The process of moving back and forth between the soul and the mind is important; it´s a learning process.
It shows us that there is something other than the mind, something that we had previously been unaware of, that this something is our essence, soul, and that the soul is real.
It allows us to get to know the soul. It enables us to see why we move away from the soul. We need this information so that we know what to let go of in order to remain in our natural state of pure awareness, of peace.
It allows us to learn about the mind and how it works.
It allows us to compare the experience of the soul with the experience of the mind, to know where we are in each and every moment, to know what we want and don´t want.
It helps us to see why we keep moving from the soul to the mind. This is important information. If we want to heal – if we want to be whole – being able to identify the issues that keep pulling us back to the mind allows us to work on resolving them so that we can remain in our natural state of pure awareness.
We notice that the movement back and forth between the soul and the mind is always complete in the sense that we are either soul or mind, that we cannot experience both at the same time, that it is always the one or the other.
As soul, there is no connection to the mind. There is no `I person´; there are no beliefs, thoughts, or emotions; there is no awareness of a physical body. There is just the beauty and peace of awareness.
Perhaps the most important discovery we make about moving back and forth between the soul and the mind is that moving to the mind is painful because it takes us away from the beauty and peace of the soul. We realise that to be shut off from our souls is the greatest pain of all.
What We Learn About The Soul
We sense the presence of the soul inside. We sense it as something tangible; undeniable. We are getting to know this presence. We are learning to recognise it. And we are learning to recognise when we move away from it.
From the soul, we discover that our vision is different. It´s as if we see `beyond´ the world we saw before.
We see beauty that we don´t normally see with our physical eyes. We see this beauty in our own face and in the faces of others; we see it in the movement of a finger, an arm, the body. We see it in nature: when the sun rises and sets, by the sea, in the mountains, the forest, among the trees. Not only do we see this beauty everywhere, but when we see it, we also experience it because this beauty, this light, is what we are.
We see clearly in relation to all aspects of our lives in a way that we didn´t before. We see others as they really are, not as we imagine them to be. We see the world as it really is. We see the precise nature of a challenge, or problem, and we see helpful approaches and solutions that we might not have seen otherwise.
We discover that there is nothing between us and the world around us; that we have direct contact with the physical world, the natural world, with all living beings. We realise that it is through having direct contact with our external environment that we know what we are, because what we are is reflected back to us so that we can see it, experience it, know it.
Instead of seeing division, we simply `see´. We discover that this kind of `seeing´ is beautiful, that it’s peaceful, that we can breathe.
As soul, we discover that we are whole, complete, that we are everything we could ever wish to be, that we are everything we ever need to be.
We discover that light, pure awareness, inner knowing, wholeness, oneness are all nuances of the soul; nuances of our essence, of what we are.
We come to see that thoughts and emotions exist outside us as soul, and that they cannot affect us as soul, that nothing in the physical world can affect us as soul because the soul is impenetrable. The instant we see this, we know that, as soul, we are always safe. And, because we know we are safe, we are no longer afraid. We are free. .
We discover that the soul is an infinite source of knowledge, knowledge that is inaccesible to the mind; knowledge that the mind is unable to grasp.
That soul knowledge, or inner knowing, is prior to thought. We know ‘what is’ before it takes form as a thought in our mind. But while inner knowing tells us ‘what is’, it doesn’t provide details of how, when, where or why a specific thing will come about. Inner knowing is simply a knowing of the thing itself, and that knowing is enough.
We experience that soul knowledge comes to us in different ways. Sometimes, it comes in the form of a deep insight, or truth, where all of a sudden we see something that previously was hidden, as if a curtain has been lifted aside and we get to see what lies behind. These insights, truths, appear in an instant, only to disappear again just as quickly, but the knowledge they provide leaves a lasting impact that we cannot deny. Their sheer clarity can take our breath away.
If we happen to be worried about something, we might suddenly experience a soft, gentle knowing inside. It is the soul, letting us know that the situation we are concerned about is going to be alright. This inner knowing is laden with information, a certainty that things will be fine. At other times, inner knowing is strong, compelling. It has a certainty about it. Instinctively, we know it to be true.
As soul, we know where we are and what we´re doing in each and every moment. We know what to do and when to do it without having to think. In the same way, we know what we want; we know what is right for us without having to think about it.
Sometimes, we have an inner knowing about something that we can´t explain; we just know.
We `see´ that the soul represents interconnectedness. That, at a deep level that we are not normally aware of, there is a vast and intricate network where the soul is connected with everyone and everything at the very core of life. We discover, also, that this interconnectedness is unaffected by distance and by time and space.
We realise this through repeated experiences of synchronicity, for instance, when someone we’ve been thinking about suddenly rings, or we bump into them on the street.
We also experience it when everything seems to go smoothly and effortlessly, for example, when we apply for a job or buy a house. It is the lining up of all that needs to be in place for us to land the job we desire, or find the house we dream of: the person who resigns from a position so that the job becomes vacant; the couple who put the house that we dream of on the market. We are stunned by the ease with which everything falls into place. It is all beautifully synchronized at the level of the soul.
As soul, the barriers that the mind represents all fall away, and we experience being at one with others, with animals, with the sky, the mountains, the trees. We might also `see´ and `feel´ the essence of another person within us even though they are not physically present. With this experience of deep, inner connection, we discover a most beautiful love, a love that we have never experienced before. This love is so beautiful that we want it to last forever.
Often, when we experience these deep connections, we are left speechless.
We sense that the soul guides us, that it shows us the way. We know what to do and when to do it without having to think. For example, we have an inner `feeling´ that there is somewhere we must go, something we must do, someone we must speak to; or we go straight to a specific book in a bookshop as if we are being guided to do so.
We start to see images in front of us or to the side of our head. These images relay messages that guide us or warn us of danger. We soon discover that we need to take these images seriously because the messages they convey are real. There are times when we realise that they can literally save our lives.
When we have doubts or are afraid, we might see light. The light is guiding us in the sense that it is reassuring us; it is letting us know that there is nothing to fear. It´s presence can also confirm something that we have been unsure about.
Because, as soul, we have inner vision, we notice that there are signs along the way. These signs can take many forms: the appearence of a butterfly, a deer, a bird, something we read in a book, something someone says. The signs are specific to us, to our journey, to what we are longing for, and knowing what we are longing for, we have a natural understanding of what the signs mean. The signs give us comfort, reassurance, they confirm something for us; they point the way; they show us that all is good, that all is well; that we are on the right path.
As we learn about our real self, soul, we become aware of what appears to be a paradox: that, on the one hand, we are beautiful, peaceful beings, yet on the other hand, we are immensely powerful, more powerful than anything we know of in the material world. But the idea of this being a paradox disappears as we come to realise that beauty, peace, and power are all one and the same thing: they are all soul.
What We Learn About The Mind
We know when we have moved from the soul to the mind because how we `feel´ inside changes immediately: we are no longer light and airy, no longer at peace. Now, we feel heavier, denser inside; we are thinking, we are feeling; where there was peace a moment before, the wheels of the mind are now churning.
In the mind, we feel shut off from the soul. It seems it is nowhere to be found. All we have is the memory. We discover that no matter how much we think about the soul, thinking doesn´t take us back.
From the mind, there is no awareness of the movement back to the soul, except that suddenly we are expansive, we are light and free, we are at peace inside.
From the soul, we discover that every time we think a thought, we move away from the wholeness, beauty, and peace of the soul, and that the more we think, the further we move away. We also discover that if we continue to think, we become entrenched in the mind.
We know when we have moved from the soul to the mind because how we `feel´ inside changes. We are no longer light and airy. We are heavier, denser; the world around us seems concrete.
From the mind, we are surprised that we have no access to the soul. It´s as if the soul doesn´t exist. We know that we have experienced it, but now, all we have is the memory. When we try to relive our experience of the soul from our memory of it, we can´t for we are no longer soul. We have become the mind.
We notice that the the mind is divided: that there are opposites, nuances, shades of grey: up – down, right – left, greater – lesser and everything in between. From the mind, we see the things of the world as separate from each other; they each have a label, a name; they are sorted into categories; they are classified, described, defined so that we can talk about them.
We realise that previously we have lived in a world that is divided into parts and that we have believed this world to be real. But because, as soul, we have seen the world in its wholeness, we realise that a divided world is a construction. It is not real.
We realise that the mind contains no true knowledge of its own; that the mind generates knowledge through observation, the taking of measurements, the capacity to analyse, to reason, to use logic, but that the conclusions arrived at by using these methods can´t be said to represent absolute knowledge – they are simply conclusions based on observations and assumptions on a collection of facts about the external world and interpreted in order to give meaning. The mind has no direct knowledge about the nature of life because the mind is a tool.
We notice the restless nature of the mind, how the mind constantly moves from one thing to the next; we encounter pain, fear, guilt, shame and a host of other emotions, both positive and negative, that affect how we feel. There is no beauty to be found in the mind; there is no peace here.
We catch ourselves going over things, doubting, wondering, questioning. From the mind, we realise that we can never really be sure of anything. For every answer, there is always a new question, always something else to consider.
As soul and having seen the world in its wholeness, we see that the mind reduces experience – life – into small pieces, that this is its limitation, for the mind can only focus on one thing at a time.
Here, in the mind, we are conscious of ourselves: conscious of how we look, how we behave, how we function; we worry about what others will think of us; we worry about many things; we criticise, we judge, we make assumptions; we compare ourselves with others; often, we feel dissatisfied with ourselves; we´re affected by unresolved issues, by old wounds, pain; we get triggered by others, by what they say, by what they do; emotionally, we go up and down; some days we feel good; others days we feel bad, whereas as soul, we are always at peace.
We discover that our pain, fear, guilt, and all our other emotions arise in the mind; that the soul is beyond and remains unaffected by the mind.
Thinking
We notice that thinking takes us away from the wholeness, beauty and peace of the soul; that thinking takes place outside the soul.
We see how we shift our awareness towards something specific in order to focus on that thing by thinking about it; that we choose to think.
We notice how one thought leads to a second thought and a third thought, and that, before we realise it, we are engaged in a thinking process that takes us all over the place. We see how thinking and memory work together; how thinking about something triggers memories of things from the past that are related to what we are thinking about, starting a new train of thought. We notice, too, that when we think, thoughts trigger emotions that affect how we feel.
We discover that thoughts are hard, flat. It surprises us that we haven´t noticed it before.
Having experienced our self as soul, we notice that thoughts are mostly about something; that we think about the past or the future; about ourselves; about what others said or did; that we think about a million and one things. That while soul – light – is what we are, thinking is something we do – we think about things. That a thought is not the thing it focuses on – a thought is only a thought.
We notice when we think that we lose our bearings, that we lose contact with our inner knowing, and that our natural sense of co-ordination is thrown out: we drop things, we accidentally hurt ourselves, we lose our balance. It is as if we have stepped out of the stream of life.
We discover that when we think, it is as if we pull a blanket down over the front of our body; that thinking clouds our inner vision; that we no longer have direct contact with the world around us in the way that we have as soul; that our thoughts come between us and the world; that we no longer see the world as it really is; that we no longer see others as they really are because it is our thoughts we see before us.
Fear
We discover that it is in the mind – outside the soul – that fear arises; that fear is of the external world.
We notice that fear takes different forms: fear of not being loved, fear of rejection, fear of something terrible happening to ourselves or to our loved ones, fear of death.
We discover that fear has a `pull´, that the pull of fear is strong and that if we give in to it, fear takes us away from our beautiful, peaceful state of being to a heightened state of worry, distress and pain; that if we let it, fear generates more fear and becomes difficult to get out of.
At the same time, we `see´ that we choose to move from beauty and peace to fear; that it´s a choice we make.
Through the process of moving back and forth between the soul and the mind, we have become familiar with, and can recognise, our souls. We have also come to know the mind and how it works.
At some point, when we are ready, we´ll be faced with making a choice concerning what we want.
We know that we can´t go back to how we were before. We´ve experienced something new, something that we previously didn´t know existed, something so beautiful and peaceful that we want more. It´s not a difficult choice to make, but we don´t know how to make the transition from the mind back to the soul.
The transition starts with making the ultimate choice.