On Board Apollo 14

Kamala (Elaine Miller), Tasmania

Philosophy and religion have said that mind came into existence first; science has said that matter came first. These are only two different paths of thought, and perhaps it is better not to get caught up in them but to think it out for ourselves by expanding the awareness, keeping the mind open and not clinging to any preconceived ideas.

Under controlled laboratory conditions, experiments have shown that mind moves matter, for example in levitation, psycho-kinesis, materialization, telepathy, psychic healing, and virtually all the phenomena talked about in mystical literature, it seems to be that man can manipulate matter with mental energy alone, but unfortunately this has not been adequately demonstrated and researched.

Let us discuss the experience of Captain Edgar D. Mitchell, an Apollo 14 astronaut. He was the sixth man to walk on the moon and the first one to conduct telepathic experiments from there. He has a scientific mind and received a religious upbringing, so he was aware of the discord between these two paths of thought.

When he had the opportunity to fly on Apollo 14 he put together a laboratory experiment for conducting telepathy from the moon. He used the standard symbology of the parapsychology laboratory: the star, cross, wavy line, circle, square, and conducted different sending tests, all of which were successful.

This man who wanted to alleviate tensions between his religious upbringing and his scientific mind, later got the chance to experience an expansion of self. The mission having been successful, they returned to orbit and Mitchell was able to relax. Gazing out the space ship window, for the first time he looked at the planet earth which appeared as a tiny blue and white ball against the immense infinite star studded sky. As he contemplated this, he experienced an expansion of self, of the internal body. He explained it as follows, 'It was as though my being reached out, touched, and became one with the eternal self. It was as though I was experiencing a glimpse of eternal truth'.

He went on to explain that this experience was so strong he could feel it, and at the same time he realized that there was no tension between his scientific mind and his spiritual mind. They are both one, just different points of view, and the particular view from which we perceive appears to make them separate. As he continued gazing at earth, immense despair followed as he realized that the only solution to man's problems is awakening to his ultimate destiny as part of the immense universe and intelligent creations of God. He spent 30 hours between these two states of bliss and despair.

After the splashdown and parade, he realized that what he had experienced was nothing to do with psychic phenomena or parapsychology, but something that could only be understood in words as an expanding awareness.

So let us not limit ourselves, let us grow like the lotus flower. From thick mud it struggles towards the surface, inching its way slowly past all obstacles, but always striving until it reaches the surface. Then, as it comes into the light, it opens and displays its full potential. We are like the lotus, struggling in darkness, in the mud. Let us not waste time and energy knocking down obstacles and disputing differences, instead let us bypass them or accept them as strengthening and helping us to grow towards the light of higher consciousness.