Though we seem to be sleeping,
There is an inner wakefulness
That directs the dream, and that will eventually startle us back
To the truth of who we are
Inner wakefulness is when we recognize for ourselves the moments in life worth experiencing to the fullest. Inner Wakefulness is awaking from a slumber, realizing happiness is not found by going through the everyday motions of life. Having that moment of clarity when the mind, body and soul is felt deep within. Things in life which seems heavy, begin to hold less weight. Realization of who we are begins with inner wakefulness and each of us has the ability to develop our own unique path towards wakefulness.
This poem reminds me of the idea of the sleeping Buddha. Buddha means "fully awakened being" and the general idea is that we are all sleeping Buddhas. To realize your own potential is to realize your latent inner Buddha, it is to wake up your sleeping Buddha and become a fully realized being.
This, in turn, makes me think of the transpersonal idea that everything a person needs for self realization is contained within them. We have everything we need to see our sleeping Buddha and startle ourselves back to the truth of who we are.
I must admit that you're hitting one of my sources for connecting to inner wakefulness with poetry. In fact, when people share with me that they often don't connect to modern poetry, I like to talk with them about "what is it that a poet is refering to?" Much like our need to think beyond content in a counseling session, the same is needed in reading or trying to write a poem. Rumi explicitely deals with inner wakefulness; more modern poets attempt to via "the ordinary", (interesting parallel to some Buddhist thoughts on enlightenment). Some do it really well. So, what is Rumi trying to say here? I feel excitement at the thought of some inner vitality that "rights our ship" even though we get distracted. That's essentially what I get. And, if you want to check out a modern poet who looks at this transpersonal realm in a way I like, check out Mark Strand.
Dreams seem to be the underlying current guiding our conversation along, especially as we dive into the depths of the unconscious and Jung's world of fantasy.. This idea of what is 'real' and what is 'fantasy' has been fascinating me recently, a question that was ignited last week when discussing altered states and the legitimacy of substance induced peak-experiences. I was struck by something Jung said in a documentary(I can't recall the title)that addressed this nebulous question; he described (paraphrased) "fantasy as a measure of energy; a fact",and how "when we observe the inner world, we observe something of the world". It seems to me here that Jung is not only affirming the validity of the internal world, the world of fantasy, dreams, mystery and that which is unknown, but also in a sense transcending or challenging the illusion of boundaries we know as 'reality'. Today we discussed the power of bringing consciousness to fantasy and allowing it to speak for and with all the parts of the unconscious, be it personal interjects or a grander message from the collective unconscious. Here, the fantasy becomes a guide into that mysterious internal world we know not of, and at the same time a link or hint to understanding the external world. In this way the 'dream' leads to the awakening, and the boundary between what we think we know as 'awake' and 'asleep' not only becomes less clear but perhaps even reversed.. of course only to a certain extent as that concept is still one cemented in a dualistic frame. I think ultimately, this idea of dancing between awakening and resting in what seems to be a kind of sleep is part of what Rumi is hinting at; that it is a partnership, a union that we are never not in sync with. -Sashi ps how do I change my comment name??
So, regarding the Feeding Your Demons technique that Deepesh discussed in class, here is a YouTube video describing the technique (by the author of the book), and a link to the book ( I couldn't figure out how to make them hyperlinks, so you will have to cut and paste).
I've done this technique before with the guidance of a therapist who uses it in her practice. It's very powerful, but feel a little scary at first. Regardless, it's worth a try as the results can be very healing. Plus!! It's a more feminine model of working with a "demon" --the author discusses this in detail in her interview above.
Inner wakefulness is that power that always resides within the depths of ourselves, a power that we have not yet awaken. There are times where we are consumed by the consensus trance of everyday life, lulled asleep by material possessions, desires for social acceptance, and the rambling of the television. Yet, when we are asleep, the consensus trance of everyday life no longer dominates our thoughts, feelings, and emotions. The filter we have created is no longer capable of categorizing information strictly based on our likes or dislikes. This is where the inner light of our wakefulness shows its' true face and potential. It is our guide that seeks to re-establish our bond with our authentic Self, a relationship that many have forgotten.
While dreams and/or peak experiences offer a starting point for expanding our mindfulness of our inner wakefulness, we soon become capable of seeing it within all activities. We see it as we walk to school, play with a dog, ride our bicycle, swim, run, read, interact with children, plant a garden, or cook a meal. We are usually unaware of how our inner wakefulness woke from its slumber, but we notice subtle changes in our perceptions towards things we did in a menial manner prior. After a while we come to understand that this inner wakefulness resided within us the entire time. It no longer appears to be a "spiritual" experience, but a wonderful experience of everyday life.
I had a dream the other night after a very important meeting with my ex-boyfriend. He made amends to me for things that happened during our 7 year relationship, which ended about 3 years ago. It was good to see him and I definitely got some closure. It was good to see how far we have both come and how much growth has taken place for the both of us. All of that bad stuff had to happen so we could be where we are today. I was happy that we were able to meet up and talk. I felt it was a very positive experience for me. That night I dreamt about a wolf. I have these Power Animal Oracle cards (Steven Farmer, PhD) and looked up the meaning of the wolf and this is what the card said “you are protected at all times. Trust that. The physical, emotional and psychic barriers you’ve erected to protect yourself from past hurts and wounds are simply no longer needed. You’ve moved beyond your need for the illusion of safety that these habitual defenses have provided. It’s time to trust that Spirit is always available to aid in your protection when you really need it”. Wow! That explains inner wakefulness to me. I got what I needed around my past relationship and that very same night a vision of a wolf came to me in my dream, letting me know that I no longer need those barriers. -Lea Lovold
Wow, sounds awesome, Lea. What you're saying reminds me a bit of Jung's synchronicity... that in a way, this cathartic moment with your ex created a gap in the mundane sleeping world, through which a little bit of the natural wakefulness (and connectedness of things) can shine through. It revealed a little bit of the synchronistic functioning of the world. I'm not trying to interpret your experience or anything. It's just inspiring and I've been reading too much Jung lately... I'm starting to see synchronicity all over the place. -Moon
I experienced an extended moment of Inner Wakefulness when Deepesh read the poem in class 'Wild Geese' by Mary Oliver, which I posted below. While the storyline of my life took my ego down a reflective and challenging path, my attention was jolted into a unitive sense of reality with the words:
You do not have to be good. You do not have to walk on your knees For a hundred miles through the desert, repenting. You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves. Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine. Meanwhile the world goes on. Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain are moving across the landscapes, over the prairies and the deep trees, the mountains and the rivers. Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air, are heading home again. Whoever you are, no matter how lonely, the world offers itself to your imagination, calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting -- over and over announcing your place in the family of things.
-Mary Oliver, 'Wild Geese'
The awareness increased to a spaciousness akin to a numinous experience. My most eternal quality was engaged- sure, my mind was thinking, sure my heart was feeling, and then... there was a stillness within my deeper being. It was a realization that even though my ego was deeply rooted in happenings of the physical world, the roots reached deeper beyond my imagination, tapping into the collective unconscious where the geese fly in patterns and the mountains stand tall against the wind. Much like Jung's synchronicity as Moon and Lea discussed, these roots of my consciousness connect to yours at some deeper level, and we are all part of the same energetic organism.
A closing quote comes to mind:
In the depth of winter I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer. -Albert Camus
I also really enjoy that Mary Oliver poem. In particular, the stanza:
"You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves."
I first read this poem when I was eighteen and this stanza annoyed me to death. I felt like it was silly, that the soft animal of my body would probably just go eat pizza if I let it do what it wanted. Now, when I read it my reaction is much different. Letting your soft animal love what it loves, is so much different from my initial reading of letting to do what it wants. In particular it points to one of the basic tenants of transpersonal psychology: that a client contains everything they need within them. As a therapist we just have to help them love what they love. It also reminds me of our Grof readings from last week, where he spoke about "inner radar." That people will point the way toward areas where they are stuck, which to me is another example that people have, within them, everything they need to become whole.
Also, what book is that Albert Camus quote from Megan? I like it!
Inner wakefulness is when we recognize for ourselves the moments in life worth experiencing to the fullest. Inner Wakefulness is awaking from a slumber, realizing happiness is not found by going through the everyday motions of life. Having that moment of clarity when the mind, body and soul is felt deep within. Things in life which seems heavy, begin to hold less weight. Realization of who we are begins with inner wakefulness and each of us has the ability to develop our own unique path towards wakefulness.
ReplyDeleteWell said Jannelle.
ReplyDeleteThis poem reminds me of the idea of the sleeping Buddha. Buddha means "fully awakened being" and the general idea is that we are all sleeping Buddhas. To realize your own potential is to realize your latent inner Buddha, it is to wake up your sleeping Buddha and become a fully realized being.
This, in turn, makes me think of the transpersonal idea that everything a person needs for self realization is contained within them. We have everything we need to see our sleeping Buddha and startle ourselves back to the truth of who we are.
I must admit that you're hitting one of my sources for connecting to inner wakefulness with poetry. In fact, when people share with me that they often don't connect to modern poetry, I like to talk with them about "what is it that a poet is refering to?" Much like our need to think beyond content in a counseling session, the same is needed in reading or trying to write a poem. Rumi explicitely deals with inner wakefulness; more modern poets attempt to via "the ordinary", (interesting parallel to some Buddhist thoughts on enlightenment). Some do it really well. So, what is Rumi trying to say here? I feel excitement at the thought of some inner vitality that "rights our ship" even though we get distracted. That's essentially what I get. And, if you want to check out a modern poet who looks at this transpersonal realm in a way I like, check out Mark Strand.
ReplyDeleteDreams seem to be the underlying current guiding our conversation along, especially as we dive into the depths of the unconscious and Jung's world of fantasy.. This idea of what is 'real' and what is 'fantasy' has been fascinating me recently, a question that was ignited last week when discussing altered states and the legitimacy of substance induced peak-experiences. I was struck by something Jung said in a documentary(I can't recall the title)that addressed this nebulous question; he described (paraphrased) "fantasy as a measure of energy; a fact",and how "when we observe the inner world, we observe something of the world". It seems to me here that Jung is not only affirming the validity of the internal world, the world of fantasy, dreams, mystery and that which is unknown, but also in a sense transcending or challenging the illusion of boundaries we know as 'reality'. Today we discussed the power of bringing consciousness to fantasy and allowing it to speak for and with all the parts of the unconscious, be it personal interjects or a grander message from the collective unconscious. Here, the fantasy becomes a guide into that mysterious internal world we know not of, and at the same time a link or hint to understanding the external world. In this way the 'dream' leads to the awakening, and the boundary between what we think we know as 'awake' and 'asleep' not only becomes less clear but perhaps even reversed.. of course only to a certain extent as that concept is still one cemented in a dualistic frame. I think ultimately, this idea of dancing between awakening and resting in what seems to be a kind of sleep is part of what Rumi is hinting at; that it is a partnership, a union that we are never not in sync with.
ReplyDelete-Sashi
ps how do I change my comment name??
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteOops---comment is now below :-)
DeleteHello All!
ReplyDeleteSo, regarding the Feeding Your Demons technique that Deepesh discussed in class, here is a YouTube video describing the technique (by the author of the book), and a link to the book ( I couldn't figure out how to make them hyperlinks, so you will have to cut and paste).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q66Z7dhT97c
http://www.amazon.com/Feeding-Your-Demons-Resolving-Conflict/dp/0316013137
I've done this technique before with the guidance of a therapist who uses it in her practice. It's very powerful, but feel a little scary at first. Regardless, it's worth a try as the results can be very healing. Plus!! It's a more feminine model of working with a "demon" --the author discusses this in detail in her interview above.
See y'all on Thursday!!
Nancy
Inner wakefulness is that power that always resides within the depths of ourselves, a power that we have not yet awaken. There are times where we are consumed by the consensus trance of everyday life, lulled asleep by material possessions, desires for social acceptance, and the rambling of the television. Yet, when we are asleep, the consensus trance of everyday life no longer dominates our thoughts, feelings, and emotions. The filter we have created is no longer capable of categorizing information strictly based on our likes or dislikes. This is where the inner light of our wakefulness shows its' true face and potential. It is our guide that seeks to re-establish our bond with our authentic Self, a relationship that many have forgotten.
ReplyDeleteWhile dreams and/or peak experiences offer a starting point for expanding our mindfulness of our inner wakefulness, we soon become capable of seeing it within all activities. We see it as we walk to school, play with a dog, ride our bicycle, swim, run, read, interact with children, plant a garden, or cook a meal. We are usually unaware of how our inner wakefulness woke from its slumber, but we notice subtle changes in our perceptions towards things we did in a menial manner prior. After a while we come to understand that this inner wakefulness resided within us the entire time. It no longer appears to be a "spiritual" experience, but a wonderful experience of everyday life.
- Weston Zink
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI had a dream the other night after a very important meeting with my ex-boyfriend. He made amends to me for things that happened during our 7 year relationship, which ended about 3 years ago. It was good to see him and I definitely got some closure. It was good to see how far we have both come and how much growth has taken place for the both of us. All of that bad stuff had to happen so we could be where we are today. I was happy that we were able to meet up and talk. I felt it was a very positive experience for me. That night I dreamt about a wolf. I have these Power Animal Oracle cards (Steven Farmer, PhD) and looked up the meaning of the wolf and this is what the card said “you are protected at all times. Trust that. The physical, emotional and psychic barriers you’ve erected to protect yourself from past hurts and wounds are simply no longer needed. You’ve moved beyond your need for the illusion of safety that these habitual defenses have provided. It’s time to trust that Spirit is always available to aid in your protection when you really need it”. Wow! That explains inner wakefulness to me. I got what I needed around my past relationship and that very same night a vision of a wolf came to me in my dream, letting me know that I no longer need those barriers.
Delete-Lea Lovold
Wow, sounds awesome, Lea. What you're saying reminds me a bit of Jung's synchronicity... that in a way, this cathartic moment with your ex created a gap in the mundane sleeping world, through which a little bit of the natural wakefulness (and connectedness of things) can shine through. It revealed a little bit of the synchronistic functioning of the world.
DeleteI'm not trying to interpret your experience or anything. It's just inspiring and I've been reading too much Jung lately... I'm starting to see synchronicity all over the place.
-Moon
Thanks Moon, I agree....synchronicity. It's such an awesome thing!
ReplyDeleteI experienced an extended moment of Inner Wakefulness when Deepesh read the poem in class 'Wild Geese' by Mary Oliver, which I posted below. While the storyline of my life took my ego down a reflective and challenging path, my attention was jolted into a unitive sense of reality with the words:
ReplyDeleteYou do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
For a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.
Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.
Meanwhile the world goes on.
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain
are moving across the landscapes,
over the prairies and the deep trees,
the mountains and the rivers.
Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,
are heading home again.
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting --
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.
-Mary Oliver, 'Wild Geese'
The awareness increased to a spaciousness akin to a numinous experience. My most eternal quality was engaged- sure, my mind was thinking, sure my heart was feeling, and then... there was a stillness within my deeper being. It was a realization that even though my ego was deeply rooted in happenings of the physical world, the roots reached deeper beyond my imagination, tapping into the collective unconscious where the geese fly in patterns and the mountains stand tall against the wind. Much like Jung's synchronicity as Moon and Lea discussed, these roots of my consciousness connect to yours at some deeper level, and we are all part of the same energetic organism.
A closing quote comes to mind:
In the depth of winter I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer.
-Albert Camus
I also really enjoy that Mary Oliver poem. In particular, the stanza:
ReplyDelete"You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves."
I first read this poem when I was eighteen and this stanza annoyed me to death. I felt like it was silly, that the soft animal of my body would probably just go eat pizza if I let it do what it wanted. Now, when I read it my reaction is much different. Letting your soft animal love what it loves, is so much different from my initial reading of letting to do what it wants. In particular it points to one of the basic tenants of transpersonal psychology: that a client contains everything they need within them. As a therapist we just have to help them love what they love. It also reminds me of our Grof readings from last week, where he spoke about "inner radar." That people will point the way toward areas where they are stuck, which to me is another example that people have, within them, everything they need to become whole.
Also, what book is that Albert Camus quote from Megan? I like it!