Building Intuitive Consciousness, by Sara Hollwey and Jill Brierley

The second edition of the Inner Camino is a unique and remarkable book. Like the first edition it is an invitation to embark on a pilgrimage of self-discovery. This journey involves bridging the chasm that separates intuitive from the rational thinking, the inner from the outer world, and spiritual from the secular experience. Readers are guided by narratives, fables, metaphors and exercises from eastern and western religious traditions, literature, philosophy, psychotherapy and psychology. The second edition contains additional exercises and resources for psychotherapists. This book is a treasure. It will give you a new perspective on life. Everybody should read it.

A L A N C A R R PhD Professor of Clinical Psychology, University College Dublin, Ireland

Outer journeys help us to find the inner paths that we are on. Our dreaming journey and destinations are emerging parts of ourselves. Sara Hollwey and Jill Brierley show us that life is a pilgrimage to our selves, and that all experiences that we make can be used to find and reconnect with our deeper spiritual selves. Their book is a source of inspiration for meditators, seekers, and travellers in the widest sense.

M A X S C H U P B A C H PhD President of the Deep Democracy Institute

Humanistic Psychology

£19 $24

The Inner Camino as an Existential Journey for a Rapidly Changing World

Sara Hollwey & Jill Brierley

Based upon their expertise about the well-known spiritual pilgrimage known as El Camino de Santiago, authors Sara Hollwey and Jill Brierley have written a stunning spiritual guide directing readers on how to walk into their soul. Not only have they accomplished this task perfectly, they have given readers a profoundly new sacred approach to personal awakening. This is a magnificent piece of work.

C A R O L I N E M Y S S Author of Anatomy of the Spirit and Sacred Contracts

“A stunning spiritual guide directing readers on how to walk into their soul.” Caroline Myss, author of Sacred Contracts

Building Intuitive Consciousness

Are you looking to make real and lasting change in your life? Building Intuitive Consciousness offers a reliable and effective method to support such change by guiding readers on an inner pilgrimage to awaken to their Intuitive Consciousness.

It has been said that no problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it.

We believe that, by awakening to the Intuitive Consciousness within ourselves, we are able to transcend old patterns and habitual behaviours that may be limiting us in some way from being able to take our next steps forward.

Using the wisdom of ancient spiritual practice and modern psychology, Building Intuitive Consciousness is both a practical and mystical manual to guide you on this journey. By delving deep into our psychology and expanding up into the heights of our numinous or spiritual potential, this unsentimental book offers a roadmap to access our true inner wisdom, free from the restraints and distortions of our ego.

Packed with immediately applicable insights and accessible exercises, this Second Edition now includes notes that are relevant for professionals, making it the perfect manual for psychologists, therapists, managers or anyone on a journey of self-discovery.

A Practical Transpersonal Psychology for Individuals,

Building Intuitive Consciousness

Couples and Groups

Sara Hollwey & Jill Brierley

The second edition of the Inner Camino is a unique and remarkable book. Like the first edition it is an invitation to embark on a pilgrimage of self-discovery. This journey involves bridging the chasm that separates intuitive from the rational thinking, the inner from the outer world, and spiritual from the secular experience. Readers are guided by narratives, fables, metaphors and exercises from eastern and western religious traditions, literature, philosophy, psychotherapy and psychology. The second edition contains additional exercises and resources for psychotherapists. This book is a treasure. It will give you a new perspective on life. Everybody should read it.

A L A N C A R R PhD Professor of Clinical Psychology, University College Dublin, Ireland

Outer journeys help us to find the inner paths that we are on. Our dreaming journey and destinations are emerging parts of ourselves. Sara Hollwey and Jill Brierley show us that life is a pilgrimage to our selves, and that all experiences that we make can be used to find and reconnect with our deeper spiritual selves. Their book is a source of inspiration for meditators, seekers, and travellers in the widest sense.

M A X S C H U P B A C H PhD President of the Deep Democracy Institute

Humanistic Psychology

£19 $24

The Inner Camino as an Existential Journey for a Rapidly Changing World

Sara Hollwey & Jill Brierley

Based upon their expertise about the well-known spiritual pilgrimage known as El Camino de Santiago, authors Sara Hollwey and Jill Brierley have written a stunning spiritual guide directing readers on how to walk into their soul. Not only have they accomplished this task perfectly, they have given readers a profoundly new sacred approach to personal awakening. This is a magnificent piece of work.

C A R O L I N E M Y S S Author of Anatomy of the Spirit and Sacred Contracts

“A stunning spiritual guide directing readers on how to walk into their soul.” Caroline Myss, author of Sacred Contracts

Building Intuitive Consciousness

Are you looking to make real and lasting change in your life? Building Intuitive Consciousness offers a reliable and effective method to support such change by guiding readers on an inner pilgrimage to awaken to their Intuitive Consciousness.

It has been said that no problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it.

We believe that, by awakening to the Intuitive Consciousness within ourselves, we are able to transcend old patterns and habitual behaviours that may be limiting us in some way from being able to take our next steps forward.

Using the wisdom of ancient spiritual practice and modern psychology, Building Intuitive Consciousness is both a practical and mystical manual to guide you on this journey. By delving deep into our psychology and expanding up into the heights of our numinous or spiritual potential, this unsentimental book offers a roadmap to access our true inner wisdom, free from the restraints and distortions of our ego.

Packed with immediately applicable insights and accessible exercises, this Second Edition now includes notes that are relevant for professionals, making it the perfect manual for psychologists, therapists, managers or anyone on a journey of self-discovery.

A Practical Transpersonal Psychology for Individuals,

Building Intuitive Consciousness

Couples and Groups

Sara Hollwey & Jill Brierley

1.Stop and Step Out

14.Magic of Creation

Duel Awareness

Creation

Scrips and Stories ● Cultivating detatchment ● Challenge for the ego ●

p.28

p.256

Chameleon leader

Leadership accross the threshold Leadership toolkit ● Generosity ●Merlin and Arthur ● Love ●Bad press of leadership ●

●

Equality Justice

Gravitas

p.60

4.Path of the Heart

p.214

11.Love & Connection Gratitude ● Appriciation ●

Healing

Connection

●

p.76

●

Mediation

5.Personal Power

10.Orphan Myth

Beyond orphans ● Awekening ● Burning our wood ● Dispelling trances ●

Chatter or guidance Discovering pseudo-guides ● Credits & debts in power ●

Cosmic Chuckle

●

●

Dispassion

6.Crazy Wisdome

Crazy Wisdome

Shapeshifting

Fact or fiction Comfortable in own skin ● Daily practice ● Becoming a loyal ally

Modern path of intuition ● Dynamics of relationship ●

●

●

p.110

●

●

Intuition

Surrender ● Joy p.126

Creating new scripts Unconditional regard ● Empathy ● Projections

● ●

Interconnection Unbroken wholeness p.142

Alch

er /

port

Re ther

1@ 1!

Wea

l/ Wel The Ally oyal

C

y

n

uitio

/ Int

n

iratio

Insp

n

ssio

ispa

/D ster

Je

fting

eshi

ap / Sh

aze

art-G

He ing /

l

pD Dee

airy

th F

13 cy /

cra

emo

ation

agin

Im ing /

ess

Witn

are l Aw Dua

nes

ion

pass

om s/C

e

em

u ar

yo ou &

I am

on

icati

un omm

L

Hea

p.158

8.Indra’s Net

●

The Well

Reverence

Communication

● ●

p.176

Weather reporter

I am you&you are me

Loyal Ally

●

Secret Cup

9.Where 2 or more

Inspiration

●

●

The Alchemist

p.94

7. The Loyal Ally

p.194

The Guardian

Jester

Synchronisity Diary of flirts ● Rooftile ● Reinvention ● Paralelle Identities

Forgiveness

in

Intimacy Conflict ● Styles of relationship ●

ry Terra

Heart Gaze

Self-love ● Soothing or regulation ● Reguations & addictions ●

1)

●

●

o

Inviting 13th Fairy

Celebrating greatness Diversity & Racism ●Use / misuse of rank ●

ian

t/G emis

i

Guesthouse attitude

Med

u

●

ion

nect

Con

n/ iatio

uard

y

Tolerance

t

12.Politics of Power

Deep Democracy

4 Functions of ego Signals & congruence ● Creating a guest house

p.232

Gra

r

3.The Thirtheenth Fairy ●

ance

er / Tol vitas

e

Eldership

p.44

ha

w

Imagination

der

Lea

on mele

ip / C

q

Clairvoyance

Intuitive Consciousness

●

●

rsh Elde

●

lm us Rea

●

Numino

Search for self-knowledge ●Edges & pearls of wisdom

Ma

13.Chameleon Leader

Witnessing

tion

Crea

n/ gicia

Stages Of Consciousness

Magician

Faith

Ordina

2. Know Thyself

●

1$

Power of Compassion

Coming Home

●

1#

●Self Love

1.Stop and Step Out

14.Magic of Creation

Duel Awareness

Creation

Scrips and Stories ● Cultivating detatchment ● Challenge for the ego ●

p.28

p.256

Chameleon leader

Leadership accross the threshold Leadership toolkit ● Generosity ●Merlin and Arthur ● Love ●Bad press of leadership ●

●

Equality Justice

Gravitas

p.60

4.Path of the Heart

p.214

11.Love & Connection Gratitude ● Appriciation ●

Healing

Connection

●

p.76

●

Mediation

5.Personal Power

10.Orphan Myth

Beyond orphans ● Awekening ● Burning our wood ● Dispelling trances ●

Chatter or guidance Discovering pseudo-guides ● Credits & debts in power ●

Cosmic Chuckle

●

●

Dispassion

6.Crazy Wisdome

Crazy Wisdome

Shapeshifting

Fact or fiction Comfortable in own skin ● Daily practice ● Becoming a loyal ally

Modern path of intuition ● Dynamics of relationship ●

●

●

p.110

●

●

Intuition

Surrender ● Joy p.126

Creating new scripts Unconditional regard ● Empathy ● Projections

● ●

Interconnection Unbroken wholeness p.142

Alch

er /

port

Re ther

1@ 1!

Wea

l/ Wel The Ally oyal

C

y

n

uitio

/ Int

n

iratio

Insp

n

ssio

ispa

/D ster

Je

fting

eshi

ap / Sh

aze

art-G

He ing /

l

pD Dee

airy

th F

13 cy /

cra

emo

ation

agin

Im ing /

ess

Witn

are l Aw Dua

nes

ion

pass

om s/C

e

em

u ar

yo ou &

I am

on

icati

un omm

L

Hea

p.158

8.Indra’s Net

●

The Well

Reverence

Communication

● ●

p.176

Weather reporter

I am you&you are me

Loyal Ally

●

Secret Cup

9.Where 2 or more

Inspiration

●

●

The Alchemist

p.94

7. The Loyal Ally

p.194

The Guardian

Jester

Synchronisity Diary of flirts ● Rooftile ● Reinvention ● Paralelle Identities

Forgiveness

in

Intimacy Conflict ● Styles of relationship ●

ry Terra

Heart Gaze

Self-love ● Soothing or regulation ● Reguations & addictions ●

1)

●

●

o

Inviting 13th Fairy

Celebrating greatness Diversity & Racism ●Use / misuse of rank ●

ian

t/G emis

i

Guesthouse attitude

Med

u

●

ion

nect

Con

n/ iatio

uard

y

Tolerance

t

12.Politics of Power

Deep Democracy

4 Functions of ego Signals & congruence ● Creating a guest house

p.232

Gra

r

3.The Thirtheenth Fairy ●

ance

er / Tol vitas

e

Eldership

p.44

ha

w

Imagination

der

Lea

on mele

ip / C

q

Clairvoyance

Intuitive Consciousness

●

●

rsh Elde

●

lm us Rea

●

Numino

Search for self-knowledge ●Edges & pearls of wisdom

Ma

13.Chameleon Leader

Witnessing

tion

Crea

n/ gicia

Stages Of Consciousness

Magician

Faith

Ordina

2. Know Thyself

●

1$

Power of Compassion

Coming Home

●

1#

●Self Love

Building Intuitive Consciousness The Inner Camino as an Existential Journey for a Rapidly Changing World

Sara Hollwey and Jill Brierley

Š Sara Hollwey and Jill Brierley 2014, 2020 The right of Sara Hollwey and Jill Brierley to be identified as the authors of this work has been asserted by them in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1998.

2nd edition published in 2020 by TransPersonal Press Previously published by Findhorn Press under the title The Inner Camino: A Path of Awakening ISBN print 978-1-912698-04-2 ISBN ebook 978-1-912698-05-9 All rights reserved.

The contents of this book may not be reproduced in any form, except for short extracts for quotation or review, without the written permission of the publisher.

A CIP record for this title is available from the British Library.

Edited by Eleanor Clarke/Mike Grimshaw Front cover and interior design by Damian Keenan/Gemma Kenny Illustrations by Johnny Brierley/Damian Keenan/Gemma Kenny Printed and bound by IngramSpark

Published by TransPersonal Press (a Kaminn Media imprint) 272 Bath Street, Glasgow G2 4JR, Scotland, UK t +44 (0)141 354 1758 f +44 (0)141 354 1759 transpersonalpress.com

465-3_TIC_INT_FNL.indd 4

08/07/2020 16:50

Contents Acknowledgements .................................................................................................... 11 Foreword ........................................................................................................................... 13

i ii iii iv v vi vii viii viiii

Building a New Consciousness in a Rapidly Changing World .....

Working out of the Transpersonal, Meeting the Glass Ceiling ...

Metaphor of the Camino and Our Own Personal Journey ..........

Embracing Change ...............................................................................................

Who this Book Is For ...........................................................................................

Nuts and Bolts of the Transpersonal Model ...........................................

The Ordinary Local Self ......................................................................................

Non-Local Self-Consciousness ........................................................................

How to Read Each Stage ...................................................................................

Intimations of Intuitive Consciousness ...................................................

15 15 16 16 17 18 18 18 19 20

0:1 0:2 0:3 0:4

Preparation for the Journey .................................................................................

Becoming a Pilgrim ...............................................................................................

The Map of the Inner Camino ........................................................................

Creating an Intention .........................................................................................

The Waymarks ..........................................................................................................

22 22 22 23 24

1:1 1:2 1:3 1:4 1:5 1:6 1:7 1:8

Stage 1 - Stop and Step Out ............................................................................

The Numinous Realm: Non-Judgmental Self-Love ..........................

Dual Awareness ........................................................................................................

One Foot In and One Foot Out ....................................................................

The Power of Compassion .................................................................................

Scripts and Stories ..................................................................................................

Cultivating Detachment ....................................................................................

The Challenge for the Ego .................................................................................

Relevance for the Professional .........................................................................

26 27 28 29 31 33 34 35 37

2:1 2:2 2:3 2:4

Stage 2 - ‘Know Thyself ’ ....................................................................................

The Numinous Realm: Clairvoyance .........................................................

Witnessing ..................................................................................................................

Imagination ................................................................................................................

The Search for Self-Knowledge ......................................................................

42 43 44 45 47

2:5 2:5:1 2:6

Edges and Pearls of Wisdom ............................................................................ 48 The Existential Edge ........................................................................................... 50 Relevance for the Professional ......................................................................... 53

3:1 3:2 3:3 3:3:1 3:3:2 3:3:3 3:3:4 3:3:5 3:4 3:5 3:6

Stage 3 - The Thirteenth Fairy .....................................................................

The Numinous Realm: The Guest House Attitude ...........................

Deep Democracy: Inviting the Thirteenth Fairy .................................

The Four Functions of Ego ...............................................................................

Thinking [T] as the dominant ego function: .........................................

Feeling [F] as the dominant ego function: ...............................................

Body [B] as the dominant ego function: ...................................................

Behaviour/Action [A] as the dominant ego function: ........................

A Balancing Act ....................................................................................................

Signals, Mixed Signals and Congruence ...................................................

Creating a Guest House ......................................................................................

Relevance for the Professional .........................................................................

58 59 60 61 62 62 63 63 63 64 66 68

4:1 4:2 4:2:1 4:2:2 4:3 4:4 4:5 4:6 4:7 4:8

Stage 4 - The Path of the Heart ..................................................................

The Numinous Realm: Gratitude and Appreciation ........................

Healing from Intuitive Consciousness ......................................................

The Unbearable Agony ......................................................................................

The Grace of Surrendering .............................................................................

Soothing from a Heart-Gaze ............................................................................

Self-Love .....................................................................................................................

Soothing or Regulation ......................................................................................

Regulation and Addictions ...............................................................................

Soothing Beyond Addictions ...........................................................................

Relevance for the Professional .........................................................................

70 71 72 73 74 75 77 78 80 82 84

5:1 5:2 5:3 5:4 5:4:1 5:5 5:6 5:6:1 5:7

Stage 5 - Personal Power ..................................................................................

The Numinous Realm: Cosmic Chuckle .................................................

The Jester’s Unsentimentality ..........................................................................

Dispassion ...................................................................................................................

Chatter or Guidance? ...........................................................................................

Will the Real Guide Stand Up? ...................................................................

Discovering Our Pseudo-Guides ..................................................................

Credits and Debits in Personal Power ........................................................

A Personal Power Audit ..................................................................................

Relevance for the Professional .........................................................................

88 89 89 90 91 92 94 95 96 99

6:1 6:2 6:3 6:4 6:5 6:6 6:7 6:8 6:9

Stage 6 - Crazy Wisdom .................................................................................... 102 The Numinous Realm: Crazy Wisdom ..................................................... 103 Inspiration ................................................................................................................... 104 Shapeshifting ............................................................................................................. 105 Discovering the Laws of Synchronicity ..................................................... 106 A Diary of Flirts ....................................................................................................... 108 The Roof Tile ............................................................................................................. 110 Reinvention ............................................................................................................... 111 One or Parallel Identities .................................................................................... 111 Relevance for the Professional ......................................................................... 113

7:1 7:2 7:3 7:4 7:5 7:6 7:7 7:8 7:9 7:10

Stage 7 - The Loyal Ally ...................................................................................... 116 The Numinous Realm: Surrender and Joy .............................................. 117 The Loyal Ally ........................................................................................................... 117 Intuition ....................................................................................................................... 119 Fact or Fiction ........................................................................................................... 120 Being Comfortable in Ourselves ................................................................... 121 The Daily Practice of Life as a Pilgrim ....................................................... 122 The Core Exercise ................................................................................................... 123 Becoming Your Own Loyal Ally .................................................................... 125 Re-visiting Our Intention .................................................................................. 125 Relevance for the Professional ......................................................................... 127

8:2 8:3 8:3:1 8:4 8:4:1 8:4:2 8:5 8:6 8:7 8:8

Stage 8 - Indra’s Net of Interconnection ........................................... 132 The Numinous Realm: Interconnection and Unbroken Wholeness ........................................................................................... 133 The Well of Unlimited Energy ........................................................................ 134 ‘I am You and You are Me’ ................................................................................. 135 Noble Friends ......................................................................................................... 135 Projections ................................................................................................................... 137 Lost Fragments ...................................................................................................... 138 Discovering Pearls of Wisdom ........................................................................ 139 Empathy ....................................................................................................................... 140 Unconditional Positive Regard ....................................................................... 141 Creating New Scripts ........................................................................................... 142 Relevance for the Professional ......................................................................... 143

9:1

Stage 9 - Where Two or More are Gathered ................................... 146 The Numinous Realm: Reverence ................................................................ 147

8:1

9:2 9:2:1 9:3 9:3:1 9:4 9:4:1 9:5 9:6

The Weather Reporter .......................................................................................... 147 Pseudo-Guide as Weather Reporter ............................................................. 148 Conscious Communication ............................................................................. 149 The Steps ................................................................................................................... 150 Dynamics of Relationships and Groups ................................................... 152 The Concepts in Practice .................................................................................. 154 A Modern Path of Initiation Through Relationship ......................... 155 Relevance for the Professional ......................................................................... 157

10:1 10:2 10:3 10:3:1 10:4 10:5 10:6 10:7 10:8 10:9

Stage 10 - The Orphan Myth .......................................................................... 160 The Numinous Realm: Balance and Union ............................................ 161 The Alchemist ........................................................................................................... 161 The Guardian ............................................................................................................ 162 The Orphan Myth .................................................................................................. 163 Subtle Infections ................................................................................................... 163 Dispelling Trance States ...................................................................................... 165 Burning Our Wood .............................................................................................. 167 Awakening from the Trance .............................................................................. 169 Beyond Orphans ..................................................................................................... 170 Relevance for the Professional ......................................................................... 172

11:1 11:2 11:3 11:4 11:4:1 11:4:2 11:4:3 11:4:4 11:5 11:5:1 11:5:2 11:5:3 11:5:4 11:5:5 11:5:6 11:5:7 11:6

Stage 11 - Love and Connection ................................................................. 176 The Numinous Realm: Forgiveness ............................................................. 177 Mediation .................................................................................................................... 177 Connection ................................................................................................................. 178 Styles in Relationship ........................................................................................... 179 The Harmony Style ............................................................................................. 179 The Escalation Style ............................................................................................ 180 The Withdrawn Style ......................................................................................... 180 The Battleground of the Styles ........................................................................ 181 Conflict ......................................................................................................................... 182 The Good News of Moods ................................................................................ 183 The Janus Head of Communication ........................................................... 183 Giving Challenging Feedback ...................................................................... 184 The Path of Anger ................................................................................................ 184 When there is a Fight ......................................................................................... 185 Cooling the Fire .................................................................................................... 186 When the Heat is Gone ..................................................................................... 186 Intimacy ....................................................................................................................... 187

11:6:1 11:6:2 11:7

The Johari Window ............................................................................................. 187 Relationship and Beyond ................................................................................. 188 Relevance for the Professional ......................................................................... 189

12:1 12:2 12:2:1 12:2:2 12:3 12:4 12:4:1 12:4:2 12:4:3 12:4:4 12:4:5 12:5 12:5:1 12:5:2 12:6 12:7

Stage 12 - The Politics of Power and Diversity .............................. 194 The Numinous Realm: Justice and Equality .......................................... 195 Gravitas ......................................................................................................................... 195 Gravitas, Power and Rank ............................................................................ 196 A Tale of Rank ....................................................................................................... 198 Tolerance ...................................................................................................................... 199 The Use and Misuse of Rank and Power ................................................... 200 Denying Our Privilege ...................................................................................... 200 ‘An Beal Bocht’ ...................................................................................................... 201 Labelling of Difference ...................................................................................... 201 Unconscious Defence of Rank ........................................................................ 202 The Power of the Victim Position ................................................................. 203 Diversity and Racism ............................................................................................ 203 The Inner Racist ................................................................................................... 204 The Outer Racist .................................................................................................. 204 Celebrating Greatness .......................................................................................... 205 Relevance for the Professional ......................................................................... 207

13:1 13:2 13:3 13:4 13:5 13:6 13:6:1 13:6:1:1 13:6:1:2 13:6:1:3 13:6:1:4 13:6:1:5 13:6:1:6 13:7 13:8

Stage 13 - The Chameleon Leader ............................................................. 210 The Numinous Realm: Love and Generosity ........................................ 211 Eldership ...................................................................................................................... 212 Chameleon as Leader .......................................................................................... 213 The Bad Press of Leadership ............................................................................. 214 Merlin or Arthur: Styles and Anti-Styles .................................................. 215 The Leadership Tool Kit ..................................................................................... 216 The Tool Kit ............................................................................................................ 218 The Initial Stages of a Group ..................................................................... 218 Let the Topic Begin ......................................................................................... 218 Unfolding and Switching Roles ................................................................ 219 Working on the Sidelines ............................................................................. 220 The Leader’s Process ........................................................................................ 221 Feedback .............................................................................................................. 222 Leadership from Across the Threshold ....................................................... 223 Relevance for the Professional ......................................................................... 226

14:1 14:2 14:2:1 14:2:2 14:2:3 14:2:4 14:2:5 14:3 14:4 14:5

Stage 14 - The Magic of Creation ............................................................... 232 The Numinous Realm: Faith ........................................................................... 233 The Magician ............................................................................................................. 234 Creating an Intention ........................................................................................ 234 Haphazard Magic ............................................................................................... 235 Integrity .................................................................................................................... 235 The Laws of Attraction ...................................................................................... 236 Finding Our Destiny Path .............................................................................. 237 Creation ........................................................................................................................ 238 Going Home .............................................................................................................. 239 Relevance for the Professional ......................................................................... 242

Epilogue ............................................................................................................................ 247 Endnotes ........................................................................................................................... 249 About the Authors ...................................................................................................... 251

Foreword

T

his foreword contains both a wholehearted endorsement, and a warning.

Along the inner camino the familiar you will die so that a new you can emerge from the ashes. The path of awakening is not an easy route, but ultimately it has to be re-cognized and then embraced. Dying to the old and opening to the numinous is the most exhilarating journey we will make. I have long waited for this inner companion to be made accessible as an aid to our human journey. Like any expedition there will be obstacles along the path but I urge you to keep going because, with perseverance, the breakthrough always arrives. We can delay, but we cannot avoid awakening to the truth.

This book had to be a collaborative endeavour because no one author could argue congruently the case for both sides of an irreconcilable rationale. I witnessed the alchemical fusion of these two powerful women as they struggled to distil from their respective professional experiences a new wisdom that they could communicate to a wider audience. I believe they have succeeded beautifully – as far as the written text is able to go – for words can only point us in a direction, never take us there. They leave us closer to a truth that is far beyond what can be communicated. We have to take the final steps ourselves with nothing but faith in our inner guide to support us; they carefully explain how to recognize the many false guides who will try to wrong-foot us at each turn. In order to step beyond dualism into oneness, consciousness itself has to be transcended. That is an idea we are not consciously able to accept, so these two authors finally accepted their limitation and came to a point of resolution. The gift of this book is that they bring us into communication with our own inner Guide who communes with us from a formless realm where words alone are meaningless.

Buen camino.

JOHN BRIERLEY,

Author of the Camino Guides.

13

Building a New Consciousness in a Rapidly Changing World Working out of the Transpersonal Meeting the Glass Ceiling After years of studying and working professionally together with individuals, couples and groups, we felt that our work had reached a plateau, or ‘glass ceiling’.

As integrative therapists, we found that although mainstream psychology helped considerably to alleviate distress, change behaviour and increase awareness, even the most psychologically aware clients could still regularly become triggered into old patterns. This was the case regardless of how much awareness there was of the inner process. Instead, many of these core psychological issues kept recycling in the face of new challenges.

Nor did these old patterns fully transform as a result of a commitment to daily Eastern and Western spiritual practices. Even the most dedicated spiritual practitioners would report being able to achieve deeply expanded and peaceful states in meditation, only to find that these states of wisdom were elusive or even discarded in moments of crisis.

We started to wonder why we are least likely to turn to the spiritual and the transpersonal in moments of emotional distress, when it is in those moments that we are most likely to benefit from it. Why are we far more likely to meditate when things are calm, than when we are faced with turmoil and internal stress?

Why also are we less likely to explore our personal psychology when things are going well, and we feel at peace? Indeed, how many individuals come to therapy simply to deepen awareness? This is in spite of knowing that the more an internal robustness can be developed, the less likely the tendency to relapse into unhelpful patterns when under stress.

These questions, along with many others, have motivated us to explore this transpersonal model of change. It integrates more reliably and coherently these two very different sources of wisdom and knowledge that we have available at all times: that of the personal or psychological, and that of the transpersonal or spiritual. The more we can seamlessly weave between these two realms, the deeper our capacity for real freedom from habitual wounds, defences and bodily-based trauma patterns.

The benefit of working from a transpersonal approach is that, in addition to the more traditional focus on the psychology of the self or ego, there is also an equal emphasis on helping the individual build access to his or her transpersonal states. This 15

BUILDING INTUITIVE CONSCIOUSNESS

access enables the work to deepen to a new level. Within a transpersonal model there is an encouragement to move beyond the glass ceiling into a totally different perspective and consciousness, where graceful transformation can occur.

Metaphor of Camino and Our Own Personal Journey We have written about this transformational process in the form of a pilgrimage, or inner camino, because it takes us on a journey. The word ‘camino’ translates simply as a ‘way’ or ‘path’. Our reference points for this journey bridge Eastern and Western spiritual practice and psychological theory.

Our metaphor of the inner camino as a pilgrimage takes its inspiration from walking the Camino de Santiago. It refers to the old pilgrimage routes to the city of Santiago de Compostela (Campus Stellae), or the Way of Saint James of the Field of Stars. Building Intuitive Consciousness charts this journey through the ‘field of stars’ as our inner and outer worlds become attuned to each other, ‘as above, so below’. Like Chaucer before, the obvious parallels between going on a pilgrimage and our journey through life once again become apparent.

On any pilgrimage or inner journey, our core issues and experiences in life may become amplified and externalised as we start to address them. The same is true for those who choose to set out on this journey with us. Once we begin this journey together, various hitherto unnoticed events become consciously recognised and heightened; our lives start to transform as we bring to them an intentional focus.

This transpersonal model provides a diagnostic map that gives language and clarity to our inner world and deepens our capacity for self-reflection and insight. It can be used for our own development, or for our development as a therapist or facilitator.

Indeed, the therapist can only take the client as deep as they can travel themselves. In addition, facilitating from across the threshold becomes an exciting and enlivening way of working as the insights, inspirations and intuitions bring an added brilliance to the work.

Embracing Change Since time began, the world has been unpredictable and constantly changing, whether through on-going evolution, disease, war, natural disasters or economic collapse. We may seek to create outer stability and maintain the status quo in a universe where the only truly predictable element is that change is constant. Indeed, most of us have a common desire for safety, together with a striving for happiness that may seem at odds with the universal law of impermanence.

We may need to adapt and change more than ever in order to meet the demands that humanity and the planet are facing today. There is much we can do on a practical level, but a profound shift in consciousness will be imperative if we are to bring about the level of change that is required.

Einstein suggested that in order to address existing personal and global problems, we need to access a level of consciousness different to the one that created such issues 16

B U I L D I N G A N E W C O N S C I O U S N E S S I N A R A P I D LY C H A N G I N G W O R L D

in the first place. This transpersonal model is a practical guide to access this alternative level of consciousness. It is also a psychological model to explore what impedes us from such new insights, and how to avoid recycling the same issues from old and outdated ways of thinking.

The process of change is a complex one. It is often the case that we are driven to it in times of crisis. For some of us, it is through financial disaster; for others, it may be loneliness or losing someone we love through serious illness. Everything we encounter, including difficulties and unhappiness, can become the very substance out of which we can learn and grow.

We are not always able to change events at the level of the ordinary world, but we are always able to transform our consciousness through connecting with our greater numinous reality. In this way, our view of the world, and how we respond, is transformed. This profound shift in consciousness is the aim for this transpersonal model.

Einstein alluded to the significance of this shift in what he calls ‘the cosmic intelligence of the universe’: I want to know God’s thoughts, the rest are details.1 This is similar to the level of consciousness described by Arnold Mindell2 in his work on ProcessMind. Mindell talks about a non-local, non-dual intelligence, or the mind of God. As Mindell says, it is perhaps our least known yet most powerful source of wisdom.

Within this transpersonal model, the focus is on developing the ability to be fluid, rather than waiting until some existential crisis hits before awakening to the idea of change and growth. Indeed, why delay ‘crossing a threshold’ from self-limiting belief systems of the ego into a stream of awakened Intuitive Consciousness? Furthermore, from across this threshold, change becomes exciting as we work with our full potential and not just for moments of crisis. Viewing the often-resistant ego self through this transpersonal gaze makes the essential changes required feel infinitely more grace-filled and achievable, as the mystical world is so simple, practical and wise.

Who this Book is For This book is for all who are interested in change from a transpersonal perspective.

Change in the self, relationships, groups and the world can happen through moving beyond the glass ceiling of the ego’s limited awareness, into a more expanded transpersonal or trans-ego state. This book is also for mental health professionals, or anyone seeking to facilitate change in the world.

There is a section at the end of each stage for those working in the area of therapy and personal development, including coaches, psychologists, psychotherapists, counsellors and mental health professionals.

17

BUILDING INTUITIVE CONSCIOUSNESS

Nuts and Bolts of the Transpersonal Model Working with the transpersonal assumes that we have both ‘local’ and ‘non-local’ levels of consciousness or aspects of the self.

The ordinary local self is where we store our personality, our history, our attachments and our identities. It is based in the world of form, and it is from here that much of our practical living experience takes place.

The non-local self has at its heart an awakened consciousness and views life from that perspective. The world of the non-local self is a quiet, witnessing presence that communicates and speaks through insights, imagination, synchronicities and inspiration. On this journey, we work with both local and non-local levels of consciousness.

The Ordinary Local Self The ego, or ordinary local awareness, includes everything that belongs to our psychology – our thoughts, feelings, bodies and behaviour. This can at times be very clever and sophisticated, and our rational mind belongs to this kind of consciousness.

However, in the ego also lie our wounds, triggers, blind spots and traumas, which are often the focus of psychology and psychotherapy. As we work on our ego, we increase our emotional literacy and ‘psychological mindedness’. This is important to prevent the ego becoming distorted or blocking access to the higher intuitive level of consciousness.

Many of the obstructions and resistance to change will come from the ego. This is especially true when we feel that change is imposed on us, rather than being something that we believe we have chosen. Working with these resistances from across the threshold gently supports the development of the ego. Our non-local consciousness is less challenging and critical, and can provide insight with an embodied experience of how that change might feel.

Non-Local Self-Consciousness When we talk of changing our level of consciousness, or ‘crossing a threshold’ out of the ordinary ego awareness, we are describing a non-local level of self-consciousness. At its highest are states that are reached after years of disciplined spiritual practice. Such states are close to a numinous or spiritual self. The term ‘numinous’ is not a religious concept and does not require you to have a religious faith, and we use this word to describe an expanded level of being beyond the mundane, to capture the enormity of its power. The numinous refers to a transpersonal experience of the mystical or spiritual, and our natural connection to the divine. This is a level of consciousness that is integral to all transpersonal therapies.

The numinous level of consciousness is voiceless, formless and infinite. It is within us, beyond us, and connects us in a unified wholeness, invisibly uniting all humans as one. It is a place of peace, stillness and freedom from pain and suffering. When it comes to the formless terrain of the numinous, our language is often clumsy and inexact.

We do not have dialogue accurate enough to capture super-sensible perceptions.

18

B U I L D I N G A N E W C O N S C I O U S N E S S I N A R A P I D LY C H A N G I N G W O R L D

This is recognised by the Taoists, who describe the formless as nameless, or the Tao. In addition, many of the words used to describe the invisible formless universe have become controversial. This numinous realm has been described in countless ways, using terms such as Spirit, the Void, the Divine, the Source, Samadhi, Over-mind, One Mind, the Tao, Buddhahood, God or Allah. We encourage you to be creative, developing your own language and using your own words where ours may be inadequate for you.

Accessing vibrational levels as deep as the numinous in a way that becomes practically available on a daily basis is a complex task. Some of us attempt to do this through prayer; others seek to reach these states through meditation, or by spending time in nature.

However, not all our shifts in consciousness can be as close to that numinous experience, while also keeping a close connection to the ego. Rather, the task of much of this model is to explore the paradox of how to integrate the non-local into the local. The more we can actively bridge local and deep non-local levels of consciousness, the more we can practically use such wisdom to inform our life and decisions.

This brings us to what we call our ‘intuitive self ’. It is like a bridge, holding in perfect balance the tension between these two worlds: local and non-local, our ordinary and our numinous, earth and heaven. This intuitive self or Intuitive Consciousness is imbued in the numinous and holds a view of the ego self as if from the stars, which enables far more perspective and insight. It is also deeply interested and grounded in the world, and is available at all times as a practical and daily guide if we are only tranquil enough to listen.

It is the development of our Intuitive Consciousness that is most interesting to transpersonal facilitators, and how to use it practically to transform the ego. We are both numinous beings having a human experience and human beings having a numinous experience. Intuitive Consciousness does not rely simply on our rational thoughts or world of feelings, but has access to an intelligence imbued with the numinous, as well as being infinitely more expanded than everyday awareness.

The ego seeks to be safe, securely attached, loved and self-actualised in the world; the transpersonal Intuitive Consciousness seeks to live without attachment, or preferences, so that whatever is going on, the person is content and at peace with ‘what is’. It is across a threshold of consciousness that transformation of the ego will happen. From the perspective of our Intuitive Consciousness, we have greater wisdom to deal with our ordinary lives.

How to Read Each Stage In each stage we introduce the Numinous Realm (purple) and the qualities that support the work from the numinous level of consciousness. For example, in Stage 1 this quality is one of non-judgemental self-love. The purple cone represents the numinous realm.

As we open to the numinous, the influence of this purple cone deepens in colour until 19

BUILDING INTUITIVE CONSCIOUSNESS

it surrounds and imbues the whole of the green terrain.

There is a section that introduces the meta-skills or capacities to be developed in Intuitive Consciousness. The Greek word meta means ‘beyond’, so we use the term ‘meta-skills’ to describe capacities that are beyond the ego and across the threshold into higher forms of consciousness. This section is called Waymarks (yellow). For example, in Stage 1 the two meta-skills of Intuitive Consciousness are the power of compassion and dual awareness. Travelling along the yellow path of Intuitive Consciousness both enriches our daily life with the numinous and enables the numinous to be grounded in a practical way. The development of Intuitive Consciousness goes through a number of stages, with each stage building one or two capacities or meta-skills of Intuitive Consciousness that can support the crossing of the threshold when addressing issues of the ego of that stage. Examples of meta-skills include dual awareness, deep democracy, weather reporting, dispassion, gravitas and eldership. Each capacity builds on the previous one to take us on a continuum of awakened consciousness.

Finally there is a section that describes the ego or ordinary level of consciousness under the heading of Ordinary Terrain (green). For example, in Stage 1 the task of the ego is to work on scripts and stories, cultivating detachment. The ordinary terrain is coloured in green and is represented through a green cone. It includes all that belongs to our ego world of daily, practical and psychological awareness that can reach quite sophisticated and refined levels. This is seen in the colour of the green cone that refines and lightens as we travel along the path. The influence of the green terrain is strong initially, but pares away to a point as the ego lessens its grip.

Intimations of Intuitive Consciousness Have you ever experienced a time in which you felt an overwhelming sense of wellbeing; a state somehow beyond your ordinary self that flickers into focus and then disappears? These transitory states are likely to be intimations of what we call Intuitive Consciousness. It is like walking out on a misty morning and, in those moments when the mist clears, suddenly witnessing the tangible landscape, crystal clear in the morning light, before it is shrouded once again in the mist.

For most, this Intuitive Consciousness seems simply to arrive with us from outside. It may manifest itself as a sudden flash of intuition in a creative moment. It may appear as a voice, an image or a way of communicating that enters into the ordinary self as if from another reality. In that moment, it just appears, effortless and constant, like a good friend who simply turns up.

For some, it sounds like a still, wise voice from the heart that arises in us as a thought or insight; in other moments, it is present as a felt sense, or appears as images, uninfluenced by one-sided judgments and polarities. For most of us, intuitions arrive without any clear idea of how we got them, or how we connected with this level of Intuitive Consciousness.

Even trying to describe this in terms of our usual thoughts and feelings is challeng20

B U I L D I N G A N E W C O N S C I O U S N E S S I N A R A P I D LY C H A N G I N G W O R L D

ing. It is akin to visiting a completely different universe, where something inevitably and irrevocably changes inside us in terms of the normal laws of time and space. The ego no longer dominates our outlook. We will know that we have crossed this threshold when our inner experience becomes less personal and more compassionate. These capacities for Intuitive Consciousness are not in fact new, but point to deep esoteric wisdom and psychological knowledge that was always available.

There is much written about the development of the ego, from childhood to old age. However, far less is written about the developing capacity or meta-skills for Intuitive Consciousness. This is perhaps because we do not recognise that access to this higher consciousness can be trained in an intentional, systematic way.

The task of this work is to learn how to cross this threshold. We move intentionally out of a subjective experience dominated by the ego into a shift of consciousness, allowing the numinous to stream in.

Walking the path of Intuitive Consciousness teaches us to gently let go of the dominance of our ego’s perception of how we perceive the ordinary world. It teaches us how we can maintain an expanded and centred ground, even in the midst of busyness, worries or stress. By accessing our Intuitive Consciousness as a daily intentional practice, we will discover the magic of the inner journey and the power of our essential nature.

The first step is simply to start. The more we cross the threshold, the more we consolidate and deepen our capacity for expanded consciousness. This practice will become second nature to us and, in this way, we get to know experientially the subtle differences between our ordinary ego awareness and the ‘voice’ of Intuitive Consciousness.

21

BUILDING INTUITIVE CONSCIOUSNESS

Preparation for the Journey Becoming a Pilgrim

E

mbarking on any journey requires you to ‘learn the ropes’. As with any pilgrimage, the first stages are about acclimatising to the journey and discovering how it all works. Do not worry if there are moments where all the new terminology, maps and tasks feel overwhelming. After the first few stages, we develop a familiar rhythm, which creates a comforting framework and a safe container for the journey.

Awakening to Intuitive Consciousness is a journey that builds progressively stageby-stage, with signposts, or waymarks, that direct us towards all the capacities of Intuitive Consciousness. Each capacity builds on the previous one to take us on a continuum of awakened consciousness. Beginning with simple insights, we move to more complex inspirations and intuitions and finally into the depths of deep guidance and wisdom. The further we journey along the path, the greater will be our confidence in knowing and using this Intuitive Consciousness.

The capacities for Intuitive Consciousness are not in fact new, but point to deep esoteric wisdom and psychological knowledge that was always available. They are already there, waiting to be discovered once we embark on the journey. All we require is the willingness to step out, keeping our backpacks light by leaving behind all that is extraneous in our minds. This can be the hardest step of all! We develop the trust that our needs will be met once we commit to taking the first step.

The Map of the Inner Camino It might appear unwise to attempt to draw spatially an invisible, non-local experience.

However, we have found it helpful as a way of mapping our subjective inner life to give an overall sense of direction. Therefore, we have provided coloured visual representations of this path of consciousness through several diagrams, located on the inside of the front and back covers of the book.

We recommend that readers initially follow the path stage-by-stage. However, life is not linear and we never know what issues may arise, so we have created a map of the fourteen stages on the front inside cover that can be used as a quick reference to see where we are at any one moment. This can also be used retrospectively to identify which stage might be best suited to address any current situation. As we journey, we also become increasingly able to use the map to self-diagnose in terms of our personal growth. On the map are displayed the meta-skills of Intuitive Consciousness learned 22

P R E PA R AT I O N F O R T H E J O U R N E Y

at each stage. On the green side are the psychological skills and issues of the ego; on the purple side are the numinous qualities that can be used to support access to Intuitive Consciousness. These numinous qualities are eternal and will evoke very little resistance from the ego. For example, non-judgmental self-love can support the metaskills of compassion, and gratitude and appreciation support accessing the meta-skills of the heart gaze.

The coloured diagram of the cones on the back inside cover lists the central capacities or meta-skills for Intuitive Consciousness over the developmental journey. This is a waymarked path that has signposts to develop each capacity as we travel along. It forms the bridge between the two worlds of the ordinary terrain and the numinous realm.

The ordinary terrain is coloured in green, and is represented through a green cone.

It includes all that belongs to our ego world of daily, practical and psychological awareness that can reach quite sophisticated and refined levels. This is seen in the colour of the green cone that refines and lightens as we travel along the path. The influence of the green terrain is strong in the beginning, but pares away to a point as the ego lessens its grip.

The purple cone represents the numinous realm. As we open to the numinous, the influence of this purple cone deepens in colour until it surrounds and imbues the whole of the green terrain. Travelling along the yellow path of Intuitive Consciousness both enriches our daily lives with the numinous, and enables the numinous to be grounded in a practical way.

The inner camino starts in the foothills, where there is a certain amount of preparation to be done as we search for the first waymark. As with any journey, there are personal challenges to be met that may knock us momentarily off the path. When we cross the threshold in the first stage, we get our first experience of becoming unhooked from the ego. This in itself is a profound experience and once we get a taste for it, we can already transform our lives in unrecognisable ways. No matter how busy we are, or how dark life may appear, once we say ‘yes’ to this journey it will change our lives in extraordinary ways. Even the most mundane of daily living activities will become permeated with infinite possibilities.

Creating an Intention One interesting feature of the modern day pilgrimage is the idea of starting the journey with an intention. Every day of our lives can be a pilgrimage of consciousness. In order to do this, we bring an ever-increasing level of mindfulness to our daily living. The main intention of the inner camino is to awaken to the capacity for Intuitive Consciousness in order to tap into our greatest source of wisdom. The more conscious we make the intention, the greater the transformation.

The first thing to do in order to connect with our Intuitive Consciousness is to ask.

Some faith traditions talk of asking and it will be given to us; knocking on the door and it will be opened. Yet asking is what many of us find the hardest to do. Indeed, we may 23

BUILDING INTUITIVE CONSCIOUSNESS

not know how to ask or create appropriate intentions. We are often too busy with distractions and confusions, or forget totally that we can ask and we will receive. Creating an intention is the step of asking, and believing that we will be answered is the journey.

However, as we embark on the journey, we may wish to keep in mind a number of smaller goals to support ourselves along the way. Some of us might want to invoke a sense of trust that we will be guided in this process, and not get too easily discouraged.

Still others might choose more practical goals, such as setting aside a time each day in order to do the work.

Each one of us will have different reasons for wanting to engage with, and expand our access to higher or Intuitive Consciousness. For some of us, life might be relatively smooth, and finding space for this inner journey is easy. At other times we may be struggling with strong emotions, which constantly challenge and invade our sense of inner peace. Building Intuitive Consciousness brings us all onto the same path. It involves a commitment to be willing to drop old habitual ways of perception, even in our darkest moments. It demands an openness to connect with our biggest life intentions, and not to get mesmerized by the content and storyline of any one particular event, however gripping or intense feelings may be in those moments.

It is not that our ordinary lives are unimportant, or that we must disconnect from our feelings. Rather, once we follow the waymarks on the path of the Intuitive Consciousness we will gain far greater perspective. Through walking this path, we are at the very least engaging on a journey towards increased self-knowledge and self-awareness.

This journey demands being fully in the here and now. There is no point regretting the past, for that is over, and no point worrying about the future, for that is dependant on the present moment.

Connecting with Intuitive Consciousness, and being utterly in the moment, is the most powerful way to find an inner sense of centre and peace.

The Waymarks On any Camino, there are always options and possibilities to take detours, or even to stop, rest or turn back; this journey is no different. Some of us, as we travel along, will gain psychological insights that address childhood wounds or resolve relationship issues. For others, the priority might be deepening contact with their numinous potential.

At the start of each stage, we outline the main aims for that part of the journey.

We describe the increasing availability of the numinous through specific aspects and virtues, and the decreasing influence of the ordinary terrain. We also name the 24

P R E PA R AT I O N F O R T H E J O U R N E Y

capacities of Intuitive Consciousness to be mastered in that particular stage. As our ‘fitness’ builds and we become more adept at accessing our Intuitive Consciousness, we will begin to travel along more gracefully.

25