Emotional dependencies keep human consciousness in an infantile and ritualistic stage, preventing or hindering their evolution as luminous beings. As a result, the ego is the measure of all things, individuals develop weak personalities, and the perception—of both reality and existence—is individually and collectively castrated. Although it should not be that way, from the point of view of the cocoon of energy that we are, relationships literally overshadow us. At the evolutionary point in time in which we find ourselves, interactions with others demand a wearing, predetermined and repetitive pattern of behaviour that is perpetuated by means of different cultural, religious, social and family customs and traditions. Frequently, individual improvement and evolution are perceived as a threat by the group. We invest our energy in others and others loan us theirs in return, thus closing a cycle of mutually accepted bonds. In this way we remain trapped in the social spider's web, accompanied, of course, albeit not always welcomed.
The price of socialization is a double-edged sword. On the one hand it gives us the sense of belonging, the tranquility of being part of the group, and on the other it demands that we become a caricature of ourselves, since we need to fit again and again into what others expect of us. We often call this “love”. Many become accustomed to it, others cannot bear it and get depressed as a result, and only a handful of people become impeccable warriors, gradually forsaking the chains of normality in order to become sober navigators of infinity. For now, the choice to go beyond what the everyday world offers is an individual, rather than a collective one.
By nature, we have a strong social dimension. Without society, human learning would be impossible, and a great soul has only been able to be formed by means of contact with its fellow human beings. The problem, however, is the upholding and supporting of collectivities that anchor individuals to customs and false illusions, rather than facilitating their development as perceivers, masters of consciousness and of existence. The latter, in the world of today, is a utopia. But some of us believe that human societies could evolve into true catalysts for the development of group and individual consciousness. Nonetheless, at the moment it is not so.
Some traditions and customs came into being as a mechanism to support the biological command of reproduction. Others began as a superstitious attempt to win the favour of the gods, so that crops would be abundant and not lost, or to ward off evil spirits and diseases, or to assist the deceased in his transition to the afterlife, all of which has to do with the biological command of survival. And, finally, other rituals appeared as a means of exerting control over the people by political, economic or religious elites, which has to do with the command of survival and reproduction of the fittest. In modern times, in addition to all of the above, rituals aimed at engorging personal importance and perpetuating emotional dependence are reinforced as never before. Parties, birthdays, prizes and accolades are all aimed at supporting, caring for and giving affection to people, in turn, since it is assumed that the mental health of the individual is permanently threatened, due to their apparent inability to feel themselves connected to their own being and their own life ("Without you, I am nothing"). Consider all this carefully; we are much more than eating machines, reproductive organs or mere pieces of society.
We adorn the world with beautiful lights as compensation for having forgotten that we are pure energy; we try to embellish ourselves on the outside by not accepting the challenge of recognizing inner beauty. We behave arrogantly, assuming that tomorrow there will be another day. We care so much about the lives of others and what they may think about us that we have forgotten the miracle of our own existence and how limited its duration really is; as a consequence, when death strikes close at hand, we observe it with surprise and shock. Thus, we leave for later what is truly important right now: falling in love with life and connecting with that feeling of genuine gratitude towards the energy that it gives to us.
Those who fail to love themselves, can give only scant or false love to others. Remember that illusion is synonymous with falsehood and that self-esteem is not the same as vanity. Live, here and now. Accept that you are going to die while, at the same time, tirelessly prepare to live. Don't wait for the party, every breath brings light and life, every single day of the year.
Rituals by Chema Sanz is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.