Notice how tiny deceptive thoughts can anchor in the mind and blow up into large phenomena. A tiny seed once planted, if constantly nurtured with additional thoughts, can blossom and grow out of control, becoming an invasive weed. Be careful of what you think. Keep a clear mind by doing constant cleaning, ridding the mind of those invasive seeds before they take root. Turn to the heart more often so that invasive ideas can be discerned and discarded, for the heart is the place of truth and a pure heart will not lead you astray. A heart that is turned to often is a heart that is strong, pure and nurtured, and what grows in such a heart is only the most creative thoughts, ideas and visions of a beautiful future. Listen to your heart.
Archetypes are nature’s crowning achievement. Our ability to survive is rooted in the activation of these evolutionarily sound, instinctual patterns of behavior etched in the fabric of the subconscious mind. Before humans had consciousness, with its ability to reason and make decisions, the automatic subconscious mind was the center of human decision making.
The guiding principle for the subconscious mind is association. If my senses detect a loud sound in the woods, images of a falling tree or an exploded firearm immediately come to mind. The subconscious associates the images to the sound, as action hormones are released in the body, which push for cautious investigative action.
With the birth of consciousness I can rationalize, that is, think about, the sound, and talk myself out of the need to investigate. My conscious will can subvert the subconscious story and call to action. Of course, through this suppression of the subconscious, a part of my mind may remain unsettled, but, as compared to primitive humans, I am not obsessively controlled by the absolute rule of the archetype.
Reason’s growing hegemony over the human mind is an evolutionary exercise that has produced mixed blessings. Scientists have proposed that we are now in a new geologic time period, which they are calling the anthropocene epoch, highlighting the overarching impact of human decision making upon the Earth.
It could certainly be argued, as does the Garden of Eden myth, that human beings should never have stolen access to the fruit of the tree of knowledge and instead stayed obediently within the rules and laws of the godly archetypes.
The subconscious, had it remained in total control, would never have allowed the kinds of duplicitous decisions that ego has made during its reign as CEO of the planet. The subconscious rules with the intention of survival. When it acts upon a suggestion, that suggestion has impressed it with its utility, due to its frequency of appearance.
Reason, of course, would argue that evolutionary patterns can be cumbersome and non-related to the challenges of modern life. Despite some truth to this argument, reason itself has been unable to use pure reason as a basis for environmental decisions. In effect, reason has acted like an imperious child, holding the keys to the kingdom in its own self-righteous hands.
The subconscious is the section of the mind where spirit and matter mate. From spirit issues a dynamic suggestion in the form of a word. The subconscious mind opens to receive the word, which it then magnetizes to attract matter and give birth to spirit’s intent in physical form. From this union, the word literally becomes flesh.
The will of ego can, and does, impress its suggestions upon the subconscious mind, subverting its creative potential for its own self-interest alone. The speed of communications nowadays, through social media, flood the collective subconscious with suggestions that are literally generating alternative realities, which are grounded only in the fact of their repetitive frequency.
In the meantime, the archetypes that once balanced the Earth’s ecosystem are flagrantly misfiring, or are being pitted against each other in battles for dominance. Who, for instance, defines modern masculinity? Are ancient archetypal patterns relevant to being a man? Should reason dictate the curriculum of identity?
The subconscious and reason are reconcilable partners. The bridge to this partnership is objective truth. The subconscious might very well be the most powerful section of the mind, but, by lacking critical thinking, it can be manipulated for less than positive intentions.
The ego has free will, its crowning achievement, but it lacks the ethical grounding to do the right thing. The home of truth is the heart. The Egyptian Goddess Maat is the Goddess of Truth, Law and Justice. Upon death, a person’s heart was weighed against her feather. Only a heart weighing less than the feather was a pure heart.
A pure heart, one that tells the truth, can weigh both the appropriateness of ego’s reason and a suggestion posed to the subconscious. Decisions from the heart center elevate the subconscious and the ego to be in alignment with the true needs of the Self, and the planet as a whole.
As individuals, we are most responsible when we bring heart to weigh upon the validity of our thoughts and the appropriateness of our instincts and impulses.
Concern yourself with what is going on inside as you weigh choices, make decisions and begin each day of your life. What is your body saying to you today? What is your heart implying as you pose your questions? How does your central nervous system react to your ideas? Tune in and listen closely to your body; it will tell you a lot. Learn how it responds as you ask it to guide you. It’s easy to let thoughts override how your body speaks to you, but it may not be wise. When in alignment, heart, mind, body and spirit, the four parts of the conscious self, will speak the same language, and that language is harmony. Harmony breeds happiness, contentment, and satisfaction that is deep and grounding, aspects that a healthy you will recognize instantly and want to seek again and again. Seek harmony first within, then radiate harmony out into the world around you. In harmony there is a balance that is unmistakably right.
People might not notice the changes taking place inside you even though you may feel them profoundly. Do not be offended but be in aware of the subtleties of change and how though immense in feeling how small in actual fact. There is a vast difference between the inner world and the outer world, between what you feel and what is visibly apparent. You may dream a profoundly moving dream but no one else can experience it. Thus it is with great changes within; you may be the only one to know and experience them. And this is as it should be, for your own progress is ultimately an inner experience and ultimately of the most profound importance.
Remain upon your path of change no matter what comes along to upend you, to unsettle and catapult you into a new state of awareness. When sudden change occurs it causes a shift, and an abrupt need to rethink best laid plans. Receive whatever comes with a measure of grace and an open heart, aware that this might be the most important moment in your life, a pivotal moment that says now or never. Change comes at appropriate times, so pay attention and proceed with what is right, taking a moment to pause and ask yourself the question, “What’s right?” Listen with your heart. The answer will come.
