My friend Frank

If you think you've got problems - spare a thought for Frank whom I met 
about 10 years ago.  

As a kid Frank got his head squashed against a wall by a truck.  
Haven't you noticed my funny shaped head and how my eyes stick out, he 
asks. I say no, ignoring the Marty Feldman images my mind helpfully 
produces. We discuss philosopy over chess, cards, countless coffees and 
cigarettes. His wife says Ron Hubbard is the antichrist so I don't 
mention LRH or the word Scientology but we have some profound 
discussions over the years.  

At some point Frank injures his back and despite my protests complies 
with doctors' recommendations and undergoes a spinal fusion. Of course 
this makes his back worse and he is frequently unable to walk or work. 
Frank explains he has to be on medication for schizophrenia and he is 
manic depressive and has had ECT. This doesn't explain why he always 
beats me at chess. I somehow manage to get Frank onto a Communications 
Course. He goes well on the course.  He discovers that he can now talk 
to girls.  He soon drops out because of his psych background and his 
wife.  Lovely lady, but quite nuts.  She never forgives me for helping 
Frank and eventually I stop visiting.

That was a few years ago. Two weeks ago I phone Frank and say I want to 
start him on the Pilot's Self Clearing book. He is not impressed. In 
fact he doesn't realise who I am because his psychiatrist has 
over-medicated him. I leave my number and decide I won't call him 
again. 

He calls me after a week - okay, what's this stuff you want me to do?

He comes over on the Tuesday (10/11/98). I expect study problems as he 
was born and raised in Hungary. But he reads aloud the first twenty 
pages of the Self Clearing book (with three cigarette breaks, I'm a 
chain smoker, he says) and there's only one misunderstood word (hubris, 
which I'd like the Pilot to remove!). God and spirit are mentioned and 
Frank starts explaining God's purpose, the Garden of Eden, etc. I ask 
is there anything about Catholicism, religion, etc you DON'T 
understand?. The answer is no, so I say the Introduction is only the 
Pilot's opinion and it's not necessary to agree with it, which he 
accepts. I tell him I don't know ANYONE who could read those 20 pages 
as well as he did.

Frank reads past the first process so I get him to re-read where it 
says now you DO the process. He does the process, spotting things in 
the room then looks at me expectantly. I read out what could be 
expected from the process and he says that's what he got, he realised 
it when I said it.  Frank is impressed.  This is exactly what he needs 
to counter the effects of his psych drugs and/or tiredness while doing 
his night work, etc. It's late but he is keen and we agree to meet 
again on Thursday.

On Thursday Frank begins with the first process, again to a good point. 
Then he reads and does the eyes shut version.  He describes in detail 
what he is seeing and I ask if he is looking at a memory. He says yes 
and I remind him the process is to perceive things in the room 
directly, if he can.  Yes, he can, and he describes what he sees.  This 
goes well so we go on to Applying the Attention Process to the Body.

Frank uses a finger touching various points along his arms, legs, back 
etc. per the process. I say it's okay to acknowledge oneself each time. 
After two minutes he says well, the pain in my back is gone and only 
the chiropractor has been able to do that. We are both pleased. I show 
him our Self Clearing Diary on the computer and he agrees to do a 
write-up for it.

To be continued...