An Eastern mystical understanding that awareness, or consciousness, is everything has been emerging in Western thought

By Jim Hatton

Thanks to the influence of my grandparents, I grew up with a metaphysical background. They studied spirituality and metaphysics and taught me what they were learning. I was always allowed to be with the adults at our spiritual center for lectures, discussions and workshops. I learned how to be with adults early on, and I became quite knowledgeable by seeking both informal learning as well as an academic education on the subjects of spirituality and metaphysics. This later became a “fire in my soul” — to learn and grow and understand how life works and how we create our own experience.

In the 1950s and ’60s, metaphysical ideas and thinking in the Western world were not widespread. Only relatively small groups of people and authors were exploring these ideas.

Nowadays, these ideas and truths are being reinterpreted, taught and spread worldwide via modern media by people and organizations such as Wayne Dyer, Rhonda Byrne, Deepak Chopra, Joe Dispenza, Centers for Spiritual Living, Neale Donald Walsh, Unity, Abraham-Hicks … the list goes on and on.

Metaphysical spirituality deals with living in the physical world. More and more people are learning about “The Secret” — a book and a movie by Byrne, in which noted spiritual teachers and scientists explain how we create what we think about because of the Law of Attraction.

Michael Beckwith posits four stages of awareness:

1. To Me — Victim: “My life appears to be governed by external forces.”
2. To It — Law of Attraction: “I can use my mind to control my thoughts and my life.”
3. Through Me — Vessel: “I am a channel. Divine-Source works through me.”
4. As Me — Oneness: “I am an emanation of the One Divine-Source.”

It is apparent that humans have lost touch with their true identity as spiritual beings. Most people identify with the physical realm of human experience: “I am my profession; I am my wealth; I am my personality; I am my body; I am my humanness.” Identifying with the physical is the first stage of awareness.

Many people are moving to the second stage and learning that we do create our lives and experience by our thoughts and beliefs. After gaining some mastery in the second stage, a sense of the divine awakens. It might manifest as a constant awareness of the presence of love and peace and in seeing ourselves in each other.

Recently in Western thought, more and more Eastern mystical understandings have emerged — that is, ideas and teachings that awareness or consciousness is everything. With this understanding, identification with the physical/human diminishes. Awareness is what is behind the eye that is seeing. Awareness is not physical — it is what is conscious of the physical.

It has been said that if we can observe something, we are not that. In essence, we are consciousness. We are that which is doing the observing. This awareness is what lives on after we release our bodies. All those things related to the physical are released at the time of our passing. Only awareness remains.

“What you are basically, deep deep down, far far in, is simply the fabric and structure of existence itself” (Alan Watts, from “The Secret of Life”).

We are what I call the observer. The observer is in the state of pure awareness. The poems of a poet are not the poet. The writings of an author are not the author. We may recognize the poet or the author by their works, but their works are not the essence of the poet or author. The poet and the author are awareness. We can know them and recognize their works by their awareness or consciousness.

“Awareness dissolves everything that is not true” (Rhonda Byrne).

This knowledge of ourselves as awareness allows us to move beyond our false beliefs in separation, powerlessness or our diminutive thinking. It brings forth who we really are, and our natural state of happiness, well-being and oneness. Awareness is allowed to come forth as our natural state of being, by releasing our identity with the physical. Again, if we can be aware of something, we are not that! By recognizing and practicing that we are not physical humans, little by little, we can live in our true nature of awareness. This is who we really are.

The ultimate purpose of life is to bring forth who we really are and to live life to its fullest expression.

The World is not broken, Be in Peace …

Jim Hatton is an author, spiritual teacher and speaker. He makes his home in the Rogue Valley, Southern Oregon. Contact him at jim@jimhatton.com.

Want to contribute? Send 600- to 700-word articles on all aspects of inner peace to Richard Carey (rcarey009@gmail.com).