Assessing your Psychic Health

How well is your soul? How clear is your psychic field? What does that even mean and why does it matter?

Following on from the last two posts about our entangled humanity and mapping the unseen landscape; here I shall cover some of the fundamentals of soul health which is useful knowledge for all human beings but especially useful if you wish to be of service at these troubled and treacherous times.

If we are in an inevitably tangled web not just with other humans but with all Life, then what does it really mean to tend to your own psychic health. Rooted in the worldview that we are paradoxically and simultaneously an individual while being at one and the same time ONE with all things; it is not enough to simply move through the world boundary less and without a sense of self. To do would leave you wide open to exploitation and burn out.

So we need to cultivate a sense of self that is in balance with the collective and shared self; in an ideal world we would be so strong and confident in our sense of self that we wouldn't need to defend or protect ourselves from a place of fear; boundaries instead become mutable, flexible yet present. It may confuse some to think that service comes from a strong and healthy sense of self; surely service is about being self less?

The reality is that self less service without a sense of boundaries and where you yourself begin and end is martyrdom, self sacrifice to your detriment, not helpful, people pleasing, codependency. And we all know, deep down, that people pleasing pleases no one.

Do you think that people who are intensely self centred and narcissistic have a strong sense of self? Actually, no, they do not. A healthy sense of self does not need to centre itself or take things personally; nor does it need to take credit or seek accolades or adoration. A healthy sense of self is humble without the humiliation.

Bearing in mind the challenges to a strong sense of self posed by the dynamics described in previous posts (you can go to Home and see previous posts if you missed them) - it remains to be said that this process of healing; of mending what is torn and untangling what is tangled, is part of the process of defining the self and of self knowledge.

The flaw and fallacy of our modern world is that we are taught that the healing journey is an individual one; that we can and must heal ourselves alone (in fact it is a billion dollar industry so... quite hard to break the patterns that reinforce it).

Without a sense of self there is no boundaries and we are open to unhealthy attachments both in the human and the More than Human realms. How do we know when we have an Unseen attachment (sometimes referred to as an entity or possession?) but I shall hold a more plural space of interpretation incase people reading this don't believe in possessing entities; forms, collective thoughts, shared delusions, collective moods, latent toxic energies in land and place... you might need to find your own way to understanding what I am talking about.

Just as we form human bonds often from a place of unresolved trauma then so too are the unresolved forces of the Unseen attracted to our wounds. Now, this sounds terrifying but it is not intended to scare you - it is a statement of a reality that I have come to respect - it is not bad or good, it just IS. And when we accept a reality then we work consciously with it rather than being a victim of it.

Much like human attachments once we become aware that they are unhealthy we can become grateful for the teaching, the lesson of where we have work yet to do, thank you for the mirror that shows an open wound. The same can be said for the more than human realms; thank you for the insight that I have this wound; may it be healed, may we be healed.

Just like human connections too those that are forged in True Love are much stronger and more resilient than the brittle and toxic ones forged in fear; once we wake up to them that is. So, just as in the human realms we need to surround ourselves with kin and allies so we do in the More than Human realms.

And in my personal experience the More than Human is really keen for us to call in and ask for collaboration! The forms of protection in the More than Human is myriad; whether you find yourself drawn to wise ancestors, angels, guardians, the prophets and saints, the spirit of trees or water or mountains; whatever you find yourself drawn to that nourishes you and uplifts you - forge and nurture a relationship with That. They are kin and allies that will help you find and maintain those mutable but strong, flexible but holy boundaries of who you really are.

And in the event of a loss of psychic health; an attachment, a collective mood or lie that permeates and starts to drain you; the first port of call is always going to be to call on your allies and kin to step up and hold you - both human and more than human. This is what Community is.

I had an experience a few years ago that has stayed with me; it was a boring mundane evening and I was just lying on my bed thinking about what parts I needed to buy to fix the broken boiler at this customers house. After no small amount of time ruminating on this question I had a sudden realisation that I am not a plumber. I have no idea how to fix a boiler and I certainly wouldn't know what parts to buy.

These were not my thoughts. They were just drifting through the ether. Now, these were of course harmless thoughts in and of themselves but they were super instructive. What was helpful was that they were so alien to me that I was able to objectively recognise them as not mine. But how many thoughts do we entertain daily, weekly... over the long arc of a lifetime... that are not actually ours?

There is no such thing, entirely, as a discrete and individual mind. We are all awash with the collective mind; and in and of itself this is not a BAD thing. Just very very useful to remember and to take action to address.

Time spent in healing, knowing oneself... draws us ever closer to knowing the One. Ultimately at the core and at the furthest reaches simultaneously, of the collective mind, there is Unity but the human mind refracts it through the lens of our personal and collective experience into its many colours. Such is the miracle and mystery of being human.

So a strong sense of self has a relationship with the One Self in whatever form makes sense to you. A healthy psychic space is boundaried, clear and conscious of what comes and goes from it. The defining characteristic of a healthy psychic space is "engaged neutrality" (not disassociated indifference, engaged neutrality). Strong feelings and emotions are welcome, can be experienced and let go. The moral integrity of the Being is intact, clear in conscience, open to information without fearful of judgement.

When a deep and dark mood descends suddenly; or a fear grips, or thoughts race or resentments set in... these are clues that the psychic health needs some attention. What has entered your field? What is undermining your boundaries? Where have you abandoned yourself? Take stock and take action.

For me this includes practicing good boundaries and honest communication; saying No when I mean No and Yes when I mean Yes; without self recrimination for other people's feelings about that. striving to be authentic in every situation rather than performative, dropping masks. Accepting and loving myself in my imperfection. Allowing others to be flawed and human without trying to correct or fix them; focusing on my own responsibilities and keeping a clear conscience. This is all a practice and personally I use the 12 steps to do that I do highly recommend.

But I also need my Unseen kin and protectors so I talk with them regularly and ask for their holding and guidance. I cleanse myself in cold water and with smoke, I offer song and lament to the rivers and lie face down on large stones. I try to be prayerful about what I consume and conscious of what I take in - food yes but also media and where I get my information from.

A work in progress am I but I share this not to say how brilliant I am but rather what I have learned as I have recovered from being a boundary less codependent who heard voices and saw things other people didn't see; who felt and heard the cries of the dispossessed dead wherever I went; who used substances to shut down my psychic field to quieten the Noise. And although I am a long way from perfect, today I move through this world with a modicum of peace and I lever the access I have to the Unseen information for the betterment of the planet, in my small ways.

So I share this as a mutual journey of awareness because these qualities and knowledge is what we need at these times.

How do we allow the cosmos to permeate us so we are not detached and aloof to the sorrows of the world; while retaining enough sanity to live and act in integrity? Together, is the answer, and with Great Love.