What would Jesus do?
When I was 17 I read a line in the Urantia Book about Jesus. It said that he was so effective because he was able to bring every aspect of his being to bare on the task at hand. Ever since, I have been exploring the meaning of this for myself. To this day I try to gather myself up, more and more, so I can show up fully in this moment and do whatever it is I am doing.
Hypnotherapist Grant Connolly, creator of The Zpoint Process says that 95% of our mental power is typically focused in the subconscious. That leaves only 5% available to consciously devote to whatever I’m doing. I am pretty sure I do better than that.
Ken Carey’s book The Third Millennium reminds us that we need some of our awareness focused in the subconscious because it is the part of our consciousness that is grounded in matter. It is the part that supports our automatic processes like blood flow and movement. And when used as designed, our subconscious informs our conscious mind about the nature of matter itself.
Sandra Ingerman’s book Soul Retrieval talks about the concept of our soul taking flight in situations of extreme trauma. I agree that I lose my ability to function in the present when I am distracted by my past.
This distraction can be as simple as a thought or belief like, “I can’t do this” or “I’m not good enough.” Another example is mentally lingering in a past event, a fight I had this morning or some old trauma. Habitual reactions, the ways we always respond to a given situation, can be a real hindrance too. Each situation is unique and requires an active response, not some caned reaction from the past.
How do we bring ourselves fully into the present moment?
To stay in the moment I pay attention to my thoughts and feelings. This process in called mindfulness. Being mindful alone brings more of me into the present moment by noticing whats happening within me NOW.
Once I’m here, I can see the thoughts I am thinking that are not present thoughts. Worrying about the future, regretting the past, justifying myself, defending myself, or criticizing myself. What not present things am I thinking? Once I know what’s going on I can change it.
Grant Connolly’s process uses a form of self hypnosis to release the emotional energy around beliefs. He says that if we deprive our subconscious thoughts of the energy to continue, they just fall away. I have used his process and it does seem to change my emotional reactions to life situations.
Sandra Ingerman’s processes involves a kind of shamanic ritual involving sound and suggestion to call the sole back into the present. I have spoken to people who say it helps remove the energetic hangover from trauma. I have not used it myself.
Jesus used faith, a complete trust in the supportive nature of creation, to allow himself to be present in every moment. He just let the past go. Using forgiveness, compassion, forbearance, and a willingness to “turn the other cheek”, he stayed focused on what he wanted in the now. This is the approach I use most frequently. There is something so soothing and calming about knowing that somehow me, the world, and everything in it is going to be okay.