This week Philippe Matthews also asked me:
In your ebook, The Taker, you describe two types of inner conflict: 1) Escapism and 2) Shielding. Could you define what these two inner conflicts are and why understanding them is important to spiritual growth?
Appreciating your question.
A struggle that we potentially suffer from is finding the courage to become more of who we really are.
For many, conditioning and pressure from the outside environment is too strong and too impressive to act against. Not knowing how to effectively overcome these perceptions and energies, or not daring to really show one’s self for fear of losing appreciation and recognition, there are two main ways of handling the situation, Escapism, and Shielding, both are reacting to the outside, rather than from within.
Escapism basically means that you try to flee this difficult, harsh world that is not allowing your beautiful pure self to be. You flee into your imagination that is more beautiful and peaceful (but not believing it can be your reality). You go to places that help you escape from the ‘reality’ of life because the difficulties of this existence are just too much. It’s withdrawal of focus from your environment, rather than deliberately using your focus, which is powerful, on what you want, to get more of what you prefer. You’re not focused in the Now and you’re not at peace. It can mean that you seek for enlightenment, ashrams, spiritual centres, to escape the reality of every day, hoping that this other world will deliver you from all the wrongs and bad stuff out there.
Shielding means you become much harder and tougher, less relaxed and more resistant. You shield your heart so you can’t get hurt anymore. You develop an armor that you may not be able to let go of. In this respect the mind takes over from the heart and you become more ‘cold’ as a person and you lose the sensitive sparkle that you used to have. Sometimes you can become so tough that you can fit in completely with your environment, you can do what they do, you can be what they are, and for instance if money is the way to get recognition, then that is the game you choose to play.
Both mechanisms do not deal with the true reality. Both let you play roles that keep you out of your real true self, the authentic you, and these roles will disempower you.
Whereas you have the power to change your life.
Real spiritual growth is not about escaping this world, it is not about repeating a model of toughness, it’s not about restriction. Spiritual growth is about expansion and finding the balance in yourself to really show you, in your true power, integrating male and female forces, heart and mind, in one being. Spiritual growth is integration. Harmony. Yes, there’s a balance here to be found.
When you understand that you can make peace with where you are and walk through it towards the best you, when you understand that you can’t run away from your (smaller) perception of you, then you give yourself opportunities for spiritual growth … self-love and appreciation of yourself … and others.
I hope these words stimulate the remembering of personal power.
With Heart,
Cris
July 4th, 2007 at 9:26 pm
In early spring i went into a really bad time,a crisis in my mind and something just helped or a other light went on and i started to look with my brain. It is quite new, i hope i can become better at this. Every things is true about what you said regarding spiritual grow and just going through all that brought me so much. happiness,peace,contentement and love.
And most importantly,that love as i see as god’s all powerful and graceful love healed me all together i feel brand new! Was i born again?