Michael Channeling from 1/5/2011 POF Concerning the 3rd/4th IM of Fragment XXX

[Excerpt from Michael Speaks: Internal Monads]
 
[MEntity] The successful completion of Birth is indicated by “staying alive.” For the most part, this is marked by good health. If a body dies before the age of 3, it did not successfully complete the Birth Monad.

[Excerpt from a private session on January 15, 2015]
 
Question: What remaining issues need to be addressed in order to close out the Fourth Internal Monad?
 
MEntity:
There are almost always two elements that remain "floating" that extend this Internal Monad when one is "so close" to successful closure. These elements are part of the entire point of the Internal Monad. The elements related to the shedding of imprinting can come surprisingly easier than these final two. And those elements are: BE YOURSELF, and LIKE YOURSELF.
 
These can sometimes be quite elusive. Just when one feels he or she is making strides, and actually liking the self, something challenges this notion and then you may find yourself angry, frustrated, berating yourself, blaming someone, distracted with defense, etc.
 
The ultimate shift that comes after allowing oneself to BE oneself, and LIKING oneself, is that you lose all defense. You no longer react. No longer defend.
 
We are not speaking in terms of responding to legitimate attack or harm. Defense is not a "bad thing" in and of itself.
 
What we speak of here is retreat, recoiling, lashing out, resigning, helplessness, paralyzation, as a means of reaction to feeling threatened, with or without valid threat The "good news" is that this defense comes up BECAUSE you like yourself. So half of the battle is already won. The other half of the battle is when one realizes: there is no need for a battle at all.
 
You can like yourself on your worst days. You can be yourself even when it is the farthest from what you would prefer yourself to be. Because ALL of it is you. There is no one pushing you to be something you are not. No one defining you anymore. Only you, your thoughts, feelings, actions, reactions, and responses. If you overreact, feel frustrated, angry, then THAT is who you are. If you feel hurt, upset, depressed, then THAT is who you are. If you feel blissful, enthusiastic, playful, then THAT is who you are. None of it is ever NOT who you are.
 
And when that spectrum of who you are is embraced, the defenses drop because "who you are" is no longer seen as being "caused" by someone else's behavior or actions. Keep in mind that one can BE who one is without LIKING who one is. And one can LIKE who one is without BEING who one is. For example, you may not like who you are in some contexts and situations, but you can BE who you are. This helps you to own who you are, which helps to return you to liking yourself. Or, you may find that you are able to LIKE yourself, but worry that you are not Being yourself. This is okay, too, because liking yourself helps you to learn to be even more than you thought you were. So Being and Liking are not mutually exclusive or inherently fused.
 
### end of excerpt
You can discuss this content in Dawn's blog entry. See 4th IM Update.

September 12, 2010
Troy Tolley, Channel
Internal Monads
 
[MEntity]
Hello to each of you. We are here. We can begin now.
 
We have been asked to speak about the processes we have named “The 7 Internal Monads.” We can define “Monad” in many ways, but here we will describe it as “the natural process toward wholeness,” or “the structure provided for two parts of a whole to eventually manifest even greater than the sum of those parts.” A Monad will always have two parts that are vital to the whole, but are eventually resolved, or comprehended, so that those two parts ARE the whole, and not divided.
 
There are Internal and External Monads: the External Monads are variations on relationships between fragments; whereas Internal Monads are variations on relationships with the self, or within the self. These Monads are ALWAYS about “manifesting,” or generating a material counterpart as representation for that structure, process, and eventual wholeness. The External Monads are obvious in that they deal with the space and time between two incarnated fragments, but the Internal Monads are not often understood as having physical/manifested counterparts or representations, because they are often more abstract. However, these Internal Monads’ physical/manifested counterparts are THE LIFE, ITSELF. As we describe each Monad, this may become more clarified and obvious.
 
The 7 Internal Monads are processed and manifested by the Personalities across lifetimes, and these processes and manifestations then contribute to the higher processes of the Essence that must complete a set of 7 Internal Monads for each Level of each Soul Age. In every lifetime, the Personality starts “from scratch” in initiating and taking on these Internal Monads, but the Essence retains the benefit of each Personality’s effort and does not have to start from scratch. Therefore, in any given lifetime, the Essence may be at the 4th Internal Monad, while the current Personality is in the 3rd Internal Monad, for instance. If that same Personality progresses to successfully process the 5th Internal Monad, then it progresses the Essence closer to completion of that particular Soul Level. If it helps one to differentiate between the Essence process of these, and the Personality process, it could be said that the Essence integrates Internal Monads, and the Personality contributes to that by processing as many of the 7 “Rites of Passages” as possible within a lifetime. “Internal Monads” and “Rites of Passages” are rather interchangeable here, but to make it easier to understand, this differentiation may help.
 
It is rare that any Personality completes all 7 Internal Monads, or Rites of Passages within one lifetime. Even if a Personality lives to 80 years old, he or she may still have not completed any Rite of Passage beyond the 2nd, or 3rd, for instance. Using a very simple analogy: Imagine that the successful completion of a Rite of Passage is akin to a Personality filling a basket for Essence. Let us use Oranges as that which must fill the baskets. Personality One within a Soul Age Level will begin the process by fulfilling the First Rite of Passage in being successfully born. This fills the first basket of oranges for Essence. Personality One is also able to process Rite of Passages Two and Three, filling two more baskets with Oranges collected. Personality One takes on the beginning of the Fourth Rite of Passage and begins putting Oranges in the basket for Essence, but never really gets past this Rite of Passage, even though she lives to 90. She will remain locked in a mindset, behavior dynamic, and local perspective that is akin to having never evolved beyond a 30-something year old, despite her physical age.
 
Personality One dies, and Essence now moves that row of baskets out of the way, sets up a new row of baskets for Personality Two, and Personality Two now begins his or her process of gathering Oranges for those baskets. Even though the new Personality must start from scratch in filling the baskets, it is easier now that there is precedence and experience that the new Personality would have access to, if open to Essence. In short, there must be AT LEAST one Personality/incarnation that can fill all the baskets successfully within one lifetime as a means to move Essence on to the next Level of Soul Age.
 
In some rare instances when an Essence moves from one Soul Age Level into the next Level within the same lifetime, then that Personality not only filled the baskets enough to allow for Essence to move to the next Level, but now that there is a new Level, the Personality actually starts again from scratch in filling the baskets relevant to that new Level. This is similar to living “two lifetimes in one.” We say that it is similar, but it is not literal, though often it actually does appear to be a distinct line that defines that transition and then the lifetime seems to be divided into two very different lives. When this happens, the Personality will go through a kind of psycho-emotional “death” as its completion of 7 Internal Monads, and then a kind of psycho-emotional “birth” as it begins the next Level.
 
There are 7 Rites of Passages/Internal Monads, and we will briefly describe each now. Each Internal Monad has 7 Stages within it. Each Stage has a Positive and Negative Pole. Every process through an Internal Monad will mean entering the Negative Pole, then exiting from the Positive Pole for each Stage. This means that a “successful” Internal Monad would be completing the 7th Stage in the Positive Pole, leaving the entire Monad in the Positive Pole. In keeping with the baskets of oranges analogy, a Negative Pole would simply be an unfilled basket.
 
The 7 Internal Monads are: Birth, Autonomy, Independence, Manifestation, Recreation, Comprehension, and Death.
 
These may be called by different names through our various channels, but the basic information should remain consistent. Although each Rite of Passage is associated with various time frames represented by the ages of the Body, they are not specifically tied to those time frames. Different cultures and different societies and different Body Types will affect how the process of these Passages go. For certain cultures where life spans are only 20 years, vs other cultures where a lifespan may be 100 years, one can see how the Monads may play out differently. Those cultures and societies where life is more condensed tend to attract those who are working through Infant, Baby, and Young Levels, whereas Late Young, Mature and Older Souls tend toward cultures, societies, and bodies that emphasize length of life. We include in these differentiations the reference to “society” because social constructs, even within the same culture, may emphasize life at different paces, and thus have different time frames relative to the Passages.
 
That being said, in general: Birth is obviously at Birth, where Autonomy is usually relative to the individual taking his or her first steps, and Independence is relative to an individual separating his or her identity and primary resources from the influences of his or her caretakers (parents); Manifestation is relative to an individual returning to a sense of innocence and personal meaning about the self and life; Recreation is relative to an individual freeing himself or herself from the momentum of “purpose” and shifts into an emphasis on “enjoying life,” or re-creating it; Comprehension is relative to the onset of whatever will end the life, and the individual’s ability to come to terms with his or her mortality; and Death, of course, is exiting the Physical Plane.
 
Many of our students presume that Birth and Death are Internal Monads that are a given, but that is not accurate. The successful completion of Birth is indicated by “staying alive.” For the most part, this is marked by good health. If a body dies before the age of 3, it did not successfully complete the Birth Monad. The successful completion of Death is indicated by the impact one’s death has on those who remain physical. If those who remain are left devastated, deeply attached, and profoundly tied to the physical version of oneself, then one has not successfully “died.” The death, itself, is only the beginning, and the stages involved are done post-death, by working with those still incarnated in processing their grief.
 
Completing all 7 Rites of Passage within a single lifetime takes practice, effort, and commitment to an extent that is often not available or an inclination of every Personality, so an Essence will remain within a single Level of Soul Age as long as it takes. Within a lifetime where the Personality does not complete an early Rite of Passage, such as, say, the 3rd Internal Monad of Independence, it means that this person has left that Internal Monad paused in the Negative Pole, and every Internal Monad attempted beyond that will be locked in the Negative Pole, as well. Using the baskets of oranges as an analogy, it would mean that no matter how hard that Personality tries to fill baskets 4, 5, and 6, they will only be able to fill them to the extent that basket 3 is filled. In cases such as this, which are not uncommon, it is possible to “go back” and fill the unfilled basket, or to complete the 3rd Internal Monad, freeing up the capacity to complete the next. This would mean, even if the Personality is in her 50s, that she can work through her issues related to Independence, self-reliance, and her relationships with Authority, as a means to then work on her 4th Internal Monad, and so on. In short, it is a valid and relevant statement that “it is never too late to have a happy childhood,” as an example for completing incomplete Passages.
 
We wish to point out here that while our teaching can be understood and made useful at any age, it is not until the successful completion of the 4th Internal Monad that the full extent of its application can be comprehended. This is why you see so few fellow students among you, or even that you see so few interested in our teaching, in general; it is simply not very interesting or truly applicable to those who “do not know themselves.” This is not a judgment, but a matter of fact. For this teaching to have its full effect, one must be awake, and most who have not completed the 4th Internal Monad are still in some degree, if not completely, asleep. By “asleep” and “awake,” we simply mean the spectrum between self-absorption and self-awareness. Self-absorption, or being asleep, is marked by a preoccupation with the self, such as through defensiveness, self-indulgence, presentation, brooding, consuming, etc. And self-awareness, or being awake, is marked by, for example, valued sensitivity, right intuition, concentric compassion, enthusiastic curiosity, a kind presence, patient resonance to others, and no defenses or shields. Those are examples, but there are others, of course.
 
We have covered Birth and Death in terms of successful or unsuccessful completion, and we will now quickly describe the other 5 Internal Monads in terms of the same.
 
The 2nd Rite of Passage, which is Autonomy and is initiated by the capacity to walk on one’s own, is often tied to one’s sense of Confidence. To the degree that one is Confident is the degree to which this Internal Monad was completed. When we speak of “confidence” here, we are not speaking in terms of your being able to speak well in front of a crowd, but in terms how willing one is in trying anything at all that is unfamiliar. This is not a matter of trying what one has no interest in trying, but in anything unfamiliar to you that you may have even the slightest interest in trying. This would extend into even those areas one must do for oneself because it is known that it is Good Work, even when one does not want to do them. For instance, going to an interview for a job that is important to you, even as you hate the interview process. A successful 2nd Internal Monad would mean that you do it anyway, even as you acknowledge the discomfort. That is Confidence in this context. An unsuccessful completion of a 2nd Internal Monad is often marked by classic Co-dependence, the inability to do much of anything without a reference to someone else. It is the inability to walk on one’s own. We do not refer to those who have physical disabilities, but anyone, regardless of mobility.
 
The 3rd Rite of Passage, which is Independence, is initiated by the process of separation of identity from one’s caretakers, and establishing the self as its own authority. The successful completion of the 3rd Internal Monad is marked by the capacity to provide for oneself. Providing for oneself does not mean isolating oneself as the only resource, but would include knowing when to ask for help, and how to receive that. The unsuccessful completion of this Internal Monad is marked by either having constant combat with anyone suggesting Authority, and/or resigning from the responsibility of caring for oneself.
 
The 4th Internal Monad, or Rite of Passage, which is Manifestation, is initiated by one’s mid-life assessment as a means to determine the meaning of the life lived so far, and then calibrating the life to an updated course or path so that Essence may manifest. Part of that process and assessment means looking into the past as far back as childhood, and in that looking, finding all of the things that you determined have defined you, made you happy, that have fulfilled you as a child or teen, and then nurturing that same innocence in your life as an adult. A successful completion means truly liking who you are, and embracing the playfulness of your life as you move deeper into it as an embodiment of your Essence, or core Being. An incompleted 4th Internal Monad is often marked by an attempt to replicate the life that was once seen as so innocent, locking the person into a state that desperately seeks meaning, importance, and purpose.
 
The 5th Internal Monad of Recreation is marked by a realization of relief from the need for purpose, meaning, and importance, but finds the emphasis being upon those little things that make the life worth living (on your terms). The life is literally “re-created” in a way that is a new paradigm, free from the burdens of navigation and direction, but entirely embracing of wandering, coasting, and “enjoying the view,” so to speak. The successful completion would often show up as a new enthusiasm for a layer of life that was once cluttered and clouded by over-eagerness and over-anticipation. There is a softness to the life in a way that was never experienced before, and a true joy in many things that would otherwise be dismissed. An incompleted 5th Rite of Passage might show up as bitterness, regret, anger, resentment, and disgust, sometimes concluding that life has no meaning or point, and therefore condemning anyone or anything to pointlessness and meaninglessness.
 
And finally, the 6th Rite of Passage, Comprehension, is marked by the onset of that which will be the cause of death. This is the only Rite of Passage that can most-often be processed in a matter of seconds. A successful completion would show up as a surrender to the reality of mortality, and a full review of the life in a way that brings comprehension to the fact that one has lived and one is now dying. This can happen in a car crash, or in a long-term illness, etc. Time takes on a completely new dimension in this Passage. The incomplete Internal Monad here would show up as anything representing a rejection of mortality, ranging between resignation, apathy, to delusion, dementia, and denial. In instances such as a car crash, the individual may actually “re-live” the entire life in new ways that account for corrections of betrayals, missed opportunities, etc. before actually exiting. That experience can be a means of review, or as a means of denial.
 
We will conclude here, then, in speaking about the 7 Internal Monads, and open the floor to the first 5 questions, due to time constraints.
 
****QUEUE IS OPEN**** We will respond to further questions after this transcript is posted in your “TLE FORUMS.”
 
[Geraldine] Michael. I still don’t understand how the “two lifetimes in one” works. If a Personality has to go through all 6 IMs in the same incarnation in order to reach the 7th — How does one get all six of those “oranges” in the basket by age 40 in order to do an early 7th? (such as AnnH). Or my son-in-law Brian Fisher who went through this by age 30. Especially since neither one would have been considered “all in positive poles” at those ages. How would one work with “those still incarnated in processing their grief,” if there is no grief? Would one’s concurrents processing IMs help since we all started our incarnations at the same Soul Level?
 
[MEntity]
We did not elaborate fully into the “two lifetimes in one”, or the transiting of Soul Levels within a lifetime, because we had elaborated on this in other transcripts. However, we will try to clarify again here. If an Essence has 5 or more baskets full, so to speak, upon creating a new Personality, then that Personality is only tasked with the potential to fill those remaining baskets. However, to get to those baskets 5, 6, and 7, for example, the body and Personality must still fill baskets 1 through 4 in its own way in order to even get to the 5th basket. After baskets 1-4 have been filled multiple times by multiple Personalities over multiple lifetimes, then each subsequent lifetime/Personality has a potentially easier time fulfilling those same baskets.
 
Although there are physical counterparts to each Monad, which is often associated with age time frames, we have also pointed out that they are not tied to those age time frames. Beyond the factors of culture and society as influences, we can also say that one’s PSYCHOLOGICAL process is just as physical a counterpart as one’s physical aging. Therefore, when one is transiting a Level within a lifetime, that Personality can quickly (by age standards) be Born, Walk, Gain Independence, Manifest Essence, and then begin the Recreation process, all by the end of one’s teen age years. This is because while there are certain physical cues that are tied to the Passages, there are also Psychological cues, and these are just as, if not more, vital than the more obvious Physical cues. This means that rather than having a physical retirement/recreation due to age, it happens due to psyche, and rather than physically dying due to accident, illness, or suicide, there is a psychological “death” that then moves through a “birthing” process. Those who transit a Level within a lifetime are now throwing off the usual cues that one can more obviously see in terms of one “growing up,” so these Personalities can often seem more complicated, difficult, and lacking significant maturing processes that another person might show. They do not necessarily appear to be any wiser or more together than any other, and more often, actually, appear not to be particularly wise, and often quite scattered. This is because the psyche is not only developing at a different pace from the body, but by the time the body is older, then the psyche is reborn again in a way that is quite disorienting. This complex process is why this kind of transition is rare, except in Older Souls. Once the fragment in transition has filled the 7 baskets, then the life is marked with a new set of baskets to begin filling, which are rarely ever filled beyond the 4th basket in those kinds of lifetimes.
 
[Maureen] What “happens” in between IMs – for example: Having successfully completed the 4th IM – one could whiz into the 5th or take a decade – If it takes a decade is it like being on a plateau or is it a mix between the 2 IMs ??
 
[MEntity] While one is “in” a Passage, there is a definite sense that there is living to do. When one is “between” Passages, there is a definite sense that there is work to do. We are using the term “living” here to describe the experience of submersion into the life that often feels like being underwater, then coming up for air, over and over. We use the term “work” here to describe the experience of finally being on land and moving your way over territories of relevance and meaning. For instance, during the 3rd Internal Monad, there may be waves of great angst, rebellion, and constant inner turmoil, mixed with homesickness, deep gratitude, and a sense of self emerging as one breaks away from the influences of parents. Upon completion of that Monad, then the business of income, maintaining an apartment, paying bills, etc., then comes into focus. It might be more appealing to describe the differences between being In and Between Monads as “living” and “learning,” as what was lived through the Passage is now put into practice before the next Passage.
 
[Oscar] Hello Michael. Could you please elaborate a little about how exactly Body Type can affect the process?
 
[MEntity] Active Body Types, such as Saturnine, Mercurial, Martial, and Solar tend to process Internal Monads “faster” than the Passive Body Types of Lunar, Jovial, and Venusian. The Active/Positive Body Types of Saturn and Solar being the “fastest” while the Passive/Negative of Lunar being the “slowest.” We speak of these in terms of “pure” Body Types, so it is wise to keep in mind that there are no “pure” Body Types, all having a mix of other energies, and influences. The reason for their “speed” of processing a Passage is relative to the Primary Glandular System that regulates experiences for that Body. For instance, the Anterior Pituitary and the Thymus tend to help the body process experiences far more “quickly” than that of the Pancreatic system. This is because the Anterior Pituitary, for instance, is a stimulus for all other glandular systems, and the Thymus regulates the overall health/immunity of all systems, so their being the primary influence is powerful in these Passages. Whereas the Pancreas is insular in its processes, even though they do ultimately affect the entire system. It is that insularity of the process of consumption and production of fuel that contributes to the slower processing of experiences for the body.
 
[Karine] How can you “predict” when someone will enter a monad? For example, you told me that you think I will begin my 4th internal monad near the end of 2012. Do Essences plan in advance during the course of a life when a personality will enter the next monad?
 
[MEntity] We can only see the same things that you can see in terms of Passages, though we may be able to see it more clearly. So when we can see a time frame for completion of a Monad, using the analogy of the baskets, we are basing this on how full the basket is, and the pace at which you have been filling it. We can then extrapolate from there. The same could be said for those that are slated to begin. We can look at the previous Passage and the factors that went into entering it, filling the basket, and exiting it, and how much time was spent between other Passages, proportionally speaking. That being said, yes, Essence will anticipate a time frame that “looks good” for entering a Passage, and we can see those notes, if they are there. In the end, whether we use calculations, or the notes in your records from Essence, it will always be the Personality that decides whether and when to enter into a Passage. So we may be very far off in our information in the end.
 
[Bobby] In your presentation of the 7th IM, there seems to be far more to it than I realized. For instance, I didn’t realize that to transit it in the positive pole, if those left behind grieved terribly over your passing it could keep you from completing it in the positive. I had an aunt who lost a son and never seemed to get over it. Would that be an appropriate example of him finishing his 7th IM in the negative pole? Joey Williams was his name by the way, if that helps.
 
[MEntity]
It is not so much in the depth of the grieving, but in the length of time in grieving, and yes, to the extent that one has not helped to prepare loved ones and friends for one’s death, and to the extent that one lacks the ability to comfort those “left behind,” then the 7th Internal Monad is not completed. There will always be at least one lifetime/Personality who dies within a Level in a way that those who remain physical will fully grasp that that Personality had a full life, and that death was embraced without surprise or regret or terror.
 
Because death is so difficult for even the oldest of souls to experience, it takes only one lifetime for this to happen as a means for the Level to be transitioned. And if one ponders the 7 Passages for a moment, it may become more obvious that one who has moved through each in a Positive Pole, may have generated a life and network of relationships that more easily comes to terms with that death. That is not to say that even the most successful of 7th Internal Monads would leave no one grieving. Grief is natural and important, and is a process of accepting a profound truth that replaces a previous truth. In the case of the fragment you mentioned as an example, we think that fragment is still working on completing that Monad, and remains in the process of support for the one who is grieving. Some fragments choose to remain in that process “as long as it takes.”
 
We will conclude here. Good evening to each of you.

This material from a private session was posted on January 17, 2013.
 
[Bobby] Last month, when I asked if I had completed my 4th IM or not, you responded with "we do not think it is completed. When issues of self-as-resource, or self-confidence, are cleared up, we think there may be rapid movement toward closure."  Are the issues of "self-as-resource" and/or "self-confidence" unresolved 3rd IM issues that are holding up the 4th IM?  What specifically am I doing or not doing that is keeping me from completing the current IM?
 
[MEntity]
The only reason you have not completed this Internal Monad is because you are not finished. It is not that you were blocking or delaying or dropping the efforts. It is, simply, occurring at your particular pace. There have been ebbs and flows of effort and retreat, but no interest in closing this without completion.
 
What you are doing that is helping to contribute to the completion is the taking of responsibility for your self as a resource. The definition of "resource" has come to change over time, and the range of value has expanded to include tangible and intangible contribution and sharing.
 
[Bobby]
How exactly is it determined that it is ever completed then?
 
Since this is a personality based IM, I would think there would be certain markers one could go by.
 
[MEntity] It makes a difference if you contribute criticism, badgering, bickering, dismissal, distance, or if you contribute kindness, patience, laughter, playfulness, intimacy, ideas, creativity, and sanctuary. Those "things" count as much as any dollar, if not more. Though all contributions will have their importance for specific effects (you cannot pay rent with laughter, for instance), they are still beneficial resources that must, eventually, be appreciated.
 
[Bobby] I see.  So currently then the contributions are still weighted a little more to that negative end of the spectrum then?
 
[MEntity]
For most, the markers for completion of the 4th Internal Monad might be:
 
One begins to appreciate one's innocence and the innocence of others, and drops the constant necessity for destructive criticism. [For me, I think this was the key]
 
One begins to like oneself, and others, from a gentler stance that does not require defense.
 
One no longer "hides."
 
[Bobby] What would be an example of a way that I still "hide"?
 
[MEntity]
One feels as if there is a stable return to participation, contribution, and creation of the life.
 
One tends to find that the life is flexible and adaptable, instead of fixed by any conclusions at any given time.
 
We are speaking about markers for all who complete this Internal Monad, not specific to you.
 
However, in terms of "hiding," this can be quite literal in that one avoids interaction with the life, or a complete indulgence in the life, so as not to truly be responsible for the life.
 
Or, for the older soul, this can be much more subtle, such as contorting the self to match the expectations of others and to avoid "rocking the boat," or dealing with conflict, or hiding through the presumption that others contort to one's own expectations.
 
In your case, we think your pattern was to "hide" in terms of retreat into the self to avoid conflicts or disappointment.
 
Eventually, the completion of the 4th Internal Monad comes with a realization that disappointment is not the same thing as definition, and conflict is not the same thing as needing to be right or to win.
 
[Bobby]
The "to avoid conflicts" though seems to run counter to accepting another's innocence.  I balance: do I allow them to be testy and nasty or do I fight back when challenged.
 
I think I do a LOT less of the latter, now, but there is still some of that to some degree.
 
[MEntity]
The balance is simple in philosophy, but not always so simple in application. That balance is through lack of defense.
 
If you feel yourself getting heated and reactionary, you are in a state of defense.
 
If you find yourself disengaged and dismissive, you are in a state of defense.
 
[Bobby] Ok, I'll keep on working on it.  I have the rest of this lifetime to finish it, if need be 🙂
 
### end of excerpt
 
You may discuss this content in the original post. See How does one determine completion of 4th IM.

OMW - Mar 5, 2011 - Choice Vs Circumstances
 
Troy Tolley, Michael Channel
 
MEntity:
Hello to all of you. We are here. We understand that we have been asked to discuss the sometimes-confusing subject of Choice, and how this may or may not conflict with the subject of Circumstances.
 
First we will discuss the concept of Choice: this concept has been discussed to a great extent in our body of information, but much of the concept has been discussed in terms of its foundation, and not its "structure," so to speak.
 
Choice is the most-powerful and immediate tool any consciousness has, and all forms of consciousness have Choice.
 
That is an example of a foundational statement.
 
This is a factual statement.
 
But what is built upon that is often inaccurate and misleading.
 
That fact that Choice is available to every fragment and every form of consciousness does not elaborate upon the DEGREE of Choice that a fragment or form of consciousness may have at its disposal.

It also does not account for the degrees of consciousness that a fragment may have to have as a means to increase the capacity for choice.
 
It also does not account for the restricting factors of any given life, relationship, or event.
 
So the concept of choice becomes a painful, confusing, delusional, dishonest, and harmful structure built upon an empowering, clear, aware, honest and healing foundation.
 
We clarify the difference between the "foundational" and the "structure" because there is no paradox and no conflict between the two, but when one is confused for the other, the conflicts and confusion can come.
 
The concept that "All is Choice" is a foundational statement, but not a structural statement.
 
ALL is Choice, but this does not elaborate upon the fact that there are variations on the dimensions of "you" who make these choices, and that while a choice may be made in one dimension, it is not one that is made in another.
 
ALL is Choice, but this does not elaborate upon the fact that this is not a statement of permission, but a simple foundation of existence. It does not elaborate upon the evolution of choice-making, and that fragments learn how to choose in ways that match their growing consciousness and manifestation of Essence. This is why the choice between "murder" and "not murdering" becomes an easy choice as one evolves.
 
So while "All is Choice," and "Choice is the most-powerful tool you have" are true, it will help to understand the structures that are built upon those concepts in variations that can make sense.
 
All forms of consciousness have Choice, from the subatomic to the complexity of Sentience.
 
The degree to which a consciousness is closer to Sentience is the degree to which that consciousness makes choices that range between atomic and anatomic, or put another way: in a range between reactionary to creative.
 
Bacteria have Choice, but can only react to stimuli. Humans have Choice, and that can range between reaction to stimuli all the way to conscious, creative problem-solving and beyond.
 
The more one only reacts to stimuli, the more one is bound by the atomic, or the lack of consciousness.
 
The Soul Ages describe this process of learning how to choose, and choosing how to learn.
 
The Soul Ages describe the widening range of realization for a Sentient Being to exercise its capacity for Choice.
 
The Infant Soul does not have the same capacity for Choice as does an Old Soul.
 
It must be LEARNED.
 
And in a microcosmic reflection, the newborn child does not have the same capacity for choice that an adult has.
 
The Old Soul child does not have the same capacity for choice that an Old Soul adult has.
 
This is because that capacity must be REMEMBERED.
 
The Internal Monads are a description of that remembering process.
 
Every lifetime is a remembering process, and every new Soul Age is as well. Every new Soul Age is the equivalent of a new Personality, in many ways, because it is a new paradigm upon which the Essence must now build from an old paradigm.
 
The first 3 Levels of any Soul Age, and the first 3 stages of the Internal Monads are entirely about regaining consciousness, or "remembering."
 
The 4th Level/Stage is about the application and building upon that memory. The 5th is about the experimentation with those new structures; the 6th is about the integration of those experiments; and the 7th is the comprehension/archiving of all of the experiences gained across that Age or Lifetime or span of lifetimes.
 
We share this with you because it is helpful to understand that process and why it is a part of our mapping of existence, but also because it can help you understand the spectrum that you may have as choice at any given time, in any given circumstance.
 
CIRCUMSTANCES is a term that Troy chose, but we can work with this as a term that describes situations, scenarios, conditions, limitations, etc that appear to be, or are clearly beyond your control in any obvious way.
 
CHOICE will ALWAYS exist in some form in ANY CIRCUMSTANCE.
 
That range of choice will ALWAYS range between atomic to anatomic, or between reactionary to creative.
 
It might even be fair to call the range as being between Reactionary to Conscious, and while that is fair, it is slightly misleading because there would still be some degree of consciousness to your reactionary choices.
 
For instance, your compulsions: doing what you know you do not want to do, but doing it anyway.
 
Compulsions are reactionary.
 
Impulses are Creative.
 
To return to the ideas of Foundation and Structure, like the statements about Choice, it would be true to say that one is born into Circumstances that are not the choices of the Personality, but that would be a foundational statement.
 
It does not elaborate upon the fact that the Personality is a beautiful and brilliant extension of Essence who created the Personality through its capacity of choices, and that the circumstances were chosen as Essence's ideas for how best to explore the life as you.
 
It could be argued, then, that the life is not "your" choice, and that would be true to some degree, but only as true as "you" are not manifesting or allowing Essence into the life.
 
The more one aligns with Essence, manifests Essence, the more the life becomes a creative process, and not a pinball game of reaction to stimuli.
 
Therefore, while Circumstances may be limiting, and your Choices restricted to the context of Circumstances, the CAPACITY for Choice is never limited. Within the most extreme of Circumstances, you will always have the choice ranging between reaction and creativity.
 
You may not "choose" to die from a long-term illness in any way that seems obvious to you, but you CAN choose to react to that experience as a form of survival, or choose creative ways of dealing with it in a way that evolves you.
 
You may not "choose" to be poor in any way that makes sense to you, but you CAN choose between constant reaction to the circumstances, and creative responses to the circumstances.
 
You may not "choose" to grow old in a way that hurts, but you CAN choose between reacting to that pain, and being creative through it, around it, beyond it.
 
You may not "choose" who challenges you, and who may die on you, or who may assault you, or who may praise you, but you CAN choose to default to reaction or to creative response.
 
All of this is summed up in the cliche, but valid, statement that you may not choose what happens to you, but you do have a choice in what to do with what happens to you.
 
The most extreme form of Circumstance within a life is what we will call SUFFERING.
 
Suffering is a relative term, so we will not define any conditions for it beyond the fact that anyone can
 
Suffer for any reason that he or she deems circumstances are beyond their control.
 
SUFFERING is a natural part of being alive. It cannot be avoided, and it will happen to all of you in some way, some how, some time.
 
Not because it is imposed upon you, but because each of you will go through a process of interpreting experiences in a way that cause Suffering.
 
Each of you Suffer in every lifetime in some way. Even the Transcendental and hosts for the Infinite Souls suffer.
 
This is because there will ALWAYS be Circumstances beyond your control in some way.
 
In the same way that we described the Learning and Remembering process of Soul Ages and Internal Monads, so does the approach to Suffering evolve.
 
Suffering is avoided at all costs as an Infant Soul, and as an infant child, but Suffering is eventually and actively embraced as the soul ages, and as the adult comes into maturity.
 
To avoid Suffering is a Survival Reaction, and a valid one within context.
 
To embrace Suffering is to embrace your Creative Force.
 
This is why it is well-known that those who suffer within a lifetime tend to be the most creative.
 
Suffering is one of the most fertile of experiences for generating a return to a Creative Force within.
 
It is NOT the only way, but it is a way that is so often a part of the life that it has come to be counted upon by Essence in many ways.
 
When one abdicates Choice, Suffering is painful and overwhelming. When one enlists Choice to any degree closer to Creativity, Suffering becomes a rich resource, and often a direct path back to the self, and to Essence.
 
All Infinite Souls embraced Suffering in its entirety. All Transcendental Souls, as well.
 
This is NOT because Suffering is "noble," but that it is a part of life, a part of living, a part of being alive, in a body, and within the structures of limitation that are built upon various foundations.
 
To avoid Suffering is to remain locked in Survival Mode. To consciously embrace it as a part of life is to Evolve.
 
This does not mean one must seek it out, though we doubt we need to warn of this since suffering is often found without "looking for it."
 
There are three types of Suffering: Survival Suffering, Denial Suffering, and Conscious Suffering.
 
Survival Suffering is a closed loop of Suffering that is often generated through circular blame, guilt, shame. This is not a "true" suffering, but one that is brought upon the self and can be broken at any moment, though may require support and intervention.
 
Survival Suffering tends to cut one off from others, the world, relationships, and life.
 
Denial Suffering is an open loop of Suffering that drags others into it as a means to help the fragment continue its denials, lies, refusals, delusions. This is not a "true" suffering, but one that is brought upon the self as a means to avoid responsibility and accountability.
 
Denial Suffering often leaves a trail of broken relationships, hurt people, and can lead to sociopathic behaviors.
 
Where Survival Suffering isolates the fragment, Denial Suffering creates closed allegiances and alliances that become defensive fences between the self and "reality."
 
Conscious Suffering, or True Suffering, is when one recognizes that there is nowhere else to go, so to speak.
 
When one "loses" a loved one, there is nowhere to go but to suffer the grief.
 
When one struggles with illness, there is nowhere to go but to suffer the challenges.
 
When one struggles with pain, there is nowhere to go but to suffer the endurance.
 
Conscious Suffering is the willingness to stand in that, and let it be.
 
Conscious Suffering is the willingness to be present for the experience.
 
Willingness to be present is a willingness to own what power one has in the circumstance, regardless of how limited that power may be.
 
Owning the power that one has in the most limited of circumstances is the embrace of Choice and Creativity.
 
Embracing Choice and Creativity means allowing for uncertainty, and paves a rich path back to the core of the self and to Essence.
 
While Suffering is not a "noble" thing, it does lead to noble characteristics that every fragment eventually embraces and evolves.
 
The 7 Nobilities, if you will, are:
 
PRESENCE or Self-Authority;
 
STRENGTH or Endurance;
 
INNOCENCE or Wisdom;
 
CREAVITY or Solvency;
 
EMPATHY or Self-Reflection;
 
FORGIVENESS or Self-Responsibility; and
 
TRUST or Experience.
 
The first two are Action Oriented, resonating to King/Warrior respectively. The second two relate to Expression Axis, and Sage/Artisan respectively. The third set of two relates to the Inspirational, and Priest/Server respectively. And finally the Assimilative and Scholar.
 
The "Nobilities" will tend to be emphasized in various degrees depending on the predominance of Overleaves across the Axes, and, of course the Role and Casting.
 
We will OPEN THE QUEUE here for your questions regarding what we have shared so far. Type three asterisks *** to indicate that you have a question, and we will call upon you in order. QUEUE IS NOW OPEN
 
[Maureen] What comments would you make re: the axiom — “If you have the choice choose to enjoy” related to today's material?
 
MEntity:
Maureen, we think that is a valid statement, and in MOST of life circumstances, that choice for \enjoyment is present, but it would be a lie to say that it is a choice in every circumstance.
 
It is rare that a fragment would or could choose to "enjoy" Suffering, itself, but one CAN choose to find moments of joy, or to allow moments of joy, however fleeting, to count, even in the midst of Suffering.
 
If someone suffers from cancer, it would be irresponsible to tell that person to choose to enjoy the cancer, but it would be helpful to remind them that there is joy beyond the suffering, or alongside the suffering.
 
Does this response offer some insight, Maureen?
 
[Maureen] move towards inclusion rather than exclusion - yes thanks
 
MEntity: Yes, Maureen. That is a valid elaboration.
 
[Corinne] Could you explain further the differences between structure and foundation from the beginning part?
 
MEntity:
The difference between Foundation and Structure is the difference between what IS the concept and the DETAILS of that concept.
 
The concept of a foundation for a home is fairly standard, for example, but what the details of that home may be as built upon any foundation is varying.
 
It could be also be said to be the facts within the facts.
 
CHOICE is a foundation for any form of conscious, but the details of how that choice is built, evolved, utilized, applied, etc is as varied as any home.
 
Does this help clarify?
 
[Corinne] Ok...it's clearer. Is this distinction relative to choice similar for the essence and the personality or different?
 
MEntity: Another example might be that you have a LIFE, and that is a Foundation, but what you DO WITH THAT LIFE is the structure built upon it.
 
[Corinne] AH! I see.
 
MEntity: You will always have a range of Choice between Reaction and Creativity within any Circumstance, but you will not always understand or consciously choose your Circumstances.
 
[Oscar] Hello Michaelses 😉 Would you care to elaborate on "...any way that seems obvious to you", which you mentioned in relation to possibility of Choice?
 
MEntity:
For example, one may not "choose" a certain illness, but the choices made over time during the life may end up resulting in that illness.
 
To that extent, one DOES CHOOSE the illness, but it is no way an obvious process.
 
Another example might be that one may not "choose" to be attacked by a murderer or rapist, but the choices that lead one to be in a certain place at a certain time resulted in being accessible to the attacker.
 
To that extent one DOES CHOOSE the path that leads to the attacker, but in no way that is fair to call an "obvious choice" made by a person.
 
One may not choose to live with the aches and pains of growing older in a finite body, but one DOES CHOOSE to grow older, and thus the inherent conditions that go along with age must be included in that choice.
 
Do these examples help to clarify?
 
[Oscar] yes very much so, thanks 😃
 
[DanR] Michael, could you comment on a bias seen in fragments where they view their own suffering as arising from unfortunate external circumstances while they view other fragments' suffering as arising from poor choices? For example, “I am poor due to a bad upbringing and lack of opportunity while they are poor because they chose not to work hard.” Does overcoming this bias help with Essence evolution?
 
MEntity:
The first example is one of Survival Suffering: blame on the past, on the upbringing, on the past. Survival Suffering is wrought with comparisons for the sake of excuses and alleviation of self-reflection and self-authority, self-responsibility, etc.
 
Comparing Suffering is never insightful. It is about as useless as defining a line between Art and Not Art.
 
By this we mean that while there are three types of Suffering that do have symptoms and behaviors distinct to each, they are still Suffering. Anyone who Suffers can use your help, and if you suffer, you can always use your own help.
 
Therefore, yes, the transcendence of comparisons will always help one to tend to his own Creative solutions for his suffering, rather than to ensure them because they are justified when compared to others'.
 
Comparisons are helpful for navigation, but if not used for navigation, they become the parameters of centrifugal vs creative force.
 
Does this help in answering your question?
 
[DanR] Yes, thank you very much Michael.
 
[Bobbi] Having recently been dropped by a friend of 35+ years, I am left wondering if my change from uneasy ally in her Denial Suffering to offering self-empowerment/self-love suggestions caused the freeze-out. Do I try to get back in, or let her evolution continue without me?
 
MEntity:
Your observations are valid. The "freeze-out" is often the modus operandi of those in Denial Suffering, and if we see the correct fragment, your assessment is valid. As mentioned before, Suffering is Suffering, regardless of Denial, Survival, or Conscious, and any Suffering person can use your help.
 
The choice is yours to make, but there is a risk that it could lead you to your own Suffering in some way.
 
And if you are willing, then that can be a path of Creative Force.
 
We would say that it would be helpful to continue what you have already done, which is to continue along lines that are on your own terms, and not catering to the perceived delusions.
 
[Bobbi] Would the risk be rejection?
[Bobbi] Again.
 
MEntity: There is a way to return to the friendship with more offers of support and intervention without it being consuming, and that would be through calling upon one of the 7 Nobilities that come naturally to you, or that you wish to take on as a challenge.
 
[Bobbi] Thank you. Very helpful.
 
MEntity: When one moves into uncertainty, risk, and limitation of choice, but recognizes that choice is still an option, then calling upon one of the 7 Nobilities can help one to focus the choices.
 
[Bobbi] Good to know and have in the holster!
 
MEntity:
For instance, in your case, you can make the choice to take the risk because you are willing to challenge your Empathy, or to utilize your Forgiveness, or to encourage her Strength by exemplifying it in yourself, etc.
 
As we said, Suffering is not the Nobility, in itself, but from Suffering comes the 7 Nobilities, and one eventually learns to call upon those actively and willingly in the lifetime.
 
When one actively calls upon a Nobility, then Suffering is minimized, if not diminished entirely.
 
[Bobbi] I must have missed that in the other books. 😉
 
MEntity:
It is not there.
 
Our teaching is not completed in any book.
 
[Jill] Would it be accurate to say that someone who is highly sensitive is highly reactive due to interpretation of experiences?
 
MEntity:
Highly Sensitive does not automatically equate Highly Reactive, though the phrase "highly sensitive" is often imposed upon those who are more obvious in their reactions or creative responses. Highly-sensitive people simply react OR respond quickly.
 
Those who are highly-sensitive require more downtime for calibration and recalibration, since their sensitivity equates quickness. On the surface, and often, yes, this is reactionary, but it can evolve into a quickness of consciousness and creativity just as easily as anyone can.
 
Does this lend insight to your question?
 
[Jill] Is sensitivity due to Overleaves, imprinting etc.?
 
MEntity: Sensitivity can be a result of any number of combinations, but most-often it is the result of AWARENESS. When one is "sensitive" in the sense that one is offended by the slightest thing, it is NEW, or RAW Awareness, whereas one who is "sensitive" in a sense is intuitive and transcendent of the senses, it is INTEGRATED Awareness.
 
[Jill] Thank you. I have been struggling with the distinction for quite some time
 
MEntity:
Sensitivity is a state that every fragment strives for, and cycles through in terms of rawness vs integration. Being easily upset or offended only means that one has not found acceptable solutions to the awareness that has come to be, and this can be the case in a spectrum of situations.
 
For instance, one can be sensitive to the behaviors of others in a way that upsets one because this emphasizes the differences between oneself and another. What to do with that awareness is then a process of Integration.
 
[Jill] So we can truly feel empathy on the way to agape?
 
MEntity:
One can be sensitive to the plight of animals, or the oppressed, and but raw awareness will be ineffective and reactionary, often exacerbating or defeating the awareness, but integrated awareness will be responsive, effective, creative, and educational on behalf of that awareness.
 
Jill, one cannot be in a state of agape without empathy.
 
We will conclude this workshop with a suggestion for each of you to examine the 7 Nobilities and to look at which ones are more challenging, which ones are natural to you, and which ones have not been considered. Look at the risks you may be willing to take in the life, and call upon one that you feel could help minimize the potential for suffering.
 
Examine where and how in your life you feel you suffer because of circumstances, and see if you can stand in it Consciously so that it is transformed into a path to your Creative Force.
 
[Corinne] What are the differences between the Nobilities you capitalized and those you didn't?
 
MEntity:
While there may be variations in the limitations and freedoms relative to Choice, you will ALWAYS carry with you the spectrum between Reaction and Response/Creativity.
 
Corrine, we added a more personalized sub-description for convenience.
 
It could be said that the capitalized is the foundation, and the lower-case is the structure; or put another way, the concept and the application.
 
[Corinne] I see. Thanks.
 
MEntity:
We must conclude here today. Good day to each of you.
 
Goodbye.