In Lord of the Rings, it was Gandalf. In Star Wars, it was Obe Wan or Yoda. In the legends of King Author, it was Merlin. For the ancient Aztecs, it was Quetzalquatl. You might even say that in the book of Exodus, it was Moses. Time and again in myth and literature we witness the appearance of the “Wise Old Man.” He is always more or less the same -- a wizened old man with a long white beard who is brimming with special wisdom and powers.
Warriors and adventurers look to the Wise Old Man for special guidance in times of challenge and strife. Is the Wise Old Man simply a convenient cliché or “stock character” in literature, or is he something much more? Furthermore, what if I were to tell you that, right now, you could conjure up your very own Wise Old Man from the inner realms of your own subconscious mind -- and that you could call upon this wonderful figure to guide you through your life?
We all may have access to a personal Wise Old Man just waiting for us to make contact and tap into his vast wisdom and magical powers. The great Swiss psychologist Carl Jung called the Wise Old Man a universal archetype. He said this archetype is imbedded within the genetic matrix of human beings. Jung believed that every person could contact their own Wise Old Man through dreams, imagination or meditation. Jung had a personal Wise Old Man -- he called him Philemon. He depicted Philemon in paintings as an old man with a long white beard, but also bedecked with a pair of magnificent angel-like wings. Jung said Philemon first contacted him at the age of three within a dream, and provided wisdom and guidance throughout his life.I also have been fortunate in having met my Wise Old Man.
At the time, I had long been experimenting with lucid dreaming techniques. A lucid dream is a dream in which you know you are dreaming -- you “come awake” within your dream. You are then able to participate more directly in your dreams, and even “program” the kind of dreams you want to have. One night during a dream, I found myself high in a magnificent mountainous location, when I suddenly snapped “awake” within the dream. It’s always a thrilling feeling to become aware within a dream, because you know that you now exist in universe in which you possess magical powers -- you can fly, conjure up “material” objects, shoot lightening bolts from your fingertips -- anything!In my dream I noticed the dome of an astronomical observatory at the top of a mountain peak.
Excited -- because I’m an addicted astronomy nut -- I began to climb the hill to gain access to the observatory. As I was clambering up the rocky mountain trail, I said to myself: “The hell with this climbing -- I might as well fly up there!” So I did. I spread my arms and lifted off the ground. I soared to the top of the peak, circled the silvery shiny dome of the observatory a couple of times, and set down next to a door. As I did so, I began to feel tingly all over. There was a sense of magic and anticipation in the air. I wondered who or what I would find inside the observatory -- I wondered what it would be like to find a gigantic dream telescope inside through which I could peer and be shown the deep-space wonders of my own dream universe!Even though this was a dream -- my dream -- I politely knocked on the observatory door before just barging in. (Doorways in dreams can symbolize access to deeper levels of mind, so I always tread carefully). Presently, I heard the slow shuffle of foot steps.
I grew more excited as I saw the ornate brass handle of the observatory door slowly turn -- and the door pull open with a creak. There standing with an old fashion iron-wrought lantern burning with a blood-red light was an old man with a long white beard, wearing what looked like a monk’s robe. He also wore a kind of soft, gray velvet hat. I almost freaked! My God! I thought, my heart pounding in my dream chest. It’s my Wise Old Man! At long last, I get to meet him! I became so excited, I then had to struggle to stay within my dream and not collapse the lucid state. Based on long experience, I stopped and lifted my dream hand close to my face and focused all my attention on it until the dream stabilized.
Focusing all your attention on your hand --or any object -- within a dream is a well-known method for not only increasing the lucid state, but helping you stay within the dream.The Wise Old Man waited politely while I got my act together. He then invited me inside. The inner realm of the observatory was like something out of a fantasy novel -- there was a magnificent, exotically designed refracting telescope in the center of the observatory floor surrounded by what looked like a wizard’s apothecary or workshop. Ancient books and manuscripts were piled on oaken tables, blackened with age. Odd and fanciful instruments were cluttered about. There were pots, jars and stoneware vessels filled with what I assumed were magical adjuncts, potions and concentrates of unimaginable variety.Of course, I was brimming -- no, exploding! -- with questions I wanted to ask my Wise Old Man, but the first order of business were introductions.
The Old Man told me his name was “Kentu” -- and I didn’t realize until days later that the name had a double meaning. My name is “Ken” and the Wise Old Man of my dream world was “Kentu.” A subtle play on words? “Kentu -- Ken Two?” Yes, I realized! My Wise Old Man was actually my own higher self: "Ken Two." Delightful!Space here does not allow me to talk about everything Kentu and I discussed that night during that marvelous, seemingly timeless lucid dream. That first encounter with my Wise Old Man among the craggy mountaintop of my dream scenario was just the first of many meetings I have had since. Subsequently, I have been working on building my relationship with Kentu, seeking him out for help with my most difficult challenges, asking him for directions in dozens of ways. Kentu is often elusive and evasive, and his answers to my questions often seem meaningless, bizarre or quizzical to a maddening degree. But sometimes Kentu’s advice is clever and right on -- his wisdom never ceases to astound me!Thus, from my own experience and experiments, I am able to conclude that the Wise Old Man is an authentic phenomenon. Better yet, it is a source of knowledge and power that is available to all human beings. As a member of the human race, you share and have access to a vast, collective database of accumulated genetic knowledge which is your birthright. Why not tap into it? At the very least, you’re going to have a lot of fun. Yes, Gandalf and Obe Wan are real -- and they are as close to you as your own breath.
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