I have not kept a detailed record, but I estimate that I have had about a dozen direct experiences as a participant on Intensives. In sharp contrast I estimate that I have had the equivalent of more than 125 experiences by being willing to deeply share a participant’s experience when they were presenting it to me as a Master. In a nutshell this is the reason for this recommendation; your exposure to the Divine increases tenfold. But I need to say more about how you can deeply share an experience and also describe other benefits.
There are a number of reasons why you should attempt to share participant’s experiences. The first is that doing so is a very clear way to be certain that what they have experienced is indeed direct. The second is that by contacting the participant in this way you affirm to them in the best way possible that what they have experienced is the Truth/Divine. They are seen by you as someone who has directly experienced Truth. This is an important service you provide as a Master.
The other reasons are to do with the benefit that you gain by doing this. I have already indicated that the obvious benefit is that you increase your own exposure to Truth. Another benefit is that you are seen, by the participant, as someone who knows Truth. On reflection I think this was the most powerful benefit for me personally. I have a history of self doubt, so being seen in this way dispelled much of it and gave me more confidence as a Master.
There is a further benefit; you get to make direct contact with the real other person. And I have been astounded by the sheer beauty of everyone that I have contacted in this way. Regardless of age, physical features, what their minds have put them through – they are all indescribably beautiful. And these are the most precious of all the memories that I have from running Intensives.
Charles Berner was more succinct. He said “Nothing compares with sharing a moment of Truth with another person”.
So how do you set about sharing a participant’s experience? Well you start by making contact with the person – as deep a contact as you can. I don’t know how to describe this in any other terms. It is a complete acceptance of the other and whatever they are going through. The contact requires that you want to see the real other and are willing to be seen by the other person. It is the contact that lovers have in moments of bliss. Then, once that contact is in place, you invite them to tell you what is happening.
Some people will just go straight to the experience and all you have to do is receive them and if the contact is deep enough you will be carried into the experience as well. But these people are unusual. Most people are shy and embarrassed. The shy ones are helped if you ask them to recount the sequence of what happened. They then tell you a long story about this happened, then they realised this and then that and then .. whoops, there they are – beaming at you as the Divine presence itself. At this point I usually cry. And in my confusion say something like “yes, that is it. Now contact that again.”
Again a few people can do this straight away. But most cannot. Most people try to recreate the experience, or try to force it in some way. So I tell them to just put their attention on it and be open to having more. Most times they close their eyes at this point. As they do so I gently say “don’t force it, just surrender to it, just allow whatever arises to arise”. This works for almost everyone – though they may have to go through a few contemplation sequences with something other than the experience coming up. But quite soon they are able to go back into the experience. At this point I say “Yes – that’s it!” and then ”OK, next time you go there just be open to even more, just surrender a bit more”. By now the person feels completely seen and accepted and can follow the instruction well. And by this point I am also beaming and crying – I may have been carried into the experience itself by their presence. I also then instruct the person to present the experience to their next few dyad partners, for as long as it is available to them. (There is more about this in section 5.3 of the Long Intensive Manual.)
A Master's Path 
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