An Insight Exercise

Maryann Miller, Msc.D.

Wikipedia defines mashup as the practice of mixing two or more existing pieces of something together, in order to produce something that the original two pieces, on their own, could not produce. Generation Y does not like mass marketing or convention. They don’t want to take the beaten path; instead, they want to take the path less traveled. They like Googling, social networks, and causes.  Shannon Bond, Director of the Corporate Social Engagement division of Changing Our World, Inc., says, “Members of Generation Y are charting their own course. They want to change the world, and they think they can. They are… more ethnically diverse than any other generation.”

The consciousness movement is being fueled by growing numbers of caring individuals who think they are here to make a difference and are actively striving to do so.  Together, we are creating major shifts in consciousness. Individually, we can greatly assist the consciousness movement by training ourselves to distinguish between what we call reality and actuality.[1]

Can You Trust What You See or Hear?

In today’s world, it is sometimes very difficult to distinguish truth from manipulated information; yet, we are called upon to make life-altering decisions based upon this information.  We can and must continue to hone our ability to see beyond the obvious and sense the underlying vibratory frequencies of things. This ability is and will become even more necessary in future months and years.

There are some tried and tested techniques available that can assist us in developing our inner sense of knowing.  It is however, always interesting to actually participate in a consciousness exercise with others that is designed to further develop our sense of knowing.  Over the years, I’ve been fortunate to take part in a few consciousness exercises and have always found them to be exciting and thought provoking, so I thought it would be interesting, informative, and even fun for us to conduct our own insight exercise. The exercise involves a technique designed to gain insight about a physical object, the technique, however, may also be used to gain insight about inanimate objects, situations, people, relationships, nations, and so on.

Intellectually, we know that we are all connected, that consciousness is an infinite array of vibratory frequencies manifesting as anything from an atom to a universe. The way in which our individual and humanity’s collective senses operate determines the differences between one thing and another. The separateness that we experience is also due to the way our five physical senses operate.

 

 Your Higher Self Is Always Connected

As we build focused alignments with higher[2] frequencies of consciousness, we are more easily able to move beyond our limited physical senses and connect with the higher frequencies of Universal Will, Love, and Intelligence.  With practice, we can, at will, evoke our Inner Selves,[3] which are always in rapport with higher frequencies of consciousness, and create better quality decisions and outcomes than our everyday objective consciousness could achieve.  The more focused and conscious our attunement is with higher frequencies of consciousness, the greater will be the energies of Universal Will, Love, and Wisdom magnetically drawn to us.

With the integration of each higher frequency of consciousness, we develop a more significant command over our own lives and affairs and a marked degree of proficiency in creative and mental endeavors. The progressive integration of, and ability to manifest these higher frequencies of consciousness, eventuates in:

• A more finely tuned awareness of all aspects of our environment
• A greater clarity in our thinking process
• A greater sense of creativity
• A collective intelligence that brings forth innovative, unique approaches and solutions to society’s most intractable problems
• An experience of fulfillment and a sense of not being alone in our efforts
• An experience of synchronicity
• A growing sense of wholeness, connection, balance, and integration
• A sense of mission, of deep purpose, a sense of working according to a higher plan for ourselves, our group, humanity and the planet

A key element to integrating higher levels of consciousness is to remain open to the different or new information coming to us. If we continue to hold onto old information and set ideas, we can miss new and unique messages coming to us regarding situations, relationships, ideas, objects, persons, governments, and the other kingdoms in nature.

THE INSIGHT EXERCISE

The Insight Exercise is designed to open our minds to new and different ways of experiencing things.  We’ll begin our exercise by selecting a symbol about which we wish to gain insight.  Throughout history, the rose has always embraced much symbolism. The Rosicrucian movement, for example, uses the partially opened rose to represent the evolving consciousness of the soul personality (persona) as it seeks and is infused with higher frequencies of consciousness.  This symbolism, though meaningful, remains purely intellectual until we personally experience the information for ourselves; for embodied within our higher consciousness are untold meanings for the rose.

This exercise utilizes a very simple technique designed to help facilitate our connection with higher frequencies of consciousness in order to gain insight about our chosen symbol.  So let’s get started and discover some of the less obvious meanings and emotions symbols can possess.

It is important to read through the entire exercise before beginning so that, when performing the exercise, you do not need to interrupt the process.

Part 1:  Preparation

You may use your regular meditation technique or try the following.

• Take three deep breaths and as you release them, relax your entire physical body.
• Pay close attention to your feet – lower legs – upper legs – your lower abdomen – stomach and diaphragm. Let your breath flow naturally and effortlessly.
• Now relax your arms – hands – fingers, and then your upper chest.
• Relax your throat, jaws, and the base of your tongue. Now relax your scalp, ears, and muscles behind your eyes.  Let a feeling of calm and peacefulness pervade your entire physical body.
• Take another deep breath and, as you release it, calm your emotions until they are as calm and still as a placid pool of clear water.
• Take another deep breath and as you release it, become mentally awake and alert. Allow all thoughts and activities of the day to fade away.  Then, become internally self-directed and give your whole attention to this exercise.
• Now, without strain, focus your attention on the area of your forehead. Knowing you are the creator of your entire being (body, emotions, and mind) use your will to integrate your physical body, emotions, and mind into one coordinated unit through which your Higher Self can work.  Silently sound OM.
• Now place your consciousness in your forehead, your heart, or the center of your head; choose the place that seems most potent, the most real.  Then focus your awareness in the location you have chosen.[4]  Then allow your consciousness to be magnetically drawn to your chosen place, knowing that from this place of focus you are the most receptive to your Higher Self.
• Now, by means of your love and aspiration, align your consciousness with your Inner, Higher Self.  Know that you are now receptive to your Higher Self and all of Its knowledge, creativity, and wisdom.  Silently sound OM.

Part 2: Visualization

While holding your alignment with your Higher Self, silently contemplate the following.

1. Visualize a rose; see it clearly in your mind’s eye.
   • What color is it?
   • Are there different shades or tones of color?
   • Feel its soft petals.
   • Smell its perfumed fragrance.
   • Taste it; how does it taste?
   • Hear it; what sound does it make?
2. How did it become a rose?
3. Do the rose and humanity have any similarities?

A period of quiet, yet self-directed expectancy should follow each of the above steps “1” through “3”.  As you dwell within this powerful and potent silence, stay internally self-directed, let go, and trust in the process rather than focusing on the result.  After a while, you will notice that information regarding the rose will begin entering your consciousness.  As the information comes to you, just make a mental note of it and continue to allow new information to flow.

At the end of the exercise, you may choose to write down some of the knowledge or insights gleaned. Then ask yourself, What does the rose symbolize to me now?  Over the next few days, you may wish to make note of additional information that confirms your newly gained insights.

VALUABLE INSIGHTS

This exercise provides valuable insights for everyday life. To the average person, symbols represent concise, yet very cursory ideas. They do, however, embody deeper, more significant information. We need not limit our understanding or opinion of symbols, people, relationships, situations, or nations to their common symbolism.  From an attunement with our Higher Selves, we can align with the symbol, person, relationship, situation, or nation, and from that focus, gain great new insights.

As we have learned from history, that which sometimes seems obvious is not always the case.  We live at a pivotal time in history, a time when we can’t even believe our eyes, much less our ears.  Everyone talks and acts through their own reality.  If we want to truly understand something or know its truth, it is up to us, not the television, the newspapers, officials, or experts, to find that truth.

We have, or are capable of building internal alignments with our Higher Selves that give us the ability to see, hear, feel, think, and create with more clarity.  As humanity moves more fully into the converging planetary cycles, each of us on the spiritual path is given the opportunity to make a difference in some way.  What is your gift? Do you want to use your gift and abilities in service to humanity and the planet?

Vocabulary

[1] Reality and Actuality: Reality is the result of our interpretation of vibratory frequencies, or actuality.  We construct reality through the operation of our five senses, our consciousness, and humanity’s collective consciousness.  Actuality is the vibratory frequency underlying all manifestation.  It is that which truly is, as opposed to Reality, which is our interpretation of vibratory frequencies.

[2] Higher vs. Lower Vibrations: Vibrations are wavelike oscillations of forces. We arbitrarily use the term Higher for those wavelengths that are shorter or closer together, and Lower for wavelengths that are longer, or farther apart. Even the use of terms such as shorter and farther is arbitrary, yet in order to communicate, we assign terms that somewhat convey our meaning

[3] Higher Self, sometimes referred to as your Inner Self:  That which conveys here to fore unknown knowledge and wisdom. Your inner or higher frequency of Consciousness that speaks to you whenever you attune with Its vibrations.

[4] If you are new to this type of meditation, you may wish to try placing your consciousness in each of these locations until you find the place where you feel the most aware.  Try the center of your forehead, your heart, and the center of your head.  Choose the location in which you feel the most potent awareness.