I believe our own level of consciousness and self-awareness directly shapes and affects our lived experience.

The challenge of trying to answer this question puts me in an uncomfortable place of attempting to explain my understanding of the nature of human experience itself. 

I won't be able to do the topic the justice it deserves, this has been the work of philosophers, mystics, sages and priests for thousands of years. I put myself in the category of an enthusiastic amature, here I will give my best concise shot.

We live in a world shaped by perception.

A world full of aspirations, hopes and dreams, disappointments and stories.

Sometimes these turn into an uncomfortable dossier of our failures, disappointments and regrets, we revisit during a 3am wake. 

We move from moment to moment, filled with mental chatter. 

Conversations with others and conversations with ourselves. Judging, comparing, planning, winning, losing, wishing things were different or would stay the same.. 

All the while, we are trying to orient ourselves safely through a complex tapestry of interactions. 

Over time, our personalities feel like a montage of habits and responses we have gathered throughout life. Dad jokes and sayings. Beliefs and behaviours copied from society. We stop questioning. The stories become who we are. 

“This is who I am.”  It feels unquestionably true.  And yet, most of this is collected and assembled unconsciously. 

At times, the human experience can be extremely challenging and painful.

We suffer.

Suffering is worth trying to describe as a lived experience. It can feel visceral and physical. Heartbreak, loss, grief, fear, shame, disappointment, rejection - these are all powerful and challenging experiences. 

These experiences seem to inhabit us like an unwelcome guest. They climb inside our skin, tighten our chest, squeeze our insides. All the while they give no indication of when they might leave again.

Suffering can also be smaller and more subtle.

• the experience of an unkind thought about yourself when you catch your reflection, 
• chastising yourself for simply saying the wrong thing,
• the feeling of not being enough, 
• and being fundamentally unlovable.

So why raise consciousness?

Perhaps it is helpful to consider what we do without it? 

Consider someone who lives with the conscious (or subconscious) beliefs they are unworthy, not enough, unlovable. Someone who fears the world to be a scary and unpredictable place. 

It is completely understandable that anyone who has internalised these beliefs will move through the world making decisions from this perspective.

How exactly our beliefs translate into everyday actions is different for everyone, but we can see themes and patterns in behaviour. 

A woman may remain in a relationship because, due to her beliefs, she can't even perceive herself deserving of a healthy relationship.

A man - a workaholic - may do so because his self-worth can only be felt through achievement and external validation.

There are so many possible scenarios, but the patterns are recognisable. When we become more conscious, we begin to see these patterns rather than simply live inside them.

When we become more conscious, we begin to see these patterns rather than simply live inside them.

And in that seeing, something changes.

• We gain the ability to respond rather than react.
• To choose rather than unconsciously repeat.
• To act from love instead of fear.
• From wholeness instead of separation.

This matters not only on an individual level, but collectively.

When enough people begin making those decisions from greater awareness, compassion, responsibility, and connection, we quite literally begin changing the world.

Consciousness is not about perfection. It is about seeing clearly.

And perhaps that clarity is where healing truly begins.

This is part of why we created LightStack, in order to support healers and spiritual practitioners dedicated to healing, building awareness, and raising consciousness and contribute to the overall healing in that way. 

We’d love to hear what your why is - why do you believe raising consciousness matters? Why do you do what you do?

In service,

Mark

PS: If you are doing work that helps people reconnect with themselves, and raise consciousness, we’d love to support you in doing that.