belief-based energy vs. LoC-based energy

Success, new thought, and spiritual teachers calibrating in the 200s teach the importance of self-esteem regarding having "the life you want." And, yes, that works, because belief-based self-esteem energy supplements your innate energy, and higher energy "wins" in this world. This approach doesn't necessarily lack integrity. That would be a matter of intention and whether the benefit accrues to more than the self-esteem practitioner.

Certainly self-esteem energy has worked for the success and enrichment of the teachers themselves, but it will only take one so far on the spiritual journey. Self-esteem energy is not a substitute for the innate energy of being corresponding to your level of consciousness. Rather, it's a boost to attaining (or getting) higher achievements in this world. For a while, or even many lifetimes, one may value just that.

Eventually on the spiritual journey, however, boosted self-esteem energy and the positive, self-rewarding experiences that derive from it are to be surrendered. Why? Because, as good a reputation as self-esteem has, it operates under the auspices of the ego — that is, by belief. Achievements by self-esteem energy are essentially everyday, basic energy versions of siddhis, though mundane in comparison; we don't consider them miraculous.

Belief doesn't need the underpinning of truth to operate, or manifest. That word, "manifest" as a verb, is on-the-nose as it links belief to energy manipulation. Again, yes, this actually works. However, with no Real underpinning, it is also tenuous, in need of ego machinations, and its effects are temporary, i.e. phenomena. When one figures out how much work belief is, he becomes willing to let it go. For hard cases, hitting rock bottom may be involved.

The spiritual aspirant whose goal is realizing Reality has no use for beliefs. He's drawn to see "what's there" after all beliefs are gone. On the other hand, there are ignorant, misguided pseudo-spiritual students and gurus who boost their auras with the energy of incredible belief, such as being enlightened or being a Messiah. Tellingly, they have a need to inform others of their presumed spiritual status, because such outlandish beliefs requires maintenance.

Implicit to the practice of misguided spiritual aspirants and gurus is the presumption high energy equals high consciousness. As has been noted, if you really believe you're enlightened, then you'll indeed have very high self-esteem energy and even the experience to "back it up." However, the disqualifying flaw in the scheme is that enlightenment cannot be arrived at by belief. Rather, belief gets you lost in the house of mirrors.

As one approaches Reality, perception distorts less, and the difference between self-esteem energy and innate energy becomes easy to discern in others, as is the nature of their intention, whether benign or predatory. The combination of high self-esteem energy and negative intention is the essence of dangerous hypocrisy, something Jesus was quite stern about:

ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity – Matt. 23:27

Not everyone with high self-esteem has negative intention, but many do. Intention aside, high self-esteem appears beautiful outwardly. This appearance is supportive of "the win," whether it be for a position of worldly power or simply preferential treatment at the deli counter. However, as Jesus said, what's on the inside also matters.

High self-esteem people are invested primarily in appearance — energy appearance. As such, they deceive themselves about their true, innate level of energy which does not include self-esteem energy. Self-honesty is lacking. They put on energy and play a character, which would be fine, but they believe they are the character, and they're in love with it. Self-esteem energy boosting is auric narcissism.

Intentionally or inadvertently, high self-esteem people mislead others, as well. Their aura says they're positive and beautiful souls. Problematically, auras are superficial with regard to level of consciousness: they don't tell you the whole story, only the energy appearance. What about their intention? What about their reality-testing? Even the correctness of their beliefs is not readily discernable from their energy.

Spiritual students, in contrast to students of success, have often already surrendered self-esteem energy boosting, yet they may be engaged in self-esteem energy suppression. This is the other side of auric narcissism: control of net energy by negative self-esteem. Negative beliefs end up subtracting from, rather than adding to, innate energy. Instead of self-rewarding experiences, there are self-punishing experiences, and one operates (and manifests!) lower than his earned level of energy in consciousness.

The beliefs to be undone expect and anticipate doom, hell, shame, guilt, neglect and grief while refusing happiness, love, joy, and peace, but most of all God. If the self-esteem energy suppressor lets in God in any way, then his net energy rises towards its unmanipulated level, and his authentic experience comes into view. The spiritual ego can't have that and maintain its presumptive control of spiritual destiny.

How strange the spiritual ego is to believe that salvation is in lower net energy! Cancel that nonsense and be on your way to realizing your authentic energy level unmanipulated by belief.