The spiritual path is full of twists and turns. Traps for the unwary. Trenches for the expeditious. The most seductive of these traps are the ones that liberate us from ownership. The ones that allow us to put the blame on somebody else. But if one becomes unaware of their own shadow realm, one can easily give up their power to the subconscious mind.
Awakening technologies: the objectification of experience
For a lot of adepts, awakening technologies such as Vipassanā are the entry pathway to spirituality. Meditative concentration practices are fundamental in experiencing the true nature of consciousness. Without them, the path to recognizing the Self as something other than its thoughts, feelings, and emotions, is challengingly narrow.
The realization that the subject (the I) exists separated from the endless stream of experiences is extremely liberating. The objectification of the contents of the mind allows one to bring ease to suffering. Moving from “I am angry” to “there is anger” is a life-changing step, to say the least.
The problem is that this shift in perspective is SO infinitely powerful, that it can become addictive and misleading.
Relying solely on the objectification of experience can easily lead to disassociation from the outside world. “I am not that experience, therefore it is not my responsibility to handle it” – some people may say. And while there’s some truth in that statement, it can become an excuse to pole-vault over our responsibilities.
Ownership vs disassociation
Faced with the truth that the Self is neither the body nor the mind, the I is faced with an uncomfortable decision to make: what of which I experience belongs to ME? A sort of gray area, this is where most people find it easier to completely disassociate with all of their experiences.
This is especially critical with our personal shadows. When objectified, our past selves, their virtues, and their vices don’t simply go away. They submerge in the shadows of the subconscious mind and emerge as projections through the outside world.
If we deemed those projections to be outside of what we consider to be OURS (i.e, we disassociate them), we’re gonna have a hard time dealing with them. We might find ourselves blaming other people for calls that are actually coming from inside the house.
This is why having ownership over what we experience is key to actually move forward and bring ease to our suffering and of others. The further we claim ownership and we expand the boundaries of what we realize as part of ME, the more powerful our impact on our reality can be.
Becoming the Bodhisattva: full ownership of reality
The Buddhists had already detected the trap that objectification and disassociation pose for the spiritual path. The solution to this matter is the concept of Bodhicitta, the attainment of enlightenment for the benefit of all beings.
Becoming the Bodhisattva, the one who finds in Bodhichitta the ultimate motivation for all of their actions, implies the expansion of the field of that which we consider to be a part of ME. From Egocentric to Ethnocentric, to Worldcentric, to Cosmocentric, as we recognize more and more experiences as manifestations of our inner realm, as parts of ME, the more power we have to change our reality.
Of course, the path of Bodhichitta is not immediate. It requires progressive expansion over the field of experiences we recognize as part of ME. Over the things we claim ownership of.
In Episode 22: “No it’s YOUR fault!“: Ownership in the Path of Ascension, Cian and I will share how the lack of ownership over our own shadows infected our relationship. Through our experience, you’ll learn how your disassociated shadows can project themselves into the outside world, conditioning the way you perceive even your closest, most intimate relationships.
This episode is all about reclaiming your power, taming your shadows, and aligning yourself with the benefit of ALL beings.
We hope this episode empowers you on your journey, lightbender!
If you want to discuss your experience listening to the Alchemize Your Life Podcast, don’t forget to join us at The Prysm Institute Of Quantum Alchemy!
To your massive spiritual transformation
Sophie, Cian & The Prysm Team
