(ii) โ spiritual breakdown on how to "actually use" awake methods effectively.
firstly, iโd like to thank everyone for the great feedback i received on the my last post i made about how to use "actually use" awake methods, based on research i came across while learning about deep meditation and altered states of consciousness. and like i mentioned in my last post, iโm doing a follow-up to explain the full diagram and how you can use it to be more effective when practicing awake methods.
disclaimer(s): before i do a deep dive into how to โactually useโ awake methods, backed by a spiritual interpretation from rudolf steinerโs esoteric teachings, i want to clarify that iโm putting โactually useโ in quotes for a reason because there isnโt a black-and-white way to approach shifting. shifting is deeply personal and spiritual (imo). everything iโm sharing here is simply what iโve found through my own research, shadow work, and inner reflection, including tarot, which resonated strongly with me and helped me feel confident enough to share this. my hope is that it supports others in their own shifting journey. i also want to make it clear that my approach to shifting is completely spiritual. i donโt really see it as something scientific, i experience it more as a spiritual practice. so everything i share here is coming from that spiritual perspective, not from the science side of shifting.
this is going to be a lengthy post!
this diagram comes from rudolf steinerโs esoteric teachings, and it maps out the stages that lead outward from ordinary, day-to-day consciousness to the early stages of meditation, and eventually into the deepest level of meditation, what many people in the community call the "void state". it also goes past the void state into whatโs described as higher, more advanced stages of spiritual abundance, ending in the telos stage, where youโre fully detached from the physical body and exist purely as your subconsciousness. this can be connected to shifting as an almost "goldilocksโ stage, where youโre no longer tied to this reality and can access your desired reality through simple affirming, because doubt and ego have been bypassed and youโre fully in that subconscious void.
so how do we reach that?
let me explain each point across the diagram so we can have a understanding of how we can achieve each stage and then eventually telos.
day-to-day consciousness is basically where we are right now, our original reality, what we can perceive, see, and feel through our five senses. itโs the stage weโre in before we decide to shift from our usual, everyday waking world.
i (3.4.1) . . when you choose to use an awake method and lie down to start meditating, you enter the activation stage almost immediately. this is where you begin closing off your awareness from your original reality. by shutting your eyes and settling into meditation, you start withdrawing that external focus, even if itโs only a few minutes in, just breathing with the intention of pulling your awareness inward. from a shifting perspective, i see this as simply setting the intention, closing your eyes and knowing, โok, iโm going to try to shift.โ thatโs the activation: youโve made the decision, set the intent, and now youโre moving into meditation.
ii (3.4.2) . . this is where things start to matter. if youโre doing methods like the julia method for example, where you donโt use shifting or grounding affirmations until after youโve entered the void state, youโll naturally reach the abyss stage just by meditating without affirming to shift yet. this is the part where youโre simply in meditationโno complications, just a deep, calm state. not the deepest level yet, but youโre settled. youโre not fully focused on shifting yet; youโre focused on getting calm enough to shift. and i want to reiterate: this isnโt the stage where youโre affirming to shift yet. youโre not doing grounding or shifting affirmations here. youโre just calm, just meditating. thatโs why thereโs no โcomplicationsโ in this stage, because youโre not pushing intention into anything yet. your body is still settling, and youโve already moved past activation. for example, with the julia method, this is like the โi amโ phase, where youโre repeating simple โi amโ affirmations and staying calm. this will make more sense when i explain the encounter stage.
iii (3.4.3) . . this is the stage i think a lot of people end up giving up at, and itโs what perhaps makes their awake method attempt "unsuccessful". it wonโt apply to every situation, but itโs what i noticed in my own experience. the encounter stage is what you reach after youโve been in meditation for a bit and you start using shifting affirmations and genuinely intending that youโre somewhere else. for example, with the julia method, this could be when you move into identity affirmations or five senses affirmationsโwhere you begin rewriting the reality youโre in. youโre affirming a new room, a new identity, new friends, a new environment. youโre actively shaping things and beginning the shift.
from my personal experience, iโd usually be meditating for at least half an hour before i reached the point where i felt like, alright, iโm calm enough. i donโt really feel my room as much, my body feels lighter, and iโm less aware of it overall. i feel ready to start affirming that iโm in my desired reality, so i begin the affirmations. and this is exactly where my attempts would stop for years. YEARS. i get this urge to open my eyes disappointed. i begin to feel my cr bed more. i feel a wave of dissatisfaction and frustration. and what really happens is that you encounter the ego. because youโre intending to shift, and youโre essentially challenging your sense of reality in the physical world, it can trigger a kind of survival response. your physical mind/body reads that โno identityโ or โnew identityโ state as a threat, and it tries to pull you back to whatโs familiar, back to what youโve been conditioned to believe, because that feels safe. in spiritual teachings, this can also be described as the guardian. because shifting is something we aren't conditioned to believe in this reality, it pushes against the belief systems weโve been taught alike the idea that: "we only have one life" and that "weโre only this physical body", it could also be your own insecurities about shifting e.g. "this isn't working" or "this is taking too long." and when you start spiritually expanding beyond that, you can run into whatโs called the ego, or the guardian. this literally means youโre right at the door of shifting about to break through into a higher state of consciousness. itโs like a reflex meant to pull you back to whatโs familiar and comfortable. thatโs why it's called "the guardian" or "the ego at the door": because the moment you begin to move beyond it, all those ingrained โsafeโ beliefs and automatic thoughts in your subconscious push up in response.
whenever you reach this stage and you give in to those thoughts, or you start feeding them energy, it pulls you straight back into normal waking consciousness. everything starts to unravel. what you should do instead, when you reach this point, is alchemise. that doesnโt mean fighting the thoughts, because fighting them just fuels them. it means staying in meditation. when the urge hits, recognise what it actually is: a sign that youโre close. it means youโre approaching the door, and your subconscious is trying to drag you back to what feels familiar and safe. focus on your breath. try counting. the feeling usually comes in waves, it rises, fades, then returns. and each time you breathe through it and stay calm, it comes back quieter, less intense, and with longer stretches of calm before it returns. itโs definitely easier said than done, but i genuinely believe this is the stage where owning your power matters most, your ability to shift, and the strength of your intention. it can feel intense and even really demotivating, but this is where you start rewiring your mind to persist instead of pulling back.
iv (3.5) . . eventually, you reach whatโs referred to as the telos stage. telos translates to the ultimate aim or end purpose, the final cause behind an action. this is the stage where i believe i and you hit the prime mindset shift. your doubts have quietened down, and youโre in a state of pure consciousness thatโs open to affirmation, you withdraw effort. at this point, identity affirmations tend to โstickโ more because thereโs no resistance, this is essentially the void state or adjacent to the hypnagogic state. and from here, you can begin affirming in a way that brings you back into day-to-day awareness, but in your reality of choice instead. your desired reality. and now without hesitation or pushback, you have full access to your desired reality through intention and affirmation.
v final thoughts?
in terms of whether this theory has actually been effective for me, and whether iโve shifted: yes. i started looking into this in the first place because whenever i did shift, it usually happened in these strange half-asleep, half-awake phasesโlike when iโd get pulled out of a dream and end up in that black, in-between space where i could feel my spiritual body floating. those shifts fell into a few types for me: one where i was fully grounded, and two where i could physically feel my desired reality, like i sort of was half in and half out. thatโs what pushed me to research this more deeply, and itโs also why this is the approach i mostly follow now. but again, itโs so individual, shifting is extremely personal, and what works for me comes from my own reflection and my own decision to step back from a lot of shifttok and social media communities. you really do have to do your own research and let it become your own journey.
hopefully this resonates with anyone and is of good help!
THE BAG โ my every day bag, as of right now, is the coach soho signature bag. she may look small but she is mightyโฆ and stretched out with love! it has become almost like a locker for things that sam and dean need, like weapons & badges.
( FROM LEFT TO RIGHT )
angel blade โ thanks to my good friend castiel, he stole gifted me an angel blade as a means of protection. just donโt tell sam or dean i have it.
lighter, holy water, & salt in a vial โ you never know what you might run into, i learned that the hard way. i always carry my trusty lighter that i got from some backwater townโs thrift store, a vial i stole from bobby filled with salt, and a flask filled with holy water.
tarot cards โ first used as a party trick/a way to pass time with friends, the cards are now used for insight or guidance. when dean stumbled upon them for the first time, he called me a witch.. for a week.
compact mirror โ since weโre constantly on the go, i use my little mirror to fix up my makeup or to check for any facial injuries. it comes in handy when weโre dealing with ghouls.
claw clip & hair ties โ just a way to pull up my hair if weโre chasing something or if it keeps annoying me.
makeup bag โ filled with lip products, powders, mascara, eyelash curler, perfume, and anything else that i need.
wallet โ self explanatory, i need a place to store my money. thereโs also a photobooth strip of me and my friends.
digital camera โ i like to take photos of everything and anything, from dean inhaling a burger to a pretty little sunset. once again, comes in handy when weโre dealing ghouls, especially shapeshifters.
fbi badge โ you never know when youโll need to pull out the โweโre fbiโ card, so i keep an extra in my bag.
hairbrush โ found it in a thrift store and thought it was cute/ironic, seeing as iโm an archangelโs vessel.
gum โ just to freshen up when weโre out for a whole day. a victim to the winchestersโ grabby hands & almost killed cas.
ipod & headphones โ my holy grail for long drives or when i need to block out any annoying noise (ehm, dean).
sunglasses โ the sun is public enemy no. 1 for me, so i have to always carry my sunnies that are, of course, chanel.
DAYโS LOVE LETTER โ !
i love how this turned out, iโm proud of myself ๐ lowkey inspired by my creative mutual @miaojuneโs post, even if itโs not similar at all ๐ญ i just loved the โhi fairytale vogueโ and my mind immediately went to make a vogue whatโs in my bag so i did (hence the โhunterโs vogue)! if some of these things didnโt exist in or make sense for 2009/10 just pretend it does!!!!
( p.s. this is also a name reveal, which is like not a big deal ๐ญ but my name is rare and i hope none of my irls find me๐ค )
pairing. dean winchester x reader ( gn ) ft. sam, cas n bobby
wordcount. 581 genre. fluff, found family
warnings. dean winchester being loved properly
<๐ .แ consider supporting my work on ko-fi ๐ฉท
Dean realizes itโs his birthday because someone yells his name from the kitchen.
Not the quiet, lonely realization heโs used to. Not the calendar sneaking up on him like an ambush. This time itโs loud. Real. Messy.
โDean! Get your ass in here right now.โ
Bobbyโs voice carries down the hall, rough and affectionate and entirely unimpressed. Dean snorts, pushing himself off the couch.
โYeah, yeah,โ he mutters. โBossy old man.โ
Thereโs an ice-cream cake on the tableโlopsided, half-melted, the frosting bleeding into the chocolate in a way that looks almost tragic. Someone stuck mismatched candles in it. None of them are straight.
Samโs leaning against the counter, grinning too big, eyes bright. Cas stands beside him, staring intently at the cake like it might explode. Youโre perched on a chair, swinging your legs, holding a beer you definitely stole from Deanโs stash.
Dean stops short.
It hits him all at once. The room. The noise. The people.
โSurprise,โ Sam says, soft but happy.
Thereโs an ice-cream cake on the tableโlopsided, half-melted, the frosting bleeding into the chocolate in a way that looks almost tragic. Someone stuck mismatched candles in it. None of them are straight.
Samโs leaning against the counter, grinning too big, eyes bright. Cas stands beside him, staring intently at the cake like it might explode. Youโre perched on a chair, swinging your legs, holding a beer you definitely stole from Deanโs stash.
Dean stops short.
It hits him all at once. The room. The noise. The people.
โSurprise,โ Sam says, soft but happy.
Dean scoffs, covering it with a smirk. โMan, this is a terrible ambush.โ
โYouโre welcome,โ you say, hopping down and crossing the room. You bump your shoulder into his on purpose. โWe went all out. Look at that cake. Real craftsmanship.โ
Cas tilts his head. โI selected it personally. The clerk said it was โpopular with children.โโ
Dean barks out a laugh before he can stop himself. โYeah, that tracks.โ
Bobby slides a beer into his hand. โDonโt get sappy. Just drink.โ
Dean takes it. Their fingers brush. It grounds him.
They crowd around the table, Sam lighting the candles while you steady the cake so it doesnโt completely collapse. Wax drips everywhere. Someone starts humming instead of singing.
โNope,โ Dean says quickly. โNo singinโ. I draw the line.โ
โToo late,โ you say, already smiling at him like this is exactly where heโs supposed to be.
They sing anyway. Off-key. Laughing. Cas joins halfway through, solemn and earnest, somehow making it worse and better all at once.
Dean looks at the candles when they finish. Flickering. Messy. Alive.
โMake a wish,โ Sam says.
Dean hesitates.
Heโs had years where he didnโt dare. Years where wishing felt dangerous. Greedy.
But tonight?
He glances around the table. At Samโalive, solid. At Bobbyโgruff and present. At Casโwatching him like this moment matters. At youโwarm and close and smiling like you already know.
Dean exhales and blows the candles out.
No wish.
He doesnโt need one.
They eat the cake straight from the container, spoons clinking, ice cream melting faster than anyone can keep up. Bobby complains. Sam laughs. Cas asks questions about birthdays like heโs filing them away for later.
You lean into Deanโs side, head resting against his shoulder.
โGood birthday?โ you murmur.
Dean wraps an arm around you without thinking, pulls you closer. His voice is quiet, honest in a way it rarely gets to be.
โYeah,โ he says. โPerfect.โ
And for onceโhe means it.
๊. all works ; writing guidelines ; writing schedule
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โโญห๏ฝกโ life on the road with the winchester boys - the little things
โโ SFW, no specific s/o, fem!reader that hunts with the boys, early seasons
โ sleeping in the back of the impala, using sam's carhartt as a blanket
โ seeing all of the silly little motel rooms
โ talking to sam about some random lore while ignoring dean singing along to some metallica song
โ coffee at 6am. coffee at 2pm. coffee at 3am. coffee all the time
โ rock, paper, scissors to see who gets the shower first
โ singing along with dean to some classic rock song that makes sam smile and shake his head
โ feeling like a princess when the boys give you a motel bed and have to fight over the other bed and the pullout couch for themselves
โ being woken up more gently than usual on mornings after an exhausting hunt
โ making sure that dean's wounds don't go untreated because he has a tendency to ignore them
โ both of the boys immediately checking on you after the threat has been taken out as if you haven't been doing this for years
โ sam automatically putting his body between you and any monster you face because he just does that
โ giggling in the dark with dean for absolutely no reason while you're all trying to go to sleep because the adrenaline from the hunt hasn't worn off yet
โ getting the occasional motel room without a pullout and having to share a bed with one of the boys
โ researching lore with sam while dean tries to make himself look busy
โ dressing up as a nun when the boys dress up as priests and rolling your eyes at dean's inevitable inappropriate jokes
โ playing a drinking game with the boys and jo at the roadhouse
โ holding back your laughter with sam as bobby scolds dean over something stupid he did
โ being referee in the prank war
โ calling bobby for some random piece of knowledge that he always seems to have
โ crowley calling you something like "little lamb"
โ having dean patch up your wounds because sam just keeps wincing and apologizing for hurting you
โ keeping your drink of choice stocked up if it isn't beer
โ being john's biggest hater
i have so many of these so let me know if you want more! ty for reading<3
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