Now: Your normal waking reality can be compared to a kind of television drama in which you participate directly in all of the dramas presented. You create them to begin with. You form your private and joint adventures, and bring them into experience by using your physical apparatus — your body — in a particular way, tuned in to a large programming area in which, however, there are many different stations. In your terms, these stations come alive. You are the drama that you experience, and all of your activities seem to revolve about you. You are also the perceiver.

(9:51.) Events, then, are organized in a different fashion. Not only can you experience dramas in which you are intimately involved, as in waking life, but your range of activities is multiplied so that you can view events “from outside” your own usual context. You can look down at a drama on the one hand, for example, and participate in it as well.

In this case you are yourself the programmer, and the true action is not where it appears to be — in the exterior events — but instead in the psyche, where you are writing and performing the drama. In the dream state, you are writing and performing many such dramas.

As they sit thus comfortably ensconced (leaning forward with a smile), they observe dramas in which planets explode, and otherworld intelligences rise to challenge or to help the dauntless captain of the good ship Enterprise and the fearless “Spock” — but none of this threatens our friends, Ruburt and Joseph. They drink their coffee and eat their dessert.

This drama continues to exist. [...] The drama, then, was far from meaningless, and the spirit of Christ, in your terms, is legitimate. It is the probable God-drama that you choose to perceive. There were others that were perceived, but not by you, and there are other such dramas existing now.

(Pause at 10:41.) Other religions were based upon different dramas, in which ideas were acted out in a way that was comprehensible to various cultures. Unfortunately, the differences between the dramas often led to misunderstandings, and these were used as excuses for wars. These dramas are also privately worked out in the dream state. [...]

(10:12.) The same kinds of dramas in different ways have been given, and while the drama is always different, it is always the same. [...]

In visions and inspirations, men knew that the Christ drama would be enacted and hence recognized it for what it was when it occurred physically. [...] In private dreams, men then related to the main figures in the drama, and in the dream state they recognized its true import.

An internal drama is carried on by each individual, a psychic drama which is finally projected outward with great force upon the field of history. The birth of great religious events emerges from the interior religious drama. The drama itself is a psychological phenomenon in a way, for each physically oriented self feels thrust alone into a strange environment, without knowing its origins or destination or even the reason for its own existence.

[...] He will emerge as an eternal hero in the external religious drama, as the inner self is the eternal hero of the interior religious drama.

[...] When the strength of one great religion begins to diminish and its physical effects grow less, then the internal drama begins once again to quicken. [...] The dramas themselves will differ. [...]

[...] In such a religious drama however (long pause), the main personality is much more conscious of his inner knowledge, more aware of his abilities, far better able to use them, and exultantly familiar with his relationship to all of life.

The dramas themselves do express certain inner realities, and they serve as surface reminders to those who do not trust direct experience with the inner self. [...] No new religion really startles anyone, for the drama has already been played subjectively.

(10:38.) So the concept of God began to change as the ego recognized its reliance upon inner reality, but the drama had to be worked out within the current framework. [...] But as the psyche went through its developments and battled with itself, denying some feelings and characteristics and stressing others, so the historic religious exterior dramas represented and followed these inner aspirations, struggles, and searches.

[...] The further religious drama of which I have spoken, in your terms still to come, represents another stage in both the internal and external dramas in which the emergent ego becomes aware of much of its heritage. [...]

The exterior religious dramas are of course imperfect representations of the ever-unfolding interior spiritual realities. [...]

[...] Little is said about the personality’s innate desire for drama, the kind of inner spiritual drama in which an individual can feel part of a purpose that is his own, and yet is greater than himself.

[...] They feel a part of the drama of the seasons. [...]

[...] An individual can possess wealth and health, can enjoy satisfying relationships, and even fulfilling work, and yet live a life devoid of the kind of drama of which I speak — for unless you feel that life itself has meaning, then each life must necessarily seem meaningless, and all love and beauty end only in decay.

The Christ drama is a case in point, where private and mass dreams were then projected outward into the historical context of time, and then reacted to in such a way that various people became exterior participants — but in a far larger mass dream that was then interpreted in the most literal of physical terms. Even while it was, it also got the message across, though the inner drama itself was not recalled; and as the dream merged with historical events, and as it was interpreted by so many, its message also became distorted — or rather, it mixed and merged with other such dreams, whose messages were far different.

(“I remember he — Seth — even helped me out with stuff on the Christ drama in there,” Jane said. [...]

There was a tie-in, and it’s that the Christ drama happened as a result of man’s dream, at least, of achieving brotherhood — a quiet, secure sense of consciousness, and a morality that would sustain him in the physical world.

The Christ drama did splash over into historical reality. [...]

These ideas become the driving themes of these religious dramas of which I have spoken. [...] In any given historic religious drama, therefore, the actors may have already appeared on the historic scene in your past, the prophet of today being the traitor of the past drama.

[...] It is quite true to say that their reality consists not only of the core of their own identity, but also is reinforced by those projected thoughts and feelings of the earthly audience for whom the drama is enacted.

(9:05.) Psychic or psychological identification is of great import here and is indeed at the heart of all such dramas. [...]

[...] Obviously, then, beyond these earthly historic religious dramas, the seemingly recurring tales of gods and men, there are spiritual realities.

The Christ drama is a case in point, where private and mass dreams were then projected outward into the historical context of time, and then reacted to in such a way that various people became exterior participants—but in a far larger mass dream that was then interpreted in the most literal of physical terms. Even while it was, it also got the message across, though the inner drama itself was not recalled, and as the dream merged with historical events, and as it was interpreted by so many, its message also became distorted—or rather, it mixed and merged with other such dreams, whose messages were far different.

[...] Now, even though people might forget their dreams, they often react to certain portions of TV dramas, or events that correlate with the dreams of the night before.

[...] And in a gathering, say, of three people watching the same TV drama, each of them might be interpreting different portions of the program so that those portions correlate with their individual dreams of the night before, and serve to bring them their dream messages in ways they can accept.

[...] “Like you’ll come across something in a TV drama, or see it in a newspaper or hear about it, and it has quite a charge for you—only you’ll never connect it up with the dream you might have had the night before.”

[...] However, they became what they seem to be for these chosen people have also accepted this role, and the exterior drama will be worked out in such a way that it makes sense within the time period in which it seems to take place. In this same framework, as the exterior drama begins to fade and as it has left meaning, in your terms, only now as time seems to pass, then once again the interior drama arises, but this time with a new story, with a different god and with new prophets; and as the old weakens so the new interior drama begins once more to arouse man from within his dreams, and again they choose and someone appears, or two or three, and a new drama is projected into external reality. [...]

Now this inner drama cannot be understood by the ego, and so it is projected outward into external reality. [...] All of the individuals living, in your terms, at that time have taken part in the same inner drama which is then exteriorized. [...] They are recognized intuitively when they appear on the exterior scene because in psychic life they have already been known, and in dream states these dramas have been worked out. [...]

[...] Now en masse there is an inner religious drama, if you will. [...]

(After break.) A villain or a victim can also be a part of a religious drama, but I enjoy your interpretations of what I have said, and so before I finish I would like to hear more of these. [...]

REINCARNATIONAL DRAMAS

[...] This intensely moving drama, with all its joys and tragedies, can be compared with your present life, your present environment, both individually and en masse.

I am speaking of the portion of you who is taking part in this particular period piece, however; and that particular portion of your entire personality is so focused within this drama that you are not aware of the others in which you also play a role. [...]

Though I use the analogy here of a drama, these “plays” are highly spontaneous affairs in which the actors have full freedom within the play’s framework. [...]

[...] In the dream state, then, often you familiarize yourself with dramas that are of a probable nature. [...] You meet with others, who for their own reasons are interested in the same kind of drama. [...] There are disaster films being planned, educational programs, religious dramas. [...]

[...] You watch all of these dramas, hardly understanding how it is that they appear on your screen to begin with. [...]

[...] The writers and actors of television dramas are attuned to the “mass mind.” [...]

You are aware through your newspapers and magazines of the dramas, news broadcasts, or other programs that are presently being offered. [...]

[...] And in a gathering of three people watching the same TV drama, say, each of them might be interpreting different portions of the program so that those portions correlate with their individual dreams of the night before, and serve to bring them their dream messages in ways they can accept....”

[...] One way or another, however, you will hit upon some kind of situation—a portion of a TV drama, perhaps—in which a tire is blown; or you will see an item of that nature in the newspaper, or you will hear a story, told directly or indirectly about the same kind of dilemma. [...]

In any given historical period, one religious drama may finally emerge as the exterior representation, but there will also be many minor dramas, “projections,” that do not entirely take. [...] Any of them could supersede the actual exterior drama. [...]

These men innately understood their part in this drama, and also their position within All That Is. [...]

MULTIDIMENSIONAL SPIRITUAL DRAMAS.

[...] In the terms of the biblical drama (underlined), however, Christ was crucified.

I want it understood (pause) that the accomplishment (pause) is breathtaking in its grandeur — more so because man formed from his psyche such a multidimensional spiritual drama that its light struck upon this or that person, this or that place, and formed a story (pause) more powerful than any physical event could be — hence its power (emphatically).

[...] Others also respond, and are in this drama for their own reasons. (Long pause.) The drama has a theme, and through working out the problems therein presented the theme becomes clear. In some psychological circles there are therapeutic groups that operate by setting up such dramas. [...]

[...] He is constantly in midst of drama, fleeing for his life. [...]

[...] He has excitement, again, drama, some freedom. [...]

[...] He sees himself fleeing across the continent—again, a hero in a vast drama, a romantic picture. [...]

(9:43.) He cannot be happy, however, with the circumstances, for if he were the entire fabric of the drama would appear false. [...]

[...] It was a kind of muscular hypnosis, as when you might temporarily tense your muscles during a disturbing drama.

Dramas are built around hypotheses or scenes, and these scenes in physical life determine your experience. [...]

Returning to our last discussion, I want to make it clear that these generic images, activated during certain levels of consciousness, are then interwound into dream drama.

[...] It will in this case be seen as the dream’s basic form, but it will be used in the dream drama according to the makeup of the dreamer.

The interior drama, therefore, is always the important one. [...] There is no reason, therefore, for you to view the drama and feel trapped by it. [...]

There is one point I can add here, in connection with the religious drama of Christ and the disciples.

As Ruburt said after reading the body of the book, the interior drama is the “real” one. [...]

[...] The dream drama will enable the personality to act out various possibilities which are experienced as reality. The most effective drama is then reacted to in physical reality.

[...] The dream fabric itself, the dream drama, is woven of many threads, and all aspects of the personality contribute some of the ingredients.

[...] It will deliver information concerning past and future, and if proper suggestions are given it, then the self will use the dream drama particularly to better the overall condition of the personality.