Beyond Projection & Shadow Work: Introduction, Ego Consciousness, The Voice of the Lower Mind, The Voice of the Higher Mind, The Two Voices, Understanding Projection & Shadow Work, Transcending Projection, The Plan for Enlightenment, and Recommended Reading.
Introduction
Projection is the psychological phenomenon that underlies all interactions and perceptions in ego consciousness. Shadow Work is the practice of becoming aware of the phenomenon of projection and integrating the awareness.
Projection is the mechanism through which the ego disowns aspects of itself by projecting or seeing it in other egos. The ego is inherently unstable and changeable because it’s a temporary phenomenon that has no fundamental reality.
Ego Consciousness
Ego consciousness is the dimension of the thought and experience of separation from our Source. All expressions of consciousness are the domain of duality that originated with the thought of separation or the Big Bang. Everything within this temporary universe is the mental phenomenon of the thought of separation, which organizes itself into time intervals, degrees, dimensions, frequencies, and forms.
Part of this phenomenon are the seemingly individual minds that appear in various dimensions and forms. These individual minds reflect the idea (the mental thought) of separation, and they are the questioning aspect of the one divided mind. They experience duality in their own mind as the voice of the lower mind and Higher Self, or Higher Mind.
The Voice of the Lower Mind
The voice of the lower self, or ego, is the separated aspect that is based on the thought system of fear, pain, guilt, sin, judgment, attack, and every thought perception, or apparent experience that is the inevitable confusion and doubt that arises from the idea of being separate. The ego’s only goal is its own survival because, perceiving itself as separate, it cannot know wholeness, or unity.
The Voice of the Higher Mind
The voice of the Higher Self, or the Higher Mind, is the aspect that is connected to our Source, because complete separation is impossible. The voice of the Higher Self is the connected aspect that is based on the thought system of love, joy, and unity consciousness.
The illusion of separation is like a dream state, and the voice of our Higher Self is the inner guide and intuition that guides us back to rejoin our minds as one. Every single seemingly individual mind in every plane and dimension in all this universe is on this same dream journey, at various time intervals, to various degrees, and we all have one goal and one purpose, to return our mind to our one mind.
The state of One-mindedness is also called Enlightenment. This is our collective destiny that has already been completed, it just appears as if we are each experiencing it in our own timelines. Time collapses as each mind rejoins, and whenever it does anything to reduce the time it needs for the process by listening to the instructions from the Higher Mind to rejoin.
Time will end when we rejoin our Source in timelessness because there will no longer be any need for anything related to the thought of separation, including duality, and time. We return to a state of non-dualism.
The Two Voices
The two voices and their thought systems are irreconcilable. They do not recognize, hear, or validate each other in any way, they are in opposition, they are the duality.
The process of personal transformation and psychological integration that is part of psychotherapy, self-realization, and self-actualization is the step-by-step process to healing the divided mind by accessing the voice of the Higher Self and remembering who and what we are, as part of our source.
Enlightenment is the result of psychological integration and complete release of the ego’s thought system. The state of Enlightenment is One-mindedness where we only hear and listen to the voice of our Higher Self. In this state we transcend the belief in illusions and listen to the voice as it guides us to fulfill our part and purpose in rejoining our minds.
Understanding Projection & Shadow Work
Understanding Projection and Shadow is the first part of the process in recognizing the unreality of the ego and duality consciousness. It can also become a trap because the ego’s only possible desire is for its own survival, because of the fear associated with separation. It cannot understand Enlightenment and it will fear it because it appears to be its undoing, which it is. There is no end to projection for the ego because that is what it is. Once we understand the nature of the ego, we stop trying to integrate it into something it cannot be.
Transcending Projection
Transcending Projection is the process of giving up all investment in the ego’s thought system. In every moment we make a choice between listening to the voice of the ego, or lower mind, and the voice of our Higher Self, or Higher Mind.
There are two parts to this process. The first is true forgiveness. True forgiveness is the accurate response to the awareness of projection because it clears our mental field of the psychological debris associated with the belief in appearances and seemingly separate bodies and minds. To forgive truly simply state that you recognize what is happening is a projection, or ego consciousness, which you now know is a mental illusion, and being unreal you forgive the phenomenon and all you may have associated with it, like it never occurred in the first place.
The second part of the process in transcending projection is the extension of Truth. The extension of Truth is the recognition that any apparent separate mind or body is a part of your one mind and that these are our equal parts, with one Source. This Truth is beyond belief because it is only in duality, or ego consciousness where beliefs are needed due to the inherent instability and uncertainty of the mental phenomenon.
The voice of our Higher Self only speaks for this Truth, love, joy, and unity. As the psychological debris are cleared this voice becomes clearer. It responds to us in every way, but it cannot relate to anything that is not part of the plan to return to one mind. When you ask it then it can translate what you think you perceive into Truth. It communicates without demands and any fear or other ideas that represent the division of fear like guilt, sin, pain, attack, anger, and judgement. It will also teach you how to be vigilant so that you will know the Truth of your Self, and everything we have inherited from our Source. To be vigilant means to always ask what the purpose is of any choice, or action, and if it is in accord with the Higher Mind. Anything in accord with the Higher Mind will be the experience of Truth, love, joy, and unity.
The Plan for Enlightenment
The voice of our Higher Mind or Higher Self knows every seemingly individual mind because it is it. It operates outside of the limitations of duality, time, and space. It recollected itself the instant of the thought of separation. What we experience is the idea of the return to One-Mindedness, which appears to be a plan orchestrated in time and space to help us find our Self, and heal our Mind, like a movie or a dream.
Every seemingly individual mind will find its way back, and each one has its own unique part and timeline to this Destiny. Fulfilling this purpose is the only that that brings true authentic happiness and lasting peace.
As we withdraw our investment and belief in ego consciousness and the dimension of separation, we receive all the guidance and evidence we need to motivate us beyond anything the ego could ever be capable of or conceive.
To join the plan, you must simply be willing to listen, learn, and do what is in accordance with our Higher Mind. This is somethings referred to as “choice-less awareness” because your choice is always for love.
Recommended Reading
To understand this concept better you can read A Course in Miracles, the Psychotherapy and Prayer Supplements that go with it, and The Disappearance of the Universe by Gary R. Renard. There are other books that have been written on the understanding of the mind in this way that is related to A Course in Miracles, but I have not read them yet, let me know if you recommend any specific one.
