Healing and Hypnotherapy Volume 4 Issue - 4, 1 October 2019 | Page 19

Self Awareness and its Dimensions
For too many of us, self-awareness is like a mythical unicorn:
Sometimes we catch fleeting glimpses of it. But as soon as we’ve spotted it, it
vanishes into thin air.
What is this mysterious quality that we think we possess, but actually rarely
do? Most importantly, WHY is self-awareness so important?
Being self-aware is an essential part of the spiritual journey. In fact, without
this fundamental quality, there can be no hope of spiritual or psychological
growth. Self-awareness is the very first stepping stone towards expanded
consciousness and experiences such as:
•
Deeper self-understanding
•
More self-compassion
•
Increased love for others
I’ll explore the many benefits later …
But in the meantime, let’s attempt to paint a picture of this magical and oh-so-
sly unicorn.
What is Self-Awareness?
Self-awareness is the ability to introspect and be aware of your own thoughts,
feelings, impulses, physical sensations, and behaviours. At a basic level, self-
awareness is the ability to pay attention to who you are and what makes you
tick. At more complex levels, self-awareness involves developing an
understanding of your deeper beliefs, inner wounds, mental and emotional
defence mechanisms, and repressed unconscious material – also known as
self-understanding.
So what’s the difference between self-understanding and self-
awareness?
Quite simply, self-awareness is recognizing your inner landscape. On the
other hand, self-understanding is using that self-awareness to figure out
something about yourself. Do you see the subtle difference?
What about self-awareness and consciousness … are they the same thing?
No. They aren’t. The difference between humans and most animals is that
humans possess both self-awareness and consciousness, while most