Death and Enlightenment

I’ve noticed recently that there exists an interesting shadow within our cultural psyche. For so long I’ve seen many people, myself included, who want desperately to reach dream goals, to become all we believe we are in this world, and something. . . holds us back. It makes no rational sense why we wouldn’t want to do what we are most passionate about, yet we do everything to block our path to that dream goal. I think there are a few reasons for this. One is that sometimes people are so used to negative processes that accomplishing a positive process is unfathomable. This is all unconscious of course. I think we can all agree that no rational, conscious thought goes into self-sabotage. But change in any costume is still frightening and uncomfortable to get through. Pushing ourselves through fear is tough.

I think there is a second reason for fearing the accomplishment of what really matters to us and that is that we might fear what others think, or how they value what we are offering. If others don’t like it, and it is our heart’s desire, where do we go from there? Why remain in the world if we can’t do what we are here to do? That brings us to death, doesn’t it?

There is still another reason for not accomplishing our dream goals. I realized this one when I was sitting in a depth psychology class at school. Depth psychology is all about increasing our consciousness, connecting to our spiritual nature, our true Self, both individually and collectively. I noticed that there exists within the field of depth psychology a shadow. Depth psychology (DP) insists that enlightenment is a momentary experience and cannot be held for any length of time. DP also insists that the spiritual realm is a mystery. Nothing can be named and there is no final answer. I got curious about this. It’s not that I believe there is a final answer, but the fact that we insist absolutely that there can’t be one is intriguing. Then I kept hearing people say, “I must have more to learn or I’d be dead”.

Aha! Isn’t this interesting, I thought. If people are convinced that they will die if they reach enlightenment, and death is feared, why would anyone want to achieve their ultimate dream goal? Why would anyone want to really pursue enlightenment if it means dying when they have so much living left to do? Hmmm. If doing what we most love means that we step into our full power and potential, that we are happy and blissful and, therefore, have nothing else to learn, and that means death, why in the world would we do it? So instead we plod along in misery trying to survive and all because of a belief that may not even be true.

If it is true that we can remain alive while working our passion, fulfilling our heart’s desire and maintaining a state of enlightenment without dying, what does that look like? I think we need to consider this possibility and start envisioning a different belief. I for one will stop saying that I would be dead if I’ve done everything I came here to do.