Chapters 7-13: Our Words Become Flesh As Our Evolving Sense Of Self

( rework this, eliminate two sections, enhance Helen Keller section with previous writing about her and Anne Sullivan that somehow got excluded)

Chapter 7: The Word Became Flesh: Unraveling the Mystery of Self Through Helen Keller’s Journey

“The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision.” – Helen Keller

What if the biblical statement “The word became flesh, and dwelt amongst us” in John 1:14 speaks not only of Jesus but of humanity’s inherent potential to become conscious and embrace higher realities through its verbal capacities? For millennia, theologians have tethered this passage to Christ alone, but a wider lens reveals a universal truth—a truth embodied by the remarkable early life of Helen Keller.

Helen Keller’s story is an extraordinary testament to the transformative power of language and communication. Despite the dual challenges of deafness and blindness, Keller’s pioneering breakthrough in understanding language marked a profound awakening of her inner self. This miracle of linking symbols with objects in her awareness ignites a potent metaphor for our potential and consciousness, suggesting that the “word” is the catalyst through which we become fully realized beings.

Theological interpretations often fall into the trap of isolating biblical wisdom within historical confines, ignoring its broader human implications. In the case of John 1:14, we must venture beyond the traditional focus on Jesus to recognize its reflection of our journeys. This passage invites us to consider how, like Keller, we can transmute abstract words into tangible realities, crafting our identity through the language we learn and our choices.

In educational and inspirational contexts, the narrative of human potential is frequently stifled by a lack of depth and recognition of the forces that shape it. Helen Keller’s triumph over adversity is a compelling reminder of the resilience and determination needed to overcome our limitations. Her story underscores the vital role of language in expanding consciousness and shaping our sense of self—a process essential for realizing our full potential.

Resilience and determination, as seen in Helen Keller’s life, are not mere traits but dynamic forces that shape our identity and future. Real-world examples abound, from individuals who rise from poverty to achieve greatness to communities that rebuild after devastation. These stories highlight the tenacity required to overcome adversity and forge a path toward personal growth and success.

Helen Keller’s legacy offers a poignant counter-narrative in a society increasingly driven by superficial values. Her life invites us to reevaluate contemporary discussions on spiritual and human potential, urging us to look beyond material success toward deeper fulfillment. By examining Keller’s experience, we can gain insights into the societal and cultural factors that hinder or support potential realization.

Today, the drive for instant gratification and material gain often eclipses the pursuit of meaningful self-discovery. Yet, Keller’s story reminds us of the importance of slowing down to engage with the world around us, allowing language and communication to deepen our understanding and appreciation of life.

By revisiting Helen Keller’s story alongside a fresh interpretation of John 1:14, we are invited to appreciate the mystery and magic of our incarnation into the flesh of personal identity through the power of language. Keller’s narrative catalyzes self-reflection, encouraging us to harness our words as instruments of transformation and growth.

In this light, I urge you to explore the possibilities of your human potential. Delve into Keller’s story and the Book of John with an open mind, allowing their wisdom to guide your self-discovery. Doing so can unlock the profound mystery of becoming, where your words shape your identity and future.

In this complex dance of language and consciousness, we find the essence of what it means to be human—a lesson as timeless as necessary.

Chapter 8: The Seed of Selfhood: Language’s Role in Crafting the Self

Can a word, or a series of words, genuinely birth our sense of self? This profound question cuts to the heart of human consciousness, inviting us to explore the intricate dance between language, cognition, and our perception of self. The question isn’t merely academic—it probes the essence of what it means to be human.

Language is often thought of as a tool for communication. Yet its role as a sculptor of the mind is far more pivotal. From the first “mama” or “dada,” language doesn’t just teach us to name objects; it serves as the scaffolding for our understanding of the world and our place within it.

This is where Piaget’s insights become invaluable. Piaget proposed that as children acquire language, they aren’t just memorizing words but building symbolic representations of the world. This process transforms them from passive observers into active constructors of their reality, using language to weave a complex tapestry that becomes their subjective world experience.

But how exactly does this process work, and what does it reveal about our sense of self? The idea that learning words helps create an internal map of the external world suggests that a self-organizing principle exists within consciousness. This principle unifies sensory inputs and language to form a cohesive self-narrative. This inner cartographer, tirelessly at work from infancy, integrates new experiences, constantly redrafting the map as we learn and grow.

Recent neuroscientific studies underline this dynamic process. They reveal that our brains undergo significant reorganization as we learn language, reflecting the profound interplay between linguistic acquisition and cognitive development. It seems our very neural pathways are molded by the words we know, underscoring language’s profound impact on shaping our cognition and identity.

The debate between nativist and empiricist perspectives on language acquisition adds another layer of complexity to understanding self-formation. Nativists argue that the capacity for language is hardwired into our genetic makeup, while empiricists believe language is primarily learned through interaction with the environment.

Here, Piaget provides a middle ground. His theory suggests that while specific cognitive abilities may be innate, language acts as the key that unlocks and organizes these abilities, allowing us to construct an understanding of ourselves and the world. Thus, language learning is not merely a passive absorption of information but an active process of creation and discovery.

The sense of self is not a static entity but an ongoing creation shaped by the continuous interplay between language, experience, and cognition. Each new word learned, each concept grasped, adds another brushstroke to the canvas of our identity. Through language, we articulate our unique perspectives and differentiate ourselves from others, marking the boundaries of our individuality.

This dynamic view of the self invites us to consider the power and responsibility inherent in language. It encourages us to actively engage in the process of self-construction, using language to explore, challenge, and expand our understanding of ourselves and the world.

In contemplating the origins and growth of the self through language, we are invited to reflect on our journeys of self-discovery and growth. How do the words we use shape our perceptions and interactions? What narratives are we constructing about ourselves and our place in the world? How are our narratives influenced by trauma, archetypes, and unconscious and/or collective influences operating below the threshold of conscious awareness?

Engage with me on this philosophical exploration. Let us attempt to unravel the mysteries of consciousness and selfhood. Let’s continue to question, discover, and redefine what it means to be human.

Who Are We? The Dance of Self in the Tapestry of Consciousness

Have you ever paused to wonder whether your identity is truly yours or if it’s a mosaic of echoes from generations past, collective archetypes, and unseen behavior patterns? In the complex labyrinth of personal and spiritual growth, our sense of self is not just a solitary construct but a vibrant tapestry woven with threads of intergenerational trauma, archetypes, and unconscious influences, mixed together with all of our words, knowledge, and memories..

Intergenerational trauma is often perceived as a psychological buzzword. Still, it constitutes the shadowy undercurrent of our collective consciousness. Picture it as a silent whisper passed down through generations, embedding itself into our very sense of self. It’s not merely about inherited pain but how that pain becomes a lens through which we view the world and define our identity.

Consider a family that has experienced repeated financial hardship over generations. Such a narrative may foster an unconscious belief that economic success is unattainable, influencing each member’s relationship with money, work, and self-worth. The challenge lies in recognizing these entrenched beliefs and consciously choosing to rewrite them, using awareness as the first step toward liberation.

Archetypes provide the scaffolding for our perceptions of identity. These universal symbols and themes, echoing through mythology and collective consciousness, shape our narratives. Carl Jung’s archetypes—like the Hero, the Mother, and the Shadow—help us understand the deeper layers of our identity and personal growth.

Imagine the archetype of the Hero. It compels us to seek adventure, conquer challenges, and grow through adversity. Yet, in its shadow form, it may manifest as arrogance or the relentless pursuit of external validation. We can harness their power positively by engaging with these archetypes while remaining wary of their shadow expressions.

Unconscious patterns are like the currents beneath the surface of our consciousness; they guide our behaviors and decisions without our awareness. Many of these patterns are inherited, passed down like heirlooms from ancestors who faced battles and overcame struggles.

To truly evolve, we must become aware of these patterns, questioning their relevance and reshaping them to align with our authentic selves. For example, if one unconsciously inherits a pattern of self-doubt, the task becomes identifying its roots and consciously cultivating self-confidence and belief.

The intellectual understanding of these concepts is merely the beginning of the journey. Knowledge without application is like a map never followed. The real challenge—and opportunity—lies in integrating these insights into our daily lives.

This integration requires a conscious effort to cultivate mindfulness and self-reflection, allowing us to observe our thoughts and reactions without judgment. Practices such as meditation, journaling, and dialogue with others on the same path can be powerful tools for bridging this gap.

In seeking to understand who we are, we encounter the profound challenge of transcending what we’ve always known. This is not simply a philosophical exercise but a call to action to engage actively in the dance of self-creation and evolution.

As spiritual and personal growth seekers, I invite you to reflect on these insights and consider how they manifest in your own life. How can you acknowledge and transform the intergenerational trauma that holds you back? How do the archetypes you resonate with empower or hinder your growth? What unconscious patterns are you ready to bring to the light?

Join me in this introspective exploration. Please share your thoughts, engage with others, and continue this conversation as we unravel the mysteries of identity within the tapestry of consciousness. Connect with a community that supports your quest for self-discovery and spiritual growth. Let’s walk this path together and redefine what it means to be genuinely ourselves.

Chapter 9: Are Archetypes Merely Reflections of Our Deepest Traumas?

Carl Jung’s proposition that archetypes shape our collective and individual behaviors stands out in the annals of psychology. But what if these archetypes are not merely age-old symbols embedded in our unconscious? What if they are, in fact, also manifestations of personal and collective wounds—fragments of trauma interwoven with fundamental and universal aspects of human personality that we are unconscious of and/or have disowned?

Ancient archetypes are numerous, perhaps mirroring many roles our ancestors were forced to take. The roles might be warrior, hunter-gatherer, shaman, healer, wise person, nature/animal talker-whisperer, home builder, comedian, etc.

Archetypes are often seen as universal, primordial images in our collective unconscious. They emerge in myths, dreams, and even our daily interactions. Yet, the challenge lies in recognizing that these archetypes also represent disowned traits often born from trauma—virtual secondary personality centers influencing our actions and decisions without our conscious approval. Remember the old adages ‘the devil made me do it!’ or ‘I could not help myself, I just had to do it’ ? Sometimes, we are motivated by unrecognized cheerleaders within our consciousness that encourage us to behave in inconsistent and non-life-affirming ways, adding chaos to the self-organizing principle of our sense of self.

There are countless anecdotes available describing how victims of trauma began their healing of hidden wounds by becoming conversational with the scars. The wounds had a voice and presence once they were consciously and spiritually connected to meditatively inspired healings and/or therapeutic processes. Becoming conversational with these long-forgotten wounds is a valid therapeutic process, resulting in enhanced awareness and a willingness to let the scars become optimistic advisors rather than dark energy sinks.

Without realizing it, humans can spin projections of the experience of deep unresolved pain into the fabric of their human energy field, where, much like the surface personality, the wounds become offshoot self-organizing systems attached to the field and become unconscious advisors to our personality. Though these centers act below the level of conscious awareness, they often tell the bodily systems, including the adrenal glands, that the stressor that initially caused the wound is still present, causing extra stress-inducing cortisol to be needlessly supplied to the body. This causes stress-related diseases and extra oxidation of healthy cells, often over several decades, resulting in poor health outcomes later in life.

Our minds excel at classification, and when finally becoming conscious of the wound’s influence through therapy or meditation, we assign a reasonable name to the overall effect that the wound has created.

Forces beyond our immediate perception often shape our lives. Just as the unseen undercurrents carve a river, these archetypal forces influence our behaviors individually and collectively. These archetypes, born from unrecognized traumas and ancestral archetypal influences, can subtly guide our egos, impacting everything from personal relationships to societal norms.

One of today’s most significant challenges is integrating psychological and spiritual perspectives in understanding archetypes. This integration is crucial for both personal healing and professional growth. For leaders and decision-makers, recognizing these archetypal influences can lead to more conscious and holistic leadership, promoting environments where individuals can thrive.

The realm of archetypes and their connection to trauma is ripe for exploration. More research is needed to uncover the layers of influence these archetypal forces exert on our psyche. By understanding these dynamics, we can develop practical applications that aid in the reconciliation of personal and collective traumas, fostering healthier societies.

It’s time for psychology enthusiasts, spiritual seekers, and leaders to take a bold step towards inner exploration. The unconscious forces attached to our life force demand our attention. By becoming aware of these energies, we can transform them from invisible puppeteers into allies in our quest for self-discovery and growth.

In the end, the question remains—are we ready to face these shadows and reclaim the disowned parts of ourselves that hold the keys to our true potential? Engage with these concepts, challenge conventional thinking, and become aware of the archetypal forces shaping your consciousness.

The path to self-awareness begins with a single step.

Will you take it?

Awakening the Archetypes of Our Youth

Have you ever paused to consider how your childhood dreams and fantasies continue to shape who you are today? Those seemingly innocent reveries were much more than whimsical thoughts. They were the nascent seeds of self-perception and identity that silently sculpted your present.

Archetypes first appear as the silent whispers in the dreams and fantasies of our youth, constructed from our nascent perceptions of family and the world. They become the blueprint for the roles we envision for ourselves. Take, for instance, my own childhood fantasy at age six, where heroism was my pathway to acceptance. It wasn’t just a whimsical daydream—it was a reflection of my fledgling self-esteem, my yearning for connection, and my internalized belief that worthiness was something to be earned through valor.

Such archetypes are not merely relics of an immature mind; they are foundational narratives that linger, influencing our adult psyche. They fashion our self-worth and influence how we perceive belonging and validation.

Understanding these childhood constructs is crucial for psychologists and spiritual seekers. Early fantasies often set the stage for lifelong patterns of behavior, affecting how we view ourselves and interact with others.

Consider the recurring dream of the shamanic leader I had at age eight. Despite its mystical veneer, it was an early rebellion against the rigid doctrines imposed by religious teachings. It was a subconscious critique of the idols and dogmas that did not resonate with my evolving understanding of divinity.

The struggle to reconcile childhood spiritual teachings with our developing worldview is a universal challenge. Many of us grapple with the doctrines and beliefs instilled in us during our formative years. Yet, it is in this very struggle that profound personal growth can occur. By critically examining these early spiritual imprints, individuals can forge an authentic path that aligns with their evolving values and beliefs.

Early dreams and fantasies do not merely fade into the background as we age. They continue to exert a subtle influence on our choices, values, and relationships. They act as guiding stars, steering us toward certain life paths while sometimes veiling others from view.

To truly understand ourselves, we must look backward as well as forward. Reflecting on our childhood fantasies and dreams can illuminate the motivations behind our behaviors and the narratives that drive our lives. For psychologists, spiritual seekers, and those on a quest for self-discovery, this introspection is a valuable tool for growth and understanding.

Take time to reflect on your own childhood fantasies and the role they play in your life today. Consider embarking on a personal journey to reconcile the beliefs of your youth with the person you are now. In doing so, you might discover a deeper, more fulfilling understanding of yourself and the world around you.

Awaken the archetypes of your youth, and allow them to guide you towards a more enlightened future.

Understanding Archetypes: The Key to Unlocking Personal Growth

What if I told you that your personality is crafted from timeless characters that have existed in the collective consciousness since the dawn of humanity? This isn’t the plot of a mythical story—it’s the profound insight offered by Jungian psychology. Archetypes are universal symbols that echo through religions and societies, providing a framework for understanding our behaviors and motivations.

Archetypes such as the hero, the caregiver, and the trickster serve as guiding lights through the chaos of existence. They resonate with the shared experiences of humanity, enabling us to connect our individual narratives with the timeless stories of our ancestors. In Jungian psychology, these archetypes dwell within both personal and collective consciousness, influencing our thoughts and actions on subconscious levels.

By examining religious narratives, we see these archetypes mirrored. Christianity, for instance, presents powerful figures like Jesus as the divine child and Satan as the betrayer, reflecting the universal themes of redemption and temptation. Such parallels underline the common spiritual and psychological threads that bind human experience across cultures.

Despite their profound implications, archetypes are often met with skepticism. How do we bridge the gap between Jungian psychology and religious symbolism to make these concepts accessible? It begins with understanding that archetypes provide a shared language for interpreting the world, offering insights that transcend individual belief systems. Recognizing that these symbols are both universal and deeply personal allows us to apply them meaningfully to our lives.

To harness the power of archetypes, one must first understand their presence in personal and societal contexts. This involves reflecting on how archetypes manifest in daily life and acknowledging their influence on our decisions and relationships. They offer a lens through which we can view our strengths, weaknesses, and growth opportunities.

For example, the hero archetype may inspire resilience and courage in facing challenges. The caregiver may invoke compassion and nurturing instincts, guiding us in supporting others. By identifying these roles within ourselves, we gain clarity on our motivations and behaviors, setting the stage for personal transformation.

My most personally explored archetypes are that of the shadow, the divine child, the caretaker, the sage, the shaman/priest, the divine mother, the healer, and the trickster.

Archetypes first appear in our childhood dreams and fantasies about ourselves, and are often inspired by our immature perceptions of our family and the world. I remember having a fantasy at age six years where I would save a girl from a life threatening situation, and then they would respect me and want to be my friend. Examining that fantasy reveals many things: poor self-esteem, loneliness, need for a feminine presence in my life to make me whole, that I had to be heroic just fit in with others and have a similar life. At eight years old I had a dream where I was an ancient shaman/priest, and I directed the tribe to face itself honestly without the toys of worship the idols of gold, and the God that was obscurred by their ignorance and superstition. Going to church and being told that I was a sinner, and going to hell if I did not measure up to some remote and unbelievable God’s ideals did not set well with me, apparently.

Approaching archetypes requires nuance and openness. Misunderstanding or oversimplifying these complex symbols can lead to harmful stereotypes or restricted perspectives. It’s essential to appreciate the individuality of our experiences while acknowledging the universal themes archetypes represent. This balanced approach fosters self-awareness and encourages a more profound exploration of personal identities.

The study of archetypes is not about fitting into predefined roles; it’s about discovering the diverse qualities we embody and appreciating the depth they bring to our lives. By reflecting on how these ancient symbols manifest in your life, you open the door to self-discovery and personal growth.

Take a moment to consider which archetypes resonate with you. Are you the explorer, seeking new experiences? The sage, pursuing wisdom? Or perhaps the lover, cherishing connections with others? Reflect on these influences and how they shape your narrative.

By engaging with archetypes thoughtfully, you empower yourself to craft a richer, more meaningful story—one that honors both the shared heritage of humanity and your unique individual path.

Chapter 10: Navigating the Labyrinth of Trauma and Archetypes

Have you ever wondered how deeply buried wounds, hidden within the recesses of our consciousness, shape our emotional lives and spiritual paths? In a world where personal growth and healing are paramount, understanding the intricate dance between trauma and archetypes can unlock the gates to profound transformation.

Intergenerational trauma acts like an unseen current, subtly guiding our subconscious behaviors and emotional responses. Passed down through generations, these traumatic imprints often remain unspoken, yet they echo within us, influencing the very fabric of our identity. When we acknowledge this legacy, we recognize that our journeys are not only ours but are also entwined with the stories of those who came before us.

At the heart of our personalities lie archetypes—universal symbols that serve as both guides and mirrors. These archetypes shape our interactions with the world, each other, and ourselves. Yet, their influence does not operate in isolation. They intertwine with the repressed aspects of our psyche, including the shadow of trauma.

Trauma, whether personal or inherited, can disrupt our emotional balance and spiritual integrity. It creates fissures within our psyche, causing us to veer away from the harmonious path. When left unexamined, these wounds can manifest as unconscious behaviors that detract from our well-being, while negatively impacting our health now, and far into the future..

Acknowledging these traumatic wounds is a courageous act, for it is within this acknowledgment that healing begins. By becoming aware of the scars we carry, we open the door to profound self-discovery and growth. This process involves not only recognizing the pain but also understanding its role in shaping who we are.

Integrating trauma into our personal narratives is akin to weaving a tapestry of resilience. By doing so, we transform vulnerabilities into strengths and align our spiritual compass towards wellness. This integration requires deliberate strategies that empower us to harness the energy of our wounds, turning them into catalysts for personal evolution.

Practical Strategies for Integration

Reflective Practices: Engage in meditation and journaling to explore and articulate your emotions.
Therapeutic Support: Seek professional guidance to uncover and process deeply ingrained traumas.
Mindful Awareness: Cultivate mindfulness to observe your thoughts and reactions without judgment.
Community Engagement: Connect with others who share similar journeys to foster empathy and support.
Creative Expression: Utilize art, music, or writing as channels for healing and self-expression.

The path to healing and balance is not one to be taken lightly, nor is it one that can be walked alone. It demands introspection, courage, and an open heart. Yet, the rewards are infinite—offering a life marked by authenticity, spiritual integrity, and a deep sense of inner peace.

Start your journey to healing and balance today. Explore the depths of your being, confront the shadows, and emerge as a beacon of light and resilience. Your story is a testament to the strength of the human spirit.

In this exploration of trauma and archetypes, I invite you to challenge conventional thinking, to seek self-discovery, and to grow spiritually. The labyrinth of the soul awaits—step boldly into its mysteries.

Are Archetypes Unseen Wounds in Disguise? (needs further edit-duplication)

Carl Jung’s notion that archetypes are universal images residing in our collective unconscious is well established. Are the archetypes that shape our behaviors and identities merely ancient symbols embedded in our unconscious, or can they also be manifestations of personal wounds—fragments of trauma we’ve disowned?

Archetypes are often seen as universal, primordial images residing in our collective unconscious. They emerge in myths, dreams, and even our daily interactions. Yet, the challenge lies in recognizing that these archetypes also represent disowned traits often born from trauma—virtual secondary personality centers influencing our actions and decisions without our conscious approval.

Remember the old adages ‘the devil made me do it!’, or ‘I could not help myself, I just had to do it,’ ? Sometimes we are motivated by unrecognized cheerleaders within our own consciousness that encourage us to behave in inconsistent and often non-life affirming ways, adding chaos to ourselves..

Yet, what if these archetypes are more than mere cultural symbols? Imagine them as hidden guides or shadowy cheerleaders within our consciousness, urging us toward actions that sometimes defy logic and life-affirming choices.

These archetypes, often born from unrecognized traumas, might be influencing us without our conscious approval. The tales are countless—victims of trauma achieving healing by conversing with their psychic wounds, discovering voices and presences within. These wounds, much like the archetypes themselves, operate as offshoot self-organizing systems attached to our energy fields, silently advising our personalities.

Our lives are shaped by forces beyond immediate perception, much like rivers shaped by unseen undercurrents. Individually and collectively, our behaviors are influenced by archetypal forces—forces that, unbeknownst to us, might also originate from our deepest traumas.

Understanding these archetypal influences is crucial for personal healing and professional growth. For thought leaders and decision-makers, recognizing these forces can lead to a more conscious and holistic leadership style, promoting environments where individuals can truly thrive. For therapists and spiritual healing seekers, recognition of these forces leads to more conscious ways to pursue health and well-being.

Challenges in Understanding Archetypes

Recognition:

The first step is acknowledging the influence of hidden archetypes on daily behaviors and decisions. These forces can subtly guide our egos and impact everything from personal relationships to societal norms.

Societal Barriers:

Overcoming societal norms that mask the true self and its wounds is another hurdle. Society often imposes expectations that hinder our true potential and suppress our authentic selves.

Integration of Insights:

There’s a challenge in integrating these insights into established psychological and spiritual paradigms. This integration is vital for a comprehensive understanding of the self.

Risk of Misinterpretation:

Without proper guidance or understanding, there is a risk of misinterpreting or misusing this knowledge. It requires careful navigation to avoid falling into traps of self-deception.

Balancing Self-Discovery:

The process of engaging with deep-rooted archetypes involves navigating a balance between self-discovery and maintaining a healthy psychological state.

Insights for Spiritual Seekers

Non-linear Journey:
Self-discovery is not a linear path. It often involves confronting uncomfortable truths and re-evaluating one’s identity.
Ancient Wisdom:
Many spiritual seekers are drawn to ancient wisdom and practices for guidance, seeking to understand the deeper layers of their consciousness.
Personal and Societal Transformation:
The interplay between personal healing and societal transformation is significant. Individual growth can indeed have a ripple effect on the wider community.
Guidance and Support:
The importance of guidance and support from experienced mentors or therapists in navigating the complexities of unconscious archetypes and trauma cannot be overstated.
Holistic Approach:
There is immense potential for integrating modern psychological methods with ancient spiritual practices, offering a holistic approach to self-discovery and healing.

In the end, the question remains—are we ready to face these shadows and reclaim the disowned parts of ourselves that hold the keys to our true potential? Transform your narrative. Start integrating these insights today and engage with the archetypal forces shaping your consciousness.

The path to self-awareness begins with a single step.

Will you take it?

Unveiling the Unseen: The Hidden Wounds Shaping Our Psyche

Have you ever considered that the unresolved emotional traumas of your past might be silently dictating your present? In the labyrinth of human consciousness, hidden wounds manifest as mini personality centers within our energy fields, influencing our thoughts and actions from the shadows. These are not mere metaphors but real phenomena, recognized increasingly within the holistic health and wellness community.

In traditional healthcare, diagnosing hidden wounds remains a formidable challenge. Conventional medicine often lacks the tools to recognize these subtle yet powerful influencers of mental health. Yet, a burgeoning body of research aligns with holistic practices, revealing a tangible link between unresolved emotional trauma and physical health issues. Stress, anxiety, and even chronic illnesses can trace their roots back to these hidden scars.

Consider the stories of individuals who have traversed the path of self-awareness, unearthing their deep-seated wounds through meditation and therapy. These narratives underscore the profound impact of spiritual practices in healing, revealing a tapestry of change that begins with acknowledging the unseen.

The challenge lies in integrating these spiritual insights into mainstream healthcare. The gulf between scientific understanding and spiritual concepts can be daunting, yet it’s a bridge we must build. Studies have shown that meditation and energy healing can reduce symptoms of trauma, anxiety, and depression. Acknowledging these findings opens the door to a more inclusive approach to mental health—one that embraces both the empirical and the esoteric.

But how do we communicate these complex ideas to a broader audience? It begins with shedding the stigma surrounding mental health and spirituality. The labels and misconceptions that cloud our understanding must be dismantled, paving the way for acceptance and exploration of new healing modalities.

Self-awareness and introspection are the keys to unearthing our hidden wounds. They require courage and an open heart but offer a pathway to profound healing. Therapists and healers play a crucial role in guiding this process, acting as navigators through the intricate terrain of the mind-body-spirit connection.

The growing acceptance of alternative therapies in mainstream healthcare is a testament to the shifting tides. However, more research is needed to understand their full potential and efficacy. By fostering dialogue and sharing success stories, we can inspire others to pursue this integrated path to wellness.

For leaders in holistic health and wellness and spiritually inclined seekers of self-understanding, the call to action is clear. Seek knowledge and understanding of the mind-body-spirit connection. Venture beyond the conventional, explore the unseen, and in doing so, contribute to a world where mental and spiritual well-being are harmoniously intertwined.

The hidden wounds within us hold not only the pain of the past but also the promise of transformation. By acknowledging and addressing these unseen influences, we can pave the way for a more conscious and connected future. Join us in this exploration and discover the profound healing that awaits when we align our minds, bodies, and spirits in harmony.

Chapter 11: Unveiling the Tricksters Within Our Consciousness

In the vast landscape of human consciousness, there exists an intricate web of energy fields and thought forms that shape our perceptions, experiences, and sense of self. These unseen forces often play a crucial role in our mental and spiritual well-being. It is time to explore my personal narrative which uncovers the presence of “tricksters” within the human energy field—entities born out of childhood trauma—and their profound impact on life.

Remember the narratives about our propioceptive sense, in regards to our physical body, and, perhaps, even our spiritual body? What happens to the amputee who still has phantom pain in an amputated appendage? What about a trauma survivor, who feels pain in their life, either physiological or psychological, caused by an experience long forgotten, or even never consciously recorded because it occurred in a pre-conscious state? These psychic forces imitate the effects of the phantom pain sometimes experienced by amputees. By understanding these tricksters, we can gain insights into our own psyches and pave the way for deeper personal growth and spiritual enlightenment.

Have you ever wondered what other unseen forces lurk within your consciousness, subtly shaping your perceptions and life choices? In the vast landscape of human consciousness lies an intricate web of energy fields and thought forms that silently mold our mental and spiritual well-being. These “tricksters” within our consciousness, born out of childhood trauma and other unresolved emotional states, wield a profound influence on how we perceive ourselves and the world around us.

Imagine the proprioceptive sense of our physical body, a mechanism that allows us to perceive the position and movement of our limbs. Now, extend this concept to our spiritual self. Just as an amputee might feel phantom pain in a lost limb, trauma survivors carry pain—physiological or psychological—from experiences long forgotten or never consciously recorded. These tricksters mimic the phantom pains experienced by amputees, impacting individuals at their core.

Our consciousness is more than a collection of thoughts and emotions; it’s a dynamic field of energy, constantly influenced by external and internal stimuli. This energy field, often referred to as the aura or human energy matrix, encompasses our physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual states. Within this matrix, thought forms—specific patterns of energy generated by our thoughts and unrecognized traumas—emerge, impacting our behaviors and experiences.

While these thought forms can be positive, guiding us toward growth, the negative ones manifest as limiting beliefs and fears. Understanding these thought forms is essential for achieving a balanced and healthy psyche.

During a moment of deep introspection, I discovered two distinct entities within my energy field—tricksters, not mere figments of my imagination, but deeply embedded energy systems, shaped by childhood trauma and a fractured identity. At first, they felt familiar, providing solace in solitude. But it became evident that they were not here for my greater good.

These entities were caricatures of two distinct individuals, providing a false sense of companionship. It was only after my father’s passing that I could fully comprehend their nature and summon the resolve to release them from my energy field. These tricksters, born from my parents’ intentions and my reactions to their perceptions, embodied unhealthy attachments and unresolved traumas. They anchored me to the past, influencing my consciousness even when dormant.

Over time, these tricksters became like black holes within my consciousness, swirling around feelings of powerlessness, diminished self-worth, and fear of death. Understanding their origins became crucial in my quest for a richer human and spiritual experience.

My encounter with these tricksters led to a profound realization about the human condition, especially regarding culturally derived and intergenerational trauma. Similar internalized thought forms plague the human race, manifesting as unconscious negative influences, mental health disorders, and societal issues like oppression, prejudice, and toxic masculinity. Our collective struggles with self-worth, unresolved trauma, and fear create fertile ground for these tricksters to thrive. By recognizing them, we can address these issues individually and collectively.

The challenges of identifying and understanding unrecognized traumas within mental health are significant. Many traumas occur in pre-conscious states, making them elusive. The lack of mainstream acceptance of energy fields and thought forms poses a challenge to integrating these concepts into traditional therapeutic approaches.

To address these challenges, we must develop tools and methodologies combining psychology, spirituality, and energy healing, enabling trauma survivors to recognize and confront their personal tricksters. Bridging the gap between personal narratives and scientific validation is essential, as insights into consciousness and energy fields often stem from subjective experiences. Research and evidence are needed to support these claims within academic and professional communities.

Research on the long-term effects of childhood trauma reveals how early experiences shape adult behaviors, beliefs, and health outcomes. Studies highlight the relationship between suppressed memories and physical or psychological symptoms, illustrating the impact of unrecognized trauma on well-being. Anecdotal evidence and case studies from trauma survivors who have explored energy healing or spiritual practices demonstrate improvements in mental health and personal growth.

The growing interest in alternative and complementary therapies within mental health care reflects a shift toward holistic approaches to wellness. Experts in psychology, neuroscience, and energy healing offer diverse perspectives on the intersection of consciousness, trauma, and healing.

Let’s engage in the conversation on mental health and spirituality. Seek out holistic approaches to healing and self-discovery. Share your story or insights on recognizing your own personal tricksters.

The tricksters within our consciousness are not just personal phenomena; they have broader implications for society as a whole. By acknowledging their presence and impact, we can pave the way for individual growth and societal transformation. It is time to unmask the tricksters within our consciousness, reclaim our power, and forge a path toward healing and enlightenment.

Our consciousness is more than just a collection of thoughts and feelings. It is a dynamic field of energy, constantly interacting with and influenced by external and internal stimuli. This energy field, often referred to as the aura or the human energy matrix, encompasses our physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual states. Within this matrix, thought forms—distinct patterns of energy generated by our thoughts, and our unrecognized traumas—take shape, influencing our behavior and experiences.

These thought forms can also be positive, uplifting our spirits and guiding us toward growth. However, the negative may manifest as limiting beliefs, fears, and a diminished passion for life. Recognizing and understanding these thought forms is essential for achieving a balanced and healthy state of being.

Our collective struggles with self-worth, fear, and unresolved trauma create a fertile ground for these tricksters to thrive. Recognizing their presence and impact can help us address these issues at both an individual and societal level.

The tricksters within our consciousness are not just personal phenomena; they have far-reaching implications for society as a whole. These internalized thought forms contribute to a range of societal issues, including:

Prejudice and Racism: Deep-seated fears and insecurities can manifest as prejudice and racism, leading to discrimination and social division.
Misogyny: Unresolved traumas and negative thought forms can fuel misogynistic attitudes and behaviors, perpetuating gender inequality.
Mental Health Disorders: Tricksters can exacerbate mental health conditions, such as anxiety, depression, and multiple personality disorder, making it challenging to achieve psychological well-being.

By addressing these internalized entities, we can work towards healing not only ourselves but also the broader societal fabric.

Recognizing the presence of tricksters within our energy fields is the first step towards healing and integration. Here are some strategies to help you identify and address these thought forms:

Mindfulness and Meditation: Practicing mindfulness and meditation can help you become more aware of your thoughts and emotions, making it easier to identify negative thought forms.
Journaling: Writing down your thoughts and experiences can provide valuable insights into your inner world, helping you recognize patterns and recurring themes.
Therapy and Counseling: Working with a mental health professional can provide guidance and support in identifying and addressing unresolved traumas and negative thought forms.

By incorporating these practices into your daily routine, you can develop a deeper understanding of your inner landscape and begin the process of healing and integration.

Once you have recognized the presence of tricksters within your consciousness, the next step is to integrate them into a healthier self-concept. This process involves acknowledging their origins, understanding their impact, and transforming them into positive, empowering thought forms.

Consider the following steps to facilitate this transformation:

Self-Compassion: Practice self-compassion by acknowledging your struggles and treating yourself with kindness and understanding. This can help you release negative thought forms and replace them with positive ones.
Reframing: Reframe negative thought forms by challenging their validity and replacing them with more empowering beliefs. For example, transform a thought form based on fear into one rooted in courage and resilience.
Spiritual Practices: Engage in spiritual practices, such as yoga, meditation, or prayer, to connect with your higher self and cultivate a sense of inner peace and balance.

Through these practices, you can transform tricksters into allies, supporting your personal growth and spiritual development.

The presence of tricksters within our consciousness is a powerful reminder of the impact of unresolved trauma and negative thought forms on our mental and spiritual well-being. By recognizing and addressing these entities, we can pave the way for deeper personal growth, healing, and transformation.

Reflect on your own energy fields and thought forms, and consider the potential for personal and collective healing. Through mindfulness, self-compassion, and spiritual practices, you can integrate these tricksters into a healthier self-concept and contribute to a more harmonious and balanced world.

Explore further resources and connect with like-minded individuals to continue your journey towards self-discovery and spiritual growth. Together, we can create a brighter and more enlightened future.

These stories offer inspiration and guidance, inviting others to explore their spiritual landscapes. They reassure the novice and the curious that the quest for spiritual proprioception is deeply personal, each path unique yet shared in its universal pursuit of understanding.

The exploration of spiritual proprioception is not merely an intellectual exercise—it is an invitation to transcend the known and venture into the vastness of our inner realms. For wellness enthusiasts, spiritual seekers, and mindfulness practitioners, it represents an opportunity to deepen their connection to themselves and the universe.

Proprioception, both physical and spiritual, is a dance of awareness. It anchors us in our bodies while lifting us into the ether. By cultivating this awareness, we enrich our lives, infusing them with meaning and purpose.

As you ponder these concepts, consider sharing your experiences or embarking on practices that resonate with you. Engage with communities that explore these themes, and continue your pursuit of knowledge and self-discovery. Whether through meditation, energy work, or mindful living, may your journey be one of profound insight and growth.

Chapter 12: Breaking Free from the Common Unconscious Knowledge Game

In a world where personal illusion or Maya often prevails, many find themselves ensnared in a game they are scarcely aware of. This game is not merely a play of societal norms but a profound representation of spiritual ignorance. The Common Knowledge Game (CKG) and its darker counterpart, the Common Unconscious Knowledge Game (CUKG), serve as metaphors for understanding how deeply ingrained behaviors and cultural narratives perpetuate cycles of suffering and illusion.

The Common Knowledge Game suggests that much of what we take for granted as “truth” in society is a shared illusion—a collective agreement on what reality should be. This shared reality is often based on perceptions arising from past wounds and present self-serving interests—both personal and cultural. These forces shape our present moment, dictating our responses and reinforcing cultural and personal illusions.

Similar to the CKG, the Common Unconscious Knowledge Game represents a more insidious reality where individuals live within a dark, disfigured state of consciousness. Here, spiritual ignorance reigns supreme, and people are trapped in cycles of intergenerational trauma and wounding. This existence is not just about individual choices but involves archetypes embedded within our collective consciousness, controlling unconscious lives like marionettes by puppeteers.

Intergenerational trauma refers to the transmission of historical oppression and its negative consequences across generations. Often, this trauma goes unrecognized and untreated, continuing to influence behaviors and attitudes in subsequent generations. Within the framework of the CUKG, this trauma becomes a part of the disfigured reality, a cycle that repeats itself endlessly.

The archetypes within our collective consciousness—universal symbols and themes that recur across cultures and epochs—further complicate this picture. These archetypes shape our experiences and responses, often without our conscious awareness. They are the shadows lurking in our psyche, influencing our decisions and perpetuating our suffering.

Breaking free from the Common Unconscious Knowledge Game requires a dual approach of personal and collective healing. It begins with self-awareness—the ability to recognize and understand one’s illusions and the past wounds that fuel them. This self-awareness is the first step towards healing, allowing individuals to confront their traumas and move beyond them.

Steps to Break Free:

Cultivate Self-Awareness:

Engage in practices such as meditation, journaling, and therapy to explore your inner world.
Reflect on past wounds and their impact on your present actions and beliefs.

Foster Collective Healing:

Participate in community activities that promote healing and understanding.
Encourage open conversations about trauma and its effects within your circles.

Challenge Societal Norms:

Question the “truths” and norms that society imposes.
Advocate for more inclusive and conscious narratives in cultural dialogues.

Harness the Power of Archetypes:

Study archetypal psychology to understand how these symbols influence your life.
Use this knowledge to transform negative archetypal patterns into positive forces.

Practice Healing Awareness:

Integrate mindfulness and self-compassion into your daily life.
Use healing modalities such as energy work, sound therapy, and nature immersion.

Promote a Conscious Society:

Educate others about the importance of self-awareness and collective healing.
Support policies and initiatives that aim to heal societal wounds and promote mental well-being.

Thought leaders and cultural innovators have a crucial role to play in this transformation. By challenging conventional thinking and introducing novel perspectives, they can help dismantle the illusions perpetuated by the CKG and CUKG. Their influence can inspire others to seek healing and enlightenment, creating a ripple effect that reaches across society.

Actions:

Educate and Inspire:

Share insights and knowledge that encourage self-discovery and growth.
Use platforms to raise awareness about the importance of breaking free from spiritual ignorance.

Model Conscious Living:

Demonstrate the benefits of a conscious lifestyle through personal example.
Show how self-awareness and healing can lead to a more fulfilling and liberated life.

Create Safe Spaces:

Establish environments where individuals feel safe to explore their inner worlds.
Facilitate discussions and workshops that promote collective healing and understanding.

The Common Unconscious Knowledge Game represents a profound challenge to our understanding of reality and spirituality. However, it also offers an opportunity for transformation. By cultivating self-awareness, fostering collective healing, and challenging societal norms, we can break free from the cycles of suffering and illusion.

Thought leaders and cultural innovators must spearhead this movement towards a more conscious society. Together, we can create a world where spiritual ignorance is replaced by enlightenment and liberation.

Ready to take the first step towards breaking free? Join the community of conscious seekers and start your journey today. Let’s create a more aware and enlightened world, one individual at a time.

My previous overpaid and underworld editor did not like the following material.

(In case you have not read enough about the miracle of human linguistics)

The Origin of Language: Exploring Sentience, Intention, and the Depths of Existence

There are two primary modes that the human race uses for witnessing and interfacing with the world. Without an understanding of what those lenses are and how they are utilized, we remain fairly unconscious beings and guided, or controlled, by both the dictates of others and the history our own biology. Those two avenues are through our linguistic heritage and our capacity to verbally cataologue and understand the world, and through the avenue of pure,, non-verbal awareness. Let us start this exploration into the nature of our capacity for knowing through a brief exploration of our verbal abilities. The exploration into our non-verbal cues has been indicated throughout this work, but will be expanded in a later chapter

Human evolution is a mosaic paved with countless wonders, but language is among the most transformative. The stirrings of language in our ancestral past were an inspired step igniting the gift of complex communication. Language was both a tool and a technology — a system of knowledge that was developed, honed, and transmitted with intention. Language is often heralded as one of humanity’s defining characteristics, a unique gift that has propelled us to unparalleled heights of culture, communication, and cognitive complexity. The words of our language have inspired the downtrodden, built empires, started wars, kindled romances, crafted laws, and educated listeners throughout the ages. But what is the source of our capacity for words and language, and how did they develop?

The pathway of how we came to possess this intricate communication system remains veiled in mystery and debate, yet it had to arise from a humble beginning deep in our past. Many have undertaken intellectual, religious, philosophical, and mythological journeys to explore those early days. This type of venture compels us to examine the roots of our own being because to query the origin of language is to probe the essence of our humanity. It’s about touching the fabric of what it means to be sentient and to be able to articulate the narrative of our own existence.

Helen Keller’s unique story touches upon the foundational energy behind her adaptation to symbolic representation and, by inference, the early human race’s. The young Helen Keller has a story that illuminates the profound leap from signs to symbols, from sensation to understanding, and the unlocking of her language at the water pump epitomizes that pivotal moment in history – when representation and meaning merged into clarity and identity as a unique self. Helen’s transformation would have been impossible without Anne Sullivan’s relentless teaching. This journey from void to voice is not simply a linguistic leap but a cognitive transformation. Our brain’s intricate dance of synapses and neurons, crafting symbols, assigning meaning, and progressively shaping the tapestry of language as we evolve – a process as natural to us now as breathing, yet as miraculous as the cosmos.

The dawn of consciousness is inseparable from the birth of language. When sentient thoughts began, language must have arisen concurrently or soon afterward. We all know what happens when we develop a new idea- we must share it with someone! That first spark of awareness may have been a solitary glimmer in one mind or a collective awakening, a covenant between human beings caught in the same mesh of existence. But it took two or more in a collective effort to share in the experience, to make it real, lasting, and, ultimately, teachable to others. There is a need to convey specific meanings imbued by a shared understanding within a community. The existence of shared intention supports the idea of a collective awakening to language’s potential.

Intentionality requires a community — an understanding, on some level, that there are others with whom one wishes to communicate. Early hominids in their small clans, driven by survival and societal needs, may have possessed an emergent sense of this intentionality. From this shared drive, the collective effort to develop and fine-tune vocalizations could have progressed to the structured forms of communication that we now recognize as language.

Language in its infancy was a mere compilation of sounds, and evolved over many generations to become a purposeful construct. Vocabulary was initially conceived through intention. The first thoughts and the words fashioned to represent those thoughts probably revolved around immediate biological safety needs and defining and describing the living environment, including each other. By its very nature and evolution, language establishes that there ARE separate, individual biological entities seeking to share their thoughts with each other. Hence, its origin isn’t just an artifact of evolution – it is the framework for our individual and collective identities.

Did the ability for human language evolve painstakingly slowly, one person at a time? Or, did it spring forth spontaneously in the collective human consciousness, akin to the 100th monkey effect, fueled by collective learning and intention? For a long time, the predominant view in linguistic anthropology favored gradual development as the mode through which human language emerged. This traditional narrative points to a slow and meticulous progression from primitive vocalizations akin to those of our hominid ancestors to the complex syntax and semantics of modern human speech. Proponents of this perspective emphasize the need for physical adaptations, such as brain and vocal tract changes, as preconditions for the linguistic dexterity we see today.

Clues from ancient history and archaeology echo the power of community in language evolution. The emergence of symbolic communication and complex tools coincide with the expansion of early human populations, suggesting a correlation between group interaction and cultural development. Perhaps language acquisition was no different — a collective step into a new realm of possibility that concurrently broadened the horizons of human thought and potential. Within the collective domain, language’s rules and nuances are agreed upon, and from thence, new terms, rules, or meanings can rapidly emerge within a community. This social aspect links human language intrinsically to the collective consciousness that stewards its growth.

Group dynamics are foundational to the acquisition and evolution of language. Children do not learn to speak in isolation but within the community of their family, village, and beyond. Speech is a collective endeavor — it exists to communicate, and a communicator requires an audience. The complexities inherent in language demand a collective effort not only to teach but also to standardize and maintain the linguistic framework over time.

Collective learning has fueled many human innovations, and language is no exception. The sharing and refining of knowledge within communities, facilitated by social interaction, has the power to transcend individual limitations. In the context of collective consciousness, it is posited that social groups can manifest interconnections and shared knowledge that influence the learning and behavior of individuals, paving the way for rapid shifts in cultural practices.

When it comes to language acquisition, observing and interacting with a collective that values and utilizes speech can dramatically accelerate individual learning, much like how the 100th monkey effect accelerates the spread of new practices. The 100th monkey effect, though often shrouded in skepticism, is deeply evocative. It suggests a critical mass phenomenon akin to the mob mind, where a behavior or idea spreads rapidly through a population once a certain number of individuals adopt it. When applied to our linguistic evolution, could this principle offer a new lens through which to perceive the emergence of language?

Observed behaviors in specific monkey communities have been cited as a nod to the 100th monkey principle, and this collective learning is applied to the human condition with compelling implications. Humans, too, exhibit the capacity for rapid dissemination and acquisition of knowledge when the collective will or urgency is present. It is within this socio-linguistic framework that the leap from primitive vocalizations to structured language systems can be reconsidered.

Communal groups, separated by time and distance, have given rise to a diverse tapestry of languages, each endowed with its speakers’ intentional nuances and adaptations. This linguistic diversity is a testament to the role of collective consciousness in language evolution. It is the shared vision and intentionment of a community that sustains and shapes its language, reflecting its people’s collective wisdom and character.

The debate on the origin of human language has yet to be settled. Still, a narrative that fuses the 100th monkey principle with the power of collective learning and intention presents a compelling framework for understanding the complexity of language evolution. Our capacity for speech, once considered a slow and solitary march, may have arisen from a confluence of factors within the collective human consciousness, sparking a linguistic revolution that forever changed the trajectory of our species. This collective awakening to language speaks to our shared heritage and the communal threads that continue to weave the human story.

It can be readily seen how deeply imprinted we have become by the collective spirit and physical adaptations that speaking a language requires. Understanding language’s start may provide hints as to any potential answer to the question of whether restarting, redefining, or rebuilding our vocabulary can bring us more into alignment with creating an ever-evolving sense of identity and enhanced potential for healing.

Bridging Ancient Mythology and Modern Linguistics

The quest to understand the origins of human language is laced with intrigue, mired in complexity, and underscored by the profound capacity of the human mind to communicate. Fossil records and evolutionary biology provide a timeline of our species’ emergence and divergence, while neuroscientists map the intricate networks that form the language-centric regions of the human brain. But perhaps the oldest, often-overlooked archives on language’s beginnings are the rich mythologies spun by ancient cultures and indigenous peoples.

One of the most mystical quests is the search for the very first word uttered at the dawn of human consciousness. What was the first primal word – an affirmation of the self, an attempt to name the elements, or perhaps a call to another? Contemplating the first word is more than an academic exercise; it prompts us to marvel at the enigma of consciousness and language, and the physiological and spiritual gap between the self and the other that language’s origins created.

Set against the backdrop of oral traditions and divine intervention, the stories that form the tapestry of many ancient cultures often speak of language as a gift from the gods. Hurrian mythology, for instance, credits the goddess Ḫepat with the creation of language. The creation stories of the Aboriginal Australians describe how ancestral beings sing the world into existence, language intricately weaving reality.

Religious texts, revered by billions, also offer hints shrouded in metaphor. In the book of John, “In the beginning was the Word,” speaks to the concept of divine Logos, where the very utterance of a word manifests reality. These narratives aren’t merely exotic flights of fancy; they serve as the foundational beliefs of societies and offer a lens through which to view the sacredness of communication.

Fast forward to the modern era, and linguistic research is grappling with the complexities of syntax, phonetics, and cognitive abilities required for the formation of language. The emergence of writing systems provided our civilization with an avenue to record and codify languages, lending a tangible structure to an otherwise ethereal mechanism of human interaction.

The field of biolinguistics seeks to merge biology and evolution to study the source and function of language in the human species. Key figures such as Noam Chomsky have proposed that certain linguistic capacities are innate, part of our genetic heritage. The study of historical linguistics traces the evolution and divergence of language families, drawing parallels with human migration patterns and historical events. Sounds and symbols transform into an intricate system of meaning, capturing our thoughts and experiences.

While ancient myths don’t align with the empirical method of scientific inquiry, they are invaluable in understanding the cultural and symbolic significance of language. When we overlay modern linguistic theories onto ancient creation myths, intriguing parallels emerge. The notion of language as a divine gift in mythology finds representation in the proposed evolutionary leaps that led to the development of complex human language.

It’s as if the echo of the Phoenix singing from the Ashes strikes a chord with Chomsky’s belief in a linguistic Big Bang, a primal event that birthed syntax and grammar. And the Logos concept echoes the cognitive foundations required for meaningful and deliberate speech. The gap between the mystical and the scientific begins to narrow, and what was once shrouded in myth now bears a striking resemblance to the complex systems studied by linguists today.

The convergence of ancient narratives and modern scientific inquiry is more than an academic exercise; it’s a bridge we can walk to gain a deeper appreciation of the phenomenon of human language. As a language enthusiast and an appreciator of mythologies, I find that the songs of creation hold wisdom that can still guide our understanding of language today.

The act of storytelling, so deeply ingrained in human culture, is a testament to the power of language not just as a means of communication but as a tool of solidarity and expression. The blending of these narratives with linguistic research enriches the intellectual tapestry that weaves through time, connecting us to our ancestors in ways that academic jargon alone cannot.

Bridging ancient mythologies with modern linguistic studies invites us to recognize the layers of sacredness that embody language. These narratives offer us the luxury of viewing the scientifically untestable with the anticipatory awe of those who once looked upon the sky and told stories of celestial beings.

While we relentlessly pursue scientific truths, there is a unique form of knowledge— undeniably human and at times intangible—that the ancients have preserved in their stories. By cherishing and scrutinizing these stories for deeper meaning, we do more than simply entertain ourselves with tales of the past — we pay tribute to the very essence of our humanity. The next time we speak, write, or sign, we echo the language of our forebears, and in that echo, we hear the universe of human experience made manifest.

Chapter 13: To Be Born In A Long Forgotten Past, To Be Reborn In The Now

The intersection of science, religion, and philosophy enriches our exploration of consciousness. Scientific theories about the origin of consciousness offer valuable insights into the workings of our minds, complementing religious and philosophical perspectives. By engaging in interdisciplinary dialogue, we can better understand the complex nature of consciousness and bridge gaps between different realms of human experience. To truly grasp the nature of consciousness, we must embrace all such dialogue and integration. Science, religion, and philosophy each offer unique perspectives, and by engaging in meaningful conversations across disciplines, we can gain a more comprehensive understanding of our conscious experience. It is through this interdisciplinary dialogue that we can forge a path towards a holistic exploration of consciousness, and create stories that playfully, artfully, and/or accurately represent their successful fusion into new understanding.

Our theories of ourselves and all of our concepts of the past are not real in any absolute sense, being only a collection of memories, social/historical narratives and all such related assumptions. But we won’t let that truth get in the way of telling meaningful stories. So let’s take a creative, whirlwind tour through history, dating back to, perhaps, a million years ago or more. The last thing I want to do is to create alternative facts and implant false memories that were never real, just like many want-to-be biblical scholars, malicious fake news generators and conspiracy theorists of today attempt to do. The best way to get to new answers is to ask new questions.

So, here we go!

What was our mental atmosphere like back then, when mankind was first becoming conscious?
With humanity’s dark history, the survival of the fittest evolutionary imperative, and the fear of dangerous animals (which includes human strangers not of one’s tribe and not prone to collaborative behavior) what can we speculate about the original nature of that consciousness?
Based on our present understanding, could one surmise that trauma and suffering have been with mankind from the beginning?
Is the Garden of Eden story, and many other myths and legends from other cultures, merely stories created by ancient peoples seeking the same answers?

The previous questions are riddled with assumptions, and the answers that we might supply to questions of this nature are subject to both speculation and revisionist history. We must apply the tools of historical, anthropological, sociological, psychological, mythological, and spiritual analysis and discernment in any endeavor of this nature. I will only touch upon the highlights of this epoch of mankind, and you should not believe me, any more than you might believe the scientists, anthropologists, sociologists, and biblical writers who have already undertaken their studies and often vain attempts at understanding.

We only need to look within ourselves, and to our pasts, to see how uncertain our memories are, and extrapolate that to our human history, which is also plagued by short-term, medium-term, and long-term memory loss. We can see how impossible it is to accurately recall and recreate memories from times long past, especially of the times when we were babies or children, though the recollections of others, coupled with insight can help in this daunting journey of discovery. Yet, as the evolution of our biological being can be witnessed through observing the stages of the development of the human embryo through its birth, so might we be able to observe the historical, evolutionary unfoldment of humanity, replicated in a compressed form through our unfoldment, from a primatively conscious state as a newborn baby into the consciousness of a personal sense of self, to see if a parallel understanding may be derived.

Without a recorded history, and supersubstantial archeological records, a careless investigation and exploration can become yet another Rorschach test for all inquisitors, and we will only mostly confirm what we already think that we know. We can attempt to create our best representation of what we think their truths might have been in the earliest iterations of mankind, the times that existed before verbal accounts were being passed down through the generations. Even though our present history has only about 5000 years of written records, some cultures have historical narratives that appear to have been passed down for at least 30,000 years. The aborigines of Australia claim a 60,000-year narrative, while Central and South American indigenous peoples and their shamans also claim lineages of tens of thousands of years.

Western European civilization appears to be an outgrowth of the migration of African tribal members at least 13000-30000 years ago. Cave drawings in Spain and France show sophisticated art capabilities, and, apparently, versions of animal and spirit worship. Many ancient cultures created sculpted objects resembling the human penis, and the pregnant woman, so the need for fertility and the reverence for all associated body parts appears to be a fundamental need for our race. Other caves have been found showing even earlier creative endeavors. The human race has a long history, indeed, though finding a physical, or even spiritual, starting point is probably impossible.

The earliest human creatures spoke primarily with gestures, grunts, and body language, with their evolving vocal cords eventually joining in the conversation at some unknown point in the distant past. They standardized certain utterances, sounds that became words that were supposed to represent that which they were seeing, doing, using, or eating. Eventually, mankind made the quantum leap to symbolic writing, where animal and plant etchings once used to symbolically represent aspects of daily life were replaced by crude symbols, which evolved into hieroglyphics, and then cuneiform alphabets. It must have seemed like magic to the first humans who realized, and then taught others, that their thoughts could be approximated and shared through words, and then through an ever-evolving symbolic representation.

It appears that the creation, or formation of a new world had been made possible through words and concepts that were arising in the evolving consciousness. Formerly, there were mainly biological systems with limited freedom of choice responding to environmental influences, with a more instinctual response coupled with real life experience conditioning to meeting the needs of the body, and of whatever family or community that existed. We could call that world the “real world”, as it dealt with the harsh realities of a world not yet under the subjugation of the human mind.

One of the most mystical quests is the search for the very first word uttered at the dawn of human consciousness, that word that started our inexorable transition out of a previous purely nature connected state. What was the first primal word – an affirmation of the self, an attempt to name the elements, or perhaps a call to another? Contemplating the first word is more than an academic exercise; it prompts us to marvel at the enigma of consciousness and language, and the eventual perceptual and spiritual gap between the self and the other that language’s origins created.

The Evolution of Human Communication: Parallels Between Pre-Verbal Sounds

Communication, the thread that weaves the very fabric of human society, is often seen as a sophisticated skill, honed and developed through the ages. But beyond the first words we speak and the complex language structures we have built, there lies a primordial echo. I believe that it is important to understand the pre-verbal sounds of a baby before their first words, and to draw a parallel between these delicate utterances and the pre-verbal grunts and groans that once laid the foundation of human communication in the time of our ancient ancestors.

As children, we are taught that the “goo” and “ga” sounds we first make are mere precursors to the richness of our spoken language. A harkening back to a time before enlightenment, clarity, and the ability to convey the intricate workings of our thoughts. Likewise, within archeological, anthropological, and biological studies, we catch whispers of a similar pre-verbal form of communication among our ancient ancestors.

The formative months of a child’s life are often filled with the joyous onset of sound. A mother may hear her child’s coos and see them as the bridge to language, the sweet murmurings that burgeon into the vibrant tapestries of communication. Developmental studies have long celebrated these pre-linguistic sounds, indicating that they are not just random noise but critical building blocks of comprehension and discourse.

These sounds, it seems clear, are the result of an innate ability to communicate and seek connection. Before language shapes thoughts, these early gurgles and cries are the tools infants use to gauge reactions and express their needs. They are the inbuilt machinery of social beings who crave interaction from the very start — and it is to this start that we now turn our gaze across millennia.

In the murky half-light of prehistory, our forebears cast about, not with words, but with the guttural unity of community life. Anthropologists studying prehistoric artifacts and cave paintings have pieced together a picture of a time when communication was not just vital but acted as the mortar that bound these early societies.

Echoes of this past are found in the vocal mimicry employed by apes and other primates, as well as in the various clicks and other non-linguistic sounds used by indigenous peoples today to communicate over distance without disturbing their surroundings. It was through these pre-verbal means that our ancient kin empathized, warned, and celebrated together in the wild.

At first glance, the connection between the pre-linguistic sounds of a baby and those of our early ancestors may seem tenuous. However, both are characterized by a shared intent — an urge to connect, express, and understand long before any “intelligence” as we define it was present.

These pre-verbal forms of communication, though raw, were the bedrock upon which the edifice of spoken language was built. Like the infant’s cooing, they served not just as primal screams of survival but as the initial layers of empathy and understanding that would evolve by slow degrees into the grand tapestry of our linguistic capacity.

Understanding these parallels deepens our appreciation of human biology and behavior. It provides a lens through which to view the first external manifestations of our cognitive evolution. Seeing the commonalities in these sounds — the linking of an infant’s beginning to the dawn of our species — is to unlock a narrative that flows seamlessly from past to present.

It also challenges the distinction we sometimes make between “animal” and “human” forms of communication. By recognizing these parallels, we acknowledge that all communication is a continuum, anchored in our shared ancestry with the rest of the animal kingdom.

This revelation prompts a personal reflection. As we witness the development of language in children, we are witnessing an echo of millions of years of evolutionary development. The simple “goo” and “ga” are not just precursors to something greater; they are the resounding call of our hominid ancestors urging us toward deeper reflection.

The implications are profound. They speak to an inherent need for connection and community that has marked our existence from the very beginning. These pre-verbal sounds are less about the conveyance of information and more about the fostering of kinship.

Our pre-verbal sounds, from the first cries of an infant to the grunts shared around the communal fire, are the unadorned first chapters of a vast and complex story. By drawing these parallels, we do more than revel in the cuteness of baby babble; we lay bare the basal aspects of human communication and the resonance they still hold in our species’ character.

In understanding these parallels, we not only see the beginnings of what makes us uniquely human but are also reminded of the inalienable connection we share with all living beings — a symbolic return to the cradle of our shared communicative birth.

We are an over- civilized race now, but humanity still has some very basic needs that must be met, or we will not prosper as a species, but instead experience the failure to thrive, as some emotionally and familialy disadvantaged babies tragically experience. Like our pre-verbal ancient ancestors empathized, cued off of each other’s smiles, warned, fosteres kinship, and celebrated together in the wild, so too must we access this non-verbal wisdom in our ordered modern existence.

The Word Being Made Flesh, And Dwelling Amongst Us As Ourselves

“The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision.” – Helen Keller

With the advent of symbolic representation of the real world, a concurrent, though alternate “reality” was created that only existed in the minds of those entertaining those new concepts and symbols. To the point that this alternate reality created within the mind, both individually and culturally, matched up with the conditions of the real world, one could say that becoming verbally conscious was an amazing evolutionary leap for humanity. They now lived in two intimately related and interdependent worlds, that of their sensory inputs and biology, and that of their minds.

Once symbology is introduced into the human mind, absolutely remarkable, if not miraculous, phenomena start appearing. Consciousness expressed through symbology appears to have a self-organizing principle innate to it, and as it weighs and measures and assigns names to the objects of its awareness, a personal sense of being is also introduced into the biological system entertaining the symbology. Thus, the “word” or the act of first recognizing that a verbal sound or a specific set of symbols can represent an environmental influence is the initial generative force behind the creation of the awakening of the personal sense of self.

I began this chapter with a question about when mankind first became conscious, and the story of Helen Keller is a remarkable account of that very universal process happening to a handicapped individual. Helen Keller gives an outstanding narrative of the beginning of her sense of self, a new self that seemed to arise out of her more instinctual, or even chaotic biological response to life.

Helen Keller’s story is one that has captivated and inspired generations. Born in 1880, she faced unimaginable challenges from a young age. At just 19 months old, a severe illness left her deaf and blind. But it was through her unwavering resilience and the pivotal moment that marked the beginning of her sense of self that she became an iconic figure, teaching us valuable lessons about human potential.

As I reflect on Helen Keller’s journey, I am struck by the profound significance of that breakthrough moment. It was a beautiful spring day when her teacher, Anne Sullivan, led her to the water pump. As the cool water flowed over one hand, Anne spelled out the word “water” into Helen’s other hand. In that instant, Helen made the connection between the tactile sensation and the word, and her world opened up. It was a transformative moment, not just for Helen, but for all those who have been touched by her story.

Anne Sullivan, herself visually impaired, played a crucial role in guiding Helen through her education. With innovative teaching methods and unwavering dedication, Anne helped Helen navigate the complexities of language and communication. Their bond went beyond that of student and teacher; it was a deep connection rooted in mutual understanding and trust.

Helen Keller’s journey has profound implications for our understanding of human potential. Her story reminds us that, even in the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges, we have the capacity to grow, learn, and achieve great things. It is a testament to the power of resilience and determination. It is a testament to the power inherent in becoming conscious.

In our own lives, we have the power to shape our identity and forge our own path. Helen Keller’s story teaches us that the choices we make, the knowledge we seek, and the connections we form all contribute to our sense of self. It is through these choices that we define who we are and what we can become.

Understanding the word and its symbolism opened the miraculous door to Helen Keller’s self, and both phenomena seem to have arisen concurrently. Helen Keller’s new sense of self arose out of a life-giving and sustaining symbol, and she grew into a creative, profound, and spiritually wise human being, beloved by all who knew her. The word water became flesh to her, covering her biological skeleton with the flesh of a life imbued with the meaning of words.

So far, neuroscientists have found that there are no images, videos, or sound bites in our brains. There are only patterns of synapses firing. Everything our senses see, hear, smell, taste, and feel is converted into these patterns. This is the only way we know the world. The sight, warmth, and flavor of our favorite foods all exist for us only as synapses firing in specific patterns. Even the obsession with chocolate bars is just a pattern. Our brains process all sensory data in the same way, whether it comes from our eyes, ears, mouth, fingers, or nose, or even areas, not under public scrutiny. Any pattern in the world that our senses can sense gets mapped by our synapses in pretty much the same way.

Helen Keller’s, and our own, experiences happened because our brain’s activity became another source of sensory input. This one seemingly small change would allow our brains to become aware of their processes, and themselves and to become conscious. And it would allow us–for the first time in history–to develop a sense of self. This is a direct result of the profound mystery of the development of the word that is first recognized within an individual self and then shared with others.

How does our brain do this, or is this a manifestation of something beyond the brain? Brains can process electromagnetic light waves, auditory sound waves, and molecules of aroma, but how, exactly, does it process the Word? Is just the sound of the word sufficient? As we now know, just the sound of the word is not sufficient for the creation of this interior insight and understanding. Something now is playing the keys of our brain’s interior synapses, and the music we hear is the melody of OUR SELF. Are our neural patterns creating our sense of self?

Ha, the mystery remains, as well as our sense of self.

Once humans evolved consciousness, our internal sensations, emotions, and thoughts went online and became available to make us aware of who we are. Our internally observed neural activity told us:

what we like, and don’t like
who we love, and don’t love
how things make us feel, or how there is only numbness where feelings should be
what we think, and what we think about what we think
how, and maybe why, we behave in the sometimes odd ways that we do
what we want, and how far beyond our moral boundaries we’ve increasingly gone to get it

Because this inward-directed, self-sensing part of our brain can itself be seen as an input, we can be aware of ourselves being aware of ourselves being aware our ourselves, times infinity.

The experience of having conscious awareness happens on levels beyond the physical plane, without typical sensorial awareness. It can feel so extraordinary and exalted that it seems like it must be the result of something more than just brain chemistry, perhaps even a manifestation of something of an otherworldly, or even divine, nature. Our nervous systems are a vast universe of sensations, feelings, and thoughts. Conscious awareness has added a window to this interior dimension where the immeasurable and the unknowable may be accessed, caressed, or manhandled, by our sense of self.

Consciousness has completely changed the nature of our experience, as well as the state of nature across the entire planet. There are real mysteries here, what exactly is, or isn’t consciousness, and what does it feel like to have it?

It can be argued that once the mind of man finally became conscious of its self, and then that others also might also have a self, it opened the doors to a collective mind that entertained and hosted the symbolic representations of all of the other individual life forms, human or animal, that it was witnessing, as well as itself. It also opened Pandora’s Box, or the doors to all manners of the mistaken judgment of others, lies, and of self, opening the internal windows to illusion and fantasy, and that tragic fact of the unfoldment of consciousness remains not only a historical fact but a present reality.

When was mankind’s first W A T E R moment? Some neurobiologists guess that it happened when our neo-cortex first came online, about 30-60 thousand years ago. I am not so sure. It could be said that individual man, and collective man, may have left the Garden Of Eden state with that same evolutionary unfoldment in consciousness.

In the mystical literature of the Bible, as recorded through the words of New Testament scribe John:

“The Word. became flesh, and dwelt among us”.

We cannot be certain as to what the first words taught to each other in the dawning times of human consciousness were, but by historical evidence, it would appear that the language of survival, defense, killing, eating, competition for mates and sexual activity, and, eventually, attempts at understanding their place in the universe, probably dominated early language-building cultures. Remember, this matrix of information and ignorance becomes the very foundation of collective consciousness, the very consciousness that we continue to add to and access daily, even in our modern times.

With the advent of symbolic representation, our history was no longer dependent upon oral transmission, yet oral transmission still, to this very day remains a powerful, and primary, form of communication, especially for those not proficient in their reading ability, and lacking in intellectual and spiritual discernment. Words spoken in groups of people have infinitely more power in the present moment than words read from a book by an individual in the privacy of the home. We all have witnessed the remarkable power of the mob mind, and need only look at the insurrection on January 6, 2021, to see the insane, crazy-making energy they can stir up within people disconnected from reality.

There are two or more sides to every story, and the epoch of mankind certainly could have been defined historically by its nearly infinite number of interactions between members of our worldwide community, past and present, and all of the resultant stories derived through those connections, be they ordered or chaotic in nature. But, in the interest of brevity and our need to create meaning and bring order out of the apparent chaos of the limitless multitudes, we tend to select the stories that appear to not only carry the ethos of the age in which they originated but also appear to support the perceptual agendas of the writers.

Our present civilization now proudly touts its written “recorded history”. History is created and maintained by the institutionalized powers and transferred to all members of the community. Our history continues to be written to accommodate the prevailing victorious powers and understandings of the age in which it was first written.

In the distant past, and even today among the few uncivilized indigenous tribes left, the mother, father, and whatever tribe or supportive community transferred all of their wisdom and knowledge about hunting, weapon construction and use, tool construction and use, gathering, childbirth and rearing, wound care, fire building, and survival to the children, until they were of age, and could join their father, or their mother, in the daily grind, or branch out and seek their fortune elsewhere. Today, our parents and our culture continue the same process, transferring their knowledge, sacred or otherwise, to our children. So, not only do we live in two worlds, we also have two identities to deal with. Our collective/cultural self and our sense of self are rarely one person, though both now travel with us, wherever we might travel. The civilized being is plagued by schizophrenia, whether we want to face that difficult truth, or not.

We have more than a biological evolution, we also have an ongoing emotional, intellectual, and spiritual evolution. Our latter history, which is written, shows our ability to philosophize and to form creative narratives about what the world once was, what it is now, and where it might be going in the future. Our vision of what the world once was will always be just a best guess, and, just like now, our ancestors wrote their histories and proposed myths and legends to explain that which was pre-existent to their own lives. Our myths and legends serve us well in this regard, and many times they complement what we have discovered through all of the sciences, spiritual literature, as well as through our intuitive natures.

Who tells the story? Many times, the greatest, most courageous and intelligent heroes of our race remain anonymous, though their stories were captured by others.. They died before they could even create a story, thus the survivors, usually less qualified and relatively more uninformed, are the historians, and their story, not the story of the real heroes, is accepted as the narrative. Religious texts abound with such exposition. Our American history also has suffered under the need to present the prevailing propaganda of the time, as it looks back and interprets other’s historical accounts of what transpired, and molds it into a more self-supporting and self-aggrandizing cultural ethos and narrative.

When we were under the law of “survival of the fittest”, we had to measure up, and use all of our physical, emotional, and intuitive resources at maximum power, coupled with community and individual knowledge (wisdom) to have any hope of not becoming a meal for a stronger and hungrier predator than we were or a victim of a hunter/aggressor from another tribe.. Biologically, the men of our species usually were blessed with the greatest physical assets, while the women, through their capacity for becoming impregnated, were the carriers of the species’ future, plus messengers from a deeper realm of human potential through their heightened intuition and Earth-centered wisdom. Women within many ancient cultures were regarded as healers and carriers of “medicine”. They were loved, honored, respected, and protected by the community for those very reasons. Modern anthropological studies continue to confirm that early indigenous women were held in at least as high esteem as the hunter/gatherer/warriors of ancient times, so it can be surmised that in our pre-history the balance of the masculine and the feminine through mutual understanding, acknowledgment, and equality existed and supported the good for all.

The larger the community became, the more the equilibrium between men and women became disturbed, Size indicates prosperity, and the bigger communities either traded with friendly neighbors or were attacked by others seeking to help their tribes. As our history shows an almost universal, steady progression of conflict and war, cultures took their strongest citizens and made them into defenders, or aggressors, to preserve the tribe’s rights to resources, which were usually scarce. Biologically, the male warrior usually was considered as the best choice, and a whole consciousness eventually developed around that difference in biology. The best male might be considered the one who brings home the most game, gathers the most berries, raises the most crops (a more recent development) and/or is most fearless and aggressive, within certain community-proscribed limits. The best female might be considered the one most willing to support the hunter/gatherer and the defenders, through family support, maintenance of the home, meal preparation, healing of wounds, and birthing and raising the family, especially while the men go about their business.

Yet, mankind’s story, when told by the historical progression of women, would be much different than the story told by the history that men might present. History is rarely described and defined by the ones who were stuck at home caring for the wounded and the children, by the submissive ones, by the artists or sculptors, or by the losers in any conflict. Our history is no different, being described, and defined, by those in power, which are predominantly white male influences..

There is an imbalance within the field of the human spirit. Masculine energy has dominated our specie’s relationship with the universe, the world, the plants and animals, and with each other for most of the recorded time, and well before the human race had any capacity to keep records. Men carried the seed for life, yet they did not have the love, respect, and nurturing ability that the female of the species seemed to naturally possess. Was this merely an environmental response, or a biological response, or a combination of the two? The Hebrew Bible and its book of Genesis gives an interesting perspective,

Let me start by stating that metaphorical thinking is crucial when approaching all religious texts. The Book of Genesis stands as one of the most influential texts in human history, yet the interpretation of Genesis presents challenges when examined through the lens of modern science and historical context. While some still hold fast to its literal truth, others see the value in exploring its meaning through metaphorical interpretations. Viewing Genesis as a metaphor allows us to delve into deeper truths about our existence and the nature of consciousness. Though not scientifically or historically accurate, metaphors in religious texts serve as powerful tools for conveying timeless truths about the human experience and our place in the world.

Was it just a damned accident at our birth, when our mother ejected us from her womb’s safety, and forced us to figure out how we got here, and what we are supposed to be doing now that we are here in space and time? All religions have a point of view on that question! In the Hebrew-based mythological story of The Garden Of Eden, we even see the beginning of male denial and scapegoating of the female for humanity becoming alive and with consciousness.

In the story of the Garden of Ede, Adam and Eve,is a metaphor for the awakening of human consciousness. The forbidden fruit can be seen as symbolizing the pursuit of knowledge and self-awareness. As Adam and Eve partake in this forbidden fruit, they gain consciousness and self-reflection, shedding light on the human journey towards understanding ourselves and the world around them.. With eating of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, man, and woman, now may hesitantly approach divine knowledge, yet forever remain outside of their original ignorant unconscious state of being. The “flamings swords of the cherubim” guard the Garden and keep us out, for eternity, or at least until the judgmental.mind is quieted through spiritual practice, enhanced wisdom and understanding. That becones the window where divine forgiveness shines through and the resetting of conscious intention towards loving self and other occurs.

The serpent in the Garden of Eden remains a fascinating, enlightening archetypal image. The serpent is always in contact with the ground, or with the limbs in the trees, depending upon where it lives, so it serves as a great metaphor for those in continuous contact with our planet. And, mothers have a much more earth-centered understanding of life, being the bearers of human life itself, so the snake is also a metaphor for the earth-centered and connected woman. As the Earth gave life to us, so did the woman give life to the human. Women learned early about the Earth’s capacity to heal us, through judicious application of its plants and herbs, and spiritual awareness and empathy. Women tended to see a more complete picture than did the men, due to the very constitution of their neural networks. Women tended to see the forests and the trees, while the men remained obsessed about the trees. And, in a later development, the more earth-attuned women were persecuted and burned at the stake for being witches.

The serpent is also recognized for the way that it winds around its victims, or coils before it strikes. It is an obvious reference to the cunning nature of thought itself, winding around its victims and coiling before it strikes. Our limited thinking, even with all of its knowledge, attempts to baffle us with its bullshit, while it instinctively strikes out at others, or even ourselves, when feeling threatened. The serpent metaphor does successfully represent our biological and instinctual needs, like our unevolved thinking nature, our natural reflexes, our unenlightened sexual activity and our need for self-preservation. In some early cultures, the serpent was even worshiped as a God, or even feared as the devil, probably because of the pain, suffering, and sometimes death that ensued from failing to follow its edicts, such as avoiding contact with others, or thoughts within ourselves, of a poisonous nature. The greatest poison in existence is our so-called knowledge of good and evil when is used to attack ourselves and/or each other. The greatest deceit in history is when mankind began defining the Divine in terms that were merely projections of its own limited understanding, and hypnotizing others with their own self-assured ignorance.

In the words of Joseph Campbell, “Anything that can be said or thought of God is, as it were, a screen between us and God. If we take it literally, absolutely, we are in a way short-circuiting our own experience of an ultimately ineffable mystery, something that can not be talked about. Half of the people in the world think the reference of a metaphor is a fact. The other half of the world knows that it’s a lie. So we have people who believe in God as a fact and people who believe that he’s not a fact, both theists and atheists. The real position is to realize that the word God is metaphorical of a mystery, and the mystery is absolutely beyond all human comprehension”.

There is no return to the Garden of Eden while we ignorantly trust our collective perception derived knowledge of the divine. All religions thus must be regarded as mere representations of truth, and not Truth itself.

An artist paints or sculpts its representation of a revered object, but the creative work never becomes alive. As the Buddha proclaimed, the finger pointing at the moon is not the moon. Thus, our pseudo-knowledge parading as truth and accepted as such removes us from our direct divine connection.

Before I enter the portion discussing the common knowledge game in detail, it is beneficial to provide some information about the physiological similarities and differences in the brain between men and women, and how we process information and express ourselves, as a result of those differences and similarities. I will also post some quotes from the New Testament of the Christian Bible, to show how men have attempted to suppress the nature of the feminine, both within the women in their lives and culture and within their own “masculine” minds. Both of these factors have ultimate importance in the Common Knowledge game, providing the basic foundation for perception of our collective consciousness, and unconsciousness.

Wow, there really is a difference! How did THAT get in there?

It’s no secret that men and women are different, biologically, historically, emotionally, and spiritually, and extend beyond what the eye can see. Research reveals major distinctions between male and female brains. Scientists generally study several areas of difference in male and female brains: including structure, activity, processing, and chemistry. The differences between male and female brains in these areas show up all over the world, but scientists also have discovered exceptions to every so-called gender rule. Some men are very sensitive, immensely talkative about their feelings, and naturally eschew the masculine way of doing things. As with all gender differences, no one way of doing things is better or worse. The differences are simply generalized differences in typical brain functioning, and it is important to remember that all differences have advantages and disadvantages.

The male and female brains are structurally different. “Structural” refers to actual parts of the brain and the way they are built, including their size and/or mass. Females often have a larger hippocampus, our human memory center. Females also often have a higher density of neural connections in the hippocampus. As a result, women tend to input or absorb more sensorial and emotive information than males do. Women tend to sense a lot more of what is going on around them throughout the day, and they retain that sensorial information more than men..Before birth, the male and female brains develop somewhat differently, with the right and left hemispheres of the male and female brains showing distinctive paths of development.

Females tend to have verbal centers on both sides of the brain, while males tend to have verbal centers on only the left hemisphere. This is a significant difference, as females tend to use more words when discussing or describing objects of their concern. Males have fewer verbal centers in general and have less connectivity between their word centers and their memories or feelings. When it comes to discussing feelings and emotions and senses together, women tend to have an advantage..Another difference worth looking closely at is the activity difference between male and female brains. The female brain, in part thanks to far more natural blood flow throughout the brain at any given moment (more white matter processing), and because of a higher degree of blood flow in a concentration part of the brain called the cingulate gyrus, will often ruminate on and revisit emotional memories more than the male brain.

Males, in general, are designed a bit differently. Males tend, after reflecting more briefly on an emotive memory, to analyze it somewhat, and then move on to the next task. During this process, they may also choose to change course and do something active and unrelated to feelings rather than analyze their feelings at all. Thus, observers may mistakenly believe that men avoid feelings in comparison to women or move to problem-solving too quickly.

Scientists have discovered approximately 100 gender differences in the brain, and the importance of these differences cannot be overstated. Understanding gender differences from a neurological perspective not only opens the door to a greater appreciation of the different genders, it also calls into question how we parent, educate, and support our children from a young age. None of us are doomed to remain tethered to a solely male or a female perspective, though our culture and our religions certainly have dedicated much time, historically, to maintaining the status quo and the division between the sexes.

There appears to be a physiological reason in the brain for why men and women see life differently from each other. Men and women tend to process information and emotions somewhat differently. Women tend to think more globally, and outwardly network with others, and also within all centers of their own brains, better than males. Yet, there are aspects of many styles of processing available to both men, and women, depending on their own internal natures, and intentions. And, through proper training, intention, and insight, men can actually process information and emotions in more intelligent, balanced, loving manners. And men can become much more interested in, and sensitive to the needs of others, and their own emotional needs, if this becomes a conscious intention for them. Studies have also shown that the internal nature of all brains can be changed, even after one reaches adulthood. Men can become much more “feminine” in the way their brain processes emotions and information, showing the powerful transformative force that conscious “nurture” has upon “nature”..The bible has so many revealing statements and texts about the subjugation and disempowering of women, all in the name of maintaining “Godly” relations.

The Christian bible is replete with aphorisms and statements relegating women to the background of the “church”, and in all relations with life. This oppression of women, and repression of so-called “feminine characteristics” within the male have been historically inculcated into the history and traditions of so-called “religious people”, and it reflects in the diseased and imbalanced relationships between some Christian and Jewish bodies of thought, and the world in general…These religious principles have also become established as conscious, and unconscious, norms for perception within the collective consciousness of America, and mankind in general. Just having a political and philosophical need to keep the church and the state separate is not quite enough, apparently, to establish healthier norms for relationships between the sexes. And, an unfortunate and dangerous outcome to this division between the man and woman is that the man is unconsciously conditioned to see the ‘feminine” aspects of himself in an objectified manner, and tries to oppress, control and dominate those aspects, emotions, and tendencies as if those parts were his “Christian wife”, rather than integrate them into a complete holism within himself..

For man was not made from woman, but woman from man.-—1 Peter 3:1
Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a world by the conduct of their wives-–1 Corinthians
The women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission, as the Law also says. If there is anything they desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church—-1 Timothy 2:12-14
I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. For Adam was formed first, then Eve; and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor.—-1 Timothy 2:
To the woman he said, “I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.“—–Genesis 3:16

.So how on Earth, or in Heaven, do we bring balance back to ourselves, and with our relationships to each other, with our men and women, and with our planet Earth?.

Before I leave this discussion about myths and our origins, and the differences between the sexes, I would like to speculate that if I had a different early childhood, and if the first word that I learned was the unifying, life-giving word W A T E R, rather than the conflicted, confused, sometimes abandoned experience that I had around the words M O T H E R and F A T H E R, I too, might have had a much less fragmented understanding of life, and a more positive experience as a child and young adult. My early life experience and how consciousness ordered my sense of self was definitely not of the same nature as the beloved Helen Keller’s, though I was at least was loved by my grandparents, parents and pets.

Once we become conscious, there does not appear to be any obvious way of going back to permanent unconsciousness of our self, except through neurological damage or disease. Yet, many seekers of truth and knowledge throughout time have claimed that by meditating upon their body, their biology, and their breath, rather than the endless stream of words, thoughts, and concepts that seem to be constantly present, a door may open revealing the possibility of an enhanced experience of non-thought based awareness, however.

I propose that there is a way to be born again, but it can be an unusual path for some, characterized by a surprise intuitive connection, or another, much more common path that embraces much pain and suffering initially. In the latter situation, the aspirant must be disgusted with the past, and be willing to be freed from it and be open to new possibilities for a refreshed life experience.

Does anyone know the way back “home”?

Would we return to a pre-verbal or nonverbal state of being, or would we recognize words for what they are, and use them with more love and care, or perhaps a conscious blend of the two states? Perhaps we will discover that words only have limited, relative value rather than absolute value, in the search for our real origins.

Jesus, in the New Testament, proclaims:

“Unless you are born again, you cannot enter the kingdom of God.“, and
““It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God”, and, finally
“My Kingdom is not of this world”.

So, even prophets and biblical writers understood the difficulty of such an undertaking. Jesus knew that those already rich, or overburdened, with their religious knowledge would be least likely to want to let it all go, and start over once they learned that they really knew nothing of the timeless divine knowledge. It is quite an insult to the ego, no matter how much so-called religious knowledge it is disguised with..

Most of the human race continues to be born into ancient times, using the tools of ancient, unenlightened thought, and they embody a continuation of the same mental and material processes that our ancient, mostly unenlightened ancestors practiced. If we can discontinue thinking the same thoughts about subjects we really don’t understand, our now opened minds become the now innocent wombs for the birth of new understanding and awareness. This is the “virgin birth” metaphorically referred to for Jesus Christ’s entry into this world.

“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched – they must be felt with the heart.” – Helen Keller

Yet, not all of our ancestors were ignorant, disconnected beings. In the optimistic assessment of John Trudell, all human beings are descendents of tribal people who were spiritually alive and intimately in love with the natural world, and children of Mother Earth. When we were tribal people, we knew who we were, we knew where we were, and we knew our purpose. This sacred perception of reality remains alive and well in our genetic memory. We still carry it inside of us in a long neglected dusty box in the mind’s attic.

There is an exciting alternative to the repetition and continuation of our human and personal history, however, but to be a part of that evolutionary leap, we must either access this long neglected dusty box, and/or be born again. You don’t need to study my works to find the Truth, you just need to learn how to study yourself. You are the greatest teacher, healer, and redeemer that you will ever find, once you tune up your understanding. We have to understand that which we attempt to understand with. We finally understand that to search for our divine source with just a mind stuffed with scriptures, words, and thoughts is like chasing a sunbeam with a flashlight. But, in the quietness and love of our heart, we may finally discover our real self, and, perhaps, see with the real mystery of life. It may become the greatest challenge of your life, yet the rewards make the whole process meaningful beyond all description.

Is it possible to finally learn who is the being searching for the divine?

Is it possible to see the divine in everyday life?

Have fun and learn, and then teach, or unteach, your children well!

What about the rest of you? Well, you will do what you feel that you need to do, without question, and your learning will come with much suffering and pain as a continuation of the historical momentum of humanity. Why would anybody want to change, anyway? I changed because I was going to die, and I wanted to see if life had any lasting, eternal meaning. I had to stop telling Life solely what it meant to me and be watchful and silent enough so that Life could reveal more of its undiscovered meaning to me. I had to let go of my misunderstandings of the words that I used and applied to Creation that I had oppressed and limited by using them ignorantly.

Are you ready to transmogrify?

Welcome to the next chapter!

“If everything around seems dark, look again, you may be the light”. —Rumi

Chapters 7-13: Our Words Become Flesh As Our Evolving Sense Of Self

Published by Bruce on October 12, 2024October 12, 2024

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Chapters 7-13: Our Words Become Flesh As Our Evolving Sense Of Self

Published by Bruce on October 12, 2024October 12, 2024

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