We all have a metaphorical center of gravity we typically perceive and live from, and we can think of this center as moving along a line from who we are (human self) to what we are (oneness).
This center of gravity will shift naturally a bit along this line for all of us.
And if we are in a process of actively exploring our nature, we may see a process that moves the center of gravity from who we are to oneness.
Here is how that may look:
CENTER OF GRAVITY: HUMAN SELF
In most cases, it seems that the center of gravity is in our human self. We perceive and live as if we most fundamentally are this human self.
In an early phase of the awakening process, this is typically where our center of gravity is. We may have an intuition or curiosity about awakening, and explore it mostly through mental representations. And we operate and function as if we fundamentally are this human self.
This is how most onenesses seem to live in the world today.
CENTER OF GRAVITY: IN HUMAN SELF BUT OPENING UP
Then, the oneness we are may start intuiting or glimpsing or being curious about its nature.
When these glimpses or intuitions happen, they tend to be filtered through our habitual mental stories and separation consciousness.
We may sense all as consciousness, and perceive it as the divine in nature.
We may have experiences of oneness and interpret it as if we – as a separate self – is one with everything else.
We may have more clear glimpses of our nature, of the world happening within and as what we are, of everything as consciousness, Spirit, and so on. And then we tell ourselves we had it and then lost it.
Here, our center of gravity is still in our human self although it’s opening to the possibility for something else and is more ready to move.
CENTER OF GRAVITY: SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN
Then there is a process of noticing our nature more clearly. We find ourselves as what the world to us happens within and as. And we learn to notice this more easily when we look for it, and we learn to notice it more often in daily life.
We notice our nature when our attention is brought to it and perhaps less so at other times. And if issues and traumas are triggered, we may get caught up in them for a while.
We may see everything in a general sense as happening within and as us, or as consciousness or the divine. We may not always notice it in things our personality doesn’t like, perhaps because we forget to look for it. We may not yet have a deep love for all as our nature or Spirit. And we may not yet have a visceral sense of it all as our nature or the divine.
We may also shift into states that show us aspects of our nature, and these can be brief glimpses or last for days, weeks, months, and perhaps even years.
Here, our center of gravity moves from our human self towards our nature, and it shifts a bit back and forth depending on our attention and the situation we are in.
CENTER OF GRAVITY: MORE STABLY IN WHAT WE ARE
After a while, we learn to notice our nature and live from this noticing in more and more situations and areas of life. It becomes a new habit.
We also learn to notice our nature even when deeper and more central issues and traumas surface, and to recognize that our nature is the same as their nature. Our center of gravity remains here even in more challenging situations.
We mostly see whatever is here as happening within and as what we are, or as consciousness or Spirit.
And we tend to find genuine love for all as our nature, as happening within and as what we are, as consciousness or the divine.
Here, our center of gravity shifts more into our nature.
CENTER OF GRAVITY: MORE VISCERALLY AS WHAT WE ARE
This invites another shift. A more visceral sense of it all as our nature, as happening within and as what we are, as consciousness or the divine.
Our center of gravity is more solidly in our nature, reflected and supported by this visceral shift.
THE CENTER OF GRAVITY OF OUR MANY PARTS
One side of this process is what’s happening with the many parts of our psyche.
Many of our subpersonalities may still operate from separation consciousness even when the oneness we are generally and “globally” recognizes itself.
As mentioned above, when these are triggered, we may get caught up in them and join in with how these parts of us perceive the world. We enter their separation consciousness and perceive and live from it. At least, for a while.
We may also keep recognizing our nature, that our nature and the nature of these parts of us is the same, and stay in that noticing. This is part of what allows these parts of us to unravel their knots and join in with the awakening, although more specific approaches are often needed.
In the first case, our temporary center of gravity shifts towards our human self, and our more habitual sense of gravity is likely closer to our human self. In the second, our center of gravity remains more in our nature.
Also, each of these parts of us colors our perception and life even if they are not noticeably triggered. They are part of our system. They have their own view of the world. The more parts of us are operating from separation consciousness, the more our system as a whole is colored by separation consciousness. Even if our “global” and conscious view is one of our nature recognizing itself.
The more parts of us join with the awakening, the more our center of gravity can remain stable in our nature. In our nature noticing itself and living from this noticing.
CENTER OF GRAVITY: GENERAL TENDENCIES AND BRIEF SHIFTS
As suggested above, it seems that our center of gravity generally is somewhere on an imagined line from separate self to oneness. There is a place or area on this line where we most often are found to operate from.
At the same time, there are more temporary shifts along this line. During meditation or inquiry, where we perceive from may move towards oneness. When we are triggered and caught up in the trigger, our center shifts more toward separation. And so on.
CONTINUED EXPLORATION
There is no finishing line here. It’s an ongoing process.
It’s a process of continued exploration, clarification, deepening, and maturing.
For instance, our nature has many aspects – oneness, love, activity, mystery, capacity, and so on.
And this process tends to reveal and highlight different aspects of our nature to us at different times, allowing us to get more familiar with it.
SIMPLIFIED OUTLINE
This is a very simplified and idealized outline.
In real life, it’s far more varied and often messier.
It’s typically not so linear. We get hijacked by our issues, traumas, and hangups. It may appear that the process is going backward at times or is stagnating. And that is OK. It’s the oneness we are – or life or the divine – exploring, expressing, and experiencing itself in all of these ways.
It’s just how I like to map it out now. And my own process hasn’t followed these steps so neatly.
INITIAL OUTLINE AND NOTES
- center of gravity in what we are
- human, notice our nature filtered, notice our nature more clearly, more stable noticing, even more stable noticing even when deeper issues are triggered
Many things happen when we explore what we more fundamentally are in our own immediate experience.
One is a series of shifts in the center of gravity of how we experience ourselves.
Here is a brief outline of how it may look:
…..
The oneness we are to ourselves may take itself to be primarily a human being, or oneness, or something inbetween.
….
MORE STABLE LIVING FROM AND AS WHAT WE ARE
……
One side of this process is what’s happening with the many parts of our psyche. Everything we see in the wider world reflects something in our psyche. Any viewpoint we can imagine is refelcted in our psyche. And some
……
DRAFT
We all have a center of gravity somewhere in who and what we are. It’s where we perceive and live from most of the time.
And if we are in the process of exploring who and what we are, this center of gravity will tend to shift over time.
Here is how that may look:
CENTER OF GRAVITY: HUMAN SELF
In most cases, it seems that the center of gravity is in our human self. We perceive and live as if we most fundamentally are this human self.
Our center of gravity is here also in a very early phase of the awakening process where we may have an intuition or curiosity about awakening, and explore it mostly through mental representations.
This is how most onenesses seem to live in the world today.
CENTER OF GRAVITY: IN HUMAN SELF BUT OPENING UP
Then, the oneness we are may start intuiting or glimpsing or being curious about its nature.
When these glimpses or intuitions happen, they tend to be filtered through our habitual mental stories and separation consciousness.
We may sense all as consciousness, and perceive it as the divine in nature.
We may have experiences of oneness and interpret it as if we – as a separate self – is one with everything else.
We may have more clear glimpses of our nature, of the world happening within and as what we are, of everything as consciousness, Spirit, and so on. And then we tell ourselves we had it and then lost it.
Here, our center of gravity is still in our human self although it’s opening to the possibility for something else and is more ready to move.
CENTER OF GRAVITY: SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN
Then there is a process of noticing our nature more clearly. We find ourselves as what the world to us happens within and as. And we learn to notice this more easily when we look for it, and we learn to notice it more often in daily life.
We notice our nature when our attention is brought to it and perhaps less so at other times. And if issues and traumas are triggered, we may get caught up in them for a while.
We may see everything in a general sense as happening within and as us, or as consciousness or the divine. We may not always notice it in things our personality doesn’t like, perhaps because we forget to look for it. We may not yet have a deep love for all as our nature or Spirit. And we may not yet have a visceral sense of it all as our nature or the divine.
We may also shift into states that show us aspects of our nature, and these can be brief glimpses or last for days, weeks, months, and perhaps even years.
Here, our center of gravity moves from our human self towards our nature, and it shifts a bit back and forth here depending on our attention and the situation we are in.
CENTER OF GRAVITY: MORE STABLY IN WHAT WE ARE
After a while, we learn to notice our nature and live from this noticing in more and more situations and areas of life. It becomes a new habit.
We also learn to notice our nature even when deeper and more central issues and traumas surface, and to recognize that our nature is the same as their nature. Our center of gravity remains here even in more challenging situations.
We mostly see whatever is here as happening within and as what we are, or as consciousness or Spirit.
And we tend to find genuine love for all as our nature, as happening within and as what we are, as consciousness or the divine.
Here, our center of gravity shifts more into our nature.
CENTER OF GRAVITY: MORE VISCERALLY AS WHAT WE ARE
This invites another shift. A more visceral sense of it all as our nature, as happening within and as what we are, as consciousness or the divine.
Our center of gravity is more solidly in our nature, reflected and supported by this visceral shift.
THE CENTER OF GRAVITY OF OUR MANY PARTS
One side of this process is what’s happening with the many parts of our psyche.
Many of our subpersonalities may still operate from separation consciousness even when the oneness we are generally and “globally” recognizes itself.
As mentioned above, when these are triggered, we may get caught up in them and join in with how these parts of us perceive the world. We enter their separation consciousness and perceive and live from it. At least, for a while.
We may also keep recognizing our nature, that our nature and the nature of these parts of us is the same, and stay in that noticing. This is part of what allows these parts of us to unravel their knots and join in with the awakening, although more specific approaches are often needed.
In the first case, our temporary center of gravity shifts towards our human self, and our more habitual sense of gravity is likely closer to our human self. In the second, our center of gravity remains more in our nature.
Also, each of these parts of us colors our perception and life even if they are not noticeably triggered. They are part of our system. They have their own view of the world. The more parts of us are operating from separation consciousness, the more our system as a whole is colored by separation consciousness. Even if our “global” and conscious view is one of our nature recognizing itself.
The more parts of us join with the awakening, the more our center of gravity can remain stable in our nature. In our nature noticing itself and living from this noticing.
CENTER OF GRAVITY: GENERAL TENDENCIES AND BRIEF SHIFTS
As suggested above, it seems that our center of gravity generally is somewhere on an imagined line from separate self to oneness. There is a place or area on this line where we most often are found to operate from.
At the same time, there are more temporary shifts along this line. During meditation or inquiry, where we perceive from may move towards oneness. When we are triggered and caught up in the trigger, our center shifts more toward separation. And so on.
CONTINUED EXPLORATION
There is no finishing line here. It’s an ongoing process.
It’s a process of continued exploration, clarification, deepening, and maturing.
For instance, our nature has many aspects – oneness, love, activity, mystery, capacity, and so on.
And this process tends to reveal and highlight different aspects of our nature to us at different times, allowing us to get more familiar with it.
SIMPLIFIED OUTLINE
This is a very simplified and idealized outline.
In real life, it’s far more varied and often messier.
It’s typically not so linear. We get hijacked by our issues, traumas, and hangups. It may appear that the process is going backward. And that is OK. It’s the oneness we are – or life or the divine – exploring, expressing, and experiencing itself in that way.
It’s just how I like to map it out now. And my own process hasn’t followed these steps so neatly.