Third Eye Open

By Rev Deborah L. Johnson

Thriving at any stage of life requires that we continuously open our third eye. As we spiritually grow and mature, our lives become more integrated and less fragmented. We find ourselves naturally striving for more consistency between our inner beliefs and outer expressions. As we witness life mirroring itself back to us, we begin to see traces of our own selves in everyone and everything. Sometimes it is comforting. At other times it can be distressing, especially when we have to relinquish our comfort zone in order to be more aligned with our own values.

Those of us proclaiming to believe in Oneness, in non-duality, often have little evidence of such in the daily trafficking of our lives, especially in matters of interpersonal relationships. In fact, in honest self-reflection, we may see more contradiction of Oneness than congruence. As human beings we have the extraordinary capacity to think, speak, feel, behave, and believe in ways that contradict one another. This capacity for incongruence puts us at cross-purposes in ways that ultimately result in unrequited goals, dis-ease, and inharmonious relationships.

From a non-dualistic Oneness perspective, we know, spiritually and scientifically, that everyone and everything is sourced by the same energetic field, making us all connected and interdependent. Yet, we balk at the implications of this Oneness when it undermines conflicts and polarities in our minds, when it challenges all of the ways in which we are invested in not being the same as certain other people. From the most personal micro levels to the most global macro levels, Oneness dismantles the “othering” so central to our ego structure and, hence, our perceptions of one another. This “othering” not only denies our interconnectedness but denounces it as heresy. What does that say about our good name and stature if they are One with us? “Surely you can’t be saying that I am One with ______. What an insult!”

Even when we do not question theoretically the energetic Oneness of everything as quantum physics now shows us, we sometimes, consciously or unconsciously, choose to operate as though it is not so. Our thoughts, feelings, and actions can reflect a more Newtonian model of physics in which things are immutable impenetrable masses of matter. With this viewpoint we perceive people, places, and things as masses of matter needing to be controlled or destroyed as opposed to being energetic fields from the same source only needing to be transformed or redeemed.

The former belief system of matter as mass results in our perceiving ourselves as victims of circumstances and conditions beyond our control. Believing that everything is interconnected enables us to see ourselves as co-creators of our reality if we choose to energetically engage it. In the face of any judgments or sense of self-righteousness, large or small, Oneness is an inconvenient truth demanding from us connection instead of distancing.

Putting Oneness into daily practice challenges us at the deepest level. Its radical inclusiveness creates a moral dilemma for our tendencies towards divisiveness. A hardened heart is often reluctant to concede to cognitive or spiritual understanding. How do we reconcile our internal resistance with our higher spiritual and scientific awareness? “What if I just don’t want to be one with them?”

These questions are only asked, let alone answered, when our third eye opens. Hopefully, we grow along the way. When we have seen a lot and lived a lot, we see the consequences, both short and long term, of being out of alignment, of living at cross-purposes and in contradictions. Let the wisdom and resilience that you have learned on your sojourn remind you that life is truly sweeter when we walk our talk. With our third eye open, let us give ourselves permission to live like we know what we know.
 

 
Rev. Deborah L. Johnson is the founding minister and president of Inner Light Ministries, an Omnifaith outreach ministry dedicated to teaching the practical application of Universal Spiritual Principles to all of life’s circumstances. She is also the founder and president of The Motivational Institute, an organizational development consulting firm specializing in cultural diversity serving the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. Her clients range from Fortune 500 companies to community-based organizations. She is a dynamic public speaker, known for her ability to bring clarity to complex and emotionally charged issues. Click here to visit her website.