MATTHEW ENGEL, Psychic-Channel, San Francisco

Understanding & Surviving Change in Turbulent Times

By Matthew Engel, Psychic-Channel

The world as we know it is changing.  It is changing this very minute.  On a global level, long prophesied examples of these changes are playing out through politics, war, poverty, natural disasters, global warming, economic hardship and so forth.  On more individual levels, these shifts are occurring through changes in expectations and needs in relationships and family dynamics, finance, careers, and more.  Some of the most frequently addressed issues in my private practice these days come from people who are trying to sort out their relationships, careers, and finance.  The core of these impending shifts comes from a change in expectations – an acknowledgement that what was once fulfilling no longer is. 

I’ve been in my relationship for 13 years.  My (spouse) and I care about each other.  I thought this was the person I’d spend the rest of my life with, but now I’m not so sure.

I’m making good money in my career, but I’m exhausted all the time, I’ve had chronic headaches, and I feel really stifled.

I made a lot of money in the real estate market a few years ago.  I thought I’d be able to use that money to retire early and do the work I really love, but I lost the money as the market went down and now I don’t know what to do.

I’m really worried about the coming election and what’s going to happen in this country.

I’m worried about the oil crisis and global warming.  This is serious business!

Why are so many people struggling with similar concerns?  And why are certain global issues happening now?

The human race is evolving.  If we look back through history, there have always been periods of turbulence proceeded by periods of revitalization, expansion, and renaissance.  The fact is that change cannot occur until the old stuff gets purged out.  Wounds need to drain and be cleansed before they can heal.  Such is true on a physical level and on a psychological level.  We cannot change by simply sweeping old patterns under the carpet or even wishing them away.  We must confront them, layer by layer until we feel so raw, so vulnerable that our only choice is to release layers of anger, resentment, denial, righteousness, and greed, and transcend into the next dimension - one of love, forgiveness, imagination, trust, deeper connection with the Divine, and non-attachment.  At this time, an energetic shift is happening across the planet as we prepare to transcend into a Higher Dimension of existence.  Several key themes arise as we move through this transition:

Love ~ True love starts with self-love, acknowledgment of our self-worth and listening our authentic needs.  Only when we love ourselves and honor our own needs can we ever love another person or fully appreciate any of our accomplishments.

Forgiveness ~ Ultimately forgiveness sets us free by severing the karmic cord that binds us to the person or event that has hurt us.  However, forgiveness does not mean that we simply forget about something that upset us.  It means that we’ve fully acknowledged it, been present with our feelings of hurt, abandonment, rage, or disappointment that have arisen as a result of the situation.  Only then can we begin to release and transform these feelings. 

Imagination & Trust ~ These two items are clustered together because I they are significantly related.  For mad dash followers of The Secret and Abraham-Hicks, this part is the most fun.  For others, it’s the hardest part.  I love the story about the people who built a railway through the mountains before a train was invented that could travel through that terrain.  “Build and it will come,” they said.  Their belief was true, but it took about 100 years before a train was developed that could make it’s way across those tracks. 

Spirit tells me repeatedly that if we can imagine something then it is possible.  The tricky part is that we may have work to do on these other steps before we get what we want.  If you can imagine a more rewarding career, you can have one.  If you can imagine a more fulfilling relationship, you can have that too.  If enough people imagine a peaceful world, then that too is possible.  I’ll touch on that later.  Likewise, if enough people imagine a world filled with terror, destruction, and unrest, then such an experience becomes reality.  There is a direct relationship between our thoughts and our reality.  And at this time, fear is leading to a collective belief in something horrible – and that’s what we are creating.  When we clear the fear, releasing it completely, we become open and available for receiving healing – as individuals and as a society.

Trust brings us closer to energy larger than ourselves.  Trust connects us to God, Spirit, Divine – and releases us from the responsibility of doing everything exactly right.  Instead, we acknowledge that there is Divine intervention assisting us, so that even if we miss a beat, the Universe will take it from there - if we are meant to move forward at that time.  Actually, Divine intervention is assisting the entire planet! 

If you can imagine a winning lottery ticket, well, I’m not sure if you’ll get that.  Spirit tells me that lottery winners are addressing a very specific set of lessons that not everyone needs to experience.  Interestingly, lottery winners as a group have a much higher than average suicide rate – hmm, there are those themes of self-love, trust, and connection to something larger coming up again…

Non-Attachment:  For several thousand years, Buddhist thinking has honored the glorious state of non-attachment, a term often used synonymously with detachment.  But what exactly does that mean?  Let’s defer to good old Wikepedia:

“Emotional detachment, in psychology, can mean two different things. In the first meaning, it refers to an inability to connect with others emotionally, as well as a means of dealing with anxiety by preventing certain situations that trigger it; it is often described as "emotional numbing" or dissociation…In the second sense, it is a type of mental assertiveness that allows people to maintain their boundaries and psychic integrity when faced with the emotional demands of another person or group of persons….”

The glorious state to which I (and at least a handful of Buddhists) refer leans toward the latter definition.  In other words, we do need to respect our beliefs and desires, but we can also respect those of other people and release an attachment to controlling them – no matter how “bad” we think their beliefs are.  At a True Colors Concert for Equality in 2007, Cindy Lauper wisely proclaimed, “Don’t hate the haters.”  If we do, we join the haters on their level of energy and contribute to a universe filled with more hate.

Likewise, when we release an attachment to having things work out in the exact form or order that we think we desire, trusting that the Universe does want us to have what we want, we become free because we know that our desires will be more heartfelt and useful if we achieve them under the right set of circumstances.  When San Francisco Mayer Gavin Newsome granted marriage rights for gay and lesbian couples in 2004, his efforts did little to support the cause because neither federal nor state laws were ready to honor the marriage certificates.  Although a build-up was occurring, not enough evolutionary momentum was present at the time to legally support the cause.  Keep in mind that evolutionary change comes from collective energy.

Blending imagination and non-attachment has been invaluable to me in managing a variety of challenging situations in my own life.  I also believe that this blend has been helpful in manifesting because it’s supported a release of rigid patterns of thinking that often needed transformation in order to reach my goals.  The idea is this: 

I can honor my authentic, heart-felt self by imagining something that I truly desire.  I can imagine achieving it.  However, I release an attachment to the details surrounding how and when I achieve it, trusting that Spirit hears my yearning to expand and will support my desire to grow at just the right time.  Finding a comfortable middle ground requires some work, but it’s quite achievable.

Long ago, before Soul Beings had bodies, the real root chakra was the Heart Chakra.  Through all of this cleansing and purging, we are sorting out the lessons of the lower chakras in order to transcend into the next dimension.  In the next dimension, our hearts will be our root (base) chakra once again and our crowns will connect us to Spirit – well above and beyond the 7th Chakra.  Essentially, we are healing the injuries to our hearts and lower chakras in order to evolve:

Heart: Unconditional love, starting with self-love, acknowledgement of what we deserve and what will truly make us happy; interacting with ourselves and the world around us authentically; releasing guilt and obligations that make us feel badly.

Solar Plexus:  Power and control – over circumstances, events, people, beliefs, etcetera, releasing a need to control others or the logistics of an outcome.

Sacrum: Creating something that is authentic, giving birth to our ideals, blending spirituality and sexuality.

Root:  Finding our community, our true place in the universe, taking better care of our bodies and surroundings - including our planet.

So What Does All of This Mean? What Can You Do to Change Your Life and the World Around You?

1. Bring more love into your life - any form of love.  Doing so can assist you in reaching a place of forgiveness.  You can bring more love into your life in the simplest of ways:  Flowers, pets, a wonderful meal, quality time with friends, gardening, walking on the beach, admiring a piece of art, meditation, listening to music, or engaging in any truly pleasurable activity.  Keep in mind that the entire experience must be pleasurable.  If you love to shop but hate the crowds and traffic involved in the process, perhaps it’s time to rethink your activity.

2.  Hold Close With Trust.  You can care about a person or issue without obsessing over controlling every step of the outcome.  If you are worried about the November election, do what you can to support your cause.  Trust that even if things don’t work out exactly as you want them to at the exact same time that you want them to, if your cause is truly for the Higher Good, it will eventually manifest as large-scale change.  Sometimes, things have to get a little worse in order for change to occur.  If it didn’t get worse, the hidden truths would remain latent and the changes would occur on a more superficial level.  Purging is part of the global healing process!

3.  A Note on Global Warming & Destruction of the Planet ~ We all know what we need to do in our daily activities to care for the earth.  For those of you who are still feeling fearful, Spirit would like you to know that your intentions to heal the planet are heard on the Other Side.  Spirit has a very strong desire to preserve Planet Earth.  Although individual and collective choices have the potential to destroy the earth, prayer and healing energy directed at the earth (combined with cutting down on use of fossil fuels, recycling, developing more efficient forms of energy, and other practical activities) are equally as powerful in preserving the planet.  Every time you use a little less gas, turn out the lights, or recycle your household products, Spirit hears your call to save the planet and responds with healing energy.  Sometimes, this healing comes in the form of new technologies, many of which have been Channeled from Spirit by their human inventors!  But we must believe that a cleaner earth is possible.  If we do not, we hold an energy vibration of destruction and that is exactly what we’ll get.  Yes, we must heal our own fear in order to heal the planet.  Energetically speaking, taking action out of concern is different than taking action out of fear.  Natural disasters will continue to occur as the collective energy of the planet purges, heals, and realigns itself.  Continue to imagine a calm, peaceful existence, do your inner work, and you will find peace, comfort, and safety.  Please keep in mind that your Souls are infinite and life elsewhere does exist.  The possibilities are limitless!

4.  Find Community ~ Create Community.  Connecting with others who share your desire for peace, love, authenticity, and abundance will support you in achieving this blissful state of being.  When groups come together, the total (collective energy) is always greater than the sum of parts.  Group meditation and prayer is a wonderful way of healing.  Much has been written about this topic lately.  Avoiding people who spread negativity and cynicism is equally as important.

5.  Examine Your Beliefs.  If you believe that you are destined to experience loss, hardship, destruction, and injustice, then do whatever inner work needs to be done to shift your thinking.  Imagine if everyone on the planet (or even 51% of people on the planet) did this work.  What would the world be like?

6.  Develop Your Spirituality.  Establish a spiritual grounding, some kind of spiritual practice - anything - and believe in something that connects you to an energy force larger than yourself.

7.  Seek Out Help.  Counseling, therapy, meditation, developing your own intuitive skills, spiritual regression (past life) work, hypnotherapy, and body/energy work can be wonderful tools to assist you in managing these changes and accessing your most brilliant vibrational expression.

8.  Know That You Are Loved.  No matter what dark and dirty elements of your being arise during this turbulent times (we all have these shadowy aspects), know that you are truly loved by an Energy greater than yourself, that you are honored for your Light, and that Spirit respects your process.  Humility and an eagerness to grow will always set you free.

Sending you blessings and love, always.

Matthew~