PART TWO:

INSIDE THE COCOON

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There is nothing in a caterpillar

that tells you it’s going to be a butterfly.

~ R. Buckminster Fuller

PREFACE TO PART TWO

Welcome to your cocoon!

The sound you just heard was the door closing and locking behind you, so let’s not waste any time….

(By the way, what often happens first as you enter your cocoon is that you get a gift from the “Universe,” a little “reward” for taking your first step toward self-realization. This will be different for everyone, so you’ll want to be open and alert and on the lookout; and it helps to express some appreciation – to no one in particular, if you like – when the gift arrives.)

* * *

Before we start there’s an important distinction that must be made between a “belief system” and a “model.”

A model is defined as “a schematic description of a system, theory, or phenomenon that accounts for its known or inferred properties and may be used for further study of its characteristics1,” and “a systematic description of an object or phenomenon that shares important characteristics with the object or phenomenon. Scientific models can be material, visual, mathematical, or computational and are often used in the construction of scientific theories.”2

There’s a simpler definition at Answers.com that says “a scientific model is a representation of an object or system. An example of a scientific model would be a diagram of a cell or a map…. even a model rocket!”3

In other words, a model takes the evidence already at hand – in our case, the results of the scientific experiments in quantum physics and brain research – and develops a theory or representation of how that evidence might be applied if taken to the next level.

A model is designed to be tested and challenged to see how well it performs.

On the other hand, a “belief system” is often formed in contradiction to the evidence at hand, and cannot withstand testing and challenging. In fact, a belief system tries to avoid being tested or challenged at all costs.

The remainder of this book will be talking about models, not belief systems – models that have been tested and found to work.

You are not going to be asked to believe anything. Instead, you are invited and encouraged to test these models for yourself.

All I can say as your scout is that the models I will present worked for me and got me where I am today – standing here looking at the Pacific Ocean, a truly amazing place I am very happy to be.