Facilitating Post-Conventional Vertical Development through the Unique Self Emergence Process (Part 2 of 2)

In part 1 of this blog, I indicated how lonely and disorienting it can be to be in post-conventional stages of vertical development, and introduced the Unique Self Emergence Process as a technology to support a person in these stages. I overviewed Module 1: Separate Self and Module 2: True Self which take the participant from living in the egoic contractions of modern conventional society to a more spacious openness and connection with the larger unified field of Ultimate Reality. In this post, we continue into the second half of the Unique Self Emergence Process where participants discover their unique identity in the world.

Module 3:? Unique Self

As we enter more deeply into post-conventional stages of development, the True Self becomes increasingly present in everyday life alongside the Separate Self. ?We assert that the ego never ultimately disappears, nor do we want it to, because it serves as one of the main ingredients in the formation of our Unique Self.?

When the Separate Self becomes transparent to True Self, your Unique Self begins to shine through.

When the Separate Self becomes transparent to True Self, your Unique Self begins to shine through.

At this point, the Unique Self Emergence Process draws from realizations accessible at the Self-Actualizing Stage 5 and beyond, disclosing the deepest expression of your identity. ??In other words, the relativism and endless perspective-taking of Stage 4/5 are homed in at Stage 5 with a clarity of deep principles of reality.?

Let me say it another way: ?As we grow, we see ourselves as many different identities, often questioning the notion of a self altogether.? In the Unique Self Emergence Process, we reconstitute a deeper self beyond the ego.? We assert that there is an overall direction of your growth; there is a unique calling, if you will, to live a certain kind of life.? This points to Unique Self beyond ego.?

One of the practices to elicit a realization of this deep principle of uniqueness is called Detours and Destinations, where you re-write perceived failures in your life story from the perspective of Unique Self. ?What if every mistake you made can be repurposed and re-storied to become precisely the catalyst that enabled your Unique Self Emergence??

...That failed business actually clarified your true desires for work.?

...That innocent betrayal, once reconciled, reveals a spark of your life force that had been wanting to shine through and be reintegrated.?

...The years of repressed emotions gave you strength to face difficult circumstances.?

Once these stories can be reconciled with the ultimate perfection of reality and your unique path, they become sources of your greatest gifts.

A second practice is Confessions of Greatness, where you identify peak experiences of your Unique Self and humbly yet audaciously share these stories with others.? You look for experiences when you were in flow, able to help someone who needed it, energize a group toward action, or offered transformative insights to a loved one. ?By calling these moments to mind and body, you collect the fragmented pieces of your life story and weave them into the tapestry of your Unique Self.?

"But isn’t sharing your greatness egoic, narcissistic, and arrogant?", you might ask??

The ego’s greatness is in comparison to others, to prove a “better than” feeling.

The Unique Self’s greatness is an invitation for everyone to realize their own unique greatness.? There is no competition or comparison, only the greatness of the cosmos as it is expressed through each Unique Self.? This is truly what Dr. Marc Gafni calls the democratization of greatness, and the democratization of enlightenment.

A final practice in this module is around Lines and Circles.? Unique Self theory teaches that the universe is not fundamentally made up of planets or forces, but rather Lines and Circles.? Lines and Circles can be thought of as masculine and feminine, except that they are qualities present in all of reality, not just in humans. Humans are an expression of lines and circles that constitute the cosmos.

You are a unique configuration of lines and circles.? When either a line or circle quality is in shadow, neglected, or overused, your Unique Self is hidden or distorted.?? We shed light on the unique configuration of line and circle qualities within you.?

For example, if you have a lot of Receptivity?(a circle quality), and your Penetration?(a line quality) is in shadow, then we may provide you with a practice called Rhythmic Drive.? In this practice, you regularly engage in a cycle of creative action that cultivates forward progress in an area that is stagnant in your life.?

...Work toward your business success.?

...Strengthen your body.?

...Learn a new skill.?

Whatever it may be, by putting in consistent effort toward that goal, you bring your line quality of Penetration?into the light, and experience a breakthrough in your life. In the Unique Self Emergence Process, we engage 16 dimensions of lines and circles to open you up to your fullest expression.

By acknowledging and integrating the Line and Circle (masculine and feminine) qualities within us, claiming our unique greatness, and reweaving the seemingly failed chapters of our lives into our Unique Self story, we align with the fundamental principles governing our existence and driving evolution. This allows for the optimal flow of your very life force.

Module 4:? Evolutionary Unique Self

The fourth module reframes your Unique Self Emergence as part of a universal process of evolution.? In other words, your Unique Self is fueled by the same process that started the Big Bang and evolved solar systems, created life on Earth, evolved animals into mammals, and transformed mammals into homo sapiens.? Not only are you an expression of the One True Self, you are a unique expression of 13.8 billion years of evolution.? Evolution is still moving in, as, and through you.? Why would it not?? Why would it somehow stop at a point in history? Rather, we are the first species that can reflect on and discover our own participation in this process that created us.?

We can consciously access the power of evolution within us if we learn to align with it.? As Dr. Marc Gafni says, “your personal transformation transforms the whole thing”.?

We can consciously access the power of evolution within us if we learn to align with it.? As Dr. Marc Gafni says, “your personal transformation transforms the whole thing”.? When you evolve yourself for the sake of the evolution of all, you unleash your radical aliveness.? When you invite every moment to be an opportunity to catalyze more evolutionary emergence, the whole world feels more alive. This module is simple yet powerful and provides you with a daily practice to catalyze your Evolutionary Unique Self that you can use for the rest of your life.? We utilize a combination of your Unique Risk statement, an embodied “kata” (ritual set of movements) practice, and your imagination to continuously manifest transformation that ripples out to the transformation of everything.

We then look around and see that everything is evolving.? Everything is participating in this elegant yet mysterious process that creates more coherence, complexity, wholeness, and love.? What an adventure! What a journey full of pain and joy! The ultimate journey of a lifetime that is calling all of us!

A Symphony of Unique Self Practitioners

While what I just described seems like a solo journey, the Unique Self Emergence Process is actually a deeply relational experience.? When you take steps to awaken your Unique Self alongside other authentic seekers on the path, you reverberate with the inspiration of community.? You will participate in group calls, pair practice, and one-on-one coaching that creates a field of transformative relationships.?

Consider for a moment that the later stages of vertical development have fewer people habit them — fewer people to connect with.? Tha's why it can be lonely at these stages. This Unique Self Emergence Process is a rare attractor that brings together those at the forefront of personal and societal transformation, at the edges of what it means to be a human.? ?The few late-stage individuals can step out of loneliness and find each other on this journey.? When Unique Selves come together, a synergy is formed that is greater than the sum of each individual.? Dr. Marc Gafni calls this the Unique Self Symphony: each person plays their own unique instrument in a common musical score.? Each Unique Self is participating in personal and collective evolution.

This is how we create a better world — together.

As a comprehensive program for personal transformation, the Unique Self Emergence Process invites you to participate in the profound journey of self-discovery and the evolution of consciousness. It invites you to step into a life filled with radical aliveness, purpose-driven actions, and a profound sense of connection to something greater than yourself. While this journey always involves challenges and moments of pain, it weaves all the pleasure and all the pain into a cutting-edge experience that transcends the conventional limitations of what it means to be human. ?

Join me and Claire on this journey of self-discovery and transformation as we delve deeper into the Unique Self Emergence Process.? We are launching a new cohort in the spring of 2024.? Apply today, as spaces are limited!?

https://www.uniqueselfinstitute.com/programs-and-courses/

Work with me!

I am Certified Unique Self Coach by Claire Molinard of the Unique Self Institute, and as a Leadership Maturity Coach by Beena Sharma and Susanne Cooke-Greuter of the Vertical Development Academy. If you're interested in learning more about Unique Self Coaching and the Unique Self Emergence Process, please email me at [email protected].