I get certain articles pushed to my phone—something most of us do. Recently I received an article entitled, “Branding for the collective unconscious. How to create a deeper connection with consumers through universally shared archetypes, values, and symbols”. You can view the entire article here. https://flip.it/4d9MWZ. I usually skim most articles. This one grabbed my attention. I read the entire article and was left feeling deeply disturbed.

I might be overreacting, but this article misappropriates the entirety of human consciousness. It is a high jacking of the collective consciousness of the human race to sell more stuff. Businesses and the marketing companies they use are tapping into our deep unconscious to manipulate the symbols, stories, and archetypes that hold our culture together.

I’ve written about archetypes in several other blogs. Every culture and every society that ever existed has a unique version of these archetypes. They evolve from the collective experience of a group of people, a tribe, a culture, or a community over time. There are twelve main archetypes: The Innocent, Everyman, Hero, Outlaw, Explorer, Creator, Ruler, Magician, Lover, Caregiver, Jester, and Sage.

They embody the story of who we are. Where we originate from. These stories are deeply embedded in our subconscious. They provide a sense of cohesion and belonging. Most of us have moved away from sitting around a fire to share stories about the challenges we faced or to receive the collective wisdom of our elders. In the modern culture of the 21st century, sports teams have replaced tribal hunts and initiations. A football game has an energetic pull to draw the attention of thousands of people. I’ve written about the hero’s journey. It is an important archetype played out in real-time on TV almost daily. Our attention is drawn towards these events partly because we, as human beings, have an unconscious need to experience the archetypes that uniquely evolved out of our culture. These archetypes can be seen being played out in a sporting event.

My response to reading this article is, who owns my awareness? How do I bring that awareness from the unconscious to the conscious? Maybe most importantly, how do I stay in the present moment? How do I invite and welcome ecstatic moments into my life, so I don’t need to have those experiences watching a large-screen TV?

Life often brings us to the point of reckoning. It is an invitation to change the behavior that keeps our life in place. The choice is always to ignore that invitation and keep your life the same or move past discomfort into a deeper state of being. Not always easy to do. I want a marketing company to be independent of where I should put my attention or how my life should evolve.

Being human is not always an easy place to be. It can often evoke a sense of being alone and separate from those around me. One of the most fundamental questions I ask myself daily is, “am I loved, and do I matter?

There is a juxtaposition of the messiness of being human and being available for moments of Grace and ecstasy. I can live in both places because of the support I receive from the tribe I belong to. I am loved, and I do matter. That is reflected back to me daily.

Amidst the chaos and uncertainty of life, I remain open to Grace and the gift of my life.

If you have any questions, please email me at leanfowardlife@gmail.com or call 734-249-9948. Also, please visit my website at leanintoyourlife.net

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