How I got Here - The battle between good and evil
Updated: Aug 14
Writing Why We Make Bad Choices: The God’s Labyrinth of Good and Evil Encountering the Self has been no easy task. My difficulties and challenges tested my patience and whether I wanted this path bad enough. What I can say, the strong desire and passion to succeed to materialise my goals pushed me out of my comfort zone not to abandon writing altogether. For me, perseverance and inner fire energy are signs that this is the path to undertake. If you find yourself undecided about a course of action, maybe try to be conscious of what your body tells you and whether your actions correspond to your physical emotions and sensations. However, emotional responses related to fear could be a false signal to deter you from your passions, so it’s up to you to take the reins or go with fear.
Writing this book started approximately seven years ago, however, a dear friend reminded me I was considering the idea of writing a book a few years previously. You can see that the process started with a seed with continual and consistent actions. Despite many trials and tribulations, the book is now available.
Dyslexia was one of the main issues in writing the book, however, external events were the main setbacks. These negative experiences did not deter me from the task. I could either react negatively, which could cause me to give up or “keep calm and carry on.” However, keeping calm sometimes had to be a conscious effort; otherwise, I could react to my emotional triggers. The impact of being reactive offered more lessons on how to transcend my ego to rewire my brain to “keep calm and carry on.” When you perceive an experience as unfavourable, it may be positive to facilitate self-awareness and develop that aspect of yourself. I believe challenging situations can only serve if you perceive them positively. Therefore, good and evil are in all of us to help others progress to higher states if we choose that path.
Over the years, I have learnt that resentments attract negative energy – as the saying goes:
“resentment is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die.”[1]
.The lessons I gained from writing and self-publishing the book feels like a part of myself changed along the way. I can only describe attributing the experience to the hero archetype who undergoes a treacherous journey overcoming great odds and adversities with courage and stamina to achieve what they have set out to do.
As I mentioned in my first blog, why I utilised Genesis 1-3 verses as a basis for Why We Make Bad Choices? Therapy tore down the layers of the false ego and the negative defence mechanisms to connect with the voice of my soul. Sometimes, I wonder why I talk about God so much, I am not religious, but I guess spiritually, I have evolved. When I attended therapy, my intuition and energy levels heightened, allowing me to sense and channel what my mind is telling me to write. Therefore the writing is not coming from my ego.
Nevertheless, I find this strange that I’m writing about the collective unconscious so much. If that is the case, the connection stemming from “upstairs” suggests that I am not totally in control of my writing. However, I choose to go with what my higher self conveys. Writing makes me feel whole and happy, so I must be on the right path.
In my experience, doing a job, project or task that gives you joy and a sense of inner peace, I can only describe as “priceless” nothing or anyone can disturb that peace. For sure, you may react, which I can do. Still, overall that peace activates a life force that brings about “letting go” of everyday nuances, people’s negative comments and not taking their words personally, self-empowerment, and positive omnipotence feeling of nothing can touch you because the ignition of passions brings about a wonderful feeling as the life force encourages a connection to the soul and spirit.
Speaking of omnipotence in this blog is not related to egoism but an inner knowing and feeling of the power that resides in you to manifest. I am talking about material abundance and, more importantly, the manifestation of the life force that gives you the omnipotence feeling that activates God in YOU. This power enables you to learn and provide evidence that the power is a remedy against fear and anxiety. The omnipotent feeling will come when you work through the “baggage” that affects the rising of the authentic self – your God-like qualities. Like the phoenix rising from the ashes, a symbol representing renewal and regeneration to emerge stronger. I consider the phoenix rising dependent on negative situations and people to bring about suffering and pain. This perspective leans towards killing off the layers of the more harmful negative traits that others have possibly internalised their negativity on to you, for example. Returning to a state of powerlessness and helplessness provides an opportunity to regroup and find ways to let go of the old that only causes more suffering to allow the new to emerge.
In the previous blog, I shared the meaning of the collective unconscious mind [2], and we may need to realise the effects of the contents of the collective unconscious mind on our conscious self or our personality. Adopting this view, therefore, the characters and symbols of Genesis 1-3 reside in the collective unconscious suggesting the scriptures, or some may say biblical myths are imprints of the psyche. As Carl Jung quoted
“We must read the Bible or we shall not understand psychology. Our psychology, our whole lives, our language, and imagery are built upon the Bible.”[3]
Yahweh, Adam and Eve, the Garden of Eden, the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, the Tree of Life and cherubim are universal symbols and archetypes stored as imprints, instincts, imagery and memories in our psyche. This is evident by the story that has been told throughout time, and still today, these and countless others play an essential part in people’s lives in various ways. Denying the biblical myths, you may well reject the good and evil that resides in you that keeps you away from self-integration.
In today’s world, the battle between good and evil is more prominent than ever before “…..ye shall be as gods….” (Genesis 3:5). This verse can reflect desiring at all cost to “be as gods” attributing to governing, controlling, dominating, overpowering, dishonouring others in our workplace, in society, in institutions, among family members and in relationships. Working on these premises, for some, there is an inner desire or need to be powerful and trample on the vulnerable. Nevertheless, I believe the desire “be a god” is in us all. Therefore, we can choose which direction we feed but also accept that we have a dark side. I hypothetically think God has a dark side; otherwise, how can evil exist – He created all living animals, even the sea creature in Genesis 1 and the serpent in Genesis 3. If not, where did evil stem from if God created the universe? The battle between evil and good is an archetypal battle that has played out throughout centuries, and some say we are now in spiritual warfare. But first, we must overcome our demons - neurosis in modern-day terms.
Why We Make Bad Choices: The God’s Labyrinth of Good and Evil Encountering the Self demonstrates how the character Eve battles with good and evil within her. Confronting her dark side, she manages to battle through her inner demons, influencing the collective unconscious to turn the tides and function alongside the power of God within her.
Self-reflection requires honesty to acknowledge one’s part in situations that minimises victimhood, blaming, judgment, and revenge. Once we take responsibility and take back our projections, we have opportunities to be part of the positive aspects of the collective, including ourselves, to the existing collective force that functions alongside spiritual teachers. First, we must have the courage to unearth the repressed self to evolve mentally, emotionally and spiritually. This view includes those practising spiritualism who have not undergone therapeutic work, potentially having a spiritual bypass.[4]
I found an interesting article relating to a spiritual bypass to explain the importance of doing the groundwork, particularly for those who consider themselves spiritual, a contradiction and damaging to others.
“TF: What would help our sangha communities develop in more emotionally honest ways?
JW: We need to work on relationships. Otherwise, our relational wounds will all be played out in the sangha unconsciously. We need to recognise that everything we react to in others mirrors something we’re not facing or acknowledging in ourselves. These unconscious projections and reactions always become played out externally in groups.
For instance, if I cannot own my own needs, I will tend to dismiss others and see them as a threat because their neediness subconsciously reminds me of my own denied needs. And I will judge others and use some “dharma logic” to make them wrong or make myself superior”(p.15).1a
To facilitate personal growth, after each chapter of the book, there is a section called “Food for Thought” that reiterates relevant parts of the chapter and self-development questions if you wish to answer them.
“I would like to have everything that is good, genuine and beautiful”
W.A. Mozart
[1] https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/saint_augustine_384531 [2] The collective unconscious contains the whole spiritual heritage of mankind's evolution born anew in the brain structure of every individual. — Carl Jung https://www.wonderfulquote.com/a/carl-jung-quotes [3] Visions: Notes on the Seminar Given in 1930-1934 By C.G. Jung, p. 442 [4] A "tendency to use spiritual ideas and practices to sidestep or avoid facing unresolved emotional issues, psychological wounds, and unfinished developmental tasks." http://www.johnwelwood.com/articles/TRIC_interview_uncut.pdf ibid 1a - page 15