The Discovery of a Lifetime

Full Service

Talk Only

Talk Transcript

From Dr. James Mellon, 6/6/21

Stan doesn't realize that he just set up my talk so brilliantly. So that's Stan applying for the position of God, obviously he got it. Yes, he was given the job that day when he played it. The lyrics, "Go inside, I'm always there, look outside, I'm everywhere. I'm experienced in the ways of love. I'm everything you're dreaming of."

What a beautiful chorus. And there's a quote by James Taylor, I'm going to start with.

"Songwriting is a process of discovery. It's being quiet enough and undisturbed enough for a period of time, so that the songs can begin to sort of peek out."

I should go write a song right now. "And you begin to have an emotional experience in a musical way."

Now just think about that. Stan just said that.

He sat out on his deck, got quiet, got out of the business of his day. And the song just appeared. How many of you have had that experience? All of us songwriters have had that experience where — and writers — we're just, we get quiet long enough. We get out of the way of all the business and the craziness of our lives, writing a screenplay. And all of a sudden, it just comes out.

One of the songs that I wrote, like that, was "New Hampshire Nights," which has traveled with me through my whole life. Because it just came out.

And I remember, it was like two in the morning, and I was in 87th and Amsterdam in New York City sitting at the piano. And I'm playing and I have a thousand songs all over my piano that are a third written, half written, just lyrics and things that I just didn't finish. And all of a sudden, I started, I hit this thing. And all of a sudden, the entire song came out.

And I finished it, and I'm trying to scribble it down. But it's coming. Because I was out of the way. I got my — as Emerson says — “bloated nothingness: out of the way, and was willing to discover what was there. I didn't get frustrated. I wasn't getting anxious, I was just there.

When you get to that point in your life, it's amazing how much there is to discover.

We are sitting on a wellspring of pure creativity. Ideas that we've never even imagined could even be a possibility, are just sitting there waiting for us to get quiet enough, calm enough, peaceful enough to let it, as he says, "let it peek out."

I love that expression that he puts here, to "peek out" an emotional experience.

And you know what I think the emotional experience in my life is now? It's the emotional experience of recognizing God as what I am. It just starts to peek out and I get it. It's why I gave that last chapter that assignment, Write your resume. Find out what you think of yourself.

Find out how much you think you're not God, in order to realize how much you are God.

And when you get quiet enough, that's what happens in meditation, it peeks out, something shows up and you get a glimpse of yourself.

Donna Butler gets a glimpse of how beautiful she is, how talented she is, how successful she is.

You get that glimpse, and it's like, "Is it really me? Is that really who I am?" The answer is yes. But sometimes the answer is no. We don't think so. And then we busy ourselves with all the things we can busy ourselves with to fill that hole that we've now left empty because that thing that peeked out dropped back in. Because we said no to it.

This month is your opportunity to discover the truth of who you are. And don't say “no” to it, let it peek out and let it eventually just come out and disco its way into your life.

So the thing is, it peeked out for me a while back. It really peeked out and I remember the day that the gentleman showed up in North Hollywood with his book, "I Am God," and asked me if he could do a presentation of it, and I was like 'I don't do that. I don't let people speak on my stage that I don't know and that I don't have a history with.'

He says, then read the book, let's get a history. And I did read the book. And it was so profoundly moving. He then also had a movie, he had just produced, then I watched the movie, and I agreed to show the movie. And when we showed the movie, and it — was anybody here for that? Were you there for that Eric?

I showed the movie "I Am God," that had just started doing the rounds. And people were really challenged. But I wasn't challenged. I remember sitting in the Noho Arts Center, and watching people shift and getting a little edgy. And watching the provocative things that were being said. I think you were there Bonnie Snyder.

And all of a sudden, I was like really emotional.

I was like, Oh, damn. This is where I have to go. This is the truth. This is the truth.

I have to go there. And you know, for a good little Catholic boy who grew up in Catholic school, this was not what I wanted to hear. I was like, I've been able to really skirt around this really well.

I've been really able to talk about love and Jesus and all those things, really skirt around it well. But if I'm going to step into "I am God," I am going to ruffle feathers.

I am going to make people annoyed. My board is even probably going to question me, which they did. They're like “You could lay a little low on that.” I remember my practitioner corps saying I get that that's the truth. But could you like soften it a bit?

And I was like, "No!" How was that for loud? "No! I can't soften it a bit." Because I don't have — I don't have an eternity. I actually do. But I only have so many years to get this message across. And that was like maybe, I don't know, 10 years ago. So here's the question I have for you today:

Looking back over your life, when did you discover God?

Let's just think about this. When did you discover God? Go back as far as you can go back. When did you discover God?

For me, at some point, I noticed people going into this room and doing something. I just went back as far as I could go. I'm like, can I remember as a baby going to church? No, I probably have some feeling inside of when they baptized me and I thought I was drowning. When they're pouring the water on me, which is probably why I can't snorkel. So I can blame the Catholic Church for that.

But if I go really way, far, far back, when did I first get this idea of God? Was I born with it? I don't think so. I don't think I was born with a concept of God. I think I was born God.

I think I was born knowing who I was only to be told something different.

And I think at some point, I found this majestic, beautiful place. That was just — so I go far back. I want you to keep asking yourself, when when did you discover God?

So I think it was when I was around six, maybe five in the Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul in downtown Philadelphia. Gorgeous cathedral, one of the only cathedrals that the Popes have visited. And this gorgeous Cathedral, which was my parents’ cathedral.

And I remember being in my aunt's wedding. So I'm in this little tux, probably about that high, in a little tux. And I remember being in this cavernous place with this smell of incense. And all this, the organ, and the singing and my aunt in this huge white dress and this magnificent thing. That's like my first remembrance of, this is God. This is what God is. This is that thing they keep talking about. Because I know I hadn't gone to school yet. But lo and behold, I had to go to school. Then I went to Catholic grade school.

And in Catholic grade school, in the very first grade, I was confronted with the Baltimore Catechism.

How many of you have ever had to read the Baltimore Catechism? How many ex-Catholics do we have? Just a few of you?

So the Baltimore Catechism — the Baltimore Catechism was everything you ever wanted to know about God explained in a way a six year old could memorize.

Seriously. And I remember sitting on the couch with my mother, her like running through these questions.

"Who is God? Where's God? What is God? What is man?"

All these questions. And just for you today, just for your edification. I went and pulled out the Baltimore Catechism and I am going to read you the answers.

These are the answers that told me what God was. You ready?

The first question where I can totally think of Dolores Mellon just sitting there going, "Who is God?"

"Uh, I don't know."

"No, no, what's the answer? You know the answer. We just studied it. Who is God?"

"God is the creator of Heaven and Earth and all things."

"Exactly And what does that mean?"

"God is the creator of Heaven and Earth and all things"

That was an answer you memorized. That was it. So if someone said who is God?

"God is the creator of Heaven and Earth and all things."

Okay? But Who is God?

"God is the Creator of Heaven and Earth and all things."

That's it. I know. But who is —

”God is the Creator of heaven, Earth and all things."

And that was it. I didn't have to question any further. They were very good. You do not have to question any further. That's it. That's who God is.

"What is God?"

"God is a spirit, infinitely perfect."

God is a spirit infinitely perfect. I know. I get that. But what — Nope, it's just "a spirit, infinitely perfect." Six year olds are sitting on couches, learning this, to this day.

"Who made the world?"

Very easy. Do y'all know that answer? That's it. God made the world.

"Who made the world?

"God made the world."

I don't think there was in that book, how did God make the world. It was just who made the world.

"God made the world," stop there. God made the world

Next one. "What is man?"

I actually remember not getting this one very well, because it's a little bit more — it's a little dense for a six year old.

"What is man?"

"Man is a creature."

I love this — "creature." Suddenly we're in sci-fi world. Man is a creature from the Blue Lagoon.

"Man is a creature composed of body and soul and made to the image and likeness of God."

Which I remember thinking to myself. Therefore I am a spirit. I'm Casper, the friendly ghost. I am a spirit. I'm perfect. Because I made in the image. I mean, telling a child you're made in the image and likeness of God, and then going into a cathedral. I'm the incense. I'm the statues. I'm the — god forbid — the Stations of the Cross, watching the worst tragedy I've ever seen. All of that. That's what I am. Okay, so there you go. That's what is man. Let's just stick with word creature.

"Can God do all things?"

“God can do all things, and nothing is hard or impossible for him.”

Isn't that a cool one? I love that one.

You know, can God do all things. Because, you know, you figure if someone's gonna ask that question — can God do anything?

God can do all things, and nothing is hard or impossible for him. Which makes you different from God. Because I know some things have been hard for you, Doña.

And I know some of you think things are impossible. Is it possible for me to go back and be 20 years earlier? Can I time travel? That's kind of impossible for me right now, as far as I know. But God can. God can do all things. Because nothing is hard. And everything is possible. So every time something's hard for you, you failed your resume, you are no longer God.

And then the question to end all questions. "Where is God?"

"God is everywhere."

If God is everywhere, hello? Have I stepped out of everywhere, somehow? No, I am God.

Therefore, if God is everywhere, I am God.

And I know some obnoxious little seven year old has said that in some class. I didn't, I don't think. Although I was obnoxious. I don't think I did say that. But don't you know, some, especially today, kids are saying things like, "hold on, hold on there, nun." I don't think — do they have nuns still? Hold on there, Sister Bertrille. Here's the deal.

If God is everywhere, then I'm God.

“No, sweetie, no.”

But how do you answer that?

'"No, God is everywhere. But hold on. God is everywhere but you're a creature. So get over it. Go back to what I taught you in the first part of this year, okay?"

So the title of my talk today is, "The Discovery of a Lifetime."

And this is -- it's a beautiful slide. I'm not going to go into the slide. You'll see it online if you want to look at it. Because you guys are all seeing it out there. See, because you came today, you're not seeing the slides. They're all seeing. I'm so sorry, but you're seeing me in the flesh. You're like, "Should have stayed home."

Okay, so my talk today is The Discovery of a Lifetime. And I want to start with a quote by William James and he says this,

"The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes."

Okay, y'all good with that? "The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes." That was in the early, late 19th century.

Today, Oprah Winfrey says this,

"The greatest discovery of all time" — not just her life — "The greatest discovery of all time, is that a person can change his future by merely changing his attitude."

So she took William James and made it more contemporary, Thus, New Thought just keeps rolling along. Okay? So William James to Oprah Winfrey. Let's go back a bit to Ernest Holmes. Ernest Holmes says this,

"This is the greatest discovery of all time, that behind the thought is the thinker."

Now, that may sound simple to you. But it's not as simple as you think. "This is the greatest discovery of all time that behind the thought is the thinker."

He says, "Something behind the brain uses it as an instrument."

There is something behind your brain that is doing the thinking. But who? If I were that six year old and with some of the things they were teaching me, I go, "Well, who? Who's behind the brain? Come on, tell us I'm so excited. Who's behind it?" "God, you're a creature. "No, what's behind the brain?" "Well, we can call it God. That's okay."

Rene Descartes says, "I think therefore, I am. Cogito ergo sum." And in his book called "Meditations of First Philosophy," he also said this. Craig Lincoln, you're going to love this quote.

"Doubting existence is disproved by the very doubt itself."

I know it's heady, it's early. Think about it, though. If you're going to doubt that your mind is the greatest discovery, the very fact that you're able to doubt proves that that's the truth.

The very fact that you are able to question something shows that you have a powerful tool called mind, because you just used it to question that tool called mind.

Thus, Ernest Holmes talks about the very thing that says that every time you say, “This isn't the truth,” your ability to say :This isn't the truth” proves that it's the truth. That there is something behind your brain that does the thinking.

This month is discovery month, this is our chance to get clearer and clearer and clearer on this thing called mind and your ability to understand it. To use it. Ernest Holmes,

"There's a good power for good in the universe greater than you are, and you can use it."

Yes, it's your mind. And it is greater than your individual self. It's certainly greater than your brain, which is just an organ, a tool that we use, but your mind, the greatest discovery of all time, the mind.

So, at the end of the day, we're still left with the question. Who am I that is doing the thinking?

Who am I? Am I really the individual self? Just doing the thinking? Am I something bigger than just James Mellon, thinking? Is James Mellon thinking what he's thinking because of everything that James Mellon has heard up to this point in his life?

Or is there something behind me that operates through me, that writes songs for me, when I get out of the way? When I quiet my mind enough, when I stop being so fricking distracted by everything going on in the world, that I just moved back into the truth. I am God.

That's the distillation we need to start doing with our minds. I think we're spending so much time just trying to get to that point of “Who am I?”

I think we got to stop with the Who am I?

I think it's time for us to say, I know who I am. Remember who you are, and move on!

It's not like I'm going to spend my whole life figuring out who I am. Oh my. What about getting it, and then moving on from it? Wouldn't that be exciting? It would put most churches out of business.

Because if you got it, we don't need to go kneel down anywhere and pray for it. We don't need to keep trying to learn how to do spiritual mind treatment perfectly with everything in its perfect place so that it gets me what I want.

Ernest Holmes — do you know that Ernest Holmes did not, he did not design spiritual mind treatment.

It's not an Ernest Holmes thing. It came after him. And I would dare say, he probably turns over in his grave every time somebody tries to teach the five step treatment. And I think he jumps out of that grave when anyone bothers to add two steps to it. So… (applause) …thank you.

Ernest Holmes said one thing, "God's all there is, that's who I am. Now, what do you want?" That's what he taught.

Somebody added gratitude, that's fine. And somebody added, release, “Let's release it.” I don't know where we're releasing it to. I've changed it to "as," just to be more provocative. But the truth is,

God is all there is. God is everywhere. Therefore, God is who I am. Now speak what you desire.

That's how simple this gets. But we're still in the process of understanding the first two steps, whether they're true or not. So for me, the great discovery of a lifetime, of my lifetime, is the answer to the question of who am I?

Now, it's interesting. One of the other things they teach in the Baltimore Catechism is the triune nature. The Father, the Son, the Holy Ghost, y'all remember that? The Father, the Son, the Holy Ghost. So of course, New Thought came along and changed that to conscious mind, subjective mind and form.

Yeah, because you know, we still have to have it, triune nature. But here's the funny part of this. So, in God, there are three divine persons. In the Catholic Church, they teach — in God, there are three divine persons all equal.

Now, I've been in a Broadway show. Did you know that? (laughter)

And billing is really important, really important. And your agent works his or her butt off to get you the perfect billing. So in God, there are three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Equal, totally equal, but someone's got to show up first. I mean, someone's got to get that first billing. Maybe it's alphabetical? Let's see the father — F. The son — S. that's good so far, and the Holy Ghost. "Uh I hate to say it, it would be the father, the Holy Ghost, then the son." But it doesn't matter. Because they're equal. They're all equal.

What do we teach? The thing itself — the father. The individuation — you. And mind — the greatest discovery, the Holy Ghost, it's that simple. We have literally — the Catholic Church was right. In this moment.

The Catholic Church was right. The Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost.

There is the infinite abyss of pure creative energy that is everywhere present, God is everywhere. And then there is the son, the individuation that which comes out of all of it becomes Tiffani Milne. And it's the individual of that, the son, and then the mind, the Holy Ghost, the intuitive knowing, the Holy Ghost, the mind that we use.

So we're actually teaching, it's there. It's right there. It's right there in everyone's mind. It's just the crystallization of it, that we're working on. Trying to understand, even in the Baltimore Catechism, it said, it's all equal, everything is equal parts. That means Karen Wright is fully God, not just a little bit of God, not just that little bit of God that does amazing work in this world. All of God, everywhere present at all times.

You are everywhere present at all times, you are everywhere present at all times. Thus, we can feel what we feel, know what we know. I was just about to say, That's how simple this is. But it's not as simple for many of us.

So I think once we get the identity crisis problem out of the way, the question becomes, What's next?

So we just finished the book, "Quantum Revelation" in our Advanced Consciousness class. And I was so excited because the author Paul Levy, he gave us 13 weeks of study that pretty much every one of us left Thursday nights with our heads like exploding, understanding this quantum field of energy that we are.

So this Thursday night, I just wrote to him, just thinking, you know, here's what I'm doing. I'm teaching your book, would you like to come and spend an evening with my class? And he said yes.

So he came on Thursday night for the first hour. And it was remarkable. I felt like I was with Timothy Leary. I did. He was like, this hippie energy. And it was like everything he said, my head was just like, okay, okay. And I was trying to navigate it. It was just terrific, terrific. But in his book, he asks this question,

"As more of us become increasingly aware of the nature of the universe, and the world-shaping creative power that we wield, how will things change?"

As more people become aware of what this universe is, and that there is no God in the sky, but there is this creative energy that we all are, and as more people become aware of that in and in touch with their own unique power of who they are, how will the world change?

How will your world change?

So I asked that question and sent them off into breakout rooms to talk about it. And then I got to visit each room and listen. But I'm gonna leave y'all with that question tonight. This is what I want you to discover this month,

I want you to discover how your world will change, how your life will change, when you see the world differently.

And I have a beautiful, beautiful quote here by Marcel Proust, who says this,

"The voyage of discovery is not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes."

So this month, I'd like you to take some time. Get quiet, like Stan did, go sit on your deck, go take a walk in the trees, get quiet. Slow down the world. Get rid of your distractions. And just let the true nature of who you are peek out at you.

Just let that that thing that's bubbling up in this whole world right now. Get a glimpse of Steve Brabant, and say, I know who you are. And then once you really get that glimpse, and that peek is happening, I want you to look around at the world. Through those eyes, different eyes, eyes that know who they are.

Because I guarantee you the more we all look at the world, through the eyes, and as the eyes of God, this world is going to just change and shift and transform right before our very eyes and nothing has to change for that to happen...

…You do. Because as soon as you do, it does.

Namaste.