THE HIGHER SELF - © Estelle Nora Harwit Amrani

"What is my life's purpose here," and "how can I get to real enlightenment" are the most asked questions I receive from people. How can one discover the answers to these questions for themselves? One of the best ways is by knowing who we are and getting in touch with the divine, and that ability is increased by developing and maintaining a solid relationship with our Higher Self (hereafter referred to as HS). Plotinus, (quoted in John Randolph Price's The Superbeings", 1981) says, "There is in all of us a higher man... a man more entirely of the celestial rank, almost a god, reproducing God. When the soul begins again to mount, it comes not to something alien, but its very self. The self thus lifted, we are in the likeness of the Supreme." The goal is to know and reunite with the Source.

The HS is more of our complete essence, the accumulation of all of our experiences in all realms, past, present, and future. It connects us directly to the spiritual dimensions and transcends our everyday consciousness, sort of like the superconscious. It is the great overseer and counselor that is connected to all. The HS sees things from a perspective that we don't normally utilize. We tend to get caught up in surface dramas and emotions without seeing a deeper reality to what's going on. The HS can show us the core, what might be hidden, and how we can best understand a situation, and it does so in a neutral, non-judgemental way. When we can see a situation in the way the HS presents it, it touches our heart. We become more patient, compassionate, and have a clearer understanding of what we need to do or not do. Most of all, we understand more about ourselves and others. "According to channeled literature, the higher one ascends on the spiritual evolutionary ladder, the more unity one feels with God and with creation." (Channeling by Jon Klimo, p.173) The way is through the HS. Some equate the HS with being the Transpersonal Self (Allison).

When you were in a very relaxed and open state of being, have you ever had the feeling that you were outside of yourself, observing yourself from just above or next to your own body as your body was going through its motions? It's like you were watching yourself in a motion picture. That "you" that feels outside of yourself thinks and might relay messages to you. This is the HS observing you and what's around you. This is one way in which we feel our multidimensionality. When you are in that observer mode, you are allowing your HS to share its views with you and to show you that there is often more than meets the eye and that you are more than just your body. Would you like to understand this process better and be able to incorporate it into your daily life? [* Please read for disclaimer and warning at the end of this article.]

When we get to know our HS and trust its guidance we have a point of reference of our own. We then operate from a place of having the intimate, personal knowledge, experience, and oftentimes gain wisdom of something rather than it being a superficial awareness or from reading about it or hearing of it second-hand. We also start to realize that there will always be more to learn from our HS if we are open to it, AND that we are exactly where we are supposed to be. There isn't any place to get in order to become enlightened except within ourselves. We assign things purpose, we give our lives purpose. Every one of us is on our own timetable and yet we're still a part of all that is, so no one is missing out on anything. Enlightenment isn't when we have obtained a variety of charm necklaces, or wear a red string around our wrists, or chant a mantra, or eat algae, or swim with the dolphins. Those are all fun things and may contribute something to our overall beingness and symbolize something we think is spiritual, but themselves do not automatically make us enlightened or give us authentic personal power. (Please read The Ultimate Paradox).

How can we be sure our Higher Self is the one with whom we're connecting? Our HS is there for us first, and always, and WILL bring us more love, light, clarity, joy, energy, compassion, self-empowerment, inspiration, unity, healing and abundance. It speaks from their heart/mind and wisdom and we feel it's truth in our heart. We can ask it for help and it offers suggestions and choices, give us tools which assist us in our growth. It can help us understand how we fragment ourselves and how to integrate ourselves. The HS can act as a gatekeeper making sure that entities who might be around us and do not have our best interest in mind, are kept away, or it can help usher in entities we might want to speak with. The HS respects us as an equal, honors our free will (sovereignty) and personal growth. The HS gives us complete acceptance and unconditional love with harm to none. The information received from the HS will be confirmed at some point and their information will be helpful and reliable time after time, with allowance for our own timing and growth process, and honoring our choices in creating our own reality. The HS will never demand or dictate what we should or must do, and it will never manipulate us or cater to our negative ego. It will never use fear or any other method to control us. It is our divine partner, in a sense; it's here for us. *

There are many good meditations around for connecting with one's Higher Self. You can try the ones you find on the internet or in books, on tapes or cds, or you can create your own system. I will share one way with you and you can decide for yourselves if it is something you want to try.
You can play some very soft music or do this in silence. You can do it in a place that has natural light or in the dark. Do what feels comfortable for you, but be sure to allow yourself at least fifteen minutes to a half hour for this meditation. Before you begin the meditation, think of a setting (a place in nature or in a structure) that is your favorite place, or a place you have seen in a picture that you would like to visit. This image will be necessary for the second part of this meditation. You can speak this meditation into a tape recorder and play it back for yourself when you actually do it so you won't have to stop and reread what is the next step. The importance is to maintain your receptiveness, intuitiveness, trust, and heart energy so that your analytical and critical mind takes a rest.
Part one:
Sit in a chair or couch that is not too soft, one that gives you support and will not quickly put you to sleep. Let go of physical tenseness. Close your eyes and relax your breathing, taking a few deep breaths in through your nose, and slowly out through your mouth. Feel these as cleansing breaths. With each breath you take and release, your body feels more relaxed and you feel more centered and connected to the earth. You can feel your feet touching the ground and you can feel the energy around your heart and head expand. Focus on your heart chakra opening up by remembering someone or something that brings you great love. Feel that love in your memory and then feel that love encompassing all of you, then expanding that love outward. You might feel something you've never felt before, you might make sounds, so don't let that distract you or frighten you, just go with the flow. When the heart opens up it can be an overwhelmingly beautiful experience...it is very healing. Ask to meet your Higher Self and that what you experience is for your highest good and growth.
Part two:
Now, remember that image of your favorite location and be there. See, hear, sense everything that is around you in this setting. Feel how loving and comforting it is to be in this place. Breathe slowly and deeply, relaxing more with each breath. In the distance you see a misty form. This form is slowly coming towards you. As it comes closer, its features become more clear and refined. You feel this energy is familiar, and now you can reconnect with it on a more conscious level. As it approaches you, at the speed that is right for you, let it show you who it is. It sends you unconditional love. You can ask it questions such as what is its name, where does it come from, how can it help you, how you can contact it at will, how you can make this relationship strong. You can ask questions about yourself or a situation, ask what your life's purpose is, ask to to see the truth of what you question. Remember, this is part of you and it is also a co-creation so you aren't a puppet of anything - you are in control of yourself and working WITH your own HS - the MORE that you are. Your HS might show you a message in symbols; you might hear a voice; you might see writing or hear music; anything is possible. When you feel this initial meeting is complete, thank your HS for coming and reintroducing itself to you, as it's only agenda is to be supportive and guiding to you.
Slowly bring your awareness back to your present time and place where you are sitting. Feel your feet touching the ground, feel your hands and move your fingers about, slowly open your eyes and take a moment or two to readjust to where you are before you get up and walk around. Afterwards, drink some water and walk or move your body. Write down what happened if you like, start your own log so that when your relationship with your HS continues to blossom, you can write questions and get the answers you received from your HS written down in your log. You can see your own progress in this way, too.
The more you work with your HS, the more it will become your natural self, integrated in a more conscious way, that can help you in every situation. This helps dissolve illusions of separation from the Source. It takes time to develop this relationship and it keeps getting deeper. You might have to adjust your own thinking as to how you see yourself, life in general, how you now choose to respond in situations. You might have to learn to decipher symbols. It's your unique experience with your own Higher Self. Now you will be more authentic with increased access to truth and wisdom.
Here's one personal story of how my HS helped me. I had read articles by someone known in the New Age community, and later met him in person. I felt, down to my toes, that this guy had some fear and control issues that seeped into his philosophies and teachings, which was why I was not drawn to him as a teacher, nor did I trust what he said. It made me angry and that was something I needed to understand for myself. I asked my HS to show me what I was not seeing in this man. What moved him, what was his intent, did he have fears, and so on. My HS blew me away with an answer. She showed me the soul of this man and how frightened and needy for attention and power he was. Basically, he did not understand or have real personal power, he was confused with spiritual messages he received, so he sought attention and power through his outward appearances and self-created philosophies that he pushed on others as being vital to learn. He craved and adored guruship. As I literally saw deeper into this man's soul, the more I felt sad for him and then compassion replaced sadness. My anger was diffused because I saw him, I understood him. (Think how important this work could be for people who are prone to violence!) I ended up sending him love. From that day forward, I could observe him neutrally, and I'm still very discerning about his material, but my attitude towards him changed so that I don't resent him and what he's doing. He's doing what he needs to do for himself, and there will be those attracted to his energy and teachings because they contain similar energy. It's their choice. There is no end to what the Higher Self can teach us.
Some other things that can help you in developing your HS relationship can be found in these other articles:
Developing Your Intuition
The Art of Clear Channeling
Seeing & Communicating With Spirit
Changing the World From Within
and you can read answers from my own HS in other articles, such as Questions & Answers with Ha'Orah.
Good luck to you and happy HS experiences to you.
* Disclaimer and warning:
For anyone who has been diagnosed with bipolarity, schizophrenia, clinical depression, hallucinations or heard voices, and these voices and images were fearful or destructive, or were told they were contacting their own subpersonalities, please check with your professional therapist or spiritual teacher to determine if you should do the meditation and integration work with your higher self. There is a vast difference between a subpersonality or hallucination brought about by a mental illness and the higher self. The goal of my article and meditation offerred is to help people integrate and be more conscious and in control of their own lives, while being aware of their multidimensionality. Please read the Policy page for more information about liability. Thank you.