The Course of Our Development – In Consciousness, Motivation and Love

This is intended to serve as a very brief, simplified sketch of a consciousness-based model or map, which highlights our human development and psychology of values.  It offers us a milestone by which we can pace our personal evolutionary growth, as well as that of others, that of nations, even that of humanity as a whole. Many of my clients have found the verbal version so insightful for understanding their inner sense of conflicting values and differences from others, that I am attempting here to put it into the written word. This model incorporates eastern psychology and the discussion of the chakras (i.e. spinning vortices/intersections of energy), which carry information into our human body. It also integrates western psychology’s contribution about the nature of our intelligence, and the science of happiness, as well as the experience of human desire, aspiration, motivation and love.  

Imagine that we are made of energy, and that our physical body is knitted from the informational blueprints of that energy. Imagine too that the energy we first register is that which is most physical and material. But as we evolve in consciousness, we develop our sensitivity to pick up the higher and faster vibrations. Sensing both, we are torn, seemingly pulled in opposite directions, the higher at first in apparent conflict with the lower. This is the sense of duality talked about by mystics and felt by those who have developed their consciousness to the point of soul awareness. In this state of awareness, it feels like we have an expanded, yet dual, identity. One that encompasses both tangible material and ethereal spiritual aspects of self. The slower material energies register at the level of our diaphragm and below. The faster spiritual energies anchor in at the level of our heart and above. As we continue to develop our consciousness, we are called to integrate them all together, with the lower serving the higher. In reality, each of these energies is already present. What develops is the quality (i.e. love) of our equipment to respond to them.   Following is the key information for each of the seven major centers of consciousness that move us. Literally. 1. Physical Of the energies that comprise our being, the physical bandwith effects us first. And it makes sense because we first have to feel a material sense of “I” that differentiates us from the rest of our world. We don’t want to be walking into walls! The information these energies bring to us is instinctual intelligence. They come into the body around the base of our spine, and energize the surrounding organs. Our predominant motivations at this level of consciousness are self-preservation, safety and security, for which In this society, money, sex and health are the key symbols. Chief Attitude: “I” Chief Intelligence: Instinct, the consciousness of the cells at work beneath the window of our usual awareness; our auto-pilot reactivity Chief Motivation: Survival, self-preservation, physical health 2. Emotional After we register a sense of “I” and attend to our most basic survival needs, we begin to notice that which surrounds us. An “I-You” orientation arises, and we feel an emotional reaction to anything and everyone to which we attend. We notice we are in relationship with each material thing we look upon. Whether “I” look at you, or a piece of furniture, a color, sound or animal, “I” will have an emotional reaction to that which I am attending (as long as this center of energy is not being suppressed). Initially, that which we see as being most similar to us, we tend to like; that which seems different, we tend to dislike. Because of this, desire and fear spring up as our chief motivations. This energy registers in the area of our sexual organs, and generates our desire for relationship, belonging, and connection. Our initial creative impulse, which stems from this center, is to procreate and have children. Being so close to the first center for physical energies, it makes sense that we also desire whatever we perceive builds us up materially, and fear whatever we believe makes us suffer. Being so close to the stomach (third center), it is little wonder we feel stomach pains, routinely comfort eat, and suffer digestive problems when we are fearful. For this reason, we call it “gut” instinct. Emotional and social intelligence develops from the energies resonating at this center, though as with the other energies, the brain plays its role in communicating throughout the body what is going on for us. Empathy arises as we evolve our capacity to feel others’ emotional energies. Other lower psychic abilities also root from this lower center of connection. The human love that we feel from this center of desire tends to be very self-serving and conditional. That is, we love on condition that we receive something in return. Living predominantly from this center, we tend to choose mates that “complete” us, fill our emptiness, and offer the skills we see as lacking in ourselves. For example, if we feel weak, we likely will pick a mate who appears strong. If we don’t believe we have the skill to provide for self, we likely will pick a mate who can. Chief Attitude: “I-You” Chief Intelligence: Social, emotional, relational, empathic, lower psychic Chief Motivation: Desire/attraction, fear/repulsion 3. Mental Lower mental energies unfold next, resonating largely in the area of the stomach and solar plexus. Concrete, linear, rational, analytical intelligence is gradually rounded out by more creative and abstract intelligence. Those who live predominantly from the third chakra are seen as the highly intelligent among us, the scientists, academicians, philosophers…..the thinkers. Centered here, our chief values are personal power and achievement. Healthy in balance, these are intended to offset the dependency behaviors that otherwise would characterize our relationships. From this developmental lesson, we learn to lead, to be skillful, to know what we can do, to grow in confidence and self-esteem. In its unhealthy self-serving aspect, we typically use our power to build the self regardless of the harm it causes others. (Over time, with the help of the fourth chakra, we learn to be cooperative and mutually serving.) Chief Attitude: Focused on building the lower personal or personality self Chief Intelligence: Concrete and eventually abstract intelligence Chief Motivation: Personal power and achievement   These three lowest, slowest vibrational layers of consciousness, physical-emotional-mental, comprise our personality sense of self. Our job is to learn how to integrate all three of these personality centers of consciousness, so that we are operating from a more integrated personality; one that feels balanced, skilled, and connected with at least a small group of others whom we can learn to love, even if conditionally and imperfectly at first. The majority of humanity is living predominantly from centers one and two, and is in the process of strengthening center three. A significant minority, the intelligentsia of the world, is living from the third center and has progressed in building with mental energy, at least with the more concrete, linear and analytical levels of intelligence. As with each of the seven major centers, these physical, emotional and mental energies can each be either generally balanced, overused or underused. For example, those in the business world often overuse the mental and underutilize the emotional center. But, notice that when we suppress our emotional nature, we suppress our higher loving (fourth) heart center as well. Overuse in one center tends toward underuse of another. This inevitably sets up a pendulum swing of overcompensation that can lead us into passive-aggressive behaviors, and even clinical mental health concerns that disrupt our day-to-day functioning. True mental control comes from discipline of the mind, a meditative skill, rather than numbing of the emotion. Yet, it is intended that we balance the use of all three of these personality energies so that they work in concert with one another. Once we have integrated our personality energies, we have readied ourselves to be of service to the higher centers.   4. Intuitional Heart Center This is the auric layer of consciousness often called the heart chakra because it is energetically sensed behind and in front of the physical heart. When the heart is open psychologically, the heart chakra is said to be open, clear and moving. When our psychological heart is closed, the energies of the heart chakra are restricted and contracted. Living predominantly from this center of consciousness, we love unconditionally. That is, we love for love’s sake rather than for selfish concerns. Others may say that we have a huge heart because of its openness. The lower personal power of the third chakra is superseded by the power of higher love in the fourth chakra. That is, the seat of our power has moved from the third (motivated by personal interests and desires) up to the fourth (motivated by group, transpersonal, spiritual aspirations). It is intuitive intelligence (the mind of the higher self) that guides our decisions; the lower mental processes serve in carrying out what the intuition moves us to do. Intuition is rooted in group consciousness, the overriding sense of “we” that defines the character of the soul or spiritual self. If we have physical heart problems, we may need to contemplate the source of those issues. Are we resisting loving? Are we loving so much that we are overwhelming our bodily equipment? Is the love energy stuck inside with little outlet of expression (fifth center)? Did we inherit a weak heart system that is ours to strengthen? Chief Attitude: “We” Chief Intelligence: Intuition (especially for decisions and direction, but integrated as a whole with all other aspects of intelligence) Chief Motivation: To radiate love, forgiveness, compassion, wise understanding, inclusivity 5. Throat Center of Higher Creativity This is usually called the throat chakra because it is centered in front of and behind our physical throat. Once the heart chakra has been activated, the lower creativity (procreation) of the second chakra is superseded by the higher creative motivation of the fifth chakra or throat center of consciousness. In other words, the seat of creativity is lifted from the second to the fifth center. Residing at our fifth chakra, we are inspired to create that which will benefit all of humanity or the world at large, even if our part seems small in scope. Many women, in particular, feel torn by their desire to have children and their desire not to have children. They usually wonder if they are being selfish, yet most frequently I hear that it is other projects that are impelling their energy, projects that sound motivated by the fifth chakra overriding the second. It takes determination, courage and a great deal of “love motivated by more inclusive service” to follow this path. Those of us who have health issues with our physical throat or thyroid gland may need to contemplate the source of our weakness. Are we having difficulty in our expression of love (fourth center), which in turn leads to little energy being available to activate the throat center (fifth)? Or, are we putting so much energy into our fifth center of creativity that we are neglecting the needs and limitations of the physical body? In which ways are we limited by the point of development of humanity as a whole? Chief Attitude: Focused on opportunities for service Chief Intelligence: Integrated (the higher integrated with the lower) Chief Motivation: Inspired to do the highest good for the greatest number (as best as one can, given the point of evolutionary development across multiple lifetimes) 6. Third Eye of Higher Vision This is often referred to as our Third Eye chakra, or in the Bible as “the eye made singular”. It is the center of consciousness that anchors in the area between our two physical eyes. The Ageless Wisdom teaches the following correspondences:

Right eye – the eye of wisdom and vision, the abstract spiritual mind, pure manas Left eye – the eye of mind, commonsense, sight, soul, manasaputra Third eye – the eye which directs divine will and purpose toward the levels of the concrete mental body, linking the higher with the lower

Since this is the center of vision and higher psychic energies, those who have a very active sixth chakra are seen as visionaries, prophets, artists, or inventors. The visionary intuits the unseen ideals and ideas and seeks to make them seen or manifest, bringing the higher into the realm of the lower. Chief Attitude: Spiritual vision Chief Intelligence: Higher psychic Chief Motivation: Making the unseen seen 7. Crown Center This center of consciousness is usually called the crown chakra because it is at the very top or crown of our head. It is said that two essential threads of energy connect us with even higher spiritual energies through the opening of our crown chakra, and that they anchor in our head (consciousness thread) and heart (life thread). It is taught that the consciousness thread is that which we travel during sleep, but the life thread remains intact until death of the physical body. This seventh (which is really the first, but is the seventh from our human perspective) energy center conditions the life within, while the heart energy of the soul provides the quality of physical expression. It is the crown which directs or lifts the energies upward from the base of the spine. This energy brings to us spiritual will and direction, a knowing of higher purpose, and the power to sacrifice the desires of the lower self for the love of all that is.   As indicated previously, these higher four or spiritual centers of consciousness are intended to work in concert with the lower three. If we are living largely through our higher chakras but are not grounded in our lower ones, we will not be in balance. This could be the case of those diagnosed with psychotic disorders. On the other hand, when our higher four are integrated with the lower three, it is then we will appear to be of higher more evolved consciousness and wisdom. In this way we expand our sphere of love – from the personal desire of the lower three, to the inspiration and sacrifice of the higher four, through the gateway of the open heart.