1. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 540 One night in the spring of 2008 a young man named Thomas, who had just returned to his home in Los Angeles from Chicago

2. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 541 the night before, was enjoying a late dinner at his favorite pizza restaurant with his best friend Jeffrey. Thomas had been in Chicago going to school for the past three months. Thomas and Jeffrey had talked to each other a few

3. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 542 times on the phone during the time that Thomas was in Chicago. Thomas knew that Jeffrey had become somewhat depressed recently and he was hoping that he could help Jeffrey

4. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 543 feel better about his life (Thomas and Jeffrey are people who are real for the purposes of this story but who are not real in real life).

5. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 544 After a few minutes of talking to each other about what they had been doing since the last time that they saw each other Thomas said to Jeffrey, "Jeffrey, if it's OK with you, I was hoping that we could talk tonight about some of the

6. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 545 reasons that you have become depressed recently. I'd like to start out by talking about spiritual energy. Sometimes people such as yourself who are spiritually and psychologically vulnerable

7. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 546 have a lack of spiritual energy and this lack of spiritual energy can make it hard for them to develop good relationships with other people. You might have heard people talk about how their current lover was able

8. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 547 to tie up their emotional loose ends and was able to help to bring their life into perspective. It was almost as if the spiritual energy that the individual had been

9. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 548 exchanging with their previous lovers (who were no longer physically present) was transferred to their new lover (who was physically present). I believe that individuals who are

10. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 549 spiritually and psychologically vulnerable also have a tendency to transfer their exchanges of spiritual energy from people who they knew in the past (people who exchanged spiritual energy with them

11. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 550 in the past) to people who they know now (people they know in the present who exchange spiritual energy with them). Jeffrey, I see our waitress Amber coming over this way. I'd like to ask her to explain something to you."

12. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 551 "Amber", said Thomas, "Do you remember how you told me about what happened last summer when you got involved with a guy who was spiritually and

13. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 552 psychologically vulnerable? I was wondering if you could explain a little bit about that relationship to Jeffrey.”

14. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 553 "Sure", said Amber, "at first, I was reluctant to get too close to him. I was pretty sure that it would not develop into a serious relationship so I felt kind of guilty getting involved with him. But still I sensed that he was reaching

15. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 554 out to me and that he wanted to get to know me. After a while I realized that even though the exchanges of spiritual energy between us were not strong enough for me to be able to get seriously involved with him, it seemed

16. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 555 to him like our relationship was serious. I guess he was exchanging more spiritual energy with me than he had ever exchanged with any other girl before. When I met him, I could sense that he wanted to get involved with

17. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 556 me but I didn't really understand why. Now I understand why he was interested in me. His relationship with me was the best relationship that he had ever had even though some of the people who knew both

18. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 557 of us at the time thought that I was just using him. What a lot of people had trouble understanding at that time was that there was a logical basis for us to have a relationship. Just like he had

19. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 558 been exchanging spiritual energy with girls who were similar to me (girls with normal spiritual structures) in the past, I had been exchanging spiritual energy with spiritually and psychologically vulnerable

20. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 559 guys in the past. He was exchanging with me spiritual energy that he had exchanged with other girls in the past and I was exchanging with him spiritual energy that I had exchanged

21. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 560 in the past with other spiritually and psychologically vulnerable guys."

22. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 561 "Thanks a lot Amber", said Thomas. When Amber left their table to help some of the other customers Jeffrey commented to Thomas that he could feel some very

23. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 562 positive energy being exchanged between Amber and Thomas, and he asked Thomas why he had never gotten involved romantically with Amber. "Jeffrey", said Thomas, "most people as they are growing up develop

24. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 563 two types of emotions. They develop deep emotions for the people who they are really close to emotionally, and they also develop a "practical" set of emotions that they use when they are in situations where they are

25. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 564 dealing with people in their school while they are growing up or where they are dealing with people in business types of situations when they start their working lives. For example, a girl who is running for homecoming queen or for

26. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 565 a class office while in high school might develop "practical" relationships where she merges the practical part of her soul with her fellow students for the purpose of getting their votes in the school election.

27. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 566 This sort of thing also happens quite often in business situations where a salesperson, for example, might feel that it is important for them to form a temporary spiritual bond with their client so that they will be able to

28. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 567 influence the client when they need the client to do something that they want them to do (such as when they need the client to sign a contract). The salesperson knows how to use spiritual links to influence the client's

29. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 568 thinking at that important point where the client might be tempted to back out of the deal. What I think is happening between me and Amber is that I am exchanging my practical types of

30. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 569 emotions with her and she is exchanging her practical types of emotions with me. So even though the exchanges of spiritual energy between us are positive, those exchanges of spiritual

31. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 570 energy are not a good basis for developing a serious relationship.”

32. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 571 "Thomas", said Jeffrey, "I know that salespeople can be very influential in guiding their customers to make a decision, but I don't really understand how they work their magic."

33. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 572 "Well Jeffrey", said Thomas, "I think that salespeople, for a short period of time, will merge a part of their soul with the soul of the customer. They merge the part of their soul that is practical with the part of the

34. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 573 customer's soul that is practical. It might seem to the customer that the salesperson is reading their mind when the customer purchases a product that they had not planned to buy when they started talking to

35. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 574 the salesperson. When the salesperson opens up the practical part of their soul to the customer, they are not only guiding the customer with what they are saying to the customer but they are also guiding the customer in

36. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 575 a very deep sort of a manner that they don't really understand but that they know is effective. Here is an example situation that I think is similar to what happens when a salesperson allows their customer to use their

37. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 576 soul when they are trying to help the customer to make a decision. If two individuals go into a car dealership and test drive a new car, one of the individuals might take the car out in the country or out on the freeway to see how

38. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 577 fast it will go. Another person might use the car to pick up their kids after school. When they come back and the salesperson realizes that the test drive has helped the customer to overcome the

39. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 578 doubts that they originally had, the salesperson will be happy with the end result but they will not know where the customer went on their test drive. The difference between a salesperson allowing a customer to test

40. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 579 drive a car and a salesperson allowing a customer to test drive their soul (by merging the practical part of their soul with the practical part of customer's soul) is that when a salesperson lets a customer test drive a car

41. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 580 they will have no idea where the customer took the car. But when a salesperson lets a customer test drive their soul, the salesperson might know at a deep subconscious level what the customer had been thinking

42. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 581 during the period of time when the salesperson had merged their soul with the soul of the customer."

43. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 582 "Jeffrey", continued Thomas, "In the example I gave a couple of minutes ago about a high school girl merging the practical side of her soul with her fellow students for the purpose of getting votes in an election, the girl will notice

44. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 583 that one of three things might happen. First, they might not vote for her and she will have wasted her effort in merging the practical side of her soul with that student. Second, they might vote for her and

45. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 584 her effort will not have been wasted. Third, someone of the opposite sex who had previously been a casual friend might start to think that there is a basis for him to develop a serious relationship with her."

46. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 585 Jeffrey thought for a moment and then said "Thomas, why is it that spiritually and psychologically vulnerable people really feel like they might be developing a relationship with a person who is only merging the

47. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 586 practical side of their soul with them?” "Well, Jeffrey", said Thomas, "let’s say that you got a know a girl named Vanessa who merged the practical side of her soul with you for a short time. While that took place you were

48. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 587 exchanging your spiritual energy with Vanessa and she was exchanging her spiritual energy with you. Compared to the amount of spiritual energy that most people exchange with other people you might not have been

49. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 588 exchanging a lot of spiritual energy with her, but you thought that there was a magical exchange of spiritual energy taking place between you and Vanessa because you could sense that your subconscious mind was

50. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 589 communicating with her subconscious mind. Then another girl came along who also merged the practical part of her soul with you. It was similar to your exchange of spiritual energy with Vanessa, but it was

51. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 590 different because now your subconscious mind was communicating with this new girl's subconscious mind. During the time that you knew these girls, I believe that you would have been

52. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 591 exchanging your spiritual energy with them through the Collective Subconscious when you were with them, and I believe that you would have been exchanging your spiritual energy with them

53. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 592 through the Collective Subconscious when you were not actually with them."

54. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 593 "Jeffrey", said Thomas, I'd like to change the topic for just a minute or two. Last night I had an interesting conversation on the plane with the pastor of a church in the Chicago area who happened to be sitting next

55. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 594 to me. When he introduced himself to me he told me that I could call him Pastor Ron. I asked Pastor Ron about something that has always confused me. I asked Pastor Ron how it could be possible

56. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 595 for a person in a church meeting to speak in tongues (to speak in a language that they have never learned). Pastor Ron told me that he thinks that we ourselves might be the mechanism for apparently

57. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 596 supernatural phenomenon such as when people speak in tongues or when a sick person is delirious and they seem to be speaking to someone who is not in the room. Pastor Ron believes that every person on

58. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 597 earth communicates subconsciously with each other by exchanging spiritual energy through the Collective Subconscious."

59. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 598 Group Member #3 Collective Subconscious of the Group Group Member #2Group Member #1

60. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 599 "Pastor Ron told me he thinks it is possible that when this type of spiritual event occurs someone at a meeting in their office in Chicago might be communicating subconsciously (through the Collective Subconscious)

61. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 600 with a person who is speaking in tongues in a church meeting in another city. The person in Chicago might be providing feelings of comfort to that person who is speaking in tongues. Another person

62. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 601 who is in Eastern Europe might also be communicating subconsciously with the same person in the church meeting who is speaking in tongues. This other person might be providing the foreign language component

63. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 602 that is being used in this spiritual event. Pastor Ron feels that there might be several people from different parts of the world participating in the spiritual event with none of them being consciously aware of

64. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 603 their involvement in what is taking place. He also thinks that something similar might be happening in the Collective Subconscious when a person is sick or delirious and where they appear to be speaking to someone who is not in

65. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 604 the room. They may actually be talking to someone who is trying to comfort them through the Collective Subconscious."

66. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 605 Individual In Need of Spiritual Assistance Group Member #4 (Provides the Foreign Language) Group Member #1 (Provides Knowledge) Group Member #2 (Provides Comfort) Group Member #3 (Provides the Interpretation) The illustration below shows how an individual in need of spiritual assistance (in this case speaking in tongues) might be able to receive spiritual comfort from several different people who each contribute a part of the spiritual comfort being provided but where none of the people is conscious of the spiritual assistance that they are providing.

67. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 606 "Then I told Pastor Ron that I knew that some people believe that when we die our souls remain in the Collective Subconscious and perform tasks such as helping people who are still living when they take part in spiritual events

68. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 607 such as the ones that we had been discussing. I told Pastor Ron that I thought that this would be a very cold and a very limited sort of an afterlife. In answer to my comment, Pastor Ron explained to me that spiritual

69. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 608 energy travels between us and other people so quickly that we are not consciously aware of it. For this reason, it seems to us that the spiritual world is limited and non-fulfilling because we can only sense, or can only see,

70. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 609 the spiritual world in a very limited sort of a way. Pastor Ron believes that the spiritual things below the surface that we cannot see are probably very rich and very fulfilling."

71. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 610 "Jeffrey", continued Thomas, "earlier this evening I went online with my computer. I noticed an ad for a psychic from India named Kala who was offering a free introductory session so I did a video chat with her for a

72. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 611 few minutes. I wanted to ask her what she thought about some of the things that I talked to Pastor Ron about last night. After explaining some of Pastor Ron's ideas to Kala she told me that she liked Pastor Ron's ideas

73. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 612 about the afterlife. But she added that she felt there were a lot of pastors and other church people who would challenge the idea that there might be an afterlife where

74. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 613 there is no Hell. Then Kala said "Thomas, I know that some people in your country might say that their Jesus would never send anyone to Hell. Other people in your country might say that their Jesus would not hesitate for

75. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 614 a moment to send people to Hell and that their Jesus is a warrior who will someday come back to the earth to lead an army in an attempt to destroy the enemies of the church." Kala told me she thinks that in recent years

76. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 615 a new Jesus has been created. The spiritual entity of the original Jesus (which is the combined spiritual energy of all the people who believe in the original Jesus) is still alive. The spiritual entity of the original Jesus is loving,

77. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 616 compassionate, and forgiving. The spiritual entity of the new Jesus that has been created (which is made up of extremist conservative church people) is the combined spiritual

78. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 617 energy of all of the people who seem to take pleasure in being cruel to people who are weak and who are eager to send other people to Hell."

79. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 618 Jeffrey thought about what he had just heard and said to Thomas "I think that what Kala said made a lot of sense. As you know, Thomas, the church that I grew up in was made up

80. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 619 largely of extremist conservatives. I know that there are a lot of liberal people and a lot of moderate people who do not like it when the extremist conservative church people

81. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 620 try to legislate morality. These liberal people and moderate people think it is very strange that the extremist conservatives want to pass laws to control the lives of people who they have never met, people who

82. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 621 they would not want to meet, and people who have done nothing to hurt them. But sometimes, Thomas, when I hear the extremist conservatives talk about the liberal people and the moderate people who they

83. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 622 dislike so much I sense that they really believe deep in their hearts that they have personally been hurt by these people."

84. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 623 "Jeffrey", said Thomas, "a couple months ago when I was living in Chicago I met a spiritually and psychologically vulnerable guy named Dan who is a little bit older than us and who is

85. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 624 from a very conservative church background that is similar to yours. Let me tell you about an experience that Dan had in college that I think explains why sometimes extremist conservatives will feel that liberal people or

86. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 625 moderate people have hurt them personally. Dan told me that when he was in college he made a couple of liberal friends. One of these friends was a guy who he would hang out with quite a bit and the other friend was a girl

87. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 626 who he got involved with for a couple of months. When he told me about the relationship with the girl it reminded me of what Amber told us earlier about when she got involved with a guy who was spiritually

88. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 627 and psychologically vulnerable. What bothered Dan about these relationships is that when these two friends ended their relationships with him he was confused as to why they were ending the relationship. The sudden

89. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 628 manner in which they ended the relationships made him think that maybe they had been trying to use him. But it was hard for him to think that he had been used because he enjoyed the time he had spent with them. Earlier this

90. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 629 evening when I was doing the video chat with Kala, she mentioned to me how some of the extremist conservative church people sometimes use members of their own church group as spiritual slaves. They will steal the

91. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 630 spiritual energy of these people by being mean to them and by treating them unfairly. By doing this the spiritual energy of the spiritual slave

92. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 631 (a spiritually and psychologically vulnerable person) will be transferred to the other members of the group. After talking to Kala I realized what the motivations of Dan's two liberal friends might

93. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 632 have been when they tried to get close to him when he was in college. I think they recognized that Dan was a spiritual slave to the extremist conservative church people and that his spiritual energy was

94. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 633 constantly being drained out of him and sent to those people. I think that Dan's friends saw an opportunity for them to interfere with the flow of spiritual energy that was going from Dan to the

95. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 634 extremist conservative church people. The extremist conservative church group that Dan had been a part of when he was growing up had only allowed him to develop a practical set of emotions. Dan's college

96. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 635 friends merged the practical parts of their souls with him and they allowed him to get involved with them further than he had been able to get involved with anyone else before. Whereas normally a person might not want to

97. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 636 spend their free, non-working time with someone who only wanted to get involved with the practical part of their soul (the part of their soul that they usually only use for work situations), Dan's college friends felt that

98. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 637 getting involved with Dan would be beneficial to liberal people and moderate people everywhere because their involvement with him would cut down on the amount of spiritual energy that Dan was constantly sending out

99. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 638 through the Collective Subconscious to the extremist conservative church people. This is I think an example of why extremist conservative church people sometimes think that liberal people or moderate people

100. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 639 have actually hurt them personally. And I think that Dan's friends did not feel that they were hurting Dan because they were able to cut down the amount of spiritual energy that he was constantly sending to the

101. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 640 people who had made him into a spiritual slave. I think they felt that they were decreasing the amount of control that the extremist conservative church people had over Dan."

102. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 641 This person agreed to merge their soul with a spiritually and psychologically vulnerable person (but only for a short time while they tapped into and stole some of the spiritual energy that the spiritually and psychologically vulnerable person [a spiritual slave] was sending back to their original cultural or social group). This person (from the same cultural or social group as a spiritually and psychologically vulnerable person) agreed to merge their soul with the spiritually and psychologically vulnerable person (but only for as long as the spiritually and psychologically vulnerable person served as a spiritual slave to the group). On the left below - a person from the same cultural or social group as a spiritually and psychologically vulnerable person. On the right below - a person from a cultural or social group different from that of a spiritually and psychologically vulnerable person.

103. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 642 Jeffrey thought for a moment and then said "after hearing what Amber had to say a little while ago about her involvement with a guy who was spiritually and psychologically vulnerable and after hearing you talk

104. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 643 about how people communicate subconsciously through the Collective Subconscious, I think I have an idea now as to how I might be able to communicate better with

105. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 644 other people. For example, I could try to, with insight into the situation, program my subconscious mind to communicate to the subconscious minds of the girls who I meet that I have been misinterpreting the

106. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 645 situation in the past and that I am sorry if my subconscious mind is sending out signals to their subconscious minds that are stronger than what is appropriate. I am not the type of person who would want

107. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 646 to barge in on someone uninvited when they are at home at night after a long day of work. But by trying to form a strong relationship with a girl who is only

108. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 647 merging the practical part of her soul with me (the part of her soul that she usually only uses for work situations), I might be getting her to think about me more than she would like to think about me during her free time when she

109. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 648 is not supposed to have to think about things that are related to work. And I think that it would be beneficial for people such as Dan, who has had a serious involvement with a girl who was only merging the practical part of

110. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 649 her soul with him, to realize that he might be sending stronger signals to the subconscious minds of girls who he knows now who are only merging the practical parts of their souls with him than he was sending to the

111. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 650 girls who he knew before he got involved with the liberal girl who he knew in college. I hope that people such as Dan and myself can, with insight into the situation,

112. The Philosophy of Exotischism The Essence of the Soul 651 get to the place where we are not trying to form serious relationships with people who are only merging the practical parts of their souls with us." Copyright 2010 Don Bergquist