Awareness

LIVING AUTHENTICALLY IN CHALLENGING TIMES

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“Whatever happens, stay alive. Don’t die before you’re dead. Don’t lose yourself, don’t lose hope, don’t lose direction.

Stay alive, with yourself, with every cell of your body, with every fiber of your skin. 

Stay alive, learn, study, think, read, build, invent, create, speak, write, dream, design.

Stay alive, stay alive inside you, stay alive also outside, fill yourself with colors of the world, fill yourself with peace, fill yourself with hope.

Stay alive with joy. 

There is only one thing you should not waste in life, and that’s life itself.”

~Virginia Woolf

Lots to be concerned about in the world today. While I don’t want to minimize any of it, I do want to remind you that it is more important that you not minimize yourself – your wisdom, your strength, your grit – during these times.

As far as I know, there has never been a time in human history when there were no challenges, no difficult people, no people who saw things differently, no natural disasters, no storms.

What makes these times different is our access to nearly instantaneous information about most, if not everything on the planet. This abundance of information is available on devices we carry with us throughout our day. We don’t have to go to a special place to access this information, or wait for the morning or evening editions of the newspapers, or the network television news, or for our neighbors to fill us in. It’s all streaming in the present moment.

Now, I know that a fair amount of this information is not accurate, sometimes because all the information is not available yet, sometimes because of innocent mistakes, and sometimes because of deliberate withholding or falsification. So, some of what we get isn’t true.

Of course, it has always been the case that false or mistaken information existed, and in each technological era there have been challenges in determining what is accurate and true.

“What we see depends mainly on what we look for.”

~ John Lubbock 

Which brings me to the topic of the post – how do we live a good and positive life in challenging times?

I think the answer is pretty much what it has always been, do your best to develop a healthy self-concept – to see yourself with radical honesty and to experience your own inner genius. Then, bring that awareness to the challenges the times.

Finding and living from that authentic center happens emotionally:

“Emotional intelligence is about so much more than recognizing, naming, honoring, feeling and expressing your authentic emotions. It also consists of alchemizing and transmuting them, releasing the heart wall, healing the emotional body and developing emotional regulation skills.”

~ Mary Amhasnaa

It happens in recognizing the validity of your own story:

“Never for the sake of convenience or acceptance give up the authenticity of your journey.”

~ Bishop Yvette Flunder

The authentic center brings with it your authentic voice:

“The voice of doubt, shame, and guilt blaring in our heads is not our voice. It is a voice we have been given by a society steeped in shame. It is the ‘outside voice.’ Our authentic voice, our ‘inside voice,’ is the voice of radical self-love!”

~ Sonya Renee Taylor, The Body Is Not an Apology

And the realization of the authentic self carries us through our suffering:

“Jung observed that a neurosis is always found in the flight from authentic suffering. Naturally, no one wants to suffer, but Jung’s observation suggests that there is a distinction between authentic and inauthentic suffering.”

~ James Hollis

When I am centered in the realization of my authentic self, I find qualities such as love, courage despite fear, clarity of purpose, the ability to see people as they are, and the recognition of what is mine to do. It brings me into my own power.

“Power is about presence. It’s the energy of knowing that you are who you are and speaking and acting from your authentic self. It doesn’t matter what your work is; it is your presence that’s the power…the expression of who you are.”

~ Marion Woodman

We are called in these times, in our times, to be immense. To face our fears and demand that humanity become The Beloved Community. Perhaps not in this time, or even our own lifetimes, but the seeds which have been planted by countless ancestors need to be nurtured and kept alive even as we plant more seeds day by day.

The point of this essay is this:

SPIRITUAL BELIEF WITHOUT PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH AND STABILITY IS DANGEROUS TO YOURSELF AND OTHERS.

We must develop our emotional intelligence along with our spiritual growth, doing this by beginning with our inner work, our spiritual practices, to recognize and call forth our inner power, wisdom, and love to be applied with clarity to the challenges we face. And by seeking psychological and emotional development, if not via our spiritual community, from other trusted sources.

From this place of realization of who we authentically are, we speak truth to power; we stand for fairness, justice, and equality; and we act in accordance with what we know to be right.

“The question is not why are we so infrequently the people we really want to be, but why do we so infrequently want to be the people we really are. Living a life of fulfillment that offers something of value to the world starts with radical self-knowledge, self-awareness and self-acceptance. Our task is to be who we are at the deepest level of being.”

~ Oriah Mountain Dreamer, The Dance

As always, your comments are welcome. Please share with others who may be interested.

Copyright 2026 – Jim Lockard

SELF-TALK IS A KEY TO SPIRITUAL GROWTH – PART 2, FOR NEURODIVERSE THINKERS

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“There is no single spectrum. Every child colors their world in their own way—and every hue is worthy of love.”
~ Dr. Simbi Animashaun, 
Spectrum of Love: My Journey Through Autism (LINK)

“For anyone who was ever told they were too much or not enough, who tried to fit into boxes that were never made for them, who was told to quiet their spark or dim their light to make others comfortable, and who has been waiting their whole lives to hear: You are exactly right as you are. It is your time to thrive.”
~ Ronen Dancziger

The Therapist’s Handbook for Neurodivergent People (LINK)

NOTE: I am not in any way an expert in the subject matter below. I have done some research and had a number of conversations and some experiences with neurodiverse thinkers. The purpose of this post is to bring awareness to our New Thought communities.

In Part 1 (LINK) of this series, we explored the importance of “self-talk,” of the process of thinking and feeling which builds new beliefs or supports existing ones in the subconscious. Much of the practice of New Thought teachings involves using directed affirmative thought with appropriate images and emotions. For many, perhaps most, people, the ability to do this is a natural part of life.

But we know that everyone does not think in the same way. Neurodivergent thinkers (usually defined as ADD/ADHD, some Autism Spectrum, Aphantasia, and more), have been a too-often overlooked group historically in New Thought. There are a number of reasons for this, mainly a lack of awareness of the dynamics of neurodynamic ways of thinking, and people often did not let teachers know they were neurodivergent because they may have been ashamed or, in some cases, unaware that they had different thinking dynamics.

“Neurodiversity is not just a matter of social justice, it is a matter of human rights.”
~ Judy Singer, author, and activist

I recall several students who told me that they did not experience mental images (Aphantasia). After learning this, I would usually ask at the beginning of a class is anyone had problems with mental images. A few did. I need to teach differently for them – some of them could not imagine emotions, either. This article in The New Yorker Magazine’s Nov 3, 2025 issue speaks to this issue, but may be paywalled (LINK). In the article, some people with Aphantasia did not know until adulthood that their thinking dynamics were different. They would hear about people thinking in images and believe that it was a metaphor or something.

From the article: “For some reason, these sentences revealed all at once to Nick what in the whole course of his life he had not realized: that it was possible to see pictures in your mind and use those pictures to reëxperience your past. This was startling information.[1]”

The term ‘neurodiversity’ was coined in 1997 by Australian sociologist Judy Singer. In her words: “As a word, ‘neurodiversity’ describes the whole of humanity. But the neurodiversity movement is a political movement for people who want their human rights.”  

Professionals concerned with neurodiversity/neurodivergence are in a “sorting-out” phase, as the definitions have expanded to encompass a wider range of experiences than the core ‘neurodivergent’ presentations typically labelled as autism, ASD or ADHD. This issue is addressed here (LINK).

“Your neurodivergent brain isn’t something to overcome. It’s something to understand, appreciate, and work with. Let’s figure out how to do that, together. You Already Have Everything You Need.”
~ Ronen Dancziger

“Neurodivergence doesn’t follow a straight line. It curves, overlaps, and branches into complex, beautiful configurations.”
~ Ronen Dancziger

For those of us who teach what we call “mental science,” this is, or ought to be, a wakeup call. When we say that our teaching is for everyone, how do we define that? While some neurodivergent people may be unable to direct their thinking, imaginations, and emotions toward specific ideas, goals, and outcomes, many do have that capability. While not being line neurotypical people, neurodivergent people are capable of great mental abilities. For example, it is said that a significant number of scientists and mathematicians are neurodivergent in some ways.

I don’t have a prescription for the best way for New Thought teachers to help those whose thinking patterns do not match our normal teaching patterns. Other than the patience to develop the awareness of the difficulties some will face, and the willingness to seek resources and other assistance when such cases arise. Here are some resources.

RESOURCES:

National Library of Medicine, Topic: Neurodiversity – (LINK)

Neurodiversity Hub – (LINK)

Carlton Training: Adapting Teaching Methods for Neurodiverse Adult Learners – (LINK)

Thriving Wellness Center – Resources for Neurodivergent Adults – (LINK)

Heinemann Publishing – Neurodiversity Resources for Educators – (LINK)

These should get you started.

Our self-talk is critical to our expressions of our true self – of who we really are. It is important that everyone who can learn to make their self-talk more effective in this regard have the opportunity to do so.

“No, autism is not a ‘gift’. For most, it is an endless fight against schools, workplaces, and bullies. But, under the right circumstances, given the right adjustments, it CAN be a superpower.”
~ Greta Thunberg: environmental activist

“Neurodiversity is not about changing people. It’s about changing society’s perception of people.”
~ Nick Walker, author and activist

As always, your comments are welcomed. If you want to comment about your own or someone else’s experience with neurodiversity, please respect privacy in your comments. Please share this post with others who may be interested.

Copyright 2025 – Jim Lockard

[1] From: Some People Can’t See Mental Images. The Consequences Are Profound, by Larissa MacFarquhar, New Yorker, Nov 3, 2025

WE ARE CALLED TO COMPASSION

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“When we practice generating compassion, we can expect to experience the fear of our pain. Compassion practice is daring. It involves learning to relax and allow ourselves to move gently toward what scares us. The trick to doing this is to stay with emotional distress without tightening into aversion, to let fear soften us rather than harden into resistance.”
~ Pema Chödrön

From a metaphysical perspective, compassion is the revelation of one’s true self, bringing the soul’s agenda to the surface of being. From a psychological perspective, compassion is when the soul, the unconscious, the subconscious, and the conscious minds are aligned. It reflects the innate wisdom of the soul and a recognition of the Oneness of all. It is the ultimate truth of who and what we are and the capacity to see that truth in others. It is the highest religious/spiritual calling and is the goal of all spiritual practices and instruction.

Compassion may be expressed as kindness or harshness, depending upon the circumstances. It is always love and always truth but may be tough love where that is the wise and loving choice. Until we are fully in alignment  with our own truth – our soul’s agenda, we are not fully capable of true compassion and should always attempt to be kind. Humility and empathy are components of compassion. Let’s take a hard look at what calls us to compassion:

WE ARE CALLED TO COMPASSION

As our society is roiled with political upheaval and the climate crisis shows  the results of our ignorance and greed, we are called to compassion.

“The principle of compassion is that which converts disillusionment into a participatory companionship. This is the basic love, the charity, that turns a critic into a living human being who has something to give to–as well as to demand – of the world.”
~ Joseph Campbell

Pathways to Bliss

When we are in the presence of those who hold different worldviews which may mean harm to us or to other humans, we are called to compassion.

“Compassion hurts. When you feel connected to everything, you also feel responsible for everything. And you cannot turn away. Your destiny is bound with the destinies of others. You must either learn to carry the Universe or be crushed by it. You must grow strong enough to love the world, yet empty enough to sit down at the same table with its worst horrors.”
~ Andrew Boyd

Daily Afflictions: The Agony of Being Connected to Everything in the Universe

As we develop new awareness relating to the variety of ways of being human, including the expansion of our understanding of gender expression and non-neurotypicality, we are called to compassion.

“The way women married to men end up as their ADHD husband’s prefrontal cortex, while also parenting ADHD kids, while realizing they’ve had ADHD all along, and that peri/menopause just made masking impossible, so now they’re hanging by a thread. I see it every day in my practice. I don’t know whether to laugh or cry.”
~ Dr. Jen Wolkin on Threads

“I genuinely hope that… anti-trans folks someday experience the joy and liberation of being comfortable in your own skin enough to know that the liberation of others is no threat to you.
Equality is not a pie; there is more than enough for everyone.”
~ Charlotte Clymer

As we explore the evolving nature of spiritual community and the radical changes needed to co-create the spiritual community of the future, we are called to compassion.

“The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members.”
~ Coretta Scott King

As we come to terms with the need to recognize that compassion is truth, the radical holding of truth, even when others may be upset or judgmental as a result, we are called to compassion.

“Many embrace infantilizing treatment under the guise of solidarity because low self-esteem causes people to interpret condescension as compassion.”
~ Ayishat Akanbi

As we deepen our realization that the spiritual path is one of radical self-honesty as a component of self-love, we are called to compassion.

“Job Description for Spiritual Seeker: Full time position available for person who strives to be mindful and aware of the deeper context of life. Must be intellectually curious, open-minded, and willing to change. Reverence for creation, personal humility, and a strong commitment to social justice will be necessary. Study, prayer, dialogue and meditative practice are expectations. Cross cultural experience is important. Compassion and kindness are requirements. Starting date: now. Salary: zero. Benefits: unlimited. Apply in person to the Maker of Everything.”
~ Bishop Steven Charleston

We are called to compassion, the highest quality of being human, by every experience, relationship, emotion, thought, and deed. I am incomplete in my human expression without compassion as part of my automatic response system. There is no higher, more important, or more needed goal.

“You are the people who are shaping a better world. One of the secrets of inner peace is the practice of compassion.”
~ Dalai Lama XIV

Copyright 2025 – Jim Lockard

SOME MUSINGS ON TURNING 74

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“How terribly strange to be 7(4).”
~ Paul Simon, “Old Friends”

“Old age cannot be cured. An epoch or a civilization cannot be prevented from breathing its last. A natural process that happens to all flesh and all human manifestations cannot be arrested. You can only wring your hands and utter a beautiful swan song.”
~ Renee Winegarten

I have had the great good fortune to grow old as a Religious Scientist. This means that I have had an advantage that I would not otherwise have had. That is knowing how to direct my thoughts and feelings toward my good – health, wealth, creativity, vitality, etc. – as a matter of practice. This advantage has brought me, I believe, a far more fulfilling life than I might have had given my former trajectory.

Looking back at my 35+ years in the teaching, all of it as a student and some of it as a minister, I can see how different my mental state is now than before. I am reminded of something that a classmate of mine in what was then called “Science of Mind 1” said to me. It was during a class break, and he was an elderly gentleman (although probably not as old as I am now). He said to me, “You know don’t you, that the Science of Mind is about learning how to die?”

I replied that I did not know that. He went on to the effect that it is only by learning how to live fully that we learn how to die. He meant that by living fully, when the time for death comes, we are prepared, fulfilled, if you will.

“Death is extraordinarily like life when we know how to live. You cannot live without dying. You cannot live if you do not die psychologically every minute. This is not an intellectual paradox. To live completely, wholly, everyday as if it were a new loveliness, there must be a dying to everything of yesterday, otherwise you live mechanically, and a mechanical mind can never know what love is or what freedom is.”
~ J. Krishnamurti

When we have not learned how to live, we resist and struggle with death. It need not be so.

Another lesson that this teaching has brought me over the years is the importance of humility. I do not mean the way humility is often understood, as the need for self-deprecation or diminishment. I mean it in its truest sense, as living as honestly as possible. To be humble is to live in truth. This means that I both see my own faults, but that I also know that my potential is virtually unlimited.

“One need only grow old to become gentler in one’s judgments. I see no fault committed which I could not have committed myself.”
~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

I have learned that it is easy to use spirituality in a very limited way so as to hide from your true potential and from the world. Using calls to prayer/treatment to halt the dynamics of group interaction as soon as something becomes uncomfortable, for example. To use a limited sense of the spiritual to bypass the deep and often painful introspection to reveal not only our true selves, but what we have repressed in our attempts to fit in and be accepted by others. A strong spiritual life requires mental awareness and emotional intelligence.

True spirituality leads one to a realization of a great power within and to the expression of great courage in life. The aphorism “Treat and move your feet” is often misunderstood. The “move your feet” portion is not optional. If one has done a treatment and does not act in alignment with that truth as stated, one has simply done an exercise in trying to feel better. We are not here to hide from the world; it is not what our soul wants from us.

At my age, I have become frustrated with a growing tendency to support a sense of victimhood in our movement. To be sure, the cultural necessity of accepting everyone as equal and demanding as much of every individual and institution is essential. But accepting a victim consciousness as inevitable or even as laudable violates the basic tenants of our teaching. Someone who has been harmed may well need to be enveloped with love and acceptance; however, it is best that they are guided away from victim thinking toward the realization of their own power. I want my friends to see my possibilities and not accept any tendency to see myself as helpless. Ours is to love one another toward a deep realization of our power and possibility.

My gratitude for The Science of Mind, for those who taught me how to integrate it into my life (including my students), and for the wonderful community which now extends to all of New Thought is deep and endless.

I want the movement to survive and thrive. So, I may criticize it from time to time. May I do it with the wisdom of an elder and not simply as an old person.

“The great secret is to embody something essential in our lives. Then, undefeated by age, we can proceed with dignity and meaning, and, as the end approaches, be ready ‘to die with life’. For the goal of old age is not senility, but wisdom.”
~ Anthony Stevens

Copyright 2025 – Jim Lockard

TRANSFORMATION: HOW TO MOVE TOWARD SIGNIFICANT INDIVIDUAL CHANGE

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“Whatever leadership used to be — it used to be. Now, it has to be something different. Now, we all have to be more than we were. The kind of leadership that I want to explore may not be identifiable as leadership at all.  I am interested in a kind of mutually alert care and attention to the well-being of all people and ecological systems. This kind of leadership cannot be found in individuals, but rather between them. It cannot be found in organizations, nations, religions or institutions, but rather between them. I have called it Liminal Leadership to highlight the relational characteristics.”
~ Nora Bateson

The transformation of organizations (LINK to previous post) begins with the transformation of individuals. As individuals develop to new levels of complexity with expanded values systems, they can influence the organizations which they lead or to which they belong. In this post, we will explore what is needed for individual development of leaders, but anyone in an organization can lead or influence regardless of their title or position.

As Nora Bateson points out above, we are in a time where transformative change or change on a grand scale is needed. We may not recognize the kind of leadership that is needed now because it is not familiar to us. We will not recognize the transformed organizations in our future as familiar either. We are moving toward whole system changes, from what we have known to something which both transcends and includes what is familiar. We can no longer rely on strategies of the past to take us where we are being called to go. We must learn to presence (LINK) an emerging future, as C. Otto Scharmer tells us:

“The ability to shift from reacting against the past to leaning into and presencing an emerging future is probably the single most important leadership capacity today. It is a capacity that is critical in situations of disruptive change, not only for institutions and systems, but also for teams and individuals.”
~ C. Otto Scharmer

LEADING FROM AN EMERGING FUTURE

The idea of evolutionary leadership has been around for a few decades but is only now gaining significant attention. An evolutionary leader is one who has developed mentally, emotionally, and spiritually to be someone who presences the qualities of authentic leadership in such a way as to recognize the need for transformative change. In today’s world, it means presencing calmness and competence in the face of chaos, conflict, and disruption. It also means having the breath of vision to see the big picture and the depth of confidence and openness to welcome and encourage the participation of others.

“Fear of loss is part of the arrested state. Our nervousness in the face of chaos is what would make it impossible for the caterpillar to pupate into a butterfly. Chaos is the ground-force of creative potential.”
~ Jon Freeman on Facebook

“To think creatively is to walk at the edge of chaos.”
~ Robert Grudin

When we are in fear, we are paralyzed at least to some degree. We will be unable to respond effectively to challenges. A common version of this in Spiral Dynamics terms is when leaders are centered at Green, but are either immature, unhealthy, or both in that values system. This may show up as being paralyzed and unable to make needed changes because someone or some group will be upset by the changes. When centered at Green, we are very feelings oriented and will expend a lot of energy trying to keep everyone from being upset. Since all change is likely to upset someone, you can see how this situation can lead to negative outcomes.

Spiral Dynamics Levels of Existence

The degree of personal development needed to fully embody evolutionary leadership will vary from person to person, however it will involve both time and dedication. It is not a weekend seminar fix. Here are some qualities and characteristics of evolutionary leaders in spiritual settings. These are in addition to normal management and interpersonal skills required to lead spiritual organizations or ministries. There are also qualities which are consistent to movement into 2nd Tier levels (Yellow & Turquoise) on the spiral in here. You are unlikely to find most of these included in the curriculum of your spiritual organization.

  • Recommit to your spiritual practices. The advantage we in New Thought have is our spiritual awareness and the realization of our divine nature. Establish or deepen your practice to bring these elements into a stronger place in your consciousness. The goal is to automatically respond from your best self more and more.
  • Prioritize your emotional and spiritual intelligence (EQ & SQ) – the capacity to be fully present as your authentic self has never been more important. This is more about EQ & SQ than it is about IQ.
  • Also, work on your own individuation process (LINK). This means working to align every aspect of your mind – from the soul (deepest) through the subconscious (beliefs) and the conscious (thinking/feeling). Individuation involves the revealing and healing of the shadow (LINK) and other issues which keep your ego supporting your fears and not your passions. Being flexible and nimble is the key; being controlling (stemming from fear) doesn’t serve the needs of today. Therapy may be helpful here – seriously.
  • Study evolutionary leadership (do a search on the term for resources – I recommend Ecosia.org (LINK) who plant trees when you do searches).
  • Find some evolutionary partners – colleagues who are also on this pathway, even if they are not in New Thought. Connect with them regularly to discuss your thoughts, progress, frustrations, etc.
  • Find out what the futurists are thinking, writing, and saying. There are many people whose work is exploring what is happening and how it affects where we are heading. These include futurists (LINK) and cultural anthropologists (LINK). The purpose of this is both to inform you about trends which are affecting spiritual community and to get you outside of your siloed information gathering.
  • Read poetry. Write poetry. The coming times are better met by a poetic mind than by an analytical one.
  • The ability to be open to new ideas must be balanced with a clear sense of what is in harmony with your vision and what is not. The challenge for some is to learn to say ‘yes’ more often, the challenge for others is to say ‘yes’ less often.
  • If you are in leadership, make your vision (the organization vision) part of your everyday conversation. Get used to referring to it and make sure that everything that is done is in support of that vision. Don’t have a vision, or don’t have a compelling or relevant one? Then do a process to create one in the community or organization. Then make it a part of everyday life.
  • Remember that “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” ~ Peter F. Drucker. I am surprised that many leaders don’t really pay attention to the culture of their organization or simply are not aware of it. Knowing the culture is essential, especially when it needs to change. When you strategize in ways that are not in coherence with the culture, the strategies will fail. Leaders must presence the vision all the time.
  • And since we don’t know what the future has in store in terms of models for ministry or spiritual community, we should be working to develop a healthy sense of trying things, having them not work or not last, and then trying other things. Make everything a pilot project. Realize that no decision is final. Model being open, flexible, and comfortable with uncertainty.

The good news is that we have within us everything we need to move through these challenging and transformative times. We need to call it forth – inwardly in the latent capacities which lie within us and outwardly in the vast array of resources and information available to us. This is our high calling in this moment.

“To know that you live in world in which you will change and be changed is to hold an idea of self gently enough to be reshaped, without breaking those around you. Every organism does this as seasons change. Life requires nothing less than infinite reshaping. This is grace. The alternative is a bet hedged against life itself; a zombie bargain for sameness.”
~ Nora Bateson

Your comments are welcomed.

Copyright 2025 – Jim Lockard

My books relate to these ideas and are available at all Amazon websites.

I HAVE A LOT ON MY EMOTIONAL PLATE – HOW ABOUT YOU? PART 2

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“Our only problem is that we want not to have any problems.”
~ Buddhist saying

“The familiar life horizon has been outgrown; the old concepts, ideals, and emotional patterns no longer fit; the time for a passing of a threshold is at hand.”
~ Joseph Campbell

In Part 1 (LINK), we began to look at the emotional impact of living in complex and challenging times. What differentiates this moment in history from challenging times in the past is the higher degree of complexity, not only of the issues facing us, but also due to the highly technological times in which we live. We have nearly instantaneous global communications, social media, and growing disinformation agents using social media to muddy the waters (LINK).

Of course, all of this is in addition to whatever personal challenges one may be facing currently. And of that that is in addition to whatever foundational wounds or trauma from one’s past exist and how they amplify emotional sensitivity in the current moment. This is a very difficult time for just about everyone from an emotional standpoint.

We are seeing reports that therapists have no openings for new patients, suicide rates are climbing (particularly among young people), and tempers are flaring across the public sphere. All of this means we are facing a strong pull to evolve to greater complexity, one which many of us are unable to adapt.

“With the enormous expansion of our consciousness and knowledge in physics and technology, which have gone ahead at such tremendous speed, the rest of humanity has not been able to keep pace. We have not been able to keep up morally, neither with our feelings nor with our minds.”
~ Marie Louise von Franz

The coping mechanisms of denial, compartmentalization, and passive-aggressive behavior are no longer sufficient to shield us from our day-to-day stressors. It is hard to disown feelings when they are triggered every day. It is hard to deny the challenges facing us when we realize both the seriousness of the threats and the failure of our institutions to meet the challenges effectively, or, in some cases, even to admit that they exist.

“[W]hat we disown does not go away. It lives on within us-out of sight, out of mind, but nevertheless real-an unconscious alter ego hiding just below the threshold of awareness. It often erupts unexpectedly under extreme emotional circumstances.”
~ Connie Zweig

We see more road rage, more mass shootings, more hair-triggered tempers, more depression, and other signs of too much emotional stress. This will likely continue to occur in increasing patterns.

But none of us needs to go down this path if we use our psychological and spiritual tools and techniques effectively. These include a belief in our divine and human potential as well as an intention to realize our best life possible. For some this will require taking and mental and emotional step back to allow new energy to flow within our system. Perhaps a brief fast from the news or from social media is in order. Perhaps a retreat in nature or simply to a place where solitude is available; or a retreat with others for the purpose of reconnecting with one’s true nature.

“Emotion regulation is not about controlling what you feel. It’s about choosing how you respond. Wise people don’t suppress emotion. They find constructive ways to express it. Intense feelings don’t always demand immediate reactions. They often benefit from deep reflection.”
~ Adam M. Grant

Another possibility is to engage with a challenging situation of concern to you – feeding the hungry, volunteering at a non-profit, becoming an election worker, advocating for a cause dear to you. Any of these things can provide an active way to reprogram your emotional settings. We cannot hide from the world and its challenges, nor are we meant to do that. We are designed to engage with life, but from a place of emotional health and well-being. Sometimes we need to do something to restore or deepen that well-being.

“There is no change from darkness to light or from inertia to movement without emotion.”
~ C.G. Jung, Collected Works 9i

Emotion is the engine of demonstration/manifestation. Emotion gives energy to the thoughts which accumulate to build beliefs. Emotion gives energy to the actions we take to translate those beliefs into behaviors. It is our feeling of life that is our experience of life. So emotional work is essential work. It begins by learning to control our impulses. Meditation and visualization are powerful tools to aid in developing emotional intelligence.

“The ability to control impulse is the base of will and character. By the same token, the root of altruism lies in empathy, ability to read emotions in others. If there are any two moral stances that our times call for, they are precisely these, self-restraint and compassion.”
~ Daniel Goleman

Here, Daniel Goleman, who has done amazing work in the area of emotional intelligence (LINK), mentions the need to control our impulses. This is not to be polite, but primarily to allow us to have access to our faculties. When we are overly impulsive, we lose connection with our inner intuitive knowing as well as with our better nature. Self-restraint allows us to stay in touch with these positive aspects of ourselves.

Compassion, remember, is not being nice – it is being truthful from a place of love. We do little good when we act without self-control or emotional intelligence. This is often why we shy away from activism for social justice, we fear the rough and tumble nature of such activities because so many people engage from a lack of emotional intelligence.

“People think to be radical is to be confrontational, hostile, and angry when what is truly counterculture is understanding, curiosity, self-discipline, a backbone, combined with spiritual and emotional depth.”
~ Ayishat Akanbi

The key is to do your personal work – spiritual practices, emotional development, and more, developing them into a regular and ongoing set of practices – before you engage. An important function of spiritual community is to prepare people to contribute to building a better world (#aworldthatworksforeveryone) by helping to develop spiritual and emotional intelligence. We are empowered when we bring our best selves to a cause or to a project. This includes bringing a strong cast of spiritual principles and practices which we have embodied and habituated.

Emotional and spiritual intelligence are the foundations of spiritual realization, not just in achieving states of awareness, but in learning to continually develop higher levels of spiritual expression. Emotional intelligence gives us the discipline to do our work and the maturity to interact with others wisely and lovingly. It allows us to set healthy boundaries and to extend ourselves when called to do so without placing ourselves or others in jeopardy due to our own unhealed insecurities.

“When we practice generating compassion, we can expect to experience the fear of our pain. Compassion practice is daring. It involves learning to relax and allow ourselves to move gently toward what scares us. The trick to doing this is to stay with emotional distress without tightening into aversion, to let fear soften us rather than harden into resistance.”
~ Pema Chödrön

We all want to live in truth, to be able to bring our best selves to bear on what is actually happening. It does not serve us to hide or obscure what might be painful to know. Compassion is daring because compassion is truth and love. It may be tough love, it may be unsettling, it may be very painful. It takes great strength and character to express compassion, whether to yourself or to another.

There is no path to compassion except through our fear and suffering. Compassion arises from our fears and our pain. When we deny them, we deny ourselves the realization of a compassionate heart and we deny the world our best self in expression. Fortunately, it is our spiritual practices which are key elements in healing and strengthening our emotional immune system. Using our teachings and engaging with our spiritual communities to create mutual support systems is essential.

As always, your comments are welcomed.

“Nirvana is right here, in the midst of the turmoil of life. It is the state you find when you are no longer driven to live by compelling desires, fears, and social commitments, when you have found your center of freedom and can act by choice out of that.”
~ Joseph Campbell

Copyright 2024 – Jim Lockard

SACRED THINKING REVISITED 4 – THE 7 BELIEFS: BELIEF 7

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This final post in the series continues our exploration of the seven core beliefs from my book SACRED THINKING: Awakening Your Inner Power (LINK), this post looks at beliefs 5 & 6. The first post (LINK) looked at Beliefs 1 & 2; The second post (LINK) looked at Beliefs 3 & 4; The third post (LINK) looked at beliefs 5 & 6.

BELIEF SEVEN:

Within each human being is the potential to fully experience the connection with the One Spirit. A number of great spiritual teachers have set examples as to how this can be done. The collective human consciousness is, it seems, poised on the verge of emerging into the level of awareness necessary to experience this connection on a mass level. Each of us possesses a mind that is the locus of our experience of reality, of life experiences. Our thoughts create our mental images and beliefs. Sacred Thinking creates a mindset that connects with Spirit in a way that can bring bliss, connection, harmony, and empowerment. Right now, a relative few have done the preparatory work through spiritual practices to move into this new awareness. Human beings have reached an evolutionary point where the choice can be made to seek this awareness. Will you make that choice?

“The quantum world evokes the new mystic, one who dreams from a deeper center and loves from an unknown spring of life, for the mystic already lives in the world of tomorrow.”
~ Ilia Delio, The Not Yet God

This belief speaks to the concept of integral relationship which is our connection to Source, Spirit or God in a reciprocal and constant connection. The Creative Intelligence of the universe (or multiverse) underlies all energy and gives rise to individuated expressions, including human beings, all in this integral relationship. Together, we co-create our experiences and these experiences become aspects of an evolving Source – yes, Source evolved by means of us.

For students of New Thought, this means that we must go beyond cause and effect as the only means of understanding the dynamics of reality. Within the implicate order of the multiverse, evolution is the vehicle of expression for Source in many dynamic ways, cause and effect being one. But quantum physics tells us that there are other dynamics which exist and function in ways that we would see as acausal!

“It’s a recognition that reality as we know it is being animated by an evolutionary current. This is true on the cosmological large-scale structure of the universe. It’s true biologically. But it’s true on a human level, too. The great mystery is living and wanting to transcend itself through us toward greater expressions of beauty, truth and goodness. And so evolutionary spirituality says that, for lack of a better word, God is implicate, intrinsic to that evolutionary push.”
~ Rev. Bruce Sanguin

This implicate nature of God, Source, or Spirit is intrinsic to the nature of our existence – It is always present, always moving, always evolving, always expressing, becoming explicate. And we, human beings, are in that dance, but there is no separation, there is one dancer, one thing happening. It is a paradox that our human brain comprehends with great difficulty, if at all. The Absolute Source expressing through the mystical realms, and emerging into physical reality on a continuing, unfolding basis.

The more we come to understand this, the more astonished we are, the more reverence we hold for our existence and everything in it. Therefore, the more we will approach our lives with true compassion and grace.

We do not discard cause and effect but embrace it as a developmental tool of understanding our reality, if in a partial manner. We need to master cause and effect to have a strong foundation for developing our relationship with the acausal, the mystical, and the transcendent. This is the reality in which we are immersed and to which it is our destiny to awaken.

Human challenges and frustrations arise when we are distracted from this soulful pathway and our progress toward spiritual realization is halted or obstructed. Our soul’s agenda is to fully experience what is possible for us and to dance with Source. Nothing else will do.

“Reality is what we take to be true. What we take to be true is what we believe. What we believe is based upon our perceptions. What we perceive depends on what we look for. What we look for depends on what we think. What we think depends on what we perceive. What we perceive determines what we believe. What we believe determines what we take to be true. What we take to be true is our reality.”
~ David Bohm, Quantum Physicist

As always, your comments are welcomed.

Copyright 2024 – Jim Lockard

DO WE NEED A NEW DEFINITION OF GOD? PART 5

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“A religion is as much a progressive unlearning of false ideas concerning God as it is the learning of the true ideas concerning God.”
~ Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan

“The Supreme Truth exists both internally and externally, in the moving and the nonmoving. It is beyond the power of the material senses to see or know. Although far away, it is also near to all.”
~ The Bhagavad Gita, 13.16

In this final part of the series, I will address how we begin to integrate a new definition of God* into the New Thought culture. Just as New Thought students need to “unlearn” the limiting ideas of God learned in childhood, it is now time to release seeing cause-and-effect as the sole way that consciousness operates. It is time for a definition which is both broader and deeper, and which reflects what science has been telling us about the nature of our reality for over a century.

A more complex world requires a more complex mind and a more complex mind requires a more complex definition of God. Our idea of God, or Ultimate Reality, is the deepest aspect of our being and forms the basis of our worldview at every level. Therefore, it is important that we have a definition of God which enables us to live and thrive in the world we inhabit.

“Let me repeat that ours is not an authoritative religion. We have a textbook, which is the accumulation of the greatest teachings of the ages but we haven’t any idea of becoming a closed system. We have two possibilities; we can become so narrow that we never grow or we can be so broad that we have no depth. It is up to us to find the place in between which gives freedom without giving the freedom to destroy the freedom which makes freedom possible!”
~ Ernest Holmes, “The Seminar Lectures”

As Dr. Holmes wrote, we cannot be a closed system, however comfortable that may feel. If our principles are to be lived in the world, they must be based on the most complete and current definition of God that we can manage. Our ability to define God grows as our minds evolve and as new levels of complexity emerge; it is an operating definition, one that will change as we change. The definitions of the last century have become inadequate in the face of both the rapid pace of cultural evolutionary changes and the massive challenges facing humanity today.

The limitations of seeing cause-and-effect as the sole way reality operates is right in front of us every day. “You reap what you sow” is often cited as a law of cause-and-effect, but if it were a law, it would always work. When confronted with the reality that it doesn’t always work, we rationalize this by saying that it worked but at an invisible level. The same is true with the concept of karma, where rationalization often must cover a number of incarnations to seem true.

“Briefly, the Law is this: there is an unbreakable sequence of cause and effect right throughout the universe. This sequence is never broken, and therefore there is no such thing as favoritism, special providences, hard cases, or anything of that sort. As we sow we reap.”
~ Emmet Fox

“In a sense, all of this ethical difficulty arises from the mind-power movement’s tendency to see reality as subject to a single law…with its absolute powers of cause and effect.
     Unlike the Transcendentalists, who studied the cycles of nature, the teachers of New Thought made no allowance for the inevitability of night following day. They made no room for the balance of life and death, illness and health that Emerson depicted in his essays, which many New Thoughters call their inspiration…Diverging from Transcendentalism, New Thought viewed life as subject to a single principle and ignored the prospect of multiple laws and forces.”
~ Mitch Horowitz

A definition of God, expanded to include what we now know about evolution, emergence, and quantum physics, takes us beyond cause-and-effect to a realm of greater mystery and mysticism. We discover that there are acausal actions in the universe – actions which are without a specific cause. We learn of quantum leaps where elements change position, sometimes radically, without moving through the space in between the former and current positions. We learn that all matter is energy, and that when it is in wave form, we cannot perceive it.

More importantly, we learn that everything is in relationship with everything else – not as an idea of possibility, but as a reality. The concepts of quantum entanglement (LINK) and David Bohm’s Implicate Order (LINK) bring us into a greater awareness of how our experience of life emerges and how it is connected to Ultimate Reality (God). It is a lot to take in.

“The good life is a process, not a state of being. It is a direction not a destination. The only person who is educated is the one who has learned how to learn and change.”
~ Carl Rogers, Psychologist

“Do not adopt the letter of my teaching, but the spirit, and you will find, as I did, that you will begin to formulate a system that is true for you. I learned for me, and you must learn for yourself that you must develop your own faith and confidence in your own interpretation of God, humanity, and the universe.”
~ Ernest Holmes

If our definition of God expands and deepens to include a greater grasp of an Implicate Order and quantum entanglement, it will form a new basis for our experience of the world. Our definition of Ultimate Reality both limits and frees us, depending upon what it includes and excludes.

We have danced along the edges of the greater possibilities afforded by an expanded definition of God when we have used terminology such as “This and greater” at the end of our prayer/treatments or when we have projected our intentions into the creative void via emotion only, not limited by a specific vision. Specificity is called for when we know exactly what we desire, but it is appropriate to be non-specific or open to a deeper wisdom when we are uncertain or open to something beyond our current awareness.

But this new definition includes mystery and paradox. While everything is connected to everything else, I do not control everything (not even close!). Much of what happens in my world of experience is beyond my influence, but I always have the capacity to direct my responses, and hopefully I develop the wisdom to know my limitations. In this way, I learn what I am accountable for and what I am not; I do not develop an overload of false accountability for what is beyond my influence.

“Quantum physics suggests that matter is transcendent by nature because matter reflects mind and mind has no limits. If mind is the matrix of consciousness, as Teilhard claimed, and consciousness is unlimited, then God is the name of transcendent wholeness of mind or consciousness, as Eastern religions affirm.”
~ Ilia Delio, The Not-Yet God, p 60

What is added to the traditional New Thought definition is the expansion of reality beyond cause-and-effect. This requires two things of us – more complex thinking and a greater capacity for paradox. The idea of “change your thinking, change your life” is seen as a partial truth, because aspects of the reality in which we live, move, and have our being are beyond our control or ability to direct. One can be a very positive thinker and still have a very difficult life. While positive thinking is good for us, it is no guarantee in a universe where acausal action is possible.

The paradox of humans as both divine and material, having one foot in each reality so to speak, means that our human nature is subject to the laws of the material universe. What needs to shift in our definition is our understanding of that material universe. Cause-and-effect is an insufficient way to understand it; we must expand to a sense of the quantum which sometimes seems to “bend” the laws of the material universe. This bending is not under our control but happens sometimes and quantum physics tells us that it is random, or acausal. Perhaps this is a new way to view the idea of a miracle.

The key going forward is to achieve a sense of balance, using our knowledge of cause-and-effect to guide us toward a greater capacity for paradox and a growing edge of complexity to match the universe in which we live. We are the ancestors of the next generations of expanded human consciousness. Let us lay the best foundation we can for those who follow.

“… Teilhard discovered a new and vital God, not a God dominating in the world with power, but a God integral to the world’s becoming.”
~ Ilia Delio, The Not-Yet God, p 37

Of course, there is much more to this discussion, however, I trust that you have found this series of value and will use it in developing your own working definition of God, Spirit, the Ultimate Reality. As always, your comments are appreciated.

Copyright 2023 – Jim Lockard

DO WE NEED A NEW DEFINITION OF GOD? PART 3

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‎”I have treated many hundreds of patients. Among those in the second half of life – that is to say, over 35 – there has not been one whose problem in the last resort was not that of finding a spiritual outlook on life.”
~ C.G. Jung

Jungian psychology holds a key to understanding the metaphysics of New Thought Teachings. As noted in Part 1 (LINK) and Part 2 (LINK) of this series, it is understood that our psychological systems – mind, thoughts, feelings, ego, shadow, etc. – are our means of connecting to the Divine within.

It is at the Modernist-Orange stage of development that we begin to seek to know ourselves as individuals and to let go of being externally defined. The psychological aspects of New Thought, as unevenly taught and practiced as they may be, are what we have to work with to deepen how we actualize our spiritual nature and spiritual principles in our lives. Are we stuck in our fear-based ego self, or is our connection to our Higher Self open via alignment with our soul, self, and conscious awareness?

“Only a life lived in a certain spirit is worth living. It is a remarkable fact that a life lived entirely from the ego is dull not only for the person himself but for all concerned.”
~ C.G. Jung

When we have little or no awareness of our spiritual nature, or when we are stuck in rigid cultural or religious fundamentalism, our lives dry up. Our richness in spirit, when realized, allows the emergence of the God-qualities of Peace, Power, Beauty, Joy, Love, Light, and Wisdom from within us. We individuate (LINK), and through that process we become more capable of valuable contribution to the common good.

This takes lots of practice, and deep work to un-condition us from old and inaccurate programming. Learning how to recognize and accept one’s authenticity can be a difficult task for the New Thought student, and it is not something one masters in a short period of time.

“If the spirit is not being fed properly, with wisdom that has been cultivated with sensitivity and intelligence, it will devour fast food and eat junk. That is what fundamentalism is, in one respect: the junk food of the spirit.”
~ David Tacey 

“In narcissism, we strive to induce the ego, I, me, with the spirit of godliness, sanctifying the ego rather than sacrificing its superiority.”
~ Erel Shalit and Nancy Swift Furlotti,
The Human Soul (Lost) in Transition at the Dawn of a New Era

The founders of New Thought and the first several generations of ministers were operating from the Traditionalist-Blue and Modernist-Orange levels of human development. From Blue we get obedience to authority, loyalty, and an absolutist take on the teachings (something that Ernest Holmes, for one, warned against). From Blue we also get a sense of self-sacrifice to duty to whatever authority we have accepted or been born into (family, nation, church, political party, etc.)

From Orange, we get individualism, scientific rationalism, self-regard, competition, status- and wealth-seeking. During the first ¾ of the 20th Century, New Thought ministers tended to be strict with their students and followed well-defined curricula in their teaching of Principle and the Law. Fewer students seeking credentials passed their exams and board interviews than is the case today. The focus of much of the teaching was individual success in areas of health, wealth, and creative self-expression.

Later in the 20th Century, the Postmodernist-Green level emerged. Since New Thought attracted complex thinkers and people already centered at or moving into Orange, there were larger numbers ready to move to a Green center than in the general population. Like any such shift in a culture, it began slowly, with the “new ways” of those who had evolved into Green being seen as strange or “out of principle.” Over time, those new ways became more and more the norm – more ritual, a greater emphasis on feelings, more desire to form intimate community connections, and a desire to take our principles out into the world.

“The (Postmodernist-)GREEN stage of development is magnificent. It led us into the exploration of who we are, individually and collectively. It birthed psychology, anthropology and sociology. It began the dissolution of paralyzing (Traditionalist-)BLUE structures and countered the excessively materialistic (both financial and scientific) emphasis of the (Modernist-)ORANGE mind-set.
It taught us about diversity, inclusion and consensus. It cares about the environment and challenges materialist blind spots. GREEN is co-operative, team-oriented and accepting; it reawakens the human bonding that has been reduced in varying ways by all of the stages since (Tribalist-)PURPLE.”
~ Jon Freeman, Integral Leadership Review

Some other effects of this emergence in New Thought were a move toward less authoritarian leadership, greater diversity of course materials, less rigor in the content of class materials and student evaluations, a lower failure rate, and a larger embrace of ritual. All of this happened over a few decades and continues to unfold today. At Green, we become more sensitive to feelings and averse to disharmony – feeling right about something becomes more important than traditional ideas of success.

As I wrote in an earlier post (LINK): “The spiritual leader at Green will likely define herself as being ‘heart-centered,’ whereas the same person might have defined themselves as being more cerebral when centered at Orange. Another shift from Orange to Green values is a movement from the individualistic seeking of good to a more communal seeking of group intimacy. Spiritual communities centered at Orange will likely be larger, with a strong focus on prosperity, personal growth, and ‘church growth.’ With the transition to Green, the focus is more on community, on connection, and on church closeness. Diversity will also move to the forefront as a key value as Green emerges.”

Green values begin to go beyond the attachment to scientific rationality of Orange. This can open one to explore the greater mysteries of reality but can also lead to the kind of “magical thinking” prone to misinformation, conspiracy, and other false ideas – this is a shadow aspect of the Green stage.

As Green is a feelings-oriented stage of development, God becomes more accessible from a feeling perspective so a longing for a more personal connection is reborn. The writings of the founders are read differently here, they need to feel right, to bring meaning to one’s life, and to feel true. There is a greater emphasis on Love than Law. A heightened sensitivity to fairness and empathy emerges; where the idea of seeing oneself as a victim is seen negatively at Blue and Orange, at Green there is a growing awareness of systemic issues for which the individual is not responsible.

There is a greater desire to live spiritual principles as a true community – to take our teaching to the world, not in proselytizing sense, but by doing spiritually-motivated good works. Consensus is valued for governing bodies, such as boards or councils; decisions can take a long time because everyone should be consulted and everyone should feel right about decisions that are made.

Here is a link to other past posts on the blog about Postmodernist-Green and its impact on New Thought (LINK).

When centered at Green, God is more personal, more about feeling right, more about compassion and empathy. Green is a more complex level, so there is a greater capacity to see connections and linkages. At Green there is more curiosity about other faith traditions and how they link to New Thought. There is also a greater yearning for interfaith connections.

At Green, every voice must be heard and all opinions valued. There is a reluctance to dismiss other viewpoints or ideas. A greater variety of materials are brought into the curriculum and, in some cases, it becomes unclear just what the core theology of the spiritual community is. The desire is to be welcoming to all, and despite the desire to do more outreach there is a reluctance to engage in things deemed political or to disagree with the beliefs or practices of other faith traditions.

In Part 4, we will look at what is emerging in New Thought theology and how our broadening worldviews are shaping our definitions of God. We will also explore how God might be defined at the 2nd Tier stages of the Spiral.

As always, your comments are welcomed. Feel free to share this and other posts with others who may be interested.

Copyright 2023 – Jim Lockard

REMINDER: I am offering this course of study to begin in November. There is an information call this Saturday, October 21st. For the link, email me at JimLockardTravels@jimlockard

EMERGENCE IS THE COMMON LINK

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“A new you can still emerge from the old you.”
~ Bamigboye Olurotimi

“It is not necessary to change. Survival is not mandatory.”
~ W. Edwards Deming

Emergence is the process of something new emerging from something which already exists. It is an essential concept in understanding both evolution and psychology. In biological evolution, new expressions (mutations) arise from within the biological processes of plants and animals; in psychology, new capacities arise from within the human psyche.

Cultural evolution is the application of evolutionary theory to cultural and psychological development. It applies to both individual and group development. The Spiral Dynamics™ Model (LINK) is one model of cultural evolution and its processes. It says that as our Living Conditions become more complex, human beings are triggered to adapt through the emergence of a greater capacity for complexity. This greater capacity is latent within us as a potential. That potential is actualized when we adapt.

“This is exactly the position that modern philosophers take; it is called the theory of emergent evolution, which means that when nature needs something, it demands it of itself, and out of itself makes it. So, in the evolution of the human being, when it was necessary (…) to grasp, fingers were produced. When, then, if it is necessary for you and me to know something we do not know, can we not — according to this theory of emergence — demand the information of ourselves and have it come to be known? The Bible says: ‘There is a spirit in (humans): and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.’ Science, philosophy, metaphysics, and religion, viewed from the universal viewpoint, are all of much the same opinion.’”
~ Ernest Holmes,
excerpt from Science of Mind Magazine, July 2011

Here, Dr. Holmes expresses the concept of emergence from a spiritual/psychological perspective. In these developmental processes, the greater possibilities of who we are and what we can be are already within us awaiting activation. Our growth toward greater spiritual awareness and realization happens via the emergence of greater possibilities latent within us.

This is why it is so often said that we are not to seek our good from outside of ourselves. While our relationships with people and circumstances can trigger emergence, the externalities of our lives can only be responded to from our current level of development, they are not the source of growth. We can only truly possess and enjoy something for which the consciousness of the thing has emerged from within us.

“Big History has a number of trajectories. The work of Professor Clare W. Graves (Spiral Dynamics) is one of the first to track the bio-psycho-social historical developments that lay out in evolutionary political, economic, religious, and social surface-level manifestations. These lie at the core of geopolitical conflicts, racial and ethnic stereotypes and doom and gloom forecasts. Using the (Spiral Dynamics) approach, it is now time for the next major paradigm to emerge. We are going back to the future and forward to the past in the same generation.”
~ Don E. Beck

Graves’ work, expanded upon by Don Beck and Chris Cowen, has mapped the process of emergence across human cultures. The process of human development, individual and collective, is always via emergence. What I seek is within me. What I seek is the capacity to relate to the experiences of life in ways that allow me to grow. None of us can manifest the kind of life we desire unless we grow an inner acceptance and ownership of our capacities by the emergence of greater potential from within.

“The spiral of life is upward. Evolution carries us forward, not backward. Eternal and progressive expansion is its law and there are no breaks in its continuity. It seems to me that our evolution is the result of an unfolding consciousness of that which already is, and needs but to be realized to become a fact of everyday life.”
~ Ernest Holmes, The Science of Mind, page 387

Evolution tends to move toward greater complexity. This can be seen in the development of the Universe itself. Our human cultures also tend to evolve to greater complexity. Our spiritual development is also an evolutionary process to develop the complexity necessary to truly understand simplicity – which is a paradox, and a degree of complexity is necessary to understand and accept the reality of paradox. Simplistic views of spirituality result in idolatry and fundamentalism rather than in spiritual realization.

“According to this conception we do ourselves a disservice by arguing whether (human) nature is good or bad, active or reactive, mechanical or teleological. (Human) nature is emergent. What (a human) is cannot be seen before. We can see it only insofar as it has been revealed to us by his movement through the levels of human existence. And, what has been revealed to us, so far, is that in some way or another (our) nature is all of these and more. Our very conception envisages that new aspects of (humans) are now before us which were not seen before, and that the (person) that (we) now (are) will go on proliferating into new forms if the conditions for human existence continue to improve.”
~ Clare W. Graves
*(changes to be gender inclusive)

Evolutionary processes bring something forward which has not been before. On the cosmic scale, first there were no planets and stars, then there were planets and stars; first there was no solar system, then there was a solar system; first there was no life on earth, then there was life on earth; and so on.

On a personal scale, we can see a similar path of newness emerging as we develop physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Culturally, the need for greater complexity continues to grow as cultural evolution speeds up and carries us forward – or leaves us behind if we fail to adapt.

“We are the crossover generation from one phase of evolution to the next. … The signs of our emergence are a powerful, irresistible passion to unite with Spirit within, and to join with others to co-create a world equal to our love and our capacities.”
~ Barbara Marx Hubbard

We are a crossover generation – actually several generations – from periods of more stability to a future with little stability as we know it. The cultural evolutionary process speeds up and our inner potentials are called forth more rapidly. If we are to survive and thrive, we must align ourselves with the emergence of these potentials and come to understand our true nature – to adapt, to become, to realize more of our divine potentials.

“A butterfly that emerges from a cocoon lives by a very different set of laws than a caterpillar.”
~ Marion Woodman

Copyright 2023 – Jim Lockard