Unlocking the Untethered Soul: A Personal Journey

Unlocking the Untethered Soul is my personal account of transformation and discovery, shaped by my experiences as a resident at Michael A. Singer's Temple of the Universe and structured around the teachings found in his bestselling book, The Untethered Soul. 

This work is both a reflection and a guide, sharing the profound lessons I gained while living in an environment dedicated to spiritual growth, mindful awareness, and the pursuit of inner freedom. Through the lens of Singer's teachings, I explore the practical steps, challenges, and breakthroughs that have shaped my understanding of consciousness, presence, and the limitless potential within each of us.

When I found the Temple community, I had no understanding of what this experience would mean for me. I had no background in meditation, yoga or spiritual work. My only exposure to spirituality had been through unfulfilling encounters with religion, so my journey truly began when I first heard Michael A. Singer speak in 1992. Mickey, as we have always called him, spoke about life and spirituallity in a simple, non-dogmatic way. He referenced various religions, but only as remarkably consistent guidelines for finding one’s own truth, not as rigid rules or methods to please an angry God. Having lived as a resident in Singer’s community for more than 30 years, the lessons have only become more powerful.

Foundations of the Teaching

Mickey taught that life itself is God made visible. As a young seeker, this resonated with me. How else do you know God except through the world you live in and the relationships you have? There was a strong sense that the world was not out to punish us. Instead, it was a lived in adventure for transmitting lessons and learning if you were open to receiving them. I later learned that this radical acceptance of reality is a foundational teaching in many philosophies, and Mickey’s way of expressing it beautifully aligned with the idea that the world is a canvas for beauty, enjoyment, learning, and growth.

Awareness of the Mind

One of my earliest memories pointing out the incessant chatter of the mind. He taught using thought exercises that helped to illustrate the power of the mind to create thoughts both as an intentional and focussed effort and that the mind when left unmonitored would create a running narrative to the day that was often abusive and hateful to self and others.

I was unaware of how much my mind operated on autopilot, or how little attention I paid to its constant stream of thoughts. Through meditation, my view of the world began to change from the inside out. I came to see that I often related to life in an adversarial way; when things did not go as I hoped, I tended to react with anger, sadness, or depression. I realized I was allowing external circumstances to dictate my happiness, instead of recognizing and embracing the power within myself to intentionally shape my experience of life.

I began to live the simple practice of paying full attention to what is happening in the present moment, without judgment or distraction. I became more aware of thoughts, feelings, and sensations as they came up, and accepted them without trying to change or avoid them.

I learned that I could be with my thoughts and make choices for how I would let them affect me. I recognized that most of my thoughts were self-abusive, and I had developed habits for trying to motivate myself with negativity. With time, I saw how much my energy was damaged by this relentless inner critique.

Growth around my Energy

With some progress in meditation, I developed a sensitivity to my energy system. I noticed how my heart would open and close throughout the day, often driven by my thoughts. When my spiritual heart center closed, I lost all enthusiasm for life. More self-work revealed that my habits of seeking distractions, whether through food, sex, drugs, or alcohol, were attempts to fill a sense of emptiness with an artificial energy source. When life was going well, I could present as happy and put together, but under stress, I could fall into a deep hole.

Lifelong Work and Growth

In the beginning I was mostly seeking relief from pain and depression. As time went by, and I built better habits, I discovered a new way of living. Instead of running from pain, I began to move through difficult emotions towards inspiration, to find more passion and drive for life instead of escape from it. Rather than building my life around avoiding certain feelings, I began to have glimpses of who I could become if I kept letting go of what was holding me back.

This experience required moving through pain. There is no shortcut to a happy, enthusiastic life filled with love and appreciation. The work is always to let go of what holds you back, not to add external energy. Your being is a well of power, genius, and clarity once you allow your blockages to be released.

Embracing Pain and Cleansing

Working through pain is the key element of learning to thrive in life. There will be many beautiful days of bliss, power, and love, but also days of darkness and stagnant energy that reveal old traumas and anxieties. The genius of The Untethered Soul is in the thousands of years of teachings across many traditions that have a remarkable consistency at their core and lead to growth and the release of old stuck trauma and pain. 

I experienced The Untethered Soul as Mickey’s presence on the printed page and its structure as a guide through your energy systems, helping you to open and be cleansed naturally. Pain is not a punishment, it is a guide into life’s cleansing process. 

My purpose is to share a story of growth using the structure of the Untethered Soul as a framework. Mickey’s teachings willingly allow the cleansing of pain and become enthusiastic about working through life’s darkest parts. We do not have to unpack every harmful event from our past; simply being with the heart enough to evolve toward our highest self. The most difficult moments of our life are our allies in growth.

Realization and Transformation

If you work carefully with these teachings, you will experience an opening of energy as you let go of old pain. It is a realization that mental anguish and emotional pain are not who you are; you are consciousness itself. With basic, practical methods, you can evolve beyond your wildest dreams. You have no idea how beautiful and powerful you can be.

The Core of Love

These teachings and practices are about tapping into a core of love that exists within everyone. You may not be fully aware of it, but it is there. The journey to that space, to the realization of self, is the most beautiful adventure you can experience. Everything you desire lies just beyond your pain, and these teachings provide a proven framework for attaining that freedom and self-knowledge.

Universal Search for Peace

Everyone who has ever lived on Earth has sought peace, joy, and love. Eventually, this will be your lens for experiencing the world. Instead of living in a world of dramas and obstacles, you will feel harmony with others who are also seeking the same things you are. Your inner work and inner growth lead to an appreciation of self and others, and you will find your place, your flow, and your rhythm in humanity.