The price for high consciousness?

[weissichnichtwohin]

If a man reached higher level of consciousness, wouldn't he walk on the street feeling that most people passing by are half-dead or pretty dumb?
especially when he love people, he will feel more pain than joy i think.
and the more conscious he became, the more things he will find to struggle.
I guess so, you think?

[Akashic_Librarian]

No.

Thats the conclusion a person comes to, looking from the outside in. I am not at a super-high level of consciousness but I am pretty high and I can tell you. You don't find more things to struggle with. Everything gets easier. Especially when you start using the Law of Attraction

[skydust]

Originally Posted by weissichnichtwohin

If a man reached higher level of consciousness, wouldn't he walk on the street feeling that most people passing by are half-dead or pretty dumb?

If he felt that he wouldnt be of very high consciousness.

Originally Posted by weissichnichtwohin

especially when he love people, he will feel more pain than joy i think.and the more conscious he became, the more things he will find to struggle.
I guess so, you think?

loving others means accepting them as they are wherever they are on their path right now, so he wouldnt look down on them or think less of them he would simply say, ok this is where this person is at right now, how wonderful!

it wouldnt cause any grief or struggle at all. and i agree about things becoming easier with the law of attraction. especially since they would focus on what they want, and not what they dont want. there would be very little that could go 'wrong' because even wrongs or mistakes would be embraced as wonderful opportunities for expansion, or further development.

[AndyMartin]

Originally Posted by weissichnichtwohin

If a man reached higher level of consciousness, wouldn't he walk on the street feeling that most people passing by are half-dead or pretty dumb?
especially when he love people, he will feel more pain than joy i think.
and the more conscious he became, the more things he will find to struggle.
I guess so, you think?

If you truly reach a higher consciousness, there is an impulse -- an imperative -- that arises to work to raise consciousness in the world. A purely introspective enlightenment experience is a pleasant state, but it does not constitute a higher level of consciousness in and of itself; and you have to question the value of purely experiential enlightenment in a modern context where low consciousness is very quickly eroding our world -- both the man-made and the natural. At that point, it is beyond pain or joy -- beyond egoic judgment -- it is a pure motive to elevate humanity.

[The David]

The more 'conscious' I am (i.e the more understanding I am; I don't buy the Hawkins model), the less judgmental I am of other people. It only makes sense that way. It is so much easier to see the bad in other people when there is so much bad in yourself, because then, you are more focused on it.

[IsabelAimee]

it is not necessarily true that everything becomes easier the higher you move- what happens is that the challenges are able to be attained- work, effort, courage, awareness, love and yes joy are the necessary skills which are applied to situations- as at any stage of development. the challenges meet the level you are on with equanimity- attraction and equal distraction/destruction. The forces which seek to destroy keep climbing with you too.
Hence the dark forces I encounter become more scary, have more intensity, are more destructive AS i climb.
my joy, my inner faith, strength, knowledge, love also increases. My sensitivity increases too. my attractional forces increase in sensitivity too, so ANY fraction of negativity can attract or cause to stick residual negative forces in the environment to me. I have to be more aware to separate what is mine and what is the energetic soup in which i live and breath. i become one of those super efficient dysons- better than other hoovers- they suck better, they also filter better and are easier to empty into the compost bin.... you still need to vacuum clean though....x

[OlderWiser]

Wow, old thread! I'll play along, though!

Originally Posted by weissichnichtwohin

If a man reached higher level of consciousness, wouldn't he walk on the street feeling that most people passing by are half-dead or pretty dumb?

I've felt for years that most of the people around me are dumb or asleep. It's got nothing to do with any higher levels of consciousness, either. I just have traditionally had a pretty bad attitude when it comes to humanity.

I've found that increasing levels of awareness actually makes me more sympathetic, more likely to be forgiving, more likely to just shrug and leave people to be whatever they want, and that includes being half-dead or pretty dumb. Hey, their reality, their choice. What's it to me?

Originally Posted by weissichnichtwohin

especially when he love people, he will
and the more conscious he became, the more things he will find to struggle.

I think that's a very elaborate excuse for the ego to cling to its usual routines and avoid being diminished by something like expanding awareness. Egos are clever things, aren't they? I'm always amazed by their persistence and ingenuity!

[wheezer]

My current perspective on this topic is summed up in this image:

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_qRvK29F_J2k/Sl...png?imgmax=800

To expand...

A few years ago, I experienced an intense raise in my consciousness in a short period of time. It was at a convention in a town I had never visited before, and we spent 14-hour days in a hotel function room doing consciousness exercises. Not only did I change within, but the environment itself was an entirely new daily reality.

Getting back home, I felt like an entirely different person going back to the same life. It was fascinating to compare how different this environment felt compared to before I left.

I asked a similar question to weissichnichtwohin in the final few days of this convention. I was told that when "going back home" (ie. interacting with people who don't really develop their consciousness), I may see very clearly how disconnected many people are with themselves and with others. This was definitely the case.

I picture myself in three days time, walking down the street feeling superior and more in-tune than "everyone else" around me. However, when the future arrived, I quickly realised that this feeling of superiority was the best way for my consciousness to plummet. I will explain why:

1. I became more conscious because I fundamentally changed the way I saw myself. As the way I looked within changed, the way I saw others around me changed as well. My addiction to viewing myself as better/worse than others was only fueled by my own insecurities. By working on these insecurities, I had no emotional need to compare my ego to others. The habit quickly stopped until I needed to work on it again. This lack of competition gave me the space to appreciate the amazingly rich tapestry of individuals, expressing and covering consciousness in their own way in wonder.

2. With consciousness, I am more aware that the expectations I bring to a situation dictate how I experience the situation. I had spent the past decade going through life looking through the "people are dead idiots" lens. Honestly, I grew tired of getting out of bed each morning with that outlook. I found it so unproductive and futile.

What actually created this lens? It was how I felt about myself. Every problem I have with someone else can be found within.

I tried looking at the world's population through a "everyone is driven to feel pleasure and avoid pain, and this is quickly leading to a global spiritual synchronicity" lens. I haven't stopped believing that since, and it has given me an enjoyably positive reality.

3. With more consciousness, I was able to take more ownership over the energy I beamed out to others. If I expect the worst from people, why would they give me their best? My energy is not a spectator, it is constantly interacting with others.

At the same time, I stopped feeling the need to frantically seek gratification. Self-fulfilment becomes a boring, pointless exercise when you stop seeking it and find satisfaction in the present moment. From this perspective, I look at others not as "inferior", but as someone in a place I was in not too long ago.

But I know that pure consciousness is their core. It just needs to be set free from what they (& we all) have felt the need to build over the top of it. Whether you look at a person's pure consciousness, or their human identities built over, is generally what you will find in them. I look at a seemingly unconscious person like an orphaned baby animal who is chained up in captivity. There is no need I have that gets in the way of what I feel for this other being. I can look at an orphan cub and see incredibly beauty that is trapped, and I feel a yearning to set him free into a loving reality. In the same way, I look at others from their highest self, a beautiful, loving, light-filled soul who is momentarily trapped by their own sense of human identity. If I can help free that soul in any way, it feels good for me to do that - certainly better than anything I can do to gratify myself.

[Andrew Brunelle]

I would think someone with high consciousness would put those things in perspective, as well as surrounding him/herself with people who are also of high consciousness, instead of spending most of their time with people who are complainers or of low consciousness. People have the ability to raise their consciousness at any time, and it is a choice, but these people have to be ready. They will raise their consciousness when they are ready to, and not before. Perhaps something will trigger it and they will begin moving up the ladder to a better future.

[hiddenmaverick]

Perhaps I'm not as conscious as I think? I feel like I want to reach out and love others, but don't feel that they are receptive to the love that I have to offer, so I still feel bitter/resentful toward people in general. I know -- I'm hoping to get through this.

[ginkgo]

Say that you have a 2 year old son. Are you going to feel that he is pretty stupid since he cannot learn how to tie his shoe or ride a bike? Or do you hope that he will learn it some day.

[NexusOfCompletion]

Your level of consciousness is only as high as you tell yourself it is.

[elucidate]

Originally Posted by hiddenmaverick

Perhaps I'm not as conscious as I think? I feel like I want to reach out and love others, but don't feel that they are receptive to the love that I have to offer, so I still feel bitter/resentful toward people in general. I know -- I'm hoping to get through this.

Maybe the people you reach out to don't feel worthy of love at this time, from you or anyone?

Why feel bitter about something that isn't your fault, or theirs?

Just because YOU want to love everyone, doesn't mean they HAVE to accept your love. Are you doing it to get something back from them...some sort of egoic accolade, or do you genuinely want to give your love freely?

It seems like you aren't really showing enough understanding of people at the moment, and maybe you are taking their rejection personally...it probably has nothing to do with you at all!

[hiddenmaverick]

elucidate, I've come to really like your posts on this forum the short time that I've been here.

You may be right. I'm going through a lot in my life right now, so it's difficult for me to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Perhaps I may need some time to sort through all that is going on.

[elucidate]

Originally Posted by hiddenmaverick

elucidate, I've come to really like your posts on this forum the short time that I've been here.

You may be right. I'm going through a lot in my life right now, so it's difficult for me to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Perhaps I may need some time to sort through all that is going on.

I'm glad they ring true for you.

Rest and love yourself in this time if you are going through stuff. Maybe that's really who you need to give your love to right now?

[Futhark]

Originally Posted by weissichnichtwohin

If a man reached higher level of consciousness, wouldn't he walk on the street feeling that most people passing by are half-dead or pretty dumb?
especially when he love people, he will feel more pain than joy i think.
and the more conscious he became, the more things he will find to struggle.
I guess so, you think?

I think the higher consciousness you have, the more you either love or hate what you see around you. Love comes from understanding and empathy, hate comes from feeling the others are below you. I am coming to think of people less and less by my standards and more by their standards, understanding who they are and what choices they have made for themselves. It comes to a point that typical things that would have angered me in the past have no negative effect on me anymore. Everyone acts from their reality tunnel and it is nothing to be ashamed of.

[Illuminatus]

Originally Posted by weissichnichtwohin

If a man reached higher level of consciousness, wouldn't he walk on the street feeling that most people passing by are half-dead or pretty dumb?
especially when he love people, he will feel more pain than joy i think.
and the more conscious he became, the more things he will find to struggle.
I guess so, you think?

That would be high intellect, not high consciousness. High consciousness transcends ranking people according to arbitrary traits such as intelligence (or more accurately, 'awareness' - those people in the street aren't any dumber, they're just far less aware of the rules of the Matrix). For me, high consciousness means a deep, profound recognition of life, and the energy all around you. High consciousness for me has been a merging of myself with the universe.

Sounds gay, and entirely difficult to understand non-experientially, I know. I recommend you study PRESENCE diligently and practise it every day, for at least 30 minutes per day (nature walks are best, I have found) until you begin to feel some of this "merging" taking place.

[RomanHD]

Originally Posted by NexusOfCompletion

Your level of consciousness is only as high as you tell yourself it is.

If this were true, there would be no need for meditation, yoga, character honing or any other spiritual practices.

[old dead wood]

Most of the time now, I don't feel superior to people unless I go into a crowded Wal-Mart, which I have to do because of my job. All the other time, I feel everyone is superior to me, especially on this board. My meditation and attempts at mindfulness, at THIS stage in my life, just make me aware of how deluded I am, where as before, I was ignorant of even my delusion.

[Angelique]

Originally Posted by weissichnichtwohin

If a man reached higher level of consciousness, wouldn't he walk on the street feeling that most people passing by are half-dead or pretty dumb?
especially when he love people, he will feel more pain than joy i think.
and the more conscious he became, the more things he will find to struggle.
I guess so, you think?

I've found the higher (I would say deeper) I go, the more 'they' come with me. All of a sudden I can accept them just as they are. All of a sudden I can have a conversations with the same 'lower conscious people' that feels like our core communicating.

I don't feel very high on a consciousness scale when I'm still judging other people.

[elucidate]

Originally Posted by old dead wood

Most of the time now, I don't feel superior to people unless I go into a crowded Wal-Mart, which I have to do because of my job. All the other time, I feel everyone is superior to me, especially on this board. My meditation and attempts at mindfulness, at THIS stage in my life, just make me aware of how deluded I am, where as before, I was ignorant of even my delusion.

This is actually a good place to be, as it means you are becoming aware of where you are really at...so you are being more realistic! That's progress. Another thing you can do is to not look at people here as superior to you by not comparing yourself to them.

Everyone is at their own level. No level is better or worse than anyone elses level. Everyone has their own private evolution happening, and you are exactly where you are supposed to be. Be happy with that much.

[elucidate]

Originally Posted by Angelique

I don't feel very high on a consciousness scale when I'm still judging other people.

I feel this way too, especially when I fall back into habits of judgement. It usually indicates that I'm not very happy in myself...so at least I know where I need to work on.

[BillyTheAdult]

These ideas posted here about judgment, I find them silly. You can know what something is without casting a value judgment on it. If it walks like a duck, and it quacks like a duck... I also think it's interesting that you don't want to claim you are higher than someone but you have no problem imagining you are lower. Aren't both value judgments, isn't the idea of saying you don't judge in itself a veiled attempt to appear superior to someone who does?

I consider myself high consciousness (no one has to agree) I find at times it can make you feel isolated. My ability to get along with people has increased, but not everyone can see things from my perspective. It is just like say intelligence plotted on a bell shaped curve. The farther to either side of you are the less people there are at that point, the closer to the middle the more there are, hence the term average.

[Angelique]

Originally Posted by BillyTheAdult

These ideas posted here about judgment, I find them silly. You can know what something is without casting a value judgment on it. If it walks like a duck, and it quacks like a duck... I also think it's interesting that you don't want to claim you are higher than someone but you have no problem imagining you are lower. Aren't both value judgments, isn't the idea of saying you don't judge in itself a veiled attempt to appear superior to someone who does?

I consider myself high consciousness (no one has to agree) I find at times it can make you feel isolated. My ability to get along with people has increased, but not everyone can see things from my perspective. It is just like say intelligence plotted on a bell shaped curve. The farther to either side of you are the less people there are at that point, the closer to the middle the more there are, hence the term average.

That's cool, Billy. Be what you be.

[billionairekid]

I personally have felt that as I progress to higher states of consciousness I get more isolated. I do find that my ability to accept people as they are has greatly improved but my connection to others has suffered, in my opinion. It seems that as I moved out of my old state and into this new one, I changed the locus of my focus. And with that change in focus there came a whole new set of experiences - experiences that I could not share with any of my friends thus far.

However, with a higher state of consciousness I feel more connected to society. I used to hate people to be honest. That and I was very frustrated with my inability to socialize as I wanted to (I feel like there is a barrier between myself and others at times). I think my social skills are a product of my introversion and I'm learning how to grow and expand nowadays.

I don't think there is a price for higher consciousness, just a different set of experiences.

[Brutus977]

You may be confusing consciousness with awareness. The ego is telling you that you are more aware than others and separating you from the rest of the world. Just because you think are more aware or have more knowledge than the average passerby doesn't mean you have a higher level of consciousness. I struggled with this for a long time during my awakening process. My ego wanted to feel superior because I was a little more enlightened. This actually created a void between myself and others. I felt as if very few if any could offer anything and I became miserable. Living in harmony with the world around you plays a huge part in the mastery of your life. Always remain open and teachable or growth will stagnate. We may know allot about allot of things but it's impossible to know everything. Higher consciousness occurs when we achieve total peace and harmony with the world around us.

[secrets0stolen]

That doesn't sound like the price for high-consciousness at all. That sounds like the pain in the ass side of life of someone unreasonably intelligent.

High consciousness is being of that same intelligence and understanding that annoyance to the point where it becomes a non-issue.

[billionairekid]

Originally Posted by Brutus977

You may be confusing consciousness with awareness. The ego is telling you that you are more aware than others and separating you from the rest of the world. Just because you think are more aware or have more knowledge than the average passerby doesn't mean you have a higher level of consciousness. I struggled with this for a long time during my awakening process. My ego wanted to feel superior because I was a little more enlightened. This actually created a void between myself and others. I felt as if very few if any could offer anything and I became miserable. Living in harmony with the world around you plays a huge part in the mastery of your life. Always remain open and teachable or growth will stagnate. We may know allot about allot of things but it's impossible to know everything. Higher consciousness occurs when we achieve total peace and harmony with the world around us.

I would agree with that statement. It's only since I've begun to see the value in other people that I've begun to feel more connected and "in-tune" with people, if you will, when I used to feel isolated. My relationships have opened up and become so much stronger. And I've benefited from others insight as well.

Of course, I'm highly introverted so my experiences could be different than most other's experiences considering over 3/4 of the world is extroverted.

[wstein]

The higher 'level' of consciousness, the more you see things as they are, not as you perceive them.

Personally, I see the 'common (hu)man' more and more similar to the other animals. They are as they are, expressing their nature. I do not get stressed or judgmental about the way other animals behave. I generally leave them alone, but when I interact (with any thing), I respect them and treat them according to their nature. Sure ants are dumb and it's inconvenient that they won't learn to stay out of the kitchen. They are that way and I do not try to reason with them.

The struggle comes from not accepting things as they are. Just let them be as they are, there is no need to do otherwise.

[billionairekid]

Originally Posted by wstein

The higher 'level' of consciousness, the more you see things as they are, not as you perceive them.

The struggle comes from not accepting things as they are. Just let them be as they are, there is no need to do otherwise.

I'm engaged in a situation describing this right now in another thread about masculinity where we are discusing the nature of manipulation.