This session began with a discussion of Aldous Huxley's concept of the mind as a "throttling valve" that filters awareness. Bartholomew explained that consciousness isn't about keeping things out, but rather about what we allow to flow through us based on our vibrational frequency. The core issue isn't that we need protection from an overwhelming universe, but that we operate from fear - fear of love, fear of openness, and fear of allowing life to flow through us completely. This fear creates the very constrictions that limit our experience.

A central theme is how early conditioning around love creates lifelong patterns of resistance. Many people learn distorted versions of love from parents who claim to love conditionally, leading them to spend their lives either seeking or avoiding what they think is love. True spiritual growth requires recognizing these false patterns and learning to trust the process of opening completely to life's experiences, both pleasant and difficult.

Bartholomew emphasized the importance of understanding our motivations and projections. When we see negative qualities in others that trigger strong reactions, we're often seeing our own unacknowledged aspects reflected back. The path forward involves introspection to understand our true motives, learning to meet others' needs rather than imposing our judgments, and developing the capacity to respond from compassion rather than ego-driven reactivity.

The teaching addressed how to handle spiritual obstacles and setbacks. Rather than fighting external circumstances (the "boulders" in our path), we should focus on our internal response and walk around obstacles. When vision wavers, it should be strengthened through study, connection with like-minded people, and consistent inner work. The goal is to become so aligned with divine will that we can give and receive without limitation.

This session concluded with practical guidance about living authentically from one's deepest knowing rather than mental concepts, trusting intuitive guidance over social expectations, and allowing the divine to work through us without trying to control the throttle of experience. Bartholomew suggested that real spiritual service comes from embodying love and truth rather than trying to teach or change others, and emphasized that obstacles dissolve naturally when we focus on our own spiritual development rather than trying to manipulate external circumstances.