Connecting to Self

The Mind as a Barrier or Doorway to Higher Consciousness

By

Deborah L. Ohl

A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Master of Metaphysical Science in the Department of Graduate Studies

of the University of Sedona.

October 1, 2007

Table of Contents

I. Introduction

II. Review of Literature

III. Findings

IV. Discussion

V. Summary and Conclusions

Bibliography

INTRODUCTION – CHAPTER 1

Aligning, evolving, and connecting the human spirit to its source, the God-Mind

or Universal Conscious, is the mission of all human beings. Though one could assert that

the lessons to be learned in this life are chosen prior to birth, the incarnate soul is usually,

on a conscious level, unaware of their task. (Murphy 1963) The conundrum then is to

create an opening which will facilitate the experience of connection, love, and joy that is

each individual’s essence. To move the individual to the God-self, it is necessary for the

individual human being to become consciously aware that there is much more to their life

than the physical reality they perceive. In human form, there is a mind, a body, and a

spirit. The body represents the physical realm, the spirit represents the God-Self, and the

mind is the vehicle that links or separates the two. (Charles, 1957) The key to the

connection lies in the mind. (Smith, 2005)

The mind, for purposes of this research, will be viewed as having three planes.

The conscious, or outward bound intellect, presenting itself in the physical world; the

subconscious, or protector, capable of moving inward or outward, lacking judgment and

always seeking to protect; and the super-conscious, higher self, or God-mind, the inward

bound psyche traveling through the universe. (Van Aken, 2007) This approach provides

a simple construct that will lay the groundwork for understanding how the mind operates

in an effort to help the willing and interested the possibility of manifesting a better life,

and the experience of connection to higher self, the God-mind.

The innermost plane of the mind is the super-conscious; it is the place of

knowing. This part of the mind contains light, perfection, and harmony. Here the

universe is in oneness. (Alwyn, 2005) Here an individual can glimpse the God-Self. Here

the spirit of each individual is as one. Connection with this aspect of the mind is indeed

possible, though discipline and dedication are required to access it. (Capps, 2006)

Sustaining connection with the God-self is a life long challenge, as individuals are a

continual work in progress.

The subconscious can be thought of as the intermediary between the conscious

and superconscious mind. It can be viewed as a conduit or link; it can be likened to a

computer software program, reacting to information programmed into it. (Baum, 1957)

It can be a barrier or a bridge between the individuated human being and the God-self.

The subconscious can function as a liberator, facilitating the individual’s union with the

God-self. Most often, however, it functions as a malefactor and troublemaker causing

pain, suffering, and alienation of the individual from the true self. (Martin, 2007)) It does

not do this intentionally. It believes it is protecting the human. The subconscious, based

on faulty programming from the outward directed ego and conscious mind, tends to act as

a shield, trying to protect the easily broken human. This can create a sense of isolation,

loneliness, and at its worst, abandonment. (Laitman, 2007)

The conscious intellect is the outward directed mind. This part of the mind is

awake and aware of its physical universe, its feelings, and its emotions; it takes action

based on its perception of what is occurring. (Laitman, 2007) These perceptions are

based on past teachings and beliefs, programs, and conditioning accumulated through

life, then impressed and stored in the subconscious mind.(Stoop,1996) How the

individual feels about themselves and why is a subject that requires far more research

than the scope of this thesis. Suffice it to say that what the individual thinks creates his

beliefs, resulting in what he experiences. (Bryne, 2006) How the conscious is thinking

determines its reality and state of contentment. Thought will cause the human to feel

happy, sad, fulfilled or unfulfilled, empty or complete. Thoughts are things; what you

think about, you bring about. (Laitman, 2007)

The subconscious is always listening to input from both the conscious and

superconscious [God-self]. When the superconscious, God-self does not agree with the

individual ego’s programming the subconscious has the complex problem of reconciling

the opposites in its memory bank. The result is emotional distress and disharmony

because the conscious ego is attached to the past, afraid of change, and seeking to

preserve the status quo. (Martin, 2007)

The task then, is to minimize or eliminate the subconscious barrier, and create a

bridge from the physical world to the God-self. Each individual is given the challenge to

find peace, joy, and contentment. To continuously experience greatness, joy, and

connection is the natural state of being. (Laitman, 2007) The field of Metaphysics has

opened the doors wide to exploring the mind, the thoughts it contains, and the outcomes

it receives. Can it be as simple, yet difficult, as breaking through the subconscious barrier

to connect to the God-self? What obstacles discourage the Human from their natural

state of being?

REVIEW OF LITERATURE - CHAPTER 2

The psychological mind is defined as the totality of conscious and unconscious

mental processes and activities. (Dictionary.com) Edgar Cayce, the foremost identified

the three levels of consciousness or dimensions of mind as conscious, subconscious, and

superconscious. The conscious, outer mind is the level most human beings think to be

more powerful. (Smith, 2005)

“Thoughts are things, and as their currents run they become miracles or crimes in

the experiences of individual life.” Cayce (as cited by Smith, 2005) Edgar Cayce noted

that each entity has a three-dimensional phase of existence or experience: the world

without, the world within, and the mind that may span or bridge the two. (Smith, 2005)

The subconscious is that part of the mind that bridges the outer self with the

spiritual self. According to Cayce, the subconscious is both in the body and beyond the

body, in the soul realms of telepathy, non-physical life, and timelessness. (Van Aken,

2007)

In order to reach the world within or the God-self [superconscious], individuals

must learn to pay attention to their thinking. For this to come about, individuals must

learn how to take charge of their thoughts. This is challenging, because the

subconscious mind is controlling the individual’s life most of the time. Studies have

shown that the subconscious mind is 30,000 times more powerful than the conscious

mind and that the majority of the thoughts held in the subconscious mind are limiting.

(Raven, 2006) The subconscious mind is actually serving in an attempt to protect the

person from things it fears. (Barrett, 2005) By focusing on what it fears, the subconscious

and even the conscious mind then creates exactly what it fears. The subconscious is the

protector for the conscience. Ironically, its capacity to protect is compromised; it lacks

the ability to think or discern the reasonableness of stored data from the imprinted

information it contains. (Murphy, 1963)

The subconscious mind represents the laws that guide, direct, and inform the

individual. However, even as law makers can become misguided and even corrupt, so

can the policing subconscious become misdirected by powerful suggestions of self-doubt

and self-condemnation accrued from the individuals experience in the material world.

(Van Aken, 2007)_Ironically, the process of connecting with the God-self requires help

from the subconscious mind, which is often entrenched in mistaken beliefs and irrational

thought, an outcome of the outward directed ego based consciousness. False beliefs then

generate fear, separation, and strong negative feelings. (Rubino, 2007) When

consciousness and the individual’s emotional life are ego driven, the individual is

constantly on the defense, experiencing lack, and a need for more. (Kribbe, 2005)

Leonard Rubino, in his article, The Miracle of Your Minds, sees the conscious

mind as the gate keeper to the subconscious mind. He characterizes the conscious mind

as voluntarily awareness, given by God to create whatever it so chooses. Rubino writes

that the subconscious mind is the Soul and the storehouse of all knowledge in the

universe. As a result, each individual has access to this information simply by asking.

Rubino states, “You tell God what you desire, and God tells you HOW to get it.” The

subconscious mind is the creator; it will create whatever the conscious mind demands.

(Rubino, 2007) The bible confirms the concept: “Ask and you shall receive, seek and you

shall find, knock and the door shall be open to you.” (Mat 7:7)

Each individual has access to the Universal Super-Conscious Mind of God. It

rules the universe and it is within each individual. “The Universal Super Conscious Mind

is around and through you. You are a Creator, with God-given power to use this force as

you please.” (Rubino, 2007) Because each individual is the director of their own life,

Rubino urges each person to take control of their thinking,

An apt distinction between the conscious and subconscious mind is provided by

CS Shah. (Shah, 2004) He states that certain actions are performed as a reflex without

conscious awareness, but because there is a reaction, people assume it is conscious, and

therefore are unaware of the control being exhibited at the subconscious level. Shaw

furthers his position by indicating that the mind is always thinking, containing thoughts

that are both good and bad. Despite conscious attempts to control thoughts they persist,

which raises the question, “Where do such thoughts arise?” Shah’s answer is that most

thought comes from the subconscious mind. “Subconscious mind is the sum total of our

past experiences. What we feel, think, or do form the basis of our experience.” (Shah,

2004) These experiences are stored in the form of subtle impressions in our

subconscious mind. These impressions interact with one another and create tendencies.

Individuals become prone to react in a particular way, to a particular situation or stimulus,

depending upon the tendencies in their subconscious mind. The result of these tendencies

determines an individual’s disposition. (Kribbe, 2005)

Shah believes there is a way to improve the quality of thinking and experience,

and thereby improve the character or spirit of the individual. He believes that individuals

have to control and handle both the conscious and subconscious mind and that though it

may be difficult, it is not impossible. His view is that it’s a matter of cleansing the

subconscious of its “weeds and dirty contents” by following the “psychology of spiritual

science.” (Shah, 2004)

The interaction of the conscious and subconscious mind can transform an

individual’s whole life once he learns about, and understands the relationship of

conscious and subconscious to one another. (Murphy, 1963) To change external

circumstances the cause of the circumstance must be recognized and changed. Most

human beings try to change their experience by working on the outward conditions and

circumstances that they can see. (Murphy, 1963) Failure to see that circumstances flow

from an unseen, but felt cause perpetuates a continuous cycle of the same circumstance.

To remove conflict, confusion, lack, and limitation from life, the cause must be

recognized and removed. The thoughts and images used by the conscious mind must be

changed. “Change the cause, and you change the effects. It is just that simple”. (Murphy,

1963)

It has been said that, “Where the will and the emotions are in conflict, bet on the

emotions. Emotions come from the subconscious mind. “The subconscious mind is crazy.

It allows others to program it. We program it ourselves in times of high stress.” (Kazlev,

1999) Most people run their lives and act or react based on their emotions. Thoughts

create emotions, and emotions determine actions. (Byrne, 2006) In essence, the

individual is what he thinks he is. Emotions can drive an individual to success or

devastation. Therefore, changing the thought, changes the emotions, and results in a

different action, which creates a different outcome. (Ursiny, 2005)

Individuals have a tendency to blame someone or something for any discontent in

their world. This creates further isolation and alienation from the God-self, with feelings

of distress at the subconscious level and eventually physical disease on the conscious

level. (Boulet, 1999) Given that the subconscious mind has no ability to reprogram itself,

it must rely on the will and analysis of thoughts generated by the conscious mind. If an

individual remains unaware of the effects of his thinking, and does not develop awareness

that his thoughts are creating his experience, his life becomes destructive to itself.

(Raven, 2006)

“Men are anxious to improve their circumstances, but are unwilling to improve

themselves. They therefore remain burdened.” (Allen as cited by Martin 2007) Although

man’s thoughts are almost always unconscious, a man is exactly what he thinks he is,

creating his own circumstances. Allen alleged that the outer world of circumstances

shapes itself to the inner world of thought. Suffering, he said, is always the effect of

wrong thought indicating that the individual is out of harmony with himself. He goes on

to state that the sole purpose of suffering is to purify and remove those thoughts which

are not serving the individual. Though Allen conceded that a man may not be able to

control his circumstances, he adamantly believed that man could choose his thoughts

about them, and so indirectly shape his circumstances. “Circumstance does not make the

man; it reveals him to himself.” (Allen as cited by Martin 2007) Explaining further, Allen

said that the body is the servant of the mind. The body obeys the mind whether thoughts

are deliberately chosen or “automatically expressed.” Allen hypothesized that a man’s

thoughts could rapidly shape his habits; some serving and others not. Allen states that,

“the soul attracts that which it secretly harbors; that which it loves, and also that which it

fears….thought and action are the jailers of fate.” (Allen as cited by Martin2007)

The mind is a subtle matter, an energy force that can take any form instantly. The

mind must use consciousness for its task. (Shaw, 2004) Shaw states that the mind can be

trained. At birth, consciousness gets separated from Spirit, because the conscious human

being wrongly identifies its self with matter (physical form). Reconnecting with the True-

Self becomes the goal of human life. “The difficulty is that Spirit must find its way

home.” (Shah, 2004)

The mind conjures up excuses such as fear of failure, fear of consequences, or

fear of what others might say, which blocks the spiritual path or connection with the God-

Self. “The mind must be trained to be calm and collected under adverse conditions. To

make the mind strong, and receive what it desires, the individual’s mind must develop the

quality of fearlessness.” ( Sri Ramakrishna as cited by Shah, 2004)

Training the mind takes a disciplined and concerted effort to overcome fear(s).

To achieve spiritual goals the mind must be free of negativity. Essentially this translates

into developing an awareness and acknowledgement of the true nature of thought. Swami

Tejomayananda states that practicing anything at the physical level leads to mechanical

behavior. (Shah, 2004) In terms of achieving material things this may be the desired

result, however, in the pursuit of spiritual goals, the effort must be conscious and

calculated, and not mechanical. Swami Tejomayananda (Swami Tejomayananda, 2004)

states that in order to move towards spiritual perfection it is necessary to “remove the veil

of ignorance”. Swami Tejomayananda is referring to the conscious and subconscious

mind. He provides two analogies illustrating this point:

“Avidya [the nature of ignorance] is like the dust on a mirror. It is

like clouds covering the rays of the sun. The sun is always shining fully, but

we think the sun is not there and we see only darkness.”

“When a statue or a picture is about to be unveiled at a first public

showing, the statue or the picture is already behind the covering. If we make a

small hole in the cloth we can see a small area of the picture and as we cut the

hole to a larger size, more and more of the picture is revealed to us. We do not

create the picture as it is already there and only the veil prevents our direct

vision of it.” (Swami Tejomayananda, 2004)

Written in 1905, gaining believers in the 1950’s, and a growing following in the

21st century, James Allen eloquently summed up the power and impact of the mind on the

human experience, “Until thought is linked with purpose, there is no intelligent

accomplishment… They who have no control, no purpose in their lives fall easy prey to

worries, fears, troubles, and self pityings… Action is the blossom of thoughts; joy and

suffering are its fruits…Thoughts allied fearlessly to purpose become creative force.”

(Allen as cited by Martin 2007)

The importance of recognizing the role of the subconscious mind is fundamental

to a sense of peace, prosperity, and spiritual fulfillment. Both the ego and the spirit are

fed from emotional energy, the emotional state is critically important to make the shift

from ego-based to spirit-based consciousness possible. ( Capps, 2006) “As a man is in his

heart, so is he.” (Proverbs 23)

FINDINGS – Chapter 3

The review of dozens of books, articles, and web sites confirm that the

subconscious mind is a powerful force influencing the experiences of the individual it

serves. Scholars and philosophers across the ages have all addressed the subconscious

workings of the mind. Though they differ on approaches and use of words, their ultimate

findings are similar: the subconscious acts as the intermediary between the external world

and the internal self. The degree of fulfillment or emptiness an individual experiences can

be traced to emotions generated by the subconscious, stemming from its automatic

response, a jumble of conflicting information, which has no ability to discriminate or

determine the value of the thoughts it contains. ( Barrett, 2005) The key to finding peace

and contentment then, is to develop an awareness of what the mind is creating and

”reprogramming” its content to achieve the desired result.

Thomas Troward (The Edinburough Lectures) and James Allen (As a Man

Thinketh) understood that each individual has a conscious mind. They further had an

explicit awareness that human beings are “all points of consciousness awareness in a

universal, subconscious mind”. (Troward and Allen as cited by Martin, 2007) Each

conscious being continuously attracts what he thinks, as though his mind were a magnet.

The subconscious mind then informs or supports the individual’s experience of reality.

The trick is to train the subconscious to act purposefully and with intention. If an

individual learns to direct his thoughts, he can then consciously create the life he desires,

because the Superconscious, Universal God-Mind is contained in each individual mind,

“The source of all that is.” (Martin, 2007)

Martin, in his book How to Master Life, supports the belief that Universal

Intelligence permeates all things. ( Martin, 2007 ) He professes that at birth a sense of

separation begins to occur, and that the physical world creates an illusion of separateness

from the God-Self. Martin states that organized religion, societal norms, and an

individual’s ego, create a mass consciousness contributing to the sense of separation from

the God-source. “It seems these entities actively work to keep the self from God.”

(Martin, 2007)

Cochran in The Mind of God, (Cochrane, 2003) also believes that there is a

disconnection in human consciousness creating a sense of aloneness and division, and

that awakening the conscious and developing an awareness of repeating life patterns can

be the vehicle to awaken the mind. He believes that the conscious, outward, alert mind

can be used to penetrate the subconscious. Laitman, in Chaos to Harmony states that with

hard work, effort, and determination the conscious mind can be programmed to pay

attention, to learn, and reconnect to the God-self. (Laitman, 2007)

The conscious mind can be a harsh task master, pushing the individual to perform,

do, and accomplish. The conscious human is always running. Running from the pain,

suffering, and unhappiness it feels, trying to fill the emptiness. Lives end up filled with

things; relationships lack contentment and are filled with judgments, animosity, and

disappointments. (Stoop, 2005) The ultimate outcome is a sense of separation from the

Self. The human self, the self that is not worthy, has a tendency to believe it has done

something wrong, or that it can never do enough, or that it is not of value. These thoughts

are ego driven by a need to protect the separated self. (Stone, 2005) These attitudes

perpetuate the myth that we are alone, separated and unworthy.

The soul is sad, troubled, lost, and lonely. (Laitman, 2007) Both the conscious and

subconscious layers use the mind in an attempt to avoid feeling bad, and to numb the pain

of isolation and separateness. The conscious mind acts in the form of doing, filling the

void, temporarily escaping the feelings of discontent and loneliness, acting on old

programs, hurt feelings, and irrational beliefs. (Kribbe, 2005)

Karl Jung psychiatrist and founder of the school of analytical psychology further

clarified the relationship of the conscious and subconscious mind. Jung's attitude towards

the unconscious was that it was vital to everyday life. He believed that for life to be truly

meaningful the unconscious must be acknowledged and honored as an essential aspect of

external life. He believed that the unconscious is crucial to experiencing a life of peace

and contentment. (Ravenswood 2006)

The conscious mind relates to a masculine, analytical mind, which Karl Jung

referred to as the “active principle of self.” The conscious mind is the thinking mind,

using deductive reasoning. That is, it starts with the “factual” input from the “real” world

using the five senses. Then it creates theories and judgments based on the facts it has

determined. It then imprints its determinations into the subconscious mind for permanent

storage and later use when the subject comes up again. (Ravenswood 2006)

The power of the conscious mind lies in its judgment and will, the choices it

makes. The conscious mind acts and reacts in the here and now, its present moment,

based on how it perceives what is going. (Boulet, 1999)

The subconscious is not restricted by the confines of the here and now; it does not

recognized the constraints of time, consequently the subconscious is a mix of confusing

information and misinterpretations, a result of ideas previously imprinted by the

conscious mind and mixed with information from the ideals of the superconscious mind.

(Sutphen, 1993) When these levels of mind are in conflict, the subconscious generates

unpleasant, often painful feelings that produce unwanted results in the physical realm.

The subconscious, always acting in what it sees as the best interest of the

individual, has no conscious ability to correct illogical and irrational beliefs. The

subconscious is associated with the feminine, emotional, or feeling mind, which Karl

Jung referred to as the “passive principle of self.” (Pettifor, 2006) The subconscious is

like a computer, holding onto everything that is put into it. It views all information as

operating facts, based on previously programmed information. It sees everything as black

and white, always putting out the same positively or negatively charged emotional

answers associated with the consciously inputted information. (Baum, 1957) The

subconscious will continue with the same thought pattern until its program or conscious

input is changed. The subconscious uses what Bolye (1999) describes as inductive

reasoning: providing a picture of reality based on what has been programmed into it. The

subconscious is unable to recognize time. The subconscious has a window open to the

present conscious mind and a window open to the infinity of all space, the

superconscious. “In other words, it is the filter between the conscious and superconscious

mind or between the finite an infinite.” (Boyle, 1999) It acts as the translator between

the two entities; conflict between the two results in emotional distress; agreement creates

a sense of love and harmony, both creating the emotions felt by the subconscious and

actualized in the physical world. (Boyle, 1999)

Human thought, driven by subconscious motivation, operates automatically about

85% of the time, always seeking to protect and serve the individual. (Raven, 2006)

The result is a reactive, rather than a responsive human, behaving as a do-er; creating a

habitual pattern of responses that do not serve. The continuous cycle of doing and

reacting, reinforce and retard the individuals ability to feel peace and contentment,

oneness and connection. (Laitman, 2007) Like a computer program with a virus, the

subconscious can result in the human being running amuck. (Stone, 2005)

An individual’s sense of self is defined as the ego. The “I” or self of any person; a

person as thinking, feeling, and willing, and distinguishing itself from the selves of others

and from objects of its thought is termed ego. (Dictionary.com). In modern society, the

term ego has many meanings: one’s self-esteem, an inflated sense of self-worth, or in

philosophical terms, one’s self. The psychologist, Sigmund Freud, surmised that the ego

is the part of the mind containing the consciousness which lingers in both the conscious

and unconscious. (Gay, 1989)

In an enlightenment context, ego is the deeply ingrained, compulsive need to

remain separate and superior under all circumstances (Strawson, 2006) This is a result of

evolving human beings ever increasing desire to receive pleasure, which is wrongly

sought outside the self. (Stone, 2005) This searching is a function of choice and free will,

unique among human beings; nothing else in nature has this capability. Nature always

works to balance. All of its action is designed to bring each part into balance. Humans,

however, require conscious participation to create harmony and balance. Ultimately and

ironically, this ability leads to a sense of separateness and loss of connection with the

God-self. Consequently, as long as an individual lacks awareness that their egotistical

thinking is creating a sense of lack and disharmony within themselves, a sense of void

will persist until the absence of fulfillment moves them to look for solutions; it is then

that progress and evolvement can take place. (Laitman, 2007).

The externally driven ego is experienced as an emotional quagmire of fear and

attachment. It is the part of the individual that feels victimized by life, avoids anything

that contradicts its self-image, and is painstakingly invested in its personal fears and

desires. (Stone, 2005) Most individuals are not aware of, or educated in the differences

between negative ego thinking and spiritual thinking. As a result, they live their lives as a

‘bad dream’ filled with negative emotions, and believing the cause of their unhappiness is

outside of themselves. They do not recognize that all negative thoughts and emotions are

a result of unconscious choices that were interjected into the subconscious mind by the

ego, rather than the Universal Conscious, Christ mind. (Stone, 2007) The bottom line,

according to Stone, is that an individual can interpret a situation from the lower self or

the Higher-Self.

Because its actions are habitual, the subconscious cannot act as an agent of

change. To change its response, to create a different experience, the subconscious must

be re-programmed. This can be done outwardly at the conscious level, subconsciously via

hypnosis, and inwardly from the superconscious level. (Simmons, 1957)The scope of this

thesis allows only a glimpse into what this would involve to be successful.

Carl Jung said, “Mind is a human beings true nature.” “What would it be like to

live our lives as minds in bodies, rather than bodies with minds?” (Ravenswood, 2006) In

other words, live our lives from the inside out rather than the outside in. Cayce

considered the mind to be the savior and the redeemer. Mind is that part of the individual

being that can mend and restore itself. (Martin, 2007) ) Cayce, Jung, Freud believed that

engaging the human mind is the path to awakening the spiritual self. Today, noted

authorities such as Deepak Chopra, Wayne Dwyer, and the Dali Lama continue to

support the idea that we are all “spiritual beings having a human experience.” (Chopra,

2006) A conscious, aware individual can engage their mind; they can learn to connect

with their spiritual self. (Van Auken, 2007)

C S Shaw, in his article, Learning from the Blows said, “To understand that we

are more than mere body-mind complexes, to realize the limitations of human mind,

reason and ego, and to attempt to rise above the human plane to divine plane of

consciousness is real action.” Understanding that the mind is an imperfect instrument,

and understanding the nature of reality, according to Shah, is the beginning of wisdom.

To understand, experience, and manifest inner divinity, according to Shah, is the goal and

destiny of every human being.

Martin, in his book, How to Master Life, underscores the idea that thoughts held

in the mind, along with intention and belief creates the individual’s experience. The

movie, The Secret, highlights the same concept. An unconscious creator inadvertently

sabotages his own happiness. Given that the mind attracts what it thinks, (Byrne, 2006)

the trick is to purposefully and with forethought get the individual to direct their thinking

in a conscious way to achieve harmony. Martin states that it is possible to monitor your

thoughts by paying attention to your feelings. Martin urges us: if the feelings are not

good, pay attention to the thoughts that preceded them. (Martin, 2005)

DISCUSSION – Chapter 4

“The mind is a terrible thing to waste.” This saying originally penned by the

United Negro College Fund creates an excellent backdrop for a discussion of the mind

and its impact on any given human being’s experience of reality.

The Secret (Byrne, 2006), has revived public interest and awareness in the power

of the mind and the power of thought to transform lives. The irony is that it is not, nor has

it been a secret. It is and has been present for all to see, if they are paying attention, and

herein lays the crux of the problem: the lack of conscious awareness is the obstacle

blocking connection to the higher consciousness or the God-self. The subconscious,

essentially creating the human experience, lacks the awareness and ability to decipher or

adjust its actions when its actions are counterproductive (Barrett, 2005) Consequently,

the individual becomes conditioned or programmed to a certain way of reacting based on

data and information that may be faulty. As a result, the subconscious develops reaction

patterns or habits in response to familiar stimuli.” (Capps, 2006)

An individual’s life is based on two options: one is ego based, which separates the

God-self from its source, a process beginning at birth and growing in power as life

progresses on the human plane of existence. The other is spirit based, the God-self, where

each individuated soul also exist, and longs to connect with. (Capps, 2006)

If we believe, as underscored in the movie and book, The Secret that thoughts

create our reality, it is essential that we learn to pay attention to our thoughts in order to

experience harmonious living. This can only happen by using the conscious will to make

the subconscious fit the superconscious pattern of ideals and universal laws of harmony,

peace, and joy. (Boulet 1999) This requires recognition and conscious awareness of the

powerful influence the subconscious thoughts inflict in the physical world.

There is agreement that thoughts affect perception, and creates the individual’s

reality. Dictioary.com defines perception as perception rrecognition and interpretation of

sensory stimuli based chiefly on memory.The validity of the perception is always in the

mind of the perciever. (Stop, 2005) This then begs the question, what causes the

perception? Perception is the result of the individual’s point of view, which is based on

beliefs generated by a mix of memories imprinted and stored in the subconscious mind,

which lacks the discrimination to evalaute right from wrong or good from bad. (Stone,

2005) Unlike the conscious mind, the subconscious does not exist in time and space.

Consequently it responds to anything and everything stored in its vast archive, without

logic or reason, regardless of what, when, why or the present utility for the human being

it is serving. ( Sutphen, 1993) Subconscious perception prompts internal feelings which

convert to emotional responses that materialize in the physical world. What ultimately

comes about is dependent on the quality of thought that generates the frequency, quality,

and intensity of the accompanying emotion. ( secret) To create harmony then, the act of

paying attention to the emotion and tracing it back to the thought becomes the first step

in conscious recognition. (Stoop, 1996) As the awarenes of thought becomes more

prominent, the indivdual begins to see they are responsbile for the thoughts they choose.

As the individual begins to choose thoughts that serve them and those around them, they

begin to feel a sense of peace, love, and connection. (Williamson, 1992) At this point,

they are ready to experience their God-self and connection with universal oneness.

Edgar Cayce stated that mind is the light, the builder, and the bridge to liberation

and enlightment. John Van Auken, in his on article Inner Vision, highlights Cayce’s core

teachings: “The unseen forces are greater than the seen. If we want to change something,

it must begin in the mind. That upon which the mind feeds, it becomes.” (Cayce as cited

by Smith, 2005) Our thoughts determine our reality. What we think about we bring about.

(Bryne, 2006) Great teachers, prophets, philosophers, sages, psychologist, and

metaphysicians through the ages believe this to be true. What if it is true? What would it

take to bring humanity back to its God-source? How can the unaware individual be

awakened to the power of their subconscious, to experience the belonging and connection

with their God-self? To help human kind become aware, one individuated being at a time

is a subject worthy of future exploration and discovery.

CONCLUSION – Chapter 5

It seems apparent that the subconscious is the key to reconnecting the individual

with their God-self. The experience of birth sparks the illusion of separateness as the

individuated spirit takes on the physical form. As the human grows and evolves in the

physical world, his ego strives to feel complete using the external world as its barometer.

Additional barriers of societal structure, the haves and have nots, the strong and the weak,

organized religions preaching the separateness of man from God, all promote the concept

of separation in their own inimitable way. The individual, confronted with so many

messages and images from the conscious world, comes to believe that he is alone. The

person struggles for a sense of connection and belonging, fighting the pain of isolation

and aloneness. (Laitman, 2007) The need to fill the void drives the individual to seek

fulfillment outside of self. The individual looks for acceptance, belonging, and bliss in

relationships, material possessions, self-sacrifice, a push for excellence in everything they

undertake, as well as through other self-destructive actions. Ultimately, none of these

things fill the void; many in fact, re-enforce it, and the elusive yearning for wholeness

continues. (Laitman, 2007)

“The road to understanding the true God-Self comes through purifying the mind”

( Rubino, 2007) Ironically then, the subconscious mind is acting both as the barrier and

the road to reconciliation of the individuated human being with their God-self. Becoming

aware of and interested in communicating with the subconscious will allow alteration in

subconscious thought. The conundrum then is to remove the barriers that exist in the

subconscious and allow the human being to experience the love, joy, and connection that

is each individual’s essence.

On a conscious level, reprogramming means developing an awareness and paying

attention to feelings experienced, acknowledging the feeling and tracing it back to its

origin in thought, then challenging the validity of the thought in the here an now moment

of human existence. (Stoop, 1996) Paying attention to the thought and connecting it to the

feeling being experienced is a critical step in developing awareness and taking charge of

one’s life, to begin the process of connection. If the thought is not creating harmony, then

the operating program is faulty and must be challenged. (Ursiny, 2005)) Outwardly, the

subconscious can be reached through hypnosis, either self induced or performed by

another, replacing negative programming through the power of suggestion directly to the

subconscious. The use of positive self talk or affirmation to redirect thought patterns has

also shown promise. (Simmons, 1957) Inwardly, at the superconscious level, the

approach could be either to empty the mind allowing wisdom to come in [Eastern

philosophy] or through a form of guided visualization. [Western philosophy] (Kazlev,

2001

Spiritual healing is based on the belief that life's problems are caused by the

erroneous, limiting, crippling way an individual believes things to be. Spiritual healing is

concerned with each individual’s vision of the universe and their place in it. This field,

since the days of Aristotle, the philosopher, has been known as "metaphysics". And so,

spiritual healing is often called "metaphysical healing." (Berofsky, 1987)

Can it be as simple, yet difficult, as breaking through the subconscious barrier to

connect to the God-self? The answer is yes; it is possible to access the subconscious

mind, and in so doing, set in motion the return of the individuated human being to its

God-self, the Universal Source of Oneness. Beyond a reasonable doubt, the individual’s

subconscious mind has been shown to be a powerful influence on an individual’s sense of

self. The subconscious is overflowing with blessings from the superconscious, higher self

and with lessons from the conscious, human self, both burdened and blessed by the

choices it makes. The subconscious is packed with programs: propaganda from a

physical world, good experiences and bad, thoughts that serve and those that do not.

Unable to sort and distinguish stored memories, the subconscious reacts automatically to

stimulus it receives, creating feelings of love, anger, or fear. (Stone, 2005) The emotions

that result create the harmony or discord, and the circumstances the human experiences.

To re-establish the individuated human’s connection to its God-self, the human must

become aware of the subconscious mind role in their external life. The challenge is to

spark the awareness of each individuated soul to direct and control the experiences they

have. Enlightenment and connection with the God-self for the average man is the next

corridor to be explored and undertaken by the metaphysician.

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