I think they should have said - What would you be doing if money were not a concern.
I’ll repost this picture as it eloquently explains what I feel the article was getting at.
Merkabah
- Thread starter Skarekrow
- Start date
I think they should have said - What would you be doing if money were not a concern.
I’ll repost this picture as it eloquently explains what I feel the article was getting at.
I understand the concept very well. But, people need to work to make society work. Who will take your trash away in a world where money is not a concern for anyone?I think they should have said - What would you be doing if money were not a concern.
I’ll repost this picture as it eloquently explains what I feel the article was getting at.
I think the point is that money is the most important thing in a large portion of society...not that it is completely evil. Even the Pope acknowledged that people are worshiping it like a false idol.
I saw that report...pretty sad isn’t it.
*shrug*
Who knows? We just all have to keep trying our best I suppose.
I really do think though that there will be a worldwide crisis someday in the near future that will give humanity the motivation to work together and fix things.
[h=1]The Brain Does NOT Create Consciousness[/h]
In a recent interview on Waking Times aired on The People’s Voice Network, Dr. Eben Alexander, Harvard Neurosurgeon presents compelling scientific research in the field of consciousness that examines the unfolding reality that the brain does NOT create consciousness. Misleading concepts that focus on reductive materialism have kept us in the dark about the true nature of the human soul and its integral part in our evolution as spiritual beings.
“The old paradigm of birth to death represents an outdated concept that is woefully inadequate in defining the unfolding reality of expanded awareness,” he stated in the interview with Waking Times. “Materialist science is at the end of its days as most scientists are changing their views. The old concepts are soon to be relegated to the same dust bin as ‘the earth is flat’ as we develop a more mature understanding and transcend old beliefs.”
Supported by worldwide research that is now delving into the concepts of string theory that involves a complete reworking of our outdated and limited views of space/time means that we are now entering a phase where science will greatly expand its boundaries. The foundation of the research begins with the clear understanding of the “Soul”, or conscious spirit, that exists outside of the body and is eternal.
“Consciousness is at the core to unfolding all of reality”, states Alexander.
The brain operates the body based on input from the personality, but the higher intelligence, or subconscious, is the mechanism that controls the body, and that is the soul that we have yet to acknowledge or even begin to understand. That is the free will component that exists long after the body stops. Near-death, paranormal, mysticism, past life memories, and akashic records are now a common thread that drives home the conclusion that there exists a soul within the human body that transcends the human experience. As we acknowledge the essence of our soul, we let go of the limitations of the illusional earth-based mentality and reach out to the greater cosmos of life. Many additional realms exist beyond the earth and in other dimensions of time/space. As spiritual beings, we can easily access these places.
Edgar Cayce, the father of holistic medicine, pioneered the concept in modern times that we are indeed “spiritual beings having a human experience”, but this is only a reemergence of what our ancestors already knew.
This time on earth will be one where we all transcend the false boundaries that convince us that we are separate entities and develop the understanding of the oneness that we all share, meaning that we don’t have to be either scientific or spiritual. Merging science and spirituality creates a new foundation for our peaceful coexistence in the greater cosmos.
Read Deborah West’s columns at The New Era Times for her personal views.
References:
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/biocentrism/201112/does-the-soul-exist-evidence-says-yes
http://themindunleashed.org/2014/02/scientific-approach-reincarnation-journey-souls-death.html
http://www.sott.net/article/271933-...sciousness-moves-to-another-universe-at-death
For more about Dr. Eben Alexander: http://www.eternea.org/
For more about Sacred Acoustics: http://www.sacredacoustics.com/
In a recent interview on Waking Times aired on The People’s Voice Network, Dr. Eben Alexander, Harvard Neurosurgeon presents compelling scientific research in the field of consciousness that examines the unfolding reality that the brain does NOT create consciousness. Misleading concepts that focus on reductive materialism have kept us in the dark about the true nature of the human soul and its integral part in our evolution as spiritual beings.
“The old paradigm of birth to death represents an outdated concept that is woefully inadequate in defining the unfolding reality of expanded awareness,” he stated in the interview with Waking Times. “Materialist science is at the end of its days as most scientists are changing their views. The old concepts are soon to be relegated to the same dust bin as ‘the earth is flat’ as we develop a more mature understanding and transcend old beliefs.”
Supported by worldwide research that is now delving into the concepts of string theory that involves a complete reworking of our outdated and limited views of space/time means that we are now entering a phase where science will greatly expand its boundaries. The foundation of the research begins with the clear understanding of the “Soul”, or conscious spirit, that exists outside of the body and is eternal.
“Consciousness is at the core to unfolding all of reality”, states Alexander.
The brain operates the body based on input from the personality, but the higher intelligence, or subconscious, is the mechanism that controls the body, and that is the soul that we have yet to acknowledge or even begin to understand. That is the free will component that exists long after the body stops. Near-death, paranormal, mysticism, past life memories, and akashic records are now a common thread that drives home the conclusion that there exists a soul within the human body that transcends the human experience. As we acknowledge the essence of our soul, we let go of the limitations of the illusional earth-based mentality and reach out to the greater cosmos of life. Many additional realms exist beyond the earth and in other dimensions of time/space. As spiritual beings, we can easily access these places.
Edgar Cayce, the father of holistic medicine, pioneered the concept in modern times that we are indeed “spiritual beings having a human experience”, but this is only a reemergence of what our ancestors already knew.
This time on earth will be one where we all transcend the false boundaries that convince us that we are separate entities and develop the understanding of the oneness that we all share, meaning that we don’t have to be either scientific or spiritual. Merging science and spirituality creates a new foundation for our peaceful coexistence in the greater cosmos.
Read Deborah West’s columns at The New Era Times for her personal views.
References:
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/biocentrism/201112/does-the-soul-exist-evidence-says-yes
http://themindunleashed.org/2014/02/scientific-approach-reincarnation-journey-souls-death.html
http://www.sott.net/article/271933-...sciousness-moves-to-another-universe-at-death
For more about Dr. Eben Alexander: http://www.eternea.org/
For more about Sacred Acoustics: http://www.sacredacoustics.com/
The collective consciousness
The collective consciousness is difficult to explain, but easy to understand once the concept is grasped. The collective consciousness is generally accessible to everyone. However, people come from a wide variety of backgrounds in trying to understand it. As a result, people hold a broad range of differing beliefs. These beliefs influence their assumptions about, and perceptions of, what is "real".
In order to address this diversity of perspectives we use several different ways of explaining what the collective consciousness is. For some people, one explanation may make much more sense than the others. For other people, synthesizing all of the explanations will give the clearest picture. As you read on, keep in mind, these are all different ways, using different "language," of attempting to describe something that is difficult to reduce to words in the first place: the collective consciousness. Aside from the "short answer" below, we have taken 5 different approaches to explaining the collective consciousness with a hyperlink to each.
One thing the collective consciousness is NOT: an additional barrier, hurdle, or level of hierarchy between us and the Universal Spirit of God. It is not some intermediary between us as humans and the Creator of the universe. Instead, the collective consciousness lies within the "zone" of consciousness that is more expansive than the individual perspective of a single incarnation. Yet it does not extend to the expansiveness of universal consciousness. It resides in the in-between ground where the Spirit of God and the spirit of man coexist. Rather than thinking of it as a third "entity" between God and man, it can be thought of as the level of consciousness where God and man overlap. Moreover, the Collective Consciousness should not be thought of as being "out there" somewhere. It resides within each and every one of us.
What is the collective consciousness?
The Short Answer:
A very short and simple way of explaining the collective consciousness is to compare it to a giant, spiritual "mind". That giant, spiritual mind is supported by a giant, physical brain. This giant, physical brain is made up of billions of cells. And each cell of the giant brain is one human being. It just so happens that the cells (people) of the giant brain, are not physically connected. However, they are connected through their ability to communicate and interact with each other. And as technology advances, the connections between those cells (people) is growing ever more extensive. The giant brain functions very much like any animal’s brain, and the more extensively connected its cells (people) become, the more effectively it functions as a whole. Each cell (person) is concerned with its own particular health and welfare. But each cell (person) also contributes to and supports the larger organism of which it is a part. It is this spiritual mind that is the collective consciousness. And although it arises out of and is supported by individual people, it is has reached a stage of development where it is beginning to "think" on a level that transcends the capacity of any individual.
It is important to keep in mind, that the Hermetic law (as above, so below) is clearly evidenced in the collective consciousness. Like humans, it has a physical aspect and a spiritual aspect. The physical methods of communication between people such as speech and the internet, represent the physical aspect of the collective consciousness. The non-physical methods of communication between people such as intuition, represent the spiritual aspect of the collective consciousness. The distinction is much like the physical matter of a person's brain, and the the mind that is supported by that brain.
The collective consciousness as a picture
Below is a diagram of possible states of consciousness as it extends from the perspective of an individual, to the perspective of universal consciousness.
Below is a diagram of the collective consciousness as an aggregation and overlapping of "individual" consciousnesses.
The collective consciousness is:
The Dawn Of A New Age
We are at the dawn of a new chapter in human history, the coming Age Of Light. Many have labored and some have given their lives to set the stage for this coming age. Individuals such as Moses, Krishna, Socrates, Buddha, Jesus and Mohammed have come and shone their light in the darkness. And for hundreds, even thousands of years the truths they shared have labored to liberate individuals from fear, oppression and tyranny. Human thought has evolved over the ages as higher order thinking has taken root and flourished, and the milestones are telling. Torture which was once widespread across societies, is no longer commonplace. Slavery has for the most part been eradicated. And tyranny's grip has been broken. Most people are free to choose what they want to be. And now that the individual has by and large been liberated, the stage is set for a major evolutionary step forward in human consciousness.
What began as the voice of a lonely few has become the ground we walk on. And yet humanity does but that, walk. A billion arms and legs walking to and fro, seeking what light they can in the midst of a hail storm of daily demands and the avalanche of information. But the new age dawns and a greater light is coming. Human consciousness as a whole has risen to new heights. Truth has unfolded to a degree that no one person can carry its message alone. Yet truth comes to us once again, anew.
The coming age brings the birth of a new incarnation of an ageless light. Those who have known the light will recognize the lineage. The life and vigor of old forms and institutions are fading away, returning to us in new bodies and new clothing. Thus refreshed, and invigorated with new strength, they are no threat nor mystery to those who have known them before. They come with the promise of renewed vitality, and the power to attain new heights.
Billions of people around the world are existing in what was once merely a dream of living in peace with their neighbors, willingly submitting themselves to the rule of law. Millions of people are recognizing that what separates us from each other is infinitely smaller than what joins us. The vision of a family that covers the globe is no longer strange. International cooperation has become both commonplace and global in scope. Large scale humanitarian relief efforts are becoming accepted as a normal part of life on Earth. Our connections to and communications with each other grow ever more pervasive, and are moving towards being total and instantaneous. In fact humanity as a whole is beginning to show intermittent signs of behaving as a single organism.
And this new creature, the human organism, is on the threshold of self-awareness. The evolution and elevation of human consciousness, aided by its emerging reflection in technology, is rushing to connect itself with itself at an ever increasing rate.
Each of us is a cell in the body of this collective, human organism. Its limbs and joints creak and groan with growing pains. And it is beginning for the first time to focus its eyes, and look at its environment and itself. Technology, science and medicine are enabling us to connect in ways and on a scale never before possible. The line between humans and computers is beginning to blur. Machines are replacing organs in the human body, and companies are field-testing computer chip technologies using biological cells to analyze and store data. The world’s information, which functions as our collective memory and ideas, is infinitely more accessible than ever before. The entire library of congress can be shot across the world through a fiber optic cable in a matter of seconds. And the information super-highway is ever growing, extending its tendrils out in all directions and towards all people. This central nervous system is surging with impulses, impulses that relay information which concerns the whole of humanity, and which trigger and coordinate collective actions in response to stimuli.
Every year the signs become clearer and clearer that the collective consciousness is beginning to stir. And as the human organism raises itself up and stretches its limbs, it will begin to do something it has never done before, think. Not individually, through the thoughts and dreams of particularly enlightened people, but collectively, as the harmoniously joined thoughts of untold numbers of persons, intimately linked by technology and guided by a cooperative spirit.
The coming age, at whose threshold we stand, is the age of this child, this new creature that life has never seen before. And as this human organism grows from its infancy and matures, it will naturally turn its attention to its own health and welfare. On that day will we know, or rather realize that we know, that the pain of one is the pain of us all. That all people are but different versions of our selves. That there is no leaving another behind, for there is no freedom for one without freedom for all. That no one can have peace while another does not. And that there is no liberation from poverty, desperation and hopelessness without liberation for everyone.
In that day will universal opportunity be just as important to the privileged and well secured, as it is to those who seek it out of self-interest. For if the hand is infected, the foot is not well. If the leg is broken, the body is disadvantaged. This is the speaker whose voice must be heard. This is the one who urges us onward. This same force influences our deepest desires, and in doing so plays a part in who we are. Finally we can see its face and recognize its concerns. Realizing that we are intimately connected to and experiencing the force the collective consciousness is exerting on us, dramatically changes our perspective. It changes our view of life, and our understanding of what we actually are. By accounting for this influence, we are finally able to develop a clear life vision for ourselves, one that resonates in the totality of our being. We can reach an understanding of why we’re here, and what the meaning of life is for each of us individually. We must now be alert, for we may feel the feelings of the collective consciousness. It may imbue us with passions that make no sense from an individual point of view. But they can be very real and powerful within us none the less.
More and more people are feeling these things as the Collective Consciousness becomes self-aware and makes its desires known. And understanding this will help many people understand why they can’t find deep satisfaction in their lives on their own. Because they are no longer just self-contained individuals fending for themselves. They are being integrated into the collective, and for better or for worse, it will be a part of them for the rest of this life.
Imagine the feats this new organism will achieve with a consciousness and brainpower thousands, even millions of times greater than any before. Think of the force and power generated by the collective will. Untold numbers of people, linked together in the common aspiration of the betterment and advancement of all of mankind.
This day is coming and its dawn is upon us.
The collective consciousness -
A Rational Perspective:
The great spiritual and philosophical teachers have told us for thousands of years, that all people are connected to each other. It has been said that the human race, as a whole, has a collective memory of our experiences as a species. But our connection to each other is more than just shared experiences, memories and cooperation. In some non-physical way, there is a connection among all people. Spiritual and religious visionaries have seen this connection in spiritual terms, describing it as a common or guiding spirit. Science has begun to take note of the interconnectedness of reality and is attempting to describe it in mathematical and mechanical terms.
Einstein’s theory of relativity illustrated the principle that time and space actually change in response to being interacted with. Modern physics, most especially in the fields of quantum mechanics and string theory, explain that all of reality is merely the interplay of constantly fluctuating energy. Moreover, any observation or specific awareness of any "object" (on a subatomic level) directly affects that object. In essence, awareness (or consciousness) is an integral part of what otherwise appears to be an external and independent "reality". As a result, we now have science "confirming" an interconnection between all energy. And energy is the fundamental essence of reality as we perceive it.
How these connections work and the mechanisms through which they are perceived remains unanswered. But the fundamental principal is clear: we are all interconnected in a manner that can not be accounted for using the five senses. Nor can these connections be explained in terms of classical Newtonian physics. The fact that such connections exist and yet they can not be readily measured, places them in the realm of extra-sensory phenomenon. And extra-sensory phenomenon have long been the exclusive domain and heritage of spirituality and religion. Interestingly enough, we now have religion and science in the same boat. Both profess the reality of these extra-sensory phenomenon, though neither can clearly explain how it works.
Proceeding then from the assumption that we are all in some way interconnected we examine the question of whether or not those interconnections are capable of organizing themselves into a cooperative network. The first law of thermo-dynamics states that in nature things always proceed from a state of order to a state of chaos. However when "intelligence" is added to the mix, organization and a progression from chaos to order become possible. Generally speaking, whenever one observes an "environment" proceeding toward greater states of organization and coordinated interaction, intelligence is the driving force. One of the most obvious examples is the evolution of social order that mankind has gone through over the last ten thousand years.
Thousands of years ago, dispersed individuals and small bands of hunter-gatherers first laid the foundation for mankind’s ascension to the pinnacle of Earth’s food chain. As agriculture was developed larger social organizations like cities and city-states emerged on the scene. When science and technology advanced, so did the scale and scope of social organizations that humanity experienced. Empires and nations arose. In the present day, multinational political entities such as the European Union are not uncommon. China and India alone represent two examples of billions of people existing together within a distinctly organized social system.
Whenever the members of a defined group in common association possess intelligence, the tendency over time is for them to proliferate into ever larger and more intricately interdependent and interconnected networks or organizations. When viewed from the perspective of the network or organization itself, this process can be viewed, metaphorically speaking, as one of "self-development." Take a country as an example of such a social network or organization. Over time the country tends to develop laws and social customs that reinforce and strengthen itself by increasing the coordination, cooperation, and interdependence of it’s component units, in this case, citizens. To be sure, fractures and fragmentation can and do occur. But by and large the course in historical terms is clearly toward self-development.
When viewed from a macroscopic perspective, the network itself could be thought of as being intelligent, (an "intelligent network"). Although that intelligence is derivative in its origin, over a long enough period of time the intelligence aggregates and becomes self-sustaining on the aggregate level. Typically, the organization itself begins to develop what emerges as its own "culture," or its own "mentality," which is independent of and overarches the individual members of that network. Any citizen with even the most casual observation of government, is likely aware of the self-preserving "instinct" that emerges out of governmental bureaucracies. And yet in historical terms, governments are relatively new creatures. For the broader perspective we must look to biology.
Every human body begins as a single cell. But that cell grows and divides repeatedly, as do its "offspring". As they grow and multiply so do the interconnections that support them. A heart and circulatory system become necessary to distribute oxygen and nourishment to each cell.
A digestive system becomes necessary to break down food and make it useable by the cells. A respiratory system becomes necessary to supply oxygen to the cells and expel their waste of carbon dioxide. A muscular system becomes necessary to enable the body to move and provide for its needs. A network of external senses becomes necessary to enable the body to interact successfully with its environment. And all of these systems must be coordinated by a "master system" in order to work in harmony. That is the job of the brain. At last, when a fully developed human body emerges, each and every cell works for the benefit and support of itself and the body as a whole. And all of the cells work within the framework of a complex, interconnected system of networks, which are overseen by the brain. And while the brain initially emerges as a mechanism for supporting and serving the cells, over time the brain eclipses them in importance and power. The brain, as the central coordinator and commander-in-chief of the body, becomes more important than the individual cells it originally merely served. For while it is possible to live a full, rich life without an arm, a leg, a lung or many other large groups of cells, it is impossible to have the experience of life as a human, without a brain. In this sense the brain can be seen as arising out of but transcending the cells of the body.
So what began as a simple group of biological units (cells) with extremely limited individual intelligence, ends up as an incredibly complex organism or organization of cells. Consequently we see the principle of self-development at work in biology just as it does in sociology. It is a primary characteristic of intelligent networks as we observe them in "physical" reality.
Returning to our first premise that humans are connected through extra-sensory, "non-physical" means, we can view those connections as networks. Since humans, which are the foundational components that make up those networks are intelligent, the networks themselves could be considered intelligent networks. It therefore follows that they have the trait of being "self-developing". With sufficient advancement and development of these networks, an organizing intelligence becomes necessary for them. The overseer and commander-in-chief that has arisen out of our extra-sensory networks can be thought of as the collective consciousness. In other words, the collective consciousness, which is supported by people and the connections between them, is like a person’s brain. And it is just now reaching the developmental stage where it is becoming self-aware. As such, it is establishing its transcendence beyond its individual components (individual people). At the same time its ability and inclination to advance the welfare of each individual as well as the whole of humanity is taking an active leap forward. That is to say, the collective consciousness is becoming both self-aware and self-developing. In terms of its present developmental stage, it can be thought of as an aggregate intelligence that is just beginning to actively pursue the best interest of its "self" which is humanity as a whole.
The evidence of this is seen in a considerable rise in individual people’s ability and inclination to comprehend and address issues, and life in general, from the transcendent perspective of the collective consciousness and the whole of humanity, rather than from their own, personal perspective. One example is the multinational humanitarian relief operations that are regularly occurring on a grand scale.
The collective consciousness -
A Spiritual Perspective:
Each person is a composite being made up of two halves. One half is the physical body. The other half is spiritual, and is often referred to as the soul. The soul is a "blended" spiritual "entity." While it maintains an individual identity, it is also animated by the Spirit and will of God. It is like a miniature hologram of God, made from a unique combination of some of His qualities. Unlike human-physical consciousness, a soul can not be unaware of God’s presence and therefore is never "separate" from God. (Since God is omnipresent, it is impossible to actually be separate/apart from Him/Her. God can only be absent from our conscious awareness, which makes it appear as though we have been separated.) The soul is the overlapping ground where God and an individual are one in spirit. As a result, while a soul is not completely individualistic in it’s perspective, it is also not completely universal.
Although a person’s body is always connected to their soul, most people are not consciously aware of this connection. Although they may believe in the concept of a soul, they do not experience their soul as an entity that is distinct from their physical body. Therefore in terms of their conscious awareness, their soul has no distinct qualities.
But when a person awakens spiritually, they become aware of their soul and its desires. They also come to realize that their soul may well have an agenda that is different from the agenda of the ego of their physical self. And this difference in agendas may continue until the person achieves wholeness of consciousness. Wholeness of consciousness is accomplished by harmonizing one’s physical consciousness and desires, with the will of their soul. Once wholeness of consciousness is achieved, these two halves (physical and spiritual) thereafter function as a synergistic, cooperative partnership and the person’s life blooms in earnest.
Just as people communicate with each other, so souls communicate with other souls on the spiritual plane. Incidentally, this is one means by which people have conveyed information "psychically". Throughout our history, humanity has been aided by angels or "spiritual guides". These kindly spirits have assisted our souls in their growth and evolution.
We have also long been blessed with the guidance of a few highly evolved human souls. These souls have been yeomen of inspiration and help, pulling other souls up the evolutionary ladder. Unfortunately the number of such advanced souls has, in the past, been quite small. But in recent years, their number has begun to rapidly increase. This is evidenced by the revolution in human consciousness that is currently under way. By historical standards, certain human beings are achieving enlightened stages of consciousness at very accelerated rates. Additionally, more people than has historically been the norm, are experiencing spontaneous spiritual awakenings with no effort on their own. These signs are evidencing a tidal shift in the activity of our souls.
In the physical realm, people organize themselves into societies and governments to assist in the orderly execution of their affairs. In a similar fashion, we can think of our souls as organizing themselves into spiritual organizations and social structures. These "heavenly orders" or "spiritual societies" are organized to facilitate the processes necessary for the education and evolution of every human soul. Finally, enough experience and wisdom has been achieved by enough human souls to chart out the skills a soul needs to learn in order to "effectively awaken and guide" the consciousness of its chosen body. Likewise the course of lessons our souls must learn in order to achieve the next stage of evolution has been experienced by enough souls that a critical mass of such knowledge has been achieved. Out of this cumulative experience and wisdom, an organized mass evolution is coming into focus.
The collective consciousness can be thought of as all human souls working together at the spiritual level in a cooperative and organized fashion for their collective good. In doing so, they work in harmony with God’s will, and with His guidance and support. It is a collaboration operating in love, whose purpose is to guide, assist and support the evolutionary growth of all human soul’s.
As has been mentioned, an individual’s ego may be at odds with the agenda their souls have chosen to pursue. In like fashion, the collective consciousness may not reflect the awareness, actions or will of all the people on Earth. Nonetheless, the primary concern of the collective consciousness is the health and welfare of every human soul as it develops and evolves.
The collective consciousness -
A Christian Perspective
For all of the following biblical quotes, the New American Standard translation has been used.
One theme Jesus emphasized over and over was the concept that people "exist" on two levels, the physical level and the spiritual level. One of his teachings, which the people of his day found very confusing, was that people must be born twice in order to enter the kingdom of heaven.
Jesus said: "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit." John 3:5-8
In this passage Jesus clearly states that there is one aspect of a person (represented by being born of water) which comes into being through physical birth. This aspect is their actual physical body. The other birth is a spiritual birth and it ushers in the indwelling of the Spirit within that person. Jesus goes on to make clear that this distinction is not an insignificant or subtle one. Because the Spirit that is "born" in the spiritual birth descends from heaven. And it is this Spirit which is the part of a person that ascends back into heaven.
Jesus said: "And no one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven, even the Son of Man." John 3:13
This verse makes clear that it is our spirits (or souls) which descend to us from heaven, that will be the part of us that will return to heaven. Our bodies, which were made from the dust of the earth and born of the earth (the birth of water), are not what ascends to heaven. Jesus refers several times to certain people of his day who were physically alive and healthy, as being dead. In this, He was indicating that compared to our spiritual aspect which we receive from heaven, it is as if our bodies are dead.
Once this dichotomy or dual nature of a human being is understood, it sheds light on other passages of scripture. It is our conscious awareness, and the aspect (spiritual versus physical) of our selves on which we focus our attention (or conscious awareness), that determines who and what we become. The apostle Paul used the word "flesh" to refer to man in his physical aspect when he wrote: "For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace." Romans 8:5-6
Paul goes on to make clear that it is through the rejuvenation of our minds (and the focus of our consciousness) that we are able to perceive God’s will and live in harmony with it.
"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect." Romans 12:2
Paul also tells us that through our Spirits, we partake of Jesus’ "mind."
"For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he should instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ." I Corinthians 2:16
Paul goes on to discuss the nature of a spirit’s observation of the thoughts of the mind.
"For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man, which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words." I Corinthians 2:11-13
His description of one of the roles of spirit as being the "observer" or "knower" of a mind’s thoughts, is very similar to eastern concepts and descriptions of consciousness itself, often describing it as the "witness".
But yet Jesus also used several parables that indicated that our physical bodies are the soil that supports the growth and maturity of our souls. Jesus said:
"Hear then the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the one on whom seed was sown beside the road. And the one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word, and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away. And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the man who hears the word and understands it; who indeed bears fruit, and brings forth some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty." Matthew 13:18-23
In a similar fashion, Jesus used the parable of the mustard seed to give the image of the fruitful spirit (or kingdom of heaven). Here he refers to the kingdom of heaven as a seed. And once again, he uses soil to represent the physical aspect of the person. Or, more precisely, the person’s heart.
"The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field; and this is smaller than all other seeds; but when it is full grown, it is larger than the garden plants, and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches." Matthew 13:31-32
All of this taken together, points to a few critically important principles. First it gives us an indication of what our physical aspect is. It is our body, our personality and emotions, and our brain and it’s thoughts. Our physical aspect, which is all that the vast majority of people understand themselves to be, amounts to not much more than a pot of soil. But it is a pot of soil in which a beautiful eternal spirit can be nurtured and matured. The spirit is a seed which must be planted in us by heaven. This spirit is also the Spirit of God, and it is the Spirit of Christ as well.
As Jesus was teaching his disciples about the Holy Spirit, He said: "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. And I will ask the Father and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not behold Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you, and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. After a little while the world will behold Me no more; but you will behold Me; because I live, you shall live also. In that day you shall know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you." John 14:15-20
And although the spirit that comes down from heaven to indwell our bodies is the Spirit of God and Christ, it is also unique to each person as it blends with their soul. Once this blending work in the soul is perfected, the person’s soul becomes so similar to Christ’s, it is referred to as Christ’s younger sibling. Paul wrote:
"And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, that He [Jesus Christ] might be the firstborn among many brethren." Romans 8:28-29
And while the parables of the sower and the mustard seed emphasized the growth and nurturing of individual spirits/souls, Christ is overseeing the direction and coordination of the integrated growth of all. He is guiding and helping all souls to realize the fullness which He is. Paul likens these united individual souls to parts of Christ’s "spiritual body".
"…we are to grow up in all aspects into Him, who is the head even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by that which every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love." Ephesians 4:15-16
Christ is the Spirit that oversees the growth of His Spiritual body, of which every living soul is a part. And because of God’s great love for and mercy toward us, He has drawn our souls up into heaven with Him.
Paul writes: "But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus…" Ephesians 2:4-6
Jesus’ teaching that "no one" goes up to heaven except that which came down from heaven, indicates that it is our spirits or souls which reside in heaven. (Note that by saying God "...raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places..." Paul specifically chose to use the past tense. This should make clear that this is not referring to the rapture, judgment day or any other event in the future, but rather means here and now. This miracle has already been accomplished and is a presently reality for us.) The collective consciousness could be thought of as the gathered assembly of our souls, residing in heaven with God and Jesus. From there, our souls are able to more clearly perceive His glory and His divine will, and direct our hearts and physical aspects in harmony therewith. Furthermore, our souls in heaven share their experiences and wisdom with each other, under the guidance of Christ for the benefit of the whole. This social network of souls could also be thought of as the collective consciousness. However, heaven should not be thought of as a place "out there" somewhere. It is within Christ, who lives within us. And we approach heaven by elevating our consciousness to that "frequency" where we can perceive our souls, and our souls reflect to us the glory of God and Christ.
The collective consciousness is difficult to explain, but easy to understand once the concept is grasped. The collective consciousness is generally accessible to everyone. However, people come from a wide variety of backgrounds in trying to understand it. As a result, people hold a broad range of differing beliefs. These beliefs influence their assumptions about, and perceptions of, what is "real".
In order to address this diversity of perspectives we use several different ways of explaining what the collective consciousness is. For some people, one explanation may make much more sense than the others. For other people, synthesizing all of the explanations will give the clearest picture. As you read on, keep in mind, these are all different ways, using different "language," of attempting to describe something that is difficult to reduce to words in the first place: the collective consciousness. Aside from the "short answer" below, we have taken 5 different approaches to explaining the collective consciousness with a hyperlink to each.
One thing the collective consciousness is NOT: an additional barrier, hurdle, or level of hierarchy between us and the Universal Spirit of God. It is not some intermediary between us as humans and the Creator of the universe. Instead, the collective consciousness lies within the "zone" of consciousness that is more expansive than the individual perspective of a single incarnation. Yet it does not extend to the expansiveness of universal consciousness. It resides in the in-between ground where the Spirit of God and the spirit of man coexist. Rather than thinking of it as a third "entity" between God and man, it can be thought of as the level of consciousness where God and man overlap. Moreover, the Collective Consciousness should not be thought of as being "out there" somewhere. It resides within each and every one of us.
What is the collective consciousness?
The Short Answer:
A very short and simple way of explaining the collective consciousness is to compare it to a giant, spiritual "mind". That giant, spiritual mind is supported by a giant, physical brain. This giant, physical brain is made up of billions of cells. And each cell of the giant brain is one human being. It just so happens that the cells (people) of the giant brain, are not physically connected. However, they are connected through their ability to communicate and interact with each other. And as technology advances, the connections between those cells (people) is growing ever more extensive. The giant brain functions very much like any animal’s brain, and the more extensively connected its cells (people) become, the more effectively it functions as a whole. Each cell (person) is concerned with its own particular health and welfare. But each cell (person) also contributes to and supports the larger organism of which it is a part. It is this spiritual mind that is the collective consciousness. And although it arises out of and is supported by individual people, it is has reached a stage of development where it is beginning to "think" on a level that transcends the capacity of any individual.
It is important to keep in mind, that the Hermetic law (as above, so below) is clearly evidenced in the collective consciousness. Like humans, it has a physical aspect and a spiritual aspect. The physical methods of communication between people such as speech and the internet, represent the physical aspect of the collective consciousness. The non-physical methods of communication between people such as intuition, represent the spiritual aspect of the collective consciousness. The distinction is much like the physical matter of a person's brain, and the the mind that is supported by that brain.
The collective consciousness as a picture
Below is a diagram of possible states of consciousness as it extends from the perspective of an individual, to the perspective of universal consciousness.
Below is a diagram of the collective consciousness as an aggregation and overlapping of "individual" consciousnesses.
The collective consciousness is:
The Dawn Of A New Age
We are at the dawn of a new chapter in human history, the coming Age Of Light. Many have labored and some have given their lives to set the stage for this coming age. Individuals such as Moses, Krishna, Socrates, Buddha, Jesus and Mohammed have come and shone their light in the darkness. And for hundreds, even thousands of years the truths they shared have labored to liberate individuals from fear, oppression and tyranny. Human thought has evolved over the ages as higher order thinking has taken root and flourished, and the milestones are telling. Torture which was once widespread across societies, is no longer commonplace. Slavery has for the most part been eradicated. And tyranny's grip has been broken. Most people are free to choose what they want to be. And now that the individual has by and large been liberated, the stage is set for a major evolutionary step forward in human consciousness.
What began as the voice of a lonely few has become the ground we walk on. And yet humanity does but that, walk. A billion arms and legs walking to and fro, seeking what light they can in the midst of a hail storm of daily demands and the avalanche of information. But the new age dawns and a greater light is coming. Human consciousness as a whole has risen to new heights. Truth has unfolded to a degree that no one person can carry its message alone. Yet truth comes to us once again, anew.
The coming age brings the birth of a new incarnation of an ageless light. Those who have known the light will recognize the lineage. The life and vigor of old forms and institutions are fading away, returning to us in new bodies and new clothing. Thus refreshed, and invigorated with new strength, they are no threat nor mystery to those who have known them before. They come with the promise of renewed vitality, and the power to attain new heights.
Billions of people around the world are existing in what was once merely a dream of living in peace with their neighbors, willingly submitting themselves to the rule of law. Millions of people are recognizing that what separates us from each other is infinitely smaller than what joins us. The vision of a family that covers the globe is no longer strange. International cooperation has become both commonplace and global in scope. Large scale humanitarian relief efforts are becoming accepted as a normal part of life on Earth. Our connections to and communications with each other grow ever more pervasive, and are moving towards being total and instantaneous. In fact humanity as a whole is beginning to show intermittent signs of behaving as a single organism.
And this new creature, the human organism, is on the threshold of self-awareness. The evolution and elevation of human consciousness, aided by its emerging reflection in technology, is rushing to connect itself with itself at an ever increasing rate.
Each of us is a cell in the body of this collective, human organism. Its limbs and joints creak and groan with growing pains. And it is beginning for the first time to focus its eyes, and look at its environment and itself. Technology, science and medicine are enabling us to connect in ways and on a scale never before possible. The line between humans and computers is beginning to blur. Machines are replacing organs in the human body, and companies are field-testing computer chip technologies using biological cells to analyze and store data. The world’s information, which functions as our collective memory and ideas, is infinitely more accessible than ever before. The entire library of congress can be shot across the world through a fiber optic cable in a matter of seconds. And the information super-highway is ever growing, extending its tendrils out in all directions and towards all people. This central nervous system is surging with impulses, impulses that relay information which concerns the whole of humanity, and which trigger and coordinate collective actions in response to stimuli.
Every year the signs become clearer and clearer that the collective consciousness is beginning to stir. And as the human organism raises itself up and stretches its limbs, it will begin to do something it has never done before, think. Not individually, through the thoughts and dreams of particularly enlightened people, but collectively, as the harmoniously joined thoughts of untold numbers of persons, intimately linked by technology and guided by a cooperative spirit.
The coming age, at whose threshold we stand, is the age of this child, this new creature that life has never seen before. And as this human organism grows from its infancy and matures, it will naturally turn its attention to its own health and welfare. On that day will we know, or rather realize that we know, that the pain of one is the pain of us all. That all people are but different versions of our selves. That there is no leaving another behind, for there is no freedom for one without freedom for all. That no one can have peace while another does not. And that there is no liberation from poverty, desperation and hopelessness without liberation for everyone.
In that day will universal opportunity be just as important to the privileged and well secured, as it is to those who seek it out of self-interest. For if the hand is infected, the foot is not well. If the leg is broken, the body is disadvantaged. This is the speaker whose voice must be heard. This is the one who urges us onward. This same force influences our deepest desires, and in doing so plays a part in who we are. Finally we can see its face and recognize its concerns. Realizing that we are intimately connected to and experiencing the force the collective consciousness is exerting on us, dramatically changes our perspective. It changes our view of life, and our understanding of what we actually are. By accounting for this influence, we are finally able to develop a clear life vision for ourselves, one that resonates in the totality of our being. We can reach an understanding of why we’re here, and what the meaning of life is for each of us individually. We must now be alert, for we may feel the feelings of the collective consciousness. It may imbue us with passions that make no sense from an individual point of view. But they can be very real and powerful within us none the less.
More and more people are feeling these things as the Collective Consciousness becomes self-aware and makes its desires known. And understanding this will help many people understand why they can’t find deep satisfaction in their lives on their own. Because they are no longer just self-contained individuals fending for themselves. They are being integrated into the collective, and for better or for worse, it will be a part of them for the rest of this life.
Imagine the feats this new organism will achieve with a consciousness and brainpower thousands, even millions of times greater than any before. Think of the force and power generated by the collective will. Untold numbers of people, linked together in the common aspiration of the betterment and advancement of all of mankind.
This day is coming and its dawn is upon us.
The collective consciousness -
A Rational Perspective:
The great spiritual and philosophical teachers have told us for thousands of years, that all people are connected to each other. It has been said that the human race, as a whole, has a collective memory of our experiences as a species. But our connection to each other is more than just shared experiences, memories and cooperation. In some non-physical way, there is a connection among all people. Spiritual and religious visionaries have seen this connection in spiritual terms, describing it as a common or guiding spirit. Science has begun to take note of the interconnectedness of reality and is attempting to describe it in mathematical and mechanical terms.
Einstein’s theory of relativity illustrated the principle that time and space actually change in response to being interacted with. Modern physics, most especially in the fields of quantum mechanics and string theory, explain that all of reality is merely the interplay of constantly fluctuating energy. Moreover, any observation or specific awareness of any "object" (on a subatomic level) directly affects that object. In essence, awareness (or consciousness) is an integral part of what otherwise appears to be an external and independent "reality". As a result, we now have science "confirming" an interconnection between all energy. And energy is the fundamental essence of reality as we perceive it.
How these connections work and the mechanisms through which they are perceived remains unanswered. But the fundamental principal is clear: we are all interconnected in a manner that can not be accounted for using the five senses. Nor can these connections be explained in terms of classical Newtonian physics. The fact that such connections exist and yet they can not be readily measured, places them in the realm of extra-sensory phenomenon. And extra-sensory phenomenon have long been the exclusive domain and heritage of spirituality and religion. Interestingly enough, we now have religion and science in the same boat. Both profess the reality of these extra-sensory phenomenon, though neither can clearly explain how it works.
Proceeding then from the assumption that we are all in some way interconnected we examine the question of whether or not those interconnections are capable of organizing themselves into a cooperative network. The first law of thermo-dynamics states that in nature things always proceed from a state of order to a state of chaos. However when "intelligence" is added to the mix, organization and a progression from chaos to order become possible. Generally speaking, whenever one observes an "environment" proceeding toward greater states of organization and coordinated interaction, intelligence is the driving force. One of the most obvious examples is the evolution of social order that mankind has gone through over the last ten thousand years.
Thousands of years ago, dispersed individuals and small bands of hunter-gatherers first laid the foundation for mankind’s ascension to the pinnacle of Earth’s food chain. As agriculture was developed larger social organizations like cities and city-states emerged on the scene. When science and technology advanced, so did the scale and scope of social organizations that humanity experienced. Empires and nations arose. In the present day, multinational political entities such as the European Union are not uncommon. China and India alone represent two examples of billions of people existing together within a distinctly organized social system.
Whenever the members of a defined group in common association possess intelligence, the tendency over time is for them to proliferate into ever larger and more intricately interdependent and interconnected networks or organizations. When viewed from the perspective of the network or organization itself, this process can be viewed, metaphorically speaking, as one of "self-development." Take a country as an example of such a social network or organization. Over time the country tends to develop laws and social customs that reinforce and strengthen itself by increasing the coordination, cooperation, and interdependence of it’s component units, in this case, citizens. To be sure, fractures and fragmentation can and do occur. But by and large the course in historical terms is clearly toward self-development.
When viewed from a macroscopic perspective, the network itself could be thought of as being intelligent, (an "intelligent network"). Although that intelligence is derivative in its origin, over a long enough period of time the intelligence aggregates and becomes self-sustaining on the aggregate level. Typically, the organization itself begins to develop what emerges as its own "culture," or its own "mentality," which is independent of and overarches the individual members of that network. Any citizen with even the most casual observation of government, is likely aware of the self-preserving "instinct" that emerges out of governmental bureaucracies. And yet in historical terms, governments are relatively new creatures. For the broader perspective we must look to biology.
Every human body begins as a single cell. But that cell grows and divides repeatedly, as do its "offspring". As they grow and multiply so do the interconnections that support them. A heart and circulatory system become necessary to distribute oxygen and nourishment to each cell.
A digestive system becomes necessary to break down food and make it useable by the cells. A respiratory system becomes necessary to supply oxygen to the cells and expel their waste of carbon dioxide. A muscular system becomes necessary to enable the body to move and provide for its needs. A network of external senses becomes necessary to enable the body to interact successfully with its environment. And all of these systems must be coordinated by a "master system" in order to work in harmony. That is the job of the brain. At last, when a fully developed human body emerges, each and every cell works for the benefit and support of itself and the body as a whole. And all of the cells work within the framework of a complex, interconnected system of networks, which are overseen by the brain. And while the brain initially emerges as a mechanism for supporting and serving the cells, over time the brain eclipses them in importance and power. The brain, as the central coordinator and commander-in-chief of the body, becomes more important than the individual cells it originally merely served. For while it is possible to live a full, rich life without an arm, a leg, a lung or many other large groups of cells, it is impossible to have the experience of life as a human, without a brain. In this sense the brain can be seen as arising out of but transcending the cells of the body.
So what began as a simple group of biological units (cells) with extremely limited individual intelligence, ends up as an incredibly complex organism or organization of cells. Consequently we see the principle of self-development at work in biology just as it does in sociology. It is a primary characteristic of intelligent networks as we observe them in "physical" reality.
Returning to our first premise that humans are connected through extra-sensory, "non-physical" means, we can view those connections as networks. Since humans, which are the foundational components that make up those networks are intelligent, the networks themselves could be considered intelligent networks. It therefore follows that they have the trait of being "self-developing". With sufficient advancement and development of these networks, an organizing intelligence becomes necessary for them. The overseer and commander-in-chief that has arisen out of our extra-sensory networks can be thought of as the collective consciousness. In other words, the collective consciousness, which is supported by people and the connections between them, is like a person’s brain. And it is just now reaching the developmental stage where it is becoming self-aware. As such, it is establishing its transcendence beyond its individual components (individual people). At the same time its ability and inclination to advance the welfare of each individual as well as the whole of humanity is taking an active leap forward. That is to say, the collective consciousness is becoming both self-aware and self-developing. In terms of its present developmental stage, it can be thought of as an aggregate intelligence that is just beginning to actively pursue the best interest of its "self" which is humanity as a whole.
The evidence of this is seen in a considerable rise in individual people’s ability and inclination to comprehend and address issues, and life in general, from the transcendent perspective of the collective consciousness and the whole of humanity, rather than from their own, personal perspective. One example is the multinational humanitarian relief operations that are regularly occurring on a grand scale.
The collective consciousness -
A Spiritual Perspective:
Each person is a composite being made up of two halves. One half is the physical body. The other half is spiritual, and is often referred to as the soul. The soul is a "blended" spiritual "entity." While it maintains an individual identity, it is also animated by the Spirit and will of God. It is like a miniature hologram of God, made from a unique combination of some of His qualities. Unlike human-physical consciousness, a soul can not be unaware of God’s presence and therefore is never "separate" from God. (Since God is omnipresent, it is impossible to actually be separate/apart from Him/Her. God can only be absent from our conscious awareness, which makes it appear as though we have been separated.) The soul is the overlapping ground where God and an individual are one in spirit. As a result, while a soul is not completely individualistic in it’s perspective, it is also not completely universal.
Although a person’s body is always connected to their soul, most people are not consciously aware of this connection. Although they may believe in the concept of a soul, they do not experience their soul as an entity that is distinct from their physical body. Therefore in terms of their conscious awareness, their soul has no distinct qualities.
But when a person awakens spiritually, they become aware of their soul and its desires. They also come to realize that their soul may well have an agenda that is different from the agenda of the ego of their physical self. And this difference in agendas may continue until the person achieves wholeness of consciousness. Wholeness of consciousness is accomplished by harmonizing one’s physical consciousness and desires, with the will of their soul. Once wholeness of consciousness is achieved, these two halves (physical and spiritual) thereafter function as a synergistic, cooperative partnership and the person’s life blooms in earnest.
Just as people communicate with each other, so souls communicate with other souls on the spiritual plane. Incidentally, this is one means by which people have conveyed information "psychically". Throughout our history, humanity has been aided by angels or "spiritual guides". These kindly spirits have assisted our souls in their growth and evolution.
We have also long been blessed with the guidance of a few highly evolved human souls. These souls have been yeomen of inspiration and help, pulling other souls up the evolutionary ladder. Unfortunately the number of such advanced souls has, in the past, been quite small. But in recent years, their number has begun to rapidly increase. This is evidenced by the revolution in human consciousness that is currently under way. By historical standards, certain human beings are achieving enlightened stages of consciousness at very accelerated rates. Additionally, more people than has historically been the norm, are experiencing spontaneous spiritual awakenings with no effort on their own. These signs are evidencing a tidal shift in the activity of our souls.
In the physical realm, people organize themselves into societies and governments to assist in the orderly execution of their affairs. In a similar fashion, we can think of our souls as organizing themselves into spiritual organizations and social structures. These "heavenly orders" or "spiritual societies" are organized to facilitate the processes necessary for the education and evolution of every human soul. Finally, enough experience and wisdom has been achieved by enough human souls to chart out the skills a soul needs to learn in order to "effectively awaken and guide" the consciousness of its chosen body. Likewise the course of lessons our souls must learn in order to achieve the next stage of evolution has been experienced by enough souls that a critical mass of such knowledge has been achieved. Out of this cumulative experience and wisdom, an organized mass evolution is coming into focus.
The collective consciousness can be thought of as all human souls working together at the spiritual level in a cooperative and organized fashion for their collective good. In doing so, they work in harmony with God’s will, and with His guidance and support. It is a collaboration operating in love, whose purpose is to guide, assist and support the evolutionary growth of all human soul’s.
As has been mentioned, an individual’s ego may be at odds with the agenda their souls have chosen to pursue. In like fashion, the collective consciousness may not reflect the awareness, actions or will of all the people on Earth. Nonetheless, the primary concern of the collective consciousness is the health and welfare of every human soul as it develops and evolves.
The collective consciousness -
A Christian Perspective
For all of the following biblical quotes, the New American Standard translation has been used.
One theme Jesus emphasized over and over was the concept that people "exist" on two levels, the physical level and the spiritual level. One of his teachings, which the people of his day found very confusing, was that people must be born twice in order to enter the kingdom of heaven.
Jesus said: "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit." John 3:5-8
In this passage Jesus clearly states that there is one aspect of a person (represented by being born of water) which comes into being through physical birth. This aspect is their actual physical body. The other birth is a spiritual birth and it ushers in the indwelling of the Spirit within that person. Jesus goes on to make clear that this distinction is not an insignificant or subtle one. Because the Spirit that is "born" in the spiritual birth descends from heaven. And it is this Spirit which is the part of a person that ascends back into heaven.
Jesus said: "And no one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven, even the Son of Man." John 3:13
This verse makes clear that it is our spirits (or souls) which descend to us from heaven, that will be the part of us that will return to heaven. Our bodies, which were made from the dust of the earth and born of the earth (the birth of water), are not what ascends to heaven. Jesus refers several times to certain people of his day who were physically alive and healthy, as being dead. In this, He was indicating that compared to our spiritual aspect which we receive from heaven, it is as if our bodies are dead.
Once this dichotomy or dual nature of a human being is understood, it sheds light on other passages of scripture. It is our conscious awareness, and the aspect (spiritual versus physical) of our selves on which we focus our attention (or conscious awareness), that determines who and what we become. The apostle Paul used the word "flesh" to refer to man in his physical aspect when he wrote: "For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace." Romans 8:5-6
Paul goes on to make clear that it is through the rejuvenation of our minds (and the focus of our consciousness) that we are able to perceive God’s will and live in harmony with it.
"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect." Romans 12:2
Paul also tells us that through our Spirits, we partake of Jesus’ "mind."
"For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he should instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ." I Corinthians 2:16
Paul goes on to discuss the nature of a spirit’s observation of the thoughts of the mind.
"For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man, which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words." I Corinthians 2:11-13
His description of one of the roles of spirit as being the "observer" or "knower" of a mind’s thoughts, is very similar to eastern concepts and descriptions of consciousness itself, often describing it as the "witness".
But yet Jesus also used several parables that indicated that our physical bodies are the soil that supports the growth and maturity of our souls. Jesus said:
"Hear then the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the one on whom seed was sown beside the road. And the one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word, and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away. And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the man who hears the word and understands it; who indeed bears fruit, and brings forth some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty." Matthew 13:18-23
In a similar fashion, Jesus used the parable of the mustard seed to give the image of the fruitful spirit (or kingdom of heaven). Here he refers to the kingdom of heaven as a seed. And once again, he uses soil to represent the physical aspect of the person. Or, more precisely, the person’s heart.
"The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field; and this is smaller than all other seeds; but when it is full grown, it is larger than the garden plants, and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches." Matthew 13:31-32
All of this taken together, points to a few critically important principles. First it gives us an indication of what our physical aspect is. It is our body, our personality and emotions, and our brain and it’s thoughts. Our physical aspect, which is all that the vast majority of people understand themselves to be, amounts to not much more than a pot of soil. But it is a pot of soil in which a beautiful eternal spirit can be nurtured and matured. The spirit is a seed which must be planted in us by heaven. This spirit is also the Spirit of God, and it is the Spirit of Christ as well.
As Jesus was teaching his disciples about the Holy Spirit, He said: "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. And I will ask the Father and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not behold Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you, and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. After a little while the world will behold Me no more; but you will behold Me; because I live, you shall live also. In that day you shall know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you." John 14:15-20
And although the spirit that comes down from heaven to indwell our bodies is the Spirit of God and Christ, it is also unique to each person as it blends with their soul. Once this blending work in the soul is perfected, the person’s soul becomes so similar to Christ’s, it is referred to as Christ’s younger sibling. Paul wrote:
"And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, that He [Jesus Christ] might be the firstborn among many brethren." Romans 8:28-29
And while the parables of the sower and the mustard seed emphasized the growth and nurturing of individual spirits/souls, Christ is overseeing the direction and coordination of the integrated growth of all. He is guiding and helping all souls to realize the fullness which He is. Paul likens these united individual souls to parts of Christ’s "spiritual body".
"…we are to grow up in all aspects into Him, who is the head even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by that which every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love." Ephesians 4:15-16
Christ is the Spirit that oversees the growth of His Spiritual body, of which every living soul is a part. And because of God’s great love for and mercy toward us, He has drawn our souls up into heaven with Him.
Paul writes: "But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus…" Ephesians 2:4-6
Jesus’ teaching that "no one" goes up to heaven except that which came down from heaven, indicates that it is our spirits or souls which reside in heaven. (Note that by saying God "...raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places..." Paul specifically chose to use the past tense. This should make clear that this is not referring to the rapture, judgment day or any other event in the future, but rather means here and now. This miracle has already been accomplished and is a presently reality for us.) The collective consciousness could be thought of as the gathered assembly of our souls, residing in heaven with God and Jesus. From there, our souls are able to more clearly perceive His glory and His divine will, and direct our hearts and physical aspects in harmony therewith. Furthermore, our souls in heaven share their experiences and wisdom with each other, under the guidance of Christ for the benefit of the whole. This social network of souls could also be thought of as the collective consciousness. However, heaven should not be thought of as a place "out there" somewhere. It is within Christ, who lives within us. And we approach heaven by elevating our consciousness to that "frequency" where we can perceive our souls, and our souls reflect to us the glory of God and Christ.
This is an interesting article I found....
The depth of ability to perceive paranormal activity with our sixth sense
Quite often we come across pictures or photographs on the Internet that have captured images of ghosts. These photographs provide a blurred glimpse into paranormal activity around us. The truth is that we are almost all the time impacted by ghosts (demons, devils, negative energies, etc.) whether we are aware of it or not. In some cases, the impact might be quite dramatic such as a possessed person behaving in a violent manner or an experience of being sexually assaulted at night by an unseen entity. In other cases, ghosts (demons, devils, negative energies, etc.) create problems in our lives in a very subtle manner such as financial or marital problems.The capturing of paranormal activity on film or the ability to see an out-of-focus face of a ghost is just the tip of the iceberg in the understanding of the subtle-dimension. In short, it is a very superficial level of understanding, about the activity of ghosts. As our sixth sense (subtle perception ability) develops we begin to understand and perceive this activity in more detail along with why it is happening.Let us examine the various progressively deeper levels of sixth sense (subtle-perception) with regards to this paranormal world of ghosts.
From the diagram above we will realise that that there are many levels of perception about an attack by ghosts. In order to perceive the various different levels of causative factors, we need exponentially increasing sixth sense ability. .Some seekers doing spiritual practice under guidance of the Spiritual Science Research Foundation (SSRF), have such an activated sixth sense and can perceive and report the following details about ghosts and their activities.
The depth of ability to perceive paranormal activity with our sixth sense
Quite often we come across pictures or photographs on the Internet that have captured images of ghosts. These photographs provide a blurred glimpse into paranormal activity around us. The truth is that we are almost all the time impacted by ghosts (demons, devils, negative energies, etc.) whether we are aware of it or not. In some cases, the impact might be quite dramatic such as a possessed person behaving in a violent manner or an experience of being sexually assaulted at night by an unseen entity. In other cases, ghosts (demons, devils, negative energies, etc.) create problems in our lives in a very subtle manner such as financial or marital problems.The capturing of paranormal activity on film or the ability to see an out-of-focus face of a ghost is just the tip of the iceberg in the understanding of the subtle-dimension. In short, it is a very superficial level of understanding, about the activity of ghosts. As our sixth sense (subtle perception ability) develops we begin to understand and perceive this activity in more detail along with why it is happening.Let us examine the various progressively deeper levels of sixth sense (subtle-perception) with regards to this paranormal world of ghosts.
- Level 1: At this level, we are able to perceive through our sixth sense the gross impact of the ghosts (demons, devils, negative energies, etc.) – this could be in the form of an understanding of the subtle causation of a specific problem like marital disharmony or a scratch on skin or wall without apparent cause etc to be due to ghosts. For the purposes of understanding the relative difference between the various levels, let us consider the ability to perceive at this level as 1 unit. The various types of images of ghosts captured on photographic film would fall in between level 1 and 2.
- Level 2: At this level we are able to perceive the superficial or gross details of the subtle form of the ghosts (demons, devils, negative energies, etc.). For example, we can see what the ghost looks like in detail. Compared to level 1, the relative sixth sense ability one would need to perceive this, would be equivalent to 1000 units.
- Level 3: Here we are able to perceive the details of the mind of a ghost (demon, devil, negative energy, etc.) i.e. the feelings and emotions of the ghost. For example, we may perceive that the ghost is looking angrily at the affected person. The added sixth sense ability needed to perceive this would be equivalent to 100,000 units as compared to level one.
- Level 4: At an even higher level, we are able to perceive the details of the intellect of the ghost (demon, devil, negative energy, etc.) like for example, the ghost is attacking the person with a specific subtle-weapon. This sixth sense ability would be equivalent to 10 million units as compared to level one.
- Level 5: Understanding the reason for the specific act of the ghost. This ability would be equivalent to 1 billion units.
- Level 6: Perceiving the superior ghost or subtle-sorcerer (māntrik) that has ordered the lower level ghost to attack the affected person and the still superior subtle-sorcerer who has ordered the superior ghost and who provides the black energy necessary for this distress giving process. This ability would be equivalent to infinity. Only God or He (at the highest spiritual level) who has merged with God can know such details.
- The type of ghost (demon, devils, negative energy, etc.) – whether robot/puppet – like common ghost and their number (how many ghosts are involved in that particular attack).
- The subtle-region that the attacking ghosts belong to.
- The quantity (percentage) of black energy used by the ghost (demon, devils, negative energy, etc.)
- The actual particular act of attack/affliction.
- Objective of attack.
- Mechanism of action of the attack:
- Use of the five Absolute Cosmic Principles (Panchatattva) and their proportion
- Use of subtle occult science, mantras, etc
- Use of various elements of black energy like subtle skulls, vertebrae, etc.
- Actual act of attack and its salient features
- Whether they are aided by other ghosts in attacking the affected person.
- Gross and subtle effects of the subtle-attack.
- Decrease in black energy of ghosts.
Thanks to [MENTION=6281]CrazyBeautiful[/MENTION] for the new avatar! I love it! :wave:
1. Spiritual definition of ego
From a spiritual perspective, ego means considering oneself to be distinct from others and God due to identification with the physical body and impressions in various centres of the subtle body. In short ego is leading our life as per the thinking that our existence is limited to our 5 senses, mind, and intellect and identifying with them to various degrees.As per the science of Spirituality, our true state of existence is identification with the Soul or God-principle within us and living our day to day life with this consciousness. As the one and same God-principle exists within all, from a spiritual perspective there is unity in all Creation.However, depending on the level of our ego, we identify with the God-principle within us, i.e. the Soul to varying degrees. If our ego is high, we identify less with the Soul or the God-principle within us.2. Ego from a psychological perspective
In layman’s terms one can define ego as pride about oneself. Thoughts such as my body and mind, my intellect, my life, my wealth, my wife and children, I should acquire happiness, etc. arise from ego alone.Ego, awareness of the self, pride, conceit and ‘i’ness are words related to the word ‘ego or aham’ but on a psychological plane.3. Drawing based on subtle-knowledge of a person having ego
The following is a drawing based on subtle-knowledge of a person with ego. It has been drawn by a seeker of SSRF with highly advanced sixth sense, extrasensory perception or ESP. The dark covering seen around the Soul is the ego of the person. As the ego of this person is high he does not identify with the Soul. Due to the ego a covering of black energy has collected around him. Also when one’s ego is high the flow of grace from God is blocked.
Broadly, there are two types of ego; God’s ego and human ego.1. God’s ego
This is a state of no ego, i.e. the ego of the person is literally 0. This state is found in Saints of 100% spiritual level when they are in a completely thoughtless state, merged with God. The ‘i’ness of such a person in this state of complete communion with God, is totally merged with the God-principle, i.e. there is no ‘i’ness. Hence all tasks that happen through such a person are mere acts (kriyā) not actions (karma) as they happen totally as per God’s wish. The hallmark of the mental state of such Saints is that they are in a perpetual state of Bliss (Ānand) even in the face of extreme adversity in their worldly lives.2. Human ego
Human ego is again broadly divided into 2 subtypes:2.1 Pure ego
This is a state where traces of ego are seen in Saints of the highest order when they are not in complete communion with God. These Saints have just a mere awareness of one’s existence. This trace ego is required for the sustenance of body functions.
- Pure ego can be understood as having the following attitudes :
- Considering oneself to be distinct or separate from Brahman (God principle), that is harbouring awareness of the self through duality.
- Having awareness of one’s existence.
- Harbouring the spiritual emotion (bhāv) that ‘I belong to others and all are mine’.
This type of ego is what most of us experience. Almost all of us identify with our physical body, or feelings and emotions and feel pride in our intellect. This is due to various impressions in the centres of the subtle-body like temperamental characteristics, desires, likes and dislikes, etc.Refer to the presentation on the functional structure of the mind.Depending on thoughts and emotions, this ego can be either sāttvik (Sattva predominant), rājasik (Rajapredominant) or tāmasik (Tama predominant).
- Tamasik ego: The ego which is subtle basic Tama component predominant is called tamasik ego, e.g. believing only in one’s own capability.
- Rajasik ego: Subtle basic Raja component predominant ego is called rajasik ego, e.g. constantly striving for happiness.
- Sattvik ego: Ego which is predominant in the subtle basic Sattva component is called sattvik ego, e.g. ego about sacrifice is sattvik in nature.
On a scale of 0-100%, the ego of God or Saints at 100% spiritual level, when in a state of complete communion with God, is 0%. The ego of the subtle-sorcerer (māntrik) of the highest strength from the 7th region of Hell (Pātāl) is 100%. On this scale, the ego of an average individual is 30%. Adolf Hitler’s ego was 60%.(Please note that by ‘average individual’ we mean a person who is average spiritually. In his worldly life this individual could be a rich or poor person, a head of state or a common working class individual.)Depending on the proportion, ego can be classified as follows:
An interesting article! Thanks!
It reminds me of the studies being done (and I know I have posted it somewhere on this thread) where one person is behind another (of varying distances) and they are told to either stare at the subject or not....then the subject is asked if the person is staring at them or not....the results were leaning toward persons having an innate sense (or a sixth sense) in regards to someone staring.
One would think that it would be purely chance or good guessing, but the tests have been repeated thousands of times now with the same results - we humans DO know when someone is staring at us somehow...perhaps it has to do with magnetic fields....maybe a collective consciousness...hopefully they will figure it out and open up a whole new arena of possibility.
So next time you feel that tinge on the back of your neck, make sure you turn around really fast and glare at them....lolol!
So next time you feel that tinge on the back of your neck, make sure you turn around really fast and glare at them....lolol!
Yep, because even if you dont get it right the first 10 times turn around an no one is looking at you, that 10th time that someone is will make it worth it.
On Joy and Sorrow
Kahlil Gibran
Your joy is your sorrow unmasked.
And the selfsame well from which your laughter rises was oftentimes filled with your tears.
And how else can it be?
The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain.
Is not the cup that holds your wine the very cup that was burned in the potter's oven?
And is not the lute that soothes your spirit, the very wood that was hollowed with knives?
When you are joyous, look deep into your heart and you shall find it is only that which has given you sorrow that is giving you joy.
When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.
Some of you say, "Joy is greater thar sorrow," and others say, "Nay, sorrow is the greater."
But I say unto you, they are inseparable.
Together they come, and when one sits, alone with you at your board, remember that the other is asleep upon your bed.
Verily you are suspended like scales between your sorrow and your joy.
Only when you are empty are you at standstill and balanced.
When the treasure-keeper lifts you to weigh his gold and his silver, needs must your joy or your sorrow rise or fall.
Kahlil Gibran
Your joy is your sorrow unmasked.
And the selfsame well from which your laughter rises was oftentimes filled with your tears.
And how else can it be?
The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain.
Is not the cup that holds your wine the very cup that was burned in the potter's oven?
And is not the lute that soothes your spirit, the very wood that was hollowed with knives?
When you are joyous, look deep into your heart and you shall find it is only that which has given you sorrow that is giving you joy.
When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.
Some of you say, "Joy is greater thar sorrow," and others say, "Nay, sorrow is the greater."
But I say unto you, they are inseparable.
Together they come, and when one sits, alone with you at your board, remember that the other is asleep upon your bed.
Verily you are suspended like scales between your sorrow and your joy.
Only when you are empty are you at standstill and balanced.
When the treasure-keeper lifts you to weigh his gold and his silver, needs must your joy or your sorrow rise or fall.
Kamilah, Kahlil's mother. Painting by Kahlil Gibran
If anyone is interested, here is a link to “The Prophet” (containing the above text and more) by Kahlil Gibran
http://www.katsandogz.com/gibran.html
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The 10 Lies We Tell Ourselves
“The worst lies are the lies we tell ourselves. We live in denial of what we do, even what we think. We do this because we’re afraid. We fear we will not find love, and when we find it, we fear we’ll lose it. We fear that if we don’t have love we will be unhappy.” ~Richard Bach
Most of us don’t like liars. In fact, we often feel offended, even angry, when another person lies to us. But the truth is, we lie to ourselves every day. We engage in negative self talk and thought patterns that inhibit our personal growth and limit our ability to live a full and grounded life. We deserve to live life fully, to experience all of the joy and mystery that life has to offer. The first step towards this way of being is awareness. If we can become aware of the ways in which we are lying to ourselves, we can begin to filter our thoughts in a productive way. Here I have listed 10 lies that we need to stop telling ourselves in order to push past our own limitations and begin to enjoy the totality of living for which we are destined.
1. MY PAST WILL ALWAYS HAUNT ME.
Correction- you’re past can haunt you if you let it. But no, you’re not doomed to spend the rest of your life desperately seeking love from anyone who will show it to you because of a parent who never did. The very thing you’re doing at this moment – self-reflection, questioning old thought patterns – is a great step in the direction of change. Next time, before you indulge a groundless belief or fear, ask yourself, “What is the source of my information?” If the answer is- as it usually is- “I thought it up,” then you should dismiss the idea. Remember, when you hold onto your history, you do so at the expense of your destiny.
2. SUCCESS IS THE OPPOSITE OF FAILURE.
There are no failures, just results. Even if things don’t unfold the way you expected, don’t give up. Learn what you can and keep moving. The one who continues to advance in this way, one step at a time, is the one who ultimately wins in the end. The battle is always won long before the final victory. It’s a mindset. Success is a process that consists of small steps, decisions, and actions that gradually build upon each other.
3. IF ONLY I HAD (FILL IN BLANK), I WOULD BE HAPPY.
There are two ways of being rich in happiness: One is to have all you want, the other is to be satisfied with all you have. I’ll give you a hint: both ways are the same. If you accept and appreciate things now, you’ll find more happiness. Happiness comes when you stop complaining about the troubles you have and start offering thanks for all the troubles you don’t have. So next time you catch yourself thinking about all the things you want that you haven’t gotten, think instead about all the things you don’t want that you haven’t gotten. And be grateful.
4. A CRISIS IS A BAD THING.
As John F Kennedy once said, “The Chinese symbol for the word “crisis” is written using two strokes of a pen. One stroke stands for danger, and the other for opportunity. In a crisis, beware of the danger, but also recognize the opportunity.” Life always balances itself out. Every challenge, problem, and difficulty that arises is simply another opportunity for you to learn and grow.
5. I’M TOO OLD FOR THAT.
You are never too old to go after what you want. Nelson Mandela was 76 when he became president. Leonardo Da Vinci was 51 years old when he painted the Mona Lisa. Dr. Seuss was 54 when he wrote The Cat in the Hat. Colonel Sanders was 61 when he started the KFC Franchise. There are countless other examples. Everyone is on their own timeline. And you are never too old or too young to fulfill your calling.
6. THAT PERSON (FILL IN THE BLANK) HAS IT SO MUCH EASIER THAN ME.
So many people believe this. But it’s simply not true. The truth is, you have no idea what that person’s life is about! Everyone is exploring and struggling in their own way. Nobody was handed a manual or an instruction guide for life – everyone is trying to figure it out just the same way you are. I once heard someone say if we all threw our problems into a pile in the middle of a room and were forced to choose one, we would scramble to retrieve our own.
7. IT IS BETTER TO GIVE THAN TO RECEIVE.
It’s a nice thought and useful if you’re a particularly self-centered individual but I don’t think it’s true. Maybe we can replace that lie with, “It’s better to give AND receive.” Because neither is “better” than the other. They are in balance. It’s simple math, for every giver there must be a receiver. And to take it one step further, giving is psychologically easier than receiving because there’s no sense of self worth needed to give. You can give the best parts of yourself away because you don’t feel worthy of having them. But to be willing to receive means you feel worthy of accepting gifts from others.
8. I CAN DO IT TOMORROW.
Maybe one of the most frequent lies we tell ourselves. But we all know it’s not true! The trouble is, you always think you have more time than you do. But one day you will wake up and there won’t be any more time to work on the things you’ve always wanted to do. No one knows what the future holds and what good does it do to live in the “one of these days” mindset? The life you have is today and the time to live it is now. Besides, if we all waited until we were ready, we would never get anything done!
9. HAPPINESS IS THE FOUNDATION OF MY WELL-BEING.
We tell ourselves over and over again, “I need to be happy.” We question ourselves, “Why aren’t you happy?!” But the truth is, emotions are emotions are emotions. Sad, angry, lonely, scared, they are not bad things! Instead of telling ourselves we need to stay happy, we ought to be letting ourselves feel however we do at any given moment. This kind of permission to feel as we feel — not continuous happiness — is the foundation of your well-being.
10. IT’S WRONG TO BE SELF-CENTERED.
Sometimes being selfish is healthy. We could all learn to say, “no” every now and then. And stop apologizing all the time. It’s your life! Your emotions! Your choices! So choose what’s best for you. And stop caring what other people think about your decisions. If/when it comes down to choosing between someone else or something else and yourself, always choose yourself.
“The worst lies are the lies we tell ourselves. We live in denial of what we do, even what we think. We do this because we’re afraid. We fear we will not find love, and when we find it, we fear we’ll lose it. We fear that if we don’t have love we will be unhappy.” ~Richard Bach
Most of us don’t like liars. In fact, we often feel offended, even angry, when another person lies to us. But the truth is, we lie to ourselves every day. We engage in negative self talk and thought patterns that inhibit our personal growth and limit our ability to live a full and grounded life. We deserve to live life fully, to experience all of the joy and mystery that life has to offer. The first step towards this way of being is awareness. If we can become aware of the ways in which we are lying to ourselves, we can begin to filter our thoughts in a productive way. Here I have listed 10 lies that we need to stop telling ourselves in order to push past our own limitations and begin to enjoy the totality of living for which we are destined.
1. MY PAST WILL ALWAYS HAUNT ME.
Correction- you’re past can haunt you if you let it. But no, you’re not doomed to spend the rest of your life desperately seeking love from anyone who will show it to you because of a parent who never did. The very thing you’re doing at this moment – self-reflection, questioning old thought patterns – is a great step in the direction of change. Next time, before you indulge a groundless belief or fear, ask yourself, “What is the source of my information?” If the answer is- as it usually is- “I thought it up,” then you should dismiss the idea. Remember, when you hold onto your history, you do so at the expense of your destiny.
2. SUCCESS IS THE OPPOSITE OF FAILURE.
There are no failures, just results. Even if things don’t unfold the way you expected, don’t give up. Learn what you can and keep moving. The one who continues to advance in this way, one step at a time, is the one who ultimately wins in the end. The battle is always won long before the final victory. It’s a mindset. Success is a process that consists of small steps, decisions, and actions that gradually build upon each other.
3. IF ONLY I HAD (FILL IN BLANK), I WOULD BE HAPPY.
There are two ways of being rich in happiness: One is to have all you want, the other is to be satisfied with all you have. I’ll give you a hint: both ways are the same. If you accept and appreciate things now, you’ll find more happiness. Happiness comes when you stop complaining about the troubles you have and start offering thanks for all the troubles you don’t have. So next time you catch yourself thinking about all the things you want that you haven’t gotten, think instead about all the things you don’t want that you haven’t gotten. And be grateful.
4. A CRISIS IS A BAD THING.
As John F Kennedy once said, “The Chinese symbol for the word “crisis” is written using two strokes of a pen. One stroke stands for danger, and the other for opportunity. In a crisis, beware of the danger, but also recognize the opportunity.” Life always balances itself out. Every challenge, problem, and difficulty that arises is simply another opportunity for you to learn and grow.
5. I’M TOO OLD FOR THAT.
You are never too old to go after what you want. Nelson Mandela was 76 when he became president. Leonardo Da Vinci was 51 years old when he painted the Mona Lisa. Dr. Seuss was 54 when he wrote The Cat in the Hat. Colonel Sanders was 61 when he started the KFC Franchise. There are countless other examples. Everyone is on their own timeline. And you are never too old or too young to fulfill your calling.
6. THAT PERSON (FILL IN THE BLANK) HAS IT SO MUCH EASIER THAN ME.
So many people believe this. But it’s simply not true. The truth is, you have no idea what that person’s life is about! Everyone is exploring and struggling in their own way. Nobody was handed a manual or an instruction guide for life – everyone is trying to figure it out just the same way you are. I once heard someone say if we all threw our problems into a pile in the middle of a room and were forced to choose one, we would scramble to retrieve our own.
7. IT IS BETTER TO GIVE THAN TO RECEIVE.
It’s a nice thought and useful if you’re a particularly self-centered individual but I don’t think it’s true. Maybe we can replace that lie with, “It’s better to give AND receive.” Because neither is “better” than the other. They are in balance. It’s simple math, for every giver there must be a receiver. And to take it one step further, giving is psychologically easier than receiving because there’s no sense of self worth needed to give. You can give the best parts of yourself away because you don’t feel worthy of having them. But to be willing to receive means you feel worthy of accepting gifts from others.
8. I CAN DO IT TOMORROW.
Maybe one of the most frequent lies we tell ourselves. But we all know it’s not true! The trouble is, you always think you have more time than you do. But one day you will wake up and there won’t be any more time to work on the things you’ve always wanted to do. No one knows what the future holds and what good does it do to live in the “one of these days” mindset? The life you have is today and the time to live it is now. Besides, if we all waited until we were ready, we would never get anything done!
9. HAPPINESS IS THE FOUNDATION OF MY WELL-BEING.
We tell ourselves over and over again, “I need to be happy.” We question ourselves, “Why aren’t you happy?!” But the truth is, emotions are emotions are emotions. Sad, angry, lonely, scared, they are not bad things! Instead of telling ourselves we need to stay happy, we ought to be letting ourselves feel however we do at any given moment. This kind of permission to feel as we feel — not continuous happiness — is the foundation of your well-being.
10. IT’S WRONG TO BE SELF-CENTERED.
Sometimes being selfish is healthy. We could all learn to say, “no” every now and then. And stop apologizing all the time. It’s your life! Your emotions! Your choices! So choose what’s best for you. And stop caring what other people think about your decisions. If/when it comes down to choosing between someone else or something else and yourself, always choose yourself.
Currently I'm too old for _________. Hahahahaha.... let's face it....some days the body just can't handle it.
I love what John F Kennedy said. It took me a long time to understand that dynamic of life. I was taught to always "brace" myself for what was coming which was always perceived as painful. I have noticed I clench my body whenever this very old and deeply ingrained lesson takes over me before I'm aware of it.
Take for example when one knows they're about to receive a shot. Don't we normally tense up and brace our self? Yet the opposite action will produce a very less painful if not painless experience. Whenever I drive over bumpy and uneven dirt roads I have learned when I relax my body through my hips area - the shaking and swaying of my car does not hurt my back or anything. Yet years before when I drove the same road it would hurt my body somewhere.
Now - wheverever I go - whomever I'm with - I seek to be in a relaxed state of Being - both in body and mind - and I help them to move toward that state as well.
This way the opportunity has a chance to present itself and I notice it.
The other one that really hits home with me is the tired line "Tis better to give than receive". ohmygod that is the one of the most evil teachings to have been passed down to us. We should have a discussion about that one.
I'm off to drive up to Dallas (4 hr drive) to buy a used pretty red Dodge cummins diesel truck. We plan to use this pull a travel trailer one day.