Co-Creative Partnerships
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Level 4: Communion and Co-Creativity
Being conscious about relationships starts by being aware of our unique Creative Nature and the obstacles we create to challenge us. Without these challenges, we would not need to embody ourselves. Higher Alignment suggests that who we are as a person required all of our life challenges to get where we are today. We tend to see the silver lining and the upside possibilities in every problem. Every relationship brings out different aspects of us, which can either attract or repulse us. We are attracted to individuals with common or interdependent lessons. We are repulsed when others reflect past lessons that we no longer want to engage. Sometimes we experience the unknown, where our sense of adventure or realization that we have little additional bandwidth plays a major part in our decisions. On the Intuitive level, we get more comfortable with being in the unknown.
When we move from competition to cooperation and enthusiasm, it is because we are no longer identifying ourselves from a Personality perspective. As soon as we begin to step into our Primary Creative Expression, everything becomes more open and undefined. The best indicator of this is that we no longer need to prove anything about ourselves. Instead, we accept what we do not know and appreciate that it opens us up to explore and create a better future. Not knowing creates room for Playfulness, Paradox and Mutual Learning. We become dedicated to the adventure of living life fully. We see this as a new commitment to our Creative Self. We are awakened to how much of our life has been dedicated to living out compromised possibilities. Now, we make a commitment to consciously engage relationships of all types and organize ourselves to discover and embrace our Authentic Life Expression.
At this level, we not only embody our Primary Creative Expression (which provides additional Intent and Context to the CNG space), but we begin to recognize deeper difference and similarities in others. HA recommends exploring Compatibility Factors, Motives, Attractions and Relationship Skills to increase the ability to name an experience. This process builds our inner Autonomy and increases Co-Creative Expression because it allows us to feed forward our experiences to others. When true Communion occurs, both parties learn from the experience. When others get to know us creatively and we come to accept ourselves as a Creative Being, the CNG becomes a stronger and richer experience. We do not become as reactive, which allows us to focus our energy towards Co-Creative expressions. This creates a flowering of consciousness as we reorient ourselves to fulfilling our life work and being of service. In short, we manifest our destiny.
On Level 4, we experience duality between our mortal and immortal selves. The more we are creatively empowered, the more we see our creativity as a legacy for later generations. We are inspired to concentrate our efforts on what will make a difference. This means we move into the process of Centralization. Centralization is defining everything in terms of our Primary Creative Expression. It means that our creative self assumes control of our Personality so that our Personality becomes its servant. This does not mean we want to persecute or deny the value of what our Personality brings to us. Instead, it means that when it comes to our Creative Intention, our Primary Expression needs to be able to call the play so the other parts of us can fall into line and be used in the best way possible. Centralization unifies and focuses us on what is critical in our own unfolding. Usually during this period we complete all the relationships that are more Personality-based or that otherwise focus us on the path that is going to allow us to manifest quickly.
What makes us powerful as Co-Creators is our ability to distinguish between what is real within us and what is not. When something is real, we naturally express it with Creative Flow. When it is an Imprint, Pretense or Defense, it is a false pattern, which confuses us and others about our sense of direction and purpose. Most importantly, there is no Creative Flow when we are doing Excitement, Intensity or Anxiety, which these false patterns bring up. The previous three levels discussed in depth how we get attracted to these dissonances, which override our natural attractions. Instead we relax into our Beauty, Truth and Goodness, where we see these imprints, Pretenses and Defenses as obstacles to our current understanding and resourcefulness. We will need to resolve these dissonances in order to move into Level 5. Key to this resolution is releasing our attachments to Imprints, neutralizing inauthentic defensive distortions and eliminating all of our projections around Pretenses.
By now we have probably confronted the Objectification and Subjectification defensive distortions this far into the text. Since we have been alerted to the difficulties of Idealization, we will not discuss those issues here. The false attachments to imprinting keep us fixed in the past and they must be released if we are to express ourselves fully. For example, an individual with a Compassionate Imprint that is committed to being convergent, even though they are naturally divergent, creates inner compromises that impede our progress, growth or expression. If they have adopted a Control Pretense, this further complicates the situation by making it hard to listen to others and receive support. We will work through these issues even as we make great progress clarifying our Creative Nature. Core to this process is rejecting what is unreal within us. While these patterns have been instrumental in helping us understand the issues in our lives, a more direct path is to consciously respond to them. It helps to be able to talk about these issues with friends and partners so they can remind us when we fall below their anti-growth influence.
Now that we are balancing ourselves between our masculine and feminine expressions, and we have the choice to respond to others in appropriate ways that do not compromise us, we need to become more selective about what we are willing to engage. We lose much of our energy picking projects or expressions where we cannot fully succeed. This is usually due to ways we sabotage ourselves by not taking into account our Motives, Attractions, Skills and Compatibility Factors when interacting with others. Many of us jumped into circumstances because it just ‘felt’ okay, without considering the long-term impact on us. Some of us chose to engage processes that may have had a great outcome, but it was not actually one of our lessons. Unless we have a personal connection to something in front of us, and a reason to engage it, we need to learn not to get sucked into it.
Until we learn to be selective and appropriate in our choices of actions, we cannot fully trust ourselves. The result is that we end up either overdoing things or doing nothing. What we want is to build a connection through our labor to the universal Intent. This allows us to be relevant and be seen as a contributor, which allows the universe to contribute to us. If any of these pieces are not connected, we suffer. This means that making the right inner connections to our selves and finding the lessons that mirror this out into the world is essential to our well being. Instead of fixating on our dreams as we did in the preceding level, we now realize our aspirations must be balanced with our inspiration. The inner and outer must be connected to successfully manifest in a sustained way. This connection is about affirming that we create the meaning we have for our lives.
The best way to manifest this connection is by simultaneously empowering our Being with our Becoming. Being is empowering our feminine nature and reflecting its mystery to accept ourselves for the perfection we are in the moment. To accomplish this we need to see our own creative pathway and destiny. Some individuals would call this knowing where we want to go. Becoming is recognizing the masculine perspective that we have considerable opportunities to improve our circumstances, and that we are always refining the ways we express our mastery allowing us to do more with less. It is about recognizing where we are so that with the feminine side we can map out a plan to get where we want to go. When we put these two together, we have creative empowerment and an ability to love ourselves and love others without limitations.
What makes us creative beings is ownership of our contribution. In the process of exploring our Authentic Life Expression, there are three elements that define where we are in the process. They are: our Creative Nature; our Constituency; and our Contribution. It is the interaction between these three elements and how they function as a unified expression that generates the magic. This magic is the support of Universal Intent. In other words, does the universe support our contribution at this time? While many of us think that every idea has its time, we believe that everyone has his or her place and time. This means we focus on how these three elements fit into the current circumstances and serve a larger possibility. At this level we learn how to move beyond our Personality perceptions and become more of a transpersonal agent for the benefit of the planet. What we realize is that we have reached a level of maturity where alluring or shiny things no longer demand our attention. We also recognize that beliefs are limiting and keep us from being with our Truth in the moment. Finally, we realize that dreams of great ideas are not the issue, but it is what we put in action that speaks for us.
What this does is open us up to hundreds of choices each and every day. We learn to examine the possibilities and seek deeper understanding about each choice before we commit ourselves to it. We develop relationships in service of the choices we make so we can see the best way to ground and make these dreams real. This indicates that we have reoriented ourselves so that our Creative Nature defines how our Personality Nature responds. It means that we are solution-oriented, rather than problem magnets. We learn to operate fully from our Creative Power, realigning our lower elements to serve our higher knowing. The more we do this, the more others see how enlightened we are. This last statement is designed to test your Upper Boundary Limits. How much are you willing to get out of your comfort zone?
What makes us powerful as Co-Creators is our ability to distinguish between what is real within us and what is not. When something is real, we naturally express it with Creative Flow. When it is an Imprint, Pretense or Defense, it is a false pattern, which confuses us and others about our sense of direction and purpose. Most importantly, there is no Creative Flow when we are doing Excitement, Intensity or Anxiety, all of which these false patterns bring up. The previous three levels discussed in depth how we get attracted to these dissonances, which override our natural attractions. Instead we relax into our Beauty, Truth and Goodness, where we see these imprints, Pretenses and Defenses as obstacles to our current understanding and resourcefulness. We will need to resolve these dissonances in order to move into Level 5. Key to this resolution is releasing our attachments to Imprints, neutralizing inauthentic defensive distortions and eliminating all of our projections around Pretenses.
By now, we have probably confronted the Objectification and Subjectification defensive distortions this far into the text. Since we have been alerted to the difficulties of Idealization, we will not discuss those issues here. The false attachments to imprinting keep us fixed in the past and they must be released if we are to express ourselves fully. For example, an individual with a Compassionate Imprint that is committed to being convergent, even though they are naturally divergent, creates inner compromises that impede progress, growth or expression. If they have adopted a Control Pretense, this further complicates the situation by making it hard for them to listen to others and receive support. We will work through these issues while making great progress clarifying our Creative Nature. Core to this process is rejecting what is unreal within us. While these patterns have been instrumental in helping us understand the issues in our lives, a more direct path is to consciously respond to them. It helps to be able to talk about these issues with friends and partners so they can remind us when we fall below their anti-growth influence.
Authentic Life Expression
Our Authentic Nature emerges because we do not define ourselves or play games seeking the approval of others. This becomes more obvious when we expect others to affirm themselves by doing what they say they will do. Sometimes, just to make or keep connections with others operating on the Personality level, we will acknowledge their contributions and make sure they are seen. This is just to be harmless and to appreciate the processes they themselves are going through. The purpose of this is to build the skills of others so that they can see themselves. Personality level individuals can recognize Creative individuals by the Personality they demonstrate. This is not meant as a slight, but rather an acknowledgement that their connection is more Creative than Personal. Creatively affirmed individuals are defined by themselves and their contribution and do not need the agreement of others. This is particularly true when these individuals are not true, energetic Constituents.
There are two different types of Creative Alignment: Creative Alignment based on Compatibility Factors, Motives, Attractions and Skills versus Creative Alignment that is based on having a similar creative contribution, usually with overlapping Constituents and similar BodyTypes. The first definition of Creative Alignment is a feminine one. Here the more similarities we have in terms of how we interact with another, shows that we will have advantages in understanding, appreciating and acknowledging what is important. The second definition is a task-oriented, masculine one that has to do with mutual accomplishment of common objectives where we have exactly the right expertise and skills to make an impactful contribution with another. The first one is primarily used in romantic relationships to determine who is best for us. The second is primarily used in business relationships where we bond in order to maximize our mutual success. There are some situations where individuals are fortunate to have both simultaneously, particularly when they have the same Primary Creative Expressions.
Many of us do not know our true Authentic Life Expression. This is because we have not yet embodied, or looked at our life through the lens of our Primary Creative Expression. Instead, we have let our Security and Safety concerns keep us trapped in work that is not fulfilling. At Level 4, we remedy this. We begin to appreciate how we need to step up and fully engage opportunities that come our way. More importantly, we need to create new opportunities in areas that interest or intrigue us. The primary objective of this stage is to create a sense of joy in our life that magnifies over time. There are three ways to accomplish this: 1) create a fulfilling contribution that allows us to do exactly what we are designed to do; 2) create personal relationships that provide co-creative opportunities to participate in all of life’s activities; and 3) build a community of like-minded individuals where we can be supported and feel capable of making contributions to them.
How we manifest our ALE is by honoring and loving our authentic nature, identifying who our constituents are, and clearly identifying our contribution as either a product or service. Our Compatibility Factors help us identify our authentic nature, and we have introduced a number of them in this document. Second, our constituents can be identified by their Compatibility Factors, as well as by other basic demographics. All we have to do to begin our assessment process is summarize the characteristics of the people who want to help us make a particular contribution. Finally, by taking the combination of what we do well and combining it with what others want us to do, we can refine it into a product or service that will make a difference. It is important to recognize that what distinguishes a career from our ALE is the fact that we are defining it completely outside of the assumptions and conventional wisdom that society dictates about what constitutes a job or position. This opens the door to using new terminology and building solutions that meet current needs.
The obstacles to doing this are what we have spoken about in the previous three levels. We could minimize our Intent and just not take action, because it seems too unknown or difficult. This is the result of Objectification patterns where we feel we need to choose safe options and are uncomfortable being in a growth situation. We might also confuse our Content by fixating on what we have been taught rather than what we know we would naturally be good at. This is the result of Subjectification patterns, where we think we need to have a degree or certification to do a particular job. While some certifications may be appropriate, it should come from our natural passion of understanding how to make something happen, not based on proving what we know. Finally, we may deny our Context, and by so doing, sabotage our ability to see the big picture, preventing us from doing a particular job or service as effectively as someone else. This is the result of Idealization of a fantasy rather than the reality of what the job entails. It is ironic that often our imagination limits our creative thinking when we become fixated on it.
The solutions to these obstacles are to increase our Aliveness, expand our Wisdom and learn how to be aware moment to moment. Just like with relationships, Excitement, Intensity and Anxiety are detrimental to discovering and engaging our ALE. At some point, we need to take responsibility for doing things in a way that makes the most sense to us. This means letting go of much of the conventional wisdom or beliefs about what makes a job great. Instead, we want to answer this for ourselves by looking at what brings us the most joy. Paradoxically, many of the most traumatic aspects of our lives will turn out to have major contributions to our ALE. Usually, by turning around our traumas and repurposing them so they can contribute to us, they end up becoming contributions to others. Therefore, it is a recommendation that we look for inspiration in what makes us happy, and what makes us uncomfortable.
Service is another way to engage our Authentic Life Expression. Being of service means we are not attached to an outer form or presentation of what we should contribute, but rather seeking out opportunities to be of value. By letting our nose guide us, we discover where we have a natural joyful response to particular types of activities. We also receive feedback from others that sometimes guides us to a fulfilling way of interacting with them. We can also use this technique in reverse when we find ourselves in situations where we do not have a connection to what we are doing. Disconnection is an indication that this is not the right place to be! In service, we always have a connection to the people we are serving. This allows us to receive feedback about what we are doing for them. This supports incremental improvements where we get better and better at what we are offering.
Through Personality Integration We Manifest Co-Creation
Personality Integration is the acceptance of our Compatibility Pattern fully under the direction of our Creative Self. It begins when we stop using our Secondary Expression as our go to expression, and instead anchor all of our perceptions in terms of our Primary Expression. When the Secondary and Mental Body Expressions serve at the pleasure of our Primary, our Defenses, Pretenses, and Imprinting all diminish. Until this happens, our Creative Expression is partial, unbalanced and incomplete. This is primarily caused by the Primary Expression not unifying all the elements, and secondarily by the Defensive Distortions causing chaos and reactions. As we eliminate each Defensive Distortion, we become more clear, more passionate and present. The need to seek agreement with others is diminished as we consciously take charge of our Destiny.
Another resource for exploring the seven Creative Expressions, known as the Seven Rays in the Bailey work, is the work of Dr. Michael Robbins. He is a dedicated and committed integrator of the Alice Bailey teachings and has written several seminal works outlining the theory and higher level practices necessary for integrating ourselves as Creative Beings. As the founder of the Seven Ray Institute, he has created annual conferences expanding and outlining the body of work initially proposed by Djwhal Khul. He has also attracted a group that has tested and applied the Bailey work in new areas. An index of free articles on the site articulates their experience and results. To find out more about the Seven Ray Institute, their classes, conferences and training programs, check with them directly. While Higher Alignment focuses on practical verification and being able to see these patterns within people, Michael Robbins focuses more on what needs to be understood about the Seven Rays. He has also been able to tie in the Seven Rays with a new form of Soul Astrology. You can find free pdfs of Michael Robbins’ books at makara.us.
J.P. Van Hulle essentially clarified and popularized a channeled body of information about the Seven Creative Expressions operating on two levels. In many ways the Michael System information parallels the Alice Bailey work. It is a great model for acknowledging our own personal identity and several of the frameworks for identifying differences and similarities in people. Several of the factors provided a way to frame the Higher Alignment approach, even though we have changed several of the premises based on hard-won experience. One of the main differences between the Michael Teachings and Higher Alignment is the focus on what it means to be in relationship and how to take responsibility for having the right kind of relationships. The Michael System is focused purely on our own expression and believes we should be ourselves under all circumstances. It does not provide a layered understanding of what the lessons of relationships are, nor does it suggest ways to reconcile differences. You can find out more about this philosophy at the Michael Education Foundation.
In the diagram below, The Embodiment Process, we see how Transmuting Excitement into Aliveness on a personal level (1) takes us out of Safety Reactions and Objectification so we can express our Intent and Aliveness. This happens on a Transpersonal level (7) by bonding with others to produce Synergistic Action. When we Transform Intensity into Wisdom on a personal level (2) takes us out of Security Positions and Subjectification so we can express our Content and Deeper Insights. This happens on a Transpersonal level (6) by bonding with others to produce Mutual Learning. Transmuting Anxiety into Awareness on a personal level (3) takes us out of Co-Dependence to Co-Measurement and Idealization so we can express our Context and capacity to Co-Create. This happens on a Transpersonal level (5) by bonding with others to produce Co-Embodiment. The fulcrum of this process where we shift from individualized personal identity to cooperative, co-creative manifestation with others is Level 4, Personality Integration. In these higher levels, what was personally anchored through Intent, Content and Context, became transpersonal by the ability to share experiences. The result is greater Life, Light and Love expression.
A summary of the Seven Steps of CNG Embodiment reveals that we start with transmuting Excitement into Aliveness by overcoming Safety reactions. This allows us to choose partners who are not parental substitutes. We then move into Level 2 by transforming Intensity into Wisdom in order to neutralize Security positions. This allows us to recognize our larger Truth and release our identification with masculine and feminine defensive patterns. On Level 3, we transform Anxiety into Awareness by becoming more aligned with potential partners. We discover the power of Co-Measurement. This leads us to taking ownership of our creativity and recognizing that the Creative Expression of others is critical to our well-being and Growth. This leads to Level 5, where we now discuss Co-Embodiment, because we have shifted into Transpersonal ways of interacting.
In the diagram above there are three obstacles on the left side that are neutralized by solutions on the right side. Life Energy and Aliveness neutralize Objectification patterns, where our ability to see Beauty is compromised. Light Energy and Wisdom neutralize Subjectification patterns, where our capacity to tell the Truth is compromised. Love Energy and Awareness neutralize Idealization issues, where our capacity to affirm Goodness and Love is greatly minimized and fragmented. The transition that makes this possible is to shift from a Safety and Security, seeking a personality framework to identify with our Creative Self. The more we understand, accept and express our natural gifts, the more we can contribute to the world in a way that evokes our destiny.
As you will notice in the diagram, the circle goes counter-clockwise, which affirms Life, Light and Love. The first three levels help us anchor ourselves, but also affirm our need to Transmute, Transform, and Transfigure our experiences. The more we become conscious, the more we start to centralize ourselves around our Creative Expression. This process of Unification begins the path of return where we move into the last three levels, where our Transpersonal expression of contribution can be made. While U.S. society fixates on the first three levels, due to their need for individuation, the largest opportunity for growth comes as we become Transpersonal and can work together in unity. What becomes apparent is that the left side initial levels are mirror images of their right side counterparts. This points out that there is a unification process as we externally accept our new internal reality. For example, Level 1, where we let go of Excitement, is confirmed on Level 7, where Aliveness is completely ascendant. Each of the level pairings will go through an energetic reassembly, not only in terms of modalities, but also in terms of our perspective and how we can contribute to the world.
Being selective about making creative invitations is what distinguishes this Level. We are seeking those individuals who respond to our transpersonal nature by being transpersonal with us. This creates opportunities to work together and create interactions that are synergistic. When we have multiple people using this approach together we can change the direction of the planet. This is not just some utopian fantasy, because it starts right now in our partner selection, the teams we work with and the purpose or mission we share. In the near future, we will start being repulsed by those who do not share our direction or intention. This is the result of our increasing clarity about what we do best. We learn through experience that only a percentage of our invitations can be met. Most individuals need to have shifted into their Creative Nature and be implementing some form of Authentic Life Expression for a response to be clear and complete. What others are actually doing is tuning into whether they feel aligned with our invitation. When we possess Creative Clarity we will increasingly take responsibility for making sure the invitations we make are actually clear specifications of how we expect to interact with others. CNG will be the framework for this declaration. People who do not have a CNG will be left behind.
Heart Centered Integration
When we reach the Level 4, the power of Life, Light and Love come together where we become a major creative contributor. The symbol of this embodiment is an overflowing chalice in the position of the heart. This chalice is the source of eternal life. It represents our ability to make long-term contributions for the benefit of the world. In effect, we become builders for a better future. It is also related to the sign of Aquarius, which we have now entered since we ‘pour forth water for thirsty men’. As a part of humanity, it is our source of abundance as we make critical choices about our future. The chalice represents that the time of collecting is here and we are close to stepping into a time of giving. It also indicates that we are now self-declared world servers, who are contributing by building a bridge to our internal higher ways of knowing.
This is also called Straight Knowledge, which knows without having to think about it. In one book, it is referred to as “consciousness without an object of focus.” Straight Knowledge is balanced equally between masculine and feminine perspectives. It is different from Intuition because it is not based on or limited by our Personal or Transpersonal Desires. Instead, it is the unencumbered perception as Truth where we have no doubt. The purpose of Straight Knowledge is to affirm that we can now begin our endeavor on an entirely new level. Some will say this knowing was always present within us. Others believe it emerges when we grow beyond a Survival or Outer Success framework. What is clear is that the consciousness is impersonal, open, and seeks opportunities to manifest the greatest good. It is about doing more with less, using discrimination and magnetic attraction to separate the higher from the lower options, and to be a synthetic solution for many sources. The more we think at this level, the clearer our path will become. The deeper our conscious embodiment, the more profound our life contribution will be.
Level 4 is also about letting go of self-imposed Personality limitations. Rather than getting sucked into the problems of others, we learn to let people experience their problems allowing them to work on their lessons. The Defensive Distortions no longer limit us. We can see our relationships and Authentic Life Expression in a new way. It initiates the development of a psychic shield around our personal space so we will not be affected when we go into areas where Life, Light and Love are denied. We call this denial Imperil, based on the Agni Yoga books. Knowing about Imperil (where individuals are trapped by either their own self-denial and hatred, or by the intrusions of those with Imperil), teaches us to maintain our creative light under all circumstances. By visualizing this shield, we are able to neutralize these chaotic forces and bring greater harmony to people and places in need.
CNG shields our heart. It permits us to realize that a CNG is the best protection we can have. It is completely energetic and does not require defining ourselves in any prescribed manner (such as behaviors, emotions or thoughts). In addition, it is the best tool for identifying any malicious Intent or Motives. After practicing a CNG, our psychic shield becomes powerful and most attacks bounce off without leaving any residue. So far, we have created at least two Zones of awareness where we are able to go back and forth at will. Zone 1 is the inner awareness that monitors our well-being. Zone 2 is our outer relationship space, which captures energy directed at us, and either transforms, grounds, or diverts it into safe expressions. Optimally, when these two Zones are working together, we are able to build a Co-Creative process with our partners.
When a CNG is firmly established, we begin to create a Zone 3, which creates a larger shield around those we love, cherish and support. This is empowered by prayers, well-wishes and visualizations as we learn to gradually expand our Co-Creative Intent in the Universe. First, we seek the well-being of all individuals in the pursuit of their creative destiny. Second, we seek to learn how to bring out the best in others to transform our circumstances. Third, we seek to share our Life, Light and Love with those of like purpose so our efforts are manifested to support Universal Intent. The courage this takes is found in our hearts, and shows up as a chalice of creative destiny.
At the fourth Level of CNG, Co-Creativity is the capacity to align with another to create a larger, more powerful result. This is when we not only step up and share ourselves, but we also know how to coordinate our experiences with others. One of the best ways we recognize that we are at this level is the passion we have for exploring the unknown. Since we realize that we have nothing to lose, we are willing to put it all on the line in certain relationships or projects, just to see what is possible. This is a transition process because the more we learn about ourselves with others, the more it begins to stabilize and refine our ability to contribute to others. We discover that there is a creative potential with each individual and, in some situations, an accelerated way to actualize this potential because of our understanding of the differences between our selves and others.
Becoming Co-Creative first requires that we affirm our Authentic Nature. The more we honor our greatness, in a non-egoic way, and in terms of making a contribution in life, the more quickly we will get through this level. When we honor our contribution we build a relationship with the Universe. We feel a special connection with our constituents who are the beneficiaries that guide our development. Constituents are those people who guide us to the fulfillment of our Authentic Life Expression. Every person has their particular Constituents who will show up when they declare their natural contribution. It is important to let go of our Imprinting, Pretenses and Defenses so we do not get caught in unbalanced, predetermined activities. It is about letting go of needing to define us in terms of our parents, authority figures or seeking the admiration or adoration of others. All these things become secondary to building a greater acceptance of our creative contributions. The best metaphor is the caterpillar becoming a butterfly. We have the same necessary ingredients to live life, but now we use them in a completely new way.
When we move into Level 4, we need to let go of how we defined ourselves in terms of our personality. We need to move into higher Motives, Attractions and Relationship Skills and discard the imperfect steps that got us here. This is the best way to acknowledge our striving to be the best we can be. When we begin to attract others with the same commitment to their lives, it not only stabilizes us but also increases our capacity to make this transition. This means recognizing that we do not need to reference our past as if it is our present. It also means that, as a Creative Being, we manifest the potential to bring in Pleasure, Power and Passion in a natural and easygoing manner. It requires that we clean up any residue around Objectification, Subjectification and Idealization. The more we do this, the more it opens us up to a new world of freedom, where anything is possible.
There is a lot to understand about differences and Creativity. First, we can learn about the difference between Primary, Secondary and Mental Body Expressions. Second, we can learn about the seven types of Expression and how everyone has three Creative Intelligence Expressions. Any confusion about who they are authentically is usually eliminated when individuals take into consideration their parental Imprinting, from which they act out as if it were their own. This awakens them to why they have to be a certain way, so they can let these self-limiting patterns go. Finally, there are the 15 Compatibility Factors and how each one can amplify and interact with the rest. We recommend that you start by getting an assessment completed so you can begin reading your own descriptions. This will give you a starting point for examining your unique strengths and weaknesses. It is at this level where we understand all the Compatibility Factors and their relative merits. In Higher Alignment, we always work from our strengths to empower our less powerful attributes. Our Primary Creative Expression becomes the integrating framework for all the Compatibility Factors. We call this process Centralization.
Ultimately, lining up around our Primary Creative Expression is the easiest and most profound way to be seen and loved. This process greatly expands our ability to love ourselves because we cannot love our partners without first loving ourselves. The benefit of this is that we have relationships without strife and animosity. Instead, our relationships are flowing and co-creative, and support mutual growth. The most useful aspect of greater communion is to be able to know how to bring out the best in our partners. Sometimes, this is accomplished through self-forgiveness, forgiveness of others, and a desire to be transformed through the process of loving a partner. Other times, it is merely the way we show up. Another benefit is that we know immediately when people aren’t on our wavelength. This creates a situation where we make no false promises and do not feel that we need to explain our decision-making process to satisfy their egoic concerns. What we want is more freedom to explore how things could work so we develop greater Skillful Means. Skillful Means is the capacity to align with others using our commonalities to facilitate our ability to get things done.
The first major shift toward Personality Integration occurs when we can be around people who are similar, if not the same, in terms of Compatibility Factors. While we experimented with this in Level 3, now we become committed to it in our Life Work, our Primary Partnership and Community interactions. In short, this means we seek out people who are like us in all Compatibility Factors. These people will not only get us, but we will not need to explain ourselves. One aspect of this process is to clear out all of our Imprinting so we can focus on what is real in terms of our Primary Creative Expression. Others with the same Primary Expression will be the best teachers for us to see where we do not love ourselves completely. We will recognize how to be more compassionate with those who do Imprinting over their Primary Creative Expression, as these individuals were usually repulsive to us before. What we are doing is building inner clarity about what is authentic and what is not. The CNG is the most powerful way to refine our experience of being and living our Primary Creative Expression, so that we are immediately able to recognize the people who are like us.
Many individuals describe this level as a re-orientation process where they move from a personal way of operating to a transpersonal one. The more they become aware of their own natural Creativity, the more they realize that Creative Resonance defines our relationships. The more we are energetically and consciously congruent with our creativity, the more effective we are. This means we attract individuals more actualized in their Authentic Life Expression. What we miss is the activity and personal focus that defined our previous life. The key indicator that we have made this shift is that we adopt and use CNG most of the time. This re-deployment of our own energy from a defensive to a Creative framework opens up many new doors. It becomes a way to quickly recognize the problems of others. As a result, while we may want to help and be supportive of others, we soon realize that, where co-dependence reigns, it locks us down and limits the upside possibilities. This produces a greater understanding that seeking partners without CNG skills is a disaster.
Enthusiasm is the key indicator showing that we are operating in Co-Creative partnerships. Enthusiasm represents the ability to fully breathe together. It is a mutual experience of joy. Joy is the natural result of expressing ourselves authentically. This means we have shifted out of defining ourselves in terms of what we do or how we relate to embracing our Being in the moment. While this level may be more masculine through its interactions with others, it supports a conscious merging where its feminine is mainly expressed. This means that the feminine and masculine work well together to open our perceptions to all the options. The de facto response to inquiries about improvements is, Why not? This is one of the primary reasons we feel empowered to choose the lessons that show up in our lives rather than to wait for them to express themselves.
The paradox of owning our Primary Creative Expression is that we actually become selfless. This occurs because we are no longer attached to our Personality perspectives. Some would say that we are starting to become more Impersonal and our reactions, if not eliminated, are certainly minimized at this level. Selflessness, though, is where we do not need to think about who we are because we are simply being who we are. It is a commitment to be our selves and not worry about what others are thinking in any way. Personality detachment is about letting go of needing to prove our selves. It is also helpful to imagine Personality detachment as a way of being more real without having to be self-important about our reality.
Upper Boundary Limits exist when we run into fears that, if something is beyond our Personality’s awareness it will be more problematic than the opportunity it represents. While there are some Upper Boundary Limits that do present problems like this, most are simply about shifting from a conditioned fear to affirming who we are as a Creative Being. This means that before we become self-judgmental about what we cannot do, we should examine what we have done and where our current capacities are leading us. We need to treat ourselves well when making the transition from our Personalities to our Creative Nature. We need to forgive ourselves for falsely believing that our aspirations are delusional, overly egoic or self-important. The confusion that often arises is when we believe that we cannot distinguish our Safety and Security needs from our Creative Nature. Yes, we can be egoic around Personality issues by trying to prove how important we are. This may have nothing to do with wanting to expand our selves and be seen in our Primary Creative Expression. Until we recognize the difference between these, most of the Upper Boundary Limits will be false alarms that will require some personal affirmation to correct.
Another egoic personality distortion is making ‘sacrifice’ a bad word. If we are sacrificing Personality limitations, (eliminating Defenses, Pretenses and Imprinting) our survival and success programming tells us (incorrectly) that we will not function well. It does take a little bit of time to readjust to how our creativity would respond in a situation, rather than using our protective mechanisms to minimize the things we do not want. Shifting from the limited perspectives of our Personality into the larger possibilities of our Creative Nature is disorienting, making our Personality uncomfortable. The best thing to do is confront this discomfort and to fully go into the experience of it. Instead, the Personality wants you to avoid these issues of discomfort, and ignore them as much as possible. Better yet, just ignore any Personality sacrifice and, instead, divert attention to Creative self-sacrifice so the Personality will not have to give up any of its rules or regulations. Based on your inner voice, you can start to identify if you are operating from your Personality framework or from your Creative Nature.
Fairness and compassion arise the more we come to understand that every person’s Creative Expression has a unique purpose and value in the world. Just because we do not understand something does not mean it is not important. We begin to see the benefits of having certain Primary and Secondary Expressions together. Each combination has its own strengths and weaknesses but it has more potential when the Expressions are combined and integrated. We call the integration of our Primary and Secondary Creative Expression ‘gifts’ because they blossom when we actualize and accept ourselves as we are. Creative Gifts enable individuals to operate as geniuses in particular domains. Fears of what others think do not limit us. This increases our ingenuity and allows us to put together our own Intelligences in a new way. This empowers us to move society forward. Our choice in partners either enhances or minimizes the manifestation of these gifts. The more we deepen into the experience of our Gifts, the easier it is to see the Gifts of others.
The freedom to say no to any relationship or option is what distinguishes this level from others. We are no longer attracted to individuals who are not engaging their own life work. We are aware of the difficulties that enmeshment and compromise cause in relationships. Meaning that we are not in any rush to find someone just to fill our personality Desires. Instead, we build relationships on a creative level step-by-step while making sure our partner candidates are who we think they are. We are able to see our own problems and limitations and accept theirs because we experience the value of the relationship. What becomes important is the quality of the connection. Unconscious Attractions, lower Motives and individuals lacking Skills can become repulsive. The reason to be in a relationship is primarily to experience Creative Synergy.
At this level, CNG is about maintaining an internal balance or wholeness so that we can be in the CNG whenever we wish. Many individuals start using the CNG only in situations where they have experienced previous difficulties with others. While the CNG is great at protecting us in a more conscious way than by using Defenses, this is a rather limited use of its functionality. We usually evolve into using the CNG with all major relationships that we care most about. The more we do a CNG, the more it allows us to shift our Defensive energies into supporting a CNG rather than protecting us. We start to see how poorly designed our Defenses are to actually function on our behalf. This means that our Creative Nature becomes more preemptive in identifying who and what we engage, and no longer sets us up to take care of others when we do not have the energy to do so.
An effective CNG can also help us minimize our Pretenses and Imprinting. Until this occurs, we can easily be sucked into trying to prove ourselves or attempting to fix others to make ourselves feel better. That does not work. Having more energy available to be creative by engaging our Primary Creative Expression greatly enhances our CNG. We learn to optimize our energetic well-being using the CNG as the measuring framework for our increasing effectiveness. It is important that we do not try to push this process too quickly because we will end up attempting to use energies we do not have and crash and burn. Usually people start with thirty to forty-five minutes a day of CNG. After half a year or so, we can be up to two hours a day of a quality CNG. The big breakthrough comes when the majority of our time with people is done in a CNG. This usually takes a year to occur. There are a lot of little things we are learning about our own energy system that need to be integrated before we can take the big leap and use CNG in the majority of situations.
The problems of CNG embodiment can be helpful in assessing where we are in creating a full Common Neutral Ground. Since a CNG is a combination of Life, Light and Love energies, Attachments, Positions and Projections of the truth (rather than the full Truth) show up when we are not completely embodied. Like Truth, a CNG is invisible but its impact and effects are fully visible. The more inclusive and present we are in our Truth, the more we will embody a Common Neutral Ground. Wherever we compromise ourselves we attract negative impacts from an incomplete understanding of the lessons. This feedback process helps us to clarify what works versus what does not work. Take a moment now to read over the list, identifying the challenges that are currently present in your life. This may encourage you to read certain sections of this book several times to make sure you have identified the sources of your issues.
Level 4 is where we make the full transition from a personality orientation to accepting our Creative birthright as an Authentic Being. At this stage, Common Neutral Ground is an essential part of our operating process. Instead of being isolated, we are connected to various aspects within ourselves allowing us to be fully present with others. We have learned to step outside of our concerns for safety, security and self-importance as we are now more committed to interpersonal Creative Expression. This shows up as a sense of detachment so that we can consciously choose how much, and when, to connect with others. Co-Creativity becomes the great healer as we learn how to operate more effectively in all situations. The strength of our CNG also increases, and we learn how to hold space for others around us so that we can process together, without reactions, either internally or externally.
Re-Creating Our Partners or Living with the Consequences
All of these changes are empowered when we take responsibility for interpreting our own experience in the best way possible. In other words, we are able to use the experiential Modalities (Sensations, Feelings, Emotions and Thoughts) to customize our comprehension and increase our ability to take in new ideas from others. This shift into an intermediating, interactive connection with others allows us to adjust to various changes as they occur. We learn how to modulate any one of the Modalities or increase our depth by focusing on one of the Modalities to bring out greater opportunities. In this way, we can make sure we are getting the most out of our experience, while understanding the meaning of the experience itself. Since many of our lessons have to do with expanding and unifying our Modalities, taking responsibility for how we interpret our experience is a big step in conscious self-understanding. Some people do not understand this process, thinking that shifting our focus on different Modalities changes our reality. In actuality, it gives us new ways of interpreting our experience. We call this perceptual reorientation process, Owning Our Experience, which is also the name of a class we teach.
This Level of CNG embodiment is actually a time of great experimentation. The more we open ourselves up to our own Beauty, Truth and Goodness, the clearer we become about what works. Now that we have balanced our Sensations, Feelings, Emotions and Thoughts, our Intuition emerges. Since we now possess Skills to distinguish our experiences from others, we are not scared about being submerged or defined by anyone. We know it will simply not happen. This creates a spirit of adventure where we increasingly allow the universe to suggest possibilities. As our Creative Nature emerges, we go from the cocoon to the butterfly stage. The more we radiate our energy outward, the more we attract individuals who want us to transfer some of this ‘magic’ to them. The problem is that they usually Idealize us, making partnering with them difficult, if not impossible.
The major Skill we develop at this level is to be able to re-create the experience of others in the Common Neutral Ground. While the first step of this process is to recognize how our experience of the CNG is different from our personal experience, we need to explore how another’s presence in the CNG adds texture and uniqueness to our experience. The more we practice feeling the differences between us in the CNG, while using our commonalities to provide a foundation for this experience, the more real the relationship becomes. This is because we develop the ability to read the similarities and differences in Sensations, Feelings, Emotions and Thoughts. This opens us up to seeing how an individual’s personal energy field is different than our own and how the CNG is actually the combination of both. The more we can integrate and own our experience, the more likely we can bring out the best in our partner.
Being able to shift when we over-do and under-do our Modalities allows us to see what irritates our partner or what enlivens them. Instead of being oblivious to the reactions and responses of our partner, we become interested in providing better feedback and support. We learn to recognize what is going on in any particular circumstance or situation. Some individuals develop and share their Intuitions about the process and how they feel seen or not by their partner. Relationship Lessons are greatly facilitated when we have these subtle tools for recognizing what works and does not work with our partners. The more we are able to internalize why our partners respond the way they do, the more we naturally find better ways to interact with them. The other key aspect of developing these insights is recognizing who is reacting to what issue, and in what timeframe. This comes about by being able to see where a reaction originates. Is it in our space, their space or in the shared, Common Neutral Ground space?
‘Getting’ our partner is best accomplished by re-creating their experience in the CNG. Re-creating is the process of duplicating, in our experience, the Sensations, Feelings, Emotions and Thoughts of our partner in the CNG. When we are able to do this with significant resolution and clarity in a conscious way, it ‘pops’ or shifts us into a more integrated state with our partner, and the content disappears. People experience this as a flash of insight, and then they do not remember what they were thinking. This re-creation of our partner’s experience creates a transformative connecting experience for both parties. As physics majors realize, recreating the same experience in the same proximity collapses the field and releases the Thought form that was the foundation for the issue. While it may not be immediately apparent that ‘getting’ and transforming the experience of our partner can be useful, it cumulatively expands the CNG’s energy and Context so we build a better connection, and we learn to trust each other more. We call this process ‘Re-Creating’ our experience. Besides shifting us to honor the common ground more, it also becomes a bonding experience because we then appreciate and understand our partner by metaphorically walking in their ‘moccasins’.
Pacing is the rate at which we process our experience. Every time we go through a sequence of Thinking, Feeling and Acting, we assess where we are and know what is going on. Different people go through this process in different sequences. Based on our Communication Process, some individuals Feel, Think and then Act. We would call these individuals big Context, small Content with Intent being the integrative factor. What we are all attempting to do is to become more simultaneous and present with all three of the elements (Intent, Content and Context). Pacing is the way we accomplish this. Some individuals take on big chunks of experience and process them slowly, while others take small chunks and process them more quickly. This has nothing to do with general intelligence, although it supports and amplifies our three, natural Creative Intelligences.
When we find and operate at our natural pacing rate, our energy is well used and we regenerate quickly. When we are imprinted to operate at a speed that is not our own, or some individual is creating stress, it means we are over stretching ourselves or accommodating our self to meet the pacing of others. This diminishes our energy and reduces our ability to regenerate ourselves. The big issue is that when we meet others with a different Pacing as us, it will take additional energy to connect with them. The more Imprinting we have, the more likely we second-guess ourselves so we do not relax or find the natural flow in our connection. Pacing makes a large impact on many individuals, particularly when the people we are connecting to represent family members who energetically compromised us in the past. This can make us defensive, drive us to be over-accommodating or to increase or decrease our internal pace. It is critical to accept our natural pacing because then we can find people who will be relaxing to be with.
Pacing is delineated by a spectrum between 1 and 100, with 0 being the slowest and 100 being the fastest. The midpoint is 50 and the population can be represented in a bell-shaped curve with less than 13% being higher than 65, or lower than 35. We typically feel comfortable with individuals with up to a 15 point difference. When we have a 5 or less point difference, we can be with them day or night with no impact. Otherwise, the greater the difference, the more breaks we need to take to regenerate our own pacing level. Some of us become highly self protective when we feel abused or taken advantage of by people with different pacing. In such situations, we can further accentuate our differences by pulling away from the pacing of others to make them meet us in a more natural flow. Individuals who are faster paced tend to become frustrated with lower paced individuals, while individuals who are slower paced become exhausted with higher paced individuals.
There are six Pacing categories:
- Slow Paced individuals operate with a pacing level of 0-45. This means we are quite methodical and need to process our experience for a time before we are ready to make comments about it. With other slow-paced individuals, we are more relaxed and do not feel the need to prove ourselves. When we are with fast-paced individuals, it creates more Excitement, anticipation and possibly an edginess, because we are trying to rush ourselves forward to keep up with the comments. When talking to fast-paced individuals, we feel frequently poked and prodded to respond to others, when we do not know what our own experience is. This leads us to make mistakes about what we want and how things would work for us. Over time, this makes us reticent to make any commitments before we have figured out our own desires.
- Mid-Paced individuals operate with a pacing level of 45-55. Mid-paced individuals have some flexibility to meeting others where they are. They seek to accommodate and get along when others have a similar pace. They are able to meet the widest range of people, if we are 50, we can deal with anyone from 35-65. With other mid-paced people, we are the most relaxed and free in our expression. Our biggest problem comes at the extremes, where we do not have as much experience dealing with people above 65 or lower than 35. Due to our lack of experience, we need to learn to reduce the amount of time we spend with these types of individuals. Sometimes we can be impacted in less than 20 minutes. By making sure that we are holding our energy with integrity, we can increase this time period.
- Fast-Paced individuals operate with a pacing level of 55 and above. We are easily identified by our desire to get to the objective of the conversation so that decisions can be made quickly. We frequently complete others’ sentences or pressure them into stating what they need. We are driven to this because of the frustration we feel that things are being delayed for no reason. This is especially confusing when we have slow-paced imprinting, where we state things quickly and then summarize slowly. Or when with fast-paced imprinting where we increase our speed, the less we feel heard and valued by others. Although there can be competition for how fast we can explain things, most of the time we only feel relaxed with other fast-paced people. It is ironic that fast-paced people tend to think that slow-paced people are too slow and strange. Fast-paced people themselves can be seen as erratic, difficult and demanding by slow-paced people.
- Switchable-Paced individuals operate on two home-based levels, being able to go 15 points in either direction. This means growing up, they had one way of dealing with their father and one way of dealing with their mother and the two had different pacing points. The result is greater confusion by others when they see their friend shift without any explanation. What causes us to shift is stress and different expectations being placed upon us. While less than 5% of individuals in the U.S. have a Switchable pacing style, it can seem erratic or disjointed to others. For example, when we may have a pacing comfort zone of 45 around our father and a 60 pacing comfort zone around our mother, this would mean that when we are around women, we would naturally tend to go faster and around men we naturally tend to go slower. What makes this difficult is that in groups, with a wide variety of people, we are moving back and forth between these two set points.
- Variable-Paced individuals operate with less attachment to any particular set point. This means they have a greater total range than 15 points in terms of dealing with others and meeting them where they are. The value of this is that they get really good at regenerating themselves, allowing them to meet others within perhaps a 50-point or more range, able to honor another by going at their speed. They can do this because they are not compromising themselves or their Personality preferences; speed does not actually matter to them. They see themselves as all speeds. Storytellers, Compassionates and some Inventors and Visionaries have the experience and the consciousness to do this without difficulty. Others eventually learn this as they become more conscious about who they are and how to manage their own energy system.
- Open-Ended individuals operate by being able to synchronize themselves with others without draining their own energy. It is our choice to meet others, not just in their Pacing but also by using other Compatibility Factors to establish a more in-depth connection. When we are open-ended, we are free to express ourselves in any way we wish. This leads us to learn how to meet others on a much different level and to feel their pulse as we are connecting. When we are open ended, we are usually operating with a Communication Process of Simultaneous and Equal and we can do any Decision Making Approach. The source of our new found energy is a deep connection to the Universe through our Primary Creative Expression. The more actualized we are on this level, the more open-ended we become in our Pacing.
When we accept our natural pacing, we do not need to over-rev our engines or worry that our engine is going to conk out if it does not have enough gas. Instead, we learn to trust that everything we need to grasp is being provided in exactly the timing that we need to maximize our response to it. For some individuals, this is a large stretch because we are used to getting caught up in the extremes of the experience and think that anything flowing naturally is suspicious. This conditioning needs to be questioned so that we can shift the way we respond to opportunities by holding the CNG and all of its input externally. This allows us to bring in the information at a speed that works for us and matches our heart’s pace. Let us be clear, the CNG can hold all of the experiences and interactions with others if we empower it to do so, this allows us to process it in any timeframe and in any manner to suit us. This means that we do not need to react to others or take on their ‘stuff’ because we are afraid that they are going to withdraw their support or interaction.
A CNG can do this type of offline processing on any Compatibility Factor. This allows us to even reflect on what has happened in the past and see it anew from different levels of the experience. What we need to do to maximize this capacity is just imagine that everything that goes in on the CNG is a reflection that we can tape for later review, using only a small part of our mind for this function. There are many circumstances where we might not notice something immediately, and upon review, we begin to realize that there were more subtle indicators of something going on than was originally apparent. If we set the intention to have this capability online and we can do it at any time we wish, then we can always be learning about any situation or relationship in an optimum manner.
It is important to note that we are not suggesting that you keep analyzing things on a mental or emotional level, but rather you are going back to the full experience of Sensations, Feelings, Emotions, Thoughts and Intuitions and processing the experiences anew. The more you can put aside previous conclusions, the more revealing the new assessment might be. Otherwise, we are just doing defensive reprocessing, which drains our energy and provides little or no new insights. Using the modalities as centers of awareness where we perceive directly, not just what is going on with us but also what is going on for others, allows us to shift our perspective and see things through their eyes. This tool can be greatly enhanced now that we have more internal Silence, Solitude and Stillness.
Stillness, Solitude and Silence are the inner anchors for manifesting Spacious Presence, Pregnant Duration and Skillful Means in the CNG. When Stillness creates a field of Aliveness around our Hara center, we become more self-regulating and sensitive to the energetic impacts of others. This allows us to know when others are draining us or are being energetically supportive. We can also minimize the loss or amplify the connection when it is desirable. It is the abundance of space within us that helps us to broadcast it, not only in the CNG, but also to others around us. We confirm this experience by being able to experience Cellular Affinity where we can naturally feel connected to others who are Alive and able to share themselves.
When Solitude creates a field of Wisdom around our heads, we become more receptive and able to organize our Thoughts and Emotions on many levels. This enhanced organizational ability also allows us to be supportive resources to those we love, as well as tune into the Thoughts of others and be supported by them. This all supports our experience of Pregnant Duration in the CNG because it is peaceful, holistic, and integrated. We naturally can share Thoughts and Emotions, which demonstrates an intellectual stimulation between others that expands the perspectives of all those involved. Vibratory Response validates this, which is a spacious way to say that we have room to take into consideration every possibility so that the right solutions will emerge at the right time. Needless to say, we need to be able to let go of any polarity, reactivity, or Defensive patterns to make Solitude and Pregnant Duration obvious.
When Silence creates a field of Awareness around our hearts, we become more Passionate and able to organize our Feelings and Emotions. This enhanced, intuitive sensitivity is based on the use of Skillful Means where we consciously engage others in ways that can bring out the best in all of us. Inner Silence is really a state of focus where we are disregarding voices from our past that are a part of our conditioning. It is time to imagine that we can unify ourselves into a single voice, which we can speak in at any time. One benefit of Skillful Means is the deeper ability to simplify complexity and recognize what others need to move forward. It is also useful to be able to see what compromises others and what does not so we do not inadvertently diminish their contribution. We validate Silence and this whole personality integration process by centralizing our focus on our Primary Creative Expression. This makes it possible to bring out the best in others through Vibratory Expansion.
Higher Alignment’s use of Stillness, Silence, Solitude and CNG exercises of Spacious Presence, Pregnant Duration and Skillful Means links beautifully with Buddhist practices. These help us become more mindful of our own internal states and we become more adept at managing ourselves so that we can operate in a more compassionate, peaceful and harmless manner. Most importantly, they help sustain us energetically by allowing us to touch into our Life, Light and Love experiences. Some people adopt these practices so that they can actually share more of who they are with others who are like-minded. Our perspective is that these practices allow us to be more self-reflective, therefore our Aliveness, Wisdom and Awareness can open up ways to transform the relationships we create. You can find more about the Buddhist tradition at the Shambhala Center.
When we identify with our mortality, we deny our ability to build a better future. When we envision ourselves as Personalities, we take on the Defensive conditioning and separateness of our past. It is easy to see that our Creative Nature is more expansive and provides a more comprehensive picture. Whatever our religious or spiritual path, we are able to affirm the presence of spirit in any of our creative endeavors. We make this practical when we seek to contribute and when our contributions are accepted. At this point, our whole system resonates as service becomes a conscious, co-creative communion.
This is how our mortality (based on our personal form or body) can be viewed as a limited subset of our immortality or spirit (based on pouring ourselves into the lives of those we love and contribute to). Without even considering the possibility that our spirit goes on in many forms, we could focus on how we achieve immortality through the people we contribute to around us. We make this transition after we have affirmed our Primary Creative Expression and bring our Secondary and Mental Body into alignment with our larger context. It is also the result of learning how to love our Creative Nature, which permits us to experience the love of others and return it in ways that magnify it. With these types of immortal experiences, we no longer fear death and see our self as having many ways to experience our impact beyond our own lifetime.
The more we balance Life, Light and Love expressions, the more conscious we are, allowing us to transfer our knowing to others based on their preferred modalities. This means that when we see a person who is stronger on Content, we can concisely give them the principles, processes and details they need to build a larger view for themselves. Or when we approach a person who is stronger with their Context, we can use our emotional framework to convey a vision that motivates them to seek out the deeper questions. Some individuals are better with Intent, so we need to be able to communicate energetically, perhaps by acting out each step of the process. This requires us to notice more about the people around us so that when we go into communion with them, we have ways of deepening into the process.
We expand our CNG skills on this level by being able to energetically compartmentalize the various connections we have simultaneously with different people. This begins by first being able to isolate our personal connection in the CNG space while recognizing different qualities of another in the moment. This permits us to use our CNG space to connect with an intimate partner to see how they are doing at any time. Individuals with good CNG skills build relationships with individuals by calibrating what they say about themselves with what they are directly experiencing in the CNG. In very little time, with the skills taught in the Owning Our Experience class, we will be able to read a CNG in seconds and know the person’s state of being. This greatly supports our ability to contribute to others just from our presence. It also allows us to increase our ability to hold many different connections at once and to know who and what to prioritize. Most importantly, we begin to appreciate congruent, creatively aligned individuals over the conflicted or confused relationships where need-fulfillment defines any opportunities. Now we are free to choose partners who we know will be creatively aligned and empowering.
Making the transition to creating aligned relationships is not easy. We need to ground ourselves so that we can take on these larger opportunities. We also begin to expand our support circles. These are people that are naturally attracted to us and looking for relationships with us because of our complimentary qualities. There are three support circles: Relationships, Life Work, and Community Development. They are the primary growth areas in our lives, providing the foundation that permits us to see others and be seen by them. They are also a natural source of deeper connections because they know and have insights about us. The more we trust them, the more they can trust us to be true supporters. We never know when one of these partners will make the right connection and refer another creatively aligned partner to us. Since we will explore many relationships to find the right expressions for us, it is good that we operate with little or no preconceptions. This is how we discover the best friendships, mentors, business and romantic partners.
The primary benefit of looking at all opportunities is that it increases our ability to love and be loved by many people. It also expands our ability to grow and be seen for our unique contributions. This takes balance, humility and openness. Whatever the world sends our way, it is our job to engage and discover what the opportunity is, or what the problem is in integrating them into the existing group. At this point, we do not compartmentalize our friends into different groups. All parties need to be able to interact with each other and also be independent. The ability of this group to support new members coming into it is one of the main indicators that we have created a congruent, energetic field around our purpose. This means we can let go of the role of trying to be the mediator between various people around us that don’t actually appreciate each other. When we have chosen individuals with enough autonomy and some intimacy, this process will work.
Energy, Time and Space take on a new meaning for us now that we see that all conflicts are played out between people based on these frameworks. Each individual has their own perception of Energy, Time and Space and these frameworks have different assumptions and priorities. CNG is the bridging technology neutralizing these differences moment to moment. CNG allows us to see where we are polarized and what type of problem is present, merely by tuning into the energy of the common space. This enables us to either neutralize the problems or, with individuals who are not willing to do so, to minimize their impact on us. Our ability to be sensitive to these differences is what allows us to anticipate problems and prevent them before they occur. Making choices based on our Creative Nature teaches us that not every individual has a positive effect upon us. The more we listen to our inner knowing, the easier our lives become.
Beauty, Truth and Goodness become our primary Motives for engaging life experiences. We want to not only see the Beauty outside of us, but also to experience Beauty within us. This sense of transpersonal Beauty transmutes our Sensations and Feelings, eliminating Objectification. The more we reconcile and refine our ability to see our Truth, the easier it is for us to own differences with others that can lead to awkwardness, irritation or outright conflict. The more we unify our Emotions and Thoughts, the greater compassion we have for our Truth and its relationship to others’ Truths. This leads to the elimination of Subjectification, where we do not try to place our Truth above the Truth of others. When we can unify our internal Goodness with the larger Goodness around us, it allows us to be conscious of how to move forward so that everyone is included. In this way, our Feelings and Emotions mirror our personal and transpersonal Desires, thereby eliminating Idealization.
Life, Light and Love become real experiences to us as our distortions (Objectification, Subjectification and Idealization) fall away. Due to society’s preoccupation with Defensive Distortions, very few people understand the motivating energies bringing about change in the universe. Life becomes activated as a sense of Aliveness where we energize the environment and the environment energizes us. Light becomes an internal type of knowing, or Wisdom where we can make distinctions without judgment. We learn how to deal with differences and uncomfortable similarities without becoming positional. Love becomes a real experience and not one manufactured to promote our safety, security or the need to be important. The key issue is that we now know how to receive Love as well as to share Love. The CNG becomes a structure that supports us in being balanced and present, while fully participating with everything surrounding us. We learn how to use Life, Light and Love energies in every part of our experiences in the CNG.
CNG facilitates the sharing of Aliveness, Wisdom and Awareness. When a CNG is operating in an optimal manner, all parties in the CNG can be present with their own Aliveness, Wisdom and Awareness as well as being open to the same qualities in others. In practice, this reflects maintaining a balance of Energy, Time and Space for our Self and our partners using a CNG. If we cut ourselves off from one of these qualities, it reduces our ability to connect with others, as well as their ability to connect to us. It is important to realize that self-judgments about what we can or cannot share with others have a detrimental affect on a partner’s ability to be with us. Wherever others are denying themselves, our presence becomes a point of healing for them. This is because we become an example they can immediately refer to and use to love themselves more. The alignment they experience is based on the fact that we are embodying CNG as an energetic reality.
Co-Creative exchanges distinguish this level from others. It is the beginning of finding an inner balance and freedom to follow our hearts. It is an indication that we have learned how to listen to others and be present with them. Building a network of Constituents, where we have free-flowing interactions, is the primary indicator we are operating at this level. In terms of CNG skills, this is expanded while working in situations of one-to-many, where group communication skills add value. When we develop greater stability in our own Sensations, Feelings, Emotions and Thoughts, our ability to bring others together greatly expands. When we increase our ability to mirror and honor different experiences, we are able to embrace the uniqueness of the qualities we are reflecting in our own Communication Process. Some of us will move into simultaneous and equal Communication Process expression at this point.
Becoming balanced in our Self allows us to awaken to what is possible in our life. Some individuals would talk about this process as finding our creative destiny. We would talk about this as a natural emergence after being fearful and caught in our Personality Desires for acknowledgement. When we are no longer driven to perform, who are we? When we do not need to show up based on how others want us to be, what would we do or say that would be real? Just the process of gaining experience will deepen us at this level and will naturally mature in our understanding of others and ourselves. All the effort and need to grow will find a more natural and fulfilling way to show up. This occurs because in our greater creative embodiment, the richness of our life becomes more profound.
This is when we have more of a choice about how we want to grow and develop. Some individuals use their primary relationship in order to expand their horizons. They do this by working out solutions with their partner that enriches their life. Others choose their Authentic Life Expression as a way to develop a direct connection to their growth process, and it becomes the primary method for knowing if they are on or off the right track. Their business becomes their metaphor for building a better connection with the universe. If their business is thriving it becomes a measurement of the success of their connection. We will know more about these two paths and how we might synthesize them in Levels 5, 6 and 7. There is one other path that we could take, which is through community service and embodiment. On this path, we become an integrator in our community and seek to become an ombudsman for various parts of the community that do not have a voice. Which one of these three will we use to make our existing creative awareness something we actually manifest in our lives?
Case Study #4 Autonomous Life, Light And Love
Jeff and Ali met three years ago and found themselves engaging in each other’s life work. Both of them facilitate groups dealing with the implementation of sustainable communities. While they had minimum sexual chemistry, they had plenty of creative chemistry. Over a period of six months, they not only developed a friendship, but a business relationship. The paradox of their relationship was that the more they were able to honor their Autonomy, the more it allowed them to engage each other with depth. What was beautiful about their experience was the lack of pressure and the clarity of their alignment. This meant they did not have to work at the relationship. Instead, they could put all their energy into manifesting what they wanted together. When they engaged a CNG, it supported them to have clean boundaries and the ability to speak to each other without generating reactions and resentment. Their natural ability to take responsibility for their own issues contributed to the flow of the relationship. Trust was the result.
This meant that when they came together it was primarily the result of common interests, a desire to learn and the capacity to get into a Creative Flow with each other. Behind this, they sensed a bigger reason to connect, which was a common, interdependent lesson. When Jim brought up whether they both wanted a romantic relationship, Ali was a little hesitant. She was concerned that it might negatively impact the parts of the relationship they had already established. However, what she could not deny was that the creative chemistry they had could easily become a very passionate, romantic and sexual relationship. This is because she understood how Attractions were the result of engaging creative lessons and recognized that the quality of the connection is what precipitates enlightened sexual interactions. This enabled them to bring together Life, Light and Love so there was a balance within each of them that supported their relationship. It prevented any co-dependence from forming.
Jeff started the conversation by assuring Ali that what they had already accomplished together as a team could only become bigger if they became romantic partners as well. He felt that it would expand their potential. Ali replied that she really enjoyed the Intimacy and capacity to speak her truth, and be seen in her truth, both of which were amplified in the CNG. She was concerned that if it became sexual, there would be greater withholding. What she wanted to avoid was any confusion between her Expectations romantically and her Expectations as a business partner. Jeff requested that she articulate what these Expectations were. After Ali delineated the differences, he could only see two or three things that would actually be confusing to him. He proceeded to share not only the differences, but also what his own Expectations were. He talked about being more inclusive. He believed his ability to love her could only reduce any stress he saw between their differences. While he might have been a little Idealistic, she sensed that he was simply and truthfully expressing what he felt in his heart. He suggested that she might be confusing some issues with the kind of co-dependent compromises her parents had made in their relationship. She was willing to admit that there were a lot of similarities between the issues she was concerned about and her parents’ relationship.
Jeff asked her to feel into the CNG and see if she could clarify what she wanted in a relationship. Jeff re-created her experience while she was talking, by creating his own energetic reflection of it in the CNG. His ability to pay attention to her process allowed her to see more clearly what was going on so that she could let it go. Something shifted and she realized that there was no obstacle for her to be in a romantic relationship with him. As she checked back into her own space, she determined that there was greater clarity, ownership of her own experience, and that she had some requests of him. She brought these requests back into the CNG. She talked about them. He absorbed them in the CNG and checked in with himself to figure out what his own Truth was. After a few minutes, he was able to validate that most of what she had requested was definitely something he wanted to do. He talked about the few things he was not aligned with. She checked in with herself and shared back in the CNG that those things were not as important and he could just disregard them.
This pattern of conversation is like many of their conversations where they learn to express what they know and clear out as much of their Positioning and Defensive Patterning as possible. This allows them to be more sensitive and loving with their partners, while simultaneously getting into action in ways that stimulate new exploration. For example, by getting into creative projects and seeing the result makes them realize how close they are physically, which can precipitate greater sexual intimacy. This is a whole different type of experience than periodically becoming horny and seeking to entice a partner to participate when they have little or no interest. What Jeff and Ali represent as a couple is the freedom to be themselves.
Level 4: Communion and Co-Creativity
Being conscious about relationships starts by being aware of our unique Creative Nature and the obstacles we create to challenge us. Without these challenges, we would not need to embody ourselves. Higher Alignment suggests that who we are as a person required all of our life challenges to get where we are today. We tend to see the silver lining and the upside possibilities in every problem. Every relationship brings out different aspects of us, which can either attract or repulse us. We are attracted to individuals with common or interdependent lessons. We are repulsed when others reflect past lessons that we no longer want to engage. Sometimes we experience the unknown, where our sense of adventure or realization that we have little additional bandwidth plays a major part in our decisions. On the Intuitive level, we get more comfortable with being in the unknown.
When we move from competition to cooperation and enthusiasm, it is because we are no longer identifying ourselves from a Personality perspective. As soon as we begin to step into our Primary Creative Expression, everything becomes more open and undefined. The best indicator of this is that we no longer need to prove anything about ourselves. Instead, we accept what we do not know and appreciate that it opens us up to explore and create a better future. Not knowing creates room for Playfulness, Paradox and Mutual Learning. We become dedicated to the adventure of living life fully. We see this as a new commitment to our Creative Self. We are awakened to how much of our life has been dedicated to living out compromised possibilities. Now, we make a commitment to consciously engage relationships of all types and organize ourselves to discover and embrace our Authentic Life Expression.
At this level, we not only embody our Primary Creative Expression (which provides additional Intent and Context to the CNG space), but we begin to recognize deeper difference and similarities in others. HA recommends exploring Compatibility Factors, Motives, Attractions and Relationship Skills to increase the ability to name an experience. This process builds our inner Autonomy and increases Co-Creative Expression because it allows us to feed forward our experiences to others. When true Communion occurs, both parties learn from the experience. When others get to know us creatively and we come to accept ourselves as a Creative Being, the CNG becomes a stronger and richer experience. We do not become as reactive, which allows us to focus our energy towards Co-Creative expressions. This creates a flowering of consciousness as we reorient ourselves to fulfilling our life work and being of service. In short, we manifest our destiny.
On Level 4, we experience duality between our mortal and immortal selves. The more we are creatively empowered, the more we see our creativity as a legacy for later generations. We are inspired to concentrate our efforts on what will make a difference. This means we move into the process of Centralization. Centralization is defining everything in terms of our Primary Creative Expression. It means that our creative self assumes control of our Personality so that our Personality becomes its servant. This does not mean we want to persecute or deny the value of what our Personality brings to us. Instead, it means that when it comes to our Creative Intention, our Primary Expression needs to be able to call the play so the other parts of us can fall into line and be used in the best way possible. Centralization unifies and focuses us on what is critical in our own unfolding. Usually during this period we complete all the relationships that are more Personality-based or that otherwise focus us on the path that is going to allow us to manifest quickly.
What makes us powerful as Co-Creators is our ability to distinguish between what is real within us and what is not. When something is real, we naturally express it with Creative Flow. When it is an Imprint, Pretense or Defense, it is a false pattern, which confuses us and others about our sense of direction and purpose. Most importantly, there is no Creative Flow when we are doing Excitement, Intensity or Anxiety, which these false patterns bring up. The previous three levels discussed in depth how we get attracted to these dissonances, which override our natural attractions. Instead we relax into our Beauty, Truth and Goodness, where we see these imprints, Pretenses and Defenses as obstacles to our current understanding and resourcefulness. We will need to resolve these dissonances in order to move into Level 5. Key to this resolution is releasing our attachments to Imprints, neutralizing inauthentic defensive distortions and eliminating all of our projections around Pretenses.
By now we have probably confronted the Objectification and Subjectification defensive distortions this far into the text. Since we have been alerted to the difficulties of Idealization, we will not discuss those issues here. The false attachments to imprinting keep us fixed in the past and they must be released if we are to express ourselves fully. For example, an individual with a Compassionate Imprint that is committed to being convergent, even though they are naturally divergent, creates inner compromises that impede our progress, growth or expression. If they have adopted a Control Pretense, this further complicates the situation by making it hard to listen to others and receive support. We will work through these issues even as we make great progress clarifying our Creative Nature. Core to this process is rejecting what is unreal within us. While these patterns have been instrumental in helping us understand the issues in our lives, a more direct path is to consciously respond to them. It helps to be able to talk about these issues with friends and partners so they can remind us when we fall below their anti-growth influence.
Now that we are balancing ourselves between our masculine and feminine expressions, and we have the choice to respond to others in appropriate ways that do not compromise us, we need to become more selective about what we are willing to engage. We lose much of our energy picking projects or expressions where we cannot fully succeed. This is usually due to ways we sabotage ourselves by not taking into account our Motives, Attractions, Skills and Compatibility Factors when interacting with others. Many of us jumped into circumstances because it just ‘felt’ okay, without considering the long-term impact on us. Some of us chose to engage processes that may have had a great outcome, but it was not actually one of our lessons. Unless we have a personal connection to something in front of us, and a reason to engage it, we need to learn not to get sucked into it.
Until we learn to be selective and appropriate in our choices of actions, we cannot fully trust ourselves. The result is that we end up either overdoing things or doing nothing. What we want is to build a connection through our labor to the universal Intent. This allows us to be relevant and be seen as a contributor, which allows the universe to contribute to us. If any of these pieces are not connected, we suffer. This means that making the right inner connections to our selves and finding the lessons that mirror this out into the world is essential to our well being. Instead of fixating on our dreams as we did in the preceding level, we now realize our aspirations must be balanced with our inspiration. The inner and outer must be connected to successfully manifest in a sustained way. This connection is about affirming that we create the meaning we have for our lives.
The best way to manifest this connection is by simultaneously empowering our Being with our Becoming. Being is empowering our feminine nature and reflecting its mystery to accept ourselves for the perfection we are in the moment. To accomplish this we need to see our own creative pathway and destiny. Some individuals would call this knowing where we want to go. Becoming is recognizing the masculine perspective that we have considerable opportunities to improve our circumstances, and that we are always refining the ways we express our mastery allowing us to do more with less. It is about recognizing where we are so that with the feminine side we can map out a plan to get where we want to go. When we put these two together, we have creative empowerment and an ability to love ourselves and love others without limitations.
What makes us creative beings is ownership of our contribution. In the process of exploring our Authentic Life Expression, there are three elements that define where we are in the process. They are: our Creative Nature; our Constituency; and our Contribution. It is the interaction between these three elements and how they function as a unified expression that generates the magic. This magic is the support of Universal Intent. In other words, does the universe support our contribution at this time? While many of us think that every idea has its time, we believe that everyone has his or her place and time. This means we focus on how these three elements fit into the current circumstances and serve a larger possibility. At this level we learn how to move beyond our Personality perceptions and become more of a transpersonal agent for the benefit of the planet. What we realize is that we have reached a level of maturity where alluring or shiny things no longer demand our attention. We also recognize that beliefs are limiting and keep us from being with our Truth in the moment. Finally, we realize that dreams of great ideas are not the issue, but it is what we put in action that speaks for us.
What this does is open us up to hundreds of choices each and every day. We learn to examine the possibilities and seek deeper understanding about each choice before we commit ourselves to it. We develop relationships in service of the choices we make so we can see the best way to ground and make these dreams real. This indicates that we have reoriented ourselves so that our Creative Nature defines how our Personality Nature responds. It means that we are solution-oriented, rather than problem magnets. We learn to operate fully from our Creative Power, realigning our lower elements to serve our higher knowing. The more we do this, the more others see how enlightened we are. This last statement is designed to test your Upper Boundary Limits. How much are you willing to get out of your comfort zone?
What makes us powerful as Co-Creators is our ability to distinguish between what is real within us and what is not. When something is real, we naturally express it with Creative Flow. When it is an Imprint, Pretense or Defense, it is a false pattern, which confuses us and others about our sense of direction and purpose. Most importantly, there is no Creative Flow when we are doing Excitement, Intensity or Anxiety, all of which these false patterns bring up. The previous three levels discussed in depth how we get attracted to these dissonances, which override our natural attractions. Instead we relax into our Beauty, Truth and Goodness, where we see these imprints, Pretenses and Defenses as obstacles to our current understanding and resourcefulness. We will need to resolve these dissonances in order to move into Level 5. Key to this resolution is releasing our attachments to Imprints, neutralizing inauthentic defensive distortions and eliminating all of our projections around Pretenses.
By now, we have probably confronted the Objectification and Subjectification defensive distortions this far into the text. Since we have been alerted to the difficulties of Idealization, we will not discuss those issues here. The false attachments to imprinting keep us fixed in the past and they must be released if we are to express ourselves fully. For example, an individual with a Compassionate Imprint that is committed to being convergent, even though they are naturally divergent, creates inner compromises that impede progress, growth or expression. If they have adopted a Control Pretense, this further complicates the situation by making it hard for them to listen to others and receive support. We will work through these issues while making great progress clarifying our Creative Nature. Core to this process is rejecting what is unreal within us. While these patterns have been instrumental in helping us understand the issues in our lives, a more direct path is to consciously respond to them. It helps to be able to talk about these issues with friends and partners so they can remind us when we fall below their anti-growth influence.
Authentic Life Expression
Our Authentic Nature emerges because we do not define ourselves or play games seeking the approval of others. This becomes more obvious when we expect others to affirm themselves by doing what they say they will do. Sometimes, just to make or keep connections with others operating on the Personality level, we will acknowledge their contributions and make sure they are seen. This is just to be harmless and to appreciate the processes they themselves are going through. The purpose of this is to build the skills of others so that they can see themselves. Personality level individuals can recognize Creative individuals by the Personality they demonstrate. This is not meant as a slight, but rather an acknowledgement that their connection is more Creative than Personal. Creatively affirmed individuals are defined by themselves and their contribution and do not need the agreement of others. This is particularly true when these individuals are not true, energetic Constituents.
There are two different types of Creative Alignment: Creative Alignment based on Compatibility Factors, Motives, Attractions and Skills versus Creative Alignment that is based on having a similar creative contribution, usually with overlapping Constituents and similar BodyTypes. The first definition of Creative Alignment is a feminine one. Here the more similarities we have in terms of how we interact with another, shows that we will have advantages in understanding, appreciating and acknowledging what is important. The second definition is a task-oriented, masculine one that has to do with mutual accomplishment of common objectives where we have exactly the right expertise and skills to make an impactful contribution with another. The first one is primarily used in romantic relationships to determine who is best for us. The second is primarily used in business relationships where we bond in order to maximize our mutual success. There are some situations where individuals are fortunate to have both simultaneously, particularly when they have the same Primary Creative Expressions.
Many of us do not know our true Authentic Life Expression. This is because we have not yet embodied, or looked at our life through the lens of our Primary Creative Expression. Instead, we have let our Security and Safety concerns keep us trapped in work that is not fulfilling. At Level 4, we remedy this. We begin to appreciate how we need to step up and fully engage opportunities that come our way. More importantly, we need to create new opportunities in areas that interest or intrigue us. The primary objective of this stage is to create a sense of joy in our life that magnifies over time. There are three ways to accomplish this: 1) create a fulfilling contribution that allows us to do exactly what we are designed to do; 2) create personal relationships that provide co-creative opportunities to participate in all of life’s activities; and 3) build a community of like-minded individuals where we can be supported and feel capable of making contributions to them.
How we manifest our ALE is by honoring and loving our authentic nature, identifying who our constituents are, and clearly identifying our contribution as either a product or service. Our Compatibility Factors help us identify our authentic nature, and we have introduced a number of them in this document. Second, our constituents can be identified by their Compatibility Factors, as well as by other basic demographics. All we have to do to begin our assessment process is summarize the characteristics of the people who want to help us make a particular contribution. Finally, by taking the combination of what we do well and combining it with what others want us to do, we can refine it into a product or service that will make a difference. It is important to recognize that what distinguishes a career from our ALE is the fact that we are defining it completely outside of the assumptions and conventional wisdom that society dictates about what constitutes a job or position. This opens the door to using new terminology and building solutions that meet current needs.
The obstacles to doing this are what we have spoken about in the previous three levels. We could minimize our Intent and just not take action, because it seems too unknown or difficult. This is the result of Objectification patterns where we feel we need to choose safe options and are uncomfortable being in a growth situation. We might also confuse our Content by fixating on what we have been taught rather than what we know we would naturally be good at. This is the result of Subjectification patterns, where we think we need to have a degree or certification to do a particular job. While some certifications may be appropriate, it should come from our natural passion of understanding how to make something happen, not based on proving what we know. Finally, we may deny our Context, and by so doing, sabotage our ability to see the big picture, preventing us from doing a particular job or service as effectively as someone else. This is the result of Idealization of a fantasy rather than the reality of what the job entails. It is ironic that often our imagination limits our creative thinking when we become fixated on it.
The solutions to these obstacles are to increase our Aliveness, expand our Wisdom and learn how to be aware moment to moment. Just like with relationships, Excitement, Intensity and Anxiety are detrimental to discovering and engaging our ALE. At some point, we need to take responsibility for doing things in a way that makes the most sense to us. This means letting go of much of the conventional wisdom or beliefs about what makes a job great. Instead, we want to answer this for ourselves by looking at what brings us the most joy. Paradoxically, many of the most traumatic aspects of our lives will turn out to have major contributions to our ALE. Usually, by turning around our traumas and repurposing them so they can contribute to us, they end up becoming contributions to others. Therefore, it is a recommendation that we look for inspiration in what makes us happy, and what makes us uncomfortable.
Service is another way to engage our Authentic Life Expression. Being of service means we are not attached to an outer form or presentation of what we should contribute, but rather seeking out opportunities to be of value. By letting our nose guide us, we discover where we have a natural joyful response to particular types of activities. We also receive feedback from others that sometimes guides us to a fulfilling way of interacting with them. We can also use this technique in reverse when we find ourselves in situations where we do not have a connection to what we are doing. Disconnection is an indication that this is not the right place to be! In service, we always have a connection to the people we are serving. This allows us to receive feedback about what we are doing for them. This supports incremental improvements where we get better and better at what we are offering.
Through Personality Integration We Manifest Co-Creation
Personality Integration is the acceptance of our Compatibility Pattern fully under the direction of our Creative Self. It begins when we stop using our Secondary Expression as our go to expression, and instead anchor all of our perceptions in terms of our Primary Expression. When the Secondary and Mental Body Expressions serve at the pleasure of our Primary, our Defenses, Pretenses, and Imprinting all diminish. Until this happens, our Creative Expression is partial, unbalanced and incomplete. This is primarily caused by the Primary Expression not unifying all the elements, and secondarily by the Defensive Distortions causing chaos and reactions. As we eliminate each Defensive Distortion, we become more clear, more passionate and present. The need to seek agreement with others is diminished as we consciously take charge of our Destiny.
Another resource for exploring the seven Creative Expressions, known as the Seven Rays in the Bailey work, is the work of Dr. Michael Robbins. He is a dedicated and committed integrator of the Alice Bailey teachings and has written several seminal works outlining the theory and higher level practices necessary for integrating ourselves as Creative Beings. As the founder of the Seven Ray Institute, he has created annual conferences expanding and outlining the body of work initially proposed by Djwhal Khul. He has also attracted a group that has tested and applied the Bailey work in new areas. An index of free articles on the site articulates their experience and results. To find out more about the Seven Ray Institute, their classes, conferences and training programs, check with them directly. While Higher Alignment focuses on practical verification and being able to see these patterns within people, Michael Robbins focuses more on what needs to be understood about the Seven Rays. He has also been able to tie in the Seven Rays with a new form of Soul Astrology. You can find free pdfs of Michael Robbins’ books at makara.us.
J.P. Van Hulle essentially clarified and popularized a channeled body of information about the Seven Creative Expressions operating on two levels. In many ways the Michael System information parallels the Alice Bailey work. It is a great model for acknowledging our own personal identity and several of the frameworks for identifying differences and similarities in people. Several of the factors provided a way to frame the Higher Alignment approach, even though we have changed several of the premises based on hard-won experience. One of the main differences between the Michael Teachings and Higher Alignment is the focus on what it means to be in relationship and how to take responsibility for having the right kind of relationships. The Michael System is focused purely on our own expression and believes we should be ourselves under all circumstances. It does not provide a layered understanding of what the lessons of relationships are, nor does it suggest ways to reconcile differences. You can find out more about this philosophy at the Michael Education Foundation.
In the diagram below, The Embodiment Process, we see how Transmuting Excitement into Aliveness on a personal level (1) takes us out of Safety Reactions and Objectification so we can express our Intent and Aliveness. This happens on a Transpersonal level (7) by bonding with others to produce Synergistic Action. When we Transform Intensity into Wisdom on a personal level (2) takes us out of Security Positions and Subjectification so we can express our Content and Deeper Insights. This happens on a Transpersonal level (6) by bonding with others to produce Mutual Learning. Transmuting Anxiety into Awareness on a personal level (3) takes us out of Co-Dependence to Co-Measurement and Idealization so we can express our Context and capacity to Co-Create. This happens on a Transpersonal level (5) by bonding with others to produce Co-Embodiment. The fulcrum of this process where we shift from individualized personal identity to cooperative, co-creative manifestation with others is Level 4, Personality Integration. In these higher levels, what was personally anchored through Intent, Content and Context, became transpersonal by the ability to share experiences. The result is greater Life, Light and Love expression.
A summary of the Seven Steps of CNG Embodiment reveals that we start with transmuting Excitement into Aliveness by overcoming Safety reactions. This allows us to choose partners who are not parental substitutes. We then move into Level 2 by transforming Intensity into Wisdom in order to neutralize Security positions. This allows us to recognize our larger Truth and release our identification with masculine and feminine defensive patterns. On Level 3, we transform Anxiety into Awareness by becoming more aligned with potential partners. We discover the power of Co-Measurement. This leads us to taking ownership of our creativity and recognizing that the Creative Expression of others is critical to our well-being and Growth. This leads to Level 5, where we now discuss Co-Embodiment, because we have shifted into Transpersonal ways of interacting.
In the diagram above there are three obstacles on the left side that are neutralized by solutions on the right side. Life Energy and Aliveness neutralize Objectification patterns, where our ability to see Beauty is compromised. Light Energy and Wisdom neutralize Subjectification patterns, where our capacity to tell the Truth is compromised. Love Energy and Awareness neutralize Idealization issues, where our capacity to affirm Goodness and Love is greatly minimized and fragmented. The transition that makes this possible is to shift from a Safety and Security, seeking a personality framework to identify with our Creative Self. The more we understand, accept and express our natural gifts, the more we can contribute to the world in a way that evokes our destiny.
As you will notice in the diagram, the circle goes counter-clockwise, which affirms Life, Light and Love. The first three levels help us anchor ourselves, but also affirm our need to Transmute, Transform, and Transfigure our experiences. The more we become conscious, the more we start to centralize ourselves around our Creative Expression. This process of Unification begins the path of return where we move into the last three levels, where our Transpersonal expression of contribution can be made. While U.S. society fixates on the first three levels, due to their need for individuation, the largest opportunity for growth comes as we become Transpersonal and can work together in unity. What becomes apparent is that the left side initial levels are mirror images of their right side counterparts. This points out that there is a unification process as we externally accept our new internal reality. For example, Level 1, where we let go of Excitement, is confirmed on Level 7, where Aliveness is completely ascendant. Each of the level pairings will go through an energetic reassembly, not only in terms of modalities, but also in terms of our perspective and how we can contribute to the world.
Being selective about making creative invitations is what distinguishes this Level. We are seeking those individuals who respond to our transpersonal nature by being transpersonal with us. This creates opportunities to work together and create interactions that are synergistic. When we have multiple people using this approach together we can change the direction of the planet. This is not just some utopian fantasy, because it starts right now in our partner selection, the teams we work with and the purpose or mission we share. In the near future, we will start being repulsed by those who do not share our direction or intention. This is the result of our increasing clarity about what we do best. We learn through experience that only a percentage of our invitations can be met. Most individuals need to have shifted into their Creative Nature and be implementing some form of Authentic Life Expression for a response to be clear and complete. What others are actually doing is tuning into whether they feel aligned with our invitation. When we possess Creative Clarity we will increasingly take responsibility for making sure the invitations we make are actually clear specifications of how we expect to interact with others. CNG will be the framework for this declaration. People who do not have a CNG will be left behind.
Heart Centered Integration
When we reach the Level 4, the power of Life, Light and Love come together where we become a major creative contributor. The symbol of this embodiment is an overflowing chalice in the position of the heart. This chalice is the source of eternal life. It represents our ability to make long-term contributions for the benefit of the world. In effect, we become builders for a better future. It is also related to the sign of Aquarius, which we have now entered since we ‘pour forth water for thirsty men’. As a part of humanity, it is our source of abundance as we make critical choices about our future. The chalice represents that the time of collecting is here and we are close to stepping into a time of giving. It also indicates that we are now self-declared world servers, who are contributing by building a bridge to our internal higher ways of knowing.
This is also called Straight Knowledge, which knows without having to think about it. In one book, it is referred to as “consciousness without an object of focus.” Straight Knowledge is balanced equally between masculine and feminine perspectives. It is different from Intuition because it is not based on or limited by our Personal or Transpersonal Desires. Instead, it is the unencumbered perception as Truth where we have no doubt. The purpose of Straight Knowledge is to affirm that we can now begin our endeavor on an entirely new level. Some will say this knowing was always present within us. Others believe it emerges when we grow beyond a Survival or Outer Success framework. What is clear is that the consciousness is impersonal, open, and seeks opportunities to manifest the greatest good. It is about doing more with less, using discrimination and magnetic attraction to separate the higher from the lower options, and to be a synthetic solution for many sources. The more we think at this level, the clearer our path will become. The deeper our conscious embodiment, the more profound our life contribution will be.
Level 4 is also about letting go of self-imposed Personality limitations. Rather than getting sucked into the problems of others, we learn to let people experience their problems allowing them to work on their lessons. The Defensive Distortions no longer limit us. We can see our relationships and Authentic Life Expression in a new way. It initiates the development of a psychic shield around our personal space so we will not be affected when we go into areas where Life, Light and Love are denied. We call this denial Imperil, based on the Agni Yoga books. Knowing about Imperil (where individuals are trapped by either their own self-denial and hatred, or by the intrusions of those with Imperil), teaches us to maintain our creative light under all circumstances. By visualizing this shield, we are able to neutralize these chaotic forces and bring greater harmony to people and places in need.
CNG shields our heart. It permits us to realize that a CNG is the best protection we can have. It is completely energetic and does not require defining ourselves in any prescribed manner (such as behaviors, emotions or thoughts). In addition, it is the best tool for identifying any malicious Intent or Motives. After practicing a CNG, our psychic shield becomes powerful and most attacks bounce off without leaving any residue. So far, we have created at least two Zones of awareness where we are able to go back and forth at will. Zone 1 is the inner awareness that monitors our well-being. Zone 2 is our outer relationship space, which captures energy directed at us, and either transforms, grounds, or diverts it into safe expressions. Optimally, when these two Zones are working together, we are able to build a Co-Creative process with our partners.
When a CNG is firmly established, we begin to create a Zone 3, which creates a larger shield around those we love, cherish and support. This is empowered by prayers, well-wishes and visualizations as we learn to gradually expand our Co-Creative Intent in the Universe. First, we seek the well-being of all individuals in the pursuit of their creative destiny. Second, we seek to learn how to bring out the best in others to transform our circumstances. Third, we seek to share our Life, Light and Love with those of like purpose so our efforts are manifested to support Universal Intent. The courage this takes is found in our hearts, and shows up as a chalice of creative destiny.
At the fourth Level of CNG, Co-Creativity is the capacity to align with another to create a larger, more powerful result. This is when we not only step up and share ourselves, but we also know how to coordinate our experiences with others. One of the best ways we recognize that we are at this level is the passion we have for exploring the unknown. Since we realize that we have nothing to lose, we are willing to put it all on the line in certain relationships or projects, just to see what is possible. This is a transition process because the more we learn about ourselves with others, the more it begins to stabilize and refine our ability to contribute to others. We discover that there is a creative potential with each individual and, in some situations, an accelerated way to actualize this potential because of our understanding of the differences between our selves and others.
Becoming Co-Creative first requires that we affirm our Authentic Nature. The more we honor our greatness, in a non-egoic way, and in terms of making a contribution in life, the more quickly we will get through this level. When we honor our contribution we build a relationship with the Universe. We feel a special connection with our constituents who are the beneficiaries that guide our development. Constituents are those people who guide us to the fulfillment of our Authentic Life Expression. Every person has their particular Constituents who will show up when they declare their natural contribution. It is important to let go of our Imprinting, Pretenses and Defenses so we do not get caught in unbalanced, predetermined activities. It is about letting go of needing to define us in terms of our parents, authority figures or seeking the admiration or adoration of others. All these things become secondary to building a greater acceptance of our creative contributions. The best metaphor is the caterpillar becoming a butterfly. We have the same necessary ingredients to live life, but now we use them in a completely new way.
When we move into Level 4, we need to let go of how we defined ourselves in terms of our personality. We need to move into higher Motives, Attractions and Relationship Skills and discard the imperfect steps that got us here. This is the best way to acknowledge our striving to be the best we can be. When we begin to attract others with the same commitment to their lives, it not only stabilizes us but also increases our capacity to make this transition. This means recognizing that we do not need to reference our past as if it is our present. It also means that, as a Creative Being, we manifest the potential to bring in Pleasure, Power and Passion in a natural and easygoing manner. It requires that we clean up any residue around Objectification, Subjectification and Idealization. The more we do this, the more it opens us up to a new world of freedom, where anything is possible.
There is a lot to understand about differences and Creativity. First, we can learn about the difference between Primary, Secondary and Mental Body Expressions. Second, we can learn about the seven types of Expression and how everyone has three Creative Intelligence Expressions. Any confusion about who they are authentically is usually eliminated when individuals take into consideration their parental Imprinting, from which they act out as if it were their own. This awakens them to why they have to be a certain way, so they can let these self-limiting patterns go. Finally, there are the 15 Compatibility Factors and how each one can amplify and interact with the rest. We recommend that you start by getting an assessment completed so you can begin reading your own descriptions. This will give you a starting point for examining your unique strengths and weaknesses. It is at this level where we understand all the Compatibility Factors and their relative merits. In Higher Alignment, we always work from our strengths to empower our less powerful attributes. Our Primary Creative Expression becomes the integrating framework for all the Compatibility Factors. We call this process Centralization.
Ultimately, lining up around our Primary Creative Expression is the easiest and most profound way to be seen and loved. This process greatly expands our ability to love ourselves because we cannot love our partners without first loving ourselves. The benefit of this is that we have relationships without strife and animosity. Instead, our relationships are flowing and co-creative, and support mutual growth. The most useful aspect of greater communion is to be able to know how to bring out the best in our partners. Sometimes, this is accomplished through self-forgiveness, forgiveness of others, and a desire to be transformed through the process of loving a partner. Other times, it is merely the way we show up. Another benefit is that we know immediately when people aren’t on our wavelength. This creates a situation where we make no false promises and do not feel that we need to explain our decision-making process to satisfy their egoic concerns. What we want is more freedom to explore how things could work so we develop greater Skillful Means. Skillful Means is the capacity to align with others using our commonalities to facilitate our ability to get things done.
The first major shift toward Personality Integration occurs when we can be around people who are similar, if not the same, in terms of Compatibility Factors. While we experimented with this in Level 3, now we become committed to it in our Life Work, our Primary Partnership and Community interactions. In short, this means we seek out people who are like us in all Compatibility Factors. These people will not only get us, but we will not need to explain ourselves. One aspect of this process is to clear out all of our Imprinting so we can focus on what is real in terms of our Primary Creative Expression. Others with the same Primary Expression will be the best teachers for us to see where we do not love ourselves completely. We will recognize how to be more compassionate with those who do Imprinting over their Primary Creative Expression, as these individuals were usually repulsive to us before. What we are doing is building inner clarity about what is authentic and what is not. The CNG is the most powerful way to refine our experience of being and living our Primary Creative Expression, so that we are immediately able to recognize the people who are like us.
Many individuals describe this level as a re-orientation process where they move from a personal way of operating to a transpersonal one. The more they become aware of their own natural Creativity, the more they realize that Creative Resonance defines our relationships. The more we are energetically and consciously congruent with our creativity, the more effective we are. This means we attract individuals more actualized in their Authentic Life Expression. What we miss is the activity and personal focus that defined our previous life. The key indicator that we have made this shift is that we adopt and use CNG most of the time. This re-deployment of our own energy from a defensive to a Creative framework opens up many new doors. It becomes a way to quickly recognize the problems of others. As a result, while we may want to help and be supportive of others, we soon realize that, where co-dependence reigns, it locks us down and limits the upside possibilities. This produces a greater understanding that seeking partners without CNG skills is a disaster.
Enthusiasm is the key indicator showing that we are operating in Co-Creative partnerships. Enthusiasm represents the ability to fully breathe together. It is a mutual experience of joy. Joy is the natural result of expressing ourselves authentically. This means we have shifted out of defining ourselves in terms of what we do or how we relate to embracing our Being in the moment. While this level may be more masculine through its interactions with others, it supports a conscious merging where its feminine is mainly expressed. This means that the feminine and masculine work well together to open our perceptions to all the options. The de facto response to inquiries about improvements is, Why not? This is one of the primary reasons we feel empowered to choose the lessons that show up in our lives rather than to wait for them to express themselves.
The paradox of owning our Primary Creative Expression is that we actually become selfless. This occurs because we are no longer attached to our Personality perspectives. Some would say that we are starting to become more Impersonal and our reactions, if not eliminated, are certainly minimized at this level. Selflessness, though, is where we do not need to think about who we are because we are simply being who we are. It is a commitment to be our selves and not worry about what others are thinking in any way. Personality detachment is about letting go of needing to prove our selves. It is also helpful to imagine Personality detachment as a way of being more real without having to be self-important about our reality.
Upper Boundary Limits exist when we run into fears that, if something is beyond our Personality’s awareness it will be more problematic than the opportunity it represents. While there are some Upper Boundary Limits that do present problems like this, most are simply about shifting from a conditioned fear to affirming who we are as a Creative Being. This means that before we become self-judgmental about what we cannot do, we should examine what we have done and where our current capacities are leading us. We need to treat ourselves well when making the transition from our Personalities to our Creative Nature. We need to forgive ourselves for falsely believing that our aspirations are delusional, overly egoic or self-important. The confusion that often arises is when we believe that we cannot distinguish our Safety and Security needs from our Creative Nature. Yes, we can be egoic around Personality issues by trying to prove how important we are. This may have nothing to do with wanting to expand our selves and be seen in our Primary Creative Expression. Until we recognize the difference between these, most of the Upper Boundary Limits will be false alarms that will require some personal affirmation to correct.
Another egoic personality distortion is making ‘sacrifice’ a bad word. If we are sacrificing Personality limitations, (eliminating Defenses, Pretenses and Imprinting) our survival and success programming tells us (incorrectly) that we will not function well. It does take a little bit of time to readjust to how our creativity would respond in a situation, rather than using our protective mechanisms to minimize the things we do not want. Shifting from the limited perspectives of our Personality into the larger possibilities of our Creative Nature is disorienting, making our Personality uncomfortable. The best thing to do is confront this discomfort and to fully go into the experience of it. Instead, the Personality wants you to avoid these issues of discomfort, and ignore them as much as possible. Better yet, just ignore any Personality sacrifice and, instead, divert attention to Creative self-sacrifice so the Personality will not have to give up any of its rules or regulations. Based on your inner voice, you can start to identify if you are operating from your Personality framework or from your Creative Nature.
Fairness and compassion arise the more we come to understand that every person’s Creative Expression has a unique purpose and value in the world. Just because we do not understand something does not mean it is not important. We begin to see the benefits of having certain Primary and Secondary Expressions together. Each combination has its own strengths and weaknesses but it has more potential when the Expressions are combined and integrated. We call the integration of our Primary and Secondary Creative Expression ‘gifts’ because they blossom when we actualize and accept ourselves as we are. Creative Gifts enable individuals to operate as geniuses in particular domains. Fears of what others think do not limit us. This increases our ingenuity and allows us to put together our own Intelligences in a new way. This empowers us to move society forward. Our choice in partners either enhances or minimizes the manifestation of these gifts. The more we deepen into the experience of our Gifts, the easier it is to see the Gifts of others.
The freedom to say no to any relationship or option is what distinguishes this level from others. We are no longer attracted to individuals who are not engaging their own life work. We are aware of the difficulties that enmeshment and compromise cause in relationships. Meaning that we are not in any rush to find someone just to fill our personality Desires. Instead, we build relationships on a creative level step-by-step while making sure our partner candidates are who we think they are. We are able to see our own problems and limitations and accept theirs because we experience the value of the relationship. What becomes important is the quality of the connection. Unconscious Attractions, lower Motives and individuals lacking Skills can become repulsive. The reason to be in a relationship is primarily to experience Creative Synergy.
At this level, CNG is about maintaining an internal balance or wholeness so that we can be in the CNG whenever we wish. Many individuals start using the CNG only in situations where they have experienced previous difficulties with others. While the CNG is great at protecting us in a more conscious way than by using Defenses, this is a rather limited use of its functionality. We usually evolve into using the CNG with all major relationships that we care most about. The more we do a CNG, the more it allows us to shift our Defensive energies into supporting a CNG rather than protecting us. We start to see how poorly designed our Defenses are to actually function on our behalf. This means that our Creative Nature becomes more preemptive in identifying who and what we engage, and no longer sets us up to take care of others when we do not have the energy to do so.
An effective CNG can also help us minimize our Pretenses and Imprinting. Until this occurs, we can easily be sucked into trying to prove ourselves or attempting to fix others to make ourselves feel better. That does not work. Having more energy available to be creative by engaging our Primary Creative Expression greatly enhances our CNG. We learn to optimize our energetic well-being using the CNG as the measuring framework for our increasing effectiveness. It is important that we do not try to push this process too quickly because we will end up attempting to use energies we do not have and crash and burn. Usually people start with thirty to forty-five minutes a day of CNG. After half a year or so, we can be up to two hours a day of a quality CNG. The big breakthrough comes when the majority of our time with people is done in a CNG. This usually takes a year to occur. There are a lot of little things we are learning about our own energy system that need to be integrated before we can take the big leap and use CNG in the majority of situations.
The problems of CNG embodiment can be helpful in assessing where we are in creating a full Common Neutral Ground. Since a CNG is a combination of Life, Light and Love energies, Attachments, Positions and Projections of the truth (rather than the full Truth) show up when we are not completely embodied. Like Truth, a CNG is invisible but its impact and effects are fully visible. The more inclusive and present we are in our Truth, the more we will embody a Common Neutral Ground. Wherever we compromise ourselves we attract negative impacts from an incomplete understanding of the lessons. This feedback process helps us to clarify what works versus what does not work. Take a moment now to read over the list, identifying the challenges that are currently present in your life. This may encourage you to read certain sections of this book several times to make sure you have identified the sources of your issues.
Level 4 is where we make the full transition from a personality orientation to accepting our Creative birthright as an Authentic Being. At this stage, Common Neutral Ground is an essential part of our operating process. Instead of being isolated, we are connected to various aspects within ourselves allowing us to be fully present with others. We have learned to step outside of our concerns for safety, security and self-importance as we are now more committed to interpersonal Creative Expression. This shows up as a sense of detachment so that we can consciously choose how much, and when, to connect with others. Co-Creativity becomes the great healer as we learn how to operate more effectively in all situations. The strength of our CNG also increases, and we learn how to hold space for others around us so that we can process together, without reactions, either internally or externally.
Re-Creating Our Partners or Living with the Consequences
All of these changes are empowered when we take responsibility for interpreting our own experience in the best way possible. In other words, we are able to use the experiential Modalities (Sensations, Feelings, Emotions and Thoughts) to customize our comprehension and increase our ability to take in new ideas from others. This shift into an intermediating, interactive connection with others allows us to adjust to various changes as they occur. We learn how to modulate any one of the Modalities or increase our depth by focusing on one of the Modalities to bring out greater opportunities. In this way, we can make sure we are getting the most out of our experience, while understanding the meaning of the experience itself. Since many of our lessons have to do with expanding and unifying our Modalities, taking responsibility for how we interpret our experience is a big step in conscious self-understanding. Some people do not understand this process, thinking that shifting our focus on different Modalities changes our reality. In actuality, it gives us new ways of interpreting our experience. We call this perceptual reorientation process, Owning Our Experience, which is also the name of a class we teach.
This Level of CNG embodiment is actually a time of great experimentation. The more we open ourselves up to our own Beauty, Truth and Goodness, the clearer we become about what works. Now that we have balanced our Sensations, Feelings, Emotions and Thoughts, our Intuition emerges. Since we now possess Skills to distinguish our experiences from others, we are not scared about being submerged or defined by anyone. We know it will simply not happen. This creates a spirit of adventure where we increasingly allow the universe to suggest possibilities. As our Creative Nature emerges, we go from the cocoon to the butterfly stage. The more we radiate our energy outward, the more we attract individuals who want us to transfer some of this ‘magic’ to them. The problem is that they usually Idealize us, making partnering with them difficult, if not impossible.
The major Skill we develop at this level is to be able to re-create the experience of others in the Common Neutral Ground. While the first step of this process is to recognize how our experience of the CNG is different from our personal experience, we need to explore how another’s presence in the CNG adds texture and uniqueness to our experience. The more we practice feeling the differences between us in the CNG, while using our commonalities to provide a foundation for this experience, the more real the relationship becomes. This is because we develop the ability to read the similarities and differences in Sensations, Feelings, Emotions and Thoughts. This opens us up to seeing how an individual’s personal energy field is different than our own and how the CNG is actually the combination of both. The more we can integrate and own our experience, the more likely we can bring out the best in our partner.
Being able to shift when we over-do and under-do our Modalities allows us to see what irritates our partner or what enlivens them. Instead of being oblivious to the reactions and responses of our partner, we become interested in providing better feedback and support. We learn to recognize what is going on in any particular circumstance or situation. Some individuals develop and share their Intuitions about the process and how they feel seen or not by their partner. Relationship Lessons are greatly facilitated when we have these subtle tools for recognizing what works and does not work with our partners. The more we are able to internalize why our partners respond the way they do, the more we naturally find better ways to interact with them. The other key aspect of developing these insights is recognizing who is reacting to what issue, and in what timeframe. This comes about by being able to see where a reaction originates. Is it in our space, their space or in the shared, Common Neutral Ground space?
‘Getting’ our partner is best accomplished by re-creating their experience in the CNG. Re-creating is the process of duplicating, in our experience, the Sensations, Feelings, Emotions and Thoughts of our partner in the CNG. When we are able to do this with significant resolution and clarity in a conscious way, it ‘pops’ or shifts us into a more integrated state with our partner, and the content disappears. People experience this as a flash of insight, and then they do not remember what they were thinking. This re-creation of our partner’s experience creates a transformative connecting experience for both parties. As physics majors realize, recreating the same experience in the same proximity collapses the field and releases the Thought form that was the foundation for the issue. While it may not be immediately apparent that ‘getting’ and transforming the experience of our partner can be useful, it cumulatively expands the CNG’s energy and Context so we build a better connection, and we learn to trust each other more. We call this process ‘Re-Creating’ our experience. Besides shifting us to honor the common ground more, it also becomes a bonding experience because we then appreciate and understand our partner by metaphorically walking in their ‘moccasins’.
Pacing is the rate at which we process our experience. Every time we go through a sequence of Thinking, Feeling and Acting, we assess where we are and know what is going on. Different people go through this process in different sequences. Based on our Communication Process, some individuals Feel, Think and then Act. We would call these individuals big Context, small Content with Intent being the integrative factor. What we are all attempting to do is to become more simultaneous and present with all three of the elements (Intent, Content and Context). Pacing is the way we accomplish this. Some individuals take on big chunks of experience and process them slowly, while others take small chunks and process them more quickly. This has nothing to do with general intelligence, although it supports and amplifies our three, natural Creative Intelligences.
When we find and operate at our natural pacing rate, our energy is well used and we regenerate quickly. When we are imprinted to operate at a speed that is not our own, or some individual is creating stress, it means we are over stretching ourselves or accommodating our self to meet the pacing of others. This diminishes our energy and reduces our ability to regenerate ourselves. The big issue is that when we meet others with a different Pacing as us, it will take additional energy to connect with them. The more Imprinting we have, the more likely we second-guess ourselves so we do not relax or find the natural flow in our connection. Pacing makes a large impact on many individuals, particularly when the people we are connecting to represent family members who energetically compromised us in the past. This can make us defensive, drive us to be over-accommodating or to increase or decrease our internal pace. It is critical to accept our natural pacing because then we can find people who will be relaxing to be with.
Pacing is delineated by a spectrum between 1 and 100, with 0 being the slowest and 100 being the fastest. The midpoint is 50 and the population can be represented in a bell-shaped curve with less than 13% being higher than 65, or lower than 35. We typically feel comfortable with individuals with up to a 15 point difference. When we have a 5 or less point difference, we can be with them day or night with no impact. Otherwise, the greater the difference, the more breaks we need to take to regenerate our own pacing level. Some of us become highly self protective when we feel abused or taken advantage of by people with different pacing. In such situations, we can further accentuate our differences by pulling away from the pacing of others to make them meet us in a more natural flow. Individuals who are faster paced tend to become frustrated with lower paced individuals, while individuals who are slower paced become exhausted with higher paced individuals.
There are six Pacing categories:
- Slow Paced individuals operate with a pacing level of 0-45. This means we are quite methodical and need to process our experience for a time before we are ready to make comments about it. With other slow-paced individuals, we are more relaxed and do not feel the need to prove ourselves. When we are with fast-paced individuals, it creates more Excitement, anticipation and possibly an edginess, because we are trying to rush ourselves forward to keep up with the comments. When talking to fast-paced individuals, we feel frequently poked and prodded to respond to others, when we do not know what our own experience is. This leads us to make mistakes about what we want and how things would work for us. Over time, this makes us reticent to make any commitments before we have figured out our own desires.
- Mid-Paced individuals operate with a pacing level of 45-55. Mid-paced individuals have some flexibility to meeting others where they are. They seek to accommodate and get along when others have a similar pace. They are able to meet the widest range of people, if we are 50, we can deal with anyone from 35-65. With other mid-paced people, we are the most relaxed and free in our expression. Our biggest problem comes at the extremes, where we do not have as much experience dealing with people above 65 or lower than 35. Due to our lack of experience, we need to learn to reduce the amount of time we spend with these types of individuals. Sometimes we can be impacted in less than 20 minutes. By making sure that we are holding our energy with integrity, we can increase this time period.
- Fast-Paced individuals operate with a pacing level of 55 and above. We are easily identified by our desire to get to the objective of the conversation so that decisions can be made quickly. We frequently complete others’ sentences or pressure them into stating what they need. We are driven to this because of the frustration we feel that things are being delayed for no reason. This is especially confusing when we have slow-paced imprinting, where we state things quickly and then summarize slowly. Or when with fast-paced imprinting where we increase our speed, the less we feel heard and valued by others. Although there can be competition for how fast we can explain things, most of the time we only feel relaxed with other fast-paced people. It is ironic that fast-paced people tend to think that slow-paced people are too slow and strange. Fast-paced people themselves can be seen as erratic, difficult and demanding by slow-paced people.
- Switchable-Paced individuals operate on two home-based levels, being able to go 15 points in either direction. This means growing up, they had one way of dealing with their father and one way of dealing with their mother and the two had different pacing points. The result is greater confusion by others when they see their friend shift without any explanation. What causes us to shift is stress and different expectations being placed upon us. While less than 5% of individuals in the U.S. have a Switchable pacing style, it can seem erratic or disjointed to others. For example, when we may have a pacing comfort zone of 45 around our father and a 60 pacing comfort zone around our mother, this would mean that when we are around women, we would naturally tend to go faster and around men we naturally tend to go slower. What makes this difficult is that in groups, with a wide variety of people, we are moving back and forth between these two set points.
- Variable-Paced individuals operate with less attachment to any particular set point. This means they have a greater total range than 15 points in terms of dealing with others and meeting them where they are. The value of this is that they get really good at regenerating themselves, allowing them to meet others within perhaps a 50-point or more range, able to honor another by going at their speed. They can do this because they are not compromising themselves or their Personality preferences; speed does not actually matter to them. They see themselves as all speeds. Storytellers, Compassionates and some Inventors and Visionaries have the experience and the consciousness to do this without difficulty. Others eventually learn this as they become more conscious about who they are and how to manage their own energy system.
- Open-Ended individuals operate by being able to synchronize themselves with others without draining their own energy. It is our choice to meet others, not just in their Pacing but also by using other Compatibility Factors to establish a more in-depth connection. When we are open-ended, we are free to express ourselves in any way we wish. This leads us to learn how to meet others on a much different level and to feel their pulse as we are connecting. When we are open ended, we are usually operating with a Communication Process of Simultaneous and Equal and we can do any Decision Making Approach. The source of our new found energy is a deep connection to the Universe through our Primary Creative Expression. The more actualized we are on this level, the more open-ended we become in our Pacing.
When we accept our natural pacing, we do not need to over-rev our engines or worry that our engine is going to conk out if it does not have enough gas. Instead, we learn to trust that everything we need to grasp is being provided in exactly the timing that we need to maximize our response to it. For some individuals, this is a large stretch because we are used to getting caught up in the extremes of the experience and think that anything flowing naturally is suspicious. This conditioning needs to be questioned so that we can shift the way we respond to opportunities by holding the CNG and all of its input externally. This allows us to bring in the information at a speed that works for us and matches our heart’s pace. Let us be clear, the CNG can hold all of the experiences and interactions with others if we empower it to do so, this allows us to process it in any timeframe and in any manner to suit us. This means that we do not need to react to others or take on their ‘stuff’ because we are afraid that they are going to withdraw their support or interaction.
A CNG can do this type of offline processing on any Compatibility Factor. This allows us to even reflect on what has happened in the past and see it anew from different levels of the experience. What we need to do to maximize this capacity is just imagine that everything that goes in on the CNG is a reflection that we can tape for later review, using only a small part of our mind for this function. There are many circumstances where we might not notice something immediately, and upon review, we begin to realize that there were more subtle indicators of something going on than was originally apparent. If we set the intention to have this capability online and we can do it at any time we wish, then we can always be learning about any situation or relationship in an optimum manner.
It is important to note that we are not suggesting that you keep analyzing things on a mental or emotional level, but rather you are going back to the full experience of Sensations, Feelings, Emotions, Thoughts and Intuitions and processing the experiences anew. The more you can put aside previous conclusions, the more revealing the new assessment might be. Otherwise, we are just doing defensive reprocessing, which drains our energy and provides little or no new insights. Using the modalities as centers of awareness where we perceive directly, not just what is going on with us but also what is going on for others, allows us to shift our perspective and see things through their eyes. This tool can be greatly enhanced now that we have more internal Silence, Solitude and Stillness.
Stillness, Solitude and Silence are the inner anchors for manifesting Spacious Presence, Pregnant Duration and Skillful Means in the CNG. When Stillness creates a field of Aliveness around our Hara center, we become more self-regulating and sensitive to the energetic impacts of others. This allows us to know when others are draining us or are being energetically supportive. We can also minimize the loss or amplify the connection when it is desirable. It is the abundance of space within us that helps us to broadcast it, not only in the CNG, but also to others around us. We confirm this experience by being able to experience Cellular Affinity where we can naturally feel connected to others who are Alive and able to share themselves.
When Solitude creates a field of Wisdom around our heads, we become more receptive and able to organize our Thoughts and Emotions on many levels. This enhanced organizational ability also allows us to be supportive resources to those we love, as well as tune into the Thoughts of others and be supported by them. This all supports our experience of Pregnant Duration in the CNG because it is peaceful, holistic, and integrated. We naturally can share Thoughts and Emotions, which demonstrates an intellectual stimulation between others that expands the perspectives of all those involved. Vibratory Response validates this, which is a spacious way to say that we have room to take into consideration every possibility so that the right solutions will emerge at the right time. Needless to say, we need to be able to let go of any polarity, reactivity, or Defensive patterns to make Solitude and Pregnant Duration obvious.
When Silence creates a field of Awareness around our hearts, we become more Passionate and able to organize our Feelings and Emotions. This enhanced, intuitive sensitivity is based on the use of Skillful Means where we consciously engage others in ways that can bring out the best in all of us. Inner Silence is really a state of focus where we are disregarding voices from our past that are a part of our conditioning. It is time to imagine that we can unify ourselves into a single voice, which we can speak in at any time. One benefit of Skillful Means is the deeper ability to simplify complexity and recognize what others need to move forward. It is also useful to be able to see what compromises others and what does not so we do not inadvertently diminish their contribution. We validate Silence and this whole personality integration process by centralizing our focus on our Primary Creative Expression. This makes it possible to bring out the best in others through Vibratory Expansion.
Higher Alignment’s use of Stillness, Silence, Solitude and CNG exercises of Spacious Presence, Pregnant Duration and Skillful Means links beautifully with Buddhist practices. These help us become more mindful of our own internal states and we become more adept at managing ourselves so that we can operate in a more compassionate, peaceful and harmless manner. Most importantly, they help sustain us energetically by allowing us to touch into our Life, Light and Love experiences. Some people adopt these practices so that they can actually share more of who they are with others who are like-minded. Our perspective is that these practices allow us to be more self-reflective, therefore our Aliveness, Wisdom and Awareness can open up ways to transform the relationships we create. You can find more about the Buddhist tradition at the Shambhala Center.
When we identify with our mortality, we deny our ability to build a better future. When we envision ourselves as Personalities, we take on the Defensive conditioning and separateness of our past. It is easy to see that our Creative Nature is more expansive and provides a more comprehensive picture. Whatever our religious or spiritual path, we are able to affirm the presence of spirit in any of our creative endeavors. We make this practical when we seek to contribute and when our contributions are accepted. At this point, our whole system resonates as service becomes a conscious, co-creative communion.
This is how our mortality (based on our personal form or body) can be viewed as a limited subset of our immortality or spirit (based on pouring ourselves into the lives of those we love and contribute to). Without even considering the possibility that our spirit goes on in many forms, we could focus on how we achieve immortality through the people we contribute to around us. We make this transition after we have affirmed our Primary Creative Expression and bring our Secondary and Mental Body into alignment with our larger context. It is also the result of learning how to love our Creative Nature, which permits us to experience the love of others and return it in ways that magnify it. With these types of immortal experiences, we no longer fear death and see our self as having many ways to experience our impact beyond our own lifetime.
The more we balance Life, Light and Love expressions, the more conscious we are, allowing us to transfer our knowing to others based on their preferred modalities. This means that when we see a person who is stronger on Content, we can concisely give them the principles, processes and details they need to build a larger view for themselves. Or when we approach a person who is stronger with their Context, we can use our emotional framework to convey a vision that motivates them to seek out the deeper questions. Some individuals are better with Intent, so we need to be able to communicate energetically, perhaps by acting out each step of the process. This requires us to notice more about the people around us so that when we go into communion with them, we have ways of deepening into the process.
We expand our CNG skills on this level by being able to energetically compartmentalize the various connections we have simultaneously with different people. This begins by first being able to isolate our personal connection in the CNG space while recognizing different qualities of another in the moment. This permits us to use our CNG space to connect with an intimate partner to see how they are doing at any time. Individuals with good CNG skills build relationships with individuals by calibrating what they say about themselves with what they are directly experiencing in the CNG. In very little time, with the skills taught in the Owning Our Experience class, we will be able to read a CNG in seconds and know the person’s state of being. This greatly supports our ability to contribute to others just from our presence. It also allows us to increase our ability to hold many different connections at once and to know who and what to prioritize. Most importantly, we begin to appreciate congruent, creatively aligned individuals over the conflicted or confused relationships where need-fulfillment defines any opportunities. Now we are free to choose partners who we know will be creatively aligned and empowering.
Making the transition to creating aligned relationships is not easy. We need to ground ourselves so that we can take on these larger opportunities. We also begin to expand our support circles. These are people that are naturally attracted to us and looking for relationships with us because of our complimentary qualities. There are three support circles: Relationships, Life Work, and Community Development. They are the primary growth areas in our lives, providing the foundation that permits us to see others and be seen by them. They are also a natural source of deeper connections because they know and have insights about us. The more we trust them, the more they can trust us to be true supporters. We never know when one of these partners will make the right connection and refer another creatively aligned partner to us. Since we will explore many relationships to find the right expressions for us, it is good that we operate with little or no preconceptions. This is how we discover the best friendships, mentors, business and romantic partners.
The primary benefit of looking at all opportunities is that it increases our ability to love and be loved by many people. It also expands our ability to grow and be seen for our unique contributions. This takes balance, humility and openness. Whatever the world sends our way, it is our job to engage and discover what the opportunity is, or what the problem is in integrating them into the existing group. At this point, we do not compartmentalize our friends into different groups. All parties need to be able to interact with each other and also be independent. The ability of this group to support new members coming into it is one of the main indicators that we have created a congruent, energetic field around our purpose. This means we can let go of the role of trying to be the mediator between various people around us that don’t actually appreciate each other. When we have chosen individuals with enough autonomy and some intimacy, this process will work.
Energy, Time and Space take on a new meaning for us now that we see that all conflicts are played out between people based on these frameworks. Each individual has their own perception of Energy, Time and Space and these frameworks have different assumptions and priorities. CNG is the bridging technology neutralizing these differences moment to moment. CNG allows us to see where we are polarized and what type of problem is present, merely by tuning into the energy of the common space. This enables us to either neutralize the problems or, with individuals who are not willing to do so, to minimize their impact on us. Our ability to be sensitive to these differences is what allows us to anticipate problems and prevent them before they occur. Making choices based on our Creative Nature teaches us that not every individual has a positive effect upon us. The more we listen to our inner knowing, the easier our lives become.
Beauty, Truth and Goodness become our primary Motives for engaging life experiences. We want to not only see the Beauty outside of us, but also to experience Beauty within us. This sense of transpersonal Beauty transmutes our Sensations and Feelings, eliminating Objectification. The more we reconcile and refine our ability to see our Truth, the easier it is for us to own differences with others that can lead to awkwardness, irritation or outright conflict. The more we unify our Emotions and Thoughts, the greater compassion we have for our Truth and its relationship to others’ Truths. This leads to the elimination of Subjectification, where we do not try to place our Truth above the Truth of others. When we can unify our internal Goodness with the larger Goodness around us, it allows us to be conscious of how to move forward so that everyone is included. In this way, our Feelings and Emotions mirror our personal and transpersonal Desires, thereby eliminating Idealization.
Life, Light and Love become real experiences to us as our distortions (Objectification, Subjectification and Idealization) fall away. Due to society’s preoccupation with Defensive Distortions, very few people understand the motivating energies bringing about change in the universe. Life becomes activated as a sense of Aliveness where we energize the environment and the environment energizes us. Light becomes an internal type of knowing, or Wisdom where we can make distinctions without judgment. We learn how to deal with differences and uncomfortable similarities without becoming positional. Love becomes a real experience and not one manufactured to promote our safety, security or the need to be important. The key issue is that we now know how to receive Love as well as to share Love. The CNG becomes a structure that supports us in being balanced and present, while fully participating with everything surrounding us. We learn how to use Life, Light and Love energies in every part of our experiences in the CNG.
CNG facilitates the sharing of Aliveness, Wisdom and Awareness. When a CNG is operating in an optimal manner, all parties in the CNG can be present with their own Aliveness, Wisdom and Awareness as well as being open to the same qualities in others. In practice, this reflects maintaining a balance of Energy, Time and Space for our Self and our partners using a CNG. If we cut ourselves off from one of these qualities, it reduces our ability to connect with others, as well as their ability to connect to us. It is important to realize that self-judgments about what we can or cannot share with others have a detrimental affect on a partner’s ability to be with us. Wherever others are denying themselves, our presence becomes a point of healing for them. This is because we become an example they can immediately refer to and use to love themselves more. The alignment they experience is based on the fact that we are embodying CNG as an energetic reality.
Co-Creative exchanges distinguish this level from others. It is the beginning of finding an inner balance and freedom to follow our hearts. It is an indication that we have learned how to listen to others and be present with them. Building a network of Constituents, where we have free-flowing interactions, is the primary indicator we are operating at this level. In terms of CNG skills, this is expanded while working in situations of one-to-many, where group communication skills add value. When we develop greater stability in our own Sensations, Feelings, Emotions and Thoughts, our ability to bring others together greatly expands. When we increase our ability to mirror and honor different experiences, we are able to embrace the uniqueness of the qualities we are reflecting in our own Communication Process. Some of us will move into simultaneous and equal Communication Process expression at this point.
Becoming balanced in our Self allows us to awaken to what is possible in our life. Some individuals would talk about this process as finding our creative destiny. We would talk about this as a natural emergence after being fearful and caught in our Personality Desires for acknowledgement. When we are no longer driven to perform, who are we? When we do not need to show up based on how others want us to be, what would we do or say that would be real? Just the process of gaining experience will deepen us at this level and will naturally mature in our understanding of others and ourselves. All the effort and need to grow will find a more natural and fulfilling way to show up. This occurs because in our greater creative embodiment, the richness of our life becomes more profound.
This is when we have more of a choice about how we want to grow and develop. Some individuals use their primary relationship in order to expand their horizons. They do this by working out solutions with their partner that enriches their life. Others choose their Authentic Life Expression as a way to develop a direct connection to their growth process, and it becomes the primary method for knowing if they are on or off the right track. Their business becomes their metaphor for building a better connection with the universe. If their business is thriving it becomes a measurement of the success of their connection. We will know more about these two paths and how we might synthesize them in Levels 5, 6 and 7. There is one other path that we could take, which is through community service and embodiment. On this path, we become an integrator in our community and seek to become an ombudsman for various parts of the community that do not have a voice. Which one of these three will we use to make our existing creative awareness something we actually manifest in our lives?
Case Study #4 Autonomous Life, Light And Love
Jeff and Ali met three years ago and found themselves engaging in each other’s life work. Both of them facilitate groups dealing with the implementation of sustainable communities. While they had minimum sexual chemistry, they had plenty of creative chemistry. Over a period of six months, they not only developed a friendship, but a business relationship. The paradox of their relationship was that the more they were able to honor their Autonomy, the more it allowed them to engage each other with depth. What was beautiful about their experience was the lack of pressure and the clarity of their alignment. This meant they did not have to work at the relationship. Instead, they could put all their energy into manifesting what they wanted together. When they engaged a CNG, it supported them to have clean boundaries and the ability to speak to each other without generating reactions and resentment. Their natural ability to take responsibility for their own issues contributed to the flow of the relationship. Trust was the result.
This meant that when they came together it was primarily the result of common interests, a desire to learn and the capacity to get into a Creative Flow with each other. Behind this, they sensed a bigger reason to connect, which was a common, interdependent lesson. When Jim brought up whether they both wanted a romantic relationship, Ali was a little hesitant. She was concerned that it might negatively impact the parts of the relationship they had already established. However, what she could not deny was that the creative chemistry they had could easily become a very passionate, romantic and sexual relationship. This is because she understood how Attractions were the result of engaging creative lessons and recognized that the quality of the connection is what precipitates enlightened sexual interactions. This enabled them to bring together Life, Light and Love so there was a balance within each of them that supported their relationship. It prevented any co-dependence from forming.
Jeff started the conversation by assuring Ali that what they had already accomplished together as a team could only become bigger if they became romantic partners as well. He felt that it would expand their potential. Ali replied that she really enjoyed the Intimacy and capacity to speak her truth, and be seen in her truth, both of which were amplified in the CNG. She was concerned that if it became sexual, there would be greater withholding. What she wanted to avoid was any confusion between her Expectations romantically and her Expectations as a business partner. Jeff requested that she articulate what these Expectations were. After Ali delineated the differences, he could only see two or three things that would actually be confusing to him. He proceeded to share not only the differences, but also what his own Expectations were. He talked about being more inclusive. He believed his ability to love her could only reduce any stress he saw between their differences. While he might have been a little Idealistic, she sensed that he was simply and truthfully expressing what he felt in his heart. He suggested that she might be confusing some issues with the kind of co-dependent compromises her parents had made in their relationship. She was willing to admit that there were a lot of similarities between the issues she was concerned about and her parents’ relationship.
Jeff asked her to feel into the CNG and see if she could clarify what she wanted in a relationship. Jeff re-created her experience while she was talking, by creating his own energetic reflection of it in the CNG. His ability to pay attention to her process allowed her to see more clearly what was going on so that she could let it go. Something shifted and she realized that there was no obstacle for her to be in a romantic relationship with him. As she checked back into her own space, she determined that there was greater clarity, ownership of her own experience, and that she had some requests of him. She brought these requests back into the CNG. She talked about them. He absorbed them in the CNG and checked in with himself to figure out what his own Truth was. After a few minutes, he was able to validate that most of what she had requested was definitely something he wanted to do. He talked about the few things he was not aligned with. She checked in with herself and shared back in the CNG that those things were not as important and he could just disregard them.
This pattern of conversation is like many of their conversations where they learn to express what they know and clear out as much of their Positioning and Defensive Patterning as possible. This allows them to be more sensitive and loving with their partners, while simultaneously getting into action in ways that stimulate new exploration. For example, by getting into creative projects and seeing the result makes them realize how close they are physically, which can precipitate greater sexual intimacy. This is a whole different type of experience than periodically becoming horny and seeking to entice a partner to participate when they have little or no interest. What Jeff and Ali represent as a couple is the freedom to be themselves.
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