Breaking Free from Collective Consciousness

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Guest Post by Linda Wilken

There are probably more people (digital natives) living on the planet now who can’t imagine life without mobile devices than there are people who remember life before they ever existed. There’s no question that these devices have changed the way we approach life and communicate with others, often simplifying and improving the process. 

Yet we’ve all experienced opposite reactions as well, and the frustrations that can accompany the complications and setbacks they can inflict. Rather than being born with a silver spoon in the mouth—an old expression that many digital natives will not know, and which only pertained to a minority of people—it seems that nearly all babies these days are born with mobile devices in their hands. Yet there are advantages to taking a break from devices.

An Analog Kind of Day

We had the trail to ourselves. A rare gift. The atmospheric temperature felt to be the same as our skin temperature, betraying the ruse that our skin is a physical boundary camouflaging who we truly are. Without a temperature differential, it felt very natural and easy to slip into an expanded state of consciousness and merge with the local surroundings as we made our way up the low mountain: brightly colored wildflowers splayed at our feet; a snow-capped vista of the Cascade Mountains soaring in the distance; alabaster clouds skimming the upper limit of earth’s jewel-toned atmosphere.

Though alone, we thought we heard muted conversation ahead of us. Perhaps we were mistaken, and there were others hiking the trail after all? It took some time to realize that a species of flying insect we’d never encountered made sounds that seemed to imitate human voices in the distance. At times, though, these sounds gave the impression of voices that were trickling through to us from various planes of existence, emanating, perchance, from spiritual beings. As if angels and protectors accompanied us. Companionship had blossomed into countless forms—animate and inanimate, terrestrial and ethereal—on our journey. The vibrancy and abundance of life burst its bounds, saturating our senses, blurring the traditional definition of reality. 

Quietude. Reverie and reprieve rolled into one. This was a place where we could again hear the earth. Which allowed us to become so quiet that we could eavesdrop on sounds beyond nature. Beyond this earthly plane. In this manner, we sat and carved out a piece of time atop the trail. Though some say there is no perfection on earth, this one day felt nearly so.

A Path of Discovery

Restorative as nature had been, other strands of our lives called to us, beckoning our return. Making our way down the footpath, we delighted in discovering new panoramas on the very same route we’d taken to the top. After descending about halfway from the summit, a sudden shadow of movement—the kind that appears in the peripheral vision and causes abrupt stops in locomotion—flashed beside us. We melted into stillness. The mind— and thousands of years of instinctual behavior—needed to know: Is there a danger? Am I safe?

Momentarily, a head popped up on the opposite side of the tall boulder next to where we stood. The eyes of a small lizard studied us, considering the same questions. Concluding the situation was safe, he climbed on top of the boulder to commune with us. Soul to soul. Without fear. A conscious choice.

In gratitude, we softly sang HU as an appreciation to Infinite Spirit for this momentous gift of lionhearted trust bestowed upon us by this wee being. With half-closed eyes he basked, as if receiving more warmth from the sound than the sun. We sang for a long, deep moment.

But the tendrils of time calmly persisted. We wished our new friend well and continued homeward. 

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Linda Wilken

Following a childhood dream to discover a way to live among the clouds, Linda Wilken worked as a flight attendant for nearly twenty years. Currently, she volunteers as a pianist in the surgical waiting area of a hospital, observing and studying the ways sound soothes, opens, and rejuvenates patients and family members on a deep, deep level. Throughout her life, Linda has worked as a musician, artist, and writer. However, Linda most identifies as Soul.