I was observing my reaction toward the oncoming election with all the emotions involved, relating to Palin and Mccain and concern for disappearance of the environment,abortion also looking at my shadow side including the other materials being studied on Wisdom Bridges and have been looking inside and observing what is occurring in the Collective,as many of these issus are closely tied to my family of orgin( I was considered a nigger lover according in the Clan persective in my family because I questioned the hate toward Black People) When I came upon this I wanted to share this perspective.


Obama and the Palin Effect A perspective by Deepak Chopra:
My post a few weeks ago on Sarah Palinacting as Barack Obama's psychological shadow triggered a lot of people. I thought it would be worthwhile to talk about how one deals with the shadow once it breaks out and begins to disrupt things. But first the short rexap: the emergence of Gov. Palin was simply startling -- it was inexplicable. how could 20% of women voters suddenly turn toward her when Palin stands for earsing forty years of feminism? how could the mentality of a smal -town mayor morph into a potentila President making global decisions. to explain her meteoric rise, I offered the idea that each of us harbors a shadow, a placewhere our hidden impulses live. By appealing to fear, resentment, hostility to change, suspicion of the "the other", and similiar dark impulses, the republicians have been the shadow's party for a long time. sarah Palin put a smiling face on feelings that normally we feel ashamed of. the shadow is irrational; it thrives on gut emotions. (A recent Fox News Poll ran with the headline, "In their gut, independents choose Mccain.")Bringing the 2008 campaign down to the gut level means bringing it down to the level of the shadow. Instead of listening to an intelligent, persuasive, charismatic man with one Africian-American parent, people get to say "I don't like Blacks. thy're scary; they are not like me. It's a gut thing. "Only it's not.It's a shadow thing that each of us, not just the right wing, must deal with. Reacting to Palin with fear, confusion, panic, and lashing out also comes with the shadow.
People who were shocked and dismayed by the Palin Effect generallydon't know how to handle shadow energies. Here are a few salient point:
1. Don't panic--The shadow is built into the psyche, and when it brings fear, hostility, and resentment to the surface, those feelings want to get out. They cause disruption, but your panic only makes them stick around longer.

2. Try not to be poverwhelmed-- Eruptions from the shadow are transoitory. If you don'tencourage them, these energies dissipate naturally. If you are overwhelmed, however, the net result is exhaustion and a loss of energy.

3. Remind yourself who you really are-- you are much more than the shadow, because your aspirations, hopes, and dreams keep advancing despite the shadow's apparent power. Pay the least attention to these disruptions as you need to calm down and no more.

4. Keep a clear focus-- the shadow creates disorder and runaway emotions. If you focus on your purpose and remain rational, you will anchor yourself to a more stable reality.

5. Don't fight fire with fire-- If you sink to the level of the dark energies, you will be fighting on their terms, and the likehood is that you will lose.

If we traslate these points into current politics, they are clearly applicable. the Democrats were triggered by Palin because they fear losing and that fear runs deep. the bogeymen that frighen us the most come from the primitive level; they astir a sense of childish helplessness. but your mature self, like Obama's campaign organization, is coherent and knows how to carry out it's purpose. Realize that American politics have been dominated by shadow issues for decades, so it's only natural they still have claw and teeth. but their game has gotten old and tired. If you are able to see past the appeal to fear and resentment, have trust that other people can, too.

the bottom line is that in 2008 election isn't about change versus experience or a noble candidate who may lose to one who play's dirty. this election is about Consciousnesss. sice the Reagen revolution, consciousness has been sleeply and dull in politics; ideals have been tarnished by cynicism; inner decay has sapped the party in power of it's original purpose, leaving only a pointless morass of defensiveness that expresses itself in negativity. If the majority of the electorate wakes up and feels inspired to turn the page, that will happen. Obama has sounded the call; few people missed the message. Now its a matter of dealing with a phase of fear and resistance before we discover if stuck consciousness is ready to move ahead.

I did answer an important question for myself. was I voting for Obama because of my resistance to the past or was I following my inner truth? I confirmed I am following my inner integtity and truth for me.

When I read Deepak's first wirting, it seemed more instructional and less poloraized. AT this stage he feels polorized to me. And clearly states that he believes Obama has offered the call for soemthing more/new/change. I am not at all concerned with Deepak's personal opinion of the election nor who he is going to vote for.

What I believe is troublesome is his misuse of the language and the terms...again leading people to believe something that is off base. Given his platform, I would have hoped he would use it for more instructional purposes. He didn't...he succumbed to the morass of the power struggle himself.

quote:

Eruptions from the shadow are transitory. If you don't encourage them, these energies dissipate naturally.

This is such an injustice and misleading way to approach shadow that I am quite frankly shocked at Mr. Chopra and have lost a great deal of respect for him in this.

This sounds to me like pandering to a group of people that haven't the capacity to work with shadow...undifferentiated ego's. Is that the nature that we want to encourage? Do we want to continue pandering to a collective using terms that are not appropriate. The shadow is not just for us to see point the finger and then let it move on. It serves a much deeper purpose and is much greater in it's gift to the wholeness of our psyche. Deepak does a great injustice to this whole dynamic and is not serving anything save his own projections and opinions. And using his platform as a Spiritual Master to do so. It is frightening to think that we will have a group of people beleiveing they are doing what is appropriate with shadow, only to find they are not.
Has he been reading Debbie Ford?
The feeling in the pit of my stomach that these people are offering knowledge on shadow and presenting it the way they do...is, just another sign of the times, our Spiritual Leaders are being seduced into the morass!
This is like so much other "food for thought" out there...not really intended to digest.

We would be better served I believe to explore some of Ken Wilburs work through the Integral INstitute....A political change you can breathe into.

Explore http://integrallife.com/apply/politics-civics/integral-...ange-you-can-breathe

I agree with you on his shadow interpretation-off base and his perspetive.
I see there is a group of people he serves with this fast food information.
there is beautiful piece by Ken wilur I found on the shadow in some of my darkess moments a few weeks ago and I will be adding it to our sectio later today or would you prefer I add it under the one by Chopra.
I will also check out the site you listed . thanks for sharing the information. VL

If the piece from Ken Wilbur is politically related, it is probably better to put it here. Or you could put it both places. That way we can work it in Wisdom Bridges and it is here for all to peruse.

Ken's is not poticially related. It explains the shadow so well for me and in a dark depressed minute a few weeks ago it feed me like a clear mountain spring. I hope to get it on tomorrow and if you want to move it feel free as I believe it wil be a great working piece for the closed Wisdom Bridges. VL