It’s easier than I thought
Consciousness has become nearly a household word. I suspect that although we may hear the word and use it, there is very little clarity on the meaning. Like the Divine Intelligence that beats my heart and creates galaxies and genius; consciousness is another gift that everyone possesses to navigate life. For years, I have tried to fathom this term in useful ways. After studying what goes on in the conscious monkey mind to the unconscious described as an iceberg (the part that is underneath the water) I still struggled to find it useful. I agreed that everyone has conscious thought, and everyone has an unconscious aspect but it’s a bit like, so what? Those things are operational, but those things are NOT the gift.
The gift is more closely defined as pure awareness, or the witness state. We are unique in nature’s grand design that we have this gift to be aware of ourselves- aware of life – aware of the things seen and unseen. I first experienced this state at a keynote talk by Deepak Chopra. He had us imagine ourselves at age 5 or 6 in as much detail as we could recall. Then he had us picture ourselves as we are now…and then have each vision of ourselves walk towards the other-seeing who we were and are simultaneously. This exercise stopped me for a moment because I realized there was something more that was going on-something was doing the watching.
A question that easily places my attention on pure awareness is to notice whatever I am obsessing about, worrying about or thinking about and ask..”Am I that or am I that which is aware of this whole story?” This can be applied to any thought, experience, worry or joyful moment. We can pause and notice the amazing gift we must be aware of what is going on not as the object …but as the observer.
You might have a moment when you are afraid to witness your thoughts and feelings – especially if they are uncomfortable or even painful. You may think as I once did, that if I witness them, they will increase. The gift of awareness does the opposite – we bring them to awareness NOT as the thoughts themselves or the events – but as the true self we are…experiencing but not identifying.
Who we are truly is encompassed in this second Divine Principle…it is freedom itself. Take a look and see for yourself.
