This session celebrated the graduation of Dr. John Aiken, using his transition as an opportunity to address the universal reality of death and dying. Bartholomew emphasized that one of the greatest difficulties about death is that people spend virtually no time during their lives contemplating its inevitability, treating it as an uncomfortable subject to be avoided. Rather than viewing death as a sudden wall that ends life, he suggested we view it as part of a continuous rhythm of "life-death" experiences that occur constantly throughout existence - endless cycles of getting and losing, coming and going that characterize every day, week, month, and year of human experience.

The teaching here reframed aging and life transitions by challenging the Western cultural model that depicts life as climbing to a peak in middle age and then declining into powerlessness. Bartholomew argued this represents a fundamental misunderstanding of consciousness, pointing out that people are actually living multiple lifetimes within a single incarnation due to the accelerated pace of change. He noted the dramatic differences between the world Dr. Aiken was born into 90 years earlier and the present moment, emphasizing that all the old beliefs, lifestyles, and identities have essentially "died" and been replaced by new iterations of self throughout each person's journey.

A central theme involved recognizing that what makes life interesting is precisely the possibility of change and transformation that people often resist. The natural progression toward quieter, more introspective living in later years is presented not as decline or loss, but as an opportunity for the profound inner work that constitutes the true purpose of existence. Bartholomew referenced ancient traditions where people would deliberately withdraw from worldly engagement at a certain age to pursue spiritual realization, suggesting this represents a natural and essential phase of human development rather than societal failure.

The teaching introduced a revolutionary concept about energy and aging, asserting that people actually accumulate more spiritual power and consciousness as they grow older, not less. This increase in what Bartholomew called "energy frequency" or "light awareness" continues throughout life, becoming stronger rather than weaker with advancing years. The confusion arises because culture equates life force with physical action and external accomplishment, missing the primary creative process that occurs in the silent depths of being where true power originates and understanding emerges.

Bartholomew used the metaphor of volcanic activity to illustrate this inner power source, comparing the molten lava that erupts from the earth's core to the creative force that continuously flows through human consciousness. The moment of insight or creative inspiration represents the true source of power - not the subsequent physical manifestation or years of implementation, but the original upwelling of understanding that emerges from silence and stillness. This explains why someone can be a "much better father" in later years despite having less physical energy, because the essential qualities of love, patience, and wisdom have deepened.

The session then addressed practical application through the cultivation of moment-to-moment awareness that builds what Bartholomew called a "power base of consciousness." This involves learning to experience each moment without mental overlay or manipulation, simply being present to what is arising. Rather than seeking empowerment from external sources, people can discover their own magnificent resilience and creative capacity by regularly turning attention inward to the source from which all experience emerges. This practice reveals the natural self that remains constant through all changes and represents the foundation of true spiritual realization.

This teaching concluded with insights about shadow work and personal transformation, explaining that what people consider their psychological shadows are simply aspects of self that haven't received conscious attention. Rather than analyzing or struggling with these elements mentally, the solution involves spending time in quiet contemplation where clear understanding naturally arises. The humor and lightness that emerge from this process reveal that everyone shares similar human qualities and limitations, making shadow work less dramatic than often imagined. This connects to the overall message that spiritual development occurs through being rather than doing, through presence rather than effort, and through recognition of the increasing light and wisdom that naturally accumulate through conscious living at any age.