expanding our consciousness through the use of the mirror effect: a "tool" for becoming conscious co-creators of our world in the 21st century



carroy u. ferguson, ph. d.

university of massachusetts-boston

college of public and community service


copyright © 2000



it has been stated that there is a time and a season for everything under the sun. the time has now come for people to entertain the "possibility" of transforming or evolving to another level of consciousness, a more expanded level of consciousness. this more expanded level of consciousness involves the realization that we create our own realities according to the nature of our beliefs. it also involves a conscious awareness about how we do this individually and collectively. it is an empowering level of consciousness in that we begin to know how we are co-creators of our world and not merely robots reacting to a world that we have unconsciously created. we begin to realize that all along we have been "causing" things to happen by our programmingˆour choices, decisions, feelings, thoughts, attitudes, and beliefsˆor we have been "allowing" things to happen. we begin to understand how outward conditions are merely reflections of inner states of mind or inner states of consciousness. i call this the mirror effect.

life spaces and the mirror effect: what the mirror effect is showing us as a human race about our life spaces

as human beings with conscious minds, we simultaneously live in three life spaces (i.e., a personal life space, a societal life space, and a global life space). eventhough we think of these life spaces as external and do have direct and indirect experiences in what might be called the "outer world of experience" (small, 1992), the three life spaces all exist in the mind as beliefs about the self and the world. beliefs, culturally-derived and/or otherwise-derived, serve to structure our reality when they operate at a core level of ourselves. a person's life spaces, therefore, are unique to that individual as s/he has uniquely integrated particular core beliefs, eventhough the person may share some common cultural or otherwise-derived beliefs with others. each person, then, uniquely integrates and gives unique expression to his/her set of core beliefs.

imagine three overlapping circles (see figure 1). each circle contains our core beliefs, ideas, thoughts, attitudes, feelings, decisions, and choices (i.e., our programming) regarding information we have consciously or unconsciously screened into our minds. one circle represents one's personal life space, the second circle represents one's societal life space, and the third circle represents one's global life space. you and your conscious mind are at the center where the three circles overlap. you engage in "actions" and "expressions" in the "outer world of experience" in accord with your conscious and unconscious programming.

in the metaphor, personal life space experiences refer to "direct, face-to-face experiences" that a person has with people, events, objects, or places around which a person may have conscious and unconscious thoughts and feelings. societal life space experiences refer to "indirect societal experiences," which do not involve face-to-face contact, that a person has abo ut people, events, objects, or places around which a person may have conscious and unconscious thoughts and feelings (e.g., encounters with books, the media, second-hand information from others about the nature of society or societal issues and dynamics). global life space experiences refer to "indirect global experiences," which do not involve face-to-face contact, that a person has about people, events, objects, or places around which a person may develop conscious and unconscious thoughts and feelings (e.g., encounters with books, the media, second-hand information from others about the nature of global or international issues and dynamics).

at an individual level, therefore, what exists at a societal and/or global level, for the most part, exists in the mind as "indirect experiences" for the person. if one has been fortunate enough to travel to other places in a society and/or in the world, then whatever societal and/or global experiences that a person encounters become part of the person's personal life space and exist in the mind as personal memory and beliefs (thoughts and feelings) about those societal and/or global experiences.

(insert figure 1)



the mirror effect thus can be defined as the effect(s) manifested in a person's life space (personal, societal, and/or global) which has emerged or flows from the energy attracted to a person's core beliefs (core ideas) about the self (mind, body and spirit) and his/her world (physical and spiritual). core beliefs are "transparent." they are so basic to the way a person orients his or her life that s/he never stops to think about them; for the most part, they are unconscious and unexamined. core beliefs are important, however, because almost every action a person takes in his or her life is influenced by them. the mirror effect, therefore, is the externally reflected outcomes or conditions of inner-directed energy in accord with these core beliefs and with what some authors have referred to as universal energy laws (heideman, 1994; small, 1992; gershon & straub, 1989; roman, 1986; keyes, 1975; seth-roberts, 1972). another way of saying this is that where we live inside is reflected in our individual and collective experiences externally and is mirrored back to us in our personal, societal, and/or global life spaces.

in terms of the universal energy laws, the intent here is not to engage in a full discussion of these laws, but rather to reference them as tools of a person's higher consciousness in actualizing the mirror effect in accord with many of a person's subconscious core beliefs and programming. likewise, a person's higher consciousness uses these laws to create "the possibility" for mirroring higher ideas. for a fuller discussion of these laws, the following resources are recommended: heideman's searching for lightˆmichael's information for a time of change and ferguson's evolving the race gameˆa transpersonal perspective.

the seven universal energy laws may thus be referenced as follows: (1) the law of attraction, (2) the law of polarity, (3) the law of neutrality,

(4) the law of consequences, (5) the law of intention, (6) the law of allowing, and (7) the law of universality (see table 1). it is important to have an understanding of these laws in order for people to become more constructive conscious co-creators with their higher consciousness. understanding these laws sets the stage for developing more potent visions, strategies and techniques for evolving as human beings.

the mirror effect is not to be confused with the blame game, for some will try to use this notion to engage in self-blame or other-blame or to justify not taking any action to assist those in need or to reprogram themselves. rather, this more expanded level of consciousness helps us to individually and collectively understand how we are all teachers, guides, companions, and learners on the planet. it also helps us to understand the role that others play

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table 1. seven universal energy laws

law of attraction energy of any form magnetically attracts

similar

energy, the intensity of emotions causing a

more intense

attraction in both speed and quantity.

law of polarity energy always contains a duality or polarity,

creating an unending array of choices within

choices for you to select a preferred

polarity at

each crossroad.

law of neutrality perfectly matched polarities create a

state of

neutrality, providing a third choice outside

the

two polarities of any energy.

law of consequences energy moves through time and space, always

touching other energies, creating reactions,

and

thus consequences.

law of intention as energy moves in all directions at

once, it can

be focused and aimed with conscious intent,

in-

fluencing energy going out and magnetically

attracted back.

law of allowing as general energy moves into open pathways

only, stopping or moving around blockages,

intentional energy can open a closed pathway,

but only when allowed by a change in

preference.

law of universality all is available. all flows around you

at every

moment, but you experience only what you

prefer.

the universe reflects you, and you reflect the

universe. all is.

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for us in some earth lessons and in the expansion of consciousness. one should also not confuse this notion and the focus here on level of consciousness with putting down a particular race, minimizing the problems or conditions faced by a particular race, or the role that others have played and continue to play in co-creating the conditions faced by a particular race. if anything, the intent is to push us to understand the true meaning of our experiences and to challenge ourselves as we interact with particular races or aspects of humanity to co-create more humane and caring conditions. further, the intent is to also challenge us individually and collectively to become more conscious about the art of self-creation and reality-creation as it pertains to improving the quality of life for human beings and the quality of human relations.

what, then, is the mirror effect showing us about our individual and collective life spaces? the current outward conditions mirror back to us and suggest that significant aspects of our inner states of consciousness are programmed and fueled by three energy urges. the three energy urges are for security (self-preservation driven by fear), sensations (self-gratification driven by passions and feelings), and power (self-definition driven by identity-seeking and concerns with dominating people and situations). when such energies are at play, we tend to invite or to allow false or limiting beliefs to shape how we construct our realities. our consciousness becomes constricted. and, our more creative energies get blocked. this is not to be confused, however, with deficit or deficiency theories on personality, for people in this context are viewed as no less valuable, worthy, capable, lovable, or creative. it is simply that the more creative and expansive energies that are already there are blocked in regard to their expression.

out of an emotion-backed demand for security, for example, we may become frightened and may adopt a limiting belief in scarcity to structure how we deal with our material world (or money). if we began to think that we do not have enough material goods (or money) to be secure and happy, we may reason and begin to feel that materialism (or money) is the root of all evil. or, we may reason that we must get more and more material goods (or money) in order to be secure and happy. because of the felt discrepancy between what is so and what we have told ourselves must be, we create an inner state of conflict. on the one hand, we may think that having a lot of material goods (or money) causes us to live primarily to acquire more material goods (or money). we may think that we have to manipulate others to get these material goods (or money). and, in turn, we may think that all of this is bad. on the other hand, we may think that we must acquire and have material goods (or money) to create reasonable and comfortable living conditions so that we may be secure and happy.

in the above security example, the outward condition mirrors the inner conflictual state of consciousness and we may find ourselves in less than ideal living conditions. that is, we may find ourselves living in poor surroundings and wishing otherwise. or, alternatively we may find ourselves living in comfortable surroundings and still being insecure and unhappy. it is further possible that we may find ourselves, irrespective of the outward conditions, living in fear that someone else will be trying to take the little that we have. what has happened in these situations is that out of fear, we have allowed the limiting belief in scarcity to take hold of and to direct our consciousness and indeed the world provides "proof" that what we believe is true. through the media, other sources, and interactions with others that we may have "attracted," we begin to see and to focus on the world as being made up of haves and have-nots, of takers and those being taken advantage of. and, the data seems to validate our condition.

we can lose sight then of our essence, our meaning, our higher purpose(s) or focus(foci). we reinforce an either/or way of thinking and this method of thinking becomes habitual. scarcity consciousness seems more real and practical than the possibility of prosperity consciousness. we do not clearly understand that we can have material goods and be secure and happy, but that the former does not cause the latter. material goods (or money) are neither good or bad, rather they are neutral. it's our inner state of consiousness that imbues material goods (or money) with meaning, value, and power. if we believe that money is evil, then we will never allow ourselves to have it. we must let go of our fear.

other scenarios could be developed for emotion-backed demands for sensation and for power. for example, reasoning that "i need something outside of my selfˆlike drugsˆto make me feel better" can result in drug pushing to mask inner conflicts for the user and to create the illusion of wealth for the dealer. likewise, reasoning that "i have to compete for my space in life in order to be successful and have status" can lead, for example, to gangs battling over turf.

out of fear, then, we distort meaning, value, and power. we distort the love principle, which when genuinely employed, creates the experience that we get more in return when we give. out of fear, the ideas of sharing and collaboration can get distorted. too many of us are caught up in such a dilemma of consciousness, which is constricted and fueled by fear. to change the outward conditions, then, we must first change our beliefs and shift the focus of our inner states of consciousness toward more expansive energies. these more expansive energies, which tend to have an archetypal nature to them, involve: (1) creative imagination derived from understanding and the desire for self-expression, (2) inspiration that is fueled by love, wisdom, and compassion and the desire to serve others, and (3) intuition that validates the spiritual aspects of the self and the desire for unity.

in a discussion of the state of the humanity, it would be easy to continue to present a litany of the problems facing the human race, to endlessly cite sources and statistics, and to debate the external causes of our conditions in the hope that such an exercise would provide the impetus for solutions. we could focus endlessly, for example, on our so-called "negative" conditions, many of which are not specific to any race or ethnicity or religion per seˆe.g., drug misuse and abuse, violent and non-violent crimes, teen pregnancies, high infant mortality, gang violence, problems with unemployment, poverty, and hunger, wars and ethnic conflicts, a disproportionate number of men in prison, family and relationship problems, abuse, and dysfunctions, a lag in education and discrepanices in comparative incomes, teenage apathy and school-related behavioral problems. such an exercise does have value and does create a context for dialogue and insight, but these discussions often fail to also identify and equally stress our "positive" conditions and how we can build on these positives.

for example, collectively, we, individually and collectively, have significant economic power as consumers if we would harness and channel it. politically, the urge to validate the individual's voice through democratic processes and to have more representative forms of government have increased in the world, not withstanding many human rights violations and issues. in the united states, there is an increasing number of the people of color who hold elective offices in many parts of the country. people of color are part of the presidential cabinet. there is an increasing number of the people of color involved in the infrastructure of society. people of color are in charge of numerous community-based organizations and agencies. people of all races are entrepreneurs, educators, managers, artists, inventors, entertainers, property owners, scientists, philantropists, diplomats, lawyers, judges, law enforcers, doctors, psychologists/psychiatrists, journalists, religious leaders, soldiers, leaders of countries, and so on. the list could go on and on. to be sure, the issue of equity in the various categories continues to be a challenge and the need for better organized efforts to assist all in actualizing their highest potential remains salient, but the models are there. in addition to diagnosing our problems, therefore, we need additionally to begin to embrace an expanded level of consciousness which makes conscious the tools of self-creation and reality-creation so that we may build upon our positives and consciously create the kind of reality that works for us individually and collectively.

i realize that on the surface such a suggestion sounds overly simplistic and impractical, and to some may appear to be side-stepping "the real problems." i suggest, however, that the opposite is true. indeed, the mirror effect cries out for us to see and to transform the destructive and unproductive aspects of a reality that we as a human specie are now unconsciously co-creating. i also realize that it is difficult to embrace a recommendation that we focus on consciousness when many people are scared, hungry, do not have jobs, or are dealing with basic survival issues. and yet, what is more practical and survival-oriented than seeking to grow and to improve one's conditions consciously and consciously seeking to assist others in their growth and the conditions of their lives.

consciousness precedes the outward conditions. this is the lesson of the mirror effect. practically, then, each individual needs to ask him or her self, what do i see in my personal life space directly or indirectly as i look out onto my world? what is working and what is not? each person then needs to listen to his or her more intuitively heroic impulses and to consciously take action in accord with these impulses to alter those conditions that s/he does not like. each person must do this in his or her own way or join forces with like-minded persons in a supportive network. this is an act of self-trust and an act of consciously using the mirror effect to assist us in self-creation and reality-creation.

the tools for self-creation and reality -creation

what then are the tools for self-creation and reality-creation? to address this question, i will draw from the works of seth-roberts (1972, 1974), keyes (1975), lazaris (1987, 1988), small (1992), gershon & straub (1989), roman (1986, 1988), michael-heideman (1994), cross (1972) and my own research that can be found in my book, a new perspective on race and color (1997). all of these authors in one way or another, as well as the sages through the ages, argue that we must first understand that the mind is a carrier of beliefs and that beliefs are ideas (thoughts reinforced by emotions and imagination) about the world and ourselves that structure our realities. the more intense beliefs form what are often referred to as core beliefs, and unfortunately most of these core beliefs are unconscious or transparent to us.

if at a core level, then, we believe that we are unworthy, or undeserving, or unlovable or powerless or that the world is a scary and unsafe place, imagine what we may be up to unconsciously with like-minded co-creators in terms of reality-creation and what reality will then look like. unfortunately, too many of us have allowed such beliefs to direct the focus of consciousness in co-creating a consensus reality whereby unconscious beliefs that generate fear (self-fear and other-fear) seem more powerful than conscious beliefs that can generate love and caring (self-love and other-love) and a sense that one has the power to act. part of the job of self-creation, therefore, is to make conscious that which is unconscious so that we can more consciously exercise the tool of free will, the power to choose.

when we think or believe that we have no choice, we create the feeling of powerlessness. when we reclaim the gift of free will, we empower ourselves. one of the methods, then, for uncovering beliefs, particularly core beliefs, is to look out onto one's world and to use the mirror effect to assess one's external conditions. to do this, you assume a third party stance in relation to these conditions and ask, what would someone in this situation have to believe to create these conditons? once a belief has been uncovered, the next step is to realize that it is simply a belief and not necessarily the truth or reality. it is simply an idea that we have about ourselves or the world. as such, we can exercise our free will to change it, if we so choose.

if we see something working well, assume that the beliefs at play are fine. however, we must learn to disregard or change those beliefs that imply basic limitations.

we now come to the more important tools for reality-creation. there are three primary tools and they are disarmingly simple, but powerful when understood. according to lazaris (1987), the three primary tools for reality- creation are desire, imagination, and expectancy. when these three primary tools are used in combination with what gershon & straub (1989) refer to as "three principles of manifestation" and with what michael-heidemann (1994) refer to as "seven universal energy laws," we may begin to understand how we can expand our consciousness to become conscious co-creators of our realities.

the first principle of manifestation is that "what we believe is what we create." this is the principle of creative thought and confirms and affirms much of our discussion so far and underscores the significance of the mirror effect. the mirror effect reflects back to us what we really believe, not what we would like to believe. the second principle of manifestation is the p rinciple of mental clearing, which is that "we must clear our self-limiting beliefs before we can manifest new beliefs." again, the mirror effect can assist us in identifying these limiting beliefs, as suggested by the third party stance method outlined above. the mirror effect shows us limiting or false beliefs when we see areas of our life that are not working or that we do not like. finally, the principle of vision declares that "in order to manifest, we must have a clear vision of what we want to create." it is in relation to this third principle then that the tools for reality-creation come into play so that we individually and collectively can begin to consciously use them to reprogram ourselves and to take action to alter those conditions that we do not like and to create those conditions that we do like or want.

reality-creation begins with the tool of desire. desire sets in motion an intention to create something new or something different (an energy-force that has direction and purpose); desire also sets in motion a context for the creative impulse or an outcome possibility for the creative act. in this light, then, first we can use the mirror effect in accord with the principle of mental clearing to identify false or limiting beliefs, those that imply basic limitations and may be supporting "negative" conditions. afterwards, we use the tool of desire to ask, what is it that i really want? what are my priorities? what gives me meaning? what do i value? what is my purpose in life? what is possible for me? the clearer we can be about what we want individually and collectively, the more conscious we can be as co-creators of reality. individually and collectively, we will want somewhat different things in accord with our personal life spaces, but as long as we allow the more expansive energies to guide our choices and desires, we will set in motion energies for more "positive" conditions for ourselves as unique individuals and as members of a global community. in this way, we begin to set in motion individual and collective visions that "positively" nurture interdependence, cooperation, and collaboration.

when we get clear about what we want, we use the principle of creative thought to formulate alternate beliefs to the false or limiting beliefs identified. for example, if at a personal level, i uncover, after honestly and authentically looking inwardly, that i have been believing that "i am not good enough" or "i am unworthy" or "i'm a victim to forces beyond my control" or "i don't have the power to change my life," i then begin to reprogram myself with alternate beliefs such as "i am good enough" or "i'm the most wonderful person i know" or "i'm worthy of all the abundance the universe has to offer" or "i take responsibility to create my life" or "i have the power to change my life." of course, if i uncover beliefs that are working for me in a given area of my life, i simply affirm these and tell my self that i'm doing a good job. reprogramming, however, requires conscious intent, consicous focus, concentration, and conscious actions to internalize and reinforce a new point of view.

gershon & straub (1989) suggest that in formulating alternate beliefs, which they call affirmations, it may be helpful to do the following: (1) write it down, (2) state it in the positive, (3) be succinct, (4) be specific, (5) make it magnetic, (6) state it as if it already exists, (7) include yourself in it, (8) have it be about changes in yourself, not others, and (9) keep it on your growing edge. it is not important what this process is called or if this specific method is used, what is important is that we realize that we are not at the mercy of the false or limiting beliefs that are structuring our realities unless we believe that we are and that if we want to change our outward conditions, we must first alter these false or limiting beliefs.

we must also realize that we operate in a larger sociocultural context with mass societal beliefs about the nature of the human race and that many of these mass beliefs imply basic limitations about who we are. there may also be some culture-specific beliefs that may be limiting. in this light, then, the mirror effect reflects that the nature of the current mass societal beliefs in the united states has a somewhat "conservative" overtone, as evidenced by the some political events and recent supreme court rulings. the "conservative" label is not so important as the essence of these beliefs. the so-called "liberal-conservative" labeling may be viewed as just another way of playing ego power games, engaging in polarized thinking, and reinforcing an either/or way of thinking. at a personal level, we transcend such power games when we realize that no one has power over another, except that which is given to them and that the point of power is in the present (i.e., we decide and choose in the present, not in the past or the future). having said this, we can explore the essence of any mass societal belief and decide in the present to accept, modify, or reject it if it implies basic limitations about who we are.

it can be argued, therefore, that the essence of some of the societally labeled "conservative" beliefs imply the desire to keep things as they are or to return to an idealized past that never existed. "change" in this context would imply that there may be a vision that is fueled by beliefs about this idealized past. in this context, the "conservative" beliefs may be connected to societal fears and point to how the inner state of the mass consciousness of society is also focused on security, sensation, and power urges. when a society retreats to beliefs of this nature, at a very basic level it is implying that it does not feel that it can handle freedom and the responsibilities that go along with the ideals of freedom.

for people of african descent in the united states, for example, a return to the past means a return to a very inhumane situationˆslavery, discrimination, and prejudices justified by the laws of the land. there is nothing to be idealized about such a condition. individually and collectively , therefore, we need to understand the extent to which we may have bought into these kinds of beliefs and how they are involved in the creation of our personal and collective realities. if at a personal level, we uncover that we have been using any of false or limiting mass sociocultural beliefs to structure reality in our personal life space, then these beliefs must be rooted out at the personal level and altered in the fashion described above. cross' (1972) work on discovering the "black referrant" for people of african descent in the united states was an early example of outlining a five stage process that a person might go through in rooting out false and limiting beliefs and formulating more expansive alternate beliefs.

to move beliefs in and out of our minds, we use the tool of imagination for reprogramming ourselves. it is one of the most powerful, if not the most powerful tool, for reality-creation, for if one cannot even imagine the possibility that something (or s/he) can be different than the way it (or s/he) currently is, then nothing will change. in other words, we must see the

possiblity clearly in order to move toward itˆtoward what we say we desire. we must be willing and be able to imagine having it. after clearly identifying what we want and knowing that we really desire it, we use our imagination to create a clear picture of what reality looks like as if our alternate belief is already fully functioning. the focus is on the essence of the new condition. in the mind, we make this image as clear and as vivid as possible. some have referred to this process as visualization. it is different from wishful thinking in that wishful thinking implies doubt, whereas visualization involves "creating an inner experience" of already having what one is visualizing. a method for doing this would involve relaxing, focusing on the alternate belief to the exclusion of all other thoughts, and then creating a clear image of the new belief already functioning.

gershon & straub (1989) suggest that in visualizing we do the following to make the process effective: (1) evoke feeling, (2) use a single image, (3) include you in the image, (4) make it literal or metaphoric, and (5) physically depict it by writing about it or drawing it. again, the method is not as important as the realization that we must imagine the possibility of the conditions or ourselves being different. if we don't, then we won't take any concrete or spectific action to alter things and simply reason that no action matters. we thus allow the creation of a reality whereby we allow ourselves to be taken for granted.

after engaging in reprogramming, it is important to have an expectation that indeed what we want will occur. having such an expectation means again that we do not create doubt and thus sabbotage ourselves and our actions. it is also important here not to worry about how what we want will happen. worry ultimately is a waste of energy, for the mind can create an infinite number of future things to worry about. in terms of consciousness, having an expectation keeps us focused and invites possible solutions and action steps from our intuitive self. it activates our intuition and helps us to act with purpose, a higher purpose or a higher focus. a higher focus could be anything from the way we raise our children to being involved in some larger movement. if we remain open and listen to the intuitive self, we will get a sense about what actions to take.

however, it serves no purpose to get intuitive urges and to take no action. if we take action in accord with our intuition (our more expansive energies), doors tend to open a little easier, for these are messages from the soulˆsomething as a human race we have long talked about having but lately have been neglecting. to get a better sense of this process, think about some past event or experience you had in regard some change you desired, the thinking that you did before the change was experienced, the urges you had to act, and your decision to indeed act. what might your life look like if you did not act on your urges? this might involve a significant person who showed up in your life and you decided, in confronting your fears and doubts, to follow your urge to develop a relationship. it might involve the urge you followed to have a child. it might involve an urge you had to begin a new project, after initially experiencing anxiety. if you look closely, you at some level reprogrammed yourself, used desire, imagination, and expectancy, and then acted on your urges to create new conditions or experiences.

the mirror effect and lessons about the role of "the other" in the expansion of consciousness

finally, the mirror effect can assist us in further learning about the role that "the other" has in the expansion of consciousness. it can be an important and powerful tool, if we allow ourselves to use it. there are a number of lessons for the human race that we as conscious beings may be attempting to learn. i will mention only a few. one of the more interesting lessons has to do with discovering who we are by exploring our differences.

in the united states, for example, there is a strong value related to the idea of equality. in this context, equality is equated with being the "same." differences, on the other hand, are often equated with being "unequal," rather than, for example, with being "unique." in one's personal and societal life spaces, if a person can break through such a belief system, the person will ultimately discover that no two people on the face of the earth are exactly the same. ultimately, then, this makes each individual different, unique, and valuable as that person contributes to the whole as only that person can.

my research, however, has revealed that one of the obstables to breaking through such a belief system in the united states, particularly in regard to european and african americans, centers around a color coding custom involving the colors black and white (ferguson, 1997). the research empirically demonstrated, for example, that many whites continue to use the black as bad and tainted, white as good and pure color code. and, since in the larger culture the color black is associated with „darkness‰ and the black race has dark skin, the black race has come to represent the unconscious portions of self or "the dark, unknown, unsavory part of the self" for these whites. it is this aspect of the themselves which they fear and project out onto the black race. and so, it is not surprising that some whites in committing horrendous crimes divert attention away from themselves by evoking an accusation that a black man has committed the crime and the nation may buy it (i.e., the stuart case in boston; the smith case in south carolina; and many less popular cases).

one of the more interesting lessons for humanity, then, related to racial issues is the lesson of discovering that we know who we are from the inside out and not the other way around. this is the lesson of freedom and self-love. the mirror effect tells us that if we do not define, affirm, and accept who we are in the present from the inside out, others may and will do it for us. self-definition that is developed in this manner is the essence of freedom and self-love. freedom means that i have the right and can create my self and my reality in whatever way that i choose and desire. however, the flip side of freedom is responsibility. self-love means that i love all apsects of my self unconditionally. this lesson has been distorted when played out interracially.

the mirror effect has demonstrated that when freedom and self-love are blocked interracially, those in power tend to project those qualities that they don't like about themselves out onto another race and to rail against them as if these qualities have nothing to do with them. what is not understood is that those who engage in such projections are overly identified with the objects of their projections. the consequence is that such people engage in power games to limit the freedoms of the other race, out of fear that the other race will somehow overpower them, if given free reign, with the feared qualities that they have projected out.

one of the hardest aspects of the interracial lesson of freedom and self-love is to learn that we are not the projections of others. too often one group has attempted to define the reality of another group, and too often there may have been acquiescence to some degree. prior to the 1960s, for example, many people of african descent in the united states bought into the color code in regard to how the group was defined by mainstream society. many people of african descent then woke up and modeled for the nation an act of self-creation from the inside out by consciously changing the connotations applied to the term "black" as it applied to the group. there was a realization that as colors black and white are neutral and it is people who imbue them with meaning with their consciousness. people of african descent in the united states thus consciously gave the term "black" new meaning and challenged the nation to come to grips with its own projections as it applied to the black-white color code.

it can be argued that some whites got it, but most only got it on a surface level. it can be argued that many blacks got it, but now, as reflected via the mirror effect, may need to pass along an understanding of the process to succeeding generations. the "it" is the knowledge that we define ourselves and our reality from the inside out and not the other way around. it can be argued tht most people of african descent in the united states knew all along that what others were saying about their reality had little to do with their everyday personal life space. individually and collectively, it is important to remind ourselves of what was learned during the 1960s. it is important to understand what the consequences are of accepting someone else's beliefs about ourselves as if they were true.

freedom and self-love are expansive in nature in that the associated core beliefs about the self imply no limitations, except those that are self-imposed out of a sense of responsibility. freedom and self-love, therefore, do not carry with them the need to project unacceptable or frightening qualities out onto others. those who are engaged in interracial or other kinds of projections then do not trully love themselves and are not free. the mirror effect has been operative since the founding of the united states to reflect the discrepancy between espoused values and the actual beliefs about interracial and other projective matters related to "the other."

a third example of a lesson for humanity about "the other" in regard to the expanision of consciousness is the lesson of interdependence. the african tradition tells us that "i am because we are, and we are because i am." however, the human race have yet to learn that when we do harm to another, we are doing harm to ourselves. likewise, when we support the growth of another, we also support our own growth. the mirror effect has been working overtime to try to teach us this.

the "negative" conditions identified above in another section of this discussion are examples of the mirrored lesson about interdependence and how much more work we still need to do as a human specie in learning this lesson.

at personal and societal levels, the mirror effect via these examples reflects that the inner state of humanity's consciousness is conflicted as it pertains to the role of "government" in relation to matters of human relations and human rights. currently, security fears and power games have directed the focus of consciousness in this regard such that learnings about interdependence have been distorted. outwardly, for example, this is reflected through subtle and open protests and reactions to the actions, policies, programs, and practices of various "governments" in the world. in the united states, programs to assist people of african descent and people of color have come under attack under the guise of a value for fairness and equality. on the surface, it sounds consistent with america's ideals. behind such reactions, however, is a security belief, the belief in scarcity (there's not enough for everyone), and a power belief, the belief in the power of "the other" and in having power over "the other" ("the other" will overpower you if not controlled). the illusion here is that we are separate and that there is no interdependence. we do not see that collectively "we are the government" and that to a large extent, we are constructing reality in our life spaces based on projections about "the other." we have yet to learn the lesson of interdependence. interdependence implies that while affirming our inviolable uniqueness, there are larger connections, that we are apart of all-that-is.

how to know if you are being a conscious co-creator

so, how do we know if we are being conscious co-creators of our realities or are continuing to react in robot-like fashion to ourselves and to others. one method is to use the "mirror effect" and to assess our personal life spaces to see if we and our lives reflect some or all of the characteristics listed below. following, therefore, are twenty-four characteristics that might be helpful as we enter and move forward into the 21st century. conscious co-creators might have some or all of these characteristics.

1. you have released old programming and beliefs that no longer serve you.

2. you have drawn into your life supportive, positive people.

3. you empower yourself and others in all you do and say.

4. you know who you are, why you are here, and what your higher purpose is.

5. your life-style and environment support your life purpose and greater work in the world.

6. you explore new possibilities and choices and continually expand your vision of what is possible.

7. you have the tools to draw to yourself the opportunities, people, and events you need to create your life's work.

8. you operate from your heart, and you trust your inner messages and take action upon them.

9. you are conscious of the energy around you, deciding when to be transparent to it, harmonize with it, or transmute it to a higher order.

10. you are aware of your energy and the effects other people have upon it.

11. you are present in the momentˆalert, aware, and at a high level of observation all the time.

12. your increasing aliveness, enthusiasm, and growth spark growth in everyone around you.

13. you create with energy before you take physical action.

14. you know you can create whatever you want by working with the higher forces and directing your thoughts, emotions, and intent toward your goals.

15. you create change by working at the highest spiritual level rather than at the personality level.

16. you stop before you take action, go within,, and receive guidance from your higher self about what action to take.

17. you know that anything is possible.

18. you know that through your understanding of how energy works you can consciously create what seemed like miracles when you had less understaning of the way energy works.

19. you are able to create what you want at a speed that seemed impossible at earlier levels of growth.

20. you are able to handle easily and joyfully the things that used to challenge you.

21. your lessons come faster, but you will also have the tools to move through them more quickly and easily.

22. you have a clearer sense of direction, a greater feeling of being in control, and a deeper understanding of why things are happening.

23. there is an increasing calm that comes as you begin to enjoy and understand your life.

24. you can truly live a life that is joyful and loving to yourself.

conclusion

we cannot legislate that people use the mirror effect to shift the focus of the inner states of consciousness and to expand to another level of consciousness, but one policy implication of this discussion can be directed toward educational objectives. i would recommend therefore that at local levels school systems develop a curriculum that helps students to learn about the tools of self-creation and reality-creation and that such a curriculum be introduced at the early grades. i would also recommend that in various communitie appropriate organizations and churches develop what i would call "empowerment and consciousness courses" for adults, and afterschool empowerment and consciousness courses and activities for youth.

the mirror effect appears to be showing us that we need to quiet the ego chatter in our minds that focus on emotion-backed demands for security, sensation, and power and to focus on more expansive energies that allow our higher intuitive knowledge to take root. when this kind of knowledge does take root, we then know that genuine security, balanced emotions, and the power to act and to create stem from inside of us and not from outside of us.

we also begin to understand that the tools for self-creation and reality-creation flow from our dreams. we begin to understand what it means to be a conscious co-creator and begin to understand the nature of what i will call our ever-evolving self. we must dare to dream of better realities and then choose to create them. it is one of the ways by which the inner state of the human race and the outward conditions of the human race will begin to shift and to improve.







references

cross, w. (1972). toward a psychology of black liberation. in c. young (ed.), black experience: analysis and synthesis. san rafael, ca: leswing press.

ferguson (2000). evolving the race game: a transpersonal perspective (forthcoming).

ferguson, c. (1997). a new perspective on race and color: research on an outer vs inner orientation to anti-black disposition. lewiston, ny: the edwin mellen press.

ferguson, c. and kamara, j. (1993). innovative approaches to education and community service: models and strategies for change and empowerment. boston, ma: university of massachusetts.

gershon, d. and straub, g. (1989). empowerment: the art of creating your life as you want it. new york, ny: dell publishing.

heideman, c. (1994). searching for light: michael's information for a time of change. jefferson, md: twelve star publishing.

keyes, k. (1975). a handbook to higher consciousness. coos bay, or: love line books.

roberts, j. (1972). seth speaks: the eternal validity of the soul. new york, ny: bantom books.

roberts, j. (1974). the nature of personal reality: a seth book. englewood

cliffs, nj: prentice-hall, inc.

roman, s. (1988). creating money: keys to abundance. tiburon, ca: hj kramer inc.

roman, s. (1986). personal power through awareness: a guidebook for sensitive people. tiburon, ca: hj kramer inc.

small, j. (1992). transformers: the artists of self-creation. new york, ny: bantom books.

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