The Challenge of Awareness pt 1 by Leela Swann-Herbert 03/12/25
We are in mutative, transitional times, moving towards a new global cycle. If we pay attention, we can simultaneously see our past and future on display in the homogenized world. The old ways of logical thinking are fading, and we see illogical decisions driven by individual desires for change. This is all happening on a mental conditioning level. It’s not the aware self that’s guiding these actions.
The not-self is the mind as the decision maker.* It is the 7-centered inheritance from our past. For centuries, everything—religion, culture, society—has taught us to let our minds lead.
This was somewhat controlled by the global cycle Cross of Planning background frequency, focusing on the 'greater good.' But those old systems were also deeply unfair, biased, and based on 'us versus them' thinking. Right now, we're seeing a lot of chaotic and irrational behavior from people acting on their individuality without self-awareness. As the guardrails of the Cross of Planning fall away, the warning from our future becomes clearer: Individuality without awareness is chaos.
We are designed to live as unique individuals and make choices based on our own Inner Authority, not by outside pressures. The 9-centered potential is about being aware in the present, in this moment. Remembering that we’re here to witness life and experience consciousness while in form is crucial.
We're here to experience our unique lives, like watching a movie. We live in these vehicles and can observe how they navigate this time of change. Like a movie, life can be exciting, sad, funny, or a thrilling adventure. We're here to watch it, not to get identified with the drama.
We get caught up in the story when we let our old habits and mental conditioning drive our actions. Instead, we can learn to observe it all unfold within. By being aware of our experiences, we can realize one of our greatest gifts—to be aware of our experience of experiencing ourselves living in this human world.
The first step is using the human design strategy of your type. Strategy helps you notice when your mind is taking over and leading you astray. You'll recognize this by the not-self signature of anger, frustration, bitterness, or disappointment – these are signs your mind is stuck in old patterns of initiating decisions.
By noticing these signs, you can learn to stop acting on your mind's impulses. Your strategy helps you break free, but the old patterns will still pop up in your mind. The difference is that you'll become aware of them instead of acting on them.
The next step is to use our awareness of Inner Authority to make decisions. It operates consistently, but we must train ourselves to be aware of it. While this might seem simple, old habits often get in the way. Stress and anxiety can cause our minds to take control of the wheel and drive our lives, blocking our connection to our Inner Authority.
It's not about stopping conditioning entirely. It's a natural part of life. The question is: how do we respond to it? Do we blindly follow the crowd, living a life driven by our mind's conditioning? Or do we observe the mind’s reactions to conditioning, developing a new sense of self-awareness that is aware of the patterns of the mind?
Each time we meet our conditioning, we can make a new decision. The challenge is enhancing our awareness of our Inner Authority.
To be continued…
* The not-self is the mind as the decision-maker. Ra Uru Hu, Rave Psychology and PHS Trainings, 2009.