Seven Stumbling Blocks on the Road to ConsciousnessBy Julian Rose Its about stepping onto an invisible ladder whose rungs form the seemingly inviolable rules of a stagnant, pyramid posturing status quo. A status quo which has almost nothing to do with growing, but a lot to do with decaying. With becoming a well-adapted slave in a world whose task masters are kings of a two dimensional sub reality. That reality consists of a monotonous fixation on the acquisition of power, money, prestige and preeminence. A world in which a quite deadly lack of awareness remains the prevailing condition; ruthlessly maintained by a small cabal in whose interests it is to keep things exactly as they are, lest some unguarded rebellion should dislodge them from their imperious, sterile thrones. However, the life force is strong. It cannot and will not tolerate eternal repression. Wherever fissures appear in the status quo, it bubbles up and declares itself to be the messenger of truth. This is our World. We are breaking free and shining a light on the path to be manifest. So what is it that is still holding back so many from actually making that illumined path manifest? Breaking through the cozy similitudes of a largely routine, safe existence, takes courage and conviction. There is no easy way to truth. But the thought of venturing into a deeper side of ones self and of jumping into new paradigms of external involvement often arouses a sense of fear. Honest internal and external exploration bring things to the surface that many would rather leave buried and, as far as possible, forgotten. Such embarkations into previously uncharted territories are, for many, an unsettling experience; one where our deeper intuition appears to be at odds with our mundane fixations. Where the inner call to be awake clashes with all too easily accepted patterns of day-to-day existence. Patterns whose successful completion ironically, require that one remains largely asleep! Fear can and does create the single largest block to the manifestation of our basic consciousness. The manifestation of consciousness is not a passive affair, it demands taking action. An action that speaks louder than words. And heres where the next level of inner, fear-based resistance kicks-in and tries to hold us back from making a stand. Tries to prevent our involvement in positive acts of resistance in response to the further erosion of the planets life support system. And to the further erosion of essential facets of daily life right in our own back yards. Overcoming the hold which the fear factor exerts upon us is, I believe, the single greatest step we can make towards the emancipation of the true self and a rising consciousness. There are one hundred and one different ways of doing it, but recognition of the paralysis it causes in us is a major first step. There are many amongst those longing for both internal and external change who fall at the first hurdle due to a seeming lack of self confidence. A lack of self esteem. But this need not be, for this sense of lack is a trick played upon us by a wayward second self. A little devil who has acquired entry into our subconscious and is damned if he is going to quit without a fight! Hes a cunning one alright, because he disguises himself as our actual thoughts; making us believe that we cant do such and such because we are not capable we are not good enough. But it aint the real us speaking, its the little demon which Carlos Castaneda refers to as a foreign installation. And, yes, it is a foreign installation. And a devilishly clever little trickster to boot! Try putting a proposal (to yourself ) to do something for which you feel a great need, but have not as yet taken the step of actually putting into practice. Now, as soon as the foreign installation kicks in with But I cant its really not possible you know its that little Lucifer fellow. Hes tricking you into believing that you arrived at this prognosis, when actually he did. But I cant Yep thats him! Once you know this youre on your way. Once you disentangle your real self from that foreign installation you have one foot on the path to the promised land. No buts unless you feel a positive urge to boot that little demon in the butt! Yes, well, lets admit it, getting off ones butt and getting going isnt the easiest for some people. But most forms of laziness stem from being unmotivated and unwilling to make the effort to become motivated. There are certain days when we all feel it; days when the energy seems to be drained out of us and nothing really comes to our rescue to kick the mood. But that form of enforced lack of motivation can be in our best interests, as it may well stem from too many days of overexertion without a break. Its not the same as the kind of in-built lack of get up and go which afflicts millions, sometimes for long periods of their lives. This disease, and it is such, is more often than not associated with being too comfortable. Too wrapped up in ones own self-interested state of material well being to ever consider doing something for the good of the greater whole. This affliction is particularly prevalent amongst those who feel safest when operating in a club-like atmosphere where maintaining a public face of cheery conviviality acts as an insurance policy to protect against ever having to think and act outside the box. To ever get truly serious about the dire nature of the predicaments faced by mankind and mankinds planet and indeed ones own neglected soul. For these beings, the only thing to jolt them out of their lethargy, is a disaster. And so it is that millions will in fact face just such a disaster, as a form of karmic retribution for failing to make use of the gifts bestowed upon them. This form of waking up as a last resort is clearly to be avoided. Our World needs action in the here and now and not years of inaction in never never land. Heres another barnacle-encrusted old anchor chain thats been holding back the evolution of large segments of often thoughtful individuals for far too long. So it starts with worrying about what other people might think about one, especially if one is intending to embark upon something which fails to conform to the politically correct menu of the day. Its a form of paralysis which blocks any instinct to move away from herd mentality syndrome with its rigid confirmation to what are considered acceptable parameters of behavior. So powerful, for many, is the pull of trying to appear normal, that few openings exist for the true individual to ever emerge. What a tragic waste of human potential! The prevalence of this condition is particularly well suited to the goals of the centralized control system. The one which sets the agenda of daily life on our planet. It plays into the hands of the top-down politics of persuasion through ensuring basic conformity with whatever the majority might be up to. Not daring to ever speak out against even the most foolhardy propositions and practices, lest one should appear different, is a disaster area of global proportions, especially in the face of ill conceived and often abject acts of destruction which we witness almost every day of our lives. Ive got news for those who suffer this affliction: youre not going to be your own best friend in later life if you fail to make the effort to overcome your shyness now. Because either the frustration will build up to the point where sickness intervenes, or you accept becoming just another number amongst the robotic crowd. A crowd that operates without any true emotions ever breaking the surface. Thats an ugly choice to have in front of one. So why not break free today? Stop hiding your light under a bushel; step out and let it shine! Youll be amazed at how much brighter everything becomes once one ceases trying to be like Mr, Mrs or Ms Normal. This ones a major energy sucker, as anyone in this position surely realizes. The inventor of the 9 to 5 workday sure came up with a clever control mechanism for keeping mankind terminally preoccupied. Preoccupied with earning a living pretty much 24/7. What the hell is this? Shackled to a desk in a neon-lit air conditioned sterile office building with only a computer as workmate? Or maybe not quite as dull as that, but nevertheless, enforced and usually slavish routine day after day. A routine that ultimately only succeeds in bringing in more dosh to a business or corporation whose end product is just one of millions steadily destroying the health and welfare of planet Earth and most of her occupants. Get the hell out of there and fast! Better to be on the street than in this kind of prison. Better (by far) to be working for yourself, not for someone who is only out to use you, prior to installing a robot a year or two down the road. The kind of robots that dont ask for wages. You know. Theyre even better than the ones that do, like you. The typical 9 to 5 job leaves no time for the type of deep reflection required to move forward into a state of conscious awareness. How could it when 90% of ones energy is used-up fighting to survive in the job market jungle. The rat race. Our survival as human beings demands more than the monthly pay cheque. It demands that we are able to hear the voice of our true selves, and then turn its message to good effect in helping to shift the tide of history in a positive direction. Away from the neo-liberal capitalist money making machine and into something which calls forth a true power of awakening, sharing and social responsibility. I can see that it wont work. Yes, sure you can! Because you made-up your mind years ago that theres really no point in getting involved in any remotely idealistic initiative, since such initiatives are all doomed to failure at the hands of Mr Realism and his I know best crew. Theres something more than faintly fatalistic about our skeptical intellectual. Strange really, to build a pedestal for ones self and then set it in a concrete plinth, so as to be impervious to the swirling current of a life force which is capable of bringing a mountain to Mohamed if thats whats really needed. Prove it. And when he says that, you know that everything which follows is something you have to do never him. For him, proof is actually never good enough anyway, because the mind which demands answers without ever trying to find them itself, is a sad and polluted vessel; badly in need of a full immersion detox. Yet many of these sorts of people are just the ones to become bankers, army corporals, political strategists, bureaucrats, professors and civil servants. They are the glue that holds together the status quo. Very reliable at carrying out their duties and ensuring that nothing too imaginative or spontaneous ever gets in amongst the automated cogs and wheels of the sanitized status quo. The best cure for such individuals is to suffer an insufferable shock like falling in love. Is it possible? Something that shakes them to their roots and causes a little volcano to erupt deep within. That which is capable of blowing away the densely packed layers which have caused a crust of cynicism to form over buried benign feelings of compassion, joy, creativity and yes, love. Something which turns on its head all the false pride of an over-indulged, obese ego. This is very bad news. Nothing, but nothing, truly meaningful comes into being without someone, somewhere, having a strong desire to bring to life their deepest needs. The manifestation of our inner powers is all about following through on that which inspires us. Inspires us to take action, to create meaningful change. That should be the very definition of living of being alive. All the rest is shadow boxing with phantoms. And happy are these phantoms to be given so much unearned attention. It is passion which created life in the first place. Passion is the precondition for all genuinely creative acts. It is the motor of universal movement. It is the dance of life! Yet, for tens of millions of human souls it remains an almost entirely missing ingredient. And if, God forbid, it should ever rear its beautiful head, it is greeted with as much indifference as its recipient can possibly muster! Come on! Sustained intent, fueled as it is by passion, poses a massively intrusive threat on the control systems determination to keep the lid on human emancipation. It is the key without which we cannot unlock the door behind which we have for so long been imprisoned. Look, Im not talking about having a blast, going to a rave, or even getting worked-up about something nasty going on in the neighbourhood. The architects of control have arranged all the outlets you will ever need to let off steam; such sporadic outbursts of passion are well catered for. No, Im talking about a deeply sustained burning intent which simply will not die; once youve given it your recognition and grasped the implications of its transformative powers. Its the reason I write these essays. A deep need to share a vision of something. Something out of the ordinary. Sharing my thoughts and aspirations with you, dear reader. Thats all part and parcel of this passion which catches fire in those who are ready to burn. Thats it! And it all bubbles up from a place which is inseparable from Source. It is Source. Passion is the original energy. So how could one hope to Live Life without this primary force playing its fundamental role in everything one does. I can barely imagine. Its not possible. For whatever that thing is which happens between the time when we are born (on Earth) and the time we depart (from Earth) it is not Life unless it is inspired by passion. It is a fake. And, due to the fact that so many feel the need to fake their way through life, our World is starved of direction. There are too few helmsmen. It is largely direction-less. The only forces to bring direction into this vacuum are the masters of control. The architects of fear. The instigators of war, oppression and violence. Quite simply, it is the lack of we the peoples ability to sustain a passionate commitment to taking forward the callings of our destinies which is responsible for a global takeover by the preeminent despotic masters of oppression and control. If we want to ensure their days are numbered, and we surely do, we must dig deep. Yes, dig deep, always keeping victory firmly in our sights. The despots cannot endure a sustained barrage of many awakened souls. They fall away, exposed as the hollow cardboard shells which they really are. And we? We take the helm. Image Credit: WakingTimes.com Julian Rose is an earlier pioneer of UK organic farming, a writer, international campaigner and President of The International Coalition to Protect the Polish Countryside. He is author of two acclaimed books: Changing Course for Life and In Defence of Life. They are available by visiting Julians web site www.changingcourseforlife.info 