About The Episode
Accessing consciousness is a concept based on a set of pragmatic tools that help us to change areas of our lives that we haven’t been able to change. It’s a brand new concept I learned from Diva Diaz, who used it to help her navigate her neurodiversity and during our conversation sheds light on its potential benefits and shared practical insights for incorporating them into daily life.
Diva began our conversation by addressing the concept of accessing consciousness, and how it helps people who have become adept at masking their true selves. She highlights the toll that this constant effort to fit in can take on our mental and emotional well-being and speaks from her personal experience of trying to fit in while dealing with the internal struggles of handling social situations and sensory overload. She explains how masking is a coping mechanism that allows us to navigate the world—but also encourages the exploration of practices that promote relaxation and self-acceptance.
Mindfulness and Meditation
I asked Diva where mindfulness and meditation fit into this conversation and she shared with me that she acknowledges the benefits that these practices can offer to those who find them effective, but also shared her personal experiences of struggling with traditional meditation techniques. She offers an alternative approach that proved to be more effective for herself and her clients—which is based on asking ourselves powerful questions. Diva goes on to explain how this simple act of questioning instantly shifts the focus from the mind to the present moment and helps to create a greater sense of awareness and consciousness. She discusses the power of questions in helping us navigate our thoughts and emotions, which allows us to access deeper levels of understanding and find unique solutions to challenges.
Embracing Neurodiversity: Challenging Perceptions
We move on to discussing the concept of neurodiversity, and Diva passionately shares the value of neurologically diverse individuals in society. She challenges the notion that neurodiversity is a limitation, and instead shares how people with neurodiversity often have creative problem-solving abilities that they bring to the table. She highlights that society has predominantly been designed for the masses, but believes that we are now at an exciting crossroads where the contributions of neurodiverse people are being celebrated. We discuss how neurodiversity should be seen as a positive rather than a negative, as it offers new perspectives and innovations to the world.
Throughout the conversation, we discussed the importance of being present and cultivating awareness. Diva explains that awareness goes beyond what one has been taught and involves perceiving and sensing things beyond the physical. Diva highlights this by using the example of sensing someone’s mood without them expressing it verbally. She believes that consciousness and awareness are interconnected and that the expansion of consciousness leads to a heightened awareness. We further explore the topic of heightened awareness in neurodiverse individuals, and Diva challenges the perception that they are simply sensitive. Instead, she suggests reframing it as a heightened awareness that allows them to perceive and process information differently.
Embracing Curiosity and Letting Go of Judgment
We close the conversation, by discussing the importance of embracing curiosity and letting go of judgment. Diva encourages us to ask more questions and explore possibilities rather than getting caught up in self-judgment and/or societal expectations that so many of us unconsciously fall into. Diva shares practical strategies, such as using Post-it notes with questions, to integrate these concepts into daily life and make them a part of our lifestyle.
Overall, Diva shares valuable insights on what accessing consciousness is and offers a new and fresh perspective on neurodiversity. She emphasises that presence, questioning, and embracing differences serve as an important way for us to expand our consciousness, celebrate diversity, and create a more compassionate and understanding world.
