Friday, May 1, 2015

Disasters and Consciousness

Disasters and Consciousness ©2015 Joan M. Newcomb

We just had a massive earthquake in Nepal, followed by a large one in New Guinea, a fair sized one off of India, and volcanos erupting in Chile and the Phillipines and (underwater) off the coast of Oregon.  There's a whole lotta shaking going on.

With any growth cycle, there are periods of tension and release.  The planet is always moving around, tectonic plates shifting, creating more land masses, destroying along fault lines.

Society goes through similar cycles, belief systems constricting, people rebelling, conflicting ways of thinking coming to the surface, and eruptions of protests and wars, until we settle into a new normal.

We're strongly affected by natural and "manmade" disasters.  It brings out the best (and sometimes the worst) in us.  Heroes are made and hearts are broken.  Miracles and tragedies, side by side.

Faith is tested, faith is lost, and faith is found.  If there's any evidence that there's a power greater than our personalities, take a look at super tsunamis and 7+ magnitude earthquakes.

We may contribute to planetary disturbances and global warming, but the Earth could shrug it's shoulders at any moment and be rid of us.

Some of us shake our fists, at God ("how can God do this to us?") or at the Government ("it isn't doing enough to help or prevent this").

I've written in the past how we collectively create being in these situations.  I've noticed when everyone seems to be stuck or struggling, something major occurs.  And at other times, when everyone seems to be dealing with their own, inner earthquakes, external disasters pass us by.

But now it doesn't seem useful or helpful to look at things that way. It's too easy to blame or fault, misunderstanding responsibility with the ability to respond.

What happens when you perceive this as Consciousness? When you close your eyes, turn within, step back or drop down,  what do you notice?  Consciousness feels immense.  Consciousness feels impassive.  It feels like the ocean, which gives life and just as easily swallows you up.  It's not personal.

As Consciousness, there is no good or bad.  Earthquakes aren't bad.  Loss of life isn't bad.  There will always be eruptions.  People will always died, and at different ages and under different circumstances than they or others will have preferred.

Step a little more back, drop a little deeper, and there's more awareness flowing.  There is love and caring and appreciation.  And yet birth and destruction and equally creative.  There's acceptance of all that is.  There's a knowingness that all is very well.

Whatever we are each struggling with, is put into perspective.  This, too, shall pass.




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