INTRODUCTION TO THE SPANISH EDITION OF

THE EXPERIMENT IS OVER

Since I remember Ive been a seeker, even though at the beginning I didnt
know I was one. I just felt tremendously disoriented in this world. The games
that the adults played -the conceiled and pervasive deceptiveness and
aggression- were incomprehensible and frightening. I remember my
adolescence as a very difficul time: shyness, shame and a lot of pain. And,
however, a strange feeling that there must be something else.
I studyied psychology. What else could I be interested in? I didnt find the
answers I seeked, but staying at the University I got some clues concerning
where to seek. First, the Humanistic psychotherapists: Rogers, Perls. Then, the
esoteric schools and oriental disciplines: martial arts, Transcendental
Meditation, the Arica school. Transcendental, mystical experiences. Many
travel partners, brothers and sisters.
In 1981 I was in a crisis. All my life -relationship, work, finances, spiritual
meaning- was upside down, and I was seeking again. I went then to a two-day
group at Las Vertientes (Chile) conducted by an english therapist coming from
India. It was Paul Lowe.
The first fifteen minutes of that group were pure magic. I think I went into a
kind of trance. I couldnt believe what I was witnessing. My mind stayed aside,
all my being felt a deep recognition: this person had, expressed, lived what I
had been seeking all the time. Moreover, I felt seen and accepted by him -in
spite of all that I assumed was wrong in me-. A transformation happened -I
was never the same again. I had verified that what I was seeking really
existed.
Since then Ive commited many mistakes -I dont know anymore if these
exist-; falling asleep; but -and I might say that mainly because of the
inspiration that Paul has been for me- there are fundamental and basic things
that are now clear. Ive managed to stay in contact with him since then. I
never get tired of enjoying his presence, his lightness, his incredible
acceptance of everything and everyone, his endless and exquisite sense of
humor, his implacable honesty and his astonishing and deep vision of the
inner world.
What is what I feel is his contribution? To start with, its important to point out
that hes not interested to help us keep our financial stability, our relationship
stability or our jobs -really, hes not interested in the mirage of the security
that we would like to keep. One of the phrases that he used to repeat more
often when I met him -and which is still one of his favorites- is from Jesus:

Seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and all else will come unto you. How
does he interpret the Kingdom of God? As our maximum potential, as the
treasure that -according to every real Master of all times- is hidden inside us.
And then, maybe that what he emphasizes most is that that has to be seeked
first, before any other false security.
I totally confirm that he acts as he preaches. During the fifteen years that
Ive known him -and his previous story also indicates this- his first priority
has been his intense seeking, a dedication of all his energies to being
present and conscious and to trying to grasp the meaning or purpose that
life has. Ive seen him leave behind idyllic situations in which many of us
would have happily fallen asleep, simply because his inner signs indicated
that it was time to leave.
Lately, Ive heard him say that he has reached a place of total acceptance of
life and an inconditional love for everyone, that isnt altered by personal
attacks or other twisted behavior from others. I also confirm that. What is
the name of that state and to which chakra it corresponds? I couldnt care
less. As an expert of the inner world and of levels of consciousness, he likes
to compare himself with an excellent carpenter: someone whom you might
find useful to observe and listen to if you want to learn his craft; but not
someone to whom one should give away your own power and follow blindly,
as is the gurus case.
His unorthodoxical points of view and his total and radical honesty -many
times Ive wanted to be swallowed by the earth when I hear him saying
some things- transform him in a polemical character. Hes not a theorist and
frequently, in a non-aggressive way, he demolishes the mental structures of
the ones that are listening to him. It happens frequently that his critics
accuse him of arrogance: Im afraid that, besides any natural liking or
disliking that anyone can inspire us, in this case the criticism doesnt show
so much of the one who is criticized but rather of the critic himself. I think
that we can easily think that someone who dares to take his own power and
potentialities isarrogant, if we ourselves dont dare to do the same. Its
easier, cozier and more irresponsible to go on believing that we are just
poor and miserable sinners.
Paul came to Chile in 1989 y 1990. Its difficult to describe how joyful it was for
me to have him here, and to make him available to my friends and to those
that then became new friends. During the second of those visits I interviewed
him (the 11th of May 1990, in Santiago), so that he might comment on
certain aspects that I see in our culture and mentality. That transcription
follows:

Alex: I wanted to do this interview just to introduce you to the chilean people
and the trouble I feel they have, or whatever Ive felt on these past years
could be of any importance for them.
And then, we've known each other for... for a long time, and I remember in
1981, when I met you, I really had a very strong experience, like a big
recognition...and I'm very happy to see that this is happenning to other
people as well. And so, this is what I would like to talk about: an interview
through which chileans could feel more connected with you.
So...what I've been doing lately in therapy, which is what I do, is encouraging
people to always speak their truth and always be with whatever is going on
with them, and I feel this is very, very important for chileans, because they
keep a lot of stuff inside, and I feel it makes a big jump for them when they
really do it...and I wonder if you have anything to say about this. I know you
emphasize this a lot.
Paul Lowe: Everything you hold inside is not flowing; and if its not flowing,
its usually making some mischief in there, some trouble in there. So, what
you get backed up is what gives you a frustration and a pressure inside, and
it wants to flow. Thats whats natural. But because of various conditionings in
various ways and through different systems, weve been told to be careful. To
look before we leap, to take care. And that backing up, that contemplation
and that checking out and controlling, backs the energy up and stops that
spontaneity -which you have so beautifully in Chile, your energy is so
beautiful here and so pure here. It wants to be spontaneous, it wants to
dance, it wants to play. It wants to be honest. And youve had a conditioning
that has made things difficult for you in that way, but now you have to look:
where its appropiate, speak your truth and be your truth.
Alex: I guess its pretty hard sometimes -sometimes rumours go around that
youre getting crazy, and then it gets really hard to be honest. And I feel
people are so afraid of this.
Paul: Well, you know, there are ways of being honest. If you have the truth
and you push it out, you force it on somebody, then you do create a
disturbance. If you open and expand and stay receptive, then sometimes it
happens that the truth is there, but sharing it is not appropiate, because
theres no one there who wants to listen. If you are open and flowing, it will
go out on its own if it is appropiate.
And thats one of the ways in which people try to dominate someone that
lives his truth: calling him crazy.

Alex: Yes... And in fact, I used to impose my truth on people before, and to
put pressure on them so they would accept my version. When you act
spontaneously, people get afraid and try to control you. This happens a lot.
However, I feel that around you people get encouraged to do this, and they
really feel your acceptance and the possibility -they see in you the possibilitythat this could be for real, that this could really happen.
Paul: One of the things thats important if you want to be in the flow, is not to
force anything, and not to go against anything, and allow the truth to flow
out of you. If you feel against somebody, then in one way thats not the
truth, because youre interferring with somebody elses way: the way they
want to think and the way they want to be. And thats appropiate for them.
And its appropiate for you to be the way you want to be. So, any
"againstness" or forcing or pushing will cause a stronger reaction. So, the
game is to ...not to be serious about it: to be light, and playful and
gentle...and let it come out on its own.
Alex: Yes... this could be much softer, right? And it seems that part of that
softness is that you really connect with the person and his situation. In 1981,
in that group that you conducted here in the mountains nearby Santiago...
something really strong happened to me when I saw something that you were
doing: you were closing your eyes on someone elses question and you went
in -you were going in to find whatever was appropiate to tell the person, and
I had like a feeling: "I can do that !", and on the other hand, whatever is the
truth for this person is not to be found looking at details out there but looking
in here. That was a big insight, seeing how you were doing it.
Paul: Its both. Its the inside and the outside. You register whats there...and
then look for whats happening inside. And I dont close my eyes so often
now, because people think its strange or they feel uncomfortable with it. So I
try not to do it. But naturally that wants to happen, it wants to go inside and
say, "Well, where is the answer for that? Where is it? Im available to hear the
answer -rather than coming from a place that knows or has knowledge or
has a fixed response. Its just, "What would like to come through?".
Alex: Ive been trying from some time on to work this way. Which kind of
suggestions would you give to the kind of therapists youve seen around?
Because generally what you do here when you work with people is, you adopt
a system and then it gets very fixed and very static.
Paul: It happens in many therapies. Its not so much what you do... its how
do you allow it. If ever a therapist is stuck in himself, what theyre going to
do is use their system. And a system is like a security or safety...its worked in
the past, so if I say and do the same things, it can continue working. But I find

the thing that works most deeply is when what you call the therapist or the
teacher or the helper or the person is available...is being themselves. Is being
their truth -which means, if they dont know, they say "I dont know". If they
feel lost, they share that theyre lost.
What I find is the most effective is just being yourself. And if you get stuck
you need to at least acknowledge that to yourself, that you feel stuck at this
time. Just be this moment, at this spontaneity, is what I find that goes
deepest. And then its a matter of what you enjoy. If your way of being
spontaneous and natural and present is bodywork, then that will work
through you... if its talking to people, that will work through you; if its giving
people exercises, that will work through you.
But the main thing is not to adopt a system. In any case, any system was
developed for the person who developed it. So, Gestalt therapy was
developed by Fritz Perls, for Fritz Perls, and it worked for him; and anybody
else that uses it exactly the same way as he did is not at their potential or at
the potential of what theyre doing. Certainly, learn from as many places as
possible but then you need to find your unique way. Because if its anything
else, its out of alignement. Youre trying to do something thats not exactly
you. And what really works is you being you. The way you enjoy and the way
you would like to be.
Alex: It makes a big difference... in fact, I teach psychotherapy at the
University; and there people try to find security. They think they dont know,
they have all this conditioning, and they always feel that whatever they have
to give or whatever they have, in fact, is not the thing. They have to adopt a
system, so that will work. But to really allow themselves just to be themselves
in the work they do... And sometimes, when they catch something of that
kind -really seeing: "Whatever I have might be of use", thats a big change for
them.
Paul: This isnt like accountancy. It isnt that you learn a system and then
apply the system. You can learn a system that can be a basis, but the truth
and the answer and the depth is within you. And if you just go to a system,
youre lazy about it, and therefore you dont find the depth of you, and
therefore the depth of your work doesnt go to its potential.
Alex: Im finding out that for me. Skipping...You were mentioning the other
day and you mentioned right here now that you felt there was something
special about people here. And then I see that very usually they get stuck in a
relationship, having kids and this whole trip that leads nowhere. And then, my
impulse is to go against it, try to change it, do something about it or

whatever. And I dont really know which other way there is to encourage
these people to find something else.
Paul: First of all you have to look at the source of your motivation. How come
you want to change something, anyway? Because the wanting of change has
something to do with you. Possibly you want to change you. You just want to
be different and then the connection is that then you want other people to be
different.
And...its true what you say. There seems to be a pattern here. Theres a lot of
life when the person is young, and then it starts to get channeled into
accepted ways of being. That seems to be to get married at a certain age, to
have children: its very automatic. People drop into that without looking for
themselves. And in itself theres nothing wrong in that and its appropiate for
many people... but nothing is appropiate for everybody. Everybody is
unique, and they are different, and they need to look for themselves.
Now, one of the things thats unique I see about chileans is that they are very
innocent people, theyre very sensitive people... hmmm child-like and very
close to their hearts -very beautiful people ! And one of the things about that
is that theyre easily manipulated, channeled, conditioned... out of that
innocence: "Oh, what should I be doing?". So, they follow what people have
told them. And theres nothing you can do about that, except encourage
people: "Look: is that what you really want to do?". If thats what you really
want to do... of course! Take a look before you do anything automatically...
Alex: Well, this thing always gets me. You always find a subtler layer.
Anything that goes automatic, you find it out and it always amazes me how
sensitive you can be with this kind of things.
Paul: When youre automatic, its really your machine. Its part of the
computer and the conditioning that goes with the computer. And then you
just say to the computer, "Run me". And then youre not there, youre not
there with your potential, youre not there with your sensitivity, youre not
there with your life. The machines running, and youre in the background.
Now, what I suggest is, come out of the background. Say to the machine,
"Youre very useful for certain things: keep pumping my heart, keep digesting
my food, keep my breath going, cause I get so spaced out Id die if you didnt
do that. Many things you do automatically. But now leave some things to me.
Let me start to see situations directly instead of through the conditioning,
and let me make up my mind sometimes about what I would like to do and
not to do.

Alex: This notion is very hard to get, you know... Talking about the "system"
comes very naturally to you. But then...I dont know if you would like to go
deeper into this, because generally speaking, people have no idea theyre
not the body, not the emotions -specially-, theyre not the mind. Thats what
you call "the system", right?
Paul: Well, if you can see your body, whos seeing the body? If you know
youre thinking, who knows youre thinking? If you have emotions, who knows
you have emotions? Now, it cant be the emotion that knows it has an
emotion; it cant be the mind thinking the mind. Its certainly not the body
that knows the body. Its...something else knows.
And if ever you find that something...if you start to realize that there is
something else, if ever you have an out-of-the-body experience, of course,
either because youre having an operation or youve had an accident, doing
meditation something happens... if ever you find youre out of your body -you
have to look at the whole thing again, because you might find yourself at the
other side of the room, looking at your body in bed; so, who is this at the
other side of the room, and whos this in bed? You have to start to look then.
And many, many people have out of body experiences. So, you start to say,
"Well, that cant be me, because Im over here seeing me".
And then you start to get the feeling that maybe theres something else
other than the body, than the mind, than the emotions. And you can call it
the soul, you can call it the spirit...give it whatever name you want. But take a
look, because if you know youre thinking, who knows youre thinking?
Alex: It feels to me that people generally think that only very special people
get this kind of experience, and they bypass somehow things that happen
everyday -sometimes they have some kind of experience, they are in some
other space or level of consciousness and they dont really realize it.
Paul: Yes, there has been a tradition that only special people have certain
experiences. Not so long ago, in the catholic church, all services were in Latin.
And theres something in that which says, "Only people that know Latin are
allowed to know this...whatevers going on". There is a hierarchy presented,
and that sort of keeps people in their place.
But the fact is, many sensitive people -what I call ordinary people, have
extraordinary experiences. Very so-called ordinary people can see into the
future: theyre psychic, theyre clairvoyants. What I call "ordinary people":
they have no training, they have not meditated, they even havent got a
strong religious denomination. And anything that happens to anybody can
happen to anybody else. Anything. And some people have more aptitute

towards it, so its easier. Some people can play the piano very easily, and
some people have to struggle at it. But anybody can play the piano. Anybody
can have psychic experiences. Anybody can have expanded experiences.
But of course, you have to make yourself available for it and give up your
active doubt. If youre fighting it, you wont get it. If youre trying to prove it,
you wont get it. But if you say, "I dont know", then it may start happening to
you.
Alex: I was reminded of something you told me at the Villa once. I was
convinced that these things would come bumping, and then you told me it
was always something subtle that was happening by the side, parallel to
our familiar state of consciousness. Thats what I meant by something that
you dont really see. Sometimes youre on a different state, and youre either
actively doubting or you drop into a pattern or you go on doing your things
and then you really dont notice whats going on.
Paul: So, many of you have had the telephone ring and you know whos
called up. Then you say, "Oh, thats just a coincidence, or it was just luck".
But often, youre in tune. Sometimes you think of somebody and they
telephone. Often you say, "Oh, thats a coincidence". Maybe its not a
coincidence. Maybe you have these habilities there...In fact, everybody does
have these habilities. But they are so subtle: you have to listen for them. And
you are not used to that. You are used to things being more gross or obvious
or being presented in such a way that you cant miss.
But these things are much finer. You have to start to become more sensitive,
and listen -and then your mind says, "Oh, that could be imagination". Maybe
it is, maybe it isnt. You need to be open to the fact that maybe it isnt. Maybe
something else is going on.
Alex: In fact it is, generally... When you say that people here are somehow
different than other places in the world...that other places in the world have
their character or whatever... do you have any idea why this has happened
here? Does it have any meaning to you that this difference appears here?
Paul: Well, the first thing I get with that question is...I havent seen a map,
but I have a feeling you are locked in geographically here... and so, in a way
youre on an island. In fact, more than on an island, because you have this
protection around there. So, its a little bit like how things have developed in
Australia: theyve developed differently from anywhere else. And now its
changing, because theres more communication with other parts of the world,
but here youve developed something... or stayed with; its not even

developed -youve stayed with your innocence here, partly because of being
cut off, and being protected.
But then theres more to it than that. Its something to do with... well, you
see, everything is connected, and if you look at it as a pyramid, at the point
of the pyramid everythings one; and then, as you come down, it gets more
separate. When you come right to the edge of the pyramid, then there are
individuals, totally separate. Now, somewhere halfway down there are
families, or clans, or brotherhoods or connections.
And I get the feeling that many of the people that get born into Chile have
been with each other very intimately before, very recently -in other lives, in
other situations, so... theres a feeling of family here. It feels small.
Alex: Like a small family.
Paul: Mmmh. And people very easily become intimate with each other. Just...
once that tradition of separateness and aloofness is broken, the love is there
and the connection is there very easily. Like brothers and sisters.
Alex: At least in your groups Ive seen it happen very easily. People are
softened. And Im very glad it does, because it shows that the heart is not so
covered up.
So, I dont have any more things to ask. I would just like to hear whatever
else you would like to say...
Paul: With any of the suggestions that have been made, its best to take
things gently. Take a look and say, "Of anything that Ive heard today, is that
appropiate for me ?". And if it is, start to experiment. Take it as a hypothesis,
as a possibility. And then start to experiment. Say, "Well, Ill try that a little in
my life, maybe in places that are safe, and not too threatening. And then just
have a few little experiments, see how it goes.
You see, whats happened is, when you were born, when you were as a little
child, then you were spontaneous, because there was no feeling of
separation, of you of what you were saying and doing. It was all one. Because
there was no premeditated thought. You were spontaneous. When you played
with your toys, you and your toys were one. There was no awareness that "I
am playing with my toys". There was playing. You and the toys were one. And
then, quite often you were doing things about which people didnt approve.
And so, you were punished, love withdrawn, made to feel uncomfortable.

10

And then, what started to happen was, instead of you just being spontaneous
and doing and saying what you wanted, you checked. You stopped for a while
and said, "Will that give me approval or will that give me trouble ?" Now, it
wasnt a conscious thought, it was a survival mechanism that started to
check things out. And usually with fear and contraction.
And so, what started to happen then is it built up that never you are
spontaneous, unless someone drops something on your foot, and then you
shout or you yell or you have a shock of some sort...but normally you are
working things out first, youre checking... seeing if its safe. So with your
friends, or maybe a little meeting, start to experiment. What would it be like if
I didnt do that ? What would it be like if I just told you my truth? Now! If I just
say whats in my mind, if I shared with you my inner dialogue?
And you know, you always have an inner dialogue. No matter where you are
and what you are doing, you only share a percentage of whats going on in
there. Youre ashamed of it. You got to think people will think youre silly, or
youre stupid -but what you dont know, is they have exactly the same
thoughts and exactly the same things. And you can start to share your inner
dialogue. Just say: "While you are talking to me, I dont know why, but I was
thinking about my bicycle, or my car or my girlfriend, boyfriend or something.
You can just say whats really going on in that moment.
And the person might be shocked, because they thought they were sharing
something very important -and you were thinking about something else. But
you might find the person will say, "Well, thats funny, because that brings
something to me...". You might find thats not just a coincidence, that you
werent just wandering off, that it was relative to the moment, but you
couldnt recognize it at the moment.
So you could start to get little groups of people together, or to sit with your
friends, or your partner, or your wife or your husband, and just say, "Well,
lets try this out. Lets read this article. We feel interested in some way, lets
have an experiment where you and I just say our truth, just share our inner
dialogue. Lets see what comes out of that. And often its quite surprising.
Often youll find theres a tremendous depth to what you thought was just
idle chatter in the mind.
So, anything that youve read today, you can try some experiment and see if
it works for you. If it does, its yours. And if it doesnt, you can just forget it.
The main thing is, dont take any of it too seriously. See if you can find more
of a lightness and a playfulness in everything you do.

11

Alex: Well, that has really been important for me. Your sense of humor and
the way you take things lightly has made a tremendous change for me. And I
feel people enjoy it very much, and it makes their lives lighter. Thats the
main thing. Thank you.
In its original version, the book The Experiment is Over was the product of
the joyful, persistent and sustained editorial efforts of Roxi Mc Nay, who also
interviews Paul in three of the chapters. Roxi has visited Chile in three
ocasions, two of them facilitating Pauls work; and the last time, working
with groups with his couple Renata, whom he met in one of Pauls groups in
Europe. Roxi published later a second book (Close Encounters, 1991) in
which he narrates his own process of spiritual self-discovery and his
meetings with several beings that were important for him in that process
-including Paul-.
Some of the names of the interviewers may seem strange. A few of them
played with new names, as a way of dis-identifying of all that the old name
conveys. Everything can be used as an opportunity for more awareness!
Ive enjoyed and learned a lot translating this book. I hope you also enjoy
reading it. And also, as he says so often, Dont take it too seriously. Or, if
you prefer, take it seriously; but have also a good laugh.
Alejandro Celis H.
Santiago de Chile, March 1996