Who Are You?

Linda Heron Wind, Ph.D.

Your answer to this question is a window to the level of consciousness that you embody in this moment. As with any good question, there are many levels of answers that attest to the levels of consciousness that you are capable of experiencing. The level that you embody, however, is sort of like a normal operating consciousness, or the one you are at more than 50% of the time. Identity is the perspective from which you look at yourself and the world. It is a primary determining factor in your experience of life.

Before you read the rest of this article, take a moment to answer the question, "Who am I?" making a list of whatever comes to mind first to those identities that take a bit more thought. That way your answers will be more spontaneous and more useful to look at through the levels of consciousness lens. There is no way to be wrong here, no better or worse, just information that will help you on your journey.

Now let's look at the ways that people think about their identities and how those identities relate to levels of consciousness and perspective. If we use a metaphor of a play, we could divide the identities in to role or character, actor, director, and playwright. Third dimensional consciousness is the role or character. Some examples of identities that correspond to role are your given name, your job title, mother, father, or other labels that relate to your third dimensional life. These are the roles that you play in the play of your current life. They generally relate to external, physical experience although our identity with them often is internalized. In some ways it is like an actor that becomes over identified with the role being played. While it is important to "get into the role" to be a good actor, becoming the role creates a loss of perspective.

A fourth dimensional identity would be that of the actor. This perspective requires a step back from the role where you know that you are playing a role and that you are not the character whose costume you are wearing. This step back allows you to consider how you wish to play the role - a choice not available when you are totally enmeshed with the character. In life this corresponds to an emotional trigger event happening and rather than just automatically reacting, you take the time to decide how you, the actor, wish to speak your lines in the play. Choice about our actions arises when we can embody the identity of the actor. For example, the actor is aware of the archetypal nature of the role and how that event relates to the archetype. In a case where you might feel victimized or taken advantage of, the actor can choose a positive expression of the victim archetype that is empowering rather than the negative expression of blame.

The next level of consciousness would be the identity of the director. Here the director has a perspective that the actor does not have. The director can see the play as a whole, how the other supporting actors are playing their roles and the progression of the plot toward the purpose of the play. As we take another step back from the actor, we can see how the choices of how to play the character can affect how the supporting actors play their characters. In life, for example, we may choose to respond to another person with lack of trust or from a victim theme. When we do that that person my respond back with defensiveness or with blaming. On the other hand, if we respond to the person with trust and from a place of empowerment, that person's response may be quite different. The awareness that how we play our role affects how others play their roles, and being able to choose accordingly, is holding the identity of the director. This perspective also brings us to a greater awareness about the level of control that we have over our experience in life.

Finally we can identify with the playwright. From the perspective of the playwright, the play can be rewritten as you go. Choice extends to not only how you say your lines as you act out archetypal roles, or your awareness of how your actions affect others, but to how each scene is constructed to fulfill the purpose of the play. Awareness from the perspective of the playwright is awareness that you are creating the play as you go along and, if you are creating it, you can change it at any time. Now there is a difference between embodying this perspective and just knowing about it or believing it. Many people can accept that they are creating the experience of their lives, but it is much more difficult to live your life moment to moment allowing that awareness to inform your choices of how you feel, think, act, and speak.

While we have all had momentary experiences of all of these identities, it is useful to begin to notice which identity you are aligned with in the moment, particularly when issues are triggered or experience arises that is not what you expect or desire. It is those times that you have the greatest opportunity to raise your consciousness to a higher level and, thus, contribute to the evolution of consciousness in humanity as a whole.

To be in this world
Is to know the role you play
And choose your actions

To not be of it
Is to know the play you're in
And direct it well

If you have comments on these articles or ideas for future topics, call Linda Heron Wind at (585) 924-5620 or send e-mail to LHWind@aol.com.

Page last modified October 15, 2005 by RMC/SMH