A few weeks ago, I stubbed my toe at work, and I wondered: was there a message in this for me?
A few days prior, I had purchased a bunion sock online for my left foot to help me cope with the pain of wearing a pair of rather inflexible safety shoes. My foot had not yet adjusted fully to the tightness of the sock and my big toe was beginning to complain – a lot.
When I failed to take heed (take off the sock even though I was busy doing what I was doing), the energetics of the universe seemed to align itself in such a way as to make it known to me that I required a not-so-gentle, not-so-gracious reminder: “take it off!”
I soon realized the problem: my big toenail was in need of a clipping as it was being pushed back into my toe by the sock. Ouch. Double ouch, really. I’m sure you can imagine the pain of stubbing an already sore, red, swelling big toe. The swelling, the soreness, and the bruising lasted for almost a week.
In light of this rather mundane incident, I have no point to make – only questions – but first, a bit of context, and a rather cerebral context at that in stark contrast to the visceral nature of my anecdote.
I’ve come to accept that Consciousness is a powerful force in this universe, perhaps even the most powerful force in this universe.
“Take it off!”
Who do you suppose sent this wordless stubbing message?
Perhaps it was a reminder from the depths of my subconscious – or, less prosaic and more poetic, from the depths of my heart and soul.
Perhaps it was a message coming from an other-worldly spirit guide – a primary spirit guide or a guide assigned especially for safeguarding health and safety, welfare and well-being.
Perhaps this message began as a directive from an ascended master from a council of elders who sent it along to a senior spirit guide who in turn sent it along to my own group of personal spirit guides.
Perhaps a close representative of The One Source saw fit to organize the energetics required to have this message delivered in light of the consequences for the Whole of not heeding this message.
What I find particularly interesting is the role that Consciousness played in this incident.
Most of us seem to think that Existence is primary, Consciousness secondary. After all, why would I choose to stub my own toe if my egoic consciousness had primacy over existence?
But suppose Consciousness really is primary, at some deep level which we have yet to fathom. I mean, do we really think Consciousness arose from rather than through a material substrate composed of strings, particles, atoms, molecules, chemical elements, DNA, RNA, genes, proteins, enzymes, and cells?
Viewing Consciousness as an epiphenomenon of the brain has absolutely no explanatory power (Descartes wrestled with this one, as did those who followed him through the centuries since his meditations: “what is mind? no matter; what is matter? never mind!”)
Also, in light of what we keep hearing from accounts of the near-death experience, it would seem more plausible to view the brain, not as a producer of Consciousness, but as a transmitter.
With respect to Consciousness, we have at least three ever deepening layers of reality with which to work and play: material, which is the most obvious (“owww, that hurt!”); energetic, which energizes and organizes the material layer (“hmmm, where did that come from?”); and informational (intentional?), which informs (intends?) the energetic layer (“who or what flipped the switch on this one?”).
Science, in its present (relatively immature) incarnation, is presently obsessed with the material, but what if it could extend its considerable influence into the energetic and informational layers? DNA, for example, has a material layer – the double helix; an energetic layer – constructive winding and unwinding that seems unusually intelligent, even intentional in origin; and an informational layer – the various permutations of nucleotides, A, C, G, and T. Perhaps we could also include intentionality as a distinct layer that runs deeper still?
On a material level, a musing medical science might ask: “how bad is this stubbed toe?” On an energetic level, it might ask: “if energy flows where attention goes, perhaps you were too preoccupied with your big toe?” On an informational level, it might ask: “as information serves to inform energy (and, consequently, matter) in certain prescribed or proscribed directions, maybe you (or someone else) saw fit to inform you of just how urgently your toe was in need of relief?” On an intentional level, it might do well to contemplate as follows: “as the active, conscious, energizing, organizing force of the universe, a quick, simple, decisive, well-placed, maturely focused intent pushed your big toe into action.”
Suppose we live in this kind of universe: a multi-layered, inter-dimensional system composed of a foundational, informational, algorithmic substrate running on bits and qubits in tandem with a vast network of vibratory subsystems manifesting as a quantum flux, informing an already existing system that projects as holographic, conspiring to generate and regenerate a relatively dense layer of material reality that itself can be made (through intention) to affect or influence the hidden energetic and informational layers that lie below it.
The universe is alive and conscious, intentional and intelligent: could this description be a description of Consciousness from which, by which, and through which we all bear witness and participate consciously?
If so, how might this play into the notion of a True Self? How might this play into cultivating the Art of Self? And what legitimate role might a much maligned and scapegoated ego play in all of this?
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Next: Ultimate Fulfillment 20
Note: this ever growing perspective began here: Ultimate Perspective
TUiPF *
a message for our times: “be true, be wise, be free; love is the key”
Context
(Setting the context)
The syntactical nature of reality, the real secret of magic,
is that the world is made of words, and if you know the words that the world is made of,
you can make of it whatever you wish ~ Terence McKenna
consider this truth: “there is no truth”: true or false? if true, then false; if false, then true
words are powerful, as and when they are spoken in the light of truth, love, and wisdom
Basis
(A cosmic perspective)
Previous study: the cosmic life review (learn more)
Current study: a cosmic perspective on birth, life, and death
View this page to explore the basic issues
Essence
The ethical imperative: guard guide your eyes, guard guide your thoughts, guard guide your steps
What the cosmic life review indicates we do in the earthly realm: (1) sanctify; (2) purify; (3) justify
Does “what does it take to be fulfilled?” = “what does it take to be sanctified, purified, justified?”?
Ideals
Proposal: our prime directive as a species is finding the balance
- finding the balance between soul (being) and spirit (becoming)
- finding the balance between being perfectly full and becoming perfectly filled
- finding the balance between living soulfully (truly, deeply) and living spiritually (wisely, freely)
Integration
(A context for living life to the fullest)
proposal to universalize human need:
need 1: “a safe place to eat and sleep”
need 2: “a way to satisfy all my needs”
need 3: “someone to love and cherish”
need 4: “a healthy, vital outlook on life”
a vital distinction to observe in daily life:
satisfaction of need v. fulfillment of desire
the body is but a vessel for soul,
serving to contain all that the soul needs;
the body is but a vehicle for spirit,
serving to convey all that the spirit desires;
how might body serve to contain and convey
both soul and spirit as vessel and vehicle?
soul spirit
unity harmony
peace bliss
love joy
being becoming
loving caring
intimacy ecstasy
quality vitality
encounter experience
sacred divine
promise possibility
realization evolution
truth wisdom
responsibility freedom
depth height
inward outward
descend ascend
contemplation evaluation
involvement engagement
satisfaction fulfillment
cultivation celebration
dwelling peacefully flowing blissfully
heart of soul soul of spirit
contains conveys
accepts expects
let it be make it so
receptive assertive
attuned to what is required aligned with what is desired
dignity integrity
religious spiritual
awakening enlightenment
being alive being alive
Application
(A practice for living life to the fullest)
exploring …
the ways and means by which I can be centred in love
the ways and means by which I can follow (or manifest!) a path with heart
the ways and means by which I can be love truly and wisely
if the first pointer serves to expose the truth of who and what I am,
and if the second serves to reveal the meaning, purpose, and direction of my life,
then the third serves to realize a dynamic balance between my soul and spirit
the three deep, dark fears of spiritual beings in human form
1) a fear of letting go during sexual orgasm (the sexual fear)
2) a fear of losing control, of losing one’s mind (the political fear)
3) a fear of dying in pain, in anguish, in misery (the religious fear)
dysfunctional, maladaptive, unsustainable ways to maintain personal control
(here presented as pairs: a passive matter of soul, an active matter of spirit)
obsession
compulsion
abnegation
addiction
reclusion
pretension
repression
suppression
hesitation
distraction
insulation
rejection
submission
domination
regression
aggression
inhibition
deception
procrastination
manipulation
dissociation
exploitation
when life gives you lemons, turn them into lemonade ~ a popular proverb
how people treat you is their karma; how you react is yours ~ wayne dyer
Commentary
(a global perspective: why is humanity failing to fulfill its true potential?)
weaving a terrestrial narrative that aligns with a cosmic perspective, including historical, interdimensional, extraterrestrial, conspiratorial, and eschatological elements, is an exhaustive process
such a terrestrial narrative would have us explore and expose the causes and consequences of two widespread (and related) social phenomena: cynical detachment and egocentric entitlement
the story of Howard Storm: how a visit to The Other Side cured his soul and spirit of cynical detachment and egocentric entitlement, transmuting his contempt for humanity into compassion and compersion
If darkness is your problem, talking about darkness won’t help.
If darkness is your problem, nothing can be done about darkness directly.
You cannot throw it out, you cannot push it out, you cannot switch it off.
Darkness is an absence. Nothing can be done about it directly.
If you have to do anything, you have to do something with the light, not with darkness.
~ Osho (Fear: Understanding and Accepting the Insecurities of Life, p. 136)
Questions
1. “I just can’t stand it anymore … why go on?”
2. “Wrong body, wrong family, wrong planet … why?”
3. “Why am I making such a mess of my life?”
4. “What does it really take to be (become) fulfilled in this life?”
5. Soul: “a sound approach to being perfect: possible?”
6. Spirit: “a sane approach to becoming perfect: desirable?”
7. The ultimate in truth, love, and power: dare we ask?
Study Notes
- incorporate the use of symbols with these elements: sphere (soul), spiral (spirit), pyramid
- presence and pretense: best to view them as complementary, rather than as mutually exclusive?
- follow these elements of perspective: form, structure, substance, orientation, appearance
- the
devilchallenge (problem, difficulty, obstacle, inadequacy, struggle, conflict) is in the details - the privileged among us: a little too preoccupied with celebrity, technology, personality, positivity?
- extroverts and introverts: “living on the surface” and “living from the depths with presence”
- the cosmic life review: a representation of the ultimate in personal fulfillment for a life lived?
* TUiPF = The Ultimate in Personal Fulfillment