Spiritual freedom is freedom from our ego and personality limitations, emotional and mental. Freedom from the ego and personality – is freedom of the soul. The free person is free from their physical, emotional, and mental repetitive habits, patterns, and blocks. Emotionally, one is free from reactive patterns, negative emotions, exaggerated fears or worries. Mentally, one is free thinking, without bias, and not simply parroting what others say is true. Consciousness is not simply wrapped up all day in thoughts, thinking, plans, agendas, worries or problems. The essential nature of consciousness is to be free; but this is not the usual case, because consciousness gets wrapped up in mental and emotional contents. Nonetheless, consciousness can be free.
In a state of freedom, consciousness can rise above thoughts and disengage from the usual stream of thoughts. Consciousness can be free from automatic streams of thought and obsessive thinking, and also from subconscious domination. In freedom, consciousness is free, pure, and clear of attachments, obsessions, glamors and illusions. Moreover, a free consciousness is able to use mental capacities with purpose, intention and mastery. In freedom, consciousness can decide what to think about and how to use the mind with purpose.
The free person is
unconditioned and unencased by cultural limitations
unmoved by manipulative social forces
free from limiting boundaries and limiting beliefs
free from self-created limitations and obsessions
free from personal desires and atachments
free from obstacles that stand in the way
uninhibited in love and freely giving of oneself
One is truly free when, in consciousness and will, one can rise above one's physical, emotional, and mental bodies; not being entrapped by them. Freedom is necessarily related to will. One is not free without the exercise of free will. Generally though, what people think of as having 'will' is not really a free will, but rather a conditioned will –which is directed by desires, habits and impulses. Free will involves free intention and decision, which is not simply the habit patterns of our desires.
People also tend to be attached, obsessed, and entrapped by their self beliefs and images. These are our ego identifications. The way to be free of this is to be non-identified, non-attached, and not fixed on any particular belief about oneself; but instead develop a fluid and flexible self-identity, along with an attitude of self-inquisitiveness, rather than self-certainty. The person who with certainly knows 'who they are' will tend to become stuck in their beliefs and not be able to learn more or change their view. It is better to be uncertain and open-minded, rather than overly certain and closed-minded. It is better to be always inquisitive and newly learning, and be open to our true Self emerging. For if we are already full of self-beliefs, then it is nearly impossible to see beyond this or to be open to our emerging Self.
Inner freedom is a choice that we can make. Outer freedom depends on our relations and on the conditions of our world. But inner freedom depends on just our own self, and it's about making choices for how we shall be in our own self. Inner freedom is the freedom of our consciousness, the freedom of our mind and our heart, and the freedom to be as we decide to be. It is also being free from negative attitudes and reactive emotions, from obsessive thought, from automatic subconscious behavior, and from self-centeredness. But freedom requires choice.
Inner freedom is really a choice. It's an affirmation or decision to be free, and the inward action to be free. Yet freedom doesn't just come instantly; because freedom is an ability that develops gradually with inner work, self-reflection, inner choice. Freedom from the ego and personality – is freedom of the soul.