Rain, rain…go away

Until about 14 years ago, I used to suffer terribly from the weather in New England.  I thought I had “S.A.D.” – Seasonal Affective Disorder, as I had all the symptoms.  After learning about the Three Spiritual Principles of Sydney Banks, I looked to have an insight about that, and eventually, I did.  My relationship with the 4 seasons changed completely.  I will tell that story another time.

In the last few months, another version of that affliction came back.  I moved back to Martha’s Vineyard in April, after a typical Northwest winter – about 6 months of continuous light rain, gray, and an occasional “sun break” as they call them.  And I came to an atypical New England spring – we’ve been socked in with gray and rain for two continuous months.

That’s a long stretch to go without the sun.  About a month into it, I started to get very down.  Feeling claustrophobic, like I couldn’t breathe.  Desperate – the sun has to come out NOW!  Even frightened – did I make the wrong decision in coming here?  Will it ever change?

These are all thoughts that I would have had before learning the Principles – the 3 spiritual principles that explain all psychological functioning.  But I was having them now.  And it all felt completely real.  Try going on facebook – 3 out of 5 entries the last few weeks are about the weather and how people are coping with it.  I was at the point where I felt like I couldn’t take another day.

However, then I remembered about thought – or Thought – the principle of thought, how it functions.  All my experiences come from Thought, no exceptions, not even this.

Remembering that always puts me in a reflective mood.  I got reflective about my experience with the weather.  I couldn’t see it as Thought, but I wanted to.  I began wondering, regularly, if this were Thought – and therefore only an illusion – what am I thinking that’s bringing me this experience?

The night before last, I woke up in the middle of the night.  My thoughts immediately went to the weather.  Oh no, it hasn’t changed, how am I going to cope…

Then the Thought popped into my head – completely out of the blue:  It’s not your responsibility.  Something or someone else is in charge of the Sun.

It was the oddest thing, but that very surprising and unexpected Thought completely cheered me up in that moment.  It’s not my responsibility.  I had no idea I thought it was my responsibility, but with everything else on my plate right now, it was enlivening to think that this wasn’t.  I wasn’t responsible for the sun.  Someone or something else was.

When I got up yesterday, my thoughts again began to run towards down thoughts about the weather.  But this time I saw them running there, and when I saw them, they stopped.  There was a pause, a break in my habitual thought about the weather.  And then a new thought arrived – came in from nowhere – ‘its cozy.’

I breathed a sigh of relief.  It’s cozy.  Could it be cozy?  It could be.  I relaxed and began to enjoy the day, just as it was.

This is how the Principles work.  The thought is always in operation, and we have so many thoughts each day, most of them we’re not aware of.  But all of our experiences come from Thought.  ALL of them.  Even perception is governed by Thought. So whether you can see Thought or not in any particular instance, if you know whatever your experience is coming from there, it simplifies things.  Only one place to look.

When you look in the direction of Thought – of seeing it, understanding it – you are bringing Consciousness, or awareness, to Thought.  That opens you up to insight – to something coming from the spiritual plane of life that cuts through the illusions you’re creating in the moment and gives you a  glimpse of something greater, of truth.

When that happens, everything changes.  These kinds of thoughts – insights, or fresh thoughts – are not thoughts that you can drum up through your personal mind, through analysis or positive thinking.  These are MegaThoughts – designed to awaken and enlighten you, coming from a different dimension of life than our personal ones.  Sometimes they don’t even make sense on a rational level – why on earth would I think I was responsible for the weather?  But they’re tailor made for you and what you need at the moment.  They bring a sense of awe, and, often, of sacredness.  How and what just entered my mind and changed my perception completely – took away my suffering?  It’s like a little miracle, each time.

It’s another gray day today, and I’m so grateful that it’s cozy!