To begin with, consider that maturity tends to have different stages - physical maturity, for instance, generally comes before emotional maturity, which generally comes before what I would consider the first reasonable stage of completion of maturity - the first Saturn return, which is after (hopefully!) the child has graduated from its initial apprentice adult phase and moved out, supporting itself and living independently of its parents for at least one year.
Let's think on that for a moment: physical maturity comes first, then emotional, then ... would one describe it as mental, perhaps?
If we compare that the the levels of reality and the chakras, physical and the two base chakras are at a lower frequency than the astral levels associated with emotion, and the solar plexus and heart chakras.
Now, I recently heard someone say that a third person would become interested in psychic and spiritual matters when the person reached the age of forty "as happens with many people". Hmmmm ... "as happens with many people" ...
I was aware that in the Hindu thinking on the stages of life, one is supposed to focus on social and family things first, and then spiritual, and I've thought much of that was around opportunity - for instance, when you have a family with children living at home, there isn't much chance of pursuing psychic and spiritual practice (ever try meditating when a baby needs a nappy change?).
But maybe there is something more to it. Maybe our continuing evolution is such that the chakras associated with psychic and spiritual functioning do not properly mature until the chakras associated with the physical, emotional and mental aspects of life have matured first - it's a bit like Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs: we (generally) need basic foundations such as food, shelter and physical survival met before we can move on to meeting emotional needs, then self-esteem and finally self actualising.
We reach physical maturity in our early teens, with the onset of puberty. This, in the days when we were hunter-gatherers (or, as I recently read, more accurately gatherer-hunters), was when people effectively became adults, and were able to contribute to the tribe. I personally believe part of the trouble that many teenagers experience is because their biology is saying they are ready to be adults, but today's more complex and demanding world insists on further development and training to manage modern society, thus resulting in a conflict.
There is, however, no question that people have to move out of the family home and function on their own to prove that they are adults. This is the main criteria for maturity throughout nature, and humans are no different. This is when interactions with people and the rules and requirements and laws of society begins in a way that simply didn't exist when we were gatherer-hunters in relatively small groups, nor when we are living within the shelter of the family unit. This time of interaction is when emotional maturity is so important and, sadly, so often lacking.
By the way, chronological age is not connected to maturity. There are some chronologically very elderly people I know who I would consider quite immature.
As one continues to have life experiences, I believe one develops the basis for developing spiritual maturity.
Nice, neat, simple generalisation, eh? I don't think the thought is worthy of being called a theory, but, from it, I have going to postulate a theory that chakras mature progressively. I am also contemplating the possibility of a bit of a crisis occurs as each chakra matures, ranging from the pimples and acne of puberty, through to perhaps something akin to the "mid-life crisis" as one starts to grapple with spiritual matters as one's more psychically focused chakras mature and enhance communication with one's Higher Self.
Just a few thoughts for your consideration - and please do think, as I can see several holes in what I have written :)
Love, light, hugs and blessings
Gnwmythr
(pronounced "new-MYTH-ear")
Tags: maturity,
First published: Laugadagr, 17th December, 2011
Last edited: Saturday, 17th December, 2011
