The Twelfth Insight: The Hour of Decision

by James Redfield

  “It’s the next step in our awakening. Like I said, during this material age, we have grown to think a little lying, a little shading of the truth, is okay, even expected. It’s a dog-eat-dog world, right? Salespeople are trained to practice shading the truth. Politicians get elected doing it. Contracts with fine print are a way of life.

  “Yet think about the world right now. Corruptions are immediately found out. Scandals erupt daily. The swindlers get swindled. This is what happens when most of the culture is bombarded with a Karma that is coming faster and faster. It’s there to show us the imperfection so we can do something about it.

  “But once you begin living the best truth you know and see that being of service to others and setting a good example are the best things you can do for yourself, well, everything changes. You move into Alignment with the way the Universe is designed to operate. You stop manipulating, and so you no longer draw manipulators into your life.

  “In fact, the opposite occurs. When you seek Alignment and think how to be of service, you begin to draw people into your life who are there to help you. And then your Synchronicity and your dreams really take off.

  “When everyone gets this, the human world will immediately change. Businesses will change how they operate. Doing business in Alignment means always telling the truth about your products and always being service-minded. And if you do, others who need what you offer will show up mysteriously.”

  I had never seen Wil this excited before. I thought about the idea of tithing and asked him about it.

  “That’s just part of being of service,” he said. “Money is only a form of stored energy, and it follows the currents of Karma in one’s life. If you manipulate for money, you get manipulated out of money—or suddenly have a wave of breakdowns and unexpected expenses. Tithing is a way to right the ship quickly. Instead of spending every dime, deny yourself a little and save ten percent of your income one month.

  “Then just wait for an intuition of whom to give it to. You’ll get one. Someone who needs an angel will cross your path, and you’ll get the thrill of having the means to be of service. And again, it will just accelerate the flow of help coming back to you. You’ll get more opportunities to be successful.”

  He stopped and looked at me. “I’ve never known anyone who tithed in this spirit who didn’t prove to themselves that it works.”

  For a long moment, Wil and I just looked at each other. I knew he was feeling the same sensation I was: another rise in consciousness and energy. We had fully integrated the Third step, and added one more piece to the puzzle of spiritual reality—Alignment.

  “Did the Hopis,” I asked finally, “say anything about the next Integration, the Fourth?”

  Wil nodded, his face turning serious. “They said the Fourth Integration is perhaps the most important part of ‘the foundation,’ because it will show us what is fully at stake. Once we’re able to stay in Alignment, in truth, we will see how pervasive some systems of untruth are in the world.

  “We can’t go forward until we understand these growing ideologies and see how dangerously they are polarizing. Only then will we know how to separate ourselves from this untruth… and break through to a place where we can stand up to it.”

  RECOGNIZING IDEOLOGY

  We stayed in the rocks, watching everything that was happening down at the trail. Our plan was to hide there until dark and then figure out where to go next. From Wil’s description, it sounded as though the Fourth Integration might be challenging and more dangerous. Maybe it was the effect of the canyon, but the prospect of danger didn’t disturb me as before. I was fully into the journey now. I put out the expectation for more Synchronicity and held the context that we were discovering the reality of human spirituality, vowing to stay in Alignment.

  Suddenly, Wil sat up, straining to look up the slope toward the canyon wall. A group of people were walking about a hundred yards away, heading farther northeast. As they moved through a grove of small pines, we saw it was the group that included Rachel. She was next to last in line.

  As I watched her, she immediately stopped and looked down the hill in our direction. Although unable to see us, she seemed to be sensing we were observing her. A tall man with a beard, walking behind her, said something and pushed her forward pointedly.

  I looked over at Wil. “Did you see that? She’s being held against her will.”

  “Looks that way,” Wil responded.

  I could tell he knew there was some link between Rachel and myself.

  “Listen,” he said, “I think I should go up there alone and see if I can get close enough to hear their conversations. They’ll see us if we both go.”

  I knew Wil had been trained in surveillance, so I nodded in agreement.

  Wil was lightening his pack, handing me some of the food.

  “If I don’t come back by nightfall,” he said, “I’ll find you later. Okay?”

  He slipped over the rocks and headed up the slope. For a long while I just gazed in that direction, catching sight of him a few times as he crept between the outcroppings and trees. Then he was gone.

  After a few minutes, someone talking down by the trail attracted my attention. Four rangers were walking in my direction. I grabbed my pack and slipped around the rocks in the opposite direction, hoping to make my way back toward the cliff face where the climbers had been.

  Suddenly, someone grabbed my arm and jerked me to a standstill, sending my pack flying ahead of me and causing me to lose my footing. A large man with sunglasses and trekking pants stared down at me. Another man walked up from behind him and leaned forward, then politely lifted me to my feet.

  “Remember me?” the man said in a British accent. “Where’s your friend, Wilson James?”

  I immediately remembered him as the blond man who had been observing me at the Pub.

  “Wil left,” I replied.

  The rangers came up, and the man gave them a look. They nodded and headed back down the hill again.

  “No matter,” the man continued. “You two are pretty slippery, but I want you to know we wish you no harm. We’re trying to help you.”

  He pulled me over about five feet to where the others couldn’t hear. “We don’t have much time. But I’m going to tell you something. You must listen very carefully. We know about the release of this Document, and we know you’re looking for the rest of it. We’re very interested in what it has to say, and we want you to keep searching and tell us everything that you find out.”

  He gave me a look that was only slightly menacing.

  “Who are you?” I asked. “Who are you working for?”

  He smiled. “Let’s just say I’m speaking for a group that exists at the highest levels of every Western government.”

  I was struggling to hold on to my clarity. “What could you possibly want with an esoteric document like this? It’s about spirituality.”

  He looked at me a long moment, perhaps aware that he could not win me over without giving me more information.

  “I want to trust you,” he said. “This release about spirituality is occurring at a time when the war between religions is our most dangerous problem. And don’t be fooled. That’s what it is, a war between those having primarily one religious view in the West, and those countries, primarily in the East, that have another view. This war may seem quieter on some fronts, but underneath, the tensions are accelerating. We have the best minds working for us, and they’re all convinced we are on a downhill slide toward total destruction.

  “The problem is simple. It’s the old issue of the Cycle of Revenge. Every time we kill one of theirs, ten more join the fight. And every time they kill one of ours, there’s a call in high places to do something more drastic to protect ourselves. There is no middle ground here. And the worst is yet to come. The whole conflict is about to go nuclear.”

  He stepped toward me. “Do you know the religious affiliation of the President of Iran? He’s a member of a sect called Twelvers. They believe t
hat Armageddon, the war that is prophesied to destroy the world in the last days, is a good thing—because they think when it approaches, their version of a Messiah, who they call their Twelfth Imam, will come out from the clouds, vanquish all their enemies, and then create an ideal world based on their beliefs.

  “Just to show you how crazy it is out there, we find similar views among Judeo-Christian fanatics in the West. They also think that Armageddon is desirable, since they believe it will bring forth their Messiah figures to likewise defeat their enemies. Some people in both camps seem to think it is their duty to actually bring about this great war.

  “This kind of fanaticism seems to reflect a growing tendency to give up on this world. People everywhere are hanging on to their religious doctrines at all cost, thinking the rest of the world is going insane. And they’re hoping God will intervene to end the misery.”

  He looked genuinely worried.

  “Don’t you think,” he continued, “that it’s strange how the Iranians are talking, even after everything the Israelis have tried? Iran is much further along in its nuclear capability than anyone thinks. And many of its bases are far underground. That’s why even bombing attacks don’t deter them. Some analysts think they already have nukes now, and they’re just working on the delivery systems.”

  He reached over and handed me my pack. “I don’t claim to know what’s in this Document you’re studying. It seems like a bunch of talk to me so far. But we know the reputation of Wilson James. If this Document has a real solution, we want to know about it.”

  He gave me a serious look and added, “Otherwise measures are going to be taken by our group that no one is going to like.”

  In spite of the threat, I began to think he was being sincere with me.

  “Don’t worry about getting in touch with us,” he replied. “We’ll find you. We have people in every department of your government, so we have everything we need to keep up with you.”

  He paused and looked at me for a long moment.

  “There’s one more thing. This giving up on the world is not just happening in religious circles. It’s happening in the political realm as well. Both Left and Right are quickly polarizing into more dangerous groups, who also think the world is collapsing, and thus they are justified in their extreme action. It is another reason we might have to act. So you want to make sure you align with us in this matter.”

  With that, he shook my hand forcefully and told me his name was Colonel Peterson, then reached into a satchel on the ground and pulled out some papers.

  “Here’s part of the translated Document we found,” he said, walking away. “The Third and Fourth Integrations. Some of the people we interviewed told us more of it was rumored to be north of here, near a larger mountain.”

  For a long time, I just huddled there among the rocks, my head buzzing from all this. The sun was now blocked by another thick layer of clouds, and an ominous cool wind began to blow from the north. I opened my pack and pulled out a windbreaker. Now, at least, we knew who was following us. And if he was correct about the geopolitical situation and people giving up on this world, maybe this was why the Document had been released at this time.

  I wondered suddenly, in the interest of truth, whether I should have told Peterson about the men who seemed to be holding Rachel against her will. Probably not, I figured, since I didn’t know for sure if that assumption was true. I thought for a moment about reading some of the two Integrations Peterson had given me, but I found I couldn’t concentrate. I was getting antsy—I had to do something.

  Finally, I decided to move ahead in the direction Wil had traveled.

  “Expect Synchronicity,” I reminded myself out loud. “And stay centered in the truth of what you’re doing, and in Alignment.”

  I proceeded carefully up the canyon until I noticed another trail that bore to the right through a rocky gap toward the northeast. The trail looked to be rarely used overall, but it contained dozens of fresh human tracks. Following them, I proceeded to another large mound of red rock where I could survey the flats farther to the north.

  About a quarter mile ahead, I could see a small clearing where many people seemed to be camped. It was just across the line into the area Wil, and now Peterson, had talked about: the Secret Mountain Wilderness. The multiridged mountain towered in the distance. Camping, I knew, was expressly forbidden in this wilderness. Whoever all those people were in the clearing, their party wasn’t going to last very long.

  As a gray dusk descended, I hiked down the slope and into the flats. Here the terrain was less rocky and much more green, dotted with large areas of junipers, and large oaks. Several rabbits flushed from the rocks as I walked.

  When I reached the clearing, I couldn’t quite believe how many people were there. From where I stood, I could see at least two acres filled with campers. Dozens of people were walking around. It was as though someone had organized a music festival of sixty people two miles out in the desert, in a spot where everyone had to hike to. In reality, it seemed to be a totally spontaneous gathering, born of rumor and a desire to find out about the Document.

  The larger reality of what might be occurring struck me. Ostensibly, the pieces of these writings had been dispersed all over the world. Was something like this gathering happening in many other places, all at the same time?

  Suddenly, I could hear the low whine of a four-wheeler far back in the distance toward the canyon, and I knew the rangers were about to move this way. Hurrying ahead, I picked out a spot near the east side of the clearing, figuring I could make a quick getaway into the junipers when the rangers came. Around me was the glow of eight or ten campfires.

  I cooked up some soup on the stove and ate it, waiting for complete darkness, and then I ventured out to see if Wil was here, or Rachel. For half an hour or so I walked around, glancing at the people and listening to their conversations about the Document. Different groups were trading copies and talking about their experiences with Conscious Conversation.

  For the most part, I was ahead in the Integrations compared to those I was listening to, and I didn’t feel the urge to engage anyone. I wanted to cruise around first and see who was here. After a long time, I had completely checked out most of the sites, except for several larger groups near the southern edge of the camping area. The first one included at least twenty people, all camped together.

  In the center of the group, a small gas camping lantern hung from a tree, flooding the area with an odd yellow light, like the bug lights you see on porches out in the country. Moths and dragonflies eerily circled the lantern.

  As I walked closer, I almost ran into another man who was entering the camp at the same time. We actually had to stop to avoid crashing into each other. I paused, wondering if this meeting was a Synchronicity.

  “Excuse me,” he said, in a friendly manner.

  “That’s okay,” I replied.

  He gave me a second look. “Hey, I saw you back at Boynton. You must be looking for the translations.”

  “Yeah, that’s right.”

  “Where did you come in from?”

  I could tell he was sizing me up for some reason.

  “Georgia,” I said. He introduced himself as Robert, from Idaho.

  “From Georgia, huh?” he commented. “Some people in our group are from there. We have all of the translations through the Third Integration.”

  At that moment, another man walked up and handed him a cup of coffee, and Robert asked me if I wanted one.

  “Sure,” I replied, certain now that I was being shown something important here.

  We walked over to the fire and sat down, and I was handed a cup of coffee that was very hot and smelled wonderful.

  “It’s terrific that this Document is coming out now,” Robert said. “The country is in great danger. Maybe this will get people motivated. I’m pretty sure the government will be declaring martial law pretty soon, and people need to be prepared. The first thing they’ll do is take up all the gun
s and many books.”

  It was becoming clear that I was talking to someone on the extreme Right politically.

  “Wait a minute,” I said casually. “None of that can happen. There are constitutional safeguards.”

  “Are you kidding?” he reacted. “One or two more Leftist judges, and that won’t be the case anymore. Things are out of control. The country we grew up in is being changed. We have to do something now. We think the Document is going to call for a real rebellion against the Leftists.”

  “What?” I said forcefully. “I can’t see anyone getting the idea of a rebellion from this Document—maybe a more enlightened Centrism. Have you read it?”

  “Much of it,” he said loudly. “Our people are studying it more closely now. They’ll let us know about the details. You may not believe it, but things are about to degenerate quickly. You had better decide who you want to side with when it happens.”

  Several other people in the group heard him and began to walk toward us.

  “Everyone has to wake up,” he went on. “The Leftists are slowly undermining the Constitution by overregulating. They’re taking advantage of this financial crisis to consolidate power.”

  He stopped and looked hard at me.

  “I think you’re overstating reality here,” I said. “There was a swing to the Left that occurred during the crisis, when more of a safety net and consumer protection were demanded. But if anything, there’s been a turn in the other direction since then.”

  He suddenly stepped back and began to look at me with more suspicion.

  “Well, boys,” he said to the others, “I think we have a Lefty right here.”

  Before I could respond, several other people jumped in with their own thoughts on the subject, basically echoing the first man’s point of view and arrogantly emphasizing my naïveté. As they continued, I began to feel slightly confused and off center and no longer wanted to argue with them.