SHERRY:
Mark can you tell us what motivated you to begin working in the fields of Art and Music?
MARK:
The Creations of Art & Music really came as a by-product of my
spiritual growth , I have always had an affinity for art and music,
mainly from an appreciation standpoint, like many people I had
studied an instrument ( clarinet ) in elementary school for one
year , and took art in school, but didn't really consider myself
talented and had long stopped playing with coloringbooks. One
thing I have always had some understanding of was I didn't like
to stay within the lines.
Music began to surface, first out of the need that occured when
I began putting together channeled teachings from Eyes of The
Sparrow on audio cassettes. I had learned to meditate in my
teens and I felt music was always a nice addition to meditation.
So...all of a sudden someone called me and said " I have a
keyboard that I don't want and your mother said you might be
interested", so I had my first keyboard and I started playing
around and I really enjoyed it, next came drums and percussion
instruments, and eventually I picked up an electric guitar.
A little later the Art came along. I had produced several of the
Eyes of The Sparrow tapes and I was using the same piece of
art on all of them. I began inviting artist to create pieces of art
for the tapes, but it just never seemed to happen. Then I took a
two hour class, taught by my friend Neil, he was taking up Art
in college and I thought it would be fun. Shortly after that I got
my first set of pastels and I was on my way.
SHERRY:
I sat through a workshop that you gave involving a sort of meditation
Art Class. It has been some time ago, so forgive me if I have forgotten the name of the Class. Can you describe for everyone what that class is about and how you developed this technique?
MARK:
Well...the Class is called "Creative Expression", it came about
from my own realization that I did have buried talents and I feel
that everyone does, it is a matter of allowing yourself to explore
a little, to change your perception a little, allow yourself to have
some fun and be in JOY ! It is a belief we have that limits us
and keeps us from discovering ourselves, and growing. Part of the class is the introduction of meditation into the creative
process, when your relaxed and in your heart it is much easier
to let go and have fun. Along with the Art, I also include musical
instruments, creative writing, and voice.
Let's have some FUN and create JOY !!!
SHERRY:
Meditation seems to be very important to you. Can you tell us why?
MARK:
As I stated earlier, I started meditating when I was in my teens,
15 to be exact. My mother took me to a workshop hosted by
Jose` Silva, and he taught us how to meditate. He explained
that meditation was a good way to release stress and just feel
better. Well...this made sence to me so I would meditate when
I had stress. Over the years I found it very heplful in dealing
with lifes ups and downs. In recent years I began to learn of
the spiritual signifigance of meditation, and I started expanding
my use of meditation, now I meditate, not just to release stress
but I actually use it as a preventative measure, simply put, I AM
in a better state of mind and being when I meditate on a regular
basis. You know, our culture and society tells us that women are
more sensitive and have intuition, and I find that I can also have
a sense about things through the use of meditation. Meditation has helped me relieve stress and pain, and I feel it has improved the quality of my life, it has assisted me to make important decisions. I have also integrated meditation into the creative
process and I find it very beneficial in creating personal JOY !
SHERRY:
Mark can you tell us how you became a Deep Trance Channel
and what it means to be a Deep Trance Channel?
MARK:
As I have stated, I have been meditating for quite a few years
and after several years of nudging from my mother, I joined a
small meditation group that met periodically. This was in May
of 1996. I quickly felt comfortable and close to several people
and we decided to get together more often to meditate. We
were all experiencing a strong desire to help Mother Earth.
My main focus then was helping her deal with toxic waste and
pollution, we used creative visualization in the meditations.
It was almost like I was doing things before really thinking
about them, it was a little weird! Five or six weeks had past
since I first joined the meditation group and we were meeting
in a trailer at a summer resort park (Lazy Lakes) and that is
when it happened...We went into meditation and when I came
out I felt very strange and the three people who were with me
started telling me about some entity speaking through me...
I thought they were nuts, or they were pulling my leg or trying
to scare me ... or something! At that point I wasn't even aware
what channeling was, and when they started to tell me I was
afraid I was being possessed or something. They decided that
next week they would hook up a tape recorder just in case it
happened again, sure enough...
What it means to be a Deep Trance Channel... as I understand it
my spirit leaves my physical human consciousness and this
allows the spirit of Eyes Of The Sparrow to use my voice and
body to speak, without any interference from me or my personal
beliefs. This means I go into a deep trance state and I don't know
what is happening ( Like a Blackout ) like I am not even there.
So I had to work through a lot of trust issues and I made sure
that someone was taping the conversations and I would review
the tapes, I eventually surrendered believing this was serving
a wonderful purpose....and it has !!!
SHERRY:
Who is "Eyes Of The Sparrow"? Does "Eyes" Have a Universal
message?
MARK:
Eyes Of The Sparrow is a messenger of sorts, he is a spirit
as we all are, his consciousness exists in a higher vibration
as is also true of our own higher essences. Eyes gives us
messages from our own higher essences. Eyes is also a
Universal Teacher, he teaches the fundamentals Truths
and Universal Tools that are based in Universal Law. He guides,
encourages and disseminates wisdom and information to assist us to remember who we really are, and through our own rememberence we become self - empowered to improve
the quality of our lives and All of our relationships. Eyes has
always acknowledged that each is just as significant as all others. Each has their own path and each has the ability to answer all questions from within. Therefore these universal teachings are not about seperation, or finding the "RIGHT PATH" or answers outside of yourself. Eyes is not a guru,
he has never asked anyone to follow him, or professed to be
a leader, nor has he offered anyone salvation,or acknowledged himself as some kind of savior. Each has their own path, their own issues and challenges to work through. We are each responsible for ourselves. No one can do the work for us, we can't put it in the hands or lap of anyone else.
EYES:
Message From Eyes : Greetings My Brothers and Sisters,
it is good you have come to this place. As you seek clarity
for your own life it is of great importance that you allow
yourself to expand your beliefs, as well as your personal
understanding of who you are. As you dismantle the walls
that have limited you, you shall discover many wonderous
things about yourself. I would encourage you to expand your
understanding of the concept of GOD, or whatever word or
name you use. The Presence of GOD is within all things, be
they human, animal, plants, the soil, the water and so on..
All things, everything you see and experience is an aspect of
GOD. GOD is not judgment. GOD is not sitting somewhere on High waiting for you to die so he can decide your future or your
eternity. GOD is the Life Force Energy that is flowing through
all matter, as well as all thoughts. GOD is positive energy,
Unconditional LOVE. Judgment is negative energy, FEAR.
GOD is the Consciousness of ALL. All Are GOD. We Are GOD.
You are GOD. I AM GOD. We all make decisions and choices
of how to use the energy that the GOD consciousness provides.
Humanity has sometimes chosen to experience the energy as
negative, thus creating seperation from truth, lack and dis-ease.
Walls built with Fear, that have limited ones ability to create and
and experience LOVE and JOY. In closing I would like to make an acknowledgement to you. Your First Priority is to LOVE and
Nurture YOURSELF. This is a constant truth. It is Your Purpose
above all others. Be Kind and Loving to yourself and those
around you by making choices from within your Heart.
Remember who you are and where you have come from...
You began as a thought, a spark within the Heart of GOD, within
the Fire of Creation... Be One With The Fire!
SHERRY:
You mentioned Universal Tools. Can you explain further about these tools.
MARK:
The Universal Tools are based in Universal Law. The tools are
used to transform thought and feeling (Energy) from negative
to positive, to release the negative pictures and memories that
are with the sub-conscious and cellular memory. The tools are
also used to reprogram the sub-conscious and help teach the
Ego new purpose. The tools help you find your own Divinity
as well as establish a more conscious relationship with your
own spirit, of course finding your own Divinity will help to
find and experience it within others. The tools help you to
understand the Law of Attraction, this is how you create your
reality, your thoughts, feelings, and your beliefs play a major
role in deciding the people and circumstances that interact with
you. The tools are really very simple! One needs only to be
dedicated to Loving and Nurturing Oneself.
SHERRY:
Mark, you mentioned our own spirit. How do we find our own
spirit and or learn to communicate with our spirit?
MARK:
Many people have a belief that we are human beings trying to
become spiritual, the truth is we are spirits being human. We
have always been spirits, we were spirits before we came here
and we continue to be spirits here in this moment, as we shall
always be Spirit. There are many levels to us as spirit. We are
all aware of the human spirit , this is only a portion of who we
really are. We all have the ability to have communication with
the many different levels. Entering into a meditative state is
one way to have communication with your spirit, statements
of intention that you make inviting the communication of the
various levels of your spirit are also helpful. Understanding,
accepting and listening is very important, we are always in
communication it truly is a matter of paying attention. Another
important step in increasing the level of communication is to
acknowledge your own Divinity, go and stand in front of a mirror
tell the reflections that you love (him or her) and stare into your
own eyes, your vision will start to get a little blurry but keep
looking, eventually you will see light surrounding your head
and your face. This is your spirit, your light body. Say Hello!
If you keep doing this it will start to feel more natural and you
can then start to look for the Divinity in others, and anyone can
see the divinity and the light body of someone else, if they want
to. It is not some special gift that only a select few have been
given...we all have the ability, it is a matter of taking ownership.
If you truly desire to establish and expand communication with
your own spirit you will direct your attention there, it will be
important to you. And believe it or not where you put your
attention becomes your reality. The only limitations we have
are the ones that we put in place or that we allow someone else
to. Sooo...dismantle the walls and you shall be free!!!
SHERRY:
Why do you feel that these Universal Tools are so important to use?
MARK:
My experience has always been that people are searching for
answers, even before I became spiritually awakened, I was
searching. A lot of what we have been taught over the years,
be it in school, religion, clubs, groups, organizations, through the media, by our cultures and even at home has sometimes
been based in fear. Human Beings are motivated by fear, it is
all around us (ie... fear about love,money, job, friends, health
being accepted, our weight,skin,teeth, eyes, grades,success,
clothes, where we live, food, shelter.) I could go on but you get
my point. Somehow humanity got away from some very basic
truths and for many gotten caught up in a material world. I don't
have anything against material possesions. In present time we
have an opportunity to bring everything into balance, merely by
making some changes in how and why we live. Deep within
everyone is a dream and a desire to Love and be Loved. Using
these simple tools can help you to improve the quality of your
life, all aspects of your life, wherever you apply these tools
your life will improve.
SHERRY:
Do you use these tools on a daily basis?
MARK:
Yes I DO !!! Everyday...And I AM continually applying them to
more and more parts of my life.
SHERRY:
Can you tell us how these tools have helped you as an individual?
MARK:
These tools have changed my life and changed it again, and
always for the better. Using the tools has helped me to be a
better father, not that I wasn't, I just got better at it because I
had a clearer understanding of what my role and purpose was.
The tools helped me to really understand myself, I learned to
really love myself. And that was a biggie for me. Most of us
struggle to love ourselves. I used to be the last person I would
take care of. (sound familar) My children, my relationship, my
job...everything else first. The tools taught me to ask myself
what is my motivation for doing this or that. I discovered that
very often I was doing things so I could be accepted, or loved
by people that loved and accepted me already. I was Afraid!!!
I AM not afraid anymore...I still have issues and lessons to work
through, but in present time I do things because I want to and
because they create JOY !!! The more I genuinly love myself
the more capable I am of Loving others. If you give and don't
receive, sooner or later your on empty. Receive and you have
an abundant unlimited supply to share with others.
SHERRY:
You have been teaching about these Universal Tools for how long?
MARK:
Eyes Of The Sparrow started speaking through me in July of 1996.
I would say that he primarily taught the tools the first year, while I was experiencing some major growing pains. In the beginning Eyes worked with individuals and small groups, where he would teach the tools and encourage people to apply them. As time went on he had our friend, Kendall record him, specifically to make audio tapes of the tools, we all listened to these tapes and started applying the tools to daily life.'So in a manner of speaking there were many learning the tools and then sharing them with others. As I went through many lessons and cleared many issues, I started to feel more confident about my understanding of the tools. I continued to develope my awareness and understanding and felt I was ready to provide counsel. I would also share one of Eyes's statements...We are all the Teacher, the student and the lesson. There are many who have learned these tools and are sharing and teaching them. And we all teach by example.
SHERRY:
Mark you have counseled many people, can you tell us without getting to personal an occassion where these tools have made the difference in someones life? How were they applying the tools?
MARK:
Well...I have known many that have used the tools and have
grown leaps aand bounds. Without mentioning names I can
acknowledge several who have transistioned through abusive
relationships, and are now living and experiencing Love and Joy
in there daily lives, I have seen many use the tools to heal the
physical and emotional body of illness or disease. I have seen
people use the tools to end addictions, to dismantle walls in
families. I have seen people use the tools in the workplace to
create a more pleasant atmosphere. I have seen many use the
tools to help make decisions about their relationships at work
or at home, etc. I have seen and personally used the tools to
assist in the griefing process.In all of these situations the
individuals applied the tools to letgo of the fear, their pain, their
lose. They applied the tools of loving and nurturing themselves.
SHERRY:
How did the creation of the Meditation CD's come about?
MARK:
Most of the Eyes Of The Sparrow CD's were originally cassette
tapes that were remastered and in some cases more music was
added. The first two Eyes Of The Sparrow tapes were recorded
by our dear friend Kendall, in a conference room where he was
working. These were recorded in January and March of 1997.
These two tapes (CD's) are Darkness To Light ~ Fear To Love
and The Cave of Creation. The Room Full of Mirrors came out
in the fall of 1997 and Grain Of Sand ~ Drop Of Rain came out
in January of 1998. Seven Steps of Faith was released in the
summer of 1998, it was dedicated to my mom, who had left her
physical body on April 9th, 1998. Seven Steps of Faith also
features a 40 member Tonal Choir. They were toning AOM,
which is a toning exercise that Eyes had taught. It means...
A = Abundance, O = Ownership, M = Enjoyment. Late in 1998
the Expansion Tape was finished. Eyes wanted to create these
recordings so people could have an organized method to learn
and apply the tools to their daily lives, he also wanted to make
them available to the many who do not have an opportunity
to speak with him personally.
For several years people had suggested that I create some
meditation music, a meditation without a guiding voice, just
music. So in 1999 I began creating the MorningStar Music CD's.
Eyes had made good use of them, in live - In Person guided
expansion meditations, He has also encouraged me to continue
creating music and art.
SHERRY:
On the CD's you are guided through a meditation, can you tell us why we are asked to state an intention?
MARK:
Meditation is a very useful tool, adding intention in the process
makes it that much more potent. Stating intention can be like an
invitation to your own higher spirit to be present in that moment
this invitation can also be extended to each and every aspect of
your being (Physical Body, Mental Body, Emotional Body, Your
Sub-Conscious, Your Ego as well as All levels of your Spirit).
Intention is an acknowledgement of where you are wanting to
focus attention. So you could say you are ask to state intention
to get the most out of the experience for yourself.
SHERRY:
So, by stating these Intentions, we are saying what we would
like to have occur in our lives.
MARK:
Yes, stating intention can be used in meditation as well as any other time that you like. Stating intention helps you to focus on
what you want to experience. Eyes has made a suggestion to many people that they state intention before putting their feet
on the floor when they wake up. You can also remind yourself
throughout the day by affirming your intentions. This is called
an affirmation.
SHERRY:
Affirmations are affirmming what we would like to have occur in our lives? Stating the intention and affirming it is sort of like a one two punch...Am I understanding this correctly?
MARK:
Yes in a manner of speaking...The intention is the basis or the
foundation of your thoughts and desires and the affirmation
is building upon the foundation. Like building a house, you start
with a solid foundation.
SHERRY:
Mark you mentioned before the interview a little about the different ways you can meditate. Guided, silent and with music. Is this what inspired you to create the MorningStar Music Cd's?
MARK:
As I mentioned, a number of people had encouraged me, they reminded me that I was already creating music for the Eyes CD's, so why not create some CD's that were just music.
I have truly enjoyed creating these CD's, it is as though I have open a new wing of my self. The other thing I think inspired me was to have some meditation music that was more stimulating, with a bit of an edge, I have found most meditation music very soothing, and very relaxing, which is quite good to work with, however I had this desire for something a little different.
SHERRY:
How are they different in comparison to other meditation Cd's?
MARK:
I like to call the MorningStar Music CD"s Multi-Dimensional, they are experienced on all different levels of your beingness, there aren't any subliminal messeges, however all different aspect are going to share in the experience. Thoughts and feelings are going to surface.They are perhaps different in that they are pretty stimulating, each can be used for a designed purpose, although many people tell me they are enjoyable just to listen to. I also use
a drone on each of the meditation CD's. A drone is a sound or note that starts early on, it raises the conscious vibration and maintains it. I have expanded a little beyond the norm in the insrtuments I have used in creating drones. The drones used on the MorningStar Music CD's are different on each CD. For instance "MorningStar Integration" is in the key of C, "Etheric Waves" is F sharpe, in some cases their are overlapping octaves of a drone, as is the case in "Primal Dance" on the "Etheric Waves" CD. I have also used several different keys to make a drone as in the case of "Voices from within the Heart"
I can't speak for other artist that create meditation music, but I can tell you that I go in to a meditative state each time before I start. I really don't have pre-concieved ideas about what I want to create, I state intention to allow spirit to express through me. This is a practice that began when producing the Eyes Of The Sparrow Tapes & CD's.
I encourage people to provide a comfortable atmosphere and to take a few deep breaths to get themselves grounded before beginning meditation.
SHERRY:
You mentioned Breathing and Grounding, can you explain the importance of it?
MARK:
Taking a few deep breaths and getting yourself grounded or centered before hand really allows you to focus, it also helps to slow your heart rate which eventually will allow the analytical mind to slow down, less thoughts means it is easier to focus on what you really want to experience. JOY !
SHERRY:
Can you tell us a little about the seminars that you give?
MARK:
The seminar "Love Knows No Boundaries" is a day long seminar
that explores the tools by using very down to earth type interactive conversations. I encourage people to take a look at who they are, not from a place of judgment, but from dissernment. I help them
to understand what is at the base of the decision making process.
We discuss how we create our reality, and how we personally can
affect positive changes in our own lives. We discuss the concepts of God, Love, Fear, Relationships, Energy, The Law of Attraction,
and all the different aspects of who we really are. People walk
away from the seminar with a greater awareness of their thoughts
and feelings as well as a greater understanding of how they create
they're reality.
SHERRY:
Mark, if someone is interested in having a seminar, or talking
to you further about the cd's or Meditation, how may they
contact you?
MARK:
You may contact me
via email at: universalvoices@yahoo.com
by phone in Western New York at: 716-634-5508
or in Rio Rancho, New Mexico at: 505-994-0575
SHERRY:
Thank You Rev. Mark Jennings Reese for the opportunity to
enlighten myself as well as many others.
MARK:
Thank you Sherry, It has been My Pleasure and MY JOY !!!
Remember...GOD LOVES YOU !!!
