What is Project Sanctuary? What does it have to do with metaphor? What is a habitat? A Threshold Shift? Why is it called "a game"? What is the story ...?

These and many other questions are answered briefly here in Project Sanctuary in a nutshell.

Project Sanctuary

Brief Overview - The Energy Mind - The Universe Of Metaphor - The Concept Of Sanctuary - The Project - Habitats - The Infinite Habitats - The Game In Space And Time - Friends - No Hierarchy - The Unfoldment - The Threshold Shift - The Story - Magic Failure - The Purpose Of Project Sanctuary

A Brief Overview

Project Sanctuary was created by Silvia Hartmann in 1993 and iis the name of a group of processes designed to:

a) reconnect the naturally existing channels of information between the conscious mind, the body and the energy mind (previously known as the subconscious or unconscious mind);

b) so that both "minds" can think together in a state of lucid clarity.

This is the primary objective of Project Sanctuary.

Once this state of lucid clarity of thinking, experiencing, visioning and autogenic experience is achieved, the rest takes care of itself. The rest that is being referred to here is human beings USING lucid thinking to resolve problems, conduct investigations, creativity, innovation, research or therapy and healing and so forth.

There are certain rules and regulations that allow Project Sanctuary to work as it does.

These are based on The Harmony Program and work as follows.

1. The conscious mind and the energy mind need to work as equal partners to become more than the sum of their parts. This is expressed in the phrase, NO HIERARCHY!

2. The conscious mind needs to learn to pay attention to what the energy mind is showing them/telling them/putting forward for their experience. It is in the act of paying attention that energy begins to flow, information is exchanged, and learning about how the energy mind works takes place.

3. The conscious mind and the energy mind need to work on projects TOGETHER (this is an intrapersonal version of the Client/Practitioner dance) to learn about each other AND move the projects forward towards a threshold shift.

4. The purpose of playing Project Sanctuary games (particularly, The Classic Game) is to induce these threshold shifts which are events experiences that EVOLVE the person in question.

Project Sanctuary In A Nutshell

The Energy Mind

The energy mind - previously known as the unconscious or subconscious mind - is quite simply, the head of the human energy body.

It has an energy brain, and energy receptors that "read" energetic realities around us, as well as providing valuable feedback about the state of our own energy systems.

The energy mind has to deal with the energy dimensions, which are fluent, multi-dimensional, multi- or even extra temporal, and in order to do that, it has not only more "computational power" than the conscious mind and the physical brain, but it also runs on a different operating system altogether.

The conscious mind is a part of a structural system that contains the physical brain as well as the energy brain, energy mind, and by virtue of design, they are all supposed to work TOGETHER - not sequentially, as in dreaming here, and then waking up, and then meditating, and then dreaming again, and then thinking again, but all at the same time, in the same place.

That gives you a state of being, feeling, thinking and experiencing which is far more than the sum of the parts - a true enlightenment state for which ALL HUMAN BEINGS are structurally designed.

By playing Project Sanctuary games, we (our conscious selves) begin to learn the language that the energy mind "speaks". That is the language of metaphor and visions and without being able to understand this, we cannot communicate with the energy mind what we need or want, nor can the energy mind communicate to us what it knows about the greater scheme of things, or just our environment, right here and now.

The Universe Of Metaphor

Metaphors are like a totally foreign language that barely anyone speaks well these days. Instead of metaphor, linear pre-defined words are used in many different languages around the world – yet metaphor is THE ORIGINAL HUMAN LANGUAGE, and EVERYONE in the world thinks, dreams, and does their high level computations in only ONE LANGUAGE – that of metaphor.

Metaphors work differently to spoken language in many ways and this confuses people who are used to thinking in a linear way with their consciousness alone.

Here are some of the key features of metaphors that make them different, unique, and EXPONENTIALLY MORE INFORMATION DENSE than linear spoken language.

1. Metaphors are connected to their environment.

Any form of symbol or metaphor only exists and can only be defined by its context. You can take the word “cat” out of its context and you still have a cat; the metaphor cat doesn’t work like that for it depends of its very existence on the environment that defines it.

This is one of the greatest problems with metaphor and understanding it completely and clearly.

2. Metaphors are idiosyncratic.

Metaphors are generated on the fly from all the existing programming in a system that is a single human being. This means they are absolutely idiosyncratic and belong to a single individual only. One man’s metaphorical cat is NOT another man’s metaphorical cat, because each man is a different environment, and thereby redefines the information content absolutely.

3. Metaphors are evolutionary.

Unlike the word cat that is put into a dictionary and stays a cat forever, the metaphor of a cat is malleable and it EVOLVES. It can melt and morph into something else at any time – just the fairy tale prince can turn into a frog, and the frog can turn to stone, and the stone can turn to ice and melt away into the ground altogether.

In order to “read and write” metaphor, a completely different computational system is required, one that can handle an ENORMOUS amount of information that is all interconnected and that MORPHS CONSTANTLY.

As it is structurally impossible to hold that level of information density in consciousness, metaphor can only be satisfactorily computed by the energy mind – previously known as the unconscious mind – which is perfectly at home with this multi-level, n-complex information that is happening all at the same time, but also flows as well in all directions and dimensions.

The only way to understand metaphor is for a person to have access to the computational powers of the energy mind and to be able to query it, receive an answer, and to understand that answer.

• Need more help with the concept of metaphor? Try the Metaphor Crash Course here.

The Concept Of Sanctuary

What is generally called “imagination and fantasy” is the meeting place where the conscious mind and the energy mind come together. I have called this space of mind The Sanctuary to make it quite clear that we are dealing with a kind of holy ground where the fighting stops, where no-one is allowed to dominate or take over or enslave anyone, and where we are there to learn about our systems in peace and clarity.

The Concept Of The Project

Project Sanctuary is called PROJECT Sanctuary because we are creating certain projects on which both the conscious and the energy mind work TOGETHER in order to understand each other better, get experience with each other, learn to trust each other, and also resolve all manner of personal problems while we are there.

I have chosen to make the projects that the conscious and energy mind work on together BE PERSONAL in order to motivate and engage people in the rather unusual activities they have to undertake, especially at the beginning.

When a person first starts to interact with their own energy mind and the flowing, super-complex world of metaphor, they are consciously overwhelmed and feel inadequate; on top of that, hardly anyone comes clean and fresh to this subject. People have had dreams, some had visions, others have failed to keep their imagination under control, and some have sadly succeeded in “switching it off altogether” and now are faced with having to rebuild all the channels from the ground up.

Simple beginner’s projects that are motivational to a person are what I call a sandbox where people can play and interact with their energy mind in the world of metaphor in safety, whilst retaining conscious control of the parameters, and of course, over the many choices that are offered there.

The Concept Of Habitats

A habitat is a co-created space in mind, that is defined by certain parameters which makes it a stable platform to which the consciousness can return, time and time and time again. In the Classic Game, we ask the following questions to establish a habitat that serves a particular purpose.

"Take me to the perfect place in time and space where I can ... (insert your own agenda here.)"

What is the time of day?

What is the time of year?

What is the weather?

What is the land?

What the vegetation?

These simple questions cannot be answered consciously – the conscious poses the questions, and the energy mind responds by creating the habitat.

Now the consciousness enters INTO the habitat, and the game begins – the project both partners are going to work on.

The Concept Of The Infinite Habitats

For as long as humanity has been around, people have found their way to a habitat, or made one by accident and then STAYED THERE.

There are many forms and entire schools of personal development, art, magic, and meditation all based on a single habitat – whether that would be a healing garden type Sanctuary, a metaphysical magician’s workshop, the “StarTrek” “universe”, or one single “dreamtime” realm.

Project Sanctuary creates potentially infinite habitats DIRECTLY CORRELATED TO THE PROBLEM OR QUESTION OF THAT TIME.

For example, instead of one healing habitat, Project Sanctuary creates NEW and UNIQUE habitats in DIRECT RESPONSE to the needs of that moment, and these may vary wildly, from dry deserts to rain gardens, rain forests, clear mountain tops, ocean shores, deep oceans, deep space and alien environments. This is because Project Sanctuary habitats are created IN REAL TIME, and in DIRECT RESPONSE to the “need of the day”.

This lifts the appropriateness and usefulness of the habitats to a whole new level.

The Concept Of The Game In Space And Time

A recent reviewer of The Genius Symbols noted that they could be no good for real hard questions because they were called “a game”.

Here is a quote from Project Sanctuary Far Journeys:

The Game In Space & Time

Let’s play a game!

A game in space and time,
a game of mind
and thought
and energy, attention –

but before we start
to step away
from every day,
I must explain
the nature of this game,
for this is not
a competition or a sport of war,
it is a dance
of exploration
of the worlds within, the
words without restriction,
without hesitation,
without limitations,

it is a game a child could play
so that we might discover more
about the wondrous universe …

The fact is that learning is a multi-modality endeavour and true learning, which creates FULL BODY EXPERIENCES rather than memorised second hand data, takes place when attention and action become focused on the same target.

The way children learn is THE ONLY WAY to learn – and that is not by studying, or dissecting, or by memorising, but by a form of doing that is known as playing.

There is also the sub-text of the playful interaction. This is light way of approaching a subject with curiosity and positive attention. For Project Sanctuary, the attitude of the learner is all important.

As we have noted before, many people had “bad experiences” with unconscious generated materials; have been frightened and left utterly confused by their interactions with their own energy mind.

It is of the essence that people should feel safe, not be stressed because this destroys the contact with the energy mind and destabilises the habitats, as well as removing the level of control over movements of consciousness an individual might posses.

To “lighten up” and to start playing, rather than psychotherapising oneself, second guessing everything and being shielded, reversed and terrified of “what I might find”, it is extremely important to have the frame of “the game we play” to keep people motivated, focused, and learning through interaction.

The Concept Of Friends

Friends are constructs that are co-created with the energy mind to “give the energy mind a voice”.

A person will choose a friend – and this could be anyone, a prophet, an angel, existing spirit guide, dead ancestor et al – who will be able to consciously converse with them and explain things, be by their side, help them, and most importantly, help them understand the ways of the energy mind.

Friends, like habitats, are essentially infinite in number and a person can have as many as they need, and once again, in DIRECT RESPONSE to the needs and the questions of the day.

Friends are emissaries of the energy mind. They are not to be prayed at, bowed down to, or understood to be smarter or more developed than one’s conscious self. They are simply a “helpful friend” and a local tour guide in a foreign country.

The Concept Of No Hierarchy

People have an unfortunate tendency to make hierarchies where there are none. Whether a person considers the conscious mind to be superior and designed to be “in charge” or whether they imbue the energy mind with all manner of mystical qualities and think that the energy mind is the big wig and the conscious mind just some fragment that is essentially useless, to approach the learning process in a hierarchical frame of mind leads to failure.

Project Sanctuary is a CO-CREATION BETWEEN TWO EQUALS.

The conscious mind and the energy mind in human beings are a part of a single system, and they need to learn to co-operate with each other.

You can neither enter into Sanctuary with the view of taking control of all that happens, nor can you enter there and sit and wait for great revelations in a passive fashion.

You need to start to interact with the environment, to explore it, to try to make changes and then wait for feedback – the consequences of your actions, which teach you what you need to know about how the energy mind works, how metaphor, symbol, artefact hang together, and what a Project Sanctuary unfoldment is all about.

The Concept Of The Unfoldment

A Project Sanctuary habitat is not a static stage or a theatre prop set that just sits there.

A habitat unfolds, and so do all the components of that habitat. Rain falls, the sun moves across the sky, leaves fall from trees, creatures are born and die, entities enter, evolve, and leave – the habitats are ever changing, ever UNFOLDING themselves.

Likewise, a person coming into a habitat will change, evolve, learn, UNFOLD themselves in their interaction just the same.

As we bring all our established self concepts, self constructs, beliefs, values, attitudes INTO Sanctuary when we consciously step inside, we may not be used to this level of natural unfoldment and find that we are surprised that it isn’t just easy to change, it is INEVITABLE.

Ecological change is one of the hallmarks of Project Sanctuary.

This change is happening all the time, but it becomes particularly noticeable when there is a threshold shift.

The Concept Of The Threshold Shift

A threshold shift is a neurological and energetic cascade – a moment where everything changes, and the entire system re-organises itself to a higher level.

It is a major “AHA!” moment when not just the reason for being in this habitat becomes clear, but all manner of ideas, thoughts, information, learning, experience all find a new place – a major re-organisation has taken place.

A person experiences this threshold shift in not just a mental “heureka!” moment, but it is very physical – an energy rush, tingling sensations, excitement, not being able to sit still.

A threshold shift is a full body experience and it being so, it is UNDENIABLE and fully ratified by the conscious mind. Or in other words, YOU KNOW SOMETHING BIG JUST HAPPENED – and it is delightful.

The purpose of entering ANY habitat and playing ANY Project Sanctuary game is to get to the threshold shift. The game is not complete until the threshold shift has happened.

Some games contain numerous minor threshold shifts before they reach their final conclusion – the major threshold shift which is to all intents and purposes, indistinguishable from an enlightenment experience.

The Concept Of The Story

From the moment we enter the habitat for the first time, through all the adventures, ups and downs, surprises, challenges, puzzles, games and excitement, all the way to the final threshold shift is what we call the Project Sanctuary Story.

These stories can be very short, or they can be extremely long and intricate.

Lord of The Rings and Game of Thrones are examples of the "metastory" - a single story that runs for days, weeks, even years and is one of the most fascinating experiences a person can have.

With Project Sanctuary, it is easy and natural to create stories and metastories of any length, at will, and for any purpose.  

The Concept Of Magic Failure

The opposite of a threshold shift is what we call Magic Failure.

All things in Sanctuary are made from energy – they are all MORPHEABLE at WILL.

All things, and including the physical form we choose to represent our conscious selves in Sanctuary, are entirely responsive to conscious intervention.

You can fly, you can make things disappear, you can make things appear from nowhere – magic.

Interestingly enough, we have found that even outstanding Project Sanctuary Players can suffer from FORGETTING ALL OF THAT.

They may enter a state where they sit in front of a mountain and simply start to wail, “Oh I’ll never get over this mountain!”

This state of magic failure is held to be a collapse of the energy system – power loss throughout mind, body and spirit.

It can be triggered by all manner of stresses and there is no-one who isn’t, on occasion, susceptible to magic failure.

Once magic failure has been identified, it is easy to step out of it – simply by remembering that …

• All things in Sanctuary are made from energy – they are all MORPHEABLE at WILL.

In EMO, the saying is used, “It’s only energy.”

As soon as that is remembered, magic failure disappears and the person can continue their exploration of the habitat to find the requisite threshold shift.

* People who have experienced magic failure in Sanctuary and successfully overcome it, find that magic failure also occurs in “real life” and find they are able to identify the problem and overcome it there, too.

The Purpose Of Project Sanctuary

The final purpose of Project Sanctuary is the re-unification of the conscious mind and the energy mind to work as a SINGLE SYSTEM OF INFORMATION PROCESSING.

From what we have learned so far, when this re-unification occurs, even for a short time, STAR STATES of intense lucidity are attained which are quite frankly, priceless. In those short periods of true lucidity, so much information becomes available that it reconciles, heals, explains many a haunting question of a lifetime.

These star states of lucidity also have a profound healing effect on the entirety of a human being.

With these star states comes a sense of deep connectedness to the all-there-is, a much greater appreciation of all of creation and INCLUDING THE SELF.

Star states nearly instantly re-frame all manner of previously unanswered questions and problems an individual might have been wrestling with for a lifetime and they quite literally show us a different way of being, a different way of seeing the world and ourselves in context.

In the quest for threshold shifts – and these do feel like systems being repaired, something coming online, often for the first time ever! – we are undertaking a very unique form of personal development.

Because each and every person plays their own games, and they are guided by their existing questions, fascinations, and problems, for each person who engages in Project Sanctuary, A TOTALLY UNIQUE AND DIFFERENT PATH TO HEALING comes into being.

I am using the word “healing” not in an esoteric sense, but simply in the technical way – to repair, to restore, to put to right what once went wrong.

In conjunction with the energy mind, and by following the path laid out for each one of us by our own individual problems, we are working on restoring our systems and finding out what a real human being can hope to experience in this lifetime – IF some or all of their inbuilt systems come online and function as they are designed to function in the first place.

Thus, playing Project Sanctuary doesn’t create “supermen”, instead it just helps human beings become what they were meant to be.

There are many practical benefits of playing Project Sanctuary – more understanding of the self and other people; becoming more intelligent, activating the long lost psychic circuitry; self healing ancient problems; experiencing joy and threshold shifts; completely re-organising the self construct to be more inclusive and closer to reality, and on top of that, it’s also endlessly fascinating and jolly good fun.

Playing Project Sanctuary is interesting, it’s easy, and you don’t have to have a fit body to do it.

People who are used to being told what to do and have forgotten how to think for themselves find Project Sanctuary daunting.

People who have already some experience with the sheer power and presence of the energy mind in EVERYTHING that people do, who are fascinated with their own dreams, their memories and their fantasies, on the other hand, will find in Project Sanctuary a homecoming like no other.

Project Sanctuary is ALWAYS AND ONLY about the one person who starts to play the game in space and time.

And that would be …

YOU.

Silvia Hartmann

January 2009

Project Sanctuary In A Nutshell by SFX 2009