Thursday, February 10, 2011

Higher self

Photo courtesy of Bing images

You don't have a soul. You are a Soul. You have a body ~ C. S. Lewis
How's that for a powerful statement?!  Quotes often prompt blog articles for me.  I've had this quote saved to my drafts file for several weeks, waiting for all the thoughts to coalesce. 

I was speaking with a friend on the phone recently who is going through some personal struggles.  He was focused quite a lot on dissecting specific words down to their most minute definitions, nuances and applications.  I do that myself, as I always enjoy how written language can change with the slightest emphasis on a syllable, or depending upon how that specific word is used in a sentence.  Stringing words together into a quote such as the one above will have me pondering all the layers and directions and possibilities, and quite often, will open my eyes and mind up to a perspective I might not have come up with on my own.

We do lose sight of our origins, this is a daily truth.  Being on the front lines of this Earth School bombards us with all the raw emotions and experiences that are meant to mold our character, grow us up and refine all the rough edges.  Small wonder that we forget that we are Spirit in essence, merely housed in a physical container.  It is human nature to think in corporeal terms, because we're in a physical reality!

But taking time to remember our own Divinity is worthwhile.  We can't remain here in the physical plane forever, that much is an absolute for this reality.  It is a temporary gift we're given, being able to incarnate here and interact with all the wonderful people around us, to be able to feel, hear, think and express ourselves in a human manner.  I often wonder what the beauty must be in the non-physical plane, as what we are capable of producing here has breathtaking expression. 

When I meditate, there are moments when my consciousness is able to connect at a level that gives me glimpses of that non-physical plane.  Occasionally, I am able to shift my consciousness and step outside of my physical body, and those experiences are transcendent.  As a child, I can remember reading a great deal about Helen Keller and the fact that, despite her physical limitations with sight and hearing, she was able to shift her consciousness and travel great distances with meditation.  She was able to describe other countries in clear detail, down to colors, textures and scents.  When asked how this could be possible, her reply was, (paraphrased here) "My body is blind and deaf, but my Spirit isn't."

Similarly, a story I remember hearing of President Reagan's family caring for him in the final stages of Alzheimer's disease was that his daughter, Patty, would spend hours talking with him each day.  At that point in his disease, he had lost the ability to speak, and doctors were unsure if he could hear conversation around him.  His daughter continued to have her one-sided conversations with him each day.  When asked why she bothered by a medical technician, her reply (again, paraphrased here) was, "His body has Alzheimer's disease, but his Spirit doesn't.  I'm positive he can hear me, so that's why I do this each day."

These several quotes cobbled together in my mind and made me wonder, what is to stop each of us from having similar conversations with ourselves?  Many esoteric tenets hold the belief that we have an Over Soul, or Higher Consciousness.  Some believe that we can tap into our own thread that is connected to the Universal Consciousness, or that which we might label God, and that at that level, our Spirit, or Soul, is the culmination of all of our best, strongest, most noble achievements.  Call it our own personal spiritual anchor, or bellwether of sorts. 

Most of us are comfortable with the process of prayer; some prefer to access that Higher Consciousness through meditation.  I've said many times before that when we are creative or loving, or happy, we are expressing something Divine with our actions.  Why not take time, then, to remember that we truly are that Soul, housed temporarily in a physical body.....and recognize that as such, our Spirit form is supremely powerful and capable of guiding us in the most pure form?  When I remember to do this, I find that my days are much clearer.  Energy flows better and I am in a very present state.  Solutions to problems are more easily discovered, and connections to people who I am meant to find, interact with and teach and learn from seem to manifest effortlessly. 

It is the days that I forget and focus on just being human, wrestling my way through all the front lines activity of a given "battlefield" that life is much more challenging.  Another good friend, a Buddhist, always gives me these amazing quotes that she learns from her spiritual teachers.  Life is as simple, or as difficult as we make it.  That's not a tough concept to read and absorb, but it certainly can be challenging to NOT make life difficult!  I know I excel at that very thing!  Coming back to quiet, taking time to be with myself and remembering who and what I am.....a being of spiritual energy that is connected to the Divine....this is where and when Life flows much more easily. 

So, I do remind myself of Mr. Lewis's quote above.  I am a Soul.  Inhabiting a physical body, yes, but consciously reminding myself that there is so much more than this immediate physical plane of existence. 

What are your thoughts on this C.S. Lewis quote?  Do you take those small moments to reconnect with your own Higher Consciousness?  What method of approach works best for you?  There are no right or wrong answers to these questions; I'm just curious and I know I will value the comments that each of you take time to write here.

Namaste'. 

10 comments:

  1. Hi
    I think the reason I love photography is that when I am photographing anything I am actually in touch with my inner being or higher Conciousness. It is those moments when I feel at ease and at one with the universe especially when I am out in nature photographing a landscape or animal. I started Following you ( I thought I already was but I guess not)
    Jim
    http://jpweddingphotograpy.blogspot.com/

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  2. Hi Jim, and thanks for following my blog! I love your thoughts on your creative side being your conduit to your Higher Consciousness. It's such a personal thing, and we all have different avenues of approach to tap into that place of peace - I find it infinitely interesting to hear other peoples' thoughts on this topic. Thank you for sharing yours! I will share in return that when I view a lot of your photography, I feel that same sense of pleasure and ease. So, your own energies spill over as a result of you tapping in, per se. Pretty cool, when you think about how that creates an energetic loop!

    Namaste',

    Dawn

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  3. Dear Dawn:

    A beautifully written post. I can see the power of that quote manifested in your writings and experience. I firmly believe everything you have shared in this post. Conversations with myself and also looking up at the stars enable me to feel one with every entity. As you have mentioned in reply to Jim's comment, all of us have our personal ways of connecting with the higher power.

    Thanks for this very lovely post.

    Joy always,
    Susan

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  4. Dawn, such a well written article! I, as Jim stated, feel connected and secure behind my camera lens, although I don't get as much time to spending shooting as I would like.
    Most times, I am in a small room at my computer. I have my daily conversations (or some may refer to it as prayer) with God. I spend a great deal of time reviewing past experiences and future plans seeking answers, or guidance to allow myself to be at peace.

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  5. Your thoughts and meditations here, centered around the words of C.S. Lewis, flow with beauty, meaning, and grace.
    I am in more in touch with my true self in dreams, as they bypass the ego and reach the heart in ways that my intellect never could. Numinous dreams teach me who I am, reveal my deepest fears, and are often instructional - and have been prophetic at times. They guide me toward higher ground and show me truth when outer reality falls short. The unconscious mind, if we honor our dreams, reveals our Spirit nature, apart from the masks we wear in waking hours. At least this has been my reality. Meditation is another avenue that has helped me center and become more conscious of who I am and my purpose for being in this Earth School.

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  6. Susan, thank you for your comment! Looking up at the stars...ahhh, what a lovely experience! One of your recent posts prompted that very same memory for me from childhood. It's such a peaceful way to reconnect with your Spirit. Thank you for reminding me of this practice, dear one! I so enjoy your comments and your own blog. :)

    Mary, I enjoy the meditative process of amateur photography as well. Like you, I don't find time to dedicate to it very often these days, but I have promised myself a really good camera in the near future. I also have those daily conversations w/ God, and they bring me to that soft level of calmness. Thank you for your thoughts and comment! :)

    Debra, aren't dreams just the most interesting way that Spirit communicates w/ us?! I keep a handwritten journal that I write about random thoughts, chronicle my life in, record ideas for future manuscripts, jot down quotes that touch me profoundly, and I also record dreams there. I find guidance in my dreams also, and quite often recognize what you mentioned - that prophetic abilities are clearly there when I take time to focus and decipher the messages contained in those dreams. Thank you for sharing your own Life Path and experiences with me here! I so enjoy your own gift with words.

    Namaste' to you all! <3

    Dawn

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  7. A very worthwhile read and I connected immediately with the thoughts expressed here. Like the other JIM says, I find while creating shoes that my mind is on another level , thought is at its most creative.
    As Debra has commented upon dreams- I have moved away from those dreams of future insight or knowledge, and got to a stage where I have experienced several 'in the moment' experiences as I'm sure you've read on my site.
    I used to have dreams that foretold events. But I saw them through someone else who was there. It's possible that when dreaming, we may connect with another and dream their experience, hence many of our dreams we don'tt take cognisance of, because they never happen to us.
    Our dreams may be another person's real experiences.

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  8. Jim, I really hope to see you face to face someday. I love how your mind works! You delve into the layers of thoughts presented on any topic and you prompt me to think more deeply as a result. I absolutely agree w/ you that we connect in a very real manner with others on the Dream Plane. It is there and then that I experience very vivid dreams that are full of intent and strong messages. I just have to be mindful and purposeful in how I interpret those messages.

    Thank you again for such a wonderful comment! :)

    Namaste',

    Dawn

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  9. Your post and the C.S. Lewis quote remind me of another well-known quote: “We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.” - Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

    I'm still learning how to connect to my "higher consciousness", but so far meditation works best for me. I also had some recent experiences with Reiki, which brought my experience to a whole other level. It's a continual journey, but I'm definitely grateful for it.

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  10. Spirit that moves me, I apologize for not addressing you by your first name! I just finished visiting & following your blog & left you a comment on your current post.

    I love the quote by de Chardin you shared. I've read it many times over the years & it always resonates strongly.

    Reiki is a fascinating modality & I'm glad you've been given the chance to experience how it can shift & balance your energies! Meditation is my preferred approach also, and I've rededicated my attention to daily practice recently. It definitely is a continual journey & I love the lessons I absorb from it. Thank you for visiting, reading & sharing your thoughts w/ me today!

    Namaste',

    Dawn

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