The Power of Denial
Have you ever considered the potency of denial? Probably not. I don’t think I did until I saw these words in this exact phrase: the power of denial. Denial could quite possibly be the most powerful drug born of the ego there is, next to fear. Denial is the type of situation that never comes alone. It loves to aid and abet fear, defensiveness, pain, trauma. You name the negative emotion and perhaps, and undoubtedly you will find some level of denial present.
I come across a lot of emotional junk in my line of work. I mean I am an empath and if I am not dealing in emotions, what am I doing, right? Generally speaking, being “emotional” is a sign of weakness for many. I hear client after client state in various ways that their biggest fear in doing deep spiritual work is the fear of their emotions overwhelming them to the point they will not be able to cope. However, I also find that denial is an emotion that comes with ease for the women that identify as strong when dealing with emotions.
Denial is fear.
It is literally the fear of facing what is true.
Most new clients ask about their invisible blocks to success during their very first session. If there is a block that exists to a particular manifestation, there is usually fear present. I have repeated time and time again that fear does not always look like pure terror. Sometimes its physical manifestation is procrastination, avoidance, defensiveness, excessive worry, anxiety, or maybe its denial.
Denial is resistance.
It is the inability to accept.
Acceptance is the key to releasing any negative emotion. We humans have an interesting relationship with acceptance. We are primarily under the delusion that acceptance means there is no room for change, versus the reality that acceptance is the pathway for change.
So…how does denial show up in your world?
Denial is all around me.
I see resistance through the lens of my clients daily. I am not void of resistance myself, but it is generally fleeting. Right now I am actively creating a new experience for clients to realize spiritual clarity in their own lives through the lens of ancestry. It would be ridiculous to think that I could offer any guidance on the topic of ancestry without exploring more of my own lineage. This exploration has led me to examine inherited traits more closely, you know the ones that are obvious. The patterns.
Denial is a negative generational pattern that is a glaring reality in my family.
But, before deciding to take a deep dive into ancestry, I am not sure that I would have so clearly associated the behavior of denial as a negative generation pattern. And let me tell you, this is really important. Because if we cannot take what we observe in our environment and put clear and precise language to it, we are forced to remain a slave to our patterns. If you cannot articulate negative impacts, then you accept it as the norm, and the norm does not denote an issue and therefore cannot be corrected.
Here’s exactly how I have seen denial show up in my family:
1. My maternal grandmother had some form of cancer (the exact type has still not been revealed) yearrrrrrrrrrrrs ago. I was actually and unknowingly present at the hospital at the time of the surgery without knowledge of the diagnosis, the danger, or seriousness of the procedure. And, I became aware of this this anonymous cancer by mere happenstance within the last year.
Consider the implications of this level of inexcusable denial alone.
2. Hoarding is a habit. A bad habit. It seems this occurrence is more natural than a tidy
home. Questions about the excessive clutter are always met with a line about being too busy to deal with it. All reasonable remedies are seemingly absurd.
This denial is necessary to put up a barrier around the implications of the mental state. Not hoarding = not mentally impaired.
3. There is no agreement currently on something as fundamental as the racial makeup of my maternal great-grandfather. And though there are many complexities of his time, he was not an orphan. He had awareness of both biological parents. Secrets. The secrets run deep. Secrets and half-truths. Telling the whole story is acceptance. Acceptance would shine a light to bright on the truth of our trauma. Perhaps the truth of our demise. It is an invitation to further judgment. These are the extreme denials. Extreme!
“We are unable to think beyond our own biological identity.” - Sadghuru
Interesting quote and it is true. But it is always true that we are in many ways terrified to face our precise biological identity for we are lost in denial.
Denial may not be a pain point for you. It’s a strong possibility that all your cards are on face up on the table of your life. Maybe it’s something else that creates a struggle for you. Either way, what is your next step on the spiritual journey?
Only you can answer this question.
What emotions are hiding in your emotional landscape? Or, the ones that are embedded in your biological ancestry? Schedule an emotional clarity session today to see what energetic blockages are preventing you from growth and deeper connection.
Also, check out these episodes of the Life of an Empath podcast:
Navigating Evolving Relationships Pt. 1
Surrendering the Intuitive Possibilities
Ancestry: The Ins and Outs of Perceived Identity