Why We Feel Disconnected (and How to Fix It) with Dr. Lori Hops

Introduction to loneliness and unity consciousness 0:00

Hey friends, I'm your host Dr. Elizabeth Samanta the intuitive psychiatrist and you're listening to stepping into soul power. Friends, you know, we are in interesting times right now and unfortunately a lot of people are feeling lonely, lonely and disconnected. They've even done some studies that there is a loneliness epidemic. But our next guest has a unique perspective on something that we might be able to do to be to remember who we are and combat that loneliness. She is a licensed psychologist, Reiki master, diplomat in comprehensive energy psychology, and well-versed in logosynthesis and unity consciousness.

Dr. Laurie Hopps, welcome to the show. Thank you. So lovely to be here and thank you for inviting me to join you in the audience. Yeah. I love what you're doing, would love for you to tell us a little bit about how you got interested in logosynthesis and unity consciousness. How did that come about? Let me start with what things people can relate to that don't need any training because logo synthesis is a specific perspective and I am going to be teaching that community pretty soon. But let's focus on what most people already know about, which is the notion of being divided.

So we learn division like with math in school and putting things into categories, separating things, comparing things. You know, something better or worse, more or less. It's just that polarity is part of our life, which is fine. That's a natural part living. But the problem happens when it starts to get in the way of love, of connection, feeling good about ourselves, making positive changes in of having hope. And so when division starts to eat away at our relationships or our sense of ourself or what's possible in the world, then it becomes almost like a poison.

So I've noticed over my years that there seems to be more division consciousness than unity consciousness around. I don't know, maybe that's a perception that I have, but it seems to be kind of like an international story that we're telling ourselves about pitting

Division, lack, and the giving vs. receiving mindset 2:51

against one another or even internally. So my story is that, I was speaking a couple of months ago to a really learned person And they were talking to me about receiving, which is a great thing, to receive love, receive healing and blessings. And I said, but what about giving? Aren't we creative souls that can give too? And she pointed out that sometimes what we think of as giving a good thing actually has a bad consequence that we don't anticipate. And so it's safer to receive than to give. And I said, but what about charity or giving from your heart?

And she said well, are you really coming from oneness when you do that? or are you really coming from division and lack?" And I said, what do you mean? And she says, well, if I have something and I give it to you and feel good about it and you receive it, she said then I'm sort of lacking and thinking that you're in a needful place. And so it sort brings to mind the idea of not having enough. Now, in reality, people do not have enough. People starve, they're exhausted, their depleted, and feel empty.

But in the bigger sense, we all have access to everything, theoretically at least. And so I thought, well, how can I start to play with this in a way that makes sense? So let me just stop there for now and then I'll give you the solutions that I've come up with that might be helpful for the audience. But I'm wondering if what I have explained is clear so far. Yeah. Well, I wonder if you might able to paint a picture. You had mentioned something that giving a good thing has a bad consequence. and then people having a bit of a lack mentality for people who find it difficult to make that jump.

Could you give an example, paint a picture of what that might look like? Yes, so if I hand you something, a pen, and you need a pin. And I think about, oh, poor Elizabeth, she doesn't have a pain. But I have the pen and I'm generous, I am going to give it to you. We are not in an even relationship in that moment, even though it's just a pan and handing it you, but if i say, right now I had the pan, Elizabeth doesn' and i'm going hand it her, down the road she's going have pan I not. Or we both have pens that we share.

It's the idea of coming at it with an equivalency, an idea that even though in this one circumstance things look uneven or are, that in the bigger picture we all have access to everything. And what I'm actually offering is to resonate with you in sharing energy. So it's almost like we're raising cups together and toasting rather than me pouring from my cup into yours. So, it has a different perspective even if the action is the same. It comes from a difference place. And I think that it also means that you respond and think differently in the future because you're coming from different place Okay, so it's the perspective and the intention prior to like that.

We're doing the same exchange, but the way we're going at it is different. Yes, and because of that, everything else changes. So if I wake up in the day feeling hungry and not having enough food, I can go into a victim mindset. Oh my gosh, it reminds me of all the other times I didn't have food and It's so unfair what other people do and I don't, and i'm starving and worried. That is a different mindset than there's times when I have not had food and have gotten through it before. It hasn't been easy, but solutions have come to me.

Time travel, past baggage, and future yearning 7:24

And I know that they will again in the future. And then it opens up to possibility. Then you start to think differently. You start look around at things differently, you think about yourself differently you go into a different mindset and it open up possibilities where doors would have been ignored or you thought they were closed because you didn't push on them. And so I'm trying to point out not about being insensitive to lack. I'm trying to point out that I think we've had a mindset that has biased us towards lack and finite options and a no before a yes.

And this is about flipping the script on that. Yes, no, you are absolutely right. As you were saying that, I was like, oh, well, because of the different way, the difference perspective or mindset you're having when you have this discussion, like the internal dialogue is different and you're absolutely right that like, the solutions that you'll see are different. Well, I wonder how can we start to move in that direction where we're shifting our perspective? Great question. So if people are interested, i talk about time travel.

It's not as scary as it sounds. I like it. This audience is here for it, tell us about time travel. Yes. Okay. So in a simplest way, we have past, present, and future. And always the point of power and change is in the here and now, which is great and wonderful, but the problem is that we drag our past and our future with us while we're doing it and it weighs us down. So when I talk about time travel, what I think about is how is my past still holding me hostage in ways that I don't need it to that.

I might not even be aware of it. So that's the one thing to get really clear on what's holding back or what was useful before, but no longer fits like a pair of shoes that you've outgrown or that don' fit you anymore. And then the other thing is the future yearning. Like I want it be different, you know, and we all need dreams and aspirations. But sometimes that future yearning keeps us away from what's happening in the here and now. If I'm always longing for the vacation to get away work or stress, that's fine until it starts to interfere with my ability to even make it happen because I am not paying attention to what is happening with me now So we need to kind of keep a light touch around the past and the future while we set goals and move towards something that we want in here and now.

And so that's where logosynthesis or psychotherapy or other things can come in handy with unshackling ourselves from the past, taking away the blinders, letting us relinquish or release what no longer serves us. And, so, that is the course that I'm going to be teaching soon. But people can do it in a simple way. which I think is to get in touch with something that you do want in the future and to bring it into the here and now is, to say, what's stopping me? And usually what stopping you is something you've run into trouble with in past, like I don't believe in myself or it seems impossible or something bad might happen if I try or I do not know where to go.

And those are usually old stories. So what I suggest is going back in your mind to some times when those old stories really derailed you and caused problems. But here's the trick. You probably found a way around them. Something happened or else you wouldn't be here. And so think about the gifts that you received or the wisdom that was given or those solutions that came up that helped you solve that problem in the past or something similar, similar problem. And that's where your genius lies. That's were possibility happens.

And that's when we start to look at consciousness in terms of unity field of everything exists already. And I can access possibility rather than closed doors and dark tunnels or the answer no. Sometimes a no leads to a yes later on. So we work with the past, figure out where your genius was. If you don't know what it was or how to help yourself now, send out a request to the universe in whatever form that is for you, a prayer, request, feeling of that I will be taken care of. I have to ask and I receive what I need and then wait.

wait to find out what the answers are. They might come in a phone call that comes a minute later, or a conversation you have later that week, a dream that you had, people that meet, and this starts to erode away that past baggage and gives you the possibility to start moving towards the future that want. I really love that. Working with the past and looking for the genius That is lovely. And I guess for our listeners, is that just a simple reflection? Are we getting into a meditative state? Like, I want to have a better sense of the practical steps that people would take if they're thinking of doing this exercise.

Practical steps: gratitude, visualization, and making it real 13:18

I think that every person is different and they're different in different times in your life. If you're totally stressed and you need the answer yesterday, you are going to be in a different mindset than if it's something you were thinking about for the future and have a lot of space and time around it. Are you a person who's more introverted and likes to work things on your own, you know, read books or dream or write or whatever, and not tell anyone? Or are you someone who like wants to share it with the whole world and get like a thousand opinions and then figure out what's fun and exciting for you?

So you have to know yourself about what works best. But I would say if you want to challenge yourself, try an approach that you haven't before. Push yourself a little bit because that's also part of this unity consciousness is that we all have genius. But maybe your genius is the one that I need that. I've been wanting and didn't know I could have, you know, You and I have met online and we've already solved several problems. and come to some really cool like synchronicities and stuff, just not even meeting in person.

And so I love to bridge with other people, but not everyone feels comfortable with that. So I would say find out who your support team is, whether it's spiritual or friends or a therapist or coach or neighbor or an animal. or being in nature, whatever it is that makes you say yes and makes feel connected, comfortable, grounded, calm, or excited about possibility. That's your answer. Oh, I love that. I loved that, so looking into the past, and searching for that genius. But you had said something earlier about this future yearning.

And tell us, are there specific things that we can do to be here? Yes. So once you've kind of unburdened yourself from the past or you're starting that process, then it's really important to put yourself into the future of what it is you are seeking. in a gentle way that doesn't grasp. Because if it's like, I need a black pen and all I have is a blue pen, and I'm not going to be happy unless and until, like you're not gonna take in the pen that has like five different colors in it and you can click on, because you were like that, has blue ink, So you can't grasp.

Sometimes the things you want are actually not things that you're going to get, but they're gonna put you on a path. So it's kind of like a fishing hook. You throw out what it is you are interested in and then you sit back and you let the fish bite. The magnetic attraction come to you in a way that maybe is unexpected. The other thing that you need to do is to put it into the present as if it's already here. So this is a little bit of that time travel. You're not exactly lying to yourself, but you're like, I'm going to open to the possibility that it is already there.

Because everything that you wanted that your received already in your life at one time was in you future and became your present and is now your past and so objects and relationships and all this fluidly move through time. So what you're going to do is you are going shorten the distance between here and now and the future. And the way you do that as you see it as already accomplished and you get into the feeling state of what it is that it feels like to have it already. Whether that's a sense of peacefulness or joy or excitement or a feeling of flow or fluidity, whatever it, that feeling-state will shorten the distance between the present and the future.

And then the other part is to offer gratitude. Offering thanks because you want this or something better. And getting into a state of gratitude changes your whole mind, body, and spirit. It also is a State of Confidence because what you're saying is, I already have this and I'm already praising about it. I am already saying thank you. How wonderful. that this is my life right now. So that's kind of like the cheat codes that have been developed. That is beautiful. I wonder. There are many ways to express gratitude.

It could be different for everyone. How vocal do we have to be or should we be? Is it enough to just think it? Should we speak it now? Are you talking about like, oh, are we acting it out or is this a mental kind of imaginative exercise that's going on? What are your thoughts? Yeah, great question. So make it as real as you can. And so you could even say it to someone else and say like, Elizabeth, I was so glad when you gave me this pen today, you know, knowing that I don't have it yet. Or you would say, oh, Laurie, i'm so delighted that you were able to go through the internet and help me materialize your pen.

you know, which sounds crazy and like magic. But so you say, oh, I'm so grateful that it's here. Telling yourself out loud speaking, first of all, speaking is manifesting into the physical environment. And so saying it in your head is fine, but having your ears and the vibration of your own voice hear it is another way of making it more real for your body, mind and spirit, and for the possibility of it being a thing. speak it, you can write it. You can imagine it you. Can dream about it? You. can use it as a mantra, like a repetitive phrase that you say, I'm so happy I have the pen I needed.

Maintaining the practice through support and community 19:48

Or, yeah, i'm. so. happy. I. have. that. pen. Now I can. use. it to. write. a. note. to someone that i. m. really. caring. about. because. their. internet. is. down. or whatever. So you just make it and see how I made that real. Like I gave an example of how i would use And all those things, it's kind of like storytelling. When we were little and we would listen to stories, and even now people love stories with things on the internet and movies and so on. The thing that makes it so fun is when you get absorbed in it, that it becomes real to you.

You know, you almost forget that you're hearing a story. So the more real you can make it the, more believable it comes and the most likely that something is going to magnetize into the physical environment in the hearing now. Lovely, lovely, so those are the first steps. Tell us about what are some things we can do as far as maintaining this to make sure that we continue to use this process. Well, it's good to start and to think things differently is always a little bit nerve wracking because you're not sure what the outcome is going to be.

We're creatures of comfort and we like to do what we've always done, but doing what you've done doesn't always lead us to the best solutions or experiences in life. So it takes a little bit of that risk taker and being challenging yourself to be uncomfortable. What makes it easier for me is when I do it with other people. So you started off talking about loneliness and that disconnection or division that we feel in the world or even within ourselves. And so the solution that I see is to first of all know that there are many people that have your back even if you haven't met them.

There are good people and good movements and experiences that people are dreaming about that want to materialize and they don't always know how or when it will happen. And they almost sometimes lose hope that it would. So my suggestion is to find like-minded people. Maybe they do not have the same solutions as you, but they have vibrational frequency, desire, light in themselves, hope, and connect with them in a way, in small way that you can relate to, where you say yes together, or you agree on something, when you make a connection from your heart or from actions or just from being together.

Even a stranger that your sitting next to in park or on a bus And you're like, I like being around this person. You're creating a different energetic vibe. Your creating the connection that's not about division. That's about unification. And finding the things that you vibe with. For me personally, i'm looking to build a community of people who are willing to try out some new notions about how humanity and the planet can be together. And coming into this unity consciousness, what I talked about so far is more about the individual path, which we all need to take.

We can't just try on the coat of unity, consciousness if we haven't done our own work, because then we're just covering up all the junk that we've taken into the moment. And most people do have a lot of junk because they haven't learned how to get rid of it or what to do differently. So you have to work on yourself. But at the same time, you can work with others who are striving for a similar vision and try it out together and see where are the hidden gotchas, where the crunchy spots, whereas it's smooth and flowing.

We start to dream a different dream. And I think personally that's where we're moving towards and that this is the very first spark of it for how are we going to create a planet where people can get along, where they don't harm each other, Where they are bringing the best of themselves, maybe with more tolerance, with love, or at least with less lower vibration of self-hatred that gets projected out or division. And so that's where I see things going. I have some ideas about how to get there, but these are big broad brush strokes that I'm hoping to spend the rest of my life on.

We need, we need both. So do the individual work. And it sounds like you can't be in a silo. Like you, you got to come to the group or some group in some capacity. Yes. Well, what, would that look like? You know, coming together as a group, is that like a support group? Uh, What are your thoughts? Or, well, your doing your, some that something together. I think it happens in unexpected ways in small and big moments that some are planned and some or not. So you know when you're like in a really good mood and you go out into the world and things just kind of flow?

People are like, here, you don't need to wait in line, come in front of me. You're like what? It's just like things kind of flow. Um, You meet the right person, and you have an epiphany. you feel good about yourself. Life seems kind easier, even when things happen that are difficult. Like the person who never says, I'm sorry, suddenly apologizes. And you're like, what reality did I just jump into? So I think that when you open to possibility, you are more likely to surf the wave rather than get thrown down and like be thrown into all of the churning water and sand.

So it's having, saying yes. I don't know if I'm answering your question, but I think it's about vibration, intention, and attracting more different, being open, And then seeing what happens. So it might be an intentional community that you get together with. ago, but it may be how you approach something. There's someone who you never really got along with and then you suddenly see them and they're nicer and you don't know why, or there's a lightness about the interaction and kind of walk away a little bit confused.

What just happened? The pattern was broken. The spell, the story got rewritten suddenly.

Raising vibration and imagining a better future 26:48

I think it's around moments like that. Okay. Or people who are in low vibration situations. Are there things that they can do to raise their vibration so that we might be able to have more of these moments where things are in flow? Definitely. So if you're in a low vibration situation, which a lot of people are, it's really important to find the places that are a little bit higher. Whether that is through storytelling, through memory that you've had, though a person that admire who seems to be calmer or more present or loving or gentle or kinder.

Or maybe through an animal who gives us unconditional love. It's reminding yourself that your more than your circumstance, which is a really very challenging thing to do when life is telling you everything that is not that. If I'm feeling really low or depressed or circumstances around me seem bleak and narrow and heavy and they are, it's almost impossible to create magic to have all these possibilities happen. But I guarantee you that there is some small moment where the energy shifts and it lightens up.

It could be a thought that you have, an interaction. You have to be really dedicated to finding it and amplifying it through finding more. And saying to yourself when it happens, I'm noticing this lightness, this love, a little less tension or terror, and I am breathing into that moment of spaciousness of possibility, of hope, even having less pain. Because even people, for example, in chronic pain do not have it in every aspect of their being 24-7, they just don't. It shifts. And you have to train yourself in a different way of telling a difference story about what your fate is, what's happening to you, how much control or change you are allowed to have and how much life is shifting before your very eyes, just the way the sun moves across and the shadows and light shift from moment to moment.

So it's tough, especially if you've been raised under that kind of a spell or a story to break free of it. Who will I be without my story? Is this possible? Will my heart get crushed if I have hope? So finding the other people to support you or events to, support, you is key. Some people have faith that they turn to but not everyone does. But I would say it's holding on to those moments of beauty or love or light or whatever it is and saying, please more of this, this or something better. Oh, love it.

Holding onto those movements of. Beauty. And there's something else that you said, um, reminding yourself that you are more than your circumstance. Yes. I wonder if we're able to do this. What are the possibilities? I'm asking you to dream a little bit. It's not only just our quality of life, but problems that we'll be able It's, I get excited thinking about that because I was born an idealist and I have become more jaded over the decades, but I still can feel in my body. connection to something better, and I haven't lost hope for that.

And I've seen so many people, thousands and thousands of people transform their lives, so I know it's possible. I do see that we are starting to have more conversations like this. collectively. So I think we're on track to begin to be. Okay. And the sky's the limit. I don't like to limit myself as to what's possible because I like be surprised by even more. But I do see a time in the future, which can be my hearing now, when I time travel, where there is a basic understanding of the dignity of human soul and appreciation and respect for the planet and for universe.

And that those are unquestioning assumptions that people won't even talk about because they will be so obvious that it will not even be a question. And that sounds so far-fetched compared to where we are right now, but I believe that it is not only a possibility, that is something that will happen. And because I have belief in the infinite and in unity, and anything that we do to divide or harm another harms ourself, an end game that doesn't survive. What I have learned about living on earth in my life is that life has an incredible desire to expand, to grow, learn, know, evolve, and this comes from learning the lessons and being given the blessings.

No matter how much we try to out picture our demons and our darkness and are poison, there's a life force that's stronger, that always comes around. Yeah, you're getting excited thinking about that. I'm drinking your Kool-Aid. And so why wouldn't that be the case? Why wouldn't it be the case? If you believe in reincarnation or that you can never destroy energy, it just transforms, then yes, there's suffering, and yes there is heaviness and destruction, but there also the continuity of life, energy and consciousness.

And I don't believe that we were put here with a divine spark inside of us to have that be an end game that doesn't continue. So I'm excited for the possibilities of the future, which I may not live to see, but I can hang on to that vibration and feel it in myself and communicate it out. And other people might think I'm naive or crazy. That's okay. that's part of it too. It's the shadow. Have at it. If this message isn't for you, fine. But if it is, let's grow together. Yeah. 100% down. Doctor, tell us, because I know our audience is going to want to connect with you.

I'm sure people are going want take that course. How can they find you? So, I can be found online. I have a private practice in California in the United States of America, and I am limited by my license to only treat people with psychotherapy in But you can find me other ways through other teaching that I do, podcasts and all the rest at my website, which is drlorihops.com, D-R-L-O- R-I-H- O-P-S dot com. And I also have a podcast that's on several platforms, including YouTube, Which is free. Um, and that website where you get more than 60 interviews, Including one with you, And that is at hopshealingtips.com.

So my last name is H O P S then healing tips. And then you can go to my website and see all of the interviews and find me that way too. Wonderful. It's been a pleasure having you on the show. Thank you. If you haven't heard it yet today, I appreciate you. The soul in me honors the soul and you." If you'd like to see more episodes like this, please subscribe or click here. And friends, if this spoke to you, leave a comment below. We would love to hear from you!