Doors of Perception

“If the doors of perception were cleansed everything would appear to man as it is: Infinite.” William Blake from “The Marriage of Heaven and Hell.”

"There are things known, and there are things unknown and in between are the doors" William Blake. 1757-1827

“The spiritual journey does not consist in arriving at a new destination where a person gains what he did not have, or becomes what he is not. It consists in the dissipation of one’s own ignorance concerning one’s self and life, and the gradual growth of that understanding which begins the spiritual awakening. The finding of God is a coming to one’s self.” Aldous Huxley 1894-1963

There are many doors in our minds and we’re continually opening and closing them. If you are emotionally hurt in a love relationship you can close the door to love and block love from coming into your life from any source. The same is to be said if you live from of standpoint of opening yourself to all positive possibilities, you will receive back the same.

I have been greatly influenced in my life by the poetry of Jim Morrison. Many of you may remember him from being in the rock group The Doors. They took their name from the previous quotation by William Blake and from the teaching of Aldous Huxley, “The Doors of Perception.” There was far more to Jim Morrison then just being a rock superstar. Let me show you what I mean.

At a young age he was exposed to shamanism and throughout his life realized he was a spiritual teacher. To many he did not come across as such, but when you read his writings and study his life you realize this man saw spiritual truths and tried to convey them through his music, poetry, and performance.

According to Jim Morrison, one of the most important events of his life occurred when he was a child in 1949, during a family road trip in New Mexico, when he and his parents and grandmother came across the scene of an accident in the desert. Jim realized the Native Americans were bleeding to death and was afraid. He came to believe that the souls of the newly-dead Indians were running around, "freaked out," and that one had leaped into him. This experience greatly influenced the content of his songs, poems, and interviews.

As Jim Morrison said of poetry:
"Real poetry doesn't say anything, it just ticks off the possibilities... opens all doors you can walk through any one that suits you. If my poetry aims to achieve anything, it's to deliver people from the limited ways in which they see and feel."

Greatness was thrust upon him at an early age; he was a superstar by 22. Despite this he never had the trappings of the newly rich. He never owned a car or a house. He lived in $10.00 a night motel rooms and only owned a few clothes and books. He lived a simplistic lifestyle, because it was enough being a superstar. The other members of The Doors at this time all had homes and cars.

The pressures of being a rock star was overwhelming for Jim Morrison and ultimately he used excessive amounts of alcohol and drugs to kill the pain of not living the life he really wanted, which was to be a simple poet. He died at the age of 27 and 1971.

Sometimes we get trapped by our life and don’t know how to undo the web’s that surround us.

I have learned to open all doors presented to me and walk through any one that I feel led to. This has taken me to places I never would have dreamed of when I was a child. I call this true faith. I do not live my life in a constant state of fear. I trust that no matter what I will be taken care of. And I have jumped off of many cliffs, figuratively, and have always been able to build my wings as I go down and I have never hit bottom.

Opening up the doors of your perception can often be scary. Society does not teach us to think outside of the box. We’re supposed to follow the normal and not step outside of that boundary. The people who achieve greatness in this world are the ones who dare to live life to its fullest.

We truly are infinite and our body is only the house for our soul. When you can truly accept this you will not be afraid of anything and you will be able to live a happier existence and not be pressured by friends, family, society, or the media. Open the Doors of Your Mind! Break on Through to the Other Side!