Written by Donna M Atwood Hello everyone! Today marks the 10th post for Rave Reviews Book Club's 30-Day Blogging Challenge. Congratulations to all my fellow bloggers who've made it this far. Were 1/3 of the way there - Woo Hoo! Unity Consciousness Before I discuss the link between ascension and self-actualization, I would like to step back and add a few more ideas regarding unity consciousness – a topic which I brought up in my previous post. Spiritual expert Dr. Deepak Chopra has suggested that other-worldly, or alien type of experiences – like the ones that I've been through, are discussed in all the major religions of the world. At least in their esoteric studies. According to Chopra, for a spiritual awakening experience to take place, a person needs to reach a certain maturity at the soul level. Having said that, if someone lacks an understanding of what’s occurring, the integration of that experience into their everyday life can be quite difficult. Honestly, I feel like the poster child for this last sentence. That’s because it took me the better part of a decade to come to grips with witnessing the spherical UFO and then having my entire body shake the following night. Native American shamans, as well as other indigenous peoples around the world, refer to what I experienced as a spiritual initiation. Their understanding is that spiritual initiates are “chosen” (whether they want to be or not) to bring spiritual energies into the world to help humankind in a variety of ways. I suspect the type of help that I’m able to provide may be rooted in some strange incidents involving myself and the now infamous, grey aliens. To the best of my recollection, these entities began interacting with me when I was only four years old. I will discuss this topic in more detail in another post. On a positive note, after a lot of mental, emotional and spiritual wrangling, my sense now is that that I am on the precipice of reaching a full integration (a full understanding and acceptance) of my experiences. This means that my enlightenment has moved beyond the “shocking phase” and is now at a point where I'm able to live a normal and productive life. Getting to this point required a significant shift in my consciousness. What this means is that I have a newfound understanding, at least on some level, that there is a oneness to this life – that everything and everyone are connected in some way. As for the terrifying demon experience which I discussed in my previous post, the following are some additional thoughts by Dr. Deepak Chopra as it relates to this topic: “…the terror you experienced was likely the ego’s fear of annihilation in the wake of that expansiveness. To explain how it is possible to experience transcendence even before all the blocks to that experience have been removed, Maharishi used an analogy of how it’s like tiptoeing past a herd of sleeping elephants. To extend the analogy, sometimes we wake up the elephants on the way back. I think that is what happened with your experience of terror. By overcoming whatever fears remain in you, yes, you will return to that state of unity. It works the other way as well; by continuing to experience the unified state of consciousness in meditation, the fear will dissolve. The Upanishads declare that fear is born of duality. By moving beyond duality we remove fear. That experience of unity is our true nature, so our destiny is really just to come back to our true self.” -Dr. Deepak Chopra I think it’s important that I expand on a couple of points made by Dr. Chopra. For starters, Maharishi, otherwise known as Maharishi Mahesh Yogi (January 12, 1918 - February 5, 2008) was an Indian yoga guru who was known for his work in transcendental meditation. Secondly, the Upanishads are sacred Hindu texts, written in Sanskrit, which are outlined in the Vedas. The Upanishads state that there is no duality in the universe, even though there is diversity. The unifying principle to all this diversity is referred to as brahman. By the way, duality in this instance has less to do with disagreements between people, for example, than it does with coming from a single source. Ascension Now onto my theory linking self-actualization to ascension. I’d like to begin by describing what is meant by ascension. Ascension is:
Having said this, spiritual ascension isn’t just about love and light. Take it from someone who knows, there’s a lot of work, pain, fear and aggravation involved in getting to the other side. Some people, such as yours truly, have dark aspects of themselves which must first be dealt with before they can fully ascend. My biggest hurdle was that I was too nice, too accommodating and too quick to placate difficult people. I also had a lot of fear about seeing the UFO. The reason for this is that a couple of people in church suggested that this could have been a sign of Satan. Because of a frightening experience I had involving grey aliens as a child, this “sign of Satan” was partially responsible for triggering something known as the Dark Night of the Soul. It was an exceedingly difficult time in my life. The good news is that I’ve made it to the other side. By having worked through my limiting beliefs and habits and dealing with some things in my life which needed to be corrected, I have ascended. I now feel ready to self-actualize. Self-Actualization For those unfamiliar with self-actualization, this is an idea which originated from Dr. Abraham Maslow, (April 1, 1908 – June 8, 1970) a famous humanistic psychologist. In simple terms, self-actualization is about becoming the best version of yourself that you are capable being. For me, I first needed to deal with all of my old, limiting ways of thinking, feeling and acting. This then opened the door to my growing into the very best version of myself that I am capable of becoming. Included in this are things like improving my physical health, daily prayer and meditation, writing, reaching out to others on You Tube and across social media, etc. So, I guess it’s now official: I’m a work in progress. : ) What about you? Do you feel as though you are in the process of self-actualizing? If so, in what ways? If you enjoyed this post, or perhaps you learned something which expanded your perspective, please hit the like button and leave a comment below. As always, thank you for taking the time to visit my blog! Wishing you love and light, Donna M. Atwood ABOUT THE AUTHOR:  Donna M. Atwood, founder of ALIEN EXPERIENCERS NETWORK is also an American writer of suspenseful paranormal and science fiction as well as spiritually based non-fiction. In her fictional works, she draws upon her B.A. in psychology to develop flawed and complex characters, while her background as a nanotechnology start-up owner serves as the foundation for her sci-fi's exciting, futuristic technologies. In addition, as a trained massage therapist and ET/UAP experiencer, when it comes to her non-fiction writings, Ms. Atwood is comfortable exploring some of the more esoteric aspects of the human condition. Ms. Atwood is known for reaching out to other experiencers as she maintains that there is nothing more important than supporting one another during this time of ascension. Donna M. Atwood is a member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, the American Massage Therapy Association, the Exoconsciousness Group, the New York Writers Association and Rave Reviews Book Club. Additionally, she proudly supports Phoenix, Arizona's chapter of the Mutual UFO Network. Currently, Ms. Atwood resides in Tucson, Arizona where she enjoys spending time with her friends and family, including her grand dog, Luna. She is also frequently sighted around Sedona, Arizona where she partakes of its vibrant arts community, New Age shops, and world-class hiking. CONNECT WITH THE AUTHOR: Website Categories All
8 Comments
1/12/2023 04:02:45 am
Minus the orbs and aliens, I feel we are on very similar journeys, Donna. I, too, have been working through my "demons" toward self-actualization. It has not been easy, but every time I release that which is not part of my true self, I feel a weight removed from my soul. I tend to say, "I'm a work in progress" as well as "I'm a work of heart." Thanks for sharing your journey with us. 1/17/2023 11:21:13 pm
Hi Yvette! I am sooooo a work in progress...sometimes I wonder if I'll ever reach 90% complete...Lol! But seriously, I hear what you're saying. It's such a great feeling to release what's not working and move forward. Thanks for stopping by! Best wishes, Donna : ) 1/12/2023 01:51:06 pm
Hi, Donna. I've certainly walked my own journey through fear, and I've experienced much of what you've described as self-actualization or spiritual ascension. I credit God with having taken me through many strange experiences, to a point where I've learned to trust Him no matter what's going on around or in me. I'm learning who I am, whose I am, and that I have His authority over all the powers of darkness. I'm learning to use it. 1/17/2023 11:24:57 pm
Hi Patty! And what a journey it is, eh? I too credit God for getting through all of this. It's taken me a long time to trust Him, but I finally do. I love what you've written here, I can tell that you really "get it". Thank you so much, Patty. Best wishes, Donna : ) 1/13/2023 05:51:14 am
Donna, you are what is called a "seeker," I believe. I remember Maslow and self actualization from college psychology class, and some other things you mentioned reminded me of my readings about Carl Jung. Just being on that journey to your best self, free of doubt and fear, expands the soul. Stay on your path. God speed. 1/17/2023 11:26:25 pm
Hi Maura Beth! Yes, I think I'm a seeker...on steroids! Haha! Thanks so much for your comments! Best wishes, Donna : ) 1/15/2023 01:03:35 am
I'd love to ascend and become a better me, leaving behind my fears and troubles. In my case, I need to shake off the people who don't want the best for me and leave them behind. The Jewish religion doesn't speak of ascension, but I haven't read all the texts. I don't believe even the biggest Rabbis have read everything. 1/17/2023 11:28:47 pm
Hi Susanne! There's a lot to read, that's for sure! Yes, I hear what you're saying...leaving those behind who don't have your best interests at heart can be quite liberating! Thanks for stopping by. Leave a Reply. |
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