While reflecting upon my experiences of a few spiritual principles, in preparation for explaining them to some new friends, I thought writing a blog post about them might help me conceptualize them better, and also provide an opportunity for me to share them with interested readers. These experiences have to do with the dramatic differences in perspectives between spiritual and material world things. Since, as a shaman, I was trained to keep most of myself in spirit, and only bring as much of myself as is necessary into the material world to connect and carry out my spiritual purpose; I live primarily in spirit, and my perspectives are largely based on being there.
One of the goals of my training was to remain 99% shaman, and 1% human. Except when choosing to be emotionally vulnerable within the context of human romantic love, I usually attain this pretty well. I am, however, completely vulnerable to the universe and her infinite ranges of coexisting possibilities; and this feels safe and good to me. As a super sensitive soul living in a relatively harsh world, I find truth, safety, love, joy, and peace in spirit; and those rare people who share this light with me. OK, with this context in mind, let’s move on to what I will be trying to explain to a few friends when they come to visit next month.
The Illusion of Time
Many scientific and spiritual genres maintain that time is an illusion, asserting that all “times” exist simultaneously, and that what we are experiencing is one of an infinite number of parallel “times.” We perceive this “time” because we are focusing on it. We could always choose to focus on other “times.” I believe in, and personally experience this phenomenon in this way. Past and future lives are examples of this illusion. The concept of parallel lives, like parallel times, may better fit the universal truth of spirituality. In Ayurveda, the Seed Sheath, within the Causal Body, contains the impressions, or seeds, of all lifetimes of the soul. When developing enough sensitivity and awareness, we can access and benefit from all of them from any of them. On a smaller scale, the same holds true within each lifetime. The seeds of all possible futures (within the lifetime) exist for us to choose from, whether we are aware of them or not. When we elevate our consciousness high enough, then we can choose the life that recognizes and harmonizes our spirit (true nature); and we can also access the wisdom and benefits of all other lifetimes. If you do not understand or believe in past and future lives, then you may enjoy reading “Many Lives, Many Masters.” Dr. Weiss’s experiences have made believers out of many who seriously doubted the existence of this phenomenon, including him.
Strength of Connection Over Length of Time Spent Together
So one thing I have noticed in my life, that goes against most things human, is that the strength of the connection I experience with someone carries a much bigger impact than the amount of time I spend with someone. I mean this quite literally. When I have experienced a powerful spiritual connection with random strangers for a few hours or days, the imprint it creates within me becomes a bigger part of my life than a friend or partner I have known over 10 or 20 years with whom I share a lesser connection. For me, the strength of the bond determines the magnitude of what is shared; and, since time is an illusion; this bond, once discovered and experienced, is always present to focus on, within the stream of parallel times continuously accessible in spirit. I have spent a single hour with a person who changed my life through our connection, who is always there no matter what; and years with people who have little lasting influence, and quickly fade away when there is no more human interaction. The concept of time, like those of colors, numbers, and language; is an illusion created to organize the material world into concepts the human mind can understand; which leads to the creation of a mind-based world; rather than a spiritually-based one.
We Are Not A Computer, Its Programs, Or Its Data
The mind is only intended to serve us like a computer, helping us process and communicate information; and was never intended to determine our identity, or our perception of what is real. These things exist in spirit. So, across our evolutionary process, and within each lifetime (from birth to death); it seems like we move further and further away from the truth of who we are and what is real. If we could remember that the mind, and all things supporting it (e.g. time, colors, numbers, language), are tools; and that we need to turn them off when our work is done; in order to live within our real identity, our true nature, spirit; then we and the world we perceive would be a completely different place, and would develop into an awareness of safety, truth, love, joy, and peace (which it can always be internally, regardless of our external material world experiences).
The Mind Is Like A Power Tool
If we think of the mind, our on-board computer, as a power tool, like an impact driver, and time, colors, numbers, and language like the charger, drill bits, sockets, and extensions that support it; then it would be easy to understand that our identity is not equal to the power tool, and those things that support it are not universal guiding principles. They are tools. The mind, and its supporting structures, are equally tools. And giving them so much importance, and even basing our identity upon them, is as irrational as believing that we are a power tool.
Winning the Lottery
OK, back to my spiritual perspective about the strength of a bond as compared to the length of a relationship. I haven’t been able to come up with a very good metaphor yet, but here is one most might relate to and remember. Imagine the impact of most life events compared to winning the lottery. Since most of us have not experienced this, we will be imagining rather than remembering it. If we won fifty million dollars in a lottery, the impact of this moment might be the greatest of all in our lives; and would change our lives completely. Regardless of how we spent the money, or how our lives unfolded after this; this single moment could have a greater influence in our lives than fifty years in a relationship, or working 50 years in a job we did not necessarily love. For me, the strength of a spiritual connection with someone is similar. If the bond is really powerful, then, on a spiritual level, it can carry the power and influence of winning the lottery — even if it was momentary in the human world. The length of time is irrelevant to the overall impact. When living primarily in spirit, this is how we experience things. From a material world perspective, this view may be hard to understand, or even seem a little crazy.
Tools and Relationships
Of course, it would be ideal to share such a spiritual bond with a lifetime partner. Whether or not this occurs, however, I believe it is important to realize that time and other mind-based things are irrelevant to our experience of spiritual truths. We do not know if we will be alive in this human life for another moment, day, or year; and we do not know how long anyone else will be alive either. So, instead of making things like the length of a relationship, or the age of a partner so important; we could make the strength of our spiritual connection, and that which flows from it our priorities. This is what will live on after our physical bodies return to dust. This is what can elevate our consciousness, and the consciousness of others. I don’t know about you, but I am not a power tool.
Photo Credit: Matthew Anderson
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