Spiritual Guidance for Living in Toxic Times
Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee: The spiritual regression of humanity and what we can do about it
The deep sadness felt by Trump's opponents after his reelection is likely to persist for a long time. On Instagram, Madonna expressed her frustration: “Trying to get my head around why a convicted felon, rapist, bigot was chosen to lead our country because he’s good for the economy?”
It is not surprising that people prioritize economic interests over moral and ethical values—history has shown this time and again. However, there is a sense that something deeper is at play. This issue goes beyond politics; it is not merely about differing opinions or personal preferences. The polarization we are witnessing is more than just contrasting belief systems, ways of thinking, or cultural backgrounds. And this state of affairs isn’t limited to Trump or the US. When we consider the bigger picture, it becomes clear that Trump represents more than just a clash of economic and political self-interests. Instead, he serves as a means, an instrument, and ultimately is himself a puppet of toxic powers that are reemerging on a global scale. This phenomenon is reminiscent of historical patterns that have taken various forms and faces, yet the underlying dynamics have remained largely unchanged beneath the surface.
However, there is much more and that runs much deeper than that. What we are experiencing is an indefinable yet unmistakable denial—a stubborn refusal to see or change, regardless of the facts or the strength of the arguments presented. It is a rejection that insists: “No, no, and no. Whatever the facts, whatever it costs, I don’t care.”
This negation is enveloped in a deafness that defies common sense; yet, it is tangible and real, prompting us to seek a rational explanation. You can certainly explain any aspect of human behavior through economic, social, political, historical, psychological, psychoanalytic, or even genetic factors. However, this explanation may merely reflect a theory created by a materialistic mindset that has fallen into other forms of collective denial.1
But what exactly is being negated? Deep down, we sense that there is a deeper meaning that eludes conventional understanding—something our minds can intuit but never fully grasp.
We won't uncover clear answers by merely scratching the surface and debating whether inflation, the cost of living, immigration, or other socioeconomic factors have caused the return to the past we are experiencing. While these factors are tangible and affect our daily lives, much deeper powers are at work and act as the true motivating factors. There are unconscious motivations at play—ones that cannot be fully understood through a purely rational or materialistic lens.
It's time to acknowledge that the outer world reflects our inner world. We need to learn to interpret the significance of current global events from a deeper, intuitive, and contemplative perspective—from a higher standpoint that the analytic mind can’t access.
From a spiritual perspective, it becomes clear that what we are witnessing is not about any specific personality, leader, economic model, or political ideology. This unfolding reality is not tied to any single person or government, however powerful they may appear. Instead, it is a movement of consciousness and a global life-force in the human collective that reflects a choice—an outward consequence of a decision humanity made, perhaps even before Trump became a prominent figure, and certainly earlier than the recent European far-right resurgence. I suggest reading a previous post to understand the context, where I outlined what this choice entails and the choice humanity must make.
The following talk, given by the Sufi master Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee in 2017, may help clarify. It offers a profound spiritual perspective on current world events, looking beyond superficial appearances. Entitled “Spiritual Guidance for Living in Toxic Times,” the talk provides deep insight into the root causes behind humanity’s choice of a path toward spiritual regression—a vision he shared only seven years ago that now feels prescient. Yet, it also offers guidance on what 'we' can do in response. In his words: “As our world becomes increasingly divisive and toxic, here is simple guidance on how to safeguard our spiritual practice and ensure we can make a real contribution to what is sacred within life and the Earth.”
The full talks can be found on his website, goldensufi.org, in the audio library section. I've compiled them into a single audio file, and I recommend taking your time to listen to it. For a preview of the content, a brief synopsis follows below. The footnotes reflect my personal interpretation applied to the present state of the world.
According to Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee, humanity was presented with an opportunity and a choice. On one hand, it could progress toward its “higher destiny,” addressing the many issues arising from its ancient collective unconscious while making a leap forward. This path would embrace interconnectivity, interdependence, and a spiritual awareness of oneness with both humanity and Nature, paving the way for a global civilization—a next step in human evolution. It is a difficult path that requires us to deal with our deepest unresolved traumas and emotional issues, clearing old, dense, and obsolete ideas, but it is a path towards the Light.
On the other hand, humanity could cling to its “lower destiny,” maintaining its profound disconnect from Nature and the environment as a separate entity, resisting change, avoiding real responsibility, and remaining on the familiar path of an ego-centered collective consciousness. It is the easy path because it doesn’t require us to change, but it is a relapse into the darkness of fear and separation—a retreat into spiritual regression.
Humanity’s collective was offered an opportunity, but it replied, “No, thank you. We don’t want that.” Unfortunately, it has chosen the latter path.
Because it knows and feels, with anger and resentment, that the American Dream and the ideal of endless, transgenerational growth in material wealth have come to an end. A new order is essential—one that ends the cycle of rampant consumerism and fosters a renewed, respectful relationship with Nature and the environment. However, this demands change: new habits, new ways of thinking. Yet, a collective unconscious resists, unwilling to deal with its generational trauma, denying and refusing to embrace the transformation required. This is why primitive, instinctual forces from the depths of the unconscious are taking over, leading us into a post-truth era where the refusal to transform results in a society where denial and disinformation become necessary to rectify one’s otherwise untenable worldview. He gives the example of anger, which, if not properly addressed, will dominate us and hinder our spiritual progress. These forces2 lure the collective with the promise of perpetuating a consumerism disconnected from Nature. Something Vaughan-Lee describes as a “toxic web of illusions,” leading to fantasies of isolationistic neo-nationalism, division, duality, an ongoing ecocide of the planet.3 A collective unconscious based on an ego-centered fear that forces us to perpetuate the status quo because it is our comfort zone. Something Vaughan-Lee describes as a “toxic web of illusions,” leading to fantasies of isolationistic neo-nationalism, division, duality, and an ongoing ecocide of the planet. A collective unconscious based on an ego-centered fear forces us to perpetuate the status quo because it is our comfort zone. It is unwilling to transform and transition toward a new consciousness and incapable of envisioning and feeling the beauty and harmony of a world grounded in a higher order of unity and human oneness. It manifests in a mindset that is ready to surrender its own freedom and once-sacred principles in favor of preserving its barbaric commercialism.4
Is everything lost? No, but humanity is unlikely to return to its “higher destiny” anytime soon. This will last at least for a couple of generations to come. What we can do is cultivate a practice that aligns our individual selves with the higher self—resisting the pull of external events, staying inwardly focused, and nurturing an inner connection to the Love that flows from the highest realms into our hearts. Through this “re-embrace of the heart,” we can bring Light, Truth, and Love into the spiritual body of the Earth. Our greatest service to others is not found in external activism, but in protecting our own light from the encroaching darkness. There will be an “evolutionary split between those who are working with the Light and those who will be caught in the density of this world.”
The next post will further explore what this “evolutionary split” is about.
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One of these is naturalism, the philosophical belief that everything arises from natural properties and causes, and supernatural or spiritual explanations must be excluded or discounted. This intellectual attitude, which has allowed for formidable material, technological and industrial progress, is now turning against us.
I believe that these are the real collective subconscious forces, rooted in animalistic instincts, manifesting through repressed emotions of anger and frustration, that fuel ideologies that nostalgically seek to revive societal models and ideals from the past—models threatened by the opposing trend of progressive unity, fairness, and human oneness. For example, the return of patriarchal ideas where “women have to know their place in society.”
This explains the election of ignorant, primitive, and wicked leaders who justify the ongoing ecocide by declaring climate change a 'hoax'—not only in the U.S. but worldwide—because this narrative allows us to cling to the illusion of endless economic prosperity and growth.
Therein lies the enthronement of the economy above human values, along with the tendency to label anyone suggesting a transition to a different economic order as a “communist.”