Enlightenment and gender identity disorder

[Guest GinaInside]

Gina Renee,

This is all way too big to have not been "planned" for us to deal with in this lifetime!

Please write more about your NDE, I have not had one of those, but I have astral projected on about 1/2 dozen occasions. Being out of your body certainly changes your perspective, doesn't it?

-Meri

I'm not sure this is the right place to describe my NDE, but I will say that yes, it definately changed my perspective on life and everything. Even having the experience, and knowing what's next, has not changed my GD, which does seem odd.

Astral projection (OBE) is very liberating, and yes, even if you have not had an NDE, it is a very life-changing experience.

[Guest Meri]

I really like this statement and I believe it. I'm still not completely clear on the original question about transitioning and enlightenment. Yes, I believe it possible to find peace through enlightenment. Our physical bodies allow our interaction with the world, so shouldn't that interaction reflect our gender identity? I don't believe that hiding our feelings of gender is sustainable, the secret will exact a price that will increase over time. So, I'm thinking out loud, is it possible to express our gender, in a method that those we interact with will accept, without seeking changes to the physical form? The behavior expectations of each gender is deeply rooted in our society.

I am sorry if I'm asking too many questions, they come from respect for your insight.

Hugs,

Shari

Shari,

We are all headed to enlightenment eventually. It may take many lifetimes or just a few depending on how you go about it. The "default" method (method A) is to suffer, most humans suffer as the grapple with their cravings, their wants, old age, compulsions, etc. When we have suffered enough over a particular situation, we eventually realize that maybe there is a better way and will change our behavior and/or our belief system to adopt the better way that doesn't cause suffering. This is how most people evolve toward enlightenment. In my case, I am on life 785 or so I have certainly had my share of suffering!

The other path is meditation and learning to use our minds instead of becoming our minds and letting them rule us.The "stepping aside" that we have discussed is the technique and it is strengthened the more you practice it. Our minds are very jealous, they don't like giving up "control" and feel their very existence is threatened at first. If you practice being present enough, your mind will eventually realize that you are not out to destroy it, that it is still a valuable and trusted component of the complete you. At that point, it will begin giving you more peace and allow the authentic you to rule the roost.

The following is my view on how all of this relates to transition; looking deep inside you have found your feminine self, you may feel that your very essence is feminine but when you look at your body, you see that it is not. The outer shell doesn't match up with the inner feeling. Your mind dug into this issue (as minds like to do) and is grinding it over and over and a daily basis looking for a solution. There MUST be a solution, there MUST be a way to fix this. Then your mind thinks of the pain, the expense, the suffering, the potential lost friends, etc. that will occur if you choose the road to transition. Further, your mind can't decide whether or not transitioning would actually solve the problem in the first place. You may even wonder about what remains of your masculine side and what he would think about living in a female body.

It's an impossible problem, there is no right answer, so your mind will simply grind and chew on this daily. The side effects are emotional distress, self-loathing, depression, etc.

All of this is a mind caught in a loop, basically running out of control. Tolle calls it temporary insanity, the Buddhists call it craving (the second Noble Truth).

The default method (method A) of dealing with this is to decide to do something about and go ahead with the transition. Anyone who does clearly suffers to reach their ultimate goal, electrolysis, facial surgery (they peal your face off to grind the bone), breast implants, hormones, out of pocket expense, lost friends, lost wives, you name it, the list goes on and on. The mind will happily direct you to endure all of this misery in the name of solving the problem!

Funny thing is, once and if you arrive, you may or may not discover that this solved the problem, as they say "your mileage may vary".

However, many people endure this approach, some seem to be very happy, others transition back. This is method A, the default approach and in this lifetime or another lifetime, when faced with the same problem, the person may make a different decision that involves less suffering.

Then there's method B, method B involves working to harness your mind with mediation, presences, awareness, being constantly on guard for insanity loops and turning them off when discovered. It too is a difficult path, but involves a lot less suffering and expense. Yes, you will be buying books and perhaps attend some conferences, but you will be on the shorter of the two roads. The beauty of method B is that it can be used for all other life situations too, not just GID.

My view is that we are in Master's School, we have both been through a lot of pain and suffering in past lives, have both evolved to a point where we are asking the right questions. Now, the universe (the greatest lesson planner of all) has put before us the most difficult challenge of our lives.

We will learn from this experience regardless of which method we choose. The choice is entirely personal.

For myself, I am concentrating on method B. I internally identify as female, my body is male, this bothers my mind, but it doesn't bother my authentic self. I have learned to turn off the craving, the yearning, the insanity loop in my mind. What is left is my true self and the gender of my body doesn't matter. Actually, in some ways, it's kind of fun now that I know what is really going on!

[Guest Shari]

Hi Meri and Gina Renee,

Great discussion and a pleasure to listen to you both.

Meri, thanks for Your thoughts about the A and B methods and for answering my questions. I am glad you have found the path that is right for you.

Hugs to you both.

Shari

[Guest GinaInside]

Hi Shari,

This is a fascinating discussion. I have a different take on things, but don't want to sound contentious. Really we can only become so enlightened in physical reality, or there would no need for the experience. As for being Trans, I would accept happiness in lieu of enlightenment.

Hugz,

Gina Renee

[Guest Meri]

Shari,

Thanks to you too, I have enjoyed this and it has forced me to really focus my thoughts. This medium is very limited and we could accomplish at lot more face to face over a glass of wine.

This has been a great and a very relevant topic for this forum!

-Meri

[Guest Jenny C]

Nothing to say for now. But there is still duality in your speach, Meri...

Good ad bad... Sublimation or hard road...

What to do about it?

Love,

Jenny

[Guest Svenna]

Hmmm, a few thoughts...

My 'ego' wants me to wade into this topic and clean house on some clearly faulty logic...

My 'spirit' wants me to stay centered and not muddy the cloudy water any further...

My 'soul' aches for clarity in place of theories and speculative beliefs...

My 'mind' is waiting for the green light from my ego so I can get started with that house cleaning, after all...BUT,

My 'heart' just isn't in it, though, so I will relent to my spirit and abstain...lol..

BUT...

I do want to address the notion that a higher consciousness is the solution to the transsexual 'problem'. In short, it is NOT the solution. It is irrelevant to the condition and the 'seeking' of such consciousness is, in my opinion, often counterproductive to finding real resolution from this condition. Higher consciousness may allow one to stay centered and have any number of other similar, tangible benefits, but it will not cure gender dysphoria. Thinking that it will is to succumb to, by definition, wishful thinking...

Of course, we all have our own opinions and world views to consult in such matters, and mine are no likely more correct than any other. But saying that I am just as likely wrong as the next guy is what differentiates me from the next guy, lol...

Searching can become an activity that justifies itself long after all the truth one really needs has already been made available.

What we often need isn't 'more truth' and enlightment, but a capacity to act on the truths we already possess...

But hey, I said I wouldn't wade in and muddy the water any more than it already is....lol..

Love and Presence, Svenna

[Guest Meri]

Hmmm, a few thoughts...

...

BUT...

I do want to address the notion that a higher consciousness is the solution to the transsexual 'problem'. In short, it is NOT the solution. It is irrelevant to the condition and the 'seeking' of such consciousness is, in my opinion, often counterproductive to finding real resolution from this condition. Higher consciousness may allow one to stay centered and have any number of other similar, tangible benefits, but it will not cure gender dysphoria. Thinking that it will is to succumb to, by definition, wishful thinking...

...

Love and Presence, Svenna

Svenna,

I am sorry you feel this way and that it hasn't worked for you yet. Higher consciousness as you call it is the only place we can solve our problems of attachment, our cravings, our ego-bound issues. Dysphoria, in my view, is just another attachment issue, in this case, attachment to our non-permanent, temporary home (body) while visiting planet Earth.

I also believe that issues are placed before us to solve, work through, in our own unique way. This approach has worked well for me and I believe it's something I have needed to resolve before moving forward on my spiritual journey. It's entirely possible that your journey involves transitioning to gain the insight you need to move forward on your spiritual journey. I truly hope it works for you and I wish you well!

See you on the "other side" someday when this is all over, let's compare notes!

-Meri

[Guest Jenny C]

Let's say I agree with you Meri... On the idea...

We are definitively more than our body. And you touched something in me, reminding that we must take care of it. It is a companion in our travel.

What I would nuance though, is that I believe that our Soul, our Path, works in mysterious ways. And binary thinking is like a prison, one side or the other.

There is no real truth, except enlightenment, to get back to the original topic, but the path or the nature of what it is... is openness to ourselves, to what is more, to truth that is inside of us... That we receive from beyond... And only our path can gradually show us... And that feeling of liberty to experience is what leads us to discover, what, who, and where we are... (and when there is a polarity, there is no liberty)

And, I think, we must be humble... And not to think that our path can be better than that of other ones...

To get free of our own prisons is a path by itself... a movement in which we are going in one direction and than another. But that can not be done by imposition... But by observing that movement within which our consciousness grows... And then what have seemed blame, finally become light.

All our thoughts are prisons and at the same time paths...

Our beliefs are prisons... whatever they are...

And the path of the One, become a path for all. But without all, the One would not exist.

Like for transparency, you realize what it is when you realize that part of yourself is not.

Love,

Jenny

[Guest]

Jenny - thank you!

Love, Megan

[Guest Meri]

Jenny,

It is true, I do have a strong opinion about how things work with respect to our lives and where and how things work once we leave our mortal coil. It could all be nonsense and it could be true or even part true. However, it reflects my working, accumulated knowledge to this point.

I can say with a high degree of certainty that there is more to our lives than flesh and blood. There is a system in place whereby we progress, we evolve to a higher state of being. We progress by trial and error. This happens during this mortal lifetime and through other mortal lifetimes.

My writings reflect my understanding of the system. Thus, I do think we are all going to end up "at the top of mountain" at some point, but clearly, we all have different paths up the mountain to get there.

I clearly understand the need for people to seek their own solution to GID and find their own tools. I would never criticize anyone for trying anything to deal with the debilitating effects of GID. There are many paths up the mountain.

However, I do firmly believe, we will all end up at the top of the same mountain eventually. At that time, I look forward to comparing notes and seeing what people did to reach the summit!

As an aside, some people think they "have a soul", I have come to understand that my soul, for this short mortal existence, "has a body".

-Meri

[Guest Shari]

Hi everybody,

Ask a simple question or two and voila....more questions!

My conclusion is that there is no conclusion.

Yes, Meri we can compare experience when we reach the other side. For now, I think your earlier comment about exploring it further over a glass of wine is something to look forward to in this world.

Hugs,

Shari

[Guest Meri]

Shari,

From what I have heard, there is no beer in heaven, however, I am hoping there is wine!

-Meri