Self-Absorbed Self-Awareness.
When your mind and heart are truly open abundance will flow to you effortlessly and easily.
Question:
Practicing ‘Self Awareness’ I feel ‘Self Absorbed.’ Is this a typical by-product of spiritual expansion?
Response:
It’s not typical if it is real spiritual expansion. Self-absorption is preoccupation with the contents of the ego mind. It’s a mild version of self-importance.
Self-awareness is being awake to the unboundedness of your true self, your universal existence. What can happen in the beginning of spiritual practice is a mistaken mix of the two. The expansion of the higher self feels unfamiliar and the ego can feel unsure of what is happening. The ego can ‘co-opt’ the experience of the spiritual expansion of the higher self, and pretend the growth is its own. The ego feels really good about itself thinking “I am really spiritual, virtuous, and I have really figured life out.” Sometimes this is called ‘spiritual materialism.’ This is why it’s good to have knowledge and guidance to help you understand what is actually happening so that the ego doesn’t use spiritual practice as a cover for arrogance or false sense of superiority.
Love,
Deepak
