can someone explain to me exactly what the tank is and what happens in it?

The tank is a labyrinth. It is made of a reinforced vinyl material on sections of metal frame. The sections are bolted together. The walls are 8 foot high. The walls have secret openings in them and ladders going over them. It is built in a section of paddock that was right near some wooden horse shelters. These are also a part of it. There are also drainage pipes in there above the ground that people crawl through as part of the maze. These are referred to as "worms." In some Tank exercises ther have also been bales of hay in there.

I think the maze was originally called "the tank" as it was a small circular maze that looked rather like a rainwater tank.

The whole thing is quite large. Over 1000 people can be in there at the same time. Part of the tank actually is on the edge of a forest on the property of JZ Knight. Years ago I was at an event and Ramtha stated that part of the tank was underground (at that time).

Students are blindfolded either in a paddock some distance away, or years ago we were blindfolded in the forest. Duct tape is put over the blinders so students cannot cheat. The object is firstly to find the tank blindfolded from the starting location using the methodology described by Ramtha. Then the object is to find the entrance. This can take hours as the entrance is not the most obvious.......it can be a very small entrnace in the outer shell or you may have to crawl through it on your belly.

After entering the object is to find the "void", the end of the maze ....not necessarly the central point.
All this is to be done with hands in the Consciousness and Energy position without touching the walls with your hands or feet.

The idea is to find your way completely to the void from your starting location through the discipline of focus instead of a reasoning process of analytical thinking.

Ramtha and RSE staff are on top of the tank walking on scaffolding and watching below. Sometimes when someone is supposedly "focussed" the staff will briefly open a panel to let the focussed person through.

To say it is a battlefield in there is an understatement. I have been in those "worms" that had a crossroad......four tubes meeting head on and four lots of people all endeavouring to go the way of those coming towards them........
A near death experience to say the least. Hot, stuffy and no one able to move.

At one event I attended someone climbing over the walls (blindfolded) shattered her knee. She was screaming in agony. People push one another or there is simply not room in some situations. There are dead ends in there with lots of people trying to get in. There are narrow passageways with lots of people. If one transcends the part where lots of people are collected then one can be in an area with relatively few people.

In the early days Ramtha said the tank was designed like levels of consciouness that he describes.......the areas with lots of people were the first three seals and then the relatively free areas were the higher seals.

The tank was not used for some years for reasons unknown to me. Some people thought the authorities shut it down. It reopened at Assay 6 in 2005.

thanks christel - I keep hearing bits and pieces, but that's close to my interpretation. and the Consciousness and Energy position is what? between the pearls before swine excuse, and fear of retaliation it's often difficult to separate facts from emotions, let alone flat out lies.

the c&e position is a way one holds their hands in front of them. in the tank, one is supposed to maintain that position and not "cheat" by touching/feeling any walls, etc. however, i think most people, if honest, have felt walls/openings at least some of the time. it's almost hard not to, as if the person in front of you suddenly bends over, you can just about be sure they are going through some sort of opening. of course you'll try it with your HAND before trying it with your HEAD ! hahaha

at its best, the tank can have a very few people in it, and only go on for a short time - maybe an hour or two.

at its worst, it is HOT and HUMID outside, and students can number 1,000 or more, and be left in the tank for up to 10 or more hours with NO food, drink or bathrooms. people get hurt in there all the time. women get groped by men who take advantage of nobody being able to see who they are.

"ramtha" has had to address this to the audience, telling women that if a man gropes them, slug him. that's a lot of help - AFTER you've already been groped, and there is no saying it won't happen again.

people have urinated and defecated in the tank. who knows what one is wading through when crawling on their belly, as christel described, through the "worms".

i know a student who had a really bad allergic reaction to the hay. that student sat down in a corner to try and be able to breathe, and was knocked, kicked, pushed and pulled. finally a staff person came to the student and asked if they were alright. they said NO, they were having a bad asthma attack from the hay. the staff helped the person to stand up, held their hand for a little ways, and let go ! left them there.

children have gotten broken bones in the tank, being in there, stepped on, etc., just like the adults.

there are students who have gotten "special help" in the tank by staff. doors that are not opened for most students, are opened to these special students. it was always a note of interest to me, that most of the students who made it to the void in the tank, were the "high profile" ones, to begin with. not a lot of the "regular students" made it, and if they did, it wasn't very consistent.

"ramtha" has admitted to the entire audience that some students do get helped into the void.

it's just a bunch of nonsense. there are "labyrinths" all over the U.S.A. that are delightful, calming experiences to walk through - usually graced in simplicity and greenery. natural, not green plastic walls.

for a number of years, the tank was shut down off limits. at that time, the teachings changed and students were told that it was the "new" disciplines that were the most rigorous and NOT the tank, because one had to master their mind/thoughts. they had to create by their mind, not walk the tank with their body.

now again, it has switched back and as christel said, in august 2005, the tank reopened for that event, although i have not heard that it's been used since then. it may have been that one event. just to stir up the pot a bit. a lot of people were not happy it reopened. there is an air of dread amongst most students about the tank.

so there you have it .... the tank !

Re: Jan 21st another thread on The Tank. Also it was used twice for the Assay event in 2006.

Whatcha is correct.

I have personally been in the tank for periods between 6 and 10 hours. Usually there are a couple of Porta Potties some distance away. I would conclude not everyone can find them. Some people think they are a secret entranceway into the tank when they cannot find another entrance.

When we were let go in the woods in the early 90's.A friend of mine was stuck in a blackberry bush for 7 hours.
On another occasion a person I knew got stung by European Wasps (Americans call them bees...though they are not the normal honey bee).

We were told to turn around if we hit a wire fence (the boundary fence). One person did not (perhaps they could not understand the language....it happens).
They went under the fence and up 93rd St. (the street that goes into the student entrance) They were set upon by someone's Rottweiler.....still blindfolded; hands in C and E position....... The neighbour did not like JZ...........

I read in an article in Spectrum magazine (only back copies available) that someone got a detached retina. I think it was actually a member of staff. She had been sliding through one of those low entrances and someone in the crowd stood on her head.

At one event I attended it was stated at the end of the session by the Masterbuilders that a very overweight lady was on the roof of the horse shelters heading for the edge.......

No one knew how she climbed onto the roof....

I forgot to mention there is no talking in the tank either. The people who make it to the void (not very many) usually get some sort of food when they get there. I was told by someone who made it that fried chicken was on the menu on that occasion.

For a children's Tank they had them focus on a can of Coke instead of the void.

The tank was intended as a test of the student's ability to hold a steady focus through chaos and adversity. Once a group was "taped" (blinders taped to face with duct tape to ensure no peaking, and yes, it did hurt to pull it off when the test was over) the rules of the tank were reviewed and the test began from wherever you were. The rules of the tank are: no talking, always keep your hands in the "C&E" position, do not remove your blinders until you are told to do so, focus on the void.
So the first thing to do is get to the tank, the next thing to do is get inside and the last thing is to get to the void. Hours later, some or many people will have never arrived at the tank much less an entrance. They will be wandering around in the woods or large grassy area surrounding the tank. Some people will find an entrance into the tank but get spit back out again by taking a wrong turn. Once you get into the tank there are rooms of all different sizes and different ways to get from room to room. For example, you might crawl through a "worm" (plastic tunnels 3' diameter) or you might climb a ladder, one time there was a vertical rope ladder and another time I climbed through an opening made in bales of hay. There may be a window in a wall or a door which opens and closes.

Now imagine doing all of this blindfolded along with hundreds of other people. In these conditions, the tank really does test one's ability to concentrate under adverse conditions. When you come to a door, you might not want to go through because it may lead back to where you came from. The tank is a fantastic teacher in the sense that it reveals to a person what their propensities are under pressure. It also is an opportunity to learn emotional control. There were times when I thought I was going to suffocate or be crushed and I had to force my body to stay calm in order to get out of there.

Cowboy said, "There were times when I thought I was going to suffocate or be crushed and I had to force my body to stay calm in order to get out of there. "

Cowboy, I remember one time, years ago, when there was a crowd of people near the "doorway" to the tank, pushing and shoving. Ramtha was overhead, and he yelled to the students, "Welcome to the gates
of h-e-l-l."

Uh huh. That about sums it all up.

I never encountered nor heard any reports of groping, urination or feces. How you handled yourself in every single moment was the most revealing part of the test and the learning was intense for anyone willing to honestly look at him/herself. The tank was harder then hell and my greatest teacher.

" The tank is a fantastic teacher in the sense that it reveals to a person what their propensities are under pressure. It also is an opportunity to learn emotional control. There were times when I thought I was going to suffocate or be crushed and I had to force my body to stay calm in order to get out of there."

Come on, really, just pay a couple of bucks and go for a ride on a NYC subway at rush hour in the summer!

Hi all -- If you want to find out how you respond under pressure & learn to control emotions, there's no place like an operating room or emergency room. I worked in an operating room as a nurse for 14-1/2 yrs. I had already mastered focus under pressure & going long hours. I realize now I never needed to experience any of this in RSE, as I had experienced & mastered these things in that atmosphere, especially if there was a cardiac arrest or severe trauma. Thank my God that I no longer choose to put myself through that. M.

Cowboy and others who have experienced the tank, please talk about this:

If you were in the tank, mastering yourself and all that, and you could hear that someone near you was in real trouble (like that lady with the shattered knee or the person having the asthma attack), were you supposed to ignore them and just focus on your own mastery? Were any instructions given to you about at least asking others if they wanted to be helped?

Do we have any posters on this site who have been through military boot camp and who would be willing to share their thoughts on just what the tank teaches vs. what basic training teaches?

If the tank is the path to higher growth, anyone wonder why Jesus didn't teach such methods?

Perhaps true mastery of self in the tank would be ripping off the blindfold to help a fellow human being with a broken leg or having that asthma attack... In other words, DEMONSTRATING LOVE!!!

Ever heard of stories from the Special Olympics like the disabled child who had struggled so hard to reach the finish line but just before he would have won, he went back to help another child? Now THAT is a demonstration of PURE LOVE, which is what Ramtha used to teach.

Now, it's apparently ok to step on someone else's head in the tank, as long as you reach the Void. It seems to me that the tank was/is DE-VOID of love, devoid of oneness, devoid of the teaching to "behold God."

To add to what M. McMillan said regarding the tank ("If you want to find out how you respond under pressure & learn to control emotions..."), here are some other suggestions for doing something that would actually accomplish some useful purpose in the world:

Nearly every community is in dire need of volunteer fire fighters, and every year lots of people are needed to control forest fires. Instead of spending all those hours blindfolded in the tank in an artificial-mastery type of situation, why not learn to go into smoke-filled, burning buildings and save people? My brother did this for many years, and I'm so proud of him for demonstrating REAL MASTERY!

There are lots of other ways that people master their fears and develop their abilities under REAL pressure--just think of paramedics, search and rescue personnel, Doctors Without Borders, ER docs, Red Cross, police, military, or join one of the many organizations that help people in Third World countries, which can be pretty dangerous places. People who teach in inner-city schools right here in the U.S. also master real-life fears and pressures. I could go on, but you get the idea...

well said!!!! onehandontheelephant - I agree with you - I have never done the tank - didn't care much for field work - and it wasn't that I didn't find my cards because I always did but I felt it was awful that people would slam into one another, step on feets and get hurt just to find some silly card - sounds like a discipline "to erase all feelings for others" to me.

Wow!!!The tank has value, from what I am reading. However, It should be a safe place to grow, and safe is not in place. yelm is full of large parcels of open land, someone could make a tank, make it safe. Reading about the person in the blackberry bush, for 7 hours. My hat is off to her, 1 hour of that, and my inner voice would of said, blind fold off, I am out of Dodge. Re: groping in the tank, lucky for the groper, that there were no martial arts students near them, because they would lose an eye for sure. Those trained in martial arts, are trained to react when in danger. When the safe tank in Yelm is ready, let me know. thanks

Yeah ! Excellent points. As with many things in RSE, it seems to boil down to where one is coming from. Service to yourSELF or learing for yourself while also loving others, not using others as stepping stones through your life to trod upon.

I had never thought about field work in the way mentioned above...as a training to shut down feelings about others. It makes sense, too.

The teachings, not in the early years, changed to where students were told that others created their own bad news if they experienced any, and to pay them no mind, and only focus on yourself/your own dreams. Also, to TRANSCEND YOUR EMOTIONAL BODY. If that's not a clear message to shut down your heart, what is ?

Even to the point, students were told to focus on the dreams they wanted, WITHOUT emotion. Every other manifestation material I have ever read, says the opposite - to FEEL it.

Interesting points on this thread - thanks ! Good food for thought.

An aerial view of the tank can be seen at www.mapquest.com. Type in RSE's address: 14507 Yelm Hwy SE, WA, 98597. After the map appears, click on "aerial view."

Hello One Hand,
Your question is insightful, "Were any instructions given to you about at least asking others if they wanted to be helped?"
The instruction was "no talking" but that did not prevent me from assisting someone who apparently needed help. And I did help people. For me a large part of the test was to observe how indoctrinated I was/am to automatically follow the instructions of "authority" rather than think for myself.

Ramtha has told women that if they were groped then they had his permission to "punch the lights out" of the groper.

I have not observed that any mastery of the tank has any value in translating into every day life. Audrey and Joe Dispenza were both regularly on stage in the early 90's as having got to the void.

At an event I attended Ramtha said there was an underground portion of the tank and that you could perish in there. Only those that made it to the above ground void were permitted in there. It was stated that Audrey was put in there but had to be pulled out due to exhaustion.

Re: Onehand
I was in the US Air Force boot camp in '76, I was 17 at the time. From what I remember although it was a challenge and stressful it was more of A TEAM EFFORT. I suppose the ultimate goal being that we would need to hold up under war-time conditions and still function as a co-hesive group. Certainly being able (willing) to follow orders was mandatory (and understandable) as everyones safety would ultimately depend on EVERYONES safety.
I actaully looked forward to doing the tank, felt I could see some advantages to undergoing such a "dicipline" etc. AND learned alot in the hideous experience of it... BUT as I talked about in my previous post on the same subject I TRULY felt the whole thing got way outta hand in regards to the staff (angels they called themselves?????!!!) and the manner in which the whole thing went down. At the end of it the whole thing reminded me of abuse, PERIOD.
Years ago I did a high ropes course, and I am NOT a big "adrenelin rush" kinda gal).There were about 30 of us in the course that day, it was scary, I cried alot, but I LEARNED WHILE on the course to just keep going, slowly at my own pace. We all treated eachother as BEINGS, as everyone had their own issues to work thru. I was the 2nd to the last person to make it thru and I INTIGRATED the learning AS I WENT thru it. It was wonderful and I am no longer afraid of hieghts.
"Pressure" doesnt have to include abuse, insults, lies, unsafe practices, etc. The most hideous part of all of this is (to me) since the students at these events are their by their own choice, one could assume that they already have a DESIRE to grow, to then treat them as though they are stupid ***holes, is some kind of (VERY VERY VERY) TWISTED crap.

Hello Watcha,
I was interested to read your comment about transcending the emotional body and shutting down the heart. I understood the emotional body teaching to consist of developing an awareness (the observer) of my emotional state to the point where I am free to make a choice about how I want to act instead of acting compulsively.

Although I encountered this teaching at RSE the original work was done by Dr. Candace Pert who clinically demonstrated that emotions are "nothing more" than chemical reactions in the body. Until I understood that, I believed "my emotions are me."
Not so.

And that is what made the tank a great teacher - it generated intense emotion which I had to mentally separat myself from while acknowledging its presence. From there I was freer to make a choice instead of acting out "knee jerk" behavior. From that vantage, I saw over and over again how indoctrinated my thinking was and it shocked me.

Re: Cowboy
Thanks, what you mention in regards to intense emotion and being in the tank, is very valuable. I know during my "experience" in the tank, as with the ropes course I mentioned above, that I was working thru emotional states that were not based in the reality of the moment.
And thanks for pointing out where the original information on that "teaching" came from.
I do feel that the tank could be a great dicipline, but as someone on this thread mentioned earlier, it also seems as though the credibility of the dicipline gets lost when those "attending" (as in staff, etc.) the tank are acting out and not really in alignment with the purpose of the disipline.

Cowboy,

First of all, let me say that I'm glad for you that the tank was a worthwhile learning experience for you. I see it differently for myself. I did learn something from it, as I would learn something from many of life's experiences - not just those at RSE. But as has been pointed out by several people, the ends don't justify the means, and the MISuse of what could be a good learning tool for those who choose it, is where it's no longer alright with me.


I have something to share re: your comments: "I was interested to read your comment about transcending the emotional body and shutting down the heart. I understood the emotional body teaching to consist of developing an awareness (the observer) of my emotional state to the point where I am free to make a choice about how I want to act instead of acting compulsively."

IN the earlier days of the teachings, we were taught, when manifesting, to use all of our senses when focusing about something. So, if for example, we were focusing on a loaf of bread, we should see it from all angles, hear ourself crunching into a bite, smell it's delightful aroma, feel it in our hands...you see? Also, to FEEL it...the joy of eating it. So, we were told to emotionalize the creation, too.

We were also told we could create ANYTHING we wanted. Not one person was so special that they could not create ANYTHING they wanted. No exceptions.


Later on, it changed. We were told we had to bypass our emotions, altogether and that we only "knew" repetetive, first 3 seal emotions, which were in duality and we had to get over that. We were to avoid emotions when focusing. To wait until a manifestation arrived before feeling the emotion from the joy of receiving it.

The teaching went so far as to tell us we don't even know what love is ! Well, fine. Ramtha can say that, but I don't "buy" it. It doesn't mean it's true (for me).

Yes, to develop an awareness of our emotional state (as you said), is part of it, too. But we were also told that our emotions are nothing more than chemicals, so we shouldn't trust them, as they can't BE trusted. I disagree with that, also. I think there are times when we can/should trust them and others when we can't/shouldn't. To pigeonhole ALL of our human emotions into one category isn't what I think is accurate (speaking for myself, of course).

I do understand your points about the tank. I assume that because you were/are sincere in wanting to grow/evolve, you did your level best in the tank as I did, too. As many/most of us did.

But in looking back on it, I can use the following analogy: I do not have to taste dill pickles to know that ice cream is sweet. I don't believe I need to experience things like the tank at all, in order for myself to evolve. I will evolve, because I am sincere in heart and want to, and make it my business to evaluate myself and hone my strengths and get myself back in line where I am weak. That's just my choice.

Thanks for sharing

I know someone.....a 60 year old lady.....who urinated in her clothing due to a prolongued blindfolded experience and she could not find the latrines. I cannot remember if it was during a tank session but it WAS one of those Blue College intiations where they were blindfoled for days. This lady had a toilet in her tent. It was sort of like a food storage bucket with a seat on top and a screw lid that could close it.

One night she could not find her tent and staff did not assit her to find it thus she slept on the grass with only light clothing...a T shirt.

Ramtha stated at Assay 6 that three people teleported during a tank session. One teleported from outside of the tank to somewhere near the entry. Another teleposted from within the tank to a place much further within and the third supposedly teleported from outside the tank onto one of the worms....they were looking for the entrance. Has anyone viewing this site ever observed someone else teleporting?

Christel,

I recall that when a student claimed to have seen something along that line, that students were told by staff that ONLY certain people had the authority to verify a teleportation experience. STudents were not included in that level of authority - only some staff people were.

The person who claimed to have seen something, whatever it was, was effectively silenced.

That's not a direct answer to your question, but it may shed some light on the situation.

Whatcha

I was in the tank in summer of 2006. I was just healing from a near death experience. I was in the beginers tank and was one of the beginers who passed to the void and was invited back to the NONE Beginers tank the next day. Apparently it was the hardest tank ever created for that event. Lets just say - i cried alot that day. :laughs:

I was kicked, pushed, stepped on, cursed, growled at, smacked, shoved onto the ground, trapped against the walls among MANY other things. Actually, that day they forgot to tell the advanced group to remove their jewelry, and a good friend of mine got her wedding ring caught on one of the laders when she dropped down. She's one finger shy of a full set now. (yes, really.) they never even offered to pay for her medicals bills, AFTER they admitted whole heartedly that they were at fault since they FORGOT to tell people to remove jewelry. James toasted her at the wine ceramony that night while she was in the hospital having what was left of her finger removed. APologized for his mistake the next day when she and her wife arrived to pick up her belongings - and still, they didnt pay for her medical bills. That to me was quite shocking. Oh, i should also mention, she was one ladder away from the void (and her gold coin) when this happened to her.

For me, the tank was an awesome experience, same for my friend with her missing finger. We both learned a helluva lot that event, and i would do it again, personally. Even when i was in so much pain i was on the ground crying and begging for it to be over. :laughs: It was a worth while experience, and i felt a lot of accomplishment.

ALl that said, i also want to second my agreement with a few of the folks who talked about how we SHOULD have been told to help people who were crying/screaming/wheezing or in obvious distress. We should have been instructed to Help Small people on the ground get up (children) or just put small people in a completely seberate tank (which they did last year when i was there.) While the idea is really fantastic, it was missing some very basic teaching on caring for your ENVIROMENT as if it was YOU - which includes the folks who happen to be in your present enviroment.

So, i loved the tank despite its harsh attributes, but i do agree that they should have taken quite a bit more precautions for safety in the tank with folks, small people etc. :shrugs: Just my two cents, for what its worth.

Bliss

'the teachings, not in the early years, changed to where students were told that others created their own bad news if they experienced any, and to pay them no mind'

Sounds to be directly from the old caste system in the east. You feel no thing toward the less fortunate for it is THEIR 'karma' from a past life. I never ever would've been able to walk by the 250 injured in the field after both sides of 500 ran toward the others. No sympathy, nothing? Is that what Jesus taught? And Ramtha(copyright)/Judy claim to have taught Jesus? I refuse to give up my concern for others. Addiction? No. I know it is not so. Is helping someone not making known the unknown? There are many manners of helping, a constant making known the unknown. Under pressure? I worked intensive care units where people were helicoptered in. Grateful to say I was never in the tank. The labyrinths of the eastern worlds are so much more peaceful and contemplative. Oh my heck, I KNOW I can handle pressure. Raised children and shocked people when their hearts stopped. When I help otherwise, it is done anonymously whenever possible, and that's the end of it. But I will never walk by another in need of medical attention or in need of the dignity of their God. Call it a judgment, but I believe it's CRUELTY to ignore in the circumstances described. We are not androids. This cannot be an ascended master, or if so, shall we continue to wreak havoc upon the others in this world via war? Is that not what he/she speaks of? At least be consistent, one ought demand. I believe the entity is gone, for a master, even one who likes wine and smoking is fine by me, but was critical of human intolerance and subjugation. How is this tank and injured people behavior any different? Or, was the entity looking for those who did not follow everyone else? Even so, the methods are contrary to our humanity. Are we to forget what being human means? Sure we fight. But we ALSO HELP. And if being human means ripping off blinders to aid someone, then what exactly is divinity? Standing on a roof and watching people become injured? Jesus healed those who believed he could. How can I even believe this at this point! Let's all jump out of the sandbox.

G2G…

You have touched upon many of the controversial aspects of RSE with thoughtfulness and compassion.
During my time in RSE most of us believed we were once in “Ramtha’s” army, that we were once again embarking on a great march.. But this time it was a march into enlightenment, we were taught there were going to be “casualties”… and much like a battlefield… we kept marching.. Believing that those that fell would be taken care of,
They Were Not.
The tank is an instrument of deprivation to exhausts the participants physically, mentally and emotionally thereby weakening their ability for critical thinking, while increasing suggestibility while in an exhaustive state, a common technique of mind control.
A former RSE staff member described to me how Judith would instruct him to assist certain students via a radio receiver connected to his earpiece,.
Panels were moved aside to allow entry to the void for certain “Focused Students”
I remember a common “Ramtha” statement at the time was…
To be in one's humanity was a limitation…
What kind of teacher would encourage us to abandon our humanity?
If we allow our humanity to be stripped away… we become weak and addicted to the next “spiritual” fix that further wreaks havoc and heartbreak in our lives,
all the while.. Our lives are harvested to serve as sustenance for the overlord.
Now I understand this much,
Life is the spiritual experience…
And enlightenment is simply the ability to love.
No big secret really…to be Hue man

Chuckle

David

I personally know two people who got broken noses in those episodes where students were told to run at one another blindfolded on the name field.

Doesn't the way we treat others boil down to how we would wish to be treated under like conditions?
What is confusing to many people is they cannot distinguish between being "nice" and being honest.

A typical example is participating in things are are uninteresting from one's own viewpoint for the reason of perceived obligation.

"Nice" people wear a mask they present to others. Honesty does away with the mask.

It is honest to participate in things that bring joy according to one's own viewpoint. If the UNDERLYING joy is absent it becomes obligation.

Would the teacher like to be treated the way of some of the exhibition at RSE ?