What Causes Waves in Consciousness
The ripples across your pool of consciousness are like waves in the ocean. Each wave takes a temporary form, some large, some small, some forceful, some gentle. It has a beginning, and an end, and even though it seems to have a unique expression for a time, it eventually returns to that from which it was formed, the ocean. Throughout its existence it was never separate from the ocean, its temporary form gave it the appearance of being unique and separate. In fact, the interplay between the four physical elements (symbols of the four psychological aspects) earth (physical), wind (mental), water (emotional) and the sun (spiritual), collectively contribute to the formation of each wave (individual consciousness) in all of its countless forms (humanity).
Your individual consciousness (a wave) can be seen in the interplay of the way your spirit (what you value and therefore desire) animates who you are physically, mentally and emotionally. The key to developing the highest (the most serving) form of consciousness is; firstly in understanding how your current values (what you desire) arose; secondly in being aware of the impact that has had in your life; and thirdly what it will take to transform your values.
If how you experience life is the consequence of what informs you values, it makes sense that to change your life experience, you have to change what informs your values. Typically it is thought that by focusing on changing behaviour you change your experience. Millions of people who have tried to overcome their addictions are evidence that an approach like that does not work. It would seem that the inverse is true. Taking this approach leads to being more ensconced in the addiction.
Ultimately what informs your values arises from the thing in life you desire most. The chance that you are aware of what that is, is quite slim, primarily because like most of us, you function in life from your programming. It is believed in some academic circles that most of your ‘programming’ is completed between the ages of 5 and 7. Your beliefs, attitudes and expectations are typically informed by your child consciousness. Imagine this if you will, you are an adult puppet being manipulated by a child puppeteer, all the while believing that you are fully conscious functioning adult.
Instead, you possess a belief about yourself, a story, your story. It’s a story that emerged through your childhood, which primarily formed your life experience. It sits at the base of all your highs and lows through your life, your decision making, relationships, employment, leisure, your whole of life experience is informed by this belief. Changing the behaviours that emerged from that story doesn’t change the story. Awareness of your story changes your life experience.
Through the Enhances Awareness Program, we help you to become aware of your story, and this is why this fifth principle of EAP is so important. Changing the nature of the story is the stone thrown into the centre of the pool that creates ripples that pass through the whole pool of consciousness. So instead of working on every facet of consciousness, you concentrate on the desires that sit at the centre of that pool.
In the next blog I will discuss what it takes to transform desires.
Take a Moment to Consider
I invite you to think about those experiences in your life that created your greatest excitement and happiness, and those experiences that resulted in your greatest emotional pain and suffering. A hint about the nature of your story sits in the reason for why you experienced these thing in the way that you did. For example, if your story is about needing to be noticed, then your greatest pain and suffering would come when you weren’t noticed. Your greatest excitement and happiness would come when you are noticed. Give it a go.
This Weeks Video
Read More From This Series
Read About The Other EAP Principles
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