The Gylanic Center

by Betty Meckstroth

 

 

 

Generically, I define giftedness as capacity of consciousness. To describe the relatively vast consciousness of the gifted, my favorite analogy involves a television set: Most people would get about five channels, some are wired for cable, and the gifted have satellite dishes. They pick up signals and make connections that other people cannot even imagine exist. This could include consciousness of the ethereal, if spirituality is consciousness in a realm beyond what is perceived through our senses.

 

This mental/emotional satellite dish can have selective ranges just as Dabrowski’s concept of overexcitabilities can be understood as selective lenses that amplify people’s experience in the emotional, physical, intellectual, imaginational, or sensual aspects of their life. 

That is, they perceive, receive, experience, understand more than most others do in the realms in which they are tuned in.

 

Some gifted individuals are conscious of a spiritual realm as well. Imagine reality as a spiral or labyrinth. Some gifted people have psychically traveled far from their small personal center and are conscious of a more universal reality. They are making mental and emotional connections in more universal communion.

 

Consider this concept of expanded consciousness in interpreting two hallmarks of gifted children: an intense sense of justice and an astute sense of humor. Their passion for justice stems from their ability to take a bird’s eye view (a higher consciousness) of situations and understand the other person’s, team’s, side’s point of view in addition to their own. Their sense of humor may come from being able to see the absurdity of the human condition. Often the other side of humor is cynicism—sometimes only intonation determines the difference. Gifted people can become cynical because they can “see through” people, they empathize and perceive the dark side, too. Is this spirituality, communication in the psychic realm? The term “intuition” has been used to depict—cautiously--some gifted children’s spiritual knowing.

 

It seems that many gifted people would not designate their spirituality as separate from their reality. Just as less capable people may censor the gifted for over-reacting and being too sensitive, the gifted person might feel that the average person is uncaring and insensitive. The same perspective applies to spirituality. For many gifted people, spirituality is their reality, their consciousness. Their consciousness just encompasses a greater realm than the immediate concrete focus. It could be that spirituality is expanded connectedness and consciousness—knowing that keeps going...

 

Who draws the line demarcating spirituality from reality? Frightened people try to control and limit reality. What is unconscious in one may be threatening if it is displayed in another. What remains unconscious is sometimes thought of as a dark side or shadow: wicked. Those who have the gifts of sight, wisdom or healing are considered a threat to their societies. In times past, these “wicked ones” (wise ones?) have been burned or otherwise eliminated.

 

We don’t know what we don’t know. Jungians strive to make the unconscious conscious. 

 

Betty Meckstroth holds a certificate in analytical psychology from the Jungian Institute in Chicago. She is a universal thinker who works with families of the gifted and resides in Evanston, IL.