Following The Path of Light

"A man should learn to detect and watch that gleam of light which flashes across his mind from within."
Ralph Waldo Emerson

In the animated film Wall-E, shortly after the robot character Wall-E arrives on a spaceship, a team of other robots inspects and decontaminates the probes that have just returned from their missions. These robots move around following lines of light on a dark floor. The light appears to be projected onto the floor to guide the robots to where they need to go. It is an ingenious guidance system, because unlike metal rails, which old fashion robots might move along, lines of light can be shifted effortlessly and with infinite variability to meet the needs of whatever job the robots are expected to do. Wherever the light is projected, the robot will know that is the direction in which to move.

For us humans, light is associated with vision and  consciousness. As an archetype, light may represent goodness and wisdom. When we pass out of ignorance, we are described as seeing the light. When we close our eyes, physical light is blocked by our eyelids, but in our mind we may still see light. If you visualize God or angels or other  beneficent spiritual beings, you likely see them surrounded by or formed of light. If you are able to see auras or chakras in the human energy field, this is likely perceived as some mental representation of light.

Perhaps we can use this idea of light as a guidance system in connection with our consciousness. Logic is a great tool for decision making, but it has its limits. We don’t always have the data we need to make decisions based on logic. Intuition enables us to make decisions when the data is not adequate, when reasoning is not enough. We have the capacity to use our inner knowing, our intuition to great effect, but it can be difficult to access. We may have feelings about something, but they can be hard to read. Sometimes we can use mental tools to bring our inner knowing into consciousness.

Using this metaphor of following the path of light, we might sharpen our ability to read and interpret our inner guidance system. If you walk into a television showroom and scan all the TVs on display, you would be able to pick out the set with the brightest, most vivid picture. That would be the one you would want. It is possible to use the same process in making choices when the objects of choice are not generating any actual physical light. Let’s say you must choose between door number one and door number two. They are identical, but the prizes behind them are different. How do you choose? Somehow, you make an intuitive choice. How do you get the information? Some people might hear the number in their head. You could also close your eyes and see if one of the doors or one of the numbers appears brighter in your mind’s eye.

Let’s say you have a choice of paths to follow. It could be a decision about how to get somewhere, what job to take, who to ask for a date, what customer to contact, or where to go on your vacation. You can look inside and see if the light shines in a particular direction. Can you see a path in your mind? Can you sense that one of the options looks brighter? That could be a signal that your unconscious mind is weighing in.

This type of divination will probably not be effective if you are emotionally upset or your mind is racing. So practice calming yourself. Clear your mind of distracting rubbish. Practice listening to your heart and quieting your mind. Tune in to the higher levels of consciousness. Pray for guidance. Ask to be shown the way. See if your way is lit.

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