Our inner experience often feels like a tug of war as various streams of thought battle for attention and try to take charge of our words and actions. Some are thoughts coming from the conditioned mind. These thoughts are based on the body and emotions and their needs. They lower our vibrations and weaken our connection to Creative Intelligence. Plato would say they keep us chained to the wall of the cave. They make up the part of the mind referred to as the ego or ‘Lower Self’.

In contrast, we also have thoughts which strengthen our connection to CI and assist our spiritual growth. They come from the part of the mind referred to as the ‘Higher Self’ which is, in effect, the voice of Spirit speaking through us. We’re coming from our Higher Selves when we’re thinking, speaking and acting from a consciousness of pure love and peace. Living from the Higher Self is living to our highest potential. We approach every challenge in a positive and loving way and our energy spreads out like ripples in a pond, influencing the people around us and, over time, making our contribution to a better world.

77 We Are Individual Expressions Of The Whole

The first step in living from the Higher Self is to remember that we all have the same Source and the same life spirit dwelling in us. Although we are part of the one organising intelligence, through the ego we have the ability to see ourselves as separate and believe that we are so.

We are individualised expressions of the whole, like musical notes contributing to a perfect composition, and just as a single note does not embody the whole work, the work cannot be complete without every note. In other words, the universe would not be the same without you. It would be incomplete.

78 How Interconnected Are We?

Even in practical terms, our lives are so interconnected that the idea of a totally autonomous self makes no sense. If you doubt this, consider how many people it takes for you to have a shower. (No, this is not a joke along the lines of, ‘How many economists does it take to turn on a light bulb?’)

When you have an answer, turn to the next page.

The answer is, in all probability, millions. When you add together all those who built the reservoir, laid the pipes, designed and built your water heater, mined and smelted the metals that made the components, generated the electricity or supplied the gas, wood or coal, designed and built the shower and the tub, laid the drains, and planned, built and operate the water treatment facility, you have already counted several hundred thousand. And that’s before you include those who manage the rivers and canals, built the dams and weirs, and the legion of managers, planners and administrators who supervise the process. And what about those who grew the rubber trees and produced the rubber for the washers …

You see, even taking a shower can involve several million people! And that’s not counting the animals, insects, micro-organisms, fish and birds affected …

79 Are You God? Yes I Am! Oh No You’re Not!

Knowing that they are part of the One Mind that some call God, and wanting their followers to realise this too, some spiritual leader make the mistake of claiming that they are God. Typical is this statement made by a well-known Indian guru:

Let’s examine this claim. God is a name for the organising intelligence that flows through the universe. It is the omnipresent spiritual substance out of which everything is formed. Hence it is correct to say, ‘I am a son or daughter of God,’ or ‘God is within me.’ But God you’re not, and neither are they.