Spiritual Realizations vs Spiritual Actualizations | TCM #32 (part 1)

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What is the difference between spiritual experiences and truly actualized and embodied self-knowledge? Bernhard and Laura discuss the difference between spiritual realizations and spiritual actualizations in this new episode of the Cosmic Matrix podcast.

First, they discuss the difference between embodied knowledge and intellectual knowledge and the importance of combining psychological work with spiritual practices. They also speak about the dangers of sharing spiritual experiences “prematurely”, how “peak” experiences are not necessarily realizations, and how the ego often tries to hijack and take credit for spiritual experiences, often disrupting this experience turning into a realization. They also talk about psychic attacks in regards to sharing spiritual experiences and how this can pollute the “container” and how we can use spiritual practices to spiritually bypass, along with the importance of first, building a healthy ego—before we try to get rid of it.

In the second hour, they go deeper and discuss the “spiritual ego”, misconceptions about occult knowledge, how not everyone is ready to engage with the Work, and how we must build knowledge in necessary developmental stages over time. They also discuss why it’s important to sit with our triggers so we can discover the core wound behind the “stories” we tell ourselves, the archetypal forces of nature in Jungian psychology, the cultural epidemic of looking to blame things on “narcissists”, and how the ego can easily use a loose understanding of psychological concepts to fall into blaming others through attaching these labels to them and falling into blame traps. They close off by discussing how we can often feel called to create a new “spiritual identity” to replace the old identity and the difference between the True Self and False Personality.

Show Notes Part 1:

• The difference between spiritual realization and spiritual actualization
• Embodied knowledge vs. intellectual knowledge
• The work of John Welwood: The Psychology of Awakening
• The importance of combining psychological work with spiritual work/practices
• Developmental Traumas in the “modern” world
• The Integral four-fold approach
• The limitation of psychological work alone
• The benefits of new/modern somatic psychotherapeutic modalities
• The Indian spiritual mindset and imbalances (Trap of Asceticism)
• The transformation of matter and the physical body: Sri Aurobindo’s Integral Yoga
• Laura’s experience of the monkey mind/though chatter stopping – a permanent shift than never reversed back
• The issue of sharing spiritual realizations prematurely
• Intellectual knowledge vs. embodied knowledge
• Different levels of Realizations: The Ascent and Descent
• Peak experiences are not necessarily spiritual realizations
• The importance of containment, silence, shelter and honoring your process and experiences
• The ego hijacking spiritual experiences
• Sri Aurobindo on the danger of sharing spiritual experiences prematurely
• The body needs to be clear enough to hold the Divine Force
• Why is it so hard to keep a consistent meditation practice?
• Psychic attacks form others (in the form of envy, jealousy, judgment, ill-will, i.e. shadow projections) when sharing (spiritual) experiences
• Using spiritual practices for the ego’s agenda and desires
• Effort vs. surrender
• The necessity to have a healthy integrated ego before trying to get rid of it.
• Getting “addicted” to spiritual practices
• Getting to the root of things and not using spiritual practices as a band-aid
• Self-inquiry and taking “inventory” of your life
• Finding the Divine in the mundane
• Having a foundation to build on

In Part 2 (only for members) we’ll be going deeper into:

• Positive and Negative Shadow Projections
• The spiritualized ego
• Laura’s experience of receiving shadow projections from other women
• Gabor Mate’s green bush analogy
• Occult entities tag into our shadow projections and feed off of them
• The issue of people blaming entities for their issues.
• The misconception/distortion of esoteric occult knowledge (for example “Organic Portals – Soulless Humans”)
• The distortion/abuse of psychological concepts and spiritual teachings to prop up the ego
• A spiritual actualization is not a peak experience
• Petty Tyrants as teachers
• How to sit with triggers and getting to the core wound beyond the story
• The trap of the intellect
• Not everyone is  ready to engage in deeper esoteric work right away- there are different levels and stages
• The most important part of any spiritual practice/work as a foundation is the ability to still the mind before being able to go further
• Sincerity and Honesty with oneself
• The misconceptions about “Service to Others” STO
• Integrity and Conscience
• The necessity of a psychological and physical foundation before engaging in the Great Work
• Maslow’s hierarchy of needs
• Truth is living thing
• Marion Woodman and the universal archetypal Forces/Energies
• The trap of identifying with archetypes
• The gateway is the human experience
• Misappropriating psychological concepts
• The epidemic of narcissism
• The abuse of the concept of “gaslighting”
• Gabor Mate’s Compassionate Inquiry concept
• The ego hijacking psychological concepts, using them to attack/blame others
• The New Age trap of developing a “spiritual identity” (star seed, indigo, wanderer, lightworker, etc.)
• The true self vs. personality identification

Go HERE to listen to Part 2 if you’re a member or REGISTER to become a member to have access to membership section (including the membership forum.)