recognizing awarenes?

What I like about ATS and related websites is that you meet a lot of people that think alike. I don't know many people in my immediate environment who can have a conversation with me and actually stay with me on topics like this. Most don't even have a clue what I'm talking about.
I started to divide people into two categories: those who are aware and those who aren't. But aware of what?
It doesn't really matter...

I noticed that I've been dividing people all my life, as a kid I separated the other kids at school into two groups, I used to call them 'the real ones' and 'the plastic ones', lol I'm not sure why I used this labels but I was labeling them already in preschool. When I look at my class pictures from back then I remember who I labeled what, only now I don't see much difference between these children, however I did back then.
I guess I'm still doing that, using different terms now. Sometimes I would see a person and immediately know,' oh yeah, he/she is awake', while the next person is obviously sleeping. It's a knowing, a recognizing, even without talking to the person I just know. Does anyone else ever get that?

I labeled my own parents as 'sleepers', but my mother has always been on the edge, always asking careful questions and never pursuing an answer.
Last mothers day something changed though....
Ever since my brother died, mom didn't want to celebrate anything, not her birthday, not mothers day... last mothersday I was on my way over there. It didn't feel right to me to show up empty handed, but she requested that we bring no presents. I stopped at the mall, figured that I would pick up a bouquet of flowers or chocolates, I wanted to give 'something'. But I walked right passed the flower store and into the bookstore and there it was: a nice little book that covered a lot of spiritual topics, including the loa, the holographic universe, etc... all written for 'beginners'. (I'm not sure of the title but I can ask mom and post it later). I bought the book and had it wrapped as a present.
She had an angry look on her face when she saw I bought her something, I told her 'mom, this one is very personal and just for you, you can read it or put it aside but we are not gonna talk about it again today. She hasn't mentioned the book since then.
But last week I was in the car with her and I was complaining a bit about some things that went wrong, I said something like 'why did this happen?'
she replied "why don't you ask the universe?" I looked at her and she just smiled.. I thought "omg! mom is aware!" I guess she really did start reading that book.. and actually gets it.

so, the aware and unaware... the awake and the sleepers, that's how I see the two main groups of people.
My own husband is a giant sleeper. He doesn't 'feel' the separation of body and soul and defines himself as being 'his body' and thoughts being a product of that body.
I asked him why he calls it 'his' body? Because saying 'my body' sound like he is taking about an ownership , this is a clear separation of the self and the body. Then he either goes blanc or Freudian. Sleeper.
My daughter on the other hand clearly states that she is 'inside' her body. Awake.

Does anyone else get that, That you see or talk to a person and immediately recognize in what group they belong? Is there a third group I'm missing?
Or is this just insane?
Like I said, I have no idea why I'm doing this, but it's almost the first thing I look for in a person... always have been

Hi Gyp,

Yes, there are the knowers and the unknowers.

You are a knower, your daughter is a knower, and your mother is an unknower.

I, too, am a knower, but I wish I was an unknower as their life is easier.

Recently I have found that putting labels on people only closes your mind off from a world of possibilities. If you label your mother as a 'sleeper' your mind will start to see all of the qualities that you associate with being asleep. Instead of seeing your mother as a being of pure potentiality, you have closed it off to something set in stone.

There are definitely some people out there that are more aware than others but people are constantly changing and the universe works in strange ways.

Example: My best friend is into all topics discussed on this website and we have told his father about many of the theories out there. His dad is a firm believer in trusting everything the government does and the internet is a joke He is a Vietnam vet and has seen things that most people can not imagine, When he has two twenty somethings trying to tell him that they found some stuff on the internet he laughs it all off.

Now 3 weeks ago out of no where he decided to dig up his entire back yard and build a massive veggie garden! He said he wants to be more self sustaining! Now this is amazing to me. My friend asked his dad where this idea came from and he said he really couldn't figure it out. He just had a feeling and went for it.

Lesson: Some people whom you would think are completely unaware, can REALLY surprise you. Without any research, reading, alternative news, ATS, he managed to do something we have been talking about doing for awhile, out of nowhere! Almost like an instinct, something just clicked for him. So keep an open mind and try not to put people in categories because you might miss out on something amazing.

Remember, not everyone has to go down the same path or read the same books to get where you are. The most unaware people out there can change in a second and surprise you. Keep your mind open and you will start to see others doing the same.

When I see people I recognize myself at different stages of development. It's like looking through time and seeing what I once was, except it's a little different. There are of course different degrees of awareness for the different stages of life.

I understand what you mean about the relationship between body and self. I think of my body, my unconscious mind, and the entire external world as one. My conscious self is another. Like horse and rider.

Great story about the book and your mother. I just wanted to add, that "knowers" wear masks sometimes, even around other "knowers."

reply to post by bringthelight


of course your right, keeping an open mind is important
To be honest, when I was a kid i didn't want to play with the plastic ones (still not sure why I called them that), later on in life, I felt it was a waste of time to interact with the unaware since I always felt they never had a clue where I was coming from. But that changed when I grew older.
I always had my sis to talk to so my need for spiritual conversations was always satisfied.
Now, seeing people wake up or just grow, it gives me a warm feeling
thanks for the reply

Originally posted by Kruel
When I see people I recognize myself at different stages of development. It's like looking through time and seeing what I once was, except it's a little different. There are of course different degrees of awareness for the different stages of life.

I understand what you mean about the relationship between body and self. I think of my body, my unconscious mind, and the entire external world as one. My conscious self is another. Like horse and rider.

"like horse and rider", I like that
Do you feel that recognision even without talking to them? I sometimes do.
for ex. There is this one woman in my town, she works at the suppermarket, I'm not sure what it is with her but she almost feels like death, spiritualy death I mean. I focus on her alot when I see her because i can't figure out what exactly is 'wrong' with her? Sometimes I feel like talking to her, thinking that maybe I can say something or help her, I don't know, she probably will think I'm nuts
thanks for the reply

Originally posted by dragonking76
Great story about the book and your mother. I just wanted to add, that "knowers" wear masks sometimes, even around other "knowers."

masking, yeah... I heard of that. Not sure if I would recognize it but probably not
after I wrote this post yesterday I was on the phone with my mother, she said she wants to have an obe, something she read in the book. I think my sister is planning to work with her....
thanks for the reply

reply to post by GypsK


when you are truly awake, your compassion for the unconscious deepens...you don't consider yourself superior in any way; that would be the false self all over again

We are all aware. The only difference is that we are aware of different things. Some are aware of crazier things than most, then there are those that are aware of very practical things. Currently, i am aware that there are things that have no words. Especially when talking about spiritual things.

Originally posted by reject
reply to post by GypsK

 

when you are truly awake, your compassion for the unconscious deepens...you don't consider yourself superior in any way; that would be the false self all over again

feeling superior, as you can read in my other posts, been there, done that.. not anymore though

define 'false self' pls?

We tend to judge others based on our own views, you know, we tend to find those that agree with us brilliant and those that disagree with us, well, not so great. I don't know you but I would say, and please don't take this as an insult, that seems to be the case with you. Like another poster said I think we are all "aware and awake" about something, it's just a question of where we focus it at.

Originally posted by Watcher-In-The-Shadows
We tend to judge others based on our own views, you know, we tend to find those that agree with us brilliant and those that disagree with us, well, not so great. I don't know you but I would say, and please don't take this as an insult, that seems to be the case with you. Like another poster said I think we are all "aware and awake" about something, it's just a question of where we focus it at.

thanks for the reply and no, I'm not insulted at all

I guess we are all aware on a different level, that's probably part of a learning proces.

I think most posters are missing my point here though.

let me put it this way,
have you ever sat in a room full of people, where everyone tends to blend in with the rest, then one person enters the room and he/she just 'lightens' the room up? Everyone is watching at this person and most don't even know why...
I'm not talking about appearance or beauty or clothing.... only the person him/herself
that's what I mean with 'recognizing'. Everyone had a moment of recognizing, but up till what level can you do it?

reply to post by GypsK

I am not so sure it's a learning process so much that it's like the answer to the meaning of life. Otherwords subjective and dependant upon the individual.

In my experience, please note this 100% my opnion not fact. Usually those are the people that seek the spot light, "popular" types that seem little more overblown automatons to what others expected them to be and what was acceptable. But this is where we get into again one's point of view, I have ALWAYS sought the shadows, I by my nature escew the "spotlight" as I put it *funnily enough the spotlight finds me often, despite my conscious efforts to blend in and not be noticed*. So naturally I dislike them.

[edit on 24-5-2009 by Watcher-In-The-Shadows]

reply to post by Watcher-In-The-Shadows


of course it could be... although having talked to some of these people I know that some of them really don't want to be in the spotlight, even avoiding it and still they get noticed, they can't explain it either...

I do know what you mean by 'the popular ones' and as you I don't like it either.

and while im thinking about awareness and recognizing it... here's a little secret:
Offline I find that everyone wants to be my 'friend' , I'm not sure why because I'm not always the warm, sweet, kind person you would want as a best friend, but still a lot of people like to hang around me and become 'clingy' and needy till the point that it annoys the hell out of me. Not very aware and spiritual, I know, but that's how I am... I don't like much company.
Anyway, I considered myself 'aware' and figured others would recognize that. And then I came 'online' and noticed that was not the case. Even here on ATS people giving me advice on things I already know, treating me like a beginner... they don't read me for who I am.
Unless, and this came as a revelation to me, I'm not really as aware as I thought I was...
take away the visual appearence and you become a different person.... of course that goes both ways.
that's why you will never see me posting a picture of myself.

ok, I stop here before I drift completely off topic

I think it really depends on ones definition of "aware". I am hardcore meta/panthiest and I do see others that are the same but usually only after I have talked to them a bit and they have the same view of reality.

Just because someone is into meta stuff, ghosts, synchronicity, etc... I do not consider them aware. Their "awareness" has to match mine in a more specific way, which is usually by virtue of a spontaneious awakening and nothing that can be book learned.

reply to post by GypsK


Because all you are to anyone online is words on a screen. And as with any words they are intrepreted by the person on the otherside based on their bias, personality quirks, personal history, etc. I find it funny just how often people on here will go off on great angry rants because they misread something another person said then treat that misintrepetation despite all clarification offered as fact. Happened recently on a thread about the R word.

Originally posted by Watcher-In-The-Shadows
Happened recently on a thread about the R word.

That thread gave some people the creeps. People can "explain" all they like but sometimes things are just too odd to be explained away.

reply to post by Sonya610


I want avoid derailing but feel free to u2u should you wish to discuss it. He was crucified by certain individuals for broaching the topic.

[edit on 24-5-2009 by Watcher-In-The-Shadows]

Originally posted by Watcher-In-The-Shadows
He was crucified by certain individuals for broaching the topic.

Yes I know, I was one of them. But the Mods sure were careful to protect him, rather odd that. I won't U2U, as I vented in the thread.

Comes down to ones definition of awareness huh?



[edit on 24-5-2009 by Sonya610]

reply to post by Sonya610


I feel inclined to add unjustly. And yes, it's dependent upon the individual.