In past issues of the Active Consciousness Newsletter, as well as in Active Consciousness, I have written about different components or aspects of one’s self. These include:
* the Inner or Higher Self
* the Basic Self (a concept from Hawaiian shamanism)
* the Middle Self — the thinking/rational mind (also identified in Hawaiian shamanism)
* the “mundane” self or ego/personality complex.
In this article I will discuss a new aspect of the self that I have been exploring lately — the Original Self. I haven’t come up with references to anything like it anywhere (write to me if you know of any!), but I have found that connecting with this part of my self can be extremely helpful. I thought you might as well.
Think of the Original Self as the normal, ordinary You as you were originally born. Unlike the Higher or even Basic Selves that are accessed through meditation or at least through some concerted effort to reach a deeper state of awareness, the Original Self is much easier to find. It is that sense of self that you possessed before all the stories of family and culture were laid on top of you. It is your original personality in this life.
One easy way to find your Original Self is to think back to when you truly and easily reflected it with ease. For most of us, this means going back to childhood, to a time before you developed fears and anxieties, before you took on the expectations of your family, religion, and culture. This is when you were truly your naked self, before you were burdened by outside information.
In my case, I have to go back to at least three or four years old. Even then, I know I was beginning to cover up my Original Self. For many of us, the Original Self might only be accessed through one’s earliest memories. When I contact this part of myself, I see that my Original Self was happy, curious, open, unburdened. Although embedded in a child’s body, there was also the sense that this Self was complete and non-childish.
For some of us, the Original Self might still have been dominant and unburdened in later childhood, especially if you had a happy home life. And how fortunate are those who can retain easy access to their Original Self even longer — some even manage to do so into adulthood! Usually, however, most people’s Original Self becomes increasingly covered up during the trials of puberty.
I have found that when I feel anxious or worried and recognize that I have unconsciously become overcome by “stories”, an easy way for me to regain balance is to simply bring up a memory of my Original Self. I remember that this is the true me. I find that I am filled with a sense that I am OK, I am enough. I also feel a greater trust in the universe, and that everything is working out as it should.
As we enter the holiday season, a time when people tend to easily be overcome by “stories” and external expectations, make a resolution that you will try to periodically return to your Original Self. You may find that by doing so, you regain your original childlike wonder and excitement about this time of year. Indeed, this wonder and joy is really what the Holiday Season is all about. A return to your Original Self can help you reclaim that.
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