The Observer Self/Higher Mind

Another helpful link on the Observer Self:

Guided Imagery Exercise: The Observer Self

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To make anything conscious, we must separate the knower from the known. For only when we have perspective on our conditions can we see and understand them. Observer self is the knower, the activator of consciousness. This self is an agent of our Higher Power's mind and its function is to notice and re-mind. But this is not an intellectual function; it is a felt awareness–an inner knowing. The observer self reminds us in vivo of anything that is standing in the way of our truth.

I think of my observer self as sitting on my shoulder, gently poking me into consciousness anytime I go to sleep. It will occasionally whisper in my ear, "Just notice what you are saying now. You are repeating yourself over and over." Or, "You just walked to the phone booth again to call that man for the sixth time." This self brings us into the present moment, making us fully conscious of what we are doing. Then, we have a choice as to whether or not to continue our current activity. We may choose to anyway, but at least we'll be doing it consciously. Often, to help us let go of a pattern, observer walks us through our dysfunctional behavior while we're wide-awake, acutely aware of what it is we are really doing. This can be very uncomfortable but is often necessary to our healing. Without this dispassionate self we'd never be able to recognize the truth beyond our wounded ego's definition of it; we would never evolve. In certain practices of Buddhism, observer self is called "the fair witness." [excerpt from AWAKENING IN TIME, page 21}

The important thing to remember, though, is not to use this spiritual view to see how "high" you can be, but to see integration in it all. Wholeness encompasses both our light side and our darker nature. Through aligning your little will with Divine Intelligence, you'll learn to truly accept everything that happens as having a sacred purpose for your life. Our personal will then becomes the "will-to-good," and we do no harm to others, for now we revere all life. Our Higher Mind is the unswerving arrow-like Will of God coming into form through us.

Acting alone, our ego can misdirect us toward addictive or dysfunctional ways of thinking, feeling, or behaving. We experience this when we are caught in an emotional reaction, motivated by unmet needs. These times of emotional imbalance cause us to run amuck, strengthening our delusions about power and control. People who abuse others emotionally are generally out of touch with their Observer Self.

If you are willing, stop a moment and reflect on a time when you've let an emotional reactivity or extreme bias run ahead of your intelligence, and you said or did something that was harmful to another. The following guided imagery will help you reflect: [excerpt from BECOMING A PRACTICAL MYSTIC, pg. 77-78]

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