Spiritual Spotlight Series
Discover a world of healing, holistic, and spiritual modalities with the Spiritual Spotlight Series podcast. Every week, we introduce you to diverse spiritual practitioners, including psychics, energy healers, life coaches, spiritual thought leaders, and witches. Each episode offers inspiration and enlightenment through the unique journeys, experiences, and divine abilities of our guests. Perfect for those on a path to spiritual awakening, this podcast blends science and mysticism to expand your understanding of spirituality. Our mission is to open your eyes to the world around you, making complex concepts accessible and enlightening for anyone seeking spiritual growth. Whether you're new to spirituality or looking to deepen your knowledge, the Spiritual Spotlight Series is your go-to resource for awakening and transformation.
Spiritual Spotlight Series
Exploring Spiritual Growth and Consciousness with Debra Greene, PhD
In this episode, host Rachel Garrett delves into the world of energy medicine and consciousness-based modalities with the esteemed Debra Greene, PhD.
Debra is a pioneer in transpersonal psychology, offering fascinating insights into the interconnectedness of our energy bodies and the practical tools for maintaining their health.
Join us as we explore Debra's book, "Endless Energy," and her online program "Energy Mastery for Self Care," and learn about her approach to client transformation and the importance of discernment in spiritual practices.
Through personal crisis, how can one transform and reach a state of holistic well-being? Join us as we navigate the complex terrains of transpersonal psychology and consciousness-based modalities with our superlative guest, Debra Greene, PhD
Debra's personal narrative is a testament to resilience and growth, and she enlightens us on her profound concept of self-surveillance and its potential to bridge a connection with our higher selves.
Together, we venture into the captivating realms of energy medicine and psychology, emphasizing the significance of boundaries when interacting with trauma.
Glean from Debra's extensive experience as she imparts transformative insights into unlocking concealed patterns within the subconscious mind. In our conversation, we delve into the murky waters of spiritual bypassing, a concept involving the misuse of spiritual practices to evade confronting challenging emotions.
We wind down our enlightening discourse with an exploration of the power of intention and prayer in energy work.
Debra shares the inspiration behind her generous offer of discounted programs and her belief in fostering a gifting economy.
As we conclude, we revel in the power of meditation and the role of intuition in our decisions, underlining the need for open-mindedness and non-judgment in our spiritual journey.
This episode is a treasure trove of knowledge and wisdom, so tune in and look forward to more enlightening discussions with Debra.
To work with Debra https://www.YourEnergyMatters.com
We hope you found the episode to be enlightening and insightful. Our goal is to create content that not only entertains but also helps you grow spiritually and connect with your inner self.
If you enjoyed listening to this episode, we would greatly appreciate it if you could take a moment to like, subscribe, and write a review. Your feedback is incredibly valuable to us and helps us to improve the quality of our content and reach a wider audience.
We believe that by sharing knowledge and insights about spirituality, we can help to inspire positive change and personal growth. So, if you find our podcast to be meaningful and informative, we encourage you to share it with your friends and family.
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Hello everyone, welcome to our spiritual spotlight series. Today I am joined by Deborah Green. She's an innovator in transpersonal psychology and consciousness based modalities for over 25 years. She's also an author, speaker, practitioner and PhD. Deborah, thank you so much for coming on spiritual spotlight series. I'm so happy you're here. Thank you, Rachel. It's a pleasure to be here. I love it. So let me ask you this You've been a pioneer in transpersonal psychology and consciousness based modalities for over 25 years. Can you maybe share a pivotal moment or experiences that led you down this path of exploration and personal growth?
Speaker 2:Good question. Yeah, Actually it was a crisis in my life which you know, I think catalyzes a lot of us into growing and exploring new things. And, yeah, I was in a depression and you know it was because at the time I thought, you know, it was the love of my life and the relationship just ended in a not very great way and plunged me into this depression and I did not want to go the conventional psychology route because I didn't want to take, you know, medication or any of that. I just I really wanted to get through it on my own meaning, not with those kinds of interventions, right? Yeah, so very synchronistically, as often happens at these moments of crisis, I was at our neighborhood health food store and there was a flyer on the bulletin board and it just was one of those things where it kind of jumped off the wall and slapped me across the page, that sort of thing, and I had to pay attention to it and it was advertising a training and so I signed up and that was that was the turning point into a whole world of consciousness based approaches to health and healing on various levels.
Speaker 2:You know, not just the psychological and emotional, but also the physical, and you know, spiritual growth, which of course, has to be part of it. Right, it's because we are whole people, and so when you find a modality that that addresses us as whole people, it's, it's a really valuable thing.
Speaker 1:Absolutely so. One of the things that you have is the conscious connection with your higher self through self surveillance. So can you maybe explain what self surveillance means in the context of spiritual growth and how it facilitates this connection?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean it's. I sort of picked that phrase self surveillance because it's kind of an attention getter, you know. It's like what the hell is surveillance? Oh my gosh big brother.
Speaker 2:Exactly right, and and so you know, we oftentimes think of surveillance as being kind of an invasive, bad thing, but in my experience and the way that I use the term, it's actually a really good thing.
Speaker 2:But surveillance is pervasive in a way. I mean, if you're, if you're being surveilled, every aspect of your being is is watched and observed, right, and that's what self surveillance is about. It's about observing, watching yourself and watching every aspect of your behavior, of your being, and actually it isn't just behavior, it's also observing what's going on inside of you and being in that observer mode, or sometimes what I refer to as director's mode, right, so I mean you can either be in the movie, starring in the movie you know where you're, then in the drama and you're participating in the drama, or else you can be in the director's chair, where you're more watching the drama. And with self surveillance, you're not only watching the drama but you're watching every aspect of yourself and you're looking for specific things, which is patterns. You know patterned reactions, patterned behaviors and automatic reactions. You know sort of mindless automatic reactions where there's not a lot of consciousness or awareness, but you're just sort of an autopilot kind of thing.
Speaker 2:So that, in a nutshell, maybe a coconut shell is. You know, it's what the self surveillance thing is all about. It's really about expanding our consciousness, oh.
Speaker 1:I think that's beautiful. I really want to talk about your book. It's endless energy. It ties together diverse healing approaches and explores the mind-body connection. What are some key insights from the book that you believe can empower individuals to enhance their energy, health and well being?
Speaker 2:Well, how many hours do I know? I'm like listen.
Speaker 1:I will tell everyone that's listening. I 100% am getting this book. I am so excited, I'm so excited. Can I go?
Speaker 2:Yes, please show it.
Speaker 1:I even love the color. I love the color. Is that you reaching up?
Speaker 2:It actually is. The photo was taken at a Dale Chihuly art show in San Francisco. But yeah, I mean the book is pretty comprehensive and it's kind of a combination workbook as well as informational, and there's also some stories woven into it, and so it addresses every aspect of our being and it has lots of tools and tips and techniques and exercises and practices in it as well. So it's organized according to what are referred to as our energy bodies, because, in addition to our physical and as an energy practitioner yourself, you probably know this.
Speaker 1:But it's okay, tell us.
Speaker 2:We are multi-dimensional, yes, and we have our physical body, of course, for sure, and that allows us to experience on the physical plane. But we're not just physical, because we also have this capacity to move around, right, and that movement is powered by our life force, energy or our vitality, which is sometimes referred to as the vital body or the aetheric body Sometimes it's called that and our aetheric body, or a vital body, is woven into our physical body through the chakra system, the meridian system, the little energy capillaries which are sometimes called nadis. So that's our vital body. But we don't just move around, because we also experience emotions, and you can't really see any emotion under the microscope, because emotions are not physical, so you know, but they certainly are real, they certainly impact us and others, as we know. And, yeah, so we have this emotional body, which is an energy body, right, and it's like the next higher vibratory frequency of our energy constitution. But we don't just move around any moat, even though sometimes it might feel that way.
Speaker 2:We also have the capacity to think thoughts and, you know, be rational, so to speak, and make choices and decisions, and that functionality belongs to our mental body, our mental aspect, and then, of course, we also have all of the spiritual. You know aspects of us as well, and so my book is kind of a use and care guide, a use and care manual for those four main energy bodies the vital, emotional, mental and spiritual. So each, each section, you know, teaches about that particular energy body, its qualities, its characteristics and so forth, and then and then it's followed by a chapter that gives tools and tips and techniques for maintaining the health of that energy body.
Speaker 1:That's a really powerful like book to have, especially in the day like right now and the year that we're in and everything is upheaval and there's a lot of distress. So you could tap into this, this, your book, and say, okay, well, I'm feeling. I'm not feeling this in my physical body, but it's in my mental body, so why don't I work on that Like? I just think that's a like. I love that it's a workbook, it's not just a okay, read it and put it down like. No, this is a tangible. I can work through this and understand which each of the energetic bodies are and a lot of people aren't too familiar with. We're not. It's not just this like physical being, it's all of this that surrounds us. So, and I think that's phenomenal that you've kind of put it into a book that's also a guide for others.
Speaker 2:Thank you. And yeah, I mean, when we think about psychology in particular, we're sort of taught in the conventional wisdom that you know, emotions are just brain chemistry and you know, if you have some kind of you know, whatever your ailment happens to be, you know it can be fixed by just controlling the brain chemistry. And it's like from the perspective of energy medicine or energy psychology. That's not where the action is, you know, and it's not to say that you know nobody should take, you know, medications at all. They certainly have their use and their place for, you know, certain people at certain times in their, in their life path, for sure. But there are many other options as well and they can be extremely effective and can be much more, I'm just going to say, user friendly.
Speaker 1:And those side effects are empowering having a better life, feeling more free, like it's not risk of death by taking this med.
Speaker 2:Exactly.
Speaker 1:I think that's phenomenal. Like, yeah, I'm just going to have a moment here, so let me ask you this you have very extensive experience. You've worked with thousands of clients and taught numerous workshops. Can you maybe share and this may be hard to pinpoint a transformational story or breakthrough moment from your interactions with clients that illustrates the potential for personal growth and healing?
Speaker 2:I would love to. You know, I get asked this question all the time Because, yeah, because you know, we love stories, and especially uplifting, inspirational stories of healing, you know, and so forth. And the thing is, when I'm working with someone, I work mostly on the psycho-emotional, psycho-spiritual levels, and the process is very interactive. Participatory, because it's consciousness based, which requires, you know, a participation, and a lot of the work that I do is discovering, like, hidden limitations, discovering hidden emotional triggers, discovering hidden limiting beliefs, discovering, you know, patterns that are not so obvious in conscious awareness. So the work kind of dips into the subconscious mind because, of course, there's a lot of control mechanisms going on behind the scenes, right, and so what I'm then exposed to in someone that I'm working with is all of that stuff, right, limiting beliefs and emotional triggers and blah, right, and so, as part of my skill set and practice, I'm trained to jettison all of that after a session is over, because if I'm holding on to those limiting beliefs and, you know, whatever, I'm bringing my conscious awareness right to those, which is not assisting my clients, because in some cases, instead, I want them to be free of that right, and so it's really hard for me to speak in any detail about a person's transformational process, because it would involve, you know, sharing. Well, they started out with blah, blah, woof, woof, you know, and then in one session and by the way, usually it is one session the work is very deep and effective. Meaning, if I'm doing my job correctly which I mean I'm pretty good at because I've been doing it for a very long time in one session a person does experience incredible transformation, incredible shift out of whatever it was. And that's the other thing is, I mean it could be anything really, in a way.
Speaker 2:I mean, again, I'm not like healing people of cancer and you know they come in a wheelchair and they can walk.
Speaker 2:No, I'm talking about you know what goes on inside our heads and you know I work with people who are, you know, they're pretty self-aware, right, my work is not for everybody, it isn't.
Speaker 2:It requires that you have done some work on yourself and that you have a pretty well-developed, you know, awareness about yourself, because that's the interface, right, that's where we meet and then we go from there, right, and so it's not for everybody, but when, when the fit is right and you know the person has those inner resources enough, then in one session. You know it's significant, significant transformation in one session. And in fact I do, I mean I'm so confident in my work that I guarantee it. In other words, anybody who's not satisfied at the end of a session if you have not achieved that, you know, shift that kind of transformation that you're looking for, that you want or need, you don't have to pay me and that I mean I've been doing this work for going on 30 years and that has happened four times and the four times that it's happened it really, in fairness I must say, it really wasn't because of the failure of the work, it was because of it wasn't such a great fit for the person.
Speaker 1:So, and I do allow people to self-select you know I don't like vet people I do allow them to self-select, but and I think what you just said is so important that you're not taking as a healer and there are a lot of healers that do listen to this show and I will say that sometimes people take on the trauma in the moments of the people that they're working with and I think that's amazing that you've been able, that you do have this. You know a barrier, that you're not pulling it in, like that's very important.
Speaker 2:It is very important and thank you for highlighting that because, you know, regardless of what kind of work we do, it's important to allow the person to have their process and that we don't take it on, and because by taking it on, we're feeding into it in a way, energetically right, and it's not just energy, it's energy and information right.
Speaker 2:And so you know, we're not only taking on the energy but also the information, and so in that way we're sort of not helping the person if I can say it like that Absolutely. And I mean I know we all do that, you know, in our heart of hearts, with a good intention, because we care. You know so much and we empathize and we can get affected.
Speaker 1:but ultimately it doesn't help. It doesn't and I know that we're talking before the show began about you know kind of some of our background and I manage a doctor's office and I will say that I have a very good energetic, you know, and maybe physical, emotional, mental barrier for the work that I do and I don't take it on and I think other people are, you know, because I'm thinking of this one girl that works in the office and she's so I'm like you need to set up some more protections, like you need to not take this on, like yeah, and sometimes even just understanding the energetics of it.
Speaker 2:You know, understanding that energetically and again it's energy that's intimately laced with information, and so understanding how that works when we do so-called you know, take on somebody's stuff that we're really not helping them, can be a big step in the right direction. Right, Because we oftentimes think the opposite. It's like, well, if I care about the person, I'm going to obsess about them, you know. And if I yeah.
Speaker 1:And I like that you put, that it's not just energy, it's also information that we don't need to clutter up our minds with. I really respect the fact that you highlighted that as well, like that's amazing. So one of your favorite topics is how to avoid spiritual traps and how to use physical reality for metaphysical growth. Can you tell me a little bit about what is a spiritual trap? Yes, I'm like, I'm fascinated. Hello, it is a fascinating topic.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's a really fascinating topic because, as more and more people are waking up, thankfully we do have to be aware of the traps, absolutely, I mean. The first one that comes to mind is what's typically called spiritual bypassing.
Speaker 1:Yes, thank you.
Speaker 2:I'm so glad you brought that up. Yeah, I mean, I don't know if this is just sort of you know, common to Maui Island. I've spent 24 years, you know, living on Maui and it's very much, very spiritual place and also, you know, sometimes can cross over into, you know, bliss bunny land, or what some people call Fufu Lala.
Speaker 1:I never heard that Well.
Speaker 2:I'm being kind of silly, but, at any rate, spiritual bypassing happens when we use spirituality or spiritual concepts in order to avoid dealing with difficult life situations, difficult emotions or feelings that we don't want to experience, right.
Speaker 2:So it might go something like I just you know well, I can actually give you a real life example from a client that I worked with, who she actually gave away her car, and she didn't have another car and she didn't have any money to speak of.
Speaker 2:But her rationalization for doing that was that it was a spiritual thing to do, because this person was in need, and so she decided to, you know, take the high road and do the spiritual thing and give this person her car. And it, for me, is an example of spiritual bypassing, because it's not really spiritual when you make choices that you frame as being spiritual choices, but you end up, you know harming yourself, or others for that matter. And in this case she really did end up, you know, harming herself in a way, because she had a job that wasn't paying very well, but then she had no transportation, no way of getting, you know, to her work, and it ended up creating a lot of problems for her, but in her mind, it was the right spiritual thing to do. So you know, in some ways she didn't want to have to deal with the difficult choice of saying no to this person, and so instead she just spiritualized it.
Speaker 1:It's almost like when I the phrase that I do get a little is like well spirit told me, well spirit told me, spirit guided me. You know, it's like okay, like no.
Speaker 2:You know, I agree with you on that, and I'm glad that you brought that up, because it's when we're listening to guides, or even, you know, what we interpret as spirit we have to be very discerning about what are those guides? What is that voice? What is that? You know that being those beings that influence what exactly is it? Because just like there are so many different people beings on this planet who are incarnated right now, there are just as many, you know, disincarnated beings of all varieties, and so we just have to be careful and be discerning, making sure that the information is from, you know, a reliable source, so to speak, Somebody that has our best interest in mind, or, yeah, I mean, just because you hear something or you get some information, don't automatically assume that Run it through, like, run it through like your body, your mind and your intellect and say well, is this valid or is this not?
Speaker 1:Is it for my best and highest good? Is it causing me harm? Is it causing others harm? Is it judging me? Is it? You know? And I think a lot of people are like, well, spirit told me, you know, I'm sorry, I don't mean to be flippant about it, but that just that drives me bonkers. It's like. No, you need to use your intuition and your, your, your body, your soul.
Speaker 2:Yes, all of your resources, all of your energy bodies. You know spiritual, mental, emotional energy. You know vital, physical and, in my opinion, discernment is a spiritual quality. I would 100% agree with you there it is so necessary these days for many, many, many reasons.
Speaker 1:At 100% agree with you. I, I and I appreciate you in bringing that up because it is. It's especially right now it's so important because you know there is a lot of manipulation, there is a lot of swaying, there is a lot of you know and I hate to say this, but it's sometimes in mainstream media, with even spiritual thought leaders that you know have been shown to be manipulating people like you have to have to use your own discernment.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. I mean, one of the things that's that has happened in in relatively recent years is this blurring of the line between truth and and falsehood. Yes and yeah, so even more so. We, we really need to develop our inner resources and to use those as our guide. Absolutely.
Speaker 1:Ultimately, 100% agree with you, 100,. Even when you turn on the TV, you're like this isn't real, like that's my new thing, like this isn't real, like I don't know, I don't care. I mean I care, but I don't. Yeah, you have to disconnect. Um, so I'm sorry to just we're going to ship this little bit, because that was really interesting. Um so you offer an online program, energy mastery for self care, which is accredited for CEs. Can you maybe give us a glimpse of what participants can expect to learn and experience in this program?
Speaker 2:Yes, thank you for asking. The program is is actually based on my book, but, you know, some people it's challenging to just, you know, read a book, and so the online program brings the material to life more through videos, and really short videos. By the way, there are no lectures in the entire program. The average length of each of the videos is like 10 minutes, because I'm very aware that people lead busy lives and they can't carve out, like you know, an hour to sit and listen to a lecture, right, and so it is delivered in these little, you know, sound bite segments, and so it makes it really easy to integrate the program into your life and there is some new material in it. I will say, um, even though it's based on the book, there there is, there is some new stuff. Nice, um, and yeah, it just, it just walks you through the use and care of each of your energy bodies, and it's interactive, meaning you can post questions, I respond, you know. You can, you know, interact with your, your classmates and Rachel.
Speaker 2:I literally, just a few days ago, got inspired to put the program on what I've been calling the sale, to end all sales, because what I've done is I'm allowing people to pick their price. What True the program. That is amazing. I know the program typically retails for $828 because it's a year long program and it's just packed with content. I just decided that you know what, now more than ever, it's time this work has to get out there in a bigger way and I want to do my part to facilitate that. Many people, especially now with inflation and everything, they can't afford that and maybe they can't even afford very much. I just decided I'm going for it, I'm going to do that.
Speaker 2:That is amazing and people have been thankfully taking advantage of it, which is great, and I also want to give credit where credit's due, because part of that was also inspired by Charles Eisenstein. He's like a modern day philosopher, deep thinker, social commentator, and he has actually written at least one book and made a few videos on what he calls the sacred economics or the our gifting economy, and so, anyway, I read some of his stuff and I was like, yeah, you know, I mean, it's really based on the idea that we are all connected. Yes, and I talk about it, I teach about it, but it's time for me to actually put that into practice when it comes to the Department of Money honey, which is not so easy, but anyway, so I'm going for it.
Speaker 1:That is amazing. I love that. Before we ask you the final question, what is the best place for someone to check out your work? Is it yourenergymatterscom?
Speaker 2:Yes, yes, excuse me. Yes, it is, I'm getting all choked up. Yes, it's yourenergymatterscom. I love that and yeah, you can check out the online program there. Check out, you know, signing up for a session with me and I have other resources on my website as well.
Speaker 1:You have a lot of stuff. It's all amazing. So in your bio you mentioned the importance of intention and prayer and healing. Can you maybe elaborate on how these spiritual practices can complement energy work and promote holistic well-being?
Speaker 2:Yes, as practitioners, it's extremely important for us to be intentional in our work, and intentional means to have an intention at the forefront of your mind. And I also and I mean this is part of what I teach right, because intention is powerful and there are certain ways to do it that make it more effective. And I know we're kind of at the end and I can't really dive into all of that. It's a teaser, okay. I'll take it as a teaser Right. Check out my program, read the book. It's all in there. No.
Speaker 1:I'm just kidding.
Speaker 2:I already ordered it.
Speaker 1:Listen, I've already ordered it.
Speaker 2:Thank you, but one of the things that you can do when setting an intention is what I call the spiritual insurance policy, and that is, get clear on your intention and then always tack onto it for the highest good of all. And that's so important because we might think that we know what's best for our client and we might have that as an intention, but how do we know? We don't, we can't, and so when you set an intention, you can utilize this kind of spiritual insurance policy by having the intention and then always tacking onto the end of it for the highest good of all. And there are guidelines and little rules that you can follow when you are setting your intention. But I wanted to talk about the spiritual insurance policy because we don't have time to go into all of the details of potentizing your intention.
Speaker 1:I love that. So, deborah, I want to thank you so much for coming on the Spiritual Spotlight series. I'm definitely going to have to bring you back on so we can dive in a little bit deeper on this topic. I just want to say thank you so much.
Speaker 2:I look forward to that, Rachel. I've enjoyed it tremendously. I look forward to next time. Thank you so much. Thank you.
