If you grew up in another country, learned an entirely different religion, what sort of person would you be today? I've been reading all sorts of philosophical books on life, death, and an individual's personality or soul. It's really expanding my view of our "essential nature" and how I feel about individuality.
TEACHINGS FROM AFRICAN TRADITIONS
In Voudou, the "self" is not something to be heavily guarded. Instead - the personality is expectedly fluid and changing (transitory even) and spirits possessing the body (e.g., during ritual) is perceived as a community blessing (not something to fear or fight against). [What a contrast to Western thinking where the soul is to be preserved and safeguarded!]
HERE'S YET ANOTHER VIEW OF THE SELF FROM CENTRAL MEXICO
"In the Western conception, human life is a precious gift to be defended at all costs. The Aztecs viewed life as a prison, whose chief merit was transitoriness." ~ F. Gonzales-Crussi {from "The Day of The Dead And Other Mortal Reflections."}
This idea of individuality (and what it is) is something I'd like to ponder further. Why has the Western mind continued to nurture a fear response to people personally talking in Spirit? Is this way of thinking driven by money (like so many other structures in Westernized cultures)? For example: if I'm able to talk to Spirit directly -- I won't have to pay money to some so-called human authority or church who claims it/they are the middle man between me and deity.
Working as an intuitive reader on-line, I've had many clients hire me from around the world (Australia, the Middle East and from the old Norse lands). I'm always open to receiving new spiritual information when I work with them and that has helped me personally be much more free-flowing and open to changing what I think that I "know" or "believe." (I realize people can do their own psychic readings, follow their own gut, but emotions sometimes get in the way of seeing the big picture. That is why they hire me -- for clarity).
Happily, Americans have also hired me for mediumistic and psychic readings (proving that we Westerners are not ALL close minded; no matter what stupid publications say). I just realize, that as soon as I decide life is "this way" or "that" I have effectively closed my mind of to other potentially smarter possibilities. This is why I make a conscious effort to always keep my mind open.
2 comments:
This is very interesting. I often find that discovering other cultures helps to open my eyes to the way I do things, and helps me to understand myself better through compare and contrast.
Panademona ~
I agree -- that seeing how someone else moves differently -- gives me the opportunity to look more closely at how I move and why. (It expands my way of thinking too.)
~ SunTiger
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