Who Am I?

“Who am I?” is the central question in life.  What is your answer to this question, and how is your understanding helping you in life?

This article first examines various levels of self identity.  Then it goes deeper to explore what “we are spiritual beings” really means. (Photo by Lucas Janin)

Will the true YOU please step forward?

We define ourselves in various ways:

1.    I am (my name).
2.    I am (my work position, social status, etc.).
3.    I am (my life experiences).
4.    I am (my thoughts, or the thinking mind).
5.    I am (my soul or spirit).

#1 is just a label.  #2, like “I am a sales manager.” or “I am a mother.” is just the role you are playing at this time.  It’s pretty easy to see these are not the real YOU.

Some people are invested in their experiences and believe they are the sum or the result of their life  experiences.  “I was abused as a child and so I am incapable of building a healthy relationship.  This is me.” or “I am an American and so I live this way.”  But I don’t think human life is like a physics experiment. We have free will that allows us to go outside what our experiences define.

#4 is big.  Someone said, “I think therefore I am.”  If you don’t embrace the idea of the soul, I guess this is how you define yourself.  Pretty obviously, you know you are not just the body you can see and touch.  There is something within that does the thinking – your mind.  So you are the mind, or the combination of your body and mind.  (If you think the mind is just a function of the brain, then the mind is part of the body – still, you define yourself as the body / mind.)

Then there are those who believe in #5.  I use to think this way, too.  Our essence is the soul, or the spirit, that currently resides in the physical body.  The thinking mind is only a tool.  And when we die, the soul moves on, to eventually have another incarnation.

The idea seemed to work until I experienced Ascension soul shift myself.

Soul shifts and the Self

As Akashic Record Reading specialist, I read people’s soul records.  Most people live with one soul for the entirety of his or her life.  Or, rather, the soul lives its whole incarnation.

However, there are those who go through soul shifts. When this is the case, I can count exactly how many souls have been involved, the characteristics of each soul, and when the shift happened.  And as I wrote in that article, soul shifting itself is nothing new.  All varieties of soul shifts except the Ascension soul shift have been known for some time.

1. Ongoing soul shifts
2. One-time soul shifts, or walk-ins, including:

1)    Reinstatement soul shifts
2)    Complete possessions
3)    Placeholder soul shifts
4)    Special cases such as Pleiadean soul shifts
5)    Ascension soul shifts

In each case, we can take one of the two perspectives to the question “Who am I?”

1. I am the originally intended soul that was meant for me at birth.
2. I am the soul I have now.

With ongoing soul shifts, there is one soul that was the originally intended soul.  So although it was in the body only part of the time, we can say this is who he or she was meant to be.  Alternatively, we can also interpret this situation that whichever soul that is in the body at the given moment is the self – at the time.

Similarly, in reinstatement soul shifts, we can say the originally intended soul that gets “reinstated” is the real you even though another soul was residing in the body for a while.  It’s also valid to say that, when the other soul was residing in the body, that was you.

Complete possessions are sad cases.  The originally intended soul gets kicked out by a negative soul.  When this happens, I have to say the new soul is the you because there is no way to reverse the process.

Placeholder soul shifts are like reinstatement soul shifts but the first soul is a positive soul.  So again, you are the originally intended soul.  Or you can say the soul you had at the time is the real you.

How Ascension soul shifts differ from other soul shifts

However, Ascension soul shifts are different.  With Ascension soul shift, the first soul is the originally intended soul.  And the second soul is also intended – the shift is orchestrated somehow.

The repeatedly asked question about Ascension soul shift is “Why does this have to happen?  What happens to the first soul?  What happens to my spiritual development that I have accomplished as my first soul through many lifetimes?”

I sensed there was something bigger or higher than the soul that is still an individual, the ME, that was orchestrating these soul shifts.  These soul shifts were not some random take over.  At least the second soul knew the first soul and what was going on.  But what is this “bigger or higher” something?

Here is my current understanding as I figured by communicating with my Akashic Record Guides.

The Source, the energy, and the soul

First there was the Source, the Source of all energy.  The whole, therefore perfect, energy.  Then it split part of it to create individualized forms of itself.  Basically, it wanted to play.  It was hard to play as a single existence ever, so it split itself to be many existences.

For now, let’s call these split energies “X’s”.

Some X’s became stars and planets.  Most other X’s became residents of these star systems.  Then they traveled around.  Eventually some came to Earth, which is just another creation.

To live in the physical bodies on Earth, X’s split part of themselves to form souls in much the same manner the Source split itself to be X’s.  Perhaps most X’s split out just one soul and watched over how it goes.

The soul lived in one body.  When the body was done, the soul crossed over to the other side for a temporary rest, and eventually came back to live another lifetime.  This went on and on for millenniums of time.  All the while the X of the soul was watching over its progress.

Ascension is the new game

Recently planet Earth and its residents decided to work out a new game plan.  We have gone through plenty of lifetimes and saw the various different sides of life.  We have done enough of the “learning by contrast” game.  More and more of us are reaching the point that we can possibly reach as the existing soul.  So we are going to change the matrix itself.  We are going to do this Ascension.
Ascension is about increasing the vibration rate.  For many of us, the souls we’ve had were good souls that were intended for each of us at birth, but they can go up only to a certain level of vibration rate.  So our X’s decided to upgrade.  Each X created another soul from itself and sent it to us.  This is Ascension soul shift.

Because the new soul originates from the same X, it is the same type, same background group and training.  It just vibrates higher and has no physical past life.

Meet X, your Higher Self

Now the issue of terminology.  This is where things get sticky because it’s quite possible that person A uses the term to mean something different from what person B means with the same term.

For me, X is my Higher Self.  My Higher Self came directly from the Source, and it infuses part of it to form my soul in much the same way the Source infused part of it to form my Higher Self.  My Higher Self can create many souls if it wants.

It’s like making photocopies.  Any number of souls can come from the Higher Self.  Once the soul is created and incarnates in the physical body, it gets its own experiences.  Like you can write memos on one of the photocopies.  We’ve got too many scribbles on our copies (souls) that we decided to start anew with a fresh copy.

Who am I really?

So there are higher levels of answers to the first question, “Who am I?”

6.    I am (my Higher Self).
7.    I am God, the Source, or – just, I am.

Does this make sense to you?  It does to me, so I concluded my communication with my guides.

A note in communication with spirit guides

If you are interested in trying this yourself, here is a brief cautionary note.  Spirits use your existing frame of reference to give you ideas.  So the analogy you get may well be different from mine.

Plus they are quite practical in their teaching.  They know there are levels of understanding.  Say, Newton’s law of gravity may or may not work in Einstein’s world, but if your understanding of physics is high school level (like most of us), they are not going to mention Einstein.  They know that would just complicate things unnecessarily.  So they tell you the law of gravity as Newton figured it out.  If you work for NASA, on the other hand, you may get a different response.  Both are, in a sense, “right” answers.

The answers I received make sense to me and so it’s good for me.  For now.  When my spirituality evolves further, I might get a new answer that may seem to contradict to what I know now.  Just a possibility.

Ascension is a process to be one with God, or to be God

So the Ascension process promotes higher awareness of who we really are.  We are not just our souls that goes  through many lifetimes.  We are our Higher Selves that are looking over all these experiences.

Further, we are the Source.  We are God, the Creator.  The split part is essentially the same in quality with the original.  It’s a smaller individualized version, but like a piece of holograph, it has all the power and information of the original.

It gets really hard to “know” who I am at this level.  It’s like trying to see my own nose.  Not by the reflection on the mirror, but trying to see my nose itself.  We are not quite capable of doing this.  Likewise, after rigorous examination of who I am, seemingly ironically, I reach a point where I say, “I just am.”  Everything and everyone are part of me, appearing to be different for the fun of it.

How do you identify yourself?  Are you using the power that comes from realizing you are the Source?

5 Q&A About Spirit Guides

Spirit guides – I’m glad many people are finally opening up to this wonderful resource.  Hope this article helps you to connect and communicate with your own spirit guides.  (Photo by alicepopkorn)

Your spirit guide team or committee

First, you have more than one spirit guide.  You have inner circle spirit guides who work exclusively for you and who are with you all the time.  Then you have outer circle spirit guide team, each member with specific function, such as your astral guide who guides you through the astrals while you sleep.  Beyond this, there are your teachers, masters, and angels . . .

When I just say “spirit guides”, I’m talking about the inner circle spirit guides. You want to focus on communicating with them because they know you intimately and they work closely with you.  If there are jobs that are beyond their capabilities, they can pass it on to higher guides and work as mediators.

You may also have one or more special assignment guides on the inner circle.  These are temporary spirit guides (by temporary, I mean for a few weeks or for the rest of your life) with specific assignment.

Who are spirit guides?

Your spirit guides are NOT your ancestors nor your deceased family members.  At least, I have never seen such cases.  However, you may have shared physical lifetimes with them in your past life.  Or you may not have.

You hired your spirit guides at some point in your life.  Typically, people are born with one spirit guide (also called birth guide) and hire more spirit guides as they grow up.  The hiring ends as you reach adulthood (by age 30 usually), with four to seven spirit guides on the inner circle.  Of course, special assignment guides are exceptions – you may be hiring them at any time in your life, as the need arises.

Your spirit guides have agreed to serve as your spirit guides, so don’t be afraid to utilize them.  They want to help you.  They do their further development by serving you.  They are a few steps ahead of you in spiritual evolution, so they have higher perspective and insights that you can benefit from.

Common questions about spirit guides

1. “Why do I have more than one spirit guide?”

It’s better to have a team.  Each spirit guide has personalities, just like we do.  Some lead the team with grand  big visions, but don’t pay much attention to details.  Some are happy, smiley people person (sorry, I mean spirit) and hold the team dynamics.  Some are good at technical analytical thinking.  Some are very nurturing and comforting.  Together they make a great team.

If you recognize only one spirit guide, you may be communicating with your first (birth) guide.  He or she can work as the representative of the whole team.

It’s also important to understand the number of spirit guides on the inner circle doesn’t mean better or worse.  A team of four is just as well as a team of six.  Personally, when I had six spirit guides (prior to my soul shifting), I found myself communicating with just two of them most of the time.  It was easier for me that way.

2. “Isn’t it better to communicate with higher beings, like angels?”

It’s essential to leave elitist thinking here.  Your inner circle spirit guides are just a few steps ahead of you, which means they can relate to you well, and vice versa.  Don’t underestimate them just because they are not terribly ahead of you. You don’t want super advanced guides. That’s like having Einstein teach high school science. The students won’t learn much from him ? they need a teacher who can explain things in their terms.

This doesn’t mean higher level beings like angels are not useful to us – of course, they are.  On a daily basis, however, your spirit guides are your trusted resource.

3. “What’s the name of my spirit guide?”

I guess this question comes from the idea that you need to know the spirit guide’s name to communicate with them.  Well, you don’t.  You can just address them “my spirit guides”.

But of course, more information such as the name and appearance of each of your spirit guides can help you tremendously, so I offer Spirit Guides Reading.  I also offer Spirit Guides Coaching, which is a six week program to learn how to communicate with your own spirit guides experientially.  It’s been a great success and I recommend it to anyone who is serious about utilizing this amazing resource.

4. “Do I need help from a psychic or medium to communicate with my spirit guide?”

No. You don’t need them. You are fully capable of communicating with your own spirit guides yourself. However, you may find it helpful to get some training.

It’s like learning how to drive a car.  Did you find it helpful to have someone more experienced next to you when you were first learning how to drive?  Most likely.  And hopefully, that someone was able to explain things in the way you understand rather than just screaming “NO!”

Same thing with learning how to communicate with your spirit guides.  And this is why I offer Spirit Guides Coaching.  Learn it by doing it with me.  You’ll get my special report, too, so you can practice more at home by yourself.

5. “But do I really have spirit guides?”

Aaaaagh, this is a super critical question.  Because you are right, some people do not have spirit guides.  I’m sorry, I don’t intend to scare you, but it’s something I frequently find in my Akashic Record Reading.

Some souls lose spirit guides with traumatic experience.  Some souls dismiss them by mistake.  Or there could be any other reasons.  Clients who don’t have spirit guides usually know this at a deep level.  They feel very lonely and helpless, literally.  They may have given up prayers because they were disappointed with the results of their previous prayers.

When I find out there are no spirit guides, I restore the spirit guides team.  (Yes, it’s absolutely possible to restore them!  So don’t despair.)

Another very harmful situation with spirit guides is that some people have negative spirit guides who misguide them.  This is extremely confusing because you can’t tell if an advice is coming from a good spirit guide or from a negative one.  (Again, this situation can be repaired.)

Did I cover all your questions about spirit guides?  If you have more questions, please leave it in the comment.  Thank you.

Update on November 18, 2009:  Thank you for all the comments!  I will write another post about spirit guides soon.  Regarding your individual cases, such as if you have any spirit guides, or what their names may be, I have no idea until I read your Akashic Records.

Let me put it this way. It would be totally irresponsible and unprofessional if a doctor gave diagnosis just by hearing your description of what you are experiencing. They can write articles on healthcare, but individual cases need individual attention. Likewise, I can share general info on this blog, but I cannot talk about your specific case just by reading your comment. I strive for my professionalism. So if you are serious about improving your communication with your spirit guides, please order Spirit Guides Reading or Spirit Guides Coaching. Thank you.

Dreams As Spiritual Messages

Have you had one of those dreams from which you wake up thinking, “That was so real. . . I think that meant something important, but what could that be?” Our nightly dreams are one way we receive spiritual messages.

In my interview with Davina, many comments came about dreams. So here is my follow up on this fascinating topic. (Photo by jpstanley)

Five types of dreams

Not all dreams are spiritual messages. Here is a quick overview of the various types of dreams:

1. Some dreams are just the products of our mind. The mind wants to re-process what it experienced. The experience may be real or something you saw in a movie or in a book, and it may be recent or old experience, or combination of them.
2. Some people “work” through their dreams. They have many dreams but the dreams don’t make sense to them. It’s a way their soul is helping other souls in the dream world, and my advice for this kind of dreamers is “Don’t over-analyze your dreams.”
3. Some go to the wrong side of the dream world either by accident or by negative energetic interference. This is really harmful – the person ends up having some kind of sleep problems such as nightmares (the negative side of the dream world is a very ugly place), insomnia (because the mind is so afraid of going there again), or dreamless sleep (because the mind dismisses the horrible dreams immediately at waking up). It is one of the energetic issues I clear in my Akashic Record Reading.
4. Then, there are dreams that are spiritual messages. They would feel special. It may be the soul memory of its past lives, or premonitions, or messages from your spirit guides.
5. Some people (with practice) can program dreams before going to sleep. It’s called lucid dreaming. Lucid dreaming also means being aware you are in dreams while in dreams, therefore allowing you to explore the dream world actively.

Can dream dictionaries help your dream interpretation?

So the first step in dream interpretation is to focus on that special dream that you know, beyond reasoning, means something important. You don’t have to “try to remember” this kind of dream as you wake up. You know. (However, it will help you to write down the dream once you are awake. We are all so busy to get distracted, aren’t we?)

Then hold on to that dream and “guess” what it may mean. Hopefully, you’ll have your a-ha moment.

Erin Pavlina makes very important point to rely on your own frame of reference rather than checking with dream dictionaries for your dream interpretation. I totally agree. What does that symbol mean to you? How do you feel about it? What is the overall feel of the dream?

And then again, the dream may not be “symbols”. It may be a more straightforward past life memory or premonition.

Because this is such a personal process, I guess a case study may serve better than generalized explanation. Here is something I experienced several years ago. When I woke up from this dream, I knew it was important so I wrote it down in my journal at 3 am.

Meeting my spirit guide in the dream

In the dream, there was an old man dressed like a Buddhist monk. He was terminally ill, and was being cared for by a younger someone – one of his disciples. There was another young man who heard of his condition and traveling to see him. But the old man was not sad nor scared about his own upcoming death.

“When you seek answers outside of yourself, there is no end in seeking. Silly. Everything is complete within yourself already.” The old man was talking to the person at his bed side. I knew he meant things like books and teachers when he said “outside of yourself”. He looked happy. His body was weakening, but he was in joy to go home.

Like many dreams, there may have been more details but this is about all I remembered. The feelings were very clear: the traveling man’s concern about the old man’s condition and the old man’s positive, almost joyous, feeling about his own death.

At the time, I thought the old man’s message about life and death was so interesting, and so I wrote it down.

When I got to know my spirit guides more closely later, I found that my first guide was an old man who was my spiritual teacher in one of my past life. After awhile this dream popped up in my mind again. I now think that old man in the dream was my teacher and on my spirit guide team.

Learning spiritual lessons in the dreams

Dr. Brian Weiss reports in his classic Many Lives, Many Masters that he received lessons from his Master Spirits in his dreams. It wasn’t just about receiving spiritual messages – he says he could do Q&A sessions with the spirits. Basically, he was channeling in his dreams.

Have you had unusual dreams? What do you think about dream analysis and dream dictionaries?

Further reading:  My friend Anna Conlan just wrote a post about spiritual messages in dreams and “working” in the dreams.