Through the Eye of the Iris

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From time immemorial, those whom we (in our Western hubris) have called “the primitive people” have known how to travel through the eye of the iris into the dream world. In the dream world, they perceive extraordinary visions and experience some of the powers of the inner world—the wider world, the space world, the cosmic world, the God world—where they see the “beyond.” The Eskimos in the tundra find direction without a material landmark. The African shaman sees the disorder in the plants and the ceremonies and rituals that will create order, health and recovery, order from disorder. The Aboriginal treks across the desert continent sensing and knowing water. The Seer will know the illness as well as the future.

In a similar manner, the true psychotherapist will become the other person, will know the other person, to help his fellow human to reach inside to find the Self and to approach the Self which is the Soul. From time immemorial, people have been able to move through the eye of the iris to enter the dream world, the counterpart superior world. Through the eye of the iris, as through the mirror of Alice, we perceive wonders.

How do we move through the mirror to the dream world, to this world that can bring us greater love, unity, knowledge, power, confidence and beneficence, from the plane of existence with which we are so commonly familiar?

Basically by settling into a half-dream place, a state of lucid meditation, by remaining awake and yet settling into the dream world. A caution: remove doubt about what is seen until it can become understood and integrated with this world.

This comes to pass in meditation as we achieve a sort of half-asleep state. We have traveled through the eye of the iris into a quiet receptive mood, ready for the unexpected. We have set the ego aside, no longer clinging to our sometimes self-centered and already established assumptions.

Raymond Moody was able to understand the travels of the near-death experience. Later, studying the methods of the ancient Greeks, he established a “psychomanteon” in which the subjects could (having already been prepared by coming into the lucid, half-dream state) perceive the spirits of the dear departed. Astonishingly, as Moody found, some were able to travel into the mirror to live a while on the other side. But that is something we can all accomplish, as we learn to travel through the iris to the other side.

How is this done? Through prayer—sincere prayer in which self-direction is surrendered to direction from the other side—and by expecting the unexpected. This is part of setting aside ego, but also setting aside doubt, when visits, inspiration and miracles come to us—always through the mirror of the mind.

A Story

A very devout Rabbi caught himself at home in the midst of a flood. Friends came and asked to help him come out to their home. He declined, saying “God will help me.” The waters rose; he went to the second floor. A rowboat came along, and wanted to rescue him. Again, “God will save me.” The waters, rose; he climbed to the roof. A helicopter came and offered him rescue but again he declined saying his faith in God would be sufficient. He drowned and went to heaven. There he met God, and protested. “I have been such a servant, and yet you let me drown.” God replied, I sent you three miracles, a neighbor, a rowboat and a helicopter, but you refused all of them.”

Lesson: Have faith, but take action. Expect the unexpected. Suspend doubt when inspiration arrives.

Maurie D. Pressman, M.D.
200 Locust Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106
Tel: 215-922-0204
Email: mauriedavid@earthlink.net
www.mauriepressman.com

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Maurie D. Pressman, M.D. is the author of Enter the Supermind, Visions From the Soul and co-author (with Patricia Joudry) of Twin Souls: A Guide to Finding Your True Spiritual Partner. Dr. Pressman is Emeritus Chairman of Psychiatry at the Albert Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia and Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Temple University Health Sciences Center. He is Medical Director at the Center for Psychiatric Wellness, clinics that operate in Philadelphia and Haddonfield, N.J. These clinics bridge traditional and spiritual psychotherapy. Dr. Pressman can be reached at 200 Locust Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106; telephone: 215/922-0204; fax: 215/922-3008; email: mauriedavid@earthlink.net; website: www.mauriepressman.com.

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