Written by: Caroline Lewis, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
The deep sea is a seemingly endless part of our universe that we still know little about. Until recently, humans assumed that all living things obtain energy in one way or another from the sun until organisms in deep and lightless waters were discovered to absorb nourishment from hydrogen sulfide, which is normally toxic to other living creatures.
Energy doesn’t just come from Lightness.
The impact of the recent pandemic, the coronavirus, on our global community reminds me of how 2013 felt for me as an individual. The year proved to be one of the most difficult of my adult life. I began the year injured and on crutches because of an open compound ankle fracture. I ended a four-year romantic relationship, and I was going through a major life transition. I moved to San Francisco, CA, to begin graduate school in transpersonal psychology in a program that was both academically and emotionally rigorous in which my classmates and I were expected to swim into the deepest parts of our psyches. I now look back and reflect on 2013 as a year of the fertile void and a time spent feeling empty that proved necessary for my evolving empowerment and self-realization.
The void is what is not there, a place where we cannot move forward or backward.
It is the dark places inside of ourselves that we are conditioned to avoid. It is the awkward silence that exists at times in conversation that we feel the urge to fill. It is time spent alone that feels ominously all-encompassing. It is the moments of dread, sadness, and fear; it is transition. The void can feel like Death.
In Taoism and Zen philosophy and spiritual practice, the concept of “the void” and its fertility is often discussed. Zen meditation emphasizes the process of emptying your mind of habitual thought processes in order to be at peace with what is not there. Although uncomfortable, if tolerated, the void can eventually lead to awakening and transcendence.
In Western culture, we often run from the void. We make endless to-do lists, we watch countless hours of television, we remain fixed to the computer even after work hours, and on buses and metros, instead of sitting in silence, we stay glued to our I-phones. Yes, modern culture demands our time, but how much of our time is contributed to staying busy because we are afraid of ourselves? We need to feel as though we are working towards something instead of simply being with what is. What is it exactly that we are afraid of?
The paradox that exists in American culture is that even though we are one of the most economically abundant countries on the planet, depression is rampant. Attempting to force happiness can foster anxiety and depression. During times of mourning, grief, and not knowing – we reach out desperately for anything that will provide relief. Everyone needs to be sad, silent, and empty sometimes.
And with Death comes Rebirth.
It is no coincidence that wildly sensitive artists and writers often have their most creative breakthroughs after long periods of continued despair. The most creative view the void as a blank canvas – an empty space full of new possibilities. The trick is to welcome the emptiness and surrender yourself to awesome space. Instead of struggling against the pain that you fear, allow it to envelope you.
What is your void, and how does it appear in your life? Challenge yourself to identify the void and its potential fertility. Swim down into the depths of your own ocean and fight against your natural tendency to go up, gasping for air. Keep swimming deeper until you finally can see with new understanding the profound energy that darkness can provide – because the only person that has access to this part of the universe is you.
Caroline Lewis, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Caroline Lewis (she,they) is a psychotherapist, energy healer, and wilderness guide. She believes true embodied joy is rooted in the courage to embrace sensitivity, opening our hearts through the necessary risks to love, grieve, hope, and transform. Through healing and sacred nature connection, Caroline guides wildly sensitive leaders with aligning with their true purpose and souls' wisdom during this time of ecological transition. She is the founder of Root Awareness which offers transformative experiences through nature adventures, meditation, process groups, and 1:1 healing and coaching sessions.
