Consciousness and Illness

There may be a connection between periods of sickness and the conscious state of the organism.

This is strictly conjecture, but from one perspective, the notion of illness or physical suffering is brought on by an interaction with forms called virus or bacteria...in effect coming into contact with a foreign entity that seeks its survival at your expense.

This is the illusion. The suffering or symptoms of the illness is the signpost that is pointing towards inner resistance to changing into a new form. Rather than trying to "fight" the cold or make war with the virus, accept it. It may be there trying to tell you " you spend so much time working, that you are out of balance." Or it could be saying things like, " you thought that were indestructible, but all things are impermanent and subject to decay and eventually death."

In this light, the illness helps realign the form known as you with a constant truth about change, life and death and is thus potentially, the most helpful experience imaginable in the pursuit of answering questions like, "who am I?"

Such is the case with suffering.

In the material sense, yes, you are being invaded by virus and experiencing symptoms of suffering. In the non-material sense, you are trying desperately to avoid the death of your current form and the abyss of possibility associated with such an event. Shaman in the past may have recognized this truth, and rather than spending energy as we do in the West trying to change the form, they spent energy trying to change the consciousness of the individual.

Their power lay in their ability to interact with others at a deep level, to create calm, peacefullness and acceptance of things like change and death in another. Upon doing so, no longer was the ill body trying to avoid the fear of dying and thus was able to spend that conscious energy on healing.

This information finds relevance at this very moment due to moving into " cold and flu " season or " fear of death " syndrome. Instinctually, the change in temperature signaled to our ancestors that death lay in the wings in a few months and not all would make it. Physiologically speaking, we may carry the genetic heritage of that fear within. This also adds relevance to the ritual of Halloween, or in effect, the celebration of death and the belief that life goes on into the underworld so that consciousness may begin to accept what lies ahead with a light heart, versus one of dread.