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Be it - Create It.  Anything you already are is easy to create.  We often try to create our world without creating ourselves.   Creation occurs from the inside out.  Our external environment is only a reflection of our internal being.

We often pursue and strive to be something we are not, and in so doing compromise and limit our power of manifestation and the extraordinary potential we each hold. Rather than being extraordinary creators, we conform and fit in - to  be accepted as normal, ordinary people. 

We are each unique and powerful beyond measure.  When we fearlessly create from the authentic being we already are, creation unfolds as naturally and easily as a flower blossoming.

A friend of mine, Geoff Workman, compiled the chart below showing the astronomical inflation we are experiencing.  Inflation is the hidden tax that covers the costs of the $20 trillion Wall St. bailout, the $1.2 trillion dollar war in Iraq and Afghanistan  and the trillions of dollars of subsidies, pork barrel and inefficiencies of our Federal Government.

Inflation is not a Republican-Democrat issue, but rather a long standing collusion between the Federal Reserve and Congress that allows money to be “printed” by the Fed out of thin-air and loaned to our government in exchange for interest bearing Treasuries.  These treasuries are considered real assets that are leveraged through fractional reserve banking to expand the amount of worthless currency in the world.

Sources: (1) U.S. Energy Information Administration; (2) Wall Street Journal; (3) Bureau of Labor Statistics; (4) Census Bureau; (5) USDA; (6) U.S. Dept. of Labor; (7) FHFA; (8) Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller; (9) RealtyTrac; (10) Heritage Foundation and WSJ; (11) The Conference Board; (12) FDIC; (13) Federal Reserve; (14) U.S. Treasury

This “inflation tax” is disguised by the appearance that goods, services, real estate and natural resources are going up in value, when in actuality the value of our currency is being diminished.  The money we use as our medium of exchange is tied to nothing tangible and therefore is valueless except for the value we, the people, agree to give it.   When we invest our valueless money and receive more valueless money, we really don’t see a gain.  0 x 1 billion is still 0.   We merely see a transfer of our time, energy and natural resources being voluntarily exchanged for worthless paper.

The things that are real and valuable are people, planet, natural resources and our health.  We, however, allow the destruction and toxificatioin of humankind and our planet for worthless paper, while those that print the paper consolidate the natural resources of the planet and the military might to defend it.

By shifting our values and investing our time and energy in meaningful and direct exchange of valuable goods and services without relying on worthless money, the more we can free ourselves from the tyranny and corruption of runaway central banking Ponzi scheme.

David Korten provides a good summary of the difference between Wall St. and Main St in his paper entitled "A Real-Market Alternative" (http://csrwiretalkback.tumblr.com/post/3300155425/a-real-market-alternative).

"The Wall Street economy," according to Mr. Korten, "is centrally planned and managed by big banks and corporations for which money is both means and end. The primary goal is monopoly control of markets, physical resources and technology to maximize profits and bonuses.

Main Street economy is comprised of local businesses and working people who self-organize to provide livelihoods for themselves, their families and communities producing real goods and services in response to community needs. Main Street exemplifies the market economy envisioned by Adam Smith; Wall Street is the antithesis."

80% of the population lives in or near poverty, yet trillions of dollars of bailout money is flowing from the White House into the hands of a few privileged Wall Street bankers and preferred government contractors rather than aiding people and planet.  The cost of this massive bailout will be paid by the hidden tax of inflation, which will only accelerate the decline of the standard of living and allow further consolidation of wealth, natural resources and military might into the hands of a few.

We work for money that is worthless and those printing the money (i.e., the central banking cartel) have ingeniously enslaved humankind and purchased the natural resources of the planet by printing money out of thin air. 

It is clear that neither our governments nor our banking system are serving humanity or the planet, but have merely become a runaway money-war-stuff machine without social or environmental consciousness.  This greed machine will destroy planet and people to fulfill its voracious appetite for monopolistic domination through ever increasing debt. 

The language of the universe is vibration.  We are simultaneously receiving, processing and transmitting vibrations that shape our “reality” in a co-creative jam session with the universe. 

            Vibrations are the language of the universe.  Everything has vibration - from our thoughts, emotions and feelings, to the sounds we hear (and don’t hear) and the electromagnetic spectrum which contains the light and colors we see (and don’t see).

            All energy has frequency and vibration.  Some of these vibrations are measurable by the devices we have created.  For example our brain waves and neural responses can be measured by electroencephalogram (EEG), our heartbeats by electrocardiogram (ECG), and our muscle action by electromyograph (EMG).  Spectrophotometry is used to measure the vibrational frequencies of light and materials.

            Moreover, the “String Theory” utilized in the field of quantum physics, posits that electrons and quarks within an atom are not 0-dimensional objects, but rather 1-dimensional oscillating lines ("strings") and that these strings are really 1-dimensional slices of a 2-dimensional membrane vibrating in 11-dimensional space.  These vibrations create the world that we experience.  

            Whether the vibrations are of light, by which we see, vibrations of sound, by which we hear, or the vibrations of our thoughts and feelings, we are constantly receiving, processing and transmitting vibrations in a co-creative jam session with universe.  

            However, rather than accepting the vibrational, non-linear, infinite and chaordic nature of the universe, we attempt to force the infinite miracles of the universe into an illusory model of linear predictability that comfortably fits within the narrow confines of our limited “physical reality.”   In this physical reality, we do not relate to the subtle forms of vibrations and energy.

            Moreover, in a society where the ego is highly developed and mind chatter loud, it is often difficult to “see,” “hear” and/or “feel” the song of the universe.  When we are able to quiet our minds and question our programs and beliefs, we start hearing the vibrational song of the universe. 

            In order to provide the tools to discern mind chatter and programming from the language of the vibrational song of the universe, it is important to understand how we receive, transmit and communicate with the universe using vibratory feedback loops and spirals.  This understanding allows us to consciously “jam” in co-creation, harmony and synchronicity with The Unified Divine (the combination of infinite potential, consciousness and creation). 

            Much like great jazz musicians jamming together, instantaneously hearing, playing and co-creating with each other in the moment, whatever we transmit to the universe (e.g., think, perceive, emote, feel, and express) has a vibration.  The Unified Divine instantaneously receives our vibrational frequency transmission and returns complementary vibrations back to us.  We then receive the vibratory transmission of The Unified Divine and immediately transmit back to The Unified Divine our vibration.   This vibratory feedback loop is perpetual.  

            The Unified Divine is always playing the tune for our highest vibration, but is virtuosic and happy to jam with us on whatever vibrations we are transmitting.

            Understanding this feedback loop provides us the ability to “hear the tune” of The Unified Divine and play with The Unified Divine in a co-creative jam session of the highest vibration.  Like attracts like, but with intention, we can turn the feedback loop into a spiral thereby changing the frequency of our vibration.  For example, we can shift the frequency of anger into passion, inspiration and love.

            The jam session with The Unified Divine is played on the 7 instruments of our Sensations, Perceptions, Thoughts, Emotions, Feelings, Instincts and Intuition (“Vibratory Receptors & Transmitters” or “VRT’s”).  Each VRT carries a unique vibration that is received by, and transmitted from, the corresponding three “Vibratory Consciousness Centers” or “VCC’s”, of Soul, Mind and Body, as follows:

Vibratory Consciousness Centers (“VCC’s”)

            Body, Mind & Soul are the three distinct forms of Vibratory Consciousness Centers (“VCC’s”) that play the VRT instruments in our jam session with The Unified Divine.  The VCC’s interpret the inputs and transmissions from our VRT’s and express these transmissions into the form of unique energy, consciousness and expression while simultaneously transmitting the resulting vibrations back to the VRT’s and the universe, thus creating the feedback loop of our divine jam session.

            1.            Body.  The body experiences Somatic Consciousness through the instruments of sensations, perceptions, feelings and somatic emotions.  The body is an amazing genius that is capable of handling trillions of cellular and other transactions per second. Our Somatic Consciousness is in the present moment of now and processes information in a non-linear parallel manner.  Thus, by feeling into our Somatic Consciousness we can become aware of present truth and the plethora of data inputs from the universe without the interference form the past-future linear rationalization of mind.

            2.            Mind.  The mind experiences Cognitive Consciousness and plays the instruments of thought, imagination, cognitive emotion and perception.  The mind provides us with identity, individuation, space/time consciousness, logic, planning, cognitive emotion, the perceived perpetuation and navigation of the space/time dualistic human experience.  At higher levels of consciousness, the mind provides the capacity to self-realize, the ability to imagine and the potential to transcend linear thought and programmed limitations. 

            3.            Soul.  The soul experiences Divine Consciousness and plays the instruments of instinct and intuition.  Our souls provide our life force and direct connection to divine zero point/infinity consciousness and potential beyond, where space and time have little meaning.  As well, it is our souls that indelibly record and retain the imprints of our consciousness, including all experiences of our VTR’s and VCC’s and the potential of our infinite permutations.  Our soul illuminates and energizes our consciousness like a projector shining light through the film strip of our life’s experience onto the screen of our physical world.

Vibratory Receptors and Transmitters (“VRT’s”)

It is through our Vibratory Receptors and Transmitters (“VRT’s”) that we transmit and receive vibrations to and from the universe and our VCC’s.

The instruments played by the VCC’s are the 7 following VRT’s of 1) Sensation, 2) Perception, 3) Thought, 4) Emotion, 5) Feelings, 6) Instinct and 7) Intuition.  Each VRT possesses unique characteristics, vibrations and patterns. 

Much like the difference between playing violin and drums, each VRT possesses unique characteristics that resonate with the VCC’s that have the tools and ability to “play” the matching VRT’s.  Like mastering a musical instrument, the VRT’s and VCC can also be honed through attention and practice as tools to express and manifest one’s desired results.   Thus, with conscious attention and practice, we can utilize our VRT’s and VCC’s for the highest expression of our consciousness. 

The following provides a summary of the VRT’s:

            1.            Sensation is the first stage in the biochemical and neurologic events that begins with a stimulus impinging upon the receptor cells of a sensory organ, such as light upon the eyes, sound in the ears, taste on our tongue, smell in our nose, air on our skin.  With the exception of the 6^th sense (intuition), the five phenomenal senses of sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch, limit and filter the massive wave of data we receive each moment, and thus constrain and limit the experience of “phenomenal reality.”  Our senses receive raw data from our environment and create information which is transmitted throughout somatic pathways in the form of sensation prior to reaching the mind for processing.

            2.            Perception is the process of attaining awareness of sensory information.  When sensory data reaches our mind, it is generally filtered into a perception that fits our contextual world view.   For example, when our eyes sample and filter the light wave data of a tree, we filter, connect and contextualize these shapes in a story that fits our worldview and we then perceive a tree.  We have not yet added thought or emotion to our perception of the tree, (e.g., “the tree is beautiful,” or “I feel peaceful when I look at the tree”). 

             3.            Thought is a mental form and process that allows our minds to model, navigate, order, filter, individuate and understand the human a space-time experience.  Thought also provides us the ability to be self-conscious and have past and future experiences in the realm of mind.  In its ego, space-time, linear form, thought can many times create a worldview and “reality” that is limited and “closed-minded.”  At the higher level of functioning, thought ascends into the super-consciousness of imagination.  Imagination provides us the ability to form mental images, sensations and concepts, without the need for sensory involvement, although our senses do influence our imagination

            4.            Emotion is a mental and physiological state associated with a wide variety of stimuli, including feelings, thoughts, beliefs, events, sensations, perceptions and even other emotions.  Just about anything can trigger an emotion.  Because emotions are so subjective and able to be triggered from so many stimuli, they can involve significant complexity and are often misunderstood.

Emotion in its basic form is an energetic charge carrying a vibrational frequency that seeks expression.  Expression is the release of the emotional charge, where as behavior is the outward manifestation of the expressive release, as brought into the world and viewed by others.  Such behavior can include reactive expressions such as crying, laughing, fighting and fleeing, or conscious expression such as painting, playing music, taking a run, accomplishing a goal, making love with greater presence or generosity.

Emotions can be “Basic” or “Complex.”  An example of a basic emotion is the fear of falling from a great height.  Fear of falling from a great height is singular, simple and there to save your life.  Love, on the other hand, is complex as it contains many different emotions and vibrations combined together for no direct or specific reason.

Emotions can also be “Instinctual” or “Cognitive.”  Instinctual Emotions are generally associated with survival (e.g., fight, flight, food, mating) and are generated from a combination somatic consciousness, sympathetic nervous system and the amygdala.  Because Instinctual Emotions are highly somatic, and the body is always in the state of present awareness, these emotions tend to be felt in the “moment of now” rather than forecasting a future, or remembering a past, event.  Cognitive Emotions tend to be triggered by thought and involve the prefrontal cortex.  This brain region has been implicated in planning complex cognitive behaviors, personality expression, decision making and moderating correct social behavior. Thus, Cognitive Emotions tend to arise from dualistic, polarized, future/past thinking and a plethora of programmed emotional triggers. 

Cognitive Emotions often arise as a result of a programmed belief interacting with a circumstance.  For example, if I believe making money is good and losing money is bad, when I make money I may experience the emotion of happiness and when I lose money, I may experience the emotion of anger.  Understanding our belief systems is valuable for consciously utilizing the charge of emotion to manifest our desired outcomes. 

When you notice emotions or behavior that are not in alignment with that you desire to create, ask yourself what thought or belief triggered the emotion and whether that thought or emotion is yours.  Often you will see that you are reacting to a thought or belief that is programmed or implanted and that you are not consciously utilizing emotional energy to intentionally create your desired outcome.

              5.              Feelings are a present time experience of somatic consciousness coupled with cognitive awareness.  Since our body consciousness is always in the moment of now, our feelings, which are experienced somatically, are generally much more present and less subject to rationalization, manipulation and fiction.   The body does not care about whether you get a promotion or get married to your lover or make money.  The body is conscious of its present state (e.g., I feel hungry, I feel amorous, I feel tired, I feel comfortable).

Feelings and emotions are often used interchangeably without much thought to their differences.  For example, I feel angry is not an accurate statement.  The body does not feel angry.  The mind experiences anger as a result of a belief intersecting with a circumstance and the body creates vibrational feelings to match that state of mind.

Examples of feelings include states of being relaxed, tense, agitated, excited, vital, strong, edgy, open, full, attracted, repulsed, closed, passionate, charged, tingly, bubbly, harmonious, healthy, calm, comfortable, hot, warm, cold, vibrant, expansive, light, full, tight and free.

When, however, the mind interprets feelings in the body, the pure and present feelings of the body become distorted and mixed with story, thought and emotion.  This is why people often confuse feelings with emotion.

               6.            Instinct is primarily a somatic impulse based upon ancient memory and universal connection that moves behavior without cognitive interference.  Instinct is defined as (1) a natural or inherent aptitude, impulse, or capacity, (2) a largely inheritable and unalterable tendency of an organism to make a complex and specific response to environmental stimuli without involving reason, or (3) behavior that is mediated by reactions below the conscious level.

Much of the inherited patterning and cellular memory of our past evolution instinctually drives our behavior.  Although modern humans (homo sapiens sapiens) have “evolved” in thought, culture and society over some 200,000 years, our somatic awareness and instinct are products of genetic and societal survival instincts that dominate our beliefs and behaviors and date back 4.5 billion years to the beginning o planetary evolution. 

               7.            Intuition is the ability to acquire knowledge without inference or the use of reason.  Intuition provides us with guidance that we cannot necessarily justify rationally.  Intuition is generally a cognitive connection between the universe and our soul-mind consciousness or super-consciousness.  Intuition generally appears as flashes of insight that are beyond logical reasoning.  For Rudolf Steiner, intuition is the third of three stages of higher knowledge, coming after imagination and inspiration, and is characterized by a state of immediate and complete experience of, or even union with, the object of knowledge without loss of the subject's individual ego.

Intuition arises when thought ascends the boundaries and constraints of limited, linear thought processes and expands into the realm of non-linear/non-rational super-consciousness.

Our intuition is, in essence, like an intelligent radio tuner that is capable of playing multiple channels, but automatically tunes into the strongest station that will provide us with the experience most aligned with our higher self.  However, sometimes our intuition gives us choices and may shift between “realities” and possibilities.   This is because our intuition is already tuned into parallel possibilities and their outcomes.  Our intuition allows us to feel and be magnetized toward decisions that will realize our highest purpose and yield the maximum fulfillment of our co-creative vision.  

Jamming with The Unified Divine – (Conscious Co-Creation in Alignment with Universal Vibration)

            Our ability to powerfully and divinely co-create our world is directly related to the vibrational state we transmit to, and receive from, the universe.  When we consciously focus our VRT’s and VCC’s, we can intentionally increase the vibration of our VRT’s and VCC’s, to realize the highest expression of our selves in alignment with divine consciousness. 

            Thus, if we want to realize abundance in our life, we must bring our VRT’s and VCC’s into vibrational alignment with the state of being abundant.  This will send a vibration of abundance to the universe. The universe, in turn, sends us vibrations that match the state of our abundance.  Because we are in abundance consciousness, we are open to receiving these vibrations.  This creates a feedback loop of abundance vibrations. As the internal and universal vibrations of abundance increase, it leads to the energetic expression of abundance which, when outwardly manifested, becomes abundant behavior, thus manifesting abundance in our life.

            The VRT’s that are most in alignment with listening and feeling the language of divine wisdom are intuition and instinct.  Intuition comes forth to guide us, when we are feeling and listening to the music the universe is playing.  Intuition and instinct directly connect to, and are experienced by, our soul, providing us with a direct connection to divine wisdom, uncluttered by space/time perception, reason and duality.  When we are guided by our intuition and instinct, we align to the tune being played by The Unified Divine.

            We jam with The Unified Divine when we consciously align our VRT’S and VCC’s ourselves to hear, feel and play the song of The Unified Divine.  In our jam session, we become co-creators with the The Unified Divine, adding our unique influence and contribution to the tune.  When the tune is harmonious, synchronous and inspiring, we know we are really cooking with The Unified Divine.  In this state of play, using a quote from my friend, Dreaming Bear, “we give God goosebumps.”  When we feel the vibration of goosebumps, The Unified Divine feels them too.

            Here is a to a jam session filled with divine goosebumps!

H.E.A.L.E.R. – The New Divine Relationship Paradigm

H.E.A.L.E.R. – Healthy, Enlightened, Abundant, Loving, Evolving Responsible relationships occur when we we take full responsibility for our experiences, our happiness and all we create.  The illusion and belief systems that create, attachment to outcome, agenda, manipulation, drama, having-losing, neediness and fear dissolve giving way to unconditional love, divine connection, acceptance, freedom, expansiveness, collaboration, inspiration, the creation of beauty and fully present consciousness.

Overview and Introduction

The unconscious adoption of “acceptable” and limited forms of relationship is the norm in our society.  These limited relationship forms include such unimaginative and vague categories as “dating,” “girlfriend/boyfriend,” “engaged” or “married.”  Occasionally, alternative forms of relationships such as ”open relationship, ”“it’s complicated,” “boy/boy,” “girl/girl” or “bi/bi” find their way into fringe acceptance, but are generally considered taboo. 

While we spend much of our time thinking about relationships, planning relationships and engaging in relationships, we don’t often consciously communicate with each other or intentionally create our relationships.  Rather, we sleep walk into relationship categories with vague and basic rules of engagement pre-defined by society.

We not only adhere to these limited forms of relationship, but we actually attempt to force others to adopt these limited forms. . .”I don’t understand why he won’t commit to being your boyfriend.  You should dump him.”  “If you can’t commit to me exclusively, I don’t want to see you again.”

The prevailing mainstream belief is that getting married represents the ultimate relationship objective and many of us agendize and manipulate for that special day for unconsciously making our wedding vows and spending ridiculous sums of money to let the church and state into our spiritual union. 

We are not taught good relationship and emotional communication skills.  As a result, we do not generally act or communicate authentically in our relationships and are programmed to believe that somehow getting married will magically fill the in the gaps of our relational ineptitude. Our current relationship paradigms are generally unclear, unconscious, out of integrity and largely dysfunctional.

Maybe that’s why divorce rates in much of the world are so high. . . Marriage is 100% the cause of all divorces (humor statistic) with Sweden and the U.S. topping this list at 54.9% and 54.8%, respectively. 

Moreover, ABC News Primetime Live Poll : The American Sex Survey, dated Thursday, Oct. 21, 2004, reports that women have an average of 6 sex partners in their lifetimes and men an average of 20.     This demonstrates that the rate of “successful relationships” is much lower than the low rate of successful marriages. 

Thus, a massively high percentage of relationships fail to meet the definition of “success” sold to us by society.

In 1968 researcher, Shere Hite, shook the foundations of conservative America with her famous “Hite Report” on the permissive sexual attitudes of American men and women.  In 1988, Hite released her book, “Women and Love: A Cultural Revolution in Progress” (Knopf Press, 1988) with some updated statistics.  Ms. Hite reveals some startling data describing how women feel about contemporary relationships:

• 84% of women are not emotionally satisfied with their relationship
• 95% of women report “emotional and psychological harassment” from their men
• 70% of women married 5 years or more are having extramarital affairs
• 72% of men married 5 years or more are having extramarital affairs
• Only 13% of women married more than 2 years are “in love”

There, however, is some disparity in these numbers.  According to “Studies in Human Sexuality” by Suzanne G. Frayser and Thomas J. Whitby, the number of extramarital affairs is 50%, which is still remarkably high.  

If most relationships are failing (by the current definition of “success”), why do we pretend they are succeeding?  Why are we lying to ourselves and each other?  Why are we mindlessly adopting relationship forms that don’t work?  

This is because (i) we have been programmed to believe that the current forms of relationships actually work; (ii) we fear that we will be ostracized if we engage in a relationship that is unacceptable to our friends, family and society, (iii) there are no other widely disseminated and adopted models for having a healthy, conscious and divine relationship; and (iv) we  desire relationships that provide the illusion of safety, security and predictability over an unstructured and unpredictable relationships that provide greater passion, love, growth and truth.

Rather than engaging in relationships as our divine, abundant, fearless, loving and expansive selves, we conform to limited and contracted expressions of love.  We put limitations on who we can love and how we express love.  We compromise our truth, integrity, freedom and passion, only to resent our loved ones for our compromises.  We blame others for our circumstance and the emotions we feel (e.g., “he/she hurt me, broke my heart, made me mad, made me feel insecure,” etc.).  Yet we perpetuate a myth that our current relationship paradigms and belief systems are healthy and working. 

Despite the “failure” of so many relationships, we go on mindlessly adopting the current relationship paradigms, which often results in an abdication of responsibility, emotional drama, victim mentality, codependency, manipulation, disconnectedness, addiction, fear, attachment, negotiation, selfishness, dishonesty and inept communication.  

The foregoing clearly demonstrates that we need to transform ourselves and the relationship paradigm.  This starts with changing the definition of “success.”

Maybe “success” in relationship is nothing more than the ability to love fully and presently in the moment without attachment to outcome.   We truly only have the moment.  If we spend all our time planning our relationship for our life when we’re 80 years old, we will look back on our relationship and realize that all we did was spend our time together planning and that the plans turned out differently.  However, if we spend our time fully and presently experiencing each other with great love, passion and inspiration, when we arrive at 80 years old, we will look back at a life and relationship full of great love, passion and inspiration.

Maybe success is being unconditionally loving and unconditionally loved for exactly who we are and being able to express our authentic self.

Maybe a successful relationship is one where the participants inspire each other and create beauty in the world.           

Maybe success is having the opportunity to understand oneself more deeply and to grow into a more evolved human as a result of the relationship. 

In addition to changing our definition of success, it’s time to become consciously aware of the beliefs and programs that are negatively affecting our behavior, emotions and relationships. 

It is time to be aware and have conscious relationships that allow us to be expansive, unlimited, passionate, inspired and in our truth and integrity. 

It is time for relationships that create growth and love rather than limitation and fear. 

It is time to build the new relationship paradigm of H.E.A.L.E.R. - Healthy, Enlightened, Abundant, Loving, Evolving, Responsible relationships.

A Transpersonal Approach to Psychotherapy

Pioneered by Freud around 100 years ago, the field of Western psychology has concentrated on the outer self-mind, heart, and body as the foundation for an individual’s growth and experience. Psychotherapy has mostly focused on healing the fragmented self, a repercussion of childhood psychological wounding.  With the conception of Humanistic Psychology in the 1950’s, Maslow, an instrumental force in widening the scope of psychology, studied the healthy individual’s desire for greater self-awareness and self-actualization.  Responding to the evolutionary nature of the psyche, Maslow and other theorists like Carl Rodgers and Carl Jung introduced a spiritual dimension to psychology, thus giving birth to Transpersonal Psychology. Transpersonal psychology includes the psychoanalytic, cognitive/behavioral, and humanistic/existential schools and extends beyond to include timeless shared spiritual wisdom from the ages.

In this paper, I will describe a transpersonal or psychospiritual approach to psychotherapy highlighting the main principles of transpersonal psychology, including the therapist consciousness, the client’s orientation and various techniques/modalities commonly practiced in a session. Furthermore, I will share how I plan to personally integrate these practices in my life to use with myself and others.

What is Transpersonal Psychotherapy?

Though difficult to fully define because of it’s all-inclusive and evolving nature, Transpersonal psychotherapy can be described as an integrative experiential depth psychotherapy that synthesizes developments in modern psychology with wisdom from the perennial spiritual traditions of the world.  More concisely, the transpersonal approach merges the psychological with the spiritual, the personal with the transpersonal, self with spirit and the ordinary with the extraordinary. Within this framework, the importance is on both the understanding and healing of the fragmented self as well as the exploration of the source and depth of our own being, or soul. Transpersonal psychology, so importantly, includes and integrates parts of the human experience that was before kept separate or thought unimportant.

Special to transpersonal psychotherapy are the underlying principles of a deeper spiritual existence. Instead of “labeling” or “fixing” the client, transpersonal psychotherapy sees psychological processes as a part of the spiritual unfoldment of the individual. Even though every being is innately “whole”, the quest for the embodiment of this wisdom takes time. In connecting to this greater reality, a deeper meaning for the soul’s advancement can easily be gleaned as an experience on the path in the expansion of consciousness. When one is devoted to living the spiritual process, a new dimension to the sacredness of everyday life can be sensed with each moment bringing more clarity, truth and fulfillment within the divine plan. With this new awareness, the individual can see, feel and experience their relationship in the interconnectedness to the Whole. This is an exciting opportunity for the Self who aspires for Self-Actualization and oneness with the Divine.  Ultimately, the goal of Transpersonal Psychotherapy is to support each client’s process of mind, body, spirit integration for emergence of their soul or authentic nature.  When the soul fully embodies the being, a joyful, pure, peaceful presence guides the liberated Self.

What is the consciousness of a transpersonal psychotherapist?

More important than the specific technique administered in a session, the consciousness of the therapist is influential to the client’s inquiry into the self. Unlike psychoanalysis in which the therapist is dominant and energetically distant from the client, the transpersonal therapist sees the client within a non-dual orientation as an equal companion on the same level of shared consciousness. Within this connected state, the therapist’s loving empathic presence supports a deep heart space for the client to get in touch with their feelings. This deep palpable energy field invites the client to directly experience their inner feelings while connected to their deeper spiritual essence. In order for the therapist to fully engage the consciousness of the client, the therapist’s own inner depth exploration is essential to navigate the client through the realms of multi-dimensional consciousness. The therapist’s own meditation and spiritual practices contribute to content of the session as well as the underlying evolving spiritual development of therapist.

What type of clients are attracted to transpersonal psychotherapy?                      

Like traditional psychotherapy, some clients are attracted to transpersonal psychotherapy to address common issues such as childhood wounding, depression, trauma, personal growth and other life challenges. For these clients, the integrated transpersonal approach adds a spiritual dimension of consciousness to expand, deepen and reframe their lives. Other clients are called more specifically for guidance with questions along their own unique spiritual path. Many spiritual seekers that have experienced “Spiritual Emergencies”, Kundalini awakening, Altered States of Consciousness, and Near Death Experiences find meaningful grounded professional support in a transpersonal therapist, often difficult to find in conventionally oriented psychotherapists. Sometimes, shifts in consciousness resemble disturbing psychopathologic states, though are actually breakthroughs in the soul’s emergence towards greater self-awareness.  Additionally, meditators on the path to self-realization can benefit from having an educated spiritual companion assist them in incorporating psychological issues that arise with spiritual development. Similarly, transpersonal psychotherapy can assist more psychologically oriented people to see beyond their limited blocks and expand toward a more expansive range of human potential.  Most importantly of all, these clients are interested in a psychospiritual style of therapy in which all aspects of their multi-dimensional being-emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual-are seen, welcomed and encouraged to blossom.

What does a transpersonal psychotherapy session look like?

Like an artist has a palette of colors available to use, the transpersonal therapist has a wide spectrum of experiential mind, body and heart techniques to assist the client in bringing more coherence to the surface self and full emergence of their soul. Instead of having particular specific techniques, sessions are guided by an all-inclusive theoretical transpersonal framework creating spaciousness for a variety of explorations. Depending on the content, context, process, and experience of the therapist, a therapist will usually draw on conventional psychotherapeutic processes such as Psychoanalysis, Cognitive/Behavioral and/or Humanistic/Existential therapy while also incorporating more experiential techniques such as mindfulness meditation, visualization, and somatic practices (breathwork, hakomi, bodywork) and other exploratory exercises. Because the goal is expansion of consciousness, the technique provides the initial structure or “launch pad” for the client and therapist to begin the inquiry.

What  psychological orientations, spiritual traditions and practices would I like to incorporate  into my work?

            As a budding Transpersonal psychotherapist in the world today, I feel grateful to have such a vast array of theories and practices available to use on this journey into consciousness. The eclectic framework of transpersonal psychotherapy allows me to continuously grow as an integrated being incorporating my own unique collection of mind, body, and spirit modalities to use with a client. Within the spirit of the Purna Advaita Ventanta path, I feel my body, heart and mind mostly connected to Somatic practices, Humanistic/Existential psychology, the Diamond Approach along with the universal wisdom of Carl Jung. Central to my practice, I will focus on the present state of the body as the window into the unspoken truth of the soul’s process. Through a blend of energetic bodywork (Rosen Method), breathwork, mindfulness meditation and movement, the body has an opportunity to access hidden thoughts, memories and feelings the right side of the brain may be unconscious to.  In my opinion, tapping into body awareness creates a wonderful foundation for the therapist-client to move in and out of the mind and heart space.  From this experiential place, the therapist-client can investigate what is happening in consciousness underneath the surface allowing the intuition of the therapist to guide the session. With a positive client-centered humanistic/existential focus, personal needs, desires and life questions can be addressed connecting the client within. Tapping into unmanifest creativity, imagination, dreams and the “conscious collective” can also unlock doors to the higher spiritual realms bringing more of one’s fullest potential forward.

            In conclusion, Transpersonal Psychotherapy is continuously being molded, formed and shaped as consciousness, practices and techniques evolve through time. Could transpersonal psychotherapy be the “norm” in psychotherapy in the next 20 years? I believe so. As consciousness wakes up to itself and sees all life grounded in the sacred, possibly the patterns of thought and behavior which alienate us from the divine can be understood and addressed. When the sacred ground which we are all part of is recognized, then psychotherapy can be truly Transpersonal.

Over the past two decades, organizational structure, governance and capacities have undergone critical examination, but largely remain bureaucratic.  In order to thrive in the 21st century, organizations must go beyond examination and experimentation into application.  New technologies, globalization, voluminous cross-platform-multi-channeled information, and rapidly changing market-social-economic-political conditions are requiring the application of dynamic whole-systems organizational tool chests rather than the one-size-fits-all command and control hierarchical tool(s) of the last 100 years.

It is time for a new generation of whole-systems organizations, governance and leadership that are conscious, evolved, integrated and responsive to the rapidly changing circumstances and information flows of the 21^st century.  These organizations and leaders must balance the needs of their shareholders for profit and growth with conscious choices that promote the good of their employees, their customers, their distribution channel, their community, society and the environment.

Whole-systems dynamics is the process of understanding the interconnected, interdependent interactions within a whole system. For example, whole-systems in nature examine the relationships of elements within ecosystems such how air, water, fire, wind, soil conditions, plants and the movement  of animals work together for the ecosystemic survival, sustainability or failure.  In organizations, whole systems dynamics are applied to optimize the interactions, efficiencies, experiences and impact of people, structures/infrastructure, communications, capital, information, resources, market dynamics, communities, environment, customers, channel partners, strategic relationships, inventory, governance and processes that work together to make an organization healthy and socially responsible.

Ludwig von Burtalanffy is credited as the founder of General Systems Approach dating back to 1969.  So this is not new technology. Whole systems dynamics arose out of the general systems approach and was used mostly in science and economics, but within the last 10 years has been adopted by pioneering corporations and government organizations with great success.  Whole systems approaches are now entering an early adopter phase and will see much more rapid adoption and application. 

Another interesting application of natural whole systems approaches to organizational governance and manufacturing processes is Biomimicry.  Biomimicry (from bios, meaning life, and mimesis, meaning to imitate) is a new discipline that studies nature's best ideas developed by the planet over 4.5 billion years and then imitates these designs and processes to solve human problems. Studying a leaf to invent a better solar cell is an example - an "innovation inspired by nature."

By applying whole systems approaches and biomimicry, we can redefine "success" as more than just profit, but rather the success of the ecosystem and economic-political-social system impacted by the actions, products and services of the organization.

By applying a different definition of "success" that aligns with nature and developing metrics that provide the necessary feedback  to achieve "success,"  organizations can develop the chest of versatile tools that provide them the ability to optimally respond to a plethora of situations that arise from a universe of possibilities rather than trying to control and eliminate possibilities.

Ecosystemic health of the organization can be achieved by shifting corporate beliefs, behaviors, processes and relationships - such as moving from command, control, blame, disempowerment and a singular "profit-at-all-costs" focus - to whole systems approaches that account for the needs of the individual; employees; the organization; the organization's customers; partners, channel and manufacturers; the infrastructure and mechanisms by which the organization delivers its products and/or services; the shareholders, investors and broader economic markets; the communities that the organization impacts; humankind; and the planet and its resources.

One-size-fits-all models generally lead back to breakdowns in the system requiring more bureaucracy.  The universe doesn't conform to man-made forms and structures.  We need tools that optimally deal with chaos and rapidly changing conditions.  We need tools that are evolutionary and work with the natural laws of the universe and the planet.  We are co-creators living within a larger system and can no longer naively expect the universe and nature to bend to the arrogant will of man. 

By letting function dictate form and using form as a functional tool, we can obtain optimal results by using the right tool under the right circumstances.   If our only tool is hammer, every problem looks like a nail. When presented with a tomato, we hit with our hammer, when presented with a nut and bolt, we hit it with our hammer.  If only we had a knife for the tomato and a wrench for the nut and bolt, the outcome of our action could be considerably more efficient and elegant.

The tool chest is provided by the adoption of Situationally Adaptive Organizations (“SAO’s”) that create "Generative Futures."

SAO’s provide us with an integrated, whole systems, multi-structure hybrid that provides us a tool chest rather than a single tool.  Each situation dictates which tool is the most appropriate.  For example, in a fire a commander-in-chief would be more effective than getting the organization together for a unanimous decision on who gets the pail, shovel or hose.  In some circumstances democracy is most effective, in others it may be a dictatorship, adhocracy, matrix, nucleus, chaord, fractal or communism.  SAO's match circumstances with governance forms and do not rigidly adhere to single form of governance.

Generative Futures provide a method of clearing past rigidity and forms to allow organizations to make rapid fire decisions.  The future is continually created in the moment of "now" and is not tied to past blame, fault, fixes or processes.  By seeing the future a blank canvas, the organization can intentionally create an innovative, inspired and transformative future looking forward rather than focusing its resources on the fixing the past and managing the risk of an unknown future.

I have a dream of great transformation and new possibilities to create a world of A.W.E. - Abundance, Wellness & Enlightenment.

This dream is not about change. It is not about fixing the old system with the same mindset, tools and behavior that created the problems to begin with.

This is a global dream that affects not only the starving children in Africa and the suffering and injustice at the bottom of the pyramid, but the children and coming generations in the richest countries in the world, like
right here in the United States.

If we do not make immediate transformation in the way we live and consume, it is we, the people of the United States of America, that will be facing starvation, severe draught, displacement from our homes and great
suffering from environmental devastation and pollution in the next 20 years. Already many Americans are losing their jobs, their homes and their pensions.

Our education, healthcare, social security and infrastructure systems are broken. Our farms are depleted and our oceans fished out. Our air, water and food are polluted with toxic and carcinogenic chemicals. Our government no longer serves the people, but rather serves multi-national corporations and the central banking
system.

We spend so much of our time, attention and energy on destroying each other and the planet. For what? Money - a bunch of worthless paper that derives its value from scarcity? So we can each have our very own piece of the latest plastic from China? For oil that destroys our environment?

There are real possibilities for a better world on the horizon. However, to manifest these possibilities will take a combination of widespread adoption of clean technologies, education reform, new infrastructure
and core economic and political reform.

More than all of these, the great impact will come from the transformation of our beliefs and behaviors from hoarding, exclusivity,disconnection and callousness to sharing, collaboration, inclusivity, respect, compassion and love.

The current economy of manufacturing, fossil fuels and the industrialized war machine will be dwarfed by the economy of restoration, regeneration, abundance, wellness, goodness, information, and transformation.

Our scientists have mathematically proven that we live in a universe of infinite possibilities. I hold that there is a possibility that we can live in abundance rather than end poverty. That we can possess wellness rather than fight disease. That we can bring forth enlightenment that shines so bright that the darkness of ignorance, selfishness, war, killing, prejudice, fear, hatred and injustice dissolves into the light creating a world that is
loving, creative, harmonious, generous and beautiful.

I am in awe of the magnificent beauty I see in our planet and the potential of humankind to rise to an equal magnificence and beauty. I am touched deeply by my connection and love for humanity and our beautiful planet earth. I am committed to creating a world of A.W.E. – Abundance, Wellness & Enlightenment. A world that is peaceful, just, and loving inhabited by humans that are environmentally conscious and socially responsible stewards of regeneration that create an abundant planet for this and future generations.

This is a collective dream that is far bigger than any one of us. Many of us share this dream, but don’t know how to realize this dream. To be realized, this dream needs help, commitment and participation by those who share this dream. I, as the founder of AWE Institute am committing my life to this dream. If this is also your dream, let’s share the dream. By giving ourselves to the dream we can realize the dream together.

For the benefit of humankind and planet, let us come together and pool our talent, our resources and our collective power to become and create the change we want to see in the world.