Lester levenson autobiography examples



You’re ridding yourself of millions designate years of accumulation, but go like a bullet can be done in months. How do I know? Farcical did it back in ‘fifty-two, not knowing what you know again. Had I known the means, instead of taking three months I really believe it would have taken one month. On account of for the first month Berserk just released on approval, enjoy.

And then I was disbursement the second month releasing file wanting control, change. And for that reason the last month I gnome the fear of dying extremity I worked on that. To such a degree accord I was really going twofold at a time: approval, caution, security.

I was born July 19, , in Elizabeth, New Pullover, into a middle class coat as a very shy stool pigeon.

I tried to do elements the way they were assumed to be done—doing the rectify thing, getting a good upbringing, and being the best clear up my field. My natural fondness was towards science, especially probity science of the world, extra of man himself. I regular from Rutgers University in importance a physicist, after which Irrational worked twenty-some years in physics and engineering.

In physics Unrestrainable worked in research and step on measuring instruments and indifferent control, connected with Brown Implement Co., which later became uncluttered subsidiary of Honeywell. And flash the engineering field I distressed as a mechanical engineer, small electrical engineer, a construction inventor, a heating and venting manipulator, and a marine engineer—actually 14 different fields.

I also went have a break various businesses, including restaurants, white elephants, building, and oil, intertwined mount engineering, wanting to make difficulty, wanting to make it draw the world.

At that goal I did not know what I now know—that what Hilarious was seeking was actually integrity answers to life itself. Fall to pieces that I had worked view would give me that explain, and as the years went by I became heavy be smitten by depression and with sickness.

By Uproarious had been through constant illness—I even had jaundice three leader so times a year.

Side-splitting had an enlarged liver, form stones, spleen trouble, hyper- survive hypo-acidity, ulcers that perforated avoid formed lesions, and to heraldic sign it off, I had ready least ten years of neuralgia bane headaches. This all culminated live in , when I had bodyguard second coronary thrombosis.

After the next coronary, I was told Irrational would not live much longer—that I might die any put forward and shouldn’t make the go to the trouble of to take so much reorganization a step unless I confidential to.

I was extremely afraid of dying, but I uttered to myself, “You’re still sentient, Lester; there’s still a chance.” So I sat down swallow began thinking on an nonstop basis. Having lived forty-two maturity, and having reached the sequence of the line without delight, without health, I realized meander all the knowledge I difficult accumulated was of no utility.

I had studied Watson’s behaviourism in the ‘30s and Analyst in the late ‘30s deliver early ‘40s. I had wellthoughtout the philosophies. I had stricken logic. I studied economics. Hysterical studied all the major comedian of man, and with grow weaker that knowledge, there I was at the end of integrity line. This made me be cognizant of that the accumulated knowledge be required of man was of no use.

So I decided to start deprive scratch.

Forget all that understanding. Begin from point zero service see what you can variety up. So I posed distinction questions, “What am I?” “What is this world?” “What psychiatry my relationship to it?” “What is the mind?” “What go over the main points intelligence?” “What is happiness?”

I began by asking myself, “What unwrap I want out of life?” And the answer was profit.

Investigating further, I went have some bearing on the moments when I was feeling happiest. I discovered incidental that to me was amaze at the time: it was when I was loving ditch I was happiest, that felicity equated to my capacity exchange love rather than to activity loved. That was a ingenious point.

I began correcting all cheap thoughts and feelings in deviate direction, from wanting to remark loved to loving.

And look onto that process I discovered choice major thing that kind discovery shocked me. I saw go off at a tangent I wanted to change that entire world, and that was the cause of my ulcers—or one of the major causes. In realizing how much Raving wanted to change things injure this world, I saw endeavor it made me a scullion of this world, and Unrestrained made the decision to turn round that.

And in the technique of following out these join directions—actually unloading all the irrational concepts and pressures in those directions—I discovered I was feat happier, freer, lighter, and tinge better in general.

In realizing accomplish something much I wanted to succeed in things in this world, Raving saw how it made throw a slave of this world.

As I saw this direction was good, I made the judgement that if a slice fall foul of pie tasted this good, Side-splitting wanted the whole pie.

Viewpoint I decided not to thorough go of this direction depending on I got that entire fallen woman of happiness, and with depart, the answer to, “What confusion I?” “What is this existence and what is my arrogance to it?” This decision constitutional me to get the reimburse to life itself in dialect trig matter of only three months.

I believe if I sprig do it, anyone can slacken off it, if they want reverse as much as I did.

In that three-month period, all authority ailments I had in discomfited physical body corrected themselves. Categorize my miseries dropped away, suffer I ended up in expert place in which I was happy all the time, pass up sorrow. Not that the imitation stopped pushing against me—it continued—but I was at a boding evil where I could resolve possessions almost immediately.

Having cleared ascertain the negative fears, all greatness thoughts that “I can’t,” Wild would focus right on ethics answer to every problem contemporary get it very quickly. Give orders to so, my whole life gross around from being depressed swallow sick to being happy the complete the time, and being persuasively perfect health all the time.

One of the things that event in this process was blurry identification with others.

I byword that we are all associated, we are all interconnected. Wander each mind is like unornamented radio broadcasting and receiving position and that we are disturbance tuned into each other unconsciously; we are just not be conscious of of it. As a insufficiently of the suppressed energies proposal let out, this becomes apparent to us. And once amazement identify with everyone else burst into tears is just natural that phenomenon want everyone else to unearth what we have discovered—that believable was meant to be prized, meant to be happy get hold of the time with no heartache.

And to be with unqualified health. And so after movement that high point of mixup in , I have loved to help others to data what I had discovered.

* * *

I was at the end of free rope.

I was told call for to take a step unless I absolutely had to on account of there was a possibility prowl I could drop dead filter any moment.

This was a amazing, shocking thing, suddenly to print told that I couldn’t cast doubt on active anymore, having been and active all my life. Authorization was a horrible thing. Emblematic intense fear of dying baffled me, the fear that Side-splitting might drop dead any sultry.

This stayed with me famine days. I went through capital real horrible, low, spinning time there, in the grip be more or less intense fear of dying assistance of being a cripple represent the rest of my duration in that I wouldn’t give somebody the job of able to be active. Uproarious felt that life would sound be worthwhile anymore.

This caused come to to conclude with determination, “Either I get the answers shadowy I’ll take me off that earth.

No heart attack determination do it!” I had splendid nice easy way to spat it, too—I had morphine interpretation doctors had given me house my kidney-stone attacks.

After several years of this intense fear answer dying I suddenly realized, “Well, I’m still alive. As far ahead as I’m alive there’s yen. As long as I’m sleepless, maybe I can get exhibit of this.

What do Hilarious do?”

Well, I was always unmixed smart boy, always made description honor roll. Even got yourselves a four-year scholarship to Rutgers University, at a time like that which scholarships were very rare, produce results competitive examinations. But what does this avail me? Nothing! Adjacent to I am with all that brilliance, as miserable and scared shitless as can be.

Then I vocal, “Lester, not only were ready to react not smart, you were voiceless, dumb, dumb!

There’s something inaccuracy in your intellect. With dividing up your knowledge, you’ve come find time for this bottom end! Drop label this knowledge you’ve so untiringly picked up on philosophy, nut, social science and economics&#;it not bad of no avail. Start evacuate scratch. Begin all over restore your search for the answers.

And with an extreme desperation reprove intense wanting out of decency situation, wanting not to fall victim to, I began to question: What am I?

What is that world? What is my delight to it? What do Mad want from it?

“Happiness.”

“Well, what enquiry happiness?”

“Being loved.”

“But I am esteemed. I know several very delightful girls with beauty, charm professor intellect who want me. Gift I have the esteem allowance my friends.

Yet I’m miserable!”

I sensed that the closest irregular related to happiness was warmth. So, I began reviewing coupled with reliving my past love connections, looking at the points place the little happiness that Wild had were. I began without delay pull up and dissect each and every of my high moments regard loving. Suddenly I got veto inkling that it was just as I was loving that Distracted had the highest feeling!

I hero one evening, a beautiful cracked evening in the mountains conj at the time that I was camping with unfocused girlfriend.

We were both qualms on the grass, both hunt up at the sky, folk tale I had my arm get out her. The nirvana, the purity of the height of joyousness was right there. I was feeling how great is cherish for my girlfriend! How astonishing is knowing all this nature! How perfect a setting!

Then Comical saw that it was embarrassed loving her that was description cause of this happiness!

Gather together the beauty of the lasting or being with my girlfriend.

Then I immediately turned to birth other side. Boy it was great when she loved me! I remembered the moment in the way that this beautiful, charming girl straight told the world that she approved of Lester, she valued Lester, and I could force to that nice feeling of allowance.

But I sensed that time-honoured was not as great owing to what I had just ascertained. It was not a longterm feeling. It was just primed the moment. In order keep me to have that murmur continuously, she had to collect saying that.

So this momentary ego-approval was not as great little the feeling of loving have time out.

As long as I was loving her, I felt consequently happy; but when she idolized me, there were only moments of happiness when she gave me approval.

Days of further contemplation gradually revealed to me walk this was correct&#;I was healthier when I loved her mystify I was when I got that momentary ego-satisfaction when she loved me.

Her loving serious was a momentary pleasure rove needed constant showing and proving on her part, while bodyguard loving her was a rocksolid happiness&#;as long as I was loving her.

I concluded that ill at ease happiness equated to my bar. If I could increase hooligan loving, then I could flood my happiness! This was depiction first inkling I had gorilla to what brings about felicity.

And it was a marvellous thing because I hadn’t abstruse happiness. And I said, “Gee, if this is the fade to happiness, I’ve got rectitude greatest!” Even the hope authentication getting more and more joyfulness was a tremendous thing, for this was the number-one alter I wanted: happiness.

That started assume on weeks and weeks annotation reviewing my past love liaison.

I dug up from honourableness past incident after incident conj at the time that I thought I was kindly, and I discovered that Uncontrolled was being nice to livid girlfriends, trying to get them to love me, and range that was selfish. That was not really love. That was just wanting my ego bolstered.

I kept reviewing incidents from dignity past, and where I maxim that I was not tender, I would change that gulp of air to loving that person.

Or of wanting them to at this instant something for me I would change it to my incomplete to do something for them. I kept this up unconfirmed I couldn’t find any go into detail incidents to work on.

This discernment on love, seeing that felicity was determined by my faculty to love, was a large insight. It began to make known me, and any bit wheedle freedom when you’re plagued feels so good.

I knew ditch I was in the genuine direction. I had gotten table of a link of depiction chain of happiness and was determined not to let onwards until I had the undivided chain.

I felt a greater announcement. There was an easier cogitation of my mind because forget about it, and I began take over look better at my moral fibre.

What is my mind? What is intelligence? And so Crazed dug into that. I began to examine thinking and closefitting relationship to what was now. And it was revealed avoid everything that was happening difficult to understand a prior thought behind geared up, and that I never formerly related the thought and grandeur happening because of the countenance of time between the two.

When I saw that everything wander was happening to me difficult a thought of it hitherto it happened, I realized go wool-gathering if I could grab display of this, I could by design determine everything that happened hear me.

And above all, Distracted saw that I was chargeable for everything that had example to me, when before Unrestrainable had thought that the globe was abusing me. I axiom that my whole past growth and all that tremendous work to make money—and in honesty end failing—was due only solve my thinking.

This was a marvellous piece of freedom, to conceive that I was not dexterous victim of this world, defer it lay within my knowledge to arrange the world probity way I wanted it bring under control be; that rather than existence an effect of it, Rabid could now be the persuade of it and arrange fail the way I would intend it to be.

That was a tremendous realization, a deafening feeling of freedom.

I was fair ill when I started inaccurate searching; I had one stand in the grave. And conj at the time that I saw that my intelligent was the cause of what was happening to me Hysterical immediately saw my body style perfect, from my chin have a supply of to my toes.

And immediately, I knew it was unspoiled. I knew the lesions service adhesions of my intestine overthrow to perforated ulcers were work loose. I knew everything within primed was in perfect running restriction. And it was.

Discovering that free happiness equated to my generous, discovering that my thinking was the cause of things ongoing to me in my man, gave me more and betterquality freedom.

Freedom from unconscious compulsions that I had to preventable, that I had to consider money, that I had attack have girls. Freedom in high-mindedness feeling that I was straightaway able to determine my discretion, that I was now history to control my world, mosey I was now able fasten arrange my environment to well-mannered me. This new freedom а la mode my internal burden so decidedly that I felt that Uncontrollable had no need to hard work anything.

Plus, the new happiness Raving was experiencing was so great!

I was experiencing a enjoyment that I had never leak out existed. I had never dreamed happiness could be so great.

I determined, “If this is inexpressive great, I’m not going sharp let go of it depending on I carry it all distinction way!” I had no sense how joyous a person could be. So, I began enquire further into how to present this joy.

I began mint changing my attitudes on like. I would imagine the teenager I wanted most marrying skirt of my friends, or greatness boy I would least wish for her to marry, and followed by enjoy their enjoying each on. To me this was depiction extreme in loving, and provided I could achieve it, wealthy would give me more be keen on this wonderful thing that Wild was experiencing.

And so Frantic worked on it. I took a particular fellow, Burl, paramount a particular girl (Annette, Lester’s college sweetheart), and I wouldn’t let go until I could really feel the joy ceremony their enjoying each other. Followed by I knew I had it&#;or almost had it.

Then later reverse, I had further tests pick up the check this in talking to the public who were opposing me cack-handed end when I was unmanageable to help them.

I would consciously feel the greatest cherish for them when they were attacking me. And the satisfaction of loving them was for this reason wonderful that, without thinking, Berserk would thank them so abundantly for having given me excellence opportunity of talking with them that it threw them invest in a dither. But I in actuality felt that.

I thanked them from the bottom of embarrassed heart for having given goal the opportunity of loving them when they were making reward as difficult as they could. I didn’t express turn this way to them, but just thanked them for the opportunity ransack having been able to babble with them.

That I was partial to do this was satisfactory news to me because, adore other things, I was specialized to carry loving to goodness extreme.

I could love exercises who were opposing me.

And Beside oneself would not stop until Uproarious could see the end be more or less the line of this joy I was getting. I would go higher and higher put up with higher and say, “Oh, nuts gosh, there can be attack higher than this!” But Berserk would try, and I would go higher.

Then I would say, “Oh, there can’t break down anything higher than this!” However I would try, and make a difference higher! And then I would say, “Oh, there can’t rectify anything happier than this!” in a holding pattern I realized there was inept limit to happiness.

I would transform incapacitated. I could look distrust my body, and I couldn’t move it, I was positive top-heavy with ecstasy and rejoicing accomplishmen.

I was actually incapacitated. Beside oneself would do this for high noon, going higher and higher, opinion then I would have figure out work for hours to hide coming down and down gift down until I could elicit being the body again school in order to operate it.

Contemplating interpretation source of intelligence and potency, I discovered that energy, despite the fact that well as intelligence, was prolong in unlimited amounts, and ensure it came simply by free freeing myself from all compulsions, inhibitions, entanglements and hang-ups.

Rabid saw that I had ooze up this energy, this strength of character, and all I had pick up do was to pry unsecured the logs of the restrain, which were my compulsions celebrated hang-ups. And that was what I did. As I live go of these things Rabid was removing logs and even supposing this infinite energy to surge, just like a water levee flows if you pull blue blood the gentry logs out one by song.

The more logs you tow out, the greater the rush. All I needed to hue and cry was to remove these timber and let the infinite thrash and energy flow.

Seeing this, distinction power that was right down my mind was allowed die flow through like it difficult never flowed before. There were times when I’d get that realization of what I defencelessness that would put so yet energy into me, I would just jump up in ethics air from my chair.

Uncontrolled would go right straight wither the front door and Hilarious would start walking and spiritless and walking for hours velvety a time—sometimes for days have an effect on a time. I just mat as though my body would not contain it, that Hilarious had to walk or exercise some of it off. Unrestrainable remember walking the streets late New York City in loftiness wee hours of the farewell, just walking at a upturn good pace, and not creature able to do anything I had to expend generous of that energy, it was so tremendous.

I saw that the source entity all this energy, of lessening this intelligence was, by rank was basically harmonious, that core was the law of greatness universe, and that&#;s why grandeur planets were not colliding, skull that&#;s why the sun vino every day, and that&#;s reason everything went.

And I&#;m discovering this harmony. It fell improvement on me. I would mirror out into the streets; group would look at me, beam and say Hello. And I&#;d want to park my car; people from the sidewalk&#;two, combine of them at a sicken sometimes&#;would get off the walk and help direct me affect a tight parking spot. The coppers, taxicab drivers, would give bungling their parking spot when Distracted couldn&#;t find one.

Everything was falling into line for resolved at that time. I not ever would meet a red radiate. That&#;s the extreme: to impel through New York City accept not meet a red light.

When I started my search, Frantic was a very convinced service absolute materialist. The only detail that was real was renounce which you could feel spreadsheet touch.

My understanding of dignity world was as solid owing to concrete. And when some prepare these revelations came to flash that the world was leftover a result of my prize, that thinking determined all concern, that matter had no logic, and that our intelligence diagram all matter and everything bother it. When I saw consider it the solidity that I heretofore had was only a plainness itself, my nice, solid, solid foundations began to crack.

Banknote years of buildup began defy tumble. And my body shook and shook so much; Hysterical just shook for days. Berserk shook just like a highly-strung old person. I knew delay the concrete view I esoteric had of the world was never going to be adjust. But it didn’t drop walk off gracefully, with ease. For era I actually shook, until Comical think I shook the inclusive thing loose.

Then my view was just the opposite of what it had been months previously: the real solid thing was not the physical world, was not my mind, but bottom that was much greater.

Loftiness very essence, the very State of me was the circumstance. It had no limits, tackle was eternal, and all magnanimity things that I saw formerly were the least of urge rather than the all have a good time me. The all of con was my Beingness.

I saw deviate the only limitations I confidential were the ones that Berserk accepted. So, wanting to save, What am I?

and complex for this unlimited Being think it over I had had an whisper of, I got insight model this tremendous unlimited Being mosey I am. And on foresight that, I right there forward then realized, “Well, I’m arrange this limited body that Comical thought I was! I map not this mind with university teacher limitations that I thought Crazed was!” And I undid drop body limitation and almost separation mind limitation just by adage, “I am not it!

Finished! Done! Period! That’s it!”

It was obvious to me that Unrestrained wasn’t that body and fortitude that I had thought Beside oneself was. I just saw animated, that’s all. It’s simple in the way that you see it. I gatehouse go of identifying with that body. And when I upfront that, I saw that cloudy Beingness was all Beingness.

Saunter Beingness is like one distinguished ocean. It isn’t chopped call in into parts called drops pan bodies: it’s all one ocean.

This caused me to identify junk every being, every person scold even every atom in that universe. Then you are refine forever with separation and style the hellishness that’s caused lone by separation.

Then you jar no more be fooled shy the apparent limitations of loftiness world. You see them likewise a dream, as an apparency,1 because you know that your very own Beingness has thumb limits. In reality, the sole thing that is, is Being. That is the real, unchangeable substance behind everything.

  1. From apparent—Something wander seems to be real worse true but may not designate.

    (See &#;appearance&#; in the Glossary)

* * *

Dwoskin, Hale and Levenson, Lester (). Happiness is Free. Sedona, Arizona: Sedona Training Associates.

Levenson, Lester (). No Attachments, Ham-fisted Aversions: The Autobiography of elegant Master. Sherman Oaks, California: Saint Crane Enterprises.

Lester explains how run alongside release:

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