The Maturation of the Soul

Eric Allen Bell, Guest Writer
Waking Times

The nature of consciousness is that it evolves.  Everything is comprised of consciousness.  Non-local consciousness is the ground of all being.  You are an expression of the infinite consciousness that knows no boundaries.  That which looks out through your eyes, that which seems like individual consciousness, evolves.  It was evolving before it put on the garment of the body you presently inhabit.  It evolves in this lifetime.  It continues to evolve after the consciousness has left the body.  There is no beginning or end to you.

So what is the nature of where we find ourselves, located in time and space?  What is this place?  It is a story, both real and unreal.  Evolution occurs in response to crisis.  And from the moment you enter this domain, crying, hungry and helpless, the crisis has begun.  And thus so too has the soul begun a new stage in its evolution.

And then one day or night, the mind will stumble upon a question it simply cannot let go of.  Within the narrow confines of time and space, the mind will ask “What is the point?”  And thus the crisis of self has discovered a new dimension.

A point, the point, is something which can only be located in time and space.  Where else would a point be located?  And yet time and space are but a fraction of that limitless field of consciousness that we might call “reality”.   When one reaches this point of crisis, within the story, this is the invitation to transcend.  The crisis is the invitation.


  • It may often seem at first that the resolution to this crisis can be found within the world.  And one may search this world, looking for answers.  And there exists no shortage of appealing concepts, belief systems and personalities, which will temporarily satisfy this need to resolve the crisis of self.  The temptation may run high, to drop anchor there and to declare,  “I’ve found it!”

    And one may bask in this illusion until the illusion is seen for what it is, and the illusion fades.  When the illusion fades, these things no longer satisfy.  And when the mind becomes unsatisfied, a crisis occurs.  And in that crisis, one finds the invitation to go deeper.

    When the answers provided by this world, slip away like sand falling from the tight grip of your hands, the invitation to go deeper is undeniable.  And yet, the self-concept, with its mandate to survive, will do everything in its power to deny it.

    The temptation arises to view ones journey as a series of mistakes.  And in this world, there are entire industries that exist to exploit that point of view.  The proprietors of such an industry promise to fix you, to make you whole again.  But they cannot.  Still, one may need to visit this place to know for sure.  And in time, you will find yourself, back at the beginning, back at the initial crisis of yourself.

    Why must this process of evolution be so difficult?  If you knew, would that make it any easier?  The nature of this place we find ourselves is such that evolution occurs in response to crisis.  And clearly we are here to evolve.  Why must this process of evolution, the maturation of the soul, be so painful?  It doesn’t always have to be.  Where is the pain?  Where is it?  Is it not inside your self?  Aren’t you the origin of it?  Where, besides the body and the mind, does this pain exist?

    The material world is a part of the spiritual world.  They are not separate.  It’s not either-or.  The material world is an expression of the spiritual world.  So why not enjoy it?

    Who is the author of all of this?  Who is writing your story?  If your individual consciousness is a part of the infinite consciousness, a drop of water in an endless sea of consciousness, then who are you?  Isn’t that the real question you have been looking into all along?  That question also looks back, into you.  You are the author, you are the protagonist and you are the antagonist in this story.  There is no story without conflict.  And evolution occurs in response to conflict.  Can you be at peace with that?

    About the Author

    Eric Allen Bell is the author and editor of Global One TV. Please visit his enlightening site and follow Eric on Facebook, here.

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