Defining The Sense of Self
Short Discourses

page 3

The Levels Making Up the Psyche

1. Physical

In various stages of life, a person can derive a sense of personal power as well as feelings of fulfilment and competency from positive physical achievements like sports and athletics. On the other hand, a negative use of physical attributes like "bullying" may also bring about a sense of personal power or self. However, to continue the use and cultivation of one's personal power in this way will lead to problems, as one day such a person may encounter someone stronger and more assertive. Here the person's personal power or sense of self would be taken away. Achievements like sports and athletics are healthy and positive in defining a sense of self, but they too must be considered vulnerable, as to fall into ill health or injury could rob a person of the source of their sense of self.

2. Mental

Once again, in various stages of life a person can derive a sense of personal power and feelings of fulfillment and competency from successful use of logic and intelligence. But mental abilities can fade, or people with grander capacities can be encountered possibly leading to feelings of inadequacy. Such a situation could also take away personal power, or sense of self.

3. Emotional

Further to this, the experience of love and more importantly un-conditional love, brings a degree of release to the "sense of self," derived from the physical and mental experience linked to external dependence.

From the experience of true or un-conditional love, the need for external validation from physical attributes greatly dissipates. However, a person can still derive a sense of self from the experience of being loved by another. This, too, is vulnerable should the love or other emotional support of others not be forthcoming anymore.

To have lifted ones sense of self through the experiences at the emotional level is an important stepping stone into the next level of "True Self" identification.

4. Spiritual

Here the sense of self is allowed to bloom or unfold and be known as it truly is. Such a degree of self-knowledge is attained through the nurturing of spiritual philosophies, principles and practices, along with tolerance and self-love.

Upon attaining such a sense of self, the recognition of all personal power and fulfilment as coming from within liberates one from the limitations of worldliness, and the interpretation of a world that is harsh and lacking compassion. It allows the establishment of a viewpoint that defines the world as neutral, and that previous methods of judging the world have all been based on inner perceptions based on individual experience.

"Perceptions are not knowledge", is the new catch-cry for the enlightened.

The True self does not need or require:

• Rationalisation
• Justification
• Belief systems

...and even to say the phrase: "your True Self," is incorrect because it implies that the True Self belongs to, or is tied to the small self. The small self is an illusion? an imitation of the real thing. To finally come to know and experience the true self is to forever cast aside the pale imitation of the identity you thought was you.

Living in the experience of the true self will allow the natural attributes of the true self to emerge into daily life.These are:

Be Peaceful,
Adrian

top | next | table of contents

home | about me | i am the heart | getting off the roller coaster
short discourses |