Words: Amazing Power, Annoying Inadequacy

            Thought is our way of taking source knowledge, accessed from the infinite field of potentials, and narrowing it into a relatively linear field of information that can be meaningfully translated into the dimensions experienced as time and space.

Thoughts are the format through which we take formlessness and understand it in a linear time/space based structure.   Words are the manifestation of thought that has been received as information from the infinite field of consciousness (God). Words are the tools through which we take the information we receive and convey it to others so that it can be shared.

Spoken conversation is shared experience in the shared here-and-now. Written words, and recorded speech, have the ability to share thought experience across time and space.

Words hold space for the energy of thought. Thought contains as much as it is able of the formless informational field of All That Is.  Words bring thoughts out of the realm of formlessness and into the world of manifestation.

Said another way, words bring thoughts into the realm of manifestation; thoughts are linear constructs of the infinite field of consciousness (God); the infinite realm of consciousness is non-linear and non-manifest, due to the fact that it is vibrating at a frequency that cannot be manifest within the time/space vibratory structure.

Words are capable of holding the energy of tremendous vibratory patterns, but they themselves a merely the vessel of the energy not the source of the energy.  Because words can be the receptacles of powerful information. Because of limited understanding of the source of information, we human beings tend to get attached to the receptacles of meaning (words), confusing them with the source of meaning (the infinite field of consciousness).  When people find a word that works well as a tool for describing a phenomenon – one that they have successfully used to convey thought forms that have shared meaning between themselves and others – they usually attach special significance to that word and become attached to it as the only correct word to describe the phenomenon.

It is as if they are confusing the radio with the transmission. It’s like when little children think that tiny people who talk to them inhabit the radio and TV. They come to believe that the transmission of information is inside the radio, rather than realizing that the source of the transmission is being received by the radio – it is not inside the radio. The redo is the receiver of the transmission, not the source of the transmission. 

When we experience a few good results with this or that word because it apparently conveys the thought that is connected with the phenomenon, we tend to become attached to the word as if the word is the phenomenon itself, rather than a tool to convey a concept. It is this attachment to the radio rather than the transmission that causes tremendous discord between human beings.

Do not underestimate the relevance of the vibration held within the form of the word – because the word is like a vessel that holds the energy of thought which in turn holds a s much as it is capable of holding of a piece of the infinite field of All That Is. But it is not the All That Is and as soon as it disconnected from the source of the vibratory pattern from which it arose, it no longer holds the vibration it once did.

A word is like a pot that one day can hold water and another day holds mud. Do not confuse the vessel with its contents. Once the word (vessel) is disconnected from the original vibratory pattern (contents) it once held, it no longer means what it meant or conveys what it once conveyed. Different individuals often use different words (vessels) to convey (carry) similar messages. Then they argue about the contents of the vessel rather than seeing that different vessels can hold similar contents. There is no best vessel to hold the Water of Life.

Granted, some vessels have greater integrity and are less likely to leak! In other words, some belief structures, inherently limited though they are, have a more lasting capacity to hold the vibratory patterns of greater more complex and deeper truths than others. Also, the capacity of understanding among human beings continues to expand, thus allowing them to understand broader ranges of All That Is. Then new phrases and word patterns are formed to allow clearer fuller expression of concepts as they enter the field of manifestation. (In this case, manifestation refers to speech and the sharing of meaningful speech between human beings.) But as soon as the new word patterns are formed and agreed upon by a few of the humans, they also are the focus of disagreement between others.

As much as words are useful to share and convey thoughts, they can also be disruptive, and the focus of discord and misunderstanding. If we look deeper to the source of the information that formed the thought and then became manifest in the form of the word – back to the very source of the vibratory field the thoughts an words intended to express – we would see there is far mare agreement than disagreement in our deepest experience of life and consciousness.

Even those who are awakened in many areas of their thought words and actions do become attached to the particular words that have been useful to them and shun, avoid, or even scorn words that others use to describe what is, essentially, the same thing, expressing the same source information from the infinite field of All That Is.

The word is not the thing! And how much more important is it to understand that, now as so many people are accessing deeper and wider fields of information originating out of the infinite All That Is! In this time when great “downloads” of information are being brought into the realm of manifestation and shared within human experience In this time, awareness of the difference between the word and the phenomenon can be established.

In the newly expanding collective consciousness, a precedent can be established to avoid the misunderstandings that have been prevalent throughout the history of human civilization. A deeper collective agreement can be reached to accept and honor the deeper truth that he word is not the thing and that we must look deeper than words to understand the meaning of our intended communications.

The source energy is not linear and therefore is not translated in its completeness through thoughts or words. The field of All That Is is beyond the time space linear or multi linear focus that is experienced here in the human dimension. The linear consciousness determines a certain train of the totality and reduces it into a pattern that can be expressed here in this dimension.

Words and thoughts are like tokens that trigger the sensation of source components. However, because many people doubt that the all that is has any direct communication with us they attach all of what they believe is existing to the token that has worked for them in sensing a larger energy field. The purpose of thoughts and words it to provide reference points that can be used as activation points in our larger consciousness so that we can connect and sense the greater reality. 

Easing the transition as consciousness expands

The ego can be thought of as the crust, shell, or membrane that forms around the part of ourselves we are currently aware of. We are much more, and have access to much more, than what is contained within that ego’s shell. But the ego contains that aspect of ourselves that we are currently aware of or can accept.

The consciousness contained within the ego is what we have allowed ourselves to accept as “who I am”, “what is true”, “what is okay to believe”. The more the ego is constructed with fear-based beliefs, the more rigid and inflexible it becomes. The more fear there is in the ego structure, the more frightened we become at the prospect of an expansion of consciousness that will extend beyond the ego’s borders.

The real purpose of the ego is to keep us alive and able to function in the 3-D world. This is a really honorable job. But the ego often goes beyond its job description and misinterprets change as dangerous. The more rigid the ego is, the more it really believes that it contains everything that is safe and possible for us.  The ego believes that anything outside of its borders is dangerous and false.

As we begin to let in more information and realization of what else is possible, the energy within the ego structure expands. As the energy of consciousness expands, it presses against the walls of the ego structure causing feelings of tension that are often experienced as anxiety, or panic, or worse.

The rigid ego senses an expansion that, if allowed to continue, will force the ego to break open. The ego interprets the impending expansion as death. In a way, it is a death - but only for that limited ego structure.

The prime directive of the ego is to keep you alive. Because it has misinterpreted the consciousness expansion as a literal death, it goes into overdrive to stop the expansion from happening. It will use a variety of methods to stop the expansion, especially reminding you of all your fears, doubts, and perceived inadequacies. If the ego can get you wallowing in fear and self-doubt it can prevent, or at least postpone, your expansion of awareness.

You are so much more than what is contained within the confines of your ego. Nevertheless, your ego will try to keep you “safe” within those confines.

The ego has a useful purpose. It is not to be eradicated. In fact, the more we fight and resist it, the more determined it becomes to “do its job” and prevent us from changing.

As consciousness begins to expand beyond the parameters of the ego structure, the hard crust of the ego must crack open. The ego experiences this as a death. The ego assumes that what is contained within its parameters is all of you and that you will die if your consciousness expands beyond its boundaries.

Resistance to the expansion of consciousness is what intensifies the feeling of crisis that so often accompanies significant change.

The ego is not our enemy. It is a useful aspect of human consciousness. But its not intended to have ultimate jurisdiction over our journey. It’s not equipped to be in charge. However, it provides a level of stability in consciousness that assists us between shifts.

When people experience what they refer to as “the dark night of the soul” they are referring to the experience of living through an intensely resisted ego death. It is not necessary to resist these transitions. They need not be much worse than uncomfortable. It is terrifying or traumatic only if we get caught up in the ego’s illusions.

As we pass through the membranous crust of the ego on our way out into expanded awareness, we pass through the limited belief structure that had formed around that piece of consciousness. 

We pass through the ego that consists of all we had heretofore accepted as possible or true for us. The limited beliefs contained within the ego structure represent the absolute outermost reaches of what we had been willing to accept as possible: as if the ego boundary represented the end of civilization, beyond which there is nothing but wasteland, sea monsters, and death.

Because this illusion of danger can feel so real to us as we pass through that old ego structure, we may experience what some call the “dark night of the soul” or an “existential crisis”.

It is not necessary to experience this as a traumatic crisis. Our resistance to the consciousness shift is what makes it feel like a crisis.

You can ease the transition. It doesn’t have to feel like literal death.  Once you have settled into a sense of this larger self, a new ego structure forms; but this new ego will be able to accommodate the new material it contains.

Your greater potential is actually already part of who you are. It is not outside of you. It is merely outside of who you think you are. When your consciousness expands, you are not connecting with something outside yourself. You are connecting with aspects of who you are that you have not yet allowed yourself to recognize as your larger self. 

The Seeker's Anchor

A fundamental aspect of the human condition is that we are constantly seeking and searching for meaning and purpose in life. This is one of human beings' most irritating qualities, and we have numerous irritating qualities. It is also what makes us brilliant, inspirational, a co-creative.

Seeking is fundamental to who we are, and it is really the only one of our irritating qualities that I am unwilling to lose.

But it can be really awkward and disorienting to be in a constant state of philosophical shifting and reevaluation. It puts us in states of periodic confusion as we re-frame and try to find something to hold onto, some anchor to keep from drifting off into esoteric madness.

All That Is is so vast and unfathomable, and yet we are driven to try to comprehend it. I don't believe there is such a thing as ultimate comprehension of All That Is. If ultimate comprehension was possible, that would require All The Is to be finite and quantifiable.

I imagine that All That Is is expanding faster than our capacity to understand it. By our very understanding we ourselves are causing All That Is to expand. To imagine that we might definitively understand All That Is, is like trying to catch-up with something that has had a head start of Infinity.

It the midst of such vastness, what is there to provide an anchor? What is at the root of every other useful belief? What can we hold onto that will not be torn away when our various working philosophies are inevitably uprooted?

I believe that thing is Love. Universal Divine Love: Love that is a force of nature, a law of physics, the mind of God, the dynamic creative principle, the essence of All That Is. Love that transcends beliefs and religions and judgements and perhaps even discernment.

What if we asked All That Is to allow us to be a channel for such Love, and to be willing to be adjusted in such a way that this might be possible? Whatever else we do or say or think or believe, let it be at its foundation, Love. To ask even for the willingness to be such a thing, might itself change the course of our collective destiny.

What is energy work?

What is the difference between Reiki and Energy Work? I am often asked this question and the answer is both simple and complicated.

The simple answer is that there is no fundamental difference. Both are accessing the universal divine love principle, aka God, Creator, All That Is, Mystic Law of Life, et al., for the purpose of facilitating healing on the physical, emotional, mental and even deeper levels.

As both a natural energy worker and a Reiki Master I can also see some differences in the application of different modalities. Reiki is quite formalized and requires attunements. The great thing about this is that it allows anyone who is interested to increase their access to this universal energy. The formalization of the system allows it to be taught to anyone wishing to learn.

Energy work that is more intuitive does not usually require any attunements, but it seems to be something more born-in - and therefore very difficult to teach.

In recent years I have been called to teach the kind of energy work that I do. At first, when Spirit called me to do this, I thought "How do I teach something that I never had to learn?" So, I took the three Reiki attunments in order to learn a structure within which I can begin teaching energy work. My hope is that, as I attune others to Reiki, I can also assist them in working both within the formal Reiki system and also though intuition.

My Reiki Master, Maureen Amen, is trained in many energy healing modalities as well as Reiki, and she is able to incorporate a variety of styles into her work. She is the perfect teacher for me. I was averse to doing Reiki in an overly rigid manner, and she is not the least bit rigid. You might say, she puts the fun in fundamentals.

Everything in the universe is Energy. Physics tells us that energy is not created or destroyed, but only changes form. Energy Work is the transformation of energy for relief of physical, mental, and emotional blocks. By observing and interpreting your energy body, or aura, people with particular intuitive gifts can help you to identify areas in which you may be experiencing blocks in your life, and facilitate the release or transformation of those blocks.

When there are no blocks, the universal divine love can flow freely within you, the way it is intended to do.

Just so you know: Energy work is not intended to replace conventional medical care, but it can be a fine compliment to any other wellness modalities. As I see it, conventional medicine, alternative medicine, energy work, and prayer all exist for the same reason: to help us feel better, live longer, connect with the divine, and make the most of the wonderful gift it is to be a human being.

The End of The World as We Know it

Oil gushing into the gulf, global climate change, 6.5 billion people increasing exponentially, loosely propped up economies, glaciers melting, rain forests (the lungs of the planet) being rapidly cut away, civil and privacy rights slipping away in bits and chunks, terrorism, synthetic biology creating a cell from scratch, technology simultaneously connecting us to everything, and distracting us from everything.

Any one of these things would be enough for any of us to run naked through the street - complete with screaming and arms flailing wildly. But, for the most part, we don't scream and flail. And it would be pointless. Naked screaming, although tempting, is not a particularly articulate response to the situation. But that begs the question: is there any articulate response?

It's all so overwhelming, there's no way to hold it all in our heads. It's all so far beyond our ability to deal with it. If we can't count on the basic structure of society to hold itself together anymore, what can we count on? I read a quote that summed it up, "If you're not overwhelmed, you're not paying attention."

Those of us who have chosen to be born in this time period surly must want to learn something truly important from this experience.
This is certainly the end of the world AS WE KNOW IT. But that doesn't mean it's the literal end of the world. More and more, the world we are used to is transforming into something we hardly recognize. It can be tempting to roll up in a ball and hide under the bed, or simply distract ourselves endlessly with the endless buffet of distractions that constantly flood our senses.

Now, more than at any time in history, we are called to go inside and operate from the platform of "know thyself". Otherwise we are whipped into the great spinning vortex of uncertainty and confusion. At no other time has it been so important for each person to consider what really matters: how to live in awareness of our connection to all things, and the consequences of our thoughts, words, and actions.

Gandhi said, "Be the Change that you want to see in the world." That is no mere flowery cliche'. It is a profound and powerful call to action, and not so easy to achieve. World peace cannot be imposed by any government or institution. Peace cannot come from out there. Peace only comes from within. The only within that any of us has real influence over in our own. You may think, "But it's no good if only I change - unless everyone else changes, too."

I understand that position, and on the surface, it makes sense. But I'd like to propose a different way of looking at it. When the consciousness of one person changes, it affects the collective consciousness.

How's that? We are inextricably connected to one another to a degree far greater and deeper than most people realize. We are all connected as one great mind. Imagine each of us as a cell in one great universal mind. When you change your consciousness you change the world in ways beyond what you might think is possible.

Determine to be a light of peace. Determine to love your enemy (not just tolerate - love).

This is difficult enough! In fact it can seem impossible. It often seems more possible to change the whole world than to change oneself. That's partly why we so often focus on changing the world instead of ourselves - because it seems easier! But it is not easier - and is in fact impossible. Each person is in charge of changing themselves and nothing else. Certainly - that's a big enough job.

But the magic of it is this - when you change yourself to Be the way you want the world to be, you make it easier for others to do the same. You add your piece of the collective mind to the greater good and progress of the collective. This can influence the rest of the collective mind toward good and progress. Because we are so interwoven with all other consciousness, a change in our own consciousness sends waves of change throughout the collective. Becoming the change we want to see in the world isn't just the best way to change the world -it is really the only way.

Intention and Purpose

How do you get from here to there? Well, you can float along and see where the current takes you. But if the current is created only by forces around you, you may not end up where you really want to be. What is your purpose? Why are you here? That's a question we always ask as we begin to wake up to who we really are. You will find clues to your purpose when you discover what it is you are passionate about. But how do you know what your passion is? Passion is strong emotion and it manifests in a variety of ways. Ask yourself, what gets me all riled up? What really ticks me off, gets my goat, makes me want to wheel out my soap box and have a good rant? What feels exciting, fascinating, whets your curiosity, gets you sad, happy, or jealous? Maybe it is politics, the environment, child welfare, world cup soccer, cooking, the arts, or . . . you fill in the blank. No matter what the emotion is that you are feeling - if it is a strong emotion, it is a marker for your passion. Ask yourself, what is this strong emotion trying to show me? Excitement, enthusiasm and curiosity are classic pointers to our passions. But the less enjoyable emotions are there to guide us, too. Anger may be showing you the things in the world that you would like to be better than they are. Maybe you can envision something better and your angry that reality isn't like your ideal. Jealousy might be there to show things you wish to achieve, but have not yet figured out how to do it. Once you have identified what it is you really care about, you have the main ingredient in understanding your purpose. Once you have identified your purpose, the next step is to connect with your Higher Power - whatever that is for you - and make the determination to use your passion/purpose in the best possible way - for the greatest possible good. It is not necessary to have a plan already lined out as to how you are going to do that. That will unfold along the journey. The central point is this: by identifying your passion and then determining to use it for the greatest possible good, you have aligned your intention with your purpose. With Purpose and Intention aligned - you will begin to see the pieces fall into place and a direction for your life's purpose will begin to open up in front of you.

Brave New World of Nagging

Technology has done so much for us. It has expanded us. The internet is an outward expression of the mystical interconnectedness we have always been, but rarely felt. But it has also added a whole new set of things to nag our ourselves about. Haven't blogged enough, haven't checked all of my e-mail fast enough, didn't pick up every cell call as soon as it rang, don't know how to skype or tweet. Perhaps it would be wise to refrain from nagging ourselves about anything that was not yet invented prior to . . . (oh, pick a number, let's say) . . . 50 years ago. Cheers! Love! Namaste!