Psychology – Behavior and Mind – Page 8

June 9, 2022June 9, 2022

Rituals – Reminding Me of the Wisdom of My Life

Honoring an intention with ritual helps me persevere when a new habit meets tired me, sad me, or angry me. Rituals are useful, gentle ways to let go or receive.

Ceremonies help me hear my quiet inner voice; and provide practical support to release resentments.

A practice I learned long ago is writing down the thing that weighs me down – acknowledge it. Then slip it in my God Box; turn it over to the Universe. When the nattering committee in my head inevitably circles back to hijack my serenity, I remind myself . . . this is in the hands of the Universe. It’s no longer my burden.

In May I held my first Full Moon Fire Ceremony. It was a Super Moon and a total lunar eclipse. I burned things from my God Box going back 30 years; and enjoyed a sense of release and excitement. New seeds were planted for my next period of growth.

June’s Full Strawberry Moon is around the corner. It’s another Super Moon and will be my second fire ceremony. More release – more new seeds. Recognizing the ending of one personal chapter and the movement into new learning, including more on rituals is exciting and energizing.

Knowing what and when to let go can be unnerving. Rituals help clear the mind and set the heart at ease. The joyful introduction of new seeds – oh so welcome.

“A ritual is the enactment of a myth. And, by participating in the ritual, you are participating in the myth. And since myth is a projection of the depth wisdom of the psyche, by participating in a ritual, participating in the myth, you are being, as it were, put in accord with that wisdom, which is the wisdom that is inherent within you anyhow. Your consciousness is being re-minded of the wisdom of your own life. I think ritual is terribly important.”
― Joseph Campbell

May 5, 2022May 5, 2022

The Air is More Than Empty Space

Sending blessings, love and energy through the airwaves is a satisfying and nourishing gift. People sense affection and support, whether they’re near or far away. It’s a powerful way to make a personal difference for myself and others.

This emotional force deserves careful attention though. People also intuit the malevolent vibes and often respond in kind. As the saying goes, what you put out you get back.

It seems logical that words and behavior expose my feelings. The power of my thoughts is less obvious. While I consider them private, their impact is tangible. Pretending otherwise is just fooling myself. The good news is that I create tomorrow with the attitudes of today. Let me choose those thoughts wisely.

Influencing energy through space isn’t science fiction or new age magic. Views conceived by psychics, mystics and clairvoyants are now scientific reality.

High-frequency radio waves bring Facetime and Zoom calls. Bluetooth delivers airdrop photos and my favorite tunes on a wireless speaker. I don’t need to know how it all works, but I’m grateful to the engineers and technicians that brought these marvels to life.

A century ago, science established that plants benefit when we talk to them. And recent studies suggest trees communicate with each other through their roots and soil. There’s a beautiful deodar cedar in my front yard. I stop and look from inside – appreciating her beauty and character, feeling peace. That she may feel this emotion from a distance and benefit is inspiring.

The air around us is more than empty space.

Striking a balance between science and fancy is a good approach for me. Experimentation and practice increase the confidence I have in my instincts. This is how I learned my intuitions are reliable and hunches to be explored, no matter how peculiar.

Taking responsibility for the thoughts in my head is a practical ambition. For those notions where science hasn’t caught up, I’ll follow my intuition and instinct.

Imagine it and make it real.

“All imaginative men and women are forever casting forth enchantments, and all passive men and women, who have no powerful imaginative lives, are continually passing under the spell of their power” – Neville Goddard; ‘The Law and The Promise’

April 28, 2022December 30, 2022

Cross Over and Join Me – In The Twilight Zone

Consider infinity, time and eternity. Thought-provoking concepts – potential mind benders.

There’s an episode from the 80’s Twilight Zone, called “A Matter of Minutes” that sticks with me. A couple somehow wake up hours into the future. They’re freaked out to see their home being dismantled and re-built by cloaked humanoids.

Running through the city they don’t see anyone they know. Eventually they learn these builders create the world minute by minute before anyone arrives – but only the bits that are used and observed. They glimpse a mystery and are captivated until they realize they’re trapped. There’s a very 1980’s ending – a bit eyerolling but still twilight zone-y.

How do these futuristic organizers know what bits are needed? That’s what stuck, poking my curiosity about creating the future.

Time is commonly perceived as linear; the way of clocks and days and years – forward moving like we see in the Twilight Zone episode. However, the theories proposed by quantum physics and entanglement allow more room for imagination.

The early 1900’s saw the introduction of the wave-particle theory. This is a new way to consider the physical universe and time. My favorite thought experiment from that era is Schrodinger’s Cat – is the kitty dead or alive?

Not many people go down the quantum rabbit hole, and eternity is a principle more often contemplated by the disciplines of mathematics, philosophy, religion and poets.

If I extend a little imagination and awareness in my day-to-day life, I can tap quantum possibilities. Reflecting on William Blake’s poem helps me go into the feeling of these lofty ideas, holding them briefly before practicality carries me back to the current moment.

Considering possibility just beyond my understanding pushes my mental boundaries, creating a ripe field to sow a future I might not have imagined.

“You unlock this door with the key of imagination. Beyond it is another dimension: a dimension of sound, a dimension of sight, a dimension of mind. You’re moving into a land of both shadow and substance, of things and ideas. You’ve just crossed over into… the Twilight Zone.”
― Rod Serling, The Twilight Zone

April 7, 2022April 7, 2022

Relax; Don’t Believe What You See

Moving the needle on deeply entrenched belief systems is like walking in quicksand. It’s the struggle that traps me. I can emerge if I relax, float and slowly rise.

Still, changing course can be difficult considering objective reality reveals what I believe. The stumbling blocks are what I see with my eyes, feel on my skin, smell with my nose. The belief itself perpetuates its existence, giving it added legitimacy.

When I’m unwilling to modify a belief, nothing changes. Life marches on and I drag today into tomorrow – my hopes and desires seemingly futile. But if I’m open to examine the truths I consider unquestionable and absolute, change becomes possible.

Instant self-transformation is not a thing; yet the wish for magical fulfillment isn’t unique. Imagine parting a curtain and stepping through a portal to the heart’s desire. Let’s walk through that mysterious veil to a different world. Tempting; but a mean slippery slope. It’s better to follow a progressive path. A gradual change is less jarring, and more likely I can enjoy the company of my familiars along the way.

It’s possible to interrupt a recurring difficulty by observing my reactions to people and events. They reveal my self-concept, which could be sweet and satisfying or prickly and uncomfortable. It all plays out in front of me in the tangible world. The key is to suspend judgement; positive or negative. Let me be tolerant, charitable even with my observations.

Noticing the feeling is the first Step to relieve the pressure of judgement. Acknowledging its mine; how frequently and intensely it appears puts the emotion in perspective. This insight eventually allows me to set the burden down; to relax.

In a world that demands instant gratification, patience isn’t always appreciated. Taking baby steps to a heartfelt goal is learned behavior. We can definitely get there from here, a degree at a time. The trick is to stop struggling – float and slowly rise.

“You can’t change how people treat you or what they say about you. All you can do is change how you react to it.”

― Mahatma Gandhi

March 31, 2022March 31, 2022

Hey! Don’t Let Me Down

Learning what hooks my psyche is a journey up a spiral stairway. Glaring and obvious troubles are identified and addressed in due course. Okay, done. Then it’s back – the worry, the frustration, the resentment; hooked again.

Didn’t I learn that lesson? Well, sort of. This go-around is simply a variation on that theme; a tad more profound and nuanced maybe. It can feel like I’m doomed, but I’m not.

Each step up the staircase refines my spirit; making it lighter and more genuine.

Two coping mechanisms I acquired early on were “I don’t want to disappoint you” and “I’ll show you.” A Yin/Yang duo for the ages.

Success stories in my portfolio show those assholes who said I couldn’t do something; that, YES I can – and I DID. Most of the time they didn’t even know I was trying to prove anything. But I did. That’s what mattered.

That combative device isn’t as necessary anymore. When it does show up, I see it for what it is. This gives me the opportunity to choose. Is this more self-validation? Or is it bigger than me? There is a difference.

As for the people pleasing business, that one’s a bit more insidious – or I’m being thickheaded. Recently, I didn’t want to “let down” some anonymous player in a hidden object game I started playing during the pandemic. “LENE” and I kicked ass on the Detective Challenges. Now I want to move on. How can I mourn the loss of someone I never met? Why do I feel like I’m letting her down?

Curiously I have no answers yet, I’m just sitting with the discomfort. The insight I seek may be a few steps away. Or maybe delighting my higher self is my true objective.

“All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”
― J. R. R. Tolkien