Expanding possibilities

The power of states

Linear, predictable processes that guarantee that if we do x and y long and hard enough, we will get z, work for some things, some of the time. To connect with our divinity, be creative or original, transform ourselves, our health, lives, relationships, communities or the planet, much more becomes possible or a whole lot easier if we first change our state.

"We cannot solve problems at the same level from which they were created" Einstein

Proven benefits

Some of us, of course, change our state regularly through drink, drugs and other substances. The Brooklyn Program teaches people who have been in prison for using illegal substances to create and maintain more beneficial and empowering states, such as experiencing personal well being, self efficacy, self control and a positive future orientation. Once substance abusers have these more empowering alternatives, many stay clean and sober. (Books about this are available for free download here )

Drugs and shamanic states

Drugs, some of which are now popular, are also used by shaman to access and use states for the benefit of others. In general, we now use them for our own benefit and do not have the same awareness of all the implications of using them. Additionally, consciousness has evolved and a great many alternatives (like Matrix Energetics) have become available to many of us, so we may be able to access or re-access states that are at least as useful without drugs.

Huge range of states

The Brooklyn Program focuses on positive states, shamans focus on ‘magical’ states, some programs focus on creative or spiritual states. There are great many other potentially useful states which we might also benefit from. If, for example, we are facilitating events for groups of people, it is extremely useful to do so in a state which tracks the well being and, for lack of a better word, ’states’, of all those involved. I suspect traditional shaman did so when they ran sweat lodges, ensuring the safety of all participants.

Sharing useful states

Last weekend a friend mentioned a positive experience that required a particular kind of surrender and relationship to oneself. This is not something that can adequately be conveyed in words so I asked her to share the state with me and others who were there.

My immediate experience was of a warm, strong, heart centered state. At least one other person felt something similar. The next morning I tuned into the state again and noticed space around the back of my heart chakra. Two mornings later, I tuned in again and noticed space around the back of my 2nd chakra. By returning my attention to the state a few times, exploring it and allowing a response to emerge, I am giving my body a chance to ‘get’ this as a possible future option.

Seeing is believing, experiencing is knowing

We often like to see things with our own eyes before we believe they are possible but, even then, we tend to doubt that they are possible for us and we don’t necessarily know how to recreate them. Once we have experienced something, we can, in theory at least, remember the pattern and recreate it.

Workshop highs that quickly fade

One reason remembering a useful state and recreating is, often, merely theoretical, is that we become what we are exposed to most. When our faces relax they fall into the expression we use most often and as we get older, we can become caricatures of our former selves.

Similarly, if we spend nearly all our time in consensual reality and linear thinking, a one-off alternative would need to be very intense for us to remember it clearly enough to repeat it at will rather than fall back into our habitual and familiar ways of being and responding.

Neuroplasticity and imprinting

The good news, is that we can learn new ways of being at any age, even creating new neural pathways in the brain. This is known as neuroplasticity and imprinting and can be stimulated by regularly engaging in new and different activities, especially those involving a physical component.

Repetition, repetition, repetition

To get to the point where we can recreate a new state at will, we need to imprint both our bodies and our minds with that pattern by exploring that experience in our bodies repeatedly over a few days or weeks. This makes the experience ours.

This practise also starts to build the ‘muscles’ needed to maintain a state, rather than be pulled by the madding crowd.

Beyond states

In my privileged position of working with many people over the last decade I have met many who have spent a great deal of time improving their states. To me, states are a means and, often, also a pleasant side effect of transformational work, rather than the point. Useful states expand the possibilities available to us.

Imprinting and law of attraction

If we attracted everything we thought about, our lives would be even more chaotic than they are. It is only after we have imprinted a state that it affects our energetic vibration and, hence, what we do and do not attract.

‘Public’ states

Many people and, indeed, animals such as dolphins, have useful, enjoyable or interesting states which we can tune into. Some are shared as ‘art’ such as music, sculpture, theatre, dance etc. Others are shared in spiritual groups of various kinds.

How to feel the states of others

I recently witnessed whirling dervishes at an outdoor ceremony open to the public. When I tuned into them from my heart, I felt a state of great joy and peace. This was not visible to my eyes and, had I not tuned in, I would have missed it. Even if it had been visible, I would only have witnessed it, rather than experienced and shared it.

It is easy to think we don’t have the sensitivity to notice states such as these but such sensitivity is our birthright and our individual and collective survival and quality of life may well depend on our using and developing it. Paying attention to what we can sense and processing it in the body are keys to learning to sense more.

Another key is to be in balance and clear, so that we are not confused and distracted by the stuff we bring with us. It also helps to be well hydrated.

How to find the states we want

Some people believe we have everything we need inside us. It is certainly true that we have a great deal that is useful, so one way to explore is to go deeper inside.

In the course of working with people I have, however, found many people who have no experience of certain supposedly common states such as gratitude. Even when you have similar experiences, we can all do with reminders and enhancements or top-ups!

Additionally, we all bring something unique to the planet and, since generations of conditioning has caused most of us to forget many useful states and consciousness is constantly evolving, we all have unused potential that the states of others can help us discover.

Ask open questions

One of the best ways to find useful states is to clarify what we want, ask open questions such as ‘how can I find a state like …’ and follow where led. This will often not be a short, straight, linear path.

Playtime

Bring to mind one or more interesting and pleasurable states you have experienced. These might be associated with love, the birth of a child, being inspired by beauty or creativity, feeling at peace or connected to nature, people or all that is …

Ask a friend to bring to mind their own more useful states and take it in turns to share one.

By ’share’ I don’t mean describe in words, but, rather, to feel the essence of the state and intend to transmit/send/beam that to your friends to explore in their own bodies and in their own way. If they were to beam it back, it would likely be modified. We have been conditioned to believe we cannot do things like this but it is both simple and natural to us.

I’d love to know how you get on with this so please let me have your feedback in a comment or a private email.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 12th, 2008 at 1:15 pm and is filed under co-creation. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.