Peace of Soul: A Higher Consciousness & Spiritual Awakening Connection
My friend from class wrote this and did an amazing job! (This is her paper, and I own no writes/rights to it.)
Shantelle Garcia
National American University
Abstract
This research paper seeks to explain that sustained inner peace is obtained by an understanding of one’s “true self or soul” and its relationship to the Universe through connecting to one’s higher consciousness and awakening their spirit. It will reveal that emotions are connected to ego which is outside of one’s higher self and that the ego must be subdued before transformation of true inner peace can be achieved. Eastern religious philosophies such as Buddhism or Hinduism have understood this concept for centuries. Increasingly, others around the world have adopted aspects of Eastern religious philosophies into their daily lives and have come to find lasting internal peace where it was once void or temporal. The more widely practiced aspects and concepts adopted by masses include meditation, yoga, chanting, and subscribing to a universal oneness or connectedness resulting in holistic wellness and self-evolution. This paper attempts to support that the process of connecting to one’s higher consciousness will directly lead to awakening one’s spirit. An awakened spirit is able to lose their ego, understand their place and purpose within the Universe, reorganize their thoughts thus creating sustained emotional peace within their physical life. The reader will gain an understanding what is meant by the phrase “peace of soul” and the difference between “self” and “soul” and levels of higher consciousness which connect to a spiritual awakening.
Keywords: Higher consciousness, Holistic wellness, Meditation, Mysticism, Ego
Peace of Soul: A Higher Consciousness & Spiritual Awakening Connection
“On the path to joy, we proceed to subtler and subtler realms of the mind, and with each step, new levels of energy become available. At the highest levels of consciousness, all energy becomes available. At that point, all of your wishes and desires are in alignment with the universe, God, or spirit. You are able to create with effortless ease and you experience the spontaneous fulfillment of your desires.” Chopra, D. (n.d.). 8 Secrets to Free Your Spirit and Find Joy. Chopra Centered Lifestyle.
Delving into the topic of the soul, in a large collective sense, is a widely speculative and subjective issue. The vast perspectives and interpretations given to the eternal soul show as evidence that there exists no single identifying definition which can be understood and wholly accepted by the global masses. Thomas Scheff, a noted licensed counselor, wrote an article entitled “Role-taking, Emotion and the Two Selves” (2014.) Canadian Journal of Sociology/Cahiers canadiens de sociologie 39(3). Here he compares Cooley and Mead’s concept of role-taking which asks individuals to perceive their selves through another person’s situation. He mentions that Cooley, broadened the scope of the concept which considers that each person unconsciously lives within the mind of one another. In this, Scheff presents opposing or contradictory schools of thought about the soul, based on states of science which reflect the conscious mind and spirit which reflects the unconscious. He suggests that individuals identify their selves with others creating a connection associated with pride or disconnection resulting in shame. (316, 317) With all thoughts considered around true self and soul, the pursuit of understanding the soul presents concrete revelations of how its effects produce long-term mental and emotional stability or lack thereof.
Over the years, thousands of clinical studies have been conducted on the topic of the effects of meditation and self-actualization in relationship to spirituality. Equally, they’ve concluded that having patients connect to their higher selves through such practices lends itself to the notion that a link does exist and leads to some type of spiritual awakening. It is that awakening which allow patients to deal with their afflictions in a more mentally or emotionally balanced perspective than in previous times. Scheff, references his own participation as a counselor in a clinical research project headed by his colleague, Marilyn Nadler. The research was to assist clients with difficult cases to see the root causes of their emotions and get them to find ways to deal with them. Nadler guided Scheff and other hand-selected counselors to treat a group of sixty clients referred to her over the course of two years using holistic techniques for clients to release emotions the first half of a week followed by introspection and re-evaluation the second half of a week. Upon completion of the study, counselors reported a 100% success rate. “Role-taking, Emotion and the Two Selves” (2014.) Canadian Journal of Sociology/Cahiers canadiens de sociologie 39(3). (pp 318, 319.) How did Nadler achieve a 100% success rate and know exactly which techniques and methods to use for clients that other counselors had to refer? Scheff came to the understanding that Nadler was intuitive and could connect to her higher self which in turn guided her practical knowledge to accurately help each client. The results of the study, to add that 100% success is astonishing for any study, goes to support that at least the precept of higher consciousness should be entertained.
Attaining Peace of Soul
What exactly is meant by the phrase “peace of soul”? Most would conclude that the concept of the word soul deals with the eternal, the everlasting, the infinite “self”. Thus, the suggestion from the phrase would imply that of infinite peace within one’s self. Before exploring the “how-to’s” of obtaining inner peace, the origins of its residence along with its polar opposite, turmoil or confusion, also within the same residence, must be understood. It would be obvious to suggest that peace and turmoil are both housed in the mind. However, delving further into the matter, one should explore reasons why the experiences of peace and turmoil exist within their minds. One should ask their self, why they think, feel and believe as they do? Then ask even further, to what purpose does their thinking, feeling and belief serve? And even deeper lies the question, Why does that purpose need to be filled? This will reveal the root cause of the matter at hand, which most psychologists and sociologists would conclude is “Ego”.
Death of the Ego
Our central task on this journey through earth-school is to live in the physical world while staying connected to the spiritual realm. Our daily dramas and personal agendas trip us up. Most people do their daily living and that’s all. They don’t know there is a soul journey unfolding. Being so focused on ego demands and agendas, we forget we are spiritual beings. If you don’t pay attention to your spiritual life, you will feel depleted and frequently stuck. Connecting the two realms, using spiritual guidance to move through your human experiences, builds personal mastery to stay grounded through the shifting sands you experience. Inner struggle comes when you are not expressing unconditional love. Inner peace comes from complete acceptance of what is, acting from a place of love and grace.
Ferguson, L. (2011). Mastering spirit and matter as one. Interbeing, 5(2), 9-11.
If ego be the culprit of one’s turmoil then death or modification of the ego must be the key to one’s peace. The ego dwells within a lower consciousness state of being. It is the “I or me” centered identity based on one’s perception of their relational value within their world in comparison to individuals, groups and value systems around them. It is void of interest of anything outside of self and is driven by or reactionary to whatever may feed or starve it. Due to the fluctuations and volatile nature of ego and its lack of connection to the higher self, either death or transformation of one’s ego must take place in order to sustain any level of inner peace. Rindfleish, J. (2007) writes an essay within Zygon: Journal of Religion & Science exploring the views of six Western practitioners and their adaptations to Eastern philosophies requiring the “Death of the Ego” take place before transformation to begin. Based on her exploration of the practitioners’ views, Rindfleish concluded “…East-meets-West spirituality in Western consumer cultures tends to emphasize the acceptance and transformation of one’s ego rather than its death.” (p 65.)
Transpersonal psychology. Whether one chooses the route of death or transformation of the ego, the process encompasses the realm of “Transpersonal Psychology”. Strohl, J. (1998) sought to provide understanding of transpersonal psychology in an essay within the Journal of Counseling & Development. Fall 1998 vol. 76. In the essay, he cites Lajoie and Shapiro (1992) to provide definition around the science.
Transpersonal psychology is concerned with the study of humanity’s highest potential, and with the recognition, understanding, and realization of unitive, spiritual and transcendent states of consciousness (p. 91)
Strohl (1998) credits Carl Jung (1917/1953) for the initial concept of transpersonal unconscious as meaning the collective unconscious. He then further identifies 5 main themes of the tenant based on the studies of Lajoie and Shapiro. (1992) He shares those themes as states of consciousness, highest or ultimate potential, beyond ego or personal self, transcendence, and spiritual. In considering how one is to alter the state of their ego, transpersonal counseling should or could be considered as an option. This type of counseling utilizes multiple forms of traditional and nontraditional techniques to remove areas of the ego which prevent the highest levels of consciousness to be achieved. Strohl explains “The ego or personality is viewed by transpersonal counselors as the outer expression of one’s greater multidimensional self and as only one facet of one’s total identity.” “Transpersonal counselors facilitate the development of a stable, cohesive ego, and the exploration of the existential self. However, they view these processes as incomplete and believe people cannot be whole until they awaken to the deeper levels of human existence. (Wittine, 1993)” (p. 400). In other words, that which makes up the sum parts of an individual extend beyond the physical self. The “essence” of a person is not only comprised of the mind and body but also embodies a soul and possesses a connection to all that is around them both seen and unseen. At the point that an individual becomes aware of these multilayers, the process of taming the ego and connecting to their higher consciousness can begin.
Soul-to-Soul
“The soul is the vitalizing or life force which transforms the inanimate into the animate, clay into flesh…It is a part of a person that exists beyond matter, beyond the body, beyond the senses. It is our essential identity or raison d'être, the manifestation of the divine intent and vision in creating a particular human being.” Berke, J. H., & Schneider, S. (2006).
Berke, J. H & Schneider, S. (2006) lend reference to the Kabbalah as they suggest that two types of souls exist both being spiritual entities. The first is the “animal soul” known as klipot in Kabbalah ruled by the darker more corrupt self which is driven purely on self-gratification. It is the “animal soul” which is the lowest form of consciousness and farthest removed from the process of spiritual awakening. The second is a “Godly soul”. The “Godly soul” seeks to connect to the Godhead by complete removal of self. Its desire is to commune with the Universe and serve its godly purpose. Within the median of each extreme are soul levels of transcendence and ascension or levels of higher consciousness. Berke & Schneider explain that the soul’s process of ascension begins by the transferring of love and fear between one’s self, others and within the cosmos. “…the soul is to change one’s personal orientation from personal survival to communal belonging.” They further explain the next levels pertain to an intellectual relationship to the Godhead and one’s interconnectedness then a more far reaching view which is able to see matters through spiritual eyes.
Higher Consciousness Existentialism. Many scientists have attempted to discount the validity of higher consciousness and higher dimensions of existing. Angel, L. (2004) argues “The physical causal completeness principle, often more simply called the principle of physical completeness (PPC), states that the only causal factors deterministic or probabilistic-for the occurrence of a physical event are themselves physical… the argument is inattentive to the basic elements of the reasons for believing in PPC re human functioning, then there is a serious lacuna in the discussion. Indeed, the lacuna is double, or triple.” Angel goes further into detail expounding on the mysticisms surrounding Universal Self Consciousness and its lack of credibility.
However, there exists more proof of higher dimensions of consciousness than not which is experienced by people quite frequently within their daily lives. Beichler’s philosophical discussion (2009) supported credence to the existence of a higher consciousness within ourselves through reflection of Albert Einstein’s theory of gravity and Theodor Kaluza’s electromagnetic theory and general relativity. “The existence of this higher spatial dimension is also implied by general relativity (Albert Einstein’s theory of gravity) when the curvature of space-time is interpreted as an ‘extrinsic’ property of the four-dimensional space-time continuum. A scientist named Theodor Kaluza even used this higher dimension to unify electromagnetic theory and general relativity in 1921, while Einstein and his colleagues worked on further developing the Kaluza five-dimensional model of space-time throughout the 1930s.” A Mysphyt Revolution: The Logical Nature of Spiritual Enlightenment. Journal of Spirituality & Paranormal Studies, 32(4), 184-185. To some, this language sounds foreign or fiction, yet if, there is wide acceptance of the theories of relativity and MC=3sq, how then, can one not subscribe to the existence of higher consciousness from the same science?
Conclusion
For as many that may dispute the connection of one’s higher consciousness and spiritual awakening to sustained inner peace, are thousands more who would subscribe to the concept. More and more, combinations of various religious philosophies such as Buddhism, Hinduism, Kaballahism have melded together across the globe and evolved into what has become known as “Spiritualism”. This concept to break-down ego, connect to a higher consciousness, become spiritually awake and realize that we are all one, living in unison with the Universe assists to understand that we all have a responsibility to each other and to the cosmos. Those who have come into this realization have undertaken Earth-friendly initiatives like “Go Green”. There is a level of compassion, empathy and humanitarianism associated to those who are spiritually awake. The mere acts of meditation or incorporating elements of Feng Shui into one’s living space can completely transform one’s negative energy to something more positive even for just a short period of time. Thus imagine the long-term effects for one who completely chooses to transcend their life energy or soul and ascend to levels of higher consciousness and awaken their spirit!
References
Angel, L. (2004). Universal Self Consciousness mysticism and the physical completeness
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Beichler, J. E. (2009). A Mysphyt Revolution: The Logical Nature of Spiritual Enlightenment.
Journal Of Spirituality & Paranormal Studies, 32(4), 184-191.
Berke, J. H., & Schneider, S. (2006). The self and the soul. Mental Health, Religion &
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Chopra, D. (n.d.) 8 Secrets to Free Your Spirit and Find Joy; Chopra Centered Lifestyle
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Ferguson, L. (2011). Mastering spirit and matter as one. Interbeing, 5(2), 9-11. Retrieved from
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Strohl, J. E. (1998). Transpersonalism: Ego Meets Soul. Journal Of Counseling &
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