Map of Consciousness: Life in Shame
In this series we delve deeper into David R. Hawkins Map of Consciousness. My intention is to assist readers in discovering their baseline vibration (where they are now), where they are headed next, and even celebrate with them as they move from one level to the next.
Level of Consciousness: Shame
Frequency:
20 Hertz
Definition
According to Brené Brown, a researcher at the University of Houston, shame is an “intensely painful feeling or experience of believing that we are flawed and therefore unworthy of love and belonging.” It’s an emotion that influences how we interpret the world around us and how we interact with the world. Because shame is an emotion, we can also understand it as a low vibrational energy in motion.
The Life Experience of Shame:
Those who live in the vibrational frequency of shame experience a miserable existence. The vibrational frequency of a deceased body is about 15 Hz., not much less than someone experiencing chronic shame. This puts a new spin on the phrase “the walking dead.”
According to David R. Hawkins, and my own experience really, the predominant emotion experienced daily or even minute-by-minute is humiliation. They value the opinions, thoughts and judgements of others over their own. They view God as a despising deity and feel as though they have to earn the right to exist, take up space, and breathe. Individuals suffering from suicidal ideation live in the frequency of shame.
When I was living in the vibration of shame I experienced total disregard of the self, violent negative self talk, self harm, perfectionism, over achievement, isolation, and finally severe physical health issues like eating disorders and addiction to exercise.
Are You Living in the Shame Vibration? 10 Questions to Ask Yourself
If you answer “yes” to these statements you may be living from the level of shame.
I sometimes hear myself calling myself stupid, dumb, lazy, irresponsible, selfish.
I value others’ approval of my thinking, feelings, and behaviors over my own.
When something goes wrong or there’s a problem my first thought is, “what did I do wrong?”
I try very hard not to do things wrong to avoid being blamed or criticized.
I sometimes lay awake at night going over conversations I’ve had with people.
I judge everything I think, say or do harshly as never “good enough”.\I do not perceive myself as particularly lovable or worthwhile.
I get a lot of praise and affirmation but people don’t really know me.
If you are going to do something you should do it the right way or not bother.
I can’t seem to relax. I feel guilty when I relax. I don’t have much time to relax.
I have difficulty making decisions.
Source: David Earl Johnson, , MSW, LICSW retrieved May 15, 2023
5 Ways to Pull out of Shame
It is critical to know that there is a path forward to a life full of love and possibilities. You may not see it or feel it now, but it is there. If you are experiencing suicidal ideation of any kind, I strongly recommend and encourage you to find a mental health professional. Here are a few other activities that I did to support my healing and moving from the level of Shame into the next level of Guilt.
Find a mental health professional, especially if you are experiencing suicidal ideation or additions like eating disorders or substance abuse. These professionals can help you identify your patterns and the “why” behind your actions.
Find an energy healer/energy worker you trust to assist you in releasing heavy energy. The modality isn’t as important as whether or not you find yourself drawn to experience what they offer. It could be Reiki, sound healing with tuning forks, crystal healing, etc. I didn’t understand energy healing when I first started going to a practitioner. What kept me going was that it was the only time I got a reprieve from the heaviness that inundated my daily existence. At first the reprieve lasted hours, then eventually days then eventually weeks.
Distinguish and release yourself from the Painbody. Eckhart Tolle describes the Painbody as a mass of negative energy that behaves like a parasite. It feeds off negative energies like self talk, self loathing and self harm. The more you feed it, the more it grows. Begin to starve the parasite by distinguishing yourself from it. Whenever you find yourself spiraling out of control, remind yourself that you are not the painbody. That while you are experiencing the feelings, you are not the feelings. Then say, “I see you, thank you for being a part of my awareness, but you are not me.” Then replace the thought or action with a higher vibration thought or action.
Spend time in nature. Nature is a healing agent and can bring clarity and a feeling of safety. While you may not remember your natural energy frequencies, the plants and trees around you do. When you allow yourself to be present in nature, the energy is like a healing balm. When I was at my lowest, I’d find myself collapsed on the ground in the fetal position crying sometimes. But even then, I kept coming back. It was as if my energy was pulling me even though I didn’t consciously recognize it at the time.
Set the intention to figure out who you are and what your purpose is. While the mental health practitioners were supportive in keeping me alive, what really made the difference in my quality of life is that I started learning who I was at an energetic level. Though this was super slow when I was in the midst of the storm of shame, it opened me up to the possibility of increasing my vibration. In retrospect I can see that this became the crucial element in catapulting me over the tipping point into the vibration of Courage years later.
I do remember the heavy loneliness and even physical heart ache of living in the vibration of shame. It was so painful that it became physically hard to breathe at times. At first I felt it was only impacting my personal life, then one day I discovered my negative self-talk was so loud I couldn’t even hear others speak in work meetings. I am personally forever grateful for discovering the healing power of energy healing. It gave me a badly needed respite from the pain I had been experiencing up until that point.
Today I can honestly say I have let go of the feelings of shame and am now living a life where everyday I am filled with so much gratitude and life that I get to enjoy the presents of the now. You can raise above it and create a new reality for yourself too.
