What you are about to read may resonate with you or it might not. If not, it may be that your experience and understanding to-date is contrary. I warmly invite you to open your mind to possibilities and to explore the concepts I am introducing. One important distinction is that in spirituality, there is freedom.
In the research I have undertaken over the years, the most fascinating and helpful in satisfying my intellectual understanding of world-religion and other spiritual teachings has been found in the field of quantum physics. We live in a universe that has 11 spacetime dimensions - so the math goes so far - and it is entirely possible we exist on multiple dimensions as well.
In truth, you are spirit already. The spirit is that aspect of ourselves that quite simply inspires us. In it's purest origin, spirit is completely connected to the source of the universe, which is why in its' purity of force and energy is such an inspiring force / entity. Many people have lost touch with this entity and are left uninspired by the lives they lead.
Our soul is not the spirit, it is another dimension that embodies the "feelings" of our memories. These memories reside in the body, the mind, and the emotions. You can understand how the integration of the experiences between these three human facets are required to capture the fullest expression of a memory. You may also recognize how a memory in your own life can completely overwhelm the body's feelings, your emotional response, and your thinking.
A Conceptual Breakdown:
During a meditation a few years ago, a visualization exercise was being conducted as a group. The discussion about the human experience, the mind, the emotions, the soul, etc. were at the foundation although not the focus of the discussion. Entering into the meditation, extraordinary activity began communicating thought messages that provided the following framework to help segment and understand more about the human experience. It's important to note that while these messages prove useful and valid, it is also wise to stay open to further expansion of thought, understanding, and most importantly experience.
The Body
The body is the feeling machine and action machine. Emotions are felt and expressed through the body. Emotions are a force of energy that speak to us, although often-times we're not always aware of what we need to know about the emotion. This forceful energy is experienced physically in the body and also affects thought in the mind. Our body, the physical cells and chemical construct also retains the memory of emotion. The more emotion built up and stored, the more toxicity retained by the body. Your body can function in cooperation with the power of the mind or the spirit - whichever we give more control. Also, remember that all matter is energy. This means the physical body is energy and thereby has the ability to act as a radar dish, picking up on the energy of others around us, also affecting our moods and emotions.
The Mind
The mind has been referred to as a computer, a biological computer. I would say that is a fairly workable assessment, although its complexity is much greater. Nonetheless, it is a tool by which we learn, interpret, analyze, and retain data. This data can be in the form of book knowledge but it certainly doesn't stop there. It also retains memories (data) from our human experience and life experience. This is quite an encompassing repository of data as we take all facets of life, living, relationship, feeling, thinking, exploring, and so on, and so on.
However, the mind also connects us to spirit as we exercise that muscle. This means taking the time to nurture the relationship with spirit and being available for whatever messages and inspiration it has to share with us. Most often, it is likely that we suppress and deny spiritual promptings within ourselves due to a lot of social and educational conditioning received throughout life. Not honoring and nurturing this communication wtih spirit, our mind utilizes more of the soul memory - combining the mind's memories and the body's memories (emotions) - and allowing that to dictate life experience. This is where we see many cynics, for example, that always see the truth they choose. Our experience dictates life because that is where our focus remains imprisoned. Breaking free is the challenge that comes with embracing a spiritual journey.
The Soul
Soul and spirit have often been thought of as synonymous, the same thing. During my studies over the years however, I often found distinctions that contradicted this thinking. But who really knows the answer to these questions? Scientists have tried to find these mysterious entities inside the human mind for ages and haven't been able to spot anything that they can clearly put their finger on. Nonetheless, it is widely agreed that there is more to the human-being than just the physical body. This is substantiated even further as quantum physics dug deeper into the realms of the invisible and came up with M-Theory, previously known as String Theory. I suggest two excellent videos that educate and challenge simultaneously: What the Bleep Do We Know? and The Elegant Universe.
The Elegant Universe brings the quantum studies into the layman's world and a couple of very relevant and interesting facts present themselves that support the concept of soul, spirit, the body, the mind, and so on. I won't go too deep just yet and will only stick with the soul and spirit distinction. First, all matter is derived from energy, little bands of energy or strings; where the name string-theory originated. Later named M-theory, it also discovered that there are 11 spacetime dimensions. This validated earlier teachings about the energetic body that resides on a separate dimension than the physical body. Now this energetic body could also symbolize the existence of soul on another dimension as well. This validated the impressions of thought I received during the group meditation. It clearly distinguished the various entities of the human experience and described them much as I've done here.
What the soul does is combines the experienced memories of the mind, the body, and the emotions. As I like to say, it retains the melancholy of life and other physical world memories. Its function and purpose is the storage of information that the spirit world, or universal consciousness if you prefer, can access after we leave the physical world.
The Spirit
My favorite, the spirit, is the universal part of ourselves that comes from and is connected to the source. The source of what? The source of all that exists, the source of all creation, quite possibly the creator, and if not, the consciousness of the creator. Remember, the best we can do from this place on earth is to enter into the dance with the mystery and reach our own conclusions with the best information available. This is what I'm bringing to you and inviting you to explore on your own as well.
Spirit, so closely connected with source, which by the way, is the energy that makes up the 11 spacetime dimensions as well, can be thought of as the energy of pure love. I will get into this more elsewhere. This spirit is loving, encouraging, inspiring, forgiving, and all else that is good. It manifested itself here in your physical body to experience and to create. Now the question is, to create what? What did your spiritual self come here to accomplish in this physical world. For more insight into the Source, it's energy, intent, and power, I recommend The Power of Intention book or viewable frequently on PBS in North America.
With the social, cultural, politcal, educational and familial pressures, teaching, violence, and more, we have been conditioned and most people have lost the connection with their spirit and spiritual purpose. Programmed throughout life by the systems of this world we are challenged to break out of the molds put around us to fully explore who we are spiritually. Case in point: An abused child takes much time, patience, love, and gentleness in order to see the defense mechanisms dropped and trust confidence, and openness to grow.
I have studied myself and others for a long time around this subject and another deciding force is the fact that so many people are suffering depression, anxiety, etc. Many people are stressed beyond belief trying to live lives that are not their own. They need to access those Spirit values that are unique to them and to live them out fully in order to be optimally healthy: emotionally, mentally, physically, and spiritually.
When you're so far out of tune with your spiritual self, you're out of integrity. When you're out of integrity and none of your spiritual values are being honored, discomfort sets in. This discomfort, this dis-ease grows over time and the less able you are to turn it around, the higher the likelihood that you become ill, physically ill. I've seen it with a number of people who have suffered enormously as a result of trauma and abuse that has robbed them of their courage and strength.
Inside there is an unchanging force calling for attention. This power of spirit is a tangible part of our everyday whether we participate or not. Now are you curious and courageous enough to look at how you can integrate your spiritual perceptions, beliefs, and experiences into the reality of day-to-day living.
Lee Down is a professionally trained Spiritual Life Coach committed to the awakening of spiritual seekers. His vocation and business, One Man Can Human Capital Development has evolved from human resources, to career and life coaching until the inspired writing, also available on his site, paved a new path into the realms of Spirit.
He works with seekers to move them forward on their journey of discovery with spirit, energy, abundance, passion and purpose, integrating the mind and body experience with Spirit.
Whether you are looking for a single conversation or month-to-month support, you will find it here: One Man Can Human Capital Development.