Tag Archives: magical self

Chuck’s Place: Take Charge Of The Internal Dialogue

A new internal dialogue…
-Illustration © 2023 Jan Ketchel

The shamans of ancient Mexico coined the term internal dialogue to identify the incessant self-talk that we all engage in that generates our personality.

The content of the internal dialogue is the socialized messages we all receive from the moment we are born, which come to shape our perception and interpretation of ourselves, and the world around us.

What’s key is how the internal dialogue, which is largely internalized verbal and nonverbal messages from significant others, becomes the deeply felt personal definition of self that we accept as our unique personality. Thus, our sense of self is mostly simply a product of external forces of socialization. What we come to covet as our unique self is largely an arbitrary creation of external suggestion.

Psychologically this is what forms and upholds our ego identity. The ego adopts this external messaging as its internal dialogue, which instructs the subconscious mind to manifest the mental and physical being we then become in this world. The subconscious mind is capable of creating anything we say to it—its powers are that extraordinary.

This magic, however, is lost to us, as our magical possibilities are molded externally, and maintained internally, by the incessant unconscious repetition of the same internal dialogue.

Shamans call this fixation of identity, via suggestion, the assemblage point, where unlimited possibility becomes sharply bound by a definite sense of self. Carlos Castaneda called it the place where the wings of our magical selves become clipped.

To further complicate the potential awakening to our innate creative potential is the emotional security we derive from a consistent knowing of ourselves. Thus, for instance, if we are generally somewhat depressed and not hopeful about success in our lives, we may nonetheless cling to and defend this unhappy personality because it provides us with the security of a familiar, trustworthy sense of self.

The rational function of the ego will also likely generate persuasive arguments to dismiss the irrational notion of an unlimited magical potential within the self.

For instance, the subconscious mind is capable of nonlocal perception, such as through remote viewing, channeling or telepathy. The ego, on rational grounds, may dismiss these potential abilities with blocking beliefs that preclude ego even suggesting such a possibility to the subconscious mind.

The shaman proposes that one suspend judgment, and, like a true scientist, approach the subconscious with an unbiased experiment that presents suggestions to it and observes behavioral outcomes.

Too often we try first to reason with the internal dialogue to overcome its objections. This will almost always fail due to the power of the ego’s defenses, which it employs to securely maintain its familiar self.

Rather than battle with reason, accept the product of its internal dialogue, the current ego identity. Instead of an argument, create a new internal dialogue that you volitionally and incessantly repeat, as often as you remember.

For example, state the phrase, “I am calm,” thousands of times a day. It matters little if you believe it or not. In fact, your working definition of self—your standard operating self definition—might be, “I am an anxious person.” Do not challenge this definition, simply repeat, “I am calm,” as often as you can.

Suggestions given to the subconscious just before sleep are the most powerful. In retiring to sleep, both the physical body and the conscious mind are turning down and tuning out, thus the availability of the subconscious to receive new instructions is paramount.

In addition, the subconscious naturally comes alive to creativity and suggestion at night. Why waste it on ordinary dreaming? Give it some direction!

As one works the magic at night, one may soon discover that one is more calm in waking life as well. The more established ego state, which loves rationality, will likely take in this new fact and be willing to incorporate it into its old sense of self with little resistance. What ego would deny the facts of its own experience? That’s reality testing at its most basic level.

The possibility of molding a new sense of self, with consciousness that assumes personal responsibility for the suggestions presented to the subconscious, is the true key to the magical kingdom.

Firstly, it allows one to shed the propositions of early internalized beliefs that don’t truly reflect one’s innate potential. The ego instead becomes the beacon of the true Spirit of the Self.

Secondly, it puts the two minds within the self in an optimal relationship for growth. If the ego suggests, to the subconscious, actions of health, healing and the greater good, the physical body and the manifested world will reflect the instinct of self-preservation taken to the highest level of evolutionary refinement.

Thirdly, we, as human beings, are thus restored to the free exploration of our magical beingness and our greater creative potential. We unclip our wings with the free exercise of our will and become the true artists of our lives.

It’s that simple! Take charge of the internal dialogue and become all that you can be!

I am a being of unlimited potential,
Chuck

Soulbyte for Tuesday October 29, 2019

Don’t forget to exercise your inner strength and prowess, to keep it in as good a shape as you seek to keep your mental and physical prowess. Your inner strength is your spiritual power, your magical you. Keep attuned to its nuances, its knowings, its hunches, and how it operates, for you are as much a spiritual being as you are a physical being. Tune it and turn on to the other you, the inner you, your magical spiritual self who waits patiently for you, every day, in the realms within.

Sending you love,
The Soul Sisters, Jan & Jeanne

Chuck’s Place: Tending The Magic From Within

Remember your magical beginnings…
– Artwork by Jan Ketchel © 2017

We are all Magical Beings, journeyers in infinity currently enjoying a life on Earth. Many are born into this life still actively connected to the memories of their soul’s prior journey through infinity or interactive with spirit essences invisible to the adult world. Many parents recognize the advanced wisdom of their young children, calling them Old Souls. Many children have very clear recollections of past lives, even able to tell their parents of their own roles in those past lives, as well as relay in elaborate detail events from those lives.

Young children live in this world of magical possibility and adults largely protect and promote this early magical stage of life. In fact we soon approach the consensus day of magic: Christmas. Regardless of religious affiliation there is general world agreement that this day is an open channel for childhood innocence to encounter the magic of infinite possibility.

For the adult world solidly ensconced in rationality the magic of childhood is a long-forgotten lost paradise. Many find vicarious compensatory solace in a child’s sparkle of surprise when opening a gift. Many need to shun exposure to any trigger linked  to  the vulnerability of expectant hope as the vicissitudes of a lifetime of disappointment seem to necessitate powerful insulation from the live wire of the thrill of anticipation.

Ultimately all children are led to the guillotine of disappointment, a process known as “growing up.” Parents may strive to protect their children’s innocence and connection to the magic as long as possible but ultimately must prepare their children to live in the “real” world.

This process is known as socialization and all adults knowingly or unknowingly collude to insure that children perceive and live in the world in a unified way. Not to do so might land their children in a psychiatric institution, labeled schizophrenic, for their hallucinations and delusions as regards communications with spirit entities and beliefs in other worlds.

The Shamans of Ancient Mexico completely concur that this socialization that limits beliefs and perception is critical to being able to live and find stable grounding in this world. In fact they see it as a magical act that we are all capable of agreeing upon the same basic tenets of reality through the universal establishment of an ego-based rationality.

Nonetheless, the shamans do acknowledge that the fallout for this basic tenet of mental health, a strong rational ego, is as tragic as the magic of its creation: we become severely limited human beings cut off from our birthright, our magical connection to infinity. In a rational world magic is make-believe.

The dominance of rationality severely estranges us from our true natures. Though it serves us well in adapting to this world it leaves us deeply bored and unsatisfied. This is the ultimate reason for the profusion of substance abuse in our time. The use of substance dislodges the fixation on rationality and allows a fuller glimpse into human potential, unfortunately with often dangerous outcomes in dark or expansive journeys lacking the reasonable limits prescribed by rationality.

Truthfully, however, rationality alone rarely delivers fulfillment. Consider a relationship that appears perfect on rational grounds, and yet finds no attraction between its partners. Conversely, many relationships of attraction struggle with compatibility on rational grounds.

This dilemma reflects the deep split within all human beings, between their dominant rational ego and their deeper magical nature. Often we are really attracted to a partner, however inappropriate, that can deliver us from the stranglehold of our own rationality.

The Shamans of Ancient Mexico suggest a different approach to resolve this inner quandary: tend the magic within. Shamans suggest that we accept the basic polarity of our beings: I am both a rational and a magical being. I am both a physical and an energetic being. Rather than pit these two sides of the self against each other their approach is more synergistic.

When I am in the world of everyday life rationality is dominant as the magical self continues in the background to inform the ego of intuitions and perceptions of a parapsychological nature. When I am in the magical or energetic world rationality can serve as a helpful discriminating and orienting function that also offers grounding via a connection to some needed familiar definition of self. These two parts of self can complement each other’s functioning while enriching the depth of experience and fulfillment of our true human potential.

The truth is, however, that we cannot afford to tend the magic within until we have achieved a strong enough rational ego to make us bonafide adults in this world. The paradox of course is that this accomplishment of adulthood severely alienates us from the magic. And yet, without a strong ego we are ill-equipped to take the journey to recover our connection to the magic.

We are living through a time in human history that is severely rattling our security in the stabilizing power of rationality. Now is the time to use inner rationality to navigate this alternative reality we’ve all been thrust into. In a dark way our current world situation demonstrates the magic of alternative realities that exist in infinity.

Use your rationality to stabilize the self, yet tend also to the truth of the magical self that we all share in common. Tend the magical self within, with love, as we weather the radical shifts of our time. Nothing can take away the magic, let it shine.

Tending the magic, with love,

Chuck