The Intersection of Spirituality and Humanity

I have a problem, really several problems, with living here in a human body.

Don’t get me wrong. Any human body is a miraculous creation. The way it is organized and optimized to be able to do so many different types of things is amazing. Its ability to heal itself automatically without any operator involvement is incredible. It is a marvelous masterpiece of biological engineering that becomes all the more amazing the more closely you look at it.

My problem is that I so often forget that I am not this body, as amazing as it is.

I am the occupant. I am the tenant temporarily residing in this body for as long as I can. But I get confused and think I AM this physical body.

Why Do I Do This to Myself?

Driving my car, I don’t get confused and think that I am the car. I know that I can easily get in and out of the car, and I am still the same being, whether I’m in the car or not.

Living in my house, I don’t mistakenly assume that I am the house. I leave the house regularly, and yet I am still me.

So maybe the problem is that I only experience myself in this body, and so I see myself as this body. I don’t regularly have the opportunity to see myself as anything other than this body that I inhabit. I don’t ever see my body as an object apart from myself. Maybe if I were able to have the experience of being myself apart from my physical body, maybe then I would feel differently.

The other part of this issue is that all my experiences of this world are perceived through the physical senses of my body. So, my awareness of everything is gained through “devices” of my body. It’s no wonder that I readily assume that I am this human body. 

NDE’s

Maybe this is why having a near-death experience can be so transformative. This experience of being apart from your body, seeing your body from a distance and knowing that you are still the same being even though you are not in that body, can deeply and powerfully transforms someone.

Mind you, I am not recommending that we all strive to have an NDE. As valuable as that lesson might be, I would not sign up for it if offered the chance. Still it might be useful to read more about NDEs and look for the Truth that might be there.

The Problem

Let me say more about why this iedntity issue is a problem or me. After all, most people, by far, may go through their whole lives without ever considering the possibility that they are not their physical body. And even fewer have the insight of a near-death experience.

The heart of the problem comes from the idea that I am a spiritual being having a human experience rather than a human being who, once in a while, has a spiritual experience. I really like the idea that I am a spiritual being having a human experience. It implies a lot of significant concepts that I appreciate about myself and my relationship with the Universe and other beings. For example, as a spiritual being, I know:

• I am an integral part of the Universe rather than a speck of dust in a lonely corner of a forgotten galaxy,
• I am part of the Divine Mind, which created the entire Universe,
• I am an integral part of an Infinite Being which is re-creating the Universe in perfect harmony moment-by-moment,
• I have access to many of the Divine powers that are beyond the scope of “ordinary” humans (the ones who have no awareness of their spiritual nature),
• I can call on Divine Wisdom to aid me with anything at any time,
• I am never alone, even when I feel alone. I just forget who I really am, hopefully, less and less frequently with time,
• Everyone else is really a spiritual being having a temporary human experience. When they don’t act that way, it’s because they have also forgotten who they really are, and they think they are that amazing, but fragile and mortal human body.
• Everything is connected, so everything matters and everything is an expression of the Divine, even the people, things, and situations I don’t like. So why am I letting this current thing (whatever it is) upset me?

Techniques for Remembering Who You Really Are

So, given all those benefits of “remembering” (and I’ve only scratched the surface), what can I do to foster “remembering”? Here is a list of techniques that came to me in no particular order.

First off, don’t punish yourself for forgetting. It appears to be part of the human. condition. It does not help you remember to beat yourself up or criticize yourself for forgetting! Make a joke out of it instead. “Oh, there I go thinking I am really this mortal, limited, but miraculous and talented human being. Silly, Jerry! You know better. You just forgot. It happens to the best of us.”

Second you could use some affirmations. (You knew I had to add that one in here.) Try these or modify them or write your own according to the techniques in Affirm Yourself:

• I’m not my body, I’m the occupant.
• I am not my mind, I am the witness.
• I am a spiritual being in a human body

Third, you can practice meditation in any form that works for you:

• focus on your breathing; pay attention to how it feels to be present in a body that is breathing,
• focus on a candle flame, an object in nature that has movement like clouds, a body of water or leaves in a breeze,
• focus on music that is non-repeating and doesn’t make you want to hum along because you don’t know what’s next,
• any similar experience that invites you to just be present.

Know that your mind will wander and you will start thinking about the past or the future. When that happens, gently bring your awareness back to your chosen object of focus.

Fourth, is the practice of mindfulness, which is very similar to meditation. It amounts to being fully present in the moment whatever you are doing. Mindfulness is being fully aware, curious, and accepting of your thoughts, feelings, sensations, and environment. It is devoid of judgement or comparison 

You can practice mindfulness whenever you are doing something that doesn’t require full conscious attention and adaptation. This can include doing nothing, or doing the dishes, folding laundry, any repetitive work task that doesn’t involve heavy or sharp items that could hurt you or someone else.

Just be fully present to the task at hand.

Fifth is automatic writing or spiritual writing. I saved it for last, although it is for me, right now, the most powerful tool for connecting my human self with my spiritual self.

Automatic writing amounts to quieting your mind with a brief meditation and intending to receive information from your Higher Self or from Spiritual Beings. I had my first encounter with automatic writing long before I ever heard about it. I wrote about that experience in this post.

If you are interested in what automatic writing may offer you, I recommend the book The Automatic Writing Experience (AWE) by Michael Sandler. This is a practice that can take time to accept so if you are interested, get Michael’s book and stick with the practices that he recommends.

Summary

Remembering that I am the occupant—not the vehicle—changes everything. It shifts how I see my struggles, my triumphs, and my relationships. It reminds me that beneath the noise of daily life is a quiet, powerful presence that is eternal, wise, and deeply connected to everything. When I forget, I suffer. When I remember, I come home to myself.

Everyday practices like mindful breathing, simple affirmations, and quiet moments of reflection reconnect me to my deeper self. I don’t need a dramatic event to wake up spiritually. I just need to stay curious, consistent, and kind to myself when I drift.

This human life is not a punishment or a prison—it’s an opportunity. A sacred chance for spirit to experience growth, love, and creation in physical form. And while forgetting is part of the deal, so is remembering. Through practice, compassion, and connection to Source, I can return—again and again—to who I really am.

I am the occupant. And that makes all the difference.