Ruminating Over Assagioli

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Tonight I was reading a friend's blog, and she brought up the discussion how others judge us for what we do. She had met somebody new, and she was concerned some of her "mistakes" in the past would cause this individual to reject her. Such a common theme... goes along this concept of abandonment which I have been tumbling in this week.

Her post reminded me of one of the fundamental concepts I had learned during my spiritual psychology coursework. It is so fundamental, they put it on the cover of their brochures:

"We are not human beings who have spiritual experiences. We are divine beings having a human experience."

Considering this concept, I remember back to learning about Robert Assagioli's psychosynthesis:

1. I have a body, but I am not my body.
2. I have emotions, but I am not my emotions.
3. I have a mind, but I am not my mind.

If we have all these things, but they do not define us,
then who are we?

"I am consciousness and will."

Hmm... what does this possibly mean? I am consciousness, but in the previous statement I detached myself from my mind. So consciousness is different than what the mind does. Is consciousness a state of being, or a state of doing, or both? To me consciousness is an awareness of the Soul. An inner knowing that there is a purpose that is greater than the physical realm we dwell in. Consciousness is a higher mind that does not operate on the physical level. It's like when you know to turn right instead of left, and then in the rear view mirror see a big accident happen. To me consciousness is a state of being. It is a being that is connected to that universal source from which we all came. It is the battery, if you will, of our lives. It drives us without directing us. But it always remains connected to a source power, and it never ceases, even when our physical selves die.

And what occurs when you combine consciousness and will? We have all heard about willful individuals. I know because I am one and I'm raising two others. Will by nature is a driving force. Something that goes full tilt ahead with little or no thought. It goes because it also knows what it single-minded about the goals it will achieve.

So conscious + will is a state of action. Together they bring to fruition the lessons of the soul. The consciousness knows why the soul incarnated in this lifetime, and the will carries the "psychology" about those lessons. In other words, the will gets us into trouble so we can find our way out and learn something from it.

Sound pretty hokey? Not really sure? Then let me ask you, is it easier to believe that we have come here to learn lessons, than to believe in a punishing God that does bad things to us? Is it easier to look at "bad" situation and wallow in it, or is it more uplifting to look at the blessings and find a way to peek at the light in the oh-so-dark tunnel?

Quick example: The ruptured aneurysm

Blessings (just a few as examples):

• Really felt the all love that comes to me from family and friends.
• For the first time in my life got down to the core of my being that my mother truly loves me.
• Gained a tremendous appreciation for my body and it's ability to heal.

Learnings (again, just a few):

• Don't trust your doctor if your intuition tells you otherwise.
• Never miss an opportunity to tell somebody you love them. You don't know if you'll have another chance.
• Accepting what is.
  

I now that life throws us curve balls sometimes. Believe me, I know. But it's not to knock us down. Honest! Look at the struggles you have in life. Consider what blessings might come of them. And consider what your soul might want to learn as well. Know that there is a purpose, and feel the realization that your consciousness and will are at work evolving the consciousness of your being.