248 A Programmer’s Guide to the Mind

In fact, what we are really talking about is building „heaven‟ on „earth.‟
Making a transition to „heaven‟ requires the stability of an „earth,‟ and the
„heaven‟ which is created will end up coming back down to „earth.‟ This is
an important principle. As we know, there are two ways of defining me,
either with our physical bodies
or through Mercy identification.
I would suggest, therefore, that
both of these definitions cannot
be altered simultaneously.
Most systems in our world
today, such as communism,
socialism, capitalism or
religion, do not realize this.
They assume that changing a
person‟s environment will
automatically change his mindset. In other words, they think that by
altering the me of the physical body, they can bring instant improvement to
the me of Mercy identification. In contrast, the history of these systems
suggests that change in the one aspect of me tends to cement the other
more strongly in place, just as lifting up one leg puts all of my body weight
on the other foot.
We have just seen how Western religion falls into this error. It feels
that giving the human 'believer' a new body and a new world will instantly
give him a new mind. Similarly, the central tenet of communism is that
changing an individual‟s economic status will alter the person. Likewise,
socialism assumes that people will be emotionally satisfied if they are
given the resources that they need. Capitalism also thinks that individuals
will be successful if they are given sufficient freedom. In all cases, altering
the environment is thought to change the person.
What happens when the physical me is changed before the me of
Mercy identification has been reprogrammed? You get very clever people
following goals which are really dumb. In other words, you get our modern
society. Why are we clever? Because we use objective thinking to
transform the me of our physical bodies. Why do we follow dumb goals?
Because some aspect of me must remain solid in order to preserve personal
integration. Therefore, as our physical world has changed around us, the
me of Mercy identification has clutched all the more strongly on to the
security blankets and idols of our past in order to maintain some kind of
stability in our evolving identity.
We can see this same principle at work in the industrializing countries.
Generally speaking, they are willing to accept Western technology as long
as they can hold on to their native culture. In other words, they will change
the me of the physical body if they can retain their existing me of Mercy
identification. By the same token, whenever technological change has
threatened the core of local culture, then people and countries have

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