Mood Making and Authenticity

You’ve seen them, people trying too hard, taking themselves too seriously, putting on a show, straining to appear of a higher status or consciousness state or social status than maybe they are. Perhaps you have caught yourself giving off an impression as opposed to just being your sweet but not-always-so-glamorous self. You’d think in spiritual communities, we’d be beyond this type of behavior, but instead the environment seems to encourage it instead. So much so Maharishi Mahesh Yogi had a name for this behavior, he called it “mood making.” In this episode, Isabel and Kristen talk about how enlightenment doesn’t have to look a certain way. They delve into the reasons why we find ourselves occasionally engaging in this cringe-worthy behavior (while sharing some of their own self-deprecating moments) and discuss how to bring yourself back to your true “warts and all” authentic self, which ironically, is the most attractive way to be. Originally recorded in March 2024 Show Notes: .53 What is mood making? 2.30 Mimicking what we think enlightenment looks like 4.00 Taking ourselves too seriously 4.30 Aspirational vs Relatable 6.00 Different expressions of enlightenment 7.30 “Embracing who we are, whoever that is, gets us past the mood making.” Kristen 8.00 Self-doubt and insecurity “Realizing that whoever it is that I want to be is already me. It’s just more me. It’s me being totally comfortable with that me.” Kristen 17.30 Rice Krispies Guru 18.00 “We can’t put that consciousness state in a box. A person who is in enlightenment or has a certain percentage of enlightenment is going to act in whatever way is relevant to inspire those around him or her.” Kristen 18.30 Dualistic way of looking at things 21.26 Authenticity “When we meditate twice a day we are going to the place that is the true us, that is the authentic `I´, it’s the big `I´, it’s that layer of being, the source of everything that is our true self.” Kristen Vandivier 22.00 Identity 23.57 “The important thing is this, to be able at any moment to sacrifice what we are for what we could become.” Maharishi Mahesh Yogi 25.00 Enlightenment – appreciation of creation 30.40 Our true self 31.00 Stardust 33.00 Big Bang 36.30 Unique traits 38.00 Let go of the idea of enlightenment 40.00 I guess this is us