Darkworkers, Lightworkers, and Levels of Consciousness (Blog)

[Bruce Achterberg]

Not good... my RPG game analogy has been widely misunderstood and it seems I've created more confusion then clarity... that was not my intention, heh.

To briefly explain:

My analogy probably wasn't as suitable as I thought it was for someone who isn't me (ie. I understand what I mean, but unless you have the related knowledge I have, no one else will ). Where do I see people going wrong? Well, instead of thinking along the lines of investing points into things, think along the lines of mastering an art (such as combat).

Also, I still see people looking at polarity from a dualistic perspective and confusing the "why" with the "how" (something you don't want to do since if you do, all you get is confusion... trust me, been there done that ).

So ahh, just hold that thought, guys. When I get a chance I'll make some more replies and hopefully clear all of these things up (at least, I'll try). In the mean time, I highly recommend using journaling as a problem solving tool and as a means to create clarity when it comes to polarity (hey, that rhymed ). Forum discussion is good, but unfortunately a lot of this stuff is very interconnected to other things that can make clarity difficult to gain by reading random forum responses that may or may not be relevant to you and your particular situation/level of knowledge/level of consciousness/etc.

Oh and Michael, with me around, expect more game-related analogies (and considering how popular it is, we don't want to be leaving World of Warcraft out).

[Steve Pavlina]

Originally Posted by impaul99

Mine would look like this:
Darkworking: +15
Lightworking: +15

When you mix polarities like that, you're going to get a lot of cancellation. In the long run your lightwork and darkwork will interfere with each other. It's extremely unlikely that you'll be able to keep them so contained. They can't help but interact.

For example, in your social interactions, others will get an intuitive hit that your motives aren't pure, and they'll be less likely to trust you. They'll get the feeling that something isn't right about you, and they'll hold back on bringing you opportunities if they have the chance to deal with someone with a more obvious polarity. Even darkworkers are easier to trust because their motives and actions tend to be clear and consistent.

As for the proof you seek, the only possible proof must come from personal experience. Words typed on a screen are only content, but lightworking and darkworking are about how you use your energy. Words can only serve as a pointer to the experience but can never effectively convey the full essence of it, nor provide adequate proof of it.

You seem convinced that mixing polarities is ideal, so "go big" down that path if you think it's best.

The most likely outcome though is that by mixing polarities, you're going to hold back on your own growth in consciousness because raising your awareness would actually threaten the delicate balance you're trying to maintain. Your dedication to your life purpose will be much less intense than it would be if you polarize. Polarization can lead to across-the-board changes to get your whole life pointing in a singular direction rather than having some parts of it devoted to helping you and other parts devoted to helping others.

[peacefulmind]

I have some questions about darkworkers

1. How do darkworkers raise their level of consciousness?

2. Can darkworkers tell the truth all the time. ex: if a darkworker gets in trouble by lets just say stealing and the police officer asks the darkworker if he/she stole what ever it was that was stolen then wouldn't it be in the best interest of the darkworker to lie?

3. My brother is a person who is not that motivated by money or power but everything he does is for personal gain. How would this work? How should he focus on personal growth?

4. Can a darkworker feel connected to all other beings. Since in subjective reality all living beings are apart of me.

I hope someone can help me clear some of this confusion up because I have a good grasp on lightworkers but not so much on darkworkers. I don't want to polarize with all this confusion still in my mind.

[Jeff Lilly]

Originally Posted by Steve Pavlina

Understand that an intelligent and aware darkworker would recognize that being alone and isolated is a foolish choice that only leads to suffering, so such a person would plan to avoid that type of outcome. Such a darkworker would recognize that his/her own good will not be served by social isolation and committing blatant acts of evil that will eventually backfire and produce a negative emotional state.

An intelligent and aware darkworker doesn't chose loneliness and isolation. That would be... well... dumb.

Thanks, Steve. I understand that, I think. But here's what I'm trying to get at: if you turn away from loneliness and isolation <i>for selfish reasons</i>, turning your attention to other people, trying to help them, and so forth, and <i>still don't really give a hoot about them</i> -- if you're still a selfish, self-centered darkworker -- then you'll still be lonely and alienated!

It seems to me -- and again, I'm still just describing my intuition here, I could be quite wrong -- but it seems to me that if you're cold and heartless on the inside, and love only yourself, as a darkworker presumably must, then you're going to be lonely and alienated, regardless of how much you help people externally. You can help other people as much as you want, but if you don't <i>care</i> about them, then they're going to pick up on that, and they won't care about you, either. Lonliness and isolation follows.

If a darkworker starts helping people, and then suddenly finds that s/he <i>does</i> start caring about others, genuinely -- then the lonliness and alienation will indeed fall away. But then, of course, they won't be a darkworker any more! Maybe this second option is what you mean when you talk about darkworkers and lightworkers headed for the same place...?

[Andrew Brunelle]

As with anyone, it is a choice to polarize to light or dark, or the choice of not polarizing is perfectly valid. So whichever choice you make, you have to live with the consequences of that choice. Once you reach the highest state of consciousness, where you are one with the world, I do not think the polarization will matter so much, at enlightenment. Although I believe enlightenment is biased towards lightworkers, as it has the term "light" in it. Let us all become enlightened and enjoy the experience full throttle. Peace.

[shant121]

Originally Posted by Steve Pavlina

For example, in your social interactions, others will get an intuitive hit that your motives aren't pure, and they'll be less likely to trust you. They'll get the feeling that something isn't right about you, and they'll hold back on bringing you opportunities if they have the chance to deal with someone with a more obvious polarity. Even darkworkers are easier to trust because their motives and actions tend to be clear and consistent.

When I look back at my past actions, whenever polarities were mixed, the process and the outcome left me feeling uncomfortable and other people feeling that I was not completely trustworthy.

when polarized, it is much is easier to make choices, first, and then justify those choices. and there is a feeling of peace/happiness in those decisions and actions.

I have a very good frnd who is a darkworker (which I did not until now). I did not understand why he behaved in a certain manner sometimes. But thats how one feels when looking at a more polarized person amidst a sea of mixed polarity folks.

Reading posts on polarization has made me realize that in fact, he was much more polarized than many other people. Which is why his actions left someone like me, who was mixing polarities, confused. Must add that he is very predictable, for example, he does NOT have ego issues with anyone. And does not have "expectations" from others and expects vice-versa. His "motives and actions tend to be clear and consistent."

[Steve Pavlina]

@Jeff: It sounds like you've never experienced the darkworker mindset from the inside. It's far from lonely and isolated. That's the picture commonly presented on TV, but the reality is rather different.

In my late teens when my behavior was extremely immoral, I had tons of fun, plenty of friends, and abundant social outlets. I was actually very happy. Even though people around me knew I was shoplifting daily, cheating in school, and plotting various schemes, they were drawn to my energy. Some even came along to watch, and people always wanted to know what I was up to. Rather than inducing people to fear or avoid me, it had just the opposite effect. People would question my morals, and then they'd turn around and invite me to grab a slice of pizza with them. No one, not even the most ethical or religious friends I knew, turned their backs on me.

However, I was taking too many risks in a way that wasn't sustainable, and that eventually led to a crash. But if I'd been more aware of what I was doing, even on that dark path I was on, it would have been possible to continue.

Maybe it's the same kind of mechanism that causes people to fall into abusive relationships. Certain people get drawn in by the abuser's energy, and they can't turn away from it, even though it seems logical to do so.

So rather than being lonely and isolated, my experience of the dark side was just the opposite. Even on the inside I didn't normally feel alone or depressed. What made me feel depressed back then was when I overdid it, got arrested too many times, and had to stop. But that was due to the poor outlet I chose rather than the nature of the dark path itself. As long as I kept the energy flowing, I felt great.

[Chris_1977]

What I am wondering about is how Steve arrived at these ideas about light- and darkworkers.

[Akashic_Librarian]

What I want to know is why people suddenly are at each others throats because he said it?

To tell you the truth I think maybe 20 or 30 people on this Forum, Steve and Erin included, who actually "get" the whole Polarity thing, everyone else is just seeing what they want to see, or are afraid they will see. People are masters at self delusion because they think they are right. When you think you are right you generally shut the world off. So they get one idea and never cross examine it.

[Froste]

I'm reminded of a discussion I had with a friend about 16 years ago. It was more of a debate, actually. We were arguing about the true nature of altruism and whether or not it truly existed. My stance was that true altruism did in fact exist (lightworker viewpoint?). His counterpoint was that doing altruistic things stemmed from a position of enjoying the fruits of helping others. That is, the knowledge of doing it because of the good feelings and other benefits that would naturally arise made it an ultimately selfish act.

Put another way, one could say that doing great good for humanity can be selfless, and it seems so. But if one considers that helping humanity is in one's own best interests, then who does one truly serve? Humanity? or oneself? Lightwork? or Darkwork?

That's the difference in polarity in my mind. Oh, he convinced me, by the way. Now I speak personally when I say that helping others makes me feel good. It gives me pleasure. It also makes my environment more pleasent as gratitude flows to me. I also have tons of gratitude for the life I live and all the nifty things about it. The nice thing about gratitude is that it perpetuates more things to be grateful about, increasing the overall niftiness of my life.

Right after I finish this post, it's time to go on a bike ride. It's going to be fun and feel great. That's why I'm doing it. I'm pretty sure that's also why my wife and friends are doing it too.

So, gotta run. Cyas!
Froste

[wolfgang]

Originally Posted by Steve Pavlina

The most likely outcome though is that by mixing polarities, you're going to hold back on your own growth in consciousness because raising your awareness would actually threaten the delicate balance you're trying to maintain. Your dedication to your life purpose will be much less intense than it would be if you polarize. Polarization can lead to across-the-board changes to get your whole life pointing in a singular direction rather than having some parts of it devoted to helping you and other parts devoted to helping others.

I still don't see that it's difficult or not ideal to help yourself and others at the same time. In fact if you don't help yourself you become a lightworker symdrome canditate - Steve so much as says that!

[Michael Chui]

I wrote an immense post that's far too long-winded on the subject over here:
___Workers, on the Terms

[Bill26]

"Love your neighbour as yourself"

[Jeff Lilly]

@Steve: I'd have to agree that I haven't experienced the darkworker lifestyle from the inside. As I admitted above, I'm only basing my comments on intuition, not personal experience or logic. So I'm going to have to take your word for it. :-)

While I could never personally take the darkworker path -- it sounds like you have to be a lot <i>smarter</i> than I am to make it work well, quite apart from whatever ethical issues might be involved -- I'll certainly continue to read about it with interest. Thanks for the new perspective!

[Adam]

Originally Posted by Jeff Lilly

While I could never personally take the darkworker path -- it sounds like you have to be a lot smarter than I am to make it work well, quite apart from whatever ethical issues might be involved -- I'll certainly continue to read about it with interest. Thanks for the new perspective!

You're more than smart enough to be an effective darkworker. You simply haven't had the experience in how to be selfish effectively.

Do you need to be smart to be as effectively caring as you are, or do you just need to be experienced, with enough critical thinking skills to learn from your mistakes?

[Michael Chui]

Originally Posted by Bill26

"Love your neighbour as yourself"

He also said, "Love thine enemies."

Personally, I take the total of these two statements to be "Love everyone."

[Steve Pavlina]

FYI a great book to learn how to be an intelligent and aware darkworker is The 48 Laws of Power.

[magickmystik]

48 Laws of Power is the bible for the darkworkers?

Now you make it clearer

What is the bible for the lightworkers?

[JJH]

Originally Posted by Steve Pavlina

FYI a great book to learn how to be an intelligent and aware darkworker is The 48 Laws of Power.

This is a fantastic clarification for me personally, Steve.

It's one of those great books that's a fun read, but totally wrong for me! It is an affirmation of the egoic mind -- away from the expansion of consciousness I'm experiencing.

This further backs up my view that polarizing is irrelevant for me.

[A.K.Light]

Originally Posted by Steve Pavlina

FYI a great book to learn how to be an intelligent and aware darkworker is The 48 Laws of Power.

I agree. I've read books like this and I've read books that might be a lightworker's equivalent to it. I realized a long time ago that serving yourself and serving other people are basically the same thing if you're doing it effectively. Everything ties together somehow.

The 48 Laws of Power is an excellent source of knowledge. It doesn't matter whether an author is writing from the perspective of a lightworker or a darkworker, the knowledge is the same. (Assuming that their levels of consciousness are high enough.) The motives and perspectives may be different, but the results are the same. When I bought The 48 Laws of Power, I had some fun discussions with people who think that seeking power is bad. You may decide to use it in a "bad" way, but having that power is never a bad thing. You can do great things with power , and you can also do terrible things, but if you're conscious enough to know how to use your power wisely then that's all that should matter.

And just for the record, I haven't consciously decided to polarize one way or the other yet. I am, however, finally starting to see the benefit of doing so, I think. Improved concentration and power, which is rather appealing for various reasons!

[wolfgang]

Originally Posted by Akashic_Librarian

...a balance must be found in the Microcosm before one can be sought in the macrocosm...The darkness and the light must be brought to bear...they must be dragged into the open and sorted out. There is no dishonour in doing a "Bad" thing to help the world, nor is their honour in doing a "Good" thing.

Yoru choice of Polarization is irrelevant. The ends result, if followed through properly, is always the same. Like Steve says, it's all about the experience you want.

a balance must be found in the Microcosm before one can be sought in the macrocosm...

I liked this part.

When you said "choice of polarization is irrelevent" do you also think choicing a polarization is not needed? Or, ever though irelevent, you are still thinking one should "polarize"?

[wolfgang]

Originally Posted by Shooshpanchick

I've just read polarity articles - this model perfectly fits recent events of my life. Trying to enhance lives of others and getting a stream of lucky events in return is a wonderful way of living, and I'm going to continue like that

I could see that as acutally being able to witness your expanded self. That as you give in what seems like an outwardly way you are acutally giving to an expanded version of yourself. Then to be able to view the stream of lucky events that seem to be returning to you, is from a you that is not as expanded, like the ego boundary.

[wolfgang]

Originally Posted by Dan.Linehan

Goals themselves aren't categorized as "lightworker goals" or "darkworker goals."

The intent behind a goal is what's classified. The energy to carry out a given goal comes from a "lightworker" or "darkworker" based motivation. You are either doing something because it's:

a. Good you you.
b. For the greatest good of all.

Goals themselves are neutral.

If it's good for the greatest good of all it also good for me!

It's more like:
a. good for you.
b. good for greatest good of all including a.

[wolfgang]

Originally Posted by Steve Pavlina

You're simply describing Darkworker Syndrome, which would indeed generate the problem you describe.

However, that is not the path that a highly conscious darkworker would take. Understand that an intelligent and aware darkworker would recognize that being alone and isolated is a foolish choice that only leads to suffering, so such a person would plan to avoid that type of outcome. Such a darkworker would recognize that his/her own good will not be served by social isolation and committing blatant acts of evil that will eventually backfire and produce a negative emotional state.

An intelligent and aware darkworker doesn't chose loneliness and isolation. That would be... well... dumb. But someone experiencing darkworker syndrome might pass through this temporary stage as s/he learns that to maximize one's power, one must help others get what they want as well.

It sounds like a darkworker has to keep the lightworker stuff going or suffer. If a darkworker is recognizing her/his good will needs to not be isolated - then what? He/she has to mix polarities? Is that the answer to the sydrome?

[wolfgang]

Originally Posted by Dan.Linehan

For me, mixed motivations are distracting. I tend to wonder why I'm really doing something. Even if there are muliple valid reasons I'll hold myself back until I feel like I know my "main" reason.

Picking one polarity up front seems more effective as it alleviates all the self doubt.

If polarizing is actually a way to not have self doubt and finding the main reason, then why apply a concept and classify the why? I don't see and haven't been able to apply polarzing to find that it remove self doubt - it just makes my head want to conceptualize and get lost in ideas of where in/out - fear/love boundaries are.

The idea of being motivated to serve myself or others as a choice is what endlessly generates the doubt for me. Like, oh no, Feeling the motivation and desire with less lableing and expanded conscoiusness is what remove my doubts.

[Akashic_Librarian]

@Wolfgang

What I mean is simply this:
We are all aiming for the same thing, we want to be happy. Some of us find happiness in helping others, some of us find happiness in helping ourselves. There is no Good and Evil way to get happiness. Its merely perception. Polarising is a way to define yourself and I think it is important you Polarize but I also think that its not so much a question of Good or Bad Ultimately your going to end up happy. So don't fight it if your drawn to "The Dark Side" because it isn't evil, I have seen some people talking about cures for Darkworkers and how to defeat the Darkworker mindset, don't bother! There is nothing wrong with it. I think LIght and Dark have to much presupposition about them, you assume Light is good, dark is bad. But it isn't, not in this case.

[Akashic_Librarian]

Meh. I agree with steve. He only ever aimed his posts at 1% of the populace and I belive I am one of that 1%! GO STEVE

[wolfgang]

Originally Posted by Akashic_Librarian

So don't fight it if your drawn to "The Dark Side" because it isn't evil, I have seen some people talking about cures for Darkworkers and how to defeat the Darkworker mindset, don't bother! There is nothing wrong with it. I think LIght and Dark have to much presupposition about them, you assume Light is good, dark is bad. But it isn't, not in this case.

Is that "you assume likght is good dark is bad" directed at me? You are assuming that I assume that, if so. I see darkworker stuff as needed as a seed to grow into ligthworker realms - and growing is what it feels like. It doesn't feel like mixing or having to choose to not be a certain good or bad way.

There have been cures or antidotes in Steve's ideas for the syndromes of the extreme light/dark modes. And what is the cure of lightworkers? - to put a little more darkworker stuff in there. Allow the universe to give you more.

I leave it to ther reader to tell me what the cure is for a darkworker getting too full of himself.

[Akashic_Librarian]

Darkworkers arn't sub-ordinate to Lightworkers Wolfgang.

[Kingston]

Originally Posted by Steve Pavlina

FYI a great book to learn how to be an intelligent and aware darkworker is The 48 Laws of Power.

Yes, its an eye-opener. He also wrote a book about war (conflict) and seduction in the same style. It makes you aware, but his perspective is a bit historical. Blend it with a little academic cognitive and social psychology for a deeper understanding to support practical application.

Great articles lately Steve for my taste! Have my eternal gratitude!