Q: I read an article by Dan McAdams [1] where he distinguished between episodic life and narrative life. Can you she some light on this distinction?

A: We can describe three platforms of life: episodic, narrative, and purposive. Across the Seven Rays, these modes of expression break down as follows:

Episodic – This is the experience of the ego in the present time; there is no continuity of experience.

First Ray – You seek to win at all costs, through any means, fair or foul. You will lie about or distort what you tell others about your behavior to avoid the shame of the appearance of loss or failure.

Second Ray – You want to help others; you want to make a difference in others’ lives. You try to be helpful in whatever way you can.

Third Ray – You adapt a strategy to achieve what you want; this strategy may be legal or illegal—illegal, if you do not overrule this plan with your conscience or the advisement of a mentor or counselor.

Fourth Ray – You experience creativity and spontaneity in each moment. You “go with the flow” to discover what new discovery awaits you.

Fifth Ray – You investigate mysteries and try to troubleshoot problems. You try to find out what is true and what makes things work.

Sixth Ray – You try to be good through living up to rules, policies, laws, or moral guidelines. You may be a people-pleaser to have people like and accept you. You can be a perfectionist or obsessive about following the rules you adopt.

Seventh Ray – You aim to produce a lasting impression through your actions and words; you may demonstrate this through drama, entertainment, or comedy. You may engage in impression management, so you shape what other people believe about you.

Narrative – This establishes a continuity of experience or life story where you perceive that your Self is the actor in your life. The Self learns from its mistakes and its successes to continually improve performance, knowledge, and skill. It aims to pursue and realize its dreams.

First Ray – You experience life as a series of wins or losses, or successes and failures. You attempt to learn from your experience to improve your performance to have more wins and fewer losses; more success and fewer failures. You look at loss and failure as opportunities to learn and grow. You seek to build a track record of success. You may motivate others as a leader to greater achievement and better outcomes.

Second Ray – You look for opportunities for learning ways to help other people and applying your skills you learn. This may take the form of selecting a career where you can help others, such as teaching, counseling, therapy, coaching, mentoring, or the healing arts.

Third Ray – You regularly evaluate your performance to improve it. You gather information about the outcome of the different alternatives you might select to reach your objectives and attempt to choose the best one. You create plans that enable you to reach your goals, systems to streamline work, and policies to manage other people.

Fourth Ray – You find meaning in life when you are creative and productive. You employ art and invention to express the creative inspiration within you.

Fifth Ray – You find satisfaction when you can discover what is correct through using analysis, scientific method, and mathematics. You analyze your behavior to enhance your efficiency and productivity.

Sixth Ray – You seek to overcome character weaknesses, establish healthy habits, recover from any addiction you may have, and live a virtuous life. You are scrupulous and conscientious, and pay attention to details.

Seventh Ray – Your life becomes memorable through heroism and courage— through moving beyond your comfort zone to achieve greater performance and achievement. You push yourself towards excellence and work on continued personal growth. You are results-oriented and seek to reach the ever-higher benchmarks you set for yourself.

Purposive – Life becomes a channel to express the Soul. Your personality enacts the Soul’s Purpose.

First Ray – You may combat injustice, corruption, and criminality. You empower others to be their best and aim to improve the community around you.

Second Ray – You bring love and compassion into expression in your life. You may teach or guide others to connect them with their Soul and bring their deepest nature into expression.

Third Ray – You create systems and organizations that improve the collective welfare, and help others overcome poverty and enhance their lives.

Fourth Ray – You express the creative gifts of the Soul to inspire others, an promote insight, reflection, and discovery.

Fifth Ray – You seek to make new scientific discoveries and technological innovations to improve the world.

Sixth Ray – You aim to make yourself into an instrument to minister to others. You become a channel for Grace, Divine Love and Comfort, and spiritual healing.

Seventh Ray – You discover and enact the Soul’s purpose. You prepare your personality through education, skill building, and experience to express the Soul’s love, wisdom, and abilities in human life.

Those who are polarized at the level of the ego operate on the episodic platform. Those in whom the Self is dominant can work on the narrative platform. Those who have broken through to discover their Soul can express from the purposive platform.

It appears that the author of this article believes that the former president’s main style of expression is First Ray episodic, which functions from the ego. The ex-president seems unable to transcend this limited perspective, so he does not change.

We suggest you study these expressions of the Seven Rays through each of the three platforms. You may wish to identify the major ways you express on these platforms, and learn to recognize these expressions in others.

[1] McAdams, Don P. 8/5/2020 Op Ed: “The Truth Behind Trump’s Need to Lie,” Los Angeles Times. Retrieved from https://www.latimes/opinion/story/2020-08-05/donald-trump-lies-character-psychology/