Distortions of the Ego

I have often seen from the perspective of the neutral observer within me, distortions of the ego. I have seen these distortions arise both in myself and in others. As I stand witness, I observe the ego in action.   It can be both subtle and discrete as well as incredibly convincing to both the self it is attached to and to others who are in relationship to it.  As the observer, the ego appears to be looking at the life journey as a drama through coke bottle lenses.  The ego has no awareness of these trick lenses for its perception is that the lens it looks through is perfectly clear and uniform throughout.  However, the lenses the ego wears distort reality and perception in both directions, past and future. The lens of the present often times remains in a fog.

As the ego looks through its lens into the past it connects with feelings of loss, disappointment, anger, and what could have been.  As the ego looks through its lens into the future it connects with feelings of fear and anxiety.  These feelings can be used as guideposts in our lives to help us identify what lens we are looking through and in what direction we are looking. As we connect with the neutral observer, that part of us we come in contact with through meditation, mindfulness, being in nature, and some forms of yoga, etc. we begin to bring our awareness into the present moment.  It is in the present moment that we can feel free and just be.  Living in the moment has the ability to decrease anxiety and other negative feelings as well as bring enjoyment and peace into our lives.  Why? because we are not experiencing our lives through the filters of the ego, the part of us that judges, comments, criticizes and finds fault in everything.  It is the lenses of the ego that connect us with our thinking mind, the mind that tells stories about the life we are living.

Living in the moment takes practice, especially if we have spent years looking at our lives through the lens of the ego.  We can begin training ourselves to connect with the neutral observer by taking a few minutes each morning simply observing and noticing what is going on within us.  Noticing sensations in the body and thoughts in our mind without telling stories about them or judging them is a start.  Meet yourself as if you are meeting yourself for the very first time, with the curiosity of an explorer.

Pick One Thing

When I was a teenager, I was very conscious of my weight.  I was never actually fat by today's standards, but back then, there were alot more thin people walking around and there were no Dove Soap commercials to let me know that I had natural beauty, that individuality is a good thing, and that self esteem comes from within.  We had Vogue and Elle Magazine, and the articles were about diet, weight, and "getting" men.  I obsessed about what I ate, when I ate it, and exercised too much to combat my overeating.  To go along with that scenario, I worried about how I dressed, my grades, my hair, what people thought of me, and how to say "the right" thing so people would never get angry or be disappointed in me.  One thing was for sure back then, none of it worked and I was miserable. I placed myself under a microscope to find flaw in my figure, my looks, and everything I said and did.  Guess what, I always found some.

Today, I no longer look for flaw, I look for awe.  I look for things that are good about myself and others.  I look to be grateful and look to be the best me I can be in the moment.  I strive not to pick on the external, but instead strive to dive within simply for understanding.  To know what makes me tick is enough when I am not ready change anything else. If I had to pick one thing that I think got my pendulum to stop its swing, I would have to say it was learning simply to be my own witness.  What does it mean to be my own witness?  To be present to and honest with myself, without judgement, criticism, or the need to change anything.  Becoming the witness to my own inner life, was literally life changing.  And the best part was, it brought me right into the present moment.  When I first began this practice of witnessing, there was so much meat in the present moment, I was forced to begin meditating to slow my mind and my life down to a speed that was actually witnessable.  (Is that a word?  It is now.)

Through observation I came to see life more clearly.  I began to see the truth of myself, others, and the experiences we were having.  It was a start.  I found I was happier as I released judgment.  I found I felt more secure when I was more concerned with what I was thinking than what others were thinking.  Within me, I found a familiar place that began to feel like home.  It was the beginning of a more peaceful and contented life.

Influencing The Mind Field

I've spoken in the past about the interconnection of all things.  In other words we are all made of energy from the same source and are connected energetically via that force.  Some call it the Living Matrix, others call it the Spiritual Field, the Field of Life, etc.  The most common experiences of the field are sympathy, empathy, and true heart felt compassion.  However, we can also experience the field on the level of thought.  Through the Mind Field, we can influence others.  When we are in touch with the Mind Field unconsciously we can be affected by others negative thoughts, it can feel  as if we are in a Mine Field of negativity.  

As we continue our investigation of the Hero's Journey let us consider this concept of the Mind Field.  As we embark on a Hero's Journey part of our intention is to become more conscious of thoughts, beliefs, and constructs of the mind.  Some thoughts and beliefs may serve us, others may not.  By intentionally paying attention without judgement, we can become conscious of our thoughts. This paying attention gives us an opportunity to challenge thoughts and beliefs that don't serve us.  Byron Katie's www.thework.com offers a few simple steps to get clear and find the truth behind our thoughts.  With a little bit of work, we can transform and begin to accept life on life's terms.  What this also does is minimizes negativity, keeping us in flow with our soul.

Now, lets get back to that Mind Field.  As we become more conscious of our thoughts, we can make better choices about what we will focus on.  We can focus on the positive, on gratitude, on acceptance, on non-judgement, on trust, on surrender, and peace, minimizing the amount of negativity that we put out into the Mind Field.  Because we are all connected, as we send out these high vibrational thought frequencies, we can raise the consciousness of the planet via the Mind Field.  If we fail to become intentional about our thoughts we will be influenced by others thought vibrations.  Unintentionally, we may land in a Mine Field of negative thought.

Depending on where you are on your journey, it might feel right to you to pay particular attention to your thoughts, challenge them and raise their vibration:  Is it true?, how do you know it's true?, Who would you be without that thought?  How can you turn that thought around coming into a deeper alignment with reality? (Katie, www.thework.com)  Open your mind to new possibilities, take the first step of initiation on the Hero's Journey.

(Later today I'll offer another approach that may resonate if this doesn't seem to fit your needs.  It's important to remember, one approach never fits all.)

Dialogue with the Universe

Spirituality is a very personal thing.  As many people as you ask to define spirituality is as many definitions as you will get.  If this is the case, how can we be sure that what we as individuals are doing is considered spiritual?  We all want to reap the benefits that the research shows we can get from living a spiritual life, don't we?  Increased resilience, decreased stress, greater joy and peace, increased life satisfaction, improved physical health, greater intimacy and satisfaction in relationships, the list goes on.....

Well, it seems that all people who are reaping the benefits of spirituality are in Dialogue with the Universe.  In some way whether it be through mindfulness, symbolism, nature, communicating with angels, channeling, prayer and meditation, art, ritual, or service, spiritual people feel that they have a relationship with something greater than themselves.  A relationship that is invariably a two way communication.  Even if people say that they are religious, it is the personalizing of their religion and engagement with their God so that they feel like their God listens and communicates with them that brings them all of the benefits we speak of.

With this in mind, I began to dialogue with the universe to understand how I can support people in engaging their spirituality.  We already know the brain is hard wired for spiritual experience.  We already know we can change the brain as we engage spiritually through meditation and mindfulness practices, but are we clear about how to actually spread spirituality to those who may not be seeking?  Do we need to wait for the Dark Night of the Soul to appear and then seemingly rescue an individual from themselves by introducing spirituality at that point? Do we need to wait for the windows of puberty, leaving the nest, motherhood, death of a loved one or some other pivotal point of growth to occur before spirituality can be fully explored and delved into?  Is it possible to encourage a person to develop a lasting and intimate relationship with the divine at any time, simply because that relationship may serve them well in the future?  Can a relationship with the divine make a good life better simply because of that relationship?  These are the questions I am discussing with Spirit....I would love to hear your thoughts and begin a dialogue with you to....

Presence

               What I have to offer clients is my full and authentic presence. We can loosely define presence as a combination of embodied conscious awareness, inner stillness, and the present moment, but, it is more.  For me, it is the conscious connection to my spiritually attuned inner voice commonly referred to as ‘Higher Consciousness’.   As Tolle said “from a shift in consciousness from mind to Being, from time to presence…the personality that has a past and future recedes and is replaced by an intense conscious presence, very still but very alert…whatever response is needed arises out of that (new/altered) state of consciousness” (Tolle, 2004, p.50). Through presence I witness my clients and listen to their stories with all of my senses.  I listen to hear all aspects of their being speak.  It is through presence that I am able to understand the languages of body, mind, spirit, and emotions.

               As I continue to challenge thoughts and beliefs along my personal journey, the purity of presence seems to grow through increased self-awareness and inner stillness.  Presence seems to lead to an ease of engaging in the behaviors that support transformation as well as a more integrated and more sustained connection to what I call my spiritually attuned inner voice, the Highest Self, the voice that seems to offer inspired thought and action.  I have often heard contemporary thought leaders refer to increased awareness and awareness of a spiritually attuned inner voice as ‘Higher Consciousness,’ and wonder if it is the same thing that Joseph Campbell was referring to when he spoke of “expansion of consciousness” with regard to the hero’s journey (Campbell, 1949, p.211).  Eckhart Tolle states with regard to consciousness:

               Most ancient religions and spiritual traditions share the common insight – that our

               “normal” state of mind is marred by a fundamental defect. However, out of this

               insight into the nature of the human condition…arises a second insight: the good

               news of the possibility of a radical transformation of human consciousness. In

               Hindu teachings (and sometimes in Buddhism also), this transformation is called
               Enlightenment. In the teachings of Jesus, it is salvation, and in Buddhism, it is the

               end of suffering. Liberation and awakening are other terms used to describe this
               transformation. (Tolle, 2006, p.12)

               Regardless of what we call it and how individuals go about achieving it, there seems to be agreement that in order to have ongoing communication with a higher aspect of self, some form of transformation may be important. This transformation can happen spontaneously through creativity and the arts—activities that require intense focus and concentration—and through sustainable inner work.  An altered state of consciousness, which I call presence, arises “from a shift in consciousness from mind to Being, from time to presence…the personality that has a past and future recedes and is replaced by an intense conscious presence, very still but very alert…whatever response is needed arises out of that (new/altered) state of consciousness” (Tolle, 1997, p.42). It is this presence that forms the foundation of the coaching work I do.

               Based on the foundation of presence, clients share their lives with me.  Through their storytelling, goal setting, and creative vision, clients reveal the structure of their lives that takes on the form of three pillars.  Pillar One builds a healthy body and ego.  Pillar Two builds their soul’s development, identifies their essence, and strengthens spiritual qualities.  Pillar Three is built as the client transforms from living in ordinary consciousness, the state associated with “thought processes and emotions…reactions, desires, and aversions” (Tolle, 1997, pg. 60), to communicating with Higher Self.  The roof contains their etheric structure and represents the way their inner development gets expressed through their Elixir and their service work, Spirit’s external contribution to their communities and the world.

               Because each journey is unique, not only from the perspective of life’s experiences, challenges, talents, interests, nature/constitution, intellect, creativity, and culture, but also from the perspective of what the client is willing to address along a particular stage, the pillars get built, or more accurately said, the pillars are revealed in the client’s own time and desired way.  Clients arrive for coaching with a house already under construction.  In other words conscious or not, they are already taking their journey, building and revealing their metaphorical houses.  The construction and re-construction continues throughout a lifetime, building and rebuilding Pillars, putting on roofs, and on occasion an Elixir is developed that is strong enough that the roof of ones’ mansion is stable enough to become the foundation for someone else to build a mansion.

The Hero's Journey

Many have written about the hero’s journey: the ancients used myth and lore, and the Native Americans use the medicine wheel, while other indigenous cultures follow the guidance of the shaman’s and utilize ritual.  All the great religions speak mystically about freedom from suffering and use the lives of saints and others to depict the journey.  Robert Dilts, author of The Hero’s Journey writes in summary:

On the journey, we follow our hearts, vision and calling to find our own way and discover something new. This is the path of all great leaders, entrepreneurs and pioneers. Through the challenges and discoveries along the path we acquire courage, insight, wisdom, resiliency and greater awareness of ourselves and the world. When we return to the village we are able to make our own unique contribution to others and become recognized and acknowledged for who we really are…As a result of our growth, we bring new ideas and new life to the village, making it possible for more to thrive there. We may even find it possible to bring healing and transformation to the wasteland (Dilts, 2014, p. xxx).

The concept of the hero’s journey was first popularized by Joseph Campbell; however, the archetype of the hero began long before Campbell wrote about it, as did the human fascination with heroic adventure.  Joseph Campbell detailed and compiled multiple views from various cultures and mythic legends in his book The Hero With a Thousand Faces.  In 1949 Campbell wrote with regard to his greatest work:

 It is the purpose of this present book to uncover some of the truths disguised for us under the figures of religion and mythology by bringing together a multitude of not-too-difficult examples and letting the ancient meaning become apparent of itself…we must first learn the grammar of the symbols…and as a key to this mystery I know of no better modern tool than psychoanalysis……let the symbols speak for themselves.  The parallels will be immediately apparent; and these will develop a vast and amazingly constant statement of basic truths by which man has lived through the millennia of his residence on the planet (Campbell, 2008, p. xxx).

     Campbell goes on in great detail to outline the “composite Adventure of the Hero, the world’s symbolic carriers of the destiny of Everyman” (Campbell, 1949, p.28).  Campbell’s friend and well-known psychoanalyst Carl G. Jung has written extensively on the subject in a slightly different way that parallels the hero’s journey but also identifies the stages of human psychological development: “we first develop the ego, then encounter soul, and finally give birth to a unique sense of Self” (Pearson, 1991, p.27).  Jung has written extensively about archetypes and the increased awareness of symbolism over the course of the psyche’s developmental journey.  Carol S. Pearson, a depth psychologist following in Jung’s footsteps, has created a “12-archetype system that includes the archetypes or story lines that her research found to be most correlated with success and fulfillment in contemporary society” (Pearson, 2014, p. xxx).  Pearson’s system parallels the hero’s journey and human psychological development.  Her research indicates that at each stage of the journey we are in fact working with archetypal energies and her system helps to make conscious what was previously unconscious with regard to the energies at play.  

     It has been my experience that the hero’s journey, the universal life-story structure in which the individual overcomes great odds to find their authentic voice and service contribution to society, is not only a journey into healing and wholeness but also holistic in nature.  My journey has been holistic in that it has required me to address every major aspect of being.  Physically it has required addressing toxicity/detoxification, personal nutrition, supplementation, activity types and levels that work for my constitution, postural alignment for improved energy flow, and the release of cellular memories from past traumas.  Mentally I have been called to challenge beliefs, overcome habits of mind, and transform life’s difficult experiences into sources of strength.  I have needed to increase my quality of perception, become my own witness, and hold a vast space for emotions to come and go without feeling triggered by them.  The space I created became a sacred space in which I was able to make connections between my past and present. This allowed me to take new action from an inspired place of peace and self-knowing so that on a spiritual level, I was developing the positive qualities of a mature self-regulated, self-fulfilled, individuated adult while attending to my core values.  Through the exploration of subtle sensation I came to understand how the energies of my thoughts and feelings affected my etheric body, from moment to moment.   In this integration of body, mind, and emotions, I came to understand myself not only as a complex physical being but also an energetic being.  I followed my path through the chakras.  The way I live my life as a complex energetic multidimensional being became a source of spirituality and opened my way to “the essence of spirituality- discovering the extraordinary in the ordinary business of life” (Tisdell, 1999, p.88). Understanding this complexity along with the occasional paradoxical nature and resultant opposing tensions that manifest experientially, physically, mentally, and emotionally create a playground for me to transform and work toward an energetic self-mastery that connects me deeply in the present moment with Spirit, my highest aspect of Self.  I imagine I am not alone in this holistic view and experience of the Hero’s Journey.

     Future posts will delve further into the Hero's Journey, including how we can take it, find support through it, and support the journey in others.  As Campbell once said, the Hero's Journey is the destiny of every (wo)man.

The Mission

It is my knowing that in this moment, you are absolutely perfect, just as you are, as are all of your experiences, as they somehow support your spiritual healing, spiritual journey, and spiritual evolution. Our work together is to come into alignment with that basic Truth so that we not only accept this fact as Truth but flourish and live joyously in that Knowing. We are a Spiritual beings inhabiting a human body. There is a greater Truth beyond the human experience. We are in no way damaged or broken and do not need fixing. We are exactly where we need to be to take the next step on our spiritual path. It is appropriate and natural that we take steps that change the direction of our lives, it is however our choice to determine the path we take. Everything is a choice. We can choose to move toward the Light or away, upstream or downstream.

Everything happens for a reason. Everything is Light, even darkness and evil – they are just Light un-manifest. Light is Divine Energy, it is the basis of everything and is by definition a creative force in Perpetual Motion. Perpetual Motion can be resisted but not stopped, resistance to this perpetual motion is what causes blockages in our energy field. Resistance to perpetual motion through memory and thought triggers emotion. The only way to dissolve an energy blockage is to shine Light on it and move through it.

Our primary purpose here at the Earth School is to know the Self (The Divine Within) through the self (ego) and through the process of creation, preservation and dissolution (AUM/OM), intensify our Light here bringing more Light back to the Source upon our departure from this school. Since we are all individual, this process will be a unique one for each of us Sourcing out to Infinity. The Divine’s only wish for us is to know ourselves as Divine – Love – Joy – Peace, the rest, using our free will, we create for ourselves, fulfilling our Souls purpose, all within the context of our true and only nature, Light. Therefore, even our darkness is spiritually guided and held within the Light. At this time in our process of ascension, humanity works to access the Umbra of the Heart so that we may pierce the veil, bring light into the darkness and live Heaven on Earth as we move beyond the third dimension. 

Within in each human heart resides an energetic veil.  When we are able to go deeply within and pierce the veil, we can bring light to places within us that have remained steeped in the shadows of human consciousness.  This is the umbra of the heart.  Accessing this place of darkness, bringing Light there will assist all of humanity in its evolution so that we may move beyond 3D living, anchoring the heavenly realms into the earth plane.