Personal Sovereignty

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[Michael]

Self-authority, self-authorizing, thinking for oneself?call it what you will?what is it, why is it important, and is it even possible or desirable to try to engender this quality in other people?

This is an area that I feel that hasn?t been discussed enough in integral circles.  I love Robert Kegan?s take on the subject, and recommend his books, The Evolving Self, and In Over Our Heads.

I was struck by the words in a recent blog entry that I recommended about dialoguing  on the topic of  Gurus, Cults and Aliens.  The words were ?Ready to think for yourself?? And I thought, well yes!  Actually I am ready to think for myself! But then was promptly annoyed by the intentionally persuasive and one-sided case the guy made against all gurus, all cults and all alien archetypes.  In effect, he was inviting us to think for ourselves, and then showing us how to do it ? his way.

Is thinking for oneself about considering multiple perspectives and then choosing the most persuasive one, or is it something else entirely?

Is thinking for oneself accomplished by being hurled out of the boat and told to swim, or is it about being coaxed gently out of the boat and being shown how to swim?

Personally I?m more in favor of the first method by and large.  I love (to hate) life?s dilemmas and paradoxes for that reason.  Nothing like an insoluble problem that won?t go away to necessitate real self-authorizing, and accompanied by the very real danger of drowning, makes for some compelling teaching.  And then integrating the consequential results of bad decisions makes for a nice opportunity for growing personal sovereignty?

What do you think?

[Jana]

I have been writing heaps of personal sovereignty...as this is the most important thing that needs to occur on earth now. Here is a little...
I cannot see how anyone can really transcend the tyranny of the mind and its figments unless they go through a full-blown kundalini awakening, and have their archetypal interiors collide with the archetypal exteriors in others...on which they project their interiors (hopes, fears, longings). Until the radical exaggeration that kundalini provides the mind cannot really become an object of its own awareness...Certain drugs might also have this perturbation effect allowing finally the mind to absorb the psychic-subtle into the rational fold and therefore permit transrationality. We must note that most or all Religions are still prerational and  premystic. It is vitally important to realize that it is only well after an awakening that this integration into transrationality occurs, for during a kundalini awakening we are in the grip of the depths of our archetypal matrix.

Tyranny of the mind is when we believe that our mental activity is reality, that inner voices are really disembodied spirits talking to us. We are not able to distance ourself from our own machinery. It is the consensus trance/conditioned part of us making up a fictitious story to explain incidental firing in the brain. The tyranny of the mind is also the belief that our inner commentator that incessantly talks to us IS who we are, where it is really just a small and somewhat aberrant faction of the Self.

I was deeply embedded in archetypal mind until years after my awakening, and I didn't know it...now I have post-rational ie: creative capacity, it is a type of transconscious wholism. Prior to that it was more of a superstitious weaving of parts that was going on. This cannot be pinned down, it is a vague observation of a more rounded awareness. The avenues of perturbation that allow us distance from the tyranny of the mind include crisis, shock, death, births, war, falling in love, radical change, travel and near death experience count...Dreaming in general can be perturbating to conventional-consensus trance, but usually only the kundi-juiced dream periods with visionary material are really transformational.

[jimtzu]

thinking for yourself

i think that that it comes about when you first realize that you can and DO step outside of whatever social/cultural box that were/are in.  the first step of seperateness on the way back to being whole, only with a new identity that fills in the gap of where you left/become.
my first memory of thinking for "myself" was deciding not to attend mass anymore (catholic school, church 6 days a week).  and doing it conciously, realizing the myths religion was built around and finding no meaning in how it was all presented. from there it was a way of finding MY way, untethered, thru the world and blazing my own path thru the forest. always more difficult then walking with the herd, but more satisfying in a personal way.
a couple years ago this guy i know was getting ready to have his little girl batized and i hear him call his mother and ask her.."what do we believe?"  i still crack up every time i think of that.  of course he was serious, never having thought of it at all.

just some thoughts.....

[Jana]

Sovereign thinking is where we can think for ourselves via our own spiritual umbilical, that is attunement to the cosmos via the Muse, establishment of advanced circuits in the brain and higher consciousness capacities. If we are all neurons in the Global brain then when we regress to cultmind and groupthink or the "conditioned mind," then we could compare this metaphorically to a brain having a seizure. Seizures occur when neurons fall pathologically into synchronous firing patterns...a process called kindling. Basically collective thinking is a form of unconscious sleep which is promoted by media, authoritarian systems, religions, governments, schools and society in general.This in itself is an enormous subject for study and daily becomes more important as we "group think" our way into global warfare.

Man I am burning up at present, it?s intense. I was in a hardware store floating around in ecstasy looking for things and an Australian sheep dog barked at me. I made a joke that it was because the dog is Australian and I am a New Zealander, but really I knew he was barking at the ecstasy energy which vicariously inflates the heart fields of lifeforms within its reach. The owner eyed me suspiciously however...perhaps I could have told the owner that the dog was barking due to my radically magnified heart field...but that would be just too much information for a non-initiate (trancer).
I suppose the degree of ecstasy felt corresponds to the ability of the heart to open. To increase the degree of ecstasy experienced you could do sun meditation, hot rocks, hot and cold showers, toning, the Primal Release Pose and the three steps CMR, PSM, NER. Basically if you want to trigger the heart go find something to love, even a flower will do?and in nature the body has more strength to go into higher states. The permanent ecstasy stages happen further down the line I think, the first 5 years are more of a roller coaster ride.

[Jana]

?As long as there is incomplete identity formation, a state which most human beings inhabit, there will be projection. Projection is the overlay of content within one's own self onto people, situations and even physical reality. A primary reason for this projection is a fundamental need to control experience. If I make the world into the way I see it, then I will have control over the outcome of the experience, or so I might believe.? David La Chapelle


?What does it mean for a human being to have an opened vibratory rate? It means that the sum of the body/mind is vibrating as a higher capacity. This viewpoint of the body mind considers that our physical forms are portals between this level of manifest reality and more subtle realms. These subtle realms have been identified in various traditions and their existence is a matter of personal experience. The exact mechanism of an increased vibratory rate which opens to these realms has been the study of various yogis, mystics and shamans throughout the ages. Various maps of subtle pathways that form the medium of these vibrations have been made. Ultimately the physical body provides the linkage in this time and space, but it is in the nature of the subtle bodies that capacity to open vibration is best realized. Direct experience of these subtler bodies manifests in a variety of forms depending on the character, make up and destiny lines of the individuals involved. For some this may appear as a very clear insight into life structures. For others it may appear as an urge towards generosity and compassionate action. For others it may be a revelation of life direction. And for some the revelation of subtler bodies takes on distinct sensory phenomenon, such as "seeing" energy flows, hearing sounds or an increase in kinesthetic capacity.

Wisdom arises when the vibratory capacity of an individual, or a group, increases to a point of direct apprehension of the underlying pattern, or unity of phenomenon is possible. This capacity is modulated through a sequence of subtler planes of experience and seems to best be achieved when the heart opens. We see with this kind of opening that the root of wisdom is to be found in what we truly care about.? David La Chapelle
http://www.collectivewisdominitiative.org/files_people/LaChapelle_David.htm

[Daniel]

And yet many people in this society still worship...WORSHIP celebrities and heros. Where's Ophra's painting?  (and we can't forget Alex Gray's drawing of Ken Wilber as our spiritual pandit.)


This photo provided by Chelsea Galleria shows a painting 'Blessed Art Thou,' by North Carolina artist Kate Kretz that features actress Angelina Jolie and her three children hovering in the heavens above a Wal-Mart. Kretz says she's intrigued by the public fascination with celebrities. The painting will be shown at Art Miami, an arts show.

The painting ? acrylic and oil on linen ? depicts an angelic Jolie in the clouds, holding her newborn daughter, Shiloh, with children Maddox and Zahara at her legs. Below them is a Wal-Mart checkout line. The painting is for sale for $50,000 through Chelsea Galleria in Miami, which represents Kretz.

On her blog, Kretz, 43, said the painting addresses "the celebrity worship cycle." She said she chose Jolie for the subject "because of her unavoidable presence in the media, the worldwide anticipation of her child, her 'unattainable' beauty and the good that she is doing in the world through her example, which adds another layer to the already complicated questions surrounding her status."

[Jana]

Extremely well executed, but disturbing painting. If I owned that painting I would cut off the bottom portion, afterall who wants to look at a walmart for fine art. I cannot really grasp if this is actually disrespectful to Jolie, if it is then it shouldn't be. Afterall she must suffer from her celebrity as much as she benefits from it. I suppose it is a political painting about walmarts commercial policies, but then who the f* wants to see that depicted in art. Perhaps it makes a useful statement, but it an't art.

[Daniel]

It is disturbing Jana. One impression I get is that celebrities such as this are so exalted that they are in another world totally in contrast to the average working class "nobody" pinching pennies at Wal-Mart to survive. Glory unto heaven in the highest...everyone else gets 50 cents off at the Wal-Mart register for Brad Pitts latest DVD. And where's Brads painting? 

And it's not just actors and actresses. Doctors, Rock Stars, Millionaires, Billionaires, Politicians, Gurus...they're all exalted unto the highest on the clouds.

Dan

[Jana]

Yes and so they should be, I have Jolie up on my board of teachers along with Osho, RAM, Ken and Aurobindo. Jolie is one of the most down to earth of actors, she can't help it if she is unearthly beautiful...we should all aspire to such beauty...or are we going to go thru a poppy field and chop down all the tall poppies in order that the short ones do not feel lesser. I think that artist might be a little twisted, it would be interesting to view more of her work...

[Michael]

?As long as there is incomplete identity formation, a state which most human beings inhabit, there will be projection. Projection is the overlay of content within one's own self onto people, situations and even physical reality. A primary reason for this projection is a fundamental need to control experience. If I make the world into the way I see it, then I will have control over the outcome of the experience, or so I might believe.? David La Chapelle

I?ve been mulling this topic around and about, along with a few others related, such as spiritual development, wisdom vs knowledge and the pre/trans fallacy.  I just had another look at a Caroline Myss video that I?ve mentioned before here, where she tries to articulate an aspect of personal sovereignty.  She says it this way:

?Your coordinates begin behind your eyes, rather than in front of your eyes.  Your inner world has authority over your outer world.?

I notice that acquisition of knowledge can be seen in this light.  Knowledge can be used as a wisdom substitute.  Wisdom grows when outer experience is processed and refined into inner authority coordinates.  Knowledge is outer coordinates which can masquerade as inner and outer authority.

[stilltraveler]

Quote from: Jana on January 05, 2007, 10:47:43 AM
?As long as there is incomplete identity formation, a state which most human beings inhabit, there will be projection. Projection is the overlay of content within one's own self onto people, situations and even physical reality. A primary reason for this projection is a fundamental need to control experience. If I make the world into the way I see it, then I will have control over the outcome of the experience, or so I might believe.? David La Chapelle

I?ve been mulling this topic around and about, along with a few others related, such as spiritual development, wisdom vs knowledge and the pre/trans fallacy.  I just had another look at a Caroline Myss video that I?ve mentioned before here, where she tries to articulate an aspect of personal sovereignty.  She says it this way:

?Your coordinates begin behind your eyes, rather than in front of your eyes.  Your inner world has authority over your outer world.?

Well put, Michael, and all.

I've had a little trouble warming to this topic because of some of the connotations that pop up and float along for me as I read the word "sovereignty". It appears to denote heirarchy and I suppose that that could be construed to holarchy. The word reign, of course is visible in this English word. Part of my difficulty may have to do with an anarchical &/or rebellious current that runs through me. "Personal sovereignty" does seem to me to have a lot to do with "self" and all the Kohutian and other conversations around that - like an enduring, coherent locus of agency plus maybe "skillful means". I appreciate how you, Michael tied this topic in with the other mullings that you mention, like pre-trans. I too continue in mull mode over these big questions, including "ego", "functional ego", "self" and "Self" that are talked about. I still have mixed thoughts and feelings about all these, as well.

Let's say, momentarily, that personal sovereignty is a good thing, as is a functional ego and self. I think that some or maybe even much of that benefit of conceiving of and articulating this description could be neutralized instantaneously by it's mischief-making twin shadow brother - the use, misuse, abuse of ego and personal sovereignty. Other than functioning better in the everyday practical world, I haven't gotten clearly quite yet the implied benefit of achieving personal sovereignty.

On another hand, however, I do need to acknowledge the apparent gravitational primacy of "self" or personal sovereignty. Apparently human beings tend to constellate as selves, with varying degrees of fragmentation, wholeness, integration. I also want to acknowledge that I have found some beauty in the myths and their metaphoric explorations by Jungians in which they use these metaphors of a king's reign and maybe even a suffering reign (sove-reign) of a wounded king to attempt intrapsychically to weave, alchemically perhaps, a person and world together in a meaningful understanding/story/experience that corresponds to "objective reality" in a believable way. This helps me to entertain this question.

But mostly I feel in longterm mull mode, with some interest and some very mild aversion to this term, which to me is mostly a rephrasing of old questions about how we be in the world, in life.

What do you think of what I say here? I'm probably missing something or not allowing another fruitful path of exploration, somehow - any candid feelings about these rambling thoughts of mine that you'd be willing to put on the table for me, Michael?

Feliz Cumplianos!

[Jana]

Theresa:" I think the "idea" that we have to prove our abilities/worthiness has done more damage to the human psyche than any ONE thing that has manifested in our history."

"You know power-over ie: weak systems are mythic and impose their will over the deeper nature of what is, so that in order to get you to become their lackey they will try to make you insecure and in deprivation mode first, and then suggest the solution...in some form of slavery or "usury." Knock you down, then offer you the hand of self-sacrifice as redemption for sins you did not commit...we are still deeply deeply enmeshed in this pattern as families, culture and country.

Exposing this pattern of witch to innocent child is the challenge of the age in moving into personal sovereignty. I have the opportunity to deal with this everyday at work, with a mythic-psychic that works out of our store. I have to deliberately make a stand to not be sucked into her and her buddies manipulation tricks.

 Theresa: "In the process of studying Consciousness, we MUST be aware of these dynamics. But, if we want to learn anything about Consciousness, we must stay on that track for, if we go down the path of social activism, we will be like the guy tossing quarters into quicksand in the hope of filling it up - quarters that could be used productively in our study."

In a way we are social activists in our study of consciousness. The study itself creates a heat by which that which we are studying in transformed. Thus in working with the mythic-folks at work I do not directly counter their world views or tell them where they are fucking up grandly. Instead I write letters which I do not give them. That way I can feel into the situation and respect my position, while still adhering to live and let live. I am actually using these people to find the fallacious ideas in our popular folk-spiritual culture...and to move from deprivation consciousness to abundance consciousness or personal sovereignty

[Jana]

The crucial period in human evolution we are now in is the emergence of personal sovereignty or connection to the inner God (and the creation of the rational mystic or Universal Man). While the great initiates intuited and taught this personal divine connection, the religious systems that came after them end up stealing the honey pot and distract people from the inner God?thus we have commercial religions that distance God from people so they have to buy him back again...tell people they are broken, so they can be given redemption at a price. For human survival however, we cannot waste anymore time?we must become inner directed and quit our sheep like fixation on "outer" authority figures.

 This turn toward the New Thought movement is the first step in the establishment of a collective sovereignty and rational mysticism. If America is to be saved it will be through the personal empowerment of each individual to no longer follow as sheep to the slaughter, or fodder for the wargames of the neocons.

[Jana]

Dream: I was in this huge covered warehouse building that actually covered the slope of a hill. There were some I-I people there, they lined up in rows in preparation for the arrival of Ken. Then the lower half of the line ran for the door and jumped on a gutted bus, they started to tear up stuff in the bus as tho they were rockstars or something. I thought that is no way for a spiritual group to behave.

The I-I line up I now realize is a evolutionary look at the population base. The lower half of the line up represents the sector of the population that have not been given a grounding in logic and reason. Under the stresses of the current times, and along with the biological handicaps of depression, borderline disorder and ADD etc... perhaps up to half the youth are in danger of being lost to constructive society, with many turning delinquent. So many do not have a firm grip on reality...they are lost to their dream life, can't integrate their psychic material in a healthy fashion, scare themselves into states of acute stress and lose themselves in mystical, magical, new age and archaic eastern interpretations. This vast population of kids are very vulnerable to the stress of the human evolutionary pressures which now claim us all. Will these poor young people be able to generate the discipline, stability, rationality and concentration needed to build constructive lives...or will they contribute to the downfall of civilization by tearing down and lashing out in anger and frustration

[Jana]

?What traits one happens to inherit will make it either easier or harder to maintain one?s freedom from the encroachment of other peoples wills.? Mihlaly Csikszentimihalyi, The Evolving Self

The story of Psyche?s epic journey toward Eros and true love is a metaphor for the preservation of the postconventional life of the soul. The antihero blocking the life of the soul is everything that constitutes the mask of inauthenticity?or the surface flatland of the superego and the machine. Sovereignty is the reward for a successful marriage of Psyche and Eros.