It may seem obvious, but I have only recently realised that individuals go through phases of growth and that the characteristics of, and tools used in, each phase are different. I can recognise this in my own trajectory over the past 45 years. I assume that most people will have a similar trajectory – because later phases depend upon earlier ones.
The first phase is about discovery. Probably the most important discovery is the enormous spectrum of tools and processes available for personal growth. I tried out many different processes, some of which worked spectacularly well, others not at all. For me this phase also involved discovering the depth and range of my emotions, and then realising other people were the same. It also involved discovering ‘who I am’, which was a major spiritual opening. This was the time when I started exploring the conscious use of drugs to uncover aspects of myself. The tool that I found worked spectacularly for me and which has stuck is the use of fantasy journeys, or in Jungian terms “active imagination”. (see Chapter 2 of Who I am,, The Wise Man fantasy and The Inner Guide Meditation.) I went to a range of different groups and enjoyed regression techniques. Overall it was a very exciting time, it felt as if I had discovered a whole new world and was eager to explore the widest possible landscapes within that world.
The second phase is about consolidation. For me this was characterised by two things. First making changes in how I understood and interacted with the world, especially other people. The second was about using the tools that I had found worked best for me, in a regular and consistent way. This required a deeper commitment to Truth and self awareness. I also found that I had to develop new ways of handling crises in my life, ways based more upon understanding and kindness than simply “getting my own way”. A strong characteristic of this phase was “cleaning up my act”, being scrupulously honest, doing my best to be kind and avoid injuring anyone and becoming someone of integrity who kept his word – which was never given lightly.
The third phase, the one I am now in, is about maturation. This is characterised by a much deeper acceptance of my Self and others, including appreciating that other people see the world and events quite differently from the way I see them. I am no longer striving to change myself, but I still strive to be kinder and more considerate. I am sometimes surprised, even amazed, to discover where my capacity for understanding, kindness and love has landed. I find myself teaching by being a living example, rather than by giving lectures or running groups. However the main focus of my remaining years is to pass on what I have learned and experienced to people who may find some of it useful in their own journey.
There was not any clear transition from one phase to the next, rather they merged into each other with the emphasis changing over time. It would also be an error to assume that finding out new things about myself ceased once I moved out of the discovery phase. Indeed about 5 years ago I used a new therapy, EMDR, and discovered something that occurred in my childhood that made a profound difference to how I related to other people (see Postscript) . But that was the first new process I had tried in maybe 15 years, whereas when I was in the discovery phase I was often trying something new every month! What is useful is to notice that certain tools are appropriate to different phases. Sometime the same tool or process can be used in different phases, but often in subtly different ways. For example the Enlightenment Intensive is initially used to discover who one is and that there is a spiritual life possible. Later an EI can provide a way to serve other people, as a Monitor or Master, and to give back something that had earlier been received. For me the final stage of my engagement with Intensives has been writing this website and passing on what I have learned and experienced – basically what has worked for me
A Master's Path 
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