Learn how to make a solid connection to divine counsel without letting yourself get in the way.
Your ego may be sabotaging your efforts to receive spiritual messages and guidance from within.
What is ego? … Simply put, it's a construct of beliefs and ideas that we identify ourselves as. For example, your ego includes your name, occupation, gender identity, family life, aspirations, religion, etc. Our egos exist in our minds and every ego is as individual as a fingerprint. Ego is real, tricky to recognize & sometimes detrimental toward spiritual growth.
The ego attack on your meditation work starts with intrusive, critical thinking. You may hear yourself saying:
Nothing is happening. When will something happen?
Where is my guide? Or What if I don't have a guide?
I can't do this… This stuff doesn't work for me.
If you make it past the chitter chatter & self-doubt… Your ego will try visual disruptions, such as:
Creating a "false" guide or angelic entity.
Nightmarish creatures to scare off your attempts.
Mentally diverting your attention to chores or work.
Confronting your ego in meditations or dreams can be frightening.
You may experience panic attacks, re-live a traumatic experience, hallucinate or become depressed. More on meditation-related adverse effects.
Your ego protects your psyche in deep states of meditation or conscious dreaming. Quite frequently, people meet "false guides," which is just a direct encounter with ego. False guides often flatter you with praise, agreeing with your current set of beliefs and reinforcing old ideas. Their advice is often inconsistent and will make conditions in your life worse.
You can learn to identify your true guide and receive answers from a divine council, then get the spiritual guidance you seek. Feeling lost and desperately needing help will likely motivate you to push beyond your ego's fears.
I became obsessed with meeting my spirit guide over a decade ago, and practiced a form of self-hypnosis each night before retiring to sleep. I held the intention of finding and having a lucid conversation with a guide. I wanted something tangible, something my little ego could wrap its mind around, like solid advice.
After several attempts, I finally made a connection! That night, I found myself in an airport with several retail stores open for business. One store stood out to me, with books and brightly colored lamps for sale. The clerk felt warm and inviting, but never pressured me to buy anything. I knew he was someone important & familiar, but couldn’t put my finger on why. Then I woke up.
I sat up in bed and with the sudden clear recognition of him. That was my guide! I've felt his presence in my life so many times before. Then I got mad at myself. Damn…. I didn't get to ask the "BIG" questions. Needless to say, my engagement did not live up to my ego's expectations.
As you explore your inner world and rely on your intuition, you will inevitably begin to question the nature of your ego.
There is a popular school of thought that we must dissolve our ego or it's something that we must overcome to become more spiritual.
Sorry but, that's a crock of stinky baloney. You already are an enlightened spiritual being, it's just that your ego is too small to comprehend it. Your want-to-be spiritual ego tells you that you have to destroy your ego, then tries to stops you because it doesn't want to die.
On your quest for guidance, you may come across "guru's" and "earthly teachers" with huge spiritual egos. They act as though they have all the answers. Trust your intuition and pay attention to warning signs. Those who have it all figured out, may have traded one ego for another. Human beings are but an expression of the infinite, they can't mentor you any better than your own spirit guides and guardians.
You can't get rid of your ego; it's going to be there no matter what identity it decides to take on. We use our egos to interact with other egos. You'll blend in better if you accept who you are… as you are.
Yes, intuitive people are a little different. There is nothing wrong with that.
How to get a clear answer from your spirit guide with a Humble Daily Spiritual Practice.
If practiced every day, you will become aware of inner guidance and receive messages through your natural intuition. Changes in your life are eminent as a normal process of psychic evolution.
To get started:
Pick a time to meditate when there are no distractions. I recommend 3 or 4 am.
Clear the energetic space by safely burning frankincense or white sage.
REMINDER: Always practice fire safety and keep your incense away from flammable items/surfaces.
If you work with Tarot cards, you may keep the Star & Fool nearby, as they assist with freedom.
Next:
Give your permission to receive answers to your questions, whether you want to hear them or not. Insist that you want to know and give your guide consent to push through the ego's resistance.
Ask the question.
It doesn't have to be a BIG question, but its importance to you must be legitimate. Don't ask questions that you already feel you have the answer to. That is the ego's way of proving itself right.
You don't want to be right; you want an understanding that goes far beyond a Google search.
Be open to imagery, strong feelings, and sparks of insight during the day. (It's possible you will have a direct answer right then and there… Or even a deep conversation with your guide, but more likely the information will be passed to you through your natural intuition.) You may randomly get an idea that is a perfect solution to your problem. You may hear a song during the day, and the lyrics contain answers pertaining to your dilemma. Or you may have a vivid dream when you go to sleep that night.
Finally:
Do this often. In the wee hours of the morn, seek guidance. A conscious effort will produce results when building a psychic relationship. (Ignore your ego when it tries to convince you it's not working. It is working, be patient.)
Journal! Keeping a meditation or dream journal will help your mind wrap around the answers you receive. The information you receive will only make sense in hindsight. Journaling is an excellent way to reinforce & validate new knowledge.
A strong connection to divine guidance is imperative for sensitive souls in our world of chaos. Could you imagine the global impact if everyone listened to the higher vibrations of the universe instead of the self-serving ego?