This is a jumping-off point for my articles on all the stuff I’ve learned (and am learning) in relation to the question “Who am I?” – information, knowledge, wisdom and experience that I have found to be valid and useful.
Personality
I have been interested in personality for as long as I can remember. What makes people tick? In what ways am I different from other people? Are we all the same under the skin? These questions have always intrigued me. This is one of the reasons why I became a psychologist.
| Personality and spirituality: | This is a summary of my perspective on who and what we are, and how it has evolved through my own life experiences. I see personality as the vehicle through which our true self (our essence or soul) operates in the relative world. |
| What is Personality? | In this article I briefly summarise how psychologists view personality. In fact, different psychologists view it in very different ways, depending upon their perspective on human nature. |
| The Hierarchy of Human Needs: Maslow’s Model of Motivation | This is a quick overview of one of the most popular models to come out of psychology, Abraham Maslow’s pyramid-shaped Hierarchy of Needs.
Although the model is well known, the version that is usually shown in textbooks is actually an early form. As I explain here, Maslow’s later version included self-transcendence as the highest goal. |
Spirituality
| My spiritual journal | Not an article as such, this is a collection of blog posts in which I occasionally record my own experiences of a spiritual nature. Topics include:
|
| The Pathwork Teachings | The teachings known as “the Pathwork Lectures” are possibly the best kept secret in personal and spiritual growth. They were channelled in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s by a woman called Eva Pierrakos, and are attributed to an entity known only as the Guide. With amazing clarity and wisdom, they emphasise the need for honest self-examination on the path of self-realisation.
The Guide’s focus on confronting and transforming the darkness within distinguishes these teachings from many others. The Guide insists that the darkness within us cannot be glossed over, ignored, or suppressed. It has to be confronted, brought to light, and transformed. |
| Spiritual experiences | See also these blog posts:
|
| 10 things everyone should know about reincarnation | Thanks to a combination of channelled teachings, after-death communications, insights from near-death experiences, reports of hypnotic regression and even scientific research into past lives, it is now possible to put together a very clear picture of reincarnation.
Interestingly, in light of this accumulation of knowledge, we can now see that even within those Eastern cultures that believe in reincarnation, many people’s understanding of it is confused by all sorts of religious doctrines that are just plain wrong. |
| Reincarnation Case studies | Occasionally I like to so some detective work and research the possible past lives of prominent personalities. (It was doing some research like this for past-life author Jewelle St James  that first took me down this path.) Some of these case studies are “highly suggestive”. See for example:
|
The Michael Teachings
For a long time I have been informed and inspired by many great spiritual teachings. I have read and studied a huge amount, and have directly interacted with a few teachers. There are of course many teachings (and teachers) out there, and the quality varies a lot. Over the years, though, I have gradually refined my tastes and honed in on a few sources which I regard as truly valid, useful and generally excellent.
The Michael teachings have given me a complete and systematic understanding of who we are, why we are here, and how those two relate. The teachings cover the nature of the soul, its evolution, and its relationship to both human personality and life choices.
| The Michael Teachings | The Michael teachings comprise a body of channelled knowledge and wisdom which has been accumulating since the 1970s. The source of all this is a group of souls who have all completed their cycles of reincarnation and are now serving as a kind of spiritual information and guidance service.* This article gives an introductory overview.
*The group is known as Michael for no other reason than that the last member of the group to incarnate happened to have the name Michael in that final life. |
| My Michael readings | COMING SOON!
The general teachings are freely available all over the internet. If you want a personal reading, however, you must contact of the many Michael channels. Here I present my own readings via several different channels. |
| Reincarnation – the 35 steps of soul evolution | According to the Michael teachings, we (as souls) enter physical existence as many times as necessary in order to fully evolve. There are five stage of soul evolution: Infant, Baby, Young, Mature, Old. Each stage consists of 7 discrete learning steps or levels. Hence, the full cycle of reincarnation comprises 35 steps. See also: |
| Soul types — the 7 roles in essence | Essence is just another word for spirit or soul; the innermost being of a person; our true nature. According to the Michael teachings, there are seven soul archetypes or roles in essence:
Each has a particular energetic quality that brings specific abilities or attributes into life. |
| Overleaves – the structure of personality | Your “overleaves” are the personal attributes or personality traits you have adopted for the course of this lifetime. These consist of: Goal, Mode, Attitude, Chief Feature, Centering, Body Type.
In each lifetime we choose a different set of overleaves. |
| Goal | Your Goal is your overall life path, the driving force of your personality throughout life. See also:
|
| Mode | Your Mode is your way of acting and interacting within life. Options consist of:
Repression, Caution, Perseverance, Observation, Passion, Power, Aggression. |
| Attitude | Your Attitude is your way of perceiving, assessing and understanding life. Options consist of:Stoical, Skeptical, Cynical, Pragmatic, Idealisitc, Spiritual, Realistic. |
| Chief Feature or Character Flaw | Your “chief feature” is a negative personality trait, an entrenched character flaw driven by fear and illusion. Its purpose is to protect you from whatever you fear the most as a separate being, such as a sense of personal vulnerability, inadequacy or worthlessness. |
| See also: |
Enlightenment Intensives
Enlightenment Intensives have played (and still play) a huge role in my life. They are 3-day retreats designed to enable us to experience that which is traditionally known as self-realization, satori or enlightenment in a relatively short period of time. The format resembles a cross between a traditional Zen meditation retreat and a personal growth group workshop. I recommend anyone seeking true self-knowledge or spiritual awakening to give it a go.
| Enlightenment Intensives | An overview of Enlightenment Intensives. Literally thousands of people the world over have had the same extraordinary awakening to their own essence through taking an Enlightenment Intensive. |
| Discover who you really are | A more in-depth introduction to Enlightenment Intensives. |
| My first enlightenment experience
(by Barry) |
I took my first three-day Intensive in 1991, and on the third day of the retreat I stumbled upon the direct experience of who I am. Aside from anything else, it proved to me once and for all that there is an absolute truth beyond all our ideas and perceptions of so-called reality, and that my own being is integral to it. |
| My first Enlightenment Intensive
(by Isis) |
Not mine, this time, but an African-American woman called Isis. This is an extract from her 1998 article. |