Navigating the inner quest for personal growth is about answering the call to explore the unknown world of our consciousness. We are innately aware that our growth comes from delving into the inner psyche.
The puzzle of the inner world is hidden from the conscious mind unless we take the steps to delve below the surface. Here, we find the mechanisms of memory, personality, and instinct. Our intuition and intellect also play major roles in creating this mosaic of the subconscious mind.
Understanding the Inner Psyche
Life is about lessons, creating a positive legacy, and making the world better for everyone and every living thing. The experience of life is a unique opportunity to live and learn.
When we are ready, we hear the call of the inner journey. It is the innate desire to seek answers to the important questions about life. These are the questions about who we are, what we are, and why we are here. This adventure begins when you answer the call. So, what does answering the call entail? What do I have to do? Where do you want to go?
If you have a destination in mind, you can create a roadmap. Let’s say you want to be enlightened. Start with the tools that expand your awareness. If you want to be a spiritual writer, start writing. Or perhaps you want to be a Guru. If that is your goal, start by helping people and learning as many mantras as you can. Maybe your goal is to learn and grow. If that is your goal, you can start by reading the articles and learning some of the spiritual methods provided on this website.
Understanding the inner psyche is about following your heart. As you follow this roadmap, you will find the right teachers and resources.
Navigating the Spiritual Journey
As you travel this mystical adventure of life, unexpected things happen. Life can make you change course. So, you’ll need to revise your plan from time to time. You will learn the most important journey you can take is one of self-discovery. If you ignore this opportunity, you will regret it. Delving into the inner psyche is where you connect with the real you, the observer of this journey.
The inner quest for personal growth is what Joseph Campbell refers to as the hero’s journey. He uses this term to describe the common story elements found in many spiritual traditions and even popular stories. Several processes help us on this inward adventure called spiritual technologies. It is a pattern that helps us make sense of the chaos of life.
This quest resonates with many people because we are creatures born to explore. We want to be the hero of our journey.
Rules for Navigating the Inner Quest for Personal Growth
Mr. Campbell (1) was a professor at Sarah Lawrence College, where he taught comparative religious studies. Mr. Campbell authored many books, but his crowning achievement is the work “The Hero with a Thousand Faces.” In this work, he discusses the archetypal hero at the heart of many religions and the stories that resonate.
1. Recognize the Lessons of Life
Every experience is an opportunity for some kind of lesson. Every day you wake up, you are different than you were the day before. You change physically every day. But are you really awake, or are you spiritually still asleep? Are you paying attention to what is going on? Are you listening to your intuition, that inner voice?
“We are asleep. Our Life is a dream. But we wake up sometimes, just enough to know that we are dreaming.” — Ludwig Wittgenstein
“When there is spiritual awakening, you awaken into the fullness, the aliveness, and also the sacredness of now. You were absent, asleep, and now you are present, awake.” — Eckhart Tolle
It’s important to stay awake to recognize the lessons. Navigating the spiritual journey isn’t without its difficulties. Sometimes, it is hard to stay on track because there are a lot of things that can get us sidetracked.
The Inner Quest for Self-awareness
If we listen to this voice, we are awake and on the way. Don’t ignore this voice and go back to sleep. Your intuition is trying to tell you there is more to this thing called reality than being a supporter of religion or commercialism.
If you are reading this, you have likely already begun this journey. You are listening to the voice prompting you to seek the answers within your spirit and soul. Sages tell us everyone has this desire, but not everyone follows it. Unfortunately, some people get sidetracked by the counterfeit of organized religion. This detour provides spiritual junk food instead of real nutrition. Others simply ignore the call and fall prey to the rat race of commercialism.
The blended learning process uses this same template, which provides a natural progression of learning. Mr. Campbell refers to the story of the Alchemist. It is the story of pursuing your inner desire to explore the unknown. It is the story of a boy who learns life’s lessons on the spiritual path.
2. Learn What to Avoid
The second rule is to avoid becoming a follower. Don’t join a religion; if you are already in one, find a way to get out and leave it behind. Religion provides simple answers to make people customers.
Organized religion provides counterfeits and substitutes for the true spiritual journey. It installs harmful values to control your thinking. They are absent any tools for fulfilling your inner quest for personal growth. Their strategy is based on providing empty promises. For example, you’ll need to wait until after you die to cash in on the afterlife rewards.
Many people think they can fulfill this quest by following a religion, but this is not true. Unfortunately, many regions are counterfeits for the inner journey. You cannot find your “personal truth” following the path made by someone else.
“The process of finding the truth may not be a process by which we feel increasingly better and better. It may be a process by which we look at things honestly, sincerely, truthfully, and that may or may not be an easy thing to do.” — Adyashanti
But today, the trend is changing. Many people leave the big three organized religions to create a spiritual path of their own design. However, Christianity, Islam, and Judaism still control much of the cultural narrative. There is much work to be done if we are to change how people think because these systems are counterfeits for the authentic journey.
Keep the goal of life in mind. The most important journey you can take is one of self-discovery. Western religion is about selling myth, not self-discovery.
3. Find Tools and Teachers for the Inner Journey
If you can relate to this call, you are ready to use spiritual exploration tools. We believe these tools are the key to the quest. Another one of the crazy rules about this adventure is that everyone has their own pace. So, be sure to add self-care to your spiritual toolbox. We all need time to normalize greater levels of awareness and assimilate new techniques.
Navigating the Inner Quest for Self-Awareness
We endorse the use of authentic tools for changing consciousness. You can tell if they are authentic because they do not require belief in religious doctrine or superstition. All it takes is the ability to follow a process.
Creating your own path is the only way to find authentic answers. Keep listening to the inner voice and seek the right tools for the next steps in navigating the spiritual journey. You can learn many tools here on this website on your own.
Tools for Delving into the Inner Psyche
These methods differ vastly from beliefs in religious mythology. Anyone can use those methods to increase their full potential. These tools are like ingredients for a cake. If you follow a recipe, the result is something delicious.
These tools come from indigenous cultures around the world and have been used for generations. Applying these tools makes the journey authentic and not just an academic understanding. (2) We divide these tools into four main categories:
4. Find Like-Minded Partners
You walk your own path, but that doesn’t mean you always need to walk alone. Finding other people on the same path, seeking the same goals, and using the same tools are important.
“The inner journey is as individual as our thumbprint. We need to guide others on their way and never impose our way upon them.” — Morton T. Kelsey
Find other people with the same goals and mindset that will allow you to learn and teach. You will learn as much from helping others as you can by learning a new technique. Helping others learn new methods and overcome the roadblocks you have mastered is how you become a teacher. Learn to listen and receive feedback. It’s part of the growth process.
Frequently Asked Questions
— Can I create “my own spiritual path?” Yes. Most definitely. Yes, that is one of the first goals of navigating the spiritual journey.
— If I follow a religion, can I use these techniques also? From a practical standpoint, yes. In most cases, you can, unless your religion forbids you. Many religions like to demonize other methods to keep you a customer.
— How should I start the inner quest for personal growth? Start with an inexpensive handwritten journal. It’s one of the most important tools every spiritual explorer should have in their spiritual toolbox. It’s your best coach. Read about the spiritual technologies listed in this article. Experiment and learn as much as you can. Just beware of the spiritual counterfeits that try to take advantage of people. Then, find a resource close to you.
— Will the practice of these methods make me more spiritually aware? Yes. Many of these will help you open your spiritual gifts.
— What else is the inner journey called? Some people call it the path. Others call it the Hero’s Journey.
— Will this adventure fulfill the inner quest for personal growth? Yes. That is the goal of the inner journey delving into the inner psyche.
In Conclusion
Navigating the inner quest for self-awareness and personal growth is serious inner work. Are you ready to begin navigating the spiritual journey? If so, you are in the right place. There is something here for every level of spiritual explorer, from the beginner to the advanced, and if you need help, contact us.
References
(1) Joseph Campbell & Joseph Campbell’s book, The Hero with a Thousand Faces.
(2) Theoretical Models of Consciousness: A Scoping Review.