The Nature of Chief Feature

Compilations from the transcripts of the original Michael Teachings group.

• The transcripts of the original Michael Teachings group have been determined to be in the public domain. Any content or commentary added by the author/compiler is copyright: CC by NC-ND and please attribute adeptpath.net.
  

This is a small compilation on the nature of chief feature.  With the subtlety of CF never far away from the day to day lives of students on the path, this is one of the more critical subjects to review.

…………….

09-27-1973

Would Reichian Therapy help me in overcoming my chief feature? I see it making changes in some of my friends.

• No. It would not be of assistance because you have within yourself the answer and can find it for yourself. They [therapists] can only help those who are enmired in the world of false perceptions.

I down myself or else give expert advice. It seems like it’s a monad.

• The advice-giving-mothering complex is a part of false personality. This can be counteracted only be realizing that the solution to a “problem” resides only in the one involved. You cannot solve anything for anyone but yourself. Your chief feature of self-deprecation stems from karmic ribbons.

Do I resent this?

• You cannot divorce knowledge of the hats you have worn [in previous lifetimes] from your present role. The feeling is not bad work. In fact, it shows considerable evolution. A younger soul would not perceive this at all and would merely choose not to understand.

01/03/1974

• Can you now see a correlation between the chief feature and the goal?  Vanity and arrogance are both chief features found in dominant souls.

02/27/1974

• We are here with you. That is close, but was not the one we would give next. We would tell you tonight that there are primarily seven negative outlooks, or what you have been calling “chief features”. All variations are merely permutations of these.  [snip]

May we have the next overleaves?

• These chief features can be stated as: impatience, arrogance, greed, stubbornness — which includes tenacity — self-deprecation, martyrdom, [and] self-destruction.

Half are outwards and half are inwards.  Can these be changed in our lifetime? Can you get rid of them?

• You must grow to extinguish this.

In other words, we must go through our chief features to arrive at agape.

• You must grow to the point where this [chief feature] is no longer a barrier to agape. The perceptions of the transcendental soul can be used as a guide for “consciousness”, at least, subjectively so. Objective consciousness can be compared to the perceptions of the infinite soul. [the concepts of “subjective and objective consciousness” came from the gurdjieff teaching,the sixth and seventh “levels of being” or spiritual development.]

[snip]

What function does chief feature have and what role does it play?

• We would say an enormous part. Often it alone prevents the soul from operating out of the role in essence.

How does it come to be in our lives? Do we choose it?

• It is chosen, yes, as is everything.

It was said my chief feature was vanity. Is this so?

• Vanity is a part of arrogance [the negative pole according to later channeling]; we agree with that. Self-pity is a part of self-deprecation [also at the negative pole, -abasement].

Is that my chief feature […]?

• We see in you a great deal of impatience.

Is that typical of those in [a goal of] growth?

• Yes.

Are all overleaves in essence?

• No: [they are all] in personality.

Are they chosen on the basis of karma?

• First of all, the locale, the socio-economic status, the parents you chose — all are formative in programming the biocomputer. These overleaves are chosen by the soul to be acted out in life, independent most of the time of the wishes of the essence. The soul chose them to complete the specific task. The soul desires simplicity and freedom, making a split between soul and essence.

[snip]

• Yes, we will comment. The closer the soul comes to essence in life, the less he will change to meet the situation. The false personality is like a chameleon. The goal will, to a great extent, determine the face you present in unpleasant situations. Gloominess is one of these faces.

03/06/1974

• The best way to counteract the chief feature of impatience is to deliberately expose yourself to exasperating situations and then photograph the feelings around the impatience. Usually you will find that the reaction is habit rather than emotion, and amounts to a tape loop.

03/14/1974

Do some souls bite off more than they can chew, that is, take on too many negative goals or chief features, etc.?

• This is as far as we know the only set of circumstances that drive the soul to seek this way to freedom.

04/17/1974

Do we have to know with whom we have karmic ribbons?

• Some of you persist in old patterns despite the fact that major overleaves were chosen to burn ribbons that have been burned. Studying your total picture should enable you to see where the persistence is coming from: those in particular with stubbornness and pride [arrogance] as chief features; also, those with rejection goals and repression modes.

Am I still predominantly in submission? I feel I am moving toward acceptance.

• As the dominant flavor, yes, but you are taking a serious look at an alternative. We would see you move toward growth. Why stop at acceptance?

09/21/1974

It seems that michael could also expand.

• The only way we know of to come to agape, which presumably is the goal, is to acknowledge your feelings, likes and dislikes, and then come past them. We have not ever advocated the toleration of any obnoxious behavior to you, and we never will.  It is far too much of an energy drain.

• The fact remains that mechanical man has no inkling of his behavior or how it is perceived by others. The only way that he can ever have that inkling is if some higher being, or even one who is far enough along the path to see it, will hold up the psychic mirror in whatever way possible at the time. Only then can mechanical man perceive himself as others perceive him. That is the first step toward self perception. Especially if the consensus [sic] that latter factor is one other compelling reason for staying in a teaching rather than striking out alone.  When you do not have this constant yardstick, you cannot measure your progress.

• The chief feature of this group is timidity, which is a part of self-deprecation. Much more can be said: most of you have tape loops of agreeability going for you; your behavior is stylized and rigid; in certain situations, the timidity is especially pronounced when the person who needs confronting is in an exalted role. We would see you looking at this in the psychic mirror. Progress is never made by timid people — only by those who are strong enough to resist the pressures exerted upon their psyche by those mechanical men around them. As long as you allow those around you to dictate your mood of behavior to you, you will remain entrenched in the fixed tape loops, and there will be no progress. Why does it matter to you whether you are universally liked? That, given mechanical man’s motives for liking, simply is not possible. Your homework would be to perceive your voracious need in this area, and try to satiate it once and for all. The acceptance, of course, is your strongest overleaf. You may change this. We would recommend at least blunting it. It is taking its toll. It will not be possible for you to grow without this.

Due to the rigidity of my beliefs, I cannot move freely. Is there something michael could say to help me at this point?

• Your most difficult lesson will be in accepting that yourself is responsible and no others.  Only then can you experience your experience.

Sock it to me, Michael, so I may be a better person for it.

• Since your own chief feature is self-deprecation, your own timidity is stronger and therefore needs the work. The start now has been good, but you must not dwell on the possible effects of your photographs. This is a horrendous drain in energy. Just say it.  Most of the time you have been right when you have felt strongly. Practicing with those you trust is all right for the present. It is valid that if it is the truth you speak, most have no rejoinder. Only those in rejection will sometimes reject even the truth.

02/16/1975

• Let us say right now: unqualified, all fears come from false personality. The essence is fearless. Only the overleaves feel fear. Only balance will satisfy. By extinguishing your chief feature, you will end the pressure you feel now. Your chief feature of course now stands in the way of realization of this, and many of your “pressured” feelings. Agape is the goal. Possession is from the overleaves.

09/03/1977

• […] you can succeed from any of the roles providing the chief feature is not one that dooms the life experience to failure. Even that [chief feature], as you all know, can be extinguished and worked through, but this takes that willingness to stand where you are right now and realize that you have put yourself there and no one else is responsible.