The Not Self Mind in Human Design
Apr 12, 2023
What exactly is the Not-Self according to Human Design? Is it a bad thing? No. Is it a good thing? No.
It simply is. It is something that we live with, that we co-exist with. It is a part of us. There is no transcendence above or beyond the conditioning & not self mind. As Ra would say: “The mind does what it does”.
The term “Not-Self” is just a term that is used to describe the part of us that the mind falsely identifies as “me”, as who “I am”. The “not self” simply means not you. Where people get stuck is taking in energy through their open centres, which is amplified at 200%, then identifying with it. It is through this process that identification with the energy being brought in happens.
Some have misinterpreted this term as being a bad thing. They might say, “oh that’s your not-self” or “oh that’s my not-self”, meaning she/he or I was doing something bad or wrong or that someone is better than someone else due to a perceived “better” alignment than the other. Ah, how the mind plays games.
I always giggle when I see this dynamic play out because the person judging is often the one stuck in the mind’s games more than the person they are projecting upon. This or that, good vs bad, IS the mind. And a nasty game it plays. It is the mind that is misidentifying with the Not-Self. The mind makes it personal and judges it as bad, either within ourselves or the other.
When we take the morality out of the term, however, it simply states a fact: “that is not me” or “that is not you”. Simple. What you add after that has nothing to do with IT and everything to do with the definition you give it. A definition you can change at any time.
Now, is it to say the goal is to create & live a not self life? Of course not. What I want to stress is that it is not something that you transcend. We live in the program. We are simply here to enjoy the ride. The more we understand it the more we can release judgement & be present to our unique experience.
The only reason Ra gave a term for the Not-Self (how the white spaces in our design are misinterpreted or create shadow patterns) is so that we can step outside for a moment and look at it objectively, to see it from a mechanical perspective. You can quite literally map each person's not self mind based on their unique energetic blueprint. You can see where the dragons lurk & traps are to provide someone with the tools to release the identification & surrender deeper into passenger consciousness.
When mapping the not self mind it begins with your type:
Manifestors, your mind wants to get rid of anger therefore your mind will make decisions to get rid of anger & get peace. The problem is, the more your mind forces & attempts to be your authority the more anger & resistance you get.
Generators & MGS, your mind wants to get rid of frustration therefore your mind will make decisions to get rid of frustration & achieve satisfaction. The problem is, the more your mind forces & attempts to be your authority the more frustration & resistance you get.
Projectors, your mind wants to get rid of bitterness therefore your mind will make decisions to get rid of bitterness & feel success. The problem is, the more your mind forces & attempts to be your authority the more bitterness & resistance you get.
Reflectors, your mind wants to get rid of disappointment therefore your mind will make decisions to get rid of disappointment & feel surprise. The problem is, the more your mind forces & attempts to be your authority the more disappointment & resistance you get.
From there we can map it deeper, like a treasure map, to see the most likely patterns your mind goes when caught in the illusions of the not self mind. While knowledge is power, embodiment is key.
Our non-definition is where we go to school in life and eventually, hopefully, become wise. The information and experiences that we take in through our non-definition white spaces teach us more about the thematics of that centre & gates. Our non-definition IS what we are here to be curious about, but it is not us. We are attracted to what we are not. We are naturally attracted to difference because it’s interesting. This difference that we learn about, when we are rid of all the distortion, gives us a completely different view of life, a much clearer view.
ABE
For more information on ways to work together using Human Design/ BG5 please go to www.ashleybrianaeve.com.
You can also check out The HD CEO Psyche Podcast, available on all platforms, or her YouTube Channel for more:
