Whose Voice Is It Anyway?
By
Douglas Simpson
How do we identify and feel about the voices that we have accepted as guidance
throughout our lives? First we had those who reared us, our intimate immediate
circle of guiding bodies, and then our sources of guidance began to expand to
include other circles which surrounded that first inner circle. The outer circle
may have included various relatives, neighbors, or paid caregivers. Then we may
have gone to children's groups which were overseen by teachers and sitters. The
children's groups could have included organized religion and education.
Somewhere in the mix we also fell under the guidance of the media. All of this
guidance was offered to help us become
well-adjusted individuals who could find a common ground to stand upon to
navigate life and successfully communicate within circle after radiating circle
as far as we could reach out.
To what degree do we know and acknowledge spiritual guidance which was present
for us even from childhood? It is
exciting to come to a point in your life when you are sure, from some level of
your being, that you have never been without guidance and that somehow it has
always been with you. Most people
would probably agree to and embrace that concept. It is when we speak about the
here and now of adulthood that we feel compelled to attempt to analyze and
validate the idea of spiritual guidance. After all, isn't this what we have
educated our brains to do -- analyze and validate? Haven't we plied our way
through life, education, and religion filling our baskets with knowledge and
terminology in order to properly tackle any discussion on spiritual guidance?
I recently used some self- hypnosis scripts which focused on spiritual guidance.
I recorded the script then listened to it as I let it guide me into an
experience. The first script was designed for meeting a spiritual benefactor in
a sacred sanctuary of my own design, feeling loved and accepted by this
benefactor, and allowing myself to receive the love and knowledge that would be
there for me. I entered the exercise seeking guidance on improving my
experiences when meeting people. The insights which came to me were beautiful
and beneficial. I "tested" the guidance by applying the insights and I was
amazed at the results. My comfort level in meeting people went beyond my just
being more relaxed; I felt that the experience was also beneficial and enjoyable
to the other parties as well. Had I identified the source of this guidance? No.
The information simply felt sensible, loving, practical and easily applicable.
When I used the information, I felt a sense of wholeness that encompassed the
"source", the other parties, and me. Identifying
the "source" was meaningless in comparison to the results.
In another self-hypnosis script I invited a particular spiritual person to come
into my sacred space to share guidance with me. I envisioned the presence and
accepted the impressions that I received even though I did not understand what I
was seeing or feeling at the time, yet I have an assured sense that this
information was given to me for use and understanding at a later time.
Another script that I used was called "The Inspired Heart**,"
written by Henry Reed. This brief meditation involved raising consciousness
through the breath to connect with the heart of the higher self. The use of this
approach was favored by Edgar Cayce, as we can eliminate a perception of a
middle person so to speak. When we
open ourselves to that which is within, we both expand and reinforce a
self-identity which is beyond our worldly experience.
By using this connection we honor a personal, greater whole which goes on
to include All.
In his book Edgar Cayce on Channeling
Your Higher Self, Henry Reed
described sources of spiritual guidance.
There can be much confusion and seeming overlap in channeling, mediumship, and
spiritualism. Spiritualism arose in the 1850's when communication with deceased
entities became so popularized that a religion formed around the word. In
mediumship, a living person will give themselves over for use of communication
by a non-embodied entity. In channeling, a living person will listen to, feel,
see, smell and/or sense on various levels, information which will then be
relayed. Edgar Cayce worked primarily as a channel of his higher consciousness.
We can make conscious choices of the types and sources of guidance that we seek.
As a beginner I would recommend a script such as "The Inspired Heart." You
can rest assured that connecting with your higher-self will yield not only the
guidance that you are seeking but also a sense of self-directed unfolding. By
availing ourselves of guidance from our higher selves within we can learn to
build confidence in knowing that all that we seek is to be found within.
There are times when we benefit from and enjoy the counsel we receive from
friends and loved ones. And so it can be in receiving guidance and/or
inspiration from non-material sources.
No matter the source of the advice and guidance, whether it comes from
physical or non-physical entities, we take it under consideration as we process
it on many levels. Our "guts" usually guide us to a "knowing" about what we have
received.
There is a principle of affinity as is currently popularized in the teachings of
Abraham and their "Law of Attraction".
Whatever we focus on is what we attract. It is the powerful focus of
thought which the Universe responds to.
Abraham teaches that we live in an inclusive Universe which responds to
the focused thought whether the thoughts are of what we want or don't want. It
seems that the Universe factors out the "not". So if you think "debt" or "not
debt" the focus is still on "debt".
If you think "dessert" or "no dessert", the focus is still on "dessert"!
Mother Teresa was using this principle
when she said that she should be asked to march "for" something rather than
against something. We attract spiritual guidance which we have an affinity with.
Somehow it will be a fit for us.
If we enjoy incorporating spiritual guidance from sources beyond ourselves then
we can seek to develop such a relationship and gradually come to understand mo
re about that source which we have attracted. Cayce always advised that we set
an ideal for ourselves and this is a good place to extend that concept. We can
set an ideal about both the source and the information that we wish to
experience. It is good to remember that
we create our experiences and that we have the ultimate say in that process.
Most non-physical sources shed light for us as we open the door more
widely to experience our own guidance from within. For this I am truly grateful,
for it was with such guidance that began understanding and embracing my own
higher self.
Should we seek to know the sources of our guidance? Should we test the guidance? Should we doubt and ask questions? If you feel so inclined, then you most definitely should. Wherever there is an impulse there is life and creation. Wherever there is a "no" there is a temporary resistance. These impulses and resistances make up the ebb and flow of creation. Availing oneself of spiritual guidance, whether from within or without, is an expression of a desire to follow the innate impulse of being. We still have our guidance from friends, family, and culture -- just as we had in our childhoods. But now many of us are turning our conscious awareness to other guidance which truly has been with us since our childhoods.
* Douglas Simpson: douglasemail@yahoo.com
** The text of "Inspired Heart" meditation is given at http://edgarcayce-intuitionschool.org/intuitiveheart/texts/inspiredheart.htm
The audio recording of this script is given at http://heart-awareness.com/ih.mp3