How to Practice Consciousness Instead of Performing It

5 ways to shift from spiritual superiority to actual presence

After last week’s confessional about turning my sister’s panic attack into a masterclass on my enlightenment, my comments section exploded. Literally. A few of you were so triggered that you straight up blocked me and then started messaging me off of burner accounts (how weird of you btw!). Turns out, we’ve ALL been that insufferable spiritual person at some point. There’s no shame in it. The messages kept coming: “Oh god, I do this too.” “I didn’t realize I was performing my consciousness.” “How do I stop?” “I needed to see this reminder this week.”

I’m SO PROUD OF YOU GUYS for that one (those of you that were kind, receptive, and didn’t block me, that is).

Recognizing that you’ve been using your spiritual growth as a superiority complex is step one. But what’s step two? How do you actually shift from consciousness as something you possess (and wave around like a diploma even if it’s well-intended and completely accidental) to consciousness as something you practice, quietly, moment by moment?

THE TRUTH

The spiritual community has sold us consciousness like it’s a trophy you earn and then get to display whether it has intended to or not. We’ve been conditioned to think of awareness as a permanent state—as something you achieve through enough meditation retreats, therapy sessions, small groups, daily devotions and plant medicine ceremonies if that’s your type of thing. But this approach, when relied on too heavily creates the exact opposite of what we’re seeking: it turns our spiritual practice into spiritual performance.

You have to be flexible in your relationship with God, Spirit, The Universe (insert other name of your choosing here) and let it meet you where you’re at with confidence and faith that it will come through as it is needed instead of controlling how that happens each day (and, in our case, trying to control how others experience it and forcing them to walk in it with you rather than meeting them where they’re at).

Real consciousness isn’t something you have. It’s something you practice, moment by moment, choice by choice. The difference between consciousness-as-noun and consciousness-as-verb is the difference between spiritual superiority and actual presence. One makes you insufferable while the other makes you human.

THE FRAMEWORK FOR PRACTICING CONSCIOUSNESS AS A VERB