ruth-helen camden
About the book: Past Lives
Ruth Helen Camden is a registered psychologist and naturopath who specialises in past-life therapy.
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Treasure in the hands of a child
Inside each of us we hide parts that feel small, lonely or unloved. Those childlike parts of ourselves are sometimes called the shadow, the inner child or inner wound. They are aspects of ourselves that lie intimately close to our sense of who we truly are, and they can be seem as symbols of the loss of beauty and innocence we once had as children. They also hold samskaras - emotional scars - that limit us in our lives.
Samskaras are perhaps best described as imprints in the subconscious. They carry the memories of all sorts of things that caused us pain when we were small. On the surface we look and speak like adults, but in our inner world, those small, childlike parts are frozen in time, still feeling and behaving as those old hurtful things had happened just yesterday.
But sometimes the most difficult things can lead to treasure. What if the wounded inner child was not the problem, but in fact the solution to much of our life quest? Imagine how powerful it would be if the very part of us that carries the memory of losing joy, trust or love, could be the part that holds the keys to reclaiming it.
In fact, in my experience, that is exactly what happens when people take the emotional, spiritual and psychological journey back to the origin of their deepest hurts. Then, deep at our source, something is reclaimed and treasures are revealed. What seemed weak and vulnerable turns into openness and receptivity. Fear and hesitation give way to joyful creativity. Anger and frustration become a force of 'can do' that burns away our lethargy and apathy in a fire of enthusiasm for what lies ahead.
It sounds simple, and it is. However it's true that simple doesn't always mean easy – it can take huge courage and a great deal of work to get to that point where a deep letting go can change everything in us. But knowing it's there, who can resist the challenge? The great adventure of taming the dragon and winning the treasure is every child's dream, and within the reach of any adult ready to try.
