The Free Radical

Ego tends to look upon the world as a problem to be solved.
There is a mystery, certainly, begging to be explored…
But there is no problem.

As above… so below.

There’s a direct correlation/reflection between how identity (ego) relates to Presence (soul/psyche) and how the “objective universe” (consensus) relates to All That Is (totality).

Yikes! Sorry about the preceding sentence; there’s an awful lot packed into it… but I guess that’s what the space below is for– unpacking. But before we even get there, I’ll point out one more similar correlation and that is the relationship between our active DNA and the vast repository of so-called “junk” DNA. Okay, here we go!

Identity Versus Presence

Youth is all about trying to build healthy egos. And yes, there is such a thing as a healthy ego. I have never subscribed to the notion that on the spiritual path egos are strictly taboo or something to be eradicated.

In our youthful lust for ego we tend to get lost in the quest for identity because we so strongly identify with our egos. Have you ever noticed how attached young people tend to be to their preferences and their dislikes? “I absolutely love this… but I hate that… and I always will!” In so doing, youth seeks to define a self that is made up of momentary preferences… and then often regards them mistakenly as eternal and absolute… paving the way for later difficulties.

Ego is a mask; identity is a costume; you have a role to play, and you need to act the part. You’re free to paint the mask however you wish, free to sew whatever costumes suit your fancy, and you can act out those preferences with as much conviction as you desire. But none of that is what you are… in any real sense.

Any label or name-tag you might paste to your chest has no bearing on the essence of what you are. Poor, christian, housewife… whatever– these are all temporary conditions that are overlaid upon your essence… by choice. And there’s no problem with that at all, until you begin to seriously identify with the name-tags. Remember, you are very definitely NOT these things!

You are an infinite Presence, a consciousness behind the countless masks you may choose to wear, the wearer of God’s own wardrobe of costumes, exploring all of the roles that you choose to examine. There is no need to pin your identity down, to stuff it into a tight little box… for the convenience of others. Neatly-packaged identities are too easily dismissed. “Oh, you’re one of those…” Whatever that means.

Consensus Versus All That Is

And just as this is the case for individual human beings, it is the very same for the world at large. In our youthful ignorance as a species, we have liked to say how the world is. “The world is this way… but definitely not that way… and what you’re talking about is just plain impossible!” The very same makeup and finery we’ve used to dress up our egos we’ve then projected upon the world.

There is a consensus. There is an aspect or a portion of this quantum reality which we’ve unconsciously agreed to experience in a uniform manner; it’s the same for everybody. That’s what “Newtonians” refer to as the objective universe. It is, of course, no such “thing.” It is merely our agreement to experience a portion of the infinite quantum potential in a consistent, congruent manner. It is a shared dream. Compared to all that’s available, it is but the tiniest fraction of reality. And that’s no problem at all… until some of us– many of us– decide that that’s all there is, or that’s all there is of any real significance.

Then we get stuck in an unconscious agreement which no longer serves our growth potential. Welcome to the slow apocalypse. We’re breaking down that rigid ego-structure now… for ourselves and the world. Just as is true for ourselves, the world does not need to be pinned down into an unyielding identity, crammed into a box of finite understanding. Yes, the world is these things we’ve discovered… but it’s so very much more as well! The exploration must continue.

The Power to Act

Ego acts in the world according to the rules of the consensus. A person who strongly identifies with the accoutrements of ego is very likely to believe in the absolute– and quite mistaken– reality of an objective universe. As such, their power to act in the world is very limited. Egos are pretty good at filling the gas tank and paying the electrical bill.

Presence acts in the world according to the rules of the heart. A person whose identity is a nebula in the space of infinite potential has the power to recreate the world. Such a person knows that the world is not defined by any absolute “isness.” The quantum field is ever in flux and always available. Presence is always free to redefine its relationship to any aspect of all that is.

Ego is bound; Presence is free.

When attempting to change the world, it is important to operate from a place of Presence rather than ego. Ego tends to stretch itself very thin along the lines of linear time. It flits continuously from past to future, hardly ever alighting upon the only true moment of Now. Presence however, as the name suggests, can only enter reality in the Now… and knows this without question.

As embodied human beings, the breath is our immediate and always-available connection to the Now. As we simply focus our attention upon the breath, our Presence enters the space from which to act.

Allow the breath to be centered in the heart, drawing inhalations from the inward direction. And with each exhalation allow the Presence drawn from the inward direction to expand outwardly, filling one’s aura within the Now. Bring one of the heart virtues (forgiveness, appreciation, compassion, understanding, valor, or humility) to colour the aura according to the task at hand. Feel the virtue as a vibration; this may take some practice. And from there, be prepared to receive inspiration as to exactly how to act in order to “change the world” according to your intent. Just by bringing Presence into the world in such a manner often and consistently will hasten the positive shift we crave.

Jenna Mae’s Initiative

What I’ve so briefly described above is meant to be played with, experimented upon. An excellent suggestion for doing just that was given to me yesterday by one of my friends. I love it when great ideas come from others! Here’s the comment Jenna Mae posted beneath my current Facebook profile pic:

“If I hug a tree in the forest here and you hug a tree in the forest there.. Somewhere between the roots and soil from my tree and the roots and soil from your tree, we connect, right? So it’s like I’m getting a Niels hug from a tree.. Let’s do that. I need a hug today.”

It just so happens that I have a “Hugging Tree” along the path of my daily walk. Incidentally, Jenna has been introduced to it. I live in British Columbia and Jenna lives in Saskatchewan. We’re about a nine-hour drive apart. I completed the hug today on my daily walk in the Forest… or rather, my Presence completed it.

My further suggestion is that we can all do likewise wherever we are on the planet in order to share a group hug with each other daily. The trees are quite happy to be our intermediaries in this endeavour. I will make a point to continue the practice everyday. I welcome and encourage everyone– whether a TOURS member or not– to get in on the action. As we practice, we may even get some startling glimpses into the special perception of Unity Consciousness.

Happy hugging!