Freedom and Growth
by Diane Linsley
After many years of study and personal growth work, there is one
thing I am sure of: We are here to experience freedom. Without
freedom, there is no reason to have incarnated in the first place.
Freedom is essential for soul development.
Freedom and Cognitive Development
Society is made of up individuals at different stages of cognitive development, which is why it's so conflicted. The gap between the most highly developed and most underdeveloped individuals is huge, as you may have noticed. No matter where you are in your development, you are affected by what is happening in society at large because we are all interconnected.
Freedom is not the same as agency. Every human being has agency - the ability to make a choice. But freedom exists on a continuum. Your level of freedom increases with your level of awareness. The more aware you are, the more choices you have.
Here are examples of increasing freedom as a person moves through the stages of cognitive development:
1. Impulsive: Doesn't think before acting, and so he suffers from many undesired consequences.
2. Rule-oriented: Does what society expects. Can choose to follow or not follow rules.
3. Rational: Has a certain amount of self-awareness, which is used to make choices based on reason.
4. Individualistic: Values individuality and does what he believes is best for himself while respecting others and their individuality.
5. Self-Aware: Understands the psychological reasons for why he does certain things, but doesn't yet understand his soul's purpose.
6. Self-Transcendent: Understands his soul's purpose and how others fit into the picture.
Freedom and Values
Patrick Henry, who penned the famous words, "Give me liberty or give me death!" said the following:
"It is natural for men to indulge in the illusions of hope. We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth, and listen to the song of the siren till she transforms us into beasts. Is this the part of wise men, engaged in a great and arduous struggle for liberty? Are we disposed to be a number of those who, having eyes, see not, and having ears, hear not, the things which so nearly concern their temporal salvation? For my part, whatever anguish of spirit it may cost, I am willing to know the whole truth; to know the worst, and to provide for it."
How much do you value freedom? Do you value it more or less than safety, money, or social acceptance? Are you living in integrity with your highest values?
I recommend doing the Values Process to get clarity. Knowing your highest values can give you the courage and strength to stand up for them in the face of peer pressure or persecution.
Freedom and Government
John Stuart Mill said, "The only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others. His own good, either physical or moral, is not sufficient warrant. He cannot be rightfully compelled to do or forbear because it will be better for him to do so, because it will make him happier, because, in the opinion of others, to do so would be wise, or even right. ... The only part of the conduct of anyone, for which he is amenable to society, is that which concerns others. In the part which merely concerns him, his independence is, of right, absolute. Over himself, over his own body and mind, the individual is sovereign."
We saw abuse of this freedom in 2020 with the forced vaccination of some individuals. The question at hand is not about the efficacy of vaccination, but about the threat to freedom when the individual's control over his own body is taken away. Bertrand Russell foresaw what this would lead to when he wrote of a futuristic society controlled by a scientific dictatorship:
"Diet, injections, and injunctions will combine, from a very early age, to produce the sort of character and the sort of beliefs that the authorities consider desirable, and any serious criticism of the powers that be will become psychologically impossible. Even if all are miserable, all will believe themselves happy, because the government will tell them that they are so."
Russel also wrote, "'Free thought' means thinking freely ... to be worthy of the name freethinker he must be free of two things: the force of tradition and the tyranny of his own passions."
How can we claim to be free when we are not even aware of how we are being controlled by the influences of society, as well as by our own feelings and unresolved psychological issues?
Freedom and Relationships
On a personal scale, people get into manipulative, controlling and codependent relationships when they don't understand freedom. A good book on this subject is Who's Pulling Your Strings by Harriet Braiker. Before I read this book, I had no idea how much I was being manipulated and controlled by others.
We are more free when we stop worrying about what other people think of us. As I often remind myself, "What other people think of me is none of my business." This thought strengthens my boundaries.
The tactics used by repressive governments are similar to the tactics that narcissists use to terrorize their victims, and the results are the same - fear, social withdrawal, depression and physical illness. As Maria Popova explains in this article, isolation is a classic technique used by totalitarian governments to seize power. Here's a quote from the article:
"Terror can rule absolutely only over men who are isolated against each other. ... Therefore, one of the primary concerns of all tyrannical government is to bring this isolation about. Isolation may be the beginning of terror; it certainly is its most fertile ground; it always is its result." ~Hannah Arendt
Our nervous systems are co-regulated by the people we are in close proximity to. Be aware of how your body reacts to other people. Surround yourself with people who support your individuality and calm your nervous system. Be a supportive and calming force in the lives of others.
Don't try to control others. Teach by example how to respect freedom. It's very painful to watch a client making what I believe are poor choices. But I cannot tell another person what to do. I can only lead them through processes that help them with decision making and hopefully raise their awareness.
A Mature Ego
I believe that we are here to mature the ego. You can't kill the ego, but you can transcend and transform it. According to Ken Wilber, transcend means "transcend and include." It doesn't mean destroy.
Self-transcendence doesn't mean getting rid of the self. It means that your perspective and actions extend beyond your individual self to include all of humanity. Love your neighbor as yourself.
At the core of every good spiritual map is the goal of transcending and maturing the ego. Only a person with a strong sense of self can act with awareness. One of my favorite practices for developing a healthy ego is Voice Dialogue.
Here's a video of Carl G. Jung describing his first experience of "I am" and explaining why individuality is imperative in a technological society. Jung was an early explorer of shadow material. Dr. Hal Stone, creator of the Voice Dialogue process, was a Jungian psychologist.
More Ideas on Freedom
Here's a video by JP Sears, a talented comedian (previously a life coach). It sums up what's at stake right now in a world where our basic human rights are being threatened. JP addresses this issue in his usual way of bringing humor to serious topics.
Here's a video that explains mass psychosis and how people lose the ability to think logically when they are manipulated by the media.
You can get involved in defending freedom in the world by supporting groups like Children's Health Defense and Citizens for Free Speech.
Be well,
Diane Linsley
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