Out of the Fog
Sometimes spiritual awakening can happen suddenly & spontaneously as if the heavens have opened up & descended into us. When this happens it can be both ecstatic & de-stabilizing & can turn our world upside down. In the realms of New Age Spirituality this form of awakening is often revered for its impressive drama & uniqueness. Yet sometimes the high drama of the spontaneous awakening can add to the density of a fog of confusion & misperceptions. We may even find ourselves struggling to accept the seemingly misaligned life that we are trying unsuccessfully to navigate in our expanded state. However, awakening can also happen as if one is slowly walking out of a dense fog that has enveloped our awareness for aeons.
As one who has experienced both, I am finding in my maturity that walking out of the fog feels like a far more beneficial process. It can actually be so slow that you hardly detect that you are able to see the world clearer than before. Sometimes you may miss the drama, especially when you see someone at the top of the mountain who seems to 'have it all'. But over time I have begun to realize that it is this subtler form of 'awakening' that allows me to walk back into the world & begin to truly be a peaceful & conscious participant. No longer do I feel the need to isolate & protect myself from the noisy, mundane culture of mass consciousness. Instead I see that it is where my participation holds the greatest mutual benefit. After years of retreating into small spiritual mountain villages & remote sacred valleys I now feel the 'call of the masses'.
Re-entering the flow of this wide & tumultuous river of mass consciousness does not mean plunging oneself into network TV or hitting the bars. Yes it can still be a struggle sometimes to find a community of friends who do not rely on drugs, alcohol, TV, food etc. to numb out their awareness of how unhappy they are. And one's ability & desire to attend common social gathering on a regular basis may indeed be forever altered. Yet everywhere I go I begin to synchronistically stumble upon chance encounters with other people who have turned & faced inward to do their own exploration of the inner terrain. And the desire to help & heal those who are not as far along on their path begins to change as well. Instead there is a growing acceptance of the free will that guides each of our lives & a recognition that we can let go of the need to control our lives & interactions through the ego. With this letting go comes the realization that what begins to align us with the world is far more miraculous than our wildest dreams and attempts at manifestation.
What is required to 'walk out of the fog'? It varies for every single expression of life. Are the big breakthroughs necessary to pave the way for this gentler opening? Maybe & maybe not.....only you can tell by having the courage to begin the journey to the center of yourself. The path begins when you turn & face inward & begin to honestly inquire as to who you really are, what is here that exists beyond even the need for awakening. How is every facet of your life contributing to this inquiry? What comes up when you give myself a moment of letting go of everything you ever thought was true? These are the questions that begin to dissipate the misperceptions & beliefs that the fog is comprised of & as they slowly transform, so does the fog that hides these deep truths.
© Jeanette Amlie
As one who has experienced both, I am finding in my maturity that walking out of the fog feels like a far more beneficial process. It can actually be so slow that you hardly detect that you are able to see the world clearer than before. Sometimes you may miss the drama, especially when you see someone at the top of the mountain who seems to 'have it all'. But over time I have begun to realize that it is this subtler form of 'awakening' that allows me to walk back into the world & begin to truly be a peaceful & conscious participant. No longer do I feel the need to isolate & protect myself from the noisy, mundane culture of mass consciousness. Instead I see that it is where my participation holds the greatest mutual benefit. After years of retreating into small spiritual mountain villages & remote sacred valleys I now feel the 'call of the masses'.
Re-entering the flow of this wide & tumultuous river of mass consciousness does not mean plunging oneself into network TV or hitting the bars. Yes it can still be a struggle sometimes to find a community of friends who do not rely on drugs, alcohol, TV, food etc. to numb out their awareness of how unhappy they are. And one's ability & desire to attend common social gathering on a regular basis may indeed be forever altered. Yet everywhere I go I begin to synchronistically stumble upon chance encounters with other people who have turned & faced inward to do their own exploration of the inner terrain. And the desire to help & heal those who are not as far along on their path begins to change as well. Instead there is a growing acceptance of the free will that guides each of our lives & a recognition that we can let go of the need to control our lives & interactions through the ego. With this letting go comes the realization that what begins to align us with the world is far more miraculous than our wildest dreams and attempts at manifestation.
What is required to 'walk out of the fog'? It varies for every single expression of life. Are the big breakthroughs necessary to pave the way for this gentler opening? Maybe & maybe not.....only you can tell by having the courage to begin the journey to the center of yourself. The path begins when you turn & face inward & begin to honestly inquire as to who you really are, what is here that exists beyond even the need for awakening. How is every facet of your life contributing to this inquiry? What comes up when you give myself a moment of letting go of everything you ever thought was true? These are the questions that begin to dissipate the misperceptions & beliefs that the fog is comprised of & as they slowly transform, so does the fog that hides these deep truths.
© Jeanette Amlie