In virtually all ancient wisdom teachings we find some form of teaching on the need to attain non-attachment to desire. This can be one of the most complicated teachings on the path and is a place where many can find themselves in murky waters as they navigate the balance between being spiritual and being human at the same time. Often the soaring heights of spiritual detachment can be alluring as it appears to take us up and away from all the woes, trials, pain and down-right annoyances of earthly life.
So what is the difference between non-attachment and detachment via spiritual bypassing?
Spiritual bypassing can happen when one claims to be asserting or exercising a more advanced spiritual principle, such as being non-attached to a situation or person, when in fact they are only disconnecting and denying or repressing a human distortion within themselves that is roused by the person or situation. One area where this problem surfaces often is with our emotions and our responses to them.
An example of spiritual-bypassing could be the statement, “I am above anger, I am only capable of love”.
Well, if you’ve ever read any Bible stories you might remember the story of Jesus and the money changers at the Temple.
As a true spiritual master Jesus was displaying the destructive power of Source to wipe out illusion or force acting as divine power to restore balance.
All emotions have their proper place in the journey of our humanness To assert we are above anger would be to deny a part of our human experience. This would be an example of using spiritual bypassing to rationalize and distance ourselves from our human shadow self which lurks right under the surface. We might in fact be afraid of our own latent anger and avoid conflict at all costs, meaning we do not hold healthy boundaries in the name of being “peaceful.” Disempowering self is not what the enlightened self would choose.This is NOT an expression of divine power.
When we are in the divine flow we have learned to express any emotion (there is not good or bad emotion) as energy in motion, without attachment or charge. We simply let it pass through us as a form of expression that is appropriate via our Source impulse at that moment. There is no such thing as this is always bad or this always good. That is dualism. Spirit moves at will, according to its own will and we either allow ourselves to be a conduit or we block it.
Another method of spiritual bypass can come in the form of rational or mental justifications for our responses to these uncomfortable triggers. This could look something like, “He is clearly just stupid and wrong based on his clearly bad actions, so it is smart and right, and even “spiritually or morally superior”, that I judge him accordingly. Look at what he did! I am justified in my response.”
This tricky area can sneak up on us in an instant, particularly as we perceive the world through a particular wound, blind spot or distorted view about self. Sometimes these distorted lenses are referred to as imprints and they exist as imbalanced electromagnetic fields or spots within your energy field. They are living energy fields and can be difficult to perceive or feel, let alone remove, hence the term blind spot.
Many of these imprints are brought with us from lifetime to lifetime as we fail to learn the lesson and resolve the energetic distortion or imbalance they contain.
Another example could be the energetic imprint of low self-esteem. Sometimes a person’s self-loathing can be very deeply hidden in the unconscious or subconscious part of the mind and so this “blind spot” or imprint is difficult to get ahold of with clarity. This is why the universe as it works in a 3rd dimensional separation matrix acts like a mirror to make certain we have to see and deal with these fragmented imprints.
When we repress parts of ourselves because we deem them unacceptable, these lurking shadow fragments will become projections that we cast onto others. This can unfold in any number of ways, but most often you will feel negatively charged, i.e. angered, annoyed, repulsed, self-righteous etc., by someone who personifies your shadow. You will feel repelled by them, think them an awful or stupid person or even be very angry or hate them for their irrational or idiotic behavior. (Beware your self-righteous hatred of certain politicians as an example…remember the enemy is always within you!)
If this appears you can be reasonably assured that you have projected your own shadow onto another and they are doing you the favor of playing this drama out in front of your eyes in the external world. The universe does this not to annoy or punish you, but to give you an opportunity to learn from and take a look at what is happening within so you can grow beyond it.
Often times these things can be karmic or carried over from past lives, but not always.
All of these sorts of mirror experiences are about the soul learning and growing on its perpetual journey of evolution and self-liberation from the illusions of separation consciousness.
Embrace the Experience; Resist the Experience. Your choice.
Many blessings on your journey,
Elaine Marie Rose
PLEASE NOTE: Universal ©Copyright is authorized here. Please distribute freely as long as the author and website www.elainemarierose.com are included as the resource, no changes are made to the content and this information is distributed on a non-commercial no charge basis