First, realize that all is metaphor. All of the spiritual movements, all of the religions, they have found a formula to express the inexpressible, to draw a picture for that which cannot be pictured, to try to make understandable that which cannot be understood.

Your vocabulary cannot capture and your mind cannot follow concepts which are completely foreign to this experience of the physical world. And so metaphors are sought and expressed. And there are those who are so deeply into these pictures and explanations, these metaphors, that they have forgotten that they are just attempts to express the inexpressible and not truths in and of themselves.

And so, is there a way to measure this? I would have to say no, except in your own heart. There within your own heart and mind you can ask yourself, do you feel as if you are a part of an expanded consciousness? And if so, what form does this take? For in these matters, you must trust yourself and judge things by what you see when you look deeply inside. Your experience is as valid as that of anyone else, for you are a part of all that is.

Now, as we have discussed, there are various levels to reality, and here I will of course be discussing this in metaphor because I have no other choice. At the lowest level we have you, in this physical state, living in a world of shadow. But you are connected to the next highest level, which is your soul self. You may picture this connection as a cord which runs between your physical self upwards to the soul self, a cord through which flows the energy, love and peace of the soul self. And the stronger that connection, the more love and joy which flows down to you here.

And at that higher level you are a unique soul self, a ball of energy, a light, a glow of love, joy and peace. And the other individual souls are also there at this level, with you, sharing love and information with each other, and feeding their energy down to those they have incarnated in this physical world.

But yet there is a level above, a level in which all is one, a level in which you truly are god, for you are one with all that is in the universe without differentiation, without your uniqueness, just connection, just all beingness and nonbeingness, all and all in love and energy.

So if you were to picture this particular metaphor, which is my metaphor of preference, then what you would see is that an expanded consciousness is the presence of more and more people here in the physical world reaching up and being more closely in touch with their soul selves in the level above. For it works in such a way that the more light that is pouring down from your soul self to you, the greater the joy and peace and love in your life, for your soul self is pure joy, love, peace and energy. And so your job as an individual in this physical life, is to open yourself up to your soul self and let all of that goodness pour down into you in physical form.

And if you were to have enough people dong this, if enough people open themselves to the flow of love and joy, if enough people reach peace and find their own god residing in them at higher levels, then we should indeed be expanding awareness and consciousness here in the physical realm.

But as for the other levels and layers of being and soul, they are. They are already in the highest levels of awareness. They are already pure energy and light. They are already in pure connection, and there is no improvement required, necessary or possible.

And so then the expanded consciousness in this physical world depends upon each individual reaching up to his or her own soul self. It requires individual action which then becomes group action, connecting us ever more closely.

Is this happening? Yes, there does appear to be an increased consciousness, a wave that is flowing over the earth of increased awareness and striving to reach a higher level. This has happened a number of times in earth's history, when there was a wave changing the view of things.

But again, it must be expressed, found and reached individually, by strengthening your own connection to your own soul self.

And your connection sheds more light in this physical world. And the connection of the next person sheds more light. And if enough people are connected to their own soul selves and begin to glow with it, to glow with the pure energy, love, peace and joy which can flow down from your soul self to you here, then this glow can be enough to also light the world for others who have not yet reached themselves as thoroughly, as completely. This glow can begin to push the shadows of fear and doubt back into the corners, and can indeed the light the way for many to reach themselves, and thus brighten the entire world.

And so, it begins with you. Rather than wrestling with difficult intellectual concepts and trying to scientifically measure the immeasurable, go deep within and find your own spirit self. Reach yourself through meditation and quiet contemplation. Reach yourself through loving acts, beginning with those that show a great love and respect for yourself.

Fill yourself with love every day, fill yourself higher and higher and higher until you are so full of love that it overflows and spreads out and blankets the entire earth. Make each day a celebration of love and give the gift of love to all you meet, sending out a rainbow of love from your heart to theirs.

Contact the god within you which is the soul self, connected to all, and expand your own consciousness there. Then reach out to others who are doing the same and together expand your power even more.

We are all connected. And each time you heal yourself, each time you manage to love and care for yourself, each time you perform an act of love for yourself and for others, you expand the consciousness of the entire world, you heal the world, you heal us all.

For we are all one.

If you have a question you believe would interest other Quado readers, please send it to me at carriehart@msn.com. Thank you!

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Go to http://www.carriehart.com/healing_services.htm to learn how Carrie Hart became a spiritual healer, and what services she is now offering, including personal messages from Quado, shaman power animal retrieval and full spiritual healing sessions.

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Carrie Hart is the author of "There is a Garden", the story of her spiritual journey from stressed executive to spiritualist and channeler of Quado. This book, Carrie's CDs of original music, as well as daily messages by Quado are available on www.carriehart.com.

Copyright 2003 by Systematique, Inc.

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