The True Purpose of Antitrust Law

By: William A. Markham
The antitrust laws are supposed to promote and protect competition. This alone is their proper purpose. They are not intended to punish big companies merely on account of their size, nor to serve as surrogate "consumer protection" laws. Most importantly, they have never been anti-market or anti-business in their underlying conception or in their implementation. On the contrary, the antitrust laws are intended to promote market economics and healthy competition in every market, while checking the abuses that sometimes arise in different markets.

The idea behind these laws is that in every market there should be robust competition: If in each market there are many sellers busily competing against one another to sell a particular kind of product or service to paying customers, no one seller will be able to take unfair advantage of the buyers, but rather each seller will be obliged to offer its good or service on attractive terms, and each seller will be responsive and efficient in its dealings with buyers, who otherwise will simply turn to another, better seller. In other words, vigorous competition in any given market keeps the sellers honest, forcing them to strive continually both to improve their goods and services and to offer them on favorable terms. Customers benefit from this competition. Poorly run companies are run out of business, as they deserve to be. The better run companies, and the most honest ones too, tend to prosper. Society as a whole benefits. This is nothing other than the glory of marketplace economics working properly and rewarding each of us for our efforts, our talent, and our perseverance. The antitrust laws exist to help marketplace economics to work better.

The Origins of the Antitrust Law American antitrust laws were intended to break up the enormous family "trusts" that in the late 1800s came to dominate banking, oil production, rail transport, shipping, steel production and a handful of other key industries in the United States.

Many Americans resented the enormous accumulation of power and wealth that this handful of families acquired from their dominance of these key markets, and others grew alarmed that these dominant firms would abuse their market power in order to exact unfair advantages from their customers, doing so precisely because they had eliminated their rivals and now had unchecked power in the different markets that they totally controlled.

Anti-Business or Pro-Competition? This is where the confusion arises. The antitrust laws were never intended to indulge the clamorings of anti-business populists, such as William Jennings Bryan or his socialist fellow travelers in Europe. To such populists, it was unfair that these industrial barons should have so much affluence and power, while millions of other labored in misery for a pittance, without any social protection or any prospect of improving their sorry lot in a cruel world. The antitrust laws, although enacted to redress the abuses imposed or threatened by the great trusts, were never intended to accomplish the anti-business, anti-market purposes of the turn-of-the-century populists. Both the populists and the antitrust laws decried the same abuses done by the same trusts, but each had very different purposes in mind.

For the antitrust laws serve to promote and protect market economics, doing so on the theory that society flourishes the most when it is founded on vigorous competition: According to this theory, competition brings forth the best in each of us, keeping each of us on our toes, mindful that if we do not perform well, we will be cast aside for someone else who can perform better. It is a harsh logic, and it works very well because it rightly understands and anticipates actual human nature and human psychology in action.

Promoting competition as an end in itself might be harsh economic policy, but it works better than all the others because it is based on an accurate understanding of what motivates human beings most the time in most their dealings with one another. To paraphrase Adam Smith, the baker does not ask himself whether you might wish to enjoy some of his excellent bread this evening with your meal. No, he wants you to give him money, and thus he strives to make excellent bread so that you will be persuaded to purchase your bread from him and not from some other baker. The populist, in contrast, expects each of us to be selfless and altruistic, asking ourselves, "what is best for our society as a whole?", and "how can society aid those who are ailing?" He then expects the general population to make sacrifices to give effect to these wonderful, ambitious sentiments. These sacrifices usually come in the form of onerous taxes, which are paid to the government, which uses them in theory to provide social services to the needy and for other worthy social causes.

But this populist approach to inequality and misery, however well-meaning in theory, seems rarely to work in practice: Human beings seem above all to be motivated by selfish behavior, at least in their dealings with strangers. A mother might well love her children so dearly that she will walk through a wall of fire at mortal risk to herself to save one of them from the flames. But when she goes to market to buy her bread for her family, she wants the best bread at the lowest price, and the baker and his family can go to the devil if he cannot provide this for her. (The author of this article would argue that there are certain public services that the government alone is best placed to provide, but that the role of government must always be sensibly limited, and that each of us must be kept constantly on our toes by the demands of marketplace economics.

The antitrust laws exist not to help populist business-bashers dismantle successful, prosperous companies, even the most dominant global monopolies of the era. Rather, these laws are meant to redress or temper the fundamental flaw that seems inherent to unbridled competition. A word of explanation is in order. Competition is the best market system for human beings, so the theory goes, because each of us goes to market to do selfish bidding for ourselves and our families. We will produce the best goods and services, doing so at the best prices, only because if we fail to do so our customers will abandon us and buy from another; and when we ourselves buy goods or services, we will look to the seller who can provide them on the most favorable terms, taking into account considerations of quality, price, and delivery, etc. Thus antitrust laws promote market economics and are never to be confused with antimarket economics. Antitrust laws do not punish big businesses merely because they are big and successful. Success rather is the proper reward to those who labor well or who provide excellent goods and services to their customers. This is what motivates us in the first place to do well. Success must be encouraged, not envied or resented, much less punished by government confiscation (i.e., taxation and redistributive policies).

The Besetting Flaw of Market Economics Rather than punish successful firms or proscribe free markets, as the populists seem to want, the antitrust laws seek instead to perfect the markets by "correcting" the inherent contradiction of market economies, which is as follows: In many key markets, one firm or a clutch of major firms often come to dominate the entire market. Once this happens, competition in this market ceases altogether or at best becomes a pale shadow of its former self. If, say, one company alone sells computer operating software for nearly all personal computers, the users of personal computer find themselves too much at its mercy and too vulnerable to its depredations. The dominant company might well have become dominant because it makes a better or less expensive product or has been more astute at spotting and exploiting commercial opportunities. But once this firm becomes the only competitor, it will no longer be kept on its toes by the threat of superior competition. It will find that "it is the only show in town", and it will naturally look for ways to exact bigger profits and more onerous concessions from its captive customers. The law of tendencies makes clear that it is only a matter of time before the dominant firm abuses its customers. Over time the market controlled by a single firm or handful of firms will no longer enjoy the expected, ordinary benefits of robust competition � competitive pricing, quality in production, superior service, and constant, impatient innovation.

The antitrust laws serve to check and redress the abuse of market dominance. It punishes (1) those who acquire market dominance by improper means, and (2) those who, having acquired market dominance by proper means, have abused it since obtaining it. It also punishes the conspiracies, both express and tacit, that powerful firms sometimes try to impose across entire markets in order to consolidate market power and exact unfair benefits. These are the true purposes of the antitrust laws.

Put another way, the antitrust laws presuppose that unrestrained market competition is the best method of promoting lasting prosperity and wealth for the greatest number. But unrestrained competition, put into practice, often leads to the emergence of stultifying monopolies and oligopolies that take unfair advantage of their customers while hindering innovation and commercial excellence. This is the great and eternal contradiction of market economics, and it is this contradiction that the antitrust laws seek to redress. It is a difficult task precisely because it arises from a fundamental contradiction: Markets should be left alone and left to regulate themselves, save when a market becomes corrupted by a predatory monopoly or is harmed by predatory trade impositions � both of which seem inevitably to occur in unregulated markets of certain kinds. The underlying logic of the antitrust laws would seem to arise from this very contradiction, and can be summarized as follows: Leave the markets alone, knowing that in time the winners will abuse their victorious position, and then regulate or punish the victors; and always punish those who collude to impose trading shams. The antitrust laws should serve to regulate or punish the offending monopoly or trade practices.

What Antitrust Laws Try to Accomplish Antitrust laws, properly understood, are intended to grapple with this market contradiction. In particular they forbid any improper monopoly or any attempt to obtain a monopoly by improper means (i.e., a monopoly obtained or attempted by a firm that on purpose has destroyed or tried to destroy its competitors, using anticompetitive tactics whose sole purpose has been to undermine competitor businesses). These laws also forbid dominant firms to act in collusion in order to impose unfair commercial practices that impose upon any market that they dominate or aim to dominate by means of the improper practice, and they also outlaw various kinds of recognized commercial fraud that are always deemed to be so anti-competitive as to be per se unlawful (i.e., bid-rigging, price-fixing, etc.).

The Charter Principles of Antitrust Law The antitrust laws strive to set forth a series of general propositions that serve as the "charter principles" of marketplace economics in the United States. I think these charter principles and their corollaries can be summarized as follows: It is always improper to acquire monopoly power by means of business practices whose only purpose is to undermine or destroy business rivals. If your computer software is so good or so inexpensive that everyone buys only from you, then you have won in the marketplace and have obtained a proper monopoly. If you use business methods calculated to crush rival makers of software, and if by such methods you acquire or perpetuate your monopoly, you have committed an antitrust offense. It is also improper to attempt to acquire a monopoly by means of such predatory or anti-competitive business practices, and it is likewise improper to conspire with others to try to do so or to succeed at doing so. Any such effort constitutes an antitrust offense. It is likewise improper for two or more firms to act in concert or conspire in order to impose predatory or anti-competitive schemes in a market in which they jointly wield significant power or control. The litany of such abuses is as long as the imagination of the wily managers of the bigger firms in each market. But any time two or more firms collude to impose unfair trade restraints in a market that they control, their effort constitutes an antitrust offense, or least arguably constitutes such an offense. It is always improper for two or more ostensible competitors to agree in secret to set prices (price-fixing), pre-arrange competitive bids (bid-rigging), divvy up customers in a market by pre-arrangement (horizontal market allocation), or provide a necessary product or service only on condition that the buyers also purchase another product or service (unlawful tying). Any such practice, however ingeniously characterized, is an antitrust offense if it is detected and proven. There are other, more technical wrongs that likewise constitute antitrust offenses: For example, it is an antitrust offense for two firms to agree to an exclusive supplier or exclusive dealer arrangement, if the arrangement unreasonably harms competition or tends to give rise to a monopoly. It is sometimes improper for two competitors, however honest, to merge or otherwise unite, if by so doing they significantly diminish competition in markets in which they have been competitors. A proposed merger or acquisition, if it is large enough, must therefore usually obtain advance clearance from antitrust authorities, such as the Federal Trade Commission (this is another topic, fit for a book or volumes of books all on its own). These then would be the grand principles of the marketplace enshrined in the antitrust laws that have served us so well for more than a century.

How Some Other Countries Approach the Same Issues The author of this article would argue that "competition authority" in Europe is too inclined to regulate and lay a restraining hand on marketplace economics, but it seems to be improving over time, and it has certainly played a useful role in penalizing national discrimination by one EU country against firms from other EU countries. Mexico in contrast suffers from a dearth of competition law: It too much resembles a "corporatist" society in which key industries are utterly controlled by a clutch of inter-connected firms. The new president, Felipe Calderon, has made some excellent comments on the subject and appears far more inclined than any of his predecessors to redress the abuses and price manipulations imposed by the hitherto unchallenged oligopolies in telecommunications, construction, retailing, banking, and financial services. The United States seems to do very well in comparison to either Mexico or the European Union, but our antitrust laws rely too much on criminal law enforcement, which should be reserved only to punish outright fraud, such as bid-rigging, extortion, and price-fixing by cartels. The antitrust laws of Canada are similar to our own laws, but have less emphasis on criminal punishment. The Canadian competition authorities treat competition issues as matters best suited for private litigation and civil decrees, not criminal enforcement, which seems to be sensible. On the other hand, the Canadians have mostly copied our antitrust innovations and then devised clever modifications of them. We have been the ones to lead the way.

Curse or Blessing? Critics of the antitrust laws plausibly argue that these laws serve in the end merely to punish, restrain and burden the most successful competitors of every market, thereby causing enormous injury to competition. They thus argue that the antitrust laws are harm the very thing they say they are intended to protect � competition in the marketplace. For these critics, the antitrust laws are self-contradictory, self-defeating nonsense. Worse than that, they are an expensive nuisance and a crippling burden to our most successful firms, and our economy cannot afford such burdens in this new era of globalization and outsourcing. The critics have a point. Antitrust laws are uncertain in their application, and compliance with them can be onerous and expensive. If a firm is sued in antitrust case, it will likely be obliged to pay substantial or onerous sums to its attorneys and experts, and some of its key officers will have to devote much of their time to preparing the firm to defend itself in the case. In the meantime, the firm will likely suffer bad press. Even if the firm at length "wins" the case (i.e., is exonerated of any liability for antitrust misconduct), it will find that it has lost money, effort, time and goodwill. This scenario brings to mind the old saw about lawsuits: "I have been twice ruined in my career; once when I went to the courts and lost; and a second time when I went to the courts and won!" But the alternatives are worse. If there were no antitrust laws, a dominant firm or handful of firms would emerge in many markets, especially the really important ones, such as telecommunications, energy markets and various others in which there are significant "barriers to entry". These firms would not only exclude all other competitors, but also tend to impose unfair trading terms on their business partners and ultimate customers, while failing to keep fit and responsive because of the dearth of competition from rivals. Unfettered competition leads to monopolies in too many kinds of commerce. Monopolies in turn tend to become unresponsive to customers, less efficient, and more likely to impose abusive trading terms in the markets that they control. The antitrust laws provide remedies for such anti-competitive behavior: Stiff damages and fines, injunctions, consent decrees and various other measures. We need antitrust laws to redress this fundamental contradiction of marketplace economics (see above). Yes, the antitrust laws are horrible, ruinous abominations that arise from an inextricable contradiction that they do not resolve, and they involve us all in wasteful litigation and suffering. But as Winston Churchill might have said, the antitrust laws have the benefit of being better than all the alternatives. Attorneys at Law in San Diego,California and Tijuana, Mexico We are a firm of attorneys who provide a broad array of legal services as San Diego Attorney and Tijuana region to companies and individuals from the local area and around the world. We keep offices in both San Diego and Tijuana, and our attorneys are admitted to practice in California and Mexico as well as Washington, D.C. and New York. We offer comprehensive legal services in the San Diego region and elsewhere in Southern California, and we do the same in Mexico for clients who have legal issues that arise under Mexican law.



William A. Markham, San Diego Attorney Mr. Markham is a San Diego attorney who obtained his law degree from Harvard Law School in 1987 (see below for more information on his professional credentials). He is an experienced, highly successful litigator of complex business and real estate disputes, and he has litigated a wide array of such matters for plaintiffs and defendants in California since 1988. He has obtained superb results time after time for his clients, who have included major companies, established firms, entrepreneurs, investors, businesspeople and others. Professional Experience: Mr. Markham has particular experience handling the following kinds of cases: Complex business disputes, antitrust matters, and real estate disputes. Real estate disputes: Mr. Markham handles real estate litigation of every description, including condemnation matters, real estate development disputes, lender representation in foreclosure matters, complex foreclosures, real estate contract disputes, title disputes, lien priority disputes, real estate fraud, judicial partitions, and other kinds of real estate matters. WHY ANTITRUST MATTERS by William A. Markham, San Diego Attorney � 2006 For more http://www.maldonadomarkham.com/

The Awareness of Metaphysical Laws and Principles Part 2

The importance of the awareness of one's True Self. Principles of metaphysical healing.

By Leonard Lee
Awareness of Self

Most people identify the lower components of their microcosmic being as the Self. This is a misconception that results in suffering and pain in everyday experiences. It also prolongs soul-bondage to matter, to Maya, to the wheel of birth and rebirth. Buddhism, for example, teaches that there is no self in that which is ephemeral, and although exoterically, they deny the existence of a self within man, teachers of Vajrayana Buddhism do assert the existence of what they call "the Clear Light of the Void" which is correlative with the concept of the Self in Hindu Philosophy. This Self is independent of the lower principles within the microcosmic being of man. In Western Esotericism, this Self is called "the Monad," "the Virgin Spirit," or "the Divine Spark" issued from the Universal Supreme Being. It is a "fragment" or a facet of the Divine Universal Self, the Universal Being; and as such, it has all the qualities and attributes of its "Parent-Flame."

The One God is often described in Christian literature as omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent. To the Buddhist It is Unborn, Unconditioned, Unlimited and Unformed. It is the Tao, with which Lao Tse knew to be nameless. The Real, Divine Being within is our True Being. It is "man" created in God's image. In actuality, it is God individualized as man. Man's Real Self is perpetually attuned with the Divine Mind of the Supreme being and through that attunement, partakes of divine nourishment. Awareness of, and the identification with the Real, with Reality and Truth lies the secret of the Ages related to illumination, life, and power. Conversely, ignorance of man's true estate is the cause of spiritual death. It is a state of non-awareness of the verities of the Divine Self and Absolute Reality. Ignorance causes us to misapprehend the external world. We perceive it as solid and stable, whereas it is void and subjected to the Law of Change. In his book, The Inner Reality, Paul Brunton defines ignorance in this way :

"Ignorance means that you confuse the unreal with the Real, and that you take sense-impressions, thoughts, opinions, or visions to be the one permanent reality which is unchanging." (1952:174)

In contrast to our Real Ego, that which we call our self is an illusion. It is our consciousness deeming itself to be a separate being, a created creature. Our waking consciousness is an integral part of the ocean but it believes itself to be an individual droplet. The Aquarian Gospel considers this concept of the self to be an illusion that should pass away if one aspires to illumination, enlightenment, or salvation--it is insufficient to simply call "Lord, Lord . . . " (Matt. 7:22-23). The Aquarian Gospel, a manuscript derived from Akashic sources also claims that the lower nature of man, the carnal self is the devil within. It says that,

"The only devil from which men must be redeemed is self, the lower self. If man would find his devil he must look within; his name is self." (8:21)

Understanding and being aware of our Real Self is essential if we are to live and function constructively and creatively in the lower worlds as a divine being. Self-reliance, self-confidence, and self-expression take on a deeper meaning when these attributes are realized to be dependent upon the True Self and not to the false ego. Self-confidence is in reality God-confidence. Reliance on the false ego for motivation and inspiration creates unpleasant circumstances as well as the grotesque, obnoxious and repulsive sights and sounds that we see about us. Let us take "self-expression," for instance, as applied in the philosophy and cultivation of art. Every artist is more or less aware of this term. But the "self" they believe in and refer to is simply the content of their subconsciousness, which more often than not, is filled with psychedelic images, gruesome forms, phobias, neurosis, and unresolved energies. Most critics of the art world hold such "self-expressions," so-called artistic works in high regard. The standard of divine beauty it would seem--the expression of the true uniqueness of the Monad, as a facet of the Supreme Being, as was known in ancient Greece--has practically been forgotten by modern man who is materialistically-oriented. We can see from this that the aesthetical sense of a large portion of humanity has been degraded by ignorance of the true Self coupled with an impure subconscious and conscious mind.

Putting off the old man, the false ego, and putting on the new, the Higher Self, becomes a necessity if a utopian-consciousness is to be made manifest in man's mind and to appear as Heaven on earth. This is the Christian's long awaited Kingdom of God in which the vigil and the waiting are observed but not the laying of the foundation. It is the fact of man's dual nature that caused the Nazarene Master in the Aquarian Gospel to quip that,

"Man is the Truth and falsehood strangely mixed." (22:12)

It is incumbent upon the metaphysician to point out to the seekers the manner in which this may be achieved, in which the synthetic image of man may be shed, for most if not all of our social ills are derived from ignorance--from man's false identification with the unreal. Sacrifices of animals in ancient cultures and religions are outward, symbolical practices of the sacrificing of one's carnal self upon the altar of truth. Consorting with the false, and mortal principles makes it difficult for it to be sacrificed and to identify with the true. In the Corona Class Lessons, "Kuthumi" comments on this:

"The frailty of human reason is ever in its identification with the finite self. A sense of being entangled in the process of identification with the objects and experiences hinders the revelation of man's true spiritual nature." (1986:259)

Our present world-dilemma is actually a manifestation of the identity-crisis in man. The only antidote to this problem is in the principle of being centered, and living in God-Consciousness rather in the lower consciousness of the mind. About two thousand years ago we were exhorted by the Christ to seek that we shall find. After looking here and there, many still do not know what they are seeking or why. That which is sought for lies within and not without, and it is Truth that we seek that discloses to us our Reality, our True self. The quest for the Holy Grail in the Authurian legends is simply the search for one's immortal principle, for the Reality beyond the Veil of Isis. This truth emancipates us from mortal limitations, mortal conditions, mortal thoughts--mortality, in short. In teaching, healing and counseling the metaphysician has to stress the importance of this vital law. Most, if not all metaphysical techniques and principles depend on the right understanding of man's Divine, immortal nature.


FINDINGS

In this section we will discuss some of the various principles applicable to the metaphysical ministry as related to the themes mentioned in the previous chapter. As man never ceases to be a student of Nature, so the metaphysician never desist from learning the higher unseen causes that affects one's world, and the laws and principles whereby one may be a master of his world, of one's destiny. It would, therefore, be impossible to deal exhaustively with all of the principles and the finer points of Cosmic Laws that the metaphysician should be aware of, as there are many of such that are as yet to be discovered. We will instead discuss a few that we feel to be of vital importance to one's ministry.


The Immaculate Concept

Many people are besieged by depressive thoughts--not all of which are of their own making. For negative thoughts, the tempting demons that they are, may have an external source that attaches themselves to vulnerable persons. Occultism actually call these "larva." Thoughts are things. They are energy-patterns that possesses independent life of their own, and as such they may live outside of the force-field of their creator. According to psychics, these thoughts, or thought-forms, may appear in varied forms, in accord with the nature of those thoughts. Negative thoughts such as greed, for instance, may appear like a creature resembling an octopus with its many tentacles. Thoughtforms may attach themselves to people other than the creator of those thoughts, and they may have detrimental effects upon the psyche, and the somatic system--that is, if the thoughtforms are debased, negative, depressive, and destructive in nature. It is by being aware of this principle that we may exercise a certain power of good by using it constructively for the benefit of our fellow beings. Indonesian shamanism and Javanese Kejawen recognize these harmful larva that attaches themselves to one's aura, and engage in empowered shower-rituals called "ruwatan" to cleanse one's force-field from the presence of these quasi-beings and their destructive work.

It is apparent from the above that there are two points to be considered:

1) The protection of man against negative forces and thoughtforms.

2) The conveying of the Truth, the immaculate concept regarding man--the highest, divine thoughts and principles on Reality and the True Self to one's fellow men.

Regarding the first point, it would be important to recall the law that "like attracts like." The metaphysician should personally practice and educate his clients of the necessity of being pure in body, mind, and soul; and of thinking, feeling, and living constructively, creatively, positively, and divinely. This may effectively be carried-out by the correct knowing, identification and awareness of what constitutes the True Self. Purity and the positive state of mind acts as an etheric barrier to unknown sources of negative energies and forces in the forms of thoughts and feelings that seek to strike the unwary. Indonesian shamanism teaches of two forms of possessions, one by a living entity and this is called "kesurupan." The other by negative energies and this is referred to as "kesambet." The importance of protection against being kesambet is the reason why in the Eightfold-path of Buddhism we are taught to think and act rightly, in conformity to the divine purity of our innate nature. Another method of protection of great usefulness is to mentally create a white light surrounding the physical form. This acts effectively as a shield against the onslaught of negative thoughtforms, and mental and psychic attack.

The above principles implies that each and every one of us may be responsible for the many forms of crime in our society even though physically we may not have lifted a hand to cause any violence. Our unbridled fantasies and repressive emotions of a base nature are contributing causes of social felony and violence. For example, we may fantasize exterminating someone whom we dislike, and although not doing it in actuality, the thought lives on and tempts a poor weak soul who does listen to the "demonic voices" and thus initiates action. It is even probable that we are chosen to be the victims. Thus, externally, we may fall prey to our own thoughts and feelings; this is our inner reality taking shape and reflecting upon the world that we experience. We become a victim of circumstances by having created and putting the causes into motion in the realm of the mind. The Piscean avatar warned us of this principle by saying that to lust after a married woman is the same as committing adultery.

This brings us to the second point which is the converse side of the above. Holding the concept, the idea of our immaculate divine nature in our minds, by knowing and attuning with the Divine Mind, we tend to telepathically stimulate the minds of others as well, awakening them from their spiritual slumber. This should be reinforced by perceiving others not as they appear to be but what they are in Reality--the Divine Self. Our divine influence upon others is thus enhanced. No judgment and condemnation could occur in such a state and conflict is annihilated. With such a state of mind we radiate energy of a certain frequency that stimulates all with whom we come into contact. In India, for instance, the people intuitively know this and when the chance occurs, they would gather around holy sages for a "darshan." The negative side of this is that they end up worshipping images and divine messengers and not applying in their lives the Word of God pouring forth from their mouths--Jesus Christ was such an example. Nowadays more emphasis is placed on the importance of his person rather than on his teachings, which if they had been applied, would have long ago manifested Heaven on earth and triggered the "second-coming." The Nazarene Master had such a spiritual quality in his aura and mien, and he lived in such a manner that even the possessive entities recognized him as a "Son of God." Apparently, the magnetic waves radiating from his person were a little too intense for their liking.

From the above we can see how necessary it is to refrain from judging and gossiping about others, from perceiving their so-called weaknesses which are merely of the lower components of their being and thinking that they are real, whereas instead we should focus more on what is. Seeing perfection is a means of materializing it--it is having that intense faith built upon the foundation of Truth that has the power to move mountains to the sea; it is seeing the Divine Self made manifest in the physical world; to see the macrocosm, God's immaculate image, in the microcosm. This living idea influences spiritually, and telepathically, the lethargic minds who are unable to hold the vision for themselves. The professional metaphysician should establish his relationships with clients and students based upon such an insight, for it connects and unites his Higher Self with theirs. Divine Healing in a holistic manner then becomes an easy matter. To hold an immaculate concept of ourselves and others--on behalf of ourselves and others--is the task and onus of a metaphysical practitioner.


Metaphysical Healing

Too many therapeutical systems deal exclusively with the symptoms or effects of an inharmonious condition occurring within a person. Seldom do they consider the immaterial causes that bring dis-ease into manifestation. It is estimated that around 80% of our varied illnesses have their cause in the psyche--the emotional and mental being of man. This would indicate that medicine working exclusively upon mere symptoms and not treating the core of the problem is 80% ineffective in resulting in a permanent cure. This is not to infer that medicine proper is without worth as a therapeutical system, it is just that it has to include in its methods the proper evaluation and diagnosis of the psycho-states that results in ill-health--and indeed, advances are being made in the field of psychosomatic medicine. It is in this field that one begins to thread in the area of metaphysical healing, for this particular form of therapy is concerned with one's spiritual balance, with the state and condition within one's psyche. Spiritual health--the state of being in harmony with the universe, with the Tao--is the basis of physical health. In the years to come medical science will probe deeply into the subtle bodies, studying occult anatomy and physiology. This study, however, should be undertaken now by the metaphysician if he is to be an effective instrument of healing. The healing of others, and self-healing is a challenge to every individual, and it is the work of the metaphysician to inculcate the principles and techniques of health and healing to the populace.

Faith plays a prominent role in any system of healing. It would be accurate to say that without faith and the will to live, chances for healing is reduced by a large margin. In most "miraculous" healings, it is this spiritual quality of receptiveness which faith instills that allows the divine energies from the Universal Source to descend into the psyche to purify, and to energize the psychosomatic system. This is a principle that should be recognized by the metaphysician as he is too likely to believe that he is the sole instrument in any healing treatment. Patients are likewise in error should they consider that they were healed by a certain healer after having visited a whole line of doctors and healers. The healing process probably started a long time before it culminated in a healing-treatment given by a certain healer. The healer likewise develops arrogance and pride as a result of believing that s/he is the sole cause of the healing.

In the metaphysical healing process, the arousal of faith in the mind of the patient should be the first step. This principle was known by the ancient practitioners of theurgy and thaumaturgy. The Piscean Avatar, for instance, made it a prerequisite condition for those seeking his divine aid in returning a state of harmony back into their physical bodies. The role faith play in healing is one of the reasons why catalysts in the form of amulets and talismans that influence and transform the conscious and subconscious minds are sometimes effective in healing--as every Polynesian Kahuna and shaman knows.

Not every individual is easily healed. There may be various reasons why a healing may not take place. People get ill for various reasons and although in their conscious minds they may seek alleviation from their illnesses, but deep down inside their subconscious mind they may not at all be anxious to get well. This may seem to be paradoxical, nevertheless, this is a true state of things, and one that faces the challenge of the metaphysician to get to the root of the problem. Some of the possible reasons why people unconsciously militate against the amelioration of their health is that they desire the attention of others. Feelings of being unloved causes an emptiness in the heart and disrupts the natural frequency of the energy-centers in the etheric body. Being ill gives them a morbid sense of fulfillment in the attention that they crave that is being shown upon them. Ted Andrews in his book, The Healer's Manual, gives other pertinent reasons which we will not belabor here.

Copyright © 2006 Luxamore
Leonard Lee aka Luxamore
Metaphysical teacher, counseler, healer and merchant of occult/magickal items of Indonesia.
Magickal Items from Indonesia: talismans, amulets, mustika pearls, kerises, etc.
Magickal Bezoar Mustika Mani Pearls from Indonesia.

The secret and the law of attraction philosophy can change your life.

The law of attraction was first published in the book the science of getting rich and states that you get what you think about. This philosophy is centered on the idea that your thoughts and emotions control your destiny.

By ken wilson
The law of attraction was first published in the book the science of getting rich and states that you get what you think about. This philosophy is centered on the idea that your thoughts and emotions control your destiny. The science of getting rich was written in the year 1910 by Wallace D. Wattles and has inspired a successful film called the secret. At the very core of the movie the secret is the law of attraction philosophy which reveals a whole new perspective on reality: we attract those things in life that we focus on. You can find out all the information you need on this fascinating subject at law-of-attraction-beyond.com.

The law of attraction, also the central idea of the movie the secret, tells us that we are the ones that create our very own reality. Our thoughts and feelings are closely related to our existence and what we get in life. The reality around us depends on the positive or negative things that we choose to focus on. For example, if we only see the negative parts in something we will never see anything positive that might be there right in front of us. If someone repeatedly states that he hates his job he will never see any of the satisfying aspects. The law of attraction is as simple as that. Just wanting something isn’t enough if we are obsessed with not having it. The result of a negative mentality will be blocking out our true desires.

The science of getting rich, and later on the secret lead to an unprecedented phenomenon. Especially after viewing the secret people were thirsty for more information on the Universal Laws. They were eager to find out how to make the most of their natural capabilities. The movie made them feel tired of attracting negatives and become prepared to embrace a completely new mentality. It is important to realize that attracting wellbeing and abundance is knowledge to a certain extent. This knowledge has become available to anyone by means of the science of getting rich and the law of attraction.

There are many different types of personalities and each person has its own way of manifesting. Some people are better at manifesting than others and they sometimes seem to really be the lucky ones. These people look like they have everything they want in life and they put so little effort into obtaining it. This may be a consequence of the fact that they were born with the knowledge of manifesting already intact. However, not being born with extraordinary capabilities doesn’t mean you can’t practice and even surpass the talent manifested by another person. People who are so efficient in attracting the positive have usually trained their minds into completely focusing on their desires. They sometimes attract without even realizing that they do so, because they have already learned the power of their own thoughts so well. If someone came to such a person and suggested that they couldn’t have something or don’t deserve it, this person wouldn’t even pay attention. Not deserving is not part of their reality anymore. Completely eliminating negatives and barriers can do wonders for your life and you can experience an incredible feeling of liberation. Understanding how the law of attraction truly works can be the first step to a life filled with accomplishments and abundance.

Your thoughts control what you get in life. The law of attraction as described in the science of getting rich tells us to make the most of our lives by exploring our own natural capabilities. Whatever we want in life we can obtain with the proper mentality and approach to things. The secret has opened people’s minds to the Universal Laws and brought them a brand new perspective on their existence. Wallace D. Wattles introduced the world to the science of getting rich and brought great changes into many people’s lives around the world. At law-of-attraction-beyond.com you will find all the information you need to start making a change in your life.
The law of attraction was explained very well in the movie the secret and has changed many lives. The philosophy of the law of attraction was first stated in the secret of getting rich by Wallace Wattles and states that we get what we focus on. Find out more by visiting our website.