Bahamas Interview Part 2: Opinions Versus Preferences

Bahamas, March 2016 - Bentinho Massaro interviewed by Cory Katuna.

Part 2: Opinions Versus Preferences

Cory: You have opinions, right?

Bentinho: In a way. Sort of.

Cory: What’s the difference between your opinion and my opinion? 

Bentinho: Instead of saying your opinion, let’s generically use what we understand as opinions for most people. There are two categories of opinions from my point of view: preferences and opinions. A preference is, “I like these potato chips better than those potato chips.” That’s it—it’s a preference. I have preferences, but I don’t really have opinions.

The opinions that do come up for me are always in relationship to a context that is seemingly out of balance in some way or in some aspect. Sometimes, I may have an opinion that is simply based in experience, meaning I can analyze a situation in which, for example, no one else is involved; it’s not about me reflecting anything to anyone. Or perhaps someone describes to me their process of meditation, and I might have observations based on experience that could potentially optimize the process for that person. But those are not really opinions either; they are just observations as to what is most efficient. So, there is efficiency, there are observations, and there are reflections.    

When I offer an opinion, it is in relationship to what is requested. If I’m with a group and I offer an opinion, I can show it very viscerally—I can express it like I’m a five-year-old kid who has an opinion about something. But it’s really not my opinion at all; I don’t have an opinion. What’s happening is that something is occurring in the field, and I’m offering an opinion to, for example, reveal to someone a tabu they are holding in their subconscious, which I feel is not going to thrive in the group setting of that scenario. So, I will make a joke perhaps, or I will share an opinion that will loosen up the dirt that’s stuck in that person’s subconscious mind. It might pollute the water of their conscious mind for a little while with the stuff they were holding underneath the surface of the water.

The water can appear to be clear, but this is because the dirt is all crusted at the bottom. So, I might toss a pebble into the water to shake up some of that dirt. It might feel unpleasant in the moment, but it offers that person a reflection so they can become aware of what they are holding onto. The peace they had was sort of superficial, and now it’s being stirred up, giving them an opportunity to make that peace deeper, more lasting, more eternal, more true. My opinions are always in relationship to other people having opinions of their own, which they may or may not be aware of. The opinion I offer usually counters their opinion, or balances it or triggers it or brings it to the surface.

It can also happen that an opinion I offer supports someone in a fresh belief. So, it’s not always contradictory; sometimes it’s also confirming. Let’s say someone has believed for a long time that they are unworthy, and now they are picking a different belief that is perhaps not the ideal belief or the most holistic view. It may be counter to the “I am unworthy” belief, but it might still be coming from a partial viewpoint. If I feel that confirming it and anchoring it in will be of service in the holistic arc of their journey, then I will confirm it. I will agree with them in order to further anchor it in, in that moment. So, I can share an opinion in that context as well.

On the other hand, if I feel a person already has the awareness necessary for a more balanced understanding, and they no longer need to work as much with the opposite polarities to balance out their negative beliefs, then perhaps I will refrain from confirming or assisting them with their newly gained belief or point of view. I might remain quiet, or I may even create a little bit of “social awkwardness” so that they might realize, “Yeah, maybe that’s not it either. What is the deeper aspect of it? Oh, this is the deeper truth!” It all depends on where the person is at.

Cory: Is that process mental for you or is it quick and intuitive?

Bentinho: Interesting question. It is instant and intuitive, and the mental body has to catch up with it. Usually it is very quick and my mind knows what’s going on. But occasionally, I have to take a moment to analyze, investigate, and translate to my mind what’s going. Sometimes it’s just intuitive and I start to feel “off,” like when the bodies empty themselves from personal bias. I am talking about the physical body, mental body, emotional body, and spiritual body. When these bodies are sufficiently emptied out and presented in service to others, and then I feel something, it is hardly ever due to a personal misalignment. It’s usually because something is out of balance, and this being (me) is being called into action to balance it out in some way.

That’s why, when I’m by myself I feel amazing, and when I’m with a group I can feel all sorts of things. I can feel like anyone else feels because my bodies will take on the shape of whatever is in the field that needs to be balanced out. If I didn’t feel these things, it wouldn’t grab my attention and I wouldn’t pay attention, translate it to myself, and then find the proper wording and timing to give it back to the people in that group or the person I’m with.

The bodies become a channel. They become a mirror of information, and the mirror feels the same thing that it’s reflecting. When the mirror reflects anger, it feels anger. When the mirror reflects opinion, it feels opinion. A few years ago, it was very confusing for me at times as to what was happening because I would take it too personally; I would believe these were my own points of view. And then I would think, “But I’ve worked through all of this shit; why is this still here?” I discovered after a while that it wasn’t any of my own stuff; it was me being of service. It was me being called into action in a certain way.

Ever since then, my relational life has become much better. I now understand the difference between when something is me having a point of view of my own that needs to be excavated and seen, or when I am reflecting other people and I’m simply being called into action. And in that case, what I am feeling is not personal—even though I feel it as much as you do when you feel it.

What was your question again?

Cory: If it’s mental or intuitive.   

Bentinho: Right. It’s always intuitive because I’m hooked up to that field of sensitivity. I feel it, it’s registered, and then the mind understands and sees what’s going on. Sometimes, within one person or within a group, it’s so complex, layered, and multifaceted—often with things that contradict each other—that I need some time to review some of the things that were said. This can happen in seconds, but sometimes it takes a longer period of time, and it’s not resolved immediately there at the scene. Then, maybe an hour later I understand, “Ahh, okay… this is what happened there.”

You have to connect all of the dots to clearly understand where your position is in this. And this helps me grow. It helps me to fine-tune and expand my brain and my consciousness. But basically, it is intuitive, and the mind is what allows it to be translated into something useable as a reflection to other people.

Cory: So, before that hour had passed, before you had connected the dots and made sense of something, what would you say if someone would kind of call you out, like “What’s up with you? What’s wrong?” How do you…

Bentinho: It depends on the situation. I might say something like, “I don’t know—something is happening; I’m feeling something. I need some time to figure out exactly what it is.” Or maybe the person believes I’m just triggered in that scenario. Different things happen. 

Cory: And when figuring these thing out—do you still have things that are your own ? Does that still happen?

Bentinho: Yes, for sure, because I am ever expanding. As long as the expansion process continues, things will be unveiled. New things will be seen and realized, and then consequently, the construct that is the “individuator” needs to adjust itself to what has been newly received, seen, or unveiled. The construct is constantly readjusting itself. It becomes much less basic and rudimentary—less “animalistic,” so to speak. It becomes very fine, very subtle, like “Oh, I’m expanding into this next level. What is it that I need to let go of that served me in the previous paradigm? What construct was I creating so that I can have an experiential reality? But now that I’m changing, my experiential reality—my paradigm, my frequency, my personal construct—needs to change as well.”

Then, I get new information. I see what it is that I’ve been holding onto for the previous period of time—which was serving me at that time, but which now needs to be acknowledged and let go of, in order to create a new construct that serves the new paradigm and allows the new non-physical level to be realized and made physically manifest.

Cory: Is this what happens with you when you’re feeling a process happening? 

Bentinho: Yeah, it’s always a variation of that. You are realizing something new. You’re revamping yourself, and you feel that what used to feel really exciting to you no longer excites you; it is no longer relevant for your theme. And so, you are guided to move on from that into another level of “being someone.” You are constantly rebirthing your personality construct, even though you don’t really have a solid personality anymore. The constructs that are the beliefs and the perspectives, which are required in order to have a reality experience, need to rearrange themselves, need to expand themselves, need to transform themselves.

It’s like the metamorphosis of becoming a butterfly—transforming from a caterpillar into a butterfly is a continuous process. Once you’re a butterfly, you fly around for a bit, but then you return—you enter into another cocoon and you turn into a bigger butterfly.

Cory: Do you identify this by having a new set of preferences or a new excitement? Or is it because you don’t identify with a worldview any longer?

Bentinho: I’m not sure what you mean by “worldview.”

Cory: By worldview, I mean you have an existing system, and this is how things make sense. Then, it stops making sense, so something else must emerge. Or, is it like you once said, that when you go from one level to the next it’s always a paradox?

Bentinho: It can be either of these. Usually, the way I feel this coming is that I don’t quite feel as good for about a week or two. I don’t feel quite as free, I don’t feel quite as turned on, I don’t feel as excited, as alive, as on a roll. I feel like there is this very gradual “dull” that comes over me, this dulling down. That’s sort of like me entering the cocoon. The cocoon is surrounding me, and then at some point I realize that I’m in the cocoon. It happens very gradually, and then I realize, “I’m not where I was two weeks ago. I don’t feel the same way—what’s happening?” And that’s usually when I pop through into something new. The bliss reinvigorates me as soon as I let go of that old structure, having extracted all of the learning I need to from the old paradigm. I acknowledge it, let it go, and fully step into the next reality.  

Cory: You said something about “higher and higher frequency domains.” I guess this should be obvious, because you talk about it to no end, but I’ve always thought there is the “highest frequency domain,” in which you feel awesome, like the best you can possible feel. But you just said there are higher and higher and higher frequency domains. So, does that mean there is more and more balance, or is it higher and higher and higher, or is it more like …

Bentinho: It’s both. Higher and higher frequency requires more balance, because the balance is basically the “container” that is then able to integrate the higher vibrations. Those higher vibrations cannot be “filed” properly, as you said, unless the “filing cabinet” is well balanced. If it’s tilted to one side, it can’t hold as many documents. Stupid example perhaps but …

Balance and going higher are synonymous. The more balanced you are, the more you are, so to speak, taken up on this spectrum or ladder of consciousness, frequency, understanding, expansion, joy, freedom, free will, and spiritual power, if you want to call it that. By “spiritual power,” I simply mean the freedom to know what’s happening within yourself—what you actually desire, what is relevant for you—and then to execute that in a way that’s in alignment with your core principles. This requires a heightened level of awareness, a heightened level of sensitivity as to what is actually going on within yourself and what your Higher Mind is feeding to you. 

Balance is required to go higher in a way that is integrated. Sometimes people have bursts of awakening and spiritual experiences where they perceive the ecstasy of whatever is beyond this physical life, and that kind of stuff. It’s fine to have that experience, and obviously, it’s also allowed by the Higher Mind. But if the “filing cabinet” is not ready, if it’s tilted; if the person-construct has not developed and hasn’t trained their awareness to be able to understand this information and appropriately integrate it, then those people end up in psych wards or they are not understood or they will find that their social life takes turn for the worst. 

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