Level 6 of Being- MASS CONSCIOUSNESS Appearance and Significance Everything is interconnected. Nothing stands alone. From the moment we take our first breath, the culture into which we are born, our ethnicity, including the moral strictures of our society, begin to operate upon us. We may choose to align our selves to our culture and allow it to support and enhance what we do or we might say this is not the way we choose to live our life and walk away from our culture. Who we become is either because of the culture into which we are born or in spite of it.

Our culture includes our family, our tribe, our nation, our religion and all the experiences that these offer us. Imagine for a moment you have a huge camera and looking through the lens you see all of humanity from its many cultural perspectives. Now ask yourself this question. Does the perspective you have of your culture enhance who you are and what you want to do in your life or does it limit your expression of yourself?

Here is am example. You may have been born in the farm lands of Pennsylvania to an Amish family. Did you know that the Amish people trace their heritage back hundreds of years, and yet, despite all the time that has passed and the many changes that have taken place in society, they still live and work much as their forefathers did? Their families and their farms are their top priorities, second only to God. They do not permit electricity or telephones in their homes. By restricting access to television, radio, and telephones, the Amish are better able to keep the modern world from intruding into their home life.

Imagine a young Amish man, 17 year old, who has a strong calling to become deep sea diver, or a soldier , or an astronaut. These professions are not typically what young Amish men do. He may feel the culture in which he was born is limiting him from expressing himself and if this is the case he may consider the possibility to moving away from his culture.

Whether we are aware of it or not when we say ‘I cant do it’we are often being affected by Mass Consciousness. The young Amish man is being affected by the rules and traditions of his culture and if he chooses to move towards his dreams he will consequently move away from the shared beliefs and moral attitudes which operate as a unifying force within his particular society It will serve him well to know that there are two ways to see the events in his life and in the world as a whole. One is through the Mundane Lens of Humanity and the other is through the Universal Lens of Humanity.

What is the Mundane Lens of Humanity? When we look at the world through the Mundane lens of Humanity we see events, situations, people as either guilty or innocent. We judge, we condemn, we fight causes, we align ourselves to one side or another. We make our choices according the rules and regulations of our group, our tribe, our society, our culture.

I used to believe that sisters that love each other should not fight. This was something I was taught at home. It was a family belief. I thought that I needed to do whatever it takes to avoid conflict with my sister. When the time came to discuss some of our differences I discovered that avoiding the situation simply didn’t work. I would either have to challenge that mundane lens and go beyond the appearance of our relationship or loose the relationship altogether. We chose to step beyond our upbringing and discuss our differences. It proved to be the best conversation we ever had.

The Mundane Lens of Humanity Focuses on the APPEARANCE. When we look through the Mundane Lens of humanity we become attached to the emotions of whatever is going on. Our perception of the situation is seen from a linear perspective. We become attached to the appearance, how it looks and what everyone is saying about it.

The Universal Lens of Humanity Focuses on the significance The Universal Lens of Humanity sees events, situations, people as part of a bigger story where all attachment to emotion dissolve. We ask ourselves what is the significance of this event?

Appearance and Significance When the consciousness of humanity is stuck in the physical reality, appearances become the truth. Looking beyond the physical, we are able to explore life from a new and exciting perspective and in doing so we open our minds and our hearts to the Significance of All That Is.

The Mundane Lens is heavy energy. It is matter. It weighs us down and drains our energy often leaving us needing to drain other peoples energy in order for us to feel better. When we get caught up in the appearance we judge from our emotions. When we see the world through the mundane lens, we get caught up in the opinions, attitudes and beliefs of the mass consciousness.

Seeing the world through The Universal Lens is seeing beyond the appearance. Beyond what appears to matter. We know that we do not know all sides of any situation. We know that the full picture may never be totally revealed but we can look for the significance and find the lesson, the opportunity, the gift in the event.

So let’s recap and see how the first 6 Levels of Being logically lead from one to another. Level 1- Choice. Learning that you have the power to Choose in any and ever situation opens the heart and empowers you to know who you are. It leaves you knowing, “I Can’. The parts of your life where you feel disempowered exist because you have forgotten you have the power to choose. You do not have the power to choose what life brings you but you have the power to choose how you are going to be withy that experience. And so you move to Level 2-Connectedness and Harmony Not only do we have the power to choose how we feel in any given situation but we know that feeling dis-connected and discordant in our lives comes from unresolved situations and issues in our life. Which then takes us to Level 3- Balance Because when we feel pulled to one place or another or we think we are powerless to do change our situation we try to compromise and reason our way out of the experience. We develop attitudes that separate us from who we really are. When we know who we are in Level 1, we move through the first 3 levels with effortless ease. Until our linear perspective of Time interrupts the flow of energy and we move into:

Level 4-Time. Time affects everything. From the linear perspective it has a beginning and an end and so there is never enough of it. However , man created the clock, man divided the day into hours and minutes and seconds. When we realise that the arrival of day and night, the change of the seasons, the shift in global climate are all cyclic out perspective of time shifts. Time invites us to connect with Timelessness and that in turn brings us to our own timelessness. As we connect to our soul in level 4 we expand our perception of whop we are and that lifts us energy up and into Level 5- Space Having now connected to our soul we can begin to live in soul- consciousness and that means the soul has a check list that lets us know and feel what we need to heal and grow. Part of this journey requires us to take some risks on a personality level enabling us to stand in the truth of who we are. However not everyone thinks the same way and we are given countless opportunities to loose our sense of Self as we move into Level 6- Mass Consciousness. And that is where we are right now.

Homework for Level 6- Mass Consciousness As we have seen judgments are made from emotion. Describe a situation in your life where you either blamed yourself or you blamed another. 2. Now describe that same situation through the Universal lens of perception. In other words what was the significance of this experience for you. As you do this close your eyes for a few minutes and just notice what you are feeling when you see the situation from the perspective of significance. 3. It is through this exercise you will begin to develop the muscle we all need to Feel beyond the impact of Mass Consciousness. 4. Optional Question. Are you aware of any bridges you have used in your life that have taken you from felling “I Cant’ to believing , “I Can’.