Whose voice is it? Your authentic self's guidance - or the ego's?

(By Eldad Ben-Moshe Reading Time: 4 minutes)

One of the most common questions I get asked is an extremely critical question:

How can I know if the "voice"/guidance that I'm hearing is the voice of my authentic self/higher self/Love/God/Holy Spirit/trusted soul guide etc.,
or that of the ego/demons/fear?

If I were to make a list of the top skills one should develop in life,
the skill of knowing which voice/guidance you are hearing would be one of the top skills for sure.

It's so practical and so important.
It's also a foundational building block to many paths, including those I love, teach, use with coaching clients, and practice myself-

Be it the Enneagram, A Course in miracles, B-AIR™,
or any other of many paths,
this question keeps showing up - and this skill is critical no matter which path you follow.

It makes total sense too -
whatever the path, your inner voices will be there with you.
So you'll always need to understand what's going on there (in your head),
or in other words: Whose voice is it? Who said that? Who's talking now?

The answers to this question, the methods that each path provides, will vary in some ways, but the common essence is there to see - perhaps even by reading about those different answers, but better yet - if you practice the practices of each of these paths offers.

For the answer is best learned through experience.

The Enneagram

The enneagram, for example, offers you an accurate, comprehensive map of your habitual thought, belief, and action patterns. 
With that, it offers you a manual of your ego's common tricks and manners.

If I'm an enneagram 9 and I seem to hear the voice/thoughts "this is not worth fighting over," "you are disturbing them," "they don't really like you," or "It doesn't matter that much"?

Knowing that these are thought and belief patterns of Enneagram 9, I can be extra suspicious my ego is playing its game on me again, and I can have extra motivation to doubt these stories, check them with even greater diligence, and be careful of this common 9ish ego trap.

That does NOT mean that it can't be my wise, authentic self, the high side of the 9, giving me a solid sage advice.
It does mean that while it's always a wise thing to doubt our stories and beliefs,
In this case, I'll be extra wise to do so- and I should do it with greater caution than if the voice told me to stand up for myself.

To learn more about the enneagram and your personal map of habitual thought, belief, and action patterns - and how to use that map for having a happier, better, more awakened life - check out my free show "The Enneagram Blueprint"™.

A Course in Miracles

 

In A Course in Miracles, a magnificent spiritual & psychological course, we are taught that only 2 voices exist:
That of the Holy Spirit, and that of the Ego.

It's important to note that while ACIM (A Cours in Miracles) uses Christian symbols,
it is not religious and, in many ways, even the opposite of Christianity as it is commonly practiced these days (see, for example - "Jesus Christ! Can it be that A Course in Miracles teaches the opposite of Christianity?")

With that in mind, it's worth mentioning that ACIM uses the term "the Holy Spirit" as a symbol for the memory of God's love, a memory that is always in our mind. The Holy Spirit in ACIM is not an entity that actually exists - nor is the ego. They are but the representations of the 2 belief systems: The belief system that separation happened (ego) and the belief system that it didn't (The Holy Spirit).

So when A Course in Miracles tells us to choose which teacher (ego or Holy Spirit) we want to follow, or learn from;
When it tells us to be vigilant of our thoughts;
When it teaches us about the ego and the Holy Spirit- 

It actually tells us to notice "who is talking now," 
to be aware of the belief system that is active in your mind right now,
to be constantly vigilant about what "voice"/guidance you are hearing - and following - at any given moment.

It's critical to ask yourself this question all the time, to know which teacher you are following.
The answer to how to be sure which voice is talking now has different parts:

- Practice - for example, ACIM's workbook (which can also be found online here for free - https://www.betterlifeawareness.com/acim-book-workbook)

- Take some deep breaths and feel what the voice's answer feels like. Do you feel expansion, peace, relief, and joy - or contraction, fear, stress, and depression? 

- Even with all that, many times, you won't be 100% sure. You can even feel fear just because you are facing a giant frightening leap of faith, not because it's the ego's voice. It's not a precise science but rather an art, the art of learning to listen and follow the right teacher, and that too is a process. That's part of the journey. Do the best you can and have faith. You don't need to be perfect. Remember that whatever happens, you are loved, sinless, and safe. 

To learn more about A Course in Miracles, a masterpiece of a spiritual & psychological course, check out my free guide, "The Ultimate Guide to A Course In Miracles"™.

B-AIR™ 

In the B-AIR™ system, which uses 4 simple steps to relieve your pain and stop creating unnecessary suffering in your life,
step 3 is Investigate (the name B-AIR is an Acronym of the 4 steps: Breath, Acknowledge, Investigate, Respond).

In this step, we deep dive, among other things, into the causes of suffering, the difference between pain and suffering, and "the secret formula of suffering."

To do that, we do some practical, hands-on exercises to look closely at our minds, stories, beliefs, etc.
I don't want to ruin the surprise, but in that path, too, you will learn how to listen to find out whether the "voice"/guidance you're hearing is that of the authentic self of the ego.

To learn more about the B-AIR™ system, a simple yet super-effective 4-step system for relieving painful emotions, overcoming fear & destructive beliefs, and stopping creating unnecessary suffering in your life, check out my free guide "The Ultimate Guide to B-AIR"™.