Throughout the ages, Ancient Wisdom has taught the existence of something that transcends everything we know, and yet is an integral part of our very being. It has been referred to with many titles: Guardian Angel, Inner Genius, Higher Self.

If our own brain is beyond our understanding, how much more mysterious and incredible is this strange being we call the "Higher Self". What can it be? What "self" can possibly be higher than the one you are already familiar with? If this "self" is truly higher than what we are normally aware of, how can it be truly called "self"?

Let us attempt a definition:

"The Higher Self is that part of you that connects you directly to the spiritual realms. It is eternal, infinitely wise and transcends your everyday consciousness. It is in touch with the Divine because it is part of it. Attaining knowledge of the Higher Self, and its depths of inner wisdom, is the goal of the Spiritual Quest in all its many guises throughout the world, and throughout history."

Thus, you are not simply the total of your conscious and subconscious. There is a part of you that transcends both. It exceeds anything you know with your present awareness. It is beyond anything you can possibly know through normal rational thought. You are connected to the Divine, and this is where it manifests.

To most people, this concept may seem highly unlikely, or even absurd. However, a growing body of scientific evidence also suggests that there IS a source of superior intelligence within all of us. There is an inner capacity that most us are unaware of, and are largely unable to access.

In the Indian philosophy of Samkhya, the term for this higher consciousness, which pervades the entire universe, is Purusa. It is believed to be free of the limitations of space and time, and is also uncaused by anything external to itself. It is free of both pleasure and pain. It is above thought.

Throughout this article, we use the term "Higher Self". However, you can also take this to include the "Inner Genius" too. There is no real distinction between what might considered "spiritual" intelligence, and more general super-normal functioning; such as the ability to read and learn at superhuman speeds or the ability to perform mathematical calculations at lightening speed. In truth, such extraordinary abilities are only part of a vast continuum that lies concealed within us. It covers a vast span - all the way from the spiritual height to incredible levels of performance at more earthly levels. What many consider impossible is easy for those who have made contact with the Source of all.

Why Access The Higher Self At All?

Some people may be alarmed at the whole idea of accessing a "Higher Self". After all, doesn't that imply losing control and being invaded from something from the outside? Wouldn't you lose the very essence of who you are?

These ideas arise from a misunderstanding about (a) who "you" are and (b) who the Higher Self is. In truth, the Higher Self IS you - all that you are meant to be. The only reason we even talk about it as if it were an entity from elsewhere is because we have been trained from birth not to fully express the magnificent divinity within us and be all that we are fully capable of being. That is what the Higher Self really is; the best you that you are capable of being.

If you were manifesting your very best right now, do you think your brain capacity would be lying 99% dormant? Of course not.

The problem we all face is that we identify ourselves with the small "I". This is the ego consciousness that we have gradually developed throughout our life. However, this is not really all that you are. Your ego, your conscious mind, is only a small part of your total being. It is shaped by childhood, by what you were told as you were growing up, by the knocks and bruises of life, as well as the pleasures and joys. In part, it is formed from the life experiences that you have had up to this point. However, it is also partly created from your subconscious, and your connection to the Collective Unconscious.

Thus, your personality consciousness is subject to constant change. It is not an absolute. It alters through life experiences, psychiatric therapy, or a range of other influences.

However, despite the shifting circumstances of existence, most people recognize, at least fleetingly, the existence of a changeless eternal part of their nature. In these moments, they have made contact with their essential eternal being; who they really are.

So really, the Higher Self is not some sort of invading being. Rather, it is more truly you than you ever have been allowed to be. It lets more of those moments of true recognition into your life. Eventually, you are enabled to live your entire life from a point of full awareness of your changeless divinity.

Copyright 2002, Asoka Selvarajah. All Rights Reserved.