Lesson 4. Understanding Higher-Consciousness

Transcription

1 Lesson 4 Understanding Higher-Consciousness

2 Imagine if you took the time to genuinely look at your Higher Self. Often we don t want to look because what we would see is so amazing, so fabulous, so dazzling it almost defies any description with mere words. What would you see? Would you respond with powerful emotions and feelings? This feels like the perfect place to share a quotation by Marianne Williamson from her book, A Return to Love. She writes: "...Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we're liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others..." When you begin accepting and embracing your power and magnificence, letting your light shine in the ways your soul is meant to, you will being vibrating at a higher level. Higher Consciousness, also called Super consciousness, Christ consciousness, or Cosmic consciousness is generally regarded as a developed state of

3 consciousness in which attention is improved, refined and enhanced and aspects of the mind (such as thought and perception) are transcended. It is considered thus to be a higher level of consciousness relative to ordinary consciousness, in the sense that a greater awareness of reality is achieved. In a secular context, higher consciousness is usually associated with exceptional control over one's mind and will, intellectual and moral enlightenment, and profound personal growth. In a spiritual context, it may also be associated with transcendence, spiritual enlightenment, and union with the divine. Higher Consciousness is spiritual/mystical awareness. There are many progressive, sublime levels of higher consciousness which you can experience as you learn how to daily transcend your normal mind with its thoughts about past, present and future to enter the infinite, unlimited part of your being. Higher Consciousness is ever-increasing awareness of your spiritual essence, the meaning of life and of the underlying spiritual nature in all things. In elevating your awareness beyond your normal thought processes you can experience your true nature and potential. It is the least understood and least accessed aspect of consciousness because it does not belong to the physical or mental realm. Its domain is the spiritual realm. It is the You that is All-Knowing and All-Powerful and is the same in kind as the One Universal Mind. It is the You that is beyond not only the physical world but also the emotions of your mental world. Your higher self does not distinguish between good or bad, wrong or right, happy or sad - not because it is unable to but because it has no need to. It is the You that knows only balance. It is the You that is only true Love. It is the eternal observer. It is absolute stillness. Your Reality is An Illusion: Your higher consciousness knows that the physical, outside world you experience as your reality "is an illusion, albeit a very persistent one" as Einstein told us. It knows that your circumstances, whether wanted or unwanted, are simply a reflection of your inner world which itself is a product of your thoughts. It knows that your reality is the mirror that allows your consciousness to experience itself. In this knowledge, your higher consciousness is

4 always still and at peace. It observes your success and your failure, your joy and your pain, your light and your dark and is not disturbed by anything. Ultimately, it knows that it is all a dream. To be clear, let's distinguish the three levels - the Subconscious-Mind, Conscious- Mind and the Higher-Conscious. The distinction is imperative to understanding consciousness. Were the subconscious mind all-powerful and all-knowing it could not be subjected to negative programs for it would know better. The term sub itself tells you that it is below the conscious mind. In fact, it is the lesser counterpart in the hierarchy of consciousness and is what we have in common with the plant and mineral kingdoms albeit at varying degrees. In contrast, higher consciousness is above all. It is truly Omnipotent and Omniscient for it is One with the One Universal Mind. Like the subconscious mind, it is also subjective in nature, not though because it cannot distinguish between the opposites but rather, because it is above them. Having distinguished between the three aspects of consciousness, it must be said that the distinction is for your better understanding only. In truth though, there is no separation in mind there is no dividing line. All three aspects are One - varying degrees of a singular Mind, itself pure energy vibrating at different frequencies. Ultimately the Universal Laws of Mentalism and Vibration tell us that all is mind and that the entire Universe is vibrating energy. This also means that higher consciousness is not something you need to acquire or look for outside of yourself. You already possess it. All you need to do is become consciously aware of it and learn to access it. In a nutshell, consciousness forms the foundation of the power of your mind. Although there are three distinguishable aspects of consciousness, all three are one. The difference essentially comes down to reason. The subconscious mind cannot reason, the conscious mind is reason, and higher consciousness need not reason. In other words, where your conscious mind is the commander and your subconscious mind the subject, your higher consciousness is your kingdom. It is in reference to your higher self that Jesus Christ said "the kingdom of heaven is

5 within". When you learn to consciously program your subconscious mind under the protection of your conscious mind and the direction of your higher self, you will see miraculous transformation in all areas of your life. HIGHER - CONSCIOUSNESS OR CHRIST- CONSCIOUSNESS AS A NATURAL PHENOMENON Edgar Cayce reported to have received a definition of Christ consciousness from the Akashic Records. The definition is the awareness within each soul, imprinted in pattern on the mind and waiting to be awakened by the will, of the soul s oneness with God. There are, of course, various stages of Christ consciousness, and we can reach those stages gradually or very quickly. Unfortunately, many people trick themselves. They have an idea that the development of the spiritual faculties leading to Christ consciousness is a breakaway from the natural phenomena of life. This is not so, and to think so is to be tricked by the forces of deceit and by those who would deliberately confuse the issues turning light into darkness and darkness into light. The apostle Paul revealed a formula that is truly wonderful. He said that we must put off the old man of the flesh and put on the new man of the Spirit. Some spiritual seekers take this to mean that all of our mundaneness and humanness must be put away. When, in their own opinion, they have "put off the old man," they begin to criticize their brothers and sisters on the spiritual path. You must be extremely careful that in your desire to develop the Higher/Christ consciousness that you do not criticize, condemn and judge others. For criticism repels Christ consciousness. And when you criticize, you incur karma that you must one day undo. You must also remove your blocks one of these would be judgment. Don't judge people, because that s a block that causes a diversion that will take you away from the source of Christ consciousness. You have to remember that people are rising in consciousness all the time. If your thoughts about them are not good

6 and you decide they don't have Christ consciousness because of something they are doing, you are putting a stumbling block in their pathway. Your thoughts have wings. They fly to the person you are thinking about and they lodge in his desire body. At a certain point, when the human smog level gets dense and your negative thoughts begin to accumulate in that person's world, your little thought may be the straw that breaks the camel's back of his desire to do right. So, it is always best to withhold judgment. That doesn't mean, however, that you shouldn't exercise your powers of discernment. Discernment is a quality of the Christ and a quality of Christ consciousness. Next is awareness - you must never forget that your senses show you a fundamentally flawed view of reality. You are shown pictures of separate objects, people and events. However you must stay in constant awareness and remembrance of the fact that what you are shown is not what really exists. It is only an interpretation or perception of something. You have the power to take charge of your mind so that it projects the movie you want to see, but to change what you see with your two eyes, you must first change what you see with your third eye. You see the kingdom of God is within man. The only difference is that you are taking full responsibility for creating your kingdom as the divine being you are instead of continuing to believe the illusion. So it's not enough just to have ideas; you have to be able to focus them and apply them. For example, that you should say your prayers at night. It's the doing that counts, not the saying you will. Next are some practices that will help you raise your consciousness: Connect with nature Go for a walk in the forest, jungle, field of daisies, or wherever you feel like getting a connection with nature. It is possible to feel at deep sense of peace and oneness when you attempt to connect with nature. As you learn to connect and appreciate nature, you allow your consciousness to rise up.

7 meditation - Whether you are an advanced meditator or a beginner, the benefits are tremendous and will allow you to tap into your highest state of conscious functioning if you stick around long enough. It is an act that will definitely raise your conscious awareness and allow you to attain greater focus, discipline, and develop a deeper joyous connection to life. Have the intention to raise your consciousness If you have the intention to raise your consciousness and state of awareness, you are on the right track. Having the intention alone will make you more focused on finding ways to raise your consciousness. Take conscious control of your decisions - When you take conscious control of all your decisions, you are actually activating certain neural pathways in your brain that help promote self-control, calmness, and inner peace. Every time you allow others to dictate your decisions or you don t take full conscious responsibility for your decisions, you become slightly conditioned to be less conscious when making choices. Always be open-minded - Being open-minded is a key aspect in the process of becoming a more conscious individual. When you haven t accepted the diversity that our planet has to offer: ranging from different cultures, religions, wildlife, and beliefs, you will stay in your same state of consciousness or drop to a lower state. Being open-minded doesn t only need to be for beliefs either. It can be having an open-mind to try something new such as: a new exercise routine, spiritual practice, or trying a new food. Practice forgiveness - Forgiving yourself can be very difficult sometimes: especially if you are operating in a lower state of consciousness. Realize that in order to rise up, advance, and become a more conscious person, you must be compassionate and forgiving towards yourself. Any hateful thoughts or pent up negative emotions that you may be holding towards yourself need to be released. Negative thoughts and emotions can easily lower our level of consciousness if we do not practice compassion and forgiveness.

8 Connect through prayer The act of simply closing your eyes, folding your hands and saying a prayer will raise your level of consciousness. There are many different ways to practice prayer and there are many different practices, that when combined with prayer, enhance the power of your conscious message. Overall, prayer is a great experience that has potential to aid in your conscious awareness. (more on prayer later) Pursue a path of spirituality - Pursuing a path of spirituality and becoming more spiritual will aid you considerably in the process of becoming a more conscious human being. Never be afraid to add a new spiritual practice to your arsenal you never know what may be most effective or a life changing experience. Choose empowering beliefs - In the process of changing beliefs, choose beliefs that are empowering to your soul. A good way to know what belief will be empowering is to simply ask yourself how you feel about adding the new belief. If you feel a strong connection with a new belief, such as feelings of excitement, it will probably be a very good choice of a belief to implement. Make a conscious effort to purge all beliefs that are less than satisfying. Understand also that as you become a more conscious human being, changing your beliefs will become a much easier, more natural process. Be aware and accepting of your emotions - No matter your current emotions, you will profoundly help yourself if you are accepting of them. Going through life resisting your emotions and trapping them inside yourself makes life much more difficult. Trying to escape from our emotions lowers our awareness. When you accept what you feel and consciously understand why you feel a certain emotion, your level of consciousness rises. Think positive, act positive, be positive - Being a positive influence sets a good example for others and for yourself. Positivity and states of being positive are direct effects of raising your consciousness. I highly recommend trying to be a more positive person in all areas of life; you will notice and feel the beneficial changes in your awareness.

9 Identify with your soul - Realize that at your core, you are a spiritual being who is living in a physical body. In lower stages of consciousness, this concept may seem unrealistic and may be very difficult to grasp. As you become better at identifying with your soul, you become better at working your way up the mountain of consciousness. Face your deepest fears - Are there any fears that you re holding inside that are preventing you from making conscious advancement? At certain stages along the ladder of consciousness, it can be extremely difficult to face your fears. With that said, facing your fears will equip your consciousness with more empowerment and energy. Healthy fears include: giving a speech, singing in front of others, or throwing a party; this would be a great list of fears to go out and conquer! The choice to face these will help you considerably in your ability to make conscious advances. Practice positive affirmations - Affirmations are a bit different than using incantations, though the concepts are very similar. Affirmations are used to change beliefs and thinking patterns. Examples of positive affirmations include: I am healthy, I am positive, and I am intelligent. The primary goal of using affirmations should be to replace unhealthy beliefs and thought patterns with healthier ones; making it easier to scale the mountain of consciousness. (more on affirmations later) Keep your ego in check - The more aware you are of your ego, the easier it is to become more conscious. With that said, as your awareness increases, so does your state of consciousness. The reverse also applies: as your consciousness increases, so does your awareness. Letting your ego get out of control and take the driver s seat in your consciousness has the potential to quickly lower your state of functioning. Taking full control and responsibility to keep your ego in check when faced with adversity will allow you to consciously advance in a much healthier manner.(more on ego later)

10 Shift your conscious focus - Being preoccupied with thoughts of past events and of the future has potential to lead your consciousness in the wrong direction. Focusing your attention on this exact moment (commonly referred to as the now ), however, is a great way to raise your level of awareness. By learning techniques that allow you to shift your awareness to this exact moment, you can work wonders in the process of conscious advancement. Bless everything that happens - There are times throughout life when amazing things happen to us and other times when upsetting events take place. Just like accepting who you are is a great habit to get into, you should also learn to bless everything that happens in your life. No matter how bad an event, it has potential to make a positive impact on your life in the long run. Your ability to bless and appreciate, even what may be initially perceived as a worst case scenario, will ultimately provide you great conscious satisfaction. Be aware of your breathing - Being aware of your breathing means being fully conscious of your breathing pattern. Being aware of how you are breathing is important. Unfortunately, many people are unaware that there is actually a proper way to breathe. A way of breathing that is optimal for your body and brain. Proper breathing involves inhaling through your nose and exhaling through your nose upon every breath. The process of becoming more aware of my breathing through exercises like meditation and conscious breathing have significantly helped me increase my overall level of focus, emotional stability, and level of consciousness (more on breathing later).

11 LESSON 4 EXERCISE: RAISING YOUR CONSCIOUSNESS The following are concepts to begin implementing into your daily life. Each week work with a new one, until you ve moved through all of them. Pay close attention to how you feel, and consider journaling your thoughts. FREEING MYSELF I am freeing myself from security, sensation, and power addictions that make me try to forcefully control situations in my life, and thus destroy my serenity and keep me from loving myself and others. I am discovering how my consciousness-dominating addictions create my illusory version of the changing world of people and situations around me. I welcome the opportunity (even if painful) that my minute-to-minute experience offers me to become aware of the addictions I must reprogram to be liberated from my robot-like emotional patterns. BEING HERE NOW I always remember that I have everything I need to enjoy my here and now unless I am letting my consciousness be dominated by demands and expectations based on the dead past or the imagined future. I take full responsibility here and now for everything I experience, for it is my own programming that creates my actions and also influences the reactions of people around me. I accept myself completely here and now and consciously experience everything I feel, think, say, and do (including my emotion-backed addictions) as a necessary part of my growth into higher consciousness.

12 INTERACTING WITH OTHERS I open myself genuinely to all people by being willing to fully communicate my deepest feelings, since hiding in any degree keeps me stuck in my illusion of separateness from other people. I feel with loving compassion the problems of others without getting caught up emotionally in their predicaments that are offering them messages for their own growth. I act freely when I am tuned in, centered, and loving, but if possible I avoid acting when I am emotionally upset and depriving myself of the wisdom that flows from love and expanded consciousness. DISCOVERING MY CONSCIOUS-AWARENESS I am continually calming the restless scanning of my rational mind in order to perceive the finer energies that enable me to merge with everything around me. I am constantly aware of which of the Seven Centers of Consciousness I am using, and I feel my energy, perceptiveness, love and inner peace growing as I open all of the Centers of Consciousness. I am perceiving everyone, including myself, as an awakening being who is here to claim his or her birthright to the higher consciousness planes of unconditional love and oneness. AFFIRMATION: "All channels of my mind are open to receive from all channels opened for me through my higher mind."