Letting Go of Ego
Dear Claudia,
I’m having trouble “awakening” to the present moment with my meditation and letting go of ego. I am plagued by anxiety and can’t just let go of it, even though I know that it is useless and unnecessary. Do you know why I can’t let go of this anxiety, or what I can do to be more at peace?
Michaela
Dear Michaela,
Many people forget that Eckhart Tolle awakened to his enlightened state the moment he realized he didn’t want to live. He was about to kill himself when he experienced his awakening, and the rest is history.
What this means is that for him to achieve presence with what he was feeling, he had to know what that was.
Often, there are unspoken feelings, sensations, and dynamics that we have not put our finger on. When you don’t yet know exactly what it is you’re feeling, you can’t always achieve presence with it.
Now, anxiety, psychologically speaking, is what’s known as a “secondary emotion.” That means we feel it in response to other, more primary emotions. Maybe sexual. Maybe aggressive. We don’t always know what that primary emotion is. That’s why we have anxiety.
I can’t tell you how many times I have helped people to discover their primary thoughts and feelings, only to witness their anxiety vanish.
And that’s when you can achieve presence with what you feel: when you know it.
The way to discover the thoughts and emotions that you are not knowing and experiencing in your conscious awareness is to allow your mind to wander, on a yoga mat, therapist’s office, or on a written page. Eventually ‒ and especially if you can be helped to accept your emotions ‒ you will land on thoughts and feelings that will feel like “aha” moments, things you did not realize or that may even feel like complete revelations. And when that happens, you will feel at peace.
You can’t attain sanity by just trying harder, exercising a positive outlook, letting go, forgiving or meditating. What you need for sanity, when reason fails, are emotional experiences. Not ideas. Experiences.
– Claudia Luiz, PsychD in Where’s My Sanity? Stories That Help
We are here to evolve, and enlightenment is not something you can turn on like a switch in your brain. It is something that requires continued meditation, continued deep knowledge of your “pain body” and continued practice in observing the ego. Don’t get discouraged – I admire you greatly for seeking answers to reconciling what is happening within you to what you recognize outside of yourself.
About the Author
How to Catch Your Dreams
Dreams are the easiest portal to the otherworld which we are granted in this human landscape. It is in these nighttime sojourns that we connect with Angels and Guides, converse with our Highest Self and are afforded the luxury to work out that which cannot be readily digested in our waking hours.
I’m always fascinated by this in between space, yet am heartily disappointed by traditional dream meanings. I prefer to dive into the shadowy depths of my own psyche without such pedestrian notions spelled out. Carl Jung perhaps posits the best path to decipher the meaning of our dreams. It is the archetypes – the rich characters whom we encounter – who can lead us best to extract the meaning of our dreams. As they each represent an aspect of self, unravel the archetype to see how this underlying energy or persona plays out for you presently.
Beyond the gentle soothing of rest and restoration, others have skillfully navigated psychic landscapes through this dark revery. David Wilcock, in his extensive dream work, has been able to predict many global events. Over the course of many years he meticulously journaled his dreams upon waking and was able to accurately extract their greater significance. Edgar Cayce, the sleeping prophet, was so skilled in these realms he was able to carry out precise and highly personalized readings for people. Unable to access such knowledge in his waking state, his dreams presented a doorway to far-reaching knowledge which helped thousands of individuals and still has lasting relevance today.
Here are some ways you can begin to tap into the powerful portals of the divine through your nighttime escapades.
Set an Intention
The universe, in its respect of free will, can only act in accordance with what we directly command. State an intention to easily and readily recall your dreams upon waking. I proclaim this aloud. Speaking things into being and giving vibrational frequency to your desires magnifies the likelihood of success.
Keep a Dream Journal
To best utilize this nighttime landscape for yourself, record your dreams as soon as you wake. Keep a journal by the bed and make a habit to jot some notes in the morning. More than the specific encounters and details, I find the feelings evoked are more telling.
Personal Dream Interpretation
It is helpful to go back over these jottings from time to time to see what has transpired. Don’t grab a dream interpretation book, instead seek to decipher your own meaning in hindsight. Can you see your own archetypes and patterns at play? Once you identify themes and key players you can more readily understand your dreams as they occur. This is a refined process that takes time to develop well.
Once you can navigate your own internal landscape, you can more readily make use of the profound insight being shared.
Crystals for Dreaming
Crystals are allies for all occasions but potently paired with dream work. A crystal under your pillow will aid in the retention and recall of your dreams. You can easily program a crystal to support any intention you wish but it is especially helpful to store, or encode, dreams. Upon waking pick up the crystal and hold it while you capture your escapades.
Beyond recall, other benefits of crystals for dreams are:
- Amethyst – a gentle crystal which aids in restful sleep; psychic stone of the crown chakra helpful for deepening dream states
- Ametrine – connection with highest self, it creates a portal for this wisdom to be transmitted to you
- Azurite – 3rd eye opener, can bring through spirit guides, past life memories and the connection with psychic gifts
- Quartz – best for programming to act as an ally for dream recall
- Modlavite – a powerful generator which illuminates personal issues and brings them to the surface, aids in lucid dreaming
Dream Guide Meditation
Allow yourself the space to delve into this guided meditation to meet with a Spirit Guide offering assistance for you in your dream work. Gently and easily meet with a guide that is personally devoted to you.
- Close your eyes and breathe deeply into your belly
- See yourself in the night sky, held by a blanket of velvety stars
- You will see in the distance a platform of pure white crystal
- Stand atop this stage and request that a Dream Guide join you
- Spend time getting to know this guide. Feel their vibration, request a name and ask how this partnership may best unfold
- When you are complete, thank your ally and commit to accepting the assistance
- Stand alone atop the platform to receive restorative cosmic blessings of the universe
- Slowly bring yourself back to your physical body feeling these offerings of abundance
- Commit to invoking this guide nightly and connecting again upon waking to best utilize the support offered
Dream Catcher
You may have seen these beauteous decorations hanging from walls and rear view mirrors. The dream catcher looks much like a spider’s web and is said to catch the nightmares. Peaceful, blissful and supportive dreams are able to pass through with ease and support you.
The ritual use of these sacred objects is well documented. Beyond ornamental, they are handmade with great care and created for a specific individual in mind.
The tradition began with the Obijway Native Americans. Made from sinews, or plant fibers, and hung over sleeping children, the web would catch the bad dreams and allow the good dreams to pass easily through the hole in the center. When the morning sun illuminates the dream catcher the bad dreams would be vanquished.
How to Make Your Own Dream Catcher
Used as a scared object the dream catcher can have a beneficial effect on sleeping and dream recall. Whether literal or a placebo effect, crafting your own object of power for your nighttime journeys can be a space of deep connection and healing.
1. Gather Sacred Items
Traditional dream catchers include bone, feathers, crystals and beads. Find your own items that convey special meaning. Remember that the final design will be rather delicate so avoid heavy objects.
2. Choose the Frame
You’ll need a 2-6 foot length of pliable material. Red willow or soaked grapevine are easy to obtain from a craft store. Remember, this is a sacred quest and gathered items should feel important to you. Invoke Spirit to lead you to the best suited materials for you.
3. Weave the Hoop
Perhaps the most ritualistic step of creating a dream catcher is in weaving the sinew through the hoop. Take this on as a sacred task. All myths carry stories of weavers – to the Nordics it was the Norns, or Sisters of Wyrd, to the Native Americans it was Spider Woman. Weaving is the act of creating the web of time, the very fabric of reality, and is a channel for all manifestation, spiritual work and healing. While you weave your hoop, hold your intention close to your heart and chant your selected mantra(s).
Many tutorials are available on how to create this sacred art yourself. Intention is key and the finished project will carry your intentions.
Your dreams are a most personal gift and direct link with the divine. Making conscious use of this nighttime travel will aid spiritual development and support your path of Ascension. Use it well lovey and know there is no more powerful way to access your Highest Self!
