We all know about the crime statistics we have in our country. Whatever is being done about it by the authorities isn’t working. How could it? For 20 000 years or more, the emphasis was on to enforce changes of “behaviour patterns” of criminals.
Behaviour is a symptom. The cause is belief system. We need to look at the cause, the belief system.
How?
The first power we received at the time of Creation was Total Freedom of Spirit. The Spirit cannot be suppressed or oppressed. Together with the second power we received, Total Freedom of Choice, it means, that the individual needs to believe in something he chooses, and choose it with the freedom of his own spiritual understanding and agreement.
Not by force from an outside entity, law, rule or authority. A difference between Love Choice and Fear Choice.
So, we decided to show the prisoners another angle to look at life, including their own situation and circumstances. Without rights or wrongs. Just creating an observation what works and what does not. No judgement. Just Truth. Using Love, not Fear. IT WORKS.
There are three of us healers at this time presenting different courses for inmates. We work independently on different days, but with cooperation with each other. Each Wednesday I spend half a day giving a 6 weeks “Soulhealing Seminar” to the inmates. The experience gained through doing this work, is simply overwhelming.
To describe it in a nutshell, it is life’s irony, that one regains faith in humanity… in a prison. Through personal experiences, one sees another undeniable proof what those “love” teachings from all those Masters are all about and how they work to a practical, physical effect. We work with all those murderers, rapists and hi-jackers, popularly called “the dregs of humanity”.
The coin has many sides
It is understandable, that many of the inmates initially volunteer to take part in the seminar for the simple reason of killing time. Inactivity and boredom are destructive features for a human being in prison. You encounter the cynical first glances.
This is where the “love” and open-heartedness, the being who you are comes in. If you try to put on some sort of “image”, the prisoners see right through you, their sixth sense is uncanny.
The first connection, the first session is crucial. But after the beginning 20 minutes of talking from heart, the eyes start to shine, the heads begin to nod, and more and more polite hands are raised to ask questions.
This is the time, when we the facilitators with great humbleness really understand the meaning in the words: “We Are One”.
The inmates’ lifelong fear based philosophy visibly changes to that innocent childlike wonder, when a new world opens up in their Soul, even more, when they realise, that this is really the same world, but now they themselves are looking at it from a different angle.
After being together with the men for six weeks, they recreate their outlook on life to such a degree, that it is astounding.
At the closing ceremony, where they also receive their certificates, you are given so much Unconditional Love from all the men, that it leaves you weak at the knees and you will find, that it is very difficult to talk. There are a lot of long embraces and choked back tears. This is between men, with previous philosophy of “never show weakness”. This is the moment, when you know, that you are privileged to be able to do what you do.
There are several wardens at Leeuwkop Prison who take their part very seriously and really make a difference with their smiles, kindness and human-ness. I have not seen (of course we do not see everything just by spending a day per week at the prison) any negative behaviour by the wardens towards the prisoners at any time. There is a relatively easy-going but respectful relationship in existence. Naturally, there is an “us-and-them” situation, a not entirely trusting status, but that is due to many factors. The wardens work long hours, are very short staffed and are very low paid.
Prison is a Dark Space by nature
To work there every day to put the bread on the table for the family, is soul destroying to describe it correctly. This fact is not only not addressed in any way, but the Correctional Services are simply not aware of its existence. I realized this within myself. Teaching the inmates fills you with elation and after each session you walk out with that warm feeling in the heart. Then I drive home, and it is then when the wheels come off.
Every single time, without exception, I am finished for the day. It is a semi-negative floating dimension where you feel detached from the rest of the world. I feel so exhausted in body-mind-spirit (especially in spirit), that I just lie down and I go to sleep for 3-4 hours at least. I never ever sleep during the day normally.
We have discussed plans, to also include the wardens in the Soulhealing Seminar and other programs. That would be the ideal and very desirable solution.
To give you another angle of “our” inmates’ advancement of caring and understanding, they themselves made suggestions to me, to include the wardens in the seminars, so they do not feel “left out” from learning all these wonderful new things what they enjoy so much. And they (the inmates) were never aware that we (the facilitators) were thinking to do just that from the beginning! Isn’t that “Love stuff” just magic?!
The prison work we do, is fully funded by ourselves. There is a lot of work, time, money and energy we put into this project. Dealing with 20 men intensively at the time needs preparation, creation and printing of special workbooks, papers, and a lot of night work.
The Correctional Services do acknowledge the success and uniqueness of our efforts, but we all know entities of government and bureaucracy. Funding denied. So presently our passion alone carries the project. We would greatly appreciate sponsorship or donations from any source.
By all indication, we envisage that our project is going to expand and grow, where more healers/lightworkers will soon be needed as more prisons countrywide will want to take advantage of the success of this work. I think, we probably did more for genuine rehabilitation so far, than any official entity in history.
We will also need to organise ourselves in a more practical manner, however I believe, that each individual healer needs to operate freely according to their own system, method or modality. After all, the passion and the intention to create is the driving force, not rules and regulations.
We all know the destructive effect our country suffers from crime. Neither the Government nor the Correctional Services have an effective answer to solve this problem. We do.
Biophile recently received recognition for its contribution to the print & internet category at the 20th SAB Environmentalist & Environmental Journalists of the year Awards. Congratulations to a dedicated team!