Parallel Universes/Parallel Lives......Part 2

Last week I introduced the topic of parallel universes and parallel lives. We focused on the belief (supported by modern physics) that our choices actually cause new realities to be created. For instance, when we choose between two carefully considered options, the chosen one becomes our here and now reality, and the other one spins off a new reality somewhere else (or in some other dimensional space).

Today I wanted to share a few more "wow, what a concept!" ideas for your consideration:

1.   Tashira Tachi-ren, author of What is Lightbody?, explains that having "free will" means we can choose to do something different than what our Spirit or Higher Self would do, but whenever we do this, a new parallel reality is spun off. As we awaken and follow the path of Spirit more regularly, no new parallels are created and those from earlier experiences are "pulled back" and merged. Eventually the soul (in this lifetime or another) experiences a constant merging of countless parallel realities, and when all these parallels have merged, all you have left is the reality that reflects the path of Spirit.                

2.   The above reminds me of the A Course in Miracles premise that says every time we make a choice, we are choosing between love and fear, and what we choose is what we believe is real. Choosing love, kindness, peace takes us in one direction, while choosing fear, anger, blame takes us in another (or maybe multiple others, until we learn to choose differently).

3.   Frederick Dodson, author of Parallel Universes of Self, focuses on the idea that we're currently living out all aspects of our highest (and lowest) potential, so it's never a matter of manifesting or creating something that we don't have, but tapping into the parallel self that is already enjoying that desired result. He claims that we wouldn't even have a dream unless it was already within our experience. (It would not be a "live option" in our psyches). 

Note: To me, his implies that we don't have to use our minds to create something out of nothing, which is a stumbling block for many who would use law of attraction principles to improve their lives. When I think of my dream as already existing, it changes my energy from longing and lack to a quiet peacefulness that whispers, "it's already there---you can step in whenever you're ready, or you can choose something else..." 

This week I ask you to take a look at your choices and where they are leading you. Maybe consider an issue that's up for you, and all the thoughts and actions that led you to where you are now. Contemplate where you might be if you had chosen other options along the way. And, to be fair, think of an area of your life that you are proud of. Recognize that your choices led you to this happy state, and if you had chosen differently you might have ended up in a very different place. 

Parallel Universes/Parallel Lives......Huh?

Personally, I have never been a stickler for what can and cannot be proven by science. In fact, the ideas I hold most valid and dear, are far from provable, and I like it that way. My reality, like most people's, is based on personal experience and other information that seems true (so science usually just gets on my nerves!)

I have to admit, though, the fact that modern physics is strongly leaning toward the belief in parallel universes, or what they call the "multiverse," has me really intrigued. While there are various types of parallel universes, sub-theories and differing hypotheses, I'm most drawn to the idea that there are multiple copycat universes going on simultaneously that contain doubles of you and me living different possible realities (based on the directions our choices take us). Are these physical universes, like our own real consensus reality, or are we talking about possible alternative versions of ourselves that play out in some other dimension? Good question.

I recently read a fascinating little book by Shelley Kaehr, Ph.D., called Beyond Reality: Evidence of Parallel Universes. Shelley is a hypnotherpist who guides clients into simultaneous realities and parallel universes. Her practice often attracts clients who are hung up on a past decision they made and want to discover what would have happened had they chosen a different path.

In case after case, various hypnotherapy clients were able to trace the series of events that followed a decision made (at an important crossroad) that was different from the one they had chosen in their current reality.

For instance, a woman who had left a commune several years earlier and then spent many years moving from place to place, wondered what would have happened if she had remained in the commune. Through hypnosis, she tapped into two parallel lives, one in which she eventually moved to Canada, married, had a child, and owned a bookstore. She experienced a peaceful and pleasant life, but felt unfulfilled because of not making a positive impact on the world.

In her other parallel life, the woman eventually moved out of the commune but stayed in California. She worked in a coffee shop and lived in an old Victorian with several people who were earth rights activists. Even though she struggled financially and sometimes wondered if they were making a difference, she felt happy and fulfilled because she was making the statement she had come here to make.

Interesting stuff, huh? I was so blown over by the implications of having other versions of myself "out there" living out different life possibilities, that I decided to do some casual self-hypnosis and see if I could access information from possible parallel lives. What I found was that by just asking a "what if" question and being open to receive information about it, I was able to sneak a peek into other possible paths (not taken thus far in this lifetime).

I decided not to latch onto any of them or see where they ended up, but instead just enjoy the realization that my choices were, and continue to be, virtually endless---that the ruts we sometimes find ourselves in are totally of our own making. We can choose something different at any time and spin off a new reality. All we really need is a little courage and faith in the unknown (or maybe a lot of courage and faith...!)

This week I ask you to do a similar exercise. Think of a time when you were at a crossroad. Maybe you chose one college, career, or partner over another, and you wonder what would have happened if you'd chosen differently. Just relax, close your eyes, and gently let your imagination take you wherever it will. Don't worry that you are just making things up, and don't get too sucked into the story. Just observe and see what appears. Chances are, this exercise will reveal something about yourself that will help you move forward in your current reality.

Freedom: Tapping into Our True Nature

Last week we talked about feeling burdened, and how some of us have the tendency to get ourselves trapped in unnecessary "obligation-thinking." This week I wanted to take it a step further and discuss the topic of freedom. 

Freedom is a tricky concept. First of all, it's entirely subjective---it means something different to every person. It's broadly considered a good thing, but some people who have the freedom to do whatever they want whenever they want, actually feel stunted, lost, bored, or unloved. And there are different types of freedom: political, religious, financial, emotional, physical, relational, etc.

Today, I'd like to focus on freedom as inner experience, an emotional/mental/spiritual experience. I'm referring to the way you feel when you're engaged in something you love and nothing else is nagging at you (from the inside or outside).

People experience this freedom in any number of ways, through walks in nature, dancing, singing, meditation, hanging out with  friends or family, creating art, camping, skydiving, etc. Sadly, some people only experience this feeling through the use of drugs, alcohol, or other addictive or compulsive habits. (Ironically, this way of accessing freedom is actually its opposite: a trap.)

The experience of inner freedom has a few common characteristics:

• it's associated with peace, acceptance and allowing
• It can feel exhilarating
• it's free of obligation or burden
• it's free of dependencies
• it occurs in the moment, not in thoughts of past or future
• it transcends human concerns
• it feels spacious and generous
• it can represent our true spiritual nature

This week, I ask you to consider your relationship with freedom, in all its definitions. Which freedoms do you enjoy, and which do you lack? Which freedoms might you enjoy if you were able to make some personal changes? Regardless of your circumstances, how can you tap into your higher nature and experience a greater sense of inner freedom in your life?

Are Obligations Getting You Down?

Last week, my shoulder went out, and when my intuitive massage therapist friend looked into the situation, she saw "shouldering burdens" written all over it. When I considered this, right away I realized that I have a tendency to convert the simplest of tasks into obligations---even things that I would thoroughly enjoy if I didn't see them as obligations.

That got me thinking about how we modern-day humans view our "to do" lists, and how we get bogged down by what we think we have to do. The following are some insights about how we get caught up in unnecessary "obligation thinking." Understanding this can help us find a way out.

1. First of all, many of these personal demands are probably totally unnecessary---figments of our imagination---like taking the time to play a board game with a child who would rather be doing something else. 
2. There's a difference between real obligations (like paying your Visa bill), and perceived obligations (like donating to the same charity every year).
3. Many of our obligations are based on guilt. We volunteer to do something we don't want to do because we "feel bad about..."
4. Sometimes we love to visit our parents, volunteer at the school, take our children to the park, but sometimes we don't feel like it but do it anyway, which can cast an obligation vibe over all the future times that we would have enjoyed these events.
5. Doing something for someone out of a sense of obligation doesn't feel all that great to them, and can lead to resentment for us. 
6. Giving out of obligation is nothing like giving out of generosity. When we give freely, it feels wonderful for all concerned, but when we give out of obligation, the gift is somehow tainted.

This week, I ask you to look at your relationship with obligation, guilt, and generosity. Notice if you have healthy boundaries, or if you let others (or yourself) suck you into doing things you don't want to do. Think of someone you know who is very balanced in this area, and see what you can learn form him/her. Maybe make a list of your real obligation vs. your perceived obligations. You may be surprised at how much freedom of choice you actually have, but may not be exercising.

Your Life Review

Have you ever heard of the "life review?" This can be seen as anything from a minute of serious reflection, to our lives flashing before our eyes during a frightening moment, to what occurs when a patient is pronounced dead and then returns to life, to what hypnosis clients report as happening in that space between lives, to a full blown fundamentalist "judgment day." The life review may come in many forms, purposes, and implications, but in essence it is a powerful opportunity to review and evaluate one's life.

The great thing about life reviews, especially those done before one's physical death, is that they allow us to step back from our daily lives and our habitual patterns or attitudes, and see the bigger picture of who we are, what effect we're having on the world, and whether we're achieving what we came into these bodies to achieve. For instance, some people get caught up in material pursuits and neglect their loved ones, only to end up lonely and full of regrets later in life.

You may have heard of Dr. Raymond Moody. He's the researcher who coined the term NDE, or Near Death Experience. His research uncovered patterns in the experiences of thousands of people who had clinically died, left their bodies, and then returned to life after moments or even several minutes. Often, these patients reported that during this time out of body, they relived every moment of their life, in chronological order, from birth until the present, and that it was alive, in 3-D, and contained every thought and feeling they had ever experienced, as well as what others experienced. They say this all occurred at lightning speed.

Typically, patients who had this experience went on to change their lives for the better. They got their priorities in order, became better people, sometimes even experienced major personality or life changes. This reminds me of a recent episode of American Pickers in which a man who owned a barn full of collectibles wanted to sell it all. When asked why he was doing this, he told Mike and Frank that he and his wife had suffered a very serious car accident the year before, and that the experience changed them forever. He said that they no longer saw the value in owning all that stuff, and that they wanted to sell it and use the money for the good of humanity. 

Have you ever had what you would call a life review? If so, what effect did it have on you? Personally, I've never had a Near Death Experience, but I've certainly had other dramatic "wake up calls" that made me sit back and review where I'd been, where I was going, and what changes I needed to make in my life. These experiences, although humbling and sometimes unpleasant, are gifts from the universe, golden moments that we can only benefit from if we're willing to take them seriously.

This week, I ask you to review your life or perhaps a period of your life that seems particularly relevant. Where have you been on your path? What have you learned? Are you satisfied with your relationships, work life, values, conscience, bodily habits, self esteem? Does anything stand out as incomplete? Do you need to forgive someone, or ask for another for their forgiveness? Do you see any patterns that need to be addressed? Is addiction, compulsion, guilt, dishonesty, etc., controlling your life?

This is a time to see the bigger picture, and not engage in the usual litany of gripes ("I need to lose weight, stop smoking, get a better job, declutter my house.") Certainly any nagging issues matter, but the life review is bigger than that. Think of it as a "deathbed" experience. If you were in your last moments of life, what would you be pleased about and what would bring you sorrow? This is an opportunity to save yourself from regrets, and create the best, most fulfilling life you can have. Ultimately I think we all deserve that.

Steps for Healing Wounds

Last week we discussed emotional wounds and issues, and how they serve as a gateway or launch pad to our personal evolution. We defined ordinary wounds as using what has happened against ourselves, limiting our possibilities in life. Sacred wounds are when we shift our focus to the infinite possibilities of our spiritual growth.

So, how do we do this? Actually the process is the same whether the wound is old or new, big or small, nagging or excruciating. Any time life jabs us, it is an indication that we're on the cutting edge of our potential for growth. It is life giving us an opportunity to expand above and beyond who we were before.

Life on earth is like a school for accelerated learning. We have easy classes and hard classes. The easy ones are a nice break from the rigors of the more challenging ones, but if they were all easy, we wouldn't learn very much, and we would quickly get bored. It would be a waste of our time and energy.

We knew this when we sign up for our life. We chose what areas we wanted to work on, and we set up challenges that would drive our learning processes. Were these lessons meant to be fun and easy, like in kindergarten? Some of them, maybe, but not the big ones. Learning to forgive ourselves and others, to overcome hatred or self-loathing, or to trust after suffering betrayal---these trials require us to work hard and overcome painful wounds or issues.

The following are some simple but potent steps for healing:
1.  See wounds and issues as golden opportunities for growth, sign posts for where you most need to go.
2.  Resist the temptation to see yourself as permanently flawed, damaged, or victimized.
3.  Turn your attention from outside circumstances/people, to inner awareness.
4.  Use whatever techniques you know for getting to the core of a wound or issue, such as journaling, meditation, focusing, or consulting a therapist.
5.  Once you understand the core issue, release or surrender it to your Higher Self or a Higher Power for healing.
6.  Forgive yourself and anyone else involved.
7.  Take whatever action steps are necessary for improving your life.
8.  Ask the universe for help when you don't know what to do, or when it seems too difficult to handle.

Moving Beyond Woundedness

Are you wounded in any way? If you're a human being, the answer has got to be yes. If you think I'm being negative, or overreacting, or trying to pathologize you, consider this:  before you were born, everything was lovely. You were warm and cozy all the time. You were protected, well fed, and never lonely. Then came the trauma of birth. Physical pain, intense pressure, screaming, bright lights, coldness, yucky smells, you get the picture. Welcome to planet earth! (Okay, I admit that sounds negative...)

My point? Human life is full of jarring, insulting, potentially damaging situations, and even the most resilient of us end up with wounds, which can lead to nagging or even catastrophic "issues." Let's take a moment to explore this further.

What are wounds? Wounds can be defined as marks left behind (by any kind of physical, mental, or emotional injury) that cause or support negative ideas we have about life, ourselves, or others. What makes an event wounding is not the event itself, but how we use it against ourselves and others. 

Issues are the result of our reaction to a wound, which is a personal, individual response (although there are common patterns within humanity). The injuries we suffer can promote small to huge distortions in our perceptions, which can limit our ability to engage happily in life.

For instance, experiencing a heart break can result in anything from a moment of sadness to a decision never to love again. How we respond to any situation depends on our personality, life experience, maturity, mental/emotional/physical health, genetics, cultural ideas, spiritual ideas, basic resiliency, and many other factors.

From Ordinary to Sacred
Linda Howe, author of Healing through the Akashic Records, writes:

"Because humans have suffered wounds for as long as we have been on earth, it makes sense to consider that there is a purpose---a spiritual purpose---for this wounding experience. There is a sacred opportunity within every wound:  the chance to become aware of the Divine Reality through our own humanity. Difficult and often damaging human experiences form a crucible within which we encounter the Divine Presence. They offer us the opportunity to transform every aspect of our being, from our perceptions to the way we express ourselves in the world.........Using what has happened against ourselves, limiting our possibilities in life---this is ordinary. The wound becomes sacred when we shift our focus to the infinite possibility of our spiritual healing........When we perceive our wounds as sacred, they indicate a path. As we walk this path, they become links to our own humanity, our connection to the humanity of others, and our point of contact to the Divine."

Sounds hopeful, doesn't it? This week, I ask you to look at your past and present wounds and gently notice how you are managing them. You may find that great healing has resulted from certain wounds, while you still struggle with others. Next week, we'll look at how you can move past your current (and even future) challenges.

Have a beautiful week.