You may not think that you can consciously direct your own evolution. But there's increasing evidence that you're able to evolve your conscious being -- the driver of your personality, cognitive capacities, emotions and actions.
Of course, we normally think of evolution in terms of physical changes over eons. However, recent observations raise the possibility that some evolution is occurring right now, perhaps spurred by need or desire. For example, the noted nature writer and photographer Boyd Norton recently caught on video a baboon that suddenly began walking and running upright. And the Moken people of Southeast Asia, who live off the sea, are able to evolve the capacity of their eyes to have superior vision underwater, by maximally constricting the pupil to achieve superior vision. This is something other humans are unable to do.
But even more interesting, I think, is the prospect of being able to evolve your whole person in specific new, healthy directions. I've often heard my psychotherapy patients as well as my corporate executive clients ask -- or lament -- why they don't think they can change or grow.
Here, I'll describe some of the evidence that conscious evolution is possible and a part of building psychological health, and then I'll show five steps you can take to evolve yourself.
Much research indicates that the capacity for self-evolution -- of your personality, mental capacities, relationships and actions in the world -- is based on conscious intent. That is, shaping your being is an art form, the way an artist develops, evolves and creates a painting or a composer creates music. You can make your conscious being and all that emanates from it a work of art.
I think today's highly interconnected, interdependent world is arousing in people a new need or intent: to evolve capacities that support both personal well-being and service to the common good, the larger human community. That is, capacities that promote the benefit of all, not just the few. This shift is both psychological and spiritual, in the sense that the Dalai Lama described as "the full blossoming of human values that is essential for the good of all."
This shift is the counterweight to the tendency toward "social psychosis" that I previously wrote about. Psychological and societal health now require heightened self-awareness, positive values, emotions that support collaborative engagement and policies that serve the larger good. These are qualities of mind, emotion and behavior. Research shows we can shape and grow them within ourselves and promote greater mental health. Here are some examples:
Stretching Toward New Challenges
When you challenge yourself to stretch toward a higher level of your abilities, you also increase your overall well-being. Interestingly, research from the University of Texas demonstrates the power of having a vision of what you want to stretch your capacities and abilities toward. Holding a vision of possibility in your consciousness tends to pulls you toward it. Research shows that your actions that follow lead to noticeably increased happiness with your life. Other studies indicate that people who consciously build positive emotions, such as empathy and compassion, also increase their resilience in the face of new challenges. Moreover, a longitudinal study of the impact adverse events have upon people found just going through adversity tends to increase resilience and positive adaptation to new, unexpected situations. There's apparently some truth to the old adage, "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger."
Seeding Well-being in Yourself and Others
What goes around, comes around. Studies at UC Berkeley and elsewhere find that when people consciously behave generously and compassionately towards others, they become more valued and esteemed by others in return. And that this, in turn, contributes to the common good.
Behaving "Outside the Box"
There's evidence that you can evolve by choosing to behave in ways that are different from -- even counter to -- what you think of as your usual or "fixed" personality traits and characteristics. That is, you can evolve by acting more like the person you want to be. This isn't faking; it's pushing yourself outside the box of your usual "self" and bringing your behavior into alignment with a picture of what those new features would look like if you demonstrated them. Moreover, learning to disengage from your usual reactions can help you deal with disappointments and conflict.
Altering Your Brain
It's well-documented, now, from several research studies that meditation affects brain circuitry related to cognitive processes and positive emotions; that the brain is much more susceptible to change than has been thought. But another aspect of your capacity to evolve your brain toward positive emotions and thoughts is that such efforts are also associated with less age-related decline of your brain volume, compared with people who maintain more neurotic and self-focused personality traits. And as Joshua Foer has described in his recent book, "Moonwalking with Einstein," anyone can learn 2,500-year-old techniques for dramatically improving your memory, feats that can seem impossible or super-human.
Much of the research that indicates the capacity to self-evolve links with a growing perspective among scientists that, as Deepak Chopra has written, "Consciousness is destiny. ... Instead of being dictated to by your genes and chemical processes in the brain, it may turn out that you are the author of your own life -- capable of change, healing, creativity and personal transformation."
Actually, everything in existence is experienced through our consciousness. And scientists increasingly explore the point of view that a unifying reality underlies the physical world -- what the physicist David Bohm called the "implicate order" -- and that this unifies the totality of existence. That is, nothing is separate from anything else. Chopra and others have proposed that science will eventually find that the universe itself is conscious. So it's not far-fetched to think that we can direct our consciousness -- that undefinable experience that cannot be explained by the physical brain -- in ways that we desire.
Five Steps For Evolving Yourself
Given what we know so far, we probably have enormous potential to self-direct how we evolve new personality traits, mental capacities, emotions and positive engagement as a citizen of the planet. Here are five steps for doing so:
Douglas LaBier, Ph.D., a business psychologist and psychotherapist, is Director of the Center for Progressive Development in Washington, D.C. You may email him at dlabier@CenterProgressive.org.
Follow Douglas LaBier on Twitter: www.twitter.com/douglaslabier
Mariana Caplan, Ph.D.: Psychology and Spirituality: One Path or Two?
YouTube - Dr. Joe Dispenza: Evolve your brain
I also see a strong movement of resistance to emotional and psychological evolution. Many people want things to stay the same because they fear change. In actuality it is the ego that fears its demise. We see this in US politics with conservatives vs progressives.
Anyway, it is an interesting conversation and I am glad you have brought it up here at HP.
If it feels like you're faking it, some part of you is not in alignment. The more fully you align with your goal, the easier and faster you become it.
I understand the discussion below, over the use of the term "evolution" is a matter of misunderstanding. As far as I understand you have no intention of using the scientific term "evolution" but you use it as an apt metaphor for "self-improvement" , right?
Your last recommendation reminds me of a promising US gymnast I interviewed for a short documentary. She described the reality of her medals in terms of seconds, minutes and hours spent at the gym, day in - day out; as a fight between perseverance vs. doubts and fears, which finally resulted in seamless execution of the routine in her muscles. She was only 19 or 20 at the time..."putting your heart and soul in it" was how she described it.......
This has nothing to do with evolution.
Thinking not only of what we were and are, but of what we want to be, seems to me to be very important. I agree wholeheartedly that it is of paramount importance to decide to make ourself capable of doing what we haven't done before, and to be open to the idea that things that which have been impossible can become possible.
Having a plan is a crucial part of being able to grow. We must set rituals for ourselves that we do each and every day. We have to take the necessary steps towards where we wish to be in our lives. Having this "blueprint" make all the difference in our development. Then we can grow and live our lives prosperously.
More info about about a personal development plan at:
http://www.michaelstagg.com/2011/04/01/personal-development-plan-sample-put-a-personal-development-plan-sample-into-action-today/
Evolution occurs at points of supersaturation; these create tipping points. On the West Coast where I live the crows are getting smaller. The crow therefor has responded to environmental stress and is adapting by decreasing in general body size.
Evolution occurs in an array of environments. The thoughts that lead to oneness realization also influence the way that we respond to offers. A calmer, more loving approach blesses family and work life. We learn from others. If they are clear and loving we have an opportunity to learn how to be clear, calm, and loving.
That said, good article with useful and helpful ideas.
Some passages lifted from that tome:
a process of change in a certain direction
the process of working out or developing
a process in which the whole universe is a progression of interrelated phenomena
and, of course, there is what is known as biologic or organic evolution, aka phylogeny.
The word does not have to be used only in the context of a discussion of phylogeny.
However, I think the common denominator with all this is that without getting to know ourselves we will never be able to fully appreciate any perceived change and therefore any resulting effect.
Craig Ing
www.craiging.com
www.blog.craiging.com
I agree that words can be misused, and I certainly appreciate the ability to use them, but I would rather misuse a word than not try to communicate. Therefore, I think that it is not enough merely to say that evolution is stunted when words are misused. We should differentiate between simple vagueness of meaning and ideologic rigourousness, intended or not.
Granted it's entirely possible you just don't know the difference, so here's a hint. By definition, evolution happens over generations, not lifetimes. You can adjust to your surroundings, you can train yourself, you can acclimate to new conditions, and you can create those conditions to force the acclimation, but you cannot, yourself, evolve. None of those changes you make in yourself will be inherited by your offspring. If I cut off my arms, my children would not be armless. If I tattooed myself, my children would be unmarked.
Sorry to be snitty about this, but there's enough confusion, misunderstanding, and misinformation about evolution out there as is.
And again, there's STILL the issue of "evolving" in a single lifetime. Mutation might be a better metaphor.
Pop psychologis should stop abusing scientific concepts like evolution. (Similarly, so should pop economists--remember "social Darwinism"?)