Before discussing the central concept of this next piece, the Lesser, it is necessary to define another term that is instrumental to its use, the Superconscious. This is a term your writer will use to cover an obvious list of sub-terms: God, Shaman, the Soul, the holy Spirit, the Self, synchronicity, the Spirit, Buddha, deity, and the like; and it will also reference all of the experience types that are often associated with the said list, such as: inspiration, Joy, the blissful, the bright, genius, power, virtue, radiance, enlightenment, the profound, peace, abundance, happiness, love, and the like. This central term, the Lesser, then, will represent the opposite of the Superconscious, and symbolize everything that goes with ordinary, everyday consciousness and experience. And while it is inevitable that the definitions of both crossover, and that it is difficult to separate them, they will be used herein strictly as opposites, for the sake of argument.

​

Onward, then, imagine there were a knitted, woven tapestry or colorful, detailed blanket that symbolizes the Superconscious and the Lesser, both, as well, secondarily, as all of the rest of things that go with the mind, like its constitutional parts and forms - the psyche and subconscious, for example. Subsequently, suppose that the Lesser could be defined as the visible and touchable part of this tapestry, that this tapestry has undergone a Fold so that the Superconscious is hidden underneath and is less visible and reachable, unless it is unfolded.

 

Furthermore, what if an observer could "know" what is hidden without looking or touching? It seems to this writer that this would surely be a feat of Life-value. But it also seems that gifted people are not the only ones that can "know" like that, that all people have their moments of penetrating insight, of knowing the Superconscious. It looks like knowings of common sense, commonplace knowledge, and commonplace wisdom - knowings of the Lesser - are inherent in all of us, too. But in order to seek out joy and happiness in the right ways, or in the best ways, it also seems, to this writer, at least, that many self-observers need to train and gain life experience, perhaps extensively, to do so.

 

Although some people would say that they have never studied consciousness, studied life, or even that they are not interested in doing so, it seems to your writer that the truth is just the opposite, that they are doing it without knowing they are doing it. This characteristic is a parallel with the instinct, belief, thought, feeling, speculation, or even truth, on the part of diverse parties, that the Superconscious is more important than the Lesser. But while most people value moments and times of the Superconscious over and above the Lesser, what if the Lesser could be cast as something highly valuable, too, something perhaps that could be said to be even more valuable and important than the Superconscious? Herein is a discussion of some of the things that an experienced self-observer would associate with this idea of insight, touch, knowing, and a tapestry, as well as this idea of reversed value.

​

So, for one instance of this proposed great value of the Lesser, consider these several questions and speculations. If the subject in question happens to have very many Superconscious moments, say, strung together in a row over some measure of time, then doesn't this occurrence inevitably end up with experience of some sort of the Lesser, or with a second opposite, like the subject being disappointed, very overextended, bored, frustrated, or in greater measure, even unhappy, despaired, or lost? Does there not exist a nearly unbreakable bond, like in the Yin-yang, between these opposites? Is it possible to have one without the other? Your writer would assert, perhaps not! Hence the question, what if the Lesser could be somehow made to be in-between the Superconscious and the mentioned second, negative side of the pair?

​

It seems to this writer, for one, that this would be a trick, or technique, of great Life-value - a way to work one's way out of the unhealthy varieties of pain or suffering; and this kind of mindfulness work does seem to be one that requires training and proves, though maybe only in smaller measure for some readers, that the Lesser is at least as important, if not more important, than the Superconscious! Strictly speaking - or, as some teachers would tell more practiced, experienced, mature, or ready practitioners - fixation on the Superconscious moments, either always, like when there is a choice, or just sometimes, could be called bad form, bad layering. And the fixation indicates to this senior practitioner that there is need for any of dozens of available wellness exercises, traditional, creative, or other in kind, as fix-its. But, on the other hand, when the Superconscious is and has been absent, why do actions taken in order to bring it back, why do they need to be taken at all? What if the Lesser alone, were enough? Would this be an instance of patience or humility or acceptance? Maybe and maybe not. Or maybe sometimes one answer and sometimes  another.

 

Of course, Joy and Pain, Happiness and Suffering, Hope and Fear, are pairs that this practitioner wouldn't want to ever abandon, for his own part - as he has learned to enjoy both sides of many of such pairs - and also since the Superconscious side of them has become so wonderful that it is worth it, after many years of mindfulness. And there is also that he is learning to Love his Pain, one instance at a time, a trick which has turned out to be a potent healing move, as he has learned from his mindfulness experience. That is, even the Master that talks of how he/she feels Enlightened, or, full of overwhelming Happiness, Nirvana, often asserts that these opposites should be embraced, appreciated, understood - and not rejected. And yet he/she would also generally train their students to incorporate, to utilize the Lesser.

​

And what of the other kind of fixation from the covered emotional disorders mania, major depression, anxiety, deep emotional rolling? What about a person having problems of the mind, like confusion or psychosis? If that subject, through some appearance of the wisdom of wellness, of objectivity, were inspired - in measure matching the problem - to speculate that the mind's moments of the Lesser slowly or imperceptibly make way for the psyche to move a short distance toward wellness - would the subject let go of their unique fantasy of Superconscious? Would they decide to try and embrace the Lesser, to put some energy into that kind of change - at least here and there, if not deliberately on and off? Would one, if not another, such variety of subject understand that such a change takes time and a bit of repetition - as the prescribed version or little vision of Lesser dictates? It very much seems that, given a choice, these kinds of subjects would choose to go with the ordinariness over the illness, the Lesser over the Superconscious. In fact, in some cases, like that of a subject having enough readiness - and what that implies - the Master might even introduce the idea that a strong life-observer should be able to go for longer periods of time in the Lesser and without the Superconscious. The Master might say that is where a well mind should aspire to be. This practitioner is still working on this latter inspiration.

 

But this kind of deeper move of sort of "Knowing" and acknowledging the Lesser has to include a bit of suppleness, flexibility, letting go - even when only a moment of it is possible. It is especially then that the Superconscious is allowed to subconsciously take care of itself as it often does. As described in other writings herein, the bulk of this psychic work happens on subtle and subconscious levels - perhaps, just as it is largely meant to do. Part of the purpose of this device of, the Lesser, is that the healing answers are so often variable, profound, complex, ambiguous, when viewed from the perspective of the larger picture. So, don't try too hard. From the personal experience of your writer, this would probably be one bigger answer to the question of how to choose, and then attract, absorb, and effect, a nice little bit of healing - considering how much resistance can arise when the subject is in it, is doing that needed little piece of work. That is, take it one part at a time. 

​

Further, that is, one of the funny things about mental illness, Infinity, is that like other things in life, the bulk of the true kind of progress is often not noticeable to the subject; it, rather, is often or even mostly imperceptible - because it is colored by what would be defined by third parties as a bit of that which is camouflaged - hence the term, "sub-" conscious - because the larger parts of these processes occur on subtle, hidden levels of mind, or, energy, if you will. And that's not to mention that it is impossible to see or touch every part of the tapestry at one time, even when it is fully unfolded, and even when the tapestry is very small. This is part of the purpose of Conscious Layering: to make do with what one has, to accept the Lesser, to let go, to not describe but rather to simply Feel the mysterious influence or mysterious being of the best and strongest of the Superconscious. And for a practitioner to acknowledge that even the most Godly, amazing, blissful, and Enlightened (with a capital E) of the Superconscious is still mixed up with a Fold - that everything in the universe is forever folded! That is, the conscious mind is, literally, always just the tip of the iceberg, though it is sometimes containing very strong insights, plural.

​

Further, tending largely, generally, or for extended periods of time only to the Lesser is an effective, and even mystical way to generate a certain breed of often and/or partially hidden virtues that in turn directly cause unit/s of happiness. These virtues that stem from work inside the Lesser also always include hidden healing properties, like fuel, perhaps. And part of the best of mindfulness is for the work to be done in the Lesser, with the Happiness coming and going of its own accord - without the practitioner clinging to it at all. Sometimes - of course - we all must do what we so much enjoy and love to do, directly and without this mindfulness-mindfulness-mindfulness - hee! The virtue spoils, then, known, subtly known, or unknown, are almost always centrally orbiting around the wise application of human, caring awareness, which in turn acts out of attentiveness, determination, inertia, fuel, routine - at least for this practitioner. And these are what breed the healthiest and most moderate appearances of the Superconscious - which, in turn, is a bigtime generator of mere wellness.

​

Now, thus far your writer has discussed things having to do with one's own internal workings of life. But mental illness being one of the very subjects of this piece - at least briefly above - what about the work of healers and other mind-teachers, like Red-belts, Black-belts, Masters? What about masooses, acupuncturists, network-chiropractors, psychotherapists, counselors? It is just this having of healing ability on the part of some parties that must be herein next and last. What do devoted individuals and groups need to know about these important people? How are our terms, Lesser, Superconscious, Virtue, Mindfulness, Wellness, Fold, Knowing, Feel, and Tapestry related to them and their work?

 

First of all, there are ethical considerations. To start, then, the good or highly useful ones are sure to come virtually from the value and virtue of Compassion when they use their power to teach and heal - even when they do it partly by being the very generators, conceivers, plotters, and appliers of some internal experiences of the receiving party/-ies - their "student/s," "client/s," "listener/s," or "visitor/s," to be more insightful. Secondly, they should be sure to cause these internal mental events – without causing the unhealthy kinds of resistance, pain or suffering at all – and while doing so with the utmost regard for boundaries and respect. And the method of such a teacher can absolutely be cast as an art of making use of Folding and otherwise enhancing his/her own tapestry - or that of the receiving party, or both - in order to ground and milden the mind of his audience and/or himself – often by artfully including the Lesser and by excluding the Superconscious. The paradox is that this Lesser is applied while still effecting the goal of Gain, or Life-value, on the part of the Helping party's listeners, the intended result of so much of human endeavor. It's just about finding the right Teacher and Healer - one that can really be trusted.

​

For one kind of helper, even like a witch-doctor, no less, for one that symbolizes the use of great, or perhaps also sublime, spiritual power - to cover the archetype of any darkness that seems to be there, or that could get in the way. The mentioned use of the Fold is about how to make pain, how to make the negative Okay – how to understand, Feel, Know, accept, and use the Lesser experience, in whatever measure it occurs - how to turn it into a powerful ally. And it should be known that this becoming Okay generally happens by means of a process that takes time. We go back to the iceberg metaphor, here, too, so that the subtle, all the subtle available, becomes the reading and measuring tool that the receiving party/-ies uses to inform and/or direct the healer in their work, and the patient or listener in their participation.

​

Of course, probably there are differences - some of them being perceived from that which is subtle - among each successive day's version of the Lesser. So, then, an essential question here is, HOW does one do this Reading and Measuring regarding those Lesser things, in the moment, with regard to the growing that is done and the work that is left to do, in the relevant measures of time? How does Layering fit in here? What of Fast Thinking and Resonance? The point is that, in finding and sorting out an appropriate Helper, for only one type of life-challenge, these skills can be powerful allies! To truly behold by means of the complete picture - your writer would Feel - they are Wow, Awesome, indeed! If the reader doesn't fancy these things, these contents, than your writer can be fairly sure that a Black Belt would say that the reasoning and thinking structures, let alone that which the reader Feels, herein and above, constitutes a darn good clue to the generating of happiness in life - if only that.

​

and because this sick person is inexperienced, weakened, chemically imbalanced, pained, or distracted.  until he/she can see and touch both sides of that Fold of the Lesser – even for one moment or for a short time.