Psychosocial Stages of Human Development

The first half of life seems to be driven mostly by ego.  Ego can be perceived as animal instincts necessary for navigating the physical realm as a human animal.  In the emotional aspects it can also be referred to as losing our innocence to ego, or taking on false identities during the various psychosocial stages of development.  There seems to be an inherent timeline for the cycle of human development.

Some of the ways ego shows up may be in conditioned beliefs about what we are supposed to do, to have, and to be.  In the first half of our lives our focus seems to be on outward goals such as acquiring things, status, what success is or isn’t.  Societal urges are usually based on  environmental conditioning of the mind by family, teachers, society, accepted traditions, religious beliefs or even media propaganda.  Combined with animal instincts, it is a constant process of adaptability and expansion in the physical realm.   

The chart below is a well known analysis done by a physiologist named Erik Erikson.  It has helpful information for parents to be aware of what their child is instinctually learning in their stage of development.  If we as parents pay attention to what the child is in the process of learning, we can support them in having a positive experience instead of thinking something is wrong and needs correction.  Though it is necessary to teach a child respect, it is also important to model it for them, not force it upon them.

Stage Basic Conflict Important Events Outcome Infancy (birth to 18 months) Trust vs. Mistrust Feeding Children develop a sense of trust when caregivers provide reliabilty, care, and affection. A lack of this will lead to mistrust. Early Childhood (2 to 3 years) Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt Toilet Training Children need to develop a sense of personal control over physical skills and a sense of independence. Success leads to feelings of autonomy, failure results in feelings of shame and doubt. Preschool (3 to 5 years) Initiative vs. Guilt Exploration Children need to begin asserting control and power over the environment. Success in this stage leads to a sense of purpose. Children who try to exert too much power experience disapproval, resulting in a sense of guilt. School Age (6 to 11 years) Industry vs. Inferiority School Children need to cope with new social and academic demands. Success leads to a sense of competence, while failure results in feelings of inferiority. Adolescence (12 to 18 years) Identity vs. Role Confusion Social Relationships Teens need to develop a sense of self and personal identity. Success leads to an ability to stay true to yourself, while failure leads to role confusion and a weak sense of self. Young Adulthood (19 to 40 years) Intimacy vs. Isolation Relationships Young adults need to form intimate, loving relationships with other people. Success leads to strong relationships, while failure results in loneliness and isolation. Middle Adulthood (40 to 65 years) Generativity vs. Stagnation Work and Parenthood Adults need to create or nurture things that will outlast them, often by having children or creating a positive change that benefits other people. Success leads to feelings of usefulness and accomplishment, while failure results in shallow involvement in the world. Maturity(65 to death) Ego Integrity vs. Despair Reflection on Life Older adults need to look back on life and feel a sense of fulfillment. Success at this stage leads to feelings of wisdom, while failure results in regret, bitterness, and despair.

I have to wonder, if the animal kingdom were keenly observed, if we would see these same stages manifest.  Is it true that the only difference between mankind and "lower" animal is what some refer to as God consciousness?  Scientists call it the ability to reason, but I think it goes further than that.

Stay with me for a version of the Adam and Eve story that opened my eyes to consider that the so called "original sin" was a definite intention of Creator.

Sungazing Benefits

First Three Months

H. R. Manek instructs sun gazers to begin their sun gazing journey by spending a maximum of 10 seconds on the first day looking directly into the sun during the safe hours, which are defined as within one hour after sunrise or within one hour of sunset. While sun gazing, it is important if possible to stand on warm, bare earth. This helps to ground you and enhances the sun gazing benefits.

On the second day, look for 20 seconds. Add 10 additional seconds every day thereafter. So, after 10 days, you will be looking at the sun for 100 seconds (e.g., one minute and 40 seconds).

In this first phase, it is common for people to begin experiencing a more positive mindset, less negativity, more confidence, more compassion, and less fear.

Three to Six Months

At the end of three months, your gazing time will be about 15 minutes. This is the period during which many people begin to find their physical diseases subsiding.

HRM also states that 70-80 percent of the energy synthesized from food is used by your brain to “fuel tensions and worries”, and after three months, these tensions go away, leaving this newly freed energy available for more productive use. You might also find your need for food decreasing.

When you reach 30 minutes duration, he states you will be “slowly liberated from physical disease” since, by then, your organs are all receiving their needed Prana, or life energy, directly from the sun.

Your body needs energy, not necessarily food. Food is actually our “secondary energy source,” according to HRM. The human body does not convert sunlight into energy in the same way plants do, with chlorophyll, but through a different photosynthesis process, like a photovoltaic cell.

HRM states:

“You are your own master at the end of 6 months."

Six to Nine Months

After 6 months, you will start to utilize the original form of “micro food,” which comes from the sun. This has the additional benefit of having no toxic waste attached to it.

At around 7.5 months, or 35 minutes per day of sun gazing, you can expect your hunger to start decreasing appreciably. Hunger results from the energy requirements of your body, which is a must for your existence. Conventionally, you are getting the sun energy indirectly by eating foods that are a by-product of sun energy. Now, you are getting the energy directly.

Between 8 and 9 months (44 minutes), HRM says you can expect your hunger to be pretty much gone. If it isn’t, he says it is because you don’t have enough belief in the process, and it will take you a little longer, but it is still achievable.

More importantly, at this stage, your energy levels are very high and you will have a very deep sense of well-being.

      After Nine Months

After nine months, you should discontinue solar gazing for the sake of eye care--your eyes have reached the limits of what they can safely take. However, your body will eventually become “discharged,” kind of like a battery, and must be recharged.

Recharging is accomplished by walking bare-foot, on bare earth, preferably in the sun, since the bare earth contains a great deal of sun energy.

This works, HRM explains, because the act of walking stimulates your pineal gland. As is described in reflexology your foot is a microcosm of your entire body, and your big toe is connected with your pineal gland. The other toes are connected to the other major glands of your body.

The recommended walking schedule is, walk for 6 consecutive days once you have completed your nine months of sun gazing, for 45 minutes per day. Just walk at a relaxed pace--no need to walk briskly or jog.

Then, walk regularly (he doesn’t give a minimum or maximum) for a year, always for 45 minutes. After a year of “recharging,” if you are satisfied with how you feel, you can discontinue bare foot walking. But if you want to strengthen your immune system, memory, intelligence, etc., then continue the walking.

He also mentions that many other mental and spiritual benefits are possible during this time, such as new psychic abilities, a built-in “navigational” system, and higher levels of brain activity. He states:

“Almost all problems get solved.”

Science has validated human psychic functions and medical experiments are being done to ascertain this.  Different body parts and organs get purified  due to detoxification once you stop eating.  

There is another utility value (other than food digestion) for the internal organs.The different internal organs play different mechanical parts for the purposes of space travel and flight. All the glands have a lot of functions and can perform at optimal level via sun energy.

Historically, a lot of people have remained without food. Accordingly in 1922, the Imperial Medical College in London decreed that solar rays were the ideal food for humans. However, no one mentioned what their technique was. For e.g. Yogananda, in his book Autobiography of Yogi, interviewed many saints and mystics to find out the secret of their lack of eating food.  The common reply was that the sun energy entered through a secret door. 

Sun gazing was also practiced by ancient Egyptians, Aztecs, Greeks, Mayans, in Tibetan Yoga and some traditions of Qigong, Tai Chi, and by some Native American tribes.

Sun gazing appears to be gaining momentum in this country, as more complementary health practices are gaining acceptance by the public. If we always demand an explanation for how something works before trying it, we might be cheating ourselves out of some great tools that can provide benefit. ~ Dr. Mercola M.D.

My Experience with Sungazing

When I first started gazing, I noticed pretty quickly that I enjoyed it, looked forward to it, and felt more peaceful. I began to notice that I didn't start to feel hungry until early afternoon.  

After six months I noticed my appetite decreasing.  When I ate heavy foods or overate, I felt uncomfortably bloated.  I began to pay more attention to what I ate and how it made me feel.  I really felt better if I didn't have a full meal, but just grazed.  I started wanting more liquid food like soups and juices.

When I left home for California, I had completed 44 minutes of gazing. It was time to start the bare foot walking 45 minutes  a day.  It felt good to just tune in to me to see if I needed to eat.  I soon realized I nearly always felt full.  My need for food was a mental clinging, or a habit of needing food.  Now I'm paying more attention to my energy levels as I exercise.  I'm realizing my body is gradually needing less and less food.   

One day I decided to spend the entire day down by the beach just walking around.  For breakfast I had about 4 0z. of smoothie and 2 tiny Valencia oranges, cuz they're good.  Not because I was hungry.  I started out bike riding at 10:00 a.m.  Then walked on the beach in the sun until noon.  After lying on the beach to rest a bit, I began to make the trek into town.

I wasn't hungry, but wanted to experience a treat I had enjoyed a few days ago. I finally arrived at the Grill only to find it closed.  In the meantime, I passed by several restaurants with a menagerie of food and smells.  I looked at several menus to see if anything looked good.  Nothing was calling to me.  I was not a bit hungry.  It took me by surprise.  In the past, I would have eaten just because it looked or smelled good, or because I had a story in my head that I needed food because of an increase in physical activity.  I felt very uninterested in any of the food.

It was getting cold.  My ride wouldn't pick me up for some time yet.  I needed to be warm.  I got a small cup of soup.  It warmed me and I felt extremely full.  Several hours later of walking, I went into a restaurant to warm up with some hot lemon water.  I was intending to eat another cup of soup just to pay for taking up space, but found I was much too full. 

I'm pleasantly surprised. During the fast I withheld food for a goal.  It became uncomfortable.  I didn't really understand.  I was doing sun gazing, but not really believing in it.  Now I'm realizing that unbelief is the only thing that holds me back from experiencing all that was promised in H.R.M.'s protocol.  Now I can go without food without having to be so conscious about my energy levels, and I don't feel deprived of food.  I mostly just don't want it.  

Today I tried to eat some nuts just to get them used.  They tasted okay, but feel heavy on my stomach.  This is a very different experience of food.  I love it.  The thing I'm most happy about is that my energy level remains good.  Also I need a lot less sleep.

How do You Measureably Love Yourself?

In nearly all the information I found concerning the Great Change, or Shift, the main theme was that we would be required to turn to Love in every moment, just to stay alive.  I see evidence of that already in many areas.  I see people fighting for their lives when old negative thought patterns are allowed to continue.  It seems that the new energy is requiring us to cleanse out negativity and replace fear with love, since negative thought patterns are based on fear. 

Science has proven that negative thoughts produce toxic chemicals in the body.  If it goes unchecked, it shows up as a disease or dis-ease. It can systematically break down the systems of the body, attacking the weakest systems first.  It kills the cells of the body faster than the body can produce new ones. The latest disease that I notice showing up more often is auto-immune disorder.  So the body actually attacks itself and has nothing to fight its environment with. How many of us are in the habit of negative self-talk?  Did you ever think of that as self abuse?

Think about it.  If we ARE beings of Love and Light, having a human experience in a world where darkness is a choice of Free Will, it seems that we are choosing to destroy ourselves.  Looking at the bigger picture, are we in fact, doing the same thing to our Mother Earth?  So as creators, what are we choosing to create?  What kind of world are we creating inside and out?

So I find myself in a place of being aware of old negative patterns and the need to choose Love for my well being.  Whenever the pain gets my attention,   It turns out self abuse can continue in thought habits so subtle we don't even notice.  This is where the  body gets to speak to us, get our attention, and support us in staying awake and aware.  It often shows up in pain or energy drain.  I think of my loved ones who are experiencing the same challenge.  I can't expect them to do something I have not done.

I asked the question to my good friend Christopher Stubbs, who is an amazing business breakthrough coach.  What are some measurable ways I can practice self love?  He said, "Be present enough with yourself to notice your thoughts, and notice how you respond to acknowledgments.  Breathe deeply when love is given.  Allow yourself to really FEEL it."  I needed something tangible. I was thinking about how that could work for me?  Remembering that a question leaves a void and the answer will come.

That night on Facebook, I found a page called Raw Naked Beauty Project.  WOW!  I mean WOW,  Katherine's story fit my own so closely in many aspects.  She had several posts on how to do "Selfie Lifts". Measurable ways to love yourself, including things we really need to do by ourselves, for ourselves and our bodies when Life feels like it really really just knocked us down.  Things that nurture soul and body.  Drifting into distractions, and being with others doesn't count.

• A "Selfie Lift" might look like a nice soak in the tub with lit candles.
• It might look like just some "me time" doing whatever it is you love to do.
• It might be meditation or walking in nature.
• Expressing gratitude for whatever is good in your life right now.
• Literally caressing and expressing love and appreciation for every organ of your body, your level of health.
• Hold your hands at your solar plexus while expressing any negativity you are feeling.  Then pour love into your body to fill the void.

Turns out we have a hard wired reaction to the negative because it threatens us.  According to scientific studies, five "Selfie Lifts" to every negative thought or experience is the recommended antidote.  The reason being that our defense mechanism is instinctual, meaning, it gets our full attention.  With positive thoughts, there is no threat, therefore not so much attention.  I wonder, if we are already subconsciously running negative stories about ourselves, we might even deflect positive feedback.  I was so inspired, I spent the rest of the night and the next day practicing letting the love all around me in, and practicing gratitude.

Then, I just happened to be reading a book called Grandmothers Council to the World.  It's about the thirteen indigenous Grandmothers, spiritual leaders, from all over the world who came together to bring us the message of what we can do to move through this difficult time with more ease.  Their main message is to 1) stay connected to yourself and all of nature, 2) face yourself, 3)be 100% present in each moment, 4)be quiet, LISTEN, 5)Let the elements love you, the wind hug you, the sunshine bless you. Breathe it all in, allowing and receiving the energy of life all around you. Know it is there to support you.  What a perfect addition to my "measurable" practice of self love.

The Grandmothers say, "Disease is a foreign thing.  It inhabits us to bother us into making necessary spiritual changes."  Sounds to me like our Spirit and body are actually working together to assist us in staying on track to do what we came to do.  Physical, emotional or mental pain or disability seem to be the most effective tools available to us until we get into the habit of loving ourselves.  What a great design!

The body is inherently designed to regenerate and repair itself.  It knows what to do.  It is up to us who occupy the body to create the environment to support its natural function.  It never ceases to amaze me how quickly we, as creators, create the exact level of health and experiences to match our awareness and commitment.  So If we are committed to Love, we get tons of support in that.  If we are committed to drama and chaos, we get tons of experiences with that.

Pearls to Receiving Bliss

As my Journey to neverfood continues, I commit to being more consistent in posting.  I really appreciate my followers and visitors.  I would love to share insights, information and ongoing discoveries and would love this to be an interactive blog where you share your thoughts and insights, and we create a discussion.

I am also creating another blog of my memoirs.   The value I intend to create is to use the story of my journey through Life to illustrate some of the principles and keys I have gathered along the way.  I liken them to pearls.  In retrospect, I feel grateful for the rich and full life I have been given.  I see value in the way that my life has unfolded.  

As I watch this video on "How pearls are made"  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T18E58vOTus ,  I notice the process is very similar to the process of life as it progresses.  The pearl is formed as the oyster covers the abrasive grain of sand with crystalline layers.  Oddly enough, the layers have the same pattern as the hexagonal "Flower of Life" in sacred geometry. The result being a highly valued and beautiful by product of the life lived by the shell.

I see the layers of the pearl much like the layers of ego identity we take upon ourselves.   However this cover up shows up, it is there to protect us from the abrasiveness and pain we often encounter in life, and to help us navigate more comfortably in the physical realm.  At some point our soul calls us to seek the truth of our origins, our true nature. 

Like a flower opening her petals to reveal a perfect and beautiful array of colors and patterns, also containing the sacred geometry of life, our life unfolds to reveal our purpose.  Flowers seem to me the closest thing to heaven on Earth.  When I fully inhale the fragrance, I experience the bliss I imagine heaven to be.  I'm inspired to continue my journey to bliss.  So I'm calling my new blog "Pearls to Receiving Bliss".  This blog is the story of my life, of unwinding what isn't me to what is.  This blog opens on March 1, and will be posted weekly.  See you there!  www.pearlstoreceivingbliss.blogspot.com