What is IMPRINTING?
Imprinting is what we learn from the world around us- from our culture, society, environment, family, friends, relationships, spirituality etc. It is what nurtures us and teaches us how to be and what to do- so it helps us develop our standards, desires and expectations in life.
The choice of mates we should seek? Imprinting. The personas/behaviors we've learned to assume? Imprinting. The great lessons of life we've been taught? Imprinting. The skills we've inherited? Imprinting.
Anyone can Imprint Us
Imprinting throws a shade or filter over our own personality, our natural way of being.
We can be imprinted by anyone, so the lessons, behaviors, expectations, values etc. we take on can be influenced by the personality traits(and imprinting) our imprinters had.
If they were in Caution, we might learn to live our relationships cautiously, when it's more natural for us to dive in and be fully Passionate about who/what we're relating with. Or we might have taken on a Pragmatic interpretation of life when we desire much more to see it for how it can improve, as an Idealist would.
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Imprinting will always supersede our natural self because it gets deeply rooted in our DNA and Psychology.
This can be either negative or positive in effect.
Negative Imprinting is Harmful- it is painful and leaves us apathetic or in great turmoil over how to repress, reconcile or meet up to it. It ALWAYS shows up as a conclusive, reprimanding voice that undermines, shames, divides and defeats our efforts.
Positive Imprinting is Useful, beneficial, adaptable and constructive- it is not conflicting & helps guide us through life with love, truth and energy, meshing well with who we are.
Imprinting is always going to affect everyone, no matter what. But it's NOT PERMANENT and can be shed at any moment if you build the courage and make the choice to do so.
However, it is mindful to be aware that shedding it does not mean it will go away completely- but rather it will fade into the background of your life as a source of information you can make do with as you will, no longer being something that compulsively pushes, controls or disappoints you.
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PASSAGES and IMPRINTING
The Passages more than anything, describe how we come to know our imprinting.
In the first 2 Passages, we are given Birth from our parents and immediately begin to act out, behave like and process their personalities, fears, ups and downs as our bodies change with the tides of their feelings.
We take on and absorb an immense amount of information, values, rights and wrongs, do's and dont's without even realizing- with our first 7 Years making up about 80% of our Imprinting.
As we fulfill our sense of Autonomy, our last bits of Childhood Imprinting are cemented, Adolescence kicks in and we begin to seek Independence.
We want to define ourselves for the first time as separate and free from the Imprinting of our Caretakers; or at least able to use our resources in a way that is self-sufficient & suitable to us.
Then once we reach Adulthood, we're forced to confront how to reconcile our values+ideals with others- and if we haven't moved through our Passages successfully, we begin to falter and struggle in redefining ourselves.
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But if we have, we still must face the reality of shedding away the roles, standards and beliefs we've been taught from our past, culture, society, family, relationships, spirituality etc. that no longer serve us.
We must sort between what's ultimately a harmful, unnecessary or "bullshit" lie that's indoctrinated+dominated us vs what's helpful and appreciated for the value it's taught us. So we learn to unlearn all the debris and build-up that has been blocking us & holding us down rather than supporting our desires.
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The 4th Passage of Manifestation does the work of this, while in the 5th Passage we begin to release all ideas and expectations we have ever had of ourselves too, to Recreate ourselves in a new light that better suits our evolution and aging, rather than our preconceived purpose and goal in life.
It's a tough process, but in order to represent our path with wholeness, presence and vitality, this shedding of the skin we've lived in that's outgrown its usage- is vital to our health as human beings.