The Spiritual Blind Spot
By Cristina Smith
Did you know that there is not a motor vehicle on the road today that does not have a blind spot? And that the only way to eliminate a blind spot is to add some extra mirrors? The same is true for us in our human vehicles on our spiritual quests.
The tricky thing about our personal spiritual blind spots is that often times we don’t even know we have them. We come by them honestly. There are a variety of reasons we have blind spots- cultural imprinting, personal history, beliefs, opinions, emotions and thoughts are some of the causal factors.
Each of us has our individual blind spot. There is no getting around it. It comes standard on every human vehicle. There are a number of ways we are blinded. Perhaps we are in the dark about something and just can’t see it. Or we are blinded by the light of a belief so strong that we don’t notice anything else. Or we could become spiritually blinded by a traumatic event in our personal history. Or we become blinded by becoming myopic in our thoughts, emotions and opinions, only able to fix our sight on a single point of a large picture.
What can help us compensate for and overcome our blindness? The first step is, as in so many circumstances, is to admit we don’t have a 360 degree perspective on ourselves. We can get a good way down the road of personal evolution by ourselves but we just can’t physically or spiritually turn our heads all the way around in a circle. We need to use a couple of mirrors to see our backs. Mirrors from a spiritual perspective often come in the form of other people. If you are fortunate enough to work directly with a spiritual teacher, you know the value of a mentor. They are magic mirrors of objectivity, helping you see you more clearly.
A student attitude is a powerful cure for blindness. Approach life as a school rich in learning opportunities and you will find your vision expanding. Stay as aware as possible and notice everything going on. Experiment with not having an opinion about whether what is happening is good or bad. Become accepting of others, even if their path isn’t in alignment with yours. Learn something new every day to expand your thoughts so you don’t become blinded by the habit of fundamentalist idea. When strong emotions start to make you blind to everything else like an emotional tornado, imagine yourself like a tree with roots deep in the earth, and sway in the wind rather than being uprooted with energy. Take a breath to bring you to your center. Light the dark corners of your personal history and cultural conditioning and seek to accept them as elements of what got you to where you are now.
You will know if your sight-enhancing practices have worked. First off, your vision of yourself, others and the world will begin to shift. Your feelings about what is reflected back to you in the mirror of your life may not be so harsh. As you increase your vision by accommodating your blind spots, your may feel more balanced and less stressed. Happier and more fulfilled. And, you will become more tolerant of other vehicle drivers who haven’t quite figured out how to see their blind spot.
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