The Esoteric Terminology Inside the Spezzano and Associates Ltd. Psychology of Vision (SALPOV) SnowglobeAs I have read through the piles of documents regarding SALPOV, online and hardcopy, it quickly becomes apparent that one of the Spezzano methods of control over their vulnerable and gullible pay-through-the-nose clients is the use of esoteric terminology. By employing their own language we can see they set up an enclosed little world where the participants feel exclusive and special, and, dare I say, "independent" and elevated from the dark world of us unenlightened lowlifes-- which is to say most people on the planet. So much for "Oneness."
SALPOV is a very tiny elitist group, isolated from reality, where two individuals reap enormous financial profit from the followers. I think that makes it a cult.
Needless to say, this linguistic method aids in creating an "us vs. them" mentality. It sets up what I will call a "spiritual class system," which is reinforced by the artificial "ranks" of trainers (based on how much money and time the cult follower has invested in SALPOV brainwashing sessions) and the incredibly complex SALPOV triangle, which was swiped from Bob Trask and made more complicated. The concept of "keeping it simple" is not in the SALPOV theology.
One of the ways this scam is kept alive is through the use of having a special language. We know SALPOV was strongly influenced by Oneness University and
A Course in Miracles--
https://web.archive.org/web/20100209045158/http://www.psychologyofvision.com/
The Spezzanos’ greatest inspirations come from A Course in Miracles and Oneness University. As time draws closer to 2012, their travel has increased from 50% to 75% of their time in an effort to help the planet move from competitive, dissociative independence into partnership and interdependence.
Somewhere in the vicinity of Kahalu'u, the local toads and frogs are croaking through the sides of their mouths, "bullshit, bullshit."
As we have demonstrated on NAFPS, the terms "Oneness" and "Deeksha" did not really appear on SALPOV websites to any important degree until after the Spezzanos had their salvation salivation at the feet of Amma and Bhagavan in 2007. Then, in early 2014, the Spezzano family betrayed their mentors on Internet by purging all traces of Oneness University from their online history in a very clumsy manner. It was a foolish and self-destructive effort. This act revealed, on multiple levels, how SALPOV is nothing but a sham. Fortunately, we were around to document the whole thing. The coordination of this data purge among all the international SALPOV websites revealed that Hawaii HQ still called all the shots and is ultimately responsible for all fallacies expounded abroad such as the UK site still calling Charles a (*snicker*) "psychologist."
But removing the actual Oneness University philosophy from the SALPOV core curriculum is as difficult as removing a tattoo. They are stuck with it no matter how much Lenora tries to cover it up or call it other names.
However on this post, we are going to look at the other half of their greatest inspirations,
A Course in Miracles.
As you will recall,
A Course in Miracles had its origin when the basic text of the dogma was dictated by Jesus through the mortal body of Helen Schucman.
Although it was written in English, the definitions of key words do not fall into the category of mainstream understanding by most of the English-speaking world. When one reads the
ACIM interpretation of certain words, you can start to see how the language of SALPOV as used by the cult leaders becomes sort of a code that cannot be fully comprehended unless you have sat for long mind-numbing hours in indoctrination sessions while dishing out the big bucks for the experience.
I was fortunate enough to find this website:
Glossary (adapted from the Glossary-Index for A Course in Miracles, Fourth Edition) by Kenneth Wapnick--
https://www.facim.org/online-learning-aids/glossary.aspxThere is also an
ACIM glossary at the
Circle of Atonement website--
http://www.circleofa.org/glossary-of-terms/Let us take some samples from this cornucopia of crap, shall we? We can start with the word "Attack," which is a pretty loaded term in
ACIM and favored by Lenora Kay Spezzano. I now see that when she uses it so often she is not trying to convince anyone in the outside world, rather she is using the word as a method of reactive damage control in order to keep the paying customers in line.
It also works as a tool cult leaders can use to brush away criticism and avoid answering uncomfortable questions, such as Charles Lee Spezzano did in his January 2010
Nightlight Newsletter: "Disengage yourself from anyone who is attacking because even if they are right, they are totally wrong. How one’s process shows itself in life is much more telling than what they seem to espouse."
Wapnick
Attack
the attempt to justify the projection of guilt onto others, demonstrating their sinfulness and guilt so that we may feel free of it; because attack is always a projection of responsibility for the separation, it is never justified; also used to denote the thought of separation from God, for which we believe God will attack and punish us in return.
(Note -- " attack" and " anger" are used as virtual synonyms.)
COA
Attack
The expression of anger, in the attempt to punish others for their sins and defend oneself from their attack. Its true result is guilt and fear of retaliation. It is the fundamental expression of the ego. It blots out the awareness of Heaven and is the cause of all of our experience of being attacked. Exists first on the thought level (see attack thoughts), from which it may also be expressed physically. Attack is one of the primary purposes the ego sees in the body (since only bodies can actually attack), a purpose which is the source of physical sickness. Attack, however, is not real. Minds cannot attack each other, for they are joined. And minds cannot be attacked, for they cannot be truly injured. Thus, since it is unreal, attack is never a sin. It is merely a call for love.
Next, the justification for the "Shut up and do as you're told" aspect so evident in SALPOV--
COA
Authority problem
Conventional: Our problem with other people wielding authority over us, stemming from our desire for self-determination.
ACIM: Our problem with the fact that God is our Author, and our attempt to author ourselves, to usurp God's power, throne, place or function. This attempt, which we believed seriously attacked or killed God, is the hidden source of all guilt. In the separation, we rejected His role as Creator and tried to be creator in His stead. We tried to create our own self and even to create God (see T-21.II.10:4). However, we only succeeded in making a self-image, the ego. Now we believe we can change ourselves (a form of creating ourselves) by modifying our image. A conventional authority problem results from projecting this belief (in self-creation) onto another person, which leads us to fear that he or she can take our function of self-creation away from us and can exercise creative power over us, can modify us against our will. All of this, though, is illusion. Since we did not author ourselves we have no power over what we are, nor do others. We have not usurped God's power and have no cause for guilt (see "I am as God created me"). See T-3.VI.7-8, T-11.In.2.
Claiming that "nothing is real" is part of the SALPOV mantra. Interesting that the use of "Oneness" was also found in
ACIM, but we have shown that word was basically not part of the repeated SALPOV vocabulary until after the Spezzanos attended Oneness University. The
ACIM definition of "awakening" comes across to me as the complete opposite of what it means to normal people. I find myself using air quotes when I use the
ACIM meaning of "awakening"--
Wapnick
Awakening
the Course speaks of the separation as being a dream from which we need to awaken; salvation therefore consists of hearing the Holy Spirit -- the Call to awaken -- in ourselves and in our brothers: thus accepting the oneness with each other that undoes the separation which gave rise to the dream in the beginning.
Along with demons, the Devil is a frequent character in the SALPOV narrative where it isn't always made clear just how metaphorically the name is used--
COA
Devil
Conventional: a supernatural being that opposes God and is the cause of all that is wrong in the world.
ACIM: the ego, the self we made (and think we have become) that opposes God and is the sole cause of all suffering and "evil." See T-3.VII.2:4-8, 5:1-4.
In his last minute phone call to APTN reporter Rob Smith during last year's broadcast entitled "Plastic Healers," Charles Lee Spezzano came across as sounding like some kind of nut when he talked about the "split mind" as if the world knew the background of this reference. I suppose it is possible the Spezzanos have actually brainwashed themselves and are unaware of the image they, and the rest of SALPOV, project to the normal world. Anyway, the "split mind" concept as used by Charles apparently has its origin in
ACIM as demonstrated below.
The ego, that bugaboo of SALPOV, is something that Lenora keeps telling us needs to be "annihilated." That is a very powerful word but it comes across as a negative and destructive action to me. "Annihilate" is a word that evokes images of a Holocaust, an ethnic cleansing. It is a poor phrase to use, but I don't think she lifted it from
ACIM. It appears to have been employed in the past by fake mystics in India, from what I can see.
Wapnick
Ego
the belief in the reality of the separated or false self, made as substitute for the Self Which God created; the thought of separation that gives rise to sin, guilt, fear, and a thought system based on specialness to protect itself; the part of the mind that believes it is separate from the Mind of Christ; this split mind has two parts: wrong- and right-mindedness; almost always used to denote " wrong-mindedness," but can include the part of the split mind that can learn to choose right-mindedness.
(Note -- not to be equated with the " ego" of psychoanalysis, but can be roughly equated with the entire psyche, of which the psychoanalytic " ego" is a part.)
COA
Ego
Root meaning: The individual self, as distinct from other selves or the world. Ego is Latin for "I," and when you say "I" you are referring to a self distinct from others.
ACIM: The entire self you think you are, the "I" you think you are. This self is false, was made by you, and is actually only a belief: The belief that you are a separate entity—a separate mind living within a separate body—that you have your own personal history and future, your own will and private thoughts, that you create yourself and sustain yourself. This is not who you are (see Christ and Son of God) and so the ego is a contradiction, an insane belief (see insanity), a mistaken identity. The ego is in direct, fundamental and total opposition to God (see devil). Its basic mood is fear of God, fear that it will disappear into His Love and Oneness. Its single motivation is to protect its "existence" from the "threat" of God and make itself a permanent, eternal reality. Its goal is to conquer and kill God and replace Him on His throne (see authority problem). To do this it must keep your eternal allegiance (as its maker) while at the same time trying to kill you, since you are God's Son. It hopes to attain this paradoxical goal through persuading you to constantly attack. By promising you that attack will bring you pleasure and safety it keeps your allegiance. Yet it knows that attack will really bring death, since attack makes you think you deserve to die for your sins. The ego, however, is merely an idea, and thus has had no effect on who you really are. It has no power over you and can be relinquished whenever you choose, at which time it will simply disappear, be reinterpreted. See separation. See T-4.II, W-pII.12, C-2.
The following odious Orwellian piece would give any cult leader all the justification they would need to gain control over followers and their pocketbooks. No wonder these SALPOV followers are so messed up in their thinking. I consider this definition to be spiritual fascism, or something cooked up by Kim Jung-un's stooges. I won't mince words. It is evil and anti-human. I find it highly ironic, and fascinating, that the leaders of the SALPOV cult are natives of the Home of the Brave and the Land of Free, yet have no USA citizens in their stable of trainers. Other than the fact their activities would be considered illegal in most states, could it also be their fellow Americans could more easily see through their bullshit? Also interesting that SALPOV has made no real headway in another country that values freedom-- Australia.
COA
Freedom
Root meaning: The ability to express your will without any impediment or obstacle; "to do your will" (T-30.II.2:1).
Conventional: The ability of your body to say and do whatever you want without impediment or obstacle (see T-22.VI.1-2).
ACIM: The ability of the mind to express its will to love and join, without the obstruction of the ego (which is an alien will). 1. True freedom is our natural state in Heaven, where our wills extend infinitely outward without any hindrance whatsoever (see creation and extension). 2. We are not free to change this native state, only to deny it. 3. This world is a state of imprisonment, in which we seem to be imprisoned by the body (see W-pI.199.1) and by external circumstances. 4. Yet the real imprisonment here is being a slave, a hostage, to the ego; obeying its alien will. Bondage to the ego results in guilt, which is imprisoning, for guilt says we deserve imprisonment. 5. In this world our only remaining freedom is the freedom of choice (see T-12.VII.9:1, C-1.7:1), the choice between the ego and the Holy Spirit. 6. We find our freedom through freeing our brothers from guilt. Conversely, finding our own freedom enables us to free the world.
Now here's the Big One, tailor-made for Charles and the Catholic priest within, the bait used to lure the vulnerable--
Wapnick
Guilt
the feeling experienced in relation to sin; its reflection from our minds is seen in all the negative feelings and beliefs we have about ourselves, mostly unconscious; rests on a sense of inherent unworthiness, seemingly beyond even the forgiving power of God, Who we erroneously believe demands punishment for our seeming sin of separation against Him; following the ego's counsel that to look on guilt would destroy us, we deny its presence in our minds, and then project it outward in the form of attack, either onto others as anger or onto our own bodies as sickness.
COA
Guilt
Conventional: The state or status of someone who has broken the legal code, the ethical code or the law of God (we will call this the state of guilt). An inner experience of the state of guilt, a feeling which says you are bad because you sinned (the feeling of guilt).
ACIM: The emotional experience of the belief that a) because you committed a sin, b) you have made yourself into a bad person and c) deserve punishment and death. Guilt's ultimate basis is the belief that a) we attacked and separated from God (see separation), thus b) murdered our divine innocence and turned ourselves into egos, who now c) deserve death and hell. This belief is utterly false, for a) we are incapable of sinning or separating, b) cannot remake ourselves and c) cannot die. Hence, there is no such thing as the state of guilt. There is only the unfounded feeling of guilt. Guilt is at the core of our experience here. It maintains linear time, for it rests on past mistakes and demands future punishment (see T-13.I.8-9). It made the physical world, which is why the world constantly seems to be punishing us (see T-13.In.2-4). It is the essence of our perception of the world. It is the sole cause of all pain. We think that feeling guilt is honest humility which motivates us to obey God's laws. Yet guilt is purely an ego device for arrogantly demonstrating that we are separate from God and should fear Him. Guilt maintains the ego's existence. For this reason, the ego is attracted to guilt (see attraction of guilt). Thus, the ego tells us to "sin" in order to obtain certain pleasures, to attack in order to find safety, and to project guilt onto others in order to rid ourselves of guilt. Yet the real motivation behind all of these, and their real result, is the accumulation of more guilt. Since guilt is the only thing that keeps us from God, the journey home consists entirely of teaching and learning the unreality of guilt through forgiveness. See T-5.V.
The SALPOV
Trainer Application Process 2015 includes this bit among their
Prerequisites of the PoV Trainers’ Training Program--
Is able to attain and pass on Miracles easily. PoV uses the word miracle as described in the Course in Miracles - receiving a miracle is allowing the indwelling of Spirit through an act of complete forgiveness.
http://www.psychologyofvision.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Trainer-Application-Process-2015.pdf Actually it appears the use of the word "miracle" in
ACIM has some very strong Christian connections. Heck, what am I thinking? The thing was written by Jesus Christ Himself!
Also, please notice the use of the word "joining" in this definition--
Wapnick
Miracle
the change of mind that shifts our perception from the ego's world of sin, guilt, and fear, to the Holy Spirit's world of forgiveness; reverses projection by restoring to the mind its causative function, allowing us to choose again; transcends the laws of this world to reflect the laws of God; accomplished by our joining with the Holy Spirit or Jesus, being the means of healing our own and others' minds.
(Note -- not to be confused with the traditional understanding of miracles as changes in external phenomena.)
And here is another strong Christian connection, that ol' split mind!
COA
Split Mind
A mind divided against itself, in which the more conscious half of the mind is walled off from its own true nature by denial, fear and dissociation. This split, which is apparent but not real, is then projected outward and symbolized by a split between the mind and other minds (see T-12.III.7). In this divided state, the mind cannot truly create or communicate, for what it produces is ambivalent and contradictory. 1. The primary split is between the separated mind and its real Identity, the Christ Mind. 2. The secondary split is within the separated mind, between the ego and the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the Guide out of the split, for He is a unified Presence in the mind (see T-25.I.7:2-3).
Imagine trying to re-enter the real world after being steeped in this nonsense for any length of time. SALPOV survivors in North America and the UK have to relearn how to speak in normal English. It can't be easy. Hopefully exit-counselors are very aware of this.
SALPOV can count a number of influences in their patchwork theology: Bob Trask, Louise Hay, Oneness University, the Catholic Church, and
A Course in Miracles being the most obvious among many others. With the exception of Trask, I would not count the rest as a stellar lineup. However it is the last named,
ACIM, that is the most credited by SALPOV.
Lenora Kay Spezzano felt compelled to address this issue in her recent "Truth" screed--
http://the-truth-about-chuck-and-lency-spezzano.com/is-a-course-in-miracles-a-cult/ Is A Course in Miracles A Cult?
Psychology of Vision is compatible with A Course in Miracles, which is a self-study spiritual thought system. Its primary teaching is that the way to universal love and peace—or, in their terms, remembering God—is by undoing guilt through forgiving others. It is a set of 3 books. There is no leader, no group, and therefore, it is not a cult.
The teachings of A Course in Miracles have been supported by such commentators and authors as Robert Schuller, Oprah Winfrey and Eckhart Tolle.
The last three names listed in her statement all link to
Wikipedia (interestingly, a website that very solidly rejected an entry on her husband since he was not notable enough). First off,
Wikipedia is a not really considered a valid academic source. It is junk that no real professional would cite. Secondly, all three of these testimonials can hardly be considered objective or from people respected by the world at large for being critical thinkers.
Of course
ACIM is not a cult. Anyone who has raised children know how they manipulate semantics and act like little lawyers in order to make their point. Lenora is doing the same thing with this topic.
ACIM is not an organisation, it is a text. It is up to groups like SALPOV to use this manuscript and make it a cult, which they have done with the result being profitable to the Spezzano bank account.
Rather than being a cult itself,
A Course in Miracles provides a general public domain foundation for opportunists like the Spezzanos to build a personality cult. It serves as a springboard for predators to victimize the vulnerable without accepting responsibility for the negative consequences of their actions. Instead they can always point to
ACIM and say, "Jesus made me do it."
Y'know, the historical Jesus was probably a pretty cool guy. A troublemaker who bugged The Man. A guy who challenged authority, which is something
ACIM does not approve of. But I don't think He channeled
ACIM. That assertion is as fake as Lenora's claim of "downloading" heavenly forces or whatever. In both cases, the burden of proof rests on the sources, and of course there is no way they can provide solid evidence.
You'll notice that SALPOV has not been growing and thriving. Quite the reverse. As the Boomer generation enters their final life stages, the social forces that created monstrosities like SALPOV have also long passed. If SALPOV was really "cutting edge" it would be more vibrant today. But it isn't. New generations regard SALPOV for what it is, a corny old fashioned medicine show selling nothing but air and attempting to pass it off as being distributors of Heaven's grace.
The sooner SALPOV and others of their ilk are gone, the faster the world can progress. As moreinfo said, "Psychology of Division" is a more appropriate term for the Spezzano invention. They claim to strive for Oneness, but in reality this cult isolates their victims and then sucks their bank accounts dry. These people are vampires.
The only "Oneness" here is how SALPOV has universal victims in Asia, North America, and Europe-- all providing tributaries that join into a river of cash going into the Spezzano bank account. It's all about the money.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXd155v8Z5U
