Volume 9, Issue 1, page 12


(continued from page 11)

example, and closes it, slow or fast as his
communication, his partner opens and closes
his right hand in answer -- not, notice, the
partner's left hand, which is the automatic
response in this facing relationship, but his
right, diagonally across both alert bodies from
the communicating hand of the initiator. The
initiator then opens and closes his right hand
in acknowledgment. The former receiver now is
the initiator and initiates a communication by
opening and closing his hand of his choice, say
his left hand, and the initiator acknowledges
with his left hand, and so on, cycle after cycle. In case of error, the partner who notices
it ends the cycle that has the error in it by
saying, 'That's it!', and immediately announces
'I'll start the cycle', which he does without
delay, completely letting go of the previous
cycle that has the error in it.

This is a weird one to watch, reminding the
observer of a kind of silently materialized
Morse code, but when he watches two partners
go thru this for a minute, or two minutes,
without -- as far as the observer can see! -- a
mistake, he knows he is watching trained mentation at its expanding best. As participants
learn by doing, thought becomes mental music
made visible. In a matter of minutes," handies
has ceased to be a child's game and becomes a
challenge.

Another drill was participated in by 18 staff
members and "students:, who were divided into
three teams of six each. The teams of six
formed three circles down the hall. This was to
be a speed and precision drill, Dr. Blanche
explained, and then designated a starter for
each team. That starter, on signal, shot forth
his hand to the approximate center of the team
circle. He began with his right hand, palm
down. Next person to the right places his hand
swiftly atop the right hand of the starter,
the next atop that, until all hands were piled
atop one another, after which the starter
placed his left hand atop the pile, followed
by each in turn, until all hands were together,
palms to backs, around the circle. Then starter
called "break!" All hands jerked back to their
owners, and the next to the right of the starter began the next cycle with his right hand.
This continued -- with a rotation of starters
for different piles -- until Dr. Blanche stopped
the drill with "That's it!". If mistakes were
made, the one who made it, or whoever of the
team noticed it, called out "That's it!", which
meant to draw back all hands as the cycle of
activity is now ended. Then he added: "I'll
start the cycle!" and he does. All members of
the team were expected instantly to accede so
that the speed and precision of the drill
should continue without loss of either.

One drill not so quiet was a facet of "Let's
pretend". Again there are two lines of partners facing each other, and a premise is established orally by Dr. Blanche.

"Those on my left," she states from one end
of the opposing groups, "will make this statement when I signal the start: 'I am the most
beautiful person in the world!' Partners will
take as sharp issue with the statement as it
actually appears to inspire. They really heckle
and mean it! Two limitations are placed on the
hecklers: they are not to use profanity nor lay
violent hands on the originators. This is a
drill to establish the reality of confronting,
of facing the facts or what appear to be the
facts, and handling them. Originators have no
recourse save to face what their hecklers say,
except say 'Thank you', at which time the heckler has priorly agreed to stop heckling. Now
it's the partner's turn to claim 'I am the
most beautiful person in the world'."

Quickly this weird one seems to get out of
control. Faces of the hecklers become red with
exasperation as the originators "confront",
and waving arms show clearly why the monitor
has insisted on a hands-off policy for hecklers. That this play can become very real is
indicated in the icy stares of some of the
originators, the opening and closing of fists
which are not allowed to retaliate. "The most
beautiful person in the world," even in play,
doesn't like to be called "an ape, fresh,out
of the jungles," loudly enough to be heard
scores of feet away. He can't be sure, either,
that the game may not be a cover-up in which
the heckler is able to express his true feelings under the dubiously legal protection of
"let's pretend". When it is his turn -- and the
drill is scrupulously fair in this respect -- he
gets even by using some choice language, some
wild arm waving, and an angry red face of his
own. The fact is also indicated that most
confrontations in life beyond the drills become as real and actually unimportant as
they are here. And yet there must linger in the
minds of both originators a little doubt: "Was
he really just acting, or did he mean it?"

Dr. Blanche's group sessions are discussions
of a sort, always monitored to obviate confusion. A question is posed. The monitor yields
the floor to whichever raised hand he believes
to be first. Hands shoot up. "Flash answers"
lead to some startling conclusions -- or no conclusions at all. Since participants often tend
to follow thru on what others have said before
them, the stream of consciousness idea, upon
which so much creative writing has been based,
is basic in the discussion.

Subject of a recent discussion was this
question: "What is reality to you?"
"Something is unreal," states one, "when I
do not look at it."

Does a charging lion become unreal if the
chargee simply turns his back? A mock-up like
this would bring hoots of derision if the session were not monitored, and nobody can even
hoot without first obtaining the monitor's
permission.

How real is a mirrored reflection? How real
are the lights from a single candle reflected
countless times in mirrors arranged to reflect
the light into infinity? Are planets and stars
just such reflections -- which may also be real
or unreal -- depending on the viewpoint?

Monitor's response to participants is
usually just "O.K." or "Thank you". He doesn't
use his position to set anybody right, leaving
that to other participants.

Every drill, procedure, and discussion of
Marcap Council is designed to one end: not to
change man or make him over, but to show him
how to burst the bonds custom and habit and
unawareness have wrapped around spirit, the
inner "I", that it may show thru all the windows of the heaven within man himself.


THE COVER -- "OUR NINTH ORBIT -- AND STILL 'GO'"

As we start The ABERREE's ninth year of
publication, we are neither going to look back
with pride, nor offer platitudinous promises of
all that's ahead. Each issue of The ABERREE is
the best we can do -- at that particular time --
and we have set no "standard " to live up to or
down to. Unlike Colonel Glenn's ship, we have
no "automatic controls" that might malfunction,
and when something needs correction, we have
no one to rely on, or blame, except ourselves.
To our ground crew, YOU, we give our "Thanks!"