October 18: Reflections from ‘Along the Path to Enlightenment’
To undo shame, it is helpful to realize that it is based on pride. The loss of status is painful to the degree that the ego relies on pride as a prop to self-esteem. Were it not for narcissistic pride, a mistake or negative feedback would be experienced only as a regret and ascribed to human frailty and fallibility. Mistakes help one retain humility.
From: “I: Reality and Subjectivity” (2003), Chapter 12: The Emotions, p. 204
With Additional Context:
Shame
To be ostracized or rejected by society or family is feared by ‘normal’ people. The conscience of a psychologically intact person becomes the internalized (introject) of parental and societal standards of behavior. This is expanded to the inner judge of self-worth as lovability and again projected onto God as the ultimate Judge.
The sense of self shrinks with disapproval and expands with approval. Shame can be experienced as chagrin or embarrassment and thus has a wider societal base than does guilt, which tends to be more localized or intrapsychic. Shame results in low self-esteem, and the ego seeks to hide or avoid others. Shame can be societal in origin and relate to general characteristics, such as age, sex, color, ethnic origin, class, economic circumstances, intelligence, personal appearance, hair color, stature, religious affiliation, etc. It can be painful in young adults who feel shameful about body weight or facial and bodily features. In some cases, the degree of fixation reaches delusional and pathological proportions.
To undo shame, it is helpful to realize that it is based on pride. The loss of status is painful to the degree that the ego relies on pride as a prop to self-esteem. Were it not for narcissistic pride, a mistake or negative feedback would be experienced only as a regret and ascribed to human frailty and fallibility. Mistakes help one to retain humility.
Loss of that which has been valued can result in remorse, sorrow, sadness, mourning, bereavement, and loneliness. Loss stems from attachment as well as the illusion that the object person or status was an ‘out there’ source of happiness.
A source of regret and loss is the unrealistic expectation of self and others. Nothing in the world of form is permanent. Eventually, all has to be surrendered to the will of God. To succeed at surrendering, it is necessary to realize that God’s will is not personalized to suit individual wishes. The will of God is really the karmic design of the entire universe. To surrender to God’s will is to surrender to the truth that nothing other than the Ultimate Reality is permanent. All that arises in form passes away. A loss is an opportunity to become freed from an attachment.
Loss represents a clinging to the past and substituting memory for the awareness of Reality. In any single instant, there is neither loss nor gain, both of which arise from making a story of one’s life.
From: “I: Reality and Subjectivity” (2003), Chapter 12: The Emotions, pp. 204–205
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Related Teachings:
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From “Letting Go: The Pathway of Surrender” (2012), Chapter 3: The Anatomy of Emotions, pp. 32–33:
Shame (LOC 20): Characterized by humiliation, as in “hanging your head in shame.” It is traditionally accompanied by banishment. It is destructive to health and leads to cruelty toward self and others.
In general, we can say that the lower end of the scale is associated with lower vibrational frequencies: lower energy, lower power, poorer life circumstances, poorer relationships, less abundance, less love, and poorer physical and emotional health. Because of the low energy, such needy people drain us on all levels. They tend to be avoided and find themselves surrounded by people on the same level (e.g., in jail).
As we let go of negative feelings, there is a progressive movement up the scale to Courage and then beyond, with increasing effectiveness, success, and more effortless abundance. We tend to seek out such people. We say they are “high.” They give off life energy to all living things around them. Animals are attracted to them. They have a green thumb and positively influence the lives of all with whom they come in contact. At the level of Courage, the negative feelings have not all disappeared, but now we have sufficient energy to handle them because we’ve re-owned our power and self-adequacy. The fastest way to move from the bottom to the top is by telling the truth to ourselves and to others.
The energy levels are also traditionally associated with the body energy centers that are sometimes referred to as “chakras.” The chakras are energy centers through which “kundalini energy” is said to flow, once it is awakened at the level of Courage (200). The energy centers (chakras) can be measured by a variety of clinical techniques and sensitive electronic instruments. On the Map of Consciousness, the chakras calibrate as follows: Crown (600), Third Eye (525), Throat (350), Heart (505), Solar Plexus (275), Sacral or Spleen (275), Base or Root Chakra (200). When we relinquish negative feelings, the energy in our higher chakras increases. For instance, instead of habitually “venting our spleen” (second chakra), we’re now described as “all heart” (fifth chakra).
This energy system has a direct impact on the physical body. The energy in each chakra flows out through channels called “meridians” to the whole energy body, which is like a blueprint to the physical body. Each meridian is associated with a particular organ, and each organ is associated with a particular emotion. A negative emotion throws off the energy balance of its associated acupuncture meridian and related organ. For instance, depression, despair, and melancholy are associated with the liver meridian, so these emotions tend to interfere with liver function. Every negative feeling impairs a body organ and, as the years go by, that organ becomes diseased and eventually fails to function.
The lower our emotional state, the more negatively we influence not only our own lives but also all of life around us. The higher the emotional level of evolution, the more positive our life becomes on all levels, and we support all life around us.
‘Along the Path Daily Reflections’ are based on the book “Along the Path to Enlightenment” by David R. Hawkins, M.D., Ph.D. Additional content is compiled from Dr. Hawkins’ works as cited. Dr. Hawkins’ publications are available from Veritas Publishing, and also through Amazon.com and Hay House.com.
‘Along the Path Daily Reflections’ are presented by a group of students of the teachings of Dr. Hawkins. This group is not affiliated with Dr. Hawkins or Veritas Publishing.
The photographs attached herein are sourced from the public domain and do not appear in the book. An archive of these reflections is available at Along the Path to Enlightenment Daily Reflections.
Special thanks goes to
Jay T. Slovick, M.Ed.
Cathy Bauers
Chris Buck, Graphics
