Akashic Records - Questions and Support

[Melchior]

Originally Posted by ChrisL

Melchoir - Our soul and body are two distinct beings, the first being static and the latter being dynamic. The body is more concerned with our current life and how to survive, while the soul contains memories of all the lives and wants to know the "big picture" and how we play in it.

Is there something to be said about the concept of the 'mind' as well here, like a linking factor, or perhaps something else? Also, what exactly is an etheric body anyway, and how does it relate to the 'physical' body? A while back I was talking about the differences/connections between information and energy in another thread, and I'm wondering if this etheric body can be represented as 'pure' information? If so, where would it be 'stored' (the medium)? Could you say Akasha is the soul's etheric body of all of existence?

We're always 'connected' to the information - it's a matter of having the intention and clarity to experience it, like tuning into a tv or radio station. Try creating a visualization that includes sacred symbols to excite your consciousness, and includes visiting a library or temple, and then looking into a void of some kind (i.e. movie screen, deep water, black stone). Then ask questions and allow yourself to experience answers in a multi-sensory form, and even experiencing answers in a holographic form, like stepping into a movie. If it helps, imagine yourself in a round room where the 'movie' gets played 360 degress all around you.

And the tuning into these, other than necessary for survival, information channels, what's the best way to improve the signal to noise ratio? I can see how visualizing and asking yourself questions and getting answers in that method could help, but I'm not as confident in the 'accuracy' of the answers or if I might just be making stuff up (like a way to test the information, very similar to how we might test our vision by not running into a wall ). You mentioned something about chi in your response to rei, do you know how well taichi does to improve the receptiveness of this crown chakra? Also, what more can you tell me about what chi actually is?

Yup, another barrage of questions... >.<

[ChrisL]

Elucidate - You're very welcome. And I enjoy talking about Mary and Jeshua too. Role models - I hear you on that one.

Melchoir - You're on the right track! The body and mind are very linked together - I usually think in terms of body-mind. One perspective is that the mind is the unseen, masculine reflection of our visible, feminine bodies. Our bodies (i.e. posture, breath, senses, movement) very much influence our emotions and thoughts, and vice versa. For example, try feeling inspired and hunching over, or stand up straight and try to feel depressed - it's tough.

The meeting of our body and soul can be a very narrow strip of consciousness (individual mind), and as we release conflict and allow for wisdom beyond using our intellect (i.e. intuition, direct wisdom), we expand into greater levels of collective mind consciousness.

We have 7 bodies that correspond with our 7 main chakras and 7 planes of consciousness - physical, etheric, astral, causal, mental, celestial, and christ bodies. Look at each body as existing on a different frequency/vibration, just like we have cellphone, tv, microwave frequencies. Many times we can see the etheric body like a white energetic envelope around the physical form, and some people actual see auric colors that exist on the higher levels. If you were to do yoga or some form of meditation and look not directly but a little off to the side of a person, you might be able to see it. Many healers will actually do energetic healing on the etheric body of an individual for physical body healing (i.e. Jeshua), because it is quicker and easier. And we already talked about the etheric body as being where our memory is stored.

If you were to move the etheric body of some object (i.e. person, a heavy stone), the physical form would be obliged to move. In martial arts the more advanced training is how to affect chi/energy and do things like move the etheric body of your opponent. My judo sensei had various stories of people not being physically touched but somehow being thrown or held down to the mat - I'm sure many people know stories like this.

The Akasha is the storage for our existence, body and soul, individual and collective experience. The Akashic Records is more like the etheric body of the planet, which collects all the information about us. Our etheric bodies aren't pure information as much as where the info gets stored and uploaded to the Akasha.

The best way to improve signal to noise ratio is to stop the noise. Our internal conflict (i.e. conflicted beliefs, judgments, negating our emotions) creates a lack of focus and clarity - it is the noise. Beliefs like "I'm not really experiencing the Records, I'm making this up", "I don't deserve to do this", "I can't do this", "what if I see something I don't like", etc - are the noise. Using any means to get beyond our intellect and harmful mind chatter on a regular basis - meditation, prayer, devotional singing, dancing, martial arts, breathwork, etc - will also be helpful in accessing the Records.

For you personally, because you have such a wonderfully strong mind, you might try something very active first - running, working out, swimming, dancing - anything you can totally throw yourself into. Then a slower meditation like conscious yogic breathing, tai chi (which is helpful in consciously learning to use chi, and will help move chi between all the chakras) or chi gong. Then try a visualization and don't worry about whether you're making it up! Ask about something in you near future to see if it's accurate. At first you might even be making some of it up, other times you might be spot on, then at some point you come into a grounded intuition where you just know. Get more empty first (i.e. no-mind mode) and then real wisdom can show up from the Records - and it's the same with enlightenment. Once we get out of the way, our enlightenment has a chance to shine through us.

[ChrisL]

Melchoir - I forgot to answer this. There are whole books about chi/kundalini, how to use it, breathing and movement techniques, etc. Books that I recommend are "Light on Pranayama" by BKS Iyengar, and "Science of Breath" by Ramacharaka. I'm sure others can make great recommendations.

In simple terms, think of chi as our body's electric current that stays mostly in our base chakra until we invite it to move into the other chakras (i.e. up to the 6th/7th to access the Records). When we have no internal conflict left, the chi will move freely between all the chakras. When we have conflict, the current will be weak where we have conflict (i.e. can't ask for what we want - throat chakra not open completely). When the first 6 chakras are allowed to freely express, the chi moves freely and expresses in the 7th chakra.

[Melchior]

Chris, thank you for your responses, they were rather helpful (and coherent ). I might look into those books you mentioned on chi sometime. So for clarification, Akasha is specifically linked to the planet? That and the etheric bodies are the medium, information just being information. Luckily, I'm also in a martial art, so I might find it useful to try exploring more of what you said about these etheric bodies. Do you know where there are further resources on that (maybe specific recommendations from that book list on your website). Regarding emptying the mind, thanks for the suggestions (heh, perhaps this is another indicator that I should be more diligent with my taichi... ).

[ChrisL]

You're very welcome Melchoir. Thanks for having courage to ask questions that others are not asking and can also benefit from, as well as providing your insights.

You're on the right track. Re-read the earlier answer (or any of the earlier answers) I gave you on the grid of the Akashic Records and see if it now comes together internally in a different way.

Thanks for checking out the booklist/resources page on my site. The whole site is going to change and become a few specific websites. I don't know a specific book on martial arts that shows a step by step procedure on how to manipulate the etheric body. That's usually shown by your sensei/teacher if and when you're ready - and for good reason. The old style of learning was that you spent a long time with the master so that he/she could watch you and see your true nature (i.e. sincerely want to be in service, just want special powers, want to kill someone, etc), and you learned a complete system - i.e. martial arts, meditation, mudras, healing, chanting. The books on Yin Style Ba Gua are an example of that. Having said that, with so much available these days, there is probably something on the internet. There are certainly a large number of books out there about energy healing.

Yes, stick with something till it works for you - then at some point it will leave you when you're done with it. I did tai chi regularly as a meditation for about 10 years, and it helped immensely. Then one day it was done with me. Regarding choosing a no-mind technique - it helps to know what kind of temperment you are, then you can zero in on a method - for example, active/willful - martial arts, yoga; devotional - singing, dancing, prayer; mental - conscious movement, meditations with mantras/breath. We humans have a tendency to either not be committed enough, or to not know when to let go.

[elucidate]

Hi ChrisL.

I thought I'd chime in and let you know about my experience the other night during meditation.

It didn't seem to take very long and after asking about jesus, specifically the resurrection...I recieved this "There are many things that have been falsified in the Bible". Then nothing for a while. Unfortunately I drifted off to sleep, so that's all I recieved, that I am consciously aware of anyway.

I have been hearing "The Jews"in my head a bit the last couple of days, but I'm not sure what the relevance is or what it means...if anything. Sometimes I think things just float round from the collective and you just happen to catch it in your net/web?

[ChrisL]

Elucidate - Yes, we can literally walk into a room/area and start thinking a certain thought or have a certain feeling, especially if someone had strong emotion or a high level of consciousness. We can also attune ourselves to whatever thought we want if we have more focus and clarity.

If you want to get an idea of what Jeshua has been doing since that time, you might want to read the book series "Life and Teachings of the Master's of the Far East" by Baird Spalding. Thanks for sharing!

[elucidate]

Thanks. It does sound interesting!

[ChrisL]

I'm curious to see what people think about what holds us back - from being ourselves, from relationships that flow, from attracting what we want, from expressing our enlightenment, etc. What's your take on realilty? What have you found in the Records to help?

[ssandra]

Originally Posted by ChrisL

I'm curious to see what people think about what holds us back - from being ourselves, from relationships that flow, from attracting what we want, from expressing our enlightenment, etc. What's your take on realilty? What have you found in the Records to help?

I've had a SR reading with Rose of Cairo (Book a Reading | Magical Chest) and it was GREAT!!!

I was giving energy to several people in my life, without getting anything back. One probably was my husband... Now, things are balanced again, our relationship has improved immensely!!! Without me or him doing anything fundamentally different, we just get along so much better! There is love on the surface again, not just deep buried in our hearts.

Besides that I had a program running lazy thoughts on me. Although the habit is still there, I have improved my workflow A LOT.

I also apparently had a vow, made in a former life, that I would never be happy. Why I did that? Who knows... but it is gone now...

I don't know if it is because of that, or other reasons but since my reading I haven't had a depressed day!! And I used to have them at least one or two every few weeks!!!

[themaster]

Interesting information ssandra

Correlates with my understandings of some of the exercises my teacher has been showing me about clearing past agreements etc. reigning in your energy etc.

What's she charge in american? (just curious)

[ssandra]

Originally Posted by themaster

Interesting information ssandra

Correlates with my understandings of some of the exercises my teacher has been showing me about clearing past agreements etc. reigning in your energy etc.

What's she charge in american? (just curious)

I don't know because I'm not American )

But the currency converter tells me it is about 175 dollars...

If you are interested, contact her, because she can tell you much better what she does and what she is all about then I can..

Or check out her website. Besides being a good SR practitioner she is also a good writer

[rei]

Originally Posted by ssandra

I don't know because I'm not American )

But the currency converter tells me it is about 175 dollars...

If you are interested, contact her, because she can tell you much better what she does and what she is all about then I can..

Or check out her website. Besides being a good SR practitioner she is also a good writer

Rose does amazing work, I can tell!

I bet ChrisL who started this thread is a great coach too!

I currently access too much Akashic record info at once to feel like it will help people without specific questions. (Sandra, I have not forgotten about the follow-up message you sent on this topic... I am working on it)

[Weena]

I'll back up Sandra on how amazing a SR from Rose is. I also found out about vows made in other lives, implants, how many guides work with me etc... And she's very inspiring too. I think i might try to come out of my shell a bit more in the future, i had a humility vow problem (still working on that one). I also found out about my relation to Atlantis that made me very happy. Oh and my soul group too...hah! so many things...

The other day i was meditating with a new crystal i bought at the market and it seems past lives try to emerge when holding it, so i might use it as a meditation tool now (it's a selenite tower, very pure vibrational feel to it).

[ChrisL]

So some people have had a positive experience in an Akashic type reading! Thanks for sharing about yourselves.

Here's what I think holds us back. In the Records it shows that life is composed of an event and response (or partial response that I call a reaction). So when we're looking at the past, we can see both, but when asking about the future, we can only see events and probable responses/reactions. If we reacted in the past (from some type of internal conflict - limiting beliefs, resistance to feeling emotions, etc), whether in this life or another, then we create a ripple effect where we keep re-creating similar situations until we respond completely (i.e. same relationships, same jobs, etc). This is the need for reincarnating to complete karma (our own conflict). Once we have no karmic issues left to complete, we can then incarnate simply because we want to. If we know how to respond (a full body-soul expression in the present moment) then the originating issue, in any life, becomes resolved and our external circumstances become less and less important.

So the karma (internal conflict) that we carry from other lives until we resolve it, and unresolved conflict from our current life issues, are always begging to be released with a response. It's not so much that our soul needs to be healed/retrieved, as much as conflict wants to be released. The soul itself is always perfect in it's form, unable to have it's essence tainted.

And look what's happening collectively now. As our collective consciousness shifts from collective seperation to unification, every conflict is pressing up from our subconsciousness into our consciousness, wanting to be acknowledged and released. It's extremely difficult to hide from ourselves right now. And time is literally compressing and moving towards simultaneousness, which makes it feel like we have more to do in less time.

So anywhere that we don't match our thoughts, feelings, words and actions would be something to watch. Any motive for still being externally-validating and not internally-validating is important to notice. Any judgment, negative core belief, and any excuse to not be completely ourselves is conflict.

What are your thoughts/experience?

[Weena]

There's point in there that i've noticed too after soul realignment, is that some of my behaviours that did not match with my higher self's will have shifted. Maybe also more courage to tackle stuff that held me back, and motivation to go forwards in the path i have chosen.

Chris, when you consult your own records, do you get images of past lives? The only time something came up i stoped myself "come on, no nonsense and imaginary scene, concentrate!" but it turns out it was the only time i got it right (the decor was the same as the one described to me by a past life psychic later on). I guess an other question i have is that when you visit a past-life it should be accompanied by real sensations and lots of details, and i never got to that stage... I feel like i sabotage myself when i try to do it alone (trust issue?). I even took a one day course about past lives but i thought the teacher was "crap" (she kept telling us about all her private life issues, how boring) and at the end we did a guided meditation to find back past lives and only one attendee found something, the rest of us found nothing at all... i guess it depends on your personality, if you can 'take off' quickly or not...

[ChrisL]

Weena - It depends on what I'm asking. The most amazing experience of past lives is when I literally have an experience as that other life. When I go into the Records I do get images and I can get a full series of images/symbols like walking into a movie. I also hear and read information, or get a sensate feeling at times. For clients, I always go for a multi-sensory experience, and it depends on the question and which way the client can receive the information.

It can be tricky having an Akashic experience, because we're accessing the pre-conscious state which feels dreamlike, and can initially feel like we're making things up. If you were to simply speak out loud whatever you're experiencing, it's easier to remain in a state of witnessing with gratitude, and you move into stream of consciousness mode which releases the judging mind. Even if you're doing a reading for yourself, you can always use a digital recorder - but don't start dwelling on doubt and judgment. When we do, our mind gets in the way and the whole process is liable to stop!

When you're first going into the Records, the senses that you use in your waking life will be the ones that you will default to when your doing readings. The more we have an even experience with our senses in our lives, the easier it is to receive information in a multi-sensory format in the Records.

Yes, in your case it probably is a self-trust issue. Try this as a temporary workaround till you feel more comfortable. Do the reading in 3rd person, like you're reading for someone else - "What is a lifetime Weena had that she really enjoyed? Which lifetime has an originating karmic issue for Weena?"

Finding a compatible teacher can be an issue! I've found that in trainings it depends on the students and the teacher. If the teacher cannot really access the Records or is not really psychic, even if they use someone else's program that did work, the students will have little or no real experience. This is a transmission piece that most people are not aware of. If the teacher is for real and has a knack for transmitting their experience to others, then the students own conflict would be the barrier. In one training I had about 70 students - everyone had interesting experiences, with only 2 having minimal experiences, and they actually told the rest of the class what their fear was. Hope that helps!

[rei]

Chris, that was really awesome to read, thank you!

If I had more incarnations to access I might have been able to answer your other question about the records and how the experience with the records would inform our ideas of reality. The bulk of my essence's experience is not really something I can access while here, though, because we're still getting this realm in shape to be easily accessible from other ones. (I'm not from here... we come in peace )

I find it interesting that you use the word karma as interchangeable with inner conflict. How would you relate that meaning of the words to the idea of karma involving other aspects of Self? Would it be like the two individual aspects have matching inner conflict from a matching moment?

In your experience is it true that we can actually resolve a karmic issue/soul lesson and we end up experiencing the circumstances again - as a way where we have sort of requested a chance to solidify the change? To confirm we have taken the lessons and wish to apply them to those circumstances? (A situation where we would still respond from our new place, with the lessons in mind.)

Do you mean to be invalidating the shamanic framework here, when you say this process is not about soul retrieval? (You are probably aware the shamanic idea of soul isn't really the same as the way it is discussed elsewhere. It may be the shamanic reference to soul, soul parts and soul loss relates to the sort of layer right around/above/surrounding the eternal essence which is always immaculate.)

Are you saying any pain and call to feel healed and whole is something one can resolve by being authentic regardless of the beliefs they have, self-esteem/self-worth issues, etc.? If that person feels authentically low in self-worth, how would you suggest they address that within your understanding?

Would you say the essence that gets the lesson and resolves the conflict in the current incarnation will have that ripple into the other dimensions where the essence is playing as well? The um, what's it called, converging time lines or something?

Definitely see the quickening going on... some interesting grid work happening right now. Collective release of stuff that doesn't serve us...

What a great thread, thanks for posting it!

[ChrisL]

Rei - You're welcome! If we have inner conflict that we hold onto (this life or from another life), we ourselves will create a karmic situation that will help us come into balance - either with the same people or a similar circumstance. We hold conflict in our etheric bodies (subconscious) until we're ready to become conscious of it and release it. The more we want to clearly see ourselves and live openly, the less there is any delineation like lower self, higher self, oversoul, subconscious/conscious - we are simply Creation living through us in each moment.

Typically when we're really done with something, the same circumstances don't come up again, and if for some reason they did, it would not trigger us at all if we have already completed with the originating issue. Some people do like to have a confirmation that something is done and might try to subject themselves to the same/similar circumstances.

I'm not trying to invalidate anyone or their work as much as clarifying what blocks us. Thanks for asking and describing more of your work. Our souls are inviolate, they cannot be hurt, distorted, etc. We can carry our conflict over many lives. We can be traumatized to the extent that we are living in a parallel expression where we don't feel we are completely ourselves. In cases of a coma, our consciousness can even be primarily in our other energetic bodies till our physical body heals. Energetic healing can be very effective. And in my experience our soul remains the same - meaning there is not something intrinsically 'wrong' with us.

Listening to our pain is a great way to move into responding! Many times we struggle against it instead of embracing it with awareness and diving deeper. I'm saying that being authentic, having a complete response now towards a certain issue, will create a ripple-effect that heals the originating issue in any life, and the affect of that is felt in all our lives. It is our limiting beliefs and internalized negative self-talk that creates our self-esteem issues - which is a wonderful flag to start witnessing to see where we are negating ourselves. How can I use this negative belief to discover what I want right now? Imagine being so internally-validating, self-accepting, loving ourselves so enthusiastically, being so present and brand new that we allow Creation to express through us in each moment. What kind of life would that be?

It starts with really knowing ourselves, giving ourselves what we truly need in each moment, and then embodying what we want from others. We can start with mapping out all of our core beliefs - sex, money, power, creativity, love, will, vision, divinity, etc. Do we feel safe and welcome? Is it okay to ackowledge our needs and ask for what we want? Can we be ourselves and be in relationship? Then we can start witnessing what goes on in our bodies - breath, posture, movement, senses - and see how that affects our emotions and thoughts, and vice versa. Just bringing more awareness to anything is going to change it.

What are your thoughts/experience?

[rei]

Originally Posted by ChrisL

I'm not trying to invalidate anyone or their work as much as clarifying what blocks us. Thanks for asking and describing more of your work. Our souls are inviolate, they cannot be hurt, distorted, etc.

Well, I agree... the shamanic idea of soul, though it uses the word "soul" is different from what you say here (and different from what most folks think of and mean when they use the word). In my experience (personal experience as well as work I've done for others), there are still ways an individual may allow part of their essence to leave them, generally through traumatic experiences. At the same time, I would say there is still an aspect of essence that is eternal, has integrity (in the sense of being whole), and is incapable of being separated or harmed. The aspect of self which may leave because of trauma is still more about the core self than the personality (though the personality ends up affected by it) but it may be part of a kind of "shell" that surrounds the soul you're speaking of, the essence which we both agree is always whole. I do not mean shell in the sense of fakeness or armor, just as a layer surrounding something.

I don't usually get opportunities to discuss the way these things fit together with someone who has plenty of experience, so I don't know if I am articulating it well.

Originally Posted by ChrisL

Listening to our pain is a great way to move into responding! Many times we struggle against it instead of embracing it with awareness and diving deeper. ... Imagine being so internally-validating, self-accepting, loving ourselves so enthusiastically, being so present and brand new that we allow Creation to express through us in each moment. What kind of life would that be?

It starts with really knowing ourselves, giving ourselves what we truly need in each moment, and then embodying what we want from others. We can start with mapping out all of our core beliefs - sex, money, power, creativity, love, will, vision, divinity, etc. Do we feel safe and welcome? Is it okay to ackowledge our needs and ask for what we want? Can we be ourselves and be in relationship? Then we can start witnessing what goes on in our bodies - breath, posture, movement, senses - and see how that affects our emotions and thoughts, and vice versa. Just bringing more awareness to anything is going to change it.

Love this!

[ChrisL]

Rei - Thanks for playing on this thread! I'm not familiar with your work so I want to understand it better. How does Soul Retrieval work define 'soul'? What is considered an individual's essence? How do we allow parts of it to leave us and where does it go? If personality is that part of us that gets carried on from every lifetime in our soul, and ego is that part of us that gets perpetuated from every life of our body, how is that different from our core self? What other layer or 'shell' is around our soul?

Thanks for any clarity around your work. It's always fun to chat with others to see what their experience of reality is!

[rei]

Originally Posted by ChrisL

Rei - Thanks for playing on this thread! I'm not familiar with your work so I want to understand it better. How does Soul Retrieval work define 'soul'? What is considered an individual's essence? How do we allow parts of it to leave us and where does it go? If personality is that part of us that gets carried on from every lifetime in our soul, and ego is that part of us that gets perpetuated from every life of our body, how is that different from our core self? What other layer or 'shell' is around our soul?

Thanks for any clarity around your work. It's always fun to chat with others to see what their experience of reality is!

Chris, thank you for the great questions! I also recommend checking out this book for more details: Amazon.com: Soul Retrieval: Mending the Fragmented Self Through Shamanic Practice (9780062504067): Sandra Ingerman: Books

You know, there was an amazing synchronicity related to this. I saw your post right before I was going to attend a kind of memorial service for a veteran who died overseas. I drove to the nearby town but the event I went for had just finished. I did see a few soldiers standing together, looking respectful, at the funeral home. As I was driving back I reflected a bit, knowing that a soldier's process of dying in combat can be hard on the soul. I decided to ask if he had crossed over successfully, and not only had he not crossed yet but he was already near me hoping I might help! I was so incredibly moved at how it worked... apparently at first upon death his essence was in shock (common and normal in some situations), but slowly gathered the resources to be aware of what happened. Then somehow the soul knew about today's memorial (still unsure of how, perhaps by tuning into his family) and followed his body back here. I sensed he really would have liked to wait and watch the funeral but he decided to go ahead and get in touch with me (I somehow put out a vibe that spirits can pick up, which shows them I can help them cross). He probably realized it was a beneficial opportunity.

This is actually psychopomp, not soul retrieval. This is escorting the awareness to the other side. However, it usually involves a shamanic journey and I was driving so I called forward some beings of light that could help. (This is still the type of thing I don't really recommend that people play with without some knowledge, training and support. That comment is not really directed at anyone specific.)

I was just really moved at how that worked out, especially since you had just asked questions about this work

Just found another resource you can check out if you don't wish to purchase the book: Soul Retrieval: How Shamans Heal Trauma - by Sandra Ingerman

I will say, some of my own understanding about these things might conflict a little with the teachings, but through my experience this seems more accurate than the teachings (and there would only be a very small conflict, maybe just semantic-based conflict, anyway). In my view we have a core self, an essence - and at the core of the core self there is that energy that most people think of as a soul - that part which you and I both feel is pure and perfect and whole. But the soul is more than that, it has different parts, aside from that core always-integrated aspect.

Sandra Ingerman gets into soul loss better than I could in a single post, but it can happen through a variety of situations. It could be a serious fall, a really hard breakup of a relationship, moving a lot as you grow up, parents divorcing, loss of a loved one - those experiences an individual finds really difficult. In this framework, pretty much every instance of PTSD, and dissociative symptoms that happen in response to a difficult experience (rather than as a kind of metaphysical/oneness/joyful/egoless experience) are about soul loss. There can also be a kind of dynamic where a person willingly offers a part of their essence to another person - such as the child giving some of itself to a parent, sensing that the parent wants part of their innocence (done with permission), or in really intense romantic relationships this may happen too.

The aspect of the essence in the case of the relationship with another person can't really be kept, we may think we can take someone's energy or light but it doesn't stay. A person may offer their light to another but the system is not set up so the other can actually keep it. In this case, and in the cases of soul loss through difficult experience, the essence can get separated from self. It can end up "stuck" in a specific part of the past, or it can get stuck in another dimensional level. The traditional teachings talk about this as the Lower World or the Upper World (and those labels are not meant as any kind of religious thing - the Lower World is not a "bad" or "punishing" realm. Lots of benevolent earthly beings come from there). And then if the soul part gets stuck in the past moment, this is basically about the Middle World. (haha, I just learned that a soul part of a dear friend of mine is ready to return to her! Glad I was paying attention )

"If personality is that part of us that gets carried on from every lifetime in our soul, and ego is that part of us that gets perpetuated from every life of our body, how is that different from our core self? What other layer or 'shell' is around our soul?"

I do not know if I think personality comes with every lifetime... I tend to think personality is an aspect of identity, identity is another word for ego without the icky connotations and self-hate that comes up for some folks. I think of personality as often shaped by our identity's interaction with the environment, and I think of these as the surface self. I do think we can end up allowing more of our core nature to be reflected on the surface once we've worked through some blocks to that. But I also think it is possible (and fairly common) for personality to be a side effect of material/surface-level interactions unless we've worked through blocks to being our core, truest self. I'd even say the soul is so sensitive that it's actually beneficial if we create a self to show the world, at least when we are young, if we don't feel 100% supported to be as we are. Obviously, the ideal would be for everyone to feel supported in being who we are, but if that vibe of support isn't there, then I think creating a personality on the surface is probably better for the deeply sensitive core self.

I am not sure how to answer your last two questions... they aren't really computing for some reason. As I said before, I think there might be more than one layer to the core self or soul, part of it is always perfect and another part of it may not always feel like it can handle what the self experiences... and because it is closer to the surface, it has a stronger experience in the moment, but because it's also very sensitive and doesn't have all the defenses of the personality it can be overwhelmed and part of that core self might leave. It is surprisingly common, this stuff. I had to get a soul retrieval myself at one point - I still am not sure exactly what event triggered the soul loss, but that is okay, because the soul retrieval isn't meant to focus on the painful, intense experience, it is meant to be about feeling more healed and whole. Rehashing the past difficulties isn't really necessary and could even be counterproductive.

This is all focused on the causes and the issues, though, and I generally prefer to focus on the ways of addressing these things because it is not like a person must simply remain stuck feeling like part of them is missing. That would be very disempowering, so I don't like the idea of framing it as, "this happens, it's widespread, and it sucks" I prefer to also point out that folks don't have to simply accept the situation. Granted, I definitely don't recommend trying to address these things without the training and support needed to do so safely, but there are lots of shamanic practitioners in the world and I have a feeling most of them are skilled at the work. I would also recommend discernment in choosing someone though, as this work is like many other fields involving the etheric and intangible so discernment and listening to the heart in choosing a practitioner is definitely helpful.

I did want to add, I could probably be more precise in my wording at times. I may use the word "soul" but I may be referring to the core perfect wholeness, or I may be referring to that layer around it which is susceptible to these things. I think they are both technically soul, or both technically part of the core self, but one is not necessarily guaranteed to maintain integrity throughout the lifetime. And even these experiences are often related to lessons our essence/core self has asked for. I think it would probably be the core, always-perfect part of soul that comes to experience the lessons - and that core, always-perfect part may enter knowing a few layers of itself may leave through those lessons.

Man... I feel like this is such a downer discussion It is much more enjoyable for me to convey that these things may be common and they may not sound so awesome but none of us are doomed to remain feeling stuck, numb, or in pain. We can always choose to feel more vibrancy and light!

[Melchior]

Heh, looks like we need more words to describe what is being talked about here. Some diagrams would also be useful, analogies, whatever. Then perhaps we can also explain how this thing called the soul (and what type of soul) is linked to this thing called akasha to a layman like me...

[rei]

Originally Posted by Melchior

Heh, looks like we need more words to describe what is being talked about here. Some diagrams would also be useful, analogies, whatever. Then perhaps we can also explain how this thing called the soul (and what type of soul) is linked to this thing called akasha to a layman like me...

Oh goodness, Melchior I am not sure I have the resources to answer such a call at this time. I am used to the right-brained modalities these days, working with the experiential and the feeling level to communicate and receive information. Have you explored what the internet offers regarding conception of the soul using various spiritual frameworks?

Much of this seems to get clearer if we try out the experience as it is often harder for me, at least, to articulate it without feeling like it loses something - and I used to be a writer So perhaps Chris can satisfy your interest here, and perhaps you intended this to be to him anyway? I can't tell, as it came right after my post. At any rate, right now part of my awareness is in the etheric so it would be very difficult for me to respond in the way you were asking. I hope you might at least appreciate my willingness to admit this

[ChrisL]

Rei - It didn't feel like a downer discussion to me Rei, just you explaining your work. It sounds like Soul Retrieval is a form of trauma healing, and can help people with establishing better energetic boundaries again (i.e. seeing where they have given their power to others), getting them more present (i.e. seeing where they are living in the past). I do similar work with the Akashic readings and Response coaching but primarily work with releasing conflict from the etheric bodies and helping clients give themselves exactly what they want. Thanks for taking the time to explain your work.

Here's my understanding of personality/ego. Our personality is shaped by our soul's past history and what life strategies worked in those lives, which combines with our ego, which is comprised of survival techniques from this life and our last lifetime. We hear a lot of spiritual teachings that talk about getting rid of the ego/personality, but it looks lto me like we want to release the conflict that we hold onto in our ego/personality. It's just my understanding.

Melchoir - Didn't we already cover this, including an analogy about our link to the Akasha? Am I having deja vu or veja du, the feeling that somehow, somewhere, none of this has happened before?

[missbhaven]

Originally Posted by ChrisL

If a client has a lot of conflict, it can be energetically and physically exhausting, then I'll do some chi building exercises (ie. tai chi, chi gong) or rest.

How could one be in conflict? How would you go about finding if you are in conflict and how to resolve it?

[rei]

Chris, that is actually just part of the work I do... I would say it is partly about trauma but mostly about feeling a greater sense of wholeness. Soul loss can lead to behaviors that are about trying to fill that void, and a retrieval often clears much of that (or makes it much easier to shift the patterns)... and can get the person feeling flexible about sense of self to raise their self-esteem. Boundaries and presence are good side effects, but I'd say at the core it is about feeling more complete within yourself.

Very interesting ideas about personality, I had not really thought about it much aside from what I already said.

[Melchior]

Originally Posted by ChrisL

Melchoir - Didn't we already cover this, including an analogy about our link to the Akasha? Am I having deja vu or veja du, the feeling that somehow, somewhere, none of this has happened before?

Indeed, but that was for a 'different' soul.

Rei, thanks for responding. Give me the weekend to digest things then. Hopefully things will sink in more upon further inspection. As for the soul (yes, I know how to use the internet ), I've also got my own ideas, biased as they may be.

[Weena]

I love this topic . Did you guys ever find out how many lives you've had? (on earth that is, lol). I am slightly confused on this one as the past lives psychic told me a certain number, and when i try to correlate that with "how long" it seems i've been around it would mean i reincarnate seldom. That would be an explanation for it though, i don't feel like a soul that comes back straight away each time (i mean, life outside a body would be fun plus i have a "job" to do in between incarnations...hee-hee you'd know that Rei, we're from the same order).

What are your thoughts about the frequency of reincarnation?

[rei]

Originally Posted by Weena

I love this topic . Did you guys ever find out how many lives you've had? (on earth that is, lol). I am slightly confused on this one as the past lives psychic told me a certain number, and when i try to correlate that with "how long" it seems i've been around it would mean i reincarnate seldom. That would be an explanation for it though, i don't feel like a soul that comes back straight away each time (i mean, life outside a body would be fun plus i have a "job" to do in between incarnations...hee-hee you'd know that Rei, we're from the same order).

What are your thoughts about the frequency of reincarnation?

Tee hee... ... I forgot the number of incarnations from my SR reading. It was more than three, though, so I guess that info was accessible regarding the cosmos and not just earth. I get a weird feeling response (sort of not a full resonance) about my SR reading nowadays... not sure why... might be good to figure it out, though.

@Melchior: I thought of a very loose idea that may help, though it isn't perfect. The soul structure according to my idea of the shamanic framework is similar to a sunflower. The center of the sunflower is the part of the soul (aka core self) which always has integrity, is perfect, whole and pure. (Blerg, apparently the center of a sunflower is technically many tiny flowers but I'm speaking about the shape and structure to the physical eye )

And then you have the petals of the sunflower, which would be like the soul parts I discussed above. A disturbing experience would be like a person pulling one of the petals. However, the example breaks down, because it is hard to think of how we could return a sunflower petal to its original place around the center of the flower - but soul retrieval would be similar to bringing that petal back to its original place.

The entire sunflower is the core self, the soul, yet there is a part of it that maintains that integrity and a part that is not guaranteed to maintain that integrity.

Like I said, not a perfect example but perhaps it will help?