By Lori Lines

The Man Behind the Curtain
Do you remember the scene from the Wizard of Oz when Toto pulls back the Wizard’s curtain? It’s been a long time since many of us have seen the movie but close your eyes and try to recall the “wizard’s” reaction…It was filled with threatening anger, panic, and fear, and finally, when the man behind the curtain was revealed, profound sadness and a tale of loss. The Wizard of Oz is a whimsical tale of talking lions and flying monkeys, yet the anxiety of being revealed as who they are behind the curtain is painfully real to many.
 
Another common childhood memory may have similar undertones. Guests are coming over, and your mom whips herself into an anxious frenzy, ensuring you are dressed and pressed, every hair in place, and the house is spit shinned. Mom may even caution you to be on your best behavior for the arriving company. Perhaps you are this parent today.
 
Of course, we all have private lives that we neither hide nor advertise from the anime aficionado and weekend nudist to the grieving child or separated spouse. However, when masks become part of our daily wardrobe, we can become bound in the straitjacket of inauthenticity.

Unmasking the Ego
Why did mom scurry around the house, making things picture-perfect? Why do some people buy homes and cars beyond their financial means? Why do couples stay together when they no longer love or even like each other? It all comes down to three letters, EGO. The ego is the bridge between the outside world and the inner self. It can be a protector, facilitator, or translator when it is healthy and whole. When the ego self is wounded and damaged, it can cause us to respond defensively, aggressively, or deceptively. 

What hurts the ego, causing us to respond in this way? Ego wounds are emotional traumas that overwhelm our coping skills and defense mechanisms. This is why many ego wounds occur in childhood when the ego is still developing, and we have little recourse in response to the shame, guilt, fear, and pain we may encounter. Of course, the ego can be damaged at any life stage. And, because we all have varying levels of trauma tolerance, everyone’s ego can be affected by different events in different ways. 

Examples of Ego Trauma
Parental Abandonment 
Academic Challenges
Divorce from a Spouse
Rejection from a Peer Group
Disregarded by a Romantic Interest
Teased by Family or Friends
Professional Failure
Mocked By a Teacher
Feeling Like an Outsider (financially, physically, intellectually, etc.)

Perfection, The Enemy of Authenticity
Ego wounds often result in inauthenticity because people are trying to avoid reinjury. Consequently, wounded individuals strive to project a perfect image to avoid experiencing shame, rejection, guilt, or abandonment again, thereby protecting the ego. Defending an injured ego indefinitely actually weakens the ego instead of strengthening it. Think of it as a broken limb, for example. We wear the cast temporarily as we heal, but it must eventually come off, or the appendage will atrophy. 

And, what happens when the ego’s defenses atrophy? The ego becomes preoccupied with its defenselessness and vulnerability, causing fear, anxiety, depression, and hopelessness. Trying to hide this angst and sorrow creates a vicious cycle of masking and hiding behind façades.
 
It is crucial to remember that the inner child or lower self, the ego self, and the higher self are all part of a singular individual. We are discussing it now as something separate to highlight our accountability for and sovereignty over the ego self. It is up to us to heal and strengthen our ego self so we can represent ourselves and navigate the world in empowering constructive ways. 

Authenticity is the Measure of Awakening
It would be remiss to not acknowledge the price we often pay for living authentically. We must first be willing to be vulnerable. By exposing our true selves and living honestly, we open ourselves to the risk of rejection, abandonment, judgment, shame, and failure. We must also be willing to accept that not everyone will celebrate or approve of us. And we need to understand that when we are denied, it will be for who we are and not who we’ve led others to believe we are, which can be even more painful at times.

However, the price of authenticity actually pales greatly in comparison to its gifts. The rewards of living an authentic life are plentiful. We gain freedom, self-love, self-worth, inner peace, joy, and empowerment. When we choose to honor our truth, live vulnerably, and let go of fear and a need for acceptance, we also find clarity, release, and awakening.
​
The Authentic Self, the Soul Made Visible
It’s rather miraculous how the routine choice to observe yourself, reflect on your truth, and respond authentically can be such a transformative practice, though not in the way you may think. By living authentically, you don’t change who you are becoming; you become who you were always meant to be, which is also the fundamental truth of awakening. 

In love and truth,
​Lori Lines

By Lori Lines

Let’s face it, everyone encounters adversity in their lives. It can be a daily inconvenience, like a parking ticket, a painful or disruptive circumstance like a job loss or breakup, or a life-altering event such as a serious illness or the death of someone you love. No one is exempt; Adversity is one of life’s great equalizers. 
​
So, why do some people crumble under the burden or hardship, with those that never recover, while others seem to withstand the burden, heal, grow, and perhaps thrive? While there can be multiple factors at play, ego dramatically influences how we face, endure, and overcome adversity.

The Many Faces of Ego
From the scientific study of psychology to the intuitive wisdom of spirituality, the ego has many faces. At times vilified, “the ego must die!” Celebrated by others as “the voice of reason and sanity.” With so much divergence, what can be agreed on? 
Ego is accepted across disciplines as the conscious part of the personality, a mediator between our inner workings and the outer world. It is who we think we are and often who the world believes us to be. 

The ego’s fundamental role is to serve as a gatekeeper between our outer experience and the lower and higher self. Like a switch operator, the ego decides whether it will direct adversity’s call to the lower or higher self. The ego makes this decision, actually all its decisions, on what it perceives as facts about the self.

The types of “facts” the ego believes can be self-deprecating

• I am unworthy
• I am vulnerable
• I am victimized

Self-aggrandizing

• I am better than others
• I cannot fail
• I am perfect

Or self-honoring

• I am worthy
• I am capable
• I am empowered

Though the ego doesn’t tend to judge itself exclusively by one perspective, most people will view themselves in primarily self-deprecating, self-aggrandizing, or self-honoring ways, rarely balanced across all points of view. 

The Burden of the Ego
Those who are arrogant and self-loathing often bear the burden of ego. For these people, the ego becomes a locus of attack and defense. They often believe that adversity happens to them or at them like arrows flung in battle. They view themselves as either vulnerable victims or superiorly separate from life’s hardships. 
Self-loathing people often view hardships as a punishment, at times deserved, for being lesser than or failing. In this way, these people align with their misfortune, embodying it, becoming the suffering itself. This can worsen their hardships, making them harder to overcome.
 
Self-aggrandizing people often view their hardships as beneath them, rarely deserved, because they are above it all. In this way, these people resist their misfortune, denying it, fighting it, and making the misfortune an enemy. This creates attachment to their hardships, making them harder to move past.
 
In both cases, the ego convinces the self that when adversity stops, there will be peace. As a result, the individual becomes a slave to the ego because misfortune is inevitable and unavoidable. There needs to be another way!

The Benefits of Ego
Those who are self-honoring often heal and grow from the benefit of ego. For these people, the ego becomes a locus of acceptance and accountability. They view themselves as worthy, empowered, and self-knowing when facing life’s adversities. They often believe misfortune simply happens like a storm crossing the sky.
These self-respecting people often view hardships as happenstance, learning opportunities, karma, or destiny. These people do not identify with their misfortune at all. Instead, they acknowledge, accept, overcome, and release it, neutralizing the adversity and the potential for suffering. This makes it easier to take accountability, learn, and adapt. 

In this case, the ego faces adversity with self-worth, empowerment, and self-knowledge.

• Self-worth contributes to environmental mastery
• Empowerment contributes to adaptability
• Self-knowledge contributes to self-actualization

Meaning instead of waiting for the end of adversity to have peace. Having personal conviction brings peace and ends adversity.

Facing Adversity with Neutrality 
By seeing adversity as

• A necessary part of the human experience
• Karma or Divine order
• A lesson or chance to learn

You will no longer become attached to it and stop worsening your suffering by aligning with it or resisting it. When you face adversity with neutrality, viewing it objectively as something unavoidable and unbiased, like the ebb and flow of the tide, you can significantly minimize your suffering or prevent it altogether.

Albert Einstein once said adversity introduces a man to himself. Still, there is more to it! Adversity also introduces us to our higher self. Ultimately, adversity is not just one of life’s great equalizers. It is also one of life’s greatest teachers!

In love and truth,
​Lori Lines 

By Lori Lines

Have you ever noticed that during those times you were convinced something would go wrong, it usually did? “I’m going to mess this speech up; they’re not going to like me; I am not good enough.” On the other hand, in those times when you were convinced you couldn’t fail, things tended to go smoothly and successfully. “I can’t lose; I just know there is a connection; I have what it takes.” While we all have varying degrees of psychic knowing, these self-fulfilling prophecies have more to do with mindset than intuitive premonitions.
​
Negative self-talk comes in many forms. It may sound factual, “I won’t get the raise,” prudent, “If I try, I’ll fail,” or like a realistic observation, “I am all alone.” Negative self-talk hinders our healing, growth, evolution, and ascension, creating adverse outcomes for ourselves and our lives.
 
We all have an occasional dark cloud floating across our clear mental skies. However, it can’t rain every day! The more negative thoughts we have, the more negativity they generate, causing our minds to assume a generally somber perspective. This sea of negativity can soon swell over our heads! Contributing to feelings of helplessness, worthlessness, and hopelessness. Wait, don’t get negative about negative thoughts. The sun can rise again!

Positive Affirmations to the Rescue!

One way affirmations help is by programming the mind to have positive expectations. Studies have shown when we have positive expectations, we have more positive experiences. For example, when chronic pain sufferers believe their pain will be more manageable and tolerable, they experience less pain! Affirmations like, “I will succeed, I am talented, or people like me” can reprogram the mind to focus on the positive and foster a sense of empowerment and control over our outcomes.
 
When we reframe our thoughts and experiences with positive words, they not only shift our perspective and alter our experience but also change our brain chemistry, structures, and processes, making affirmation practice both a quick fix and long-term solution for keeping negative ruminations at bay.
 
The Magic of Words

Positive affirmations are also powerful tools for manifestation and practicing the Law of Attraction. By gradually making positive affirmations a mainstay in your self-care routine, a shift will soon take place. The focus will go from neutralizing negative thoughts to amplifying positive intentions. Once you get the hang of them, you can use positive affirmations to fast-track your career, physical conditioning, relational prosperity, and personal development!

Because affirmations profoundly affect your life, it’s essential to wield their incredible power wisely. Affirmations influence the linguistic processing centers of the brain, meaning your words are precious. To make the most of this life-changing practice, follow the 3 Ps, phrasing your words in a tone that is present, positive, and powerful.

Present – State your affirmation as a current reality because it is if you believe it. Instead of I will be successful, say, I am successful. Or, in place of, I am going to find happiness, say, I am happy and filled with joy.

Positive – Don’t focus on what you don’t want. Focus on what you do want. Instead of, I will not fail, say, I am achieving my goals. Or, in place of, I will not lack for anything, say, I have more than enough.

Powerful –Use constructive, empowering language whenever possible. Instead of, I will be abundant, say, I am abundant. Or, in place of I can find love, say, I am attracting the love I desire.

Creating life-changing affirmations is like crafting a spell. Your words are the magical ingredients needed to conjure up the best version of who you are and your best life!

Manifesting Miracles

There are three more special ingredients, perhaps the most essential for crafting transformative affirmations. The first two are confidence and conviction. To truly weave magic with your words, you need to genuinely believe in yourself, your ability to manifest your desires, and the Universe’s ultimately generous nature.

 Remind yourself as often as necessary that you are capable and deserving and that the Universe has infinite abundance for all who dare to dream and believe.
 
The final ingredient? Gratitude! Gratitude turns what we have into enough. It is the secret sauce, the cornerstone, the missing puzzle piece! Be grateful for what you have, what you are attracting, and what you are yet to receive. Even rejoice in the unanswered prayers and seemingly missed opportunities because there is magic in them too. 

Never forget, “a grateful heart is a magnet for miracles!” 

In love and truth,
Lori Lines

By Lori Lines

No News is Good News
The modern era presents opportunities that our ancestors never knew. Yet, our ever-broadening possibilities also introduce unique obstacles. Through cable television and the internet, there is an infinite supply of information available with just a click of a button. This flood of information is often unsolicited. We go online to find a guided meditation or maybe a few relaxing asanas, and we are bombarded with information. 

Often presented in a manner meant to buttress the believability or evidentiary quality, there are no guarantees that the information heaped on us is factual. And so, what began as the age of information has become the age of disinformation.

System Overload
Information has become faster, more plentiful, but not necessarily better, leading many to feel powerless, hopeless, angry, and afraid. And who wouldn’t be when being drowned in a sea of depressing, panic-inducing information on a global scale. It is also presented sensationally because sensationalism gets clicks, views, and subscribers. The consequence? We become overwhelmed, burned out, and ultimately numb to humanity and ourselves.

When we become desensitized, we no longer see people or their pain as authentic, impairing our ability to access our emotions, connect with others, or experience genuine empathy and sympathy. Everything becomes a talking point instead of a call to action, an opportunity for healing, or a moment of profound realization. A prison, not of brick and mortar but of “facts,” is cutting us off from ourselves, others, and our journey as spiritual beings having a human experience. Which is the primary pathway to awakening!

Another pitfall of unlimited informational access, whether solicited or not, is that we are constantly giving the left-brain data to compute but denying the right-brain experiences and emotions to process. An over-active left brain and malnourished right brain result in a society that relies mainly on what they are conditioned to believe, trained to see, and taught to think.
 
A left-brained society often fails to think, feel, believe, or experience life for themselves. They may be learned but not wise, and they never risk looking past the well-constructed façade of how things ought to be. In terms of ascension and awakening to a left-brained society, it is nearly impossible; a utopia never to be reached but only rarely imagined by those who dare.
 
Taking the Off-ramp of the Information Superhighway
We have been conditioned to believe that tuning out the informational noise is impractical, inconceivable, and socially negligent. What would we do if we did not know what was happening worldwide at all hours of the day!? Such conditioning causes us to feel anxious and fearful at the very notion. However, self-care demands that we turn off the noise and tune into the moment. 

This moment is rich with possibility, emotion, and learning. What’s more, any given moment can be an opportunity for love, understanding, or healing. Yet, when we are speeding down the superhighway, just trying to keep up, we cannot appreciate the beauty of the scenery.

We need to actively shift our cognitive path from the left brain to the right brain as much as possible. Protecting ourselves in the dis-information age is not just about slamming on the breaks and going slower; it’s about shifting the route altogether. It is about mindfulness, meditation, communing with the Higher Self, challenging conditioned beliefs, pulling back the curtain, and looking past what we are taught to see.

The High Road to Higher Consciousness
Cognitive dissonance is the state of having conflicting thoughts, feelings, beliefs, or perspectives. When the right brain is engaged, we experience cognitive dissonance caused by attitudes that conflict with our Higher Selves and higher consciousness. When the left brain is in control, the dissonance we experience is due to conflicts with our conditioning and the status quo. Highlighting how dependent self-preservation is on an active, engaged right brain during the age of disinformation!

As the doorway to higher consciousness, the right brain enables us to make another important distinction between healing divisiveness and damaging unity. We are often taught divisiveness is bad, and unity is good. Yet, unity with the dis-information age and agents of dis-information holds us back from enlightenment and awakening.
 
Making it essential to heed the alarm bells of dissonance the higher consciousness sets off, triggering a need for healing division from the left-brained collective. When unity is the conditioned default and divisiveness is automatically shunned, we can become ensnared in the vicious cycle of panic, helplessness, hopelessness, and depression of the disinformation age.
​
Final Thoughts…
It is essential to draw a distinction between absolute alienation and healing divisiveness. We are not meant to be lonely and isolated from humanity. The path to ascension and the 5D reality of enlightenment is one of unity and love. However, to get there, we must align our journey with those who have similar goals, who choose to uplift and be uplifted instead of tearing down and being downtrodden. 
Love, happiness, harmony, healing, and fulfillment are not facts or data points to examine and study. They are energies and emotions to be experienced, felt, and enjoyed. They are the ultimate truth! And, though Facts can obscure the truth, the truth can never be hidden. 

In love and truth,
Lori Lines
QHHT Level 3 Practitioner, Board Certified
Clinical Hypnotherapist, Intuitive

By Lori Lines
Your spouse asks you to join them for a show, but you decline, explaining that you must catch up on work. They go anyway, and you lash out because you feel abandoned. Still, you did tell them you were too busy.

Your boss asks you to stay late and give her feedback on a project she's been working on, you have a prior engagement, but you blow it off because you feel elated to be "chosen" and acknowledged despite this being an unpaid infringement on your private time.
​
You promise your friend you will come over and help her prepare for a party. You get absorbed in a Wordle puzzle at the last minute, ignoring her call when she phones to see where you are. You realize that you don't feel up to it but feel too anxious to let your friend know.

What do all these examples have in common? They could all be indicative of a need for inner child healing!

What is Inner Child Healing?

Also known as inner child work, it is any healing practice that addresses needs that weren't met or wounds that were created when we were children. While inner child wounds are prevalent among victims of trauma and neglect, we all have an inner child who may not have been loved, guided, or even reprimanded in the way they needed during development.
 
Inner child healing creates space for the child locked within the subconscious mind to speak their truth, needs, and feelings, drowning out the echoes of those who criticized, rejected, and labeled them. When we allow our inner child a choice and a voice, we self-actualize through integrating the shadow and light or the subconscious and conscious.
 
The principal goals of inner child work are to acknowledge their wounds, recognize the maladaptive beliefs and coping strategies they use to navigate the world, and heal by hearing, protecting, honoring, and reparenting the inner child.

Signs Your Inner Child is Wounded

There are many "symptoms" of an inner child needing healing. They can be as seemingly insignificant as repeatedly playing hooky from work during a deadline or as glaring as multiple DUIs! The following are some of the most common cries for help from the inner child.

Codependence Vs. Alienation – A tendency to adopt the belief that "I can't live without you" is just as indicative of wounding as "I don't need anyone." Healthy adults value their independence yet, allow themselves to ask for help when needed.
​ 
Reactivity – When any inconvenience results in an emotional breakdown or disruptive acting out, this is the "adult" manifestation of a temper tantrum. We are intended for thoughtful and intuitive responses to life, not impulsive and impetuous reactions.

Self-Destruction – When we think of destructive behaviors, we often things of gambling, alcohol and drug abuse, compulsive shopping, and infidelity. However, self-destructive coping also includes workaholism, restrictive dieting, overly people-pleasing, and serial monogamy.

Toxic Attachment Patterns – Whether in platonic or romantic relationships, those with an inner child wound tend to struggle with unhealthy attachment patterns. This can include avoiding conflict, emotional expression, or meaningful conversation. This often goes hand in hand with anxious attachment, involving the pathological need to please others. There may be a tendency to dismiss their needs for those of others or vice versa. This is often associated with being a gas lighter or a reoccurring pattern of being gaslighted. 

Benefits of Inner Child Healing

We are often taught the "adult" thing to do when suffering is to suck it up. This leads to a tendency to reject our inner child and look disdainfully upon the part of ourselves that is wounded and bereft. This contributes to a fractured sense of self, leading to self-loathing, inauthenticity, developmental and spiritual stagnation, emotional detachment, alienation from others, humanity, and Spirit. 
​
Embracing the inner child teaches us there is no shame in the shadows of our wounds, thoughts, and emotions. By accepting the self fully, we can integrate the shadow and light, self-actualize, and ascend – we are no longer fractured. We are whole!

Inner child work enriches our lives on many levels, elevating our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health, nourishing our relationships, fostering success in our careers, and contributing to an overall sense of fulfillment and joy. We are catalysts of generational and communal healing when we heal our partnerships and families through inner child work. Moreover, if every child was swaddled in love and had a heart overflowing with empowerment, we could heal the world, creating a wave of awakening and enlightenment!

Methods of Inner Child Healing

The best way to create space for the inner child is to quiet the left brain and activate the right. The left brain is a locust of logic, reasoning, and conditioning. The left brain is the source of life's "shoulds and shouldn'ts" and is heavily restricted by the limitations of the 3D and societal mores. Alternatively, the right brain is a flowing source of emotions, intuition, creativity, instinctual knowing, imagination, and higher vision. The following modalities are trusted tools for inner child healing.
Art Therapy – By activating the right brain, creative arts and art therapy under the guidance of a trained practitioner provides the inner child a chance to play, create, and express themselves.

Hypnosis – Bypassing the conscious mind and accessing unconscious resources, hypnosis can create space for the inner child to convey their trauma and wounds while also giving them access to healing.

Journaling – Inner child journal prompts to build a rapport with the inner child, strengthening and honoring their voice. It is an excellent way to begin the healing journey by creating a safe space without shame or guilt.

Meditation & Mindfulness – Quieting the mental chatter, self-criticisms, and internalized judgments of the left brain, these practices soothe the nervous system and create a peaceful, broad expanse for the inner child to explore and express. 

QHHT – Bypassing both the left brain and the ego-self, QHHT reactivates and strengthens the right brain while fostering a connection with the higher self. The higher self can then inform the healing processes by comforting and empowering the inner child, accessing repressed memories, and providing a safe space to explore "negative" or shameful emotions.
 
Final Thoughts…

Your inner child is a seed. Though small and hidden, it is the foundation of growth for your entire being. Therefore, while your inner child's wounds may not be your fault, their healing is still in your hands…your life depends on it!

In love and truth,
​Lori Lines

By Lori Lines

Hopefully, you have taken some time to reflect on your connection to and embodiment of your higher self and role as sovereign creator. Often, when we first accept this position of power, we focus on what future experiences we wish to manifest, reflect on the present and how to improve current circumstances, and sometimes in our more introspective moments, we question how things could have been different had we assumed the authority of creator sooner.

The past, present, and future of this lifetime are too minute to illustrate the vast nature of your power as a divine being. The higher aspect of who you are, your soul, has designed infinite lifetimes, some of which you are living concurrent to this one! With boundless wisdom, you chose what people, opportunities, challenges, blessings, and lessons you would encounter over your lifetimes to manifest your greatest good and highest purpose, enlightenment. Although free will can’t be disregarded, your higher self’s plans play a huge role in who you are, the life you lead, and your journey of personal development.
 
“Even the bad things?” you might ask. “Bad” things happen for several reasons, a pre-orchestrated decision made by the higher aspect of your being to further your growth, your contemporaneous free will, or the consequence of your experiences and actions over lifetimes. 

Let’s use chronic migraines as an example. Your higher self may have decided migraines would guide you towards meditation, teaching you the value of mindfulness, inner stillness, and balance. They could result from the free will you exercised to stay up late and drink espresso shots throughout the day to stay up. Karmically, you could have experienced a head wound during a fight with a lover and must now heal the deep-seated emotional wound it caused in order to trust again. In this way, your sovereignty as divine creator is exponential, to the nth power!
 
From this perspective, one can never be a victim of their circumstances. Let’s use another example…If you keep attracting partners who lie and cheat, this could be a path you choose in your highest state to learn self-respect and self-preservation, an unfortunate use of freewill to choose partners without discernment, or karmically it can be a pattern you will repeat until you decide to heal the wound of being abandoned in a past life. Meaning, any way you frame it, your circumstances are a result of your choices. Fortunately, you have the divine authority to change both your inner and external experience whenever and however you choose.
 
Of course, this can sometimes be easier said than done. When the root cause of your undesired circumstance is unconscious or inaccessibly linked to past or parallel lives, it can be hard to identify, acknowledge, and release the blockages that impair your influence as a creator. This is where Quantum Healing Hypnosis can help. QHHT can reconnect you to the higher aspect of yourself, where your soul’s memories are stored. But, more than that, your higher self is also connected to the collective unconscious. By accessing all wisdom that has ever been and ever will be, your higher consciousness provides insight regarding your chosen life path, karma, challenges, wounds, and healing.

Yet, before you can genuinely benefit from a QHHT session, you must accept the fundamental truth that despite any perceived distance or separation, you are your higher self! A QHHT facilitator is just that. They are meant to facilitate the connection. With hypnosis, one can clear the noise of limiting beliefs, temporal restraints, and conditioned “logic” to promote profound, discernable messages from your highest consciousness. 

It is not up to the practitioner to tell you what is "wrong" with you, that is your sovereign duty and privilege.

Through QHHT and the alignment it promotes with your higher self, you can reclaim your divinity and creator power, learning to heal yourself, provide for your own needs, and fulfill your higher purpose. As long as you are willing to cast off the shackles of victimhood, stop waiting to be “healed,” don the mantle of creator and victor as your divine birthright, and heal yourself!

In the next installment, we will discuss the systemic dis-ease of laziness and irresponsibility, how it is sustained on a societal level, and breaking free of the self-imposed imprisonment.

In love and truth,
Lori Lines 

By Lori Lines

They say, when we dream of a home, all that transpires is a reflection of how we view our own inner experience. Moving ahead with this perspective, let’s explore the blueprints!

The lower self is much like an unfinished basement. We store things like fear, anger, heartache, all our emotional childhood experiences. This lower aspect of self is highly reactionary and defensive, acting as a victimized, entitled, dependent, controlling, or otherwise maladaptive foundation for our behavior. We are accountable for renovating our energetic basement during this lifetime, clearing out baggage, and inviting in the light.

The main floor of the house represents the ego-self. It is the part of us that people encounter. We decorate it and keep it presentation ready. Why? Because we don’t want to be judged for having the poor taste or being untidy. The ego is built upon and empowered by judgment. The primary ego needs are meeting external and internal expectations and being deemed “more” than others; more attractive, intelligent, successful, compassionate, or “spiritual.”

Lastly, envision a refuge at the top of the house, but no ordinary attic. This is a sky loft with a beautiful skylight, filling it with illumination and a fresh breeze that always stirs, keeping the air pure and clean. It is a retreat you don’t get to visit as often as you like because you are busy keeping up appearances on the main floor. When you do visit, you are replenished and renewed. Now ask yourself, even if this loft is the most blissful yet least accessed part of your home, is it any less a part of the structure?

The idea highlighted here is that the higher self, while expansive, pure, harmonious, and possessing profundity beyond description, is still a part of you. Commingling, for better or worse, with the lower self and ego. One of our primary undertakings this lifetime is to minimize the influence of the lower self, denying it control of the ego, designating power instead to the higher self, and teaching the ego to surrender to it. When this does not happen, the defensive, wounded lower self and the critical ego can lead us to assume the mantle of victimhood and helplessness. 

You see, the lower self assumes the role of defending the ego from being rewounded. Fearful, the lower self tells the ego that threats are around every corner. Being humiliated, taken advantage of, or hurt is not a potentiality it is a certainty. Thus, the ego throws its hands up in the air, too afraid to take responsibility for its inevitable demise. Going through life hopeless, helpless, and apathetic.

There are also societal forces that take advantage of these listless souls. They are being ushered into the ignorant masses, who are too disinterested to call out the systemic façades and powerless to effectuate any real change. The matrix is thereby upheld by unconscious victims and those who fear accountability. These people are still imprisoned by the dank, dark basement of the lower self. 

When we awaken to the truth that we can at once be the lower self, ego, and higher self, we can no longer remain ignorant to the facts about our society and our divine sovereignty. We must assume responsibility for reparenting the lower self, forfeiting egoic power, and accepting the omnipotence of the higher self, breaking free of systemic fallacies.

The seemingly trite adage, “with great power, comes great responsibility,” takes on weighty significance when you begin to recognize your role as a creator! Although the lower self, ego, and higher self comprise one being, victim and creator cannot! You cannot simultaneously create the personhood, experience, and outcomes you desire and remain a victim to them.
 
Unfortunately, some people are afraid to surrender the mantle of victimhood because they fear the accountability of creator is too much to bear. They are more comfortable viewing themselves as “other” to the higher self because the divine authority to protect, guide, heal, and manifest becomes their own.
 
The truth is while being a creator is a weighty undertaking, victimhood is more than a burden. It is a form of death, smothering life force and entombing your infinite potential. We can all benefit from looking at divine sovereignty as coming with a price that is far outweighed by its worth. Ultimately, it may be time to revamp the adage and instead declare, “with great responsibility, comes great power!”
In the next part of this series, we will be discussing the infinite nature of our creator power as multidimensional beings… 

In love and truth,
​Lori Lines
​