Claudia Cauterucci is a multilingual, multicultural psychotherapist, international speaker, author, and creator of the Dynamic R-Evolution curriculum and community.
In these tumultuous times, our mindset is crucial. From a psychospiritual perspective, and as a Heaven on Earth Coach, I maintain that our outlook can shape our reality, influencing whether we view our current circumstances as the end of the Earth or the beginning of a new, heavenly era. Let me explain.
Awareness, mindset, and manifestation
For the last 2 decades or so, there has been a lot of talk about how humans create their reality, also described as our ability to manifest. The central idea is that manifestation is actually a neutral human function, devoid of an opinion, and like a good soldier, just follows instructions. The instructions we create are based on our internal subjectivity, cognitive paradigms, and unconscious material; consequently, these create our lived experience. Good or bad manifestations are equally available to us depending on our state of being. Some call this “a self-fulfilling prophecy”.
If this human capacity is just a neutral GPS of sorts, it behooves us to give it instructions that work for us, not against us. Given that the instructions include internal processes, becoming aware of our inner dialogue is a no-brainer. This is where mindset comes in.
Wikipedia defines mindset as “a set of beliefs that shape how you make sense of the world and yourself”. In my work and in this article, I submit that we are the architects of our mindset, and that we can pilot our life experience (manifestations), no matter the mindset we were born into.
Our mindset impacts our vote—or our ability to choose—and our vote impacts our life experience. I’ll show you how it’s all connected.
Let’s take a deep dive into some of the psychology of this for starters. Related article: What is Mindset and Why It Matters
The impact of the perceptual field on mindset
I love and use the term “perceptual field” often when I'm working. It’s derived from Gestalt therapy, developed by Fritz Perls, which emphasizes the importance of understanding the context of a person’s life and experiences. Perceptual field comprises the totality of an individual's environment and experiences at any given moment. Picture an ongoing loop, containing not only our external environment but also our internal world of thoughts, feelings, and sensations. Our perception and organization of this field profoundly impacts our mindset and behavior.
In other words, our perceptual field is crucial because it determines how we make sense of our experiences. In his internationally acclaimed masterpiece, Man’s Search for Meaning, Victor Frankl described this, and I paraphrase, as a way to create meaning from the experience we are having. The reflective question is what are we learning when we experience something, good or bad? In detailing his time in the Nazi concentration camps, he formed a perceptual field wherein the camps were a place to observe human suffering and to decipher how to mine the good in its midst. It was under those conditions that he established his foundational tenet that an individual’s ultimate freedom is to choose their attitude towards life circumstances, or shall we say, their mindset.
Like at any fork in the road, we have options. If our perceptual field is dominated by negative or threatening stimuli, our mindset may become defensive or anxious. Conversely, if our perceptual field is filled with supportive and positive stimuli, we can foster a more open and confident mindset.
In my work, I emphasize the mastery of our internal stimuli (through a meditative process I created called “light housing”) so that we can respond to external stimuli, no matter what it is, in a way that provides us with discernment geared towards holistic well-being. My role as a therapist and Heaven on Earth Coach, is to help clients become aware of their perceptual fields and how they might be unconsciously sabotaging their life experiences and behaviors via their emotional and psychological wounds, and that they have a vote in their mindset.
Perception and behavior in cognitive behavioral therapy
Another psychological treatment approach which also highlights the profound impact of perception on behavior is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or CBT. In CBT, the core idea is that our thoughts (cognitions) influence our feelings and behaviors. CBT reiterates that how we perceive something influences how we feel and behave. The visual here is a triangle with thoughts, feelings, and behaviors at each point, evenly impacting each other.
For example, if we perceive a situation as threatening (believing they will be judged, rejected, or controlled), we may feel anxious or fearful. This emotional response can lead to behaviors such as avoidance, withdrawal, or attack. Conversely, if we perceive the same situation as an opportunity for connection, support, and positive interaction, we are more likely to feel relaxed and confident, leading us to be more engaging and interactive.
Integrating perception and mindset
Both Gestalt therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy underscore the importance of perception in shaping our experiences and responses to the world. The perceptual field in Gestalt therapy and the cognitive processes in CBT both point to a fundamental psychological principle: our mindset is profoundly influenced by how we perceive our environment and ourselves.
Studies corroborate that a person's state of mind significantly impacts how they perceive and remember events, like a camera filter. The saying “you see things through rose-colored glasses” is actually based on real data. Studies have found that individuals with depression and anxiety often exhibit biases in their perception and memory that align with their emotional state.
Was the movie “Love actually” sad?
A client shared with me that she had watched the rom-com, Love Actually, and felt sad afterwards. When I asked her why, she described the break-up scene between two characters.
Even though this movie is well known as a romantic, feel-good movie, she could only remember the sad parts which matched her internal state.
Studies have found that depressed individuals tend to have a stronger recall for negative events and details compared to positive ones. This is often because their cognitive processes, part of their perceptual field, are biased toward negative information. For instance, another study found that depressed people could better remember negative adjectives from a selection of words than those who had never experienced depression.
Depression can also impair the ability to recall specific positive details, even when they can remember general experiences.
This focus on negative details can exacerbate feelings of hopelessness and sadness.
Rifles at the Colombian Starbucks
I took my son to my home country, Colombia, when he was 8 years old. We went to the Colombian version of Starbucks, Juan Valdez, a trendy, chic coffee shop. At the entrance were 2 guards, dressed in military green and holding rifles. This isn't unusual for Colombia given its history of political and criminal unrest. I barely noticed them but it became my son’s primary memory from that particular trip because it was anxiety provoking.
Studies found that anxiety also skews perception, leading individuals to focus more on threatening or negative stimuli. Research has demonstrated that anxious individuals are more likely to perceive neutral situations as threatening and remember the scary parts of experiences more vividly. This heightened sensitivity to threats can result in a cycle where anxiety feeds on itself, making everyday situations seem more daunting and reinforcing anxious thoughts.
In short, depression clouds memories and anxiety skews them. These findings underscore the importance of addressing cognitive biases in therapeutic settings – and in all settings, as far as I am concerned. By reframing our perceptions and memories, we can reduce the impact of negative emotions and promote healthier, more balanced views of ourselves and the world around us.
This, for me, begs the questions: how are we seeing the world we currently live in? What is our filter, or mindset? Are we interested in healing our perceptions or compounding their depressed or anxious filters?
How we ingest what’s happening on our planet through the media or social media can really shape our perceptual field. The opposite is also true: our original perceptual field also dictates what we choose to ingest. All the more reason to be aware that where we put our gaze is our vote for more of the same.
It’s time for some global CBT.
Heal yourself, heal the planet
Where do we start? We start with you. As in all forms of meditation, awareness is the first step; become the observer of your perceptual loop. By becoming aware of, and consciously shifting your perceptions, you can regulate your emotions and direct your behavioral responses, leading to a more positive and adaptive way of interacting with the world.
As the tagline to my Dynamic Meditation Method course says, “Heal yourself, heal the planet.” Consider that the world is a projection of who you are.
So let us circle back to the original question: are we seeing these times as the end of the Earth or heaven on Earth?
All the world's a stage
The great planetary shift
We are currently experiencing a significant overlap between two worlds, marking a transition between two eras: life before 2020 and life after 2020. In the post-pandemic world, we are witnessing monumental questioning of traditions, policies, hierarchies, powers, systems, and beliefs. Individuals worldwide are demanding authenticity, self-governance, and unparalleled freedom of expression, amplified by internet connectivity and resulting in extraordinary human connectivity.
We are all responsive witnesses to both slight and significant shifts occurring globally. Centuries-old beliefs are collapsing. The assumptions of the pre-pandemic world, rooted in long-questioned and resisted protocols, are now being dismantled and this is confusing our political discourse.
This pivotal moment calls for a redefinition of our humanity, urging us to embrace our intrinsic essence and reject the destructive narratives of the past. Whether we see this as the end or a new beginning depends on our collective mindset and our willingness to evolve.
Individuation of new Earth from old Earth
Carl Jung, a psychoanalytic forerunner and best buds with Sigmund Freud (for a while, at least, until they individuated), developed the theory of individuation, which he posited as the pinnacle of personal development. When we individuate, we integrate aspects of our unconscious with the conscious mind to achieve a harmonious and balanced self. This journey, according to Jung, is characterized in 3 stages:
1. The shadow
Or confronting and assimilating the shadow, which is the repressed, rejected, and often negative parts of our self – I call them our amputations;
2. Finding energetic balance
Or recognizing and integrating the anima or animus, or what I understand as our internal masculine and feminine energies – the yin and yang, if you will – in order to find personal balance;
3. Becoming whole
Or ultimately reaching self-actualization or the realization of the Self – what I deem as becoming whole, the epitome of healing, by studying, accepting, and loving ourselves.
Let me connect the dots about why individuation matters on a global scale. I work from a particular paradigm, or mindset, that I entitle “the all is in the small, and the small is in the all.” The words came to me in a dream as most of my significant endeavors have. Another way to understand it is from the words originated from Hermetic philosophy, “as within, so without, as above, so below, as the universe, so the soul”.
The meaning set forth by both these phrases combines all the pieces of mindset, perceptual field, and CBT together: what happens inside of us, shows up outside of us, and what happens to one of us, happens to all of us. Does healing yourself to help heal the planet make more sense now?
The conflict we are seeing
For the sake of simplicity, I am calling the planet before 2020 “Old Earth”, and the planet we could potentially be, “New Earth”, and boy, are they individuating.
Individuation can lead to conflicts with our familial, societal, cultural, political, and religious norms. Of course! We begin to question and peel off layers of the ways we were raised so that we can discern who we truly are.
As humans become more authentic and true to their deeper selves, they find themselves butting heads with external expectations and pressures. It is an understatement to say that this current planetary divergence is creating high tension in international affairs, in the systemic status quo, on the political stage, and our environment. Rigid side-taking is the name of the game.
Fearing the threat of differentiation, what we are seeing is a great divide between Old Earth committing to staying the same, and New Earth insisting on differentiation to stop the narrative of war and destruction.
What was hidden is revealed, over and over
All the ickiest parts of humanity seem to be coming to the surface. Derailed leadership and human atrocities have been part of our history all along, but we just didn’t have the internet to provide us with a play-by-play. What we are seeing is humanity confronting its shadow.
The historical modus operandi has been to either avoid the collective shadow like the plague or project it onto others. It is so much simpler to blame than to navigate the painful tunnel of accountability and self- reflection. In essence, this is what we are seeing in our news headlines, Netflix documentaries, and political interplays. Humanity’s shadow can no longer hide and in fact, is on full display.
Humanity was inadvertently forced to “go inside” by the pandemic, and although profound self-study instigated by a grueling event can be brutal – as all shadow encounters are – we could also use it as data from which to self-reflect, learn, and uplevel. Facing our amputations is hard, but as in all healing, it is essential in order for us to evolve. This confrontation requires courage and honesty, which can be challenging and uncomfortable, but it could bring out the best in us yet, if approached with awareness.
I call this trauma rising.
Trauma shedding
Picture a cell dividing into two: As Old Earth doubles down on staying put, there exists a parallel process as New Earth is shedding centuries of trauma and bellows for a new way. Planetary healing is proclaimed, demanded, and exalted as groups, programs, retreats, companies, influencers, artists, social media, and podcasts are discussing ancestral healing.
Psychotherapy, somatic healing, plant medicine, breathing workshops, and the merging of traditional with the non-traditional, is the new ever-proliferating path. Exposing narcissistic strongholds is on the rise, trauma rising is preferred to trauma bonding, and human consciousness, a topic that has generally been discussed in psychoanalytic and scholarly circles, is now center stage and part of our everyday dialogue.
The best of times and the worst of times
In short, humans have had enough. The pandemic provided a sacred pause where everyone was forced to look at themselves, their lives, and their choices and planet Earth required that we take a big chill pill on self-destructing.
What followed has been an individual and collective yearning to be free from the layers of narratives based on segregation, isolation, and suffering. Folks who are voting for a New Earth are in Jung’s second and third stages, seeking energetic balance in an attempt to become whole.
I am proposing that this great shift is actually an evolutionary process that is normal, necessary, and overdue if we want to walk back from the verge of karmic self-hate and eventual extinction. All three stages of individuation are required, and even though it looks like we’re stuck in stage one, stage two is an option for which we can vote right now.
It’s the end of the world as we know it
I love the 1987 R.E.M. song, “It’s the End of the World As We know It”. Its main chorus goes like this:
It's the end of the world as we know it It's the end of the world as we know it It's the end of the world as we know it And I feel fine – R.E.M.
Similar to New Year’s Eve in 1999, some of you may remember that in 2012 there was a huge hoopla about the end of the world encroaching based on the Mayan calendar prophecy. It gained widespread attention because of a telephone-game-effect which spread the word that the world was ending on December 21, 2012. Mayan culture scholars and experts clarified that this date was not meant to signify an apocalyptic event but rather the end of one cycle and the beginning of another.
The Maya viewed time as cyclical, and the completion of a cycle was a cause for renewal and celebration, not doom. Despite widespread media hype and various doomsday theories, December 21, 2012, like our transition into the millennium, passed without any catastrophic events, reinforcing the interpretation that the Maya foresaw a transition or shift rather than an end. According to the prophecy, this date marked the end of a 5,125-year cycle known as a b'ak'tun. In actuality, it was a prediction of a significant transformation, and indeed, 2012 started the end of the world as we know it.
And we will be fine.
A phoenix moment
The Mayan prophecy aligns with my suggestion that humanity is in a period of significant transformation and renewal that could very well be a Phoenix-moment. If we approach this time as an evolutionary invitation for humanity to face its shadows of self-hate, war, and ultimately, its blind race towards extinction, we could back flip and create a whole new world where killing each other is no longer the easiest option.
We are in for a bumpy ride in these next few years as these two versions of the planet are trying to individuate. Like a teenager marking himself as separate from his parents, it can be intense, it often isn’t pretty, but it is oh-so necessary. If the parents are not self-reflective and insist on controlling and molding their child to fit their own self-interest, the identity transition will be volatile at best, conflict-ridden at worst, and thwarting for sure.
Just as some parents fear and are unwilling to allow their child to evolve into a version of themselves that feels separate and unknown, Old Earth and its centuries-old systems and ways, is clinging on and fighting for dear life. It makes sense. I would too, and I have, when my abandonment fear is triggered and when I have felt that I will no longer have control, especially of my child. In those moments, what I have forgotten, and what most people who use power, control, fear, and war tactics do to not lose people (or what they provide), is that control is not analogous to love.
Heaven on Earth is not Pollyanna
I know, I know, right about now you may be thinking, “Oh no! You’re not proposing a Pollyanna mindset, are you?!” I am unwaveringly not. The Heaven on Earth mindset does not propose an intellectual, emotional, or spiritual bypass; quite the contrary, it proposes that we must spelunk through the horrors of our trauma, face our demons, and confront our past head on to witness the trail of injured bodies, emotional and psychological amputations it left behind.
We cannot and will not heal unless we do the gooey, gross, and mostly unbearably painful work of tracking our history; we must see what we need to learn from our wounds and where we went astray to unstick the repeat button. Otherwise—and the old adage fits perfectly here—“history will repeat itself.”
I am proposing that at this very moment in humanity’s evolution, history will not repeat itself if we shift our gaze and strengthen our mindset towards a new way based on self-love, because everything starts with the self; the all is in the small, and the small is in the all. As the waves of healing sweep our planet, as our shadow is confronted, and we are made whole by integrating it, we can create an entirely new world, one person at a time.
2024
2024 is an invocation to become the mindful observer of the cyclical changes influencing our human consciousness and the planet. We are at a crossroads that points to a new era of heightened awareness and evolutionary progress, if we vote for it.
Your vote is your healing. Your vote is your mindset. Your vote is where you shift your gaze. Your vote is your intentional awareness.
I’ll end with this anecdote. I was watching the 2019 version of Aladdin the other day. The movie was overflowing with the themes in this article: mindset, manifestations, paradigm shifts, ancestral healing, and a whole new world. Following the song thread I started earlier, let me share the chorus of its central theme which goes like this:
A whole new world
A new fantastic point of view No one to tell us, "No"
Or where to go
Or say we're only dreaming…
– Alan Menken/Tim Rice
For those of you who may be doubtful of the parallels I am making with a Disney movie to the redesign of a new world based on the above tenets, consider this:
Walt Disney started with just an idea, a mindset rather, which indeed, created a whole new world.
Read more from Claudia Cauterucci
Claudia Cauterucci, Psychotherapist, Psycho-Spiritual Coach, Author
Claudia Cauterucci is a multilingual, multicultural psychotherapist, international speaker, author, and creator of the Dynamic R-Evolution curriculum and community. She is passionate about training Empath Leaders for this emerging new world and identifies as a Colorful Person, a term she uses to express her unique identity. Claudia resides in Washington, D.C., a city she adores, with her son John and her beloved long-haired Akita.
