars or with time and service, or both.

The Associate Membership is Two Dollars per year; the Contributing Membership, Ten Dollars per year, including the Understanding magazine; Sustaining Membership, Twenty-Five Dollars per year, including subscription; and Life Membership, Five Hundred Dollars, including subscription to Understanding magazine.

Welcome to the Understanding family!

UNDERSTANDING, INC.

P.O. Box 206, Merlin, Oregon 97532.