Guest Author - Andrea Gardiner, Ph.D.

You know it is not uncommon for you to think of yourself as a physical human body. You think of the flesh, blood, and bone that makes up your structure. You think of the various body parts, organ systems, and tissues that you learned in health class that one time. Sometimes you might go a little deeper and think about your mind. The only reason you are sitting around pondering the question of yourSelf is because you have a mind to do it. Besides, wasn’t it the great philosopher Descartes that said, “I think therefore I am?” After all, without a mind to think and reason you could not be the creature you know yourself to be. Then of course there is the beloved spirit; that unseen part of yourSelf that is life-giving in nature. Yes, we have arrived at the classic Mind, Body, Spirit Trinity that you typically think of when thoughts of the Self come to mind.

The Mind, Body, Spirit Trinity is recognized by various holistic and not so holistic disciplines around the world. What is largely understood is that each section within the Trinity is not an island unto itself and there is some degree of connection between the three. What happens in one area will ultimately affect the other. For instance, the medical community for the most part now understands that many of the diseases that affect the human body are largely emotionally based. Emotional health and well-being is now becoming the focus of many preventative and curative measures within the healthcare system today. However, while the deep connection between the Trinity is understood, is there an appreciation for the fluidity that exists among them and the many layers that exists in between?

For the most part, many (spiritual and non-spiritual alike) still view the Self in the various layers described above. In an attempt to logically organize the structure of the Self in the conscious mind, they separate the Trinity. The Self is then perceived as an onion with various layers. At the top would be the physical body, then the mental body, and finally the soul or spirit of the Self. Such a viewpoint leads you to the belief that human body is a vessel or vehicle that carries the Divine Spirit. You may become tempted in believing that the physical part of you is less than your deeper, sacred counterpart.
Now, while such structures of the Self do exist, these artificial divisions between them can give you a less than accurate impression of who-you-really-are. First, there is no natural separation that divides the Self into parts. Rather than thinking of an onion with layers, it would be more accurate to envision a spectrum or a rainbow of conscious energy that flows from one end to the other, differing in vibration as you progress along it. Second, the physical body is no less Spirit than the essence you think of when you imagine your soul. Your body is the beautiful expression of yourSelf and is not really as physical as you might suppose. As a physical expression of the Spirit which is you, it falls within the spectrum of Self and vibrates at a unique frequency.

Like the beautiful colorful rainbow, (much more representative of the Trinity), as a transition is made from one primary color to the next and a mixture of colors occur, a whole new color is created. And not only is this a new and interesting color, but there is also a spectrum that exists beyond the rainbow that you cannot see. It is the same thing with you. As you flow from one part of yourSelf to the next, there is a new and exciting layer that exists in between, in addition to areas that lie beyond the Trinity.

With this new awareness of the Trinity, you can now more accurately recognize yourself as a stream of consciousness rather than a being with separate and distinct parts. You are not these three different things, but instead you are all three at the simultaneously with many levels of existence in between. One part does not have to attempt or strain to communicate with the other aspects or parts of you. You are pure Spirit, energy, and essence; everything else is just a vibrational expression of your essence.