Discerning What is Real from What is Not
Introduction
The inspiration for this week’s blog, Discerning What is Real from What is Not, came years ago. It happened when the time came to move on from a group I was in that was inspired by Ancient Hawaiian wisdom. I had spent a few years of my life diving deep into that treasure, and I had mixed feelings about leaving. My teacher and I met to say goodbye.
We wished each other well, and, as a parting wisdom pearl, he reminded me that wherever my future work might take me, to be sure to base it in Reality. I have been nearly obsessed with Essential Truth since I can remember, so his suggestion worked for me, and here I am sharing it with you. As usual, keep what works and toss the rest.
Reality
Reality with a capital “R” points to pure authenticity, presence, or how things are instead of how they are thought, felt, or believed. The perceiving reality we’ve come to trust, know and believe in is frequently misinformation at best and filled with assumptions, underlying traumas, distortions of all shapes and sizes, and more. It’s much like looking in a mirror through a dense fog. You can see – barely.
So, there’s a bigger Reality that reflects the way things Really are and the smaller reality, which is a trickster. There’s a significant difference between the two. Here, I’m making a stab at writing how to show just that. I don’t know if there’s a more vital tool to be had.
How to discern what is Real from what is not can be consciously learned if one is curious, flexible, and grateful for a new perspective that might work better in navigating this stuff than the old.
I have attempted to balance the Freedom of Love Consciousness and Joy that blessed me in my childhood Near Death Experience (NDE) with my life in this world that very often appeared contrary.
In recent years, this drawing and quartering between the two realities finally began to collapse as I practiced seeing through the eyes of Reality instead of assumption.
Parasites! Oh My!
I discovered what was in the way were parasitic attachments implanted into my body/mind via my ancestors, genetics, parents, environment, time and space, etc. Before you think I’ve gone off the deep end, give me another minute. I first read about the parasite in Don Miquel Ruiz’s excellent book on the subject back in the day before most talked about such things. Beyond fear is the name of the book. In it, I first read about the parasite that plagues humans and instantly recognized the Reality of its message.
These so-called parasites are often referred to as egoic tendencies, shadows, malu, wetiko, and demons as life-taking energetic influences. Seeing them as such makes them easier to understand. They often show up as thoughts and feelings that appear genuine but are not. These life-taking energies can grab us or whisper painful dispatches of fear, all of which are distractions from our True or Real Value or Worthiness. When we listen to them, we give them our power. Refuse to fear them.
They push their dysfunctional narratives to no good end and try to get us to attach to their always life-taking point of view, which is never Real. No matter what the trigger, it is always connected to pain. You can be sure the parasite communicates its presence when you feel triggered by physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual pain. What is it telling you? Don’t be afraid of it. It’s okay to stop, look and listen. When you see it clearly, it will dissolve and disappear.
When you have no buttons to push.
When you no longer have internal “buttons,” there is nothing to push. To get rid of these triggering parasites, we must learn to see them for what they are, and when we do, they will dissolve to a necessary extent. Poof!
If it has to be believed.
At some point and one by one, a few teachers of enlightenment began to appear on my life path. And each suggested belief and attachment are only needed for those things that are not True or Real. If it has to be believed, look elsewhere for the Truth.
True and Reality are Recognized within our Hearts as being so. We don’t have to believe in this balanced life-serving energy. It just is IF we learn to filter this way. It is simple. The internationally renowned organic spa, Rancho la Puerta in Baja, California, puts the following on a card and places it on a table in every guestroom. “Every choice is for life or death. What will be yours?”
Beliefs can be burdensome, whether small to large. Here are a couple of examples.
I went to three nurseries looking for a “High Geranium”. The first two said they didn’t carry them, but thankfully, the third nursery asked me to describe the plant. It turns out that I was asking for a Hydrangea, not a High Geranium! I formed this belief as a child when I misunderstood my grandmother say my favorite flower’s name. Human life is full of misunderstandings and assumptions.
Beliefs from Trauma
Some people have a series of bad relationships and grow to believe they can’t have a successful one. Beliefs that form out of traumatic life-taking experiences affect every layer of our lives, and sometimes, what’s worse, we forget they even happen, and we find ourselves in pain we didn’t know was there. Thus, we find ourselves acting in ways we don’t understand, dazed and confused.
As we ferret out the beliefs and suspend them one by one, we become intensely flexible superhumans filled with the inner freedom that comes from accepting things as they are. In this state, we are no longer attached or susceptible to the toxic energy once generated by the life sucker.
Expanded Awareness lends to Unconditional Love and Forgiveness, Non-Attachment, and Compassion. When we drop the weight of the morality of belief, we Realize that there is no good/bad/right/wrong in the essential essence of life. We are Love, Light, and Life and can relax.
An experiment:
Here’s a little experiment. As you progress through the week, pay attention to what you believe about yourself, your life, your behavior, those around you, your finances, your health, etc. Okay. Now, what if you didn’t have to change any of those beliefs? All you need to do is let them go.
One at a time or all at once, for an hour here and there, an hour a day, or continuously let those beliefs go. Relax without them. Let them go. Do it enough, and two things will emerge, your superpowers and the joy of a childlike and free existence. What’s Real will remain. You will still be You. You will also be Free to be You.
It is true freedom to know and understand what is Real rather than relying on the stagnant energy of belief. You can Trust what is Real to shine through and are empowered to ferret out the toxic stuff that isn’t Real. We do not need an intercessor between ourselves and what is Real. Together, this will help us humans fulfill the roles we came here to play without fear.
Conclusion
Sometimes, I have an idea for a blog, such as discerning what is Real from what is not. While something like this sounds like a great subject, it is relatively new for me to put into words. I know others can do it better, and I also know that I am compelled to share everything I have come to know and understand in life that may help others along the way. So here you have it. I encourage you to do the same.
See you next week. Leave a comment if you wish.
Mucho Love to the Releasing of Beliefs, especially the toxic ones!
Kaye