absence of ability to "return to the light" of the original mind, then
dysfunction and breakdown may result when the strain of attempting to
maintain relative order overstresses the natural resilience of the faculty of
mind playing the part of the receptionist or answering service for the host.
Although the host must be there, it is now hidden and does not respond
directly.
Considered in this light, the ability to experience the pure self of the
original mind and the capacity to return to it at will can be of fundamental
significance in the psychic life of the individual. Even as the conditioned
mind goes from state to state in the course of changing circumstances, the
golden flower technique provides a means of searching out the host behind
the scenes to gain direct input from its creative energy and inspiration.
This host, or original spirit, can occasionally be glimpsed in the space
between temporal shifts of mood or personality, but it generally takes
practice to stabilize it and use it deliberately. The result of this
"crystallization" is a boundless source of potential. If applied with
knowledge and without obsession, the method of the golden
flower can be of use not only to the psychotherapist, but to the ordinary
individual as well; because mind is the pivot of all acts and events, its
illuminating effects touch on every facet of life.
There is a great deal of knowledge relating to the use of golden flower
consciousness in the teachings of Buddhists and Taoists. These teachings
