Critical Thinking: Does The Illusion of Separation Make It Harder For Humanity To Change The World?

One of the ways that a lot of people find out about what is taking place where they live and the world as a whole is via the mainstream media. So, by watching a screen and/or reading a paper, someone will be informed.
Along with this, there will be those that primarily look towards the alternative media to stay up to date about what is taking place. In this case, someone could mainly watch videos online to stay informed.
The Experience
Irrespective of what source someone looks towards, this is going to be a time when they will find out about what is going on 'out there'. Therefore, unless they are watching something about plastic or the forests that are being destroyed for human consumption, for instance, they won't be playing a part.
The media or the alternative media are likely to come up with all the reasons why the world is the way that it is and it is unlikely that the viewer will be seen as being accountable. But, as they are only observing what is going on, how could they be playing a part?
A Common Outlook
Most likely, they will live in a society that believes that everyone and everything is separate. This will be a view that is a reflection of how their own ego-mind perceives reality; this part of them will create the illusion of separation.
It could be said that this not a 'bad' per se, as it is this is what that allows them to have their own experience on this earth. When someone doesn't realise that this is an illusion, it will naturally take away their ability to see through it.
One Consequence
Through viewing reality in this way, the only way for them to change the world will be for them to change what is going on 'out there'. It won't even occur to them that what they see 'out there' is a reflection of them - their own consciousness.
This is not to say that what they see will purely be a reflection of what is taking place in their conscious mind, though; it will also be a reflection of what is taking place in their unconscious mind. In the deeper part of their own being will be parts of themselves that they don't want to face, adult and childhood trauma, and ancestral trauma, amongst other things.
The Usual Approach
One way that they may try to change what is going on 'out there' is to get into politics. This is not to say that they will try to become a politician as they could just try to change their country, and the world, by voting.
These people can be seen as having all the power and influence, so getting the right person in charge will be the answer. Another thing that could happen is that one could take part in demonstrations.
Two Parts
Due to all the 'good' that someone like this is doing, it might be hard for them to accept that they are playing a part in the very reality that they are trying to change. For one thing, they will be trying to change what is going on, meaning that they will be coming from a place of resistance.
What is resisted will not only persist, it will also grow. And, back to the first point; they can be carrying a lot of baggage that is sustaining the very reality that they want to change.
A Different Approach
This is not to say that one is consciously sustaining the very things that they want to change in the world - what they see as being 'out there' - as it will be what is taking place at a deeper level that will be having the biggest impact on their reality and the planet as a whole. The key will be for them to keep in mind that they are not separate from anyone or anything and that this is just an illusion.
With this in mind, it will give them the chance to look into what part they might be playing in what they don't like about the world. It could be said that this will take a certain level of self-awareness, ego strength and self-compassion; without this, it will not only be difficult for someone to go within, it will also be hard for them to work through their inner wounds without getting defensive and punishing themselves for what they find.
For Example
Let's say someone sees a lot of hate 'out there', what they could do is to look into what this brings up for them. By doing this, what they may find is that they start to come into contact with a number of different memories.
This could relate to times in their life when they experienced hate, hate that they had to push out of their awareness. As a result of this, the hate that they had disconnected from ended up being embodied by different people 'out there'.
An Act of Courage
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If they were then to work through these emotional wounds, with external support if needed, they may soon find that their external reality changes. This is because their inner world will have changed, so their outer will have to follow suit.
Thanks to doing this work and cleaning their inner world up, they will have changed their own and the collective consciousness. Thus, instead of feeding hate into the hate that is already held in the collective field, they can start to feed love into this field and to embody more love themselves.
Being the Difference
Unlike before, when they had the same level of consciousness that they were trying to change in the world, they will be an example of how they want the world to be. This won't mean that they will have done all their inner work and that will be it, as this will be a lifelong process.
It would be far easier for them to be caught up in the illusion that their ego-mind creates and to try to change the external world, but this wouldn't be the most effective approach. Nonetheless, it would allow them to receive a fair amount of approval and to even experience a sense of self-righteousness.
Conclusion
When someone believes that they are just an observer of the world and that they are not having an effect, it will cause them to give their power away. As they, along with many others, will have done this, there will have to be certain people who will embody the power that they have relinquished.
The world 'out there' will then take longer to change and one can end up seeing themselves as a powerless victim. The truth is that they have far more power than they realise and they can use this power to be the change that they want to see in the world.
Author, transformational writer, teacher and consultant, Oliver JR Cooper, hails from England. His insightful commentary and analysis covers all aspects of human transformation, including love, partnership, self-love, and inner awareness. With over two thousand, five hundred in-depth articles highlighting human psychology and behaviour, Oliver offers hope along with his sound advice.