|
The thought usually comes into our awareness slowly – these powerful and dreadful feelings seem so familiar. Is a pattern appearing…?
If we look at our betrayal stories as though we were peeling an onion, the outer layer represents our most recent hurtful experience - the trust-damaged relationship causing us grief and suffering right now. Sometimes, this current betrayal becomes an obsession and we conveniently “forget” about the other episodes.
If we take the time to remove the "skin", we see/remember previous incidents of broken trust, whether through love relationships, friends, work situations (boss or coworker), or other.
Peel another layer and we may find childhood betrayal(s). The closeness and trust necessary in a care-giving situation makes these betrayals especially traumatic - a child’s very SURVIVAL depends on these relationships. We probably had to pretend our caregivers were trustworthy because acknowledging the truth was simply too scary. These scenarios set up contradictions in our mind/emotions (energy system). Needless to say, the loss of innocence from early betrayals of nurturer or protector roles can cause havoc in our adult lives.
Peel another layer. Some say this is where inherited betrayal is stored – traumatic wounds carried over from our ancestors somehow showing up in our energy systems. A far fetched idea perhaps, but some feelings of being unsafe may have originated thousands of years ago when the earth went through massive changes (e.g. the flood stories common to ancient myths on every continent). On the opposite side, these catastrophic events from prehistory could have contributed to humans’ opportunistic, survive-at-any-cost behaviors, of which betrayal is a prime example.
Finally, we expose the center and come to the inner core of all betrayal experiences – self betrayal. The trust relationship with our self has become damaged through some emotional ordeal (s) - we may not remember how or when. Self betrayal becomes the norm when we are addicted to outside approval. We look to others, whether individuals or organizations, for our well-being, our acceptance, our love. This disconnection to our soul, and source of infinite, genuine support, sets us up for further betrayals on the “outside”.
Is it possible that betrayal of relationship to self is the actual “ultimate betrayal”? Perhaps we felt that Spirit or God (however each person understands it) abandoned us but I believe, unknowingly, we created the disconnection. A true healing of betrayal issues will take into account all these layers; however, a focus on recovery of self trust (being true to oneself) will speed the process.
For a different perspective on what is going on and what needs to happen, try observing the processes in a betrayal experience as though they were phases in an initiation quest. For help dealing with the emotional wounds of broken trust, easy-to-apply energy techniques are listed elsewhere on this site.
|
What is betrayal? Read explanation on Home page.
To deal with betrayal emotions, discover energy-healing tools on Techniques page.
Reframe the ordeal as a soul initiation.
Check out helpful links, music, and books on Resources page.
“One must have chaos in one’s self in order to give birth to a dancing star.”
Friedrich Nietzsche
Betrayal Poem
Things
Things are the mind’s mute looking-glass–
That vase of flowers, this work-box here,
When false love flattered me, alas,
Glowed with a beauty crystal clear.
Now they are hostile. The tulip’s glow
Burns with the mockery of despair;
And when I open the box, I know
What kind of self awaits me there.
Walter De La Mare
|
