Understanding who we truly are, is fundamental to our journey towards wholesomeness and happiness. The Wayist concept of self, offers a profound and multifaceted view of human nature that can revolutionize how we perceive ourselves and our place in the universe. This understanding has far-reaching implications for our mental health, personal growth, and overall well-being.
We are Hybrid-Soul/Spirit-Beings
In the Wayist view, we are not merely physical beings, nor are we solely spiritual entities. Instead, we are hybrid soul/spirit beings, a unique blend of energies that gives us the potential for extraordinary growth and transformation.
To truly grasp this concept, let’s dive deeper
The soul aspect of our being is what we might call our individual personality. It’s the part of us that experiences emotions, forms attachments, and navigates the material world. Our soul carries the imprints of our past experiences, and karmic lessons.
The spirit aspect, on the other hand, is our connection to the divine. It’s the part of us that yearns for higher understanding, seeks meaning beyond the material, and has the capacity for unconditional love and wisdom.
As hybrid-beings, we have the unique opportunity to bridge these two realms — the earthly and the divine.
This understanding as hybrid-beings brings several profound benefits
Enhanced Self-Awareness Recognizing our dual nature allows us to observe our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors from a higher perspective. We can distinguish between our soul’s desires and our spirit’s aspirations, leading to more conscious decision-making.
Greater Compassion Understanding that we all share this hybrid nature fosters empathy. We can relate to others’ struggles while recognizing their innate capacity for growth and transformation.
Reduced Identification with Limiting Beliefs When we understand that we’re more than just our personalities or our bodies, we’re less likely to be trapped by limiting self-concepts. This can significantly reduce anxiety and depression related to negative self-image.
Motivation for Spiritual Growth Knowing that we have a spiritual aspect encourages us to nurture and develop this part of ourselves, leading to greater peace, wisdom, and fulfillment.
Resilience in Face of Challenges When we face difficulties, we can draw strength from our spiritual nature, finding resources beyond our usual personality-based coping mechanisms.
To illustrate this concept, consider the analogy of a tree. The roots and trunk, reaching deep into the earth, represent our soul nature — grounded, individual, shaped by our environment and experiences. The branches and leaves, reaching towards the sky, represent our spirit nature — aspiring towards the light, ever-growing, connected to the vast expanse above. Together, they form a complete, living entity, capable of weathering storms and bearing fruit.
The Multiple Minds: Soul-Minds, Spirit-Minds, and Brain-Mind
The Wayist understanding of self goes even deeper, recognizing that we possess multiple ‘minds’ or centers of consciousness. This concept provides a nuanced framework for understanding our inner workings and can be incredibly empowering in our journey towards wholeness.
Let’s explore these minds in more detail
1. Soul-Minds: We have three soul-minds, often associated with the lower chakras in Eastern traditions
Muladhara (Root Chakra) Related to survival instincts, group-think, tribe, grounding, and hoarding resources, providing basic needs.
Svadhisthana (Sacral Chakra) Associated with individualism, seeking identity (ego), fluctuating emotions, creativity, and sensuality. These developing emotions and egos are extremely insecure as they are developing into maturity.
Manipura (Solar Plexus Chakra) Linked to personal power, refinement, self-management, management of others, will to self-improvement, and self-esteem. It is here in Manipura that the identity (ego) comes to its full potential.
2. Spirit-Minds: These are associated with the higher chakras
Anahata (Heart Chakra) The bridge between lower and higher-self, associated with love that transcends what soul-beings can know in their soul-minds, and compassion that transcends what soul beings normally have.
Vishuddhi (Throat Chakra) The crucible where knowledge and data from experiences are worked to extract wisdom. To express that wisdom in words and articulate higher-self needs comes from this mind.
Ajna (Third Eye Chakra) Associated with receiving intuition and learning to understand the metaphysical reality in which we venture with our spirit-self.
Sahasrara (Crown Chakra) Manager of soul evolution, slowly transforming soul-minds into spirit-minds, the direct connection to the Divine of the spirit reality and flows higher-self energies to soul via the Ida and Pingala channels that connect soul and spirit. Associated with spiritual connection and enlightenment.
3. Brain-Mind and Body-Minds: We have three minds in this group
Brain mind Brain mind is our everyday thinking mind, associated with logical reasoning, knowledge, memory, and sensory processing. The soul-minds “speak” through the brain-mind to make the body react to its needs. If the soul’s needs are neglected or broken, the soul gets sick and the body will suffer and later get sick. For example, heartbreak, loneliness, depression, or melancholy can in fact cause the death of a person because the body and the brain will wither and die.
Organ group mind One of the two additional body-mind groups we can call the organ group mind. Each organ has its own set of brain-processing faculties and when they need additional help, they will ask brain-mind to step in and help.
Biome group mind The biome group mind is also a group-mind, of various species of living beings who co-exist with us in and on this body we use. We need this body as much as they do — it is our collective body. They help to manufacture dopamine and serotonin, for example, and take care of much of the digestive process. If they die or get sick, the body dies or gets sick. They are groups of organic biome beings who live inside and outside the human body (on our skin, hair, eyelids, etc.), also the internal groups of beings, various species, who exist in the body’s digestive tract and organs, sometimes even in the body’s blood and cells. Without these beings the human body would not exist. We live in a symbiotic relationship with them. If the soul does not have the compassion for them and neglects their nutritional, habitation, and safety needs, they don’t thrive, and the body becomes sick. They do their part to keep the body healthy; the soul must also do its part to deserve the body it needs for this incarnation. The body is jointly owned and inhabited by soul, biome, and spirit.
We exist because of several ecologies, inside us, around us, and energy ecologies for soul and spirit energies.
Understanding these multiple minds brings several benefits
Holistic Self-Understanding We gain a more complete picture of our inner landscape, recognizing that we’re more than just our thoughts or emotions.
Improved Emotional Regulation By understanding which ‘mind’ is active in different situations, we can better manage our responses and cultivate balance.
Enhanced Problem-Solving We can approach challenges from multiple perspectives, drawing on different aspects of our being for solutions.
Greater Inner Harmony By acknowledging and nurturing all aspects of our being, we can achieve a more harmonious internal state.
Spiritual Growth Understanding our spirit-minds gives us a roadmap for spiritual development, encouraging us to cultivate higher states of consciousness. To bring this concept to life, imagine yourself as a grand orchestra. The soul-minds are the rhythm section, providing the fundamental beat and harmony of your being. The spirit-minds are like the melodic instruments, capable of soaring to unbelievable heights and expressing sublime beauty. The body-minds are the conductor, coordinating the whole ensemble. When all are in harmony, the music of your life becomes a magnificent symphony.
Developing Authenticity and Owning Your Own Mind
With this rich understanding of our multifaceted nature, we can now explore the importance of authenticity and mental sovereignty key aspects of the Wayist path to wholesomeness.
Authenticity, in the Wayist view, means living in alignment with our true nature as hybrid-soul/spirit-beings. It’s about expressing our unique combination of qualities and aspirations, rather than conforming to external expectations or societal norms.
Owning your own mind goes hand in hand with authenticity. It means taking responsibility for your thoughts, beliefs, and actions, rather than allowing them to be dictated by others or by unconscious patterns.
We become immune to blindly following cultural conditioned thinking and popular narratives. We think of ourselves from within out tiny place in the world, recognizing that our value system and lifestyle is not representative of all humans. We always think of ourselves as soul beings in bodies just as are our neighbors, the ants, and trees, flowers, and bees, squirrels and fish. We don’t see that our cultural conditioned thinking, politicians, religions, and popular narratives consider the wellbeing of all, and therefore we understand that our rather silent and small voices are unique — so we allow others to just live the realities they create for themselves. We know what we have is special, and it makes us happy — but we take cognizance of how junior students create their own realities — and that is okay. We also did that when we were in their shoes.
Here’s how cultivating authenticity and owning your mind contributes to wholeness and happiness
Reduced Inner Conflict When we live authentically, we experience less discord between our inner selves and our outer expression, leading to greater peace and satisfaction.
Improved Relationships Authentic self-expression fosters deeper, more meaningful connections with others. People are drawn to those who are genuine and self-aware.
Increased Resilience When we own our minds, we’re less swayed by external pressures or negative influences, making us more resilient in the face of life’s challenges.
Enhanced Creativity Authenticity allows our unique gifts and perspectives to shine, often leading to increased creativity and innovation.
Greater Sense of Purpose Living authentically helps us align with our true path or dharma, leading to a stronger sense of meaning and purpose in life.
Improved Mental Health Research has shown that authenticity is strongly correlated with various measures of well-being and life satisfaction.
To cultivate authenticity and own your mind, consider these practices
Regular self-reflection Take time to check in with yourself, exploring your thoughts, feelings, and motivations.
Mindfulness meditation This can help you become more aware of your different ‘minds’ and how they influence you.
Conscious decision-making Before acting, pause to consider whether your choices align with your authentic self and higher aspirations.
Boundary setting Learn to say no to things that don’t align with your values or true self.
Continuous learning Regularly expose yourself to new ideas, but always process them through your own understanding rather than accepting them blindly.
Remember, becoming authentic and owning your mind is a journey, not a destination. It’s a continual process of self-discovery, adjustment, and growth. As you progress on this path, you’ll likely find that your sense of self becomes both stronger and more flexible, anchored in your true nature, yet open to evolution and expansion.
By embracing the Wayist concept of self — recognizing our hybrid nature, understanding our multiple minds, and cultivating authenticity — we lay a strong foundation for personal growth, mental health, and spiritual evolution. This multifaceted self-understanding becomes a powerful tool in our quest for true wholesomeness and happiness.