What is blocking the True Self?
The main blocks to the True Self are ego defenses, chronic tension and disconnection from the body, and low-vibration emotions.
From a psychological point of view, ego defenses are psychological mechanisms individuals use to cope with anxiety, stress, and discomfort. These defenses can be unconsciously used to block access to one's true self and prevent us from understanding our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Sigmund Freud, the founder of psychoanalysis, has identified several ego defenses. These include denial, repression, distrust, blaming, projecting, minimization, and rationalization.
In a spiritual context, ego defenses are barriers to the True Self. They reflect a disconnect from inner wisdom and higher awareness. Spiritual teachings often attribute negative thinking, self-centered behaviors, and limiting beliefs to the ego. Individuals who rely on their ego to defend themselves may get stuck in thinking patterns and behaviors that keep them from accessing more profound aspects of the Self and Universe.
Denial is an ego defense that prevents us from admitting uncomfortable or painful truths or situations about ourselves. Denial can block acknowledging uncomfortable or painful truths about us or our spiritual and emotional conditions. Denying the problem may prevent us from accessing our true selves and making changes that will lead to Self-Lead and purposeful life.
Repression is a form of ego defense that blocks access to our true selves. It does this by pushing out unconscious feelings, thoughts, and memories from conscious awareness. For example, a person who has experienced childhood trauma may repress that trauma's memories. As a result, the trauma experience prevents them from accessing information about their experiences and themselves. In addition, repression can create tension and stress within the body, further blocking access to one's true self.
Distrust can prevent us from connecting to others, causing a struggle to express our inner feelings and experiences, leading to isolation and disconnection. A lack of confidence in oneself or inner wisdom can also cause distrust.
The ego defenses of projection and blaming can keep us from accepting responsibility for our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. People who blame others or project their flaws on others may be unable to identify and address deeper issues contributing to their difficulties. These defenses may also cause a feeling of separation from others, further blocking access to the True Self.
Minimization and rationalization can be ego defenses that prevent people from acknowledging their true thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Individuals who minimize their actions or give false explanations of their behavior may be unable to see the truth beneath their defenses. As a result, it can stop people from changing for the better and gaining access to their true selves.
Chronic muscular tension, chronic pains, and a disconnection from the physical body are all symptoms of more profound disconnection. These physical symptoms are often caused by emotional and psychological stress. They can also be the result of negative thought patterns and trauma. They can stop us from being our true selves. Chronic muscular tension, chronic pain, and disconnection from the body are all ways in which psychological and spiritual perspectives can be impacted by chronic muscular tension and chronic body pain.
Chronic muscle tension can be a physical sign of emotional or psychological stress. Stress can cause our muscles to hold tension, causing pain and discomfort. In addition, chronic muscular tension may indicate chronic anxiety or fear, making it challenging to connect to our intuition and innermost being and access our full potential.
Chronic Body Pains can be physical manifestations of unprocessed traumas, negative thought patterns, or chronic stresses. These pains can make it difficult to engage in life fully and deepen the disconnection we feel from our true selves. On a psychological level, chronic pains in the body can be a sign of unresolved emotional or psychological pain.
We can also lose touch with our emotions, intuition, and a sense of purpose when we disconnect from our bodies. A disconnection from the body is a state of being in which we are not fully present with our physical bodies is called disconnection. Several factors, such as trauma, negative self-talk, or chronic stress, can cause a loss of connection to the body. On a psychological level, a disconnection from the body can signify dissociation or avoidance, making accessing our genuine emotions and innermost self difficult and leading to a loss of intuition, a sense of purpose, and the ability to engage fully in life.
In a spiritual context, chronic muscle tension, chronic pain in the body, and disconnection from the body are all signs of disconnection from one's True Self. Chronic tension in the body and chronic pain can stop us from embodying ourselves fully and block the flow of energy and vitality. We can experience more joy, peace, and fulfillment by addressing physical symptoms spiritually. Emotional and physical trauma can contribute to chronic muscle tension, chronic pains in the body, and a disconnection from the body. Traumatic experiences may become embedded in the body and manifest as physical symptoms. These symptoms reflect the emotional impact of the trauma. Trauma can trigger the body's stress reaction, which can cause chronic muscle tension, chronic pains, and a disconnection with the body.
Bessel van der Kolk's "The Body Keeps the Score" states that trauma can lead to chronic muscle tension and pain in the body through a "somatic memory" process. The body can remember emotions and past experiences through physical sensations of tension and pain. These sensations may be a physical memory of the anxiety and fear that the victim felt during the abuse. As a result, the body can retain physical phenomena associated with a traumatic event even after it has passed, thus causing muscle tension, unexplained chronic pains, and a disowning of the body. Disconnection from the body can also be caused by trauma. The body will disconnect itself from physical sensations when a traumatic episode occurs, protecting a child from being overwhelmed by the pain and humiliation they cannot understand and process. In addition, chronic disconnection from the body can prevent us from fully engaging with our bodies and physical environments.
The low vibrational feelings, such as guilt, shame, apathy, and grief, can create a veil that obscures the innermost self. These feelings result from disconnection, separation, and a negative self-perception. As a result, they can keep us from experiencing our deeper selves.
David Hawkins, an American psychiatrist, and researcher, developed a model for human consciousness based on levels or states. This model was called the Levels of Consciousness, or "Map of Consciousness," It outlines various stages of spiritual and personal development using muscle testing techniques. It measures awareness levels according to a range from below 20 to 1,000. Hawkins says the lower levels that vibrate at 20 -175 frequency are shame, guilt, apathy, grief, fear, desire, anger, and pride. Self-esteem for people at these levels is deeply affected, and they can be in a state of clinical depression. Being at this level can indicate being on the emotional brink or showing indifference to life. The people at these levels can experience emotional numbness, disconnection, and disengagement from meaningful interactions and pursuits. They can also experience feelings of loss and painful longing for things they cannot have. Strong desires and cravings drive people. They are focused on satisfying their basic needs and wants. At this level, people tend to become more materialistic and consumerism. Many become stuck in their past and are unable to move forward. Fear has taken over at this level. People can be anxious, paranoid, and reactive. Their emotions drive their behavior and lead them into an endless cycle of depression and anxiety. Many can consistently experience aggression and confrontation, driven by feelings or injustices or the desire to dominate others. Important note: all feelings are natural and healthy if they are experienced congruent to the situation and appropriately processed and channeled.
Descriptions of the negative impacts of painful emotions below applied to displaced feelings caused by trauma reactions, by holding on to painful emotions, lack of discharge, or inappropriate release.
Shame is an overwhelming feeling of embarrassment and humiliation that can make us hide our true selves from others. Shame can result from feeling unworthy, flawed, and irreparably damaged in any other way. Shame can prevent us from embracing our true nature, cause low self-esteem and depression, and lead to anxiety.
Guilt is the feeling of regret or remorse for something we did wrong. Guilt can make us feel stuck in the past and stop us from moving on. In a spiritual context, guilt can arise when we think we have violated a moral code or spiritual value. Psychologically, guilt can cause feelings of self-punishment, self-sabotage, and negative self-talk, which can stop us from reaching our full potential.
Apathy is the feeling of disinterest or indifference. It can make us feel disconnected from ourselves and our environment. Apathy can signify spiritual bankruptcy when we lose our connection to our innermost selves and a sense of purpose. It can also prevent us from reaching our full potential. Apathy may lead to boredom, laziness, and lack of motivation, making accessing and materializing our true passions difficult.
Grief is healthy and necessary, but if feelings of sadness or loss are prolonged and intense, it can keep us from fully experiencing life. Spiritually, grief can also result from attachment to material things or relationships. It can also prevent us from experiencing the eternal parts of ourselves, cause helplessness and despair, and disconnect from our resilience and strength.
Fear is an anxiety or apprehension that comes from the unknown. It can stop us from trying new things and taking risks. Spiritually, fear can arise when we feel disconnected from ourselves and our trust in the Universe. Fear can cause paralysis of will, avoidance, and panic, preventing us from finding our courage and resilience. Desire is a feeling of longing for or craving something outside ourselves. It can keep us from feeling the joy and contentment we deserve. Spiritually, desire can result from attachment to external validation or material possessions. As a result, it can keep us from experiencing our inner peace and happiness and cause feelings of emptiness and dissatisfaction. It can also lead to addictions and keep us from finding our true purpose.
Anger is characterized by frustration or irritation that arises when we do not receive what we want or expect. It can keep us from feeling the compassion and empathy we feel when in inner peace. Spiritually, anger is a sign that we have disconnected ourselves from our innermost selves and our compassion and love. It can also prevent us from reaching our full potential of forgiveness and healing.
When we are in pride, we experience an inflated sense of self and consider ourselves more important than others. At the level of pride, people tend to become arrogant and self-absorbed. In addition, they may become overtly narcissistic and seek recognition and validation for themselves at the expense of others. When the validation is not received, it can lead to deep, in many cases subconscious, emotional suffering, as pride's flip side is a low sense of self.
References: Lowen, A. "Bioenergetics." (adapted diagram)
van der Kolk, B. "Body Keeps the Score."
Hawkins, D. "Letting Go: The Pathway of Surrender."
Hawkins, D. "Transcending the Levels of Consciousness: The stairway to Enlightenment."