Usage of the term vibration throughout this post is referring to what is called sympathetic vibration or resonance. The terms vibration and frequency has now become a larger part of our everyday conversations. In the minds of most, the terms are an interchangeable concept. While there is a time when distinguishing them can be paramount, for the point of this discussion, the two are synonymous. As many of us may remember, these terms were once foreign to our common daily dialogue. The usage of such, as a concept of spiritual principle or practical daily application would have been laughed off as some New Age rhetoric, a form of occultist/paranormal expression, or just plain nonsense. In some cases, it still is. However, as science becomes more astute in measuring evidence of the “unseen” and religion becomes more focused on practical wisdom rather than hiding behind the masks of mysterious truths, written in an incomprehensible language that requires an interpreter and disseminated by a chosen few, we learn that there is more to this ideal than the discovery of the next best secret or fanciful marketing schemes. It is a truth that urges each of us to take a closer look at who we are, to investigate the power that each of us holds and how we are choosing to use that power.

Let’s talk about the terms occult and paranormal for just a moment. I do not want to digress too much, but I do think that it is important to examine these concepts a little closer. Both terms, in the not so distant past, has been purported to represent something evil or bad and those perceptions could not be farther from the truth. Occult simply means that which is/has been hidden and paranormal, in this sense, means outside the range of average experience. As we continue to grow and evolve, our thinking begins to expand and many things that were once hidden or taboo become more visible and available for exploration and understanding and they lose their unfavorable and mislabeled classifications. Much of what was once beyond scientific explanation can now be measured and explained. It may be important to keep in mind that every one of us has a subjective view of our reality. This subjective factor is innate in our beingness and is the framework our experiences in the physical plane. However, our ability to share in the objective reality without prejudice, judgment and ulterior motive is of critical importance; it is the pivotal element that can enhance perceptual growth or stagnation. Many of us were taught differently about these subjects than what I have described above. We were taught to be afraid, to stay away from such things and therefore, some of us may feel challenged when approaching these views. Leaders in our communities, including our parents and grandparents, teachers, neighbors, etc., have said, “you should stay away from such things, it is dangerous, it will only bring you harm. It is not of GOD.” Oftentimes, due to our conditioning we may feel that we are abandoning the structures of our religious or spiritual beliefs if we try to remain open to anything pertaining to these ideas, when in fact we are not. This however is not an uncommon response. Although there is nothing bewitching about either of these words (occult or paranormal), the proselytization of fear-based notions has lead many of us to avoid and misconstrue their association and usage. All the religions of the world have elements within them that are not easily understood, aspects that seem beyond explanation or are just simply strange to us, but those factors alone do not establish a premise for what is bad or evil.

Metaphysics offers us a deeper understanding of what is meant by higher vibration. We use these terms loosely, but what we are essentially saying is higher consciousness. It is describing an expressed ability to tap into or resonate with a larger awareness than our present understanding. Higher Vibration could also be viewed as a concept of walking by faith or living faithfully. Faith is not a blind wish or a state of wanting. The bible’s definition of faith is “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen.” In other words, it is choosing to perceive beyond what the world would have you to believe. It is an unshakable knowingness that grounds the spirit in comfort. Therefore as you choose the higher truth (substance of things hoped for), you will be comforted by an unshakable knowingness (evidence). Life is such a divine manifestation and we are just beginning to wake up to the smaller miracles of whom we truly are. We are more than just a body or a personal identity walking around looking for jobs, mates, houses, and nice cars. Those things are simply survival mode tools, features that enhance our learning process. Material desires are what we believe we need in order to feel as if we are a part of the game. It is the way that we validate that we are doing something productive… that our lives mean something, but we are so much more than that! The light shineth in the darkness, but the darkness comprehendeth it not.” (John 1:5) This is my favorite scripture in the bible. It speaks to my soul! It says to me that humanity has a nature that is dualistic in its functionality in the material plane, but also has an innate ability to harmonize those opposing natures, transcending them both and expressing something much greater. It says that we are so much more than we realize.

There is a masculine (positive/light/spiritual/yang) and a feminine (negative/dark/physical/yin) nature in all of man, regardless of our gender. All living things are made up of electromagnetic energy (light/sound waves) and our bodies are no exception. There is a series of charges going on at various levels all the time. There is a constant communication going on between all living things (all consciousness) at all times, although we may not be aware of it. This electromagnetic frequency is sending waves of consciousness, much like a radio into the ethers, and bumping up against various receivers to communicate a message. Just as our breathing is involuntary, so is our projection of consciousness. For example, whenever we are around others there is an immediate energetic response that precedes verbal communication and translates as either attraction (resonance) or repulsion (dissonance). Even if the attraction is weak, it is still a form of attraction. There are times when we may meet someone and we think that we aren’t feeling anything, maybe we think, “I could care less either way.” Well, the truth is, there is an attraction. It is a very weak one, but it is present. When there is repulsion, it is clear. You may be unable to explain why you feel a sense of repulsion, but you will know something is amiss. Have you ever been around someone and for some reason you felt like you just could not stand the sight of them and you don’t even know them? Or have you met someone and you felt “abnormally” close to them, something beyond a general liking of someone that you just met or do not know? Well, that is due to vibrational resonance or dissonance. At that point it is so strong that it awakens something within your awareness and draws your attention to it. According to David Woodruff Smith in his presentation of Husserl’s (the father of Phenomenology) reflective study of consciousness, “we are normally living through a flow of sensory experience that includes and synthesize visual, auditory, tactile, olfactory, gustatory, and kinesthetic sensations.” In other words, our awareness is enhanced by a continuum of sensations (sight, hearing, touch, smell, taste, and movement) expressed either independently or codependently. These senses are simply tools that can be used to experience our beingness, whether those experiences are by conscious or unconscious choice.

I must reiterate here that the notion of a higher vibration is nothing new, but consciously “choosing” a higher vibration is more recent for the mainstream populace. Quite similarly, a Monk/Yogi/Shaman, etc., who is applying the principles of meditation is not breathing for the first time. Breathing is an unconscious, involuntary function. However, to enter a state of meditation (generally, but there are exceptions) one must “choose” a specific rhythm of breathing, mostly diaphragmatic in nature, which focuses on the mechanics of that function. Do you see the difference?

What I am inviting you to examine in this post is how to live more consciously. I am inviting you to examine how you can become a more conscious participator in your life; thus creating a happier you. You may be asking, “Well, how do I start?” You simply want to be more aware of your thoughts. You must decide to observe their path of development. Basically, you are deciding to become a coach and a player, a director and an actor. You will now become a spectator and a participator in your own life. You cannot always control your thoughts, but you can control how you deal with them. You are already a part of this process. You have all the tools you need to do this. You are capable. I am merely asking you to take a more direct role in the planning/strategic process. Choosing a higher vibration is to make a choice that allows consciousness to be a very present attribute in your personal awareness of daily life; it is getting the nutrients out of every moment life has to offer. As I have already stated, we choose a vibration or state of mind in every moment and many times we are unaware of it. Oftentimes, we choose a higher awareness or experience and do not recognize that is what we are doing. For instance, what do you suppose people are doing when they are preparing for something? They are psyching themselves, right? If you want to listen to Jazz on your radio what do you do? You “tune in” to the Jazz station, right? Same thing here, when you psyche yourself, you are attuning to a more compatible frequency. Before executives go into a board room they collect their data and review their information… When a speaker is scheduled to go onto the stage or an artist on the floor to show an exhibit… Before players go onto a field or court, they all do some form of preparation. This psyching/hyping process is nothing more than a vibrational shift (a shift in consciousness) that will attune their minds with what the body is about to experience. They are “choosing” to be a part of a larger awareness or to be present in every way to the probability of experiences that are before them.

What was just shared is an example of positives, but what about the lesser vibrations, what about when we choose the negatives? There are times when we are preparing for the negative, although we may not intend to. The process for shifting consciousness is the same movement towards the positive as it is towards the negative, the difference is intentionality. If we find that we are collapsing on the negative, a closer look may reveal that many times we have resigned from that moment. Resigned? Yes, resigned. There are moments when we turn the steering of our lifewheel over to our fears and that fear becomes the driver. Fear is the absence of love, just as darkness is the absence of light. You could call love light and fear darkness. When we are in the dark, we cannot see clearly and objects lose their shape. So in a sense, our objectives lose their shape within the realms of consciousness when fear rises up and impairs our vision. If you simplify any negative, much like you would a fraction; it will reduce itself in the lowest form, to fear. We have all found ourselves in that place (angry, resentful, anxious, or just plain scared), at some point or another. Think back, do you remember a time when you were up for a promotion or maybe you were about to take a test… what about getting ready to perform or play in a game… and you expected worse? Maybe there was a time when you were confronted with or came across some information about a significant other or a good friend that didn’t look too good on first impression and instead of preparing for good things and clearing your head, you chose a lesser vibration and waited for the sky to fall. How many times have we fed the negatives, although we may not have had all the data; yet we decided to run with it, creating chaos for ourselves? We have all found ourselves in that space at some point or another and in those moments, if we are honest, we realize that we did not always make the best possible choices. Let’s reflect on the scenario below. Try and put yourself in Frederick’s shoes. How do you think you would have reacted? What do you think your perception might have been?

There was a gentleman (Frederick) who was up for a promotion; it was between him and two other gentlemen (Stephen and John). Frederick was the firm’s first choice. There was really no comparison. It was a highly intense position and one of the critical components to the firm’s decision was to choose someone who worked very well under pressure. It was an imperative attribute of the Closer. Other attributes that were prerequisites was tenure, attendance, leadership quality, and charisma. Frederick was the full package and had been doing very well over the years in preparing himself for this opportunity. However, privately, Frederick had felt for a while now that he had been overlooked and was shorted several times on his career path. He saw one of the partners of the firm speaking to one of the other guys (John) who was also up for the promotion. They were laughing and schmoozing. Frederick felt that he was inevitably going to be overlooked again and although he didn’t realize it, his attitude began to change, not on the outside but on the inside. He was not doing anything per se, but his vibe was off. He was a little tense and not his usual positive and in control self and the partners started to notice it. The job belonged to Frederick, without question. As the weeks passed, there was concern that Frederick could not handle the pressure of this highly intensive position, but the partners continued to give him time to calibrate whatever was going on with him because they had been considering him for the past year and were sure that they made a good, solid decision. After about a month the partners felt a need to revisit their original decision and eventually chose someone else (John). They decided that Frederick needed more time to mature in the area of “holding it together under pressure.” Frederick took the blow really hard and felt convicted in his perceptions that the firm had already decided on John when he saw him and one of the partners talking awhile back. He resigned about a year later, always feeling that he never got his due. He never knew how wrong he was. He never realized that he created the result of a lost opportunity by collapsing on the lesser vibration. His first choice was to begin his opportunity in a state of disbelief. Secondly, he fed his insecurities with the illusion that the job already belonged to someone else. His fears emanated a lack of control and focus, which ultimately sealed his fate. There are times when we unintentionally choose a lesser vibration simply because we fail to choose a higher one and there are other times when we consciously choose to feed the negatives. Fear is [f]alse [e]vidence [a]ppearing [r]eal. In those moments we are placing more value on rejecting the possibilities based on the perceived limitations than we are to opening ourselves to the limitless possibilities.

From my observation, the citizens of this world has fallen victim to the negatives due to the propagation of dogmatic paradigms, our embrace of those paradigms as a static truth and what they represent for each of us. We tend to shy away from anything that is opposing the so-called good. Our first reaction when dealing with a negative attribute is to stop it because it does not feel good or is unsettling to our spirit. Yet, until we can face these aspects of ourselves we will always be a doormat whenever they decide to show up on the porch of our lives. Many of us, who believe in a higher power or supreme being/beings, were slighted in our training of dealing with such things. Our religions took everything that was negative, lumped it into one category, called it evil and directed us to stay away from it. Miseducation or the lack thereof is not education. Ignorance is a breeding ground for fear. Ignorance is a lack of knowledge or an intentional choice to remain closed to the possibilities. When someone lacks knowledge they are said to be in the dark. When we are in the dark we cannot understand and when we do not understand we become afraid and sense a need to protect ourselves. Negatives are in our realm of consciousness as flags/pointers, to show us what needs to be healed or pruned in our spirit to inspire life to come forth. However, as I mentioned before, many of us have been conditioned to think a certain way and therefore, are accustomed to an auto-responsive reaction (so to speak) when dealing with the negatives aspects of our beingness. We must learn to recognize the negatives for what they are so that they can serve us rather than harm us.

Resentment, false pride (arrogance), greed, etc., are all fear-based expressions. Upon further examination, we see that all of these attributes are really our emotional body exposing our fears of scarcity/lack. When we experience any fear based emotion we believe that we are subjected to what someone or something has done, is doing, or can do to us. Let’s look at another scenario. A husband and wife are supposed to have dinner at 8:00 PM. The husband doesn’t come home until 10:00 PM. The dinner is now cold and she is livid. Why is she angry? She’s angry because there is a sense of scarcity, a loss of control, balance, and/or power. When they initially agreed to have dinner, she believed that they both valued their time together, the connection. When he didn’t show up with an excuse that she felt was justifiable and deserving of a bye, she felt a sense of loss (of control/ power), lesser valued in the relationship. Now you may want to romanticize this in your mind and say, “no, she was hurt because she loves him and she was just disappointed.” Remember we are looking to peel back the layers and look at the simplest form of expression. We are interested in the root cause not the symptoms. The symptoms are merely locaters for the real issue. So yes, that could be part of it, but that’s only the surface experience, her upset represents something much deeper. For most of us, these are the moments when we would blame one another and maybe talk it through for the point of getting the other person to see what they need to change. The higher truth of this moment is that each of them should be looking at themselves, not one another. Every relationship, before we evolve to higher thinking, is a bartering arrangement. We give of ourselves because we believe that the other person will give us what we want or need in return. It’s the traditional dance of give and take. Now the percentage of power and balance differs for every couple. For some there is a grave disparity, for healthier relationships, it’s more equal. I am saying couple, but this is true for any relational dynamic. Now you may not want to accept this, but it’s true. Another good point to make here is this; the person that holds the least value in the relationship or asserts the lesser value, will dominate it. The one who is holding on the tightest will be the one to compromise the majority of the time. Now this power dynamic is temporal and it is not true power in a constructive sense, but it what most of us experience in our relationships. We need to move away from these negatives in our relationships. We must stop the manipulation, power play, guilt tactics, vengeful responses, and blame games. You are not winning we you resort to these types of behaviors. We only entertain such things because there is something absent in our spirit. In our scenario, the wife could possibly feel one of many emotions. She could feel anger, disappointment, vulnerability, disregard, or unimportance. Regardless of what emotion her reaction categorically translates to, at the core, she experienced a feeling of scarcity/lack. She invested something (time, work, money, love, etc.) and did not receive a return of equal or greater value. The dinner was bringing her some form of validation. It could be his love for her, his value of her gift of dinner, a sense of status as a wife or girlfriend, etc. Regardless of why she thought she was doing it, the return on the dinner was truly about her inner being. Now I realize I just stepped on somebody’s toes again, but this is real talk. I have to give it to you straight without a chaser. Our entire lives have been diluted so that we can tolerate the taste of this or that. You would not be here if you wanted me to give it to you fruity. If you are reading this post you are ready for something deeper, even if you do not fully understand or agree with what I am saying. Now, if you are wondering why I did not speak on the husband’s actions, it is because the point that I am trying to stress here is about how to go beneath the surface and truly identify what is going on within the self. This scenario helps us to consider how our own inner truth presents itself within our relationships as a signpost directing us look within ourselves for reflection and growth. We cannot control what other people do, but we can control how we respond to it. We (many of us) move through life under the belief that we are looking for our better half or our other half, someone that can complete us. What about working on ourselves and healing first? What about becoming whole and then look to partner with someone who is also whole? We go into relationships with expectations and plans and generally the truth of our agenda is hidden from our own awareness. The most popular belief is that this person makes me happy, but what you are truly saying is this person is helping me to fill my void. No one can make you happy or unhappy, but you. If you are happy with someone it is because you have chosen to place value on what they have brought to the table as an exchange of interests. When you operate from that place, unfortunately there will come a time when they are no longer doing what you need and you will question whether the relationship is working. However, if you are utilizing that relationship as a means of inner reflection and growth; there you have truly begun to fill that void. The truth is we are not going to find anyone external of ourselves to bring us happiness. Only you can create that for yourself. Our relationships are only mirrors, acting as doorways to our inner selves. If you treat them as the answer, your question will forever be unanswered.

In times of old, acquiring wisdom was looked upon as a long and arduous, sometimes even elite process, but now we are discovering that the breadcrumbs of knowledge around us has a purpose beyond the obvious and is leading us somewhere greater. We must simply be willing to see it. Everything around us is vibrating life and invites us to look deeper. GOD/Source/Creator, whatever it is that you may call our Heavenly Father/Mother… that “I AM,” that beingness is “in” everything! I am not saying that the trees, the animals, the rocks, etc., are GOD, I am saying that GOD IS WITHIN IT! Just like GOD is within you! Now, you may be saying, “GOD is not within me, GOD is in Heaven” because you have been conditioned to believe that you are separate from the great I AM. However, if you are Muslim or Christian this is in your scripture (Luke 17:21). It says, “Nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is within you.” If the kingdom of God is within you, so must that great presence be within you. Many people have asked me, “is your belief that the universe is GOD.” My answer is consistently, “No, but GOD is within it. The universe, in my humble opinion, is a system that allows beingness to express/manifest certain experiences. I view the universe very similarly to how I view the internet. It is a system of storing, exchanging, and sharing information and other systems. It allows the interactive process to be. If you know what questions to ask or the phrasing of words to search, you can retrieve information about almost anything. Similarly, when we show the universe that we are ready for more by applying (vibrating) higher ideals, in return, we are then offered an opportunity to expand on and enhance our experiences. Let’s look at a few versus in the bible that illustrates this concept. Under the Christian doctrine (Matthew 7:7-8) there is a verse that says, “7Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” What is significant about this verse is that Ysho’a (Jesus) is telling you, in every way possible, that you draw to you what you “choose.” He is saying, “Let our father know when you have decided that you are ready for what is next and in return you will be welcomed to it (to a higher awareness). He is essentially saying, “tune” in, hold the vision for your hearts desires and “act” on it, knowing that you will not be denied. No one is denying you, but you must “ask.” No one can consider you for a particular job, if you don’t apply. No one is aware that you are outside and would like to come in, unless you knock. Therefore knock, when you are ready to enter.

Many people are conditioned to believe that they are evil, sinful people. They believe that their lives should be full of repentance and they are afraid to “choose” something higher because they believe that they will be denied. Some think, “I cannot choose. I must take what GOD gave me. I am just a sinner. I am unworthy.” Ysho’a (Jesus) addresses that type of thinking in the second part of this section (Matthew 7:9-12) says, 9″Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! 12So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets. What was really said there? The relationship between you and the Creator was given so plainly. He essentially challenges your thinking by saying; does it make any sense to think that our father would deny you anything? That is your father, he would not do that! Which of you is greater as a parent? If you think you are evil, sinful, or bad and still you can love your children, what then, is your father capable of? Ysho’a closes by reiterating the golden rule, do unto others as you would have them do unto you. He is saying that this principle/law is the most “important” for you to know (SO IN EVERYTHING… for, this sums up the law and the prophets). Most times it is stated, “This is the law of the prophets.” Here he made a point to separate them (the law and the prophets). Ysho’a (Jesus) is sharing an immanent function of the universe/life, by telling you this is “how” you create your experiences. He is explaining whatever you sow, whatever you feed, will grow.

In this moment I am reminded of an old Cherokee legend that speaks of this same principle, it also summarizes the dualistic nature of man that I spoke of earlier, quite nicely.

An old Cherokee is teaching his grandson about life. “A fight is going on inside me,” he said to the boy. “It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil – he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.” He continued, “The other is good – he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside you – and inside every other person, too.”
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, “Which wolf will win?” The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.”

We are now daring to look at the “mechanics” of what we were doing and why. The “how/why” does not denigrate the foundations that we have long held to be true. It simply breaks down the use and application more effectively. We have become amnesiac to the fact that we have always had a choice, although some of those choices may be uncomfortable, the fact remains that the choice is there. We are awakening to the power that is within us, the power that we have forgotten. We approach this power in various ways. We may not recognize it as choosing a higher vibration or awareness. We may not realize that we are “tapping” into anything. Is it possible that we’ve become so accustomed to the miracles in our life that we have begun to overlook our own personal power? Is it possible that we might view the miracles in our life as less than mystical or find them less attractive because we understand the mechanics of such a thing? Are we only intrigued by the unattainable? Is the element of non-elitism mundane and boring to us?

Embrace the miracles in your life. Consider the map left by those who walked before us, but keep in mind that those routes are simply possibilities on our journeys. If you want to know how the people of today’s bible/Qur’an/Torah/Sutras/Vedas etc., are living you would need to observe your neighborhoods and the systems that you are a part of. What are you creating today? How will those who follow you 2,000 years from now find your story helpful in their walk? How can you create success today? You could choose to collapse on the higher vibration. I use the expression higher to illustrate a degree of expansiveness, to emphasize that we are not moving away from the foundations of our beliefs; instead we are expanding our knowledge or relationship to its root. Truth is multidimensional, it is not static. Truth doesn’t change, but the application or expression thereof can infinitely expand; allowing the experiential phenomena of that truth to manifest differently. Certain levels or expressions of truth can seem contradictory or incomplete when the attainment of the fundamental building blocks that are required to comprehend the full spectrum of those principles, are absent. When someone is successful in a particular field of study, essentially what they have done is consistently increased his/her understanding of the greater reality within that industry. They were “tuned in,” continuously choosing a higher vibration/awareness/truth and the universe in response enhanced their experience by attracting more like-minded possibilities, offering an opportunity to create a greater reality. Don’t be put off by the mechanics of the greater truth. A miracle/blessing’s value isn’t lessened because you understand how it works. This is the basic argument made by religious leaders and scientist. Science and Religion do not disagree; man’s interpretation is what stands in opposition. When one expects life to express itself as fixed in nature; there lies the problem. Life is best understood and grasped when it is thought of as a breathing, evolving aspect of beingness. Expect things to change and shift. Be open to trust your inner truth. Know that it is not necessary to have all the answers up front, but when the opportunity presents itself, you will have the insight that you need to make a conscious choice. Remember not every experience will be pleasant, but it will be fruitful, if you are open to accepting that life seeks to give you what you need. Although, what that is may surpass your understanding in that moment.