In moments of crystal clarity, when we're feeling in the groove, when we're in love with someone or with all the world, we are feeling the higher self. In prayer and meditation, we access that higher consciousness deliberately. When making a critical decision, we invoke it, and consciously or not, ask for its guidance. The higher self is the well we go to in times of soul searching or seeking inspiration. The higher self is the part of us that knows the soul's Light, knows what love is, and knows that all souls are one in the Light.

If you were to take a few minutes right now, sit back, and let your mind recall one of those moments in your life, I suspect you would resonate with your higher consciousness and know the feeling again. The higher self is not present just in these peak moments, though. The higher self is an ever present consciousness that we can learn to access through awareness. The challenge is to the ego and the changes necessary to live in accord with our soul consciousness. This higher consciousness transcends the ego, and it can change one's perspective and priorities. For most of us, this coming into accord is the essence of our soul journey in each lifetime.

While the ego cannot grasp this higher consciousness, it can open itself to this higher vibration, like opening a valve, or moving to a new octave. Some people do this on their own, others do it through spiritual methods and practices, others may experience an epiphany that changes their consciousness in an instant.

From my point of view, the best in religions, healers, spiritual teachers, and motivational speakers are all trying to help people awaken, or strengthen, this soul consciousness within each of them. Through meditation, prayer, clear intention, good works, and other spiritual practices, many people live in accord with this soul consciousness. There are many names for it – the God within, the true self, Christ consciousness, Atman .

We do not have a scientific term for the higher self. In our empirical paradigm, we don't even have a concept or language for it. It's not a physical thing that can be measured and weighed. You'll never find it during an autopsy or put it under a microscope. The higher self is a consciousness and an energy, and it operates at a different level than our ego-consciousness. I term the higher self a "soul consciousness".

In my dialogues with Gerod, he said the higher self is a soul creation. It's as though the soul projects a piece if of its consciousness into its incarnation, and will be a waking eye in the person's present reality. Gerod called the higher self the active, perceiving part of the soul. He said you might look at the higher self as "an emissary from the soul".

As a soul consciousness, the higher self's central function is to be a conduit of light, love, and knowledge between the self and soul. The openness and quality of this conduit varies among individuals. There are people who live in deep harmony with the soul. There are others where the connection becomes shrouded, diminished or blocked. Some people "listen" to their higher self as a matter of course. Others ignore it, don't trust it, or feel unable to find it. Each person, though, I believe, has the ability to open and cultivate this soul connection, and move into alignment with the soul.

Our higher self can be our agent, and it can act as our inner guide if we ask. The higher self, however, is not a "chooser". It won't tell us what to do. The higher self can tell us what is in alignment with the Light, and what is not. It can be source of knowledge, intuition and guidance, but the choice belongs to the conscious self. Becoming conscious through choosing, after all, is what our soul journey is about and the higher self will not defeat its own soul purposes by giving away the game, so to speak.

Even further, the higher self, as the Light, will not force itself on any part of the self, conscious or unconscious. It offers the Light, but it won't force it. The Light is a free will choice, and we all exercise this choice throughout every day, whether we're consciously aware of it or not. The higher self will not interfere with our journey of choosing or try to take control, not even if you want it to. The higher self is always ready, though, to support a person's growing in the Light.

In Soul-Centered Healing, the higher self plays a central role. As a consciousness, the higher self is intelligent, knowing, and able to communicate directly during the hypnosis sessions. With some people, the higher self presents verbally, more like a personality. With most people, communication with the higher self takes place through ideomotor signaling. The higher self is always in agreement with healing and is always ready to assist in the healing process.

The ultimate aim of healing is to help a person expand the conduit between self and soul, and truly know that he or she is a soul and being of Light. This is an inner knowing. This aim is achieved, though, more by clearing the way and removing inner blocks to the Light, than it is by adding something from outside. The soul's Light is a powerful resource for healing. Though modern medicine and psychology don't recognize it, this inner connection has a great deal to do with one's health and emotional well-being.

I have found in my clinical experience that a person's higher self can be blocked, constricted, or shrouded. When this is the case, then the first aim in the healing process is to open the way for direct contact and communication with a client's higher self, which is itself an opening of that conduit between self and soul. It is a freeing up of the higher self to do what it does.

When the higher self is operating freely, it can assist the healing process in many ways. It can identify whether an ego-state or a spirit is causing or contributing to a client's pain and distress. It can determine whether past life experience and influence is causing problems in one's present life. It can discern whether energies and entities are part of the self/soul, or are separate and need to be removed. The higher self can also communicate directly with a person's spirit guide, teachers, or loved ones in the spirit realm and receive assistance, even though a person may not be aware of it at a conscious level.