Following The Path of
Light
"A man should
learn to detect and watch that gleam of light which flashes across his
mind from within."
Ralph Waldo Emerson
In the animated film Wall-E,
shortly after the robot character Wall-E arrives on a
spaceship, a team of other robots inspects and
decontaminates the probes that have just returned from their missions.
These robots move around following lines of light on a dark floor. The
light appears to be projected onto the floor to guide the robots to
where they need to go. It is an ingenious guidance system, because
unlike metal rails, which old fashion robots might move along, lines of
light can be shifted effortlessly and with infinite variability to meet
the needs of whatever job the robots are expected to do. Wherever the
light is projected, the robot will know that is the direction in which
to move.
For us humans, light is
associated with vision and consciousness. As an archetype,
light may represent goodness and wisdom. When we pass out of ignorance,
we are described as seeing the light. When we close our eyes, physical
light is blocked by our eyelids, but in our mind we may still see
light. If you visualize God or angels or other beneficent
spiritual beings, you likely see them surrounded by or formed of light.
If you are able to see auras or chakras in the human energy field, this
is likely perceived as some mental representation of light.
Perhaps we can use this
idea of light as a guidance system in connection with our
consciousness. Logic is a great tool for decision making, but it has
its limits. We don’t always have the data we need to make
decisions based on logic. Intuition enables us to make decisions when
the data is not adequate, when reasoning is not enough. We have the
capacity to use our inner knowing, our intuition to great effect, but
it can be difficult to access. We may have feelings about something,
but they can be hard to read. Sometimes we can use mental tools to
bring our inner knowing into consciousness.
Using this metaphor of
following the path of light, we might sharpen our ability to read and
interpret our inner guidance system. If you walk into a television
showroom and scan all the TVs on display, you would be able to pick out
the set with the brightest, most vivid picture. That would be the one
you would want. It is possible to use the same process in making
choices when the objects of choice are not generating any actual
physical light. Let’s say you must choose between door number
one and door number two. They are identical, but the prizes behind them
are different. How do you choose? Somehow, you make an intuitive
choice. How do you get the information? Some people might hear the
number in their head. You could also close your eyes and see if one of
the doors or one of the numbers appears brighter in your
mind’s eye.
Let’s say you
have a choice of paths to follow. It could be a decision about how to
get somewhere, what job to take, who to ask for a date, what customer
to contact, or where to go on your vacation. You can look inside and
see if the light shines in a particular direction. Can you see a path
in your mind? Can you sense that one of the options looks brighter?
That could be a signal that your unconscious mind is weighing in.
This type of divination
will probably not be effective if you are emotionally upset or your
mind is racing. So practice calming yourself. Clear your mind of
distracting rubbish. Practice listening to your heart and quieting your
mind. Tune in to the higher levels of consciousness. Pray for guidance.
Ask to be shown the way. See if your way is lit.
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